Keiro no Hi
(Author's Notes: Keiro no Hi (Respect for the Aged Day) is a public holiday celebrated in Japan each year on the third Monday of September.)
I. Class 1-D
It was the 3rd Monday of September and the afternoon sun streamed into the classroom windows of Shiketsu High's Class 1-D. Inigo leaned back in his chair, casually flipping a pencil between his fingers as he chatted with his seatmates.
"Ain't really camping if Hailey brings a million dolla' trailer innit?" Bobby asked.
"Bro, it's the only way she'll go," Hifumi answered. "They call it glamping. Minnie's in. How bout' Nyoro?"
"Leave Hoge to me. We just gotta ask Sandy about she-who-must-not-be-named."
"BOYS! Pay attention!" Rosethorn gave the three boys in the back a sterm look and carried on.
"Your essays analyzing retired pro heroes are due next week," Rosethorn said, her voice slightly muffled by the bandages covering the lower half of her face. "I expect each of you to conduct thorough research and interviews. These pro heroes paved the way for today's heroes - their stories are worth remembering."
Inigo was only half-listening. Retired heroes just didn't capture his interest.They rarely danced or joked around like Popsy. Nor where they as loud and entertaining as Saurus and Majestic.
As the bell rang, students filed out and Inigo sauntered over to Hoge.
"So, got any plans this weekend?" he asked grinning. "I was thinking you, me, a romantic moonlight dinner. Out camping in the woods."
Hoge looked anxious. "W-we should focus on the essay and interviewing pro-heroes."
"Yeah, yeah I know," Inigo said dismissively as they walked down the hall. "But c'mon, we gotta make time for fun too!"
"You may have fun alone if you insist, but I'll be dedicating this weekend to my essay. It's an important topic - did you know Japan has the oldest population in the world? The declining birth rate paired with increased life expectancy has caused major aging issues."
Inigo's grin widened. "Well, if you're so concerned about the birth rate, I know a fun way we could help fix that problem." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"You're incorrigible," Hoge huffed, a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Take this assignment seriously."
"Alright, alright," Inigo laughed. "I'll ask around and see if any retired heroes are willing to do interviews this weekend. Maybe I'll recruit the guys to help too. The more of us there are, the more interviews we can get done."
Hoge seemed satisfied with this answer. "Good. I look forward to comparing our essays and sources."
II. Retirement Home
Inigo, Orochi, Hifumi, Hoge, Hailey, Christopher, and Sally entered the bright and cheerful common room of Toyokazuen Hero Care Home for the Elderly. The room is filled with retired heroes and support staff, some sitting together and chatting while others watched the news on the large TV in the corner.
Inigo waved as he spotted four particular heroes. The retired heroes welcomed the students warmly, happy to have visitors.
"Welcome, welcome!" a slender, elderly man said, shuffling over to them with unexpected speed. "I'm Mr. Bolt, and this is my crew - Ember, Lady Luck, and Meta-Man." He gestured to the other heroes seated around him. Ember gave a frail wave, Lady Luck beamed happily, while Meta-Man frowned in his wheel chair, shooting them a distrustful look.
"We don't get many young visitors, so make yourselves at home," Mr. Bolt continued. "Now, who wants to hear about the time I saved an entire city from a toxic gas attack?"
The students quickly dispersed to interview the various retired heroes. Inigo and Hoge claimed Mr. Bolt, eager to hear his wild stories, while the others paired off with the remaining three. Soon the room was abuzz with the voices of the veterans recounting their glory days and the kids listening with rapt attention, scribbling down notes.
"And that's how I directed the lava flow safely through the village, saving them all," Lady Luck.
"How were you so certain that your quirk wouldn't hurt people instead?" Sally asked, thinking of her own quirk.
"Guess I was just lucky."
Meanwhile, Hifumi was interviewing Meta-Man. "What was the most amount of weight you ever lifted?" he asked eagerly.
"Well, one time I stopped a 10-ton meteor from crushing City Z," Meta-Man bragged. "Lifted the whole dang thing up and tossed it into a mountain!"
"That's a sick move!" Orochi added.
After a solid hour of the veterans regaling the students with their exploits, it was time for the kids to head out. But before leaving, Inigo heard an offhand comment.
"Sure was nice to reminisce about old times," Mr. Bolt said. "Ember over there can't even remember her costume anymore."
"Do you mind putting them on so we could take a photo for our report?" Christopher asked.
"Well-" Mr. Bolt looked wistful.
One of the nurses overheard him. "I'm afraid we can't do that," she rejected. "You should be getting some rest, Takamori. It's almost time for your medicine."
Ember sighed looking at the kids. "They took our costumes anyway, they have them in some new hero museum."
The students said their goodbyes, but Inigo's mind was already churning. What if they could give these old heroes one more night of adventure?
He opened up Class 1-D's group chat. It's gonna take him all day to convince everyone.
III. Retirement Home (Evening)
Inigo and his classmates covertly made their way back to the retirement home. Thanks to Hifumi's quirk and Hoge's scouting, they were able to sneak inside and get to the living quarters unseen. Luckily, most of the residents were sound sleepers.
"Pssst! Mr. Bolt, Meta-Man! Wake up!" Inigo stage-whispered, gently shaking the two.
"Huh, what?" Mr. Bolt muttered, before focusing on the students. "What's going on?"
"We're here to make your dreams come true!" Inigo declared. Seeing their confusion, he explained. "We're taking you on one more night of patrolling, just like old times!"
"We retrieved your costumes from the museum too," Christopher added, holding up a bundle of vintage hero outfits.
Meta-Man's eyes lit up. "Well, I'll be! Are you kids serious?"
"100% serious!" Hifumi confirmed. "The others are getting Ember and Lady Luck ready."
Despite initial reluctance, once the heroes had their iconic costumes on again, their excitement was palpable. Hoge had to remind them to keep quiet as they snuck the veterans out of the home. Soon, all four former heroes stood outside in the moonlight, wearing their outfits and ready for action. Just out of sight, Inigo's classmates had also suited up in makeshift "disguises" - really whatever they could find in their closets.
Inigo stepped forward dramatically. "Alright folks. We'll stay back and let you pros handle things. It's time to patrol."
The veteran heroes shared eager grins before scatterng into the night, ready to do hero work once more.
IV. Fushimi Ward
Kyoto was their playground tonight. Inigo, Hoge, Hailey, and Hifumi guided the four retired heroes through the vibrant city streets, setting up scenarios for them to "save the day" just like old times.
Orochi pretended to be a villain stealing purses from the clique playing civilians.
Orochi: Mwuahahaha!
Edith: "Ugh.. Like, help us please!"
Minnie:"Our designer bags were taken away!"
Lady Luck swooped in to apprehend her with psychic bonds.
Ashleigh screamed for help from (Faith's) rogue drones in a dark alleyway until Mr. Bolt zoomed over and carried her to safety in a blink.
Other students played fearful citizens or rowdy criminals for the heroes to stop. Each scene allowed the veterans to tap into their former heroism. With every "victory", their enthusiasm grew. "You fiend! Return the secret patty formula!" Mr. Bolt declared as he caught up to "Doctor Stranger Danger" (played by Christopher). With a swift arm, he snatched the sauce bottle away and returned it to Bobby playing as a distressed WcDonald's manager.
Meanwhile, Ember faced down a hulking "mutant" villain (really just Sandatsu wearing extra bulky clothes). With a shaky hand, Ember produced a small flame. "S-stay back, villain!" she warned. "My pyrokinesis knows no limits!"
Sandatsu played along, staggering back from the tiny flame. "No! I'm burning! You got me, hero!"
Hiro cheered, "Thank you for saving me, Ember! I'm only alive because of you."
The night patrol was going perfectly. Inigo kept scanning the streets, ever watchful in his self-appointed 'sidekick' role. After a couple of hours, the elder's stamina began to flag. Inigo called a halt to the activities so they could rest.
As the elders stood together near the back exit of the facility, Inigo asked excitedly. "So, how was it? Now too worn out are ya?"
"Worn out? From that little stroll you took us on?" Meta-Man scoffed. "Why, I could do this every night and still have energy left over!" They all laughed at his bravado, though they seemed exhausted. Underneath the bluster, Inigo noticed the veterans had an extra sparkle in their eyes.
"We really can't thank you kids enough for what you did," Ember said earnestly. For once, her voice wasn't interrupted by coughs. "It's been ages since I've felt this alive."
"I must admit, I was quite skeptical when you first proposed the idea," Lady Luck chimed in. "But getting to be heroes again...it was wonderful."
"So....you'll ignore us breaking several violations to sneak you out?" Hoge asked, feeling a twinge of guilt that she joined the rebellious deed.
Mr. Bolt barked out a laugh. "Of course not!" He leaned in close to Hifumi like he was sharing a secret. "To be honest, we knew exactly what you whippersnappers were up to. But we were having too much darn fun to spoil your scheme!"
The students exchanged surprised looks as the elder heroes nodded. They really hadn't fooled the heroes at all!
Inigo chuckled and whistled, the rest of 1-D came out of their 'hiding spots', still sporting their disguises as they surrounded the elders.
Orochi tilted her all four of heads curiously. "If you knew what we were doing, why'd you play along from the start?"
Ember smiled gently. "My dear, when you get to be our age, you learn to cherish any bit of excitement that comes your way." Her face grew somber. "We may put on brave faces, but we all know our glory days are long behind us. Being here, it can get...lonely."
The mood in the alley turned reflective as the students considered her words. Inigo felt a pang in his heart realizing what it must be like for heroes who once saved lives daily to now be confined. How could they stand it?
"Many of us have lost comrades over the years," Mr. Bolt said quietly. "Spouses too. The memories hurt sometimes. It's too easy to just dwell on what's been lost." Inigo saw Christopher quickly avert his gaze.
"But what you kids did last night, it helped us create new memories to cherish," Lady Luck added. "We'll be talking about it for years!"
Meta-Man puffed his chest proudly. "You young heroes reminded us of who we still are, deep down."
Sally's cheeks heated at his praise. "We just wanted to return the favor for doing the interviews."
"It was more than that." Meta-Man's eyes shone with conviction. "In our day, we older heroes too often dismissed the new generation as lazy, reckless hooligans." Lady Luck nodded somberly. "The media highlights the bad apples, making it seem like today's heroes lack the values we once held dear. I confess, even I started losing faith."
The students shifted self-consciously as the heroes described sentiments they themselves had noticed. Being constantly criticized and looked down on for their age was pretty disheartening.
"But after what you did for us, I realize we were wrong to judge you all so harshly," Ember said. She gazed fondly at each of the kids. "You remind me of our younger selves - passionate, brave, and caring."
"You gotta be patient with us old timers for being stubborn in our views," Meta-man added. "You've shown this old dog that yer' hearts are in the right place. We can rest easy knowing the future is in good hands with heroes like you protecting it."
Inigo's chest swelled. He saw the other students also sitting taller.
"Do you think we can live up to your legacies someday?" Chihiro asked quietly.
"I have no doubt," Mr.Bolt replied, smiling beneath his bushy mustache. "You've got the right stuff, kids."
Overcome by emotion, Inigo had to turn away for a moment to discreetly wipe a stray tear. The faith these heroes had in them meant the world. Seeing Inigo's reaction, Lady Luck opened her arms invitingly. "Come here, dears."
One after another, she wrapped the students in warm, grandmotherly hugs. Even tough Yui and standoffish Hailey accepted the embrace. Hoge held herself stiffly at first, but gradually relaxed into the comforting hug. When Christopher stepped up last, Lady Luck held him tight and whispered, "Thank you for giving this old heart joy. I knew your mother you know, she would've been proud." Those simple words undid him. The tears he'd been holding back now flowed freely down Christopher's cheeks. The stress from the exams, Desolator, and hiding Inigo's damn quirk poured out. Lady Luck smiled.
After the emotional moment passed, the kids said their farewells before departing the retirement home. As they walked out, chatter broke out amongst them.
"I can't believe they really knew what we were doing!" Orochi frowned. "Sneaky old folks."
"I'm just glad we were able to make their day," Inigo said, smiling. "Told you this was a good idea. We didn't even get in trouble! So how bout' some victory ramen?"
"Hell yeah!" Bobby cheered. "Did ya'll see how cool they were? I think I learned a new technique!"
The students laughed as they walked. Inigo felt closer to his classmates - he's gonna have to rush in writing his essay, but together they had accomplished something pretty cool. It's probably worth the bad grade.