Chapter 18: Hero!

Office of the President, Kaminari Toy Co., Ltd., Saitama City.

"Yes, I'll make sure he prepares some new material as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much."

Kaminari's father, dressed in a formal suit, slowly hung up the phone, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. The call had come from Japan's MTV music network, informing him that they intended to heavily promote his son next year. However, one song alone, Only My Railgun, wouldn't suffice for a full-scale push. They needed more material preferably a new song.

It was good news, great news, even. Some up-and-coming singers would be over the moon at the opportunity. But for Kaminari's father, there were doubts lingering in the back of his mind.

The core issue was that new song request. How could he be sure his son could come up with another track as strong as the first? Inspiration didn't always strike twice, especially not on demand. Creativity wasn't an exact science, after all.

"Hmm… I'd better ask him first."

Now, he was filled with concern, not only about whether Kaminari could deliver another high-quality song, but also whether the request would put too much pressure on him. After all, the U.A. High School entrance exam was next week, and he didn't want anything distracting Kaminari from what he believed was more important: getting into U.A. and pursuing a career as a professional Hero.

"If it doesn't work out, we'll just let this music opportunity go. Getting into U.A. comes first," he decided.

Having made up his mind, he took out his phone and quickly dialed his son's number, listening anxiously to the rings.

"Dad?" Kaminari's voice came through, sounding slightly confused.

"Well, um… I just wanted to ask, have you been working on any new songs lately?"

Kaminari, who had just reached the ground floor of the office building, stopped in his tracks. He glanced up toward the floor where his father's company was located. "How did you know I was planning to release a new song?"

His father's unexpected question had caught him off guard. He hadn't told anyone about his plans yet.

"Huh?" His father was taken aback for a moment before quickly responding, "You actually have a new song? Since when?"

"I've been working on something for a while," Kaminari explained. "With U.A. starting soon, I wasn't sure I'd have time for music, so I figured I'd release my second single beforehand."

He paused, still puzzled. "But seriously, how did you know about the new song?"

His father let out a small laugh and explained the call from MTV, mentioning how they wanted more content if they were going to focus on promoting him.

Kaminari's initial surprise quickly gave way to understanding. He wasn't too shocked by MTV's interest. After all, Only My Railgun was a solid song, and its sales had been quite promising.

However, what Kaminari didn't realize was that the sudden attention wasn't just about the quality of his song. Without the context of a popular anime or established fame, Only My Railgun would have been just another good track in a sea of music. Moreover, other artists on the platform had similar or even better sales numbers. Under normal circumstances, a second promotional push wouldn't happen until a second hit was in the bag.

But thanks to a certain intervention, Kaminari was about to get a rare opportunity.

"Dad, I'm downstairs. I'm coming up now to start recording," Kaminari said as he joined a stream of office workers entering the twenty-story building.

"You're here already?" His father's voice lifted with a mix of surprise and relief. "Great! I'll get everything set up right away."

After hanging up, his father stepped out of his office, a rush of excitement coursing through him. He was eager to hear what Kaminari's new song would sound like. After all, the previous track had climbed to seventh place on the sales charts—without any substantial promotion. Nearly all of its success was thanks to the song's quality, and the rest could be attributed to Kaminari's intriguing persona. There was no denying that the boy's striking looks had caught the attention of more than a few listeners.

"Heh, not bad for a fifteen-year-old," Kaminari's father thought with a grin as he hurried down the hall.

Kaminari followed his father to a small but well-equipped recording studio located within the company's building. It was an unusual setup for a toy company that specialized in Pikachu merchandise, but his father had spared no expense in setting up a decent studio just for him.

The studio even had a professional sound engineer, Dawu, on standby. While Dawu wasn't particularly famous in the industry, he had more than enough skill to handle the studio's needs. His main job was to maintain the equipment and ensure everything ran smoothly whenever Kaminari needed to record.

"Dawu, Kaminari's ready to record a new song," his father announced as they entered the room. Dawu was slouched on a couch, absorbed in a game on his phone. He jumped up as soon as he saw the president.

"Yes, sir!" Dawu stammered, quickly stashing his phone away and looking a bit embarrassed. But before he could say anything else, Kaminari's father waved his hand dismissively.

"Never mind that. Just get the equipment ready, and there'll be no deductions from your paycheck."

"Here, this has the sheet music and lyrics," Kaminari said, handing Dawu a USB drive.

Dawu, adjusting his glasses, took the drive with both hands and went over to the mixing desk to begin setting up. As an otaku and an avid anime fan, he had loved "Only My Railgun." There was only one thing he had felt was lacking: he thought the song would have been even better if it had been sung by a girl. The thought of a female voice giving life to those lyrics had made him wish the track had a different vocalist.

He glanced at Kaminari, who was standing in the sound booth with his blond hair, highlighted by a black streak shaped like a lightning bolt. "If only the young master were a girl…" Dawu mused, half-jokingly. "He'd definitely make a cute idol."

Little did he know, if Kaminari had any inkling of those thoughts, Dawu might very well have found himself on the receiving end of a highly unpleasant jolt.

Meanwhile, Kaminari had already taken his place in the recording booth, positioning himself in front of the mic. He took a moment to adjust his breathing and get into the right headspace. It took him a full two minutes before he felt ready, raising his hand in an "OK" gesture toward Dawu.

"This song is going to be my gift," Kaminari thought to himself. "To mark the start of something new. It's for me, for the future students and teachers of U.A., and for everyone who dreams of becoming a Hero."

As Kaminari's fingers tightened on the mic stand, the rhythmic strum of an electric guitar filled the studio, followed by the powerful beat of drums. This wasn't just any song—this was an anthem for those who dared to dream big, to rise above the ordinary.

And just like that, Kaminari's second single began to come to life.

(T/N: His second single is Hero by DOA you can listen to it if you want)