BNHA: I am Reiji Toga

The midday sun filtered timidly through the large windows of the pediatric medical center, where the white walls seemed to absorb every trace of warmth. Reiji and Himiko sat side by side in two chairs, waiting anxiously for the results of the checkup.

Their parents stood beside them, just as anxious—if not more so—about the medical outcome for their two little ones.

In front of them, Dr. Nakamura, a middle-aged man with thick glasses and an impassive expression, was meticulously reviewing Reiji and Himiko's medical files while taking notes on his tablet.

The emergence of Quirks meant that checkups for children up to the age of four were conducted thoroughly and consistently. This was to ensure the protection of the children as their abilities awakened, and of everyone around them.

"Alright, starting with little Reiji. His Quirk, in simple terms, accelerates the body's natural healing processes. It repairs damage much faster than normal. Cells divide at a faster rate, effectively remove dead tissue, and regenerate new tissue without leaving scars in most cases. Furthermore, his immune system responds immediately, identifying pathogens and generating antibodies almost instantly..." he said bluntly, reviewing the reports in his hands.

The little boy didn't take his eyes off the doctor.

The scene felt familiar to him.

All too familiar.

He had heard that same kind of explanation before, in different words, in another place. People talking about his body as if it were a subject of study, listing functions, limits, and applications without considering that he was present.

He didn't react.

He just listened.

"And that's a good thing, right?" his mother asked, leaning forward slightly, her tone restrained but clearly expectant.

"In principle, yes. It's a useful Quirk for treating cuts, bruises, minor fractures, and infections. His body responds quickly and stabilizes without complications in most cases. However, it's not invulnerability," the doctor replied clearly, without sugarcoating the facts. "You can't regenerate entire organs or survive highly aggressive diseases."

He turned a page, maintaining the same pace as he spoke.

"Furthermore, this type of regeneration involves high energy consumption. His metabolism works harder than normal when it's activated, so he'll need a good diet, adequate rest, and regular check-ups. We want to make sure his growth isn't affected by this."

He closed the report with a neat motion.

"In short, your son shouldn't worry too much about his health. Just make sure he eats well and sleeps well during his childhood."

Reiji understood the doctor's instructions better than anyone; strangely enough, they were the same as in his previous life. If that was the case, then he knew the limitations of this new body perfectly well.

What felt strange was that his mother had a Quirk that allowed her to transform her hands into whatever she imagined, moving her flesh and bone at will for a time.

His father had a Quirk that caused his blood to solidify once it left his body—a somewhat simple Quirk but one with practical applications.

Himiko was a combination of certain characteristics from both of them, which made a certain amount of sense.

Meanwhile, Reiji had accelerated healing; Reiji could relate it to his father's Quirk, but it wasn't really the source as such.

It could happen, of course, but the fact that it was the same power he had in his previous life made him feel that there was something strange about all this.

"Now then, as for little Himiko here. Her Quirk still shows no signs of activating, though we shouldn't be any less vigilant because of this. According to our analysis, her teeth have undergone a certain modification, making her canines quite sharp. I don't know what kind of consequences this might have on her final Quirk, but it's something to keep in mind," he concluded without further details, looking up at the entire family.

Himiko's mother, her brow slightly furrowed, leaned forward.

"Modification to her teeth…? How exactly?" The doctor understood her concern, turning the tablet to show a magnified image of Himiko's oral scan. The two adults stared intently, while Reiji shifted his gaze to Himiko, who was now playing with a band-aid stuck to her wrist. She seemed oblivious to everything, her mind completely focused on figuring out why the band-aid made a noise when peeled off.

"Technically speaking, we observe slight hypertrophy in the upper canines, with mineralization distinct from the rest of the teeth. They are more resistant, have a density similar to the enamel of carnivorous animals, and their roots appear to have a direct connection to the sympathetic nervous system."

Reiji's father raised an eyebrow.

"Could this be harmful to her?"

"Under normal conditions, no," Nakamura replied calmly. "Given the genetic variability associated with Quirks, it's not unusual to see physical adaptations prior to active manifestation. The body is preparing itself, so to speak. In this case, her physiology is evolving toward something that will likely require those fangs."

Both parents nodded, somewhat relieved that their daughter wasn't having any major issues with the physiological changes she was undergoing. At that moment, the father remembered something else.

"Doctor…" the father said, glancing sideways at Reiji. "Are you completely sure my son's Quirk isn't being overworked? Lately, he's been getting tired more often."

"It's likely he is," the doctor replied matter-of-factly. "But it's within the expected range. His body is constantly active at the cellular level. It's not dangerous wear and tear if managed properly, but it's not something that should be ignored."

He jotted everything down precisely on a sheet of paper he tore from a folder and handed to the parents.

"This is a basic dietary plan. If he gets exhausted too often, you need to reinforce it with rest. His body is well-adapted, but it isn't inexhaustible."

Reiji nodded silently. It was almost comforting to see that, at least in this life, they treated him like a child with a special condition, not like a living tool. Here, at least for now, everything seemed more human.

He looked back at Himiko, who was staring at him with her tongue sticking out and her eyes sparkling with mischief.

'The important thing is that they care about her...'

***

The blue sky stretched clear over the playground, where the kindergarten children ran back and forth amid laughter and shouts. It was recess, and like every Friday, the caregivers let the children play "Heroes vs. Villains."

"I want to be All Might!" shouted one of the children, standing on a wooden bench.

"You were the hero last week!" protested another, puffing out his cheeks. "Now it's my turn!"

Reiji watched from the sidelines, holding Himiko's hand as she clutched her teddy bear to her chest. Although Himiko seemed nervous, her eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of participating.

"What do you want to be, Himiko?" asked a girl standing next to her with a smile.

"A heroine! Like Nana Shimura!" she replied, raising an enthusiastic hand.

But the complaints were quick to follow.

"Not again! You always want to be the heroine!"

"It's getting old! Besides, you should be the villain with those weird fangs!" added a boy, pointing at her canines cheekily.

Reiji, two years younger than Himiko and most of the children around her, glared at the boy who has spoken. Through Reiji's small stature didn't seem to faze the boy much.

Himiko's smile faded. She lowered her gaze, clutching the stuffed animal tighter.

"Fine…" she mumbled, dragging out the words. "I'll be the villain this time…"

Reiji frowned, but Reiji didn't intervene. He understood he couldn't always help Himiko, and besides, it wasn't that serious.

The game began. They ran, shouted, and threw themselves to the ground, simulating attacks and rescues. Himiko played her role reluctantly at first, but little by little her usual energy returned, hiding behind a tree and jumping out to capture the "civilians."

Reiji stayed on the sidelines, watching everything closely. His mind wandered through all the possibilities the future might hold; protecting Himiko was the first step, but he also had to do more than that in his life.

Did he want to be a hero, a doctor, a firefighter?

He didn't have a clear answer; in his previous life, he hadn't experienced enough to have a clear idea of that, and in this one, he hadn't either. But with the free time that comes with being a little boy, his mind inevitably turned to that.

He looked up for a moment to see one of the children, dodging an "attack," trip over an exposed root and fall face-first.

The boy hit the ground hard. A trickle of blood ran down his eyebrow.

"Kyra!" a girl shouted.

Everyone stopped. Himiko, closer than anyone else, was the first to approach… Genuine concern on her face as she looked at the wound on the boy's forehead.

The teachers quickly jumped out of their seats, ready to tend to the little boy who looked like he might start crying at any moment.

"Are you... okay...?" Himiko asked innocently, her eyes fixed on the blood. The cut wasn't that big, but it was too close to his eye.

Himiko moved a little closer, her pupils dilating as she looked directly at the thin red trickle beginning to run down the boy's eyebrow.

The boy in front of her burst into tears, just as the teachers knelt down beside him to check on him. One of them placed a compress over the wound, pressing gently, while they tried to calm him down.

"Come on, Himiko."

Reiji moved quickly toward her, taking her hand to gently pull her away. But something about Himiko felt wrong.

She wasn't moving.

Himiko had her gaze fixed on the blood, as if everything else had vanished around her. Her body was tense, her fingers slightly clenched, and her nose continued to draw in air with an almost imperceptible rhythm.

Perhaps if a teacher had seen Himiko, they would have noticed something odd and interpreted it as a reaction to the small scene unfolding before them. Reiji, on the other hand, immediately sensed the problem, and a knot formed in his stomach.

"Himiko…" Reiji murmured, lowering his voice and tugging at her hand again.

Himiko blinked, as if waking from a trance, and turned her face slightly toward him. Her eyes were glassy, with a faint sheen gathering at the corners. Her expression said it all, even without words: she knew that something in her had been wrong… Even if she hadn't actually done anything.

Reiji glanced quickly around him. No one seemed to have noticed the scene; they were too focused on the boy whose cries were drowning out the area.

The youngest of the Togas sighed in relief and turned his attention back to his sister.

"Come on, let's go. It's over… You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered calmly, taking her hand as he led her away from the scene.

She didn't respond, but she didn't need to. Reiji had seen enough. Even though his sister couldn't express it yet, he understood.

Her Quirk… or at least, that innate hunger for blood, had just awakened.

***

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