I'm so sorry for not updating more! I've been a little overwhelmed with everything and then the more recent MHA chapters have been just...*sobs in pain*. But anyway! I've decided to split the festival chapter up into multiple, so that we have more floof between the angst. I hope you enjoy and I'm sorry for not updating more! But good news is that we might be moving soon, and my due date is coming up, so that's a reason updates have been slow. Other is that...Well, I'm dreading what comes after the festival.
Cleaning up after the concert didn't take long, mostly consisting of breaking up Shoto's ice and melting it down in a sink. Leinei had been in charge of making sure to get all the streamer paper, confetti, etcetera that Yaoyorozu had set off during the concert, relieved for the help from Hanta with his tape to make sure to get the hard to reach places.
"I'm beat," Denki whines after, his arms folded behind his head as they walk away from the building. "I know we factored the whole cleaning everything up into the plans, but I swear we didn't go that far in the original."
"Maybe we all just got caught up in the moment," Hanta remarks, his phone out as he slips to the side to avoid bumping into someone. "Besides, I'm glad we were able to set a camera up beforehand to record it all. It's going to look amazing."
"You're just glad you can send a copy to Kendall," Mina teases, elbowing the taller boy as he blushes. "How's he doing? Did they go get their provisionals like we did?"
"They're not allowed until their second year," he replies, shaking his head. "But he's fine. There's been a slight uptick in villain attacks, but nothing that the heroes over there can't handle. Or at least that's what they're being told."
"I mean, that's why they're there, isn't it?" Eijirou points out as Leinei interlaces her fingers with Katsuki, not saying a word on the subject. "It wouldn't be very manly if they couldn't handle it. Doesn't America pump out more heroes in their schools than we do?"
"Doesn't mean they're qualified to do their jobs," Katsuki retorts, rolling his eyes. "Just because you hold a license doesn't mean you're a good hero. They also have a lower rate of those heroes sticking with their career after five years. Maybe out of a graduating hero course of sixty, they'll have a third of those actually forming agencies and continuing on beyond that five year mark. Others drop down to a sidekick position or completely drop the shtick. Which is fucking irritating."
"Damn, Bakugo, I didn't think you were that interested in foreign hero politics," Denki points out, grinning. The ashen blond's eye twitches as he glares at his friend. "What?"
"There was a presentation on it at I Island. How come you don't know that?" He looks at Eijirou. "You were at the damn thing with me."
"Oh there was?" the redhead tilts his head, trying to remember it. "Was that the hall with all the talking and food?"
"If it makes you feel better, I saw the presentation too," Leinei assures her boyfriend, which doesn't make him feel better at all. "A different time since Shoto and I got there earlier, but it was really interesting. I mean, it explains why they have such a higher rate of support items on their markets, but it also opens a wider market for unregulated support items to be sold to vigilantes and criminals."
"See, this is why I love you," he sighs in relief. "You actually know what I'm talking about half the time."
"Just half?"
"Damn, here I thought Salinsa was knowledgeable all the time," a new voice perks up. The group almost jumps out of their skin, turning to see the familiar unkempt brown hair and brown eyes of Shindo. He grins, one eye closed with his tongue poking out as Hanta's eye twitches.
"You-you're the guy that tried to kill us during the exams!" Hanta says, his voice breaking. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Wait what?" Denki asks, confused as he looks between Shindo and Hanta.
"Oh come on, no hard feelings right? All's fair in love and war as the saying goes," the older boy asks, folding his arms behind his head. "Besides," he adds, drawing the word out, "you guys were okay. I wasn't trying to kill you."
"That doesn't make it better!"
"Wait, why is this the first time we're hearing of this?" Leinei asks, as confused as her electric blond friend. "Shindo, what the hell?"
"This is the guy you gave your number to?!" Mina and Hanta ask in unified disbelief. Their heads switch back and forth between the two of them, before the pink girl starts feeling dizzy. Shindo offers Leinei a pleasant smile, genuinely happy with seeing her again. Katsuki looks away, seeing how he looked at her and tightening his hold on her hand.
"How did you even get in?" Leinei asks, shaking her head. "They were only supposed to let students and select outsiders join today. Not even parents were allowed to come-"
"My principal talked to your principal," he replies simply. "I sent you a text saying so, but I'm guessing from how you guys don't look too thrilled to see me, you didn't get them."
"No, we've been a little busy." She rubs the back of her head with her free hand, glancing at her boyfriend. "Um, well, aren't your friends with you?"
"Oh they ran off to see the other attractions everyone threw up. Our school usually does the same old thing, so it's interesting to see what other schools do," he replies. "I was going to check out the food stands when I saw you guys."
"Right. Um, well, we were heading that way too. You're welcome to join us, I guess," she tells him, being polite. "If everyone's okay with it?"
"I was actually going to check out the obstacle course Class E threw up," Denki says, nudging Eijirou. "Kiri was coming with me."
"Obstacle course sounds great, I'll come with," Hanta adds.
"I was gonna go check out the beauty pageant after I grabbed something to eat, so I'll catch up with you guys later," Mina tells them, patting Leinei's shoulder with a smile. "Let me know how it goes," she whispers before the four friends walk off, leaving Leinei, Katsuki, and Shindo in awkward silence as other students walk back and forth past them. The tension is almost tangible, causing the others to leave a wide berth around the trio.
"Well, if you're hungry, the food stands are this way," Leinei suggests, Shindo nodding as they start walking. The purple haired girl makes sure to stand between the two boys, her hand still held in Katsuki's. The brown haired boy glances at their interlocked fingers, but says nothing, letting his own hands fall back to his side.
"Your guys' concert was amazing," he tells them as they get closer to the stands, the varying smells of food and sweets filling the air. "Was that an original song?"
"Yeah, one of our classmates wrote it special for the concert," she replies, nodding. "I'm glad you enjoyed it!"
"Yeah, I didn't expect you to be so killer on the drums, Bakugo," he adds, leaning forward to look at him. "You should teach me sometime."
"It was a one time thing," Katsuki remarks shortly, not bothering to look at him as he noticed Leinei looking at a crepe stand. He smiles softly. "Did you want one?"
Her face flushed and she nodded with a small smile. Shindo notices too, walking over to the stand before Katsuki could. The latter curses under his breath before hurrying over, both of them demanding different flavors. Leinei giggles nervously watching them, seeing the way the Business Class students flinch and try to catch up with their orders. It's then she notices another weird light surrounding the boys as they stand there glaring at each other, red and pink around Katsuki, green around Shindo. She rubs her eyes and shakes her head, the almost aura like lights disappearing as they get the food they ordered.
"I got a strawberries and cream and a chocolate peanut butter one," Shindo says proudly, offering both of them to her. Katsuki rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
"I got the sea salt truffle one for you," he tells her, at which her face flushes. She takes the one he offers her, Shindo looking a little dejected as he smiles weakly. "And they had this experimental one they said wasn't selling well, so I figured I'd try it."
"How experimental?" Leinei asks.
"Chocolate and ghost pepper," he replies with a cheeky grin. A grimace runs through both Shindo and Leinei as Katsuki takes a bite, his face turning red as he chews and covers his mouth to cough. She goes to ask him if he's okay, only to have him respond with, "Totally not that bad at all. Just a small kick."
"A small kick?" the older boy asked him with a growing grin. "If so, that small kick is up your ass."
"Oh screw off," he snaps back, taking another bigger bite and swallowing. "It's good."
"Katsu usually likes anything spicy," Leinei tells him, taking a small bite of her crepe. Her smile falls a bit, her eyes widening. Katsuki and Shindo watch her, concerned. After a second, she takes another bite and smiles, tilting her head. "Sorry, I've never actually had one of these before. It's a lot better than I thought it would be."
"How have you not had-"
"Salinsa, Kacchan!"
They looked over as Izuku walked up with Ochaco, Mirio, and Eri in tow. The little girl had a massive smile on her face still from the concert, holding fast to both Mirio and Izuku's hands. She lets go when she sees Leinei, running towards her and hugging her. It took the purple haired girl by surprise, tears in her eyes as she looked at Katsuki then hugs the girl back.
"You guys were so cool!" Eri says as she pulls away, her arms above her head. "With the boom, and the floating, and-and the ice and the steamers-"
"Streamers," Mirio corrects with a laugh.
"Yeah those!"
"Yeah, we were?" Leinei gets a little choked up, seeing the girl who looked so scared before smiling so brightly. "Well, we had to make it fun for you."
"That's all she's been able to talk about," Izuku says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head Eri continues to ramble to Katsuki now. "She gave me a rundown of all her favorite parts earlier."
"Really?" she laughs, glancing at the awkward Shindo who didn't know how to interact. "Oh, um, you guys remember Shindo, right? From Ketsubutsu."
"Yeah!" Ochaco replies, smiling as he nods. "Hey, how's everything going?"
"Oh, really good. I was just glad your principal let me and my class in to see everything today. You guys were really awesome up there." He looks at the crepes in his hand and offers them to Ochaco and Izuku. "I'm not going to eat these. You guys can have 'em."
"Wow, thank you!" Ochaco takes them and sees Eri eyeing the strawberry one, leaning down with a smile and offering it to her. The girl hesitantly takes it as Ochaco takes a bite of the peanut butter banana one. She watches wide eyed before taking a bite of her own crepe. Everyone chuckles as she takes a moment to register the food before diving into her delicious snack.
"We'll get going and let you guys enjoy your fun," Leinei remarks, giggling still as Mirio gets a napkin from the stand and kneels down to gently wipe the whipped cream off Eri's cheeks. "See you guys back at the dorms."
"See you," Izuku says, waving as the trio walks off. Katsuki had finished his crepe by then, Shindo walking with his arms folded behind his head as Leinei savors each bite of her own dessert.
"So…what's first?"