Two days after joining the Yaoyorozu household, they left Akita Prefecture and returned to Aichi Prefecture, where the Yaoyorozu family resided most of the time. The family's life there resumed its usual pattern immediately. Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu returned to their demanding work schedules, while Momo immersed herself once more in her studies and the strict etiquette training.
Junsei, however, found himself seated across from Sai in a quiet room. Sai smiled at him and explained that Junsei had been away from people for far too long and that children were meant to attend school to learn how the world worked.
"Mr. Yaoyorozu had entrusted me with your education, he wants to try and make up for your lost years without school. Junsei, do you understand me and do you know what a school is?" Sai asked gently.
Junsei nodded.
"Good," Sai said, encouraged. "I'll do my best to teach you and help you catch up with children your age."
Junsei gave no visible reaction. Sai could not tell whether the boy understood the importance of learning or not. After a brief pause, he added, "Mr. Yaoyorozu believes this is part of your job."
At that, Junsei nodded.
Sai noted it quietly to himself. If Junsei believed something was part of his agreement with Mr. Yaoyorozu, he accepted it without resistance. With that in mind, Sai placed a notebook and a pencil on the table in front of him.
"The first thing I want to teach you," Sai said, "is characters and how to draw them."
Junsei looked down at the notebook and pencil. A memory stirred, Kimi's teaching. He spoke softly. "I know them. I know how to draw both hiragana and katakana."
Sai blinked, surprised. "You do? Were you taught in the orphanage?"
Junsei nodded.
Sai hummed thoughtfully. "And after you left it, did you try drawing them again?"
Junsei shook his head.
"It's been years," Sai said kindly. "I'm afraid you'll need to relearn them. But that's fine. I'm sure you'll learn them faster and better than the first time."
Junsei frowned, confusion crossing his face.
Sai noticed at once. "What's wrong?"
"I don't understand," Junsei said quietly. "I learned them already. How do I learn them again?"
"You may have forgotten some," Sai replied. "Or become worse at writing them."
Sai assumed Junsei had only learned a handful at most, after all how much could a five-year-old have learned and how much could truly have retained after years?
Junsei looked back down at the notebook. Slowly, he picked up the pencil and began to draw.
Sai watched with a faint sense of pity. In his mind, Junsei did not even realize how much he must have lost. Still, Sai resolved to teach him patiently and thoroughly.
That line of thoughts didn't linger long as character after character appeared on the page, each one perfectly drawn as it was done by a printer. Sai was completely shocked by the time Junsei completed the last line.
Sai took the notebook, staring at it in disbelief. Junsei's handwriting was not merely correct; it was elegant, better than his own.
"You learned this… in the orphanage?" Sai asked slowly. "When you were five? How?"
Junsei looked up. "Kimi taught me."
Sai did not know who this Kimi was, but whoever she had been, she had done extraordinary work. Even more astonishing was the fact that Junsei still remembered it all after so many years. Sai's smile returned, warmer this time.
"Well," he said, "knowing this will save us a great deal of time. Did you learn anything else you'd like to share?"
"Kimi taught me other things," Junsei replied. "Including math. She also gave me elementary school books to read. Does that count?"
It counted far more than Sai had ever expected.
He began asking questions, what Junsei had studied, what he remembered, what he had practiced. With every answer, Sai's shock deepened. By the end of it, one thing was clear to him.
The boy sitting before him was not five years behind his peers. At most, he was one or two years behind children his age.
——————
In the evening, Sai and Junsei entered Mr. Yaoyorozu's office. The man was seated behind his desk, reading through a stack of documents, but he lifted his head at once when they came in. He smiled, setting the papers aside.
"How was your day, Junsei?" he asked. "Anything troubling you?"
"It was fine," Junsei replied.
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded. "Do you have any problem with learning from Sai?"
Junsei shook his head.
Mr. Yaoyorozu studied him for a few moments, as though weighing his next words with care. "Then do you wonder why I want you to learn?"
Junsei nodded.
Mr. Yaoyorozu smiled. "If I want you to help protect my home, I need you to understand your surroundings and the world. I want you to know what qualifies as a threat. If you rely on strength alone, you will fail to notice what is out of the ordinary, or what truly endangers us."
"Someone hostile is a threat," Junsei said.
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded his head. "Yes. But you cannot always tell which person has bad intentions toward us. Suppose someone is here only to watch and report to someone else, someone dangerous with bad intentions. How would you know? Danger could be behind something out of what is normal, you need to learn what is right from what is wrong, or even how things usually work"
Junsei fell silent. After a moment, he asked, "So people staying around watching the place is bad and not normal?"
"Yes," Mr. Yaoyorozu replied. "It is."
Junsei spoke again "There are seven men outside the walls who have been watching the entire day. Two are at the front gate wearing black. Five others sit in two cars and sometimes walk around. Is that a threat?"
For a moment, Mr. Yaoyorozu could only stare at him. Then he said, slowly, "You noticed them already?"
Junsei nodded.
Mr. Yaoyorozu laughed, clearly startled but impressed. "That is remarkable. But no, they are not a threat. They are bodyguards. Their job is like yours: to protect this place. Though," he added with a faint smile, "I believe you are stronger than them. Still, do you see the importance of learning now? There are other things that would come handy for this job and for your future."
Junsei did not reply, he remained silent.
"That is fine," Mr. Yaoyorozu continued. "Keep an eye on the surroundings. If you notice anyone acting strangely, or someone unfamiliar lingering around, tell Sai or me. Other than that, I want you to focus on your studies. You may go."
Junsei turned and left the office without a word.
Mr. Yaoyorozu waited until the door had closed before speaking again.
"So," he said to Sai, "what do you think of him? Did he give you any trouble?"
Sai shook his head. "On the contrary, sir. He is too well-behaved. His only flaw is his social skill, it is abysmal. And his habit of treating words like precious gold does not help."
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded thoughtfully. "That is far better than I expected. I was worried he would refuse altogether or lash out. Children grow frustrated when they cannot do something right away, and being here against his will makes it even harder."
Sai hesitated, then said, "Then what would you say if I told you that boy is the calmest and smartest child I have ever seen, more so than Miss Momo?"
Mr. Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
Sai explained what he had observed, especially Junsei's ability to remember everything he saw or heard perfectly.
When Mr. Yaoyorozu had heard it all, his face turned to a thoughtful expression.
"This is unbelievable," he said quietly. "Could this also be a side effect of his quirk? He has speed, strength, can communicate with animals and even control them. And now you are telling me he may have enhanced intelligence as well. What exactly is his quirk? He is a child, and already like this. Quirks grow stronger as their users age… what will his make him in a few years?"
Sai met his gaze calmly.
"He will be something beyond impressive, beyond what you already expected," he said. "And I believe you will need to ask him about his quirk yourself."
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded and said "And we still need to register his quirk, the registration department showed leniency regarding his registration due to the his special circumstance, but that won't be the case for long"
——————
The next morning, just before leaving for work, Mr. Yaoyorozu stopped Junsei in the hallway.
"There is something we must discuss," Mr. Yaoyorozu began. "I am going to update your quirk registration. It is required by law. Could you tell me exactly what your quirk does?"
Junsei looked at him for a moment then answered. "You already told Sai about it."
Mr. Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow. "You were listening through an insect I did not notice in the office?" he asked mildly. "Or could it be that your quirk grants you enhanced senses as well?"
Junsei did not answer, only continued to stare.
Mr. Yaoyorozu hummed thoughtfully.
"I will take that as enhanced senses," he said at last.
His words met with silence and after a few moments he spoke again
"Tell me, Junsei, did you learn how to act respectfully toward others in the orphanage?"
Junsei's brow furrowed in confusion, but he said nothing.
"When speaking to someone older than you," Mr. Yaoyorozu continued patiently, "you should show respect by not calling him directly with his name. Sai is older than you, so you should call him Mr. Sai, not simply by his name."
"Mr. Sai?" Junsei repeated.
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded. "Good. And even when you dislike a question, or feel confused by it, you cannot simply stare at someone in silence. That is considered rude, and it makes people uncomfortable, perhaps even hostile, as you would put it."
At that, Junsei recalled the orphanage: the looks, the whispers, the way the other children would edge away from him. Slowly, he nodded and said "I understand."
Mr. Yaoyorozu smiled gently. "Lastly, it is a bad habit and too disrespectful to eavesdrop on people and you shouldn't do it. But do not feel bad about it. You will learn these things with time. Now," he said, straightening slightly, "onto another matter. Since we are updating your quirk description, we can also give it a new name. It is yours, after all. What name would you like?"
Junsei looked at him. "Why name it?"
"Because it belongs to you," Mr. Yaoyorozu replied. "And you should decide how others refer to it. Think about what your power is and what name would suit it perfectly. It will represent your quirk, and in many ways, it will represent you."
Mr. Yaoyorozu watched as Junsei fell silent, clearly deep in thought.
Junsei considered his own nature, how he was like a convergence of countless lives, countless instincts and strengths, all bound together into a single existence. Many powers, one being. All things merged into one.
After several long seconds, he lifted his head.
"All for one," Junsei said.