As we cleaned up the equipment and the gym after the concert, students were filing out from Class 1B's event, a play.
"Talk about the ultimate crossover event!"
"That was nuts!"
"It was kinda funny how they were so into it."
"Wish we could've seen Class B's play," said Kaminari.
"That's just how it is," said Sero. "We gotta clean up the mess we made."
Meanwhile, Midoriya was being given a severe talking too by All Might and the rest of the teachers.
"Being late wasn't the issue. But at least pick up your phone."
"I ran off without it."
"Check your missed calls. You'll be shocked."
"Someone's in trouble!" Sero mused as he and Kaminari passed me burning the remainder of the set dressing.
"I'm sorry for making everyone worry," Midoriya told All Might.
"I got the gist of it from Ecto."
Hound Dog stomped over to Midoriya to grab him and scream at him.
"Don't go thinking what you did was right! The show didn't get cancelled because you weren't hurt too bad. But that doesn't make it okay! You're still a student here, with only a provisional license! When there's a fight, you rely on us! We're here to protect you kids!"
"Right."
"Wipe that gloomy look off your mug and get going. The Festival's still on, so have fun, dammit!" And he tossed Midoriya into the sky. He landed next to Togata and the girl from the rescue mission, who from the big smile on her face had had great time.
Our audience was walking by us now.
"Yo, Class A! That was sick and crazy fun!"
"Wow! Thanks a lot!" Said Kirishima.
"Yeah," said two rather mopey looking kids. "It's great that it was so fun." Then they burst out, towards Bakugou, "Sorry, okay! WE were just hoping you'd fail!" And ran off.
"They really didn't have to tell us that," said Kaminari, as Bakugou flashed a huge smirk.
"They must've been stressed out, just like Sensei mentioned," Kirishima said to me. "That means your plan worked out like a charm, Iida!"
"Indeed," I smiled, but couldn't help but think of all the students who hadn't heard.. "However! We only got through to them because they came to watch. If only we could do something for those who couldn't be in the audience."
"Don't sweat it!" Said another student. "We heard what you were trying to accomplish with all this."
"We got the message, loud and clear."
"We'll do our best to help others have a good time too. This'll be our way of paying your message forward."
"Pretty great, huh?" Said Ashido, nudging Jirou as I bowed to them. "Thank you for your support."
Nearby, Bakugou growled back. "This ain't satisfying. Let's find whoever didn't watch and drag em out here!"
"Just cut it out, seriously!" Said Ojiro.
"GET BACK TO WORK, WE GOTTA FINISH CLEANING UP THIS DUMB ICE!" Screamed Mineta.
"Ok, ok, sorry!" Said Kirishima. "What's eating you Mineta?"
"IF WE DON'T HURRY WE WON'T GET SEATS AT THE BEAUTY PAEGANT!"
Ah, how foolish of me to forget! We'd indeed agreed to support both Hado of the Big 3 and Kendo of 1B in their performances! Shameful of me to forget.
The pageant saw Kendo using her Martial arts abilities; a group of students in the crowd were screaming her name, not unlike the group that had been screaming Yaoyorozu's name at the concert.
"WITH HER LOVELY DRESS TORN TO SHREDS BY A MARTIAL ARTS DEMO, HER FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE COMBINES STRENGTH AND BEAUTY!" Said the announcer.
Bibimi Kenranzaki, the 3rd year who always won, made a support item shaped like her own head. Hado's performance was a kind of dance through the sky on a cloud. I could see Uraraka and Asui watching her in raptured wonder, perhaps eager to support their Sensei in her work.
"SUBMIT YOUR VOTES NOW! RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT FIVE, AT THE FINAL EVENT!"
"KENDO FROM CLASS B, MAKE SURE SHE GETS ALL THE VOTES!"
Everyone dispersed afterwards to go to our own shows of choice.
"Class C's haunted labyrinth sounds wild, let's go!" Kaminari turned to AShido and Jirou.
"I'm in!" Said Ashido.
"Count me out," said Jirou; Yaoyorozu took her arm and they left together.
"There're some athletic events, who wants to compete?" Kirishima asked, as Sero and Bakugou joined him.
"Crepes please!" Cooed URaraka.
"Why don't you join me, Todoroki?" I asked him, as Koda and Tokoyami had already joined me, each in a stern silence.
"Sure. What do you want to do?"
"Well, I've been examining the program! Since we've just had lunch, the food stalls would probably spoil our appetites for dinner if we try them too soon, and in any case it's inadvisable to do anything too strenuous after eating, so it would perhaps be best to enjoy any physical activity first. On that note, barring the sports contests, the best first try might be one of the amusement park rides!"
"Ok."
"Sounds good."
And we were off to the mini train. IT was far too small for any of us, but we got in anyway.
"How amusing! Wouldn't you agree, Todoroki?"I asked him.
"Sure. Feeling kinda cramped, though."
I was going off of the program systematically, trying to cram in as many activities as we could. The program was quite expansive. "Wonderful! Let's take photographs over there next!" I pointed to a novelty photo board with holes cut over an image of the school building and Principal Nezu's face.
"Which cutout would you prefer, Todoroki? Our fair school or our esteemed principal?"
"Does it really matter?" he groaned.
"I suppose not. But since I'm taller, I will assume the role of the school."
We stuck our faces through the panel while Tokoyami used our phones to snap a few pictures.
"Now I will take photos for Tokoyami and Koda!" I added.
"No thank you," Tokoyami began. But Dark Shadow had other ideas.
"I want a picture!"
Koda put his face through the school hole, and Dark Shadow became the principal as I took pictures.
We wandered on, with Dark Shadow crying out, "Fumikage! I wanna drink that!" As we passed by students carrying Cementoss novelty tumblrs. The two of them walked off to buy the drinks, while Todoroki and I sat down at a nearby table.
"It's quite a thing, seeing our campus so transformed," I noted, looking around to take it all in. After a pause, I added, "I do hope Midoriya and the others are enjoying themselves."
"And that girl, Eri, right? I wonder if she's having fun."
And once again I found myself thinking about Midoriya's sadness and pain, how miserable he had seemed throughout his work study, leading up to all that grief and pain.
I wish he would trust us more with his feelings, with what's going on with him. He always takes far too much on himself and ends up tired and worn through.
"But that Midoriya is always pushing the envelope! Like how he nearly didn't make it in time to our performance this morning! What Ould we have done had he failed to show up?" I ranted.
"He said he tripped and fell while out shopping," Todoroki replied.
"It really was like 'baby's first errand,' as Sero put it," I snorted.
"Oh, if it isn't Iida and Todoroki," came a frog like voice.
"Hello, Tsuyu," I said, spinning towards her group - Uraraka, Togata, Eri, and Aizawa…
"What're you guys doing?" Asked Uraraka, smiling at us and tilting her head, arms behind her back.
"Tokoyami and Koda are buying us those drink receptacles in the shape of Cementoss Sensei - wait a moment -"
"WAsn't Midoriya with you guys?" Todoroki asked.
Uraraka winced.
"He said he had some business to take care of. Then he ran off somewhere." From her tone, she was a bit disappointed he hadn't consulted them.
"I dunno where Deku went," added Eri.
"Don't worry," Togata told her. "At the speed he was going I guess he just needed to use the bathroom! He'll be back before we know it!"
"Oh, Ok," said Eri, seemingly aware that Togata was just trying to cheer her up. Sensei stepped in.
"Eri, do you like cats?" He asked. "How about we try the Cat People Cafe?"
"Wait, are they cats or are they people?"
She did look interested.
"Hey, if you do bump into Deku, tell him we went to the Cat People Cafe, okay?" Uraraka told us. As their group walked away, I turned to him.
"I somehow doubt MIdoriya really left them simply to use the restroom," I muttered.
"Knowing him, he's probably sticking his neck into something weird again," Todoroki added.
"That Midoriya! I swear he doesn't know the first thing about ICE!" I cried, shaking my head.
"Uh…is that something I could help him out with?"
"No, not ice. I-C-E. An acronym standing for 'inform, communicate, explain.' When he dashes off without informing us where he'll be, communicating with us the long the way, or explaining what's happening, naturally we're prone to worrying! Like in this instance!"
"He just forgets when he's in a hurry," he sighed. "Maybe we could try tracking him with GPS?"
"But he often leaves his phone behind, as is the case now. We'll need to put him in the habit of remembering it!"
"Guess so."
Tokoyami and Koda reappeared with the drunks.
"What's the matter with you two?" The former asked us. I explained.
"WE just saw him running towards the dorms."
We all exchanged looks and headed off back to Heights Alliance.
We found him in the common area kitchen.
"Hey guys, what's going on?"
On the counter beside him was an apple, a bag of sugar, and a bottle of red food coloring.
"What's going on, Midoriya, is that when you sneak off to the dormitory on your own you must inform somebody! That's what's going on!" I chided him.
"What is the apple for?" Asked Tokoyami.
"Well, you see, it's for Eri. She told me at the hospital her favorite fruit was apples, and I promised her the festival would have candy apples, but the stalls aren't selling them. So during my shopping trip I bought an apple and thought I'd make it myself."
"I see. So this is all for that little girl," I realized.
"She was really looking forward to a candy apple. So I just had to make it happen somehow," said Midoriya with an awkward grin. I looked at Todoroki and we shared a smile. What are we going to do with him? Of course since it was all for someone else…it was hard not to also be a little proud of him.
"So the girl is fond of apples. She and I might get along," said Tokoyami, looking intense.
"Yes, you have that in common!" I said, nodding. "You could be apple loving chums!"
"But can you really make a candy apple, Midoriya?" Asked Tokoyami.
"It's simpler than you think. Even I can screw this up, probably. Look1" HE loaded a candy apple tutorial video on his phone. The video showed someone sticking a chopstick into an apple, boiling a batch of sugar water, adding red food coloring, and dipping the apple in the sugary mix until it was coated.
"Ooh," we all felt a little disappointed.
"I started to panic when the convince store didn't have the red dye, but then it turned out SAto had some on hand."
"I would expect no less from our resident convectionary master!" I nodded.
"Red Eye? Like a flight that leaves late at night?" Todoroki asked.
"Not Red eye! Red dye! Like food coloring," explained Midoriya. "All right, time to do this," he added.
"Be careful not to stab the chopstick all the way through," Todoroki told him.
"Midoriya! The sugar solution has started to boil!" I added.
"Here's the dye, yep!" Offered Dark Shadow.
"Spin the apple carefully now," said Tokoyami. "Like a dance at a banquet of darkness."
"It's done!" Said Midoriya. Quite a good job. "Whops, gonna be late! I'd better run!" He hasped.
"Good speed!" I saluted him.
"Don't trip and fall again, or it'll be all for nothing."
He turned and waved at us as he ran off.
"Hi guys," he said later as he joined us for the wrap party in the common room.
"Well, Deku? Was Eri thrilled?" Asked Uraraka.
"Mmhmm!"
"How wonderful, Midoriya"! I smiled at him.
"Thanks for helping me out earlier. Wait, what's that smell?" He added.
"They're ready, everyone," said SAto, carrying out a platter of candied apples, strawberries, Milan, grapes, and other fruit.
"Wow, what prompted this?" Asked Midoriya.
"We were gifted all this fruit," explained Sato, "as thanks for helping out at the TAkoyaki stall. And since you made that candy apple earlier, I thought why not do the same with all this for everyone?"
"It's a candied fruit wrap party!" Said Ashido.
"Ooh, which one do I want?"
"I'm going for a strawberry!"
"Gotta be an apple for me."
Everyone but Bakugou rushed to take some.
"Don't want any, dude?" Asked Kirishima.
"Sweets? Not my thing," said Bakugou. SAto offers him a long, slim, red one.
"Thought you'd say that, so I whipped up a candied chili pepper.
Because he loves spice.
"Quit going outta your way for me! And what's the point of mixing spicy and sweet?"
"C'mon, the big guy made it just for you!" Said Sero, forcing the Pper on him. Midoriya was watching with a smile, and Bakugou, of course, noticed.
"Hey. Deku, you damn nerd," he stood up and stormed over to him. "Didja give that obstacle course a shot?"
"Huh? Which obstacle coursE?"
"Apparently, Al Might set a record that nobody's ever beaten," explained Ojiro. The color drained form Midoriya's face.
"EH? I never heard about that! You're saying All Might himself once ran this course?"
The look on his face was that of someone who'd missed the chance of a lifetime. Bakugou smirked even deeper.
"Bakugou challenged it over and over all day, but he still couldn't beat All Might's record," said Kirishima.
"Nobody asked for the exposition!" Said Bakugou, shoving Kirishima before pointing the pepper at Midoriya.
"Listen. You're gonna give it a try at next year's festival, so then I can beat All Might's record AND yours."
"Great! But I won't go down without a fight!"
Inspired by their forthright competition, I jumped up and clapped my hands together.
"You both mean to challenge All Might's record? Spectacular! Why don't we all attempt it? That will serve to engender a competitive spirit that motivates us and creates a greater sense of unity within the class! It sounds like this obstacle course could further our education as future heroes!"
"Great idea, Iida!" Said Kirishima.
"No better motivation than a record to beat," added Sato.
"I might be interested insect a challenge," said Tokoyami.
"Athletic ground Gamma would be perfect for obstacle course training," suggested Uraraka.
"Everyone," said Yaoyorozu. "Planning for next year is all well and good, but why don't we officially bring this year's festival to a close first?"
"Fair enough. I'm ready to eat this fruit," said Asui.
Everyone formed a circle, Kirishima even yanked Bakugou over.
"Ahem, in preparation for today's festival," I began. "We all sacrificed days' with of time, energy, and sleep. However, it feels like only yesterday that we struggled to decide what our featured vent would be. When we were unable to choose, Aizawa sensei stepped in, scolded us and -"
"Skip the flashback, man!" Blurted Kaminari. "Keep it short and sweet!"
"Pardon me," I flushed a little, but proceeded. "Short and sweet, yes. Amazing work, everyone! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"