BNHA: I am Reiji Toga

It had been a few days since Reiji had been discharged from the hospital. There was only a signature, along with a medical warning and a clear reminder: no physical exertion that would trigger his regeneration or the use of his Quirk. Technically, he was fit to return to school… but not back to the field.

He still had some scars, hidden in inconspicuous areas like the area on his abdomen where he regenerated from scratch, or the area on his right forearm, but that wasn't what bothered him the most. What bothered him was the sound of the school in session, people walking at their own pace while he still felt something inside was out of sync.

That Monday, he finally rejoined Class 1-A. He entered silently, as if he'd never left.

Kirishima was the first to notice.

"Hey! Reiji!" he exclaimed from his place next to Kaminari. "It's about time!"

Reiji raised a hand in greeting. He didn't say anything. He walked over to his usual desk and carefully put down his backpack, as if he didn't want to make any more noise.

"It feels weird to see you back," Mina commented, turning her chair toward him. "But weird—well. You know."

"I'm glad you're okay," Tsuyu said from her seat, in her usual calm voice.

"The interesting guy in class was missing," Camie chimed in, with her typical mischievous expression. "Without you, everything became very... standard."

"The interesting guy in class was missing," Camie chimed in, with her typical mischievous expression. "Without you, everything became very... standard."

"Interesting or problematic?" Jiro muttered from his seat, not raising his voice too much. His headphones were hanging off the floor as usual.

"Both," Camie replied without hesitation, winking at Reiji, who simply averted his gaze toward the window.

The general murmur of welcome soon broke out, and while everyone resumed their positions, some were already starting to talk quietly about the same thing: the approaching sports festival.

At that moment, Melissa Shield walked in from the hallway, carrying her usual tablet, and stopped when she saw Reiji.

"Oh, Reiji!" "It's good to see you back." Her smile was genuine. "I was just checking your data... well, your recovery history. I'm glad you're back on your feet."

Reiji tilted his head, grateful. "All thanks to you. You smashed that thing's face in."

"It was the least I could do," Melissa laughed, and moved to her seat without further ado.

Momo Yaoyorozu approached from the back seats, her posture always straight and elegant. "If you need anything to catch up on, I have notes organized by topic. Don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Reiji replied. "I'll try not to get more disorganized than necessary."

"Too late for that," Mineta was heard peeking out from behind his desk. "The rankings have already been disorganized! Since you left, the favoritism has dispersed!" Now I have a chance to shine!"

Camie and Mina let out a brief laugh, while Jiro shot him a poisoned look.

Reiji only gave him a supportive look, not really expecting anything, but for Mineta, it was as if Reiji finally acknowledged him as his superior.

Tokoyami, who had been listening silently from the window, added in his usual somber voice:

"The darkness acknowledges your return, Reiji. The shadows seem less agitated with your presence."

"...Thank you, I think," Reiji murmured.

Before he could continue the conversation, the classroom door slid aside with a loud click. An elegant figure entered, wrapped in perfume and authority.

"Good morning, children. Sorry to interrupt your morning conversation..." Midnight said, with her usual smile and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But as many of you already suspect, it's official: the U.A. Sports Festival is on its way." And this time... it will be more competitive than ever."

There was a chorus of murmurs, some excited, others nervous.

"You'll receive the details in writing shortly. In the meantime, I'm letting you know that all classes will be participating this year. Even the support and analysis courses. So you'd better give it your all."

The murmur returned louder, this time laced with competitive excitement.

***

Classes resumed as normal, and now Reiji was in training class. Everyone was training, adjusting their strategies, or simply trying to stand out. Reiji, on the other hand, sat on a bench in the shade, watching silently. He was still banned from using his Quirk and from any activity that would force its regeneration, but that didn't blind him to the obvious.

Kirishima was the first to pass in front of him, launching a series of punches against a reinforced dummy. His technique was lacking in many ways; he was fighting like a normal person, not like someone whose every blow felt like bricks.

He corrected his stance and approach, making him use his Quirk in a much more offensive way. At the same time, he was improving his own stamina.

Reiji moved to observe his other classmates.

Mina was practicing rapid acid throws against a series of moving targets. Although her Quirk was versatile, she was wasting energy by throwing in all directions without a defined pattern.

"You're fighting like you have infinite ammo," Reiji commented from a distance.

Mina turned curiously, pausing for a second. "And what do you suggest, Master Observer?"

"That you stop aiming at everything. You have good mobility. Use the acid to limit the other's movement, not to attack them directly. Push them into a mistake."

She clicked her tongue, but tried it. After a few tries, her aim improved, as did the way her attacks manipulated space.

"Ugh, I hate that you're right," she muttered as she returned to the exercise, more focused.

Melissa, sitting under a makeshift tent, adjusted her right glove with a screwdriver while testing the tension in her fingers. She looked frustrated. The festival prohibited equipment that wasn't strictly necessary, unless, of course, you were in the support class.

For the girl, that was a shot in the foot. Normally, he used his Quirk, aided by his inventions, to solve the problem of collateral damage his body couldn't yet handle.

"I still need to thank you properly for saving my skin," Reiji said, approaching quietly, his hands in his pockets and his steps measured.

Melissa looked up, blinking a few times.

"Are you going to thank me again? I just did what I had to do," she asked, feigning casualness.

"Well, considering you finished what I started right when I fell unconscious and that thing was going to finish me off... Well, then."

Reiji let out a short exhalation, something like a muffled laugh. Not mockery, not sarcasm: just the confirmation of a fact.

Melissa lowered her gaze for a second, as if analyzing her next words.

"Don't remind me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like a cheap movie scene where I arrive at the last minute to save the hero."

Reiji shrugged. "It works in most movies."

Melissa glanced at him, trying to hold back a smile.

"I didn't know you liked movies."

"I don't. But I know how they end."

A slight silence fell between them, comfortable but tense at the same time. Then Melissa let out a low sigh.

"I still haven't mastered my strength. I hit that thing with all my might, but the next moment, both my legs were shattered along with my arm. My Quirk is strong, but I can't control it... And now that I don't have my tools, I don't know what I'm going to do." Her voice echoed the disappointment she felt with herself, utterly frustrated. The OFA is a complex power, and Izuku was highly compatible, but... Was it because he was the ninth wielder? Or was it because he was Izuku?

Reiji clearly didn't know, but if Melissa matched or surpassed All Might's strength, then it would be more than enough.

"Well, I've seen you use your Quirk many times without your arms exploding. Even with your equipment, your body is already used to it. Focus on what you can handle, then the rest."

Melissa didn't respond immediately. She looked at her hands, covered in light scratches from metal and oil, and then clenched her fists.

"Focus on what you can handle..." she repeated softly.

Reiji crouched down in front of her, resting an elbow on her knee. His voice was firmer this time.

"The problem isn't that you have a lot of strength. The problem is that she wants to use it all at once."

Melissa looked up.

"Imagine it as electricity," he continued. "You don't charge the entire circuit at once, because it burns out. The energy has to flow. If you force every muscle to handle 100 percent at the same time, of course you'll break."

"So what do I do?"

"Divide. Fragment. Use the minimum necessary in each part, like switches. If you need to hit, don't activate the entire arm. Just enough at the elbow, at the shoulder, where the impact requires it. Don't fight like your Quirk is an avalanche. Fight like it's a constant stream."

Melissa watched him, completely silent. For a second, her eyes widened slightly, as if something had clicked.

"That sounds... simple?"

"It is. But it's not easy. Make the activation feel natural throughout your body, or you'll just be trying."

A pause fell between them.

"And how do you know so much about this?" she asked with a slightly curious smile.

Reiji looked away, raising a shoulder. Then, with a smile, he walked away to continue helping all his classmates improve their own skills.

***

The terrace of the main building was empty at that hour. The upperclassmen's lunch had already ended, and the first-year students hadn't yet left. A perfect place for those who didn't want to be seen.

Himiko and Reiji were sitting on a bench by the flowerbeds, both with trays barely touching.

"Seems like no one bothers us anymore," she commented, looking up at the sky with a slight smile.

Reiji ate in silence, but his attention was clearly on her.

"I guess being two years apart helps," he murmured without much difficulty.

"Not as much as I'd like," Himiko replied, turning to him. Her eyes had that playful glint, but also something deeper. "Some people still look at you strangely when we're together... Too close."

Reiji placed his chopsticks on the tray.

"They shouldn't," he said without emotion, but with a dry firmness. "We're nothing."

Himiko leaned closer, until her knee touched his. And she stared at him.

"Don't say that," she whispered with a small pout. "Not after what happened at the hospital and every morning."

He looked away with a small snort of laughter. He couldn't lie to himself. She was right. And being denied is the worst thing Reiji could do to her, if only to save face.

Himiko leaned in, her lips very close to his ear.

"If the problem is what other people think... there are ways to solve it."

"What do you mean?" he asked, extremely interested, turning to her.

She smiled, tilting her head.

"I can transform into someone else. Someone you like. Someone who isn't your 'sister.' That way, no one would suspect... and we could really be together."

Reiji stared at her, surprised. He knew she was serious. Was she really willing to do that much?

"Does it bother you that much that we're seen as we are?"

"It's not that," she said, lowering her gaze. "It bothers me that people look at you the wrong way. That they judge you. That they think you're the weird one, when I was the one who started it all."

A silence fell. It wasn't awkward, but filled with contained tension.

Then, without warning, Himiko slowly slid down until she was sitting on his lap, sideways. She settled herself naturally, as if that had always been her place.

"You don't have to say anything," she whispered. "Just... stay with me like this for a while."

Reiji hesitated. But he didn't push her away. His arm wound up around her waist, with a gentleness that had nothing brotherly about it.

She rested her head on his shoulder, simply enjoying the warmth of his body while no one was around to see them, and even if there were, they would only be seen as very close siblings, nothing strange.

"If you ever fall in love with someone else, I'll accept it. In fact! Please do it! I think Nejire would be more than willing!"

Reiji gave a short, humorless laugh. He looked down at her.

"You think so?"

"Yes," Himiko replied with a crooked smile. "You're attractive, mysterious, with a look that says, 'I've seen things that broke my soul.' She'd love it."

Reiji lightly tightened his arm around her waist.

"And you'd be okay with that... really?"

She didn't respond immediately. She just stared at the horizon for a second, and when she spoke again, her voice was no longer light.

"Uh-huh," she nodded, without lifting her head from his shoulder. "I know it would be weird. Awkward, even. But... the truth is, I never thought you... would agree to be with me, really. Not like this."

He said nothing. He just listened.

"So... if that's all I have, if the only way to truly have you is to be someone else for others... then I don't care. I'm fine with that. I'm not asking you for anything, okay? I just... wanted you to know."

Reiji pressed his lips together. She laughed, very softly, with a mixture of tenderness and resignation.

Her words weren't blackmail, not a plea. Just the naked truth.

And he... didn't have the strength to argue with her. Because deep down, he didn't want to walk away either. His arm wrapped more firmly around her, without answering with words. There was no need.

She understood. And she smiled, with a new sparkle in her eyes, almost content.

"Although... if you're going to fall in love with someone else, let me know first, okay?" She joked gently. "That gives me time to practice her ways."

Reiji let out a small, nasal laugh, more bitter than amused.

"You're impossible," he murmured.

"And you still don't refuse," she whispered, tilting her face to brush her nose against his cheek, as if it were an innocent gesture... even though they both knew it wasn't.