All the way back, I was caught up talking with Jirou and the other girls about what we would do with our provisional licenses, now that we had them. All the while, though, my mind was elsewhere..I kept thinking of Todoroki's face when it was announced that he had failed the exam.
I never would have expected him to do so. It seemed to have been brought about by that boy from the entrance examination, from what I'd gathered and from what he'd said earlier. I did not recall him from our recommendation exam very well…
I saw Todoroki there, for the first time. Nobody can miss him, really. He was startling, his talent. I believe that now. But that's where we started, the entrance exam. And we both got into UA on recommendations, in the same class, the top students right away. And ranked in the top two in Mr. Aizawa's quirk apprehension test as well. From day one, then, we've been the two at the top, from the same start line.
Then we were at the Sports Festival, and I lost to him…in the race, and in the tournament, not getting anywhere…on our Cavalry battle team, where he gave the orders and I simply followed.
No - now I know that wasn't what happened next. Because of what he told me last year - he voted for me to be our class representative. He must have seen something in me, more than I'd noticed before. Of course, I think I soon came to see him as rather impressive too. Even before he surpassed me, but certainly after that. Todoroki was not someone who you missed.
Our class's most capable student, clever, powerful, commanding even though he didn't speak much, always making fantastic decisions with his excellent judgment. His looks are striking too - the half white, half red hair, the large scar and blue and gray eyes. Yes, you don't miss Todoroki.
He surpassed me then, back at the sports Festival, and for a time I saw him as a rival. I was jealous of him. Not resentfully jealous, but I felt as though I wasn't good enough to measure up to him. But then we'd worked together. I'd told him how I felt, admitted to feeling as if he'd overshadowed me, and he'd told me in return that he respected me. That was all it took. Ever since then, there's been some core of me that never stopped believing in myself.
And now, we'd weathered the worst storm that anyone could remember in the history of heroes side by side. We'd stood together and watched All Might fall in Kamino. We'd walked together into danger and saved Bakugou in Kamino. I had come there because i trusted him.
And now I'd passed, and he'd failed. I didn't like seeing that expression on his face…he honestly seemed so unhappy. Do you feel like I did, when I couldn't believe in myself?
I took him aside when we returned to the dorms, for just a moment. It was a small one, as everyone (except fro him and Bakugou) was preparing to celebrate getting their licenses. I only had a moment.
I murmured to him, "Even without a license, Todoroki, you're still the best in our class."