The plastic folding chair that Kuri was seated on was hard and uncomfortable. Her leg bounced like crazy as they waited to be escorted out to the arena.
It was the second day of the UA sports festival. An event that nearly the whole country would tune in to watch. Plus, all eyes would be on their class, considering what had happened before Kuri arrived at the school.
Her classmates had been targeted by villains before. Some of them had even participated in a big battle against some yakuza guy right before she moved to the school.
But maybe the attention was a blessing in disguise, considering she'd need people to notice her if she wanted to get a good internship. Their teachers had been talking about work studies and internships a lot lately. For their second and third year, they were supposed to do lots of work outside of school, and Kuri wanted to score a job at a good agency. If she didn't, her parents would be disappointed in her. And more importantly, Kuri would be disappointed in herself.
Even if she didn't want this career path, she was still gonna try to do well.
"You nervous, Kuri?" Mina asked. Kuri halted her leg and shifted towards her friend.
"Mmm, kinda. Just worrying about if I'll do well or not," she said, mindlessly tugging at the sleeve on her left arm.
"Aw, girl, don't stress. You'll do great! And even if you don't do super good, you're bound to get an internship anyways. Plus, this is all about having fun!"
"I guess you're right," Kuri said, smiling. "And I bet you'll do well too." Then, Kuri went back to daydreaming because there wasn't much else to do in the small waiting room.
She glanced across the table at Bakugo, who was chatting with Kirishima. Well, Kirishima was doing the chatting. Mina joined in with their conversation. That reminded Kuri about something shocking that Mina had told her a couple months back.
One day, out of the blue, Mina said that she wasn't into Kirishima anymore. She said it was "just a phase". Kuri didn't really care one way or the other since it wasn't necessarily her business to do so, but it did get her thinking. What if Bakugo was just a phase for her?
So far, Kuri's pseudo-friendship with Bakugo was going… okay? Kuri didn't really know how to describe it. They were chill with each other (or as chill as Bakugo could be), but at random moments things would get extremely awkward.
She worried about what might happen if she decided she didn't like him anymore. Or worse, if Bakugo got fed up with her. Though he always did complain that she was annoying, and he wasn't the one with a crush, so maybe it didn't matter. Maybe nothing mattered. It was just her silly little crush, after all.
Then, someone came by to give their class the cue to leave the waiting room and enter the arena.
They all filed out of the room, and Kuri walked beside Mina. Suddenly, Bakugo was beside her, in the same spot he'd be when they walked home from school. It was almost like he just drifted there on instinct.
As they walked down the corridor to the field, Present Mic's voice became even louder.
"And now, it's time to introduce today's competitors!" Present Mic exclaimed. Kuri could hear the raucous cheers of the crowd grow louder.
"First, it's Class 2-A!"
There was an eruption of screams and applause as they set foot onto the grass.
Kuri looked around in awe at the number of people in the stands. When she was little, she dreamed of being in that very spot. Who knew that her old dream could become a reality?
The other classes were introduced, and then they all congregated in front of the umpire's stage. The umpire for the second-years' competition was Ectoplasm. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"Representing the students this year is Izuku Midoriya from Class 2-A," Ectoplasm said. Kuri looked to where Midoriya was, and he had a bit of a shocked look on his face. He quickly came to his senses and ascended the stairs of the stage.
"Why's he the one doing it this year?" Bakugo grumbled.
"Didn't he defeat some yakuza guy around the time I transferred? It's probably about that," Kuri said. "And stop complaining. You did it last year, didn't you?"
Bakugo made a frustrated pouty face, which made Kuri laugh.
"I could've done it again…"
They stopped talking as Midoriya approached the microphone.
"Um," he said, his voice tinged with nervousness as his eyes darted around the crowd. "I just want to wish everyone good luck and hope they have fun. Also, I will try my best to win. Thank you."
He hurriedly rejoined the crowd, and Ectoplasm thanked him and moved on. Kuri was glad that she didn't have to do anything like that. Public speaking was one of her least favorite things.
"Okay, it's time for the first round: the so-called 'qualifier'," Ectoplasm said. "Let's see what it's going to be." A large screen came up behind him, rapidly scrolling through names of games before landing on one.
Scavenger hunt.
A scavenger hunt? Sounds fun.
"This game will take place in the forest surrounding the outside of the arena," Ectoplasm said. "Hidden in the forest are water-filled eggs of varying colors, sizes, and point values."
An image appeared on the screen depicting three eggs: a big, blue one; a medium-sized, pink one; a small, red one.
"The pink egg is worth one point, and there are one thousand of them hidden in the forest. The blue egg is worth ten points, and there are five hundred of them in the forest," Ectoplasm said. "There are only ten red eggs in the forest, and they are worth one hundred points. You'll have twenty minutes to get as many eggs as you can. Any questions?"
"Excuse me, sir!" Iida exclaimed.
"What is it?"
"Are our opponents allowed to break our eggs once we possess them?" he asked.
"...Sure, why not?"
"Thank you, sir!"
"Well, with that out of the way, we'll start the game. Head to the arena's exit and wait for your cue to go."
Everyone walked up to the tall corridor in anticipation, and Kuri noticed that she hadn't left Bakugo's side.
"Hey, Bakugo," she said.
"What?" he asked, glancing at her suspiciously.
"Good luck," she grinned. He scoffed at her.
"I don't need luck," he said. "I already know that I'm gonna win."
Kuri rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. She was so whipped for him.
"That's what losers say, but whatever."
The lights above the corridor flashed, and a horn sounded, signaling the start of the game. It was time for Kuri to shine. If I even can…
Everyone stampeded through the narrow hallway, pushing and shoving each other to get through. Kuri felt as if she was being swept away with the tide but managed to keep herself upright. Then, she saw some of her classmates use their quirks to bypass everyone.
There's no way I'm getting out of here quickly if I stay here…
Acting on impulse, Kuri grabbed the shoulders of a random student and hoisted herself upwards. She mumbled some apologies as she placed her feet on their shoulders, looking forward to the end of the hall. Then, she launched herself horizontally, like a torpedo, soaring over everyone. The next thing she knew, she was somersaulting in midair and landing on the dirt outside.
I guess Mama did have a point in making me take gymnastics for all those years.
Kuri ran into the forest and promptly realized that the eggs were not, in fact, "hidden" but rather in plain sight. Just from where she was standing, she could see three pink eggs and one blue egg. She grabbed two with one hand, and then it occurred to her that she wouldn't be able to hold much if she carried them all in her hands.
Is this the point of the game? That you need to find a way to hold them all? Plus, we have to make sure no one breaks our eggs.
They'd also have to make sure they didn't break the eggs themselves, which Kuri realized after she dropped one of the pink ones. When it cracked open, water spilled out. She'd thought Ectoplasm was kidding about them being water-filled.
Not having much choice, Kuri took off her P.E. shirt to use as a makeshift bag. She found it okay to do this because she was wearing a black camisole underneath. She quickly tied knots on the sleeves and collar so there wouldn't be any holes, then placed the eggs inside.
By then, most of the people were out and searching for eggs. Kuri held her shirt/bag close to her as she hopped around, looking for more eggs. She ventured farther into the woods, finding that there were more eggs there.
Her bag was small to begin with, so before long, it was filled. Then, Kuri had to resort to holding the eggs in more unconventional spots. Fifteen minutes into the game, there were eggs in her pants pockets, bra, and under the sleeve that covered her mark. There were even the remains of one she tried to tuck into her ponytail. It had cracked immediately, and the water was still dripping from her head.
If she remembered correctly, she had about sixteen eggs, both pink and blue. Since she didn't have much more room to store an egg, she was about to resort to breaking other people's eggs.
And then something bright caught her eye.
Half-buried in a pile of dirt underneath a bush was a small, red egg. Kuri gasped excitedly, then whipped her head around, confirming that no one was in her immediate vicinity. Thinking it safe, she gently pushed away the dirt and held the egg in the palm of her hand. It was about the size of a quail egg.
She cleaned some of the dirt off using her shirt, then contemplated where she'd hold it. She didn't want to risk cracking it by putting it in the bag. And all her other storage spots were places it could easily fall out.
There was only one more spot she had yet to try.
Her mouth.
She was a bit hesitant, considering it had just been in the dirt, but her desire to succeed prevailed, and she placed it in her mouth. She kept her mouth relaxed, despite her rising anxiety making her want to clench her jaw.
She noticed that some people were getting closer to her. Kuri panicked, thinking they were coming to steal or break her eggs, and she began to run. There was no rule against going back to the arena early, so that was exactly what she'd do. She'd gotten her eggs, and now she just needed to get the hell away from there.
An egg or two fell out of her pockets as she bounded away, but she didn't care. After all, she'd been lucky enough to find a red egg. She couldn't believe it.
She jogged through the corridor, now getting a bit self-conscious about her decision to go in early. She would probably be seen as weird and foolish for coming in early. Plus, all the attention would suddenly be on her, and she didn't want that. That was one of the reasons why she really wanted to be a hero.
As a hero, you end up being put on a pedestal in the spotlight. You're seen as a savior who is expected to win no matter the circumstances. Kuri just can't live that life. A life full of high expectations and attention. All she'd ever wanted was to live a simple, comfortable life. Was that so much to ask for?
Despite her reservations about not making a fool of herself, she stepped back into the arena three minutes before the game was supposed to end. She looked down, guessing that all eyes were now on her.
"What's this?!" Present Mic exclaimed. "Someone has re-entered the arena before the time is up! Is that allowed? I have just been informed that this is allowed! From the looks of it, that's Kuri Nakano from Class 2-A! What is she doing here?!"
Kuri's face lit up red as Present Mic began commentating about her. She wondered what her parents were thinking at the moment. Hopefully, they weren't disappointed in her.
She walked back up to the stage, and Ectoplasm looked down at her.
"Why'd you come back early? Don't you want to try to get more points?" he asked.
Kuri gingerly placed her shirt-turned-bag on the grass and held her hand to her mouth. Then, she spit out the little red egg. Besides being covered in saliva, it was in perfect condition.
"I think I'll be fine," she said, looking up at him with a smile.
"Did she just spit out an egg?!"
When the first game was over, everyone returned to the arena. Bakugo swaggered in holding five eggs in each hand: seven blue ones, two pink ones, and one red one. Plus some other ones in his pockets, but he hadn't kept track of those.
Once all of the points had been counted, the leaderboard was displayed on the screen. Bakugo scanned from the top to bottom and was quickly let down after realizing he was not in first place. Or in the top three. Or the top five. No, he was in 6th fucking place.
And to his bitter dismay, Nakano had scored higher than him. Bakugo found her in the crowd, and he saw that she was beaming. She was in 4th place, so two spots higher than him.
On one hand, he was infuriated that she'd beat him once again. On the other hand, Deku was in the place below him, so he beat one person.
"Okay, it's time to move on to the next game," Ectoplasm said. The screen scrolled through the list of activities again.
This time, I'm totally gonna win. No matter what the game is.
The scrolling came to a stop, and Ectoplasm read the words off the screen.
"Three-legged race."
Aw, fuckity fuck. Group work.
"You and a partner will have your ankles tied together, and you will race around the arena," Ectoplasm said. "The only thing to note is that you are allowed to progress in any way, including flying, as long as you stick to the general path. Now, everyone, partner up, and you will be given a piece of cloth to fasten yourselves together."
Bakugo immediately started scanning the crowd, looking for someone who'd be good to work with. If he didn't choose quickly, then all the talented people would be snatched up.
Eventually, his gaze landed on Nakano.
Wait… she might actually work.
He quickly walked up to Nakano, who was alone and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled. Shit, she had a cute smile.
"We're doing this together," he said, ignoring his strange thought.
"Oh, okay! You're lucky I didn't have a partner yet," she replied, beaming. She looked excited to be working with him.
Despite Bakugo often reminding himself to ignore Nakano's secret feelings for him, he couldn't help but think about it when she was so goddamn obvious. Whenever he spoke to Nakano, her face would light up like the sun. He felt her eyes trailing him whenever they were in the same room. It was torture to try and pretend that he was unaware.
But, there was a positive in the whole mess. At the very least, she didn't hurt to look at.
As the two of them went to exit the arena, they were handed a piece of cloth by a staff member. Nakano took it for them.
"So, what's our strategy gonna be?" she asked him once they found their way to the starting line.
"I was thinking that we'd use our quirks to do this," Bakugo said. "We'd fucking lose if we tried to just run."
Nakano stooped down and put her foot against his. Bakugo pulled away on impulse.
"Katsuki, where the heck are you going? Bring your foot back here so I can tie it to mine," she said, scooting towards him again. He uttered a gruff apology as she began tying the cloth around their ankles.
"So, I'll jump and you'll go ba-boom to make us go farther?" she asked. Nakano tightened the knot one last time and stood up, her hip brushing against his.
"Ba-boom?" he asked. She grinned cheekily. "Whatever. Yeah, that was my general idea."
Then, the two of them stood there stiffly for a few moments, and Bakugo became increasingly aware of the feeling of Nakano's leg pressed against his.
This is so fucking awkward….
Suddenly, Nakano linked her arm with his, and he flinched.
"Sorry," she said timidly. "I just feel like that little cloth isn't gonna be enough to keep us from separating mid-jump."
"It's fine, Bunny…" he said. "Now, stop being so damn awkward. We need to win this."
She laughed, and Bakugo could sense her loosening up a bit.
"Okay, I'm sorry," she said.
Then, Present Mic's voice was heard on the loudspeaker.
"Now that everyone's lined up, it's time for the race to commence!" he said. "Ready…"
Nakano pulled their combined feet back as she got in a crouch to prepare to jump.
"Set…"
"Katsuki," she said. He glanced at her. "Let's win this."
"Fuck yeah."
"Go!"
Nakano immediately launched them up high in the air. Then, Bakugo brought his hands back and propelled them forward with a huge explosion. After the initial force of the blast, they began to plummet back to the ground. As soon as their feet hit the dirt, Nakano launched them up again, and the process repeated.
They continued in this way over and over again as they proceeded down the path. Nakano frequently peeked behind them to give updates on their opponents. The two of them were in the lead.
As they crossed the finish line, the crowd erupted in cheers, and Nakano looked at him. Her wind-whipped bangs messily framed her face, which was sporting a giant grin. They'd done it.
"What's the huge smile for?" she said, teasing him.
"Huh?"
Bakugo's hand reached up to touch his cheek. Without realizing it, he'd been grinning too.
