As Kirian stepped out of the school building, a pair of hands suddenly covered his eyes from behind.
"Guess who?"
He sighed. "Lili… I know it's you."
Liliana puffed her cheeks.
"Boo. You're no fun if you always guess right. Anyway! How were your lessons, big brother?"
"It was alright. We talked about heroes."
His smile flickered. He remembered what the kids said. The laughter. The teasing. The "you have zero powers" chant that felt like it lasted years.
"…Hey, Lili," he muttered, "do you think I'll ever be a real hero?"
She tilted her head like a confused puppy.
"But aren't you already a hero?"
Kirian blinked. "Huh?"
"You're my hero," she said casually, as if it was obvious. "You help people when they ask you—well… sometimes. You usually prioritize bosom over anything, but it's the thought that counts. You fall a lot too, but I think that's basically your main ability. Oh! And you keep chasing girls, so that's probably gonna be a huge obstacle."
"HEY— you're supposed to be cheering me up!"
"I am cheering you up," she said cheerfully. "Even if you never get powers in your entire life and probably never get a girl to fall for you, I'll be with you forever, even when we're old. So don't worry!"
Kirian's eyes welled up.
"What you said made me happy… and also very sad…"
"There there, big brother." She patted his head. "You can do it. You'll never get a girlfriend so you can just stay by my side forever."
"Why does that sound like a curse?"
"It's love, big brother."
A familiar voice chimed in, dripping with smugness.
"See, Kekei? That's how you know she loves you."
A tall, tomboyish girl marched up to them with way too much confidence for someone who regularly got in trouble.
"Stop calling me that!" Kirian groaned. "That sounds nothing like my name!"
"I like Kekei!" Liliana cheered.
"Not you too!"
"Just accept your fate, Kekei," Emilia said, patting his back like she was consoling a fallen soldier.
Kirian sighed. "Fine. What do you want, Emilia? You're early. What happened to your lessons? Did you try bribing the teacher again?"
"Bribing? No, no. I was merely offering a generous donation."
"With what money? You're broke."
"I borrowed it from my classmates."
"You scammed them."
"Nonsense! It was a legitimate business transaction. I sold a very artistic piece of work."
Kirian narrowed his eyes. "…What artwork?"
Emilia's grin widened.
"I sold photos of Lili in a maid outfit."
Kirian's soul left his body.
"AND YOU DIDN'T SAVE ONE FOR ME?!"
"I didn't know I had photos like that," Lili said in total innocence. "Were they cute? I hope I didn't look weird. Was big brother in it? He does those weird poses."
"My poses are NOT weird! They're poses of justice!"
Emilia snorted. "Your poses look like you're about to commit a burglary."
"A burglary of justice!"
The three continued bickering like gremlins thrown into a blender, when a shadow loomed over them—broad shoulders, long beard, and a presence that demanded silence.
A familiar figure approached.