Trip to the mall

by Dalurk

Summary:

Basically a one shot of the class 1 A gang trip to a mall and specifically following well you guessed it jiro and kaminari and their shenanigans

The mall was busy with the usual weekend crowd as Class 1-A spread out into smaller groups after arriving.

Iida "Everyone, remember the meeting location and time. Please do not get lost!"

Mina "We'll be fiiiine, Iida!"

Within minutes, the class had naturally split up.

Mina, Uraraka, Hagakure, and Yaoyorozu headed toward clothing stores.

Mina "Okay, first stop: literally anything cute."

Hagakure "Agreed!"

 

Nearby Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero wandered toward a sporting goods store.

Kaminari "This is exactly what a successful mall trip looks like."

Sero "We've been here ten minutes."

Kirishima "Still counts."

 

Meanwhile Midoriya and Iida found themselves browsing a bookstore.

Midoriya "Oh, they have a new hero analysis guide..."

Iida "Of course that's the first thing you noticed."

 

While Jiro and Tokoyami drifted into a music store.

Jiro "Now this is more my speed."

Tokoyami "A place where artistry takes precedence over commerce."

Jiro "It's still a store."

 

Sato and Koda on the other hand stopped near a bakery.

Sato "Everything smells amazing."

Koda quietly points at a display of pastries

Sato "Good choice."

 

While Todoroki and Shoji walked through an electronics store.

Todoroki "Found the charger."

Shoji "That was quick."

Todoroki "It was the reason I came."

And elsewhere...Bakugo was somehow alone despite everyone else's efforts.

He stood outside a store, carrying a small bag and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else.

Random Shopper "Excuse me, could you move a little?"

Bakugo "Huh?"

The shopper immediately walked around him.

Bakugo "...Tch."

Near the center of the mall, Aoyama examined his reflection in a display window.

Aoyama "Magnificent."

 

While Mineta had attempted to wander off on his own.

Five minutes later, he ran into Iida.

Iida "Why are you heading in the opposite direction of everyone?"

Mineta "...No reason."

Iida "Come with me."

Mineta "This is oppression."

 

Meanwhile, at the food court, a few groups gradually began converging again as people finished shopping, carrying bags, snacks, and stories about what they'd found. The trip had settled into a relaxed afternoon, with everyone doing their own thing while still occasionally crossing paths around the mall.

As after spending some time in the sporting goods store, the group had drifted through a few more shops together.

Kaminari "You know, malls are way bigger when you're actually trying to find something."

Sero "What exactly are you looking for?"

Kaminari "Stuff."

Kirishima "That's not an answer."

Kaminari "It's a perfectly valid answer."

A little later, as they passed a directory near the center of the mall, Kaminari checked something on his phone.

Kaminari "Oh, wait. I wanna stop by another store real quick."

Sero "What store?"

Kaminari "Just one place. I'll catch up."

Kirishima "Need company?"

Kaminari "Nah, it'll only take a minute."

Sero "Famous last words."

Kaminari "Trust me."

With that, Kaminari headed off on his own while Kirishima and Sero continued walking.

 

Meanwhile, Jiro and Tokoyami had finished browsing the music store.

Jiro "I didn't buy anything, but at least I got to try some of the instruments."

Tokoyami "A worthwhile experience i suppose."

The two eventually crossed paths with Kirishima and Sero near the food court.

Kirishima "Hey."

Jiro "Oh, there you guys are."

Sero "Found anything interesting?"

Jiro "Not really."

The conversation continued for a moment before Jiro glanced around the area.

Jiro "Wait."

Kirishima "Hm?"

Jiro "Where's Kaminari?"

Sero "Oh."

Kirishima "He left a while ago."

Jiro "Left?"

Sero "Said he wanted to get something from another store."

Jiro "By himself?"

Kirishima "Yeah. He said he'd catch up."

Jiro "How long ago was that?"

Kirishima and Sero exchanged a look.

Sero "...Maybe twenty minutes?"

Kirishima "Closer to thirty."

Jiro "Thirty minutes?"

Sero "To be fair, we kinda assumed he'd text."

Jiro "You just let him wander off?"

Kirishima "He's not exactly a little kid."

Jiro "That's not the point."

Tokoyami "His absence has become notable."

Sero "See? Even Tokoyami thinks it's weird."

Jiro "Did either of you ask where he was going?"

Kirishima "Not specifically."

Jiro "Unbelievable."

Sero "Okay, okay, when you say it out loud it sounds worse."

Jiro pulled out her phone.

Jiro "I'm texting him."

A few seconds passed.

Jiro "..."

Kirishima "Well?"

Jiro "No response yet."

Sero "Maybe he's still shopping."

Jiro "For half an hour?"

Kirishima "You'd be surprised."

As the group stood near the food court but after ten minutes after sending the text, Jiro checked her phone again.

Still nothing.

No reply.

No call back.

Not even a stupid sticker or meme.

Around her, the rest of Class 1-A had gradually started regrouping around the food court. Mina was showing Uraraka something she'd bought, Sato was carrying a box from the bakery, and Iida was doing periodic head counts that everyone was pretending not to notice.

Jiro "Still no response."

Sero "Maybe his phone died?"

Jiro "His phone never dies he's a living charger."

Kirishima "That's actually true."

Tokoyami "He appears strangely devoted to keeping it charged."

Jiro "Exactly."

She sighed.

Jiro "I'm going to find him."

Kirishima "Want help?"

Jiro "No. If he somehow got himself stuck in another ridiculous situation, it'll probably be easier with fewer people."

Sero "Fair."

Kirishima "Good luck."

Jiro "I'm going to need it."

As she leaves and began searching and at first, she was convinced it would be easy.

The mall wasn't that huge and she knew Kaminari and more importantly, she knew exactly the kinds of places he'd waste time in.

An electronics store?

Nothing.

An arcade?

Not there.

A gaming shop?

No sign of him.

A convenience store?

Nope.

A snack shop?

Still nothing.

Twenty minutes later, her confidence had completely evaporated.

Jiro "How do you lose a whole Kaminari?"

She walked down another corridor, checking around corners as crowds passed by as at this point she was less annoyed that he'd disappeared and more annoyed that he'd somehow managed to disappear successfully.

Usually Kaminari was loud enough to be located from three stores away and yet somehow he'd vanished.

She pulled out her phone again and still no response.

Jiro "I'm going to strangle him."

A passing shopper glanced at her.

Jiro noticing "Not literally."

The shopper quickly kept walking.

As a few minutes later, Jiro found herself near one of the larger open areas of the mall in the center was a decorative fountain surrounded by benches, plants, and people taking breaks from shopping.

She wasn't even looking at the fountain at first but as she was about to turn around and head somewhere else when a very familiar voice reached her ears.

Kaminari "Come on..."

Jiro froze as that sounded suspiciously like…

Kaminari "Just a little closer..."

Her eye twitched and slowly, she turned toward the fountain and there he was.

After thirty minutes of searching.

After unanswered texts.

After an entire hour of being missing.

Denki Kaminari was sitting on the stone edge of the fountain just leaning forward and reaching into the water with the intense concentration of someone performing brain surgery.

Jiro stared for several seconds just trying to process what she was seeing….or processing the stupidity of the scene it's hard to tell.

Kaminari hadn't noticed her as he was too busy staring into the fountain with his arm stretched out as far as it could go and his fingers repeatedly swiping at something underwater and failing every time.

Kaminari "Come on..."

Swipe.

Miss.

Kaminari "Come on..."

Swipe.

Miss.

Kaminari "You stupid coin..."

Jiro slowly walked closer and still unnoticed.

Kaminari "I can reach it."

Swipe.

Miss.

Kaminari "I know I can."

Swipe.

Miss.

Kaminari "You're not winning this."

Jiro finally looked into the fountain as she sees at the bottom near the edge is a single 500-yen coin.

Silence.

Jiro "...No."

Kaminari jumped "AH—"

He nearly fell in but managed to catch himself at the last second as he spun around.

Kaminari "Jiro?!"

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "What?"

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "I don't know what that means."

Jiro "I spent thirty minutes looking for you."

Kaminari "Oh."

Jiro "You ignored my texts."

Kaminari "I didn't hear my phone."

Jiro "And when I finally find you..." as she pointed dramatically "THIS is what you're doing?"

Kaminari looked at the fountain then at Jiro and then back at the fountain "...Maybe."

Jiro "Maybe?"

Kaminari "In my defense—"

Jiro "There is no defense."

Kaminari "There is!"

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "Five hundred yen is five hundred yen."

Jiro "It's in a fountain."

Kaminari "It's still money."

Jiro "It's not your money."

Kaminari "It's nobody's money."

Jiro "It's literally in a wishing fountain."

Kaminari "Which means nobody's using it."

Jiro "Kaminari."

Kaminari "Jiro."

Jiro "You disappeared for an hour."

Kaminari "Okay, when you say it like that—"

Jiro "How else would I say it?"

Kaminari "Fair."

Kaminari glanced back at the coin which is still sitting there and mocking him.

So close yet unreachable.

Jiro followed his gaze then looked back at him and then at the coin then at him again "...How long have you been trying to get that?"

Kaminari hesitated as that hesitation answered everything.

Jiro "Denki."

Kaminari "Twenty minutes."

Jiro "TWENTY MINUTES?!"

Several nearby shoppers looked over.

Kaminari "Okay, okay, maybe twenty-five."

Jiro "You spent twenty-five minutes trying to get a single coin out of a fountain?"

Kaminari "It became personal."

Jiro "Personal."

Kaminari: "Personal."

Jiro covered her face as at this point she wasn't even angry anymore but just exhausted as a moment later, she sat down on the edge of the fountain beside him.

Kaminari "So..."

Jiro "Don't."

Kaminari "You're not going to help me?"

Jiro "Absolutely not."

Kaminari "Just saying, with your Earphone Jacks-"

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "You could totally-"

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "It would take like two seconds."

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "Worth a shot."

Jiro "We're leaving."

Kaminari "But the coin-"

Jiro "The coin stays."

Kaminari "You drive a hard bargain."

Jiro "Get up."

With one last longing look toward his greatest enemy, Kaminari finally stood "I'll never forget this betrayal."

Jiro "The coin doesn't even know you exist."

Kaminari "It knows."

Jiro "Let's go before I tell everyone what you've been doing."

The color drained from his face "You wouldn't."

A small smile appeared on Jiro's face "Try me."

Kaminari immediately started walking.

And for the first time in nearly an hour, Jiro finally had her missing best friend accounted for and After finally dragging Kaminari away from his one-sided rivalry with a fountain coin, Jiro decided they weren't heading back to the others immediately.

Mostly because she needed a moment and coffee.

A lot of coffee.

The mall café wasn't too crowded, so they managed to find a place in line fairly quickly.

Kaminari "You know, I still think I could've gotten it."

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "I was getting closer."

Jiro "You weren't."

Kaminari "You didn't see my progress."

Jiro "I saw enough."

The line moved forward.

Kaminari "Honestly, I think the fountain was cheating."

Jiro "That's not how fountains work."

Kaminari "That's exactly what a fountain would want you to think."

Jiro stared at him "I genuinely don't know how your brain works."

Kaminari he shrugs "Neither do I."

A few minutes later, they reached the counter.

The employee smiled politely "What can I get for you?"

Kaminari "Can I get an iced caramel latte with extra caramel drizzle, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings?"

Employee "Of course."

Kaminari "Like... a lot of caramel."

Employee nodded "Got it."

Satisfied, Kaminari stepped aside.

The employee looked at Jiro "And for you?"

Jiro "A cranberry americano. Less sugar, please."

The employee nods"Certainly."

Jiro "Thanks."

The employee entered the order and then Kaminari slowly turned his head.

Very slowly like he had just witnessed something shocking or a war crime.

Jiro "...What?"

Kaminari "A cranberry americano?"

Jiro "Yes."

Kaminari "With less sugar?"

Jiro "Yes."

Kaminari "On purpose?"

Jiro "Kaminari."

Kaminari "I'm just making sure I heard correctly."

They moved away from the counter while Kaminari continued staring.

Jiro "Stop looking at me like that."

Kaminari "I'm trying to understand."

Jiro "There's nothing to understand."

Kaminari "There absolutely is." As he pointed toward the counter "You ordered something that sounds like it was designed by a pharmacist."

Jiro "And you ordered a dessert pretending to be coffee."

Kaminari "That's different."

Jiro "How?"

Kaminari "Mine tastes good."

Jiro "Mine also tastes good."

Kaminari "Debatable."

Jiro "You're literally drinking liquid caramel."

Kaminari "Exactly."

Jiro "That's not helping your argument."

As few minutes later, their drinks arrived.

Kaminari picked his up and looked completely satisfied.

The drink looked less like coffee and more like a challenge to nutritionists everywhere with whipped cream towered over the lid and caramel drizzled down the sides and chocolate shavings covered the top.

Kaminari "Beautiful."

Jiro "That's basically ice cream."

Kaminari "Coffee ice cream."

Jiro "Barely."

Jiro took her own drink..

Kaminari looked at it then looked at her and then looked back at it.

Kaminari "It looks sad."

Jiro "It's coffee."

Kaminari "It looks like it pays taxes."

Jiro "What does that even mean?"

Kaminari "Look at mine." As he held up his drink "This drink has hopes and dreams."

He pointed at hers.

Kaminari "That drink has a retirement plan."

Jiro nearly choked trying not to laugh "That's the dumbest thing you've said all day."

Kaminari "Not even close."

Jiro "Fair point."

As they walked around and soon found an empty table near a window and sat down as for a few moments there was relative peace.

Then Jiro took a sip of her drink while Kaminari immediately watched her.

Jiro "Why are you staring?"

Kaminari "I want to know if it's as terrible as it sounds."

Jiro "It's fine."

Kaminari "That's not a convincing review."

Jiro "Because it's coffee."

Kaminari "Exactly."

Jiro rolled her eyes and then grabbed his drink before he could react.

Kaminari "Hey-"

She took a sip and immediately "...Wow."

Kaminari "See?"

Jiro "That's ridiculously sweet."

Kaminari "And?"

Jiro "I can feel my teeth filing a complaint."

Kaminari "You're welcome."

Jiro handed it back.

Kaminari "Now let me try yours."

Jiro "Go ahead."

Confidently, Kaminari took a sip.

A second passed and then another.

His expression slowly changed.

Jiro "Well?"

Kaminari "..."

Jiro "Kaminari?"

Kaminari "Why would you do this to yourself?"

Jiro burst out laughing.

Kaminari "It's so bitter."

Jiro "It's coffee."

Kaminari "No, it's punishment."

Jiro "You have the taste buds of a twelve-year-old."

Kaminari "And proud of it."

As they continued drinking their coffee and after finishing their drinks and after Kaminari spent an unreasonable amount of time insisting that Jiro's coffee had been "scientifically engineered to remove happiness" the two left the café and continued wandering through the mall.

Eventually, they found themselves standing in front of the arcade.

Bright lights flashed from inside.

Game sounds overlapped from every direction.

The occasional victory fanfare mixed with groans from people who had just barely lost.

Kaminari "Now this is where the real mall trip starts."

Jiro "You said that about the sporting goods store."

Kaminari "That was different."

Jiro "You say that every time."

Kaminari "Because every new location becomes the real mall trip."

Jiro "That's not how that works."

They stepped inside as the arcade was crowded with people moving between machines.

Some were gathered around rhythm games.

Others were racing virtual cars.

A group of kids cheered loudly around a basketball game.

Kaminari immediately looked like he'd been given unlimited energy "Okay, where do we start?"

Jiro "Depends."

Kaminari "On?"

Jiro "How much money you're willing to lose."

Kaminari "Bold of you to assume I'll lose."

Jiro "I watched you spend twenty-five minutes trying to fish a coin out of a fountain."

Kaminari "That was different."

Jiro "Everything is always different."

As they walked deeper into the arcade, Jiro's attention suddenly shifted.

She stopped "Oh."

Kaminari "Hm?"

She pointed toward a row of claw machines.

Inside one of them sat various animal plushies.

Most were piled on top of each other but near the front, however, sat a soft-looking polar bear plushie. It was white, round, and wearing a tiny blue scarf.

Jiro "...That's cute."

Kaminari followed her gaze "The polar bear?"

Jiro "Yeah."

The way she kept looking at it made her interest very obvious.

Kaminari "You want it."

Jiro "Maybe."

Kaminari "You absolutely want it."

Jiro "It's cute."

Kaminari "You want it."

Jiro "I didn't say that."

Kaminari "You literally have the same face Midoriya makes when he sees hero merchandise."

Jiro "I do not."

Kaminari "You do."

While Jiro examined the machine, Kaminari looked into the one beside it.

His eyes immediately widened.

Kaminari "WAIT."

Jiro "What?"

Kaminari:l "Look."

He pointed dramatically as inside the neighboring machine sat a deer plushie.

Small antlers.

Big eyes.

A tiny green scarf around its neck.

Kaminari "I need that."

Jiro "Need?"

Kaminari "Need."

Jiro "It's a plushie."

Kaminari "It's my plushie."

Jiro "You don't own it."

Kaminari "Not yet."

The two stood silently for a moment just looking at their respective targets then at each other and then back at the machines.

Jiro "We're about to waste money, aren't we?"

Kaminari "Absolutely."

Jiro "Great."

Kaminari: "Excellent."

A few minutes later, both had exchanged money for arcade credits as they stood in front of their chosen machines.

Ready.

Focused.

Determined.

Kaminari "Alright."

Jiro: "Alright."

Kaminari "First try."

Jiro "You're not getting it first try."

Kaminari "Watch me."

Jiro "You couldn't get a stationary coin."

Kaminari "Why do you keep bringing that up?"

Jiro "Because it happened."

Kaminari inserted his credits.

The claw began moving.

His eyes narrowed.

Kaminari "I've got this."

He lined up the claw.

Pressed the button.

The machine descended.

The claw closed around one of the deer plushie's antlers.

For a brief moment the plushie actually lifted.

Kaminari "YES!"

Then it slipped free and falling right back into the pile.

Kaminari "NO!"

Jiro "And there it is."

Kaminari "That was a test run."

Jiro "Sure."

At the machine beside him, Jiro tried her luck as she carefully positioned the claw over the polar bear.

Pressed the button.

The claw descended.

Grabbed the plushie.

Lifted it.

For one glorious second it seemed secure.

Then it gently rolled out and landed exactly where it started.

Jiro "...Seriously?"

Kaminari "Welcome to my world."

Jiro "Don't."

Soon both of them became increasingly invested as what had started as casual interest was rapidly evolving into determination.

Then stubbornness.

Then a personal challenge.

Kaminari "The deer moved."

Jiro "The bear moved too."

Kaminari "We're making progress."

Jiro "We're absolutely not."

Kaminari "I believe."

Jiro "That's your first mistake."

But a few attempts later, the deer plushie had shifted closer to the prize chute.

Meanwhile, Jiro's polar bear had rotated slightly and was now dangling near the edge of a pile.

Both targets looked possible.

Which was exactly the kind of false hope claw machines specialized in creating.

Kaminari "One more try."

Jiro "You said that three tries ago."

Kaminari "This time I mean it."

Jiro "No you don't."

Kaminari "You're right."

The two exchanged a look then immediately turned back to their machines.

Completely focused.

As if the fate of the world somehow depended on winning a deer plushie and a polar bear plushie.

The polar bear plushie was hanging near the edge.

The deer plushie was balanced awkwardly above the prize chute.

Both were one good grab away or ten bad ones as with claw machines, it was impossible to tell.

Kaminari "Okay."

Jiro "Okay."

Kaminari "This is the one."

Jiro "You've said that at least six times."

Kaminari "This time I actually mean it."

Jiro "You said that too."

Kaminari "You're ruining the moment."

Kaminari stepped up first.

The deer plushie sat temptingly close to the edge as he carefully lined up the claw and for once, he wasn't talking.

He wasn't joking.

He was actually concentrating.

Jiro "Wow."

Kaminari "What?"

Jiro "You have a serious face."

Kaminari "I'm trying to win."

Jiro "It's weird."

Kaminari "Please stop."

He pressed the button and the claw descended.

Lower.

Lower.

Lower.

It grabbed the deer around its middle and for a second, neither spoke.

The plushie lifted.

It wobbled.

Shifted.

Then dropped directly into the prize chute.

Kaminari "YES!"

The shout echoed through half the arcade.

Several people turned to look.

Kaminari did not care "I GOT IT!"

He practically dove for the prize door.

A moment later he emerged triumphantly holding the deer plushie above his head.

Kaminari "VICTORY!"

Jiro "You look ridiculous."

Kaminari "I look successful."

Jiro "Those are not the same thing."

As now it was Jiro's turn.

The polar bear sat at an awkward angle near the edge.

Jiro "Alright."

Kaminari "You got this."

Jiro "Let's hope so."

She positioned the claw.

Took a breath.

And pressed the button.

The claw descended.

Both watched silently.

The claw grabbed the polar bear and it lifted.

The plushie dangled precariously.

Kaminari "Come on..."

Jiro "..."

The bear swung slightly and for one terrifying second it looked ready to slip.

Then it bounced against the side of the machine as the impact shifted its position and the plushie slipped from the claw

Jiro "No-"

But instead of falling back into the pile, it landed on the edge and bounced once and then again and the second bounce was just enough.

The polar bear tipped forward and dropped into the prize chute.

 

Silence.

 

Jiro "...Wait."

Kaminari "WAIT."

They both stared.

The plushie sat safely in the chute.

Neither moved for a second almost as if they expected the machine to somehow take it back.

Then realization hit.

Jiro "I GOT IT."

Kaminari "YOU GOT IT!"

Jiro immediately crouched down and retrieved the polar bear and the moment she held it, a small smile appeared on her face.

The same smile she'd been trying to suppress for the past twenty minutes.

Kaminari "There it is."

Jiro "What?"

Kaminari "The smile."

Jiro "Shut up."

Kaminari "You really wanted that thing."

Jiro "Maybe."

Kaminari "You absolutely did."

Now both stood there holding their prizes.

Kaminari with his deer.

Jiro with her polar bear.

After all the effort involved, neither was willing to admit how happy they were about winning stuffed animals.

Kaminari "Worth it."

Jiro "Maybe."

Kaminari "Definitely worth it."

Jiro "The amount of money we spent says otherwise."

Kaminari "That's future Kaminari's problem."

Jiro "Future Kaminari is going to hate present Kaminari."

Kaminari "Future Kaminari hates present Kaminari all the time."

Jiro "Fair."

As they started walking away from the machines, Kaminari glanced at the polar bear then at Jiro then back at the polar bear.

Kaminari "You know."

Jiro "What?"

Kaminari "It kinda looks like you."

Jiro stopped and slowly turned "Explain."

Kaminari "I can't."

Jiro "Then why did you say it?"

Kaminari "I don't know."

Jiro "You're unbelievable."

Kaminari "And your bear looks judgmental."

Jiro "You're projecting."

With their newly acquired plushies in hand, Jiro and Kaminari continued through the arcade.

Kaminari had his deer tucked under one arm.

Jiro was carrying her polar bear against her side.

Neither would admit it, but they were both being surprisingly careful not to accidentally leave them somewhere.

They passed racing games.

Shooting games.

A basketball machine.

A rhythm game that had someone moving their hands so fast it looked physically impossible.

Then Jiro suddenly slowed.

Kaminari "Hm?"

No response.

Kaminari "Jiro?"

Still no response.

Kaminari followed her gaze and immediately understood.

At the far side of the arcade stood a large rhythm game specifically, a guitar battle game.

Two guitar-shaped controllers.

A giant screen.

Flashing lights.

Songs scrolling past on the selection menu.

The kind of game that practically screamed Jiro's name.

Jiro stared and a little too long maybe.

Kaminari "...You wanna play it."

Jiro "Maybe."

Kaminari "That wasn't a question."

Jiro "It looks fun."

Kaminari "You absolutely want to play it."

Jiro looked away which was basically confirmation.

Kaminari "Then let's play."

Jiro "It needs two players."

Kaminari "And?"

Jiro "And you're terrible at rhythm games."

Kaminari "Wow."

Jiro "Am I wrong?"

Kaminari "...That's not the point."

Jiro "Then what is?"

Kaminari "The point is you're obviously standing here hoping somebody will play with you."

Jiro paused.

Kaminari "So let's do it."

For a moment she looked genuinely surprised then a grin appeared.

Jiro "Seriously?"

Kaminari "Sure."

Jiro: "You know you're going to lose."

Kaminari: "I have confidence."

Jiro: "That's concerning."

A few minutes later they were standing in front of the machine.

Controllers ready.

Song selected.

The screen counted down.

3…

2…

1…

START!

The first few seconds were calm.

Simple notes.

Easy rhythm.

Kaminari actually kept up.

Kaminari "Hey."

Jiro "Hm?"

Kaminari "I'm doing pretty good."

Jiro "The song just started."

Kaminari "Still counts."

Then the difficult section arrived and reality hit.

Hard.

Jiro's hands moved effortlessly.

Every note.

Every pattern.

Every rhythm.

Perfectly timed.

Her combo count climbed higher and higher.

 

Still going.

Meanwhile on kaminari side

MISS

MISS

GOOD

MISS

Kaminari "WAIT."

MISS

Kaminari "WHAT IS HAPPENING."

While Jiro didn't even look stressed.

If anything, she looked completely in her element.

Focused.

Confident.

The kind of focus she got when dealing with music.

The notes flew across the screen.

She hit almost all of them.

Meanwhile Kaminari was fighting for his life.

Kaminari "WHY ARE THERE SO MANY."

Jiro "They're literally following the beat."

Kaminari "THERE'S TOO MUCH BEAT."

Jiro "THAT'S NOT HOW MUSIC WORKS."

A small crowd had started gathering.

Not because of Kaminari but because of Jiro.

People were noticing her score.

And the fact that she was tearing through the song with ridiculous accuracy.

Kaminari "This is bullying."

Jiro "You agreed to this."

Kaminari "I didn't know it'd be this bad."

Jiro "You absolutely should have."

The song continued.

Kaminari's combo repeatedly rose then immediately exploded over and over.

Meanwhile Jiro's combo somehow kept climbing.

 

Kaminari "WHAT IS THAT NUMBER.”

Jiro "My combo."

Kaminari "WHY IS IT SO HIGH."

Jiro "Because I'm hitting the notes."

Kaminari "I'M HITTING NOTES."

A loud miss sound immediately played from his side.

Jiro "Apparently not."

The final section arrived which is the fastest part of the song.

Kaminari looked horrified.

Jiro looked completely calm.

The notes flew by.

The music built to a climax.

Then the last text appears

SONG COMPLETE

The results screen appeared.

Silence.

For about two seconds.

Then Kaminari looked at the scores and froze.

Kaminari "...Wow."

Jiro "What?"

Kaminari "You absolutely destroyed me."

Jiro "How bad is it?"

Kaminari "I don't even think we're playing the same game."

Jiro looked at the screen.

Then immediately burst out laughing.

The difference was enormous.

Not close.

Not remotely close.

It looked less like a competition and more like two separate scoreboards that had accidentally been placed together.

Kaminari "This was a mistake."

Jiro "I told you."

Kaminari "I got smoked."

Jiro "You got vaporized."

Kaminari "I got publicly executed."

Jiro "Okay, maybe not that far.”

Kaminari "Look at the numbers, Jiro."

She looked then started laughing again which did not help.

A nearby player glanced at the results screen then at Jiro.

Random Player "Wow."

Jiro "...Thanks."

Random Player "That was impressive."

The compliment caught her slightly off guard.

Jiro "Oh. Uh... thanks."

Meanwhile Kaminari pointed dramatically at her "She's a menace."

Jiro "You challenged me."

Kaminari "I didn't realize I was challenging a final boss."

Jiro "Skill issue."

Kaminari stared then finally said "Did you just say skill issue?"

Jiro "Maybe."

Kaminari "I created a monster."

As for the next several minutes, Jiro was visibly happier than she'd been all afternoon, granted not that she'd admit it but between winning the polar bear plushie and completely dominating the guitar game, she was having a great time.

Just a few minutes after the guitar game, the two eventually left the arcade.

Partly because they'd been there for quite a while and partly because Kaminari claimed his dignity needed time to recover.

Kaminari "I don't think I'll ever emotionally recover from that scoreboard."

Jiro "You say that now."

Kaminari "I was beaten so badly the machine probably felt bad for me."

Jiro "The machine definitely didn't feel bad for you."

Kaminari "You're enjoying this too much."

Jiro "A little."

The two stepped out into the main mall corridor and the crowd had gotten a bit larger as the afternoon went on.

People moved between stores carrying shopping bags and drinks.

Some families were heading toward the food court.

Others were leaving stores with armfuls of purchases.

Kaminari "Food?"

Jiro "Food."

Kaminari "Excellent."

The pair began heading toward the food court but then Jiro suddenly stopped walking

Jiro "...Kaminari."

Kaminari "Hm?"

Jiro "Look."

Kaminari "What am I—"

He turned then froze.

Several meters away stood Midoriya or at least they were reasonably sure it was Midoriya as it took a second to confirm.

Kaminari "...No way."

Jiro "...There's no way."

Midoriya was carrying shopping bags like a lot of shopping bags and every visible item somehow shared a theme with a very specific theme.

All Might themed.

He was wearing an All Might shirt and an All Might hat and All Might shorts and All Might-themed sandals and there were visible All Might stickers attached to the hat.

Several more attached to one of the bags.

His phone sticking halfway out of his pocket was clearly displaying an All Might-themed case and somehow

The situation got worse.

Because beside him or rather towering over him

Was a life-sized buff-form All Might plushie like emphasis it was a very large life-sized buff-form All Might plushie as the thing was enormous.

Its head nearly reached the ceiling decorations above nearby storefronts.

The plushie's permanent smile somehow made it even more intimidating as it looked like a giant heroic guardian spirit following Midoriya through the mall or a very enthusiastic bodyguard.

People were staring.

Children were pointing.

A few shoppers were actively moving around it like it was a piece of furniture.

Kaminari "...That's horrifying."

Jiro "I know."

Kaminari "Why is it so tall?"

Jiro "Because All Might is tall."

Kaminari "I didn't realize how tall until now."

Jiro "Neither did I."

The giant plushie slowly tilted as Midoriya adjusted his grip and for a terrifying second it looked like it might fall as several nearby shoppers instinctively moved.

Kaminari "It's alive."

Jiro "It's not alive."

Kaminari "Then explain why it feels alive."

Jiro "I can't."

They continued staring and trying to process the scene.

Then Midoriya noticed them.

Midoriya "Oh! Kaminari! Jiro!"

He smiled and waved as the giant All Might plushie wobbled dramatically as he did.

Kaminari "The plushie waved."

Jiro "The plushie did not wave."

Kaminari "It absolutely waved."

Midoriya approached but every step made the plushie sway behind him which somehow made it more unsettling.

Midoriya "Hey guys!"

Jiro "Midoriya."

Kaminari "Buddy."

Midoriya "What's up?"

Silence.

Midoriya: "..."

Kaminari: "..."

Jiro: "..."

Midoriya: "What?"

Kaminari "You know what."

Jiro "You absolutely know what."

Midoriya blinked, then looked down at himself then at the shopping bags then at the giant All Might plushie.

Midoriya "Oh."

Kaminari "OH?"

Jiro "THAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?"

Midoriya "The store was having a sale."

Kaminari "A sale."

Midoriya "Yeah."

Jiro "Midoriya."

Midoriya "Yes?"

Jiro "You look like All Might's biggest fan."

Midoriya opened his mouth and paused and thought about it.

Midoriya finally says"...I am All Might's biggest fan."

Kaminari "You know what?"

Jiro "Fair."

Kaminari pointed at the giant plushie.

Kaminari "Explain him."

Midoriya immediately brightened, which is a dangerous sign.

Midoriya "Oh! This is actually a limited-edition life-sized replica based on one of his early costume designs! They only had one left and-"

The explanation continued and continued…..and continued.

Kaminari slowly leaned toward Jiro "We shouldn't have asked."

Jiro "We really shouldn't have."

Meanwhile Midoriya was now enthusiastically explaining manufacturing details, promotional history, and apparently the plushie's release timeline.

The giant smiling All Might loomed over all three of them.

Watching.

Judging.

Protecting.

Nobody could quite tell which one or just all of the above and as shoppers continued to stare at the massive plushie moving through the mall, Kaminari reached a conclusion.

Kaminari "You know, compared to this, me fighting a fountain coin seems normal."

Jiro "Shockingly, yes."

Midoriya "Did you fight a fountain coin?"

Jiro "Don't encourage him."

Kaminari "The fountain started it."

Jiro "There it is.”

As Midoriya finally reached the end of his explanation or at least what everyone hoped was the end as by this point, Jiro and Kaminari had learned more about the history of a promotional All Might plushie than they ever thought possible.

Midoriya "...and that's why this particular version was considered one of the most sought-after releases among collectors."

Silence.

Kaminari "...Uh-huh."

Jiro "Interesting."

Neither of them sounded convincing.

Midoriya didn't seem to notice as he was still smiling and proudly holding onto the enormous plushie.

Kaminari "So that's everything?"

Midoriya "Mostly."

Jiro "Mostly?"

Midoriya "There's one more feature."

The way he said that immediately made both of them nervous.

Kaminari "Why does that sound threatening?"

Jiro "Because every time Midoriya says 'one more feature,' something weird happens."

Midoriya looked down at the plushie "Watch this."

He reached behind the plushie's neck and there was a small hidden switch that neither Jiro nor Kaminari had noticed it before.

Midoriya pressed it and nothing happened for a second but the seond he did the plushie's eyes lit up.

Bright blue.

Kaminari "AAAH!"

He nearly dropped his deer plushie.

Jiro "WHAT THE—"

She physically took a step backward.

The giant smiling All Might plushie continued staring forward as its massive grin unchanged and its eyes now glowing a bright blue which somehow made it ten times worse.

Kaminari "NO."

Jiro "TURN IT OFF."

Midoriya "What?"

Kaminari "TURN IT OFF."

A nearby child pointed "Whoa!"

Parent "That's... actually pretty impressive."

Kaminari "No, it's horrifying."

Jiro "It looks possessed."

Midoriya "It does not."

The plushie's glowing eyes reflected faintly in nearby shop windows which only made it look more intimidating.

Kaminari "It's staring into my soul."

Midoriya "It's not even looking at you."

Kaminari "It doesn't need to."

Jiro looked at the plushie and the plushie looked forward and its glowing eyes somehow made it feel like it was judging everyone nearby.

Jiro "Why would they add that feature?"

Midoriya "Because it's cool."

Jiro "No."

Kaminari "Absolutely not."

Midoriya looked genuinely confused "You guys don't think it's cool?"

Kaminari "I think if I woke up at three in the morning and saw that standing in a dark room, I'd move houses."

Jiro "Same."

Midoriya looked back at the plushie then at them and then back at the plushie "...Really?"

Kaminari "Midoriya."

Jiro "Look at it."

Midoriya looked at the plushie and he glowing blue eyes stared back "...Okay, maybe it's a little intense."

Kaminari "THANK YOU."

Midoriya laughed and switched the feature off.

The blue glow disappeared and immediately the plushie seemed far less threatening.

Jiro "There. Better."

Kaminari "Much better."

Then Midoriya casually added "It also has a voice box."

Silence.

Kaminari "No."

Jiro "Don't."

Midoriya "It can say six different catchphrases."

Kaminari "MIDORIYA."

Jiro "WE'RE LEAVING."

Midoriya was already reaching for another button.

Kaminari "WE ARE ABSOLUTELY LEAVING."

He grabbed Jiro's sleeve and Jiro didn't resist as the two quickly started walking away.

Fast.

Behind them, they could hear Midoriya "Wait, guys! Listen to this one!"

A second later, a loud heroic voice echoed through the mall corridor.

"I AM HERE!"

Several shoppers jumped and a child cheered and someone dropped a shopping bag.

Kaminari didn't look back "Nope."

Jiro "Nope."

Kaminari "Absolutely nope."

Jiro and Kaminari had made it about twenty meters away.

Almost free.

Almost safe.

Almost far enough away from the giant All Might plushie.

Then curiosity got the better of Jiroas she made a terrible decision..a truly terrible decision.

Kaminari "Don't."

Jiro "I'm just looking."

Kaminari "Don't."

Jiro "One second."

Kaminari "Every bad decision starts with those words."

Jiro glanced over her shoulder and immediately regretted it.

Midoriya was still standing there just completely happy and completely unaware of how ridiculous the situation looked and he was now pressing buttons on the plushie's hidden control panel.

"I AM HERE!"

The plushie declared.

Midoriya pressed another button.

"PLUS ULTRA!"

Another.

"A TRUE HERO ALWAYS FINDS A WAY FOR JUSTICE TO BE SERVED!"

Another.

"YOU TOO CAN BECOME A HERO!"

The giant plushie's mouth didn't move which somehow made it worse as the voice simply emerged from somewhere inside the massive smiling All Might.

Jiro "...No."

Kaminari "I told you."

Jiro "I shouldn't have looked."

Kaminari "You never listen."

Nearby shoppers had now fully slowing down not because they were scared but mostly because they were confused.

A child was excitedly pointing at it.

Another kid wanted a photo.

One elderly man looked like he was trying to determine whether it was merchandise or some kind of promotional mascot.

Midoriya continued pressing buttons still completely invested.

"SMILE! BECAUSE THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!"

Kaminari "How many phrases does it have?"

Jiro "six if Midoriya was correct."

And then

"I AM HERE!" Again.

Kaminari "Did he just repeat one?"

Jiro "I think he's cycling through them."

Kaminari "That's somehow worse."

Then suddenly another voice came from behind them.

Iida "THERE THEY ARE!"

Jiro and Kaminari turned and sees the rest of Class 1-A was approaching from the opposite end of the corridor.

Apparently after eventually realizing three members had effectively vanished from the group.

Uraraka "Finally!"

Mina "We've been looking everywhere!"

Kirishima "Seriously, where were you guys?"

Tokoyami "The search proved unexpectedly lengthy."

Sato "We checked the food court twice."

Kaminari "Long story."

Jiro "Very long story."

Then the rest of the class noticed what was happening behind them.

Everyone slowly looked past Jiro and Kaminari and toward Midoriya and also toward the giant plushie.

Silence but now a long silence.

Uraraka "...Oh."

Yaoyorozu "...That is certainly large."

Todoroki "It's life-sized."

Shoji "Maybe larger than expected."

Hagakure "WHERE DID HE EVEN GET THAT?"

Mineta "How much did that cost?!"

Kirishima "Midoriya bought that?"

Bakugo "Of course he did."

Nobody argued with Bakugo because he was right.

Midoriya finally noticed everyone "Oh! Everyone!" He waved enthusiastically.

The giant plushie nearly tipped sideways.

Several classmates instinctively flinched.

Midoriya "Look what I found!"

Bakugo "We can see that."

Then Midoriya pressed another button.

"PLUS ULTRA!"

The voice echoed across the corridor.

The class stared as more silence ensued.

Then Sero arrived at the front of the group then he looked up and up and up at the giant smiling All Might his eyes slowly widened.

Sero: "...Oh my..."

A beat passed.

Sero: "...God."

Silence.

Nobody corrected him because it perfectly summarized the situation.

Mina "It's staring at me."

Jiro "That's what I said."

Kaminari "THANK YOU."

Mina "Why does it feel alive?"

Kaminari "THANK YOU."

Midoriya tilts his head "It isn't alive."

Bakugo "Deku."

Midoriya "Yeah?"

Bakugo "Turn the eyes on."

Everyone immediately turned toward Bakugo.

Midoriya "Really?"

Bakugo "Do it."

Midoriya happily pressed the switch as the plushie's eyes lit up bright blue.

The entire group collectively recoiled.

Hagakure "AAAH!"

Mina "NOPE."

Uraraka "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"

Sero "IT GOT WORSE."

Kaminari "SEE?!"

Even Todoroki stared for an extra second before finally saying "...That is unsettling."

Which was probably the strongest reaction anyone had ever gotten out of him all day.

Meanwhile Midoriya just stood there just holding the giant glowing-eyed All Might plushie a d surrounded by horrified classmates and completely convinced it was the coolest thing he'd bought all year.