"Hey, Maki, wake up. You're going to be late," said a woman.
When she received no answer, she opened the door to the room.
What she saw made her pause.
Maki was still asleep on his bed, clutching his blanket like a cat afraid of the cold.
The woman shook her head.
She grabbed the red blanket Maki was wrapped in and yanked it hard.
"I said wake up, you sleepyhead!" she shouted.
Swoooooop.
The blanket flew off, but Maki was still fast asleep.
That did it.
Her irritation spiked. She clenched her right fist and—
Baaaaam!
She smacked Maki on the head.
Maki felt something hit him. It wasn't painful—just another normal occurrence he was used to. He frowned slightly but didn't react much.
Slowly, he opened his eyelids. His dark red eyes scanned the dim room. Then he turned his head and looked at the woman standing beside him.
"Oh… good morning, Nemuri."
With a lazy voice, he asked, "Why'd you wake me up?"
The woman was Nemuri Kayama, better known by her Pro Hero name—Midnight.
She had long, spiky dark blue hair—almost black—that flowed down to her lower back. Her striking light-blue eyes were often framed by her signature mask or glasses. Her figure was tall, curvaceous, and athletic.
Nemuri stared down at the groggy kid in front of her.
"What do you mean why?" she snapped. "Today is the U.A. exam. Didn't I tell you about it yesterday?"
"U-U.A…?" Maki scratched his head, thinking hard. Then his eyes widened slightly as it came back to him. "Oh. You mean the exam. I forgot about that."
He yawned and sat up on the bed.
Nemuri looked at the boy more closely.
His hair was long and black like hers, but instead of being spiky, it was smooth and reached his shoulders. His skin was pale, his jaw sharp, his nose high, and his eyebrows were shaped like blades. Combined with his dark red eyes, there was no doubt—this kid would be a heartbreaker someday.
Maki stood up, towering over her.
He was at least 2.3 meters or 7.55 feet tall.
Nemuri looked up at him, still unable to believe it. This kid had grown so much. It felt like just yesterday when she had adopted him.
[ flash back ]
That day had been after a long, exhausting schedule of lectures at U.A. As usual, after work she headed back to her condo to rest and prepare another study plan for the next day.
She got into her car—a Porsche K1, a flagship electric SUV.
It was a 30-minute drive home.
Halfway through the ride, something unexpected happened.
BaaaaAAaaaaang!
Something slammed into the roof of her car.
Startled, Nemuri nearly lost control. The radio was still playing, but her focus snapped instantly to the road. Still, she didn't panic—years as a Pro Hero had trained her to stay calm in any situation.
She hit the brakes.
Thankfully, she wasn't on the highway.
Nemuri stepped out of the car, checking herself first. The dent was on the passenger side, so she hadn't been hurt.
Furious, she looked around.
"Who the hell throws something at a car?" she muttered.
The street was quiet—eerily calm.
Then she heard it.
"Arg…"
The sound came from above.
She grabbed the car window frame, stepped onto the side of the Porsche, and looked up.
Her eyes widened.
A kid was lying on the roof of her car—right where the dent was.
"What…?" she whispered. "Did he fall from the sky?"
She called out, "Hey, kid! Are you alright?"
The boy didn't look at her. His eyes were locked onto the red, bluish sky above.
Then he muttered, "You really… literally dropped me…"
And with that, he passed out.
Nemuri panicked.
She immediately called an ambulance and began giving him first aid.
♤
After Nemuri called the ambulance, it arrived quickly. The paramedics took care of the kid and brought both him and Nemuri to the hospital, with Nemuri acting as a witness to what had happened.
Later that night, the kid was still unconscious, lying quietly on the hospital bed. His condition was stable, and according to the doctors, he was in good health.
Nemuri stayed nearby, keeping an eye on him.
She then called Nezu, the principal of U.A., informing him that she wouldn't be able to attend class the next day. She explained everything from the beginning.
Nezu simply raised an eyebrow before replying, "I understand. Take care of that falling kid."
Nemuri ended the call.
♤
The next morning, the kid finally woke up.
He got off the hospital bed and walked toward the open window. From there, he saw a scenery he had never seen before—buzzing crowds, tall buildings, colorful comic-like figures painted on walls, busy streets, and countless odd-looking people.
A man with horns. A man with fish-like features. And many other strange individuals.
"So this is one of those cartoons…" he muttered.
No, that wasn't right.
"What was that little girl called it… anim—al? Anim-ite?"
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind him.
"So, you're awake."
He turned around and saw a woman.
She was dangerously curvaceous and beautiful.
The kid stared at her—not with lust, but with a gaze filled with calculation and curiosity, as if he were trying to decipher her.
Nemuri noticed and coughed lightly.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not interested in kids," she said.
Then she added, "You'll need to wait at least ten more years."
Nemuri smirked and chuckled. "Look at you. Cheeky brat," she teased.
The kid finally spoke.
"So… where am I?"
Nemuri raised an eyebrow. "Well, that should be my question. Why did you fall out of nowhere—and why onto my car?"
The kid shrugged. "How should I know? I was just sleeping, then someone picked me up and dropped me," he said sarcastically.
Nemuri stared at his deadpan expression.
"What about your parents? Relatives?"
"…None," the kid replied quietly. "They left."
His voice was low, calm, as if he had already accepted that he had been alone for a long time.
Nemuri looked at the back of the kid, who had turned back toward the window.
He looked about seven or eight years old.
According to the doctors who examined him, he was perfectly fine after the fall—no wounds, not even a scratch. They suggested it might be the effect of his quirk, but said a more detailed examination would be needed to know for sure.
Nemuri refused. She respected the kid's privacy.
After a moment, she asked, "So… where are you going now?"
She didn't know why, but it felt like she was talking to someone far older than he appeared.
The kid didn't answer. He continued staring outside.
Then he asked, "Do you know where the sea is? Somewhere nearby."
"The sea?" Nemuri repeated.
"Yes. Just leave me there, and everything will be fine. I can take care of myself."
This time, Nemuri didn't respond immediately. She stared at him, deep in thought.
After a while, she sighed and shook her head in defeat.
"Don't bother," she said firmly. "Come with me. I'll adopt you or something."
The kid didn't reply.
Silence filled the room.
Then he spoke casually, "Well, if you're single, then it's fine. If you're going to raise your future husband, I'll gladly accept your offer."
For once, Nemuri—the queen of provocation—was left completely dumbfounded.
She froze.
Then, slowly, a smirk spread across her face.
"Fufufu… you're a wild youth," she said.
And just like that, Nemuri and Maki ended up living together.
For the next sixteen years.