Hello there, Sir. JoeMama here,
Firstly I would like to thank you for 241 collection and the reviews by you people. Which so crazy for a new fanfic. Furthermore, this chapter is gonna be a bit long(2.1k words). In this chapter I tried to improve my writing even further. Plus there was comment which said the romance could be better. After reading some good romance I think you guys will like how I wrote it.
(REMEMBER TO LEAVE A REVIEW IT HELP ME IMPROVE THE QULITY OF THE FANFIC)
EDIT:- WE MADE TO THE MONTHLY POWERSTONE RANKINGS!!! 55TH ON THE RANKING BABY!!
Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Happy reading.
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Almost three years later.
Akaza made his way toward Rumi's house so they could head to school together. Today was the last day at Aldera Junior High.
'A lot has happened during this time,' Akaza thought, recapping everything that happened over the years.
For Akaza, these three years weren't wasted. He trained every single day with Kenji, and a year later, Rumi joined in as well. As his quirk grew, his overall strength increased too. His shockwaves had become sharper and more controlled, but the biggest leap came in his technique development, which had progressed at a scary pace. He had now mastered all of the demon art techniques, including his ultimate move: Final Form – Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow.
Another advancement was combining his fighting spirit sense with shockwaves, functioning like a sonar. This removed his inability to sense beings that could mask their fighting spirit, and even non-living things.
'Rumi too has become a lot stronger after fully understanding her quirk.'
That's right, Rumi's quirk, Rabbit, was more than just rabbit-like powers. If it were that straightforward, Miriko, Rumi's mom would have the same level of physical strength, but she didn't. The anime never truly covered Rumi's power. Her quirk was actually a mix of Miriko and Kenji's quirks, it allowed her to empower her physical strength and senses further with aura usage. She couldn't make aura constructs like her dad, but the boost was insane.
Thanks to constant training with her dad and Akaza, she had become significantly stronger.
Furthermore, because of their high physical strength, both of them dominated the quirk assessments every single year, which pissed off a certain blonde, but who cares about him?
Yet, despite all the progress Akaza made in training and school, there was one area where he still struggled, Rumi. Over the years, they had become inseparable. Lunch on the roof? Together. Training after school? Together. Preparing for the UA written exam? Together. Random arguments that ended with her kicking him in the face? Still a thing.
But despite how close they'd gotten, neither of them had taken the next step. It was like they were both standing at the edge of a cliff, staring down, but too stubborn—or too scared to jump.
Akaza sighed.
'Three years. Still no progress. At this rate, we'll both die single.'
Soon after, Akaza arrived at Rumi's house and saw her waiting outside with her mom.
"Go on, dear. Akaza's here. I'll see you later," Miriko said with a knowing smile.
"Bye, Mom," Rumi replied, waving as she walked toward Akaza.
Just as they were about to leave, Miriko leaned close to Akaza and whispered,
"It's now or never."
Akaza froze for a second but quickly understood what she meant.
'She's right. If I don't do it now, I'll keep putting it off forever.'
Lost in thought, he didn't notice Rumi staring at him.
"Akaza, you hearing me?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Huh? Y-yeah, what?"
"I asked what Mom whispered to you."
Akaza flinched slightly. "Oh, uh… nothing. Forget it." He quickly changed the subject. "Meet me at the metro station after school."
"For what?" she asked, suspicious.
"Well…" he hesitated for a second, then blurted out, "I need to buy some new clothes. You know how fast I grow."
Rumi raised an eyebrow but smirked. "Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you there."
Soon, they reached the school and headed to their respective classes.
Finally reaching his class, Akaza sighed in relief.
'I can't believe it took me three years to do that. Well, better late than never.'
"OI, BLACK EYES!"
Akaza immediately recognized the voice.
'Ah, shit. Here we go again.'
Bakugo stormed toward him, hands sparking faintly. "You better be applying to UA, because I'm gonna beat your ass in the entrance exam. You got that?"
Over the past few years, their relationship had turned into a hate-filled rivalry. Bakugo couldn't stand the fact that both Akaza and Rumi outperformed him in every physical assessment, and to make it worse, Akaza always came out on top in academics too. Thanks to the Technique Development quirk, Akaza's analytical skills were off the charts, allowing him to stay number one.
"First beat Rumi in a fight, porcupine."
That single jab was enough to set Bakugo off. His palms flared with tiny explosions as he shouted,
"YOU BASTARD! JUST WATCH ME KILL THAT DAMNED RABB—"
BOOOOM
The classroom erupted in chaos as an invisible force blasted outward. Students stumbled back, desks rattled, and papers flew everywhere. Those standing dropped to their knees from the sheer pressure.
Bakugo, however, had it the worst. The shockwave slammed into him like a freight train, pinning him to the floor so hard he could barely move. His teeth ground together as he struggled against the weight pressing down on him.
Akaza stood slowly, his expression unreadable. He walked toward Bakugo, each step making the air feel heavier. Kneeling down, he grabbed Bakugo by the hair and forced his head up, making him meet his gaze.
"You keep saying 'kill this,' 'kill that,' 'die'—but do you even understand the real weight of the words you throw around so easily?"
His voice was cold enough to freeze the room. Even the kids watching held their breath.
Bakugo's defiance cracked for the first time; a flicker of fear showed in his eyes.
"This is your last warning. Next time you put the words 'kill' and 'Rumi' in the same sentence, I promise I'll break all your fucking limbs. Is that understood?"
The suffocating pressure vanished as quickly as it came. Students exhaled in relief, whispering to each other, stunned at what just happened.
Bakugo didn't say a word. He just scrambled back to his seat, fists trembling, trying to process the humiliation and fear boiling inside him.
From a distance, Izuku looked at Bokugo with concern in his eyes.
Akaza returned to his own desk and sat down calmly, as if nothing happened.
"Now get ready. Takashi-sensei is almost here."
The class remained silent, eyes darting between the two boys, as the tension hung in the air like a storm cloud.
SWOOSH
The class door slid open, and Takashi walked in with a bright smile.
"Good morning, class! You all ready to graduate junior high?"
Contrary to expectations, the room stayed silent. Takashi tilted his head, puzzled at first, but after a moment he figured it out.
"Oh, I see, you're all nervous about graduation, right? Don't worry. Treat this as just another step forward in life. I'm confident every one of you will do great."
The students relaxed, the tension easing a little.
What followed was a heartfelt speech about how proud he was of them, how bright their futures were, and how they should never stop chasing their dreams.
Akaza listened quietly, though his thoughts drifted.
'Three years, and I'm still stuck at the same point with Rumi. If I don't do it today, when will I?'
"So," Takashi asked, his tone rising, "tell me—what do you all plan to become?"
"HEROES!"
The class shouted in unison, their voices filling the room.
With that, their mini graduation ended, and everyone began to leave.
Akaza headed to the metro station, running through scenarios in his head. He even caught himself using Technique Development to calculate the "perfect" way to confess, but quickly realized it was useless here. There were no formulas for this.
Finally, he spotted Rumi waiting for him.
"Rumi," he called.
She turned, eyebrow raised. "Ready to go?"
Akaza froze for a second, his mind screaming at him.
'IT'S NOW OR NEVER. COME ON. JUST SAY IT.'
"I… uh… I was wondering if you'd go out with me."
Rumi blinked, confused. "But I'm already here, dumbass. What are you talking about?"
"I meant… like a proper date."
For a moment, Rumi just stared at him, completely caught off guard. Her ears twitched, and she tilted her head slightly as if processing what he had just said.
"Y-you mean… like a date-date?"
"Yup. I think it's finally time to take a step forward," Akaza said with a trying-to-look calm smile.
There was a short silence. Then, a smirk slowly formed on her face as her cheeks turned red.
"Took you long enough, dumbass. Sure, I'll go."
As they parted ways, they decided to meet at the station the next day.
The next day
Akaza stood near the station entrance, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He had spent the entire night thinking about what to wear and still ended up in his usual clean black hoodie and jeans, with his hair tied.
'Why does this feel harder than fighting an army?' he thought, glancing at the time.
A few moments later, Rumi showed up, white hoodie, ripped shorts, and her usual confident stride. Yet the moment their eyes met, both froze for a split second.
"Uh… you look… normal," Akaza said, immediately regretting it.
Rumi raised an eyebrow. "Wow, thanks for the compliment, dumbass."
He scratched the back of his head, flustered. "No, I meant, you look good."
"…You too," she muttered equally flustered, looking away, her long rabbit ears twitching slightly.
For a moment, silence hung between them. The air felt stiff. Both of them started walking toward the city center, unsure of what to say first.
"So… uh, where are we going?" Rumi finally asked.
Akaza coughed lightly. "There's this small food stall I found near the park. Heard they have the best pork buns in the area."
Rumi smirked. "You're bribing me with food, huh? Classic."
"It works, doesn't it?" he replied with a faint grin.
The ice started to crack as they reached the stall. They ate standing side by side, with Rumi teasing him every time he got sauce on his face. After grabbing a few more snacks, they walked to the park, the sun dipping low in the sky.
As they strolled under the warm evening light, the awkwardness faded completely. They started talking about their old training sessions, how Akaza once kicked her off her roof during one spar, how Rumi always 'accidentally' kept breaking Kenji's beloved training dummies.
"Remember when you tried to 'spar' with me after drinking three energy drinks?" Akaza laughed. "It took me 30 minutes to knock you down."
"Hey, it did help me keep up with you longer than usual," Rumi said, flustered.
"And then you slept like a log," he said, grinning.
While talking, they found a bench overlooking the park's fountain. The conversation slowed, but it wasn't uncomfortable anymore. It was a quiet that felt… good.
Rumi leaned back, hands behind her head. "You know, these last three years weren't so bad. You were annoying as hell sometimes, but… I don't regret any of it."
Akaza looked at her, serious now. "Neither do I. Training, school, everything… it all felt right with you around."
The words hung between them. Rumi turned to face him, ears twitching nervously.
"So… what now?" she asked softly.
Akaza didn't hesitate this time. He reached out, gently taking her hand. "Now… we stop holding back."
Rumi blinked, then smirked, finally leaning in. Their lips met, brief but enough to make both their hearts race.
When they pulled back, Rumi chuckled. "About damn time."
Akaza smiled. "Guess so."
They spent the rest of the evening wandering the park, laughing, sharing stories, and just enjoying being together without the usual training or school looming over them.
By the time they headed back, the city lights had already replaced the sunset.
When they reached Rumi's house, Akaza smirked. "Don't think this means you're off the hook for training. I wont go easy on you."
Rumi smirked. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."
As she walked inside, Miriko's voice called from the living room, "So? How was the date?"
Rumi froze, ears burning red. "MOM! Don't shout that out loud!"
Akaza chuckled as he waved goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Rumi."
When Akaza returned to the orphanage, he spotted Kazuko standing by the front door, arms crossed and a knowing smile on her face.
"So," she said, tilting her head slightly, "how was the date with Rumi?"
Akaza sighed internally.
'Of course she knew.'
"It went surprisingly well," he replied, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.
Kazuko chuckled. "Good to hear. I was starting to think that even with those looks of yours, you'd end up single."
"Whatever you say, Kazuko-san," Akaza replied with a small shake of his head.
He walked down the hall toward his room, thoughts lingering on the day.
'Thank you for convincing me to accept the rebirth, Yuna,' he thought, silently grateful to his sister.
After a quick shower, he lay back on his bed. As he replayed the events of the day in his mind, a calm sense of happiness washed over him, and soon he drifted off to sleep.
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So! How was it? Did you like it. I felt I did a great job with chapter. Hope you feel the same.
Plus this chapter marks the end of Volume 2.
And like always.
'PULLS OUT A GUN'
PUT THE POWERSTONES IN BAD HURRY, BANG, BANG.
Ahem, Peace out.
Ps:- Ignore the text below, its just for word count. I just discovered the reason why my FanFic was not in any rankings was, it having less than 15K words.
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The Impact of Social Media on Modern Society
In the last two decades, few inventions have reshaped human interaction, communication, and culture as profoundly as social media. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now X), TikTok, and LinkedIn have revolutionized how people connect, share, and perceive the world. While social media has brought undeniable benefits—such as global connectivity, awareness-raising, and free expression—it has also introduced significant drawbacks, including mental health challenges, misinformation, and the erosion of privacy. As modern society continues to navigate its digital transformation, understanding the full impact of social media is critical.
1. Connectivity and Communication
One of social media's most positive aspects is the ability to connect people across vast distances instantly. Long-lost friends can reconnect, families separated by continents can video chat daily, and niche communities can form around shared interests, from vintage car enthusiasts to fans of obscure musical genres. Communication that once required letters, expensive phone calls, or travel now takes place in real-time through messaging apps, comment threads, and livestreams.
This connectivity has empowered individuals in unprecedented ways. For instance, during natural disasters or political uprisings, social media allows real-time updates that can save lives, organize protests, or expose injustice. Hashtags such as #BlackLivesMatter or #MeToo became global movements thanks to the visibility social media provides. These tools enable grassroots activism and democratize information flow, giving a voice to those historically underrepresented.
2. A Double-Edged Sword: Mental Health and Well-Being
Despite its advantages, social media's impact on mental health has drawn increasing scrutiny. Multiple studies suggest that excessive use can contribute to anxiety, depression, loneliness, and reduced self-esteem—especially among teenagers and young adults. The constant exposure to curated versions of others' lives creates unrealistic standards of beauty, success, and happiness.
Platforms like Instagram are especially criticized for promoting unattainable lifestyles and body image ideals. The "comparison culture" that emerges often leads users to feel inadequate. Moreover, the addictive design of these apps—fueled by likes, notifications, and infinite scrolling—hijacks attention spans and encourages compulsive behavior.
Cyberbullying and online harassment further complicate the digital experience. Hidden behind screens, some individuals engage in toxic behavior they might never display in person. For victims, the psychological toll can be devastating, and in severe cases, fatal. Addressing this issue requires stronger moderation tools, better mental health education, and more responsible design choices from tech companies.
3. The Spread of Misinformation
Social media has also become a fertile ground for misinformation and "fake news." Algorithms that prioritize engagement often amplify sensational or polarizing content—regardless of its accuracy. During global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic or elections, the spread of false information can have life-or-death consequences.
Conspiracy theories flourish in echo chambers where like-minded individuals reinforce each other's beliefs. This undermines trust in institutions, experts, and science, leading to increased polarization and societal division. In extreme cases, misinformation incites violence, as seen in events like the Capitol riots in the U.S. on January 6, 2021.
Efforts to combat misinformation—such as fact-checking, content moderation, and user education—are ongoing but complex. Balancing free speech with responsible regulation is one of the defining challenges of the digital age.
4. Privacy in the Age of Oversharing
Social media has also transformed the concept of privacy. Users voluntarily share details of their lives—from personal milestones to real-time locations—often unaware of how this data can be harvested, sold, or misused. Companies like Facebook have faced major scandals involving data breaches and misuse of personal information, raising concerns about surveillance capitalism.
Many users underestimate the long-term consequences of sharing personal data. Employers now routinely check candidates' social media profiles, and one ill-considered post can damage reputations or careers. Children growing up today have "digital footprints" that begin before they can walk—created by parents who post baby photos and videos without considering future implications.
Legislation like the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has sought to protect user data, but global enforcement remains inconsistent. As technology evolves, so must our understanding of digital rights and consent.
5. The New Economy and Social Media Careers
Interestingly, social media has also given rise to a new economic ecosystem. Influencers, content creators, and digital marketers can earn substantial incomes through brand deals, sponsorships, and merchandise. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok allow creators to monetize their content, leading to careers that didn't exist a generation ago.
Businesses, both large and small, now rely heavily on social media marketing to reach customers. Targeted advertising, algorithmic promotions, and audience analytics have revolutionized how companies operate. Even traditional industries—such as journalism, fashion, and education—have had to adapt to this new landscape.
However, the pressure to maintain relevance and visibility online can be intense. For content creators, burnout, mental health struggles, and the instability of algorithm-driven income are major concerns. The social media economy is fast-paced, unpredictable, and often unforgiving.
6. Cultural Shifts and Generational Differences
Social media has played a significant role in shaping modern culture and generational identity. Memes, trends, and viral videos define pop culture in real time. Youth today are more digitally native than any previous generation, often using platforms as their primary source of news, entertainment, and social interaction.
However, this generational digital divide can lead to misunderstandings between age groups. Parents may struggle to understand the emotional weight of a "like" or the social dynamics of group chats. Educators must find new ways to engage students whose attention spans have been shaped by rapid, visual content.
Despite these gaps, social media also fosters cross-cultural understanding. Exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences from around the world broadens horizons and builds empathy—when users engage mindfully.
Conclusion
Social media is not inherently good or bad; it is a tool shaped by how society chooses to use it. It has connected the world in ways never thought possible, giving voice to the voiceless and revolutionizing communication. Yet it also poses serious challenges—from mental health concerns and misinformation to privacy erosion and economic instability.
To harness the positive power of social media while mitigating its dangers, users, tech companies, educators, and policymakers must work together. Digital literacy should be taught alongside traditional subjects. Platforms must be held accountable for how they influence society. And users must learn to navigate the digital world with critical thinking, empathy, and balance.
As we move forward, the question is not whether social media will remain a part of society—it will—but how we can evolve alongside it responsibly.