Kendo Itsuka is not the resentful type.

No, she's understanding. Reliable. Will actually listen to what someone has to say and will help them however she can. A reliable hero with a reliable personality, given the iconic nickname of 'Big Sister' Big Fist as a national hit in the hero world.

She knows her rights and wrongs.

And she knows for a fact what Ashido is doing is Wrong.

With a capital W.

Kendo Itsuka is not the resentful type.

But now Ashido is asking for it. A grudge this strong burns fire in her veins, Kendo glowering at the pink hero as she blabs away at the news camera.

"What are your thoughts on the rumors regarding you and Red Riot planning for marriage?" the reporter asks, shoving the microphone into Ashido's face.

She visibly jumps at the suggestion, her tulip skin becoming rose. "Marriage? Oh, uh, we're a bit busy to think that far ahead. Red's a sweetheart, don't get me wrong, but you sometimes gotta ride the waves, yanno?"

"Exactly!" cries the reporter. "Why can't my boyfriend understand that?!"

Well then.

A huff of air escapes Kendo's nose, sighing as she averts away from the interrogation. Roughed and scratched, bruises litter her body like bugs, evidence of a hard day of being a hero. What those villains did was wrong. They had planted bombs around a store and threatened to blow the place to pieces if they weren't given a ransom.

It was insanely, diabolically wrong. The only way Kendo was able to protect innocents was to literally grab handfuls of them via her quirk. Those villains are well on their way to prison for a very long time now.

No casualties.

That's what makes her a good hero, right? Doing the right thing with the best outcome.

Doing the right thing.

For some reason that sentence makes her want to smash that building herself.

Pure intensity surges through her as she replays those words again and again, reaching a boiling point where clenching her teeth isn't enough. Tail between her legs, Kendo comes to terms with herself and begins to approach Ashido with a look of determination.

What Ashido is doing is wrong.

What Ashido had done to Kendo was wrong.

How dare she make the same mistake twice.

Monoma was a fucking joke, but did Ashido try to fix what she broke? No, and it was wrong.

Kendo finds herself fuming at the old memory.

"Ashido," she says the moment the camera crew saunter away. The woman in question smiles at the martial artist, not noticing the contempt on her face until a second later.

"What's up? Nice work out there Kendo, honestly I couldn't have done it without y—"

"I need to talk to you."

…

Well, that certainly got her attention. Ashido's little happy facade vanishes once she hears the news. Kendo's pigtails make her look like an exasperated teenager, but her voice heavily reflects her mood. Scowling eyes with no jovial remarks whatsoever.

Uh-oh.

"...Sure," Ashido answers. "What's, uhh, going on?"

Although Kendo suddenly refuses to meet eyes, "Tetsutetsu told me that Kirishima told him that you told him that you and your old class is 'working together' on something. I wanted to ask you about it."

"Ohh, about Utsushimi and Bakugou? Yeah, we're gettin' there! Bakugou's still being an old grump, but I think we're well on our way!" She talks as if Kendo meant good by her 'question.' Pumping her fists, smiling warmly, opening up to Kendo like the can of worms she brought up.

"Yes, Utsushimi and Bakugou," Kendo spits. The tone is the final piece of evidence Ashido's given to finally make her understand this is not just small talk. Kendo means business, and not the good kind. "I want you to stop doing what it is you're doing. Stop playing matchmaker and leave them be."

And the truth of her words makes the pink hero recoil in shock, almost disgust. Her ears must be clogged — did Kendo honestly just say that? Ashido gives her a look like she's gone crazy, a sane man in a mad world. Blinking, once, twice, hell, thrice just to make sure she isn't fucking dreaming, Ashido's one honest-to-god thought leaves her head.

"Ehh… what? Elaborate…?"

"You heard me."

Kendo's immediate response.

"I said I want you to leave them be. Don't butt in their business, okay? I'm telling you this on both your and their behalf. It's not going to work out. They can't — they won't — just, stop, Ashido. That's all I'm trying to say."

But Ashido waves a finger, interrupting Kendo somewhere at the end, "No, hold on, what in the world are you even talking about? That I shouldn't get them together? What — why?"

The martial artist crosses her arms and fixes her stance, like she means to appear intimidating in this situation. "Think of it like this — they don't like each other. But you want them to like each other. So you force them to like each other. That's like playing god and pretending it was all a coincidence. Don't meddle in their business, Ashido. It's wrong."

"I'm not meddling! I'm being supportive! And Utsushimi does like Bakugou, as a matter of fact!"

"What if it all backfires? Then what? What if it all comes to a climax, only for Bakugou to say he's never liked her? That it was all for nothing? Just a huge waste of everyone's time? Have you thought of that?"

"No, but why should I? The whole point is to make sure it doesn't come to that, and I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. And I know for a fact you know about them."

"You can't just stage someone's romantic life—"

"Kendo, why do you even care?"

The nail.

The hammer hits hard.

Ashido has assumed a similar stance, hands on her hips as her blood gradually boiled within her skin as Kendo kept talking. Confusion and fury is a recipe for disaster, and it became visible in Ashido's case. Kendo stares; a cat has caught her tongue.

And just like previous events, it's the final clue to Ashido's mystery. She grins. Wide and bastardly as the truth unfolds in her mind, and she can tell she's got the correct answer, according to Kendo's bewilderment.

"Oh, I get it. I totally get it now. You're still mad at me, aren't you? All because I actually got you to fall in love with Monom—"

Holy shit, Kendo's reflexes are insane.

Teeth grit like grinders. Face red like lava. A fist, paused directly in front of Ashido's face, frozen, stopped just before the collision could be made. Ashido teeters for a moment before stumbling away with a surprised gasp, the speed of Kendo's punch making her brain do backflips.

"Don't bring it up, okay? He's… he's nothing compared to Tetsutetsu."

Kendo Itsuka is not the resentful type.

She's just… grown an edge over the years.

…Yeah.

(Because of Monoma?)

She releases a harsh sigh as she turns away, the grudge against Ashido only growing stronger. What the pink hero sees walking away from her is a dystopian future for Camie. A failed relationship with Bakugou. Long ago, Ashido would have loved to see Kendo and Monoma share a wonderful hug to celebrate the victory.

Kendo was trying to get her to stop, but how simple-minded she must be. Ashido suddenly has the urge to complete this mission no matter what. This absolutely can't fail, or else she'll be working with Kendo's shadow.

And… she will make this work. Camie and Bakugou can and will be happy together. That's what makes her a good person, right?

Plus she just wants those bragging rights.