Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or Pleasantville or their characters.

Chapter 8,

Bakugou couldn't help but stare at his notebook. He's read and reread this moronic poem dozens of times, and yet he still couldn't figure out where the words had originated from.

So often in life, men are told to be a man. Get a wife, go to work, have children, and you'll be happy and taken care of; as long as you do everything correctly.

Ok, sure, that was all facts. Men are told to be men, women are told to be women, and children are told to grow up.

But as I stare at you, I wonder if perhaps, there are other ways to be happy.

What does that even mean? Either you do the correct thing, or you fail at life. You're born, you work, and you die. What else was life suppose to be? Bakugou worked, and he'll soon die, and nothing was going to change that. Why waste his time being happy or finding a different way to be happy?

I see the strong outline of your jaw and yet you prefer a loving approach as opposed to a rough one that's expected from you. For some reason, you, in your letterman jacket and weird hair, someone like you has a caring heart and it confuses me. This caring nature is beyond my expectations for someone like you.

Why did he write this of all things. He didn't really know much about Kirishima. Sure he was Deku's best friend, and he had a smile constantly on his face... and Kirishima was one of the few people in this town who was always nice to him, even with the way he dressed, acted or behaved... and... and Kirishima was acting so odd earlier... the things he said, the way he stared at him, the weird way Kirishima touched him... what did it mean?

And what was it about the front of his pants that made Kirishima so interested? Was there some stain he didn't notice? Was it some joke he wasn't a part of? Was it some sort of stupid insult?

What else makes you different? How doyou see the world? For when one's eyes are as bright as yours, how could yourworld not shine?

Bakugou bit his lip. Would he shine in Kirishima's eyes; did he want to? Was he being ridiculous for letting some weird illness change the way he saw Kirishima? Unless... unless this weirdness was always there, but it's only now that Bakugou's noticed it. And Kirishima must be sick; why else would Kirishima kiss his cheek? And liked this poem Bakugou made for him? UGH!

"Alright kids, school is almost over, so let's take it easy and call it an early night. Class dismissed." Bakugou's science teacher Mr. Alda said. The girls started giggling, the guys high-fived, and they all started to leave. Bakugou put away his notebook and walked up to Mr. Alda.

"Um, Mr. Alda?" Bakugou asked and the teacher smiled.

"Oh, please, call me Alan. Class is over." Mr. Alda said and Bakugou nodded.

"Ok, Alan. Can I ask you a question?" Bakugou asked and Alan rose an eyebrow at this.

"About the lesson? I figured it was an easy subject for my top student." Alan said and Bakugou smiled.

""It was. The homework is easy too; but then again I've made ice before." Bakugou said and the teacher smiled.

"Impressive. So what was your question?" Alan asked and Bakugou hesitated.

"Is it possible for an illness to change the way one behaves?" Bakugou asked and Alan say on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest before he answered.

"In theory, yes. Certain illnesses, actions, or even diet can potentially change the way a person behaves. Why do you ask?" Alan asked and Bakugou shrugged.

"Oh, probably nothing. That kid, Kirishima, was acting kinda odd today and I was thinking that he was sick, but he's not really acting 'sick', he's... he's just acting..." Bakugou struggles to think up a word to describe Kirishima, and as innocent as they both were, the teacher had unknowingly thought up the perfect way to describe him.

"Queer?" He offered and Bakugou nodded.

"Yeah. And I don't really know why he's acting that way all of a sudden. I mean... the bro's acting like a whole different person." Bakugou said and Alan blinked.

"The what?" Alan said and Bakugou's eyes widened.

"Uh... bro...? It's something Kirishima called me earlier. I think it means 'friend' or 'fellow' or something like that. I'm... I'm pretty sure it's not an insult." Bakugou said insecurely. He didn't even mean to say 'bro', it just slipped out because of how much he's been thinking of Kirishima. Alan shook off this oddness.

"Well, I'm no doctor, but if he's not a danger to himself or to others, then it doesn't sound like anything you need to be concerned about." Alan said and Bakugou scoffed in pure annoyance.

"Are you telling me that there is no real scientific explanation that can explain what's happening to Kirishima? Nothing that can tell me how to help him, or anything; because Kirishima doesn't have a cold?" Bakugou said and Alan sighed.

"Well, technically there is this very specific form of science that focuses around the way a person thinks and their behavior. It's actually pretty interesting, but almost everyone I know considers it 'fake science'. Mostly because it's only been around for a few decades." Alan earned and Bakugou rose and eyebrow at this.

"What's it called?" Bakugou asked.

"It's called psychology. It officially became a science back in 1879." Alan stated.

"187- that's over 70 years ago, and people still don't trust it?" Bakugou said.

"The army seems to. They have some psychologists to talk to our boys whenever they are feeling down. My cousin Benjamin Pierce use to talk to a psychologist when he was in Korea." Alan said and Bakugou was silent.

"You know I'm a little surprised that you are so worried about Kirishima. I though you couldn't stand any of those kids." Alan said and Bakugou hesitated.

"I... I don't... but out of all of them Kirishima was the nicest to me. And besides, Kirishima can't get sick... not now. It's not time for Kirishima to get sick; I mean he doesn't get sick until after I d-"

"SHHH!" Alan rushes over and covered Bakugou's mouth harshly.

"We are at school, you know you're not suppose to talk about that." Alan whispered, looking around to make sure no one was around. When he was sure, Alan let go of Bakugou gently and he took calming breaths to calm his racing pulse.

"Sorry kid." Alan said and Bakugou sighed heavily.

"No, you're right. I almost messed up." Bakugou said swallowing the way he wanted to behave he wanted to get angry, he wanted to get mad he wanted to yell, to explode, but he can't.

"Ok, I guess I better get to work." Bakugou said and Alan nodded.

"You working at the garage or the pharmacy today?" Alan asked.

"The garage. Might have an early dinner at the diner though." Bakugou said stiffly. Alan watched Bakugou gather his stuff sadly, and he sighed at his most gifted student.

"Bakugou listen." Alan said, stopping the boy before he left.

"If you're really concerned about your friend Kirishima, then maybe just spend time with him until you're sure nothing is wrong with him." Alan suggested.

"I don't know. Kirishima and I aren't really friends." Bakugou said.

"Then who is he to you?" Alan asked.

And for a brief moment, Bakugou could only stare at his teacher as he tried to think of an answer.

"I don't know." Bakugou answered honestly, and then he left the science room. He went over to Uraraka's locker and slipped her 'monoma's' poem before he did anything else. And Bakugou noticed Deku and Mary Sue.

"No, you don't understand. If you don't go out with him, it could throw their entire universe out of wack and we may never get home." Deku said and Bakugou rose an eyebrow at this.

"Do you really think people are gonna notice if I don't have a milkshake with this Skip guy?" Mary Sue said and Bakugou thought this was very strange. Was Deku actually trying to convince Mary Sue to go on a date with Skip Martin?

"Tehehehe." Multiple girls giggled in sync, and from around the corner Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Tsu came rushing over to Deku and Mary Sue.

"You'll never guess what the heard!" Jiro said.

"Skip Martin is gonna ask you out." Tsu said.

"And that's not all." Yaoyorozu said.

"No that's not all." Tsu said.

"He's gonna give you his pin!" They all shrieked in their girlish way. And instead of squealing wit her friends, Mary Sue looked at Deku with a disdained expression and that confused Bakugou further.

What's going on here? Mary Sue doesn't want to date Skip, Deku has been so nervous today, and Kirishima has been acting so...

Are...

Are they different people now?

[By the way, I know it's a little out of character for Bakugou to NOT get mad and such, but that's not really how a "Pleasantville" character would react, so that's what I went with.]