My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 44: Disappointing Day
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
Takeo groaned as he woke up, finding himself in the infirmary in a medical cot. He winced a bit as he felt pain in the left side of his torso, which was wrapped up in medical bandages. It felt like when Bakugo hit him during the Sports Festival, like he had been hit by a grenade at close range. It still hurt as bad as from before when he lost against Bakugo; he may hate the Explosion user with a passion, but he couldn't deny that his Quirk was powerful.
"H-hey, Raionhato," Himari timidly greeted the conscious swordsman.
"Oh, hey Kataiya," Takeo responded. "How long was I out?"
"Not long, only an hour," she answered. "Bakugo r-really did a…number on you."
"Oh, I can feel it," he groaned, wincing at the pain in his left side. "I guess this means I lost…" His sentence was cut off when he looked to his right and saw Bakugo next to him. His left arm was in a sling and his shoulder was bandaged. It seemed Takeo did a number on Bakugo as well, judging by how his arm and shoulder looked.
It was slowly coming back to him. In their final attack, Raionhato slashed Bakugo's shoulder and Bakugo hit Raionhato's torso with a powerful, focused blast. Both of their attacks, combined with their exhaustion, were clearly enough to take them both out of the fight and leave them unconscious. There was no clear winner; their fight had ended in a stalemate. He wondered how Bakugo would react to this when he woke up.
"Raionhato!" the voice of Nagami greeted as she opened the door, making Himari yelp in surprise. Nagami, along with Ojiro, Sato and Yaoyorozu, walked into the room and surrounded the cot where Raionhato was laying down.
"So…I guess neither of us won?" Takeo asked.
"No, it was a stalemate," Ojiro answered.
"I have to hand it to you, Raionhato," Sato acknowledged. "I didn't think you'd last all that long against Bakugo. No offense, but he's just…strong."
So Raionhato was right; their fight had ended in a stalemate and there was no clear winner. He was confident that he could beat Bakugo since he took him much more seriously than before, but clearly, he was wrong. Both of them were equally strong and their fight was proof of that. Though…he would be lying if he said that Sato thinking he'd lose annoyed him.
"How do you feel, Raionhato?" Yaomomo asked.
"Like I was hit by a rocket," he replied. Just then, Bakugo started groaning as he too woke up and found himself in the infirmary.
"B-Bakugo," Himari addressed. "You're awake-"
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?" he barked angrily. "WHO WON!? DID KITTY BOY-!?"
"It was a draw," Yaoyorozu interrupted sternly. "Both of you passed out after the final attack."
Though not the outcome Bakugo wanted, it proved to him how strong Raionhato was when he was serious. The two of them had fought to exhaustion with neither one claiming a true victory. If Kitty Boy had fought like this during the Sports Festival, then Bakugo genuinely wondered which of them would've won and then went up against Furaya. However, this did nothing to satisfy Bakugo's pride; he wanted a complete victory, not a stalemate.
"Y-you'll both be good to leave s-soon," Himari informed. "W-we'll just need t-to fill out the p-paperwork. I-in the meantime-"
"A STALEMATE!?" Bakugo roared. "It ended in a STALEMATE!?"
"Bakugo, we're in the infirmary," Momo sternly reprimanded him. "Keep your voice down."
"Don't tell me what to do!" he rebuked before letting out a low, frustrated growl.
He saw firsthand how strong Raionhato was as a fighter, making him all the more determined to win and prove himself the better of the two. But once again, it didn't go the way he wanted; instead, it ended in a stalemate. He was left extremely frustrated and angry at the outcome of the fight, which continued to remind him of his bitter reality ever since he lost to Deku during the Combat Training.
Bakugo still wasn't the best that he wanted to be. He still wasn't the strongest fighter in U.A. or even Class 1-A for that matter. He had yet to beat Deku and IcyHot, had lost to Furaya twice and his match with Raionhato ended in a draw. He hated it, but he had to accept it…but that wouldn't stop him from aiming for the top.
"So that's what you're capable of," Bakugo told Raionhato. "Good to know you can pull your head out of your ass, Kitty Squire."
"Shut your mouth, Bakugo," Raionhato rebuked. "I didn't do it for you." He then glared at the Explosion user.
"And do NOT call me a coward again."
"Then don't act like one," Bakugo sneered.
Raionhato may've accepted the rematch, but his opinion on Bakugo did not change. Even now, he was disgusted that Bakugo viewed his actions during the Sports Festival as cowardice, not factoring in that his degrading disrespect towards his Uncle Nobu. Did Bakugo truly see nothing wrong with the way he had degraded the once #2 Hero, a man who had suffered so much tragedy? Just as he was about to open his mouth, Ojiro put his hand on Takeo's shoulder and silently gestured for him not to respond.
Raionhato was the first to be released from the infirmary, with Yaoyorozu walking with him while Ojiro, Sato and Kiyama had to walk home and left the school. Momo said she did it to ensure Takeo was fine before he left, but it was really to keep him from getting into another fight with Bakugo in case they crossed paths. She saw the way Raionhato glared at Bakugo while they were in the infirmary and it was very clear that he was tempted to shout at the Explosion user.
"You performed very well in your rematch, Raionhato," she complimented. "If you don't have a ride home, my limo will be here soon. I'd gladly offer you a ride."
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Takeo responded as they approached the boys' locker room. Momo waited outside while Takeo walked in and changed into his school uniform. After several minutes, Takeo walked out in his school clothes, but his tie was nowhere to be seen, most likely having put it away in Inventory.
"You're not wearing your tie," Momo pointed out, making Takeo sigh.
"I…I don't know how to tie one," he reluctantly admitted. "My mom always has to tie it for me before I go to school. I can tighten it, but…please don't tell anyone else."
"I won't," she assured as they kept walking before contemplating something.
Momo remained curious about Takeo's hatred for both Bakugo and Fukushu. Was his hatred for the Blade of Terror connected to his hatred for their volatile, hot-headed classmate? She certainly didn't think it was a fair comparison: Fukushu was a murderous vigilante who had committed inhumane killings while Bakugo was just a hotheaded jerk who needed a lesson in manners and humility.
"So…Yaomomo, have you decided where you're going for your internship?" he asked her.
"I haven't made a decision yet…but I don't know how much use I'd be," she lamented. "I didn't…really show off my skills at the Sports Festival against Tokoyami."
The reality of what happened sunk in again, tearing away at her confidence. Unlike most of her classmates, who did a better job showing off their skills, she was defeated before she could even attack. Yaoyorozu couldn't withstand Dark Shadow's assault, ultimately costing her the match.
She felt something gently grab her hand. Yaoyorozu looked down to see Takeo holding her hand with an assuring expression.
"Yaomomo, whatever agency you go to would be lucky to have you," he insisted.
The feeling of disappointment and failure in her heart was replaced with warmth and encouragement…but she turned her face away in embarrassment as Takeo kept holding her hand. The Inventory user was unsure of why she was doing, but he started to assume that she was perhaps still upset by what happened. So he pulled his hand away and instead wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.
Momo let out a quiet squeak as she buried her face into Takeo's shoulder to hide the immense blush. His grip was so firm and strong, but also gently and caring, like she was wrapped in a comfortable towel. As embarrassed as she was by the embrace, she could not pull away and instead shyly returned the gesture.
"He's so warm~" Yaomomo thought as she kept hugging him.
"So?" Sato asked as he, Ojiro and Kiyama were on the floor below where Takeo and Momo were. The snake was using her heat vision to see what was going on and smirked.
"They're hugging~" she responded. "Wait…wait…wait…" Her smile grew wider as it looked as though the two of them would kiss…but instead, Momo broke away from Takeo's grip and the two kept walking down the hall.
"Oh, man!" Kiyama groaned. "They didn't kissssssss!"
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Ojiro asked, unsure of them spying on Takeo and Momo's interactions. He shared Rikido and Nagami's hope of the two of them getting together, but wonder if it truly warranted them spying on Takeo and Momo.
"Oh, come on," the snake responded. "Thossssse two clearly like each other a lot. I want to be the firssssst to sssssssee them become officccccccial."
"It'd be a waste of time," the voice of Eraser Head addressed as he approached the three students.
"Oh, Mr. Aizawa!" Ojiro greeted. "Um-"
"I heard everything," Aizawa answered. "First, if you're trying to spy on others, you should be quieter; sounds can bounce and give you away. Second, I wouldn't encourage any of you to date. This is a Hero School, not a dating get-together. I don't outright forbid dating, but I would encourage you to focus on your studies. If you want to date, then fine, but your priority is your Hero education."
They understood his reasoning. Every student at U.A. was there to learn; in their case, they were at the school to learn to become Pro Heroes, not date. However, Aizawa had stated that while he would encourage his students not to date, he wouldn't outright forbid it, though he made it clear that their education had to come first.
"Third," he continued. "Don't tell Ms. Midnight about your classmates potentially getting together. She'll try to butt in and make things awkward."
"Yes, sir!" the students replied.
"I wasn't finished," Eraser Head stated, silencing his students. "And finally, don't spy on your classmates."
"I'm wrapping everything up, Recovery Girl," Himari informed the U.A. Nurse as she looked over the injury reports for the day. "All injured patients have been healed and have been cleared to leave the infirmary."
"Thank you, Himari," Recovery Girl replied with a smile. "Once you're done sorting out the injury reports, you're free to go home."
"Okay, Ms. Shuzenji," Himari answered, then proceeded to start organizing the injury reports in the file cabinets.
Once again, another day of tending to injuries was over…and once again, at least twelve bouquets of flowers were on Himari's personal desk, each one assigned with a nametag and asking her on a date. She nervously fidgeted as she looked at the flowers, wondering why so many of the male students took such an interest in her.
"I know that face, Sunhealer," Recovery Girl addressed. "And before you ask, you are indeed quite a catch. You are kind, beautiful, intelligent, empathetic, pleasant to be around…I think it's plain to see why so many young men have such an interest in you. So why not take a chance and on a date with one of them?"
"A-a d-date?" she stuttered. "I-I d-d-don't know. I…I've never been on one."
"Well, your day off is coming soon, so why not consider it?" Recovery Girl suggested. "If you have any questions about the male students, you can just ask me." Himari was quiet in response, contemplating what to say. She'd be lying if she said none of them caught her eye, she hadn't spent much time with, but had gotten to know quite a bit: Shoto Todoroki.
But them being together wasn't going to happen. Shoto Todoroki was pretty much the dream boy of U.A., a prince among his peers. Smart, strong, intelligent, handsome, well-behaved, possessed a powerful Quirk, came from a prominent lineage…he was pretty much every girl's dream. No doubt almost all the girls were starting to have their eyes on him.
What was she? Just a normal high school girl who was training to become a nurse like Recovery Girl. She didn't stand out like the other girls, like Ashido, Yaoyorozu, Tokage or Hironaka; compared to them, she felt she had nothing to offer. She wasn't a fighter, a brilliant strategist or a hero-in-training like any of them.
"You're being awfully quiet, Himari," Recovery Girl brought up. "Is everything alright?"
"Uh, y-yes, ma'am," Himari assured before she walked over to the bouquets to gather them. However, there was a knock at the door; since medical bots hadn't just burst into the room, it most likely wasn't a medical emergency. But Sunhealer wasn't one to take chances with other peoples' health, so she was quick to open the door. To her surprise, the familiar face of Shoto Todoroki stood there and in his hand was a bouquet of flowers.
"T-T-Todoroki!" Himari gasped since she had recently been thinking about him. "H-hello! How're you?"
"I'm doing well, thank you," Shoto responded. "I kept these in my locker for the day until I could come by to give them to you personally."
Himari's face lit up a bright red as Todoroki handed her the beautiful bouquet of white, yellow and red flowers. She timidly took the flowers from the Half-Cold Half-Hot son of Endeavor, immediately catching the fragrant scent of the bouquet.
"Do you like them?" he asked.
"I-I do," she responded. "They're very beautiful and smell good." In response, Shoto smiled. Himari caught sight of the smile, in fact one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen in her life. Before Todoroki could speak, her nose started to bleed and she fainted onto the floor.
"Kataiya!" Todoroki gasped as he knelt down next to her. "Is she okay?"
"Oh, the poor dear," Recovery Girl sighed as she approached. "I suppose she was just overwhelmed by the gesture, Todoroki. She'll be fine soon."
"But if she's fainted, it could mean her life's in danger," Todoroki insisted. Before Recovery Girl could object, Shoto started performing CPR, beginning with chest compressions. After doing the twenty compressions, he opened Himari's mouth and started blowing into her windpipe. Almost immediately, Himari woke up, embarrassed that she was on the ground.
"Oh…t-this is embarrassing," she groaned.
"Are you alright?" Todoroki asked. "The CPR worked faster than I thought-"
"CPR?" she questioned before seeing hints of her red lipstick on Todoroki's lips. Her face lit up like a red traffic light as she stammered, the realization that Todoroki had performed CPR on her hitting…meaning he had 'kissed' her. Recovery Girl quietly sighed at her apprentice's nervousness.
"She can handle the sight of blood, bones and terrible injuries, yet she can't handle a boy kissing her."
After leaving U.A., Yukine started walking to her motel room. The severance package she had received from Best Jeanist Trope Fit had bought her several more weeks of being able to pay for the room, but as soon as it ran out, she'd be left with two options: either live on the streets or go to the suite her parents had arranged for her. Sadly, due to her parents' insistence that she return to Sapporo, that may not be an option at all.
"Can't believe this," she groaned in frustration. "They got me fired from my job. They just cannot handle me being outside their control, can they?"
What a stupid question that was easily answered; of course they couldn't handle Yukine being out of their control and behaving in a way 'unbecoming of the Kuraokami heir'. To them, her living her own life rather than being their puppet was a disgrace to their legacy, even if it was a legacy built on corruption and lies. She'd sooner be on the streets than be under the control of her parents.
Sadly, as of now, they were too powerful; no matter what she did, they'd find some way to interfere in her life. For all she knew, they could be arranging to make her come back to Sapporo this very moment in response to both the USJ Attack and her failure at the Sports Festival. But if they wanted her to come back, they'd have to drag her kicking and screaming.
"Ms. Kuraokami," a news reporter was heard. Yukine raised an eyebrow and turned around to see a group of reporters rushing towards her with microphones and cameras. What was going on that the media needed to interview her?
"What's going on?" she questioned.
"We heard the news," one of the reporters asked, holding up a newspaper. Yukine took the newspaper and looked over it before finding the headline that attracted the media to them.
"WHAT!?" she barked. "Engaged!?"
"Yes," another reporter brought up. "Your parents announced three days ago about your engagement. What're your thoughts on that?"
Of course her parents would do something like this behind her back. Question is, who had they arranged her marriage with? She looked back at the newspaper to find out and was enraged further when she discovered who her 'fiancee' was. No doubt some rich boy who came from a 'reputable family'…and by reputable, she immediately thought 'rich in status, poor in morals'. She found her answer, which almost made her want to vomit: Hosho Safaia, heir to the wealthy Safaia family.
"HE'S my fiancée!?" she mentally barked.
This was just cruel on so many levels. She had only met Hosho a few times, but knew that he was one of those people who gave rich folk a bad name. Spoiled, selfish, treated others like they were beneath him, believing himself entitled to whatever he wants…he was the typical spoiled brat. But he was heir to one of Hokkaido's wealthiest families, which in the eyes of Yukine's parents, made him top-tier marriage material.
"What's your response on this?" another reporter asked as they started to swarm her.
Yukine really had nothing to say about this; if she did, she'd be truly disgusted. Her parents had arranged a marriage behind her back without her consent and with no regard for what she wanted. Even if she were to say something against the marriage, her parents would 'correct' it to make it seem like she was mistaken or ill-informed.
"Guys, back off!" Yukine barked as she broke through the crowd, but that unfortunately did not stop them from following her. She groaned in frustration before using her Quirk to build up snowy wind currents and start flying away from the mob of reporters. She quickly gained ground away from them, then found a safe hiding place in an alley before taking out her phone and dialing her parents' number.
"Yukine dear," her mother's voice greeted. "I trust you're here to thank us for the engagement."
"Are you insane!?" she barked angrily. "How dare you arrange a marriage behind my back!"
"This marriage is to your benefit, young lady," Kitamo informed. "Hosho Safaia is a fine young man, full of great character and maturity-" Yukine couldn't suppress her mocking laughter to her mother's praise towards Hosho Safaia.
"Great character and maturity!?" she howled in laughter. "Mom, have you ever seen him? He's a spoiled brat! He acts like he owns the world!"
"He is the heir to the Safaia Family," Kitamo reminded. "Your union with him would increase the status and wealth of our families. Surely, you can see the reason in that?"
"And live my life married to that spoiled, selfish pig!?" Yukine shouted. "I'm not going through the marriage, Mom, and you have no right to force me!"
"You are our daughter, Yukine. You will do as you are told, whether you like or not. You will marry Hosho Safaia when you come of age and I will not accept a refusal." She then hung up, refusing to let her daughter responded.
Yukine let out a frustrated groan. Of course her parents only paid attention to the fact that Hosho was rich, wealthy and of high status, never minding his poor character. She would sooner drown in the ocean than spend her life with such a repulsive pig. But knowing her parents, they'd do whatever it takes to make sure the union was achieved with no regard for how Yukine felt.
What made it worse was that it was already public and the media wanted comments on the topic. Not only had her parents arranged for her to get married behind her back, but they had publicly announced without informing her, giving her no time to refuse or object. Even if she did respond that she didn't agree to the marriage, her parents would probably claim she has cold feet and that she's nervous about her responsibilities as a Kuraokami.
"Yukine!" Reitan called out a few months before she had left for U.A. She groaned as she got out of bed and went down to the main hall. What did they want this time? Family photo? Use Yukine for PR? Scold her perhaps? To her surprise, a young man around her age stood in the main hall, one she easily recognized by his blue hair and silver eyes: Hosho Safaia.
"What's he doing here?" Yukine questioned as she walked down the stairs to greet the young man…unfortunately.
"Yukine dear, surely you recognize Hosho Safaia, heir to the Safaia Family," Kitomo reminded her daughter, who gestured for her to walk up and greet him. Yukine did her best to put on the best smile possible to hide her disdain for the young man.
"Why, hello Safaia," she greeted. "It's such a pleasure to meet you again."
"Yes, yes it is," Hosho replied with an arrogant smile. "I thought I'd surprise you since it's been so long. I trust you're very happy with me coming here?" The answer was no, she was not. But her father would have her head if she didn't treat him respectfully, so she reluctantly went along with her façade of enjoying seeing him.
"Why yes, I'm very excited to meet you," she spoke politely.
"I knew you would," Hosho bragged. "Not every young woman has the privilege of having a surprise visit from the heir to the Safaia Family."
"He'll be joining us for dinner," Reitan informed Yukine. "And you'll be sitting with him, dear."
"Sorry, my stomach's not feeling the best," Yukine claimed. "Perhaps another-" Her father walked up and put his hand on her shoulder, smiling at Hosho. However, his eyes were focused on his daughter, holding an immense anger in his pupils. They spoke a thousand words, but the clearest were "Sit with him at dinner or I will have you punished." Left with no choice, Yukine reluctantly agreed to be with Hosho at dinner.
The dinner was the worst ever, with Hosho constantly flirting with her the whole time, much to Yukine's annoyance. The only reason she didn't leave was because her father kept silently warning her about the consequences of leaving. Even after it was done, her parents were still extremely disappointed in her.
"Is this how you plan to honor the Kuraokami name!?" Reitan roared after the dinner towards Yukine. "By behaving so rudely to such an esteemed guest!"
"Just because I didn't laugh and giggle when he flirted with me!?" Yukine barked. "He's a spoiled brat! He straight up punched one of the staff-"
"That waiter poured wine on his suit!" Reitan interrupted.
"It was an accident!" Yukine brought up. "There was ice on the floor and-" She felt a strong hand grab her throat and then slam her against the wall. Reitan ferociously tightened his grip around Yukine's throat and glared at her with intense fury.
"First, you behave rudely to our guest and now you talk back to me!?" he snarled. "You are MY daughter and you will do as I say! I am sick of your rebelliousness and if you know what's good for you, you'll become obedient to me! If you don't, I'll beat it out of you!"
"There she is!" a reporter cried out, breaking Yukine away from her thoughts. A mob of reporters hurried over to the Kuraokami heiress, wanting to get the scoop on the revelation of her engagement to Hosho Safaia.
"What's your comment on the engagement?"
Yukine wouldn't allow her parents to silence her. She wouldn't be trapped in a marriage with an arrogant, spoiled pig like the Safaia heir. A smirk stretched across her face as she decided on a way to spite her parents.
"First off, I had no say in this," she stated. "Second, They arranged this marriage behind my back and without my consent; I had no say in this engagement. Third, Hosho Safaia is a pig and I'd sooner marry a dog than him…then again, a dog is more charming and lovable than him. Fourth…I already have a boyfriend."
The whole mob went silent, taken a bit back by Yukine's statements. She didn't bother to hide the circumstances of her arranged marriage nor to hide the immense disdain for her chosen groom. She could already see the looks on her parents' faces when they learned she had denounced the marriage and her fiancée, making a small smile stretch across her face.
"Who's your boyfriend?" one of the reporters asked.
Yukine was at a loss for words; her saying she had a boyfriend was an impulse to piss off her parents even more, knowing they'd never approve of her dating someone not of their social class. But there was one problem…she didn't actually have a boyfriend, so she didn't know what to say. She had to give a name of any kind or else it'd be stripped as a lie.
"Come on, think, Yukine, think," she thought to herself as she tried looking for a solution.
"Hey, extras!" Bakugo cried out, his left arm in a sling. "Stop swarming her, dammit!"
"Kacchan!" Yukine called out, much to Bakugo's confusion. Before he could ask what was going, the Snowstorm user broke free from the crowd, wrapped her arms around Bakugo's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. The Explosion user's eyes widened in shock as Yukine kissed him in front of the crowd of reporters, leaving him unable to decide whether to sink in or blast Ice Queen to hell. As soon as she pulled away, she turned to face the reporters and proudly claimed "This is my boyfriend!"
Bakugo's face squinted and twisted with confusion, shock and anger at the sudden proclamation. What was Ice Queen going on about, them being a couple? He didn't have time to waste having a girlfriend, so he tried to break away, but Yukine wouldn't let him and kept him by her side. She made sure that all the reporters could see who the young man was, leaving most of them shocked and surprised as they recognized who he was.
"HE'S your boyfriend!?" one of the reporters gasped. "That violent, arrogant hothead from the Sports Festival?"
"And the guy who was attacked by the Slime Villain!? He looked so ridiculous!"
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" Bakugo roared at the top of his lungs, scaring the mob of reporters away. That wasn't exactly the result Yukine wanted, but she'd gladly take it as the reporters would finally leave her alone.
"Thank you, Bakugo," she smirked.
"And what the hell was that!?" Bakugo barked at the Kuraokami. "You kiss me, call me your boyfriend in front of reporters and then just try to walk away!?"
Yukine knew that was really out of left field for the Explosion user. As soon as she saw him, she had made the rather impulsive decision to call him her boyfriend to keep up her claims. She needed to give her classmate a proper explanation of why she did what she just did.
"Okay, cards on the table," she started to explain. "My parents have arranged for me to marry someone when I'm of age."
"An arranged marriage?" Bakugo questioned. "Those still a thing? Damn extras telling others who they have to marry? What bullcrap."
"You and me both," Yukine answered.
"But that doesn't answer my question," Bakugo followed by asking again with a very angry expression "WHY THE HELL DID YOU KISS ME AND CALL ME YOUR BOYFRIEND!?"
"About that…" Yukine started. She proceeded to explain to Bakugo about how she had been engaged to Hosho Safaia, a wealthy but spoiled heir to a rich family. Her parents had arranged the marriage behind her back and without her consent, which she had just learned today. After avoiding a first mob of reporters, she then ran into another one and decided that she would voice how she really feels about the engagement.
"As for you being my boyfriend…that was kind of a last minute decision," she admitted. "I told the reporters that I had a boyfriend, you were nearby, so…yeah." Bakugo's angry scowl remained.
"So you basically used me to piss off your parents."
"Pretty much," Yukine confirmed.
"Tch," Bakugo scoffed. "Find someone else to be your fake boyfriend. I don't have time for this."
"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" Yukine spoke as she stepped in front of Bakugo. "It's not REAL dating, it's just fake dating. Think about it: if we fake date, I get to piss off my parents and you don't have to worry about girls potentially coming after you. It's a win-win for both of us."
Bakugo wasn't convinced by this argument. Why would any girls show interest in him? He had no interest in dating; it was nothing but a distraction for him in his goal to become the #1 Hero. Almost all the girls he had met were turned off by his behavior, though he was confused why; it wasn't as if he was the most hated person in Class 1-A…though Kitty Squire would definitely say so.
However, he did have some respect for Ice Queen's decisions. She had made it clear that she despised her parents and their attempts to control her life all in the name of being a 'perfect Kuraokami heiress'. Instead of taking the unwanted engagement lying down, she spoke out against it and made a move that spat in her parents' faces. That took a lot of guts and Bakugo respected those who had guts.
"Let's say I agree to this," he started. "No girl in U.A. has shown any interest in me, so your whole 'it'll keep girls away' crap is pretty much a shit argument. So why should I?" He crossed his arms, waiting for another reason on why he should play along with being Ice Queen's fake boyfriend. If he wasn't convinced, then she'd need to find another guy to play along with her.
"Okay…" Yukine started to think. What could she say to make Bakugo go through with her ruse? In the time she had gotten to know him, only one thing would catch his interest: serving his goal to become the #1 Hero. How would being her fake boyfriend contribute to that? What could she do or say to make him think that going along with the ruse was a good idea? She hated to admit it, but she did not think it through when she kissed Bakugo in front of the crowd of reporters.
"Tell you what," Bakugo spoke. "I respect what you're doing, so I'll give you to the end of the week to convince me. If you do, I'll play along, but if not, get some other dumbass to play along."
"Does that make you a dumbass?" Yukine teased. "You did say 'some other dumbass'."
"SHUT UP!" Bakugo barked before turning away and stomping off. "Don't make me change my mind, Ice Queen!"
She had until the end of the week to convince Bakugo to play along with being her fake boyfriend. That gave her only a few days to think of a reason why it'd benefit him. She knew that if it didn't benefit him in any way, he'd never agree to it. As much as she respected him as well, he was still very selfish, which would make it hard for her to convince him.
"I really did not think this through," she moaned.
"So, Hayata," Hatsume asked her friend as they were walking home. "Any word from the Principal about the Hero Course? I've been designing other babies to help you in case you need them."
"He's come up with a few Assessment Tests," Hayata explained. "I'll start them tomorrow."
"And if you fail?" Hatsume asked with a hint of worry for her friend. Hayata looked at Mei and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Those tests won't determine whether I get into the Hero Course or not," he explained. "They're just to test my abilities, nothing more. It's a mandatory part of being in the Hero Course."
Hayata had been training persistently to prepare himself for the Assessment Tests. Even though failing them wouldn't rob him of his chance to be in the Hero Course, he still desired to show his best, to prove to U.A. what he was capable of. Teamwork, response time, ability to adapt to situations…many things would be put to the test tomorrow and Hayata had no intention of disappointing Principal Nezu.
However, there was still one problem: his mother, Takara. In spite of his victory at the Sports Festival, she remained adamant in refusing to let her son become a Pro Hero. His father, Jin, was open to the idea, which unfortunately put him at odds with Takara over allowing their son into the Hero Course.
"You okay, Hayata?" Mei asked. "Are you thinking about us having babies- I mean, you being in the Hero Course?" She smiled sheepishly, hoping her childhood friend hadn't heard the first part. The falcon-themed swordsman sighed.
"My mother is still refusing to let me join the Hero Course," Hayata explained. "She thinks that the only way to protect me is by refusing to let me become a Pro Hero. She doesn't understand; I'm not a child anymore."
Hayata suddenly stopped and held Mei back, preventing a rock thrown their way from hitting either of them. His stone-clad expression didn't change, but Mei was rather startled by the sudden attack. The two of them looked in the direction of where the rock came from, seeing a group of young men in their twenties glaring at the pair, one of them creating rocks from his skin.
"Let's go," Hayata told Mei. Before they could walk further, another rock was thrown at them; this time, Hayata deflected the rock with Falcon's Talon before sheathing it.
"Don't you walk away from us!" the presumed leader barked as the group of about four young men walked up to Hayata and Mei.
"What do you want?" Hayata questioned, his hand firmly on Falcon's Talon's hilt.
"You think you can be a Pro Hero!?" the leader interrogated. "You're a Quirkless! You don't belong in U.A.!"
"Yeah!" the rock Quirk user agreed. "You probably had to cheat to win the Sports Festival! There's no way in hell you could've beat someone as powerful as Shoto Todoroki! He's the son of Endeavor!"
"I won, fair and square," Hayata stated. "It's not my fault if you cannot accept it."
Hayata knew some people wouldn't accept his victory at the Sports Festival. Whether it was believing Quirkless people cannot be heroes or downright discrimination, there were many who refused to acknowledge Hayata's victory against four Hero Course students, especially against Shoto Todoroki. He could agree with the part about Todoroki to an extent: the son of Endeavor only fought with half of his power and hesitated in a critical moment that cost him the match. Had Todoroki gone through with the attack, Hayata could've lost the fight, but the loss was on Todoroki's head, not Furaya's.
"You arrogant shit," the leader snarled. "You don't get to talk to us like that! You need to-"
"To what?" the voice of Hayata's father, Jin, questioned as he got out of his police car and walked over to the group of young men. "Were you threatening him?"
"This doesn't concern you," the leader rebuked. "Get lost."
"I give orders here," Jin firmly responded. "Here's one: get away from my son before I arrest you for harassment and threats of violence." The young men chuckled in mockery to Jin's demand.
"You can't arrest us," the rock Quirk user claimed. "We're doing nothing wrong. If anything-"
"If anything, all you're doing is convincing me to arrest you," Jin interrupted. "Last warning: get lost before I change my mind." Jin put his hand on his gun and glared at the young men, silently demanding them to stay away from his son. He quietly gestured for Hayata and Mei to get into his police cruiser, which they did and sat in the backseats. After making sure his son and Mei were safe, he backed away, got back into his car and drove off, receiving a middle finger from the leader.
"Thanks, Mr. Furaya," Mei thanked. "Man, those guys are jerks."
"They're racists," Jin corrected. "Hayata, you must've known you'd make some enemies after your victory and speech at the Sports Festival. People are bound to despise you."
"People have always despised me, Dad," Hayata responded.
Unfortunately, Jin couldn't argue that it was true. He had seen firsthand how cruel people could be towards the Quirkless when he met Takara and learned of what happened to her brother. Now, ever since his son was revealed to be Quirkless, Hayata had gone through constant bullying, ostracization, degradation and cruelty from others. His wife was afraid that what happened to Genkei would happen to Hayata if he trained to become a Pro Hero.
Jin understood where his wife was coming from, why she was so afraid of her son becoming like Genkei. But he knew that no matter what they did, they could never always protect him from the cruel reality of their world. Even though measures were being taken to address Quirkless discrimination, they would still be targeted just for being who they are and Hayata was no different. Even if he weren't to become a Pro Hero, he'd still be targeted simply for being Quirkless.
"But…thanks, Father," Hayata responded.
"Any time, Hayata," Jin reciprocated.
"Just…please don't tell Mother," Hayata requested. "She'll flip if she hears about this."
"I won't," Jin assured.
He didn't like keeping secrets from Takara, but he was afraid of how far she'd go to prevent her son from getting into U.A.'s Hero Course or any Hero Course. It wasn't just simple fear, it was the trauma of what happened to her brother; the sight of him being bloodied, beaten and left for dead on a medical cot had been burned into her mind. She nearly lost her brother and she'd rather be damned than let her son suffer the same fate.
"Takara, you can't keep doing this," Jin said after Hayata applied for the Hero Course. "He's trained very hard for this. Maybe we should give him a chance-"
"A chance to what?" Takara interrupted. "To let himself be crippled like Genkei was?"
"Hayata is not Genkei," Jin brought up. "He's not doomed to suffer the same fate."
"You weren't there!" Takara cried out. "You weren't there when Genkei was on that medical bed! You didn't see him bruised, beaten, bloodied, his body broken…" Her eyes started to water as the image of her brother's beaten body emerged into her head. Her breathing became shaky, her face started to turn pale and started hugging herself as if she were seeing a ghost.
"Takara!" Jin reached out to hug his wife, rubbing her back to calm her down. Her shaky breathing turned to sniffles as tears started to run down her cheeks and she held on tightly to her husband as if she were holding onto a lifeline. Finally, the sniffling turned into loud crying as she started to wail into her husband's shirt, the pain of that horrible image being let out as she had many times before. Jin simply held onto her as she cried, comforting her by rubbing her back and hair as well as kissing her forehead. After what seemed like forever, she finally calmed down and her breathing became normal.
"Takara, you need to go see a therapist about this," Jin insisted. Takara slowly pulled away from her husband.
"What I need is for our son to not suffer as Genkei did," she replied. "I nearly lost my brother. I won't lose my son."
"But he's not just YOUR son," Jin brought up. "We can't protect him from the world by sheltering him. We should at the least give him a chance."
"No!" Takara cried out. "I don't care how much Hayata has trained! I will not permit him to become a Pro Hero and that is final!"
"Takara-"
"We're done talking about this!" She then turned, walked into her bedroom and slammed the door shut.
"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Furaya," Mei thanked after Jin dropped her off at her house. "See you later, Hayata."
"See you, Mei," Hayata reciprocated. Mei closed the door and then Jin drove off with his son to go home. After making sure they were out of sight, Mei took out her notebook and started going through the pages. Some with ideas for babies, some were notes she needed for class, a few DEFINITELY did not have her and Hayata's names in a heart together. She stopped when she found the one she was looking for: a Hero Costume with a falcon motif.
"Just you wait, Hayata," Mei grinned. "Your Hero Costume will be created by none other than technical prodigy, Mei Hatsume!"