Location: Musutafu – Golden Bites
Time: Saturday | 12:30 PM
CHATTER.
The new Golden Bites branch was packed.
Since it was the weekend, the ground floor was full of families and kids hanging out. The smell of grilled burgers and hot fries filled the air.
Kaito opened the front glass doors. He walked in wearing a dark shirt and jeans.
Grandma Saki and Makoto walked right behind him.
Makoto looked around the crowded room. She wore a casual sweater and jeans today, taking a rare day off from managing the O'Clock agency.
"It's really busy," Makoto said, speaking up over the noise of the crowd.
"Kimiko picked a good spot," Kaito replied.
He looked toward the pickup counter and stopped.
A massive, towering figure stood near the register.
All Might wore a baggy yellow t-shirt and cargo pants. Sanding tall and waiting casually for his order. Principal Nezu stood right next to him on the floor, wearing his usual neat suit.
A group of middle school kids sat at a nearby table. They were staring and whispering.
"Is that really him?"
"Yeah, that's All Might!"
"All Might look here!"
Kaito walked straight up to the individuals.
"You guys are drawing a crowd," Kaito said.
All Might turned his head. He smiled brightly.
"Haha... Kaito-shonen!" All Might laughed. "We just finished some weekend paperwork at the school. Nezu wanted to try the burgers."
"The reviews online are very good," Nezu added, looking up.
"Thanks," Kaito said.
He stepped up to the front register. A young cashier in a red uniform looked totally stressed out by the long lines.
"Hi," Kaito said. "Three double cheeseburgers, two fries, and three large sodas. And put whatever they ordered on my bill too."
"Hmm?" The cashier tapped the screen quickly. He looked up at Kaito.
Then he looked down at the orientation manual sitting next to the register. The founder's picture was printed right on the front cover.
"Wait a minu-..."
The cashier's eyes went wide.
The cashier stuttered. "Mr. Arisaka! Sir, your food is free! You don't have to pay for this! We were told that the owner can eat for free..."
Slip.
Kaito pulled a black credit card from his wallet. He placed it on the counter.
"Swipe the card," Kaito told him. "Nobody eats for free. Not even the owner. Just ring it up. "
Gulp.
"Oh.. Okay." The cashier swallowed hard and swiped the card.
BEEP.
Nezu watched the exchange.
"I respect the strict rules, Kaito... And thanks for the treat hehe..." Nezu smiled.
Kaito grabbed the plastic tray full of hot food.
"Let's go upstairs," Kaito told them. "
All Might grabbed his own paper bags from the counter. The group walked up a restricted staircase near the back of the kitchen.
*-*-*
The second floor was completely quiet.
It was a private lounge with comfortable leather booths and large glass windows overlooking the busy street outside.
Kaito set his tray down on a long wooden table. Everyone took a seat.
"Grandma," Kaito gestured across the table. "This is Toshinori Yagi and Principal Nezu. Guys, this is my grandmother, Saki."
All Might sat up straight. He bowed his head politely.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," All Might said.
Saki smiled. She didn't look shocked or starstruck at all. She just treated him like a regular person.
"Nice to meet you too," Saki said casually. "Kaito talks about his work a lot. It's nice to finally put faces to the names."
All Might visibly relaxed. He leaned back in the booth, clearly enjoying the normal treatment.
RUSTLE.
Makoto opened her burger wrapper. She looked across the table.
"All Might," Makoto asked curiously. "How do you like being a teacher at U.A. Academy? Is it a lot different from hero work?"
All Might chuckled. He took a huge bite of his burger and swallowed.
"It is definitely different," All Might admitted. "Grading papers and writing lesson plans takes a lot of time. I think fighting villains is actually easier on my brain."
"He is doing fine," Nezu added, holding a single french fry in his paw. "He just needs to get used to it."
Nezu looked over at Kaito.
"Speaking of which..." Nezu said, his small black eyes shining. "Years ago, I actually invited Kaito to take the U.A. exam. I wanted him to enroll there as a student."
Saki laughed, taking a sip of her green tea.
"I remember that time... He always liked doing his own thing," Saki said.
Kaito grabbed a fry from his tray.
"If I actually took that offer," Kaito joked, pointing the fry at Nezu. "I wouldn't be what I am today. And definitely wouldn't have time to open a fast food chaing. And you guys wouldn't be eating these burgers."
"A very fair point!" Nezu laughed happily.
"Hahaha..." All Might boomed with laughter again, shaking his head.
"I wonder what will happen if Kaito-shonen entered UA. Would you still be the Golden Manager today?"
"I wouldn't know. Different choices leads to different paths. But maybe the results would still be ok." Kaito rubbed his chin.
"Nah, I think we wouldn't have met Kaito." Makoto added.
She picked up her cola and looked at him. "If you went to U.A., I would probably still be stuck doing regular corporate law. We never would have built the O'Clock agency. Everything we have today wouldn't exist."
Kaito nodded. "True. I'd probably just graduate and end up right back at U.A. as a tired faculty member."
"Oh, absolutely," All Might chuckled, leaning his elbows on the table. "You would be standing right next to Aizawa in the teachers' lounge, grading papers and complaining about teenagers."
"Hehe.. I can completely see it," Makoto smirked. "You wearing a U.A. tracksuit, yelling at kids to optimize their quirks instead of pros."
Nom. Nom.
Kaito took a bite of his burger and swallowed.
"Sounds like a massive headache," Kaito shot back casually. "I prefer being my own boss."
Nezu raised his small cup of tea. "Well, if you ever change your mind about that faculty position, my door is always open."
"Hahaha..."
The entire table burst into laughter again.
Grandma Saki sat quietly, watching them joke around and tease each other.
She leaned back against the comfortable leather booth, smiling warmly.
She loved seeing Kaito surrounded by good friends, taking a break from his heavy responsibilities and just acting his age.
Nezu took a slow sip from his cup.
"Ah, youth," Nezu commented happily, looking at the lively group.
*-*-*
Location: Hosu City – Iida Estate | Private Training Gym
Time: 08:30 PM
VROOM.
A loud engine noise echoed across the massive training gym.
Tenya Iida sprinted across the thick blue mats.
Bright blue flames shot out of the exhaust pipes on his calves. He moved incredibly fast in a straight line.
"Now!" Tenya yelled to himself. He jumped high into the air.
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
He tried to execute plan one from the custom training manual. He fired a quick micro-burst from his leg engines, trying to trap the exhaust gas right under his boots so he could change direction in mid-air.
But..
SPUTTER.
He dumped the clutch way too hard. The ex
haust fired unevenly.
"Whoa!" Tenya spun totally out of control.
THUD.
He hit the blue padded mats and slid hard on his back.
HUFF-PUFF. HUFF-PUFF.
Tenya laid on the ground, breathing heavily. He looked up at the high ceiling and frowned. "Where am I going wrong?"
Step. Step.
Tensei Iida walked over to the edge of the mats. He held the thick red folder from Arisaka Consulting in his right hand.
Tensei smiled down at his younger brother.
"You are slamming it too hard, Tenya," Tensei said casually.
Tenya sat up and rubbed his shoulder.
"I can't get the traction right," Tenya muttered, looking down at his legs. "It doesn't compress under my boots. It just blows me sideways."
Tensei stepped onto the mat.
"You are treating it like a normal sprint," Tensei explained, tossing the red folder onto a nearby bench. "You already know how to run fast. But you can't use that same continuous power in the air. Let me show you."
Tensei bent his knees and jumped into the air.
FWOOSH.
Instead of a massive blast, Tensei fired a tiny, controlled micro-burst from the engines on his elbows.
The quick burst of exhaust gas trapped under his arms, creating a brief, solid cushion of air.
He used that split-second cushion to twist his body sharply to the left.
He changed direction in mid-air and landed perfectly on his feet.
Tenya watched the movement closely.
Tensei walked back over.
"See?" Tensei pointed to his own elbows. "Don't force the engines. You just need a microsecond of air pressure to push off. Feather the throttle. Just a quick tap."
Tenya nodded, processing the visual demonstration. "What about the other developments?"
Tensei pointed at the red folder sitting on the bench.
"Forget the rest of plan for now," Tensei told him. "I just want you to focus entirely on this one jump. Master the mid-air traction first."
"Understood," Tenya agreed quickly.
"Also," Tensei grinned, crossing his arms. "The Golden Manager just gave us the physics and the mechanics. He didn't name any of these techniques. So, once you actually land on your feet and perfect the jump, you get to name the move yourself."
Tenya's eyes went wide behind his square glasses.
He immediately sat up perfectly straight.
SWISH.
SWISH.
Tenya started aggressively chopping the air with his flat hands.
"I accept this heavy responsibility, brother!" Tenya announced loudly, his voice echoing across the empty gym. "I will think of a highly respectable name! Something heroic that will strike fear into evildoers!"
Tensei chuckled at his little brother's rigid reaction.
"Let's worry about landing on your feet first," Tensei teased him lightly. "Then you can worry about the heroic name."
Tenya stopped chopping the air. He lowered his hands and nodded firmly.
He pushed himself off the mat and stood tall. He stretched his legs out, shaking off the soreness from the fall.
He didn't complain about the difficulty. He walked right back to the starting line on the other side of the gym.
Tenya dropped into his low runner's stance.
VROOM.
The engines fired up again.
Tenya shot across the mats, completely determined to get this move right.
*-*-*
Location: Grandma Saki Backyard
Time: Wednesday | 09:00 AM
HUMMM.
The brand-new, high-tech greenhouse stood tall in the morning sun. It was completely finished.
Inside the glass walls, the setup looked like a modern science lab mixed with a botanical garden.
Bright UV spectrum lights hung from the aluminum ceiling, shining down on the long rows of planting tables.
Automated smart-climate vents on the roof slowly opened and closed, keeping the internal temperature absolutely perfect.
A small, quiet water pump circulated fresh water through thick rubber tubes along the floor.
Kaito and Saki stood side by side at a long metal table.
They wore thick gardening gloves.
They were packing dark, rich soil into small plastic planting trays.
"This soil is very good," Saki said, pressing a small tomato seed into the dirt. "It feels a lot better than the cheap bags I used to buy at the hardware store."
"It has custom nutrients mixed in," Kaito explained, pushing his own seeds into the tray.
Saki smiled, brushing some dirt off her apron.
She loved the setup.
RING. RING.
"Hmm?" Kaito's phone vibrated loudly on the metal table.
[Boss,] the Eve AI spoke smoothly through the phone speaker. [You have an incoming call. This number belongs to an educational institution. It is Shiketsu High School.]
Saki looked over. "A school?"
"Answer it on speaker," Kaito told the Eve.
CLICK.
"This is Arisaka," Kaito said. He picked up another handful of soil.
[Mr. Arisaka,] a deep, tired voice answered. [My name is Kouzuki. I am the Principal of Shiketsu High School.]
Kaito didn't stop working. "What can I do for you, Principal?"
[I will be direct with you,] Kouzuki said over the phone. [Last year, we tried to copy the three-man squad formations you made for Ketsubutsu Academy.]
"And?," Kaito guessed calmly.
[It failed,] Kouzuki admitted openly. [Only six of our second-year students passed the Provisional Hero License Exam. Just six. The rest of the class had to take a remedial course to get their licenses.]
Saki paused her planting. She listened closely to the man's heavy voice.
[We recruit really strong kids,] Kouzuki continued. [They have great quirks. But our teachers do not know how to group them together. The students just keep getting in each other's way during team fights. We need you to look at our roster. We want to hire you to fix this and maybe we can achieve a better results.]
THWIP.
Kaito pressed another seed into the dirt.
"I appreciate you being upfront about it, Principal," Kaito said evenly. "But I am on vacation right now."
[....]
Kouzuki went completely quiet for a few seconds. He processed the completely mundane answer.
[I understand,] Kouzuki finally said, his voice sounding respectful. [I apologize for interrupting your personal time.]
"Don't worry about it," Kaito told him. "My office will call your school next week. We can set up a meeting and talk about it personally."
[Thank you, Mr. Arisaka,] Kouzuki sounded massively relieved. [We will wait for your call.]
BEEP.
Kaito grabbed a towel from the table and wiped the dirt off his gloves.
*-*-*
Location: Naruhata District – O'Clock Agency Garage
Time: 04:00 PM
The large metal garage doors were wide open.
"Whoa..."
"This is crazy..."
Soga, Rapt, and Moyuru stood in the center of the garage. They were completely losing their minds.
Three brand-new, sleek motorbikes sat parked on the concrete floor.
They were painted in black and silver. The frames looked heavy and durable.
Small digital screens glowed brightly on the handlebars.
The three former street thugs in the past just received their official sidekick licenses.
These highly advanced bikes were Kaito's congratulatory gift to them.
Soga walked up to the lead bike. He ran his hand over the smooth metal gas tank.
"Four wheels move the body," Soga grinned a massive, wildly excited smile. "But two wheels move the soul."
"Look at this dash!" Rapt yelled, pointing at the digital screen. "It has a built-in AI navigation system! It links directly to the local police dispatch frequencies! It's the same as Koichi."
Moyuru squatted down near the back tire.
"Hehehe.... It has tactical storage compartments right here," Moyuru pointed out, popping open a small side panel. "And look at these exhaust pipes. They have smoke screen deployers built right into the metal!"
They acted exactly like kids on Christmas morning.
Kazuho stood near the doorway holding a clipboard.
She watched the three boys freak out over the machines. She looked completely baffled.
"I don't get it," Kazuho muttered, tilting her head. "They are just motorcycles. Why are they yelling?"
Koichi leaned against the wall next to her. He had a huge, nostalgic smile on his face.
"It's a guy thing, Kazuho," Koichi laughed. "I reacted the exact same way when Kaito gave me my bike for my birthday. Those things are incredible."
Makoto walked out of the agency office and stepped into the garage. She held a cup of coffee.
"I see the delivery arrived," Makoto smiled, looking at the three bikes.
Soga immediately turned around and jogged over to her.
"Makoto," Soga asked eagerly. "Where is Kaito right now? We need to thank him. These bikes are absolutely insane."
"He is having a vacation in Shizuoka," Makoto answered, taking a sip of her coffee. "He just finished building a backyard garden with Grandma Saki."
Soga looked back at Rapt and Moyuru. They all shared the exact same thought.
Soga paused and shook his head.
"Nah, we shouldn't bother him while he's on vacation," Soga said, waving a hand dismissively. "We can thank him later when he gets back. Right now, we got work to do."
"Work?" Kazuho raised an eyebrow.
"We need to break these engines in," Soga grinned, grabbing a black helmet off the seat and strapping it on. "And we need to test out every single gadget on these bikes. We are going to triple our patrol zones today."
"Triple them?" Rapt laughed, jumping onto his bike. "No no no... We're going to clean up every street in Naruhata before dinner."
"Let's go find some villains," Moyuru cheered, hopping onto his own machine.
VROOM.
VROOM.
VROOM.
The three heavy engines roared to life at the exact same time.
The loud sound bounced hard off the concrete walls of the garage.
Soga kicked his kickstand up. He twisted the throttle, feeling the massive electrical pull beneath him.
"Let's roll out!" Soga shouted.
"Hahaha...." Rapt and Moyuro.
The three sidekicks shot straight out of the garage and sped down the street, completely thrilled to test out their new gear on the real streets.
"What the? Wait for me..." Koichi also joined them.
VROOM.
"...." Kazuho and Makoto.
...
Support the journey here:
patreon.com/Dr_Chad
(9 Advanced Chapters)