BNHA: I am Reiji Toga

The warm evening breeze blew across the now-empty U.A. stands, where only the remnants of the event and the scattered voices of the staff cleaning up the stadium remained. In front of the main gate, next to the academy sign, Reiji waited with his hands in his pockets and his hood down, as if the shadow of her face helped him hide from the emotion still thrumming in his chest.

He watched her emerge between two nurses, limping slightly, but with a smile that seemed to stick to her face like a declaration of war. She had bandages on her torso and a band-aid on her cheek, but her eyes shone with pride.

"You did it," Reiji said, his tone muted, but his gaze fixed on her.

Himiko slowly raised her arms, as if celebrating her own silent victory. "Did you see that? I was this close to beating Tamaki," she exclaimed with a hoarse laugh.

Reiji nodded. "And then he lost to Mirio in the finals."

"Yeah... And what a fight!! He sent him flying across the coliseum before crashing into him. But still, Tamaki is incredible... I never felt like he took me lightly. He fought seriously. Like he thought I could beat him." She lowered her voice slightly on the last sentence, still holding a certain amount of awe.

She walked up to him. Instinctively, Reiji raised an arm so she could lean on him without having to ask. She took it naturally.

"Did the teachers say anything?" he asked.

"About the fight, yes. They congratulated me. But... one of them also asked me something strange." She lowered her gaze, thoughtful. "He told me that when I transformed into you, I seemed to... recover faster from blows. That's not normal for my Quirk."

"And what did you say?"

"I have no idea." She shrugged. "It didn't feel strange. Just... like I could hold on longer. But I didn't heal like you, I'm sure of that. I barely managed to finish the fight."

Reiji didn't respond. But his mind was already starting to spin possibilities. A genetic echo? A shared reaction? A residual imprint?

She didn't notice. She just kept talking.

"Reiji..." she murmured after a few steps, her voice lower. "Did I do it right?"

He stopped. He looked at her with a neutral expression, but held her attention for a few seconds longer than usual.

"Amazing," he finally said. "Not from fighting... from thinking while you were doing it. Tamaki launched into a direct attack, but you calculated coldly and put him in a difficult position."

She smiled wider, and for a moment, the bandage on her cheek looked like a medal.

But as soon as she took a couple more steps, her face changed. Her body couldn't take any more. The weight of her injuries, her muscle wasting, everything fell on her with every movement. She felt fatigued, even though she'd eaten something beforehand. She attributed it directly to all the previous physical exertion, but Reiji noticed it was precisely the side effect of her regeneration...

"...It hurts me to the core," she murmured. "Will you carry me?"

Reiji sighed. Not because he didn't want to, but because he knew perfectly well what would come with it. But he also couldn't let her walk the entire journey. She'd earned it. And more than that: he knew it.

"Get in," he said simply, leaning forward slightly.

Himiko didn't take long. She leaned against his back first, slowly, as if savoring the moment. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and then, very slowly, she pressed her chest against his back with a full, warm, steady touch. Her legs closed around his waist, and he held them firmly underneath, feeling the slight tremor of his freshly tended muscles.

She rested her cheek on his neck, breathing in his scent of dried sweat and workout lotion. His breath fanned her skin.

"You know I like this, right?" he murmured, this time much closer to her ear, in a whisper laced with truth.

"Yes," he replied, not taking his eyes off the road, but feeling every small gesture with painful clarity.

"And do you know I'm going to keep asking for it?" This time, his lips barely grazed the edge of her ear. He didn't mean to be provocative, but he wasn't innocent either.

"...Yes," Reiji said in a nearly inaudible tone, feeling the pressure of her thighs against him, the heat of her body fitting against his like a second skin.

She shifted even further, lowering her head until her forehead sank into the space between his neck and shoulder. And there, she held him with a gentle but insistent grip, as if afraid that if she loosened her grip, he would vanish.

"Do you know why I like it?" she whispered at last, her voice vibrating against his collarbone.

Reiji didn't respond.

"Because this way I can feel like I'm a part of you... even if it's just for a little while."

He tightened his grip on her thighs, not saying a word. There was still a long walk home, where he would have to fight the thin line that separated them, a line that Himiko constantly wanted to break.

And without warning, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she sank her two fangs into Reiji's neck.

Reiji's body tensed instantly. Not from pain—he was used to it—but from the hidden meaning behind that bite. The heat of his fangs, the brief sting of the skin being pierced… and then, that gentle, controlled, almost reverent suction.

Himiko moaned softly against his neck, barely a stifled whisper that couldn't be mistaken for anything else. Her body reacted instantly, as if an electric shock had run down her spine. Her legs tightened a little around his waist, her hands clutched his chest, and her breath became ragged. A faint tremor ran from the nape of her neck to her toes.

It wasn't just hunger.

It was desire.

Reiji gritted his teeth, wordlessly. The heat spreading from his neck to the rest of his back was tangible, and Himiko snuggled closer, panting softly between bites, as if her body didn't know how to contain itself.

Then, after a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, she let go. Her tongue ran over the wound with the tenderness of a cat caring for its young, and then she rested on his shoulder again.

"...Thank you," she murmured, almost in a sleepy sigh, drenched in warmth, body and soul.

Reiji didn't respond. He just walked. With her on top of him, pressed against his back...

***

***

"So you're officially in the hero class now?"

Himiko nodded with a wide smile, holding the new uniform to her chest like a trophy. Her eyes shone, as if she'd finally crossed an invisible line she'd longed for.

"Yes! I passed the physical and psychological evaluations. The headmistress said my results at the festival were more than sufficient!" She waved the paper with the official U.A. seal. "I'm part of the hero class beta group!"

Reiji watched her from the doorway. He was proud, even if his face didn't clearly show it. He didn't celebrate effusively, but his silence was more than enough for her. He'd pulled strings to protect her from the shadows... but this, this was his credit.

"I'm glad," he said finally, tersely but sincerely.

She smiled as if he'd told her a thousand other things.

Memories flooded back when he entered the café. It was discreet, with tinted windows and the scent of freshly ground beans. A refuge Hawks had chosen out of routine… or maybe because he knew Reiji couldn't stand noisy places.

He was sitting in the back, out of costume this time. Just a dark jacket, his hair tied back, and his wings tucked in tightly. When Reiji entered, there was no greeting, just a nod.

He sat down opposite him. They let the first few seconds pass in silence.

"You seem less angry lately," Hawks said, crossing his arms. "Did you change your shampoo or did you just get carried away by adolescence?"

Reiji tilted his head, humorless.

"I'm just free. Not having the commission bothering you all day is relaxing."

"And I thought it was because your sister got accepted into the hero course... Two flies, right?"

Reiji didn't respond, but Hawks read the silence.

"I'm glad he's okay. I heard about the festival… and the fight with Tamaki. I guess watching from the stands was different, right?"

"She fought like a damn pro."

"Yeah, she has that spark. Like you, only more expressive. I'd even say she's much more impressive, only a few weeks and she showed such skill."

There was a brief silence as they both drank.

"I saw you're still training Shinso," Hawks added casually. "Good choice. He has potential, if someone guides him."

"I don't have time for games. If he wants to be a hero, he has to train like one."

"And the other guy? Midoriya."

Reiji blinked. He hadn't said much about it.

"I met him at the festival. He surprised me. He doesn't have a Quirk, but he observes like he can fight with his eyes. It's weird." He lied, his delivery so natural that not even Hawks noticed.

"And why talk to him?"

"I don't know. I felt like... it was worth it. He didn't ask me for anything. He just talked to me about Himiko. About how she fought, how she thought."

Hawks watched him for a second longer.

"Sometimes you end up forming bonds without meaning to. Maybe it's not an agency you're forming. But you're not as alone as you think."

Reiji frowned.

"I'm not forming anything."

"Sure," Hawks said, smiling, without arguing. He'd already told him what he had to say, so he didn't press the issue.

Reiji didn't respond. He stared at his coffee cup for a few seconds. If he'd connected with some people, it was because of what was coming. If the world wasn't meant to be saved, then he'd have to make sure everything went in the right direction.

***

Reiji adjusted the zipper of his jacket. He'd stopped by to drop off one of the devices Mei had asked him to test in simulated combat, and he didn't plan on staying much longer. However, as he turned the corner in the hallway outside, he came face to face with a figure he immediately recognized.

Long, bright blue hair with curls that floated as if defying gravity. Large, deep blue eyes, and a smile that seemed eternal. Nejire Hado.

There was no mistaking her. Not for someone who had seen so many interviews and scenes of her in his other life. She was just as radiant as she was in his memories.

"Hey, you!" She exclaimed, stopping just a meter away from him. "You're Reiji, aren't you? The one who saved the boy from that mud villain that day, and also Himiko's brother!"

She approached him casually, maliciously invading his personal space. So much so that Reiji had to reflexively stop himself from taking a step back. Their faces were dangerously close.

"Himiko talks about you a lot, you know. I wondered why... until I saw you in person. Now I understand!"

The girl tilted her head, clearly analyzing him with the same intensity with which she observed the entire world.

"I didn't think you were that serious..." She added, narrowing her eyes with a mixture of curiosity and intrigue. "Although you also seem a little tense. Does it bother you that I'm so close?"

Reiji held her gaze without flinching. His voice was low but firm:

"A little. But not enough to make you stop."

Nejire laughed, genuinely amused. She didn't move away.

"That was honest! I like that."

She turned suddenly, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Her hair accidentally brushed against him, but she didn't seem to notice or simply didn't care.

"I've been watching you for a while now. I was curious to see who Himiko admired so much… Though I didn't realize it was you who partly trained her. That explains a few things."

"Is she saying that, or did you guess?"

"A little of both," she replied, sticking out her tongue as if she'd revealed a secret.

There was a brief silence.

"You know, I'd like to talk to you another day. I like your energy… even if you don't show it much. You certainly have a strange, serious way of seeing the world. That interests me."

Reiji nodded once.

"Anytime."

Nejire walked away with a light hop, pivoting on her feet.

"See you, Himiko's gloomy brother!"

And as if part of the wind, she disappeared down the hallway, giggling.

Reiji stood there, motionless. He hadn't lost his calm or his control. But he couldn't deny that, for a moment, Nejire Hado had stirred something inside him.

That absurd energy of someone who walked through life as if everything were light, even in the midst of darkness.