・・・ ・・・ ・・・
"Now, we will begin the practical exam," Aizawa says. "Of course, it is possible to fail this exam. If you want to go to the training camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes." He pauses for a moment, Jiro making a comment that (Y/N) didn't hear. "I expect that you all have gathered information ahead of time and have some idea of what you will be doing."
"We're fighting robot warriors like the entrance exam, right?!" Kaminari shouts excitedly.
"Fireworks! Curry! Test of courage!" Ashido jumps in. She pauses when she sees (Y/N)'s confused expression.
"I doubt we're fighting robots, they usually order a new batch before things like this." She says. "I don't think they have a big enough stock for something like that. They haven't placed any orders..." Ashido and Kaminari's faces fell.
"Too bad!" A squirrely voice calls. Principal Nezu wrestles his way out from under Aizawa's scarf. "For various reasons, the exam will be different starting this time!" He clambers down the stoic man's body. "From now on, we want to focus on person-to-person combat and hero work and stress teaching that is closer to actual fighting. So... we'll have you form teams of two to fight against one teacher!"
"Against... the teachers?" Uraraka asks.
"In addition," Aizawa begins again. "the pairs and who each pair will be up against have already been decided. These were determined at my discretion based on various factors including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships, so here they are:"
Shoto was against Aizawa along with Yaoyorozu. (Y/N) was with Uraraka, who she didn't know well, against Thirteen, who she didn't want to know well.
"Assuming you come across the enemy, if you think you can win a fight against them, then that's fine. However-" Snipe starts, only to get cut off by their stoic teacher.
"In cases where there's too big a difference in your abilities, it would be smarter to run away and get help. Todoroki, (S/N), Iida, Midoriya, I'm sure you four understand this well."
Shoto glances over at her. (Y/N) was shaking her head. She's more heroic than most of us, he thinks to himself. Is it because she doesn't care if she's heroic or not? It's amazing that that's her natural instinct.
There was something strange about her expression, though. He hadn't seen it in a while. It was reminiscent of their match during the sports festival, when he'd encased her in ice but she'd still gotten up just to tie the match in the end. He wondered if that had been on purpose.
The teachers were given about half of their body weight in brace- and anklets to give the students less of a disadvantage. Shoto and Yaoyorozu went ahead and began to think of some way to beat their teacher.
"Do you w-" Uraraka glances around, but (Y/N) had disappeared.
She slides open the monitor room door, slipping inside. Midoriya turns to look back, and when he gives her a sweet smile, she feels butterflies light up her stomach.
"You're watching, too, Deku-kun?" Uraraka asks.
"Yeah." He breathes. "We don't have many chances to see other students and the teachers fight." He explains. She nods her head, eyes shifting to the screens before them. Kirishima and Sato were first against Cementoss. "Besides, even if I wanted to talk about strategies..." She nods her head.
"I see." Of course, Bakugo wouldn't want to talk about anything like that. "Well, for me..." She sighs. "I don't even know where (S/N) went... she just disappeared. That's why I thought I'd try to use everyone else's fights for reference."
"Yeah," Midoriya agrees. His body nodded, but his mind was somewhere else.
It was strange to start off the exams with a failure. Midoriya thought aloud that these tests were probably forcing students into their biggest weaknesses, and the test was mostly based on being able to either overcome or think around them.
The second match was Tokoyami and Asui. Midoriya had never really imagined either to have a weakness exactly. Tokoyami's quirk was strong, and really, it was that strength that would become his weakness when it overtook him. Asui didn't really have a lot of weak areas, she was well-rounded and a bit better than average with a good head on her shoulders.
Recovery Girl explained that aside from extreme darkness or light, Tokoyami's next biggest weakness was being overcrowded. It would be hard to fight off lots of villains, and it was harder the closer they got since his body was kind of useless under his cloak. Asui just needed to be there to help him as much as she could and use the time he gave her to think ahead. They passed just fine.
Uraraka and Midoriya were eager to watch Iida's. This exam was pretty important to him. It was a good way to show that he realized how childish he had been going after Stain. He was matched with Ojiro against Power Loader, meaning they lost stable footing.
Power Loader set up invisible mines throughout the field between them and the exit. He was hiding underground, ready to capture them. Iida put Ojiro on his back and sprinted across the field faster than the mines could even blow.
Once Power Loader sprang out of the ground, Iida used only one leg and spun him and Ojiro in the air until he could fling the blond out of the exit gate. They passed their exam with some praise from the support-course teacher.
Uraraka and Midoriya glance back as the door slides open. (Y/N) wandered in, but stood away from them. There was anger settled in her eyes, which was a strange sight since (Y/N) wasn't very expressive at all. At least, not that Uraraka knew, because she'd never said a word to the girl.
Yaoyorozu's match was a brutal one, mainly because of the psychological warfare going on. Uraraka's head felt like a blur, especially when she remembered her fight was next. They did win by the end of it though.
(Y/N) still had a small scowl on her face as they walked in. She looked hollow. Her eyes were glazed and her mind was lost entirely to a world outside their own. Uraraka didn't know if she should be worried about her or be scared.
"D-Do you have a plan?" She asks softly.
"No." Uraraka glances away at the harsh tone and short word. So cut and dry, like a knife made of sand.
"I think I've got something. Do you wanna hear?"
"Sure." She frowns at the clipped replies. Did (Y/N) even want to listen? But she'd said sure, so Uraraka began to explain the minimal plan she had.
"Oh, you don't have a quirk, right..." She murmurs. "But I'm sure you're pretty smart! I mean, you got into a hero school without one! That's pretty cool. And didn't you have the second-highest score for the midterms? Something like half a point behind Yao-Momo? I heard Ashido saying something about that."
"You overestimate me." (Y/N) looks over at the brunette. Uraraka shivers. Her eyes were intense. "I'm telling you now that I will not be acknowledging her existence."
"Thirteen's?" She clarifies, getting a firm nod. "Why?"
"I like to think people like that aren't real."
"People like... what?" But she didn't answer.
(Y/N) really did ignore her the entire time. She let herself get pulled around by the black hole, though Thirteen was cautious enough to not let her get sucked in. Uraraka found it unsettling how she drifted in the wind like a doll; the same lifeless eyes and expression as one.
Eventually, Uraraka does manage to use some of her training from her internship with Gunhead to put the handcuffs on Thirteen. Although (Y/N) didn't actively do anything, her persistence to get out and her uncaring attitude of whatever else was happening made her a good distraction. Uraraka didn't like thinking about her that way, but that's really what had happened.
Uraraka sighs to herself. Midoriya immediately congratulated her on her success.
She looks over, seeing Shoto and (Y/N) talking softly. Rather than looking angry, she now looked simply depressed. It was crazy how quickly they could heal each other.
"They're not going to be able to deliver on time." He says with a frown. (Y/N) leans over his shoulder as she sets down a plate of food.
"Ah? That's frustrating." She whines softly before circling the table and sitting opposite of him. She used to find it strange to go get their breakfast from the counter without it being delivered to the table, but this cafe was like her second home now.
"It's only a 2-hour train ride away." She nods her head.
"Where's it at? I can go pick it up and bring it back." He chuckles a bit, reaching across the table to pat her head. She cringes under his touch slightly but still laughs.
"I don't get much time with you as is, this week-long camp aside, and I could really use your help. I don't want you gone for four hours at the minimum." She smiles. "It's in Musutafu." Suddenly, her face lights up.
"Oh! That's such a convenient place for it to get stuck in, huh?" She laughs. Right where she went to school. "Really, Tou-chan, I'll go get it. I can ride the subway and pay for a bus fare on my own any time and there's just about nothing she can do about it. There's not much we can do without screws anyway." He sighs a bit.
"Well, if you're going to go, why don't you stay there for the rest of the day? Visit some of your friends while you're on break. If you sleep on the train back, it's like you're not even spending the two hours coming back." She nods her head.
"Alright then. I'll make sure to have fun." He smiles, patting her wrist. He just glad she was happy. She'd been pretty down lately, but she was slowly coming back.
"Perfect."
"Hello?" (Y/N) hums into the phone.
"Hey! It's Uraraka... Um, Deku-kun gave me your number." She clarifies. "I wanted to ask your advice about something... It's kind of embarrassing and I feel the least embarrassed around you, so um... Well, could we talk about it in person?"
"Depends on where you are."
"We're at the local mall. I'm just outside the west enterance." (Y/N) thinks for a moment, trying to remember where the mall was. She didn't have to think hard as it quickly came into view from past some of the shops.
"Oh, yeah! We can chat. I'll be there soon."
Uraraka was fiddling with her hands nervously, glancing around and back into the mall. When she sees (Y/N), she relaxes a bit at the familiar face. Most all of the class had gone shopping, but her and Midoriya had been left alone and she freaked out. After returning from their final's fight, Ashido had pulled her aside and asked if she liked Midoriya. That had made her run away from him in there.
"Hello, Uraraka-san." (Y/N) greets. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Have you ever liked someone, (S/N)?" She asks. (Y/N) furrows her brows. "L-Like a crush?" She thinks for a moment before shrugging.
"Kind of? Why?" Uraraka sighs.
"Ashido asked me if I liked Deku-kun and... and I don't know if I do or not. I-I mean, I don't think I do, because we're just friends! But... my mind is racing." (Y/N) nods her head.
"I'm a bit confused as to what you're asking of me. Or do you just want me to listen? I'm good at that." She says with a smile.
"I was just wondering... like... I don't know. It's been making me feel really nervous lately and I feel like I can't be around him. But we're friends so I do want to hang out with him and Iida and everybody else and I don't want him to think I dislike him because I keep running off but I don't want him to find out either..."
(Y/N) nods, eyes fixed on one of many bushes as she thinks. "Why are you nervous?"
"B-Because! Don't you get nervous about what people think of you? W-What if he hates me because I like him? What if it creeps him out? And I really don't want to stop being friends him just because of some stupid little crush."
"If Midoriya-san were to hate you for something out of your control, that's not a very good friend." She states simply. "I don't really worry about people's opinions of me, so I can't really sympathize there, I'm sorry about that. Plus, it's not like you have to tell him anything. You're allowed to be just friends with someone and hang out with them even if you have a crush. It doesn't mean you're required to either date that instant or never speak again."
Uraraka stares at her for a moment in awe. There were a couple of reasons. The first was her wondering how the hell (Y/N) didn't worry about people's opinions, that was crazy. But also at her simple wisdom and reassurance.
"Plus, Uraraka-san, I don't think you've seen how that boy acts around you. You're a great person who people would be lucky to date and Midoriya-san is very kind. I highly doubt anything would happen to your current relationship even if he knew. And I mean... you both are pretty oblivious. Not that I can say much, I'm sure I'm in the same boat, but it's really not something you have any time or reason to worry about."
"D-Do you really think so...?" Uraraka stutters. (Y/N) chuckles softly in response.
"It doesn't matter if I think it or not, Ura-san, it's just fact." She states with a shrug. Uraraka swore she could've started sobbing right there from her kind words. They'd never held a proper conversation —and never talked outside of their final, though it was pretty clear that something was going on then— and yet she was being so sweet right now.
(Y/N) stands on her toes and leans a bit, prompting Uraraka to turn around. "No freaking way." She mumbles under her breath. "Let's go inside."
"Huh?" Uraraka murmurs.
"That's crazy! That guy by Midoriya-san, I know him." She laughs. Uraraka locates the guy with baby-blue hair that seemed strangely familiar. "I mean, not well. He's kind of like a family friend... although he's pretty childish. Spoiled kid." She squints a bit. "What the hell is he doing?"
Uraraka follows behind her as she begins forward. They get up to them, though the guy was... squeezing Midoriya's throat.
"Deku-kun...?" Uraraka murmurs.
"My gods, Shigaraki-kun!" (Y/N) announces. The brunette watches in horror as she steps forward, hitting him upside the head. "What are you doing?"
"(S/N)..." He grumbles with a sneer, dramatically letting go. He was going to play the friend act, but now that she was here...
"Sorry, I used the wrong honorific." She apologizes as she sighs. "But seriously, man, you gotta not do that. People are gonna think you're a villain or something one of these days. Here," She digs through her pocket before stuffing some chapstick into his hand. "You need to take better care of your health, dude."
He shuffles to a stand, almost towering over the small girls, but (Y/N) didn't care. She turns to Uraraka with a small smile.
"You and Midoriya-san should have some fun shopping. I'm gonna head out." She turns to face him. "You should probably get going, too, before somebody calls the cops on you." She laughs. She gives a wave to the both of them as she leaves, Shigaraki just beside her.