(A Night of Decisions)
The night was quiet. The moonlight spilled through the window, casting a soft glow over the dimly lit apartment. The smell of Alya's freshly brewed tea mixed with the lingering scent of Akira's late-night cooking.
At the dining table, Akira Tachibana sat deep in thought, spinning a small knife between his fingers.
Across from him, Alya Kujou watched him with her usual patient gaze. She knew that look—his mind was working at full speed.
"…I've made my decision."
Alya's eyes softened. "You're really going to do it, huh?"
Akira let out a short chuckle, resting his chin on his palm. "Well, I can't exactly walk up to All For One and ask, 'Hey, why did you kill my parents?' Now, can I?"
Alya frowned. "…Not funny."
Akira sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But listen, if I want to learn more about AFO's movements, the best place to start is U.A." He leaned forward, his golden eyes gleaming. "Heroes have access to classified information. If I become a student, I can get closer to them—study their files, their patterns, and more importantly, find any trace of AFO's involvement in hero society."
Alya crossed her arms, tapping her finger against her elbow. "That's… risky. If you stand out too much, someone will dig into your past."
Akira smirked. "That's why I'm going to play the role of a lazy genius."
Alya raised an eyebrow. "Lazy? You?"
Akira grinned. "I know, right? Crazy." He leaned back, balancing the chair on two legs. "But it's the best move. If I act like a prodigy who barely puts in effort, no one will question my talent. They'll assume I was just born gifted. It's way easier to explain than my actual five years of hellish training."
Alya sighed, staring at him for a long moment. "…So, what about your Quirk? Are you going to use Hawkeye or Silverine?"
Akira's grin faded. That was the real issue.
If he used both, it would be too much. U.A. would immediately mark him as an anomaly—too powerful, too dangerous. He'd get the attention of Nezu, All Might, and worse… AFO.
But if he only used one, he could fly under the radar. The question was which one?
He tapped his finger on the table. "Hawkeye is easier to explain. Super eyesight isn't that rare, and I can just say I trained it to the max."
Alya tilted her head. "But Hawkeye alone won't let you fight at your full strength."
Akira nodded. "Yeah… but Silverine is even harder to hide. If I reveal it, people will ask where it came from, and that could lead them back to my parents." His golden eyes sharpened. "AFO might realize I have the power he feared."
Silence filled the room.
Alya placed her hands on the table, staring into his eyes. "Then… you'll use Hawkeye?"
"…Yeah." Akira leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "I'll hold back. Use only what's necessary. Play the genius bad-boy role, but not enough to raise suspicion."
Alya narrowed her eyes. "…Do you even know how to act lazy?"
Akira smirked. "I did spend half my childhood playing games and lazying around."
Alya gave him a deadpan look. "That's not the same, idiot."
He laughed, and she couldn't help but smile too. But then, her expression turned serious again.
"…I'm coming too."
Akira blinked. "What?"
Alya leaned forward. "I'm coming to U.A. with you."
Akira's smirk faded. "…Alya."
"No." She cut him off before he could argue. "You think I don't know what you're planning?" Her voice trembled slightly, but her determination was solid. "You're going to do everything alone again. You're going to carry everything by yourself, just like you always do."
Akira clenched his fists. "I don't want you getting dragged into this—"
"I'm already in this, Akira!" Alya's voice rose, her blue eyes glistening. "Our families were murdered. We survived together. You trained me, made me stronger— because you wanted me to be safe. But that doesn't mean I'll just stay behind and watch while you throw yourself into danger alone."
Akira stared at her.
Alya took a deep breath, then softened her voice. "…Someone has to keep you in check."
Akira felt his heart clench. He could handle pain, exhaustion, and death. But this seeing Alya's unwavering belief in him that was the one thing that made him falter.
"…You're serious about this?" he asked, voice quieter.
Alya nodded. "Of course."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, Akira closed his eyes and let out a small chuckle. "…You really are a stubborn woman, Alya."
Alya smiled. "And you're an idiot if you thought I'd let you do this alone."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, in a rare moment of honesty, Akira reached across the table and took her hand.
"…Thank you."
Alya's cheeks turned slightly pink, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she squeezed his hand gently. "Always."
In that moment, there were no words left to say.
The decision had been made.
They would both enter U.A.
And together—
They would begin the hunt for All For One.
- To Be Continued