• • •

The next day, underneath the very same frozen fountain --Away from the crowd noises in the cafeteria-- The little blonde boy with bright red wings sat on the edge of it, waiting for the arrival of someone in particular. He sat with his back straightened up while fiddling with his shirt.

He stopped tapping his heels, gave his cheek a soft scratch and began to ponder, 'Why did I come back here?'
"Keigo!"

'Homusubi.'

He quickly looked up at the call of his name, seeing the one and only rushing through the door with a worried expression. That expression influenced him that he furrowed his eyebrow and stood up, "What's happening?--"

"Keigo. Keigo. Keigo." She said his name three times in one second before catching her breath in front of him. While panting for air, it created an icy fog coming out of her mouth as she wipes her sweat.

What exactly was she running from?

"I-I've been thinking about this the whole time...and..." She gulped then exhaled, and grinned, "... Are we considered friends now?"

The boy grew dumbfounded and narrowed his eyes at her, "So you're not running away from.... something?"

"From what?"

"Uh. Nothing." He crossed his arms, "Anyway, my answer to your question is: I'm not sure."

"Ehhhhh?!" She grows dissatisfied and curious, "But why?!"

"Do you know who I am?"

"*ahem!* Keigo Takami." She said while holding her chin up with a smile.

"Where I came from?"

She drops her posture and grew insecure, "Uhm... You came from your home?"

"A-Okay. Then where's my home?"

She bit her lip playfully, "Beside your neighbors house."

He blinks a few times and couldn't help but think she's a sarcastic philosopher, "... What I wanted to say was that we don't know each other. So I'm not sure if we're friends."

"We exchanged names, shared food, ate together, and you came back here just like I asked you to do, so I think we're friends! But I don't mind getting to know you too."

He glanced at the side with a light blush dusted across his cheeks before taking a seat down again, "O-Okay... Let's just start by telling each other a secret."

Homusubi sat down beside him, "Oooo! Don't worry, I can keep one or two."

"Hopefully you can." He muttered, "I'll start: I'm privately tutored by the principal."

She claps her hands cheerfully and then went on to tell hers, "... My favourite food is rice ball."

"..."

"😊???"

"Are you sure that's a secret, Homusubi?"

"Super-duper sure! Why, you ask? Because when the readers know that, they'll think I'm a cannibal."

'She seems a LITTLE BIT too energetic today...' He smiles softly and nodded, "I feel like I'm getting to know you more. That's a good thing right?"

"Huh? Of course!" She then took a glance at the frozen fountain. Looking at it up and down before turning back to her new friend, "Oi, wanna see something amazing?"

"... Sure..."

A grin makes its way on her face as she turns and placed her hand on top of the ice in the fountain. A mild fire slowly spread across the fountain, creating a soft wave-like echo. Keigo's eyes widen in shock and he jumped back to see it happen to see the fountain starting to liquify. He could feel the heat vibrating off of the fountain that came from Homusubi's quirk as the water comes back to life."

"Y-You... did this?" He wasn't sure what to say as he looked back at her. He felt quiet when she sat there idly, looking over at the fountain with a soft smile. Or rather... it was a sad one.

"Homusubi-nee-san..." His lips formed a frown. Calling out her name snapped her out of her mind and look up at him with a hum. He sighs and took the courage to ask, "Are you okay?"

"... Sigh... Keigo, the truth is I--"

"HEY! You two! It's forbidden grounds here!!!" A teacher yelled from the other entrance of the place.

Keigo's eyes widen and glared at the girl who brought him here in the first place. It all happened too fast when she jumped out of her seat with a squeak, grabbed his hand, ran down the hallway, out of the building and escaped through the open school gates. He couldn't complain, he was too lost in the sight of Homusubi, she giggled so softly while holding his hand and leading him to God knows where. In his eyes, the world played in slow motion, showing how she smiles while looking back at him with their eyes meeting as they ran down the side of the street.

The boy knew that he'll follow her anywhere she goes no matter what, that's what his heart said.

He snapped out of it and pulled his hand back, they stood in the middle of the path as he yelled, "Are you crazy?! We're literally cutting classes right now!"

Thankfully the by-passers were too busy with their life to notice the conversation of two kids.

"It's Friday, dude!" The girl defends with a giggle, "Now that we're out here. Let's go and hang out at the arcade!" She still had that smile that formed once they were running away from trouble because they were troubles themselves.

Keigo haves a sigh while rubbing his closed eyes and scrunched his nose, "Fine. I don't even have ANY idea where you led me to so why not? Surely I won't enjoy the games there anyway."

A teasing smile forms on her lips.

What he said earlier? Was a complete lie once she introduced him to different kinds of games there. Starting from: Pac-Man; Donkey Kong; Street Fighter II; Racing; Air Hockey; and the most challenging one yet, Zombie Shooter. The entire game was filled with high pitched screams of the kids from the thrill.

"AHH! HOMUSUBI HELP!!!" He yelled as he turns towards the hoard of zombies coming at them. The tv had a split-screen for 2-players only and gaming guns are connected to it. To make it seem more realistic, the gun would vibrate with each bullet it shot in the game. This may be too matured for them but... "HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD AT THIS?!"

"I play arcade games across the city on a daily basis, comrade." She spoke in a different tone, trying to imitate the Italian character she was playing as. "I am what you call... a pro-gamer."

Sooner than expected, the word VICTORY was displayed across the screen. They heaved a sigh, looked at each other, and high-fived.

"Good game!"

"Good game too, my comrade Homusubi." He played along then glanced up at the digital clock on the wall. His smile dropped, "Oh no." He quickly set back the gun on where it's supposed to be.

"Oh no, what?" She set down her gun too and followed Keigo to the lobby room where their shoes are.

"My private lessons are in 10 minutes." He glanced up at her to show how serious he was before looking back at his shoes he was tying, "We need to get back by then."

"It's alright." She reassures as she casually slipped into her sandals, "Just let me play one more game."

"Homusubi this is important--"

"But this'll be quick. Please?"

He sighs and nodded, "Fine. What game is it?"

She gestured for him to follow her as she approaches the closest machine to them, "This is called claw machine," She reached out in her pockets to grab a coin and slip it into the coin door, and the game starts, "Watch me grab one."

He raised an eyebrow and stood beside her, looking through the glass to see which one she was talking about. There was an All Might plush toy and Endeavor plush toy, but the All Might one was even fewer. Maybe because the previous people who played this wanted the All Might one more.

'But there's nothing wrong with Hero Endeavor right? I bet she's going for the All Might figurine too...'

He scratched the back of his head, spacing out and didn't notice the plush toy Homusubi won.

"I got it!"

Keigo raised both of his eyebrows and looked up from the ground to see Homusubi hold up the Endeavor plush toy she won. He grew dumbfounded and slowly pointed at it, "Endeavor is what you wanted?"

"Yeah! Here, you can have it."

He flustered as she held out the plush toy for him to pick up, "I-Is it fine...? You won this."

"Yeah! I got a real-life one back in my home, hahaha!"

He didn't understand what she said and just laughed along while accepting her gift, "I had a toy like this in the past but it broke."

'It was only about a year too since mom bought me that toy... It's amazing how fast time flies.'

"Huh? Why?"

"I accidentally stepped on it, they didn't buy me another one." He pouted a bit before looking down at the toy that he held against his chest, "... Thank you."

"No problem, I had fun spending my birthday with you."

"Me too, Homusubi-- WAIT WHAT?! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY?!"

She bursts into laughter and nodded while wiping her joyful tears, "Yeah! Oh, and my dad's gonna come and pick me up any minute now so we should REALLY run back as fast as we can."

"... Wait, I have an idea, but... do you trust me?"

She smiles kindly, "From the moment I saw you, I knew you're trustworthy."

He blushed with a smile and it didn't take long for him to lead her on top of a rooftop on a tall building. Where the wind blew aggressively in one direction. The city noise was inaudible up there. And the two kids were confident to take this risky action.

The boy spreads his fierce, red wings while she watches in awe and he held out his hand towards her. She held out her hand for him to take, but her smirk broke his expectations as she pulled her hand back and sprinted past him. Jumping off of the 50-floor level made him shout her name in shock. At the very next second, dived down the air with his wings closed and his ash blonde hair blowing back.

His eyes tearing up but he paid no attention to it. She was facing the sky as she fell through the air, and she was smiling too as this happened. At that moment while stretching out his hand towards her, he knew how insane this girl was and maybe that's why...

'That's why I like you.'

Their hands clasped when she reached out for his and with all his might, he pulls her into his arms, her back pressed up against his front body and he watched as the ground grew larger. He opens his wings again. They barely met the ground when he flew through the crowds with great speed, making the people around gasp and jump from their way. Homusubi was letting out giggles as she watched them survive through the crowds.

Keigo gritted his teeth while flapping his wings harder, he could feel his heartbeat accelerate while they were getting higher and higher into the sky and away from people before they know who they were. Until they reached high above the clouds, where unlike the city, everything was calm and quiet.

"I'm surprised that you can carry me!" She bursts into laughter once more as he glides through the air, holding her tightly as he did.

"That's because I'm using my feathers to lift you." He nods over her shoulder, gesturing at the feathers around her feet, "But you are heavy." He deadpanned.

"Thank you."

The boy realized that now wasn't a good time to argue about her reckless action. He wouldn't risk letting her go now just to scold at her face. But soon, they landed in the school grounds through the window where her room is --his room was just beside-- and they sighed in relief from the safe arrival.

"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!" Homusubi exclaimed while walking out of the empty hallways with him.

"AND YOU ARE CRAZY!" Keigo yelled, "What if people saw us and memorized our faces?! We'd be all over the news!!! They're going to tell your parents about it if they do!"

"Ahh, they won't~! Everyone was too caught off guard to notice-- Oh look! My dad's here!" She points at a black car that pulled up at the school gate and then waved at him while running out, "You made my day even more fun. I'll see you again next week, Keigo!"

He grumbled in distress before forcing a smile to return to her.

"Who was that?" Enji asked when she climbs into the back seat, fixing up at the rear mirror to look at her in the eyes.

"He's just friend, dada."

She puts on her seatbelt and looked up at him with a soft smile. Her smile slightly wavered when she saw the eye bags under his eyes, and how he's a bit messy in his suit, "You-- You don't have to pick us up every day, you know... You're already busy."

He smiles softly while glancing at the side, "What I'm doing is for my family. I'll never be busy for you and the others... And I appreciate your worries, Homusubi."

'I can tell...' The little girl thought, 'He's exhausted.'

• • •

[Keigo's the type to save her from her madness.]