A lonely white-haired girl with horns quietly swung on a neglected evening swing. There was no one around — it was quite late. She was deep in her thoughts, reflecting on everything that had happened in her life.

Her parents, who were almost always at work, and even her mom, who used to be with her every day, now spent every day at the office, coming home only late in the evening. She now only saw her in the morning before school and late at night when her mother was already almost asleep, although she tried to wait for her to spend time together. Only on weekends did they spend time together as usual, from morning until evening. Sometimes even doing this with her father, who had begun to stay at work until late at night even on weekends.

School, where, besides Izuku, she had no friends. She couldn't look him in the eyes, feeling incredible guilt when Bakugo, his friends, and all the other classmates mocked him. All she did was ignore the bullying and act as if nothing was happening. They had even started to torment him not only with words but also physically: pushing, hitting, and similar things.

Although it was hard for her to realize, she seemed to have gotten used to seeing him being insulted or mocked, so she almost didn't react to it. But when she saw them pushing or hitting him, her heart would tighten with pain, yet she could do nothing about it. When she tried to explain to him that he needed to tell everything, he would only say, "It's fine, don't worry," and would again ask her not to tell anyone. Even when she gathered the courage to tell her parents, they were always not at home, and when they did come, her courage would vanish.

Not long ago, everything was good... She happily played with her parents or Izuku, joyfully went to school, and cherished every moment in life. Her life was so simple and carefree. But everything changed after she started being friends with one boy. She didn't blame him, no. She just bitterly wondered: what if they hadn't become friends? What if she had chosen a different path and not allowed herself to get closer to him?

Would she then have many friends, or perhaps she would even be friends with Bakugo? Maybe she wouldn't be sitting here almost every day on this swing, contemplating all these things. She felt her state deteriorating more and more because of this; she no longer wanted to become the number one hero, the hero who must give everyone smiles, who is always strong. Such a hero couldn't be like her, who ignores a friend's pain and does nothing about it, someone who hardly laughs herself and thinks about what it would be like if she hadn't become friends with her only friend.

Unnoticed by her, tears began to fall from her eyes as she suddenly felt that she was not alone. She had sensed a small presence of someone else for several minutes but thought it was just her imagination until this someone approached her.

"Hi!" she said with a light smile that reflected her good mood, and curiosity shone on her face.

"Um... hi!" Kimika quickly replied, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her sweater.

The unfamiliar girl, seeing this action, didn't change her expression, but her curiosity grew: why was the one she had been watching for some time crying in her favorite spot? "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying! You must be mistaken! It's just the wind getting in my eyes," Kimika said firmly, although her eyes darkened a bit from the lie; it was the first time she had lied in a very long time.

"Hmm... really? I think you're lying. And lying is not good!" the stranger replied, observing the girl's horns. She made a quick conclusion: when this strange white-haired crying girl lies, her horns darken. Although this information was almost useless to her, she could see that the girl had no skill in lying, which only increased her interest in such a person.

Still trying not to reveal that she had been crying, Kimika tried decisively to change the subject: "I... I'm not lying! And anyway, who are you? What are you doing here?"

Hearing such an obvious attempt to change the topic, the girl couldn't help but smile at Kimika's futile efforts to hide the truth from her. Her curiosity only grew from this.

"Me? I'm Himiko Toga. And actually, I wanted to ask what you're doing here. This is my favorite spot! I came to sit on it like always, and you've taken it! And you even cried on it, and then you lie about not crying."

Upon hearing this, Kimika tried to get off the swing, wanting to give it back to Toga. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take your spot," she said, anxiously glancing at her new acquaintance.

But Toga simply held her back, not letting her get off. "Where do you think you're going? We're not done yet!" she said with a smile, starting to swing the swing so Kimika couldn't get off. "And why didn't you say who you are? Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you meet someone?"

Kimika was frightened by this. She loved to swing, but only gently, as stronger movements on this old swing brought her uncomfortable feelings. The swing creaked as if it would fall apart at any moment, and the sound filled her with a sense of anxiety. Here, the one she wanted to give her spot to not only wouldn't let her get off but also began swinging her even harder than Kimika could handle. Her heart began to race so quickly that it felt like it might leap out of her chest.

"Please, stop!" she screamed, feeling panic wash over her. She didn't know why it scared her so much, but at that moment, she just wanted everything to end.

Toga smiled upon seeing how frightened Kimika was. She found it incredibly amusing and continued to swing the swing even harder. "Oh, this is so fun! Don't worry, we're not done yet!" she exclaimed, as if they had already become friends. With every movement, Himiko felt joy filling her, and it was as if they were playing a game where they were genuinely happy friends enjoying their time together.

"I promise I'll start swinging more gently if you answer my question!" added Himiko, sensing that their game had just begun. She was having so much fun that she was hardly worried about Kimika's fear; she understood perfectly that they probably wouldn't see each other again, so she decided to truly enjoy herself while she had the chance.

Feeling the swing beneath her sway harder, Kimika couldn't hide her excitement. "I'm Kimika Tanaki!" she exclaimed, hoping that Toga would truly keep her promise.

Upon hearing this, Toga grinned mischievously. "There we go, now we've met!" she said, finally easing the force of the swing a bit, but still not allowing Kimika to easily jump off. The swing now moved more gently but remained fully under Toga's control.

She had complete control over the situation, changing the rhythm of the swinging as she saw fit. She would swing the swing more aggressively, then ease up again when she noticed that Kimika was feeling really bad. Her face lit up with joy, and she couldn't help but laugh — she was having so much fun that she didn't want it to end.

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"You can't escape unless I let you!" Himiko cheerfully exclaimed. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she demanded, "Now tell me, why were you crying?"

Kimika held on to the swing incredibly tightly, feeling fear constricting her from the inside. She didn't know what this strange girl might think — if Himiko wanted to swing even harder, the old wooden structure surely wouldn't hold up. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she shouted, "You promised to let me go!"

But this only amused Toga even more. She paused for a moment, and the smile on her face stretched even wider, a playful spark dancing in her eyes. "I didn't say that!" she replied boldly, leaning in a bit closer while still keeping a safe distance. "I only promised to swing more gently, but I never said anything about letting you go!"

Her words carried a hint of playfulness, and her voice revealed such excitement that a slight flush appeared on Kimika's face. Holding her breath, Kimika realized that for Himiko, this was just a fun game, and it suddenly felt even more unsettling.

"Now listen carefully," Toga continued, her eyes sparkling with delight. "If you obediently answer my questions, I might let you go... sooner or later." Pausing for a moment, she added with a laugh, "But for now, answer the question; don't make me order you to, like starting to swing you even harder!"

Kimika wanted to answer this question as quickly as possible, even if it meant revealing everything that was on her heart. She dreamed of getting off this hated swing as soon as she could, and gripping it as tightly as she could while trying not to fall, she gathered her strength and began to speak: "It's hard… My only friend is being bullied, and I can't do anything… My parents are always at work… and… I… I feel so lonely."

As she spoke, Toga noticed that Kimika's horns weren't darkening, indicating that she wasn't lying. So she began to swing the swing more gently, eager to hear everything.

"I have no friends at school, just Izuku. He keeps asking me not to worry, but I can't ignore it," Kimika added quickly. "But I can't stand seeing him being bullied…"

Hearing this response, Toga was pleased. While she wasn't particularly interested in the part about Izuku, she caught the key points: "my only friend," "lonely," "my parents are always at work." She felt she could find her first real friend! So she began to swing gently, but in a way that kept Kimika from escaping.

Without changing her expression, Toga smiled and said, "Good job answering! Now that you've spoken your mind, you should feel lighter."

Kimika truly felt a sense of relief. For the first time in a long while, her heart felt lighter, as if heavy stones had been lifted from her shoulders. Thanks to the gentle and slow swinging — though unfortunately not slow enough for her to jump off just yet — this feeling of relief became even more pronounced, both physically and emotionally. "So, will you let me go now?" she asked, hoping for salvation.

"Of course not!" Toga replied cheerfully, her smile remaining carefree and bright. With genuine curiosity, she asked, "If you don't want to tell anyone, then why can't you fight back? If you do, they'll think twice before attacking your friend — though maybe not, who knows!"

Kimika pondered this, feeling somewhat surprised. "I never thought about that," she admitted. "I tried to stand up for both of us with words. I even told the teacher that we were being bullied because they were mocking me too at that time. But then Izuku just said it wasn't true..." Her voice grew quieter, and it became increasingly difficult for her to recall that betrayal. As she spoke those words aloud, tears began to roll down her cheeks. Memories of her friend not supporting her flooded her heart, and she couldn't hold back her emotions.

Hearing this, Toga was outraged. How could Izuku do such a thing to such a sweet and innocent girl who was so afraid for him? Anger began to boil within her. "You, of all people, need to come up with a revenge plan!" she exclaimed, abruptly stopping the swing, causing Kimika to nearly fall off.

Toga began to touch Kimika's arm and leg muscles. Though she tried to break free, it was no use — Toga's grip was surprisingly strong. Then Toga started swinging the swing again, not giving Kimika a chance to escape. "Well, you're pretty strong! You must have worked hard for that physique. I think you can manage to fight back! Even if you don't win, at least you'll put up a fight! They'll think twice if they attack again, knowing you'll just start another brawl. And you can always try to catch them one by one! Then bam-bam-bam, and it's over!"

Kimika blushed a bit at the compliment, although she still felt strange and even embarrassed about Toga's recent actions with her touching. But she quickly collected herself and replied, "But their leader, Bakugo, has a really strong quirk related to explosions. He's the strongest in class, and his two friends are always around. If I attack one of them, the other two will jump me immediately! Plus, they might complain to the teacher because Bakugo is her favorite."

Toga was fully focused on preparing Kimika for a fight, wanting her to learn how to stand up for herself and her friends. She insisted, "You really need this! What's your quirk?"

Kimika explained the details of her quirk, the Time Control, specifically her ability to speed up and slow down time, sharing all the details she knew. Hearing this, Toga smiled and said, "I don't see any problem with that! Your quirk is way cooler than any of theirs! If you really want to, you could even take on all three of them at once!"

Toga knew that it was probably impossible for someone like Kimika to handle three opponents. She might be able to confront one, but Toga saw the innocence and kindness in Kimika. Still, she genuinely wanted to see if this girl could find the strength to stand up for herself or her friend. Toga had already grown quite fond of Kimika during their brief conversation and considered her a friend. Even now, holding her firmly on the swing, she felt that a special bond was beginning to form between them.

So she decided to take another step in their relationship. Her smile, glowing with joy like sunlight, filled everything around her. She felt that they were already best friends, even though she knew very well that Kimika did not yet consider her a friend. "Do you want to be my best friend?" she asked in a carefree tone that revealed her genuine interest.

Kimika, still swinging on the swing unable to get off, couldn't believe her ears. She never thought that the one who was holding her captive would ask about friendship. But wanting to get off this swing, she said, "Yes," and her horns instantly darkened.

But this did not elicit any reaction from Toga, who continued to smile. She stopped the swing, releasing Kimika. "I just wanted to talk, and I thought you would refuse, so I held you captive. Besides, you only have one friend, and he has already betrayed you, and you said how lonely you feel."

She carefully watched Kimika, her curiosity growing with each passing second as she eagerly awaited the answer she so wanted to hear. "I know you can't lie because your horns show it," she continued, observing Kimika's face fill with surprise. The girl shrugged in astonishment, trying to understand how Toga could know this. A thought flashed in her mind: how could she keep this secret? But at that moment, Kimika remembered how, in a rush of fear and emotions, she had indeed lied a few times, and that only added to her uncertainty.

"So I'll ask again: don't you want to be my best friend? And most importantly — there's no room for lies in our friendship!" Toga continued, her smile becoming even brighter, and the blush on her face blooming like spring flowers. "It will be fair to you since you can't lie."

Kimika, feeling a warm sensation blooming in her heart, finally replied, "Yes." These words came from her heart, though they sounded a bit uncertain, but her horns did not darken, confirming that she truly wanted to be Toga's friend.

Hearing this answer and not seeing any reaction from Kimika's horns, Toga nearly jumped with joy, imagining how they would spend time together. She thought about how they would go for walks and discuss various topics. Her imagination was filled with images of dressing Kimika in outfits like a kitten or a bunny, which she believed were made just for her. The inner excitement from this new friendship filled her heart with energy and joy.

With a joyful smile on her face, Toga began to gently swing Kimika again, but this time not to keep her captive, but to give her a sense of comfort and relaxation. The swing moved very cautiously, almost imperceptibly, like a gentle breath of wind.

They started talking about different topics, sharing their thoughts and dreams, opening up more about themselves. In the end, when they said goodbye, not forgetting to exchange contacts, each of them was left with a warm feeling of joy from their meeting. Both girls eagerly looked forward to their new encounters with their new friend.