A memory was set as a smaller Kenshi was stood in front of a dinner table; A young woman who looked like she had Kenshi's hair and his eyes was currently both sat with him and his father while another "Her" was currently making lunch thanks to her Quirk.
"Aldera Junior High? Why couldn't I just go ta Dathomi's Middle School or at least to Musutafu?" A younger Kenshi asked his parents when they handed him a flyer, he had just turned
"Because, Dathomi Middle ain't exactly the best around and I ain't made of THAT much money to send you to private schools! I wanna at least make sure that y'can handle yourself in the city once you get older…" His dad added along with her, he was a tall man with black hair and white tips due to his Quirk as he looked to the smaller child.
"You need to listen to your Dad, Kenny." Tae Yoshiyasu added along with his father as both of them turned to face him. "Aldera Middle School's a lot better plus you can make more friends out there…Trust me when I say that connections mean everythin' nowadays."
"But…But all my friends from elementary school…What about them?" Kenshi whined as he looked up at the taller man; "And Big Bro Dai…If I go into the city then I won't be able to see hi-"
"He dropped outta High School and ended up thrown in prison! We're payin' good money to make sure that YOU are at least the responsible one and can make some'n of yourself!" His mom snapped at him and gestured her whisk at him like it was a weapon.
It was three years ago when Kenshi was first dropped off at Aldera Junior High, Three years when he first realised how much of a stigma being Quirkless was…And more impactful for him, when he first met Bakugo and Izuku.
"Alright, Class…Today we will be introducing a student who's transferred here from out of Honshu…Meet Kenshi Yoshiyasu." His new teacher announced with a lot of his new student's chagrin when he saw that the others gave him a questioning look.
"Out from the country? Man, he looks out of place even in a school uniform…"
"He looks kinda dumpy…"
Stifling down his indignation at being called those kinds of things, Kenshi instead opted to be polite. "It's…Very nice to meet you all, I hope we can get along." He said with the most courteousness in his voice and earned a few raised eyebrows.
"Well…He's polite at least…"
"I'd have thought a country boy like him'd lay it on thick…"
The teacher then leaned over and whispered to Kenshi; "We haven't got a desk made up for you yet so go take a seat next to Midoriya…" He suggested quietly; "He'll help show you around the school since you two are both Quirkless."
While the teacher ushered Kenshi to his seat; Someone else seemed to notice what the teacher was saying, Katsuki Bakugo couldn't care less about this new "extra" that had taken up an old seat but his face grew a small sneer when he saw the Teacher mouthing the word "Quirkless" to Kenshi as he passed.
Kenshi on the other hand could feel people's stares boring into him as he grabbed a chair and then sat at one of the desks next to Izuku Midoriya. "Well…So much for first impressions." He thought to himself and placed his bag under the desk.
"It's okay…Staring happens a lot around here…You'll get used to it." Izuku whispered to him as he handed Kenshi a spare book. "So, have you been in the city much?" He asked curiously, seeing as this kid wasn't jumping on the "Laugh at Midoriya or ignore him" train.
"Nah, I-uh…Spent most of my time helping on a farm, my dad's the only one who's been out and about…States, other parts of Japan, he's letting me stay at his place in the city since he's not using it." Kenshi explained; "He said it'd help me with city life better if I stayed in it."
"So you have an apartment…Must be a real upgrade to sleeping in a barn with the other animals." Bakugo interrupted as he decided to approach them.
"You know what, it is…I get more space in my own room and I can think without noise." Kenshi said with a slightly positive tone since he was still trying to be nice, however because it was Bakugo trying to needle him; That positivity only pissed him off.
"This is Kacchan…Oh uh, you'll probably get to know him as Bakugo…I call him that because we grew up together since we were kids." Izuku mentioned to match the positive tone.
"Yeah, you hanging around me certainly made things fun growing up, Deku." Bakugo chimed in with a thinly veiled backhand at a comment. "One thing that you're gonna learn around here is that Deku is one of the biggest losers in the school…Even the extras here that have weak-ass Quirks have the better sense to ignore him."
"Hey, come on….Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on him?" Kenshi pushed back as this attitude was bugging him. "He's your friend, ain't he?"
"A Quirkless weenie like that?" Bakugo let loose a hollow, mocking bark of laughter as Izuku lowered his head a little; "As if! The only thing he's actually good for is a measuring stick…Anyone who has the common sense to use a Quirk wouldn't be seen walking dead with that green-haired wimp." He taunted as other kids decided to pile in and laugh too since if Bakugo was taunting Izuku; That meant they were free to laugh, insult him or otherwise just belittle him.
"Well, I'm gonna be hangin' around him so you better leave him alone and pick on someone who CAN fight back!" Kenshi let his accent slip as he got more annoyed.
"Kenshi, don't! Kacchan's got one of the strongest Quirks in the school…Starting a fight with him could be bad!" Izuku whispered, knowing that plenty of kids who tried standing up to Bakugo had often ended up either blasted in the face or they got "Got in Line".
"So? He's a bully! If he's that eager to bully someone he sees that so beneath him, either he's too much of a coward to pick on someone else or this angry pomeranian has THAT fragile of an ego that someone like you or me even sneezing could damage him." Kenshi pointed out with the honesty that someone with very little to prove could have.
Plenty of the students were shocked that someone actually talked back at Bakugo like this though some were equally trying not to laugh when they made the comparison.
"Oh, the country bumpkin's got jokes and a backbone!" Bakugo growled as he used his Quirk to superficially blast the top of Kenshi's desk; "You keep talking big like that… you and me are gonna have problems…" He warned as he leaned in close to emphasise his point. "More specifically, I know that a Quirkless. Backwater. Shit for brains like you can NEVER hope to stand up to someone like me…So do yourself a favour, if you want to keep walking right or you wanna make friends here…Then apologise."
"Y'can make your threats all you want and I'll apologise if I do something bad…But I ain't gonna apologise for standin' up to an egotistical, Quirk-Overcompensatin' blowhard like you." Kenshi snapped back at him with his accent now thick with barely contained anger. "Now back off before I show you what a problem looks like because I don't need a Quirk t'give you a black eye!"
"Any time and place, you hilbilly cu-"
"Alright! Class is back in session so everyone take your seats."
Once the tension died down and everyone was now back to normal, Kenshi sighed as he half listened to the teacher that was starting the lecture.
——Back in Current Times——
"A Polymorph?"
"Yeah, I've managed to do some testing on him over the last few hours on a versatile Quirk Assessment Course and I can tell that his abilities aren't just limited to what Uncle Might has discovered." Melissa explained over the video com while she was typing in her findings about Kenshi's Quirk. "I've even done some asking about how he discovered it so I did some digging regarding a Chinese lucky charm he had before his Quirk emerged…Take a look." She said and then sent an image of her results.
On screen were 12 different icons of animals on them and each one had a tagline or a proverb alongside it; Some had details of his powers while some didn't.
Kenshi Yoshiyasu: Quirk Findings and Theories! By Melissa Shield.
Rooster - Telekinesis/Levitation, Powered by his focus, is able to currently lift up to three times his own body weight as shown. Attached was a video of Kenshi lifting a small car without touching it while another video showed him levitating off of the ground and flying around slowly for a brief moment.
Ox - Super strength, Capable of lifting several times his own size, however is permanently active and difficult to use without maintaining restraint or focus. Attached was a video of Kenshi lifting the same car like a dumbbell but with one hand.
Snake - Invisibility, Can remain unseen as well as anything they touch including clothing but can be undone through loss of stamina, Can be seen through external sources such as solids or liquids to expose them, can be detected through extrasensory equipment or Quirks and thermal vision. Attached were two sets of still images; One was of Kenshi disappearing from the camera's sight and reappearing again, the other was of Kenshi being photographed via thermal signatures.
Rabbit - Super Speed, Appears to be permanently active; As a result they will run into objects or people if not careful, subject to terrain and surfaces. One attachment showed the different speeds that Kenshi could reach on multiple terrains including Urban, Ice, Rocky and Forest.
Sheep - Currently Unknown, "Attack the dozing Sheep and fear the Ram's horns."
Dragon - Currently Unknown "Those who bellow with a Dragon's ferocity must temper the flames that ensue."
Rat - Currently Unknown "Where a bird sees stillness from above, a rat can see more from below."
Horse - Healing/Regeneration, Discovered in Assessment accident. Appears to be Reactive but must follow up in a safe and reinforced environment. "The Noble Horse expels all alien forces within and provides refreshment to the Soul."
Monkey - Currently Unknown "A creative man can be a sheep, a monkey or a lion yet still remain a man."
Dog - Currently Unknown "The Noble Dog is best friend to man; it restores youthful energy to its holder and grants time without end."
Pig - Currently Unknown "Those who see with a pig's eye may find what they see but not where they expect it."
Tiger - Currently Unknown "The Noble Tiger counts on the Forest, just as the Forest counts on the Tiger."
"Amazing…Just what was uncovered so far is unbelievable!" David mused out loud as he skimmed the notes; "But what about these Unknowns…Do you think that you can find out if you can unlock the others or at least what these other potential abilities are?"
Melissa hmm'd into the mic as she looked like she was still researching. "I'm gonna be honest, it might take me a while just to get in the right ballpark of what to expect. With what he told me about that bracelet, I'm gonna see if I can look into their backgrounds since I turned up some proverbs while looking and that MAY hint…But I can at least help to ensure that whatever powers that he has now can be mastered until this exam for UA." She promised and then hung up.
David leaned back as he took it all in; "A Boy with multiple abilities but one Quirk…I'll need to let Toshinori know so we don't worry him." He remarked to himself as he dialled up his partner's phone.
"Dave? Everything okay, I haven't heard from you since we dropped off Young Yoshiyasu for his assessment." All-Might asked over the phone.
"Oh, everything's fine, better than fine actually…But we are going to need to keep him here for a few months, we can have him brought back to Japan in time for that Entrance exam that you mentioned before." David explained before going into detail on what he and Melissa were able to figure out.
"I see…Well, it's good to hear that you've been able to figure out some of this…But I'd still like to go through some things with him and make sure he's ready." All-Might added before hanging up; In all honesty, he was thankful that David was able to help, however he still felt like he couldn't really call himself a teacher since he had essentially let David and Melissa take the reins for him. "I think I'll follow through when he gets back…And they've basically told me that he's making great progress so I don't doubt that he'll make a good choice."
The weeks slowly passed into months as Kenshi kept trying to increase his potential and was quickly able to push himself as far as he could to control both strength and speed adequately, though the issues regarding other abilities that Melissa theorised about was still stuck in mind. "Melissa, are you really sure that I can get more out of this? I don't even think I can come up with something for them."
Melissa thought on it and even she had to admit that her ideas were coming up short; The most she was able to do was figure out that the Tiger aspect was based on Spiritual Balance which in turn allowed Kenshi to mix powers with each other. "It does seem rather odd…We've tried all the physical stuff we can but maybe we just need to get creative…How about what drives you? You said you wanted to be a Pro-Hero now that your Quirk is out so maybe think on that?" She suggested as she made up a versatile room; It had plenty of space to work with like a pillar in the corner, a wall and even several dummies for hand to hand work.
"Well…Before my Quirk woke up; I had wanted to become police…I told my friend that much and he said that HE wanted to be a Pro-Hero…Even though he didn't really have a Quirk." Kenshi explained; "I don't blame him, I would've done everything I could to be a Pro but sometimes things aren't meant to go the way you want…"
"I kinda get how that feels…I was born Quirkless but my Dad still had one, he said to me that his Quirk was weird and doesn't do much…But that it helped him with doing what he wanted the most." Melissa added, a sad smile on her face as she talked to Kenshi over the intercom. "Which is why I'm gonna do what I can to help YOU figure out your Quirk…That way you can go back to your friend and show them that Quirks can help but DRIVE helps even more."
"Yeah…Too bad I can't really…talk to him about this…Even if I can find him…" Kenshi mumbled as he gripped his hand tighter.
"Did…Did something happen?"
"It was around the time that my Quirk awakened and we jumped in to help…Someone in trouble…It was there that All-Might found us and told me that I could be a Hero but he couldn't allow my friend to be one in all conscience…After that, he resented us…All-Might for shutting down his dream and me for...For thinking that I pitied him…"
"But that can't just be it…Surely you can try with talking to him again…Maybe explain that it's not what it's made out to be…That it's not always the end…"
"Not the end, huh?"
——Middle School, Lunchtime——
"This is where you've been eating all this time?" Izuku asked Kenshi as he finally found the lone boy sat outside near the koi pond with his boxed lunch. "I was wondering where you'd end up going now that Bakugo has a grudge against you."
"Trust me, it wasn't exactly fun after the whole fight…But I've had time at school to know when to avoid pickin' fights and when not to." Kenshi mentioned as he saw Izuku coming around to sit with him. "Besides…Unlike your "Childhood Buddy" back there, I don't run when it comes to sticking up for friends."
"Look Ken, I know that Kacchan can be a little…Abrasive, harsh and rude to people but he's actually nicer than you think." Izuku said to try and stick up for Bakugo, even though he didn't need to be.
"Izuku... With all the stuff that he said about you, how can you still call that guy a friend? Let alone a childhood one..." Kenshi asked, still surprised at the fact that someone who took so much pride in being a bully wanted to be a Pro-Hero, adding that fact that any time either of them were outside of class; Bakugo was always on Kenshi's case, maybe even moreso than with Izuku.
"When he needs help, I can help him…That's what friends do, just like what you did for me." Izuku said to reassure Kenshi that it was okay. "Besides I'll have your back just like you have mine."
"We can make that a promise…" Kenshi laughed a little as he started eating and Izuku did the same; "Though…I do wonder something…If someone's Quirkless, can you really consider them able to be a hero?"
Izuku paused as he thought on that; "Well…It depends on how you look at it, a lot of heroes do what they do because of money or brand deals…But that's why I want to try being a hero like All-Might."
"You too? He seems like a great guy…Especially with the videos I see about him." Kenshi agreed as he eyed the worn All-Might keychain that he kept for years.
"Yeah…Even if you don't have a Quirk, I think that everyone does have that chance…You just need that moment to be one and then you can use that moment to prove that Quirks aren't everything." Izuku mentioned. "What about you? Don't you think so?"
Kenshi nodded along; "Yeah…You've got the right idea…But for me…Hero work looks great but how CAN someone without a Quirk be a Hero to keep up with everything…That's kinda why I wanted to try joining the Police when I finish school, they have Quirkless people there and they still do a great job with helping."
"Then how about this…Forget the promise, we can make a pact; We both try to be Heroes in our own way…We help each other out and support each other no matter what it takes…Then once we get to the top…We can both be proud of who we become side by side."
——Back to current time——
"No…With the way things ended…I don't think there's really anything else I can say that I haven't done already…" Kenshi grumbled as he felt mad at himself.
"There's always a way to get through to someone…You just have to keep tr-"
"I tried! I've done everything I've could to uphold the promise we kept, even when we had our problems…He thought I pitied him when he was the only friend I had! He said that I was stopping him when I tried to redirect him…But that's not what hurt the most…" Kenshi got to his feet, his body was practically burning with anger and frustration. "It was that despite whatever problems we had…We'd work it out but he just left. me. ALONE!" He yelled out and thrust his palm outward to punch the wall, however the entire wall lit up crimson with energy and got vaporised by a sudden blast of fire. "W-What was…Did I just?"
"Yeah…I think we figured out one of your new powers!" Melissa yelled out cheerily as she looked to the Dragon's template and changed it accordingly; Dragon - Possible Combustion Manipulation/Fire Blasts "Those who bellow with a Dragon's ferocity must temper the flames that ensue…I knew that proverb would make sense!" She then saved it and turned on the intercom; "Okay! We got the trigger…Focus on what you felt a few seconds before blastoff and then see if we can do it again." She instructed and started recording while in a mumbling state as she theorised on more things regarding Kenshi's Quirk.
"I don't…Whoa…" He mumbled to himself as he lowered his smoking palm and then raised his other hand up towards the pillar, he closed his eyes and tried to focus on what he felt before; The bubbling smelting pot of anger and frustrations that he felt quickly gathered in his outstretched palm into a growing orb of orange fire. "This…This is awesome!" He said with a grin on his face and then tried to aim it; Noticing that the orb had grown smaller with his change in mood before he fired it off: Blasting a hole through the pillar rather than blowing it apart like before.
"Interesting…So it's a reactive power…It grew and practically blew away the whole wall when you were angry but when you got all giddy trying to do it again, it got smaller…Maybe it's influenced by emotion?" Melissa mumbled to herself and scribbled in her notebook. "We'll focus on trying to control how you fire it like you did with your strength, okay?"
Needless to say; Kenshi may have still felt guilty about what had happened, but knowing that what he was able to do now could be controlled; That meant that he had the prospect of coming into his own as a Hero. With that motivation alone, he wanted to see what else he could try and began listing off all of the heroes that he knew from both Japan and the States.
One such scenario had him trying to stare through a wall for any vision based abilities and he ended up burning a hole through it with just his eyes, he got so excited about it working that he nearly called the whole thing "Heat-Beam-Eye-Blast!" but Melissa pointed out that it was a lot like the Visionary Hero Gazerbeam's Quirk.
"It's incredible…Once he got his motivation back, he's been more capable than before! It's almost too good to look away from him." Melissa thought to herself but felt herself halt when she realised that line of thought, ever since they met; She had been more motivated to help HIM than any other Hero that came by but she had chalked that up to a hyperfixated curiosity for his Quirk. Though time and being around him more and more managed to disperse that theory as she found herself enjoying the mundane tests and hating it when it was over. "Hey, Kenshi…I got a question for you." She asked him as she decided to go ask him face to face for this.
"Yeah? Is everything okay?" Kenshi asked as he stood up, feeling the drain from the new powers getting revealed and the training overall.
"Yeah, just need some last minute measurements and I was wondering if…I…I, uh…." Melissa started off strong but with the more she had the thought in her mind and the words on the tip of her tongue, everything crashed like a computer. "Damn it all! I'm okay with talking normally but NOW is when I freeze! Come on, Shield! Get it together!" She mentally admonished herself and then adjusted her glasses; "Do you want to…Join me….For food outside the stalls on I-Island?" She finally spat it out.
"Uh yeah…Sure…Let me just get to the changing room first and get my normal clothes on then I can join you outside." Kenshi said as he headed for the changing rooms only to be grabbed on the back of the shirt by Melissa.
"Uh, hello…Physical first, then change." Melissa explained as she guided him t towards what looked like a doctor's room and drew the curtain behind them. "Now, sit on that medical bed and I'll have the robots conduct an examination on you." She stated and headed into another room. "This is just to ensure that your body is handling itself with the training."
Kenshi mumbled an "Okay." as he then pulled off his shirt and nearly jumped in surprise with a double take when he saw a completely different body in the mirror then when he came in with on I-Island. Farm life ensured two things for him; One was that if you wanted to eat then you work hard to earn it, the other was that when you have a mom who can multiply herself like rabbits then you are guaranteed a feast for you and your family. This balance was evened out through his childhood that he ended up looking fat but at the same time made that round stomach hard instead of squishy, it still made it hard to have his shirt off around others since they didn't care and laughed at him regardless.
Melissa on the other hand had a very physical reaction when she saw everything and gasped as her glasses reflected what she described internally as "More beef than a butcher's counter". For the exam; she had a full screen to see the progress that was made from when he came to the Island for assessing and up to now after months of training, the "Before" picture was him looking thicker and somewhat muscular while the "After" picture had him he looking far more slim and with more muscle built on him. She was determined to do her best as she scanned the camera over his body for any injuries or anything that resembled ill effects. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have extra reference~" She thought to herself with her heart racing as she quickly snapped a picture to keep to the side for…Off work reviews.
"So…How does it look?" Kenshi asked; As he had currently gotten out of his workout gear and was clad in a very plain pair of black shorts that came down to his thighs that looked more like swim gear. "Melissa? Hello?"
While Kenshi called out to her, Melissa was too enthralled/focused to take notice as she scanned every inch above and below the shorts line. "Amazing…This must be the result of that healing ability of his…There's not a blister, callus or even so much of a bruise on that sculpted…toned…hardworking body~" Melissa mumbled to herself as she began feeling the warmth of arousal tingle her body; Slowly bubbling from her stomach and flooding her body as she contemplated certain thoughts that she hadn't expected. "God, what I wouldn't give just to caress every inch of that body…Kiss him and feel those strong ha-NO! Down Melissa! Bad girl! Come on! Focus, FOCUS!" She slapped her cheeks to readjust her mindset away from her dirty thoughts and back to the professional examination. "Hm…That's odd…" She whispered but then tapped the button on the intercom; "Hey, Kenshi…You know that getting tattoos at that age is against the law, right?" She asked him as she snapped another picture.
"What do you mean? I haven't got tattoos! Mama would kill me if I did." Kenshi pointed out and tried to examine himself but saw the screen in front of him light up as she took a picture of his back.
Plastered on his back from shoulder to the small of his back, there was a tattoo that looked far too intricate than normal; At the very centre of his spine and just below his shoulder blades was a Yin-Yang symbol that had 12 stencilled animals in multiple colours on the outside, though it looked the Tiger and the Dragon were the only ones that were on the outside of the central symbol. "What the hell is that?! I don't remember getting this!" Kenshi said out loud when he saw the mark; "Though I do have to admit….It looks kinda badass…"
"I mean, it does suit you…But I think this might be connected with your Quirk…It doesn't hurt does it?" Melissa asked him curiously as she saw him poking and touching at the marks though it didn't seem like much affected it.
"Nope…Just feels like normal skin…Though if you don't mind me being honest; Whatever I've been doing or eating here's done some pretty good wonders…I'm surprised that I could lose this gut…Maybe I can actually take my shirt off in front of people now and not feel ashamed…" Kenshi said with a surprisingly optimistic tone.
"Are you kidding? With the way you've been training and how intensely, of course you're gonna end up with a strong body like that! You're gonna make guys and girls froth in multiple ways."
Kenshi had to blink for a quick moment. "What?" He asked in both confusion and in shock.
Melissa felt herself heat up in embarrassment as she realised what it was that she said and immediately tried to block out the panic. "N-Nothing! I was just saying that…That Super Strength aspect of your Quirk doesn't let you feel the strain so maybe that's why you bulked up. Just…Just get your clothes back on and we can call it a…call it a day…." She stammered while trying to keep herself calm after the intercom turned off.
"Sure…I can meet you outside once I showered up and we can take a tour around the stalls." Kenshi said amicably as the camera shut off and he headed out to the changing area.
Melissa was finally alone with her thoughts, she sighed in relief as the overstimulation was starting to get to her but there was a sudden realisation that she never thought would happen for someone like her as a Quirkless person or as a Technician; She finally had a date or so she kept trying to deny. "N-No, it's not a date…It's just being nice and showing Kenshi around the stalls for I-Expo, nothing fancy like that…Besides, someone like him probably already has a girlfriend…Or isn't really interested in someone who's Quirkless…Heh, wouldn't have been the first guy…"
——Later——
Kenshi was waiting outside of the complex in a fresh new set of clothes, since he had been staying on I-Island to be assessed and with constant improvements needing to be monitored meant that he had to be given a room and wardrobe. His outside clothes consisted of a light grey hoodie with the Shield emblem on it over a blue and red All-Might polo shirt, a pair of black jeans along with a pair of white and blue sneakers. He was currently doing his best to go over the mental exercises that David and Melissa showed him so that he could help maintain control of his permanently active side of his Quirk. "Dang it, why am I feeling so nervous?! It's like someone shook up a bee's nest in my gut…Get it together, she's just trying to be nice…It's just like school…Nobody really liked you in that way so keep the expectations low…" He repeated to himself so that he didn't either get too excited or worked up.
"Hey! Kenshi!" Melissa's voice broke the silence as she came out to meet him. Despite her wanting to try keeping it plain and non-committal, she had still wanted to meet him outside of her research gear of her dress shirt and capri pants and instead gone with a powder blue dress that came to her knees and a pair of white flats. "Sorry if I'm late, I got a little...Anyway I'm here!" She said cheerfully and waved at him.
Kenshi was all but braindead at the sight of the changeup; Melissa looked cute in her usual gear but like this made her look like a runway model. "I….I-uh…Wow…" He could literally feel his brain cells wading through tar just to find the right words. "You look…Great…I almost feel a little underdressed." He admitted and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Melissa giggled as she walked over and gestured for her to walk alongside him as they took in the sights. "I'm glad you like it…Being David Shield's daughter makes sure to earn you a few brownie points to looking nice and making good first impressions." She explained and looked to Kenshi and his outfit. "Besides, you are perfectly fine on your own…I'm just glad we kept some of our stock from the last I-Expo, I said to my dad that it wouldn't be right that you just walked around all these months in your workout gear."
"Is that…?"
"Yeah, she's Shield's Daughter…."
"Who exactly is that with her? A client?"
"I don't know…But that's probably the first time she's with someone that doesn't look like a Pro-Hero."
Melissa felt a little embarrassed as she was recognised but that was par for the course in her line of work but she could tell something was up when she saw Kenshi looking away from the people talking about them and hurried along towards one of the food stalls. "Come on, let's take a look around and have fun." She whispered to him to try reassuring him.
Kenshi nodded quietly as he went along with her, with each new stall they visited meant that the more both of them perked up until it got to the point where neither of them noticed other people watching, they even managed to get some games in and see some of the new merchandise being loaded off of the truck.
"Hey, Kenshi? There's something that I wanted to ask you for a while now…." Melissa asked, looking over the waves while holding an ice cream. "Once you go back…and take your exam, do you think that you'll be able to come back out to I-Island? To visit and stuff?" She asked him curiously.
Kenshi who had a tray of takoyaki in front of him stopped to glance over at her. "Are you kidding? With the amount that you and your dad helped me over these months, I'd be crazy not to…It gives me a chance to hang out with you and it works out since…I can't exactly train at a regular gym now."
Melissa felt a smile creep across her face as she heard he'd be coming back if he could but that lead into her next question. "Yeah…With how your Quirk's managed to acclimatise, it makes sense…Look, there's another reason why I ask….Do you…have anyone back home? A girlfriend or…someone like that?"
Kenshi blushed when he thought about the idea but but that also followed on the gentle wave of depression that came with it. "No…You saw my shape before all this training…Plus the fact that my Quirk didn't kick in until a few months ago…I pretty much lived most of my life Quirkless so I'd have been lucky to not get laughed at MORE." He admitted as he picked at another ball on the tray lazily.
"I know how it feels…Because I'm Quirkless, not many people come here for me as a person…It's only because of my dad's name…" Melissa admitted, knowing what it was like. "I'd be surprised if I end up like most of these Technician types…No partner or anything…"
"Hey, don't say that!" Kenshi said to snap her out of her thoughts; "Your dad was able to meet someone…And here you are, you're smart, you're real nice and you take the time to meticulously plan out everything when it comes to someone's Quirk and how to use it…If there's anyone out there who'd ignore that because you don't have a Quirk…Then they don't deserve the dedication that you give them." He said with more determination in his brown eyes than he had ever had for a while.
Melissa could feel her cheeks flush dark pink as he praised her and glanced away to the side. "You…You really think so?"
"Absolutely! If there's one thing I learned before I unlocked my Quirk…It's that you don't need powers to do something great or to be a Hero, I only found out that I had a Quirk when I hopped a police barrier and ran in to save someone." Kenshi said and reiterated what he said before. "It's just…It sucks that just because you're born without a Quirk makes people think you're weak…I think that being born Quirkless makes you stronger than even the most powerful Quirk out there you can think of because you work harder than anyone to get where you are."
Melissa listened to his passionate words and found herself feeling something that she had never felt before, if she hadn't been sure of it before then she had now and then reached in to softly place her hands on his. "Kenshi…I…You…"
Kenshi could feel his own face flush brightly in the orange sun as it started to set, this was probably the first time that a girl actively got this far with him without laughing at him or mocking him. "Melissa? What's the-MPH!" He tried to question her on what she was doing but found himself shocked when he felt her lips gently press on his. After initially getting worried out of reflex that this was another joke, he felt himself relaxing in her arms just like she did in his.
There was no punchline…
No person to tell them that they were worthless…
No students to jump out from behind a corner to tell them this was all a prank…
This was genuine feeling and that was all that mattered to either of them.