A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back! I read all of your reviews and can I just say... Thank you so much for giving this fanfic a lot of love! I really appreciate it. Let me just take some time to reply to some of you:

anon barbie: Thank you so much for the kind words! I really try my best to keep my mental health in good shape. It's a struggle but I'm doing so much better. I moved back to my home country and I've never felt any happier. Best decision I've made this year! Thank you for being understanding! And about Yuri's injury from the previous chapter (hero licensing exam), it will be part of the storyline. Hehe!

The-Storm-Unleashed: Sorry if took me a while! Hope you'll like this new chapter!

Addy: I try to chillax as much as I can. Haha! I appreciate that you like the flow of the fanfic!

Thank you everyone! Your reviews mean the world to me!


CHAPTER 12

I slowly opened my eyes. The sunlight peeking through the window blinds gently touched my face. After everything that has transpired during the hero license exam, the comfort of my bed was the only place I wanted to be right now. Although a number of days have already passed, I can still feel the soreness on every part of my body. It was a good thing that today was a weekend. I had all the excuse just to slack around and do nothing.

"I'm sorry Yuri. I'm sorry for today and for what I told you years back. I know I'm such a coward for apologizing just now."

I suddenly shook my head as Shoto's words rang in my mind. I shoved my face against the blanket feeling the warmth on my cheeks. Shoto apologized. It wasn't a dream?

I took the blanket off my face and stared blankly at the ceiling. The ticking sound of the clock was all too deafening. I sank in my own thoughts leading me back to our conversation days ago.

"What are you apologizing for? It was years ago." Damn it, Yuri. You are such a liar. Can you stop pretending already?

"I'm not dumb, Yuriko." Shoto smirked and closed his eyes for a while. When he opened them, his mismatched eyes gave off a feeling of regret and disappointment.

"Well…" What should I say? What's the right thing to say? I took a deep breath. All these negative feelings had been bottled up for years. I had to be honest with him. "It did hurt hearing all those words from you. Like, a lot." I looked at him with a weak smile. The emotional me would have bursted in tears already but I didn't want him to feel all the more guilty about it.

Shoto sighed and moved another step towards me. "I'm sorry. Whatever I said back then…. It was all out of my frustration towards my dad." He paused and looked away. "I didn't mean any of those words. I was stupid for even saying that. I hated myself for it all these years. If I seemed indifferent every time we meet, it's because I wanted to pretend like nothing happened."

He hated himself? Realizing how he felt the past years made me feel guilty instead. Maybe I was a bit too hard on him. But what he said before hurt really bad so he can't blame me.

"Yuri." I snapped from my own thoughts as he flawlessly called my name. "I don't know how many times I should apologize just so you can forgive me and…" He stopped and shyly looked away.

"And what?" I curiously asked tilting my head gazing at his line of sight.

"Nothing…" He looked away even further.

"Oh come on, Shoto! How am I supposed to forgive you if you'll just leave me hanging like that?" I crossed my arms and smiled at him. He touched the back of his head and looked at me. "So are you gonna finish what you were saying? I think it was something like 'i don't know how many times I should apologize just so you can forgive me and…' And what?"

"Good memory. As expected of Sorahiko Yuriko." Shoto let out a chuckle.

"Hey, don't change the conversation. You were supposed to-"

"…and get us back to how we were before." His voice was soft as if he barely managed to let out those words.

"Huh?"

"Tsk. Never mind. It's as if you'll forgive me in an instant anyway."

"You just need to say it loud and clear for me to hear. I might change my mind." I smiled at him.

"Do I really need to?"

"Well, aren't you sincerely asking for an apology? I think that's the least you can do. Come on Todoroki Shoto, I don't have all day." I grinned at him.

Shoto cleared his throat. A gush of red coloring his pale cheeks. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Yuri. I don't know how many times I should apologize just so you can forgive me and… get us back to how we were before." Shoto steadily looked at me.

I let out a soft giggle. "Forgiven! See that wasn't too bad, was it?" I smiled at him.

I got up from bed and a wide grin was obvious on my face. I shook my head again trying to suppress this weird feeling

"YURIKO, TIME FOR BREAKFAST!" My grandpa yelled from downstairs.

"COMING!" I replied out loud after I made my bed.

As soon as I sat on the dining table, I smelled the freshly cooked rice, miso soup and salmon in front of me. Grandpa makes sure I get to eat home-cooked meals every weekend since I usually eat in a rush when I have school.

"Wow, these look good." I exclaimed after sipping the miso soup out of the bowl. "Ojii-chan!" I called my grandpa and gave him a thumbs-up after I stuffed my mouth with food.

My grandpa laughed, "I felt bad not preparing anything for you during the weekdays so I decided to cook something special before I leave for work."

"Oh, you have work today? Do they need you at the police station?"

I noticed my grandpa looked away for a while. There was a trace of worry and seriousness on his face. He quickly gazed at me with a different expression.

"Detective Tsukauchi needs me in the Police Force since a number of villains are out of control recently. I have to keep myself active, right?" He flexed his wobbly muscles underneath his hero costume and chuckled out loud.

"Can I go? I passed the hero exam anyway. Maybe I can be of help too? Plus I haven't really decided which agency I'd go to for interns."

I looked at Gran Torino's eyes with excitement, expecting a positive response from him. However, he shook his head. His gaze steady on the floor.

Is there something serious going on that I'm not aware of?

"Yuri, dear. Not today." Ojii-chan's facial features suddenly changed into a more lively one when he looked at me. He cleared his throat. "Plus, isn't Todoroki and Yoarashi retaking the provisional hero license today? Aren't you going?"

The day of the provisional hero license was a total mess. Getting involved between Shoto and Inasa's dispute is one, my fellow students failing is another. When the results were announced, Bakugo, Inasa, Todoroki and Camie's name didn't make it on the list. Camie failing was still a mystery to me.

"I don't think I need to - " My phone suddenly rang. It was Inasa's caller ID. "Oh, Inasa?"

"I definitely think you have to." Gran Torino chuckled. He took one last sip of his miso soup and began taking his plate away. "Don't worry about me, Yuri. Answer the phone." He reassuringly told me and walked away to put his dishes on the sink.

I nodded and took the call. "Hello, Inasa?"

"Yu-chan!" I immediately took the phone away from my ear hearing his loud voice on the other side of the line.

"Ah Inasa! Why are you so loud? Who, in their right mind, talks so loud at this time of the day?" I answered annoyingly.

"Oh! Sorry, Yu-chan! Was it too loud? Haha! Anyway, we got to go to the Licensing Exam in a few! I'm 10 minutes away from your house. Let's go together!"

"But I already passed. You're the only who needs to be there…" I answered annoyingly. I just want to stay in the house.

"PLEASE COME WITH ME! PLEASE, YU-CHAN! I promise to treat you good food once I pass!" I hear Inasa's endless begging on the phone. His desperate face vivid on my mind.

"Oh fine! Just give me some time to fix myself." I started eating a spoonful of my breakfast.

"Ah finally! Thank you, Yu-chan! I'll see you in a bit! Todoroki will be there but don't get dolled up too much!"

"HEY, I"M NOT GOING TO-" Inasa hang up. "…doll up for Shoto." I whispered and frowned hearing repeated beeps on the other end of the line.

After breakfast, Grandpa left for the police station. I bid him goodbye and reminded him to be extra careful. I'm not the type to get nosy all the time but something felt a bid odd. It's as if the old man is hiding something from me. Whatever it is, I know he'll tell me anyway. Just not right now.

I wore blue denim jeans paired with a black tank top. Autumn is just around the corner so I decided to put on my white cardigan sweater. I hurriedly packed my phone and other essentials in my shoulder bag. I heard the doorbell rang as I wore my sneakers.

"DONE!" I greeted Inasa as I locked the door.

I waved my hands in front of his steady gaze. "Good morning! Is there something wrong?" I examined my outfit. Not revealing. I'm sure what I'm wearing is pretty decent.

Inasa shook his head and started walking. I followed him. He stretched his arms up. "Yuri, don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way, okay?"

"What is it again?" I asked.

"Todoroki is one lucky guy if you two got married." Inasa, his eyes not meeting mine, said it out loud. A few of our neighbors started looking at him.

"Hey!" I covered his mouth. "Tone down your voice a bit, will you?"

"Oooops. Sorry! I was just being honest though."

I racked my brains but couldn't find the right words to say. I felt a bit uncomfortable; all over again. I knew Inasa liked me a long time ago. He often says that he's okay and that he didn't feel the same way anymore but there are times that it still feels awkward. This is one of those days.

"Hey." Inasa stopped walking and finally faced me. "I definitely thought this would be embarrassing but I just can't help voicing my thoughts out loud." He smiled and tapped my head. "When I got dumped before and told you I'm okay, I wasn't being a hundred percent honest. And you know that. But right now, I swear I'm over you. Don't get too big-headed, Yuriko." He laughed out loud and walked beside me.

If this was brought up years ago, I'd think he was just being nice — saying he's over me and all. Looking at Inasa now, I know he's telling the truth. It must have been hard on him but I'm glad he cares for our friendship and the boundaries that comes with it.

I clicked my tongue and made a face. As usual, Inasa just laughed at me. We continued our commute going to the arena. My buzzed cut friend was unusually quiet the whole train ride. I know this wasn't because of our conversation earlier. He usually shuts up when he's focused or hyped about something. I didn't dare break his train of thoughts.

The arena is a three-minute walk from the station. When we alighted, Inasa finally started to talk.

"You think I'd pass the exam?" I never thought Inasa would be this worried. This really meant a lot to him.

"Duh? Of course you will. You just messed up a little last exam. Think less of yourself this time." I reassured him.

"You're right! But actually, I partly blame Todoroki for this." Inasa jokingly said.

"Well, yeah. You could say that."

Inasa gave off a surprised expression. "Wait! Did you just agree with what I said?"

I nodded. "But… I'm glad you guys talked it over that day." I smiled, recalling how the two guys made up even after failing the exam.

"I'm sorry! It's my fault if you couldn't pass this test because of my narrow-mindedness! Sorry!" Inasa bowed down to Shoto as he apologized. His head hitting the pavement once again.

In this very instance, the Shoto I knew back then would have turned his back and walked away. To my surprise, he looked calm. He looked at Inasa and raised his right hand gesturing that he's okay with it. "I was the cause of all that in the first place. Stop it."

"But…" Inasa didn't move an inch.

"There are also things that I realized because you came at me like that." Shoto added.

Things he realized?

I absentmindedly smiled as I remember their conversation that day.

"Eh? I clearly told him that I'll see him today but I still don't like him." Inasa crossed his arms. "I need to examine that guy a little more since he's marrying my best friend." Inasa winked at me.

I half-smiled. It actually feels good to have someone look after me.

"But Yuri…. Can you be honest with me? Do you perhaps… feel something special for Todoroki?" I was left dumbfounded and speechless.

Do I like Shoto? Is he more than a friend to me? I feel happy when I think of him. I feel happy when he's around. But the thought of having to cross that fine line between being friends and more than friends makes me anxious.

What do I exactly feel towards him?