By the time I got the call, I'd already made up my mind. Even so, I couldn't let my guard down once the business started. I had to plan everything and make sure I didn't leave myself exposed. Not again.
I started organizing everything I could during the night: making a record, for now on paper, to avoid leaving a digital trail; thinking of ways to avoid being exposed in any way; and even considering options for making deliveries without being seen or tracked. I put aside, for the moment, the potential expenses, although I made a mental note to review them later. First, I had to see what I had before deciding what to do next.
In doing so, I realized the amount of information I had, and that in the long run it wouldn't benefit me to have it all on paper or at hand as I usually do, because one way or another I would have to digitize it.
—I have a lot of work to do—I said to myself, looking at the pile of papers, notebooks, pens, and other things scattered on my bedroom floor—. This is going to be a long night.
And so it was. I stayed up all night, so I woke up rather late. Even so, it was early enough to do some shopping that might come in handy later.
I got ready wearing jeans and a t-shirt with the word "t-shirt" printed on it, which I wore under a dark, loose-fitting sweatshirt. I also made sure to bring enough cash, which I had thanks to selling my merchandise—something I was grateful I'd done at that moment.
All ready, I took the first train to Kyoto, which would put me some distance from home and make it a bit harder to find my way around. The train ride, though not particularly long, felt endless.
When I arrived at the bus stop, I immediately got off and headed to the nearest convenience store that would sell me a prepaid phone. I paid for it in cash, along with the credit needed to activate it. Then I went to an internet café, keeping my hoodie hood up the whole time. There, I bought the cheapest item on the menu so I could use a computer and create a new email account. I started making changes to it and deleting the old ones.
When I finished my sandwich, my session at that cafe also ended, so I left.I repeated that action in at least four other internet cafes in the area until I finally found the user who best matched what I am and what I was about to do.
Nobody's secret.
Can I even be a secret if I'm nobody?
With the mail ready, I left the café and wandered the streets looking for costume shops, stationery stores, internet cafes, electronics stores, and other places that might be useful. There were several interesting places, and I even went into a few to calculate a rough budget of what I could and couldn't spend at that point.
During that reconnaissance walk, something caught my eye: two shops that, in a way, seemed to complement each other aesthetically. One was a computer store, and the other looked like some kind of workshop for buying, selling, and repairing electronics and support equipment. Between the two entrances, right in the middle, was a sign advertising classes in computing, programming, mechatronics, and robotics.
It was something that could be useful to me. So I examined the sign and the place more closely. It looked decent and was in a good area, although I couldn't help but notice that at least two or three buildings around it were empty.
But just as I was about to ask more about it, a loud explosion was heard inside and above the premises, something that brought back very bad memories.
"MEEEIII!" A loud shout, almost comparable to Aunt Mitsuki's, echoed inside the computer store. Before I could react, a tall woman in jeans and a leather jacket, with black-framed glasses and long bubblegum-pink hair tied in a high ponytail, appeared on the ceiling, yelling upwards, "How many times have I told you to be more careful with your inventions!"
"Sorry, Mom!" a female voice replied from the rooftop.
"But you can't stop progress!" the mother retorted.
"That girl…" the woman murmured before fixing her gaze on me, her expression shifting to a more neutral one. "Oh, hello, sorry for making you see and hear that.
My daughter is rather explosive when it comes to her 'babies.'"
"Babies?" I thought, as she turned to look at the poster she was staring at. "Are you interested in taking classes? If you'd like, you can come to my office and we can talk about it."She invited me into the shop, and although I hesitated for a moment, I couldn't waste any more time; so I followed her to her store.
Once in his office, which was full of complete and incomplete computers, heinvited me to sit at a round metal table located in a corner.
"Excuse the mess, there's always a lot to do with each order. But tell me, what are you interested in learning?" he asked.
— Maybe a little bit of everything. The truth is, I want to start something, and I feel like those skills could help me.
"Interesting... You're not being specific. Don't tell me you're planning something illegal," he said seriously.
Her cold, calculating gaze made me feel a little uncomfortable; her violet eyes blinked several times, and for a moment I wondered how to get out of there. Then, she let out a loud laugh:
— HA, HA, HA, HA! I was just kidding, kid, don't take it so seriously. But since you're undecided, we could offer you a complete program, several hours a week if you want to learn quickly.
Several hours… that could take time away from other things, but if I don't prepare enough, this could end badly.
"I understand. But I'd like to be as prepared as possible, so I'm willing to take all the necessary classes. I just need to adjust my schedule to accommodate them," I said.
Suddenly I remembered that the price wasn't listed on the sign. "Excuse me, how does the pricing work? I'm on a tight budget right now, and considering I'd be taking four classes, if I can't afford it, it's best to stop and not waste any more of your time."
"Okay, wow, you're quite demanding and meticulous, but also considerate. Let's see"—she got up to grab some papers from another table and returned—"First of all, we don't charge much, since this is extra income that doesn't affect us. And the fact that you're taking all four courses in a single program—which isn't very common for someone to request and do—gives you a special price, since they're intertwined with other classes. Also, since I know you're a student, I'll give you a discount."
"If you come at least three times a week, and the classes are charged monthly, you'll be able to get the most out of it at a good price," she said while doingShe did the calculations on her phone's calculator, then wrote the result down on one of the pieces of paper and showed it to me. "What do you think?"
When I saw the sheet, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: the price was incredibly low. On one side were the individual prices for each course, proving they weren't exaggerating how affordable they were, as well as the package prices. It was truly a great deal I couldn't refuse.
—I just wanted to ask you— she said, careful not to seem intrusive—. Do you happen to have a Quirk that helps or supports you technologically?
Her question was specific, and she didn't need to lie or give more details.
— No… I don't have it —I replied, without adding any further explanation.
"Oh"—her pause seemed disheartened, but she suddenly resumed her jovial and lively voice before clapping enthusiastically—"Well, no problem. That means your determination will be even greater, since you don't have that advantage and you won't rely on your Quirk to get things done."
—Huh? —His answer took me by surprise.
"Oh, kid, you seem so used to quirks defining people. Remember this," she said, pointing first to her eyes, then to me. "Quirks are just tools, and how each person uses them is up to them. Even my husband, who manages the support teams at the other store, knows that. Come on, even my daughter knows it; that's why she wants to take the support course at UA and start her own company."
— Wow, that's amazing. I hope she's very successful; getting into UA isn't easy.
And just as I say that, another explosion is heard from the roof. I see the woman, who doesn't seem fazed, before she takes a breath and screams:
— MEI!
— SORRY, MOM! — the voice from upstairs replies.
—That girl… excuse me again. When she's with her "babies" she gets excited, and that excitement translates into outbursts. But at least they're mostly under control; about 75% are intentional, so don't worry.
— Okay?
That number wasn't very reassuring, but the confidence with which he mentioned it made it seem as if he knew his daughter very well.
— Well, it seems we're finished, we just need to define the days and times."That sounds good," I say, thinking about the best days considering Aunt Mitsuki's visiting hours. "I'm free Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after school, and I can come longer on Saturdays. You said I should come at least three days, but if I can stay longer on Saturdays, that could be four days. What do you say?"
"You're a clever boy, and determined to learn; I like you," she replies. "Okay, with that out of the way, now all that's left is the general paperwork."
She brings the sheets closer and places them in front of me to fill them out.
— For now, I'll leave you at the beginner level. Also, I'll need your name and phone number for registration. Oh, I almost forgot! How old are you?
— Oh, yes, I'm Midoriya Izuku. I'm 14 years old, ma'am…
"Murasakime Hatsume!" she exclaims, suddenly remembering. "Damn it, I forgot the introductions. Oh well, let's continue!"
From there, we filled out everything we needed. She completed forms and I filled out mine; I only had doubts about the section for the guardian in case of emergency, but in the end I gave her an old number that Mom still had.
With all that out of the way, I say goodbye to Mrs. Hatsume, followed by an explosion and the screams of mother and daughter echoing from the ceiling.
With that done, I continued walking through the streets, checking and analyzing everything. I even marked some places on a tourist map of the city. Just before sunset, I went into a nearby pharmacy and bought a pack of latex gloves and a pack of face masks, like a basic first-aid kit. Then I went to a costume shop to buy a pair of contact lenses and a red wig.
With the purchases made and my course registration completed, I'm getting closer to my goal. When I get home, I put away and organize everything I've bought during the day, making a final preparation before going to bed.
Even so, I couldn't fully rest; I spent the entire night generating more analyses and contingency plans in case something went wrong. I even finished all the homework
I hadn't done on Friday.
I'm surprised when the next day's sunlight appears through my window. I check the time on my phone: 6:23 am. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that I did this, considering that the sunlight lasts longer, making the night feel shorter."Maybe I should try to take a break," I say to myself, even though it's already daylight. "In the end, this project will be complex... but I must continue."
Could you give me some power stones? :)
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