After returning to his own world, Ryoko and Miyu found themselves invited to Jiro's house by her parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jiro were kind, understanding people, and after learning about Miyu's situation, they treated her as if she were their own daughter.
They doted on her endlessly. Jiro Mika pampered Miyu with motherly warmth, while Jiro Kyotoku tried his best to play the "cool uncle," showering her with attention and goofy jokes.
It was sweet, but not for everyone.
Kyoka couldn't help but feel a small sting in her chest. Watching her parents fawn over Miyu made her feel... replaced. Not that she blamed the girl, Miyu was innocent in all this, but that didn't make the feeling go away.
Shaking her head, Kyoka pushed away those thoughts and focused on the dishes she was washing alongside her childhood friend. The faint sound of running water filled the kitchen as she cast a sidelong glance at him.
"Say, Ryo," she began, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the tiny hitch in her voice. "The girl and I were talking earlier."
She dried her hands, then pulled a small envelope from her pocket. Inside was a set of glossy I-Island I-Expo tickets.
"During our summer break, the I-Expo's happening," she explained. "Momo got three tickets and invited me to go with her. That leaves one more…" She hesitated, glancing at him shyly. "So, do you want to come with me to I-Island?"
Ryoko looked down at the ticket, then back up at her with that calm, unreadable expression of his.
"Sure," he said simply. "I'll meet you there."
Kyoka blinked. "What?"
"I already got an invitation after winning the Sports Festival," he replied, still cleaning the bowls. "So you don't have to save me a ticket."
Her smile twitched.
Seriously?
She'd gone through all the trouble to get him one, even asked Momo for an extra, and he just casually tells her he doesn't need it?
From the living room, Mika and Kyotoku peeked in like a pair of nosy parents, with Miyu leaning between them, her wide purple eyes sparkling with curiosity as she eavesdropped on the two teens.
Once the dishes were done, Ryoko and Kyoka stepped out of the kitchen. The scene that greeted them was unexpectedly heartwarming. Mika was sitting at the piano, helping Miyu position her fingers properly on the keys, while Kyotoku hummed along from behind, clapping out rhythm patterns.
To everyone's surprise, Miyu picked it up fast. Her small hands moved with precision, matching notes with a natural sense of pitch and timing.
Ryoko couldn't help but smile. Seeing his little sister learning something new, something gentle and creative, was a small but precious moment.
"Say," he said as he crouched down beside her, "do you want to come with me on vacation to that artificial island where they create hero equipment?"
Miyu looked up, her expression soft but mischievous.
"I don't wanna go, Onii-san," she said sweetly, smiling from ear to ear.
Ryoko blinked. "Heh?"
Before he could question her, she continued, "How about you go with Jiro-nee? You're both going there anyway."
"I think that's a wonderful idea," Mika chimed in with a proud smile, clasping her hands together.
Kyotoku nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes. Miyu-chan can stay with us while you two enjoy your trip!"
Now it was Kyoka's turn to be caught off guard. She stared at her parents.
Are they... sending me off or something?
Ryoko exhaled softly, then glanced down at his sister's bright purple eyes.
"Fine," he said, smiling faintly. "But don't be like me, okay? Don't go around causing trouble."
"Right!" Miyu answered cheerfully, flashing a cheerful smile.
Kyoka crossed her arms and mumbled, "Great… now I've got to return these tickets."
Her parents laughed softly, but Ryoko remained quiet for a moment, watching Miyu as she returned to the piano.
Her decision not to go had surprised him at first. But as he thought about it more, it made sense.
Miyu had always been curious about the world, eager to experience new things, but heroes... heroes were different for her. It wasn't that she hated them, but her past had left deep scars.
In her old world, the "hero" had chosen to sacrifice her, trade her life away to save the world, while the one who chose to protect her, her brother, was branded as the evil of the world.
Since then, she has never been able to develop a liking for heroes.
Now, all Miyu wanted was something simple, a peaceful, ordinary life surrounded by warmth and love. And Ryoko had given her that. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than she'd dreamed of.
So, when she told him not to worry about her, it was her way of saying that he should also enjoy life.
...
The day finally came. Tsutsumi and Jiro boarded the plane headed straight for I-Island, the artificial paradise floating on the open sea. Their flight touched down on the island's own man-made airport, a glittering symbol of human innovation.
As they stepped off the plane, Tsutsumi gazed out across the sprawling cityscape, clean steel, glass towers, large circular walls that protected the cities within, and neon veins of energy running through the streets like lifeblood.
"An entire island built just to research Quirks…" he murmured, snapping a quick photo of the skyline. "Interesting."
I-Island was unlike any place on Earth, a fully autonomous, moving island inhabited by over ten thousand scientists. Every major corporation involved in hero work had invested here, creating a technological utopia dedicated to studying Quirks, developing support items, and advancing human evolution itself.
"Hey," Jiro called, holding her phone with a map of the island and glancing around. "The girls said they'll meet us at the pavilion gate. Come on."
She reached out, grabbing his hand before he could wander off. With his other hand, he quietly dragged both her suitcases behind him, rolling them across the smooth pavement as they walked through the lively plaza.
When they finally reached the meeting point, Yaoyorozu, Hagakure, and Kendo were already waiting.
"Jiro-chan! Tsutsumi-kun! Over here!" Hagakure's voice called out cheerfully, her invisible hand waving in the air.
As they approached, Tsutsumi tilted his head slightly. "Kendo? You're here too?"
"Hello, Yaoyorozu-san invited me along, so I tagged in." Kendo greeted the two with a smile.
He remembered Jiro mentioning that Yaoyorozu and Kendo had interned together, splitting their time between hero work and modeling promotions, well, mostly modeling promotions. Maybe that's how they'd grown close enough for Yaoyorozu to invite her along.
Still, what caught his attention more was that Jiro had managed to hand off all the luggage to him without even asking. Somewhere along the way, the bags had magically migrated to his hands.
He sighed but said nothing, following along as Yaoyorozu smiled warmly.
"I already booked our hotel," she said. "Let's drop our stuff off first before the Expo starts."
Tsutsumi followed behind, while the girls chatted excitedly.
...
When they arrived at the hotel lobby, a massive glass structure overlooking the ocean, Hagakure perked up.
"Hey! Let's take a picture to remember this!" she said enthusiastically, pulling out her phone.
"Tsutsumi-kun, would you mind taking it for us?"
"Sure," Tsutsumi replied before Jiro could even protest. "Just leave it to me."
He adjusted the phone, waited a second for them to pose, then clicked.
"Thanks!" Hagakure said, rushing over to check the photo, only to blink in confusion.
"This looks… kinda nice?" Kendo said, though her tone didn't sound too convinced.
Yaoyorozu squinted. "Did you, um… use a filter or something?"
"I don't remember downloading any filters like this," Hagakure muttered, tilting her invisible head in confusion.
"Don't think too much about it," Jiro said with a sigh. "Every picture he takes ends up looking terrible."
"Simple-minded people just failed to understand my... Artistic touch." Tsutsumi replied simply, earning a kick from Jiro like usual.
But when Hagakure looked closely, her invisible eyes widened. Standing right beside the three visible girls, where she should be standing, was a fourth figure: a girl with long, messy green hair and bright emerald eyes.
"W-Wait! That's me!?" Hagakure shouted, eyes wide even if no one could see them.
The others leaned closer, their eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh…" Yaoyorozu breathed. "Toru, you're… beautiful."
"Yeah," Kendo added softly. "Really beautiful."
Jiro crossed her arms. "Too bad. The only one who can capture you happened to be the worst photographer I know."
But Hagakure didn't care. For the first time since she'd developed her Quirk, she could actually see herself. Tears shimmered in her invisible eyes as she turned back to Tsutsumi.
"Tsutsumi-kun… can you take another one? Please?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.
"Sure," he said, reaching into his pocket, only to freeze when he saw the gaping hole in his phone.
Everyone went silent.
"…I'll fix it later," he said casually, pocketing the broken device.
Jiro sighed. "What the hell happened this time? Last I saw, your screen was cracked to hell, now it's got a hole through it!"
Tsutsumi looked unfazed. "Some jealous girl tried to shoot me for beating up her crush."
Everyone: "..."
They all blinked. Somehow, that sounded way too plausible coming from him.
"Here," Hagakure said quickly, handing her phone back. "Use mine instead!"
Tsutsumi nodded and took a few more pictures of her as they walked toward their rooms, although his pictures were horrible as always, with an overlapping effect that ruined the pictures; there were still some good ones where this overlapping effect happened just right. Hagakure laughed joyfully, finally seeing her reflection again after all these years.
The girls shared a four-person suite, spacious and bright, filled with chatter and luggage. Tsutsumi's room, meanwhile, was quiet and minimal, a single bed beside a wide window overlooking the city.
He placed his one large bag on the bed. It was nearly empty, no clothes, no accessories, nothing unnecessary. The only thing inside was a few personal tools. This bag's purpose was to carry souvenirs.
Form Ride: Metal Cluster Hopper!
The air around him came alive with a metallic buzz as a swarm of tiny, silver grasshoppers materialized out of thin air. They darted through the air like fragments of light before converging on him, layering themselves across his body.
In seconds, the swarm molded into a sleek, long silver coat with an almost liquid shine, and a matching undershirt that shimmered with faint mechanical patterns.
Then, without hesitation, he held up another card.
Form Ride: Ark!
His purple eyes shifted, burning crimson as an eerie digital hum filled the room. The broken phone in his hand began to melt into a black-and-crimson liquid that spread across his arm like living data. It crawled across his body, consuming the metallic silver until it transformed entirely.
When the strange substance finally receded, he stood there, his coat now a deep, pitch black with magenta lining glowing faintly, the inner layer was a deep magenta color, and his undershirt shifted to a vibrant magenta.
His crimson eyes then faded, returning to their calm, familiar purple.
Flipping open the new phone that had replaced the broken one. The screen flickered to life instantly, reflecting his faint smirk as he typed a quick message to Jiro.
[Ryoko]: Be out for a bit.
Closing the device, he slipped it into his pocket, turned toward the door, and stepped out of his hotel room.
While exploring I-Island, Tsutsumi moved through the vibrant crowds and glittering streets, his gaze drifting from one place to another. The entire island buzzed with life, tourists taking pictures, children running with sparkling balloons in hand.
Then, a sudden wave of noise cut through the ambient chatter, cheers, screams, and flashes of cameras. Tsutsumi's eyes narrowed as he turned toward the commotion.
There, standing proudly at the center of a large crowd, was a man who could never go unnoticed.
Japan's Number One Hero, All Might.