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Chapter 39: Actions and Hidden Agendas
🕑 Added 2024-09-27 16:06:34 +0000 UTCChapter 39: Actions and Hidden Agendas
As Midoriya was out and about with Crust and Kendo was being couched on the inner workings of image cultivation and management with Uwabami, Iida was out in the streets of Rakusasu, a city north of Tokyo, following after a hero who wasn't his first choice but one who seemed to know what they were doing and who he could use.
“That was great work, Iida! As I would expect from a U.A. student and someone of the Iida family.” The exceptionally tall, well-built man praised Iida as they moved away from the small coffee shop held up by a couple villains who wanted to rob the place. The two criminals had been taken care of and loaded into a police cruiser with minimal damage to the business.
Iida looked at the figure he was following after, the pro using his quirk to slide across the sidewalk like it was ice, all while maintaining his balance. Moving at such speed in such a manner was second nature to him. However, Iida suspected it was because of how long the man's been an active hero.
“It was nothing, Slidin' Go. I just helped evacuate the people while you handled the villains.” Iida replied as he ran to keep up with the man. He was not using his quirk but still getting a good workout from a simple parol. It was undoubtedly better than crime. They stopped as he had to slowly lead people away, even carrying someone who was in a wheelchair to avoid them getting hurt or taken hostage.
The pro only laughed at Iida’s modesty and slight disappointment. "Oh, don't be like that, Iida! We heroes aren't just to suppress crime but to protect the lives of the citizens. After all, what greater calling is there than to stop those threatening others' ability to live their most authentic selves?"
Iida thought about it, but it was not as close as he could have since his mind was elsewhere. “I suppose there isn’t much higher than that.”
"Well, if there is, I certainly wouldn't know. But I must say, it was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one when I saw that you accepted my offer. You must have garnered support from many higher pros in the rankings.” Slidin' Go stated that while he had been advised to make the offer, he had done the same for Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and Kendo, and none accepted it. Only Midoriya didn't get an offer from him.
Iida’s mind was thinking of a man with a blood-soaked scarf, and he only realized after a few moments that he had been silent too long. "…You do excellent work, and with my brother's…retirement, there aren't many heroes I could learn from who know their way around speed-type quirks."
Slidin' Go hummed; Iida was not sure if the man believed him, but thankfully, he didn't push things. Iida had enough of that from Kendo butting into his affairs. "I would say that's a generous description of my quirk; after all, I imagine you could outrun me if he wished. But in the place of Ingenium, I'll strive to use our time together to make you into an exceptional hero."
"I look forward to it," Iida replied, his focus not on the lovely spring day they were having or the people around them that kindly moved out of the way or greeted their local hero and him but on Stain, the man who crippled his brother.
A vile villain that was still on the loose. 'Hero Killer…He is so elusive that even in our modern hero society, getting pictures of him is nearly impossible. I know it might be in vain, that the odds that I'll find him where others couldn't…or wish they didn't is low, but…I have to try.' Ida recalled the awful sight of his brother in the hospital, weakened by his injuries, the surgeries, and the lingering effects of drugs in his system. How Tensei had been so resigned and defeated when he told him he couldn't feel his legs, and he'll be retiring as soon as he's discharged.
His brother asked him to carry on the family legacy and be the next Ingenium, but…he couldn't. He wasn't ready to have that responsibility on his shoulders, not when his brother, father, and grandfather had all given their all to make the name Ingenium into what it was now. But he couldn't accept the name because he knew what he planned to do wasn't something Ingenium would do. But even though he knew it wasn't right, it wasn't lawful…
‘I must go after him because I can't forgive him; I refuse to forgive him,' Iida thought, his face grim under the mask. He promised himself that he would take it if he got the chance. And this time, no Kendo or teachers could stop him.
Line Break
With the hero course all out on internships, their teachers found themselves with extra time, which they could use as they pleased. Some, like Eraserhead, who was active mainly at night, remained at home, where he could get much-appreciated sleep. Others, like Vlad, exercised at a local gym and then took his dog out for morning walks. Present Mic and Midnight both took on more patrols than normal, even if only around the area where U.A was located.
All Might wasn't one of those. He wished he could be, but three hours a day of hero time didn't increase just because he didn't have classes to teach. Besides, today, he needed all of it for a meeting with a certain woman.
He just needed to make the call, but for the last thirty minutes, he had been seated at his desk in the staff room, looking at his phone, which had her number already pulled up and ready to be called.
'It's been long enough; just make the call, Toshinori. She's not a threat, she can't be.' He thought to himself, as Recovery Girl, upon learning more of the situation, had been more forthcoming with details on Kenmikoto, mainly what the records didn't say about her and the old healer had nothing but good things to say, even if she also noted that Kenmikoto was 'Like the buffoon, All Might but worse as with her, students ending up in the infirmary was routine and intentional as she would work them to the bone in insanely dangerous classes.'
He should really research more into teaching, as Recovery Girl loved insulting him for that, but that didn't solve his problem because he didn't know what his problem was. They had cleared her of most suspicion. The only issue left was the mystery around her strange power, as Recovery Girl knew as much as they did, noting that whenever she was asked about it, Kenmikoto deflected with feline puns like a certain student of his tended to do.
'Better get to it before someone walks in.' Toshinori took a breath and held it for a moment before releasing it. At the same time, he tapped the call button, going into his muscle form so that his voice would sound the same as when they spoke during the festival.
He held his phone to his ear and waited as it rang on the other end. And rang…and rang. He was about to hang up and try again later when it was finally picked up.
“Afternoon, who is this?” A familiar feminine voice asked over the line, though it lacked any tease or playful energy to it, if anything, she sounded suspicious that someone was calling her.
"Oh, sorry, but am I speaking with Ms. Kenmikoto?” All Might asked her.
“I think you mistaken me for someone else, I'm Mrs. Kenmikoto.” She replied, about to hang up, but All Might quickly replied.
“Oh, yes-sorry, sorry! I forgot that part. This is All Might and-” He started, but she laughed, sounding much more like the woman he had met during the Sports Festival.
“Oh, yes, I recall. I was wondering when you'll try to get in contact with me. Did my student not offer my contact details?” All Might winced, grateful she couldn’t see it as it had waited quite a bit to make the call.
"He did when I asked, mam. There were no issues on that front, but it's only now that I've found the time to make a call." All Might went with a safer answer, then admitted that he had just been struck with concerns and suspicions about her for nearly a week.
“Understandable, being the number one teacher doesn't leave one with much free time, but I understand that the students are on internships for the week. Is that why you found time?” Kenmikoto replied, buying his response.
"That is correct. If you recall the wager we made, I believe we're due to a little discussion." All Might looked towards the staff room window, letting him see the vast grounds of U.A. and how some students were walking about or seated under trees, enjoying their lunch period.
Kenmikoto chuckled. “I do, and I’m a woman of her word. Would you like to talk now or perhaps meet in person?"
"Meeting in person sounds to be the better deal. Are you free this afternoon?" He didn't want to talk about things that could be rather sensitive on the phone. His device might have been secure, one of the perks of being a top hero and U.A. staff member, but it wasn't personal enough to him. Call him old-fashioned, but he preferred to speak with someone face to face.
“For number one? I can make time. I'll send you the directions to my estate, and we'll meet around 4." She offered, though he had been hoping for the talk to happen at U.A., but he had to remind himself she wasn't a threat. Besides, what they found about her was that she owned a rather large estate on the outskirts of town, a secure enough place.
Line Break
“Very well, I’ll see you then.” All Might agreed before he ended the call, leaving the mysterious martial artist seated at her desk, looking at her phone screen with a flint in her eye.
"Well, well, well. It looks like I have a tea date with All Might." She placed her phone down before crackling a little as she got another idea. Maybe I can get him to stay for more."
"Mam, is that the best thing you could do with him?" Her secretary and one of her more experienced and capable students asked her. The middle-aged man looked less than impressed, but she didn't let it bother her. They understood that she had needs like everyone else.
“Of course not, but how many people can claim that they shared a bed with All Might?” She asked as she didn't entertain celebrity culture all that much. However, one would need to be a hermit to not understand just how desired All Might was. Despite being in his 50s, he was still the number one most wanted bachelor in Japan, with only up-and-comer Hawks taking a much lower second.
"In your case, that would be a cradle." She swiped at her assistant, who dodged the attack with practiced ease.
"Oh hush, you! I'm not that old, and All Might's a full-grown man; he can make his own decisions." She grunted. Sometimes, she hated people, knowing she was older than she looked. It seemed like a common thing to joke about around the estate. Besides, people loved having a partner with experience; at least, that was what her track record seemed to imply.
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With time marching on, Tokyo was bathed in orange and red light as the sun started to set. For most of the hero course, they would have already arrived at their chosen agencies hours ago, with exceptions made for those who had to travel either as far south as Kyushu or as far north as Hokkaido.
But the Endeavour Agency wasn't one of those exceptions. Like Might Tower, it was located in the heart of Tokyo. Even with lengthy delays, one would have arrived there around 2PM. So when Endeavour was informed his son had arrived by his front desk, he knew that it was no accident. The boy was still trying to slight him, even now.
For Shoto, this was the first time he had come to his father's agency, and like the pictures he had seen, it was grand, but he also felt like he was trying too hard to compete with Might Tower. So much so that he was surprised there wasn't a globe at the top. As for his father's office, the space was ample, taking up considerable floor space with a wall-to-wall window giving views of the city, bathed in the orange rays of the setting sun. That flight entered the room and made it feel like it was burning, from the carpets to the intricately carved wooden desk his father sat at.
"You're late." Endeavour didn't greet his son; he wouldn't have responded if he had bothered. Instead, he frowned at his son, who had embarrassed himself and him at the festival. He was created to be the best, but because of his foolish handicap, he insists on keeping in some rebellious attempt to fight him. He didn't even take home a bronze.
For once, his son didn't stare back at him with annoyance or rebellion. He didn't even look him in the eye despite this being the first time since the festival that they had seen one another. Number 2 had focused more on work after his son's humiliating performance, and Shoto did his usual thing of avoiding him when he was home.
"I hope you don't also make this a habit, Shoto. But the fact you're here tells me one thing: You've decided to stop wasting time and taking things seriously?" Endeavour asked him, with his son hesitating, something he hated, before he finally raised his head to look at him.
"I have no intention of being your pawn to surpass All Might through my efforts, but" Shoto started, as that remained true, even after his defeat at the hands of his classmate and realizing that even then, she could go further. "I still need your help to achieve my goals. I refuse to let Kendo keep the power gap between us, and you're the best fire-based hero in Japan."
"So, you would have taken someone else if they were better? Good, you must be taught by the best; that's why you're at U.A. and not some other school." Endeavour hardly took offense to that; he wasn't the type to put eggs into such baskets, not with Shoto, anyway. If anything, if his son had chosen someone else, he would have taken it as a sign that he was slipping.
“Get ready. We’re leaving in 5 minutes.” Endeavour got up and walked around his desk; Shoto looked up at him in confusion.
“To where?” Endeavour smirked as he looked back at his son.
“I’m going to show you what a hero is, but I won’t slow down for you, so you better keep up.” He walked past him, with Shoto frowning and being quick to follow.
“You better not.”
Line Break
"And we're here," Uwabani said as she walked into the hotel she had booked for herself and her 3 interns. Kendo and Yaoyorozu had followed her the entire day, from their arrival in town, which took a while because of the attention the media-centric pro garnered, to meeting with other promoters, squeezing in a patrol at the end.
For Yaoyorozu, it had been a rather unusual day, as while she absorbed everything she had seen from her mentor, she had still been unprepared for just how much they'd be treated like celebrities…well, how much Uwabami would be treated as a celebrity, as it seemed like she was invisible to those cameras and fans 9 times out of 10. The only part of the day that felt normal to her was the hotel, which wasn't as opulent as what she was used to but was still one of the best in town, and it showed as it was the sort of place that one needed serious cash to reserve even the smaller rooms.
For Kendo, the day had felt similar to her, though she had appreciated how much attention their mentor took, as with just a fraction of it, she was floundering. She remembered what Uwabani told them: They needed to work on creating a persona that people could easily identify and draw attention to. But it was easier said than done as she wasn't used to having to add what her classmate Aoyama would call 'Flare and pomp' to her actions and words.
Uwabani had to rescue her ass more times than she cared to admit through it all, and making it seem like a breeze as well, as not a single person even noticed that she was drawing their attention to her before she or Yaoyorozu could make fools of themselves. Then, as if further perplexing her, the hotel they had entered was a place that was stupidly out of her family's price range. It looked like one of those fancy places that a superspy would enter chasing after some high-roller target.
“Afternoon, mam.” A rather plain-faced woman met them. The only outstanding thing about the average-sized, dark-haired, middle-aged woman in glasses was the fact that she had blue reptile scales covering her entire body. But there was another surprise waiting for them. The secretary wasn't alone. Standing beside her was a dark-haired girl in a primarily red and white jumpsuit, which Kendo and Yaoyorozu recognized.
“Aren’t you from class B?” Kendo asked, to which Kodai nodded.
“Excuse me, but why is she already here?” Yaoyorozu asked as she didn't recall seeing her at Uwabani's agency before if she had arrived early.
“Uwabami sent her ahead so she could follow me till she arrived.” The secretary replied for her boss.
“It was okay.” Kodai nodded again, as she had been told to head here to Niigata at the last minute. Uwabani explained that she wanted her to shadow her assistant to learn more about the business from an outside perspective. An odd request, but she followed and could admit that she knew some things about hero work, namely the fact she was woefully underprepared for the work that went into a persona.
"Well, it's good that you managed, or am I wrong?" Uwabani asked her secretary, who adjusted her glasses.
"She's still green, but she can be quick on the uptake; it's just the execution that is the issue." The scaled woman replied, as Kodai was a model student, listening intently. If anything, her issue was the same as when she was assigned to her: her lack of engagement in things outside listening.
“Well, that was why I wanted her with you, Ino.” Uwabani smiled, having faith in her secretary of five years.
“Excuse me, but why was she with your secretary?” Yaoyorozu asked as this seemed rather weird.
"Yaoyorozu, she has an issue similar to that of both of you. But the thing is, while you can have proven to be quite expressive, Kodai here is quite the opposite. If she tagged along with me, I would have to do all the talking, and she wouldn't have learned much." Uwabani stated, which Kodai didn’t fight her on, nodding as while she didn’t display much emotion, she was a little embarrassed that she struggled with stuff like this, as her class was full of expressive and different personalities that shined in one way or the other, even the typical quiet ones like Kuroiro or Yanagi.
Ino placed a hand on Kodai’s shoulder. “But by tailing me and my work behind the scenes, she had the chance to view how things work without the spotlight being on her.”
“Sorry.”
"Oh, don't apologize, my dear. Not every heroine needs to have an explosive personality. There is beauty in the silent and passive ones as well. Just take Ryukyu, for example." Uwabani told her as the group walked further into the hotel, the pro managing to keep up with the conversation while confirming things with the staff.
“Didn’t you rope her into a pageant 5 years back?” Ino asked her, as that was shortly before she was employed with the heroine.
“And it was a hassle!” Uwabani groaned yet still managed to keep her poise. "I swear, convincing the battle-loving Mirko to get on stage was easier. Ryukyu might be able to turn into a dragon, but she's overly humble and stage shy."
“So, I need to be more like Ryukyu?” Kodai asked, as she never saw Ryukyu as shy, but she didn't look too hard into this.
Uwabani stopped and looked Kodai in the eye, her serpent-like gaze keeping Kodai frozen in place. “You need to be more like you, Rule. You can take inspiration from Ryukyu, but what you decide on needs to be faithful to the kind of hero you want to be."
"But we can decide on that in the morning. We're scheduled to have a quiet dinner, and then you three can have the run of the place, but I expect you in bed by 10, understood?" Uwabani relaxed her look as the staff handed her keys, which she passed out to the group; she kept one, her assistant got another, and the three girls had one.
“Yes, mam.” They agreed with her before she turned on her heel and led them towards the dining room for some much-needed food.
Line Break
‘When I heard it was out of the way, I didn't think it was to such an extent.' All Might thought to himself as he landed at the entrance to the estate. He could have taken a car, but it would have been faster if he had used his typical method of travel. However, it also helps set the tone early.
That second part proved to be right, as the two guards on duty gawked at him like anyone else would, taking a few moments to collect themselves and at least appear to be professional.
"H-halt, All Might. We can't just let you in." One of them said, though it was clear to both sides how little power he had to stop the number one, who, if had so chosen, could have simply jumped over them and into the estate as the wall wouldn't have kept him out.
But just because he could, it didn't mean he would. All Might smiled and let out his ironic laugh, and the setting fan gave him an exceptional, inspiring image to them, covering parts of his body in shadows while highlighting others.
"I understand. I wouldn't want to enter without permission, but I believe I have a meeting with the mistress of this estate." All Might informed them, the two standing stiffer before they looked at one another, realized that neither moved, and one rushed off to the guard station.
"O-one moment, please." The spearmen said as he went inside and picked up the phone, calling someone within the place's walls before coming out a minute or so later. “Sorry about the delay, sir. We weren’t informed of your arrival.” He bowed towards All Might for the slight, an action mirrored by the second, but All Might merely laughed it off.
"It was nothing; you were merely doing your job. I hope you keep at it; you never know where villains could crop up." The number one said as the guards opened the massive doors for him, and All Might had to admit that the place was far better than what he had read about in its property details. It wasn't as large as U.A.'s campus, not even close, but it was a well-maintained community, filled with people who seemed to be enjoying the final rays of light enough so they didn't notice him.
"Understood, sir. I'll escort you to the main building, " one of the guards, who had remained watching him as the other confirmed his appointment, said. The woman looked a little eager to get that close to him.
“That won’t be needed,” a horribly burned man said as he walked up the path toward the now-opened gates. Hands in his pockets and slumped over a little, he seemed uninterested in the conversation. All Might wasn't fooled. The man was very much watching. Those blue eyes of his were tracking every little thing, and his hidden hands meant that he didn't know what he had on him in conjunction with whatever quirk he had.
Hanen informed them that he was nodding back the way he came, towards one of the more significant buildings in the distance. "You two just focus on watching the gate; I'll get our guest of honor where he needs to go."
“Sure thing.” Dejected, the two obeyed as Hanen turned and walked deeper into the estate, All Might suspecting he was to follow even without direct instructions. As he did so, he was thankful that he hadn't decided to attend the meeting in his hero costume, but his suit instead, as with people not being close to the main road, it meant that people that did see him didn't think twice about it, not when so many of those he could see were quite unique in form, so he wasn't something that stuck out.
“Forgive me, but I’m at a disadvantage, but who are you?” All Might asked, wishing to have a conversation as they walked.
“Hanen. One of the master’s students and agents.” Hanen replied rather flippantly.
“Agents?” All Might asked as that was a pretty odd word choice, but then the younger man merely turned to look at him over his shoulder, a smirk and glint in his eye that reminded him of how young Midoriya would get.
"She can't be everywhere at once, so when something needs to be done, and I'm around, I'm her guy," Hanen told them as they entered the building. The halls had few people inside, and those who saw them refrained from doing more than just gasping and smiling toward Number One. “But you might learn more from her soon enough.”
He didn't say more as he left him up some stairs, all the way to the top floor of the building. All Might paid particular attention to the layout of the building and noted that for a dojo, it was incredibly well furnished, with pieces of art, items, and general paraphernalia that one couldn't just buy from a store. Some seemed as silly as art done by children. Still, he could see next to such crayon drawings and macaroni art were highly detailed and exceptional sculptures, landscapes, and portraits paintings worth at least a couple million on the low and at least 10 million on the high.
Eventually, they came to the end of the hallway, where the largest door stood closed. Knocking on it, his guide's posture shifted on a dine, becoming much more visible, alert, and respectful. “Master, All Might is here.” Even his words carried an air of refined deference
"Enter, " a familiar voice said on the other side of the door, to which Haren obliged and opened it, letting in All Might first and coming to stand at his rear but to the side enough that he was still visible to the person who had been waiting for them.
Just like the hallway to her office, the place was filled with fine art and décor that one could have only acquired through immense wealth or decades of travel. Something he knew she had in spades, as if what Recovery Girl and the school's old records said was true. This woman, who hardly looked older than Midnight, was old enough to be his mother.
Even while seated, Kenmikoto still carried an air of authority and power to her that he couldn't help but respect. The woman dressed differently than before, opting for a sleek, form-fitting black, grey, and black pantsuit sans tie.
“Evening, Symbol of Peace, it’s a pleasure to meet you again. I hope you’re in good health.” Standing, she walked around her table towards him, her heels clicking on the hard wooden floor as she greeted the man, offering a hand to shake.
All Might took that offer, noting that when he squeezed, despite her hand being smaller than his own, she matched his strength without visible trying. "Well, as you can see, I'm as healthy as a horse."
“Well, I can’t deny that.” She chuckled as she led him towards the couches, looking over her shoulder at her agent. “Thank you, Hanen. You may go.” Hanen didn't speak, only nodding as she backed out of the room, closing the door behind him as All Might sat down. His host took the opposite couch, the coffee table already having prepared a plate of finger sandwiches and tea.
As she poured him a cup, she started the conversation. "I suppose that congratulations are in order. Ms. Kendo performed marvelously at the festival; you must be quite proud."
"Extremely, she has been a diligent student and works hard to better herself and set an example for her class." All Might nodded as she handed him a cup of tea, the heat coming off the cup being pleasant, almost as much as the sweet and relaxing scent coming off the blend. "But it wasn't like she had it easy in those games. Young Midoriya might have won if things had gone slightly differently."
Kenmikoto hummed as she poured herself a drink as well. “Perhaps, but we’ll never know. So instead of focusing on the past, I believe we study it to better ourselves in the present and forge a more fruitful future.” She placed the pot down and picked up her tea, one of her favorite blends, one that combined oranges and honey boiled with just a touch of ginger.
"That is a good mindset. If allowed to, one can easily get lost in the records and memories." All Might noted.
“Which someone of my age would know well?” She smiled when the number one flinched but waved it off with a laugh. “Oh, relax, All Might. I’m not so easily offended. You must have heard from that skinny fellow or little Chiyo that I’m not a spring chicken. I wouldn’t put it past Nezu to have researched me when I just popped back up.”
"It was…a surprise. You've truly aged like a fine wine, Mrs. Kenmikoto." All Might didn't quite know how to address that, so he went with something his teacher once told him: complimenting the older woman for her age. 9 times out of 10, he would save his trouble.
"Your help is much appreciated, but I doubt that you came all the way here to ask for my beauty tips." Kenmikoto laughed as she could imagine that little Chiyo and a few others from her teaching days would be desperate to look half as good as she did.
"That is correct, and I think you know what I wish to know." All Might stated as she placed her tea cup down.
“I can think of a few things, namely how I can do this,” Lazily, she reached for the large jade ornament on the table next to her couch, and with a touch, it grew out several large spikes, the stone having grown like a supercharged weed. “Without having a quirk.”
"That would be the start of things." All Might started as she returned the gem to its normal size and shape.
"Well, I can't tell you all my secrets—a woman needs to be mysterious, after all—but I can answer others." Kenmikoto crossed her legs, leaning into her seat.
"I think I can live with that, so let's start with the most glaring question: Would you happen to be related to young Midoriya? The two of you display similar abilities." She smiled at that question, not unfounded when quirks, despite how random they could be from parent to child, generally followed the same laws of inheritance as other traits.
"I can assure you that he's not related to me, at least as far as I know," Kenmikoto replied, honest in her words, as she had just one child and knew he never married. Same with her elder sister and younger brother, both deceased with no living heirs, which made her and her son the last of her once prominent family. Midoriya even could trace his family tree to his great-grandparents, and never was anyone she was related to appear.
“Then how did he come to learn those skills when his file, like yours, lists him as quirkless?” All Might then asked the predictable follow-up, his stare being as powerful if not more so than she imagined.
"I trained him, of course. Same as I do with most people on this estate." She replied though All Might could hardly buy it.
“Just that?”
"Just that…well, there is more, but that is merely more training under another. As for why we can do the things we do, quirks aren't the only means by which people and animals can affect the world around them. It's merely one part of it, the biological. What we can do is more spiritual and mental." She wasn't about to reveal her master's existence to him yet. He was still having issues with the fact she was as old as she was; if she told him she was taught by a 600-year-old youkai, he might have a stroke if he did not call her mad.
“Would you elaborate on that point?” All Might asked, smiling, as she could tell him a redacted version of things.
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Well, I was able to post the first chapter of the commission. Still, as it was requested via Patreon, it won't be available for the rest of the you who support me for another week and won't be up for 2 weeks for the average Joe or Jane. That did mess with my uploads if you haven't already noticed, I didn't upload anything for 3 of my stuff this week, but the chapters that I will put up next week will be supersized to make up for it, though not for this one since it's on time.
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And we are done! I was surprised by this chapter, as I planned for Midoriya to appear with Crust, but things just moved along while I focused on other characters. But I do have to admit that I forgot that Kodai said she was going to Uwabani. I only realized this when I went through older notes and realized that she didn't appear again, which felt weird.
But I was able to work on a pretty solid reason why she wasn't tailing behind the heroine/supermodel in the story. She's known for being rather inexpressive and silent, rarely speaking, so she wouldn't have handled being asked a question all that well.
We did get some Iida attention. Yeah, he's not in Hosu, but if he has his way, he'll find a means to get there. He's very much on that 'I must have revenge' train, and unless Kendo ratted him out, he's not going to get off anytime soon.
