Months passed quietly, yet steadily, and Junsei's life settled into a rhythm of silent, intense study. He absorbed every scrap of knowledge about humans and their world: their history, their social structure, their laws, the contradictions between their words and actions. Every inconsistency was noted and stored, catalogued carefully in his mind, as he slowly began to form a deeper understanding of them and his own judgments about them.
At the same time, Momo began to confide in him. She would recount the trivialities of her day, the moments that bored her, the things that made her laugh, or the peculiarities that frustrated her. Her chatter reminded Junsei of Kimi, though he still did not understand why humans needed to share every detail of their lives. It was not as though they expected something tangible in return. It was simply... communication, he concluded, though the necessity of it remained a mystery to him.
Sai, on the other hand, had stopped giving Junsei formal lessons. The man recognized that the boy was far beyond what any conventional teaching could offer. Junsei had already caught up with or even surpassed the knowledge expected of a high school student, and he had likely memorized entire books and online articles with a single reading. Teaching him further would be impossible.
——————
One evening, Sai entered Mr. Yaoyorozu's office. "Good evening, sir. Did you need anything?" he asked.
Mr. Yaoyorozu, leaning back in his chair, sighed. "Recently, the Yuzu Group has been pressuring us to hand over a project we recently developed. So far, everything is stable, but I worry they may try underhanded methods… perhaps even targeting my daughter."
Sai's calm expression vanished, replaced by a sharp, serious gaze.
"I will order increased security around the mansion and ensure guards are always near her," he said firmly.
"I was planning on that," Mr. Yaoyorozu replied, "but I was also wondering… should I register Junsei in her school and have him accompany her at all times?"
Sai raised an eyebrow. "Why? We have skilled guards who can do that discreetly. And wouldn't that alert Miss Yaoyorozu?"
Mr. Yaoyorozu sighed. "Junsei is far stronger and more capable than any of our guards. Not even you could match him. As for Momo, it wouldn't raise suspicion. If anything, it is strange that he doesn't already attend school."
He paused, thoughtful. "Momo will start seventh grade soon. We could have him join her… but would he fit in? He is so different. Children can be cruel to those who stand out, and I fear that if Junsei is placed in such an environment, he could become… brutal. We have never seen him tested in a setting like that."
Sai considered this for a long moment.
"He might be different," he said finally, "but he is intelligent. If we warn him not to harm others, he will understand. I see this not as a risk, but as a chance, he could learn to act like someone his age."
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded. Then he looked toward the door. "Junsei, if you are listening, please come here."
Sai raised an eyebrow. "You think he's listening?"
"I asked him at the start of this whole situation to monitor everything around the mansion," Mr. Yaoyorozu replied calmly.
Seconds later, the office door opened, and Junsei stepped in. His posture was upright, his gaze steady.
"I believe you heard everything," Mr. Yaoyorozu said. "I need you to start accompanying my daughter to school and to protect her while ensuring you do not cause trouble or harm other students. Any questions?"
Junsei's voice was quiet. "Is that necessary?"
"Yes," Mr. Yaoyorozu said firmly. "During school hours, it is your duty to protect her. Don't attack or harm anyone, unless you are protecting Momo."
Junsei hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"The new school year starts next week," Mr. Yaoyorozu continued. "We will begin preparing the necessary paperwork and ensure you have everything you need."
Junsei nodded again and left the office silently.
Sai watched him go, frowning slightly. "That's… strange," he said. "This is the first time I've seen him hesitant to follow your instructions. Perhaps he doesn't like the idea of going to school?"
Mr. Yaoyorozu had no answer.
——————
Momo looked at Junsei with clear disappointment and said, "It's such a pity you had to cut your hair. It was unique and really amazing."
Sai said. "Unfortunate, yes, but the school has strict rules. That kind of hairstyle isn't allowed for boys unless it's directly related to their quirk."
Momo sighed, but her mood quickly lifted. "Still, it's great that you're coming to school with me! It's going to be fun!"
Junsei watched her happy expression and felt a tightening in his chest. Living in the Yaoyorozu mansion had already pushed him far from his comfort, and now he was expected to spend his days surrounded by hundreds of humans he did not know. Even if his fear of humans was no longer as strong as it had been in the orphanage, the discomfort remained.
Momo noticed his reaction at once. "What's wrong? You're acting strange today… more than usual."
Junsei answered honestly. "I don't like being surrounded by humans. Especially those I don't know. Bad things happen."
Momo's voice softened, encouraging. "Don't worry about that. Once you start having fun and doing schoolwork, you'll begin to like it!"
Sai, however, understood far more than she did. He knew what had happened that night in the orphanage, and pity stirred in him. For Junsei, 'bad things happen' carried a weight of tragedy Momo did not fully know.
He joined in carefully. "Junsei, school is similar to the orphanage in some ways. You'll have teachers, lessons, and people who care. You will even make friends."
The words did little to help. Junsei had not liked the children in the orphanage, and the thought of repeating that experience brought no comfort at all.
Seeing no change in Junsei, Sai opted to shift the conversation. "We've prepared your papers. From now on, you are Mori Junsei, Miss Momo's distant cousin from her mother's side. You came to live here recently. There's a background story as well. It should help you avoid unnecessary trouble."
Junsei nodded.
——————
Three days later, Junsei sat in the back seat of the car beside Momo as they headed toward Aichi Elites Private School. He stared out the window, expressionless.
"If you want to make friends," Momo said thoughtfully, "you should start smiling."
Junsei turned to her. "Does smiling really make it easier to make friends?"
She nodded eagerly. "Of course! Smiling makes you approachable. If you're expressionless all the time, people will find you scary and unapproachable."
She paused, studying him. "Now that I think about it, I've never seen you smile before. I've only seen this expression… and when you're confused."
Junsei blinked at her, confused.
Momo pointed at him. "That one. Just like that. Why don't you try smiling?"
"Why would I smile?" he asked.
She sighed. "Just try."
Junsei saw no reason for it, and he had no desire to befriend humans, but he complied anyway. He formed a small, warm smile, the kind he saw humans do all the time when trying to over-approach him.
Momo clapped her hands happily. "See? Your face is meant to smile. You actually look good when you do."
Junsei let his face fall back into its usual stillness. "It's more comfortable this way."
Momo shook her head. "You are hopeless."
Minutes later, the car came to a halt before the tall iron gates of Aichi Elites Private School.
"Let's go, Junsei," Momo said, already opening the door.
She stepped out, and Junsei followed closely behind her. They had barely crossed the gate when a bright voice rang out from the side.
"Mo!! Mo!!"
Momo turned, her face lighting up. "Hi, Komi!"
The girl jogging toward them slowed to a stop, smiling broadly. "I didn't expect to see you first this year! How was your vacation?"
Momo answered without hesitation. "The usual, studying and practicing."
Komi clicked her tongue. "Your life is too tough!"
"Not really, it is…" Momo began, but Komi abruptly cut her off, pointing past her shoulder.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you standing too close behind her like that?! That's creepy. Get lost!"
Junsei, who had been staring straight ahead toward the school building, slowly turned his head and looked at Komi. He stared at her without blinking, his expression completely blank.
Komi stared right back.
Momo reacted quickly. "This is Junsei. He's my distant cousin from my mother's side. He started living with us recently and will be attending school with me. He's in our class."
Komi's eyes lingered on Junsei for a few seconds longer before she turned back to Momo with clear indignation. "You should've started with that!"
She faced Junsei again. "I'm Nima Komi. Nice to meet you."
Junsei continued to stare at her. Then, after a pause, he said, "Okay."
Momo turned to him with a helpless look. "When someone introduces themselves, you say your name and introduce yourself back. You don't just say 'okay.'"
"Okay," Junsei replied.
Momo sighed and looked at Komi. "Don't be angry with him. He's bad at talking with people."
Komi waved a hand dismissively. "That's weird, but I can forgive that face!" She grinned. "It only makes him more adorable."
"Please don't make things awkward," Momo said firmly.
Komi smirked. "No promises."
"Let's go," Momo said. "We don't want to be late on the first day."
Momo walked ahead, Junsei following in silence. Komi tagged along, chatting cheerfully with Momo. While every attempt she made to involve Junsei was met with a one or two-word response. By the time they reached the classroom, Komi had clearly given up on him.
The three entered the classroom just in time, greeting familiar classmates from last year and finding their seats before the teacher arrived. He was a middle-aged man with a balding head and a stern posture. The moment he stepped inside, the classroom fell silent.
"I am Yajiro Kuma," he said, surveying the room. "I will be your class teacher this year. I hope all of you have a great year. Let's begin by introducing ourselves. Each of you will say your name, your quirk, what you like, what you dislike, and your future dreams."
One by one, the students stood and spoke. It didn't take long before it was Momo's turn. She rose confidently.
"I am Yaoyorozu Momo. My quirk is Creation. It allows me to create non-living items from my body fat. I like reading, dislike bad people, and my dream is to be a hero!"
The teacher nodded approvingly. "Being a hero is a big dream. You'll need to work hard for it."
"I will," Momo said, sitting down.
The teacher's gaze shifted to Junsei, who sat silently. "Your turn."
Junsei didn't stand.
"Junsei," he said flatly. "I have no likes, dislikes, nor a dream."
The classroom filled with stares. Momo sighed quietly.
A boy who had spoken earlier scoffed. "What kind of introduction is that? You can't just do that."
Junsei ignored him completely. Murmurs spread across the room.
The teacher clapped his hands sharply. "Quiet, everyone."
He glanced down at the attendance list, reading until he found the name he wanted. "Mr. Mori."
He looked back up. "Can I ask you to try again, and put more effort and sincerity into your introduction?"
Junsei stared at him for a moment. Then he said, "Mori Junsei. I like forests. I hate humans."
The teacher frowned, about to respond, then stopped. Junsei's eyes had narrowed and fixed at him with clear hostility.
"I would rather not repeat myself," Junsei said calmly. "Move to the next one."
The teacher didn't like the tone, but something about Junsei's demeanor sent a warning through him. It felt as though pushing further might provoke this unruly student into attacking him.
He made a mental note to contact the boy's parents later. This behavior was completely unacceptable.
Without another word, he moved on to the next student.
The class, however, did not stop staring at Junsei, some with open dislike, others with curiosity.
Momo let out a quiet sigh of relief. When she had seen Junsei's eyes narrowing, she had feared he might attack their class teacher on the very first day.
She resolved then that she would need to explain to Junsei, very clearly, how he should treat a teacher and emphasize that he can't attack students or teachers even if he doesn't like them.