Chapter 177: The Growth We Are About to Witness

After eating the breakfast carefully prepared by his mother, Kaminari followed Aizawa and Midnight to school under his mother's worried gaze.

It's worth mentioning that Kaminari had also called Tetsutetsu, asking if he wanted to go together, even though it was still quite early.

After all, it was only six in the morning. But since Aizawa and Midnight were teachers, they had to arrive an hour earlier than the students to prepare.

As for Tetsutetsu, it was no surprise to see him waiting at the entrance of the subway station.

"Nothing happened to your family last night, right?" Kaminari asked.

"No, it was quiet. How about yours?" Tetsutetsu shrugged and smiled.

"Nothing happened. But I stayed on guard all night yesterday!" Tetsutetsu replied with a hint of frustration.

"Oh? You stayed up all night, too?" Kaminari raised an eyebrow, surprised. That didn't seem like something Tetsutetsu would do.

"Uh…" Well, I wanted to stay up, but while I was waiting for your call, I fell asleep at some point, hehe." Tetsutetsu sheepishly scratched his white hair, a bashful grin on his face.

Kaminari followed the two teachers onto the Shinkansen and shook his head with a wry smile. He couldn't decide whether Tetsutetsu was being overly tense or simply carefree.

But really, what if someone had actually attacked him in his sleep last night?

After settling into their seats, Aizawa fell asleep almost instantly, while Midnight pulled out her phone and began scrolling through it habitually.

"Hey, Kaminari, you seem to be trending online!" Midnight remarked with a grin.

"Huh?" Kaminari blinked in confusion. Wasn't he already popular?

"I mean, it's blowing up online right now," she clarified, turning her phone toward Kaminari. Then, with a teasing tone, she added, "People are saying you got arrested for committing a crime!"

"Ah, I figured that'd happen," Kaminari sighed helplessly as he glanced at the screen. The photo in question showed him and Tetsutetsu being escorted into a police car, surrounded by several officers.

Seeing that Kaminari didn't seem particularly bothered, Midnight asked curiously, "Aren't you worried? If this keeps up, you might lose a lot of fans."

"I don't really care about losing followers," Kaminari replied casually.

"After all, I earned my current popularity through my work. As long as I keep producing good work in the future, I don't have to worry about fans or public opinion."

He then explained to Midnight about his earlier conversation with the officer.

"I see!" Midnight said with a nod of understanding. However, she couldn't help but feel impressed by Kaminari's composure.

For a teenager just shy of fifteen years old, it was remarkable for him to think so clearly and rationally in such an unexpected situation.

"And honestly, if you think about it, this could be a good thing," Kaminari continued. "The more people misunderstand me or criticize me now, the more they'll feel guilty when the truth comes out. Those same people will probably become more loyal fans afterward, feeling like they owe me."

He chuckled, his confidence clear as he spoke about his strategies for managing his public image. Midnight was momentarily stunned, both by his words and his confidence.

Her interest was piqued—after all, in this world, professional heroes weren't just heroes; they were also a type of celebrity. Their rankings on the Hero Billboard Chart didn't solely depend on the number of cases they solved or their contributions to society. Public support and popularity also played a crucial role—essentially, their fan base mattered.

"Where did you learn all this? Do you know some celebrity insiders?" Midnight leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at Kaminari with interest.

"Uh… I just researched it myself," Kaminari replied smoothly. "I've always planned on being a star since I was a kid. Once I achieve my goal of becoming Japan's top star, I'll expand internationally—Korea, the United States, China, you name it."

He spoke with practised ease, covering up the real source of his knowledge. After all, his previous life's internet was filled with countless "celebrity scandals" and "PR tactics."" Those were basically real-life lessons in how to navigate fame.

In this world, however, most of the media focused on professional heroes, so the public didn't see much of the usual celebrity drama.

Instead, headlines were dominated by repetitive stories like "Which villain did so-and-so capture last month?" or "How many missions did this hero complete this week?" or even "Will their ranking go up or down next month?"

Frankly, Kaminari found it dull. If it weren't for the flashy spectacle of Quirks, it'd hardly be interesting. But hey, the public loved it, so who was he to judge?

And so, for the rest of the train ride, Kaminari and Midnight enthusiastically discussed various methods for managing and cultivating a fan base.

Tetsutetsu, meanwhile, stared at them in disbelief, completely speechless.

What made it even funnier was that Midnight eventually pulled out a notebook and, like a diligent student, began jotting down notes on the key points Kaminari mentioned.

"I see now. Relying solely on a sexy image has too narrow a reach when it comes to attracting fans…" she muttered thoughtfully, pen in hand.

The one-hour train ride passed quickly amidst their lively conversation. Soon enough, the group arrived in front of U.A. High School.

As expected, given the early hour, the campus was still relatively quiet. Only a few diligent students and teachers could be seen entering the school. Most of the students appeared to be from the general studies or support classes.

"All right, you two head to class and rest for now," Aizawa instructed. "Tetsutetsu, hand over your new combat uniform. You'll all receive them during the Hero Basics course this afternoon."

Then, turning to Kaminari, he added, "As for you, just use your previous battle uniform."

"Yes, sir!" Kaminari replied, a bit surprised that the school had kept his old uniform.

With that, Aizawa and Midnight headed to their offices. Before leaving, however, Midnight gave Kaminari a playful wink—just her usual mischievous self. Kaminari could only shake his head helplessly at her antics.

"Kaminari!"

"Tetsutetsu!"

A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind. Turning around, the two saw the person they had both been thinking about.

It was Kyoka waving excitedly as she ran toward them. The golden light of the morning sun framed her figure, making her look even more vibrant.

"Kyoka!"

The three of them didn't realize it at first, but the scene felt almost identical to when they had first entered U.A. The same youthful energy. The same joy.

Maybe this was the unique "fragrance" of friendship blossoming on campus, a sense of reunion filled with shared memories and experiences.

Today's Hero Basics course was bound to be lively and exciting.

After all, growth is best witnessed through the support of your comrades.

***

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