Watch me miss a few things here, even after going over it multiple times and having 2 beta readers. I already have the next chapter started, so hopefully the turnaround time isn't too much. I had a lot I wanted to do here and I feel I also ended up setting up more as well, thanks to G Viral and Galileo. As always, Dr. Zenkai helped influence my take on 1B as well.
The anime, the manga, and light novel two were a lot of help in writing this and I think this chapter turned out to be a lot of fun. I hope you all enjoy it. I wanted to touch on the central romance but also my supporting cast. Honestly, as much as I love Walk, I feel like it's this fic where I do a better job of balancing the supporting characters and main characters.
I didn't want to meander on some things, especially since a lot of action in the canon focused on the main characters. Still, I did my best to weave a narrative with stuff from canon, my own plans for the story, and plenty of character stuff. I also like to explore several themes here, though I try not to be heavy handed.
I am currently hitting writer's block with Walk and Power but will try to get those updated soon too. Already have them started. For now, strap in, the pay off to a few threads is coming. And there may just be a few surprises too. See you soon!
—-
Momo thought about the closing ceremony, how it had all been so lively. There was an underlying sense of fear, however. She would learn later that the mall they had gone to was shut down temporarily.
Apparently the man Izuku had encountered had been the same one who had led the attack on USJ and he had gone to the police station on his way home after calling the cops. Kyouka and Setsuna had both reached out to him, as did Mina, but he had assured them he was fine.
Because of all this, the location of the trip was likely to change. At least that's what she gleaned from Vlad King's explanation. Thankfully, he was less secretive and deceitful than Aizawa, based on what she had heard of 1A's homeroom teacher.
"It's out of the way probably, but I'm sure we'll stop every hour or so for pit stops, right. No sweat. We waited years to see each other again. An hour is nothing. And then however much longer after that," Itsuka grinned.
"I suppose so. I'm surprised Monoma is relatively calm." Momo sighed, pondering to herself. Sure enough, the chaotic boy walked slowly towards their transportation, carrying a fancy looking suitcase.
"Do not patronize me, 1A. More of your class is taking extra courses than ours…Sorry. I'll stop…for now." The blonde walked off and boarded the bus, leaving even Itsuka concerned.
His eyes didn't look completely defeated, and she was sure he would be back to normal soon enough. His words after failing the practical exam had stuck with her, however.
As everyone started to board their buses in order, Momo stopped. She clutched the hem of her skirt, trying to find the strength and willpower to hold off. Her heart did the same within her chest. Was it the right time? She had read somewhere that the more you agonized over "the right time", then the farther it would get away from you.
"Itsuka?"
"Yes, Momo?"
"I'll see you at the training camp."
"Likewise. I'm looking forward to it."
Still, it wasn't like she would be able to just say it as soon as she got off the bus, especially since there wasn't a guarantee the buses would arrive at the same time. The situation at USJ had been bad enough, but with a slow shift in attitudes thanks to the Hero Killer, UA had been taking more precautions. This Shigaraki situation had raised things to a fever pitch.
Momo could see Kyouka talking to Midoriya, apologizing apparently for not doing anything about the situation at the Mall or realizing that it was worse than it seemed. Uraraka and Mina had similarly come to his side, but were reminded by Iida and Aizawa to stick to their seats.
She could only imagine what Setsuna was going through, as the two green-haired kids seemed to have reconnected as friends.
As the engine roared to life, her mind ran along the road that they were currently on. There was certainly a lot going on, as her classmates listened to music and played games to pass the time. She wondered if it was too much for her to text Itsuka and see how things were going on her bus.
Unfortunately, the reception was spottier the further they drove out. At least the class was keeping itself busy with the word chain game. Granted, it was mostly to help take Aoyama's mind off of his own nausea, but Mina's enthusiasm for the idea was certainly contagious, at least for her.
Everyone went about the bus, saying a word starting with the last letter of the previous word. She could distract herself from worrying about training her quirk or confessing her feelings to Itsuka.
"If Midoriya's word is Kamui Woods…wait does that count? It's technically two words."
"Hmmmm…" Mina narrowed her eyes, then relaxed. "I'll allow it. Name's are words…on one condition."
Izuku gulped, wondering what that condition could be. He soon found out and nearly fainted when Mina suggested the pocky game.
Momo continued, since her word started with S. "Midoriya sure does love heroes. Commendable, I suppose. My word is Scholar."
The game went on until Aoyama was on the verge of throwing up, with Todoroki finishing it up before Mina could play, much to her chagrin. Several other suggestions were thrown around, from "I Spy" to a trivia quiz. That last one interested Momo in particular but it never got off the ground.
They even told stories, with Mineta spinning a yarn about a homeless man he knew who wrote erotic novels. Asui soon told a story about spirits and a Torii gate that she would tell her little brother. Momo liked hearing about writers but thought perhaps the writer was foolish to abandon his family.
Asui's story, however, made her think of her childhood with Itsuka. Before she could even tell her story, however, the bus had stopped. Aizawa cut through the noise and brought the activity to a halt.
"Alright, everyone. Cut the noise. Time to get off."
X
While that had been occurring, the 1B bus drove along a different route, winding down the road towards their destination. Itsuka attentively reigned her classmates in, with Setsuna sitting next to her.
"Texting on the way to the camp, hmmm? Tsk tsk." The lizard girl teased, nudging an elbow into her friend's side.
"Actually, class president, I think we have the same idea. I'm going to tell Jirou I like her too. I mean, she likely already knows, but I really want to take her to a fireworks festival or swimming or something!"
"I'm surprised you haven't. You're a lot more forthcoming than I am about this stuff," Itsuka whispered, trying to keep her romantic life constrained to a close circle.
"Everyone already kinda knows," Reiko spoke up, shuffling a mini tarot deck she brought with her for the trip.
Itsuka groaned, wishing things would be easier. "I meant Setsuna and Jirou."
"So did I. You and Yaoyorozu don't have a monopoly on blatant mutual pining." Reiko stated lifeless. After a few moments, she gave a smirk.
"Hey…I mean…she's cute and I like hanging with her but I flirt like that with everybody. Besides, it doesn't mean she likes me back that way." Setsuna became uncharacteristically bashful, but tried laughing it off.
"You're both hopeless and need to ask your not-girlfriends out."
"Maybe Tokage just hasn't made up her mind about if she wants to smooch Jirou or Midoriya more! Shroom shroom!" Komori cheerfully chimed in, while Pony pouted slightly. "Wait, do you like Midoriya too?"
Pony let out a bashful whinny, which Kinoko took as confirmation. Setsuna, meanwhile, felt compelled to address the points her classmate had addressed.
"First off, he's just my friend. Shut up. Secondly, I will woo my punk rock princess at my own tempo, thank you kindly. Third, you wanna smooch that weird Gen Ed kid with the receding hairline. Don't start, bruh!" Setsuna playfully traded barbs with Reiko and the others while Itsuka sighed and rubbed her temples.
The lizard girl continued her mini-tirade. "And fourth…Awww, Sorry, Pony. Wish I knew you liked him. I wouldn't have set him up with Ashido. Sorry, girl."
While the tomboyish redhead knew her friends spoke the truth, she also knew confessing wouldn't be easy during this trip. It was going to be a bootcamp, at least that's how Vlad King described it. There would not be a lot of time for summer fun, she imagined. Furthermore, both classes would probably eat and train together, but lodge separately. At least that's how she imagined it would go. There was no way she would know for sure, admittedly, until they arrived.
Itsuka looked behind her to see what some of the guys were talking about. It would hopefully be a welcome reprieve, though she didn't wish to be nosey.
"Are you looking forward to the training camp, Awase?"
"Yeah. My grandpa took me camping in the woods one time. We went to this little lodge he and my grandma owned and we would tell ghost stories."
"Ghost stories? Sick. I'm game, we should do that." Reiko chimed in, intrigued by the prospect.
"Of course you would say that, Yanagi," Rin chuckled.
"And?" Reiko just stared intensely until he shrunk back.
"Fair enough." The exchange student responded sheepishly.
"I know a few. They're mostly the ones about teenagers getting murdered in their cars by some maniac though…or possessed cars." Itsuka decided to speak up. She used to have camping trips where she would engage in telling stories.
"Of course you would. You're the kid of a gearhead and a gritty girlboss. It's like adrenaline and gasoline run in your blood."
"I guess…I mean, if hero school didn't work out, my backup plan was to become a stuntman. Martial arts and Motorcycles and all that."
"See, this is why I voted for her! Kendou is the manliness girl I know! Wait, is that like…offensive?" Tetsutetsu shouted in a boisterous manner as he punched the air before calming down. Shoda patted him on the shoulder and nodded.
"Eh, I take it as a compliment," Itsuka smiled as she took it in stride, thinking back on her complicated history with gender norms.
"Ha! Gender? Hardly knew 'er." Setsuna laughed.
"Itsuka really is the coolest. She looked so pretty and glamorous in that commercial with Yaoyorozu, but is also so cool and tough! Can you teach me both?" Kinoko asked with glee.
Monoma looked up from the magazine Pony was showing him, mildly interested. He shrugged and resumed listening to his American friend gush in broken Japanese about whatever a "Bionicle" was.
"You really are fashionable, aren't you? It's actually kind of funny. You were on TV with your not-girlfriend, Komori dreams of being an idol, Tokage has an impeccable dress sense, and Yanagi is skilled at makeup. Why, you could make a regular girl group."
"You're not using this as a way to compete with 1A." Itsuka pouted, while Reiko just gave the boy a raised eyebrow. Komori, however, had gotten excited and was all about the idea.
"Also you can't be our manager," Setsuna followed up, sticking her tongue out at the boy.
"I am utterly wounded by your insinuations. I promised to tone it down, remember?"
"Yeah. You did. Sorry." Itsuka apologized, recalling her rowdy classmate's words upon failing the practical. He was at least willing to acknowledge that Itsuka cared about their class too, just because she wasn't overly competitive.
Monoma hummed, giving an exaggerated response before easily relenting."Hmmm. I'll let it slide…for now. In the meantime, how about we play a game?"
"Like a card game?" Pony perked up, having brought some card games just in case. She knew only to pack essentials, but one could never be unprepared for downtime.
"No, not on a moving bus, I'm afraid. I did bring some cards with me though." Monoma closed his eyes and smiled, gesturing dramatically.
"What kind? Yugioh or Hanafuda?" Setsuna couldn't help but tease, earning a high five from Reiko.
Monoma pretended to be offended in his usual, overdramatic way. "Hanafuda? I'm not an old man. Please, give a guy far more credit. I brought a game from AMerica. I believe it is called Magic the gathering!"
"Pfft. Ok, dork. I brought Tarot cards, if anyone's interested. You know, since we're on the subject." Reiko added before Monoma spoke again.
"Interesting but let's get back to the matter at hand. I propose we play 'Name that Tune'! But instead of our phones, we have to hum the tune." The blonde boy brushed a hand through his bowl cut and pulled out his phone, presenting it for all nearby to see. "Naturally, I will start us off."
"I like the idea but maybe we can just play a snippet of a song on our phones," Tsuburaba chimed in.
"Pshaw. Fine. If it's alright with Vlad King, that is." Monoma scoffed, looking to their instructor for approval. "May we, please?"
"Just don't be too rowdy and distracting, '' the Teacher chided, but ultimately gave his approval. "I suppose it will help pass the time."
"Excellent. Naturally, as stated before, I'll start us off. Can you name this tune?" Monoma started, playing the first few seconds of a some sort of 80s sounding disco beat. Everyone seemed puzzled at first until Bondo answered.
"Is it Heart on Fire? I have that playing in the little disco I made for my model town."
"Glad someone has taste. Anyway, Bondo's turn." Monoma chuckled as he passed the baton to his classmate.
The gentle giant pondered for a moment, hesitating on his song choice before picking something with a mellow beginning. Some recognized it more than others, but only one was quick enough on the draw.
"Acacia by Bump of Chicken. Me next, I suppose," Hiryu grinned, pulling up his phone and playing the opening notes of his song.
"Heh. Didn't take you for the easy listening type, Rin." Setsuna teased. "Do you have a phonograph at home?" Rin glared at her, but she merely shrugged.
Itsuka bobbed her head when it started, recognizing it in an instant, even humming along. "I actually like this song. It's…Let me see…Whether or Not by Su Rui?"
Rin was impressed, stroking his chin as he smiled at Itsuka. "Damn. I thought I would stump at least a few. I forgot you were partially Chinese, pres. Seems like you enjoyed it too."
"Yep. On my old man's side. And yeah, that was a song he would play for me sometimes on car rides home. Let me think for a moment. I think I know how to do this." Itsuka thought for a moment and hit shuffle on her music player, leaving it up to chance. Driving metal guitar kicked in and a song familiar to the redhead came on.
Nearly everyone was stumped, with Itsuka even playing more of the song to help her classmates out. Some guessed Baby Metal until both Shihai and Pony successfully guessed it at the same time.
"Band Maid…Non-Fiction Days?"
"Ooo! Is it Non Fiction Days by Band Maid!? I love them! I have a poster of them in my room!"
Monoma sighed and shook his head. "Oh dear. It looks like a tie. Kendou, could you play us one more song as a tiebreaker? I should probably have elaborated on that rule. Any objections?"
Nobody opposed the tie breaker rule, some even liking it a lot. Itsuka thought for a moment and scrolled through. She found a good song and hit play. It didn't remind her of Momo or any particular memories, but it was one she listened to often. Instantly, Pony nailed it.
"Is that the Birdie Wing theme! You watch That show too?" The horned girl beamed.
"Yeah. It's a favorite of mine. I don't watch a ton of anime. Just a few. Anyway, your turn."
The entire game went on for a few more turns until the music got distracting and Vlad King asked them to play something else. Eventually, they reached the side of the road and were asked to leave the bus. Outside, a large imposing man stood next to a goofy looking woman with a ring around her eye. Both were dressed like cats.
Vlad King departed the bus first, speaking briefly with the two figures before signaling his class to follow. Something seemed odd about this, however. As everyone hesitantly disembarked, Itsuka felt uneasy. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something iffy about their stop.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
She was about to be proven right.
X
The 1A bus stopped, pulling over to a lonely little parking lot on the side of the mountain road. Everyone disembarked in order to stretch their legs, confused by the lack of restrooms.
As they got off the bus, the students could see another vehicle pulled over on the side of the road. Momo pondered to herself. She had not seen any other instructors besides the homeroom teachers for the first years.
"Could they have driven ahead to meet us or is something else going on?"
Sure enough, two women in cat themed costumes stepped out, posing dramatically for the students. One had brown hair in a short bob, while the other was a blonde with a ponytail. They spoke in succession, with the brunette going first.
"With Sparkling eyes, we lock onto our target."
"Cute cat stinger!"
The two then cried out in unison as they synchronized their poses. "Wild, Wild Pussycats!"
Midoriya was fanboying and spouting trivia, while Mina and Hagakure gushed over their outfits.
"Hey, Eraser. Been a while." Mandalay, the brunette, smiled at 1A's homeroom teacher.
"It certainly has. Thanks for meeting us. I couldn't think of anyone better qualified," the perpetually tired teacher grinned.
Mina could feel her mind racing at the connotations of Aizawa and Mandalay having a secret romantic past. Her attention was soon taken up by pulling Midoriya away from Pixie Bob, who had some odd midlife crisis going on. The whole while, the Green-haired boy had been infodumping. They were all assured she was playing it up for laughs, but it was still odd.
While all this was occurring, Momo listened carefully to the instructions the leader of the Pussycats laid out. As a hero and a scholar, Momo strived to not leave any information to chance. It was why she loved mystery novels and science textbooks so much.
She recalled when Uchimura, the family butler, and Sebastian both took turns making sure she would get to bed on school nights and not just stay in the library.
She looked towards a building in the distance, watching where Mandalay's finger was tracing. It looked so small from where she was standing.
"This entire mountain is more or less our domain, since we specialize in mountain rescue. You'll be staying at the compound way off there. It's about 9:30 am now so if you hoof it, you can be there by about 12:30," the brunette proclaimed as she pointed out the building at the summit.
"Any unlucky kittens that don't get there by 12:30 miss out on lunch! Ooo shame." Pixiebob, the blonde, followed up her leader's words.
Momo had a sinking feeling, as she muttered to herself in a way that even Midoriya took note of.
"I thought there were 4 of them. Also why would we stop now if we're only halfway there. I do not see any rest stops here…Oh no." That's when it hit her. As if to punctuate her sudden realization, Aizawa spoke out with an unsettling smile.
"That's right, kids. Your summer trip…"
A wave of earth rose up from the ground and poured the students of 1A into the forested Valley before. Momo could comment on the spontaneity of it all as a valuable teaching aid, and yet, one thought rang through the halls of her mind.
"They lied again!?"
X
On the other side of the forest, 1B was encountering similar issues. No doubt the pros who had dumped them there had rendezvous with the other heroes to talk shop and monitor progress from the lodge at the top of the mountain.
"I can't believe they ditched us to fend for ourselves after leading us into the woods. Dick move." Kamakiri growled as he generated blades from his body in frustration. A gentle pat from his classmate, Manga, calmed him down.
"Looks like we just have to make it to the lodge. The big dude told us we were on our own so let's keep hiking."
After rallying everyone, Itsuka ran through the woods, ahead of her class. Unfortunately, the ground rose and undulated, birthing strange and nightmarish monsters. They swarmed the students and started to close in. The redhead gritted her teeth in frustration, digging her heel into the soil. "Shit. I spoke too soon. Stay on point and keep closeby. We can attack these creatures as they pop up. Tokage, can you get visuals?"
"You got it, Boss babe. In faaaact, I may have been a tad sneaky," the girl winked. However it did not come across as one of her eyes was missing, having stowed away with the Pussy cats.
"Shit. Nevermind. The cute lady with the ring around her eye threw my eye…aye."
"That was Ragdoll. The monsters are probably Pixie Bob's doing," Reiko stated flatly. Everyone gave her a quick look as she used her quirk to levitate objects at the beasts. "The guy I'm tutoring is a big fan. It's called engaging with your student."
"You just met and are still in school. Isn't it too early to be engaged?" Ibara chimed in. Setsuna snickered for a moment but ceased when the beasts attacked.
"Please focus, all of you." The class president announced, trying to unify her class. Luckily, it worked.
Reapplying the eye that had been spotted, Setsuna scoured the woods. "Itsuka, the place is crawling with these things. You think they expect us to be in the crossfire if the villains attack again?"
"That's a given, Setsuna."
"Of course it is…shit." The lizard girl sighed. "No more monkeying around then. Shiozaki, Komori. This place is your element."
A large amount of Mushrooms sprouted from one of the dirt creatures, mycelium spreading throughout it until they had totally overtaken it.
Ibara finished the creature off with her vines.
"Hehehe! Good going, Garden gals!" Setsuna grinned, giving both girls a high five before passing the buck back to Itsuka.
"Alright, fearless leader. You think we can get there in good time?"
"Yeah, actually…probably faster than 1A."
"Ha! Nice," Monoma smirked, before realizing it was probably because they were closer to the source of the creatures.
"Yeah, whoever is generating the monsters probably has them focused on 1a. They're still seeking us out but it's one person with mastery over these beasties. They have to have crazy control over them. Like, godly levels…but…"
The redhead looked at Ibara and smiled, inviting her nonverbally to finish the line.
"There is only one God, and in his name, I cast these aberrations back to the clay from whence we all came. Amen."
Setsuna teased her pious classmate, unable to resist, even in a tense situation. "If I didn't have the feeling you were going to call me a slur after that, I would say that is the most metal shit ever, Shiozaki. Rock and roll, my little Crown of Thorns Queen~"
"I would never. I respect all…How cruel of you, Tokage."
Overwhelmed between the flirtatiousness of her classmate and the insinuation that her faith meant inherent bigotry, the vine girl pouted grumpily before unleashing a terrifying display of green. The forest was hers to command, with Komori as backup.
Reiko leapt through the latticework of fungus and ferocious floral like a fantastic Phantom of the forest. "Tokage's right. That is metal. Don't worry though, Ibara. I know your heart is pure."
Ibara blushed, feeling flowers bloom in her hair. "Is this how Shoda feels?" She thought to herself before focusing again on the earth monsters.
Kosei set up some invisible barriers to assist in corralling the beasts. "Airbending vs Earthbending! Bangarang, yeah!"
And yet, the wave of monsters did not stop. It was like hiking to a vacation lodge while fighting RPG summons. That's essentially what it was in fact.
Itsuka remained determined, however, wondering how far away class 1A was. "My guess is they're on the other side of the mountain. I hope they're doing ok," She muttered to herself.
Steeling herself, the redhead smashed several more earth monsters with her enlarged fists. She was starting to feel exhausted after an hour or two of it, but she couldn't quit now. There was still a climb ahead of her class, and they would make it, even if it killed them.
In the distance, cannon fire could be heard. This brought a smile to Itsuka's face. It was unmistakably Momo.
"I'll see you on the mountain, Momo. Race you to the top!" She smirked, knowing that her closest friend could not hear her words. "Loser has to confess first…"
It felt almost like a game from their childhood, except they were miles apart on opposite sides of the forest.
The moment of quiet pining was interrupted by two things. One of them was Awase noticing her and asking if everything was alright. The second was a torrent of earthen hell rocketing they're way.
"Everyone always say 'if you see a mountain, climb it…Fuck that! Shatter the mountain and walk right through!"
Itsuka wasn't sure why those words echoed in her head, out of all the advice in her life. On instinct, she cleaved one of the dirt monsters in two and tossed one half at the other.
Her classmates didn't have much time to stare in awe, but they were definitely taken aback.
"Sorry. Lost myself for a sec. Let's keep forging ahead."
X
Momo looked all around her. Her classmates were going all out, especially four of them. In particular, the hardest hitters were Midoriya, Bakugou, Iida, and Todoroki.
"I can't fall behind. I'll do my best too. Hopefully that training with Itsuka paid off," the raven-haired girl sighed to herself, then took a deep breath. She focused on her core, then created a two handed warhammer. It wasn't overly heavy, but it was hefty enough to do damage.
Like a berserker queen, the normally poised and bookish girl ran towards the smallest beasts and smashed their legs, followed by their heads. When larger ones popped up, she resorted to cannon fire.
She was starting to wish she had brought more snacks, as she was starting to feel sort of famished. She couldn't stop, however.
While this was happening, Jirou watched while in the midst of taking down a few earth beasts as well.
Her heart rate increased as her face flushed red. She may have moved on, but the punk girl couldn't help but utter two words.
"Holy shit!"
Shaking the hearts out of her eyes, Kyouka gritted her teeth. Now was not the time to think about pretty girls, or how she apparently had a thing for recommended students.
She attacked with her Jack's and rushed to back her friend up. As they watched the four most experienced members of their class take out waves of the beasts, they nodded, not content to let them have all the "fun".
"Shall we, Yaomomo?" Kyouka smirked.
"Why Kyouka, I thought you would never ask. We shall. Hold on. I want to try something that I read about in a special edition of one of my favorite books."
Closing her eyes, the tall girl concentrated as she created another cannon, as well as a shirt as it shredded through her previous one. She was sure the items she made would litter the landscape, but she tried to minimize her impact on everything but the opponent.
"This cannon looks funky. Where's the fuse? I just see a hole for a…Oh…Oh, that is sick. You're amazing!" Kyouka soon caught on as she investigated the device. It looked like a support item.
"I suppose I am. Now put on these headphones, then fire! Also, cross your fingers that this works. It is mostly theoretical."
"Wait what?" The punk girl blinked at that last sentence. She probably shouldn't have expected an instant solution of Support Course quality on the fly from a fellow hero student, she supposed.
"Hurry!"
Kyouka closed her eyes and plugged into the cannon, then fired. A concentrated sonic blast decimated the approaching beasts to their core, destabilizing them.
The time for celebration was short-lived, however, as the cannon would not work after that and another wave was coming. Steeling themselves, Momo and Kyouka rushed towards their classmates and regrouped for an all out attack as they climbed towards their campsite.
X
When class B had managed to get to the lodge, they were exhausted. It was about 4:40 PM and everyone was famished.
"Glad to see the buses got here already. That was brutal and I need a bath," Itsuka groaned, feeling achy and winded from the fight through the forest.
"I thought tomboys bathed in their own sweat. C'mon. Let's start getting our stuff unpacked. Looks like Vlad King's starting the queue." Setsuna pointed to the parking spot, eager to change into something less dirty.
"Not yet. Waiting for 1a," Itsuka responded. "It's only fair, right?"
"We really can't keep giving our rival class any quarter. Seems your brain is being plagued by your emotions;" Monoma teased, swiftly stopping when he saw Itsuka shoot him the stink eye. "Alright, I promise to stop…for now."
"It's ok. Pay him no mind. You and Tokage will see your girlfriends. I'm ready to eat, then clean up." Reiko yawned, heading for the bus so she could get situated.
"Grab your luggage and take it to your quarters, then go and eat." Vlad King spoke.
"Oh hey there, kid. Nice hat. I had one like that as a kid." Itsuka said, noticing a young boy in a baseball cap with forward facing horns.
The young boy ignored her, glaring over his shoulder as he walked away.
"Jeez. Rude."
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, 1A clambered up the mountain and prepared to enter the lodge.
Dinner was prepared in anticipation of the students, with everyone taking their seats by class. The pussycats indicated that this would be last night the students would have it easy, but nobody could place what that meant.
"So, Yaomomo...I didn't know you could make a hammer. That's sick! You were like this…badass warrior queen out there." Mina cried in excitement.
Momo blushed a little, then elegantly took another bite of her meal. "It was something I wanted to try out, after some training I did with Itsuka. It's…not the first time I made a hammer, but it's certainly the hardest hitting," Momo hid her face in embarrassment as she remembered her clown phase as a child, and the toy hammer she carried around to entertain Itsuka. Thank goodness that ended after a few weeks.
"Wait, you made a sonic cannon?"
"It stopped working after one use, but yes. It was a risky gambit, but it did help us a little bit. Perhaps if I went to the support department, they could do a better job. I imagine it would be like Kyouka's boots and the cannons I can normally create.
"Oh, you are a badass, Yaomomo! That's so sick!" Mina cheered, utterly entranced. "Support would probably love you."
"They have asked me to make raw materials for them before. Only once though. Plus, Itsuka is on a friendly basis with Hatsume."
"The weird support course girl from the Sports Festival?" Sero asked, taking a bite of his meal. "I wasn't sure she could remember anyone's name."
"Apparently she can." Tsuyu chimed in, wondering why.
"It does make some sense. Itsuka grew up around a garage. Apparently Hatsume's family owns a scrap yard, so they bonded over that, I would imagine. Last I heard, they were going over plans for adjustments to Josie."
"Josie?" Ochako raised an eyebrow, curious about what kind of machine would have that name. Mina was similarly intrigued, wondering if it was a robotic sparring partner.
"Oh, well…Itsuka has been helping her father build a motorcycle for years. She named it after one of her favorite old actresses, Josephine Siao. Once she is of age, she intends to ride it. She has to temper Hatsume's more…eccentric suggestions, but they have apparently discussed some support items to aid in apprehending villains." Momo gushed about Itsuka, unaware of the sneeze that came from the 1B tables. The girls all listened intently, as did some of the guys.
"Didn't think Hatsume could be friends with anyone." Iida mused.
"She might seem odd, but once you get to know her, she isn't all that bad. I've met far worse people. Besides, Itsuka vouches for her and I trust her judgment."
"You really are quite a pair, huh? The rich princess and the martial arts mechanic," Kyouka winked. "You really have a thing for the rough and tumble type, huh?"
Momo blushed, trying to seem more composed than she was. "We have been friends a long time. I'm just glad we were able to reconnect. Sometimes it almost feels too good to be true."
"Have you told her that yet?" Todoroki calmly ate his food, making eye contact with his fellow recommended student.
The girl paused for a moment, then continued her meal, savoring the aroma and the texture. It certainly hit the spot after not eating anything since breakfast.
"I haven't had many opportunities yet. The plan is to do so during this trip, when possible."
"Good. You deserve to be happy, Yaoyorozu," the boy with bicolor hair nodded, taking another morsel into his mouth and chewing before he resumed. "She seems to bring that out in you."
Momo blushed deeper and offered a curt smile. "I suppose she does. We do have a history, and I'm glad we had the chance to write more of it."
Across the dining hall, Itsuka calmly ate her meal, feeling famished from the long track through the Beasts' Forest, as it was apparently called.
"That was so draining but man, am I glad to be here. I could eat a horse…no offense, Pony," Toogaru spoke loudly as he shoveled food past his mandible and into his mouth.
"None taken. Did you hear those huge bangs! They were like fireworks. One even made this loud sort of sonic boom noise!" The horned girl spoke enthusiastically, noticing everyone looking at her for a moment before she had realized she had reverted back to English in her excitement. Gathering herself again, she bashfully repeated herself in Japanese.
Itsuka acknowledged the enthusiasm and spoke with some in return. Her face brightened when she spoke.
"Had to have been Momo. She's always been making cool things with her quirk. We actually tried building a clubhouse…and she was upset because she couldn't make one appear pre-built from her body. But we were little kids, so she was putting too much on herself. We ended up getting help and we built a nice one in my yard. We use it as storage now but it was our castle."
"That's so romantic. How are you two not dating yet?" Komori gushed, hanging on every word of her friend's story.
Yui grunted as she looked at Komori, then at Itsuka. She then continued eating her food as she watched carefully.
"You all seem pretty obsessed with my love life." Itsuka narrowed her eyes and took another bite, feeling grateful to have something in her stomach again. She bristled, not that she didn't want that. But it was like a tickle in her chest that made her writhe restlessly.
Setsuna patted her friend on the back, aimining to soothe any anxieties she might have had. "I mean it's obvious how you both feel about each other. If it helps, I'm going to ask Kyouka out. This way you don't go this alone and if I embarrass myself, you can point and laugh."
"I don't point and laugh. That's Monoma. But I accept your terms. You two are cute together."
"Awww shucks. We'll see where it goes. Best of luck to both of us."
"Oh, Kendou! I wanted to ask by the way. What was that move you pulled in the forest? You straight up cleaved one of those things in two. That was awesome! Totally epic!" Tetsutetsu punched the air as he recalled his classmate's attack.
Itsuka went silent for a moment, recalling how her mind went berserk for a moment and she unleashed a devastating attack."Oh…um, you know. Just something I picked up from my family."
"Well it was brutal as hell. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of it, but I know I can count on you if I'm ever in danger!" Tetsutetsu beamed like a metallic Golden Retriever, matching Pony's earlier excitement.
"Thanks. I'll remember that. If you all don't mind, it took a lot out of me. Just going to focus on eating, then clean off." Itsuka responded, taking another bite of the stew that was prepared. It wasn't half bad, though she had eaten better. She missed her mom's cooking already but this was a camp, not a resort. She would live.
"Good idea, Kendou! We're gonna need to recoup the energy we burned off facing those rock monsters! Then we're gonna seize the day!" Tetsutetsu shouted loudly before gorging himself on food.
Itsuka shook her head and smiled. She really had made so many friends since she and Momo had last seen each other before UA. And now that they were reunited, it seemed like they had only grown closer. Itsuka found herself once more looking off towards where Momo was sitting. It would be so easy to just walk over and say hi, and yet she hadn't. Perhaps it was because both were wrapped up in their own classes, but it still seemed odd that they had not yet reunited after getting off the bus. She sighed and clenched the hem of her skirt. It really shouldn't have been this hard.
She could focus on that later, however. She finished her meal and excused herself from the table, heading towards 1B's accommodations, with her friends not very far behind.
"Wait, Itsuka." As if on cue, that familiar voice latched on and bullied the girl towards it.
"Hey Momo. Glad we both made it. Sorry we didn't get to talk yet."
"No, no. It's fine. I could have walked over as well. Glad we're both here."
"Of course. We've both come a long way. I'm going to clean off in the onsen. Wish to join me?"
"I was going to join the rest of the girls from my class. We should do so tomorrow though. You and me. Like old times."
"I see. OK. Have fun."
X
After dinner, the rooms were packed with the students' luggage and everyone started to adjust to their accommodations. Soon after, they all decided to wash off the dirt and grime of the day at the on-site onsens.
At the part of the Lodge at which 1B was staying, Itsuka soaked sore muscles and relaxed. It honestly felt good just to take a load off in the mountain air as the hot water embraced her. She wondered if 1A had hot springs too, and just how many there were in this facility. Perhaps other classes had trained here too. She wondered if Yuyu's girlfriend and her class had been here.
She looked over to Ibara, who had kept a bit of a distance from Setsuna for some reason. The lizard girl did not seem to have picked up on it just yet, so Itsuka kept silent.
"You think that weird grape boy is gonna sneak a peek at the other girls?" Reiko eased into the bath and let the steam permeate her pores.
"He reminds me of a weird baby doll that runs on lust. He's probably going to come here next."
"That's…oddly specific." Ibara paused, considering her classmate's comparison. She couldn't disagree, however, based on what she had heard.
"It's apt though. Momo told me he was peeping through a hole in the wall between the boys' and girls' locker rooms." Itsuka shuddered in disgust, hoping not to have to deal with the little creep.
"That reminds me. I never got an answer at dinner. When are you going to ask her out already?" Setsuna asked, splashing her friend with water.
"I will, ok? It's just been busy. Not trying to do it in front of a whole crowd. If we can get a moment alone, that's when I will tell her." Itsuka splashed back, sending her friend back a few centimeters.
The lizard girl squirted water out of her mouth and flashed a sassy grin."Good luck with that. This is basically a bootcamp, right? Well, at least there will hopefully be some moments of peace. Like this."
"Let's hope so. You know, this place kind of reminds me of a place Momo and I visited as kids. There was this old, nearly dilapidated Torii gate near an abandoned shrine near this lodge we were staying at. We went exploring there with Harley…"
"Who's Harley again? Like the clown?" Pony cooked her head to the side, curious about this hidden friend.
"Nope. He was my childhood dog, named after the American Motorcycle brand," Itsuka reflected wistfully, recalling all the adventures they had gone on together.
"Aww, puppy! We have a few dogs back home in America. I miss them," The horned girl whinnied.
"I bet. I miss Harley as well. We used to go everywhere. Momo, Harley, and I were always going on adventures," the redhead reminisced wistfully. "Every camping trip was like a new one for us."
"I still can't believe such a wealthy girl would rough it in the woods." Reiko pondered aloud as she cupped her hands and filled them with water from the onsen before using her quirk to levitate it.
Itsuka leaned back against the wall of the bath and watched the steam rise towards the sky. "She had me as her guide. And she's also not as dainty as you think. She can make swords and cannons, remember? Anyway, you've been asking me about her all day. How about we change the subject"
"Agreed. Not that I don't love teasing Kendou for her big gay crush that's so big and obvious, you can see it from space, but let's mix it up." Reiko added in agreement
"Hey…You said you have an uncle right? What happened?" Pony raised her hand. Her Japanese was a bit off, but she was still a good conversationalist otherwise.
"He's a villain. He tends to roll with a bad crowd, and people get hurt. He started a little fight club and it got out of hand…people died."
Everyone went silent for a moment, shocked by the subject but no less enthralled. In a hushed voice, Setsuna breached the silence. "Seriously?"
Itsuka looked back down at the water, seeing her reflection in the ripples. After a moment, she looked at her classmates and resumed. "About two years ago, he rolled with this guy, another villain. They both had a passion for battles with high stakes. They were in a group called Bloodbath Brotherhood. My uncle wasn't directly involved, but had he been free at the time, I have no doubt he would have been…"
"Involved in what?" Pony asked, engrossed in the story. Reiko and Setsuna listened intently, knowing about Rappa from previous talks with Kendou. Setsuna herself could relate to a bad egg in her family, but not like this.
"There was like, a hero team that died protecting civilians from villains. It was all over the news."
"I remember that when I was in middle school." Kinoko piped up as she sat in the shallowest part of the bath with Pony.
Itsuka nodded solemnly. "They were the culprits. The Bloodbath Brotherhood…I know my uncle didn't kill the heroes himself. Not these ones, at least. He was in jail for something else. But he started it all. He lives for putting everything on the line. He aims for life or death battles, so he likely would have gone all out if they interested him enough. I dont know…I'm talking about him as if he was involved in the battle himself…he wasn't…but he was a founding member and he absolutely has killed before."
"Didn't you once say he knew Miruko?" Setsuna asked.
"Yeah. She relishes a challenge as well, but I don't know how buddy buddy they would actually be if they reunited," Itsuka thought aloud. "I actually used to love my uncle. He wasn't the typical loving sort. But he would teach me cool punches. Half my arsenal comes from him and my mom. The rest I came up with while watching Kung Fu flicks…hehehe…yeah…" Itsuka chuckled sadly before exhaling, then continued. "I used some at the Sports Festival. But there's a reason Rappa is estranged from my family."
"He sounds dishonorable." Ibara gasped, taken aback by all she heard of the villain. Itsuka just shook her head in solemn dismissal of the notion, however.
"In his own way, he has a code of honor, revolving around bloodshed and fisticuffs." Itsuka gazed past everything, feeling sad as she thought about her uncle and who he was. "He acts like a brute, but he's not an animal…Still not a good person…I suppose he could be worse, but it's still disheartening…Knowing your family could produce someone with so much blood on their hands, code or not. Luckily I have my mom, dad, and Sora. They're better role models by far."
Ibara looked introspective as she reflected on those words. Itsuka noticed something else eating away at the vine girl but decided she would let her friend come to her when she was ready.
"I'm glad. I had some pretty great role models too. My aunt Cow Lady, plus the one hero that really inspired me…I mean in addition to Snipe, All-Might and Star-n-Stripe! Sky Crawler! Sorry…I just realized only one of them is actually related to me…but Snipe and Crawler actually helped me out." Pony gushed excitedly before calming down. "I probably jumbled some words up. My bad. I'm still not all that fluent."
"Nah, I gotcha. Didn't your uncle fight that guy? Was it the same guy?" Itsuka smiled, then turned to Setsuna. Unfortunately, the lizard girl was now missing her head.
"Ooooof course. Probably up to trouble. Anyway, that's enough for me. I'm out. I'm going to settle in for now. See you back at the room"
Pony waved at her friend and smiled. "OK, Kendou! See you when we get out!"
Itsuka waved back and departed the bath, leaving her friends behind. After drying off and grabbing her clothes, she headed back to the room to gather her thoughts.
X
While the 1B girls lounged in their springs, the 1A girls had a similar idea. Mineta had unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly, tried to scale the wall separating the girl's and boy's sides.
Thankfully, the young boy Itsuka had met, had been there to pervert-proof the area. Unfortunately, an overly cheery pink girl accidentally bore too much and surprised Kota, causing him to slip and fall.
"Jeez, Mina. You scared the poor kid." Kyouka chastised the pink girl in a flat tone.
"Yikes! Sorry. Maybe I should get dressed and check on him. Least I can do." Mina responded, feeling somewhat guilty for throwing him off balance.
"It's ok! I caught him. I'm going to take him to the Pussycats," A male voice called out.
"Was that Midoriya? Makes sense he would catch a falling child."
"He really is something, huh?" Mina said dreamily, with Ochaco beside her following up.
"Yeah…"
The two looked at each other and pointed.
Momo paid the commotion no mind. The water felt so welcoming as it enveloped her. "Some R&R is nice, especially because Aizawa said this would be a bootcamp. It will probably get more challenging than this," the girl said dreamily, not knowing how true that would be.
"Hey, Yaomomo?" Tsuyu spoke up, feeling at peace in the water. Momo turned to face her with an inquisitive expression.
"Yes?"
"I'm glad you're feeling more confident after the exams. I know the Sports Festival had you feeling down and that the internship didn't help much, ribbit."
The frog girl smiled warmly, happy to know her classmate was in better spirits. She had missed her crying session afterward, but had heard secondhand. The dark-haired girl seemed calmer now though.
"Oh…Thank you, Tsuyu. It felt good to snap out of it. Todoroki helped a little, as did Aizawa, of course. I had remembered something from years ago and it helped me reevaluate where my head was."
"I can relate. Hey there, Jack Attack~" a disembodied head floated beside the punk girl, freaking her out. "Hello to you too, Yaomomo and pals. Hi, Tsu."
Momo merely took it in stride. In the short time she had been acquainted with Setsuna, this was almost expected. "Oh. Hello to you as well."
"Hi, Setsuna. What brings you here?" The frog girl croaked cheerfully. "How are your lizards?"
"Oh, they are doing fantastic. Just upgraded their enclosures and switched out the substrate. Even gave them some new hiding spots," the lizard girl squealed in delight. "As for your first question, I wanted to say hi to my internship buddy. And also, meet Hagakure. We haven't had a lot of time to talk. You're like me, right?"
Given her invisibility, nobody could see the look of confusion on the girl's face until it sank in. "Oh! Jirou told me she knew someone else who was trans. That's awesome. We should totally talk more."
Ochako leaned into Tsuyu. "I didn't know that. Did you?" Tsuyu merely nodded.
"Hell yeah. We totally should. Anyway, I can't stay long. My body gets pruney when I leave it in the bath too long. Before I go l, however, I want to say…seriously you did great, Kyoukadile~...you rock. Catch you later~" The girl winked, drifting incredibly close to Kyouka. Her breath tickled the girl's ear as she spoke.
"Byeee~" Setsuna departed as her head floated out of the onsen and back towards her body.
As the green-haired girl left, Kyouka could feel her face heat up. "Y-yeah. You…too."
Tooru splashed excitedly, wishing Mina was still there to join in her glee.
"Not a word, Hagakure." Kyouka groaned, her Jack's floating on the surface of the water like limp spaghetti noodles.
"My lips are sealed. Also, that's so cool how Tokage and I have something in common. Does she know Koda is too?"
Kyouka merely groaned again and slid deeper into the water. She was too embarrassed to answer the question, prompting Ochako to step in.
"Maybe Jirou just needs to cool off."
"Thanks, Uraraka. I think I might be getting overheated. I'm going to get out and head to bed."
"Ha! Like your not-girlfriend!" Hagakure teased, prompting Kyouka to get out. Eventually, everyone left except for Momo.
She looked at the ripples in the water and thought about how far she and Itsuka had come. Today had been grueling and tomorrow likely wouldn't let up. But there had to be a rest period towards the end of the day to help them recuperate.
"Tomorrow…yes. Tomorrow. I'm going to confess then."
X
The girls were not the only ones to have eventful conversations. Izuku Midoriya walked around the corner, deep in thought. He couldn't help but think about the young boy he saved after he fell from the divider wall of the hot springs. He knew the kid had an issue with heroes but couldn't figure out why.
Luckily, Mandalay had filled him in. Mina had gone to check on him as well and see if he was okay, but had gone back to the 1A girl's room to settle in. He couldn't believe how much had changed for him in such a short time, becoming so engrossed in his introspection that someone could easily sneak up and spook him.
It was perfect.
"Hey, bestie~. How's it going?" A green-haired girl leaned against the wall, wearing distressed denim shorts and a yellow tank top with a stylized purple skink on it.
"Gah! Tokage…Hey."
"Pfft, call me Setsuna, dork. I wanted to say hi. I thought getting dressed might be the best course of action. "
"R-Right. Sorry, Setsuna. I guess I'm a bit out of it." Setsuna could certainly agree. Something had to have been on his mind to keep him from stammering over the implications of her last sentence.
"That kid right? The one with the hat? I heard he took a tumble and you leapt to save him. You definitely have a habit of that."
"Yeah. I just…want to reach out to him. Show him heroes aren't that bad…but he lost his parents at a young age to a villain attack. They gave their lives protecting people…"
"You really haven't changed, dude. Still trying to save people. Not everyone will be so open. Sometimes people need patience, you know?"
"Yeah. Was just hoping our first meeting was just a rocky start…"
"Why, what happened?"
"He…um…punched me in…let's change the subject." Izuku looked away, embarrassed.
The lizard girl instantly picked up on it, wincing for her friend.
"Oof…Yikes! That had to have hurt. You ok? Like, after that but also the Mall and Hosu?"
"I'm fine, Setsuna. I promise. Just trying to do my best. I know I am probably overbearing. Not everyone is going to be as hero-crazed as me. I just want to be a good hero. To be for others what All-Might was for me."
"We all do, my fellow greenie. Hopefully this camp helps with that. In the meantime, how are things with Ashido?"
"She's wonderful. We definitely have a lot of fun. I never really had a date before…Especially not with someone so outgoing…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head bashfully, a visible blush painting his cheeks. "I'm still not great around girls but I get less embarrassed now, at least. Still shaking off some…earlier preconceptions of myself."
"I bet you are, champ. Glad things are going well," Setsuna teased as she elbowed her friend. Her mood seemed to drop for a moment, however, when she remembered who her friend had been teamed up with during the exams. "Hey...Is Bakugou still bullying you? Sorry if that came out of left field"
"It's …complicated. Or maybe it's not. He hasn't been as bad to me. Still rude and difficult and angry towards me all the time. Now that I have new friends, I should let go…but I found myself chasing him as, like, this idea of victory. Perhaps I should stop."
"Yeah. I guess. You're still worth 100 of him in my book, Izuku. Even if you don't realize it. That probably rings hollow coming from someone you haven't seen in years but it's true." The green-haired girl smiled at her fellow moss head, a warm reassuring sensation radiating from her and penetrating Izuku's defenses.
"Thanks. I really appreciate that. I know it's hard to explain, so thanks for listening and being patient."
"Of course, bud. You're worth it." Setsuna once again gave a reassuring smile. "And we might be in rival classes, but I'm always around when you need me."
"Thanks. I'm very grateful, Setsuna. Likewise. I'm always willing to listen, even if I don't get something right away."
The two paused for a moment, thinking about how their lives would have gone if they had gotten the chance to grow up together.
Would they have been best friends? possibly something more? Would they have been more like family? Would Setsuna have still met Kyouka, possibly earlier? So many questions buzzed around their heads, but there was no sense in obsessing over hypotheticals.
"I should probably get back to the other girls but you and I should go to the museum when we can. Or the zoo. All the things we wanted to do as kids but couldn't. And then we'll be awesome heroes. Real super friends. I'll even let you be my sidekick, Herculad."
"Apart from that nickname, I'd like that." Izuku laughed gently.
"Awesome. Well, goodnight." The girl turned around to leave but was halted by a question.
"Wait…Um…what was it like? Transitioning? Since I wasn't there when you did it." The boy looked concerned, pleading almost. They had reconnected just recently but Setsuna hadn't really gone into too much detail.
The lizard girl looked at the clock on the wall. There was still some time to kill. She found a nearby bench and led Izuku to it.
"Alright. So I mostly just socially transitioned, but my family is pretty well off. STEM field and everything, except for Komodo. But anyway, we took a trip to…I think it was the Netherlands…a year or two back, and got me on puberty blockers. They were even able to get me on HRT, because of the laws there and such. It hasn't been long but I'm already feeling happier."
"That's a long way to travel. You were able to start it young? I thought you had to be 16 years old?" Izuku pondered, having done some research on the subject.
"Some places will start you early. Good thing everyone argues over quirks now. Apparently it used to be a lot more taboo a long time ago." Setsuna smiled sadly. "Not that I haven't been bullied for it or treated like a freak."
"Yeah. I can relate…to being bullied and treated like a freak. Not that it's comparable to what you went through, but hey…solidarity, right."
Setsuna posed and smiled. He always seemed understanding, if not at least willing to understand. It was a relief that that had not changed. It almost made her sad that they couldn't be there for each other before, but they had the chance now.
"Yeah. Solidarity. Glad your quirk came in but I just want to say, even if it never did, you're still worth a damn. Anyone who says otherwise, will have to go through me. Plus the other friends you made, I guess but I got here first technically."
"Yeah. I suppose you did. Thanks, Setsuna. And if anyone comes after you for who you are, I'll have your back. It's what heroes…no. It's what friends do." Izuku muttered a bit at first before punctuating his words with full conviction.
Setsuna nodded before stretching out and yawning in an exaggerated manner. She was feeling a bit lazy from that bath, not to mention the walk earlier.. "We should probably both head to sleep. I'm exhausted. Climbing up that mountain while fighting rock monsters takes a lot out of you."
"I'll say. So does being spit on by a thirty year old." Izuku shuddered, remembering Pixiebob. His friend winced and laughed.
"Yeah…that's not good. Yikes on that front. I thought Midnight could be bad, but at least she doesn't do that. Anyway, time for bed. See you tomorrow, nerd," the girl tussled Izuku's hair and pinched his cheeks.
"We're both nerds," Izuku pouted bashfully. It was almost adorable and Setsuna had vowed to bite anyone who called her friend "unremarkable", but had decided against it after a moment's thought.
"That we are. Catch you later." And with that, Setsuna turned the corner, pausing a moment to catch her breath. She was incredibly grateful that things could work out like this. She whispered to herself before heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"Reconnecting with the best friend you could have had and flirting with the cutest punk girl in the world? Nothing can kill this weekend."
In the days ahead, those thoughts would be challenged.
X
After everyone had settled in, it was lights out throughout the compound, save for some of the adults. It never hurt to do a perimeter search just in case, but since they changed the location at the last minute, nobody could possibly know unless they were staff.
The students of 1A and 1B slept soundly, knowing that things were likely to kick into high gear, though to what degree, they could not know.
One student, however, was restless. Itsuka had let her hair down for the evening, having endured a few mullet jokes until her friends had turned in. The room was just a few tatami mats, with futons for each student staying within its confines. The girls only made up a smaller percentage of the class, so they were all within one of the less spacious suites.
Itsuka imagined it would be a similar situation for 1A's girls. She wondered if Momo was adjusting well to the Futon. She had done it before, but was so used to her bougie comforts. In the end, though, there was nobody the redhead would have had by her side back when they were young. She would always be there with a bandaid when Itsuka injured herself, or fun scenarios when they played pretend..
"I need air…" The girl groaned groggy as she stumbled into the hallway quietly. There was a curfew, so she couldn't go far and couldn't stay long. It didn't matter, though. She just needed to clear her mind.
Restlessly, she found a lone window, overlooking the area. Cracking it open just a smidge, Itsuka leaned onto the windowsill and let the night in.
"It's so peaceful here…reminds me of the old shrines…that crisp mountain air as cicadas hummed and Harley would chase after birds. It feels so appropriate…So why am I so psyched out?" Itsuka stared out into the dark blue sky, far from the light pollution of the city.
She had other priorities at this camp. Summer romance should not have been her focus. There were expectations of her.
"And yet, here I am, losing sleep over my best friend…would it have happened sooner if I had just like…kept in touch with a phone call or a dm? Ugh, this is ridiculous."
"Breaking curfew? I'm surprised. Vlad King said you were class rep."
"Sorry. I'll get to bed soon. I just…needed some air."
"Is it about your uncle?"
"No…Wait, you knew about that?"
"The group he founded did kill my sister and leave her son orphaned."
"Oh…sorry…" Itsuka bowed her head, feeling worse about the incident.
"You did nothing wrong. Technically, Rappa had no part in their deaths either." The pro continued, feeling heavy heartedly over the loss of family and the impact it had on her nephew.
"He still created that stupid fight club. If he hadn't, maybe they would…"
"They died protecting others…They would have risked their lives anyway, though my nephew doesn't see it that way."
"Hard to see past loss when you're that young…But no. That's not what's keeping me up."
"Oh? May I ask what? I won't pry if you don't want to speak."
"It's fine. It's nothing important. "
"I see. Well if it helps…I can use my quirk so nobody can hear. It's not good to bottle things up." Mandalay started to speak to the girl, then closed her eyes and finished the thought with her quirk. Her words were audible within the student's mind.
Itsuka hesitated, then took a deep breath and went for it. It wasn't like everyone didn't practically see it at this point and they were all asleep. Still, the privacy of a telepathic conversation was just what the redhead needed.
"OK. So…I am in love with my best friend and I wanted to tell her but I wasn't sure if it was genuine at first. I finally decided I will tell her but I'm not sure when."
"Wow, sounds harrowing. And here we were planning the test of courage for night 3." Mandalay chuckled softly as she listened to the hero student spill her guts.
"Oh? Anyway…We're here to focus right? This is a school activity. What if I don't get the chance? What if she rejects me? What if she moved on? She cried when my one friend confessed but…I don't know. I'm overthinking this."
"I'll say. You will definitely see how hard the training is starting tomorrow…but don't lose heart. I'm sure you'll get your chance. Now get to bed. You'll have an early start." Mandalay patted Itsuka on the back with a gentle smile.
After waving goodnight to one another, the two parted ways and headed to bed. Sure enough, as Itsuka would find out, things were only going to become more intense from that point on.