The Less I Know the Better - Tame Impala recorded in 'Currents' (2015)

"What do I live for?

Days of relaxing with those I care about."

There was nothing to do but sigh in this situation.

"No, Sai. 'Slicing the throat of a villain' is not the best way to deal with them," I replied standing at the front of their class. "And Sumi-chan! Please don't glare daggers at me for giving you a perfect score on your test!"

Aizawa shook his head from his position beside me.

"...Why did I think inviting you to help teach the first years was a good idea?"

"Well, you tried it with Nejire, Mirio and Tamaki in our first year and it turned out great," I reasoned. "It's a shame you have me as a student. I mean, I may be academically gifted, but I have a whole host of behavioural issues. What were you expecting?"

"Don't call me 'Sumi-chan!'"

I sighed at that.

"Katsumi. Does it really matter? You're still my adorable little sister-,"

I watched as she got angry at that and threw a pen at my forehead with pinpoint accuracy, with the pen hitting me with a thwack before it bounced on the floor. I rubbed my forehead as the singing pain wouldn't go away, watching as Katsumi returned back to her usual aloof self, much to my dissatisfaction.

In a sense, it was a game between us.

Who would break out of character first?

"...Can you spend your brother-sister bonding time outside of the classroom?" Aizawa mocked me. "I brought you here today so that you could use your experience to help teach these students. Not muck about and make Heroics and Police Work sound like a joke. I asked for a Detective, not a Clown."

"Uncle, a clown? Really?"

"You're right. You and Class A are an entire circus," Aizawa corrected, shaking his head at me. "Honestly I think being your homeroom teacher must have aged me by a decade or so. I swear, before I taught you guys I had no grey hairs. Now they're popping up like crazy."

"Are you sure it's not because you're old?"

"I'm only thirty-four."

"So?"

"I'm only sixteen years older than you."

"Huh. When you break it down like that, it doesn't seem that old," I replied, stroking my chin as I pondered his words. "Oh shit. I'm eighteen. Fuck. Woah-, Woah-, I'm eighteen?! I mean, I knew that, but fucking hell. I'm eighteen."

"Yes, we know."

"Aizawa! I'm eighteen!"

"Congratulations on making it to eighteen? I mean you've given us a few scares, but maybe you'll make it to twenty if you don't manage to fuck up too badly," Aizawa told me. "Er, sorry kids. You didn't hear me swear."

"We're not kids!"

"Yeah, we're fifteen!"

I snorted in the first years.

"Please, you're all stupid virgins," I replied, ignoring the fact that I also was a stupid virgin. "Come back to me about not being 'kids' the moment you face multiple villains in succession. And no, that's not a challenge. You haven't even been through your first Sports Festival yet."

"Well, it wasn't our fault that it was cancelled due to the troubles the city was having!"

"Yap, yap, yap. A lot of talk coming from brats that have about two months experience at being students here," I replied, ignoring the fact that in total I had only spent fourteen months of my life here at U.A. "Come back to me the moment you're graduating, then you can complain about shit out of your hands. You should know that because of the Overhaul Raid, the school festival was cancelled!"

AIzawa turned to give me a pointed look.

"You were in a coma when you missed that."

"Well, that's not my point! Either way, I missed out on the school festival!"

"Because of your actions."

"Wow, Uncle, are you blaming me for being put in a coma?" I asked loudly, drawing the attention from everyone in the class. "Wow. I didn't know you were this insensitive about my injuries."

"Self-inflicted injuries."

"Now you're making me sound like suicidal idiot."

"You are a suicidal idiot."

I rolled my eyes at Aizawa, shaking my head at him.

"You can't gaslight me! I'm the master gaslighter! I'm not a suicidal idiot, you're an suicidal idiot!" I told him. "I mean come on. How many times have you been through Hell and back just to try and save me or our class?"

"That's because when you were their age you snuck your nose in adult matters!"

"Pshh, if anything adult matters snuck their nose in MY life," I replied, waving away his argument. "It sounds like you are blaming a sixteen-year-old boy who just wanted to protect his friends and family. You know, Uncle, if you weren't my Uncle, I'd probably sue you right now."

"For what? Telling the truth?"

"Slander."

"Pretty sure you mean libel."

"No, I mean slander," I replied. "You're slandering me. I've been flanderized by you! You've boiled me down to a single trait of 'suicidal' when I'm a far more complex person then that! Oh! Isn't that the theme of today's lesson?"

"...Huh?"

Even the students stared at me in confusion as if I had grown an extra head.

"Never look at a villain and view them as just that!" I wisely told everyone. "Each opponent you'll face has a variety of reasons for fighting. Some you'll agree with, and others that'll make your blood boil - But you have to remain calm and understand your enemies or else you'll never win! As a Hero, you'll often find yourself at a crossroads. Either you do what a Hero should do, or you do what you think is right. Personally, I think you should follow what your own heart tells you to do."

And I watched as the students slowly took in my teachings.

Even Aizawa looked at me in surprise as I clapped my back proudly, a small smile growing on his face.

"That's… Not bad advice at all. Huh. Who knew that you could be a good teacher? Minus that last bit about encouraging these students to break the law if they feel like it," Aizawa said to me. "Seriously, Sora. You could be a genuine good teacher. God knows I've learnt a lot about life from you, and everyone in your Class has learnt a lot from you too. Although that's less of your teaching ability and more of your mistakes."

I laughed at that.

"Me? A teacher? C'mon, I don't have the patience for that."

"True. Plus, you act like a delinquent, soyou'd probably be fired quickly," Aizawa added. "You seem like the type of teacher to try and get with an older student of yours. That or fail to do so because you were so caught up in trying to free them from their problems. Ironically, I could see a show made about it - Great Teacher Yamazaki!"

"Hey! Stop with that! I don't want to be copyright striked!"

"Why? Don't you enjoy referencing other series?"

"Yeah, but don't you think it's a dead horse by now?" I asked Aizawa. "It kinda feels like you're grabbing the spanking paddle used for those horny women that chase after you and fantasise about joining this school as a teaching assistant! But, instead of using it against a hot woman, you're using it on a dead and rotting horse! Referencing other series hasn't been a part of my comedy routine in years!"

"Hm… you make a fair point. Why is that the case?"

"Well, I got too many complaints for being lazy," I answered, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment. "That along with shamelessly copying my attacks from different anime and manga just made this all seem like a joke. A really unfunny comedy. More time could be spent, you know, doing something creative. Not wasting words on what really should have been a segment that ended ages ago. Like those cold openers in some fancy art TV show or film that take a while to get going!"

"Like Mission Impossible?"

"Mission Impossible isn't art!" One student interjected

"Yeah, sir! How could you suggest that?!"

I rolled my eyes at these fools.

"Oh, how mistaken you are! For you see, Mission Impossible is art! Anything is art! There is just a difference between art made by the auteurs and art made by idiots with far too much free time on their hands!" I taught the students a valuable lesson. "Who are you to judge whether art is art or not? You're Heroes. Not to say you can't criticise art for being good or not, that's a separate issue in itself. But mindlessly bashing away on your keyboards just makes you look like a fool who has no media literacy."

"...Ugh, that feels directed to some people-,"

"I'm not finished yet!" I cut the children off, wagging my finger at them. "Many people take a look at me and think I'm some no good delinquent! Scruffy hair, ear piercing and a beard that's in progress! Not to mention the sword I carry around… Or cigarettes… Well, okay. I may look like a stereotypical delinquent, but-,"

"But?"

"But, I'm not that bad of a person! People used to look at me and think I had a twisted sense of morality, that I enjoyed beating up children and being a bully. That I'm an abuser or something!" I continued, scowling deeply at the words coming from my mouth. "But they were just the words from people that didn't understand! People who think they're perfect without having any flaws! Kids, even at your age and my age at eighteen too, aren't perfect! They are irrational and stubborn to a fault!"

"Really?"

"Oh, yes! After all, no one truly grows up! Life is a series of ups and downs that you don't get the hang on until you're balding and have a family! You make mistakes, refuse to admit you made them and learn from them after the damage has been dealt!" I replied. "Life is like a hard boss in a game. You try to beat them in a specific hard way that doesn't work. And only after three hours of trying and failing, you search up a video that tells you the real way to beat the boss is a completely different way you refused to try out of stubbornness! And so, you progress in the game finally!"

Aizawa hummed at that.

"Hm. That's not a half bad analogy."

"It's really dramatic though. People don't like drama."

"Drama is an essential part of life!" I corrected the ill-informed student. "People don't like drama because they don't like their mistakes being presented to them! It's actually the sign of a mentally-immature person, when you think about it. They run away from having difficult conversations and coming to a resolution. It may not always work, but that's not a reason to simply not try and do so in the first place. That doesn't mean I have my head up my arse, it just means I view life in a different way from you! We all have had different journeys to get where we are, learnt different lessons."

I watched as Aizawa nodded beside me.

"True, true. You need to learn from your mistakes in order to become an adult."

"That's right! Or else you'll be stuck as a teenager forever! Always thinking it's someone else's fault, and never your own! For so long I thought that when I was younger and had more… behavioural issues," I replied. "Back then, people just viewed me as a brute with no redeeming factors. And I was too stubborn to accept that. But the people who loved me kept on pushing for me to stop being stubborn and learn to accept change, which is exactly what I did."

The class nodded in response.

Heh.

Who knew that teaching brats important life lessons was so easy?

But before I could continue on with my lecture, the door to the classroom was flung open.

"Sora! Sensei!"

Hagakure's panicked voice alerted me to the fact that something was up.

Along with the other Class A members standing by the door.

"Did something happen?" Aizawa asked. "We're sort of in a lesson here-,"

"It's Mineta!" Hagakure cut him off, panting heavily. "It's, well, he's been caught, sir!"

"Caught?"

"Apparently he was sexting younger students! I don't believe it! Not Mineta! He's dating Tsuyu!" Hakagure yelled loudly. "Sora! You have to help him! The student body is going crazy and are demanding a trial. And Mineta requested you!"

"Requested me? For what? I'm not a male escort."

Hagakure sighed at that.

"No, you idiot! He requested for you to be his lawyer!"

Oh.

That made sense.

…

HUH?!

WAIT, WHAT THE FU-,

Chapter

Eighty

One

'Everyone Knows that a Cold Open Shouldn't be a Part of a Joke-,'

"Could you stop smoking? This is serious."

I circled around the desk where Mineta was sitting, ignoring the large tick on his forehead as I kept tapping my forehead, occasionally inhaling some smoke as I kept on thinking what Phoenix Wright would do in this situation.

"Did you do it?"

"NO!"

I nodded at that, slamming my hands against the table.

"Are you lying to me, you cocksucker?!"

"...Huh?"

"Sorry. Are you fabricating a lie?"

"No. I have a girlfriend! I'd never cheat on Tsuyu!" Mineta told me honestly. "I swear, I don't even know the girls involved in this shit! Sexting? Come on, why would I need to do that when Tsuyu and I live on the same floor!"

I stroked my chin at that.

"These are serious accusations, my friend! Naruhodo, naruhodo-,"

"Stop speaking like a lawyer! YOU AREN'T PHOENIX WRIGHT!"

I ignored my client's pleas.

He was simply frightened.

"Do not fret, my dearest friend! Naruhodo! As your lawyer, I will make sure that the glove doesn't fit! Do you take any Arthritis medication? I'd suggest you stop taking it for the time being, let your hand swell up a bit and-,"

"Huh?"

"No worries, I'll question the detective-,"

"Dude! I picked you to be my lawyer because you are the detective!"

…

"...Right," I nodded in response. "True, true. Damn. Why didn't I realise that earlier? No matter, I'll defend you in the court of law! But, er, this isn't going to trial, so…"

Mineta sighed, rolling his eyes at me.

"Of course I'd get the worst lawyer in the world."

"I'm not exactly a lawyer, now am I?!"

"But you're a detective! Isn't that the same thing?"

I shook my head at him.

"I just gather evidence, catch the criminals and occasionally make a brief appearance in court! Most of the time Nanao does it for me," I answered. "A lawyer has to be beyond certainty that the defendant committed the crime! They caught you! In 4K! I've seen the texts, why the hell were you sending fifteen-year-old girls messages of you wanting to sniff their panties and molest them-,"

"It wasn't me!" Mineta cried out. "Listen, I-, I know that I'm a bit of a creep. Or I was. Sure I've cleaned up my act, sure I've gotten a girlfriend, but-, I wouldn't do this! Not ever! Not to Tsuyu! I-, I love her, man! And I'd never send those weird texts! I'd never even do that weird shit to anyone! Especially not kids!"

"..."

"I know it looks bad! But I swear, I didn't do it! And if you don't believe me, fair enough. You can't expect friends to go through all this, I don't want anyone's careers to be jeopardised because they stood by me through this," Mineta whispered. "I-, Even if I have to fight this case against the student body all alone, I'll do so. It's fine, Sora. Really, just pass me the rope so I can hang myself-,"

I sighed, reaching over the table to smack him in the face.

"Dumbass. I'm not your lawyer, and I couldn't give a toss what happens to me."

"H-huh?!"

"I'm your friend, so don't go sprouting shit about hanging yourself with a rope when I'm offering you one. Only I'm allowed to tie it around your neck, and that's when we're old and dying on our deathbeds," I reminded Mineta. "It's sort of disrespectful. And goes against our promise, dumbass. Don't worry about your case, I'll defend you until there isn't a case! Cause we're going to win. Obviously. Anyways, how is this court set up?"

"Well, you know the student council, right?"

"Mmh."

"Well they have the powers to hold a student court-,"

"Hold up, what?"

"Yeah. Yaoyorozu, as a member of the council, tried to prevent the trial as a representative of Class A but she was vetoed by the other representatives," Mineta explained to me. "They will all serve as the jury while Nezu will serve as the judge. Man. I'm sweating my balls off here, what if I'm found guilty?"

"The student council has that much power?"

"That's what you are concerned about?"

I gave him a pointed look.

Obviously!

"...Something to do with preparing the students of this school for the outside world."

"Man, our Student Council sounds crazy powerful. Like one of those anime Student Councils who have more powers than the teachers and can take care of a terrorist attack or something," I replied. "Wish I was a part of the student council. I mean, think about how cool it would be if I were in charge! Man, I regret not taking things seriously back in the first year."

"It's not like anyone would have voted for you anyways."

"Huh? Why not?"

"...You started a crusade against Iida. Said he was a pair of glasses controlling a human corpse," Mineta pointed out, cracking up at the story. "To be honest, it's an inside joke we still use to this day. I can't believe that was over two years ago now. Makes me feel kind of old, you know."

"Kind of old?! I feel like I'm balding already."

"You are."

"Shut up! Stop looking at my hairline!"

I was fine!

My hairline had just receded…

Only a little bit.

"So? What now?" Mineta asked me. "The trial isn't for another few days. Are you going to gather evidence and everything? Until then, I can't attend any lessons and are placed under 'dorm arrest.' Whatever that means."

"Eh, don't worry. If you need sex, you have Tsuyu."

"My girlfriend isn't some toy I fuck!"

"Sorry. I meant you have your right hand," I corrected. "...Is Tsuyu pissed?"

"Not at me."

I hummed at that.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you about Tsuyu. Is it true? How good is her tongue… you know."

"Honestly? My hand could never match up to her tongue."

I nodded at that.

"Man. When am I going to find a girlfriend?"

"When are you going to get over Jiro?"

I sighed, ignoring my obviously guilty client.

It just wasn't fair!

Perhaps it was the dirty looks I was getting as I walked across campus that made me aware of the fact that the hatred for Mineta had grown tenfold. No, the vitriolic hate for my friend had grown to unproportionate levels - I get being annoyed by Mineta and his perverted actions, but to go so far as to trash his locker?!

I sighed, taking a drag from my cigarette.

"This school is a no smoking zone," A younger student bravely told me. "Please, could you not smoke-,"

"It's for my Quirk."

"I highly doubt your Quirk means you have to smoke."

"Can you shut up? I'm trying to focus here," I told the younger student, humming to myself as I stood in the front of the lunch queue. What should I pick today? Meatball Sub or the famed Carbonara Pasta Pot? Mmh, they were both tantalising options… "Lunch Rush, I'll take the Meatball Sub please. And the extra caramel cookie~ Oh, and I'll take two Fanta's!"

I paid the man my lunch money as I ignored the looks some students were giving me as I sat down on the table my friends had claimed. Kaminari and Jiro were sharing a single pasta pot, and Tokage was too busy trying to dunk her entire sushi in soy sauce to notice me.

"Well, well, if it isn't Saul Yamazaki."

"I prefer Sora McGil actually," I snapped back at Jiro. "And seriously, why's everyone staring at me like I'm some social pariah? Fucking hell. You smoke a cigarette once in the cafeteria and suddenly you're a terrorist."

"I think it's because you're a lawyer now."

I sighed at that.

"Because of Mineta? Really? That's their issue with me?"

"Well, I hate to play devil's advocate, but you attend a school filled with rich fucks and kids that think they know better," Kaminari pointed out. "But maybe you don't understand that? Or maybe you do, and you don't care. Just because people aren't as laid back as you when it comes to societal issues, it doesn't mean they aren't valid in feeling frustration towards you."

I scoffed at him.

"How am I laid back at tackling societal issues? Didn't I just root out corruption in this city a month ago?"

"A month ago. What's the most recent thing you've done? Potentially protect a pedo?"

"Hey! Don't speak about my client in that way! He's innocent!"

Jiro rolled her eyes at me.

"We all know he's innocent! That's not the point! The rest of the student body seem to think he's guilty! Tsk! They don't know Mineta! Why the hell would he be sexting minors when he already has a girlfriend?!" She replied. "I mean it's not a hard concept to grasp. Sure, Mineta was a tad bit annoying - But that was well over two years ago now! He changed for the better and hasn't had an incident in years! Plus, Tsuyu made sure that his … weird jokes weren't said as much."

Tokage hummed at that.

Oh, no!

Jiro and Tokage!

"...Is there something you want to add, Tokage?"

"Nothin', nothin'," Tokage replied smugly. "I just want to point out that people cheat in relationships all the time. Your defence isn't as airtight as you think, even if I think it's unlikely for that purple ball of pervertedness to have cheated on Tsuyu. Not even he's that dumb. But who knows?"

"Our friend did not sext minors!" Jiro adamantly yelled, drawing the ire of the students eating their lunch around us. "Sora! You better provide the best defence possible! If not, I'll chop your balls off!"

I laughed at that.

"Kinky. Isn't that cheating? Touching another man's balls?"

Jiro rolled her eyes at me.

"Sora. Shut up."

"No, no, he does have a point," Kaminari came to my defence. "Are you cheating on me, Kyoka? Are you a whore? Am I being cucked? No! I can't believe it! Is it really true that you enjoy two co-,"

I watched in amusement as Jiro shoved Kaminari's lunch down his throat in an effort to stop talking. Heh. It reminded me of the good old days… My eyes became sleepy at that, my body began to feel quite heavy as I-,

Snap.

Tokage snapped her fingers in front of my eyes.

"Sora. You're staring off into space, dreaming again."

And those words drew Jiro and Kaminari's attention too.

"Hm?"

"I said, you've gone off dreaming again," Tokage told me. "...You look tired. Really tired."

I wanted to say I was fine, but Jiro beat me to the punch.

"It's your… Thingy, isn't it?"

"Did you just call my body shutting down and breaking itself apart as a thingy?"

"It's definitely because of that. My Sora bullshit detector is going off like crazy," Kaminari replied with a grin. "Have you been sleeping well lately? Setsuna's right, you look quite ill. Everything good?"

"I'm fine-, It's just… You know, I've been waking up in the night."

"And?"

I sighed.

"And, maybe I've been coughing up more blood than usual," I answered hesitantly, not looking at their eyes. "Been feeling more dizzy too. But Recovery Girl said that it was fine and expected for what I'm going through, and I've been given some medicine to stop the pain so-,"

Tokage cut me off with a glare.

"Yamazaki. Shut it."

"Huh?"

"...Things really are only getting worse, aren't they?" Jiro asked me with a sigh. "Ugh. Now I'm going to have to move all of my things upstairs. Denki, do you want your room to be next to Sora's?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Isn't it obvious? You live all alone on your floor. We're moving in, just so you don't have to deal with your illness all alone," Jiro told me frankly. "...You're welcome to come too, Tokage. That is, if you want."

…And it had been turned into a competition once again.

Tokage hummed at that.

"I'll have to decline your offer," Tokage snidely replied, latching on to my arm. "I'll spend the night in Sora's room looking over him and his health. But you know, if something happens, I'll be sure to knock on your door. Or something."

"Or something?"

As Jiro and Tokage kept on arguing, I could only look at Kaminari who sighed in response.

"Man. Our girlfriends suck."

I choked at that.

"Dude. Setsuna isn't my girlfriend."

"Huh? She's not?"

And then another argument started right then and there.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Currently? Making food," I replied through the phone, watching as Nejire bounced up and down on her side of the screen. She was currently running-, "Then I have a case to try and get through tonight. Or something."

"A case?"

"Not a detective case," I told her. "I'm now a lawyer."

"Oh?! I have a court case coming up, something about a parking ticket-,"

"I'm not that kind of lawyer!"

"But you said-,"

"...In the school court."

"Oh, right. I forgot that U.A. had that."

"Did you ever get called up?"

"Once. Apparently it's illegal to give gifts to a teacher to give you higher marks."

"That's bribery!"

"Oops?"

I sighed at her.

"How is Italy treating you?"

"Ah~! The sights are amazing! The food here is SO good!" Nejire replied with a grin. "It's not that expensive either! Hehe. Oh, and the ice cream is so nice! Tamaki's having a nap right now, but if you want I can wake him up-,"

"Let the man sleep. He has to deal with you for an entire trip."

"Rude!"

"...It's been a month since you left Japan. Any progress on the Yozora case?" I asked her seriously, watching as Nejire's eyes changed. "That's why you were sent there, no? To keep track of Yozora and Stain's movements? Judging by that look on your face, I guess your investigation hasn't gone to plan."

"The Italian authorities are far more distrusting than you think."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, they view me as a joke," Nejire replied. "They view Japan as a joke. They underestimate Yozora and Stain, they think that just because we can't arrest them it means that we are incompetent, and they are underestimating our villains entirely. Yozora killed three agents while getting away from me. I don't know where he currently is, but I'm scheduled to fly back home in a few weeks."

I nodded at that.

"Sounds shit."

"It is shit. You don't understand, Sora. And I hope you never do. Anyway, I have to go now. It's near noon, so I have to work. Though it's nearly night time for you, so, I guess I'll say good night."

"Mmh. Later."

I closed my phone as I looked up and sighed at her.

Miwa was glaring at me.

"What do you want?"

"Can't I stare at my brother?"

"No. Go away."

"...You were sick again this morning. I had to clean up your blood in the sink."

I paused at that, staring at the uncut vegetables on the chopping board. Carrots, onions, peppers, hm if I wanted to mix them together for the yakisoba-, No, I needed soy sauce first. Tsk. Where did Mum put the soy sauce-,

Slam.

While I was rummaging around the cupboards, I watched as Miwa shut them and stared right at me.

"You're not getting away from this conversation."

"This isn't a conversation," I replied. "It's an interrogation."

"You're sick-,"

"I'm fine-,"

"I had to clean up your blood-,"

"And I've had to clean up your vomit once-,"

"Take this seriously!" Miwa snapped at me. "...You're looking more like a ghost these days, Sora. You're either too quiet, or you've got your head in the clouds stuck in a dream you can't wake up from. I'm worried. I really am."

…

I leaned over the kitchen sink as I felt it coming.

Hack.

Hack.

Hack.

I coughed up some blood as Miwa went crazy beside me, trying to find a bottle of water for me to drink from. I shook my head at her, reaching for my cigarette packet and lighter. I had my remedy right here with me. And while Miwa judged me harshly for it, I ignored her glares as I smiled warmly at her.

"...I'm gonna' be fine."

"You're dying. The least you could do is stop smoking those death sticks."

"They aren't speeding up the process."

"Well, they aren't making you better either!"

I laughed at that.

"Can you finish preparing dinner for us? Mum and Dad are going to come home soon. I'll clean up the kitchen sink after I have a little fresh air," I winked at Miwa. "...Come on, I'll even buy you that new manga you talk about. What's it again? The isekai BL series with the vampires and what not."

"I'm not a child. You can't shut me up with a present or two."

"How about three?"

Miwa rolled her eyes at me.

"You're incorrigible."

"Yet, you still call me your brother. Actions speak louder than words."

"I don't have another sibling. Unlike you, whose long lost siblings are popping up like crazy."

"Hey! I didn't ask for this, Miwa."

"But you sure as hell ain't complaining."

"Is that a hint of jealousy I hear, dear sister of mine? Afraid that one of these days someone will replace you?" I asked Miwa, who stuttered in response. I laughed, reaching out for a hug. "You're my sister, Miwa. No one is replacing you. Not Katsumi or anyone else. I promise you, there will always be a spot at my funeral for you. Heh, I'll even make sure you get to do the first eulogy."

"That's not funny!"

I grinned at my comedic brilliance.

"Be sure to play another one bites the dust! I think it'll be a riot."

Snickering, I left the apartment and made my way downstairs, sitting outside on the curb as I lit up a cigarette and stared at the dark sky. Hm. My body was getting worse, coughing up blood was starting to become a near daily thing now.

'You don't have long left, Sora. Two years max. I urge you, please. Just give up on being a Detective, on being a Hero! You will live longer this way! I promise you, the only path you are walking down right now guarantees your death before you hit twenty!'

Recovery Girl's words replayed through my mind as I took a long drag, allowing the smoke to fill my lungs. Tsk. Even now, something that was supposed to provide me with relief was starting to become useless.

I guess I was just used to it now.

"A hundred Yen for your thoughts?"

My Dad slid next to me, a grin on his face.

"Ugh…"

"...You coughed up some more blood, didn't you?" Gekko asked me, but it wasn't really a question as he already knew the answer to it. I watched as Hinata and Katsumi waved at me while they went inside, holding bags of groceries. "You know, Son, it's funny. They always say that the worst pain a parent can ever go through is losing a child, but I think slowly watching your child die is the most painful thing ever. It'd be easier if you died on a mission saving someone, at least we wouldn't see you in pain."

"It's not… painful exactly."

"Oh?"

"It's more like spit. There's like a sharp pain for a moment, but then it goes away," I answered. "It's the dizziness afterwards that annoys me the most. Sometimes it's the worst, I lose track of my surroundings completely. It's why I like smoking these, it helps me keep focus."

Gekko nodded at that.

"I see. Mind if you pass me one?"

"Huh?"

"I want to smoke with my son, is that alright?"

I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"You're a doctor. I don't think I've ever seen you smoke."

"Before you and Miwa came into my life, I was a notorious smoker. Your mother almost left me because of it actually," Gekko replied with a small grin, lighting up the cigarette I passed to him. I watched as he took a small drag, resisting the cough that came to him afterwards as a bittersweet look appeared on his face. "...I do admit, for the first cigarette I've ever had in two decades this is probably the shittest thing I've ever done. I can't understand why you like these so much? I can't understand why I used to like them so much."

I laughed at that.

"Maybe it's old age?"

"Old age my arse. I have patients double my age that smoke three packs of these a day and they're healthier than you or me, somehow. Maybe it's their Quirks, but personally I'd like to think it's their strong will to live."

I nodded at that.

"I have a strong will to live."

"Not with that sappy look on your face," Gekko teased me, shoving me lightly. "...Are you scared of the final outcome, Sora? Of what might…"

I nodded my head at him.

"Of course I'm scared. But that's no excuse to just bury my head in the sand. I have a duty. A role I need to fulfil, promises that need to be kept," I told him. "I won't die before then. That's another promise. And I intend to keep every promise. It's just, well, in case something happens, will you-,"

"We'll look after Katsumi. No matter what."

I smiled at that, resting my head on my Dad's shoulders.

"Hey Dad… Is it still okay for me to be angry at the world?"

A soft chortle came from him as he sniffled loudly.

"Yes, Sora. It's okay. God knows I'm angry at the world too," Gekko replied, something soft and wet trickling down into my hair. I didn't move, and nor did Gekko as he wrapped his arms around me. "You don't have to fight this, Sora. I-, Your mother and I, we just want what is best for you. At the very least, if things get to the point where you can't live your life normally, promise me you'll quit."

"Quit what?"

"...Quit smoking."

I turned to look at him in confusion.

"Eh?"

But Gekko remained resolute in his words.

"We won't force you to quit being a Hero. As much as we want to, we can't. You are eighteen now. Even if you're thrown out of U.A. at our request, you're a detective and a member of the force, that's something we have no say in," Gekko told me. "But you can control your smoking habits. It may not mean much to you, but to us it's the sort of actions that show to us that you'll make it past twenty. Being able to give up unhealthy habits is an adult action. It'd mean a lot to us. It'd show us how much you've really grown from the kid we used to take to primary school who complained every day."

I hummed at that.

Give up smoking…

Ugh.

"Yeah. If things get to that point, I'll think about it."

The restaurant was practically empty as I walked in.

"Yo! Old man?"

I was followed by Mineta and Tokage.

"Sora? Is that you?" Coming from the kitchen with a dirty apron, I watched as Shigeo grinned at me. "Haha! I haven't seen you in ages! I guess you've been busy with being a Hero and whatnot, huh? Come here-,"

I couldn't even protest as the old man reached over to ruffle my hair affectionately.

"Oh? Friends?"

"Yes, you old fuck. Friends," I snorted. "This place is looking far emptier than usual."

"It's a Wednesday."

"So?"

"A Wednesday in the middle of June."

"Hm. I suppose that makes sense. I was going to ask if you have a table for three, but it looks like I can pick whatever seat I want," I replied sitting down at one of the tables near the bar. "...Is it only you working here today? At your age?"

"I'm fine, lad. You worry about that pretty girl next to you."

It was hilarious when Shigeo bowed to Tokage.

"You two make a fine couple."

"You decrepit old man-,"

"Sora's a great girlfriend!" Tokage cheekily replied. "I mean he is my bitch. Plus, I can't wait after this where I can peg him all night. He really enjoys the pain-,"

Much to my embarrassment, I quickly realised what a stupid idea this was.

Shigeo and Tokage?

The two people that got on my nerves the most.

"Shut up! Tch," My brow was twitching as I reached deep within my pockets and lit a cigarette. "Uh. Can you make us some food? And drinks. I'll pay. We have some, er, business to conduct."

"You haven't even told me about your time at U.A. yet!"

"It's been grand. Made a ton of friends, I even made up with my old ones. Sorta."

"Where's Kyoka? Surely she should be here with you."

"Kyoka…"

It was Mineta who jumped in next.

"Oh, she has a date. With her boyfriend. They're watching a movie downstairs, and that finally made Sora do some work for once," Mineta told him. "I think he's just a little jealous of their relationship."

"Just a little? All he does is talk about it," Tokage scoffed. "It's sort of concerning actually."

"You still love your ex-girlfriend despite this gorgeous girl in front of you? What are you? Stupid?" Shigeo barked at me, kicking my ankles. "I didn't hire you as the face of this restaurant for over a year to screw things up! Idiot! Get over her already! The past is the past, or are you content in living in a dream forever?!"

I blinked at them angrily as I snapped my cigarette in half.

"Just get us some food and alcohol, you shitty old man!"

Shigeo laughed boisterously at me.

"And here I thought you would be sulking that I'm working here alone! Haha! Glad to see you're as spirited as ever, Sora!" Shigeo told me, patting my back. "Really. I'm glad to see you do so well. It warms my heart. Three house specials coming right up! And Missy, would you like to take a look at our cocktail and mocktail menu? Everything is on the house tonight."

Tokage's eyes practically turned into one-hundred Yen coin signs at that.

"Everything?"

"Of course! I'm practically the boy's grandfather! I have to treat him and his friends!"

Tokage latched onto my arm rather affectionately.

"What about lovers?"

I detached my arm from her as I sat down with a loud sigh.

"My fucking God, people! I swear, it's like you love to piss me off every single day of the week!" I yelled loudly, but I couldn't hide my smirk. I wasn't trying to. "...Old man, just get the food and some beers already. We'll discuss some business first, then afterwards, I'll help you close the restaurant. We can even have a chat or two. Like old times."

Shigeo grinned at that.

"Business?"

"I have a court case coming up," Mineta piped up. "Er, sorta."

"Court case? Sora, are you his lawyer?" In my silence, Shigeo patted Mineta's arm in melancholy. "I see. I apologise for your chances at freedom. If there is any consolation, at least you'll be loved by prisoners for being small. Like a female."

"That's horrible!"

Shigeo chuckled to himself as he went back in the kitchen, leaving the three of us alone.

"Your grandpa, huh?"

"Don't. Just don't," I replied with a sigh. "He's been like that for six years. Kinda crazy how long I've known and worked at this place, but whatever. Still, if anyone asks, that's my old man."

"How cute."

I glared at Tokage.

"You did not just call me cute."

"You're like a cute little teddy bear! An incredibly hot one."

"Okay, weird flirting aside, let's talk about my court case!" Mineta interjected. "And Sora, what is she doing here? I thought you were my lawyer, not her."

"She's helping out."

"Why?"

"Because I want there to be justice," Setsuna replied. "...And because it'll look good on my student report card."

Mineta shuddered at that.

"I feel like you want me to be prosecuted?"

"The worse you'll get is a lifetime of detentions… if Nezu doesn't kick you out," I told Mineta. "Personally, if he offers a nice plea deal of detentions, I'd say take it. We only have seven months left at U.A. before we graduate. Wait… only seven months?"

The three of us sat in silence at that.

"Seven months? You must be wrong!" Tokage whispered. "July, September, October, November, half of December, half of January, February and March… Discounting August since most of it is off for us to do patrols and more Hero studies. Shit. Only seven months left till we graduate?"

"Seven months of detention?" Mineta asked me. "I'll gladly take that."

I grinned at him.

"Perfect."

"So, what else are we going to discuss?"

"Huh? We discussed everything."

"...IS THAT IT?!" Mineta asked me loudly, panicking. "YOU CALLED ME OUT HERE JUST TO TELL ME TO TAKE A PLEA DEAL WE MIGHT NOT EVEN GET?!"

"Nezu won't kick you out," I told Mineta confidently. "If he does… I'll blackmail him. Don't worry. I have good information on that rat. I'm not afraid to blackmail someone for my friends sake."

Tokage nodded, agreeing with me.

"True, true. I love blackmail as well. I think you should also use that blackmail to ensure that Mineta gets truly free," Tokage added. "But that might be overkill. In terms of defences, I've drafted a few for us. The primary one being that it isn't Mineta who sent those messages, but I don't know how we'll prove that."

"I have an idea," I told the two of them. "It's risky, but I have an idea."

"I'll leave it to you then-,"

"Hold on, are you betting on a plan working for my freedom?!" Mineta asked nervously. "Isn't that, er, you know - dangerous? What if it doesn't work?"

"...I heard Shiketsu is nice at this time of year-,"

"Sora!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking," I replied with a conforming smile. I wasn't joking. "You'll be fine-ish. Probably. Listen, Setsuna and I brainstormed a ton of defences for you. Tomorrow, I promise you, we'll celebrate your freedom with everyone from Classes A and B. Just leave it to me. And Setsuna. I brought you out here tonight to help you relax instead of toiling away in your room, not being able to go to sleep."

"And get you hammered," Tokage helpfully added.

"Yeah - That too."

"Why would that help me?"

"Because, my friend, this case has impacted your mental health so much because you would never commit such an heinous act!" I told Mineta with a wink. "Turning to alcohol has been your only coping method. We'll play up your being an alcoholic, get the jury and judge on our side and finesse the case."

"...I'm screwed."

"No," Tokage shook her head at him. "You're a non-functioning alcoholic. Get the facts straight."

"I'm going to be expelled."

I rolled my eyes at Mineta as Shigeo brought us the beers and some starters.

"You'll be fine. I promise."

We were not fine.

"And as you can see there has been even more evidence submitted just this morning of Minoru Mineta and his deplorable behaviour!" The prosecution continued with their argument, passing three new sheets of paper to Nezu who hummed in response. "One of these conversations also has connotations of Mineta perhaps alluding to wanting to sexually assault my client! How despicable, wouldn't you agree?"

The jury were simply the student council members.

"How did you find these conversations?" Yaoyorozu asked sceptically. "It's kind of fishy how these pictures appeared out of thin air this morning. Perhaps you could even argue that they were fabricated."

"That's illegal. The illegality of Mineta's actions are on trial today."

"You make a fair point," Nezu agreed, nodding along with the prosecution. "Well, does the defence have anything to add?"

I cleared my throat as I stood up.

Mineta was shaking, on the verge of tears beside me while Tokage was glaring at the prosecution. I think she wanted to stab them all in the throat. And I couldn't blame her. To some degree, I wanted to do the same thing too.

"Your Honour, I just have to say that the evidence submitted was not checked by a detective!"

"...And why would a detective check it?"

Grk!

"Uhm… To make sure it's not falsified?" I replied. Nezu hummed, agreeing with me. "Luckily, since I'm the only detective in the room, it would be prudent for me to check the evidence."

"I agree."

I sighed in relief.

This case was taking place in the assembly hall, and behind our little stand I saw the rest of Class A, B, all of the staff at U.A. plus Katsumi and Sai wave and give me a thumbs up. I gulped as I approached Judge Nezu who handed me the evidence with a smirk.

Stroking my chin I hummed to myself.

I wasn't reading a single line.

"Yep, I knew it," I replied, tearing the paper in half. "This evidence is falsified."

"HOW?!"

"Because Mineta used the word 'pookie'. As a matter of fact, as his self-proclaimed pookie bear, he would never call anyone else but me that," I replied. "Does that work for you, Judge Nezu?"

"Yes."

"B-but your Honour, the evidence-,"

"Motion dismissed."

The prosecution sighed as I hi-fived Mineta.

Haha!

"Now, does the defence want to add anything to their argument?" Nezu asked me. "...Any evidence you want to submit? Or perhaps do you want to cross examine the prosecution's evidence and do some other Phoenix Wright stuff?"

"YES! I mean, sure!"

"Proceed."

Dramatically, I slammed my hands on the table.

"You see, Mineta could never have done all this! He has a girlfriend who would kick his ass and choke him to death with her tongue!" I yelled loudly. "Furthermore, even if he did do these alleged crimes, is it wrong to talk to a fifteen year old? Well, yes. But he's seventeen. Hardly a massive difference! It's still weird, don't get me wrong. And if he did that, I'd kick his arse for not only cheating on our lovely Tsu and for being an idiot getting with a fifteen year old! The issue here is the messages themselves, which are very weird but I believe in Class punishment! Or, in this case, leaving it to his girlfriend. I think that's an effective punishment."

Mineta angrily kicked my shins.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Saving your arse!"

"You're making me look guilty, asshole!"

"...My client has just informed me that he is in a 'silly goofy mood' because he drank a lot of beer last night," I told the court. "He's an alcoholic you see. These alleged texts have made his mental health deteriorate, he would never cheat on his girlfriend or send inappropriate texts to fifteen year olds! In fact, fifteen year olds aren't even Mineta's type!"

"..."

The court was stunned as Tokage handed me a piece of evidence.

"In fact, we looked at Mineta's internet history just this morning!"

You couldn't hear a single pin drop as I handed Nezu our evidence.

"You printed out my internet history as you dumped me into my bed!" Mineta yelled loudly, clearly in shock. "...Did you get me drunk last night to try and get that evidence off me?! Dude?!"

I shook my head at him.

"Shut up you demented fuck! I'm the lawyer, let me Phoenix Wright you to freedom!"

Mineta could only whimper.

"Oh man, I'm finished."

Nezu hummed as he read the search history out loud.

"How to be pegged safely? Bondage and BDSM tips? Hot milfs in the local area? Reddit? How to download games illegally-, Hold on, you pirate games?" Nezu's sharp glare caused Mineta to fall off his chair. "...Well, that's a separate crime but whatever. It doesn't matter at the end of the day, I suppose. Does the prosecution want to add anything?"

This time, it was a tall boy that stood up.

He was also handsome with the way the girls around him stared at him.

"Yes, your Honour. This all proves that Mineta is a dangerous pervert! All this does is add credence to the fact that he sent these messages!" The boy said. "My name is Taizo Haga, and I am aiming to find the truth in this case! It is clear that Minoru Mineta deserves to be punished for being a crazy degenerate and deserves to be executed!"

"Hm… I agree with your statement," Nezu agreed. "So, this case is decided-,"

"Hold on!" I calmly interjected, punching our desk in half dramatically. "Setsuna… It's time for Plan B."

Mineta gulped loudly at that.

"Plan B?"

Tokage reached deep into her pockets and handed me a pair of glasses.

"...Huh?"

"Let's begin with the real proceedings!" I yelled charismatically, much like Phoenix Wright! "So, Haga! Why don't you start with your argument and I'll chime in and correct you along the way!"

The boy sneered at me.

"I come from a long family line of lawyers, that's not how this works-,"

"Talk motherfucker, talk!"

"Last week, at around ten AM, the defendant, Minoru Mineta, is accused of messaging an unnamed first year student sexually charged sexts and trying to solicit private pictures from her. Mineta went out of his way to message this girl who showed her discomfort in the conversations. Clearly, this is a case of sexual harassment. Several dozen in fact. The defendant's guilt is so self-evident that this trial is little more than a formality."

"Objection!" I replied, raising my hand as I stood up.

"...Huh?"

"I said objection, fool!" I replied, pressing my fake-glasses up. "It may be true that Mineta may have sent messages to this girl, but there is no proof that there was malicious intent from my client to try and solicit private pictures or sexually harass her! Mineta is just really awkward when he speaks! He must have accidentally messaged her those messages! Thus, I declare my client innocent!"

"..."

"Accidentally? How do you accidentally sext someone? It takes clear effort to pursue someone and sext them, it is not a technique used by those unaware of what they were doing! Minoru Mineta clearly did all this because he is a sick pervert, in fact the entire idea of sexting is a repulsive technique that goes back to the Heian period where sex-crazed Prince's would write letters to women in order to lure them out and inappropriately touch them!"

"Impossible. The art of sexting goes back to the Greeks, you uncultured swine! Everyone knows that!" I replied, wagging my finger at Prosecutor Haga. "The Ancient Greek technique of Sexting created by Aristotle. 'To sext or not to sext, sexting is how one is able to communicate in an orderly fashion.' In order to be the wrong kind of degenerate you must be sexting with malicious intent, it could be argued that Mineta passively sexts everyone because he exudes an aura of sexting!"

Haga blinked owlishly at me.

"Grk-,"

"Mmh, that is true," Nezu nodded his head at me. "I must agree with Defence Attorney Yamazaki here. The nature of sexting in itself is not a crime. You must prove that Mineta sexted this first-year student with malicious intent. If it was him who sexted in the first place. Do you have anything to add to that, Prosecutor Haga?"

The boy shook his head, admitting defeat.

"No, your Honour, however I can help prove it. You see, this morning, we entered Mineta's room while he was sleeping and found crates of these DVD's in his room," I watched as the boy brought out entire boxes of porn DVDs. All kinds of porn. If it wasn't my horrified look, it was Tokage' eyes widening and Mineta's absence of colour on his face. "We even have smut here as well. I didn't want to defile the court with such filth but… Some DVDs include molestation as part of the kink. As you can see, the defendant is a sex-crazed maniac. He is abnormally interested in sex. Thus, of course he sent those messages."

"Objection!" I yelled loudly, raising my hand yet again. "The objects that Prosecutor Haga has introduced are insufficient without the detective's, me, approval! Let me check the content! I wish for one of the video's to be played here, in front of the court!"

…

Mineta sent me a horrified look.

"You just want to watch the DVD, you bastard!"

I could hear him whisper that as he tried his hardest not to bash his head against the table in front of him. Even still, I watched as Setsuna nodded alongside me, my plan was going great!

"Sora… you motherfucker."

"Shut up, Mineta."

"Objection, your Honour! Yamazaki's request has no bearing on this case!" Haga said politely. "It is not necessary to watch the videos! In fact, the contents speak for themselves!"

Nezu shook his head however.

"Objection overruled. Play the DVD."

Mineta could only stare in horror as a TV with a DVD player was wheeled into court, plugging into the projector behind Nezu as one of the DVDs entitled 'Kyoko-Chan's day out at the park: Public Anal and more fun!' was played for everyone to view.

I stroked my chin as I walked closer to the projector.

Those were very big tits.

"Objection!" I yelled loudly. "Your Honour, I request that you rewind the video! Replay the scene where the woman's tits were oiled up and bouncing around freely! It's very essential to the court!"

Haga growled at that.

Especially when the moans from the video reached the far end corners of the Hall.

"This is ridiculous, what kind of trial is this? This is more a party for degenerates! Objection I say-,"

"Objection overruled," Nezu cut in, fixated by the video in front of him. "In fact, replay the entire video. In slow motion. Twice. I need an extra viewing to make up my mind on the video."

The entire courtroom sighed as I turned around and gave Mineta a thumbs up.

This was going well!

It was a shame that Mineta only stared at me, horrified by my actions.

As the video ended, Nezu cleared his throat.

"Ahem… What do the Jury think of this evidence?"

Outside of Yaoyorozu and Kendo, the rest of the Jury were knocked out and tied up.

They work quickly.

"They were… very excited by the video, and so we came to the conclusion that while it's an unhealthy amount of porn owned by Mineta, for a young man such as himself it is perfectly okay!" Yaoyorozu said, a hint of rose in her cheeks as she coughed innocently and refused to meet the gaze of any guy. "In fact, we of the Jury request that the DVD just played is submitted into our care. So we can review it… extensively."

"You just want the porn for yourself!" Haga yelled angrily. "What the hell is going on here-,"

"Accepted. I must commend you members of the Jury for going above and beyond for the pursuit of justice," Nezu cut the boy off. "In fact, I will make a personal copy of the video to review it personally myself. As well as everything in that pile. The evidence submitted by the Prosecution is rejected. Anything else you would like to add before I make my final judgement?"

I watched as Haga sighed.

"Only one. But it doesn't pertain to Mineta."

"Oh?"

"It is on… the Defence Attorney, Sora Yamazaki!" Haga yelled, pointing at me.

I blinked at him in confusion.

"Eh?"

Haga smirked as he pulled out a few pictures of me with various girls of Class A and B, talking to them and appearing close to them. Within those photos were testimonies from girls in Class B saying that I paraded around the fact that I 'had multiple one night stands' and 'slept with many girls'. And finally, there were tons of other photos of me outside of school chatting to girls, including my family members too.

"See! He's also a degenerate!"

"..."

"..."

I leaned forward, picking up one of the photos.

"Hey… Isn't this in my family album? How the hell did you get this?"

"N-none of your concern! Justice will be served today, degenerate!" Haga yelled at me. "You and your fellow degenerates deserve to die! This is a case against people like you! In fact, there is an account that apparently in your first year at U.A. you tried to look through the peeping hole at a bath on a school camping trip along with the defendant! As friends, your degeneracy feeds off each other! It must!

…

"Huh? This guy is a pedo too?"

"Kill him!"

"What a waste of time!"

The crowd behind the prosecution started to get riled up as I trembled in my position. Oh no, this isn't good! The lead we had suddenly had fallen off the cliff, set on fire before it was promptly bombed to death!

"Is there anything you would like to add, Sora?"

I meekly nodded, turning to Tokage.

"What do I say?"

Tokage simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Anything!"

Right.

I calmed myself down, nodding at Nezu.

"Nu-uh."

…

"What the fuck do you mean, 'nu-uh'?!" Haga screamed, his veins popping out on his forehead as he gripped his table with enough force to break the table. "That's it! I've had it up to here with this circus of a trial! You are all perverts! In fact, I'm glad I pretended to be Mineta and send those initial messages because all it had done has show how fucked up all of you are! Why and how that pervert has managed to date Tsuyu, my Queen, the woman I would do anything for so long as she looked my way and even say my name wrongly is astounding! This world is not fair! Why is HE dating the love of my life! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"

Haga's outburst stunned us all as he quickly realised his mistake.

"Er, I mean-,"

Mineta stood up victoriously at that, pointing his finger accusingly at the boy.

"Aha! So it was you! You pretended to be me and sent those weird messages so I'd be punished and you'd try and steal my girlfriend away from me! You fucking idiot! My search history? My porn? That's not mine, it's hers!" Mineta revealed the truth to everyone. "I just hold it for her because I have a DVD player in my room and we watch it together. The smut? I want to see what my girlfriend is into!"

Haga's face dropped.

"Eh? Tsuyu.. The great Heroine Froppy, is interested in p-porn?"

We all watched as Tsuyu, as red as a tomato, made her way to us as she hugged Mineta tightly. They even shared a quick peck on the cheeks. The evidence was clear, and the truth was finally out there.

"I'm… also a pervert. Girls are also just as horny as guys, in fact probably more," Tsuyu told Haga. "You have a parasocial relationship with me, kero. I'm just a human. You are also a degenerate. We as humans are all degenerates, kero. I'm very sad that one of my fans tried to sabotage the relationship with my boyfriend however. That is not nice, kero."

"B-but him?!" Haga asked, his voice breaking. "He's short! He's weird! He's weak! He's ugly! I'm far better looking than him, why can't I have you?! I should have you! I'll treat you better than him, I swear-,"

Thankfully, it was Mineta who stepped forward and punched the pathetic boy in the face, knocking him out stone cold.

"Shut up already! Sure, I'm not perfect, but I make Tsuyu happy! And that's all I want to do!" Mineta yelled, not just to Haga, but everyone in the court. "I don't need any of you to judge me! I know my failings very well! But Tsuyu accepts me either way, that's why I-, I-, It's why I love her more than anything in the world, alright?! And if you have a problem with that, I'll beat you up!"

…

"I…" We all watched as Tsuyu leaned in and kissed Mineta on the lips. "I love you too, kero."

Love, huh?

I was one of the first ones to clap loudly, whistling at their show as they turned to glare at me. Even Class A and B came down to speak excitedly to them as I hung back with Tokage, staring at the happy couple.

"...That's sweet. Too sweet," Tokage remarked. "It makes me sick."

"Is that a hint of jealousy I hear?"

"Yeah. Fuck love."

And as I watched a certain couple together, I couldn't help but agree.

"Mmh. Fuck love."

It didn't take long for the celebrations to start.

Despite that, I found myself going back to work with a crate of beer and good luck. Yet, when I walked into my office all alone, I suddenly found that I wasn't as alone as I thought. I held my sword tightly as I walked to my desk where a woman sat - A very familiar woman.

"What's the Prime Minister doing sitting in my chair?" I asked Hachi Yamaguchi. "You know, I'm not into older women. But you're pretty hot. I'm down to fuck you on my desk, if that's what you came here to do. But judging from that stern look on your face, you didn't come here for some fun, right?"

"I came here to admire the decor. Although your proposition to ravage me on this desk was quite funny considering it was my hard earned money that funded this project, you know," Hachi reminded me. "...Good work on your case recently. You saved this city, yet again. But I suppose now you know things that can't be taken back…"

"You mean Nezu."

And to her credit, Hachi smiled at me but she still shook her head.

"Nezu is an interesting case, but it's who he works for that I'm more concerned about," Hachi told me. "In fact, I suppose it's now time that I explain it to you. The truth behind what is going on in this country, as well as how I'm going to fix it. And you're going to help me, very soon in fact."

Eh?

"...You don't know yet?"

I blinked at her in confusion.

"Know what?"

"While the U.A. Sports Festival was cancelled, so I took it upon myself to plan the event this time," Hachi told me. "I invited countries from all across the world to send their best students to help participate. And that includes you and your class, Sora. What I'm saying is that the Sports Festival is now a global event, and I want you to win it for me."

…

"Ehhhhhhhhh?!"

International Break Arc: Begin!

A comedic chapter.

As a matter of fact, this arc is quite comedic. It's a break from the non-stop drama going on in Sora's life, and it'll have plenty of action. Really. To be honest, we're at the halfway point of Part 2 and there is no better way to signify that than an arc that is less serious in nature.

Even I, as a writer, need a break from writing serious things all the time.

It does get draining, and getting the chance to break free and write whatever I want for my own creative muse. Although this isn't that, it does have and finish a lot of arcs between characters (No spoilers) and is an important step in Sora's journey.

It is bridging the gap between what came before and what will follow.

And Hachi and her words play an important part in that.

So, I hope you'll enjoy what's to come!

See ya'!