Characters:

Yukimo (OC)

Izuku Midoriya

Katsuki Bakugo

Tenya Ida

Ochaco Uraraka

Eijiro Kirishima

Kyoka Jiro

Hanta Sero

Minoru Mineta

Denki Kaminari

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day was filled with tense air. Yukimo's body felt heavy as she sat in the classroom. She made no attempt to greet anyone and immediately took her seat at her desk, staring at the blank page of her notebook, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her like an anchor.

The feelings from yesterday were still lingering, and she had no idea how to handle them. After school, she did some volunteer work at the hospital and told Nurse Hatsumi everything— including that Izuku had a quirk. She even asked Hatsumi if it was possible to acquire a quirk at such a late age, but Hatsumi denied it. It was impossible. That just made everything worse; she was more confused than ever. Yukimo even considered prying into Izuku's mind to find the information, but what kind of friend would she be if she did that? So, she decided against it.

Katsuki was already in his seat before her but didn't spare her a single glance. She was honestly grateful for it. As the minutes ticked by, Yukimo felt the air in the classroom grow thicker. The classroom hummed with laughter and chatter, yet she was trapped in her own silence, the noise outside drowned out by the storm inside her mind.

"Good morning, Yuki-chan," Izuku greeted her as he took his seat behind Katsuki. Yukimo turned slightly in her seat, surprised by Izuku's cheerful voice cutting through the fog of her thoughts. His smile was genuine, brightening the room, yet it felt distant.

"Ah, uhm, morning," she managed to reply, forcing a small smile as she turned back to her notebook. How long would she be able to keep a straight face? Somewhat amused by it, she thought of this as a form of training to keep her emotions in check.

Looking at Izuku, all cheerful as if nothing had happened yesterday, made it so much worse. On the inside, she was hurting, and she needed to find a way to deal with this pain—and quickly. She didn't want to feel this way, but she had no idea how to confront the problem yet.

The class began, but Yukimo found it hard to concentrate, her mind still swirling with the revelations of the previous day. She observed Izuku, who diligently took notes, his brow furrowed in concentration. Just like that morning, classes proceeded quickly; they had normal lessons for all required subjects, such as English, history, and so on. At noon, almost everyone gathered at the main cafeteria, where they could buy lunch at reasonable prices.

Yukimo stayed behind in class to be alone. Not really bothered about eating, she sighed and pulled out her phone. She took out her blue earbuds and activated the connection with her phone. As the soft melody of her favorite song enveloped her, Yukimo leaned back in her seat, the world around her fading into a blur. The music served as a temporary escape from the tumultuous storm of emotions swirling within. She closed her eyes, allowing the notes to wash over her like a gentle tide—a soothing balm against the inner chaos.

As the music washed over her, Yukimo's thoughts began to untangle, like threads of a rope slowly coming undone. She felt her breathing slow, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful cadence. The storm within her mind, though still brewing, seemed to be subsiding, its ferocity tempered by the gentle melody.

'I've found you. Whuahaha!'

Startled, Yukimo yanked the earbuds from her ears. Her heart raced as she winced from the sudden sting in her head. The familiar voice echoed in her mind, sending chills down her spine. A familiar voice? Who was it then? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Had she finally gone mad from all the pressure?

"Hey, loser," Katsuki suddenly called out to her, making her almost jump out of her seat. She hadn't noticed him approaching; his presence startled her back to reality. Katsuki's sharp tone cut through her thoughts like a razor. She turned to him, her heart racing and unsure how to respond. His usual scowl was replaced with a curious frown, as if he were trying to gauge her reaction.

"B-Bakugo, when did you get back?" She cursed herself after hearing her own voice. Despite nearly jumping out of her seat, she managed to put on a straight face, but her voice completely betrayed her.

"Seriously, do you even pay attention?" Katsuki rolled his eyes, a mix of annoyance and curiosity still clouding his gaze, "What the hell was that just now?"

He must have been referring to her suddenly jumping up from her sleep. She had basically screamed, and to make it worse, she had somewhat shown him that she was in pain. Not that she really was in pain or anything like that, but she was just like him; she hated being weak in front of people. Whenever she experienced a headache or faced other setbacks from her quirk, she usually held it together until she was alone.

Yukimo swallowed hard, the sound reverberating in the silence of the empty classroom. She could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she glanced at her phone, the screen still flickering with the pause of her music. Had Katsuki heard the voice too? Was she imagining things?

"Just a headache, I guess," she replied as she started to go through her bag and took out painkillers. Seeing that she had no water to drink with, she was about to stand up to buy a bottle, but Katsuki quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down into her seat. Looking back at him, she saw that Katsuki was handing her his water bottle with an exasperated expression.

"Drink it," he commanded, his tone softer than she expected. There was an unusual firmness laced with concern beneath his brash demeanor.

Yukimo hesitated for a moment, staring at the water bottle in his hand. Her heart swelled with a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. Despite their usual bickering, Katsuki had an unexpected softness that occasionally peeked through his tough exterior. The moment felt surreal, almost dreamlike in its absurdity.

"Thanks," she said quietly, accepting the bottle, her fingers brushing against his slightly calloused hand. She unscrewed the cap and took a sip along with the medicine, the cool liquid a refreshing contrast to the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Don't think I'm doing this because I care or anything," he continued, his voice gruff as ever, but with an undertone that suggested otherwise. "I bought it, but it's not like I was thirsty or something."

"Well, thanks for the concern then," she replied with a hint of sarcasm, trying to lighten the mood but desperately failing.

"Whatever," Katsuki snapped back, but there was less bite in his response this time. He looked away, hiding the faint blush creeping up to his cheeks as he crossed his arms, as if to shield himself from whatever vulnerability this moment brought.

Usually, he would yell back at her sarcasm or insist that she pay him back or something. Instead, he said this and remained somewhat calm, though slightly irritated at the same time. Was it because she had a headache that he didn't yell this time?

'Nah, that can't be it. Bakugo doesn't care about such a thing,' Yukimo thought to herself as she glanced to her side. Katsuki was just staring out of the window. She wanted to know what he was thinking, but it was wise not to use her telepathy while she had a headache.

Just as she was about to say something, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. The classroom door swung open, and one by one, everyone started coming back to class. Yukimo noticed Izuku walking back with Tenya and Ochaco. They must have had lunch together.

"Hey, Yuki-chan. Are you okay? I haven't seen you at the cafeteria!" Izuku asked worriedly as he stood in front of her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she answered with a fake smile. But even as the words left her lips, Yukimo could feel the weight of her emotions pressing against her like an unyielding wave. Izuku's kind gaze seemed to pierce through her flimsy facade, making her heart race in fear that he would see through her lie.

However, seeing that she wasn't going to say anything else and didn't want to pry further, Izuku nodded and took his seat. He had a feeling something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Yukimo's throat felt completely dry after that. She started to feel her straight face cracking; hopefully, it would hold on until school was over.

"IT'S MEEE!" a strong voice shouted from behind the door. Yukimo heard a delighted, surprised gasp coming from behind and looked over her shoulder to see Izuku smiling at the door.

"Coming through the door like a normal person!" All Might yelled as he slammed the door open. Yukimo laughed slightly at this. He always had to make an announcement. Excitement rippled through the class;

"I can't believe it's really All Might!"

"Wow, he really is a teacher!"

"That's a costume from the Silver Age, isn't it?"

As All Might finally made it to the front of the classroom, Yukimo had to admit that she was excited to see him as a teacher. She was curious about what he would teach them. All Might began to explain that he would help them build their Hero Foundation through various trials. He started flexing his muscles in a crouched position to make his announcement more impactful.

"Let's jump right in with this!" he yelled as he stood up from his crouched position with a card in his hand that had 'battle' written on it; "Combat training!"

The moment All Might announced 'Combat training,' a chorus of excited whispers broke out among the students. They buzzed like bees in spring, their pulses quickening at the prospect of action. Yukimo felt a knot tighten in her stomach; the very thought of going through a battle sent a chill through her entire body. She glanced to her side and saw Katsuki grinning wildly, while behind her, Izuku wore an extremely worried expression on his face.

"And to go with your first battle," All Might continued, pointing toward the wall. From the walls, shelves began to expand, containing rows of briefcases all labeled with their student numbers, "Costumes made based on your quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started."

"Our hero gear!" Eijiro exclaimed excitedly.

"After you change, gather in Ground B!" All Might bellowed, and the room erupted into jubilant chaos. Students scrambled from their desks, racing each other to the storage area. For a moment, Yukimo felt the weight of her troubles lift as the contagious enthusiasm washed over her. The prospect of combat training brought back memories of her dreams of becoming a hero, igniting an ember of hope within her that had been flickering dangerously low.

But amidst the excitement, anxiety knotted in her stomach. She took a quick glance at Katsuki, whose grin had transformed into fierce determination. It was clear that he was ready for battle, but for Yukimo, the thought felt daunting. What if she froze up? What if she lost control and hurt one of her classmates? Shaking her head, she moved to follow the others, her heart racing—this was the moment she had been waiting for.

As she approached the briefcases, her hands trembled slightly. She found hers—number 5, custom-made for her quirk. With this, Yukimo followed her classmates to the changing room and changed into her hero gear: a cropped shirt with short, puffed sleeves, a high collar, and a darker hem that was left open to reveal the tight navy blue cropped top; a miniskirt with a white and black pattern along the hem and sides; dark purple shorts; a belt with a large, oval-shaped buckle; and, of course, her usual headset. She also had a hard plastic eye patch for her right eye. It wasn't very flashy, but neither was her quirk. Yukimo walked out to the training grounds with her classmates.

"From here on out, you're all officially heroes in training!" All Might announced when all the students came out of the hall.

Many students smiled while standing proud and tall in front of All Might. Yukimo couldn't help but feel the same way. Even after coming this far, she couldn't believe she was actually doing it—she was a hero-in-training.

She noticed Katsuki far to her right and observed his hero gear. He wore a tight black sleeveless tank top with an orange X across the middle, forming a V-neck. He had a metallic neck brace, baggy pants with knee guards, and knee-high combat boots. His mask was jagged and black, going around his eyes, with orange-rimmed flare shapes protruding from each side, blending into his hair. And, for some reason, he wore gauntlets on his arms.

'They look heavy,' thought Yukimo.

"Yuki-chan, I like your gear!" Izuku complimented her as he approached. This sudden comment made her blush.

"Thanks, Izuku," Yukimo replied, trying to muster a smile through the bubbling anxiety that churned within her.

"Yours look—" But before she could say anything about his gear, Ochaco approached them.

"I like your costume, Yukimo!" she said. "Ah, Deku, that looks cool!"

Izuku blushed, looking happy about the compliment and so flustered that he couldn't say a word to Ochaco. Yukimo watched with mixed feelings as Ochaco playfully nudged Izuku, clearly comfortable in his presence.

~crack~

In her mind, Yukimo could literally feel her straight face cracking into more pieces. Her heart raced with a mixture of anxiety and envy as she glanced between Izuku and Ochaco.

"Okay, listen up, class!" All Might's voice boomed, shattering her thoughts as he began explaining the rules. The class would be broken into two teams of twelve—half heroes and half villains. The villains would guard a nuclear weapon, and the heroes must stop them. If the heroes captured the villains or reached the nuclear core before time ran out, they would win. If the villains managed to keep the nuclear core for a while or captured the heroes, they would win.

One by one, the students began to draw their lots to see who they would team up with. Given the reality of the circumstances, whenever there was an emergency, pro heroes often had to team up with other heroes from different agencies on the spot. So, random teaming was a way to prepare the students for such outcomes.

Once it was all over, the teams were as follows:

Team A) Izuku and Ochaco.

Team B) Shoto and Mezo.

Team C) Minoru and Hanta.

Team D) Katsuki and Tenya.

Team E) Yuga and Mina.

Team F) Rikido and Koji.

Team G) Denki and Kyoka.

Team H) Fumikage and Tsuyu.

Team I) Mashirao and Momo.

Team J) Eijiro and Yukimo.

"Wow, it must be fate!" Ochaco exclaimed. "I'm counting on you!"

'Seriously?! I have to speak properly, or else—' Yukimo heard Izuku's flustered thoughts.

~crack~

'What the hell... does the universe want to break my mask today?!' she thought and clenched her fist as tight as she could. If she tightened it any more, she would dig her nails into her skin.

"Glad we're on the same team," said Eijiro as he approached Yukimo. "We will definitely win!"

"I'm counting on you," Yukimo managed to say calmly and gave him a small smile.

"And the first two pairs to do combat," All Might began as he sifted through the lottery box, "will be these guys!" he yelled, holding two letters in the air.

Letter J was in his right hand, and letter C was in his left. Yukimo glanced at Team C. She remembered that Minoru guy could pluck ball-shaped objects from his head. She had seen it during the quirk apprehension test. He was bouncing between them, but was that all there was to it? The other guy, Hanta Sero—she had no idea what his quirk was. In other words, she shouldn't underestimate them.

After the announcement, everyone followed All Might toward the monitor room to watch the battle. Izuku glanced a few times before finally approaching Yukimo.

"Good luck, Yuki-chan!" Izuku said cheerfully. Yukimo, however, didn't respond and just stared at the ground for a few seconds.

"Y-Yuki-chan?" he called out to her worriedly.

"Hey, Izuku-kun, are we really friends?" Yukimo asked coldly, surprising both Izuku and herself. She allowed a soft smile as she dropped her gaze behind her bangs.

"Yuki-ch—"

"Don't mind me," she quickly interrupted and walked away from Izuku, leaving him completely frozen in his spot as he watched her talk to Eijiro about the upcoming battle.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's good that we both happened to know each other's quirks. You have telekinesis, right?" asked Eijiro.

"Actually, I have a psychic quirk," she answered.

"Psychic quirk?," he was confused, "What exactly can you do?"

'Telekinesis and I'm telepathic as well,' she answered mentally.

'Wow! So cool!' he exclaimed. She was somewhat surprised by it. Usually, people found it disgusting, but this school kept surprising her.

"Okay, so we have a plan," Eijiro said with his usual vigor. "You use your psychic abilities to gauge what Minoru and Hanta are planning. I'll cover you with my hardening quirk."

"Sounds good. But we need to stay alert. We can't underestimate them," Yukimo said, her voice steadier than the nerves prickling at the edges of her mind.

"Right," he nodded, determination gleaming in his eyes. "Let's show them what we're made of!"

A few moments later, it was time for their battle to begin. They had to protect the nuclear weapon. Right after All Might announced for them to begin, she immediately started to use her telekinesis on a small stone. The stone floated around her right hand and slowly began moving out of the room.

"What's Yukimo doing?" Ochaco wondered from behind the monitor with all the other students. Both Izuku and Katsuki couldn't understand her movements either.

Right outside the room, Yukimo suddenly felt a white tape wrapping around her left wrist. She turned in surprise just in time to see Hanta Sero, the guy with the rectangular-shaped tape at his side, grinning wildly, holding his quirk in action. The adhesive tape looped around her wrist, causing the small stone in her telekinetic grip to fall.

"Gotcha!" he shouted triumphantly.

"Yukimo-chan!" Eijiro warned, his instincts kicking in as he rushed toward her. Pulling Yukimo toward him, Hanta was about to wrap her in his tape but backed away as soon as he saw Eijiro charging forward with his quirk, Hardening, activated. Seeing that he would lose this battle if he got hit, Hanta had no choice but to release the tape he had around Yukimo. After Hanta released his grip, Yukimo waved her hand. She then pushed Hanta further away from them.

Using her telekinesis pushed her telepathy to lose control and suddenly heard a thought from Minoru:

'I have to hurry and touch the nuclear weapon while they are distracted.'

The urgency in Minoru's thought echoed loudly in Yukimo's mind. She needed to act fast; there wasn't a moment to waste. Yukimo jerked back toward the weapon and saw he was rushing toward it, waving one of her hands in his direction.

Minoru suddenly felt himself floating in the air, and before he knew it, he was sent crashing against a wall. From the monitor room, while some students cheered for Eijiro's brave charge forward, others gasped as they witnessed Minoru's sudden halt, floating helplessly midair before crashing into the wall with a thud.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a very bad mood," Yukimo announced, looking at the broken wall Minoru had just crashed into. Luckily, at this moment there weren't many people around her with her telepathy now open to any thoughts.

"Nice one, Yukimo-chan!" Eijiro shouted.

"Now we know what his quirk is," she told Eijiro through their communication , who was busy fighting Hanta.

"Be careful with his tape. It's really strong," Yukimo warned him as she looked down at her wrist.

'I will!' he replied mentally. This was one of their strategies: she would be the only one to talk, while Eijiro would respond only in his mind. Yukimo struggled to remove the tape around her wrist and could feel that it wasn't regular tape that they could easily unstick

"Wait, I have an idea! Try to keep him busy for as long as possible. I will deal with the other one first," Yukimo announced as she devised their new plan.

After telling him their new plan, Yukimo took a deep breath, her focus sharpening as she surveyed the chaotic scene unfolding in front of her. Eijiro was throwing punches left and right, determined to keep Hanta at bay. Yukimo felt a swell of pride; her teammate was fearless, charging headlong into the fray with a confidence she envied.

She walked through the broken wall to find Minoru. He was down, but surely not out. She needed to make sure he couldn't sneak attack her or Eijiro—and fast—because she was starting to feel psychically weaker.

"Ngnh!" she winced in pain as she held her head and quickly put on her headphones.

Suddenly, out of the rubble, Minoru jumped on her. With a fearsome yell, he launched himself straight at her, an unexpected blur of motion. Yukimo barely had time to react; she let out a startled gasp as Minoru's unexpected tackle sent them both tumbling to the ground. She felt the impact as he crashed down beside her, both of them momentarily dazed from the collision. She fell hard on her head, knocking her headphones off, and struggled to regain her focus. The battle was escalating, and she needed to act quickly to maintain control. Yukimo gritted her teeth and rose to her feet, shaking off the dizziness. She took a deep breath and quickly bound Minoru with the tape Hanta had left on her shoulder.

Slowly standing up, she began to feel the headache intensifying. She couldn't back out now and had to push past her pain. Picking up her headphones, she was about to put them back on but froze after hearing a troubling thought from the person behind her:

'Damn it, I lost. But you know, now I felt her boobs,' Minoru thought, beginning to fantasize. 'Boobs...'

"Ah, did I ever mention that I have a psychic quirk? I have telekinesis and also TELEPATHY?!" Yukimo announced, slowly turning around to face Minoru, her expression a mixture of anger and disbelief. She might've been disoriented, but she was not going to let his juvenile thoughts slide without a rebuttal.

"EEEP!" he yelled.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at the monitor room, All Might was impressed with Yukimo's determination.

'Incredible! She's not just using her quirk; she's strategizing on the fly!' he thought, grinning widely at her efforts. While she had easily captured one person, he guessed that Yukimo had purposely started using her telekinesis on a stone to activate her telepathy. She had turned one of her setbacks into something beneficial.

"Are Eijiro and Yukimo working together?" Denki asked, confused as he leaned closer to the monitor. The atmosphere in the room was electric, excitement crackling in the air as students leaned forward to catch every moment of the battle.

"What do you mean?" Tenya replied.

"Is it just me, or are they not talking at all? I mean, Yukimo was talking at first, but Kirishima never responded, and now even she has stopped talking," Denki said—a statement with which everyone else could agree, except for All Might, Izuku, and Katsuki.

"Maybe they already talked everything through before the battle started?" Kyoka replied, her eyes wide with interest. "Yukimo's really pulling her weight!"

"Yeah, but can she keep it up?" Denki mused, squinting at the screen. "I mean, that last hit seemed to take a toll on her."

Unlike the other students, All Might, Izuku and Katsuki knew for sure that Yukimo was using her telepathy to communicate with Eijiro. However, Denki was right about one thing: could Yukimo really keep up? Ever since she had defeated Minoru, she had been getting caught off guard by Hanta, with Eijiro saving her at the last second each time.

Katsuki couldn't help but stare intensely at the screen. Knowing Yukimo almost well enough, he could guess that she was doing it on purpose. She had definitely been weakened after using her quirk so often. While some students might not have noticed, Katsuki had seen that her nose had started to bleed. She was trying to hide it, discreetly wiping it away as if it were just sweat, but he knew it was blood.

Back on the battlefield, Yukimo was panting heavily. She watched the struggle between Eijiro and Hanta as she sat on the ground. She had wiped her blood away for the fourth time now.

'Almost. Try to hold it together,' she reassured herself. After finally catching her breath, she stood up and braced herself.

"Now!" she yelled. Right on cue, Eijiro backed away, allowing Yukimo to wave both her hands over the pieces of tape Hanta had left on the ground. She quickly motioned them toward him, managing to wrap him with his own tape.

"Team J is the winner!" All Might announced. With that, Yukimo sank to the ground, completely drained from the battle.

"Great job!" Eijiro cheered as he approached her. "Are you okay?"

"Heheh, yeah. Just physically drained," Yukimo replied with a smile. For a moment, all she could think about were her pounding headaches, the sudden pressure in her temples, and the voices in her mind. Even amidst the collapse of her captured opponents, the lingering effects of her psychic abilities wrapped around her consciousness like elusive fog.

"That was amazing—using my own tapes against me," Hanta complimented them with a chuckle, albeit slightly begrudgingly. "I didn't see that coming."

XXXXXXXXXX

After the match, they all made it back to the monitor room, where All Might complimented Eijiro and Yukimo on their victory and their plan. However, All Might did somewhat scold Yukimo for using herself as bait just to discover the enemy's quirk.

She listened attentively, nodding her head in acknowledgment as All Might praised her strategic thinking but firmly chastised her for putting herself in harm's way.

"You can't just throw yourself into danger like that, Miss Yukimo!" His voice boomed, filled with a mix of concern and authority, the kind that made everyone lean in slightly to catch every word. "Always prioritize your safety. You're not just fighting to win; you have to protect yourself as a hero."

"Right," Yukimo replied, the weight of his words settling over her like a thick blanket. She understood that the training was meant to prepare them for real-life heroics, where mistakes could have dire consequences. Still, the thrill of her victory, combined with the adrenaline coursing through her veins, made it hard for her to feel like anything had truly gone wrong. Relief washed over her as she glanced at Eijiro, who was still buzzing with excitement.

Izuku wanted to congratulate her, but the scene that had unfolded between them before she went into battle kept replaying in his mind. What did she mean by that? He couldn't shake off the mix of confusion and concern pooling in his stomach. The truth weighed heavily on him with every passing minute. He had to find a way to talk to her.

Yukimo's mind buzzed with thoughts as she sat in the aftermath of the first match. The adrenaline of battle had faded, but the strange emotions she felt while confronting Izuku lingered like a heavy mist. Her moment of vulnerability flashed through her mind—had she truly questioned their friendship in the heat of the moment? She stared blankly ahead, lost in contemplation.

"Are you sure you don't want to head to Recovery Girl to rest?" Eijiro asked, noticing her distant expression as he patted her shoulder lightly, the warmth of his touch pulling her back to reality.

"I'm just a bit exhausted. I'll be fine once I catch my breath. I want to watch the other battles." It wasn't a complete lie; she wanted to watch the battles, but the headache was killing her.

"Uhm, Miss Yukimo, can you please release Young Mineta?" All Might asked as he looked at the screen, where Minoru was buried beneath concrete. The memory of Minoru's recent thoughts still angered her..

"Hmpf! The robots can dig him out!" she answered, looking to her side. "He can stay buried under the rubble for all I care!"

'My, my, he must have thought of something terrible,' All Might thought as he looked back at the screen. Once everything was wrapped up with the first round, the second round began. All Might pulled out two other teams from the box, which pitted Katsuki and Tenya against Izuku and Ochaco.

'Wha—' Yukimo looked at the two letters All Might had just pulled. She felt a flutter of anxiety in her chest. It wasn't just the anticipation of seeing Katsuki and Izuku fight—it was the uncertainty of how they would handle the battle against each other.

Both teams walked out of the monitor room to prepare themselves for the battle. Before she knew it, Yukimo ran after Katsuki with the little strength she had left.

"B-Bakugo!" she managed to yell between breaths when she caught up to him. He stopped moving but didn't bother to turn and look at her.

"With your condition, you shouldn't be running. Are you stupid?!"

"Ugh!" she winced from her headache and sank to the ground. Suddenly, she noticed a shadow in front of her and looked up to see Katsuki standing there.

Katsuki's presence loomed over her, fierce as always, but there was an unexpected softness in his eyes—one that made Yukimo's heart race despite the pain in her head. She could feel the weight of his gaze as if he were searching for something beyond her physical state.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, crossing his arms defensively.

"Please don't do anything reckless," she begged, her voice trembling slightly as she struggled to clarify her intentions. The last thing she wanted was to seem weak, especially in front of someone like Katsuki, who often embodied strength and confidence.

"Are you serious?!" he yelled, not caring if this made her headache worse. "Even after what he did, you still want to protect him?!"

"What he did?" she asked, looking at him, confused. Surely he wasn't talking about Izuku's sudden quirk?

"I know it's bothering you as much as it's bothering me!" he replied, crouching down so they were now the same height. Katsuki's frown deepened, and for a moment, they just stood in silence, eyes locked, each grappling with their emotions.

"You really should rest, you weakling," he continued, wiping the blood that had managed to slip from her nose. With this, he quickly stood up and walked away.

Once again, Yukimo felt like she was stuck between them. If someone were to ask her who she wanted to win in this match, she would simply answer that she wished neither of them would. Slowly standing up, she walked back toward the monitor room to watch the battle. With each step she took, her heartbeat raced faster and faster.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yukimo thought that those two matching up against each other would be the only thing to surprise her that day. She had no idea how wrong she was; There she was, leaning against the wall, hiding from the two boys who were staring at each other. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she felt like she needed to hide. She didn't want to interrupt whatever was happening at the moment.

"I obtained this quirk from somebody else," Izuku confessed.

'What?!'

'I'm sorry, All Might, but I have to tell Kachan our secret,' she heard Izuku's thoughts.

'Eh?'

*-* To Be Continued *-*

Next chapter; January 18 2025