BNHA: I am Reiji Toga

The spring breeze blew in through the open windows, ruffling the curtains and creeping through the hallways of the new house. There were still unopened boxes in the corners, but everything was ready in the dining room. A simple breakfast, a clean table, and a white envelope in the center, with the golden U.A. logo shining in the sunlight.

Himiko hadn't moved in five minutes. Sitting with her back straight, her fingers were pressed against the edge of the envelope. Her eyes, wide open, stared at it without blinking.

"Do you want us to open it with you?" her mother asked sweetly from the kitchen. Her tone was calm but full of expectation.

"No, no... I can do it. It's just... I'm a little scared."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," said her father, leaning against the dining room doorframe. "If you studied like you said you did, you deserve it."

Reiji watched from across the table, sitting silently with a cup of coffee in his hands. He was wearing his usual gray sweatshirt, his hair slightly tousled, and his gaze more relaxed than usual. He didn't seem anxious... rather, expectant.

Himiko took a deep breath and broke the seal. As she opened the letter, her eyes scanned the lines as if looking for a catch. And then, her expression said it all.

"I got in..." she whispered. "I got into U.A.! I did it!"

Joy erupted immediately. Her mother hugged her tightly from behind. Her father, though less effusive, smiled proudly and patted her on the shoulder. The atmosphere was filled with a warm emotion, almost unusual for a family with so many shadows behind them.

"I'm so proud of you, my girl..." her mother murmured, almost in tears.

Himiko, still agitated, sought Reiji's gaze. His eyes were shining.

"I expected nothing less. Not just anyone gets into U.A. But you're not just anyone."

She blushed slightly.

"Thank you..."

Reiji raised his cup with a carefree expression.

"Just remember to stay out of trouble. Those guys have extreme protocols with their students. If you screw up... they'll take care of you until they're exhausted."

"Was that a warning or a joke?"

"A warning that sounds like a joke. Perfect for you."

They both laughed, and for a moment, everything seemed to be in balance.

***

He had left after Himiko left the house. She had woken up early, more nervous than she wanted to admit, and had left straight for the U.A. without even waiting to eat breakfast properly. The last thing she said before walking out the door was "wish me luck," which she didn't need. Reiji just gave her a calm wave.

The sun rose slowly in the sky, and the streets of Musutafu filled with students, office workers, and mothers with children. Reiji analyzed everything in silence, his face half-covered by his uniform scarf.

The hallways of his new high school smelled of waxed floors and cheap markers. The walls were lined with colorful posters promoting school clubs, student councils, and events that Reiji couldn't care less about. He walked without haste, backpack slung over his shoulder, without making a sound.

His stride was measured, light, almost feline.

It was inevitable that people would stare at him.

It wasn't just his height, unusual for a boy his age, or the way his body, trained and sculpted by years of discipline, effortlessly filled out his uniform. It was something else. The unique glow of his orange-amber eyes, as intense as if they were burning from within. His dark blond hair, duller than Himiko's but perfectly styled in a careless way, as if everything about him were calibrated to the last detail. Even his voice, which despite his adolescence was not yet fully settled, had a deep, melodic tone that seemed to cut through the air with elegance.

He didn't need to speak to dominate the space.

Without trying, Reiji attracted attention. Not only because of his beauty, but because of the atmosphere that surrounded him. A mixture of someone who had lived too long... and someone who could disappear without a trace.

When he reached room 1-B, he paused for a second. He took a deep breath, like someone preparing for a play.

One more.

He pushed the door gently.

The room was filled with murmurs when the teacher finished writing the schedule on the board. Reiji, still standing by the entrance, kept his gaze fixed on the group of students. One of them, sitting near the window, immediately caught his attention.

Dark purple, messy hair. Sleepy but alert eyes. Relaxed posture, as if he didn't care about anything, but in reality he never stopped observing.

"I've seen him before... or at least I've read about him somewhere."

The teacher snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Class, this is Reiji. He's transferring from Tokyo. Try not to scare him... too much," he joked dryly. "You can sit next to Shinso, back there."

Several students turned their heads curiously. Some whispered as they watched him pass by: his height, his steady gait, his serious face. The uniform fit him impeccably, but there was something about him—perhaps those orange eyes with their unusual glow—that didn't quite fit.

Reiji sat down next to Shinso without saying anything at first. He put away his backpack, rested his arms on the table... and glanced at him sideways.

"Shinso, right? Your face looks familiar... have we met before?"

"I doubt it," Shinso replied, without looking at him.

Reiji raised an eyebrow, amused by the curt reply. "Maybe. Sometimes I dream about people before I meet them."

Shinso turned his head slightly, just enough to see him with one eyebrow raised. "Are you one of those weirdos?"

"What do you think?"

Silence.

Shinso watched him for a few more seconds before looking ahead again. "I don't know who you are, but if you think you're going to get me to like you by using those kinds of weird phrases... it's not going to work."

Reiji smiled. It wasn't hostility he felt, but a wall protecting someone who preferred to be alone. He had seen that kind of mechanism before.

"Better that way," he said, relaxing his back against the chair's backrest. "Getting people to like me isn't my priority."

Shinso seemed to accept that answer. He didn't respond, but he didn't look away in annoyance either. The silence between them became comfortable. Even natural.

A couple of students were whispering in the row in front of them, glancing at them out of the corner of their eyes. One of them muttered:

"What a combo... the weird new guy and the scary one."

Shinso heard him, but said nothing. He just snorted. Reiji leaned toward him slightly.

"Do people always say that to you?"

"It depends on the day."

"Well... today is one of those days."

They both remained silent for a moment.

Then Shinso, without looking at him, muttered:

"You're not as annoying as you seem."

"And you're not as cold as you pretend to be."

A slight grimace crossed Shinso's face. A smile? Perhaps. Fleeting.

The bell rang, and the teacher began handing out books.

***

The afternoon fell peacefully over Musutafu, bathing the windows and lampposts in an amber glow. At that hour, the city took on a different rhythm from Tokyo: more orderly, more gentle... even the cars seemed to brake delicately at the corners, as if someone had tamed the chaos.

Reiji was sitting on a bench in front of a small shopping plaza. He had a soda in his hand and a paper-wrapped bag of bread. His uniform jacket was tied around his waist, and he looked relaxed... at least on the surface. His eyes, those orange eyes like embers, scanned the surroundings attentively.

He wasn't there just out of routine. Not since the Commission assigned him to track down the ramifications of an unstable drug that altered Quirks. He had seen its effects before, and he knew that the epicenter was in Musutafu.

And that afternoon, something clicked.

Across the street, in front of a convenience store, two young men were talking nervously in whispers. One of them was holding a small glass vial with a green liquid inside, vibrant like compressed energy. 

"It seems the information was correct..."

He watched silently, without moving. It was not the time to intervene.

Until the younger one uncapped the capsule and injected it into his neck. Reiji's entire body trembled at such a reckless move. What was he trying to do?

The boy let out a scream of pain, fell to his knees, and his body began to convulse. His veins darkened. The Quirk unleashed itself without a defined shape. His torso expanded, his skin tore, and his muscles twisted like live wires. Bone appendages sprouted from his back, twisted and sharp.

His eyes disappeared. His face was now just a mask of uncontrolled rage. When it was over, a scream echoed through the store as the mutant guy jumped out of the store, his eyes bloodshot red.

"Shit... What the hell just happened?!" Reiji thought, it had all happened in just two seconds. He looked at the street and saw a woman crossing the street pushing a baby carriage. She was talking on the phone, but she dropped it when she saw the creature, which was right in the path of the being that had just lost all sense of humanity.

Reiji jumped to his feet. Time seemed to compress. The wind froze in his ears.

"I'm targeting her... I can't. I mustn't let it kill her or the baby!"

Reiji reacted immediately, quickly analyzing the situation. He knew perfectly well that his desires were contrary to his mission, so he couldn't use his blood Quirk visibly... 

But a life was in danger.

He ran.

Each step hit the ground like a racing heartbeat. The creature growled, its gait erratic but purposeful, its limbs striking traffic signs and poles with tremendous force. It was heading straight for the woman.

He didn't think. He didn't hesitate.

"COVER UP!" Reiji shouted.

And he threw himself in front of the car, his body tense. Inside his clothes, every layer of his skin exploded in a burst of blood that filled all the clothes he was wearing. The pain was instantaneous. He had never created such thick blood armor, but when he saw the giant fist and the speed at which it was moving, he knew immediately that it would be extremely lethal to take it without any protection.

The creature hit Reiji squarely, who planted himself on the ground, completely stopping the punch that was like being hit by a train. Blood seeped from his mouth before the creature's other fist hit Reiji again, sending him flying.

He felt his ribs crack as he resisted the blow. He was thrown several meters, crashing into the window of an electronics store. Glass, blood, broken glass... His body bounced and fell to the ground with a hoarse gasp.

But the car and the mother were intact.

The creature, confused, took several erratic steps backward, letting out a distorted roar, and then escaped down an alley, crashing into poles, walls, and vehicles in its flight.

The woman ran toward Reiji with the baby in her arms, her eyes overflowing with tears.

"My God! Are you okay, boy?!" 

People began to gather. Whispers grew louder, cell phones recording.

Reiji coughed up blood, his regeneration already working under pressure.

"Just... a couple of hits."

"That monster rammed him head-on!" said another. "He should be dead, it looked like a punch as powerful as All Might's!"

"Who are you? Are you a hero?"

Reiji slowly got to his feet, clenching his jaw. He felt part of the regenerated tissue ache as if his flesh had been cooked and discarded at the same time.

He heard the sirens.

The heroes were coming.

He couldn't stay.

"I was just... lucky," he muttered, and before anyone else could speak to him, he turned around, put on his hood, and began to run through the crowd that was already starting to make way for the professionals. His ribs hurt like hell, his adrenaline inhibiting the pain a little, but it wasn't enough. Besides, it wasn't just the blow; the armor he had created had caused his blood to be consumed very quickly, leaving him twice as fatigued... And with a great thirst for blood.

An emboldened civilian. That's how they would remember him.

Just another shadow in the chaos.

As he walked, blood pooling under his clothes like a contained river, his orange eyes glowed again with that mixture of rage and purpose.

"That blow was lethal... If it weren't for the blood armor I created, I don't think I would have survived..." he thought angrily. "That drug is already circulating freely. And if it's already affecting random users, then... Hunter is on the move."

And he was going to find him.

Amidst the agitated voices, the sirens, and the trembling feet of those running, Reiji had already slipped into the shadow of an alley. He limped slightly, the muscles in his abdomen vibrating with involuntary spasms, his body regenerating at a painfully slow pace.

But then he saw him.

Through the crowd that scattered like water between rocks, a figure advanced in the opposite direction of the chaos. It wasn't just anyone. He didn't look at the disaster with surprise or fear. He walked calmly, his hands in the pockets of a cheap designer jacket, his cap pulled down, his gaze hidden... but his expression, the rhythm of his steps, gave him away to Reiji's trained eyes.

"The dealer..."

It all made sense: he was there to make sure the drug worked, that the effect was registered, or perhaps even to recover something from the user if he was still alive. And he didn't seem interested in staying to watch him get caught.

Reiji straightened up with a low growl and began to follow him.

The figure turned a corner onto a quieter avenue. Reiji quickened his pace, keeping his distance, careful with each step so as not to arouse suspicion. The crowd began to disappear behind him. It was the perfect opportunity.

But the pain...

A sharp pain shot through his right side like a red-hot spear. He stopped for a few seconds, leaning against a lamppost. The regenerated blood churned inside him. He couldn't stabilize it without more rest. And if he pushed his body again, he could lose control. Or worse: collapse.

He clenched his teeth in frustration.

He looked up again just as the figure crossed a rusty fence, disappearing into an abandoned industrial area.

He could follow him.

He could try to catch him.

But he could also die right there.

Reiji lowered his head, his fists trembling with contained rage. Then he slowly backed away, melting into the shadows. He would return. When his body was no longer on the verge of collapse. And his brain screamed at him to kill something and drink its blood until it was dry...

***

Reiji clumsily closed the door and dropped his backpack on the floor. He walked straight to the sofa and collapsed heavily, as if something invisible were hanging from his shoulders. The silence in the house was suffocating.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with both hands.

The tremor in his jaw returned. That subtle but relentless vibration that rose from his stomach and pressed his teeth together until they hurt. His body seemed to refuse to heal, if that strange need was denied him...

Saliva pooled in his mouth without permission. The memory of the metallic taste stabbed him from within. He closed his eyes tightly.

'Control yourself... Not now...'

But the emptiness was still there. And with it, the need.

Then the door opened again. His breath stopped for a second.

Himiko.

Reiji didn't look up. He hoped she would go straight to her room. That she wouldn't notice. That she wouldn't see what was happening.

But her voice found him anyway.

"Reiji? Are you home?"

Her tone was tinged with slight relief, but also concern. He didn't answer. He just clenched his jaw tighter, hiding his gaze.

She approached fearlessly, crossing the room until she was standing in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes..."

"Liar."

She watched him closely. Something was different. The sweat on his forehead, his narrowed eyes, his slight, restrained panting... She already knew those symptoms. She knew them all too well.

"How long have you been feeling this way?"

Reiji didn't answer.

"Reiji, look at me."

He slowly raised his head. His eyes were red and moist, as if he had been struggling with himself for hours.

"I didn't want you to know," he murmured, and this time it wasn't a lie. He had always been careful not to let her know, not because he was afraid of what she might say—he knew Himiko would support him—but rather so that she wouldn't worry, as he had done before.

Himiko frowned, knelt in front of him, and took his hands firmly.

"Do you have it too? The same need?"

Reiji looked away, ashamed. "Not as often as you. But today... Today has been complicated..." He didn't reveal any more; he wasn't going to unravel all his secrets because of a moment of weakness... Only what was necessary.

She moved closer, without letting go. "Does it hurt?"

He nodded silently.

"Do you want my blood?"

"No. I don't want that. I can't..." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tremor in his voice. "I don't want to use you like that."

Himiko watched him silently. And then, with a sweet, almost luminous expression, she stood up. Her hands were shaking, but not from fear. There was something electric about her movements. Then, without saying another word, she sat on top of him. Straddling him.

Reiji opened his eyes, surprised. That... was much more intimate than it might seem.

"Himiko..."

"Don't think about it so much," she murmured, bringing her face close to his. "You know you want it... And I already told you that you're the only one I care about."

"You shouldn't—"

"Shh." She put a finger to his lips. "This time, let me do it." 

In the original story, Himiko, although a deranged killer, also showed excessive concern and affection for her friends. But with Reiji it was different. Her younger brother, she had shared with him since birth, and it was almost an obsession as strong as blood... 

Reiji tried to look away, but she held his face with both hands, tenderly, forcing him to look at her.

"Trust me. Just as I trust you when you give it to me."

The closeness was suffocating. The scent of her neck, the warmth of her body, the way her legs wrapped around his waist... All of it pushed him beyond his limits.

"Don't make me beg," she whispered with a crooked smile. "Take it."

Reiji trembled. His hands slowly rose to hold her waist, as if he needed to anchor himself so as not to lose control.

Then, very slowly, he moved closer to her neck. He brushed it with his nose, breathing deeply, as if he still had the slightest doubt.

"Just a little," he murmured, almost begging.

"As much as you need."

And then he bit her. Reiji closed his eyes as his fangs sank in carefully, as if afraid of breaking something fragile.

Himiko held her breath as she felt the bite. She didn't move. She just gently clasped her brother's shoulders, tilting her head to give him room. Her hands were shaking, but not from fear. It was a strange mixture of relief and closeness, of that silent understanding that only they shared.

The blood flowed, hot and alive. And for a moment, the world ceased to weigh on their bodies.

When Reiji pulled away, his lips were stained, his breathing heavy, and his eyes red, but no longer from pain.

Himiko slid a hand down his back and hugged him without saying a word. She closed her eyes as she rested her forehead against his, in a gentle, almost childlike gesture.

"See?" she murmured. "You don't have to carry this alone."

Reiji didn't respond. He just stood there, breathing heavily, but calmer. He let that embrace envelop him, not as a refuge, but as a reminder that there was still someone who understood what hurt inside.

"Now it's my turn..." he said, his face flushed, before sinking his fangs into Reiji's neck. At that moment, Reiji's clarity returned...

'Shit... this...'

The heat of the bite shook him more than he expected. His breathing became erratic, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't know how to feel.

"A sibling relationship isn't supposed to be like this. But..."

In his two lives, he had never felt real physical desire. He didn't need it, he didn't want it. There were more urgent things than that. However, now with Himiko clinging to him, her face flushed, her body so close, he couldn't ignore what his own body was screaming at him.

"This isn't right."

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to erase everything he shouldn't be feeling. The sensation of Himiko's lips, her rapid breathing against his neck, the pressure of her legs around his waist...

"I'm a responsible adult. I have to solve this another way..."

When she pulled away, her face was flushed. Her eyes, slightly clouded, did not hide the rapid emotion running through her.

Reiji forced himself to look at her firmly, even though his heart was also beating fast.

"Himiko..." he said in a dry but not harsh tone. "We have to go to sleep. It's very late."

"Eh...? But..."

"But nothing."

He sat up and gently pushed her off him. It wasn't a violent rejection. It was a line drawn with determination. One that, for now, had to be maintained.

She sat on the sofa, looking down, saying nothing more.

Reiji turned toward the stairs, without looking back at her. Because if he did... maybe that line would break.