Chapter 2: Inasa Yoarashi is a Friend
My name is Yoshikage Kira. I once lived in another world as a perfectly ordinary office worker. My hobbies were simple: watching some anime, playing some games.
I never made a habit of befriending others. If you gave me a phone or a computer, I could stay home until the end of time.
The world's affairs had nothing to do with me. All I wanted was to live a quiet life in a peaceful country, marry an ordinary woman, and live out an ordinary existence.
I avoided all group activities. Whenever there was a party or gathering, I would find an excuse to decline. I was determined not to get involved.
There was one exception. An invitation I couldn't refuse. It was that single night of indulgence that angered the deity who had apparently been watching over me. Believing I had been corrupted by the world, it brought down a merciless divine punishment, and I left the mortal realm.
When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn as a baby in a different world.
The biggest difference between this world and my former, peaceful one is that nearly everyone here possesses a unique power. It all began in Qingqing City, China, with a baby who was born glowing.
After that incident, supernatural phenomena began to appear one after another all over the globe. This inexplicable shift quietly began to change people's perception of reality...
Before anyone knew it, the extraordinary had become the everyday. The imaginary had become real.
Now, with nearly 80% of the world's population possessing some kind of special trait, those who once lamented their powerlessness while harboring ill will toward the world began to emerge, openly unleashing their malice on the public.
And so, a profession that had previously existed only in people's dreams—the hero—stepped back onto the stage of history.
Among them, the most active and admired of all is the No. 1 Hero, All Might.
He is like a symbol of peace itself. Wherever he goes, crime scatters in fear. He single-handedly turned the tide of chaos, forcing villains back into the shadows and bringing a temporary peace to the world.
All Might. A hero in the eyes of countless people. And the one who inspired me to become a hero, too.
—Yoshikage Kira
"There are less than ten days until the high school entrance exams. Has everyone decided which school they want to get into?" the teacher asked wearily, tapping his glasses on the lectern.
"I'm still not sure, but I bet Yoarashi is aiming for U.A.!" a boisterous-looking student shouted toward Inasa Yoarashi, who was seated in the center of the classroom.
"Ah, right." Inasa, who had been lost in thought, quickly snapped back and laughed heartily. "Haha, All Might is going to be teaching at U.A. soon, so I have to get in!"
Sitting by the window, Yoshikage Kira was lost in his own thoughts. This guy wants to get into U.A. so badly, yet he's still trying to give his recommendation spot to me... What is he thinking?
It all went back to the day after the school's Hero Festival. Thanks to his outstanding performance as All Might and his consistently excellent grades, Inasa Yoarashi had received the school's single recommendation for U.A. High. As long as he passed U.A.'s entrance test, he would be granted early admission into the Hero Course.
Their school only received such a prestigious recommendation because of famous alumni like Kamui Woods. It was an incredibly valuable opportunity, yet the moment Yoshikage had expressed his desire to become a hero, Inasa had tried to give it to him.
"I want you to have it. This chance to become a hero," Inasa had said, blocking Yoshikage's path as he was packing his bag to leave school. He looked down at Yoshikage's lowered eyes, his expression completely serious.
Is that something you can just give away? While Inasa's skills were likely more than enough to pass the national entrance exam, the recommendation was a safety net. Who's to say he wouldn't have an off day?
"I don't need it," Yoshikage said calmly. "You should stop saying foolish things like that. The school would never allow it, and neither would your family."
"That's not true!" Inasa's face turned red as he argued, ignoring the other students around them. "We've been best friends since we were kids! My mom always loves it when you come over to visit!"
He really is a hot-blooded idiot... Yoshikage sighed internally. To be honest, becoming his "best friend" was just a big, not-so-beautiful misunderstanding.
Think about it. The name his parents gave him was Yoshikage Kira. Back in elementary school, when he saw a kid wearing a black leather coat and a black leather cap, it was only natural to be reminded of Jotaro Kujo, the man who relentlessly pursued Yoshikage Kira.
At the time, a few older kids were bullying a girl, trying to snatch her doll. Inasa, who was still small and had only recently discovered his Quirk, couldn't stand by and watch. Ignoring the difference in their strength, he bravely charged in.
And then... he got beaten up.
Even after they knocked him to the ground, the bullies didn't let up, kicking and punching him. One of them even activated his Quirk, turning his right hand into a hammer, and was about to bring it down on him.
How could Yoshikage, who had been watching from the sidelines, let his "Jojo" be bullied? Okay, the truth was, he found it distasteful to see them picking on someone who couldn't fight back. Besides, the girl whose doll had been stolen was looking at him with tears in her eyes, silently pleading for help.
Oh, right. I haven't mentioned Yoshikage's Quirk yet, have I?
When Yoshikage was born, he was amazed that his name was so similar to that of the ordinary office worker, Yoshikage Kira. He was even more shocked when, at the age of three, he awakened a Quirk with a similar ability: he could turn anything he touched into a bomb. It was a power familiar to any JoJo fan—Killer Queen.
Because this ability was far too dangerous, Yoshikage lied.
He told the doctors who examined his Quirk that it was "Hamon," a life energy produced through a special breathing technique. He explained that, like Jonathan Joestar, he was a natural at manipulating this energy, implying he possessed two different Quirks.
No one suspected a thing. In a world full of strange and wondrous abilities, a Quirk like Hamon wasn't particularly unusual.
By elementary school, Yoshikage had already developed his Hamon abilities to a certain degree. Although he was only about as strong as a fit adult man, it was more than enough to deal with a few bullies.
What happened next is easy to guess. Yoshikage realized this kid wasn't the Jojo he had imagined and was about to turn and leave, but the boy grabbed onto his leg and shamelessly begged Yoshikage to be his friend.
Though he found it troublesome, Yoshikage didn't leave. As they went through elementary and junior high together, he gradually discovered that Inasa possessed a Jojo-like spirit similar to Jotaro's—eternally optimistic and full of passion. And though he would never admit it out loud, Yoshikage had come to consider him a friend.
And so, in a world different from JoJo's, a budget version of Yoshikage Kira and Jotaro Kujo were not enemies, but best friends who could open their hearts to each other.
One-sidedly, of course.