The next day, Junsei found himself back in the hospital.
Kikyo had brought him there early in the morning saying he needed to be examined again. The first time, the doctor had declared him quirkless. Now that mistake had to be corrected, his quirk must be identified and registered properly in the system. They needed to be certain he posed no danger to himself or to anyone else.
Junsei sat quietly across from the same doctor he had seen days before. The man, in his late thirties, studied the glowing screens with a furrowed brow, scrolling through Junsei's scans once more. After a moment, he spoke softly.
"The initial scan was not wrong," he said. "He truly does have the missing joint. And yet… he developed a quirk. Very interesting."
Kikyo tilted her head. "Will that be a problem? "
The doctor shook his head "No, but it is the first recorded case of its kind. Even after running him through every test again, by all logic he should be completely quirkless."
Kikyo absorbed that, then asked, "So what happens now?"
"Nothing to worry about," the doctor replied. "We'll simply record him as an exceptional case for future reference. Some quirk researchers may show interest and contact you, but beyond that, there's no cause for concern."
Kikyo nodded slowly. "So we just complete his registration and we're done?"
"Yes," the doctor said. "His quirk appears to be limited to understanding what animals are thinking or feeling. As long as it remains at that level, there's no potential danger to himself or others. However, if it changes, if it develops into something like controlling animals, then you'll need to return immediately. We would need to update his registration and conduct a full re-evaluation to ensure everyone's safety."
The doctor then looked at Junsei. "Junsei, could you wait outside for a moment? I'd like to speak with Mrs. Kikyo alone."
Junsei turned his gaze toward Kikyo. She nodded reassuringly. Without a word, he stood and stepped out of the room.
Once the door closed, the doctor leaned back slightly.
"Quirks can affect personality," he said. "Especially in children. Depending on the environment, they can shape how a child grows. Being able to hear and feel the pain of insects could have serious psychological effects. His withdrawn behavior is a clear sign of that."
Kikyo nodded. "I agree."
"I recommend you talk with him more," the doctor continued. "Make sure no one harms animals or insects around him. With time and care, he will become more active and engaged with his surroundings again."
"We'll do our best," Kikyo said.
In truth, she hid something behind her calm expression. Junsei had been strange since he was a baby. She had suspected he had a quirk since he was a toddler. If that became known, she feared she and Kagome might be accused of negligence, they saw a toddler with a strange behavior and they chose to not think too much about it.
The thought made her stomach twist. They had done everything they could for the children. Having one child affected by a quirk even doctors couldn't fully understand was not their fault. Still, she didn't know how they would be judged, and she had no desire to find out.
When Kikyo stepped outside, Junsei was standing exactly where she had left him, silent and watchful. She smiled and extended her hand.
"You did well, Junsei," she said gently. "I'm glad the examinations didn't scare you. You're a brave little boy. Let's go back."
Junsei took her hand after a moment of hesitation, and together they walked down the hospital corridor, side by side.
——————
When Kikyo and Junsei returned to the orphanage, the courtyard was livelier than usual. A well-dressed couple stood among the children.
Kikyo took this in at once and turned to Kagome. "Who are those two?"
Kagome lowered her voice. "Mr. and Mrs. Picot. They came today to see the children. They're looking to adopt one."
Kikyo raised an eyebrow. "Do they understand what that implies or are they like the last ones?"
"They do," Kagome replied. "Their papers are all in order. They've been married for several years but haven't been blessed with children. They seem quite wealthy, and capable of giving a child a comfortable life."
Kikyo nodded thoughtfully. "Have they chosen anyone yet?"
"No," Kagome said. "They wanted to spend the day here first, play with the children, talk to them, get a feel before deciding."
That, at least, was sensible. Kikyo nodded again, then remembered Junsei, who was still standing quietly beside her.
She crouched to his level.
"Junsei," she said gently, "we've spoken before about adoption and what it means. Mr. and Mrs. Picot want to choose a child from here. That could be anyone, including you. If that happens, they would become your father and mother. But for that to happen, they need to see you talk and play, and learn about your quirk."
Junsei only stared at her, his blue eyes showed no reaction.
Kikyo sighed involuntarily. "Never mind. Go outside."
Junsei turned and walked away without a word. Once he was gone, Kagome looked at Kikyo. "What was that about?"
"You know how different Junsei is," Kikyo said quietly. "He's special and he needs a care we've failed to give him. I thought… parents who could focus solely on him, with good finances, might help him out of this state."
Kagome frowned. "But what if it makes him feel more rejected? It could harm him."
"I know," Kikyo replied. "But what else can we do? I don't want him to grow like this. The longer this goes on, the worse it will get. The children don't understand him and barely ignore him completely, and we don't have the time or energy to give him what he truly needs."
Kagome sighed. "We can't force things, let's watch and hope for the best."
Kikyo nodded.
Outside, Junsei paused. By drawing on the power of past lives, he sharpened his hearing and had caught every word.
Kikyo didn't understand him, but she was still trying to help, despite how different he was. That mattered. He thought of Kimi, the doctor earlier today. They, too, seemed concerned for his well-being. His actions had drawn attention he never wanted. Standing out had brought him hatred from some and worry from others.
Humans were not all the same. Or perhaps they were divided because he was human now. Or maybe they had always been this way, and he had never known that, he couldn't speak their language in past lives afterall.
As he stepped into the courtyard heading to his usual spot, the woman immediately noticed him and stopped him.
"Well hello there," she said warmly. "I don't think I've seen you earlier. I can't believe I missed a child with such pretty eyes."
Junsei blinked.
She smiled wider. "Come here, dear. Look at this shy little one."
Her husband stepped closer and studied Junsei with open curiosity. "His eyes are strange," he said. "I've never seen eyes like that before. It's as if I'm staring at the sky."
The woman elbowed him lightly. "Don't mind him," she said quickly. "He means your eyes are beautiful. What's your name?"
Junsei hesitated, then answered softly, "Junsei."
"What a fitting name," she said brightly. Turning to her husband, she added, "Dear, I think this is the one!"
The man blinked. "What? You've only just met him."
She nodded eagerly.
Behind them, the other children gathered, watching. Envy twisted their faces, resentment settling in quickly. They all knew why the couple was here and to think the freak would be the one chosen the moment they saw him filled them with quiet fury.
Junsei, meanwhile, noticed something else. Much of their clothing was made from animal hide. The woman's purse felt like crocodile skin. The man's shoes were no different.
Revulsion crept through him.
He recalled Kikyo, Kagome and Kimi's treatment of him and their actions, then looked at those two, he did not want to leave the ones he knew now they were not bad to follow those two.
With his decision made, he said plainly, "Pick someone else. I don't like you."
Then he turned and walked away, back to his spot beneath the shade, and sat down.
Behind him, Mr. and Mrs. Picot stared in stunned silence, along with the watching children, whose resentment now burned all the brighter, he rejected what they all wished for.
The swift rejection left Mrs. Picot unconvinced.
She tried speaking to the boy again, lowering her voice, changing her tone, even kneeling so they were closer to eye level. Each attempt was met with the same result, Junsei sat perfectly still, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond her, as though she simply did not exist. At last, with a quiet huff of frustration, she straightened and turned toward the caretakers to question them.
"Is something wrong with him today?" she asked, keeping her voice polite. "Was he upset before we arrived? I wouldn't take an upset child's behavior to heart."
Kagome and Kikyo exchanged a brief glance before explaining. They spoke carefully, choosing their words carefully. They told her about Junsei's quirk, about how he usually behaved, about his silence and distance. They were careful to frame it as an effect of his quirk rather than a flaw.
Mrs. Picot's expression softened into pity. "That must be very hard for him."
Beside her, Mr. Picot nodded, then said quietly, "I don't think he is fit to be our child."
She turned to him, surprised. "What makes you say that? He's just a little antisocial for now."
Mr. Picot shook his head. "We don't know that," he replied. "For all we know, he could remain like this for the rest of his life." He paused, then looked back at Kagome and Kikyo. "Adoption is no small matter. I know my limits. I don't even know how you can raise him. He needs a specialist, not regular parents."
Kagome and Kikyo understood. They did not agree, but they understood.
In the end, the couple chose Sykes.
He was older than the rest, easier to manage, and his quirk caught Mr. Picot's interest immediately. To him, it looked like hero material.