Chapter 2: Out of Place

  Hiro couldn’t get the morning’s battle out of his mind.

  As he jogged the last stretch toward school, he replayed the scenes over and over — Titan Fist’s powerful blows, Echo Glide soaring through the air like a silver bird, the thunderous cheers of the crowd.

  It had all been so dazzling. So far away from where he stood.

  Soon, the familiar gate of his school came into view: "Minamizu Junior High" — one of the many public schools scattered throughout the city.

  Hiro slowed down, catching his breath as he walked toward the shoe lockers.

  Rows of students were already swapping their outdoor shoes for indoor slippers, chatting and laughing as they bustled around.

  He found his own locker, tucked away in a corner, and quickly changed into his white school slippers. His steps were quiet as he made his way to his classroom on the second floor — Class 2-B.

  Sliding the door open, Hiro slipped inside.

  The classroom was already noisy. Groups of students huddled around their desks, buzzing with excitement.

  "Did you guys see Titan Fist today?! He was insane!"

  "Echo Glide’s moves were even cooler! She was like... whoosh whoosh pow!"

  "Man, I wish I had a strong Singularity like that..."

  The chatter filled the room like static. Hiro found his seat near the window and sat down quietly, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed outside.

  He didn’t join the conversation.

  He never did.

  He didn’t have any friends.

  Most students stayed away from him — not because they hated him, but because they didn’t want to attract unwanted trouble.

  And the reason for that trouble swaggered into the room at that very moment.

  Renji Tsuda.

  "Tch, move it, you're in my way," Renji muttered loudly, bumping past a few students as he walked in, his school bag slung carelessly over one shoulder.

  He made a beeline for his seat near the center of the room, where his usual crew was waiting for him.

  Grinning wide, he plopped down onto his chair and immediately launched into a bragging session, loud enough for half the class to hear.

  "Guess what, my brother just got accepted into Sekiryuu Hero Academy!" Renji said, puffing out his chest.

  "That top hero course in the city? That’s amazing!"the guy following Renji followed up.”Well, it’s

  no surprise, though — it’s in our blood!"

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Seriously?! That's crazy, man!" one of his minions gasped, practically vibrating with excitement.

  "It’s alright!" Renji laughed pretending to be modest, glancing at the girls in the room hoping that they were listening..

  "Next year after I graduate, I'll apply for the same. My brother told me that I could pass the test easily even with my current ability. I'm basically a future pro!"

  The other students cast glances at him, some impressed, some just amused.

  A few clapped lightly or murmured compliments.

  Hiro stared out the window, pretending not to hear.

  But he could feel Renji's smirk turning in his direction.

  Because nothing made Renji Tsuda happier than stepping on someone weaker to make himself look stronger.

  And Hiro Shiratori, with his pitiful Singularity, was the easiest target around.

  It wasn’t just because Hiro had a weak Singularity.

  There were plenty of students in the class whose abilities weren’t particularly flashy or strong.

  The boy who sat behind Hiro, for example, had a Singularity that could make the hair on his head glow like tiny light bulbs — hardly useful in combat.

  But Renji didn’t pick on them too often.

  No, he had fixated on Hiro for a special reason.

  It all went back to the first month of Junior High.

  Renji had been picking on a younger boy back then, shoving him around, mocking him in front of everyone, just because he bumped into Renji.

  Most of the class had looked away, pretending not to notice.

  But Hiro couldn’t.

  Ever since he was little, he had admired heroes — people who stood up for others no matter how hard it was.

  So even though his heart was pounding in his chest, Hiro had stepped forward and told Renji to stop.

  The result?

  Renji had laughed — a cruel, barking laugh — then activated his Singularity, hardening his skin into a thick, rocky armor.

  He had beaten Hiro down without even breaking a sweat.

  Since that day, Hiro had been marked. Worse still, the boy Hiro had tried to protect had also started avoiding him, fearful of attracting Renji’s attention again.

  Just like everyone else.

  It was a cruel, lonely punishment for trying to do the right thing.

  And Hiro had no choice but to endure it.

  Renji continued to talk loudly, his voice practically bouncing off the classroom walls.

  "Some people just don’t get it," he said, shaking his head dramatically. "No matter how hard they try, they’ll never be heroes. It's better if they just give up early, you know? Save themselves the embarrassment."

  His friends snickered and muttered words of agreement, throwing occasional glances at Hiro.

  Hiro clenched his fists under his desk, his nails digging into his palms.

  He hated it — he hated having his dream mocked like this.

  But he stayed quiet. He knew better than to rise to Renji's bait.

  Soon, the classroom door slid open with a loud clack, and the homeroom teacher walked in, signaling the start of the day's lessons. Hiro exhaled slowly and forced himself to focus on the blackboard, pushing the anger down into the pit of his stomach.

  The school day crawled by, and finally, the evening bell rang.

  Hiro changed back into his outdoor shoes, slung his bag over his shoulder, and stepped out into the fading light.