The Family Was Safe and Sound

"A fragrant... smell...?"

Uraraka Shige, then a question mark appeared on her face.

The little girl being carried on someone's back said the phrase "fragrant smell," which made Uraraka Shige understand that they must have found themselves by some kind of "smell," but he was very curious about how the sentence was punctuated.

Whether it should be 'fragrant,' 'fragrant,' 'fragrant,' 'fragrant,' 'fragrant,' or even just 'fragrant,' these four ways of punctuating the sentence represent four different meanings.

However, despite his curiosity, Uraraka Shige did not delve into the matter further.

Because he had something even more puzzling about him.

"... Who are you people?"

The bookstore owner shared the same question as him.

Who... are you people?

When the old man saw these two uninvited guests barging into his shop so rudely, he stood up again, leaning on his cane, and questioned them in his aged voice.

"Alas!"

The bookstore owner's suddenly aged voice startled the little girl, who was probably only eight years old, into making a cute, startled sound.

The tall man, whom the little girl called "Big Dumb Guy," looked up at the old man and then paused visibly. Almost instinctively, he bowed deeply, nearly throwing the little girl off his back.

"We are so sorry! We didn't know this bookstore was owned! We are extremely sorry for trespassing without permission!"

It's confirmed! It's undeniable! This tall, muscular guy with the bright eyes is just like Gu Yu —a 'simple-minded' fellow!

Otherwise, why would anyone think that a bookstore is unowned? Otherwise, why would anyone believe that you can just barge into a place that's unowned?

Judging from the decisiveness and seriousness with which this guy apologized, Uraraka Shige didn't think he was faking it.

"Hey! It's all your fault, you big oaf! I told you to be careful! To be more attentive! Don't be so stupid and just crawl in there!"

The little girl, who had almost been thrown off, immediately became unhappy and started complaining to the 'big, silly guy' in a childish voice. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly bowed to the bookstore owner on the 'big, silly guy's' back and apologized.

"As for us... I'm Qu Zhi's sister! This big oaf is my brother!"

After apologizing, the little girl finally answered Uraraka Shige and the bookstore owner's questions, revealing her identity... However, there were many suspicious points in her explanation.

'... You say you're Qu Zhi's sister, fine... but this guy doesn't look like your brother at all!'

These thoughts were almost on Uraraka Shige's lips, but he ultimately Uraraka Shige them back.

Since Uraraka Shige didn't say these words aloud, the little girl naturally didn't know what Uraraka Shige was thinking. So, after introducing herself, she began to aggressively (super fierce and cute!) question Uraraka Shige about his origins and his relationship with Qu Zhi.

"By the way, why do you smell so good? What did you do to Brother Qu Zhi?!"

Upon hearing the little girl's words, the 'big, clumsy guy' also instantly stood up, his expression changing.

"What?! What did this guy do to Qu Zhi?! Damn it... I'm going to Qu Zhi!"

As he said this, the 'big oaf' clenched his fist, intending to give Uraraka Shige hard blow. The two guys completely ignored the bookstore owner, who was on the second floor and had not yet accepted their apology.

The old man who owned the bookstore immediately turned pale, but before he could react, Uraraka Shige suddenly spoke up again.

"So you're Qu Zhi's sister!"

His words were filled with a sense of relief and satisfaction, like "Ah, I've finally finished."

Uraraka Shige then didn't linger any longer and directly stated his purpose in finding the little girl.

"Qu Zhi asked me to check if you've been living your life as he planned."

To be honest, Uraraka Shige was quite curious about this so-called 'plan', but unlike other times when he was curious, although he was curious about this 'plan', he just didn't want to ask about it at all.

The moment Uraraka Shige uttered these words, the 'big oaf' suddenly stopped his punch, which was only an inch away from Uraraka Shige's head. His expression changed again, and he suddenly seemed to become honest and simple.

After the matter was explained, the little girl invited Uraraka Shige to stay at their place for a while, but Uraraka Shige refused.

After Uraraka Shige refused, the little girl and the "big, silly guy" didn't say much. They said goodbye and left silently, leaving Uraraka Shige alone in the bookstore to bear the old shopkeeper's anger.

After enduring a barrage of verbal attacks from the elderly shop manager, Uraraka Shige finally managed to escape.

After escaping, Uraraka Shige wandered around the city again and made a considerable fortune, especially in the secluded alleys, where she reaped the lion's share of the spoils.

With money, things became much easier for Uraraka Shige. First, she prepared some food and water, then paid for the fare and boarded a long-distance private car. After changing cars twice, she finally returned to her home in this life.

However, Uraraka Shige did not enter the house. He lingered in a secluded spot outside for a few days. Once he confirmed that his parents and Ochaco were all safe and sound, he felt much more at ease. He also did not show himself directly in front of his father, mother, and sister, since he was currently in a genuine state of 'escaping from prison'.

Perhaps because she saw that her family in this life was all well, she felt relieved of some Burden and worries. In just a few days, Uraraka Shige felt that she had more control over her 'Quirk'. Although the improvement was very limited, it was still quite remarkable compared to the days before her escape and the time she spent in the Discipline Prison.

Besides, during the time Uraraka Shige lingered near her home, she also returned to the grove where she used to train her body and "Quirk" and practiced her skills again. She couldn't help but feel a little sentimental and nostalgic for the days when her whole family was together.

After that, Uraraka Shige even stayed at Granny Songju's apartment for two nights. Granny Songju was a little surprised when she saw him, but she treated him very well and planned to keep his return a secret. She deliberately left an empty room for him on the second floor, saying, "If you want to come back and keep this old woman company again, you can come back and stay for a few days."

There were two things that Uraraka Shige still regretted. He didn't get to see the Granny Gray, nor did he get to see Momotani Hanawa, who had developed a fighting style that suited her 'Quirk' a few years ago. He had originally wanted to learn from her about the development of 'Quirk'.

With all these matters resolved, only one thing remained for Uraraka Shige.

"Gu Yu's family..."