From afar, Kirishima appeared tranquil as he approached.
Suddenly, Mina felt her entire body heat up.
Her heart pounded, her breaths came in quick gasps, and the clenched fist trembled uncontrollably.
She realized with a shock that she was angrier at Kirishima than she had ever imagined.
When he first left on his trip, she had been fine.
Kirishima often spent his weekends at Mustafu, visiting Midoriya and Bakugo.
Sometimes, Mina accompanied him.
It wasn’t unusual for him to be away from her side for a day or two.
Perhaps that was why the two days he was gone had passed so unremarkably.
The training he had meticulously organized went on as planned, yet Mina also enjoyed outings with friends and indulged in delicious food.
"But that idiot never called, even though he promised he'd check in every day," she fumed silently.
As Kirishima’s messages grew infrequent, Mina’s own heart began to waver.
The friend with whom she had spent nearly every day since the age of three had carved a deeper place in her heart than she ever realized.
Still, she knew better than anyone how strong Kirishima was, so she tried not to worry too much.
It was hard to believe they were even the same age—Kirishima’s strength was such that even grown-ups rarely felt threatened by him.
At least, that’s what she believed.
Until she read the article announcing that Kirishima had apprehended a Villain.
The fool had promised to avoid dangerous situations, yet he had once again clashed with a Villain.
Among the indelible memories Mina had of Kirishima, one was that summer trip when she was just five years old.
"I was so scared back then. I never imagined something like that could happen," she recalled in a tremulous voice.
Watching him battle a Villain—even after suffering a deep stab wound in the abdomen and struggling until he nearly collapsed—had been both shocking and terrifying at the time.
Later, when she realized he had fought so hard to protect her, she felt an overwhelming mix of sorrow and gratitude.
Back then, all Mina could do was tremble behind him as he fought on, bleeding profusely.
Yet, aside from those conflicted emotions, that incident revealed Kirishima’s true character.
The big, strong friend who always shielded her and reached out first would never spare himself in battle, no matter how grievous his wounds.
Even if he were stabbed, shot, or even lost an arm or a leg, if a fight beckoned, Kirishima would never back down.
And that was why she worried.
According to the article, he hadn’t suffered any life-threatening injuries, yet Mina had no idea where or how he might have been hurt.
After all, the Villain he’d faced was undoubtedly formidable.
Even amid the chaos, she had refrained from disturbing him and waited for his call—but none came.
One day after reading the article, unable to shake off her growing unease, Mina finally phoned Kirishima.
On the other end, his voice was calm and measured.
Although a part of her wanted to chide him, she refrained from badgering a friend who had just endured something significant.
After ending the conversation on a pleasant note, Mina felt a brief relief upon hearing that he was unharmed.
Yet even that reassurance did little to ease her mind, and his messages grew increasingly infrequent.
The intervals stretched from two days to three, and eventually from three days to an entire week.
Though the silence unsettled her, she knew it was simply his nature, so she held her tongue.
He had at least informed her he’d be returning today, so she had planned to meet him the following day after a well-deserved rest.
That was her plan—until, while idly watching a video at home, she saw footage that shattered her expectations.
Someone had posted a clip on social media of Kirishima stopping a Villain, and it spread like wildfire, catching Mina’s eye.
Recognizing him instantly, she clicked her tongue in exasperation.
That idiot had stirred up trouble on the very day he was meant to return home.
Unable to sit still any longer, Mina bolted out of the house.
She wasn’t sure where to go, but she knew exactly which route Kirishima would take on his way back.
She waited under the scorching sun, and before long, Kirishima appeared.
He looked unnervingly composed—far too calm for someone who was supposed to have caused a commotion.
"Eijiro! You traitor!"
Before she even realized it, her hand had already sprung into action.
Before she could stop it, the bag she was carrying sailed through the air, headed straight for Kirishima’s face.
With a hint of mischief, Kirishima sidestepped effortlessly, caught the bag, and fixed his gaze on her.
Noticing him awkwardly scratching his chin, the simmering anger inside Mina surged, and she lunged forward.
"Hey, you idiot! You said you wouldn’t do anything dangerous! So why on earth did you fight a Villain twice in just one month?"
She struck his arm without mercy, wincing at the stinging pain that shot through her palm.
It wasn’t as if she had hit a solid block of steel—he hadn’t activated his Hardening—but Kirishima’s lean, muscular frame was so unforgiving that even a simple hit stung.
Kirishima stammered an awkward explanation.
"No, it’s just that things happened the way they did. Truly, I had no other choice. Just calm down for a moment and hear me out, Mina."
"No, you idiot! Even if things happened by chance, why should I have to learn about it from a news article or the internet? Wouldn’t it have been better if you told me first?"
"Ugh, that really hurts... Could you just give me a break? Let me explain everything first."
Under the relentless barrage of Mina’s slaps, Kirishima recoiled in shock and darted away.
Even though he knew he deserved every hit, his retreat was little more than a feigned attempt to evade the scolding.
"Idiot. I was really worried about you!"
"Yeah. Uh... Sorry."
At Mina’s plaintive remark, her eyes already misted with unshed tears, Kirishima scratched his chin again and offered another apology.
As was her habit when feeling awkward, Mina lifted her eyes to meet his.
Apart from the scar along his jaw from when his Quirk first manifested, his face was impeccably clean.
Yet behind that handsome, tidy exterior lurked the fierce determination of a man ready to bare his fangs and crush his enemies.
No matter how grievous his injuries, he would never hold back.
Mina resented how others raved over Kirishima without ever understanding the hardships he endured.
Only a select few—herself, Midoriya, Bakugo, and his parents—truly recognized the sweat and pain he poured into becoming strong.
Among them, she was likely the only one who knew every detail of his rigorous training and battle-frenzied nature.
Most people merely admired his flashy exterior and cheered him on, oblivious to the cost, while Kirishima pressed forward relentlessly.
Of course, the choice was his alone, and he would decide his path on his own terms.
Mina could not change his course, but at the very least, she longed to walk beside him—to be a haven he could return to when battered and weary.
A life devoted entirely to the relentless battle was an unbearably harsh fate.
Just as Kirishima had once reached out to her when they first met, Mina wished to become someone he could lean on.
"Your mom and dad were worried sick too. They even called me to ask what was going on, wondering if I knew anything."
"Ugh. I’m really sorry. I’m the worst."
With an expression of genuine regret, Kirishima replied, knowing deep down that he had been incredibly careless.
But his introspection was abruptly cut short by Mina’s unexpected action.
Standing over 40 centimeters shorter than him, Mina stretched out her hand and tenderly touched his cheek.
"Idiot. I know—you, Mom, Dad, and I all know—that you’re going to keep fighting. And since we’re both bound to become Heroes, we can’t avoid conflict forever. So I’m not going to tell you to stop fighting, or even to avoid getting hurt. We can’t choose our battles; a tough fight always leaves a scar, doesn’t it?"
"Mm. Yeah..."
"But please, don’t keep it a secret from me. If you end up hiding your wounds and I find out from a news article, I’ll worry that you’re trying to cover them up. Just tell me when you're in pain, or if things get tough. You can always be honest with me."
Gazing into Mina’s eyes—those golden discs set in dark pearls—Kirishima felt the passage of time all over again.
Twelve years ago, the timid little girl who had hesitated to speak and nervously observed her peers had grown up, and it was both astonishing and heartwarming to hear her say that he could lean on her.
Feeling the wonder of time, Kirishima smiled.
Then he wrapped one arm around Mina and lovingly ruffled her hair with the other.
"Alright, I promise. From now on, I won’t hide anything from you."
"Thank you."
"No, thank you. Really, I should be the one grateful. I guess this life wasn’t wasted after all—to have a friend who cares about me like this."
Seeing the satisfied look on Kirishima’s face, Mina suddenly became aware of her own awkward posture and blushed deeply.
Startled, she wriggled free from his embrace and said loudly, flustered, "Th-then let’s hurry up and go! Your parents must be waiting, and it's sweltering out here!"
"Yeah. We’ve delayed too long already. You should come with me too," Kirishima replied.
"Huh? It’s been a while since I’ve seen them—I’m fine," she retorted.
"It’s only been a month. You haven’t even stepped foot in our house since my trip," he teased.
"Still, I feel like I shouldn’t be intruding," she admitted.
"Our house is just five minutes away. You came all the way here—so why back out now? I’m sure my parents will be delighted to see you."
Dragging a hesitantly retreating Mina along, Kirishima led the way home and soon arrived.
After deactivating the digital lock and stepping inside, his mother rushed out.
"Oh my goodness! Look who it is! Isn’t this my son—the one who promised to call every day but hasn’t even called once in two days?"
"Mom, I know you’re upset, but we haven’t seen each other in a month. Can’t you let it go for now?"
Seeing his mother's raw display of disappointment, Kirishima broke into a cold sweat.
Mina looked at him as though she hadn’t realized his parents could be this blunt.
Kirishima felt once again the heavy burden of his past mistakes.
Fortunately, his mother’s sulking subsided quickly.
Within moments, she beamed broadly and enveloped Kirishima in a warm hug.
Kirishima bent his knees slightly and pressed his forehead against hers.
"You really should have called more often. We were so worried about you. You weren’t hurt anywhere, were you?"
"Yes. I’m perfectly fine. Not a scratch," he replied.
"Although you did battle with a Villain, right?"
At Mina’s interjection from the sidelines, Kirishima’s face contorted in exasperation.
"You mean Disneyland? I was totally shocked back then—I even found myself wondering why it seems like disaster always follows you wherever you go."
As he fumbled for words, Mina interjected once again.
"No, I mean—today, you were on your way home after fighting a Villain again."
"What? Are you seriously okay?"
She hurriedly examined him from head to toe.
Finding no sign of injury, she sighed and finally said,
"Is our son really a man who seems to drag calamity with him? I just don’t understand it."
"It does seem that trouble tends to gather around Eijiro, but that’s not the issue. The real problem is that he rushes headlong into danger."
"True. Eijiro has never been one to run away or stand on the sidelines. If something needs doing, he dives right in to see it through."
"Exactly. Eijiro is far too fearless—I can’t help but worry about him," someone added softly.
The three sighed in unison.
Watching them, Kirishima scratched his chin.
"Still, it’s a relief that you have a friend like Mina who cares and watches over you. As a parent, that’s so reassuring."
"No, it’s not just about physical protection. I really hope you’ll always have Mina by your side," his mother said with a knowing smile.
Mina lowered her eyes, unable to meet hers.
Stepping further inside, Kirishima interjected,
"Alright, that’s enough. I’ll just put my bags away for now. Mina, since you’re here, do you want to join us for dinner?"
"Huh? No, I just planned on eating at home since I dropped in unexpectedly," she replied.
"Oh, Mina, since it’s been so long, why don't you stay and eat? I’ll let your mom know," he said.
"Alright then, I’ll do that," she agreed.
After some coaxing, Mina accepted the invitation and joined Kirishima’s mother in the living room.
Having been a frequent guest at Kirishima’s house since she was very young, the sight of the two of them chatting warmly together was reminiscent of a mother and daughter.
Returning from his room after putting his bags away, Kirishima smiled at the scene.
For some reason, it felt as though he had been on an incredibly long journey and had finally returned home.
The warm, familiar feeling was remarkably comforting.
It was nothing like the life he had once known in a glamorous mansion.
Back then, he had never felt that true sense of coming home.
But in this life, he was certain that no matter what happened or who he became, his home would always welcome him back.
The difference was the people.
Unlike his past life, when no one had endeared themselves to him, here the people were his home.
These were the faces he was determined to protect, no matter the cost.
In the graceful curve of his eyes, a quiet resolve burned brightly.
It was a true homecoming.
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