A lot of time later...
Meiji's POV
The uniform felt wrong against his skin—too stiff, too new, too—. Meiji stared at his reflection in the hallway mirror, adjusting the collar of his middle school blazer for the fifth time. The dark fabric seemed to absorb the morning light filtering through the windows, much like his shadows did when they responded to his emotions.
His hands trembled slightly as he smoothed down the fabric again. What if they stared? What if someone whispered behind his back about the news reports, the HSPC experiments, the weird kid with the unstable shadow quirk? The familiar anxiety crept up his throat like shadows climbing a wall, and he watched in the mirror as the darkness around his feet began to ripple and shift.
They won't accept you, avoice in his head whispered, the same one that had haunted him for years. You're too damaged, too different. They'll see right through whatever mask you try to wear.
But then another voice pushed back—Nejire's voice from yesterday when they'd practiced walking to school together: "You're not the same scared little kid anymore, Meiji. You're strong, you're kind, and anyone who doesn't see that is missing out on knowing someone amazing."
"Meiji, breakfast!" Lady Nagant's voice called from the kitchen, warm with the maternal tone that still sometimes caught him off guard, even after two years of legal adoption papers making it official.
He took a deep breath, the way she'd taught him during those early panic attacks, and headed toward the kitchen. The smell of tamagoyaki and rice greeted him—his favorite breakfast, probably not a coincidence on today of all days.
Lady Nagant stood at the stove, her long blue purplish hair pulled back in a loose bun, already dressed in her UA instructor uniform. She looked every inch the professional hero teacher, but when she turned to smile at him, Meiji saw only the woman who'd held him through nightmares and celebrated every small victory in his recovery.
"There's my handsome student," she said, setting a plate in front of him. "Ready for your big day?"
"Mom," Meiji said, the word still feeling precious on his tongue even after all this time, "what if they don't like me? What if I'm too weird, or my quirk acts up, or—"
"Hey." She sat down across from him, reaching over to still his fidgeting hands. "Do you remember what Principal Nezu said when he finally agreed you were ready for this?"
Flashback - Three Months Ago
The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows of Principal Nezu's office as Meiji sat nervously in the oversized chair across from the chimera's desk. Lady Nagant sat beside him, her hand resting supportively on his shoulder.
"I believe," Nezu said, his paws clasped in front of him, "that you are ready, Meiji-kun."
Meiji's heart had jumped. After months of recent psychological evaluations, quirk control assessments, and carefully monitored social interactions, the moment had finally come.
"Your progress has been remarkable," Nezu continued, his dark eyes twinkling with what looked suspiciously like pride. "Your shadow manipulation has stabilized significantly, your emotional regulation techniques are exemplary, and most importantly—you've learned to trust in your own strength."
"But what if something goes wrong?" Meiji had asked, the same fear that plagued him now.
Nezu had smiled then, that mysterious expression that somehow conveyed infinite wisdom and mischief at the same time. "Then you'll handle it, because you're no longer the frightened child we rescued. You're Meiji Hasegawa—survivor, student, and most importantly, a young man who deserves every opportunity to live the life he chooses."
Two hours later, UA's faculty lounge had been transformed into an impromptu celebration. All Might had shown up with an enormous cake decorated with tiny shadow figures, Present Mic had insisted on karaoke (badly), and even Aizawa had cracked a smile seeing Meiji using his shadows to successfully grab snacks from across the room without knocking anything over.
The evening had ended with everyone gathered around the piano as Midnight played, their voices joining together in an off-key but heartfelt rendition of "Tomorrow." Meiji had looked around at all these heroes—these people who had become his family—and felt something he hadn't experienced in years: pure, uncomplicated joy.
Nejire had nudged him with her elbow, grinning widely. "See? You're going to be amazing out there."
And for the first time, Meiji had actually believed her.
Present - Meiji's POV
The memory warmed him from the inside out, and he felt his shadows settle into their natural patterns around his feet. "Yeah," he said softly. "I remember."
"Good." Lady Nagant smiled, the expression transforming her usually serious face. "Because everything he said was true. You've worked so hard to get here, Meiji. I'm so proud of you."
Before he could respond, an energetic voice called from outside, carried through the window with unmistakable impatience.
"Meiji! We're gonna be late if you don't hurry up! I can see you in there eating breakfast at normal human speed instead of inhaling your food like a proper student!"
Nejire's POV
Nejire bounced on her toes outside the Hasegawa residence, her spiral-blue hair catching the morning sunlight as she checked her phone for the fourth time. They had exactly fourteen minutes to get to school before the first bell, and knowing Meiji, he was probably having another one of his philosophical breakfast conversations with Lady Nagant.
She loved those two together—the way the former assassin had transformed into this protective, nurturing mother figure, and how Meiji had slowly learned to accept and return that love. It had been beautiful to watch, even if it sometimes meant they moved at the speed of emotional processing rather than the speed of "we have a first period to get to."
"Come on!" she called again, cupping her hands around her mouth. "You know I hate being late, and today of all days we need to make a good impression!"
The front door finally opened, and Meiji stepped out with Lady Nagant close behind. Even from a distance, Nejire could see the telltale signs of his anxiety—the way his shoulders were slightly hunched, how his dark eyes darted around like he was scanning for threats, the subtle rippling of shadows around his feet that happened when his quirk responded to stress.
But she also saw the determined set of his jaw, the way he was actively working to straighten his posture, the breakfast smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth. He was nervous, sure, but he was also ready. That was her best friend—always braver than he gave himself credit for.
"There you are!" She bounded over to him, her own nervous energy translating into movement. "I was starting to think you'd decided to transfer back to UA's middle school partner instead."
Meiji managed a more genuine smile at that. "Principal Nezu would probably let me, wouldn't he?"
"Don't even think about it," Nejire said, linking her arm through his in the casual way they'd done since childhood. "We've been planning this forever—being in the same regular school, having normal teenage experiences, eating terrible cafeteria food together, complaining about homework we could probably do in our sleep. You're not backing out now."
Lady Nagant's POV
From the doorway, Lady Nagant watched the two teenagers with a mixture of pride and anxiety that had become achingly familiar over the past few years. This was it—the moment she'd been both anticipating and dreading since the day she'd signed Meiji's adoption papers.'
Nejire's bright energy was already working its magic on her son—she could see his posture beginning to relax, the shadows around his feet settling into their natural patterns, the genuine warmth returning to his expression. That girl had been a gift from the moment she'd bulldozed her way into Meiji's carefully constructed walls with nothing but enthusiasm and stubborn loyalty.
When Principal Nezu had first suggested integrating Meiji into regular society, Lady Nagant had been skeptical. The boy had made incredible progress in his recovery, but the controlled environment of UA was safe, predictable. The outside world was full of variables, potential triggers, people who might not understand or accept his past.
But watching him now, seeing how Nejire's presence grounded him, she was reminded why this step was necessary. Meiji needed more than just safety—he needed to learn that he could belong somewhere beyond the walls that had protected him. He needed to discover who he was when he wasn't defined by his trauma.
Still, the protective instincts she'd developed ran deep. Her quirk hummed quietly beneath her skin, ready to manifest her rifle at a moment's notice if anything threatened her child. The rational part of her mind knew she was being ridiculous—this was a middle school, not a battlefield—but the mother in her couldn't quite let go of the hypervigilance that had kept them both alive during those early, uncertain days.
"Remember," she called to them as they started down the path, trying to keep her voice light despite the knot of worry in her chest, "if anything happens—anything at all—you call me immediately. I don't care if it's just someone looking at you funny or the cafeteria running out of your favorite melon bread. I want to know."
Meiji turned back, and for a moment she saw a flicker of the scared five-year-old boy she'd first met—the one who'd flinched at every sudden movement and whose shadows had lashed out at anyone who came too close. But then his expression steadied, filled with a quiet determination that never failed to make her heart swell with pride.
"I will," he promised. "And... Mom? Thank you. For letting me try this. For believing I could do this."
The word 'Mom' still sent a warm flutter through her chest every time he said it. "Always," she said simply. "Now go show them how amazing you are."
Meiji's POV
As they walked toward the school, Nejire kept up a steady stream of chatter about their teachers, their classmates, the quirk training facilities the school had recently upgraded. Meiji found himself grateful for her voice—it filled the spaces where his anxiety might otherwise grow and reminded him that he wasn't facing this alone.
"Oh, and Akira-kun from Class B has been asking about you," Nejire said, glancing at him sideways. "I think he remembers you from that school festival we went to a few years ago. He seemed really excited to hear you'd be joining our class."
Meiji's steps faltered slightly. Someone remembered him? Someone was... excited? The concept felt foreign, almost suspicious. In his experience, people who sought him out usually had ulterior motives, wanted something from him or his family of heroes.
But then he caught himself in the negative spiral and actively pushed back against it. That was the old thinking, the trauma response that painted everyone as a potential threat. Not everyone was a researcher looking to exploit his quirk or a government official with hidden agendas. Some people—like Nejire—just genuinely wanted to be friends.
Nejire must have noticed his hesitation because she squeezed his arm gently. "Hey," she said, her voice losing some of its usual bounce and taking on the serious tone she reserved for their most important conversations. "I know this is scary. I know it's different from UA where everyone already knew your story and respected it without question. But you know what?"
"What?" Meiji asked, genuinely curious and grateful for the distraction from his spiraling thoughts.
"You're not the same person you were when all that horrible stuff happened to you. You're Meiji Hasegawa—shadow quirk user, Lady Nagant's son, Principal Nezu's protégé, top student in quirk theory, and my absolute best friend in the entire world. You're not defined by what those people did to you."
They paused at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, and Meiji found his attention caught by a nearby electronics store. Multiple TV screens in the window were tuned to the morning news, and the closed captions scrolled across the bottom as a reporter spoke earnestly into the camera.
"—implementation of the new Hero Commission oversight board has been met with widespread approval," the caption read. "Citizens report feeling more confident in hero accountability measures, while heroes themselves have praised the transparency initiatives. The dissolution of the previous Public Safety Commission has led to what experts are calling a 'renaissance of trust' between heroes and the society they protect."
Another screen showed footage of heroes working alongside civilian oversight committees, their activities being documented and reviewed by independent boards rather than shadowy government officials. The changes were visible everywhere—from the way hero rankings were now determined by community input rather than secretive metrics, to the mandatory psychological support services that ensured no hero worked alone with their burdens.
Meiji watched the screens with fascination and something that might have been satisfaction. The world that had allowed his torture to happen for the "greater good" was gone, replaced by something more transparent, more accountable. It didn't undo what had been done to him, but it meant no other child would suffer the same fate in the name of "necessary sacrifices."
"See?" Nejire said, following his gaze. "The whole world changed because people like Principal Nezu and your mom refused to let the old systems continue. You're part of that change, Meiji. You're proof that the new way works—that healing and growth are possible."
The light changed, and they continued their walk. As they got closer to the school, Meiji could see other students streaming through the gates, chattering excitedly about weekend adventures and upcoming tests. Normal teenage concerns. The kind of life he'd never thought he'd get to have.
His shadows responded to his gradual emotional shift, reaching out slightly toward Nejire in what he'd learned was his quirk's way of expressing gratitude and affection. She didn't flinch—she never had, not even when they were children and his control had been much worse.
"You know what I'm most excited about?" Nejire asked as they approached the school gates.
"What?"
"Watching you realize how absolutely normal and wonderful you are when you're not surrounded by pro heroes all the time." She grinned at him, her spiral eyes bright with mischief. "I bet by the end of the week, you'll have three new friends and be complaining about having too much social interaction."
Despite his nerves, Meiji found himself laughing. "You really think so?"
"I know so. Because I've known you for years, and I've seen how you light up when you get to help people understand difficult concepts, or when you're working through a complex problem, or when you're just being yourself without worrying about your past. These kids are going to love you."
They'd reached the school gates now, and Meiji could see the building rising before them—smaller than UA, less imposing, but somehow more welcoming. Students clustered in groups near the entrance, some reviewing notes for morning tests, others simply enjoying the social atmosphere before classes began."Nejire-chan!" A voice called from near the entrance, and a girl with short brown hair waved enthusiastically. "Over here!"
"That's Yuki," Nejire explained quietly. "She's in our class, super friendly, loves hero analysis almost as much as you do. I think you two will get along great."
As they walked through the gates together, Meiji felt something shift inside him. The anxiety was still there—probably always would be to some degree—but it was balanced now by something else.
Anticipation. Curiosity. The faintest flutter of excitement about what this new chapter of his life might bring.
His shadows settled into a calm, steady pattern around his feet, reflecting his growing sense of peace. He straightened his shoulders, lifted his chin, and stepped fully into his new normal life.
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AN: So, I haven't got time to review this story lately much less upload this, but hey! Giving y'all a taste of the coming chapters, hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did, anyway peace out and God bless y'all