The Quirk Compendium

Chapter 1: Welcome to Your New Life (1/4)

I opened my book as I sat on the train's passenger seat. Slowly, I try to read every single entry I had wrote before. Since tomorrow's the entrance ceremony to the academy I'm transferring in, I need to refresh my memories of my knowledge and also to calm myself after all the things that happened earlier. Traveling here from Japan was exhausting since I had a long flight. Everything was fine until my things went missing. I tried asking around the airport on where it went. I concluded that my baggage full of clothes and stuff was sent to a different plane and went on with the day. This was my day earlier before arriving on this train. A lot of problems and some self-controlled frustration.

My name is Shiki Nakamiya. Born in Japan but raised by a stranger whom now I had accepted as my guardian. Both of my parents went missing when I was 4 years old. My guardian had no close relations with them. Yet somehow, I forgot how I came to be in her care. From when I was little, my only friends are books. Reading keeps me sane.  The book I'm reading now can be said as something special. It's a compendium. A collection of all of my years of research of special powers or what I'd like to say, quirks. In this world, there are people who were born normal, like me. And then there are also some who were born special. This group of people were given quirks to accompany them for the rest of their lives.

I never knew about all of this until I saw my guardian unleashing her quirk unintentionally in front of me. That was when my guardian had to protect me and the house from thieves. Just by showing it to them, they cower in fear. The power that i saw that day was special. It felt like seeing a new world open up for me to explore for the first time. Not long after that day, I was obsessed with the world I was introduced to so suddenly. I never once stopped talking about quirks. I keep asking about the life and the people that whom my guardian knew had quirks as well. I lived a closed life in a countryside before all this so I never had the chance to see people in action with quirks before. All my researches are from news, tapes, videos and the internet. But never once in person except for my guardian.

This is why tomorrow means so much to me. It's going to be life changing. I have to make a good impression no matter what. I transferred from an ordinary high school in Japan's countryside into the world's most prestigious academy for the gifted, "Goldencrow Academy". Apparently, they now accept quirkless students to fill their newly made "Support and Research Course". As soon as I heard about that from my guardian, I immediately asked for a transfer when I was in my 1st year of high school. Long story short, I aced the test and was accepted.

It's night time now. I wonder how the dorms will look like when I get there since I'm going there now. Right now, I'm still sitting on the train leading to a Man-made island near Edinburgh named 'Valknyra Island'. Since the academy was made near the city of Edinburgh, the city and the island itself became the most popular destination anyone would ever go to. I mean, why wouldn't they? The attractions are not the in city this time though, It's the students of the academy.

"Excuse me. Is this seat empty?"
"Yes." I replied.
"Oh. Umm... Can I sit here?"
"Of course."
"Oh umm... Thank you."

A girl, about the same as my age sat beside me after confronting me asking for a seat.  I gave her a brisk and short answer since I was focused on reading my compendium. I peeked a little to my left to see her. To my surprise, someone beautiful was sitting right next to me. She's cute. She appears to be going to the same academy as I am as well. Her red hair is made into a ponytail as she's adjusting her sitting position.

"What is it?" She asked as she noticed me peeking at her.
"No, nothing..." I returned to my book. 

Silence comes after a while, I kept reading and minding my own business but i felt a slight unease like i was being watched. Naturally, I checked her to see if anything is happening. To my surprise, All this time she's been looking right at me. As she caught my eye, She leaned closer to me. I don't know why the hell is she so close to me right now. My curiosity on the girl was already quenched for the time being but this time it's her turn. Now she's looks curious. Particularly, with the thing i'm holding.

"Interesting book you got there..." She leans to me a little bit more. 
"What is it? Can I see?"
"It's a compendium." She seemed more curious than ever as she peeked a little to what I was reading. As if she's asking me to lent it to her.
"Alright, here..." I lent her my compendium for her to read. I gave in to my instincts.
"Thanks!"

She then proceeded to read it. Her face grew from curious to excitement after reading. I was quite happy to see that. As she turns the page one by one. Her face grew more excited. It's cute. Occasionally she would fix some strands of her hair falling into her face while she's reading. After a while though, her expression changed into confusion.

"W-W-Wait... W-What!!!?" Suddenly she jumped.
"What?" She was startled after seeing my book. She closed my compendium right after.
"How do you know all this... Stuff!?" She seemed confused.
"Well, technically it's a hobby of mine... It's a long story, But-"
"No! I meant... This!"

The girl shows me a page of my compendium written with the title "Research #87 – Quirk of Fire Manipulation of Alice Redford". I remember listing all sorts of stuff in here from here appearance details, quirk strengths, quirk weaknesses and many more. Including her blood type, her family lineage and many more. Intensive research could only get you so far. But I think so far, her information has been one of the top most detailed in my compendium. I don't see why she would be startled by... Wait...
"Are you... Alice Redford?" She nodded in response. Suddenly I was embarrassed
"Yes. Hahaha..." She looked embarrassed too.

I mean, Of course she would be. This feels awkward. She just read her own info that I wrote for myself. Oh god... I hope she doesn't read the part where I admired her beauty. On the page, I wrote that 'Her beauty would rival even the goddesses themselves". If she did, It would make this all even more awkward than before. I looked to her face as she reopened the book and the page that has her information in it.

"How do you know all this? My weaknesses and my strengths. Even the details on how I activate my quirk is also listed." Her eyes were suddenly sparkling with excitement.
"Never have I seen someone wrote something about me before. It's amazing. But, It's a little embarrassing don't you think?" She awkwardly chuckled, but looked thankful.
"Thanks... I guess." I answered.
"Is this... Your quirk?"
"What?"
"The quirk to analyse every quirk. Is that your quirk?" I was taken aback to her question.
"Haha..." I nervously laugh.
"I wish that was the case..."
"What do you mean? You're enrolling for the academy, right? You must be one of the-"
"I'm not in the Hero Course
"What?"
"I'm not a Hero-class student..."

After that, silence. She's looks confused though. She doesn't seem to know about the new Support and Research class that had just been opened up recently. I'm quite envious actually, I wanted to have one. A quirk. Well, I was never born with it in the first place so... Just my luck, I guess. After that I explained about the newly and recently opened "Support and Research Courses" to her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." She returned my compendium after apologizing. She looked a bit awful because of her earlier comments
"It's alright." Naturally I replied asking her to not mind it.
"But hey!"
"Hmm?" She was feeling awful just a few seconds ago, now she's happier?
"With that kind of skill I feel that you're already like a top Hero-class student you know?" I get it now. She's trying to encourage me.
"Thanks. But no, I will never get there" I put my compendium inside my bag. "You cannot be a hero without a quirk. That's the rules of what's happening here."

After a long while, The train stops. Well, it looks like I'm here. Now, I just need to walk my way out from the station to the Academy. As I grabbed my bag and walked to the train's door. She suddenly pats on my shoulder.

"Wait." She pulls me outside the train.
"Let me accompany you."

I was surprised. She said that to me so suddenly. We only just met recently, now you want to accompany me? Why can't we just be strangers now and acquaintances later tomorrow at the academy? This is just too fast.

"I can go alone. It's alright." I don't want things to get anymore awkward than what was.
"Just come with me!" She pulls me again, this time stronger.
"O-okay...!"

I guess I have no choice. As I was pulled by her, I noticed that I was just lucky on both sides today. Bad and good. My things went missing doesn't compare to what good luck had brought me today. To think that I would meet Alice Redford, the fire magician and the princess of the royal Redford family on a train on my first day. And now she's pulling my hand forcing me to come with her.

I do wish we hadn't met on this kind of circumstances though. It feels awkward. But what's done is done. I could not wish for a better story...