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The surgery would be in a week.
Tenya Iida was stressed out of his mind, his normally cool and collected persona shaken to the core. The surgery would be in a week, and he would have to rely on some unknown surgeon, hoping they would really be able to fix Tensei’s spine. He knew that the technology for the surgery was still experimental, and that was what made Tenya so anxious. It was five years since the attack where Stain had crippled Tensei…what if his spine had worsened? What if the procedure hurt him further? What if, what if, what if…
It was too much to think about, so Tenya had gone out for a run.
Running cleared his mind. There was only him, the pavement beneath his sneakers, and the music on his headphones, an ergonomic piece of kit that would stay on even when running full speed; an invention Mei Hatsume had created after some prodding by Izuku. It had been a good way to buy Tenya’s forgiveness after his humiliation at the first year Sports Festival…but Tenya wasn’t one for grudges anyway.
Thus, with some tunes to his liking (and which he would never reveal to his brother, lest he be teased forever), Tenya started, a quick jog to clear his mind. “When you’re going to a fight, run. When you can’t win the fight, run. When you need to go to the bathroom, run. When you are overwhelmed by bad stuff, and feeling bad? We’ll go for a run together, and we’ll talk about it. I’ll always be here for you, baby brother.” Those had been Tensei’s words, so long ago now. Remembering them, especially the last part…it hurt. That was why the surgery had to succeed, without their runs, Tenya felt incomplete.
What good was being a pro hero? What good was being the inheritor of the Ingenium title? What good was any of that, when all he really wanted was to jog again with his brother?
The music cheered his mood about a kilometre into the run. The dark thoughts were replaced by the calm emptiness of the “runner’s high” by five kilometres, and by ten, he was smiling. There was nothing to fear! The Iida family, Team IdaTen, his friends…they were all with him. He was not alone, and Tensei was well taken care of. That surgeon had to be the very best to get recommended, after all!
Kilometre after kilometre, mile after mile, Tenya discovered the city he was in. It was fun, in a methodical sort of way, to get to see every nook and cranny of a town with a fast jog. Because he wasn’t home in Tokyo; the Iidas had travelled to Osaka. A beautiful city, home to the honoured Shiketsu High, and with a skyline that opened up before Tenya’s eyes as he ran. Thanks to the (mostly unsung) environmentalist heroes that made the city their home, and its proximity to the sea, Osaka’s air was incredibly refreshing and vitalizing.
What had started as a frustration run had quickly turned to a half marathon. Even while slowing down for other runners in Osaka’s paths, he was making good time and seeing plenty of sights; the Umeda Sky Building, the aquarium, even the entrance to Universal Studios Japan. He chuckled at remembering his classmates innocently thinking that the USJ facility UA owned was Universal Studios, just based on the acronym!
That reminded him of the upcoming graduate meetup. It had been two years, almost three, since they had gone up to that podium to get their diplomas from Nezu’s small rodent hands. Before going their separate ways, the hero classes had thrown a huge party, full of great happenings and love confessions; Kirishima had surprised everyone when asking out Tsuyu, Shinsou and Ashido disappearing after a while had raised a few eyebrows, and to the delight of Iida and Izuku, Ochako and Bakugou had finally gotten together.
Their dance had been quite romantic and not in the least bit clumsy; it seemed the two had rehearsed it a lot. For about two years Izuku and Tenya had been rooting for them, since noticing Bakugou’s interest, and had done their best to set them up together. Izuku’s idea of a 2x1 coupon at Gunhead Martial Arts had been genius; Ochako’s one week of training had started showing when even Hagakure had gotten aware of the moves!
And Bakugou was always glad to get new fighting techniques, which was the way Tenya had pitched the idea. How that had also sparked a strong bond between Tenya and Bakugou, he would never know, but at the moment of graduating, the explosive fellow was among his closest friends.
Tenya had gone alone to the “prom” (since that was what Sero had insisted on calling it, influenced by his guest, Melissa Shield), just thankful to spend time with all his friends and classmates one last time before heading out to the wide world of pro heroism, and, more troubling for some, adulthood. Tenya had not really felt the need to date in high school; they had to learn the most they could, or they could end up dead in an alleyway, and thus there wasn’t the time or the focus.
And most of all, there hadn't been a special someone. He didn’t have a crush he couldn’t hope to hide, like Bakugou, or a vague romance that he could hide, like Izuku. When people had said he would have made a good couple with Ochako, he had felt it extremely strange; he cared for her like a little sister. With Momo? Nah, he just imagined the two of them filing paperwork together! Nope, Tenya just felt that all of class A were like his siblings, and class B some sort of cousins…
He shook his head, a smile on his face. He wondered if two years later those relationships would still be going strong, and realized just how much he missed them all. Taking over fully for Tensei on Team Idaten hadn't fully isolated him from his classmates, he still saw Izuku, Ochako and Bakugou frequently, and took patrols with Shouto at times as well, but he was curious now. What had been of everyone?
Happy that he had take his mind off from stressing over Tensei, Tenya slowed down as he entered Utsubo Park. Trees, grass, well kept paths…especially in the sunset, it was a gorgeous place to be, and he wanted to savour every moment. Having slowed down to a jog, he noticed quite a few couples strolling around or having late evening picnics. His mind was all in romance today, wasn’t it?
He saw a small stand selling ice cream about a hundred meters ahead, his eyes focusing on the target as sharply as if he was zeroing in on a fleeing villain. After twenty-five kilometres, he could really use a drink of water, and that stand was bound to serve them!
But focused as he was, he didn’t see a fellow jogger until he bumped into her! Reacting with the reflexes only a speed based hero could have, he held an arm to steady the jogger, a young woman with light coloured hair in a loose ponytail. As she had been falling, she had turned around slightly, and as they came to a stop, he looked upon her face.
“Oh my God, that was mad fast! Thanks, boo!” she said, a big smile on her face. Why was she familiar? Tenya could swear he had seen that face before…
“My apologies! I was distracted, and didn’t see where I was going, it is completely inappropriate for a runner to not look where he is going and…I’m sorry for it!”
“No biggie, boo. You were lookin’ at something cool?” Her way of speaking was so familiar, where did he know her from?
“I was…gazing at that ice cream stand. After twenty-five kilometres I thought to hydrate myself before continuing…”
“Hold up…25? Boi that’s a lot…and you ain’t even sweating too much! I was on three and just look at me!” She pointed down to the loose crop top and racerback she was wearing, and Tenya was very careful not to look down to her legs; it was unchivalrous and not befitting a man like him to ogle at a woman wearing leggings! He noticed that she was indeed a bit sweaty, but it was nothing that one wouldn’t expect when working out, after all!
“It isn’t too much or strange or… Actually, let me apologize yet again, I interrupted your run and as a fellow runner there are few worse things I could have done! I am truly ashamed.”
She laughed, and Tenya felt like he was a step closer to remembering her name. It was on the tip of his subconscious, just far enough from his memory… “Chill, dude. I was only doing 5 k, anyway, so not a huge loss!” She grinned mischievously “If you’re so sorry and ashamed, and were already eyeing the little shop with water…buy me a drink?”
On any other circumstances, Tenya would have thought of buying a girl a drink as flirting, though it mostly referred to alcohol or coffee. With fresh water, it probably wasn’t anything, and he did want to atone for that runner’s crime he had just committed; a runner’s pace was precious, and none were to mess with that, let alone clumsy strangers!
“Of course! I shall buy you a drink and make sure you are okay, and if you wouldn’t mind the impertinence…we should end our run together! My brother always says that running with others is a cathartic experience and not just exercise!”
“Your bro uses big words, huh? Sounds cool! Sure, boo, if someone doesn’t get my thicc butt running again, you can be sure I’ll just go home and do squats.”
“Excuse me, how were you able to literally pronounce thick with two c’s? Is that even linguistically possible?”
She just grinned “That, my dude, is a secret I ain’t telling. Now let’s get those drinks!”
“Right away!” The two walked over and ordered two bottles of water, which the attendant, an older woman with a mutant Quirk that gave her the head of a red panda, promptly served.
“There you go!” said the attendant… “Retsuko”, if her name badge was accurate “So good to see young couples all healthy and not just stressed at work, I quit to sell ice cream and it was a good decision!”
“I fear I must correct you, ma’am, we barely just met. I have…oh dear, I have completely forgotten my manners! I didn’t even ask your name!”
“I thought you’d never ask. I’m Camie Utsushimi and you will call me just Camie.” Utsushimi! It all clicked into place; she was the hero student who had been tragically kidnapped and impersonated by the League of Villains, and then had admirably resumed her studies and acquired a hero license. Her example of tenacity and determination had inspired Tenya back then; to jump back into life after the villains had so thoroughly disrupted it was amazing.
“Ah…I am Iida, Tenya Iida!” They paid Retsuko and walked over to a bench, and sat down to drink. Camie spoke, after a while of thinking.
“I kinda remember…did you have shorter hair a couple years back, Tenya?” Calling someone you had just met by first name was inappropriate, even rude, but…but Tenya had felt his heart race at hearing the name on Camie’s lips. And he realized that he was calling her by first name in his brain already! This was unbelievable…but better answer her question quickly!
“Indeed! I only recently decided that longer hair might be fun, a change of pace, perhaps!”
“It looks kinda hot though” she said in a low voice, before adding “Then I think we had met already, for like seven seconds, in a big team up event!”
“Oh that must mean…you were wearing a hat???”
“YES!”
“I remember you now, all of it! It is a pleasure seeing a fellow hero as always, and meeting up with an acquaintance, even as short as it was back then!” He offered his hand and she shook it, and he immediately noticed how soft it was, how strong yet delicate the fingers were. It was a nice hand, and a great handshake, businesslike and energetic!
“So, Tenya…I’m gonna call you Tenya since we go waaaaay back.”
“For about seven seconds.” Tenya interjected, feeling a bit cheeky.
“Boo, if I had known you would buy me water when I’m having a particularly thirsty run, I would have befriended you all those years ago.”
“Utsushimi! Befriending someone for the benefit of getting free water is a strange idea!”
“It is lol! And I said to call me Camie. C’mon, you’re gonna make me be the only rude one, using first names?”
“I would never let a lady be the only rude…wait a minute, how did you get me to say something like that?”
She giggled and said “You’ve been chivalrous af so far, so I kinda set you up to say something funny like that!”
“That…is quite clever.” Tenya said, cracking a smile.
“Now that we’re not thirsty anymore” she started, smiling wickedly at the “thirsty”, and then continued “Are we gonna do that run or am I gonna have to invite you over for some ramen right now?”
Was she asking him out? That was direct, that was bold, and Tenya knew that he would be powerless to refuse. And to be fair, he was feeling very at ease around her, so why would he cut himself off? Maybe just…maybe just to share his love of running for a short while before! “The run and then ramen?”
“I’m ready then, Tenya. Gotta few anecdotes when we get to the ramen shop that will make you lol so hard the shopkeeper will be weirded out and ask if you are okay. Now, how do you start your runs? Do you tell yourself “Gotta go fast”?”
Tenya couldn’t help a smile “Was that because my hair is blue? I don’t collect rings at all, miss!”
She pouted cheekily and said “Boohoo! Tell me the secret, then!”
A secret, huh? Maybe he could break rules of personal space for that and whisper it in her ear? He quieted that part of him, which was increasingly influential now that Camie had his heart racing, and said (while keeping a respectful and appropriate distance for two friends) “It is all in a playlist! Do you have headphones and your phone?”
“I didn’t think of that, I mean I do have them but…looks like I’m dumb as rocks boo. No wonder I was getting bored af.”
“Yes, running with just the sound of your breathing and steps on the road is not for everyone. What sort of music do you like? I might be able to recommend a couple good songs, perhaps.”
“Funky stuff, you know? Like that Brazilian Neo Techno Reggaeton? Oof I love to dance that stuff. Do you dance, Tenya Iida?”
Slightly embarrassed, he tried with his only move: “I have been told I can do a marvellous “Robot”, just like the real thing.”
Camie burst out laughing “Oh that is just the funniest thing I have ever seen! Tenya, how are you not a viral sensation yet?”
“Viral? I take vaccination very seriously.” He knew what he meant, but seeing Camie’s smile and hearing her laughter was becoming addictive.
“Oh you, silly boi! Like memes and stuff? You are a total meme and you know something? Maybe I could teach you some dance moves some time, I’m not too bad, if I do say so myself.”
“That way I could have two dance moves, a splendid idea!” Good lord was this person a joy to spend time with.
In a couple minutes Camie had finished a playlist, thirty minutes of music, based on Tenya’s suggestion; it would about a standard time for five kilometres, a good basic distance for running! With the basics ready, they started at a jog, and eased into a good pace.
Tenya checked Camie’s running technique as they went, and she had a few mistakes that could be corrected, like her arm movements swinging a bit too much, wasting energy, and her stride being a bit too long for it to be kept up for long distances. Both the mark of novice runners, who tried to hurry up the time it took to cover the distance by running harder, instead of keeping their technique and just moving faster.
Tapping her gently on the shoulder, Tenya pointed out the flaws, and she quickly corrected them, and instead used the extra energy she saved by running well by further teasing Tenya “Ah, so you were checking out my legs, huh? Watch out, Tenya, cause you might bump into more innocent bystanders if you get enthralled by the thiccness!”
“Is that even a real word? And I am deeply sorry for that, truly!”
“I’m just teasing you! And I’m quite proud of this bod, so I wouldn’t think you a perv or anything.”
While that was a relief, it was horrible to imagine himself ogling a beautiful woman’s body, like a depraved fool. That would make him as bad as Mineta, and he could never fall to such depths…or so he was arguing with himself, while looking at the nape of Camie’s neck. It was unexpectedly attractive! He had to be a horrid pervert then!
He sped up to run alongside her, shaking those uncouth thoughts from his brain “If I might ask, is there a specific reason you took up running?”
“It is good for building lung capacity! I use it a lot with my Quirk, I’m basically just blowing smoke out my lungs for minutes at a time, so I need to have good breathing.”
“I noticed that…the moment you corrected your technique, you seemed to just begin talking effortlessly. Even my fitter friends, Midoriya and Bakugou, have some trouble just talking while running. Especially after a few miles…those two are sprinters.”
“Oh, you were friends with Blasty? He together with that gal… “Round face”, was it?”
“To my knowledge, they are indeed!”
“Midoriya…that sounds familiar…is that the guy dating Himiko Toga?”
Tenya tripped, caught his balance, kept running, and cursed “What the hell? How would that…WHAT?”
Camie raised her hands, as if surrendering “She just sort of appeared in my apartment a few months back, said she was sorry, I said “All that was wack, stealing identities is a bitch move, I’m gonna punch you in the face.” We kinda talked it out, she mentioned her boyfriend, I sort of tuned off and peaced out, it was like 2 am. Your bro had a secret girlfriend, then?”
“It seems so, it is most troubling!” He sighed “He probably knows what he is doing, maybe. Who knows? What a strange turn of events!”
“Yup!”
Almost a kilometre passed before any of them had an idea to talk. Still, Tenya was happy to run with someone, and it seemed Camie was motivated to finish the run, and that was what mattered most.
“How about swimming, Camie? That promotes even better oxygen flow and is a full body workout!”
She lowered her gaze, bashfully “I can’t really…afford a pool right now. Shiketsu had one, and well…they kidnapped me under their guard, so they had to give me a 100% scholarship but now…My salary doesn’t give me the kind of room to move around and get gym memberships in places that have pools.”
“How about a public pool?”
“Ever tried training in one of those? Not lit, fam. Kids with beach balls and pool noodles attacked me one time! Hey, don’t laugh, I’m serious!” Tenya had been unable to supress a chuckle at the image “Lazy parents are a menace! And I couldn’t swim a decent number of laps before there were those dumb bros in the way. Just floating! Not cool, I seriously couldn’t get a workout there at all.”
“That sounds ghastly!”
“So, it has been running. It is free, after all!”
Tenya felt bad hearing that. Team IdaTen had a pool for all the sidekicks to train, and Tenya didn’t ever really use it much. “Running is a noble sport but…my hero agency has a pool, and I would not be much of a friend if I didn’t open up our gates for you, would I?”
“Really? Fam, are you gunning for the Number One Hero spot? Cause that is either some idealism that I can admire, or, an this one may be more fun…a complex plot to see me in a swimsuit!”
“Errr…uhhh…I had…actually…”
She poked his shoulder cheekily “Mad lit, ya hear? It is mad lit to tease like this. Isn’t your agency in Tokyo, though? That’s kinda far, don’t you think?”
“That is a fair point to make. Perhaps if you are in town? Our invitation still stands.” He had made the offer willingly, and wouldn’t just take it back for no reason. The Iida family kept their word!
“You are formal af, boo.”
They kept talking as they went. The weather, interesting stuff to see in Osaka (Camie agreed to be his guide later), Camie doing her best to explain memes she had liked with no chance of showing Tenya the picture or him really understanding the context…they even moved on to favourite foods and drinks.
“…it just works with my Quirk, I am unsure why. It is a happy accident that I love the flavour so much, I feel, because I shiver to imagine having to drink something disgusting to boost my Engine’s effectiveness!”
“Dude, OJ is a cool drink! Better in the morning than coffee, am I right?”
“As right as a person can be!”
Almost without noticing, they had ran past the 5 kilometre point and had continued on to the ramen shop. It was a simple, cosy place, with tradition décor and a very old-fashioned feel to it. Tenya felt at home there, since his house in Tokyo was just as old timey Japanese retro goodness.
“This is a delightful establishment, I like it.”
“Really? I like it mostly cause the owner is my great uncle twice removed or something, and he kinda owes me from that time I made an illusion of All Might with my Quirk to scare off some punks… And you might just fall in love with the cooking; the house special, the katsudon, the beef stew…”
“BEEF STEW? I love that!” She looked excited at seeing him react so much to a simple meal, and quickly ordered two bowls of stew and led him to a table.
“Now that we are both sitting, why don’t we get to know more amount each other? Cause fam, you sort of agreed to like…three things I asked you out for when running, and invited me to like six more, and if we’re gonna do that, we should probably get the basics down, don’t you agree?”
“Of course! I would love to know more about you.”
“Sure, boo! So, ya already know the name, Camie Utsushimi. I’m 22 and my Quirk is Illusion, I blow a smoke that creates lifelike and semi-tangible images. It has light and sound so versatile I can use it as a flashbang grenade, or to intimidate dumb thugs, but when it isn’t enough, I my boots are Gucci and I know how to use em.”
Tenya started then, it was his turn “I’m Tenya Iida, I’m 21 and my hero name is Ingenium, my Quirk is Engine, it mechanically augments my legs and makes me incredibly fast. I also use a lot of kicking in my fights, myself. My favourite drink is orange juice, and my favourite music is Eurobeat. Is that…is that a weird thing?”
“Nah, it’s cool music, I’d say. Got rhythm, you probably run real fast with it!”
“What else…I try and live my life as best I can to honour my family and their legacy, and I really like structure and following rules! It feels purposeful, I’d say.”
Camie turned her head slightly, watching his face intently “So a good boi, then? A legit knight in shining armour?”
“I would never go so far as to…”
“It’s kinda sexy tho, in a way. Being kind and polite has its charm, and if you complement it with that jawline and nice eyes? Package deal, fam. What colour are they, anyway? They looked red out there and now they are like gold?”
Tenya was starting to feel really good with himself with the compliments, and with a signature “Iida Hand Movement” (thus named by his classmates), he said “Well, you see, I inherited the traditional Iida family eye colour, which is…” He was interrupted when the beef stew bowls arrived, the fragrant aroma immediately reminding him of good times.
Instead of revealing his eye colour, Tenya started eating eagerly. 25 kilometres were quite enough top open his appetite, and the dish rivalled the quality of that old place near the IdaTen offices, “Shinatose’s”, opened up by a retired sidekick of Tenya’s father.
“I’m sorry for the rudeness of it but…I forgot to even say “itadakimasu” before eating! I must seem like an uncivilised caveman to you.”
“Fam, if you saw me dealing with a nice big steak, then that would be uncivilised…though I have only eaten steak two times.”
“Really? Were they special occasions?” Steak was expensive in Japan; probably the only ones able to afford it every day he knew were Momo and Shouto.
“Very. One was my first pro her paycheck party, it was legit, that night. Got my gals, we went clubbing, we went shopping, and then we had steak…and after that I spent two months living on instant ramen! LMAO!”
Tenya found himself smiling hard at her enthusiasm. She liked living well, it seemed, even if that meant sacrifices. It clashed a bit with Tenya’s views on being disciplined and frugal, but…there was something about the spontaneity in her anecdote that spoke to Tenya. Did he want to take those kinds of risks too? Well, risking his finances for treating himself wasn’t as risky as stalking a hero killer!
“Two things. First, I didn’t know it was pronounced with the letters like that!” He laughed, as Camie had just made a face that comically mixed bewilderment, smugness, sassy energy and even a bit of evil genius.
“Did you say it LeMaw in your head? Oh my God, Tenya you’re just delightful!”
“I am not well versed in errr…urban lingo? My primary and middle schools were a bit on the, well, snobby side, so I didn’t have contact with those kinds of words till high school. I must confess I’m still a bit baffled, but can infer most through context!”
She poked his shoulder with her finger “Well you just got yourself a teacher. I’ll teach you the words, the fashion, the memes…all it takes!”
Tenya scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed “That would be…interesting. But…you had mentioned two times eating steak?”
She raised a triumphant fist and said “Ya got that right, fam! So, you’re gonna need a bit of context for this one. You ready?”
A half-serious smile formed on Tenya’s lips “Ingenium is always ready for anything.”
“Lit. So it was our…tenth or maybe twelfth mission as a team; Inasa, Nagamasa, and me. We didn’t invite Seiji cause Meatboi is a lame idiot with big incel energy.”
“What is an…in-cell?”
“You’re better off not knowing. Dude said I wasn’t good enough as a hero and that was why I was kidnapped…we all cut off ties with him after that. Dick move falls short. But anyway, that isn’t the kinda story that will get ya saying “mood”, so let’s go on!”
“I’m glad I don’t have him in front of me right now, because that is against how a hero should behave, against how a person should act…but yes, don’t let me interrupt, Uts…I mean, Camie.”
“It’s alright, I never keep any grudges at all! So, we three were the hammer to the anvil of Gang Orca and his sidekicks for this gang of bank robbers. We flank them, and I start this giant illusion of a mist monster. One was dumb enough to attack it, but we had Inasa inside, to throw wind currents along with the monster’s moves. It was like…you know that old movie? Not quite a classic but pretty good? It has an insect hero and the villain has a ridiculous ball helmet? Just like the bad guy’s attacks, with our Quirks combined! The robber ran away, but not before unleashing his Quirk at us and, hold on, I shit you not, his Quirk was…”
Camie paused for effect, laughter barely contained behind a grin.
“His Quirk was MEAT vision! A bunch of ribeye’s, sirloin and New York steaks flew right at us! Inasa caught them, and we kicked the villain’s ass. And when the perps were arrested, the police decided that steaks were not good as evidence, so they broke out a cooler and they gave them to us. We had an American-style barbecue! You know that All Might All American Cookbook?”
Tenya nodded and discretely shivered; All Might had used a ghost writer for the cookbook and could in fact only cook the body building basic of chicken breast and boiled greens. The first time Izuku had invited them over to have a meal with his new dad, they had all been appalled.
“Well, long story short, that time I ate 2.5 kilos of steak.”
“Surely you most mean pounds of steak?” Tenya was simultaneously frightened, intrigued and extremely curious. Could a person really eat like that?
“I was hungry! And I don’t let opportunities for little things like that go away. Life could be very short in our job, so I like to live, ya know?”
“I…I think I agree with you on that.”
She smiled and clapped her hands “So! Liked the food?”
“I loved it! It may have been bad luck to crash into you, but to have a delightful evening was good fortune.” For some reasons his words had elicited a shy smile from her.
“Then maybe you would like to meet again? How long are you staying in Osaka?”
“One week.” Tenya answered, but feeling uncharacteristically rebellious, he decided to make something up “Maybe even two or three, who knows what my brother’s recovery will be like. So…how about another run tomorrow?”
“Fam, you don’t even need to ask.”
“Well someone’s happy.” Tensei said, as Tenya entered the living room with a glass of orange juice in hand.
“I must confess I am, Tensei.”
His brother got that devilishly smug, shit-eating grin and said “What’s her name?”
Tenya’s jaw hit the floor. How on Earth could his brother have know that? Had he been following? That motorized wheelchair couldn’t be so silent or Tensei so sneaky! “Wha?”
“I was your age not too long ago, baby bro. And even us adults have that kind of face when we see a special person.”
“Brother, I just met her…”
“Nice, I guessed it was a girl! So, who is she?”
“She’s Camie Utsushimi and we’re going running again tomorrow.”
“I’m so proud of you, bro. C’mere and give me a hug, I know I’m low on the ground and you have to almost crawl!”
“Tensei…” Tenya embraced his brother. It was good to have him on his side.
“Now tell me all about it! Oh and bring some juice for me too, won’t you?”
“What are you watching?”
“One of your friends is on Nemuri’s gossip show with a mystery girlfriend reveal. Your running date with this Miss Utsushimi sounds more interesting though.”
Tenya returned with drinks, snacks and his best explanation of how Camie was probably just a new friend. Yes, totally just a friend!
“Did you already tell her we are extending our stay in Osaka?”
“Tensei, how…”
“Remember when team IdaTen moved to Kyushu for six months?”
“You scoundrel! Using our resources like that, brother?” He was shocked to find out that IdaTen venturing out of its usual area was just Tensei getting together with someone!
“We’re only human, bro. It wasn’t a vacation though, and if we stay here long, you’re gonna have to work.”
“I will gladly fight here in Osaka!” A couple days here had made him fond of the citizens, and the prospect of patrolling with the local heroes was intriguing, to say the least.
“So, what’s the plan besides running?” Tensei asked, tapping his wheelchair impatiently.
“Getting to know each other better, talking, having fun. I don’t have ambitious plans here, Tensei.”
“Tenya, you’ve grown, you know? I’ll get off your case now, let’s watch the show. Actually, wanna know about when I dated Nemuri?” He wiggled his eyebrows obscenely.
“Please no, it is disturbing enough without particulars.”
A meeting to run became two, and then three, and without a moment of doubt, Tenya had spent all the week with Camie. She had shown him her gym, a few more restaurants and even a nightclub one night. And while he would remember dancing with her for the rest of his life, this day he had found her dejected when meeting at the park. It was most unusual, to see her devoid of her usual energy. And it was heart breaking to see.
“Camie? What is wrong? Are you feeling ill? Is something amiss?”
“Nothing much, just…not really feeling like anything, ya know? It might be cause…it is in a couple days, you know? I…did UA tell y’all my story?” They sat down on a bench, where they could talk more comfortably.
“They…they did. I didn’t realize that the date was…” She cut him off with a raised hand.
“I’m…I’ve moved on. Mostly. I actually don’t have any ill will at any of the villains anymore. It’s been five years and stuff has been pretty lit! Three years of being a pro hero; team ups, operations, arrests…even got a few sponsorships! But around this time of year, it gets me a bit down, you know? I…well, you probably don’t want to hear to stuff like that, you’re just being polite and asking me if I’m okay and I’m just putting all this on you and…”
Tenya put a hand on her shoulder, trying to be as comforting as possible. Sure, it wasn’t normal to trust a complete stranger with such words, but her face had turned sad. And he had hated seeing that, and wanted to see her smile again that same day. The Ingenium was a resourceful hero, comforting a new friend was the least he could do!
“It may not be usual, but we heroes are extraordinary people and we must trust each other when we team up, no? That may be why you are trusting me?”
“Nah, you just have a nice face…I mean like…kind? Sorta? I wouldn’t just open up about stuff cause you are hot, boo.”
Hot? Maybe his flustered face after such a compliment! “I uh…excuse me? Hot?”
“Camie Utsushimi ain’t no liar, it is an objective fact. But you do look like a caring person so…was it a bit much? I didn’t wanna turn this into “Real Sadboi hours”…”
“No, it is alright Utsu…Camie. I do care, even if we haven’t actually known each other. I…I really admire that you could keep going, if that makes sense. I have a failure of my own regarding villains and…well, my motivation for a good while after that was just out of disgust at myself.”
“Yo, stop right there! You had a thing with villains too? What happened?”
“Well, you opened up a bit, I should do the same! Can you keep this discrete, please?”
She scooted over closer and held her pinkie finger “You’re supposed to shake that with your pinkie when we make a big promise, Tenya. Because I’m no snitch, and your secret is safe with me!”
Tenya shook fingers with her, and it was mighty bizarre. Pinkie promises were probably just some foreign concept, maybe, but a part of his mind was just happy to have contact with her hand again, a part of Tenya that would be properly chastised later! “Alright. I think that since you also have a cute…I mean a kind and caring face, I shall reciprocate. Do you know of my brother Tensei and his time as the Turbo Hero Ingenium?”
Her face lit up with a glowing smile “Duh! Of course! Who can forget that video of him with some dude saying “I’m fast as fuck, boiiiiiiii!” It was lit!” She laughed loudly, genuinely, and Tenya felt an insane urge to make her laugh so much.
“Ah…yes. Well, my brother Tensei was attacked by the Hero Killer Stain, and the injuries…the blade Stain uses isn’t just steel, the Ingenium armour would have withstood that; it was a High Frequency blade, and the effect on that jagged blade on my brother’s spine… It has been five years since that and just now there might be a way to fix Tensei’s back but I… I hunted Stain, trying to avenge my brother. It was not something a real hero would have done, and Stain bested me. He said I wasn’t a true hero. And I would have died if not for my friends being close by. That…is what I meant with my failure with villains.”
She was quiet for an instant, and then she said “That must have really sucked, Tenya. I’m not good at…saying it but, I…wish it could have been different for you.”
“I…thank you, Camie.”
“Oh boi…we just really got all emotional, didn’t we? I…I really appreciate the trust, you know? But I don’t want us to be feeling down so…wanna watch a movie and chill?” A smile slowly grew on her face, to Tenya’s delight.
“I’d love to!”
“Then right this way to Casa Camie! I’ve got a pretty legit apartment, you’re gonna love it, and we’re gonna watch a documentary on taxes so you get all happy!”
“Taxes? I’m not that boring!” he replied, slightly miffed.
“Just teasing, bae!”
“Bae? That is a new word?” He was confused now.
“It is like “babe”, but cool.”
Tenya had sudden flash of inspiration. “Ah, then I can do this!” he said, and took her hand in his. She blushed and smiled and looked right into his eyes, and Tenya knew he had done the right thing.
“Well, now it is a real date, Tenya. Let’s go have fun!”