Leave Your Mark | Various!BNHA x Reader

73: How it Feels to Care

Your workplace experience has finally begun, and today, right this very moment, you're meeting him. The pro hero whose offer you chose to accept, alongside Tokoyami.

One of the most popular and powerful heroes there is—Hawks.

"Welcome!" he greets, friendly as always. His tone is bright and easy, the kind that immediately melts tension from the air. "It's exciting to have students here. We're actually really close in age, so it feels kind of weird to take on a mentor role, but I guess this will just be a learning process for all of us, haha."

Hawks, whose real name is Takami Keigo, is the youngest ever hero to enter the top 10 of Japan's pro hero rankings. He started his own hero agency at the age of eighteen, and now, just one year later, he's already ridiculously well-known and admired throughout the country.

You remember the thrill that rushed through you when you first saw his name listed among the offers you'd received. Just reading the words on the page made you giddy, like your heart was on the verge of bursting. In a good way, though. Obviously.

This is an incredible opportunity, no doubt about it.And although you've already changed so many things about this world, one thing that's always stayed constant is your dream of becoming a hero. Making a difference. Protecting what matters.

Interning under someone like Hawks feels like a huge step in the right direction.

Plus, if you're being honest, your inner fangirl is thrilled. You're standing here, in the same room as him, close enough to see the way his golden eyes crinkle when he smiles. His feathers even shimmer faintly under the overhead light, each one standing out in that distinctly bright, crimson shade.

You can't help but grin as you nudge Tokoyami with your elbow. "Isn't this cool? We really get to work with Hawks! I bet everyone's going to be super jealous of us."

"The purpose of this workplace experience isn't to make others jealous," Tokoyami frowns. His voice is low, thoughtful, the picture of composure—until he pauses, like he's actually considering your words. Then he nods solemnly. "But perhaps you're right. I can imagine certain people might feel that way."

An amused smile tugs at your lips, but you turn your attention back to Hawks. He's walking towards you now, the soft rustle of feathers accompanying his every step. He extends a gloved hand, posture relaxed and confident.

"It's nice to have both of you here," he says, smiling back at you. "I'll do my best to answer whatever questions you might have, so let's just take it easy and have fun, alright?"

"Okay," you beam, taking his hand eagerly. "I'm happy to be here! And it's really nice to meet you! You're so cool!"

Beside you, Tokoyami flinches slightly, clearly overwhelmed by your boundless enthusiasm, but Hawks just laughs.

"Thank you, thank you," he muses. "I am pretty cool, aren't I?"

"Super cool," you nod without missing a beat. "And I'm a genius, so I usually know what I'm talking about."

That earns another laugh, even louder this time. You already know that, on the surface, his dream sounds almost lazy. He wants to create a world in which heroes have tons of free time. If you didn't know better, you might even think he's joking, or not taking his job seriously.

But you do know better.

Because that dream isn't about slacking off—it's about peace. He wants to make the world so safe, so steady, that heroes won't need to constantly throw themselves into danger just to keep it afloat.

A world where people can rest easy. A world where people can always feel safe. It's idealistic, maybe even impossible—but it's the kind of dream you understand down to your bones.