The Boys go to a Comic Book store
Recommended Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6_MxaXjUm4
“Weird, but you don’t even need a jar, sometimes a bottle would do if your aim is good,” Inigo quipped.
“Or a can,” Sandatsu added.
“Bro, a can?” Hifumi questioned as he and his three best friends made their way down the street. Autumn leaves crunched under their athletic shoes. They had gone out together for a morning jog. Worn out from racing, they held onto each other’s shoulders for support as they walked as one.
“I’d need two cans,” Bobby mused.
“Yeah, but you have to hide or get rid of it afterward,” Inigo noted. “It’s for emergencies only bros.”
“Fuji-nee would freak out. I'll never hear the end of it,” Hifumi shook his head.
“I can’t hide mine, it glows.”
“Really?” Inigo raised a brow.
“Whoa!” Sandatsu and Hifumi said at the same time, looking at each other.
“Ya’ll never noticed? Depends on how sunny it is.”
“What about the other thing?” Sandatsu pondered.
“Well-”
“Guys! There it is!” Inigo yelled, cutting off Bobby as he pointed to the new comic book store they had come to see. “Told ya it was around here! Let’s go!”
They cheered as a group as they broke into a run. "I heard they got the new Kamen Driver Seat Belts," Hifumi called out.
“We should all get one and take on that river again! Hoohoo!”
“Ya'll know, I got dibs on Kamen Driver Blade.”
“Really, Kazuma? I’m getting Wizard.”
“Revice is the best bro!”
“We’ll see who wins once we get our belts.”
"Max Driver Henshin!"
They laughed while miming putting on their Kamen Driver Seat Belts and morphing into power suits. They excitedly picked up their pace as they hurried down the street. The smell of old paper and plastic underscored by mildew hit their noses as soon as they stepped through the doors of Kyo-Hero Comics. The interior was dimly lit, with dusty rows of comic books and collectibles lining the walls in a labyrinthine maze. A few pimply-faced regulars milled about silently, browsing the endless aisles of hero merch.
Hifumi made a beeline for the pro hero section, his eyes lighting up when he saw the array of Endeavor gear. "Jackpot! Check it out guys, they got the limited edition flame-resistant millenium shirt! I've been hunting all over for this baby." He held up the shirt reverently.
"Sweet," Bobby commented as he joined Hifumi in browsing the Endeavor merchandise. "Too bad it's so expensive."
“Why would you need a flame-resistant shirt?” Sandy pondered.
Inigo shrugged in response.
The Boys gravitated towards the video section, Inigo’s gaze landed on a shiny new GVD. "Guys, no way! They have the new Cape Rumble! Check it, they have never before seen footage of that dragon fighting the fire-cape guy. Nobody knows who they are!"
"My money's on foreign heroes and villains," Bobby mused.
"The fire-cape guy could be Endeavor," Hifumi suggested as he moved next to Inigo. Sandy fell quiet, remembering his night-time battle against Drekus and Feral.
"No way! It even has footage of the latest Seiryu vs Karma on HD! This isn't even out yet." Inigo held up the case, which depicted the dragon hero grappling dramatically with the slender reptile villainess. "Rumor is these two have some serious secret chemistry going on if you know what I mean," Inigo added with a wink and a nudge.
"You and your weird conspiracy theories," Hifumi scoffed, though he leaned in to inspect the DVD cover with curiosity. "I bet you're just saying that 'cause you ship them."
“Nah, bro. Look!” he held out his phone playing the store camera footage of Karma and Seiryu rolling around. “What does that look like to you?”
Hifumi narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. “Hmm.”
“He’s tryin’ to apprehend her,” Bobby points out.
“Bro, this is foreplay,” Inigo affirmed. "Look at how he's grabbing her thigh!" Inigo's dragon, Gigan, shakes its head in dismay.
“Yeah, they’re fucking,” Sandatsu adds.
“Sorry bro, they’re definitely fucking,” Hifumi adds.
“That’s three votes! We’ve reached a verdict!” Inigo cheers as he picks up the Cape Rumble VII GVD. “I’ll grab this for the road, we can watch it later.”
"Wait- you guys do foreplay?" Bobby asks.
"You don't?" the other three boys said at the same time.
The Boys began to debate what exactly counts as "foreplay", drawing a small crowd of inexperienced geeks around them.
"I'm telling you, it totally counts as foreplay when the guy and girl start having an intense argument that leads to kissing!" Inigo insisted.
"No way, that's just straight-up making out, not foreplay!" Hifumi argued.
"What about when it just leads to hitting and more yelling?" Sandatsu asked.
"I think that's just abuse, bro," Bobby shrugged.
"But I like it."
Their debate is interrupted by the jingling of bells behind them, which signaled new customers entering the comic shop. They glanced up to see two familiar faces - Nene and Yui. But something was different. Yui's normally unruly white hair had been neatly styled, the sides pulled back while her bangs framed her face. She almost glowed as the rays of light outside fell on her. The new look drew approving stares from the comic shop's other patrons as the boys gawked.
"It worked! I knew the hairstyle would get attention," Nene said proudly, giving Yui's arm an affectionate squeeze.
Flustered by the sudden attention, Yui glared and shrugged Nene's hand off. "Tch, whatever. People are just nosy." But her cheeks glowed pink.
The four boys immediately flocked over to greet the girls.
"Yui, you look so pretty!" Bobby said sincerely.
"Really brings out your eyes," Hifumi added with an approving nod.
"Wow, yeah! You should wear your bangs like that more often!" Inigo enthused. Even Gigan mewed appreciatively from his shoulder.
"It really suits you, Yui," Sandatsu offered.
"Oh, uh, thanks," Yui muttered, awkwardly touching her hair.
Sensing her discomfort, Nene grinned and nudged the flustered girl playfully. "See? I told you they'd be smitten by your new style."
Inigo's eyes lit up. "Ooh, mind if I get a pic? The class chat needs to see this transformation! Especially Chris!" He already had his phone out.
"Do it and die," Yui threatened, making a fist.
Taking the hint, Inigo quickly put his phone away again. "Heh, maybe later."
Hifumi turned to Nene, "So, what brings you ladies here today? Wanna hang out with the coolest guys in 1-D again, Nene-senpai?" He flexed comically.
Nene gave them a teasing grin. "Sorry boys, but us three are having a girl's day today. We're just here to browse some new manga."
As if on cue, Ashleigh entered the shop then, looking around shyly before spotting Nene and Yui and scurrying over to them.
"Oh hey Ashleigh, you made it!" Nene greeted the timid girl warmly.
Noticing the new arrival, Sandatsu gave her a friendly nod which made Ashleigh jump and hide partially behind Yui.
"No way, you're abandoning us like this?" Inigo clutched his heart in faux betrayal.
Sandatsu bowed his head, "Feels so cold all of a sudden.."
"Where did we go wrong, bro?" Bobby asked Hifumi, theatrically placing his head on the dark-haired boy's shoulder. "I thought she liked us."
Hifumi shook his fist at the heavens and looked eastward stoically, "Tossed to the curb like dirt. What a tragic fate."
"Are they always like this?" Ashleigh peeped out.
"So dramatic." Yui rolled her eyes.
"Not gonna work! Girl time is sacred," Nene said sticking her tongue out. "But we'll catch up with you boys later, 'kay?"
Hooking her arms through Yui and Ashleigh's, she led the two girls deeper into the shop, already chatting excitedly about different manga series. Ashleigh led the two girls into the back isles as she pulled out her favorite books to show them. She'd never been so animated before. Wherever the girls went, Yui's new hair drew stares.
"Aw man, guess it's just us dudes again," Inigo said as they watched the girls go.
"They grow up so fast," Bobby added wistfully.
The four friends laughed and went back to their spirited debates about girls, heroes, and everything in between. But periodically their gazes would drift over to the girls browsing manga together, wondering what exciting adventures they'd be going on that day without them.
As Hifumi, Inigo, and Bobby wandered over to look at hero posters, Sandatsu found himself drawn to the trading card game tables.
He sat down across from a bespectacled boy with a confident grin. "Mind if I play a round?" Sandatsu asked.
The boy smirked. "Sure, but I gotta warn you - I'm one of the best players here."
"I have this deck here," Sandatsu brings out the deck he found in his latest night-time mission.
"Wait! Is that blood??" the bespectacled boy called out as he pointed at Sandatsu's card sleeves.
"No, it's just paint. Don't worry." He wiped away the blood.
As the two began their match, Inigo was at a shelf, picking up an expensive-looking collectors statue of Popsy and turning it upside down to inspect the price tag. "Man, I'm so broke right now," Inigo complained,
"Maybe you shouldn't have blown all your cash trying to impress girls all week," Hifumi pointed out, eliciting snickers from Bobby.
Inigo shrugged. "Hey, I gotta invest in my future wife somehow."
"By that logic, you must have like fifty future wives by now," Bobby joked.
"Just one, and she's worth more than fifty," Inigo winked.
Their laughter was interrupted by a grumbling from Hifumi's stomach.
"Ugh, now I'm getting hungry looking at all this cool stuff I want but can't afford," Hifumi griped.
As they passed by a display of limited edition Endeavor gear, Hifumi's gaze lingered longingly on a shiny, flaming athletic band.
Noticing his interest, Inigo spoke up. "Bro, if you want that Endeavor band so bad, why don't you trade in some of those vintage hero cards you have? I bet they're worth a bunch now."
Hifumi's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Good call! I've been meaning to get some cash for these cards anyway."
Hifumi headed straight for the front counter where the shop owner sat reading a manga. Clearing his throat, Hifumi started spreading out his hero cards on the store's front counter, "Had to quit my part-time job to get ready for the internships so I could use the cash."
Bobby whistled, looking at all the rare first-editions. The shop owner looked up from reading. Hifumi presented the rare cards one by one, including a pristine Endeavor rookie card that elicited an impressed gasp from the owner.
"So how much can I get for this?"
"I'll give you 50,000 yen for the lot," the man offered.
Hifumi frowned, "You think we're amateurs? I can get way more than that online!"
Bobby clapped, "C'mon, you can do better than that!"
"I gotta make money, kid."
"Guess I'll take my business elsewhere." Hifumi moved to collect his cards and smirked as the owner flinched.
"Okay! 90,000 yen for all of them," the man blurted.
"Deal!" Hifumi agreed quickly, exchanging a handshake with the owner to seal the bargain.
Bobby gave Hifumi a friendly punch on the arm. "Nice! Now you can finally buy yourself something nice."
"Actually, I was thinking of getting something for Hailey," Hifumi replied. "Our monthly anniversary is coming up soon."
Inigo and Bobby exchanged dramatic eye rolls.
"Get a load of this cheeseball, sacrificing for his boo," Bobby teased.
"I don't know man, Hailey seems good," Inigo said doubtfully. "She's already super rich and spoiled."
"It's not about the price tag," Hifumi argued. "I want to get her something meaningful, y'know, to show her how I really feel. Something from the heart."
Inigo smiled and clapped Hifumi on the shoulder. "You know what bro, I get you. It's gotta come from the feels, not the wallet. She'll love whatever you pick out."
"Exactly!" Hifumi agreed
A victorious shout from Sandatsu grabbed everyone's attention, and the three boys flocked towards the card game table. Sandatsu had somehow managed to thoroughly trounce the smug, bespectacled boy using an extremely lucky combo. The defeated boy hung his head in shame while Sandatsu flashed a pleased grin.
("Whoa!") ("I've never seen that combo go off before!") ("That's crazy!")
"Yeah! Get wrecked, nerd!" Inigo cheered, high-fiving Sandatsu. "You destroyed that dude."
"I just got really lucky with my card draws," Sandy said modestly, though he was smiling from his first victory. "I can't believe that combo actually worked."
The cheers from nearby tables called the attention of the wispy-haired owner of Kyoto Comics. He came over to the table and observed the layed-out cards. "Young man, congratulations! That's the first time anyone's ever beaten Sakamoto in this format. How about a free pro hero TCG card of your choice!"
"Whoa, really?" Sandatsu asked, looking pleased and surprised. "That's awesome."
"Yup, I'll be at the counter, let me know your favorite hero so I can pick out a rare card for you." the owner pressed eagerly.
Sandatsu shrugged. "I dunno, I never really thought about it."
"Whoa? You don't have a favorite hero?" Hifumi called out. Sandatsu shook his head.
"Well it's obviously gotta be Popsy," Inigo stated definitively. "She used to be so popular until that scandal, but now she's making an epic comeback! Crazy strong, super hot, and a heart of gold - what's not to love?"
Hifumi let out an incredulous laugh. "Are you high? Endeavor is clearly the greatest hero alive. He's been number one forever! Way stronger than Popsy."
"Yeah, and way lamer and uglier," Inigo shot back. "Popsy actually connects with her fans on a real level, unlike Endeavor."
"No way! Wanna put it to a vote right now?" Hifumi challenged.
"You're on!" Inigo agreed. "Sandatsu can judge once and for all whose fave is best."
The two immediately launched into loud, clashing arguments about why their chosen hero reigned supreme, trying to out-shout each other.
"Popsy is funny and mysterious yet approachable!"
"Endeavor has the highest case-closure rate ever recorded!"
"Popsy has made more people smile than any pro-hero!"
"Endeavor has never lost a one-on-one battle!"
As the two became more and more animated, Bobby sidled up casually next to Sandatsu. "Forget em' fanboys," Bobby said in a low voice. "Let me tell you about the real MVP - Sun Man. He's super strong AND he saved the world!"
By the time Inigo and Hifumi finally stopped their bickering to take a breath, Sandatsu was nodding along enthusiastically to Bobby's stellar endorsement of Sun Man.
"HANG ON! Traitor!" Inigo gasped in dismay when he realized what happened, Inigo pointed an accusing finger at Bobby. "You sneaky snake, you took advantage while we were preoccupied!"
Hifumi shook his head in amused resignation. "I can't believe we just got played so hard. He probably bribed him behind our backs!"
Inigo and Hifumi dramatically comforted each other as they glared daggers at the blonde American.
"All's fair in love, war, and hero fandoms," Bobby replied with a smug grin.
Sandatsu made his way towards the store owner. "Hmmm...I guess I'll go with Sun Man."
"Excellent taste!" The owner handed him a pristine, holographic Sun Man card in a protective case. "This one's super rare - your lucky day!"
"Wow, thanks!" Sandatsu carefully examined the dazzling card, looking quite satisfied with himself. Meanwhile, Inigo and Hifumi stood sulking together in the corner.
"This battle ain't over yet," Inigo declared dramatically. "One day you'll see the greatness of Popsy, just you wait!"
"Keep dreaming, fanboy," Hifumi shot back. "Endeavor forever!"
After browsing for a few more minutes, the four friends finally exited Kyoto Comics, the little bell chiming overhead as they stepped out into the sunshine. Sandatsu held up his newly won holographic Sun Man card, admiring how the daylight caught the gleaming surface. "It looks so bright," he said in awe.
"You picked the right choice recognizing my dad's greatness," Bobby declared, slinging an arm around Sandatsu proudly.
Meanwhile, Inigo and Hifumi lagged behind, both looking rather dejected.
"I still can't believe he didn't pick Endeavor," Hifumi muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Bro, I have a presentation on Popsy that you all need to see," Inigo called out, even Gigan squeaked in agreement from his shoulder.
"Hey, I won fair and square!" Bobby insisted. Though he did feel a twinge of guilt seeing his bro so bummed. "Tell you what, when we get to the cafe I'll buy you a chocolate milkshake to cheer you up," he offered.
Hifumi considered this and then nodded. "Throw in some fries and you got yourself a deal."
"Alright! Bobby!" Inigo cheered. "I knew one of us wasn't broke today!"
Soon they were chuckling together again, their brief spat forgotten. As the four boys walked down the street, Bobby turned to Sandatsu. "So, what made you decide on Sun Man anyway? You've never really talked about having a favorite hero before."
Sandatsu shrugged. "I dunno, I guess your dad just seems really great and down-to-earth. Like someone who cared and you could rely on, you know?"
Bobby grinned. "Can't argue with that logic! Dad's are cool like that."
"I bet," Sandatsu added.
"Oh! I forgot, Hifumi has money too! So you're getting us burgers right?" Inigo nudged.
"No way! This money is for Hai!"
"C'mon, we'll pay you back!" Bobby chimed in.
"You never pay me back!"
Soon the boys were settling into a cozy booth at Thanks a Latte Cafe. Milkshakes, fries, and burgers in hand, they dove into yet another impassioned debate about who was the mightiest pro hero of all. Though they each had their own fiercely defended opinions, it was all in good fun. Because for the four friends, it wasn't the result that mattered, but rather each others company.