The knock on Kazama's door came at 11:47 PM.

  He was still awake, staring at his ceiling in the darkness when the sound cut through the quiet—three sharp, insistent knocks that made his heart jump. For a moment, he just lay there, processing what was happening. The hour was late. Takahashi would have been asleep for hours.

  Unless.

  "Come in," Kazama called out quietly.

  Hana opened the door without waiting for further permission, slipping inside and closing it behind her with deliberate quiet. She wore a dark hoodie and sweatpants, her hair tied back in a tight bun. Her expression was a mixture of fury and concern that was somehow worse than anger alone. The girl looked like she'd gotten dressed for a confrontation and been stewing about it for a while.

  For a long moment, she just stood there, staring at him. Her eyes tracked the visible bandages at his neck, the careful way he held himself, the subtle signs of someone moving through the world in pain.

  "We need to talk," she said quietly, her voice carrying the kind of steel that made it clear this wasn't a request.

  "Hana-nee…"

  "Three missed calls," she said, stepping closer. "Three. You wouldn't respond to messages. Kurogane said you disappeared for an entire day. Haruto was actually ready to call the police. And when you finally show up to the house, you're wrapped in bandages and lying to everyone about getting into a fight with 'some goons.'" She stepped even closer, her voice dropping lower, more intense. "I know you, Kazama. I've known you since you were born. I know when you're lying. And you're lying right now."

  Kazama looked at her. Hana had known him for years. She'd seen him at his worst and his best, had pushed him to be better, had believed in him when he didn't believe in himself. The thought of lying to her made something in his chest hurt worse than his cracked ribs. They both survived the night their parents died. He knew he couldn't lie to her anymore.

  He sat down on the edge of his bed slowly while looking down. "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone. Not Kurogane, not Haruto, not Takahashi-san. No one. I need you to promise that first."

  Hana's expression softened slightly. She recognized the gravity in his voice. "Depends on what you're about to tell me," she said. "If you've done something genuinely stupid that's going to get you killed, I'm telling someone."

  "I've done something stupid," Kazama admitted. "Multiple things, actually. Progressively stupider things. But I still need you to promise."

  Hana was quiet for a long moment. She sat down beside him on the bed, maintaining enough distance to respect the boundary between them. "Fine," she said finally. "I promise. But Raiden, if this is what I think it is….."

  "It's worse than you think," he said.

  So he instantly decided to tell her. Everything. Kazama took a breath. Where did he even start?

  "I have a mask," he said quietly. "Hidden in my closet. I've been doing vigilante work for a while now. Started small by just stopping petty crimes like….robbery or any form of harassment on the streets by random goons".

  Hana's expression shifted but she remained silent, waiting for more.

  "There was this woman," Kazama continued. "Yuki. She was being attacked in an alley. I saved her. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I had no idea what would happen after that."

  He paused, gathering his thoughts. The words felt heavy coming out of his mouth.

  "A few days ago, I got a tip about some illegal activity at the docks. Illegal shipment. I don't know what came over me but for some reason I wanted to check it out . There was a boat with passengers, wedding guests. I got them to shore, but..."

  He trailed off, remembering the feeling of water closing over his head.

  "I almost drowned," he said. "In the water, fighting someone who was made of rock. I don't even know anymore. Everything was so confusing."

  He stood up and walked to his closet, pulling out the mask. He held it in his hands, staring at it like it was some foreign object before returning to the bed.

  "After I got the boat to shore, I couldn't make it home. I was too hurt. I collapsed on a street in Tokyo and Yuki found me. She took me to her apartment and patched me up."

  Hana's eyes widened slightly at that but she still said nothing. Her heart skipped a beat at times after listening to all the explanation, Kazama looked at Hana directly, meeting her eyes.

  "And I still don't know what to do. I have helped a lot of people. That shopkeeper two blocks from here, I saved his shop from some thugs. That kid we used to know when we were little, Shiro. I protected him from some bullies with abilities. There were three more women before Yuki-san that I saved from getting harassed. And these were just in the last 2 months. The ones that I could remember. There are more people that I have helped before. Ever since I started…."

  Hana's jaw tightened but she remained silent.

  "I know I was stupid," Kazama continued. "I know I could have died. I almost did. But I had to try. I had to stop what was happening. It was wrong. The people in that boat were in danger."

  He looked away from her gaze.

  "I know this is not what my parents would have wanted. I remember that conversation we had that day while returning home from a mess that I was in with Shirai Takeru."

  Kazama fell silent then, waiting for her response. The confession hung between them like something physical.

  "You're an idiot," Hana said finally, flatly while looking down. She knew that in one part her brother was doing a good thing helping these people. But risking his own life was something where she had to draw a line.

  "I know," Kazama replied with a disappointed face.

  "A complete, total, world-class idiot." Hana said with even more conviction.

  "I know." Kazama replied with an even lower tone than before.

  "You could have died, Kazama. Actually died. You could have drowned in that water and no one would have known where you were. No one would have been able to help you." Hana with genuine concern on her face. She was on the verge of tears and her face went red.

  "I know," he said again.

  Hana was quiet for another moment. Then she reached over and hit him in the shoulder. "Don't do that again. Whatever that was, don't do it again."

  "I'm taking a break," Kazama said with frowned eyebrows and a serious face. "From the vigilante stuff. I'm going to focus on the Japanese Qualifiers instead."

  "What break? You better don't pull this shit off again. I will personally make sure of it. You will stay out of this until you get an official hero license to do so.” Hana said as she showed her hand taking a hard crystalline form.

  Kazama took note of that with wide eyes as he realized that she could be dangerous if he went back to the vigilante business.

  Before leaving his room, she gave a quick yet tight hug to Kazama which caught him off guard and left his room without saying anything else.

  Kazama felt lighter than he had in days. The secret was still there. But it was no longer entirely his to carry. Someone else knew. Someone else understood.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  I left out the Kurotsuki Mafia part. I left out about our parents whose lives were probably taken by the mafia. I left out Shirai Takeru. About Tanaka, I don't know what he is. I left out many things. I don't want to involve her in this all. Because even I don't know how deep this goes.

  Kazama lay back down, staring at the ceiling again. Tomorrow, he'd have to face his friends at school. He'd have to deal with their questions, their concern, their worry. And he'd have to do it while maintaining a lie that was getting harder to keep with each passing moment.

  But for tonight, knowing that Hana held his secret, that she understood at least part of what he was carrying, he slept a little easier.

  ************************************************************************************************************************

  "Okay, seriously, what the fuck happened to you?"

  Kurogane cornered Kazama at his shoe locker the next morning before first period, his expression a mixture of concern and frustration. Haruto appeared from the other side, somehow having known exactly when to intercept him.

  They had coordinated this. That much was obvious. A unified squad of concerned friends determined to get answers.

  “Just some bullies. I got into trouble with them….a few days ago. Not the ones we took on while saving Kiyomi-san” Kazama replied while looking somewhere else. He was trying to not meet the eyes of his friends.

  "Bullies," Haruto repeated skeptically, crossing his arms. " Prime Hisashi the Hound was your bully? Kazama, I've seen you fight. You don't come out of a bully situation looking like that unless we're talking about some seriously heavy hitters."

  "I underestimated them," Kazama said with a disappointed face while clenching his fists.

  Well that’s true at least. I underestimated the Kurotsuki Mafia. And now I am here in this situation, Kazama thought right away.

  “How can you pull this shit off after such a good outing with us? We had karaoke. Remember? If you need help just call us. Or do you think we are beneath you and that you are so better than us…”, Kurogane's voice boomed, a sudden, booming declaration that cut through the surrounding noise and drew the immediate attention of everyone nearby. The frustration was evident.

  Kazama felt guilt twist in his stomach like a knife. They had been worried. They cared about him enough to organize a coordinated interrogation at his locker. They were good friends and he was lying to their faces.

  "It was wrong of me to do such a thing. I do apologize. To all of you. I am…not good at explaining such things. But trust me when I say this, I am fine now. This would not happen again. And on top of that, I won't let anything like this happen to you guys either" Kazama said with true conviction in his voice. This seemed like something that he genuinely answered.

  Kurogane's expression suggested he didn't entirely believe this explanation but he seemed to recognize that pushing further wouldn't get him anywhere. "If we see those bullies," he said carefully, "we're handling them. Like, seriously. We're going to make them regret ever looking at you funny."

  "Don't," Kazama said immediately, his voice firm. "Seriously. Don't. You remember what happened with those unpowered kids? He would disqualify us from the qualifiers."

  "They deserved it," Haruto grumbled, but there was less conviction in his voice now. He knew Kazama was right.

  "Maybe they did," Kazama acknowledged. "But that doesn't matter. The qualifiers are starting in two days. Two days, Kurogane. You've been training for months for this. Both of you have. You need to stay clean and focused. You can't afford to get tangled up in disciplinary stuff right now."

  Kurogane and Haruto exchanged a look. Kazama could see them having an entire debate in that single glance: the desire to help versus the practical reality of the situation. Finally, Kurogane nodded.

  "Fine," he said. "But you're going to owe us an explanation eventually. A real one."

  "I know," Kazama said. "I promise I will. Just not yet. I need a little more time to figure some things out."

  The group dispersed as the first bell rang and Kazama made his way to his first class. The day passed in a blur of lectures and presentations with nothing important enough to hold his attention when his mind was somewhere else entirely, running through scenarios about what might come next, what the qualifiers would bring, how much longer he could keep this up.

  By lunch, he had managed to avoid any further serious interrogation, mostly by staying near Hana, who seemed to have developed a sixth sense for when one of the others was about to corner him with questions.

  It was Takemi who caught him alone. In the corridor. Alone. She was holding a notebook to her chest.

  “I heard the little explanation you gave to Kurogane and Haruto. You could fool them but… I am not buying it” Takemi said with a sarcastic smile.

  Kazama's stomach dropped. "Tachibana-san…"

  "I'm not going to tell anyone," she continued, cutting him off gently. "There was something off the first day we met. We never really talked about it. You got into a fight with that hero… ummm… Tanaka." Takemi struggled to remember the name but continued. “He is a top 50 hero. And he went as far as to use his powers on you.”

  “It was a misunderstanding,” Kazama replied with a lower tone which lacked confidence.

  “Maybe it was. But… something’s still off… right?” Takemi's voice was low, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looked away for a brief, tense moment before her gaze snapped back to him. “You are definitely hiding something. I know we aren't close friends, and I would understand if you are keeping something from us. Even Kurogane and Haruto. But you are hiding something. And I would hope that you tell someone about it. Sooner or later. To them at least if not me or Kiyomi-san.”

  She paused, her eyes searching his face.

  "I'm fine," Kazama said automatically but the denial felt hollow even to his own ears.

  "You're not," Takemi replied, her voice still gentle, non-judgmental. "But I'm not going to push you to talk about it. And that's okay. Just... don't shut us out completely, okay? Whatever you're dealing with, whatever brought you to look like you went ten rounds with a professional boxer, you don't have to do it alone."

  "And Kazama-kun?" she said quietly as she moved a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Whatever this is, whatever you're involved in... be careful. I have a bad feeling about it. Like you're walking toward something dangerous and you might not see it coming. So be careful. Please."

  Then she was gone, leaving Kazama alone with his thoughts and the uncomfortable knowledge that his friends were far more perceptive than he had given them credit for. They could sense something was wrong.

  ************************************************************************************************************************

  The announcement came during the last period of the day, right in the middle of their hero studies class.

  The school's intercom crackled to life, and Principal Sakaguchi's voice filled the classrooms.

  "Attention all students participating in the Japanese Hero Qualifiers. The physical examination component will commence in two days. All participants must report to the gymnasium at 7:00 AM sharp. Tardiness of any kind will result in immediate disqualification. I repeat: tardiness will result in immediate disqualification."

  A pause.

  "The physical examination will consist of four distinct components, each designed to measure different aspects of your heroic potential. First: the swimming test. This test will measure both speed in a sprint format and endurance in a distance swim. This is the longest portion of the examination, so pace yourselves accordingly and do not overextend yourselves early. Many students fail this component due to poor pacing strategy."

  Another pause.

  "Second: the running test, which will measure speed over a short distance. A 100-meter sprint and endurance over a longer distance of approximately two kilometers. This test will be conducted on the school's outdoor track. Both speed and endurance matter equally in this component."

  "Third: the strength test, which will measure raw power through traditional weightlifting and weighted obstacle runs. This is a technical test that will reward proper form and controlled movement as well as raw strength. Do not simply muscle your way through this component as technique matters."

  "Fourth and finally: the obstacle course, conducted as a free-for-all mass event. All participants will compete simultaneously through a challenging course designed to test agility, problem-solving, adaptability and composure under pressure. This is a single-run event, so make your attempt count. There will be no second chances during this portion."

  "The swimming, running and strength tests will be conducted individually, with scores ranked accordingly based on performance and technique. However, the obstacle course will be a single mass event with all participants active at the same time. Your performance relative to your peers in this final test may significantly impact your overall ranking and your advancement to the next phase of qualifications."

  "Come prepared. Come ready. Come with the intention to give your absolute best effort. This is where champions are separated from the rest. This is where heroes prove themselves. This is where winners emerge. And yes, just like the written examinations, your power dampening bracelets would prevent you from using your powers. Good luck to you all."

  The intercom cut out with a sharp click.

  Around Kazama, his classmates erupted into conversation. Some looked nervous. Some looked excited, energized by the proximity of the challenge. A few looked terrified, as if the announcement had made the reality too concrete to ignore.

  Kurogane was already talking to Haruto, the two of them strategizing about the running test. Takemi had pulled out her notebook and appeared to be taking notes while reiterating over the points with Kana and Sakura.

  Kazama just sat there, his mind already calculating and strategizing.

  Running and swimming would be really difficult with my injuries. Besides I got my fair share of swimming experience in the cold waters during that boat incident. Weightlifting isn't a strong suit for me either. But the obstacle course, the free-for-all, everyone competing at once, high chaos and high stakes combined ? This could be a real opportunity for me.

  Strong contenders are scattered throughout the first year. I’ve heard whispers about the top students in A and B, and section C will be a cakewalk. But when I think of the toughest competition, I know exactly where to look. It's Kurogane Ganjou. The last person I should underestimate, even if he is my friend. Kazama evaluated the qualifier field, his focus inevitably snapping back to Kurogane