Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Tetsutetsu and Pony each head to the 'Super Secret Meeting Place', that place being the secluded corner of the courtyard. Mina mysteriously appears from the shadows with a devilish grin on her pink face, "I'm glad you could all make it. Now, let's get down to business."
Pony slightly whispers to herself, "To defeat the Huns..." Though, she's only noticed by her classmate.
"Why aren't [M/N] and Bakugo here?" Sero raises a question that no one else had thought up.
The pinkette chuckles, "That is the exact reason I have gathered you all here today." She takes a prolonged sip of her bubble tea, "Kirishima and I have conversed prior to this group meeting, and we have found you, the most appropriate recruits for this mission!"
"I'm getting strong Haruhi Suzumiya vibes and I'm living for it." Kaminari states, met with the agreeing nods of his peers.
"I like that energy!" Mina points at the blond before continuing, "Anyway, the reason you all have been gathered here today. It seems we have a romance in our mists." Kirishima and Tetsutetsu both say a series of 'ohs' and 'ahs' to further the dramatic atmosphere, "Kirishima, may you please present your evidence?"
"Evidence? Oh, you mean that!" He beams as he faces the group, "Bakugo likes [M/N]-!"
"And [M/N] likes Bakugo-"
They finish the likely scripted piece, "But neither of them know it!"
After a moment of silence, Sero brings up the question on everyone's mind, "So how exactly do you plan on getting those two knuckleheads together? They aren't the most open people..."
"This is why we're hoping the first phase will break the ice- phase one, a classic romance manga studying session!"
-
Where the hell is everyone? I'm getting flashbacks to my first day as I hopelessly search the canteen for anyone I want to spend time with. I finally do spot my broccoli haired cousin, unlike the first day where he was out of site, and I take a seat in the empty side of the booth, "Hey guys." I take a bite of Lunch Rushes glorious curry.
"Hey [M/N], what brings you here?" He asks with a grin.
"I'm lonely, all my friends have buggered off somewhere." I go to dramatically lean backwards, only to bump heads with someone, "Ow, what the- when do you get here, Icythot?!" I feel a singe on my hand so I pull it back with a yelp, however I feel a sudden chill overwhelm my body, "Now that's just not right."
As if he had been summoned by the sound of distress, Tenya, Tenya Iida comes rushing to the scene of the crime,"Todoroki, you cannot just burn people you dislike! Assault is a serious crime!" I'm somewhat disappointed that my guardian angel is a tall, strict and stocky man but I guess I'll have to make do.
B-tech Prince Zuko just heavily sighs and goes back to his lunch. He mumbles something but I don't think anyone could catch it.
"So final exams are just around the corner," Uraraka starts, "We better do good if we want to have fun at the training camp."
"That's right, our studies are top priority, so you better not slack off!" Iida glances at me.
I take another bite of my curry, "Hey, for once I'm actually gonna' be on top of things. I was thinking of asking Katsuki to help me study..." As I say it, I realise the likely hood of him accepting to tutor me is about one in a million.
"Oh yeah, I think he's actually letting Kirishima study with him." Izuku beings to mutter, "So he might actually let you join..."
My cousin goes on a tangent, which Uraraka quickly interrupts, "Also, Yaomomo is hosting a study group and I'm sure she wouldn't mind you tagging along!"
"I think I'll pass. I'm pretty sure Kendo or Shiozaki have something planned anyway... probably."
As if it were a perfectly timed cue for a television series, the exact blond we were talking about makes his way to the table. Actually, it's more accurate to say he is following someone to the table, that someone being Kirishima.
"Why are we here, shitty hair?" He grumbles while looking down at his feet, his usual harsh glare plastered on his face.
"[M/N], there you are! Bakugo and I wanted to know if you wanted to study with us?" Katsuki and I share a look of surprise at this, the same kind where your uncle is just as surprised as you to see what present your aunt got you for your birthday, even though the present was supposed to be from the both of them.
"Sure, I was just saying how I need someone to study with."
Kirishimas grin widens, "Great, we'll meet you after school!"
"Wait, hold on-" I try to ask him where everyone's been but he bounds off like the adorable puppy he is. A brief yet all the more confusing encounter.
"Looks like you won't need Yaomomos study groups after all."
"Yeah, let's just hope it doesn't go tits up."
-
I pull out my phone to check the time- they're ten minutes late. I've been waiting by the school gate for God knows how long and I have half the mind to ditch the two idiots right now.
Never mind, they're here, Katsuki as shouty as ever.
"Do I really have to fuckin' do this, shitty hair?!"
"Yes, Bakugo, otherwise it'll be even harder for you to conf-" Kirishimas head snaps towards me,
"Oh, hey bro!" He does that little mini jog thing, dragging the blond with him, "Let's get studying!"
Apparently, studying means silently mulling over the menu while Kirishima gets hit over the head with a physics textbook by a very infuriated Katsuki.
"Oh, look at this one!" My finger lands on a haven of diabetes, myself and Kirishima both drooling over the sugar coated mound of chocolate, "I swear not even two people could finish this." The fake red-head nods in agreement but instead opts for a slice of red velvet cake
My eyes wander to the blond, way too invested in his choice of food, "What're you gonna' eat man?" Kirishima asks the question that had been bouncing around my skull.
"Water."
The two of us look at Katsuki, completely dumbfounded. There are so many delicious treats to choose from here, a better selection than Cremes, but this man choose H2O, "Dumbass, do you even have a sense of taste, or are you an Android sent by Cyberlife?" Now it's my turn to get stared dumbfound at, "Game reference."
Kirishima calls over the waitress, a woman dressed in a poofy yellow dress akin to the uniforms in Ouran Highschool Host Club, and hey, the only reason I know this is because Pony forced me to watch the first three episodes of that God forsaken reverse-harem.
"What would you boys like to order?" She flashes us an unnaturally huge smile but surprisingly, it doesn't seem disingenuous. I excitedly point to my sugary paradise, "Sorry honey, but only couples can order that. Here, we like to spread love all year round, not just on Valentines Day!"
My face falls and I begin to sink into the booth, "Wait, those two are couples." Kirishima points to Katsuki and I, "They're blushing 'cus they just got together."
"O-Oh, okay, I, ah,- I apologise for my ignorance!" She quickly bows and runs to the kitchen. After about thirty seconds, she rushes back to our table, collecting the other two orders.
"I better be getting some of that chocolate." I lift my head from my hands, trying to hide the prominent blush on my cheeks. Usually I'd have some sort of comeback in this situation but I'm stuck a stuttering mess, "Uh, yeah, whatever..." I try to distract myself by revising the notes I'd just scribbled down, however it's near impossible to concentrate.
Eventually our food comes, two spoons coming with the Chocolate Souffle, "Enjoy!"
"Wow, that really is lovey dovey..." Kirishima sweatdrops, along with Kats and I.
The Souffle itself looks fine but the decorations on it scream romance. I swear this is one step away from having some maid make me chant 'Oishiku nare, moe moe kyun!'*
We eat mostly in silence, save for the occasional tutoring and explanations, mostly from Katsuki.
"Oh shoot, I have to go. You guys stay here!" Kirishima quickly packs his stuff and leaves, not giving us a chance to ask where he's going. We quickly realise how awkward it is without the ball of sunshine keeping us distracted.
I furrow my brows as I stare at the worksheet. Low-key thinking I might be going insane, as the words and numbers and whatever other characters there are, are all swirling around the page,
"Hey, dumbass, drink some water."
In my slightly dazed state, I simply nod and continue to blankly stare at the page, my hand not reaching for the glass of water, "Oi, are you listening?" He kicks my shin, startling me into being somewhat functioning.
"Yeah, sorry. Hydrate before you dydrate, haha." I attempt to ease the tension with a shitty joke as I take a sip from the glass but start to feel uncomfortable when I feel Katsukis piercing gaze trained on me, "What, is my hair a mess?"
He shakes his head, "No. Did all that chocolate make you sick?" I don't get where this sudden concern is coming from but you bet my ass I appreciate it.
"Nah, it's just emotions and stuff."
"Emotions are dumb, just punch things."
I almost choke on my drink, "Honey, your monkey brain is showing." He then proceeds to grumble a string of curses.
With the atmosphere now a little lighter, I'm finally able to concentrate on my work and actually get pretty far with it. Before we know it, it's around seven and it's time to head back home.
Despite the season, it's actually pretty cold, cold enough to want a coat. Of course I didn't bring a coat, it was sweltering earlier.
"You're so lucky, your quirk can probably keep you warm."
"I saw you melt Icyhots ice at the festival."
Oh yeah, that was pretty cool. I haven't been able to pull that off again, "Yeah, but I was like, running and stuff. I can't pull a stunt like that right here."
I continue walking until I realise Katsuki isn't next to me. Eventually he jogs towards me with a coat over his shoulder, "Here, since you're so cold. Give it back to me at school." I always thought I'm the manly one but around this guy I definitely feel like a bottom.
"I'm not a girl, you know..." He scoffs at the statement, "Thanks, though." Damn, feelings really do be hitting hard, maybe I should try punching something.
The coat is almost a perfect fit, a bit short on the arms but nothing too noticeable. This is actually kinda' romant-
No, don't be stupid. He's just being unusually kind to me for no apparent reason, that's totally normal, right? For fucks sake, I'm getting tired of my bitching, I should just tell him. If it goes well, that's great, and if I bottle it, he'll probably hate me forever and want nothing to do with me, maybe even resulting in him bullying me as bad as Izuku.
Yep, I'm never gonna' tell him. It's better if I just box up my emotions like I do with most things and live with the regret for the rest of my life. Anyway, I have other things to focus on, such as heroics or my work.
I get pulled back, the blaring honking of a horn blasting my ears, "You fucking idiot! You can't just walk into the road like that! What the hell is so interesting that you daze off like that, huh?!" He drags me while he shouts, like an angry mother pulling her bratty kid, "What, were you thinking about someone or some shit...?"
"What if I was, Suki? It's none ya' business anyway!" I stand my ground, watching to see how he'd react.
"It is my business, it's the reason I had to save you from getting run over. So who is she?" Wait, he actually cares? Nah, I bet he's just trying to set me up for bullying. Actually, this could be the perfect chance to let him know I swing both ways.
I hide my face in the little face covering bit of the coat, "It's a guy..."
I hear his breath slightly hitch, "So I was right. You are a homo bastard. Guess I shouldn't say that, it kinda' sounds homophobic." At least he isn't a total dick.
"I mean, I'm actually more pan, or bi? It's a whole confusing thing, if I say I'm pan some people immediately label me as someone who's into bestiality or something..." Cue the brief moment of shock. Now get ready for the processing, and finally...
"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner? What, you think that I hate LGBT?"
I suppose that's a big part of the reason and I can't exactly tell him that I'm attracted to him, "I mean, you bully Izuku because he's quirkless, which makes him different, so it's not too different." The air grows stiff, neither of us daring to utter a word for what feels like hours.
"It's... it's different. Being quirkless makes you weak and-"
"It's not different! Twenty percent of the population is quirkless and that's like what, thirty-five million people, way less people identify as queer, so by that philosophy I must be extremely weak to you!" I didn't realise I was raising my voice until I said my piece, "I don't want to fight with you, but how the hell am I supposed to take your word? You're violent to anyone who differs from your norm, so how the fuck am I able to believe you?"
"You've just got to believe me!"
"How am I supposed to do that that?! You've said homophobic shit before!"
Katsukis grip tightens around my wrist, "Holy fuck why won't you just-"
"Katsuki, prove to me that I can trust you!"
He yanks his arm away from mine, sending me almost toppling over, "Because I think I'm gay, alright! I like another dude!" It seems he didn't mean to say what he did, as he immediately covers his mouth.
"Suki, look, I'm sorry."
"Just go away, I want to be alone right now..." Despite his words, I'm a master at telling when someone isn't showing their true feelings because I do it myself.
My eyes fall onto a nearby park. I grab his hand and guide him towards the small bench that's nearest, "What the hell are you doing?"
"You are going to talk about how you feel, whether you like it or not!" The blond tries to fight back but I've locked him in an iron grip, "My decision is final, maybe this'll make you less angry too." I practically push him onto the bench, taking a seat next to him, "Okay, I'm horrendous at trying to figure out my own shit but I am damn good at psychoanalysing other peoples problems. So, first things first, how did you figure out your orientation?"
He gets up to leave, only to have my arm block him, "This is dumb." I still refuse to move, "Fine, I'll talk." The bombastic blond relents and flops back down onto the bench. It takes him a moment to finally give his answer to my question, though, "I guess I figured it out when I realised I liked the person. I actually felt like an idiot for not realising it sooner."
I pull out the tricks the school safe-guarding people used on me, "Why exactly is that? Why did it make you feel like an idiot?"
"I guess 'cus he is always around me? It felt like everyone knew before me, especially raccoon eyes." Hold on, why Mina?
"And why do you think she knew before you?"
He takes a moment to respond, "'Suppose it's because she tried to set me up with you-"
Huh?
"Shit, I didn't say that! You know what, this conversation never happened!"
"Wait, Katsuki!"
Never mind, he's already gone. Of course he's the type to leave you with something like that. I could make my mind run in circles and try to figure out why the hell he's acting like this and what my next steps could be, or I could completely block out these feelings until our next confrontation.
-
Next thing I know, a couple days have passed, today being the day of our physical exams and as I expected, Katsuki is nowhere to be seen, neither are any of my 1-A friends. Until today, that is. My heavy and almost limp body gets dragged towards the ruckus that is the Bakusquad, minus the 'Baku'.
"Dude, where the hell have you been?! You haven't turned up to any of our study sessions, we were totally worried about you!" Kirishima rapidly shakes me.
Mina joins in on the 'Fuss over [M/N] Train', "Yeah, not to mention that you've obviously been trying to avoid us during lunch."
"Okay, not true, I've just been really tired, that's all. I didn't even realise you guys were trying to get my attention."
Kaminari shakes his head, "Nuh-uh, we can totally tell something happened, and considering that Bakugo's been acting weird lately, we can only assume it's an issue between the two of you!"
I fold my arms and somewhat pout, "So what if it is?"
Now it's Seros turn to talk, "Marital spat, perhaps?" He shrugs his shoulders in the most sarcastic way known to man, "Seriously though, just tell us what happened so we can help you."
After looking at their pleading faces, I decide to give in, with a hefty sigh of course, "Fine. Basically what happened is after the first study session, while we were walking home some stuff happened and Katsuki inadvertently confessed his love for me." I pause at the end of my sentence, uncertainty in my voice, "I think?"
The table grows eerily quiet, followed by an outburst of noise and a barrage of questions, "Well, what did you say to him? That was the perfect chance to tell him your feelings!" The pink toned girl bounces in her seat from excitement.
"Woah, calm down. I didn't even get a chance to say anything, he ran away." Like a pussy.
"You need to go talk to him." Sero reasons, to which I decline. Mina mutters something about her plan failing, met with the comforts of Kirishima and Kaminari.
Luckily, the wailing subsides when everyone's favourite punk-rock girl asks what all the noise is about, along with her antithesis Yaoyorozu, "What're you guys yelling about? Are you trying to scare [M/N] away or what?" They're actually doing quite the opposite.
"I think it would be good to rationally talk this through, with less noise." The two take a seat at the ends of the booths.
"How about we don't talk about this and I can leave?" Unfortunately everybody is against my request. Even Jiro wants to hear about this.
"What would you have said to Bakugo if he didn't leave?" The red head asks.
I have to really think about this one, "To be one hundred percent with you guys, I don't even know what I would say. I'd probably just ask if he was being serious or just cappin'."
"I'm sorry, what is this about?" Spiky ponytail asks.
"Oh, nothing much, Bakugo confessed to [M/N]and they haven't talked for a whole week since then, which is stupid 'cus [M/N] likes him back." Thank you Kaminari for letting yet another person know about my personal life.
Surprisingly, Jiro actually contributes, "Just let them talk when they're ready. We're all gonna' be stuck together at the camp anyway." Sero and Mina seem to be catching on to what she's inferring, Jiros smile turning sinister, "They will have no choice but to communicate with one another." Wait, I recognise that twisted grin, from Aizawa maybe?"
Of course yet another person comes to crash this disappointing party, "Oi, [M/N], come quick, class meeting!" A sign, no, a saviour! I can be free from this hell of getting barraged with questions.
"Thank you lizard girl!"
She pauses for a minute, "You know I hate you calling me that but I like the energy!" She hates being called that, yet her hero name is literally 'Lizardy'.
I quickly shove my way out of the booth, "Sorry guys, duty calls." I sarcastically chime and head to the classroom.
Upon my arrival, the loud ruckus of my classmates dies down, Kendo announcing that now everyone is here, we cam begin the meeting, "Afternoon, everyone!" I mumble a quiet 'good afternoon', "As you all know, today is the day of our physical exams."
"Boo!" Kosei, Setsuna, Juzo and myself chorus.
Kendo clears her throat, "Uh, thank you... Anyway, I called this meeting to give you all moral support. There is no doubt this test will be difficult, so we all need to buckle up and do our best!" The majority of the class cheers with her, "Remember, if you fail this, you will have to work a lot harder at the camp."
Is this seriously all I came here for? I thought it'd be something more dramatic, a murder mystery at least, "Kendo, we're all gonna' do great. The only person I see failing is Monoma as his head is too far up his-"
"I cannot believe you'd stoop so low to such crude insults. Clearly you have failed to come up with any original material, truly disappointing."
"You two better not fight like this in case you two have to team up."
I nudge Tetsu, "If that happens I'm probably better off forfeiting."
Monoma chortles, "If that happens then I'm probably better off forfeiting."
"Stop copying me!" We yell in unison, making everyone around us laugh.
Shiozaki notices my riled up face and tells me to calm down by placing a hand on my shoulder. Kosei seems to take note of this, "Oh, calm down Mr Vice President-" Kaibara mirrors Shiozaki and puts a hand on his friends shoulder, though noticeably more rough than Shiozaki.
He mutters something faint, "Don't heckle your classmates, idiot..."
The red head claps to get our attention, "As I was saying, I believe we can do this, so lets beat those robots, hold our heads high and go beyond Plus Ultra!" The rest of us chant the infamous motto with her, which shortly gets cut off by the end of lunch bell.
"Aw dip!" Lizards snaps her finger in the sort of 'dammit' way and I have to agree. I decide to show my frustration by flopping down into my seat for the nth time this school year, surprised it hasn't given way yet. It's what to expect from U.A, considering there's students such as Bondo attending the school. He's a big bloke but a shrinking violet and his quirk is an arts and crafts supply.
Another example of ways this academy accommodates for it's larger students is the gargantuan doorways, our classes one being swung open by our form tutor, sorry, homeroom teacher, "Oh, you're all here already. I was gonna' have some of my food real quick as I've been doing work all lunch." Aw, I feel sorry for the big guy, "I suppose you're all excited for this exam. In that case, grab your hero suits and haul your asses to the changing rooms, then meet at the uninhabited city."
Well, this is it, time for the physical exam. I either whoop some ass or have my ass beat. I need to do my very best if I want to train my very best at the summer training camp. With that, let the Exercise Exam begin!
.
.
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= 'Oishiku nare, moe moe kyun!'*- A 'magic spell' often used in maid cafes, where the maid will prompt you to chant the spell with her to make your food taste good and to fill it with good feelings.= 'Oishiku nare' means 'Make this food taste delicious'= 'Moe moe kyun' originated from the anime K-On, where a character named Ritsu visualizes another character named Mio dressed as a waitress in a maid cafe and saying "moe moe... kyun!"