At three o'clock in the afternoon, during the sixth period of Hero Basics, the next lesson, Hero Information Studies, was conducted by Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Aizawa.
"We'll end the lesson here for now. Next, I have some important announcements," Aizawa said as he closed the textbook on his desk. His calm tone immediately sparked a wave of curiosity and tension among the twenty students seated before him.
"Don't tell me it's another exam…"
Kirishima muttered internally, already feeling a bit anxious. Back in junior high, his academic performance had been solid, after all, he'd managed to pass U.A.'s written entrance exam, right?
But things had changed since enrolling here. After several weeks of classes and a few mock tests, it became painfully clear to him that the limited knowledge he had wasn't enough to keep up.
This wasn't just the country's top hero school because of its Hero Course; the academic standards in every subject were equally rigorous! That realization had turned him from a confident student into someone who now flinched at the very mention of exams.
Unfortunately, his fears were spot-on this time.
"A week from now, on Friday, you will have your midterm exam," Aizawa announced coldly, ignoring the collective groans and nervous expressions spreading through the room. "I don't want to see anyone in this class failing."
His slightly red eyes scanned the class as he spoke, making it clear that he wasn't issuing an empty warning.
The sound of a heavy textbook hitting the desk punctuated his statement, and with that, Aizawa turned, opened the classroom door, and left.
---
The school bell rang moments later, breaking the tense silence in the room. The familiar sound quickly dispelled the heavy atmosphere, bringing a collective sigh of relief from the students.
"Whew…" Mina Ashido exhaled deeply, patting her chest. "Even though I've kind of gotten used to it by now, every time Mr. Aizawa speaks, I can't help but feel nervous!"
"It's his aura," Kaminari thought to himself. Before, he hadn't been able to put his finger on it, but now he was certain. He'd sensed something akin to spiritual pressure emanating from their teacher.
It's like he's merged his spiritual energy with his natural presence, amplifying his influence on others.
Reflecting on this, Kaminari realized it was somewhat similar to Conqueror's Haki from One Piece. However, Aizawa's aura wasn't strong enough to knock people unconscious or physically damage objects, it was more about psychological pressure.
---
"Kaminari, Kyoka!"
Just as the students began packing their things and preparing to head home, Momo's voice called out, stopping the two in their tracks.
"Hmm?"
"What's up?"
Kaminari and Kyoka turned to her with puzzled expressions, and Kaminari added with a faint smile, "If this is about tutoring, I'm afraid it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I need to head home early today—family stuff, you know how it is."
His expression shifted slightly, betraying his exhaustion. It had been a long day, and on top of that, he hadn't slept the night before, leaving him with little energy to take in any extra information.
"I understand," Momo replied with a warm smile. "But that's not why I stopped you."
"Oh?"
Both Kaminari and Kyoka exchanged glances, now even more curious.
"It's about the band," Momo continued.
As soon as she said this, the two realized their guess had been spot on. However, this only deepened their confusion, what could have happened with the band?
"I received a performance invitation yesterday," Momo explained. "And don't worry, I remember what you told me before about avoiding commercial gigs during school. But after reading the details and conducting a little investigation, I believe this is something we should consider."
Kaminari raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."
Kyoka, twirling one of her headphone jacks between her fingers, also focused on Momo, waiting for her explanation.
"The invitation comes from Seifu Elementary School, a private institution in Tokyo with a history of 134 years," Momo began.
"The invitation was sent by the current principal, Takashima Nagaseki. He reached out because he wants to fulfill a promise his late father made to the school's children."
Her tone softened, and a hint of sadness crept into her expression as she continued.
"Takashima Nagaseki's father, the former chairman and principal of Seifu Elementary, passed away a week ago from a heart attack. He was only 74."
Both Kaminari and Kyoka nodded silently, acknowledging the tragedy.
"A month before his death, Mr. Takashima had stepped down from his position as chairman and delivered a farewell speech to the students and staff. During that speech, he made a promise to invite our band, specifically Kaminari Denki and Jiro Kyoka, to visit the school and perform for the children."
Momo paused to let this sink in before adding, "He made this promise because all 513 students and staff members at Seifu Elementary are huge fans of Pokémon."
With that, she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through the photos she'd gathered.
"Take a look at this," she said, holding the phone out to Kaminari and Kyoka.
---
The first photo showed a classroom, but every surface in the room—desks, chairs, the podium, the clock, the floor, even the trash cans was adorned with Pokémon designs.
Before Kaminari could react, the photo switched to the next slide, revealing an outdoor playground. Once again, the entire area was themed around Pokémon.
The soccer goals were shaped like Grimer with their mouths wide open, while the basketball court featured two towering Charizards holding brazier-shaped hoops.
Over the next minute, Momo showed them a series of twenty photos, each depicting different parts of the school. From the cafeteria to the bathrooms, every corner of Qingfeng Elementary had been transformed into a Pokémon-themed wonderland.
---
"This… this is insane!" Kaminari finally exclaimed, struggling to find the right words.
Beside him, Kyoka was completely dumbfounded, unable to form a response.
"I thought it was an exaggeration at first too," Momo admitted, "but after confirming it with my investigation, it's clear that every classroom—actually, every part of the school, has been decorated like this. It was all done in just two weeks following the premiere of the Pokémon anime."
"The late Mr. Takashima used his month-and-a-half vacation to oversee the entire transformation personally. According to his son, Principal Takashima Nagaseki, his father did it all for one simple reason: to make the children happy."