I watched her drive off, then turned to face my apartment building. The lights were on. Mom was probably waiting up.
I stood at the door, key hovering near the lock. The lotus pattern spun faster, matching my pulse. Weird how a quirk could act like a mood ring.
"Just open it," I told myself. The key slid in with a click that felt too loud.
I'd barely taken one step inside when she appeared. Just... materialized, like she'd been waiting in some dimensional pocket. One moment empty hallway, next moment mom.
And what a mom. The photos hadn't done her justice. Ethereal beauty, ageless grace, all that fantasy novel stuff - but what hit harder was how present she felt. Like gravity had shifted to orbit around her.
"Yoichi." Her voice was silk over steel. "Your phone?"
I pulled out the dead device. "Battery died."
"I see." She plucked it from my hand, examining it like evidence at a crime scene. "And you couldn't find a charger? Or perhaps borrow someone's phone?"
"I got lost."
"In Hosu." She set the phone down. "Despite having GPS."
"Battery died," I repeated.
"Mm." She gestured to the living room. "Sit."
I sat. The couch felt expensive.
She settled across from me. "I received some interesting calls today."
"About that-"
"The police. Several hero agencies. A very nosy reporter demanding to know if I was raising a vigilante." Her eyes fixed on mine. "And most concerning, no calls from you."
"I can explain?"
"Please do." She folded her hands. "Start with why my son decided to fight a villain instead of calling for help."
"The pros were already there. They weren't doing anything."
"So naturally, you had to step in."
"Someone had to!" The words came out sharper than intended. "That girl was dying while they stood around making plans!"
Mom's expression didn't change, but something shifted in her eyes. "The girl. Bakugo Katsumi?"
"Yeah. Wait, how did you-"
"I have access to certain files." She waved away the question. "What made you choose to help her specifically?"
"Choose? I didn't... she needed help."
"Many people need help. You chose her." Mom leaned forward slightly. "Why?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it. The lotus pattern slowed, considering.
"I don't know," I admitted. "It just... felt right."
"Felt right." She tested the words like unfamiliar food. "You risked your life, broke multiple laws, and potentially exposed yourself to significant danger because it 'felt right'?"
"Yes?"
She sat back. "I see."
Silence stretched between us.
"Are you... mad?"
"Mad?" One perfect eyebrow arched. "Why would I be mad that my only son threw himself into mortal danger without a second thought?"
"When you put it like that..."
"Or perhaps I should be pleased that you've already attracted the attention of multiple hero agencies? Before even applying to UA?"
I perked up. "They called about me?"
"Focus, Yoichi." But I caught the ghost of a smile. "What you did was reckless."
"But necessary."
"Perhaps." She stood. "Tea?"
I blinked at the sudden shift. "Uh, sure?"
She glided to the kitchen. I heard water running, ceramic clinking.
"You know," she called, "I had such plans for introducing you to the hero world. Carefully managed appearances. Strategic networking. Building the right relationships."
"Sorry to mess up your plans?"
"Oh, you didn't." She returned with two elegant cups. "You exceeded them. In the most chaotic way possible, but still."
I accepted the cup, breathing in subtle floral notes. "I don't understand."
"No, you wouldn't." She sipped her tea. "You acted on instinct. Pure heroic impulse. Do you know how rare that is?"
"Isn't that what heroes do?"
She actually laughed. "Oh, my dear boy. No. Most heroes calculate. They weigh options, consider angles, think about ratings and rankings and public opinion."
"That's..." Wrong, I wanted to say. But was it?
"You didn't think at all, did you?" She set her cup down. "You saw someone in danger and moved."
I nodded.
"Just like your father."
The tea caught in my throat. "My... father?"
"Mm." She traced the cup's rim with one finger. "He was the same way. Absolutely infuriating. No sense of self-preservation."
I wanted to ask more, but her tone carried a warning. Not yet. Not ready.
"The house arrest is two weeks," she said instead.
"What? But you just said-"
"That your actions were admirable? Yes. They were also illegal and dangerous." She smiled. "Actions have consequences, dear. Even heroic ones."
I slumped back. "Two weeks?"
"Would you prefer three?"
"Two is fine."
"I thought so." She stood again. "Your phone will remain charged and with you at all times. You will answer my calls immediately. And you will start training properly."
"Training?"
"If you insist on rushing into danger, you should at least be prepared for it." She headed for the hall, then paused. "Oh, and Yoichi?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm proud of you." She didn't turn around. "Don't ever do anything that stupid again."
She vanished down the hall, leaving me with cooling tea and whirling thoughts.
A mother. I had a mother. An absolutely terrifying, impossibly elegant, somehow proud mother.
Two weeks of house arrest. The UA entrance exams in 10 months. And somewhere in between, figuring out how to be someone's son.
==========
[Next time on "Yoichi's Hero Academia"]
"Welcome." My mother's perfect smile filled the screen. "Next chapter, my wayward son begins his training with—"
"Hey!" I rattled the prop jail cell bars behind her. "Why am I actually locked up during this preview?"
She ignored me completely. "—the legendary retired hero, Iron Fist Kuro, known for his unorthodox teaching methods and—"
"This is just house arrest! I shouldn't be in a cell!"
"—particularly strict discipline." Her smile widened. "Perfect for stubborn children who rush into danger without thinking."
"Mom!"
"We'll witness Yoichi's first steps toward becoming a proper hero, assuming he survives Kuro-sensei's unique training regimen."
I slumped against the fake bars. "I saved someone! This is totally unfair!"
"Oh?" She turned, eyes glinting. "Would you prefer real bars, dear?"
"...no."
"Wonderful. Don't miss next time: Uncle Kuro's School of Hard Knocks!"