Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was nothing special about the Tokyo Tower. At least, that was what Sakuta had thought before he actually visited it. Up close, it was actually kind of cool. Under one of its legs, the criss-crossing beams of red metal overlapped to make an interesting pattern. Plus, the shade from the summer sun was nice.

He thought it was a decent sight, but Kaede, his sister, was having a much stronger reaction.

“Wow, brother, this is amazing!” Her eyes shone as her head craned up. “Quick, let’s go up!”

“Sure,” Sakuta said. Like many of the other people in the crowd, they headed to the entrance of the elevators.

After a few steps, he came to a stop, staring at the man up by one of the legs.

The man was flying beside it.

Flying. No parachute or jetpack or any other special equipment. That would have been strange but at least understandable. Instead, he was just hovering there without any sign of support, dressed the same as anyone else.

It couldn’t be a thin wire either, because the flier looked like he was having fun up there, going in and out between the metal framework repeatedly. If he’d been using a wire, it definitely would have gotten caught and tangled.

Adolescence Syndrome? Sakuta had seen a lot of strange examples of it before, so he guessed this was another, but it had never been like this.

Sakuta looked around at the people around him. Several of them were looking up at the tower, but none were giving the flying guy any special attention.

Could it be like Mai’s Syndrome? The people around her hadn’t been able to perceive her, maybe this guy had something like that. Although Sakuta wasn’t sure how the flying was involved.

“Brother?” Kaede asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Kaede, do you see that guy up there?” Sakuta pointed up.

She followed his finger to the flier, who was taking pictures of himself by the tower. “Yes.”

Sakuta’s eyes widened. “You do?”

“Of course I do, why wouldn’t I?”

“Well . . . don’t you think that’s weird? There’s a guy flying up there, which I’m not sure is allowed, and it looks like he’s doing it without any machinery.”

She shrugged. “What’s weird about it? I guess he’s lucky that he can get so close to the tower, but he’s not bothering anyone. Besides brother, it’s rude to stare, let’s go.”

Sakuta considered it. The flier up there was another case of Adolescence Syndrome, but it didn’t look like it was causing him any problems. Maybe if it was a cute girl flying up there he would have been more interested, but not by much. Sakuta was a lowlife, but he was still loyal to Mai.

Then again . . .

Sakuta reached for his chest. The scar was there, under his shirt, what if the flier had something like that too? He should at least make sure he was okay.

“Sorry Kaede, I need to do something,” Sakuta said. “Hey, you up there! Hey!” He waved and yelled up to the flier.

“Brother, what are you doing?”

“I just need to talk to him for a little, okay? Just wait.” Sakuta turned back up. “Heyyy!”

The flier paused in his ascent and headed down. He’d already flown up a decent height of the tower, so Sakuta was surprised that his voice had reached him.

The flier flew facing down and crossed hundreds of meters in only a few seconds. Then, in the last ten or so meters, he pointed his feet down and landed silently on the ground.

He was a Westerner about Sakuta’s age. Handsome and black-haired. Tall too, at least half a head over Sakuta, which put him at around 185 cm. plus or minus a few.

“How do you fly like that?” Sakuta asked.

The flier looked at him curiously and said something in English, the words going by too quickly to recognize anything.

Ugh, time for Sakuta to use his pathetic English knowledge. Even with Mai’s tutoring, he didn’t do great in the subject.

“How you . . . wooosh?” Sakuta pointed up and mimicked a flying motion.

“___ ___ ______ how I fly?”

Yes! Okay, there was the word how, and after hearing it Sakuta recognized the English word for flying. He nodded and said. “Yes! Yes! How do you fly?”

“__ ___ ____ it weird?” He tilted his head and had a pleased smile on his face.

“Yes! Yes! Very weird! I can help.”

The flier was confused. He said something, most of it going over Sakuta’s head, but he recognized ‘don’t’, and ‘help’.

“Let me . . .” Sakuta growled and started to try again.

“Wait,” The flier held up a hand and took out his phone. He typed something and showed him the screen. It was an online translator from English to Japanese.

Are you saying you want to help me?

Sakuta pointed at it then himself, miming the question of whether it would be okay for him to use it. Seeing the flier’s puzzled expression, he gestured that he didn’t have a smartphone. The message got through, and the flier handed over his phone for Sakuta to use.

Yes, I want to help you. You’re flying and other people are treating it as normal. You have to admit that’s weird, and I know the cause. It’s called Adolescence Syndrome.

The flier read the message and wrote a few sentences in response.

I agree people treat my flight as normal is weird. I don’t know what Adolescence Syndrome is, but you appear to know something if you react this way to me. Help is not needed, but I do want to know what’s causing this.

The grammar was wrong in a few parts and the wording was strange, but it was understandable. Sakuta typed out another message.

Are you sure you don’t need help? Usually Adolescence Syndrome is caused by teenage angst or discontent.

The flier responded. Thank you, but I’m fine. People looking at me as normal is great. I am interested in hearing what you have to say, but I have made plans with friends to explore Japan. Also, your friend seems unhappy that you’re talking to me instead of enjoying yourselves. Can we meet later to discuss?

Sakuta looked over at Kaede. She was pouting, an almost comical display of impatience and annoyance.

Okay. You can contact me at these phone numbers. Sakuta gave him both Mai’s number and his home number. He also got the flier’s contact information on a note and learned his name. Clark Kent.

“Bye,” Clark said in Japanese, it seemed that he knew at least a few phrases. He waved and left the ground, flying towards the east.

Sakuta blinked and checked the crowd for anyone else staring at the sight. Nope, he was still the only one who found it weird.

“Can we go now?” Kaede asked.

“Sure sure, let’s enjoy the tower,” Sakuta said. It was easy to cheer her up again and they went into the tower, marveling at the glass floor which gave them the same view that Clark must have had. It was kind of scary. No matter how safe it was, the thought of it shattering and them falling down below was always in the back of Sakuta’s mind.

They left the tower eventually to explore the rest of the city. While Kaede was having fun, Sakuta found a payphone made a call to Mai.

She picked up after only a few rings, which probably meant she was on break from work. “Hello?”

“Hello, Mai-san. It’s me,” he said.

“Bad timing Sakuta, I only have a few minutes left. You should have called sooner.”

“I’ll try better next time.” He smiled, but there wasn’t time for banter. “I think I’ve found another case of Adolescence Syndrome and I need your help.”

“Really? What is it?”

“I saw a guy flying today. Floating in the air, no wires or anything, and everybody around me is treating it as normal. You know it’s weird though, right?”

“Yes. Weird enough for me to doubt you even after all that we’ve seen.”

“Well, it’s true. Also, I gave him your number to call. If a guy named Clark Kent speaking only English calls you saying he met me, tell him to wait until we can decide on a time and place to meet together.”

She sighed, but he could tell she was only pretending to be annoyed. “You know, you should be more careful about giving out your girlfriend’s personal number.”

“Sorry,” he said in an even voice. “By the way, you’re good at English, right?”

“Good enough that I think we’ll be able to have a conversation with him. As for when that’ll be, I think I can get back home by tonight. What about you?”

“I’m leaving Tokyo this afternoon, so it’ll work for me.”

“Alright, I have to go.”

“Wait!”

“What is it?” she asked, concern in her voice.

“I love you.”

“And I love you more. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

The call ended, but he wasn’t finished yet. He dialed Futaba’s number, she always helped him understand the weirdness of different cases of Adolescence Syndrome. This time would hopefully be the same.

She answered and he explained the situation with Clark the flying guy.

“My own experience with Adolescence Syndrome makes me reluctant to dismiss this, but are you telling the truth? A flying man?” she asked.

“It’s true. Any idea what’s happening, is there some quantum physics thing that explains all this?”  

“No, but . . . I suppose the idea of the collective unconscious could be relevant.”

“What’s that?”

“Basically, it’s the idea that all human minds share and recognize certain ideas from our evolutionary history. Like a wise elder or a warm mother. They’re supposedly universal innate memories throughout different cultures.”

“Okay, I think I get it, but what does that have to do with this?” Sakuta was still shaky on the concept, but he didn’t need to understand it perfectly. He just needed the general idea.

“Well, a flying man wouldn’t be one of those shared ideas because humans didn’t evolve with members that could fly. If he’s somehow affecting the collective unconscious, inserting the idea of a flying man into it, the concept could become familiar and ordinary instead of something strange.”

“Alright, but how’s he flying in the first place?”

“I don’t know, does flying mean something special to him?”

“No, he only speaks English and we weren’t able to talk much.”

“English, huh? That’s unfortunate, I would have liked to ask him a few questions.”

“You can come along when Mai and I meet him if you want,” Sakuta suggested. Actually, he preferred Futaba there if she could figure out more from talking with him.

“When?”

“Um, I don’t exactly know yet, but hopefully tonight.”

“That will work for me.”  

\\\\\

That night, Sakuta, Mai, and Futaba waited at a park for Kent. Kent, not Clark. Sakuta had forgotten that Westerners had their given name first and family name second. Mai had corrected him on that.

Futaba was wearing her lab coat, which meant she was still in the scientific mindset. Sakuta wasn’t sure how effective it would be against the bizarreness of Adolescence Syndrome, but then again, she’d helped him understand it before.

The sun had set only a little while ago, so it was still twilight, but none of them noticed Kent until he was right above them. He was early by a few minutes and came down steadily, as if riding in an invisible elevator.

“Hello,” he said.

Mai showed some mild surprise, which Sakuta could understand. Even if he’d told her earlier, seeing it was completely different. Futaba on the other hand didn’t even bat an eye.

“Hello,” Mai said in English. She walked forward and introduced them. “I’m Sakurajima Mai, you’ve already met Azusagawa Sakuta, and this is our friend Futaba Rio.”

Kent smiled. “I recognize you, you’re an actress. My friend is a fan of yours. You speak English?”

Mai relayed what he said to them and turned back to Kent. “We take English classes at school, but I’m not very good at it.”

“Well it’s certainly better than my Japanese.”

“Thank you.”

“Azusagawa over there said that I had something called Adolescent Affliction?”

Once Mai interpreted, Futaba frowned. “Hold on, since when are we treating this as a case of Adolescence Syndrome?”

Sakuta’s eyes widened. “Futaba, we’re here because he’s flying around and everybody thinks it’s normal. That’s Adolescence Syndrome, right?”

“No, he’s just flying. Why shouldn’t people think it’s normal?”

Sakuta shared a look with Mai. She was just as worried as he was.

“People can’t fly,” Sakuta said. “Remember what you told me about the collective unconscious and how he could be making the idea of flying normal?”

“What are you talking about? It is normal.” Futaba crossed her arms and looked at him as if he were wasting her time trying to convince her of something ridiculous.

“Futaba-san, people can’t fly,” Mai said. “At least, people besides him.”

“You too, Sakurajima-san?” Futaba looked between the two of them. “What is this, some sort of joke? What you said is true, but nothing noteworthy.”

“Yeah, it’s a joke,” Sakuta said, his tone calm. There was no point, she was affected by Kent’s Adolescence Syndrome. “Sorry about that, you can go. I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

“There’s no need. Just don’t waste my time like this again.” Futaba walked off.

“Um, did you guys have a fight or something?” Kent asked. During the whole exchange, he’d looked back and forth between them with wide, uncomprehending eyes. Worried but unable to help.

“No, but it looks like she was just affected by your Adolescent Affliction.” Mai went on to explain what had happened, which meant they had to use Internet translators again. It took some time, but they communicated how Futaba had said his flight was strange earlier but was treating it as normal now.

Kent nodded. On his phone screen, he’d written. That always happens now even if I try to convince someone that I’m strange. No matter what I do, they just accept it and say it’s normal.

What kinds of things have you tried? They asked.

He smiled nervously. Well, I can do more than just fly. He picked up a rock from the ground, held it in the palm of his hand, and squeezed it in his fist.

When he opened his fingers, dust came out, leaving Sakuta and Mai open-mouthed.

“I’m very strong,” he said. Then, he turned around, and in a blur of motion he raced off. The grass whooshed from the breeze and in a moment he traveled around the park. “And very fast.”

“That’s . . . impressive,” Sakuta said, because really, what else could he say? Futaba had cloned herself and Mai and her sister had transformed into each other, but this just seemed different. For one, Kent seemed completely relaxed with what he could do.

“Mai-san, we need to ask him if there’s anything that he thinks would have caused his Adolescence Syndrome to do this to him.”

She nodded. “Alright, but we need to explain Adolescence Syndrome to him first.”

And they did, Internet translators working at full capacity to explain the concept. A long, awkward process, but they didn’t have an alternative.

So you’re saying that this urban myth about strange occurrences, this Adolescence Syndrome, is real and the cause of this? Kent asked.

“Yes,” Mai said.

I’m not sure I can believe that, but the fact that you two react to me has me think that I should at least consider it.

Alright, they’d gotten that far. Now to ask him about for clues on the origin on his Adolescence Syndrome.

He reacted to the question with confusion. I’ve been like this since I was a child. The only thing this Adolescence Syndrome has changed is how people react to me.

Wait, he’d been like this since he was younger? Able to fly, crush rocks, and flash across large distances?

Mai laughed, amused. “Well, this isn’t what I expected. You certainly know how to get involved in strange events, Sakuta.”

Sakuta rubbed his forehead. Man, normally Futaba would have been all over Kent with scientific questions. He felt out of his depth here as well, but even with what Kent had said, this was still a case of Adolescence Syndrome. They should focus on that.

Your Adolescence Syndrome has to be changing people’s minds, then. Making them think that you’re normal. Do you have any idea why?

Kent, who’d been open and helpful the entire time, lost his smile. His eyes travelled between Mai and Sakuta as if debating whether to tell them.

I think so. After all, you wouldn’t want people to see you as a freak, correct? It’s natural to want people to accept me, even if I’m different and can do a lot of things other people can’t. I guess if it’s possible for feelings like that to cause these effects, that must be why.

“I feel a bit offended,” Sakuta said. “I’ve lived these past few years of high school happily as a freak.”

Mai gave him a light slap on the chest. “Not helpful, Sakuta.”

“Sorry. We seem to have worked out why this started, now we need to know how to make it stop.”

They asked Kent for ideas, but he shook his head.

I don’t want to stop it. It’s not causing problems for anyone, and it’s a huge relief for me. I don’t have to hide or keep my abilities secret anymore.

“He does have a point,” Sakuta said to Mai. “It isn’t hurting anyone, and he seems to like it.”

“I think so too. He seems to have lucked into an incredibly convenient Adolescence Syndrome.”

That was true. Strange, had it ever worked out this way before? There might have been a couple convenient things about other syndromes if they could have controlled it. Futaba might have been able to work out a convenient arrangement with her clone and Mai could have gone around without people noticing her, but that was just too convenient.

Would Kent’s escalate to that degree? Maybe they should keep an eye on him just in case.

Sakuta used the translator to warn him that it might get worse, but Kent didn’t seem to believe it.

I’ll remember that, but so far it’s been great. Thank you for telling me and trying to help me.

Sakuta supposed that was the most they could do right now, and Mai agreed.

Clark asked them a question. Can I ask what you two think of me and my abilities? Are you afraid of me?

Sakuta and Mai shook their heads. No way. He was extraordinary, but he wasn’t scary or a freak.

That answer got the widest smile out of him so far.

“Thank you. Oh, before you go, is it okay if I can get an autograph?” Kent asked Mai. He reached into his bag and got out a pen and paper.

Mai accepted them and began writing.

“Can you make it out to Lana?”

“Of course.” Mai wrote a short message and signed her name.

Kent thanked her. “You know, I haven’t been staying in one place for long these past few weeks, since I’ve been travelling all over. I’ll stop by from time to time though and give you updates on this Adolescent Affliction.”

Mai just finished translating when Kent went up to the air and left.

Chapter Text

It was a hot, windy morning when Sakuta and Kaede headed towards the train station. Luckily, they didn't have to walk far. The station was only a few minutes from their apartment.

When the station came into view, Kaede excitedly pointed at it. "Look, brother, over there. Hey!" She raised her voice and waved.

Mai and Nodoka had arrived first, and they waved back. They had yellow sun hats on, and Mai looked absolutely incredible in her casual summer clothing. A white shirt and short shorts, her wonderfully long legs were on full display.

Oh, and Sakuta supposed Nodoka looked okay too.

"Kaede!" Nodoka said and gave her a hug when they got close. She gave a small nod to Sakuta.

Mai gave him a proper greeting and then said "Here Sakuta, hold this."

She handed him a picnic basket. Which was a bit unfair when he was already carrying so many things for their trip to the beach. The parasol, collapsible chairs, towels, and the picnic blanket were only a few things in the list.

Mai must have seen the deadpan look on his face because she laughed and grabbed one of his bags. "Sorry, then I'll take this off your hands then. Sorry, but the picnic basket is a bit too heavy for us to hold all the way."

Sakuta lifted it up and down. It certainly was hefty, which meant his girlfriend had put in a lot of effort to prepare food for them. That fact alone was enough to forgive almost anything.

Nodoka crossed her arms. "Hmph, you should just man up and stop complaining."

"You seem to be in more of a bad mood than usual, is something wrong?" Sakuta asked.

She glared at him. "Don't think I've forgotten how you ogled my sister's body when you took me to the beach."

He sighed. What an annoyingly sharp sister-lover.

"I have more on my mind then Mai's lovely body, you know," Sakuta said. Nodoka's frown deepened, but she already knew how he felt about Mai. There was no point hiding it. "It's rare for your schedules to line up like this, and we have to go to the beach at least once during summer vacation, right?"

"I'd accept that reasoning if it came from anybody but you."

"Calm down, Nodoka," Mai said, amused by her little sister. "Sakuta knows better than to act perverted without permission, isn't that right?"

"Yes."

Mai accepted the answer and added "Besides, we're also meeting a friend there. He hasn't been in Japan long, so we need to show him a good time."

"Really, what's he like?" Nodoka asked. Kaede looked on curiously as well.

"I think it'd be more interesting if you form your own opinion when you see him," Mai said.

They got on the train to a nearby beach. It was a popular one, but hopefully it wouldn't be overcrowded. Sakuta had been telling the truth when he'd said that he had more than Mai on his mind. She only occupied the majority of it. They were also going to learn more about Kent's Adolescence Syndrome.

The four of them arrived and found Kent easily, since he was a Westerner floating several meters in the air above everybody else's heads. Once he saw them, he touched down and greeted them.

"Hi guys," he said. His Japanese had improved quickly in the past two weeks, even though he spoke with an accent.

"Hi Kent, you didn't have to wait long, did you?" Sakuta asked.

"No, I arrived a few minutes ago."

"That's good," Mai said. "You've seen Kaede before, and this is my little sister, Toyohama Nodoka."

Kent extended a hand. "Hi, Toyohama-san, I'm Clark Kent."

Nodoka's eyes were locked onto Kent. That was interesting, was his Syndrome not working on her?

She smiled and shook his hand cheerfully. "Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm surprised, I wasn't expecting someone like you when my sister said we were meeting a friend here. How do you know her? Are you a movie star too?"

"No, I'm not anyone special like that."

"No way, I don't believe it."

Mai smiled. "You two seem to be getting along. Why don't we move along to the beach?"

"R-right, that's what we're here for," Nodoka said.

During the walk there, Sakuta said to Mai in a low voice "You know, for a moment there I thought Nodoka might be immune to his Syndrome."

"So did I, but the truth is much more ordinary," Mai said. "She has a little crush. How cute."

Yeah, Nodoka was so focused on Kent that they could have talked about her aloud without her noticing. She was helping Kent with Japanese, giving him tips to write down in his notebook.

"Wow, you're so smart," Nodoka said, apparently impressed by his progress in Japanese. She'd taught him several new words and phrases that he could repeat and use properly.

"Thank you, but it's more that I have a good memory. By the way, is it okay if I talk to Sakuta-san and your sister for a bit?"

"Sure, you don't need my permission."

Kent walked up to them. "Hey guys, there's something I don't think I've tried before with my Syndrome. I want to see if it affects how other people view my mental talents."

"Your mental talents?" Mai asked.

"I have a very good memory and I can think pretty fast. Is it okay if we see how they react?"

Sakuta and Mai agreed, and they had Kent display a few memory and math tricks. He could memorize long strings of numbers easily and multiply four-digit numbers in his head quickly. Giving them the answer even faster than Mai or Nodoka could type the numbers into their phones' calculators.

"Lucky, I wish I could do that," Kaede said.

"That's pretty cool, Kent," Nodoka added.

It was hard to judge, but it looked like his Syndrome was working there too. At least, Sakuta and Mai felt that their surprise was more appropriate than the mild responses Kaede and Nodoka had given.

Kent's Syndrome seemed to be covering up anything that would make him seem strange, aspects of what made him a 'freak'. Being a human calculator and memorizing machine seemed to fall under that category.

The five of them got to the beach. There were a lot of people, but thanks to Kent scouting from the air, they found a good spot to set up. As another test, he dropped down right onto it in view of multiple people, and nobody raised a fuss.

"It's great that you're here, Kent," Nodoka said. "This spot is perfect, no way we would have found it without you."

True, it was hidden behind layers of people, but she was laying the compliments a little thick.

The girls left to change while Kent just took off his shirt. Sakuta raised an eyebrow, Kent had muscles that could give Kunimi a run for his money. If Sakuta wasn't absolutely, completely sure that Mai loved him, he would have been concerned about standing next to Kent with an average, maybe slightly above average, male physique.

Those thoughts were dashed away when Mai came back in her swimsuit. She'd chosen a bikini the same shade as her hair to cover her curvy figure. A yellow shawl wrapped around her waist. Beautiful, sexy, and erotic.

"You look amazing, Mai-san," Sakuta said. He held his chest. "My heart is racing right now."

Kent laughed. "You're a pretty blunt guy, huh?"

"Yes he is," Mai said. "Sometimes it's flattering, other times not so much."

"He's disgusting," Nodoka said. "Don't hang around him for too long, Kent. He's a rascal."

"Rascal? You mean like the animal? Pig?" He said that last word in English.

"Exactly!" Nodoka said. "It also means he's a no-good low-life pervert. Here, give me your pencil, I'll write it down for you."

Kent surrendered it with an entertained grin, and she added the word to his notebook. Sakuta admitted that it was a useful word. If Kent stayed around for long, he'd probably hear it a lot.

Nodoka was using the opportunity to talk more to Kent, so Sakuta seized his chance to make his request uninterrupted.

"Mai-san, do you need any help putting on sunscreen?" Sakuta asked, a bottle ready in his hand.

"No, I already put it on."

His enthusiasm deflated.

"Sunscreen is supposed to be applied every few hours though," Mai continued. "If you behave, I might consider letting you do it then."

Ah, Mai, she knew full well what a rollercoaster of discouragement and excitement she'd put him on. He nodded. "I'll be the best-behaved boyfriend ever."

"Oh hey, sunscreen!" Nodoka had noticed the bottle. "Kent-san, I can help apply it on your back if you want."

Sakuta smirked. The hints of lust in Nodoka's eyes were the same as his own. It was incredibly satisfying to know that she'd lost the moral right to criticize his appreciation of her sister.

Even funnier was how Kent dashed away her hopes. "No thanks, I'm fine." he said.

So it seemed like no one was going to get to feel up anyone else up on the pretense of applying sunscreen. Sakuta and Kaede helped each other out while Mai helped Nodoka.

Then, it was time for them to have fun and enjoy the beach. Everyone shuddered or squealed when entering the cold with the exception of Kent. He entered it without a change in his cheerful expression, like he hadn't even felt it.

Sakuta noted that but spent more time watching Mai in the water under the summer sun. She was laughing and having fun, her chest bouncing up and down and water running down her body. It was a heavenly sight. Kaede enjoying herself in the background was also a nice wholesome bonus.

A splash fight was inevitable when playing around in the water, and somehow it got to the point where the four of sided against Kent. Maybe it was because he was so big and tall that they felt that they had to unite for a chance at victory.

"Toyohoma-san, you traitor! I thought you were on my side!" Kent said with a laugh. He tried to block the water with his arms, and he was failing. It didn't seem to be bothering him the slightest though. The act seemed more for show.

Nodoka gave a playful response. "Sorry Kent-san, but I have to side with my sister."

"Well even if I'm outnumbered, I'm not gonna lose." Kent rose up out of the water and angled his body horizontally. He stuck his arm in the water and went across with a whoosh. A wave of water rushed towards them.

"Hey!"

"Whoa!"

It wasn't that big, so the worst it did was push them back a bit. They spluttered and wiped at their faces.

Kent was hovering above the water. "If you surrender now, I'll go easy on you."

A whistle screeched. Back on the sand, the lifeguard called out for Kent to come over, and he did so with a sheepish expression. He flew over to the raised seat and settled down on the ground. He was being told off for something, and he nodded along. It looked like he was apologizing.

He headed back to them, hovering just slightly above the water. When he reached them, he slowly lowered himself into it.

"What upset him?" Mai asked.

"He just told me that I can't fly and block his view of other people," Kent said. "Still looks like my Syndrome is working."

"Syndrome?" Nodoka asked.

"Oh, um, nothing," Kent said. "I think I must have used the wrong word."

They spent a little more time in the water before getting out and drying off for lunch. It was also a good time for Kent to experiment with his Syndrome, so while Mai kept Kaede and Nodoka busy, Sakuta and Kent traveled around the beach seeing how people reacted to him.

The answer was, as they'd expected, not much. Kent sped around the air at incredible speeds, flew off to the ocean and brought a fairly large boulder here and back, and floated a few feet off the ground in multiple positions. Pretty much every angle from upside down to vertical, and nobody gave them a second glance.

They did learn something useful though when Kent tried doing somersaults in the air. He was using his flight, but making it look like he was just flipping and spinning like a normal acrobat.

Kent jumped up, did a backflip, then landed so lightly that he didn't kick up any sand.

"Not bad, but there's no way you can do a double backflip," Sakuta said, pretending to goad him on. He watched the expressions of the people around them. For once they actually showed some interest besides the kind Kent tended to get from women.

"I totally can." Kent bent his legs, then leaped into the air. Not only did he flip twice, he added a bit of sideways spin so his feet pointed all over. He landed perfectly.

A few claps and some whistles were the reaction. Far more than anything they'd gotten from his other acts.

"That was interesting," Kent said. "I guess if I do something impressive, but still possible for a person, my Syndrome won't change how people see it."

"Actually, I think it's still affecting how others see your mental skills," Sakuta said. "Kaede and Nodoka-san didn't seem that impressed."

Kent nodded. "I've noticed that before. The criteria for whether my Syndrome affects something must be pretty complicated."

"Yeah, but we saw some pretty clear examples of just how far your Syndrome goes. It makes you flying around completely normal, doing backflips seems cooler to other people."

"Hmm, okay. I'm going to try something else." Kent approached the nearest other person, who happened to be a woman in her early twenties suntanning with her eyes closed. Her body wasn't bad, smooth legs, a nice figure, but still falling far short of Mai.

Sakuta followed, wondering what Kent was going to try.

"Excuse me?" Kent asked.

"Huh?" She looked up. She seemed fairly annoyed at first, but after getting a look at Kent, she became a lot more relaxed. "Oh, how can I help you?"

"Do my eyes look strange?"

Sakuta tilted his head, confused, then walked up so he could see what he meant. He froze at the sight.

Kent's eyes were bright red. Completely red. The pupils, whites, even a few veins around them even seemed to be pulsing with red light.

"No," she said. "I've never seen red eyes before, but they look good on you."

"Thank you. I was kind of nervous since I think they'd look weird or strange."

"Don't be! There's nothing wrong with trying to look different, plenty of people dye their hair after all."

The light in Kent's eyes faded, returning to their usual appearance. He smiled. "Thanks for the advice." He tilted his head, as if concentrating on something and turned back to Sakuta. "Azusagawa-san, I think we should head back."

At that, the woman's smile faded, and she closed her eyes to suntan with a huff.

"What was that with your eyes?" Sakuta asked as he followed Kent back to the girls.

"Something I've only shown to a few people. Even after my Syndrome appeared." Kent picked up some sand and turned around. "I can shoot . . . heat beams I guess, from my eyes." He stared down at his hands, red light firing out of his eyes. Sakuta stepped back, it felt hot, like a second sun right in front of him.

A few seconds later, Kent showed him what was in his hands. Molten sand hardening into dirty glass.

"You can do a lot, huh?" Sakuta said. The comment sounded stupid, but how else was he supposed to respond?

"Yeah, that's why I really like my Syndrome." Kent said. He looked off into the crowd. From his expression, it was like his Syndrome would wear off any second and his fears of being considered freak would turn into reality.

"Well, even though I have a bad feeling about it, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to get out of control," Sakuta said.

"I hope so."

"Trust me." Sakuta glanced at Kent's hand, realizing he was still holding the glass. "Wait a second, how come that isn't burning you?"

Kent brought his hand up, looking down at the glass. Parts of it were still glowing red. "Ah, well, I'm pretty tough." With his other hand, he made a fist and hit his chest.

The sound was way too solid for flesh and bone, and the hit blew some sand away. Sakuta's hair swayed in the breeze it had made.

"It's okay if you think differently of me," Kent said after seeing Sakuta's expression, acting as if it was inevitable that he would be put off. "It's a lot to take in."

"Hey, don't jump to conclusions," Sakuta said. "Yeah, I admit that it's a lot, but Mai and I won't think you're weird or strange just because you happen to have superpowers."

"Superpowers?"

"You know, super abilities, talents." Sakuta threw in the English word there to clear up Kent's confusion.

"Ah, okay," he said in understanding. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. And cheer up, otherwise you'll make the rest of us sad and ruin the trip."

"That's a big responsibility." Kent chuckled. "I'll do my best."

They walked up to Mai and the others.

"What a coincidence, we were just about to go get you," Mai said.

"Lucky us," Kent said.

Sakuta gave him a curious look, then asked Mai "What for?"

"We're thinking about buying some ice cream, do you two want any?"

Sakuta answered immediately. "Yes, specifically I'd like Mai-san to feed me."

"Denied."

"Then can we share one?"

"If it's big enough, sure. Kent?"

"Ice cream sounds good."

The five of them went to a stand and got their preferred flavors. Luckily, the stand sold a big bowl of a shaved ice dessert that was plenty for Sakuta and Mai to share.

Once they sat down, Nodoka spoke up. "Hey rascal, switch seats with Kent-san."

"I refuse," Sakuta said. No matter what, he wasn't going to move from his position by Mai.

"Be more considerate, he's getting no shade there!" Nodoka said. Out of the five of them, Kent was the only one not under the protection of the table umbrella from the sun.

"It's fine," Kent said. "I'm comfortable here."

"See?" Sakuta said. Sunlight wouldn't bother a guy who'd held molten glass in his bare hands.

Nodoka wouldn't accept Kent at his word. "Kent-san, don't be so nice to this guy. He's a rascal, remember?"

"Actually, Kent-san showed me that I have much to learn. He's a total player."

"I'm a what?" Kent asked.

"Good with women," Sakuta said.

He laughed as if that were ridiculous. "No I'm not."

"Oh really, then what about that lady you talked up earlier?" Sakuta glanced at Nodoka from the corner of his eye. That had gotten her attention.

"What?" Kent asked.

"Come on, when you asked her to look deeply in your eyes? Man, I guess when you've got a handsome face you can pull it off."

"Hey, you know what that was for."

Sakuta ignored it. "I gotta say, you have good taste. You like older women, huh?"

"I wasn't going to her for that. She just happened to be the closest person to us."

A familiar pain appeared in Sakuta's cheek before he could continue. Mai was pinching him, hard.

"Talking about another woman in front of your girlfriend, you're such a hassle. Please, get along with Nodoka."

"Ow ow, yes, I will," Sakuta said. She let go.

"So all that about you talking up a woman was a lie, right?" Nodoka asked Kent.

"Of course. I already have a girlfriend back home."

The reply sucked the hope right out of Nodoka. She looked down at her ice cream with disappointment. "Oh, good for you, I guess."

How unfortunate, Nodoka's brief romance had never stood a chance. If that was where Sakuta's teasing was going to lead to, he might have been a bit less harsh.

Thankfully, it didn't affect the rest of their day at the beach. Nodoka mostly stayed out of the water to tan, while the other four spent more time in the water. Kent said he wanted to explore some deeper waters, and he plunged into the ocean.

During that time, Sakuta also told Mai about the other abilities Kent had shown. Laser eyes and extreme toughness.

"I wonder why he's so afraid of people reacting badly to him," Mai said. "I'd think most people would be impressed by what he can do, not frightened."

"I don't know. I can kind of see why his red eyes might scare some people. Maybe that has to do with it."

"Well-hey, what's going on over there?" Mai pointed out onto the beach. A woman was screaming, and a crowd had started to gather. When they got closer, they could hear what she was saying.

"Help! Help!" Her voice was hysterical. "Oh my God, please help!"

The lifeguard came down from his seat. "Ma'am, ma'am, what is it?"

"My son! H-he went too far out and fell off his board! Over there!" She pointed out into the water.

A gust of wind parted the water, spraying droplets and whipping hair around. Kent was at the beach, flying by the lifeguard running to the water.

"Sir, is someone in trouble? Where are they? I can get them."

The lifeguard ran past him and jumped into the water, swimming desperately to the drowning boy.

"Kent! Over there!" Sakuta pointed.

Kent saw and rushed through the air. Out in the distance, he dove into the water and in the next moment he came out with someone in his arms. He returned to the shore in seconds. The lifeguard had seen it and swam back to help.

The boy coughed up some water, but he seemed to be fine, and his mother held him tightly. She thanked Kent while berating her son over and over.

Once that was settled, Kent glared at the lifeguard. "Why did you ignore me?"

"What?"

"Clearly I could fly to him faster than you could swim, why did you ignore me when I offered to help?"

"Look, I was worried out of my mind for the kid, and I was rushing to get to him. How was I supposed to realize I should ask you?"

"What? How were you supposed to realize? You saw me flying around earlier!" By this point, Kent he seemed more confused than angry.

"Get off my back, okay? Anyone else would have done the same."

Kent stared at him for a few seconds. "Alright. Sorry." He walked off.

Sakuta and Mai came up behind him. Mai said "Your Adolescence Syndrome-

"I know," he interrupted, then spoke to himself in English. "I should have known it was too good to be true."

Kent didn't stay around much longer, subdued the whole time. All he said before leaving were that he didn't want to talk about his Syndrome and a few words of goodbye.

Chapter Text

Clark's Adolescence Syndrome had gotten worse. Azusagawa and Sakurajima had told him it might, that was what had happened with theirs after all, but he'd still hoped otherwise. After all, he'd gone all over the world these past two months without a problem.

Maybe he shouldn't have pushed his luck. He shouldn't have tried to test the boundaries by showing off heat vision.

Then again, maybe it wouldn't have made a difference at all. The lifeguard's strange reaction . . . depending on what Clark's Syndrome did to people, it could have gotten this bad regardless.

He cut his contemplation short as he dropped down. The sky turned from black to blue and the air thickened as he made his descent into Kansas. He needed to fly pretty high to visit the farm regularly while simultaneously travelling the world. If he didn't, sonic booms and worse would wreck his surroundings.

The fields below came into focus. Usually his hearing mostly blended together into a background buzz of constant noise, but here he picked out his parents' familiar voices. They were inside the house. Clark landed on the porch.

"Ma, Pa. I'm home," he announced.

"Morning, Clark," Ma said. She and Pa were eating breakfast at the table. "Are you hungry, dear?"

"No, I'm fine." Clark sat down. "I need to tell you something though. This thing with how people view my powers, the syndrome my friends in Japan told me about, it's gotten worse."

"What do you mean, son? What syndrome?" Pa asked. Both he and Ma looked at him in confusion.

Clark's eyes widened. "My syndrome. You know, the reason why nobody freaks out when I use my powers in public." Panic began to set in as he realized what was happening.

"What powers?" Ma asked.

"These powers, Ma!" Clark hovered above his seat, and gestured down, clearly showing himself in the air with no support.

"Hey, don't yell at your mother," Pa said sternly. "Okay, you're flying above the chair. Is that what you meant?"

"Yes, I'm flying. It's not normal, right?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you and Pa can't fly. Nobody can. Not like me, anyway."

They looked at him strangely. Clark's shoulders slumped and he lowered himself back down to his seat. It was the same as almost everyone else when it came to his abilities, pointing out that nobody else shared them meant nothing.

"Ma, Pa, you know it isn't normal," Clark said, his voice desperate and pleading. "I'm an alien, and when Lana and Pete found out, we were shocked that they thought it was normal. We thought it was super fortunate for us. Remember? It was only a few months ago."

Ma shook her head, but now she was giving Clark a concerned look. "I don't know what you're talking about. Are you alright?"

No, no he was not alright. He'd come here to ask for help, for advice on what he should do now that his Syndrome had worsened. He hadn't wanted his parents to fall under its influence too.

"What about when you said how it had to be a gift from God?" Clark asked her. "Do you remember that? We used to be so afraid that the government would come when people found out about my powers, but when they did, they accepted them and didn't think any differently of me."

The relief on his parents' faces was still clear in his mind. They'd been so happy and exuberant that they'd told everybody around about what Clark could do. They'd embarrassed him by saying how proud they were of him and how responsibly he'd handled his powers. More than a few townspeople had learned that he was the one who'd helped them over the years. The Millers who'd thought an angel had helped them in the twister three years back, Mr. Gifford when he'd nearly crashed in his crop duster, old Mrs. Fischer when she'd had a heart attack all alone and Clark had been the only one to hear it.

Now his parents just gave him blank looks, and Clark suspected that nothing he could do would make them accept the truth. He could list off dozens of times they'd gotten mad and scolded him for almost revealing his powers, but if he were to go through them, they probably wouldn't remember them at all. Or if they did, they'd somehow rationalize those incidents in a way that presented his powers as normal.

"Never mind," Clark said. "Sorry for getting worked up. I think I'll take a break from globe-trotting for today and stick around town."

"Alright, if you're sure." Ma still seemed to sense that something was bothering him, but thankfully she was willing to let it go for now. "It's good for a young man to see the world, but we're not used to seeing so little of you."

Pa smiled. "It's bad, Clark. Your ma's already getting empty nest syndrome."

"You could come with me if you want," Clark said. "I could carry you in the truck like when we went to Paris."

"Really Clark, travelling around the world with you isn't a good idea. Who'd take care of the farm?" Pa asked.

Clark grinned. "I could. No matter where we go, it'll take only a few minutes for me to get back home with a suborbital trajectory."

"Hey now, taking care of the farm isn't a one-man job. Even back when Ma and I were younger, we had farmhands."

"I know that being fast doesn't help with some tasks, but I'm pretty sure I could do it pretty easily. After all, we used to joke about me replacing the tractor by tilling and planting by hand while flying over the fields.

Pa blinked, surprised by the idea. "Oh right, I suppose you could."

Clark's smile faded. "Pa, if I had to take care of the farm by myself, do you think I wouldn't use my powers?"

"Well . . . I suppose you would, it just hadn't occurred to me."

It hadn't occurred to him. Just like it hadn't occurred to the lifeguard in Japan that Clark could help until he'd said it outright.

Clark kept talking with his parents while they ate, putting on his usual cheer so that Ma wouldn't be ill at ease. It didn't seem to work, but then again, she always could see straight through him. It was like she was the one with X-ray vision instead of him.

Even if she knew what was bothering him though, as long as this Syndrome was still around, she wouldn't be able to help. Because of it, they now saw him the same way everyone else did. They no longer accepted him despite his abilities. They were forced to accept him, forced into thinking he was normal.

That was true of everyone now, but it hadn't bothered Clark much when it was strangers. After all, fake acceptance was better than the alternative of fear or hostility.

But he'd had genuine acceptance. His parents had seen him for what he was and loved him anyway. Now that love was altered, warped by the Adolescence Syndrome.

"By the way, Lana was asking for you," Ma said. "You should go see her."

"Really? I think I'll go now then."

"Someone's eager," Pa said, teasing him.

Clark rolled his eyes. Yeah he was eager, although not for the reason Pa was thinking. They were affected by his Syndrome, he wasn't happy to stick around if he couldn't talk to them openly.

He went out the door and flew to Lana's house. At least this was a good benefit of his Syndrome. He mostly flew over fields of corn and wheat, but a few people had still seen him. For years he'd very rarely travelled through the air, going by foot instead.

If he got rid of his Syndrome, that was what he'd have to return to.

Clark approached Lana's house and heard her inside, although he made the effort to focus on other background sounds so he wouldn't accidentally eavesdrop.

Clark knocked on the door, and Lana came out.

"Clark!" She beamed and jumped up to hug him. Then she kissed him lightly on the lips and pulled back, blushing.

They hadn't been dating for long. A little over a week, actually, when Lana had asked him out.

Clark had meant to say no since he knew their mutual friend Pete Ross also liked her, but surprisingly enough, Pete had encouraged Clark to go out with her when he'd heard.

Although lately Pete tended to give a lot of reasons for why he couldn't hang out with them. He still seemed friendly, at least, but it was worrying. Clark wasn't sure how long he should go until addressing it directly.

"When did you come back?" Lana asked.

"About an hour ago." He pointed back over his shoulder with his thumb. "I know this is kind of sudden, but do you want to go on a date?"

"Now?" Lana looked down at herself and bit her lip. "But I haven't prepared at all."

That was right, she must have woken up only a little while ago. She hadn't put on makeup yet, and was still wearing comfortable looking shirt and shorts rather than a blouse and skirt like she usually did.

Clark smiled. He thought she looked cute. "It's fine. Want to go now?"

She hesitated then gave a nod. "Okay, where are we going?"

"It'll take some time to get there, but I promise you'll love it." He spread his hands so he could carry her, and she went into them with anticipation.

They went up and headed out to El Dorado state park. Clark had found a spot there years ago that was very hard to reach on foot. It had an amazing view of El Dorado Lake. He'd seen lakes and seas all over the world, but the park still had an important place in his heart. With his Syndrome, he could finally share it with someone.

"Wow," Lana marveled at the sight below them. Clark had gone a few thousand feet up, where the town below alternated between seeming tiny and toy-like or even bigger than before when seeing certain fields or buildings all at once. He kept to a speed with comfortable winds for Lana.

She was in awe of the spectacle, not of him. That was how it should be. How Clark wanted it to be.

But he hadn't earned it. Her mild acceptance of him had been forced on her. He'd known that before, but the fact was now more prominent than ever.

\\\\\

Clark had been in Japan for hardly a minute when he heard it. People screaming and sirens blaring. In a city miles away from where he was flying, a bridge had collapsed and cars had fallen into the river below. He could see it from this height. A section of the east side had crumbled, the cables there severed.

Onlookers had already gathered on the ends of the bridge. Police had blocked off the ends but were still leading people off. Their cars and the ambulances waited while desperate officers and paramedics waited on the shore for the rescue of the people in the water. Helicopters whirred nearby.

Because of them, Clark had to reduce his speed when flying into the scene. As long as he didn't get too close, coming in at six or seven hundred miles an hour was fine.

He plunged into the water for the nearest car. He wasn't used to how different the sound of people's breathing and heartbeat was underwater, but he didn't have to rely on it to locate people. It was a clear day. The sun penetrated deep enough that he didn't need his enhanced vision to spot cars.

The first was a man in a red Toyota Corolla. For him, it was faster to just tear the door and seatbelt off and lift him out. In fact, that was what Clark did for all the vehicles without passengers. He brought them to the paramedics and laid them down on gurneys and stretches that had been placed out.

Clark first focused on saving those who were closest, but then realized that he had to prioritize those at the most risk. He had to recognize the ones whose heartbeats were faintest or even nonexistent and bring them to help first.

When Clark was sure he'd carried up everyone who'd fallen in. He rushed to the ambulances.

"Excuse me!" he shouted and briefly got the attention of a few paramedics. "If you need to get to a hospital immediately, I can carry ambulances there."

"Here!" A woman shouted. She and her colleague were pushing a young woman up into an ambulance. A glance at their blood-covered patient made it clear that she was in a dire state, not to mention how sickly and wet her breathing sounded.

Once they loaded into the vehicle, Clark flew under it and went up. He coordinated with the driver to find the hospital, and they got to it in less than a minute.

Unencumbered, Clark's return trip took seconds and without hesitation he went to the next ambulance which required fast transport. It was already driving on the road, but it was still faster for him to carry it. It was a bit tricky, but he lifted it without slowing it down and transferred them to the hospital.

There were only two more that required his help. He took care of them, but still went back to the bridge in case there was anything else.

There didn't seem to be. The few people with minor injuries were being helped by the police. They'd received towels to dry themselves off.

Several people came up to Clark, which was when he set his feet on the ground. Individuals thanked him profusely. Mothers and fathers walked up with tears in their eyes and expressed their gratitude, clutching children still frightened from the experience.

Clark didn't have a complete grasp on Japanese yet, so he replied with what he'd been taught were polite, proper responses. He wasn't sure if they were appropriate for people whose lives he'd saved, but nobody seemed to mind.

Police officers came up as well. One of them, a bald man in his sixties, gave him a look of immense respect.

"You're a hero," the officer said. "If you hadn't been here, many more would have died because we couldn't get to them in time."

It was a sobering reminder that dampened Clark's relief. A few deaths had been unavoidable, people who'd died before he'd even arrived, but he couldn't help thinking about the ones he might have saved if he'd done things differently when he arrived.

"Don't look so down, young man," another officer said. "What you did was amazing!"

Clark nodded, his mouth still a straight line. "Thank you for your praise. I have to get going now." He rose up but came to a halt when he saw divers entering the water. "Why are they still going in? There shouldn't be anyone else in the water."

The bald officer corrected him. "Someone said that his friend hasn't been found."

"But there aren't any more cars, I checked," Clark said. Although his certainty was dropping fast. He'd looked all over, hadn't he?

"Perhaps, but this man was riding a motorcycle."

With a rush of air, Clark shot away from the officers and to the river. No no no. This was just the mistake he'd been worried about. He hadn't thought about someone in a motorcycle or other vehicle. Not just that but with his damn Syndrome, the officers had wasted time talking instead of realizing that he could help.

How?! They'd seen him save dozens of people. What was his Syndrome doing that they wouldn't even ask him for help when they'd witnessed it?

Clark dove into the river. Heartbeat. He needed to find a heartbeat. Where was it? Would there even be one? How long had it been since the man must have fallen in? Fifteen minutes? Twenty?

There! Clark heard it downriver. The man had been carried away by the current instead of sinking like the cars. Far enough that with the water distorting sound, Clark hadn't heard it until he'd focused completely on it.

In a burst of supersonic speed, something Clark rarely dared at this altitude, he flew out of the water and hurtled to the man. Then, at a more reasonable speed, he flew him directly to the hospital.

In a frenzied state, Clark went back to the bridge and stayed high above. "Is there anyone who needs still needs help?" he shouted. That was more attention-worthy to them than defying gravity. "I can fly fast, I can bring people to the hospital quickly! I'm strong. If someone's stuck somewhere, I can break them out!"

He didn't know if it would be enough to stir them out from his Syndrome, so he went to the officers while listening in case anyone nearby was still troubled.

"Well? Is there anyone else who still needs help?" Clark asked. "It doesn't matter how difficult it is to reach them. Just tell me."

"I'll check." The bald officer talked to his walkie and got all clears from officers all around.

But that wasn't still wasn't enough for Clark. He stayed for half an hour longer until the only ones who remained were police and news reporters. By that point, no one had a loved one in danger.

Chapter Text

"He's late." Mai checked the clock on her kitchen wall. It was past five, over an hour later than when Kent had agreed to stop by her apartment.

"No sign of him in the sky either," Sakuta said, looking out the windows. "How much longer do you think we should wait?"

"It depends. How quickly do you think Kent-kun could bring us to the festival?"

He faced her, mild surprise in his expression. "You're joking."

Mai shrugged. "Not completely. I'll decide when I hear his excuse for not answering my messages." She brought her phone up again in case he'd responded. Again there was nothing.

"So Kent might get to be treated as a beast of burden by you. What a lucky guy."

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance too someday."

Sakuta grinned, her endearing pervert. She should remind him how lucky he was. Who else would tolerate comments like that besides her?

A few minutes passed until Sakuta spotted Kent in the distance. He was coming in from the northeast. When he landed on her balcony, Mai could see that his hair was damp.

"Sorry I'm late guys," Kent apologized with a sheepish smile.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal," Sakuta said. "I'm surprised though, what made you late?"

"Ah, that." Kent saw the clock and frowned. "I know I'm already late, but can I discuss my Syndrome with you guys before we head out?"

Mai considered it. "Well, we only wanted the extra time to show you around and tell you more before going to the festival. If we're just going to head straight there, we have enough time."

"Thanks," Kent said. "Is that okay with you, Azusagawa-san?"

"Sure, let's talk." Sakuta went to the table. Mai and Kent sat down as well.

"First, I should explain why I'm late," Kent said. "There was an accident on the way here."

He went on to describe a collapsing bridge which had delayed him on his flight. He'd stayed to help as much as he could. With more prompting, they found out that he'd carried cars up from the river and even brought ambulances straight to hospitals. He'd ruined his phone when going in the water, so that was why he hadn't responded to Mai's messages.

"That's amazing," Sakuta said. "You're a hero."

Kent wasn't at all pleased by the words. "I'm glad you think of me that way, but there was a problem. My Syndrome got in the way. I missed someone in the water, and instead of coming to ask me to help, the police tried to go in themselves."

"Is that person okay?" Mai asked.

"He was still alive when I rushed him to the hospital, but it was too close." Kent's expression was contemplative. "I've thought for years now that I should be more active when helping people. Not just secretly, but maybe out in the open too."

Kent's gaze took on an intense quality. "I can't tolerate this Syndrome anymore. My parents are brainwashed like everyone else, and it nearly cost someone his life. I don't want to just investigate it anymore. I want you guys to help me get rid of it."

Mai and Sakuta exchanged a look. She spoke. "Of course we'll help."

Sakuta continued. "You said that you're not sure what caused it. That it just happened one day, right? Adolescence Syndrome's never easy to solve, but that makes it even harder."

"Actually . . . I lied about that," Kent said, embarrassed to admit it. "I'm pretty sure I know what caused it."

\\\\\

Clark was an alien. He could also fly, lift cars, and outrace bullets, and he was going to tell her.

'Her' being Lana Lang, his best friend ever since they were toddlers. He could hear her walking nearby. In a minute or so she'd be here at the footbridge over Sloat Creek. He'd arrived much earlier, flying fast and low over the trees in the middle of the night.

High school had ended. Clark would go to college at Kansas State in a few months, but before then he'd take the chance to explore the world like his parents suggested. He'd gone on trips before, but never outside of America. For the longest time he'd been too nervous about being seen, but now he had a method that should be plenty to keep him out of view.

That was why he was going to tell Lana now. It would be his last chance before he left. Waiting so long was a bit cowardly, Clark admitted that, but he couldn't have taken the risk earlier. There wasn't just the danger of how Lana would react to him, but the much bigger one posed by the government.

Clark actually didn't have any experience with the government bothering him, but his parents had told him about the incidents that had taken place when his ship had first arrived. Government men in town. People disappearing. In fact, the neighboring farm used to be owned by a family called the Cuttlers up until just a few weeks after Clark's parents had found him. The official story was that they'd moved, but none of their old friends had gotten more contact with them besides a brief letter.

Even without having to worry about the government, it had been tense at times living in Smallville while hiding his powers. Not even his closest friends had known.

Tonight, that would change. He heard Lana at the end of the bridge.

"Clark!" she said cheerfully. There was enough moonlight for Clark to see her clearly, although recently his vision had gotten good enough that he could have seen her just fine even in pitch black darkness. Her ponytail of long red hair swung as she jogged up to him.

"Lana." Clark raised a hand in a wave. "Glad you made it."

"You should be. Telling me to come to Sloat's Creek at ten? What are you thinking?"

"Sorry, but it had to be a place away from other people where we wouldn't be seen."

She chuckled. "Clark, do you have any idea how that line would sound coming from almost anyone else?"

He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

She just found that even funnier. "Come on, a guy asking a girl to meet him in the middle of the woods at night? If the girl goes, she's asking to get murdered by some psycho."

"Jesus. You watch too much violent TV."

"Thanks dad. Wow, when did you get so young and handsome?"

Clark fidgeted at the compliment. She always made comments like that, but for the past few months they'd affected him more than they should. He changed the topic. "Anyway, there's something important I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Here it was. The critical moment.

He should have rehearsed it. No, that was stupid. What was there to rehearse? Just say he was an alien and prove it by doing special Clark things. Except don't call it that. Family nicknames for his powers should stay in the family.

"Um, do you remember my seventh birthday party?" he asked. "It was the one where my cake sort of . . . sprayed everywhere."

"Oh yeah!" A hand went to her mouth. "I haven't thought about that in forever. It was so weird, I never thought your dad was the type to pull pranks."

"He's not. That was just an excuse he made up to cover up what really happened."

"What? Then what was it?"

"Me," he paused for her reaction. She just stared at him. "I only meant to blow out the candles, but I got too enthusiastic and well . . . you remember what happened."

"Hold on, are you seriously saying that happened because you blew on it? And is that seriously what you invited me here to talk about?"

"Yeah, but only . . . only because I think it's better to lead up to what I actually want to tell you. Lana, you know that weird stuff has happened around me. Remember you noticed that I'd suddenly disappeared from my cellar during the twister three years ago? Or when we were caught in the wheat fires near Pete's out that suddenly went out. Haven't you ever wondered about them?"

"A-a little. What are you trying to tell me, Clark? Why are you bringing that up?"

He breathed in. "During the twister, I was the one who saved Amanda Miller from falling debris. I put out the fire around us. "

She didn't seem to believe it, but something about his expression must have stopped her from responding with outright skepticism. "How?"

"I'm an alien, and I have powers."

The curiosity and confusion on her face gave way to sheer disappointment. "Really, Clark?"

"Yes. Really." He floated up a foot.

Her eyes popped open and she jumped back. "Wh-what is this? How are you doing that?"

"I told you. I have powers."

She stared at him, gaping wordlessly.

"Do you think this is some sort of trick?" he asked. He held out a hand. "I'll prove that it's not."

Slowly, she came forward and accepted it. She yelped when he carried her up in his arms. He chuckled, and she turned red. It was more out of irritation than embarrassment though, even now she was still Lana.

Together, they went up above the trees and into the starry sky.

"It's okay, you're safe," he said since she was clutching on to him. "Enjoy the view. Even I don't get to enjoy this often. It's pretty cool."

Eventually, she peeked out, moving her head away from his shoulder. "Ohhh." She was mesmerized by the sight.

At a relaxed pace, Clark went around the forest. He wasn't going to go near town, but he could definitely get high enough for her to see it. Lana adjusted to the experience quickly and they had a blast pointing out how different things looked from up here.

Clark had no idea how long it had lasted. It was a wonderful, magical night. She'd given him the best response he could have hoped for.

He glided back to the bridge and set her down.

"That was awesome!" she shouted, excitement pumping through her. She paused, gazing at him with immense admiration. "Clark, you're awesome." She balanced one foot by its toes and spun in nervously. "There's something I have to tell you too . . ."

"What the hell was that?!"

In a flash of motion, Clark spun his head towards the voice. Even before he saw him, he recognized who it belonged to. Pete Ross, another of his closest friends, standing at the other end of the bridge. He was staring at them in shock.

Oh no. Clark had been distracted. He hadn't checked his surroundings closely enough for onlookers.

"Pete. What are you doing here?" Clark asked.

"I-I heard from Grace that you two were sneaking off here together. I wanted to come and ask why."

"Damn it, Grace," Lana muttered under her breath.

"More importantly, explain what the hell just happened here? How the hell did you fly like that?"

Clark stood frozen. Lana looked to him and asked. "Is it okay if I tell him?"

He nodded.

"Alright, well, Clark says he's an alien with superpowers. And it's true! You saw him, he can fly!"

"What? An alien?" Even with what Pete had seen, he still sounded skeptical.

"It's true," Clark said.

Lana laughed. "Yeah, I'm not sure I believe it either. I mean, just look at him, shouldn't aliens look scary and ugly?"

A few seconds passed until Pete commented. "Yeah, they should, but even if he is an alien, you're still drooling over him as much as ever." His bitter tone was fierce and raw.

"Wh-what? I don't do that!" Lana denied it with a bright red face.

He snorted. "Come on, even from here it's obvious that you're starstruck by Mr. Fly-In-the-Sky Kent. He can fly, cool. I guess that means you're going to suck his dick now."

She gasped.

"Pete, where is this coming from?" Clark asked. He'd known Pete for years, this had to be more than just jealousy over Lana.

"Shut up! Do you have any idea how hard it is to compete against good-looking, smart, perfect Clark Kent? Add superpowers to that and it's hopeless!"

Clark scowled. "Since when was our friendship a competition?"

That stopped Pete in his tracks until he laughed. "You know what? You're right, it wasn't. I guess you just get what you want without even trying. Meanwhile the rest of us don't even measure up no matter what we do."

Clark grit his teeth. Pete didn't know anything about this aspect of him. So he had superpowers, did Pete think that got rid of all his problems? Clark had spent every moment since childhood walking on eggshells to hide what he was and what he could do even from his closest friends. Fearful of what might happen if they even caught a hint. He was more fortunate than most, but that didn't mean life was easy.

"Whatever," Pete spat out the word. "Have fun you two."

"Hey, wait!" Clark said. Pete didn't listen and kept going.

Clark shot in front of him with superhuman speed. Pete jumped back in surprise and shouted. "Whoa!"

"Listen," Clark stepped towards Pete. "I don't know where this resentment is coming from, but there's something important that I need to ask you. You can't tell anyone about me being an alien or my powers."

"Why not? Do you like knowing that you're secretly better than everyone else?"

"What?" Clark shook his head. He had no idea why Pete would even think that, but it wasn't important right now. "No, it's because I can't risk the government coming after me. Please, you're my friend."

"Some friend I am if you didn't even tell me about this."

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I have good reasons to hide what I am, and you're being unreasonable. I don't mean to make you feel inferior."

Clark realized too late that he shouldn't have chosen those words. Pete's glare grew more vicious. "No, I guess you do that too without even trying. Go away Clark, I'll tell whoever I want."

Clark breathed out through his nose. "Okay, you know what? Fine, I didn't want to threaten you, but if you're going to be like this, then I guess I have to." There were more people at risk than him. His parents, his friends.

"Threaten me? With what?"

Clark swiped an arm through the nearest tree. Completely devastating its trunk and sending the upper portion of the tree into the distance. It spun end over end until it crashed in the distance.

Pete went pale.

"I can do more than just fly. I'm strong too, and you saw how fast I am. Don't tell anyone."

"F-fine, I'll keep my mouth shut." Pete ran off. He took brief looks back, stricken with terror.

Lana approached him. "Clark, you wouldn't actually . . .

"Of course not," Clark said. "Pete's been my friend for years, even if he thought differently."

"Good. I'll make sure to keep your secret too Clark, okay?" Without fear, she came up and inspected the stump of the tree he'd hit. "Wow. Just how strong are you?"

Clark studied her impressed gaze for a few moments. "I don't know. I never really tested it."

\\\\\

"The next day, I went over to visit Pete to make up and make sure he didn't tell anyone," Kent said. "It was weird, he was as friendly as usual, and he didn't remember arguing with me. He remembered me flying with Lana though. He casually mentioned it in front of his parents, and they reacted the same way they would have if I'd said I'd driven her around town."

"What about Lana?" Mai asked. That was Kent's current girlfriend, and Mai recalled that she was a fan of hers.

"She didn't remember the argument either and she treated my powers completely differently too. She thought they were completely normal, and according to her, she'd thought that way ever since I'd first showed them to her."

"Let me say, this Pete doesn't seem like a good friend," Sakuta said.

Mai was inclined to agree. What kind of person would say all that?

"He's been a great friend to me for years." Kent became defensive. "It's going to take more than one disagreement to change my mind."

"Sorry," Sakuta said.

"Anyway, does that give you any ideas for how to get rid of my Syndrome?" Kent asked.

"Well, I think the first thing you should try would be to mend your relationship with Pete," Mai said. "After all, that's how we resolved the Syndrome between me and my sister.

"Okay, but there's a problem. He doesn't even remember our relationship being strained in the first place. He still treats me as a friend."

"Then, rather than mending a relationship, you should focus on finding out why he reacted the way he did," Sakuta said. "It's what set off your Syndrome after all."

Kent mulled it over. "It did seem like deep-rooted resentment. Even if her doesn't remember arguing about it, it should still be there. Alright, I'll try, thanks."

"Good luck," Sakuta said. "If that doesn't work, I suggest yelling at people to respond properly. It's what fixed Mai's Syndrome."

"Seriously?" Kent looked to Mai.

"Yes, Sakuta declared his love for me in front of the entire school. It was incredibly embarrassing."

Kent laughed. "I'm not sure I could do something like that, but I'll keep it in mind."

Chapter Text

Clark arrived at Pete's house late in the evening, drifting down directly onto the porch. Pete had gotten a job for the summer, keeping him busy, so this was the only reasonable time Clark could visit him.

Clark knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, Pete's mom answered. A blond woman in her late forties who smiled when she saw him. "Clark. How can I help you?"

"Hi Mrs. Ross, can I talk to Pete?"

"Sure, but you'll have to wait for a bit. He's taking a shower."

"That's fine with me. I'll wait."

"Alright, dear." She stepped back to let him in. "Feel free to ask if you want a drink or a snack."

Clark nodded and sat in the living room. After a few minutes, Pete came down.

"Hey man, what's up?" Pete asked.

"Hey, it's been a while since I've seen you. You alright?"

"Yeah, just a bit tired." He glanced at his mom at the kitchen. "Wanna head up to my room?"

"Sure."

Pete led the way and they entered his room. Clark hadn't been here in weeks, but it was the same as always. Messy. Clothes thrown around the floor and piling up in the corner and trash on his desk like old snack wrappers and cans. Posters of his favorite musicians were on the walls.

Clark took a seat on the bed. "So, Pete, there's something really important I want to ask you about."

"Alright, what is it?"

"It's about Lana."

Pete didn't react, keeping a straight face. "Oh. Are things going okay between you two?"

"Yeah, but the thing is, I thought it was really surprising that you told me I should date her."

"Really, why's that?" Pete wasn't very good at feigning confusion. Maybe a stranger wouldn't be able to tell, but to Clark it was obvious how he'd hesitated.

"A while back you said something about having feelings for her."

Pete was taken aback. "I did? When?"

"At Kenny's party back before graduation," Clark lied. He'd thought carefully about how he'd handle this conversation and decided that it would be best to claim Pete had mentioned things he didn't remember when drinking at Kenny Braverman's house.

"Oh man, I barely remember anything from that party." Pete looked at him worriedly. "I didn't say anything else, did I?"

"Actually, there were a few other things." Clark acted reluctant to tell him. "Besides saying how I get Lana's attention without even trying, you said a few things about how it's impossible to compete with me.

"Oh my God." Pete's hand went to his forehead.

"I was going to let it go, since we've been friends for years, but who knows how often we'll see each other anymore? Right now we hardly do with me travelling and you with your job. I don't want to leave things like this when we go off to college."

"Hold on, Clark. Can you tell me exactly how much I said?"

Clark could recite Pete's tirade word for word, but he gave an excuse for why he couldn't. "You weren't making much sense. All I caught was that you were upset over how Lana looked at me and how unfair it is that I don't have to try with my looks and grades."

"Shit man, I'm sorry."

Clark smiled, Pete seemed genuine, so he appreciated the apology. Still, he needed to get to the root of the problem. "Thank you, but I need to ask, how much of that was true? I thought we had a pretty good friendship. I didn't know you felt that it was a competition or that you resented me."

"I never really gave it that much thought, but . . . that's not completely wrong. Dude try to understand. I really like Lana, and for years she wasn't interested in any other guy besides you."

"I'm pretty sure she's dated a few other guys."

"Yeah, but I don't think they were that serious. At least, when things ended with them she always looked at you the same way."

Clark had to think back. Even with hindsight, he couldn't remember many instances of Lana's crush on him. He wasn't even sure for certain that the few lingering touches and possibly more-than-friendly smiles were actual signs.

"If you liked her, then why tell me that I should accept her date?" Clark asked.

"Because you liked her back. Man, I'm not going to get in the way of you two just because I like Lana. You're my friends, what kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Right, I almost forgot," Clark said, adding a bit of a joking tone. "You're the best friend I could ask for."

Pete grinned. "That's right."

"Still, is that really all that boiled down to? You liking Lana, but her liking me instead?"

Pete's grin faded and he looked aside. "No, that's not the complete story. I guess sometimes I really do feel like I don't even measure up. Like back when we did football tryouts. You did so great that the coach would have killed to get you on the team, but you decided not to play. Meanwhile, I didn't even make the cut."

Clark remembered that. He'd only gone to tryouts on a dare, he'd never had any thoughts of actually playing. It must have been insulting to Pete that he'd done so well without even trying.

"Sorry about that," Clark said.

Pete cocked his head to the side. "What are you saying sorry for? Me being upset over that is my own fault."

"Okay. So are things good between us?"

"Good? Were they bad before?"

"I honestly didn't know. I thought that maybe you secretly hated me or something."

"Jesus, what the heck did I say that made you think that? I'm never drinking again."

Clark laughed. "I don't think you have to go that far. Thanks for talking, it's given me a lot of relief. I need to go now."

"Sure, see you around."

Clark offered his hand and shook Pete's. "Don't be a stranger. Lana and I miss hanging out with you."

"I'll try my best."

Clark left Pete's house. He'd been prepared for much worse, Pete getting angry and defensive, their friendship in ruins. Instead it had gone smoothly, all misunderstandings had been cleared up.

Now he just needed to test his Syndrome, and there was pretty much only one safe way of doing that. He needed to check with his parents.

Clark flew low, cautious of anyone spotting him, and he returned home. Pa was in the barn with one of the cows, so he went there first.

While hovering a few feet in the air, Clark said "It still seems like everyone thinks my flight as normal."

"Huh? Are you still going on about that?" Pa asked, disappointing Clark.

"Sorry, never mind. If you need my help for anything, just shout." Clark went up to the top of the barn.

What had gone wrong? He'd made up with Pete, the inciting incident with his Syndrome had been resolved, so why was it still working?

He recalled every detail of what Azusagawa and Sakurajima had told him. Sakurajima's invisibility had only been fixed after Sakuta had gotten everyone's attention and forced them to acknowledge her. Futaba Rio had fused with her clone after accepting that there were parts of herself that she disliked. Sakurajima and her sister had regained their bodies by telling each other about their doubts and troubles. Koga Tomoe, a younger student at their school, had stopped simulating the same day over and over again when Azusagawa had forced her to accept that he loved Sakurajma instead of her.

They were all examples of Syndromes getting fixed, but there was one that hadn't been.

Kaede. She had never really resolved her Syndrome. She'd only stopped manifesting injuries from cyberbullying by isolating herself from others.

What would the equivalent for him even be? Never showing off his powers? Limiting himself even when there were no consequences?

No, no it was too early to worry about that. He could still fix this, he'd just been wrong about the cause. Pete wasn't it.

Or at least, Pete wasn't the only one.

Clark took in a sharp breath. Lana. She had to be the other factor in what had caused his Syndrome. His powers hadn't just altered Pete's view of him, Lana had viewed him with awe and amazement. It had made him uncomfortable that night at the creek, but he'd been so much more bothered by Pete's reaction that he'd overlooked it when considering his Syndrome.

He took off to Lana's house. This time, when he arrived, he tapped right on her bedroom window. Lana made a confused sound and opened the window.

"Clark? Why are you coming in through here instead of the door?"

"I needed to see you. It's important."

"You needed to-" Lana glanced back and lowered her voice. "Okay, but my parents won't like it if I sneak a boyfriend home at night, even if it's you."

"I probably won't be here for long." Clark entered through the window and took a deep breath. "Lana, no matter how you think of me when you learn about my powers, I'll accept it. Admiration, fear, or even if it's disgust, it should be a genuine opinion. Not one my Syndrome forced on you."

"Clark, what are you talking about?"

He sighed. "I know it's confusing. I know it seems like nonsense because of my Syndrome, but I mean it. No matter how you or Pete react, I'll change your minds and show you that I'm still Clark. The friend you've known for years. And when the world finds out, I don't expect to convince them all, but I won't let their opinions worry me. After all . . ."

Clark paused for a few seconds, wondering he'd succeeded. "It's not normal for a person to be able to do this, right?" He floated a foot above the floor, hoping that she would prove to him that his Syndrome was gone.

"Not normal to do what?" she asked.

His expression dropped. "Nothing. Sorry for bothering you with all that. I should go."

"Wait Clark, you don't have to go now . . . "

He left through the window despite her pleas. It was rude, but he had to fix his Syndrome. What else could he do though? Yell at a crowd like Azusagawa had?

Well, maybe if he got more desperate. It would be dangerous if his Syndrome wore off while he was demanding that people acknowledge his powers.

"Heh," he laughed at himself. How ridiculous he'd been. He'd said that he'd accept the world's reaction, but it was still difficult to think about revealing himself to everyone.

He'd meant it though. He really had.

Alright, Syndrome? You might win this round, but I'll get you next time.

\\\\\

Clark woke up ,in his bed at home. Recently, in his travels around the world, he'd taken to the habit of sleeping outdoors since he could do so comfortably in any weather. This was still his favorite way to wake up though.

He tried to come up with a game plan for the day to get rid of his Syndrome, but the Azusagawa-patented yell-at-everyone method was looking like his best hope. After all, if the logic of his Syndrome was that it resulted from his fear of people's reactions, then it should go away by overcoming that fear. Yelling at a crowd was at least a surefire way to do that.

Even if it would result in outing him, he was prepared to accept that.

Even if he didn't need it, Clark still ate the breakfast Ma made for them. After all, her homemade bread was just too good to pass up.

Once he finished, Clark said goodbye and flew off.

"Whoa whoa, Clark!" Pa yelled.

Clark instantly shot back to the ground at the distress in Pa's voice. "What is it?" he asked, already using his senses to scan for danger.

"What are you thinking, flying off like that?" Pa said, shocked by Clark's brazen behavior. "People could see you!"

Clark's eyes lit up at Pa's scolding. Could it really be? "Right, if people saw me flying, they'd freak out wouldn't they?"

"Is this some joke? Why are you smiling? Stop it, you need to be more careful."

Clark nodded, but his smile was plastered onto his face. "Yeah, you're right, I was too enthusiastic. I have to go visit some friends in Japan, but don't worry, I'll take a route that nobody will see."

"Okay, but seriously, be careful."

"I will." Clark zoomed off to the trees, trusting them to provide him cover.

\\\\\

Sakuta and Mai waited at his apartment. He'd gotten a call from Kent asking to see if he could see them, although he'd kept it a secret as to why. He'd said it might take a while though, so they watched some TV while they waited.

After an episode of a reality show they both enjoyed, the doorbell rang.

"Is that you, Kent-san?" Sakuta asked, trusting that Kent's incredible hearing would detect his words even if he spoke at a normal volume from the living room. Sakuta walked up to the door and opened it. "Since when do you use doors instead of tapping the window?"

Kent was dripping wet but grinning like he'd won the lottery. "I have to use doors now, at least when I'm in public."

"So, does this mean . . .?"

Kent nodded. "I got rid of my Syndrome. I checked with my parents and shocked some fishermen on my way here, although luckily they didn't get a good look at me."

"Congratulations." Mai turned off the TV. "I assume you're wet because you were saving those fishermen?"

"Actually, they were fine. I'm wet because I need to travel underwater to be stealthy. I got sloppy and surfaced near a fishing boat off the eastern coast."

"Here, dry yourself off with this." Sakuta handed him a towel from the bathroom. He got a thanks back and asked. "So, how did you get rid of your Syndrome?"

"I'm not really sure, but I'd be happy to tell you what happened. First, can I use your bathroom? I want to dry my clothes off."

"Go ahead."

"Thanks."

After a minute or two, Kent came back without a drop on himself or his clothes. His explanation was heat vision.

Then he went on to tell them how he'd tried to fix his Syndrome. He'd tried talking with both of his friends the previous night, but it wasn't until this morning that his Syndrome had worn off.

"Adolescence Syndrome tends to be mysterious like that," Mai said. "I doubt we'll ever know for sure what finally made it go away."

"The important thing is that it's gone," Sakuta said. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'll have to tell Pete and Lana about my powers again. Hopefully it will go better than before. If it doesn't," Clark shrugged. "well, it's not the end of the world. There are also some places I still want to visit, I'll have to be a lot stealthier now. I have a reliable way to get to space from Kansas but dropping in on a country might get tricky. I'll make sure to come by regularly though. Oh, and Lana really wants to meet you Sakurajima-san. It's trickier, but I think I can find a way to get her here quickly and sneakily."

"That's admirable," Sakuta said. "You're not going to let your Syndrome's disappearance stop you, huh?"

"Not even a bit."

"I hope you figure out how to get her here soon," Mai said. "I'd be interested in talking to an American fan. By the way, do you have any plans for revealing yourself to the wider world?"

Kent gave the question some thoughtful consideration. "Eventually I will, but not yet. I want to work on getting a journalism degree first."

"Journalism?" Sakuta asked.

"Yeah, why are you two so surprised?"

"It's just that I wouldn't expect it from someone with your powers," Mai said. Sakuta nodded to agree.

Clark grinned, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "It interests me." His smile turned to a more thoughtful expression. "There is a lot I could do with my powers though. No matter what, they'll get a lot of attention when I reveal them, so I want to do it right. I'm not exactly sure how yet, but when I show them to the world, I want to be known as someone who uses them to help people."