Chapitre 127: Chapter 126: Blue Bird

It was Sunday, and today Kaminari didn't head to his "base" to practice with Tetsutetsu. He opted for a routine morning jog instead, while Tetsutetsu went off to train on his own.

By afternoon, Kaminari found himself in a recording studio. The sound engineer, Dawu, was bobbing his head to the music, thoroughly enjoying the songs playing in the background as he worked diligently.

Standing behind him were Kaminari's father and the band's manager, Momo. Though less outwardly animated than Dawu, they were clearly just as impressed by the music.

"You said if you could fly,

You would fly far - far into that sky,

And you would set your aim,

On the clouds all around that endless sky,

The moment you break free,

You'll finally find, you'll find all you seek

And it's all waiting there,

In that blue, in that blue sky up above

In that blue, in that blue sky up above"

As Kaminari sang the final line of the song, his voice trailed off as the music came to a close. He looked up, grinned, and gave Dawu an "OK" gesture from behind the soundproof glass. Dawu returned the gesture with equal enthusiasm, both of them letting out a synchronized sigh of relief.

"Finally done…" Kaminari exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

Kyoka, the band's bassist, wiped her forehead dramatically, grinning. "Yeah, no matter how amazing a song is, singing it a dozen times in a row will make you sick of it."

Kaminari chuckled. "True. Even a masterpiece gets old after a while."

Kyoka twirled her bass with a satisfied smirk. "Well, it's easier for me. I'm just playing the bass, I didn't have to sing!"

Kaminari's smile turned mischievous. "Don't get too comfortable. You're up next!"

"What?" Kyoka froze, her eyes wide. "Wait, I have to sing too?"

"Of course," Kaminari said, matter-of-factly.

"You're the lead singer, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah…"

Kaminari smirked. "But who said there can only be one lead singer? I'm the male lead, and you're the female lead. From now on, our band's songs will have two versions: a male version and a female version. And if it suits the song, we'll do duets too!"

The idea had struck him back when he and Kyoka were preparing for the Sports Festival. He'd realized that while his own versions of the songs worked, something was missing—female vocals.

Kyoka hesitated, a mix of embarrassment and excitement crossing her face. "I… I guess that makes sense."

Seeing her enthusiasm starting to grow, Kaminari nodded firmly. "Don't overthink it. We'll record it a few times until you feel comfortable. I'll play the piano for you this time."

Kyoka brightened at his encouragement, nodding with a small smile. "Alright, let's do it!"

Kaminari relayed the plan to Dawu outside the booth, and the team prepared for another round of recording. As Kyoka settled in, Kaminari reassured her.

"It's normal to be nervous your first few times, but trust me, you'll get used to it. And soon enough, you'll be handling this like a pro."

He added with a teasing grin, "Oh, and while you're at it, we should also record a female version of 'Railgun.' Have you seen the fan comments? A lot of people are asking for it."

Outside the booth, Kaminari's father was preparing to leave after spending nearly an hour in the studio. But before leaving, he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Momo.

"Uncle, what's this?" she asked curiously, taking the card and noticing two lines of text on it.

"This is the login information for Kaminari's Twitter account," he explained with a smile. "You're the band's manager, so from now on, you'll handle this."

Momo blinked in surprise, her expression quickly shifting to one of gratitude. "Thank you! I'll do my best!"

Kaminari's father chuckled, patting her shoulder lightly. "Take care of Kaminari. You're doing great."

He glanced back at the sound booth, where Kaminari was focused intently on his guitar, and muttered softly as he walked away, "Silly kid…"

Another hour passed, and the recording finally wrapped up. Kaminari and Kyoka emerged from the booth, stretching and looking thoroughly exhausted.

"You're finally out," Momo said with a calm smile, pointing to the time on her watch.

"Whoa, it's almost two o'clock!" Kaminari said, rubbing his stomach sheepishly. "No wonder I'm starving."

"Same here," Kyoka added, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. Despite the long session, she was clearly in high spirits from the singing.

That's when she noticed the unique design of Momo's watch.

"'Ninetales' peripheral watches?" Kyoka thought, realizing the design wasn't available in stores yet. She glanced down at her bare wrist, a small pang of envy flashing across her face, though she didn't say anything out loud.

"Alright, let's grab some lunch!" Kaminari announced, addressing the group. "It's on me today."

The three of them headed out together, making their way to a nearby shopping street lined with small restaurants.

Kaminari didn't opt for anything fancy, instead choosing a modest spot called Yoshinoya and ordering three regular beef bowls.

It was simple food, but it hit the spot. Whether it was because of the flavor or just their hunger, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Interestingly, Momo mentioned that it was her first time trying a beef bowl, which left Kaminari and Kyoka momentarily stunned. Then they quickly remembered, this was normal for someone like Momo.

After finishing their meal, the three stepped outside, the sound of a small bell jingling as they left the restaurant.

"That was delicious," Momo said, smiling contentedly. "I'll have to ask Tajima if he can make this at home."

Her comment made Kaminari and Kyoka exchange amused glances.

At that moment, a sleek black luxury car pulled up to the curb. A chauffeur in a pristine suit stepped out and opened the rear door.

"Miss Momo," the man said politely.

"Already?" Momo sighed softly, clearly reluctant to leave. She gave Kaminari and Kyoka a small wave. "Thanks for today. See you both later!"

As the car drove away, Kyoka watched its departure with a faint smile. "It must be tough sometimes, being the daughter of such a wealthy family," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Kaminari replied, his tone neutral. "Let's go. I'll walk you to the subway station."

With that, the two headed back along the food shopping street, the afternoon sun casting long shadows behind them.

***

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Chapitre 128: Chapter 127: Amethyst Necklace

Perhaps because it was the weekend and the weather was pleasant, the streets were bustling with young couples strolling about.

At the same time, the impact of the recently concluded Hero Sports Festival had started to ripple through Saitama City. Kaminari and Kyoka, walking side by side, quickly became the center of attention. Whispers and pointing fingers followed them wherever they went.

"Wow, am I lucky today!"

A young man, sporting an SLR camera around his neck, trailed behind them excitedly. Every so often, he raised his camera to discreetly snap pictures of their backs.

The market was still abuzz with headlines and articles about the Hero Sports Festival, with Kaminari's name being one of the hottest topics. The man, clearly a fledgling reporter, saw this as an opportunity to strike gold. A picture of Kaminari strolling with a girl? That would sell for sure!

"That girl… that's Kyoka Jiro, right? His classmate and the bassist of the Pikachu Band. Are they dating?"

The thought alone made the young reporter giddy with excitement. Unable to contain himself, he quickened his pace, almost breaking into a jog to catch up.

"I need a proper shot of their faces!"

Soon, he positioned himself near the entrance of a small udon shop, a spot that offered a clear view of the two from the side.

What? You think I'll take a direct shot from the front? Hah, do I look like an idiot?

Adjusting his camera, he aimed at Kaminari and Kyoka, who had stopped in front of a jewelry stall. His face lit up.

"This angle is perfect!"

Unaware of the reporter's antics, Kaminari glanced at Kyoka, who was inspecting a necklace.

"Hey, you like that one?" he asked curiously, his gaze shifting to her neck. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear necklaces before."

"Yeah, I usually don't," Kyoka replied, smiling shyly as she picked up a necklace with a purple amethyst pendant on a golden chain. "But it reminds me of Grape…"

Kaminari tilted his head, slightly confused. "But isn't this just costume jewelry? Real amethysts wouldn't sell for this price, right?"

The young woman behind the stall, who appeared to be a college student, nodded matter-of-factly. "You're right. It's not a real amethyst. Genuine stones can't be sold for just 5,000 yen. But every piece here is designed and handcrafted by me."

Kyoka shook her head lightly. "That's fine. I don't really care if it's real." She reached for her wallet, only to have Kaminari stop her with a hand on hers.

"I'll cover it," Kaminari said, flashing a warm smile. "Jewelry shouldn't be something you buy for yourself. Think of it as a little gift from me."

Without giving Kyoka a chance to protest, he pulled out a 5,000-yen note and handed it to the stall owner.

Kyoka blinked in surprise but quickly nodded with a small smile, clearly pleased. However, she couldn't resist teasing him. She lightly swatted his arm and said, "You're doing it again! You're just a month older than me, you're not my 'big brother!'"

Kaminari chuckled. "Hey, I'm not just a month older, I'm a day older. Still counts. That makes me your big brother, and you my little sister!"

Kyoka rolled her eyes but didn't argue further. Kaminari took the necklace from the stall owner and held it up.

"Come on, let me put it on for you," he offered.

"Wait, what?!" Kyoka stepped back, glancing nervously at the growing crowd. "There are so many people watching…"

Only then did Kaminari notice how many onlookers had gathered. Realizing their status as public figures, he hesitated.

"If I put this on her now, it'll probably end up all over social media," he thought. "I don't care about rumors, but Kyoka might."

With an awkward laugh, he handed the necklace to her instead. "Alright, you can put it on yourself later."

Kyoka took it, her fingers brushing the pendant. She seemed momentarily disappointed, but she nodded. "Yeah… okay."

Before she could tuck the necklace into her wallet, a sudden commotion broke out nearby.

"Get away! Get away from me!"

A panicked, anxious voice echoed from a distance, growing louder with each passing second.

The reporter trailing them, still happily snapping photos, paused for a moment as the shouting reached his ears. He ignored it, focusing instead on his golden opportunity.

"Eh? What's this?" he muttered when he saw Kaminari and Kyoka glance in the direction of the noise. His first instinct was that he'd been caught taking photos.

But before he could lower his camera, a series of heavy footsteps thundered from behind him.

"What the—"

BAM!

A massive shadow loomed over the reporter. In the blink of an eye, he was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing through the door of the nearby udon shop.

"Ahhh!"

Gasps erupted from the crowd as the cause of the chaos came into view, a towering man made entirely of jagged stone. Tears streamed down his rough, rocky face as he barreled through the street, clutching a handful of gold chains in his enormous hands.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the stone man sobbed, his voice breaking as he apologized loudly. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone—I swear!"

Three Heroes in strange costumes followed closely behind, their shouts blending with the chaotic scene as they tried to catch him.

"Kaminari!" Kyoka called out, her voice sharp with concern. The stone man was heading straight for them.

Behind them, the stall owner frantically tried to pack up her jewelry, panic written all over her face.

"Step aside," Kaminari said calmly, moving to the side to avoid the oncoming rampage. He was used to situations like this, Quirk-related incidents were a regular occurrence.

The existence of Quirks made crime an inevitable problem, even with a Symbol of Peace like All Might keeping things in check. It was precisely why the Hero profession was still essential.

But what Kaminari hadn't expected was the stall owner's reaction.

"No! Don't come here!" she cried out, desperately trying to gather her wares into a box.

"What are you doing?!" Kyoka shouted at her, disbelief in her tone. "Forget the jewelry and get out of here!"

But the girl shook her head stubbornly, her voice trembling. "These… these are my living expenses and tuition fees! If I lose them, I'm finished!"

***

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