Sai sat comfortably in the quiet of the mansion's sitting room, a tablet resting lightly in his hands. An amused smile curved his lips as he scrolled through the latest news. The headline spoke excitedly of a prodigy basketball player, a middle school student whose talent for the sport defied all logic. The article went on at length about how, if not for the sheer number of witnesses and one coach possessing a quirk that detected other quirks, everyone would have surely agreed the boy was cheating.
Sai's eyes flicked down the page, his smile widening.
The article boldly questioned whether Mori Junsei would aim to become a professional athlete, insisting that with such talent it would be nothing short of a sin not to dedicate his life to basketball. Beneath the text was a photograph of Junsei on the court, staring at his opponents with his usual expressionless gaze, as though he were bored by the lack of challenge they posed.
That, more than anything else, was what made Sai chuckle.
That face was Junsei's everyday face. Professional sports? Sai almost laughed aloud. What would they say if they knew the truth: that Junsei had only agreed to play because the school had bribed him with an unholy amount of sweets?
Sai shook his head slowly. Junsei truly was one of a kind.
A quiet sense of pride settled in his chest. Aside from Momo, Sai was the one who had spent the most time with Junsei, watching him grow day by day. Some might argue that Junsei had not changed at all, but Sai knew better. The boy was more outspoken now, more willing to act than when he had first arrived. His cold survival logic had softened considerably, or at the very least, it had caused no further trouble since the Yuzu incident.
Sai believed that their talk back then had played a role in that change. According to Momo, Junsei could now hold conversations with his classmates, even if his face remained as cold as ever. The only thing Sai truly felt pity over was that expressionless mask. He wished, just once, to see Junsei smile, to see him look like a normal human.
The sudden ringing of the mansion phone interrupted his thoughts.
Sai rose at once and answered it. "This is the Yaoyorozu residence," he said calmly. "Who is speaking?"
A woman's voice replied from the other side, polite but slightly nervous. "Hello… am I speaking to the guardian of Mori Junsei?"
Sai asked back. "Who is asking?"
"Oh! Sorry for my rudeness," the woman said quickly. "My name is Todoke Kimi. I originally wanted to meet Junsei at his school, but the principal refused and instead gave me your number, suggesting I speak to his guardian."
Sai's tone sharpened "If this is related to recruiting Junsei, he has no intention of pursuing a professional career."
"No, no!" the woman said hurriedly, clearly flustered. "It's not that at all. It's just… well… you see… I've known Junsei years ago. Something happened back then, and I…"
Her hesitant words stirred a memory. Sai recalled the early days of teaching Junsei, how the boy had once mentioned being taught in the orphanage by someone named Kimi.
Sai interrupted gently, "If I may ask… are you Miss Kimi? The one who taught him all those years ago?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "He told you? He still remembers me?" Her excitement was unmistakable.
Sai smiled. "He remembers everything," he said. "And all that you taught him."
"Oh, he was an incredibly smart boy," Kimi said fondly.
"If you'd like to meet him," Sai offered, "why not come over? I'm sure he would be surprised to see you."
"Really?" she said, joy brightening her voice. "That would be wonderful."
"I'll send you the address shortly," Sai replied.
"Thank you so much! I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I look forward to meeting you in person," Sai said. "Goodbye."
He ended the call and sent the address without delay. Sitting back down, Sai found himself astonished. The person who had taught Junsei during his years in the orphanage was about to appear now. He wondered how Junsei would react, and more than that, he felt a rare spark of anticipation.
At last, he might learn about Junsei's life in the orphanage. Something he had been curious about for years.
——————
Less than an hour later, Sai sat opposite Todoke Kimi in the mansion's guest room. The room was tastefully decorated, it spoke confidently of wealth. Kimi's eyes wandered over the furnishings, lingering a moment too long on the high ceiling and the framed artworks, before she quickly gathered herself.
"Thank you for allowing me to come here, Mr Yaoyorozu," she said, bowing slightly.
Sai replied. "Mr. Yaoyorozu is away on a business trip that may take some time. I am a servant of this mansion, and the one responsible for managing matters in the absence of Mr Yaoyorozu and his wife. Please, Miss Todoke, call me Sai."
She smiled faintly. "In that case, please use my name, Kimi."
Sai nodded. "Very well. Kimi." After a brief pause, he added, "I must admit, I never expected to meet the person who taught Junsei years ago."
Kimi nodded slowly. "You can't imagine my surprise when I saw Junsei's face in the news. For nearly a decade, I believed he was dead… all of them were." Her voice faltered, and she lowered her gaze, the smile slipping from her face. "I came to this prefecture early this morning on an impulse, praying he was the same child I knew."
Sai watched her carefully. "What happened that year was a tragedy," he said quietly. "From Junsei's recounting, you were close to the orphanage caretakers and the children."
"Yes," Kimi replied, a trace of warmth returning to her eyes. "I saw Miss Kikyo and Kagome like big sisters. I loved going there. I still remember the faces, the names, and the dreams of every single child."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Sai said.
Kimi clenched her hands tightly in her lap. "What happened back then?" she asked, her voice trembling. "How did Junsei end up here? Please… I must know."
Sai took a breath and told her everything he knew: the kidnapping of the children, Junsei's attempt to stop the kidnappers, the gunshot that nearly ended his life, and his desperate escape into the forest, where he survived alone for six long years. The only thing Sai did not tell her was how Junsei had killed some of the kidnappers that night.
Tears welled in Kimi's eyes as she listened. "Poor Junsei," she whispered. "I can't believe how cruel the world has been to him since the day he was born. He didn't deserve such a life."
Sai noted her words carefully before asking, "Can you tell me about his childhood? What was he like in the orphanage? Did he express himself back then?"
Kimi shook her head and began to speak of what she had witnessed all those years ago. She told him of a boy born without family, of the strangeness that surrounded him from his earliest days. She explained how Junsei's quirk caused him to hear and feel the pain of insects and animals around him, how he was isolated and misunderstood. Burning ants and killing spiders around him had been nothing less than torture, and yet no one had realized he even had a quirk and even thought he was quirkless.
Sai believed he finally understood the strangeness of Junsei. His life in the orphanage had been even harsher than he could have imagined. To bear such a quirk as a child, to suffer constantly and silently without anyone understanding was just too cruel. From Kimi's account, Junsei must have awakened his quirk long before he could even speak.
When Kimi finished, Sai in turn spoke of Mr Yaoyorozu's encounter with Junsei and how the boy had come to live in the mansion, though he carefully left many of the darker details untold. For the next two hours, the two of them spoke of nothing but Junsei.
They continued speaking quietly until the very subject of their conversation walked into the guest room.
Junsei stepped inside first with Momo just behind him, her brows drawn together in clear confusion as Junsei suddenly moved to the guest room. Sai and Kimi both stopped at once. Junsei's eyes fixed on Kimi, and for a brief moment, the room seemed to hold its breath.
Kimi drew in a deep breath, then lifted her hand and waved with a gentle smile. "Hello, Junsei. Do you remember me?"
"Yes," Junsei replied at once. "I remember."
Relief flickered across Kimi's face. "How have you been? It's been years."
"Nothing much," Junsei said calmly. "Just living…" He paused for a second, then spoke hesitatingly, "How about you? I hope your dream worked for you."
Both Momo and Sai widened their eyes. They had never heard Junsei speak like this, so natural, almost considerate.
Junsei seemed to notice their reactions. His gaze shifted briefly to Sai, then to Momo standing beside him. "Kimi is a good human," he said simply.
On the other hand, Kimi stood up silently and walked toward him, her steps slow and unsteady. Then, without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him. Tears spilled freely as she cried, "I'm so happy you're alive. I thought you were gone… gone with everyone else. I was so lost when I found out."
Junsei stiffened for a moment, clearly unsure what to do. Then he said "I'm sorry you had to go through this."
Kimi's sobs grew louder, and Sai and Momo found themselves overwhelmed, not by the tears, but by Junsei's words. He remained expressionless as ever, yet they had never heard him sound like this before.
After some time, Kimi managed to calm herself, wiping her eyes. Momo, still trying to make sense of everything, she asked.
"Excuse me… who are you? How do you know Junsei?"
"I'm Todoke Kimi," she replied softly. "I used to visit the orphanage where Junsei lived."
Momo's eyes widened in realization. "You're the one who taught him?"
Kimi nodded with a warm smile.
Momo bowed slightly, her face brightening. "It's nice to meet you."