My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage

Chapter 19: Wants and Needs

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.

"How're your wounds healing?" Hound Dog asked Ashido. The Acid Quirk user had just arrived for her therapy session and was in Hound Dog's office.

"They're…they're healing fine," Ashido replied as she touched where Bloodmoon had savagely bitten her. "I normally don't get scared, but…when Bloodmoon…"

Hound Dog could see how much the near death experience was haunting Ashido. He could imagine any student, whether they were very brave or very nervous, being deeply impacted by the first time they came close to dying. From what he heard, Ashido would've bled to death had Zankoku and Kaminari not carried her to safety after Yaoyorozu had tended to her injuries.

"Have you had nightmares, flashbacks?" Hound Dog asked, to which Ashido replied that she had only had one nightmare ever since the USJ Attack.

Ashido found herself in the Mountain Zone where she had been teleported to along with Zankoku and Raionhato. As she was about to fight, she felt immense pain in her torso and put her hand where she was hurting. To her shock, her hand was covered in blood that had seeped from her reopened wounds.

She then heard a low growl, one she remembered all too well. She reluctantly looked over her shoulder and standing on the top of the mountain was none other than the feral, bloodthirsty animal, Bloodmoon. She remembered his malicious red eyes, his blood-soaked teeth, and his bestial growl, all of which caused her to run. Sadly, it was all in vain as Bloodmoon leapt down and pinned her to the ground.

"I remember the taste of your blood, girl," Bloodmoon cackled. Ashido tried in vain to break free, but the werewolf had her firmly pinned down and was too strong for her. Bloodmoon then lowered and licked her face.

"Delicious," he grinned. "I'll look forward to you being in my STOMACH!" He then opened his jaws and prepared to devour her.

"I've heard of Bloodmoon," Hound Dog informed. "I've fought him before and that beast is no joke. It's understandable if you are startled by him. He's a very disturbing individual and I hope the next time we get him, we put him away."

"It's not just Bloodmoon," Ashido replied. "I was walking one day when I saw an article in the newspaper written by…what was it? Hire…hire-"

"Hiretsuna Shita?" Hound Dog asked, his normal tone turning into a growl.

"You know her?" Ashido asked.

"I do," Hound Dog spoke before he let out a low growl and then "That evil woman-" After that, he was reduced to a barking mess, his words replaced with angry dog shouts and howls. Ashido just sat there quietly and awkwardly while he continued his barking fit before concluding with a loud howl, then breathed heavily to recollect himself.

"I guess you know her," Ashido spoke.

"Yeah," Hound Dog replied. "That woman is racist against mutants like us. I saw an interview of hers yesterday and what she said about you…it was appalling."

Ashido had seen the newspaper when she was walking to an ice cream parlor to meet up with some of her friends from junior high. On her way, she had seen the newspaper from Pure News and read Hiretsuna's article. She was disgusted and shocked at how she had painted Razor Shell as a coward and accused her of being injured because of 'incompetence'. She was so hurt by what Hiretsuna wrote that she ran home crying and told her parents of what happened.

"How could she write something like that?" Ashido spoke in immense disbelief.

"Unfortunately, she writes her articles in a way that doesn't openly encourage discrimination against mutants," Hound Dog replied. "That wretch makes it look like that the people she's badmouthing just happen to be mutants. Trust me, she's made quite a lot of jabs at U.A. over the years: the thought of that woman makes me sick."

"No kidding," Ashido agreed. "My parents called the police and threatened to press charges of racial discrimination against her, but because she wasn't 'actively encouraging discrimination', they couldn't do anything about it."

Hound Dog once again gave a low growl. Hiretsuna Shita was a racist, but she was smart in how she presented it. She never actively encouraged discrimination against mutants, but she never condemned those who took her words too far. In short, there was nothing they could do unless she slipped up and said something that actively violated Japan's Freedom of Speech.

After the therapy session concluded, Hound Dog handed Ashido a list of symptoms and told her to come back if she experienced any of them continually for a month. The pink-skinned girl believed that she didn't have PTSD, but she wouldn't disregard the possibility, not after nearly ending up as Bloodmoon's meal. She still remembered the pain she experienced as Bloodmoon bit down on her, biting into her flesh and breaking some of her bones with his powerful jaws.

Sadly, when she woke up earlier this week, she had learned that she wasn't the only one who had been injured. Todoroki, Bakugo and Kirishima had also been injured in the attack, though Todoroki had the worst of it. Eraser Head and Thirteen had also sustained severe injuries, though they were expected to recover soon.

Then it hit her: she had never thanked Zankoku and Yaoyorozu for saving her life. If it weren't for Yaoyorozu tending to her injuries and Zankoku carrying her to safety, she would've undoubtedly lost her life. Unfortunately, she didn't have either of their numbers, so she'd have to wait until school restarted to thank them. She kept this in mind as she made her way to the U.A. Entrance.

She stopped when she saw a familiar figure leap across the trees in the U.A. Courtyard with a sack over his shoulder. It was too quick for Ashido to recognize until she caught a glimpse of him as he went over the U.A. barrier.

"Zankoku?" Ashido wondered. "What's he doing here? And what was that sack on his shoulder?"

Ashido resolved to follow him, but would have to be quick since she had seen how fast the Scorpion-tailed young man could be. She quickly raced out of U.A. to follow him and saw him leap up to the roof of a nearby building so he could travel across the rooftops. Even now, she was still amazed at how quick Zankoku could move.

She quickly took off her shoes and started to secrete acid from her feet to slide and keep up with the Poison Quirk user. Since he was travelling by the rooftops and her Quirk wouldn't help her get up the buildings, she had to slide down the alleyways and sidewalks to keep up with him. It proved to be quite difficult as she had to mind her surroundings, including citizens, trash cans and such, while also keeping an eye on Zankoku.

Every time she was met with a 'Hey!' from an annoyed pedestrian, she let out a quick 'Sorry!' as she continued going after Zankoku. After a short, but fast-paced chase, Zankoku finally leapt off the roof of a nearby building, jumped on a dumpster and landed right in front of what looked an apartment complex.

"Huh?" Ashido wondered as she hid from sight and watched as Zankoku opened the door to the main building, but suddenly stopped.

"You know I know you were following me, Ashido," Zankoku called out.

"Huh?" Ashido gasped as she gave away her position. "How did you know!?" Zankoku raised an eyebrow and pointed to the way she had recently travelled…revealing three trash cans knocked over and a long trail of non-deadly Acid.

"So…what's in the bag?" she asked in an attempt to change the topic and learn what Zankoku was doing here.

"It's food from the school cafeteria," Zankoku answered.

"Food from the school…you stole it?" Ashido gasped, realizing what her classmate had done. "How did you-!?"

"U.A. needs to work on their security system," Zankoku interrupted as he entered the apartment complex with Ashido following after him. When she entered, she saw bunks upon bunks of people, young and old, wrapped in poor, worn and torn clothing. Some of them didn't even have shirts or shoes to wear, most likely because there weren't enough to go around.

As Ashido looked around, Zankoku opened the large sack of food and started handing it out to the people one by one. They each thanked him as he gave them food, especially the kids and their parents.

"A homeless shelter?" Ashido asked.

"Yeah," Zankoku replied after he handed out all the food. "This shelter hasn't been receiving a lot of supplies and food lately, so a good number of people have had to go hungry. So I decided to break into U.A.'s cafeteria and take some food."

"But that's illegal," Ashido brought up. "You could be expelled or even arrested for that."

"I'm used to it, Pink Rose," Zankoku answered firmly. "Besides, many of those students and faculty have more than enough for themselves. These people…many of them sometimes only get to have one meal a day or don't even have enough clothing to keep them warm during the winter."

Ashido looked around and felt immense sympathy for the people living in the shelter. Some of them were braving it with smiles, while others couldn't hide the toll their hardships were taking on them. Those who couldn't hide their pain looked depressed, angry, bitter, resentful, sad. The people who had gotten food from Zankoku looked happy and relieved as they'd be able to eat, especially the kids and their parents who fed them.

"These people…society has ignored them as well as many 'heroes'," Zankoku explained. "Too many Pro Heroes ignore them simply because they won't contribute to making them popular or look good. Many of them only pay attention to the crimes or victims that'll gain them recognition; they only do good things if they benefit from it somehow. Does that sound heroic to you?"

"No," Ashido answered. "I mean, I knew some Pro Heroes weren't all that 'heroic', but still…to ignore these people…"

"That's why I'm training to become a Pro Hero," Zankoku explained further. "I'm tired of people like them being ignored because they're deemed 'not important enough'. I would know because I grew up like them. I won't let them be ignored the way I was."

Ashido remembered Zankoku referring to himself as a street rat several times during their schooltime and showing some antagonism towards Yaoyorozu and Todoroki. After seeing this and hearing his reasons for becoming a hero, it was very easy to see why he harbored disdain towards his more high class schoolmates.

Yaoyorozu and Todoroki were the children of powerful Pro Heroes, the Flame Hero: Endeavor and the Changing Hero: Industrialist. They always had a roof over their heads, food on the table, clothes on their backs, even possibly people to do chores and work for them. They never once had to worry about ending up on the streets or going hungry because they couldn't afford food.

"Hell, even All Might seems to have taken a blind eye to them," Zankoku brought up. "I don't remember the last time he visited a homeless shelter. He's been too busy doing interviews or battling villains in the limelight to even care."

"Zankoku, don't you think you're being a bit hard on him?" Ashido asked. "If All Might was told about these homeless shelters, I'm sure he'd come visit."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Zankoku responded. "Well, since you've seen me steal food from U.A., what're you going to do?"

Ashido was torn between whether to turn in Zankoku or to let him off the hook. On the one hand, Zankoku had only stolen food, items that could be easily replaced and gave them to people who needed it far more than U.A. Students and Faculty. This shelter was full of people who needed food and U.A. probably wouldn't miss it.

On the other hand, Zankoku may not only stop at stealing food. What if he decided to steal more stuff for self-gain? What if he stole items like money and valuables? Whether or not these people needed food or clothing, did that really give Zankoku the right to steal from others? What would stop him from 'upping his game'?

"I won't report you," Ashido answered. "But you can't keep stealing from U.A., Zankoku. Surely, there are other ways-"

"Didn't you listen to what I said?" Zankoku interrupted. "These people are being ignored! I tried doing things the 'legal way' and these people were still ignored. So if I have to resort to stealing to make sure these people are given the decency and needs they deserve, then I'll do it!"

Ashido was shocked by Zankoku's outburst. He was utterly convinced that Pro Heroes wouldn't help the people in the homeless shelter as they wouldn't contribute to their careers, especially not Pro Heroes like Endeavor. His reasons for stealing the food from the U.A. Cafeteria were understandable, but could his theft be justified?

"Ashido," Zankoku spoke again. "You didn't grow up the way I did. I had to do what I had to survive, even if it meant stealing and lying. I don't want these people to have to resort to the things I did, especially not kids. I'll be the one who does the wrong things for the right reasons because heroes look out for those who cannot look out for themselves."

Again, the pink haired girl couldn't bring herself to report Zankoku for stealing from the U.A. Cafeteria, but she wanted to convince him that there were other ways to help these people than theft. She found it admirable, but if Zankoku was discovered that he had stolen from U.A., then his chances of becoming a Pro Hero would be gone.

"Maybe we could try bringing attention to the shelter so it could get the attention of Pro Heroes," Ashido suggested. "Livestream, maybe?"

Zankoku was skeptical, but considering that Ashido wasn't going to turn him in, he felt he at least owed her a chance. When she caught him stealing food from U.A., he had put her in a difficult position whether she'd either have to lie to protect him or turn him in.

"Alright," he replied. "If it works, I'll stop stealing from U.A."

"Great," Ashido responded. "By the way…I never said thank you…for saving my life back at the USJ when Bloodmoon…"

"You've recovered," Zankoku spoke. "That's all that matters, Pink Rose…and thanks to you for not only not turning me in, but…for being willing to help." Ashido smiled.

"Just you wait; I'm certain we'll get these people the help they need and then you won't have to steal anymore." She then left the homeless shelter, leaving Zankoku by himself. He was skeptical that it would work, but as he said, he owed her for not turning him in.

"This ought to be fun," he spoke. "You're a looker, Ashido, but you don't understand the realities of the world."

As Bakugo jogged down the sidewalk leading to the beach, his mind was filled with immense frustration at everything. Whether it was U.A. being closed for the week or how he and Midoriya had switched positions in Class 1-A, Bakugo was frustrated and angry. But two things weighed heavily on Bakugo's mind, the first being his defeat at the hands of Talos during the USJ Attack.

Ever since the day his Explosion Quirk manifested, Katsuki had trained to turn it from a cheap party trick into a versatile and powerful weapon. He wanted to believe that if he went up against any villain, he would mop the floor with them in a matter of moments. He did so with the common mooks during the USJ Attack alongside the redhead, but when Talos arrived, the tables quickly turned.

Talos proved to be a very powerful adversary, easily combating both him and Kirishima. Somehow during the fight, Talos figured out how Bakugo's Quirk worked and used a Cryo Gun to freeze his arms. Until they warmed up from the cold, Bakugo was unable to create powerful explosions. The robot then proceeded to beat Bakugo and leave him defeated with a broken arm.

This was a brutal reminder for Bakugo that he wasn't the legend he was built up to be during his childhood. If Talos could beat him so easily, then what chance did he have against All Might, the great hero who he both admired and wanted to surpass? He couldn't let this defeat hold him back or convince him that he wasn't worthy. Instead, he'd use this reminder to strengthen his resolve, to push himself to truly be the best.

As for Midoriya, Bakugo couldn't wrap his mind around how Deku suddenly got such a powerful and flashy Quirk. He had grown up with him and there was never any indication that Deku had a Quirk of his own. Bakugo knew that no Quirk manifests after the age of five; if someone didn't have a Quirk by that age, they were pretty much guaranteed to be Quirkless, just like Deku.

Had Midoriya hid his Quirk from Bakugo all these years, making him look and feel like an idiot in the process? If that were the case, all it did was fuel Bakugo's hatred for his former childhood friend. However, he remembered Deku saying that he 'got his Quirk from someone', which Katsuki found it very hard to believe and outright dismissed it. The only logical explanation was that Deku had hid his Quirk all these years and made his childhood bully look like an idiot.

Bakugo wanted to prove that Midoriya was a fraud and get him kicked out of U.A. for making him look like a fool, but it'd be very difficult to do so. As of right now, Deku was one of Class 1-A's most popular students to the point where he was elected Class Representative before giving the job to Glasses. Bakugo, on the other hand, was hated by almost everyone, especially Kitty Boy. If he was to convince them that Midoriya was a fraud and didn't deserve to be at U.A., he'd need irrefutable proof; to simply say Deku was a Quirkless fraud would make Bakugo look like an immature brat targeting someone he hated.

"Stupid everything," Bakugo growled. "If Deku had just backed off like I told him to…if he had just used his Quirk on me-"

"Hey, Bakugo!" a male voice called out. Bakugo turned to see the redhaired idiot who he fought alongside during the USJ Attack.

"What do you want?" he rudely replied.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," Kirishima answered. "You got beat pretty bad when we fought that robot guy."

"Shut up!" Bakugo barked. "And just so we're clear, I didn't need your help. I could've gotten out on my own."

"Bro, your arm was broken," Kirishima brought up. "Do you really think I'd just leave you to lie there? There's nothing manly about that."

"I don't care if all my limbs are broken and I have to move using only my teeth!" Bakugo retorted. "If I'm going to be the Number One Hero one day, I need to grow stronger and I can't do that if extras like you are helping me, Crap Hair!"

"My hair is almost the same as yours!" Kirishima countered. "If you want to grow stronger, then do so! But I won't ever abandon one of my own classmates to fend for themselves. What kind of man would I be if I did so? So you do what you think is right and I'll do the same!"

Bakugo paused for a moment before giving out a low chuckle, much to Kirishima's confusion. He half expected the Explosion Quirk user to unleash powerful explosions on him in a fit of rage given his violent tendencies and short temper. Instead, Bakugo just smirked.

"You may be a pain in the ass, but you don't back down easily," he said. "Good to know you can back up what you say after what I saw in the USJ Attack."

Kirishima was at a loss for words. Did Bakugo just compliment him, something he hadn't done for any of his classmates? Up until now, despite garnering some respect for Bakugo, Kirishima held some belief that the Explosion Quirk user ultimately respected no one but himself. It was very easy to view him that way, considering how he had been acting so far.

But perhaps there was more to him than meets the eye. Kirishima was about to speak up, but Bakugo turned around and continued on his jog.

Takeo was currently on the couch of his home with Peter, drawing in his sketchbook. It was filled with various sketches, some for his weapon upgrades, others for leisure, such as drawings of weapons he found interesting. Right now, he was currently working on upgrades for his hero costume.

As of right now, it was comprised of a gambeson with leather and steel plate armor along with a lion-faced happuri. He thought of adding a steel plate breastplate for extra protection on his torso, which despite popular belief, wouldn't impede his speed or mobility. He also thought of adding a visor to his happuri, which he could request to have outfitted with technical lenses to give him heat vision, x-ray vision, or other visions to help him.

During his sketches, he had looked online to learn more about the Yaoyorozu Family, which he had never heard of before going to U.A. According to the sources he found, they were a prestigious and extremely wealthy family were not only amazing Pro Heroes, but great businesspeople. The patriarch of the family and Momo's father, Industrialist, was currently the #13 Hero on the Popularity Scoreboard and ran a highly successful hero agency.

As he learned more, it started to dash his hopes about his feelings for Momo Yaoyorozu. Like Todoroki, she was a high-class student when compared to the rest of Class 1-A. If he did pursue his feelings for her, would her parents approve of him, despite being of lower social class than him? He hoped they would, but he also feared that it'd be out of his reach.

"Hey, honey," Nakano greeted as she walked into the house and put some files on a nearby desk. "How was your day?"

"It's been going good," Takeo replied as he worked on his sketches. "Trying to come up with new ideas for my hero costume."

While she didn't show it, Lioness had some concerns about Takeo going back to U.A. when it started up again. Attacks had made on U.A. students before, but they were usually small time villains looking to start trouble or former U.A. applicants who felt they had been wrongly denied what they were owed. But an attack like this raised concerns for Lioness about her son returning to U.A.

"You okay, Mom?" Takeo asked Nakano.

"I'm doing fine," she assured. "I'm honestly just more worried about you, after what happened at the USJ. Did you already have your therapy session with Hound Dog?"

"I did," Takeo answered. "He already told me to come back if I have any recurring symptoms like nightmares and flashbacks for a month."

"It's just…U.A. students have been attacked in years past, but not like this," Nakano stated. "The fact that these villain were able to get into the USJ and severely injure four students and three teachers-"

"And it's not helped by people like Hiretsuna Shita either," Takeo interrupted. "That woman is just plain despicable."

Lioness shook her head as she silently thanked her son for reminding her why she didn't like the media, but that was the least of her worries. She was worried about whether this would be a mere isolated incident or if these villains would strike again.

"Do you feel comfortable going back to U.A.?" she asked her son. "I know that the attack must've been traumatic, given what you told me, so I just want to make sure that if there's anything on your mind."

Takeo had told his mother everything that he had witnessed during the USJ Attack: nearly being killed by villains, watching two of his classmates on deaths' door, and his encounter with the ferocious werewolf, Bloodmoon. His mother told him that while she herself had never encountered the feral animal, she had heard of him and knew he was a force to be reckoned with. She had been shocked that he had faced off against Bloodmoon during the USJ Attack and relieved that he had survived.

"I feel okay going back to U.A.," Takeo assured. "I mean, yeah-"

"Please don't say 'yeah'," Lioness interrupted. "You know how I feel about it." Takeo let out a quiet sigh, which his mother heard due to her lion-like hearing.

"Yes, I'm still a bit shaken by what happened that day, but U.A. is taking more security precautions to ensure this won't happen again. Plus, I'm feeling better, especially since I heard that my classmates have recovered."

"That's wonderful to hear," Lioness replied as she approached the couch and petted Peter's tummy, much to the dog's delight. "So, does pizza sound good for tonight?"

"It does," Takeo replied. Lioness looked over to see Takeo's sketches for his hero costume idea and chuckled.

"You and lions."

"Yeah, to help me remember who trained me after…Dad…"

"Don't start that," Lioness firmly told him. "What's happened has happened; don't spend your time sulking about it." She put her hand on Takeo's shoulder and then pecked his cheek.

"I'm proud of you, Takeo. Many people your age may've chosen to not go back to U.A. after such an experience. The fact that you are choosing to stay shows emotional maturity, despite my own concerns."

"Thanks, Mom," Takeo responded. "I'll need to show it again to one of my friends, Ojiro."

"What happened?" Lioness asked.

Takeo explained what happened the day he went to Weapons For All to restock on his arrows and look at the various weapons. On his way, he met his friend, Mashirao Ojiro, and the two of them went to the store together. Due to the nature of his Quirk, Ojiro didn't have ranged capabilities and hoped to find a ranged weapon, so he went to Weapons For All to look for one. After Takeo relived some memories of being with Takeshi and then seeing Fukushu mentioned on a TV, he left the store without saying goodbye to Ojiro or even addressing him.

"Oh, Takeo," Lioness groaned. "I know Fukushu is a very sensitive topic for you, but you can't just walk out on people. You owe Ojiro an apology when you see him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mom," Takeo responded with regret in his tone.

After he had stormed out of Weapons For All, he walked for several blocks before his conscience got the better of him and he realized that he had to go and apologize to Ojiro. Unfortunately, when he returned, Ojiro had already left, making Takeo feel guilty for how he had let his hurt get the better of him. Since he didn't have his phone number, he'd have to wait until they met up at U.A. again so he could give him a proper apology.

"Hrah!" Ojiro cried out as he threw his windmill shuriken in the gym where he'd often practice his martial arts. After some examination in Weapons For All, Ojiro had found a windmill shuriken and decided it'd be a great fit for him. So far, it proved to do well for him, but the only issue was retrieving it after it was thrown. Perhaps he could ask Gijutsu to help him with that when he returned to U.A.

As soon as he thought of Gijutsu, he immediately thought of Raionhato. For some reason, he had stormed off from Weapons For All after purchasing his arrows, ignoring Ojiro addressing him. While Ojiro was hurt by Takeo's actions, he couldn't help but feel something was wrong, that something had caused him to storm out.

After purchasing his windmill shuriken, Ojiro asked the shopkeeper if he knew why Raionhato had stormed out. All the shopkeeper could tell him was that after seeing a report about Fukushu, his friend left.

Ojiro didn't know much about Fukushu other than he was known to be a brutal vigilante who targeted criminals and corrupt Pro Heroes. No one knew his true identity and he had always managed to stay ahead of the police and Pro Heroes who'd pursue him. Similarities had been drawn between him and the Hero Killer: Stain as both of them targeted Pro Heroes who they felt were corrupt.

Perhaps the mention of Fukushu made Raionhato furious, but Ojiro didn't feel like he could talk to his friend about it. It had to be a very sore topic for him if he stormed out of the store like that.

"Whoo, nice!" a female voice cheered Ojiro. The Tail Quirk user retrieved his windmill shuriken, retracted it and turned to face the young woman who had just cheered him.

"Hello," he greeted. "Doing well?"

"I'm doing great!" she replied. "I've seen you training quite a bit; you're quite the martial artist."

"Thank you," Ojiro replied, finding himself flustered by the young beauty. "My name's Ojiro. May I ask yours?"

"It's Kana Hironaka," she responded before her cheerful scowl quickly changed to one of curiosity. "Wait a minute…I know you. I saw you at U.A."

"Yes, I'm in Class 1-A," Ojiro informed.

"No way!" Hironaka exclaimed. "I'm in Class 1-B! We're both in the Hero Course together!"

Ojiro scratched his face nervously as he continued to find himself flustered by Hironaka's presence. He hadn't seen her before, so they probably didn't attend the same Battle Center during the Entrance Exam. She was quickly showing herself to be a very cheerful and kind person who was also very gorgeous, causing Ojiro to be more flustered than before.

"Say, want to spar?" Hironaka suggested.

"Sure," Ojiro replied. "Let's head on over to the sparring areas."

"Yay!" Hironaka cheered.

The two of them headed over to a sparring area, where Ojiro placed his equipment on a bench and Kana did the same. As Ojiro walked into the ring, he saw Kana taking off her shirt, leaving her in a sports bra. The Tail Quirk user blushed and turned his head away from the dirty blonde girl. She had to be the belle of Class 1-B, the girl all the guys would fawn over for her beauty.

He shook his head to recollect himself and got into the ring while Hironaka entered from the other side. The two of them took up stances before they started to fight.

Much to Ojiro's surprise, Hironaka showed herself to be an excellent martial artist. She proved herself highly capable of delivering attacks, blocking them and showing great mobility and footwork, keeping herself balanced all throughout the fight. He had to admit how impressed he was by her skills.

However, Ojiro kept having to stop himself from staring too long at Kana's beautifully toned body. To avoid this, he'd often twirl and spin to attack with his tail so he wouldn't allow himself to develop 'impure' thoughts about the beautiful Kana Hironaka. Luckily, his honor and discipline allowed him to keep those thoughts at bay.

As they fought, Ojiro noticed something; when some of her attacks landed, he felt nothing. No impact, no pain, nothing. Was it her Quirk at work? If so, how did it work? He got an answer when she dodged one of his tail attacks and then snapped her fingers.

Ojiro felt multiple impacts all over his body where Hironaka had hit him, but felt nothing. It felt like he was punched in those areas all at once, leaving him open to attack from Hironaka. She managed to land a few good hits on him, but he was able to regain his stance and counter Hironaka's barrage of punches and kicks.

The match lasted for quite a while, especially since Ojiro was keeping an eye out for Hironaka's Quirk. In time, both of them were exhausted and there was no clear winner between Hironaka and Ojiro.

"I think…that's enough for today," Ojiro said between heavy breaths. "You're a strong martial artist, Hironaka."

"Aww, thanks~" she replied sweetly. "You're really strong yourself. The girls of Class 1-A must be all over you."

"Oh, no," Ojiro responded. "I think our resident 'pretty boy' would be Todoroki."

"Who?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Todoroki," Ojiro repeated. "He's the son of Endeavor, the Flame Hero."

"Oooh!" Hironaka exclaimed. "Todoroki's the last name of Endeavor! I completely forgot."

Ojiro turned his head away as he found himself in an uncomfortable position. Hironaka had no yet put her shirt back on, so she was still in her sports bra and showing off her beautifully toned body. He wanted to ask her to put her shirt back on, but he didn't want to sound rude to her.

"You okay?" she asked him, noticing that he was looking away with a huge blush on his face.

"Um…I have to go," Ojiro responded. "I have to help my mom make dinner tonight."

"That's so sweet," Hironaka spoke. "Handsome, strong, kind and caring…you're the whole package~"

Yet again, Ojiro was flustered by Hironaka's compliments. He slowly backed away from Hironaka and made his way to his belongings to pack them up. He hoped Hironaka would go and gather her own belongings, but instead, she walked over to Ojiro and leaned on his shoulder. She fluttered her eyelashes at him in a flirtatious manner, causing Ojiro's face to turn red.

"When will I see you again, handsome~?" she asked.

"Um…when U.A. opens up," Ojiro quickly answered. "Sorry, Hironaka, but I need to go."

"But U.A. doesn't open until the day after tomorrow," she whined. "Can't I see you earlier than that? Please~?"

"Sorry, but I'll be busy for the rest of the week," Ojiro answered. "I, um…I need to go. Take care."

"Bye," she replied.

As Ojiro walked out of the gym, he let out several breaths to recollect himself. She had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life and they were in the Hero Course together, though in different classes. A part of him wanted to continue the sparring, but he was getting too flustered and nervous around her to continue, so he decided to leave as soon as he could.

To his surprise, he felt a folded paper in his pocket, something that wasn't there before. He pulled it out and much to his surprise, it was a phone number with a heart and a smiley face on the bottom along with 'Call me!' written next to them.

"Oh, boy," Ojiro let out.

Author's Note: Shoutout to NightShock99 for helping me with this chapter! Hope you enjoy! Keep reading and writing my fellow writers!