Amateur In His First Psychic War

"I know that I'm afraid of love, the toll seems very steep..."

The morning sun shines from my room's window as I dress myself.

"The goal's so uncontrollable, impossible to keep..."

I had a weird dream last night. Some might say all dreams are odd in one way or the other, but mine have always been tame.

"Despite the songs of lucky ones, those very special few..."

Dreams of past events with a slight blur to them. Of me going on errands or walking around Kyoto. A few nightmares where I fail at the Shiketsu entrance exam or where I get expelled. Simple, boring stuff.

"Can't right the wrongs that often come, no matter what we do..."

But last night, I had various visions.

Myself battling against that swordswoman in my class. We were on a rooftop I can't recognize even now. Mitsurugi dashed by me bathed in the moonlight, and I had turned in time because it was my dream.

Then, the scene changed. Me, Katsuragi, and Nyoro in my house's kitchen. They wore pink frilled aprons, and I had a chef's hat. I think we were waiting for someone to come in with the ingredients.

"Now, I imagine that the feeling's close to none. All that passion running rampant sounds like fun..."

I tie my shoelaces and check myself. Phone? Right pocket. Spare keys? Left pocket, along with my wallet. Backpack, in my bed. Music player? Left pocket, blasting a random song in my ears, which I'm singing along to.

"But when the trouble starts, I've heard of broken hearts..."

I only sing when I'm in an exceptional mood and sure no one is listening. Well... Mom can probably hear me, but she's an exception to the rule. I trust her with my life, so I can trust her with my singing voice.

"So must come down familiar ground to find a safer view..."

Back to the dream, I never found out who was left to enter the kitchen, but I'd like to think it was Hiro since he'd complete the team.

There were other images too, yet I can't recall them as accurately. I saw Maxine cornering me against a wall, holding my arms up with her quirk, and approaching me with a scary look. Me riding Myoga's quirk, which was transformed into a green tiger.

... Me walking Katsuragi back to her house.

"And, so I wonder... Will I Win, or will I Lose?"

"You're gonna be late for school." A voice comes from the door.

What's up with that timing, Mom? You don't even know English to say this right in the chorus.

I grab my backpack and leave my bedroom. Yes, that was an unusual dream; but I can see the patterns. It was the result of the action-packed afternoon I had yesterday.

But today is just self-defense with Ippon-sensei, so I should sleep well tonight.

Mom hands me the last piece of my uniform as I near the door. I adjust the Shiketsu hat and give her my best smile.

"Keep what I said in mind, okay?" She demands more than asks, making me struggle to keep my expression.

"... Sure."

"Have a good day," She wishes, patting down the creases in my jacket.

"You too, Mom."

I wave her goodbye and walk to the station. I'm not late. My commute goes ordinarily, and I rise near Shiketsu half an hour before homeroom.

Mom made an effort to give me a lot of advice regarding Katsuragi. I tried to absorb what I felt was relevant, but I'm hundred-percent sure I gave her the wrong idea with my comments on my classmate, so I didn't learn that much about friendship.

... Sorry, Katsuragi. You were so good to me, but I can never let you two meet now. I'd never live it down.

My walk to Shiketsu is peaceful. Sometimes, I can spot some classmates on my way to the gates, but I didn't see anyone this time.

I cross the gates, seeing students from all years and programs mingling. As expected of a place like Shiketsu, most of its student body tries to get here early.

I enter 1-D's classroom, and there are only three people inside.

"Good morning, Nyoro," I say, raising my hand in greeting.

"Good morning, Imai-kun," She answers with a nod.

I walk to my desk. "Good morning, Cain, Abrams."

The two are engaged with a pile of notes on Cain's desk, but they still turn to answer me.

"Good morning, Imai!"

"Hey."

There are more than a hundred pages there. Christopher must have spent his nighttime pouring over the battle training we had. I wonder if he's written anything about my team, but I don't want to barge in between these two.

"Christopher, you should censor yourself when you type these out. Shinkan wouldn't appreciate these comments..." Noah chides.

"Yet I must stand by my truth," He says, pointing at a passage in his notes. "He was a liability."

I'm no longer anxious sitting to Christopher's left. Because yesterday, I resolved to tell my classmates about my quirk.

However, I'm not sure how to start. I'm not brave enough to call for everyone at the same time. Even if I did, I doubt I could hold their attention long enough to explain myself.

So I'll talk to them one at a time. But who shall be the first? Or second, since Katsuragi already knows. Wait, Katsuragi isn't even the first one. Christopher should know it as well because of his quirk. But does that even count since I didn't tell him directly?

I'm glad he hasn't spoken to anyone else about it, but I'm not about to tell him to stop holding back. It's a mean thing to think about my deskmate, but he's too blunt. I don't want to rely on him to do what I should have done long ago.

So, order of operations. I should go from easiest to hardest, right? To build up my morale.

"Morning," Atsushi says, entering the classroom. The rest of us reply with varying levels of enthusiasm.

Orochi Atsushi... she'll be one of the last people I tell, not because of her personality but because of me. I admire her and would likely mess up with my words if I tried talking to her.

What about the other two? Noah and Nyoro.

The more I think about it, Noah is such an easy choice for the third person to know that I should leave him to the end. He's so understanding it might lower my guard and set up wrong expectations for the rest.

I feel the urge to smack myself. Even after finding someone with whom I wouldn't mind having this conversation, I still find it in me to avoid contacting him.

Nyoro, then. We worked together pretty well yesterday. I'll find her at an opportune moment and—

"Good morning, Chihiro!" Noah's words stop my thought process.

"... Morning."

Yesterday's foe takes her seat behind me. I wave at her, and she nods at me.

Chihiro Mitsurugi... is around the same level of difficulty as Nyoro. She's a calm, collected, non-judgmental girl. However, I did screw over her and her team yesterday, so I should move her down on the list. In case she has any hard feelings.

Wait. Mitsurugi and her team should have priority over everyone else, shouldn't they? Ignoring their personalities, they're the ones who deserve to know the most, even if they despise me for what I did.

More people shuffle inside. Jugo and Suzuki are chatting with each other, with Hiro and Owari trailing behind.

We are approaching the start of homeroom, and I haven't gotten anywhere with my analysis.

I'll think about something else. When would be the best time to approach my classmates? During lunchtime? After classes end?

A hint of ice blue catches the corner of my vision. Katsuragi enters the classroom, and I can't help but grin when I see her. "Good morning, Katsuragi."

"..."

She takes her spot behind Christopher with an unreadable expression, her head cast down.

Oh.

I turn my head back to the board, forcing my face back into a dispassionate mask. Katsuragi not responding isn't a big deal, yet I can't help but worry. Is she not a morning person? Did something happen to her after we parted ways? Did she not sleep well?

... Is it me?

....

I'll ask her. If I want to be her friend, we should communicate.

"Ka—"

"Hey, Imai, who do you think were the MVPs for your match?"

A question from my right cuts me off. Christopher and Noah are looking at me, expectant.

What awful timing on my part. It'd be impolite to ignore these two. So I'll answer their questions and then talk with Katsuragi.

"For the enemy team, I'd have to say Mitsurugi."

Christopher blinks. "Huh. Are you sure you're not saying that just because she's in prime position for backstabbing you?"

Mitsurugi does not react to the comment, but Noah looks at him in horror. "Christopher!"

He waves off the winged boy. "It was a joke."

A rather bad one, but my sense of humor isn't good enough for me to point fingers.

Before these two can keep going, I speak.

"It's a toss-up between her and Jugo, but while I could see myself defeating him if I altered my plans, Mitsurugi's combat ability would have overwhelmed us if it wasn't for my team's MVP... Katsuragi."

"Alright, I agree Mitsurugi was the villain team's MVP. I just wanted to know your reasons. But I don't see it with Katsuragi. Yes, that last play with her quirk turned the battle around, but getting to that point was a journey by itself. Hiro's takedown of Minerva, Hoge's steals, and your takedown of Maxine were as pivotal."

"His takedown of Maxine? What are you saying, Chris? Maxine took herself out with that sedative," Noah points out.

"..."

I look Christopher in the eyes, filled with dread for ever indulging in his questions. As I feared, he's made a slip after getting too enthusiastic when talking about hero training.

"Huh. You're right. Guess I misremembered it as a coping mechanism for how stupid it was. I mean, of all dumb mistakes..."

Thank you, Christopher. I couldn't have ad-libbed worse even if I tried, but thank you.

"You really need to be more cordial with your feedback..." Noah says, frowning lightly.

I was worried for nothing. Noah is the type of guy who believes his classmates no matter how dubious their tone is.

This isn't good for my heart, however. I'm wondering if I'm truly missing out by not socializing.

"But as I was saying, I have a different opinion on the hero team MVP for match 2. It's—"

"Good morning, Class 1-D."

Rosethorn-sensei enters, with a few students trailing behind her in the nick of time. Bobby, Takeda, and Sagara.

While I spoke with these two, other people had filled the desks. Shinkan, Tanaka, and Kinji are already in their seats.

"Good morning, Rosethorn-sensei," My classmates greet her as I sigh.

Not only could I not finish my discussion with Christopher before the start of classes, but I also couldn't ask Katsuragi why she looked so glum.

I can't get away with talking to her during class because I sit in the front row, 5 meters from our teacher.

How troublesome.

Our teacher congratulates us on our first heroics exercise and goes through the attendance list. She also announces that another transfer student is joining us this week, which is alarming, considering our class already has 24 students. How are we going to split up for group activities now? Always 5 quintets? Uneven parties? It's going to be chaos.

They might be planning to replace one of us... but who?

If Shiketsu plans to make up space in class 1-D, I'm not confident in my chances of staying.

Rosethorn-sensei leaves us after a brief homeroom, but I never get to say a word to Katsuragi. As expected of Shiketsu, our teachers are punctual and swap places seamlessly, not giving me time to turn around and... reach out to her.

Japanese, Mathematics, Chemistry, and History. Four periods pass, and four times I try to speak with Katsuragi. But she ignores my movements, and when I find the words, a new lecture is beginning.

After over three hours of classes, the bell for lunchtime rings.

This is it... my chance.

I get out of my chair and turn to the blue-haired girl, but she's already walking away, darting between our classmates.

I take a step and almost bump into Christopher. I avoid him by going left and keep moving forward.

"Katsuragi, wait!" I call out to her.

She ducks her head and speeds up, leaving our classroom.

My body feels heavy. I don't know if it's the pit in my stomach or the glances some of my classmates are giving me.

I'm so stupid. Why did I have to say anything? Why did I think she was going to turn to me?

I leave the classroom in a daze. I can see her walking down the hallway to my right, but I don't know if I should take the same path.

It's me. The reason Katsuragi looked dejected all day definitely had to do with me. But I can't figure out why. Whenever I thought of yesterday, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of contentment.

It must have been one-sided, then. I did something wrong that prevented me from growing closer as a friend.

I need to move. I can't stand outside the door while everyone else is walking. I turn in the opposite direction of the girl I thought would be my first friend in Shiketsu. This way goes the cafeteria. Hunger is the last thing on my mind, but I don't want to bother her with my presence.

I'll just... listen to music somewhere. This burn in my chest should pass eventually.

A weight settles on my shoulder, piercing through the storm of emotions coursing within me.

I try to take another step, but it pulls me back.

My shoulders slump. I sigh and turn to the person with their hand on me.

Myoga looks unusually serious. At this point, everyone else has moved on. There's only me and him.

"You have to go after her."

"... I'm not like you, Myoga. I'm... I'm not fearless enough to keep chasing."

He shakes me. "This isn't about fear or guts! It's about seizing the moment!"

... Isn't that what guts is?

"A few days from now, you'll definitely regret not moving now!"

His other hand grabs my free shoulder. "So what if she turns you down again? You have nothing to lose!"

"..."

He's wrong. Right now, I still believe in Katsuragi. That she told me the truth. That yesterday was real. I trust she is not the kind of person who would spout empty platitudes so I'd leave her alone.

I can live with the fact that I screwed things up somehow, but I find out there wasn't anything to screw up in the first place...

I want my heart intact.

...

But what does that give me? Nothing. I'll keep being the same friendless, unsociable failure as always. Clinging to a memory of what could have been.

Walk, you idiot. You said you had to communicate with her, didn't you? How come you're giving up before even doing it?

Ah. There's that spite. But it's aimed at myself this time.

"You're right, Myoga."

I stride past him.

"I have nothing to lose because I'll win no matter what."

A pat on the back pushes me to the path I have to take.

"There we go. Don't make that face when you see her, though! You look like you're ready to throw down!"

He's right once again. This habit of putting a stoic front whenever I'm in turmoil could hamper my chances.

I clench my fist, channeling every emotion I feel into that gesture. When it feels like my nails will pierce through the skin of my palms, I let go, feeling lighter.

I activate my quirk. I won't read Katsuragi's thoughts. I'm merely trying to figure out where she's thinking. An active mind is a mind that my quirk can detect. But there are many people in Shiketsu, so to find the thought process I want without breaking anyone's privacy, I have to see the person attached to the brain. It's a step above the trick I use to find Nyoro sometimes.

I have 50 minutes of lunchtime to find her. After that, there's the 5th and 6th period of class, and the school day will end.

I don't want to ask if anyone has seen her. It's already shameful enough that I got Myoga involved.

Ah. I forgot to say 'thank you' to that guy. I'll have to do it later.

There are 28 minds inside Shiketsu's library right now, but with the size of the place and most of its occupants being part of the staff, it feels barren. It's a great spot to be left alone and an even better one to avoid conversation.

Katsuragi is reading manga on the library's second floor, headphones in her ears. She has not noticed me yet.

"Can't you see she doesn't wanna talk to you?"

I pause on the staircase's first footstep. Someone spoke to me just now. The sound felt close, but I don't see anyone—

Huh. This girl is short.

I have no obligation to answer a stranger. This is something between me and Katsuragi.

"I know. But I have to do it nevertheless."

But my sense of politeness compels me to not ignore her.

The stranger grabs my arm, squeezes, and pulls, but I don't budge.

"If you're gonna say sorry, I can pass the message. But if you wanna say anything else, you should turn around instead, Imai-kun."

"..."

I bow my head. "I'm sorry—"

She grins in satisfaction.

"—But who are you?"

I was too focused on getting to Katsuragi to do it before, but now I take a good look at the girl in front of me. She's wearing the Shiketsu uniform. Blond, medium-length hair that turns blue at the tips. Cross-shaped pupils... Ah. I already have an idea of who she is.

"Mio Katsuragi. Ash's older sis."

"Katsuragi-senpai... please let me see her. Before I apologize, I want to know what I did wrong."

Her presence and her words confirm my suspicions. I did do something wrong yesterday.

But I still want to be Katsuragi's friend.

"Tsk tsk. After saying all those hurtful things to her yesterday, you come here claiming you don't know what you did? You're beyond hope, Imai."

Hurtful things...?

"... What?"

I said she was... m̴̙̙̈̾̈́́̐́͊͝y̴̲̱̖̩̻̗͓͛͑͘ ̵̡͚̹̯̥͔͓̳̼͈͍͔͒ḩ̴̡̧̜̱̙͎̗̙̣̠̋̌̌̍̽̊͂́̎͆̚͝ė̷̠͗̀̏̍͑͛̌̉̅̈́ŗ̶͚̙̭̜͓̱̤̮̹̭̜̏͑̇̈́̊̔̀ŏ̵̯̪͋͂͊̕̚—̸̧͔̟̱̞̼̜̪̹̙̮̻̂̓͊̆͐͐́͂̂͝͝

"You're staying, Imai-kun?"

"..."

He takes a second to answer, mind caught up in the frustration of the exercise.

"Yeah. There's something crucial about his grading methods I need to ask."

He stays in place, waiting for his classmates to leave. The girl hesitates for a few seconds before saying, "Okay... I think I'll check on Hiro at the infirmary..."

He hands her Hiro's concoctions wordlessly, then approaches Majestic. She walks away with a blank stare.

His chat with the pro hero does not leave him feeling better. A few minutes later, he slogs through the school gates with a heavy frown, his stoic facade compromised by the pain in his head and his turbulent feelings.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not."

He wobbles on his feet, but she comes to support him.

"My quirk is called Mindbreaker."

He opens up to her. Tells her about his quirk and his struggles.

"Growing up, I also got a lot of ill will because of my quirk, so I can relate to what you said..."

She tries to empathize with him. It's the wrong move. He does not appreciate the comparison.

"What would you know about what I said, Katsuragi? Your quirk removes 1 minute of memories, and you have a cooldown. How could you get the same level of distrust I do?"

With his nerves at their limit, he lashes out. She flinches and tries to stammer an apology. But he keeps going, too embittered to care.

"You don't. You already have connections in Shiketsu. Suzuki. Atsushi. Sagara."

He walks away.

"Don't pretend you can relate to me to make me feel better. You just made me feel worse."

Everything else passes in a haze. He takes the train home, greets his mom, and spends the afternoon and evening in his room.

The next day, he wakes up filled with regret. He tries to talk to the girl, but she no longer wants anything to do with him.

I blink, then squint. The early afternoon sun glares down on me as if trying to burn away my sins.

... when did I get on the academy's rooftop? I was speaking with Katsuragi's sister... did Katsuragi use her quirk on me? I wouldn't hold it against her if she did.

But no, she didn't. I was too out of it when I left the library after being blocked by Mio, but I can remember now. I didn't even get to pass an apology...

... I feel awful.

I am awful for lashing out against Katsuragi like that. Being bitter about the exercise is no excuse for what I did. She reached out to me, and I slapped her hand away like the spiteful wretch I am.

Should I keep trying? That's what Myoga told me to do. But I can't see myself succeeding today. Perhaps I should give her time. Think of a different approach...

My stomach growls. How long have I been sitting here? Is there even time to get to the cafeteria?

I grab my phone. It's 12:42. Mom has sent me a message. She'll be working overtime today and asked me to grab some groceries on the way home.

Maybe I can ask her for advice? I should have done it yesterday, but I was so sullen I didn't even... talk to her... about it...

...

I didn't talk to Mom about Katsuragi. I didn't talk to her about the exercise.

I didn't tell her I used my quirk. What the hell is wrong with me?!

"Imai? Is everything alright?"

Before I know it, I've already called her.

"Mom. I'm sorry for being so distant yesterday, but I forgot to tell you I had my first heroics training and—"

"What are you talking about? You did tell me."

"Huh?"

"Did you forget....? You told me about your match and that you felt bad about it. We also had a long talk about that Ashleigh girl..."

Mom's versions of the events are at complete odds with mine. And what was that about Katsuragi?

"... Hey, are you there?"

"... yeah... sorry for calling you so suddenly. I'm going to the cafeteria now."

"No, it's fine; I'm also on my lunch break. But we're gonna talk about this when you get home, alright? You're acting weird."

"Yeah. Sorry—I mean, goodbye, Mom."

She sighs over the line. "See you later..."

I get up and leave the rooftop. Before, I felt angry at myself, but now, I'm afraid.

There are too many discrepancies between what Mom remembers and what I remember from yesterday. But judging by her actions today, Katsuragi seems to recall the same events as me.

I can think of three solutions to this puzzle. From least likely to most likely...

One. Mom has developed sudden memory problems.

Two. Someone has changed Mom's memories of yesterday to something more lighthearted.

Three. Someone has altered mine and Katsuragi's memories.

"Hah..."

I sigh.

It's probably Option Three.

There's no telling how long it will take me to get to the bottom of this.

However... I have a nasty hunch that might make this very short.

I only need that guy's help to confirm it.

"So, let me see if I understood this correctly."

I'm back in 1-D's homeroom with a tentative ally.

"Yesterday, you and Ashleigh Katsuragi hung out after class and, according to your mom, had a pleasant chat. But you and Ashleigh remember that you were a jackass to her, and you don't recall mentioning anything to your mom. So, you suspect memories of the event were warped to what they are now."

I nod.

"It's a decent theory. I mean, if your mom's memories were altered, why would the culprit decide to change a memory of you talking to her? To something more positive nonetheless? So that leaves you and Ashleigh as the victims."

I nod again.

"Now, quirks that deal with memory are... tricky. And rare too. But we have a pair of sisters with memory-related powers right here in Shiketsu. Thus, you want me to copy Mio Katsuragi's quirk to see if she could have done it. Did I get everything right, Imai?"

Nod.

Christopher slams his hands on his desk. "Why don't you read her mind and get it over with, you insufferable creature?!"

I release a long breath. "Because it's just a hunch, Cain. I won't snoop inside Mio-senpai's mind with such flimsy reasoning. That would make me a hypocrite. For all I know, she could be a caring big sister who stopped me from talking to Katsuragi because she wants the best for her. The only reason I'm even considering her as the culprit is due to the timing required."

"I'm sure your records were altered only after midday," Christopher claims. "When Ashleigh entered the homeroom, you were smiling like I've never seen you do before. It was honestly rather eerie."

"But Katsuragi was in a bad mood ever since she got here. The culprit needs to be someone who contacted her yesterday after classes and me after the lunch bell rang."

"And you're both not social people," Christopher continues. "So unless the memory manipulator has tremendous range, the list of possible perpetrators is comically short."

"True," I agree.

"Listen, Imai. Often the simplest solution is the best one. If all the information you've presented is accurate, I have no doubts Ashleigh's sister is behind this."

I chew the inside of my cheek, holding myself back from tapping my desk as a nervous tick. If Mio really is responsible, then her speed is dangerous. I only spoke with her for less than a minute, enough for her to change a few hours' worth of memories.

"... but... what would be her motive for doing this to me and her sister?"

Christopher throws up his hands. "Hell if I know! Maybe you and Ashleigh got too chummy after the exercise, and she's the over-protective type?" He puts a hand under his chin. "No, wait, that sounds like the plot of a bad romance show... forget I said that."

Gladly.

"I need to understand this better, but before that, I gotta confirm my theory." I reach my left hand over his desk. "Will you help me, Cain?"

"Mm? Yeah, of course. Messing with memories is serious business for me, so I can't sit still when something like this happens to two classmates of mine."

"... Thanks."

I wasn't sure how to proceed if he refused, so that's a weight off my chest.

I check my phone. There's still half an hour remaining before lunchtime ends.

We get off our seats and walk out of the now-empty homeroom.

"So, where is she?" Christopher asks.

She could be in the library standing guard for Katsuragi, but I doubt it. I left disheartened and had no intention of returning until I found out my memories were altered.

... Can I even trust the memories of me leaving? I could have done something else, and she altered the events in my mind.

I take a breath to center myself. It's a scary quirk, but I can't spend every second guessing my reality.

"She's probably at the cafeteria."

My ally nods, and we walk side by side to our destination.

"What does Mio Katsuragi look like? My quirk works with sight, you know."

"She's short. Only reaches my shoulder." I reach out a hand to demonstrate her height. "Blonde hair, but the tips have the same shade of blue as Katsuragi's. She has blue eyes and the same cross-shaped pupils as—"

"Imai, I'm not gonna get close enough to tell who she is by her pupils. I need more prominent details."

I call the image of Katsuragi's sister in my mind.

"She has a fair complexion and a slim build. Her hair is medium-length, and I think she has twin tails or double buns, but it was hard to tell because of the Shiketsu cap..."

"... Also, she has huge breasts."

I pause, trying to calculate the circumference I witnessed earlier. "... Actually, I'm not sure if they're big or seem so because of her height..."

"Three eyes..." Christopher says, shaking his head. "Three eyes and this is the info you give me..."

It might be that your standards for this kind of thing are way too high.

We reach the cafeteria, and I acknowledge Christopher might have a point. Hundreds of students walk, talk, sit and eat, all blending with each other because of the uniforms. And because of Mio's height, we'll have an even harder time spotting her.

"She's the older sister, right? Second-year or third-year?"

Nevermind, he really expects too much from me. I only spoke to her because ignoring her would be rude! We didn't make small talk or anything like that.

"I don't know, Cain. Why does that even matter?"

"Well, if she was a second-year, I know someone who could help us figure out where she is..."

"Oh. Sorry, then."

"No problem."

He stops walking and turns to me.

"Let's split up to cover more ground. I'll copy your quirk. If you see Mio, you send a mental message to me with her location, and if I see her, I'll send you a message saying I've already copied her."

"Alright," I agree. "Good luck."

I raise a fist at Christopher, and he bumps it. We stride in opposite directions a second later. What a breath of fresh air. Most of the time, I'm uneasy around that guy. But his knowledge of my quirk is an advantage now. Adversity has pushed me to collaborate with him... but after this, I wouldn't mind hanging out with him in a more peaceful setting.

I feel another pang of hunger. Walking around so many people having their meals reminds me I haven't eaten anything for almost five hours.

Maybe I can use this as a cover? Wandering around without doing anything is bound to garner weird looks from the other students. But if I take the line to get my lunch, I can gain a few seconds of covertness under the guise of looking for a table.

The line isn't long, but I still take out my music player and earbuds before approaching.

I have two eyes on my surroundings and a third one keeping track of the person in front of me.

I start eliminating spots that I know Mio won't be in. Tables filled with people from my class and the guys from 1-E.

What sort of person is Mio Katsuragi? Would she be at a table surrounded by friends? Eating by herself? Taking her food back to her homeroom? Maybe she didn't even pass here because she brought a homemade lunch?

A few meters ahead of me, to the left, I spot blond hair for a second. But it wasn't my target. Too tall.

Finally, it's my turn to get my meal. I choose the curry on rice and move to the farthest tables, trying to take in every student in my sight.

"Yo, Imai! Come sit with us!"

Myoga calls me. He's at a table with Hifumi, Bobby, and Kinji.

I have to refuse him. If I try to track Mio while eating with them, one of them will certainly catch on.

Then...

I see her.

Mio!

She's sitting by herself, eighteen tables away from my current location.

How should I warn Christopher?! Using a position relative to him or myself? Where even is he?

I step towards Myoga, but my eyes are roaming between the girl I've been looking for and my ally.

'(She's 30 meters away, two o'clock. Sitting by herself.)'

I emit to Christopher's mind after spotting him. He jolts, turns in the direction I informed him, then nods.

Meet me in homeroom. I need to test this quirk to learn what it can do—Ah, you're eating. Fantastic.

Huh.

So this is how it feels from the other side. Christopher didn't bother disguising his voice inside my head, just like I did with him, but it was still jarring.

I put down my food tray and sit to Myoga's right. Bobby and Hifumi are on the other side of the table, and Kinji is on Myoga's left.

"So... How did it go?" Myoga asks.

Ah. So this is what this is about. I was so caught up in my Mio-hunting that I forgot Myoga has a twisted idea of what's happening between me and Katsuragi.

I take a bite of my food to stall for time.

How do I approach this? I can't lie and say that me and Katsuragi talked it out. He will know as soon as lunchtime ends when she comes back to class with that sad look that makes my chest hurt. If I tell him I couldn't find her, he'll pester me because I stopped looking.

But if I mention memory manipulation, these guys will try to interfere. I can't have that. This needs subtlety.

I finish chewing, then take off my earbuds. "Can you repeat that, Myoga?"

This is what is called a dick move. But I need more time to figure this out. Social interaction is so complicated...

He pouts. "How did it go, Imai?"

"What are you two talking about?" Hifumi asks curiously.

"Yeah, share with the table," Bobby demands, waving a utensil my way.

"It's Imai's personal quest for love, guys," Myoga replies, infecting the others with his skewed perspective. "Only he can tell you about it."

Wait.

Love.

Romance.

Christopher said something similar earlier regarding Mio's behavior.

The way forward isn't the truth or a lie.

"Hn. I managed to find her after you set me on the path I needed to take. Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem, I'm always on the side of love. Now stop stalling and tell us how it went!"

"Wait..." Hifumi begins, a grin growing on his face. "Is this about who I think it is?"

Why are you making that expression, Hifumi? If you know who we're talking about, you should also know better than to indulge Myoga.

"I found her, but I couldn't talk to her." I take another bite of my meal, letting the question hang in the air. "Her sister stopped me."

"Ashleigh has a sister?!" Hifumi and Myoga shout.

"And you met her before me? What does she look like?" The latter continues.

"Hol' up, I'm outta the loop here," Bobby says, frowning. "Soujyuuro and Ashleigh? Since when has that been a thing?"

"It's not a thing—" I begin, then remember this is the path I chose when I mentioned Mio. I'll have to apologize to Katsuragi when I finally meet her. These guys are getting the wrong idea about me and her, and it's my fault.

"Ashleigh! Sister! Explain!" Myoga orders. "What does she look like?"

You already asked that...

"Is she an older or younger sister?" He gasps. "Twins...? Please tell me they're twins, Imai...!"

This is a disaster beyond my expectations.

Kinji smacks the top of Myoga's head, and a green dragon follows it up with a tail slap. "Shuddup. Let the guy talk."

Thank you, Kinji, Gigan.

"Ow, alright, I got too excited... but this took a turn I didn't expect."

"Katsuragi Mio. She's our senpai. She put herself on my way when I found Katsuragi, so I couldn't talk to her."

Myoga stares at me with that same query in his eyes, making me sigh.

"... She's a blond short-stack."

He bangs the table.

"Imai... I misjudged you... to think you witnessed such a thing before me..."

I sigh again.

Why are you like this, Myoga?

"Anyway, I'll have to speak with Katsuragi when an opening appears. After classes, maybe."

"No, Imai. What if she walks home with her sister today? You can't rely on the off-chance that she might not be there. There's only one thing you can do if the girl's family disapproves," Inigo states, pointing at me.

"You gotta charm her! Show your intentions are genuine."

His face is like a child's, filled with wonder. "Maybe you can even achieve the fabled Shimaidon..."

"... what.... what's a Shimaidon?" I ask, unsure. It sounds like a type of food, but that doesn't make sense in context.

Myoga blinks at my question, then frowns, shaking his head at me. I feel vaguely insulted by the gesture.

"I can't believe you're in this situation without knowing what Shimaidon is... this is so unfair."

"Don't worry about it, Imai," Hifumi tells me. "Inigo's just being weird."

"Yeah, I also don't know whatever that is," Bobby admits, grinning. "Knowing this guy, it's probably something dirty, though."

"Why did I come here again?" Kinji wonders to himself, sharing my thoughts.

"It's because I wanted to ask you about that ink you threw at me during the match! The support department can't get it out of my costume."

"It's not ink. It's a super-black material..."

I sigh in relief as the conversation shifts, focusing on my food. Hopefully, Christopher won't be too annoyed at my delay.

"What did you have for lunch?" Christopher asks.

"Yakitori," I reply. What's with the random question?

He clasps his hands. "Yeah, this quirk could have pulled it off. Try to remember what you had for lunch again."

Huh. I ate curry on rice, not yakitori.

"This is the third time I asked you this, by the way. I just erased the previous times, so it seemed like a sudden question."

I feel my face frown and change it back to something neutral. I volunteered to let Christopher use Mio's quirk on me to know its limits, so I won't complain when he does exactly what I ask.

"How quick is the effect?"

"Reading and erasing take a few seconds, but coming up with a convincing memory from your point of view takes a few minutes. The act of replacing is also fast, however."

"What about range?"

"Around 40 meters. I tested it back on the cafeteria."

"This quirk annoys me on a profound, personal level," Christopher says, scowling deeply. "If I had it in my repertoire back then, I wouldn't even be in Shiketsu right now..." I can tell he's venting about something only he knows about, so I keep quiet.

"..."

"But what now, Imai? We comprehend her quirk. And we don't have any other potential culprits. Are you taking this to the faculty?"

"Of course not. Knowing Mio has the quirk and the opportunity to do it isn't enough proof."

"We have enough to get them investigating. They can't expect two freshmen to do all their work for them!"

I shake my head.

"Frankly, even if we bring this to the teachers, I don't see a future where Mio will stop. If she's the type to use her quirk for things like this... what's stopping her from altering the faculty member's memories after we denounce her?" I lean back on my chair. "Even if she gets punished, she's still Katsuragi's sister. Suspension, being held back, expulsion. None of that will stop her from altering Katsuragi's memories again since they share a home."

"And here I thought I was a pessimist," My ally says, rubbing his right eye. "What do you propose, then? Are you going to take this into your own hands?"

I nod and palm my fist, making a soft sound. "I need two things. One, recover the real memories from yesterday. We can do this with my quirk or your copy of hers, but doing it with mind reading is way harder. Two... I want to confront her."

"Hey, Imai, didn't we just establish she can alter memories incredibly fast? What makes you think a direct confrontation is a good idea?!"

"You, Cain. If I can speak with her alone, you can be at her max range undoing anything she tries with me. Return the memories she erases, and reverse the ones she alters."

He rubs his chin. "Yes, that would work better, and you're also taking into account my inexperience with memory manipulation of multiple targets by isolating her... but... is that how you plan to solve the issue of her never quitting? You want to talk her out of messing with Ashleigh's memories?"

"Well, yeah..."

"So you don't think she'll stop if she gets expelled, but she will if you ask her nicely? What kind of screwed-up mentality is that?"

"It's not about asking her nicely, Cain. It's about understanding her. I'm still not hundred-percent sure she even is the culprit, but if she is... how many times has she done this before?"

Was this an outburst because I interacted with her sister? Does she only go after people who talk with Katsuragi, or does she use her quirk in other ways?

I want to know her better. I need to know her better. To learn what leads someone to act like this.

"Cain. I can't thank you enough for your support today. Though you haven't explained it very well to me, I can tell this situation hits home to you, but even so, you're helping me. If you don't want to continue, that's fine. My range is 80 meters, so I can use my quirk to read the memories she took from me. It will leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it's still better than feeling like I'm pushing you to do this."

I grab his shoulders, staring into his baggy eyes. "But I will face Mio, whether you're there or not."

Christopher groans, leaning back his head. "I told you already, didn't you? I can't watch a classmate get his memories messed with if I can help it."

I feel a smile tugging at my lips. "You're a great guy, Cain."

Christopher rolls his eyes at me.

I don't know why I was so anxious around him in the first place. "Then, you'll help me with my plan?"

"You have a plan?"

Rude. I said I had to meet Mio alone, didn't I? But if she sees me coming, she will get her guard up. I need to arrange this properly.

"First, we need another classmate's help..."

"Nyoro-san, can we talk for a second?"

I find her roaming in the Support Studio, looking at the gadgets and materials on display.

"Hm? Imai-kun? What is it?"

I steel myself, stepping closer to her. "I need to ask you for something. But it's too important to say it here."

Some support course students are already looking at me. I wonder how many think I'm talking to myself.

"Uh... sure."

I hold back a sigh of relief as we move away from the Support Studio. Christopher thought my plan was imbecilic when I explained it and stayed back in the 1-D homeroom. The first part of my scheme could have been done with just me and him, but I knew he would disapprove, so I decided to ask Nyoro first outright.

I go inside Shiketsu's library for the second time today. Predictably, Katsuragi is no longer here, which is a good thing. I don't know what I would do if she overheard me.

It's getting close to the end of lunchtime, so there are even fewer people here. Finding a place outside of ear range for everyone else is easy.

"So, Imai-kun. What did you want to ask me?"

I take myself through the plan's steps again to make sure I can go through with it.

The first step is securing an encounter with Mio on my terms.

The second step is understanding her to learn if she's the culprit.

The third step is getting my memories back.

The final step is making sure there's not a repeat of this.

Nyoro's eyes widen as I reach into my pocket and pull out a letter. My hand extends to her frozen body, showing the notebook sticker I used as an improvised seal.

"Nyoro, will you please—"

"Nooooo! T-This is all wrong! How out of touch can you be?!"

She slaps a hand over her mouth, looking in panic at the library.

No one noticed her outburst. I guess it's the sound dampening from her quirk.

"Y-You're supposed to leave the letter somewhere I can find it, not give it to me directly, you dummy...!"

Ah. I messed up already.

Before she works herself into a frenzy, I bow to her. "You've got it wrong, Nyoro. I was going to ask you to plant the letter for me since you're the stealthiest person I know."

"..."

Nyoro raises her hand and slaps me on the cheek.

"Ow."

I take it because I realize I really screwed up on my approach. I shouldn't have brought up the letter while speaking. I should have finished my request before reaching into my pocket.

She takes a deep breath, looks at her hand as if considering another slap, then shakes her head and returns to a neutral stance.

"Don't play with someone's feelings like that, Imai-kun..."

I bow to her again. "Sorry. But please let me finish what I'm about to say. It's a long story, and there's a lot to misunderstand."

She nods.

"I need you to take the letter to the third-year's locker rooms. The receiver is a girl named Mio Katsuragi."

I had to ask around to discover her year, but a kind senpai called Billy gave me what I needed.

Her hand rises again, this time to point at me. "Wait a second, you can't just say something like that and expect me to stay quiet! Mio Katsuragi?! Like our very own Ashleigh Katsuragi-chan?!"

"... Yeah. Her older sister."

"And you're going to confess to her?!"

"I won—"

"Imai-kun! I thought you were one of the good ones! But now I'm finding out you're snubbing Ashleigh for her hotter older sister?!"

Why did she put it like that...? If anyone's snubbing anyone, it's her for assuming Mio's appearance.

"Nyoro-san. Calm down, please. There isn't any snubbing or whatever else you're thinking. This is to help my connection with Katsuragi."

She trembles in rage. No, wait, that expression on her face isn't rage. It's... like a child's, filled with wonder and a hint of fear of the unknown. I feel like I've seen this before...

"Imai-kun... you can't. Even though the conditions are there, even though it has your name on it, you must not attempt the fabled Shimaidon!"

Oh. It's the face Myoga made when I was describing Mio. She even used the same word.

"I... don't know what that is."

I should look it up when I get home.

I also hadn't expected Nyoro to share the same level of depravity as that guy. Then again, I'm also not being a standard of purity by taking his advice to 'charm' Mio and adapting it into this anonymous letter ruse.

"Don't play dumb with me, Soujyuuro!" She swaps to my family name and tries to grab the letter from my hands, but I put it back in my pocket before she does.

"Listen, Nyoro. This isn't for a confession. Yes, I am asking to meet her after class in the letter. But it's not what you're thinking."

"Then what is it? I'm not doing anything unless you tell me the full story."

I release a soft breath. This is the... third time I'm telling a classmate about this?

"Well, it all started after the heroics training..."

...

Nyoro hums, processing my words.

"But you don't have any proof Mio-senpai is the one who did it, correct?"

"Yeah. Which is why I need to meet her."

"You know she can just lie to you, right? Unless you're planning on reading her mind to confirm her words."

"No. I told you, I'm careful when using my quirk. Cain will be there to safeguard my memories, but he won't look into hers at my request. If Mio-senpai can convince me she isn't guilty... then that's that. But if she admits it, or I catch her in a lie, I'll proceed to phase two."

I'll feel like an idiot if she's not guilty, though. All this preparation, anxiety, and socializing will be for naught. It was my only lead, so I gave it my all to follow it... but still.

Nyoro nods. "I'll help you, then. I hate tricking a girl with a letter like you're doing conceptually, but if her quirk is that dangerous, you should get her alone."

I hand her the paper, feeling a massive weight leave my shoulders and a tiny one in my hand. "Thank you, Nyoro. I owe you one for this."

Alright. One more step of prep work, and I'll be ready.

I button up the Shiketsu jacket and leave the locker room, walking between my classmates as they chat and make plans for the week. Most of our class leaves in a good mood after Ippon-sensei's class. Ordinarily, I'm neutral about it, but today, I'm nervous due to extenuating circumstances.

It's 15:30. Classes are over for today, but I don't walk to the gates.

Nyoro assured me the letter was sent to the right place. She also said I'm surprisingly good at writing love letters, which was disturbingly nosy of her. I was alright with Mio reading the message for the plan to work. But it hurts my soul to know someone else saw what I put on that paper.

Why did Nyoro even call it a love letter? I tried to be as ambiguous as possible with why I wanted to meet...

I'll stop thinking about it. The note was a means to an end. As long as my target arrives, it has served its purpose.

I have half an hour before coming face to face with that girl, so I'll scout the terrain one last time.

Actually, should I? What if she also checks our meeting place beforehand and finds me there?

No, I can use my adapted Nyoro-radar to keep myself safe.

Maybe I should practice what I'll say? With my track record today, I will likely mess up my words if I try to be spontaneous. But with how tense I am right now, I might stumble anyway trying to follow a script.

I take a deep breath, then reach for my music player.

Twenty-eight minutes. I won't break down before even seeing her.

Wait, breaking down when the time comes isn't okay either.

Alright, I'll break down when I get home.

The song helps me unwind, and I feel mentally stable enough to approach the spot I selected.

Behind the music club's room, there's a spot in the courtyard where the afternoon sun hits the trees just right, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

The girl is not there yet. And there aren't any minds within my range. All according to plan. I chose a spot near the music club because it's closed for minor construction work this week. I found this out while I was looking for Nyoro during lunchtime. It makes me realize I haven't explored my school as much as I'd like.

Alright, time to retreat and examine from a safer distance.

I go through five songs in my playlist, and no one appears. Three minutes until the arranged time.

I'm still wondering if I should go there and welcome her or wait until she appears to crop up.

This would be easier if I knew Mio's thoughts on the letter. If she thinks this is a romantic affair, I should be there when the time is right. If she doesn't, showing up late even though I invited her, while very rude, isn't utterly mindless.

Wait. No matter my intentions, Mio can still show up late to make me more anxious. I gave up setting the pace for this encounter when I invited her instead of coming to her.

A mind enters my quirk's range... but the mystery person isn't coming to the courtyard.

One minute left. The presence hasn't disappeared. It lingers inside the main building.

Thump

Deep breaths aren't helping with whatever's going on in my rib cage. This method of confronting Mio might be backfiring on me.

I watch every possible entry point she might take. My inner clock hits 16:00... but she's not here yet.

Fashionably late, or not humoring me?

Now that the time has come and gone, I feel... better. I think I'm ready to wait this out in the open.

I walk to a bench in the courtyard, take off my uniform hat, and place it on my lap as I sit down. A crisp breeze from the west ruffles my hair and cools down my body.

I check the time on my phone.

16:01.

Huh. According to my inner clock, it should be 16:03 now. I must have started counting faster as I got more agitated.

Another mind enters the scene, but my heartbeat does not race.

60 meters from me.

50 meters...

40 meters... it stops.

A few seconds pass. I gently reach out for a bird that lands on the bench. The critter roosts on my palm and leaves once it realizes I have no treats.

That's when I hear footsteps.

Mio...

She's here. Strolling at a self-assured pace with a smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, Imai-kun!" She greets me, waving cheerily and sitting close to me on the bench. Our uniform sleeves brush against each other.

"Sorry for calling you so suddenly, Katsuragi-senpai," I respond, nodding.

"Aww, no need to be so formal. You already call Ash by our family name, so it's bound to get confusing, right?"

"... Alright, Mio-senpai."

This is perfect. She's not annoyed by my summons.

"Y'know, I expected us to meet again, but not so soon. Especially not with the way you called me. I thought I had you figured out in our first meeting, but you still have some surprises in you, eh~?"

She nudges me in the side playfully. Her demeanor is alien to the vigilant big sister I saw hours earlier.

Could it be I had it all wrong all along? Was she just a convenient target for my anger at having my memories altered?

"So... why are we here?"

"I wanted to ask you for my memories back. The real ones, from what happened yesterday."

I manage to get the words out. I don't mind if I'm wrong. I've already burned bridges with one Katsuragi. One more won't make me falter.

Mio tilts her head sideways, eyebrows furrowing. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"... After trying to talk to Katsuragi in the library, I got a text from a relative. It made me realize I had forgotten to tell her something yesterday. It was urgent, so I called her."

Her face has gone blank as I continue with my explanation.

"She already knew about it. According to her, we talked about it when I got home. She also mentioned Katsuragi as one of the topics from the conversation."

I shake my head. "I don't remember any of that. I recall being annoyed and going to my room as soon as I got home. But I didn't say a word about Katsuragi to anyone."

I stare deep into her eyes, trying to glean her current mood. "It's rather strange. Katsuragi and I were troubled by what happened yesterday, but my relative recorded something else. They aren't minor discrepancies, either. Because I'm familiar with quirks that target the mind, I suspected memories of the events were altered.

I tilt my head sideways, mimicking her gesture from earlier. "But if someone used a memory-altering quirk on my relative, why would they choose such an inconsequential one from her point of view? Assuming they warped memories from Katsuragi and me, I built a timeline—"

Mio silences me by putting a finger on my lips, and I lean back to avoid the contact.

"Hmm, I think I get where you're going. You made a few iffy assumptions and cheated by using a quirk... but it's still impressive detective work for a freshman!"

Like a kid trying to reach for a jar, Mio raises her hand and pats me on the head. Twice.

"Cheated by using a quirk... what do you mean by that, senpai?"

"Your mindreading. It's super easy to get information with a quirk like that. But it goes a lot deeper than I imagined. I wasn't thinking about that stuff during lunch, but you still got it from my mind then and there."

Her frown turns into a genial smile.

"But anyway... congrats, Imai-kun! You passed the test!" She applauds me once.

Test?

It can't be. I must have misheard it.

"You used your quirk on me as a test?"

"Yeah! I was pretty disappointed with you when we met, so this was a way for you to gain some points with me."

...

"I mean, when I looked at you through Ash's memories, it was seeing into an old mirror! The way you used that classic speech talking about your struggles with your quirk, then topped it off by calling her your hero... I couldn't have done it better myself. It was like you looked inside her head to know exactly what to say~!"

This girl...

She sighs, faking a pensive expression. "I thought we were birds of feather. Two psychics with hearts of gold, you and me. You were treading on my grounds by going after Ash, but still, you had potential. So I arranged that encounter in the library by undoing your hard work from yesterday."

... She's more twisted than I could ever have imagined.

"Then, you were there. Playing your part as the demure, innocent boy, trying to reconnect with his hero..."

Mio groans, leaning back her head.

"But it wasn't a part. You really are that guy."

She looks at me with naked contempt. "I saw things from your POV... and it was such a letdown. With that power, all those possibilities, and your first time using it for real was in that stupid exercise. Not even a little bit of mind reading during a test. Not a single mental suggestion for a bully to leave you alone. Just a sad, pathetic little thing, horrified to use what he was born with."

I understand it now. Mio Katsuragi is me. Or rather, she's the person people saw when they learned about my quirk.

A happy, cruel little thing, thrilled to abuse what she was born with.

We're profoundly incompatible. Just as Mio is disgusted by my existence, I'm sickened by her true self.

I don't know what made us develop so differently, but I'm past caring.

"Give me back my memories."

She smirks lazily. "Nuh-uh. What are you gonna do if I don't? Use your quirk on me? You're too prudish for that."

The boy she saw in my past memories would never do it.

But he would also never confront her directly like this. He would have taken this to the teachers, even if they never believed him.

Right here, right now... I can do it. To fight back against this evil... to recover what I lost... I can't think of a reason why I shouldn't.

"... Is that what you want? For me to sink to your level? You want to get mindbroken?"

... Except for my stubbornness.

"I wanted you to do something. That's where the test came in. To spur a reaction. Would you never realize your memories got lost? Would you give up on Ash?"

She gives me a soft smile that doesn't match the venom coming from her mouth. "Your answer wasn't perfect, but it's a start. Get greedier. Don't be afraid to use your power. It's a part of your genes. This is some premium, tried, true, and tested advice from your honor student, class representative senpai~" She cheers, winking at me and making a peace sign over her eye.

Her constant emotional swings are nauseating. How did this creature get to be a third-year in Shiketsu? A class rep? How did I not notice it when we first met..? A cute facade can't be all it takes.

... but it worked on me. Even as I discovered Mio's quirk and set up this meeting, a part of me still believed she wasn't... this.

"Even if I command you to return my memories, you'll change them again when there's an opening. This was never about me getting what I want. It's about me doing what you want."

Mio nods repeatedly. "Hm-hm. I'm glad you get it. I'd hate for my new partner in crime to be slow..."

"(... well, you're kind of dense from Ash's POV, but I can fix that with time.)"

There's no point in using a command on her, but this conversation has evolved to the point where I need mind-reading to guard myself. If she wants to make a convincing replacement for my memories, she has to read the original records first.

So I'll read her thoughts while she's reading my memories, starting an information loop.

"Since you don't know how to use your quirk properly, your senpai will... instruct you from now on. I might even let you have your memories with Ash. As a treat."

"(Hopefully, he gets the situation he's in. But if he refuses, I'll just wipe this conversation and try again later.)"

"(Maybe I should reprogram him so he thinks he was my accomplice even before he got in Shiketsu? It'll take some time assembling all those images, but it could be worth it...)"

I rise from my spot.

"No. I won't submit to you. Nor will I command you," I declare, putting on my Shiketsu cap. "I'll find a third way to solve this."

"(Dammit, Imai.)"

She grabs my wrist.

"You don't want to go through something like today again, right? It'll be a lot easier if you do submit."

I pull her to her feet.

"Try me, Remote Viewer. I'll figure you out as many times as I need."

She laughs. "I made it easy the first time. To see what you'd do. But if you're asking for it..."

I can see it. The memories she's targetting. If my timing is precise, I can keep my awareness, retreat, and—

That's enough, Imai. I got everything you needed.

Huh?

"(Why isn't it working?!)"

Why did I hear Christopher's voice just now?

Because our plan worked.

"Hah..."

A quick exhale escapes from my mouth.

"Hahaha..."

I put a hand over my mouth to muffle the inappropriate noise, but Mio has heard me chuckle already.

She's not smiling anymore.

"You... you wiped your own memories?"

Indeed.

While we planned this out, Christopher and I realized that if she could read memories from long-range extremely fast, she could learn our plan before even coming into view and never show up to talk.

So he got here before her... and removed himself and Nyoro from my memories. He was that mysterious presence at 15:59.

Christopher made me believe I had figured everything out alone. That after suspecting Mio, I used mind-reading to figure out her quirk instead of having him copy it. That I sneaked that letter into the third-year's locker rooms by myself.

Now that she tried to wipe my memories, and he was forced to counter her with his copy, he's giving me back the real version. To keep me in the loop.

"Hear me out, Mio-senpai."

I grab her hand as she tries to run away, pulling her to face me. I get she's the type to flee when the going gets tough, but I listened to all her hideous monologuing for this long, so I'd like to speak now.

"Sorry for misleading you," I lie. "I never planned on confronting you alone and asking for my memories. I just had to know if you were guilty before Cain looked through your mind and got what I needed."

Ah. She's trembling under my fingers. My quirk is still active, so I know why she's so spooked.

"Yeah," I nod. "He might even know where you're hiding all those things."

Still holding her hand, I place another one on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you can destroy it before I can get the school to investigate your honor student self. I assume most of it is fake evidence produced by your power anyways."

"... What are you playing at, Imai?" She growls, trying to shrug me off. I don't enjoy manhandling her like this, but...

... actually, maybe I do. It's a disturbing notion.

No, no. I'm enjoying metaphorically cornering Mio against the wall, not holding her like this. I can't have her running away before setting things straight, so it's a necessary evil.

"I don't play at anything, unlike you. But now that I know your quirk, and Christopher has it in his repertoire, you should be more careful when going after anyone in Class 1-D."

I wanted to understand this girl. To learn if she did it and why. But after uncovering her personality, I can't bring myself to care about her reasons. If I have to threaten her to make her stop for a moment, so be it.

I'll still find a way to bring her down someday. But in this scenario, she still has too many escape routes. A stalemate is the best I can do.

"You don't want to go through something like today again, right?" I quote her. "It'll be a lot easier if you lay low."

I leave Mio in the courtyard, not looking back once.

"Thanks again for this, Cain. I would be in an awful place right now if it wasn't for you."

"You can stop buttering me up now."

I hold back a sigh.

"I mean what I say. I'm also sorry for how I treated you throughout these first school months. But... now that I remember everything, I have to ask you to keep quiet about my quirk for a bit longer. I want to tell everyone about it myself."

Christopher shrugs. "Eh, I kinda get why you acted the way you did. Good luck with your endeavor, though."

"Thanks. Also, If you ever need my help in the future, you can count on me like I did with you today."

He hums. "Even if I need you to do something with your quirk?"

I doubt he needs me to use it since he can copy it, but I still nod. "I trust you to use my power correctly."

He glances away from me. "Not what I thought you were going to say. This is awkward now, so I'll be going home. Don't make your talk with Ashleigh like this, alright? Watching both your POVs from her sister was some disgustingly sappy stuff. I erased it as soon as I made a backup."

He hands me the flash drive containing the events from yesterday and crosses Shiketsu's gates.

"See you tomorrow, Cain."

He waves at me on his way out.

I wanna go home too. This day was way too stressful.

... But it's not over yet.

I take a different route from school, avoiding the subway station. It takes me 13 minutes to get where I want because I'm unfamiliar with the path.

I ring the doorbell and wait. There's only one mind inside the house, so I'll have to trust my luck.

The sound of footsteps gets clearer from behind the door, and then... it opens.

It's her.

"Hey, Katsuragi."

"Imai-kun..."

She opened the door with a blank expression, but her mood went down again after seeing who was on the other side.

"I'm sorry for bothering you at school and coming here, but I had to speak with you."

I scratch my neck, feeling bothered by the resignation coming from her. "I probably won't leave you alone until I get this off my chest, so I apologize for that too."

She sighs, then steps forward, closing the door and leaving her house.

"I'm not sure if Dad would approve of me letting you in while he's out, so..."

I nod, not minding it one bit. If she's going to hear me out, I don't care where it happens.

"Your sister changed our memories of what happened yesterday."

Katsuragi nods. "Yeah, I know..."

"I know it might be hard to believe it, but..."

Wait.

"You do?"

She holds her arm, playing with her shirt's fabric. "I knew you weren't the type to say those things... so I assumed it was her messing with me. It wouldn't be the first time. When you smiled at me before homeroom, that's when I was sure."

When Mio put those awful visions in my head, I accepted them. I bought the narrative in which I got fed up and snapped at Katsuragi after training.

This girl believed in me more than I did.

"Then... why? Why did you avoid me?"

She shrugs. "When Mio gets like this, it can turn ugly pretty quickly... she gets obsessed with someone and..."

Katsuragi shakes her head as if trying to forget something foul.

"... Nevermind. I... I kept away because I didn't want her paying more attention to you. It's what I usually do. Eventually, she'd get bored of nothing happening, move on, and then... we might be able to talk again."

"Oh."

I really underestimated her.

"I have to apologize again, then. I might have ruined your efforts."

But I don't regret it one bit.

I'm glad Katsuragi didn't give up on me, but her way wasn't the right solution to this problem. I refuse to let someone else dictate who I can interact with.

"... What do you mean, Imai-kun?"

I grab the flash drive from my uniform's pocket. Katsuragi's face whitens when she sees it.

"No..."

"I met your sister and got your memories back. Right here."

"Imai-kun... y-you shouldn't have. I-I don't know what she made you do to give this to you, but it couldn't have been worth it. She might have given you another fake version!"

Man, I ought to get better at explaining myself.

She's shaking badly, so I grab her shoulder to steady her. "She didn't make me do anything, Katsuragi. It took some time, help from our classmates, and I had to do some things I'm not proud of..." Including learning where she lives by checking what's in this drive. "But in the end, Cain pulled through and helped me reach the truth."

"The truth...?"

"Yes. We turned Mio's quirk against her."

I stop holding her shoulder, grab the back of her right hand, then place the flash drive over her palm.

"Listen. I don't care if your sister tries to bully me or mess with my head. I want to keep making memories with you."

"..."

Still holding the back of her hand, I leave the flash drive with her and fish another thing from my pocket. A slip of paper.

"Here's my number. If Mio gives you trouble or you need someone to talk to, I can help."

"..."

"... Katsuragi?"

Oh wow, she is not moving. Just staring at me with her hand open.

Sorry Christopher, I couldn't do as you asked.

I step back and wonder how to proceed. If Katsuragi stays frozen, the wind will carry my number away—yep, there it goes...

"...!"

She revives as the paper drifts away, clutching it from the air.

Looks like she's going to be alright. I start to walk away from her front entrance.

"Thanks for listening to me, Katsuragi. I'll be going now."

"I-I'll text you!" I hear her say after taking five steps.

I look back at her. Despite the words that came out of her, she's looking at the note and flash drive like she doesn't know what to do with them. Unlike the earlier pallor, her face has a healthy flush to it now.

That adorable expression means I made the right moves today.

I nod and wave at her, leaving for the subway station.

Once I enter the train, all the energy departs from my body.

I did it...

I did it!

I got a bit too hyped at the end and gave her my number, but it all worked out.

My phone shakes in my pocket. A message from Mom, asking me why I'm still not home.

I slump on the train seat, losing that last bit of stamina I didn't know I had. I'm not looking forward to describing my day to her...

Oh, another message. Unknown number.

imai-kun

it's me :)

ashleigh

The smile on my face doesn't leave for the rest of the afternoon.

Interlude 2

"You all really should have brought this to me when homeroom ended."

Classes have ended in Shiketsu. Five students stand before Rosethorn, all in varying levels of displeasure.

"I understand you're upset with your marks for the exercise, but you should bring this up with the heroics teacher, not me. I can be there when you speak to Majestic—"

"This isn't about the grades anymore," Minerva interrupts, earning a frown from the teacher. "We just don't want to go through this every time one of us goes up against Soujyuuro on an exercise."

The other girls nod.

"And why is Soujyuuro-kun not here? He should be a part of this conversation."

"We couldn't find him," Faith announces, shrugging.

"Yeah," Edith added. "We even asked the other boys. They said he didn't leave the school after class but didn't know where he went."

Rosethorn pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Let's talk about this tomorrow, then. During lunchtime, here in my office."

Maxine steps forward. "Look, sensei, it's really not that complicated. Give him a firm warning or something like that. To not use his power on us again."

"I won't scold a student for using his quirk in a battle exercise."

"What if he uses it on us during class?" Maxine challenges. "He already lied about how it works. Said it only worked through sight, then sat in the front row to make himself look innocent."

"I also won't scold Soujyuuro for something he might do but hasn't. As for his honesty... " Rosethorn nods. "That is a real issue. I'll call him tomorrow, so he can explain himself to you five. We should hear his side before you girls start isolating yourselves from him."

"Little bit late for that..." Minerva mutters.

"Fine," Maxine says, walking past the teacher and stopping by the teacher's office door. "We'll sit in a stupid circle and talk about our feelings."

She gestures to her friends. "Let's leave."

One by one, all of them leave Rosethorn to her paperwork.

"I can't believe she protected him like that," Maxine says once they're outside their teacher's ear range.

"We're not going to, like, stand up and accuse him," Minerva mimicked her words from yesterday. "That would be too dramatic. Let's just have a word with Rosethorn."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know she'd respond like that?"

"Never said a word about us and the cow, and now she wants to play the unbiased teacher," Minerva grumbled.

Hailey rolls her eyes. "She just asked us to hear him out. What, you two think he's gonna convince Rosethorn we're the ones wrong?"

"I kinda wanna see him try," Minerva ponders. "I think I've heard him speak a grand total of 20 words over 2 months."

"I am worried about Rosethorn putting us in a room with him," Faith interjected as they left the gates. "My first impression of the guy was spooky mindreader; now it's that, plus liar and potential brainwasher."

"I know you want to give him the benefit of the doubt because of Hifumi, but two boys punching each other occasionally is not proof of unshakable trust like he thinks it is," Maxine concluded.

"Eh, It might be in a hero school," Edith got the last word before they entered the car and left.