The next day, after returning home, Kirishima spent the day with Ashido.
He had considered taking a little time to check on Midoriya, but this time he decided to let it go.
He couldn’t always be by Midoriya’s side to help him.
Now it was time for him to stand on his own.
Besides, since Midoriya now had another good mentor aside from Kirishima, he figured it was about time to gradually ease off his constant interference.
Of course, he would still continue training him to boost his combat power.
By the time the weekend passed, the students arrived at school only to be hit with shocking news from Aizawa.
"Well... due to some unforeseen circumstances, the usual training camp has been canceled at the last minute. We’ve decided not to disclose our destination until the day of departure," he announced.
"Huh?"
The sudden announcement left the students flustered.
"But I already informed my parents," one student objected.
"Exactly. The school can’t keep track of how the information is spreading," Aizawa explained.
"At least the camp itself wasn’t canceled, right?" another mumbled.
Amid the buzzing confusion, Bakugo grumbled at Midoriya,
"You idiot. You should’ve smashed him—broken his bones and finished him off."
"Wait, Bakugo. Didn’t you hear what state Midoriya was in? Besides, Quirks are basically banned in public places," Midoriya replied.
"I’m telling you to go all out and break his bones," Bakugo insisted.
"Hahaha. Kacchan..." Midoriya managed an awkward smile in response.
Although Midoriya had spoken with All Might just as Kirishima had advised, his mind was still in disarray. All he had learned was that the battle had been so fierce that even All Might hadn’t paused to consider the enemy’s fate.
As for the way forward, everything still felt shrouded in mist.
Regardless of Midoriya’s inner turmoil, time marched on, and soon it was lunchtime.
Sitting down with the regular group for lunch, Kirishima casually brought up a topic.
"Oh, by the way, has anyone heard of the I Expo?"
"Huh? That massive annual showcase of science and technology? It’s basically a festival for everyone!"
"Yeah. I always wanted to go when I was a kid, but since attendance was by invitation only, I never got the chance..."
"So why bring it up all of a sudden?"
Amid the students’ explosive interest, Kirishima felt a pang of surprise but kept his composure as he replied,
"Actually, I received a ticket. As the winner of the U.A. Sports Festival, you’re normally entitled to one, but the company I invested in was invited to the I Expo for the first time this year, and they sent me a ticket. I’m going in as an investor."
At his words, the students’ expressions gradually shifted.
Watching their faces twist into hyena-like masks of greed, Kirishima wondered if the ticket was really worth that much. After all, isn’t it essentially just another science fair?
"Ooh! Then give it to me!"
"Me too!"
"Hmm. There’s only one ticket, so how about we decide with rock-paper-scissors? The winner gets it. It even comes with a companion slot, which I’ll leave up to the victor."
"Okay!"
Kirishima quickly calmed the eager group, insisting they eat first before starting the game.
Soon enough, the students began devouring their lunch as if they were preparing for battle.
After lunch, back in the classroom, they gathered with solemn expressions, ready to settle the matter with rock-paper-scissors.
Watching the proceedings, Sho approached Bakugo and said,
"Bakugo."
"Huh? What is it?"
"I’ve got a spare companion slot this time. Want to join me?"
"What? Why me? We aren’t exactly close," Bakugo retorted.
"Getting to know each other better is never a bad thing. As you know, I can share my Quirk. From what I’ve analyzed, the three classmates who would benefit most from pairing up are Hagakure, Kaminari, and you, Bakugo," Sho explained.
Bakugo’s customary scowl softened slightly around his eyes at Sho’s words.
"So you’re trying to lure me in with a ticket?" he asked.
"Not exactly. You’re not the kind of person who’d fall for such bait anyway. But isn’t spending time together the basic way to get closer? Consider the ticket as a pretext for that."
"Hmm. But why me? There’s Way too, isn’t there? And even that invisible girl."
"Kaminari is over there playing rock-paper-scissors. Even if he weren’t, we’re already pretty close, so that’s fine. As for Hagakure, she’s a bit too energetic for my taste."
"I see. I’ll think about it," Bakugo replied.
"Alright. I’d appreciate it if you could decide quickly, as I have some preparations to take care of," Sho urged.
"Sure. I’ll let you know by tomorrow at the latest," Bakugo agreed.
While the two talked, the rock-paper-scissors match concluded. It may not have been a grand battle, but the earnest contest produced one clear winner: Tsuyu.
"Ribbit. I took part, but I never expected to win. Thanks, Kirishima," Tsuyu said.
"Yeah, I’m just passing on something I had left over. No need to feel burdened about it," Kirishima replied.
"Even if it’s something extra, I’m still grateful to receive it from you, Kirishima. Ribbit-ribbit," Tsuyu insisted.
"Well, true enough. Congratulations, anyway," Kirishima said, scratching his chin in a gesture of reluctant approval.
Now, the choice of companion was up to Tsuyu.
While the others crowded around her, Kirishima quietly began preparing for the afternoon class.
Another day passed just like that.
For most students, the period between exams and the start of summer vacation drags on endlessly, but Kirishima didn’t mind. He simply continued his studies and training as usual, and before he knew it, vacation had arrived.
After the end-of-term ceremony—which was no different from any other school’s—he set off for the airport with his companion, Ashido.
In the midst of the bustling crowd, Tsuyu and Hagakure, who had arrived ahead of schedule, were waiting for them.
"Wow! Tsuyu! Hagakure!"
"If you want to do that, I won’t stop you, but aren’t you a little embarrassed doing it in front of all these people?"
As Kirishima watched Ashido bounce excitedly and wave as though she hadn’t seen someone in years, he asked,
"So, what about your accommodations?"
Even though Hagakure’s face was impossible to read, Kirishima could somehow tell what she was thinking as he replied calmly,
"The company I invested in booked us a hotel. When I explained the situation, they even reserved two rooms."
"Ehh? Oh, right! I was wondering about that too! Just how much did you invest for a company to get invited to the I Expo—and then invite you?"
"Hmm? I was simply given preferential treatment as an early investor. It’s not like I’m rolling in money."
"An early investor? What kind of company was it, anyway? And more importantly, since when did you start investing?"
"Yeah! I was curious about that too! You never told me, Eiji," one of the girls teased.
For a moment, Kirishima hesitated, wondering if it was acceptable to discuss this now, then decided it wouldn’t be a problem.
Talking about money isn’t always great for relationships, but these kids were still innocent—and anyway, they weren’t about to live lives completely dictated by money.
After all, even if he had a lot, his wealth was modest by high school standards. Compared to real rich people, it was hardly anything, so he figured there was no harm in sharing the details.
"Why should I explain an investment in detail? When I first invested, it was in a company that was really nothing special."
"So? What kind of company was it?"
"Hmm. You might recognize the name—it's Tenma Communications. Basically, it’s a communications device company."
At Kirishima’s explanation, Ashido and Hagakure exchanged puzzled looks, just as he had anticipated.
Seeing this unfolding, Tsuyu set her coffee cup down and remarked,
"Isn’t that the company that advertises guaranteed connectivity no matter where you go? I think I came across them while scouting for related gear during my work experience at sea. Don’t they even sell survival watches?"
"Hmm? You know them? That’s surprising—they aren’t exactly mainstream. According to the president’s older brother, the so-called openness of communications is nothing more than a dangerously fragile illusion, and it’s Quirks that enable truly closed systems which aren’t affected by interference. Frankly, it sounds like nonsense, but their products are actually quite solid. That’s why, two years ago, I invested about eighty percent of the budget I had at the time into them."
"Ehh? So you were loaded even back then, Eiji?"
"Not exactly—I might have been rich for a middle schooler, but I wasn’t objectively wealthy. Even now, I don’t see myself as rich, although I do earn a lot more than I did back then."
Ashido’s golden eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer to Kirishima. Though her face wasn’t visible, the movement of her clothes suggested that Hagakure had done something similar.
"So, how much are we talking about?"
"Exactly! If they’re inviting you to an event like this and covering transportation and lodging, you must be making a ton!"
"You two, isn’t this a bit rude? Kirishima, you look uncomfortable," one of them chided.
Feeling grateful that at least one person in the group had some sense, Kirishima gently pushed the two back into their seats and said,
"I can’t give you an exact figure, but let’s just say it’s in the tens of millions."
"Eeeh! Tens of millions, not thousands?"
"Kirishima, you’re sharper than I thought..."
Watching the others recoil in shock, Kirishima simply shrugged. After all, once they became heroes, they’d probably be earning that much without breaking a sweat—it was natural for them to be a bit taken aback now, as they were still so young.
Tsuyu offered a strange assessment,
"Anyway, once you graduate and become heroes, you’ll be making tens of millions a year, so why react so strongly now?"
"It’s not that simple. These days, the hero market is saturated," one replied.
"No, with your potential, you’ll all become great heroes—and earn that kind of money. Besides, did you really think I was clueless?"
After a brief silence, Tsuyu answered,
"No, not clueless. It just seems like you’re interested in nothing except getting stronger."
"Hmm. That’s not entirely off the mark. Honestly, I started investing because money can cut down the time it takes to get stronger. And of course, having money does make life a bit easier."
Setting down his empty coffee cup, Kirishima addressed the girls,
"The point is, just because I have a bit of money doesn’t mean I’m a different person. So, treat me the same as always."
"Heehee. Got it," they replied.
"If that’s what you want, then of course!" one of them added.
"Alright, everyone, we should start moving soon. Ribbit," Tsuyu reminded.
At her cue, the girls gathered their empty cups and headed off to board the plane.
Interestingly, even though the tickets weren’t really interconnected—the students were of the same class rank—their seats turned out to be quite far apart.
Sitting by the window with Ashido, Kirishima watched the ground recede as the plane took off, thinking that it had been far too long since he’d taken a trip simply to relax, without any overriding purpose.
A pleasant journey toward the island of Quirks and science had begun.
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