Ace struggles to formulate a response, caught completely off guard. A fan? Here? Now? He eyes Asahi, trying to gauge his sincerity. The guy radiates an almost blinding enthusiasm, a stark contrast to the tense situations Ace is accustomed to. Just my luck, Ace thinks.
"That armor is AMAZING! Is it a Quirk? Some kinda support item? Did you build it yourself? Oh, oh! Can you summon that gun thingy again?"
Ace's mind races. He can't reveal too much, not to a stranger. Not after Yu's warning. He glances around, checking for any lingering signs of the Crow Imagin or, worse, any Pro Heroes drawn by the battle. The park is surprisingly empty, save for a few oblivious joggers.
"Look," Ace says, his voice low. "I gotta go."
"Wait!" Asahi cries, scrambling to keep pace as Ace starts walking away. "But—but I have SO many questions! Are you gonna fight more bad guys? Can I watch? Do you have a sidekick? 'Cause I'd be, like, the BEST sidekick EVER!"
This is bad, Ace thinks, quickening his pace. He can't shake Asahi. He ducks down a side street, hoping to lose him in the crowd. But Asahi, fueled by fanboy energy, is surprisingly persistent.
"Hey! Wait up!" Asahi calls, his voice echoing through the narrow street. "I can, like, totally keep a secret! I promise! I know about heroes and villains and stuff! "
Ace breaks into a run.
This is not how I wanted to spend my afternoon!
An hour passes. Ace figures he's lost the kid. He walks back to Starry, hoping to decompress. The bell 🔔 above the door CHIMES as he pushes it open.
"I'm back, Ami," Ace announces. He greets her with a small smile. But just as he starts to relax, the door swings open again. It's Asahi, panting, but beaming.
How did he find me?
Ace opens his mouth to tell Asahi to scram, but Ami's face lights up.
"Asahi-kun! What a coincidence!" Ami exclaims. "It's so good to see you again."
Ace stares, his carefully constructed composure cracking. "You know him?" he asks, his voice betraying his bewilderment.
"Of course!" Ami replies, her eyes twinkling. "Asahi was so kind during the U.A. incident! He helped me get to safety when those monsters attacked."
Memory sparks in Ace's mind. Wait a minute. That green-haired kid who was concerned about Ami and took her away. Ace recalls the moment. He did seem familiar...
Asahi, oblivious to Ace's internal turmoil, grins at Ami. "It's great to see you, Hoshizora-san!" he says, his voice filled with genuine warmth. "I was so worried after what happened."
Oh, this is just fantastic, Ace thinks, his frustration rising.
"Hey, that was kinda cruel, just leaving me like that!" Asahi exclaims, his enthusiasm momentarily dimmed by a flicker of hurt. "I was, like, telling you all about myself!"
Ami's gaze shifts between the two young men, a gentle curiosity in her expression. "Oh? You two know each other?" she asks, her voice laced with an innocent intrigue.
"We just met," Ace interjects, his tone sharp, cutting off any further explanation from Asahi. He needs to control this situation, and fast. "Like, five minutes ago. I was just helping him with something."
Ami smiles, seemingly accepting Ace's explanation without question. "Well, Asahi-kun, it's lovely to see you," she says, her warmth radiating towards the green-haired boy. "Would you like anything to drink?"
Asahi's face brightens. "Can I get a Starry Chai? Extra vanilla, please!"
Ami nods. "Of course! Be right back." She disappears behind the counter, leaving Ace and Asahi alone.
I need to get him out of here, Ace thinks, racking his brain for a plausible excuse.
"So..." Asahi begins, turning his full attention back to Ace. "What's your name, by the way? I'm Asahi!" He extends his hand, his eyes sparkling with unrestrained curiosity.
Ace sighs internally, resigned. He takes Asahi's hand, offering a brief, tight shake. "Ace," he says, keeping his tone neutral.
"Ace!" Asahi repeats, testing the name. "Cool! Do you come here often? You know, to Starry?"
"I work here," Ace replies, hoping to deter any further questioning about his personal life.
"Woah, you work here? How cool! Anyway, I wanted to ask about the fight earlier, you as..."
Ace flicks Asahi's forehead, cutting him off. "Ow!" Asahi exclaims, rubbing the spot.
"Are you trying to reveal my identity to everyone?" Ace hisses, looking around to make sure no one overheard.
Ami returns, placing a steaming Starry Chai with extra vanilla in front of Asahi. "Here you go, Asahi-kun!" she says, smiling. Then, she notices something. "Ace-kun, what happened to your arm? It looks like you have a nasty cut."
Ace glances down. During the fight with the Crow Imagin, he got a scrape, nothing serious. "It's nothing, Ami. Just a scratch. It will heal after a day."
"Nonsense!" Ami insists, her motherly instincts kicking in. "That needs to get treated! I'll go get the medkit."
Before Ami can move, Asahi speaks up, his eyes widening. "Wait! I can help! I can heal it!"
Ami stops, surprised. "You can?"
Asahi nods enthusiastically. "Yeah! It's my Quirk!" He reaches out, placing his hand gently over Ace's cut. A soft, green glow emanates from Asahi's palm, enveloping the wound. Ace feels a strange tingling sensation, and to his astonishment, the cut begins to close, the skin knitting back together.
Ami gasps, her eyes wide with wonder. "Amazing!" she exclaims.
Ace stares, equally impressed. The cut is completely gone, as if it never existed. "What... was that?" he asks, his voice filled with disbelief.
Asahi grins sheepishly, pulling his hand away. "It's my Quirk," he says. "It's called Healing Touch. I can heal injuries, but it uses up my energy, so I have to eat a lot afterward!" He explains, his exuberance returning. "Like, I can accelerate the healing process, so wounds close up super fast. It's pretty useful!"
Ami clasps her hands together, her eyes sparkling with genuine admiration. "That's incredible, Asahi-kun! It must be such a blessing to be able to help people like that."
Asahi waves his hands dismissively, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "Aw, it's nothing special, really," he says, his voice tinged with self-deprecation. "It's not like it's a flashy combat Quirk or anything. I'm just in the general course at U.A. I couldn't even get into class 1-A, you know?"
He shrugs, his exuberance momentarily subdued. "I bet Ace has some kinda more amazing Quirk. I mean, the stuff I saw him do earlier..."
Ami's brow furrows, a hint of confusion in her gaze. "But Ace-kun doesn't have a Quirk," she says, her voice gentle. "He told me he was Quirkless."
Asahi's jaw drops, his eyes widening in disbelief. He swivels his head to face Ace, his expression a mix of shock and incredulity. "Wait, really? But—but how did you do all that stuff back there? I mean, you were like, BAM! POW! Super fast and strong! And that armor... it was unreal! Are you sure? Maybe it's a late bloomer Quirk?"
Ace sighs, the weight of his secret pressing down on him. He glances at Ami, then back at Asahi. "It's true," he confirms, his voice flat. "I don't have a Quirk."
Asahi's brain seems to short-circuit, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "But…but I saw you—"
"Saw me what?" Ace interjects quickly, his gaze fixed on Asahi, a silent warning in his eyes. He can't let this kid blow his cover, not with Ami right there. "I was just messing around. I was showing off some parkour moves, you know, for fun." Ace hopes it's plausible.
He forces a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "You know how it is, trying to impress the ladies." He gestures vaguely, hoping Ami buys it. "I got a little carried away. Guess I'm just more athletic than I thought."
Ami's expression softens, the confusion fading, replaced by a knowing smile. "Oh, Ace-kun," she says, shaking her head playfully. "Always the charmer. But don't go getting hurt showing off. You know we need you here, especially with the lunch rush coming up."
Relief washes over Ace. He's dodged a bullet, for now. He gives Asahi a sharp look, a clear message to keep his mouth shut. Asahi seems to understand, his wide eyes darting back and forth, processing everything.
"Ace-kun, why don't you go change?" Ami suggests, her voice gentle but firm. "You know how busy it gets. And Asahi-kun, enjoy your chai! It's so great to see you both here."
Ace shoots Asahi one last, meaningful glance—Don't say a word—before turning to head to the back. Asahi nods slightly, a silent promise of cooperation in his eyes.
He ducks into the employee area, letting out a long breath. That was too close, he thinks. I need to be more careful. This world is so complicated. As he starts changing into his work attire, he hears Ami and Asahi talking in the main area.
As he pulls on his apron, he can't help but wonder what Asahi is telling Ami. He hopes he can trust this kid but he has to be careful.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz