My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 26: Deceit, Love and Hate
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
One more day before the Sports Festival arrived, one of U.A.'s most important events. A lot weighed on the students of U.A. High School; their fears, their ambitions, their goals, their hopes for the outcome of the Sports Festival. If some students in the General Studies did well enough, they could be considered into the Hero Course. If some students in the Hero Course did poorly or left people filled with disappointment, they could be dropped from the Hero Course and sent somewhere else.
The students of Class 1-A weren't exempt from sharing these. Every one of them had something riding in this event, whether it was something to prove, something to earn, a way to stand out or a show of dominance, all of them were invested into this event that was just around the corner.
For Bakugo, he saw two opportunities in the event. The first was proving himself the best in the Hero Course by beating all of his opponents and winning 1st Place. Ever since he had come, most of his classmates wanted nothing to do with him and showed disdain for his behavior, the worst being Raionhato who thought of him as nothing more than a wild animal. He desired to be respected and admired by his peers, to be seen as the undisputed best in his class in terms of intelligence and strength. The Sports Festival was the perfect opportunity to prove his abilities to the world, to prove once and for all that he surpassed all his classmates.
This led to the second opportunity for Bakugo: defeating Deku. Bakugo couldn't stand the idea of Deku being his equal or even considered better than him, not after he had lied about his Quirk for years, lies that made him look like an idiot. If he went up against Deku in the tournament, then he'd avenge his defeat during the Combat Training at the start of the year. He would rather give up his spot in the Hero Course than accept Deku as an equal.
Another person on the minds of Midoriya and Bakugo was the Quirkless student, Hayata Furaya. Midoriya admired Furaya for his willingness to stand up against Bakugo and tell him off rather than cowering before him, but also felt shame. If Furaya was striving to become a Pro Hero without a Quirk, Midoriya feels like he could've done the same.
"Pro Heroes are always having to risk their lives. Some villains can't be beaten without powers…so no, I don't think you can become a Hero without a Quirk."
Was Furaya's goal obtainable? Midoriya couldn't deny that if All Might hadn't changed his mind and named him his successor for One For All, he wouldn't be here in U.A. He would've given up any hope of becoming a Pro Hero when his role model confirmed that becoming a Hero without a Quirk was impossible.
But after seeing Furaya, Midoriya questioned if he could've pushed on despite All Might's rejection. Could he still be in U.A. even if he had never inherited One For All? Would he have still earned the admiration and respect of his classmates if he didn't have a Quirk? He would never know the answer to that question.
Bakugo absolutely abhorred Furaya. Having bullied and degraded Deku for years, the Explosion user was convinced that a Quirkless couldn't become a Hero. When he condescended and intimidated him the other day, Bakugo believed that Furaya would cower before him as Deku had. Instead, Furaya stood his ground, threatened him and declared that he would win the Sports Festival. Just as Bakugo's threats strengthened Furaya's resolve, Furaya's defiance strengthened Bakugo's hatred for him and his desire to see him defeated.
"You Quirkless piece of horseshit!" Bakugo internally thought. "You are BENEATH me!"
Raionhato himself had some worries of his own for the upcoming event. He had seen all of his classmates' Quirks and couldn't deny that he was at a disadvantage against several of them, including Electrification, Acid, Explosion, Half-Cold Half-Hot, and Snowstorm. He lacked their raw power and superior mobility, meaning he'd have to be very resourceful in his fighting. Luckily, the recent upgrades he received from Satoshi would give him an edge; they wouldn't assure victory, but they would at the least give him more methods to fight.
Some of those who had less than flashy Quirks, like Kirishima and Ojiro, worried about how they could stand out in the Sports Festival. The Pros would most likely pay more attention to people like Bakugo and Todoroki, who had flashier, stronger Quirks. Who would pay attention to two students with a tail or could make their body rock solid when they had two students who could create explosions, create a torrent of ice or command a shadowy bird monster?
"Next match is Raionhato vs. Kirishima!" Razor Shell announced in Gym Class. The two students walked away from the class and stood at different ends of the ring as they usually did.
As soon as Razor Shell announced the start, Kirishima charged towards Raionhato, who summoned his Lion Mane shield just in time to block Kirishima's hardened punch. Each blow from his opponent staggered Raionhato, knocking him back bit by bit. After blocking another of Kirishima's punches, Raionhato used Lion Mane to bash at Kirishima's head, but the shield just slid off and did no damage to his opponent.
From where the class was, Raionhato was at a disadvantage against Kirishima as he didn't have the means to penetrate Kirishima's Hardening. His sword and shield blows merely glanced off Kirishima's body where he was hardened, leaving Raionhato on the defensive as Kirishima threw punch after punch at his opponent. One of Kirishima's punches managed to get close to Raionhato's face, giving him a large scratch across his cheek that started to bleed.
"How is Raionhato supposed to beat Kirishima?" Kaminari asked, seeing the fight was in Kirishima's favor. "This seems like a pretty bad matchup."
"Not as much as you think," Yaomomo spoke.
She knew that as strong as Kirishima's Hardening was, it had a major weakness: the more tired and fatigued he became, the more his Quirk started to wear off. If the fight was prolonged enough, Kirishima's Quirk would be down and Raionhato would have an opening to defeat him. Hence why Kirishima was going all out offensive so Raionhato couldn't make him go on the defense.
Raionhato continued to endure punch after punch from Kirishima since he couldn't penetrate his Hardening. He had thought of using his Concussion Gauntlet, but feared it could be damaged against Kirishima's Hardening and it wouldn't be fixed in time for the Sports Festival. However, as the fight went on, Kirishima's blows became weaker and weaker; as Yaoyorozu suspected, Kirishima's Quirk was starting to wear off due to fatigue.
Sensing an opening, Raionhato again struck Kirishima with Lion Mane, this time causing him to stumble back. He had to act before Kirishima could go on the offensive again, so Raionhato summoned his Bo-Staff and used it simultaneously with Lion Mane to unleash a barrage of attacks on his redheaded opponent. The match was won when Raionhato bashed Kirishima in the face a second time, this time knocking him unconscious.
"Raionhato wins!" Razor Shell announced. Raionhato's friends smiled at his victory over Kirishima despite the disadvantage he was in during the match. The Inventory user summoned a towel to put over his bleeding cheek from Kirishima's attack.
"Do you need to go see Recovery Girl?" Razor Shell asked.
"I'm fine," Takeo assured. "It's just a cut." Razor Shell had Takeo remove the towel from his cheek to check the bleeding. After making sure he didn't need immediate treatment, Razor Shell turned to Class 1-A.
"Kirishima was smart in laying pressure on Raionhato as his Hardening gave him additional strength and dermal armor, leaving Raionhato unable to harm him," he explained. "However, Raionhato knew that Kirishima's Quirk has a time limit, meaning that if the battle was prolonged enough, Kirishima's Hardening would weaken. It left him vulnerable and open to attack."
"He basically just fought like a battering ram," Bakugo said to himself. Crap Hair didn't fight tactically at all during his fight with Kitty Boy. If he had, he would've realized that he should've disarmed Kitty Boy, robbing him of his shield. But then again, Kitty Boy was smart only keeping his shield up until there was an opening in Crap Hair's armor.
"When your Quirk has a time limit like Kirishima's, you cannot afford to waste time in your fights. You need to be quick in identifying a weakness and exploiting it because if you get caught in a prolonged fight, you will be at a disadvantage. Take this as a lesson to all those whose Quirks have a time limit." After Razor Shell explained this, Raionhato returned to the class, standing with Ojiro, Jiro, Yaoyorozu and Sato.
"That was pretty good, Raionhato," Sato complimented.
"But you should improve on your weaponry," Yaoyorozu brought up. "From what I've seen, you don't have AP capabilities, so it'd be wise of you to make alterations to your equipment."
"I knew Kirishima's Hardening was tough, but I didn't know it was THAT tough," Raionhato responded. He thought his shield would be strong enough to deal damage through Kirishima's Quirk, but today had proven him wrong and Yaoyorozu right. He'd need to make alterations so he could have Armor Piercing capabilities.
"Next is Shiruku vs. Aoyama!" Razor Shell announced. Shiruku walked over to one end of the ring while Aoyama made his way to the other end, walking as though he was a diamond caught in the sunlight.
"Begin!" Razor Shell announced.
Aoyama let out a flamboyant shout as he used his Naval Laser to shoot at Shiruku. The Web user easily dodged Aoyama's constant barrage of laser attacks as he already thought of how defeat his opponent. Like several other students in Class 1-A, Aoyama was overreliant on his Quirk and most likely knew nothing of close quarters combat. With his Naval Laser being good only for long range attacks, Shiruku knew what to do and how to beat Aoyama.
After dodging another of Aoyama's laser blasts, Shiruku threw six shots of Web at his opponent, three hitting his torso, two his arms and the last his face, blinding him. The Web user then shot out a long rope of web at Aoyama's legs, then pulled on it to knock him onto his back. He then pulled on Aoyama again, using his web like a rope to throw him out of the ring.
"Shiruku wins!" Razor Shell announced.
Despite beating Aoyama, Shiruku didn't feel very satisfied. He felt like he had barely done anything in his match against Aoyama, but did what he could with his…lame Quirk. This was his first ever win in Gym Class…and it felt hollow.
"How can I have any chance of standing out when my Quirk is…?" he wondered to himself.
After school was concluded, Midoriya felt it'd be wise to meet up with All Might to see if he could give any more tips on how to use One For All. If he was going to stay in U.A., he had to prove to Mr. Aizawa that he could his Quirk effectively and without destroying his body. It was a repetitive thought that ran through his mind, but one he had to consider if he was to be All Might's successor and become the #1 Hero just like All Might.
As he turned the corner to make his way to the Teacher's Lounge, hoping to find All Might, he ran into a familiar face: Hayata Furaya. He was carrying his katana on his hip as before and clad in his gym clothes, so it was most likely he was heading off to train.
"Oh, F-Furaya!" Midoriya stammered, feeling a bit intimidated by the General Studies student. He still hadn't gotten over how Furaya had stood his ground against Kacchan of all people, which had sent his childhood friend and bully into an angered frenzy. Midoriya couldn't help but feel some intimidation from the swordsman as a result.
"Huh?" Furaya replied before seeing the green-haired young man. "You're not in my class. How do you know my name?"
"I'm in Class 1-A," Izuku answered. "I-I'm sorry that Kacchan gave you a hard time the other day."
"Kacchan?" Furaya questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Errr…Bakugo," Midoriya clarified. "He's really not used to people standing up to him like that."
Furaya guessed as much considering Bakugo's behavior. Right off the bat, Bakugo condescended to him and the other students from different classes, then flying into a rage when Furaya stood up to him and declared that he would win. He knew his type: kids with flashy Quirks who were put on pedestals and glorified as future Pro Heroes while knowing nothing of respect and dignity for others. To him, Bakugo was nothing more than an annoyance who thought the world revolved around him and him alone.
"I'm used to it," Furaya replied. "But he's wrong if he thinks his threats will intimidate me."
"You didn't seem intimidated at all when he started badmouthing you," Midoriya brought up.
"I noticed," Furaya responded. "What is your name?"
"It's Midoriya, Izuku Midoriya."
There was a slight hint of surprise in Furaya's scowl. He had heard the name Izuku Midoriya before and had it on the Entrance Exam results, the young man who had scored 6th Place with 0 Villain Points and 60 Rescue Points. But that's not what interested the Quirkless swordsman; no, it was something else.
"Midoriya," he repeated. "I've heard of you. Some people say you were FORMERLY Quirkless. Is that correct?"
Midoriya internally panicked. He had hoped no one would question those rumors after the Entrance Exam when he destroyed the giant robot with one superpowered punch. No one seemed keen on pursuing the truth of these rumors other than Kacchan, so Midoriya felt that the only person he needed to worry about was his childhood tormentor. Bakugo had sworn to find the truth behind how he got his Quirk and then expose him as a fraud, which could have dire consequences.
"Well…yeah," Midoriya answered. "My Quirk manifested late into my teens, shortly before I enrolled in U.A. I don't really know what happened or why my Quirk didn't manifest normally, but…that's all I can really say. I guess my Quirk is very unique." Midoriya looked up to see if Furaya was buying his story, but his stoic expression left him unable to determine whether the Quirkless swordsman bought it or not.
"I see," Furaya replied. "Your Quirk merely manifested late in your teens? A real one-in-a-million chance, huh?"
"Y-yeah," Midorya answered. He silently hoped that Furaya would buy this story (despite being it a load of nonsense) and leave it at that. It was the only story he could think to answer how he, a formerly Quirkless student, suddenly got one and used it to get into U.A.'s Hero Course.
"I have a question, then," Furaya spoke before his stone-faced scowl changed to one of contempt and suspicion. "Why are you lying?"
This time, Midoriya was internally panicking. Furaya didn't buy the story and knew that he was lying about he got his Quirk. Telling Bakugo had led him to investigate how he got his Quirk, so he couldn't afford to repeat that mistake with Furaya by telling him what he told Bakugo. He didn't know how Furaya would react or what measures he'd take if he felt the need to expose him as a fraud.
"I'm not lying," Midoriya claimed. "My Quirk just manifested-"
"Do you think I'm a fool?" Furaya interrupted, his tone stern and no-nonsense. "No Quirk has ever manifested past the age of five. If you don't have a Quirk by that age, you're Quirkless. As one Quirkless to 'another', I ask again: why are you lying about your Quirk?"
"I told you," Midoriya repeated. "My Quirk manifested late. I don't know-" Before he knew it, he felt a sharp edge pressed against his throat. As he did with Kacchan before, Furaya had unsheathed his blade and was pressing against Midoriya's throat. His face was filled with controlled anger that was solely focused on the One For All user.
"I don't know why you're lying, but I'm guessing it's because you're trying to garner popularity for having a 'miracle' bestowed upon you, isn't it?" he interrogated. "Are you trying to take advantage of the suffering Quirkless go through for your own benefit?"
"No, that's not it at all!" Midoriya rebuffed. "I'm telling you-" Furaya held his sword closer to Midoriya's throat.
Furaya wasn't buying any of Midoriya's story. He knew that no Quirk has ever manifested past the age of five; if someone didn't have the Quirk by the time they turned that age, then there were guaranteed to be Quirkless. Having heard the rumors of Midoriya being formerly Quirkless, Furaya was curious to find out the truth and hear it from the student's mouth. Instead of seeing someone he thought was like him, he was greeted by someone who he deemed an imposter and a liar.
"If you were truly Quirkless, you would never take advantage of our suffering," Furaya stated. "The way I see it, you lied about your Quirk and pretended to be Quirkless so you could play a victim. Your lies only confirm my thoughts."
Lies. Midoriya WAS indeed Quirkless before. He knew all too well the discrimination Quirkless people go through. Bullied, looked down upon, harassed, treated like dirt, viewed as unworthy and unwanted, deemed immediate failures…Midoriya had experienced it all growing up, from Kacchan to Kacchan's cronies to even his own teachers.
"Midoriya, why would you enter U.A.?" Aldera's Principal asked a few days after Izuku had turned in his application for the prestigious school.
"I want to become a Pro Hero like All Might," Midoriya answered. "It's been my dream ever since I was a kid." The Principal shook his head in disappointment and gestured for Midoriya to sit.
"Listen, Midoriya: the truth is you're Quirkless. You want a dream that's impossible. Now, Bakugo on the other hand, he has the means. He's smart, he's strong, he's a prodigy…he has it all. So please do yourself a favor and withdraw your application. Set your sights on a dream more…befitting of someone like you."
"No," Midoriya refused. "I will work to become a Pro Hero-"
"Wake up, Midoriya," the principal interrupted. "Like it or not, evolution passed you over. People like Bakugo, they're set to succeed, but people like you are doomed to fail."
"I'm not lying," Midoriya responded, his nervous and submissive tone replaced with a much sterner one. "I know what people like us go through every day. I would NEVER take advantage of the Quirkless for my own benefit."
"And yet you are," Furaya responded. "Your classmates may turn a blind eye to your blatant lies, but I won't. I will get into the Hero Course and I will show the Quirkless of the world 'Yes, you can be a hero'. The last thing they need is a fraud like you taking advantage of their pain." He then sheathed his katana and then walked off to train.
"I don't know why you're lying, but I'm guessing it's because you're trying to garner popularity for having a 'miracle' bestowed upon you, isn't it?"
Those words rung in Midoriya's mind. Whether he liked it or not, he was a liar. He had been given an opportunity no other Quirkless would ever receive. He had received a gift other Quirkless could only dream of getting. Did he truly deserve to be here when he had obtained his Quirk in a non-natural way?
"You disgust me, Izuku Midoriya," Furaya spoke silently. "And here I thought I found someone like me striving for the same goal."
"Hrah!" Raionhato cried out as he and Ojiro traded blows with each other, Raionhato with his sword and shield, Ojiro with his tail. Raionhato was surprised by the power and strength of Ojiro's tail, which had staggered him several times like Kirishima's Hardening did during Gym Class. However, Raionhato's blows also staggered Ojiro a few times, much to his surprise.
"You're stronger than I thought," Ojiro commented.
"It's a side effect of my Quirk," Raionhato informed. "It's not easy carrying 40 lbs of items in Inventory. My training over the years has made my body stronger than the average person. Think of it as constantly carrying iron rings around on your arms as a means of getting stronger."
"Makes sense," Ojiro replied as the two continued sparring. After minutes of trading blows with sword, shield and tail, the two combatants finally called it and sat down to catch their breath.
"So, any Pros in particular you hope will choose you?" Raionhato asked Ojiro as he took a sip from his water bottle and offered it to the Tail user.
"I don't think I really have that luxury," Ojiro answered as he took Raionhato's water bottle. "When your Quirk's not really as flashy as mine, you have to take what you can get."
"Don't think like that, Ojiro," Raionhato replied. "A Quirk's functionality is far more important than flashiness. Even if you have the flashiest Quirk in the world, it could ultimately have minimal functionality."
Despite Raionhato's encouraging words, Ojiro knew the sad reality of Pro Heroes today is that flashy Quirks were valued highly. Most Pro Heroes would probably pay attention to students like Todoroki, Bakugo, Yukine, Tokoyami and perhaps Midoriya. He felt there was no chance of him piquing the interest of Pros like Endeavor, Best Jeanist or Hawks. Even if he did learn martial arts to compensate for his lack of power, it was improbable that he'd really garner any attention.
In truth, Ojiro wished he had Raionhato's attitude towards Quirks, that functionality mattered more than flashiness. Raionhato had proven himself a skilled and smart fighter, even when he went up against opponents that had a clear advantage over him such as Kirishima. Plus, as he had said, he had been trained extensively by his mother, the Pro Hero Lioness, and his deceased mentor, Forge.
"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, Takeo?" Ojiro asked.
"What is it?" Raionhato responded. Ojiro paused for a moment and took a deep breath.
"Why do you hate Fukushu so much?"
Raionhato should've seen this question coming since the day he walked out of the store in a fit of anger. It was a very sore topic for him, one that he had explained to the girl he liked, Yaomomo. He was hesitant, but Ojiro had proven himself a good friend and a trustworthy one at that; he deserved to hear an explanation.
"I lost my father because of him," Takeo answered.
"Your father," Mashirao replied. "Wasn't he the Weaponry Hero: Paladin?"
"Yes," Takeo confirmed. "Fukushu…" He gripped his hands tightly and his teeth were bared like a lion's. He looked as though he wanted to tear something apart in a state of rage. It took him several moments to calm down, breathing heavily as he prevented himself from giving into his hatred for the vigilante.
"He took my father, Paladin, from me years ago," Takeo spoke, hints of anger still present in his tone. His entire body shook as if he was shivering from cold as he was doing his best to keep his anger towards the vigilante from making him lash out.
"I'm sorry, Mashirao," Takeo apologized, rising to his feet. "Fukushu's…a very sore topic for me."
"I see," Mashirao spoke. "I…I appreciate you telling me this. I can understand why you stormed out of the store that day."
"I…I shouldn't have," Takeo responded. "Even if that…murderous monster is…"
He let out a loud shout and punched the wall of the gym, startling Ojiro. Takeo's breathing was shaky, deep, filled with rage he was barely able to contain. His face was down, looking at the floor of the gym as a single tear ran from his eye and fell. When he felt Mashirao's assuring hand on his shoulder, Takeo's breathing became normal and he slowly retracted his fist from the wall.
"I'm sorry," he apologized in a low tone.
"Maybe we should train some more," Ojiro suggested. Takeo nodded his head in agreement as it'd help him healthily deal with the anger he felt towards the Blade of Terror.
Ever since that day at the weapons store, Ojiro suspected that Fukushu was a sore topic for his friend, but he never expected him to look as though he could barely contain his rage. But could he blamed for harboring such anger when the Blade of Terror took his father from him when he was young?
The two sparred for a while longer, Ojiro keeping an eye on his friend. As he hoped, Raionhato was taking his anger out on the sparring match. His face and fighting style relaxed as the spar went on, much to Ojiro's relief that he could help his friend deal with his anger towards Fukushu in a healthy and productive way. By the time they were done, they were once again left exhausted from their intense fight.
"Thanks, Mashirao," Takeo told the Tail user. "I needed that." He then held out his hand to Mashirao.
"Let's do our best in the Sports Festival!"
"Yeah!" Ojiro replied as he took Takeo's hand and shook it.
After catching their breath, Raionhato and Ojiro went to the locker room and changed into their school uniforms. Ojiro finished up first, so he waved goodbye to Raionhato and left the locker room.
"I wish I had your enthusiasm, Takeo," Ojiro spoke to himself. He moved his tail so it was in front of him to look at it for several moments, contemplating how he'd stand out in the Sports Festival. Despite all the training he went through, all the sweat, tears and blood he had shed over the years, he still felt incompetent and undesirable.
"What hope does a mutant freak like you have of becoming a Pro Hero?"
"You, a Pro Hero? You have nothing but a tail. Go home to the zoo."
How could Raionhato have such confidence in his skills and ability to stand out despite his very unflashy Quirk? Was it because he was the son of two Pro Heroes, Lioness and Paladin? Was it because of how his mentors trained him? Was it because of the skills he acquired growing up, swordsmanship, martial arts, marksmanship? Whatever the cause, Ojiro wished he had the same attitude towards his Tail.
Suddenly, his vision was obstructed. He felt two hands covering his eyes and he let out a quiet sigh.
"Kiyama, don't do that," he replied.
"Wrong girl," a familiar voice corrected. Ojiro blushed when he recognized the voice; it belonged to Kana Hironaka, the same beautiful young woman he had trained with a while back. He turned to see her in her sweat-stained gym clothes, obviously having recently trained.
"Oh, Hironaka," he replied. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Why haven't you called me?" she asked. "I thought I gave you my number."
"Oh, that!" Ojiro gasped. "I've unfortunately been rather busy. The Sports Festival is tomorrow and I've been needing to train. It's a very important event for us, you know?"
"Oh," Hironaka spoke, her voice depressed and heartbroken. "I…I was really hoping you'd contact me, Ojiro. We had so much fun training together that I thought you'd want to reach out and do it again."
The Tail user felt his heart throb with guilt when he looked at Hironaka being very depressed. Did it really mean that much to her that he contact her when he had a chance? He sighed quietly with remorse for not having contacted her earlier.
"You okay, Hironaka?" a male voice asked, belonging to a very buff young man with silvery gray hair and razor teeth followed by another short stout young man with light blue hair. As soon as they saw Hironaka depressed, they immediately rushed over to her…and then glared at Ojiro.
"Did this guy hurt you?" the silver-haired man asked. "Why, I…wait a minute, I know you. I saw you in Class 1-A!"
"Um, yes, I'm in Class 1-A," Ojiro confirmed. "Hironaka, I'm sorry I didn't call you. I-"
"Oh, thank you!" Hironaka replied, wrapping her arms around Ojiro's torso and unknowingly sparking her classmates' jealousy. The Tail user simply stood there frozen and nervous as Kana pushed her body weight into his torso and hugged him tightly with a big smile on her face.
"Who is this guy anyway?" the silver haired man asked.
"I'm Ojiro," Mashirao introduced himself.
"Isn't he handsome?" Hironaka asked her classmates, gushing over the Tail user. "Oh! These are my classmates, Tetsutetsu and Shoda."
Despite Hironaka having forgiven him, Tetsutetsu and Shoda continued to glare at Ojiro for making their female classmate sad. He hoped that the two of them wouldn't try to attack him out of anger, but as long as Hironaka held him, he felt he was safe.
"So, will you call me when you have a chance?" Hironaka asked. "I'd really like to train with you again. Maybe hang out some time~?" She fluttered her eyelashes at Ojiro, causing him to blush as red as blood. Unknown to Hironaka, her two male classmates were getting very jealous of the attention she was giving to the Tail user.
"Er, yes," Ojiro replied. "I'll be sure to call you when I can. Maybe after the Sports Festival?"
"Okay!" Hironaka replied. "See you later! And don't keep me waiting for too long~" She then hugged Ojiro again, winked at him and then skipped off, whistling a happy tune. Before Ojiro could walk away, he felt two hands viciously grab his shirt and pin him against the wall.
"Listen here, pal!" Tetsutetsu growled. "Hironaka is one of our classmates! She's an absolute sweetheart and we never want to see her hurt by arrogant jerkoffs like you! So you hurt her again and I'll beat you down!"
Two hands grabbed Tetsutetsu's arms and pulled them away from Ojiro. It was Raionhato, who had just finished changing and had come to check on him before leaving. He glared at Tetsutetsu, who returned the gesture.
"You hurt my pal and I-"
"No, no, it's okay, Raionhato," Ojiro assured, stepping between them. "There's no need to fight, especially since the Sports Festival is tomorrow."
"You bunch of arrogant pricks!" Tetsutetsu barked. "We'll see how full of yourselves you are when we beat you tomorrow! Someone needs to teach you jerks some humility!" Tetsutetsu then stormed off, leaving Shoda behind.
"I'm sorry about that," he apologized. "A lot of my classmates aren't exactly fond of Class 1-A. They think you guys are getting all the attention and we're playing second fiddle to you."
"How are you playing second fiddle?" Takeo wondered. "We're not playing instruments." Ojiro shook his head before pulling Takeo close and whispering in his ear to explain what Shoda meant.
"We don't consider you inferior," Raionhato stated.
"Well, unfortunately, many of our classmates don't like you," Shoda responded before he paused for a moment. "Hold on; you're Raionhato?" Takeo nodded in confirmation.
"Yonaka REALLY doesn't like you." He then looked at Ojiro. "We're serious; you better not make Hironaka sad again." He then walked off in the direction Tetsutetsu went, leaving the two Class 1-A students by themselves.
"Who's Hironaka?" Raionhato asked.
"A girl from Class 1-B who keeps showing interest in me," Ojiro explained. "We sparred a while back…and…" His mind went back to see Hironaka in her training clothes…her very fitting training clothes that showed off her beautifully toned body. His face started to blush, but his discipline kicked in and he shook his head before his thoughts turned perverted.
"Who's Yonaka?" Ojiro reciprocated.
"Someone I know," Takeo answered. "He and I…we don't get along anymore." The two of them looked at each other and shared the same feeling: Class 1-B really wasn't going to like them.
After the two went their separate ways this time, Raionhato was turning the corner when he ran into none other than his most loathed classmate: Bakugo. As soon as Takeo saw him, his face twisted with contempt and disgust.
"Out of my way, Kitty Boy," Bakugo demanded rudely.
"Shut the hell up, beast," Takeo shot back. "I'm not dealing with you right now."
"What did I do?" Bakugo questioned. Takeo stopped dead in his track and glared at Bakugo.
"What did you do?" he asked. "What did you do? Are you seriously asking me that!? You truly just think you can do no wrong, do you, you pissant!?"
"Why do you hate me so much?" Bakugo questioned. "Ever since we've met, you've done nothing but hate me, call me a beast, treat me like I have the plague-" Raionhato viciously reached out and grabbed Bakugo by his shirt.
"I hate you because you are a heartless, selfish, uncaring beast. Ever since YOU'VE come here, you've treated us like we're beneath you, shout abuse at us, condescend to us and blame others for your mistakes! Not to mention you tried to kill Midoriya! And your face when you unleashed that blast…that wasn't the face of a hero, but a selfish, spiteful, evil beast. You knew you could've killed him and our classmates and you didn't give a damn!"
By now, Raionhato's grip on Bakugo's shirt was so tight, he could easily tear it off in anger. His amber eyes overfilled with contempt, disgust, rage and hatred for the Explosion user, which had only been made worse by Bakugo acting as though he had nothing wrong. Class 1-A was being hated by the other classes not just because they wanted spots in the Hero Course, but because Bakugo had condescended to them and made them believe that they were just a bunch of arrogant egomaniacs.
"Let go of me before I blast you to hell," Bakugo threatened, putting his hand on Raionhato's arm.
"Why should I listen to YOU when you listen to NOBODY but yourself?" Takeo snarled. "I haven't forgotten that rescue exercise; you think you can ignore people just because you've decided your ego is the most important thing in the world. You're dragging our names through the mud all because you can't be bothered to care about anyone but yourself!"
"I don't need to explain myself to you," Bakugo growled as he pulled Takeo's hand away from his shirt. "But you better bring your all tomorrow so I can-"
"I do NOT take orders from beasts like you," Raionhato responded, pulling his arm away from Bakugo's grasp. "You're not in charge, so don't act as if you can tell others what to do when your whole schtick is telling people to not give you orders, you arrogant sack of horseshit."
"Do NOT look down on me, you damn extra!" Bakugo barked. "I'll be the #1 Hero while the rest of you-"
"YOU are the one looking down on us, you damn hypocrite! Who the hell do you think you are, you heartless beast!?"
"Call me that again," Bakugo dared, creating several small explosions. Just when Takeo was about to open his mouth, Kirishima and Zankoku came in and stepped between the two of them.
"Hey, hey, come on, let's save our energy for the Sports Festival tomorrow," Kirishima suggested to ease the tension between his two classmates.
"I know you two don't get along, but try to be civil until the games tomorrow, okay?" Zankoku added. "Then you two can have it at each other." Neither Kirishima nor Zankoku budged from holding back the two hated rivals back to keep them from trying to fight. Once they were certain their classmates had subsided their passionate desire to hurt each other, Zankoku led Raionhato away while Kirishima led Bakugo away.
"The nerve of that extra," Bakugo growled as he walked alongside Kirishima. "He's just jealous of me. He knows he doesn't have a chance against me and he hates that."
"Bakugo," Kirishima replied. "I really don't think that's it. You and Raionhato have never gotten along since we've started here."
"It's his fault," Bakugo claimed. "Like I said, he's just jealous of my strength. Well, tomorrow, I'm going to crush him, along with Deku, IcyHot and that damn Quirkless and prove to U.A. that I am the best."
While Kirishima wouldn't say it, he guessed that the reason Raionhato hated Bakugo was his piss poor attitude and unchecked aggression. Kirishima personally wasn't offended by Bakugo's attitude, but he understood that not everyone would feel the same. Despite viewing Bakugo as a manly person and admiring his strength and determination, Kirishima acknowledged that he wasn't easy to be around.
"You've got to stop this," Zankoku told Raionhato as they walked to U.A.'s entrance. "I get it; you hate Bakugo. I feel the same way about Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, but you don't see me getting angry and calling them names every time we interact."
"I would if Bakugo would stop being such an intolerable jerk," Raionhato responded.
"Oh, come on," Zankoku insisted. "Bakugo's not that bad. I mean, he's intelligent, determined, strong, can respect others…even if he's not the best at showing it. He has a lot of good qualities that would make for a good Pro Hero, qualities you refuse to see."
Even if Bakugo had all those qualities, none of it mattered to Raionhato since all he fought for was his ego and pride. He had proven that the welfare and health of others meant nothing to him on the day he failed the rescue exercise. He had proven that he will always focus on himself, even if it comes at the expense of others, especially his own classmates.
"No one's denying he's difficult," Zankoku acknowledged. "Maybe Class 1-A would be better off without him, but it's not our choice in the matter. He's still our classmate, so you might as well try to find some common ground with him or develop some form of mutual respect; if not, I wager it'll be a very miserable three years."
"If he keeps up this attitude, he won't be here for long," Raionhato replied. "I honestly hope he does get kicked out. We WOULD be better off without him."
"Like I said, not our choice whether he stays or goes," Zankoku reminded his classmate. "I mean, do you really think Mr. Aizawa would keep Bakugo around if he really was the violent beast you think he is?"
Takeo didn't have a response to that question. Aizawa had made it clear to his class that if he felt anyone was incapable of being in the Hero Course or their behavior was unacceptable, he would expel them provided the cause was justifiable. If Aizawa did think Bakugo was unteachable or too violent, he would've gotten rid of him long ago. As much as Raionhato disagreed with it, Zankoku did say it wasn't their choice.
"Besides, I don't think Yaoyorozu would want to date you if you were so mean towards Bakugo~" Zankoku teased.
"Huh!?" Raionhato's face went red. "What, no! She and I…we're not-"
"Raionhato, you're dealing with someone who's had to lie and steal to survive," Zankoku interrupted. "You don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at Yaoyorozu, do you?"
"See you!" Raionhato rushed off to hide the red blush on his face, much to Zankoku's amusement.
"He can be so fun to tease," the scorpion smirked.