Hello, hello! It's the month of flowers, everybody! =D

First of all I am so, so sorry that I failed to update within the time table I set last month, partly because of a bad case of writer's block and some last minute changes, and everything to do with summer school ;-; but anyway, I'm glad I made it today!

Just a heads up, but this chapter's extra long. So ya better get comfy ;D (Btw, I recommend you read this in your phone, or better yet, read ALL your favorite fanfictions in your phone. Head over to my profile if you want to know how to download it so you can still access it offline. It's just one click away dearies~)

On a side note, have you guys already watched the 2nd season? It's freaking awesome! If you haven't watched it yet, you need ta' head over your favorite anime site and cliiiccckkkkk.

Special shoutout to the wonderful people who send me their love~: Reversus12, Diamond-Grl45, sydney3331, and ADarkWolfS!

And LOTSA LOVE to those who faved/followed! And to the silent readers~! Thank you so much! I hope you continue to support me through this crazy adventure.


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Chapter Seven

Gift for a Villainous Winner


"Time's up!" All Might declared through the intercom just as the alarm stopped. "The villain team…WINS!"

"That doesn't sound right somehow…" Kirishima said after All Might's announcement.

Alas, the fourth match finally reached its conclusion with the biggest surveillance screen featuring the figures of Momo and Alumi exchanging triumphant smiles.

"They're the first villain team to win so far, kero," Tsuyu commented.

"Only sexy villains like them should ever be allowed to win!" Mineta hollered with a puff of steam emitting from his nostrils. "As expected of my best girls!"

"Your best girls…?" Ojiro reiterated uneasily while All Might called the two teams back over the intercom.

"Can't say I'm surprised. I mean, the villain team both had tough Quirks and Yaoyorozu was so badass with all the mind-over-matter stuff earlier," Sero pointed out.

"But Jirou-chan and Kaminari-kun did a good job too," Hagakure cut in. "They were able to find Yaoyorozu-chan and Koseki-chan in a short period of time, like how Shouji-kun and Todoroki-kun found our hideout."

"Yeah, but in the end, the villain team's defenses were too tight," Kirishima replied as they all directed their eyes on the surveillance screens again.

Momo sagged with relief while a dejected Kaminari dismissed his vivid electrical currents. On the other screen was Alumi lowering on her haunches beside Jirou with a hand reaching for the crystal. The hardened crystal melted with her touch, finally releasing the jack girl from its crystallized prison.


Jirou sat up with a grunt, her face flushed with defeat. She averted her face as Alumi stared at her with a contemplative gaze.

"Let's go, Alumi-san," Momo said. Alumi gave her a nod and slowly stood up.

"Jirou?" Kaminari called.

"Yeah, yeah," Jirou groused and was about to stand when she saw a hand extending towards her, its owner offering her a small smile.

"Shall we go together?" Alumi said.

Jirou stared at her for a moment, then huffed out a smile. She took the hand and pulled herself up. The four of them collectively made their way back to the others. It wasn't until they were out in the artificial streets of Ground Beta when Jirou broke the silence.

"Guess I should say congratulations to you two," she said sheepishly.

"Thank you. You did a really good job too," Alumi replied. "What you did back there with your strategies really amazed me."

"I agree," Momo said as she faced the other two. "You found a creative way to break into our airtight defenses. That alone was quite the feat."

Kaminari grinned and blushed while Jirou's cheeks turned pink.

"However, there's one thing I want to know. Why did you make such a racket outside when you already know you can't get in?" Momo inquired.

"Ah, that's because it was a diversion. I had buzz-face here—" Kaminari bristled, "—do it. While he was doing that, I went to up to the floor directly above you and made a small hole in order to spy on you. Thanks to his racket-making, you didn't notice me doing just that," Jirou answered.

Kaminari grinned. "All according to plan."

Alumi and Momo shared a look of dawning realization. Then they exchanged a small satisfied smile at finally solving a mystery they were both mulling over.

"It is as you said. Momo-chan and I were too focused on what you might do next with all the noise you were making. Even when we already prepared a counter measure at the possibility of being breached, we were completely oblivious to the real reason behind the attempt of intrusion," Alumi said.

"And Kaminari-san, your Quirk really caught me by surprise, though I really should've taken a hint from your costume. Did you intend to use it as a last resort from the very start?" Momo asked.

"Er, sort of." Kaminari placed a hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly. "That reminds me, why didn't you hit me with that metal staff when I was blocking you?"

"That's because metals are electric conductors and I didn't want to get electrocuted," Momo explained. "If I so much as poked you with it, I daresay I'd be toast."

Jirou responded with a self-deprecating sigh. "In the end, we still lost."

"Don't be discouraged, Jirou-san," Momo began. "I doubt that the focal point of this exercise is based solely between victory and defeat. I believe the real purpose of this activity was to gauge each of our abilities in a semi-realistic setting. What's important is we were able to learn from this experience and adapt the importance of the match's context, the pros and cons of careful planning, and the advantage of studying one's environment. With deep reflection, you will be able to discern which counter-technique takes priority, and apply it to each your own strategies. As I've said before, in order to become splendid top heroes, we must—"

"—"Start with the basics to develop depth of learning, and devote ourselves with all our hearts."" Alumi finished in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned towards the surprised Momo and cheerfully chimed, "Right?" while the other two shrank away from the raven-haired girl's relentless analytical speech.

Momo was still a bit surprised when she managed a short, "That's right." She eventually returned the bluenette's playful little smile. "Good job moving at the last second by the way. Using the staff to propel yourself was a good idea. You really surprised me."

Alumi's smile turned sheepish. The truth was, Alumi activated the other side of her Quirk to give herself an instantaneous boost of stamina when she saw Jirou lunge for the exposed top of the faux weapon. She merely used the staff to give herself more leverage and was really nothing more than a prop during that last second. But Momo didn't need to know that.

"I guess I was desperate," she replied sincerely and clenched her trembling fingers into a fist. Discreetly, Alumi let out a shaky exhale. She made sure not to overdo it like how she recklessly did during the ball throw yesterday, but using even a portion of it gave her a headache.

On top of that, the after-effects of Jirou's piercing sound-wave attack still lingered uncomfortably on some parts of her body, specifically in her ears. She actually had to strain her hearing just to catch what her classmates were saying, but despite her still-recovering auditory nerves, Alumi was thankful she didn't black out on the spot.

A sudden pang of dizziness nearly made her stop in her tracks. Alumi blinked hard twice against the rising blur in her vision, and inhaled another deep breath.

"Hey, Koseki..."

Alumi almost flinched. She turned to look at Jirou expectantly. "Hm?"

Jirou was looking at her in a strange appraising way, and when she spoke, it was slow with hints of reluctance. "I just realized this, but you…When you said you wouldn't use your Quirk, it really pissed me off because I thought you were looking down on me. But rather than refusing to use it, you…You couldn't use your Quirk back there, could you?"

"Ehhh!?" Kaminari exclaimed in shock while Momo watched the scene unfold with quiet interest.

Alumi's eyes widened a fraction. Then she replied with a timid but dignified smile, "Yes, I couldn't."

Kaminari gaped at the bluenette. "What do you mean? You used it perfectly at the end!"

Alumi turned to him and explained in quick details the nature behind her crystallization. Kaminari and Jirou both looked astonished.

Jirou smirked. "Hmph. I kinda figured it was something like that."

"So you can't use it indoors? That's some troublesome drawback," Kaminari said with a hand scratching at his spiky hair in distress.

"How did you find out, Jirou-chan?" Alumi asked.

"I got suspicious when you used a weapon," she started. "I mean, with a versatile Quirk like yours, what's the need for one? You're not even good at it like Yaoyorozu," Jirou deadpanned.

Alumi chuckled sheepishly. "Using the staff was a rather on-the-spot decision."

Jirou regarded her more seriously this time. "But what really gave it away was when I used my Quirk. I saw how you were about to pull something, summon your crystals more like, but it didn't appear. So I thought, something is definitely wrong, but how else do you explain that crystal covering the weapon? That had me thinking that maybe you just couldn't use it in certain places or under certain conditions. But at the last minute, you were able to control that crystal despite stunning you with my Quirk, so something to do with the place has got to be it."

"Ohh…" Alumi uttered softly, impressed. "To be able to deduce that much, you're really amazing, Jirou-chan."

Jirou looked away from the compliment with a self-conscious, half-hearted huff. "I-It's nothing much. Don't mention it."

'Ah, how cute~' the three simultaneously thought.

"Oh, and Koseki?" Jirou piped timidly. "I'm sorry for, um…for what I said back there. I mean, you did succeed in keeping me from touching the weapon, so you were doing your job properly."

"No harm done," Alumi replied cheerfully. "You were only doing what you think was right as a 'hero'. And besides, we did get even."

Jirou chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm not sorry I had to get serious and tell you to take me seriously, got it?"

Alumi laughed. "We really did get serious back there didn't we?"

Intrigued, Kaminari leaned closer to his partner and asked, "What? What happened? What'd you do?"

Jirou merely gave him an unimpressed look while Alumi answered, "Oh, just something special that Jirou-chan and I shared earlier."

"Yeah, it's got nothing to do with you," Jirou added with a smirk.

"Ehhh!? We shared something special too back there, so you gotta tell me what happened! Come on, I'm your partner!"

Jirou shot him a sour glance. "Get over it already, buzz-face."

"For the last time, it's Kaminari! But you can call me Denki if you want~."

"You wish," Jirou retorted as Alumi and Momo giggled beside her.

"Denki..." Alumi began with a pondering finger to her chin. "That means 'electricity', doesn't it? What a very straightforward name you have, Kaminari-kun."

"We really should've taken a hint," Momo said wryly, earning an assenting chuckle from her teammate.

Kaminari smiled wide and bashfully began to rub at his nape. "Everyone in my family had electric-type Quirks so my parents didn't really have a hard time picking a name for me."

"They really should've named you 'Tanraku' or somethin'. It's more fitting if you ask me," Jirou deadpanned.

Kaminari turned to her with wide eyes, and for a moment Alumi thought he was going to go off on how mean the jack girl was being when he surprised them all with a wide puppy-like grin.

"Ohh! 'Tenraku', huh. I like it! You mean 'cause my Quirk is just like lightning that falls from the heavens, right? That's actually so cool!"

The three girls exchanged a glance. Then Jirou began to snicker uncontrollably and tried to smother it with both her hands.

"O-oh my god..." she said in between hissy bouts of choked laughter. "What have I done!?"

"Eh, what's so funny?" he asked, which only made the girl snicker some more.

"Oh, dear. I don't have the heart to tell him," Alumi murmured with a conflicted smile as she pressed her fingers against the side of her face.

"Neither do I," Momo replied.

And it wasn't until the four of them returned to the monitoring room did Kaminari realize what it really meant.


A whistle went off, signalling the end of the Battle Trial. All Might was quick to take his leave after a few commending remarks and parted with the class with a cursory "Change and return…to the classroom!" before running off inside the school's main building.

The students of Class 1-A soon followed suit, waving off the trail of dust in the air that trailed after their instructor. The walk back to the locker rooms was fairly quiet at first as each of them contemplated the recent events along with the things they learned from it. All Might made it clear before that one of the main reasons of the Battle Trial was to demonstrate the extent of their skills. But to those who lost the match, feelings of frustration still lingered.

And out of every one in the class, Alumi was certain no one was as frustrated as Bakugou.

She couldn't help but notice that from the point of his defeat up to this moment, Bakugou remained at the back of the crowd. He was currently walking at a much slower pace than the rest of them, all the while maintaining his state of deadly silence. Everybody else kept their distance as well, not wanting to be near the brooding explosive teen and his menacing aura.

Alumi looked away and stared off into the distance, frowning at herself, realizing her attention was deviating to the ash-blond recently when she should've been more pre-occupied with the combat training exercises and the condition Izuku was in.

But still…

Something about Bakugou's inconsolable state struck a chord in her, making her momentarily forget that this mean arrogant young man was someone she should steer clear of, that at this moment he was a fragile mass of nerves on the inside, that he was also human.

Alumi was curious as to what might happen to him after experiencing defeat delivered to him by the person he resented the most, like waiting to see what kind of color a firework shows when it explodes. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder and looked straight at the ash-blond's somber profile. 'He doesn't seem like the type to easily break down and crumble away, though…'


It was late in the afternoon. At the conclusion of their last class period, Ochako and Alumi were tasked to return the workbooks they worked on earlier that day, the setting sun bathing the hallway in an ethereal orange glow as they walked back to the classroom.

"It's too bad Deku-kun missed out on our afternoon lessons. I wonder if he's okay, it's already so late…" Ochako said as she looked outside the scenery with a worried look.

"His injuries did look pretty bad, but he should be awake now," Alumi replied as she followed the brunette's line of sight. "I'm certain he already recovered. He's with Recovery Girl, after all."

Sure enough, the boy was already up and ready to mingle by the time they reached the classroom. Izuku was currently surrounded by some of their classmates and it was clear that a round of friendly introductions were already carried out.

"My, Mi-kun's popular already." Alumi chuckled amusedly while Ochako took off towards the curly haired boy, slightly surprised why he still looked worse for wear.

"Oh, uh, it's because of h-how much stamina I have, and…" Izuku explained. As he spoke, his eyes drifted off all over the place, stilling imperceptibly when he pinned his gaze on a specific direction.

Alumi looked at the spot his eyes landed, and when she realized who it was he was looking for, she placed the stack of workbooks she was carrying over the nearest desk and moved to intervene.

"We're certainly glad to see you're okay now, Mi-kun," Alumi cut in. She continued to smile nonchalantly as she brushed past the others, hand stretching out to grab Izuku's left wrist before pulling him gently with her outside. "Come, I'll fill you in on what happened while you were gone."

"E-Eh, wait, Alumi-san?!"

"You're coming with us too, Urara-chan," Alumi said over her shoulder.

"O-Oh, okay!"

The brunette immediately followed after putting her stack of workbooks beside Alumi's stack while the others watched them leave with dumbfounded faces. Tsuyu was the only one who didn't look too surprised.

Sero was the first to recover. "Did Koseki-chan just call him 'Mi-kun'?"

"And he called her by her first name, too!" Mineta fumed.

Mina giddily clapped of her hands. "Oohh, they're on very friendly terms!"


Alumi led Izuku and Ochako by the window down the hall where she gave her speculation point-blank. "You want to know what happened to Bakugou-kun after your match, correct?"

The gravity manipulator gaped at her with surprise while Izuku only nodded guiltily in response.

"I'm assuming you already know this, Mi-kun, but Bakugou-kun was really upset that he lost."

"Y-Yes, I know…Where is he?"

"He already left."

Izuku looked at her alertly.

"We tried to stop him," Ochako said, making the boy turn to her, "but he went home just now without saying anything."

Izuku clenched his teeth and curled his hand into a fist. "Kacchan is…he's definitely not the type to let a loss like that go. If I hadn't pushed him over the edge like that…" He bit his lower lip in frustration before turning away and dashing off towards the stairs. "I have to talk to him!"

"Deku-kun!?"

Alumi placed a hand on Ochako's shoulder and shook her head. "I think it's better if we let him. Besides…" She turned and leaned towards the window, eyes fixed on the lone figure making his way out of the school, his ash-blond hair gleaming under the setting sun. "Bakugou-kun is still in the campus. Mi-kun can still catch up to him."

Ochako went up to the window beside her, eyes gleaming with worry. "But Bakugou-kun is still mad…I don't think it's a good idea for Deku-kun to approach him yet."

"You have a point…but I'm more interested on why Midoriya-kun is going out of his way to try and talk to him."

"I think it's because Deku-kun admires him," Ochako replied as she recalled what Izuku told her before their match started. "I don't understand why exactly, but whenever Bakugou-kun is concerned, Deku-kun is just…he's really serious, you know?"

Alumi's concerned look softened into a smile. "I know what you mean. They're both serious when it comes to each other, and it doesn't help that neither wants to lose. It really makes you curious."

"It's the fated battle between men!"

Alumi chuckled. "Now that you put it that way, it sounds really cool, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, hey! What's going on, where's Midori-kun?"

Alumi and Ochako turned to see their classmate Mina walking towards them with Tsuyu right behind her. Before the two girls could even answer, the pinkette already had her hands plastered against the glass window while Tsuyu settled beside Alumi.

"Ehhh? Why's Midori-kun over there with Bakugou? Isn't Bakugou still pissed at him?"

They all looked down and watched the confrontation between the two boys. They couldn't see Midoriya's expression with his back turned to them, but judging from Bakugou's enraged expressions, Midoriya's attempts at diplomacy clearly didn't work.

"Hey, this looks bad! Bakugou's lashing out!"

Tsuyu leaned closer and lifted a hand to her mouth. "I don't think there's going to be a brawl, though, kero."

Bakugou finally turned around and left. It didn't escape Alumi that he lifted a forearm and pressed it to his eyes. Her eyes widened when she realized he was so frustratingly angry to the point of shedding tears. And he wasn't afraid of showing it.

'He's more sensitive than I thought…' she thought, amazed. She kept herself from giggling out loud. He was just like a little kid after throwing a tantrum. 'How pure!'

All Might suddenly arrived at the scene, but Bakugou only brushed him off and his efforts of consoling him. He eventually disappeared beyond the gates, leaving All Might and Izuku stunned in place.

Mina reeled back with a sigh of relief. "Phew, good thing All Might arrived. What was that even about?"

"It's the fated battle between men!" Ochako gushed and pressed her forehead against the glass.

"But it looked like Midoriya-chan was giving up excuses one-sidedly, though," Tsuyu said sagely.

"Really?" Alumi responded. "It seemed to me that Midoriya-kun really wanted Bakugou-kun to understand something. More than anyone…"

Tsuyu turned her gaze to her, but Alumi didn't seem to notice. Bakugou's connection to Izuku…That was what Alumi found to be the most intriguing.

Mina let out a sigh. "It's really too bad we can't hear what they're saying. It's just like that time at the combat training. They're all fired up and we can't hear a thing! Mou, I want to knooowww!"

"The fated battle between men!"

"I think it's about time we go back inside," Alumi suggested. "Class is over for today, after all. It's time to go home."

Ochako nodded while Mina detached herself from the window. "You're right…" Mina muttered dejectedly before going over to Alumi with a bounce in her step. "Ne, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves, though I already know who you are, Alumin! You know, with your bold introduction yesterday and all…Oh, is it okay if I call you that? I'm Ashido Mina by the way, just call me Mina!"

Alumi's composure almost wavered against Mina's barrage of excitement. Something about the girl's lively aura reminded her of a certain someone, which, Alumi just remembered, she totally forgot to inform how she was doing with her second day in U.A.

Making a mental note to call her later and finally recalling the present, Alumi gave the pinkette one of her brightest smiles. "I don't mind at all! It's very nice to meet you, Mina-chan."

"Same here!" Mina replied with a wide grin before bounding off into the room. "I'll see you girls tomorrow~!"

"Ah, the workbooks!" Ochako squeaked, remembering the work they left before hurrying after Mina's trail.

Alumi was about to follow when she noticed their frog-like classmate rooted in place and staring out the window.

"Asui-chan? Is something the matter?"

The green-haired girl turned to face her and Alumi was struck with Tsuyu's penetrative gaze. "Tsuyu," she said, her raspy voice was similar to a frog's croak. "Call me Tsu."

Alumi liked her already. "Tsu-chan it is. But to be fair, you can call me by my first name too."

The corners Tsuyu's mouth curled upward. Alumi wanted to tell her they should be heading back to the room, but the frog girl only continued to stare. She seemed to want to ask something. Alumi accommodatingly tilted her head forward.

Tsuyu was silent for few moments. Then, "I can't help but ask Alumi-chan, but what's your relationship with Midoriya-chan?"

Alum's eyebrows shot up delicately. She certainly did not expect such a question. "My relationship with Midoriya-kun…?" she repeated, a semblance of a nervous laugh threading through her incredulous statement. "Well, we're friends."

Tsuyu tilted her head to the side, looking unconvinced. "But it seems to be more than that. I can see that you're really looking out for him, like when you protected him from Bakugou-chan yesterday. The whole class was surprised, kero."

Alumi retained her calm composure with a small smile on her face, but on the inside, her heart raced. She never thought to be confronted with what happened even though she could just imagine what her classmates might think of her. Why would a stranger like her react so strongly towards a stranger like him?

Alumi had to hand it to her, though. Tsuyu's perception was like a sharp, finely tempered sword that was both impressive and dangerous. However, it was her unblinking eyes that Alumi found unnerving. They were of a moss green color, deep and emotionless like a placid lukewarm pond that gave off the impression of a beast living underneath its murky waters, waiting to reveal itself and snap its jaws into its unassuming prey...

Alumi replied with the first thing that came to mind. "That time, I felt how Midoriya-kun was in danger, so I did what I thought was right. Wouldn't you do the same?"

Tsuyu finally blinked. "Maybe, if we weren't training to be top heroes. Even so, I don't know him that well enough, which is why it got me curious, kero."

The frog girl tapped a finger to her chin and Alumi found it hard to look away. She also found it hard to lie. Faced with the unsettling resolution of Tsuyu's gaze, Alumi relented, the corners of her smile wavering.

"Midoriya-kun simply reminded me of someone," she began. "To be honest, I didn't expect it either. I honestly have no idea what I was doing until I saw just what exactly I was doing. Perhaps you could say my body moved on its own when I saw him about to be attacked."

"Because he reminded you of someone?"

"Yes."

Tsuyu hummed and averted her gaze, her eyes turning thoughtful as she tapped on her chin again. "I like you, Alumi-chan," she says suddenly, surprising the bluenette. "I hope my prying questions didn't offend you, kero."

"Not at all!" Alumi was quick to reassure her. She would never resent anyone who would ask in concern, especially if it was her impulsive actions that made people ask in the first place. "I'm actually very happy that you talked to me, Tsu-chan. I hope we get along more in the future too."

The frog girl smiled slightly, seemingly relieved. Alumi turned towards the door. "Shall we return?" Tsuyu nodded her response.


"So that's what happened?" Izuku asked enthusiastically when Alumi told him what happened during their match. This time again inside the train, they were both seated on the side. As a proper train buddy, Alumi made sure Izuku wouldn't be squished in the crowd while they were in the train station since he was still pretty much beat up and had his right arm in a cast.

Still glowing with pride for a job well done, Alumi nodded and said, "Kaminari-kun and Jirou-chan did well. I half-expected they'd be able to break into the room, and they did. I'm glad I didn't underestimate those two. It was a really close call."

Izuku's eyes shone with admiration. Alumi could practically see him trying to imagine how it all went down.

"So Jirou-san with her Quirk, while it doesn't really stand out, managed to penetrate through cement, right?" Izuku gushed.

"Yes. I was really surprised," Alumi answered, remembering how baffled she was seeing Jirou break through the ceiling, especially after finding out that she used nothing but her jack-like earlobes.

"And Kaminari-san's electric Quirk that intimidated Yaoyorozu-san...! That's so cool!"

"Un, it was pretty scary up close. I'm pretty sure we would've lost if Kaminari-san used his Quirk sooner. I could just imagine him using that to retrieve the weapon. When Jirou-chan's sound wave hit the weapon's crystal case, it really frightened me. But Kaminari-kun's Quirk was even more frightening."

Izuku's expression turned pensive. "Ah, but, I don't think so..." Izuku commented casually, earning a very intent and curious stare from the blue-haired girl. His face turned red and he nervously started to wave his uninjured hand. "I-I-I mean! What I m-mean to s-say is—!"

"Calm down, Mi-kun. It's all right. Tell me, why's that?" Alumi asked gently.

"I-I was just thinking that, well…Ko-, I mean, A-Alumi-san, your crystals come from u-underground, so that means they're authentic, right?" She nodded, eyes expectant. "And, w-well, authentic crystals are natural insulators, I think. So even if Kaminari-kun used his electric Quirk, I don't think his Quirk would be effective against your crystal barrier."

"Is that so? I didn't know…" Alumi muttered, eyes brimming with wonder at the boy. "It's amazing that you know that, Mi-kun."

Izuku flushed. "I-It's nothing special! I-It's just something I happened to read about, t-that's all!"

Alumi giggled. "Everyone in our class have really interesting Quirks, huh?"

"U-Un. I wish I saw everybody in action..." Izuku muttered with a sigh.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, Mi-kun."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!" Midoriya replied with a quick bob of his head, all fired up. Then he turned away from her, rested his left hand on his injured forearm and looked down on it, inspecting, remembering...His gaze suddenly looked so far away, and Alumi knew he was thinking deeply about something. She had a pretty good idea of what it could be.

The train continued to run along the railway, the low drone of the engine making the silence between them profound.

Alumi pursed her lips and pressed her hands together. The longer she watched him, the more her tongue itched to say the words she'd been yearning to say.

"Mi-kun?" she called before she could even stop herself.

The curly haired boy blinked out from his reverie and looked up to her with an expectant look.

"I couldn't help but notice…but what is going on between you and Bakugou-kun?"

"E-Eh? Me and Kacchan?" Izuku echoed, his eyes widening like a child caught with the cookie jar. "W-What makes you think that?"

"It's just something I wanted to know." Alumi averted her eyes away from his as she gathered her thoughts. "To tell you the truth…I've been meaning to ask what your relationship with Bakugou-kun was since yesterday. From the moment he tried to hurt you during the assessment test and now during the combat exercise... It's clear that Bakugou-kun is out to get you." Izuku gulped and nodded ruefully. "I know it's incredibly nosy of me, but I want to know the reason why. From the way he's acting and the way you seem to accept it, you two must have some sort of history, don't you, Mi-kun?"

As she stared at him waiting for an answer, Alumi saw the pressure settling on Izuku's shoulders. When he finally turned to look at her, Alumi saw glimpses of sadness in his round emerald eyes. But the same time, he was smiling subtly, showing the strength of someone who has long since recovered from a painful past.

Izuku opened his mouth and said simply, "Kacchan and I know each other since we were kids."

It had been the kind of answer Alumi was waiting for. And just like that, the missing fragments of the puzzle she created in her head fell into place.


"I'm home," Alumi announced as she closed the door. The house was tranquil with inactivity. "I wonder where Dad is…?" she mused aloud as she made her way upstairs.

It wasn't until Alumi finished making supper when she heard the front door open, her father calling out to her followed by a soft thump. It sounded like something was discarded on the front desk by the hall.

"Welcome home, Dad!" Alumi greeted happily as soon as Hiromu made his appearance in the kitchen. "You're just in time for dinner."

"What a relief," Hiromu replied with a grin as he strode over to the table, his eyes softening. "I'm glad to see you're back home safely, Alu. I'm sorry I didn't contact you I'd be home late. My client called earlier and I have to be on the site tomorrow, so I decided to take a quick trip to Fujiyoshida to visit your grandma and grandpa."

Alumi paused and looked up from setting the table, the initial feelings of sadness that her father was off to work again – that she was going to be alone in the house again – replaced with surprise, her eyes lighting up excitedly. "That's wonderful! How are they? I haven't seen them since Christmas."

"They're as healthy as ever, running the shop like they're still in their 30's," Hiromu replied with a chuckle.

Alumi giggled. "As expected, they almost never seem to tire." Her father agreed with a hearty chuckle and Alumi grinned when she saw his Ahoge perk up.

"They also look like they hadn't aged a day. I feel older than they are sometimes…" Hiromu lifted a hand to his nape and sighed.

Alumi laughed softly at her father's half-hearted quip, though she detected the truth behind it. He barely had any real rest these days. Even on his day offs, Hiromu always had his hands full with drawing sketches and drafts, sorting through reports, entertaining calls and checking up on the current project his company was handling.

Granted, Hiromu Koseki was a brilliant and hardworking man who became the CEO at Japan's number one real estate regency at the age of twenty-nine. It was around that time of his life when he met then actress Azayaka Reika during a joint project with his company and her set. It was no Love at First Sight, but they eventually became a tandem that led them in front of the altar of holy matrimony. It was a love match waiting to happen, and Hiromu was a natural at being a wonderful husband and a doting father. To Alumi, he would always be the number one hero in her life. He had always been there for her, and she'd always admired the traits her father possessed.

Hiromu carried himself with elegance, handled problems with remarkable patience and viewed life with enthusiasm and drive, like every day was a new adventure waiting to be discovered. He was the kind of adult Alumi aspired to be, a steady supporting presence that anyone could lean on with his kind and straight-forward gaze that could put just about everyone at ease.

And that was why it pained her to see his bright coffee colored eyes – a shade darker than Haruki's – now looking hollow and weary. The pressure and demand that came with his profession was taking its toll on him. He had been working harder than usual, longer than his actual time frame, and going further and further away from their home. And Alumi knew exactly when it started.

It began after Haruki died. That tragic occurrence from six years ago sent their world crashing down. Even if they had recovered, things never stayed the same, and the following changes were drastic. Hiromu had resigned his position as CEO, and even her mother who was an icon in show business quit acting altogether. Still, because of their deep-seated passion for their respective careers, they both retained the majority of what was left, knowing it was the only way to move forward.

Alumi had come to discover that each of them had their own way of coping with Haruki's death, each with their own distraction. Her father with his company, her mother with her production agency, and she with her hero studies. Those who knew them and their story commended their strength as a family. It was a family talent, she supposed, that they were capable of keeping up a front that nothing was wrong, that everything was going smoothly, when in truth they were nothing more than a four-pegged table desperately trying to function despite having one of its legs cut off.

They ran the whole thing like it was a show. It was to be expected, after all. Her mother was a natural-born actress, her father had always possessed that elegant unwavering composure, and Alumi? She learned only from the best, taught and shown how to act.

"Never forget, Alu, that appearance is everything. An actress' smile is both her weapon and her shield. But even if you're not an actress, you must answer whatever hardship you face with a smile. No matter how painful it is, hide it away where no one can see. So smile...smile to save yourself."

It was the only advice she'd ever received from her mother, a creed Alumi kept close to her heart. She sighed softly, almost startled to find she'd been looking at the floor the entire time.

Alumi looked up and saw her father do the same, realizing they both fell into a reverie at the same time, that they were both mulling over the events that led them today. For a moment they simply stared at each other in silence, frozen like a pair of deer caught in the headlights.

Hiromu started to smile, his eyes understanding and slightly glassy. He placed a hand against the side of her head in an affectionate caress.

"How was your second day at U.A?" he asked after a while.

Alumi smiled. "Wonderful. I got to be a villain today."

"Oh? That sounds interesting." And they discussed it at length during the meal, with Hiromu letting out a laugh or two as Alumi relayed the experience.

"Only the second day and they already have you kids doing some pretty thrilling stuff," Hiromu commented. "First the Quirk assessment test yesterday – with a threat of expulsion no less – and now a person-to-person battle?"

He shook his head in disbelief. Alumi began to feel nervous, hoping that he wasn't starting to think sending her to U.A was a bad idea.

Hiromu surprised her when he suddenly began to laugh. "U.A really is something. Nedzu-san sure is doing a fine job keeping it that way."

Alumi curiously tilted her head. 'Nedzu-san?'

"That reminds me, Alu, but I have something for you." Hiromu momentarily detached himself from the table and disappeared into the hall. When he returned, he placed a blue colored paper bag on the table and smiled into Alumi's half-confused, half-intrigued expression. "It's from your grandmother."

"From Granny?"

Alumi waited eagerly as Hiromu reached into the bag and pulled out a small red-colored velvet box.

"Now it's been months, but she and your Grandpa send their congratulations for getting into U.A, and Mom…she wanted you to have this."

Alumi tentatively took the box from her father's hands. She stared at it for a moment before finally opening it. She let out a light but audible gasp, a hand coming to her mouth. Inside the small velvet box were the most beautiful crystal earrings she had ever seen. The crystals were of a tetragonal shape and tinted in a light cerulean color. It was an inch and a half in size, attached to and suspended by small golden hoops, the kanji for their family name engraved on the gold's shining surface. It was definitely one of her grandmother's creations, and that's when it struck her of what they were made of.

Alumi looked up to her father with wide eyes. "Dad…t-this is…!"

"That's right." Hiromu nodded with a knowing smile. "They were made from your grandmother's tears. Happy tears," he assured when he saw her expression waver. "She was glad you were able to reach this far. These are her feelings."

Alumi glanced down and ran a careful finger over the shining crystals. Strangely enough, the crystals were warm, like they contained an undying flame inside.

'These are…Granny's feelings…'

Alumi closed her eyes as she felt them, recalling a certain memory from long ago.


"I've decided, Granny! I…I'm going to be a hero!"

A skeptical smile had touched Granny's lips then. "A hero? Are you sure that's what you want, Alu-chan?"

"I'm certain," eleven year old Alumi affirmed with a dignified nod. "I'm going to become a hero that saves people, so they may never have to lose someone precious."

Granny's eyes softened, her pretty wrinkled smile morphing into a loving one. "That's wonderful, dear. Then Granny will support you. We've never had a hero in our family before, but I believe you will start your own legacy. Granny will wait for that. And don't forget, Alu-chan, that we of the Koseki family, those who have their eyes set upon the crystal path, we are clear and unbreakable. May you become that kind of hero."

Granny went to pat her on the head then, and Alumi beamed with the dulled light in her eyes.

"Yes, I will do my best!"


"Beautiful, aren't they?" She heard her father say softly.

"They are…" she replied with a soft smile, her eyes glistening with gratitude.

"A fitting gift for a villainous winner, don't you think?"

Alumi chuckled. "Yes, it has a nice ring to it…" She looked down on the crystal earrings again, smiling widely. "With these, I'll become the Crystal Hero someday."

"The very first in our family," Hiromu added with a proud grin.

Alumi's wide smile diminished slowly, her grip on the box tightening just as the crystal prisms glittered under the light.

'That's not it, Dad.' Was what she wanted to say but kept her mouth shut instead. 'Because if Haru was still here…He's the one who's going to be the hero in this family. Not me…'


Sawatte mite yo, kono kokoro wa ima~

(Go ahead and touch, this heart of mine~)

Katte ni koi wo shite…Katte ni kizutsuiteru!

(That went off and fell in love…that went off and got itself hurt!)

Sawaranaide yo, kono omoi kanawanai no naraaa…~

(Don't you dare touch me, if this love can never workkk…~)

Massao na aza…mune no naka nokoru dake de~~

(Then I'll simply end…with a deep blue bruise in my heart~~)

Although she was getting concerned why her friend took longer than usual to answer the phone, Alumi giggled amusedly when she heard the answering ringtone.

'This song is very…un-Chi-chan like.' She gasped when a sudden revelation popped into her head. 'Could it be? Is Chi-chan finally in-love?'

Just when the chorus ended and the song was about to start another verse, the phone picked up and a breathless "Hello!? Micchan, is that you!?" gasped out.

'Aww, too bad. And I was beginning to enjoy it, too.'

"The one and only~!" Alumi sang.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for answering just now! The old man is being a pain, and, ugghhh." She groaned and sounded like she was smothering a hand over her face. Alumi could only guess she was embarrassed about the ringtone.

"Don't worry about it, Chi-chan. It's my timing that's pretty late, after all. Oh, but do greet Matsu-sensei for me."

"Yeah, yeah I'll be sure to tell the old man tomorrow since he's already up in his room. I just put in one of his psychedelic old-people music and you know how it is."

Alumi chuckled. "Glad to know Matsu-sensei's still kicking it."

"Oh he's kicking it all right!"

"Your butt…?" Alumi couldn't resist saying.

"…"

"…"

"Che."

Alumi laughed.

"Nevermind that, how long has it been since you called? And it's been about a month and a half since your last visit, y'know! No, wait, don't answer, I'm just glad I get to talk to you right now." Alumi smiled with relief as she heard the smile in the other girl's voice. "I'm partly guilty too, anyway, and it's not like I don't understand. The Hero Course is tough, huh? Are you having fun?"

"It's just the beginning, but I'm having a lot of fun."

"Good for you. Which reminds me, how're you holdin' up on your second day? Bet you already flaunted that Quirk of yours~."

"Hm? How did you know it's already the second day?"

"Micchan, we're talking about the number one school for heroes in the Japan here. 'Course the media won't lag behind! Especially now that All Might works as a teacher there. People can't stop talking about it."

"Oh, you're right. The news was quite shocking, All Might-san as an educator and all…"

"Yeah," Chi-chan agreed grimly. "It really makes you think there's gotta be some significant reason behind it."

Alumi didn't miss the serious lilt in Chi-chan's tone. It wasn't the first time she was impressed with her best friend's perception. At first glance, many may pass off Chihari Tsukiyama as your average loud and carefree Haafu tomboy with her short, boy-cut styled caramel brown hair and haughty blue eyes. Nobody would've guessed she actually possessed an analytical keen mind and was capable of sound reasoning underneath her brazen exterior.

That was one of the things Alumi liked about her which was more or less similar to her own perceptive trait. But while Alumi was sharp in an inquisitive and probing way, Chihari's curiosity was tight-laced with aggressive query. She'd always been wary of anything and anyone, always suspicious of people's actions, always questioning why this happened or why people do what they did, always trying to discover their intentions. Alumi couldn't really blame her, she knew it was the result of Chihari's own unpleasant past.

Unpleasant past experiences really had a way of doing that to people. That even if one tried to change and forget, some bitter remnants will always stick no matter what, turning into scars that slowly eat away at an individual's psychological foundations and turning them into frightening versions of themselves.

"But man, you sure are lucky!" Chihari quipped suddenly. "You get to be a student during All Might's first year as a teacher. I bet you already caught a glimpse of him once or twice already!"

"I believe it's more than just a glimpse, Chi-chan. I finally saw All Might-san in person today, since he's our teacher in Hero Basic Training."

"Woah, WHAT!? HOLD UP! All Might teaches in your class!?"

"Uh-huh~!" Alumi chimed, enjoying the other girl's reaction.

"I'm so jealous! You basically got a good eyeful of him!"

"Even though it's you who never misses an episode of his talk show in the past…?"

"But it's different when you see him in person!" Chihari whined.

"I suppose. All Might-san is definitely much dashing in person," Alumi mused aloud.

"Can you get his autograph for me? Pleaasseeee?"

"Okay, I'll try tomorrow."

"Awesome! And after you have it, just give it to Hei-kun. I already gave him a head's up."

"Hei-kun?" Alumi actually cocked her head to the side even though Chihari couldn't see her. There was only one person Chihari called that.

"What? Alumi…" Alumi winced a little. Chihari never called her that unless some serious stuff was about to go down. "You already forgot about Hei-kun!?"

"Ah, no, it's just—"

"Ramiro Kyouhei. He's my Haafu cousin," Chihari interjected hotly. "You guys met during his first visit to Japan! You know, he's dark-skinned, has two bratty white snakes on his shoulders for a Quirk, half-Portuguese with silver eyes? Ring a bell? My God, Micchan! He even left us a farewell message saying he'd—"

"Of course I remember Kyou-kun, I haven't forgotten about him one bit!"

Seven seconds of silence. "Oh…then you should've said that earlier."

Alumi repressed the urge to sigh. "I was about to, but then you suddenly went and turned into a spit-fire. What I meant to say was I'm surprised to hear that Kyou-kun is already here in Japan. And from what you said just now, it sounds like he's in U.A."

"I knew you'd catch on quick." Chihari sounded pleased. "I already told him to come talk to you tomorrow so I'm gonna leave the explanations to him."

"Oh, that's nice…" Alumi managed to get out before Chihari went on with her unstoppable train of words again.

"Really," she huffed, "I know it's only been the second day and all, but I still can't believe you guys didn't bump into each other. Your classroom is literally right next to his!"

'Right next to our class...?' Alumi's eyes widened. "Chi-chan, you mean Kyou-kun is...?"

A hint of a chuckle riddled Chihari's reply, "Yeah. He's in Class 1-B. Surprise~!"


A/N:

Decided to kick my 3000+ word limit ya'll! Though I already kicked that quota a loooong time ago. So from here on out it's going to be all long chapters (ノ◕ヮ◕)*:・゚✧

So imma just share my absolute favorite part in this chapter was writing Kaminari and Jirou. I wanted to give them more screen time because I really love these two adorkable mofos, and I wanted to elaborate on the beginning of this magnificent ship by touching on Jirou's sarcastic punk-gal vibe and Kaminari's hilarious tendency to completely misread her wisecracks (remember Jamming-Whey? That was actually my basis for the whole Tanraku/Tenraku business, my way of paying homage to that beautifully hilarious moment of Jirou showing her teasing side for the first time in the series lol). These two were really fairly easy and immensely fun to write. I confess, something about these two just channel the inner dork in me ┐()

Aaaannnd the childhood friend finally appears (via phonecall! =D)! There's two of them actually, and they hold the keys to Alumi's past, practically because they were part of it. We'll get to know who 'Hei-kun' is at length next chapter, and although Chihari isn't a Hero Aspirant like the two, we'll definitely get to see more of her in the future.


Tidbits time~!

Fujiyoshida is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture. It's Alumi's hometown where she was born.

The Japanese lyrics that you passed by, A.K.A Chi-chan's answering ringtone or ringback, as we call in our country, is from Koiji Romanesque performed by The Zetsubo Girls from the Anime Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo-Sensei. I HIGHLY recommend that you listen to it. Then after that you can watch the Anime if you're up for some hilarious nonsensical shit. It's worth it I tell ya!

Here's a little bit of My Language Academia used in this chapter for you:

1) Tanraku – directly translates into 'short circuit' and is homophonous to 'Tenraku', which means 'falling', hence why Jamming-Whey back there mistook it as a reference to an actual lightning bolt lol. Also, another interesting thing to note about this particular word (something I discovered as I was researching and affirming it) is that Tenraku, written in the Kanjis (短 絡) can actually be used as a noun (or suru verb) among the Japanese which is used to call someone who either does any of the two (or both of them lol): draws a hasty conclusion between two events and dealing with matters quickly and carelessly. Now that certainly rings a bell about a certain someone riiiight~? *looks at Kaminari* But aye! He's getting better and I'm so proud of this boy~.

2) Haafu – practically slang for 'Half-blooded'.


Extra notice: I decided to change the name of Alumi's mother, which was originally 'Michiko' to 'Reika' because the meaning and the kanji of the second name is much closer to her yet to be revealed Quirk. Also, the past chapters of this fanfic has undergone some revision. By reading the whole story up to this update, there were moments where I was like "This part's too bland. Gotta change it," or "It would be much cooler if he/she said this. Must rephrase," or "This sentence is unnecessary. I gotta remove this," or "Gaah! I completely forgot something so important!" and so, bottom line, if you back-read it, you'll surely notice some changes. I'm afraid it wouldn't be the last, sorry 'bout that. Hopefully I'll get better at writing, not to mention improve my memory so I wouldn't have to do that frequently (-_- ;)

Alright! We finally reached the end of this chapter. If you reached this far, seriously, thanks a lot!


[Date Updated]: May 13, 2017.
[Edited]: Changed a few phrases and added a few changes concerning some scenes (especially concerning the Sound Electric duo).