Izu reamined still, eyes blank. Uraraka and Iida stood, eyes filled with concern. "He's got a blank look on his face and isn't moving a muscle! Is this Shinso's Quirk?! He didn't stand out at all, but could he actually be someone amazing?"

He's a hindrance. Not amazing. "Shinso Hitoshi from General Studies has gotten the better of Midoriya Izuku from the Hero Course! Who would've imagined this?! Will the bottom really overthrow the top?!" Geez he's overreacting.

Well, it is kind of a normal reaction.

With a Quirk like his, he could easily be a Hero or a Villain. It's a shame the exam relied mainly on those with strong physical Quirks. Otherwise he'd probably be in our class.

"You're lucky that you've been blessed, Midoriya Izuku. Turn around and walk out of bounds." Shinso commanded.

Izu turned and began to walk. No! Izu! "Huh? What?! Midoriya's being so obedient!" Izu! I bit my lip as he continued to walk. "Deku, why?" Uraraka asked, worry etched onto her face.

Even Iida was beginning to twitch in his nervous state. "If you go out of bounds, then you'll lose the match!" He waved his arms around madly.

As I thought, it is that Quirk. "Shinso Hitoshi. Quirk: Brainwashing! Answering his question turns on a brainwashing switch in his opponent's brain, forcing them to do what he says. If he doesn't want the brainwashing switch to turn on, it won't!" Present Mic explained to everyone.

I only have met one person with that Quirk. Unfortunately she was murdered.

Can Izu overcome this? He worked so hard. He fought with all his might. He's come so far in only a year. He has to overcome this.

There is a way to escape. He could receive a shock of sorts. But there's nothing down there. Just him and Shinso. Would my voice be able to reach him? I don't know if it will.

The chance it will is incredibly small. I stood, clenching my fists.

He's close to the edge now. Almost out of bounds.

No.

I opened my mouth to scream, but I noticed something. His fingers twitched. My eyes widened a bit. No way. But . . . there wasn't even a shock. "You probably don't understand, but even with a Quirk like this, I have my own dream. Now, lose for me." Shinso said.

Izu moved his fingers down, with the power of One For All activating. The force picked up the wind, but it didn't break anything.

The dust cleared to show Izu stopped just before the line, panting heavily.

He did it. "Midoriya stopped!" Mic announced and the crowd cheered loudly.

Iida threw his arms in the air. "Midoriya!" He cheered gleefully. "I'm, I'm so glad." Uraraka smiled, relief washing over her face.

I stared at Izu a bit. He broke his fingers. I see, he broke them on purpose to stop himself.

I smirked a bit. "Not bad, Izu."

He glanced back at his opponent over his shoulder. Ojiro sat down, bringing his hand on his chest. He's also relieved.

I think everyone is. At least in our class. Well, maybe not Kacchan.

"Why? You shouldn't be able to move freely! What did you do?" Shinso demanded. Izu quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

That's right. Good job Izu. If you respond to him again you'll be sucked into his Quirk again.

"What did you do?!" Shinso shouted. He's losing his composure. Izu shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned, facing Shinso.

If Shinso has any hope for winning, he's going to need to make Izu talk. But Izu knows his secret.

The trick to his Quirk. "Say something." Izu just pressed his lips firmly together. "You can produce that much power just by moving your fingers? I'm jealous."

Izu didn't speak. No, he charged towards him. "Thanks to my Quirk, I've been behind from the start. Someone who's been blessed like you can't understand, can you?" Ah, his tone changed. A sensitive subject for him.

But you're the one who doesn't understand. Izu knows better than anyone what it feels like to have an unfair advantage. Born without a Quirk with a dream to become a Hero. However he could never reach it, because he was bullied by those with Quirks. Being told again and again by everyone he needed support from that the cannot become a Hero.

You don't understand his suffering. You have no idea what you're talking about.

"Someone like you who was born with the ideal Quirk! Someone who can reach your goal!" Shinso roared, becoming more and more desperate, more and more angry.

Izu kept charging at him, mouth shut. He rammed against Shinso and continued running, pushing him towards the boundary. "Say something!" Shinso punched Izu. But Izu continued to push him.

In his desperation, he punched Izu's injured hand, startling him. Using Izu's distraction he got out of his hold. "You've got to be kidding!" He slammed his hand to Izu's face, the other on his chest as he tried to push him across the line. "You get out!" He screamed.

Izu grabbed his collar with one hand, the other on his arm, before throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him out of bounds.

He did it.

Midnight raised her hand into the air. "Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to round two!" Phew.

The crowd roared in approval, as did my classmates. He made me nervous there for a bit. Seriously, what a troublesome kid. "In the finals, the first person to advance to the second round is Midoriya Izuku from Class A!" Mic cheered.

Our classmates expressed their relief and happiness.

Not bad Izu. That throw reminds me of what he did to Kacchan during training. He led him to it too.

He's using any experience he can to force the flow to change in his favor.

I wonder if his style will ever morph. "Yahoo! That was kind of a boring first match, but we should praise them both for a bravely fought match. Clap your hands!" The crowd did as the idiot hero said.

Izu and Shinso are both standing in front of one another again. Neither of them looks really happy though.

Izu is probably dwelling on what Shinso said. He probably believes he is blessed, and maybe he is.

But I don't know if One for All can really be called a blessing.

Even though it gives you incredible power, look what it did to All Might.

Broken. Distraught. Always suffering under the crippling expectations of society. And always a target. That's what lies for Izu.

"Shinso, why do you want to be a Hero?" Izu finally asked. His expression holding that of sadness, curiosity, and something else.

Shinso turned a bit. "You can't help the things you long for." He responded before heading back.

I suppose he has a point. It's not as if we ourselves can control everything about us. We can't control our emotions. We can't control what our Quirk is. And we can't control where we are born.

This truly is a cruel and unforgiving world. Where no one ever wins. This is our reality.

"You were really cool Shinso!" Huh? As Shinso was heading back and out of sight, one of his classmates waved from his spot up above. Ah, quite a few of them.

"Good job!"

"I was really surprised!"

"You're the star of General Studies!"

"You put a great fight against the guy who placed first in the obstacle course!"

I stared at the scene. As they all stared down happily, excitedly, even proud. "Besides-" One of his friends pointed up towards a small group of Heroes.

"That Quirk would work quite well against villains. I wish I had it." The buff lizard looking one mulled. "U.A.'s not very smart if he's in the General Studies." Another said.

His classmates looked back at him, grinning. "You hear that Shinso? You're amazing!" Uraraka smiled widely and giggled happily at the scene.

The scene that somehow reminded me of spring. Spring and something else. "I don't understand."

"Huh?" She looked over at me, but I continued to stare at the scene. "I don't understand." I repeated. Not for her. To myself.

This scene . . . it normally wouldn't happen. It's unlikely. This is not how people respond. This isn't what they'd bother to say or even do. People would never comfort someone like that. People would never understand something like this. I don't understand.

This is a strange place.

Shinso left the arena and Izu had left as well, but he didn't return immediately. He probably went to the infirmary to get his fingers fixed.

Todoroki and Sero both got up and left, getting ready for their match against one another.

Present Mic is saying something, but I can't hear it. I only hear a sinister voice echoing throughout my mind. An all too familiar voice.

"Get up. Get up Kiriya. Get up right now!"

"Kiri-Nee?" I jumped a bit, snapping my head in the direction of Izu's voice.

He frowned a bit, confused about my behavior. "Are you alright?" Uraraka, Iida, and Kirishima stared at me.

I closed my eyes and stood. "Yeah, just tired. I'm going to go to the break room for a bit." I stood from my seat and left our viewing area.

I stopped a bit, in the middle of the empty sidewalk. Everyone is sitting around me in their seats. I brought my hand up and clenched the cloth to my chest. His voice roaring through my mind, even louder than before.

Keiichi's sinister laughter bounced throughout my skull after, making me wince.

"He's good!" I blinked as another voice roared over the other. I looked over to the arena below, actually thankful of the loud Heroes voice.

"He's good, but what's with that plainness he just can't get rid of? From the Hero Course, it's Sero Hanta! Versus! Taking second, then first in the prelims! You're way too strong kid! He wasn't recommended for admission for nothing! Also from the Hero Course, it's Todoroki Shoto!" He announced.

The crowd went wild, excited mainly for Todoroki. The son of Endeavor.

The second match began, the instant it did, Sero launched tape as quickly as he could, making it wrap around Todoroki. The instant he did he swung him, aiming to throw him out of the rink before he has the opportunity to counterattack.

The best strategy against Todoroki. But those two are Leagues apart.

Todoroki looked at him with cold eyes. Ah, no, wait. There's something in those eyes. There's fire. Anger. Something's gotten him riled up. And it wasn't Sero.

Ice grew and launched toward Sero, hitting him hard and going wide.

The earth shook at the impact of his attack. My body recognized the drastic drop of the temperature as I stared at the ice, not that far from my face, with an indifferent expression.

I reached up and tapped the ice, inches away from my face. "Total overkill." Kid needs to get a hold of his emotions.

He shot the ice so high it left the arena. I want to know what ticked off Mr. Cool and Reserve so much. Must be impressive.

I walked around and out of the ice's way to see the scene. Ah-ah. Sero is frozen. And so is half of Midnight. Wish I had my phone so I could take a photo. "Sero is immobilized! Todoroki advances to the second round!"

The crowd tried cheering up Sero. I mean it does seem unfair to pit those two against each other. Kid didn't even have a chance.

I think it might've made him even more depressed.

Todoroki walked up to Sero, placing his left hand on him. Steam began to form as he began to thaw him out and melt the ice all around. Just what got into the kid exactly? What caused the great Todoroki to lose his cool like that?

As I continued to stare at the kid, I realized something. Despite what his image has fooled other to believe, I could see something. Something that not many would be able to.

Todoroki Shoto looks incredibly sad.