ねこのくびにすずをつける

neko no kubi ni suzu o tsukeru
"to put a bell around a cat's neck", or to discuss doing something that is nearly impossible to do

Grabbing her abandoned drink, I exited the viewing box, determined to go find Ochako. My immediate and most probable guess was that she was in the waiting room, preparing for her match, so I headed down the stairs. I was still slightly tired from the earlier match, but I felt better than I had before, so walking down ten floors was easy. Quietly shuffling down the hall under the arena, I spotted the familiar door. Silently, I slid into the room.

Ochako was sitting at a long table, staring at her hands. I smiled cheerfully, shutting my eyes. "H-hey," I greeted casually, giving a small wave, and Ochako's head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise.

"I-Icchan?" She started, before grinning herself. "Jeez, don't scare me like that! What if you were Bakugo or something?" She shuddered theatrically, wrapping her arms around herself.

I nodded, sitting down across from her at the table. I plopped the drink down on the center. "S-speaking of Bakago," I began, watching Ochako take the tea and sip from it. "W-what's y-your plan?"

Ochako swallowed her tea. "Plan? What do you mean?" she said innocently, clutching her drink close to her chest.

"I-I'm not s-stupid, Ocha-chan, and n-neither a-are you," I responded sternly, narrowing my eyes. "S-so what's your p-plan?"

Ochako blushed, eyes averting down again. "It isn't much of a plan…" she mumbled. "But I was thinking, if I charged him and stayed low to the ground, Bakugo's explosions…" her voice dwindled off, and she took another sip of her tea, eyes fixed to her lap.

"H-he'll m-make weapons f-for you?" I finished, smiling proudly. "Th-that's a g-great idea! And if y-you c-can get your h-hands on him, th-that'll b-be another m-major advantage," Ochako nodded, eyes brightening. I grinned, leaning forwards. "If I c-can make a suggestion… d-don't r-release all th-the rubble at once. It's a-always g-good to have a P-Plan B, right?"

Ochako grinned. "Yeah! You're right… but Ichigo," I paused, surprised by her use of my name. She was being serious again. "I - I don't want to rely on you and Izuku for everything… I want to make this on my own. Otherwise, that victory won't mean anything," she looked up at me, and I could see the determination in her eyes. "So I'm going to do my best, so I can fight you in the next round!"

I stared at her for a moment, stunned by the declaration. Then I grinned as well. "I h-hope I'll g-get t-to fight you, then!" I cheered. After an awkward, tense moment, I deflated. "B-but why d-does everyone w-want t-to fight me a-anyways. W-what's s-so cool about b-beating up a 'midget'." I wrinkled my nose, remembering Present Mic's words. Ochako laughed, and I stood up. "All right th-then," I said, walking towards the door. "I'll g-give y-you your space," I opened it, stepping into the hall. "B-bye!" I chirped, shutting the door behind me. I turned, and was surprised to spot Izuku and Tenya in the center of the hallway.

"Oh, Ichigo!" Izuku said, startled. "Is Ochako in there? I wanted to talk to her before the match started."

"Y-yes, she is, b-but," I inhaled, trying to channel the part of me that normally only popped up in the heat of battle. "She doesn't want to r-rely on us to w-win. She h-has a pretty g-good plan actually, so I th-think we should give her space." I sounded much more assertive than I usually did.

Izuku stared at me with wide eyes, before flicking his gaze to the door. "Okay," he agreed slowly, sounding slightly depressed. He seemed to be realizing something I had not, and I wondered what I had missed.

Tenya was as enthusiastic as ever, waving his arms wildly. "Ichigo! Your stutter is much less pronounced!" He pointed out loudly.

I flushed. "R-really?"

"Yes!" He cheered, holding up his hand with four fingers. "You spoke two full sentences and stuttered only four times, which is much better than usual!"

Izuku nodded, eyes brightening as well. "Now that you mention it, that's right!" He gave me a thumbs up. "Good job, Ichigo!"

I pressed my hands to my cheeks, feeling them heat up. I still wasn't used to receiving kudos from others. "Th-thanks guys," I mumbled. "L-let's get back to the v-viewing b-box though, we d-don't want to m-miss Ocha-chan's m-match."

We returned to our spots in the Class A viewing box. Our seats were still empty, so we returned to our spots, the unfilled chair between Tenya and I adding to the building tension in the air. I hoped that Ochako would win this match, but logic told me that Bakugo was far too powerful. Just like Todoroki and Sero, clever moves could only last against overwhelming force in an enclosed area for so long. Ochako probably wouldn't win this match, but she could still impress the pro-heroes looking for interns if she did well.

Finally, the jumbotrons switched over to showing the arena. I could see a grumpy looking Bakugo stalk onto the stage, hands shoved into his pockets messily, and Ochako stride up as well,

"It's time for the eighth and final match of the first round!" Present Mic introduced loudly, as the audience roared. "He was kind of famous in middle school, from the heroics department, it's KATSUKI BAKUGO! Versus - she's the one I'm rooting for, from the same department - OCHAKO URARAKA!"

I gripped the sides of my seat, biting my lip anxiously. "D-do you th-think she'll win…?" I mumbled hopefully, already knowing the answer.

"There's always a chance…" Izuku answered, sounding just as doubtful as I was. I gulped.

"START!" Present Mic screamed, and Ochako charged. She kept low to the ground, arms spread outwards, and rushed towards Bakugo, who had only just removed his hands from his pockets. Her expression was fiercely determined, but before she could get close enough to touch him, Bakugo flung an explosion in her face, hiding them both in a cloud of smoke. I couldn't help but smile when I saw several pieces of rubble float out of that cloud and into the air.

Ochako's plan had already begun.

Bakugo snarled, searching the smoke for Ochako's shadowed form. When he noticed a dark spot in the smoke, he lunged. My eyes widened as I noticed the blue jacket his hands were slamming into… was empty. Bakugo pinned the loose clothing to the ground, and from behind him, Ochako emerged, hands outstretched.

Bakugo then spun around, much faster than I thought him capable, and cleared Ochako away from himself with another loud boom. A quick flash, and Ochako was back several feet and charging in again, hands always, always outstretched. I smiled as Ochako dove in again and again, displaying her incredible tenacity as more and more pieces of rock rose into the air.

"Sh-she's incredible," I muttered, marveling at Ochako's dedication. "T-talk about d-determination…"

Tenya looked at me oddly. "What do you mean?" He asked, confused by my awe.

I lifted my head upwards. "L-look at th-the sky," I answered, feeling immensely proud of my friend. The entirety of the Class A box gasped at the sight of the horde of rubble floating in the air. "Sh-she's using h-him t-to create ammo," I explained. "And b-by st-staying low to th-the ground and c-causing more explosions, she's l-limiting his v-vision until it's t-too l-late."

"Wow," Izuku said under his breath, and I grinned at him. Ochako was proving just how well she could operate on her own. With spirit like that, I thought, looking back towards the fight, how could she ever think she needed to rely on us?

Another explosion went off, and I could see Bakugo panting from exertion. Ochako flew back even further than before, and she rubbed her cheek with her forearm, cleaning away a thick coating of sweat. At that moment, a roar of protest broke out from the Pro Hero viewing box. "HEY, DO YOU MEAN TO BE A HERO WITH CONDUCT LIKE THAT?! IF YOUR STRENGTH LEVEL IS THAT MUCH HIGHER, JUST BLOW HER OUT OF BOUNDS ALREADY!" A hero roared. "HOW DARE YOU TOY WITH A GIRL LIKE THAT!?"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "W-why must people always f-focus on th-the fact s-someone's f-female…" I muttered bitterly. "H-he's showing r-respect f-for her abilities by n-not b-blowing her off. B-Bakago is less of an idiot th-than them."

Izuku wilted. "You're really opinionated, Ichigo…" He said in disbelief.

"N-not really," I shrugged. "I j-just d-dislike stupid people," I narrowed my eyes towards the booing heroes. "And th-the world has a l-lot of th-them." Izuku stared at me with wide eyes, as if seeing me in a whole new light.

Tenya jumped on board. "It is most disgraceful for a Pro Hero not to notice Ochako's plan," he said sternly, ignoring the fact he had missed the cloud of rubble as well. "And Ochako's gender should not affect their decision making." I nodded firmly in agreement, crossing my arms.

"The stands are booing him!" Present Mic observed over the intercom, sounding incredulous. Then, he sighed loudly. "I gotta say, I kinda agree - OWW, YOU ELBOWED ME-!"

Present Mic was cut off by a familiar voice. "Who just said he's toying with her? You're a Pro? For how many years?" Mister Aizawa's voice cut in, sounding lowly infuriated. The booing dwindled off as the sudden, angry interruption. "If you said that in your right mind, then there's no meaning in you watching this. Do us all a favor and go home," Mister Aizawa insulted. I smiled viciously at the familiar, scathing tone. Mister Aizawa was pissed. "In fact, you ought to consider switching careers. Bakugo clearly recognizes the strength of an opponent that has made it this far, and is on his guard as a result." The big-screens quickly moved to show Bakugo's concentrated expression to accompany Mister Aizawa's speech. "It's because he's doing everything in his power to win, that he's refusing to let his guard down or stay his hand."

The camera panned over to Ochako's face, who looked extremely determined. She said something along the lines of "thank you", and pressed her hands together. The rubble in the sky plummeted towards the earth. I watched it fall, feeling ridiculously proud of Ochako's plan's success -

In a single, roaring explosion, the entire wave of rocks was blown away. Bakugo stood darkly in the center of the arena, one arm raised and bracing it with his other hand, as the fragmented shards of Ochako's attack rained around him. I was stunned for a moment, wondering why he hadn't used that sort of fire power before, and then I noticed how his arm was trembling. I bit my lips, clutching my pants.

So, Bakugo had his limits as well, I realized. Just like Izuku and I, Bakugo had a limit to how much power he could use without damaging himself.

Ochako was kneeling on the ground, eyes wide in disbelief. I could only imagine how frustrated she was feeling right now. It would be even worse than Izuku's match with Tetsutetsu, because unlike him, she'd been able to give her all, and fallen short anyway.

She tried to push herself to her feet again, barely managing to step forwards, before falling to the ground limply. I tensed, wondering if I'd need to heal her, or if Recovery Girl would be able to heal all her injuries without exhausting her.

Midnight walked forwards, kneeling down and laying a hand on Ochako's back. "Uraraka is unable to move," she announced grimly. "Bakugo advances to the next round!"

I grit my teeth, and stood up abruptly. Wheeling around, I stalked towards the stairs. Ochako would be released from Recovery Girl's care shortly, I was sure. We could return upstairs for the next match together, and hopefully I'd get the chance to talk to her. She had done amazing, and she had impressed plenty of pros with her quick thinking. The cameras had shown the stunned faces of the protesters after her attack. Hopefully, that would make her feel better about losing.

I sat in the locker room, waiting for Ochako to show up. I was tapping my hands on the table anxiously, wondering how long it was going to be before she inevitably appeared. There was a quick thirty minute break between round one and round two, and I hoped that Ochako would arrive before my next match started.

When the door finally opened, Ochako stepped into the room with her head hung and eyes wet. I stared at her for a moment, then stood up and walked over to her, noting the bandage on her cheek. "H-hey," I said quietly. "M-mind if I h-heal th-those?" I wasn't really asking for permission, because I reached out and grabbed her hand anyways, taking all of five seconds to turn on my quirk, share the power, and deactivate it again. I didn't even wince from the backlash, the pain from a few cuts and abrasions barely worth noticing in my book.

Ochako glanced at me, eyes watering. "It's just - I really wanted to win," she told me, voice thick with tears.

"Y-you w-wanted to help y-your parents, r-right?" I asked her, and Ochako nodded slowly. I smiled softly. "P-plenty of th-the pros were s-surprised b-by what you d-did. Y-you had th-the m-most impressive fight out of all th-the opening m-matches. S-so," I squeezed her hand. "Y-you did g-great, okay?"

Ochako stared at me for a moment, before grinning herself, frustrated tears still pouring down her cheeks. "A-alright!" She sniffed, lowering herself and hugging me. I squeaked, waving my arms around for a moment, before hugging her back awkwardly. "Th-thanks, Icchan," she mumbled into my hair, tightening her grip.

I fidgeted a bit, having not been actually hugged in months, before adjusting. "Y-you're welcome," I responded, trying to keep my bewilderment out of my voice.

I must have failed miserably, because Ochako started laughing, letting go of me and wiping her eyes. "Anyways, I'm n-need to talk to my parents, so if you don't mind…"

"S-sure," I agreed, nodding in understanding. "I'll k-keep Izukun f-from b-busting in too. P-please c-come back to th-the stands soon th-though," I grinned cheerfully. "W-wouldn't want to m-miss your c-crush's m-match, right?"

Ochako gasped, face turning bright red. "What - What's that supposed to mean?!" She waved her hands frantically, before pressing them to her blushing cheeks.

I giggled. "Y-you are s-so obvious," I informed her. "D-don't w-worry, I'm ninety-nine p-percent sure he f-feels th-the same," I looked at her mock sternly, waving my finger dramatically. "Which is w-why you c-can't m-miss his match, or he'll f-feel b-bad, got it?"

Ochako, face still flushed, nodded. "Sure. Okay. Fine. Can you go now?" She sounded slightly desperate. Giggling, I nodded, waving at her as I exited the waiting room. As soon as the door shut, I sighed in relief. I had successfully cheered up Ochako, now to deter Izuku and Tenya from crashing the party too early.

I opened my eyes and gasped. "I-Izuku!" I then forced myself to relax, as the green haired boy stared at me in surprise as well. "I t-talked to Ocha-chan," I said solemnly, and he nodded. "Sh-she's t-talking to her parents r-right now, b-but she'll be b-back soon. W-we should p-probably head back," I told him.

"Ah, alright," Izuku agreed awkwardly, and after a pregnant pause, we both started down the hall. After a minute of walking in silence, Izuku glanced down at me. "So, is she alright?"

"Mhm," I confirmed. "J-just frustrated, sh-she should be o-okay th-though," I bit my lip, hoping this wouldn't create issues later on.

Izuku, ever astute, noticed. "Is something wrong?" He asked me concernedly.

"N-not really," I started, before sighing in defeat. "I j-just d-don't want Ocha-chan t-to be upset w-with m-me cause I'm d-doing well."

"Oh," Izuku's eyes widened in surprise, before he smiled. "I don't think you have to worry about that," he said seriously. "Ochako's better than petty envy."

I smiled, because despite that argument lacking any facts, it made me feel better. "R-right. W-well, I wonder w-who we're f-fighting next-" I was cut off by the sounds of heavy footsteps coming down the hall. I froze next to Izuku, and both of us stared with wide eyes as a tall, hulking man covered in flames and radiating heat stalked in front of us. I met his eyes, which were icy cold. They were familiar color, and I realized this was the number two hero, Endeavor, Shouto Todoroki's father.

I wilted a little, hands clenching my pants to stop them from shaking. Quietly, I grabbed Izuku's wrist, trying to tug him forwards so we could book it down the hall and away from the scary man covered in fire. Unfortunately, my escape was blocked.

Endeavor pointed a finger in Izuku's face. "You're Midoriya, correct?" It didn't sound like a question. "Your quirk is powerful… the amount of wind pressure you generated with a single flick is impressive. In terms of power, you could rival All Might," Izuku gulped, eyes widening, as sweat beaded on his forehead. I watched him anxiously, but Endeavor didn't pause. "My Shouto has a duty to surpass All Might, you won't lose before he can battle you." It was an order, and I found myself nodding with Izuku, trying to skirt past the number two hero. Before I could escape, Endeavor noticed me.

I mentally started to pray. I had kicked his son multiple times in the first trial, and then stole first place out from under his nose in the second. If Shouto hated me, Endeavor probably wanted me dead. "Kurosaki," he began, and all I could think was: Oh shit he knows my name! "What's your quirk?" He demanded.

"M-Mitotic Regeneration," I started, cursing my stutter. I bit my tongue to force my next words out more clearly. "May I ask why you'd like to know?" Izuku flickered his wide eyed gaze to me, clearly recognizing my lack of a stutter.

Endeavor narrowed his eyes. "That's not impressive on it's own," he insulted, and I realized he wanted to know how I'd caught Eraserhead's attention. He knew Mister Aizawa?

I decided to answer his unspoken question. "I c-can share my healing unlimitedly," I said quietly.

"Hmm," Endeavor looked at me consideringly for a moment longer, before turning his eyes back to Izuku. "Make sure you don't disgrace my son, when you fight him." He finished, before stalking off. Izuku and I stared at his back until he finally turned the corner.

I deflated as soon as Endeavor was out of sight. "Oh m-my g-goodness," I breathed, raising a hand to my chest to feel my heart beating. "I th-thought h-he was g-going t-to kill m-me."

"You spoke without stuttering!" Izuku pointed out, and I grinned cheerfully, feeling much happier. I had managed to contain my stammer!

I nodded excitedly, bouncing on my toes. "M-Mister Aizawa gave m-me th-these breathing exercises," I cheered, practically dancing in place.

Izuku nodded, before his expression dimmed. "He said that Todoroki has a duty to surpass All Might," he quoted Endeavor. I darkened, nodding as well. "Todoroki is…" Izuku didn't finish.

"In a b-bad place," I suggested, clenching my fists at my sides. "A-and w-we're going to help him, b-because he has people w-who c-care about him," I said firmly. "I d-don't like his attitude, b-but m-maybe once th-this is over he'll b-be tolerable."

Izuku looked at me in surprise. "Help him?" He repeated.

"Y-yes," I decided, crossing my arms. "H-his life is his l-life, and no one sh-should b-be able to t-tell or c-convince h-him otherwise. Th-then he c-can stop glaring at y-you and I all th-the t-time," I nodded, liking this plan. Izuku stared at me for a moment, before he starting laughing. I looked at him oddly, wondering what was so funny, before blaming the left over adrenaline from our encounter with Endeavor. Todoroki clearly needed a reality check, after all!