In the days that followed, Kaminari's life returo normal.

  Every m, he woke up early and took the subway to Omiya Park for his usual m jog. Sometimes, he was joined by Midnight-sensei, but as she'd told him before, she wasn't the type to push him hard. She kept her word, too—if she said they'd stop at 5:30, they'd stop at exactly 5:30, not a minute more. When time , she'd just give him a nod and head off without him needing to say a word.

  This made Kaminari grow quite fond of her as a teacher.

  Moreover, during their jogs, he'd pick up tidbits about Hero ws from Midnight, along with tips on handling various emergencies without using his Quirk. Though it might seem trivial to some, Kaminari khat this knowledge could be a game-ger in a crisis.

  Meanwhile, with the efforts of pro heroes and the police, the media frenzy about the "hero attacks" started to die down, gradually being washed away by other news stories. Sure, a few people still whispered about it here and there, but it no longer dominated headlines. If aook the time to think about it, they'd remember, but for most people, it was a closed chapter. After all, no one had died in the i—no students, no teachers. If that had been the case, the story would've been much different.

  As the buzz around hero attacks faded, a new craze took over the Japaertai se: "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master," a song Kaminari had released with his Pikachu Band.

  To be fair, it wasn't that the song was some musical masterpiece. The hype was rgely thanks to a brilliant marketing campaign. After all, Kaminari's band had the bag of two major partners:

  Mitsui and the Yaoyorozu family.

  These two titans of industry werely eai-focused, but with their massive financial resources, they could make anything popur with the snap of their fingers.

  And now, the two of them had joined forces.

  The results were immediate and overwhelming. Almost every major website in Japan stered with photos of Kaminari, Kyoka, and Momo, along with eye-catg ads for the song. And as the cherry on top, it romoted as the official theme for Pikachu's new anime, Pokémon.

  The marketing team was clever. Framing the song as part of the "Pokémon" unot only promoted the song itself but also built up anticipation for the anime.

  Soon enough, Japaizens were looking at the posters featuring Kaminari and Pikachu, surrounded by various adorable Pokémon, and humming along to the catchy tune of "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master." People who hadn't been particurly ied in the anime found themselves curious about Pokémon.

  To fan the fmes even further, Kaminari's father smartly posted sneak peeks and character designs of new Pokémon on the pany's official website, keeping the hype alive.

  The results? Kaminari was famous. Kyoka was famous. Even Momo was famous.

  This wasn't just a small spark—it was a full-blown wildfire, especially in cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Their faces could be seen everywhere, from subway stations to billboards. Mitsui and Yaoyorozu were clearly sparing no expense. When pahat size decide to baething, they don't hold back. They go all out.

  Nowhere was this more apparent than in Akihabara, Japan's otaku hub. Although the anime hadn't even aired yet, the streets were already filled with cw maes stocked with Pokémon plushies. These cute Pokémon characters were already drawing crowds.

  The maes had four plushie options: Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and, of course, Pikachu. Uhe others, though, Pikachu was a rare find—just one per mae.

  It seemed that even the Japanese knew how to py up exclusivity.

  Everywhere you looked, posters of the Pokémon anime lihe streets, and "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master" pyed in a stant loop. By the end of a few days, even casual passersby could hum parts of the song.

  All that was left was the official release.

  Finally, the big day arrived. It was Saturday, and Kaminari's father and Mitsui had decided to premiere the anime over the weekend. Two episodes would air on Sunday, and after that, it'd be one episode every Saturday.

  Around noon, Kaminari decided to skip his usual cafeteria lund headed to Kyoka's house instead. He was going to meet someone important.

  "Hello, ma'am!"

  The moment he followed Kyoka inside, Kaminari was greeted by her mother, a striking woman with purple hair and an artistic air. She had the same distinctive ear-jack earlobes as her daughter, and Kaminari bowed respectfully as he greeted her.

  "Wele!"

  Kyoka's mother adjusted her gsses and smiled warmly. "You must be Kaminari Denki, my daughter's band leader."

  "My little Kyoka always talks about you."

  Kaminari couldn't help but g Jiro beside him, surprised.

  "M-Mom!!"

  Kyoka's face turned a deep shade of red as she spluttered, "Don't say things like that!"

  It was clear that, for all her tough exterior, she was still a bit of a shy girl in front of her mom.

  "Alright, alright, e in," her mother chuckled, leading them inside. "Kazama's already upstairs."

  "Is he?" Kyoka raised an eyebrow, her embarrassment quickly repced by her usual fidence. "So why isn't he down here already?"

  Her mother just chuckled, gng at Kaminari with a knowing look. "He's about to face the most important interview of his life, or so he thinks. He's upstairs in your room, pying the piano to calm his nerves."

  "Pying the piano to relieve stress?" Kaminari couldn't help but smile to himself, finding the situation amusing. He gestured for Jiro to lead the to the sed floor. Her mother, meanwhile, went to the kit, saying she'd prepare some snacks.

  As they approached Kyoka's room, Kaminari could hear the faint sound of aronic keyboard pying "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master."

  "Huh… I wonder if that's a ce or if he's really trying to make an impression." Kaminari thought with a smirk and motioned for Jiro to open the door.

  Creaaak—

  As the door opened, Kaminari's smile froze. It wasn't that the pying was especially good or bad—it was the sheer volume.

  "e on in!" Jiro grabbed his arm and quickly pulled him inside, closing the door behind them to muffle the noise.

  "Ugh, what's up with Kazama? He's copying my worst habit—king the volume all the …" Kyoka muttered, looking annoyed as she g the blue-haired boy who was pletely engrossed in the music.

  Kaminari sighed, leaning close to Jiro's ear. "Should we let him know we're here? We don't have much time."

  "Ehh… I don't know…" Kyoka replied, leaning back towards him with a sigh. "Kazama's… well, he's a gentle soul. A bit too kind for his own good, really. But whes mad… he really gets mad."

  Luckily, it seemed Kazama was finishing up. As they waited, the st few notes of the song trailed off, and the blue-haired boy finally took his hands off the keyboard.

  As he looked up, his gaze nded on Kaminari and Kyoka, who stood there looking a little too close for fort.

  But Kazama, dressed in his bck school uniform with blue hair and pierg blue eyes, seemed to see only one person.

  "Kyoka!"