𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝙈𝙔 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙊 𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙄𝘼

26

          Laughter.

          "You gotta hold it like this and move your wrist sharply, like so."

          Thud!

          "Woah!"

          Arisa and Kouta were in the back with Arisa showing him how to throw cards. The boy was hesitant at first but soon enough, enjoyed it and even slipped a few smiles every now and then. Arisa chuckled, seeing the single embedded card on the tree surrounded by the scattered, failed one on the dirt. She sat down by him, staring at how the sun was moving from the highest point in the sky — it had been a few hours since she arrived.

          "Why do you wanna be a hero, Hayashi-san?"

          The boy sat down beside her, not meeting her eyes and stared at the card in his hand. Arisa looked at him for a moment before propping her chin on her palm, "Because I've made many mistakes as a child and now, I wanna erase those mistakes by re-writing it with good."

          "... Why does it matter if you made a mistake as a child? Aren't you supposed to make mistakes?"

          Arisa let a small smile slip, slightly amused, "That's true. That's how you learn," she leaned back and let her lock, black locks run free, "Why do you ask, Kouta-kun?"

          "Because I think heroes are stupid."

          "Why do you think so?"

          "Because they die."

          It sounded like the boy was speaking from his own personal experience. Those two women inside clearly weren't his parent and so it was enough for her to conclude that this boy had either lost a parent or both of his parents.

          "They die. I don't understand why you would wanna become heroes just to die," he pulled his knees to his chest, clearly upset and angry. Arisa hummed and stood up, "Come on, Kouta-kun."

          "Where are you going?"

          "Follow me."

          He tentatively did and she led him inside towards the girls' room. He halted and stuttered, "W — why are you taking me there?"

          She rose an eyebrow at him, "I need to get something. Don't worry, you can wait out here if it bothers you. I'll just be a second," the boy stood and waited outside the room where the girls were meant to be staying in. Arisa smiled slightly and went inside, going through her duffel and found the rolled up case, laid it down, opened it up to reveal her collection of blades. She hummed in thought for a moment and decided to call the boy in anyway, "Kouta-kun. Come in here!"

          The boy peered in through the door, face conflicted and cheeks red, "What?"

          His eyes then widened when he saw what was laid out before her, "Are those —?"

          She held up a finger to her lips, "Knives? Yeah. Don't tell anyone. Especially not Aizawa-san. Come here and sit."

          He tentatively sat before her and looked at the blades apprehensively. Arisa pulled one out from the case, a red blade with a black hilt, "It was fun, wasn't it? Throwing those cards?"

          Still frightened and confused, he nodded, "Uh-huh?"

          "I'll lend you one of my favourite blades," she grinned, "I'll become a hero and I'll come back for it. I'll become a hero and not die, how about that?"