'...It was that easy?'
Was Aizawa's first thought when Isshun had agreed.
Nezu, however, arrived at a very different conclusion.
If Student Shunkan was giving away such crucial information this easily, then it likely wasn't truly valuable to him.
After a moment, Aizawa reached the same conclusion.
Still, the information itself could reveal something about the boy's true capabilities.
"Is that really fine with you, Student Shunkan?" Nezu asked mildly.
"Yeah," Isshun nodded. "I mean, you're just trying to track down a vigilante, right? I don't think U.A. teachers would use this information for anything shady."
Aizawa really couldn't tell if Isshun was lying or not.
Isshun's precognition meant that unless the news was so shocking that he'd be surprised even after knowing beforehand, it was hard for him to be surprised at sudden announcements.
So this seemingly imagined tense standoff was more or less Isshun wanting to get it over with instead.
Isshun gave a simple and straightforward explanation about changing coordinates of the third dimensional plane to both Aizawa and Nezu.
After Isshun finished his explanation, both the teachers paused, as they registered Isshun's words.
'...That was simpler than I expected,' Aizawa thought.
Nezu did not share that sentiment.
If anything, it heightened his caution.
If something goes how you expected down to the dot, it was better to question it rather than accept it.
While Nezu wouldn't have this sentiment normally, he came into this knowing that Isshun was probably much smarter than the average human.
And there was something that felt off about the student's explanation.
There was a somewhat well known sentiment.
If someone could explain a complex topic simply, they understood it deeply.
But immediately challenging Isshun would be counterproductive. After all, seeing someone who refuted your beliefs instantly without thought would commonly lower their impression of the other person.
Nezu smiled. "I see… Thank you for explaining your Quirk to us, Student Shunkan."
Just as Nezu was about to continue, he paused.
'...Perhaps I've allowed this line of thought to dominate the conversation.'
Conversing with Isshun made Nezu put it to the back of his mind, but Nezu didn't come here to confirm whether Isshun was the vigilante Blink.
He came here to make sure he wasn't drifting towards a villain's deposition and to begin to guide him towards U.A.
If Isshun verbally admitted to being Blink, that would simply have given Nezu leverage in future negotiations.
Yet Isshun's strategy in playing dumb was irrefutable.
And if Nezu mentioned circumstantial evidence, it was easily deniable by Isshun.
After all, while Nezu came to the conclusion that Isshun was Blink because of circumstantial evidence along with a bit of cheating using Ragdoll's Search Quirk, that wasn't enough to prove definitively that he was Blink.
'Still… considering Student Nejire's desire to enroll at U.A., the probability of Student Shunkan following her is high.'
"Student Shunkan," Nezu continued pleasantly, "may I ask you something else?"
"...Sure."
Isshun, on the other hand, was eager to end the conversation.
Why, you ask?
It was because he knew that Nejire was on her way home after her checkup.
And once she arrived, it was practically guaranteed she'd call him over.
"Do you want to become a hero?" Nezu asked.
"...Well, yes?" Isshun nodded. Why else would he be exercising with Nejire?
'Didn't the principal say he'd seen footage of that already?' Isshun thought.
Nezu clasped his paws together. "Not to boast, but U.A. High School has a long history of nurturing some of society's finest Pro Heroes."
'What a shameless advertisement,' Isshun thought, though he nodded politely.
"Student Shunkan, thank you for taking the time to speak with us and for your cooperation in answering my questions." Nezu placed a business card on the table and slid it forward. "Spatial-type Quirks are exceptionally rare, you understand."
Isshun nodded along.
"If U.A. High School is among your top choices, and you have any questions regarding the entrance process, please feel free to contact me."
As Nezu and Aizawa stood up, Isshun stood up to follow them to the door.
After seeing the two teachers off, Isshun immediately pulled out his phone and placed a call.
It connected on the second ring.
"...Did you finish your conversation, Shun-kun?" Kako's voice came through the phone's speaker.
"Yeah. No problems here."
He could hear two sighs of relief on the other side of the phone.
"Then we'll just start heading back."
"Yeah. I'll tell you how it went when you get back."
--<>--
"...So you're telling me that it was all you talked about?"
Kako looked at Isshun in confusion as he casually took another bite of the fried chicken they'd brought home.
The conversation between the Pro Heroes and her son had been short, yes, but all they discussed was his teleportation and his future school?
Isshun nodded.
He was confident in the subtlety and strength of his teleportation, if nothing else.
That confidence meant there was no need to overthink things, added onto his already unmotivated personally only exacerbated this mentality.
"Also, since Nejire wants to go to U.A., I'll probably go there too," Isshun added. "There's no reason to antagonize them for no reason."
He didn't have any intention of becoming a villain, either.
Isshun quickly finished his dinner. Just as he stood to wash his hands, a familiar voice echoed from his head.
"Shun-chaaan!"
As he dried his hands, he glanced at Kako.
"I'm heading over to Nejire's."
Kako, who had still been thinking things over, looked up and smiled.
"Have fun, Shun-kun. Don't stay out too late. And text me if you are!"
"Mhm. See you later, Mom," Isshun replied, teleporting shoes into his hand. "Oh—and about the stainless steel…"
"Don't worry about that," Kako waved him off lightly.
Isshun shook his head. "No, I think I already found a way to get it for free."
"Eh?"
"Yep. See you later."
"...See you later, Shun-kun."
--<>--
Back at U.A., Nezu hummed thoughtfully as he returned to his office.
Student Shunkan was more emotionally perceptive than he had initially assumed.
That was a good thing.
Strong interpersonal connections—and genuine care for others—were essential qualities in a healthy mental state.
Having sympathy was a good trait for a Hero.
From the footage of Student Hado and Student Shunkan, it appeared that he tended to move at the girl's pace rather than assert his own.
That simplified matters.
Convincing Student Shunkan directly might not be necessary. Influencing Student Hado could naturally guide him toward U.A.
However, Nezu now had more questions about Isshun's Quirk than before.
For example, even if he knew the coordinates of the Hado residence, how did he ensure he wouldn't materialize inside a solid object, or worse, another person?
This was the risk that naturally came with Spatial-Type Quirks.
There was the possibility of prior communication before teleporting…
But that alone wouldn't account for consistent precision.
Nezu chuckled, a pleased smile on his face.
It seemed his conversation with Student Shunkan had produced more questions than answers.
--<>--
A/N: Due to personal issues/family issues, i'll be offline or not as active for a while, and updates will pause for 2-3 days. I need to get to a flight right now and won't have time to update any fics. I apologize for the sudden inconvenience right after i promised longer chapters. I can't promise ill be able to return the lost chaps lost due to this, sorry once again.
Everything should be fine by next week at the minimum.
--<>--
4000PS - Complete
8000PS - Complete