Classes were cancelled the next day for the students, so Kurmara decided to try and design a few outfits in her sketchbook. Even while she sketched, the events from the other day still lingered in her mind which made her sigh. I haven't drawn a new outfit in a while... I just want to focus on this. She thought as she set her pencil down and stared out her window for a while until she suddenly had an idea and smiled as she stood up, quickly rushed out of her room and into the living room where her brother was. "Eun, Eun!!" She was bouncing a little as she stood next to her brother who looked at her. "Woah, woah, what's up with you?" He queried with a chuckle. "I want you to take me to a fabric shop really quickly, please." She said and he raised a brow. "What? A fabric shop? What for?" "I want some fabric!" She had the biggest smile on her face as she bounced like a little kid. "But I don't know what you need fabric for." "Oh just take her, Eun. Besides, I would've thought you knew why she needed it." Da-eun spoke up and he looked at his aunt with a confused look before recognition flashed across his face.
"Oh! You mean for your- well, then let's go!" He said as he grabbed the keys and the two of them put their shoes on before heading out of the house. "We'll be back later, auntie!" Kurmara called out to her aunt who waved them off. "Sorry, I forgot that you designed clothes, sis." Eun apologized and she giggled. "It's alright. I was sketching a new outfit and thought about how I could actually make a few of them." "Well, I have a friend who owns a shop with their family we could go to. I've helped the family a few times when we were in middle school and I think we might get a discount." He winked at his sister who had an excited look on her face as he drove away from the house and into the city.
* * *
Once they got to the shop, the Hayashi siblings walked inside and the fourteen-year-old gave a small gasp as she saw the many different fabrics. "I.. I... Woah." Eun laughed at his sister being at a loss for words. "Cool, right? You can choose whichever you need and how much. But before that, we need to-" "Well I'll be damned! Is that you, Eun Hayashi?" A voice asked behind them and they turned to see an older man walking towards them. "Mr. Okazaki, it's good to see you again." The man pulled her brother into a hug as he let out a low laugh. "It's been a while, how have you been? I see you have grown to look just like your father." "Yeah, it's been a while, and thank you. You know, you're not the first to tell me that." Eun laughed before pulling Kurmara over to them. "You remember my little sister, right?" "Ah, how could I forget that hair? She's like a mix of your mother and father. How have you been, kiddo?" The older man asked her. "Ah.. uh, I've been.. good.." She managed to respond which made him bark with laughter. "Still as shy as ever, I see. What brings the two Hayashi's to my store?" He questioned.
"Well, we are here to get some fabric for her." Eun voiced. "The youngest needs some fabric? What for, if you don't mind me asking." "Well... I design clothes and I... I would like some fabric so I could make them..." Kurmara said and he nodded. "Well, you can take a look and choose anything you'd like. Just let me know when you have everything and I'll take care of the rest, yeah?" She nodded before leaving her brother and Mr. Okazaki. "She's growing to look like her mother." The older man voiced as he walked over to the front counter and Eun nodded. "How has she been doing? I hear that she's gotten into that hero school up there." "Ah, well, she's actually doing pretty good. Classes were cancelled today so," "Yes, yes, I've heard about what happened from my son. I hope those heroes and police get those bastards. Who the hell do they think they are trying to ruin students' dreams of becoming heroes?" Eun chuckled as he looked over to where his sister was. "That's the same thing our aunt said." "How is she, by the way? I hear she got injured on the job." While her brother talked with the man, Kurmara looked through the many different fabrics.
Some caught her eye more than others and she got attracted towards some for the type they were. "So much.." she muttered to herself as she touched some Silk and Chiffon. A few of my designs need chiffon.. the teen thought as she carefully looked through a few different patterns and colours. I also need tulle. And cotton.. and some others... "Do you need help finding anything?" A voice asked next to her which made her jump and look at her right to see someone her brother's age. "Oh, I didn't mean to startle you," they chuckled. "You just seemed like you were looking for something specific." "Well, I'm looking for a few different textiles but I'm not sure if it's here..." Kurmara voiced. "Well, I can show you if you tell me what you need particularly." They suggested and she nodded, telling them a few of the things she was looking for before stopping as she named off more than she actually needed and they let out a chuckle. "Well, it's safe to say that we have all of that. Here, follow me, I know where some tulle is." Kurmara followed them to an aisle that had different fabrics and colours which made her eyes go wide.
"There's so much.." "Of course there is. You never know what someone needs specifically, so it's best to have every type and any colour with any pattern." They voiced with a small smile. "Would you mind.. helping me get some?" The teen asked and they nodded. "Wouldn't be a problem, just tell me how much you need." "Uh well.. I actually need a lot..." She voiced with a shy smile. "How much is a lot, exactly? Someone once needed 'a lot' as well, but it was smaller than expected. To me, a lot is a huge quantity." "Uhm.. enough to make many, many different outfits..." She said and they nodded. "Enough for a hundred outfits?" "Yes." "I know just how much to get, then." While they helped Kurmara get the fabrics she needed, Eun was still talking to the shop owner. Kurmara and the helper walked over to the counter with their arms full of different textiles. "Woah, now that is a lot of fabric." Her brother said with a chuckle and she nodded vigorously. "Alright, well let's get this paid for." As she stared at the fabric she chose with a smile, the person who helped her looked at her with a concentrated look.
"There you go, I hope you come back once you've made a few outfits. I would like to see you show off what you've done with our fabric." Mr. Okazaki voiced and Kurmara thanked him before turning to the person who helped her. "Thank yo-" She got cut off by them lifting her bangs suddenly and she saw their face clearly. "Uhm.." "Good to see you again, Kurmara." He voiced with a smile and her face warmed up as she managed to nod before turning away from him. "I almost didn't recognize her with the piercing and bangs covering her face." "Really?" Eun questioned him. "Yeah. But once I saw that cute freckled face with the blue and gold eyes, I recognized her instantly." The teen looked back at him. "Well, hopefully, she'll show her face again." Her brother laughed before the two of them began to leave. "We hope to see you soon, Kurmara." She nodded and waved at the two before she put her fabric in the backseat hitherto getting in the car with a sigh. As her brother drove them back to the house, he glanced at her before smiling. "I was surprised to see him there, Mr. Okazaki said that he wouldn't be at the shop today," he voiced but she covered her face which made him give a silent laugh.
"Hey, why is your face red?" He questioned. "Because I remember who he is." She voiced. "Really? You remember him even though you were really young-" "Eun, I was six." Kurmara huffed, shaking her head and he laughed which made her look over at him. "Why are you laughing?" "I just find it funny because you used to like him when you were younger." Eun chuckled and her ears burned. "Shut up.." She covered her face again which made him laugh. "What? Don't tell me you still like him?" "Eun, stop! He's an adult!" She was embarrassed and her brother knew it. "I know, I know. I'm just teasing you." "I hate you..." "Well, you can hate me, but I'll never stop doing it."
~ ~ ~
Once they were home and found a place in her room for the fabric, Kurmara pulled out a few of her sketchbooks, older ones as well before she had taken the sewing kit into her room. She flipped through a few pages to find which one she wanted to try to make first. She found a design and began to go through her fabric before she traced out the pieces and put them on the mannequin. Once she got the shirt sewn, she began to add one of the thinner pieces to the sleeves as she occasionally looked back and forth at her sketchbook, making sure she was putting it together with the way she had drawn it. Even if it wasn't exactly how it looked on paper, she wanted to make sure it at least looked similar. Once she finished, she held it up to her and looked in the mirror. Kurmara took the shirt she was wearing off before sliding the one she made over her head, staring at herself for a long while, turning to see how well it fit. She pulled her long hair back and moved her bangs to get a better look. A smile spread across her face as she was satisfied with how it looked and how well it turned out. There was a sudden knock on her door and she voiced for them to come in, her brother opening the door.
"Hey- oh woah, that looks really good. That's from one of your sketchbooks, right?" Eun asked once he saw the shirt she had made and she nodded. "It looks good. I can't wait to see what else you bring out of that sketchbook." "Me too. I'd love to show the outfits off. Did you need something?" The teen asked and he nodded. "Yeah. Classes will be back up tomorrow." He told her and she faced him. "Really?" "Yes. I feel like they should at least wait another day.." He muttered the last part to himself, unaware that his sister walked over to him. "Great! I can't wait to get back so I need you to get out so I can get ready for bed." She said but he didn't budge. "But what about this fabric mess?" "Don't worry about it, I'll clean it up and still have plenty of time to get to bed." She voiced, still trying to push him out. "I'll just watch you clean it up to make sure you do it." Eun smiled down at his sister who huffed. "I'll forcefully remove you if you don't exit, bro." "I'd like to see you try." He tested and Kurmara sighed. "Alright," she then picked her brother up and walked out of her room hitherto setting him on the floor, using her Quirk to push him down the hallway.
She quickly closed and locked her door before she began to change into her nightclothes, picking up leftover pieces of fabric and setting them in her closet. Once her things were put away, Kurmara opened her door. "Interesting that you used both your Quirks on me," Eun voiced, making her walk back over to her door and peek at her brother. "Don't worry, she's asleep already so she can't hear me." He confirmed and she nodded. "Well, you wouldn't leave my room, so I didn't have any other choice." She chuckled and he lifted two fingers to move her bangs. "Be careful. I get she's our aunt, but we can tell her about that later." "Don't worry, I haven't had a reason to use my other one.." "And let's keep it that way, please." Eun voiced with slight concern and Kurmara nodded, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. "It's fine. I've been careful so far and I'll continue with it. Now, I need to get to bed." She smiled and he let out a small sigh before pulling her into a hug. "Continue to keep your emotions in check until you learn how to use it without getting angry, okay?"
"I promise, Eun. I'll continue to do what I've been doing so you don't have to worry about me." She looked up at him with a smile and he patted her head before walking into the living room, Kurmara turning her light off and walking to her bed. She got under her blankets and looked at the shirt she put back on the mannequin, letting out a content sigh before she drifted off to sleep.
~ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | ~
It was a warm day and Eun was outside playing with his friend, his little sister drawing nearby as they played. "Okay! So I'm the hero and your the villain." The eleven-year-old said to his friend who was sitting next to Kurmara. "Kaito, what are you doing?" He asked as he walked over to where the other two were. "I'm watching your sister draw. She's really good even though she's six. My brother can't draw very well, but he can read books older kids read." The brown-haired boy said and Eun looked at her paper. "My Dad says that she gets it from our aunt." "Isn't your aunt a hero?" Kaito asked and the blonde boy nodded. "Yeah, and she's the best just like my Dad!" "My Mom is a hero, do you think they all work together?" The boy asked as he stood up. "Maybe, I would have to ask my Dad when he gets home. Let's pretend to be heroes though." Eun suggested and his friend nodded. "Before we begin, do you know what love letters are?" Kurmara finished her drawing and looked towards the boys. "Isn't it where you tell someone you love them?" Eun asked. "I think so. I mean, it has love in it."
The six-year-old picked up her paper and walked towards the house, seeing her mother in the dining room. "Mama, what is a love letter?" Kurmara asked her when she walked inside the house to show her drawing. "A love letter?" She echoed and the six-year-old nodded. "I heard big brother talk about it." "Well, a love letter is something someone gives to a person they like. If they can't say that they like them, they write it down on paper and put it where they know that person they like will see." Her mother explained and Kurmara looked back at her brother and his friend. "Okay." She then went into her room and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen before she began writing. Once she was done, she folded it in half and walked out of her room to the backyard to where her brother and his friend were sitting. "Uhm.. hi, Kaito.." the girl said shyly and the boys looked at her. "Hi, Kurmara." He greeted her and she hesitated for a moment before holding out the letter. "What is that?" He asked. "It's.. it's a love letter... from me." She said and he reached for it. "Kurmara, you can't do that!" Her brother exclaimed, jumping to his feet and over to her, making her pull the letter back.
"W.. why not?" She asked, looking up at him. "Because you can't have a boyfriend until you're an adult!" "Says who?" "Says me!" He then took the letter and put it in his pocket. "Give it back, Eun! That's not for you!" She said as she tried to get it out of his pocket but he used his Quirk to push her away from him. "I don't care, you can't have a boyfriend." "You don't make the rules!" She stomped her foot. "Yes, I do! Dad said that I could and that means I can stop you from getting a boyfriend." Eun said and she tried to get it again but he used his Quirk again, making her whine. "I'm telling Mama you took my love letter!" Kurmara threatened and he took the letter out of his pocket, crumpling it. She gasped before she began to cry, running into the house. "Mamaaa!" She called out and Eun huffed. "You're going to get into trouble," Kaito said, but he didn't say anything else. "...you should let me have it." The blonde boy looked back at his friend who shrugged. "I wouldn't crumple it like you did, that was mean." "You're right, but she can't have a boyfriend. Especially not like you because you're my friend."
Before his friend could say anything, his Mom showed up. "Eun Kai, could you come inside and tell your friend to go home?" She called out calmly which made a shudder go through his body and Kaito began to run home. "I'll see you at school, Eun!" He called out, leaving the eleven-year-old. He slowly walked up to the back door where his mother stood, her arms crossed. She then pointed towards the living room without saying a word and he quickly walked to the couch, sitting down and he saw Kurmara sitting in front of him on the loveseat, sniffling. "Now, Eun, would you care to explain why you made your little sister cry?" She asked once she sat down in front of him and he looked down. "She said that you took something and crumpled it, is that true?" She asked and he looked up to meet his mother's blue eyes. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the crushed letter before he set it on the coffee table. "What is that?" "A love letter Kurmara made.." he told her. "A love letter? Is that why you asked me what it was?" She asked her daughter who nodded. "It was for.. Kaito..." She sniffled and her mom let out a small laugh before looking back at Eun, motioning for him to sit next to her.
"Kurmara, you can't make things like that if you don't know what they are, okay?" "Okay mama.." "And Eun, you can't go ruining things your sister made even if it was a love letter to your friend." She voiced and he looked up at her. "But she can't have a boyfriend until she's older like you and Dad!" He exclaimed and she laughed. "Honey, you need to understand that one day, she will start dating even before she gets to being an adult. You can't stop that from happening." "Yes, I can! No one can have my sister but us." He puffed his cheeks out. "Well-" "But Eun, you guys already have me." Kurmara voiced, interrupting her mother. "I know, but we are keeping you. No one is allowed to take you from us. If they try, they'll have to fight with me." Their mom laughed at the two of them before hugging both of them. "And here I was worried you two would be fighting all the time but you adore each other." She said and they laughed. "Eun, I want you to promise me that you'll stop acting like that with your sister." She said to the little blonde boy. "I promise. I'll stop being rude to her and instead... I'll protect her! I'll act as her hero!" He voiced and Kurmara bounced on the couch.
"So you'll be a hero like auntie and Dad??" She asked and he nodded. "Yes! I will be your third hero." "But what if I want to be your hero?" "Then you can! But just know that I won't need to be saved." Eun smiled. "Too bad, I'll always save you when you need it." "But I'm your brother, I'm supposed to be the one saving you." "You both can be each other's heroes." Their mother broke into their conversation and the siblings gasped. "Yes! We can help and save each other!"Kurmara raised her hands, one of her Quirks flinging water onto the three of them. "She can be just like Dad and Da-eun," Eun said which made his sister squeal. "Yes, she would make a great hero."