secret love child? seriously?
「秘密の愛の子？真剣に？」
"Man, I'm hungry!" Kaminari exclaimed. "Let's go eat! I can't wait any longer!" Kaminari persuaded the group. Kirishima, Sero, and Satou all went to the cafeteria together.
"You comin', Akagawa?" Sero questioned.
"Yeah, I have plenty of money!" Kirishima called.
"Where did Blasty run off to?" Akagawa murmured. "Eh, whatever. I'll catch you guys in a bit. I really need to talk to Blasty Bitchboy."
"Oh? What about?" Satou raised a brow.
"Who cares, let's go eat! Leave Akagawa to his business!" Kaminari exclaimed. "See ya!"
"We'll save you and Bakugou a seat, so bring him with you, 'kay?" Kirishima waved goodbye as Akagawa nodded and left. He searched for Bakugou near where he last saw him, heading toward the tunnels of the field, near where the restrooms were.
He spotted Bakugou against the wall. He was just standing there, looking like his mind was elsewhere. "Hey, Blasty, whatcha doin'—"
"Quiet." Bakugou grabbed Akagawa and put a hand over his mouth. Akagawa didn't even attempt to fight back, knowing Bakugou wasn't going to do anything stupid. It was then that Akagawa heard voices. It sounded like...
"To-ro-i-mm-Mi-ori?" Akagawa muffled.
He peeked over the corner to see his theory correct. There was Todoroki against the wall, speaking, and Midoriya opposite of him, listening. Todoroki's voice held emotion in it for the first time Akagawa had ever heard. However, he sounded intense, hurt, and angry.
Why? He got first place in the festival. He had no reason to be angry or sad about anything. Akagawa listened in like Bakugou seemed to have been doing this whole time. Maybe it was wrong of them to listen in to such a private conversation, but if Bakugou stayed, Akagawa concluded that meant this was worth listening to.
It was mainly Todoroki that was speaking. First, he made comparisons to Midoriya and All Might. Or course, he only figured they were related. After all, what Akagawa knows, is hard to believe for anyone that doesn't see it with their own eyes. Bakugou should piece it together himself, but he was in denial about it all. Or, maybe he genuinely does believe that something like that is utterly impossible.
Afterwards, Todoroki talked about his family issues. How his mother is never happy and is always crying. Saying that she hates the other half of Todoroki. How his dad, pro hero Endeavor, is scum to him. How he picked a fight with Midoriya to show Endeavor that he didn't need his counterpart Quirk. How he could manipulate ice and flames but never will if it means making Endeavor happy.
After that, Todoroki left. He apologized to Midoriya for wasting his time and left. Although he wanted to know more about the situation between Midoriya and All Might. Yet, even though Midoriya was off the hook now, he chased after Todoroki instead. Bakugou and Akagawa had trouble hearing from where they were at, but they got the gist of it.
Midoriya wanted to be the number one hero. And he wouldn't back down from that dream. No matter what it took, no matter what that meant. He promised he would beat Todoroki and train himself harder. For those that he wants to protect; everyone in the world.
After that, Bakugou began walking away. Akagawa didn't stick around too longer, either. He caught up with Bakugou. Bakugou seemed to be wrapped up in his thoughts. It was the first time that Akagawa could see directly through his aggressive exterior and take a peek at his thoughtful and cautious side. Still, it wasn't like he knew what Bakugou was thinking.
But, that was the part Akagawa hated most. Up until Yuuei started, he thought he had Bakugou mapped out. Just an aggressive asshole who put others down because he was an egotistical maniac. However, after all these weeks, Akagawa was starting to see these small pieces that proved him wrong, littlle details that only made sense after you start thinking about it. From listening to Midoriya tell stories of their childhood in the ambulance ride to the things he noticed himself.
He knew now that he doesn't know Bakugou at all. That deep down, he wasn't as stereotypical as he initially thought. The worst part? Akagawa wanted to know more. To find his true self and make fun of it. It was what he deserved. But, Akagawa knew he couldn't. It would be best if they kept things the way they always have.
Bullying here, jokes there, fighting every now and then. The occasional conversation, at best, but that was all there was ever going to be. That's all that there needed to be between them. Anything more and Akagawa would be diving into deeper territory that wouldn't even be worth his time. They're not friends. They're barely even classmates.
"Looks like they've left you in the dust, Blasty. They're off making promises of defeat without you." Akagawa knew the words that would rile Bakugou up.
"Whatever. They have some sort of rivalry going on." Bakugou shrugged. "It won't change the fact that they'll both lose to me in the end."
"Maybe you're right about that." Akagawa smirked. "I wonder, though. How far are they willing to take it? Midori is committed and Todoroki is in denial about his own power. Then there's you. A ticking bomb waiting to go off." Akagawa noticed the death glare he got from Bakugou.
"What are you tryna say? You talkin' shit, Cherryblood? I could destroy you here and now." Bakugou barked.
"Who knows. You might lose to Midoriya. You might lose to Todoroki. Todoroki might let you win, given that he doesn't even want to use his Quirk. You might lose to me." Akagawa chuckled lowly. "Who knows that the finals will bring? Maybe someone from Class B or something will win! There's a million possibilities! You just don't know what might happen."
"I'll kill you." Bakugou grabbed the collar of Akagawa's tracksuit. "I will win! I won't lose to Deku, Todoroki's problems aren't mine, and I'll be damned if I let someone like you beat me!"
Bakugou pushed Akagawa to the wall, seeing the devious smirk on the redhead's face. "Don't get too defensive."
"You better hope you don't go against me."
Akagawa thought to himself as Bakugou left. "What an interesting response. I hope I can really tell what you're thinking. If my hunch is wrong, this might go badly..."
"Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the last game!" Present Mic exclaimed. "But before that, there's good news for all of you who didn't make it to the finals! This is just a sports festival! So we've prepared recreational games that everyone can participate in, too! We've even brought real cheerleaders from America to liven things up!"
Sure enough, in front of the left stadium were American girls with Yuuei cheerleading outfits on, waving around pompoms and doing cheers. Then, in the right... were all girls from Class A with dark looks on their faces "What's the matter, Class A? What kind of fan service is that?"
"Kaminari! You tricked us, didn't you!?" Yaoyorozu shouted in anger, waving the pompom towars the blond boy. Apparently, he told the girls that they were instructed to wear the uniforms and cheer for them. As it turns out, that was a lie.
Yaoyorozu dropped to the grass. "Why am I always caught up in his schemes? I even used Creation to make the outfits..." Uraraka patted Yaoyorozu on the shoulder to console her.
"I don't know," Akagawa gained their attention, standing beside them in one of the outfits. "they seem pretty comfortable to me! Very windy, I like it!"
"Akagawa!?" Yaoyorozu shouted. "Actually, why am I surprised...? Where did you even get a uniform?"
"Jirou lent me her's. She really didn't want to wear it." Akagawa pointed to Jirou, who stood to the side while wearing Akagawa's track uniform. No one knew when they switched, but they did at some point.
"That guy is so dumb!" Jirou looked towars Kaminari.
"Well, there's still time before the finals, and it'd be a pain if things got tense. It's fine! Let's do it!" Hagakure exclaimed.
"Tooru, you like this, huh?" Asui asked.
"As long as Akagawa takes my place..." Jirou said.
"Sure!" Akagawa gave a thumbs up.
"All right, everyone! Let's have fun competing in the recreational games!" Present Mic began, the monitor showing the brackets for the audience. "When that's over, the sixteen from the four teams that made it to the final round will duke it out tournament style, one-on-one!"
"This is it!" Akagawa exclaimed giddily.
"The last round is a tournament where we fight one-on-one, huh?" Kirishina smiled widely with happiness. "I'm gonna stand on the stage that I watch every year on TV!"
"Was it a tournament last year?" Ashido asked.
"It's different every year, but there's a one-on-one competition every year." Sero explained. "Last year, it was a sports chanbara match."
"Interesting." Akagawa said with a finger on his chin, gaining the attention of Sero and Ashido. Sero blinked.
"Why are you wearing the cheerleaders uniform...?"
"Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket. Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength. Now, from the first place team-"
"Um...! Excuse me!" Ojirou raised his hand. He looked pained. "I'm withdrawing." Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy.
"Not tail-man, I like tail-man!" Akagawa pouted.
"Ojirou, why?" Midoriya asked.
"This is a rare chance for pros to see you!" Iida reminded.
"I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until almost the end." Ojirou explained. "I think it was that guy's Quirk." Someone he was teamed with? "I know that this is a great chance and that it's foolish to waste it... but everyone here competed by giving their all! I can't... I can't be up there with everyone without knowing what really happened."
"You're worrying too much about it!" Hagakure tried to persuade Ojirou. "You should just make sure you produce results in the finals!"
"If you're gonna say that, I didn't do anything either." Ashido smiled for Ojirou. Ojirou put a hand on his face.
"That's not it... I'm talking about my pride here... I can't..." Ojirou paused. "Also, why are you guys wearing cheerleader outfits? Especially Akagawa..."
"Comfy." Akagawa replied as the girls deadpanned.
"I'm Nirengeki Shouda from Class B. I also want to withdraw for the same reason. Regardless of ability, don't you think it does against the goal of the sports festival for those who didn't do anything to move onto the final round?"
Kirishima nearly burst into tears. "What's with these guys!? They're so manly!"
Bakugou did not look interested in the slightest. Akagawa slapped Kirishima on the back, gaining him and Bakugou's attentions. "They're kinda dumb, but suit themselves, I guess. Wouldn't they want to use this opportunity?"
"Cherryblood..." Bakugou's eye twitched.
"What?"
"Take that off right now!"
"Wow, at least treat me to dinner first!"
"You're such a freak!"
"This is an unusual turn of events..." Present Mic trailed.
"We'll have to see what the chief empire, Midnight, has to say about this." Aizawa reminded the audience and students.
"Youthful talk like that is something... I like! Shouda, Ojirou, I accept your withdrawl! Midnight exclaimed.
"In that case, we'll have to move up two people." Midnight thought. "From the fifth place cavalry battle team..."
A student from Class B, a girl with orange hair and navy eyes, spoke up. "If that's what's going to happen, then rather than us, who barely did anything during the cavalry battle, it should be them, right?" She turned to her friends, who nodded. "The ones who fought to the end and stayed in the top, Team Tetsutetsu, right?"
"Kendo!?" Tetsutetsu was taken aback.
"This isn't collusion or anything," Kendo smiled. "it just makes sense."
Tetsutetsu shut his eyes tightly. "Y-You guys...!"
"Wow, is it gonna be sad when they lose." Akagawa ruined the mood. Bakugou rolled his eyes.
"And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make sixteen!" Midnight announced. "This is the bracket based on the results. The first put against each other was Tetsutetsu and Kirishima.
"Again!? This is too redundant!" The two yelled at exactly the same time, the exact same way. Seriously, that was getting creepy.
The brackets are as follows.
Midoriya Izuku Vs. Shinsou Hitoshi
Todoroki Shouto Vs. Sero Hanta
Kaminari Denki Vs. Shiozaki Ibara
Iida Tenya Vs. Akagawa Masumi
Aoyama Yuuga Vs. Ashido Mina
Tokoyami Fumikage Vs. Yaoyorozu Momo
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu Vs Kirishima Eijirou
Bakugou Katsuki. Vs. Uraraka Ochako
"Ah..." Akagawa trailed. He should've expected that he wouldn't get to fight Bakugou first thing. Aizawa surely made it so that Akagawa would have to prove himself first. Of course, Aizawa was going to put Akagawa through the ringer in order to satisfy him. What an asshole... Akagawa's only favorable pro hero.
"All right! Let's leave the tournament aside for a momentary interlude!" Fireworks of all different colours were blasted off into the sky. Funny enough, fireworks reminded Akagawa of Bakugou. "Let's have fun with the recreation! First is the scavenger hunt!"
While those that didn't make it to the finals participated in recreational activities, sixteen students were told to "have fun". However, most of them, such as Midoriya, were training themselves hard and thinking of strategies and learning about their opponents as much as they could.
Akagawa was against Iida, so he already knew just about all of Iida's moves and drawbacks when it came down to his Quirk. Akagawa was in the locker room, preparing himself by switching to a spare uniform since Jirou had his. Akagawa imagined her happily sitting on the sidelines as the other girls cheered during the recreations.
Eating pocky to savor his strength, he started absentmindingly changing and thinking up how his fight with Iida would go. He couldn't afford to lose a battle, and while he was confident in his abilities, he knows that Iida is too. He shouldn't take Iida lightly. He has a strong resolve. Then again, so does Akagawa. Akagawa thought about this as he left the locker room and walked around the campus.
"Hey, freak!" Bakugou's voice caught his attention. Akagawa looked up, nearly bumping into the slightly taller male if Bakugou hadn't of said something.
"Oh, hey." Akagawa greeted absentmindedly.
Bakugou gave a displeased look. "Scared? You should be."
"Nah." Akagawa smiled. "Are you? You should be."
"You wish." Bakugou retorted. "I won't stop until I win."
"You're going against Uraraka." Akagawa looked up at the fireworks. "Think you can hit a girl, Blasty?"
"I won't hold back just because she's a girl. Uraraka is fully capable. She can handle herself." Bakugou smirked. "But that doesn't mean that I think she can beat me."
"Good. I bet if Kirishima was in your place he wouldn't be able to go through with it because it would be unmanly to hit a girl." Akagawa chuckled.
"Probably. Shit for brains. What about you, hah? Think you can beat Iida with your talentless tricks?" Bakugou growled. "He's going to stomp you. You're worthless like that, you might as well drop out now."
"Are you worried about not being able to fight me?" Akagawa smirked. "I'll definitely beat him. Then whoever's next. I won't stop until I finally get to have my battle with you, Firecracker."
"You do that. See where that gets you. And stop with the fuckin' nicknames. They're not creative." Bakugou continued on his way before Akagawa interrupted him. He paused, "Don't you dare get beat. I'll kick your pathetic ass myself. You better make it to the finals so I can end you. Then, from there on, you're life will be hell."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Firecracker!"
"Damn Cherryblood. Better quit actin' like we're friends or something. Cos' we're not. We're not friends and we never will be." Bakugou retorted before making his leave. Akagawa smiled to himself, noticing then that someone was behind the corner of the nearest wall behind him.
"Whoever's there, you can come out, now." Akagawa called.
"Hey guys, are you ready!?" Present Mic called through the speakers, earning a rage from amongst the audience. The person stood out from the wall. It was an older man, probably in his late twenties. He gave a nervous smile.
"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt." He apologized. "I'm surprised you could sense I was there. You really are scary..."
"Whatever. Just go to your seat." Akagawa rolled his eyes. The way he felt the presence, he was certain the person was a villain. The man hurried off to his seat in the audience, giving nervous smiles and glances as he did so. Akagawa disregarded the man entirely and headed to the waiting room to watch from the monitors the first few fights.
"A lot's happened, but it's finally come to this! A serious battle! You can only depend on yourself! Even if you're not a hero, you'll face lots of situations like that! You get it, right?" Present Mic's voice twirled around his words. "Heart, skill, body, wisdom and knowledge! Use all of that to rush up!"
Fires lit all around the stage that Cementoss had conjured. The audience began cheering wildly.
"Audience! The finals that you've all been waiting for are finally starting! Match number one... even though he's done well, what's with that face?" Entering the field was Midoriya with a nervous grin. "From the hero course, it's Midoriya Izuku! Versus... sorry, he hasn't done anything to stand out yet! From general studies, it's Shinsou Hitoshi!" Shinsou entered opposite field.
Akagawa squinted his eyes as he saw the dude. If he wasnt mistaken, that was the dude that Ojirou and that Class B student withdrew because of. With no memories... could it be possible that he hijacked their bodies somehow?Certainly, the way he acted prior to the festival, he thought he deserved to be in the hero course. A Quirk like that could've been possible, at least.
"The rules are simple. Force your opponent out of bounds, or immobilized them! You can also win by making your opponent say, "I give up!" Bring on the injuries, because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! Put your morals and ethics to the side for a moment! But of course, anything life threatening is crap! It's not allowed! Heroes should only use their fists to catch villains!"
Cementoss made a chair to the side of the stage and sat down. "I'll stop things if they go too far."
The match then promptly started. He could see the rest of my classmates on the seats saved for Class 1-A. Shinsou started speaking, calling Ojirou a monkey and that he was dumb for withdrawing. This angered Midoriya, who retorted and headed for the male, but that was exactly what Shinsou wanted.
Midoriya then abruptly stopped. Everyone wondered what was happening. Akagawa's suspicions were proved when Shinsou told Midoriya to walk out of bounds and he began doing what he was told. Shinsou's Quirk allows him to brainwash whoever answers a question of his, or even just simply speaks to him.
"Fuckin' called it!" Akagawa exclaimed to himself in the empty waiting room, taking a long sip of his vending machine soda.
However, just before Midoriya stepped out of bounds, his body hitched and dust flew. Shinsou looked at Midoriya with wide eyes. Midoriya had broken the brainwashing. After the dust settled, Midoriya's purple One For All Quirked fingers was revealed to be the reason how he snapped himself out of the Quirk. Somehow, Midoriya managed to create a shockwave powerful enough to free him from the Quirk.
Midoriya, having just broken his fingers in the process, did not have a happy look on his face. Shinsou attempted to get Midoriya to respond again, but he wouldn't answer. Forced to fight, Shinsou attempts to get the best of Midoriya, to no luck. In the end, Midoriya won by slamming Shinsou out of bounds. Even after saying he has a villainous Quirk, Shinsou's classmates commended him for his effort.
The battles continued. Todoroki against Sero, with Todoroki as the winner. Kaminari against Shiozaki, with Shiozaki getting the better of Kaminari. Finally, it was Akagawa's turn. He was against Iida now. He made his way down to the arena, much like his opponent did. Iida carried a serious and strong expression with him as he stood across from Akagawa. Akagawa's blank expression seemed to make everyone unsettled.
"Alright," Akagawa exhaled. "Let's have fun, Iida."