Chapter 102: The New LawAuthor: Geraint
Sitting together on a couch, David, the father of the blonde young woman, introduced his daughter to Ichika. He was laughing about what had happened between them in the bathroom.
"Hahaha! Sorry, Ichika. I forgot to tell my daughter you'd be staying here today. Let me introduce you properly. This is my daughter, Melissa."
"I'm really sorry! I didn't notice because I forgot my glasses," Melissa said, bowing repeatedly with her face bright red from embarrassment.
"Uncle Dave, you should've told her first before making me stay here," Ichika complained.
Melissa's eyes widened as she realized something, then pointed at him.
"Wait! Ichika? Don't tell me you're—"
"He's All Might's son, Yagi Ichika," David answered.
"Uncle Might's son? Then he's... my... fiancé?" Melissa trembled.
"Huh? What fiancé? I already have a fiancée," Ichika said, shocked.
David rubbed his forehead, remembering something.
"Oops... just like Toshi said, you're really not aware of the new law in your country."
"What new law? Neither the Commission nor the government told me anything!"
"It's a requirement to secure the next Symbol of Peace."
"Huh?" Ichika froze, already guessing the real meaning behind those words.
"Don't tell me..."
"With All Might retiring, the Symbol of Peace title will automatically pass to you as his son. As the next pillar, you're required to have multiple wives and children with each—so in the future, one of your children will become the next Symbol of Peace. It's also meant to protect the country from rising crime rates."
"It's happening..." Ichika trembled.
"Now that I think about it, the one who pushed the new law is the acting president named... Fujiwara Ichika. Wait! Isn't that you?" David asked, pointing at him.
"I am pushing that law to solve the declining birthrate. Why are they using it on me?"
David and Melissa were silent.
Ichika fell to his knees, shocked by the inevitable future.
"WAAAAHH!! SUCH MISFORTUNE!!!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the night.
A day later, Ichika looked dejected while eating with Ryukyu and Mirko at an expensive restaurant. The two were in their hero costumes; Ichika wore civilian clothes.
"What's wrong, Falcon?" Ryukyu asked, sipping her juice.
"..." Ichika didn't respond.
"Did something unfortunate happen again?" Mirko asked.
"..." Still no response.
"Now that I think about it, I got a letter from the Hero Commission a few days ago," Ichika finally said, glancing at Ryukyu.
"Yeah, me too," Mirko said lazily. "I haven't read mine. Probably just a challenge letter or damage report."
"I didn't read mine either. I was in a hurry to fetch you," Ryukyu said.
Ring! Ring!
Ryukyu took out her phone and answered.
"Hello?"
Ryukyu, did you receive a letter from the Hero Commission?
"Yes, two days ago. What's wrong, Lady Nagant?"
Did you read it?
"Not yet. Seems Mirko got one too."
Read it fast. This is important!
"Okay, wait."
Ryukyu pulled the letter from her pocket and began reading.
Seconds after reading the title,
"Huh? Another marriage interview? What's this, Falcon?! I told you to stop it!" Ryukyu scolded him.
Quick! Look at the partner's name. This one seems different, Lady Nagant reminded.
Ryukyu read the whole letter, growing silent, disbelief on her face. Now she understood Ichika's behavior.
"What's wrong, Ryukyu?" Mirko asked curiously.
"Mirko, are you okay with Ichika having a relationship with another girl?"
"Huh?" Mirko frowned, visibly upset.
"You should read the letter first. Lady Nagant got the same one."
Ryukyu handed her the letter.
Mirko read it and folded it back, glaring at Ichika with disgust.
"Ichika, you scumbag bastard!"
"Ugh!"
Ichika's face fell into his food, clearly emotionally hurt.
"Mirko, don't kill him more than they already have. Also, Ichika's not the type to cheat on you."
Ichika raised his head, wiping sauce off with a tissue, then suddenly crawled under the table to Mirko's legs.
"Ichika! What are you doing?!" Mirko gasped.
Ichika nestled his head between Mirko's thighs.
"If I'm going to die again, I'd rather die squished between Rumi's thighs! That would be honorable!" he yelled.
"What's honorable about that?!" Mirko panicked.
"Get it together, Falcon!" Ryukyu grabbed his head, trying to pull him away.
"Do it, Rumi! I want to go back to the afterlife!"
"Are you insane, Ichika?! Stop hugging my legs!" Mirko blushed furiously.
Their commotion caused the manager to kick them out of the restaurant.
A few days later, after returning from I-Island, Ichika sat on the rooftop edge of Might Tower, gazing at the sunrise, looking dispirited.
"Ichika-kun!"
Toru appeared with Momo, Nejire, and Himiko.
"There he is!" Momo said, spotting him.
"Ichika-kun!"
They all approached.
"We just heard the news," Toru said, tapping his shoulder.
"About the new law trial," Momo added, breathless.
"Are you just going to accept it and marry those pro heroes?" Nejire asked.
Ichika didn't move, replying with a tired voice, "I don't know... and I don't care anymore."
Toru smiled, trying to cheer him up.
"Ichika-kun! This isn't like you. You're not going to get married immediately. There's still time to find a solution. Don't you still have some explaining to do to Mirko, your childhood friend?"
Thinking it over, Ichika realized she was right. He was still fifteen, with plenty of time before marriage. But about Mirko... he was scared.
"Ahem!"
Momo cleared her throat.
"That's right, Ichika. You still owe me a promise after I gave you the materials you needed for your inventions."
Ichika remembered the many promises he'd made to Momo in exchange.
Nejire smiled—though with a slightly intimidating aura.
"Ichika-kun, after making me your guinea pig for your inventions, you don't think I'll let you off so easily? Also, I want an explanation about Ryukyu."
Ichika's face turned pale hearing Ryukyu's name.
Himiko fidgeted nervously.
"What about the absences I took so I could cover for you in your own class?"
"What?! That was you all along, Himiko?!"
"No wonder the Ichika back then was acting weird!"
Toru and Momo were shocked by the revelation.
"Ichika-kun, you..." Nejire began, disappointed.
Ichika realized he had no time to be depressed.
"Ichika-kun!"
They all stared at him intently.
"Wait! Everyone!"
Ichika's face grew paler.
From the rooftop entrance, La Brava watched, noticing letters pinned on the backs of the four girls—Toru, Momo, Nejire, and Himiko. Each had received a letter.
"Aside from Mirko, Ryukyu, and Lady Nagant, these four got letters too. They're candidates, just like Melissa."
Roboco appeared behind her.
Manami-chan...
La Brava shivered at Roboco's whisper.
Didn't you get a letter too? That means you're a candidate to become my mother as well.
"Roboco, since when?!" La Brava gasped.
You shouldn't hide something this important from your best friend.
"Roboco, please don't tell Boss about this!" La Brava begged.
Ichika ran around while being chased by the four girls.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Shizuoka Prefecture.
A petite, fair-skinned girl with a slender build arrived home from school. She had triangular, lazy-looking onyx eyes with long lower eyelashes and small eyebrows. Her chin-length dark purple hair featured an asymmetrical fringe and two heartbeat monitor-shaped highlights on either side of her head. The most striking feature was the flexible, plug-like earphone jacks hanging from her earlobes at the ends of two thin cords, which she controlled like extra limbs.
In the living room, her mother called:
"Kyouka, there's a letter for you from the Hero Commission!"
"Huh?"
"You're applying to UA High School, right? This must be it."
Kyouka frowned at the letter, opened it, and read the contents.
"What the—?!"
She crumpled the letter and threw it down.
"Who the heck wants to marry some random guy?!"
Her mother picked up the letter and read it.
"It says your partner is Yagi Ichika, All Might's son."
"I don't care who he is. I'm not interested! I'm going to complain!"
"Aren't you a big fan of Fujiwara Ichika?"
"Yeah, but not that Ichika!"
"Then you don't know that Fujiwara Ichika and Yagi Ichika are the same person. He is Captain Falcon after all."
"Huh? I refuse to accept that! I'm going to meet this Yagi Ichika and make him explain everything!"
(To be continued.)
(A/N: I'll fix my mistakes later.)