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

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

  "Wow, am I lucky today!"

  A young man, sp 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 fledglier, 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 Jirht? His cssmate and the bassist of the Pikachu Band. Are they dating?"

  The thought alone made the youer giddy with excitement. Uo tain himself, he quied his pace, almost breaking into a jog to catch up.

  "I need a proper shot of their faces!"

  Soon, he positioned himself he 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 g Kyoka, who was iing a neckce.

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

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

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

  The young woman behind the stall, eared to be a college student, nodded matter-of-factly. "You're right. It's not a real amethyst. Geones '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, fshing 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 ce to protest, he pulled out a 5,000-yen note and ha 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 ts. That makes me y brother, and you my little sister!"

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

  "e o me put it on for you," he offered.

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

  Only then did Kaminari notiany 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 ugh, he hahe neckce to her instead. "Alright, you put it on yourself ter."

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

  Before she could tuck the neckto her wallet, a sudden otion broke out nearby.

  "Get away! Get away from me!"

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

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

  "Eh? What's this?" he muttered when he saw Kaminari and Kyoka gn the dire 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 t man made entirely of jagged stoears streamed down his rough, rocky face as he barreled through the street, clutg a handful of gold s 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 es followed closely behind, their shouts blending with the chaotic se as they tried to catch him.

  "Kaminari!" Kyoka called out, her voice sharp with . 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 oning rampage. He was used to situations like this, Quirk-reted is were a regur occurrence.

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

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

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

  "What are you doing?!" Kyoka shouted at her, disbelief ione. "Fet the jewelry a 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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