MHA: Time Manipulator

It has been two years since Kimika awakened her quirk. Almost every day she trained with her mother, focusing on improving her control to avoid accidentally losing her sight for a few days due to her inability to manage the strength of her abilities. Her mother believed that Kimika was still too young for serious training and often repeated that real lessons would begin either at a later age or after enrolling in a hero academy, where she would learn everything. Therefore, their joint training mainly focused on improving her control over her quirk. 

However, Kimika did not stop there and constantly trained on her own. Her mother often noticed this, as after using her quirk, the girl's horns would darken, and returning to normal took time — not slowly, but not just a few minutes either. Living under the same roof, her mother always noticed the darkened horns and gently reproached her, noting that it was dangerous. However, no serious punishments ever followed, nor were there moments when Kimika overtrained and temporarily lost her sight. 

In addition to training her quirk, Kimika also paid attention to her physical development. She engaged in sports, following her father's advice, who, caring for her health, said that by developing her body, she was also developing her quirk. Her father assured her that a healthy, strong, and resilient body was not only the key to success in fighting criminals as a true hero but also a path to overall well-being. While he used the girl's interest in heroes as motivation, his true desire was for her to be healthy and strong. 

Her development in using her quirk was going quite well. Kimika learned to change the speed of both objects and people. Although the changes in people were still almost imperceptible, and her mother forbade her from testing her powers on others, she managed to slow down objects to one-third of their normal speed or accelerate them by the same amount.

When it came to lying, her mother helped Kimika learn how to tell the truth in a way that wouldn't hurt anyone or reveal something important she didn't want to share. She taught the girl to answer "no" to serious questions and to avoid giving clear answers. The woman insisted on the importance of being able to speak in a way that wouldn't cause the horns, which reacted to lies, to darken. 

Her third eye on her forehead still hadn't opened all these years. However, Kimika didn't feel offended or sad, as she remembered her mother's words that it would be a surprise and a source of strength in a critical situation when she finally became a hero. Her dream of becoming a true heroine remained unchanged and even grew stronger over time. 

Although she was a child, Kimika realized that the quirks of many people weren't as impressive and unique as hers. Other people, from her parents' friends to relatives, constantly told her that her quirk was unique, but thanks to her parents' support, her self-esteem remained at a proper level, and she didn't look down on other kids who either had no quirks or had ones that weren't as unique as her own. Her parents were very pleased about this, knowing that many children with stronger quirks despised their peers without one or with less impressive abilities. 

Kimika knew that heroism was not measured solely by strength or abilities, but rather by kindness, courage, and a willingness to help others, regardless of the abilities they possessed, as well as by the ability to analyze a situation since even criminals could be good people who were forced to act in certain ways. Her parents were in no hurry to introduce her to the harsh realities, as they didn't want her to lose faith in goodness. But they gradually began to say that sometimes criminals could turn out to be good, simply because they found themselves in less than ideal circumstances. Sometimes even heroes who seemed good could make mistakes or have their own flaws.

But today was a very important day — the first day at Alder Junior High, chosen by her father for its proximity to home and excellent reputation. Graduates from this school often excelled academically and sometimes became notable figures in the world or heroes. This delighted her father incredibly, as he could give Kimika the opportunity for such development. 

Kimika stood with her mother, who had brought her to the school entrance. Her white hair fell to the middle of her back, and there was a small vertical line on her forehead — that was her third eye, which still remained closed. Her horns had grown a bit, and while they weren't very large, they were now easily noticeable. Kimika wore a small school uniform, which gave her even more confidence. 

She wasn't worried at all, although she might have felt a bit anxious, as she hoped to find friends, which she had never had. Kimika had always stayed at home with her mother and didn't like going outside. No matter how hard her parents tried to make her go out to play, they never succeeded. When they tried to force her, the girl would throw a tantrum, and so they stopped. She was a bit shy in certain situations and couldn't imagine how she could simply approach someone and ask if they wanted to be friends. She was scared to take that first step. But at school, everything could be different; there might be peers looking for friends too, and communicating with them could be easier and more natural. 

At the same time, her mother was incredibly anxious. Her little homebody was finally leaving the house and could try to find friends to play with. But the mother was also worried about whether something terrible might happen at school when Kimika was surrounded by unfamiliar peers. In her heart lived the hope that everything would go well and that her daughter would find true friends who would support her. She imagined Kimika starting school, then moving on to middle school, and eventually to high school. The mother thought about how her daughter would choose a profession, start a career, create a family, and perhaps have children of her own. Tears welled up in her eyes at these thoughts: how quickly her little girl was growing up! Just yesterday, she was tiny and had just come into the world, and today was already her first day at school.

"Well then, Kimi, are you ready for your first day of school?" her mother asked, trying to remain calm, but there was anxiety in her voice.

"Yesss!" Kimiko replied enthusiastically, full of energy.

"I'm not…" her mother sighed deeply, hugging her daughter and trying to hold back tears. "If anything happens, call or text… Or tell your teachers. Or us…"

"Don't worry, Mom! Everything will be fine!" Kimiko assured her with a cheerful smile.

"But just remember: if something happens, tell us! Don't keep it to yourself."

"Okay, okay!" the girl agreed, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek.

Her mother froze for a moment in shock; she had expected to kiss her daughter for good luck, not to receive a kiss from her. Then Kimika, seeming fully prepared for anything, energetically ran toward the school. 

With a heavy exhale, realizing how quickly her daughter was growing up, her mother began to head back home, keeping her phone close at hand, ready to come to the rescue. She contemplated various dishes she would prepare to celebrate this special day.

Kimika confidently entered the classroom, where there were already quite a few students chatting among themselves and forming small groups. Although a few students glanced her way for a moment, most were busy socializing. She felt she needed either to join an already formed group or wait for some group to approach her.

Kimika noticed the only available spot — the front desk by the window — and went to place her backpack there, reserving the seat for herself. Behind her sat a boy she had noticed when entering the classroom. He was the only one left alone, simply sitting in his place. 'He must have arrived quite late too', she thought. She liked his interesting and beautiful hair, which had a green, more emerald hue. Deciding that this was a good moment for a introduction, Kimika approached him with the intention of making friends.

"Hi! I'm Kimiko Tanaki," she said with a smile, trying to look confident. *Even if I'm a bit nervous, I want to find friends,* she thought to herself. "Why are you here all alone? Did you arrive late too and miss getting into a group?"

"H-h-hello! I'm Izuku Midoriya…" he replied uncertainly, his voice trembling, and his hands slightly shaking on the desk. 'It seems like she wants to be friends,' he thought, feeling his heart race. 'But what if she finds out I don't have a quirk? I'm not like the others. She'll probably want to leave, just like most people…' he pondered, feeling fear slowly filling his thoughts. 'I, um, no-no, I came quickly… just… haven't found a group yet,' he tried to explain, hoping his words sounded more confident.

"Ooo, that's great! Then let's be friends?" Kimiko asked with a cheerful smile, not noticing his nervousness, thinking he was just as anxious as she was.

"F-f-friends? Well… Sure!" he replied, his voice still trembling with excitement.

To Izuku's surprise, this cheerful girl suddenly fell silent, lost in thought. As if giving him time to calm down, he was able to examine her more closely. She looked cute: with a sweet face, horns, silky white hair, and a strange line on her forehead. 'I wonder what that line is?' a thought flashed through his mind.

But after a few seconds, she looked at him uncertainly and said: 

"Hmm, so what's next… um… what do friends usually talk about?"

Izuku was surprised by Kimika's question. How could a girl with such a cheerful and free-spirited personality not have friends? Her bright smile and horns made him think she should be the center of attention. Yet it seemed she had no friends at all; even he had a few, albeit not many. 

"Don't you have any other friends besides me?" he asked, trying to calm his heart. At that moment, he felt a rush of anxiety: 'Oh no, maybe I asked something too personal? She might think I'm being too pushy and just leave…'

To his surprise, the girl answered without hesitation:

"No, I don't."

This answer astonished Izuku. 'How is that possible?' he thought, contemplating her openness. 'She seems quite straightforward.' Curious, he decided to ask why she didn't have any friends: 

"Why is that? You're so… well… cheerful!" Izuku said, carefully choosing his words, trying to find the right tone.

Kimiko smiled slightly and explained:

"I always stay at home with my mom, and we watch episodes with my favorite hero — All Might. He's so cool! I love him because he always helps others and fights against evil. Mom says he's really brave, and I dream of becoming the number 1 hero like him! I want to bring people justice, kindness, and smiles. And I would also like to help some villains find a better path!"

Izuku felt calmer, though a bit surprised. He also dreamed of becoming a hero, just like her, resembling All Might, and he loved him too. However, when Kimika mentioned that she wanted to help even villains find a better path, Izuku pondered for a moment. 'But villains are just evil… Why should a hero help them? Good people don't become villains…' that thought crossed his mind. But he didn't ask about it, as he didn't want to question her good intentions. 

They began discussing how heroes save people and fight against evil. Izuku told Kimika about his dreams of becoming stronger to protect those in need, and they talked about other heroes, reminiscing about the cool moments from their episodes — how heroes defeated enemies, saved helpless people, and showed incredible courage. 

But suddenly, some boys approached them, and Kimika thought for a moment that maybe they wanted to be friends. One of the boys in front was a light-haired guy with sharp ash-blond hair and orange eyes. He interrupted their conversation while Izuku, not noticing them, continued to share his dream of becoming a hero.

"Deku, are you still dreaming of becoming a hero? Forget it! You don't stand a chance," he declared sharply, looking at Izuku. His voice was rough and ominous, and there was an aggressive tone to it. Then he shifted his gaze to Kimiko, scrutinizing her from head to toe as if searching for her weaknesses. "And who's this? Your new friend?" he added with a smug smile, while the two boys behind him chuckled softly, mocking the situation.

"Does she even know that you don't have a Quirk?" he asked, glancing at Kimiko, who was unaware and slightly surprised. "Oh, looks like she doesn't! Well, now she does!"

Izuku felt his heart race as he stared down at his feet, clenching his fists. He recognized this boy — it was Bakugo, his friend. Izuku admired him for his powerful Quirk and self-confidence; he was sure that Bakugo would definitely become a hero, just as he dreamed, unlike Izuku, who had no Quirk at all.

He was used to such remarks but feared that his new friend might leave or, worse, start a conflict with Katsuki. 'Just let Kimika not interfere,' he thought. He knew that if she said something wrong, Katsuki might hate her, and he didn't want both of his friends to dislike each other. So Izuku decided to stay out of the conversation, hoping the situation would resolve itself.

Finally, laughing, the boy looked at Kimika with a hint of disdain and declared:

"I'm Katsuki Bakugo. I'm going to be the number one hero! And you shouldn't hang out with this loser," he said, glancing at Izuku. Then he turned back to Kimiko, his gaze persistent. "I offer you a great honor! Come join our group instead of this Quirkless trash Deku!"

His voice was sharp, and his eyes burned with anger, as if he believed he had the right to decide who others should befriend. His words seemed aimed at belittling Izuku, emphasizing his superiority.

Kimika, somewhat bewildered and confused by Bakugo's words, paused for a few seconds as if contemplating his behavior. She looked over at Izuku, who stood with his head down, staring at the ground. His shoulders were slightly slumped, and he looked so helpless that it made Kimika feel sad. She couldn't understand why he wasn't responding to the insults. 'Why isn't he defending himself?' — flashed through her mind, but when she remembered that Izuku didn't have a Quirk, everything fell into place. Perhaps he was just afraid of this boy who belittled him because of his weakness.

"Why do you call him 'Deku'? His name is Izuku!" Her voice sounded firm, though there was still a hint of confusion in it. "I don't understand why you speak so poorly of him. I like being friends with him; he's a great friend, and we always have fun together!"

She paused, taking a deeper breath and gathering her thoughts, and added with more confidence:

"I don't care that he doesn't have a Quirk. Everyone is important, even those without special abilities. Real heroes should protect the weaker, not intimidate and belittle them! You may have a strong Quirk, but a hero is someone who helps, not someone who hurts others."

She looked directly at Bakugo, and for a moment it seemed like his smug smile dimmed slightly, although he continued to stand proudly.

"I want to be the number one hero too, like Izuku and you," Kimiko continued, her voice growing more assured. "But I don't want to be like you if you belittle others. I'm going to keep being friends with Izuku. And if you want to be my friend, you have to apologize to him. Then maybe I won't be against it."

She took a small pause and then added:

"And anyway, how can you become a hero if you insult the weaker ones? Isn't a real hero supposed to bring smiles to people, like All Might? You can't even be a true hero with that kind of attitude toward others!"

Bakugo stood there, fists clenched, seething with rage. He couldn't believe that some "little girl" — his peer — had the audacity to lecture him, declaring that he wasn't worthy of being a hero. Even worse, she chose to befriend that Quirkless weirdo instead of him. In his eyes, which now seemed less orange and more red, anger flared. Small explosions began to form in his hands, and he barely held himself back from lashing out at Kimika. 

Bakugo's friends, who stood behind him, stopped laughing and took a few steps back. They could see that he was on the verge of losing control and didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. For a moment, they even thought they could admire Kimika for her bravery. They were terrified by how calmly she spoke to him. But they quickly buried those thoughts, knowing that any attempt to stand against Bakugo would result in a brutal beating — and probably for this girl too. 

Izuku nearly fainted from what he had heard. He knew that after such words, things could only get worse. Bakugo already hated her, and no apology would help now. Izuku felt that they would be enemies for the rest of school! He wanted to intervene and apologize for Kimika, just to smooth things over. But before he could do anything, Bakugo, glaring with fierce intensity, shouted: 

"You've made your choice, Horned! You'd better pray you won't regret it!" Bakugo practically growled, each word dripping with anger. His hands sparked with tiny explosions, and it seemed like he was on the verge of losing control. "I promise you, you'll regret this! Remember: heroes are those who are stronger, not those who protect losers!"

He paused for a moment, as if searching for more words to hurt her even deeper. His eyes burned with fury, and his two friends instinctively took a few steps back, sensing the tension around him escalating. One of them nervously glanced at Bakugo and whispered to the other,

"He's really on edge… We'd better keep our distance..."

The second friend nodded, not wanting to be near him when Bakugo was this furious. After a few seconds of tense silence, Katsuki shot one last disdainful glance at Kimika and Izuku.

"Quirkless and Horned… What a pathetic pair!" he hissed with a venomous smirk." Hope your Quirk helps protect you and this Deku when things don't go the way you think!" His words dripped with contempt.

Then he abruptly turned and, without waiting for a response, stormed off, his friends hastily following him, eager to put some distance between themselves and Bakugo's anger.