The sky was soft with early sunlight, filtering through tree branches and spilling over the streets like a warm memory. Hikari stood in front of the quaint little café she used to sneak off to as a child—just a short walk from the Todoroki estate. This corner of the city held echoes of an old life she wasn't sure she belonged to anymore. But today, she was ready to face one of the hardest ghosts.
Shoto.
She picked the spot deliberately. Familiar. Safe. Almost like home.
As he stepped into view, the world seemed to still. The quiet air cracked with unspoken history. He was taller now—still lean, still composed—but his eyes, mismatched and vivid, carried something heavier than before.
When he saw her, he slowed. His expression unreadable—for a moment—then softened.
"Hey," she said, the word catching in her throat more than she expected.
"You haven't changed as much as I thought," he replied, voice quieter than she remembered, but warmer too.
She smiled faintly. "Thank you I guess..."
They sat across from each other, and for a moment, silence reigned. Not uncomfortable—just... fragile. Shoto stirred his tea while she traced patterns on the side of her cup.
"Do you still remember the Lantern Light Festival?" Shoto's voice broke the quiet between them.
Hikari smiled faintly and reached across the table, her fingers brushing against his. "Yes, I do. That was the first night our father let us go out on our own—so long as you promised to make sure we both got home safely."
Shoto looked away, his hand slipping from hers like he couldn't bear to keep the connection. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep my promise to you."
Hikari's smile faded. The warmth in her chest twisted into something else—something old and buried.
"They turned me into a lab rat," she said softly. "Added more Quirks to me. Turned me into a weapon for them. I still have nightmares about it, Shoto. About the cell. About the voices. The pain. The fear. When our father finally found me… after six months locked in that dark cage… I couldn't go back to the estate. I didn't want you, or our brother and sister, to see how broken I was. How damaged I still am."
Shoto's jaw clenched. His eyes dropped to the table like he couldn't bear to meet hers.
"But I never blamed you," she added, voice steady despite the weight of her words. "Not once."
Finally, he looked up. Reached for her hand again—slower this time. "You don't owe me anything. But I'm glad you reached out to me."
She blinked fast, trying not to cry. "Don't. You know I hate crying."
He smirked slightly. "You always tried to hide it. Even when you were little."
That made her laugh quietly under her breath.
"I know you and him don't get along right now," she said gently. "But it's because of our father that I want to keep going. I still believe in his dream for us. I want to be strong enough to stand beside him one day—when he's the number one hero I always believed he could be. I hope… you can understand that."
Shoto leaned back slightly, brushing his fingers across the old scar beneath his left eye.
"You weren't there when I got this," he said. "You didn't see the look in his eyes. The fire in his hand. You didn't see how hard he trained me after you left. How bad he treated our mother."
His voice dropped, edged with a bitter chill. "He pushed her over the edge. Because she never really accepted you as part of the family—not the way he did."
Hikari looked down. She didn't have to ask if it was true—she already knew.
No matter how many times she'd tried to show love to Shoto's mother, she was always met with coldness. With silence. She was never truly accepted… not as a daughter. Not even as a guest.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," she said quietly. "But I'm here now. And if we both make it into UA…"
Her voice warmed, just enough to push the heaviness back.
"…Maybe you can come stay at my place after. A break from our 'dear old dad.' Like old times."
That finally got a real smile. "You always did bribe me with sleepovers."
They sat a little longer, not needing much more than shared silence. Shoto told her about his training, about Fuyumi, and how hard it still was to unlearn what they were taught. Hikari talked about healing. About Midoriya. About the parts of her that still felt broken—and the parts starting to rebuild.
When it was time to go, she rose slowly.
"I have to go meet my best friend," she said, her smile returning. "Can you believe it? I actually have a best friend. I can't wait for you to meet him one day."
Shoto's gaze lingered on hers. "You going to be okay?"
She nodded once. "Yeah. I think I will."
Down at Dagobah Beach, Midoriya was huffing from the weight of hauling trash, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead. His hands were blistered, arms sore—but he didn't stop.
And then he saw her.
Hikari.
Talking—casually—to All Might, as if nothing in the world was strange about it.
His eyes widened. "What the—Hikari?!"
She turned and grinned like he'd just shown up for lunch. "Took you long enough."
All Might chuckled beside her, arms crossed over his plain white T-shirt, green cargo pants catching the breeze.
"You're late, young Midoriya."
Midoriya blinked. "Wait—what? Since when do you two know each other?"
Hikari rubbed the back of her neck. "It's… kind of complicated."
All Might, still smiling but gentler now, said, "It's alright. He deserves to know."
So they told him about the event five years ago, about the day Hikari was kidnapped, about how All Might worse enemies used her against him just because she was his daughter. So after that incident only a few handful of heroes ever knew the truth.
Midoriya stood silent for a long time.
"So… you're… his daughter?"
" Unfortunately but yes, I am the biological daughter of All Might. We don't share his last name. I use a different last name when I am at school. Didn't you notice?" Hikari gave him a sheepish shrug.
"But… why didn't you tell me?" he asked, voice cracking.
"Because if I told you… you'd look at me different," she said. "I just wanted to be me. Not All Might's secret."
He nodded slowly, heart still catching up to his head. "Okay… well… that explains a lot."
After a few minutes, Midoriya turned to All Might again.
"So once I get this Quirk thing under control… will you help me train too ,Hikari?"
Hikari stepped forward, throwing an arm around his shoulders.
"Of course, dummy. But you're on your own with the 500-pound tire pulls. I'm taking a break from Ka-Chan."
She looked out over the ocean as wind stirred her hair.
And for once… it didn't sting to look back.