There was only so much the police could do to keep the details of the attack on USJ out of the journals and, a little over a month after the incident, Class 1-A's involvement was finally revealed to the general public. Since the investigation had hit a wall, the officials in charge had agreed to release the information, and it didn't take long for the month-old incident to be all over the national news. Of course, this brought about a new wave of excitement amongst the students who, at that point, had truly gotten over the entire thing—notably thanks to All Might's "surprise", even if he had gone a little overboard.

"Did you see, did you see? It was all over the news this morning!" cheered Hagakure, leaning back into her seat. "And did you see how everyone in class was on screen for a second?" The invisible girl visibly deflated. "To think I didn't stand out at all…"

"That's true," agreed bluntly Shoji.

"W- well, it's a little hard to stand out when no one can see you, right?" pointed out Ojiro, chuckling nervously. He kind of felt bad for the girl. "Even when we were stuck together in the Fire Zone, I had a hard time finding you…"

"Still, all of the channels really made a big deal out of it, uh?" grinned Kaminari, looking a little smug. "It's almost like we're celebrities or something!"

"You say that like it's a good thing that we were attacked," sweatdropped Sero, shaking his head. He jabbed his thumb at Rukia. "She got hurt, and so did Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen-sensei—and we could all have gotten killed, too."

Kaminari's shoulders slumped a bit. "R- right, I didn't mean it like that… Sorry, Rukia."

"It's okay, Kaminari-kun, I know what you meant," she assured, not minding it. "One way or another, though, I'm surprised that people are still talking about it so much, you know? I mean, it happened over a month ago, so I thought the shock would have worn off by now."

"The Hero Course that keeps pumping out Pro Heroes was attacked for the first time in history," shrugged Jiro, checking her nails. "Even if it's been so long since the incident, the class's involvement and the details about the Villains have only been released this morning, so it's bound to create some more waves."

"Still, who knows what would have happened if the teachers hadn't come when they did," sighed Ashido, shuddering a bit. "We got really lucky this time around, uh?"

"It was simply awful!" nodded eagerly Uraraka. "Right, Rukia-chan?"

"Well, if I'm to be completely honest, I have to admit that it was a pretty valuable experience," then pointed out Rukia, smiling sheepishly. "The danger was real, and it could have taken a really bad turn had the Villains actually succeeded in achieving their goal, but doesn't that kind of experience builds character? Even if we've only been students for a few weeks, we were presented with the opportunity to put our abilities and everything we've learned to the test, and we all came out of it even stronger—not necessarily physically, but mentally."

Shinso nodded firmly at that, seemingly agreeing. "Now that we've faced real Villains on the battlefield, we've not only discovered what we were able to do, but also our limits. From here on out, we can only learn from this experience and grow from it."

"Uh, I hadn't thought about it that way," mused Hagakure, before pumping her invisible fists in the air. "You're right, Rukia-chan, Shinso-kun! Let's do our best!"

"Aah!"

Just as most of the students cheered along, the door slid open, and Iida walked in. He instantly instructed everyone to stay quiet and return to their respective seats, since homeroom was about to begin, and it didn't take long for Aizawa-sensei to show up. Although he was still heavily bandaged, his face was now free of the medical wraps and, saved for a scar over his cheek, he appeared unharmed.

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point," he announced in his usual bored tone. "Despite what happened at USJ, life moves on—but the fight isn't over just yet." Tension instantly rose amongst the students as their guts churned in anticipation of the bad news he would assuredly deliver—"The U.A. Sports Festival is drawing near."

…

…

…

"The- the U.A. Sports Festival!?"

"That's a super-normal school event!"

"Yosh, this is amazing!"

"Wait, wait!" urged Kaminari, seemingly alarmed. Kirishima was about to yell again, but he quickly shoved his hand over his mouth to shut him up. "Is it really okay to hold an event like that so soon after the Villains snuck inside? Twice!?"

"What if they use that opportunity to attack again…?" wondered Ojiro, worried.

"In an event as big as that, it could be the perfect opening they need to make an even bolder move, and drag civilians into this mess," pointed out Jiro, frowning.

"On the other hand, though, the amount of Pro Heroes present at the U.A. Sports Festival is nothing to scoff at," remarked Rukia, leaning on her palm. "While it's true that it could be the perfect target for Villains who want to make a statement, the security will be increased and, with the amount of Heroes and sidekicks around, I doubt any of them would be stupid enough to try something."

"It's true that the attack on USJ was an isolated incident," nodded Yaoyorozu, seriously thinking it over. "They were careful in laying out their plan, and they weren't trying to draw attention—all they wanted was to take down All Might. That being said, they wouldn't have much to gain from causing trouble at the Sports Festival."

"Well, one way or another, the school thinks of it as U.A. showing that our crisis management system is solid as a rock. As Rukia said, the usual security set up around the venue will be increased to five times that of previous years," stated plainly Aizawa-sensei, quickly gaining back everyone's attention. "Above anything else, though, our Sports Festival is a huge chance for Heroes-to-be to be scouted by different agencies—it's not an event that'll be canceled just because of a few Villains causing a ruckus." At that, his eyes sharpened, and the students instinctively straightened in their seats. "Our Sports Festival is one of Japan's biggest events. In the past, the Olympics were called a festival of sports, and the whole country was crazy about them. But, as you know, with reductions in scale and population, they're now only a shell of their former glory. Today, for Japan, what has taken the place of those Olympics is the U.A. Sports Festival!"

"And with all of the top Heroes watching every year, it becomes the perfect opportunity for the students of the Hero Course to display their skills and get scouted by prominent Hero Agencies," stated Iida, pushing up his glasses. "Truly, an opportunity that no one can ignore!"

"After we graduate, it's typical to join a Hero Agency as a sidekick, right?" cheered Kaminari, offering a grin and a thumbs' up at Jiro.

The purple-haired girl didn't appear impressed in the least. "A lot of people miss their chance to become independent after that and become eternal sidekicks, though." She smirked a bit, glancing back at the blond boy. "Kaminari, I feel like you'll be one of them—since you're dumb."

"Geh!"

"Of course, joining famous Hero Agencies will get you more experience and popularity," confirmed Aizawa, unperturbed by the interruptions. He had grown a tad too used to annoying teenagers, what with being a high school teacher. "But time is limited. If you expect to go Pro, then the path to your future will open up at this event. One chance a year—a total of just three chances. No aspiring Heroes can afford to miss this event. If you understand that, then don't slack off on your preparations!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Homeroom is dismissed."

The U.A. Sports Festival… and joining a Hero Agency? Well, I've always watched the festival at home, and it looks pretty fun, but the scouting part… Do I really need it? I mean, I'm planning on becoming Shota-san's partner, so all I need is to keep training with him… Right?

All around her, her classmates were chatting animatedly about the incoming event, clearly excited and fired up. And yet, despite the obvious eagerness to participate and measure herself against other Heroes-to-be, there was still the lingering thought that, somehow, she couldn't reciprocate their feelings. Obviously, all of them wanted to become Heroes for different reasons, but they all had something she lacked—ambition.

All I want to do is become strong enough to stand by Shota-san's side… To become strong enough to protect him, and Aunt Nemuri, and Uncle Hizashi… Number One Hero? Fame? Money? What interest is there in such notions…?

"Hey, Rukia. You alright there?" She blinked a few times, startled, before looking up at Kirishima. He offered her his trademark grin. "You looked lost in thoughts. Excited to participate in the Sports Festival?"

"Sounds interesting enough," she nodded, quickly shaking off her uneasiness. She then offered a somewhat feral grin. "Though, I can get a little competitive, so you better be ready."

"A little?" snorted Kaminari, rolling his eyes. "That's an understatement. Despite the shy and quiet persona, you're the one who gets the most easily caught up in the heat of the moment—well, saved for Bakugo, maybe."

"Aah? What did you say, extra!?" snapped the bomber, glaring from his seat.

While the two started arguing—well, Kaminari was teasing him, and Bakugo kept on yelling—Jiro came to stand by Rukia's desk to join the conversation.

"You know, I noticed before, but you're finally starting to open up to us, uh?" remarked Jiro, smiling a bit at the white-haired girl.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're not stuttering anymore. And you speak out more, too."

"Oh, right! Everyone was really surprised when you told off Bakugo and Todoroki during the rescue training," recalled Kirishima, chuckling a bit. "Man, I was startled too."

"I… hadn't really noticed," Rukia admitted. Now that they were pointing it out, though, she did notice the change. "I don't really know what to tell you. Before U.A., I didn't have any friends my age, and I'm a little awkward with socializing—I mean, I've been raised by Aizawa-sensei, you know?" They laughed at that, and she smiled lightly, looking down at her intertwined fingers. "I guess… I guess that I've just warmed up to you guys. And, well, I can't help but feel that the attack on USJ brought all of us closer, you know?"

"It's true that we've been through a pretty intense experience together, even if we were all separated at times," mused Sero, laying down on his desk. He smirked, looking over at the purple-haired boy sitting in the back. "I mean, even Shinso started opening up more."

Easily hearing him, the boy simply rolled his eyes. "We were forced to fight side by side in order to survive, which obviously pushed us to establish a certain level of trust and respect for one another. It's only natural that, after such an incident, we become somewhat of a more closely-knitted group."

"You know, you can just outright say that we're friends," deadpanned Jiro. "No one is going to judge you for it, you tsundere."

"Tsun- tsundere!?" echoed Shinso, eyes widening slightly.

"Well, you say that, but Todoroki and Bakugo are still the same," pointed out Kaminari, earning himself another glare from the bomber. "I thought they would have warmed up to us at that point, but I guess they're just bound to be lone wolves."

At that, Rukia couldn't help but glance at the two boys. Bakugo was now stubbornly staring outside, apparently decided not to get caught up in Kaminari's ceaseless teasing again, and Todoroki appeared completely uninterested in the conversations ongoing around him. If it wasn't for the slight clench of his jaw, Rukia would have thought he didn't care at all about the Sports Festival, but she guessed that he was as determined as everyone else.

Bakugo-san's not as much of a jerk as I first thought, though. Plus, even if the others haven't noticed, he's definitely softened a bit since USJ. As for Todoroki-san, it's true that he mostly keeps to himself, but it's not like anyone really tried to befriend him, either…

It was decided. Rukia didn't know how, but she intended to become their friend. She wasn't entirely sure why she wanted to do that, but there was a little, hidden part of her heart that desperately desired to deem Class 1-A as pack, and that couldn't happen if she left out some people. It was a somewhat primal urge, but she simply couldn't help it.

They were her first friends, and she wanted to get to know them even more—all of 1-A. And, just like Shota-san, Aunt Nemuri, and Uncle Hizashi, she intended on having them become a part of her pack.

Lunchtime

.

.

"All nineteen of them?"

"Yes."

Aizawa-sensei peered at her over his papers. "That's pretty ambitious, even more so considering that Pack isn't an ability that you can control. It'll take a lot of time and effort."

"I know, but I've always listened to my instincts before, and they've never been wrong," she replied, determined. "And right now, they're telling me to strengthen those bonds we've started building together."

"Well, I suppose you could have picked worst people," he sighed, easily giving in. He then nodded. "Alright, do what you want—so long as it doesn't impede on your training."

"Of course!"

Pack was an ability that she had discovered many years ago, by accident. It was a natural evolution of the bonds she formed with other people and, so far, she had discovered four "levels", so to speak: Level One allowed her to track people over short distances, mostly guided by a gut feeling; Level Two allowed her to track those same people over long distances since she could identify individual scents at that point; Level Three allowed her to sense when they were in danger or, more accurately, it allowed her to sense extreme fear or intense emotional distress; Level Four allowed her to sense minor emotions when concentrating, and it also became a two-way bond—in other words, the people with whom she shared such a connection could also sense her extreme emotions.

Most importantly, though, Pack was family.

Pack meant she wasn't alone.

The bonds she shared with other people evolved and grew through different experiences and shared feelings. It wasn't just a question of spending time with someone, but to be emotionally connected to them. At that point, mostly thanks to the alpha status, Shota-san was at Level Four, while Aunt Nemuri and Uncle Hizashi were both at Level Three.

And now? Now, Rukia wanted the 1-A Class to become a part of that pack.

I wasn't certain before but, with what happened at USJ, I can no longer deny my instincts, she reasoned, leaving the teachers' lounge with a satisfied grin. Thanks to the full transformation, said instincts sharpened, and my inner wolf has already marked them as pack.

She was both excited and scared. She could just explain everything to her classmates, but she doubted everyone would be on board with the idea. She wanted to establish genuine and meaningful relationships with everyone, though, so there was only one option left: let life run its course, and go with the flow. She would make her fair share of efforts, of course, but there was simply no forcing the creation of such a bond.

And if I'm right then, thanks to USJ, many of them are already at Level One…

Now that she had made up her mind about that particular idea, though, she needed to focus on the incoming Sports Festival. Everyone was bound to start training but who knew? Maybe she could use that as an opportunity to get started on that side-project of hers—

"Oi, Fangs."

She stopped in her tracks, surprised, and turned around. She hadn't expected to run into any of her classmates this early in their lunchtime, since they were all surely stuffing themselves at the cafeteria, but none other than Bakugo was now walking right up to her with a scowl.

"Can I help you with something, Bakugo-san?"

"Drop the goodie-two-shoes act, it's annoying," he snapped, stopping right beside her. His hands shoved in his pockets, he glared. "You said that you'd take me on. Fight me."

She paused, then grinned. "Sure."

.

.

"Hey, has any of you seen Rukia around? She ran off as soon as the bell rang."

At Kirishima's question, the others exchanged unsure glances. It's true that the white-haired girl had been in quite the rush earlier, but she had yet to make an appearance since, and they only had about half-an-hour left to eat.

"Maybe she went to have lunch with Aizawa-sensei?" suggested Sero, unsure.

"She wouldn't do that. Both of them want to keep it strictly professional when at school, so as to avoid potential accusations of favoritism," pointed out Shinso.

"Then where—"

"I saw her heading to the dojo with Bakugo."

At once, the students looked up to find Todoroki. They didn't know what surprised them the most: that he had voluntarily joined in the conversation as he passed by their table, or what he told them.

"W- what? Bakugo?" gasped Ashido, jumping to her feet. "Why would she go with him?"

"Wait, didn't she say something about sparing with him, back during the rescue training?" recalled Kaminari, his eyes going wide. "Do you think…?"

"Well, you did rile him up a fair bit, Kaminari," remarked Jiro, heaving out a sigh. "If he was pissed enough, he probably took that opportunity to take it out on her."

"Nan, Rukia wouldn't have agreed to something like that," replied Kirishima, his eyes alight with eagerness. "I'm ready to bet she's kicking his ass right now!"

"Well, why don't we go and see for ourselves?" Shinso also rose to his feet, smirking a bit. "The dojo is opened to everyone, after all."

The rest of their little squad instantly voiced their agreement and wasted no time in rushing out of the cafeteria, Ashido sparing a cheerful "thank you!" to Todoroki on the way. The dual-haired boy simply rolled his eyes before going to find himself a seat. As entertaining as the thought of Aizawa Rukia beating Bakugo Katsuki to a pulp was, he had better things to do than waste his time watching them.

.

.

"Are you sure you want to keep going?"

"Shut up! Brace yourself!"

After quickly changing into a more comfortable outfit for sparing, Rukia had joined Bakugo in the dojo near their classroom. Bakugo looked pissed, and she had an inkling that it wasn't just Kaminari's continued teasing that had riled him up to that point. Nervousness toward the incoming Sports Festival? She couldn't really tell. However, she didn't want to get in trouble for destroying the training room and, seemingly of the same mind, Bakugo had begrudgingly agreed to a Quirk-less spar.

That being said, Rukia still had a somewhat unfair advantage.

"Bakugo, you're bleeding."

"I know that! Shut up Moon Moon!"

"A meme reference, really?"

While he could easily turn his Quirk on and off, so to speak, the same couldn't be said for Rukia. Even if she wasn't using her partial-transformation, her physical strength, her speed, and her stamina were still naturally enhanced by both her Quirk and her years of training—and, though he wasn't half-bad, Bakugo wasn't anywhere close to her level.

"You've never had actual hand-to-hand combat training, have you?" she realized, handing him a tissue and a bottle of water.

"Tche, what of it? I can still fight!" he retorted angrily, though he still accepted the offerings.

He gulped down some water, then shoved the tissue against his bleeding nose, tilting his head back. Rukia scrunched up her nose a bit at the smell, but didn't comment on it and simply sat down next to him. Despite her fighting experience, she was still a little winded, and she wasn't about to deny a small break.

"I wasn't belittling you or anything," she replied, heaving out a sigh. She rubbed her somewhat sore stomach, where he had managed to land a solid hit earlier. "If anything, I find it impressive—you're impressive. What you lack in technique, you make up for with your crazy reaction time and your analyzing skills. It's pretty neat, actually."

"… 'suppose you ain't half-bad as a sparing buddy," he grunted, relaxing a bit. He was still grumpy, but he no longer appeared angry. "Aizawa-sensei taught you all that?"

"Pretty much. Ever since he took me in, I've been determined to become a Hero, so he's been training me for a few years, now," she confirmed, leaning back against the wall.

"I wasn't asking for your life-story, Fangs," he snorted, instantly making some more blood pour out. "Ah, shit."

"Here."

She handed him another tissue, which he was quick to grab. As he fumbled a bit to try and make the blood stop—she had decked him right in the face, and it hurt, though he'd never admit it out-loud—she chuckled.

"What's up with that nickname, anyway?"

"We're not friends, so I'm not about to call you by your name."

"Fair enough. Why Fangs, though?" She glanced at him, genuinely curious. "Up until now, you've been sticking to rather insulting nicknames. What changed?"

"Tsk. I can go back to calling you mutt if you're so goddamn unhappy about it."

"Touchy, touchy," she mused, unperturbed. "Fine, I won't ask. I like it, anyway." Sounds fiercer than Chihuahua, too. "The spar was fun. We should do that again." Her eyes glinted a bit challengingly as she smirked. "That is, if you think you can keep up."

"I'll definitely kick your ass, you walking Twilight-werewolf wannabe!"

"Wha—take that back, you jerk!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"They're not fighting."

"Well, from the looks of it, Rukia won."

"They're acting pretty friendly, don't you think?"

"They look like they're about to tear out each other's throats," sweatdropped Sero, shaking her head. "How is that acting friendly?"

"Well, it is Bakugo that we're talking about," mused Kaminari, leaning over her shoulder. "He isn't just outright insulting her and he hasn't tried to murder her, so I guess that's as friendly as he can get."

As the little group huddled around the door to try and peer through the little window, Kirishima couldn't help but notice the definitely amused glint in Rukia's eyes, and the corner of Bakugo's lips quirking up at something she said.

Ah, I see.

It wasn't about being friends or foes—Bakugo had been perfectly clear at the beginning of the school year about how he intended to become the Number One Hero and about how he wouldn't let any of them get in his way. As things were now, though, he no longer considered Rukia to be "in his way"—he had acknowledged her as an equal capable of standing on the same stage as him, and maybe even as a rival.

The thought brought tears to his eyes as he clenched his fist. That's so manly…!

.

.

After their impromptu sparing session that unfortunately ended with Bakugo's almost broken nose, the two of them returned to their usual routine for the rest of the day. While Bakugo made his way to the infirmary, Rukia returned to the classroom. It was a little hard not to notice the pointed stares Ashido, Jiro, Kaminari, Sero, Shinso, and Kirishima were giving them as she entered but, when she asked about it, they simply grinned.

"I didn't know you were into jerks with anger issues, Rukia," teased Kaminari, leaning over his desk so she could hear him over all of the noise.

"What do you mean?"

"Fu, fu, we saw you chatting up Bakugo while in the dojo," replied Ashido, grinning from ear to ear. "Quite friendly, hm?"

"Friendly…?" She thought back to the spar, and shrugged. "Well, I am trying to befriend him. First impressions aside, he's not that bad. He's got an ego-complex, sure, but I think it's just because he's really, really ambitious."

"It's great to see him finally opening up!" beamed Kirishima, pumping his fist in the air. "As future Heroes, we should all try to get along!"

Shinso wasn't as convinced, though, and simply smirked. "Did you break his nose?"

"I did not," she huffed, a tad defensively. "It was an accident. I didn't do it on purpose!"

"We know, you're too nice to actually mean any harm," snorted Jiro, lightly ruffling her hair. She then handed her a wrapped up snack. "Here, you didn't get to eat, right? It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

"Oh, a pork bun! Thanks, Jiro, you're the best!" gasped Rukia, delighted.

The purple-haired girl flushed slightly at that, not expecting the genuine praise, and she was quick to return to her seat. As soon as Kaminari tried to make a comment about the blush now adorning her cheeks, she roughly punched him in the shoulder, effectively making him topple to the ground. Rukia didn't really notice, though, too caught up in enjoying her meager, but delicious meal.

"Hey, Rukia?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we could spar, later? After the Sports Festival?"

Surprised, she looked back at Kirishima, then smiled. "Sure! Any time!"

This is going to be fun!

.

.

The good mood wasn't meant to last, though. A few hours later, almost as soon as the last bell of the day rang, signaling the end of the lessons, Class 1-A found itself trapped inside their very own classroom. Much to their horror and stupefaction, an incredible amount of students from all of the Courses had swarmed the hallway, completely blocking the door.

"What- what's going on…?" asked Uraraka, petrified.

"What business do you have with Class 1-A?" asked Iida, straight to the point.

"They're blocking the way. What are these guys here for?" wondered Sato, confused.

"Scouting out the enemy, sugar freak," replied Bakugo, walking past all three of them without a care in the world. "We're the ones who made it out of the Villains' attack. They probably just wanna check us out before the Sports Festival—but there's no point in doing stuff like that." He stopped right in the doorway, openly glaring at all of the students gathered before him. "Out of my way, extras!"

"Stop calling people extras just because you don't know them!" protested Iida.

"Right, they've only just learned the identity of the class that was involved in the incident," remarked Rukia, recalling their conversation from earlier this morning. "Though, with Bakugo acting as our spokesperson, we're bound to rile up everyone, uh?"

Shinso sighed heavily, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Had I not actually experienced USJ, I'd have called him arrogant. As it is, I now know better—the Hero Course really is on another level."

"I suppose there are many other students like you, uh? Students who couldn't make it into the Hero Course because of the entrance exam," realized Ojiro, thoughtful.

"I'm guessing the Sports Festival will be an opportunity for those students to try and make themselves known regardless, and potentially earn a seat in one of the Hero Course classes," mused Shoji, nodding firmly. "And, if it's possible to transfer in, it is only safe to assume that it is also possible to transfer out."

"So you're saying that, if we can't show results, we'll be kicked out of the Hero Course?" gulped Kaminari, now nervous. "Talk about an insane pressure…"

"Then again, Heroes live with that kind of pressure on a day-to-day basis," replied Yaoyorozu, unperturbed. "Heroes are people who surpass their limits every day in order to help and save people. In other words, if we've already reached the limit of our potential, then we have no place in the Hero Course."

"W- when you put it like that, it only makes me more nervous…" admitted sheepishly Hagakure.

"Those who lag behind will eventually be engulfed in despair and desolation," stated darkly Tokoyami, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rukia peered at him curiously. "Do you actually mean that stuff or are you just saying it to freak people out a bit?"

He smirked. "Yes."

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against Villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourself, oi! If you bark too much, it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!"

Rukia blinked a few times, startled by the sudden, but familiar voice. Looking over the dozens of people gathered at the door, she finally managed to spot the student that had started yelling, and she instantly recognized the boy—he had rather unforgettable facial features, after all.

"Wait a minute, Bakugo!" called out Kirishima. "What're you gonna do about all this? It's your fault that everyone's hating on us!"

"It doesn't matter," replied flatly the blond, briefly glancing back at his classmates. "It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top."

Instantly, tears brimmed Kirishima's eyes. "That's so simple and manly…!"

"Too true," nodded Sato, agreeing.

"The top, uh? There is truth in that," mused Tokoyami.

"No, no, hang on! Don't be tricked!" protested Kaminari, clearly unconvinced. "He just made more pointless enemies!"

"Right, won't we just be at more of a disadvantage at the Sports Festival?" remarked Sero.

While Bakugo started walking away without a single look to spare for the still-yelling boy, and while her classmates kept on arguing in the back, Rukia quickly walked up to the group of students swarming the hallway.

"Tetsutetsu-kun! It's great to see you again!" she beamed, waving over at him.

"Uh?" He momentarily stopped yelling after Bakugo, and a friendly grin instantly split his lips as he forced his way to the front of the group to reach her. "Oh, Aizawa! Great to see you too! So, getting in trouble again, are you?"

"Story of my life," she chuckled, genuinely pleased to see him. "I was really disappointed when I realized that we weren't in the same class, you know. With you around, I'm sure we would have had an even easier time with those Villains!"

"Ah, you bet!" he cheered, before somewhat quieting down, a small frown taking over his expression. "Hey, I heard you got hurt during the attack. You alright, now?"

"Uh? Yeah, I'm great!" she assured, smiling a bit. "It was mostly due to over-exhaustion, and the Villains got it worst, ah, ah!"

"Yosh, that's the spirit!" exclaimed cheerfully Tetsutetsu, before pointing his finger at her. "And I'll definitely beat you at the Sports Festival! You and Kirishima and Todo-something! I'll claim the top spot, just you wait! Class A has all of the spotlight right now, but Class B will definitely sweep you off your feet!"

"We'll be ready for you!" she assured, getting pumped up. By then, though, she noticed the looks the rest of the students were giving her, and she offered them a small smile. "I'm really sorry about the guy from before. He's pretty strong, but he doesn't have any filter, and he's pretty bad with people, too." She bowed slightly in an apology on behalf of her hotheaded classmate, before straightening up and offering another smile. "One way or another, we're all looking forward to the Sports Festival. I hope we can all enjoy it to our hearts' content together. Please, do your best, everyone!"

"Y- yeah!"

"Right!"

"Totally!"

It barely took a minute for the glares and inquisitive stares to vanish, leaving place to friendly grins and excited exclamations. In a matter of seconds, really, the ire that had been rising amongst the students of the other Courses had been squashed, and amused jabs and a more friendly atmosphere quickly took over.

From the back, the rest of the students of 1-A could only stare in astonishment.

"Well, talk about some serious damage control," sweatdropped Kaminari.

"I'm pretty sure everyone changed their tune because, had they told her off, it'd have been like kicking a puppy," mused Jiro, definitely entertained.

"Yes, Rukia-chan is quite amicable. She has a lot of charisma," stated plainly Asui in her usual neutral, but honest tone.

"Well, at least they won't be after our heads anymore," pointed out Sero, relieved.

"Alright, here's the deal: next time Bakugo pisses someone off, we send Rukia over to pacify them so that we don't get lumped in the same basket as him," announced Ashido, only half-teasing. She raised her hand. "Everyone who's for it, say yay!"

"YAY!"

The sudden outburst from the students of the Hero Course instantly drew the attention of Rukia and the rest of the students in the hallway. They all shot them curious looks and, upon noticing Rukia's confusion, her friends could only laugh. And, although she didn't really understand what was going on, the wolf girl was just glad to see them having fun, so she simply smiled.

.

.

In the following two weeks, everyone started training a lot more seriously. Some kept to themselves, others worked together in order to improve—Rukia made a point of volunteering every time one of her classmates needed help. She was already receiving the usual training from Aizawa-sensei, but she was hoping that, by training with other people, she'd be able to gain more experience.

She raced a few times with Iida, the both of them using their Quirks to their hearts' content. She was challenged by Asui in underwater target practice and, though she lost every time, it definitely helped her improve her accuracy. She went to the school's private gym with Shoji and Sato to lift weights, and she also tried to help Hagakure in gaining some muscle mass. She spared a few times with Ojiro, from whom she learned some new moves thanks to his expertise in different martial arts. She also participated in midair target practice, with Uraraka using her Quirk to make numerous debris float, and competing against Aoyama and Ashido to see who could destroy the most.

Bakugo, Shinso, and Kirishima were three people she didn't see much outside of class. The boys were focused on their individual training, and Kirishima had outright told her that he was hoping to face her in fighting rounds and, as such, he couldn't afford to give away any weakness that she would assuredly pick up on were they to spar together. Todoroki, Kaminari, and Tokoyami also kept to themselves, though it was mostly due to the first one's antisocial tendencies, and the other two's Quirks.

All in all, everyone worked hard in order to prepare for the Sports Festival. Despite her lack of ambition concerning the Hero ranks, she was determined to claim the top spot on the podium. She was competitive by nature, and the Sports Festival was one of the few times when she'd be able to go all out without having to worry about damage control. And, of course, she was planning on showing Shota-san how far she'd come in the last few weeks.

"Ready, Rukia?"

"Hell yeah! This is going to be fun!" she grinned, slamming her fists together.

Aizawa-sensei rolled his eyes. "Just don't kill anyone."

"Oh, please, you've taught me better than that," she retorted, smirking. "I'm not dumb enough to kill someone without knowing where to hide the body first."

He simply snorted at that, ruffling her hair. "Atta girl."

Whew! This was a bit of a filler chapter, but a necessary one.

Also, don't worry if you're a little confused about Pack, still. That ability will be explored a lot more in the incoming chapters, and more details will add up as time passes.

Anyway, I figured it was about time I posted a new chapter, and what better time than New Year? Here's hoping 2021 will be a bit better than what we just suffered through—and if it isn't, well, I guess we're just gonna have to keep suffering together xD

Happy New Year, everyone!