1 Suicidal Thoughts?

As a kid, people didn't need to worry about anything. Living their lives without a single thought.

The moment you start thinking twice, regretting your decisions, looking over your shoulders, you grow up. You don't become an adult when you age, you become one by losing your innocence.

***

At a certain Elementary, during lunch break.

"What is that kid doing?"

A 7-year old, smiling boy was playing football with his friend when he noticed the odd, quirkless boy.

"Kaito, forget about him. He keeps doing these strange things! Pay more attention to the ball."

Kicking the ball over, Kaito's friend tried to erase the existence of the strange kid.

However, for Kaito-No, for everyone, a freakish kid who can walk on his hands is definitely more important than football..... Unless you're a football yandere.

"You know what, you guys go ahead. I want to talk with him."

Kaito slightly kicked over the ball as he made up his mind, holding a kind smile on his face.

It was only the second year of his elementary school and he wanted to make as many friends as he could from his new class.

"Kaito, you better not. He's quirkless."

"Quirkless?"

For a naive boy like Kaito, even the word 'quirkless' was unknown. After all, in a world where almost everyone had quirks, it became the new norm.

Without a quirk, you would become the traitor who rebelled against the world. Even if you had no hand in it.

"You know, no superpowers."

As his friend kindly explained it, Kaito seemed more confused.

'Superpower? Oh, quirks!'

The young boy wasn't sure whether to call his quirk a superpower or not, as it was nothing but a curse to Kaito.

"It will be fine."

Just as Kaito waved off his friend's concerns and walked over, he heard an urgent scream.

"No, don't. My mom said that if you mingle too much with quirkless fellows, you will become quirkless too!"

'Huh? Is being quirkless a disease?'

Being quirkless wasn't a sin. But people always needed a common target or they would fight amongst themselves.

And to maintain order, there was a need for examples.

Like a teen is discouraged from breaking the law by looking at others getting punished, the parents used quirkless kids to straighten their own children. It helped them teach discipline to their young ones but also fostered discrimination.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Kaito was an orphan.

Ignoring the rumors of his friend proved to be a wrong decision. Kaito would realize that in the future and always berate himself for his dumb decisions.

"Hey, there. What are you doing?"

***

As I was doing my daily work-out session, a weirdo came towards me.

"Hey, there. What are you doing?"

'Woah, a weirdo.'

Sure, that wasn't something I should have said since my antics were more bizarre.

Like a young kid doing a handstand could ever become normal.... It probably could be normal only and only if the world was filled with YOUTH!!

'I need a break. My hands are hurting... Real bad!!'

"Hah! Sorry, kid. My mother told me not to talk with strangers."

Jumping to my feet, I stood up straight as I looked at him.

Thankfully, no one saw the quivering hands, which saved me some face. Others probably thought that I stood up straight to talk with him. 

"Oh, I forgot. My name's Kaito, Kurasaki Kaito. I'm probably in the same class as you."

With his red-white colored hair, it was hard for anyone to miss Kaito. Yet I couldn't quite remember the young man.

'Well, I don't even remember the homeroom teacher's name. He could be my classmate.... Still, I didn't want an introduction when I called a 'stranger'.'

"You're weir-... Different from the rest, aren't you?"

'You should be the one to talk.'

Kaito thought to himself with a kind smile on his face. He had some devilish thoughts too.

"Haha! People say that to me. So what were you doing...."

"Masato, Anzai Masato. And I was training."

Since we were doing 'James Bond' style greeting anyway, I revealed my cool name.

"Training? For what?"

Cursiosity gleamed in the innocent red eyes of Kaito. His entire look made him seem like a target. With his circular red and white hair lines to his eyes, which had white pupils and red irises.

'It probably has something to do with his quirk.'

Most strange appearances could be chalked upto quirks. One girl from another class even had plants for hair.

"I want to di-Be a hero. Yeah, I want to be a great hero."

Thoroughly hiding the suicidal thoughts, I gave out a simple answer.

"Really!? I want to be hero too!!"

For some reason, he was pumped as he heard it. Something that was incomprehensible to an intellectual like me.

'Unless....'

"Kid, you're having suicidal thoughts like me?"

7 was a pretty young age to have thoughts like that. But it was better to get started early.

"Huh? Suicidal? What's that?"

Innocently tilting his head, Kaito once again revealed his curious nature.

"..... A type of food?"

"Is it sweet?"

"... Depends on whether you-Forget it."

It was hard to explain such hideous things to a sweet child so there was no explanation at all. Even lying to someone like him, seemed like sin.

'Innocence and curiosity.... I can't remember when I used to be like that. Well, I'm more than happy with my current life.'

"Hey, hey, what's suicidal thoughts?"

Sadly, curiosity wasn't that easy to lose once you caught it.

"Um, by the way, who's your favorite hero?"

Kaito's smile froze at the obvious attempt in changing the topic but he kept the conversation moving anyway.

"It's Almight! He's the best, after all. Who's yours?"

"Spider-Sorry, wrong world. Mine's Almight too, kid."

"It's not 'kid', it's Kaito."

"Okay, from now on, you're Kaito Ki-Nope, wrong world again."

These puns could only be understood by me so Kaito was a bit irritated in his heart. Young kids had a hard time controlling their emotions yet he seemed to be a natural, always wearing a kind smile.

In better words, he was a professional, two-faced guy, destined to have suicidal thoughts like a certain someone.

"No wonder you don't have friends. You're really strange."

'Ack! Being quiet sometimes can't hurt you, kid.'

The imaginary arrow packed a punch as it directly went for the head.

'Another pun that no one could understand.'

"If you know that, then move on, kid. I'm busy."

I took a running stance as I had enough of rest and needed to start training again. 

"Wait, I want to train too."

Leaving those words, I ran forward.

He dashed after me, trying to catch up desparately.

Our speeds weren't that different. After all, even if I trained daily, there was only so much a 7-year old could do.

"Train on your own, kid."

"But don't you want to be a hero!? Heroes help others!"

".... Smartass."

I snorted at him and sped up.

There was no way I wanted to be a hero.

Heroes were cool. They were better than the rest of humanity.

But they were also the ones who sacrificed more than others.

Some lost their family, some lost their dreams, and many lost their hearts in the process of becoming a hero.

'I'm straight-up selfish. Even if I have the chance to save someone without causing harm to myself, I wouldn't.'

Since it would take up my time.

"Wai-Huff! Huff! For me! Huff!"

- Thud!

As he rushed forward, Kaito tripped on a stone and fell over.

"..."

I glanced over my shoulders before moving on.

He only glanced at the place I was at, with a hint of anger in his eyes. His knees were scrapped. Currents of pain passed through his legs as he tried to stand up.

***

"Ow! Ow!"

Kaito was but a kid. Young and naive. Innocent and hopeful.

'I don't like that guy. I will definitely be a better hero than him! I swear! For mom and dad.'

And one day, when he was a better hero, he would run further ahead of Masato and wait for him to trip. Scrap his knee and drown in tears while he would keep running forward.

"It hurts~"

Looking at the red that dripped from his knees, Kaito felt pain but nothing welled up in his dry eyes.

He looked over to his friends but no one noticed anything because of his ever-present smile.

'I shouldn't have left them.'

Perhaps it would have been better if he was still playing football. He wouldn't be hurt if he did. Yet he had no one to blame but Masato for his mistakes.

'I hope that dumb-dumb falls over while training and scraps his knees!!'

Cursing him over and over, Kaito tried standing up.

"Ouch!"

"Don't move."

Just as he was about to make it, someone pushed him back down.

Looking up, he saw a familiar, indifferent face.

"You! Why are you here?!"

"So many questions, you have."

The Jedi Yod-Sorry, wrong world. The impression had no effect on Kaito as he glared at Masato with pissed eyes.

Masato didn't say anything and kneeled down before the injured boy. He had a first aid kit in his hands, which he opened.

Like a professional, he cleaned the wound with a cotton swab and started to take out the disinfectant.

"I hope this stings."

"OW!!"

Spraying the disinfectant, Masato showed a rare, sadistic smile which he never showed before.

"Oi, dumb-nuts, that hurts!!"

Kaito lost all his previous calm self as he screamed angrily.

"That's some elementary-school cuss."

"We're in elementary school!"

"..."

Masato was silenced by those words as he put a quietly bandage on the wound and stood up.

".... Be careful from next time, kid."

With those words, he left.

This kind deed was something Masato was regret his entire life, just like Kaito. Because of this little thing, he would have to suffer for the next 5 years.