The bell above the bakery door jingled softly as Kael stepped out into the afternoon light, Hana skipping just ahead of him, arms swaying like a conductor leading the breeze. The city bustled in the distance, but here in the neighborhood, everything felt slower. Softer.
"Let's go this way!" Hana pointed toward the shaded path by the canal, her dragon plush clutched under one arm.
Kael followed with a quiet nod. No hoodie today—just a plain long-sleeve shirt and cargo pants. He still moved with practiced quietness, but there was no tension in his shoulders. The scars hidden beneath his clothes didn't ache. Not today.
They passed a woman watering potted plants on her balcony. She waved. Kael gave a small wave back.
"Race you to the bridge!" Hana shouted.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Last time I won."
"No Quirks allowed!" she yelled mid-sprint.
"I wasn't planning on using them!" he called after her, jogging to keep up. Her laughter carried back to him like wind through leaves.
By the time he reached the small footbridge, Hana had already climbed up on the edge of the railing, arms out wide for balance.
"Look, I'm flying!"
Kael stood close but didn't grab her. He let her have enjoy the moment.
"You've got good form," he said. "Ten out of ten."
"Ten out of ten?" she beamed.
"You're a natural."
She jumped down beside him, breathless and red-faced. "Eheheh, I wanna go to the garden next."
They made their way to the neighborhood's public flower garden, tucked behind a library and flanked by low hedges. It was quiet—just the sound of windchimes hanging from a porch across the street and the faint rustle of petals.
Hana darted between planters, crouching to peer at tiny purple blooms.
"These look like the ones we had in our old yard, remember?" she asked, fingers brushing a stem.
Kael knelt beside her, frowning thoughtfully. "Yeah… I remember you used to talk to them like they were people."
"They are!" she huffed. "They just whisper. Only to me though.."
"Right. How silly of me."
She grinned. "Now you're learning."
They stayed there for a while, surrounded by color and quiet, the world seeming content to leave them alone.
Later, they found themselves sitting on a low wall, sharing a bag of takoyaki from a corner stand. Hana dangled her legs as she ate, grease smudged on her cheek. Kael cleaned it with a napkin, and she squirmed.
"I can do it myself," she muttered.
"You missed a spot."
"You're worse than Aunt Nari," she pouted.
Kael chuckled. "I'm honored."
They sat in companionable silence for a minute before Hana asked, "Sooo, are you happy now?"
The question caught him off guard.
He glanced at her, but her eyes were on the sky—an open blue canvas scattered with cotton clouds.
"I'm always happy with you Hana. Is that your quirk or something? Making others day as bright as the smile you wear?"
Hana chuckled, "If it means seeing you smile more then I hope I could awaken a quirk like that."
Kael stared at her then at his hands. 'Balancekeeper. Taking the quirks of Villains, and either locking them up forever, until they're needed by myself or until..'
He placed his right hand on Hana's head. 'HeartGlow. A Quirk that allows you emit a soft, warm light from your body, easing tension, fear, and boosting morale. I got this from a sadistic bastard that used it to ease people right before killing them in cold blood. But with Hana, she could do wonders with it..'
Hana felt a faint, warm feeling enveloping her entire body. Hana's eyes flustered closed, her shoulders relaxing and her arms and legs going limp.
Silence fell for a moment. Kael got a little nervous since this was his first time transferring a qurik to another person. Though he knows theres no safety issue, seeing Hana like that still made him uneasy.
Suddenly, a flicker of lavender shimmered at her fingertips. Not dangerous. Not destructive. But soft, beautiful, like happiness made visible.
Kael let out a slow breath.
Hana looked up at him, her eyes watering—but not out of fear.
"You…did you give me.."
"It's yours now Hana. Keep being that bright ray of sunshine for me, okay?"
Her tears rained down even harder as she embraced Kael with a deep hug, thanking him for everything. She wasn't quirkless anymore. She could actually help others. She could help Kael, Yuto, her mom, a random lady on the street, an old man at a library, anyone.
"Lets go back home so you can get some rest. It's draining suddenly acquiring an unknown quirk. Especially for big baby like you." He pinched her soft rosy cheeks.
"Okay!!" Her laughter filled the garden as they began heading back home, Kael carrying her like the princess she was.
…
That evening, Kael sat on the roof of the bakery alone, legs dangling over the ledge. Below, the streetlights blinked on. A soft breeze tousled his hair.
He didn't need to patrol the city anymore. Didn't need to chase people into the shadows. He felt like a retired old veteran even though his Vigilante work lasted only three months.
Signing, he pulled out a small sketchbook he hadn't touched in years—one Hana had found in a storage box a week ago and insisted he keep.
He flipped past pages of old costume designs from before he awakened BalanceKeeper, messy doodles, notes on pro heroes, ect, ect. That's when he found a blank page.
Kael began drawing on it, letting his mind wonder and making his fingers do all the work. A dragon plushie in a child's hand. A footbridge. A flower garden. Hana's face as she received her quirk.
Scenes from today. Not battles. Not headlines. Just memories worth holding onto.
He didn't need the world to know who he was.
Right now, he just wanted to be an actual older brother to Hana, a real son to his aunt Nari and a little brother to Yuto.
And that was more than enough. That was his whole world and he couldn't ask for more.
…