Even If I Try - To Be Hero X (Reader Insert)

All Because I Care

The voice snapped me out of my spiral. I jolted, the magazine slipping from my hands.

A laugh followed. “Relax. It’s just me.”

I turned and nearly cursed. Wreck was sitting right beside me, grinning like he’d been there all along. He leaned down in one smooth motion, scooping up my fallen magazine with a little flourish before handing it back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” His tone said otherwise.

My face burned instantly. Great. Just what I need, him catching me zoning out like an idiot.

Wreck tilted his head, still smirking, eyes glinting with that mischievous spark. “Seriously,” he said, “were you daydreaming so hard you didn’t even notice us?”

Us?

Sure enough, Nice leaned on the fountain’s edge, waving casually.

My heart skipped.

I tried to cover my embarrassment, blurting, “I was just curious about the next Hero Tournament… you know, whether Smile will stay as the Top Hero X or not.”

That hooked Wreck instantly. His eyes lit up as he dug out his phone, thumbs moving in a blur until he stopped on a headline. “Speaking of Smile, look at this.” He shoved the screen in my face. A still from a news video. “Some teenager saved a boy from getting kidnapped at Smile’s last event.”

Oh no.

Then came the sharp, mischievous grim. “Hey… doesn’t that kinda look like you?” Wreck drawled, eyebrows wagging.

I nearly choked on air. “Wh—me? No way.”

But Nice leaned over, eyes narrowing with suspicious focus. He pulled up the video, freezing it on the grainy clip of a kid sprinting toward the van. “The hair. The clothes. Even the shoes. That’s… the exact same outfit you’re wearing right now.” His voice was calm, but there was that little spark of triumph underneath.

I froze. Crap.

Wreck was already laughing, elbowing Nice. “Busted. You’re telling me you just ‘happen’ to look identical to the mystery hero? Please.”

They were both leaning in now, boxing me in with their grins. Heat crawled up my neck. My mind scrambled for another excuse, any excuse, but the walls were closing in.

Finally, I slumped back with a groan. “…Fine. Yeah. It was me.”

“HA!” Wreck slapped Nice’s hand in a victorious high-five, the sound echoing like a gunshot of my humiliation. “Called it!”

Wreck was still chuckling at my expense when Nice leaned in, eyes practically glowing. “So you did meet Smile, right?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. Before I could answer, Wreck snorted. “Careful, he’s a total Smile fanboy. Idolized him since forever.”

Nice rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a small grin. “Don't call me a fanboy! I just… really look up to him, that’s all.

I tried to keep a straight face, but a laugh slipped out anyway. Then I nodded, deciding to be careful but not lie. “Yeah. I met him.”

Nice whipped back around, leaning even closer, like he was hanging on my every word. That kind of earnest excitement, it was impossible not to smile back at.

I told them, “He said… Don’t be afraid of what you can do. Own it.” The memory replayed in my head, so vivid it made my chest tighten. The way he said it, like it was simple, obvious, and yet exactly what I needed.

“I don’t know why, but those words… I can’t stop thinking about them. It’s like they’re stuck in my head, looping over and over.”

Nice’s expression softened. The excitement melted into something quieter, more genuine.

Finally I could feel it, Resonance humming faintly under my skin, syncing with the warmth of his admiration.

And damn, it was contagious.

Nice practically bounced in place, his words tumbling out like he couldn’t hold them back. “That’s so him! Isn't he the coolest?" He leaned closer, eyes sparkling, his voice picking up speed the more he spoke.

“I’ve admired him ever since I was a kid. He always smiled, no matter how dangerous things got. Even when the odds were against him, he never let it show. He made it feel like… heroes could really be hope."

“But that’s what made me wanna be a hero in the first place,” Nice continued, his tone dipping softer before catching fire again.

“I want to be a hero like Smile someday.”

His gaze slid toward Wreck, and there was something raw in his expression, earnest and unshaken. “Me and Wreck—
No matter how tough it gets, no matter how long it takes, we’ll fight side by side as heroes.”

For a moment, Wreck just stared at Nice, his usual smirk giving way to something steadier, deeper. Then, almost as if he didn’t want the moment to get too heavy, Wreck bumped his shoulder against Nice’s. “Yeah. You and me against the world, huh?”

Nice laughed, but it wasn’t his usual playful laugh. It was brighter, fuller, like he was carrying their entire dream in it. “Exactly. You and me.”

The warmth between them lingered in the air, almost too real. Then Nice turned back to me, his eyes still burning with that same spark.

He leaned in closer and closer, his excitement reigniting, like the quiet moment had only fueled him more. He opened his mouth, about to say something—

But Wreck groaned dramatically, dragging himself backward like Nice’s energy was physically shoving him.

“At least give me some space. If you keep leaning in like that, might as well switch seats.” His voice carried that playful annoyance only Wreck could pull off.

Nice blinked, finally realizing just how far he’d leaned in. He awkwardly scooted back to his spot, trying to play it off like it was nothing. From where I sat, it was almost funny watching him catch himself mid-ramble.

“Shut up!” Nice snapped, elbowing Wreck in the ribs. Wreck clutched his side and pretended to keel over, laughing so hard it set me off too.

Honestly… I just want you to see this, too. Look at them, laughing and dreaming together. It’s precious. It’s one of those rare moments you wish you could freeze forever.

And yeah, I know what you’re thinking… what if it all goes wrong later? Forget that for now. Just… hold onto this with me, m’kay?

Quest Box: Operational Reality

1. Practice Resonance ability in real-time - COMPLETED

Category: Training

Difficulty: Easy

Conditions: Use ability with at least one individual.

Time Limit: 3 Days

Reward: ¥X2500 (Obtained)

Penalty: None