Today's lesson is going to drain me.

Not physically, but mentally.

Endeavor texted last night that he would attend my remedial training session to watch how I was doing. It would help in coordinating his private training regimen, he said. All Might-sensei and Present Mic-sensei dropped Bakugou and I off at the site because of suspected movement from the League of Villains. They were going to stay the entire duration of the session. An unknown girl by the name of Camie is joining as well. Her vigor is tolerable. But Yaorashi, with whom I used to have bad blood, greets me over-enthusiastically. I think I understand now how Selene feels when she's surrounded by energetic people. Should it concern me that out of everyone here, Bakugou is the only one who does not feel like a vacuum sucking my energy? Especially when he is the most rambunctious person I know.

However, said overenthusiastic person tries to make conversation with me. He talks about the similarities between udon and cold soba while I adjust the belt around my hero costume. Yaorashi may not hate me as much as he used to - and likewise, I may not perceive him as much of a nuisance - but forcing a friendship between us seems too much. Just being compatriots with similar ambitions is more than enough.

The hallway leads to a massive gymnasium. The haggard speaker from the exam drones about announcements. I strain my ears to discern the relevant stuff from the irrelevant stuff when dear old Dad hollers my name from the top of his lungs. As though I'm chronically deaf. "YOU SHOULDN'T BE STUMBLING AROUND A PLACE LIKE THIS! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!" he continues. "NOW GET OUT THERE AND SHOW THEM THAT YOU'RE IN A CLASS OF YOUR OWN!" I am in a class of my own. A class dissociated from you. You embarrass me like this, and I have to salvage my scraps of dignity. Solely because of that, I do not turn around to look at him.

And from what happens next, I do not regret my decision. The other examinees present pass hesitant, confused statements about Endeavor's presence. But when they notice All Might beside him, they release exuberant compliments. This contrast is not lost on me.

Finally, the sleep-deprived corpse of an announcer says the most important thing: Gang Orca will be conducting today's lessons. The guy and his lackeys whom Yaorashi and I combatted. And the group most disappointed in us.

Orca makes no effort to conceal his distaste. "That exam was such a walk in the park and you all still got eliminated! You're nothing but worthless dropouts, the lot of you!" I've heard worse from Dad, so I don't have to try much to not take Orca's words to heart. "YOU ALL ARE LOWER THAN BENTHOS, LET ALONE HEROES! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT GOBY FECES!" And he orders 'the lot of us' to agree. One by one he scolds each of us, and when we counter, we are tossed aside unceremoniously. Literally. Like rag dolls.

This should feel humiliating, but after Endeavor's outburst, nothing feels as mortifying as that. Bakugou, Yaorashi, and I regain our balance and sit, awaiting more inevitable beratement like schoolchildren. And that is exactly what happens. Gang Orca details all our shortcomings from the exam and points out that we all lack the concept of 'heart.' Our presumption that everyone will comply with us willingly is a mistake. That is when the main entrance doors to the gymnasium creak open. Orca concludes, "SURVIVE THIS BATTLE OF LIFE OR DEATH! PROVE TO ME THAT YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THEM THROUGH YOUR HEARTS!"

The boys and I brace ourselves for whatever awaits beyond those doors. I'm expecting a scenario much like the one from the exam: irascible rescuees and a preempted villain attack. But expectation and reality do not always match. What actually happens it the complete opposite. A horde of kindergartners passes through the gates. Unsure and dismayed, the three of us become rigid blocks. The children poke and prod at us while we try to comprehend just what is going on. This was the life or death battle? Bakugou voices my exact thoughts, which makes one child cry and another snark.

A bunch of kids plays with the medicine containers looped around my belt. Although, they call it something creepily different from medicine. When I try to explain what it is, they shut me off, calling me boring. Am I? Akira didn't think I was boring when I helped him with his art project. Midoriya and Iida talk to me just fine. Bakugou even behaves the way he normally does with everyone else. And Selene pays attention to whatever I say. Is it because of the age difference between me and these kids? Akira was nine or ten while they are six or seven.

Camie and Yaorashi are not faring any better. What makes this whole situation better is that only the four of us are required to pass this 'battle.' Everyone else exits for the standard lessons elsewhere. As my gaze follows them out, I also glance at Endeavor and All Might sitting next to each other on the seats. They're talking about something I cannot hear. My eyes narrow briefly before another kid grabs my attention. This one snags all the bottles from my belt, as a few others steal Bakugou's grenade gauntlets.

This is a whole new brand of chaos. At the moment, I can't decide which I think is more stressful: fighting villains or subduing rowdy schoolchildren. Even the kids' teacher expresses her pain. She blames herself and the inadequacies of the school counseling system for the children's behaviors. This battle is in hope to revert the kids to their former cheerful and behaved selves. "This is no time for us to be acting insensitive, then," I realize. "There are people here who need our help." And a hero's duty is to help people in any circumstance.

Bakugou brings up an interesting point when he notes that the children must have a de facto leader amongst them. Someone who influences the moods of the kids. That observation is clever, but his following suggestion of stringing up and making an example of the leader … not so much. But it is very like him. He challenges the children to fight him, much to their horror.

The snarky boy from earlier is standing far away from the rest of his classmates. He carries himself with an air of dignity. He laments to Bakugou, "Your violent way of thinking is so outdated. You must have had a terrible upbringing." My suspicion rises. That boy behaves very much like a leader. Meanwhile, Yaorashi takes a different approach: befriend the children. By appealing to the glamour of heroes, he scoops two of them in his arms and teaches how good children become heroes. The tactic would have almost worked, if not for one kid who turns his words against him. By failing the provisional license exam, Yaorashi increased the faculty's workload by making them organize remedial lessons. So, he is not a great hero. Unfortunately, he takes those words to heart.

Camie tries to be friendly with the girls, who instead shame her.

Watching their tactics fail makes me understand that we have to win the kids' hearts differently.

I saunder over in Bakugou's and Camie's directions.

"These kids are more twisted than we thought, huh?" Camie remarks.

"That's what I'm saying! Sometimes you need violence to put them in their place!" Bakugou agrees.

I intercede. "That's where you're wrong, Bakugou."

He whips around and glares at me. "Huh? That's how I was raised!"

That is also how I was raised. And it backfired splendidly. "There's definitely a better way of doing things," I argue. He dares me to go about it, to which I accept. I approach the congregation of school children, who are utterly uninterested in me. That has to change. First, I need to show them what kind of person I am. Everything I say will fall on deaf ears until I do. Dad shouts my name again. I glower at him from the corner of my eye, recalling everything that he has done and everything that I will not do. With a deep breath, I narrate my introduction. Name, profession, family history, social life. By humanizing myself, I hope to relate with the kids.

But the effect rebounds. The children stare at me with shock before running away. That, I take to heart.

"Man, you're hopeless," Bakugou comments. I know.

Then Camie asks all of us to regroup. She says, "It seems like the three of you have been trying to do things the normal way this whole time, but wouldn't it be easier and simpler to just show them who we are with our quirks?"

"I was just about to say that!" Bakugou adds. You two get along marvelously.

"There's still a large gap between us and the kids. Actually, it seems they're getting their kicks by giving us trouble."

"For our 'attack,' we shouldn't be trying to fill in the gap. We need to just dive right in! We'll demonstrate our skills, and then they'll see what we're really made of! We want them to think we're cool or awesome." It's not a bad strategy per se. Our task is already provided: reform the children. The way to go about it is up to us. All our separate schemes fell apart. So what do we have to lose with one more attempt? "But on the other hand," Bakugou continues, bringing my attention back to him. "If you just lose to an opponent who is looking down on you, all it does is leave you feeling shitty."

Yaorashi includes, "If those kids stay like that, they'll just end up like I was during the exam. Becoming a pain in the ass to everyone."

Their words make sense to me. Even I was responsible for what happened at the exam, and now is my chance to make amends for that. "Something like broadening the kids' outlook a little bit is something that we should at least be able to do." I feel my mouth tilt up at the prospect. Maybe today won't be as exhausting as I had thought.

To my surprise, when the four of us shift to gaze at the boys and girls, they have already turned on us. The army of them charge at us with their quirks unleashed. Determined, I ready my ice. We'll play along. For now.

Everyone's spirits are lit. One boy produces fanged balls, which grazes Bakugou's ears, snapping off his mask. Another aims for Yaorashi and I. Yaorashi tries to block the attack with a surge of wind, but dust particles scatter everywhere, clouding or area of sight. I'm lucky nothing climbs up my nose. More projectiles are released. Distantly, déjà vu hits me from the first portion of the license exam. I was targeted in a very similar manner. Without hesitation or remorse. Fire, ice, wind, and earth from both sides coalesce into a landscape of misshapeness. It's perfect.

The children notice that none of us are afraid of their barrages, so one girl seizes with fury. Just as she is about to strike, a doppelgänger of me appears out of nowhere. "Hey now. I've been entranced by your cute face. It would be such a shame for you to spoil it with wrinkles," the doppelgänger says in my voice with a charismatic smile and an extended welcoming hand. Two things that I never do. And are those manga roses blooming in the background?! Well whatever that was, it works. The girl squeals in delight, all rage forgotten.

I get to see who was responsible for my charming twin. Camie. "Sorry! Just an illusion. But you wanted to be talked to like that too, right?" she asks in her own voice. And she blows a flying kiss toward the girl.

At the same time, Bakugou has lost it. He guffaws behind his hand. "'I've been entranced by your cute face!'" he repeats between breaths. "That was so good!"

I don't understand. "Was what she said really that funny?" I mean, it was out of character for me, but … hilarious? Whatever. There are other priorities right now.

Yaorashi lifts up the children's bodies in the air with his whirlwinds as I slam my foot on the ground, releasing a massive twisty-turny slide of ice. The kids safely land on the structure, sliding and squealing on the way down. Someone behind me is in awe at the sight. I explain, "Because I can't make complicated forms on my own, I used your guys' stuff as the skeleton for it. It's all because of your splendid quirks." Said someone and his friends complain about how they were not able to play on the slide, so I tell them to line up.

One by one, Yaorashi levitates them to the top of the structure. I notice Bakugou grab the snarky boy by the arm and drag him toward the rest of his classmates. The boy protests, but Bakugou persists. "You're their leader, aren't you?" he affirms what I speculated. "If all you ever do is look down on people, you won't be able to recognize your own weaknesses." There is a deeper truth behind those words. I smile at the thought that Bakugou might be referencing his own relationship with Midoriya. Then his tsundere personality returns as he declares, "Remember the advice your senpai is giving you." And he throws the leader to us.

This strategy works beautifully. By the end, every child has slid down the slide more than once and are cheering and grinning. We won their hearts. So much so that even their teacher weeps tears of joy. One girl shivers from frostbite, so I bend to her level and light a small fire for her to warm her hands. Bakugou helps to deconstruct the slide with his explosions. At the end of cleanup, the thieves return his gauntlets to him and my medicine bottles to me. And finally … finally, Gang Orca is pleased with us.

The four of us leave the gymnasium in a better mood. When Yaorashi claims that my quirk is compatible with his, I do not feel as though I'm being forced. Perhaps befriending him is not so bad. Outside, All Might-sensei and Present Mic-sensei are conversing with a teacher and student from Shiketsu High. The fact that the League of Villains targeted another school besides U.A. has urged both schools to consider allying together.

Endeavor is here, too. He reaches for me. "You've changed a lot, Shouto."

That exhaustion from earlier returns with a vengeance. I block his arm away. "Shut up," I seethe.

"I'm proud of you, son. So, I will become a hero you can be proud of, too. " My morose, present self and bitter, former self war within me. And in this identity crisis, the angry part of me wins. I glare at Endeavor, biting back the words that threaten to spit from my mouth. Son or tool? Because you never treated me like a son! You never treated any of us like your children! "Your father is the Number One hero. The greatest man," he finishes, as though that is enough validation to earn my respect. Well, it's not.

I manage to let out a reluctant, "Do whatever you want." And that's as much as I can handle right now. Any more, and I will make a scene in front of everyone.

But there is one person who won't care. Who will listen without reservation or judgement. The need to see Selene hits harder than before. So when the bus drops Bakugou and I back at the boarding house, the first thing I do is look for her.

She is in the kitchen, washing the dishes. The sound of running water blocks out the echoes of the door opening and shutting and my footsteps. I spot an opportunity. Slowly, I walk behind her. She is utterly unaware of what awaits her. When I'm close enough, I cover her eyes with my palms. It helps that she is not wearing her glasses. She yelps and drops the plate from her hands.

"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shouto-kun!" she exclaims.

I laugh, "How did you know?"

She shrugs my palms off her face and turns her head to frown at me. "We've held hands enough for me to recognize the textures, curves, and lines. Also, you're the only one who has made a habit of surprising me like this. They are nothing short of jump scares."

Still standing behind her, I gently hold her shoulders. "I'm sorry. It's just that you're fun to tease. But if it bothers you, I'll stop."

"No … it's fine. They're a reminder that I've been letting my guard down too much lately. Anyway, how did your lessons go?" I shift to her profile and lean against the counter. Peering into the sink, I notice that on top of her cloth gloves, she's wearing latex gloves. Her hands must be sweltering. When I ask as much, she replies with, "Actually, today was Satō-san's turn to clean the dishes. But he said that he had to take a makeup exam and requested someone to take his place. I happened to be nearby and made a deal. I would do his chores in exchange for three of his confectionery cakes that the girls talked about for days. So a little discomfort is worth the reward."

"You really are mad, Selene," but my grin defies the harshness of the words. "Do I get a share?"

Selene raises an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

"Are you serious?"

She chortles. "Just a little revenge for your pranks. You encouraged me to do something I like. Of course, you deserve a reward. But that will come later. For now, tell me how your lessons went. I need a distraction from my sore feet."

So I narrate everything. Everything except the encounter with Dad. I know that on the way here, I was prepared to tell her even about that. But reality often defies expectation.

When I'm with her, I feel rejuvenated and healed.

But this wound in my heart is still too raw to reveal.

And she looks so happy right now.

Voicing my dark feelings is just cruel right now.

I pray that I can before it is too late.

Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The links to the chapters are here:

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-164/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-165/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-166/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-167/