Hado Nejire was the darling of her hometown.
Well—she was the only child in her hometown, so there wasn't much competition in the first place.
Still, life as the only child in a small village wasn't bad.
With her ever-energetic personality and constant eagerness to help, Nejire was doted on by everyone around her.
So while she was sad about moving—especially since the reason was Mitsuru getting a job in the city, all the way in Tokyo Prefecture—the very next thought that popped into her head was:
The city!
That meant kids her age.
Friends her age!
Overflowing with curiosity about city life and new people, Nejire arrived in the neighborhood practically vibrating with excitement, ready to make friends the moment they finished moving in.
Almost immediately, she rushed over to greet the neighbors and rang the doorbell of the house next door.
Silence.
'Hm… maybe no one's home?' she thought.
But the house's architecture was different from hers—more city-like—and that alone was enough to keep her interest. Even without an answer, Nejire's curiosity got the better of her.
Using her Quirk to boost herself upward, she bounced lightly along the side of the house until she found a window that wasn't blocked by curtains.
Curiosity won.
'I'll just take a quick look!'
She wasn't great at flying yet, but she could hover well enough. Carefully wobbling into place, she steadied herself and peeked inside.
'Someone's inside?'
Inside was a child around her age.
The first thing Nejire noticed was their shoulder-length, messy, vanilla-colored hair.
'Her hair looks kind of tasty…'
Having barely interacted with kids her own age before, Nejire worked off some very simple assumptions: long hair meant girl, short hair meant boy.
It was the same way she'd once thought everyone's parents were just called Mom and Dad, and all grandparents were Grandpa and Grandma.
"Hmm… why didn't she answer the door?" Nejire wondered. "Oh! Maybe they just didn't hear it!"
That line of thinking made sense.
What didn't make sense was what she did next.
She knocked loudly on the window.
Inside, the child turned around, startled, and locked eyes with her.
'Wow… she's pretty.'
The child's white-gold soft eyes and long eyelashes immediately reinforced Nejire's assumption that this was definitely a girl.
'We already have so much in common!'
Her desire to talk to them skyrocketed.
Balancing herself against the wall, Nejire waved enthusiastically whenever she didn't need to focus on not falling.
After a moment of hesitation, the vanilla-haired child awkwardly waved back.
A few seconds later, the child placed a cushion on the floor beneath the window and opened it, clearly inviting her inside.
When Nejire heard the child speak—his voice flat and deadpan—her assumptions shattered instantly.
'So it was a boy! Are all city-people's genders this confusing?'
She didn't say that out loud, of course.
Instead, realizing her first "thing in common" had been completely wrong, Nejire did what came naturally to her: she decided she just needed to learn more and find new things they shared.
And that was how Hado Nejire met Shunkan Isshun.
--<>--
After that first meeting, Nejire was perfectly satisfied with just this one friend.
He knew everything.
Anything Nejire asked—whether it was about food, Quirks, or even homework—Isshun always had an answer.
Not always enthusiastically, and not always nicely, but always somewhat accurately.
He played with her.
He accompanied her.
He helped her(…Sometimes.)
Isshun was a kind person.
Even if he wasn't always a nice person.
He knew when Nejire was curious.
He knew when she was bored.
He knew when to step in and help—often before she even asked.
Isshun was her quintessential partner.
She had friends at school, but being around them felt… different. Like they were being nice to her, instead of being nice with her.
Even if it wasn't fair to expect children to be socially aware, Nejire could subconsciously tell the difference between how Isshun treated her and how her classmates did.
They were the Blueberry Vanilla Duo for a reason.
With the exception of her parents, Isshun was her number one.
--<>--
Grandpa Moriyama had suddenly gone to a faraway place.
Was what her Mom had told her.
That was the first time Nejire learned that people could leave without saying goodbye.
"When is he coming back?" Nejire asked.
Shiori could only answer with a somewhat forced smile.
"Nejire-chan… he's not coming back."
"Why?"
She had asked.
"Because…" Mitsuru said gently, placing a hand on Nejire's shoulder, "…he had to go get something precious."
"...Will I ever play with Grandpa Moriyama again?"
"…Yes," Mitsuru said after a pause, smiling. "You'll play with him again."
"How long do I have to wait?" Nejire wondered aloud. She hoped it wouldn't be long.
"...A long time."
'A long time? How long is that?' Nejire wondered. "How long?"
"...A long long time."
'I hope I don't have to wait too long.'
While it was disappointing that Grandpa Moriyama had gone so far away so suddenly, there wasn't much she could do about it. Maybe if she got strong enough, she could go wherever he was faster.
But the sudden farewell planted a stray thought in her head.
'If Grandpa Moriyama left so suddenly… what's stopping Shun-chan from leaving suddenly too?'
Shun-chan was her partner. If he went somewhere, she had to follow.
To prevent Isshun from disappearing without her knowing, it was best if she could keep an eye on him at all times.
After she reassured herself that Isshun wasn't going to vanish like Grandpa Moriyama, life returned to normal.
Then one day, during a rare outing with just her parents, they broke the news.
"Nejire-chan… you know how I work for a company?"
"Mhm!" she replied, happily chewing on her favorite hamburger steak.
"I…" Mitsuru hesitated. He knew how attached she was to Isshun. He'd even found himself looking forward to their future together.
Being the reason she'd have to separate from him, Mitsuru couldn't help but pause.
But Shiori didn't let the moment drag on.
"Nejire-chan, sweetie… we're moving."
"Moving?" Nejire tilted her head. "Are we moving the furniture again?"
"No," Shiori said gently. "We're… moving away from the neighborhood."
'...Huh?'
--<>--
A/N: I know sometimes pov chaps give like absolutely nothing to the story, so I hope mine did, cause this is prepping for the next small arc.
Thanks for reading!
--<>--
2500PS - Not Complete
4700PS - Not Unlocked