100 Percent Hero

Chapter 22: A New Club

Running across the beach that had once been littered by garbage, Shigeo was partaking in his daily exercises alongside All Might at the Takoba Municipal Beach Park, where they continued to train after school and on their days off. The day after the sports festival had been rather quiet, though most of the esper's thoughts were focused around Iida's brother and Bakugo's changes in behavior, as well as how he couldn't detect those changes. The night sky was wondrous, and the bright moon reflected beautifully off of the clear water. Thanks to all the training he'd done these months, what used to have brought him to the brink of collapse was now only slightly exhausted, causing the esper to brim with confidence.

The number one hero, who was running alongside him in his weak form, observed this remarkable improvement. "I remember a time where these several mile-long runs would leave you sprawled out on the ground, but look at you now! You're breezing through these runs like a champion!"

Mob's face lit up with a rare light. "I wish I could've shown this improvement to the Body Improvement Club to see whether or not I'd be able to keep up with them now."

"I'm sure you would, but I'm also sure that I couldn't, not like this. In fact, why don't we take a little break..." So the two of them sat on the white sand and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery.

"You and young Midoriya really did your work clearing this place up," All Might remarked, "I've noticed that there've been a lot of teen couples coming here. It's become a popular dating spot thanks to your effort. I even saw a newspaper print a story about it."

"I've noticed many couples come here too," Mob replied.

"But it was only possible thanks to the hard work you and Midoriya put in: every day, you'd take the time to move that trash out of the beach. Though it may not have seemed like much in the short-run, all the incremental progress that was made paid off in the end, and it's allowing people to enjoy themselves here again."

Kageyama's brain paused for a second, the wording that All Might had used triggering another strong realization similar to the realization he'd gotten with Recovery Girl and his healing. "That's right. The change wasn't something that occurred instantly; it took time and effort to accomplish." The esper felt like an epiphany had hit him, a problem that had been nagging him since he'd talked with Midoriya after the sports festival. "That's why I couldn't notice any changes with Bakugo! Because my view of change is too narrow! I wasn't able to pay enough attention, observe his behavior from a different angle, too focused on immediate changes instead of looking for small ones!"

"During my fight with Bakugo, after he unleashed his Howitzer Impact, I expressed my disappointment in the way he insulted Midoriya, how he didn't remember the names of his classmates, said that he hadn't changed at all, and I actually went so far as to say he might never change. That was a really cruel thing to say, and it wasn't even true."

All Might pursed his lips straight and slightly lifted his head down. Indeed, the esper made a dramatic statement to Bakugo that would significantly impact the explosive teenager. "Bakugo does have a brutal nature, a demeanor that demands greatness, looks down on others who don't possess amazing power, and has a fiery determination to surpass those who possess equal or larger power to him. And yet, his determination to excel and improve himself is unlike anything I've encountered in anyone before, even Midoriya. He didn't need anyone to teach him that there's a difference between those who aim for the top and those who will settle, and that difference matters."

"Midoriya also talked about Bakugo like that," replied Mob. Though he'd been trying to change Bakugo and make him see the error of his ways, he now understood that his methods were not the right ones. He'd been so determined to do it his way that he'd also blinded himself to the positive qualities that Bakugo possessed.