猫に鰹節

neko ni katsuobushi

A situation where one can not let their guard down

I woke up early for the day of the competition. Missus Yukihime had allowed me to buy a sleeping bag last week, which I kept in the back. Putting on my uniform, I took the extra ten minutes to carefully brush and braid my hair, which now reached the back of my knees.

Rubbing my eyes, I walked out to the front of the store, and froze. Missus Yukihime was waiting in the main area, calmly watering her flowers. She was wearing a blue sundress with a large hat and matching bow. Hearing me enter the room, she glanced up and smiled at me. "Miss Ichigo! You're getting ready for the Yuuei Sports Festival today, correct?"

"U-uh, yes, Missus Y-Yukihime," I confirmed, confused as to why she was here so early.

"Excellent!" She placed down the metal watering can next to the register. "I thought we should go eat breakfast out today, as celebration. You don't want to enter the competition on anything less than a full stomach, right?"

I gaped at her for a moment, before grinning widely. "Y-yes, ma'am! Thank you!" I rushed towards the door, pausing to hold it open. I bounced on my toes from excitement, eagerly waiting while Missus Yukihime grabbed her purse.

"Don't run too far ahead of me," She laughed, strolling out the door at a much slower rate. "There's a small cafe down the street, it serves American food. We'll stop there, okay?" I nodded so quickly, my neck hurt. American food was the best!

Sitting at one of the many tables in the lounge rooms under the stadium, I bounced my leg anxiously. I was really, really, really nervous about this competition, even though it wasn't going to affect my career. I was going to be on international television! What if I did something stupid, like fall on my face or get trampled because of my height? What if I used my quirk, and crashed during the competition? What if -

"Uh, Icchan?" I glanced up to see Ochako, who was looking at me in concern. "Are you okay? You look like you're having an anxiety attack or something."

I shook my head. "N-no, j-just nervous," I bit my lip, gripping my gym uniform pants tightly. "W-we're going t-to b-be on international t-television!"

"Yeah," Ochako laughed sheepishly, taking the seat across from me. "It is pretty nerve wracking, huh? But we've been preparing for this for weeks. You survived the villain invasion," she smiled at me reassuringly. "I'm sure we'll survive this too!"

I sighed. "M-maybe," I mumbled. "Th-this is m-much m-more t-terrifying, if y-you ask m-me." Ochako opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by a hand slamming down on the table. I leaped to my feet, chair falling to the floor behind me. "W-why did you d-do th-that?!" I demanded.

Bakugo glared at me with fiery eyes, fists still planted on the table. He held up his other hand menacingly, small explosions sparking on his fingers. "ICHIMI! YOU BETTER MAKE IT THROUGH THIS THING, CAUSE I'M GONNA BEAT YOU, YA HEAR?!"

"Y-yeah," I gulped, gathering together what little confidence I had. "I d-don't see what th-the big deal is th-though, Bakago. Wh-why do you w-want t-to fight me so b-badly?"

The blonde pointed at me accusingly. "I saw you fighting that hands guy. You can go toe to toe with him, you'll go toe to toe with me. And if you throw the damn fight, I'll know," he snarled, stepping closer to tower over me. "So you better not lose until I get to beat you, got it?"

I blinked. That almost sounded like a compliment. "Y-you got it," I agreed, before grinning shakily. "Y-you know, Bakago, y-you make a p-pretty g-good cheer squad."

"SHUT UP!" The blonde growled, stalking off with his hands in his pockets. I watched him go, not relaxing until he'd sat down on the other side of the room, starting a conversation with Kirishima.

I sighed in relief. "W-wow, b-better lose quick. I d-don't want to f-fight th-that," I muttered, picking up my chair and sitting. Ochako laughed, sitting down again as well. At that moment, Izuku and Tenya arrived. Spotting them at the door, I waved widely. "H-hey guys, over h-here!" I called.

Izuku noticed me, and with a smile, started towards us. Tenya was busy scolding the Terror Trio. Kaminari had straws up his nose, and Ashido appeared to be offering him juice. Tenya was loudly ordering them to prepare for the competition and stop joking around.

"Good m-morning Ichigo, Ochako," Izuku greeted kindly. "You guys ready for this?"

Ochako gave him a wide smile. "Totally," she pointed her thumb at me. "Icchan is a little less than excited though."

"U-understatement of th-the year," I mumbled sullenly, crossing my arms. Ochako seemed far too amused by my predicament. How was she so unbothered by the fact we were going to be on TV in a few minutes?! With a nervous chuckle, Izuku went to take the seat next to me.

"Midoriya," he stopped, and all three of us turned to see Todoroki. He was standing in the middle of the room, entirely focused on Izuku.

Izuku paused, facing Todoroki. He looked at him with concern. "What is it, Todoroki?" He asked curiously.

"Objectively, I think I'm stronger than you," Todoroki said bluntly.

Izuku nodded, clearly starting to grow nervous. "Ah, uh, yeah," he agreed, wide eyed. Behind him, but still in Todoroki's line of sight, I withered. The taller boy's heterochromatic eyes burned with freezing concentration. If Bakugo's eyes were fiery rage, Todoroki was cold determination. I shivered, realizing that this sports festival was going to be a little more complicated than I'd first thought.

"You've managed to catch All Might's attention somehow," Todoroki continued, and I saw Izuku gulp. "I'm not going to pry into that, but…" Todoroki narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to beat you." At his unexpected declaration, the entire room went silent, staring at the spectacle. I played with my sleeve, realizing how similar this was to what Bakugo had said to me.

Kaminari was happy to run commentary, now without straws up his nose. "Oho! What's this? A declaration of war from the strongest kid in the class?!" From the same table, Bakugo glared at Todoroki and Izuku heatedly.

Kirishima walked up behind Todoroki, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's with all the anger all of a sudden?! Don't spring this on him right before-" he stopped talking when Todoroki easily bat his hand away, turning his back on Izuku, who had lowered his head to the floor.

"I'm not here to make friends," Todoroki said coldly, stalking away. I glanced between him and Izuku worriedly, noting Izuku's now clenched fists. He wasn't going to respond, was he?!

He was. "I have no idea what you want from me," Izuku started, still looking at his hands. "You're definitely stronger than me, and I think the vast majority of people are no match for you." My eyes widened with every word. What was he doing?! Was Izuku trying to make things harder for himself?!

Kirishima stepped forward, holding up his hands. "C'mon Midoriya, don't be so negative…"

"EVEN SO-!" Izuku continued, becoming more passionate with every word. "Everyone, even the kids from the other departments, are going to be aiming for the top with all their might, so I can't just let myself lag behind!" He looked up and met Todoroki's eyes, and I could almost visualize the clash of wills occuring in front of me. "So I'm going to go for it," Izuku declared. "With all of my might too!"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at Izuku from across the room. Todoroki tilted his head back. "Oh?" He said chillingly, every inch of his posture oozing challenge. I gaped at Izuku, wondering what the hell he was thinking, issuing a statement like that. After a few moments, while everyone seemed to absorb what had just happened, Izuku turned back around and sat. Slowly, conversations started up again.

Ochako grinned, offering Izuku and thumbs up. "Good job, Izukun! That took some real guts! I hope you manage to beat Todoroki," she mimed a punch into the air. "He deserves it, acting like such a jerk!"

I smiled shakily. "Y-yeah, something l-like th-that. Bakago s-said something s-similar t-to me, you know," I hugged myself, trembling at the memory. "I w-wish I h-had th-the guts to s-say wh-what you did. I th-think I-I'll just d-drop out during th-the final r-round th-though."

Izuku looked at me solemnly. "Ichigo, you can't just drop out. It's like what I said before," he clenched his fist, fire burning in his eyes. "If everyone else is going to give it their best shot, you have to as well! Otherwise, how can you ever become a hero?!"

I stared at him with wide eyes. "B-but th-this isn't - I d-don't have t-to-!"

"It's not right, Ichigo," Izuku said firmly. "If you're going to become a hero, you have to be willing to try!"

I glared at him, feeling very hurt. Was he saying I couldn't become a hero? I had heard that from far too many people, but to hear it from one of my friends… it was like getting sucker punched in the stomach. "FINE!" I shouted, standing up and slamming my hands on the table. "I-IF THAT'S WHAT Y-YOU WANT, I'LL T-TRY!" I narrowed my eyes at him. "B-but I'm only g-going to beat you, this competition d-doesn't matter to m-me," I shoved my hands in my pockets, ducking my head to hide my watery eyes behind my bangs. "It's g-good to know where I s-stand, anyways." I mumbled, stalking off into the hall. I'd go hide in the bathroom until it was time to leave, it'd be easier than facing my supposed friend.

"STUDENTS, IT'S TIME TO ENTER THE ARENA," A voice came over the intercom. I looked up from my spot on the bathroom floor, hugging my knees and leaning against the wall. I'd been crying for a while, and only recently stopped. Climbing to my feet, I peeked in the mirror. My eyes were still slightly red, so I brushed my bangs over to hide them.

Shuffling out into the hall, I spotted Izuku as I headed towards the Class 1-A exit tunnel. He noticed me as well, but before he could say something I rushed to the front of the line, hurrying out into the arena field. I could hear Present Mic shouting to the stadium introducing us.

"THE YUUEI SPORTS FESTIVAL! WHERE THE HERO WORLD'S INCHOATE LITTLE EGGS AIM FOR EACH OTHER'S THROATS - AND THE TOP! OUR GRAND YEARLY MELEE!" Present Mic howled to the entire arena, and the world. I cringed at the description, but steeled my nerves. The audience roared as we entered the green, the first class to be introduced. "AND LET ME GUESS, ALL YOU MISCREANTS CAME TO SEE THEM, RIGHT? THE FRESHLY-FORMED MIRACLE STARS THAT SHRUGGED OFF A MASS VILLAIN ASSAULT WITH WILLS OF STEEL!" I blinked, leaving my stupor. I looked up at the announcer's box, wondering how on Earth we had "shrugged off" the attack. We were experiencing the repercussions still, with the other classes hating us! "THE DEPARTMENT OF HEROICS, FRESHMAN CLASS! YOU'RE HERE FOR CLASS 1-A, RIGHT!?"

I winced at the audacious declaration, knowing that the other classes wouldn't take that over the top introduction well. I glanced over to Bakugo, who was walking a few steps behind me at the front. He was almost glowing with malevolent determination.

"Wow, they're really praising us to the sky…" Kirishima said nervously, scanning the entire arena in awe. "I'm getting nervous now…! You, Bakugo?"

Bakugo's evil smirk widened. "No way I'm nervous, you're just getting stage fright, wuss."

"AND FOLLOWING, WE HAVE CLASS B!" Present Mic continued to announce the classes as they entered the arena, although with much less drama. "HERE COME CLASSES C, D, AND E FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION! AND NOW HERE ARE CLASSES F, G, AND H OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SUPPORT! AND THE NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT…" I started to tune out the loud shouting in favor of scanning the arena.

The large green area in the center, which students were filling in, was ovular. At one side, there was a concrete podium, and I could see a woman in a very inappropriate costume standing with a riding crop in her hand. Trying to suppress my blush, I turned my eyes to the audience. The bleachers reached high enough to touch the sky, and I couldn't spot a single empty seat. The thrill in my stomach was accompanied by the sudden rush of blood to my head. This was way more crowded than a first-year demonstration was supposed to be.

"NOW NOW, FAIR PLAY!" The lady on the stage shouted, waving her riding crop. I averted my eyes to the grass below my feet, admiring my worn black sneakers and doing my best to ignore the female hero.

I heard the other students recognize her regardless. "Hey, check it out! That the 18+ only heroine, Midnight! She must be the Chief Referee for the freshmen stage this year!"

"Wait, did you say '18+ only?'" Tokoyami repeated questioningly. "Even though this is a high school? Is that really okay?"

Somehow, Midnight listened in to that comment. "SILENCE!" She screamed, waving her riding crop even more wildly. "MY TENURE HERE IS PERFECTLY ON THE LEVEL! NOW, PLAYER REP, KATSUKI BAKUGO OF CLASS 1-A!" I glanced over to the blonde in shock. How the heck was he the representative of the entire Freshman Year?!

Bakugo approached the stage slowly, hands in his pockets. Casually taking his place in front of the microphone, I swallowed, wondering what incendiary comment he'd make this time.

"Everyone," he started, tilting his head back challengingly. "I'm gonna place first." There was an awkward moment of silence while Bakugo's very short speech set in. Then the other students erupted, along with the audience.

"DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, CLASS-A!" One students hollered.

"WHY DO YOU INSIST ON LOWERING OUR GOOD GRACES!?" Another screamed.

There was also a shout of "sludge-fucker!" Bakugo made a slicing motion across his throat in the general direction of that comment. After a few seconds of all the students screaming protests, Bakugo walked back down the stage. I gulped, seeing the oddly serious look on the blonde's face. This wasn't looking good, but if he stood between Izuku and I… I'd have to beat him.

I could only hope I was strong enough.

Midnight continued speaking, ignoring the chaos Bakugo had created. "ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT WE CAN MOVE DIRECTLY ONTO OUR FIRST EVENT! ONTO THE 'PRELIMINARIES', AS THEY'RE CALLED! LOTS OF FINE FOLKS END UP CHOKING ON THEIR TEARS HERE EVERY YEAR!" The Pro Hero turned, pointing her riding crop up at the display, which showed a scrolling line of possible activities. "AND THIS YEAR'S FIRST ROUND OF DESTINY IS…" The screen settled on an activity. It read, "Obstacle Race", and I grinned triumphantly. "... THIS!" Midnight finished.

I celebrated internally. Mister Aizawa had made me run that stupid obstacle course of his every day for two weeks, until I could complete it in under forty seconds. He'd also had me run two miles at the start of every training session. An obstacle race? I smiled smugly as I approached the gates. This thing was made for me.

I took my spot near the front of the crowd, steadfastly ignoring Izuku when he stood next to me. I clenched my fists, feeling a thrill of energy buzz in my gut. I was going to beat this, beat him, and prove I could be a hero. It was the only dream I had ever kept so selfishly close, after all.

"STAAAAAAAART!"