Written by Aduubo, Buckichamp, and PikachuSpartan.
I OWN NOTHING. KILL LA KILL IS OWNED BY STUDIO TRIGGER AND KAZUKI NAKASHIMA. MHA IS OWNED BY TOHO ANIMATION AND KOHEI HORIKOSHI.
-Just an FYI from the team on HLK that we're on a three-week publishing schedule until either December 2022 or January 2023. The comic dubbing and drawing process may throw a wrench into things.
Upcoming uploads (Subject to change): CH 31: Thurs, Sep 29, 2022; CH 32: Thurs, Oct 20, 2022; CH 33: Thurs, Nov 10, 2022; CH 34: Thurs, Dec 1, 2022; CH 35: Thurs, Dec 22, 2022; CH 36: Thurs, Jan 12, 2023
—
-Danchi, 9:30 a.m.-
The covers were strewn everywhere and Matoi was snoring blissfully. It had been a long trek back the previous night from Tokyo to Danchi. The limo was able to drop everyone off at their homes, since no one wanted to run the risk of having the train cease operation. Plus, the ride back was pretty fun.
"A PHONE CALL IS HERE! A PHONE CALL IS HERE!"
"Grrrrr!" Ryuko growled while Senketsu snickered.
"I swear, I… Oh, it's Izuku."
Without a second thought, she swiped the 'accept call' button and put the phone up to her ear.
"Whaddya want?" The girl slurred through her words.
"Looks like someone slept through their alarm," Izuku teased. "I didn't want a repeat of last time."
"Heh! Yeah, right," Matoi chuckled wearily. "We're doing something today, right?"
"Yeah. I thought we could go back to the Karaoke place again since you seemed to enjoy that. And…"
"What?" Matoi asked.
"I need to find a hobby, so I kinda need your help," Midoriya answered sheepishly.
The girl raised a brow as she sat up in bed. She wondered why Izuku was so shy when asking for help? Then again, he was still having issues with his confidence.
"C'mon, Izuku. Do you really have to ask like that? Get ready. I'll meet you at your door," Matoi hopped up and went into her bathroom to freshen up.
Ten minutes passed as the two teens got prepared for the day. Izuku wore a navy-blue pullover hoodie over a white t-shirt accompanied by dark-gray shorts.
He fitted into his good old red sneakers and opened the door to find Ryuko, who was wearing… Senketsu… with the same jacket as before. Izuku gave Ryuko a onceover, seeing if she wore anything different.
"Hey… Izuku?" She greeted him questionably.
Ryuko's outfit wasn't bad. Not in the slightest. But, he was starting to question if this was all that she had. She washed her clothes, right?
"Do I have something on me? 'Cuz I know you're not the kind of guy to stare," Ryuko asked, starting to get impatient with him.
"Sorry! Sorry! It's just that this is what you wore last time when we hung out," Izuku answered.
"Yeah? So?"
"Well, don't you have other clothes to wear?"
"Huh… I actually don't. The other outfits I have are my pajamas and gym uniform. Maybe I should get some new clothes with the money I saved up," Ryuko examined herself while tugging on her jacket.
"You aren't thinking of replacing me, are you?" Senketsu asked. There was a small hint of concern in his voice.
"Only if you're not behaving," She chuckled.
"Is Senketsu getting jealous?" Izuku asked.
"I am not!"
"He so is," Ryuko jested, which made Izuku laugh.
"Then it's settled! We'll start the day by shopping for clothes. The mall's pretty far, so maybe we can check out a few local shopping centers. It'd be a good excuse to explore more of the city," The boy planted his fist into his palm as he laid out the plan for the day.
"Sounds good. I still need to get more familiar with the city. I got lost on the way to UA when I was meeting up with the girls."
"Oh yeah! I forgot you went on that trip! You gotta tell me about it!"
"Let's get on the road first, then I'll tell you. As fun as it might be to talk, I don't think we want to spend the first four hours hanging outside of your door," Ryuko joked and bumped Izuku's shoulder before walking down the stairs.
..~~~HLK~~~..
"Oh, before I forget. Did you get any data on the heroes at the fashion show?" Izuku asked while the duo were walking around the city.
"Yeah, but I was only able to write down their names as they walked down the runway," Ryuko answered.
"Anything on their quirks?"
"It's a fashion show, Izuku. Nobody's gonna use their quirks, ya goof," She chuckled.
"Dang it…" The greenette lamented.
"Aw, chin up. You'll get your chance. You always find a way, after all."
"I guess," Izuku shrugged before stopping at the corner of the street, spotting a clothes shop. "Here's a place we can check out."
"Alright. I'm counting on you to help me find something good!"
"Ryuko, I have the fashion sense of an average joe. You're expecting too much," Izuku chuckled.
"Who knows? If Kaminari is a wiz with tech, you might surprise me with fashion," Ryuko shrugged.
"Let's not get our hopes up," Izuku playfully scoffed, making Ryuko laugh as they entered the store.
"We'll split up then. We can pick out a few things and then compare," The girl said.
"Y-You mean I have to go in the women's section… By myself?" Izuku felt goosebumps form on his skin.
"Yep! Have fun!" Ryuko teased before running off and leaving Izuku on his own.
The boy stood still as he was about to crumble from a nervous breakdown. In the corner of his eye, he saw the women's underwear section and ran off to another area for women's clothing, passing the section that sold REVOCS brands.
After 15 minutes of searching, Izuku texted Ryuko that he was done picking out clothes. That was a surprise to her, since she thought he'd take much longer. The two met at a spot in the store that had a standing mirror they could use.
"Alright! So, what did you pick?" Ryuko asked eagerly.
"Uhh, a-actually, ladies first?" Izuku stuttered between his words.
The girl raised her right eyebrow at why he wasn't willing to go first. Maybe he was just nervous about his picks being something less than desirable. She chuckled and moved along, wanting to give him a break this time rather than further teasing him.
"We'll breeze through these, so tell me what you think," Ryuko said as she pulled up a combination of clothes.
Gray sweater with jeans.
"Looks good!"
White T-shirt with the same jeans.
"It'll mix well with your jacket!"
A gritty metal t-shirt with a zombified version of the singer.
"Scary!"
Black T-Shirt with a skull on it.
"Oh! That's a shirt that Kacchan w-"
"Don't fucking want it."
Ryuko promptly tossed the shirt aside.
Next was Izuku's selection of clothes. Like before, he was nervous about presenting them to Ryuko for some reason.
'What's gotten him shaken up so much? From what I've seen, he actually dresses alright. His tie may look funny, but I know for damn sure Dad never knew how to tie his tie either.'
To her surprise, She was shown a variety of athletic or loose clothing; gym shorts, a loose Purana wrap sweater, a two piece sports suit with a long sleeve jacket, and a red track suit.
"I wanted to pick clothes that are easy to wear for working out, or if you just want comfy clothes to wear. I figured I'd pick those since you're always working so hard," Izuku spoke sheepishly while touching his finger tips together.
"Wow, Izuku. Man, you really went above and beyond. Thank you," Ryuko smiled and piled the clothes with the ones she picked herself. "I'll take them!"
"W-what?"
"I'm buying them all! Let's go!"
Ryuko jogged towards the cashier to pay while Izuku sat back and reflected on what was happening. She wore a bright grin that made his heart flutter. He loved seeing her so happy. Izuku brought his chin up with a smile and joined her afterwards.
"This was an awesome find! I'm really glad that you suggested shopping," Ryuko thanked Izuku as they continued their walk around the city. She held one bag of clothes in her hand while he held the other.
"But there is still the problem of what I'm going to do with Senketsu. I need to wear him just in case anything nasty comes up out of the blue.
"You're right. We aren't allowed to use our quirks without a license, but villains obviously won't be following the rules," Izuku placed his hand under his chin and pondered.
"You forget I don't have a Quirk," Ryuko chuckled.
"Same rules still apply. You'd need a license," Izuku informed her.
"Dang it," she pouted slightly.
"Anyway, since we both know Senketsu can shape shift, we should add "compression" to our notes on him! That way, you can have him on you while wearing different clothes!"
"Now that sounds like a good idea. I was starting to get tired of being seen as the girl who wears a sailor uniform in public," Ryuko rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Senketsu cried out.
Ryuko laughed off her Kamui's dismay until a white color struck her eyes. It was so beautiful and pure that she stopped walking and looked at the source of it. It was a wedding dress.
She stayed in place while Izuku continued on in the background.
The girl gazed upon a shop that sold wedding attire, with the dress being the main attraction. Ryuko was at a loss for words, rendering her only able to stare.
"-set up a time for you and Senketsu to…" Izuku stopped once he noticed that his friend hung back and stared off. "Ryuko?"
The boy joined his friend in admiring the display. Izuku liked what he saw, while Ryuko was absolutely mesmerized by it.
"Wow, that dress looks beautiful," Izuku expressed in awe.
"It does," Ryuko spoke rather softly.
Blue curtains hung over the clothing, showering the environment behind it with darkness. The sun did its work to make the dress shine brighter than anything else.
Ryuko was taken back by how well the presentation highlighted the dress' best features; elegance, grace, and beauty. And it was her size.
"It's amazing to see this up close. Weddings really are a beautiful thing. I hope there will be a day that we can attend one in person," Izuku commented, which drew Ryuko's eyes to him.
"We?" She asked, which drew a glance out of him.
"Yeah! It wouldn't be as fun if I went by myself. I'd love to go with you, Ryuko."
Ryuko stared at him for a bit. The light now surrounded Izuku and his smile, leaving everything behind him out of view. She looked away before he would notice her blushing.
'Yeah… me too.'
..~~~HLK~~~..
"Here is our first stop to find you a new hobby. You're the most patient guy I've ever known, so this will be perfect for you," Ryuko chuckled before opening the door for herself and Izuku.
The duo's next stop was a mini golf course they happened to spot during their walk. They were provided with a choice of picking which putters they wanted to use, and of course, neither of them knew what the difference between them would be. The attendant gave them both a putter that was different sizes based on their height, and now they were off.
Their next task was to pick which ball they wanted to use. Thankfully, this was easier as their choices were ones of different colors. Izuku picked a red one and showed it to Ryuko, which drew a cheeky reaction out of her. She took a green one to even things out.
They played 18 holes, with Izuku winning 16 of them, and the other two being ties with Ryuko.
"Holy crap! How are you so good at this?" The girl asked as she looked at the scoreboard that Izuku kept track of.
"I keep telling you, Ryuko. You just need to have a more delicate approach to it!" Izuku responded.
"I tried all sorts of things! I'm thinking this is rigged."
"Izuku clearly read out the rules before you two started playing. Having a tantrum will not make you play better," Senketsu spoke up.
"Tch!" Ryuko scoffed at her Kamui.
"You've scored an average of ten strokes for almost all of those holes we played. And the goal was either three or four, sometimes five to make par," Izuku retorted and chuckled.
"Alright, alriiiiight. You win. Sheesh…" Ryuko nudged his shoulder as they were getting ready to head out. "Man, I must be the worst golf player ever."
Before Izuku could interject…
"AHAHAHAHA!"
"YOU'RE GONNA DIE, CLOWN!"
A man playing nearby in the course screamed at an animatronic clown with enough decibels that made the two teens jump. He then marched forward and clocked the machine's nose completely off with a swing from his club.
"I think that situation says otherwise…" Izuku whispered as the attendant got into a shouting match with the rowdy golfer.
"You're right. But, I'd love to see him do that to Katsuki," Ryuko said with wide eyes, which slowly grew into a mischievous grin.
"Let's just go," Izuku stepped behind Ryuko and pushed her towards the exit. On their way out, the two saw an ice cream stand and figured they'd indulge.
Izuku placed Ryuko in front of the ice cream stand before taking a look at the menu himself. The girl scanned the menu and spotted the green tea flavor. Something about it caught her eye. She stared at it intensely while Izuku was setting his sights on the mint chocolate. Ryuko then finally came to a conclusion.
"Yo, Izuku," Ryuko nudged the boy before he could make his order. "You should totally get the Green Tea one."
"Hmm? Why?"
"So, you know that your name "Midori" translates to Green, right?"
"Yeah?"
"It turns out that Uraraka's first name, "Ocha" translates to tea. So…" Ryuko spoke coyly while tilting her head. She gave him a moment to piece everything together before getting the reaction she wanted; him being absolutely embarrassed.
"Oh my god, Ryuko! W-Why did- N-No! Oh my gosh!"
"You guys would hit it off!" Ryuko laughed.
"Can you stop trying to ship me with my friend please?! It's weird! I'm still getting past Mako's shenanigans!"
"Oh right! Mako-" Ryuko stopped dead in her tracks once she remembered what Mako went on a frenzy about specifically; The Kamui wielder and Izuku.
Her face took on a red color that was even deeper than Izuku's blush. She turned to the server without saying another word.
"I'll take the cotton candy scoop, please."
The One For All inheritor was a bit confused about why Ryuko suddenly changed her demeanor. But, it didn't take long for him to piece it together. He soon shut himself up and turned to the server as well.
"A-And I'll take the mint chocolate."
..~~~HLK~~~..
–Musutafu Batting Club-
"Um, why are we at the batting club?" Izuku questioned.
"Well, your quirk enhances your strength, right? It'll give ya something to channel all that power to."
The pair walked inside and were met by the owner, who appeared to be in his 20s. He had brown hair and a nicely groomed beard, wearing a red ball cap.
"Welcome to the Musutafu batting club! I haven't seen you two around here before," the man greeted them.
"I used to live here a long time ago but only recently moved back," Ryuko said. "Anyway, can you get him hooked up to take some swings?"
Pointing to Izuku she smiled, though he seemed a bit more tepid.
"Sure thing! Do you want the indoor cages below us or the outdoor area?" the attendant asked.
"We'll do the outside cages," Ryuko answered immediately.
"Do I not get a say in this?" Izuku wondered.
"It's a nice day dude. Let's enjoy it!"
-A few minutes later-
Izuku lifted the metallic latch to the 45 mph cage, stepping inside the right handed batters box, looking a bit unsure of himself.
"Dude, you've got this!" Ryuko assured him as she put the coin in and the machine whirred to life.
The first yellow ball shifted through the safety latch and into the scooper arm, rising up slowly through the machine's windup motion as Izuku tried to settle his feet and raise his arms up toward his chest to steady the metal bat.
'Here it comes!'
The ball came into sight and launched straight down the middle, as Izuku stepped forward and swung…
And missed by a mile.
"DUDE! USE YOUR QUIRK AND JUST BLAST THAT THING! OH, AND CALM DOWN! It's like you're trying to grind that bat handle into sawdust!" Ryuko shouted.
Izuku had no time to prepare for the next pitch, so he let it fly by as he shifted his stance around.
He squared his feet up, keeping his hips flexible yet aligned with a slight opening with his lead foot. He needed more time, so he let another pitch fly through.
'Relax. Don't think.'
Izuku inhaled as he shifted his right elbow up slightly and slightly relaxed his grip on the bat handle, holding his hands closer to his chest as he put a slight bend in his knees. He started tapping his front foot slightly, getting the tap into a methodical rhythm as he watched a third pitch whizz by.
"I'm ready," Izuku mumbled. The next pitch loaded up, and he activated his 5% Full Cowling.
Time slowed as Izuku let go of all his thoughts except to keep Full Cowl going. Overthinking at the plate would be the demise of any baseball hitter, no matter their skill level. All he had to do was hit the ball and focus on watching the ball through the zone.
As the pitch was about to release from the metal arm, Izuku's eye's flared with an intense, flame-like spark as his muscles twitched.
-ZOOM-
The pitch made its way through the batting area. Everything was in slow motion as the sparks that flew around the inheritor seemed to morph his bat into a flaming stick of destruction.
Izuku lifted his front foot slightly and strode forward just a bit, keeping his hands close to his body. Izuku made sure to keep his hands inside and his bat on the same plane as the chalk on the ground closest to the plate in his right-handed batter box, making sure not to open his front hip early, which would have diverted his bat path away from the baseball.
He placed his front foot down as his back foot turned on its own. Izuku brought his bat through the zone as the pure, intense focus channeled into his metal bat made contact with the rubberized baseball, his eyes watching the ball all the way through and his nose pointed down towards the plate.
-CRACK-A-BOOM-
Izuku's swing path was nearly flawless as he lifted the ball through the air as trails of smoke followed the launch. The ball flew over 1,000 meters through the air at sonic speed as everyone gawked at what the greenette managed to do.
As Midoriya followed through on his swing, the bat rested gently over his shoulder as he watched the ball trail off into the distance.
"Another one's coming!" Ryuko alerted him, smiling in the process.
'Holy shit! He's actually good at this!'
Izuku repeated the same motion and blasted another ball practically into the stratosphere. And another. And the next one after that.
"I'm so glad he's doing this outside," The cage owner mumbled, his eyes bulging. "The underground cages would be demolished if I sent him down there!"
Once he was done, he lifted the latch to the cage and placed it back down. Walking a few meters away, he was approached by Matoi, who was smiling ear to ear.
"Well, well, Izuku! You didn't tell me that you had a knack for sports!" Ryuko congratulated her friend and patted him on the back.
"M-Maybe that was just luck, but that was really fun! I haven't done anything sports related since I was a kid!" Izuku responded and took a quick deep breath. He was still exhilarated from that rush of energy.
"I think we just found you a hobby then! Baseball is a huuuuuge sport here in Japan, and I think in America too! So who knows? Maybe this could be a side gig for you."
"Hmmm…maybe."
Izuku thought for a moment after saying that. A few weeks ago, he would have said the opposite and put himself down. For so long, he always lost in the battle against his insecurities. But today, it was time that he started winning these fights.
"Guess we'll have to wait and see then," Izuku smiled at Ryuko while placing the bat over his shoulder.
..~~~HLK~~~..
One day passed since Mako returned to Honno city. Gone were the days she slept in an apartment in Musutafu. By all means, She enjoyed bunking with her family. What really stuck with her was that she wouldn't be able to see Ryuko or Inko's cooking. Or perhaps worst of all, Izuku's toned muscles.
"Man… it's going to be so boring again! I miss everyone back in Musutafu!" The brunette slumped on the train car that took her up to Honnoji before departing for her first class. Today went like every other day, boring as usual. It felt like her first week here all over again now that Ryuko wasn't around anymore. But, she spotted someone during the school's lunch break. It was Gamagori!
She spent time with him while he escorted her to Musutafu, but this was the first time that Mako saw Gamagori within school grounds. She was intrigued to see how he'd act if she came by to say hi. Plus, it'd be nice to make a new friend at Honnoji. How bad could it be?
"Hmph!" Mako braced herself before skipping towards Ira. He was taking his usual strolls, patrolling the school grounds for any misfits. So far, everything has been quiet. Too quiet. Even he found everything to be dull now that Matoi wasn't here to cause a commotion.
"Heyyy Gamagori!" Mankanshoku called out to the Committee chairman.
"Ah, good afternoon, Mankanshoku," He greeted the student.
"Oooh, whatcha doin?"
"I am currently patrolling the grounds to see if there are any troublemakers that need to be punished. This is my last stop before I take another stroll around Honnoji again."
"Oh my gosh! The whole school? That fast?" Mako rotated in place to scan the gigantic campus.
"Lady Satsuki expects nothing less from me."
"Wow, she really trusts you, huh?"
"Yes. And I will do everything in my power to maintain her trust," Gamagori declared proudly.
"What made her choose you?" Mankanshoku asked.
"She respects my unbreakable loyalty. It's how I became the Student Council President back in middle school."
"Ohh, so you're basically a Boy Scout then, huh?"
"Tch! ARE YOU MOCKING ME, MANKANSHOKU?!"
Hearing that term struck a nerve with him, enough to grow in size and stare Mako down with a rageful gaze.
"MATOI PUT YOU UP TO THIS, HUH?!"
"EEEEEEEK! N-N-No! I-I'm not! I-I didn't mean anything bad by it, I swear!" The brunette shrunk in fear.
"Huh? You didn't?"
"No! I just remembered that Boy Scouts have that same kind of "loyalty" thing when it comes to their captains! My parents really like them," Mako explained.
"Oh. Umm, my apologies then, Mankanshoku. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that," Ira apologized.
"That's okay! Oooh, do you want to take a break and have lunch with me?" Mako asked, strangely moving on from the subject instantly.
Gamagori's brow raised before his eyes snapped to Mako. What was a normal question sat oddly with the Committee chairman.
"Are you trying to disrupt my official duties?"
"Nope!" She replied ever so casually. "Was just wondering! There isn't a rule asking you to hang out, right?"
"I-!" Ira tried to retort, but came up short. "...No. I suppose not."
For the first time ever, he had the rulebook used against him. And it was from someone who was the least likely to read it! Everytime he interacted with the cheerful brunette, she always found a way to throw him off his game.
"W-Well, I don't have time for a lunch break right now. I must return to my duties. Don't cause any trouble, Mankanshoku," Ira hastily turned away and continued his stroll.
"Okay! See you later, Gamagori! Let me know whenever you wanna hang out!" Mako waved him off before pulling her mom's bento box out of her shirt.
Gamagori walked up the stairs to a building to continue his patrol, but stopped once he caught Mankanshoku in view out the window.
'Having lunch with her? No one's ever asked me that before,' The large man pondered.
When he started junior high, he always ate alone. As the student council president, he was ostracized from everyone and never made any real friends. Ira took his job very seriously, to the point of being labeled as "Mr. Goody Two Shoes." Which, for whatever reason, deemed him unfit to belong to any friend group. This was especially apparent with the popular ones.
His unbreakable will may have been recognized by Satsuki Kiryuin, but to this day he still remained mostly alone at Honnoji. After the meetings with the Student Council President, the elite four would split and go their separate ways. So to be offered to settle down and eat lunch with someone…
It was so rare to Ira.
He watched Mako eat all alone in the vast courtyard before he started to reflect on something.
'Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh.'
..~~~HLK~~~..
"Whoa! Look at this place. Not a thing changed the last time we were here. Hell, they still got that old busted crane game."
Ryuko and Izuku walked into the arcade, taking in the lights and sounds surrounding the establishment.
The two used to go to this arcade in particular back when they were little. While Isshin was doing "business", Inko and Mitsuki would take the kids to this arcade so they could have fun.
And by fun, they mean Izuku and Ryuko try to win prizes and Katsuki almost breaking multiple machines and getting into fights with staff.
Yeah, good times.
"Honestly, I'm surprised this place is getting business now. Back then, hero activity around this area was pretty scarce. A lot of independent businesses tend to get overshadowed by all the nearby hero fights. So much so that they end up closing up shop to make way for merchandise shops," Izuku explained.
"Geez, that actually sounds kinda sad. Honestly, you'd think hero society would take a back seat once and while," Ryuko chimed in.
"Yeah, but hey. On the bright side, people would still be able to come around these parts and enjoy themselves. So that would mitigate some of the lost patron traffic."
"Still though…" Ryuko looked around the arcade, seeing how its current capacity paled to what it used to be all those years ago.
"Some things should be left alone, that's all I'm sayin'."
"Preachin' to the choir there, young lady," The two teens turn to meet one of the arcade's owners, staring back with a tired look.
"Business hasn't been that lucrative these past few years, what with all those hero fights and such. Still though, the least I can do is keep this place going as much as I can for all the kids that drop by."
"Hold up… MISTER KIKAI?!" The two teens exclaimed looking at the arcade owner.
The man in question was an elderly fellow with a short stature with a nice bundle of gray hair, wearing a long sleeved comfort sweater and a pair of beige slacks. Over the sweater is a brightly colored vest with a name tag that says "Kikai" in kanji.
"Hold on. I recognize that bushy green hair from a mile away. Izuku, is that you?!" The old man exclaimed while Izuku looked down, somewhat embarrassed.
"It's good to see you, Mr. Kikai."
"Yeah, about nine years late for that now, don't ya think," Kikai snarked, earning a small blush from the greenette.
"O-oh, I um, sorry! It's been a bit hectic for the last few years, so-"
"Ah, don't worry about it kiddo! All that matters is that you're here to enjoy yourself. It's one of the reason's I had this place built in the first place. And would ya look at that, you already got a date!" Kikai said, earning another blush from Ryuko.
"W-W-What?! Hold on old man, we're not dating or anything! We're uh… uh."
Ryuko stopped to think about the entire day, remembering all the things they did.
'We went clothes shopping, stopped at the batting cages, ate out for a bit, mini golf, walked around, chatted from time to time, even took a couple of pictures to…geth…er. OH MY GOD, DID WE ACCIDENTLY A DATE?!'
"We were just hanging out and decided to stop by here. Ryuko and I haven't been here for a long time and we wanted to-"
"Hold on. THAT'S LITTLE RYUKO?!" The old man's eyes widened.
Kikai took a few more steps to get a better look at the young woman, even adjusting his glasses to make sure he hadn't lost it.
"Well I'll be damned! It's really you! Goodness, look how've you grown. I can see why you picked her, Zuku," Kikai winked at the boy, with Izuku looking back at the ground, embarrassed.
"Again, not a date! Just a couple of friends having a good time, that's all," Ryuko reiterated quickly, not wanting to entertain the idea of dating her childhood friend.
"Not with that attitude you won't. Honestly, it would be a shame if you both didn't. Back in the day, the two of you were practically joined to the hip. Hell, you two looked more like friends than the blond ankle biter who kept breaking the skeeball machine. I swear, that runt didn't know a damn thing about restraint."
"Preachin' to the choir there, grandpa," Ryuko snarked back.
"Huh, seems ya got yourself a smart mouth while you were gone too, huh kiddo? Eh, I guess being away from home would do that to ya," The arcade owner added.
"Yep. Being in an absolutely shithole boarding school will do that," Ryuko said, earning a nod from the old timer.
Not wanting to stay in the lobby for too long, Kikai led the two teens toward the register so they could get their game cards. With the cards in hand, the two entered the main arcade hall.
The hall itself was quite expansive for an independent business. It ranged a good 5,000 square feet, with games ranging from typical pachinko machines to the most intense of rhythm games. What got Izuku and Ryuko's attention more was the LACK of people inside.
"Like I said, business really tanked with the increase in villain attacks around the area. It took a big hit with all the Hero Killer nonsense going around."
"Damn, you weren't joking about that. I can probably count the amount of people here with one hand," Ryuko said.
"I guess hero culture is a bigger money maker, huh?" Izuku said, seeing the severity of the situation.
"Bah! Leave all the doom and gloom to me, ya crazy kids! Ya came here to have fun, right? Now go have some fun!" Kikai said to the two teens, giving them a playful shove.
Izuku and Ryuko stumbled, as Kikai was surprisingly strong. Not wanting to loiter, the two decided to do what they came here to do; have fun.
For the next hour and a half, the two teenagers went around the arcade playing nearly all the various games (not the pachinko machines, FUCK THOSE PACHINKO MACHINES), each game nearly better than the last.
From the various crane games, which Ryuko almost destroyed due to losing every single one, to the critically acclaimed rail shooter Boxcelios! They had a blast!
"Man, that was awesome! Who would've thought they still made House of the Dead games in this time period? Still, I'm surprised you got scared. Like dude, you literally have the means to kill them! Why did ya get spooked?" Ryuko jokingly asked her frightened friend.
"Z-Z-Zombies are still zombies, Ryuko! And they were everywhere… I couldn't even see straight with them flying at me every ten seconds!" Izuku exclaimed with an embarrassed red hue on his face.
"Relax! I'm just messin' with ya. Hmm…"
They spotted a crane machine nearby and both of them exchanged glances.
"I've got this," Izuku said with a smirk, using a few credits to start up the game. Moving the joystick, he hovered over an exposed, green plush that was ripe for the taking.
Centering the claw above, he pressed the grab button as the talons dropped and latched onto the prize tightly. As the claw came back up, the arm moved over to the drop point and inserted the plushy into the drop box for a winner's prize. Izuku stooped down to open the window and retrieve the prize.
"Here ya go!" He beamed with pride, handing the green plushie over.
"Of course, you'd give me the damn broccoli plushy. Hell, it even has your freckles!" Ryuko laughed, shoving the plush back into his face. Calming down, she held her prize low, taking a small breath and staring off into the distance.
Taking in all the lights and sounds that enveloped the establishment, she felt an intense sense of nostalgia looking at this place again.
..~~~HLK~~~..
"I almost had it that time Izuku! That plush was almost as good as mine!" A young Ryuko declared to her friend.
"Mhmm! Maybe when we come here again, I'll win you that plushie! That way you won't have to spend all your points on the game!" An equally younger Izuku nodded, earning a small blush from Ryuko.
"Okay! Next time we come here, I'll leave it all to you!"
..~~~HLK~~~..
"...It feels real good to be back here," Ryuko said as the memory faded away. She looked down at the medium sized broccoli plush that Izuku won for her, fulfilling the promise he made all those years ago.
"Yeah, it sure does," Izuku replied.
"So what now? We don't have that many points for anything else. Wanna head out and save them for later?" Izuku asked.
"Maybe. I feel a bit beat from everything we did today. And we still gotta meet your mom after this, so yeah we can-"
"CRAZY!"
The two teens were interrupted by the sudden exclamation of an automated voice. Curious, Ryuko and Izuku followed the sound to see a small group gathered.
"What's going on over here?" Ryuko asked one of the patrons.
"A bunch of people are tryna beat the Feather Foot challenge."
"The what?" Izuku asked, perturbed by the weird challenge name.
Another one of the patrons turned around, making contact with the two teens.
"I guess you two are visiting, huh? The Feather Foot challenge was coined by the owner. Apparently, their grandson wanted to make things interesting and decided to mess with the pressure pads on the Pump It Up machine," The other patron explained.
Now that was interesting. When they visited the arcade they almost always saw Mr. Kikai's grandson, Tensho, working the front desk or in the back helping out with the circuit breakers.
"Yeah, that was surprising. Where is Tensho anyway? He's usually here helping out the old man," Ryuko questioned.
"He's probably in the back somewhere. You know Tensho was never one to talk to people… ever," Izuku replied.
"Anyway, how does the challenge work?" Matoi asked the patron from before.
"Oh, right! Almost forgot. Apparently the owner's grandson modded them so that you'd only score if you hit the pads at the exact moment it showed on the screen," he explained, catching both teens in shock.
"Wait! So you're telling me if I happened to press it early-"
"That wouldn't count and you'd get a miss. That's where "Feather Foot" gets its name. You've got to be fast as hell and have feet lighter than air to score a point. Lemme tell ya…"
The three turned their attention to one of the challengers trying and failing to keep up with the on-screen commands. The song ended and the results showed an E, much to the dismay of the player.
"...It's pretty damn hardcore," The patron finished as he was about to turn and leave with the rest of the crowd.
"Wow, that sounds pretty crazy. I can't believe Tensho would program something like this, what do you think Ryu-" As he turned to his friend, Izuku saw she wasn't standing where she was before.
Searching left and right, he found Ryuko on the pressure pads of the 'Pump It Up' game, inserting the last of her points into the machine.
"Hey! What are you doing, Ryuko?"
"Ain't it obvious? I'm about to play, that's what!" Matoi replied with a grin.
"But you heard what they said, right? You have to press them at the exact moment they land on the specified icon," Izuku explained.
"Yeah, but the problem was that they were playing it wrong."
The response caught Izuku by surprise.
'Playing it wrong? How so? Most rhythm games require you to move from one pad to another as fast as possible or getting as many pads as possible. I don't see any other way of playing it.'
Izuku was taken out of his thoughts as he stared back at Ryuko, stretching her limbs to get loosened up for the challenge ahead. The look on her face oozed confidence and focus, something he himself couldn't look away from.
"They were only just pressing buttons, not moving to the music. Timing is everything, especially with dance."
"Dance? What are you… Wait, hold on! Are you saying that-"
"That Tensho rigged this thing so that the players were actually dancing? Yeah."
"And Izuku?"
Ryuko stared directly at him, her face now deathly serious.
"Don't tell anyone about this, got it?"
"Oh, uh okay the-"
"AND I MEAN ANYONE!"
"Right! Got it! Crystal clear!" Izuku replied fearfully, not wanting to invoke the wrath of one Ryuko Matoi.
"SELECT SONG!"
Ryuko went through the song options in the game, wanting to find the right one for her to play.
"Lets see… which one should I-Ah, there it is! Perfect."
Ryuko selects "I Am The Best" by 2NE1. With her song chosen, it was go time!
"Hey, someone else is on the game now!"
"You're kidding. After that last upset, someone got the balls to play it?!"
"Looks like it's that green-haired kid's girlfriend. Quite the looker, I'll give ya that."
For some odd reason, that comment made Izuku's blood get hot just a little bit.
"Well thankfully he's here, cuz girlie's about to get her feelings hurt real quick."
As the screen counted down for Ryuko, the patrons who were there previously came back to see who dared step up to the chopping block.
"Alright then…" Ryuko looked at the screen, wired in for her challenge.
"Let's play!"
3…
2…
1…
BEGIN
As the song started up, Ryuko began to dance to the beat. Her arms, hips, legs, everything moved to the sound of the song. All while having her feet land perfectly at the pads at the exact time they were meant to be placed.
The small audience watched in awe as the girl was landing almost every single hit on the game. Cheers and applause filled the arcade as they watched the brunette move to the beat.
And Izuku?
He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Not even for a second. All he could do was watch as his childhood friend killed it. She was amazing! Down right talented!
'Holy whoa! That's hot.'
Izuku snapped out of his musings as that thought bounced around his mind palace. What was that all about?! This was his friend that he was thinking about, his CHILDHOOD friend. Why did those thoughts suddenly fill his head?
"Holy crap, she's actually doing it! I can't believe it, she's beating this thing!"
"WOOHOO! Shake what ya momma gave ya, red!"
"OH MY GOD, WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
Great. That horndog from the Sports Festival was here…now of all times.
Turning his attention back to Ryuko, he noticed she'd built up quite the sweat. Her face had a glossy sheen as she kept up the rhythm. All the while having the biggest smile on her face.
Looking to Izuku, Matoi sent a sly wink his way, garnering a raging blush from him.
Matoi was having the time of her life, with Izuku being an audience to her happiness. He wouldn't say it out loud, but it was kind of a turn on.
As the final note played, Ryuko kneeled down on the pressure pads. Out of breath, she looked up to see her game score, the points tallying up her hits and the few mistakes she did make; She earned a B.
"BADASS!"
The crowd let out a cheer, seeing that someone had finally gained a decent ranking on the expertly modded rhythm game.
"Ryuko! That was amazing! It-I-Y-WHERE DID YOU LEARN HOW TO DO THAT?!" Izuku exclaimed, having held in his excitement long enough.
"*huff**puff* Used to do a little bit of freestyling while at Gakuin. Had tourneys and everything. Probably the only normal thing I could do in that shit hole. But, I'm WAY out of practice. That took a little more out of me than I thought! Damn," Ryuko explained as Izuku helped her to her feet.
"Still though, that was amazing! The way you moved looked so natural. And you managed to hit all the points at the exact time they were meant to be hit!" Izuku gushed, earning a nice red hue to compliment the one Ryuko already had on her face from the dancing.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Let's get out of here, all that dancing made me hungry. Wanna swing by your place and get dinner?" Ryuko suggested, earning a nod of agreement from Izuku.
"Okay then, let's head out."
With that said, the two make their way to the exit. On their way out, they were stopped by Mr. Kikai, waiting for the two by the door.
"Hey there, old timer. Wanna see us both off or something?" Ryuko quipped, earning a smile from the old man.
"What's wrong with seeing my two favorite kids off? It's been a good few years since we've seen each other. A little small talk never hurt anybody."
"Yeah, speaking of time passing… Mr. Kikai, where's Tensho? I didn't see him while we were inside," Izuku asked.
"Same. Usually we'd see him sulking around the corner somewhere and messing with the wiring so the games didn't bust. Come to think of it, a good chunk of the games were out of order. He'd never let something like that… happen…" Ryuko stopped talking once she saw Kikai's face.
He wore a somber look while staring at the ground, clearly uncomfortable.
"Mr. Kikai?" The concerned response snapped the old man from his thoughts, turning his attention back to the hero students.
The elderly man moved away from the door, allowing the two teens a chance to exit.
"You two get home safe, ya hear? I'd rather not keep sweet ol' Inko waiting too long. I swear, that lady can cry up a river once a week, lemme tell ya," he joked, not wanting to talk about Tensho anymore.
Reluctantly, Izuku and Ryuko exited the arcade, leaving the owner by himself at the door.
"I wonder what that was about?" Izuku pondered, looking at Ryuko.
"Yeah, that was a little weird. Hope he's doing okay."
..~~~HLK~~~..
-Danchi-
It had been a pretty full day for the teenagers. There wasn't all of the talk about heroes, nothing about classes, exams, or other issues. For the first time in a very long time, they got to be normal teenagers for a day.
And now, they were back at Danchi and sitting down to eat dinner with Inko. Ryuko had no idea how Mrs. Midoriya could continually make godly meals every day, but she wouldn't complain. Senketsu also got a slight bit of the taste from her blood, although in a different sense. She was relaxed and this put him at ease.
"You did all of that in one day?" Inko questioned with a smile. "You two were busy."
"It's better than being lazy all day," Izuku demurred. Ryuko held a closed mouth grin while chewing some chicken.
"It's so hard to believe how grown up you two have become…"
The two teens looked at Inko, with some light tears curling down her cheeks. She wasn't necessarily sad. She felt nostalgic.
"You both being here and just having fun… -Sniffle-, I couldn't be any happier right now."
"Aww, c'mon Mrs. Midoriya! You're going to have us all in tears here!" Ryuko bashfully tugged at her hair while Izuku adorned a slight blush.
"I'm about to start crying, too," Senketsu choked out, eliciting a light chuckle from the girl.
"Now you choose to talk?!" Ryuko exclaimed while dabbing off her sleeves.
"I didn't want to interrupt. You two looked so happy!"
"Sheesh!" Ryuko slumped in her seat.
It was nice and peaceful. They could all enjoy this.
"You know, you're welcome here anytime, dear. You're essentially family," Inko stated.
"Heh…" Ryuko was at a loss for words.
"You'll have to make her a house key then!" Izuku teased with a wink, lighting up the whole table with laughter.
"Since when did you become a prankster, Izuku?!" Matoi wondered. Not that she minded the change.
All the changes she'd gone through lately have been for the better.
To Be Continued…
Buckichamp A/N: This is the only bit you get about my personal life. I was a varsity baseball player in high school who got to play with a lot more talented dudes than me who I learned a lot from, many of whom have gone on to play at high levels of ball. I also lettered in track as a sprinter, primarily running the 100 meter, the 4×100 and 4×200 relays and sometimes the 200 meter. But baseball was always and has been my favorite sport over American football and basketball.
Back on topic; When we were thinking about hobbies for Izuku, baseball was the perfect fit!
It's a big sport in Japan. America had a large influence in the post WWII era in The Land of the Rising Sun. Players like (and not limited to) Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Yu Darvish, Seiya Suzuki, Hideo Nomo, Kosuke Fukodome, Masahiro Tanaka and the current two-way wonder Shohei Ohtani have migrated from Japan to play baseball in the states.
And with the cultural connection and my affinity for baseball (not to mention my knowledge of the game in terms of learning more about my own and other people's hitting mechanics), nothing could have been more perfect or given me as much joy as I had writing that scene out frame by frame through the mind of a hitter (I was never a great pitcher). I literally was taking dry cuts to visualize how the swing should go, (aka without a bat) and have a mental image and feel inside the batter's box.
I obviously didn't use one of my bats since we were on a writing session call and I would have destroyed everything in sight LOLOLOL! This is where being a former athlete and sports buff comes in handy.
Thank you for coming out to my Ted Talk! *Takes a Bow*
PKSpartan A/N: The arcade scene was something I thought of on the fly, and it was a tribute for the most part. For those who already know the man in the video, my arcade portion is my tribute to the late great Monty Oum. From Red Vs. Blue to RWBY, Monty's work has been a joy to experience during my time in highschool. And for years, I've been trying to find ways to tribute him in my own way. And I felt this was the best way I could at the time. And yes, I will be having Ryuko do freestyle dancing and will be using Monty's videos as the visual aid.
(Search up Pump It Up- 2NE1- I Am The Best by montyoum)
And when Izuku said "That's hot", it's at like 1:02.
Buckichamp: To address the numerous reviews from the last chapter, Ichiro Tanaka is an OC that we mentioned back in the Chapter 14 author's note (published last December). We've not been known to be huge risk takers so far. Creating Tanaka qualifies as a big freaking risk.
Here's a fun fact for those paying attention: He technically debuted during the earlier portions of the sports festival. Remember Nui's first (albeit brief) cameo a few chapters back?
As we've stated before, it (figuratively) pays off if you read closely. Anything we write may or may not have a purpose for down the road.
Now time for the mailbag! Let's answer a few questions:
"My only question now is WHEN THE FUCK ARE IZUKU AND RYUKO FINALLY GONNA TO KISS?!"
-Balto Kirigaya
Buckichamp: Deferring to Aduubo! (ducks)
Aduubo A/N: WHEN U KEEP READING AND TELL OTHERS TO READ
"I hate to say it but this story is literally just a cannon rewrite with a few extra characters that haven't changed anything. Izuku is still the same as well as all his classmates and teachers."
-Plasma Dragon 312
Aduubo A/N: Well I'm sure your opinion started to change as you kept reading. It was the same at the beginning, but we now have a chance to take more risks as the story goes on