Chapter Eighteen
"So, how do you think this is going to play out?" Eri asked aloud as the group took their seats for the final match. It occurred to her that she was the only one who might have broached the question, as Kota was uninterested in starting chitchat, Satsuki much the same for different reasons, and Katsuma still a bit too shy to start it up without a soft prompting.
"Tategami's got this in the bag," Kota said brusquely. Then he gave a tiny smirk. "Like a cat in the bag."
"Any particular reason?" Eri asked innocently, a teasing glimmer in her eyes. "Or just because she beat you?"
"She's strong, fast, and cunning," Kota said. "Even without that roar of hers-" He blinked and his eyes darted a few times before he added, "Note to self: we've gotta come up with a catchier name for that. Anyway, her Fu Lion form is built like a tank. Tamashiro may be quick, but if she gets in close he's dead in the water."
"Don't underestimate Tamashiro," Satsuki warned. "And I do say that because he beat me. But even more because of how." She tapped the foot that had been so recently healed. "He reacted to my Lilypad Ricochet even at point-blank range. Speed like that and the force that comes from it … I'm not sure Tategami can stand against it."
Eri nodded sagely and looked at Katsuma. "What about you? What do you think?"
Katsuma was quiet for a bit as he seemed to mull the question over. As he thought, his eyebrows rose rather than sunk but still furrowed, his eyes half-closing from underneath. Eri had to stifle a giggle at the sight of his thinking look, briefly deciding it looked cute before hurriedly brushing that thought away.
"Honestly, it could go either way," Katsuma said, his tone soft and ponderous. "Tategami is a lightning bruiser — strong, tough, and fast. And her roar, which we really do need to name better, is a powerful long-distance, area-effect tactic." He hummed before continuing. "Tamashiro is a glass cannon. His Quirk is powerful and incredibly fast, making him a living cannon that can bite through things, and also gives him defensive and mobility options. The speed of his chompers could even knock Tategami down to a mighty glacier in comparison."
"In the end," he said solemnly, "it really depends on who makes a mistake first."
Katsuma looked up and found all of his friends looking at him with everything from confusion to something like awe. "What?" he asked.
"Your jargon is weird," Satsuki said, though her tiny smile softened the bluntness.
"Yeah. Speak Japanese, dude," Kota scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Their discussion was interrupted by the flaring of the arena torches.
"Here we are, sports fans, at this year's ultimate confrontation!" Present Mic declared. "It's been a long, action-packed ride as these kids struggled and strove for the top spot. And here we are, ready to answer that question once and for all!"
"Aw, yeah! It all comes down to the nitty-gritty, the best of the best, the final countdown!" Kaminari added. "In our first corner, we've got the living artillery whose cannonfire literally chews the scenery! This day's shining star of Class B, Mr. Musha Tamashiro!"
"And facing him down like a crouched lioness — and just as elegant and deadly as that implies — we have the poised predator powerhouse, Akame Tategami!"
All four of the group leaned forward in anticipation as Lady Nagant took the stage for the last time, opposite Cementoss in his throne-like chair. "I won't bother going over the rules again," she said placidly, then unceremoniously raised her arm to form her sniper Rifle and fired with no countdown. The final match had begun.
The opening was just as expected: Tategami swirled with clouds as she transformed while Tamashiro flung his hands to send chompers hurtling at her. Now in her Fu Lion form, Tategami leapt and contorted to avoid them before landing without a sound and racing forward toward him, her claws leaving holes in the concrete for traction and speed.
"Damn right," Kota mumbled, his eyes bright under the bill of his cap and lips pressed in a smile. "Kick that bastard's ass!"
Tamashiro blanched and jumped onto two of his chompers, the spheres floating to lift him out of her range. She snarled at him, and he replied by forming more of them and pelting them down at her. With more than cat-like agility, especially for something so large, Tategami bobbed and wove around the hailing chompers that smashed into the concrete around her before they rose to attack her on her level.
To which she responded by slapping them aside like sparrows, revealing the claws she usually kept retracted and hidden that gleamed with a golden sheen and left sizable gashes in the targets. Targets whose resilience was like carbon steel!
"Wow," Satsuki said blankly. "Those are sharp claws."
"Would those gashes cause problems with the chompers?" Katsuma wondered aloud.
As if in response to the query, the chompers started trembling in midair before crumpling and contorting, then smoothing back over smaller than before, the gashes repaired seemingly with matter from the rest of their shapes. But their swaying also seemed to be slower, almost drunken, and their cannonfire-like charges were definitely slower than before. Tategami showed no trouble in batting them aside again, sparks flying where her claws slashed more gouges.
"Son of a bitch," Tamashiro shouted so loudly that the audience could hear, his tone very nearly whiney, "what are they doing with you 1-A chicks?!"
"What just happened?" Eri asked.
"I think Tamashiro's getting tired," Satsuki said, eyes narrowed as she observed Tategami batting and slashing aside more of the chompers. Tamashiro remained on his platforms in the air and out of reach, his fingers dancing like a conductor as he directed his weapons. "He's not producing large amounts of the large champers anymore. He's conserving them and staying out of harm's way. Whatever he needs in his body to create them, or maybe just his stamina as a whole, is dwindling." She leaned forward. "And I think that fatigue is extending to his chompers, too."
"Tategami seems tired, too," Katsuma said. "She hasn't tried to roar yet."
"Yet," Eri echoed with a small grin.
"So it's a battle of attrition," Kota surmised. He snorted and added, "Looks like Katsuma was right. Whoever makes the mistake first loses."
Soon enough, Tamashiro lowered his platform and settled on the floor of the arena, stumbling a bit before regaining his balance. His chompers had been whittled down to tiny things, one actually crumbling to metal dust as it seemed to get too small to hold itself together. And given how he had taken efforts to reabsorb his chompers until then, that probably cost him something.
As if prompted by the thought, the remaining chompers were called back and he reabsorbed them into his palms. He pointed at Tategami and said something that, from that distance, sounded like an ultimatum. All four of the group glanced at each other in a shared flash of intuition: he was declaring one last struggle. All or nothing, no holds barred.
Tategami nodded her head, curling mane rustling, and braced her stance. Tamashiro did the same and from his cupped hands swelled, like a filling balloon, a chomper far larger than any he had made before. Its diameter was greater than he was tall, its fang-filled mouth clashing shut in a fearsome bite before it rose like a snake preparing to strike. Like a meteor from the sky, the chomper rushed at Tategami, its loss of speed countered by its sheer unstoppable mass.
But Tategami had not been idle as her opponent had prepared himself. She had been taking deep breaths in her massive, feline chest. One last time, she roared loud and hard enough to send a wave of air pressure racing forward. It caught the chomper and slowed it to a halt … before it was pushed off course and slammed to the side, unmoving.
Tamashiro lowered his arms that he had crossed in front of him to resist the air currents and instinctively glanced at his downed final chomper. Then movement registered in the corner of his eye and he gasped at the sight of Tategami as a Fu Lion charging at him, breathing heavily, and he was too fatigued to avoid her as she crashed bodily into him, bowling him over and pinning him front-down to the ground, snarling in his ear.
He struggled for a few moments before he seemed to give up, calling for his surrender. Lady Nagant fired her final blank and declared, "Tamashiro can no longer fight. The winner of this year's UA sports festival: Akame Tategami!"
Tategami returned to her human form and stood up off of Tamashiro, shaky but still on her feet. She held her hand out to him and he took it, dragging himself up and settling before nodding his head to her and allowing himself to be escorted by the nurse bots.
As for Tategami, she looked around at the cheering crowd and lifted her fist with a determined expression.
Eri was one of the first on her feet, clapping heartily and cheering at the top of her lungs for their class representative. Satsuki and Katsuma were right behind her clapping and cheering, too. Kota settled with a grin and a fistpump.
Twenty minutes later, the concrete arena platform had been whisked away by Cementoss and the thirty-six of the finalists had gathered before the place where the top three podiums would rise. Eri couldn't stop smiling, her cheeks both sore and flushing with joy at what she knew was coming up. She was also happy that the tournament contestants such as herself and Katsuma had been guided to the front of the small crowd for the best view of the proceedings.
Lady Nagant took her spot to the side and lifted a hand. "All of these students have performed admirably in these events," she declared, her voice as measured as ever, but still ringing with pride. "But here we celebrate the stars that shone the brightest. Let us hear it for our finalists of the UA Sports Festival!" Smoke rose in a great cloud and then faded to reveal the three tiered podiums for first, second, and third places.
On the tallest tier stood Tategami, who was standing in a pose reminiscent of a soldier at attention, though everyone down on the field could see the tears shimmering in her eyes and the wobbly smile on her lips as she fought not to cry. On the second, Tamashiro stood lax, but proud, passing a hand through his hair in what was probably meant to be a stylish way and his other hand in a pants pocket. And the third was shared by Kota and Satsuki who shared the spot and would each receive a medal.
Kota held his hands folded behind his head and was grinning widely, drawing attention to his trademark horned cap. Satsuki had her hands folded neatly in front of her waist, and her small pout had grown into a wide, froggy smile so much like her big sister. Eri had only ever seen that look on her face twice before and knew its significance: Satsuki was all but bursting with joy and pride.
Eri caught a sniffling sound and looked at Katsuma, who was brushing tears from his cheeks with one knuckle, his smile as wide as her own. She giggled as her heart melted even more, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and placed his other hand over hers, the other still brushing tears. They shared that moment of pride and returned their attention to the stage as Lady Nagant continued speaking.
"Of course, only one man could be chosen to pass out the medals," she said with a wry tone, and gestured upwards. The audience shifted their gazes just in time to find a tiny shape falling, one that soared downward to land with a low, rumbling sound. When the dust cleared, Deku stood from his landing stance and lifted a hand with his wide, hopeful smile. The crowd went nuts.
"The Greatest Hero: Deku," Ladu Nagant finished, though her words were nearly lost in the cheers of the crowd. It took some time to die down, but soon Deku was approaching the podium with Lady Nagant behind him carrying the medals on a pillow.
"I wonder what he'll say to them," Eri wondered aloud.
"Big bro," Kota breathed, tears pooling in his eyes.
"Hey, you two," Deku said, waving almost nonchalantly. He placed a hand on each of Kota and Satsuki's shoulders. "I am so proud of you both," he said, tears already beginning to fall. "Satsuki," he said, looking squarely at her, "there's no doubt in my mind that your family is even more proud than me, if that's possible." Satsuki croaked and then began weeping, too.
Kota fondly sighed through his nose and patted her on the back. He, as much as anyone, knew how much Tsuyu's opinion meant to Satsuki. His heart ached with the wish that his parents could be here to see him place so highly.
"And Kota," Deku said, "the Pussycats are definitely overjoyed." He squeezed Kota's shoulder. "And wherever they are, I know that Water Hose is proud, too." Kota whined as he couldn't fight the tears anymore. Deku took a bronze medal to place around Satsuki's neck, and then another to bestow upon Kota. After ruffling each of their hair, removing Kota's cap to do so, he moved on to Tamashiro.
"Nicely done, Tamashiro," Deku said. "I don't think I've mentioned in class that Todoroki definitely remembers you from his licensing classes," he said with a chuckle. He took the silver medal and settled it over Tamashiro. "I wouldn't be surprised to see an internship offer from him," he added. "But even beyond that, you've proven your hard work and made your class proud."
"Yeah, sure," Tamashiro said with a shrug, but he was clearly blushing at Deku's words. The great hero ruffled Tamashiro's hair with a nod and moved on.
"And Young Tategami," he said, mimicking All Might's famed verbal tic as he climbed up to the highest pedestal. He chuckled and said, "At ease, heroine." Tategami sighed and relaxed, deciding to clasp her hands in front of her much like Satsuki. "You know, with your classmates you remind me a lot more of Yaoyorozu than Ida," Deku said kindly. "Whereas he was stiff and rigid, she was always more calm and approachable." He closed his eyes. "You made the top score in the entrance exam, made it as class rep, and now you've won the sports festival." He opened his eyes and arched an eyebrow. "I think it's safe to say you're a natural at this."
Tategami's breath caught in her throat and she could only bring herself to bow at the waist. "Thank you, sir," she said quietly. Deku took that opportunity to place the golden medal around her neck.
"You've got strength and grit," Deku said, ruffling her hair just as he had the others. "And you have shown the world how brightly you can shine." He lifted his hand to his temple in a salute. "Keep that light burning bright, and you can lead your class and any number of heroes into a great future."
Tategami saluted right back, eyes now dry but still shining like stars of their own.
"I present to you all," Deku said, turning to gesture at the podiums and those who stood upon them, "the winners of this year's UA sports festival!" He gave it a moment before adding, "But remember." He then gestured to all the rest, not just the other winners of the first round, but a motion that encompassed every single first-year student.
"Every single one of you — general, support, business, or hero course — could have stood upon these podiums today. And each and every one of you has the chance and potential to do so again." He held up an index finger as if teaching in a class. "Remember everything you experienced and witnessed today. Learn from it, embrace your strengths and strive to improve upon your shortcomings." He moved to place his hands on his hips, his eyes falling to focus particularly on Eri and Katsuma. "And there is no doubt in my mind that you will all become fantastic heroes. Professional or otherwise!"
"Now, I think we all know what to say now," he said, cupping a hand to his ear. "Let me hear you say it!"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
After filing out of the arena before the audience was released from their seats, Class A was directed to the dorms to change out of their gym uniforms and into their school wear. With that done, Aizawa and Jiro called them all to the communal area couches for announcements.
"Well done, all of you," Aizawa said with the faintest smile.
"What he means is," Jiro chimed in, "you all kicked ass today."
The class all gave tired chuckles before Aizawa's pointed look quieted them. "You've all taken a fine first step toward your careers, but it only gets more challenging from here. You'll have two days to rest up and recuperate. Families are kept from staying for today to give you a chance to actually rest, but will be permitted to visit tomorrow." His grin turned wry. "And I'm sure we'll have many more visitors besides wanting to congratulate you. The school will filter out the strangers and let family through."
"When we get back to classes," Jiro picked up, "we'll discuss internship opportunities. This will be a crucial next step in your path to heroics." She snorted with a smirk. "But don't worry about that now. For now, go get some rest. You've all earned it. We'll see you in class on Monday."
With that, the teacher and assistant took their leave. With that, the class began to disperse. Many said their goodnights and headed for their rooms, others made their way to the cafeteria for dinner. But Kota and Satsuki stayed, holding their medallions and lost in their thoughts over what they had accomplished.
As they did, Eri and Katsuma had a conversation of their own. "We never did get to trade training," Katsuma pointed out.
"You're right," she realized. "We didn't." She blinked and tilted her head. "Are you suggesting tonight?"
"No way," he chuckled lightly. "I'm sure you're tired, and I know I'm exhausted." Eri focused for a moment on the deep shadows under his eyes that hadn't gone away and silently agreed with him. "And tomorrow you'll probably be meeting with your dad and brother. I'll be calling my dad and sister."
"So tomorrow evening?" she asked, eyes bright.
"The night after," Katsuma decided. "Around sunset. It may be a school night, but we'll be better rested," he chuckled brightly, "and not frazzled from family visits." He hesitated before holding out one arm. Eri giggled and took his silent offer of a one-sided hug. "Sleep tight," he said, rising to his feet.
"You, too," Eri replied.
"Oh, I know I will," Katsuma groaned, trudging toward the boy's staircase.
Every member of the class had a long and deep sleep that night after the stresses of the day before. The next morning, though, found an arguably more stressful time for any teenager: Class A was bombarded by their various families, all within sight of each other. Not all of them were visited in-person, but all of them at least claimed to receive a long call … and many many families took the on campus route, which delighted Eri as she watched all of them from a spot on one of the couches.
Fujiwara was visited by his older brother Quinn, who looked much like an older Fynn with long, lank, spiky red hair half in a long ponytail, sharp, slanted turquoise eyes, and sickle-like markings under the corners of his eyes. Even his rumpled suit somehow spoke of their familial ties. Upon seeing each other, they began wrestling and laughing outside the dorms, lightheartedly insulting each other all the while.
Eri looked out the window and saw Yayoi talking with an older couple who were presumably his parents. Looking closer, she actually didn't see him talking all that much. He seemed to be shrinking in on himself, his parents scolding him. She pressed her lips into a thin line and filed that away for future reference.
Tategami was met by an elderly woman who looked much like her, her face wrinkled with smile lines as she hugged Tategami and had the girl sit with her and then what looked like regale her with stories of the sports festival. Their class rep even showed the old woman her medal and the grandmother started crying and hugging her.
Looking around once more, Eri caught Joren hugging a beautiful woman who much resembled her, spider body below the waist and all, dressed in a low-cut blouse and dark blazer, her golden-blonde hair cut in a classic hime-cut that contrasted her daughter's more natural look. With them was a boy who seemed to have the reverse of their Quirk: his body below the neck was fully human, but his head framed by long, shaggy grey hair was large and spider-like with four long legs folded along his body. But he hugged his big sister with all the enthusiasm of any little brother, Joren hugging him back with both her arms and her spidery forelegs.
Eri was distracted from her people watching by the door to the dorms opening to reveal the entire Asui family, including Fumikage. She smiled as Satsuki croaked and bounded for her family, meeting them all in a huge group hug. Eri couldn't help the huge smile on her face as Satsuki melted into the family moment, showing them her bronze medal and smiling as wide as Eri had ever seen. Tsuyu was clearly just as happy, Samidare said something that was probably supposed to be dismissive but easily seen through as caring, and her parents wouldn't stop hugging her.
Fumikage stood a bit to the side waiting his turn and glanced over at Eri, giving her a small smile and nod of greeting, which she returned with a wave and bright smile. She recalled being afraid of his avian head when she had first met him, memories of Overhaul's beak-like mask fresh in her mind. But she had warmed up to him after he had found out she loved apples and shared his favorite fruit with her. That had been so long ago, and Eri had seen him as a good friend and even another big brother figure ever since. Not to mention the sword she had gotten for her first Christmas that she knew came from him. Soon enough, the family parted for Fumikage and he patted Satsuki's back and congratulated her, the girl blushing a bit under the praise.
Not long after the Asuis' arrival came the Wild, Wild Pussycats in their civilian attire, all of them crowding Kota very much like cats and congratulating him on his success. Pixie-Bob gushed over his medal and Ragdoll held him close, while Tiger ruffled his hair and Mandalay smiled proudly at him with a hand on his shoulder. He tried to bat them away with his cheeks pink, but she knew him beyond well enough to see that his heart wasn;t in the motions and how happy he was to have them here.
"Are you alright?" Eri asked Katsuma, who was still sitting with her.
"I'll call my family later," Katsuma replied, though he sounded a bit down. "I wouldn't want my family to make the ferry ride just for this."
"Too bad, little bro," came a chipper woman's voice. Katsuma gasped and whirled around, eyes wide before he broke out into a wide smile at the sight of his sister and father. "C'mere, you!" his sister — Eri recalled Katsuma calling her Mahoro — said and pulled him into a hug joined by Mr. Shimano.
Eri stood and left the family to their reunion, walking out onto the porch. She glanced around, wondering where Mirio and Suzu could be. She had no doubt in her mind that they would be visiting today, and realized that Mirio was probably ready to blindside her with one of his pranks by way of greeting. She sighed fondly and sat down, deciding to just roll with that when it inevitably happened.
In a matter of minutes, Eri felt eyes on her and looked behind her and down to find her brother's face sticking out of the porch. "Hi, Mirio," she said chipperly.
"Heya, sis," he said before rising bodily out of the wood to end up laying down on the wood in what looked like a yellow gymnastics unitard, certainly made from his synthesized hair. Then he leapt to his feet and swept Eri up in a spinning hug, laughing like a madman. "I'm so proud of you, Eri!" he crowed, setting her down but still hugging her.
"Thanks, Lemillion," Eri said, hugging him back.
"And he's not the only one," Suzu said from behind her. Eri let go of her brother to beam at her adoptive father, then even brighter at the sight of Nejire and Tamaki behind him. They all hugged Eri in a huge group hug, all of them congratulating her. Nejire, of course, launched into a fast-paced line of questioning about her matches and opponents, half the time answering her own question and the other half moving on before the question could be answered in a stream of consciousness that, somehow, always made Eri feel more at ease instead of anxious. Tamaki remained quiet, but not painfully so, simply enjoying time with people he was comfortable with.
As she chatted with her family and family-friends, listening to their recollections of her performance and chiming in with her own thoughts at the time every now and then, Eri glanced through the window at her friends and their families. In particular, she wondered about Katsuma's family, wondered what they were like …
"Well, it sounds like your time in the sports festival was even more of a heroic struggle than it looked," Yasu said, ruffling his son's hair.
"Yeah, it was tough," Katsuma agreed. "But worth it. I learned so much and got to show what I can do." He gripped his trousers. "Now I just hope I get invited to a good hero agency to learn more."
"Hey, any hero who overlooks you after that show," Mahoro said, arms crossed and cheeks puffed in ire, "needs to have his head examined."
"Thanks, Sis," Katsuma laughed.
"Hey, Dad," Mahoro asked, a sudden dangerous twinkle in her eye, "would you mind getting us some water?"
"Well, okay," Yasu said warily, eyeing his daughter. "Katsuma?"
"There's bottled water stocked in the kitchen," Kastsuma said, gesturing at the doors in the back of the den. "Thanks, Dad."
Yasu walked off, casting a look of mixed suspicion and amusement over his shoulder as he did.
"Okay, now for the real question," Mahoro said, grinning scarily. Katsuma's stomach dropped as he got a bad feeling about where this was going. Mahoro leaned in close and asked, "That girl with the long white hair and the horn … she's the one, right?" Her grin somehow grew wider, her eyes brighter. "The girl you have a crush on?"
"Eri?" Katsuma asked, barely keeping himself from yelping. "She's-" He groaned. "Mahoro, I've told you. It's not like that!"
"Well, sure, not now," Mahoro said breezily, flicking her wrist in a casual gesture. "Not until you make a move, lil Bro."
"That's not-!" Katsuma groaned and put a hand to his eyes. "Why are you like this?" he asked.
"Dunno," Mahoro chirped with a quick shrug, her grin toned down but clearly evident in her voice. They had shared this exact exchange any number of times the last several years. "Is Eri seeing anyone?"
Katsuma's stomach turned at the thought, and he immediately convinced himself that it was simply due to staying on this topic. "No. We're all just starting at the school. I don't think anyone's too comfortable with each other yet."
"But you said she's known that other guy," she glanced around the room before pointing out Kota, easy to spot with his crimson, horned hat and surrounded by a famed hero team, "him with the hat, for years."
"Kota," Katsuma supplied, suspecting Mahoro knew the name. "He and Eri have been friends for most of their lives."
"And they're not dating?" Mahoro pressed. She scoffed and giggled. "That means you've definitely got a shot."
"There's no need for a shot, Mahoro," Katsuma said, his voice growing heated. He was a sweet-natured guy with a slow temper, but Mahoro had always had a gift for pushing him, especially after he'd hit puberty. "I don't like-"
He blinked as his lips refused to say Eri's name. Because taken out of context, it was an utter and complete lie. He did like Eri very much, she was perhaps the best friend he'd ever had. "I'm not attracted to-" Again, a pause. Because he had noticed many times in past weeks that Eri was a very attractive girl. Honestly, to him, she was objectively the most attractive in their class. "It's not like that," he settled on.
Rather than looking rebuked, Mahoro was grinning like the cat who caught the canary. "Whatever you say, Katsuma," she sighed airily. "Whatever you say."
Their father took that time to rejoin them and the conversation gratefully turned to how his classes were going. As they spoke, Katsuma couldn't help a glance around the room at Kota and the Pussycats, Satsuki and her large family, and out the windows to Eri and her family and other visitors. He returned his attention to his sister and father and quickly shook those thoughts away, happy to be with them for this brief time.
Whatever came next could do all it wanted, but this was a perfect way to cap the sports festival.
Hey there! It's been almost six weeks, but here is chapter eighteen! This one definitely took a while. I do hope you enjoyed the end of the sports festival.
*Tategami's roar does need a better name - Kota and others mentioning it was a bit of meta commentary. If anyone has an idea, feel free to comment.
*I really didn't intend from the start to make Katsuma speak in TV Tropes style competitive balance terms, but I previously established it and now I can't stop.
*I had always intended for Tategami to win, though I struggled a bit with letting Tamashiro take the top spot and give Class B a significant achievement. I only realized as I was writing this very chapter that her winning ties directly to her character arc, expressed in her talk with Eri. It's nice when things work out.
*Fujiwara, having been based on young Lea from "Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep," was raised by his older brother who is based on Reno from "Final Fantasy VII," who in turn was the direct inspiration for Axel/Lea. His Quirk is electrical rather than fiery, based on Reno's preferred weapon in FF:VII.
*I've seen a few stories where Eri is initially frightened of Tokoyami before bonding with him over apples before - an idea I think was inspired by both of their character profiles listing apples as their favorite food. It's too darn cute for me not to use.
*Mr. Shimano's given name is of my own idea solely for the sake of this story and its overarching setting. The name comes from the first half of the Japanese voice actor's own given name, Yasunori. As it turns out, the name means "calm" or "peaceful," which to me seems perfect for Mr. Shimano.
As always, I hope it was a fun read! Leave a review if you like! And may your own inspirations flow freely!