The next day, the Engineering & Design Club was… surprisingly calm.
Well, as calm as the club could be, considering who its members were, and who its president was.
Calm in the sense that nothing was on fire, no prototype was exploding, and no one had been launched across the room by accident.
For this club, that counted as a miracle.
Hiro stepped inside and immediately sensed something was off, even though he hadn't been a member for more than a day.
With this group, the warning signs were obvious.
Mei wasn't shouting about a new idea.
Haruto wasn't arguing with a robot.
Hayato wasn't… actually doing anything.
"What the hell does that guy even do?" Hiro muttered.
And Fubuki… well, Fubuki was normal. Too normal. Suspiciously normal.
Still, the silence had that 'villain theme about to start' feeling. Hiro narrowed his eyes.
"…Okay," he muttered. "Either nothing's wrong, or everything is."
Given who these people were, the second option seemed far more likely.
He stepped cautiously further in, just in time for Mei to suddenly pop up from behind a table, startling him so badly he nearly jumped back out the door.
"Hirooooo! GOOD MORNING!" she beamed, waving a handful of tools like they were weapons.
Yep, something was definitely about to happen.
"H-Hey, Buchō…" Hiro said carefully, as if greeting a wild animal. "You, uh… need help with something?"
"Yes!" Mei announced with a dramatic flourish. "Today is your first official training session!"
"Training… for what exactly?"
"For EVERYTHING!" she declared proudly.
Before Hiro could respond, Fubuki stepped forward, placing a calm hand on Mei's shoulder.
"To clarify," she said evenly, "we're going to teach you the basics of not blowing yourself up."
Mei nodded vigorously. "AKA: SURVIVAL SKILLS!"
"…Why does this club need survival skills?" Hiro whispered
"Because, for some reason, we can't go a week without something blowing up," Hayato said from the corner without looking up.
Just then, Haruto sat up like a zombie, hair a mess, a circuit board stuck to his cheek.
"…Is it morning?" he croaked.
"Third period," Fubuki replied.
"Oh, cool." He flopped back down.
Hiro blinked. "…Is he always like this?"
Mei considered it. "He has… modes."
"Sleeping mode," Hayato added.
"Complaining mode."
"Hungry mode."
"Annoying mode."
"And Bum mode," Hayato finished.
Haruto lazily raised a hand from the floor. "I heard that—"
Mei clapped her hands. "Alright, Lesson One, Hiro, how comfortable are you with a soldering iron?"
Hiro stared at her. Then the tool. Then back at her. "…Define 'comfortable.'"
"Ever set anything on fire that wasn't supposed to be on fire?" Mei asked sweetly.
Hiro nodded slowly. "…Once."
Hayato scoffed. "Liar. I can hear it in your tone."
"Fine. Three times. Three," Hiro admitted.
Fubuki sighed and pulled out a notebook. "We'll start from zero."
Mei bounced. "Yay! A beginner! My favorite type to traumatize—"
"Teach," Fubuki corrected sharply.
"TEACH! Yes! Totally what I meant!" Mei said, sweating.
Hiro wasn't sure if he wanted to stay or run. Somehow, he chose to stay.
Mei slid a few tools toward him. "Okay, Hiro! Let's start with components. This little guy is a capacitor, and this one—"
"A capsule thingy," Hayato interrupted without looking up.
Mei gasped. "You TAKE that BACK—!"
Fubuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "…Ignore them."
Hiro leaned in, listening. Over the next hour, he picked up techniques faster than expected.
He had tinkered at home on his own and, while he had never really focused seriously, he had absorbed bits and pieces over time.
When Mei accidentally wired two points backward, Hiro quietly adjusted them before she even noticed.
When a tiny fuse started to overheat, he spotted it immediately and rerouted the current, preventing sparks from flying.
The confidence in his hands contrasted sharply with his initial hesitation.
It was loud. Overwhelming. Chaotic.
And… not boring.
Just as that thought settled in
—BOOM!
The windows rattled. Hiro nearly jumped out of his skin.
Mei yelped and dove behind the table.
Fubuki calmly adjusted her glasses as dust drifted from the ceiling.
Hayato didn't even look up.
Haruto, still lying on the floor, mumbled, "…That wasn't me…"
Another bang followed, then whirring, then frantic beeping.
Hiro's eye twitched. "…Should I be scared?"
"No," Hayato said.
"Yes," Mei said.
"Absolutely," Fubuki confirmed.
Hayato sighed. "Relax. That was probably just the AVS acting up again."
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP—FWOMP!
A small spherical device shot across the room like a furious hamster and bounced off Haruto's back.
"Ow, HEY! Why is the robot attacking me?!"
"It's learned," Hayato muttered.
"IT WHAT?!" Hiro yelled.
"Oh! It achieved semi-autonomous hostility! Good job, Haru!" Mei cheered.
"DON'T PRAISE IT—!"
Fubuki stepped forward. "Lesson Two, Hiro: always respect your tools. A screwdriver or wire cutter might look harmless, but in the wrong hands…"
She gestured at the AVS robot. "…things can get messy."
Hiro nodded slowly. "…I think I'm starting to understand."
"Excellent!" Mei chirped, dragging him to another table. "Now, let's move on to wires."
"…Again?" Hiro whispered.
A faint spark popped behind him. He flinched as it danced along the edge of the workbench.
"Careful!" Mei called, tone calm. "That's a live wire! But don't worry, it's only mildly deadly… probably."
Hiro's eyes widened. "…Mildly deadly?!"
Fubuki pointed at a schematic pinned to the wall. "Rule one: check twice before touching anything. Rule two: plan your steps before starting a project. Rule three: ask before improvising with unknown devices."
"Rule four: don't let Mei near the glue gun unsupervised," Hayato added casually.
Mei gasped dramatically. "Hey! That was a misunderstanding! I was perfectly fine last time… well, mostly fine!"
Hiro slowly reached for a wire, gripping it like it might bite him. "Okay… so what am I supposed to do?"
"First, we'll learn to strip wires properly," Fubuki explained. She handed him a pair of wire strippers. "Notice the gauge. Line up the wire… gently squeeze."
Hiro followed her instructions. The wire came out clean, copper gleaming. He exhaled. "Okay… I didn't electrocute myself. That's progress."
Mei clapped enthusiastically. "Progress! Two points for Hiro! One more and you level up!"
"This isn't a game, Mei. He could fry himself," Fubuki muttered.
"Who cares?!" Mei said. "Anything can be a game if you're motivated enough!"
Before Hiro could respond, a loud whirr echoed. The AVS robot had flipped upright and was advancing toward the corner table.
"Is it going to attack again?!" Hiro asked nervously.
"Probably," Hayato said casually.
"Definitely," Mei confirmed. She poked the robot with a screwdriver, making it spin wildly into the wall. Sparks flew.
Hiro yelped and tripped over a toolbox. "I think I'm going to die here."
"Lesson Three," Fubuki said calmly, helping him up, "never underestimate the room. It's chaotic, but each hazard teaches you something. Keep your eyes open and think ahead."
Hiro groaned. "Is there… a beginner's guide to surviving this club?"
"Sure," Mei chirped. "Learn how to dodge, improvise when necessary, and enjoy yourself while staying alive."
Hiro groaned again, but this time, he got up. Despite the chaos, the explosions, and the rogue robot, he felt… a little excited.
And just as he picked up the wire strippers
BANG!
Hiro froze. Mei yelped. The robot shrieked. Hayato didn't flinch. Fubuki calmly adjusted her glasses.
Hiro blinked. "…Yeah. Definitely fun."
And as the robot whirred past him again, Hiro couldn't help but subtly tweak a circuit panel to optimize the current flow. A small spark fizzled harmlessly instead of igniting anything. He grinned faintly to himself; he might survive this, after all.
─────╽ワンピース╽─────
ONE HOUR LATER
─────╽ワンピース╽─────
The room continued to hum with chaos for the next hour. Sparks popped here and there, tiny circuits buzzed erratically, and the AVS robot occasionally slammed into walls, but Hiro was holding his own. He moved confidently, adjusting wires, tightening loose connections, and even improvising a small stabilizer to prevent one of Mei's more volatile gadgets from short-circuiting.
Mei cheered at his every success. "See! I knew you had potential!"
"Keep all that cheer up, and I might fry something on purpose," Hiro muttered with a grin, not bothering to hide his amusement.
Finally, the club president clapped her hands together. "Alright, everyone! That's it for today! Pack up your projects!
Hayato yawned and slouched toward the door. "Finally. I've done enough work for one day."
Haruto rolled off the floor and grumbled something incoherent, trailing behind him as he shuffled out.
Mei, still buzzing with energy, grabbed her bag and turned to Hiro. "See you tomorrow, newbie! And remember: expect the unexpected!"
Hiro chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I'll try to survive."
Fubuki adjusted her glasses and smiled faintly. "Good work today, Hiro. You adapted quickly. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, the club began to empty. Hiro paused at the doorway, glancing back at the room one last time before stepping out into the calm hallway.
Outside the school, he found the twins walking along his usual route.
The twins slowed as Hiro approached, clearly curious about the new member who had survived his second day relatively unscathed.
"So…" Hayato began, "you actually handled all that… like it was nothing. How?"
Hiro shrugged, keeping it casual. "I've tinkered a bit on my own. Never really focused seriously, but I've picked up a few things here and there. Guess it helped."
Haruto tilted his head, frowning. "So, you're saying you're… a genius or something?"
"Not a genius," Hiro replied, smirking. "Just… good at noticing patterns, figuring things out quickly. You could call it instinct."
"Instinct, huh?" Hayato said, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Like… you just know how things will fail before they do?"
Hiro nodded. "Exactly. And I like fixing them before anyone else panics. Makes life a little safer and simpler for me
Haruto chuckled, the first genuine sound of amusement all day. "Yeah, I get you. Don't get me wrong, I like a little chaos in my life as much as the next guy, but sometimes I want some peace.
Hiro grinned, remembering a few misadventures. "Well… nothing school-safe. Some gadgets that could've burned down my kitchen, a replica of Kamen Rider: Decade's belt, and even a tiny version of Ex-Aid's bike. Learned a lot from failures…
Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Huh. You know, that's actually pretty cool. The way you talk about it makes it sound like it was barely a challenge for ya, though."
"Eh, not really," Hiro admitted with a chuckle. "Most of it was trial and error… lots of errors."
Hayato elbowed him. "Don't sell yourself short, dude, it's still pretty impressive in fact, one of these days you should show it off, though fair warning, if it sucks, I'm going to say it to your face."
Hiro smirked at Hayato's jab, hands slipping casually into his pockets as they walked.
"Oh, trust me," he said, voice carrying that quiet confidence he rarely vocalized. "The Decadriver doesn't suck. I put actual work into that one."
Haruto raised an eyebrow. "Actual work? Like… more effort than you put into not dying today?"
"Barely," Hiro shot back.
The twins exchanged a glance, the kind that meant they were silently communicating like only siblings could. Hayato's grin widened first.
"Alright then, hotshot. Tomorrow, bring it. If it blows up, you're buying lunch."
Hiro scoffed. "Why would a belt blow up?"
Haruto snorted. "After today? I'm shocked you didn't blow up."
"Or get electrocuted," Hayato added.
"Or flattened by the AVS," Haruto chimed in.
"Or stabbed by Mei's screwdriver," Hayato continued.
"Or—"
"Okay, I get it," Hiro groaned. "I survived. Miraculously."
"That's the spirit," Hayato said, clapping him on the back. "Welcome to hell."
Hiro winced from the sudden force, nearly stumbling. "Is this how you greet all the new members?"
"Nah," the twins replied in unison.
Hiro blinked. "…That was creepy."
Haruto smirked. "We save that for people we actually like."
Hiro paused for a moment, taken aback. Then he smiled faintly.
"…Thanks."
The twins nodded approvingly. Then, almost as one, they split off toward their route.
"See you tomorrow, Hiro," Haruto said with a lazy wave.
"Don't forget the belt," Hayato added.
"Yeah, yeah."
Hiro watched them go until they finally disappeared around the corner.
Then, only then, did he let out the breath he'd been holding.
"…Tomorrow, huh?" he muttered to himself.
A half-smile tugged at his lips.
The Decadriver. He hadn't seriously touched it in a while, at least, not in the way that mattered. He'd tinkered with it, cleaned it, stabilized the scanner once or twice, and tested it out to make sure it wouldn't fall apart instantly, but showing it off? Demonstrating it in front of other people?
Especially two seemingly brutally honest, gremlins like Haruto and Hayato?
Yeah. He needed to check a few things tonight.
Hiro started his walk home, thoughts already spinning.
As Hiro turned the corner on his way home, backpack slung over one shoulder and a faint, relieved grin still lingering on his face, someone else had been watching from a distance.
Mr. Murakami, who had just finished locking up the last classroom, paused in the hallway window overlooking the courtyard.
He'd seen the whole thing, the twins waving goodbye, Hiro actually smiling, and that unmistakable ease in his posture that the teacher rarely got to see during class.
For a moment, Murakami stood there, hands in his coat pockets, glasses catching the amber glow of the setting sun.
"…So he finally made some friends," he murmured.
There was no teasing in his tone, no amused sigh.
Just a quiet, genuine pride.
Hiro wasn't the type to open up easily. Talented? Incredibly. Energetic? Definitely. Driven? Absolutely. But always so guarded, even though he pulled off stunts like he did on Monday. The kind of kid who stayed after class to finish a project but avoided eye contact when someone complimented him.
Seeing him laugh, seeing him comfortable… that meant more to Murakami as his teacher than the boy would ever realize.
He smiled softly to himself.
"Good. Keep walking like that, Hiro. You deserve more days like this."
With that, he grabbed his briefcase, headed down the opposite street toward home, humming a tune under his breath.
It had been a long day, but watching Hiro finally connect with people?
That made it all feel worth it.
─────╽ワンピース╽─────
THAT EVENING — HIRO'S ROOM
─────╽ワンピース╽─────
His room was a quiet contrast to the club: a clean desk, tools lined neatly in drawers, and posters of various Riders on the walls, overwhelming, yet enough to show where his heart was.
Hiro sat down, pulled open the bottom drawer, and gently lifted out the Decadriver.
A faint smile warmed his face.
"…Still looks good."
He set it on the desk. The lights reflected off its surface just right. The card reader clicked softly as he inspected the mechanism, checking the tension, the LED connections, and the speaker.
Everything was stable.
But… something nudged his instincts.
That silent internal warning he'd always had—like the whisper of gears clicking into place before a failure.
He frowned. "Something's… off."
Not broken. Not dangerous.
Just… imperfect.
He grabbed a micro-screwdriver and opened a small panel on the side. A cable was slightly loose. Not enough to break anything, but enough to make the sound distort if the belt scanned too quickly.
Hayato would roast him alive for that.
Haruto would laugh so hard he might pass out.
Hiro tightened it, then soldered a minor connection, adjusted a capacitor's angle, and re-aligned the LED pattern.
He flipped the switch.
BEEP— KA-SHUNK!
The familiar sequence clicked beautifully, the LEDs glowing in perfect rhythm.
He exhaled.
"…Much better."
Hiro leaned back in his chair, staring at the belt with a satisfied grin.
Tomorrow was going to be loud. Chaotic. Probably dangerous.
But for the first time in a long time, he felt excited to share something he made.
Not because he wanted praise.
But because he finally had people who got it.
People who would push him.
Challenge him.
Laugh with him, or at him. (Mostly at him.)
His fingers brushed over the belt.
"…Yeah. Doesn't matter. Tomorrow's gonna be fun."