"Your name is Akira, right?"
After Akira left the school, he headed down the road alone. So far, he was the only one on this path. The rest of the students also took this route, but no one from the Heroes A class was around.
At that moment, someone seemed to be addressing him. Akira turned around and saw a student with hair that was half white and half red. It was Shoto Todoroki.
"Is there something you need from me?" Akira said casually. After he spoke, he realized he was speaking fluently. It felt strange to address him as Shoto Todoroki since they weren't very familiar with each other yet.
"Mr. Boom?" Shoto Todoroki raised an eyebrow slightly, though his face remained expressionless. Akira was a little surprised by this title.
Shoto had been observing Akira these past days. Akira struck him as unusual, not fully fitting in, yet somehow blending in at times. It seemed like he knew something about everyone. Most notably, Akira was very strong and composed.
Few people his age had such a calm demeanor. Shoto said lightly, "Your quirk is impressive. Will you spar with me?"
Akira was a bit taken aback. Shoto Todoroki wasn't the type to engage with people so readily. He hadn't expected Shoto to seek him out on their first day as classmates.
After all, Akira wasn't the only one with a strong quirk; Tokoyami Fumikage and Bakugo Katsuki had powerful abilities too. It was interesting that Shoto had chosen him.
"Sorry, Mr. Boom, I'm not interested," Akira replied politely. Right now, Shoto could only use his ice quirk, which wasn't a threat to Akira's lightning abilities. Unless Shoto could use his fire quirk, it wouldn't be a fair challenge.
Shoto hadn't expected Akira to decline. According to his instincts, Akira should have accepted. After all, strong people typically enjoyed testing their strength against others. Shoto found himself more intrigued by Akira.
"Why?" Shoto's face barely shifted, though a hint of curiosity slipped through.
"Why ask? Because I'm just here!" Akira replied and walked away, leaving Shoto behind. It wasn't the time for them to spar yet.
Shoto Todoroki: "???"
He couldn't understand it. Akira seemed so serious; how did he end up sounding like he was posturing? Was it an illusion?
Shoto could only smirk. Akira's refusal might mean he had his reasons, or perhaps he simply didn't like fighting, or maybe he was even wary of Shoto.
After Akira left, he walked through a park as he usually did. He didn't know its name, but he liked the tranquility there.
Swish!
A needle-like object zipped past him, narrowly missing his arm.
"Hey, nice reflexes."
Akira backed up a few steps and saw who was speaking. He immediately recognized her. "Himiko Toga?"
She was a cute-looking high school girl, but her mind was twisted. Admiring Stain's ideals, she aspired to be like him and dreamed of killing him. She adored people covered in bruises and blood, always eager to stab someone. She was wanted for a series of killings caused by excessive blood loss.
Her quirk let her transform by drinking someone's blood.
However, once Akira dodged her first attack, she wouldn't get another chance.
"Oh, you know me?" Himiko Toga's face lit up with a mischievous grin.
"Almost fooled me," Akira said, smirking. He found her interesting, even if she was from the Villain Alliance. If she weren't involved with them, she might have had a chance to change.
But right now, Himiko was likely still just a high school student. The Stain incident hadn't occurred yet, and she hadn't gathered her twisted followers. Akira didn't know if she was already influenced by the Hero Killer's ideology.
"Tch~ I wanted to find a U.A. High School student for some fun. How disappointing." Himiko waved a hand dismissively, her miniskirt fluttering in the breeze and briefly revealing a touch of white beneath.
Akira felt a flicker of intrigue but quickly composed himself. "Think you can just walk away after attacking me? I'm not that easy to mess with."
"Oh?" Himiko turned back, intrigued. "So what do you plan to do?"
A smile played on Akira's lips. "Oh, you'll see." In a flash, using the speed of his Thunder Quirk, he closed the distance between them instantly.
Akira's hand reached out, and he pushed Himiko down onto the grass. Shocked, she tried to stab him with her needle, but he didn't give her a chance. With a small shock of electricity, he paralyzed her, leaving her momentarily incapacitated.
"What… are you going to do?" For the first time, Himiko felt uneasy. She was usually the predator, but today, the roles were reversed. This U.A. student was fast, and his quirk seemed tied to electricity and paralysis.
Akira knew about Himiko's quirk well enough. While she could transform, her own combat skills weren't particularly strong on their own.
As he held her down, he felt a strange heat course through him, but his young body was far from fully developed, leaving the reaction somewhat faint.
Himiko blushed, looking up at him. The boldness in his gaze made her heartbeat race.
"What are you doing?" Akira asked teasingly. "You chose to confront me here, didn't you? Lucky for you, this park is usually empty."
For once, Himiko felt nervous. She'd scouted this place enough to know it was frequented mostly by old people or heartbroken loners. At this hour, it was practically deserted.
If Akira intended to do something unpleasant, she would be helpless, especially since her body was still numb.
"What should I do… Am I… prey now?" Himiko's thoughts raced, uncertain and slightly terrified. She was still a girl, unaccustomed to such an intense encounter.
Akira chuckled at her flushed expression. He had no intention of taking things further—teasing her was enough.
Thunk!
At that moment, something hit Akira's head. Leaning too close to Himiko's face, he accidentally brushed her lips.
"Ah~" Himiko shrieked, "My first kiss…"
Embarrassed, Akira quickly got up, noticing an apple lying nearby. Without another word, he dashed off.
He had to admit, though… her lips were soft.