MHA: Dark Matter

I covered a yawn with my hand. I was sitting in a cafe near the apartment of the last person connected to the nightclub "Devil's Pleasure." I was having breakfast, occasionally glancing at the police cars across the street. Apparently, his wife had found the body earlier than I had anticipated. I hadn't even finished my meal yet.

I wondered what the expressions on those police officers' faces would be if they knew that the wanted murderer was calmly eating nearby. I looked at my coffee. I usually drank tea, but I needed a little pick me up.

Twenty four hours had passed since I left that underground brothel. The anger and emptiness were gone, replaced by a calm confidence in my actions. No intimidation, no fights, no torture. Just searching for people and quiet killing. Like a tedious job that just needed to be done. And the fatigue after finishing it.

My backpack with my costume and mask rested on the chair next to my table. Just in case, I had used a homemade aerosol to change my scent, so they couldn't track me that way. The right thing to do would have been to go home immediately after the killing and have breakfast there, but fatigue, hunger, and laziness had brought me here.

The slightly bitter black liquid pleasantly warmed my throat. My thoughts were enveloped in a light haze of relaxation and calm. No thoughts about goals or plans to achieve them. Just a cup of coffee and a pleasant warmth in my chest.

The few other customers began to leave. Some to work, some to school, some had just finished a night shift and had decided to grab a bite before going home to sleep.

I took out my smartphone and, with a practiced motion, unlocked it. The app loaded, and the news feed appeared. What was on the agenda today?

The acquisition of several companies by the Yaoyorozu conglomerate and the consolidation of their presence in European markets. Interesting, but not particularly useful.

All Might had stopped some villains in a city in Aichi Prefecture. Mundane, though I should watch the video. All Might might show something new in his techniques. Denying his hand to hand combat skills would be foolish, but against weak opponents, he mostly relied on brute force.

Next. Not interesting.

Oh, where did this ad for Uwabami come from? Wait, no, it was a photo from her latest photoshoot, posted in the "Heroines of Japan" group that I followed. Expecting descriptions of their combat abilities was useless, but they often added videos of their fights, which could sometimes be useful for self improvement.

In terms of combat, the hero I admired most was Mirko. Not so much for her technique, which was only slightly above average, but for her wild fighting style. It always amazed me, and still does. I almost wanted to join her fan club.

So, what else? Fans of the third ranked hero, Hawks, had caused another uproar. Judging by his laid back appearance, you wouldn't think that his villain capture record was close to Endeavor's.

Weather forecast for Musutafu. Oh, that's about me.

The underground brothel and the mass murder at the nightclub "Devil's Pleasure." The police were still investigating, but it had been preliminarily proven that the A class villain Ticci Micc was involved. The club's managers had also been found dead. Then came lengthy speculations and hypotheses about what role I had played in all this. It was fun to read what the press wrote about you, although some hypotheses were annoying.

I took another sip of coffee. I scrolled further. Nothing interesting. I kept scrolling until I came across a news item about Kyotoku Jiro. His band was giving a concert this week in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Why was I finding out about this so late? I needed to buy tickets immediately. And I had to invite Hatsume. She didn't really listen to music, but everyone liked music! That was an absolute truth. Anyone who denied it was lying. I was sure of it. They just hadn't found the music they liked.

So what was I waiting for? I quickly ordered two tickets online and paid at the register. Excited, I almost knocked down a tired man in a brown trench coat on my way out. I quickly apologized and headed home at a brisk pace.

I needed to figure out how to pry Mei away from her "babies" so she would come with me to this concert. She had to understand the beauty of the world of music. And I would do everything in my power to make that happen.

- - -

Those negotiations cost me dearly. I fought like a lion and maneuvered like a serpent of temptation (not true), but I had to be a test subject for all of her "babies" for a week. And those tests were passed with honor and my head held high (not true).

In short, the day finally arrived. I was so excited that I cleaned my apartment, double checked my U.A. project, ironed my clothes again, and left early to pick up Mei.

She had moved into her relatives' place for school. So I didn't have to go far. I approached her house and waited for the agreed time.

I heard the door open and turned my head. I froze.

Mei Hatsume stepped out of the house. She wasn't wearing her usual sleeveless shirt and loose fitting dark green pants. She was wearing a black skirt with red stockings and a white blouse, with light makeup on her face. She walked up to me with a happy smile, blushing slightly at my intense stare.

"Hi, Ken."

I quickly recovered and smiled back widely.

"Hi, Mei. You look beautiful today. I've already called a taxi, it should be here in about five minutes. Have you changed anything on your exoskeleton, or do you think it's ready?"

"Of course not. There are still problems with maneuverability, but I probably won't be able to fix them before enrollment. I need to study the placement of muscles and ligaments in the human body better to further improve the baby."

Talking about various topics, we waited for the taxi and drove to the concert venue. She looked at me with slight surprise when the topic turned to music and Kyotoku Jiro.

What about it? I love music, and I'm a devoted fan of Kyotoku Jiro!

As we talked, the hall we were in was packed to capacity. And then a middle aged man with long, wavy hair took the stage and picked up the microphone.

"HEEEEEY! TO HELL WITH THE OPENING SPEECH! YOU CAME HERE TO LISTEN TO ROCK?"

"YEAH!"

"GREAT!"

The drums started pounding.

*Are you satisfied?*

*Just open your eyes!*

*You can see the light*

*On the other side of this new frontier.*

Several musicians, including Jiro, began to sing.

*The emotions we keep resisting*

*On the edge of the grief that brought us down…*

*A distant light, echoing in the dark night…*

*The howl of those who believe.*

The lead singer continued alone.

*Hey! Duck down! Hey! Howl! Act right now!*

*Hey! You will become someone during the exodus into the azure sky.*

The crowd, including me and Mei, began to answer him.

*The dreams we somehow managed to preserve will grow,*

*And until then, we don't want to lose them.*

*We don't have time to listen to liars.*

*Let's have fun instead, yeah, while life hasn't come to an end!*

The crowd grew more and more excited.

*The greater the obstacle, the stronger the desire.*

*In our open hearts, there is a messiah.*

*We want to seize this period of change.*

*Never give up, yeah!*

*Overcoming the nights that have taken me prisoner,*

*I howl loudly with all my soul!*

My eyes shone brighter and brighter with joy, but I didn't forget to glance at Mei.

*The fist I raised up, even if it's covered in mud,*

*Will be a guide for our wavering souls.*

*Again and again, putting our collected desires into them,*

*Let's fire our signal cannons!*

*Hey! Get out! Knock down that rickety door from the room!*

*Hey! Be someone! The nostalgia of exiles echoes in distant voices.*

She was shouting along with everyone else. Joy that I wasn't alone began to fill my heart.

*The dreams we somehow managed to preserve will grow,*

*And until then, we don't want to lose them.*

*We don't have time to listen to liars.*

*Let's have fun instead, yeah, while life hasn't come to an end!*

I am not alone, I am not alone, I am no longer alone. I have friends. The thought raced through my head as I enthusiastically listened to the song.

*The greater the obstacle, the stronger the desire.*

*In our open hearts, there is a messiah.*

*We want to seize this period of change.*

*Never give up, yeah!*

*Overcoming the nights that have taken me prisoner,*

*I howl loudly with all my soul!*

My eyes began to blur a little, but I still sang along loudly with everyone.

*Are you satisfied?*

*Just open your eyes!*

*You can see the light*

*On the other side of this new frontier.*

My soul felt lighter.

*This isn't the kind of situation where they say,*

*"This is a useless treasure."*

*Even if it's a little embarrassing*

*To wag our boastful tongues,*

*We have no desire to stop.*

The singer began the final chords.

*The greater the obstacle, the greater the anticipation,*

*And the more it hurts afterward.*

*The dreams we somehow managed to preserve will grow,*

*But maybe we should just give up on them? No!*

*Pour hot oil*

*Into the engine of your passion!*

*Overcoming the nights that have taken me prisoner,*

*I howl loudly with all my soul!*

(FLOW×GRANRODEO — Howling)

We all joyfully shouted, raising our hands in the air.

"Hey, Ken, are you okay?"

I looked at a slightly worried Hatsume and answered happily.

"Yes. Why?"

"You're crying."

Her finger pointed at my face. I touched my face with my hand. And I laughed. Then I hugged Mei tightly.

"Hey."

She fidgeted nervously.

"I'm just glad I'm not alone."

I answered quietly, then let her go and smiled at her.

That evening was the best of my life.