In MHA, I Have A Pirated Version of Gojo's Limitless: 31 Four Months Later 3

The bell rang, school ended, and Izuku Midoriya lingered only a little before veering off from his usual route home. There was a pull—subtle at first, then insistent. The chatter in class, the posts he kept seeing online, the reviews, the art, the quotes, and most of all, All Might's insistence.

Everyone was talking about it. So, naturally, his feet took him to his favorite local bookstore.

Only—

“What…?”

He stopped in his tracks.

A line. A real line. It wrapped around the side of the building, curving toward the alley, dozens of people bunched together like it was Black Friday.

A group of middle school girls squealed excitedly nearby. “They said they’re restocking! First edition reprints, signed inserts if you’re lucky!”

Midoriya’s heart picked up.

He approached a guy at the end of the line. “Excuse me, um, what’s happening?”

The man turned, raising a brow. “You live under a rock? It’s The Last Airbender! Today’s the restock. They sold out twice already.”

Midoriya blinked. “Oh…”

He’d seen mentions of it. The story had exploded online—people saying it changed how they saw heroes, loss, growth, war.

Another guy behind them scoffed. “I heard it outsold the last Pro Hero Quarterly in under a week. And that was before Endeavors agency left an official like.”

“Damn. Even Endeavor's getting involved?”

“Yep. By now I think it's just short of All Might giving his certified approval.”

“Nah. That's not gonna happen. Remember what happened to the restaurants all might praised in his autobiography?”

“Yeah. I believe half of Hosu and the neighboring cities stopped working and rushed over to book a reservation. It was nuts.”

The two young men chattered obliviously.

Meanwhile, Midoriya who was listening just stood there stunned.

‘I .. I can't believe it's already this popular.’ He thought, listening.

‘.... If only they knew. ... That all Might himself had already given his approval ..’

His eyes shifted to the long line. ‘Would it be even crazier than this?’

It happened then. A commotion suddenly erupted somewhere at the front of the line, drawing everyone's attention.

“Hey! What's happening?” A man yelled.

“It seems ... They've sold out.”

“Dammit! You've got to be kidding me. I've been here for nearly an hour.”

“No wonder you're at the back of the line. Most of us were here earlier.”

“So we have to wait till the next restock?”

“Fuck!”

Midoriya winced as he shielded his ears from hearing profanity. The crowd had erupted into large murmurs of dissatisfaction and frustration.

‘I ... I guess it can't be helped. I'll just have to come back some other ...’ His thoughts were barely finished when ....

“Get outta My Way Extras.”

A loud crash snapped his attention forward as a shout broke out ahead. Midoriya froze. ‘No way. Is that ...’

The crowd parted like a sea, people stepping aside instinctively.

And there he was.

Katsuki Bakugo, in his U.A. uniform jacket slung over one shoulder, a freshly sealed copy of The Last Airbender under one arm like it owed him money.

“Hmph. Maybe next time, you'll all learn to come a little earlier.” He snorted then raised the book in his hand triumphantly like a first prize trophy while pointing to himself with a small smirk.

“I just happened to get the last one.”

‘So that's why he wasn't in school today.’

Midoriya gawked. “Ka–Kaachan?”

Bakugo paused, scowled. “The hell are you doing here, Deku?”

“I—uh—just… came to see if they still had copies…” Midoriya’s eyes couldn’t help but flick to the book.

“You got The Last Airbender?”

Bakugo’s scowl deepened. “What, you gonna cry about it?”

“No, no! It’s just… I didn’t think you’d be into… you know, reading.”

Bakugo snorted. “It’s not some sappy extra garbage. It’s got teeth. You think I’d waste my time if it was lame?”

Midoriya opened his mouth. Closed it. Then nodded. “Right… of course. It was just ... Um ... Um ....” He stammered, not finding the right words.

Bakugo just watched him for a few seconds. The scowl slowly fading and the annoyance disappearing.

“Save It Nerd.” He moved, his shoulder slamming into Midoriya as he walked forward. “I have better things to do than listen to your explanations.”

Midoriya stood there as Bakugo walked past, the paperback still tucked under his arm like a challenge issued to the world.

No explosions. No insults. Just a quiet flex of pride.

The murmurs of the disappointed crowd resumed behind him, but Midoriya wasn’t listening. His eyes lingered on the cover—bold lettering, four figures in motion, elements swirling beneath the title.

A book that somehow everyone had read before him.

Even Bakugo.

“...Guess I really do need to catch up,” he muttered to himself, stepping off the sidewalk and pulling out his phone.

A quick search. A few taps.

Every online store said the same thing: Out of Stock.

He sighed.

Then smiled a little.

Because maybe, just maybe...

If even Kaachan liked it—

It had to be worth the wait.

_____

ACROSS JAPAN:

## [KIRISHIMA EIJIRŌ]

**Location: Family convenience store, Chiba Prefecture – 8:30 PM**

The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as Kirishima stood at the magazine rack, flipping through the latest Hero Times Weekly. His mom had sent him for milk and instant ramen, but the bestseller display by the counter kept catching his eye.

"'The Last Airbender'... again?"

He scratched the back of his neck, glancing around. The store was nearly empty except for a tired salary man buying cigarettes and coffee.

"Even Mina won't shut up about it. Says it made her cry three times." He picked up a copy, feeling the weight of it. "And she never cries at anything."

The cover art was simple but striking—four figures silhouetted against swirling elements. No flashy hero costumes, no explosion effects. Just... atmosphere.

"Might be worth a shot," he muttered, then louder to the cashier, "This too, please."

Walking home with the book tucked under his arm, he felt oddly embarrassed. Not because of the book itself, but because he'd always been a sucker for underdog stories. Stories about becoming stronger, about protecting people who mattered.

No one had to know how much he actually liked that stuff.

---

## [IIDA TENYA]

**Location: Kamino Municipal Library, 3rd Floor Study Section – 2:15 PM Saturday**

Iida sat at his usual corner desk, posture perfect, highlighter and notebook arranged at precise right angles. The Last Airbender lay open before him, and he was taking it seriously—perhaps more seriously than most readers.

"Fascinating," he whispered, adjusting his glasses. "The protagonist's adherence to pacifist principles despite overwhelming pressure to abandon them... it mirrors the ethical dilemmas pro-heroes face during crisis negotiations."

He made a careful note in his margin:

*Chapter 18 – Examine Aang's refusal to kill The Masked Spirit who turned out to be Zuko despite consequences. Compare to hero code provisions regarding lethal force.*

A nearby student glanced over, rolled her eyes at his intense note-taking, and went back to her manga.

Iida didn't notice. He was too absorbed in analyzing the philosophical tensions within the narrative structure.

"The Air Nation's genocide serves as historical context for the protagonist's moral framework," he muttered, writing faster. "Remarkable how the author maintains thematic consistency while developing character growth through—"

"Dude, it's just a story," someone whispered behind him.

Iida straightened. "Stories shape minds. Minds shape heroes. Heroes shape society." He returned to his reading with renewed focus.

The philosophy was sound. The character development was methodical. This wasn't just entertainment—this was education disguised as adventure.

---

## [CUT – JIRŌ KYŌKA]

**Location: Her bedroom, evening – Music playing softly**

Jirō lay sprawled across her bed, one ear jack casually plugged into her bedside amp, low-fi beats filling the room. The Last Airbender was propped open on her chest, and she was maybe three chapters deeper than she'd planned to be.

Sokka had just made another terrible joke—something about "boomerang-ing back to the topic"—and despite herself, she snorted with laughter.

"What a dork," she muttered, but she was smiling.

She flipped to the next page where Katara was arguing with someone about hope versus realism, and Jirō felt something twist in her chest. The dialogue was sharp, real, not prettied up the way most books made conversations sound.

'These characters actually talk like people.'

Her mom’s voice echoed from downstairs:

“You still reading that bender book?”

“It’s not just a bender book, Mom!” she called back, then winced.

She stared at the page again.

“It really isn’t,”

---

## [MOMO YAOYOROZU - STUDY ROOM, YAOYOROZU ESTATE]

The crystal chandelier cast perfect lighting across Momo's mahogany desk as she sat surrounded by preparation books for U.A.'s entrance exam. Calculus, physics, hero law, combat theory—a fortress of knowledge that should have commanded her complete attention.

Instead, she found herself stealing glances at her phone.

The group chat with her study partners had been buzzing all week about some book. Normally she'd ignore such distractions, but the intellectual discourse had caught her attention. These weren't just fan reactions—they were analytical discussions about narrative structure, thematic depth, character psychology.

Finally, curiosity won.

She picked up her phone and scrolled through the messages:

**Akiko:** *Just finished Chapter 12. The way they handle Katara's trauma after her mother's death… it's not patronizing at all. Feels real.*

**Hiroshi:** *You're still far behind. I already got to the Siege Of The North Arc. The Fire Nation are going to conquer the last water tribe stronghold.*

**Yuta:** *Can we talk about how the magic system makes sense? Li I really find the Chi based power system interesting. Most fantasy just handwaves that stuff.*

**Akiko:** *@Momo you'd love this. It's basically a dissertation on power vs responsibility disguised as an adventure story.*

Momo stared at that last message. A dissertation disguised as adventure? That sounded like something she could appreciate.

She opened her laptop and navigated to Everblue's digital store.

*The Last Airbender: Book One - Water*

4.9/5 stars. Over fifteen thousand reviews. The sample chapters showed clean, efficient prose—no wasted words, no overwrought descriptions. Professional.

Twenty minutes later, she was three chapters deep and completely hooked.

"Miss Yaoyorozu?" Her butler appeared in the doorway. "Your tea."

"Oh! Thank you, Watanabe-san." She accepted the cup without looking up from her screen.

"Might I ask what has captured your attention so thoroughly? It's rare to see you distracted from your studies."

Momo paused, slightly embarrassed. "It's… a novel. The Last Airbender. My study group recommended it."

Watanabe's eyebrows rose. "Ah, yes. My granddaughter mentioned that title. Said her entire class was reading it."

"It's surprisingly sophisticated. The author demonstrates a deep understanding of political theory, military strategy, even thermodynamics." She gestured at her screen. "This isn't just entertainment—it's genuinely educational."

"How delightful. Perhaps a brief reading break will refresh your mind for tomorrow's exam preparation?"

Momo looked at her stack of textbooks, then at her screen where Aang was learning the weight of his destiny.

"Perhaps… just one more chapter."

Four hours later, she was still reading.

---

## [CUT – ASHIDO MINA]

**Location: Her bedroom – Late night, under covers with a flashlight**

"No, no, NO!" Mina whispered harshly into her pillow, book clutched against her chest. "You can't just end the chapter there! What happens after?"

She'd been reading for three hours straight, way past her bedtime, completely absorbed in the story. Her eyes were getting tired, but she couldn't stop.

The adventure was incredible—flying bison, spirit worlds, epic battles—but what really got to her were the emotional moments.

"This is so not fair," she sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

She'd never expected a book to make her feel so much. Usually, she stuck to lighter stuff, comedies and romances while avoiding tragedies and war themed entertainment.

Her phone buzzed with a message from her group chat:

*Himari: Anyone else crying over Avatar rn?*

*Yue: SAME! Just finished chapter 18*

*Akane: DON'T SPOIL ANYTHING I'M ONLY ON CHAPTER 8*

Mina smiled through her tears and typed back:

*This book is emotionally devastating and I love it*

Then she clicked off her flashlight, but kept the book close.

Hopefully soon, she's find out what happened next.

---

## SCENE – KEN’S LIVING ROOM, LATER THAT NIGHT

Stacks of white envelopes sat on the table. Open. Official.

Ken slumped on the couch, a hand in his hair. His mom sat across from him, holding the latest one.

“This can’t be real,” she whispered.

Ken didn’t respond immediately. He looked exhausted.

“It is. All royalties. Domestic sales, digital, translation rights. And merchandising’s already opening talks. They say it’s viral now in Singapore, Korea, even parts of Europe.”

His mom blinked, holding back a little laugh.

“For a book you wrote in your boxers, in this very living room?”

Ken smirked. “Technically, I was in joggers that day. But yeah. Who would have thought?”

Well, technically he did. He knew what he was working with after all. Still, the rise to fame was meteoric, even by book standards.

All this achieved in only a couple of months.

“I still remember when they handed me that contract and the ¥1.5 million signing bonus. I thought I’d won the lottery.

But now? Four months in... the book’s sold over a hundred thousand copies, got picked up in three countries, and the anime rumors won’t stop. My cut so far? Over ¥18 million, easy. And I’ve still only written one volume.”

She smiled, shaking her head.

“Are you… happy with it?” she asked after a moment. “The direction it’s going?”

He leaned back and sighed.

“Mostly. I mean, why not? Thankfully I've already written the second and third volumes. Book Two and Three won't get in the way of my hero training. Now I just have to sit back and enjoy the benefits.”

“What about your identity? Are you going to reveal yourself to the public when you come of age?”

Ken paused. He had been thinking about that. The more fame The Last Airbender garnered, the more people would want to know the identity of the author. Few could actually answer that question though as few people knew who he was even in Everblue.

Mainly Aya, and probably the board ... Perhaps. He didn't know.

Of course, if the Paparazzi in this world were as fierce as the ones back in Hollywood, then they would definitely no stop digging for something.

Maybe they would succeed. Maybe they wouldn't.

Who knows.

“No.” He finally replied.

“Sometimes an elongated mystery could have fantastic results if released at the right time. I am planning to be a hero after all, and only the most popular Pro heroes actually achieve success. This could probably be helpful to me when that time comes.”

This was his reasoning.

She nodded slowly. "You know, when you first told me you wanted to be a hero, I worried about the danger. The responsibility. The pressure." She gestured at the financial documents. "I never worried about the fame."

"This is different," Ken said. "Heroes save people. Writers... writers just tell stories."

"Stories that change people," she pointed out. "Stories that make them think, feel, grow. That's its own kind of heroism, isn't it?"

Ken was quiet for a long moment, considering her words.

This wasn't their first time having this conversation. Over the past few months, Ken could understand why.

Truth be told ... His mom .... Didn't want him to be a hero.

It made sense really. After years of losing her son and finally getting him back, having him in off into certain danger again was the last thing she wanted for him.

Yet at the same time, she didn't want to push him away in their initial encounter due to the fact that he didn't remember her.

During that time, she was just content to have him back. After all, U.A was many months away, and there was still time to address the topic once he settled in and hopefully remembered.

However, human greed was insatiable.

Having her son back, the longer they were together, the more she feared losing him. Hence the discussion of whether he truly wanted .... Needed, to be a hero had come up once.

Then again when he wrote The Last Airbender and it caught Fire. Then again today.

She would rather have her son be a successful writer than a successful hero.

He understood that. Unfortunately, he wanted more.

"Maybe," he said finally. "But I still want to be both."

His mother smiled. "Then you'll need to figure out how to balance them."

She stood, began gathering the scattered papers into neat piles. "For now, though, focus on what's in front of you. Because in exactly two weeks, U.A. entrance exams begin."

She said before looking at him once more. Her little boy had grown up, and he was constantly reminding her of that fact every day.

“If you want to do this. Then I support you. Do your best, and know that I'm proud of you regardless.”

She finished with a kiss on the forehead.

Then, she left the room.

Ken looked at the calendar on the wall, at the red circle around the date that had seemed so far away when he'd first marked it.

Two weeks.

That's right.

The official start of the My Hero Academia Plot, was just Two Weeks away by this point.

____