"We didn't really have an opportunity to do this yesterday, but now we do." Said Kan-sensei as he addressed the class. "You will all be picking the class representative and vice representative."
I swiftly covered my ears just as the class erupted with noise. A good portion of the class are volunteering to take up the role or are pitching in their good points to throw their hat into the ring, even Shishida with sensitive ears is gritting his teeth to try and convince Kan-sensei. They wanted to be instigated into a position of power as being a class rep wasn't just extra work; for the students like them, it was a great way to learn how to manage others both out in the field and during quiet moments.
An essential skill for anyone who wished to go pro and open their own agency one day which could employ sidekicks, especially since of a majority of active pros in Japan are stuck as sidekicks. Today's society is oversaturated with heroes; too many are competing for the top spot so they can have more ability for monetary gain through donations or sponsorships. With such a fierce competition, not everyone can keep up with what's expected of them.
That said, management is an essential skill in other fields too, not just heroics so it would be good to learn it regardless. However, in my case, I already have that necessary skill so I will abstain from fighting for the role of rep and vice-rep.
Eventually, it looks like Kan-sensei was also getting sick of the noise as his eye started to twitch. Kendo seemed to have noticed this as she used her quirk and clapped her hands, forcing everyone's attention onto her.
"Guys! Stop fighting! Let's all be civilised people and put up a vote to decide!" She turned to out teacher. "Would that be okay, Kan-sensei?"
"Of course, Kendo." He nodded. "That's what I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted." He halfheartedly glared for a second before returning back to normal. Those he was referring to at least had to decency to look sheepish. "You will be holding a vote to see who will become the representatives. Naturally, you cannot vote for yourselves."
We all wrote down a name on a price of scrap paper and placed them inside a box at the podium in front of the class. Once we all had a turn, the votes were tallied.
Discounting the ones with only single votes, Shishida has scored two votes, I raised a brow at my three votes, Tokage has secured four votes and won vice-rep while Kendo became class representative with a whopping six votes.
The splitting teen was celebrating as she walked to the front of the class and Kendo was a bit flustered at having gotten so much trust from her classmates.
"You guys won't regret picking me, believe it!" Tokage raised a thumb and flashed a grin.
"Thank you all for this opportunity. I promise to not let down your trust!" Kendo sai- no, she declared.
Kan-sensei let them have their moment for a few more minutes before he let them go back to their seats. "Now then, let's move onto today's homeroom. What do anyone of you know about hero classifications? Yes, Monoma."
" There are; The Limelight Heroes, The Support Heroes, The Rescue Heroes and the Underground Heroes."
"Very good! As you may have heard, there are different types of heroes with each having different their own unique set of regulations. Limelight or Twilight, Support or Offense, Relief and rescue, You have heard these terms before when paired with heroes, but not only does it give you an idea of what type of hero they are, but also what sort of rules they must follow. Each hero is expected to act a certain way, to follow certain rules. That's why one must pick the type of hero you want to be."
Kan-sensei looked around the class. "Do you want to be a Limelight Hero and be known to the world, to fight villains who appear in the day, to patrol the streets to offer comfort to people who see you and inspire hopes and dreams? Do you want to be a hero who mostly works in hospitals, to first respond when disasters strike, to help those who are wounded? Do you want to be the one who supports the bigger heroes, to provide intelligence and information or to give them the opening to take out the villain? Do you want to keep to the shadows, to fight the villains that don't show themselves during the day and plant fear into their hearts? These are all questions you should ask yourselves, because you need to know this answer sooner than you think. These next two weeks we will be going over different types of hero, so you can determine which fits you best."
He looked at the class to see he had all of their attention as he pulled out a stack of papers, "To help, I have a compatibility questionnaire that will give you a general idea of what hero you should be. This is personal and self-graded, you can keep the results to yourself or share them. Do not bug others about their results. Just because you get a certain result, doesn't mean you have to be that type of hero. And most importantly, you don't need to rush ahead to answer this paper, you don't even need to submit it. What matters is that you understand what you want to be." Kan-sensei smiled as another teacher knocked on the door. "And with that, homeroom is done. Class dismissed."
~~~~~
We're currently in the cafeteria eating lunch. I'm sharing a table with a few others, though I still mostly kept to myself as I couldn't really offer much input to the conversation.
".·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·. How come you guys didn't vote for me? I trusted you! Now I'm the only one who voted for me!" Manga is just being dramatic.
"Apologies, but you did not seem like the responsible sort." Yanagi pointed out bluntly.
"Excuse our reasoning, however, as we doubt your capacity for self discipline." Kuroiro added, avoiding to meet Manga's eyes(?). "You were unrestrained when we assisted in creating a story. I shiver in fear at the thought of you having the position of class representative."
"(@_@) Lies and slander!" He objected. "I would've been a great class rep! Imagine everything I could have accomplished with that sort of power!"
"There are plenty sane who go mad with power. I shudder to think of madman who gains more." Yanagi isn't really pulling her punches, huh?
"(｀Д´)ノ Are you calling me crazy?!" Pony snicked at that. Her Japanese is getting better now considering she's following the conversation.
"Eccentric, more like. Delusional, even." I muttered just loudly enough to be heard.
"(ರ ~ ರ) Ugh, fine." He relented. "But who did you guys vote for anyway?"
"Shuzenji." "Shuzenji-san." "Kizuki-kun." "Kendo."
I blinked. "Huh. So you were the ones who voted for me?" The three of them affirmed it.
"You have an exterior of apathy, sharp and paradoxically subdued. And yet, within you is undeniably a caring heart." Kuroiro hummed.
"Cold yet tender. Distant yet sympathetic. Frightening yet considerate." Yanagi spoke. "An innocent monster is a term that comes mind. Yes... You remind me of my mother."
"I don't get why the others guys are scared of you." Added Pony as she took a bite of her apple. "And I agree with Yanagi-chan! If Kendo-chan is like the class's big sis, there you're like our mom!"
I exchanged a glance with Manga before he seemed to deflate. He shrugged and got back to eating his meal.
I turned back my gaze to the other three. "Thank you, I suppose. I appreciate your sentiments." I smiled at them. "Though enough about me, what about the other thing Kan-sensei had us fill-in? Any thoughts? Personally, I'm going for the support route as a healer."
Manga rolls his eyes. "(ತ_ತ) Is that even a question? Limelight obviously! How else am I gonna sway public opinion in the future!"
True. But although his answer was instantaneous, the other two remained thoughtful while Pony answered next.
"Limelight also! Anime characters cool! I want to be like them my idols!" Yup. Her Japanese was definitely better than when I first met her. And I have a feeling that what she said isn't the full reason but everyone is entitled to their own secrets.
"And I'm sure you'll do great, Pony." I nodded at the horned girl.
"I would wish to remain in the darkness." Answered Kuroiro. "My strength lies elsewhere rather than in the thick of daylight. Perhaps as a spy?" He chuckled. "I would the shadow that tells tales."
"And I... I am conflicted." Yanagi furrowed her brows. "It would be a lie to say that I am impartial to the call of night. However, I am also tempted by the benefits brought by being a known existence."
"( ˘_˘)┌ Don't think about it too hard. Sensei already said that we don't have to rush."
"Right. And I don't think it would be needed that soon anyway." I added. "Not until internships, at least."
"Take upon this chance to look within yourself. Take the time search for your own path."
"Yeah! Ask me if need help, okay?"
Yanagi's expression soften a tinge as we offered our own support "Of course. Many thanks in advance."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the cloudy dark skies overhead, a lone red star shines bright as it brings a out a crimson hue on a lone mountain.
Littered across it's rocky surface are multiple Torii gates, one that occasionally manifests and demanifests various beings wearing a monk's attire. The gates are connected to animal trails and stone steps that the monks use to transverse the slope, choosing which ones hike towards their desired plateau.
Sitting atop one of the biggest plateau is a large, though unconventional, shrine.
It sported thirty floors, each at least five meters tall and two kilometres wide. The frames and pillars were thick enough that ten people holding hands could barely go around it.
A shrine that was meant to be a place of spiritual enlightenment and worship, here stands instead as a building of debauchery and decadence.
The chozuya, meant for visitors to wash and cleanse their hands and mouth, is filled with rice wine and clumps of filth. Despite so, there are still some uses it for it's intended purpose, and some that 'do not'.
The Komainu, guardian lion-dogs, have both jaws broken and their faces smoothed out. Symbolically neutered.
The haiden, the worship hall, no different than the lobby of a brothel and marketplace. Screams and yells lost among the bustling crowd.
The heiden, the hall of offerings, is littered with both trash and treasure alike. None dared to steal from the pile.
And the honden, the most sacred building of the shrine itself, intended purely for the use of enshrined Kami, this is where the higher 'new gods' would mingle amongst themselves.
"It's loud." One of them, a giant inverted head that shines a golden glow, spoke.
"Of course it's loud. We have more people now!" Another one, with green-skin and oozing slime, spoke with contempt. "Our recruitment from rural areas aside, we even acquired followers from major cities after recent events."
"How recent?" A small figure spoke, their robes bulging and slithering.
"A few months ago, stupid." Green-skin replied, his tone condescending. "You lived under a rock to not know?"
The figure in robes remained vocally silent, but the sounds coming from within their garments exposed their displeasure.
"The boogeyman, was it?" A man spoke first to prevent a fight, he looked like an average salaryman, tired and fatigued. "Heard what happened to the Tokyo wards, along with their mirrored sections. That guy was thorn on plenty of people's sides for too long."
"More. Take."
Green-skin scoffed as he gave a side-glance to the giant head. "The power vacuum he left behind was something I was more than ready to take advantage of. I was already prepared for this happening for decades now and it won't be long before my plans bear more fruit."
"Remember to keep your hands to yourself." A teen girl covered in bandages and bandaids spoke. "Don't overstep your boundaries."
"Speaking of plans-" The salaryman butted in before green-skin started another argument. "I think it's around the time we present ourselves, now that chaos is brewing in the undercurrents. It's an opportunity for us to amass faith and worship. And I know just the thing that will give us the extra publicity." His mouth formed a grin far too wide for his face.
"No." The small figured disappeared as the plain man was disappointed at her decision.
"Anyone else?"
"The bigger. The better."
Green-skin clicked his tongue. "Failure is yours alone to bear."
The girl covered another fresh cut. "So long as you use yours and not one of mine."
"Perfect." He laughed. "Just, perfect."