Trigger Warning:

- crude language

My classmates and I rush to evacuate civilians from the premises.

Well, perhaps rush is not the right word.

With so many people confused about what's going on, it takes some time to convince them to leave.

One elderly man with double forearm crutches hobbles to reach one of the shuttles that will transport the civilians out of the city. I stroll over to him and give him company. The driver of the shuttle catches my eye, and I raise my palm, telling him to wait.

The man weakly says, "Thank you for your help, hero. But tell me why kids as young as you are involved in all this? Shouldn't the experienced Pro-Heroes be here?"

I smile reassuringly as I help him up the steps of the shuttle. "The heroes are here. A gang of villains has been hiding nearby, and there's a good chance the city might become a battle zone. While they're neutralizing, us students are tasked with getting innocent people like you to safety."

"You're such a good kid."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Here, have a biscuit," the man says, as he rummages through his pockets for something. I am about to tell him that it's all right, when he finds whatever it is he is looking for. He passes me a plastic pouch with two vanilla macarons. And his business card. "If my bakery survives, come by sometime. I'll treat you and your friends for free."

His kindness makes my grin widen. "Sure, Sir. I'll make sure your bakery remains unharmed, no matter what."

I step back, letting the shuttle doors close. The bus drives away until it is nothing more than a speck in the distance. The pouch and card rest in my hands. I know someone who will savor any dessert without hesitation. Well, almost. I scan the confections from all angles, checking for the presence of nuts. None. Excellent. And I pocket them in my pants.

Whenever I close my eyes, Selene's parting face is the first thing to appear. She must be in her room now. Watching the seconds tick by, hoping for good news. I wish I could call her, comfort her. But in the briefing, the first thing our superiors told us was to avoid all digital communication with the outside world. This was supposed to be an ambush, and if the villains possessed any tracking software, the element of surprise would be lost.

Turning around to assist the next passengers onto the next vehicle, my gaze falls on Bakugou. He is engaged in an argument with two middle-aged women, who are not having it with his crass demeanor. I interfere, defusing the situation and personally escorting the woman to their ride. When I return, Bakugou glares at me, unimpressed.

"What's going on, Icy Hot? You've been smiling to yourself all day. The others might not see it, but it's starting to creep me out."

There is no harm in telling him. He had already figured out a long time ago about my romantic feelings. And he had been a huge help when the assault happened. "This morning, Selene indirectly told me that she loves me."

Bakugou raises his eyebrows before scoffing. "Okay. The airhead actually read between the lines. Amazing. That explains why you're so giddy. Did you tell her that you feel the same?" I shake my head. His eye twitches and mouth opens to explosively rage at me. But at the last second, he presses his lips together. "Why the hell did you not confess, idiot?" he hisses.

Part of me enjoys the fact that he cannot vent his anger out on me outright. As rude and ill-tempered as he is, he respects secrets. I answer, "I want to do it properly. Make it special for her." I pull out the pendant from my chest pocket. Seven petals made of lapis lazuli. Center of white pearl. "This was the present I gave her for her birthday. When I told her that I would be coming here, she took it off. Made me promise to come back. Put it around her neck. I couldn't let her down now, could I?"

Bakugou sighs. He's frustrated, understandably, but his ire has lessened significantly. "So when do you plan on exposing your not-so-well-hidden secrets?"

"There's a birthday party this evening. From a mutual friend. After that, I plan to give her another celebration. There's this place near the school grounds where we usually go to eat lunch. I need some time to decorate the area. Then make her feel brilliant. Create the ambiance, you know. That's when I'll tell her."

He rolls his eyes. "I bet you've got all the blueprints ready."

Chuckling, I tell him that I do. "All in my head."

The weather forecast said it would be clear skies tonight. The full moon would be visible. So hanging paper lanterns all around the gazebo is perfect. Maybe some fairy lights for accents. Rose petals on the floor. A central dinner table laden with all her favorite dishes. Ice cream is a must. I want to recreate the night I realized I was in love with her with a few extra elements. Wear matching outfits to show how perfect we are together. Arrange a radio on the wood railing. After dinner, I guide Selene to the dock. We dance under the moonlight to her favorite English song, 'Fire on Fire.'

Then the song finishes. I pull her by the waist. Closer to me. Closer yet. So close that her quick breaths tickles my nose. Her eyes become oceans that I sink into. Sandalwood is all that I can inhale. Fishing for the necklace out of my pocket, I unclasp it. Leaning over, my breath washes over her neck as the clasp closes. And then I draw back just enough to whisper into her ear, "I love you. I have for longer than you can imagine."

What happens after that is what I pray will happen.

Selene's breath hitches, and she turns away from me, a pink hue slowly tinting her cheeks. I put a finger under her chin and tilt her face toward myself again. Never meeting my eyes, she smiles softly before telling me that my feelings are reciprocated.

Finally, that torture called anticipation ends. Cradling her cheek with one hand and brushing her lips with the other, I bend down and kiss her lightly. Tenderly. Almost as if the slightest pressure might break the fragile magic of the moment. I wonder what they would feel like. How they would taste. But it will be the most magnificent sensation there is.

We break a millimeter apart. Small laughs escape our throats before I ask if I can kiss her again. She says yes. Slowly we-

A hard slap to the back snaps me out of my daydream. Bakugou stares at me, totally exasperated. "You're hopeless, Icy Hot. Go make yourself useful or get lost!"

As much as I resent him for bringing me back to our present situation, he has a point. This behavior is so unlike me. I'm evacuating people from a war zone, for God's sake. Where is my sense of priorities? Perhaps in the same place where I lost my mind.

Look at what you've done to me, Selene. You're all I can think about. Such great timing, deciding to unveil the greatest revelation of my life just before I am sent to battle.

With a deep breath, I push back memories of my moonflower. I swore to her that I would return. Like hell, I'm going to break it. My daydream will become a reality. No matter what. So for the sake of that beautiful fantasy, I have to give my best right now.

As one civilian approaches me, asking me for directions, I spot Midoriya. He stands like a dummy, unmoving and unresponsive. When the person leaves, I call out his name. "What is it?" No reply. Rather, he shifts in the other direction, staring at something far away. I follow his line of sight. Jaku Hospital. A few kilometers away from the city. Sitting on the base of a hill.

My gaze alternates between him and the building. "What's going on?" The others hear me. Uraraka tries to catch Midoriya's attention, too. It goes unheard. I move forward, intending to touch his shoulder. Maybe physical contact will break him out of his stupor.

But I stop two steps away from him. His expression contorts into one of pure terror.

"The hospital …" he gasps.

I look at the structure again. At once, flocks of birds take flight. What's that theory? Animals can detect disasters before humans. No sooner do I make that connection does the earth start rumbling. Three seconds later, the entire structure crumbles into pieces.

Horrifyingly, it doesn't stop there.

It's only just begun.

Now I understand why Midoriya was behaving that way.

This is no normal earthquake. The deterioration spans in all directions. Full 360 degrees. Unimaginably quick, it comes toward us. Apartments on the outskirts of the city are the first to fall. My mind is sending one command to my body: move. Like a mantra, the single word repeats.

But my feet refuse to cooperate. My hands and legs have seized up from the fright.

One kilometer, two kilometers, three kilometers. We're only five kilometers away from the origin of destruction. Four kilometers. Four kilometers and five hundred meters. Four kilometers and seven hundred fifty meters. Endeavor was in that hospital … Dad …

In practically no time does the wave of decimation reach us. Midoriya is the first to recover. He dashes toward the onslaught of flying debris.

"Get these people moving!" Bakugou shouts.

Midoriya's order is even louder. "EVERYONE, RUN!" That's what he says before unleashing an unbelievably powerful kick at the wave. That wave is even more unbelievable, though. Absolutely nothing deters it.

The way everything is decaying into dust … this can only be the work of a villain. Decay … Shigaraki …

"Fuck," I barely hear myself mutter. Yet that one curse word is enough to end the full body paralysis. It's my turn to charge forward. Heaven Piercing Ice Wall, I think, swinging my right arm from behind all the way up front. I put so much force into it, but I should have figured that where Midoriya's super strength failed, my quirk would, too.

Chunks of ice fall all around us.

I ultimately take Midoriya's advice.

Not all the shuttles have left the scene. The ones that are left behind are shrieking at us to hurry up. One kid got left behind. I scoop up the little girl and run toward the nearest vehicle. "You're okay. You'll be okay. The heroes are here."

"But the heroes are running away," the girl whimpers.

Her words threaten to freeze me in place once more.

"There's nothing to worry about!"

"Are you sure?"

My eyes bore into her innocent ones.

"Everything's fine."

But whether that statement is for my benefit or hers, I don't know.

What I know for sure is that it's a lie.

Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The link to the chapter is here:

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-272/