Sero

When I regained consciousness, it was just the three of us standing in front of a slightly open door, and a bitter taste in my mouth. This was only going from bad to worse.

My friend Kaminari had always been very distracted, not to mention that he is really dense to notice his surroundings. If he were a little more assertive, he might notice the way the mauve haired boy's gloomy eyes seemed to glow every time he sees him. I must admit that after seeing his confrontation with Midoriya, I only saw him as someone cold and calculating, but as I noticed how close he and the most clueless blond I know interacted with each other, it was evident that their friendship had made them more and more close.

From the way that Kaminari referred to Shinso, it would be impossible to deny that he did not enjoy his company, not taking into account that in the latter there was always a smile when the blond was around. However, by the time the mallow-haired boy was away, I could see that, under his carefree and affable smile, Kaminari missed him, it was then that I could not ignore him anymore, encouraging him to establish contact with who he considered his friend, and as if whatever a spell it was, from that day on, he too seemed to shine in his company.

It was only in the first week that our new partner joined us that my suspicions were confirmed. We were supposed to swim as an endurance test, so while we were changing into the swim uniform, I couldn't help but make certain comments.

– The uniform doesn't do you justice, Shinso, – and I wasn't exaggerating. His body was in great shape to the degree that he was not even the shadow of the boy I first saw earlier in the year. It was possible to appreciate all the muscles of his torso with clear definition ... I wonder if this was called "envy". – Don't you think so, Kaminari? – leaning on the boy, who was considerably blushing

– Yes… I – I'll go ahead. – Speeding out of the locker room.

– Damn extras – Bakugou, as friendly as ever, slamming the door of his locker

– You don't have to be jealous, Bakubro. You are the undisputed winner of the narrowest waist – and the sparks in his hands were swift. If not for the kind Oijiro, it would be charred.

Our bi–colored companion came out shortly after them. Is it my idea or did the comment seem to embarrass the most stoic of boys? I didn't think Todoroki was intimidated by Bakugou's body, considering that he has nothing to envy him. Although now that I notice it, he seems to have a slight laceration in the area of his collarbone; maybe he was injured during one of the training sessions.

Once in the pool, I was not the only one to notice the muscular structure of the mallow-haired boy

– You are very handsome, Shinso! – Mina was the first to speak

– Kero!

– They just waste their time – Mineta commented, when he passed behind me. It seems that I was not the only one to notice, although unlike me, this seemed to bother him.

– We should swim more often – Hagakure continued. Even Yaomomo and Uraraka couldn't take their eyes off him, except for Jiro, who, as always, was looking at the black–haired girl. What I would give to have her look at me like that...

– Sero! – The most animated redhead in the class hung on my shoulder – I challenge you to a race!

– You are not here to have fun – announced our teacher in charge – You will have to improve your performance in different conditions, and water is one of them. – And after saying those words, the pool became a vortex in which we had to submerge.

Needless to say, any method of torture was not even remotely comparable to that agony. Once my turn came, I could barely stay afloat, not to mention Mineta who had to be rescued by Tsuyu, who regretted having done it a few minutes later for putting his hands a little more under her neck. If he continued to behave like this, its expiration date would expire much sooner than he might think.

Unlike my pathetic attempt, the best performances came from Iida, followed by Bakugou, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Shinso. Notably, during the execution of the latter, Kaminari did not appear to blink; it was as if he was hypnotized ... I had to find out.

– You can stay a while longer if you wish – Prof. Aizawa indicated once the class was over. – Iida, you're in charge of getting them back before curfew. – And having said this he withdrew, leaving a score of exhausted and emaciated students.

– Yeah! – Well, not all of them, because shortly afterwards the water splashed on us. Somehow, Mina always managed to have energy.

– Ashido, keep calm! – and ignoring our class president, I managed to throw Bakugou and Kirishima into the pool, splashing him too

– DAMN SOY FACE! – He yelled, and thanks to the splash of Uraraka and Hagakure, his explosion failed to reach me.

Kaminari clung to Oijiro's tail as he was dragged along the pool. Midoriya and Todoroki were sitting on the edge, chatting while Tsuyu and Jiro played with Mineta like a ball. The rest were only watching them from a distance, including Shinso, who was lying further away in the background, however, he was not the only one watching him, as Kaminari seemed to have been doing it for a while now. If only he saw how his eyes seem to take him to another planet as he watches.

– Shinso must be very important to you – I said without hesitation, catching him off guard. His face reddened almost immediately

– What do you mean? – rambled

– You spend a lot of time with him, and he with you

– We are friends

– What if you were something else?

– Like what? – You really don't notice?

– Something like ... – I couldn't tell him anything, as the boy was under the water, dragged by Kirishima. But I wasn't going to sit idly by, so I went to plan B.

The mallow-haired boy was on his back, in one of the chairs, covering his eyes with his forearm. Seen from here, his torso appeared to be sculpted. What kind of training has he done to look like this? ... That's not the point!

– Do you have time? – withdrew his arm slowly

– You're already here – accommodating me next to him

– When do you plan to talk to Kaminari? – The boy looked at me before sitting up, stunned.

– Kaminari doesn't see me like that – As I guessed, your assertiveness wouldn't disappoint me.

– Why are you so sure? – his eyes scattered

– Let's say he've made it pretty clear to me that we're just friends

– With how clueless he is ...

– It's better this way – he interrupted me – Why so interested all of a sudden?

– Because the last time I was with you two the attraction was almost tangible – he drew a vague smile that, far from being funny, seemed sad

– I don't want to complicate things with him. – getting up – Don't insist. – Walking to the exit

It was undeniable that the environment around them changed, the way they looked at each other, how they talked to each other. Why was it so difficult? I thought that question would never be answered until once I saw my friend look at Monoma with an expression that I had never seen him do before, a mixture of frustration, discomfort and sadness. Perhaps this was the turning point they needed for things to take their course.

I was thinking of making them talk somehow at last, I even took advantage of a day that I was playing with Kaminari in the corridors of the rooms to make them share some time alone that would force them to talk, considering that Kamibro had commented that he had seen something down to the mallow-haired boy, only to be almost subjected to who knows what kind of mandate for him. Luckily, I managed to keep quiet.

However, I was running out of ideas. I thought all was lost, until just last night, Kaminari visited my room.

– Are you busy?

– I will always have time for you, Kamibro – inviting him to sit on my bed.

– Well ... – I was hesitant – Lately I don't feel the same when I'm with Shinso ... – Was this the moment I was waiting for?

– Since when?

– Shortly before he moved to the bedrooms – he looked conflicted

– Take your time – placing my hand on his shoulder

– I have felt very strange since I saw him with Monoma ... – This was becoming more intricate than I expected – But that's not what I mean. My chest hurts when I imagine them together, and lately I feel very tense when I am with him. – I know these symptoms very well. – It's like it's not me. – He sighed – I always show him my best smile, trying to act as I usually do, but when I neglect myself and my eyes meet his it's ...

– It's as if everything around you stopped – I felt his eyes on me – Your heart races, you don't think clearly, you feel dazed, but at the same time, happy, to the point where you want the feeling to last – he just stared at me in amazement.

– Ye-yeah ... it's just that! How do you know?! – This was my opportunity, I had to make it as clear as possible, so as not to give rise to misinterpretations

– Kaminari, I know because I feel the same for someone... – The image of the music–loving girl came to my mind – You are in love with Shinso – The boy widened his eyes, at the time his face changed to a more crimson tone, bringing his hands to his chest, as if trying to hold his body and soul together. He had become so close to him that, without noticing it, his emotions began to manifest without him being able to stop them. However, his expression suddenly darkened – Is something wrong?

– Mineta... – I had ignored that detail. They both got along well enough to share quite a bit of time, it's no wonder he cares about his opinion. – Let's say he doesn't have very good opinions about those who like people of the same gender. – This was much more delicate than I thought.

– I know you care about the opinion he may have of you ... – I should be cautious – but no one who makes you think that what you feel for someone else is wrong just because they don't understand it, deserves that you take them into account. – I got a little closer to him – I've been watching you two for long enough to realize that what you feel for Shinso is mutual. – The blond's muscles tensed, and his pupils dilated.

– I don't think he thinks of me in the same way.

– There is only one way to get out of doubt. – We had not come so far for you to cower – You already have the "no", why don't you ask him? – his hands became fists

– What if that makes things uncomfortable between us? What if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if…?

– What if it's reciprocal? – The boy sighed deeply, and his hands softened. My hand this time was on his back. – Shinso appreciates you enough for a confession alienates him from you – which I can almost assure unlikely. And as I had expected since I confirmed my suspicions, those words finally came out of his mouth.

– Wait, if I like Shinso, that means I'm gay… – He put his hands to his head – I'm gay! – standing up so that, after the shock, his face showed a wide smile

– You don't know how long I waited for this moment – hugging him – Now you must tell him!

– Now?!

– Why not?

– I have to think how I'll do it – the way he covered his slightly blushing face was a sign that everything was going to be fine. – I'll tell you tomorrow. Yeah… I must go! – He announced going to the door, but he backed away hastily to accommodate his arms on my torso – Thank you, Serobro! You are one of my best friends!

– I know – returning the gesture.

Alone in the room, I went to the balcony. The breeze was damp and cold, but the warmth I felt made me forget it for a moment. I wonder if one day I can also tell my feelings to her.

After two hours of intense study hours, that Saturday night, Mina and I were playing Dead Hollow in the common area. Every now and then one of our colleagues would come down to the kitchen for a sandwich, curious about the girl's excitement every time her score exceeded mine. Who would think that annihilating hordes of zombies would make her so happy?

– You're very good at this Mina – if it weren't for her skin being a faint pink color, I would think her cheeks had intensified their color

– I guess it's much more fun when I'm with you – she said in an unusual and calm tone

– We should do this more often. – shaking her hair, a bit, drawing a cute smile on her face. She looked really cute when she smiled.

– D-do you know if Kaminari is back? – suddenly her voice trembled.

– I don't have a message from him, but it shouldn't be long. – I hope. The weather was lousy.

We still playing. We were inside a catacomb, on our way to defeat the final boss. The graphics were so detailed that if we had been using VR headsets, I don't think we would have continued; however, it was grotesquely fascinating.

– It's now or never – I warned Mina so that as soon as we went inside, we would begin to attack, but we did not expect to see a kind of wall of bodies; the perfect mix between fascinating and terrifying. We fired left and right, taking down the horde of the undead. The final boss, a monster too misshapen to be described; I'll just say that I was thankful that things like that were in a video game, and not in real life. When we had finally finished with the amorphous mass that he transformed into once we defeated him, the credits began to come out.

– That was too easy, – the girl commented, putting aside her control, and… she was right. It was more terrifying than complicated.

– I guess that's what ... AHHHH! – We shouted when we heard the scream that came out of nowhere, repeatedly, staining the screen red. This would have been amusing to us, had it not been for the fact that their screaming ceased as soon as we were plunged into deep darkness all of a sudden.

– Sero! – Mina clung to me, trembling.

– Don't worry – I tried to calm down, only for a lightning bolt to resonate a short distance from us, altering us even more. I was so focused on the game that I hadn't realized that the rain had gotten worse, turning into a thunderstorm. Hope Kaminari is okay.

Shortly after some loud screams managed to seem to compete with the successive thunder that could be heard in the distance. This wasn't normal; by this time the power should have been restored.

Professor Aizawa was present shortly after, giving directions to Iida, who helped by Yaomomo, distributed lanterns and kept order in the common area.

– Kaminari still hasn't returned? – Kirishima approached us. I thought he would be with Bakugou, although now that I think about it, they didn't spend that much time together anymore.

– I'm sure it must be sheltering from the rain – was what I repeated to be calm

– I hope you're right – the pink one approached one of the windows, only to retreat shortly after, just to a lightning strike fiercely into the ground. This was just the beginning.

The loud screams echoed throughout the bedroom again, Midoriya being the one who ran towards the stairs, it was then that the incident at the camp came back to my mind. Would this be another attack from the villains?

– Sero, we must go for Kaminari! – Mina clung to my fort, while my muscles tensed – We can't just sit around doing nothing! – I felt numb

– I know, but Prof. Aizawa said he would take care – What else could we do?

– And what if it's too late for that? – As soon as I realized who was behind us, I tried to silence the girl, but it was too late. – Kaminari may be in danger ...

– What did you say about Kaminari? – The purple–haired eyes were fierce, as if he were willing to do anything. – What do you mean by "being in danger" Ashido? – His voice deepened. My mind was thinking of some argument to calm him down, but how could I convince him of something I wasn't sure of? He was heading towards us until Kirishima intervened.

– Kaminari went out for a walk in the afternoon and has not returned – If only he had understood the signs – We fear he is in trouble, considering the previous attacks of the villains – he would know that he must have shut up when Shinso's gaze completely darkened

– Where are you going, Shinso?! – taking him firmly by the arm

– To look for him, obviously – walking to the exit

– Shinso, we are also worried about him, but we cannot be impulsive! – Thanks, Kirishima, I need all the help possible to prevent him from doing just what I'm thinking

– While we are here, Kaminari is there alone facing who knows what! – and this confirmed that nothing would stop him, if I didn't take drastic measures, but I wasn't fast enough.

The words "Don't follow me" drifted through my mind and the breeze was beginning to whip the door, with no sign of Shinso in sight.

And due to a combination of unfortunate events, Prof. Aizawa appeared at the scene minutes later, requesting the presence of everyone present.

– Professor, we are all present – our class representative approached him – Except for Kaminari

– Understood, we will go find him – reported to our relief

– Shinso went after him! – Kirishima announced and immediately the air thickened in the place

– What?! – Like crimson daggers, the professor's eyes seemed to be able to disintegrate whoever looked directly at him, accompanied by his jet–black hair pointing upwards, visible thanks to the flashes of the rays that seemed not to end. – I want you to listen carefully – making sure to be the center of attention – If someone else happens to leave this dorm, will be suspended indefinitely! – Making a tour around the place – Iida, Yaoyorozu, you are in charge! – And saying this, he left the place with a firm step.

My stomach was knotted, and the collective fear was almost palpable. How did we end up in this chaotic situation?


I told you Sero was a great friend.

Fact # 64

With the story I wanted to explore different types of relationships and how they interact with each other, unrequited loves and the different reactions that the characters could have when facing them.

...

If you like what you read, don't forget to leave a comment :3