Chapter 56:
"That's all for today. Sazaki, stay after class for a minute," Aizawa said, right as the class in front of him was starting to pack up their things.
Zach looked back up after just turning to his backpack, and he nodded at the man looking towards him with his usual tired expression, though Zach felt unnerved by the look of it right now. He continued packing up his things though slower, and Kaminari leaned towards him while packing up too, "What'd you do?"
Does he think Aizawa looks mad too? Zach wondered while turning to his best friend. Then again, Aizawa sensei always looks kind of mad. Hopefully it's nothing.
"I don't know," Zach replied quietly back to him. "It's probably nothing."
Students through Class 2-A got out of their seats and headed for the door. A few of them glanced over to Zach wondering why he was being told to stay behind, but he did not look too nervous about it and just seemed confused like they were. Kaminari got out of his seat after packing and he said, "Want me to wait up?"
"Don't know how long I'll be here for," Zach replied slowly. "So just head on back. Might wind up being a big thing."
Kaminari shrugged and slung his backpack up one strap over his shoulder. "Alright then," he replied. Jirou walked past Zach's seat on his right just as Kaminari was starting to head for the door, and he stepped out of the gap between rows right as she was reaching the end. "Bet he got in trouble again," Kaminari whispered with a hand up to his mouth to the girl he started walking with.
"Hope not," Jirou said, glancing over her shoulder. Though it seems likely, she added to herself at how often Zach found himself in trouble. "He hasn't done anything wrong recently, right?" She asked, glancing back at the blond who she figured would know if anyone did.
"Nah, he's all about the rules now," Kaminari assured her and Jirou cracked a grin at the joke. The two of them walked out of the classroom, and Tsuyu, Uraraka, and Midoriya all headed out after them as the last ones out of the classroom. Midoriya glanced back in with a sort-of worried look as he stared towards Zach, but then he closed the door at Aizawa's expectant look like it's what he wanted.
Zach walked up towards the teacher's desk with his bag on his back and kept a straight expression as he prepared for anything. Three seconds in though, and Zach's eyes were huge and his bottom lip lowered, because it turned out he was not expecting what his teacher had to tell him.
"Wait what? Are you serious?" Kaminari asked, standing near the front door in the common room where Zach just came in through. He had still been downstairs as he only got back to the dorm a couple of minutes ago and was relaxing out there waiting for Zach to come back, but he was not expecting the answer when he asked Zach why Aizawa kept him behind. "Dude, that's not okay! Aren't you mad?!"
"What's going on?" Midoriya asked, walking over with Uraraka and Iida who he had been talking with in the common room.
"It's not really, a big deal," Zach said, turning to the others and shaking his head with a small smile.
"How can you say that man?" Kaminari asked in disbelief. "This is like- wayyy too much!"
Zach shook his head again and lowered his smile as he did it. "I knew there would be more punishments. I just, you know, have to deal with it."
"Aizawa sensei is punishing you?" Uraraka asked in confusion. "Still for, the Kaminari thing?" She wondered with her eyes widening more.
Zach nodded his head, and Midoriya asked in a worried tone, "What is it-"
"They aren't letting Zach enter the Sports Festival!" Kaminari exclaimed at the other three. All three of them went wide-eyed, while Zach just frowned deeper for a second before shaking his head again, this time faster.
"Hold on, what?!" A voice shouted from behind Zach, and he turned and grimaced again as he saw Kirishima running towards them.
"Want to not scream that for everyone to hear?" Zach suggested to Kaminari in an annoyed voice. He sighed and lifted his left hand, scratching the side of his head with it before smiling again. "It's too bad," Zach said as he turned to Kirishima who came to a stop with his eyes turning huge at Zach's expression. He flashed Kirishima a smile to show everything was okay, then showed it to the others still staring at him in shock too. "I get why they need to do it though. I lied to All Might, after all. Guess I should've seen this coming," he scratched his head some more then lowered his hand and gave Kirishima an apologetic look, "Sorry. Next year for sure, let's have that matchup."
Zach started walking for the stairs, leaving the others behind while sighing loudly and in a disappointed way. "It really does, stink though," he added at the end, before shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. "I'm fine though. It's no big deal."
Zach walked past Kirishima and his smile broke. He kept going for the stairs, and he walked up for his room while keeping a steady expression on his face. His eyes were down, and he forced the corners of his lips up as he saw Shoji going down the stairs. He walked right past the taller boy with six arms though, and Shoji turned to stare at Zach's back in confusion at that look on his face. The people Zach just left behind downstairs had the same looks that Shoji had as he watched Zach walk away.
"After they talked about how important this Sports Festival is going to be too," Kaminari muttered. "I can't believe, they wouldn't let Zach be a part of it. It's like, counterproductive, right?" He said it and ended in a softer voice, and he kept staring towards the stairs with such a frustrated look on his face. "It's not fair," he muttered afterwards, his fists clenching at his sides.
I think, you must have gotten worse at it Zach, Uraraka thought, as she stared towards the stairs in a sadder way. Because I can finally see through your fake smiles.
Midoriya glanced next to him at Iida whose fists he saw clenching at his sides tightly after a few seconds. This isn't… he looked back himself towards the stairs. Are the teachers really right, to do this? Zach broke the rules. But- we all have reasons why we need to take part in the festival. I, I know I do. And I know he does… "I want to tell people, I'm still a hero. I want them to see me. Aizawa sensei is right, the U.A. Sports Festival means a lot. But so do each one of us, and so does the idea of Li- of Lifebringer!" Midoriya clenched his teeth with a hurt expression coming over his face as he thought about how Zach strained to say that to him just a few days ago when they were talking about the Sports Festival together. "Not Lifebringer!" How much, did you say this meant to you? Do you really think we'd be convinced by that smile, that you're just accepting it? We all know, you must be frustrated.
Upstairs in his room on the fifth floor, Zach Sazaki was far beyond frustrated. He stood at his desk with both hands pressing so hard against it that he thought he might just push it straight through the wall. His fingers clenched into the wood, and he bit down harder and harder to the point he thought he might break them. So he gasped out a forceful breath to make his mouth open, but then he started panting heavily and his fingernails just dug into his desk as he gripped tighter. The feelings welling up since Aizawa told him back in the classroom, before he simply accepted and bowed to the teacher and left the classroom, they burst out of him all at once and he screamed, "FUCK!" He balled his hands up as fists and smashed them down on his desk, then he swept his arms to the side and threw all his things off the desk and into the wall on his right. "GOD damn it-" Zach forced his voice quieter, knowing people might be able to hear him.
The idea that he could not even be that loud made him so much more furious, and he spun to his bed in a rage and glared at things that were softer and would not make as much noise. He grabbed his pillow and chucked it across the room, then he ripped the mattress off of his bed and threw it aside too. "Fuck fuck fuck! This- this isn't!" He slammed a foot into his bed post and he winced at the pain, and then he bent over and slammed his left fist into it too. He let out a half-yell of pain that he bit down on before it got too loud half a second in. "Fuuuuuuccckkk," he held it out and hunched over, his whole chest clenching with way more pain than his foot or hand were in.
"Why is this happening?" He asked, looking towards the window with a book in his hand he was ready to throw straight through it. The book shook in his trembling hand, then it tightened on the spine and he pulled back and threw. At the very last second his eyes opened wide and he pulled his arm to the side even as his fingers left the binding. THUD
The book slammed into the wall instead of the window, chipping off a little paint but not breaking anything at least. Not breaking anything made Zach bite down in frustration instead of feel any relief though. His hands started shaking in front of him and he looked down at his right. "I should turn on Nightmare mode," he whispered to himself, his voice coming out cracked and making his eyes widen at the sound of it. "Don't," he whispered, closing his eyes and getting such an angry look on his face. "I can't," he said, his legs shaking as bad as his hands now.
He turned and walked towards where his mattress was on the floor, and he collapsed to his knees on it. "I'm so, frustrated," he whispered. "You're on! Don't lose to anyone until you face me." "Man, I'm gonna be using my electricity and you're not using Nightmare, but you've still got me not wanting to go up against you with a move like that tucked away..." "That's amazing Zach. My goal's similar. All Might's no longer the Symbol, so I have to tell the world: I'm here." "I won't lose to Tokoyami easily this time, if I go against him I have a plan…" "Kirishima told me you're not using that form of yours. If you come up against me, and you don't use it, I'll kill you! Got it?!" "My brother's name..." "I'm proud of you."
Zach dropped onto his face on his mattress. "Why?" He mumbled into the soft underside of the mattress he threw away so it landed upside-down. "Why can't I just... Why can't good things..." Zach clenched his eyes shut and then bit into the mattress to stop himself from screaming. Why? His eyes opened with water in them. Why does this matter so much to me? Why can't I just accept the consequences of my actions? Why can't they just, let me be? Tears spilled out the corners of Zach's eyes and he yelled into his mattress while shoving his face back down into it. "Aannnnmmammm!" He yelled into it and clenched his eyes shut in frustration. I don't understand! I saved Kaminari! I saved Thompson! Why?! WHY?!
Zach stopped pushing his head down so hard, and his fists unclenched from the sides of the bed he was holding so strongly. There's nothing I can do. Being mad, isn't going to change anything. I already failed at apologizing, and they don't trust me... I just, I can't do a thing. Will I still get to go to the festival, and just watch from the stands? Or will I be stuck here, watching on tv in the common room? Probably that... I hate this. I hate, all of this. I don't want to be here anymore, but I don't want to leave. Webb's offer isn't on the table anymore, I'd never find him anyway... did I make the wrong decision? I've never really considered- I don't want to leave though! I don't want to stay, but I can't leave! I want to be able to save my friend, and I don't want to be punished for it! I don't understand! Why is this- why does this always?! It always, always, always happens. I should have seen it coming, really.
Because it was something good, he thought, biting down hard and letting more tears spill out his eyes. And I should know by now, good things don't happen for me.
Shota Aizawa sat behind a computer in the teachers' office with his half-closed eyes focused on the screen. Midnight sat across the table and down a couple chairs at her own computer, but it was just the two of them in the room for now. Aizawa clicked and then scrolled down the page on his screen, then he lifted his head up while Midnight turned her head.
Someone knocked on the door of the office, which meant it was not a teacher who would have just come in. "Come in," Midnight called over, lifting up her glasses and looking that way interestedly as the door opened.
Aizawa looked over at the door that slid open, and he frowned more at the sight of the person in the doorway. "Kaminari," Aizawa said as the blond walked in. "What is it?" I can guess. The class the whole day's been grim. No one said a thing about it, and Sazaki seemed the least affected, outwardly at least.
"Sensei," Kaminari said after walking around the table and towards Aizawa. He paused and pursed his lips together for a moment, but then he straightened that hesitant expression out and made it more serious again like when he entered. "I would like to pull out of the Sports Festival," Kaminari said, and he bowed his head to the teacher whose eyes widened for a moment just like Midnight's except hers stayed open wide while her cheeks started getting red.
"You're withdrawing?" Aizawa asked in a low, stern voice. It made Kaminari flinch at the disapproving tone in it, and Kaminari lifted his head to see Aizawa glaring into his eyes. "Need I remind you the importance of this? Not only for the school, and for your own future as a hero to be seen, but in general too?"
"You don't," Kaminari started, "need to remind me." He paused and then said again while looking into Aizawa's eyes. "But I can't. Please remove me from the registry, or list, um, I don't know if there are withdrawal forms but I'll-"
"What's your reason for pulling out?" Aizawa asked in a low voice. Only a few days to the Sports Festival. Is this why you waited until now to make the decision? Aizawa wondered while thinking of a certain short and furry principal. Or is this as surprising to you, as it is for me?
"I can't take part, if Zach can't either," Kaminari replied. "Zach might've broken the rules, but if he didn't, then I'd most likely be dead right now."
"You think Sazaki would want you giving up your place in the Sports Festival because of him?" Aizawa asked sternly. "You've been training hard for this."
"I know-" Kaminari started, then bowed his head again as he stared too fast and too loud right there. "But I just can't. I couldn't go out there, and give it my all, knowing Zach is watching. Knowing he can't take part, because he saved me, even though he knew he'd face consequences like this. Even though being in the Sports Festival, means a lot to him... And I ruined it for him last year too, because of my big mouth... and I just, I wouldn't represent U.A. well, Aizawa sensei. So please, accept my withdrawal."
Aizawa leaned back in his chair and kept frowning at the teenager bowed in front of him. He sighed and started scratching at his right cheek, wondering what to do here. "Well then, I can't force you to take part," Aizawa said. Kaminari lifted his head, and Aizawa turned back to his computer. "Don't regret this decision, Kaminari."
"I won't," Kaminari replied, and he bowed again quickly. "Thank you, Aizawa sensei." He turned around and started back for the door, glancing towards Midnight whose cheeks were red and who looked way too excited for the serious talk he just had with Aizawa.
"That's the kind of passion, I like!" Midnight whisper-yelled over to Aizawa with a hand cupped near her mouth when Kaminari was near the door. Kaminari's eyes widened and his lips curled up for a second, before he remembered what he just did and got a more solemn but determined look on his face. Aizawa just shook his head at Midnight's reaction, then he snapped his head to the door as he heard Kaminari say something in surprise that had his eyes opening wide. Midnight also turned back again and her eyes opened wide, and she got out of her seat this time while another student walked into the room.
Kirishima had his naturally sharp teeth clenched while walking into the office. Aizawa suspected what was about to happen, but that was not why he got out of his seat like Midnight just had. Before Kaminari closed the door behind him, after leaving and Kirishima walking in, Aizawa caught a glimpse outside that door, and the line of people standing there. "Sensei," Kirishima started, and Aizawa looked in closer at the boy in front of him now. Kirishima's face was steady despite the frustration on it, and he lowered his head a little before saying, "I don't want to take part in the Sports Festival. I'd like to, stay at the dorm that day."
This is... Midnight felt her heart start pounding and she tried desperately hard to stop from panting aloud. She spun back to the door and thought about the faces she saw lined up outside it. How many were there? I didn't see them when Kaminari entered the room before, so did they all show up while he was in here? Is this planned? Or did each of them, on their own… Midnight's lips curled into a huge smile and she could not even think about the problems this might cause, leaving Aizawa as the only one in the room thinking about them.
What do I do, in a situation like this? Aizawa wondered, while sending Kirishima away. "Alright," was all he said, and the spiky haired boy spun away quickly to hide his expression from the teacher who was not even asking 'why?' Guess I'll leave it up to the Principal.
Zach sat down at his seat in Class A with his gaze unfocused. He had his books out and was staring forward while Aizawa spoke, but he wasn't really listening to his homeroom teacher. It was the second day after being denied entrance into the Sports Festival, and Zach did not feel the need to pretend he was fine anymore. It's been two days. So maybe they'll think it's something else. Everything else.
Zach's eyes were half-closed, and he had bags under them from the little amount of sleep he had been getting the last couple of nights. I really can't do this. I'm bringing everyone down. Zach didn't want to look around the room, but he felt like he was seeing even more depressed looks today than yesterday. Just smile. It'll be over before I know it. Behind me. And the future will... unless they cancel my internship chances, or forbid me from leaving again. Smile. Just, smile, he told himself to do so half-heartedly, and that's all he managed while lowering his gaze back to his books. I'm exhausted. Tired of, this. It seems like they're trying to tell me something. Maybe I should just... Zach lifted his head and looked at Aizawa who was saying something to the class about what they would be doing today. He stared into the dark haired teacher's eyes and felt a pang of guilt, If I just, left because of it though. They'd blame... unless it really is their goal anyway...
Aizawa stopped talking to the class earlier than he had initially planned. He stared into Zach's tired and depressed eyes and said, "Sazaki." The boy looking back at him did not react immediately, then his head lifted more and his eyes actually focused on the man facing him. "After some review, the faculty decided to allow you to take part in the Sports Festival. Be careful not to do anything in the next few days that'll lose you that privilege."
Zach blinked a couple of times, then his eyes started growing huge while he leaned back in his chair. He felt like he just got punched in the face as the information he just heard clicked in his head. Everyone in Class A gawked towards Zach and then Aizawa, and then Aizawa continued, "Anyway, Snipe'll be here in a few." He turned and started for the door, then he looked back and saw people trying hard to hold themselves back in their seats.
This is... I can't believe this... Zach lowered his shaking gaze to his desk that he put his hands over and stared at in utter shock. Why? Why do this to me?! I'm a fucking mess over this! Were they just messing with me the whole-
"Oh yeah," Aizawa continued, and he scratched the bottom of his right cheek while turning back to the class. "I brought your withdrawals to the principal, but he denied all of them. All of you have to take part in the Sports Festival." Aizawa turned back to the door while relieved looks covered the faces through Class A. He grinned once his face was away from his class, and once he was out the door he shook his head before walking away in a good mood. But to think, not one of you would accept it...
Zach was frozen with his eyes focused on his desk. He blinked a few more times while staring at it, the gears in his head slowly turning. He started turning his head to the right, his breathing picking up speed and his eyes opened huge. Nothing good, ever...
After I heard you thrashing your room over it, Sato thought while turning the other direction as he boy he was thinking of, grinning at Sero instead and saying how he was excited to get to show off his Super Move again.
We broke the rules to try and save you and Kacchan, Midoriya thought while glancing out the corners of his eyes, not looking Zach's way directly so he would think it was him. We used Yaoyorozu's tracker even though it was against the rules, and nothing happened except we got scolded. For us to get away with it, even though we didn't save you, and for you to be punished like that... I hoped this would be the outcome, but we were prepared otherwise. At least, Uraraka, Iida, and I. Who else did?
Whew, Aizawa sensei scared the crap out of me there, Kirishima thought with a bead of sweat rolling down his face. Actually thought he might only let Zach back in. How many of the others backed out that they had to let us all back in? I know Kaminari and the people behind me... Kirishima grinned more and just leaned back in his chair. He turned to Zach and said across Kaminari's desk between them, "Guess we're back on for our fight, yeah?"
Zach stared at Kirishima with huge eyes. He darted them around the room at others who were all pretending not to be looking his way. Things, good things don't… Why did I think something like that? Zach's lips started pulling up at the corners, and he forced away any tears trying to come to the surface because he saw the way everyone else was going to play this. I'll never know who did and who didn't. It doesn't matter though. All of you, everyone here... I can't imagine leaving you again. "Yeah," Zach responded to Kirishima, and grins around the room grew more. Zach smiled past Kaminari who had to keep staring down and pursing his lips to prevent from cracking the biggest grin of all, which just made it all the more obvious to Zach why he would be doing that. He could see Momo smiling in the back while looking his way out the corners of her eyes, and he focused on Kirishima whose face he saw relief on as well as a competitive look. Zach grinned competitively back at him, even as so many other emotions swirled in his chest, and he finished, "You're on."
A/N Thanks for reading! I just watched the Boku no Hero movie, and don't worry no spoilers coming here. Though I am super hyped after watching one of my favorite movies ever, really, it was that fucking good. Even though there were no English subtitles, I just watched it in a Shinjuku theater in Tokyo with a Godzilla statue over the top of it, but it was that great. Couldn't understand it all, but it was AMAZING! Alright, anywaY! So this chapter we've got Zach's class showing how much they appreciate their classmate who really thought he was fucked for the whole chapter, and his mindset goes from casual to depressed to top-mood in only one chapter that's actually a shorter chapter than usual. Hope you liked it though, and leave a review below telling me what you think!
Guest chapter 54 . Aug 5
Will there be like another group of anti-heroes that will meet zach in the hero license exam kinda like it
if they were all like the Phantom Troupe but good!
Once again, hero exam has gone way by at this point. We're already in the second year of U.A. at this point and all of 'em got their hero licenses. Whether or not there'll be more anti-heroes, or if the others will reappear, has yet to be seen! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Guest chapter 55 . 14h ago
It's nice to see the conversations you created in this chapter
I also liked the interaction between Kaminari and Zach from the training and the talk about relationships. Hopefully they can get the best out of both areas successfully in the future
Great chapter as always!
Really Glad I found your story!
Thanks! Glad you liked the Kaminari and Zach parts, and we can def see the friendship here not just with them but with the rest of the class too with them pulling out because of Zach as they tried to make sure he wasn't soloed out of the competition. Everyone manages to make it to the Sports Festival, and next chapter we get the first round! Thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoyed, and get ready for the SPORTS FESTIVAL!