Hearts of the Pure [Haruto]

"Heh, yep, here too!" Was all Tetsuko could awkwardly reply to her friend's rather obvious question, as she jogged over to him with a contented half-smile.

Shimizu Haruto was, in all honesty, when of the few peers that Tetsuko well and truly trusted to a high enough degree that she'd call him an honest 'ally'. While she liked to believe her classmates and the school as a whole was full of trustworthy and noble Heroes, Tetsuko herself wasn't quite as easy to find genuine security in others, even if she did think highly of them. She respected every last one of her classmates, but she knew few of them well enough to be called certain comrades.

Haruto was an exception, obviously. Already, Tetsuko naturally had plenty of respect for the snowy-haired boy due to his role as her instructor in the culinary arts. That position alone made the Shindou girl naturally predisposed to showing him as much courtesy and appreciation as she could. But, more importantly, Haruto had managed to earn Tetsuo's steadfast trust and loyalty following certain events...

The various circumstances and complications aside, the simple fact of the matter was that Haruto was someone who knew Elise's deepest pain, and had done his part in helping the both of them come to terms with it. He was simply a good and earnest person, and having proven that to Tetsuko was enough to make the Shindou girl grateful for his company, even when it arose out of the blue.

He asked the most obvious question to Tetsuko, prompting the Japanese girl to rub the back of her head as her cheeks reddened slightly. "Uh, well, that is a part of why I'm here yeah, being that my Quirk is kind of a mutation, but, ummm." There was really no easy way to describe it, was there?

"Well, long story short, I'm also here because of Eli's Quirk, and how it might have affected me..." Her cheeks reddened further as she waved her hand dismissively. "I promise it's not as embarrassing as it sounds." Well, actually, it was pretty embarrassing once she got into the details, but 'I kissed my girlfriend too much and now I have another power' was not how Tetsuko wanted to explain things.

The red hue of her face fading, something about Haruto's question suddenly struck Tetsuko. "Ah, did you say also? Are you here to learn about your Quirk, Haruto-san? If you don't mind me asking." Tetsuko queried inquisitively. She didn't actually know what Haruto's quirk was, now that she thought about it... Perhaps he was in a similar case to her, where knowing the details of how it affected the body was important to its development? Well, if Haruto wanted her to know, she'd soon likely know.

Fortunately for Tetsuko, Haruto wasn’t the type to tease at the given chance, perhaps attributed more to his innocence rather than any deeper consideration, and instead expressed concern towards the side effects. ”Ah, no, there’s no, er, negative side effects… All that’s changed is that I, well… I heal a lot quicker now.” Tetsuko would admit casually, trying to downplay just how extraordinary her newfound regenerative abilities were. She didn’t want to worry Haruto in case there were any negative effects to such a thing, and besides, it was a neat little secret ability to have. ”It… It’s fine, really, Elise and I already sorted made sure it won’t be a problem.” The Shindou girl said dismissively. It truthfully hadn’t put much, if any strain on their relationship, though, Elise was unaware of the further testing Tetsuko was undertaking to ensure that her heightened regeneration didn’t come with any unpleasant side effects…

On the topic of abilities, Haruto didn’t seem to have much trouble revealing anything about his Quirk, and was even surprised to hear that Tetsuko didn’t know what it was. ”Oh, no, it hasn’t ever been brought up, and I, uh, haven’t actually asked her.” Tetsuko admitted with a sheepish chuckle. When she’d first heard about how Haruto’s Quirk had affected his decision to become a chef, the swordswoman had presumed his non-specificity on the matter meant he wasn’t interested in sharing, but this was apparently not the case. It hadn’t ever been revealed by Elise either, as although she was the talkative type, Elise didn’t make a habit of blabbing about things that might be private or personal to some, such as Quirks.

Regardless, it seemed like Haruto was having his own struggles with his abilities, having just discovered his Quirk functioned differently than he thought, seeming a bit unsettled by it. ”Well, I guess being weirded out by how our bodies work is kind of a natural thing for ‘Quirkers’, isn’t it?” Were the only comforting words Tetsuko could think to provide, unless Haruto had any more to say on the matter. Truthfully, she couldn’t quite be sure how he was feeling, as Tetsuko herself had enjoyed a fairly positive outlook on her own Quirk most of her life, thanks to the pride and faith placed in her by her family.

Suddenly, Haruto decided to shift the topic of conversation towards their mutual connection, Elise. Raising a confused eyebrow at first, Tetsuko would understood the snowy-haired boy’s meaning much more when he brought up her interest in firearms. He mentioned some things that Tetsuko herself had considered, prompting her to wear a conflicted look as she addressed his concerns.

”I… Was kinda concerned too, at first.” Tetsuko admitted. ”I mean, I’m a bit biased, I’m not really a big fan of guns, which is kinda hypocritical when I’m so interested in swords but… That’s not important, anyway, I… I don’t think it matters why she started it.” Pausing for a moment, Tetsuko thought how to put her thoughts and feelings into proper words before speaking up again. ”She really seems to enjoy it, even when she’s just shooting targets, so I don’t really think it is unhealthy. Er, at least, no more unhealthy than my own interests, eheh… But like I said, I don’t think it matters what started her toward it… Like, if someone starts working out because they’re upset with their own body, and then finds they enjoy it, improving themselves and having fun… Is that such a bad thing?” Yeah, not really a great comparison at all, but Tetsuko hoped she was getting the bulk of her point across.

”I guess, to shorten it, I don’t think it matters why she started, but why she stuck with it. It’s a genuine hobby, it makes her eyes light up and she has fun, so that’s enough for me.” Tetsuko admitted with a soft grin, clearly unfazed by her lady’s interest in firearms. It was only natural for such a figure to be able to defend themselves, with such an unreliable knight at her side. ”Besides, I think she looks really cute when she’s geeking out over the guns…”

Tetsuko couldn’t help but smile at Haruto’s ‘miraculous’ description of Elise’s quirk, finding it suitably apt. Someone like her deserved the power of a miracle on her side, as far as the Shindou girl saw it. ”Y-Yeah, it’s something special, alright… We don’t anything bad could come from it… No, I’m sure there’s nothing a Quirk like that could do, other than give me another blessing.” Stumbling ever her words a bit, Tetsuko became more conscious not to voice her concerns around Haruto, for fear of making him worry when he clearly seemed to accept the benevolent nature of Elise’s Quirk. Ultimately, this blessing was something to still be cautious of to the insecure swordswoman, considering the rarity it was in all actuality. Something brought about by Tetsuko’s… Er… Particularly high exposure to the Quirk, whether intentionally or not.

From Elise’s Quirk, they’d soon find themselves discussing Haruto’s instead, something that had never been shared with the Shindou girl. It had become a significant curiosity of hers in recent months, the Quirks of others. As the one with the duty to bring the Shindou family and their righteous warrior lineage into the age of Quirks, Tetsuko had a natural vested interest in these strange and prominent powers that had arisen in the last century. They would become the defining weapons of war someday, after all.

Or, perhaps, tools for peace and progress, such as in the case of Haruto’s Quirk. An attentive listener, Tetsuko would sit by as he explained the processes and details of his supportive Quirk, which apparently allowed him to purify and filter substances around himself, at least from Tetsuko’s understanding. She wasn’t the most scientifically minded person, so much of the details weren’t considered by her. Most important, in her eyes, were the statements that he thought he could do more with his new knowledge. ”I see, that’s good to hear. I’m sure you’ll be able to do more now that you’ve learned a bit more about it, Quirks are part of our bodies, makes sense we’d be able to use them better when we understand them.” Tetsuko said with a self-assuredness. It was how she’d always felt on the matter; that Quirks were simply another part of the human body, and training them and understanding them wasn’t all too different to how you heightened your own physical condition. Perhaps that was just her way of coming to terms with these strange and unnatural powers, however.

When Haruto talked about how his Quirk might have been mis-diagnosed when he was younger, Tetsuko recalled him saying that it had caused problems or something similar during his youth, so she wouldn’t have been surprised if his parents had oversimplified things to try and make it all a bit easier to swallow for a young superpowered lad. ”Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was misdiagnosed, Quirk science seems to confuse everyone…” If it was easier to explain, then people wouldn’t view them as freaks. Was something Tetsuko thought, but kept internalised. It was a horrible sentiment to voice, regardless of the truth she found in it.

Things shifted their focus back to their Germanic girl, her obsession with firearms becoming the topic of conversation. It was quite healthy and pleasant for Tetsuko to talk about this with someone, really. Being able to voice her own concerns and how she’d come to terms with them to someone else was something that made her feel a bit more levity despite the complicated and pressing circumstances. As much as she truly cared for Elise, having someone on the outside to speak with, who she understood and who understood her, was a connection that the often insecure yet unvocal swordswoman required greatly.

Ultimately, she entirely understood Haruto’s fears, though seemed to be able to persuade him that they weren’t founded. Smiling with reassurance, Tetsuko did feel a little bad when Haruto seemed to indicate he felt nosy, when that was certainly not the case. However, she smiled quietly when he said he was glad to see she was doing better, smiling again. ”Yeah… Seeing her smile again… It’s… Anyway, don’t feel bad about asking or being concerned. I’m just happy to know there are other people worried about her.” Were Tetsuko’s last words on the topic, a look of quiet resolve coming over her. Elise was something that prompted such certainty and self-assuredness in the otherwise insecure girl.

Chuckling at Haruto’s assurance that she could keep Eli safe, Tetsuko began to grow a little warmer at the kind, and doubtlessly flattering words. ”Thank you, Haruto-san. I don’t think I need to tell you I’ll do my best… But having seen her with a gun… I think she can handle herself a lot of the time too.” Tetsuko was certainly feeling a lot more at ease now, compared to before where she’d been dealing with some potentially harmful ramifications.

”That said, I’ll fight alongside her always. She’s even moved to my Class now.” Tetsuko stated casually, figuring Haruto was already aware of the matter. Smiling softly and with a quiet look in her eyes, Tetsuko couldn’t help but once again realise how much Elise had changed. ”To think she used to just want to be a good doctor… Though, I’m guessing that’s the path you’re pursuing, Haruto-san?” A casual question, though something Tetsuko could definitely see him doing, particularly now that she knew about his Quirk.