Chapter 5: Inoue Sakura
Hirakawa Junior High School wasn't far from Aldera Junior High.
Today was Akio Tatsuma's first day reporting to his new school.
He had transferred directly into the third year, which meant he had less than ten months before the entrance exams for U.A. High School.
According to the timeline Akio remembered from the anime, Izuku Midoriya would soon encounter All Might by chance.
Akio had to admit—he was a little curious about that legendary power.
One For All.
The Quirk passed down through generations.
Each successor made it stronger.
The concept itself was incredible.
But Akio was already satisfied.
He possessed two powerful Quirks, both with potential that could rival One For All in their own way.
Because of that, he had no intention of interfering with Midoriya's future.
Even if the story changed slightly due to his presence, Akio still hoped Midoriya would inherit One For All.
After all—
Midoriya was the protagonist of this world.
Akio didn't want his own existence to disrupt the world's natural course too drastically.
And more importantly…
Midoriya's bright presence could easily attract attention.
While everyone watched the hero in the spotlight—
Akio could remain in the shadows.
If there were villains Midoriya couldn't deal with…
Akio could quietly handle them himself.
It might feel a bit like cleaning up after someone else.
But Akio didn't mind.
Staying unnoticed until he grew stronger was the safest path.
No one truly knew how powerful the League of Villains might become.
The information from the anime might not even be complete.
Reality was rarely that simple.
Akio's new class was Class 3–8.
The students seemed friendly enough.
No one immediately stood out as the type who liked causing trouble.
Of course, if someone did try to make his life difficult…
Akio wouldn't mind "saving" them.
The class had a fairly even number of boys and girls.
Unfortunately, none of the girls particularly caught his attention.
Most of them seemed fairly ordinary.
After school ended, Akio said goodbye to his classmates and began walking home.
While walking, he started thinking about something practical.
Money.
He still had ten months before the U.A. entrance exam.
Even though he currently had 160,000 yen, living expenses would slowly drain that away.
If he kept eating ramen every day, that money definitely wouldn't last long.
Getting a part-time job seemed necessary.
Normally, international students under eighteen weren't allowed to work in Japan.
But this world wasn't exactly identical to the one he remembered.
Maybe the rules weren't as strict.
It was worth trying.
Working at a hero agency wasn't possible yet.
You needed a hero license for that.
Which meant…
The service industry was probably his best option.
After arriving home and dropping off his school bag, Akio headed back out.
First, he stopped at the ramen shop he had visited the previous night.
This time—
Tsuyu wasn't there.
Perfect.
"Bullfrog ramen, please."
Now he could finally try it without awkwardness.
After finishing the meal, Akio began searching nearby streets for job postings.
Eventually, a small convenience store caught his attention.
The shop was about fifty square meters in size.
Behind the counter stood a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties.
She was sharp-looking, confident, and carried a quiet charm.
Akio stepped inside immediately.
When the woman noticed him approaching, he smiled politely.
"Hello. Are you hiring?"
The woman turned toward him.
Seeing the polite boy standing there with a bright smile, she felt an unexpectedly good first impression.
"We actually need someone to help organize the shelves," she said. "Would you be interested?"
Akio's eyes lit up.
So there really wasn't an age restriction.
"I'd be happy to."
The woman smiled warmly.
"My name is Sakura Inoue. Nice to meet you."
Her smile felt almost angelic.
For a moment, Akio felt strangely captivated.
"…Akio Tatsuma. Nice to meet you as well."
Just like that, he secured his first job in this world.
At least his daily expenses were now guaranteed.
Sakura Inoue was a college student.
Her Quirk was perfectly suited for business work.
Once she read a set of numbers or saw a customer's face, she could remember it almost instantly.
Unfortunately, she had once hoped to enter U.A. High School, but she hadn't been accepted.
Even so, she hadn't given up on life.
She worked hard every day.
Although she had only been the convenience store manager for about a year, she cared deeply about the shop.
At only twenty-two years old, Sakura had already taken on far more responsibility than most people her age.
Right now, she was explaining the store's procedures to Akio.
"Snacks go here. Drinks are organized by brand. And these items need to be restocked every evening."
Akio listened carefully.
Though occasionally…
His eyes drifted elsewhere.
A woman in her twenties had a level of maturity that was hard to ignore.
Akio quickly realized he needed to stop staring.
"Ahem…"
His face turned slightly red as he forced himself to focus again.
"Akio, are you feeling alright?" Sakura asked with concern.
"…I'm fine. Just a little thirsty."
Sakura immediately went to pour him a glass of water.
After drinking a few sips, Akio finally felt normal again.
At least his face wasn't red anymore.
Sakura found herself liking this slightly awkward boy.
He was polite, hardworking, and surprisingly easy to talk to.
The two quickly fell into comfortable conversation while working.
Later that evening, Sakura paused while watching Akio restocking snacks.
Her gaze softened.
She once had a younger brother.
He had been about the same age as Akio.
But years ago, he had died in a car accident.
Even now, the memory still lingered in her heart.
When she saw Akio earlier that day, something about him reminded her of her brother.
That was why she had allowed him to work here without hesitation.
Technically, students like him weren't supposed to be hired so easily.
If the store owner found out, he might not be happy.
Sakura wondered if she had made the wrong decision.
Maybe she should explain things to Akio…
Or tell him not to come back tomorrow.
"Sister Sakura, should this Orihiro konjac snack go here?"
Akio held up a purple package.
"Yes, that's correct," Sakura said with a smile.
At that moment, she made up her mind.
No matter what the boss said—
She would keep Akio here.
She wouldn't regret it.
Security cameras were installed throughout the convenience store.
Because of that, Akio couldn't casually use his air manipulation Quirk to move things around.
Technically, Quirks could be used for harmless tasks.
But Akio preferred staying low-profile.
To be honest, he felt a little tired.
He hadn't done work like this in his previous life.
Fifty square meters wasn't a huge store, but it still required plenty of effort.
Before today, Sakura had been handling everything by herself.
While organizing the shelves, Akio noticed something.
Small calluses on Sakura's hands.
For someone with such delicate features, those rough marks stood out.
It meant she had been doing this work alone for a long time.
Akio felt a strange sense of sympathy.
Such a beautiful woman working this hard…
Sometimes life forced people into difficult situations.
If you didn't keep working, someone else would gladly take your place.
"Alright, Sister Sakura. I'm heading home. See you tomorrow evening."
When his shift ended, Akio finished the last tasks and waved goodbye.
"Wait."
Sakura held out a box of Glico biscuits.
"Take this. My treat."
Akio immediately shook his head.
"I can't accept that."
Those biscuits weren't cheap.
He couldn't let her spend money on him.
"If you refuse, I'll be upset," Sakura said, puffing her cheeks slightly.
"…Alright, alright."
Akio finally accepted the snack box and began heading home.
Sakura watched him walk away.
A warm feeling rose in her chest.
For a moment, tears filled her eyes.
His figure looked so much like the brother she once had.
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