"Come to my house today." said Yuuichi to Rumi and Kunio as they all sat together at a table during lunch.

After the day they stopped him from being bullied, Kunio was brought into the fold of the Demon Duo. Now they were the Demon Duo and Kunio. Not much they could do about the name since Kunio didn't like to fight nor did they get the opportunity to.

Ever since that day, no one bothered them, including the upperclassmen. While it was in part due to how easily Yuuichi broke the upperclassman bully's nose, it was also because of the punishment he received.

The kid was expelled and had to do community service before he was let back into school. Not to mention, his parent's company lost a big client, causing their financial status to teeter between the upper class and the middle class. That was enough for everyone's parents to warn their kids not to mess with the Yaoyorozu heir or his friends.

"Yamamoto-shisho's not going to be there today, right?" asked Rumi while eating some mini carrots.

"No, he had to return to the Shaolin Temple. He said a villain attacked the temple and he was called back. He won't be back for a month I think." said Yuuichi while eating his ramen.

"Aw, man. I forgot about that." she said as her ears drooped.

"So you don't want to come over?"

"Who said that? I wanna spar!" she said smiling with her ears pointed straight up again.

"Hahaha. What about you Kunio? Are you finally coming over?" said Yuuichi.

In the year or so since they had become friends, not once had Kunio ever gone over to Yuuichi's or Rumi's house. Not for lack of trying on both of their parts. They had invited him over when Yamamoto was there, when he wasn't there, on the weekends, on the holidays, and even on their birthdays. He had not accepted once.

They had asked him about it before and he only said that he couldn't because he was busy. It had been the same answer over and over. At first, they had bugged him about it, but after a while, they got used to it but still kept asking on the off chance he finally accepted.

"Are you?" said Rumi looking at Kunio who had an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry, Yuuichi. I'm busy." he said.

"Sigh, one day I'll get you to say yes." said Yuuichi with a grin.

"What are you busy with? Can you at least tell us that?" asked Rumi.

"Soon. I promise." he said with that trademark smile of his.

"Sigh, I was hoping you would finally say yes." said Rumi as she placed her head on the table while her ears drooped back down.

"You okay?" asked Yuuichi, feeling that Rumi was a little less spirited than usual.

"No." she said.

"What's wrong, Rumi?" asked Kunio.

"Nothing." she said.

"Impostor!" said Yuuichi, standing up and pointing at her, causing some of the other students to look over at them before looking away, unfazed.

"Impostor?! What do you mean?!" she said.

"The Rumi we know wouldn't hide her feelings or her words like you. She would tell us straight up. So that means you're an impostor!" said Yuuichi with a smile.

"Oh yeah?! Could an impostor do this?" she said with a smile as she started launching a barrage of kicks at Yuuichi that he dodged.

"Hahaha! That's more like it. That's the Rumi I know." said Yuuichi holding on to her leg before letting go.

"Humph! At least you'd be able to recognize an impostor of me." she said before sitting down.

"Of course I would, you're my best friend." said Yuuichi now sitting back down while smiling at her.

"Good." she said smiling right back.

"Umm, so why are you feeling down, Rumi?" asked Kunio.

"Oh right. What's wrong?" said Yuuichi.

"My family's moving. To Hiroshima." she said.

"What?!" x2

"My dad got a promotion, so we have to move to Hiroshima. That's where his new job is going to be. My mom told me today and we leave tomorrow." she said.

"Wait, you leave tomorrow?! Why didn't she say something sooner?" said Yuuichi.

"She said she only told me today because she knew how I would react."

"What if you stayed with us?!" said Yuuichi, coming up with any way for his best friend to stay with him.

"I already told her that. She said no. She said no matter what, I'm going with them." said Rumi, looking down.

"Sigh, this sucks." said Yuuichi.

"Mm." said Kunio.

"You're coming today, Kunio." said Yuuichi after a few moments of silence.

"Eh? For what?" he asked.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"The three of us will be together for the last time for who knows how long. And I'm not taking no for an answer." said Yuuichi.

"Okay. I'll talk to my parents. And since Rumi is leaving tomorrow, I can show you why I've been busy." said Kunio.

"You guys." said Rumi, tearing up.

"Are you about to cry?" teased Yuuichi, in hopes she would perk back up.

"Shut up!" she said before starting her combos again while Kunio and Yuuichi both laughed.

~

"Welcome to my home." said Yuuichi to the stunned Kunio as they entered the foyer.

"Come on, don't just stand there." said Rumi as she pushed the frozen Kunio inside.

"Young Master, Rumi-sama, Kure-sama. " said Ayako, bowing slightly to all three.

"Eh, Kure-sama?" said Kunio, confused.

"Forgive me. Would you like me to call you Kunio-sama?" asked Ayako.

"No, no, no. Please, just Kunio." said Kunio.

"I'm afraid my duties as a maid do not allow for me to do so."

"Just let her do it, Kunio. I've asked her to call me Yuuichi for 5 years and she's refused to." said Yuuichi.

"Ah, then please Kunio is fine, Ayako-san." said Kunio, slightly bowing to her.

"As you wish, Kunio-sama."

"Ayako, carrots?" asked Rumi.

"Right here, Rumi-sama." she said picking up a plate from the table behind her before handing it over to Rumi.

"Yes! You're the best, Ayako!"

"My pleasure, Rumi-sama."

"Are mom and dad here?" asked Yuuichi snatching one carrot away from the ravenous rabbit while trying to keep his fingers.

"They said they would be here late today, Young Master."

"Okay. We'll be in the training hall for now." said Yuuichi before the three of them went to the training hall all the meanwhile Kunio was in awe of the place.

"Your house is huge, Yuuichi." said Kunio.

"A bit wasteful. Such a big house for three people and a handful of maids." said Yuuichi.

"Mm, too big. I get lost all the time here." said Rumi as she finished up her last carrot.

"It's not that big. You're just careless." teased Yuuichi.

"Tch, just wait 'till we're in the training hall and we'll see who's the careless one." she said with a cocky smile.

~

"Wow." said Kunio after having watched Yuuichi and Rumi spar for an hour with just technique.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" said Yuuichi while catching his breath.

"Yes." said Kunio.

"If we had used quirks, I would've won." said Rumi as she lay on the ground catching her breath as well.

"For now. But in the future, I'll definitely win." said Yuuichi with a smile.

"I can't wait until you can use your quirk like you tell me you'll be able to." said Rumi with a big smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Kunio.

"Right now my quirk is strong, but in the future, it'll be even stronger, naturally. When I create constructs I have to keep the construct in mind while using it. So the moment I stop thinking about the construct I want to create, it'll break. I've gotten so much better at it than in the beginning, but I'm still not where I want to be. And also bigger and stronger constructs need more energy which will also be easier for me in the future." explained Yuuichi before drinking from the water bottle that Ayako had brought over earlier.

"Cool." said Kunio.

"Humph, my quirk will be stronger than yours." said Rumi.

"Haha, I hope so." said Yuuichi.

"Wait, now that I think about it, you've never told us what your quirk does Kunio." said Yuuichi.

"You always dodge the question. Spit it out. I want to know before I leave." said Rumi.

"Okay. That was part of the reason I've been busy." he said before standing up and getting near the two of them.

"What does this smell like?" he said before blowing air in their direction causing the two of them to smell.

"That smells like ramen. Really good ramen." said Yuuichi.

"How about this?" he said before doing the same thing again.

"Carrots!" said Rumi.

"So you can breathe out different foods?" asked Yuuichi.

"No, I can create any chemical compound I want but I can only breathe it out and I have to have eaten it before." he explained.

"I see." said Rumi with a blank look on her face.

"So you can breathe out the flavor of things you've eaten before." said Yuuichi.

"Yes. And my parents own a restaurant. That's why I've been busy. They're training me to take over their restaurant. With my chef skills plus my quirk that can enhance flavor..."

"You'll be a great chef." said Yuuichi.

"Mm." he said before looking down.

"But you don't want to be a chef." said Yuuichi.

"Eh? No, I do. It's nothing." he said with a fake smile.

"Come on, spit it out." said Rumi.

"It's nothing serious. I promise." he insisted.

"It's about what you want to do with your life, isn't it?" said Yuuichi.

"Eh? How'd you know?"

"Doesn't matter. So if you don't want to be a chef, you want to be a hero?" said Yuuichi.

"You too?!" said Rumi with a smile.

"Yes. I want to be a hero. I want to use my chef skills and my quirk as a hero. To save people and then feed the ones in need. But I know I can't. My quirk isn't meant for combat or rescue." said Kunio clenching his fist.

"Who cares?" said Yuuichi.

"Huh?"

"If your quirk isn't meant for combat, just make it for combat. All you have to do is train and try. And if that doesn't work, Rumi and I will beat up the villains and rescue everyone, then you feed them." said Yuuichi with a smile while Rumi did the same.

"He's right. You won't know until you try." said Rumi.

"Mm. You're right. I can't give up yet." said Kunio with a look of determination.

"Hahaha, that's what I'm talking about! We'll all be heroes. No matter what. It doesn't matter if we all move apart to different cities or countries. We'll all be heroes and protect the innocents." said Yuuichi.

"Haha, yes! I want to fight the worst villains and take them down!" said Rumi.

"I want to protect those I can and feed the hungry!" said Kunio.

"This is a promise between friends, so let's make it official. With this fist bump, we'll be sworn to this, no matter what." said Yuuichi putting his fist out.

"No backing down!" said Rumi fist out touching Yuuichi's.

"Mm." said Kunio before doing the same.

CLICK

"Isn't that cute?" said Yuuichi's mom with a camera pointed directly at them.

"Oops, don't mind me. Continue." she said with a sly smile before closing the door.

"Mom!"

~

After that photo shoot that would haunt Yuuichi forever, the three of them went inside and they then asked Kunio to cook for them. As a going away gift for Rumi and to see what their friend was made of.

At first, Yuuichi's mom was hesitant to let such a young kid cook and handle knives, but after showing off his skills, she relented. Kunio then cooked a meal that even Yuuichi's parents, who had tasted the highest quality and class of food, had to admit was heavenly. Of course, so much praise made Kunio blush, but also more confident about his future as a hero.

Then the three went to Yuuichi's room where they spent the next hour playing until Kunio told them he had to leave. Kunio hugged Rumi and thanked her for helping out when he was getting bullied and wished her good luck. Then he was sent back home in a car with one of the many drivers employed by the Yaoyorozu family.

Then it was just Yuuichi and Rumi who decided to go outside and watch the moon.

"I'm going to miss you." said Rumi after a few minutes of just the two of them laying on the grass.

"Me too."

"You were my first friend."

"Mine too."

"No one would talk to me because of my personality. But you just laughed and smiled even after seeing it."

"I like your personality. It's very compatible with mine. You do what you want, I do what I want. You say what's on your mind, I say what's on my mind."

"Mm. So, you want to be a hero?"

"Yeah."

"I think today is the first time you've said that."

"You knew though."

"Mm. I always knew. I could tell you have that same sense of justice that I do."

"So, we both want to be heroes. Does that mean we'll meet in high school when we join a hero school?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Let's not meet again until we're both heroes. That way, we'll both stick to it, no matter what. Because I want to see my best friend again. And if the only way to do that is to become a hero, I know I'll do that."

"Okay. Then this will be a promise between just us two. A promise not to meet until we both become heroes." said Yuuichi.

"Pinky promise." she said sticking out her pinky.

"Pinky promise." said Yuuichi wrapping his pinky around hers while smiling.