In the midst of an ordinary day...

It was another bright, sunny day.

Perhaps some places were suffering the ravages of war, or perhaps some people were facing the threat of "villains," wondering how they, as "heroes," should rescue hostages from the "villains." Or perhaps they were wondering how to use the hostages in their hands to escape the "heroes" confronting them...

In short, who knew what circumstances each person was facing?

For Uraraka Shige, today would probably be much like the past six months: another ordinary day in the life of a nine-and-a-half-year-old elementary schooler, enjoying the uneventful routine of going to school and coming home...

All right, Uraraka Shige had to admit that he didn't enjoy it at all... Imagine being crammed into a classroom with a bunch of little kids, listening in class as teachers who had already gone gray in middle age explained things that, to him, were almost simpler than one minus one equaling three. Then, between classes, the little kids gathered together and started making their respective noises, like a public toilet blasting music for a square dance... Good grief...

But whatever the case, at least it was still ordinary daily life. There were no damned "villains" coming for revenge, no damned puppy love affecting his adorable older sister, and not even any damned brats bothering him while he enjoyed some quiet time alone... Perhaps Uraraka Shige felt a little lonely at school, but at least he had Ochaco by his side, and he could go up to the roof to train his body and Quirk. He wasn't bored, in any case.

But that didn't mean ordinary daily life was like a pool of stagnant water, completely free of ripples.

For example, Uraraka Shige had keenly noticed that his father and mother in this life had started getting busy a week ago. They were often unable to come home on time, and even when they were supposed to be resting, they would suddenly get a phone call and rush off to work at the family company. The food at home had also suddenly started getting worse a week ago, until it had returned to the standard it had been when the company could barely get any business at all...

Though he knew these things were perfectly normal. After all, his family ran a construction company, and in business there were profits and losses. Sometimes you could make money lying down, and sometimes you could work yourself ragged and barely make a dime.

Even so, he had noticed something not quite right about these perfectly normal things...

For instance, why had the food at home gradually become like it had been half a year ago, when the family's construction company often couldn't land any projects?

For instance, why had his father and mother, who had looked relaxed every day for the past six months, gone back to looking as busy and worried as they had half a year ago?

For instance...

All right, there were actually too many examples to list. And although his father and mother had never said anything, both he and Ochaco had a vague sense of what the problem was and what had happened.

Business at the family's construction company had taken a turn for the worse, going back to how it had been half a year ago.

Without a doubt, that was what had caused the drastic changes in their family's circumstances over the past week.

But whenever Uraraka Shige asked his father and mother about it, he always got answers meant to reassure him and Ochaco.

Of course, Uraraka Shige understood perfectly well why he got those answers. It was simply because he and Ochaco were too young-at least, as far as his age in this life was concerned, that was indeed true. His father and mother therefore believed that even if they told him and Ochaco about the problem, it would only make the two of them anxious and worried as well, without producing any solution.

In truth, though, Uraraka Shige wasn't entirely willing to accept that reasoning. Although he looked only nine and a half, or perhaps even younger considering his height, that didn't mean his mind was as innocent and pure as a nine-and-a-half-year-old's, like his body. He considered himself fairly mature, at least...

But since his father and mother had made up their minds not to involve them, there was nothing much he could do about it. He could only find a way to quietly ask around when his parents weren't paying attention, then think things over carefully and see whether he had any way to solve the problem. After all, though he didn't consider himself particularly clever, he had the experience of his previous life to draw on. At the very least, he had read some classics and had a little knowledge and experience.

Though he himself thought it was more likely that he wouldn't have a good solution, there was always a chance. What if it really did turn out to be that one-in-ten-thousand case?

And most importantly, he was genuinely curious about what had happened and why business at the family's construction company had gotten worse. Even if it was only to satisfy that persistent curiosity circling in the back of his mind, he intended to start taking action.

But before that, he had to wait until school was over. After all, class was still in session, and he was also concerned about Ochaco's safety. Whether he took Ochaco home first and then found an excuse to go out, or simply took Ochaco with him to have a look at the family's construction company, neither option was possible right now.

Besides, his family's situation wasn't the only thing he was curious about. The former class monitor's behavior today had also caught his attention.

It was completely different from the mysterious, inscrutable way the former class monitor had acted for the past six months. Uraraka Shige had only happened to notice it when, out of boredom, he looked around the classroom, intending to sneak a peek at how the other little kids were doing with their studies.

But the former class monitor had undoubtedly been keeping a discreet eye on him out of the corner of his eye during the previous few classes.

So of course Uraraka Shige intended to satisfy his curiosity and ask the former class monitor directly why he had been sneaking glances at him. After all, although the former class monitor was the one he knew best out of all the little kids in the class apart from Ochaco and Genga, that was specifically because the class monitor had often had to collect homework. In fact, they were merely strangers who knew each other's names.

And he was a boy!

Being watched so closely by someone of the same sex, even if he was only a child, was still something Uraraka Shige found hard to get used to...

However, the former class monitor had suddenly disappeared during the break and still hadn't shown up halfway through this class, forcing Uraraka Shige to abandon the idea.

But given Uraraka Shige's personality, once he had noticed these things that aroused his curiosity and concern, it was hard for him not to wonder whether the former class monitor, who had changed so drastically over the past six months, was secretly plotting something with him as the target.