"uraraka..."
said girl cries in mina's arms, a look of pity coming from the pink-skinned girl. jirou, tsu, and hagakure surround the duo with looks of sadness and again, pity for the brunette.
"if it makes you feel better, i thought i had a crush on her too... you poor girl.." mina holds her crying friend close.
"i knew it.." jirou whispers under her breath, nibbling on her fingertips. "i was just hoping it wasn't true."
"i'm here! i'm here.." momo slams open the door, hands on knees and panting for air. "sorry i'm late- uraraka?"
a look of confusion and concern can be seen on momo's face when she sees uraraka sobbing in mina's arms. she looks... disappointed in herself, angry at herself for letting whatever happened happen.
"oh uraraka!" momo goes rushing to her friend's side. "what's the matter?!"
tissues and candy wrappings surround the bed that momo takes a seat on. she takes her hair in her hands, throwing it behind her back before putting them on uraraka's shoulder to comfort her.
"i-" uraraka chokes. "i hate- myself s-so much.."
momo looks to the other girls who show their sympathy. her eyes are pleading, begging to know what's wrong. she doesn't catch sight of a certain h/c hair girl she calls her bestfriend, making her face turn back to one of confusion.
"she's not here for a reason, ribbit." tsu predicts once seeing the look in momo's eye.
"why am i still in the dark about this?" momo asks in desperation. "what's wrong?"
"uraraka has feelings for y/n..." jirou finally lets momo in.
at the confession, uraraka bursts into tears again. "oh...i'm so sorry to hear that uraraka.. it must be rough..." momo trails off.
"considering the fact that she's madly in love with midoriya."
"hagakure!"
"sorry! sorry.."
"no it's-" uraraka sniffs. "it's fine. it's my fault for letting this happen. everyone knows her and deku are in a serious relationship.."
"it's not your fault uraraka.." mina hugs her tighter. "you can't control who you fall for.. it just sucks it had to be y/n.."
"i see why you like her though, if that makes you feel better."
"hagakure stop talking." jirou rapidly shakes her head.
"what are you going to do about your feelings?" a chocolate bar comes out of momo's arm.
"what can i do? there's no way she'll like me back, so i'm helpless.." uraraka wipes her tears on her already wet hoodie sleeve.
"it can just be a simple crush! it's probably not that serious." momo tries to cheer her up.
"yeah, i agree." jirou pitches in. "how long have you liked her?"
"i'm.. not s-sure." uraraka stutters. "i wanna say when we first moved into the dorms..but i don't really know. all i remember is my gaze constantly lingering on her and feeling my heart beat fast anytime we were together."
the girls share solemn looks. it's not like there's anyway they can help uraraka as she's right. there's no way you'd ever like her back. they've seen the look you give izuku. the look he gives you back. the way you two are inseparable. the things you do for each other- sacrificing your lives included.
you really are in love with each other.
so on one hand, they hate seeing their friend heartbroken over a crush.
but on the other, they'd be no better of a friend if they tried splitting you and izuku up so they can set you up with uraraka.
so they're also stuck in a hole.
"are you sure you like y/n?" tsu asks. "maybe there's someone else you'll take interest in?"
"yeah! like todoroki! that boy is so fine." mina daydreams over the half and half boy.
"maybe bakugo? he might be a bit on the tempered side, but i'm sure he has that soft spot." jirou suggests.
"iida's pretty underrated if you ask me." momo shrugs.
"kaminari is hilarious! he's kind of cute if you can bypass the fact that his best friend is that perv who shall not be named." hagakure pipes in.
"i don't know... i think kirishima is the best choice out of all the boys we named, ribbit. he's kind and caring. i think he'd be a good boyfriend." tsu's eyebrows raise in thought.
"thanks guys..but i don't know if i'll e-ever take an interest in any of them." uraraka loosens her grip on mina. "i'll just keep my feelings in. it's the only thing i can really do."
"sadly yes, it is. but we'll be here every step of the way with you uraraka." momo rubs her back. "you can always come to us if you wanna talk."
"yeah.." the rest of the girls say in a sad tone.
---
"ladies and gentlemen we are live!"
"is everyone here? it's just about to start!"
the six girls walk into the common room where the boys disperse. some look at uraraka's red and puffy eyes but don't ask when making eye contact with another girl who gives them a death stare.
don't ask.
"what's wrong with uraraka? she looks like she's been crying.." izuku whispers to sero who's next to him.
he just shrugs. "beats me."
"oh we didn't miss it! thank goodness." momo puts her hand on her chest to breathe out a sigh of relief. her hand is softly gripping uraraka's wrist as the two sit down. some of the girls sit next to them but some sit in other places.
"we're here at the hero network where in just a couple minutes, the newest and hottest team up, endeavor and satoshi rai will be publicly speaking about their team up! stay tuned!"
"endeavor and satoshi rai..this should be interesting.." ojiro is the first to voice his opinion.
"y/n you're not wearing that." shoto demands.
"hell no i'm not."
"and not just that, but their kids, shoto todoroki and y/n rai will be joining them to also voice their opinion on their fathers' collaboration and speak about their time at the most prestigious hero school: ua high school!"
"kind of shocking they brought todoroki and rai along, don't you think?" kaminari says. "this doesn't seem like a time for teenagers to speak.."
"oh come on. you know any piece of information they can get they're squeezing it out like water from a rag!" mina says.
"ua's been real private with their students, they probably think y/n and todoroki hate each other." jirou says from her position on the floor.
"well they did have quite the blow out during the sports festival." tokoyami says, thinking back on your intense match.
"who's gonna tell them that they're practically brother and sister?"
"shush!" from the looks of it, hagakure puts a finger to her lips. "it's starting!"
"i bet the class is watching right now. they're definitely enjoying this more than i'm about to." you blow yet another raspberry as you stare at yourself in the mirror. shoto sits on the couch behind you, so you can still see him and he can still see you through the reflection.
"why were we brought along? i thought this was just about the adults.." shoto traces circles on the velvet fabric of the couch.
"maybe because they know little to nothing about us. after everything that's happened, they're probably dying to get some information from ua students." you say before turning to shoto with disappointed, pursed lips. "they didn't bring us here to hear about us, they only want information on ua. any tiny piece they can get so they can find a way to bash the school."
"but the school already has so much backlash. what's the point in beating a dead horse?"
"when you have kids that can revive that horse, it's the perfect opportunity. with our dads' publicity, it's like it was meant to be."
"you're sadly spot on." shoto stands up. he opens his mouth to speak again but stops when there's a knock on the door.
'go away..' you think in unison.
"come in." you say in unison.
a worker with a walkie talkie in one hand and a clipboard in another peers his head through the door. he hums in satisfaction when seeing shoto in his tux but when he looks at you in the same exact thing, he narrows his eyes.
"we provided you with a dress, ms. rai. why don't you have it on?"
"the skin tight one?" you cross your arms with sass. "i don't think so."
"well..." the guy looks down at his watch. "it seems like we don't have any time to get you in the dress, so the tux will have to do. anyways, you're both needed backstage now." the worker guides you two out the room but takes a left to another back room, leaving just you and shoto alone.
"let's make a truce to not spill too much information." shoto says while you two walk at an agonizing slow pace.
"let's say i plead the fifth?" you suggest, turning your head to him and tilting it.
shoto shakes his head. "too formal. and they'll know we're purposely dodging the question. they think we're dumb, oblivious kids and right now, that's the advantage we have."
"so keep them thinking that we're stupid." you put a finger to your chin and nod. "got it."
"ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for, here's the newest number one hero: endeavor along with infamous scientist: satoshi rai!"
"deep breaths." you nod.
"deep breaths." shoto nods.
in matching tuxedos, you and shoto face each other while taking peaceful breaths simultaneously. even from the backstage where you two stand, you can hear the large crowd screaming and whistling for the two males. cameras flash and you can hear reporters already asking questions. it makes your eye twitch. paparazzi has to be the dumbest group of people to grace the universe.
"and i think we're all very interested to see this next duo.."
"oh and shoto," you look at said boy with your hands connected in front of you. "one more thing."
"yeah?"
"let's not look at each other."
"why?" he looks at you.
you look back to the front, laugh leaving your nose. "'cause i'll start laughing."
"from the most prestigious hero school: ua high..."
"no smiling."
"right." you nod.
"this class has caused the biggest upstir of the year, being involved in numerous incidents and constantly landing themselves in the center of the media.."
"no talking when not asked."
"right." shoto nods.
"from class 1-a..son of endeavor and daughter of satoshi rai.."
"give them nothing to work with." you say in unison.
"shoto todoroki and y/n rai!"
the double doors open and immediately, you and shoto are being blinded by flashing lights. you heard some gasps, but you hid your smirk as you started walking to your destination.
"y/n rai over here!"
"shoto todoroki! look here!"
"how is ua high school?"
'they can't wait a couple seconds to ask questions?' you slightly shake your head. you both continued to disobey the requests, only keeping your sights ahead to where both of your dads sat. you wanted to smirk so bad at the look of your dads face when he saw you in that tux.
"y/n rai! why are you in a tuxedo? are you apart of the lgbtq community?"
you felt like you were gonna go blind, the walk was so damn long. you felt shoto's presence beside you, and you know he had his infamous monotone face on. you did too, and it was kind of nostalgic.
but you did know one thing for sure, and that was that you both looked very badass strutting that walk together.
"y/n kind of rocks a tux. i don't know, i'm digging it." kirishima smiles encouragingly.
"man those stares... i forgot how much they used to give me the chills.." sero says.
"i'd go blind if there were that many cameras in my face..." ojiro rubs his neck.
"it's okay..hang in there." jirou rubs uraraka's knees. the girls around her also comfort the brunette who obviously stares at you with blushed cheeks, a sad expression on her face and tears threatening to spill.
"daughter what are you wearing?" your dad whispers to you. the chair you pull scrapes against the floor as you take a seat next to him and position yourself to sit comfortably.
"trust me. you'd rather have me in this than what they tried to put me in. i'm sixteen, and they just want those extra views. disgusting."
shoto sits next to you with your dads on the far end. so far, you two haven't made eye contact, which is good. it was hard enough to keep your composure when walking down that walkway. you know you'll break your facade if you were to even think about looking at him. that's just a normal thing that developed between you and him. anytime something crazy or stupid happens, you find yourself looking at him and vice versa. your eyes tell your emotions alone, so you don't even have to speak to him.
it makes you wanna burst out laughing.
"let's get this part started now shall we? it seems like the crowd is bursting to ask some questions!" some lady at the front of the crowd speaks. there's a large camera next to her with the logo of the local news channel, so you know that this is live on national television. knowing this, you have to be more careful than ever now. the only good thing is that your words are as pure as they can get. no editing can be done to make the four of you sound bad. media eats away at society ripping away at each other, so it's nice to see them get slapped in the face with something like this where there's no way you can sound corrupted.
"first things first, let's take time to acknowledge the four sitting before us." the crowd cheers and whistles for you. cameras click as the front lady continues to speak.
'didn't they just do that..' your eyes slightly widen in annoyance.
"number one hero: endeavor and his sixteen year old son, shoto todoroki!"
they both stand up, resulting in more cheers and jeers to commence. they bow for a moment before standing straight and letting paparazzi take pictures. "we are grateful to be here today. thank you for having us." endeavor's deep voice says.
"no thank you!" the lady winks at him. that makes them sit down and now, she turns her attention onto you and your dad. "next, world-famous scientist. he's made hero costumes and support gear for all types of heroes around the world! satoshi rai with his sixteen year old daughter, y/n rai!"
you stand up together and again, the crowd cheers. paparazzi wastes no opportunity in snapping pictures even if they're blurry and bad quality. "as endeavor said, we're blessed to be here." your dads says.
you two sit down, and the lady continues. "i think we've all been waiting for this one. the hottest and most exciting collaboration we've seen in a while! unexpected, but when the best of the best join forces, it's endeavor and satoshi rai!"
you had flashbacks to when your class visited the arcade. everyone was screaming so loud to try and gain the two male's attention. you wanted to cover your ears but you kept it in and watched as your dad and endeavor bowed to the crowd. they said their thanks, payed their respects and sat down.
"and this next duo can maybe rival the excitement their father's have created! both only sixteen, but already are known around japan! from ua high school's class 1-a, shoto todoroki and y/n rai!"
'keep it in y/n. don't fuck up.' you tell yourself over and over again as you and shoto stand up. you knew shoto was telling himself the same thing and together, you put your attention on some of the cameras that were lucky enough to grab your attention.
"oh yeah! represent ua and class 1-a!" kirishima cheers from the common room.
"i'd do anything to have that many people itching to see me." hagakure dreamily sighs, watching as many people holding cameras try and get yours and shoto's attention.
"todoroki and rai are kind of lucky, aren't they? they're already known to the public this much.." sero says.
"well if you think about it, when you're finalists and winner of the sports festival, a very popular thing, you're bound to get attention." jirou twirls her earphones.
"not just that, but take a look at their father's." tokoyami surprisingly speaks up. "endeavor and satoshi rai have a very high social class, so when you're kids of people like that, that's another factor as to why they're so known at their age."
"aw they're like little professionals." midnight puts her hand on her cheek.
"come on kids.." aizawa stares holes into the tv screen. eri sits on his lap, also looking at the screen in awe.
"bolt!" she points to the screen and more importantly, you.
"that's definitely bolt eri!" mirio gives a thumbs up.
"to have that many people staring at you... oh i could never..." tamaki sinks into the couch he's sitting on.
"oh come on amajiki! if you're aspiring to be a hero, this is one of the many things you'll have to deal with!" nejire shows her support by rubbing his shoulder.
"well good thing i'm not a pro yet..."
"hey." present mic puts his hand on aizawa's shoulder. "you know these kids better than anyone, they've had to have figured it out by now."
"bringing them along was a terrible idea." aizawa keeps his focus on the screen. you and shoto take your bows quickly before standing up and waving to the crowd. "they're just kids, and they'll crack under the pressure of the media and the crowd. they'll get exactly what they want from them, intel about ua so they can ride the bandwagon on hating the school."
"now now shota." principal nezu walks to the duo. "i'm sure our class 1-a celebrities know about the harsh reality of the media. i can guarantee you they'll be alright out there."
"young rai and young todoroki have gone through so much at ua." all might pipes in from the couches in the teachers lounge. "they know to keep their eyes and ears open. and besides, the media probably thinks they're oblivious to what's around them. little do they know that they're dealing with two of the sharpest kids of our first years."
"i agree." ectoplasm says. "they tend to keep their surroundings open, and i don't think they'd let a simple question bypass them. they're both cool, calm, and collected always. they've figured something out to dodge them, i'm sure."
aizawa watches the screen in silence. you and shoto take your seats, but that doesn't stop the cameras and whistles that try and grab your attention. both of your backs are straight, posture on perfect par with the other. your faces are straight, seemingly showing no emotion. but there's a sense of professionalism and seriousness.
"even with all that said, you never know what strings the media can pull."
"endeavor! over here!"
with how long you know this is gonna take, you should've ate something or drank some type of energy drink.
endeavor looks over at someone in the front row and almost immediately, the sound of cameras clicking and whispers increase.
"how does it feel to finally be number one? you've been stuck at number two for a while now, as no one can come close to all might."
you breathe a laugh through your nose. ruthless is what you'd describe the media and paparazzi as. they care for no one but themselves. they'll tear you away with personal questions and purposely make you step out your comfort zone just so they can get that answer they want. and even worse, they're smart with wordplay, so they can sound all innocent and genuine with their words, making it sound like they're asking a casual question, but words hit hard when they need to, and they always find a way to strike your heart with what they're actually asking.
endeavor clears his throat. "while that may be true, becoming number one is not luck, but a blessing. i'm very blessed to be number one."
some people start whispering to one another. some write things down in a notebook but others raise their hand to ask a question.
"do you think you deserve it?"
'ouch..that's backhanded.' you keep your straight face.
"considering i've been in number two for a while, yes."
cameras click as that person sits down and another stands up. you took note of the flying cameras on drones, but you didn't look at them, despite how cool they looked.
"satoshi rai!"
your dad looks at an interviewer who seems to be dying to ask her question.
"this is the second person you've teamed up with that's ranked number one. how does it feel to work with the best of the best?"
your heart sank.
'what..?' you subtly shuffle in your seat. you noticed shoto side eye you but you went and fully turned your head to your dad who cleared his throat like endeavor did.
"as endeavor said, it is a blessing that top ranked heroes will want to work with me. i'll do my best in helping them, that's for sure."
"do you prefer endeavor or catalyst?"
you had to keep it in. you had to stay quiet. you had to keep your straight face. you couldn't make any movement. you couldn't give anyone any indication that you were appalled to hear what you had just heard.
only shoto knew of the shock you were in.
"woah who's catalyst? and when were they number one?"
izuku and katsuki make eye contact and for once, they don't start bickering. their eyes are wide, and they share the look of 'what the hell?'
"i haven't had the chance to work with endeavor as much as i've worked with catalyst."
"endeavor!"
"satoshi look!"
"y/n rai i want answers from you!"
"shoto todoroki! look!"
numerous people were calling for the four of you. you had to keep your cool and not loose it on national television. you faced your sight forward again, and you saw your dad look at you from your peripheral vision.
you just ignored him. maybe today is a good thing.
maybe you'll find out more than what your dad cares to tell you.
"endeavor! the society is in need of a new symbol of peace! do you think you can fulfill the role all might did?"
you hate endeavor for all it's worth, but from a hero standpoint, you feel bad for the guy. the only reason why is because you know someone else who's been through a similar crisis.
katsuki bakugo.
on no level is katsuki ever like endeavor. but there's a fine line between the two that seem similar to you.
the way they deal with the public.
their personality as a hero.
you've had this talk with katsuki, someone who's mean and arrogant. he's never going to be nice to his fans and bring the warmth and comfort like say..izuku would.
endeavor will never bring the same amount of comfort all might has, because they're no where near the same.
endeavor has his own way of being a hero, and that's okay to you. he doesn't have to be like all might, just like katsuki doesn't have to be like izuku who you know, he envies for his compassion and drive to make things right.
so comparing the two just won't work.
but again, media gets what they want and they get it well. they'll never understand the mindset of heroes.
"the symbol of peace is something that all might himself has taken pride in. i however, am looking for something else."
you'd give the old man credit, he's taking the obvious backlash hit well.
"whether or not it's up to par with that of all might is up to you, but it doesn't change the fact that i will continue my drive to keep society safe."
this time, you side eye shoto who still stares ahead blankly. you'd usually be able to tell what he's thinking, but whenever the topic of his dad gets brought up, it's almost impossible to come up with his exact thoughts.
"endeavor! how does it feel to work with one of the most successful non-heroes right now?"
"lucky, to be accompanied by satoshi rai. together we'll fight the evil forces of our nation."
"shoto todoroki and y/n rai!"
and so it begins.
you two look at the male reporter who stands up from his chair in the front row. the crowd dies down and some scoot closer in their seats, ready to take in every word about to be spoken from you two for the first time.
"how do you two feel about your father's teaming up?"
the cogs in your mind get to running. you've always been someone who can come up with words off the top of your head and make them make sense. you rarely stutter with your words, so now you have to dig deep and make sure that not only do you not fuck up and say the wrong thing, but you also sound confident with what you're saying.
"we're most definitely intrigued to see where this team up will go." shoto speaks for the both of you. the reporter looks at you for confirmation and you nod.
"do genes really run deep then? does this mean we can see a possible team up in the future with you two? the new generation of heroes are out of this world! you'd make an unstoppable team!"
"two heroes like us teaming up is far more complicated than our father's who have different occupations teaming up." you wanted to say more, but the bare minimum is alright.
"while on the topic you and todoroki," a different reporter stands up. "you two seemed to really have it out for each other during ua's annual sports festival. you were neck and neck the entire time! and not only that, you were really at each other's neck in your battle in the final round. is there some sort of conflict between you two? how do you feel about each other?"
you had made a pact, but it seemed like neither of you could help it. you turned your heads to look at each other, resulting in cameras clicking. you know you and shoto don't hate each other, you can see it in one's eyes. but the public can't see that, so you both look back at the reporter and simply shake your heads.
"so is that a no? you two have some sort of an acquaintance then?"
"there's no bad blood between my classmate and i." you put it into words.
"there's no teamwork with the sports festival. it's every person for themselves, so of course we'd be at each other's necks. but looking past that, we are friends." shoto's monotone voice adds on.
"just friends?"
the crowd gasps and some whistle.
"just friends." you two say in unison.
"then y/n rai, i know you keep up to date with the media and news."
you nod. this is your first solo question of many, so to have this much attention on you, it's honestly nerve wracking.
"i know you've seen many reports on you perhaps... having a significant other?"
you slightly pick your head up as the crowd once again gasps. "this is an interview about my father teaming up with another. is this an appropriate time to ask questions like this?"
"well, both of your fathers signed the contract that not only allowed to be up there with them, but that we were allowed to ask any questions that piped our interest."
both you and shoto look at your dads. if you had known about this contract, that definitely would've been nice. the fact they kept it hidden makes you slightly slip up and stare at him in annoyance.
"my apologies." you look back at the reporter.
"so? evidence points clear at your fellow 1-a comrade, izuku midoriya. is this true?"
'if they signed a contract that allows the media to ask anything, it's possible the contract also might've said that i have the right to refuse a question. but if i straight up say that, i think it'd only make things worse in my case..'
"while evidence can point clear, a teenagers love life is none of your concern, thank you."
'she shut the question straight down..' shoto thinks. he looks out to the crowd where some looked shocked, some look skeptical and the reporter himself sits down in disappointment. 'if they push the question, shut it down with wording that makes it seem like they're the bad person.'
"see shota, they'll be alright." present mic rubs aizawa's shoulder. "they can separate the good from the bad, the professional from the unprofessional."
"rai! you were the winner of the sports festival! do you think you deserved the victory? someone like you, i was quite shocked to see you hold your own against the boys."
"what do you mean by that?" you lift an eyebrow.
"w-well do you think the boys went too hard on you? too easy and that's why you won?"
"daughter you don't have to answer that." your dad whispers to you.
"no no. i've been waiting for this one." you whisper back before making eye contact with the male. "what does that mean, going too hard? like the public thought one of my classmates went on another female?"
"oh you mean katsuki bakugo and ochaco uraraka?"
"yes. people claim he went too hard on a 'female', which i think is a bit sexist don't you think?"
"well the people think what the people think."
"do you think a female doesn't have what it takes to go against a male? if so, then why wasn't he booed during our match?"
"w-well it was proven that you were able to demonstrate strength-"
"and uraraka wasn't?"
"of course, but looking at it from a viewer in the stands, uraraka seemed way out of bakugo's league."
"any one of us deserved that victory. we worked hard to get to the final round." shoto nods in agreement to your words, making the crowd cheer and some clap. the reporter sits down and another stands up.
"endeavor! are you angered that rai took the victory over your son?"
"...rai rose to the occasion more than shoto did."
"that didn't answer my question."
"no."
'lie of the century..' you think.
"shoto todoroki! how did you feel about your father's sudden encouragement during your matches in the final round?"
you mentally sigh. of course this was gonna drift away from the main topic. it's a field day for the media today. not that it's your fault, your father's should've known better than to bring you and shoto along.
"unexpected, but appreciated."
'lie.' you quietly snort.
"satoshi rai! will you let the same thing that happened to catalyst happen to endeavor?"
but damn, are you glad they did.
"what happened to my previous partner was in no way of my control."
"do you blame yourself for her disappearance?"
'disappeared without a trace, only the work of a vigilante.' you look at your dad.
"the burden of losing a partner is natural."
"y/n rai! what's your relationship with katsuki bakugo? you really seemed to have it out for each other, more than you were with shoto todoroki, but you two were captured by the league of villains. is there anything more to this seemingly rivalry relationship?"
"we are friends."
"how did it feel to get captured by the league of villains?"
a spike had hit your heart.
"what happened when you were there?"
you sucked in a breath. it seems like they've been dying to ask this question.
"did you think ua was going to save you?"
it seemed like the whole world went silent. it seemed like every single pair of eyes to ever grace this world were on you.
in the common room, your classmates are dead silent. they were laughing, eating and giving their opinion on the current interview. but now, they all wear straight faces, breath sucked in to hear what you're gonna say.
in the teachers lounge, your teachers are dead silent. they watch the screen in anticipation, watching as your mind processes with your words.
"i've always put my full trust in ua. that includes my life and whatever danger i'm in." you answer with a blank face.
it was like everyone breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
"back on the subject of katsuki bakugo, you've experienced his harsh and brash personality. do you think he'll ever amount to that of a villain?"
all eyes in the common room go on the ash blond. he seems calm, staring at the screen ahead with a straight face. but they can see his fingers fiddle with his pants.
you really are a villain. i wouldn't be surprised if you joined the league of villains.
"no." you shake your head once. "katsuki bakugo will be one the greatest heroes we've ever seen."
"very well then." that reporter takes their seat.
"endeavor and satoshi rai! how do you two plan on keeping society safe?"
"there is no 'plan' to keep everyone safe. you just put your best foot forward and let actions speak for yourself."
"agreed." your dad speaks up. "there's no telling when a villain will make their move. all we must do is stay calm and be prepared for when they do."
"shoto todoroki! please tell me, how did you acquire that burn on your left eye?"
you wanted to punch that reporter so bad you'd feel bad and pay for her medical bills.
you noticed endeavor tense up a small bit, and he should.
"asking personal questions to only a teenager is very inappropriate." shoto hides his discomfort.
the crowd gives their opinion. some nod and verbally agrees while some whine and beg for the answer. adults can be so immature sometimes, and it's sad that you shoto have more class at 16 than they ever will at 20+.
"you and endeavor are very private about your family. what's going on in the todoroki household?"
"that will never be anything of your concern." endeavor thankfully shuts down.
"satoshi rai and y/n rai. the chemistry a father and daughter should have just can't be seen with you two. what's the reason behind this?"
"not every family meets the criteria of others." your dad speaks for the both of you.
"is it because of what happened to your wife?"
"negative." your dad says.
"y/n," a female reporter stands up. "can i call you that?"
you simply nod.
"is it true you've inherited your fathers quirk? it was at the top of news for a while."
"is it something to get angry over?" you ask.
"judging by that question, you have seen the reports and opinions on it."
you nod.
"people have their opinions, and some can be angered with the fact that you and your father kept that hidden from the world. how do you feel about that?"
"life goes on. and people calm down."
"are you like your friend next to you, shoto todoroki? have you also inherited your mothers quirk?"
tough question. you don't know for sure if your mom's quirk is actually leg enhancement. you've been leaning towards another answer you have yet to tell your closest allies.
the public also doesn't know that you had no idea you've inherited them in the first place.
"it's impossible for the human being to posses three quirks."
fuck it. it's believable enough.
"that's a really good statement. and that brings up my next question. neither your mom nor dad seem to have a quirk that has to do with lightning. how did that come about?"
"in very rare instances, one can inherit a power that's neither their mom's nor dad's. it can perhaps come from an ancestor or relative."
"are you saying that's the case with you?"
"let's go with that." you nod.
"and now how do you feel about your dad teaming up with someone other than your mother?"
you almost wanted to laugh.
so your mom used to be the number one hero, that's cool.
someone who was in their prime even before i joined the ranks.
so all might wasn't lying to you. that's good, you know he's at least an honest man.
"i was a baby when the two joined forces, so how do you want me to answer that?"
you'll make her look stupid, for your own entertainment of course.
"are you becoming a hero to maybe one day fulfill the role she had?" a different reporter asks.
"i've chosen the path of a hero simply to make the world a better place."
"and how about you, todoroki? what's the reason behind wanting to be a hero? does it have to do with your dad?"
"as y/n said, making the world a better and safer place is a goal of mine."
"how do you two feel knowing your parents were and are the top heroes? is that motivation? determination to be like them?"
"ranks are nothing more than comparing and contrasting. as long i help keep society out of danger's way, being number one is no goal of mine." you say.
"shoto?"
"she put it into words perfectly."
"my my! is there definitely a resemblance between the two of you! i mean look at you both! the hair, the eyes, the short amount of words." the reporter says that last line with gritted teeth. "is there something deeper than just coincidence that makes you two practically twins?"
"the two are just a perfect match for each other." your dad speaks up. "it happens."
"rai! what's with the eyes? a hero with eyes like yours, i'm kind of creeped out!"
"judging by looks always gives a bit of insight on who you are as a person." you say.
"class 1-a students..how do you two feel about everything that's happened to your class this year?"
"unfortunate." shoto says.
"do you think the other classes of ua resent you for everything that's happened? do they show their distaste for you two and your friends?"
"man, they're rough.." ojiro says.
"poor todoroki and y/n..having to be put in the spotlight like this, it must be hard." mina says.
"the media has gone completely out of line with their questions!" iida yells at the tv.
"that's the only reason they were brought along, don't you think?" kirishima sadly leans his head on his fist. "just so they can get insight about ua?"
"while it seems like we've been targeted, it's never been completely our fault, and it's in no way of our control." you say.
"and how do you feel about being targeted? do you think it's your fault?"
"no." you and shoto say in unison.
"asking these types of questions to kids.. media nowadays have no filter." aizawa shakes his head in disappointment.
"it seems like todoroki and rai have figured that out by now, and thankfully answering in a way that gives the media no way to give the school backlash." cememtoss says.
"they're smart kids, sucks that they're dealing with stupid adults..." midnight sighs.
"asking a child about getting kidnapped? that was probably traumatizing for young rai.."
"what's underneath the blanket that ua refuses to speak about?"
the way you've wanted to just stand up and leave by now isn't even funny anymore.
"ua installed dormitory systems to keep all of their students safe and under the administration's surveillance. have you had a chance to think that the night during your training camp is the reason why they were implemented?"
"have you ever thought about the fact that our class might not be the only targets for the league of villains? installing dorms is a good way to keep all of the students safe." you answer in a slightly irritated tone.
"endeavor! why the flames on the face? it looks sort of childish for a number one hero."
you tightened your throat to prevent a monster of a laugh from seeping through. you heard a low hum from todoroki as he also tried to fight back a wheeze. your lips were starting to twitch, fighting against the thin line your lips were currently pressed into. you both inhaled a shaky breath through your nose only to clear your throat and look down at your lap to position yourself.
cause i'll start laughing.
you had bought yourselves time by looking down in your lap, so you let a smile slip through as you had now started to fight back tears. you took the risk in side eyeing shoto who was lightly pounding his fist on his knee. his eyes were wide open and he was struggling to breathe during his fit of silently laughing.
after some deep breaths, you lifted your head back up to see the reporter who asked the question taking their seat. you must've missed endeavor's answer, which you think is for the best. any justification to that dumbass question would've made you break the character you were playing.
"final question of the day goes to you, satoshi rai. how come we haven't seen you with a significant other? have you seen better days after katsumi rai?"
"pft-" you couldn't hold it in anymore and covered your mouth with your hand. you heard the sound of the same exact thing, so you guess shoto did it too. you dropped your head, letting a few wheezes escape. you heard hushed laughs from beside you and you didn't dare look back up at the appalled crowd.
the curtains started falling and that's when you uncovered your mouth and let out the most hysterical wheeze. shoto was taking rushed breaths before letting out a kettle-like laugh, ironically. you finally looked at each other, and that only made you both laugh more.
you both started hitting each other while keeping eye contact. maybe you were being dramatic, but you started spazzing in your chair and shoto started banging his fist on the desk. trying to come up with words was impossible, so you two just kept laughing together as your dad's sat there unpleased.
"that- was so worth- everything!" you finally get out before laughing again. by now, there were tears leaving both of your eyes as you and shoto held onto each other, shaking in your seats.
hours later
"i bet you didn't think i'd find out about mom out there huh?"
you were slurping on your ramen while your dad was tightening the screws to katsuki's gauntlets. he looked displeased with today, which is completely his fault.
"bet you're regretting letting me tag along huh?" you smirk, slurping your ramen as loudly as you could.
"it doesn't matter. you can find out all you want, i still forbid you from trying what she tried."
"yeah sure." you let it go. "why didn't you let me read the contract? what if i didn't wanna go out there?"
"i knew you'd be alright out there. you and your friend handled yourselves just fine."
"that didn't answer my question.."
"you wouldn't have watched the interview if you weren't there, so you couldn't have possibly known about things that were said."
your eyes widen at his answer. so he wanted you to hear about your mom.
"so mom was the number one hero? and you two were a team? how was that?"
your dad turns around and grabs a new add on to katsuki's gauntlet. he closes one eye and looks at the part before nodding and inserting it into the support item. "she was a great hero, and we were the greatest duo the world had seen. before all might, your mother was our symbol of peace. believe it or not, she's the one that created that name before all might took it."
"so..where was all might during this?"
"still a young hero. but after everything that happened to your mother, all might took her place. their quirks were similar, so society was able to find that peace in him that katsumi had."
"similar quirks huh..." you whisper. "anyways, why do i have to intern with you? i was fine with mirko."
"mirko taught you a lot about your parkour skills and how to use your surroundings, but you know rody is far better at that than her."
"rody? seriously?" you grimace. "you know he's impossible to deal with."
"you can still learn more from him. and you two seem to get along just well."
"doesn't make him any less annoying.."
your dad shakes his head. "it's late, and you have that trip to nabu island tomorrow right?"
"yeah, we leave first thing in the morning."
"then take these," your dad pushes the newly made gauntlets to you. "and get back to the dorms."
"alright. thanks." you say before standing up. you were staring to walk out before your mind registered what you had said.
stopping, you turn your head to your dad who had his eyes wide. he hid his shock though when you two made eye contact.
"no problem."
sigh, there's probably so many errors this chapter. but im honestly too burned out to skim through this 7k word chapter. it'll be fixed in the future, pls ignore them and thank you.
tbh, idk if im feeling the new name of bakugo. smt about calling him katsuki is weird to me.
idk, what do y'all think?
anyways, i hope you enjoyed and we're FINALLY onto heroes rising. oh BOY, have i been waiting for this one.
random fact/head cannon:
the line "with how long you know this is gonna take, you should've ate something or drank some type of energy drink", is more of a reference to me than rai. god did this chapter take forever.