Chapter Text
It started out as simple fun, something to show off and probably fall on if the heroics bit didn’t worked out. Though Present Mic managed to be a hero and a radio host so Kaminari Denki thought a podcast was within his grasp to do.
Of course that meant a need for a co-host. Since it was for fun, almost everyone in class wanted to join in and be the co-host. It was decided to be rotated among the classmates and the topics talked about were based on the co-host.
First episode was Jirou and music. Second was Mina and fashion. Third was Kirishima and manliness.
Then, the fourth episode with Midoriya and his analysis...
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[Jaunty ditty plays before fading out]
Kaminari and Midoriya : Pluuuus Ultraaaa!
Kaminari : And we ’re back. The last part of the episode is something my co-host of the episode chooses. So Midoriya, what topic do you want to talk about?
Midoriya : Well, I always do quirk analysis as a hobby of mine. I wrote them down on my notebooks.
Kaminari : Eh? So that ’s what you keep writing on that notebook?
Midoriya : Y-yeah, it ’s nothing major, just some shallow level analysis.
Kaminari : Well, how about you do me then?
[Slight static]
Midoriya : Very well then. Let ’s start with a name for this segment… how about… Green Eye Analysis?
Kaminari : Sounds good to me. So, where to start?
Midoriya : Well, let ’s start with your quirk.
Kaminari : It ’s called Electrification…
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The popularity of the podcast exploded after that, which resulted in Midoriya practically becoming the official co-host and everyone else being special guests.
After a few more episodes, fan mail started to arrive.
Unusual fan mail.
All for Midoriya.
All specifically stated to be read on the podcast by Midoriya.
“You sure about this Midoriya? It’s rather freaky that you got fan mail specifically telling you to read them on the podcast.”
“I-it’s alright Kaminari. I’m pretty sure it’s just fans wanting to hear their thanks online.”
“Well, we better start recording. Good luck on the podcast’s first mail opening episode.”
Midoriya made an embarrassed chuckle as he placed his fan mail on the table.
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Kaminari : Hello dear listeners! I ’m Kaminari Denki -
Midoriya : And I ’m Midoriya Izuku -
Kaminari and Midoriya : And this is Plus Ultra Nippon!
[Jaunty ditty plays before fading out]
Kaminari : And welcome to our first fan mail episode! We got a lot of fan mail to go through, Midoriya especially. Lots of people giving him mail specifically to read on the podcast.
Midoriya : Heh, heh, yeah. I ’m surprised people want me to read stuff. Didn’t know my voice was something people like to hear.
Kaminari : Your recording voice is different from your speaking voice.
Midoriya : Eh!? Really!?
Kaminari : Well, sometimes your voice goes all clear and deep like those audio books.
Midoriya : I didn ’t notice that. Well, uh, first fan mail?
Kaminari : First fan mail!
[Tearing noises]
[Ruffling of paper]
[Slight static]
Midoriya : Hello, and let ’s begin reading a letter sent from a fan in America, and upon my green eyes, I see all.
Midoriya : Hi there, my name is Janice Trevors, and I was told to write a letter to you about this. It happened during the summer last year where I worked part time in retail…
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“Dude, what was that all about?” Kaminari asked during the break.
“I-I don’t know.” Midoriya said as he drank his water.
“You were reading a horror story dude! Mannequins coming to life to try to turn the woman into a mannequin and take her place?”
Midoriya shivered.
“Y-yeah, it was freaky.”
“Then why didn’t you stop reading it? I was trying to stop you but things got weird.”
“Weird? What do you mean weird?”
“Well, it’s like I was forced to sit down and listen to what you were saying. I tried shouting but… it’s honestly freaky.”
“Maybe your fan mail part is gonna be okay then?”
Silence.
“Kaminari?”
Silence.
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know why but… I’m terrified to do my fan mail part.” Kaminari looked around the makeshift recording room, aka a spare dorm room class 1-A managed to get permission to use for music and other loud hobbies. “Like… something bad might happen if I don’t let you read your fan mail…”
Midoriya looked around. There’s no one else around.
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing, just, the feeling of being watched.”
“Can’t be Toru, she’s doing Tsu’s hair while Mina’s picking out an outfit for Toru… a yellow sundress with a brown belt, no, Mina changed her mind and picked a sky blue sundress for Toru to wear…” Midoriya muttered loudly.
“... Dude, how do you know that? You’re just pulling my leg.” Kaminari chuckled to himself. “Well, the break’s about to end so, let’s continue with the podcast.”
Midoriya nodded but the shiver down Kaminari’s back was completely different from the excitement he got when Midoriya was doing his quirk analysis. It was fun, like he got swept into the excitement. He preferred that than what’s happening.
“Hey, Midoriya, instead of a fan mail, let’s split it, one fan mail after one quirk analysis segment?”
Midoriya’s eyes widen in joy and the oppressive feeling of dread instantly lifted away.
“Sure thing!”
As the podcast continued, it was surreal. Kaminari noticed something was wrong. He felt joy when Midoriya did his analysis, anger when he read the second fan mail about someone being harassed by the same aggravating driver, joy once more with another quirk analysis, then disgust from the third fan mail about a woman bathing in a bathtub full of pus and maggots, another joyful analysis, then he struggled in holding back laughter when Midoriya read the fourth fan mail about a children’s cartoon, then Midoriya moved to the fifth fan mail bringing Kaminari to tears on lost unrequited love, then joy once more with a final quirk analysis until the end of the podcast. And at the center of it all was Midoriya all calmly reading the fan mail or happily detailing the specifics of a quirk and its potential uses. Like he was meant to do it. Like he was suppose to do…
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Midoriya : And with that, it’s the end of the podcast!
[Silence]
Midoriya : Uh, Kaminari? Is something wrong?
Kaminari : A-ah? Right, uh, Midoriya, did you feel anything weird this session?
Midoriya : Eh? Anything weird?
Kaminari : Like, getting hit with strong emotions? It’s really weird since I feel so out of it when you were reading the fan mail.
Midoriya : Eh?
[Silence]
Midoriya : You don’t think the fan mail got something like a quirk on them? Like some sort of mind affecting quirk?
Kaminari : Can’t be. They’re from different places around the world. America, Russia, Nigeria, Brazil, and Thailand - wait a minute.
[Rustling of papers]
Kaminari : Midoriya… how were you able to read these?
Midoriya : Eh? What do you mean?
Kaminari : None of these were in Japanese!
[Silence]
[Rustling of papers]
Midoriya : H-how? How was I able to read these?
Kaminari : We should end the podcast here and tell someone.
Midoriya : R-right. But it’s getting late though. Aizawa got called to the police station about a break in an hour ago.
Kaminari : A break in? What?
Midoriya : S-sorry! I don’t know why I say that! Well, uh, end line?
Kaminari : Right, end line.
[Silence]
Midoriya : Uh, Kaminari, you usually start the end line.
Kaminari : H-hai! And that’s the end of this week’s podcast! Pluuus Ultraaa!
Midoriya : PLUS ULTRA!
Kaminari : Wait, we were suppose to say it together.
Midoriya : Right! Right sorry!
Kaminari and Midoriya : PLUUUS ULTRAAA!
Midoriya : Wait, we forgot the Nippon part!
[Kaminari and Midoriya laughs]
Kaminari : Man, we’re so out of it today. Well, let’s end it here.
Midoriya : Hai hai!
[Jaunty ditty plays before fading out]
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The two then started to pack things up and get ready for the night.
“Hey, Kaminari. I’m sure it’s just nothing major. But, we’ll be telling Aizawa about it tomorrow right?” Midoriya asked as he picked up his quirk notebook, and Kaminari realized Midoriya didn’t brought it with him. It just appeared on his hands when he was doing quirk analysis. “Kaminari?”
“Huh? R-right, telling Aizawa tomorrow. Well, uh, night.” Kaminari said as he headed to his room.
His shoulder began to itch as he mentally groaned. He changed into his pajamas before he headed to the bathroom and looked at his shoulder scar, a contrasting pinkish red spiderweb of a lightning scar made when his quirk came out.
He sprayed some calming liquid on it and the itching faded.
With a sigh, he brushed his teeth and went to bed.
He dreamed of green eyes watching him, yet he didn’t feel unnerved by the multitude of eyes big and small looking all over him. They felt friendly, inviting, making him felt noticed and loved. An audience always watching him. Was this what popularity felt? Being a celebrity? He heard the stories about unwanted fame getting to people. How it broke them, hollowed them out until only a facade remained. Yet the green eyes, the eyes between the eyes, the eyes within the eyes, the eyes upon the eyes, they felt so friendly, so happy, so joyful, so ecstatic to be there with him…
When Kaminari woke up the next day, there was a soreness on his mouth, like he was grinning in his sleep the whole time.