Sanji Inochi
SPLASH!
"Yo Inochi! You okay?!" Awase shouts, casually standing on the deck of a nice and dry ship. This is the first and last time that I'll fall for that trick, thanks Honenuki. He's laughing his butt off beside Awase. He said, "Oh hey Inochi, I think there's a dummy still in the water." Naturally, I looked over the railing to look for the poor guy, but instead, Honenuki turned the tables and I became the poor guy.
Honenuki shouts in-between cackles, "Are you choking?! Are you choking?!"
Awase replies, "Of course he's choking! Look at him! He's drowning! Right Kuroiro?!"
"He's floating," Kuroiro tells him. "He is doing the literal opposite of drowning, you inane fiend. Are you proud of yourself, dear jester?" Awase and Honenuki go silent. I don't think they know who he's referring to. Honenuki points at Awase, Kuroiro shakes his head, Honenuki nods again, still pointing at Awase, and Kuroiro shakes his head harder.
"Guys, I'm cold," I say, trying to get their attention. Yeah, they can't hear me. Great, never thought I would take a swim today. Honestly, if I swim back to the center of U.S.J., it'll be faster than the time it takes for them to actually rescue me. It's not the rescuing itself, but the time it takes for them to realize that I need rescuing. Ugh, that's too much energy though. I'll just float like a useless log.
"I am not a jester!" Honenuki defends himself, taking his helmet off and tossing it to Awase. Awase being Awase, he puts it on. ("Wow, this is really wet.")
"You are right, Honenuki." Kuroiro grins, running his hand through his hair, eyes widening like the grand schemer he is. "You are the entire circus! A circus of misfits and fools, know-nothings and halfwits! Given the chance, you would toss a friend off the railing of a ship in order to net a few dirty coins to feed your addiction to greed!" ("Dude, how can you even see in this thing?")
"Hey, I'm still floating." Yup, still haven't realized I'm here. I could just grapple my way onto the ship, but my grappling hook doesn't work well when waterlogged…
"Now that isn't nice, Kuroiro! Just because I tossed Inochi off the ship doesn't mean I'm a bad guy. I only wanted to play a little prank on him. I'm a prankster in modern terms, y'know. You need to be somewhat smart to play a few tricks," Honenuki explains. ("Man, everything is dark…")
"Speaking of intelligence, what do you do in your freetime? You don't do any of the homework, yet you manage to get full marks on most of our tests!" Kuroiro asks him, sounding a tiny bit envious. Yup, that's Honenuki… He rarely does homework. Really, he only works on big take-home projects and that's it. Somehow, he scores really well on tests. I don't know how he does it. Out of the entire class, he's one of the smartest by far. ("Oh shit, I can't take this off…")
"Your skin is turning green with envy! Are you getting jealous, Kuroiro? Well too bad, secrets oughta stay secrets," Honenuki replies while Awase is trying to pull his helmet off, but failing. Yeah...his helmet is now glued to his face. ("Guys, I need butter…")
"Yo, I'm still in the water!" I yell, but again, I am ignored. Let's try again… "Hey—?!"
Roar!
Oh crap, the Flood Zone turned on the waves! It's pushing me away from the ship! I try to swim towards it, but the strength of the waves is too much! I'm getting swept away into the sea! Honenuki, how could you?! "Honenuki—!"
"You hear that, fiend? Those are the lost souls who curse your name! They are the ones who you slew by your two hands!" Kuroiro exclaims, completely ignoring the fact that I'm about to be a lost soul!
"That's just Inochi. He isn't lost," Honenuki replies and he couldn't be more wrong in his life! I'm farther away from the ship! Crap, their voices are getting distant.
"Awase!" I call for him. He perks his head up and looks around before laying his eyes on me—I hope because he's still wearing Honenuki's helmet! Awase nods and tries to run towards the other two and—?!
BANG!
He hit his freaking head against the wall! Oh God, now he's unconscious! Damnit Awase, you were my only hope! The waves push me further and further away from my ship haven, my friends becoming mere dots soon. I can faintly hear Kuroiro and Honenuki's arguments, ignorant to the fact that I, their dear friend, am dead.
That is right.
I, Sanji Inochi, am dead.
There is no hope for me now. No dreams to protect, no friends to cherish. I am dead. There is no afterlife, no reincarnation. There is simply infinite emptiness, that is all.
I was killed thanks to a simple prank played by Juzo Honenuki, Mudman. He threw me off the ship and into the roaring waves below. Afterwards, I was never seen again. That is how Sanji Inochi dies. Not by getting shot or stabbed in the stomach, but by returning to my rightful place under the sea.
My body is washed onto solid ground, my head turned to the blinding lights above. This isn't heaven's lights, but the light you would see before you die. However, something blocks the light, something dark. A woman wearing a tight scaly suit looks down at me, her wavy green hair bouncing—she has great hair. The woman smirks and gently kicks me. "I found a Sanji!"
"And I found you after so many years…" I reply, altering my voice to sound exhausted and weak. "I came from a long voyage just to see my queen again, gracing me with her beauty. Through mountains and through seas, through tribulations and trials, it tested my soul, all for a chance to stand in front of you again."
"And my knight, you finally found me. Let my dazzling good looks bless you, so that you may fight for me for thirty years more," Setsuna plays along, giggling. I hear another set of footsteps walking up to us.
"Ohoho, you two ought to audition for a play. You would be amazing actors," Monoma tells us with his usual smirk. "With you as the stars, we could create a play that would garner such a positive reputation that will eventually triumph over 1-A's undeserved glory. Just you wait!"
"Okay," I say.
"Very cool, Monoma," Setsuna says after me.
Monoma laughs and gives me a hand, helping me back onto my feet. I nod in thanks, shaking the water out of my equipment. Setsuna shields herself from the water while Monoma doesn't seem like he minds.
I groan, cracking my neck. "Never let your guard down around some people. That's how I became a castaway. Speaking of which…" I look around U.S.J.—what a strange place. "What country am I in? Greece? Where's Odysseus?"
"He's not here! You're somewhere much worse!" Setsuna exclaims in horror. "Japan! The worst country in the world! We are so pitiful, Sanji. We need you as our savior! Dear God!" She dramatically falls down, putting the back of her hand against her forehead. I catch her, and Monoma stares at us with an eyebrow cocked.
"Like I said, audition for a play. You have amazing chemistry," Monoma says with a light in his eyes. I push Setsuna back up, and she playfully rolls her eyes at Monoma. His antics are too much for us.
I take a look back at Flood Zone with the ship still there. "Is anyone gonna ask me how I ended up here?"
"Honenuki threw you off," Setsuna answers. "Then the Flood Zone's waves turned on and washed you onto shore. Simple really."
"You deduced that yourself, Miss Prodigy?" Monoma asks.
"No, I saw it happen. Oh, Awase got his head stuck in Honenuki's helmet too. He's gonna have to rip his ears off, ouch…" Setsuna winces at the thought; I do too. Awase with no ears? A nightmare. I mean, he doesn't listen in class much anyway so it won't change much, but everyone looks better with ears than without. Unless y'know, you're Manga then that's an entirely different story. Or Suzuki, who has fox ears… Or that one senior who has six ears… Or maybe elf ears like Amajiki... Yeah, where am I going this again? Maybe—?
Tug!
"You have really cute cheeks, Sanji." Setsuna tugs on my cheek, pulling me metaphorically and literally back into reality. I slap her hand away out of instinct, taking a step back. She laughs and puts a hand on her hip. "Welcome back! Did you have a nice little trip into your own mind? I betcha you got an entire world in there."
...She isn't wrong.
"Well uhm, yeah, in ways more than one," I say. I turn to Monoma next who has his hand under his chin. He's rubbing it like some kind of evil mastermind plotting to take over the entire world in one fell swoop. I ask him, "Monoma, you doing okay? You plotting something?"
He answers, "The unfortunate disappearance of Katsuki Bakugo, the revelation of Izuku Midoriya's Quirk, the toppling of Class 1-A's dynasty over U.A., and among other things. You have to be more specific, my friend." Huh, I can help with one of those things—to an extent anyway. It's been a week or so since Itsuka's outburst about the secret where Midoriya is pretty much at the epicenter. We haven't asked him about it yet, and I don't think we will. But given the nature of current events, the secret is Midoriya's Quirk. How do I know? Bakugo, actually. I ran into him a few times and well…
"Outta my way, Shitty Deku!"
"What're you doin' here, Shitty Deku?"
"Don't talk to me, Shitty Deku!"
Yeah, I'm Shitty Deku. From Bakugo, there's been rumors that Deku—I mean Midoriya, was Quirkless… If that's true, then the secret must involve Quirks—it's a logical deduction! Continuing this logic, the only way for a Quirkless man to y'know, not be Quirkless, is receiving a Quirk. Though, I never heard of a Quirk that can be transferred to others, but it's not out of the realm of possibilities. If Monoma's Quirk can copy other people's Quirks, then one that could be transferred or inherited isn't too far off. Though, it's just a theory. Theories, more likely than not, usually are wrong.
"Fascinating…" Setsuna comments, copying Monoma's pose. "My beard is giving me amazing schemes. Schemes that could further the fame of 1-B."
"Such as?" Monoma inquires, rubbing his chin harder. Setsuna takes that as a challenge and rubs hers even harder.
"Love. If word gets out that our precious little friends decide to become lovers, then people will naturally know about us. Especially if, let's say, one of our friends is an upcoming Hero who will certainly be on the Top Ten Billboards?" Setsuna suggests, nudging my shoulder with hers.
"Setsuna, we have twenty-one people in our class. Not all of us can be in the top ten," I say, feigning ignorance.
Monoma sighs, his arms dropping to his sides. "No, she meant you, Inochi. You are arguably the most famous student in 1-B, especially since Hawks took a selfie of you and him. Not to mention that—"
"Oh hey, I think I heard Kaibara's calling for you!" I look around for Kaibara, who definitely called Monoma's name. Totally! I didn't make that up out of thin air, trying to divert the conversation where it won't be about my lovelife! Not at all!
Monoma puts a hand to his chest and nods. "If he comes calling, then I must respond. I'll talk to you later, dear friends. Farewell!" He takes a bow before sliding on the balls of his feet, heading towards the Conflagration Zone. Right, Kaibara was training there with Pony, Shishida, and Komori. I never liked that zone. It's my least favorite of the bunch. I really don't like scorching heat—I like the cold better. Anyway, I don't think Monoma fell for my trick. He's way smarter than that. What really happened was: he saw me uncomfortable and decided to stop pushing. Simple! He's a good friend.
Setsuna clicks her tongue. She's ashamed of her beloved Sanji. He stooped to lowly tricks, so unbecoming of him. "Sanji, you really had to manipulate him like that? I mean, he has a crush on Kaibara."
"And Kaibara likes him too, in a very...passionate way," I tell her, which she responds by blowing air out of her nose. I will never forget what Kaibara said during Operation Boys to Men .
"Look at Mister Matchmaker here! You're an Ally of Love, right? You ought to worry about your own relationship. Look Sanji, my little handsome Hero, Itsuka is in love with you, alright? Madly in love, like extremely in love. You are perfect for her, so please, don't deny it," Setsuna tells me, so I won't say anything. Why? Why not, that's my answer. I'll just look down at her and stare. And stare. And stare. And stare.
"Gonna say something, Sanji?"
Stare.
"Sanji?"
Stareee.
"Hello?"
Stareeeeee.
"You're spacing out again, aren't ya?"
"Stare."
"Why did you say that out loud?"
"I said that out loud?"
"...Yes."
"Well… Stare."
"You're so cute, Sanji."
"Thanks," I accept the compliment. I stop staring at her so I could stare at the rest of U.S.J.—dang, this place is massive. I do see some of our friends heading back to where we are, the Central Plaza.
Setsuna hooks her arm around mine and rests her head against my shoulder—I'm still wet. I wince a little though, my shoulder is a little sore from training last night. "Aw dang it, forgot you took a dive in the drink. Eh, don't care."
"It's gonna take awhile for my stuff to dry…" I complain with a sigh following after. My costume is so wet and so uncomfortable… Thanks Honenuki…
"You have my sympathy…" Setsuna says, supporting me full-heartedly. "Anyway, what're you doing after school again? It's something for Present Mic, isn't it?" Right, almost forgot about that. Present Mic asked me to… Well…
I tell her, "I'm going on his radio show."
"Oh my God, is my Sanji going to be popular?!" she exclaims. Heh, Present Mic's radio show is called Put Your Hands Up Radio or PYHU. It's really famous throughout Japan. There isn't anyone who hasn't heard of PYHU, whether it be adults or children. It features every Friday during the PM drive, where Present Mic has music on and chats about stuff. Once per month, he has an interview with a Pro Hero. Last month, it was Yoroi Musha. This month is different, because it's not gonna be with a Hero; it'll be with me.
"He's going to get a better grade in English," I correct her in third-person. "Present Mic bribed me with extra credit if I do it for him. Apparently, Mister Aizawa was supposed to go but he canceled last minute, so he turned to me for help." Mhm, that's right. Instead of asking Midnight or Snipe to go, he asked me. Of course, I asked him why he chose me, and he said that it was the best choice. I recommended Midoriya, since y'know, he has strong ties to All Might. But Mic wanted me. It's a weird choice, honestly.
"Oh, but Sanji, you're good at English. What did you get on the last test?" she asks, placing false hope in me. Yeah, I'm not like Honenuki or Pony. I can't speak perfect English like them. I have a terrible accent and poor grammar. If I spoke in English right now, then I would probably offend an American. The best I could say is: Oh hey, how you doin'? Very cool, sonofabitch!
"Take a guess," I offer.
"Ninety."
"Nope."
"Eighty-six?"
"Lower."
"Jeez, seventy-five?
"Sorry, gotta go lower."
"Oh my God, seventy?"
"...Little more."
"...I don't wanna guess anymore. You win."
Again, I correct her, "No, I did not in fact 'win'. I very much lost. With this extra credit, I have a good chance at passing English with a good grade; even more so when Present Mic is making it a test grade. I have to sit there for a couple of hours, which could be spent studying for our Final Exams."
"You study?" Setsuna jokes with me. Or, she's being serious…? With a prodigy like her, I have no idea. Her IQ is oceans beyond mine. She might not be the strongest Hero, but she's one of the smartest—and that's why I adore her.
"Yeah, I study," I respond. "I'm just but a mere peasant who studies. My intelligence matches that of a common farmhand."
"You're not a peasant. In an alternate universe, you'd be a lord of a castle—a prince even. Why? You're handsome as heck!"
"I'd be a stupid lord."
"But a handsome one!" She didn't even try to counter what I just said…
Anyway, approaching us are Rin and Kamakiri. Setsuna waves at them, and Rin nods his head. Kamakiri just huffs. She says, "Dragon Shroud and Jack Mantis, what's the sitrep? Was your mission successful in the Ruins Zone?"
"Airhead nearly got our asses killed," Kamakiri explains, gesturing to a cut on his left arm. "The dumbass collapsed the ceiling on top of our sorry heads. I'd say that he lost a few brain cells, but he had none to lose. Right now, Vines is tearing him a new one."
"I have to admit, Tsuburaba isn't that smart," Rin agrees with his torn visor in his hands. His face is covered in bruises and dirt. "And Inochi, why are you...wet?"
I answer, "Honenuki threw me off the ship."
And Setsuna answers too, "Mudman decided to take him to Pranktown, population one."
Kamakiri cocks his head. "The hell? The asshole really threw ya off the freakin' ship? What kind of idiot does that?"
Rin nods, wiping the dirt off his jiangshi. "Not a smart one, frankly. It's an easy way to get Inochi angry, and no one wants that." Yet, Rin managed to calm me down by punching me in the face—it was during our fight with Charon. We did forgive each other—well, I apologized to him , he didn't apologize to me. It was my fault, and I'm willing to accept that.
"You're the example of Class 1-B, Inochi. Whatever you do, we follow. I'm holding you to that responsibility, and I won't be afraid to call you out," he said. Really makes a man think, y'know? What he said, it's true. I mean, it was literally proven during the fight. My friends followed me when I charged in to fight Charon. I'm their example. It's big shoes to fill, but I'll fill it. At least Rin won't be the only one who won't be afraid of telling me when I'm in the wrong.
"More like an angry Itsuka," I'd say—well, I do say not "I'd say"... Anyway yeah, no one wants an angry Itsuka. I elaborate more on that statement, "I don't get angry, but her on the other hand? Yup, I restrain her a lot."
"How many times did she try'n chop Broadway?" Kamakiri asks. Well, let's start with today… During homeroom, Monoma tried to skip class to visit 1-A and berate them. Then in Metaology, Nezu visited and Monoma tried to bribe him in order for him to "spill the details" about Midoriya's Quirk. In English, Monoma said something in English which made Pony incredibly upset—Honenuki and Setsuna too. And in our U.S.J. exercise with Thirteen, Monoma recommended that we use Class 1-A as dummies. That's four times today. Today. I stopped her once .
Let's count yesterday's incidents…
"One…" I start tallying the numbers in the air. "Two… Three…"
Rin chuckles and rests his hand on his neck. "You know it's bad when Inochi starts doing math."
"I'm a prodigy, but even I can't count how many times Monoma got the axe—or in our case, the chop," Setsuna comments.
"Hey," I get everyone's attention, "does getting hit in the head with a textbook count as a 'chop'? I think it does."
"I don't see why not," Setsuna says.
"A hit's a hit." Rin.
"Prolly." Kamakiri.
"Alright thanks!" I go back to counting. "Twenty…"
Rin exclaimed, "We were at three! I never realized just how much Monoma gets himself into trouble…"
"He is trouble," Setsuna replies with a tired sigh—tired not because of the exercise, but because of the rascal named Neito Monoma.
"Lizard Head, both you an' Broadway are trouble," Kamakiri remarks, adjusting his black cloak over him. His skin looks very ashy. That means he used his Quirk a lot. The drawbacks of Razor Sharp is itchy skin, and in worse cases, his skin bleeds.
"Hehe… 'Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble!'" she makes a Shakespearean allusion! I actually know where that comes from! King Lear, obviously.
"Since when you two are witches?" Rin asks Setsuna.
"Since always. I dunno 'bout you, but I look great in a witch costume. I might not have a big bust like Itsuka's, but mine are modest," Setsuna...brags about herself? I'm not sure if that qualifies as bragging, but it's Setsuna, so she does whatever she feels like doing and is awesome at it. Uhm, though… Once she mentioned Itsuka's bust size, everyone turns to me. They're expecting something.
"...Fifty-three," I give them exactly what they want! I'll just won't think about Itsuka's, uhm, bust. That'll make me a bit of a pervert. Actually no, that'll make me more than just "a bit". It'll make me a lot of a pervert, very much a lot.
Everyone groans. Rin whispers to Kamakiri, "I have a few thousand yen on Inochi being a closet pervert."
Kamakiri whispers back, "I got a couple thousand on them confessin' on Quirkless's birthday."
"Isn't it July 24th?"
"Yeah, same date as the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival. It's gonna be a confession to remember, that's for sure."
Setsuna skips up and joins in on the whispers, "Itsuka's gonna confess, calling it here."
"We finally agree on somethin'. I bet a few thousand more on 'er bein' the one to confess," Kamakiri says with a smirk.
"..." And I stand here. They aren't whispering! If I can hear them whispering, then that isn't whispering! That defeats the entire point of the action! It's just quiet talking!
"You won't win, Kamakiri," Rin says in confidence. He looks at me, then Setsuna, then Kamakiri. They're looking at me again.
I sigh. "What did I do to you guys?"
"You're one of 'em shonen protagonists that Cartoony an' Glasses read 'bout," Kamakiri says.
"Agreed! Manga references anime tropes just as much as Monoma references literary tropes," Setsuna adds.
"Yeah, no offense Inochi, but you were definitely born a little special," Rin adds some more. And that's really ironic considering he's the grandson of Qinglong.
"Hey Inochi." Behind me, it's my group—Awase, Honenuki, and Kuroiro. They got off the ship finally, and they look mighty dry. Awase has an innocent smile—he got the helmet off—while Kuroiro is pushing Honenuki towards me. Honenuki, on the other hand, seems like he's scared. His face is obscured because he's wearing his black and orange helmet; he probably doesn't want me to see his guilt. Awase says, "We got a present for you."
"It's a jester—no, a fiend. You wonder why men have nightmares? It's because of him, the one who curses dreams, transforming them nightmares," Kuroiro tells us. Well now, Honenuki has become my mortal enemy. The man who curses dreams into nightmares, the ones that run rampant in the mind? That cannot happen! I, as the man who wield Dreams, stand against it.
"So, you gonna kill him?" Awase asks me. "I won't judge you if you do."
"Well—"
"Why is Sanji killing Honenuki?" Itsuka enters the conversation with her group—Yanagi, Yui, and Bondo. Immediately, I end up scratching the back of my head, to which Itsuka comments, "Sanji's scratching his head again… That's never a good sign."
"I'm not gonna kill Honenuki, don't worry!" I assure her. Behind Itsuka, Setsuna starts to actually whisper to Rin and Kamakiri. Now I can't hear them.
"Heh, you might, Fists," Kamakiri snarks.
"Eh?"
I stop Kamakiri, "Let's not—!"
"I wanna hear Kamakiri out, Sanji." Itsuka places a hand on her hip, her head slightly to the side, and her eyes focused on Kamakiri. Aw crap, this won't be good. "Whaddya got?"
Kamakiri begins, "Ya see—"
And I end it, "Nothing happened—!"
He ends it, "Bony 'ere—"
I end it for him again, "Nothing happened at all—"
Kamakiri really should end what he's saying. "Decided to—"
I reprimand him, "Kamakiri—!"
"Inochi, let Kamakiri speak," Yanagi tells me.
"Mmm." Terrible idea, Reiko.
"Wh-What's happening?" Bondo asks us.
"Cement Head, Bony tossed Quirkless off the fuckin' boat an' left him to drown," Kamakiri explains it very bluntly. Honenuki didn't leave me to drown! I know how to swim! He just...didn't pay attention to me. When I think about it, that doesn't make a very good case for him.
"Manga did what ?" Itsuka says…?
Rin reminds her, "Wrong man."
"Sorry! Didn't mean to mix names up!" Itsuka clears her throat, then shoots a glare at Honenuki. "Explain yourself, Honenuki. Why did you throw Sanji off the ship?"
"...It would've been funny," Honenuki defends himself with his head hung low, his voice sounding like a downtrodden little kid. Itsuka sighs and nods, probably deciding how to deliver his punishment. And knowing her, it'll be painful—a pain that I don't wanna submit others to. With Big Fists, Itsuka is starting to bend steel . If that isn't scary, then I don't know what is.
"Honenuki," Itsuka says, her face showing resolve and justice, "you have five seconds."
Honenuki runs.
"Run," Yui tells him.
"Be free like a nightingale," Yanagi says.
"B-Be safe!" Bondo exclaims.
"He's dead," Kamakiri submits.
"Yup," Setsuna agrees.
"Guess Inochi was right…" Rin comments, remembering from before that an angry Itsuka is worse than an angry Sanji.
"Itsuka," I get her attention.
"Three," she replies with a smile. I casually step in front of her with my arms raised, blocking her path. I hear Honenuki sprinting away, his footsteps becoming softer and softer.
"Two…"
"Itsuka, no."
"One."
CLASP!
"Let go of me, Sanji! You're wet!"
"I went for a swim, what did you expect?!"
"That's why Honenuki ought to go for a swim—in the Conflagration Zone!"
"He would get a heat stroke first rather than getting burnt to a crisp!"
"Whatever works for me!"
"You're way too thirsty for revenge!"
"And you're way too nice! Guess that really sets us apart! Now lemme go!"
"To tell you the truth, I'd rather not!"
"Sanji, you jackass!"
"At least this jackass doesn't want Honenuki to get killed!"
"I will—!"
A woman clears her throat. "Ahem."
It's—?!
"Are you two done?"
Thirteen?!
"This is why we don't play practical jokes during a rescue exercise," Thirteen scolds us—all twenty-one of us—but mainly me, Awase, Honenuki, and Kuroiro. We're the troublemakers, the rebels, the juvenile delinquents! At least I was accused of being one during junior high! That means I have a head start in this race!
This will be the beginning of my rebellion!
I bow. "Please forgive us, Thirteen."
She sighs, pressing her hand against her helmet. "At least no one was hurt. Next time however, you might not be so lucky."
"I understand, Thirteen." Honenuki bows as well, along with Awase and Kuroiro. We stand back up in unison, awaiting what she'll say next.
Thirteen pulls out a sheet of paper and nods, exclaiming with glee. She says, "We should now discuss what's important—criticisms! Bare with me as I go down the list…" Thirteen starts to name everyone out individually, telling them what they need to improve on. The entire class will hear one another's criticism. It might seem rude at first, but it's actually really helpful. These criticisms might apply to us or give birth to an idea that could be beneficial to our training. Or some could be completely useless like Yanagi's advice, which it was suggested that she should study structural engineering to efficiently use her Quirk for rescue-purposes. No one other than Yanagi has her Quirk. Well, I guess Monoma too, to an extent.
And for me, my advice is…
"Armory, you haven't improved much since the last exercise. You're strong and agile, but those two things won't be enough to save lives. Rescuing requires a different thinking style than combat. Remember, you are a Pro Hero; you are not meant to inflict harm, but to rescue instead."
That's my piece alright. I already knew that I wasn't good at rescuing, since my specialty lies in combat. I know the basic skills, and the what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's. Rescuing seems simple at first, like how All Might lifts up a building to save those who're trapped inside. However, that isn't the case. Each situation is different, so I need to think different and do different. Easier said than done.
I nod, then Thirteen moves onto Kuroiro.
When she finishes, she takes a deep breath in after about twenty minutes of non-stop talking. She lowers her head, letting her arms drop to her side. "I'm done. It's time to head back and wrap up for the day. You all did extremely well despite my criticisms, so take pride in that. I'll see you all next week for our next exercise!"
We bow in respect before we start to head towards the exit. Along the way, I loosen the straps on my bracers—they were digging into my skin. Besides me, Awase has a big grin on his face. Being the curious man I am, I ask him, "What's with the smile?"
"Victory," he beamingly answers. It's like he's radiating happiness. There's only two things that could make Awase this happy: passing tests he didn't study for and girls. This must be about a girl—a specific girl actually. I imagine it's about an auburn-haired girl with glasses, who stands about 150 centimeters tall. She's short, yet the perfect height to embrace in a loving hug.
"It's Shojo, isn't it?" I say, already coming to the conclusion. A faint blush grows on Awase's cheeks, just below his eyes. He nods, hiding his embarrassment by pulling his collar up, hiding most of his face.
He replies, "Yup, we're hanging out at the arcade after this. We specifically agreed that we wouldn't tell Manga 'bout it, 'cause you know… He'd…"
"Absolutely murder you?" I finish his thought.
"Yeah, that's putting it nicely. Least he's tutoring again with Suzuki today. I'm kinda surprised that they're chummy," Awase comments, his blush fading from his cheeks. Yeah, don't think he would blush when we're talking about Suzuki. The tensions between him and 1-B did ease a little, but the tension between me and him—that's an entirely different story. We will never come to an agreement.
I sigh, scratching the back of my head. "Manga has that effect, y'know?"
"On assholes?"
"I was thinking 'moody red-haired kitsunes'..."
Awase blankly blinks for a few seconds. "Dude…"
"Yeah…?"
"That definitely implies something gay."
"Moving on," I declare, looking straight ahead to the stairs. We ascend them slowly, taking it step-by-step. "After this, I gotta head to the teacher's lounge so Present Mic could take us to his radio station."
"So I heard! You better rock your interview, man. A whole two hours!" Awase says, supporting me full-heartedly. Those two hours will fly right by hopefully.
"Thanks… Present Mic put the announcement on his website. Usually, he gets fifteen million listeners a week. But for mine…the statistical analysts said that we'll get double that amount," I tell him. Saying those numbers out loud, it's really putting everything into perspective. That's not thirty thousand people, it's thirty million . I was well-known after what happened months ago, but with Put Your Hands Up Radio , I won't be considered unknown anymore. Everyone will know my name, even if they don't pay attention to heroism news whatsoever. Once they hear "Sanji Inochi", they will go, "Oh, I heard that name before…". I guess there's no more turning back now. It's near-impossible to get un-famous, but absurdly easy to get more popular and famous. If I think about it in terms of heroism, then with what Hawks said, one of the essentials of becoming a Hero is a fanbase—a presence in the entertainment industry. That's how I can justify this. However, I'm just not that simple. My stomach is twisting at the thought. Can't do anything about it though…
Awase notices the glum look on my face. He knocks his shoulder into mine as a show of support. "C'mon dude, be more happy 'bout this! No one, not even 1-A, will get this amazing opportunity! I mean hell, millions of people are gonna listen to your voice! We, your best friends, might be forgettable, you won't be! I'm happy for ya, man!"
Heh… I can't help but smile. "Thanks Awase…"
We reach the exit of U.S.J., heading out the gates. I see Itsuka at the front of the pack. She stops, yelling at everyone to gather around. Everyone glances at me before rushing forward towards Itsuka, forming a circle. I won't be left behind! I chase after them, jogging towards the rest of my friends who're just getting settled. I seamlessly join the circle, my eyes towards my Class Representative, who says, "You guys know why I gathered us here! It's about Sanji and his interview in Put Your Hands Up Radio . I'm not one to give out homework, but for today, all of you are required to watch it, or at least listen to it. Got it?"
"What happens if we don't?" Tsuburaba asks, obviously joking.
Itsuka jokes back with a smile, "Then I'll punch you!"
"Duly noted…" he replies, taking her joke very seriously.
Itsuka raises her finger, about to tell Tsuburaba that she was joking, but she shakes her head, deciding against it. She sighs and puts a hand on her hip. "Anyway, let's give Sanji our support, alright? He's by himself here! We need to let him know that we support him!"
"You guys already do," I speak up.
"Then we'll make sure you'll never forget," Setsuna says.
"Never ever!" Pony exclaims. "If ya forget, I'll pull an Itsuka and slap ya silly!"
"Good luck, Inochi. I'll be rooting for you," Kaibara tells me.
"We shall become more famous than 1-A will ever be!" Monoma vows.
"Good hell, Broadway… But yeah, just don't mess up. I won't let ya 'ear the end of it if ya do," Kamakiri promises.
"Make sure you show 'em what you got, Inochi! Japan's hearts will go 'BA-DUMP' after this!" Manga.
"Let the Lord guide your words, Sanji. He is with you always, especially when you are a kind-hearted man." Ibara.
"You can do it, bro! The world's gonna know your name!" Tetsu.
"Uhm, I know you'll do great…" Shoda.
"Kehehe! I'll make sure I'll call in to tease ya a bunch! And make some bad jokes while I'm at it." Honenuki.
"This is only the first of a thousand-step staircase. Better make your way up as soon as you can." Rin.
"Be sure to mention me when you're in there!" Komori.
"Dude, you'll crush this interview, guaranteed." Awase.
"Mhm." Yui.
"There is no doubt that you'll perform highly." Shishida.
"Y-Yeah! You're confident, and strong, and brave… Wh-What else…?" Bondo.
"I think you got it all. Either way, if you aren't gonna boast 'bout yourself, I might just call in and do that for you." Tsuburaba.
"Your trial seems nerve-wracking..." Yanagi sighs. "Regardless of how I feel, remove yourself from the spirits that give you unwanted uncertainties."
"Lest you desire to be cursed, which I know a few tidbits about hexes." Kuroiro laughs. "I jest, I shall give you my darkly blessings born from black mist."
"Always with the dramatics, huh Kuroiro?" Itsuka jokingly says, a laugh apparent in her voice. Her eyes flutter as she turns to me with a bright smile. "Sanji—"
"Thank you," I say, "I appreciate it."
"You didn't let me finish!" Itsuka exclaims, her left cheek puffing up.
"You don't need to." I look at everyone else, who's looking back at me. Yeah, I'm their example. I don't think anyone had predicted this future honestly. Who could imagine that an entire Hero Class who turns to a Quirkless man as their leader? That sounds like one crazy world. So, as the man that everyone turns to, I can't let them down. I refuse to.
I run my hand through my black and white hair, my eyes naturally looking at the ground. I tell everyone, "I'll try my best! Don't you guys worry!"
Shojo Fukidashi
"I am very much worried."
"It's just an arcade!"
"With people."
"I'm people."
"You're a singular thing—person, a noun. 'People' is plural, unless you have a split-personality, which will be amazing for your character development."
"Why the heck should I have a split-personality? It doesn't make sense."
"It'll be an interesting plot twist, Awase! The loyal best friend who turns out to be a traitor who's been hiding his real personality this whole time! It's been done so many times, yet each twist pains the heart just the same!" I cry! Awase, who's way too tall for his own good, stares down at little Shojo Fukidashi! The look in his eyes, he must be making fun of me inside his head! He must be thinking, Dudeeeee, Shojo is such a nerd, bro! Who would ever wanna hang out with a nerdy girl like her? To that I say, "Some people hang out with me!"
"Uhm, who were you responding to?" Awase asks with a head tilt that says, You are a freak! But damn, curse my overactive imagination! I responded to my own thoughts, yet I cannot back down now! I am facing a Hero Student, a member of Class 1-B! At least it isn't Class 1-A, those stupid jerks! I ran into Bakugo the other day and he called me a "Midget Nerd"! A freaking Midget Nerd! I cried the whole time in Metaology! But tears aside, I mustn't—archaic-sounding I know—let Awase think I am a freak of nature!
"I was responding to your eyes!" I boldly exclaim, pointing at his rounded gray eyes! Awase pulls his head back and fiddles with a button on his shirt.
"My eyes?" he asks.
"Yes your eyes! Your Mystic Eyes won't fool me, Awase! I can read them like a book! They say—" I clear my throat; I'm gonna imitate Awase. "—'Hehehe, that Shojo Fukidashi is such a weirdo, dude!'"
Silence. "..."
Deafening silence. "..."
A very loud silence. "..."
"Awase, please say something, you dummy!" I grab his stupid shirt and try to yank him around, but I'm way too weak to even do that! It's like I'm pulling on a cable cord that just won't come out of the freaking outlet!
Awase comes back to reality and laughs. That's an insulting laugh! He's insulting me again! I doubled down and became the butt of every joke, didn't I?! Stupid Shojo! You not only become a clown, but the entire carnival! I need to crawl back into my hermit space and become one with the blankets! That's where I truly belong! I turn around—!
"Shojo, you going somewhere?" Awase stops me with his voice. I pause and slowly, just gently turning myself back around.
"...Home," I answer him.
"Can I ask why?"
"As much as I love fresh air, I kinda like my bed better. Good night, Awase," I say before I take my leave!
"Shojo," Awase says my name, but I'm not letting him stop me!
He walks in front of me.
So maybe he can stop me! "C'mon, I asked ya here for a reason!" Awase tells me.
I pout. "To make fun of a nerd like me?"
"To hang out with a cool girl like you!" he...corrects me? He thinks I'm cool?! Me, a nerdy girl who has shelves upon shelves of manga?! The way he's smiling too, it makes my heart flutter! No one thought I was "cool" before! Gosh, I never realized how weak I am against compliments! Especially from a cute guy like him…
I blush, looking away from him. This is the classic move of the female tsundere! The avoidant look with cheeks red as the fiery heat within her heart could make the knees of men weak! Normally, this would be accompanied by an insult with the word "idiot" at the end, yet I won't go down that route. Instead, I say, "Thanks, that means cool of you."
What the hell did I just say? I was thinking about saying either, "That means a lot to me" or "that was cool of you" (with the emphasis on "cool"). The first one was supposed to be heartfelt and the other was a witty response! What I said was neither heartfelt nor witty! Why did I end up saying what I said?!
Awase laughs again, harder this time around. "That means cool of you too! C'mon, we should head aside! I know a buncha good games here!" He gestures me to head inside. I shake my blush away—my embarrassment too—and follow behind him into the famed HERO CENTRAL ARCADES. It's a really big place. There are at least a hundred different games here, ranging from simple rhythm games to pachinkos. On the eastern side of the building is a food court, and on the tail end is VR, bowling, and stuff like that. Thousands of people visit here daily, and I even see some people in school uniforms too. I don't recognize anyone from U.A. though. On the other hand, me and Awase aren't wearing our U.A. uniforms. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his headband still wrapped around his head. While on my side of things, I'm wearing a pretty light blue dress with thigh-highs.
But dang, so many people… So many… Is there ten birthday parties here or what? So loud too! It's like everyone is yelling into my ears kinda like a shotgun firing right next to me! Where's Awase—? Oh, he's right in front of me! Thank goodness! His headband is recognizable! I make sure I'm directly behind him as we push our way to the front where a guy's there, sitting behind the counter. Luckily we don't have to wait a while, only a few people. Once we get there, Awase pulls out two HERO CENTRAL ARCADES cards and places them down on the counter. He tells the guy, "Yo, let's get a refill of 1000 credits, each." After saying that, he gets out his wallet and puts a few bills down. I can't tell how much he's paying for this; I should at least contribute… I'm not dirt poor…
The arcade guy takes the money and the cards, putting the cards in a machine. After a few seconds, he takes the cards out and hands them to Awase. "Enjoy your date."
Eh?! "We aren't on a date for your information!" Awase smirks, not even bothering to correct the jerk! How dare he think that this is a date! This is a simple hang-out and nothing more! Awase and I are friends, platonic pals even! Platonic pals doing platonic things! That's it! I open my mouth to say something, but Awase decides to head into the arcade without a second thought! Dangit Awase!
"Shojo, what do you wanna play first?" he asks. As much as I wanna play the "I'm Grumpy" game, I kinda wanna try out a certain rhythm game that requires the highest of dexterity— Hiku! . With Hiku! , you have to drag your pen all around the place; tapping bubbles, dragging the bubbles along, and sometimes even just spinning your pen around a dot. It gets really hectic really fast.
I raise my finger and answer, "I'm trying out Hiku! ."
"Oh, I saw videos of that game online. Crazy how some of 'em ace the harder levels. It looks impossible, yet they make it look easy," he comments, looking around for the machine. Once he does, his head perks up slightly, and before I know it, we're already walking.
"I know right? I heard it takes a lot of muscle memory and focus," I say.
"So basically, Inochi could get a perfect score within a few tries?"
"Pretty much. Stupid Adoptive Muscle Memory. The national competitions don't allow Quirks to be used, so at least Inochi would get disqualified right off the bat."
"He wouldn't care much about Hiku! anyway. Besides, I would think he'll be more amazed by how the game works than actually playing it."
"What do you mean?"
"Shojo, me and Tsuburaba took Inochi to see a tech demo a week back. They were letting people use freaking jetpacks meant for Support Heroes. The three of us were in line waiting, but once we got there, Inochi didn't move a single inch. All he said was, 'Technology is so amazing' and stood there like a doofus. We ended up kicking Inochi out of the line so Tsuburaba and I could fly."
"How did he react? Wait, how did flying go?"
"...We crashed."
"This is why jetpacks and enthusiasm shouldn't go together. They lead to destruction of epic proportions."
"More like destruction of my brain cells… When Inochi saw us, he looked so disappointed, but he helped us in the end. He's a great guy."
"Yeah… He is." If there's only a way to repay him for everything. Sanji does a lot for us, like defeating Villains who severely traumatized you. Let's hope he's doing well in his interview with Present Mic. For an outgoing guy like him, Itsuka said that he gets nervous whenever there's cameras involved. That's why, as extroverted as he is, Sanji is an introvert through and through. Considering Itsuka knows him so well, she loves him.
That's why I joined the betting ring! This is a very lucrative business! The entire class of 1-B has a betting ring on these two. I, an honorary member of 1-B, officially joined the group chat yesterday! Sanji and Itsuka may be aware of the betting ring, but they will never be allowed to see the inner mechanisms!
Anyway, we're at Hiku! now. No one is playing thankfully! Awase gives me a card; afterwards, I skip up to the screen as he leans against a pillar. I swipe the card through the card reader, take the pen that's attached to the side, and start tapping. Let's see… Oh! Here it is, this is the song I'll play! And it's the hardest song in the entire selection. Just gotta do this for three minutes and forty-six seconds! I point towards Awase, "Wish me luck, Welder! By the way, change your Hero Name! It sucks!"
"You're not my boss," he replies, smirking. I huff and tap the "START" button. Here I go! This will be a fight to remember!
TAP TAP TAP TAP!
This is a little difficult since the screen is a lot bigger than my trackpad, but I can manage! This isn't even my final form!
"Holy shit Shojo..."
TAP TAP TAP TAP!
A minute and a half has passed! I am going strong! No mistakes, no errors! I am a flawless machine! With a pen in hand, it's mightier than the sword!
TAP TAP TAP TAP!
"You're almost there!"
Thirty seconds left! I am still the perfect machine I am! That's right, I have tricked Awase into thinking that I was a beginner! But instead, I am a master at Hiku! ; even more so, I am known as KaguyaYuki within the community! KaguyaYuki is the famed master of masters, the one that everyone adores and inspires to be! It's been rumored that KaguyaYuki is a beautiful woman, so beautiful that you'll be blessed just from eye contact alone! But it's just me, nerdy little Shojo Fukidashi.
"TIME!" the screen yells and the music cuts off. It tallies my score, and man, it's satisfying to watch the numbers go up and up. After a few seconds, it declares that a perfect score has been achieved! For the first time in the history of the arcade, no one has ever conquered the distant perfect score, yet I have—KaguyaYuki!
Everyone around me watches as I achieve the highest score! They look at me amazed, shocked that a fragile woman like me could have the dexterity as a Pro Hero! And Awase, he has a small smile, kinda like he's saying, I had a feeling you were swindling me. Then suddenly, tickets come out. Oh right… Each song has a designated amount of tickets if you successfully complete them, and if you get a high score, you get double the amount. By doing the hardest song, which nets me 2500 tickets, I'm gonna get 5000 tickets. Yup, this will take a long time… While that's going on, I'm putting my score on the leaderboards. I could enter my full username, but that will give away my identity. So, I'll simply put "KgY" for KaguyaYuki.
I hear whispers and murmurs from the bystanders, who are surely praising me. Awase walks up, watching the tickets spill out of the machine. He puts a hand over his mouth. "Where the hell are we gonna put this?"
I suggest, "Wear it as a headband, Headband."
"Why are you and Tokage calling me that now? Ugh, damnit Kamakiri… I'd rather have a flattering nickname," he says.
"Like what?"
"Something cool! Something unique! Something that properly shows just how much of a badass I am."
"How about Bubbles?" Yosetsu Awase… The "awa" in "Awase" means "bubble".
"...No."
"If you say so, Bubbles! That's my gift from me to you!"
"If you say so, Girl! "
"Hey!"
"Your name literally means 'girl'. Your name is pretty much Girl Fukidashi, which isn't wrong."
"Hmph." I pout. The machine finally spits out all of our tickets. I tear it off and bend over a little bit, gathering everything into a neat little stack. The whispers get louder for some reason, but then I hear Awase moving around behind me, and the whispers stop. How strange… Eh, it'll take too much brain-power to figure out why. I fold everything up and give the, frankly quite big, stack to Awase. "Here you go, this is the fruit of our efforts."
"Right now, your efforts," he replies before cocking his head towards the rest of the arcade, slinging the tickets over his shoulder. Then, without further ado, we start roaming again.
"Were you impressed, Bubbles?" I ask, still running off the high from my perfect score. Achievement is a better source of dopamine than any drug.
"Of course, Girl! I've never seen you like that before," he says, adjusting our tickets a little.
"Happy?"
"Focused," Awase tells me, "your eyes were so focused on the screen, almost like there was a fire in 'em. And your smile, it kinda said, 'I'mma destroy this game's career.' It was really cute actually…"
Hmph, my face is getting a little warm. He was focusing on me more than the game itself. I'm flattered honestly. Complimenting me like that, well I need to come up with a witty response! And that is… "Bubbles, are you flirting with me?"
Awase smirks, rubbing the back of his head with a free hand. "Just the truth."
He countered it perfectly! Damnit! "Hmph, so you're saying that I'm cute only when I'm focused?"
"No, you're cute all the time. You're just extra cute when you get into the zone," he counters again! Awase is blushing just slightly, while my face is heating up like I'm in an oven! Where did he learn his power? Is he a harem protagonist all along?!
"What else is true then? C'mon Bubbles, spill the beans!" I exclaim. I came up with it on the spot! I didn't recall my infinite knowledge of the art of conversation! This was the first thing that popped in my head, so this better not backfire completely! I have to win! I gotta make Awase flustered!
Awase takes a good look at me. He starts down at my feet then makes his way up my body, stopping at my eyes. "Shojo, your thighs are something to die for."
"Eh?!" I know my thighs are very attractive, but I never expected to say that so brazenly! I mean… He did take a good look at them on my first day of school. Okay, maybe I should have expected that!
"I'm serious, I would be a Hero just for 'em."
"Jeez Bubbles, I knew you were a pervert, but I didn't know you were this perverted! You're getting excited just by thinking about my thighs, aren't you?"
"More than you could ever imagine, Shojo."
"..." Okay, I give up. Awase is too good at this game. If I say anything more, I'll become so flustered that I'll explode. This rascal probably dreams of me wearing a bunny suit, doesn't he? A thigh-loving pervert like him would think that's heaven personified. How about me? What kind of assets does Awase have? He's far from ugly—really far—he has muscles, he's a really nice guy, and he seems like he'll do anything for his friends. It's not like Sanji though. For Awase, it's kinda like undying loyalty. That's how I'd describe it. Nobody messes with his friends, else they're getting their asses kicked.
"Heh," Awase laughs, practically exclaiming, I won. "Y'know, I—"
What the…
I stop, also stopping Awase by putting my hand on his chest—yup, he's toned. "Awase—"
"Shojo—?"
"Look." I point towards the distant prize booth on the other side of the arcade. One of the top prizes is a figurine of Miko Kamishiki, the female protagonist of My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?! . She's dressed as a shrine maiden! I don't have her figurine in my collection! It's really expensive, but if we play our cards right, I could buy it here with tickets! It costs 20,000 and we have one-fourth of the amount already! I must have it!
"She's pretty," Awase comments, and she is! Shiki is a very pretty woman!
"That's why I must get her. That figurine is one of the few that I don't have from My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?!. Awase, we have to get Shiki by all means necessary!"
"Alright! Ready to bring your Plus Ultra, Shojo?"
"You bet I am!"
17,135 tickets acquired. At least, that's my mental calculations. Awase couldn't hold over ten thousand tickets so he went to the ticket machine to convert it into a simple paper slip. He left ten minutes ago. Jeez, I should've asked to stay with him because there's so many people around me! But, if I want Miko Kamishiki—the fair maiden—then I have to be by myself! My anxiety might be too much, but the shame of not getting her would be even worse! Once Manga sees this, he would be so jealous! That's right, Shojo! Do this for Manga! Do it so you can shove Shiki in his stupid little face! Then, I'll invite Pony over so we can geek out together! Kamakiri too, because he obviously has a thing for her.
"One more round…" I say, staring at the wheel. The jackpot is 3,000 tickets, enough to give me what I deserve! I have enough credit for one more round before I have to find Awase. Just gotta spin hard, putting everything I got into getting the jackpot! Luck has a part to play, so I need to pray to whatever God there is! "Please… Bless me with Shiki garbed in miko."
I grab the handle and—!
SPIN!
It spins! The wheel spins around and around, the numbers flying pass the red arrow that's on the top of the wheel. The jackpot better land there! C'mon! C'mon!
It's slowing down! The jackpot passes the arrow, but it has enough speed to go for one more revolution! I mutter, "You better not wimp out on me! You can do it! I believe in you!"
It's slower now! So close! It's getting there! Almost...there! The jackpot is right under the arrow! You're almost there, buddy! Just a little more! A little more! And—!
"Ten tickets!"
…
It spits out ten tickets. Literally one centimeter. Just one centimeter to the left and I would've gotten it. I take my ten stupid tickets and say, "Y'know what, I hate you too. If I had a Quirk like All Might's, I would punch you into oblivion."
It asks, "Wanna try again?"
"Go to hell." And die, that too, but I didn't have it in me to scream like Bakugo because I am not an angry pineapple choking on his own ego. Nope, I am just a mere nerd who's drowning in panels and panels and panels of mangas. Ugh, facing Awase with utter defeat would be terrible. He wouldn't mind; I know, but it's embarrassing! Especially since this ugly butt of a machine decided to screw me over! At this rate, my chances of getting Shiki is slim!
Anyway, let's find Awase. He should be at the closest wall, since that's where the ticket machines are. Only problem is… People.
Yup.
People.
And I am a midget. Alright Shojo Fukidashi, it's time to die. Embrace that you are a pitiful woman who accomplished nothing and will never accomplish anything noteworthy in her life. Death from a crowd of people is something you deserve.
And anxiety—so much freaking anxiety. My heart is swimming in anxiety, and I can't even swim! I don't know how to swim! And a bathing suit? I love a beach episode the same as the other girl, but being in one will be terrible for my heart.
Ugh, never mind! I gotta get going!
I squeeze through tiny gaps between people. Some of them are cute little kids while others are hulking giants capable of squashing me with their thumb. You have to thank Mutation-type Quirks for that. Anyway, gotta find Awase! Gotta find Awase; gotta find Awase; gotta find Awase; where the hell is he?
I made it to the wall, but he isn't there. Oh wait shoot, this isn't where he's at. I don't see any ticket machines, only more arcade machines that look like ticket machines. Dang it all… Okay, need to deduce where he's at. He's not to my right, since there's a corner over there, so he's gotta me to the left! If I just walk down, I'll find Awase! Just need to look for his trademarked headband and that'll be it!
I—?
"Hey hey!" someone behind me—a guy—greets me. I don't recognize that voice. I turn around and boy, I don't recognize him! Please tell me that he isn't in my class, because I almost memorized everyone's faces! I am 95% sure that he's not! I don't think he's in U.A. in general!
"Uhm, hi?" I reply, taking a step back. Okay, getting to Awase would be a lot harder than I thought. This black-haired guy looks like he's about my age, or a little older than that. And he's tall too, but then again, practically all men are tall to me. Something about his eyes though…
"Hey again, you looked like you were lost! Need any help?" he asks, and then he gets really close to me! My head is almost against his chest! I try to step back, but there's people behind me!
"W-Well, I'm not really lost—!"
"Sorry, I couldn't hear ya."
"Eek?!" He's putting an arm around me! This is more than a violation of personal space! Is this really happening to me right now?! God, where's Awase? I need him!
He leans his face close to my ear. His stupid breath is too hot! "What did you say again?"
"Uh! Uhm! I-I'm not… Not! Not—not—not… Not—!" I take a deep breath in. "—Not… L-L—"
"Hey…" he whispers again! He needs to stop whispering! He's gonna give me a heart attack at this rate! "You're KaguyaYuki right?"
"Ehh?!" I've been discovered?! Why did it have to be like this?!
"The rumors were right, you're really cute. I bet a lotta guys tell you that, huh?"
"N-No…" I feel like I'm about to cry.
"Heh, glad that I finally get to see ya face-to-face. Once I saw 'KgY' back at the Hiku! game, I knew it was you. I never thought that the real KaguyaYuki would be this cute. And not to mention..." His hand makes his way down my back.
I try to push him away, but no luck; I'm too weak. I'm not strong enough to push him away. Damnit all! "S-Stop!"
"Why? With legs like yours, who would—?" Someone grabs him by the shoulder and yank him off of me. He exclaims, "The hell?!"
"Who the fuck are you?" It's...Awase! Finally! Any more and I would have broken down crying!
"Who the hell are you ? Her boyfriend?" the guy shouts back, getting up in Awase's face. Awase isn't intimidated. He's scarily serious; he's never serious like this!
"No—"
"Then step off, don't ya?"
"A-Awase…" I say, running behind him. I grab onto his arm; I feel a few tears running down my cheeks. He sees the awful state I'm in, then he gives the asshole a glare that would make anyone scared.
He asks him, "You made Shojo cry?"
"She's fine—!"
PUNCH!
"—Awase?!"
THUD!
"...Think I punched this asshole a little too hard."
Immediately, the crowd disperses, forming a circle around the three of us: me, Awase, and the dazed pervert. The security guards take notice and walk through the crowd, making their way to us.
Oh crap...
Awase puts his hands up. "Hey guys, I can explain everything—!"
"..."
"..."
"So…"
"So."
"Guess our day was kinda ruined, huh?" I rhetorically ask Awase. It's all because of a pervert. The guards didn't care who started the incident, so they kicked the three of us out. We're banned there for a month. Ugh, I'm so stupid… I should've stayed with Awase. That way, we would have never encountered that douchebag.
"Yup… I wanna turn back time," Awase says.
"Tuturu..." I say depressingly. Man, I can't even say "tuturu" right.
Awase laughs anyway. "That's how I feel. I'm sorry Shojo." We keep walking. I don't know where we're walking towards. We're just walking.
"Why are you apologizing?" I ask, pressing the tips of my fingers together. "You did nothing wrong."
"Well, that I agree with. Bastards like that, they deserve to get punched. But we ended up getting banned for a month." Awase sighs, shaking his head. "Guess I'm not a fun guy to hang out with, and I asked you to come in the first place."
I exclaim, "That's not true! I wanted to hang out with you, Awase! You're a really cool guy!"
"Ya think so? I mean, I know I'm cool, but am I cool cool?"
"Even that! Every time I see you, you're the archetype of the dependable sidekick that everyone can count on and admire! You're so underrated that it's a crime!"
"Is that supposed to be a compliment!"
"Yes! Talk to Manga to understand my references! Moving on, you're one of the few people that I would go outside with willingly ."
"I didn't save you from that fucker, Catharsis."
"Yeah, but you texted me a lot though, before and after." Jeez, it was months ago that I gave Awase my number with Sanji. It was for what again? Oh right, a party for Kamakiri: Operation Jack Mantis . Me and Awase have been texting each other ever since then. No one really knows how much we've been texting.
"True, so whaddya saying, Shojo?"
"Well, what do you think? You're a great guy. I'd be satisfied doing anything with you. And…" I feel my chest quickly warming up, or that could be from how hot today is. I'm even looking away slightly, trying to avoid his gaze. "I-I feel really safe around you… Y-You're my hero, Awase."
"..."
THUD!
Eh?! Awase fell on his hands and knees! He's clutching his heart! "Awase, are you choking?!"
He yells, "My heart's choking!"
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I don't know how to do CPR!"
"This is how I die…"
"You can't die on me! You're supposed to be my hero!"
"Forgive me, Shojo!"
"Awase—!"
"The fuck?""No swearing, Togaru! We talked about this!"
"Wha—?" Awase and I say in unison, looking up. Oh my God, it's them. It's Kamakiri and Pony. Awase stands on his knees while we stare at them. They look so cute! They have bubble tea in their hands! They drank together!
Pony asks, "Heya! Are ya two are on a date?"
I point at them and reply, "Full Counter."
She puffs her cheeks, huffing. "That's no fair! Why you gotta Full Counter me?!"
"Ugh, what the hell…" Kamakiri says, "Glasses, Headband; I got somethin' really important to tell ya. Really damn important, more important than even All Might's secret love child or some crap like that." All Might has a secret love child?
"What is it, Kamakiri?" Awase asks, finally standing up.
"Well…" Kamakiri takes Pony's hand.
"Huh—?"
SPRINT!
They're running?!
So they are on a date and Kamakiri doesn't wanna admit it! That's it, I'm getting a confession outta them where they like it or not! I hop on Awase's back, who yelps in surprise. "C'mon Bubbles, we gotta chase after them! This would be great blackmail for Setsuna to have! Giddy up!"
"Alright! I'm finally getting back at Kamakiri for what he did back at the Sports Festival! Ready Shojo?"
"Of course I am! Let's go!"
Awase sprints after them with me in tow.
Sanji Inochi
Pony: "inoooooochi"
Me: "What's up?"
Pony: "so yknow how togaru and i went out today?"
Me: "Something bad happened"
Pony: "how dya know that something bad happened?!"
Me: "Instinct?"
Pony: "hmph"
Okay, Kamakiri and Pony went out on a date—too bad that neither of them considered it an actual date—and so did Awase and Shojo. Ironically enough, we call both girls by their first names and the guys by their family names. That's not a relevant detail whatsoever, but I just realized that. Gosh, I'm scatterbrained. I'll ignore that weird detail and think about our two couples. They had an unexpected encounter.
Me: "You guys met Awase and Shojo?"
Pony: "yup, togaru ran from them!
Me: "Ran?"
Pony: "yea! we ran like crap away from those two! i dunno why, but it was fun!"
Me: "That's the bad thing? It's just Awase and Shojo. They're harmless"
Pony: "i know! they chased after us but uhm"
Pony: "please don't be mad"
Pony: "i dropped my bubble tea while i was running like heck"
Pony: "and they kinda"
Pony: "slipped"
Pony: "and fell"
Pony: "a lot"
Pony: "a lotta lot"
Pony: "shojo is crying and i feel really bad!"
Pony: "even togaru isn't acting like a grumpy grump!"
...I can't go one day without someone dying on me. The other day, it was Komori because Kagesuke had her notebook in his mouth; we had a test that day. Komori was in literal tears because she hadn't studied at all. Kuroiro couldn't tame his fiendist mutt, so we had to ask Koda from Class 1-A to help. It worked like a charm. But Monoma was there. He said to Koda, and I quote, "Ohohoho, Koji Koda of Class 1-A! I thought you wouldn't be daring enough to aid a lesser people! You're walking into a class of filth, so doesn't that mean you're filth yourself? Tell me—"
Then Itsuka chopped him.
Me: "You four okay though? Relatively I mean"
Pony: "yea, i guess so"
Pony: "we're in a cafe about to watch your interview with present mic!"
"Inochi," Present Mic gets my attention. He has his headphones hooked up to the monitor in front of him—or computer, I don't know. The monitors are built into the table, and there's USB plugs in the table compartments; it's hard to explain it. Anyway, Mic says, "We're almost ready! Better finish up your text 'fore we start with PYHU!"
"Roger," I say.
Me: "Speaking of which, we're about to start. Wish me luck, Pony!"
Pony: "mhm! we're counting on you!"
I put my phone on the table, just to my left. I grab my headphones that're around my neck, pulling them apart just enough that the muffs go over my ears. They snap into place, I lean in close to the microphone, and I think that's it! I look at Mic and he's giving me a thumbs-up. The man in the other room gives us a thumbs-up as well, nodding at Mic. God, my heart's beating. We're about to start! Over thirty million people will be listening to us! Gotta stay calm… Jeez, I was so much calmer back at school! Okay, Present Mic gave me loose guidelines of what to follow. I just gotta keep the conversation going… Just keep it going…
The man counts us down with his fingers. Three… Two… One…
Music!
"Hey hey! Ho ho! Yo yo! All you Listeners out there, Put Your Hands Up for the Voice of Heroism why don'tcha?! We're comin' at ya from Musutafu, Japan once again—the famed City of Heroes! It's me, Preeeesent Miiiiiiiic! On this Friday evening, you know the drill, we got a special person here this month! Gotta have the talk before the music! This time, the talk isn't with a Hero, but a U.A. student! Most of ya might know him already from his skills back at the Sports Festival, but here he is sitting with me today! He is the star Class 1-B, Sanji Inochi! But right now, he's The Weaponry Hero: Armory! How are you feeling?"
"Well, kinda nervous, Present Mic," I answer truthfully, smirking a little. Though, it doesn't stop my heart from being so fast. Gotta be witty, kinda like when I'm talking to Itsuka. "I mean, I'm sitting here with you after all. It's hard to contain my anxiety!" That's good, Sanji! Just keep doing that!
"Aw, don't flatter me too much! You're just nervous 'cuz of the crazy amount of Listeners here today, isn't that right? C'mon Booth—" (Mic refers to the man in the other room as "Booth".) "—tell us how many avid Listeners we got tonight!"
Booth taps his mic, his deep, yet silky voice about to ring out in our ears. "Well Present Mic, I don't know about you, but our numbers are astronomically high on this cool Friday evening. As it stands, we have over twenty million Listeners tuning in to hear the Voice, and the numbers are rising fast."
Present Mic exclaims, "There you have it, folks! Just as what Booth says, we got over twenty million and counting! Goodness gracious, we need a Listener counter in here somewhere! We haven't gotten this many Listeners ever since All Might's guest appearance! Even then, we don't have nearly as many Listeners as that interview, heh."
I chime in, "All Might is a very popular man. He isn't the No.1 Hero for nothing. Though, I think that people are here to see what's going on with me rather than my accomplishments." And obviously, they're here to see the legally Quirkless man speak.
"That's why we have you here, c'mon Armory! In English class, you're always spacing out! Where's your head at, man?!" Mic asks me, still exclaiming as always. In class, he's always loud, but he tones it down. Here, he's as loud as he wants. I'm not sure if that's his persona or his real self.
I laugh a little into the microphone, putting my elbows on the table. "The stars, honestly. I'm sorry Present Mic, I don't mean to daydream in your class."
"Offense taken! Am I that boring of a teacher?" he asks. Present Mic winks at me behind his tinted glasses. Oh, I think he wants me to play along. This is supposed to be a little bit of a joke, isn't it? Heh, I can do that.
I clear my throat, looking at Booth. "Uhm Booth, what's the right answer?"
Present Mic sputters and slams his fists on the table. "Don't answer that, Booth! C'mon, I'm a good teacher right?!"
Booth doesn't answer.
"Armory, I'm a good teacher, right? Wait, even better, I gotta be your favorite teacher. Every student has a favorite teacher!" he says, putting it as fact. Well…
"Yeah, students typically have a favorite teacher."
"And…?" Present Mic leads on, moving his hands to pressure me into saying the right answer. Well, about that.
"Good question; great question," I announce, awkwardly staring at my monitor. It has today's date and time on it. Soon, when we get calls, we'll see it on there. "I care about you a lot, Present Mic, so for the sake of your pride, let's move on."
Present Mic dramatically clutches his heart, leaning into his microphone. "The cold shoulder! Who knew Armory could be so cruel, folks?! This kid is known for being the sweetheart of Class 1-B! Yet, he has to lie to save my aching heart! His kindness, like a rose, has thorns!"
"Sakuna Kazeha did say that I'm like a poisonous flower, so watch out," I playfully warn him. At the mention of Sakuna Kazeha, Present Mic lowers his head.
"Armory, mentioning that woman, that's a low blow. I swear, she's gonna the next Midnight! Look, I went to U.A. with her, Midnight I mean, when I was your age! Her and Eraserhead and Obo—!" Present Mic stops himself. He pauses in the middle of his sentence; he was about to say another name wasn't he? Whoever this "Obo" is—or was —it hits too close to home. I'd rather not pry—one: because Present Mic is my teacher; and two: that isn't right.
I chuckle, scratching the back of my head. "We'll see, Present Mic. We're only first-years after all. The future's still young."
Present Mic shakes whatever thoughts he has out of his head, nodding. "And that, you are right! Dang though, you reminded me that you're only just a first-year, Armory! Look at you, you're one of the most well-known students in U.A., besides from the Trio of Class 1-A!"
"Aw, I'm not as popular compared to them. I mean, I was knocked out in the first stage of the Sports Festival—thanks Suzuki—while they went onto the tournament. Midoriya fought Todoroki and...we know what happened there. Bakugo ended up winning the whole thing because of his incredible technique and agility."
"What about you? You have incredible technique and skill thanks to your training with Master Kendo! Listeners, remember that! Along with Master Kendo's granddaughter, Battle Fist, Armory is his disciple!" Present Mic reminds his dearly devoted Listeners. But for his question, that's true. I have a high level of technique and skill, yet my strength and agility are limited. My fight with Suzuki proved it. There's no point in fighting in terms of natural brawn and speed, because he would demolish me any day of the week.
And Midoriya too.
Yet I beat him in spars because his technique is unrefined. Thinking back on it, I acted with emotion during my fight with Suzuki. I didn't have the same mindset compared to when I spar with Midoriya. I didn't even have to react to Midoriya's attacks that often, because I knew his exact attacks from just a single glance alone.
That was why I lost to Suzuki. I acted on emotion, not instinct. But it gave me a good way to improve myself.
I answer Present Mic, "Thank you, really… I still have a long way to go. Right now, thanks to a fight I had earlier in the year, I began to work on a new skill with Master Kendo."
"Really?! What is it? Spill the beans, Armory! Don't leave all of us dangling like some cat!"
"Prediction," I say, "it's prediction. You have to admit, Present Mic, that I am at a severe disadvantage. I'm not the fastest or the strongest student here due to Quirks. But I don't need to be the fastest or the strongest. By predicting what my opponent does next, just by noticing their subtle body movements, I can counter their attack before it has even begun. And unfortunately, my Adoptive Muscle Memory won't let me learn this skill. This is a skill that I have to grind out like everybody else, but I'm not complaining."
Mhm. My AMM copies technique, not instinct. Technique is concrete, to say the least. If you perform a technique right, then it's always correct. Sure, some techniques can be wrong compared to others, but given in that specific context, then it's correct . The same can't be said with instinct. Let's say instinct tells you that eggs do not come from chickens. In your mind, your instinct is right, but everyone knows that eggs do come from chickens, so your instinct is incorrect. If I apply this to prediction, then whenever someone twists their hips, then they're trying to go for a kick. My prediction is right , but then their kick is a feint, and I got punched in the face, so my prediction is incorrect . What I need to do is make my prediction correct , and make it constantly correct . Adoptive Muscle Memory cannot turn the incorrect into correct , that's all me.
"Ah, you might wanna talk to Mirio Togata! He has to predict a ton when using his Quirk!" Present Mic tells me, smiling. "Though Armory, that's mighty smart! You can't use your Quirk, but that means you have less avenues of training! You can focus on improving your physical body and your mindset more than others! That's why you're one of the best fighters in all of the freshmen, honestly!"
I shake my head. "That's not true. There's a ton of people better than me—Itsuka, Ojiro, Todoroki, Midoriya, Bakugo—"
"Think you can take him?" Present Mic asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Eh?"
"C'mon, think you have what it takes to win against Lord Explosion Murder?!"
"Uhm, please tell me that isn't his Hero Name." Is Present Mic asking what I think he's asking? Crap, I think Bakugo is watching this interview too. I mean, Midoriya and Ashido told me they are. It won't be a stretch for Bakugo to tune in… I need to be careful of what I say here, else I'll have a "friendly" encounter with him on Monday.
Mic laughs, throwing his arms up in the air. "Nah! Midnight didn't let him have it! Poor guy! But but but, you haven't answered my question, Armory~! The world is waiting for your answer! They are absolutely dying to hear you!"
I sigh, lowering my head closer to the mic. I gotta answer. There's no way I can avoid this. "It'll be a toss-up. First of all, it's a fight between a Quirk user and a Quirkless; he has a major advantage already. If we assume that we have our equipment, then I have the advantage of ranged attacks, which he could easily avoid with his agility alone—no Quirk needed. If Bakugo decides to attack me from afar, I could dodge them, so let's say ranged combat isn't a viable option. That leads us into close combat, which I have the upper hand in—"
"Because again, you're a master in martial arts, just like Master Kendo! That's a skill one shouldn't take lightly!"
"Heh, yeah… Anyway, where was I? Right, close combat! At first, I will be severely put in a bad spot because Bakugo is again, has superb technique with Explosions. It'll take me time to adapt to his attacks, so I better hope that I won't be defeated until then. If, or when, I adapt, I'll be able to counter him properly even while Quirkless. So given the right circumstances, there's a chance that I could beat him.
"Oh wait, I haven't even considered kenjutsu or my grappling hook… Jeez…" I press my hand against my head. Right, in a fight against Bakugo, I ought to utilize everything I have. With kenjutsu and my mobility—with my grappling hook—it'll even the odds. I'll say it here—it is possible for me to beat Bakugo in a spar. The odds aren't in my favor though.
Present Mic laughs into his microphone, leaning back into his seat, nearly snapping it off the base. I try to say something, my mouth opens and everything, but I just close my mouth and silently stare at him. He says, just about howling like some crazy rabid dog, "Well, you heard it here folks! Straight from Armory himself, there is a chance for a Quirkless man to beat the man who is arguably the top dog! Can you imagine the reversal of roles here? I think we're living in an influential time, Listeners!"
He leans in closely to the mic, staring at me with a smile. "Heh, imagine Armory's Quirk, wouldn't ya?"
"I knew you would lead into that!" I exclaim, pushing my chair slightly back, gripping onto the edge of the table. "Everyone is in a hubbub about my Quirk, my goodness! My friends, Mister Kan, practically every teacher in U.A.!"
"You can't blame us, Inochi! Your Quirk is a total mystery! No one has a hint of a clue of what the heck it is! We know that it's an Accumulation-type and a Mental-type! But besides that? Absolutely nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch! C'mon, you surely gotta find something out, right? Throw our Listeners a bone!" Present Mic gestures towards my microphone, waiting for me to tell the Listeners something—anything really.
"Well," I say into the mic, "whatever my Quirk is, I won't disappoint. I know there's word that my AP Level will be in the ten thousands, and that's true. Once I finally unlock my Quirk, you won't see The Weaponry Hero: Armory. Instead, I'll have a new name to fit my new life."
Present Mic pushes up his glasses and smiles brightly. "I expected nothing less from a dreamy Hero Student like you! Making promises, assuring Japan that you won't let them down, how heroic! This is why All Might's time as a Hero was the greatest in history! He inspired generations upon generations of rising Heroes to fill the streets of Japan! We see rising Heroes like Lemillion about to step into the bright world of heroism! However, this isn't about him, isn't it? This is about our good friend, Armory! So we better get to know him! This is somewhat of an interview after all! Let's switch gears to his life before U.A., why don't we?"
"Eh?" Is Present Mic gonna talk about my life as a foster kid? Well uhm, alright. I'll go along with it.
"If you don't know already, Inochi is a foster child who's currently living with his guardian, Master Kendo. However, he wasn't always living with him and the Kendos. Inochi, why don't you tell us life as a foster child?" he asks.
I find that my eyes are drifting down at the table. I let out a dry cough and lean forward a little more. "Well, it's not glamorous like you think—if you even think it's glamorous anyway. Really, you're moving from town to town, city to city, never really putting down any roots. I mean uhm… Sometimes, it's hard; sometimes, it's difficult trying to find what you really wanna be in this world."
"I feel that! That's something we could relate honestly. Those who say otherwise, well pssh, they're liars. Japan's a big place, y'know! Big people, even bigger cities! It's hard to know what you wanna do, and your parents are supposed to guide ya. Do you remember what they were like?"
"Well…" I think back to the blurry image of my father. Short white hair and with a posture like a wrinkled tree, but unbreakable. He had a limp on his left leg, if I remember correctly. "My father, he was a kind man. He had white hair like how I kinda do. That's about it."
"Anyone else?"
My head starts to pound against my skull. I don't flinch from the sudden pain; the pain is tolerable.
"I'll take you there, I promise."
I shake my head, not to answer Present Mic's question, but to shake the words away. That was my brother's voice. I only heard his voice, but I can't envision where he said it. Nothing in my brain can come up with the right memory to match what he said. Present Mic notices a shift in my mood and leans his head back, as if he's telling me that he'll ease off the subject. He asks, "Well, he has a good son! Heh, anyway… What made you decide to chase after heroism as a whole? Especially with your circumstances."
"What you said earlier: All Might. He inspired me to become a Hero. Really, I only chased after it in seventh grade. It… It was the best decision I made in my life," I admit, smiling. "Because of that one decision, Gin Ikumoto, my previous guardian, pushed me towards Master Kendo and Musutafu. I have friends that I honestly never had before, those who don't care that I'm Quirkless. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity. The things that led up to this, the exact order of events, they will never happen again in the history of the world. I can't squander what God, or whoever's up there, gave me."
"How amazing! Inspirational even! With a story like yours, it's something outta a movie or a TV show! I think I'm even getting inspired right now!" Heh, that must be a joke.
"Heh, my story isn't that interesting compared to everyone else's. In my class, we have the grandson of Qinglong, who was the No.1 Hero in China; we have my queen: Setsuna Tokage; we have the son of a Villain who more than redeemed himself; and we also have the granddaughter of Master Kendo."
Present Mic giggles like a girl, putting his hand over his mouth. "Itsuka Kendo!"
"Yeah, that should be her name."
"Anything that's equally important?"
"Her Quirk is Big Fists."
"Anything else?"
"She's the Class Representative of 1-B."
"Anything anything else?"
"She's practically the 'Big Sister of 1-B'."
"Anything anything anything else?"
"Everyone adores her."
"Goodness Inochi, you're gonna make me so frustrated that I wanna strangle myself with my own headphone cord!"
"Please don't do that." I know Present Mic's game. Why else would I respond like that? I cross my arms, having them on my lap. "Present Mic, I don't mean to offend you, but you're way too invested in the relationships of your students."
"I blame Midnight," he says, eyeing elsewhere; the exact place doesn't have Midnight there. It's literally just a wall with a couple of pictures on it. "But fair point, Armory. Why don't we move onto something else? Like, for example, any possible transfers from the General Courses? Remember the Hero Course Tutoring program?"
"How could I forget? It wasn't that long ago," I say. Yeah, that was kinda chaotic. Having Suzuki and Nichirin in my class, they were the ones who really riled everyone up. Suzuki, because he's Suzuki, and Nichirin, because he's Nichirin. I even have Nichirin's number actually. Since the program ended, he texted me every day to keep me updated on his training. Today, he sent me: "Honorable Sanji Inochi, I am pleased to inform you that I do not fall unconscious after three minutes of extended use of Sun King! Once I pass this limit, I shall pass you in return! Harden your skills and aptitude for combat, Armory!"
Oh, I have Suzuki's number too. When we exchanged them, it was very awkward. Suzuki ended up breaking the ice by taking my phone and putting his number in my contact list, then he insulted my "complete inability to use technology like a normal person". The last thing he sent me, which was a few days ago, was:
"inochi, this might be a little random, but please punish your comic head dumbass for me"
"during our tutoring session today, one of his 'child friendly' mangas ended up in Koko's hands"
"you see, i would hurt him myself, but i'm a decent man"
"i don't commit murder in front of children because i am very civilized"
"so yeah, just do that for me"
"thanks"
I left him on "Read", but I did talk to Manga about it. He prostrated before me.
"Hey hey, Inochi! You're spacing out again!" Present Mic's voice suddenly rings in my ears. I jolt up in my seat, nervously chuckling. He sees that I'm back and laughs with me. "See folks? Armory can space out like an astronaut! Hehe… Anyway, I'mma repeat myself! 'Who do you think will be transferred to the Hero Course?'"
"Hitoshi Shinso is a likely option," I tell him. Back at the Proxy Battles, he had Mister Aizawa's restraining weapon. He's being trained by him. "Given Mister Ai—I mean, Eraserhead's influence in U.A., Shinso will definitely be transferred if he keeps up the good work."
"What about anyone from Class 1-D? There's some impressive folks in there!" Mic exclaims, obviously alluding to a certain few.
"Well, Gera Rudolphus has a very impressive Quirk. If she improves on her studies, then she'll transfer too. As for Karisuma Suzuki…" I pause, letting myself collect my thoughts. "Putting aside our past differences, he has what it takes. He's strong and intelligent, capable of being a proper Hero in his own right. That's enough for a transfer."
"Interesting! Since I'm a staff member of U.A., I am totally not asking for your opinion because I'm terrible at my job! Something like that is absolutely impossible, y'know!" he says into his mic, laughing at his own joke. I laugh too. I lean back in my chair, and stare up at the ceiling, the light hitting my eyes.
"Well Present Mic, this year… This year really is the year where the borders of the realm of impossibility are challenged."
"Eh? Where did that come from?"
Sip!
This is really good juice. My throat really needed it after all that talking. Present Mic sighs and kicks his feet up on the table, his hands at the back of his head. He rolls his head around, the sound of his neck cracking barely audible with my headphones on. He says, "I knew I made the right decision picking ya! You did really well for the first half of the interview!"
"Thank you, Present Mic, but I'm still a bit confused though. Why did you pick me over any other Hero? Or even a student like Bakugo or Midoriya?" I ask, putting my juice box down.
"Easy answer!" He snaps his fingers. "You're a special guy! An underdog in a world of lions and bears! No other Hero has the same origin as you're going through right now! And I could have chosen Bakugo or Midoriya, but they haven't made an impact on the world like you have! That, and they are totally not cut out for public relations, let alone radio shows! Just 'cause they're the strongest in U.A. doesn't mean that they're able to handle things like this! You understand now?"
"A little…" I answer. "Still, I'm not a Hero yet. I haven't impacted Japan like how the average Hero has, let alone leaving an impact like All Might or Endeavor. Class 1-A, they're fated to leave a strong impact on the world."
"Jeez, you're gonna make me a broken record, Inochi!" he exclaims, snapping his wrists forward and pointing his fingers at me. "Who's saying that you aren't fated to be amazing? C'mon! You're Armory! You're absolutely spectacular! Say it with me, 'I'm meant to be GREAT!'"
"I'm meant to be GREAT!" only Present Mic says.
"..."
He frowns. "You're supposed to say it with me. Let's try again!"
"I'm meant to be GREAT!"
"Uhm, I'm meant to be great."
"As the Voice, yours weren't in it! You gotta be louder this time, Inochi! Say it again!"
"I'm meant to be GREAT!"
"I'm… I'm meant to be great!"
"Again! Louder on 'great'! Use your lungs, your diaphragm! Use every part of your chest! I'm giving you 'Plus', so give me 'Ultra'!"
"I'm meant to be GREAT!"
"I'm meant to be GREAT!"
"Almost there! If you're gonna become a Hero, then you need to be loud and boisterous! You gotta be singing the song of heroism, so that when disaster comes, those in need are looking for a Hero to listen to! So let it be yours! That's what it means to be a Pro!"
I take a deep breath in, my chest puffing up. "I'm meant to be GREAT!"
And I'm the only one who said it.
Present Mic smiles and snaps his fingers again; I can feel pride beaming from him. "That's right! This year, each and every one of you are great! You shouldn't worry about people who could be or might be better than you! You gotta bring yourself up!"
"Heh…" What we just did was incredibly goofy, but it was heartwarming to say the least. "I said that not from the lack of self-esteem, but I genuinely believe that some things I have or get the right of having, others deserve it more."
"There's nothing wrong with that! But sometimes, you gotta think 'bout yourself! I bet Kendo tells you that often, doesn't she?"
"More than you can imagine."
"Man, you have a great partner by your side! Better treasure her, if you know what I mean." He winks.
"...Hey Present Mic, tell me about the next part of the interview!" I exclaim, completely changing the topic as if I didn't hear what he said. He drops his smile and his head, letting out a defeated sigh.
"Alright then… We'll have our faithful and awaiting Listeners call in with questions of their own! Or any comments, who knows! Either way, we'll be hearing a bunch of callers!" he explains, having a finger raised. Hopefully, these callers will have good questions for me.
"The commercial break is over in thirty seconds," Booth tells us. Present Mic immediately starts stretching his arms, cracking his fingers, his elbows, and then his shoulders. I roll my chair closer to the desk, my eyes focused on the monitors in front of me. On here, I'll have information about the callers that Booth will hook up to my computer. Present Mic shoots me a thumbs up before looking towards Booth, who's holding up ten fingers. Then five fingers… Four, three, two, one…
"Hey hey Listeners and Put Your Hands Up why don'tcha?! Thanks for waiting out the commercials while we get things handled on our end! Now, we'll be getting to what I believe is the best part of any interviews on this radio show—the callers! You, my awesome Listeners, could talk to Armory! Ask anything! Say anything! Don't hold your passion back! Booth, why don't you start us off?!"
Booth replies, pushing some buttons, "My pleasure, Present Mic. Our first Listener is… Uhm… How do I say this?"
Present Mic and I glance at each other, before looking back at Booth. He says, "Our first Listener is Katsuki Bakugo."
"..."
"..."
I mouth to Present Mic, Can we pass him and find another Listener? He shakes his head, mouthing a No in response. Present Mic laughs and gives Booth a thumbs-up. "Let's hear Katsuki Bakugo, Booth! Let's see what he—" He clears his throat. "—has to say…"
Reluctantly, Booth hooks up Bakugo's call. I cover my mouth, closing my eyes for a brief second. Please let this turn out okay… Oh God, why did Bakugo have to be the first Listener? Is it because he doesn't lose? Is that why he's first? He can't settle for being the second Listener or the third? But only the first? I'm—?!
"Shitty Deku!" Bakugo screams in my ears. Well…
Present Mic taps his mic, saying, "Bakugo, don't use foul language! We have children listening—"
"I don't give a damn! Shut the hell up, Mic!" Bakugo snaps at Present Mic, then I can feel his attention turning back to me. "C'mon Shitty Deku, y'think you can beat me in a fight, huh?! Is that it?!"
"..."
"Yeah, that's what I thought! Talking all that shit 'bout me earlier, you didn't think I caught that?! You might be hot shit in martial arts, but like hell you'll win! Y'know why?! You don't give a single damn 'bout winning!"
"I don't—" I reply.
"Shut up! Don't tell me what I already know! You just proved my point though, Shitty Deku! In a fight, of course I'll win! In fact, I'll kill you just 'cuz you don't wanna win! If you feel like that, then why the fuck are you still in U.A., bastard?!" ("Language, Bakugo!")
"To be a Hero—" I answer.
"Bullshit! Winning, that's what Heroes do—!"
"Honestly Bakugo, I disagree," I interject, finally getting my chance to speak. "I don't care about victory or bragging rights. Those things, they never interested me. But saving people? Saving lives? That's astronomically more important than winning."
"Then I'll save more lives than you, you jackass!"
"Uhm, okay?"
"Yeah, that's right! If I can't beat you one way, then I'll beat you some other way! Shitty Deku—"
"I'm not Midoriya."
"That's pretty damn obvious, isn't it?! Wonder why I call you that, huh?!"
"A little bit."
"Well, you're just like that rat-faced bastard! Hell, I heard 'bout your spars with him! You keep winning, don't you?! Admit it! You're beating Deku at his own game!"
He's not wrong. Like what I said earlier, I'm usually the victor in 95% of our fights. We both are close-combat fighters, and of the two, I'm better. If he's using Full Cowling and not going all out to punch me into paste. However, Midoriya is getting better by the day. It's only a matter of time before he reaches my level of skill, and that's when our spars will even out. He's improving himself faster than I improve myself .
Even then, it's a relaxed spar. It's not like I'm the guy who murdered all of his All Might figurines. If we were serious about our spars, then the outcome would be a lot different.
I sigh, lowering my head a bit. "Yeah… I concede to that fact. But Bakugo, Midoriya—"
"Shut up, damnit!" he yells. "That little punk has been making a fool outta me! If you've been beating his ass into kingdom come and I'm not, then I'm basically worse than you! So I gotta win! I gotta win and surpass you and Deku no matter what!"
"What if I awaken to my Quirk?"
"Even better! Beating you properly, unlike that Half-and-Half Bastard, will prove that I'm the strongest in this damned school! Sparring or saving people, I'll beat you either way! You better look forward to your inevitable defeat, 'cuz I'm not backing down for a single second! You're in U.A., so I don't give a damn that you're Quirkless! Got it?!"
I glance at Present Mic, who's just burying his face into his hands. "Uhm, yup. Loud and clear, Bakugo. Thank you for this talk."
"Shitty—!"
"Booth!" I call out to him. "Next caller please!" Booth nods and before Bakugo could say anything else, Booth ends the call.
I hear Present Mic muttering under his breath, "If we didn't censor his swears, then I would hafta deal with so much paperwork…" Oh, the swears must be censored on the audience's side of things. I heard it unfiltered, and I kinda wish I hadn't.
Booth clears his throat, clearly seeing that Present Mic is not able to do his job. He announces, "After that wonderful call with Mister Bakugo—such a swell man—we have our next caller! Meet Keiji Matsuoka from Hiroshima."
We get hooked up to Matsuoka, who will hopefully be a lot more well-mannered than Bakugo. Present Mic yelps and quickly composes himself. He says, "Hey hey Matsuoka! How are you today?"
"Good!" a man says, who sounds no older than a college student. "I actually have a question for you, Present Mic!"
"Really? Well lay it on me! Lemme hear what you got!"
"Why didn't you have a Pro this month? I would rather listen to that rather than some Quirkless yapping about himself."
Present Mic's face immediately twists into regret. He eyes me, and my face is still. I'm not going to show anything on my face, otherwise he'll get what he wants from me: a rise. Present Mic scratches his neck, saying, "Well, I wanted to switch it up by having an upcoming Pro! It'll be a nice change of pace from what I usually do!"
"But a Pro Hero needs a Quirk. You agree, right?"
"Well, that depends on Armory! We might see him all Quirk'd up some day!" Present Mic makes a cutting gesture to Booth, who nods. "Now, we have other Listeners who're chiming to call in! Thanks for talking to us, Matsuoka! Remember to always Put Your Hands Up!"
Booth cuts the call. "Thank you Keiji Matsuoka. Our next Listener is none other than Kiyoko Uemura."
Uemura's voice, a middle-aged woman, rings in my ears, "Sanji Inochi, isn't it? For your information, I'm a mother whose son was determined as heck to get into U.A.! Everyday, he complains that you stole his spot! Don't you think it's unfair for someone who works so hard, so much to only get squat, while you are here reaping the benefits?"
Present Mic intervenes, "Us staff at U.A. chose to let Inochi stay within the Hero Program, y'know! It was our choice to let him keep training as a Hero! He has potential!"
"More potential than my Ken?" she asks.
He answers, "Your son has potential, Miss Uemura! I believe that no matter what, he'll become an amazing Hero! U.A. isn't the end-all be-all! There's other schools and universities out there! Gotta broaden your horizon! Now, Booth is telling me that there's a hotbed of callers waiting to get a piece of Inochi! Thank you for giving us your time!"
The call ends as fast as it began. Present Mic… He's defending me. Against these people who haven't put their faith in a Quirkless man—who can blame them—he didn't concede to their arguments. Instead, he deflected the question and said something else that would still make them happy. He has amazing people skills. I wouldn't think of driving the conversation elsewhere while simultaneously pleasing others. He's not reprimanding the callers too, otherwise his radio show will take a hit in reputation. Somehow, he's making the best out of the worst situation.
He didn't have to protect me though. He might be my teacher, but he didn't have to go the extra mile to defend me. I could've done that myself, I would've taken all responsibility for the damage I would've caused to his radio show, the one he invited me to. Most of Japan aren't fond of me anyway, so it wouldn't have changed much. I would be perfectly fine with that fate, because I'm not the one taking risks. Present Mic took a massive one when he invited me, and for that, that's a debt that I should repay. I only did this for extra credit too… God Sanji, you're an idiot.
Eiji Iwai. "Y'know, I think the worst Hero is a lot more interesting than this guy."
Cut.
Momoko Inaba. "I truly believe that U.A. is wasting their time with him."
Cut.
Kayo Soda. "I don't think we'll ever see Armory making it big. Just my opinion."
Cut.
Ren Obara. "Sure, Inochi is a badass, but he won't get anywhere without a Quirk."
Cut.
Akio Kawano. "Present Mic, do you believe he'll be anything great?"
Cut.
Yuka Kanno. "The chances of him becoming the No.1 Pro is pretty much zero."
Cut.
All these names, I stop remembering after Yuka Kanno. It's just cut, and cut, and cut, and cut. Booth keeps cutting the calls after Present Mic replies to them. I never once said anything, only him. I don't bother counting how many people insulted me, or believed that I won't get anywhere at life. I heard it all before. All my life, before U.A., it's just been this. It's just been ridicule after ridicule, so much ridicule. I stopped crying a long time ago. Not because I don't have a tear left to shed, but because I just don't care anymore. Pretty much it.
Itsuka and everyone else must be watching this, or at least listening. I wonder how they're reacting to this. Or maybe Suzuki and his friends. Or maybe… If Gin is still out there, how does he feel about this? He was the one who gave me this life, and I couldn't be more thankful.
"Sanji Inochi!" an elderly woman's voice brings me out of my thoughts. Her voice is sweet and kind, as if she's right in front of me. I look at Present Mic, who probably knows that I haven't been paying attention whatsoever. He gestures for me to speak.
"Uhm, hello?" I greet her.
"Hello! My name is Kakoe Aoki. It's finally a pleasure to hear your voice!" Aoki exclaims, like she's been waiting for this moment for a long time. For some reason, when I hear her voice, I can't help but listen to it. It's not her Quirk, it's something else, but I can't put my finger on it. There's something about her.
"Th-Thank you… Uhm, how are you Miss Aoki?" I ask.
"I'm great! And please, call me by my first name! No need for formalities!" she insists. I nod, but she can't see me nodding—that's stupid of me.
I clear my throat. "A-Alright… Kakoe, tell me something about yourself." Jeez, this conversation is so awkward, but this is the first person who's not being mean to me. That's why Present Mic hasn't cut her call yet.
"Well, I live in Mugazuki! It's a quaint little town off the coast! Such a beautiful place, my boy! At night, you could see the entire galaxy! You should see it some time! It'll give you a whole new perspective at life!"
"Heh, it does sound amazing. Y'know, I kinda like the stars myself. I'm not a day person by any means, I'm a night owl—hoot hoot." That was a terrible owl impression. "Hehe, ignore that please. When I bounced around Japan, I always enjoyed the small towns the most, because at night, I could look out the window and see the stars. In the big cities like Musutafu, we really don't see much, if not anything at all due to light pollution."
"A shame really! I could never live in a big city. Too many people and noise! I would go nuts within the first hour, for goodness sake! Sanji, I'm a lot more dangerous when I go nuts, not even All Might could stop me!"
I laugh. "I don't think anyone could stop you. From the sounds of it, if there's a mountain in your way, you would tear it down."
"You bet I would! But back to my previous point, I simply adore the peace in Mugazuki. It's genuinely underrated."
"And the stars too?"
"Especially them! There's an infinite amount of stars out there, and each one of them contains a dream of each soul in Japan. Not enough people realize that dreams hold immense power that nothing can match—so really, its power is infinite as well. Hold the stars, and you hold dreams; you hold dreams, and you hold infinite power. Simple as that!"
I smile. That statement rings true to me more than anything else. My Quirk, Dreams, accumulates the dreams of everyone I touch. The current number is 28,319. I might not have infinite power, but I'm getting there. I say to Kakoe, "Yeah, pretty simple alright. You seem like an elderly woman—I don't mean any offense—but I'm sure you still have a dream, right?"
"None taken! And of course I do! Every person has a dream."
"Yeah… What's yours? Maybe one day, I can make it come true."
"You already have, just by being there," she says. I swear that I heard her voice break a little. "Sanji, why don't you promise me something? It won't be hard, I swear."
"Of course," I find myself saying. Something in me, something in my heart needed to promise Kakoe this. I don't know why.
She tells me, "Find your dream and never let go. Thank you for talking to me."
"Wait—"
She ends the call herself.
…
Kakoe Aoki, I'm...grateful to have spoken to you as well. Mugazuki, huh? Hearing the name of the place now, I wish I could live there, honestly. Something about it… It calls to me even though I've never seen it before in my life.
I turn to Present Mic, who's smiling. He says into his mic, "Thank you Miss Aoki for saying such inspirational words to Armory! I hope you're seeing the stars in Mugazuki! And now, for our next caller, Booth!"
Booth smiles and says, "Our next caller is Ichiko Tazawa! She's been really eager to speak with you, Inochi!"
Ichiko Tazawa? I know that name! Back at the Proxy Battles, I signed an autograph for the president of Hawks's fan club! The autograph was for her little cousin, Ichiko Tazawa! I hear her voice coming out of my headphones; she's just as young as I imagined her. "Armory Armory! Are you there?!"
"Yeah, I'm here, Tazawa. How are you?" I ask, my voice brimming with pride. She sounds so happy.
"I'm great! Oh-so-super-duperly-great! I got your autograph a long time ago, but I still have it! You're amazing, Armory!"
"Aw, I'm not that great. I mean, look at you! You're trying to be a veterinarian. That's a lot harder than being a Hero, honestly! Saving pets is a lotta work!"
"But I'll do it! Count on that! Just 'cuz I'm Quirkless like you, doesn't mean I can't do nothing! I can do anything! Just like what that kind lady said! My dreams are big, but I'm bigger! Gotta work hard just like you, right?!"
"Just like me, right! If you wanna make your dream come true, then you need to put in a thousand times the effort! Once you do that, then you'll surely become a vet! As Armory,that's my promise!"
"Mhm! Thank you for being you, Armory! I don't care what everyone else says! You are so amazing and determined! You're, like, the best Hero ever! I can't wait until I see you kick butt on TV!"
"And I hope you'll be watching me!"
"Yea—? Oh shoot, my mom says I gotta go! Thank you for talking to me, Armory! Keep fighting to be a Hero, okay?! If you don't, then I'll beat you up!" she threatens me, and before I have the chance to reply, Tazawa ends the call. I sit there, staring at my monitor with a big smile on my face. That was a short conversation, but I needed that. I really needed that. Hearing how excited she was, how she was immediately willing to work her butt off to achieve her dream… It means that...that I made a difference in the world. It's only one person, only one soul, yet that's enough. This is proof that there's people who look up to me, so I can't let them down. As their Hero, I need to do my best.
Present Mic exclaims, "My goodness Ichiko Tazawa! You are giving Armory a lot of praise! I'm looking at him right now, he's absolutely glowing! You are the sunshine that we needed today! Thank you so much! Booth, how about another caller?"
Booth says, "Roger that, Present Mic. Actually, our next caller is also Quirkless as well. His name is Goro Yamazaki."
"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Present Mic replies, throwing his arms up in the air. "Let's hear him!"
Goro Yamazaki's voice comes onto my headphones, and I smile, letting him greet me.
"Inochi, you did great." Present Mic and I stop just outside the doors of his radio building. A few people walk in and out through the doors, greeting Mic with a smile and wave. He returns the gesture, but ultimately turns to me with glowing admiration.
"Thank you, Present Mic. And when, y'know, I was getting flamed for being Quirkless, I'm glad you defended me. You didn't have to, though," I say, crossing my arms.
"Of course I did! What kind of Hero—no, what kind of person would I be if I didn't defend ya? I was telling the truth earlier too! You have potential of becoming a Pro Hero! Even Shouta agrees with me, and you know how hard he is to please!" Present Mic responds. I never know how his voice wouldn't be destroyed after two hours of practically screaming.
"Eraserhead really thought that? I am actually surprised. He runs 1-A into the ground, and I know. I saw how sore Ojiro is after some of his training with him," I say.
"Well, here's a little hint: He appreciates hard work! With your level of skill, you can disable almost anyone who has a Quirk, which is impressive in itself! I know I'm singing your praises too much, but I gotta! You don't get enough praise often, and we saw why. I'm sorry, Inochi."
"It's fine, Present Mic. I dealt with this often."
"Doesn't make it right."
Bzzt! Bzzt!
My phone. Itsuka's calling. I gesture to my phone and Present Mic lets me answer.
"Sanji!" Itsuka exclaims. "You're done with your interview, right? Is this a good time?" Oh, am I glad to hear her voice.
I laugh a little, responding, "Yeah yeah, it's done! I'm just about to head home now, actually."
"Good! So uhm, about what happened with the calls—"
"Don't worry about it! It got better in the end! I kinda wished you called me though, everyone else too."
"Well, I almost destroyed my laptop from how many assholes were insulting you."
"Jeez Itsuka—"
"Don't 'jeez Itsuka' me! My reaction is appropriate. This reminded me that there's still jerks out there, Sanji. They don't believe in you like how I do."
"Heh, I know. You might be my biggest fan, Itsuka."
"No, that title belongs to Setsuna."
"She would buy all of my merchandise…"
"Yeah, but this isn't about her. It's about how great you are."
"Is this phone call gonna be about praising me? If so, I'm hanging up."
"Don't you dare, jerk. You're a great—!"
I hang up.
Present Mic's eyes go wide, saying, Did you just hang up on Kendo? I nod.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Itsuka's calling me again. I answer, "G'evening."
"Asshole. Lemme finish what I was gonna say. You're an amazing—"
I hang up.
Present Mic is giving me an even worse look. What are you doing, Inochi? I nod.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
I answer, "Yoohoo."
"Hey jackass."
"Sweetheart."
"You are one of the most—"
I hang up.
Present Mic mouths, You didn't even know what she was trying to say! I nod.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
I answer, "Hey hey, ho ho, yo yo."
"You are a terrible person and I hate you."
"That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Why do I put up with you again?"
"Heh…"
"Just get home already. Mom made your favorite."
I look back at Present Mic, and he smiles. I nod one last time, smiling back before I start making my way back home with Itsuka talking to me.
Remembrance of High School Days
Hizashi Yamada, known as the Pro Hero—
No actually, right now he is simply known as Hizashi Yamada. The public knows him as Present Mic, but at this very moment, he wants to be Hizashi Yamada, just an ordinary man who talks loudly. He watches Sanji Inochi leave, the sound of his footsteps and the sound of his voice becoming distant as the seconds go on.
When he disappears out of sight, Hizashi looks up at the sky, adjusting the speakers that are around his neck. They are made out of metal, so it's naturally a bit uncomfortable to walk around in, let alone wearing it in the heat, just like this evening. But the sky above, there isn't really anything there. Well, there's only the faded moon and two entire stars out. Only two. The galaxy is hidden because of the light pollution that Musutafu gives off—one of the cons of living in the city, in Sanji's eyes.
Sanji Inochi, he's a nice man—a kind man. He seems to be the type of man who would go the extra mile for someone no matter what, whether that mile would go over mountains or oceans, he would take on the journey no matter what. That attitude, and with the pure-hearted smile he holds—the one inspired by All Might—it reminds Hizashi of a certain man.
"As long as the three of us stick together, there's not a single problem that we can't solve!"
Hizashi says, not to particularly anyone, but maybe to the sky or the two stars that glimmer above him, "Good grief, Inochi! You've been thinking about people who deserve that interview, more than you do! If that isn't selflessness, then I dunno what is! You oughta be the embodiment of selflessness! As a Hero and a teacher, I ought to be proud and all! I mean—"
"Being the future generations of Heroes, I hereby state that we have to be absolutely amazing! People are counting on us to save 'em and wow 'em at the same time!"
"I mean, whenever you walk in a room, the entire dang thing lits up! Once everyone sees you, they're like, 'The man of the hour is here! Today's gonna be a great day, I know it!' With danger, you just don't give a crap 'bout it. Running in without caring about the consequences!"
"Hey hey, don't bust my balls, Shota! You know me! I can't see someone in pain and notdo anything about it! So what I broke my arm? It was worth it!"
Hizashi shakes his head. "Sorry Inochi, I don't think I'm talking about you anymore! As much as I like you, I don't think I was ever talking about you."
"Y'know, there's nothing we can't do! We have Quirks, but most importantly, we have each other! So c'mon guys, we have a world to save! We're the Three Stooges of Class A! And in the future, we'll be the Three Stooges of Japan!"
He wipes away a tear that's trickling down his cheek. "Oboro… Seems like Shota and I… We're the only stooges here."
Hizashi Yamada, just a simple man, looks up at the two stars above and remembers his high school days. For the rest of the evening, he wishes for another star that would join the two.
Hey hey, Put Your Hands Up for this chapter! It was fun to write, and now, with the next chapter—The Little Light at The Horizon—it will be the start of the Final Exams arc! Stay tuned because Kuroiro and Monoma's backstory will be revealed here, along with setting up my game pieces for the next few arcs!
Post-chapter discussion:
U.S.J.: I started in USJ because I felt like it. It's a nice place where everyone would be at one location and I can pull them away or introduce them into the conversation. Really, after the last arc which focused around Suzuki then Master Kendo's mini-arc, we needed more screentime for a majority of 1-B. Even though the Final Exams will mainly comprise of 1-B students, I still wanted to have them be teenagers like how Honenuki decided to push Inochi off the ship because *why not*. It illustrates just how close these guys are, especially when they have a betting ring.
Because of course they do.
Arcade: And why did I write a scene for Shojo and Awase? Because they are shipped together, so I might as well give them more screentime! Especially when Shojo will appear constantly in the story. That was my plan ever since the Catharsis Arc ended. She will constantly show up in big scenes and have her own scenes as well, trying to deal with life thinking that she can handle it anime-style. By the way, there was a lot of anime references in her scene, all thanks to Shojo Fukidashi, the absolute nerd. Adorable nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.
PHYU: Hey hey, yo yo, ho ho! Sanji Inochi is no longer unknown! If he was unknown in the first place. This guaranteed that he'll be recognized in Japan, infamous for what he is. You might wonder why Present Mic wanted Sanji to come onto PHYU, and he explained it in the chapter, but I'll elaborate more here. Sanji, out of the Big 3 of 1-A, currently has more of an impact on society than any of them combined. Why? His fanclub. Sanji has a fanclub because he's a Quirkless man trying to become a Hero. His fanclub is comprised of other Quirkless just like him, along with a few ladies who signed on because he's handsome. Midoriya doesn't have as much as an impact as him, neither does Bakugo (obviously), and Todoroki only has a fanclub solely because he's pretty. It makes sense for Sanji to come onto PHYU because he's *already* inspiring people to follow their dreams, exactly the quality that U.A. wants. And he can handle being on radio too. Midoriya would be too nervous, Bakugo would cancel PHYU altogether, and Todoroki is Todoroki. Sanji is capable enough to hold his own. (Or who knows? Maybe Hizashi thought about a certain someone when he saw Sanji?)
Though, no one would be capable enough against a sea of insults. It might be a broken record, but I will continuously repeat it as much as I want to: society ain't 100% nice. There are people who still doesn't believe in Sanji despite the obvious facts. There will always be people like that, and they would even ignore the facts to fit their beliefs. It's a bit upsetting, but again, I will do this as long as Sanji is still Quirkless, because society doesn't change as fast as the characters.
But thanks to Ichika Tazawa (I hope I remember that right) and Kakoe Aoki, they cheer Sanji up, especially Kakoe Aoki. Anyway, I should address Sanji's capabilities of fighting.
Armory: Is Armory one of the best fighters in U.A.? Yes. He's a master at martial arts. Like before, he lost to Suzuki due to the gap in speed and strength, but that was because Sanji tried to fight Suzuki on the same playing field. This was due to him being emotional, as said in the chapter. As a result, he's working on his ability to predict attacks before it happens. That will be an incredibly useful skill since he only has his Quirkless body to fight. As it stands, he would have surprisingly good odds to beat Bakugo, the star of 1-A. Though, Bakugo is much better than Sanji and would still win most of the times. I am paying attention to the power levels heavily in DoS. Deku and Bakugo are supposed to be the two strongest students in U.A., and when Sanji unlocks Dreams, that dynamic will be altered slightly, but will mainly stay the same.
Anyway...
Remembrance of High School Days: This is the first scene that has a 3rd person narrator. This is a scene I wanted to put in, but there was no possible way to have a 1st person narrator unless I wanted to go into Hizashi's POV, which I didn't want to do because it would probably be his *only* POV scene. It'll be much more smoother, in my opinion, to put it in 3rd person. If you like the idea of 3rd person narrator, or if you don't, go ahead and comment that. But don't think there'll be 3rd person scenes every chapter. It'll be every now and then, denoted by ~*~*~.
Now that's done and over with! Leave a favorite, review, whatever and look forward to the next chapter!
