Trigger Warning:

- blood

May arrives.

Summer break will start soon.

But the weather has started the season early, reaching 26 - 30 degrees Celsius average temperature.

Aizawa-sensei recently declared that the class would reside in a lodge during the break for further hero experience. But to do so, we had to pass our final exams: the written portion and the practical portion. I feel all right with the written portion - I ranked fifth in our class of twenty-one during the practice exam - but not knowing anything about the practical kind of worried me. It was not that I was unprepared for unexpected scenarios - I've been taught and am better than that - but I still didn't like to be caught off guard. That changed, though, when Kendou from Class 1-B informed us that the practical would involve combating robots, much like the common entrance exam that most of my classmates took. Now that excited me. I had gotten a glimpse of what that must have felt like from the Sports Festival, but that was child's play. I was more curious how it would feel for a longer duration of time. But when I told Selene-chan as much, she simply shrugged and smiled at my anticipation. There was a tinge of melancholy in her eyes. Oddly, though, Bakugou made a declaration of war out of this. He challenged Midoriya - which I understood somewhat - and he dared me - which I did not understand at all. Was he still upset about the Sports Festival? Strange, but okay.

And now, finals' week has arrived.

Perhaps the more accurate term is weeks.

It's a weird schedule: two days for written exams one week, the practical the next, and another two days for written exams the last week.

I think the teachers learned from the midterms, not to be cruel by pushing all of them in a short timeframe.

The first two days go fine. I feel confident that I'll do well. The real catch is the practical exam. Happening now. The class was told to change into hero costumes and board the bus to a training site. To my surprise, when we board off, Aizawa-sensei and teachers besides him are waiting. I had thought it would only be Aizawa-sensei grading us today. Strange. He tells us that we probably had some ideas of what the practical would entail, to which the most energetic of my classmates boast about the robots, but then Principal Nedzu pops out, exclaiming that is not the case. I'm stunned. Back to square one!

Nedzu-san explains that due to the rise of the villain alliance, the faculty has decided to shift their curriculum to embrace more 'real-life' scenarios. Hence, the removal of the robots and placement of person-to-person battles. That much makes sense. But what really catches me off guard is Nedzu-san's next statement. "We will have you form pairs to engage in combat with one of these educators here!"

I don't really like this. Despite the battle with the Hero Killer and better relations with Midoriya and Iida, I still prefer to work solitary. I guess it was inevitable … at some point I would have to collaborate with others … but I was hoping that it wouldn't be now. Kind of don't like being forced to cooperate.

"Now, who all of you are paired with and which teacher you'll be fighting have already been decided. The way you tend to move, your grades, and your degree of familiarity … we personally judged how you'll be pairing up based on all sorts of things, and we'll list the matchups now." My name is called out first. Interestingly, I am paired with Yaoyorozou and Selene-chan. I guess that makes us a trio instead of a pair. And we'll be facing Aizawa-sensei, another interesting surprise. Midoriya and Bakugou are put together to combat All Might. Is this the teachers' attempt to make both of them reconcile? To put their differences aside for a common goal? And what about my sorting?

Selene-chan voices the last question for me. When Nedzu-san asks if there are any questions, she steps forward and raises a finger. "I do have a question. Why are we …" - she points to herself, myself, and Yaoyorozou - "in a group together? I am not complaining, but you mentioned pairs. What was the reasoning behind this?"

Aizawa-sensei answers that question for her. "You and Todoroki are solitary heroes, more independent than most. Yaoyorozou has the tendency to collaborate with others." Then he turns to address me. "Additionally, Todoroki, you are a good strategist, but you rely on your brute strength too often." Then to Yaoyorozou, he says, "Your talents are strong in most aspects of heroism, but you lack skill in split-second judgment and application, Yaoyorozou." Finally, he scowls at Selene-chan. "And you, Hanada, are laid-back when it comes to confrontations. Admittedly, you use your ability creatively and get the job done, but you won't always be able to take action so leisurely during real confrontations." I thought he was done, but he's not. He talks to us collectively now. "The three of you are schemers, but depend too much on your quirks to enact those schemes. This practical is to see how you fare when your quirks are snatched from you."

His reasoning makes perfect sense. All his words were true. I don't like having my weaknesses given power so callously, but I can't deny that it was necessary. Yaoyorozou understands, as she nods vigorously and passion fills her eyes. Selene-chan comprehends, too, but has a visibly different reaction. She frowns, clenches her fists by her sides, and coldly replies, "Understood, Sensei." I watch the two of them. This 'understanding' seems to run deeper than just a disagreement about the exam. Both of them have a face off, and despite Selene-chan's masquerade-like mask, I can tell she's glaring just as hard as Aizawa-sensei. What was it that Aizawa-sensei had said? That he didn't like her? And Selene-chan felt the same? I wish I knew more to the story, but both of them enter a deadlock and retreat at the same time. Both step back. I'll ask her later.

Sensei changes the subject and returns to the matter at hand. All our tests will happen at roughly the same time, but at different locations. One bus per teacher-pair combination. In our bus, there are only the four of us. Sensei drives, Yaoyorozou claims one of the seats in the front compartment, watching the scenery outside. Selene-chan and I sit in the back compartment next to each other. I let her take the window seat. She removes her mask and leans her head back against the headrest of the seat, preparing for a short nap, but I have urgent questions that I need to ask her.

"So, what's the deal between you and Sensei?" I inquire.

She opens her eyes and raises an eyebrow at me. "Curious, are you? Fair enough. After all, neither one of us made much of an effort to conceal our animosity."

I'm bewildered. "Animosity? With our homeroom teacher?"

"Mmm," she affirms. "Remember the mock battle we had at the start of the school year? How I challenged All Might-sensei, played mastermind, and lost? Then Aizawa-sensei scolded me for my arrogance and sloth. Since then, we have not been on good terms. He hurt my pride, so I relish it when I hurt his. Petty? Yes. Childish? Probably. But satisfying? Immensely."

I shake my head in disappointment and relief. It's not as bad as I thought, but it's pretty pointless, too. When I tell her as much, she snickers behind her hand and changes the subject to my mom. She inquires how she's doing, what she's like, and so forth. I reveal as much as I can, withholding some personal details. Some things are still too raw to put to words. I think she figures as much, but she has the decency not to pry.

Before either of us know it, we're at the test site. It's a mock neighborhood, with houses and streets, trees and electrical wires. When the four of us get off the bus, Aizawa-sensei details what the exam will be: it is my, Selene-chan's, and Yaoyorozou's jobs to restrain Sensei with handcuffs or for at least one of us to escape the neighborhood within 30 minutes. Sensei will play the role of the 'villain,' just like in real battles. Instantly, my first plan of action is to play offense: to capture Sensei and bind him. An idea formulates in my head, but then Sensei interrupts my thought process. "If the gap in power is too big, then it's wiser to run and call for backup. Todoroki, you and the others should understand very well what I mean." Memories of the Hero Killer and that victim Pro-Hero who begged for Midoriya, Iida, and I to run away course in my mind. That is what Sensei wanted me to remember. He wants to tell me that it is not cowardly to run away from a fight. But what Endeavor taught me was the opposite, and as much as I would love to dissociate from him, I agree with him on that aspect. What do I do?

Then Aizawa-sensei reveals another important facet to the test. One that gives me some guidance. Sensei is a Pro-Hero with many years of experience, and my classmates and I are still novices. So to balance the expertise gap, Sensei will wear compressor weights around his wrists and ankles, designed to equal approximately half of his body weight. It will make it difficult for Sensei to move around and limits his strength. So offense is still an option.

The timer starts, and Sensei disappears. I take charge and order Yaoyorozou to follow me, while Selene-chan will take another route. There are many reasons why I decide this. I explain them to Yaoyorozou as we run. "It doesn't matter what, just keep creating small objects! If you ever become unable to, then assume Aizawa-sensei is closeby! This test will be clinched by whichever side manages to find the other first. That's why I sent Selene-chan off to increase our chances. And she is subtle, that her actions go unnoticed until the last second. The second we can eye and confirm his position, I'll go draw him out, and you bolt toward the escape gate. Until then, don't get too far from me." Yaoyorozou says nothing, which I take as silent affirmation. Selene-chan's 'slothfulness' may just work to our advantage.

A few minutes pass by, but no sign of Sensei. I glance back at Yaoyorozou and am more than a little confused at the figurines popping out of her arm. "I told you to keep making stuff, but what is that?" I ask her.

"They're Russian dolls called 'matryoshkas.'"

I turn back around. "I see," I reply, testing whether sheets of ice form on my arm. They do. "Well, for the time being, if your quirk acts funny, then tell me asap."

Her morose tone, though, makes me slow a little. "Just as expected, Todoroki."

"What is?" I say without looking back.

"Not only did you quickly hammer out a strategy against Aizawa-sensei … you have the judgment to be able to make a snap decision on the best course to take."

Now what do I say to that? Awkwardly, what comes out of my mouth is, "It's nothing, just normal."

"Just normal? Is it? The recommended freshmen of U.A. should have rolled out with the same kick-off performance. But concerning our practical skills as heroes, I'm the only one who hasn't left behind any noteworthy results." Her voice gets more somber with each word. "During the human cavalry battle, all I did was follow your lead, and I was eliminated from the tournament when I was at my wit's end against Tokoyami."

I stop and turn to face her, thinking of what I should say to make her focus on the task at hand. Suddenly, I notice something more important. "Yaoyorozou, your matryoshkas …" They're gone. "HE'S HERE!" I exclaim, understanding bolting through me like lightning. Yaoyorozou apologizes, and we look in opposite directions to find Sensei.

Just then, his voice appears. "If you're really sorry, then fly into action straight away." He's dangling on the electrical wires by his scarf. I swipe an arm to block him with ice, but he escapes. He descends and scolds us. "In a situation like this, you should first prioritize evasion, since the initiative's been taken from you."

What makes the situation worse is that he lands right in front of me. This terrain is in his favor, not ours. "YAOYOROZOU, RUN!" She's the best chance we have right now. But she's stammering, still in shock. I'm about to shout at her to get moving again when Sensei's scarf wrap around my arms, binding me.

"Ah, so that's your plan?" he mutters. "If that's so, then …" I'm yanked into the air and the breath leaves my lungs in a whoosh. "Too convenient," he finishes just as I am tied to the wires. "I was planning on capturing you in any case. You're always one to attack."

That comment frustrates me. I scoff, "You call this capturing me?" Sensei ties the other end of his scarf to the wire pole, holding me in place. "If I use a little fire or ice on bonds like these, then I'll be out in no time."

But I shouldn't have been so cocky. Because Sensei scatters pointed, sharp stars on the concrete surface below. "Fire, ice, either's fine, but watch out when you drop down."

Now I'm enraged at being trapped so quickly, so pathetically. "Caltrops … what are you, a ninja?" It's not completely inaccurate, I realize the instant the words leave my mouth. He can swing around like a monkey and attack many at once. All that was left were the weapon stars. "That's one nasty counter you cooked up." I'm beginning to understand why Selene-chan dislikes him so much. Are those weights actually inhibiting you?

Sensei has the gall to look so utterly uncaring about the situation. He pours eye drops into his eyes as he informs me, "This is different from when you fought the Hero Killer. I'm a villain who knows about the quirks and quantity of heroes, and has prepared perfect counters against them." He snaps his slitted goggles back into place. "Your strategy's allotment of responsibility is quite lopsided, isn't it? It's commendable that you gave so much consideration to the girl, but wouldn't it have behooved you to discuss things with her a little more?"

There's no question which her he is talking about. Realization dawns upon me. Yaoyorozou's silence, her despondent tone, lack of confidence and spirit. I was so focused on facing Sensei and passing that I neglected my comrade's needs. Even after the results of the practice exam, she was tied with Selene-chan, ranking first, but I swore I could have mutter that she was not so sure about her performance in the coming practical exam. And it seemed when I explained my plan earlier, she had wanted to tell me something. I mistook her silence for agreement instead of hesitation. When I think about it, was Selene-chan even okay with my strategy?

I need to do this right. Yayorozou, Selene-chan, and I need to reconvene, so we can generate a new plan, one that all of us agree upon. Not long after, both girls arrive where I'm restrained. Selene-chan looks stunned at my predicament, given her stumble, and Yayorozou appears panicked. Since Selene-chan's already spotted me, I call out Yaoyorozou's name, so she notices. She apologizes again, but I cut her off when I see Sensei swinging his way over here. I watch the panic intensify on her face, so I shout something that will let her focus. "You've got something up your sleeves, right? I'm sorry, I should have asked 'Is that all right?' earlier! But you've got something in mind, right?!"

Her fear only rises. "But even your plan fell flat, Todoroki. So my plans would just …"

I don't give her the chance to finish. "Just do it already! I'm telling you! You were more qualified than me!" I recall something else that may give her the push to take action. "You got three votes for the class president election, remember?! I was the one who voted for you! Because I thought you excelled at that sort of thing!" Yaoyorozou trembles with the confession. My words are getting to her.

Selene-chan then speaks up, giving Yaoyorozou the final boost she needs. As she works on the knots that Sensei made to the pole, she reveals, "The second vote was mine. So that's two people who believed in your abilities." Well, Selene-chan put together the gist of what happened really fast. "When you can't beat the odds, change the game. Have more faith in yourself. What was your idea?"

Sensei has reached us by now and has overheard the conversation. He calls out in annoyance, "You done?"

Yaoyorozou clenches her eyes shut, our words sinking into her. "Todoroki, close your eyes!" she commands as she tosses the matryoshkas into the air, where Sensei is hovering. I obey and feel a blast near my face. White flashes through my closed eyes. Those figurines must have contained bombs! Brilliant!

Sensei is flung back, and Yaoyorozou takes this opportunity to help Selene-chan undo the bindings. I observe that the metal stars have disappeared, too. Selene-chan affirms that she was the one who got rid of them. "Just as Yaoyorozou-san launched the dolls, I tossed the stars, too, for further impact and to destroy them." Again, brilliant!

Yaoyorozou speaks again. "I do! Todoroki! I do have one an ace-in-the-hole operation to prevail against Aizawa-sensei!" The girls have undone the restraints and brought me down. I ask her to elaborate, but she doesn't get the chance. Sensei takes to the rooftops and throws more stars at us. I try to summon fire, but fail. "Todoroki! Hanada! Come on, let's hide!" She pulls at Selene-chan's arm and ushers me to follow. As we dash, she points out, "It looks as though Sensei's eyes have become a little less steady."

"Must be from wounds back at the U.S.J. So? You want to use that?" I'm trying to figure out her plan.

"No! For the moment, we must escape from his line of sight! If only we have enough time, then it'll be our victory!"

"Time …" I glance out of the corner of my eye. "To escape from Sensei's line of sight? Is that even possible? We can't use our quirks." This plan seems haphazard, but Yaoyorozou orders Selene-chan and I to go along. Both of us should keep trying to summon ice.

"It's wrong to go in thinking we can't use our quirks at all!" Yaoyorozou retorts. "If only for a moment, a gap … a chance will open! So between the moment he blinks and the moment he opens his eyes once more, you'll be able to bring it out in that instant, Todoroki, Hanada, right?" She's right. Because for an instant, sheets of ice appear on my arm. This is our chance! I skid to a halt, pulling Selene-chan with me, and together we blast an avalanche of ice in Sensei's direction. My Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall really pierces the heavens. With Selene-chan's assistance, mountains of ice impale the houses and uproot electric poles, forming an impressive blockade. It's three times bigger than the one I created during the Sports Festival.

My arm is encased in a gauntlet of ice by the time we're finished. I activate my fire quirk to regulate my body temperature. "We blocked us off the second it came back on line. Now we can use our quirks. Tell us the whole plan with the time we've-" Yaoyorozou is pulling the front of her costume aside to create long, thin ribbons. Having a sense of decorum and basic decency, I look away. "Aizawa-sensei's weapon?" I ask.

"Yes," she replies, pulling Selene-chan with her to make more of that stuff. Now I definitely will not be looking back. "Though because I'm not privy to its material or manufacturing process, I can't create the exact same stuff," she continues. "Instead, I've incorporated a certain other material. This is my own spin on it." Well, if you've told Selene-chan to make it with you, it must be made of the elements. She continues to explain the rest of her strategy. It covers all the main points: concentrated damage, Sensei's scarf, and his quirk. And we play offense like I had wanted. "And with that," she says at the end, "Our chances of success should be higher than trying to run from Sensei! This battle will be decided in a split second. Is that okay?"

Regret from earlier claws its way up my throat. "Yeah. No complaints," I answer, looking away. Selene-chan nods in agreement.

With almost half the time left, the three of us enact the plan. Yaoyorozou hides under dark drapes with two mannequins and circles around the Wall to grab Sensei's attention. Selene-chan's and my task is to use the element of surprise and catch him off guard. I'm hiding under another drape, concealed from Sensei's sight, and Selene-chan takes cover in one of the houses.

I hear him whooshing around. "Cloth? Really?" he scorns. "You're getting huge demerits for that." Perhaps what we will do next will make you reconsider.

Sensei wraps his scarf around the heads and pulls them off, revealing Yaoyorozou and her contraption. A launcher to propel the jumble of scarf imitation. Distantly, I imagine that jumble as a massive ball of yarn. Any cat's dream. The jumble is catapulted, and it tangles with Sensei's own scarf. My part and Selene-chan's part come in. She shouts at me to blast heat along the ground. I do just that, and Selene-chan leaps from her hiding spot to unleash her copies of those weapon stars at Sensei. His own trick returned to him. Even if he somehow manages to escape these restraints, the stars will hinder him immensely. We're leaving no stone unturned.

Selene-chan and I are the type of people who must have the last word. But just this once, we give it to Yaoyorozou. Unspoken communication at its finest. And I'm glad she says something noteworthy. "Against you, Sensei, I was extremely uneasy … relying on a quirk attack for the finisher. Do you know of nitinol alloy? When exposed to heat, it returns to its original shape at once. It's a shape memory alloy!" she finishes just as the imitation mummifies him. I can hear some stars pierce flesh and see splatters of blood appear.

To my surprise, Sensei's impressed. "Well, if that wasn't something else." I could almost believe is smiling! Was this a test for more than just our cooperating and thinking skills? More than urging us to think outside the box or pushing our limits? I get my answer with his next words. "All of you really went Plus Ultra."

Selene-chan lands on top of him and binds his wrists behind his back with the handcuffs. We passed the practical exam. But I don't exactly feel joyous or relieved. Regret - along with a slightly hurt pride this time - sour any excitement I may have had. "Was it really that easy?" I mutter as Yaoyorozou unwraps the alloy from Sensei.

"No … I mean … When I tried to launch the catapult's volley, I slipped up. Sensei noticed and took some distance, and in that opening, he should have been able to prevent what came next, but …" She addresses Aizawa-sensei now. "Sensei, you deliberately made it seem as though you were caught in our trap."

He denies it. "I was just keeping an eye on Todoroki right next to you. I was able to see you, but Todoroki was concealed by the cloth. I thought I was going to be frozen. And I thought retreating back was my best option. So I guess that went all according to your plans, then."

Now I understand. "It really did come down to whether 'we had time.'" I thank Yaoyorozou but am taken aback when she covers her mouth and chokes back tears. "What's the matter? Are you feeling sick? If you're nauseated, there's a pressure point for that on the top of the foot." Yaoyorozou vehemently denies any feelings of illness or nausea. "Are you sure? You look like you're about to-"

Selene-chan interrupts me with a hand on my forearm, silently telling me not to press further. She changes the subject. "So are we the first group to have passed or not?"

"You're the first," Sensei responds. "Recovery Girl will make an announcement soon."

"Speaking of Recovery Girl, where is she?" she asks again. "I need to lie on a bed immediately."

Sensei sighs, "You're the one who needs medical help promptly? You just threw the caltrops I designed back at me. Twice. These cuts and wounds are going to require stitches." Then he mutters, "And just when I thought I would be done with bandages for a long time."

She grins. "Welcome to my world of perpetual frustration of bandages. I wear them all the time. Even now." He frowns, which only makes her Cheshire smile wider. Soon, four robots arrive with two gurneys. Selene-chan does not waste a second. "Oh, thank goodness you're here. If I became an aching mess of bones just now, then my wrath would have to be written in epics for the future generations." She literally climbs onto a gurney and lies there. "Take me to a proper bed, please."

Yaoyorozou smiles through her tears and I chuckle.

Aizawa-sensei rolls his eyes and tells the robots to return, as he is not so injured nor so spoiled.

I apologize to Yaoyorozou once more, who says that it's not my fault.

I head to the recovery tent with a bowl of cut pineapple for Selene-chan.

But she's dozing peacefully.

I remove her mask and set it on the counter beside.

Cradling her hands, I whisper, "We make a good team, you and I."

Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The links to the chapters are here:

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-60/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-61/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-63/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-64/

Citations:

"When you can't beat the odds, change the game." - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo