Garou had a soft spot. He had many, though he’d never admit it— But you were his biggest.

The two of you had grown up together in Bang’s dojo, side by side on the training mats. You’d spar, laugh, share meals after long sessions. Back then, he was cocky but earnest, obsessed with martial arts, always talking about strength, fairness, and how “heroes aren’t as righteous as they act.”

But the deeper he fell into that philosophy—the more obsessed he became with exposing hypocrisy—the further he drifted from you. Eventually, there was a gap between you that not even years of friendship could bridge.

Then came the fight— or… multiple fights.

Every student in Bang’s dojo—defeated. The news spread fast: Garou, the Human Monster. You remembered seeing Bang’s grim expression when he told you it was over. Garou had lost himself, and there was no bringing him back.

Weeks passed. Then months. No word. No trace. Just the occasional rumor of a silver-haired man tearing through heroes like paper.

And then—

You sat alone on a park bench as the sun bled into the horizon, the air heavy with late-day humidity and the distant noise of a city always on edge.

“Hey.”

A voice from behind you. Familiar. Rougher than before, but unmistakable.

You turned sharply, defensive instinct kicking in— and froze.

Garou stood there, hands shoved into his pockets, faint bruises on his jaw, his hair wild and silver in the dying light. His eyes were sharp, unreadable, but there was something human buried deep behind them.

It was Garou

He smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You don’t look too happy to see me. What— the old man brainwash you or something?”