My Hero Academia: Thunder God

Kyoka smiled at Kazama's eagerness, and once he was standing in front of Kaminari, she raised a hand to formally introduce them.

"Kaminari, this is the keyboard player I recommended to you, Kazama Gin. He's a first-year student in the Hero course at Seijin High School."

Then she turned to Kazama. "And this is—"

Kaminari waved his hand, stepping forward with a friendly grin and offering a handshake. "Kaminari Denki, first-year Hero course student at U.A. High. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, hello."

Kazama glanced at Kaminari's hand, hesitated for a brief moment, then shook it with a gentle, almost refined touch, giving off a calm and graceful vibe.

He seemed different from earlier when he'd greeted Kyoka—there had been an undeniable spark of excitement in his eyes when he saw her. But now, facing Kaminari, his expression was subdued, showing only a polite curiosity.

"Alright, now that the introductions are done, let's get straight to the point," Kaminari said, stepping past Kazama and moving to stand near Kyoka's electronic keyboard. He glanced around the room, taking in its cozy atmosphere. "I'm guessing you're on a bit of a time crunch too, right?"

Kazama nodded, getting to the heart of things. "You've already heard me play, and I really admire the songs you've written. I'd be thrilled to join the Pikachu Band."

Kaminari didn't answer right away, instead shifting gears with an unexpected question. "I heard from Kyoka that you're not actually interested in becoming a professional hero. So why did you apply to the Hero course in the first place? And when you didn't get into a top school, you still chose the Hero course at Seijin?"

Kazama's expression shifted slightly. He glanced at Kyoka, who stayed silent, and then looked back at Kaminari.

"I'm really not interested in being a hero," he admitted. "I only took the exam because Kyoka wanted to. For me, it didn't matter whether I ended up in the general studies program or the Hero course."

Inwardly, he thought, The real reason is because it gave me another thing in common with Kyoka. But... I didn't pass the U.A. entrance exam, so here I am.

Kaminari sighed. "I see. So that's probably why you didn't pass the U.A. exam, and why your grades in the Hero course at Seijin aren't great."

He looked at Kazama thoughtfully. "You've never focused on strengthening your Quirk, and you don't care about getting a Hero license, right?"

Kazama's face soured slightly. "Pretty much. My dream is to be a famous musician. Instead of wasting time on Quirks, I'd rather spend it listening to music and practicing."

"Does this have anything to do with joining the band?" he asked, clearly a bit irked.

"Actually, yes, it does."

Kaminari nodded, speaking as if it were obvious. "Because this 'Pikachu Band' isn't just some ordinary band."

"Huh?" Kazama blinked in confusion. What did he mean, 'not an ordinary band'?

"Don't you get it yet, dummy?" Kyoka interjected with a sigh, clearly a bit exasperated. "Think about it—who am I, who is Momo, and who is Kaminari?"

Kazama's blue eyes widened as he processed this. "Aren't you all... heroes? Wait—"

He turned to Kaminari, eyes widening in realization. "You want to form a band made up entirely of heroes!"

"Not quite," Kaminari corrected, shaking his head slightly. "It's a band made up of strong heroes, not just any heroes."

With a determined look, he continued, "I don't just want to be the top superstar. I want to be the best lightning Quirk user in the world. And if you're going to be part of this band, you'll have to aim for greatness too."

Kazama stared at him, mouth open in shock, then turned to Kyoka. 

Kyoka met Kaminari's gaze, a spark of determination in her eyes, and then nodded firmly. Kazama was momentarily speechless.

Kaminari stepped closer, his expression serious. "If you're not willing to grow stronger and put in the effort, you're not qualified to join the Pikachu Band."

Kazama looked down, deep in thought. Kaminari sighed, figuring the answer was clear. He whispered to Kyoka, "Sorry, let's go."

"Yeah." Kyoka cast one last glance at Kazama, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. She cared about him; they'd been friends for years. Kazama was always gentle and kind, especially towards her. But his lack of drive outside of music was frustrating.

As they reached the door, Kazama's voice stopped them.

"Wait."

Kaminari turned back, but Kazama wasn't looking at him. Instead, his gaze was focused on Kyoka. "Are you sure you want to go along with this craziness?"

Kyoka didn't hesitate. She nodded firmly, and Kazama's shoulders slumped slightly.

"Alright then."

He turned to Kaminari, a hint of a smile on his face. "How can I prove to you that I'm serious about getting stronger?"

Kaminari raised an eyebrow. "Really? You can change your mind that quickly?"

Kazama chuckled to himself, It's not about my dream. It's about standing by Kyoka's side.

"Look, I know just saying 'I'll do it' won't be enough for you. So give me a condition," Kazama replied, his voice steady.

Kaminari considered him thoughtfully, then his face brightened with an idea. "Alright. You've heard of the provisional Hero license exam that Hero course students across the country take, right?"

Kazama nodded, already guessing where this was going.

"That's right," Kaminari confirmed. "If you pass and earn a provisional Hero license, I'll formally invite you to join the Pikachu Band as our keyboardist."

He held out his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Deal!" Kazama responded immediately, shaking Kaminari's hand with renewed confidence. He wasn't one for hesitation, and once he'd made up his mind, there was no going back.

"When the time comes, I'll be waiting for that invitation."

His eyes drifted to Kyoka, a quiet determination in his gaze. No matter what, I'll be by your side.

I gave up my grades and focused on music for you. Now, I'll give my all to become stronger for you too.

Kyoka couldn't read his thoughts, but she was still thrilled by his decision, a small smile lighting up her face.

Kaminari tilted his head curiously. "By the way, I don't think I ever asked—what's your Quirk? You don't seem to have any visible physical mutation."

Kazama lifted his azure bangs with a casual gesture. "It's an engine-type Quirk."

He raised one hand, palm open, and after a brief pause, a gentle, white cloud-like mist began to gather in his hand.

"They call it 'Flowing Cloud.'"

He glanced up at the ceiling, and then, almost absent-mindedly, raised his arms, watching the mist swirl around his palms.