A/N: It's been 3 months… but I'm back! For more details, check out my A/N at the end of the chapter.
Also, just to serve as a reminder, this story takes place at some point before Season 4. I have caught up on the manga, but I won't be spoiling anything from it, so don't worry!
Irrational.
That might be what some people would think Aizawa would say in this moment. But that would be far from the truth.
In his office, Midoriya, Jirou, Bakugou, Ashido and Mineta sat around a round wooden table, with Aizawa joining them after getting a cup of water. He cracked his knuckles as he prepared for the conversation.
"Students. Let me put it this way. Why are you here at UA?" Aizawa asked.
Silence fell over the room. Not one of the five guilty students wanted to make a wrong move. The situation was already awkward enough as it is, but they knew it could be far worse if Aizawa threatened expulsion. They dared not tread that far.
"That was not a rhetorical question. Now, one of you answer me. Why are you here at UA?" Aizawa repeated.
"We are at UA for our education and formation to become heroes," Midoriya said monotonously.
"What he said," Jirou said.
"…yeah," Mineta said, holding back a snicker.
"Correct. Now, in training exercises, such as the game of basketball, what is the objective?"
The students mulled over the question before answering. Mineta looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with Aizawa. His four other peers stared downwards at the table.
"To win?" Ashido answered.
"Sure - but there's more to it," Aizawa said.
"To… destroy the opponent through ultimate victory?" Bakugou mumbled.
"You're missing a point to this question," Aizawa said.
"To become stronger?" Jirou said.
"…well, you're not wrong, but consider this. These training exercises are training. As in, it is practice for the real world. While winning is a fundamental part of these activities, the goal is to develop your skills as heroes to prepare you for hero work once you graduate," Aizawa said.
"I see," Midoriya said, scribbling what his teacher had said into his journal. Jirou gave a small grin, but stopped when she realized now was not the time.
"Basketball? I've never played that game in my life."
All Might had joined the 15 remaining students in the gymnasium, since he had been appointed to teach them for the remainder of the class period. He skimmed through a book that he had carefully placed a paper cover over to hide the title.
"Sensei, we know the rules of the game, so… ah!" Kirashima said.
"GOTCHA!" Sero yelled, as he jumped over Kirashima's shoulders and dunked on the basket.
"Woah!" All Might yelled, dropping the book in amazement over seeing a slam dunk for the first time in his life.
The cover of the book slid off, and conveniently, the book landed in such a way that the cover was readable. An intrigued Asui hopped over to the book and picked it up. She put a finger on her chin and looked over to All Might.
"'Even the biggest idiots can become teachers too!'… ribbit? What's that?" Asui said.
"Uh-uh-um- hey, it seems like you all know how to play this game, so just shoot the ball around until class is out! I'll stay to make sure you all behave. We got a deal?" All Might said.
Ilda raised his hand in a stiff manner, "But All Might sensei, how will this be educational for us - "
"WHO CARES, LET'S GO!" Kirashima yelled, as he grabbed the ball and ran down the court.
Meanwhile, Uraraka stood off to the side. With all of the things that had unfolded recently, even just today, it had felt like three whole months had gone by in the span of a week for her.
"Deku…"
"Ribbit?"
Uraraka looked up to see Asui had left the court to join her. Flames, ice, and cannons were set off behind her, but neither of them cared to look.
"Ochaco… I would ask if you're okay, but I can tell something is the matter, ribbit," Asui said.
"Where do I even begin…" Uraraka said.
"So this is why I'm so frustrated. I understand that teamwork and cooperation are challenging - believe me, I hate it myself. But damn it, you CAN NOT bicker like that in a real situation, or someone will get hurt. Whether it be yourself or someone you are trying to save. Got that?" Aizawa said, standing up with his hair floating in the air, signifying his quirk was activated.
"Yes, sensei," the students replied in unison.
"I expect that the next time we are in a situation where teamwork in required for class, you will all behave much better than today," Aizawa said.
"Yes, sensei," the students repeated.
"Good. You will all be going back to your dorms now. Let this serve as a warning to put grudges aside in class. Now go. Midoriya, stay for now, please," Aizawa said.
"Oh, u-um, yes, sensei," Midoriya muttered.
Bakugou, Ashido and Mineta trekked out without another word. Jirou wanted to say something, but left a moment later, staring at Midoriya as she exited the room. Aizawa now sat back down with Midoriya in the chair next to his student.
"Problem child. I'm not mad at you. But I know something is bothering you. You never just zone out during class. Everything okay?" Aizawa said.
Midoriya sighed. He looked down to the table, and then back up to Aizawa. The words struggled to form in his brain.
"I'm sorry, sensei. Something happened last night that was bothering me. I shouldn't have let it distract me during class. I will never do that again… I'm alright now," Midoriya said.
"I see. Well, if you need any help, just let me know. I know you know how to improve, though, so I'm not worried. Otherwise, you're now dismissed for the day as well," Aizawa said.
"And that's why I've been so lost recently," Uraraka said.
All Might had noticed that Uraraka and Asui were not participating, but he figured he should leave the two of them alone rather than forcing them to join in.
"I see. I don't blame you for feeling like that, ribbit. But I'm sure Midoriya still cares about you. He just got you that keychain recently. And I know the sleepover will be awkward tomorrow, but we'll all classmates, so we have no choice," Asui said, "But I will help you through this."
"Thank you, Asui. You're such a great friend," Uraraka said with a feint smile.
The bell then ringed, signifying the end of the school day. The remaining students left the gymnasium as All Might breathed a sigh of relief.
Having been dismissed early, Jirou remained in her room for the rest of the afternoon. She figured she might as well get all of her homework and studying done early so she could have the evening to herself. Despite her best efforts, though, she struggled to focus. All she could think about was what she should say to Midoriya the next time they were together.
"Ugh…"
She had texted him a few times, not caring about annoying him with multiple notifications. But there was still no reply.
"Come on, this isn't a big deal… we were just sleeping."
Although it felt like an eternity to her, it was eventually 5:00pm. Enough was enough. She left her room and went over to Midoriya's. She knocked several times - too many times too count - but there was no answer.
"Well, you can't hide from me."
Jirou activated her right earphone jack and placed it on his door. She then placed her ear on the door to further improve her sound detection. One little breath or pin drop could not escape her when her quirk and focus were perfectly in sync.
Seconds went by. Then minutes. But all she heard was a deafening silence. Not even a footstep.
"Alright, Izuku. You win."
Jirou got a piece of paper from her pocket and scrambled to write whatever words came to her mind. Once she was satisfied, she slid the paper under his door, and left the scene.
With that taken care of, it was time for her to pack for tomorrow's sleepover.
A/N: First of all, I just want to apologize for the delay. While the weekly schedule is off the table, I intended on posting a chapter way before now. The last time I updated before today was all the way back on March 2nd - three months ago exactly.
Quite frankly, I was burnt out from writing. I've written almost nothing since the last update. Add in the fact that my life was so busy, and I just needed a mental break from it all.
However, three months was far too long of a hiatus, and I'm ready to continue this story. While I cannot guarantee that I will update weekly, the story will be updated on a frequent basis at the very least.
I reread my entire story before writing this chapter. I've caught myself up on all the plot points and know where I want to take them. I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but I'm nowhere near the climax yet. Based on a really rough estimate, I would say that this is just the halfway point. But that's just an estimate.
Thank you for reading, I really do appreciate it. And thank you for the comments as well, I read every single one and they really motivate me. See you next time for Chapter 18!
By the way koszegiandris1, to answer your question regarding the Cultural Festival, it will likely come up at some point later on. However, it will not be a copy of the canon Cultural Festival, so there will be differences between the two. Thank you for reading!