BNHA: Forge & Conquer

Ch7 – Indifference

Read ahead: /bloooog

***

Serika Intelli was a business woman through and through.

She had gotten married for business, and she had Saiko for business too. Not that Serika didn't love her little girl– she definitely did– but that didn't change the fact that Serika had Saiko to keep Intellicorp afloat. With IQ being so invaluable, If her investors got even the slightest hint that her Quirk would be lost to time...

Well, it wouldn't be good.

That was the only reason that Serika had agreed to Ichiharu's proposal. Some day, her little girl would have to marry, so there was no harm in trying to set her up with someone early.

Uniting their families wasn't the worst thing she could do, and even if Mr. Enokawa seemed kinda sleazy, Serika understood the situation with a glance. Ichiharu was trying to use the value of Intellicorp to cement his position as heir, but when it came to his son...

Yoshiki Enokawa couldn't care less.

It was kind of interesting, really. While Yoshiki obviously held no respect for his father, it wasn't because he was a brat, but... well, she didn't have the whole picture, but she could infer. Especially after getting a better look into Ichiharu's character, it became obvious to her that the man just didn't care for his wife and son.

However, her little girl wasn't marrying Ichiharu, but Yoshiki.

"What'd you think of the Enokawa boy?"

"H-He's okay, I guess."

Serika smiled. She might've asked Saiko, but she already knew. With the way her daughter had been unable to meet his eyes the entire luncheon, and that right before he left, he used his Quirk to craft Saiko one of the most majestic bracelets she'd ever seen...

The Enokawa brat had her daughter wrapped around his finger.

But that was fine. Even if Serika Intelli had devoted her life to Intellicorp, to upholding the legacy of her family, she still wanted her daughter to be happy.

Serika would be watching the little heartbreaker closely, though. Sure, Yoshiki Enokawa was still just a child... but she could tell. He had the makings of a playboy, and she'd be damned if she let anyone toy with her daughter.

Serika frowned a little as she compared Ui to Yoshiki.

'Where the hell was that boy when my parents were setting me up...'

***

The car ride home was eerily quiet.

Yoshiki didn't need Archive to see the little funk that his mom was in– not to mention all of the alerts that he had gotten throughout the luncheon. Ichiharu had probably told Fumika about meeting with the Intelli's... but she most definitely did NOT know about the marriage proposal. He'd never seen his mom so stressed before.

But still...

[ Mom. Resigned, Guilty, Depressed. ]

Seeing clear evidence of Fumika's turmoil, it pissed him off a little.

Ichiharu pulled into their driveway, turning back in his seat.

"Yoshiki, what did you think of Saiko?"

Yoshiki could understand. Ichiharu was a business man through and through, and even if he wasn't the eldest son... Ichiharu worked the hardest. The man would do anything he could to be the next Enokawa heir, since he deserved it. Even if that meant having a wife and kid, just to have more weight to throw around.

That didn't mean Yoshiki liked it, though.

"I don't have any issue marrying her."

Ichiharu's eyes brightened. "That's excellent! Nothing is finalized yet, since in this day and age, it wouldn't be good to force such an issue... but that's good."

Yoshiki held back the urge to roll his eyes.

He wasn't angry. Not really. He was annoyed, certainly, and it hurt him to see Fumika eating herself up on the inside, especially when he could practically hear her thoughts.

Thinking something along the lines of...

'I chose the easy way out. When I caught Ichiharu's attention, fitting his image of what a housewife should be to a T, I took my chances, even if I didn't really like him. However, now that Ichiharu is our source of food, water, shelter, everything... and since I've thrown away all my responsibilities to become an Enokawa, all to live a life of relaxation and luxury...

I can't go against him, not on matters like this.

I'm sorry, Shiki...'

Frankly, his mom was being an idiot.

Maybe if Yoshiki was being forced to marry an 80 year old hag, he'd be a little more against having a fiancé... but his partner to be was Saiko Intelli. This definitely wasn't the end of the world, not by a long shot.

But the main reason Yoshiki couldn't bring himself to be angry at Ichiharu...

[ Ichiharu. Optimistic, Driven. No love for Yoshiki or Fumika. ]

Was that honestly, it just wasn't worth it.

The opposite of love wasn't hate, but indifference. His father didn't dislike him– the man just saw him as a way to get a foot into Intelli's markets, which would then increase his chances of claiming Enocorp for himself. Ichiharu's sole purpose was to prove himself to Eto, to prove that he was the right choice for the company.

Knowing that his dad didn't love him... it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

Ever since Yoshiki first gazed at his father with Archive, he's slowly accepted that the man just didn't care, and that was fine.

After all, Yoshiki would always have Fumika.

***

Staring at his ceiling in the middle of the night, Yoshiki grumbled.

"Fucking fuck..."

Yoshiki was still a little annoyed at Ichiharu, and annoyed in general since, well, it's been over eight years since he's gotten his dick wet. He was 6 years into this new life of his, and every day that went by, Yoshiki had to resist the urge to throw himself at the nearest shotacon.

But even if Yoshiki could wait...

He was just... so... frustrated. His grandfather was Eto Enokawa, one of the most financially powerful men in Japan, but instead of being able to do whatever he wanted... he and his mom were kept to the side, only to be used when it was convenient for Ichiharu.

Hell, he hadn't even met his grandfather yet.

Yoshiki blinked. 'Wait a second...'

Even though Yoshiki hadn't seen his grandfather a single time, the man still had guards keeping an eye on Ichiharu's family– all without Ichiharu's knowledge.

Eto knew about him. No, Eto had an interest in him.

Sitting straight up, Yoshiki's face split into a grin. He had specific sub-Quirks that he wanted to save up for, not wanting to waste his precious Energy on anything unneeded... but even so, this might just be worth it. In fact, Yoshiki didn't really see why this wouldn't work. If Ichiharu was willing to do everything in his power to gain Eto's favor, even using his own family, Yoshiki didn't see why he couldn't do the same.

OBS. ARCHIVE.

Yoshiki honed in on the people that were currently 'stalking' him.

[ Gekka. F24. Asleep. Quirk: Bolt. Emitter/Focus. ]

[ Ryu. M28. Tired, Bored, Alert. Quirk: Lock Sight. Emitter/Target. ]

Bolt and Lock Sight. The woman had a basic, albeit strong Emitter Quirk to shoot bolts of turquoise energy that matched her hair, and the guy could lock a place in his field of view– essentially, he had a top down view of their house. The only reason Yoshiki hadn't confronted them already was because Yoshiki knew that his mother wasn't being perved on.

Eto only hired quality, it seemed.

Despite not having the strongest of Quirks, they were sufficiently trained... not that sufficient training alone would ever pose a threat to the current Yoshiki.

As for his outfit, he decided to wear something unassuming and sleek.

A skintight suit of dim, black light, encompassing his entire body. Turning himself into nothing more than an unrecognizable silhouette.

He opened his bedroom window and stepped into the air.

Yoshiki could only control light within 3 meters of himself, but that distinction still gave him a lot of wiggle room– the main thing being whether it was 'loose' or 'locked.' For example, his suit was 'loose' around his body, but if he wanted to stand on a solid platform of light, Yoshiki would have to 'lock' it in the air.

Yoshiki could also create permanent constructs, like he did with Saiko's bracelet, albeit with a significant increase in stamina drain.

And even if his range was a mere 3 meters, that only applied to his current position.

PILLAR.

Constructing a pillar of solid light from underneath his feet, Yoshiki propelled himself to his stalker's apartment window in under a second. His suit flush and firm against him, preventing his neck from snapping due to whiplash. Ryu jolted out of his stupor, taking a defensive stance as he smacked Gekka awake, but before they could even get to their senses...

Yoshiki was in the room.

Gekka's and Ryu's arms and legs were locked in place, their mouths gagged with light.

[ Gekka. Confused, Angry, Scared, Alert. ]

[ Ryu. Confused, Calm, Scared, Alert. ]

Yoshiki then revealed his face, enjoying their reactions quite a bit.

[ Gekka. Bewildered. ]

[ Ryu. Bewildered. ]

"Would you be so kind... as to take me to my grandfather?"

***

***

***

Yoshiki's Sub-Quirks:

Index: Blank, Cost, Notepad, Identify, X-ray Vision, Lightcraft, DNA Lock, Sincerity, LC_decoy, Rapid Aging, Dismantle, Upgrade, Ideal Body, Healthy Body, Hyper Gains, Hyper Senses, Fast Recovery, Near Perfect Memory, Body Talent, Archive, Alert, Observation, Mutual Attraction

Total: 23

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