"Buy bread… then this… then that… Ugh, why did Dad ask me to buy so much stuff?"
A gentle breeze drifted in from the ocean. I glanced to my right and caught sight of the setting sun, casting a warm, golden glow over the horizon. Almost without thinking, my feet carried me closer to the beach.
That's when I saw them—two figures. One was a young man, training desperately without a shirt, and the other was a huge, heavily-muscled man.
My instincts screamed, and before I knew it, I was sprinting toward them, abandoning my groceries without a second thought.
"Hey!!! This is bullying, isn't it?! Totally discrimination! I'm reporting you to the police!" I shouted, pointing accusingly at the big, suspicious man.
The younger guy next to him froze, stunned into silence. Without hesitation, I grabbed his hand and started pulling him away.
"You think you can just pick on the weak because you're strong?! You monster!"
The big man tried to hold it in, but eventually burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.
I blinked, confused, not understanding what was so funny.
"U-Um… Actually… we're just training…" the younger boy said shyly, his voice barely a whisper.
I turned to face him properly. His messy dark green hair and wide, innocent eyes caught my attention immediately.
"…Broccoli," I mumbled under my breath.
It was like I had just stabbed him in the heart. He stood there, frozen, completely speechless.
When he finally came to his senses, he looked at me—then awkwardly extended his hand.
"My name is Aizawa Tsukasa. What's yours?" I said with a cheerful grin.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then nervously reached out to shake my hand.
"I'm… Izuku. Izuku Midoriya," he said quietly.
I immediately shook his hand enthusiastically, startling him.
"Wow, Midoriya, huh? Nice to meet you! So what are you training for?" I asked brightly.
Midoriya paused, sneaking a quick glance at the big man beside him, who gave a subtle nod.
"I'm… training for the U.A. entrance exam," he answered softly.
"You're aiming for U.A. too?! Same here! Let's be great friends, okay?!"
Midoriya looked flustered, while the huge man beside him suddenly spoke up.
"Wait a minute, you said your name's Aizawa? Are you by any chance related to Shota Aizawa?"
I turned to him and nodded lightly.
"Yeah, I'm his kid."
As the sun continued to sink lower, casting longer shadows over the beach, I remembered my poor, abandoned groceries and ran back toward them.
"See you later, Midoriya! I hope we meet again!" I called out, waving goodbye.
Silence settled between Midoriya and the big man. After a moment, the man stepped forward and gave Midoriya a gentle pat on the back.
"Well… looks like you just made a new friend," he said lightly.
Midoriya smiled faintly, watching my figure grow smaller in the distance.
"She's… a good person. I can feel it," he murmured almost to himself.
"Now quit daydreaming! Training's not over yet!"
Midoriya flinched.
"C-Can't we take a little break first?!"
***
"Dad!! Dad!! You won't believe what just happened!"
I burst into the house without even bothering to greet.
I saw my dad sitting on the sofa, looking at me with a startled expression.
"What's the matter, Tsukasa?" he asked calmly.
"I met someone today who's training for the entrance exam tomorrow! Dad, I want to start training too!" I declared.
Dad let out a deep sigh, ruffling his hair in frustration.
"I can only help you with your combat skills," he said. "I can't help you train your Quirk. My own Quirk doesn't even work on your 'Intangible' ability."
I pouted, deliberately turning my face away.
"I don't really like physical training..." I muttered.
Dad slowly shook his head.
"No, physical training is crucial. You'll understand soon enough. So, tell me, how did you meet this person?"
I placed the groceries down and sat beside him.
"At first, I misunderstood, Dad. I thought someone was getting bullied because the person training him looked so suspicious."
Dad raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Suspicious? How so?" he asked.
I spread my arms wide, trying to describe it.
"He was huge and muscular, really tall, and his hairstyle was just... weird," I said, mimicking the posture as best as I could.
Dad watched me carefully, stroking his chin as he thought. A small, almost inaudible hum escaped his lips.
"Well... never mind. He's probably just a regular trainer. Come on, let's start cooking."
At those words, my eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across my face.
"Let's do it!"
Dad was momentarily stunned, then gave a small, amused smile.
"You're such a strange kid," he chuckled.
Together, we walked to the kitchen, taking our time as we prepared the ingredients for dinner.
"So," Dad asked as he sliced vegetables with a calm, practiced hand, "are you ready for tomorrow's entrance exam?"
I paused for a moment before replying.
"I don't know, Dad… I'm not sure what to expect. But I'll do my best," I said honestly.
Dad chuckled softly and ruffled my hair again, even more gently this time.
"Do your best tomorrow. If you pass, I'll get you a reward. Anything you want. So, what'll it be?"
I stopped to think for a moment, a mischievous grin creeping onto my face.
"I want a mom, Dad," I said teasingly.
Dad froze, staring at me with a completely defeated look.
"W-Well... that's a bit..." he stammered.
"Hahaha, never mind, Dad! I was just kidding. I don't need anything. Living like this with you is already more than enough," I said, laughing.
Dad looked at me differently after that — softer — and ruffled my hair again, even more tenderly than before.
But during that warm, peaceful moment...
Neither of us noticed it — that silent, ominous presence just beyond the window.
Slowly a creeping unease crept in, a dark, deafening feeling.
A shadow. No... a floating black sphere, shaped like an eye.
Watching.
Waiting.
For the perfect time to strike.