Bakugo lulled in his sleep periodically through the night. For some reason, his body was exhausted, but his mind was too wired to let him get any rest. Those images from her sketchbook kept popping up over and over again in his head. She said that she was making a fantasy graphic novel, not a romantic one, but then again, she did say that she preferred stories that had a little bit of everything, and romance was one of those things. Hate, betrayal, fantasy, war, and love… Thinking it over, it appeared to be more on the 'love' side than anything else, and to top it all off, she chose their characters to be together.
Why would she do that? Wouldn't she be like all the other girls and dream up some unrealistically hot prince charming? Someone too perfect that would never exist in the universe?
He would've assumed it was just for the book, that is, until those images turned into sketches of the real him. There were so many, and it was just him, no one else. No Yuto, no Kirishima, not even Icyhot. And that last one… His eyes weren't playing tricks on him, not with those glasses on. For sure, they were kissing… But why? Did that mean she really did like him?
He then remembered the way she left last night. Now that he thought of it, it probably wasn't fair to put her on the spot like that. He wasn't even supposed to have seen those pictures to begin with, but he did. He nosed around her personal stuff, letting his curiosity get the best of him, just like she did with the manga. He was such a hypocrite, and because of that, Bakugo knew that things more likely can't go back to normal now. He wondered if he should try to talk to her about it, but he quickly dismissed that idea. The next time they see each other, it would no doubt be painfully awkward. Should he just pretend it didn't happen and hope things settle down? Would she get embarrassed and barricade in her room again?
Instantly, he remembered something. Shit, she said she was going to come by the study group to finish her essay today. He wished he had more time to figure out what he was going to say to her, but guess it can't be helped now. Hopefully, having the other guys around would ease some of the tension.
There was a knock on his door, causing his baggy eyes to jerk open. He let out a low growl as he lazily pulled off the covers and rolled himself out of bed. He quickly fixed his sheets and checked around his room for trash and strown clothes before he opened the door. Luckily, there wasn't much to clean. Kirishima stood there holding his textbooks and his big grocery bag of snacks. The second their eyes met, he cringed.
"Whoa man, you look awful. Did you sleep last night?"
"Do I look like it?..." He muttered sarcastically as he stepped aside, allowing him to pass through and shut the door behind them. Kirishima set his stuff down on the small coffee table and turned back to his friend.
"What's going on then? You up all night studying or did'ya have a nightmare or something?"
Katsuki tried to push past his insomnia headache to think it over. A part of him wanted to fill him in on what happened and maybe get some input on what to do or say to make it up to her, but the other part of him was skeptical. Hattori probably wouldn't want anyone else to know about it. After all, he just discovered something that she seemed like she wanted to keep hidden. If he said anything, even to his best friend, it would run the risk of spreading around as gossip and humiliate them more. Not that Kirishima would do that, but who knows who could be eavesdropping?
"Nah, s'not like that."
"Oh yea… Then what? You feel bad?"
"No. It's… nothing."
Kiri eyed him more seriously. "Dude, y'know we can-"
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock outside the door. He huffed through his nose as he watched Katsuki go to open it. Couldn't they get through one day where they could talk to each other normally? This was starting to get very frustrating.
Kaminari burst through the doorway with Jiro following shortly behind, both of them with their backpacks tucked over their shoulders.
"Hey, what's up guys?!"
"Sup." They both replied in unison, watching them drop their bags and take a seat down at the coffee table. It's too early to have that kind of energy.
"So which subject you guys wanna do first?" Jiro asked, pulling out her stuff.
Kirishima became confused. "Is this everybody?"
"I guess so, unless we're waiting on others to show up." She replied.
He turned to Bakugo with a questionable look and muttered so only he could hear, "I thought Hattori was supposed to come,"
Now, Bakugo was starting to get uneasy. Maybe she decided not to… Wait! He didn't tell her what time it was, only that it was in the morning.
"I'll text her." He replied and went to pull out his phone.
After a few moments of waiting, she still didn't read the message. Maybe she was sleeping in today. She did have a long, rough day yesterday, so it was understandable. He would've done the same if he only got comfortable in his own bed. The three of them exchanged glances at each other before looking back to Bakugo, wondering what was holding them up. Normally, Bakugo would dive right in to get it over and done with, so he could kick them out. It seemed weird that he wasn't doing that.
"Still nothing from Hattori?" Kirishima asked, to which Bakugo shook his head, no.
Kaminari's interest peaked. "Oh, was she coming?"
Bakugo checked his phone again and dropped his head in disappointment. Still on unread. "... Guess not."
"She knew it was today, right?"
Bakugo leaned closer. "Yea, but… I might've said something that pissed her off…"
"... What did you do?" he whispered sympathetically. Knowing him and his history, that was probably the truth.
Bakugo thought it over again, but right when he was about to open his mouth, they heard a soft knock on the door. Kaminari leapt off the floor and opened it to see Hattori standing alone. Her hair dangled loosely behind her shoulders as she stepped in, her single composition book tucked under her arm. Looks like she left everything else back in her room, including the sketchbook, this time.
"Hey, glad you made it. We were all waiting on ya." Sparkplug said as he closed the door behind her and went to sit back down. With everyone now present, Kirishima joined them at the table.
She said nothing as her eyes darted around the room, checking for a place to sit. Bakugo continued to watch her, hoping she could at least take a split second to acknowledge him in his own room, but the moment their eyes met, she bashfully flicked them elsewhere. His shoulders slumped. Looks like he was right, it was still incredibly awkward for her. It probably took a great deal of courage just to show up, but here she was, which proved that she had more guts than most. At least he could take that as a good sign and hopefully, if things go smoothly, maybe she'd stay a couple minutes after everyone left so he could get a few words in. Despite what he saw, he didn't want things to be weird between them. They were still group mates and they still lived in the same dorms; they would have to see each other eventually, so it might as well end on a good note and not a shitty one.
He carefully watched her, anticipating that she would take the most open spot where he could sit next to her and talk. Unfortunately, when she placed her book on the coffee table with everyone else's stuff, she squeezed herself in between Jiro and Kirishima. Bakugo felt deflated as he sat himself across from her. Maybe having the only other girl nearby made her feel safe. He didn't know.
"So we can start now, right?" Jiro asked again.
"Yea, can we start with my chemistry stuff first? If I can get it outa the way, I won't be too bored to pay attention later."
"Fine, but I'm only going over it twice. If I do and you still don't get it, we're moving on to someone else's shit, got it?" Bakugo ordered, which left him stumped. The last time Sparkplug came to their study session, Bakugo went over the problem five times and the moron still didn't understand, even after he dumbed it down to the lowest freaking denominator. A toddler would've gotten it!
"Okay, fine…"
Together, they passed their worksheets around, going over the problems they struggled with most. It didn't take long for Kirishima to break out the snacks, and following suit, everyone else decided to do the same. Jiro decided to play her playlist on a low volume to break the moments of silence. Amazingly, her choice of instrumental music allowed some of them to really focus.
Every once in a while when no one was looking, Katsuki would steal a glance at her. She hadn't really spoken much since she came in, but that wasn't anything unusual, since she was always like this, even in their group meetings. Still, it was pissing him off that she was making such an effort to avoid his gaze. She didn't have to come if she didn't want to. It's not like he would've forced her, but… she still came and is still here. There must be a reason for that. If only this study session would end so he could talk to her… but what if she didn't stay?
Instantly, a lightbulb went off in his head. He reached near the edge of the table for his phone and opened up their last chat. It looked like the last time they texted was about a week ago. Been a while… Hopefully, this won't make it worse. He slowly typed out his message.
Bakugo: Hey… about last night… I shouldn't have looked or put you on the spot like that… I know I'm an asshole. You don't have to explain anything to me. It's none of my business anyways what you wanna draw, so… I know I don't gotta right to say this, but… don't avoid me. If it'll make us even, you can still borrow the book and I'll tell you my top 5…
He hesitated when he hovered his thumb over the send button. He read his message a couple more times until he felt content with what he wrote, held a breath, and pushed send. A moment or two went by until she at last felt the vibration in her pocket. As soon as she read his name on the cover, she shot him a quick glance. He nodded for her to open it, which she wavered, but eventually proceeded. She read it closely and he felt his stomach twist with each passing second.
Without looking up, Hattori then typed a short reply and sent it. In a split second, his phone shook in his hand. His stomach twisted harder as he opened it.
Hattori: I'd like that.
His dark red eyes flicked away from the screen and right away, they locked onto her emerald green orbs, only this time, they didn't look away. The edge of her lips curled a small smile and sent all the worries he had scurrying away. He relaxed a breath through his nose and for a moment, just for one tiny moment, he smiled back.
"Hey, y'know what we should do after the test? We should all go to a karaoke bar." Kaminari suggested, grasping everyone's undivided attention. Bakugo hated it when he would stop and ask dumb questions right in the middle of studying.
"Did you finish those problems yet?" he barked at him.
"Aww, can't we take a break already? It's been like an hour." he whined.
"Yes or no, did you finish them?"
"... Kinda."
"Idiot, do your work!"
"A karaoke bar does sound fun though. We'll be on break when remedials are over. It'll be a good time to do it before we all head home for the week." Kirishima added. Bakugo only glared at him for instigating it.
"Yea, I haven't been to one of those in a while. They're real fun if you've got a lot of friends with you." said Jiro.
Annoyed, Bakugo threw his pen on the table. These idiots will never get their shit done if they don't shut up. What was so great about a karaoke bar?
"Why would you, of all people, be suggesting it?! You can't sing for shit!" He snapped while pointing at Kaminari.
"It's not about who can sing better. It's about catching a break from all our hard work."
"At the rate you're going, you'll be repeating the semester."
"Geez, you're such a downer!"
"I'm all for it." Kirishima said with a smile.
"Me too. I know a great one close by. If we all pass, we should all go." Jiro butted in.
"See? At least some of us want to have fun." Kaminari snided to Bakugo, which only made him sneer hatefully in response. "What'd you think, Hattori? You wanna sing karaoke?"
When all eyes fell on her, she anxiously fondled the edges of her hooded sleeves to think about it. She was so quiet all the time. Did she even sing?
"I've never done it."
"Oh, it's fun. Trust me." Sparkplug said with his thumb raised. "Besides, I'm dying to hear if the bad and almighty Bakugo can sing."
"No way. Not even in your fucking dreams…" he muttered.
"Why? You scared cuz your voice is just as bad as mine?"
"No, cuz' it's stupid as hell! Of all things, you pick a karaoke bar?!"
"Bakugo hates it, so that means we definitely need to do this. Everyone in?" Kaminari snickered.
"Yea, man!"
"For sure." Jiro agreed.
They all turned back to Hattori for an answer. She could see the faint glimmer behind his death glare, hoping that she would protest and save him from having to endure this travesty. Too bad for him, this was the perfect opportunity for her to get back at him for looking through the sketchbook. With a small smile, she nodded in approval.
"Okay."
"Fuckin' dammit! Shouldn't you all be working?!" Katsuki grumbled as he crossed his arms and sulked lower in his seat. So fucking lame! Why couldn't it be something like laser tag? Or ax throwing? Even a damn cat cafe would be passable! No, it had to be stupid-ass karaoke! She wasn't going to get his top 5 books now…
Just then, his phone vibrated with a new message. He unlocked the screen to see that it was from her.
Hattori: *Sly emoji* ... I want to hear you sing.
His neck snapped to scowl at her sinister smirking face. Sometimes it was hard to believe that this was the same girl who was too shy to talk when they first met. She was always finding new ways to test his patience. Such a daring little spit-fire. A part of him wondered if she was always like this. He hated to admit that he actually liked that about her. With a scoff, he typed a message back.
Bakugo: Careful what you wish for…
She pursed her lips together to hold in a snicker. It was always so fun just to tease him. The second he saw her smile again, he felt his heart race. Too bad she wasn't taking him seriously, but at least she wasn't mad at him anymore.
"Then it's settled. If we all pass, we're going."
The following week, all training sessions were put on hold to give time for the final exams. Though heroics was the school's main focus, the students still had to meet the mandatory requirement electives in order to graduate. The first day of testing was nothing but math, and literature came the second day. At last, the science and history tests were done on the same day, giving the system the final score for the students for that following Friday. Those who had failed or missed the tests were immediately sent to remedials for the following week while the rest of the students were on break..
When the results came in, they posted them publicly by grade in order from the top score to the lowest. The students bustled around the list, trying to find their names. Hattori decided to wait a little until the crowd died down enough to give her some space before she looked. As soon as Akane located her name, she smiled. Number 4 in the overall top score of her entire grade. Awesome. Of course, she was confident in the results to begin with, but here was the actual proof. It felt good to know that she earned it.
"Hey, Idiot."
She turned her head in the direction of that voice to see Bakugo stepping over to her, his uniform jacket tossed lazily over his shoulder. It was a bit unusual to see him here, since his class usually took the back right exit to the dorms. Why wasn't he going to see his score? Their grade's sheet should have been posted by now. Somewhere else, but not here.
"What'd you get?"
She pointed up to the first column at the beginning and watched as he scanned his eyes down to find her name. When he did, he scoffed at himself for doubting her. Maybe that was a sign that he shouldn't call her an idiot anymore.
"Fourth place, huh? Not bad."
"What about you?" she asked casually.
He smirked. "Number three. Guess you can't even beat me in the written tests."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Not everything has to be a competition."
"Why not? It makes shit more exciting, doesn't it?"
"Maybe for you… What are you doing here anyways?" she asked bluntly as she turned towards the direction of the dorms. Katsuki stepped alongside her.
"Sparkplug and Ears wanted me to come get you."
"What for?" And then she instantly remembered. "Oh, were we still going to do that thing?"
"Hey, you agreed to it. Don't pretend like you don't remember now."
"So does that mean everybody passed?"
"Everyone except Sparkplug. He passed all but the science test, so he'll have to take it again. I told that idiot he shoulda paid more attention." He sulked in his words. He knew that study session was just a waste of time and effort for that kid. Some people are just hopeless.
"That's too bad. But then will he be coming?"
"He said he still deserved a break from taking the tests, so he's still gonna be there annoying the hell out of us with his terrible singing."
"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad."
Bakugo halted in his tracks to give her a look of discontent. She had no fucking idea what she was getting into.
"It's that bad, huh?" she chuckled. "At least Jiro has a good voice."
"Bet yours probably sucks too." He smirked as he continued moving onward.
"Hey!" She fought the urge to punch him in the arm, knowing fully well that it would send him flying if she did. "Who said I was gonna sing?"
"I did! If I gotta suffer, then so do you!"
She groaned in disgust. Why did he have to be this way?
Together, they made it back to their dorms to change out of their uniforms into something more casual. For Akane, it was her black-washed skinny jeans and square-necked blue top. She did a quick touch up on her makeup and hair before she slipped on her shoes and went back down to meet them in the lobby. Kaminari and Jiro were already idly chatting there, but still no Bakugo or Kirishima yet. The minute she approached them, she took notice of their different styles outside the uniform. Jiro's outfit definitely matched her rocking personality and Kaminari's clothes gave a simple, casual demeanor.
"Hey, you all set?" Jiro asked her.
Akane did a quick pat down to make sure she had everything she needed. Wallet, phone, sim card, key to her house, just in case. Yep, all set. She nodded in reply and when she did, she could faintly hear the annoyed moans of her hot-headed friend approaching. She turned to see the two of them walking side by side, both dressed in their jeans and hoodies, Kirishima glowing with anticipation and Bakugo looking like he'd rather jump off a bridge.
"Hey, we all ready to go?" Kirishima asked with a pleased smile. Finally, he was going to have some fun with his best friends. Nothing could ruin this night.
"Yea, I just told Aizawa. He said as long as we're back by curfew, we're good. So we should get moving. I called early to save a room for us." Jiro explained, leading everyone to the exit.
"Shouldn't we stop to get something to eat first? We won't be back in time for dinner."
"Don't worry, they serve food and drink there. We're good."
"Ah, awesome!" He felt relief on hearing that, but Bakugo internally rolled his eyes at him. Always thinking with his stomach. What else was new?
Together, the group headed out the front exit until they made it to the sidewalk. They engaged in idle chit-chat as they passed several other students by the campus gate. When they were out in the open streets, Jiro took the lead and soon they were outside the building with the giant microphone sign. Rock Box Karaoke, it said in bright neon letters. Seeing it filled the others with overwhelming titillation, but as Akane looked back to check Bakugo, she could feel his growing turmoil. He definitely did not want to be here. Maybe after seeing what this place was really like, he would change his mind.
Kaminari opened the door, allowing everyone to pass through and there they were met with the clerk sitting behind the check-in counter. His scruffy beard showed that he was more likely in his 30's, old enough to have responsibility, but still young enough to have fun, which for a place like this probably appealed to the junior market. The man straightened in his chair as they approached the desk and the moment his eyes laid on Jiro, he smiled.
"Hey, good to see you again." He quickly counted the heads of the other people around her. "Party of five?"
"Yes please. Split tab." she replied.
"Alright."
They heard his fingers tap across the computer keyboard to check them in. Once that was clicked and done, he reached for the key marked number 5 and led them down the corridor to the second to last door on the right. He turned the key to unlock it and held the door open for everyone to step in. They were immediately drawn to the patterned soundproof padding on the walls, depicting a geometric design of blue, back, and orange. There was a tan leather couch and two chairs with a large wooden coffee table centered with a floral vase. Overall, it looked neat and welcoming.
Bakugo pushed past everyone, calling first dibs on one of the chairs. Kirishima claimed the other opposite him as both girls and Kaminari sat on the couch. Before leaving, the employee placed a couple of small menus on the table next to the tablet remote and the wireless microphone.
"You can press and hold the intercom button if you want to order anything. We usually give you a fifteen minute warning before your time is up, but you can add on additional time to your ticket if you wish. If you need anything or have any trouble, don't hesitate to press the call button. Thank you and enjoy your time." He gave a respectful bow before shutting the door behind him.
Kaminari took one of the menus and skimmed it. "Hey, should we order a beer?"
"We're under age, we can't get beer." Kiri pointed out.
"Yea, they scan here anyways." Jiro added.
"Awww man, I was hoping to try one."
"You're better off sneaking one of your parents."
"Yea, like you could handle a beer. If ya wanna get wasted, just use your quirk and show everybody your dumb face." Bakugo snided. Didn't these idiots have common sense? Or rather, did Sparkplug have it? Doubt it.
With a pout he set the menu down. "Guess just a cola and a burger and fries then."
They all took their turns going over the menu options before Jiro placed their orders through the call. Meanwhile, everyone else except Bakugo browsed the endless list of song choices. There were so many genres of music that the list just kept going on and on. After a while, it became quite difficult to make a selection. At the same time, none of them could decide on who would go up to sing first.
When Akane had enough, she drifted herself away from the tablet to the edge of the couch. It was best to let them decide. Hopefully, they will pick one soon so they don't take too much time out of their fun. She laid her head in her hand, feeling her eyes drift over to the hot-head sitting in the chair across the way. The frustration was building inside him the longer they took not making up their minds. At last, he couldn't take it anymore and went to pull out his phone. At least that was a better option than screaming his head off. Feeling bored too, she decided to pull out her phone too and shot him a quick message.
Hattori: Why don't you sing first?
His phone vibrated in his hand. When he read her message, he narrowed his eyes at her, which only made her lips curl into a devilish smile. He typed another message and clicked send.
Bakugo: I didn't even wanna get dragged into this shit. Like hell, I'm gonna sing!
Hattori: Don't tell me you're scared.
His brow furrowed lower.
Bakugo: That shit's not gonna work on me this time, idiot. Just for that, I'm gonna record your terrible singing and put it up on my page. Then everyone will see what a nerd you are.
Hattori: Oh, like you're the only one with a camera. When you take the mic, I'm gonna record it and make it my ringtone. Everytime anyone texts or calls, everyone around me will hear your singing. Lol
Bakugo: You're gonna wish you were dead…
Hattori: Try me, Pop Rocks…
Bakugo: That's sensei, to you!
Hattori: Let's make a bet then. Whoever sings the best, the loser has to be recorded and they get a terrible nickname.
Bakugo: Again with the nicknames?! Well, I already call you idiot.
Hattori: Yea, but you call everyone that.
Bakugo: I'm not doing it unless you sweeten the deal.
Hattori: Fine, then the loser gets recorded, a bad nickname, and has to be a slave doing the other one's bidding for a week.
Bakugo: Now that's more like it, ya baby.
Baby? Hattori couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush a deep pink.
Hattori: Baby?
Bakugo: Hate it, don't ya? Well you are one when you're a sore loser. Get used to it, baby!
Her blush deepened. Did he seriously not understand how easy that could be misinterpreted? Either way, she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip. It would be even more humiliating to him if he found that out in the long run on his own. And besides, she liked how clueless he was sometimes. It sucked that he wasn't being endearing about it.
She smiled and texted back.
Hattori: You're on, Pop Rocks!
"Forget it! I'll start!" Jiro shouted as she snatched the tablet out of their hands and grabbed the mic. She clicked a few buttons and right away the speakers in every corner went off with a solid base line. An upbeat melody filled the room as all eyes fell on her when she approached the small platform stage.
Her voice was smooth like honey with an angelic twist that synced with the high tempo beat. She may have depth in sound with her quirk, but she had music in her soul. Akane softly grinned seeing her get lost in the song. Before long, the melody faded out and silence took its place.
"Woo-hoo!" Kaminari cheered while clapping his hands.
"That was amazing! Nice pipes, Jiro!" Kiri added.
"Thanks, guys." she said as she put the mic back on the table. "Who's next?"
"I'll do it!"
Before anyone could object, Sparkplug yanked the microphone up and jumped on the platform. He dramatically tossed his hair up before taking position, trying to make himself look like one of those K-pop idols on tv. Just seeing that, they all braced themselves for the freak show that was yet to take place.
"Number 637-5 please."
Jiro picked the tablet back up and scrolled through the music. She pressed the button to start and the room filled up with a slow, steady baseline with a soft jazzy undertone. This beat sounded like something you'd hear in a porn video or a strip club. Too sexy…
"Oh, babyyyyyyy….."
The cringe dial turned up high as everyone watched him struggle. His voice was so bland and monotonous, there was no tune at all. Jiro and Akane faked an encouraging smile to mask their growing discomfort. Bakugo was right, he can't sing. The passing seconds seemed to drag on and on with this one, making everyone wonder if this song was ever going to end. Kirishima clapped his hands to the beat to show his support, as always, but the others only glared at him for doing it. What if he did an encore? He wouldn't be clapping his hands then. One was enough.
Bakugo covered his ears, but the volume still seeped through the creases of his fingers, deafening him. He couldn't mute or escape it. He groaned when he couldn't take it anymore.
"Boooooooo! Get off the stage!"
Akane immediately kicked his chair to shut him up. He snapped his neck at her with his arms out, his look asking - what the hell was that for? Mentally, they argued back and forth. If he just lets him get through this one song and then they can get it over and done with faster without hurting his feelings, but no, Bakugo didn't give a shit about that.
Suddenly, the music stopped.
"What?! I told ya he sucked!"
"If you think you can do better, why don't you sing then?" Akane snapped back. Their eyes grew wide as they darted back to Bakugo for his reaction to her sudden boldness.
"What?! No!"
"Yea, Blasty, why don't ya? Think you're so great, why don't you prove it?" Kaminari said with a sly smile.
"Hell no!"
"C'mon Bakugo. Get up there, man." Kirishima gestured a hand to the spotlight.
"Yea, don't be scared. We're all here to have fun." Jiro smiled, hoping it would help ease some of the pressure of stagefright. Everyone's got to go through it at some point in their lives.
"Shut up! I'm not scared!" he barked back, digging his fingers into the arm rest to ease the growing anxiety. He didn't even want to be here, why did he have to do all this crap? He should've just gone home.
"Then prove it." Akane nodded over to the mic.
"Ugh! Fine! You losers wanna hear music, I'll show ya what real singing's about!"
He stood from the leather chair and stomped over to snatch the microphone out of Sparkplug's hand. When he moved out of his way to sit down, Bakugo stood in the small yellow spotlight they placed in the center of the square. Below at his feet was a small TV monitor to project the words to the song. This was going to be good watching him actually follow through with this. Even the others from his class were on the edge of their seats, for none of them ever heard him sing before.
With the tablet still in her hands, Jiro spoke. "Which song?"
"I don't care. Just pick one that everyone knows."
Using her finger, she scrolled through the endless options to choose from, but nothing really stood out to them. Something cool and popular that would possibly be on Bakugo's playlist. That was hard to find.
Suddenly, Akane got an idea. She moved over to sit beside Jiro and gestured to take it from her, which she obliged. A sinister smirk slapped across her face when she typed in the song title. She showed it to Jiro and Kaminari for their approval and their brows lifted with shock and excitement. Bakugo glared at the three of them, wondering what the hell kind of sick thing they were conspiring about. Whatever it was, he would make them pay.
"Oh, yes!" Kaminari grinned. Jiro couldn't help, but to give in and nod.
That was the green light for her. She pressed play. A soft harmony faded in and started to grow louder.
"Hey, Barbie…" A low voice called from the speakers.
"Hey, Ken!" Answered a bright, bubbly woman's voice.
Instantly, he knew what was happening. Oh no! Not this fucking song!
"Are you fucking serious?!" Bakugo snapped. "No way!"
"I'm a Barbie Girl… In a Barbie worrrrld…"
Finally, they all couldn't contain themselves and burst out laughing. The rush of embarrassment washed over Katsuki and flushed his cheeks scarlet. Where the hell did they get off picking a song like that for someone like him?! His fiery red eyes locked onto the idiot girl with long red hair. This was all her idea, wasn't it?! If he couldn't sing something, then he'd lose the bet, but they never said anything about sabotaging!
"Quit it! Pick something else!"
Kaminari put a hand on his chest to ease his spasming lungs and calmed down enough to speak. "Okay, okay."
He gestured for Jiro to hand over the tablet and scanned across the various lists once again. When he found one he liked, he looked up with a smile.
"How about this one?"
He pressed play and a single drum line filled the room. The noise in the background sounded all too familiar. Wait! No! No! Not that one!
"Ba-by- shark-do-do-dododo… Baby shark do-do-dododo…"
The changed look on Bakugo's face was like a volcano about to erupt, so priceless it was hilarious. Akane bit down on her lip to stop herself, but it was a futile attempt, and the cackling just burst out along with the others. Bakugo clenched down so hard on the microphone, he could have sworn he cracked the handle. They had their fun, so why were they still trying to mess with him?! Don't those idiots know that he could blow this whole fucking building into a crater if he wanted to?! Why did they insist on testing his temper like this?! Did they think he wouldn't do it?!
Unable to keep himself calm, he threw the mic at the empty spot on the couch.
"Fuck this! I'm picking something!" He said as he yanked the touchscreen out of Sparkplug's hand to choose his own music.
"I'll do it! I like this song. I sing it all the time with my little brothers." Kirishima smiled as he leaped from his chair to get the microphone. With his free hand, he did the hand signs and mouthed the words somewhat on par. It wasn't much, but it was really cute to see that he mesmerized the dance too. He was either well in touch with his inner-child or just good with kids, maybe both, but that didn't come as a surprise, not with Kirishima.
When the sound faded out to silence, it was then that Bakugo came across a certain title. This was a very popular one, but not because it was catchy or annoying. No, this was ranked one of the dirtiest, sexiest hip-hop songs of the year, and was said to have influenced a lot of girls to do some obscene dance videos on social media too. He flicked his eyes back to the green-eyed girl easing herself deep into the leather couch and felt a curl twitch the corner of his lip. Oh, she was definitely going to pay for humiliating him.
Before Bakugo could take the mic from Kirishima, a knock came outside the door. Since Kiri was already up, he went to open it, allowing the employee to come in with his cart of covered dishes. The smell of freshly saturated food overpowered their noses and grumbled their stomachs. The man passed out everyone's small individual trays of food and a couple of pitchers, one soda and one water. Before leaving, they thanked him for the quick service. He double checked if they needed anything else before giving his respectful bow and leaving the room.
Annoyed, Bakugo slid the tablet in between the armrest and his leg. No way was he going to let anyone else have a chance to change it before he got his revenge on her. Sadly, it would have to wait a little longer. For now, his stomach got the best of him. Without a word, everyone went on to dig into their meals. Soon the resonance of munching and sipping their drinks filled the quiet void. Kirishima threw his head back, practically inhaling his burger and fries, and as always, he finished first.
"Who's next?" he asked politely after he downed his giant mouthful of food with his ice water.
"She is!" Bakugo pointed to her. Akane nearly choked.
"What? You didn't even sing!" Kaminari whined, frowning. Man, they were all looking forward to it too.
"Neither did she!"
"I don't really sing, I scream." Hattori explained, just now wondering if this would count against her for the bet.
Jiro's ears perked with perplexity. "Oh, for real?"
"Then do that!" He barked as he tossed her the mic. "Get up there!"
Feeling some of his anger rub off on her, she whipped out her phone to type him a quick message. This wasn't like him. Usually, he always was so quick to go first in the bet. He wasn't trying to weasel his way out of it, was he? No, the Bakugo she knew wouldn't do that.
Hattori: Don't think you're getting out of this bet. You still owe me a song.
She stepped around the table and when she did, their eyes narrowed at each other. He had something planned. She could feel it. The moment he felt his phone go off, he checked it and quickly sent a reply.
Bakugo: I'll sweeten the deal even more. If you can't scream this entire song, you owe me another spicy dinner AND you have to eat a ghost pepper whole, right down to the stem without choking or spitting it out.
She felt the vibration in her pants pocket and took it out as she made her to the front. Bakugo pulled out the tablet from his hidden compartment, feeling the malevolence welling up behind his evil smirk. This was going to be gold.
Hattori: I'll give you something to choke on…
Play.
"There some whores in this house. There some whores in this house…"
"I said - certified freak… Seven days a week… Wet ass pussy. Make that pull out game weak -Yahh!"
Overwhelmed with astonishment, they watched as she deepened her voice to low growls and then heightened it to a high-pitched rough scream. It was like seeing a real metal singer giving her own private show. She knew all the words, even said the rap parts at the right time. If there was an actual bass and some decent guitar riffs in the background, this could actually go viral. Judging by how well she could sound out the words without hurting her throat or coughing definitely showed experience, and as much as it sucked for Bakugo, it was quite impressive. He thought she was too modest or metal to be into this type of music, but she knew it and she didn't seem embarrassed at all. She had the guts.
When the beat faded out, they continued to stare at her blankly. Each second that passed by quietly made her all the more anxious, but then, Kaminari broke the silence by clapping his hands together. Soon after, everyone joined in, except for Bakugo. It was to be expected.
"Whoa, that's amazing, Hattori!"
"Thanks." She smiled as she went to set the mic back down on the table in front of Bakugo. When their eyes met again, she whispered so only he could hear. "Choke on that…"
A low growl emitted from the back of his throat watching her sit back on the other side of the couch. She was so damn feisty, he couldn't stand it! Damn it, why did he like that?!
"How do you do that so well?" Jiro queried curiously. "Whenever I've tried, I always end up with a sore throat afterwards."
"I guess… The best way to do it is… Y'know when you have one of those days where nothings going right and you're just tired and frustrated and the next little thing that goes down sets you off and you go - *groans* ?" Hattori asked.
A few of them nodded.
"So make that same groan sound, but open your mouth wider."
Kirishima tried to do it, but forced too much air and it caught in the back of his throat, making him cough. Kaminari also tried, but failed.
"You've got to try to control your breath as it comes out, just like with singing. It takes a lot of practice…" she explained, feeling concerned that they were probably going to hurt themselves if they kept on. It took her at least two years before she fully mastered this, she knew it wasn't easy. After all, not everything can be accomplished in a day.
"I tried, Hattori, but I don't think I can do it." Kirishima muttered, his voice hoarse as he reached to refill his glass with more water.
A moment went by allowing them to get back to normal and soon, they all realized that only one person hadn't sung yet. All eyes fell upon the blonde boy as he idly stared down at the tablet, still having a hard time picking a song. He really didn't want to do this, but he made the idiotic choice to come here of his own free will and he already made this stupid bet with her, so he might as well own it. He wasn't going to give them the opportunity to humiliate him again, not this time, so he keyed in the title of a song that he knew inside and out, a song he was confident he could win with and handed it over to Kiri.
He looked at him questionably. "What're you-"
"Just push play when I say so." he interrupted and grasped the mic. When he once again stood before them, he glanced at Shitty-hair. "Okay."
On cue, he did as told and before long there was a soft acoustic guitar coming from the speakers. This song was an old one, but it was still a classic for lovers. Such a calm ballad. It struck them all that Bakugo of all people would pick this one out of the thousands of songs on that touchscreen. If he knew it, he liked it.
"And I'd give up forever to touch you… 'Cuz you know that you feel me somehow… You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be… And I don't want to go home right now…"
His voice, though husky, had an exceptional tune, much like that of the original singer. It was mesmerizing. Akane nearly couldn't peel herself from looking away from him. Even though he seemed to be having a bad time since the moment they got here, when she saw him get up there and get lost in that song, something changed. He was really enjoying himself. At that moment, she couldn't help but smile.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated again, then again, and again. He wasn't texting her, so that was strange. Curiously, she slipped her phone back out of her pocket to see that someone was calling her from a number she didn't recognize. How unusual. It didn't say it was a SPAM call either, it was a local number. She pushed to send it to voicemail and set it down by her thigh before drawing her attention back to Katsuki.
Again, the phone vibrated. It was the same number again. Someone was trying to reach her. Probably a wrong number. Annoyed, Hattori took the phone and stood up to head out the door. She didn't want to interrupt Bakugo's solo, but at the same time, she didn't want this person to call her all night long. She just needed to tell them that she wasn't the right number and get back to her friends.
She pushed the accept button and placed it over her ear. "Hello?"
She could faintly hear the sounds of someone… crying?
"Hello? Can you hear me?... Hello?" she called again.
"Big sis?"
That voice… Could it be-?
"Maiko?"