The headlines the next morning read:
> "MIRACLE IN MUSUTAFU: Car Crash Victims Healed Instantly!"
Unknown woman restores entire vehicle and passengers with light-like energy. Witnesses call her "the Angel."
Hawks leaned back in his chair, the newspaper fluttering in his hand as a feather toyed with his coffee spoon. His golden eyes glinted with amusement.
> "An angel, huh? Guess we're running out of hero names already."
He scanned the photo — a blurry image of golden light shaped like flower petals. It wasn't a quirk he recognized. And that made it interesting.
"Quirk analysis team says it looked like temporal reversal," said his sidekick, tapping a holographic report.
Hawks shrugged. "Doesn't match Eri's pattern. Besides, I know every registered time-type in Japan. This? Different rhythm."
He took another sip, eyes drifting toward the window — toward the street below, where a small café sign read "Maidream Hearts."
Something tugged at him. A gentle, almost nostalgic pull.
> "Well," he murmured with a grin, "guess I could use another cup of coffee."
---
☕ Maidream Hearts Café
"Welcome home, Master~!"
The soft chime of the doorbell rang as Hawks stepped in, brushing rain off his jacket.
The café glowed with soft lights and pastel walls. Girls in frilly maid uniforms greeted guests with practiced smiles — except one, whose voice carried warmth rather than performance.
> "Welcome home!" she said brightly, her long orange hair tied with pink clips.
For a moment, Hawks forgot to breathe.
Something about her felt… different. Not her beauty — though she was beautiful — but the energy around her, like soft sunlight after a storm.
> "Uh… table for one?" he said, blinking.
"Of course, Master~ Please follow me!"
Orihime led him to a corner table near the window. Her laughter was light, genuine.
When she turned, the little flower-shaped clips in her hair caught the light — faintly glowing, just for an instant.
Hawks' feathers twitched.
---
🌸 A Quiet Conversation
She placed a tray on his table. "Here you go! One caramel latte with extra foam~"
He chuckled. "You're good at this. You sound like you actually mean it."
Orihime smiled softly. "Because I do. Everyone deserves a little kindness with their coffee, don't you think?"
Her words struck him deeper than expected. For someone who spent every day pretending, her sincerity felt almost foreign.
> "You sound like you've seen too much of the world to still believe that," Hawks said lightly.
"Maybe I have," she answered, eyes distant for just a moment — like she was remembering another lifetime. "But I think… believing is what keeps me human."
For a heartbeat, Hawks saw something flicker in her — a pain she tried to hide behind her smile.
Then she brightened again. "Oh! Sorry. That got a little heavy, didn't it? Would you like extra sugar?"
> "Nah," he said, resting his chin in his hand, grinning. "You're sweet enough."
Orihime blinked, flustered, then giggled — a genuine laugh that made his feathers ruffle involuntarily.
---
🪶 The Hero's Suspicion
When she left to serve another customer, Hawks' expression shifted.
He opened a small communicator, speaking quietly.
> "Hawks to agency. Run a background check on a part-time worker at Maidream Hearts — name, Orihime Inoue. No rush, keep it quiet."
He ended the call, still watching her from his seat.
Every movement she made seemed light, almost supernatural. Her presence calmed the air around her — something not even top-ranked heroes could do.
He caught himself smiling.
> "What are you, angel?" he whispered.
---
🌧️ Meanwhile... in the Shadows
Elsewhere in Musutafu, other eyes were watching.
Overhaul (Chisaki Kai)
In his underground office, he adjusted his mask, reading the same news article.
> "A girl who can reverse injury without contact... That's beyond quirk biology," he muttered.
"If it's true, she could restore what's been broken… even me."
His golden eyes narrowed. "Find her."
---
Dabi
On a distant rooftop, blue fire flickered between his fingers as he watched the café through binoculars.
> "Heh. A healer who glows like starlight? Sounds like fun. Bet Hawks'll fall for her first."
He smirked, tossing a cigarette into the wind. "Let's see how long that smile lasts when the world burns."
---
Shigaraki Tomura
In the League's hideout, the leader scratched his neck absently, watching a replay on a tablet. The glowing petals froze mid-frame.
> "Rejecting reality… like Rewind."
He grinned, voice low and cracking. "If she can erase anything… imagine what she could unmake."
Kurogiri's mist swirled nearby.
> "Shall I bring her to you, Tomura Shigaraki?"
"Not yet. Let the heroes find her first. Then we'll take her."
---
🌸 Closing Scene – Petals and Feathers
Night fell again over Musutafu.
Orihime walked home, umbrella in hand. Behind her, hidden among the rooftops, a pair of golden wings followed quietly.
Hawks had seen many strange things in his career — monsters, quirks, and the cruelty of human nature.
But something about this girl's light felt… pure. Like she didn't belong in a world this broken.
He whispered into the cool night wind:
> "If you really are an angel… I hope this world doesn't break your wings."
Orihime paused on the sidewalk, feeling a warmth on her back — like feathers brushing through the rain. She looked up at the sky, smiling softly.
> "Someone's watching…"
"That's okay," she whispered. "As long as it's not to hurt anyone."
Her clips shimmered faintly — six tiny fairies glowing with quiet joy.