After Hatsume's shocking exclamation, I froze, completely unsure of how to respond. Thankfully, she indirectly clarified what she meant:
"Oh, your guy seems pretty roughed up, but don't worry! Baby Number 6 is perfect for these kinds of things. I made it after I accidentally blew up my school's science lab when I snuck in after everyone left. I got some burns, and I didn't want to wait around using regular burn cream, so I made this!" She handed me a small medical box. Inside, I found a spray bottle and some cloth.
"You just spray it on the affected area and wrap it up tightly so it doesn't evaporate."
I followed her instructions. The puppets might not feel much, but that doesn't mean I'll toss them aside if they get damaged.
Afterward, we started chatting about our interests and quirks. She was ecstatic when I told her I could have my own specialized team of puppets, some even more skilled than me in certain areas. To show her, I summoned one of my Utility puppets and sent back the injured Combat one for repair. When I mentioned the almost limitless storage space within my quirk, I could feel the envy radiating off of her.
"This is so stupid! How is that even a quirk? Do you know how many physical laws that breaks?! Oh, what I would give to have your quirk! Don't get me wrong, I love mine—it's perfect for me—but still, yours is on a whole other level."
Her cute little tirade—wait, what am I thinking?!—was amusing. Afterward, we went to get ice cream while we waited for her parents. We talked about our dreams. Turns out, she wanted to become a support technician and attend UA so she could start her own company after getting her support gear license. This gave me an idea.
"Wait, I have an idea! I plan on becoming a hero, so I'll also apply to UA. What if we teamed up and helped each other? My quirk needs me to know a lot about different subjects, and my puppets could assist you in all kinds of fields. They follow orders without question and would be perfect for helping you with your tech. You could help me with my hero gear, too, so I wouldn't have to rely on some big company ripping me off with second-rate stuff. If you're already making stuff as useful as that burn medicine, I can only imagine what you'll come up with in the future. If it all works out, we could even start a company together after graduation!"
When I looked at her, she was silent for a moment, but her eyes practically sparkled with excitement.
"That's the best idea I've ever heard! You're the perfect partner for me!" She quickly blushed after realizing the implication of her words. "But not in a weird way!" she added hastily.
But it was too late. I didn't stop teasing her until her parents arrived, glad that I could make her forget the traumatic event for at least a little while. When her parents finally showed up, they ran to hug her. Her mom was visibly crying, and her father, while trying to remain strong, had hands that shook from the relief. Seeing her parents' overwhelming emotions, Hatsume finally broke down herself, crying uncontrollably. I stood awkwardly to the side, trying to give them space while not knowing what to do.
When the emotional moment passed, she turned to me with eyes full of gratitude. Without warning, she rushed toward me and hugged me with all her strength, softly whispering "thank you" over and over in my ear. Instinctively, I hugged her back. It was awkward, especially with her parents watching us, but I couldn't bring myself to push her away. Her parents looked at me with thankful eyes, though I noticed her dad's eye twitch and his hand clench slightly.
We stayed in the hug for a couple more minutes until she finally calmed down. To lighten the mood, I tried to comfort her by saying, "Hey, my partner needs to be strong to keep up with me."
She saw right through me but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Okay, but you better not back out of our deal. I have high expectations of you."
"Deal," I said, smiling. "And call me Jack. I'm not a fan of being too formal."
"Great! Just call me Mei then."
With that, our first meeting came to an end. We promised to meet again next week during winter break. I gave her my number so we could text and finalize the details. After one last hug, we said goodbye and went our separate ways.
As I walked home, I couldn't shake a troubling thought. This city is one of the most heavily patrolled one in all of Japan because of UA's presence. The fact that those guys managed to kidnap someone without interference wasn't just an unfortunate accident—it felt deliberate. They were genuinely caught off guard by my attack, like they weren't expecting anyone to intervene. That's almost impossible in a city like this. Someone is likely helping them from the inside, be it corrupt police officers, heroes, or something even bigger. It's probably part of a larger organization, and whoever is involved must have enough influence to keep things quiet.
I could only hope they wouldn't come after me or Mei. The thought filled me with a deep-seated anger, like I needed to remember something to prevent a future tragedy. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't grasp it. I eventually calmed myself and continued heading home.