Going back to Heights Alliance felt rather anticlimactic. I called Mother and Tensei with the news as soon as I had a moment alone - as class representative, naturally, I had to ensure everyone got back to the dorms all right first.
"That's wonderful, Tenya! Not that I ever doubted you."
"You're a real pro now, little brother. Must feel exciting!"
I always imagined we'd be pros together...that I might intern at your agency, that I'd tell you this over the dinner table at home. It's not quite how I picture it...Aloud, I only said, "Indeed! It is a great responsibility." I hesitated, unsure if I should tell them - it felt almost like gossiping behind my friend's back - but I decided I needed to tell them.
"Almost our entire class passed. But...Todoroki and Bakugou did not."
There was a surprised silence. "Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor's son? And Bakugou, the kid who got kidnapped?"
I imagined neither would like being referred to in such terms at all. But I said, "Yes, those two. Besides myself, Yaoyorozu and Midoriya, they're the top students in class. It's rather surprising."
"Yeah, for sure! Man, I'll be Endeavor's steamed about that. Especially if All Might has any favorites in Class A who passed ahead."
Midoriya...Todoroki and Bakugou's rival as well as my own. And certainly All Might's protege in some ways. Yes, Todoroki and Bakugou are probably not happy about that...
I did my best to keep Todoroki company that evening as the class celebrated; he seemed resigned, but still unhappy. I never really know how to talk to Bakugou; he spent the evening with his hands in his pockets, glaring out the window, ignoring the attempts his friends such as Kirishima, Kaminari and Ashido made at cheering him up. The only person he seemed to speak to the entire evening was Midoriya - I saw him walk by Midoriya as he headed off to sulk in his room. He seemed to say something to Midoriya that shocked him.
Later on I learned it had been a challenge to break curfew and accompany him to Ground Beta to have a foolish and petty fight.
Not only did they break the rules, to have a petty clash of egos, but they got themselves on house arrest! The next morning most of us were so stunned by their immaturity we could barely put it into words.
"You fought!?" Ashido asked.
"Lockdown?!" said Hagakure.
"Idiots!"
"Nonsense!"
"What were you thinking?"
"The stupidest, that's for sure."
"Uh, but dig make up in the end?" Uraraka asked Midoriya.
"Make up? Not exactly, but…hard to put into words…" Midoriya babbled. Personally, I thought it unlikely.
"A fine job you've made of it, getting punished! I suppose you two will be absent at today's opening ceremony!" I told him off. While in all likelihood it was Bakugou that had started the fight, I couldn't help but be more annoyed with Midoriya for participating. I suppose I expected as much from Bakugou, but as my friend and rival...I expected better of Midoriya. He simply looked down, as though rather embarassed by the whole thing.
"Bakugou, what about that special course for our licenses?" Todoroki asked him.
"Shaddup, mind your own business!" Bakugou snapped back at him. You're really throwing your career in jeopardy, Bakugou. What on earth are we going to do with you?
"See ya, have fun cleaning this place," said Kirishima.
I marshalled the class in line in the halls.
"Listen up, everyone will need to get in line quickly and not mess things up! Time to head for the grounds!"
"You're the only screwy one around here," said Jirou.
"As class president, such is my burden!"
"So Mr. Aizawa's not coming to this opening ceremony either?" asked Uraraka. "Must be busy."
"Well, things are a little different compared to last April," said Ojiro.
Monoma suddenly appeared and interrupted. "Hey Class A, I heard the news! Two of you! I hear two of you failed the licensing exam!"
"Monoma from Class B! You're just as charming as ever!" said Kirishima, then he smirked. "Wait, don't tell me you were the only one to fail in your class again?"
Monoma burst out laughing and then turned to face the wall.
"Not gonna answer?!" cried Kirishima.
Then Monoma, as his class filed into the hallway, turned to face us and smirked. "Every single one of us passed! The tables are turning, Class A."
I glanced at Todoroki, feeling deep sympathy I didn't know how to express. He simply looked ashamed. "Sorry, you guys."
"Hey, he's the one making a contest outta this," said Kirishima. "Don't sweat it!"
A girl from Class B with big horns said, in broken Japanese, "Our teacher Vlad says we will have classes together this term. It will be much fun!"
"Ooh! I'm ready and raring to go!" said Kirishima.
"Hey, you notice, she's a foreigner!" said Kaminari.
Monoma whispered something in her ear and she said "We are going to - GRIND YOU INTO DUST!"
"Stop teacher her weird phrases!" came Kendo on cue.
"Hey, the line's backing up here!" came a weirdly familiar voice, and we all looked around to see a boy with spiky purple hair.
"So very sorry!" I gasped, embarassed at getting caught up in the chatter "Enough idle chatter, everyone! We're holding up the procession!
"Good to see how lame you guys really are," said the purple haired boy.
"Shinso," said Tokoyami.
"Hey's the guy who fought Midoriya at the Sports festival," said Jirou.
"Huh, looks like he's gotten tougher," said Sero.
It wasn't long before we had all filed out and were standing in the boiling hot courtyard of UA facing the platform where Principal Nezu was waving to us.
"Hello! IT's everyone's favorite small mammalian principal! Lately, the fur I pride myself on has been looking rather shabby, so I've made great efforts to improve myself in that regard. This can apply to you too, humans. Don't forget to eat balanced meals with plenty of zinc and other vitamins, but remember that the most important thing , above all else, is a good night's sleep. A chaotic lifestyle is the worst thing imaginable for fur quality. If any of you are concerned about your hair, then be sure to get enough sleep. And the biggest recent disruption to our lifestyles, as yo all know, was the incident that took place this past summer. The loss of our pillar. We're seeing the effects of that emerging a rate beyond expectations. Our society needs to prepare for unparalleled hardship in the near future. That applies especially to those of your in the hero course. Including you second and third years on work study. Going forward you must be more aware than e ver of the threats out there."
"Work study?" I heard Ashido ask Asui.
"I'm guessing that's the next step after the internships we did," she replied.
"Such gloomy talk makes us all heavyhearted, I know," the Principal went on. "Which is why we adults are doing our best to keep things from getting too dreary. We hope to inspire an industrious ethic in you young men and women so that you may go on to become capable members of society. The business course, the general studies course, the support course, and the hero course. Do not forget that it's all of you who will inherit this society."
At last he got off stage. Vlad King go on the mic and said, "Finally, here are a few reminders from our school life supervisor, Mr. Hound Dog."
Hound Dog Sensei got on the mic. But instead of talking he started barking really loudly into the mic. All we caught were a few words. "UNACCUSTOMED" "DORM - LIFE!"
Vlad King sensei explained, "Um, what he meant to say was 'we had a fight between students last night. We understand that some of you are still unaccustomed to dorm life, but we ask you to control yourselves and make this work for everyone.'"
"They sure are treating Midoriya and Bakugou like a couple of naughty children," sighed Yaoyorozu.
You'll get yourselves such bad reputations...why, Midoriya? Why would you agree to such a foolish thing, on the night of all nights when you should have been celebrating this new adult responsibility? It doesn't make sense...
Then suddenly I remembered a few things..."I feel like I have to save him." "All I can think about is saving him..." Midoriya helping Todoroki use his flames in the sports festival, Midoriya jumping to save Uraraka from the robot even if it meant he might not pass...
Oh. I see. Helping Bakugou - helping a friend - simply matters more to you than following the rules. That's how you've always been. And I suppose the only way to help Bakugou, somehow, was to fight him...in that case of course you would. I see. That's just how you are.
At long last, the announcers said, "Everyone back to class, starting with the third years."
And that was it. Our second semester was about to commence.