LET HER GO!!!

- Location: Japan

[POV. Jihye]

It has been a year, and I'm now 7 years old. This year has been quite something. Henri has been showing me new fun things I didn't know about, and we often went out together.

Although school was tough sometimes, nobody except Henri wanted to talk to me. At some point, I noticed that people would talk about Henri behind her back, saying awful things because she hung around me.

So one day, I told Henri about it and suggested that maybe she should just avoid me. "Why should I care about what those idiots think?" she retorted as she cut a piece of her steak. "Listen here, Jihye!" Henri said, waving her fork. "Don't let others build the road in front of you. That's what my father always says."

Her words warmed my heart, and I smiled at her. "W-what are you smiling at me for?" she blushed and looked away.

'Nothing,' I responded in sign language, as Henri had mastered it quickly due to her photographic memory, she said.

"Finish your meal! Lunch break will be over soon," Henri reminded me, noticing my untouched plate.

...

[POV. Third-Person]

Inside the principal's office, two people could be heard in conversation. "Mr. Tanaka, are you sure about this?" the man who seemed to be the principal inquired of the teacher standing before him.

"Yes, hopefully you can release me right away by tomorrow..." the teacher responded with a solemn tone before leaving the office.

"It's all that damned Heinrich brat's fault.." he muttered while descending the empty stairs. "Every attempt I made to get that quirkless brat to leave this school has been thwarted by her!" He exclaimed, his knuckles bloody from punching a nearby wall.

"I will have to deal with both of you directly," he muttered, his eyes bloodshot as he exited the school.

His phone suddenly rang. "Kazekawa, I need you to do something for me," Tanaka said, a grin on his face.

...

Inside a certain cafe, Jihye and Henri sat across from each other. 'Strawberry and cheesecake flavor again?' Jihye rolled her eyes as she saw Henri order the same drink over and over again for an entire year.

"Strawberries and cheesecakes are two of the best things this universe ever made!" Henri exclaimed with great seriousness.

'Can't argue with crazy,' Jihye replied as she took a piece from her blueberry shortcake. Observing her, Henri leaned closer and asked, "Can I have a bite?" She had her eyes on the cake Jihye was eating.

'Fine, but only if you let m-" Jihye began, but a loud bang suddenly cut her off.

BANG!

"Get on the floor!" a group of masked individuals stormed into a bank near the cafe. "Hey, Kazekawa! I told you! The targets are inside the cafe!" one of the masked men, bloodshot eyes visible, yelled at a man with gun barrels for fingers.

"Shut the fck up, they're just kids! They'll be too afraid to run away. We might as well get some money while we're here," the man said as he entered the bank. "Fck this, I'll wait outside," the bloodshot-eyed man declared, heading toward the cafe.

...

Meanwhile, inside the cafe, Jihye and Henri took cover beneath a table, hearing the commotion nearby. 'Do you think they're villains?' Jihye inquired with worry evident in her eyes.

"I think so. Don't worry, heroes should arrive soon, and I already called Liam," Henri reassured her confidently.

"Everybody, get down on the floor!" a man with an odd voice commanded as he entered the cafe. "That voice sounds familiar," Henri whispered, deep in thought.

"Please, just leave us, sir! This is just a cafe!" a female worker at the counter pleaded, her arms raised above her head. "Shut up!" the man snapped, his arm suddenly growing larger and more jagged.

"Sir, please—" the worker tried again, but the man's grip on her neck cut her off. "I SAID SHUT UP!" he yelled, his eyes bloodshot.

CLINK!

A sudden sound rang out, and the man turned his head. Henri was already by his side.

BOOM!

The man was sent flying into the wall, which cracked before he crumpled onto the floor.

"Repulsion gauntlets, Model: Cat punch!" Henri declared, her hands adorned with white metallic cat gloves.

Seeing Henri confront the villain, Jihye felt the urge to leave the table too. "Stay there, Jihye!" Henri yelled suddenly, assuming a defensive stance.

...

[POV. Jihye]

As I remained seated beneath the table, watching Henri confront the villain, I noticed her legs trembling. Despite that, she maintained a smile throughout. I felt so helpless!

But there wasn't much I could do. I didn't have a quirk; I could only trust in Henri, as I had seen her capabilities before. Her quirk was called "Mechanize." It enabled her to manipulate mechanical objects, transforming them into something else.

Of course, there were limitations. Her gloves appeared sturdy, but they were actually hollow, made from the materials of her two white watches. She was the one powering her creations with her quirk, so there were limits.

At most, she could probably execute two or three more attacks like the ones she had used.

...

[POV. Third-Person]

"That look suits you better—kneeling before me," Henri said, pretending to chuckle, her voice tinged with anxiety. "You again.. brat! Stop getting in my way!" the man growled, getting back on his feet and charging towards Henri.

"What do you mean, 'me again'? I don't think we've met," she retorted, leaping over his head. "Jet boots, Model: uhh.. Converse?" she muttered as she landed behind him.

"Cat punch!" she shouted, striking him from behind.

BOOM!

As Henri opened her eyes, she found the man still standing, gripping her fist. "This was pathetic compared to your earlier attack.. are you getting weaker?" he taunted, crushing her glove.

"ARGH!" Henri cried out as she pulled her hand free from the glove, blood trickling from her hand. The man seized Henri by her neck, causing her to struggle for air.

Seeing Henri injured, I nervously rose and moved towards them. Henri noticed my approach and shouted, "Stay there, Jihye!" while writhing to break free.

"LET HER GO!!!"

A voice echoed through the building, instantly immobilizing everyone.