The whole school is soon ablaze with the news. Police cars are on the scene, ready to put Taka Nobita into anti-quirk restraints and to receive evidence of his confession. As they walk him up, he stops for a moment.

"Rose…" She doesn't respond, waiting for his last words to her. "Visit Samantha for me."

She nods, and he walks quietly into the car while several of his classmates watch in horror from inside the school.

"What happened?"

"Isn't that Nobu-kun?"

"Why are they…? Nobu-kun would never…!"

"You think it's some kind of mistake?"

"Look! Isn't that his girlfriend? Maybe she knows!"

"That witch! She doesn't even look sad! I bet it's her fault!"

"So Nobu-kun was falsely accused?"

"There's that freshman too! The one that got attacked."

"You think she's in on it?"

No one is really sure what to think, but the people who know Taka Nobita, or thought they knew him, all come to a similar conclusion, that he can't possibly be guilty of whatever crime they're arresting him for, and that Rose Omoda is a much more likely suspect out of the two.

And when Midoriya and Uraraka hear those rumors, they don't like it one bit. After seeing through everything to the end, Midoriya finally allows Recovery Girl to treat her injuries and let her rest in the infirmary. Her classmates nearly burst through the doors just to make sure she's okay, Recovery Girl scolding them all the while.

Iida reminds them that since she's trying to rest, they shouldn't all storm her at once, but still, he's the first to ask, "Midoriya-kun, are you okay? What happened this time? Why didn't you tell us anything?!" Deep down, Iida already knows the answer to that. He understands that as always, Midoriya had some kind of plan and that telling too many people would've ruined it. But still, he can't stop his eyes welling up from the worry.

"I'm sorry," she says first. "I'm really sorry, everyone."

"You… You always say that! But if you were really sorry, you wouldn't keep doing this!" Iida took the words right out of the class's collective mouth. "I'm glad Uraraka-kun was there, but… jeez! You have to rely on us more!" Midoriya can't respond. Iida was right. She managed to rely on a select few this time, but her plans almost always seemed to involve letting herself get hurt. There's no good excuse for it, and she's sure her mother will give her an earful later too.

"…But you beat him," Todoroki cuts in. The look on his face is the closest thing to "worry" Midoriya had ever seen on him. "It's over, right?" Midoriya stares at him, then nods. "…Good. If you hadn't, then I really wouldn't forgive you…" They're all heroes, all of them. They don't want to be underestimated, left behind while their defenseless friend fights an impossible battle. They're already ashamed enough they couldn't protect her the first time.

"Everyone…" Then Midoriya notices something. "Wait. Where's—?"

"Hey, shitty Deku, you alive in there?!" Bakugo enters the infirmary with his usual blatant disregard for the patients.

Kirishima follows close behind. "Midoriya! You okay? I actually had to drag Bakugo over here!"

"You didn't drag me! I walked on my own!"

"You weren't even gonna visit him! That's not manly, Bakugo!"

"Shut up!" The other students reluctantly make way as he approaches her bedside. "…Well? You think you're a hero just 'cuz you got beat up catching that jerk? Don't kid yourself."

"Bakug—!"

"Kacchan," Midoriya starts, intending to defend herself. She looks into his eyes, unafraid. Indeed, Midoriya feels like she isn't afraid of anything anymore, certainly not her childhood bully. Instead she's just… tired. After Recovery Girl's treatments so many days in a row, she barely has the strength to stay awake, let alone argue with him.

So instead, she simply says, "Later… there's something I need you to do."

Bakugo doesn't like the way she's looking at him, like she'd been to Hell and back and can't bother to explain the experience to him because he isn't worth the time, like she pities him for not understanding her usual cryptic bullshit.

"What… You got somethin' to say?" he glowers.

She stares silently, unflinchingly, with no mercy whatsoever for his impending temper tantrum. She is not arguing with him, not today. And that is a look he's never seen before. What happened to the nerd who always trembled whenever he stood up to Bakugo, trying to act like he could win when he was obviously terrified? None of them had ever seen Midoriya stand up to Bakugo in quite this way. The air is still.

Bakugo remembers Rose Omoda, specifically the lack of fear in her eyes.

At Midoriya's unwavering stare, the blonde clicks his teeth. "…Creep," he mutters and stomps out of the room.

He can feel his fists trembling as they clench. Fear is a normal response. Everyone has it. Bakugo doesn't like to admit it, but even he had fears and would always come out stronger on the other side when he overcame them. That's what he likes about fear. It always pushed him forward… and that's why he can't understand types who were "fearless". He thought there was no such thing, only guys who had overcome so many scary things that they just look fearless. Bakugo acknowledges that people like that are strong.

But Rose Omoda was fearless. And it didn't come from strength. She hadn't even tried to overcome her fears. She was weak. She allowed herself to be weak. She wasn't nearly on the same level as Bakugo who had battled fear over and over and even laughed in the face of it. So why? How could someone like that be fearless? She wasn't faking it… and neither was Deku. Both of them understand something, something that Bakugo in all his years of facing fear had failed to understand. What did they see when they stood up to Taka Nobita? What changed? Would Bakugo have to go on not knowing? Did this mean he'd lost to Deku again? So soon?

Anything but that. He couldn't stand it. Whatever it was, he'd beat it out of Deku if he had to. He's a man who faces his fears, and he won't lose to a coward and an idiot.

Meanwhile, Rose and Uraraka, who are more or less unharmed, undergo questioning from the police under Aizawa's supervision, and when they finish, they're greeted by the suspicious looks of other students. Rose ignores them like she always did, and the two are forced to go their separate ways, back to their respective classes. Uraraka looks back. So does Aizawa. Rose no longer looks so ghostly. In fact there's a faint glow about her, but still, they can't help worrying.

And she has good reason to. It isn't long before a group of girls manage to corner her for an interrogation in plain sight. Rose is finally free, free from Taka's gaze, from his shadow. But she can't possibly expect things to change that easily. Even after she stood up to him, she was at a loss when it came to other girls. She can't change how they see her. And honestly she'd never really cared. She'd been more or less alone before she met Taka, so she's just returning to that.

It's comfortable. That alone is a win to her.

In any case, she can't possibly explain the situation to these girls, not until the police put out an official report and the school makes a public address. None of the people involved are allowed to speak about the incident until then. So she stays silent. None of them really knew Taka, but they're upset and want someone to take their anger out on. She can be that for them. It's the least she can do for not being able to say anything.

But when one of the girls raises a hand to slap her, and Rose waits for it to connect, she pauses for a minute when nothing happens. She slowly looks up to see Present Mic tightly gripping the girl's arm. He clicks his teeth. "One after another today…" The girls all shiver at his serious expression. "This is a school for heroes, girls. Don't make us expel you too." He lets go of the girl's arm, and the group hurries away.

Rose Omoda stares at him. He stares back, obvious pity in his eyes. "You okay?" he asks. He isn't just asking because of the girls. He's asking for the two years that Taka Nobita kept her under his thumb. And also asking how she feels to finally be liberated.

She stares at him. "…Sensei… You shouldn't feel guilty either… Samantha wouldn't want that."

And just like that, she frees him too.

His shoulders relax as a tired, relieved look washes over his face. Then he turns away and massages his eyes under his glasses, trying to stop the tears. "Jeez. Kids these days… Nah, you've been through too much for me to call you that." As he escorts her to her next class (she had missed several), he finds a good reply. "I bet she'd want to see you fight, y'know… You would've been good friends." They reach her classroom. "How about it?"

She stares at him, uncertain of what he's trying to say.

"You wanna be a hero?"