MHA: THE HUMAN TORCH

The midday sun peeked through the branches of a large sakura tree, casting dappled shadows over Harue and Mina as they sat cross-legged beneath it. The cool breeze carried the faint scent of cherry blossoms, making the schoolyard feel peaceful despite the distant chatter of other students. Mina leaned back against the tree trunk, a proud grin plastered on her face as she gestured to the two bento boxes she'd prepared.

"Ta-da!" she announced, spreading her arms dramatically. "Feast your eyes on Mina Ashido's culinary masterpieces! Made with love, skill, and just a pinch of everything good."

Harue raised a skeptical brow, picking up one of the bento boxes. The colorful arrangement was undeniably impressive—rice shaped into tiny stars, octopus-shaped sausages, and a variety of veggies cut into perfect flower shapes. But Harue's lips twitched into a mischievous smile.

"Well, it looks good," he said, poking at the rice with his chopsticks. "But does it taste as good as it looks, or are you secretly trying to poison me?"

Mina gasped in mock offense, clutching her chest. "Harue! After I slaved over a hot stove for hours, you dare insult my cooking skills?"

"You didn't slave over anything," Harue shot back, smirking. "You were probably dancing around the kitchen to some pop song while the rice cooker did all the work."

Mina puffed her cheeks in mock anger, but there was a playful glint in her eyes. "Fine, Mr. Food Critic! Try it, and then tell me I didn't put my heart and soul into this!"

With a dramatic sigh, Harue took a bite of the rice. He chewed slowly, his expression unreadable. Mina leaned in, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

Harue set his chopsticks down, exaggerating a thoughtful hum. "It's… edible, I guess."

Mina's jaw dropped. "Edible? That's it?"

"Okay, okay," he said with a chuckle, holding up his hands in surrender. "It's actually pretty good. Better than I expected, honestly."

Mina beamed, clearly pleased despite the teasing. "Told you! Now admit it—I'm an amazing cook."

Harue took another bite, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Alright, fine. You're amazing, Mina. Just don't let it go to your head."

Mina laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. "Too late!"

Before Harue could finish his next bite, a familiar voice called out to him from across the yard.

"Hey!, Harue! Got a sec?"

Harue looked up to see Eijiro Kirishima walking towards them, his usual confident demeanor slightly dimmed by a sheepish expression. Harue raised an eyebrow but gave a small wave, motioning for him to come over. Mina on the other was not so pleased with her classmate.

"Kirishima!" she chirped. "What's up? You here to join us for lunch?"

Kirishima gave her a small apologetic smile before focusing on Harue, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Not exactly. I actually, uh… needed to talk to Harue about something. If that's cool?"

Harue set his bento box down, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

Kirishima hesitated, his red eyes darting between Harue and the ground. For a moment, he looked anything but the confident, fiery hero-in-training he would become in the future. He finally sat down across from them, his hands resting on his knees.

"It's about yesterday," he started, his voice quieter than usual.

Harue's expression remained neutral, but Mina tilted her head in curiosity. "Yesterday? You mean when Harue saved Hina and Yui from that giant after class?"

Kirishima nodded, his jaw tightening. "Yeah. That. I… I saw the whole thing. You confronted that guy, no hesitation, and saved them like it was nothing." He clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "Meanwhile, I just stood there. I couldn't move. I froze. And I—" He stopped, taking a deep breath before meeting Harue's gaze. "I guess I just wanna know… how? How did you do it? How weren't you afraid?"

I was caught off gourd by that question.

I couldn't tell him that I wasn't scared because I knew the plot and knew what he was after and that if anything truly bad happened I knew i could take him on, even if it derailed my plans and the plot entirely.

I started at him in thought thinking of the best way to answer that question.

After a few moments I answered.

"It's not that I wasn't afraid," Harue said simply. "Fear's always there. But…" He paused, searching for the right words. "I wasn't thinking about the danger. I was thinking about what would happen if I didn't act. Those girls needed help, and I couldn't just stand by."

Kirishima frowned, his brows furrowed in thought. "But what if you'd gotten hurt? Or worse?"

Harue shrugged. "Then at least I'd know I tried. Being a hero isn't about being fearless, Kirishima. It's about stepping up even when you are afraid."

'Stepping up even while afraid huh, just like Crimson Riot Said.'Thought Kirishima with an admiration in his heart.

'You're truly a natural born manly Hero Harue-San.'

Mina smiled softly, clearly impressed by Harue's words. "See, Kirishima? That's why Harue's so cool," she teased.

"Yeah compared to you I'm not manly at all." Laughed Kirishima self deprecatingly. 

"Not at all," Harue replied, his gaze and tone firm. "You're already manly enough. You froze because you cared. That's a good thing. It's shows that you've got heart."

" For me to be a hero you don't need a flashy or strong quirk to be a hero but just a desire to do good and help other"

Kirishima looked up, his determination slowly returning. "Yeah… you're right. Thanks, man. I won't let it happen again, I will not back down again."

Harue smirked, picking up his bento box again. "Good. Now stop sulking and go better yourself because the only one who can change you is you."

Kirishima laughed, the tension breaking. "You got it!"

...

After that day Kirishima truly began to give it his all.

He decided to join me up at the quirk gym I went to after I gave him a recommendation.

The improvement he has made has been incredible from being knocked down by a simple hit from a stone, to know being able to tank some of my semi serious blows.

The main reason for these improvements has been the weekly sparing we do.

And Today was one such sparing day to test out his new moves.

"Are you ready Harue." Yelled a pumped up Kirishima.

"Yes"I answered back calmly.

"Alright" Kirishima started charging towards me while hardening his body.

As he got closer and threw a punch at me, I sidestepped to doge it and grabbed his arm and judo threw him to the ground.

But that didn't put a stop to him as he immediately got up and went for a take down at my legs.

I immediately countered by kneeing him to the face as he got close. 

That didn't knock him out but won me enough time to doge the take down attempt.

As Kirishima got up he looked at me with annoyance in his eyes.

"Man!! you're so slippery I can't catch you at all you bastard.!" He complained.

"And you still haven't used your quirk.

!."

I smirked at him and replied.

" it's just that your so slow that I don't even need it, if you want that to change then come make me use it".

He gave out a battle roar and began charging at me again but this time he didn't make a reckless dive.

He began by trying to close the distance enough so that he could box me while still leaving room for him to defend from my attacks.

I humored him and got close, and seeing his defensive posture tested it by throwing a low kick.

He blocked it by hardening his legs at the last moment, and and threw a punch.

I dodged cuz while I'm confident of my durability Kirishimas blows aren't a joke they can topple small trees and break cement.

'Huh? a faint!!' I thought in surprise as I saw the punch not follow through.

'Now!!' Thought Kirishima.

"Red counter!!!!"he screamed as he threw another punch.

'Shit this one gonna hit, oh well it was a bit too unrealistic to think that I could beat him now without my quirk.'

Just as the hardened and sharp punch was about to hit Harue in the chest.

"Flame on!!"

It passes staight through him.

"Aghh it burns!!" yelled Kirishima as he quickly pulled his burned hand out of Harue's chest.

As he began blowing at it he couldn't stop the massive grin that was forming in his face. 

" I did it!! I really did it "

He looked at me with happiness and said 

"I made you use your quirk."

"That you did so come let's continue"

I smirked at him.

While what followed was a complete beat down from me, being as he couldn't really hit me and if he did he'd hurt himself more.

And that was with me just letting him get close to attack and not just bombarding him with fire beams from the sky.

Still by the end Kirishima was in a pretty good mood as the smile on his never changed.

I guess he finally overcome his insecurities huh?

 I thought with a slight smile as we went back to our homes.

End.