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Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: A Dangerous Mind 

Himari point of view:

I tilted my head slightly, letting my curiosity slip through.

"So, Izuku... what's your quirk?"

It seemed like an innocent enough question — but the effect was immediate.

Inko's smile faltered. Her hands tightened slightly in her lap, her gaze dipping for just a heartbeat before coming back up.

I'd seen that micro-expression before. Too many times.

A sore spot.

I cursed myself silently.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, lifting a hand. "If that's a personal topic, you don't need to answer. I understand completely — quirks are private. I shouldn't have asked so directly."

I tried to keep my voice soft, steady, reassuring. Anything to smooth out the shift in atmosphere.

But inside?

I was furious with myself.

The sight of that faint shadow in her expression... it made something ugly twist in my chest. I'd caused it. Me.

Control yourself, Himari.

Before I could backtrack further, Izuku turned to his mother, his voice calm but certain.

"Mom, relax. I couldn't care less if people know. Being quirkless doesn't bother me. If anything, I'm proud of it."

My brows rose at the word.

Proud?

He met my gaze then, emerald eyes bright and unwavering.

"It means everything I've done — every test, every project, every idea — it's all mine. Not something I was gifted at birth. Just hard work, dedication, and persistence."

The room seemed to still for a moment.

Quirkless... and this intelligent?

The kind of analytical, strategic mind I'd seen in his work wasn't supposed to exist in someone this young without... help.

His potential was staggering.

And that potential... it hit me right in a place I didn't want to go.

A flicker of memory.

Another boy.

My little brother.

Also quirkless.

But unlike this child in front of me, his eyes hadn't shone with defiance — only with quiet exhaustion.

Society had treated him like he was less than human. He'd been pushed, cornered, torn down until there was nothing left of him to fight back with.

I was away on assignment when it happened — my hands still stained from someone else's blood when I got the call.

By the time I made it back, all I could do was bury him.

The same society that killed him... was the same one that used me like a weapon, until I couldn't take it anymore and vanished from their grip.

But his loss never stopped burning.

Izuku's voice broke through the haze.

"Would that be an issue?"

I blinked, forcing myself back into the moment.

"No," I said firmly. "Not an issue at all. In fact, it raises your accomplishments to an even higher standing."

That seemed to satisfy him.

And yet... I could still see the worry in Inko's eyes.

It wasn't fading.

I hesitated, then spoke before I could stop myself.

"I... also had a little brother. He was quirkless too." My throat tightened. "Years ago. He didn't... make it. The world wasn't kind to him."

I tried to hold my expression in check, but Inko saw through it instantly.

Her hand closed over mine, warm and steady — and then she leaned forward and hugged me.

I froze, heat flooding my face.

She smelled faintly of tea and something sweeter — and my brain, traitorous as it was, blanked entirely.

A sigh drew my attention. Izuku was watching with a look that screamed seriously? before standing and joining in, looping his small arms around both of us.

For a moment, I just let myself stay there — caught between two people who didn't seem to realize how dangerous closeness could be... and not minding in the slightest.

When we finally pulled apart, I cleared my throat.

"As much as I enjoyed that... I still have a job to do."

Izuku smirked faintly, and I shot him a look that probably would've made grown operatives sweat. He didn't flinch.

Interesting.

I picked up my notepad, resetting my posture.

"Alright, let's continue. Tell me — out of everything you've studied so far, what are you most interested in? What makes you lose track of time when you're working on it?"

His face lit up like someone had flipped a switch.

"Oh! Definitely mechanics — building and refining tech, especially stuff that can be adapted for different needs. I've been designing small machines that can work in extreme conditions, like high heat or underwater, but I'm also figuring out how to make them portable without losing performance. I like improving existing tech too — not just making something new, but finding flaws in current designs and fixing them so they actually work for the people who need them."

He leaned forward a little, voice speeding up with every word.

"I've also been working on concepts for advanced prosthetics and support gear that can adjust automatically to the user's movement in real time. But to make something like that work long-term, you need better battery systems and lightweight materials, so I've been studying energy efficiency and materials science too. Oh, and—"

His hands started moving animatedly now, sketching shapes in the air.

"—I think a lot of tech companies mess up by not thinking about accessibility from the start. If you build with customization in mind, you can help more people and still make it affordable. Plus, if you make the designs modular, people can upgrade parts over time instead of buying something entirely new. That's better for them and still good for business. It's all about the long-term plan."

Inko watched him with a soft smile, but I just stared.

This wasn't a random burst of childhood enthusiasm — there was precision behind his words, the kind of layered thinking you only saw in seasoned innovators.

And the most dangerous part?

He talked about these ideas like they were just... casual thoughts. As if he wasn't aware that someone his age shouldn't be thinking about supply problems and modular engineering solutions.

He finally paused, eyes still bright.

"I guess that's the kind of stuff that makes me lose track of time."

I didn't write a single thing down.

I was too busy deciding whether I was more amused... or absolutely certain I'd just found the most dangerous mind I'd ever met.

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