A few things about a rare day at the amusement park

In a dark, quiet little room, Uraraka Shige lay facedown on his bed.

It was dark because it was evening, the curtains in Uraraka Shige's room had been drawn, and the lights were off.

It was quiet because Uraraka Shige lay on the bed, silently spacing out. No one spoke, and only the digits on the little digital clock kept changing, without making a sound.

Yes, he really was spacing out. Unlike his usual habit of pondering this and that, he was indeed spacing out at the moment, aimlessly and meaninglessly.

Perhaps it couldn't be called meaningless. After all, when people spaced out, their thoughts often became unrestrained and boundless, scattering wildly in every direction. Inspiration might suddenly strike, so it really was hard to call it meaningless.

Besides, Uraraka Shige wasn't spacing out without reason.

Quirks.

He had helped his sister develop her Quirk in secret and done the same with his own, and not long ago he had been injured because of his own reckless behavior. In short, there were all sorts of reasons, perhaps?

After learning the truth, Uraraka Shige's parents had given him a thorough scolding.

After all, it was hard to say exactly how this society felt about the existence of Quirks, but at least one thing was certain...

Those "villains."

Because of those "villains," most people in this society, apart from carefree little children, probably feared other people's Quirks.

After all, no one knew whether a "villain's" Quirk might suddenly hurt them at some point.

Some of it was fear of the unknown, too.

Quirks...

But perhaps their parents had scolded them too harshly?

After the scolding, Ochaco's eyes had filled with tears. She looked just like a puppy, staring with big, tear-filled eyes full of hurt.

Uraraka Shige, on the other hand, felt nothing at all. His intention to develop his Quirk in secret hadn't wavered in the slightest.

He was only a little unhappy because he'd been scolded by his parents, a rare occurrence in this life... After all, it was a stirring in his blood...

Uraraka Shige breathed the air in the room softly, letting his thoughts wander, and gradually fell asleep without pulling up the covers or taking off his clothes...

Come to think of it...

To comfort Ochaco, their parents had agreed, for once, that the whole family would go to the amusement park together on the weekend...

On the distant Valoran Continent, a girl who had become a mechanical doll once said:

"Time tick-tocks away..."

That held true in most worlds where time existed.

For Uraraka Shige, a few days had passed as usual, filled with ordinary daily life, and before he knew it, the weekend had arrived—the time for his family to go to the amusement park.

The amusement park they were going to wasn't far away. It was only a few blocks from home and had been open for less than three years, so they walked straight to its entrance.

The park was really only a small one, but it had all the rides and attractions one could want. Small as it was, it had everything it needed.

The attractions and shops were appealing to children, too. At least, Ochaco had already been drawn to an ice cream stand by the entrance.

Ochaco couldn't help tugging at her father and mother, who were holding her hands, drawing their attention. But the weekend crowds streaming past around her made her shy, and for a moment she didn't quite dare say what she wanted.

"She's only a seven-year-old child, after all..."

On the other side of their father, Uraraka Shige's little hand was also firmly clasped in his father's. Though he had been born a few minutes later than Ochaco and was physically the same age, he couldn't help feeling that way.

It was a good thing he hadn't said it aloud, or he would surely have been called a little adult.

Given his selfish personality and his status as a transmigrator, he would surely have taken that as a mockery and gotten upset.

That would probably have kept him from enjoying the whole day at the amusement park.

But since he hadn't actually voiced his thoughts, he naturally hadn't been called a little adult.

And so, in a fairly good mood, Uraraka Shige "graciously" came to his sister's rescue.

"Dad, I really want some ice cream... And you really want some too, right, sis?"

Uraraka Shige tugged at his father in this life's hand, then looked at Ochaco on their father's other side. There was a clear hint of inquiry in his eyes, as if asking whether what he'd said was right.

Girls—no, most females-often said the opposite of what they meant, whether in their behavior, actions, or personality, and Ochaco and their mother were naturally no exceptions. If she had been a tsundere girl, she would probably have done just that when faced with Uraraka Shige's question and turned down his kind gesture.

Fortunately, Ochaco wasn't a tsundere little girl. She was the lively, energetic, sporty type... Though she was also something of an airhead, tsundere and the like still didn't suit her at all!

...Though she did sometimes say the opposite of what she meant, and could even become fierce...

But the only reason Ochaco hadn't spoken up and told her parents she wanted ice cream now was that there were so many people passing by that they could be called a crowd. It was a common problem among children-shyness around strangers.

It was precisely because she was shy around strangers that Ochaco was nervous and hardly dared say she wanted ice cream.

But that was all.

Her little brother, Uraraka Shige, had already voiced her wish for her and included himself with her—they both wanted ice cream.

So all Ochaco had to do now was confirm what her brother had said. For Ochaco, who was a little airheaded but kind by nature and eager to help others, that was no big deal. Even if everyone around her except her parents and brother was a stranger, and even if the crowd of strangers made her a little shy...

"Yes!"

It was still easy enough to agree and confirm that what her brother had said was true.

And so-

Though she was a little shy around strangers, her gaze was resolute, and her expression was solemn and serious, as though she were facing a problem as difficult as how to save the world. She gave an emphatic answer, and her short brown hair flew as she nodded her little head to show her agreement.

Yes, Ochaco really was cute! Little Ochaco was cute too!