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 right1 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 Eiji.
"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," Eiji said to Iida. "That means your plan worked out like a charm, Iida!"
"Indeed," Iida smiled, then looked a little more serious. "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?" I smiled, nudging Jirou as Iida bowed. "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!"
Little creep. But he did have a point. WE'd agreed to go to support. Hado and Class 1B's Kendo.
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. So so pretty!
"SUBMIT YOUR VOTES NOW! RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT FIVE, AT HTE 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 me and Jirou.
"I'm in!" I replied.
"Count me out," said Jirou; Yaoyorozu took her arm and they left together.
"There're some athletic events, who wants to compete?" Eiji asked, as Sero and Bakugou joined him.
Me, Kaminari, Mineta and Hagakure went to the haunted house. It turned out to be actually really scary!
"Who's bright idea was it to try out a place called 'Labyrinth of Doom?'" asked Kaminari.
"Yours, Kaminari!" I told him.
"Get offa my leg Mineta!" Yelped Hagakure.
"Can't help it. Too scared."
I'd been looking forward to it more than anything, but now...
The backstory was that this old house had seen its resident family slaughtered in a grisly way fifty years back, and Class C had spared no attention to the details, no sir! The floorboards creaked as we walked and dust and cobwebs everywhere showed how decript it all ways! Even the crayon drawings on the wall - which would'vebeen adorable anywhere else - felt ominous.
"Yet even half a century later, only the eldest son's body remains missing...though the house stands vacant, neighbors claim they can feel an unearthly presence emanating from its walls..."
When we heard that narration at hte start we were mostly just impressed. But then the falling ax! And the door ajar behind which someone was watching and the grandfather clock like a baby and the red baby sized handprints staining the corridor that traveled up teh walls until they filled every surface...now we were trembling. AFter HAgakure ripped Mineta off he scrambled over to Kaminari to hold his leg.
"W-whaddya say we throw in the towel?"
"H-how exactly?" said Kaminari. "Walk back down this hall in reverse? That'd be just as scary."
"Huh - is that blood?" he gasped after a moment?
"Why's there bleed raining down on us?"
The blood gushing from the ceiling soaked the lfoor, leaving us frozen - then - a boy covered in blood flopped open a ceiling panel to hang himself upside down!
"Take me from this plaaaace"
"GYAAAHHH!" We all screamed so loudly and ran out of the haunted house - but then collapsed saying wtih laughter " That was aweesome!"
Eijiro:
Me, Sero, and Bakugou watched Ojiro try and run the obstacle course.
"Up I go" he grunted as he tackled the final obstacle, the warped wall. He was able with his tail to press the timer button.
"Fifteen seconds! Same time as me, dude!" I shouted.
"Looks like I win," said SEro. "Me and my thirteen second record."
We'd all done well but hadn't even come close to touching the best time at hte registration desk - five seconds.
"You're next, Bakugou. Show us what you're made of!" I suggested.
"What a pain. Nah, cuz even without trying I know I'd win," he spat, stood up and started to walk away - but tehn stopped.
"Y'know the best time? I heard it was All Might who set the reocrd."
"Wow! When he was a student here, you mean?"
"Yup. And nobody's touched that record since. There's no beating All Might I guess."
Bakugou spun around and glared.
"Ah well, let's just go check out the food stalls - huh, Bakugou? Oh you're giving it a shot after all!" I said as Bakugou stomped over to the desk.
"Bakugou's gonna try?" Ojiro asked.
Standing at the start line, Bakugou stretched his arms and wore one of his grins.
"I'll be the one to beat All Might's record, just watch me."
The buzzer sounded and he was off, vaulted over with ease, clambered up the wall, and smashed the button.
"WEll?"
Ten seconds.
"The hell? That timer's gotta be busted. Let me try again!"
He ran again - but still no.
"GRR - ONE MORE TIME!"
"I - BUT - ARGH - AGAIN!?"
Despite dozens of attempts, the five second record remained unassailable.
"How about you call it a day?" said Ojiro.
"The more tired you get, the slower you're gonna go!" said Sero.
"Shaddup!" he replied before trying again. "I've gotta be the one to beat All Might's record!"
"That's our Bakugou! So freaking manly!" I cried, moved by the passion.
And yeah he kept trying all day long.
"Hi guys," Midoriya said as he joined us in the common area.
"Well, Deku? Was Eri thrilled?" Asked Uraraka.
"Mmhmm!"
"How wonderful, Midoriya"! Said Iida.
"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!" I grinned.
"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 Eiji.
"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 Pepper on him. Midoriya was watching with a smile, and Bakugou, of course, noticed.
"Hey. Deku, youdamn 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 Eiji.
"Nobody asked for the exposition!" Said Bakugou, shoving Eiji 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!"
Once again, the air between them seemed to electrify, the rest of the room disappearing, their little mutual bubble around them folding away from everyone else in the room. AS if in answer to this, Iida jumped up and clapped his 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 Eiji.
"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, Eiji even yanked Bakugou over.
"Ahem, in preparation for today's festival," began Iida. "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," said Iida. "Short and sweet, yes. Amazing work, everyone! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"