It's been four years since I was reborn in this strange and wonderful new world.
There were many differences between my old world and this one, but the most obvious was the fact that nearly 80% of the population possessed something called quirks.
Quirks were essentially superpowers, ranging from basic abilities like super strength or speed to things far stranger—such as having your entire face be a Windex bottle.
Looking down at my hands, I noticed they were pale white and surprisingly muscular for someone my age.
The strangest thing, however, was my face. I didn't have eyes, nor did I have a nose.
Yet despite lacking those features, I could still see and smell my surroundings perfectly. In fact, my senses were far more powerful than normal.
From where I sat, I looked up toward the mountain and focused on the shrine where my mother worked.
Narrowing my vision, I could see her sweeping and cleaning the shrine's floors.
I didn't actually know which god or deity the shrine was dedicated to. I always meant to ask Mother, but somehow I kept forgetting whenever we played or ate dinner together.
…
Speaking of dinner, I stood up from the floor of our house and stepped into the front yard, slipping on my geta.
Once they were comfortably secured, I began walking toward the nearby town.
Mother and I lived far from other people, deep within the forest, where almost no one ever visited our home.
The only time people came this way was to pray at the shrine.
As I followed the dirt path toward town, I noticed a group of children playing together, laughing as they ran around.
However, as I got closer, they heard my footsteps and turned to look at me.
Their faces quickly twisted with fear before they began screaming.
"Ah! It's the monster of the forest!" a little girl cried.
"Run! He's going to eat us!" one of the boys yelled as they all fled back toward town.
I didn't bother trying to explain or stop them. Every time I did, they always reacted the same way—running away while screaming.
Continuing on, I eventually reached the edge of town, where a guard sat inside his post, casually reading a magazine.
I walked over and knocked on the side of the station to get his attention. He glanced around before looking down and noticing me.
"Ah, Toji! Here for some meat again?" the guard asked.
I nodded, and he smiled before rubbing my head and my floating golden wheel.
This had become a common tradition among the adults here. For some reason, they believed I was a good luck charm—a miracle, even.
The reason for this belief was simple. I didn't have a father—not because he abandoned us, but because my mother had never sought out a romantic relationship of any kind, let alone something physical.
"Anyway, Toji," the guard continued, his tone softening, "you should try making some friends here. There are plenty of kids around. You shouldn't always be alone in the forest while waiting for your mother to come home."
I nodded again before heading into town.
Once inside, I noticed that everyone seemed unusually busy, rushing around and preparing something.
Was there a celebration? I wasn't sure. I spent most of my time in the forest or asleep at home, so I was often out of the loop.
I approached one of the busy adults and gently tugged on their pants to get their attention.
They turned around, startled, before looking down at me.
"Oh! What is it, Toji?" they said, rubbing my head and wheel once more.
"What's going on? Why is everyone so busy?" I asked.
"You don't know?" they replied. "Figures—you live in the forest with Higure, and there's barely any reception out there. Well, our town just received word that All Might is coming to visit! Isn't that amazing?"
"Who's All Might?" I asked, confused. I didn't know much about heroes in this world.
"Who's All Might?! He's Japan's greatest hero—the symbol of peace!" they exclaimed.
"Oh… okay," I said. "Anyway, is the butcher shop still open? I need meat for dinner. Mom's making curry tonight."
"Oh yeah, they're still open, but not for long. They'll be closing once All Might arrives, so you'd better hurry."
"Thank you," I said before taking off toward the butcher's shop.
As I ran, several kids spotted me and immediately ran indoors, screaming for their parents. Most of the older residents scolded their children for being afraid of someone their own age.
Still, there were some people who openly disliked me and called me a freak.
It stung, but I'd grown used to it. For the most part, they left me alone—probably because they didn't want to upset the rest of the town.
When I finally reached the butcher's shop, Hikaru was in the middle of closing when I jumped forward and stopped the shutters.
"Toji! What the hell are you doing?!" Hikaru shouted as he hurriedly opened them back up.
I lost my balance and fell onto my butt with a loud thump. Hikaru immediately stepped outside and flicked me hard on the forehead.
"You little brat! What were you thinking, jumping at my shop like that?!" he scolded.
"Sorry," I said as I stood up and brushed the dirt off myself. The adults here really hated it when I did things like that—especially when it could be dangerous.
That said, I was rarely in any real danger. My body was extremely adaptable, and I healed unusually fast.
"Toji," Hikaru sighed, "how many times do we have to tell you? You can't just act without thinking. What if I'd closed the shutters a second later? I could've chopped your neck off."
"Sorry… um, could I buy some chicken?" I asked. "I know you're probably leaving soon to see All Might, but it won't take long."
"Nah, it's fine," Hikaru replied as he went inside and grabbed a large chicken carcass. "So, what's the dish?"
"Curry," I said. "The usual, please."
"You got it, little man."
He worked quickly, slicing the chicken with practiced precision. Within minutes, he wrapped the pieces in old newspaper, placed them in a plastic bag, and handed it to me.
"Thank you! Let me just—" I reached for the money Mother had given me, but Hikaru waved me off.
"No need. Today's a special day. This one's on the house."
"Oh! Thanks!"
"Just promise me you'll stop jumping at stores when they're closing, alright?"
"I'll try."
"Good enough. Now head home—it's getting dark, and I don't want your mom worrying," Hikaru said.
I nodded and hurried off with the bag of meat in hand.
The sun was already setting by the time I neared home. When I reached our wooden cottage deep in the woods, I saw Mother waiting outside.
I waved to her, and she waved back when she noticed me.
"Mother! I got the chicken!" I said excitedly.
"Wonderful," she replied. "Come inside. I have a little surprise for you after dinner."
I followed her inside, and she took the bag from me before heading into the kitchen.
I sat down at the small table, settling onto the floor as I waited patiently.
About an hour later, Mother emerged carrying two steaming plates. She set one in front of me and placed the other across the table before sitting down.
"Here you go," she said with a smile.
I inhaled the rich aroma of the curry, gave thanks for the food, and eagerly began eating.
"So, how is it?" Mother asked. "I know I haven't made this in a while, but today's special."
"It's delicious," I said. "But why is today special? Did something happen?"
"Well… All Might should be arriving tonight," she explained. "Since you've never really met real heroes before, I thought it would be nice for you to see the number one hero."
"Is All Might really that great?" I asked.
Mother stared at me in disbelief.
"Is All Might really that great?! He's the greatest hero who ever lived! Did you know—"
She immediately launched into a passionate explanation of All Might's achievements. Not wanting to interrupt, I simply kept eating and listened.