MHA: GAMER PATH

Chapter 132: UA School Festival Arc (5)

~Third POV~

[9:15 AM, UA Highschool, Dressing Room, Japan]

The dress rehearsal ended without incident, and the contestants returned to their greenrooms. Kendo let out a long, pent-up sigh. Listening to Ren, not sounding particularly amused, more like he was making a simple observation, "Pretty intense out there."

Kendo sighed as she replied confessing her feelings stoically, "Yeah. Caught me off guard … But I should've known."

Raising an eyebrow, Ren asked, confused, "Known what?"

Seeing his confused expression with a light smile, she tried to dissuade his worries, "Erm, never mind. Forget it."

Ren's look seemed to ask, tilting his head as he bluntly said, "Are you sure it's nothing?"

But Kendo smiled, shook her head, and changed the subject asking, "How'd I do?"

Kendo was referring to the little preview of her pageant performance. Kendo herself didn't know if she wanted to talk about the competitive aspects or chat about how she felt so out of place, and she feared that in this unsure state, anything she said would come off as pointless complaining.

Ren smiled, being honest with her in a calm tone, eyeing the dress critically, "It looked really clean, I thought. But is the hem of that dress too tight?"

Kendo, looking down on her dress, specifically her kata, replied while asking a question to him curiously, "It's fine. This kata doesn't feature too many wide stances. However, how are you able to perform so well in making this dress anyway?"

Ren momentarily paused having a flashback moment…

/////

[Flashback a few days ago, UA Highschool, Heights Alliance, Japan]

A few days later, when Kendo was picked for the beauty pageant, Ren was having a moment to discuss with other gamers. Currently having a live video through the gamer system, he was talking to a fellow Gamer called Mash Bastion he asked, "So… I heard from Jack and Silva that you know a thing or two about fashion? Right?"

From the other end revealed an older Mash Bastion twirling his chair, drinking some tea as he responded stoically, "Of course. When one does business in fashion or clothing designs in some reaches of the universe or multiverse, then I'm the guy. However, why ask me such trivial detail, newbie?"

After finding out that Ren could call other Gamers with his system, he decided to talk to other gamers, discussing topics of makeup or fashion. Hearing from Jack and Silva, they both said to go to Mash Bastion for details on the subject.

Returning to the topic at hand, Ren replied, albeit sheepishly, as he answered in an embarrassed tone, "Well… you see, I need some tips on how to help a girl in my class named Kendo into it. But with everyone in my class busy with the concert – Ack! What the hell is the light show!! HOW AM I TASTING THE RAINBOW?!!"

*SHIII*

However, being blinded by a rainbow light from Mash's end, all he saw was a shadowy figure with a grin as he spoke from the rainbow backlight, "Hahaha!! Impressing a lady to court, are we? Then you have come to the right place! Marvel Mongrel of my vast wisdom in the art of fashion!!"

Ren would soon come to regret and be thankful for the information Mash said. He would be a very fashionable person when he was through… and possibly learned to weaponize nakedness…

/////

[9:20 AM, UA Highschool, Dressing Room, Japan]

*Shiver*

Ren shivered lightly as he quickly changed the subject, regretting asking Mash's help, he asked calmly, "Uh… I had a friend whose very… VERY knowledgeable in the subject. But moving on, what's your choice for the talent show portion?"

For the talent show part of the competition, she'd chosen to perform a martial arts routine. Kendo had racked her brain trying to think of a way to showcase her feminine sensibilities, but when she'd come up short, she had settled on doing something she knew she was good at.

After all, the other contestants would be highlighting their special skills through dance, song, or what have you. Each had done a small portion of her act during the rehearsal (leaving the full performances for the pageant itself), though an unconcerned Kenranzaki had skipped the rehearsal altogether, saying only, "I look forward to the main event!"

Kendo shook her head as Ren offered her the chance to eat lunch calmly, "Are you hungry? Want anything for lunch?"

Hearing the option, Kendo would usually agree to eat his food. But the mood didn't allow her as she helplessly said, "Not really. I'll wait 'til it's all over. But you should eat, Ren."

However, Ren shook his head, responding in a neutral tone, "I'm not that hungry either, honestly."

As they sat around chatting while waiting for the show to begin, Kendo and Ren heard someone cry from the next greenroom over. They locked eyes and raced to the source, hearing the cry, "What the hell is this?"

Keno then asked confused peeking into the room, "Um, what's the matter?"

Nejire looked upset, and beside her, Haya had a high heel in one hand and a large nail in the other. Her face was practically quivering with rage as she snarled in an angry tone, "This nail was in one of Nejire's shoes…"

Ren peeked inside with a raised eyebrow as Kendo exclaimed in shock, "Whoa!"

Haya, unable to hide her anger, exclaimed in an outburst, "This is sabotage, I know it!"

However, Nejire didn't believe it to be sabotage as she asked in an unsure tone, "Hmm, how can we know for sure, though? Maybe it just fell in there."

Hearing her friend's response, Haya spat in denial of such a possibility, "Fell? From where? Nuh-uh. That doesn't just happen."

Kendo and Ren had to agree it was unlikely, but she wasn't fully ready to accept the sabotage theory. The nail was huge. It is too big for intentional sabotage since the would-be victim would be sure to notice it before slipping the shoe on.

Ren, seeing this, couldn't help but mutter in a confused tone, tilting his head with his arms crossed, "A thumbtack would've worked, maybe? But a nail was just begging to be discovered. Can't really be sabotage…"

Still, Haya had lost all composure and was convinced that someone was out to hurt Nejire as she started in an angry tone, "Probably that Kenranzaki …"

Nejire's face grew dark at the idea as she said in a startled tone stating out loud, "Cut that out. We have no proof."

However, Haya explained to herself that Bibimi could be the one in an angry tone, "Sorry. But c'mon … The former winner has the most to gain by making sure you're out of the running …"

But Nejire repeated sternly, leaving Haya unable to respond, "I said, cut it out."

Just as Kendo and Ren were both feeling awkward about witnessing the minor spat, a nearby voice cried, "Well, search harder, please!"

All four of them looked at each other and stepped out to see what was up as Kendo asked, concerned, "What's wrong in here?"

Arriving at Bibimi's room, she sighed as she explained, searching for her necklace "Oh. You ladies and gentlemen! Well… I cannot find the necklace I'm meant to wear for the main event. It was on that table until the dress rehearsal! I will swear to that!"

She pointed to a jewelry box on the table near the windowsill. Meanwhile, her attendants were scurrying about, searching every nook and cranny of the room.

The shadow of a bird raced across the curtains, fluttering in the wind. This caught Ren's attention Kendo asked Bibimi, "Was the door unlocked? And the window open?"

Taking a moment, Bibimi admitted in an honest and concerned tone, "Unlocked, yes, but only while I stepped out for a brief moment."

It seemed like a careless thing to do, but it wasn't as if Kendo or Nejire had locked their greenrooms. Since this was all happening within the safety of the school grounds, most of the contestants weren't being particularly vigilant as they thought, 'What if it was a thief, though?'

As the thought crossed Kendo's mind, Ren muttered to himself curiously, placing a hand over his chin, saying out loud, "Man, these pageants are rife with sabotage. Though mudslinging and dirty deeds were common occurrences behind the scenes. Though I guess we don't know for sure yet…"

Kendo nodded as she replied with a bit of an edge to her voice, "Yeah, but this is no laughing matter…"

Whether it was all part of some devious plan or not, a nail had found its way into a shoe, and jewelry had gone missing. It wasn't a huge stretch to connect the two incidents as she thought in a confused tone, 'Sabotage, though…? How would we even deal with that if that was the case…?'

The trashy tabloids would start licking their chops upon hearing of backstage scandal and intrigue at the U.A.'s beauty pageant. But were these young women really like that?

As boys would tell it, girls were prone to fighting their battles in sneaky, underhanded ways and not in the light of day. Kendo didn't think she was that sort of woman, but how could she be sure? she thought with a light scowl, 'Woman.'

To Kendo, the very word often felt like a burden. She preferred to be defined on her terms.

Plenty of men felt the same way, no doubt, while some people out there felt like they didn't fit snugly into either discrete category. It was like somebody, at some point, had decided to stuff everyone into these cramped, preconceived pigeonholes where women had to be one way and men another.

Kendo thought the whole notion was obnoxious. At that moment, though, the girls in the green room heard heavy footsteps just outside. Ren had a deadpan expression as they heard Mei Hatsume screaming, "Has anyone seen my baby's remote control?"

*THUD*

*THUD*

Coming through wearing a grimy tank top and running at a breakneck pace, Mei noticed the group saying cheerfully, "Hey, Kenranzaki! Have you seen it? Oh! Hey Ren-kun!"

Ren casually waved hello as Bibimi exclaimed, seeing Mei looking dirty in a confused tone, "What on earth are you talking about, Mei? And despite my repeated admonishing, have you still not bathed?"

Mei shamelessly explained in a blunt tone, "I was up all night tinkering!"

Seeing the mad inventor run right up to Kenranzaki, Kendo recalled that they were both members of the Support Course. Bibimi asked with a resigned look, knowing that trying to convince Mei to focus on anything besides her inventions would be a losing battle, "Very well. What's this about a remote control?"

Hearing Bibimi's words, Mei began to explain in an excited tone, "The remote for my super-duper cute baby #202 that I'm exhibiting at the festival!"

If U.A.'s Sports Festival was where the Hero Course got to shine, then the School Festival was meant as a platform for General Studies, the Business Course, and the Support Course to strut their stuff.

The Support Course, in particular, garnered plenty of attention for its time-honored tech exhibition, which members of all grades helped put together. The guest list this year included only a small number of outside parties, but those handpicked industry bigwigs would still be expecting a lot from the exhibition, even if it was on a smaller scale than usual.

If a Support Course student's invention could catch the eyes of these visitors, that student could very well expect multiple job offers upon graduation, so Hatsume was understandably upset over her predicament. Without that remote, she couldn't show off her prized invention.

It was when Ren spoke up, shaking his head, explaining to her bluntly, "Sorry, Mei, but it's not here. We were just scouring the room for her necklace, so I'm sure we would have come across your remote."

Mei flinched back as she yelped in shock, "Gah!"

Ren raised an eyebrow as he said curiously with his arms crossed, "What, you didn't think to create a spare one?"

Mei exclaimed, having been very busy; she couldn't produce another one in an offended tone, "A spare? I was too busy working R&D to think about spares!"

It was when Bibimi said with a raised eyebrow, asking her classmate, "I assume you searched the studio already?"

Mei rolled her eyes as she extended both her arms outward and yelled in a stressed tone of voice, "Of course! And the classroom and the dorms and the cafeteria and the bathrooms! Everywhere I've been! This was my last hope!"

That was when Bibimi bluntly asked, confused, "Why were you here?"

Getting close to Bibimi, Mei began to explain explosively, intruding into her personal space, "You told me I oughta add some more sparkle to my babies, so I dropped by to watch you in action and learn a thing or two! But you weren't here! Argh, what do I do, Kenranzaki? The exhibition's about to start! Don't tell me I gotta operate on my baby by hand. Or maybe it actually would be more effective if I just climbed inside and did it all manually?"

With far too little sleep powering her, Hatsume's bloodshot eyes bulged from their sockets. Rattling on and on at top speed, she resembled a robot in the process of short-circuiting. Observing this, Kenranzaki walked up to Hatsume and made use of her impressive eyelashes.

As Kenranzaki's luscious lashes descended from above, they gently forced closed Hatsume's eyes (she hadn't blinked since showing up) as well as her mouth, which had been spraying flecks of saliva all about, causing Mei to mumble, "Mmrgh?"

Her lashes withdrew from Hatsume's eyelids, allowing the younger girl to blink again as Bibimi barked out loud then decisively said, "We of the Support Course must at all times strive for beauty! Now calm yourself, and I will help you search."

It was Kendo's turn to look wide-eyed as she asked in a confused tone, "Are you sure? What about the pageant?"

Turning her head to the side seeing Kendo she declared, "We still have time."

Nejire, who'd been watching the back-and-forth from the sidelines in silence, raised her hand as she said, "Yup, yup, I'll help too."

Haya looked a bit unsure as she said, "Seriously, Nejire?"

Nejire grinned as she said in an optimistic tone as if that were the only reasonable response, "The more people looking, the better our odds of finding it."

Kendo gasped as Ren said for both, although she looked a bit hastily agreeing, "In that case, we'll help as well."

Bibimi looked as she blinked a bit surprised as she said, "My, my… All of you, then?"

Kendo looked a bit hesitant, but she shook her head as she said confidentially, "Sure, but let's be quick about it."

Mei Hatsume who'd finally recovered a modicum of composure thankfully said, "Thank you so much, girls! Thanks, Ren-kun!"

That was when Kenranzaki asked if there was anywhere else she'd been that morning, which sparked Hatsume's memory as she exclaimed, "I forgot about the woods! I ran through there on my way back!"

With that, they all decided to head to the forest to search for Hatsume's remote control. All the while, Ren raised an eyebrow seeing the crow with an amused expression…