The middle-aged man looked at the blond boy in front of him with a mixture of astonishment and fusion. Kaminari, with his ever-present bright demeanor, eaking to him as if they were old friends. A, despite the surreal situation, he could feel a genuine kindness radiating from the boy.

  After a pause, he finally spoke, his voice a quiet rasp. "I… I don't care about food or anything."

  "That's good!" Kaminari grinned, ag as if the man's response was the most positive thing in the world. He gave a casual wave of his hand and added, "Alright the's start with some introdus! My name's Kaminari Denki, currently a student at U.A. High School's Hero Department."

  The middle-aged maated, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I already know who you are," he muttered. "And him too. Edgeshot. I saw the Hero Sports Festival… a little, anyway."

  "But we don't know you," Kaminari said, his grin unwavering.

  The man's lips twitched slightly before he let out a bitter chuckle. "Just a pathetic loser who failed at everything. That's all you o know."

  Kaminari raised an eyebrow, his smile sharpening just a little. "Huh, that's a… fresh way to introduce yourself. Gotta admit, not many people would demean themselves quite like that right off the bat."

  "I'm just being ho," the man replied grimly, his voice tightening with anger. But the anger seemed to be more at himself than at Kaminari.

  Then, as if something inside him broke, he suddenly straightened his posture. His tourned resolute, though the despair in his eyes remained. "I'll say this now, I'm not thanking you for saving me. I don't care what you think. The first ce I get, I'm going tain!"

  Kaminari didn't flinch. He folded his arms, his gaze steady. "And why, exactly, are you so dead set on dying? Tell me that, at least. , sit dow's talk. We have this versation while Edgeshot is grilling the fish."

  The maated. His expression wavered betweeand resignation. After a heavy silence, he exhaled and sat down on the ground without ceremony, his shoulders slumping. "Fine," he muttered. "But you're too young to uand any of this."

  Kaminari's expression immediately shifted to mock e. "Hey! If you keep throwing around this age nonsense, I swear, I'll zap you!"

  The middle-aged man bli the odd threat, momentarily thrown off. Theantly, he began. "My name is Abe Kosuke. I work at the Nagasaki Shipyard under Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. I'm a materials manager… well, a low-level one."

  His voice was hoarse and halting as he spoke, but he kept going, his words flowing faster with each sentence. "I've been at that shipyard for ten years. Ten years. And in all that time, I've never been promoted, not once."

  "A year ago, we got a new department director. He transferred from headquarters. And…" Abe Kosuke's voice cracked, and his body began trembling. "He made me an offer. A disgusting, vile offer."

  Kaminari stiffened. His earlier carefree demeanor faded, and his brows furrowed. He had a bad feeling about where this was going.

  The trembling man tinued, his hands balling into fists. "He said that if I let him have my wife… just one night a week… he'd use his es to make sure I climbed the corporate dder."

  Kaminari's breath hitched, but he forced himself to stay silent, letting Kosuke speak.

  The man gave a bitter ugh, his voice full of self-loathing. "And… I agreed. I agreed."

  For a moment, her spoke. Kaminari struggled to process what he'd just heard. When he finally found his voice, it was softer than before. "So… he kept his word? He promoted you?"

  Kosuke nodded aured toward the briefcase Kaminari still held. "Ihat briefcase is my promotioer. I've already been made the head of the materials department. year, I'm supposed to bee a se chief."

  Another long silence followed. Then Kaminari broke it with an exhale, one hand running through his blond hair. "So… why the suicide attempt? You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

  At that, Kosuke's posure shattered. He let out a choked sob, his body vulsing as he buried his fa his hands. His voice cracked with anguish as he cried out. "Because I 't take it anymore! I 't stand the look in my wife's eyes when she es home! I 't stand the disgust I feel toward myself—day in and day out! And the way the director looks at me… like I'm nothing but his pawn…"

  Kaminari stared at him, his jaw tightening. Part of him wao feel sympathy for the man. But another part the louder part was disgusted.

  Kosuke must have noticed the ge in Kaminari's expression. He looked up, his tear-streaked face twisted with desperation. "You think I'm pathetic, don't you?"

  "Well…" Kaminari didn't sugarcoat it. "Yeah, kind of."

  Kosuke's eyes widened, but Kaminari tinued without missing a beat. "But holy? I probably despise your decision to it suicide more than I despise the whole… wife thing. And that's saying something."

  Kosuke blinked. "W-what…?"

  Kaminari's voice greer, more intense. "If you kill yourself, what's the point of everything your wife sacrificed? All the suffering she endured for you?"

  He crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, his golden eyes b into Kosuke's. "By dying, you're just giving that scumbag director exactly what he wants. He gets to have his fun with your wife a rid of you without lifting a finger. How does that not piss you off?"

  Kosuke's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

  Kaminari pressed on, his words cutting like a bde. "You said he already promoted you to department head, right? And he promised to make you se chief year?"

  Kosuke nodded weakly.

  "Good," Kaminari said, his voice taking on a dark, almost devilish edge. "Then take it. Take everything he gives you. Use his es, use his resources climb the dder until you're above him. And when you're the one in power, make him suffer. Take back what's yours. Crush him."

  Kosuke stared at Kaminari, his eyes wide with shod something else. Something that wasn't there before.

  Kaminari's grin widened. "You've already thrown away your pride. Might as well use it to your advantage. Remember: the one who ughs st… wins."

  For a moment, the forest was silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. Kosuke remained frozen, his mind rag. Slowly, his breathing steadied, and his trembling stopped.

  "I… I…" he stammered.

  "Food's ready."

  The voice came from behind Kaminari. He turo see Edgeshot standing at the kit door, his expression calm but his eyes unreadable.

  Kosuke remained on the ground, still processing Kaminari's words.

  As Kaminari headed toward the kit, Edgeshot watched him quietly, his thoughts unreadable. "This boy… His mind is far too sharp for his age. And his methods… dangerous. But maybe… just maybe… I help him find the right path."

  With that, Edgeshot disappeared bato the kit, leaving Kaminari and Kosuke to their thoughts.