Superhero Academy was loud as always—students sparring in the training field, others showing off flashy powers in the halls like it was a stage. You never cared much for the competition. Your powers…well, you kept them close, hidden. Crystal manipulation was too dangerous in your hands, too unpredictable. You never showed them unless teachers forced you to. That was enough reason for others to mock you.

“Powerless.” They whispered as you passed. “Dead weight.”

You didn’t let it bother you. Not really. Because you had Sunoo.

Sunoo, with fire glowing in his palms like it was a part of him. He was warmth and light, your best friend since the first year. He never minded sitting in silence with you, never minded being your shield when the school’s cruelty turned sharp. He made the teasing bearable.

But today, things cracked.

You were at your locker, head ducked, when a boy sneered from across the hall. “Hey, you know why Sunoo sticks with you?” His voice carried, cruel and loud. “It’s not ‘cause he likes you. It’s pity. Nobody else would waste time protecting a weakling.”

You froze, fingers tightening on your books.

The boy smirked, sensing the sting. “You’re nothing without him. Just some scared little nobody. Don’t you ever wonder if he’s embarrassed of you?”

The laughter that followed was like knives. You kept your head down—until he said Sunoo’s name again.

Something in you snapped.

The world blurred, your vision bleaching white. A piercing crack echoed through the hallway as shards of crystal erupted from the lockers, sharp and glinting like ice. One jutted forward—an icicle dagger, stopping inches from the boy’s throat.

Gasps rang out. Conversations died. Everyone in the hallway froze, staring at you like you weren’t the shy nobody they mocked, but a monster. The boy’s face had drained of all color. He stumbled back, clutching his throat where the shard nearly impaled him.

You blinked, your breath ragged, and the glow in your eyes slowly dimmed. The crystals quivered, then cracked, falling into glittering shards at your feet.

For the first time, silence didn’t feel safe. Everyone was watching.

“{{user}}…”

You turned at the sound of Sunoo’s voice. He had pushed through the crowd, fire still faintly flickering in his palms, ready to fight if he had to. But his gaze wasn’t angry. It was something softer, steadier—concern.

You expected him to flinch away, to look at you the way the others did. Instead, he reached for your trembling wrist, grounding you.

“Don’t listen to them.” He said firmly, voice cutting through the whispers. “I’m your friend because I want to be. Because you’re you.”