At 3:10 in the afternoon, the Hero classes finally ended. The students from the general, support, and economics departments had already left for home hours earlier.
"Kaminari, wait a moment!"
Just as Kaminari, Tetsutetsu, Kyoka, and Momo were following the crowd out of the school, hurried footsteps sounded from behind them, accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Midnight-sensei?"
"Aizawa-sensei?"
Turning around, Kaminari saw the two teachers approaching and blinked in surprise.
"You should head directly to my office now," Midnight said with a smile, adjusting her red-rimmed glasses. "We can go together."
Standing beside her, Aizawa said nothing, his usual stoic expression unchanged, but it was clear he intended to come along.
"Alright," Kaminari agreed, nodding. "It'll save me the trouble of using GPS to find the way."
After a brief pause, he added, "But isn't it still working hours for you?"
Everyone knew teachers often worked well beyond the students' schedule, with grading, meetings, and other responsibilities keeping them busy long after school ended.
"Took leave," Aizawa said plainly.
"Ah… understood."
With that, Kaminari fell into step with the group, glancing at Tetsutetsu and the others before all of them passed through the school's protective gates.
"See you tomorrow, Kaminari! Tetsutetsu!"
"Bye, Jiro!"
"See you, Kyoka," Kaminari replied with a wave.
As Kyoka headed off, Kaminari noticed that Momo was lingering nearby, as though waiting for something.
"You're coming too?" he asked curiously.
"Yes," Momo replied with a light nod, her tone calm and natural. "I'd like to join in. The round trip will only take two hours, after all."
Kaminari glanced at the sleek black luxury car parked nearby, its design clearly meant for high-end clientele. "But how are you planning to get there? Are you coming with us on the Shinkansen?"
"I'd like to experience it with everyone," Momo said, brushing back a strand of her hair as the breeze played with it. "As for the car, my driver will take it to Saitama City and pick me up later for the trip home."
Her words left Kaminari, Tetsutetsu, Midnight, and even Aizawa momentarily speechless. It was clear from her tone that she had never been on a Shinkansen before.
"Well… let's give it a try then," Kaminari said with a faint smile.
Soon, the group boarded the high-speed Shinkansen heading to Saitama City. Momo, filled with quiet anticipation, gazed out the window with a delighted expression, her crescent-shaped eyes betraying just how much she was enjoying the experience.
"I've always wanted to ride one and see what it's like," she said softly.
The others fell silent, each acutely aware of the sheer gap in lifestyle between them.
Yet, rather than feeling pretentious, Momo's innocent excitement felt endearing. Her demeanor was so genuine that it gave off a sense of warmth and purity.
"She's like the perfect fairytale princess," Kaminari thought, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
He couldn't help but feel that Momo seemed almost too good to be real. Every aspect of her—her grace, her intelligence, her kindness—was so flawless it felt like she had stepped out of a storybook.
Of course, Kaminari also considered the possibility that he simply hadn't met many people like her. After all, in his previous life, he had been an ordinary college student.
---
An hour and a half later, the group arrived at the Midnight Agency in Saitama City.
The building was an unassuming office tower with little to distinguish it from its neighbors. Kaminari tilted his head as he glanced up at the sign hanging above the entrance.
"Well, it's not particularly eye-catching," he thought, "but the sign itself is well-designed. Any guy walking past would probably stop to take a second look…"
He cleared his throat, shaking the thought from his mind as Midnight led the group inside.
"The fourth through seventh floors are all part of the agency," Midnight explained, gesturing as they walked toward the elevators.
"Your parents and Snatch arrived about half an hour ago. They're waiting for us in the reception room on the fourth floor."
"Got it," Kaminari said, glancing at Pikachu on his shoulder. His expression shifted into a grin. "You ready? It's showtime!"
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu puffed out its chest and gave it a proud pat, mimicking the mannerisms of the animated character it was modeled after.
Kaminari chuckled at its antics. He knew Pikachu was nothing more than an AI-controlled battle suit, but he enjoyed interacting with it as if it were alive.
"The training hall is on the seventh floor," Midnight continued. "We had the equipment cleared out yesterday."
With a soft chime, the elevator doors slid open on the fourth floor. Kaminari immediately spotted his parents and Snatch sitting together on the plush, high-end sofas in the reception area.
They were chatting casually over a variety of drinks laid out on the coffee table.
"Welcome, Mr. Kaminari, Kaminari's father, and Snatch-senpai. I'm Midnight," she said warmly, introducing herself. "This is Eraser Head, the current homeroom teacher for Class 1-A. And this is Yaoyorozu Momo, one of Kaminari's classmates. We'll all be watching the sparring match today."
Snatch gave a polite nod, though most of his attention was focused on Aizawa.
Despite never having worked together, Snatch had heard of Eraser Head's exploits. Though not a public figure due to his withdrawn nature, Aizawa was a respected name among Japan's pro-Hero community, his Quirk a particularly valuable asset in difficult situations.
Meanwhile, Kaminari exchanged a few words with his parents, who were clearly curious about the day's events. Once Midnight and the others had finished their introductions, Kaminari turned to them with an eager grin.
"Can we get started now? I've been looking forward to this all day!"
Midnight glanced at Snatch, who nodded. His deep voice rumbled as he replied, "Let's begin. I'm curious to see the extent of your skills.
"Alright," Midnight said, leading the group back to the elevator. "We'll head to the seventh floor. But before that, I want to remind you both, this is just a sparring match. Make sure to hold back and stop before things get too serious."
Her tone was serious, and though her words were directed at both combatants, her gaze lingered on Kaminari.
Snatch nodded readily. "Understood. I'll keep that in mind."
What Snatch didn't realize was that Midnight had invited Aizawa along specifically as a precaution. Kaminari's speed was no joke, and if things escalated too quickly, Midnight's Quirk, "Somnambulist," might not activate in time. In contrast, Aizawa's Erasure Quirk was the perfect countermeasure to stop Kaminari if needed.
"Let's go," Midnight said, leading the way to the seventh floor.
A battle between a first-year Hero student and a veteran pro-Hero was about to begin.
***
Bonus for last week's 200 PS