When everyone returned to the classroom the next morning, Mina, Kirishima, Sato, and Kaminari were all doom and gloom; Mina looked ready to just start bawling her eyes out. "Oh my god... You, you guys... I'm looking forward to... To all your stories... " Dokusei patted her back as she put her face in her hands.

"Hey, d-don't despair!" Midoriya began to speak. "There could be an unexpected twist!"

"Mordy, you heard Aizawa. Summer school hell, there's no way he'll change that."

The bell rang; Aizawa came in right as it struck. "When the bell rings you should be in your seats." He walked up to the podium as everyone got to their seats. "Morning, now about your exams." He looked around the classroom. "I hate to say that some of you have failed." His eyes landed on those who didn't make the cut. "And as such..." He gave them that stupid smile, like he did on the first day. "Everyone is going to the Forest Lodge!"

The four, especially Mina, cried out with joy. Dokusei was thinking back to what his teacher actually said; he then face palmed. The four only failed the practical, not both the written and practical, which everyone passed.

"The Forest Lodge is a boot camp to begin with, so the students that failed are the ones that need it the most." His stupid smile was still on. "So in other words, it was a logical ruse!"

"Sir!" Iida shot straight up from his seat. "If you keep pulling these "ruses," won't our trust in you waver?"

"You're not wrong." Aizawa's face became its normal, scowling self. "I'll reflect, but it's not as though it was all a pack of lies." This got the cheering quartet to suddenly stop. "A failing grade is still a failing grade. So you've all earned yourselves special remedial periods." This got all four of them back to being all doom and gloom. "And to put it bluntly, they'll be harder than they would have been had you passed." He pulled out paper packets. "Now here are the lodge guides, so pass them back."

Later, when everyone was getting ready to leave for the day, Iida was going over the packet. "We'll be gone for a one week boot camp, and the list of required items is pretty extensive!"

"This is a lot more than the camping trip me and Mimi took a few years back..." Dokusei muttered aloud.

Many of them talked about how they'd need to go and shop for the list; this gave Hagakure an idea. "Guys, guys! Since tomorrow is a free day and exams have ended, let's all go shopping together!" She bounced around. "C'mon, everyone in class 1-A!"

Mina began to buzz where she stood. "That's an amazing idea!" She grabbed onto Dokusei's arm, and looked at him. "There's so many things I need to get and you could finally get your mom her birthday present; it will be the perfect cover!"

Dokusei didn't have a say in this; he was getting dragged into this, and he did need to get his mom something... "I'm not playing pack mule with you again, but I will go."

"Yes!" She raised her hands in the air. "We'll all meet at the Kiyashi-ward shopping mall, before lunch, and dine in the food court!"

Dokusei got up and started heading out. "I recommend everyone come earlier, just in case." He waved as he passed the door. "See you guys tomorrow, need to get home early. Celebrating tonight."

"See you Dokusei/Doku!" Ochaco and Mina called out.

The next morning, Dokusei was early with Mina and Ochaco, but just about everyone else showed up not long after they arrived. Dokusei wore a purple shirt that had a dark green biohazard sign in a spray painted fashion. He had a white over shirt with light green lines going down on it, blue jeans, and white sneakers. He adjusted the shoulder strap of his backpack as everyone tried to figure out what they needed.

"Well I need to get some repellent, and some throw away clothes; might as well get some new workout shoes, my current pair is getting pretty trashed." Dokusei pulled out his phone, looking over a list he made.

"Since we have to split, how about we do that and meet up at the food court in a few hours?" Kirishima said.

"Sounds like a plan, Red Horns." Dokusei began to leave the group, going for bug repellent first.

As he was looking for the store, someone bumped into him.

"Sorry," they both said.

It was Ochaco who ran into him. "Care Bear!" He didn't know she followed him. "You need bug repellent too?"

"D-Dokusei, no... I-I..." She was becoming more flustered. "Well... It's... D-Deku... Aoyama..."

"Care Bear." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Breath."

She took a few deep breaths, fanning her face, bringing her blush down. "Sorry... Aoyama said something to me in the exam and I can't get over it..."

"What, was it about your crush on Midoriya?" He bit his tongue a bit to not sound too bitter.

"What!?" Her face began to glow red. "Nonono! It's not like that!" She took a step back and waved her hands in front of him. "It's... It's..."

"Ochaco." Dokusei got her to stop. "It's pretty obvious that you like him, even Todoroki can see it."

"I don't... Like him like that... At last... I don't...th-" She mumbled the rest of her words.

"I'm going to regret this..."

She felt a hand on her head. "D-Dokusei?"

"You have no idea what your feelings are saying, and the more answers you get the more confused you become."

"Y-yeah... that's about right." Her blush had calmed down to a more manageable level.

He let out a sigh through his nose as he stepped to her side, showing only half of his body to her. "Go get him, and we'll shop together, that way you won't be alone with him." His tone sounded almost dead.

"Yeah... I'll go do that..." She took off towards where they came.

She knew something was wrong with Dokusei. She had never seen him act like this; he looked like he gave up on something.

If only she saw the fist he hid from her, blood dripping down between his fingers.

Dokusei hissed as he relaxed his now bleeding fist; almost all four claws punctured through his palm. "It's not going to happen, so let it go..." he thought to himself as he pulled out his handkerchief wrapping it around, and continued with his shopping.

"Attention: Villain sighted, lockdown procedure is now in effect, please remain where you are, or evacuate safely," the mall's PA system called out.

"Ochaco!" He bolted through the crowd as a small panic arose, but heroes and security quelled it fast. He was able to find Ochaco and Midoriya. She was on the phone, and Midoriya looked like he was catching his breath, holding his neck.

"You two ok?" Midoriya nodded as well as Ochaco.

Police soon arrived and separated everyone to be interviewed. He didn't get much out from Midoriya, but Ochaco told him that Shigaraki had Midoriya in a near vice grip around his neck. Eventually they had to close the mall down temporarily, but Shigaraki seemed to have escaped in the chaos of everything.

Dokusei and the rest of his class were let go, but Midoriya had to go to the police station for further questioning. "Well there goes our shopping trip..." He let out a sigh, as he rubbed his face with his bad hand. They stood at the train station, waiting to go home.

"Dokusei, what happened to your hand?" Ochaco saw the wrapped up appendage.

"Oh this?" He shook it. "I tripped on my way towards you guys." It was an easy lie for him.

"Be more careful next time!" Iida chopped his arms about.

"You got it, Mr. Roboto." He gave him a two finger salute. The train for him, Mina, and Ochaco arrived.

They got on it, but no one said a word, not until Ochaco got off. "Let me see it," Mina ordered.

"It's not that bad, Mimi."

"Let. Me. See it." He was not getting out of this one.

"Alright," he sighed, giving her his hand, after he undid the knot.

She looked at it, and let out a groan, seeing the three holes in his palm covered in dried blood. "What did you do?"

"Just clenched my fist too hard."

"You do that only when you're really upset about something!" she nearly yelled, turning a few heads.

"It's nothing; you don't need to worry about anything." He wasn't putting up much of a defense.

"Was it Uraraka? Did she hurt you? I swear of she did I'll-"

"No!!" Dokusei growled at her. "She did nothing wrong. What I did to myself was because of my own decision." He stared her down, fierce blue eyes meeting shocked yellow. "I'm fine, just please drop it. "

She didn't say anymore the rest of the ride, nor the walk home; she just gave him quiet glances. He was pissed, but mostly upset. About who, or what, Mina had a guess. "You really like her," she stated.

Dokusei peeked at her from the corner of his eye. "Yes..."

"But she likes Midoriya?"

"Yep..."

"And you're deciding whether or not to pursue her or give up."

"Yeah." His head was dropping down, as well as his shoulders.

"And you tried to make that decision today?"

"Why can't you be like this with your school work?"

She ignored the comment. "You made a decision, what was it?"

Dokusei just stopped and let out a defected sigh. "I let her go..."

"Nope." She popped the P as she stood in front of him.

He looked at her like she grew a second head. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't let her go." She began to rock back and forth on her feet. "You wouldn't let her go like that, not without a fight at least." She gave him a smirk.

He took a step back. "Are you telling me to try and woo Care Bear?" She nodded. "Who are you and what have you done with Mina Ashido!?" He pointed at her.

She kicked him in the shin. "A girl who's trying to move on and see her best friend be happy!" He hopped on one foot for a moment.

"You sure?"

"No, but I'm not going to force you into a relationship with me; that's not right..." She gave a weak smile.

He stood there for a moment, quiet, thinking, then he brought her into a hug. "Thank you..."

She returned the hug, and giggled. "No problem, now go get her, Tiger!"

"Not today..." He looked up to the sky; the sun was turning it a light orange with the clouds slowly turning a slight purple. "Might want to get home before both our folks wonder where we are."

"Yeah that's a good idea."

The two began to walk home, ready to end the day and start the next.