The sky was a soft blur of early sun, filtering through the boughs of trees and spilling down over the streets like a warm memory. Hikari had stood outside the tiny, quaint café she used to make a quick escape to as a child—just a few blocks from Todoroki estate. It was a section of the city that was filled with the echoes of an old life that she wasn't sure that she fit into anymore. But today, she was ready to face one of the toughest ghosts.

  Shoto. She picked the pce deliberately. Known. Safe. Almost home.

  When he appeared in view, the world waited. The motionless air crackled with unspoken history. He was taller now—still lean, still quiet—but his eyes, mismatched and bright, carried something heavier than before. Time had fashioned him into a man, but it hadn't taken away the boy she knew.

  When he saw her, he slowed. His expression was bnk—for a moment—then eased.

  "Hey," she said, the word catching in her throat more than she had expected.

  "You haven't changed as much as I thought," he told her, his voice softer than she remembered, but warmer too.

  She smiled weakly. "You have. But I don't mean that in a bad way. You… found yourself."

  They faced each other, and for a moment, silence. Not strained—just. delicate. Shoto troubled the surface of his tea as she drew lines on the rim of her cup.

  "You didn't leave because you wanted to," he stated at st. "Did you?"

  Hikari froze. Then, with a hesitant breath, she raised her eyes to him.

  "No," she breathed. "I had to run. Not away from you… away from all the rest. Away from what they did to me. Away from what I was turning into."

  He didn't blink. He didn't gnce aside. He just nodded—once—like he'd understood but had to be told.

  "Being a b rat for the League of Vilins wasn't something I requested. I was a kid. And they used me like a weapon. My Quirks… the tests… I still have nightmares, Sho. But I'm fighting. Every day."

  His jaw clenched. He leaned across the table, his fingers overpping hers.

  "You don't owe me an apology. But I'm gd you returned. Even if it's just today."

  Hikari blinked away the tears in her eyes. She hated crying—especially in front of him—but there was comfort in how solid he felt. Like the chill he'd had was finally melting away.

  "You applied to UA too, didn't you?" she said, trying to inject a more sarcastic edge into her tone.

  He nodded. She smiled again, a little brighter. "If we both score well on the test… maybe you can crash at my pce afterward. A break from… our dear old dad."

  That elicited the slightest smirk. "Still using that designation, I see."

  "He hasn't deserved anything better."

  They lingered a bit, discussing everything and nothing. Shoto told her about training, about Fuyumi, and about walls that he was still taking down. Hikari told him about the nightmares, about healing slowly, and about Midoriya staying with her every step of the way.

  When it was time to leave, she stayed behind.

  "I made a promise," she whispered. "To meet someone. My other… parent."

  Shoto's eyes misted—but not with disapproval. "You going to be okay?"

  "Yeah." She stood up to the door. Then turned. "Thanks for meeting me. I've missed this."

  "Me too," he said. "You know… I don't want to lose you again."

  She didn't answer out loud. Only a small, knowing gnce. Down at Dagobah Beach, Midoriya was smoking from the weight of lugging trash, sweat pasting his hair to his forehead. Blistered hands and aching arms, but he didn't give up.

  And then he saw her. Hikari. Talking—usually—to All Might, as if nothing in the world was weird about that.

  His eyes went wide. "What the—Hikari?!"

  She turned and smiled like he'd just come for lunch. "Took you long enough."

  All Might chuckled beside her, arms crossed over his pin white T-shirt, green cargo pants fpping about in the breeze.

  "You're te, young Midoriya."

  Midoriya's eyes went wide. "Wait—what? Since when do you two know each other?"

  Hikari rubbed the back of her neck. "It's… sort of complicated."

  All Might, still chuckling but gentler now, said, "It's alright. He deserves to know."

  So they told him. Somewhere around half a decade or so ago. About the kidnapping. About the fear that the world would take advantage of Hikari to use her against him if they knew she was his daughter. About how very few heroes ever uncovered the truth.

  Midoriya sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity.

  "So… you're… his daughter?"

  Hikari shrugged awkwardly.

  "But… why didn't you tell me?" he asked, cracking into ughter.

  "Cause if I said. You'd think differently of me," she told him. "I just wanted to be Hikari. Not All Might's secret."

  He nodded uncertainly, his head remaining behind his heart. "Alright,well that makes a lot of sense."

  A minute or two epsed before Midoriya reached All Might again.

  "So then when I master this Quirk thing. Will Hikari train me too?"

  Hikari stepped up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

  “Of course, dummy. But you’re on your own with the 500-pound tire pulls. I’m taking a break from Ka-Chan.”

  She looked out over the ocean as the wind stirred her hair.

  And for once… it didn’t sting to look back.