Chapter 56: The Drummer and the Alarm

Recently, the news of All Might taking up his position at U.A. High School had begun to create ripples after fermenting for the past few days.

Well... if you looked at the reporters swarming the school gates, you could see the impact. These journalists had been stationed outside since noon the previous day, creating quite the commotion. Needless to say, it was causing a bit of an inconvenience for both teachers and students at U.A.

Every time someone stepped outside the school, they were bombarded with questions about All Might. The constant barrage of inquiries was enough to irritate anyone.

Of course, the nearby hotels, restaurants, and food stalls were thrilled with the situation. The surge of business from the reporters camping out meant they were making a killing over the past couple of days.

But all of this had little to do with Kaminari and his friends, who were now sitting in the school cafeteria, enjoying their lunch.

Why? Because everyone knew that no matter how loud the reporters shouted outside, they couldn't set foot inside U.A.'s grounds.

It was the fourth class of the day, one taught by their homeroom teacher, Aizawa.

"Alright, let's get to the point of today's class meeting," Aizawa began in his usual monotone voice.

"Sorry to rush things, but today I'd like to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the entire class tensed up, memories of their brutal first day of school still fresh in their minds.

"—decide on the class representative."

Everyone collectively sighed in relief. At least this was a normal school activity for once!

Suddenly, Kirishima leapt to his feet with a loud bang, his chair screeching across the floor as he exclaimed, "I want to be the class rep! Let me do it!"

"Isn't this a role fit for me?" Aoyama said narcissistically, flipping his golden hair with flair.

"Hah?! It's obviously mine!" Bakugo growled, his face full of murderous intent.

The whole class buzzed with excitement well, everyone except Kaminari, Todoroki, Midoriya, and a few others, who remained calm.

"Class rep, huh... I'm not interested," Kaminari muttered to himself, staring lazily at the ceiling.

He knew that being the class rep in the Hero Course was a far more prestigious position than it was in any ordinary school. It could even be considered an "important stepping stone toward becoming a top Hero in the future."

But.

Kaminari's goal wasn't to become a top Hero running his own agency or patrolling the streets day and night. No, his goal was to become the strongest user of lightning-based Quirks in the world!

Though, if you said that out loud, it might sound pretty similar...

Besides, Kaminari already had too much on his plate. Between his band, training, and his own personal ambitions, his days were packed from 5 AM to late evening. He didn't need the added responsibility of class representative weighing him down.

"Isn't there an obvious candidate for this?" Kaminari glanced at Iida, who had just stood up to give a lengthy speech on the importance of the class representative role.

Eventually, the class agreed to decide on the class rep through a vote.

The results?

Midoriya Izuku: 3 votes

Kaminari Denki: 3 votes

Yaoyorozu Momo: 2 votes

Everyone else had voted for themselves, naturally.

Midoriya was flustered, Iida was disappointed, Kaminari was surprised, and Yaoyorozu smiled.

"Midoriya and Kaminari tied with three votes each..." Kirishima said, glancing at Midoriya. "I know his punch is powerful, but personality-wise... he's a bit too timid."

"Wait a second... who voted for me?" Iida asked suddenly, looking around with confusion.

"Huh? Didn't you vote for yourself?" Kirishima responded, puzzled.

"No, I voted for Yaoyorozu," Iida said earnestly. "I believe she's the most qualified for the position!"

Kirishima stared at him, bewildered. "But you want to be class rep! Why wouldn't you vote for yourself?"

"I voted for him," Kaminari said, interrupting the conversation. Instantly, all eyes were on him including Iida's, who was now gazing at him with deeply moved eyes.

"Kaminari-san... thank you!" Iida said, looking like he had just received the highest form of validation.

"Kaminari, you don't want to be class rep?" Kyoka asked, her head tilted in confusion.

Kaminari shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not really interested in it. I honestly think Iida's the best person for the job."

"Kaminari-san!" Iida was practically glowing with pride. Even if he didn't become the class rep, knowing that he had earned Kaminari's respect filled him with satisfaction.

"Someday, I'll be as great as you!"

Kaminari gave Iida a puzzled look, wondering why he was so fired up all of a sudden.

"It's alright, Kaminari-san," Iida continued, standing up and giving his usual dramatic salute. "I suggested the voting system, and so I will respect the outcome of the vote!"

"Are the results finalized yet?" Aizawa asked from where he was lying on the floor, cocooned in his sleeping bag. "If so, hurry it up."

With Kaminari voluntarily stepping down, the final results named Midoriya as the class representative, and Yaoyorozu Momo as his deputy. Though Midoriya was visibly trembling at the responsibility, the roles were officially set.

When the class ended, it was time for lunch. Everyone, except for Aoyama who insisted on eating his French cuisine in the classroom, made their way to the cafeteria.

"Kaminari, has your band finished recording the first song yet?" Ashido Mina asked excitedly as she put down her silver spoon. She was clearly eager to hear it.

The other girls Uraraka, Asui, and the rest also turned their attention to Kaminari, looking at him, Kyoka, and Momo with anticipation. They were more than a little envious.

"Yeah, it's almost done," Kaminari replied with a smile. "Once the post-production is finished, it'll be uploaded to Japan's MTV website. You can just search for 'Pikachu Band,' and you'll be able to find our exclusive page and listen to it there."

"When it's up, I'll send you all the link," he added casually, then turned to Kyoka. "By the way, Kyoka, how's that friend of yours? The one who plays the electronic keyboard?"

"Kazama? He was really enthusiastic about it," Kyoka said, nodding. "I'll give you his number later, and you can chat with him directly."

"He's a bit lazy, but he's great with the keyboard," she added with a small smirk. "Probably better than me."

Momo took a sip of her tea, setting down the cup delicately before saying, "Now we just need a drummer."

Kaminari nodded in agreement. He knew how important a drummer was to a band, but he didn't want just anyone. It had to be someone who clicked with the group, not just someone skilled.

"Anyone here know how to play drums?" Kaminari asked, glancing around the table at his classmates.

Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, and the others exchanged awkward glances, but no one spoke up.

Kaminari sighed, a bit disappointed. He really hoped to form a band entirely made up of fellow students.

None of them noticed Bakugo, sitting alone, who glanced at Kaminari with an odd look in his eyes. He frowned slightly, then returned to eating his lunch, muttering to himself.

"Like I'd ever play drums for you..."

Suddenly, a sharp alarm rang out, breaking the casual chatter in the cafeteria. A voice came over the loudspeaker, calm yet firm.

"Security Level 3 has been breached. Please evacuate to the outside of the building immediately."

Iida, always the quick thinker, turned to the upperclassman sitting nearby and asked, "What does 'Security Level 3' mean?"

"It means someone has broken into the school building," the upperclassman replied urgently. "This hasn't happened in the three years I've been here!" He immediately stood and rushed toward the exit.

The entire class sprang into action, heading for the door, but Kaminari stayed put, his brow furrowed. He grabbed Kyoka and Momo by the arms before they could join the rush.

"Hold on. Don't go charging in. It's dangerous!" he warned.

Having lived through several incidents like this in his previous life, Kaminari was particularly sensitive to the dangers of large crowds in emergencies.

"But if there's an intruder, shouldn't we—" Tetsutetsu started, looking anxious.

"No need to panic," Kaminari said firmly. "There are pro Heroes here, dozens of them. And don't forget, All Might is here too!"

He gestured toward the congested entrance where people were crowding in panic. "Even if there's an invasion, rushing outside won't do you any good. And look... they're already packed so tight they can't even move. If a villain attacks, they'll be sitting ducks!"