It had been a few days since Axelander met Class A. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day that Keralynn was to return home to America with Axelander, but fate has something else planned for her and Reika. On this day, a festival was being set up at a nearby shrine from UA High. Hawks and his sidekicks were making their rounds when he saw the volunteers setting up for the festival as he flew over the shrine. Watching them set up, gave him an idea. A couple hours later, the mail was received at the dorms for Class 1-A. Most of the students received letters from their loved ones, Sato had gotten a couple new recipe books of meals and desserts from different countries from his mother, Koda had received a gift or two along with letters from his mother, Tokoyami had received a package with a letter from his parents, yet he had also received a letter from Hawks. "He could have just sent me a text." He told himself.
The package he had received from his parents were some old home movies that his father had made and some old drawings Reika had drawn when they were children and a letter from his mother, telling him about where and how his father had found the home movies. She also told him to show them to Reika when they have a movie date. He places the package on his bedside before he opens the letter from Hawks. "Heyooo! So, I was making my rounds on patrol when I was flying over the shrine nearby UA. They were setting up for a summer festival. I asked one of the shrine maidens when the festival is and she said tomorrow, the day Mayson was supposed to go back to America. I figured that, what better way for Mayson to get her mind off of everything that's happened than to give her and Reika a chance to see what a festival is like in Japan. I have already made the necessary arrangements with Nezu and Aizawa and they have given you and Koda permission to leave school grounds for a few hours. Of course Axel and I will be there to supervise but we'll leave you alone so that the two of you can have a double date. I'll be sure to get the girls all dressed up nice and pretty so the two of you can drool over them." Was what part of the letter said. He blushes slightly.
"As if we would drool. Neither of us are not that childish…Reika is beautiful no matter what she wears." He said quietly to himself before he read more of the letter.
"I've been noticing that Mayson has been on edge since she came home. Reika's been doing everything she can to calm her down and it seems to be working. Axelander says that she's worried that she can't be home for her father's funeral, so we're hoping that this double date Idea might cheer her up a little. Her father's funeral is set to be the day after tomorrow but because of how much farther ahead we are with the timezones, It'll be late at night for us when the funeral starts. Axelander has requested a young family member that hasn't been exposed to any sort of criminal activity, to attend the funeral alongside her mother with a tablet so that they can watch the funeral from the mansion via live chat. Whoops! Gotta get back to work. Be sure to let Koda know about the festival!" The rest of the letter explained.
He sighed. "Will this double date really cheer her up though?" He asks himself in a worried tone.
An hour later Tokoyami was talking to Koda in the common area, discussing the plans for tomorrow's date. Koda had no knowledge about Keralynn feeling homesick. They had been sending each other texts and calling each other twice a day to say 'Good morning' and 'Goodnight.' He was also thinking of a way to confess his love for Keralynn and that a date at the festival might be a good place to tell her. "I just realized something, Tokoyami. I know that you and Takami are already together as a couple, but you still haven't told her you love her yet." He said.
He looks at him and smiles, thinking about the home movies his mother sent him. "I have my own way of professing my feelings towards Reika." He said.
"He's gonna show her a home movie of the rap he made about her when he was four." Dark Shadow said as he appeared beside him, chuckling. Tokoyami blushed as he placed his hand over Dark Shadow's beak.
"Enough." He said.
Koda smirked. "I'm a little jealous of you, Tokoyami. You and Takami have known each other since the two of you were practically newborns, while I've only known Keralynn for a couple of weeks and yet, I've fallen in love with her just as fast as I have gotten to know her. The more I see her, the more I want to stay by her side and take care of her. And the more I'm with her, the more I feel the urges to hold her a-and to…k-kiss her." He explained as he tapped his fingers together, blushing slightly.
"I'm surprised you haven't kissed her yet. I thought for sure you've gained enough confidence to do that."Dark Shadow said. He looks down, blushing a deeper red, nodding his head no.
"I wanted to a few nights ago but something inside me told me I shouldn't. I think that was the part of me that knew that she and Axelander are engaged. That I shouldn't get my hopes up." He said in a sad tone.
Tokoyami looks at him. "But Axelander told us himself that he only has feelings for her as he would a younger sibling. That tells me that you may have a chance with her, once we defeat his father. Just as Reika is my light, Mayson is your strength." He said as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "You and she are meant to be. And you have already known this to be true."
"But how can I tell her how I feel if she's engaged to him?" He asked as he looked at Tokoyami then towards Dark Shadow.
"You can tell her how you feel tomorrow." He said. He explained about the Summer festival and what Hawks said in his letter. "Hawks thought it would be a good Idea to take the girls there since Reika's never been to one before and Mayson is visiting Japan. Since Reika has never been to such an event, I shall tolerate the light of day, if it means I will see my dove's beautiful smile again. I am sure that Mayson would be very happy if you ask her to accompany you."
"Do you think…she would enjoy the festival?" He asked shyly as he tapped his fingers together. Tokoyami smiles and nods his head yes.
"I'm sure she will love it because she will be spending time with you." He said.
"Sheesh, you have it just as bad as Fumikage and I. Next thing you know you'll be thinking about marrying her." Dark Shadow said as he sighed. He blushed a deep red.
"M-M-M-Marry her! N-N-Not possible!" He stuttered, quickly shaking his head no.
"Not entirely true. Remember what Axelander told you? Once we capture his father and place him back in prison, it will nullify the engagement between them. That, and he doesn't want to marry her in the first place." Tokoyami explained.
"Though it's entirely up to you. You still have to find a way to tell her, after all." Dark Shadow said.
"It's about time I met Reika for our extra classes. I'll make sure to send Mayson your way. You can ask her to the festival then." He said as he stood up. He looks at him when they heard a commotion from outside the dorms.
Meanwhile, on the way to the dorms, Reika, Keralynn, and Axelander were talking about what the two of them would do while Reika is at her extra classes. "I'm sure that Kera would be hanging out with Koda, playing with Yuki and Noir. But what are you going to do?" Reika asked as she looked at Axelander.
"I'll probably be hanging out with the Bakusquad, Spar with him and Kirishima or something. You know, give the love birds some time alone." He teased as he saw Keralynn hide a blush.
"He's just a friend that I happen to have a crush on. It's nothing like that." She said.
"I dunno about that. It looks to me that you are flat out in love with him, Kera." He said as he smiled slyly. He leans down and whispers in her ear. "I bet you want to date him, don't you?" She blushes an even deeper red.
"Sh-Shut up, Axel." She said.
"Hey, I'm all for it. Who knows, maybe he'll be the one you'll end up marrying someday." He joked.
"N-Not possible." She said in a sad tone.
"Of course it's possible. Sure you and him are engaged now, but that's only because of his dad. Once he's back in jail, you and he will be free to marry whoever you want." Reika explained.
"I have a nice beauty back home that I'm already planning on proposing to once he's taken down." He said in a happy tone.
"W-Wait, really? You never told me anything about her." She said as she looked up at him.
"You were never interested in her when you were little. You always thought that she was taking all my time away from you. She's the daughter of the chief of police." He said.
"Oh, her." She said, sounding a little annoyed.
"She's changed since we were kids, Kera. Give her a chance. I'm giving your boyfriend a chance cause I can see that he has guts and I know for a fact that when it comes down to it, he will protect you with his life." He said as he looked at her and smiled.
"H-He's not my boyfriend, Axel. He's a good friend." She said, beginning to sound irritated.
"Not yet he's not. Come on Kera, I see the way Koda looks at you. Plus you told me about what happened when the class met him. You KNOW that he likes you. You heard him say so yourself!" Reika said as she smiled.
"Plus, I've only heard you purr when I held you during a storm. Yet when he holds you, whether it's during a storm or not. Sure you purr, but you also fall asleep when you're in his arms. Almost as if you feel safer with him than you ever did with me." He teases.
"Axel, I think that's enough teasing her. She's starting to get irritated." Reika said in a worried tone.
"Ah don't worry. She's dealt with my teasing for a long time, right Kera?" He said
"You're right, brother. His arms do feel safer than yours ever did when we were kids! I don't know how, but I feel a sense of safety and protection when I'm with him. So yes brother, maybe I do want to be with him someday. But with things how they are now, I don't think that's possible, even if you say that it is." She hissed at him.
"What's going on, Dove?" Tokoyami said as he and Koda ran out of the dorms.
"Axel's getting under her fur again." Reika said as they saw Koda wrap his arm around her shoulders, holding her protectively.
"As used to it as I am, it still pisses me off." She said as she glared at him.
"Okay okay, I'll dial it back a bit since sissy's getting pissy. I'm sorry, I'll stop with the teasing…for now." He said as he held his arms up in defeat.
"Asshole." She simply said before she turned around and headed into the dorm, Koda following close behind her. Reika sighed.
"I'll admit it, I've been teasing her a little too much lately and I can tell that Koda doesn't like it. He's really into her if he's protecting her from me of all people." He said as he crossed his arms.
"I mean you didn't really make a good impression on him when we met you. Hell, I could tell that all of us wanted to kick your ass as soon as you entered our dorm." Dark Shadow said as he appeared, wrapping his arms around Reika from behind. "That was the first time any of us have seen Koda so mad."
"Hey, It's not easy being an undercover Hero everyday. You gotta keep up a villainous act almost 24/7, barely have any time to be yourself, y'know." He said as he sighed.
"What do you mean by 'an undercover Hero?'" Tokoyami asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"I do basically what Hawks did during your attacks on the Liberation. But for us in the USA, it's my father's syndicate. So technically speaking, I'm a pro hero but I have to act like a villain so that I don't raise suspicion in the syndicate. And when I'm in public I have to act more like a villain than as a hero." Axel explained.
Tokoyami's eyes widened in realization while Reika tilted her head in confusion. "So that's why he was at their base that day!" He said with surprise in his voice.
"I don't understand. How was my brother pretending to be a villain?" Reika asked.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said that." Axel said as he looked away.
"Too late, now you gotta talk." Dark Shadow said.
"Don't you two have classes to get to?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Dammit! We gotta go, Fumi!" Reika said as she realized the time and started running towards UA.
"You will tell us upon our return." Tokoyami said as he glared at him before he turned and ran to catch up with Reika.
"Fair enough." He said.
Keralynn laid down on Koda's bed, holding Yuki in the air. "Oh Yuki, what am I gonna do about Axel and all his teasing." She asks her.
She stares at her, wiggling her nose. She giggles as Koda chuckled. "Why would she pull his tail?" Koda asked.
"Because he's very sensitive there, more so than most felines like him. A-And me I guess, since I'm half feline after all." She said as she adjusted her glasses with her index finger.
"How can his tail be more sensitive than yours?" He asked as he looked at her.
"When he was born, his tail was in a knot so it had to be surgically untied. Now whenever someone touches it or pulls on it, it hurts him. The vets suggested that they amputate it, but Bagheera didn't allow it. He didn't want a child with an amputated tail to be the heir of his syndicate." She explained.
He sighed. "Of course his father's a part of it. Why am I not surprised?" He says in annoyance.
She looks at him before sitting up, gently setting Yuki on her lap. "I know you hate Lord Bagheera, trust me I do too, but Axel isn't nearly as bad as you think. He was there for me over the years. You've seen my nightmares." She explained.
"Maybe so, but he didn't exactly leave a good first impression on us when we met him. He teases you far too much and presses your buttons every chance he gets, and I don't like it." He says in a worried tone. He looks down at Noir as he begins to speak again. "I understand that he's here to act as your bodyguard and all, but we can protect you just as well as he can, if not more so than him. My classmates and I have been through a lot since coming to UA. Protecting you from his father will be a piece of cake compared to the villains we've faced. So if Lord Bagheera, Lord Chuck, or whoever he is wants to get his hands on you, then he'll have to go through my friends and I first."
She looks at him with a smile on her face. "You won't be saying that once you figure out what his quirk is. There's a reason why Axel had to take over the syndicate. Sure Axel's quirk is a mutation from Lord Bagheera's, but his quirk is very powerful. So powerful that Axel could control the weather with his if he wanted to." She explained.
He looks down in thought. "If Axelander's quirk can control the weather, than Bagheera's quirk must be an elemental type." He says before he looks into her eyes. "Am I right?"
She smiles cutely at him, making him blush. "You catch on fast, Koda. I expected nothing less from you. His quirk is Wind Manipulation. He can control the area's natural winds, making them as weak as a spring breeze, or as strong and destructive as a tornado." She explained.
"I figured it would be something like that." He said. He hears a knock on his door before he hears Jiro's voice.
"Hey Koda, is Mayson with you? Skyies is looking for her." Jiro asked.
"Yeah, She's with me. Is he here to apologize to her?" He asks with slight annoyance in his voice.
"She's like a sister to me, It's my job to make sure she's not doing anything naughty with a boy behind closed doors." They hear him say, making them both blush.
"Y-You know damn well if it was that time I wouldn't even be here right now." She said as she looked out the window in annoyance. He looked at her in slight confusion before his eyes widened and his blushed deepened, realizing what she meant.
"Though I'll admit, I have been teasing you a bit too much lately and for that I apologize. It's just your reactions are just too cute that I can't help but to tease you." He said.
There was silence between them until Koda spoke. "Though I do agree with you about her reactions being cute, teasing her constantly causes her to get irritated." He said as he looked at her and smiled before looking at the door with a serious look on his face.
She blushed when she heard him agree with Axelander. "I-I'm sure Mr. Aizawa told you about how my illusions rely on my emotional state, right?" She said shyly.
"And that you have a new form of autism. I've read the reports. You're also taking medicine to help you better control your non sentient illusions at night. I'm not sure how that would be possible, considering no such medicine has been invented yet. I'll have to ask Hound Dog and Recovery Girl about it later." Axel said.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"It's nothing, Don't worry about it. I was just wondering where you were since Takami and Tokoyami left for their classes. Plus have you been asked out yet?" He asked in a sly tone.
She looks at the door in confusion as Koda blushes a deep red. "I don't understand wha-" She was saying before Koda interrupted her.
"L-Leave Skyies! I was getting to that." He said under his breath.
Axel chuckles. "I see. Well, good luck. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun." He said before he turned to leave. "Hawks wants to see you and Reika when we head back to the mansion, Kera. Said that it's something about tomorrow."
"I wonder why he wants to see me?" She asks herself.
"Dunno. Maybe Tokoyami might know, or maybe Koda might have an idea." He said slyly.
"I said leave, Skyies. I'll tell her about it later." Koda said, beginning to sound irritated.
"Alright, alright. I'm going. I'll be sparing with the Bakusquad if you need me, sis." Axel said before he left.
Once he left, he sighs. "I thought he'd never leave." He said under his breath.
"What did he mean by that, Koda?" She asked.
"W-Well, Hawks was doing his routine patrol when he noticed there's a festival at the local shrine being set up for tomorrow night. He told Tokoyami about it, saying that it would be a good opportunity for him and Reika to go on a date there. H-He also thought that it would be a good way for you to experience more of our culture first hand. S-So I was wondering if y-you'd like to go there with me, Tokoyami, and Reika, s-sorta like…a double date?" He explained in a shy tone, while tapping his fingers together, blushing slightly, and avoiding eye contact.
There was a short silence between them until he was knocked backwards, feeling a heavy weight on his chest. He looks at her as he notices that she's smiling, nuzzling her face into his chest as she purrs. "Yes you dork. Of course I'll go to the festival with you." she said softly as she purred. He looked down and smiled at her as he sat up.
"That's good to hear. I was afraid you would say no. Hawks had already asked for Tokoyami and I to have permission to leave the school grounds for the festival. " He said shyly.
"I would never turn you down. I would turn others down if they ever asked me out first. There was this one time when I was eight, Lord Bagheera set up a bunch of play dates with the other kits of his syndicate for me to meet and play with them. But it wasn't until Axel told me that it was a way for him to find a future mate for me." She explained. She continued to purr as she gently rubbed her cheek on his chest, making him blush.
"That is far too young for finding a mate! It wasn't right for him to do that in the first place." He said with a shocked tone in his voice.
"He's the leader of the syndicate. His word is law and mom and I have to abide by them." She said in a sad tone.
"Does he rule over it as if it's the Mafia?! It sounds like he is." He said in an angered tone.
"A Mafia?... What's that?" She asks innocently.
"A Mafia is…well…. Let's just say they're more of a family than just a large group of bad people." He explained as he held her. "A-Anyway, why don't we-." He began to say before he heard her stomach growl.
He sees her curl up into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest and her ears pulled back. "S-Sorry, I-I haven't eaten anything yet today." She said in a shy yet sad tone.
There was a short pause before she heard him snort a little before chuckling. "You are just too cute." He said as he covered his mouth. He hugs her tightly. "I guess your stomach and I were thinking the same thing, so why don't we see what we can fix up. It is almost lunchtime after all." He looked down at her and smiled sweetly.
The next day, the boys were getting ready to pick up the girls from the mansion. Tokoyami wore a white, short sleeved shirt with a black, sleeveless jacket, and black jeans. Koda wore a light blue, short sleeved shirt with blue jean shorts. He looks down as he holds a Nemophila flower hair pin in his hands. "She'll love it, Koda." Tokoyami said as he looked at the hair pin.
"You sure, Tokoyami? Maybe I chose the wrong gift." He said in a nervous tone.
"I am sure, Koda, because it is a gift from you that she will always cherish." He replied.
When they arrived at Hawks's mansion, they saw him and Axel standing at the doors. "Right on time, gentlemen. The girls have just finished getting ready." Hawks said as he smiled.
"What do you think, Axel? Do you think he'll like it?" They hear Keralynn's voice from behind them.
He glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "I dunno sis, you'll have to ask him yourself." he said as he and Hawks moved to the sides, revealing Reika in a black kimono with a white crane pattern and a red sash with a pattern of small white flowers. Her long, wavy red hair was braided down to her lower back from the sides of her head.
Keralynn wore a light blue kimono with a white rabbit pattern with a white sash. Her hair was left down and brushed neatly behind her back. She notices Koda staring at her and blushed with embarrassment. "Well, what do you think, boys?" Reika asked as she smiled, blushing slightly when she noticed Tokoyami and Dark Shadow stare at her in awe.
"Please marry us, Rei?" Dark Shadow asked as he stared at her.
"D-DARK SHADOW!" Tokoyami cried out with embarrassment in his voice, blushing as red as an apple.
"What, that's what you were thinking just now." Dark Shadow asked. Axel and Hawks laughed at Tokoyami's embarrassment.
Reika blushed as red as a tomato before giggling a little. "Of course, my Lord of Darkness, but only if my brother approves." She teased. Keralynn giggled at her teasing him, then blushed when he heard Koda's voice.
"Wow!" He breathed.
"I-I-It's childish I know, but it was the only kimono they had that would fit my height." She said shyly as she looked away with a blush on her cheeks.
"Not at all, you're beautiful! And yet, something's missing." He said before he walked towards her. He reveals the Nemophila hair pin from behind his back and starts to put her hair up into a bun, gently placing it in her hair, making her gasp with surprise. "There, a beautiful hair pin, for a beautiful girl." He smiles.
Keralynn blushes a deep red as Reika examines Koda's handiwork. "Not bad, Koda. Pretty too. Where did you find this?" She asked him.
"W-Well, I found it in a shop the other day while Sato, Shoji, and I were getting groceries. I thought it would look pretty on her, s-so I bought it for her." He said shyly as he tapped his index fingers together.
"Awe, that was so sweet of you, Koda!" She said as she smiled.
"Shall we get going kiddos? The more time we spend here talking, the less time the four of you will have to spend at the festival." Axel said as he gently pushed Keralynn and Koda towards the gate.
"W-Wait. You're coming too, Axel?" She asked as she looked at him.
"Of course I am! Don't worry, I won't bother the two of you on your date. I'll only be a chaperone." He said as he smiled.
"So that's why you're wearing that disguise." Reika said as she crossed her arms.
"That's right! It's all thanks to Hawks." He said. When they arrived at the festival, Keralynn and Reika looked around in awe. The boys watched them in admiration as they walked around, looking at the different stalls. "It's a lot bigger than what I expected. I wouldn't be surprised if Kera gets lost in the crowd, considering her being so short and all."
"I won't let that happen." Koda said in a serious tone.