Chapter Text
Chatter chatter chatter
Hoyeol doodled in his notebook as students talked around him. Everybody here was… normal. Or, depending on how you viewed it, abnormal. He currently attended one of the few 'Quirkless Students Only' schools that existed in the world. It was certainly something, if Hoyeol were being completely honest.
The adults thought that the bullying problem would be solved, if the same kinds of people were shoved in a single space. They were wrong, of course. Bullying would happen wherever there were hormonal teenagers, whether those people had quirks or not. Maybe it was the thought that counted.
His hands drifted to his arm, Hoyeol absentmindedly scratching the thick bandages there. Yeah, as if it ever counted. There was always going to be someone different from the rest and, like bloodhounds, certain types of people can smell it like a sixth sense. You could only pray that you weren't the target, cowering in silence as your classmate is being harassed for being strange. Whatever that meant.
Rriiiiing
Everybody filed out as the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The afternoon sun shone through the classroom windows, casting shadows across the room. Carefully storing his books away, Hoyeol stood as well, sneaking out of the classroom with a large group.
It'll be dangerous if I'm caught alone in the classroom, Hoyeol thought, walking quickly down the hall. He hoped between groups of students, using them as cover. So long as I'm with a group of students, I should be able to hide from—
"Ooi~! Hoyeol!!"
Shit. Hoyeol turned slowly, his heart beating in his ears. His plan was perfect, he was almost at the door. How was his plan foiled? An arm is placed around his shoulders as he awaited his doom, hugging his neck in a friendly manner.
"Why are you leaving so fast? Did you forget that we were going to the Game Cafe later?" Cheolmin asked, smiling brightly.
Hoyeol nearly whimpered in relief, the tension leaving his body. Nam Cheolmin, a Korean like himself. One of the few people that didn't avoid him.
He smiled, forcing his cheeks to rise, "Ah, my bad. I almost forgot, thank you! School's just been a wreck recently, y'know?"
"Mm, you can say that again. But you haven't been bullied at all yet this year, right? That's something!"
"That's like, the bare minimum, Cheolmin. Yeah, it's exciting, but it's kinda sad that it is, isn't it?"
"Yeah, you have a point there," Cheolmin scratched the back of his head, sheepishly looking away.
"But I get your point," Hoyeol concedes pleasantly, laughing at Cheolmin's reaction. In truth, it was thanks to Hoyeol's evasion that he hasn't been bullied at all yet, the other students incapable of properly searching through crowds of people. He hadn't been able to properly rest at all this year. "It is nice not being actively shunned by the entire school."
"See?"
"Hmph."
They walked in amiable silence as they exited the school gates. The streets of Tokyo were bustling with activity, both heroes and civilians visible for as far as the eye could see.
Something must have happened if there are this many heroes milling about, Hoyeol internally mused, scanning the crowd as best he could. Well, in just a few hours he could—
"We're here!" Cheolmin announced, holding the Game Cafe's door open. "Prepare to get your ass kicked."
Hoyeol scoffed, "As if. If I recall, your only opponent has been your 10 year old brother. You know, if your little brother was challenging enough to think you have a chance, I worry for your chances."
"Oh, can it! Just you watch, I'll wipe the floor with you!"
"Uh huh, we'll see."
"You—!"
Hoyeol stuck out his tongue as he entered the establishment, heading to the counter to pay. Hours passed, the sun dipping lower and lower past the city skyline until the purple evening creeped in.
Looking away from his screen for a second, Hoyeol checks the time. When he looked back, a 'Game Over' screen was there to greet him.
"A-ha! I finally got you!" Cheolmin cheered, pumping his fists in the air. Hoyeol had to catch him before he could careen to the ground, hastily grabbing the back of his chair as it tilted precariously.
Carefully pushing Cheolmin up, Hoyeol scoffed, "Riiight. Especially after I looked away? I'm happy for you, hyung."
"No way, you looked away? That's such bullshit, you're lying!"
"Mmm, I don't know. Is it better to tell Taemin that you lost 12 out of 13 rounds, then?"
"…Whatever, you won a majority of the games anyways. One win isn't a big deal," Cheolmin sniffed, clicking away on the computer. He pulled up a recent article, pointing at the monitor with a pencil. "Look at this. A new vigilante is making the rounds here. Wonder how long this one will last."
Leaning over his shoulder, Hoyeol read the article with a bored look. "Eh, this plain looking guy? Why's he wearing a suit?"
"Maybe he wants to look stylish as he's arrested? Or maybe found dead in an alleyway? Who knows."
"Hm… He kinda looks cool though, doesn't he? I mean, imagine beating someone up in a suit, must be hard as hell. Not much movement and stuff."
Cheolmin exited out of the site, spinning to look at Hoyeol, "That's exactly it! It's impractical! What's the point of looking good if it costs you precious seconds in battle? If anything, he should make the fabric more elastic! Keep it from ripping and stuff."
"You should enroll into a hero school, y'know? You'd make a really great support hero. All knowledgeable and stuff," Hoyeol mused, heaving his backpack onto his shoulder. It was time to go. "It's getting dark. Don't want to risk being mugged by some thug. See you Monday, hyung!"
"Stay safe," Cheolmin said as they left the building. "I'll let Taemin know you said hi."
Hoyeol waved with a smile, "Please, do that. Tell him to kick your ass a few more times for me, while you're at it."
"Like hell I am."
He cackled, bidding Cheolmin a final goodbye as he turned away and disappeared into the evening rush hour. The night was alight with neon advertisements, blotting out the stars with their luminescence.
Running up the stairs to his family's apartment, Hoyeol opened the door.
"Appa! Eomma! Noonas! I'm home!" He called into the bright living room, quickly slipping off his shoes and school supplies. The smell of dumplings hung in the air, one of his bumo's specialty. "Is dinner ready?"
"Aye, you just come home and that's what you're asking? Talk about selfish."
"Right? Shouldn't a good namdonsaeng be doing the chores to help out Eomma and Appa?"
"Seriously, so ruuude."
Hoyeol's three sisters heckled him from the dinner table as he approached. They're just jealous that their bumo pay more attention to him as their only son.
"Don't listen to them, Hoyeol. Sit, sit! You must be starving after being out so late!" His mother worried, hastily pushing Hoyeol into an empty chair.
Ha.
Stealing a mocking grin towards his sisters, Hoyeol gratefully sat down. Their words ate at him, though. Guilt bubbled in his gut.
"Are you sure you don't need help? I can help set the table, eomma."
"Uh-uh-uh!" She tsked, waving her hand. "Don't even think about it! Let us take care of everything. You have enough to deal with at school!"
"Eomma! I'm not being bullied!" Hoyeol cried in frustration, his ears burning. Did they just assume he was being bullied? They weren't wrong, back in junior high when he was being bullied. But they shouldn't know about that!
"You better not be! I'll give those kids a piece of my mind if they are!" Lee Junwook shouted, the flames of the stove flaring up dramatically.
"Yeesh! Careful! You're going to burn the food."
"Sorry, sorry."
Yerim cackled, hitting her thigh repeatedly, "As if anyone would bully Hoyeol. There's nothing to bully!"
The remaining sisters laughed along, clapping their hands in feral joy. Hoyeol scowled, hunching his shoulders. They're so loud and for what? Propping his head on his hand, Hoyeol looked away grumbling.
"Don't make that face, Hoyeol. You'll grow wrinkles," Choi Kanghee said.
Clink. She placed a steaming plate of dumplings onto the table, the smell overwhelming Hoyeol's senses. The side dishes soon followed, filling the table with a various assortment of colors.
"Now eat before it gets too late. You'll get a stomachache if you dawdle."
A chorus of 'Thank you for the food' sounded around the table. Various chopsticks started moving once everybody was gathered, the food slowly disappearing one by one.
Choi Kanghee sighed heavily as she ate, a solemn look on her face. With food in her mouth, Jiyoon asked, "Eomma, is everything okay? You don't look so good."
"I've just been watching the news, lately," their mother lamented, placing a hand on her cheek. "That new vigilante look too young, the poor thing. If I could, I would invite him to have some dumplings, at least. He's so small."
Lee Junwook nodded along, listening quietly as she continued, "How bad must the world have turned to have children fight criminals in the dead of night? What are the heroes doing?"
"He's not that young," Hoyeol huffed under his breath, shoveling rice into his mouth. "And I'm sure he's doing fine, he seems to be sticking to petty criminals rather than villains."
"Yeah, what Hoyeol said," Eunhye smiled, stealing a dumpling from Hoyeol's plate. "He doesn't even seem to use his quirk. Maybe he's quirkless like Hoyeol."
"Then he's even more of a dumbass," Yerim scoffed, rolling her eyes. "A quirkless hero wannabe fighting quirk wielding criminals. Can't tell if he's brave or just plain stupid."
"Both?"
"Probably both."
Hoyeol's sisters nodded in agreement, crossing their arms in unison. As much as he wanted to argue, he knew it would be in vain once the trio agreed on something. It was best to just avoid them.
Finishing his food, Hoyeol moved to grab his plate but was stopped by his mother's hand, "No no no. Leave that to us, Hoyeol. Let us take care of you and go rest."
Plate plucked from his hand, he was ushered back into his room. He just wanted to wash the dishes. Did they not expect anything from him because he was quirkless? Everybody in his family did house chores, even his sisters! Just because he didn't have some fancy quirk didn't mean he was helpless.
You don't need fire to clean goddamn dishes.
Hoyeol took a deep breath. Nothing would come from complaining. Instead, he opened his desk drawer, quietly pulling out a black notebook. What had Cheolmin-hyung said?
Something about the suits material, right? It was smart. Hoyeol would have to ask around for the fabric. And someone to tailor the suit if he couldn't do it himself.
Snapping the book shut, Hoyeol sighed, covering his eyes. He'd have to save up his allowance and bounty rewards for something that high quality. He tapped his mechanical pencil against the desk as he formulated his future plans.
Sure, he could save up now… It would be best for long-term profit if he held back from indulgent purchases. Buying new suits would also be very expensive with what he currently has, which meant he had to be extra careful…
"Yeah… Long-term gratification or something like that."
His gaze drifted toward his bed, the allure of a good nights sleep after a good meal too strong to resist. So long as he didn't sleep in too late, Hoyeol could probably wake up at around midnight. Maybe.
Probably.
…Maybe he'll set a small alarm.
Bzzt… Bzzt…
His pillow vibrated violently as the phone beneath it went off. Digging around under the pillow, Hoyeol blearily turned it off, rubbing his eyes roughly as he sat up. This was always the worst part, getting up after a really good sleep.
Quietly getting out of bed, Hoyeol opened his closet. He strained his ears for any noises outside his room as he pulled out a small box. The only thing he could hear was his pounding heartbeat in his ears.
Inside the box was a perfect, unwrinkled suit. Nothing more, nothing less. It didn't provide much protection, but it was the best he could afford that looked relatively presentable. He didn't have a job quite yet, so this had to do until then. Beneath the clothes sat his tools, a long spool of thin but sturdy chains, a dagger and a gun holster.
Last but not least, Hoyeol put on a simple face mask to hide his identity. No good would come from somebody recognizing his face at school. It would be an absolute nightmare.
Securing the holster onto his hip, Hoyeol quietly opened his window. His exit was practiced, no movement wasted as he found his footing and quietly closed the glass pane. Now, all he was was a faceless shadow that wandered the streets, searching for the unfortunate souls this city was populated with.
Loud voices distracted Hoyeol as he snuck towards his stash. No way in hell was he leaving an actual, loaded gun in his own home. That would be screaming criminal activity if his nosy sisters ever found it in his room. In the end, it was best to hide it in Tokyo's dirty alleyways and hope nobody discovered and stole it.
How did he obtain the pistol? That's nobody but Hoyeol's business.
Safely holstering the firearm, Hoyeol pressed himself to the shadows, crouching behind dumpsters as he approached the aggravated men.
"What the fuck are you doing? I said give me your wallet!"
Peeking around the corner, Hoyeol spied a hooded figure pointing a knife at a young, silver-haired man. It was obvious this thief was new, judging by his shaking grip. He was a danger to both the victim and to himself. Hoyeol had to interfere.
Tap tap tap
"W-Who's there?" The criminal cried, turning the knife towards the clicking footsteps. The figure continued to approach, undeterred by the man's threats.
The knife grew longer, and then jagged, like a tree trunk of iron that couldn't decide where to grow. No doubt a quirk that controlled metals. Why become a criminal? He could easily get a job in blacksmithing or something.
The knife thrust out at Hoyeol, hitting the dumpster in front of him. A warning shot.
Tap tap tap
"Answer me! Why aren't you answering?!"
The weapon dragged loudly across the wall, metal screeching against stone as he attempted to intimidate Hoyeol.
"I do not converse with prey," Hoyeol stated coolly.
He burst forward in a sudden rush of speed, closing the distance in an instant. This criminal was far too clumsy, too inexperienced with his quirk. As a result, the knife stabbed into the floor where Hoyeol was, not where he was heading.
Chains glittered in the air like lights, reflecting the dim atmosphere of the alleyway. Wrapping the chains carefully around his hands, Hoyeol whipped them towards the man, flying far above his head.
"H-Ha ha! You can't e-even aim and you think you can beat me—?!"
Hoyeol yanked his hands back, his grip loose around the chains as they began to wrap themselves around the thief. They clinked quietly as the chains moved, as if with a mind of the own, around the mans legs and torso. Stepping on the villain's wrist, Hoyeol quickly disarmed the threat.
He was captured in a matter of seconds.
Releasing his breath, Hoyeol straightened his suit. Tightening the capture weapon, he finally allowed himself to take stock of the victim's situation. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
A pale hand stopped Hoyeol from approaching, maintaining their awkward distance. The other hand sweeps the man's long bangs out of his eyes, allowing Hoyeol to examine him further. His eyes, although the alley was dim, were undeniably dark. Like a storm brewing in the distance yet visible in even the darkest of nights. Eyes that you could see peering at you from the shadows…
The air grew chilly as Hoyeol maintained eye contact with the odd man. His hair swayed in the air without a hint of a breeze. A shiver fought his body for control, hovering just under the skin. Was this his doing?
Shaking his head roughly, Hoyeol threw out the thought. The man was probably in shock from the attack. It wouldn't be a surprise if his quirk is active in defense. Especially if the user isn't aware they're safe.
"I'm sorry, you must still be surprised," Hoyeol consoled, smiling with his eyes. He held a hand out—palm facing up—as he offered, "If you're injured, I can help you to the nearest hospital. If not, I can escort you home, if you're comfortable with it. It's gotten dangerous at night."
…
Hoyeol stood there awkwardly, waiting for any sort of response. He didn't even get a nod or shake of his head! Internally, he could feel the panic and embarrassment setting in before—
"Who are you."
Huh? Well, that's a standard question, Hoyeol supposed.
"Ah! Well, uh…"
The teenager scrambled for an answer, sweat running down his face as he slowly turned bright red.
"I see. You don't have a proper vigilante title, then. That's very unprofessional and amateur," the man clicked, crossing his arms. "To not even be completely prepared for such a dangerous hobby is disgusting."
Hoyeol shrank. It wasn't because he didn't have a title. He did, really! It's just…
"M-my name is…"
"Speak up. If you cannot do even that simple task, then perhaps this—"
"MY TITLE IS DUSK!" Hoyeol shrieked, his ears burning red. He didn't dare look at the man, lest he actually die of embarrassment. He straightened his suit jacket as he demanded, "A-Anyways! It's your turn! It's rude to ask for someone's name and not divulge your own."
"Grandfell."
"Huh?"
"Must I repeat myself?" Grandfell asked, covering his mouth in mild amusement. Hoyeol fought back a scowl, it was clear this bastard was enjoying this.
Flicking his head to the side, Hoyeol huffed, "I heard you loud and clear. I'm not that old to have hearing problems yet."
Grandfell hummed, his deep voice vibrating through Hoyeol's chest, "Perhaps. However, looks can be quite deceiving. Keep that in mind."
What was that supposed to mean??
Turning back towards the man, Hoyeol opened his mouth to respond, preparing a snarky response with all the experience of having three older sisters, but—
"Huh…? Where'd he go?"
"Welcome back, my lord," the servants greeted in unison, bowed perfectly at the waist as Grandfell passed. They stayed low until Grandfell was completely absent from the room, the door shutting quietly behind him.
A man, slightly older than him, waved him closer, "Grandfell! You look to be in a good mood. Did anything happen while you were out?"
"I met quite the interesting character," Grandfell stated plainly. "An new vigilante, it seems. The one in the suit."
Pride gasped, "Oh! I know that guy! I'm shocked you spared him."
"…" Grandfell fell silent as he pondered. Why didn't he kill the boy? He could become a possible threat in the future, a genuine thorn in the side once he got his bearings in the vigilante scene.
"Well…?"
"…I suppose it's because he saved me."
"???"