Kirishima spent four hectic days with Yui, growing ever closer to her with each passing moment.
He carefully taught her the fundamentals of boxing while also showing her how to care for herself—cooking, taking care of her, and all that came with it.
With a natural aptitude and a solid foundation, Yui rapidly picked up the techniques of boxing.
There were moments of intense training interspersed with well-earned breaks.
Occasionally, Kirishima would unveil recipes he’d learned from the Hammer Teacher—once known in his past life as the White Teacher in America—and Yui, along with Ooyama, eagerly devoured the unexpected dishes.
Among all the dishes, the tteokbokki garnered unanimous praise.
His sporadic experience with it in a previous life, when he’d stumbled upon it by chance, finally proved its worth.
These days, Yui seemed to be spending more time on her phone, keeping in touch with her friends.
That very day, during a break between training sessions, Yui was absorbed in her phone.
"Wah!"
"Eek! Don’t do that, big brother!"
"Haha. I was so engrossed that I just had to give you a little scare."
"The more I look at you, the more your first impression just crumbles..."
After startling Yui and chuckling, Ojiro playfully smacked Kirishima with his tail.
Though he had seemed jovial when they first met, now that they were close, his mischievous streak was more apparent than ever.
He mostly pulled pranks on the kids. Oddly enough, despite claiming he disliked children, his actions told a very different story.
If he was going to act that way, Kirishima thought, he might as well just admit he liked them.
"Are you on LINE?"
"Yeah. Mio said she’s heading to Disneyland tomorrow, so I told her it sounded like a blast."
"Who’s Mio?"
"You met her last time—the girl with the twin tails."
"Oh, that quirky girl who’s a bit obsessed with appearances?"
"Obsessed? Girls naturally like handsome guys. You big brother love cute, pretty girls too—don’t act like you don’t."
"Hmm. I’m the kind of guy who sees people’s true hearts. Looks... don’t really matter to me."
"Then why’s your best friend a pretty older lady?"
"She’s got a kind soul, and her beauty just blossomed naturally."
It hadn’t helped matters when Kirishima, showing a child photos from his phone gallery, ended up revealing pictures of his friends as well.
Yui couldn’t help but fixate on Ashido’s photo, bombarding him with questions about who she was and how close they really were.
Kirishima offered only vague answers.
When she saw Bakugo’s picture, she remarked that he was handsome but looked like he had a terrible temper, and when it came to Midoriya, she noted that while kind, his excessive kindness might make life difficult for those around him.
Kirishima tilted his head at her surprisingly keen observations.
"So, she’s really going to Disneyland tomorrow? All by herself?"
"Yeah. She asked if I’d go with her, but I turned her down."
"Huh? Why? We’re off training tomorrow anyway—might as well have a day of fun."
"It’s expensive."
"Ah."
Kirishima winced inwardly.
Raised in a well-off middle-class family that leaned toward the comfortable side, he had never known financial hardship growing up.
He wasn’t one for extravagance, but even in his past life—when he’d earned tens of millions per fight—he’d never been one to indulge recklessly, so his habits hadn’t changed much.
Compared to the rough childhood of being beaten by his father and chased out by his mother back then, this life was nothing short of heaven.
In contrast, Yui’s dojo simply didn't attract a lot of students, leaving her family with much tighter resources.
"Hmm."
Kirishima paused to think.
His parents had insisted that during their travels he shouldn’t just focus on training, but also gather a variety of experiences and have a little fun.
They’d warned him that by the time he enrolled at U.A. next year and embarked on his path to becoming a Hero, there’d be little time to relax.
He had confessed his dream of becoming the strongest to them when he was just ten years old.
They fretted over him living too tightly, and though they supported his ambitions, their concerns never fully vanished.
"So, you really want to go?"
"I do, but... the kid’s ticket is 4,800 yen."
"Really? Hold on a sec."
Without delay, Kirishima dialed his parents.
He knew he’d be spending a decent sum tomorrow and needed their approval beforehand.
"Hello? Oh, hey Mom."
"What’s with our son calling at this hour? You never really pay attention during the day—and not much at night either. You said you’d call every day, yet it’s been three days of just sending LINE messages!"
"Uh... I’m sorry."
His mother’s slightly sulky tone made it clear she wasn’t amused, and even after fifteen years of being her son, Kirishima hurriedly apologized.
*Fifteen years in and I’m still the clumsy son, huh. Hmph.*
"Sorry, Mom. I know this is sudden, but I’m planning to go to Disneyland tomorrow. I wanted to give you a heads-up since it’s going to cost a bit."
"You? Going to Disneyland? When your father and I offered to take you on Children’s Day, you complained it’d be too crowded and noisy."
"Ah, well..."
Kirishima explained the situation in broad strokes—he was planning to take along a friend, the daughter of the dojo master he’d grown close to. His mother, however, greeted the news with enthusiasm.
"Oh, then I owe that girl a thank-you. Taking our Eiji-chan to an amusement park, how sweet!"
"No, I’m the one taking her."
"Would you have even gone if it weren’t for her? It’s basically like she’s taking you along."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
After his mother cheerfully wished him a good time, Kirishima ended the call and turned to Yui.
"You heard that? Make sure you tell Mio you’re coming along too."
"Big brother, are you sure it’s okay?"
"Yeah. Besides, I’ll finally get to experience an amusement park for the first time myself."
Still sporting a slightly hesitant expression, Kirishima patted Yui’s head.
"Oh, and don’t forget—you need to check with the dojo master first. Go ask him, quick!"
"Okay!"
Kirishima chuckled as he watched Yui dash over to Ooyama, who was standing off to the side with a serious look on his face.
Kids were irresistibly adorable before middle school, he thought. After that, things got a bit overwhelming.
"Dad said it's fine. Thank you, big brother!"
"No problem. Besides, I’m tagging along to experience something entirely new myself."
"Still, I’ll pay you back when I’m older."
Kirishima couldn’t help but laugh at Yui’s rapid-fire promises of repayment as she hurried off to Ooyama.
The expense might sting a little, but since he hardly ever splurged—and his parents had already been taken aback by the idea—he could afford a generous day out.
Ooyama, meanwhile, looked a touch disappointed at having to guard the dojo, but what could he do? It was, after all, the burdens of being the head of the household.
*But what should I wear? Everything I packed is just T-shirts… It’s summer, so maybe that’s alright?*
Watching Yui with a satisfied grin, Kirishima soon found himself fretting over his outfit.
*
Time flew by, and before long the next day dawned.
Yui grumbled about time dragging on, though.
"Hmm. You do look cute in that outfit."
Outside the house, Yui stamped her feet in a bright red dress with a small bag slung over her shoulder, radiating excitement. Meanwhile, Kirishima, in his usual black jeans and T-shirt, couldn’t help but smile.
"Big brother! Hurry up! Mio’s car will be here in ten minutes!"
"Alright, I’m coming. But isn’t ten minutes a good chunk of time? We can just wait outside and catch a ride with her family."
"That’s not the point!"
Unable to temper Yui’s frantic urgency, Kirishima finally stepped out the front door.
Although waiting another five minutes might have been sufficient, Yui’s restless energy left him no choice but to join her.
"Yui-chan!"
"Mio-chan!"
*Only six days ago, you two were at each other’s throats...*
Watching the two children embrace like long-lost friends, Kirishima couldn’t help but wonder what had ever caused their earlier rift.
At the same time, he greeted the woman who appeared to be Mio’s mother as she stepped out of the driver’s seat.
As always, Kirishima smoothly switched to full hospitality mode upon meeting an adult for the first time.
"Hello. I’m Kirishima Eijiro, Yui’s big brother."
"Oh, so you’re Yui’s big brother. Nice to meet you—I’m Akane Inoue, Mio’s mother."
"Yes. Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Inoue."
Mio’s mother, though dressed lightly for summer, carried herself with an elegant, intellectual air—a stark contrast to her daughter’s somewhat scatterbrained charm.
From the car she had arrived in and the style she exuded, Kirishima could tell that Mio came from a very comfortable background.
In his previous life, being well-off wasn’t unusual, so it didn’t stir much in him.
"Thank you for letting them come along today. Thanks to you, I’m finally getting my first taste of an amusement park."
"It wasn’t any trouble at all. I rarely get to spend time with Mio, so I managed to carve out some time today—but I felt it’d be a bit lonely just the two of us."
She accepted his remark about this being his inaugural amusement park visit without any fuss.
Accustomed as he was to the condescending airs of the upper crust, Kirishima found her warm demeanor rather refreshing.
*Hmm. Hearing that makes me feel like a father. At forty-one, I’d probably have a kid around Yui’s age.*
Lost in such thoughts, Kirishima gathered the two girls—now deep in excited chatter about all the things girls love—and ushered them into the car.
The four of them drove straight to Disneyland.
Soon enough, the blue-spired castle that stood as Disneyland’s icon welcomed them.
Even though it was summer vacation, being a weekday meant the park wasn’t overly crowded.
Kirishima, who despised hectic crowds, quietly exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Eek! It’s a real castle!"
"Isn’t this your first time at Disneyland, Yui-chan?"
"Yeah! I’ve never been here before."
"Follow me—I’ll show you around properly."
Even though her mother would be accompanying them, Mio eagerly assumed the role of guide.
Watching her, Kirishima subtly cranked up his [Hardening], the technique he always kept on standby.
It was time to put that special technique to use—after all, he couldn’t afford to lose sight of the kids.
It was somewhat amusing that his first real deployment of the technique wasn’t in battle, but rather to keep an eye on these little ones.
*Hmm. It’s still only about 15 meters.*
Though he’d dedicated himself to perfecting boxing techniques from his previous life, Kirishima now felt free to move beyond those old standards in this new world—a world that felt like it had leaped right off the pages of a manga.
Inspired, he even attempted to recreate various techniques he’d seen in fictional media.
Some experiments, like his attempt at Force Control—a nod to his Star Wars fandom—ended in complete failure. After all, this world lacked midichlorians, and he was heading in the wrong direction from the start.
Yet some techniques succeeded, and one such success was the airspace control he had now deployed.
This ability created a protective bubble around him that both sensed and repelled anything approaching—a power honed through the enhanced perception granted by [Hardening].
It allowed him to perceive his surroundings with a nearly animalistic all-encompassing awareness.
"You two! Don’t run off too fast!"
*3.67 meters. They’re really excited, aren’t they?*
Noticing the gap widening between himself and the kids, Kirishima quickly caught up, grasping both of their hands firmly.
"Stay close, or you might get lost."
"Okay!"
As the two children enthusiastically pumped their fists in agreement, Kirishima remembered the early days of mastering airspace control.
Back then, its range was barely as far as his hand could reach and left him vulnerable to blind spots. Now, stretching out to about fifteen meters, it was a source of deep pride.
The trade-off, however, was that the constant bombardment of sensory information left his brain teetering on overload, often making him appear unusually serene and withdrawn to onlookers.
Ms. Inoue eyed Kirishima’s cool, collected demeanor for a moment.
"Aren’t you feeling unwell?"
"Not at all. I’m here as a guardian, trying to stay calm while keeping an eye on the kids."
"My, Kirishima-kun, you’re remarkably mature."
Hearing her admiration, Kirishima glanced over at the children, now safely keeping a reasonable distance as they walked.
*If they ever got lost, it’d be a disaster. Still, I doubt anything serious will happen.*
Today marked Yui’s very first visit to an amusement park.
There was no reason to create unnecessary tension.
Gazing at the castle that seemed straight out of a fairy tale, Kirishima pulled his thoughts together.
The magical, once-in-a-lifetime amusement park outing had begun.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register