….
Jin-Ho finally completed one of his tasks.
The moment he stepped through his apartment door, the familiar translucent interface materialized before his eyes, responding to his thoughts like it always did.
•-------•
| Task - 1: Save Toya Todoroki from the path of a villain.
| Task - 2: Become a Pro Hero (Completed).
-> Rewards:
-> Punishmint: None]
•-------•
"One more to go…" He muttered, dismissing the screen with a mental flick.
He estimated six months - give or take - before the final task wrapped itself up.
The coming U.A. entrance exam was scheduled for late February, and if everything went according to plan, he was hoping to complete the [Task - 1] by making Toya join the hero course.
Then, maybe, he could return to his original world.
Aside from the system tasks, he had involved himself in things he didn't need to, and he understood he would be doing so more in the future.
The reason? One was to increase the 'world synchronization' to whatever level possible…
But if he was being honest with himself…
"Do I really need to search for a reason?" He said aloud to his empty apartment. "Like always, I will just do what I feel like doing."
Actually, Jin-Ho believed this world was in dire need of a hero.
Maybe not like All Might, the protagonist Izuku Midoriya was there to eventually fill that gap. But the thing was, he thought All Might had delayed choosing his successor too long.
If he had passed on his power to someone right about now, or maybe after the fight with All For One - exactly two years after now, and five years before canon and everything hit the fan, it might have been a better choice.
But hey, it's his power, his choice. And he doesn't have future knowledge like I do, so it's reasonable, I guess.
What Jin-Ho was trying to say was that the protagonist wasn't being given a chance to grow and get stronger.
From a narrative screenplay of a show, it might make sense, but the world he lived in was real, and so were the people in it. He wouldn't want them to suffer just to make one person stronger.
So he decided to build a few things here, people who could be the peacekeepers of this world until the next Symbol of Peace was ready, and maybe, meanwhile, change the world for the better.
This world relied too much on one face. While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was impossible for that one face to last forever.
There are still seven years left... So even if I were to leave, I should be able to get back before that, right?
But Jin-Ho was also preparing for the worst-case scenario. Unlike in the Marvel world, he had a lot of things to take care of before he could make his exit here.
He abruptly rose from his bed and grabbed his phone, dialing a number from his contacts.
Ring. Ring. Ring…
"Hey, Giran, I—!" he began, but was cut off by the other person on the line.
["Yo, Boss! Congratulations on becoming a Pro Hero."] He could almost hear the wide grin in the voice.
"News sure travels fast, huh?"
["Not everything may reach my ears, but news about you certainly does."] Giran responded confidently.
"Now it sounds like you're just spying on me." Jin-Ho joked, though he wasn't entirely sure it was a joke.
["Hehe... I wouldn't dare. You pay too well for me to risk pissing you off."]
"Hey, don't make it seem like I am some kind of bad guy–
"Moving on." Jin-Ho said pointedly. "I have got a new job for you."
["What is it, Boss?"] Giran's tone shifted instantly, becoming more attentive. This was the voice of a businessman, not a friend.
["Something big? Need me to dig up dirt on someone? Track down a villain? Or—"] His voice dropped conspiratorially ["—something that requires my more specialized contacts?"]
"I am thinking of opening a new business." Jin-Ho stated plainly.
["What kind of business?"] Suddenly, his tone became serious.
"...A café."
["...."] The silence on the other end was deafening.
Jin-Ho could imagine Giran's face, probably frozen mid-gesture, pen hovering over whatever notepad he used to jot down job details.
The broker was clearly expecting something more, waiting for Jin-Ho to continue with the real request.
["That's it?"] He spoke after a few seconds.
"Yeah, that's it. What more do you want?" Jin-Ho replied, a little irritated by the skepticism. Was it really that strange for him to want a normal business?
Then again, given his track record…
"Wait... Maybe I do want to build a secret underground room beneath the café. It would be so cool." he said, suddenly remembering one of his must-do fantasies.
["Seriously, Boss?"] Now Giran sounded exasperated. ["You're a Pro Hero now. Don't you want to build a proper Hero Agency Office to run your business? You know, like Endeavor's Mighty Tower or Gang Orca's agency building? Something that actually makes sense?"]
"Oh, there is something like that, right? I kinda forgot..." Jin-Ho rubbed his hair at the slip-up.
["How do you forget something like that? It's literally Hero Business 101!"]
"Don't worry, we can do that some other time." Jin-Ho said dismissively. "The café is more important."
Why do I even need a separate office? I can just use my house for that. Not like I have any sidekicks…
Wait, I think I actually do have some.
But it would be so much better if they just left me alone and went their own way. Especially those two brats.
"Okay, change of plans about the café." Jin-Ho said, matching Giran's previous seriousness.
Memories from his past life were surfacing, not from this world or even the Marvel Universe, but from even before that.
His original - original life, where he had been a regular kid watching TV shows after school. Specifically, shows like 'Power Rangers Jungle Fury', where the rangers operated out of a pizza parlor called Jungle Karma Pizza. Or Power Rangers Dino Charge, where the team's base was hidden beneath the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum.
He wanted something like that.
["That's what I am telling you, Boss!"] Giran said with renewed enthusiasm, clearly thinking they were on the same page now. ["A proper agency building with—"]
"Listen carefully. I want three things combined - a new house on the first floor, a cafe on the ground floor, and a secret basement for agency work." Jin-Ho explained.
["In all of Japan, there's not a single building like that..."] Giran pointed out.
"Then let's build one." Jin-Ho said, leaving no room for excuses.
Giran said dryly. ["Anything else, your majesty?"]
"Nothing as of now. But, what are Toya and Keigo up to? Still training with Stain?" he inquired.
There was a shuffling sound that came through the phone, then the distinct creak of a door opening.
["You can ask them yourself."] Giran said, his voice slightly distant now as if he had turned away from the phone.
["Is that Boss you are talking with?"] A shout came from somewhere in the background - young, male, and despite the loudness, carrying an unmistakable note of exhaustion.
"Yeah, it's me." Jin-Ho declared.
He was expecting a proper congratulatory greeting, maybe some enthusiasm about his promotion to Pro Hero. What he got instead was:
["Boss, you bastard! Do you even know child labor is a serious crime?"] the voice said, weariness evident in the tone.
"Hey, hey... Is this how you speak to your elders?" Jin-Ho complained, though he was fighting back laughter.
["Where do you think he picked that up from, Boss?"] Giran chimed in innocently.
Hey, I have always been well-behaved and respectful toward elderly people. Jin-Ho thought defensively. Mostly. Usually. When they deserve it.
"Seems like Toya is lacking a bit in discipline." Jin-Ho said thoughtfully. "Tell Stain to step up the training regimen."
["No way!"] Toya's panicked shout was immediate. ["Are you trying to work me to death? That psycho already has us running laps at 5 AM and doing Quirk training until we can barely stand!"]
"Oh, and I might need some extra hands for my new venture, so be prepared to help out. Both you and Keigo." Jin-Ho added, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.
["Call the cops or a Hero—I am stuck with this crazy boss!"] Toya pleaded with exaggerated desperation. ["This is workplace abuse! Exploitation! Someone help!"]
"Who are you complaining about? Remember, I am a Pro Hero too now." Jin-Ho reminded him.
["The worst kind! The kind who uses their authority for evil!"]
"And since we are practically 'family,'" Jin-Ho continued as if Toya hadn't spoken, his voice taking on a saccharine quality. "It's more like household chores than child labor. Just helping out the family business. Nothing wrong with that, right?"
["Is that the loophole you came up with to not get behind bars?"] Toya shot back. ["I bet you spent hours thinking of that one!"]
Despite the complaints, Jin-Ho could hear it, the lightness in Toya's voice, the playful tone underlying the protests. This was a kid who felt secure enough to joke around, to push back without fear. So different from the broken boy who would have become Dabi.
At least he's still acting like a regular kid, Jin-Ho thought with satisfaction. That's what matters.
"You brat, you should be feeling touched by my words right about now," Jin-Ho said, affecting an offended tone. "Here I am, offering you valuable work experience and life lessons—"
["Not falling for that."] Toya interrupted firmly. ["I know manipulation when I hear it. Keigo does too, even if he is too polite to say it."]
["Toya, back to work. Break's over."] Giran commanded.
["Fine, fine, I am on it."] Toya grumbled. There was the sound of footsteps, then a pause. ["Wait, Boss?"]
"Yeah?"
["You are coming by later, right?"] The exhaustion had faded from Toya's voice, replaced by something warmer. ["We need to celebrate properly."]
Pride swelled in his words, genuine and unmistakable. ["We have got food, drinks, well, not alcohol for us, obviously, and Keigo has been practicing his cooking. Fair warning, it might be terrible."]
["Hey!"] Another voice, younger and indignant - Keigo, the future Hawks.
Jin-Ho felt something warm bloom in his chest. These kids, who had been so thoroughly broken by the world in the original timeline, were now bickering about party preparations.
This cheeky brat…
"Yeah, count me in." Jin-Ho replied, his voice softer than usual. "I will bring dessert."
["Let's party for the whole night!"] Toya declared.
["You have training at 5 AM tomorrow."] Giran reminded him dryly.
["...Let's party for a reasonable portion of the night."] Toya amended quickly.
Jin-Ho laughed, a real, genuine laugh that felt foreign after the stress of the past few weeks–
"See you guys soon."
….
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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