MHA: GAMER PATH

Chapter 169: Hot Pot Party to Get Fire Up!

~Third POV~

[Early-January, UA Highschool, Heights Alliance, Japan]

The work studies had occupied the entire winter break, and the first day of the new school term had finally arrived. Just as the students of class 1-A were about to give a practical demonstration of what they had learned and accomplished over the break, Aizawa and Present Mic got a call from the police summoning them to the prison known as Tartarus.

The authorities realized that the numerous foreign villains that attacked or attempted to capture Ren Yuki had ties to the League of Villains. The two teachers had traveled to the prison where they were held in hopes of finding out more, and the trip had paid off with a key hint concerning the Paranormal Liberation Front's plot.

Later that very day, Aizawa comforted Eri over her horn—which had begun to tingle—and gave a pep talk to All Might. Meanwhile, the kids of class 1-A were all in their dorm building's common area, holding a work-study share session and a hot pot party to fire them up for the new term.

Then, their next-door neighbors showed up, "Knock, knock!"

Still gathered around the hot pots, the members of class A turned to the front entrance to see the girls of class B walk through the door. Setsuna Tokage was in the lead, with Ibara Shiozaki, Pony Tsunotori, and Reiko Yanagi in tow.

Ren Yuki, seeing them stepping into his role as class president, happily said, "Please, come on in!"

He, Momo Yaoyorozu, Ochaco Uraraka, and a few others moved toward the door to greet the newcomers with shouts of, "Welcome, welcome!"

This was hardly the first interclass visit, so no one was feeling particularly shy about mingling. Setsuna said, handing Momo a bag. "Here is a little something from us. Just some drinks and snacks for after dinner."

Momo happily took it as she commented with a light smile, "You didn't have to!"

Denki Kaminari came running up to Pony, who was carrying a few sofas that she'd brought with her Quirk. Denki said excitedly, stretching out his own hand in an overly eager attempt to look good in front of these girls, "Lemme take those off your hands!"

However, Yanagi used her [Poltergeist] Quirk to levitate the sofas out of Pony's hands and horns toward the sitting area as she said calmly, "That's fine. We got this."

Noticing this, Midoriya, Shinso, and Shoto Todoroki shifted the existing ottomans and sofas out of the way to make room. Yanagi lowered the new furniture into place, and Kodai grew the snacks and drinks with the effects of her Quirk.

His attempt to impress was foiled. The speechless Kaminari could only grin awkwardly as Ren chuckled and said cheekily, having seen through his friend's intentions, "Swing and a miss, Kaminari!"

Denki protested at Ren's claims of helping set the hotpots, "Huhh? I'm a gentleman to everyone, though!"

Ren shook his head, and Jiro overheard Denki's words as she said, clearly disgusted, "Moron."

Hearing her harsh comment, Denki tried to defend himself in protest, "Aw, come on. Can't a coupla guys dream?"

Jiro merely 'humped' at him and felt the urge to protect the class B guests from her not-so-pure-minded classmates. Beside her, Tsuyu Asui suddenly looked toward the front door as she asked the class-B girls, "Hmm? Will this be all of you?"

Setsuna looked a bit sheepish as she apologized in advance in a soft tone, "Naw, the boys are coming too, of course. It might take a minute… given what they're bringing. And seriously, class A, sorry in advance."

Class A wasn't sure how to react to that preemptive apology as Mina asked, "Sorry about what?"

Katsuki Bakugo stopped eating for a second and looked like he'd swallowed something bitter as he bluntly stated, "If class B's got something to be sorry about, you don't gotta guess twice about who's to blame."

The rest of class A came to the same realization, and suddenly, as if he'd been waiting for this perfect timing to make his entrance, none other than class B's perennial troublemaker and class A hater came bursting through the door as he arrogantly says, "Howdy! Kept you waiting, didn't I? Dying of anticipation, I bet?"

Everyone in Class 1-A realized it was Neito Monoma, whose intense love for his own class B fueled a powerful rivalry with Class A, at least in his mind. Todoroki replied bluntly as he slurped down a string of chives that he'd chopped poorly, "No. Nobody here was dying of anything…?"

Ignoring the blunt retort, Monoma strolled into the building and practically skipped over to the bubbling hot pots on the table. It was when Ida spoke up, prompting Sero to hand out bowls and chopsticks to the guests, "There's enough food for everyone and then some, so please, enjoy!"

But it wasn't hunger that drove Monoma; the glint in his eyes was that of a critic as he began, "I see a soy milk hot pot? And kimchi over there? Then we have a yosenabe… and tan-tan sesame. Do I have that right?"

Monoma had correctly identified class A's culinary creations, all four of which were standard staples of the Japanese hot pot world. Each kid was sitting in front of his or her favorite of the four as he continued, "Heh… A regular lineup of bog-standard clichés, I'd say."

It was when a troubled Ren class A's unofficial chief asked in a concerned tone, "Whaddaya mean? These are quality dishes?"

Ren had overseen the preparation of every hot pot; he wasn't the type to offer guests anything subpar. Denki added, defending Ren's work, "Too true, Ren! We all worked real hard on these guys, so you gotta try 'em before talking smack!"

Monoma stared blankly at Denki as he spoke up in a condescending tone, expressing a snarky grin, "Kaminari… Do you really think I paid a visit to your den of inadequacy just to try hot pots made by class A, of all people?"

However, Ida spoke up, raising a hand emphatically as he declared, "Worry not! We also plan to swap stories about our work studies in hopes of further edification!"

Making an excuse on the spot, Monoma casually replied to Ida's idea calmly, stating, "All in good time… But I'm alluding to the hot pots prepared by class B! Ones far more delicious than these!"

Class A was stunned silent, and just then, the rest of the class B boys arrived at the front door. They hadn't come empty-handed; as Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu said, "We got the goods, Monoma!"

Then, the two newest arrivals were gingerly carrying a hot pot of their own, as were Juzo Honenuki and Yosetsu Awase Kosei Tsuburaba asked, "Why'd you get to make a solo entrance, huh?"

Trying to get through, Juzo asked his classmates in a calm tone, holding his hotpot, "Pardon us! Ah, don't worry about bowls and chopsticks. We brought our own."

Observing them carrying their items, Ida smiled and, with a bow, said, "How thoughtful of you! Oh, are those hot pots I spy? I assure you, we had already made enough for your class as well."

Monoma smirked, challenging class 1-A as he pointed a dismissive finger at class A's pots and said in a confident tone, "Foolish class A… These hot pots are our way of throwing down the gauntlet! A competition is about to unfold, and we shall all learn whose concoctions are tastier!"

Seeing that the declaration of war had left class A confused, Setsuna apologized again with a weary grin, "Sorry, guys. He just doesn't listen to reason when he gets like this…"

Her weary smile hinted at her thankless role as Monoma's babysitter. Meanwhile, the class B boys had set their two pots on the table as Ochaco, who was the closest thing class A had to a gourmand, said happily, "Smells yummers!"

Not missing a beat, Monoma leaned in close to her as he asked, being too hasty, "Right? Right? Just imagine how delicious they taste!"

Ochaco yelped back, "Eek!"

Continuing to bother her, Monoma said eagerly towards her, "Go on, then. Give them a try! … Urk!"

*Smack*

A swift chop to the neck from Setsuna put a temporary stop to Monoma's madness as she said, "Sorry again."

But Monoma was only out cold for a second; the sheer desire to see class A defeated seemed to animate his body and bring him back to life as he said, "Well? Shall we get this competition started?"

For once, Ida suggested not bothering to make it a competition and said, "Competition? Nonsense. Why don't we all just enjoy this meal?"

Monoma turned his head to Bakugo in hopes of sparking conflict as he said challengingly at him in hopes of egging him, "Ohh, I suppose you're all scared of losing to our hot pots. Tell me, are you scared, Bakugo?"

However, Bakugo answered, not taking the obvious bait, "Huh? Couldn't care less."

Having failed to light class A's shortest fuse, Monoma was at a momentary loss as he was caught off guard. During his work studies under Endeavor, Bakugo got his 'character development' understanding of the difference in Pro Hero work thanks to Best Jeanist recommendation.

Monoma was always one to think on his feet, however, so he now set his sights on the kimchi hot pot that Bakugo was enjoying as he mocked it, "No, I'm afraid your cooking can't compete with ours in the least. Take that kimchi one, for instance. Looks to me like you've just tossed some kimchi in a pot and called it a day! No creativity! No imagination!"

*CLACK*

Bakugo set his chopsticks down with a loud clack as he slowly said, "You got beef with my kimchi hot pot, do ya?"

Shaking his head slyly, grinning, getting Bakugo's attention, he said in a mocking tone, "Beef? No, I'm simply tossing out my thoughts."

Getting angry at someone mocking his hotpot dish, he got up angrily, saying, "Toss some of this down your stupid throat first, then!"

Sensing him getting angsty, Ren uses his [Blackwhip], grabbing him as he tries to lunge at Monoma. He calmly says, arms crossed, "I prepared the soup base for this hot pot. And Bakugo provided the spicy elements, with lots of tasting and adjusting along the way! It's not just spicy, mind you. The rich, savory blend is complex enough to complement the pork belly and veggies!"

Eijiro Kirishima, moved by the kimchi hot pot's stirring backstory now standing up, said in an amazed tone, "You poured that much love into it, Bakugo? That explains why it's so darn tasty! Listen, gang; I think we oughta accept this challenge since there's no way our pots will lose!"

Always the types to go with the flow, Kaminari and Hanta Sero cheered on the decision, and with that, it was settled. Ren, seeing this, sighed, grabbing ahold of his hotpot and steadily preparing some emergency supplies as he thought, 'Sigh… I'll go get the emergency supplies… and feed that copycat my soup to shut him up. No one disrespects my culinary arts and gets away with it!'

Some brought up the concern that each taste tester might just vote for their own class's creations, but in the end, the members of classes A and B agreed to rely on the honor system; they swore on their pride as future heroes to give the prize to the tastiest hot pot of all. To start, class B would try class A's, each getting a good reaction.

"Mm! Tasty!"

"I could go for ten bowls of the soy milk one!"

"I wish I could pour the kimchi broth over other food as a topping!"

"Gotta be the yosenabe for me."

"I could seriously get addicted to the tan-tan sesame hot pot."

Class A was thrilled by the positive reactions to the food they'd made. But when they came to Ren, the students of Class B paused, seeing emergency supplies on the side as Setsuna, the friendly member of the group, asked in a confused tone, "Okay… isn't that a bit much getting emergency gear and a mid-kit for tasting your food? And why add butter into a sock?"

Ren simply nodded as he bluntly said, crossing his arms and preparing his sock butter, "I just have a gut feeling, is all. It isn't the first time it has happened. And another thing: don't underestimate the butter sock."

Monoma, slyly grinning, went ahead, making his boast on Ren as he grabbed a teaspoon, opening his hotpot, "Hahaha! You mean to say that the protégé of All Might – Ack?!!"

*THUD*

Not bothering to listen to Monoma's dribble, he stuffed his mouth with his hotpot soup teaspoon, forcing the troublesome kid to swallow. As he did so, his eyes turned to the back of his head, and he fell, seemingly at peace, completely knocked out.

"MONOMA!!"

Some of his classmates grabbed him, checking out of concern with Setsuna, asking in a concerned tone, "Oi! Pretty boy, what the heck did you put in your Hotpot to make him knock out?!"

Class A seemingly had a deadpan expression as they listened to Ren's words, explaining himself calmly, "Nothing bad. He just got knocked out from good food exposure from my LV.100 MAX Cooking skills."

Class B blinked as Pony asked blankly, "You mean he's in a food coma?"

Ren snapped his fingers, agreeing to her words with a sly smile, "Bingo! He'll be out for, say, a few hours… that gonna be a problem?"

Setsuna merely grinned at the idea, shaking her head and getting the chance of having Monoma not ruining their visit, "None at all! We'll continue this with him knocked out. He'll come to eventually, right, guys?"

Ren smirked as he twirled the butter sock and said, "That's why I have the butter sock, just in case."

Seeing the chance, they all agreed as things between Class B and A got along to their original purpose of the hotpot party. Discussing their experiences of the work studies they've gone through.

The tumultuous first night of the term was winding down, and tomorrow, the students would be busy with classes and work studies. Perhaps they wouldn't have been quite so excited for spring if only they'd known of the horrors that fast approached.

/////

[Nighttime, UA Highschool, Heights Alliance – Ren's Dorm, Japan]

*Beep*

Later, when everyone was about to go to sleep, Ren was about to go to sleep when his phone rang. Raising an eyebrow at the sudden call, he picked it up, asking in a confused tone, "Sup, All Might! What's up?"

Being casual, he picked up the seriousness in his tone, perking himself up as All Might explained, "Afraid not good news, my student. But it seems like the World Heroes Association is convening operatives on a global scale. Something that will drastically change the world. Tell me, my protégé, are you ready to save the world?"

This caught Ren's immediate attention. His expression changed his understanding of what was next in a serious tone, 'So it's time, huh? The World Heroes Mission Movie event… time to game on!'

/////

A/N: Finally, we reach the next arc, small but understandable. The World Heroes Mission Arc is coming up next.