"Baruch, clean up the storage room and the study, and bring out two sets of futons."
Lock gave the order, and Baruch nodded, heading off to prepare the rooms.
Since both Jiro Kyoka and Hatsume Mei were staying overnight, he needed to make sure there was space.
Luckily, Lock's home was huge.
Both the study and the storage room were more than large enough for one person each.
"You two okay sleeping on the floor?" Lock asked.
"Yes." ×2.
The house had floor heating—common in modern Japanese homes—making the floor warm to the touch.
You could sleep barefoot on it without feeling cold.
"By the way, Lock, I forgot to bring the sunglasses you wanted," Hatsume Mei said, blinking cutely as if she had just remembered. "They're in our secret base at Dagobah Beach. You can grab them whenever."
"Got it."
Lock nodded, smiling.
Their "secret base" was a little hideout built from junkyard scraps—old sofa parts, metal panels from trucks, anything salvageable.
Hatsume kept most of her materials there.
It worked as a miniature workshop for her support-item inventions.
Even though Dagobah Beach wasn't officially closed off after the Iron Shark incident, most civilians now avoided it like the plague.
Even the illegal garbage dumpers no longer dared to enter.
In other words, Lock and Hatsume Mei had the whole place to themselves.
At least until Izuku Midoriya and All Might would eventually begin the original story's training sessions there.
"Dagobah Beach…?"
Kyoka frowned slightly at the mention, feeling a little bothered for reasons she didn't want to admit.
"Anyway, back to business," Lock said, shifting the topic. "Mei, let me ask—do you believe in magic?"
"Eh?"
Hatsume tilted her head, confused.
"Actually…"
Lock once again explained magic to her—just as he had for Kyoka.
"No need," Mei said immediately. "I'm an inventor girl. Magic sounds useless for my work."
Lock had expected that answer. Mei would naturally worry that magic training would slow down her creation of support gear.
"Mei, think about it differently," Lock said, slipping into Instructor Mode. "Perceiving magic power, controlling magical effects, manipulating energy—"
He leaned forward.
"All of it requires precise micro-control. The same skill is needed for high-tier invention work. It'll reduce your error rate dramatically."
Hatsume placed a finger on her chin, thinking.
"…That… actually does make sense."
"And your support gear needs testers, right?" Lock continued.
"If you can strengthen yourself with magic, you can test your own prototypes. Saves time and trouble."
"…Fine. I'll learn it."
Hatsume nodded, convinced.
Lock led her through the basics—showing her the proper mental steps just enough to "open the door."
Then he sent her to the freshly cleaned room to start perceiving magic on her own.
"Record how long it takes you to sense it," he reminded her.
After that, Lock, Kyoka, and Baruch headed to their own rooms.
Lock lay on his bed, scrolling through news on his phone.
After a bit, he set it aside, planning to visit the bathroom before sleeping.
Then—
rustle, rustle…
He turned slowly.
A small silhouette stood at the doorway—two long, thin shapes swaying gently.
There was only one person who could be.
"Kyoka…?"
Before he could speak, Jiro Kyoka slipped inside quietly, approaching his bedside step by step.
Which led to one question:
Why was Kyoka sneaking into his room in the middle of the night?
A… night raid?
Impossible.
This wasn't some fan-service fantasy. Reality didn't work that way.
Yet the slender girl didn't turn on the light.
She moved silently, like a cat—gentle steps, soft breaths.
Lock shut his eyes and pretended to sleep, secretly peeking through a narrow slit.
In the dim room, she likely wouldn't notice.
Stare.
The purple-haired girl leaned over him.
Her faint floral shampoo scent drifted into his nose.
Lock's heart squeezed.
Hey—
What exactly was she planning to do…?
Was it actually—
Was it really a night raid?!
What should he even DO if it were true?
Pretend to sleep and accept his fate…?
…
"Lock."
Kyoka leaned in closer.
Seeing that he didn't move, she pursed her pink lips, stretched out her right hand—
—and pinched his ear.
Lightly.
Ah.
So much for pretending.
Lock sat bolt upright.
"How did you know I wasn't asleep?"
Kyoka blinked, amused.
"I came because I need to talk to you. I would've woken you up even if you were sleeping."
That…
made Lock want to whistle in embarrassment.
"So what were you thinking just now?" Kyoka asked calmly.
"…Nothing."
"Mm-hmm. Sure. I feel like you were thinking dirty things."
Lock sighed.
"Fine. I wondered if you were going to attack me at night."
Kyoka: "…"
A bright blush spread across Kyoka's face.
She raised her right hand instinctively to slap him—
Reflex.
Lock grabbed her wrist.
She lost her balance—
—and fell straight into his arms.
Her shampoo scent wrapped around him—violet-like, gentle, and sweet.
Their eyes met.
Silence.
Lock could hear her breathing quicken.
The atmosphere grew painfully awkward.
"…Let go."
Kyoka bit her lower lip, her voice small and shaky.
"S-Sorry."
Lock released her immediately.
He knew he had gone too far.
He tucked her hands under his blanket gently.
"Kyoka, your hands are freezing. It gets cold at night—you should take care."
Kyoka was quiet for a moment.
"You've changed."
"…What?"
Lock's heart skipped.
"Into someone shameless who says sweet things without thinking."
Lock: "…"
"Ahem… Kyoka, why did you come here?"
Kyoka stood up and looked at him seriously.
"Lock… do you train at Dagobah Beach regularly?"
"Yeah."
Kyoka gritted her teeth and spoke with absolute determination:
"For the practical exam… I want to train too. I'm going to exercise with you at Dagobah Beach."
"That's it?"
Lock blinked.
Even if she didn't ask, he would've taken her for training anyway.
"…Good night."
Kyoka suddenly realized how ridiculous it was to come to his room at this hour just to say that.
"Good night."
That night passed without further excitement.
By the next morning, after breakfast, both Kyoka and Mei returned home.
Life went back to its steady rhythm.
Lock's daily routine: Training, magic practice, school, checking in on his agency, and weekend Hero commissions.
The only change—
Kyoka joined him for training at Dagobah Beach.
Meanwhile, just like the original story, All Might passed One For All to Izuku Midoriya, who began intensive physical conditioning at the same beach.
And so—
Ten months passed in a flash.
Lock and the others graduated from middle school.
And now—
The Hero Entrance Exam was approaching.
---
A/N: A New Fanfic Is Out "Bleach: Reborn As Ishida Uryuu"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San