Author: It's just the prologue, so I didn't really want to advance the plot that much, in chapter 1 and 2 the plot will advance much faster. Now tell me, what Quirk does the MC have? In the next chapter, I'll give you a hint.
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Himiko Toga had always been a peculiar girl.
Since childhood, she displayed a contagious sparkle in her eyes, a smile that seemed sincere, and a polite demeanor that charmed the adults around her. She was a cheerful, helpful girl who knew exactly how to act to fit into society's expectations. But all of it was nothing more than a meticulously crafted façade.
Deep down, Himiko had never been that ideal girl. Her true self had always lurked beneath the mask of normality she wore every day. There was something about her that was considered "wrong," something no one could understand. From an early age, she had learned that her desires and impulses were seen as disturbing—monstrous, even. So, to avoid frightened stares and whispers of disgust, she suppressed it all, sealing her true nature behind a perfect smile and rehearsed gestures.
But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she molded herself into what others expected, the doubts continued to grow inside her.
She observed the people around her, watching how they expressed affection, how they demonstrated love, and she wondered: Why is that acceptable, but my way isn't? Why is my way of loving wrong?
Lost in these thoughts, Himiko gently swayed on a nearly empty park swing at dusk. The cold wind stirred her blonde hair, and the orange sky cast long shadows across the ground. The rusty creak of the swing's chains was the only sound accompanying her—until a male voice cut through the silence.
"Hey."
Himiko blinked, snapping out of her daydreams.
"Hm?"
Her gaze met that of a stranger. He was a boy her age, maybe a little older. His messy black hair partially covered his forehead, and his dark eyes seemed to study her with an unsettling intensity. He wore a standard gakuran, the traditional student uniform, and had earrings that reflected the sunset's light.
He walked casually to the swing beside her and sat down, resting his arms on the chains while looking at her with an analytical expression.
"That face of yours… why is it so fake?"
Himiko's heart stopped for a moment.
"Huh?"
"I'm good at noticing fake expressions." He tilted his head slightly, never looking away. "I'm surrounded by them all the time. But you… Are you trying to please others with that smile?"
Her stomach twisted. Sweat began to form at the nape of her neck, and her fingers involuntarily clenched the hem of her uniform skirt. How did he… How did he notice?
No one had ever noticed. Not her parents, not her teachers, not her classmates. Everyone had always fallen for the trap of her façade. But that boy, someone she had never seen before, had unmasked her with a single sentence.
This… This couldn't be happening.
"That smile is awful."
Those words struck her like a cold blade, slicing through her mask. Himiko's eyes widened, shock taking over her face.
"I'm sure your real smile is much better than that fake one."
She shuddered. Something inside her cracked. A raw and overwhelming emotion filled her entirely.
Before she realized it, silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Her mask, the one she had worked so hard to build, was crumbling before a complete stranger. And for the first time in a long while, a genuine smile—one that wasn't forced or rehearsed—formed on her lips.
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The boy watched her for a moment, then smirked slightly, satisfied.
"How beautiful."
Toga broke.
Those words… Those simple words pierced something deep inside her, something that had remained locked away for so long, suffocated under the weight of expectations and repression. Her chest tightened, and a silent sob escaped her trembling lips.
"Thank you."
The word came out weak, almost inaudible, but loaded with raw emotion. Tears streamed down Himiko's face, warm against her cold skin. She didn't bother to hide them. For the first time, she felt no need to pretend.
These were the words she had always longed to hear her entire life.
Her smile—the one everyone had always considered frightening—was finally called beautiful. Not as an empty compliment, but as true acceptance. A validation of who she truly was.
Time passed without her noticing. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and violet. The shadows in the park grew longer, but she didn't care. Beside her, the boy kept talking, telling stories, rambling about random things. To Himiko, it was fascinating.
Little by little, she let herself relax.
For the first time, she allowed herself to laugh genuinely, to speak without filtering her words, to express her emotions without fear of judgment. And he... He didn't look at her with disgust or strangeness. There was no hesitation in his gaze, no discomfort in his tone of voice.
He simply accepted her.
The boy was happy, too. From the beginning, he had noticed the mask she carried. The world was full of fake people, pretending to be something they weren't. But there, right in front of him, was someone freeing herself.
And that made him smile.
However, time wouldn't stop for them. The sky was slowly darkening, and the streetlights began to turn on. That was when he stood up from the swing, stretching his arms and letting out a resigned sigh.
"Ah… It's late. I have to go back."
For a moment, his expression changed. The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, and a trace of discontent took over his face. It was as if he didn't want to leave. As if going home was too heavy of a burden.
Himiko noticed it.
The boy gave a small hop off the swing and turned to her, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his uniform.
"See you next time, girl with the beautiful smile."
He started to walk away, slowly making his way through the park.
Toga watched his silhouette fading into the distance, her heart pounding in her chest. Something inside her screamed not to let him go without saying anything. Without hesitation, she stood up and, in a sudden impulse, called out:
"My name is Himiko Toga!"
The boy stopped instantly.
He remained there for a brief moment, as if absorbing her words. Then, slowly, he turned to face her. A light, genuine smile appeared on his lips.
"And mine is Rin Kurose."
His eyes gleamed under the park lights, his voice carrying a calm and natural tone.
"Nice to meet you, Himiko-chan."
...
Rin walked home in silence. The streets were quiet, illuminated by the cold glow of the streetlights, and the night breeze blew gently, carrying a faint scent of rain. His steps were firm, but his heart hesitated.
As soon as he pushed open the front door and crossed the threshold, a voice greeted him.
"Welcome back!"
The voice was sweet, familiar, but lifeless.
Rin looked up and saw his mother standing there, in the hallway. Her face was covered by a dense and distorted shadow. Her eyes were nothing but two empty white circles, and her mouth, a thin white line, stretched unnaturally.
It was a mask.
Not a physical mask, but the one she always wore. Just like everyone around him.
Rin could see them. Empty masks covering people's faces, hiding their true expressions, their true intentions. This was not his Quirk. It was not a supernatural gift.
It was just his view of the world.
He knew how fake people could be. He knew how little those forced smiles and polite words, filled with hidden intentions, could be trusted. Every "how was your day?" sounded like an empty echo, a social obligation.
His eyes lowered, avoiding his mother's figure.
"I'm back."
He passed by her without hesitation, his steps quick and firm. He climbed the stairs without looking back and entered his room, locking the door behind him.
The silence inside was heavy, but comforting.
He threw himself onto the chair by the desk and let out a long sigh, as if trying to expel the weight of that house from within him. His eyes wandered around the room, but his mind was already far away.
He didn't want to think about the mask waiting for him outside. The mask that had been present all his life.
Instead, he focused on the only recent memory that brought him comfort.
The memory of Himiko.
That smile.
The first genuine smile he had ever seen.
Remembering it made his chest warm in a strange way. Unlike anything he had felt before.
"I want to see her again."
Rin leaned forward, turning on the computer with a click. The screen lit up, and he began typing.
He had noticed a detail on Himiko's uniform earlier. An acronym. Something small, but enough.
If he could find her school, he could see her again after class.
In the middle of his search, a voice echoed from downstairs.
"Rin! Dinner is ready!"
He didn't respond immediately. His eyes were still fixed on the screen, analyzing the search results.
The result appeared on the screen.
The acronym matched exactly what Rin had seen on Himiko's uniform. It belonged to a school near his own. The route was simple, easy to remember. He mentally mapped the way and made a silent decision: after his classes, he would go there.
With that certainty in mind, Rin turned off the computer, stepping away from the screen.
Getting up, he went to the kitchen for dinner. The atmosphere was the same as always—cold, impersonal, with empty words exchanged without emotion. He didn't pay attention to what his mother was saying, just ate in silence. As soon as he finished, he returned to his room, lying down on the bed and letting the weight of the day fade away.
Sleep came quickly.
Soon, dawn arrived, bathing his room in a pale light filtering through the curtains. Rin slowly opened his eyes, feeling the familiar weight on his wrists.
He raised his arms, pulling back the long sleeves of his pajamas.
There they were.
The bracelets.
A faint, reddish glow pulsed on their metallic surface, as if they were alive. Rin observed them in silence for a few seconds before frowning, irritated.
"Ah... What a pain."
His fingers closed around the bracelets, gripping them tightly.
For a moment, he pulled slightly, as if trying to tear them off.
Nothing.
As always.
Rin clenched his teeth, a bitter taste filling his mouth. Frustration burned inside him, but he knew it wasn't worth insisting. With an irritated sigh, he let go of the bracelets, letting his arms fall to his sides.
He didn't have time for this now.
Getting up, he walked to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. The hot water slid over his skin, washing away the morning lethargy. He stood there for a few minutes, letting his thoughts wander.
Today would be different.
After drying himself off, he put on the gakuren, adjusting the collar automatically. The long sleeves hid the bracelets once again. It was better this way.
Without wasting time, he left the house.
His steps were firm, but his mind was already elsewhere.
Today... He would see Himiko Toga again.
...
The sun still hung high in the sky when the final bell echoed through the hallways, marking the end of classes. Laughter and chatter from the students spread across the courtyard, blending with the sound of leaves dancing in the wind. Among the school buildings, a distinct figure stood out—Rin, balanced atop the wall, observing everything with a calm and penetrating gaze.
He was crouched, his bag hanging carelessly from his arm while he rested his arms crossed over his knees. His dark hair moved slightly with the breeze, and his presence there, in that elevated spot, drew attention, though few dared to look at him for too long. His expression was impassive, but his eyes were alert, scanning the crowd below.
And then, he saw her.
Toga Himiko walked among a group of classmates, wearing a simple mask that hid half of her face. She spoke animatedly with the girls around her, occasionally gesturing, but Rin noticed that her eyes were restless, as if searching for something—or someone.
Without haste, he rose from his position and descended from the wall with a fluid, almost feline movement. His steps were silent and firm as he crossed the courtyard, standing out among the crowd without needing words. His relaxed posture, one hand in his pocket and the other raised in a slight wave, made some people instinctively step aside, giving him space.
Toga's golden eyes met his almost immediately, and for a brief second, something in her expression softened. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she were about to truly smile—a sincere smile, one she rarely allowed others to see. However, remembering where she was, she quickly restrained herself, her emotional mask returning in the next instant.
"Bye, girls!" she said casually, bidding farewell to her friends before turning and walking toward Rin. The others continued talking, some exchanging curious glances, but none dared to question Toga's sudden departure.
Rin and Himiko began walking together, side by side, blending into the movement of students leaving the school. Their voices were lost amid the cacophony around them, making it impossible for anyone to catch their words. To everyone else, they looked like just any two students, but for them, that moment was a small space of reality where the outside world didn't matter.
As soon as they were far enough from the school, Toga's posture changed. In an instant, the metaphorical mask shattered again, revealing the wide, mischievous smile that Rin knew so well—the one he was secretly fascinated by.
Rin's eyes gleamed for a moment, and then a small smile formed on his lips.
"Much better," he commented, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Toga tilted her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I could say the same," she replied, laughing softly.
As they walked side by side, the weight of the school day slowly faded, giving way to lively conversation. The topics flowed naturally, effortlessly, as if they were immersed in a world where only they existed. They talked about simple things—their likes, dislikes, and small details of daily life.
Toga, despite her vibrant personality, chose her words carefully. There were parts of her she preferred to keep hidden, little secrets not everyone could understand. Her peculiar taste for blood, for example, was something she always tried to mask in casual conversations. But as she spoke with Rin, she realized he never pressured her to say more than she was comfortable with. He didn't ask persistent questions, didn't look at her with suspicion—he simply accepted her answers, as if he knew that, when she was ready, she would choose to share.
On the other hand, Rin saw no need to hide who he was. He spoke naturally, without hesitation, but without delving too deep into details.
"I like peace and staying away from my parents." His voice was firm, without hesitation.
Toga blinked, surprised by the raw honesty of his response. It was rare to hear someone admit something like that without a hint of hesitation or shame.
"Your parents?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Rin merely shrugged, as if the topic wasn't worth discussing. "Yeah. And I also hate those fake smiles."
Toga chuckled softly. "Fake smiles are the worst."
He nodded, continuing. "I also want to be able to use my Quirk whenever I want."
The words came out loaded with a deep desire, almost as if it were an obsession. Still, he didn't elaborate, diverting the topic before revealing any more details. Toga noticed that he didn't even mention his bracelets, keeping them hidden under his sleeves almost instinctively. This made her wonder how significant that detail was to him.
If it were anyone else, she might have found it strange. But who was she to judge? After all, she had secrets too, and if Rin didn't demand that she reveal hers, why should she do the same to him?
And so, without needing explanations, the two just kept walking, comfortable in each other's presence.
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Author: Oh, I forgot to put the MC's appearance... Well, here it is.
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