[Hakuro's POV]
My phone screen flickered to life, revealing Yuna's face pressed against the camera, her wild curls blocking half the frame.
Behind her, Hana sat cross-legged on their bed, hugging a bunny plushie.
Their room was a chaos of crayon murals and half-built LEGO toys.
Yuna squealed as she answered the phone, "HAKU-NII!! DID YOU GET IN?! DID YOU?!" She shook the laptop violently.
I leaned forward, smirking, "Of course I did. I'm a genius, remember?"
Hana peeked over Yuna's shoulder, "But wasn't…the exam…today?"
I waved a hand dismissively, "Technicalities. The written portion was child's play, and the practical? Please. I outsmarted a three-story robot with my mind."
Yuna's smile grew, "LIKE IN SPY MOVIES?! Did you explode the robots?!"
Hana gave me a worried look, "Did… anyone get hurt?"
I shook my head, "No one important. But—" I paused, a face tinged with regret. "—bad news. Those robot arms I promised you? UA's being… difficult."
"WHAT?! BUT YOU PROMISED!!" Yuna yelled as she slammed her fists on the desk, "I WANNA PUNCH THINGS WITH A ROBOT ARM!!"
Hana pat Yuna's arm ti calm her, "Sis, you broke the toaster yesterday…Mother said no more violence."
I smiled, "Don't worry two. I'll get them somehow. Even if I need to be sneaky."
Yuna jumped up and down, "Steal the whole robot! I'll name it Mr. Stompy!"
Hana blushed, "Maybe… I could have one too? For…learning."
I was mock-serious, "For learning. Of course. Nothing else obviously. Not for yours and Yuna's plan to conquer the school playground."
Yuna crossed her arms, "The sandbow kids are mean!! They called my sandcastle 'ugly'!"
Hana mumbled, "It was kind of shaped like… a poop."
Yuna gasped, "TRAITOR!! It was clearly a dragon!!"
I laughed out loud, "I'll avenge your dragon, Yuna. Mr. Stompy will crush their bucket forts."
Suddenly quiet, Hana asked, "…Are you really okay…Haku-nii? UA's… scary, right? Everyone has power's while you don't. It's dangerous for you."
The room went still.
Yuna stops bouncing.
Hana's grip tightened on her plushie.
Yuna and Hana were of the few people who knew I was quirkless in this school of superhumans training to fight supervillains.
I softened my voice, "Being scared means being fearful, Hana. And fear is just… questions you haven't solved yet." I tapped my temple, "And I always find the answers for questions I have."
"So don't worry, I'll video call every night. Even if I'm stealing robot parts."
Yuna grinned, "Steal the principal's car too!! I bet it's fast!"
Hana giggled,"And bring us... souvenirs when you can come back…home."
I saluted, "Mission accepted. Now go back to studying. Mom'll revoke my 'Coolest Brother' title if you're distracted because of me."
Yuna blew a raspberry, "You're only cool cause you're smart!!"
The screen went black as Yuna's hand slammed the keyboard. Hana's faint "Bye, Haku-nii…" echoed before the call died.
I pocketed the phone as I kept walking
'Note to self: Get into UA's robot storage somehow. Dragon sandcastles wait for no one to defend them.'
***
A Day Later (February 27th)
Tap Tap Tap
I took quick steps down the sidewalk.
'Three days until UA's entrance exam results.'
Tap Tap Clink Clink Clink
The ground switched from pavement to an unreasonably large manhole.
'Three days of waiting.'
I crossed the street, and through the passing crowd of civilians.
'Three days of potential… boredom.'
I adjusted the white mask covering my face, the collar of my white trench coat pulled low.
I was currently disguised as 'Insight' again, hoping to, at the very minimum, get some sort of mental stimulus.
Crowded streets buzzed around me, but my mind filtered out the noise, cataloguing quirks, habits, and lies. Anything that caught my eye really.
A man in a sharp black suit was texting while walking.
He had a golden ring on his fourth finger, but the inside was a visible shade lighter.
'Signs of frequent removal—affair.'
A kid clutching a stolen candy bar while trying to kick a chubby pigeon meant only one thing—neglectful parents.
"!"
Snapping me out of my thoughts was a wail of noise two blocks east—
WEE! WOO! WEE! WOO!
'Sigh~'
I took a deep breath in as relief flowed through my body.
'Police sirens~ Finally! A Crime!'
I pivoted, weaving through pedestrians toward the commotion.
'A bank robbery, maybe? Assault? Or a simple murder.'
My boots hit the pavement faster, my trench coat flapping wildly behind me.
'Whatever it was, it would become my entry into the world of crime in Japan.'
***
I walked onto the crime scene, policemen running around like headless chicken.
The classic yellow tape encased a shattered jewelry store, the broken window glass glittering on the ground like forbidden confetti.
Officers blocked off the area while a Pro Hero's sidekick—a wiry man with neon-green hair—barked orders.
I skidded to a halt, my breath steady, while my eyes scanned the area I was nearest to.
'Theft. No blood. No hostages. Primary damage: front window display. And there were still some left over diamonds littering the ground. The perpetrator prioritized speed over precision.'
I stepped forward to get a closer look at the details, but I was soon interrupted.
The sidekick whirled in place, spotting me. "Hey! You! Masked creep—bug off! This is a crime scene, not an attraction."
I held up my hands, My tone flat and even. "I'm just a consultant. I'm only here to assist you."
And as I got a longer look at him, I recognized him from Japan's hero ranking list.
Adhesion.
His bodily liquids turned into glue at will, or when heavily stimulated.
Adhesion sneered, "Assist us? As a consultant? You look like a villain's intern."
Then he raised, what looked to be a gun stored with his sweat, straight at my head.
"Take off the mask," he ordered. "You could be the villain's partner for all we know."
I didn't move, and instead tried to explain myself.
"Relax. I'm not the villain you're looking for. My quirk is a mental one. 'Pattern.' I analyze data. Your suspect's already long gone. If you'd stop posturing, I could—"
But the sidekick cut me off, jabbing a finger at my direction. "Mental quirk? Sure, buddy. And my girlfriend is 'Mirko'. You seriously want me to believe in a quirk I can't physically see? You're lying to my face for all I know!"
I just stared at him deadpanned. "Do you want me to prove it?"
"Go ahead then smart guy." he mocked, "Prove it. Show us your big brain." but he kept his weapon locked onto me.
'Alright then, if you want me to.'
I lowered my hands and began fixing my coat, scanning him with a practiced eye. "You tend to fidget when you're nervous, constantly adjusting your watch. It's set a few minutes fast, isn't it? A small way to trick yourself into thinking you're ahead of schedule."
He covered his watch with his hand, looking at me with slight shock.
"Your shoes are worn out unevenly, suggesting you've been walking with a slight limp for a while, likely due to an old injury. And your left wrist is bruised—it's faint, but it's there—most likely from an accident or a training mishap."
I paused, letting my words sink in as he caressed his wrist this time.
"You also overuse caffeine, your coffee cup's staining your labeled bag over there, and the slight tremor in your hand when you aimed the gun at me confirms it. You also keep looking at your phone, but it's locked—either you're scared of being behind schedule, or you're simply waiting for someone."
"H-How did you—?!" Adhesion stammered.
"Deduction." I interrupted.
"Continuing on, You're insecure about your rank—hence the unnecessary shouting at people. I believe you were ranked 391 the last time I checked the Hero list."
He stepped forward, "Now wait a—!"
"—You're not that bad at your job, but your romantic relationships keep bringing you down."
And that froze him in his tracks.
"Why? Because they fail every time things get close. Your quirk probably makes it impossible to maintain real intimacy. People can't hold onto something that's always sticking to them. I know I would detest it at least. But I have been told I have OCD."
"..."
"..."
The scene went silent.
Other heroes, sidekicks, cops, glanced in our direction with slight shock.
I stepped forward, "Now, let me examine the crime scene. I believe I've shown you enough of my skills—"
But Adhesion, his face red with fury and embarrassment exploded, "Enough! You're still a suspect!"
And he gestured at the workers around him. "Cuff him!"
The Officers advanced as I tensed and took a step back.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid. Such a rookie mistake.'
"I should've anticipated their paranoia. Or his anger at me for exposing his private manners.'
'Why do I have such a big mouth.'
But that was when a gravelly voice cut through, his black fur outfit fluttering from the wind.
Kesagiri Man suddenly appeared on the scene.
Quirk: Tailwind. Depending on which direction the air was flowing, and how strong it is, he got a proportional boost in speed in that direction.
"Stand down." The Pro Hero said while he turned his head, eyeing the crowd before stopping at me.
"Name and quirk?" he asked.
I didn't flinch away from his commanding voice.
"Insight and 'Pattern', a mental boost quirk. No physical traits to prove it however. But I think with a little effort, it would be clear to see why I'm not a suspect."
Kesagiri Man paused, narrowing his eyes at me as if trying to see through my statement for lies.
Adhesion snorted and pointed at me, "He's clearly lying! That quirk's easy to fake!"
Kesagiri Man raised a hand to silence his sidekick, nodding to a woman in a lab coat near him. "Mika. Check him."
Mika, a woman with grey hair tied up into two twintails, stepped forward from the back of the crowd, taking out a small pin from her bag.
I backed away warily, glancing at Kesagiri Man, and then back at Mika.
'What do they want to do?'
But I didn't get too lost in my own thoughts as Mika quickly explained.
She smiled kindly, "Don't worry, it's only for my quirk: Identify. One drop of someone's blood reveals their quirk."
'...'
'That's not good.'
'Well, it's fine if they find out I'm quirkless.'
'But it would have been more ideal if they thought I had a quirk that boosted my intelligence. Society runs on that concept. That you'll excel with a quirk to accompany your skills.'
But I didn't really have a choice
So I removed my gloves as Mika gently lifted my hand up and whispered, "Hold still."
I didn't flinch as she pricked my finger, and smeared the drop of blood on her open palm.
Ten seconds passed, and Mika's brow furrowed.
She looked at me, and then at her boss, and then back at me.
"…He lied." she announced.
"HAH! I knew it!" Adhesion yelled from the back, smirking from ear to ear.
Then Mika shook her head, "No, you're wrong too Adhesion."
She looked at me harder, trying to make eye contact through my mask.
Probably in an attempt to either apologize, for what she was going to say, or to find out why I lied.
"He has no quirk factor. He's… He's quirkless."
"..."
Adhesion laughed in shock, "Q-quirkless?! Then why's he dressed like a wannabe vigilante?!"
"Because incompetence bores me." I said as I began putting my gloves back on. "I want to help bring justice to Japan, and I know I can with my talents. I just need someone to trust me and allow me to assist."
Adhesion splayed his arms out, "What can you even do huh? Mr. Quirkless wonder! You have no quirk!"
"I can solve this case quicker than you glue bottle."
Kesagiri Man who was silent until now, crossed his arms at me, "Explain."
I pointed at the yellow police tape, "May I?"
Kesagiri man nodded.
I limboed under the tape, and approached the scene.
I replaced my white pair of gloves with black ones, and took out my personal chemical testing kit.
All eyes were glued on me as I tested drops of fluid from here, picked up pieces of rubble from there.
Until after five minutes had passed, I stood up, removing my gloves. "Check the sewers. The thieves escaped underground."
Mika peeked over the spot I was just crouching at, "How do you know?"
I gestured to the curb.
"There was a smear of bio-waste near the shattered glass. pH levels suggest sewage, not trash. And the footprints on the sidewalk aren't from ordinary mud. The odor is iron and decay. And it contains a vast amount of E.Coli bacteria. A common sign the villains came from the Sewers.
And speaking of the thieves. Their quirks are similar to liquidation or size manipulation. Given how some of the diamonds are disfigured and the small puddles over there are made of pure carbon bonds."
I pointed in the direction the drops on the ground were in, "If you follow the small trail of liquid carbon, it should show that they fled into the sewers."
I ripped a piece of paper from my notebook after scribbling some notes on it and handed it to Kesagiri man.
"Once you track it, inside the maintenance tunnels, you'll find some residue that match these chemicals. It's the resulting compound of liquid diamonds being oxidized by sewage. If you find it, you'll know it's that sewer they're hiding in."
I heard one of the bystanders whisper to his buddy, "Did… did that dude just solve it faster than us?"
The policeman replied, "I don't know. I failed Organic Chemistry."
Kesagiri Man was silent as he stood in thought, then spoke into a comm. "Unit 4—begin searching the nearest sewers. Now."
Adhesion protested, "But sir! He—"
"—Helped give us evidence." Kesagiri man finished. "Now prepare our men to leave soon. We'll begin searching as well."
"Mind if I tag along?" I asked, hopeful.
"No." He replied almost too quickly. "I'll let you off with a warning, but non-authorized personnel are not allowed on scene."
My gaze remained steady as I replied, "Nowhere in the law does it specifically state that consultant detectives are illegal—it's simply a… grey area that the authorities prefer to ignore."
"And this is the first time I will ignore this." He glared at me before he turned and began walking away, "Don't expect a second."
But I followed after him, "Ah, but you've already enjoyed taking my insights. Might as well enjoy the comforts of my genius."
"The law doesn't recognize your insights."
"Funny, I thought you'd already recognized my assistance when you ordered your men to follow my leads."
He stopped, turned, and stared at me for a couple of seconds. "Who are you really?"
"I told you already, I'm an ordinary consultant."
"No…" And he looked me up and down, "You're too bright for odd tasks like this. Too observant. Surely you have an actual job to do. It's too suspicious for you to just go around helping on random crime scenes."
I saw Adhesion glaring from the back, his eyes screaming, 'That's right! Arrest him Boss! Arrest this hooligan!'
I grinned, reaching into my coat, producing a black business card.
"I assure you, Kesagiri Man. I am a professional detective. A legal, and 'Of-Age', Consulting detective."
Adhesion snatched the card from my hand before I could hand it to Kesagiri Man, and turned it front and back. "This thing is blank! Are you messing with the Boss?!"
"Scratch it."
He did, and a phone number glowed faintly in gold.
Kesagiri Man grunted, "...what's the point of that."
I shrugged, "It seemed fun at the time."
Rolling his eyes, Adhesion turned to Kesagiri man and asked, "So Boss, should I stay here and clear the scene while you go to the sewers?"
"Yes. Tell Wrench and Carlow to help search too. They should be out at the moment."
Then he pointed at me, "But not you. You need to leave before I let Adhesion arrest you."
I raised my hands in resignation. "Fine, fine."
'You can't win them all I guess. It's better not to push too many buttons.'
I began walking away while waving farewell, "I'll just wait until you run into another problem you can't solve. But just remember to call me when it happens."
Kesagiri Man smirked before turning around to walk away in the other direction. "Good luck, 'Insight'. You'll need it in this industry."
I called out after him, "I don't need luck! I need dumb clients who are smart enough to call me!"
Kesagiri man smiled at that.
Others chuckled.
Adhesion scowled.
And my mask hid my smile as I melted back into the crowded streets, deciding to head home.
***
Later that day
I paused outside the house neighboring my own, the grocery bag rustling beside me with cakes.
My disguise was already stashed away, the trench coat swapped for a plain blue hoodie and white cargo pants.
And the mask on my face was swapped for a bright friendly smile.
Now, I was no longer Insight.
I was ordinary Hakuro.
Approachable Hakuro.
Neighborly Hakuro.
My parents' etiquette lectures echoed in my skull: "Connections are currency, Hakuro. Even small ones."
And if there was one thing I knew about them, they never taught me incorrect life skills.
I rang the bell.
Mitsuki Bakugo swung the door open, her eyebrow raised. "Yeah? Oh—hey, you're the kid from next door! Moved in, what, a couple days ago?"
I bowed slightly, offering the cake box, "Yes, ma'am. Hakuro Amago. This is a small gesture to apologize for any noise during the move."
She snorted, "Please. You're quieter than my brat stomping around at 6 a.m. C'mon in."
She turned around, and almost immediately switched her tone of voice—"MASARU! NEW NEIGHBOR'S KID'S HERE!"
Masaru Bakugo, Bakugo's dad, peeked out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel with a smile, "Ah! Welcome! Katsuki's upstairs, but he'll—"
But speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Bakugo stomped down the stairs, scowling. "The hell's all the yelling—?!" He froze, spotting me. "You."
I tilted my head innocently "Me?"
Bakugo jabbed a finger at me. "You're the weirdo who tried to make a fool of me! Pretending to be mute!"
His parents looked at Bakugo, and then at me.
Blinking, I replied as sincerely as I could make it, "I apologize, I was just trying to make a friend. I'll try my best to make it up to you."
Mitsuki smiled warmly, "Oh, I like this one! Katsuki! Learn some manners from him!"
Katsuki snarled, "Shut up! Why's he even here?!"
I gestured at the cake his mom was holding, "Social protocol."
But something caught my eye, "Your wrist…?"
Bakugo's mom glanced at her wrapped wrist, "Huh? Oh, I just twisted it a little while gardening—"
"Tendon strain, not a twist." I interrupted. "You're right-handed but you used your left when you gestured at your husband. Ice would reduce swelling faster than that wrap."
The couple stared at me as Bakugo's mom asked, "…Are you a doctor's kid?"
"No. Just… attentive to details."
Bakugo crossed his arms, sneering, "Creepy's more like it."
I turned to him, "And you've been training excessively. Shoulder joints are inflamed—your posture's off by 5.3 degrees since I last saw you. You should be careful of overexerting yourself, even if it's for the entrance exam, you might not do so well in the future with consistent injuries. Becoming the number one hero will be a pipedream if you keep this up."
Bakugo exploded, his hands fizzing, "THE HELL DID YOU SAY, YOU ANALYTICAL TWIG—?!"
BONK
But his mother punched the back of his head, "Play nice! The kid's got guts! And he's only giving good advice."
"BUT HE—"
BONK
"Make sure to stay friends with him."
"STOP HITTING ME DANG IT!"
While the two blondes had their own separate conversation (more like a fist fight), going back and forth about whether I was a good person or not, I nodded at Bakugo's dad.
"The cake's a Tres' Leches cake. You had three empty boxes peaking out of your recycling bin. It was a safe assumption you guys liked this."
He coughed out of embarrassment, "Thank you. Both my wife and child eat it… religiously."
My thoughts went back to my own sisters who gobbled up cakes every chance they got. "Yeah… I know the feeling."
Just then, Bakugo appeared in front of me, grabbing my collar, "Listen here, Mind Freak. I don't know why—"
"Hakuro." I deadpanned. "My name is Hakuro. And relax. You're crushing your own gift card. The one in your pocket for… 'Luxe's Nutritious Food.' "
I smiled, "On a protein diet, are we?"
He released me, "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY—?!"
"The receipt corner is sticking out of your jeans genius. The 'LNF' logo was clear as day. Then it was simple reasoning from there."
Bakugo looked down with a scowl, and stuffed it further into his pocket while I smoothed out my hoodie that he had creased.
His mom howled with laughter, "He's got you there, brat!"
"He's just a stalker. Not a genius." Bakugo grumbled.
Seeing as how I did what I came for, I backed towards the door.
"I'll take my leave now."
I turned to his parents, "It was lovely to meet you two. Please enjoy the cake."
Then I simply nodded at the boy glaring at me, "Bakugo."
But right before I left, I turned around last second, "Also, congratulations on your upcoming acceptance to U.A. As well as being placed first."
Bakugo froze."The hell?! Results aren't out yet!"
"How many times must I prove this?" I smirked.
And I walked backwards out their front door.
"I'm somewhat of a genius. So I already know the results."
The door closed as I exited, his parents looking at me in amusement, Bakugo's roar muffled at how stupid I looked, trying to act cool.
'Mission accomplished. Connections: secured. And tomorrow? I'd buy earplugs for school. Bakugo's temper was bound to give me headaches.'
I hopped down the steps as I recalled the day's events.
'Overall, it was a good day of—
Chapter 7 - Making Connections
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Hello Everyone!
Like always, any critiques about the Chapter are appreciated. I want to become a better writer obviously.
But some compliments about the story wouldn't hurt... (It motivates me to keep writing this for free.)
Leave any thoughts and suggestions here and I'll take a look! From OC's, to side stories you want to see. I have an open mind!