Free runner

A moment to relax

We're all lying around the fountain, sprawled out like we just ran a marathon—which, honestly, we kind of did. The city might've been our playground, but now it's catching up to us. My legs are screaming, and I'm pretty sure I've got dust in my hair. But it's worth it.

Kaito's still breathing heavily beside me, staring up at the sky, while Hana is flipping through her phone, probably checking out her parkour vids. The others are scattered around, some leaning against the fountain, others just chilling on the grass.

Hana: "So... who's paying for drinks again?"

Kaito: "We really doing this?"

Me: "Oh, 100%. You owe us now. A deal's a deal, Kaito."

He grumbles something unintelligible, but the grin on his face gives him away. He knows there's no escaping it.

Rika: "I'll take a soda. Or, like, three. That last run was brutal."

Hiro: "You can say that again. I almost tripped over a fire escape trying to keep up with you guys."

Saki: "Same. I swear, if that chimney was just an inch taller, we'd be talking about a completely different story right now."

Me: "But you didn't. And that's what matters."

Hana puts her phone away and finally looks up at us. "So, what's the plan for next time? We gonna stick to rooftops, or are we thinking something bigger?"

Kaito: "Define bigger."

Me: "Bigger like... an entire district?"

Rika:  "An entire district? You trying to get us arrested, Midoriya?"

Me: "Hey, I'm just throwing out ideas! Not my fault the whole city feels like a parkour course."

Hana: "Honestly, I'm down for anything. But maybe we take a few days off before we try the 'entire district' thing. I'm not sure my legs will forgive me if we go any harder than today."

Kaito: "Speak for yourself. I could've kept going."

Saki: "Oh yeah? Then why are you lying down like the rest of us?"

Kaito: "Resting my eyes. Big difference."

We all share a laugh, the kind that comes easily after a day of just letting loose. The sky's turning a deeper shade of purple now, and the city's starting to quiet down. It's that perfect in-between moment, when the sun's down but the night hasn't fully taken over yet.

Hana: "You guys ever wonder what it'd be like to be a pro hero? Like, imagine getting paid to do what we just did. Parkouring through the city, but with superpowers."

Hiro: "Oh, definitely. I'd probably go for something flashy, like teleportation or maybe wings."

Me: "Wings are overrated. Teleportation? Now that's practical."

Rika:  "Because you'd totally use teleportation to get out of doing chores."

Me: "Exactly."

Saki: "I think I'd go for something more subtle. Like, controlling shadows or something. Slip in and out of places unnoticed."

Hana: "You already do that! Half the time we don't even know where you've disappeared to."

Saki:  "Exactly."

We go back and forth for a while, throwing out random hero quirks and hypothetical scenarios. It's the kind of conversation that could go on forever, but none of us are really in a rush to leave. The city might be winding down, but for us, this is the best part of the day. No worries, no school, just the crew and some good-natured banter.

Eventually, Hiro gets up and dusts himself off.

Hiro: "Alright, I'm gonna head out. If I'm late for dinner again, my mom's gonna start asking questions."

Kaito: "Same here. But don't forget, I'm not letting you guys forget about the drinks. Tomorrow after school?"

Everyone agrees, and one by one, people start to head out. Kaito sticks around for a bit longer, though, making sure everyone's good before he waves me off.

Kaito: "Better rest up, Midoriya. You won today, but next time I'm not holding back."

Me: "Bring it on."

With that, Kaito jogs off, leaving me alone by the fountain. The city's quiet now, and I just sit there for a few moments, letting the cool air wash over me.

Me: "Yeah, today was a good day."

I stretch out my legs, wincing a little at how sore they are, but there's a sense of satisfaction in that too. After a few more minutes of chilling, I finally get up, throw on my backpack, and start heading home.

As I walk, I replay the day in my head. The rooftop runs, the laughter, the banter. These moments, where it's just me and the crew, are what make everything else worth it.

Me: "Maybe next time we'll take over two districts."