"I think that'll do for today, impressive work as usual, young Midoriya." The former number one hero, now a skinny man with a friendly smile, offered a hand to help his student up off the floor. Bright and early, the pair had just finished up an intense training session in Gym Gamma.

Izuku accepted the hand gladly, but didn't rely on it too much. At this point it was more of a polite formality, and every day he was getting better at standing on his own two feet - both figuratively and literally. "Thank you, sir. But are you sure we're done for today? I could do another few hundred sit-ups, or some sprints?" He asked eagerly.

"Hahaha!" Toshinori laughed, his voice still echoing with the traces of his All Might persona. "No, no, you've done enough for the day. No reason to overdo it. You have to save some energy for your classes, and for the future." He said. "Just don't forget the time I gave you a break when you're up on that stage as the new number one, okay?"

The words gave Izuku a surge of anxiety, and he winced internally at the mention of a stage. He'd never been a fan of the spotlight, all those cameras and eyes on him. "Oh, r-right, the stage, I was kind of ignoring that part of the job for now… How do you deal with it?" He asked nervously.

Toshinori leaned in, as if to share something confidential. "I do have a little trick, this is a trade secret though, so you have to keep it safe, alright?"

Nodding eagerly, Izuku waited to hear the incredible truth behind All Might's confidence.

"I imagine everyone in their underwear!"

Izuku's face turned red and he looked at Toshinori in disbelief. "What?! You do?!"

Attempting to backpedal, the former pro started waving his arms frantically. "Not that I'm a creep or anything! It's a harmless technique, I swear, young Midoriya!"

Izuku laughed, feeling a bit more relaxed. "I don't think I could do that, it would just make me more embarrassed, if anything."

Scratching his chin thoughtfully, Toshinori searched for a different solution. "Well, there was one other thing that helped me out a lot with public speaking,"

"What was it?"

"Karaoke!" exclaimed the slender man with an eager grin, completely oblivious to the shocked expression on his student's face.

The young hero was stunlocked, imagining All Might (in full costume, as he always was in Izuku's imagination) standing at the front of a bar, mic in hand, belting out some showtunes. It was every fanboy's dream. "Ka-karaoke?! You?! Really?!"

"Hey, it's not as crazy as it sounds, my boy!" Toshinori replied defensively. "You'd be surprised at how popular it is among heroes."

Izuku's eyes were nearly popping out of his skull, Toshinori clearly had no idea what a bombshell he was dropping on the poor kid. "Pro heroes do karaoke?! Who?! Do you all go together as a group?! Who's the best singer?!"

The older hero smiled, trying to calm his star-struck pupil. "It's not that big of a deal, believe me! But... let's just say, if Mirko wasn't a hero, she'd be selling out concerts."

Izuku almost fainted.

Toshinori continued, "Anyway, the point is, it's good practice for public speaking, and a great confidence boost. You should give it a try, young Midoriya. You might even like it!"

"I guess I could give it a shot," Izuku reluctantly agreed, clearly uncertain about the idea. "I mean, how bad could it be?"

Turned out, it could be pretty bad.

Izuku had faced some of the fiercest villains in the world and emerged victorious, albeit with a few broken limbs. On the battlefield, he exuded an aura of strength that commanded respect from even the most seasoned pro heroes. But nothing could have prepared him for the excruciating awkwardness he felt when he approached the receptionist at the Karaoke Star and timidly requested a room to sing in.

"Hi, welcome to Karaoke Star, where you're the star," the college-aged woman droned, barely glancing up from her phone.

"Uh, I want to um, sing. Please. F-for an hour. Please." He was glad she barely looked at him, he was trembling so much she probably would have gotten dizzy.

She extended her hand and sighed. "500 yen." Izuku placed the money on the counter instead of her hand, and she rolled her eyes before handing him a keycard. "Room 3, you've got it for an hour. Don't make a mess," she grumbled before spinning her chair away, her focus now on Hawks' herogram feed.

The rest of the afternoon didn't go as Izuku would have liked it, either. There was the smallest hope in the back of his mind, that maybe, it would turn out he was a natural born singer. That as soon as the music started up he'd start blasting out tunes like nobody's business, maybe One For All boosted his vocal cords as well as his muscles. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

When he mustered the courage to sing, he struggled to rise above a whisper, crippled by self-consciousness about overshadowing the backing track. He'd assumed that being alone in the room would make him feel more outgoing and authentic, but it wasn't that simple.

When he finally sang louder, the result wasn't necessarily bad, but it fell far short of good. His singing might have passed for a DIY punk band, but given the expectations he'd placed on himself, he thought it sounded crappy. After attempting a series of songs, most of which he never reached the chorus of, he decided to call it quits with fifteen minutes remaining.

"Well, that was a bust." he muttered to himself, slightly irritated with his performance. "Oh well, at least I gave it a shot, I suppose."

After his somewhat lacklustre karaoke session, he packed up his belongings and made a mental note to return the keycard to the receptionist. He wasn't sure which was biting at him more, the embarrassment or the disappointment.

As he exited the karaoke booth and entered the hallway, he decided to head back to his dorm, and just put the whole experience behind him. Maybe he could try something else to boost his confidence? Maybe UA has an improv group? Something to ask Present Mic about, he seems the type of person who would be into that.

But then, just as he was passing another door, a mesmerising sound caught his attention and he froze in his tracks. The hallway was practically reverberating with a girl's voice that was nothing short of extraordinary, like an angel had descended from heaven to sing pop songs in a below average karaoke bar.

He couldn't help following the sound, and found himself standing outside another karaoke booth, the door ever so slightly ajar. He couldn't see who was inside without pushing it open, which he immediately decided against, but the singing was enough to send shivers down his spine. A voice that resonated with passion.

Izuku leant against the wall next to the door and slumped down onto the floor, clutching his knees to his chest, and listened. The song was touching, and it felt as though the singer was showing a deep emotional connection to the lyrics. Each note was perfect, every pitch flawless, a performance that made him forget about everything wrong and transported him to another world.

He didn't know how long he sat there listening, song after song, each one as gorgeous as the previous one. Honestly, he didn't care how long he was there, and he didn't care that he had started crying at some point.

Finally, as the last notes of the song faded, it seemed the impromptu private concert was at an end. As the door to the booth creaked open, his heart raced. He didn't want the singer to see him eavesdropping, so he took a step back, hoping to make a hasty exit before any embarrassment. His footsteps echoed softly as he left, the idea of being caught snooping was mortifying. It wasn't fair for him to be intruding on their private moment like that.

The girl who opened the door felt a gust of cold air as she stepped into the hallway, brushing her bobbed black hair out of her eyes. "Hello?"

"Someone has to spy on her and find out her secret!" Setsuna Tokage declared, throwing her arms behind her and sprawling on the sofa in exasperation.

She and a few other class 2-B students were hanging out in their dormitory, gossiping about where Yui Kodai had disappeared to. Ever since they came back from the forest training camp, Kodai had been sneaking out right after their last class and returning at least an hour later. She had always been a mysterious and quiet person, hardly ever revealing what she felt or thought, but that only made her classmates more nosy about what she was hiding.

"Maybe she's meeting someone!" Pony suggested, before adding hastily "…Every day. At the same time. …That could happen, right?!"

Shiozaki gasped at the scandal, looking positively appalled. "That's so out of character for her! Going on daily dates? How sinful..." She crossed herself, seemingly at the thought of it.

"If she is meeting someone, I hope he's a fungi!" Komori added with a huge grin. "Fungi? Get it? God, I'm so funny…" She mentally high-fived herself and flopped down on the sofa.

"Guys," Kendo intervened, trying to be the reasonable one among the group, "We should just respect her privacy. If Kodai has a secret boyfri-" She stopped mid-sentence as the door to the dormitory opened and Yui walked in, hanging her coat on the hook. "Fri-fried chicken! Yes, we should have some fried chicken with the boys! Who's hungry?!" She said, smoothly changing the topic.

"It's fine if you were talking about me." Kodai said softly, heading to the kitchen. "I don't mind."

Setsuna detached her head from her body and flew it over to Kodai, who was pouring some water into a glass. "So where have you been going?!" She asked excitedly.

"Nowhere." Yui answered shortly.

"You have to be going somewhere." The disembodied head insisted, doing a midair flip to emphasise the last word. "Is it something bad? Are you secretly a hitman? Are you hooking up with a married ~ Mmmrrff" Tokage's words were muffled by a large hand attached to Kendo

"Ignore her, Kodai. Your business is your business." The class rep said, before looking to the side, "But seriously, we are all dying to know…"

Kodai looked at her, and just said "Too bad." Before sipping her water.

With a sigh of frustration, Kendo gave up. "Are you joining us for dinner, anyway?"

Nodding her head, Kodai said "Mm." Then headed up to her room.

Kodai pushed open the door to her room and walked in, closed it behind her, and set her glass of water on the nightstand. Taking out a pair of earphones, she settled down on the bed and got ready for her usual cooldown activity - a fantasy audiobook that could send her to another realm.

She was about to hit play, when she heard a faint creak and some slight movement over by her closet, but she tried her best to not look directly toward it. Instead, she smiled slightly and pretended not to notice. She didn't have to wait long for what came next.

Slowly, the closet door opened, and a bunch of plastic skulls came floating out.

"OoooOOOoooo…"

Following the spooky display, Reiko Yanagi emerged. "Iiii'm the ghooost who diiiied in this rooooom!"

"Hello, Reiko." Yui casually took her earphones out and placed her hands in her lap.

The fun cut short, Yanagi put her feet back down on the ground, "Really, nothing? Not even a little scare?"

Yui shook her head. "How did you get in here, anyway?"

Yanagi shrugged and sat on the bed next to her. "I snuck in while you were out. I knew you'd be back eventually, so I hid in the closet. I've been waiting for you for at least an hour, it was very boring."

"You were in there for an hour? Why?"

"Because I wanted to frighten you. How was karaoke?"

"It was fine," Yui paused, deep in thought. "But it felt like something was different today. I'm not sure. It was like someone else was there."

She glanced at her ghostly friend, who looked at her curiously. "You never sing in front of people, do you?"

"No. But it still felt like that."

"Did it bother you?"

"…I don't know."

Yanagi leaned back and lay across the bed with her hands folded across her stomach. "Maybe you're picking up on some new energies. Perhaps your sensitivity to the supernatural is growing?"

She saw her friend's expression and knew what she was thinking. Kodai didn't need to say anything to make her point.

"…Alright, maybe not." Yanagi said, changing the topic. "But if you ever get more comfortable with company, I would love to join you for a ghostly duet."

Yui gave a small smile, more with her eyes than her lips. "You know I can't perform with others. I get too nervous, it's too much stress."

"You worry too much about what the living think."

"Reiko, you're also the living."

"Am I, though?"

"...Yes."

Lunchtime at UA was usually a lively affair filled with noise and activity, with students chatting, laughing and enjoying their meals. But this time, Izuku sat there staring at his bowl of rice. His mind was elsewhere, completely ignoring the usual chit-chat around him. All because of the voice that had invaded his brain the day before. A voice that could make angels jealous. It played on a loop in his head, refusing to let go. It was a distraction he couldn't shake, and it had turned lunch into a silent affair for him.

"Hey, Deku? Are you okay?" Uraraka asked, worried by his blank expression. Usually, when he zoned out, there'd be a storm of muttering to go along with it, but today, it was just a silent stare. "You've been acting weird today. Is something wrong?"

Izuku jolted out of his thoughts and his chopsticks flew out of his hand. "N-no, I'm fine! Just a bit sleepy, that's all."

Across the table, Iida frowned and slammed his hand on the table, giving Izuku a stern look. "Midoriya! Are you not adhering to the sacred eight hours of sleep rule? Especially with exams looming over us!"

"Y-Yes! I swear, I'm getting enough sleep!"

Meanwhile, Tsuyu, ever the sharp one, wasn't fooled. She cocked her head, her big eyes squinting slightly. In her honest way, she croaked, "You're hiding something, ribbit."

In a feeble attempt to divert attention, Izuku attacked his bowl with newfound vigour, practically shovelling food into his mouth. "Really, it's nothing," he mumbled through a mouthful, "just a crazy week, you know?"

His friends weren't that gullible, though. The three of them exchanged looks and silently agreed that something was fishy. Uraraka leaned forward. "Come on, Deku. You know you can trust us. We're here for you!"

Reluctantly, Izuku sighed. "...Okay. Yesterday, I went to karaoke."

"You did what?!" Uraraka squealed, which made Tsuyu giggle to herself.

Iida was just as shocked, but somewhat less dramatic about it. "I must say, I find it difficult to picture."

"It's not that surprising, is it?!" Izuku protested, before muttering under his breath "Now I know how All Might felt…"

"It is kind of surprising, ribbit."

"I didn't really sing anything, anyway!" He continued, "I chickened out."

Uraraka looked concerned and asked him "Is that what's bothering you, not getting up the courage to sing?"

"No, not that… Well a little bit that… But when I was there, I uh…" Izuku hesitated, wondering if he was about to sound incredibly silly. "I heard someone singing in one of the booths, and she was… She was really, really good, you guys. I just sat there, in the hallway, and listened to her sing. I can't stop thinking about it." He stared down at his food, bracing for the impending reactions.

Uraraka couldn't contain her excitement. "Aww! Deku, that's so sweet!"

"You have a crush! Ribbit."

"It appears that you are smitten with this unknown singer, Midoriya," Iida said.

Blushing furiously, Izuku tried his best to deny it. "It's n-not a crush! I don't even know who it is!"

Nobody was buying it. "Come on, Deku, admit it, you've fallen for this girl after hearing her voice once. Oh, it's so romantic!"

"You're in love, ribbit."

It just so happened that that was the precise moment Class 1-A's resident love expert, Mina Ashido, decided to walk past their table, and she couldn't let an opportunity like this pass her by. "Who's in love?!"

"Midoriya has a secret karaoke girlfriend." Tsuyu said, cutting to the chase.

"She's not my secret karaoke girlfriend, I just think she's a good singer! Besides, I don't even know who she is, we've never even spoken…"

Mina clapped her hands and nudged Iida to make room to sit, "Well if you don't know who it is, you know what you need to do, right? You've got to go back there and find out!" She then widened her eyes in speculation, "Do you think it's anyone from class?!"

Izuku looked at her pleadingly, "Ashido, please don't try to find out who it is."

"I won't… But only if YOU go back and try to find out for yourself!"

Nodding her head once in agreement, Uraraka was entirely on Ashido's side on this one. "She's right! You have to do this Deku, for your own sake! Do it for love!"

"I'm afraid I'm in agreement," Iida added, adjusting his glasses. "Normally I'd be against capers such as this, but if finding out her identity would ease your mind and help you focus on your studies, then it's worth pursuing."

Izuku smiled, realising he couldn't escape the clutches of his well-meaning friends. "Alright, fine. I'll go back. But can we keep this between us? I don't want anyone making a big deal if it doesn't go anywhere."

"Don't worry, Midoriya! Your secret's safe with me - for now." Mina winked, making him more nervous. "But you have to promise to tell me everything when you find her!"

The disaster at the forest training camp hit everyone like a ton of bricks, but people didn't seem to catch on to how much it affected Yui. She was that quiet girl who kept to herself, never making a big deal out of anything or letting people know what's going on inside her head. So, why would she act any different?

There were a few subtle changes, though. Like taking longer to drag herself to morning classes and zoning out during training. Only Reiko seemed to pick up on those little things. Yui struggled to put her thoughts into words and 'let it all out', but deep down, that's exactly what she wanted to do more than anything.

Her first visit to Karaoke Star had been an accident. Dorms had opened up about a week previous, and Kodai had managed to get lost around the area, right when the skies decided to open up and pour down with torrential rain. The karaoke bar was the closest shelter available.

"Hiiii, welcome to Karaoke Star, where you're the star!" The woman at the desk said with an artificial enthusiasm. "What can I do for you today?"

Kodai gestured outside the door, and said "Raining."

"Aww I'm sorry, but it's paying customers only." She then stuck a hand out and bluntly said "500 yen, ya get the place for an hour. Either pay or get out."

Rather than cause a scene, and because anywhere was better than pneumonia, Kodai reluctantly handed over the cash.

The door to the booth closed shut with a very pleasing sound, like an airlock being closed behind her, and immediately she was struck by how silent the room was. There was plush seating lining the walls, which were themselves covered in noise cancelling foam. The lighting was a fluorescent purple, with spotlights pointing towards the karaoke machine on the back wall.

For the first ten minutes, she just sat quietly, until she became restless and began to inspect the equipment. She tapped the mic a few times and listened to the feedback, then leant in closer and softly said "Hello."

Nothing terrible happened. She decided to do it again, but a little louder. "Hello."

She ran to the door and opened it up, the same satisfaction of sound as before, and looked up and down the hallway. Nobody heard her on the mic.

The third time she used the mic, she shouted. "HELLO!" before she started coughing.

By the half hour point of her session, Kodai was screaming at the top of her lungs. Pure unadulterated emotion pouring out of her for the first time in years. She yelled and yelled until her throat was sore, she unleashed hell on that microphone, and she had never felt better.

When she went back to her dorm people barely even noticed she had lost her voice. She couldn't wait to go back for more.

It was around a week before that second visit happened, enough time for her vocal cords to heal from that beating she gave them. This time however, she decided to be a little more thorough, and began to inspect the actual karaoke machine. Yui had never been much of a music fan, she could appreciate it but it was never something she pursued. The only album she'd ever owned was Ultraman Christmas Song & Story, which her parents had bought her as a joke.

She picked up the microphone and browsed the song list for a long time, not really knowing what she was looking for. The lyrics preview that showed up was very helpful, and in time she found plenty of songs that resonated with her.

Music filled the small room, and she (barely) sang along. It just so happened that this particular brand of karaoke machine had a high score table, where through an online network of Karaoke Star bars across the city and beyond, users could register a username and compete for the top spot.

It took five visits before she sang for long enough to register a high score. It took a dozen more before she was consistently reaching the top 100. But the more she sang, the better she did. The more she sang, the better she felt. She sang with all her heart, pouring out her fear, her anger, her sadness, and hope. She sang about the villain attack. She sang about the pain of seeing her classmates hurt. She sang about her guilt.

Almost every day she sang until her voice was hoarse and she let everything out, until she felt that wave of catharsis washing over, cleansing her mind and soul. Her visits had always been more about the therapeutic aspect, so she barely even noticed when she started getting the top scores. It was something of a little mystery among the karaoke aficionados who the user KMNRDR was.

In fact, Kodai became so notorious amongst the scene that the owner of the bar had given her a key card to come and use a booth as she pleased. They wanted her to take a photograph to commemorate the achievement, but she ran away before there was a chance.

On her most recent visit, however, she never noticed the door not fully closing behind her, or the fact her voice was bleeding out into the hallways. Something certainly felt different that time, but she was sure that her next session would be fine.

The next day, Izuku decided to return to Karaoke Star after classes finished. Only this time, he had his detective cap firmly in place. His dual objectives: uncover the identity of the mysterious singer and savour another performance.

He walked into the karaoke place and smiled at the receptionist, who barely looked up from her phone. "Hi, remember me?" he said cheerfully. "I came here a few days ago and rented one of the booths."

All he got in return was a hand-gesture which he read as, "So what?"

"Well, I was wondering, are any of the booths occupied right now?" He tried to act casual and not let his real intentions show. "You see, I prefer the ones on the North side, they have better acoustics. If someone is already in one of those booths…"

"Kid," the woman cut him off with a bored tone, "I literally don't care. There's only one girl in room 1, the rest are empty. Take your pick." She went back to scrolling on her phone, ignoring him.

Izuku felt a surge of excitement, could it be her?! "Really? Is she here often?" He blurted out, forgetting to hide his eagerness.

She rolled her eyes, putting her phone face down on the table. "Maybe? She has her own key; the owners let her use the place whenever she wants. I think she was the winner of some competition or something. I don't bother to remember that stuff."

"Wow, she won a competition? That's incredible! Could you… Could you maybe describe her to me?" He knew it was a slim chance, and he felt guilty for pestering the woman who was just doing her job; he had no right to ask for personal details about other customers.

"Nope."

Okay, he expected that. "Oh, I see… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, really, you probably have to respect confidentiality a lot…"

"What?" She said incredulously, "What are you talking about? Confidentiality? This is a karaoke bar, not a hospital. I can't tell you anything because I have prosopagnosia. You know, the condition where you can't remember faces?"

"You can't remember faces at all?" He put a finger to his mouth and frowned, "a side effect of a quirk, maybe?"

The woman gave him a puzzled look, one that she had been using a lot that day. "No, of course not. What does my quirk have to do with anything? My quirk is having suction cups on my feet, if you really want to know." She said, annoyed.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, I sometimes say things without thinking!" He apologised.

"It's fine," she answered in a tired voice. "The only thing I can tell you is that she had a grey jacket like yours. Same button on the shoulder and two lines on the cuffs."

So she is a UA student! And in the hero course, too! Izuku couldn't believe his luck. He snagged the woman's hands and gave them a hearty shake, blurting out a quick, "Thank you!" before sprinting down the hallway toward room 1. This could be his shot, his golden opportunity to find out who she really is and to bask in the glory of hearing her sing once more!

The receptionist, clearly not as excited as Izuku, nonchalantly kicked her feet up on the desk and resumed scrolling through her phone. "No, wait, that's for paying customers, or whatever…" she mumbled, not bothering to look up.

Reaching the door, Izuku took a deep breath, bracing himself for what lay ahead. He knocked, not too aggressively, just enough for her to hear. He didn't want to startle her or throw her off her musical game. All he wanted was to grab her attention, so he could tell her what a huge fan he is!

Inside the room, Kodai froze. Knocking? That was a first. Panic set in. Was it the staff? Did something go wrong? If it was the staff, they had their own cards to get in, right? Or maybe it was another customer? Did they hear her singing? What if there's a villain attack or a fire, and they're evacuating the building?! Should she stop standing completely still and actually do something?!

Outside the door, Izuku suddenly felt supremely and utterly awkward. Was…Was this a really weird thing for him to do? His fist hung in the air, hesitating for a moment, and then he pulled it back and took a step away. This is a really weird thing for him to do! How would anyone know how to react to this, someone overhears you singing then they track you down?! Oh god, he's a stalker! His eyes widened, and he ran away.

Seconds after he had shouted "thankyousomuchgoodbye" to the receptionist and bolted from the establishment, Kodai finally mustered the courage to crack open the door and see what was happening.

"Um, hello?" she said quietly, poking her head into the lobby with a puzzled expression. "Did someone knock?"

Shrugging, the receptionist replied in a very uninterested tone, "Some guy was looking for you. I think he's from your school or something."

"M-my school?" Fear mode activated. "Do you know who?"

"Beats me."

Back in the dorms, as soon as Izuku stepped into the living space, a pink streak zoomed toward him. Mina practically scooped him up and hurled him inside, far too excited to find out how the investigation went.

"Well?! Who is she?!" Mina demanded, her wide eyes and almost manically intense expression making Izuku wonder if he was in for an interrogation. Her hands clamped onto his forearms, shaking him relentlessly

Stammering, Izuku tried to break free, "Uh, well... about that."

"Come on!" Mina pressed, still rattling him. "Details, now!"

"She's definitely someone from the hero course, but um… I ran away before I found out." Izuku confessed, feeling his face heat up.

"Miidoriyaaaaa!" Mina exclaimed, releasing him and pouting. "How could you do that to me?"

"I panicked, it felt inappropriate!" Izuku said defensively and threw his hands up. "I was basically spying on her-"

"When has love ever been inappropriate?!" Mina interrupted, punching him in the face mid-twirl before flopping onto the sofa. "You gotta find her, Midoriya! She's your soulmate!"

Rubbing his sore cheek, Izuku winced. "Owww! Ashido, it's not that easy! I can't just walk up to someone and say, 'Hey, I overheard your angelic singing and fell head over heels for you.' That's just creepy!"

Mina shot him a disapproving frown.

"...Ashido, there's no way I'm just walking up to someone and confessing my love to them."

Rolling her eyes, she relented, "Alright, alright. I hear you. But fear not, my friend, for we shall proceed to plan B!" With that, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. On it, a cartoon version of herself (drawn in markers) held a microphone, and the words 'Karaoke Hero' were written at the top. At the bottom of the page it read 'Singing competition, attendance mandatory!'

Izuku examined the paper, turning it over in his hands. "What is this?"

"We're throwing a party!" Mina declared, flashing a wide grin. "We'll invite the whole class, 2B as well, and make it a singing showdown! The best singer will reveal herself, and you'll know who your mystery girl is!"

"B-but I only told you she's a hero student a few minutes ago."

"I'm just that good!" Mina boasted. "...Okay, when I heard you had gone to karaoke it got me thinking that it's been so long since I last went, then I kept thinking about it and got kinda hyped about the whole idea. Mr Aizawa is letting us set up a stage in the courtyard, and Yaomomo's making us a karaoke machine!"

Izuku winced, "I can't sing in front of people, Ashido, that's asking too much!"

Mina waved it off, "Pfft, I don't care if you sing. You're not the one we're searching for. But, just so you know, if you don't sing, I'll never forgive you, and our friendship will be over forever."

Scratching the back of his head, he eventually shrugged. "I guess it could be sort of fun, getting the two classes together…"

"Yes!" she pumped a fist in the air, "I knew you'd be into it! And we'll find out who it was you heard, then you'll get married and we can have another party to celebrate!"

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?!" Izuku exclaimed, blushing furiously.

She shot him a fierce look. "No, Midoriya. No I'm not."

Yui sat on her bed, engrossed in a book, when a piece of paper slid beneath her door. Intrigued, she unfolded it and began reading the contents. With each word, her expression shifted from curiosity to growing concern.

"KARAOKE."

"SINGING"

"COMPETITION"

"ATTENDANCE MANDATORY"

Seconds later, she found herself knocking furiously on Yanagi's door. As soon as it opened, Yui thrust the paper in her friend's face.

"Someone knows, Reiko. Someone. Knows."

Ever the gracious friend, it didn't take long for Yanagi to get Yui to have a warming cup of tea in her hands. "I received the same missive." The ghostly girl revealed. "I'm not sure if 'attendance mandatory' is legally binding."

The distressed Yui took a sip of the tea, feeling a bit calmer. She shrugged and said, "I'm not going, and that's final."

Yanagi nodded, but she sounded unsure. "That might be the simplest solution, but..."

Her friend raised her eyebrows, waiting for her to finish.

"...Don't you think it would be good for you to go to the party?" She continued, in a soft voice.

"Reiko, you know I can't sing in front of people." Yui sat the cup down on the table and gripped the back of her own hand, "I'd freeze up, it's humiliating."

Yanagi smiled reassuringly and said, "Then you don't have to sing. Just show up, say hello, and then slip away into the dark night. No one will notice."

"Maybe I could do that. But I don't see the point." she sighed.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Standing there, one leg in the air, Neito Monoma shouted "DORM MEETING, FIVE MINUTES!"

The self-proclaimed leader of Class B, much to Kendo's annoyance, held a serious expression on his face as the rest of the group stood and sat around the common room. He had a very important announcement to make and it was imperative that everyone was all ears.

"Listen up, everyone!" he shouted, clapping his hands together to get everyone's attention.

"Ugh," Kamakiri rolled his eyes. "You don't have to shout, Monoma. We're all here already. Just get on with it."

Monoma ignored him. "You all must be aware that we have received an invitation to join a singing competition hosted by 2A, and we are not only going to accept it, but we are going to crush it! Everyone will see how superior we are as a class, and when we impress them with our incredible talents, they will have no option but to acknowledge our brilliance and bow down to our power! HAHAHAH-" His maniacal laughter was cut short by a massive fist that smacked him in the face.

"Too much!" Kendo reprimanded him, before softening her voice. "But it does seem like good fun."

Yanagi, seeing the anxious look on Kodai's face, decided to speak up for her. "What if we feel nervous about singing in front of a crowd?"

"I don't think anyone has to sing if they don't want to, it's just a friendly challenge." Kendo answered with a reassuring smile.

Peeling himself off the floor, Monoma shouted "To hell with that! How are we going to show them who's boss if we don't sing?!"

"Hell yeah, I'm into it!" Tetsutetsu said with a fist in the air, "This is gonna be awesome!"

Komori nodded, "Sounds like fun." her eye twitched, "Fungi! It sounds like fungi! God, I almost made it…"

"So it's settled!" Monoma declared once more, "We'll annihilate them!"

With a sigh, Kendo tried to calm things down. Most of the class seemed indifferent, which either meant they weren't swayed by Monoma, or they weren't keen on doing it. "Hey, everyone, let's remember that this is meant to be fun, okay? We don't have to be too competitive, just enjoy yourselves!"

Yui stared at her feet. That sounds easier said than done, Kendo.