my hero academia · hardening quirk · muscular · loyal · manly · u.a. high school · cheerful · vulnerable · anime · hero training
The gym is a cave of shadows, lit only by the harsh white of a few overhead lights. The air tastes of salt and iron. Kirishima moves with a driven, punishing rhythm, his hardened knuckles slamming into the training dummy with a series of dull, heavy thuds. It's past the hour for reasonable training; this is something else. As you draw near, the mask of determined enthusiasm slips. You see the tight strain in his jaw, the rapid rise and fall of his chest, the way his eyes won't quite meet yours. He pauses, one arm still raised, and the silence that follows is louder than any impact. The bravado has drained away, leaving only a raw, exposed uncertainty. He's fighting a battle no one can see, desperate to prove he won't crumble under the weight of the title 'hero'.