Chater Twenty-Eight : Final Exams Part Two

The ramen shop was bustling with energy, the chatter of patrons blending with the clatter of chopsticks and the savory aroma of broth. The group had managed to snag a large booth at the back, plates of gyoza and bowls of steaming ramen spread out in a messy but inviting array. They would occasionally get looks from the other patrons, recognizing them as heroes in training.

"Don't know what you're so worried about, Kaminari," Clay said, leaning back and lazily sipping his peach tea, the boba popping softly between his teeth. Skipper perched on his shoulder, his tiny nose twitching at the scent of grilled pork belly. "If it's robots, you just need to stand there and let loose. If it's combat with an actual person, it's not like they could touch you."

Kaminari laughed nervously, his chopsticks hovering over his bowl. "Yeah, sure, unless I fry my brain again! You've seen what happens when I overdo it—it's not exactly heroic."

"Pfft, it's hilarious," Mina chimed in, popping a piece of gyoza into her mouth. "Plus, no offense, but nobody's expecting you to be tactical."

"Gee, thanks, Mina," Kaminari muttered, rolling his eyes.

At the end of the table, Ochaco sat across from Midoriya, who was hunched over his open notebook, his brows furrowed in intense concentration. His muttering had taken on a life of its own, barely audible but ceaseless, as if he were rehearsing battle strategies for every possible scenario.

"Midoriya," Jiro said flatly, resting her chin on her hand, "you're not even eating. The food's going to get cold."

"Hm? Oh! Right!" Midoriya snapped out of his trance, hastily grabbing his chopsticks. "Sorry! I just… I can't stop thinking about what they might throw at us. There's always a twist, you know? What if it's—"

"It's gonna be fine," Kirishima interrupted, his grin as bright as ever as he clapped a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "We've trained like crazy for this. You've got nothing to worry about, man."

"Easy for you to say," Jiro muttered. "You're built like a brick wall. What about the rest of us?"

"You've got ear jacks that can shatter concrete," Sero pointed out, slurping his noodles noisily. "I think you're covered."

"Yeah, and you've got tape!" Mina teased, leaning toward Sero with a smirk. "Maybe you can… I don't know, make them into Christmas presents?"

Tsuyu, seated next to Clay, glanced up from her bowl of miso ramen, her expression calm as ever. "Ribbit. We don't know what it will be yet. There's no use stressing about it."

Clay shifted in his seat a bit. He didn't know if he wanted to say it out loud, but there was the glaring fact that Tsuyu had a versatile Quirk, more versatile than most. It was an easy thing for her to say, but it made the statement no less rational. Instead of saying anything for or against the statement, Clay just took another sip of his drink.

"Hey, uh…" a timid voice came from the end of the table. "Could I borrow your phone?"

Ochaco glanced up, a bit surprised, but smiled and nodded. "Oh, yeah, sure…" She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out her phone and handing it over to the blue-haired woman.

"Thank you," the stranger said with a faint smile. "I won't be long."