Sorry I didn't post this earlier! I was celebrating my birthday with friends and got a little side tracked, but here it is! Two or three more chapters and the sports festival arc will finally be over with! I intended it to be shorter but ended up adding too many scenes to the timeline. Also, I rush-edited this so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes I missed or poorly worded sentences! Oh well, I hope you enjoy anyway :)
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{A Kick of Reality}
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Word Count: 5250
Costa blew out a breath that brushed the baby hairs out of her face.
Sitting in the stands beside Mina, she propped her feet up on the chair in front of her, folding forward to wrap her arms around her legs. Her chin sat in the valley of her knee caps as she watched the first fight commence.
Her mind replayed what had happened between her and Bakugou over and over and over. A migraine fast approached, the place between her eyes beginning to ache. She pinched her nose, trying to rub her knuckle into that pressure point that lay between her brows to alleviate some of the growing pain.
But she was overwhelmed and her body hadn't stopped shaking since the end of the second round. She knew this would happen. She knew she'd self-sabotage or do something that would hurt the both of them out of fear or doubt. That's why she wasn't planning on speaking to him until AFTER the festival was over, not that she knew what she was planning on saying then either.
But now everything was... messy, and it was all because of her.
She hugged her thighs tighter to her chest, her eyelids fluttering closed. She tuned out the sound effects of the battle that had begun not even ten minutes ago. The first fight was between Yao-Momo and Kirishima. Mina was on the edge of her seat with attentiveness while Costa simple tuned it out. She felt bad, she seemed to be too selfish to ever really cheer her friends on like they did her.
Yet another thing to plummet her into the hole of self-pity she was sinking into.
But she couldn't even clear her head enough to be present, much less focus on the match. She had an inkling of what would happen, though. Kirishima was a powerhouse and Momo was insecure in her capabilities. Kirishima would overpower her, even though Momo had just as likely a chance at winning. But she wouldn't push herself to her fullest potential, not like Kirishima would. Therefore, she would be unsuccessful in the battle.
It saddened Costa to think that a lot of the girls in their class were the same way. They were all full of bright potential and had incredible abilities. But what separated Costa and Mina from the rest of them was their willingness and drive to prove themselves. Costa had something to prove. She had to prove herself every day against that boys club of theirs.
Because she needed to be seen, to be noticed above all else. She needed them to see her as a top competitor, someone worthy of representing UA Highschool at the National Women's Hero Championship one day. It was her ultimate goal, it had been since before she could remember.
It pushed her to go on runs every morning and night, to hit the weights a few times a week, to train as hard as she could. For Mina, she just wanted the boys to stop looking down on them all of the time. Costa saw it in her eyes every time the top boys in their class were chosen first. Mina would furrow her brows and huff out of frustration.
She wanted into the boys club too. So, Costa and Mina tended to work harder than the others. Because not only did they have the utter confidence and strength that came with being a successful hero, but they had the ambition too. Ambition goes a long way, farther than brains or brawn does
"C'mon Eiji," Mina had her fists out in front of her, mimicking his moves as she swung a right hook. Costa pursed her lips in slight amusement, thankful for her best friend's positive aura during her period of sulking.
"Do you know how close you were to knocking me in the head?!" Sero, who'd been sitting in front of Mina turned around, his eyes wide with surprise. Mina glanced down at him and giggled. "Sorry, I was really getting into it."
"Were you now?" Costa finally spoke up, laying her cheek on the plane of her right knee so she could look sideways at Mina. "Might wanna save that pumped-up energy for your match later."
"I still have three rounds to get even more pumped up." Mina hit her palm with her other fist, a look of fiery determination coating her features. Sero and Costa couldn't help but crack small smiles, glad Mina was feeling more ready than they were.
Kirishima had then suddenly pushed Momo out of the boundary lines. Costa only knew because Mina had jumped out of her seat, throwing her hands up in the air. "YES!"
Costa clapped wildly, Sero letting out a loud whistle by sticking his fingers in between his lips. Costa always wondered how people could do that. She could barely whistle normally. The crowd died down and Mina sank back to her seat as the arena was cleared.
"Who're you up against again?" Sero turned fully in his seat, resting his arms on the back of the chair. "Jiro, you?" Mina replied, cracking each of her knuckles. "Uraraka." Sero said with a shrug of his shoulder. Costa narrowed her eyes at his indifferent reaction after revealing his opponent.
"Hey, don't underestimate gravity-girl." Costa kicked him in the shoulder, eliciting an 'ow!' from his lips. "I hope she beats your ass."
"You mean you won't root for me?" Sero's bottom lip wobbled melodramatically. Costa rolled her eyes as Mina snorted. "No, I'll always root for the gals." Costa pulled her leg back to rest her foot on the ground.
"Hoes over bros?" Sero touched his chest as if she'd wounded him. Costa narrowed her eyes even further. "The fuck did you just say?"
"Uhhh I think it's sisters over misters." Mina lifted her pointer finger. "That's derogatory, Sero." Costa nodded, kicking him in the shoulder once again. He jerked back, holding his shoulder with his opposite hand, "Hey! Stop kicking me!"
"Stop saying dumb ass shit." Costa jabbed back, causing Sero to start mumbling words under his breath. She caught the word 'meanie' but everything else was incoherent.
"You're in an extra violent mood." Mina pointed out, head-turning toward the white-haired girl. "You talked it out with Bakugou?" Costa didn't reply, leaning back in her seat and sliding down the back of the chair. Her lips pursed as she glared at nothing in particular. "Define 'talked it out'"
"Oh no..." Mina tilted her head, a knowing look forming on her face. "What did you say."
"How do you know it was me who said something?!"
"Because he had the intention of making up with you." Mina nudged her in the arm. "But you're the one pushing him away. So you must've said something that only escalated the situation." Costa stared at her friend, Mina's unrelenting black and gold eyes causing her to let out a long breath. "Fuck, I hate that you're right."
"You and Bakugou are fighting?" Sero asked, trying to tune back into the conversation. Mina shoved him in the forehead with her palm withing even looking. "Girl talk, go somewhere else."
"You guys are being so mean to me today. I'm going somewhere else." He stuck his tongue out at them before getting up from his chair and moving to sit next to Tokoyami. Mina shook her head, snorting at the fact that he defiantly did exactly what she told him to. Costa let out a sigh, pressing her knuckle into that same pressure point.
"Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you since I'm your best friend." Mina turned in her seat to look directly at the girl. Costa slumped in her chair, stress causing lines to bracket her face. Mina grabbed her knuckles, pulling them away from that same spot she'd been rubbing since they sat down. "Bakugou likes you."
"Yeah, I know."
"No-" Mina let out an exasperated breath. "I mean he like-likes you. Like he has feelings for you."
Costa pursed her lips, letting her head fall back against her chair. "Yeah. I know he does." Mina blinked, before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Oh... you do?" Costa snorted. "Yeah, Mina. It's kind of obvious."
"Man, here I was thinking I was telling you this big secret." She playfully shoved Costa's shoulder. "So...?"
"So?" Costa quirked an eyebrow. Mina's facial features dropped as she blinked once at her friend. Costa let out a nervous laugh. "What?! Why're you looking at me like that?"
"Miss girl-" Mina's eyes bulged out of her head. "You obviously like him too!"
"Shut up, Mina!" Costa sat up straight as a board, looking around at the people sitting in their section. "Do you want everyone to hear you?! Keep your voice down!"
Mina cringed. "Oop, sorry." Costa shook her head, slumping back into her seated position. "Anyways," Mina continued, this time keeping her voice at a lower volume. "He likes you and you like him." Costa gave her a blank look. "Okay, and?"
"AND?!" Mina shrieked before Costa shot her an eyes-widened look of warning. She quickly lowered her voice into a hush as she leaned in. "And, why don't you guys just stop being stubborn and date already?"
"I'm not dating Bakugou." Costa quickly replied before glancing away. "I'm not dating anyone."
Mina furrowed her brows for a few seconds before understanding began to blossom in her features. "Oh, so that's the problem." Costa quirked up an eyebrow again, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's the problem?"
"You're scared," Mina said it like it was nothing. Costa grit her teeth, eyes narrowing at the truth being spilled. "Scared of what will come out of it, what it could turn into."
Costa clacked her tongue, avoiding eye contact. Mina continued staring at her with that look on her face, the look that said 'I know exactly what's going on in your head right because I'm bestie'.
"Okay so-" Costa let out an exasperated noise, showing her frustration toward the dilemma. "Hypothetically, it happens- us dating I mean."
"Hypothetically," Mina gave her a 'really?' look with the tilt of her head. Costa rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mina. Hypothetically." Mina rested her chin on her fist, propping her arm up with the arm of the seat that separated them. She looked utterly unconvinced and Costa hadn't even started speaking of her hypothetical situation yet.
"Hypothetically," Costa continued. "Let's say we date. It's great, wonderful, I'm enjoying- whatever is happening between us." Mina started to smile at how nervous Costa looked, just thinking about the 'hypothetical' thought. The white-haired girl's cheeks grew pinker by the second. "But- then... it doesn't work out. What then? We can't go back to being friends. Not after..."
Mina shook her head, leaning forward. "Miri, look at me."
Their eyes locked and Mina could see the doubt and insecurity in Costa's irises. "Don't let insecure thoughts ruin something amazing." Costa's breath hitched as Mina grabbed her hands. "Love is something rare. Most people spend their whole lives seeking it and never find it. It's a blessing to stumble upon it as suddenly and as miraculously as you did."
Costa only looked at her, signaling for her to continue. Mina sighed. "Look, I understand where you're coming from. You don't want to get hurt, you don't want him to get hurt. But that's just your anxiety telling you that no matter what, it'll crash and burn. And hey, maybe it won't work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the adventure of a lifetime."
"But-" Costa tried to interrupt, causing Mina to slap a hand over her mouth. "No buts, just listen to me," Costa grumbled but complied as Mina tore her hand away. "If someone makes you feel, let them. I think you should go for it. You've always been the impulsive one to hurl yourself into a situation without thinking about how it'll affect you in the long run, what's the difference now?
"And when you look back on this," Mina looked her straight in the eyes, all seriousness. "No matter what ends up happening. It will always be easier to accept the things you DID do, not the things you didn't do."
Costa sat there for a long minute, chewing on her bottom lip. The wise words Mina had spoken seeped into her like a warm blanket of hope. Little birds fluttered around in her stomach. Doves, it felt like. Because doves made her smile for how pure and beautiful were. And the feeling of.. of love. It was the purest, most beautiful thing to ever exist.
But it was also too delicate. She'd never been good with anything that could be described as delicate. Maybe that's what really scared her. The thought of that dove crumpling in her hands and withering away.
"Ugh, I hate that you're right." She drew in a sharp breath as her legs folded into her chest. Mina smiled that chirpy grin of hers as she patted Costa's head. "I'm right about most things," she cooed. Costa sent her a look.
"Okay, maybe not when it comes to anything relatively educational," Mina admitted, sweat-dropping. "But I do give good advice."
"Yes, you do." Costa chuckled. Her laughter fading quickly as she stared at the ground, a frown forming on her lips. "What do I do now?"
"What are you ready to do?" Mina asked her, her hand moving to rest on Costa's. Costa sighed through her nose, shutting her eyes closed softly. "I don't know. Start over?" Mina nodded in response. "With Bakugou?"
"Yeah..." She whispered it so softly, it was barely audible. Mina gave her friend a sympathetic look before curling an arm around her neck and tugging her inward. Costa accepted Mina's embrace, leaning into the warm hug. "Starting over's fine. Just communicate with him. Ya know, like a normal person."
Costa let out a dry laugh. "When have we ever communicated like normal people?" Mina's lips curved as she responded. "No, you're completely right. I have no idea why I even suggested that." Costa then let out a loud laugh, Mina following with a giggle. When their laughter died down, Costa swallowed.
"I'll talk to him."
"Good."
"After the Sports Festival, though." Costa quickly added, shaking her head. "I need to get my head in the game first and focus on this whole... situation later."
"Sounds good to me." Mina squeezed her tightly and Costa couldn't help but grin, flashing both of her dimples. "Thanks, Meens. This is why you're my favorite."
Mina gasped. "I'M YOUR FAVORITE?!"
"Of course you are."
Mina smiled, doing a cute little dusting of her shoulder. "Right, duh. Of course, I am. I'm best girl."
"You totally are best girl."
+
It was the fourth match of one-on-one battles and Costa was up against Oijiro. She'd pulled her hair back into a tighter braid, watching from one of the hallways leading out into the arena before finally stepping out.
The first three matches crowned three victors; Kirishima; who'd won against Momo in the first round, Bakugou; who'd squashed Kaminari like a bug in the second, and Tokoyami; who'd successfully beaten his rival, Kuroiro, in the third.
Now it was time for Costa to be crowned the fourth victor of the first round of matches.
The mass of the crowd and the booming cheers that erupted off the stands sparked a drumming in Costa's ears. She strode forward just as Oijiro did from the opposite side of the stadium. Her eyes narrowed, filled with determination and purpose as she approached. She could faintly see the nerves in Oijiro's expression as he stepped over one of the boundary lines, making it into the ring.
Costa halted, her tennis shoes creating a small cloud of dust where she stood. She kept her hands to her sides, her expression blank as she looked into Ojiro's black eyes. He averted eye contact at first glance, immediately intimidated by the girl's fiery stare. She reminded him of a lioness, ready to pounce and tear his throat out at any moment.
She felt like a lioness, smirking when he purposefully broke their gaze.
"ALRIGHT, FOLKS! FOR OUR NEXT MATCH WE HAVE OUR CONTESTANT; MASHIRAO OJIRO, QUIRK; TAIL! HE'S GOT SOME WHIPPING POWER ON THAT TAIL OF HIS AND TRUST ME IT CAN PACK A PUNCH!"
Ojiro forced himself to meet Costa's eyes once again with a sharp inhale. His heart hammered in his chest as her eyes glowed, a fiery sunset tangerine color that only promised one thing; violence. He shuttered.
"AND THEN THE RISING STAR OF THE FESTIVAL! AKA OUR FAVORITE NEWBIE WILDCARD, MISS COSTA MIRIRARA, QUIRK; LIGHT MANIPULATION! SHE CAN ABSORB, CONTROL, AND BEND ANY SOURCE OF LIGHT ENERGY TO HER WILL! THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS, SHE CAN CREATE A LIGHT SABER WITH THE ENERGY FROM THE SUN ABOVE OUR HEADS, HOW COOL IS THAT?!"
She heard a collective 'woah' come from the crowd, causing a small amused smile to form on her lips. She was sure the kids would get a kick out of that one. Present Mic and his damn creative comments were only making her more and more amused.
"YOU KNOW THE RULES! WHOEVER PUSHES THEIR OPPONENT OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY LINES FIRST OR LEAVES THEIR OPPONENT UNABLE TO FIGHT WILL WIN THE MATCH!" Present Mic reminded them of the regulations and Costa did a small nod, focusing in on her prey.
The rest of their class watched from their section in the stands, cringing as Ojiro clenched and un-clenched his fists. "Poor Ojiro." Aoyama shook his head, flipping back his shiny, golden hair. Uraraka nodded in agreement, "I hope he prayed this morning."
"I'm just glad it's not me down there." Sero rubbed the back of his next. "I talked to Miriara earlier and it seemed like she had some steam she needed to let out."
"Is she stressed or something?" Uraraka asked, leaning against the railing of their section, too anxious to take a seat. Only Midoriya and Todoroki sat with the three of them, but Bakugou was a few seats away, conveniently listening in on their conversation.
"She seemed conflicted." Sero shrugged. "I don't know though- her and Mina shooed me off when they started talking about it. But I think I know who it has to do with..."
Todoroki glanced over to his left, where Bakugou was slumped over in his seat, eyes on the arena. He clenched his jaw, having a feeling that the angry blonde had something to do with her state of distress. He didn't say anything though, only turning back toward where the fight was to occur.
"Either way, she's probably going to throw some effort into this match. You know Miriara is a physical de-stressor." Sero pointed out, sitting back in his seat and kicking his legs up.
"I don't know." Midoriya finally spoke, twisting his lips to one side of his face. The rest of them glanced over at him, causing him to sheepishly sink back into his chair. "It's just that- whenever Mirirara fights any of us in class, she usually does it in a way that's swift and less time consuming. She gets straight to the point. Well, except when it comes to..."
All five of them slowly looked Bakugou's way. He continued to stare down at the arena, his chin in his hand as he propped his elbow up on the arm chair. His eyebrows were knitted as he examined the fierce look on Costa's face as she stared at her opponent. She really did seem focused though, he didn't think she looked stressed at all.
His chest ached at the thought of their conversation having no effect on her. But why would it? She'd just walked away as if he'd said nothing important, nothing she wanted to hear. He grit his teeth, a well of hurt rising in him that he wanted to squash down to nothing.
"Deku's right. Even when she seems on edge, she only takes it out on people she know can take it." Uraraka said, eyes flicking over to Bakugou as she said it. "Otherwise, she tries to make her wins quick and easy."
"Quick and easy..." Midoriya nodded, turning back toward the center of the arena as Present Mic began announcing the start of the match.
"ALRIGHT COMPETITORS! GET READY!"
Costa swiveled, pushing her right foot back behind her, bending her knees slightly. She lowered her head, now peering up at Ojiro with those eyes of pure, unrelenting gold. He gulped, hard. Nerves skittered up every cell in his body as an evil smile appeared on those lips of hers.
"AND..." Present Mic waited a second, just for anticipation. "FIGHT!"
Before Ojiro could even process what Costa was doing, she'd activated her quirk and struck. She threw her arm out in front of her, a whip of glowing light flinging at him at incredible speed. He dodged, flying out of the way but her eyes stayed locked on him. She swirled, her body turning toward where he slid out of his previous position.
She cocked her head to the side, eyes glowing even brighter. Then the ropes of light redirected their route, zipping across the space between them. He took a different approach, given they were too fast for him to dodge again.
He twisted his body, swinging out his tail. It whipped through the air, colliding with those tendrils of light and smacking them away. They fell to the side and he felt a brief sense of relief.
"Annnd I win." Costa grinned. His relief dropped, heart plummeting through his stomach as he looked down. Another set of glowing tendrils wrapped around his ankles, swirling their way up his legs like two vipers.
He tried to jump from his position but they suddenly squeezed, along with the clenching of Costa's fist. He let out an exasperated noise before he went down, the tightness of the tendrils on his body causing him to lose his balance and fall face first into the dirt. When he landed with a painful thud, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Costa stood in the exact same position she'd started in. She hadn't even moved. Everyone was stunned as they clapped their hands, their jaws hanging wide open.
"KO-ED!" Present Mic exclaimed. "COSTA MIRIARA FROM CLASS 2A IS THE WINNER! THAT WAS THE FASTEST WIN OF THE FESTIVAL SO FAR IN A RECORD TIME OF SEVEN SECONDS! INCREDIBLE!"
Costa released her quirk the second Mic announced her win, briskly walking across the arena toward her opponent. Ojiro cringed, pushing himself up with his arms. When he looked up, there Costa was, standing in front of him with her hand extended.
"Sorry about you face-planting in the dirt, but it was necessary." Costa said, her lips curving into an amused smirk. Ojiro coughed out, chuckling to himself. Then he reached up and latched his fingers around hers. "It's fine, I get it. I knew you were going to win anyway."
She pulled, helping him off the ground. He quickly let go of her grasp to dust himself off but she shrugged. "Maybe next year you'll have better luck and won't be up against me."
They shared a smile as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, maybe."
"AW LOOK AT THAT DISPLAY OF FAIR SPORTSMANSHIP! OUR WILDCARD IS NOT ONLY A FIERCE FIGHTER BUT A KIND-HEARTED STUDENT AS WELL!"
"Kind-hearted student." Costa huffed out a laugh, walking next to Ojiro as they made their way out of the arena. "Obviously they haven't witnessed my mornings without coffee before." Ojiro threw his head back and laughed at that, "Oh I will never forget that side of you."
"Hey, caffeine makes me happy." Costa grinned, side-glancing at him. "When I'm without it, the beast comes out." Ojiro raised his eyebrows in amusement, his cheeks tainted pink from the attention she was giving him. Attention he'd never received from her before. All of the boys in their class seemed to have the same reaction whenever being in her presence or whenever she'd simply talk to them.
She could be scary, but they were all a bunch of simps. Plus, she had the prettiest smile and they couldn't help but feel bashful when she was being even remotely nice to them.
"That's why we all make sure not to say a single word to you in the mornings until you've had your coffee." Costa let out a genuine belly laugh at that, causing Ojiro to look away for how red his face became.
Their classmates let out huffs of laughter as their friends exited the arena, Uraraka turning. "Well, I guess you were right on the dot, Deku."
Deku shrugged, curling into himself as he quietly sat there. Todoroki's hardened gaze was transfixed on the image of Ojiro and Costa disappearing into a hallway. They'd been talking after she helped him up. Oijiro made her smile, laugh even. He felt this sickly feeling plummeting in his stomach at the sight. The feeling made him clench his jaw.
Bakugou mirrored him, staring at the two of them without blinking, not once. His eyes were so wide and full of jealousy that Kirishima began to grow concerned, tapping on his shoulder to ask if he was alright. He simply got up and left.
Todoroki let out an irritated sigh, knowing that he was now deep in a competition. Except this competition had nothing to do with quirks, combat skills, or overpowering a peer. This competition was one of the heart, a competition that he wasn't experienced with. Not at all.
But the good thing was that Bakugou was just as inexperienced as he was. He just had to work harder than him to earn her attention, to turn her eyes on him and him only. After all, some of the boys in their class told him that the girls often fawned over him and his looks. He couldn't help but wonder if Costa fawned over him too.
Probably not. She wasn't one to focus on the way a person looked. But she'd noticed him, they had a relatively comfortable relationship, especially since her and Bakugou got into a spat. But it was only a friendship, and as much as Todoroki would've enjoyed taking his time, simply being her friend until it grew into something more...
He wasn't the only one vying for her attention and that made things more complicated. If he wanted her to like him in the way he liked her, he needed to act fast. But he didn't know the first thing about pursuing a girl, much less such an outspoken, wild one. Costa was a creature he'd never come across before and he needed to plan out his next moves first.
"You're in deep thought, Todoroki." Midoriya said from his seat directly next to the boy. "Are you nervous for your match?"
"No." Todoroki replied blankly, eyes side-glancing at the green-haired boy. "In fact, I'm not thinking about that at all."
"Oh." Midoriya said, a slightly-confused glaze in his bright green irises. "Okay then." Todoroki crossed his arms over his chest, eyes flicking back to Midoriya for a brief second. The boy sat awkwardly amongst their classmates who chatted loudly. He piped in occasionally but for the most part, he stayed in his own headspace.
"Midoriya..." Todoroki called out, hesitating. The boy turned back around toward him, eyes widening slightly as he responded. "Yes, Todoroki?"
He pursed his lips, wondering if he should even ask what he was pondering.
"Do you think..." He paused, sighing through his nose. "What do you think of Bakugou and Miriara's relationship?"
"Kacchan and Miriara?"
"Yes." Todoroki nodded. "You and Bakugou are somewhat friends, right?" Midoriya furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before slowly nodding. "Y-yes. But he probably would disagree with that statement..."
"But you know him well." Todoroki stated. "Has he ever... liked someone before?"
"What do you mean?"
"He is romantically interested...," Midoriya's eyes widened like saucers, "In our classmate, Costa Miriara."
"WHAT?! KACCHAN?!" Midoriya's face heated up as he began to frantically jerk his head around. "Why do you think that?! I-I thought they were just friends!" Todoroki sent him a bored look. "You don't notice it?"
"Notice what??"
"How he looks at her when she's fighting, as if he's watching the most intriguing event he's ever seen. Or how he lets her walk in front of him without any protest even though he'd yell if it was anyone else. Or how he's always trying to partner up with her and if she chooses anyone other than him, he throws a fit." Todoroki pointed out, listing off all of his observations. "Not to mention the fact that they train together every day. He always sits next to her by his own will. He's always trying to fight with her when fighting is basically his first language."
Midoriya sweat dropped, the entirety of Todoroki's explanation scanning in his brain with each passing second. Then all the sudden, he squeaked out, "You mean Kacchan l-likes Miriara??"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Todoroki almost scowled as he turned forward once again. "And I want to ask you something because of this known fact that I've decided to share with you." Midoriya shot him a confused look.
"What would you have to ask?" Todoroki then glanced over at the seat Bakugou was occupying earlier. "I wanted to ask..." He blinked slowly. "Has he ever had feelings for a girl?"
"WHAT! No!" Midoriya was blushing furiously. "Well, n-not that I know of..."
"Then do you think he will act on these emotions he's feeling toward her?" Todoroki turned to look his friend directly in the eyes. "Will he confess?"
Midoriya was already going into overdrive by this new information that he had not even thought to consider being possible. Bakugou having feelings for a girl was the furthest thing he would've expected. But given all of the points Todoroki had made about him acting differently toward the girl, it seemed possible.
"I-" He hesitated with his response. "I honestly don't know... Kacchan always goes after what he wants but..."
"But what?"
"I can't imagine him telling someone about his feelings, especially if it makes him look vulnerable or even weak." He said it with a contemplative expression, genuinely considering what his childhood friend would do in this situation. "I think it would take a lot for him to really let out his feelings. He would have to be pushed to the point where he can't hide them anymore."
"So what you're saying..." Todoroki tilted his head to the side. "Is that unless he's been pushed to the breaking point where he can't help but let out those emotions of his, he'll hide them from her?" Midoriya did a little half-shrug. "Y-yeah, I think so anyway."
"Hm." The red-and-white haired boy hummed, a sense of contentment filling his chest. "Good."
Midoriya looked at his friend for a long second. "Is there... is there a reason why you'd want to know any of this?" Todoroki slowly sighed, relaxing in his seat as he nodded.
"Yes." He replied. "I plan on pursuing Miriara and I also plan on winning her over before he even has a chance to say 'i like you'"
"Huh?!"