Cause and Effect
Chapter Summary
Ochako decides that she'll try to spend time with other people to see if her feelings for Bakugou fade away, even though she doesn't want to leave his side or have him think she's avoiding him. It doesn't go as planned as she's paired with her buddy time and time again. When they finally talk, Ochako makes a choice that leads to something unexpected.
Chapter Notes
Thank you all for your patience and for sticking with the story after four weeks of waiting. I appreciate it greatly! I'm going to try to stay on schedule but these final chapters have been difficult for me (along with life stuff). I hope you enjoy!
Campfire Songs for Reference
I Won't Back Down - Johnny Cash
Be Wherever You Are - Zach Callison
Lean On Me - Bill Withers
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Unfortunately for Ochako, Dream Bakugou was a lot easier to read than Real-Life Bakugou. Bakugou sat with his friends the next morning as they ate breakfast around the campfire, while Ochako ate with some of the girls. She watched him from afar with a concerned gaze. He wasn't reacting to his friend's quips and Kirishima even got away with stealing a couple grapes from his plate. That wasn't normal.
"Ochako, I'm sorry about yesterday," Hagakure said as she sat next to Ochako. Ochako blinked, exiting her brain to enter the conversation. "I shouldn't have been so pushy and if someone did that to me I wouldn't be very happy with them."
Yaomomo sat on the other side of Ochako and crossed her ankles. She watched Hagakure and gave an encouraging nod.
"Also--you know--I shouldn't assume things," Hagakure added. Even with Yaomomo sort of prompting her, Ochako appreciated the sentiment.
"Thank you," Ochako said with a smile. "I know Bakugou and I have become good friends fast so I don't totally blame you."
"Yeah--like really fast. But even if you did like him in a certain way, it's not like you could really control that."
Ochako tilted her head and Yaomomo sighed.
"Hagakure," she muttered.
"I'm just saying. Spending so much time with anyone will lead to feelings. I'm surprised you haven't caught them. You-- haven't caught them, right?"
Ochako closed her eyes and popped one of her own grapes into her mouth.
"Let's not pry," Yaomomo suggested.
"But Yaomomo!" Hagakure pleaded. Ochako opened her eyes and saw Yaomomo give a stern look.
"I mean, do you have feelings for Shouji?" Ochako asked. Hagakure laughed loudly.
"What? No. That's crazy. He's so-" Hagakure crossed her arms and was silent. "And I'm bubbly and nice."
"Hagakure, you don't see the similarities between you and Ochako?" Yaomomo asked.
"What similarities?" Hagakure asked innocently. Yaomomo covered her face with her hand. Ochako couldn't help but laugh at the whole conversation.
During their final day of strength training, Hagakure's words repeated constantly in her head.
Spending so much time with anyone will lead to feelings.
Ochako supposed it could be true. You get to know people better when you spend time with them. Maybe that meant that if she spent more time with other people, she could nip this crush in the bud. The hard part was that she didn't actually want to spend time with other people with how her class was acting. Plus, she didn't want Bakugou to think that she didn't want to spend time with him. Hours passed as these thoughts swarmed her head. After an agonizing day of thoughts on how to stop her crush and working her body to its limit, Mr. Iida announced it was time for Class 2-A to move campsites. It was also announced that they wouldn't have time to shower before they headed out.
Packing up camp was frustrating for everyone. They were all exhausted and felt disgusting. If they had been able to take a shower after sweating all day, Ochako was sure certain members of her class wouldn't be moaning and groaning as much as they were on the trail to their next campsite.
"Hiking is part of camp," Mr. Iida said in an enthusiastic response to his students. "Let's enjoy it!"
"But we worked out all day!" Mineta whined.
"And we're all sweaty," Hagakure mumbled.
"I don't understand why we couldn't wash up before we left," Satou said quietly. Ochako agreed but there wasn't anything they could do about it.
"Will everyone shut up?" Bakugou muttered next to Ochako. Ochako sucked on hard candy as they walked to the next campsite. Since they hadn't been allowed to shower, Bakugou's burnt sugar smell was more than she could handle. It didn't help that Ochako was hungry. Dinner had to wait until the next campsite as well.
"I'm dying," Kaminari groaned.
"It's not that far away," Jirou looked back at her boyfriend with annoyance etched on her face. Iida walked next to her, looking quite annoyed as well. "You can do it."
"I focused on legs today," Kaminari said, tears in his eyes. Tokoyami rolled his eyes and readjusted his pack.
"Just keep moving," Tokoyami muttered. "We'll be there soon."
Within the next few minutes, the class exited the tree line and saw the river glittering in the sunset.
"If you want to clean off, use the river!" Mr. Iida said, putting his hands on his hips. "Tenya, Sero, Yaoyorozu, Jirou please set up the sleeping areas before anything else. Sero, if you wouldn't mind taping the tarps down, I'd appreciate it."
Mr. Iida delegated out the rest of the duties and Ochako was responsible for moving large logs and rocks for seats. She assumed the last class had sat on the ground since there was nothing near the fire pits.
"Can dinner wait five minutes?" Mineta asked as he dropped his pack on the ground. The class looked at him and Mineta wiped his brow, took off his shoes, then ran into the river with his clothes on. "Ah, that's the best thing in the world."
"Yeah, I'm gonna do that," Kaminari said, shrugging off his gear and running into the water after him.
"Thought you could barely walk, Dunce-Face!" Bakugou shouted at him.
"Yeah, you can't leave us with fire duty and you get to do nothing!" Ashido said, crossing her arms.
"Join me then!" Kaminari yelled, wading through the river and then diving underneath the surface. The class looked at Mr. Iida who grinned and gave an approving nod.
"Fuck it," Bakugou said, throwing off his stuff and blasting into the river with a large splash.
The rest of the class became giddy as they all dropped their gear on the ground and joined their classmates in the river.
"Mind the rocks!" Ojiro said after slipping on them. If the students heard him, they didn't acknowledge it. Laughs and shrieks of excitement echoed throughout the wilderness as the class played.
All Might walked slowly from the tree line and stood next to Mr. Iida.
"I think they deserve to be children for a moment, don't you?" Mr. Iida said to him.
All Might looked upon his students and smiled softly. Some were in a splash fight, some floated lazily in the water, and some chatted while either treading water in the deeper areas or sitting near the banks as the water lapped at their legs. He coughed once and looked down at his colleague.
"The commission wants them in work studies as soon as possible again," All Might said. "Transmission came through while I was with Shuuzenji."
Mr. Iida watched his class enjoy their freedom and pursed his lips.
"I know. They're asking a lot of them," All Might continued. "But--this is the life they chose."
"No, it isn't," Mr. Iida said. He took off his pack and leaned on it. "The commission is treating the children they're supposed to protect as if they're Japan's last hope."
"It's not a perfect system but-" All Might started but Mr. Iida shook his head.
"Society has coerced the strong of body and heart to fight for them. They can't use their quirks for good unless they become a hero. Heroes bear the weight of protecting their country and community. They become idols and role models for everyone. When someone is put on a pedestal like that, children want to emulate them. Children who physically can't are ostracized and ridiculed. Society shuns lackluster quirks and the quirkless so children will do anything to earn their place--to belong. So, no, I don't agree they had much of a choice."
All Might shifted uneasily. He wondered why this man had taken a job in training heroes if he felt that way. Mr. Iida continued to stare at his students.
"You have a point, I suppose," All Might said after an awkward silence. "-but they could leave this path at any time. One of your students already did."
Mr. Iida sighed.
"I'm sorry. You've seen how much the commission has put on these children. The world puts too much onto heroes and I've seen how quickly people throw aside heroes who can no longer serve them. I'm sure some of the students have already pushed Aoyama out of their minds. You are the exception. Your fans still idol you."
All Might shook his head, watching Bakugou send a huge wave of water straight at Sero.
"Some may. I am not the Symbol of Peace anymore. If I were, Japan would not be the state it's currently in."
Mr. Iida watched his students act their age and longed to give them a childhood they deserved. It was his job to shape them into better heroes. To Mr. Iida, that meant helping them navigate the system he had grown to resent. It meant instilling in them a sense of personal value. They were more than the title of hero.
"Alright, class! Out of the water, you know your jobs," Mr. Iida announced.
Groans came from the river as their small moment of peace and freedom ended.
"We have our own jobs to do," Mr. Iida said to his colleague, grabbing his pack by the handle. "Let's prepare for tomorrow's activity."
That night around the campfire, Ochako sat next to Deku on the ground, leaning on a large boulder she had found half a mile down the river bank. Bakugou had eaten his dinner with Kirishima on the dock, their feet soaking in the water as they watched the river. The class had learned last year that if Bakugou needed to be alone, Kirishima was the only one that could invade that space. As the night went on, Bakugou stayed by the river but Kirishima came back to the fire. He sat a few feet from Ochako then rubbed his temples.
"Is Bakugou okay?" Ochako asked quietly. Tokoyami began tuning his guitar in preparation to play.
"Yeah." Kirishima turned toward her with a tired grin. "He's just--grumpy."
"Isn't he always?" Sero asked and sat next to Kirishima.
"Being this tired will make anyone grumpy," Satou sighed as he fell onto his butt with a thud on the opposite side of Kirishima.
"So Bakugou is like--super mega grumpy? Yikes," Sero said with a grimace.
"Are we ready?" Tokoyami asked. The group all gave motions of encouragement or nodded.
Tokoyami sang of standing his ground even when life tried to bring him down. They were doing what was right, so they wouldn't back down no matter what they faced.
Ochako was enjoying the music and Tokoyami's deep, soulful voice when Bakugou sat next to her. Her body tensed as everyone's eyes glanced at them. He leaned against her rock and closed his eyes.
"When the world pushes you around, you push back," Ochako whispered to Bakugou in reference to one of the lyrics Tokoyami sang. She hoped it would help his mood. The corners of Bakugou's lips pulled into the tiniest smile. It disappeared as quickly as it came.
"I'll go next," Jirou said as Kaminari pouted next to her. Her boyfriend had been complaining about playing tonight, annoying Jirou to no end. She put on a smile and repositioned her ukulele. "Let's do a favorite of mine."
She sang in awe of the beautiful night, the lyrics urging the listeners to appreciate being somewhere different and appreciate where they were at this moment.
During the song, Ochako tried to steal glances at Bakugou's face. He looked tired. It was to be expected. Everyone was tired. She had to look away when memories of sleeping together at I-Island flooded into her mind. Outside of obvious exhaustion, his expression was peaceful and relaxed like it was then.
Ochako pulled her legs to her chest. Things had been so much easier before her dreams changed everything.
With a small shake of her head, she expelled the thoughts. She couldn't blame the dreams. They had only awakened something that was already there. Ochako couldn't deny that she felt something for Bakugou beforehand. She had thought it was friendship. Ochako forced herself out of her head and listened to Jirou's song. It encouraged her to practice mindfulness. It was a beautiful night. The stars shone brightly in the sky and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. She felt the warmth of the fire on her skin, the smell of smoke and river filled her nose as the sounds of crackling wood and babbling water accompanied the ukulele. Her muscles were sore and her stomach was full. When the music ended, Ochako glanced at Bakugou. His eyes were open now and focused on Kaminari pulling out his guitar in preparation for his song.
"I should be getting paid for this," Kaminari grumbled and Jirou flicked him in the arm. "Ow! I mean, yes, I love playing guitar when I'm exhausted."
Jirou rolled her eyes and Tokoyami hung his head.
"You'll know this one, I'm sure," Kaminari began with a tired smile. "Sing along if you want."
She listened to a few of her classmates join in and Bakugou grunted.
"Don't like this song?" She asked him. It was all about leaning on others when you needed them. She wouldn't be surprised if he hated it.
"It's cheesy," Bakugou whispered. He shifted his position on the rock and Ochako froze. Her skin felt electrified where his right thigh touched her left. His head leaned down to speak in her ear. "Watch these idiots make a big deal out of it."
She looked around the circle at her classmates. Some had their arms wrapped around each other, rocking side to side as they sang with Kaminari. Kirishima was hugging both Sero and Satou to his body as he swayed back and forth. He had trapped them expertly.
Ashido grabbed Hagakure and Kouda's hand and encouraged everyone to join together, leading to the unfortunate circumstance that only Bakugou and Ochako were not holding hands with anyone. Ochako was definitely not going to do that. She was supposed to be spending time with other people and stopping her crush. Still, Ochako didn't want to hurt Bakugou. If she held Deku's hand but not his, it would seem as if she was shunning him. In a way she was but she didn't want him to think that. It certainly wasn't his fault.
"Don't break the circle!" Ashido scolded.
Ochako blushed and shook her head at her friend with wide eyes. Ashido scowled.
"Let's shut her up," Bakugou grumbled and held out his hand. Hagakure shrieked and Kaminari strummed a wrong chord before he continued with the rest of the song. Ashido calmed Hagakure down but never took her eyes off of Bakugou's hand.
"Um--you don't have to," Ochako said quietly, panic creeping into her voice. Everyone was staring at either her or Bakugou's hand. Her other hand was being tentatively grabbed by Deku who gave a gentle squeeze. Ochako didn't dare to look at him in fear of what she'd see in his friend's eyes.
"I know," Bakugou said in a low voice.
Ochako's heartbeat pounded in her chest as she tentatively lifted her hand. She paused and took a steadying breath. Holding his hand wouldn't change her plan. They had held hands many times during training and dancing. This wasn't any different. Ochako hesitated too long. Bakugou closed the distance and then glared daggers at their classmates, daring them to say anything.
To Ochako's shock, they didn't. They kept singing.
She had never been more aware of how his hand felt then at this moment. Ochako noticed every curve of his palm and the pressure of each of his fingers. His palms became slick as he started to sweat. Bakugou started to pull away, his face making it clear he was embarrassed; at least it was clear to Ochako who had learned to differentiate between scowls. She squeezed his hand tighter.
"It's okay. I'll stay away from the fire until I can wash my hands," she whispered in his ear. Bakugou took a breath and relaxed his arm. "Don't worry."
Ochako looked around the circle and the majority of the class had stopped staring at them and were singing happily with each other. Ochako wondered if they really cared what happened between her and Bakugou or if they just liked the drama of it all. As she looked around the campfire, she realized she needed to stop caring what they thought regarding what she was dealing with. If she was being honest with herself, Ochako only cared what Bakugou thought. If other people found out about her feelings, it wouldn't affect them. It would only affect him.
"Come on, lean on your friends!" Ashido said as she leaned her head on Kouda's shoulder. She knew that if she leaned on Deku's shoulder, Bakugou would take it as a slight. Didn't matter the reason behind it. If she leaned on Bakugou, there was no way he wouldn't notice how fast her heartbeat was and he'd ask about it the next time they were alone. She needed an out.
"I'm still hungry," Ochako lied in a hurry as she got up. She felt guilty immediately when Bakugou gave her a puzzled glare.
"Me too," Deku said with a smile. "I'll go with you."
Ochako looked away from Bakugou, worried her face would give her away. She scurried to the leftover food and leaned against the table.
"Kacchan has really changed, hasn't he?" Deku murmured as he dished up some leftovers.
"Yeah, night and day from last year," Ochako said, crossing her arms. She watched Bakugou shove his hands into his pockets, refusing to hold hands with anyone else.
"I meant recently," Deku whispered.
"I-I guess," Ochako said shakily. She didn't want to hear Deku's take on her relationship with Bakugou. He'd been one of the only ones who hadn't said anything so far.
"I don't want to overstep," Deku started. Ochako's stomach tightened. "But--I think Kacchan is lucky to have you."
That wasn't what she was expecting.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know--he's always so closed off when it comes to friends. Like if they know him too much they'll use it against him somehow. It seems like it's different between you two."
"Maybe," Ochako whispered, filling her mouth with food from the table rather than risk saying something she'd regret. If Deku found out about her feelings for his childhood friend, he wouldn't be able to control his happiness. That's just the way he was.
"I know I'm lucky you're my friend," Deku grinned widely.
"Aw, thank you, Deku. I'm lucky too," Ochako smiled back and booped his nose.
"So what do you think the River area is for?" Deku asked after swallowing a mouthful of potatoes. "Search and Rescue?"
"Possibly. Could be about getting across. I mean, if a villain is following you, you won't always have a bridge."
"That makes sense."
Deku ate in silence for a moment, eyeing Ochako as she watched the campfire. Ochako's mind was elsewhere but she knew Deku had caught her in her lie. When the night was coming to an end, Jirou sang the song that Ochako had introduced to the class. As soon as it began, Bakugou got up, kicking the dirt every few steps before taking his supplies from the boys area and heading to the bathrooms.
"I'm surprised he stays for the songs at all," Deku mumbled.
"Bakugou really likes music," Ochako said. "Plus, I think he secretly likes being with the group. He joined the massage circle the other night."
"Right. The group," Deku chuckled. Ochako gave him a questioning look and Deku's eyes snapped to her. "Sorry! I only meant he likes certain individuals, not the whole group." He laughed anxiously and took another bite of food. Deku quickly cleaned his plate and wiped his mouth before swallowing roughly. "Super tired. Gonna get ready for bed too. Night!"
Ochako was left alone wondering why he had reacted that way. Deku hurried over to the boys side of the camp to get his things and ran after Bakugou.
"Huh," Ochako said to herself. Deku's behavior was suspicious and, if Ochako was being honest with herself, he probably was suspicious of her. He wasn't stupid, no matter what Bakugou said. None of her classmates were. Ochako dragged her hands over her mouth, breathing out to lessen the tightness throughout her body that hadn't gone away. She resigned to not dwell on it. She didn't care what they thought anymore, right?
The next morning, Ochako was not woken up by Iida or her teachers. She was woken up by Hagakure.
"It's time for your punishment for losing at I-Island!" She said loudly into Ochako's face. Ochako opened one eye sleepily and turned over in her sleeping bag. "Oh no you don't!"
Hagakure unzipped Ochako's sleeping bag and Ochako screamed as the cold air hit her skin. She heard another scream that sounded suspiciously like Deku come from the other side of camp.
"What's going on?" Jirou mumbled into her pillow. Ashido tightened her sleeping bag around her in fear.
"Ochako and Midoriya lost and now they have to jump in the river. We forgot to do it at I-Island but this is so much better," Hagakure explained gleefully.
"Do what?" Ochako couldn't remember.
"Polar bear!" Hagakure reminded her.
"Oh no," Ochako groaned. Hagakure pulled on Ochako's legs and she slid onto the freezing tarp. Ochako shrieked when the cold material hit her skin and stood up quickly.
She looked over to the boys and saw chaos. Bakugou had picked Deku up, threw him over his shoulder and was nudging the boys that were sleeping with his foot as he walked through them. Most of them jumped up from their bags, chatting excitedly about throwing Deku into the river.
"Deku's going into the water!" Bakugou shouted. Some of the boys cheered.
"This isn't practical!" Iida shouted back, hurriedly putting on his glasses and shoes.
"He lost. He's got to pay!" Bakugou announced. A couple boys cheered in response. If the camp wasn't awake earlier, they were now.
"I don't even know what a polar bear is!" Deku said, squirming in Bakugou's arms.
"It is a bear that lives in the-," Todoroki began as he followed Bakugou to the docks.
"I know that! I meant this thing!" Deku shouted anxiously. "Uraraka!"
Hagakure pushed Ochako forward and she stumbled.
"I'm going," Ochako mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Wait, I don't have a bra!"
"That sucks. Guess your pajamas are getting wet," Hagakure said menacingly. She was taking this way too seriously.
"At least let me change into the clothes that are already soaked from yesterday," Ochako pleaded.
"What do you think, Bakugou?" Hagakure asked as she corralled Ochako toward the dock. "Are they allowed to change clothes before?"
Bakugou looked at Ochako who was shivering already.
"Fine."
Ochako mouthed 'thank you' and quickly got her soaking shirt and pants from the clothesline they'd hung up last night. The outfit was freezing but it would be better than going in naked.
She quickly changed into her old clothes and put her pajamas back near her sleeping bag. Her teeth chattered as she walked up the dock to stand next to Deku who had opted to jump in only his underwear.
"How did you manage to put those clothes on?" Deku shivered. "I figured this would be easier."
"Oh, I'm dying but I can't exactly do what you're doing," Ochako said, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Right. Sorry."
"Jump already!" Kaminari shouted. A few members of the class had decided to sleep more but most of them had gathered at the beginning of the dock. They began chanting 'jump' while Ochako and Deku gathered up the nerve to dive into the freezing river water.
"If I go into shock, float me," Deku whispered then groaned. "I do not want to do this."
"Let's get it over with. Count of three?"
Deku nodded.
"One," Ochako said. Deku took a deep breath.
"Two," Ochako steeled herself to jump. It was then that she heard pounding footsteps behind her. Bakugou was running toward them and Ochako watched as he pushed Deku into the river.
"Three!" Ochako screamed in a panic. She jumped immediately, not wanting to risk getting pushed in as well.
When she surfaced, the air felt like needles on her skin. Her lungs were screaming from the cold and her breath was visible over the water. She had to keep moving. Her body was trying to shiver but the cold was already seeping into her core. Deku was trying to swim to the bank but he must have hit something because she heard him yell in pain.
"Come on, Deku! It's not that bad," Bakugou grumbled and pulled him out of the water. "Get some damn clothes on. Fuck, did you hit a rock? Icy-Hot, take him to Recovery Girl before we start training. Wait--where's Uraraka?"
"S-sh-she's n-not-up-p-y-yet-t?" Deku chattered as he wrapped an arm around Todoroki for support.
"H-h-here," Ochako whimpered. She was on the other side of the dock, using the wood for support as she tried not to slip on the rocks covered in algae. Her muscles were screaming at her and her feet were numb.
"Fuck, get some towels," Bakugou instructed to someone before Ochako saw him lean over the dock and extend his hand. "Come on."
"I-I-," Ochako shivered. "I c-can do it-t!"
"Deku already hurt himself. Let me pull you up," Bakugou said, his tone letting her know he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Ochako was only halfway down the length of the dock. Her skin felt like ice. This wasn't the time to argue. She nodded and Bakugou scooped her up underneath her arms. He pulled her onto the dock and the wood scraped at the back of Ochako's legs. She breathed in sharply at the pain and Bakugou cursed.
"Ochako, are you all right?" Hagakure asked worriedly. Ochako nodded and Bakugou led her away from the eyes of their classmates.
"This wasn't a good idea," Iida scolded.
"It's a little late for that," Todoroki said as he helped Deku to his clothes in the boys area.
"Someone start a fire," Yaomomo said.
"On it," Ashido replied, running to the nearest fire pit.
"I'll get her some dry clothes," Jirou offered. Bakugou was rubbing Ochako's arms to warm her up. She didn't want to admit how great it felt. Ochako was supposed to be crushing her crush, not savoring the feeling of his hands on her skin. They sat down by the fire pit Ashido was working in.
"Here you go," Sero said, handing out a towel.
"T-th-thanks," Ochako answered. She reached out to grab it but Bakugou beat her to it. With a smooth motion, he shook it out and wrapped the towel around her. Sero shook his head at Bakugou.
"We should've tested the water first," he muttered before walking away. Bakugou rolled his eyes.
"It w-wasn't that c-cold," Ochako stuttered. "Just a sh-shock." Sero laughed sarcastically in the distance. "I'm f-fine," she said to Bakugou. "J-just need to g-get out these clothes."
"Oh, yeah, you definitely need to get out of those clothes, Uraraka," Mineta said, licking his lips. Bakugou lost it.
"You! I've had enough of you!" He raged. He stood up and began chasing after Mineta, sparks igniting in his palms with every step.
"Shit!" Mineta ran away and Bakugou sent an explosion after him.
"What is going on?" Mr. Iida asked loudly. He got out of his tent and looked around at his students to see what the commotion was.
"I've got this," Iida said, his voice filled with authority.
"Here's your clothes, Ochako," Jirou said quietly, handing her the pajamas she had been wearing before the polar bear.
"I'll help you get changed," Ashido said, wiping her hands on her pants as the fire crackled behind her. "Come on."
Ashido helped Ochako to the treeline and held up the towel so Ochako could change without anyone seeing.
"Faster than heading to the bathrooms. Better?" Ashido asked after Ochako grabbed the towel from her and wrapped it around her hair.
"Yeah, thank you. Still cold but at least I've stopped shivering."
"Sit by the fire and I'll make you breakfast."
"You really don't have to," Ochako said quickly. "The river wasn't that bad."
"I want to!"
Ashido bounced over to the food station and pulled out some pastries. Ochako sat by the fire and Bakugou sat next to her with an angry sigh, watching Mineta cower in his sleeping bag. He didn't say anything to her but, once again, he was incredibly close. Ochako assumed it was to give her some warmth without resorting to touching her. A gust of wind blew through the campsite and Ochako shivered again.
"Move closer to the fire," Bakugou told her.
"It's too hot if I get closer," Ochako said. She chuckled as his expression turned sour. "I'm cold. I'm not dying."
Ochako took off the towel and shook out her hair with it.
"Are the scrapes bad?" He asked.
"No blood," Ochako whispered as she twisted her leg to inspect them. Bakugou nodded and moved his feet closer to the fire. Even if there was, the injury was so miniscule it wouldn't warrant a trip to Recovery Girl.
"Should've been careful," Bakugou said with a hardened expression.
"It's okay. It didn't break the skin. I'm glad you pulled me out. Could've ended up like Deku with those rocks," Ochako said sincerely. Bakugou took a breath and cracked one of his knuckles.
"I-"
"Here, lady," Ashido interrupted with a smile. "Got something for you too since you took care of the pervert." Bakugou bared his teeth, his eyes lighting up in anger. He took one of the plates that she'd filled with fruit and pastries and went back to his sleeping bag. Ochako watched him stomp away and Ashido scoffed.
"You try to do something nice and you get the cold shoulder." Ashido shook her head and handed the other plate to Ochako. She didn't know what he was about to say but Ochako decided she would take a page out of Bakugou's book. If it was important, he'd tell her.
"Uh-huh," Ochako mumbled, nibbling on a piece of melon as she watched Bakugou swat Kirishima's hands away from his plate. Kaminari swiped a strawberry from the opposite side and ran for cover. Bakugou threw a pastry at Kaminari's head and tackled him. Ochako was glad to see that Bakugou was feeling better today.
Later that day, the class found out what the river activity was. P urses and backpacks lined the river bank. Rope, handcuffs, tape, and black cloth were laid out on the dock. Ochako had a feeling those were going to cause her some trouble.
"We're giving you a break from intensive physical training," All Might said.
"Saving it for tomorrow," Mr. Iida added with a smile. Kaminari and Mineta groaned.
"You may be asking yourself why we asked you to change into your hero costumes," All Might continued. Ochako certainly wasn't happy about it. If her hero suit got soaked, it would be a pain to take off.
"You're not making us swim in these are you?" Kaminari asked with fear. "I have gadgets that'll get ruined."
"That's up to you," All Might answered. "Your hero suit can not be a hindrance in dire circumstances. Partner up with your camp buddy. One of you will be assigned the role of a civilian that cannot swim, the other will act as an injured hero who cannot use their quirk. Heroes may use whatever support they have on their costume."
"That's ridiculous," Bakugou scoffed. Ochako pursed her lips. Her plan to spend time with other people was off to a bad start. They must have to be alone at some point during the exercise.
"Be that as it may, you need to be able to save people without your quirk. Accidents happen and that doesn't stop you from doing your job," Mr. Iida said to Bakugou. Bakugou grit his teeth but didn't say anything else.
"Count this as a test. The longer you take, the worse you do. You don't want to take too long or you risk running into the villain that is following," All Might continued.
"Then you would have to fight," Mr. Iida said with a knowing smile. "Once you and your buddy are across, you'll need to walk a mile and a half to the nearest bridge and come back here. No, you cannot use the bridge in this exercise. We're measuring your problem solving.
"Your team will pick a bag, which has been filled with comparable items to what someone would actually carry in them. After that, meet us at the dock. Once you've been restricted, you'll go back to the river bank. At that point you may evaluate the contents of your bag. Once we give the signal, you can put your plan into action," All Might said, gesturing to the props in question. "Pick wisely."
"I think we should get a purse," Ochako said to Bakugou immediately.
"A backpack could have hiking gear or things that are actually useful," Bakugou countered.
"Have you ever seen the contents of a purse?" Ochako asked, eyeing her classmates that were not discussing anything and picking the first bag they saw. "Girls carry everything with them."
"Like we'll need chapstick," Bakugou scowled. Ochako ignored that statement. Chapstick was for everyone.
"I've carried a pocket knife in my purse for years but my backpack only has school supplies."
Bakugou exhaled sharply and eyed the bags on the bank. There was only one backpack left.
"If you're wrong," Bakugou threatened.
"When have I been wrong?" Ochako asked playfully. Bakugou rolled his eyes as he turned to pick out a bag. "Pick out a medium sized one please!"
"Someone's whipped," Mineta said as Bakugou picked up a purse.
"At least he's got a girl talking to him," Satou chuckled as he picked up the purse next to the last backpack that Mineta had grabbed.
"Yeah, they all avoid you like the plague," Kaminari laughed and Tokoyami nodded once in agreement.
"I'm feeling a little ganged up on," Mineta frowned. Bakugou, surprisingly, ignored the entire conversation. She wanted to say she was proud of him but he was sure he would take it the wrong way. Ochako instead opted for a sincere smile when he handed her the purse. It disappeared when she saw what Mr. Iida and All Might were doing to their classmates.
"They weren't kidding about being restricted," Ochako said fearfully as Deku's ankles were handcuffed together. Mr. Iida had taped one of Todoroki's hands to his abdomen too.
"We can take whatever they throw at us. 'Specially because we got the purse you wanted," Bakugou teased.
"Ha ha," Ochako said as they got in line. She watched her classmates' limbs get tied, taped, or handcuffed together and Ochako nerves increased with each restriction. Ochako knew a lot of people relied on their quirks and not using them would be a challenge by itself. However, this exercise would be difficult even if their plan was to simply swim across the river.
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