MHA: Time Manipulator

The next morning, Kimika woke up early to avoid being late for her scheduled meeting. Passing by the living room on her way to the exit, she noticed her mother sound asleep on the sofa. Next to her lay an empty wine bottle and their family photographs. This further strengthened Kimika's determination to find money for her father's treatment. 

Just in case, she left a note stating that she was going to meet Toga, so her mother wouldn't worry if she woke up before Kimika returned. 

The meeting place was an old swing where she and Toga had first met and where they spent a lot of time together. It was their special hideaway — here they could be alone, knowing that no one would come. 

On her way, Kimika thought about the upcoming conversation, trying to anticipate all possible responses and reactions from Toga. The worst, though unlikely, scenario was that Toga would decide to end their friendship. The best outcome would be to receive her support or perhaps even hear a suggestion for another way to help.

When Kimika finally arrived at the meeting place, she saw that Toga was already waiting for her, as she always came first. Toga was silently swinging on the old swing, watching the slow rise of the sun with a gentle smile, painting the horizon in soft hues. Holding her breath, Kimika momentarily forgot all her heavy thoughts and began to admire this scene, where Toga seemed to fit perfectly as if she were painted there just for her. But after a moment, gathering her thoughts, she said, "Hi, Toga, I'm here." 

Hearing the familiar voice, Toga jumped off the swing and quickly approached her friend, studying her face closely. 

"Hi, Kimi! What happened? Why did you write so late?" she asked, carefully examining Kimika. 

Kimika took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the memories washed over her like a powerful wave, and tears welled up in her eyes once more. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering all her strength, and deciding to tell the whole story, she began to speak.

"I... I'll get straight to the point... You might have already heard..." Her voice trembled, and the tears she could no longer hold back rolled down her cheeks. "Dad... he... he was attacked... and now he's in the hospital..." 

Without hesitating for a second, Toga embraced Kimika, holding her close, and began gently stroking her back, wishing to soothe her tender friend, whispering, 

"Sh-sh-sh, it's okay, I'm here... Don't worry... I'm right here, and we'll get through this together, I promise…" 

Hearing her friend's calm and gentle voice, Kimika felt, for a moment, that everything would be alright, knowing that Toga had never lied to her in all the years of their friendship and always kept her promises. With a more composed voice, she continued to explain, 

"And he... he needs money for the surgery, but our insurance... doesn't cover the full cost..." she said, but with those words, tears came pouring out anew, and despite Toga's support, Kimika could no longer hold back her emotions, letting them free. She cried, releasing everything that had built up in her heart. Toga continued to hold her, stroking her back, allowing her to express everything she had been carrying in her small and innocent heart.

"I... I thought about everything..." Kimika said through her tears, barely holding back her sobs. "Mom says she will find the money, but where? Even if... she works around the clock... even if she takes out a loan... even if she asks everyone she knows for help... it still won't be enough." Leaning on her friend, Kimika sought the support in Toga's silence that she couldn't find in words. 

"And... even if I find a job myself... but who would give a decent job to a teenager?" Kimika continued, quietly shuddering with emotion. "The most I could do is be a cashier, and that won't change anything. So... so the only way I've been able to think of..." She held her breath, pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, and continued in a trembling voice, "The only way to help my father is through crime... but... but... Toga... what should I do?"

Her words sounded as if she had come to a point of no return. Toga listened to every word, holding her friend tightly, as if passing on her calmness, but those words sparked surprise in her mind. 

Kimika, who had always dreamed of being a hero since childhood, now stood on the brink of despair, considering the option of taking an entirely opposite path. If anyone else had said this to Toga, she would have probably called them crazy. But it was Kimika, her closest friend, who was saying it. So Toga decided to share her last secrets. 

"You know, Kimi… I have two more secrets that I've never told you..." Toga said, looking into her friend's eyes, removing the smile from her face and turning it serious — something she did incredibly rarely and only in important moments, signaling to Kimika that she would reveal something extraordinarily important, just like four years ago.

She took a deep breath, trying to choose her words carefully. 

"You know how much I love blood, especially yours? Well, here's the thing… You wouldn't be able to satisfy all my desires without harming your weak and precious body… So I took blood from other people… of course, without their consent. I just didn't want you to worry — I thought you would suggest drinking more of your blood. But your blood is still so much better than anyone else's!" 

Toga paused for a moment to allow her friend to process this information. "And the last secret..." she continued, slightly downplaying the seriousness. "I ran away from home when I was thirteen after one incident..." Her voice became quieter but firm. "That's why I never invited you over or introduced you to my parents. I lived on the streets, saw a lot, and did quite a bit of bad myself: I hurt people for blood, robbed… got involved with dangerous people, doing their bidding."

She paused again, as if to emphasize the importance of her words. "Of course, I couldn't see myself as a hero, but I didn't want to tell you because I knew you dreamed of becoming a hero alongside me..." 

Toga met Kimika's gaze, and a familiar smile reappeared on her face as she sincerely added, "Oh, and I didn't lie to you to support you; it's all true." 

Not giving Kimika a chance to interject, Toga continued, still looking gently at her friend but now in a lighter mood, happy to have finally revealed these two secrets, and feeling her soul was now completely clean. "And you know… you have two options. The first is that I can take on tasks and earn money to give to you. The second is that we do it together. I have contacts who can give us tasks for money... And together, we will earn money for your father." 

Toga spoke as if she knew her friend had no other choice but these two options. Kimika certainly wouldn't leave her after learning such secrets. And even if she wanted to, Toga wouldn't let her go.

Listening to her friend's words, Kimika was shocked by what she heard. Her friend had been a criminal for two years, and the fact that she had run away from home completely turned Kimika's world upside down. She couldn't imagine what Toga had gone through, and this shocked her even more than everything else. Toga, who always seemed so happy and carefree despite everything that had happened to her, had actually endured so much more than Kimika had known. Now she realized that they both needed to support each other. 

Despite all this, Kimika didn't quite understand why she was processing the situation so easily. Her friend was a criminal who hurt people, yet she viewed it as something simple and understandable. Kimika also thought that Toga would at most support her, but here she was, ready to work alone and even give money or do it together. However, the first option seemed unacceptable to her — she couldn't bear the thought of making her friend work alone for her father. So she decided to choose the second option, but with certain conditions.

Standing in Toga's embrace, now tearless, Kimika felt ready to make a decision and act together. 

"I… thank you for supporting me and for being willing to work for my father alone… but," pausing slightly, which felt like an eternity to Toga as if now was a choice that determined everything, Kimika continued, "I can't do that. I choose the second option: we will work together and save my father together! But… I'm not ready to kill or hurt people or do anything like that… but I'm ready for everything else! We will earn the money and save my father! Even if it means giving up my dream of being a hero… Because loved ones are more important..." 

Suddenly, Kimika looked at Toga, feeling a slight unease, finally realizing the weight of her words. "And you know, Toga… you could have told me those secrets earlier. Now I feel like you didn't trust me completely… But we swore not to lie or keep secrets from each other..."

At these words, Toga didn't know how to react. On one hand, she was glad that her friend was willing to walk her path and that she wouldn't have to force her to stay. But on the other hand, Toga was taken aback by Kimika's words—she had thought her friend would at least hesitate in her choice, yet she showed no doubt at all, ready to sacrifice her dreams and desires for a loved one. 

What struck Toga even more was that Kimika had expressed suspicion regarding her honesty in their friendship. She realized that her friend still remained an innocent child, unaware of the horrors hidden behind the path Toga had chosen. 

"Oh, my innocent Kimi," Toga said, bowing her head in apology. "I'm sorry for not believing you! And for not sharing my secrets. But from now on, there will be no secrets between us! For breaking our vow, I will bear the punishment! All fate will be on your side." 

"But…" Kimika tried to interject, realizing that she would become a burden for her friend in this matter, but not wanting to take all the money from the tasks for herself, knowing Toga was already doing so much for her. 

"No 'buts'!" Toga interrupted her. She had decided that she would bear that particular punishment for her secrets, but she couldn't help but be touched by her friend's reaction. "I've said everything."

After this, they sat in silence in each other's warm embrace for a while, until suddenly Toga's predatory smile appeared on her face, and a light, familiar blush flared on her cheeks. Instantly, she sank her teeth into Kimika's neck, beginning to relentlessly draw her blood. Kimika merely let out a soft moan, not attempting to resist; she had completely gotten used to this aspect of her friend over the years of their friendship and had even begun to derive some pleasure from it. 

Eventually, as Kimika's legs began to tremble and she started to weaken, though she said nothing, Toga reluctantly stopped drinking from her incredibly sweet blood. She knew that her friend probably wouldn't even say anything, even if she accidentally drank all of it. 

But she also understood that Kimika wouldn't run away, and when her blood replenished, she would be able to enjoy its taste once again. Continuing to embrace her friend and supporting her so she wouldn't fall from weakness, Toga smiled and began to spin around as if dancing, saying:

"Well then, my little innocent girl, how fortunate you came to me instead of trying to do everything on your own. Otherwise, your mother would sadly be left without her daughter." 

"W-w-hat?" Kimika asked, not believing what she had heard. 

"Well, what?" Toga replied with a hint of sarcasm. "This isn't a heroic path where everything is easy… If you've chosen the opposite path, you should know right away that you could get killed or caught on your very first task, or even sooner… Did you really think it would all be so simple? We don't have any hero academies to teach you everything, but don't worry, you have me!" 

In response, Toga received only a silent, pale face from Kimika. Even though she was already aware of all the risks, hearing it from her friend — or perhaps her partner — was difficult. Her heart filled with doubt, and thoughts flooded her mind with fears that had never dared to surface before. 

"Oh, my innocent girl," Toga said, trying to ease the tension. "Now go home and do your lessons, prepare an outfit that doesn't stand out too much— an old sweater or something similar. And most importantly— don't forget a mask! It doesn't have to cover your whole face, as your horns and long white hair give away your true nature even better than your face. I'll message you when we meet. Oh, and don't forget to come up with a name for yourself. Now — off you go! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, there's no turning back now." 

With that, Toga smiled and bounced away, leaving Kimika alone with her thoughts and fears about the future.

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That's it... Kimika has become a criminal... this world will never be the same again...

And Toga hasn't changed... although maybe she has changed having Kimika, but she still became a criminal for the sake of blood and a friend, not wanting to kill her accidentally by sucking all the blood out, how romantic, ugh...

I also want to inform you that two chapters come out every day on my Patreon! Here, only one is released, but on my Patreon — there are two a day, hee-hee-hee. Come by so you don't miss new chapters and can read them faster than anyone else! patreon.com/Zoi4erom

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