"Uncle! My favorite anime is My Hero Academia! It's amazing—so much emotion, so many corrupt people. But my favorite character is..."
A soft beeping echoed faintly in both of Ester's ears.
His eyes fluttered open.
White ceiling. Bleached lights. A sterile smell.
"...Ah... Ha...ha..." Ester gave a dry laugh, blinking slowly. "It was just a dream... Just a dream."
He was still in the hospital. Still paralyzed. Still trapped.
Click.
The door creaked open.
A man entered—disheveled, tired eyes under heavy lids, black sweatpants and a matching hoodie. His hair looked like it had survived a lightning strike.
Ester squinted. Huh...? Do I... know him? he wondered. Did I ever have a relative who looked like that...?
The man came closer, voice soft but steady. "Boy... it's you again. Why is it that you always end up in danger?"
Oh. Ester recognized him now.
The hot coffee guy who thought I was suicidal... So I'm still in this world... Ha.
He had really thought, even if just for a second, that he was back in his original world.
The man's voice cut through his thoughts. "Kid—how did you get stabbed in the abdomen like that? You could've died!"
Ester stared up at him, then gave a crooked smile. "Why do you care? It's not like you can help, old man."
He pulled off his shirt slightly, peeking at the freshly stitched wound across his stomach.
The man flinched, grabbing Ester's wrist. "Listen, kid. I am a hero. I can help. My name is Eraser Head."
But when his eyes landed on the faded scars along Ester's wrist, his grip loosened. His hand fell away quietly.
Eraser... Head? Ester blinked. The name clicked.
Wait. That's my niece's favorite character.
Underground hero... Right. That's who he is.
"Underground hero..." Ester murmured, still watching the man.
Eraser Head raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You know me?"
He waved the thought off. "Doesn't matter. What matters is—who stabbed you? And what's your name, kid?"
Ester hesitated.
Even if he told them, they wouldn't be able to find those two. Not yet. They weren't even registered villains yet.
"...I don't remember," he finally said, his voice flat. "I blacked out as soon as I got out."
Eraser Head exhaled heavily through his nose. "Then can I at least get a name? I need to contact your parents or someone who can pick you up."
Ester nodded slowly. "It's... Ester."
"No last name? No middle name?" Eraser tilted his head. "Are you an orphan?"
Ester paused. He didn't know this body's full name. So he'll just say his stepfather name.
"My father's... Endeavor," he said quietly. "Call him. He'll pick me up soon." Ester said.
Then Ester turned his face away, gazing out the hospital window.
Eraser Head studied him, uncertain whether the boy was lying—but the recent news reports about Endeavor's possible illegitimate child nagged at the back of his mind.
"Alright..." he said finally. "But here."
He reached for a notepad on the table, scribbled something down, tore the paper, and handed it to Ester.
"My number. If you're ever in danger, text or call. No matter where I am, I'll come."
With a parting nod, Eraser Head turned and stepped out of the room, headed to call Endeavor.
Ester sat there for a moment, the folded paper resting beside him.
So I'm still alive... he thought, staring blankly at the white sheets on his hospital bed. Just started the day and already had to stab myself to activate a quirk... I guess I can test it later. Haah.
His gaze dropped to the healing wound on his wrist. Maybe I should stop slicing it. He tried to sit up, only to be met with a sharp pain in his stomach. Still, he pushed through it and staggered toward the window.
Outside, the sun dipped low, casting golden hues across the sky. Flowers bloomed near the hospital courtyard. Kids ran and laughed, their carefree joy a stark contrast to the weight in Ester's chest.
"...This reminds me so much of my past life," he whispered, bitterly. "Miserable."
Click.
The door opened again. Eraser Head stepped in, holding two steaming lunch boxes.
"Standing already?" he sighed, mildly exasperated. "You shouldn't be moving yet. Any more strain and your organs could be damaged."
He set the food down on a nearby tray. "I brought some bento boxes. Come try one."
Ester hesitated, then shuffled back to his bed, sinking into it carefully. He stared at the food—Katsudon, golden and warm, its aroma filling the room.
"It... smells good, old man," he muttered.
Eraser Head twitched slightly at the 'old man' remark but let it slide. He opened the bento.
"Haah, kids... Just eat. Your father's on his way, so relax a bit."
Ester picked up the chopsticks clumsily and took a bite.
And then—tears.
"H-Hey!" Eraser Head panicked slightly. "Why are you crying? Does something hurt? I'll call a nurse—"
"No." Ester shook his head slowly. "It's just... I've never eaten anything this good."
He smiled, voice trembling.
Eraser Head blinked, momentarily stunned by the confession. He reached out slowly and placed a hand on Ester's hair, ruffling it just a bit.
"I can buy you more, kid..."
__
Hours had passed since Ester was discharged from the hospital. Instead of Endeavor, the caretaker had picked him up. She drove him home in silence—cold and distant, not a single word spoken between them.
When they arrived at the traditional Japanese-style house, she got out of the car and walked away without opening his door.
"Haah... so I guess he told them not to take care of me," Ester muttered softly. He opened the car door himself and slowly made his way inside, each step sending a dull ache through his body.
The hallway was lined with elegant portraits and priceless ornaments—things meant to impress, not comfort. As he turned the corner, he suddenly bumped into someone.
"Tch."
The familiar sneer came from Natsuo as he brushed past him without stopping.
Ester stumbled back and fell to the ground, gasping as pain flared from his stomach wound.
"He did that on purpose... It feels like the wound opened again—but it didn't," he thought through gritted teeth, trying to push himself up. But his arms trembled, and the pain made it impossible.
Then—
"Ester?"
He looked up, startled. Shoto was standing in front of him. Ester hadn't even heard him approach.
"C-can you help me get up, Shoto?" he asked, trying to force a smile through the embarrassment. "I think my wound's making it hard to stand..."
As much as he hated to admit it, he needed help.
In this house, he was just a decoration.
Something to be seen, not cared for.
And utterly powerless.
"...Yeah," Shoto replied as he carefully placed a hand around Ester's waist, making sure not to put pressure on the wound.
"I heard... You got stabbed," he added, trying not to make it sound too awkward.
"Yeah. But it's not that bad... it'll heal soon," Ester said, brushing it off with a faint smile.
Once he was steady, Shoto gently let go of his waist and reached for his arm instead, pulling it over his shoulder to help him balance better.
As Shoto and Ester walked slowly toward Ester's room, the silence between them started to stretch—until Shoto finally spoke.
"Ester... the entrance exam for U.A. is coming up soon, and... I wanted to tell you something." His tone was cold, but his eyes flickered with hesitation. "Could you... act like you don't know me?"
Ester blinked, surprised—but he quickly understood.
This kid...
I guess it makes sense. Who would want to be seen with someone like me? A powerless kid with no support, standing next to the next great prodigy of this anime world.
He smiled at Shoto—quiet, but not bitter.
"Yeah. I can do that, Shoto."
They stopped at his door.
"Oh—looks like I'm here," Ester added casually before closing the door right in Shoto's face.
Inside, he let out a sigh and leaned against the wall.
"What a long day... damn."
"I need to hurry up and figure out how this damn power works."
"Starting tomorrow... I'm testing it on animals."
__
Short? Yes, why? Because the next chapter is the experiment arc. It's gonna be a steady pace, not too long nor too short.
What does ester mean? he never ate something this good. Well, because in his past life, he had to eat liquid food ever since he was paralyzed. DUN DUN DUNNNN