Hello again, and allow me to formally welcome you to the final chapter of 2022! This has been one heck of an eventful year, and I can only hope next year in real life, things will be at least a little more pleasant for all of us, and that this story will continue to prove as exciting and new for the die-hard veteran MHA fans as can be. I definitely have a number of big plans for this story over the course of 2023, and I hope you will all continue to be here for it.

All of your continuous support for this story over the time since I'd first started writing it has been tremendous, and I can never hope to properly thank you all enough for your kindness in continuing to read it, even now. We've made it this far down this arduous road together, and who knows where we may find ourselves by this time next year.

And another 2021-2022 worth of thanks has to go to all my beta readers, consultants and, let's face it, friends that have helped in all their own little ways in helping to make this journey a little easier to put to metaphorical paper: Mizu, Jonny and Carlos.

And I would once more like to give my sincerest thanks to all of the wonderful artists on DA that have helped to bring my OC's and certain events of this story to life: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost and Yumake. Here's wishing them all the very best, and here's hoping that many more incredible artists will be willing to offer their services to making this story reach as wide an audience with their amazing artworks over the course of the next year.

And so, with that all being said: I hope you'll all enjoy this, the final chapter of 2022, and if you've enjoyed what's been happening with this story over the course of this last year, please let me know your thoughts and feelings in a review.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.

A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.

Chapter 107

The Pressure

(Давление)

Yuuei Academy, Monday, October 13th

Over the course of the last eight days, Yuuei was slowly but surely transforming amid all the different classes countless festival projects coming to fruition and being placed all around the campus in preparation. And the students were just as profoundly feeling that change in atmosphere within themselves as well. With each passing day, not only was Kyouka's music team perfecting their confirmed setlist for Class 1-A's performance bit by bit, but so too were all the members of the dance team gradually starting to fall perfectly into step under Mina's precise and intense instructions.

Nikolay and Ochako's timing with each other between their regular dance moves and the inclusion of their Quirks had started out sloppy at first, but with no lack of determination and their own personal enjoyment of moving so energetically, they too were fast becoming a truly compatible dancing duo, no more or less impressive in their ability to adapt and learn and improve than everyone else, much to theirs and Mina's mutual delight.

And over those eight days past, with his, Rikido and Yuga's food stand fully built and painted and set up at the entrance to the gym their class was going to perform in, Nikolay and his two partners had likewise managed to secure the spare time after training to test their decided upon recipes with one another; and all while getting to gradually learn more and more about the finer details of each other's Quirks at the same time, often at Yuga's curious instigation.

Amid all of this, they also ran their culinary ideas through Lunch Rush as well, and for someone with as sky-high a reputation as Yuuei's chef had, it was only natural their first few attempts proved less than promising by his standards…but over the last two days, even he had come to express satisfaction with their culinary creations, thus giving them his seal of approval to provide to the public once the festival would begin, even with Tunguska taking over to work alongside Rikido for Nikolay and Yuga, once the time would come for them to join their class for the performance.

Finally, at the start of Monday, after having all worked so hard together over the course of the previous night to run the latest adjustments to their respective recipes; Nikolay, Rikido and Yuga had been up bright and early to make it to class in plenty of time with most everyone, so they could test their samples with each other; ultimately to all-around satisfying results, as all three boys felt a sensation of complete satisfaction overpower their taste buds.

Such expressions on their faces as they sat in their temporary circle among the desks were not lost on Izuku, as he stepped into class in a noticeable rush. "Good morning, Kolya-san, Aoyama-san, Sato-san. You're all looking really upbeat already today."

The greeting from their curly-haired classmate snapped all three boys back to attention with greetings of their own, not the least of which being a twirling bow from Yuga like a knee-jerk reflex. "Dobroe utro (Good morning), Midoriya-san. We were just running the latest attempt at our items for the 1-A food stand menu with each other. There's still one of each, if you'd like to try."

Considering there was still plenty of time before class would begin, Izuku gladly joined the trio, finding himself being presented with what looked like a folded over and lightly fried pancake, an éclair, and a small version of a cylindrical-shaped confection-free cake that many Japanese would automatically recognize as imagawayaki. "Thank you all; these look great."

As Izuku tried each one, his already large and emotive eyes visibly lit up with the same kind of satisfaction as all three of them had just felt, leaving them all smiling victoriously. "Yeah, it's all good, right? Bezpalov-san's been helping me work more with ingredients less overwhelmingly sweet, and I've been teaching him some of my confectionary know-how in return. That imagawayaki of his ain't half bad, isn't it?" "Yeah, and Sato-san's been really helping me get the hang of how the Japanese do batter-made treats, and I've been getting him into some of my country's more lightly fried specialties, like that blini. See? Fluffy and just that little touch crispy, and just savory enough without being too heavy. Sovershenstvo (Perfection)." "And the éclairs are my own family's personal recipe! Truly a treat more than worthy of a standing ovation, would you not agree, mon ami?"

Even despite the clear-as-day enjoyment on Izuku's face; the three boys were still just as eager to actually hear his feedback. Once he'd finally finished, his smile was as encouraging as could be. "They're all really, really good, you guys! You're all super skilled already, but working together, you're a great team! That food stand of yours is going to make all the guests really happy!"

Neither Nikolay, Rikido nor Yuga could help the satisfied grins on their faces to get their first official ringing endorsement from someone besides themselves and Lunch Rush, with Nikolay quickly answering: "Then I think we've really got this side-project in the bag, guys! As if these weren't good enough, my candied apples have already proven a great success too, thanks to you, Sato-san!"

However, while Rikido was scratching the back of his spiky brown hair in semi-embarrassment, Izuku visibly flinched with surprise. "You're making candied apples too, Kolya-san?!"

With an emboldened smile, Nikolay gave Izuku a confirming thumbs up. "That's right! Ever since Eri-chan visited last week and asked about them, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about what a great idea candied apples would be! We've run all the ingredients we'd need by the time of the festival by Lunch Rush, and from what he told us, we'll have all of it and more, plenty for everybody, including her!"

With that explanation, Izuku's surprise turned to a visibly touched approving smile. "I have no doubt they'll turn out just as good…and that she'll really appreciate it, too, just like everyone else will."

However, with that all having been said, Nikolay's own focus finally shifted away from side-projects and back to the moment at hand. "By the way, you don't usually come in looking so exhausted this early, Midoriya-san. You didn't stay up all night studying or training, did you? You're not worried what Mina might say if she thinks you're too tired to train with the rest of us after school? Or did she actually call you awake super early for another of those solo dance lessons?"

Instead of the usual reaction of flustered embarrassment he had naturally come to expect from Izuku when it came to anything involving him on his own with any girl, the freckled boy instead answered Nikolay with a shake of his head, another inspired smile on his face. "No, I've just been trying to get as much training of my Quirk under my belt between school and dance training as I can, and I accidentally let the time get away from me a bit. In fact, that was actually something I was hoping to run by you earlier, Kolya-san; I just hadn't had a real chance to yet."

Naturally, any talk about Izuku's Quirk, and whatever that had to do with what he wanted to talk to Nikolay about, had gotten a natural flinch of attention from the young Slav, Yuga and Rikido alike. But before Nikolay could even ask, the door to the classroom suddenly opened, and as they all looked, they saw not only the rest of their classmates stepping in, but also Mina at the forefront, walking with a somber air while dressed in dark sunglasses and a formal black two-piece suit, looking as though she had either just come back from a funeral, or like she was recruiting for the Men in Black.

And without even missing a step, the unnaturally morose-looking pink young Hero came to a stop before Izuku specifically, and spoke in a flat and serious manner as she placed an apologetic hand upon his shoulder: "Midori-kun…you're out."

Such a death sentence of a statement came so bluntly and briefly, that it took Izuku and Nikolay both a second for it to actually register, and even though it was only directed to Izuku himself, they could both feel the same frigid cold weight slam into their stomachs. After over a week of constantly practicing alongside each other, just like that, he was gone.

And the silence that had ensued in the aftermath was so intense, especially in their own ears, that they didn't even hear the sudden restrained chuckle just barely escaping out the corner of Mina's mouth…and then another, with her lips starting to quiver as though she were trying to hold her breath.

And then finally, the façade broke, as Mina burst out laughing hysterically, tossing her sunglasses and suit aside, revealing her regular school uniform underneath, and her once completely serious face reignited with that blinding smile of good-natured humor and excitement. "Oh my god, you two should see your faces; you look as though you just got expelled for realsies! Relax! When I say you're out, Midori-kun, I just mean that you've been poached by the stage crew because they need an extra pair of hands!"

However, even this reassurance couldn't remove the shocked looks on both boys' faces, as Izuku stuttered in disbelief: "But…w-why me? I promised…Eri-chan that…that I'd be dancing onstage with everyone."

All to happy to give Izuku his answer, Mina hurriedly swept her arms in motion towards Yuga, who likewise by now was back on his feet as though he'd actually expected this moment to come. "Well, Aoyama-kun's Laser Stardust Lightshow is gonna cover the whole dance floor, but the crew doesn't exactly have a rig to make that happen, and since they'll all be too busy working with Todoroki-kun's Ice and Sero-kun's Tape, we need someone else with crazy physical strength to hoist him up for it, and that falls to you, Midori-kun!"

"Triste mais vrai (Sad but true), Midoriya! My transition from dancer to disco ball would occur right at the beginning of the show, and my Laser Buffet Special Move can fortunately be controlled at greater distances; so it is a task tailor made for moi. It will have to fall to you to be the one to help steer my glamorous guiding light where it must go for the show to truly be tres magnifique!"

As Mina and Yuga both fully explained the reason for Izuku's transfer, he himself couldn't hide his disappointment, no matter how much he understood the circumstances. "I see…so my time on the stage with everyone's gonna be really short."

CLAP!

Suddenly, having likewise been listening in to the whole conversation from the moment of his own arrival, Eijirou rapidly bowed his head towards Izuku and Nikolay both. "I'm really sorry about this, dudes! I know it screws up the whole dance team pairs plan, but we could really, REALLY use the help! It'd make the whole production that much better! We figured that the crowd is just gonna get used to whatever stage effects we come up with, including Aoyama the Human Disco Ball, but Kouda-san came up with the idea of having him and his Laser get moved around so it'd be unpredictable and exciting! Please, can you help us out with this, Midoriya?!"

With so much riding on his shoulders, even if Izuku was admittedly still very disappointed, to simply say no would have ended up disappointing everyone else and leaving the whole show in a bind. Of course, like Eijirou had said, this sudden change also put a major wrench in Nikolay's whole dancing pair teams idea. Looking his way for some kind of deciding vote, he could see the young Slav was likewise looking around frantically in his head for a solution, just from the intensity in his green eyes.

Finally, with Izuku, Eijirou, Yuga and Mina looking his way with hope, Nikolay let out a sigh of resignation. "Well…there's still enough time, so we could have another round of practice tryouts and see about having dancing trios with the remaining team members instead."

With that essentially being the deciding vote among them, Izuku let out an accepting sigh of his own. "Well…just so long as I'm able to dance with everyone a little bit at some point…then okay, I'll do it!"

With that came a whole round of relieved and excited cheers from everyone involved, and just the idea of Izuku eventually being able to dance even for a brief period, on top of all the other practice they'd all put in, had the wheels of inspiration turning in Mina's head like clockwork: "Hey, yeah! Not only is this perfect cause Midori-kun and Aoyama-kun have been all buddy-buddy recently, but whether it's before he has to help the stage crew, or even at some point in the middle of the show, our switching from pairs to trios could lead to any combo of crazy awesome and groovy dance combinations on the fly! This could actually end up making our whole show even that much more amazing!"

With that, the starting bell for the day suddenly rang, and all students in the middle of their own conversations across the room hurriedly began to return to their seats, but before Nikolay and Mina could take their spots together, he suddenly felt a small tug on his sleeve, bringing him to look and see that Izuku's eyes had that same focused look he'd just had. "Really quick, and I promise I'll explain later, but do you think you'd be able to meet me in the forest sector early tomorrow morning, Kolya-san? It's about what I was hoping to ask you before."

With no chance for Nikolay to ask if he could just do so now, Izuku hurriedly took his spot, just as Mina took her boyfriend by the hand and smoothly guided him right back into his own seat, just as Aizawa likewise arrived. And all throughout the rest of the school day, he could only imagine just what on earth it was that Izuku could have wanted with him that didn't need him to just outright ask for another round of sparring, especially if it still had to do with his Quirk, like he'd mentioned before.

Tuesday, October 14th, 6:30AM

Just as requested, Nikolay had to force himself to sleep early in order to wake up at the time Izuku had ultimately requested, and after ultimately finding the apparent Forest Sector of the campus, he was met not only by his friend, but also the sidelined and watchful duo of Toshinori Yagi, and his own father, Oleg. Upon seeing Nikolay arrive, Izuku smiled. "Thank you for coming, Kolya-san. I know that dance training makes us all wanna try and get as much rest as we can."

"Good morning, Midoriya-san, All Might-sensei, Dad. What exactly is all this that we'd have to meet in the woods?" Nikolay likewise greeted, still having to rub the tiredness from his eyes as both teachers greeted him in return.

"Well, we would normally just tell you, but perhaps it would be much easier to show you, first, Kolya. Malenkii Midoriya, would you care to demonstrate?" At Oleg's suggestion, Izuku nodded, breathed deep and got into his normal focused stance, while Oleg ushered his son to his side.

Watching curiously, Nikolay saw as Izuku's arms suddenly began to glow and spark with the channeling of his Quirk's power, but before he could instinctively ask just what was going on, that same glow in his right arm began to focus further and further more into his right hand, before he suddenly leapt back and threw it forward in a quick and blinding jab, resulting in a immediate powerful wind front blasting across the trees, leaving Nikolay silent with surprise.

"YEOWCH!" Izuku suddenly exclaimed, grasping his attacking arm; the middle finger already visibly bruised. After such a display, Toshinori nonchalantly asked: "So you're still having trouble firing your shots while moving around? You need some ice for those bruises?"

As Toshinori dutifully applied that ice pack, Izuku simply looked at said bruises. "I think I have the basics down by now, but isn't there some sort of secret to attacking with even greater control?"

"WHOA, HANG ON A SECOND! What the heck did I just see?!" Nikolay suddenly exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise as he rushed to Izuku and Toshinori; Oleg close behind.

"All Might-sensei recently helped me discover a potential long-range extension to my Quirk when I attack at 20%. I've been trying to refine my movements with the parts of my body I move the most through my Shoot Style in order to better aim it. Dance team training has definitely been very helpful…at least, until yesterday. But as you can see, it's still far easier said than done." As Izuku explained this, Nikolay likewise looked in the direction that blast of wind had gone, spotting several patches where the bark had been knocked clean off the trees.

"So why did you want me out here for this? What part do I play?" he finally asked, just as Toshinori suddenly grasped onto his forearm alongside Izuku's. "Because the general physical power aspect of Midoriya-shonen's Quirk and mine are very similar, I've been having Oleg-san assist me in his training in that regard. But when it comes to this farther distance aspect, especially the more precision-based part, your Quirk is actually much more similar, Bezpalov-shonen."

"We've both heard how you two have actually been having a few little sparring matches with each other recently, Kolya. If anything, I'd say that rapport would make you a very suitable training partner for malenkii Midoriya so he can better master his ability to precisely aim and fire his wind attacks while on the move, like you can with your Kinetics." As Oleg explained this, and Nikolay saw the look of confirmation on Izuku's face, he found himself genuinely considering it. Just from what he saw, and from what he was now hearing; he could understand why they would all want him for this role.

"Okay…but what exactly would I be doing as your training partner?" As soon as Nikolay asked, he was suddenly being ushered along by his father, while Toshinori was setting Izuku up alongside him.

"I'd say we can start with a simple benchmark setting. You show how precise your Kinetic Blasts are, Kolya; and we see how much malenkii Midoriya is able to match it. From there, we can all have a better idea what you can help him work on. Perhaps try aiming for those two trees behind the three at the edge of this clearing." At Oleg's instruction, and likewise feeling Toshinori and Izuku's gazes upon him, Nikolay looked to the thicket of trees up ahead.

Clenching and stretching his fingers to make them nimble, he finally got into his own battle-ready stance, aiming both his open palms straight ahead, focusing the stores of Kinetic vibration power within his body into the holes lining his hands, trying to picture the moments he would fire out of a select number of them in order to propel a projectile or focus the impact of a Blast.

BWOOM!

In the span of a heartbeat, keeping in mind what Toshinori said and thereby leaping forward to try and match what Izuku was trying to do; a deafening blast of shockwave power shot out from Nikolay's fingertips; Oleg standing behind to keep the pressure from blowing him back too far, while the two specified trees ahead had all the bark on their sides face the young Russian get blasted away in pieces, albeit with the three standing in between at the forefront likewise getting grazed deeply on their sides.

While Nikolay could only look at his lack of precision with disappointment, neither Oleg nor Toshinori looked discouraged, as the former Symbol of Peace addressed his progeny, motioning to another nearby tree: "Now, see if you can try to exercise a similar precision with this one tree here, Midoriya-shonen. Try to have one of your wind attacks clip some branches off the very top of it, but nothing further down than those first couple of meters."

Following Nikolay's example, Izuku got back into his own fighting posture, aimed his left hand this time, and as he broke into a momentary dash to his left, threw it into an uppercut that sent another powerful wave of wind that this time knocked several branches off the one side of that one tree facing him, far below that two meter limit, while still managing to send a majority of that power harmlessly up into the air in that upward swinging arc.

As Izuku got another thing of ice applied to his now hurting left wrist as a result of that attack, he couldn't hide the pensiveness on his brow. "It feels like the power is the same as what you showed, Kolya-san; but yours had a greater range without feeling as though it was out of control. If I don't exercise complete discipline through the part of my body I'm attacking with, I end up risking hitting more than I'm intending to. Your attacks, by comparison, still have better precision, even despite those grazes. Being able to use these wind attacks with that kind of control and accuracy you showed while on the move is what I really want to be able to do."

While Nikolay rightly couldn't deny what he'd seen Izuku had the capability of doing, as well as his apparent area of difficulty he was going through with it, he gave a regretful shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Midoriya-san, but I was just trying to do what it looked like you were before. More precise or not, I still ultimately hit things that weren't supposed to be my targets. And besides, my basic Kinetic Blasts can really only go so far, whether I'm focusing them through specific holes on my hands or feet or not. The real distance and precision for my Quirk without sacrificing the physical strength of it, comes through those small tuning forks of mine, to be honest."

Izuku bowed his head, unable to hide the look of disappointment, just as Nikolay now couldn't, the more he thought about his own personal handicap. However, neither Oleg nor Toshinori looked nearly so discouraged. "But think about just where you are in terms of controlling your Quirk precisely now, compared to where you used to be, Kolya." "That's right; you boys have still made tremendous progress so far, no matter how far it may feel for you both to be from where you want to be. If anything, I'd say that's plenty reason for you two to continue this kind of training with each other, even outside your sparring. Keep pushing each other to do better, and help each other along!"

As he and Oleg both saw the looks of subtle relief and encouragement on Izuku and Nikolay's faces as they both thought back, Toshinori suddenly heard a distinct rustling in the bushes behind him.

FWOOSH! THWACK!

At the speed of sound, a tiny projectile came flying out, but with expert precision and timing, Toshinori reached out and caught it at full force in his hand, revealing it to be nothing more than what looked like a small steel sphere with flappable wings at its sides, to all his fellows' surprise.

"Sorry about that! Hope nobody got hurt!" Hurrying from the direction this strange thing had just come from, was none other than the ever peppy Mei Hatsume, her eyes laser-focused on the object in Toshinori's hand as he immediately handed it back to her.

"H-Hatsume-san?! What're you doing out here so early?!" Izuku immediately asked, unable to keep from feeling a worried sensation in his gut if a girl as inquisitive as the pink-haired Support Department genius were to see him and Nikolay out here training with Toshinori and Oleg like this.

But, as single-minded as she ever was, Mei paid the whole scene no mind, instead busily seeing to her former runaway tool. "I like to come out here and test out some of my new babies sometimes! This one's my new compact third eye, could be a real game changer, so thanks for catching it, All Might!"

However, even a supremely focused girl like her could still switch on a dime to being a complete scatterbrain, as the moment she knew her new invention wasn't damaged; she turned with an almost unnatural speed to face Izuku and Nikolay directly. "OH, THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING I FOUND YOU BOTH HERE LIKE THIS! Midoriya: about that new Support Item you asked me about; one of my recent babies actually really fits the bill for exactly what you're looking for! Bezpalov here would know! I can customize the prototype just for you, so just fill in the request form and consider it done!"

Before either Izuku or Nikolay himself could rightly figure just what Mei meant by that comment; the young Russian now found himself getting stared down by her cross-haired yellow eyes; still showing no concern for his personal space. "AND BEZPALOV, I just got your request done last night, hot off the presses! Have a look, give this baby a whirl and tell me what you think!"

As Izuku was about to ask when Nikolay had the chance to put in a Support request of his own over the last eight days, Nikolay found himself being presented with what looked like two opposable metal frameworks in the shape of hands, complete with a metallic ring at the wrist for him to slip his hands through, alongside a hastily scribbled instruction sheet. And as everyone looked upon this strange creation, Mei was grinning brightly to herself as always: "Behold, a real unique baby that's bound to make its mama proud: #364, Magne-Grip, with its magnets specifically arranged so as not to get in the way of the amplifying holes on your hands or gloves through which you can still use your regular Quirk attacks! You can affix them either to your bare hand or your gloves, and with this specific sequence of hand gestures, it'll activate the magnets affixed to the joints, palms and fingertips; real powerful little devils, too! Like you asked, I have those magnets attuned to the precise magnetic signature of the metal your tuning forks are made of, so when you activate them, you won't be drawing every deadly metal object for several meters directly to your hands! Plus, once they fly back into your grips, the magnets will deactivate, so you don't have to try and fight them just to use the tuning forks again if you're in a tough spot!"

Nikolay quickly tried them on, immediately smiling when he could feel how well they fit around his bare hands, on top of how opposable they were. Of course, it was only natural his father and Toshinori would both have their own looks of surprise just like Izuku. "Right, I hadn't really said anything before, but one of the most annoying things about using my smaller tuning forks, is when I have to try and find them all over the place after one use of each. I just thought these would really help out, especially if I were ever in a situation where I'm heavily outnumbered, y'know? Unfortunately, I don't have my bandolier with me right now; otherwise I'd love to give these a test run."

"Already lab tested and approved by yours truly! But if you two are gonna be out here every morning like this, then that'll be plenty of chances for you to see my babies at work! Now if you'll excuse me, I have more fine tuning to get to with this baby right here! Don't you run off on me this time, now!" Mei proclaimed excitedly, before just as quickly sending her third eye device flying off again, hurriedly running after it, disappearing into the foliage once more, and leaving the four in bewilderment.

At least until Toshinori faintly smiled in approval while Oleg spoke up: "Well, it's good to see you're both being plenty proactive in figuring out ways around your weaknesses. What kind of item did you request from her, malenkii Midoriya? Anything like those iron soles?"

Being snapped out of his surprise at Mei's arrival, and his impression and desire to see Nikolay's new Support items at work, Izuku modestly answered: "Oh, no, it's just something I had in mind, regarding a new move I'd wanna try once I get these wind attacks figured out."

Then, with his own hands proudly at his hips, Toshinori suddenly stated: "I see…you know, I actually have some experience with that as well!"

Nikolay and Oleg both looked plenty surprised to know that All Might, the Symbol of Peace himself, ever once was in a position where he had to use Support Items at all. But even their surprise couldn't compare to Izuku's, who looked as though everything he'd once known about life itself had been turned upside down: "What?! You actually used Support Items too, All Might?! How did I never know about that?!"

With Toshinori's face being as gaunt as it was, it was hard to read his more subtle emotions, but he was in fact thinking back with an air of semi-nostalgia. "It was back during my far earlier days. Some of it had its uses in tougher spots, but equipment designed to handle my power at 20 or 30% was simply unwieldy. Support Items make sense for mid to long-range fighters like Bezpalov-shonen, but I was a brawler, so the stuff would get smashed up beyond repeated use or repair far too quickly than it was worth. THAT'S WHY I DECIDED TO LEAVE THAT APPROACH BEHIND AND SIMPLY FOCUS ON FIGHTING WITH MY BODY!"

With that, Toshinori's body suddenly burst in a cloud of steam, revealing the now-nostalgic-feeling muscular behemoth that was his form as All Might; leaving Izuku and Nikolay naturally awestruck…for the split second that it lasted, before he shrank back down to his lanky form, immediately hacking up a mouthful of blood afterward; spurring Oleg to hurry to his side.

"Yes, well, Support tech has certainly come a very long way in advancement and resilience since those days, Toshinori-san. I mean, just look at my arm; that in itself might as well be considered one giant Support Item." At his pointing out of this unmistakable fact, Toshinori let out an especially wry chuckle.

"Yes, I suppose that is true…but regardless, Midoriya-shonen, Bezpalov-shonen, it's a good idea to reinforce yourselves with Support Items where you know you need them…you must be careful not to let yourselves rely on them too much…especially if losing them would make you feel helpless as a result. Far too many Heroes have let themselves fall into such a trap."

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Before either Izuku or Nikolay could even express their acceptance of Toshinori's advice, the starting warning bell for school echoed across the canopy, thus sending them both into a mad dash for the dorms so they could get into their uniforms and into class on time, lest they suffer Aizawa's wrath, or even worse, get left out of the festival activities as punishment.

The entirety of the school day had passed like seemingly nothing now that everyone was mentally this deep into festival preparations. Even though the dance team had already started trying to reconfigure from pairs to trios in the wake of Izuku's team transfer, it was only after this evening's dance training had come and gone after school, that the trios had ultimately been formed based on whose dance styles best complimented each others. As a result, the three trios now looked as such: Mina, Tooru and Mashirao; Tsuyu, Minoru and Tenya; and Nikolay, Ochako and Mezo. While there was definitely more work that needed to be done to make their new dance routines work the best they could, they could all at least be grateful that this change had happened as early into festival planning as it had.

And as everyone laid out in exhaustion all across the commons area, it was easy to see that the dance team wasn't the only one going all out physically and mentally to try and make their part of the show the best it could possibly be. With Kyouka's calm instruction to her band mates continuously being undone by Bakugo's constant impatience, the pressure was certainly starting to reflect in Denki and Fumikage both. And with all the continuous mental work needing to go into making sure all the stage effects would actually work and be timed perfectly in accordance with the music and the dance choreography together; Eijirou, Yuga and Hanta all looked utterly and mentally drained of all signs of life.

But even for as complete and total as their exhaustion today was, it still wasn't enough to keep any of them from noticing and immediately being perked up by the aroma wafting through the air from the kitchen, as while Nikolay was on one of the couches trying to massage the achiness from his own feet, he could feel himself being drawn there alongside several of his other classmates; such a reaction sparking an especially excited glimmer out of Momo's eyes, as she was busily working over a tea kettle with Kyouka before realizing the attention her work had been getting from everyone else.

"Oh, you've all already noticed, have you? My mother sent me a care package: Phantom Black: Golden Tips Imperial, a very rare and elusive tea! I'd like to share it with everyone, if you all would like, of course!" The moment she even offered, Momo was smiling bashfully at all the enthusiastic thanks and declarations of her being Class 1-A's guardian angel coming from all her classmates. But it was Nikolay who simply had the advantage of being closest to the kitchen, which allowed him to be the first in line for one of her offered cups. "I recall you saying your people have a very long and storied history and love for tea, Bezpalov-san. I can only hope this will be able to live up to such expectations."

With Ochako hot on Nikolay's heels, she immediately got the next cup, eagerly looking back as she called out: "Hey, Deku-kun, do you want some of Yaomomo's tea, too?"

However, to her total shock, Izuku was the only one of the students who hadn't jumped on Momo's offer, as he was still firmly rooted to his spot on the couch, his eyes wide and dried out from having been incessantly looking through his phone; by now looking and sounding like he was on the verge of death as he kept absentmindedly mumbling to himself: "All Might with items…All Might with items…I can't believe…I didn't know that. Me…of all people. Not knowing of that…rare Might…inexcusable. Is there any merchandise? Videos? Pictures? Nothing?"

Of course, after this morning, not only could was it only natural that Izuku would be obsessively looking for some kind of rare evidence of All Might ever having used Support Items like the super-fan he still was, but so too was it only natural for Nikolay to have expected this from someone who could so easily let himself get so single-minded.

As such, seeing the worried look on Ochako's face at Izuku's condition, he joined her at the boy's side, giving him just enough of an elbow nudge so that he would reflexively have to look in her direction, where she would have a second cup at the ready for him to take. "Midoriya-san, maybe it's time you let yourself take a break from that, don't you think?"

However, as Izuku thankfully was snapped out of his daze and gratefully accepted Ocahko's offered tea cup with a grateful bow with his free hand, his other hand was still running on motor reflex, as it was still reaching a thumb for the place on screen where another recommended video for his search would normally be waiting. But this time was not the case, for as soon as Izuku realized what he'd inattentively done in those few seconds, his phone was already starting a new video, wherein a distinguished sounding older man's voice began to speak over the image of an overflowing tea cup: "My dear viewers, what type of tea do you often drink, and when?"

"Oh, you're watching a video about tea, Deku-kun? How fitting." Ochako immediately answered once she'd likewise heard. At the same time when Nikolay now found himself watching alongside her and Izuku; Mina came springing in excitedly with half a mind to jump and cling onto her boyfriend's back, only to instead poke her head in with all smiles over his and Izuku's shoulders. "What're you guys watching?! We having a watch-along party tonight or something? That sounds like fun!"

But before any of the three could answer her, the video continued to show what looked to be a dapper man with a neatly trimmed white mustache and matching beard, all with short and neatly styled white hair, adorned in black and dark purple, lifting the overflowing tea cup to his face as the camera followed; his liner-rimmed eyes piercing in their intent as he looked his unwitting audience dead-on, with an energetic young female voice speaking out from off-screen as he too continued: "Personally, I opt for a spot of tea before and after every job. I choose the variety based on the scale of that job. For example, this one here is a high-quality variety known as Royal Flush. Can you comprehend what that might mean?" "It's so cool that you can even tell the difference, Gentle!"

After finally taking a hearty, albeit messy, swig of his apparent Royal Flush tea, the man known only as Gentle dawned a confident but refined smile as he continued looking into the camera. "It implies that my next video will serve as a wake-up call; not just for you viewers, but for society as a whole! I hope you've prepared yourselves for it."

With that and a high pitched squeal from the same female voice behind the camera, the video ended just as quickly as it had begun, leaving all four of the accidental young viewers just plain perplexed; Mina immediately stating with a wistful smile: "You've got weird taste in the videos you follow, Midori-kun! Although that guy's outfit was super stylish, I'm not gonna lie!"

All the while, Ochako was simply looking at the screen still, before observing the contemplative look on Izuku's face. "That was surprisingly short. Who was that, Deku-kun; somebody famous? I mean, that like-dislike ratio is super harsh."

Nikolay too had noticed the sudden seriousness in Izuku's eyes as he answered: "That voice called him 'Gentle'; I remember hearing about someone with a name like that once before in passing. He's apparently some sort of famous low-level Villain online who posts videos of himself causing trouble. Still, it's pretty impressive that he manages to upload all these videos for this long without ever getting caught."

While Ochako and Mina were both simultaneously shocked at this discovery of an apparent Villain neither of them had ever even heard of (especially surprising for Mina, with how much time she spent online in her alone time); Nikolay looked especially perplexed by the description. "When you say he's a low-level Villain, what do you mean by that, exactly? Like, he just does petty crimes that don't actually hurt anyone?"

Tucking his phone away, finally, Izuku answered: "Like I said, I only heard of this person once before, but from what I remember, that's pretty much what it sounded like: mainly just doing things that would amount to either an annoyance or a minor inconvenience. I think around that time, the people I'd heard of him from were talking about how he'd just stolen from a convoy of trucks belonging to some bread maker out near Osaka, saying in his video about how they'd been knowingly sending out nearly or completely stale bread to stores while claiming they were fresh. Keep in mind, I could be remembering that completely wrong; it was a while ago, and I'd only really been half-paying attention then."

Regardless, Nikolay gave a considerate shrug. "Well, on the off-chance you're remembering right; all things considered, he sounds more like a Robin Hood-type of criminal, rather than a full-blown Villain. I mean, if his actions aren't deliberately or even accidentally hurting anyone, then I don't see what the issue is."

But even as the four of them took their seats together on the first available couch, all finally starting to enjoy their tea (with Mina having practically brushed off the whole conversation between the boys so she and Ochako could chat, themselves); Izuku couldn't let go of the furrow in his brow. "On one hand, I want to agree with you, Kolya-san. But that doesn't change the fact that he's still actively choosing to break the law; the same law that we have the responsibility to uphold as Heroes. I just can't stop wondering what this next plan of his is going to be, that would make him say something as bold as calling it a wake-up call for all of society."

Nikolay had no better clue than Izuku did, and this wasn't exactly a conversation of such importance that would warrant even a remote argument. They'd both made their opinions known, and with still so much work to be done before the festival, he and Izuku alike both knew they needed to be on their respective game and simply remain focused until then.

Friday, October 31st

"ALRIGHT, WE GOTTA CLOSE UP THE GYM, SO LET'S GIVE IT ONE FINAL RUN! EVERYONE GET IN YOUR SPOTS AND LET'S START FROM THE TOP! ONE TWO THREE – ONE TWO THREE AND BOOM! THEN MIDORI-KUN EXITS CENTER STAGE TO ACTIVATE HUMAN DISCO BALL AOYAMA-KUN! MIDORI-KUN, STILL LOOKING SLOPPY! GO, GO! REALLY FEEL THE GROOVE! KOLYA-KUN, URARA-CHAN, REALLY THROW YOUR WEIGHT INTO YOUR MOVES TOGETHER, NO STALLING FROM EITHER OF YOU; AND SHOUJI-KUN, YOU GOTTA WATCH THEIR JUMPS AND AIM YOUR TENTACLE MOVES ALL AROUND THEM, NOWHERE ELSE! WE AIN'T GONNA LET THE BAND BE THE ONLY GROUP TOTALLY KILLIN' IT WITH THIS PERFORMANCE!"

Over the last couple of weeks, every day's training amid all the 1-A groups had only grown in intensity. The preparations and adjustments for all three trio's dance routines had been vigorous, but as the fateful day of the school festival crept ever closer, Mina's natural intense passion for teaching her classmates how to dance only managed to grow as such.

Now that the final night before the festival tomorrow was here, not only did the whole class ultimately have to skip the festivities of Halloween with their heavy preparation schedule; but Mina especially was conveying an energy that bordered on that of a drill sergeant, watching every single individual's every move as though through a magnifying glass. For what little time in the performance that Izuku himself was going to be able to dance, she was especially intense towards him; forcing him to regroup and start his turns over from the beginning every single time his feet missed the mark even by a centimeter.

And all the while, Yuga remained dangling far above the stage on a rope harness, either to help simulate what the whole stage setup was going to be when Izuku would have to leave the stage, or simply to get himself used to being in such a physically uncomfortable position for when the performance would actually start.

But everyone else wasn't exempt from having to work themselves to the bone under her tutelage, either. They all knew how much was riding on their shoulders to make this performance the best it could be for themselves, for each other and for the entire audience that would soon be filling this currently empty gymnasium they were going to be performing in tomorrow (wherein Midnight was dutifully watching over their practicing from the farthest corner of the bleachers).

And for Nikolay, all that practice, all that strain, on top of the numerous times over those weeks (and even tonight, as evidenced by the three band-aids now adorning his forehead) he had ended up crashing into the ground because of either poor posturing or off-timing; had been enough to drive him into a near frenzy to try and get his moves down the best he could when dealing with Ochako's full-body aerial moves to match his own on the ground, as well as Mezo's large and bulky frame, especially with his several tentacles swinging and swaying about with his every movement as well.

But the young Russian's stress, even despite his visible progress, was impossible to quell now that they didn't even have a whole day left before the festival, and even as he and his two partners ran through their specific routine for literally the 42nd time this evening, every single one of them moving at the beat of Mina's every instruction; he couldn't quiet his head enough to time his movements precisely. All of his fears, his worries, his doubts, had been quickly growing into a cacophony of dread over all this time, that now left him unable to even think to himself in peace.

As such, just as he and Ochako were beginning what was to be their climactic move around and over Mezo that would end their routine and spot in the group rotation—

SLIP! KRAAK!

A fraction of a second's hesitation was all it took for Nikolay's legs to get swept by one of Mezo's tentacles sweeping across the floor, sending him tumbling head over heels into the unforgiving wooden floors once again; the impact loud enough to bring the rest of the dance practice to a stop, while his body listlessly flattened out before he finally pried his face off the wood.

"Kolya-kun, are you okay?! Does anything else hurt?" Despite this being the fourth time this evening Nikolay had fumbled his steps; Mina was still naturally at the forefront before everyone else on the dance team hurried over to make sure he wasn't hurt again; his girlfriend wasting no time to see if his brow was bleeding at all, before just as quickly checking to make sure his wrists and ankles could still move all right, breathing a sigh of relief even as Mezo apologized, under the impression he'd positioned his tentacles too high off the floor.

But even the fact he still hadn't crippled himself did nothing to calm the by-now deafening voices of no-confidence and ridicule banging around in Nikolay's head; for as soon as Mina and Ochako had helped him back onto his feet, he kept his gaze on the floor and began making his way for the gym exit. "Hey, Kolya-kun, where are you going?! We can still get one more run in before bed!"

Completely ignoring the worried gazes of his classmates in the stage crew who had been watching this whole time from the floor, or from the music team in the center of the stage, Nikolay didn't dare look back as he continued, trying hard not to let his overwhelming disappointment in himself show to his teammates. "What's the point? It could be 44 or 44,000 runs, I just can't get the timing or the poses just right, while everyone else already can! If I go up there tomorrow, I'm just gonna end up ruining the whole show! I'm just gonna stay with Sato-san and Dad at the stand during the festival. At least then you can all go back to the pairs idea, and we know you've all had enough practice to do those routines in your sleep."

All at once were Eijirou, Izuku, Tenya, Mina and even Bakugo, suddenly rushing after him; the bespectacled, red and green-haired boys all ready to give the pep talk or reprimand to end them all in order to try and bolster their friend's spirit…and the furious-looking platinum blonde boy ready to deck Nikolay to the ground for daring to try and walk off on his teammates this close to the deadline like a coward.

But the speed with which Mina came practically screeching to a halt in front of Nikolay before he could leave, easily dwarfed all four other boys; her black-gold eyes burning like star fire as she met his downcast gaze. "Kolya-kun, just wait, please! We talked about all of this already! Whatever happens up there, the important thing is that we're going through it all together, regardless if we pull it off or we trip up! Please don't walk away before we can all even try."

But even despite the clear emotion in her eyes, Nikolay simply couldn't find it in himself to lift the weight off his heart like so many times before. "It's easy for you to say that, but I see just how much making this whole performance as perfect as possible really means to you despite that, Mina; how much it means to all of you! It's clear that this performance, teaching dancing on your level to everyone here, is more meaningful to you than that…and that's why I'm not gonna be the one to ruin all of the hard work you've put into us already."

But even as he began to try and sidestep around her, Mina held her ground, even extending her arms out to the sides so he couldn't do so again. "But it's still not too late, though! I can teach you one-on-one all my moves you could possibly need to make up for that trip-up, Kolya-kun! We can practice till the crack of dawn if we have to, I can even make it so neither of us would even be tired by show time! I know you can do this; you've got that spark, just like me, just like we all do! C'mon, please don't give up when we've already gotten this close!"

"Mina-chan's right, Kolya-san!" Ochako suddenly stated with the utmost sincerity; she and the rest of the dance team having likewise come rushing after their despondent teammate; her brown eyes burning with compassion. "I didn't think I'd be anywhere near good enough for the show when we started, either; but I've seen how much you've been improving every time we practiced, just like I know you've seen it in me, too; like she's seen it in all of us! Mina-chan says you can do it, and I know she's right, because I know it, too!"

"YEAH, DON'T GIVE UP NOW, KOLYA-KUN!" "We're counting on you to make this whole thing work, man!" "C'mon, dude, I get feeling discouraged, but you've always gotten up from it before!" "It's no different from all our other training, so just think of it like that, and I know you can make it all work!" "ALL OF CLASS 1-A IS IN THIS TOGETHER, AND IT WON'T BE TRULY COMPLETE WITHOUT YOU WITH US, BEZPALOV-SAN!" "IF YOU EVEN THINK OF TAKING ONE STEP OUT THAT DOOR, YOU'D BETTER BRACE YOURSELF, DAMMIT!"

With Ochako having opened the floodgates at last; Tooru, Minoru, Eijirou, Izuku, Tenya and Bakugo all likewise began throwing in their own encouraging statements (and threats) to at least try and make Nikolay reconsider; leaving him looking back to all of his gathered classmates with conflict written all over his face as he could feel how sincere every one of them was; even with Bakugo visibly bristling in the back the whole while, as though just waiting for another word of defeat to escape the Russian's mouth so he could literally knock some sense into him.

SLAM!

But before he or anyone else could even say another word, the doors to the gym nearly exploded open, as the muzzled and hulking head of Yuuei's security, Hound Dog, nearly came in, barking out between his vicious snarling growls: "It's already *grr* 9PM! Students gotta leave by nine!"

With his naturally intimidating demeanor, that would have been enough to convince the students to finally pack it in and return to their dorms…but this unfortunate downswing in the mood because of Nikolay's overwhelming stress, exacerbated by his latest failure so close to the deadline, made it impossible for any of them to truly be able to go to bed with high hopes for his making a turn-around.

And even as Midnight watched the students all take their leave; her eyes never left Nikolay until he was out of her sight; keeping her arms crossed and her face unreadable after what she had just witnessed.

Outside, just a short ways away from the very same gym, while the students had all immediately made the way back to their dorms; Oleg was still hard at work with Rikido, Cementoss and Power Loader in putting up the last of the stands that would make up what Lunch Rush so elegantly referred to as the Hall of Delectations, wherein his and all the participating classes and sponsors' food stands would line the pathway for the students and guests to all enjoy; with Class 1-A's stand being the last one to be put in place and confirmed to have all its amenities running in time for tomorrow morning.

"SPLENDID! Everyone's stands are in working order, and any and all special ingredients needed for every single one are projected to arrive here in plenty of time!" As the school chef announced this through his mask, Oleg and his fellow teachers and one participating student all felt a major swelling of pride in their chests to see all of the preparations, decorations and features for the festival were in place and ready to go with no further problems.

Upon thanking Rikido for all of his eagerness and help, and then ushering him off back to the 1-A dorms for the night, Oleg rolled his shoulders, ready to get food and drink in his stomach before checking in with his son before the big hour and then finally getting to bed. If he was feeling this excited, he could scarcely imagine just how much more so Nikolay was right now, even if perhaps barging in and asking his feelings and thoughts face to face would risk instilling some deep-seeded nervousness or stress. Hence why he ultimately decided keeping his distance tonight was for the best.

"Tunguska-san! Hold up!" But as soon as those regretful thoughts had just passed, Oleg heard the sound of Midnight's voice calling out to him from the direction of the gym…and when he looked back, he was stricken with a nervousness of his own when he saw the deathly serious strides she was taking, let alone the hawk-like focus in her eyes. "Good evening, Koyama-san; is there something I can do for you?"

Clacking her stilettos hard against the cobblestone to make the large Russian Hero quiet down, Midnight's gaze drifted in the direction of the 1-A dorms; the students already having long since left. "I know it's not my place normally to say this, but something's recently just come up, and I can't help but worry…about Bezpalov-kun."

Not used to hearing his fellow teacher speak like this about his son; all the joviality in Oleg's demeanor turned into pure business. "What? What happened to Kolya? Is he hurt? Can Recovery Girl do anything to help him in time?"

With a timely prodding of the handle to her riding crop against his throat, Oleg went silent again, as Midnight's intimidating air slowly faded, giving way to much more recognizable concern. "No, nothing like that…but I can tell the stress and the pressure is mounting on him big time. He just had his fourth trip-up during the last bit of practice a few minutes ago, and if somebody isn't able to convince him otherwise by tomorrow, we could very well be looking at the 1-A dance team being reduced to eight instead of nine…and I think you know who that somebody should be, don't you?"

Following her gaze in the direction of the dorms, Oleg could feel his skin prickling up with worry for his son. "But…but he seemed to be doing fine up until now. What could've possibly happened that would suddenly bring Kolya down so hard so suddenly?"

"*Sigh* I don't think it's exactly sudden, Tunguska-san. I can't imagine he would exactly be kicking your door down to tell you, but from what he'd been willing to tell me: shortly after practice had started nearly a month ago, it'd been decided that the stop gap between his dancing abilities and Ashido-chan's were simply too big for them to team up, so they've pretty much been forced to separate in regards to the performance."

But as soon as Midnight explained this, Oleg interceded: "He did tell me that, though; he even said he'd been partnered with malenkaya Uraraka instead, and he told me that he felt they'd both been getting better since then; he even said he felt he was improving once they got partnered with malenkii Shouji, too. Why are you suddenly telling me that he's now not okay anymore?"

Tapping her riding crop against her hip as she kept her arms crossed in bristling thought, Midnight answered: "Because it's that forced separation, on top of the growing pressure of the festival being tomorrow, all coming to a boiling point in that head of his, that's why. Bezpalov-kun and Ashido-chan have been a really surprisingly effective duo in everything else up to now…and considering not only that this is his very first ever school festival, but also just how obviously and deeply in love they are, and how much physically closer I've seen them be with each other since Hokkaido, even more so than before; this kind of situation right now is a tailor-made recipe for disaster just like this."

The suddenness with which Oleg jolted at such a bombshell drop of information was downright cartoonish for a man his size; but Midnight couldn't bring herself to even smirk at such a reaction, instead rolling her eyes with her own exasperation. "Oh, c'mon, Tunguska-san, have you just been wearing blinders this whole year? You can't seriously tell me you didn't pick up on it a long time ago like I did! Anyone with eyes could see just how emotionally inseparable Bezpalov-kun and Ashido-chan are from each other! For God's sakes, you've been married; you've got even less excuse to not notice!

"Ashido-chan even came to me right before they'd left for Hokkaido, asking for advice on how to confess to your boy, and if you had seen the way they were looking at each other and holding hands the entire trip back here like I did, then you'd know it for a fact, that those two have told each other how they feel! And with a love that strong for two people so young, on top of this kind of pressure at Bezpalov-kun's first ever school festival, when he has the kind of anxiety towards his own failure that he's shown us all he has before; something like this was inevitable. That's why you, as his old man, need to go out there and talk to him, help him get his head back on straight and reinvigorate his spirit while there's still time!"

With that, and knowing her point had most certainly been made, Midnight took her leave; her stilettos leaving a pronounced clacking on the ground with every step, while Oleg was left trying to process this humongous shift in his own son's life he couldn't believe he'd let himself go without noticing, and how intrinsically that tied in to this apparent explosion of anxiety that Nikolay was now going through.

With his eyes alight with fatherly determination as he looked to the dorms, Oleg stood up straight, his chest swollen with air as he breathed in deep, and proceeded to text his son: 'Kolya, meet me out in front of the dorm building alone. We need to talk.'

After the dour note he had inadvertently left their last night of practice, Nikolay couldn't bear to say or even look at anymore of his classmates once they had returned, instead making a beeline for his room and even locking the door so no one would be able to barge in on him and try to get him back up to form. He knew how much everyone truly believed in his abilities to improve and ultimately succeed, and it was through their support and his own hard work that he had even succeeded this far into the year to begin with. But no matter how much he tried to remind himself of this, he just could not shake that nightmarish image from his head, of him tripping and ruining the entire performance for the whole of his class in front of countless people.

And with that, he couldn't block out the sounds of their laughter, or the faces of disappointment, embarrassment and resentment on every one of his friends' faces, knowing he had been the one and only reason for it. The whole thing was like nails incessantly clawing away at his skull like a chalkboard. Even as he tried to remember Mina's reassuring words of this all being for fun in the end, he just could not get this horrible scenario out of his head.

And as a result, his anxiety had quickly become that of most of his classmates as well, as many of those who had likewise tried to turn in for the night, didn't find it nearly so easy to get to sleep without their minds racing nervously as to just what tomorrow would hold, with or without their performance members all back in their rightful places.

And in the commons area, only a handful of the 1-A students were still awake, sitting in an uneasy circle as they tried to think of what, if any, way they could possibly be able to salvage this literal last-minute hiccup in their entire setup. And even for as nervous as Kyouka visibly was, or as tense as Tenya and Eijirou both were; it was only natural that Mina was the most visibly distraught, the most restless; simply because she was at a loss as to what she could have possibly said to be able to try and get Nikolay's hopes back up in time.

"Maybe we're worrying ourselves too much over nothing. Yeah, Kolya-san has always been someone who gets nervous a lot, but we all know he's always gotten back on his feet in the end, and something like this is nothing compared to that last blow-up he had at the start of the year. Maybe he just needs the time to really take what we all said into consideration, and a night to sleep on it. Hey, if nothing else, maybe I could go up there and just tell him that his skills are still way better than mine; that could make for a decent pick-me-up when he's down on himself, right?" Eijirou certainly sounded very enthusiastic about this outcome, even if Tenya and Shoto both looked as though such an idea were naïve and nothing more.

Looking up to the ceiling with her Earphone Jacks continuously curling in and rolling out over her shoulders, Kyouka muttered: "I mean, even with all the practice we've been putting in until now, it's inevitable for people to get nervous this close to show time, and for otherwise simple mistakes to suddenly feel like the world is ending…but still, this is some really bad timing. I specifically wrote our rhythms and melodies to go together with trio dancing."

Finally, as Mina kept her legs tucked in against her chest as she likewise looked worriedly up at the ceiling, she quietly answered: "I think I might have a good idea why this is getting to him…but even if I were to tell him, I don't even know if it would make a difference by now. I wouldn't know what to say to him, otherwise. I just wanted to try and help make this the best and most unforgettable first high school festival of all time ever for all of us…including Kolya-kun."

Taking in the lowering enthusiasm among his classmates in the wake of this, Tenya steadfastly rose to his feet, looking them all in the eye as seriously as he possibly could: "We're all talking as though this setback is completely set in stone, as though Bezpalov-san's sudden departure from the performance is final. Kirishima-san at least seems to have the right idea. He's perfectly capable of thinking for himself, and while yes, his decision tonight may have been ill-conceived and reckless, there's still time for him to think, to process through his feelings, just the same as the rest of us, regardless of what any of us could say to him right now."

Likewise, Shoto leaned forward and folded his hands together in contemplation: "It's precisely because this is his first ever festival that he may be starting to cave into the pressure as he did…or it could be whatever reason Ashido is referring to; there's no way for any of us to know. But all of us stacking up at his door and laying on a bunch of motivational speeches like he's a little kid who needs others to lift him back up, may not be the best thing for him. This is something he needs to work through and find the emotional fortitude to come back from on his own, so he knows he himself can be strong enough to do so in the first place."

As surface-level apathetic as Shoto's reasoning could have sounded, many of them couldn't deny that he had a very good point. The whole reason Nikolay had this breakdown to begin with was clearly because he felt he wasn't capable or good enough to measure up to everyone else on the team, and if they all had to talk him back into it, instead of trusting him to find that inner resolve on his own, then it would ultimately fix or strengthen nothing for him.

And as everyone around looked at the distinct sense of sadness still on Mina's face as she reluctantly nodded in acknowledgment of Shoto's words; none of them ever knew of how, at that very same moment; Nikolay himself had gotten his father's text message and; knowing at least one person would have still been in the commons area and tried to stop him; had ultimately chosen to sneak out his window in order to slink around the building and finally meet his father.

Fortunately, once Nikolay had quietly made his way to the area in front of the 1-A dorms, his father was quick to spot among the bushes, since his large build made it virtually impossible for him to truly hide there. Looking around to make sure nobody else was around or coming this way, Nikolay finally reunited with Oleg. [[Dad, what's going on?]]

Standing up tall, and with a welcoming fatherly smile on his bearded face, Oleg started out, trying to sound as unassuming as possible: [[I just wanted to check in with you and see how you're feeling now that the festival's right around the corner, Kolya. How have all the preparations and practice runs been coming along? Oh, really quick, I think you'll be happy to know that your food-stand is up and ready to go just like all the others, and Lunch Rush-san says everything you and everybody else will need is going to get here in plenty of time. I certainly know malenkii Sato is plenty excited.]]

However, just as Oleg had been silently dreading, there was no visible eagerness in his son's eyes, as he instead looked at the empty pathway of food stands in the distance. [[Oh…that's good. I was actually…*sigh*…thinking of just giving up on the dance team and just working with you, Sato-san and Lunch Rush-sensei, anyway, to be honest.]]

Thinking back on what Midnight had just recently told him of Nikolay's episode, Oleg wasted no more time trying to pretend as though this was some kind of big surprise. [[Yes…yes, Midnight-san had told me something along those lines before, having been keeping watch on your classes' last practice earlier. I just don't understand, though, Kolya; you seemed to be doing just fine with all of your dance practicing. What suddenly changed that would actually make you consider giving up?]]

Taking a seat at the foot of the nearest tree, Nikolay curled up into an anxious ball, staring miserably up at the stars. [[I thought I was doing good, too, Dad…but at least twice at every practice, no matter how much I try to memorize the timing, the poses and everything, I keep getting tripped up. I want to be on the dance team for the show more than anything right now…but every time I see just how amazingly Mina moves without any flaws, no matter what kind of dance it is that she's doing; and I see just how truly she loves dancing, and I think about just how much of this lifetime's worth of passion she's putting into making sure we can all dance the best we can…even when she says we could end up fumbling and be able to laugh about it together afterwards, all I can think about is my screwing up when we're on stage, and humiliating her and everyone else in the process. I think about it, and it makes me feel sick to my stomach, like everyone will just come to resent me for it in the end.

[[I can't do something like that to any of them…but especially not to her. Not after everything she's done for me since we came here; not after everything we've gone through together.]] Nikolay sounded so devastated already, just having to recall the image that was even now still playing out in his head. Oleg silently sat at his side, looking up at the stars and moon, silently begging for some kind of answer he could give his son.

And then, when looking at the overwhelming emotion reflected in Nikolay's eyes, thanks to the starlight; Oleg felt the strangest sensation of…nostalgia. And it was because of that sensation, that an answer that had once eluded him in his preparation for this talk, now came so easily: [[Kolya…believe it or not, I do actually understand this fear of yours. I suffered it for a good while myself when I was your age…albeit for different reasons in the beginning.]]

Considering how reluctant his father usually was to talk about the days that far into his past; this easily got Nikolay's attention, but Oleg's eyes were now so much more distant as he explained, thinking back. [[I never did tell you how your mother and I met for the very first time, did I? I'm sure you probably thought it would have been when the New Bogatyrs was first formed. The truth is that it was actually a few years before that, back in my final year at my Hero school, back in Moscow. She had already well-established herself at her Hero school back in Georgia, but she wanted to prove herself a true standout among all future Heroes across the territories of the Union…and so she ended up transferring to my school that very year.

[[Throughout my whole education, no matter how bravely or confidently I'd tried to carry myself, I always worried that I would stumble along the way and ultimately humiliate the family history all my forebears had left for me to inherit as the future Number One Hero of the Union.]] Just thinking back to his mindset back in those days, drew a wry-sounding chuckle of remembrance out of Oleg, before it soon died down and he continued:

[[In my final year at that place, there was a point when we actually were preparing for a celebration event very much like this festival here, only it was far more government mandated, meant to promote our patriotism and the people's admiration and love for its Heroes both old and new. And so, since I'd already well-established myself among my schoolmates in terms of strength and Quirk power, the chance to prove myself as a figurehead in the eyes of the public, someone who could speak to the people, was the last place I needed to truly test my mettle.]]

[[How did you think of doing that?]] Nikolay asked in sincere curiosity, which brought out an appreciative smile on Oleg's face; that nostalgic glimmer still visible in his blue eyes. [[I decided to head a patriotic singing performance alongside my classmates, like that of a military choir. It just happened that Lyudmila, she had decided to volunteer her services right there alongside me as a second vocal soloist. At the time, I hadn't realized that she had also developed a truly incomparable and angelic singing voice during her education in Georgia, the second biggest reason she had earned her moniker of The Songbird Hero of Tbilisi. Had I known that, I probably would have stepped down from my place as the male soloist…but, then again, had I done that, you may very well not be here right now.]]

Nikolay's eyes were wide with disbelief at this never-before-heard story of his parents' first meeting, while Oleg was still chuckling in remembrance to himself. [[But I was bullheaded and stubborn; big surprise. I stuck with it all the way to the day of the ceremony…and I may not have choked on that stage, but after listening to her beside me, I might as well have…my friends certainly described my voice as making a choking cat sound operatic by comparison. I'd made myself something of a laughingstock across the entire school for pretty much the rest of that year. My father was certainly less than pleased, regardless how good the rest of my grades were.

[[But the worst-feeling part was the fact that I'd ended up embarrassing Lyudmila by proxy. To be honest, I wouldn't have even begun to blame her if she had never wanted to see or speak to me ever again after I'd humiliated her on stage like that, regardless if it was unintentional on my part.]] At this, Nikolay could see the shimmering of emotional tears start to build in Oleg's eyes as he paused for a good minute.

[[But…the exact opposite happened, in fact. In fact…my making a complete fool of myself on that stage was what actually ended up endearing me to her in the first place. By that following winter, she actually admitted that she'd expected me to be some pompous, self-absorbed, arrogant, boastful and unpleasant horse's ass of a man, simply because of the legacy my family had as Number One Heroes. But seeing me put myself out there, embarrassing myself and taking the laughter of my peers and countrymen at my expense as well as I ultimately did, was what made her want to actually get to know me more. And from there…well, we ended up falling in love, and…and you know how it all unfolded after that.]]

Nikolay couldn't speak. He could only take just how much effort his father had to have gone through to dig up this ancient memory and spill it all for him. If that wasn't a most powerful display of what he was willing to do to try and help his son through this anxious spell, then nothing else would be.

But as Oleg saw this acknowledgment in his son's face, he knew that there was nowhere else he could take this conversation in regards to himself…and instead he would have to finally bring it onto Nikolay himself: [[Tell me, Kolya: do you love malenkaya Ashido?]]

Nikolay reflexively jumped in surprise at such a turn, but when he saw the deep compassion in his father's eyes, his fluster was just as quickly forgotten, as he now found himself too looking at the stars, a dreamlike serenity soon apparent in his face. [[Yes…I do. I love Mina, Dad; more than I thought I'd ever be able to love someone. She's been so much more than wonderful to me from the beginning, and I've been trying to be the same way for her in return…knowing all that, I don't know how it could be possible for me not to love her like I do now.

[[I used to wonder when it was I had started feeling that way for her…but I know that doesn't matter anymore. I'd struggled to figure out for a long time when and how I wanted to tell her…and I ultimately did, when she had attacked us under Pietro's control at Hokkaido, just so I could try and get through to her. The next night at the hospital, after that had all ended…that was when we'd both finally confessed to each other proper-like…and we've been a couple in private ever since…and it's precisely because I love her so much, and I know how much and how long she's loved dancing, that I can't go through with the dance team like this anymore.]]

It was taking everything Oleg had at first to not give into his fatherly instincts and take Nikolay into his arms, bellowing in cheer to the heavens at his son having discovered his first and perhaps one true love so early in life…but to listen to the boy continue on and on, his spirit audibly deflating as quickly as it had started to regrow, left him pensive and silent.

But as he began to reach a hand out to try and provide some comfort to his son, Oleg paused, thinking back on everything he had seen and heard unfold between Nikolay and Mina over the course of this year, even before the school year itself had actually started, all the way back to the Entrance Exam. And it was with all that remembrance, that the answer once more provided itself to him as he nudged Nikolay to look him in the eyes again. [[Kolya, you've come to know malenkaya Ashido far better than I ever will over all this time, all these experiences. Looking back on it now, can you honestly tell me you think she's the kind of girl who would place a hobby she loves over a person that she's personally confessed to loving? Forget the entire thing about becoming Heroes, just for a second, and ask yourself: do you truly believe she would have done even half of the things she's done for you over all this time, if she didn't truly love you with every fiber of her being now? Would you have done the things you've done for her if you didn't feel the same way for her? Just take the moment and think about everything you've gone through and answer me that.]]

At his father's request, Nikolay did indeed do that. In fact, it was something he'd been finding himself doing continuously every night, ever since he'd first acknowledged his love for her back when the dorms had first been built. Back then, such memories filled him with so much happiness, especially after he and Mina had finally confessed and become the couple they now were.

But ever since his stresses regarding the performance had come, and his nightmarish visions of failure became more and more persistent, those memories came to feel as though they were taunts from life itself, like they were reminding him of all they had gone through to be where they now were, just to reinforce the cruelty of what could have potentially ended it all.

But focusing on Oleg's words instead, those memories began to fully reclaim their sweetness that always left his heart warm with gratitude. Nikolay found himself thinking back on every single time Mina was there to cheer him on when he was struggling, even when she had already done so much better and had no reason to care what came for those after her; all the times she had been there to help him out of a tough spot, and he in kind did the same for her; all the times she had been there for them to hug and hold each other in their most emotionally vulnerable moments; all the times they simply spent laughing, talking and fully enjoying just being with each other.

And finally, the memories of Mina fighting so desperately to save his life in the aftermath of the Training Camp attack; going so far beyond the call of duty to try and save him when he'd been taken hostage by Vukodlak; of her going out of her way to donate her Entrance Exam points to help him get in; and of the overwhelming empathy she had for him when she put her entire future as a Hero on the line to find him and convince him to come back to Yuuei, even after all the awful things he had said to her and everyone else, and ultimately giving him the very first hug of love and heartfelt caring he'd received in so, so long, when he needed it most…and just how warm, joyous and life-affirming it had felt to simply be held by her, and to hold her in return ever since.

And as Nikolay took this long and desperately-needed trip through his already countless irreplaceable memories of Mina Ashido; Oleg could easily imagine the realization returning to his son. And so, with a deeply approving smile still on his aged face, the large older Russian Hero finally placed that supportive hand upon his shoulder, as his son finally answered: [[In all honesty…no.]]

This brutally honest answer earned Nikolay an approving nod from his father before Oleg continued: [[And therein is the reassurance you need, Kolya. Even if you were to go up there on that stage tomorrow, and you were to stumble…then you already know, deep down in your heart, that it wouldn't change a single thing about the way she feels about you, the way she's always felt about you. Just as if she were to make a mistake relating to the things you love, it wouldn't change anything about how you've always felt about her, either. So with that all in mind, please, do yourself a favor, and stop acting as though you're bearing all the responsibility on your shoulders. Simply go up there with your class, with your friends, do your very best, and let whatever happens, happen. Do you understand?]]

Nikolay didn't even realize when thinking back, just how much his own tears of remembrance had started running freely down his face. But now, wiping them away and thinking back on all the reassurances Mina had already given him in regards to their dancing to begin with, the young Russian couldn't help but laugh at himself. [[She even told me so much of this, herself; right when we were beginning our preparations for tomorrow…and I allowed myself to just forget all that. God, look at me…still allowing myself to be my own worst enemy, even after everything else. I…I needed this, Dad. Thank you. I love you.]]

As soon as they were both on their feet again, Nikolay suddenly embraced his father tight, leaving Oleg visibly touched as he hugged his son in return. [[I love you too, Kolya. Anytime, anywhere, for any reason whatsoever, or none at all, you can come to me for anything. I'm your father, and I will always be there for you.]]

To further emphasize this truth, Oleg knelt down and embraced his son once more, with Nikolay gladly doing the same. And after they both simply relished in this deeply personal moment for another few lingering moments, Oleg let go and placed his hands upon Nikolay's shoulders. [[Now…why don't you go back inside, and tell your friends what you've decided you'll do…and please try not to let yourself stay up too late, alright? Whatever happens, you're still going to have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.]]

[[I will, Dad. Thank you so much again! I love you! Good night!]] With all those farewells given from the bottom of his heart, Nikolay hurried back to the front entrance of the 1-A dorms, leaving Oleg smiling with boundless pride after his son…and Midnight having silently watched this whole heart-to-heart with an approving smile of her own the entire time from the safety of the trees.

The commons area of the dorms nearly exploded with surprised exclamations when Nikolay came walking in through the front doors with a purposeful stride to his step; all of his present classmates rushing over to him after having never even seen him leave. And when seeing the genuine worry in many of their faces, Nikolay could feel all that resolve within himself harden that much more. "I'm okay, I promise; I just…I needed to speak with my Dad about…well, a lot of things. Things that I want you all to know, too."

Everyone thankfully gave their foreign friend some space when it was clear he had a great deal to say, but as Nikolay breathed deep to try and collect his words, he and Mina naturally locked eyes; and the more he thought about the much-needed reminder he'd just put himself through, the more he thought about all of her words of support, reassurance and love she had spoken from her heart over all the time they'd known each other so far; his lips formed a deeply heartfelt smile that quickly brought the same one out of her, as though they could just feel what was burning away within each others' heart.

"I just want to start by apologizing to all of you for making you worry so much, so close to festival time. I…I let myself give in to a lot of stress over these last few weeks…a lot of pressure that I had no reason to put on myself…and I allowed myself to forget about all of your support and kindness to me over all this time because of it. We've all been putting in the same kind of efforts all around, no matter what our jobs here are, but I let my worries convince me that it was all riding on me, instead of just simply accepting my one part, and just letting whatever will happen tomorrow, happen, and just go with it…and know that, whether I may end up making a mistake tomorrow or not, it still wouldn't change how any one of you feels about me over all this time."

Nikolay had to fight the tears when he saw the affirming smiles on his classmates' faces as he said this last part especially. What more proof could he have ever needed of just how strong the friendships he'd made with them all truly were than this? And just thinking about that, ultimately forced him to let out an embarrassed chuckle: "It's funny, y'know? I used to be so scared about anything relating to Hero work…but now I'm willing to face it and work through it no problem…but when it comes to this much more casual stuff, it's like I'm still that person I used to be…but I know that with all of you, not just in here, but in this whole class, this whole school…I can grow that way, too…and I can't say enough how grateful I am for friends like all of you."

That was the confession that finally broke virtually everyone's inhibitions, as Mina tearfully embraced Nikolay, with Kyouka, Eijirou and Izuku quickly following suit, and ultimately leaving Tenya and Yuga no choice but to join in as well; with Eijirou having to reach and pull Shoto in at the end.

And amid that throng of unbreakable friendship and affection all around, Mina's muffled voice spoke out in Nikolay's ear: "Kolya-kun…does this mean what I think it means?"

Not wanting to leave her or anyone else here uncertain for a moment longer, Nikolay showed no hesitation to answer: "Yes, it does. I'm going to dance with everyone tomorrow, no matter what happens…and that's my promise to all of you."

Even as Mina refused to release her embrace on Nikolay once everyone else began to, she still had the remarkable restraint to not start showering her boyfriend's face with kisses of unbridled joy to hear him say so. In the end, what had quickly become one of the biggest hurdles in Class 1-A's preparations for the school festival, had miraculously been overcome, and as they all finally were able to rest easy into their last night before the show, they all felt an immense certainty that things would truly turn out to be okay.

Saturday, November 1st

After the complete emotional and mental rollercoaster Nikolay had just put himself and his classmates through the previous night, it was honestly incredible that he'd been able to sleep nearly as soundly as they all were able to (especially after a good ten minutes after everyone else had retired, of Mina simply wanting to hold and kiss him over and over again in response to his triumphant and heartfelt return).

But the morning had finally come, that of the long-awaited Yuuei Academy School Festival, and Nikolay was already up bright and early, ready to face whatever would happen with his head held high. But considering that the schedules given to them confirmed that the festival wouldn't officially start until 9:00AM, and Class 1-A's performance wouldn't start until 10:00AM, he still had a good amount of time to get himself prepared. And he decided to do so after getting dressed in his casual clothes, by simply continuing to get a feel for the Magne Grips that Mei Hatsume had developed for him. They were indeed plenty flexible in his bare hands, but they had also definitely proven far more easy to use on the fly when affixed to his gloves.

But he still couldn't rightly deny just how cool they looked on a cosmetic level when seeing one of his hands adorned in one in the mirror; which was exactly what Eijirou ended up walking in on when he gave a sudden knock before just letting himself in. "Hey, Kolya-san, just wanted to make sure you're up and—whoa! Where'd you get the cool…actually, what is that?!"

Instead of his usual embarrassment at his classmates just letting themselves into his room, Nikolay was instead quick to echo Eijirou's childlike fascination at his new toy. "Oh, Eijirou-san, dobroe utro! Yeah, these are some new Support Items that Hatsume-san made for me a few weeks ago. I realize you all haven't really had a chance to see them in action yet, with everything going on. She calls them Magne-Grips; they're supposed to help call back my small tuning forks after I use them, so I don't have to spend forever looking to retrieve them. I'm hoping they might be able to do the same with my big ones too, if need be. Check it out."

Eijirou eagerly stepped to the side, just as Nikolay grabbed one of his small tuning forks from the bandolier in his closet, lightly tossing it towards his door, before he suddenly made a quick flicking gesture with his wrist. This caused the small lights on the knuckles of the device to activate, and like a shot, that same tuning fork came flying right back the way it had come, directly into the grip of his right hand; the lights turning off at the moment of impact.

"Dude, that is so awesome! I wish my Quirk had any need for Support Items that could help me out. Oh, before I forget!" As Eijirou voiced his amazement at such a nifty gadget, he suddenly pulled out a small granola bar from his pocket, before just as quickly jamming it into Nikolay's mouth while he was absentmindedly tucking the tuning fork into his pocket. "Gotta keep your energy up before the big show, man! You excited?!"

Nikolay quickly finished off this tiny impromptu breakfast in order to keep from choking, all the while nodding in confirmation to his sharp-toothed friend, which just left Eijirou smiling that much more. "Glad to hear it, dude! Seriously, you don't know how worried you had us last night, but I just knew you'd find that manly spirit that would get you back in shape again; you always do! But hey, if you get nervous again before we start, don't hesitate to let me know, okay?"

Eijirou gave his foreign best friend a hearty pat on the back to prove how sincere he was, and Nikolay's thankful smile was no less so in that regard. "Spasibo (Thank you), Eijirou-san…but I think I'm gonna be okay from now on. I want to do this; I want to see this whole festival through, no matter what happens. With the supplies for me, Sato-san and Aoyama-san's food stand on the way, if not already on campus, then all possible preparations are done…and I'm just as ready as everyone else is."

Eijirou couldn't look any prouder of Nikolay than he did right now as they already stepped out into the hall on their way down to the commons area. "Man, that's exactly the kind of resolve that makes you the man you are, Kolya-san. Between you and me, I'm actually kinda grateful I'm not on the dance team. I've always had bad footing for that kind of thing for as long as I can remember."

Such an admission couldn't possibly not get a good-natured laugh out of both of them as they soon reached the first floor…only to nearly end up running into Rikido and Yuga; the former looking nearly frantic as they had been ready to come barreling up the stairs! "Bezpalov-san, we've got a problem!"

Eijirou had to quickly get his hands on Rikido's shoulders to try and get him to take a breath, while Nikolay now looked just as panicked. "Oh God, what happened?!"

Thankfully, Yuga was still able to come out the calmest of the three, even if his twinkling eyes likewise showed a trepidation of his own. "Sato-san thought we should just check in with Lunch Rush-sensei one last time, to ensure our ingredients had all arrived à l'heure (on time). But unfortunately, the apples you requested have run into an unfortunate delay, and there's no telling when they'll get here, but it seems most likely it'll be far after the festival has already started."

Nikolay could feel his heart jump up into his throat; his mortified expression unmistakable to Eijirou. "Dude, what does this mean? You're already able to make all the other stuff you guys wanted to make anyway, aren't you?"

"That's not the point, though, Eijirou-san! When that girl, Eri-chan, visited with Togata-senpai, I learned she either really likes or wants to try candied apples, so I decided I wanted to make some for her! I can't let her get so disappointed because of this!" As Nikolay explained this, he was visibly gearing up to go into a mad sprint, instinctively checking his left pocket to make sure his wallet with his student card was on-hand.

Just the fact that this was something for Eri's sake, was all the explanation Eijirou needed to immediately do the one thing he could to help: "There's a small grocery store just fifteen minutes away from here that's usually open this early! You can still get a bundle of them and be back in plenty of time, man!"

With that, Nikolay broke into a mad sprint as though his life depended on it, making sure to call back to his three classmates: "Thank you all! If Mina or anyone else on the dance team asks where I am, let them know I WILL make it back in time! Ya obeshchayu (I promise)!"

8:31AM

With a series of fly-by 'good mornings', Nikolay had taken off like the wind outside of the Yuuei grounds and in the direction of the only grocery store he could find on his phone that would be open this early. Thankfully, it had been in a much smaller scale neighborhood near the school, and with so few people out and about at this time of day, it took him nearly no time at all to find said store, and finally get his hands on a small burlap sack full of apples. It wouldn't be enough to consistently feed countless guests over the course of the day, but so long as he would be able to make and save at least one for Eri, that would be enough.

And so, throwing his body weight about just enough to keep the bag slung over his shoulder from throwing off his balance as he ran back the way he had come, Nikolay nearly skidded on the soles of his shoes around another corner, only to inadvertently be brought to a nearly toppling stop at the sight of Izuku on the sidewalk across the street from him, with two shopping bags of his own in his noticeably gloved hands (white with enlarged circular cuffs and what looked like knuckle protrusions from this distance); currently standing before a heavily dressed adult man in a brimmed hat, sunglasses and a face mask, and an especially tiny but no less over-dressed girl or woman with visibly long dark red hair and sunglasses at his side.

"Huh, I wonder where Midoriya-san was just coming from." Nikolay absentmindedly thought to himself, ready to simply continue racing on his way, until he suddenly saw Izuku deliberately set his bags down, never taking his eyes off the two strangers in front of him. As Nikolay continued to step closer in passing them by, his own curious eyes shifted from his now noticeably intense freckled friend, to the two strangers in front of him.

"Is this my big job? Whatever do you mean, my boy?" The man suddenly asked in response to a question Nikolay had clearly missed. And as he did so, he suddenly reached up and began to remove his face mask and glasses. And as he did so, Nikolay; in his inability to simply tune out whatever was going on in front of him in passing; couldn't help but feel the faintest twinge of remembrance, but of what he currently couldn't figure out.

"I saw your video…" Izuku wasted no time before answering; a definite intent lacing his words. And it was the word video, while also thinking about this remembrance, that suddenly made the synapses fire in Nikolay's head as well, as he looked from his friend to the stranger he was confronting, just in time to see the face of an adult man with a neatly groomed and trimmed white mustache and beard, with piercing focused eyes lined with dark makeup that gave him an overall deeply sophisticated and distinguished air.

"La Brava…start recording, if you please."

With that command, it all finally became cemented in Nikolay's own understanding, just as Izuku got into a ready stance, straightforwardly answering: "STAY AWAY FROM MY SCHOOL!"

Once more feeling his own adrenaline spike as his eyes shifted from Izuku, to the man, and finally to his tiny associate, who by now was holding up what was clearly a video camera to capture the whole thing; Nikolay, too, figured out just what was happening here: From out of nowhere, Izuku had run into that same online criminal known simply as 'Gentle' and his apparent sidekick and camera-woman, and the mysterious 'big job' he had mentioned in the brief video from weeks before, clearly had something to do with Yuuei.

And like a cold knife of remembrance to the base of his skull, Nikolay suddenly remembered the foreboding detail Midnight had informed them both of several weeks ago: if a single security alarm on campus were to go off, even by accident, then the entire festival would be cancelled, and the whole school evacuated.

And just like Izuku clearly had; Nikolay now likewise found himself overcome with a burning desire to act, to protect; not the lives of civilians this time; but the passions, hopes and dreams of all their schoolmates and friends, now simply waiting for them to return. This had been the very last thing he'd expected to happen, today of all days, but whether alone or at Izuku's side, Nikolay wasn't going to let it unfold any further from here.

And there you all have it, everyone: the final chapter of 2022, and what a note to leave it on, right? I hope you've all enjoyed this story over the course of this year, and I hope I will be able to keep giving you the kind of material you deserve over the course of a fresh 2023!

Thank you all for...well, everything; and I will see you all with the first chapter of 2023 on 01/07!