CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Rio reluctantly lifted his head as the bell signaling the end of class finally rang. Groggily wiping his eyes, he stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn. The math teacher, Mr. Suzuki, eyed him heavily, to which he mouthed a quick apology. Mr. Suzuki was only letting Rio sleep because he was his favorite student—it was best not to squander that goodwill.
Rio yawned again as he packed his books into his bag. He had been up all night studying kinematics and biomechanics, stumbling upon some really interesting research and losing track of time.
He made his way to the door but was stopped by his classmate, Iida Tenya.
"Wait, Hayami-san, don't leave yet," Tenya said, spreading his arms wide to block the doorway.
Rio sighed. He didn't have the time for this. All he wanted was to crash in the school library.
"You know I'm not the only one in the class, right? You're blocking the doorway for like ten other people," Rio pointed out, nodding toward the four girls glaring daggers at Tenya.
Tenya stood firm, unmoving, until Rio finally sighed and dragged him away from the door, leading him down the hallway. Students bustled past them boisterously, the sounds of conversation echoing across the corridor.
Stopping at a quiet corner, Rio turned to his persistent debate partner.
"So what's the big idea, man? I don't have time for this," he grumbled, massaging his temples. The migraine pounding behind his eyes was giving him a strong urge to bash his head against the wall.
Tenya adjusted his glasses, a mysterious gleam catching the lenses as he declared seriously,
"Did you see the announcement earlier? The debate topic is out. We need to get started quickly."
Rio groaned at the declaration. He had suspected it was something like that, but he really didn't want to engage in such niceties right now.
He needed sleep... he needed it now.
"Look, when did that happen? I passed by the notice board this morning and didn't see anything of the sort. Also, isn't that set three months from now? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Tenya pushed up his glasses briefly and addressed Rio.
"Hmm, but of course. The announcement was only posted at 12:07 today during recess, and we only have three months to prepare. We need to stay ahead of the competition."
Wait, does that mean he stood in front of the bulletin board all through recess? No, that wasn't information Rio needed to specifically know. Regardless—
"Three months is a really long time. I doubt anyone else is working on it right now."
As if to prove him wrong, two students with identical features walked past them, chatting animatedly about the debate.
"We only have three months till the debate. I've already prepared twenty talking points on the topic. You'll help screen through and remove the ones with the least impact."
"Hmmm, but of course, brother. We aren't the only ones eyeing that Detenerat scholarship. Still, to think they'd choose our school this year..."
The duo said as they passed Rio and Tenya, to which Tenya raised a brow that practically screamed 'See? I told you so!'
Rio could already feel his headache worsening. This was why he didn't like academia—too many goddamn sweats.
He sighed for what had to be the umpteenth time today.
"Sigh… What's the topic, and what's this thing about Detenerat? What do they have to do with anything?"
Detenerat was one of the bigger hero support gear companies. They also dabbled in other core industries, their COO's distinct sharp nose being a prominent feature in every commercial.
"You didn't know?" Now it was Tenya's turn to look surprised.
"Was that somehow supposed to be easily accessible information?" Rio shot back. Why was he acting like it wasn't a big deal?
"Well, I thought you knew. After all, our homeroom teacher's been stressing it for over a week."
Rio blinked. His mind drawing a blank. Ever since he'd concluded that their homeroom teacher didn't know what he was doing, he'd made it a habit to tune out everything the man said.
"It's not like I don't know, but just recap everything he said. I can't properly put it into words," Rio hurriedly explained, while Tenya gave a knowing smile that said he saw right through the act.
To think even this brick could see through me that easily.
Apparently, Detenerat sponsored events like this in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country—sports meets, spelling bees, and debates. They claimed it was their way of giving back to the community, offering numerous scholarships to top-performing students. But many had noticed that those who later landed managerial positions at Detenerat were all alumni of the company's scholarship program.
"I understand. What's the topic?" Rio asked. He could tell Tenya wouldn't let him go unless he showed at least a hint of interest. He figured he'd skim the material at home and send a few half-hearted talking points—enough to keep Tenya off his back for at least a week.
"Let me see," Tenya said, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
"Is the prohibition on the use of quirks advantageous or a detriment to society? Discuss."
Rio raised his brows at that. "That sounds... dangerous. Did Detenerat propose the topic?"
That was a very sensitive issue to put on a debate stage. If Detenerat was behind it, he'd definitely need to reevaluate their motives. "Giving back to the community" didn't typically involve challenging a global consensus. Corporations chasing profit didn't usually possess that level of ideological purity.
"No, they didn't. I heard it was the homeroom teacher for the seventh grade who came up with it. Can you give me your contact information so we can discuss it?" Tenya asked.
"Since you're asking so nicely, I can't possibly refuse," Rio replied as he handed over his phone. Tenya quickly scanned the QR code and then bid Rio farewell.
Rio yawned again and made his way out of the classroom. He was headed to the library upstairs—there were some reference materials he needed to check out. There was no way he was paying for an annual online subscription when he only intended to go through the material once.
Suppressing another yawn, Rio reminded himself not to stay up so late. He still wanted to grow as tall as his brother.
He was stopped in his tracks when he accidentally bumped into some kids. He hadn't been paying attention, which caused the accident.
"Sorry about that, let me help you with your stuff." He squatted down to pick up the smartphone and books scattered across the floor.
"Oy, get a look at this brat. You think you can get away with messing with me, huh?"
With that declaration, Rio was yanked up by the scruff of his collar, now face-to-face with a dark-haired kid wearing spiked accessories all over his uniform. Flanking him were two other kids, both sporting menacing grins.
From their build and stature, Rio guessed they were probably middle schoolers. Probably. He'd once known a guy who looked like a toddler but was actually fifty—looks could be deceiving.
Rio pushed the offending hand off his shirt and patted it down. "Can you please not grab my shirt so roughly? I'm not in the mood for these games," he huffed in annoyance.
Bullies. You could never really get rid of them, no matter where you went. Even a school with such distinguished members wasn't exempt. If anything, it probably had more of them.
"Oh, we've got a feisty one! What're you gonna do? I'm so scarrrred!" the boy laughed, mockingly trembling as Goon 1 and Goon 2 followed along, laughing in derision.
"I see you aren't going to be satisfied with an apology, so I'll just be leaving. Have a nice day," Rio said as he began walking away from the confrontation. He had caused the incident, so he was at fault—there was no need to lash out at a couple of seventh graders.
He'd barely taken four steps before a hand clamped down on his backpack, freezing him in place. Rio sighed in exasperation.
"Look, do you want lunch money or something? Are you poor? Seriously, you shits, I've had it up to here with your attitude. If any of you interrupt me again, I swear to—"
"OOOh, he's making threats. Listen, kid, if you don't—"
An uppercut greeted him before he could finish the sentence.
Rio had tried to stay as low-key as possible. He didn't want to bring any unwarranted attention to himself, but it seemed fate had other plans.
"What the hell?!" Goon 1 and Goon 2 shouted in unison as their leader went flying. That seemed to slap some sense into them, as they started re-evaluating their life choices.
"What are you standing there like idiots for? After him!" Dark Hair spat out a glob of blood as he barked the command.
That snapped them to their senses as they charged. Rio wanted nothing more than to end this quickly, but he refrained from using his quirk. He'd already gotten into trouble for it, and he didn't want another incident. Besides, none of the goons had activated their quirks either—it was only fair.
But no one said anything about enhancing perception.
Rio tapped into the well of energy inside him as the world slowed to a crawl. There were no visible signs he was using a quirk, after all.
He slipped past the incoming punch from Goon 1 and delivered a well-placed kick to his groin. Goon 2 hesitated at the sight, while Dark Hair inhaled sharply. Rio didn't give Goon 2 the chance to rethink. He sent his palm straight into the side of his neck, and the goon collapsed in a heap, gasping for air.
It seemed Dark Hair finally understood the reality of his situation as he began backing away, preparing to flee.
"You know, I was really tired earlier. I just wanted to go take a nap in the library, but you just had to be in my way," Rio began, slowly approaching his prey.
Dark Hair, now visibly scared, continued backing up.
"Now, now. Don't run away. I want you to resist."
Ah, he was feeling energetic already—a serene smile gracing his face.