There sure are a lot of people.
Renji looked around at the top of the podium as fireworks blasted their way into the sky and speakers echoed out victory music along with the crowd.
Glancing to the side, Todoroki could be seen with a frustrated look on his face. He had been given time to recover, not that he really needed much with Recovery Girl's help.
It feels damn good to be at the top. Renji basked in the glory while tuning out Present Mic and Midnight. The sun's a nice touch too.
He concluded that there would be no more fighting today. It was time to learn how to be a perfectly still statue and pose for his fans.
All Might walked over before pausing mid step as he watched the top student extravagantly maneuver into strange poses only possible due to his extreme flexibility.
Is that my pose?!
Letting out a weary sigh, All Might steeled himself and mimicked the pose as the cameras flashed toward him.
"It's All Might!" A fan shouted from the edge of the crowd.
"All Might?!"
"No way, it's really him!"
"Can I get an autograph, sir!"
"Over here, All Might! Take a picture with me!"
Bellowing loudly, All Might's tall figure could be seen from every angle. His muscular frame was only accentuated by the poses he was dishing out.
"HEY!" Renji yelled from afar. "Stop stealing my thunder, All Might! You've got plenty of fame already!"
Hearing Renji's outburst, the audience laughed while All Might moved closer to the podium to finish what he came here for.
"Oh, yeah!" Renji exclaimed, watching the cameras pan back to him. "That's more like it!"
Stopping in front of Tokoyami in third place, All Might placed a careful hand on the bird boy's shoulder.
"Congratulations, young Tokoyami!" he boomed. "Your performance today was admirable. Stand proud."
Tokoyami bowed his head slightly, shadows fluttering with restrained pride. "Thank you… All Might. I will continue to improve."
All Might moved on, stepping over to Todoroki. The frosty teen straightened, maintaining his decorum.
"Young Todoroki," All Might said with a smile, "You showed remarkable resolve. Keep striving forward."
Todoroki gave a small nod, eyes flicking toward Renji for the briefest moment before he muttered, "I will."
Finally, All Might reached the center of the podium where Renji was mid pose again, arms bent at an angle, resting on his hips while he looked toward the sun.
"All right, young Renji," All Might said, lips twitching as he tried not to laugh. "Your victory was hard earned. Congratulations."
Renji dropped the pose instantly and puffed out his chest. "Obviously. Feels different hearing it from the Symbol."
All Might lifted the medal, letting the sun catch its golden sheen before placing it around Renji's neck.
The crowd erupted.
Renji grinned, teeth shimmering like he'd planned that too. He raised a hand and waved proudly, until All Might instinctively struck another dynamic pose beside him.
"HEY!" Renji barked again. "You're doing it on purpose now!"
All Might feigned innocence. "Ahaha! I would never steal a young hero's spotlight!"
—
"Let's go, Renji!" Kirishima fist bumped him once they were out of the stadium, flashing him a smile. "I thought Todoroki would put up more of a fight."
"He could beat all of you guys." Renji remarked, glancing around at the others. "His synergy sucks as of today but who knows what'll happen in the future."
"You can say that again," Kaminari butted in, "I thought the guy was gonna cause a drought! Not to mention his ice…"
"That stuff is way too cold," remembering how easily he got beaten, Sero looked down in disappointment. "You should be glad you didn't have to go up against him."
"It doesn't help that I went up against that girl from Class 1-B! I couldn't even shock my way through her vines, there was no chance I was winning that one."
"Yeah, besides Renji and Todoroki, I'd say Kirishima's fight was the most entertaining." Mina skipped her way next to Kirishima, slapping a hand against his shoulder.
Kirishima grinned, flashing her a thumbs up. "Thanks, Mina! It was hella fun!"
"Your fight against Midoriya wasn't half bad either!"
Mina groaned in response, flicking a stray strand of hair from her eyes. "Only because he was holding back from breaking every bone in his body. But I was able to get a few good licks in!"
The others laughed along as they made their way to the arcade across the street.
At the same time, Renji tilted his head, looking at the unlikely friends he'd made. I guess not many of them had a chance to show off their skills during the tournament.
But even getting to that point past the Cavalry Battle and obstacle course is probably enough for a few agencies to scout them out.
Sighing, Renji quickened his step to catch up with the rest, eager to dominate not only in the tournament but also the arcade. If they don't get any good invitations then that's just too bad. Sucks to suck.
The glass doors slid open with a cheerful chime, revealing a bountiful array of neon lights and electronic jingles.
The arcade was packed to the brim. Being so close to U.A. and since the festival was over, many sought to test their skills elsewhere.
Kirishima stretched both arms over his head. "Man, it's been forever since I've been here! I'm ready to go all out!"
"Just try not to break anything," Sero snickered, nudging his shoulder. "Your Quirk isn't exactly 'arcade safe.'"
"Says the duct-tape man," Kaminari shot back. "You gonna tape the joystick to your hand so you don't drop it again?"
"THAT WAS ONE TIME."
Renji strolled past them, scanning the machines like a king surveying his territory.
Hmm. I wonder if I can get a better score in—
Mina bounced up beside him. "What're you playing first, Renji? Racing? Shooter? Dance game?"
"Anything." Renji shrugged. "I'll win regardless."
"Oh, really?" Kaminari's eyebrow twitched upward. "Cocky today, aren't we?"
"Can you blame him?" Kirishima retorted, "He's even still got that gold medal on his neck."
Renji tapped the medal with a knuckle, letting it give a soft clink. "What? I'm supposed to take it off? I earned this."
"It's been like an hour," Kaminari deadpanned.
"And?" Renji blinked at him. "I'll take it off when I stop being number one."
Kaminari threw his hands up. "Unbelievable."
Before he could say anything else, Kaminari's gaze snagged on a massive four-seat racing game with glowing rims and a screen big enough to double as a billboard.
"Oh hoh! No way—RENJI! We're doing that one."
Mina gasped dramatically. "The Turbo Cyclone Ultimate Deluxe? Kaminari, last time you played that you spun out four times on the first lap."
"That was beginner's luck," Kaminari protested before pausing abruptly. "Uh, for the game, not for me."
"Alright! Let's see if our champion is still up to snuff!"
Renji nodded toward the machine. "Fine, but don't cry when I leave you all in the dust."
"Don't talk like that until you beat me," Kaminari shot back, marching to the seats.
Sero leaned over to Mina as they followed. "Someone's still a little salty about losing in the first round."
"He's in denial," Mina whispered, "It's kind of cute, honestly. At least I accepted my loss."
Renji slid into the driver's seat with the same casual posture he'd had on the podium.
Kaminari sat beside him, gripping the wheel like he was preparing for real combat. "No quirks. No cheating. No weird flexibility tricks to hit the pedals faster."
Kirishima and Mina took the other seats, each slamming coins into the machine as the intro music blared.
"Alright!" Mina shouted. "Loser buys the winner ice cream!"
Renji pointed at himself. "No. Loser buys me ice cream."
"WHAT?" Kaminari squawked. "Why?!"
Renji motioned to the medal again. "Champion's privilege."
Kirishima burst out laughing. "He's got a point, bro!"
Kaminari slumped. "This is rigged."
—
"And then when I went to punch him again, I almost couldn't! But I pushed through and kept on fighting."
"Wow, dude." Kaminari fiddled with his chopsticks and picked up another dumpling. "That's hella manly."
"Evening, gentlemen!" Sanji spun by their table again, holding a pitcher of water. "And the lady! Anyone in need of a refill? Maybe some tea?"
Mina raised her hand enthusiastically, bringing over her cup across the table for Sanji to fill. "Thanks, Sanji! This food is really good, the best I've had in Tokyo!"
Sanji laughed as he refilled the cup, "What a wonderful thing to say! Thank you, young Mina. It's an honor to hear that from one of the students from U.A. High."
"Hold on a sec," Renji spoke, setting down his utensils in mock anger. "I'm a student from U.A. too, you know! I even won the sports festival today!"
"Yes, yes, I did see that on T.V. earlier." Sanji replied, nodding his head. "Should I be calling you sir? Or perhaps, your Majesty?"
Sanji's lips quirked, just enough to make it unclear whether he was teasing or genuinely considering the title.
Renji leaned back in his seat, lifting his chin. "Majesty works. I'll allow it."
Mina slapped a hand over her face. "Please don't encourage him…"
"Oh, but it suits him perfectly," Sanji said, pouring water into Renji's glass with a dramatic flourish. "A king must dine well. Eat up, your Highness."
Renji grinned triumphantly as the others groaned.
Sanji placed the pitcher under his arm and straightened his tie. "If you need anything else, simply call. I'm always happy to serve hardworking heroes in training."
He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving behind a trail of impressed murmurs from nearby tables who had overheard. A few people even lifted their phones, subtly recording or taking pictures.
Kirishima leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Dude… people are legit whispering about you."
"They should be." Renji resumed eating, completely unfazed. "I did just humiliate the Number Two hero's son on national television."
Todoroki, miles away, sneezed without knowing why.
Mina snorted into her drink. "Okay, okay, King Renji, after the arcade and dinner, what's next? Victory parade? Autograph signing? Maybe you wanna carve your name into U.A.'s front gate?"
Renji paused mid-chew. "…You think they'd let me?"
"NO," the entire table answered at once.
Before Renji could argue, a sudden clatter came from behind them. A few patrons gasped.
"Oi, oi! You serious?!" a panicked voice cried.
Renji turned around to watch an older man stumbling away from a toppled tray of dishes. A small flame no bigger than a candle had sparked on the tablecloth.
A child near him had accidentally tossed his toy, and it must've malfunctioned when it hit the cloth.
"Fire!" someone shouted.
But the flame barely flickered before someone else moved.
Sanji swept in with such speed Renji almost thought he had used a Quirk. With one fluid motion, Sanji snatched a damp towel from his apron and smothered the tiny flame with a chef's precision.
"Oh my god—" the older man cried. "It could've—"
"It didn't," Sanji said calmly, offering a courteous bow before turning to the child. "Little one, be more careful with items like that, yes?"
The kid nodded with wide eyes as the dining room slowly relaxed.
"Where'd he even get a faulty toy like that anyway?" Renji muttered. Maybe it's time to invest in the toy industry. Make some changes.
His eyes glimmered as a thought crossed his mind. I can even start production on my own action figures!
Kaminari blinked, watching Sanji head to another table. "Dude… is he the real hero here?"
"Pfft, relax," Sero whispered, "It was a baby flame. Todoroki sneezes bigger fires."
Miles away, Todoroki sneezed once more without knowing why.
"He runs his own gig on the side." Renji picked up the glass again. "But his true passion is in the kitchen."
"Side gig?" Sero asked, glancing around before ducking in close. "Is it some kind of illegal operation?"
Renji stared at him for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. "What? No, man."
"Sanji's been running a small dojo nearby," he replied, shaking his head. "It's obviously not as big as some of the agencies around here, but it's starting to take shape. It's pretty new, but with the few members I saw join recently, I think the dojo will skyrocket in popularity."
Sero settled back in his seat as he took in the information. "Wow, he's the owner of two successful businesses? Talk about a busy life."
"Sounds hella manly to me!" Kirishima's eyes burned with a new found respect for the restaurant's owner. "You think he'd give me some pointers on my footwork?"
"You'd have to ask him. I only help pay for the place."
Mina poked him from the side. "You sure do have a lot of money, huh?"
Renji simply nodded, calling over a waiter. "You got me on the dessert, right, Kaminari?"
Kaminari slouched at the comment, remembering how poorly he had performed earlier. "Fine, fine… dessert's on me."
Renji smirked, leaning back with a satisfied smile. "Good answer."
Ignoring Kaminari's dark mutterings from the other side of the table, Renji glanced toward the window.
"Man," Kirishima said, stretching back in his chair, "what a day."
Renji grinned. "And it's still my day."
Mina groaned. "You're never gonna let that go, are you?"
"Nope." Renji raised his glass in mock toast. "To victory, fame, and free dessert."
Kaminari muttered, "Mostly dessert…"
The table burst into laughter as Sanji reappeared with a tray full of sweets. The scent of caramel and sugar filled the air, mixing with the buzz of conversation.
Who knew being number one could taste so damn sweet.