Chapter 5: Is Yoshikage Kira a Hero?
From what Yoshikage Kira knew, although Endeavor looked like a villain—a muscular man with his upper body, arms, and legs wreathed in roaring flames and a beard made of fire—his intimidating presence surpassed even the most vicious of criminals. He consistently ranked in the top ten on the "Heroes Who Look Like Villains" list.
On the other hand, Endeavor was incredibly active as a Pro Hero in all sorts of crises and was a powerful deterrent to villains. He and All Might were like two unshakable pillars supporting the peace in Japan.
"Are you talking about that Endeavor?" Camie Utsushimi seemed to share Yoshikage's inability to understand Inasa's resentment. "He looks mean and has a bad temper, but he's surprisingly a good guy, you know?"
Yoshikage didn't answer, but Inasa could tell from his expression that he held the same opinion—a good person who just looked terrifying.
"Ah, maybe you're right."
Inasa gave a bitter smile, then suddenly looked up and stared at Camie. "None of that matters. What's important is whether I can get a recommendation to Shiketsu High. Besides U.A., the best Hero Course I can think of is Shiketsu."
In the hero world, there was a saying: "U.A. in the East, Shiketsu in the West." A great number of Pro Heroes graduated from the Hero Courses of these two high schools, and Shiketsu High was the only school whose reputation and quality of education could rival U.A.'s.
"That's right."
While Yoshikage and Inasa hadn't touched any food, the girl had gone so far as to order more pastries, like macarons, and was eating them with relish. Yoshikage, getting a little fed up, lifted the plate so she couldn't reach the desserts.
Camie puffed out her cheeks before properly introducing herself.
"Shiketsu High might not be as flashy as U.A., but we're very strong. Every year, many of our students get their hero licenses. We also welcome talented students to apply. I'm a student from Shiketsu's affiliated junior high, and I was chosen as the school's recruitment ambassador." She made a peace sign like she was posing for a photo and tilted her head cutely. "I mean, look, aren't I cute~"
Seeing Yoshikage's expression start to darken again, Camie dropped the cute act and continued, "Actually, the school offers one exam-free admission slot each year. Of course, we can't just give it to you unconditionally. You have to prove your strength."
"Normally, this spot would have already been given out, but..." Camie glanced at Inasa before continuing. "This has something to do with you, too. The spot was originally reserved for Endeavor's son, Shoto Todoroki. Everything was already arranged, but then U.A. High suddenly announced that All Might would be teaching there. Endeavor changed his mind and sent his son to U.A.'s Hero Course instead."
"So you're saying that spot is still open?" Yoshikage cut in.
"Exactly," Camie confirmed with a nod.
"Hahaha..." Inasa suddenly laughed. "How ironic. I chose to leave U.A. because of Endeavor, and now, because of him, I have a chance to get into Shiketsu..."
Camie leisurely sipped her nearly-empty tea. "So, what will you do? Are you going to give up? This is related to Endeavor, you know."
Inasa clenched his fist and slowly shook his head. "Hating Endeavor is just my personal feeling. It has nothing to do with my goal of becoming a hero. Even if I'm just picking up a leftover opportunity, I can't just give up on it."
"However, getting this spot won't be easy," Camie suddenly threw cold water on his enthusiasm. "You have to pass an incredibly difficult test. Hmm, probably several times harder than the U.A. recommendation exam."
Inasa flashed a confident smile, just like All Might's. "Difficulty isn't something that limits my abilities. On the contrary, the more my back is against the wall, the more my potential shines through."
Inasa tried to clap Yoshikage on the shoulder, but he silently dodged it.
This guy really is like a hot-blooded protagonist, Yoshikage thought to himself. Not that I dislike it.
"But what does any of this have to do with me?" Yoshikage suddenly interjected. "I'm just a waiter. Why are you letting me in on all of this?"
Although Inasa would most likely run over and tell him everything later, that had nothing to do with Camie's attitude toward him. Why would she let someone completely unrelated to the matter listen in?
"You want to know why...?" Camie suddenly grabbed both of Yoshikage's hands, her eyes sparkling with the fervent adoration of a fan meeting their idol. "It's because I wanted to meet you. My hero."
"Do you remember what happened a year ago? At the bank... you stood in front of the villains, didn't you? While everyone else was cowering with their heads down, even when they pointed their guns at you, you still had the courage to face them, buying time for the police..."
Yoshikage did have some memory of the incident Camie was talking about.
At the time, he had wanted to deposit his wages into his bank account. While he was being served, several armed men suddenly burst in to rob the bank. He hadn't wanted to get involved; as long as his own money was deposited, he didn't care how much the bank lost.
But unexpectedly, one of the robbers had no sense at all and pointed a gun at him, trying to snatch the bag in his hands.
Are you kidding me!? That was money he had earned through his own hard work. How dare someone who reaped what they didn't sow try to take it?
Yoshikage remembered saying a few words, probably taunting all of them. Although one of them looked like he was about to attack him, they heard the police shouting from the entrance. They hastily took him hostage and tried to escape with several sacks of money.
Perhaps because of him, the police were hesitant to act. The Pro Heroes who arrived on the scene also held back because of the guns, allowing the group of criminals to slowly gain the upper hand.
And then, just like in the play at the Hero Festival, All Might descended from the sky like a god. He stood there openly and, with a speed the criminals couldn't react to, instantly rescued him.
The incident caused quite a stir at the time. Society blamed the incompetence of the police and the inaction of the Pro Heroes. The sentiment that "this country is only getting better because we have All Might" spread throughout Japan.
"All Might was the one who resolved that situation, wasn't he? It shouldn't have much to do with me," Yoshikage questioned. If she was there, shouldn't she know that he had been just as inactive as the other heroes?
...Well, okay, he had actually done something. He had placed a bomb on the bastard who pointed a gun at his head. After he was rescued as the "lucky victim," he had secretly detonated it from within the crowd. Barring any healing from a "Quirk," that man was probably going to be bedridden for the rest of his life.
Camie imitated Yoshikage's tone from that day. "'If you choose to stop now, I will let the police give you a way out. But if you continue to point that gun at me, I don't mind making you spend the rest of your lives in prison.' That's what you said, right? I was right behind you!"
Did I really say something that cringe-worthy? He must have been furious about his money being threatened to blurt out something so villain-like without thinking.
Ah, how can I silence this person who knows my dark history... Yoshikage thought to himself, starting to bite his fingernails in agitation.