WebNovels

Chapter 1 - C1: Worth every ounce

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It was a beautiful day at the park. The afternoon sun shone warmly overhead, birds sang from the trees, and flowers bloomed in carefully kept beds. On days like these, it was only natural that children filled the open spaces with laughter and noise. One kid with wings for arms soared happily above the ground while his friends watched in awe. Another snapped his fingers, small bursts of flame dancing at his fingertips. Many similar scenes played out wherever one looked.

In a quiet corner of the park, a white-haired woman sat on a bench. Her blue irises were so clear they could have been mistaken for the sky itself. A small, fond smile rested on her lips as she watched the child in front of her, who was doing his best to imitate the other kids and their quirks.

"Satoru, be careful now. You don't want to hurt yourself," she said, her silk-smooth voice carrying gentle concern.

The child, almost identical to her in appearance, turned his eyes toward her.

"Mom, it's fine! If I keep trying hard enough, I bet a super cool quirk will show up. Then I can be a super cool hero like Stars and Stripes!" he exclaimed, excitement practically radiating off him.

Yukina Gojo stared into her son's piercing brown eyes before chuckling softly and squatting down to his level. "Is that so? Why Stars and Stripes specifically, and not the big, strong Symbol of Peace, All Might?"

Satoru clenched his fists and puffed out his chest, glancing back at the other children as if imagining himself among them. "That's easy, Mom! All Might is cool and all, but Stars and Stripes is cooler. All she has to do is say what she wants, and the world listens to her!"

Yukina laughed quietly, ruffling his hair before lifting him up and settling him onto her shoulders. A surprised yelp escaped him as he instinctively grabbed onto her head. "That's true," she said, "but remember what I always tell you, Satoru. It doesn't matter if you have a quirk or not. What matters is—"

"You put a hundred percent into everything you do and always try your best, no matter what!" Satoru finished loudly, his voice bright and brimming with enthusiasm.

Her smile widened. "That's my boy. Now, who wants some ice cream?" she asked, lightly squeezing his legs to keep him steady.

As if a switch had been flipped, Satoru bounced happily atop her shoulders. "I do! I do!"

And so, the mother-and-son duo left the park, stopping for ice cream along the way. By the time they arrived home, the afternoon sun had begun its slow descent beyond the horizon.

"Satoru, make sure you wash your hands before touching anything!" Yukina called out as he rushed toward the stairs.

"I will!" he shouted back, darting to the bathroom before heading straight to his room.

The room was covered wall to wall in hero posters, with action figures of Pro Heroes cluttering shelves, desks, and even the floor. Satoru was, for lack of a better word, a massive fanboy.

He hurried to his monitor and opened a video titled "I AM HERE," which showed the No.1 hero, All Might, standing firm. His ever-present smile didn't so much as twitch as he faced a massive villain.

Satoru stared at the screen, brown eyes sparkling.

"FEAR NOT, CITIZENS! HOPE HAS ARRIVED!" All Might's booming voice echoed through the room.

Satoru stood up on his chair, mimicking the hero and mouthing along.

"WHY?"

All Might's smile widened.

"BECAUSE I AM HERE!"

He continued watching, switching between clips of All Might, other heroes, and breaking news segments, still standing on the chair as he acted out every movement he saw.

Yukina stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching her son excitedly pose and reenact heroics with a fond smile.

In his excitement, Satoru leaned back just a little too far; the chair tipping ever so slightly.

Yukina reacted instantly. Her sky-blue eyes glowed faintly before dimming again as she surged forward, crossing the room in a heartbeat. She reached out, positioning her hand exactly where his head would have struck the floor.

Relief washed over her when his snow-white hair met her palm instead of the ground. She gently helped him sit upright before sighing. "Satoru, you really need to be more careful. How many times have I told you not to stand on furniture while imitating heroes? If you're going to do it, do it on the floor. Much safer."

Satoru rubbed the back of his head. Even with most of the impact cushioned, it still stung a little. He looked up at her and quickly apologized. "Sorry, Mom. I just got really excited…" he said sheepishly.

She held his gaze for a moment before standing. "Just be careful next time. What if I hadn't been here? You could've gotten seriously hurt."

His shoulders slumped as he looked down. Then he felt her hand rest gently on his head.

"I'm not mad at you, Satoru. I'm just worried," she said softly. "If you promise me you won't do it again, I'll forget it ever happened. How does that sound?"

He looked up, meeting her smile. Her white hair framed her face, her blue eyes filled with warmth as they gazed into his earnest brown ones.

"I promise!" he said, his usual bright grin returning.

"Good. Now go to the bathroom. Your bath is ready. I'll be there in a minute."

He nodded enthusiastically and hurried off.

Yukina watched his back disappear down the hall, her smile fading the moment he was out of sight. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her vision blurring. She brought a hand to her nose, wiping away the blood that trickled down from it.

Yukina's quirk, True Sight, allowed her to perceive spatial and situational details beyond normal human limits. She instinctively sensed trajectories, distances, and motion before they happened.

That was how she had known exactly where Satoru's head would land.

The downside, however, was severe. Her body had never developed the proper biological limiters for her quirk, leaving it permanently active. While she had learned to dull the constant stream of information over time, sudden danger caused her senses to overload. Every movement sharpened, every sound intensified, every possible outcome crowded her mind at once. The strain left her dizzy, disoriented, and physically taxed.

"Mom, you coming?"

Satoru's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She wiped away the remaining blood and straightened.

"Coming!" she replied, forcing strength back into her voice as she brushed off the lingering dizziness.

She entered the bathroom to find Satoru already in the tub, his head partially submerged as he stared intently at a floating rubber duck.

And in that quiet, ordinary moment, Yukina decided it was worth every ounce of pain just to be there for him.

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{ This was more or less my attempt at writing something somewhat original-well, as original as you can get with fanfics. I'll see how this is received and continue onwards from there.

Also while I can speak it and write relatively well, English isnt my first language. I still mess up proper punctuation and some word spellings so please point out any mistakes you run into.}

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