"So, Ryujin huh?" I was sitting beside Kaminari and Haruka was across from us in the cafeteria.
"Yeah that's the name I chose." I told him without much thought and not looking at him, instead just eating my food.
"Why not, Dragon King or Dragon God?" he asked while sipping his drink.
"Don't like the sound of them."
"Ryujin sounds cool." Haruka spoke up interrupting Kaminari.
"Yeah, I'm not denying that. I think it sounds cool too but most people think of an English name you know."
That was true. "I know. But I didn't feel like it." I told him. English names were chosen all over the world. There were countries where most of their heroes also had names in the native language and I just decided to be like that.
It was easier to advertise. I understood that. Even the name 'All Might.' But I didn't really think that crap mattered. I just thought that the name is what matters, whatever it means to that person or the person that is reading it.
All might means something to everyone. To many citizens All Might was a symbol that meant they were safe and he brought hope to all of them, maybe that was what he was going for.
And maybe my name will have a meaning like that in the future.
Another name that showed clear and strong meaning was "Deku."
"Oh Midoriya's hero name." Kaminari said,
"Yeah. I think the meaning he gave behind that was good too and that alone can help people, he said something about it turning the bad parts of someone into good or instead of being useless he'll become someone who has worth."
Kaminari took some time thinking. "Yeah that did sound cool, maybe I'll think up some great meaning like that for my name. What about your's?" he asked.
"I don't have a meaning for it yet. It was just the only one I could think of at the time."
"Well think of a meaning." Haruka spat out with Kaminari rapidly agreeing knowing how annoying they were being.
I was already feeling tired, not from any strenuous work.
"Look, I was kinda just thinking that hero names could have a lot of symbolism that inspires people in different ways." I said trying to let them chew on that thought.
"Then the costume could also be some form of symbolism too right?" Haruka asked.
She then continued. "Like that old American hero from the early 2000's, Spiderman. He said he wore a mask and never showed his face so that kids could envision themselves as him."
I remember that hero. Even though he came around when quirks first started 300 years in the past his name still came up in history. He made a huge impact and was one of the first heroes.
That statement about him keeping his mask on for people to envision themselves as him was in a bunch of stories and different iterations of comics, manga, books or movies they've made about him.
It was a common thought that his character has been greatly exaggerated by the people telling the story.
But yeah she was right symbolism could be there.
"I wasn't really looking to do something like that." I told her with Kaminari intently listening after being real interested by the mention of the old American hero.
"Why's that?" It was a rhetorical question. "'Cause your selfish, that's why."
"Do you know how many heroes base their names on symbols to help people?" I asked irritated.
"Well how many heroes think like you?"
"That's just something that can't be answered." It was a stupid question.
Even if people did think like me that also makes it possible that they also wouldn't think of finding a name with great meaning for the whole.
"This is a stupid conversation." I said sounding bored and just rested my head on my hand after finishing my food.
"Yeah lets talk about the sports festival." Kaminari blurted out. His brain couldn't think hard enough to keep up, even though he was the one to start the conversation.
"Ah that's something that you guys can talk about." Haruka said.
"Why, you can join too?" Kaminari asked in a more whiny but still intrigued tone.
"She opted out of it, she doesn't want to take part." I answered for him.
"You can do that?" Kaminari asked confused, I was confused too when I first heard it because the email the school sent out to students me included said that you cant exempt yourself from it unless for extreme reasons.
"Since I'm in the business corps I have the option of being exempt. General ed students get that too." she finished.
"It's only hero student's that aren't allowed to exempt themselves from it." I finished telling Kaminari. "We're the ones who are aiming for hero's to take us on for internships, so we have to show off our skills to give a hero a reason to give us an invite."
Kaminari seemed to understand, but what was there to not understand.
Of course the fact that by the end of the day you throw kids in a ring to fight against each other like its ancient rome and people were dueling it out in a coliseum. But it did bring in a large sum of money.
Money from people buying tickets and standing in the stands as well as people watching at home on normal TV or streaming services that have ads on them.
Not that I had a huge problem with that though.
"Man I hope Mt. Lady or Mirko give me an offer." Kaminari said absently picking at the crumbs of his food.
"You're so unserious." I told him.
"wrong, I'm totally serious. They're strong heroes that can make me super strong. I could learn to throw a powerful kick to your fat head if Mirko gave me an offer." he retaliated.
Haruka was packing her stuff getting ready to leave but giggled hearing Kaminari.
"Mirko doesn't even have any sidekicks so why would she take on an idiot like you who cant even use his quirk?" I said a bit harshly.
"Well then Mt. Lady has no reason to refuse."
I spoke out in a more calm tone this time and asked him again. "What do you think you can learn from the newbie hero who's only just started to make appearances."
"What's that supposed to mean." Kaminari asked back in a loud bark.
"She has a higher chance of not knowing what to do with you cause you'll be cleaning up whatever mess she makes."
She's damaged multiple buildings with her size enhancement quirk that would have been more or less unharmed by any other hero in the area.
But she does try to not cause any damage or at least mitigate it slightly but it still happens. And she also make payments to repair them as well as make public apologies for the mess she makes so it's not like she's doing it without thinking of the consequences.
"Well that's fine too."
And this dumb creep just wants to be around her cause shes a woman with obvious huge assets.
--
The school day was over and everyone was either preparing to leave or stood by their desks or their friends desks waiting to leave the school together.
"I'm telling you if I somehow don't make it to the finals I'mma be pissed." Kaminari exclaimed in front of me and the bird figure that was packing away his things.
"That would be quite unfortunate for someone with a quirk of your caliber." Tokoyami said with a monotone voice.
"I'll just stick to Kairo and then we'll find a way to make it together." Kaminari said while pointing at me.
"No you won't." I replied back.
"Of course I will, we'll be like a dark and light duo." he paused for a sec, "And this time you know me enough to not assume the worst of me." he quickly let out.
I giggled quietly at that as I picked up my bag.
I wouldn't take offense to something like that.
"Are you two actually thinking of becoming a duo group once you leave school?" Tokoyami asked.
I sure as hell wasn't
"I wouldn't mind." Kaminari quickly let out.
"I would." I said and he seemed slightly offended by that.
"Kaminari, it's nothing against you. I just like doing things by myself and not having to worry about anything else."
He scratched his head. "Well you done so good back at the USJ." he brought up that whole mess again. Something which just brought back bad memories for some of the people that may have overheard.
Seeing Aizawa's mangled and bloody body as well as seeing the after effects of Ojiro's tail that Kaminari himself has been playing with since school started.
The tail on Ojiro wasn't the same as it was just a month and a few weeks prior. It was littered with patchy skin and some scars that just didn't fade away.
He kept it wrapped around his body as much as he could now instead of just letting it swing freely and seemed more aware of whoever was behind him and approaching.
It told me that he was obviously jumped from behind and then a further description from him described that he was put on his stomach and tied down while they committed their atrocities.
Ojiro was just unfortunate that he was on his own and in a bad environment for a first encounter with villains.
We all were, because it's something we shouldn't have been through but I guess now the school were trying to make us move on from that moment quickly by still going on with the sports festival.
There was a rumbling heard outside of our classroom.
"What the hell's that?" Kaminari asked.
Uraraka went to open the door first only to be greeted by the numerous faces and eyes of judgement of students from all departments within out year to take a peep at us.
But not only student's from our year, but also students from years above.
"What's Going On?" Iida waved robotically while scurrying over to the door to try and see what the problem may be, as the class president should.
Before any of the people in front of him bothered to answer, he actually got an answer from Bakugou.
"They're here to scope out the competition." he said cooly with his hands in his pockets "Make's perfect sense, we're the kids that survived a villain attack. "
Right before the sports festival. They just wanted to see if we looked challenging or too troublesome after the attack.
"Well there's no point in that so move cannon fodder." and then the usual Bakugou was let out to make sure that most of these guys already have even the most minor reason to hate us.
"Are the rest of the people in this class like him." a snarky and offhanded tone of voice spoke out. And a boy had barged his way forward past the crowd of people.
He had vibrant purple hair. A purple with a distinct difference from someone like Midnight. It was easily spotted as purple from the lighter colour. His eyes looked tired and annoyed, but they were also carrying a strong look of confidence and determination. His tone was off putting though.
"Those of us who didn't make it into the hero course are stuck with options like the general education course." he looked a bit. "But we've been given a chance with the sports festival. Those of us who manage to impress the people watching as well as UA may be able to take a place in the hero course."
Take a place. Almost everyone in the room knew what that phrasing indicated. For one of them to come in, those who done bad would probably be swapped around, meaning that even if some of us had plans on taking it easy and being knocked out of the early rounds would actually have to put in work if we want to remain in the class.
The boy who stepped in looked around the class some more before his eyes stared straight into Bakugou's as he stood before him.
"So this isn't just a chance for you guys to show scouts what you've got. Its a chance for people like me to knock you guy's off your pedestal."
To me he seemed to dramatic, but the people watching from the halls were getting excited radiating the same energy as him, or at least trying to.
"So consider this a declaration of war!"
Hope you enjoy.