Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
In a quiet residential neighborhood stood a single-family home that leaned toward upper-middle-class, well-kept, unassuming, ordinary.
Inside, a child around seven or eight years old sat near the genkan, already dressed in his school uniform, bent forward as he tightened the laces on his shoes.
His hair was black, neat but slightly unruly, with side-swept bangs that framed his face. What stood out most were his eyes—an unusual aqua blue, sharp even at his age, framed by long upper lashes and pronounced lower ones. Combined with a naturally straight nose and fair complexion, he might've been called a handsome kid.
If not for the scowl.
The intense stare etched onto his face did little to make him look threatening though. If anything, it only made him look cuter, like a kitten trying very hard to be intimidating.
"Hey, geezer." The child loudly complained, fingers working faster at his laces. "What's taking you so long?"
He tied the last knot with a sharp tug and straightened just as the traditional sliding door behind him opened with a soft clack.
A man stepped into view.
He was tall, loosely put together, wearing a black coat draped over a white polo shirt with far too many buttons left undone. His long hair was disheveled, like he'd run a hand through it one too many times instead of bothering with a comb. A mask—clearly prosthetic—covered the right side of his face, functional rather than decorative, hinting at an old injury rather than an attempt to stand out.
"Easy, easy." The man said, slipping his feet into his shoes with practiced ease. "You're not late yet."
He glanced at the clock, then added with a lazy grin. "…Okay, maybe you are a little late, but it builds character. Heroes always are fashionably late, right?"
The kid shot him a glare sharp enough to cut butter.
"Yeah." He said flatly. "It's my first day ever going to school, and I'm already late. Great character development."
Issie Shionaya ignored the kid's jab with a lazy roll of his eyes, though the faint tug of amusement at the corner of his mouth gave him away.
Outside, he locked the front door with a click, and the two of them stepped into the morning air. The neighborhood was already stirring, doors opening, parents calling after their kids, the quiet rhythm of a weekday settling in.
Issie offered casual nods and half-hearted waves to the neighbors as they passed; there were even Pro Heroes patrolling the streets where they reside.
Kōshō, meanwhile, was walking a little too fast.
He stayed half a step ahead, glancing down every few seconds at the limited-edition Endeavor plastic hero watch strapped to his wrist, the one Issie had somehow managed to snag for his last birthday. His fingers hovered near it, fidgeting, tapping the face like it was lying to him.
Issie noticed. Of course he did.
The man let out a slow sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, alright. My bad." He said at last. "The police chief had us through a wringer again. Been chasing the same slippery villain for weeks now, guy's got a talent for vanishing right when you think you've got him."
He glanced down at the kid, his tone softening just a notch.
"Relax. You'll still make it. First day of school's important, no need to burn all your nerves before homeroom." He paused, then added, "Make friends. Cause trouble. The normal kid stuff."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kōshō muttered, hands shoved into his pockets. Despite his scowl, there was something thoughtful in his voice, like he actually listened. "And stop calling me kid, geezer. I have a name, y'know."
Issie snorted. "I'll call you Kōshō when you stop calling me geezer, you damn brat."
That would've been harmless if not for the fact that they were out on the street.
The edge of his mouth twitched again when he heard giggles around them. A couple of nearby adults overheard and laughed quietly, which only made Issie click his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. See what you did?" He muttered.
Kōshō snickered.
Issie's gaze dropped, catching sight of the small Endeavor plushie dangling from Kōshō's school bag, swaying with each step.
Issie raised a brow. "You really bringing that thing to school?" He asked, half-surprised.
He'd honestly thought the kid would've left it behind; he knew how much it meant to him.
The plushie bobbed again, bright and unmistakable.
Kōshō tugged at the strap of his bag, the plushie bouncing lightly.
"Heh… yeah. I wanna bring it." He said, forcing a small grin. "Just feels… wrong leaving it behind."
He glanced away quickly, tightening his grip on the strap like letting go might make something disappear.
Issie's gaze lingered a second longer than it should have.
He wasn't the kid's parent. Hell—he didn't even know who the parents were.
When Child Welfare had run out of answers, they'd handed the boy to him with clipped apologies and a stack of forms that said temporary. No records. No registry. No blood relations in any system that mattered. Just a child pulled from the edge of a crater after a villain incident went catastrophically wrong.
That was the official story, anyway.
The kid hadn't remembered a thing from before the hospital.
Doctors chalked it up to head trauma. Issie had seen the scar once, high on his scalp, hidden now beneath black hair. Whatever memories Kōshō had lost, they hadn't come back. Not names. Not faces. Not a home.
Nothing—except the plushie.
The Endeavor doll had been found with him when the heroes arrived. Burned clothes. Dust. And that thing, clutched tight. Sometimes, when you poke it hard enough at the right spot, it plays a woman's voice singing softly. Warm. Familiar. The voice mentioned a name—and that name was the only thing the kid had known himself by when he woke up.
Kōshō.
Issie had told himself it was temporary.
He'd told himself a lot of things back then.
Somewhere along the way, temporary things had turned into mornings like this. Officially registering the kid under his surname. Registering him for school. Buying school uniforms, he doesn't know jack shit about. Hero watches. Walking the kid to class and pretending he knew what he was doing.
Issie cleared his throat, like shaking off a thought he'd let linger too long.
"So." He said, clapping his hands once. "First day. Any last-minute confessions? Secret criminal past? Hidden quirk awakening you forgot to mention?"
Kōshō shot him a look. "You're literally a cop."
"Exactly. Now's the time."
The kid huffed, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Nah. Clean slate. Unless being late counts as a felony."
"Depends." Issie said thoughtfully. "If your teacher's scary enough, maybe."
They reached the school gates just as a bell rang in the distance. Children poured in through the entrance, laughter and chatter filling the air. Parents crouched to straighten uniforms, offer encouragement, sneak in last hugs.
Kōshō slowed.
Just a little.
Issie noticed immediately. He always did.
"Well?" Issie said, jerking a thumb toward the gate. "That's your battlefield, kid."
Kōshō glanced up at the building. Big. Loud. Bright.
Then he smirked.
"If I don't come back." He said lightly. "Tell the world I died doing homework."
Issie snorted sarcastically. "Dramatic. Runs in the family."
The kid stepped forward, then paused, reaching back just enough to tug the Endeavor plushie inside his bag, making sure it was secure.
"…You'll pick me up, right?" He asked casually.
Issie didn't tease him this time.
"Yeah." He said. "Same spot. Same time. Don't get expelled before lunch."
"No promises."
Kōshō turned and walked through the gate.
Issie watched him disappear into the crowd, small shoulders straight, head held high, like he was daring the world to try something.
"…Kid's got guts." Issie muttered.
He lit a cigarette, then paused, sighed, and put it back in the pack.
Across the yard, Kōshō stopped once more and looked back.
Issie raised a hand. Two fingers. A lazy salute.
The kid grinned.
Late, nervous, and very much alive. Kōshō turned and ran towards... Wait... Where was his classroom again?
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Welp, that's the first chapter. This chapter is shorter than what I would usually drop since it is only the Prologue. Expect 1500-1700 words per chapter.
Hope you love it. Next chapter will be on Wednesday.
If you got any questions, feel free to ask.