Chapter 125: Selection of Hero Work-Studies

At 10 p.m., Kaminari dragged his exhausted body back home. The electricity in his body had been completely drained, leaving him feeling sluggish. He knew he'd need to talk to his parents about recharging.

He returned two hours later than planned. "Man, I totally lost track of time," he muttered to himself. "I should've set the Pikachu alarm clock on the table... well, lesson learned."

Fortunately, his mother was understanding, especially after watching his performance during the Hero Sports Festival. She no longer worried as much when Kaminari stayed out training by himself.

"My son is so capable now, what's there to worry about?" That was probably her reasoning.

Still, the recharging situation required her husband's approval, so after rinsing off in the bathroom, Kaminari called his father.

"What's up, son?" came his father's warm voice over the phone.

"Well," Kaminari began, speaking softly, "I sparred with Tetsutetsu for a few hours, and I ended up draining all the electricity in my body. Can I go ahead and recharge?"

Because the amount of electricity he required wasn't exactly trivial, it was only polite to ask for permission first.

"No problem! Go ahead and recharge," his father replied without hesitation, momentarily pausing his work.

"Pokémon merchandise has been selling like crazy lately,our family can afford it!" he added, chuckling.

Then his father brought up something else. "Oh, by the way, the 'Vulpix' and 'Ninetales' merchandise we made for Yaoyorozu's family is ready. Do you want me to send it directly to her house, or would you prefer to deliver it yourself?"

Kaminari thought for a moment, setting the phone down on speaker mode as he pulled out a blank sheet of music paper from his drawer.

"How many items are there?" he asked while grabbing a pencil.

"Quite a few," his dad replied. "There are pillows, watches, stickers, posters, and several high-quality figurines of different sizes."

Hearing this, Kaminari casually replied while jotting down some notes on the paper, "Just send them directly. Her family lives pretty far away, in the suburbs of Aichi Prefecture, and I've got a lot to take care of on my end."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call. Then, with a heavy sigh, his dad muttered, "Alright, I get it!"

The line went dead.

Kaminari looked at the phone in surprise. "Huh? What was that about? Is Dad in a bad mood today?" He scratched his head in confusion. "That's weird. He seemed happy earlier when he mentioned the company's sales were up. Oh well, no use overthinking it."

Shrugging it off, Kaminari turned his attention back to the paper in front of him. He began humming softly, immersing himself in his work.

After all, this was one of his hidden talents, wasn't it?

"Spread your wings and take flight"

"You said if you could fly, you'd never come back down"

"So keep trying to break free, to that blue, blue sky…"

Each time he sang a line, he quickly wrote down the notes and lyrics. Before long, his humming filled the room, growing louder and more enthusiastic.

Writing the opening song "Blue Bird" from a certain anime he remembered was giving Kaminari a sense of accomplishment. Hearing the familiar tune come to life in this world made him feel surprisingly emotional.

Outside the room, his mother quietly stood by the door, listening intently. A smile spread across her face as she nodded along to the melody.

"My son is composing another song... and it's beautiful. I like this one even more than the others," she murmured to herself.

While she loved everything Kaminari wrote, "Blue Bird" resonated with her on a deeper level. It had a timeless charm that her earlier favorites, like "Only My Railgun" and "Hero," didn't quite match.

Inside, Kaminari was completely absorbed in his work. Outside, his mother stood quietly, savoring the music. The atmosphere in the house was serene, the peaceful melody weaving through the air.

"I made the right decision when I encouraged him to learn the guitar," she thought. If she hadn't supported him back then, Kaminari might never have developed his passion for music or created songs like this one.

Eventually, the humming stopped. His mother left with a contented smile, and time moved on.

At 6 p.m., his father returned home, and the family of three gathered around the dining table to enjoy a hearty meal prepared by his mother.

By 7:30, with dessert ready and the dishes cleared, they sat in the living room to watch the latest episode of Pokémon. This had become something of a tradition in their household, a relaxing way to end the week together.

It was a funny sight, really: Kaminari watching himself go on an adventure in another world, while his parents enjoyed the show as much as he did.

Of course, the story had diverged significantly from the version he remembered from his past life. Many of the Pokémon designs and evolutions had changed in ways that felt oddly familiar yet different.

When the episode ended and the credits rolled, Kaminari leaned back, savoring the moment. The ending theme wasn't sung by him this time but by a professional singer from Mitsui Entertainment.

"By the way, son," his dad suddenly said, breaking the silence as he picked up an apple slice from the fruit platter. "Have you thought about where you want to go for your Hero Work-Studies?"

"Even though you faced penalties during the Sports Festival, your performance was still impressive. I'm sure you've gotten plenty of offers."

As a businessman, his father understood how the adult world worked. People didn't just focus on the surface; they looked at potential and long-term value. The Hero agencies were no different, they were businesses too, even if their goals revolved around saving lives and maintaining peace.

Kaminari paused, caught off guard by the question. Truthfully, he hadn't given it much thought. Between training, the Sports Festival, and other responsibilities, it hadn't crossed his mind.

"You don't have to decide right away," his dad continued. "But you should start thinking about the kind of agency you want to join. Professional Heroes specialize in different areas depending on their Quirks, what direction do you want to take?"

Before Kaminari could answer, his mother chimed in with a worried tone.

"Son, please don't choose a combat-heavy agency," she said. "The Sports Festival was one thing, you were only up against other students. But Hero Work-Studies is different. You could end up fighting real villains... dangerous ones."

Her concern was understandable. Even though she had faith in Kaminari's abilities, the thought of him facing life-threatening situations was something no parent could bear easily.

Kaminari gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll think it through carefully before making a decision."

***

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