Chapter 29: A Hand for Ochaco
"Here we are!" Mina declared, throwing her arms out in a welcoming gesture to the rest of the class.
They all gasped. Stretching out before them was the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, in all its glory.
"Wow!" Midoriya breathed with wide eyes. "The stores have items befitting all types of mutant Quirks. I mean, it only makes sense for a mall this big serving the larger Tokyo area, they would want to appeal to as wide of a demographic as possible and…" he descended into a storm of muttering, while Uraraka looked on with a very strained smile.
Several people in the crowd recognized them and called them out as UA students, but then it subsided.
"I need to acquire sunscreen!" Iida declared robotically.
"Where's the emo store," muttered Tokoyami. Jiro edged closer to him, as if she intended to tag along.
"Looks like we all have different priorities," said Kirishima. "Why don't we split up for now and agree to meet back here at 3?"
Everyone appeared to agree with that, and started to depart. Kaminari and Hagakure went off together, as did Kirishima, Sato, and Sero. Shoji tagged along with Tokoyami and Jiro. Ojiro seemed to reluctantly follow Iida. Mina swayed her way over to Doko, who was gazing all around at the escalators and shops, trying to appear as if he wasn't impressed.
"What's the matter? Never been to a mall before?" she asked him overly sweetly.
"GAH! Errrrmmm…no. Shopping isn't really my thing. Or crowds. Or public places with lots of shopping and crowds."
Mina's smile twitched for a moment. They're only not your thing because you haven't gotten a chance to experience them enough. You were thriving at that arcade and at the skating rink, I could tell.
She knew that Doko was not very much like her, truthfully. Although they both had scatterbrained outward personalities, he was a lot more serious and pensive on the inside. But she knew that they could work. She felt it in her heart. That was why she'd been willing to take the leap and kiss him after their exam.
In fact, it was BECAUSE he was a little more serious than her that she found him so appealing. Well, that and…
She scanned him. His well-angled face that seemed to tease a hint of exotic foreign blood. His taller, slightly broader frame compared to her, but not overly so. His grey hair that waved back like a racing cloud. And his eyes, those had to be her favorite. As a holder of unique eyes herself, Mina had high taste in boys' eyes. She'd become something of a connoisseur over the years. (Part of why she'd found Todoroki so initially appealing).
God, she wanted to kiss him again right now. But there was a time and place, of course.
Doko lowered his eyebrows. "Are you finished checking me out? I assume this is the part where you grab me by the wrist and drag me unwillingly from store to store for the next two hours."
She bit her lip and hummed evasively. "Welllll…what do you want to do?"
He blushed at that. "I…I don't know."
"Well, why don't we walk around a bit?"
The blush deepened. "J-just the two of us?"
"Yeah, silly. Aren't you trying to make up for flaking out on me?"
"But, what about Tsu and them…"
"I'll be fine, ribbit." The girl's interrupting croak caused them both to jump.
Mina yelped; Doko clutched his heart and pressed his teeth together. "Please stop doing that," he mumbled.
"Sorry, ribbit. But I'm going around with Yao-momo." Tsu pointed in the creation girl's direction. "You two have fun." It was always hard to tell with her, but she might have smirked a little as she turned tail.
There were just four of them left in the plaza now. "Alright then," said Doko. "This is clearly your wheelhouse, so you can, erm…lead the way." He glanced downward at her hand.
Oh? Mina raised her eyebrows, getting the message. "Dooookooo…" she sang, grinning. "Is there something you would like to doooo?"
"Yes," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, I know it's lame to ask for permission, but…" he coughed. "I'm just not very used to this."
She leaned forward, closing the distance between them and getting up in his face. "It's fine," she reassured in an almost motherly tone of voice. "It just makes you cuter." She poked his nose, and then brought her hand down, intertwining it with his.
"See? Now we're holding hands. You could have just done it, you know. That would have been pretty smooth." She winked.
"Why bother when you were gonna grab me and drag me away anyway?"
When she pouted, he actually smiled. "Just kidding. Let's go."
That took her aback, although she didn't immediately realize why. As they began to walk off, Mina saying some superficial things about each store to see what caught Doko's attention, she thought about it some more.
He had never said "just kidding" after making a comment before. He always just said his sardonic bit and then moved on. If you didn't know him that well, you might think he was just a jackass, but Mina had long gotten used to his style of humor, and never really took real offense to it, even if it was directed at her.
But she'd pretty much figured out why Doko joked around like he did. To defer suspicion away from the idea of him having any real feelings. If he just shows mild annoyance at everything, then…no one can know what he really feels. No one can hurt him.
But those comments could easily end up hurting other people too. And…Doko had just covered for that. He'd realized that Mina, as his new partner, deserved to see how he was really feeling a little. Deserved to know for sure that it was just a joke. That he really did want to hold her hand.
That made her heart flutter, made her head feel lighter. He's opening up to me. Unbidden, a lilac blush spread across her face.
They were walking through a mall, holding hands. Their bodies were side-by-side, close. She hadn't really done this with anyone before. Sure, she'd gone on "dates" with boys before, but this was different.
It felt realer to her.
…
Katayama and Ashido walking off hand-in-hand made Izuku Midoriya feel strange. Not because he was jealous of Katayama or anything! Just…strange.
There's a couple in our class now. It makes sense for Ashido to get into a relationship, I suppose…but it's more surprising for Katayama. Almost like she's coerced him into doing it. Although he does seem closer to her than the others in the class. Maybe he opens up more with her.
It was strange for Izuku because he'd been so focused on being a hero, and just kind of assumed that whatever his other classmates' reasons, they had that same singular focus. But…getting into a relationship, huh? G-g-girls, huh?
"Erm…Deku-kun?"
Suddenly, he snapped back into reality. It hit him like a sack of bricks.
There was no one left in the plaza but him and Uraraka.
Slowly, Izuku turned toward the brunette girl, pale and a bit thrown off. She was blinking at him strangely, with her big brown eyes. She was in a casual outfit today that fit more to her curves than the school uniform, although not so much as her hero costume. Her hair was in that cute brown bob with the two strands that fell over her chest, like usual. And as she stared at him, she made a cute little squeaking "Hmm?" noise of curiosity.
Izuku blushed deep red. In that moment, his brain pushed two things together and it just clicked for him. Uraraka is adorable. If I was to date anyone I know, I would want it to be her.
Suddenly, Uraraka seemed to retreat into her thoughts as well, and blushed just as red as Izuku. "ERmmmm, well! I gotta go get some supplies for the c-c-camp, so…I'll see you later, Deku-kun!" All of a sudden, she ran off.
Izuku stared after her, wilting. I made her uncomfortable somehow. Did I stare too long? Did she instantly catch on that I liked her? Do girls have some sort of sense for that? Or…did I accidentally say my thoughts out loud like when I mutter?
He instinctively closed his mouth, afraid he was doing it right now.
…
"And over there is Mark Four, it's like a supply store out of the States…"
Doko looked around in all directions, a bit overwhelmed. As his eyes focused back on the girl holding his hand, though…he relaxed. Her energy had this paradoxically calming effect on him. Her bright gold eyes were filled with excitement as she pointed out each store. As she bounced around, her pink curly hair bounced with her. Her horns, which he hadn't even thought about in a while, bounced too. She was wearing jean shorts that showed off her pink legs and a purple top that read PINKY, which Doko thought was slightly contradictory, but whatever.
In a public place, it became easier to remember how exotic she looked. People's gazes would often linger on Mina a little longer as they passed by. But he didn't even think about it anymore. To him, she was just…Mina.
Pretty.
"I'd like to go in there," he muttered, pointing at a woodsy kind of store with metal pans, wilderness photo books, and stuffed bears decorating the front windows.
Mina made a curious face. "Hoh? Want to get stuff for the camp?"
"Yeah. I've never been camping before."
She gasped. "Ohmygod. This is gonna be so much fun!"
And then, without warning, she had swept them into the store.
"Okay, Doko. What do you need? Sleeping bag? Flashlight? Water bottle? Raincoat?"
"Uh, all of the above. Besides the raincoat. I have one of those."
"Alright." She bit her lip, scanning the place. "Here. Let's go this way."
They went to the right side of the store, on the last aisle, where there were various water bottles on the shelves. "Do you want a big hefty hard plastic one…" Mina knocked on the bottle in question with her knuckles, "...or one of these sleek stainless steel ones that hold less water?"
"Probably the steel," Doko answered, nodding the slick silver bottle. "Those plastic ones are all too colorful."
"You're a grey boy, aren't you." She wrinkled her nose at him teasingly. "I have a pink Nalgene. That's the same brand of bottle as this. You'll see it at the camp."
"Well, it sounds like it suits you very well."
"I mean…" She laughed. "I AM capable of owning things that aren't pink. Just look at my shirt."
"That shirt may be purple but it literally says Pinky."
"Okay, my hero costume then!"
"Technically you don't own that yet, it's the property of the school until you graduate…" Doko muttered.
"Okay, you've made your point." She put her hands on her hips, grinning. "Just let me pick out SOMEthing colorful for you."
"Sure. I could go for a green sleeping bag. A forest-y kind of vibe."
"Alright, green barely counts as far as camping goes." She deadpanned at him as they walked over to the sleeping bags, water bottle now secured. "It's basically camouflage."
"Your hero costume is just fancy camouflage," Doko shot back.
"What's with the assault on my costume today?"
"Well, to be honest you look way better in yours than I do in mine and I'm very insecure about it."
Mina laughed at that, but then gave him a second look. "No, seriously?"
"Well…" Doko coughed, suddenly finding himself in a difficult situation. "I mean, you do look really good in your costume…"
She smiled. "And you look better than you think you do. Don't forget what I said before. You've got some muscle you're working with under there."
"If I knew you cared about muscles so much, I might have been more worried about Kirishima."
Mina rolled her eyes at that. "Doko, I'm fairly certain Kirishima is gay."
That caught him off guard. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. He hasn't told me outright yet but he's implied it." Mina pulled a green sleeping bag off the shelf. "This good with you?"
"It's great, yeah. I'm not much of a sleeping bag expert."
"But anyway, the thing with Kirishima. Can you keep it a secret for me? Pretty please?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "Since he hasn't straight up told me, I don't know if I'm meant to keep it a secret or not, but…"
"I won't tell a soul," he promised. "It's not my business after all." Briefly, he remembered a similar promise he'd made recently. One to All Might.
The secret of All For One.
I shouldn't keep secrets from Mina, right? It was different before we were a couple, but…
It was a difficult decision, and not one he was prepared to make right now.
…
"Stupid Aoyama-kun…" Ochaco muttered to herself as she ran away from Deku, trying to pat her cheeks to make them cool down. "It's not even like that. It's not."
How could she have a crush on Deku? All she did was look up to him, strive to be like him, think like he did in desperate situations…think about him in quieter moments of time…and break off from her pro hero internship to try and save him…
And when she saw Katayama and Mina get together like that, she had briefly imagined herself in that situation, but instinctively had put Deku in the boy's spot…
Okay, so she had a crush on Deku. A teensy tiny crush.
And I just ran off and left him alone! How do I expect him to like me back if I…
Wait, was it that bad already? Was she going to start pursuing Deku? Was this a thing? Ochaco had never felt like this before; she didn't know what to do!
Aaaaah! Okay, I need to apologize to him first and foremost. That's the most important thing. Go back and apologize. And then, maybe…offer to walk around the mall with him. Yeah. That sounds nice. Almost like a date.
"Oh man, you're a UA student, aren't you?" a voice said. "I'm such a big fan!"
"Huh?" Ochaco almost turned to look, and then felt a familiar hand wrap around her throat. All too familiar.
Her blood ran cold with absolute terror. She opened her mouth in complete and utter shock, but then he brought his finger closer. "I wouldn't," he said testily. "We've played this game before, Ochaco Uraraka. You know how it works."
"Tomura Shigaraki," she whisper-growled, looking at all the people walking around them, barely paying attention. What was he wearing, something black and unassuming? Apparently he was blending in somehow, and nothing about the situation was raising any alarms for the individuals in the surrounding area. Just a taller looking hooded guy with his arm around a helpless girl, nothing to see here? She felt a pang of anger. And I'm not helpless. If I can just figure out the briefest opening…
"I honestly didn't expect to see UA students here today," Shigaraki purred into her ear. "But this is perfect. I spotted you and the other two who ruthlessly attacked Kurogiri and I that night in Hosu City. And that boy Izuku Midoriya as well, who so makes my blood boil. I assume the other sixteen are all here as well? Oh, this is so great. Just the best."
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound steely but somewhat failing. "If you mean to kill me for making a fool out of you on those roofs, then why don't you…"
"Nothing would please me more than to crush your little neck to dust," he growled. "But today I just want to chat. Let's have a seat."
He guided her to the edge of a plant feature, where there was a ledge-bench to sit on. The people around them continued to ignore them.
"Someone's going to stop you," Ochaco whispered. "Even if it isn't me."
Shigaraki giggled. "Maybe. But look around at all these people. Even as thousands of others struggle at the bottom of society, these civilized individuals just go on living their lives. War, murder, famine, death, disaster, none of it bothers them. They're all just thinking that the heroes will keep them safe. But heroes can't save everyone. Their mentality…it makes me sick." His voice grew more and more venomous. "MAYBE someone will use their Quirk to stop me if I decide to kill you. But they're just as likely to run, or hope someone else will handle it, or call a hero. And by the time a hero gets here, I can kill at least twenty or thirty more people. Including Mina Ashido, Doko Katayama, and Izuku Midoriya."
Ochaco gulped, trying to fight to keep from shaking. Her body had been pumped with adrenaline during her two previous villain encounters, but this was different. She had no idea what to do.
"What…did you want to talk about?"
"Hehe, there's a good girl. I wanted to ask your opinion on something, Ochaco Uraraka. You've encountered me and my right-hand man twice now. So, I want to know. Why is it…" his voice became thick with anger. "...that after unleashing chaos and fire on Hosu, I get relegated to a mere side story, while the Hero Killer takes front and center?! Why?! What's the difference between him and me? We're both just trying to destroy things we don't like!"
"The…Hero Killer…" Ochaco took pause. Deku had fought Stain. And Iida and Todoroki too. They would know a bit more about him than she would…but Shigaraki came to me. Because I've seen him twice.
He'd confirmed that he'd seen Katayama and Mina too, but apparently hadn't tried approaching them, even though they met the same criteria as her?
...It was because they were together. He saw me alone and took his chance. If I just hadn't run away from Deku like a stupid little girl, this wouldn't be happening right now.
"...I only saw the footage of Stain. But from what I can tell…his reasons for what he's doing are something people can relate to. He doesn't think some heroes are worthy. Like…Endeavor, I guess. Lots of people don't like Endeavor. It's just the fact that Stain killed people that makes him wrong. But you, Tomura Shigaraki…the way you convey your motives doesn't make any sense to me. It doesn't make sense to a normal person. You'll…you'll always be seen as an other, as just a mindless killer. And that's why…that's why you'll fail."
He made a guttural growling noise. "I believe I might kill you after all."
"Uraraka-san?" an inquisitive voice asked.
She looked up, her heart singing with hope. It was Deku of course, tilting his head and giving her a look of strange alarm. "...Who's this?"
"Oh, I didn't know there were other students here! My apologies!" Shigaraki laughed and stood, releasing her. Ochaco gasped for breath, feeling like a weight had been pulled off. Deku immediately knelt at her side, ever-worried. "What? What is it?" He turned back to look at the retreating, hooded villain.
"Tomura...Shigaraki…" Ochaco coughed out.
Deku gasped, and his face filled with fury. He stood up and called out to the villain. "You!"
"Deku, wait! He could…"
Shigaraki turned ever so slightly, revealing a glimpse of his half-shadowed face. It was wrinkly and gruesome and like nothing she'd ever seen. And he held up his hand. "Follow me or call out and I will kill everyone in the surrounding area. Test that threat if you think I'm not good on it."
Deku hesitated. "What's All For One after?" he asked after a moment.
What is he talking about? All For what?
Shigaraki shrugged. "Who knows." And then he walked away.
Deku turned back to Ochaco, suddenly running his hands over her throat and face without a second thought. "Uraraka-san, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
She felt herself blushing again at his touch. So caring and gentle… "No, I'm okay. We have to report this, though."
As they ran to do just that, her mind stirred…with all the things that the League of Villains leader had said to her.
…
They'd gone around and seen some stores that Mina had wanted to browse, but now they found themselves back in the camping/woodsy store again.
"I actually need some supplies as well," she explained apologetically.
"Okay, well it's almost 3, so…" Doko checked his phone. "Here, I'll wait for you outside. You just get whatever you need, and then we'll head back to the plaza." Waiting is what a good boyfriend would do right? Actually, as well as that… "Do you want me to pay for it? I can if you like."
Mina giggled, although she was blushing again. "You…you don't have to do that," she murmured, and then began to walk away.
Doko walked out of the store and into a little side hallway that went toward a service door, somewhat secluded from the crowds out in the main mall area. He couldn't help but let his mind wander in that moment of alone time. Was he doing a good job? Was this going well? He wasn't sure. He'd never really thought about opening up to others as much as he had to Mina so far, and now felt like she deserved better. What version of "me" does she even like? Was Mina the type to actually let him know if she didn't like something he was doing?
Disturbingly, Doko realized that he himself was the type to not let her know if he didn't like something she was doing. I would instinctively just keep it to myself in order to avoid conflict. He shuddered. God, I need to work on myself. Who'd want to date me anyway? Is she crazy or something?
"Doko, I got a stuffed moose! Look at him! What should his name be?"
Yep, she's definitely crazy. He let a smile spread over his face, just looking at her standing there at the edge of the service hallway, backlit by the white lights of the mall. Several bags around her arms, and a medium-sized stuffed moose that she was currently attempting to balance on her shoulder, as if the creature was some kind of familiar that rode with her.
He stood there smiling, taking the sight of her in, for a long time without realizing it.
Mina began to smile back, giggling and blushing a little. "What? What is it?"
He shook his head good-naturedly and took steps toward her. "Here, let me get that for you." He reached onto her shoulder and picked up the stuffed moose that she had been trying to balance.
"Him," she corrected softly, looking up into Doko's eyes. "He's a him, not a that."
Doko realized how he'd closed the distance between them, and slowly lowered the moose, drinking in the sight of her. Her dark eyes were like pools he was sinking into.
"You know," she said, still in that beautifully soft voice, "in this little hallway thing, there's no one around to see."
They breathed in each other's faces, heavily. Their eyes closed.
And then, as naturally as anything he'd ever done, he closed the distance between them and kissed Mina's lips a second time.
"Mmmm…" she murmured as the stuffed animal fell to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and back, and she wrapped hers around his neck. They fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. Her lips were soft and full, and he tasted a hint of cinnamon from the churros they'd bought earlier.
Mina pulled away with a soft smack, turned her head, and came back in for more. Her lips pressed tighter on his as if they were locked together, and then she sucked a little, pulling him in even closer. She's good at this. He became aware of how warm she was and how good her full chest felt pressing against him. Doko's mind grew fuzzy. I could stay like this…forever.
An alarm sounded.
They broke apart with a trail of saliva, blinking hard as if roughly waking up.
The alarm kept ringing, and they heard shouting. Mina looked around wildly, sliding her shopping bags back up her arms. "What's going on?"
Doko picked up her stuffed animal off the ground and put it in his backpack, having to somewhat shove it in to make room along with the other items he'd bought. "Nothing good."
They emerged back into the main mall area to see people hurrying for the exits. Among the crowd, Doko spotted Iida, with Ojiro following behind him.
"What's going on, class rep?" he called.
The bespectacled boy's face was filled with concern and alarm. "Something happened to Midoriya and Uraraka. The mall is shutting down!"
…
The mall swarmed with the ward police, who took Midoriya and Uraraka away for questioning. They conducted a search as well, but found no sign of Tomura Shigaraki. The day of fun for the class was, unquestionably, at an end.
How much more is this going to happen? Doko thought irritably as he arrived at home, dropping his backpack by the door.
It's my fault, another voice told him. Because I picked a fight and Uraraka had to save me, she's now a target for them.
"I saw what happened," said his sister Akane, approaching him on the stairs and holding up her phone. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," he told her with a weary smile. "I never even saw the villain this time."
She sighed in visible relief. "That's good. Are your friends okay too?"
"Yeah, everyone's alright."
"When do I get to meet your friends?" she asked.
That surprised him. "Akane…you know I can't bring them here."
"Yeah, but…"
"What's going on?"
They both turned to look at their mother, who was watching them from the bottom of the stairs. "Nothing, Mother," Doko said sweetly. She'll be furious if she finds out that Akane wants to hang out with people who have powerful Quirks. Of course, their parents allowed his sister to make friends, but anyone with a Quirk they perceived as "dangerous" was not an option. That definitely included all of his class.
"I heard about that summer camp you're doing," his mother said to him, as Akane retreated back up the stairs. "How long will it be?"
"Just for a week," he replied tentatively. "It's not just a camp. We'll be training for most of it."
"I see. Well, at least you're going to be productive."
"...Yeah." Without another word, he went up the stairs.
Eventually he figured he'd tell Akane about Mina, and probably let them meet in secret if possible. But telling his parents about Mina?
His mother and father had both expressed a desire for him to date, in the hopes that he might actually get married. But they won't like how she looks or acts at all.
It was all too overwhelming.
Sighing, Doko fell back on his bed, and pulled out his phone to text Mina.
Doko: sorry that our date got interrupted.
Mina: why apologize? it wasnt ur fault.
Doko: it kinda was tho. if i hadnt picked a fight with shigaraki that night, he wouldnt have wanted to target our class
Mina: you dont know that. dont do that to yourself.
Doko: i just
Doko: i feel like im not doing a great job at anything right now
Doko: i like you a lot, but i dont really know how to show it
Mina: dont worry. you are showing it. i can tell.
Doko: its hard with everything going on
Mina: i know. we've been attacked and threatened, and that sucks a lot.
Mina: its hard not to think about it and be happy, but staying happy is just how we make them matter less!
Mina: they're not going to win, doko. we have all might, and we have each other
Mina: i know that sounds lame buutt
Doko: no, that was cute. thanks.
Doko: im a little bit cheered up now
Doko: how do you stay such a brilliant ball of sunshine all the time?
Mina: i'd be even happier if you were here
She sent a photo of her laying on her bed, with an empty space next to her. Doko felt his cheeks heat up. He'd never seen her room before. She just means cuddling, that's all. Probably.
Doko: sometime soon.
Mina: i know its touchy, but whats the situation with me coming over to your place?
Mina: would it be viable at all?
Doko: i dont know. genuinely. i'm sorry.
Mina: stop apologizing, you dolt
Mina: i get it
Mina: but ive told my parents about you and they want to meet you, so.
Mina: that should happen soon.
Doko: i guess i'd better prepare. how scary is your dad
Mina: LOL
Mina: chill doko. hes a big softie. i could beat the shit out of him if i wanted to. you'll be fine.
Doko: uh huh, whatever you say. *puts on bulletproof vest*
Mina: they already saw you in action at the sports festival, which you, you know, won.
Mina: youve already made a great impression on them.
Doko: so they'll be even angrier when i dont live up to the hype
Mina: oh my goddddd
Doko: hehe.
Mina: but hey, i'll see you at the ceremony. good night, doko.
Doko: good night mina.
Mina: i…
Doko: what?
Mina: hang on, let me call you.
His phone suddenly rang. Heart racing, he picked up.
"I love you," she whispered into his ear.
Doko's heart skipped several beats. His whole body seemed to buzz with an unfathomable ecstasy.
He couldn't remember the last time someone had said that to him, ever.
"I love you too," he whispered. "Good night."
…
The next day was the closing ceremony. Their first semester at UA had come to an end.
For all of the class, the future felt uncertain. Doko and Mina thought about balancing their relationship with the challenges ahead.
Izuku wore heavy the legacy of the power he'd been granted, and the dark forces that were rising to oppose it.
Ochaco struggled with growing feelings and the creeping terror that the villains were after her.
Tsuyu worried for her friends, all while maybe not thinking about herself as much as she should have been.
Toru and Shoji sat comfortably with their newly learned moves and abilities, feeling like they'd established something of a partnership.
Hanta Sero was satisfied with his progress, although his eyes kept darting over to the Class B row without his permission, dancing over the sight of Ibara Shiozaki.
Iida planned to visit his brother in the hospital again after the ceremony, with a new determination that he would carry on the Ingenium legacy with something more than revenge.
Shoto Todoroki planned to visit his mother, and see what she thought about him trying to make more friends.
Jiro, Ojiro, Tokoyami, and Aoyama all looked forward to the training camp, and the excitement it would bring.
Kirishima, Sato, and Kaminari despaired over their failure, and looked ahead to the training camp with some trepidation.
Katsuki Bakugo clenched his fist as he thought about a semester wasted, having only come in third in the Sports Festival and relying on Deku to help him pass the final exam. But he had a new determination to become number one next term. From here it was only forward. No looking back.
Momo Yaoyorozu took in a deep breath, with her newfound confidence and growing faith in her fellow classmates. She felt a heavy burden as the class president, but knew she could power through it thanks to her friends.
And Koji Koda was thinking about the training camp. He was the only one who knew it would be with the Pussycats, with their quirky personalities and over-the-top bickering. His mind briefly flashed back to the young boy, Kota. Wondering what drove him to have so much anger at a young age.
Soon, all these things would come to a head…and the forest would light up with the flames of battle.
But one of them already knew of the coming attack. One whose feelings about their progress were not genuine. One who was present at UA under false pretenses.
The traitor stirred quietly, feeling uncertain about their loyalties between the League of Villains and their possibly growing friendships.
…
"You seem happier than usual, Master. Is it because the League is growing steadily?"
"That's not it, Doctor. I am happy…because Tomura Shigaraki has found his conviction. I will have him decide everything."
"Going into this next stage…he may require your assistance. What if you have to go and save him?"
All For One's gruesome smile widened. "Save him from All Might? Nothing…would please me more."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Foreboding! This chapter is just a mix of important romantic development and the setup for the next conflict. Next time the training camp arc begins, and I have SO many delicious plans for it. See you then.