MHA: GAMER PATH

Chapter 134: UA School Festival Arc (7)

~Third POV~

[9:50 AM, UA Highschool, Forest, Japan]

"CAW!!!"

The murder crows all charged at Bibimi on top of her tank as Kendo cried out dashing over to help, "Watch out!"

But Bibimi calmly pushed a button on her control panel as she screamed out loud as if naming an ultimate move, "Dine on this! Goddess Zephyr!"

*Click*

The robot's eyelashes began to flap up and down, instantly creating a series of complex air currents that caught the crows in their grasp and flung the birds high into the air, as if by a passing tornado.

Everyone's jaws dropped, and Bibimi pressed another button smugly, "Now, come quietly! Confectionary Sigh!"

*Click*

This time, the robot launched a lacy net of glittery white thread from its mouth that enveloped the crows and sent them hurtling to the ground. But just before impact, a small parachute popped open, making for a gentle landing.

An image of Bibimi's face decorated the parachute, too, of course. Kendo was dumbfounded by this capture operation that had come in like a sudden squall and subdued the crows without harming a feather on their heads.

Smugly reclaiming her stolen necklace, finally putting it back on as she said, "These Corvidae cretins certainly gave us a run for our money."

Haya then spoke up as she reached into her pocket and took out the nail they'd found in the high heel earlier, "There's one more thing, though… Where'd this come from, huh?"

Revealing the nail they'd found in the high heel earlier Bibimi thought for a minute before she explained, "Why, we use those nails in the Support Course, but the only person using ones of that size at the moment is… Mei."

Prompted by Kenranzaki, Mei took a look at the nail as she bluntly said shamelessly, "Huh? Oh, yeah. When I dropped by your greenroom this morning, I stuck that nail in a shoe where I knew you'd find it to let you know I'd been there."

Haya's eyes twitched as she asked, confused, "Why the shoe?"

Mei explained innocently as if what she said bluntly made sense to the group, "Well, it might've rolled right off the table, right? But she'd be sure to notice it while putting on her heels."

But that was when Ren asked in a confused tone, "Yes, but why a nail?"

Mei nonchalantly answered, shrugging her arms as she began to get ready to leave in an excited tone, "Kenranzaki's in the Support Course too, so she knows the nails I use better than anyone! But I guess I picked the wrong green room. Oops, sorry! Anyway, I'm short on time, so we'll have to pick this up again later! Thanks so much for the help, everyone!"

Mei's feet were already moving as she said her thanks, and she raced off to the exhibition with a remote in hand. She was out of sight by the time Bibimi shouted one final time, "Take a bath, you!"

Finishing her shout, she turned to the rest of the group and thanked them kindly, "I must also thank you for assisting my first year."

Seeing her polite bow, Kendo blurted, "No prob! Really."

Ren then followed up with a slight nod, accepting the praise. However, Nejire, her eyes swiveling up to the Bibimi's face tank, asked excitedly as she could hardly contain her childlike excitement, "Yeah, more importantly… What the heck is this thing, Kenranzaki? It's nuts!"

Seeing the genuine praise, Bibimi replied proudly and smugly, asking Nejire, "Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho! So, you're a fan of my armored vehicle? If you truly appreciate my work, say the word, and I will create a support item or two just for you."

But Nejire shook her head as she bluntly said, "Nah, your stuff's not my style."

That was when Bibimi answered suddenly in a huff over this differing of opinions, "Hmph! You have no eye for beauty, in that case!"

However, Haya tried to explain but still seemingly held back a bit like she'd been doing all day, "Nejire's a little more minimalist. More cutesy than gaudy."

Nejire walked over, smiled, and made a declaration in her usual innocent way, "And you're you, Yuyu."

This caused her to be confused, but Nejire continued explaining, encouraging her friend in an honest tone, "That's what I wanted to say before. You were all like, 'I'm not myself,' but even when you're not acting like yourself, that's still part of you, Yuyu. Even when you get all anxious or when you wish you were another way that's the whole package, and that package is my good friend."

Kendo's eyes grew wide as she thought, looking at herself in self-reflection, 'All just parts of the package, huh?'

This made Haya surprised but she looked enraged and miserable all at once as she muttered, "But what if I hate some parts of myself?"

*Slap*

Nejire mimed slapping her cheeks and glanced at Kendo as she responded declaring in a proud tone, "At those times… rev yourself up!"

Kendo recalled her cheek-slapping routine from earlier. It caused Haya to be confused, but Nejire explained to her friend, "Well, cuz it's all about taking that stuff you don't like and seeing it in a better light! Like, I'm going on and on about wanting to win this pageant cuz I know how happy that'd make you, Yuyu. And cuz I can't just sit back and accept being a runner-up!"

Haya couldn't help but laugh helplessly as she commented to her friend, "I guess you are a sore loser, Nejire."

Nejire responds with a cheerful grin on her face as she fist bumps into the air, puffing out her chest, declaring determined, "Yup, so I'm gonna rev myself up, and I'm gonna win this thing!"

Her cheerful words made Haya smile, and the smile gave way to tears rising in the corners of her eyes, "Careful, Nejire, your Quirk's gonna squirt out."

After this pep talk from her dear friend, she had no choice but to keep doing her best. Haya turned to Bibimi, trying to apologize, "Um, Kenranzaki, I'm …sorry about before…"

But Bibimi laughing off Haya's timid apology being chill with her accusing her of cheating earlier, "Think nothing of it, oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!"

Thinking hard about Nejire's words and seeing these smiling faces around her, Kendo felt a sudden lightness in her own chest. She might not feel like herself sometimes, but there was no denying those other facets.

She wasn't put in a funk even when she didn't feel feminine enough or when trying to be someone. That was still all her.

As if reading her thoughts, Ren casually said what she needed to hear in her head, calmly leaning his back against the tree, "I'm always gonna be me since there's nobody else I can be. And I'm good with that. I'm good with who I am… is that what you were thinking, Kendo-san?"

With a cheeky, knowing grin, Kendo turned her face around, pouting lightly, being that easy-to-read till she thought in a stunned tone, 'Wait a second… did the Class Rep only send me to this Beauty Pageant just to cheer me up?'

Before she could voice her question, it was at that moment a pageant committee member ran over to the group in a panic, "You're all contestants, right? We've been searching for you high and low! The show's about to begin soon!"

Kenranzaki turned to Nejire and Kendo, smiling confidently and encouraging her rivals, "Let us give them a noble, proper, and, above all else, beautiful show to remember!"

Nejire then asked with a grin that caused Bibimi to smile back, and the group hurried off to the stage, "As gorgeous and magnificent as the kanji in your name?"

Watching the two older girls run, Kendo felt a relaxed smile emerge. Noticing Kendo's expression, Ren asked curiously, "What's up?"

She smiled as she replied confidently, being inspired by Bibimi and Nejire, "I'm gonna tackle this as me. The best way I know how."

Kendo realized that Bibimi and Nejire weren't competing based on some preconceived notion of feminine beauty; what they were pitted against each other was what made each of them beautiful. If anything, those two were shining examples of being true to oneself.

However, Ren noticed that Kendo's dress looked a bit ripped as he pointed out, "Hmm? Kendo, your dress …"

Kendo blinked as she stated the obvious tone, "Huh? Oh. It's ripped."

Indeed, the hem of her dress had a tear in it, probably from getting caught on a branch while she was crawling around in the woods. Noticing this Ren made his offer to repair her dress, "I'll have to mend it really quickly."

Hearing the offer, Kendo thought for a moment and turned down the offer in a calm tone, saying, "That's okay. I'm probably gonna rip even worse later."

With a curious expression, raising an eyebrow, he asked, "You sure?"

Kendo nodded her head as she replied with an air of confidence around her and said in a determined tone, "Yeah. And actually—can you make some lumber with your Quirk? I have a plan in mind, but first… did you send me to the Beauty Pageant to help my confidence in myself?"

Ren, hearing this, paused briefly before ultimately nodding his head and responding in a kind tone, "Yeah. I noticed how you seemed to be a bit depressed lately and heard some mentions of you being compared to Momo during the Internships with Uwabami. I figured you needed a confidence boost to help you mentally. That and you seemed to have an issue with people saying with you acting like a tomboy or others say you should be more like a woman…"

He lightly laughed as he explained, eyeing Kendo, causing her heart to skip a beat as he said calmly, "But… I think the way you are is just fine. When Aizawa mentioned we had the option to send one of our classmates here, I figured this would be the chance to help you out being fine and being yourself."

Kendo smiled brightly, seeing her Class Rep looking after his classmates in his way, helping them. She smiled lightly, thanking him for the chance in a kind tone, "If that's the case, thanks for helping me out. You certainly helped me out more than you think, Ren-san. But hopefully, everyone in our class is doing well at the concert."

Nodding in agreement, they both proceeded to get ready for the Beauty Pageant. With a new plan to showcase what made her, Kendo smiled again. Gleaming in the sun, hers was the face of someone aiming for the top.

/////

[10 AM, UA Highschool, Gym Gamma, Japan]

Meanwhile, at the Gym Gamma, everyone who went to the Class 1-A concert was waiting in anticipation of their performance. Nighteye, Mirio, and Eri were all waiting patiently as the people got all rowdy about the performance ahead.

"Wonder how Class 1-A's thing gonna turn out?"

"Yeah, I wonder what's their plan…"

"I heard it was something fun for all?"

"Oh!"

"It's starting!"

"C'mon first years!!"

The curtain soon revealed the group of Class 1-A all prepared, with Bakugo starting everything off with a bang of his [Explosion] Quirk, "Let's do this, dammit!!"

*BOOOM*

Starting with an explosive start, Class 1-A all began their parts from the band, dance, and crew squads, all using their Quirks to make a flashy show. As everyone was performing proudly and happily, Jiro played her part as she thought happily, 'Mom. Dad. I wanna be a hero. I've been afraid that my hobbies aren't the same as what I love the most. But given the last few weeks…'

*Float*

*Float*

Floating people into the air, she fived Ochaco and Sero, producing tape to keep them safe as the crowd went wild from the concert Jiro continued to think as she sang to heart content, 'I've come to learn that music and heroism aren't so different. And it was thanks to him of all people to help me realize that fact…'

Her eyes gestured to Ren and Kinoko on stage performing a starlight spore stage with Toru shooting lights to make them glow as Jiro thought in a thankful tone, '… Thanks, Ren, for showing me the way that I can combine my love for music with my heroism…!!'

While all of that was happening, Mirio and Night smiled as Eri was smiling happily from the show as they thought proudly, 'Well done, Ren, you made Eri smile…'

As this was going on, La Brava and Gentle both watched, amazed by the performance, contemplating the choices that Ren had given to them and if truly upstaging them was a wise idea to begin with, seeing how many people were smiling…