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Chapter 7 – The Playground

One day in Qing Qing, China, a 'Luminescent Baby' was born with a unique power called 'Quirk'.

Then, around the world, as time passed, humanity began to obtain Quirks and people realized that their fantasies of being heroes could come true with these powers, so people's dream of being heroes became a profession that would forever be in the spotlight.

However, generations later this society of heroes was threatened and traces of the recent war between the heroes and the League of Villains still existed in people's hearts. Of course, for ordinary people, the experience of living in a country without order could not be erased from their memories so easily, not even the fear of it one day returning, and for the villains, the freedom they felt in those dark days six years ago will never be forgotten.

However, the level of the hero profession has risen since the war. Being a hero is not just a title you earn by taking classes and exams, but also by saving people.

In other words, the heroes who didn't retire during the dark ages because of public opinion began to have a lot more work than ever before. But since helping others was what they loved most, it was common to see them with smiles on their faces, which chased away the gloom in their traumatized hearts.

I, just a child at the time, was so reassured by the presence of the heroes that I relaxed almost completely for a while, but when I was six, I experienced the power of Quirk against me for the first time.

My mother and I often visited a small children's park in our neighborhood. It was a serene place.

In the afternoons, the sunlight tinged the sky with golden hues, and the laughter of children echoed among the flowering bushes, while parents watched intently as their children explored the nooks and crannies of the park.

I, then six years old, routinely sat on the same wooden bench near the entrance and that day was no different. My mother was chatting with a friend of hers right next door and meanwhile, unlike all the other children, a book rested in my hands and my eyes wandered over the letters. Until last year, I didn't read very complex books so as not to scare my family, but at the age of six I thought I was old enough to want to know more about how things work in this world.

The other children were running around, their laughter forming a lively melody that filled the air. Some were entertained on the swings, coming and going like joyful pendulums, while others were having fun on the slides.

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Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, and flowers bloomed in the well-kept flowerbeds. The fresh scent of cut grass mingled with the soft perfume of the flowers, creating an olfactory symphony that was a balm for the senses. This was definitely a good place to read.

However, when the woman next to me left, Fuyumi, noticing my concentration on the book, said:

"Darling, every time you come to the park you just read. Why don't you go and play with the other children? Hmm... Don't tell me you're shy."

I lifted my chin and thought about it briefly. My mother was right, I was always the only child to stand still and I was already beginning to feel the other children's curious glances in my direction. It would be terrible if other humans my age thought I was a stranger and started bullying me. Being bullied shouldn't be a good experience to start a new life. So it was important to at least pretend to be their friend.

Finally, I sighed and closed the book. Then I got down from the wooden bench with a little jump and said as I put the book on my mother's lap:

"All right, I'll be back in ten minutes. I'm going over there to make some friends."

Fuyumi looked surprised for a moment, but smiled proudly at her own son. Then she watched me walk quickly over to a trio of snotty boys who were playing in the sandpit, she also saw the moment they rejected my approach and walked away. I looked back and he encouraged me again, so I tried to approach them again, only for them to start throwing sand at me. My mother put her hand over her mouth and stood up, but in the blink of an eye she saw them all practically kneeling down in front of me and wiping my sandy shoulders. Of course, Fuyumi was confused and also happy that I had finally made friends.

The truth is that children are generally simple. Like animals, they obey the law of the strongest and I was the strongest, so I showed them that by increasing my aura just a little. So the boys accepted me not only as their friend, but also as their leader and quickly offered to introduce me to their hideout in the park.

"All right, I accept, but I have to be back in ten minutes," I replied.

"Right! You won't regret it!" The fat man who seemed to be the leader before shouted.

Before entering the forest, I waved to my mother, who nodded while smiling. That was her way of giving me permission.

As I walked towards the forest with my new friends, it turned out to be a maze of tall trees. The distant laughter and shouts of the other children in the park became quieter and quieter as we got further away. My new friends, eager to impress the "new leader", began to tell me stories about the incredible adventures they had experienced in the hideout, only they were all fanciful children's stories.

Without question, I listened to their stories as we walked along, but suddenly we heard a strange sound coming from ahead of us, the snapping of a twig and the sound of other footsteps.

The boys next to me seemed to get immediately nervous, and four boys of just over twelve came into view. They were surprised to see our quartet and an unusual smile appeared on the face of the boy in the vanguard.

"What are you doing here, guys? Didn't I tell you not to come into our training area anymore?" He said, leaning forward so that he was at our height and, at that moment, several blades appeared from under his fingernails.