Under the soft glow of the moon, Kaminari sat contentedly on the Shinkansen express back to Saitama City after having dinner at Kyoka's house, with her family watching him off.
However, in the end, they didn't get around to playing the second OP song. There was simply no way, they had poured all their energy and enthusiasm into performing "Passionate Duelists"
But as Kaminari gazed out the express train window, watching the scenery blur past at high speed, a lingering thought surfaced in his mind.
Something about the way Kyoka's mother looked at him during dinner had felt… off.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it. The admiration, approval, and other emotions in her gaze were all perfectly normal.
After all, no one who truly knows me dislikes me.
Yet, there was something else hidden in her eyes—something that unsettled him.
"But… Kyoka looks a lot like her mother. I wonder if she'll grow up to be just as beautiful?"
As this thought crossed his mind, Kaminari instinctively imagined an older version of Kyoka, making him look forward to the future even more.
---
Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Located in the southern Kanto region, Yokohama bordered Tokyo Bay to the east and Kawasaki City to the north. As an international port city, it remained lively and prosperous even after nightfall, illuminated by countless neon lights in every direction.
But as the saying goes, "The brightest light casts the darkest shadows."
No matter how peaceful and thriving a city appeared on the surface, hidden in its depths lurked darkness and terror.
For instance, a particular bar with no signage, tucked away beneath a certain building.
This was one of the hideouts of the League of Villains, the infamous organization responsible for the U.A. High School USJ attack and gaining further notoriety due to Stain.
Inside, a white-haired young man with a white glove covering his face sat at the dark brown wooden bar counter, staring intently at a photograph.
It was a picture of Midoriya Izuku.
Not only that, but in his left hand, he gripped another photo so tightly that the image was almost crumpled beyond recognition. However, if one looked closely at the corner peeking out, they could see a hint of golden color.
Due to the dim lighting, the details weren't entirely clear.
"Do you care about him, Tomura Shigaraki?"
Standing behind the bar, Kurogiri—dressed in a bartender's uniform casually wiped a wine glass as he spoke.
"That boy... Midoriya Izuku."
Just then, the bar door suddenly swung open, and the copper bell hanging above jingled.
An unexpected visitor.
"Shigaraki-kun?"
A middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses walked in, a cigarette resting between his fingers. His gentle smile made him appear harmless.
"We've been discussing your affairs here for days now."
"I'm guessing you guys are planning something big next, aren't you?"
"Tch."
Tomura Shigaraki sneered, activating his Quirk and crumbling Midoriya's photo into dust.
At the same time, his grip on the other photo in his left hand unconsciously tightened. The golden hue that had been visible a moment ago was now completely concealed within his whitened palm.
"By the way, who are they?"
Shigaraki turned his head as a man and a woman—one tall, one short—stepped into the bar behind the middle-aged man.
"So, it's you?"
The taller of the two men glanced down, his chin slightly raised, his tone laced with disdain.
"I've seen pictures before, but seeing you in person… well, it's even more disgusting."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the bar grew tense.
A suffocating dark aura began to brew, though no one had noticed it yet.
---
The Next Morning – Shizuoka Prefecture.
The weather remained bright and sunny, with clear blue skies and a gentle summer breeze.
Since it was the beginning of July, the warm, pleasant days had continued for a while now.
Dressed in casual clothes, Kaminari and Tetsutetsu arrived at Mujin District, one of the newest and most popular shopping malls in Shizuoka Prefecture.
It was the largest mall in the area, boasting the most stores and earning a reputation as the region's "fashion frontline."
Young people, especially middle school and high school students frequented the place, whether to shop, hang out, or work part-time.
By this time, all twenty students from Class 1-A had gathered there.
The trip had been suggested the day before by Hagakure, who proposed that everyone go shopping together to buy supplies for their upcoming forest training camp in Nagano.
Everyone had enthusiastically agreed, except for Bakugo, who didn't like group outings, and Todoroki, who had chosen to visit someone in the hospital instead.
"Kaminari! Tetsutetsu!"
Kyoka, who had been chatting and laughing with Ashido, Momo, and Asui, immediately noticed the two as they approached.
"Great, everyone's finally here!"
Hagakure beamed, waving her pink gloves excitedly.
"Nice! Everyone's on time. Punctuality is a good habit for Hero Course students!"
As expected, Iida couldn't resist making a serious remark.
"Heh heh heh."
Kaminari grinned as he greeted everyone. Then, he walked over to Kyoka and smiled.
"Let's go shopping today!"
But before Kyoka could respond, Momo smirked and teased,
"Kaminari, don't think you can just go on a date with Kyoka alone. We already agreed to shop together."
"Huh? That's fine with me. The more beautiful ladies around me, the better!"
Kaminari shot a playful glance at Kyoka before smiling nonchalantly.
"Wow!"
"Look! Those are heroes!"
"I've seen those first-years on TV before!"
Before the students could continue their conversation, excited chatter erupted among the surrounding shoppers.
And then—
"Kaminari Denki!!"
A group of young girls suddenly screamed in excitement.
There was no helping it, this was Shizuoka Prefecture.
Here, Kaminari's popularity rivaled that of his home turf, Saitama.
At this point, he was practically enjoying celebrity status.
"It's really him! That 'Pikachu' on his shoulder is unmistakable!"
"And the girls next to him—Kyoka Jiro and Momo Yaoyorozu! They're both in his band!"
"Look at Momo's feet—it's Vulpix!"
"Oh my god! Two Pokémon from the anime are right in front of us! This is like heaven!"
Before they knew it, Kaminari, Kyoka, and Momo were completely surrounded by enthusiastic fans.
The problem?
All the people gathering around Kaminari were girls.
With their numbers increasing, Kyoka and Momo were gradually pushed away.
Fortunately, they remained side by side and managed to keep their composure despite the overwhelming attention.
Meanwhile, Kaminari sighed in relief, at least Kyoka and Momo weren't completely separated.
Not far away, Midoriya, Uraraka, Tokoyami, Iida, Ashido, and Tsuyu looked at each other in shock.
"Should we go help Kyoka and the others?" Tsuyu asked, tapping her lips.
"How?" Uraraka and Ashido responded simultaneously.
No one had an answer.
And then—
"DAMN IT!!!!"
Mineta Minoru, his face twisted with envy, clenched his fists and screamed in frustration.
"That bastard Kaminari is already experiencing a level of happiness that only exists in heaven!!!"
"HE WILL BE PUNISHED BY THE GODS!!!"
***
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