Chapter 12 (Vigilantes)

Senpai (先輩) is the twelfth chapter of Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court's Vigilante - My Hero Academia: Illegals.

Summary
After the run in with Stendhal, Koichi Haimawari resumes his life at college. However, he is struggling with the college work. At college, a female college student asks to sit next to him and inquires about his book, so Koichi shows her his Hero Sociology book. The female notes that it is a difficult book and says that she will help him. One of the other female college students identifies her as Makoto. Makoto says that Koichi will help her on an errand and in return she will help him with his studies. At Koichi's home, Kazuho Haneyama is inside reading a book and overhears Koichi and Makoto. Kazuho goes to hide while Koichi unlocks his door and asks Makoto to wait outside while he tidies up the place. He finishes cleaning up his home and invites her in. After seeing his class registration form, she offers to give him lecture notes and past exam questions but he must handle attendance himself. Moving on to his main problem, Hero Sociology, Makoto reviews the third chapter of his book, Vigilantism's Conflicts with the Official Hero System.

Makoto explains that Vigilantism is a transitional period; as society begins to stabilize, vigilantism begins to waver and/or be absorbed by the official Hero System. In order to control the mayhem after humans obtained Quirks, vigilantes appeared in order to keep the peace. After legislation came about, these vigilantes became heroes. However, the truth of the matter is that the world's first hero system, enacted in Rhode Island, only recognized seven out of the 189 vigilantes as heroes while the rest of the vigilantes were recognized as Quirk-wielding villains. Makoto concludes that vigilantism, which is identified as "personal justice", was the origin of heroes, which is built upon the idea of "societal justice," but at the same time vigilantism is a vehicle for opposition towards mass surveillance.

Makoto asks Koichi a surprise question: what was the decisive factor that separated heroes from villains when the Rhode Island law was first enacted. Koichi does not know, so Makoto reveals that the answer is a secret and while the question will not appear in his exam, it is the topic of her research thesis. She asks him for his help on her research thesis and will give him the answer in due time, which he accepts. She asks him to do a field survey investigating the rumored "Vigilantes of Naruhata". He questions her task since while he has heard some good deeds from them, he is wary of sticking their noses into other people's businesses. She replies that is why she asked him for his help: to be her bodyguard. She leaves while he agrees to meet her at ten at the station on Saturday. Koichi closes his door as Kazuho appears and is not in the best of moods due to him being with another girl.

At his apartment, Naomasa Tsukauchi returns from work and greets his younger sister, Makoto. He asks her about her thesis, to which she replies that she is getting all her sources in place. She asks him about any villains or hero information he has learned of, but he replies that he cannot leak any confidential information. He warns her not to approach any villains out of curiosity. She interprets his warning as "do not get caught", to which he replies firmly that she must not get into any danger.

At Koichi's home later that evening, Kazuho is annoyed with Makoto's interference, appearing out of nowhere as if she owned the place. However, Koichi does not take Kazuho's rants to heart as he is doing his college work.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Koichi Haimawari
 * Makoto Tsukauchi
 * Kazuho Haneyama
 * Naomasa Tsukauchi
 * Knuckleduster (mentioned)