The end of the hour was drawing near when Bakugou snuck out from his hiding place. His thoughts fresh with the words exchanged between Todoroki and Deku.

Out of all the emotions swirling around in his mind, frustration seemed the most imminent. What with Todoroki's revelations and Deku's response, it was no wonder why he felt so conflicted. He was annoyed at being ignored and yet unsettled for what lie ahead of him. What exactly could their bout mean for him...and should he be worried?

He was walking towards another tunnel when he stumbled across a different scene. Now his confusion was even more jumbled.

In front of him was his friend, Kirishima, sitting on the grass with his back leaned against the wall and a soft expression on his face. But that wasn't what had thrown him for a loop. No, it was that you were cuddled onto his lap snoozing away while the red head absentmindedly played with your hair. Not only that but you were wearing a short skirt and a matching crop top.

He blinked several times, thinking the image would fix itself if he did. Was today a dream? Was he going to wake up and realize that it was all a nightmare?

"What the hell are you two doing?" Bakugou barked, announcing his arrival. He cocked his head at Kirishima who looked alarmed by his sudden appearance.

"Oh, hey," the red head replied in a hushed tone. "You might wanna keep it down. (y/n) isn't feeling too well; she's taking a nap."

His answer took him aback for a split second. You weren't feeling well? Bakugou's initial coldness wavered briefly before switching back to why in the hell you and Kirishima were so snuggly.

"Break's almost over and this dumbass is taking a nap?" He scoffed and kneeled by your side. Your form looked small the way you cocooned yourself close to the red head. You were so peaceful he almost didn't want to wake you up, but something about how Kirishima hung over you protectively didn't sit well with him.

His agitation was furthered more when his friend gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze and whispered in your ear. "(y/n)? Hey, we've gotta get going..." You murmured in response. With a light sigh, you nodded and nestled deeper into Kirishima's tender hold.

Bakugou felt the urge to knock his hand away as he witnessed this. Instead, however, he pulled you upright by your arm jolting you awake.

"Mmm!" You grunted, pushing at the object that had grabbed you. But Bakugou was resistant.

He slapped at your cheeks softly enough so as not hurt you, but hard enough were it would irritate you. And irritate you it did.

Through strained eyes you punched the object, successfully managing to shove it off of you. You then crawled backwards and bumped into a pair of arms. You weren't too keen on being touched, however you could tell there was no malice in these hands. They held you, but in a comforting way.

Your awareness flurried into focus as you finally took in what the hell was going on. You had come outside with Kirishima and he let you take a nap on him while you two waited for the break to end. But now Katsuki was beside you rubbing his nose and grumbling curse words at you. How did he get out here?

"Katsu...?" You questioned drowsily. The hands on you must belong to Ejirou then. Sure enough, you turned around and were met with his softened gaze.

His smile was almost brighter than the sun shining down on you three. "Welcome back to the land of the living," He chuckled. "How you feeling?"

"...much better," You responded through a yawn.

"I bet. You weren't the one punched in the goddamn nose!" Katsuki growled, massaging the injury.

"Well you were being rough with her," Kirishima shrugged.

"Yeah! What the hell is your problem?" You joined in.

"We would have been here all day if we had waited for your lazy ass to get up! It's already time to go back!"

Your eyes widened upon hearing this. "Shit, really? Ejirou, why didn't you wake me up?"

"I was going to soon, but you looked like you were enjoying yourself. I thought I'd wait until we had to go," He replied with a heartwarming beam. The heat of his stare brought on a fluster throughout your body. You did your best to calm the warmth invading your cheeks.

Katsuki noticed how you shyly tugged at your skirt and shifted your gaze away from the red head. A sharp pain in his heart caused him to immediately get to his feet, pulling you up in the process. "Alright, can we go now? We're gonna be late."

A frown ghosted over Kirishima's features, but disappeared as fast as it had arrived. "Yeah, we'd better get going."

However, he wasn't the only one who had given Katsuki a questioning look. You too glanced at him carefully, wondering what was going on with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three of you headed back in, joining the rest of the masses as they made their way towards the stadium. You and Kirishima had struck up your own conversation and were happily basking in each others' company which left Bakugou lingering behind you two.

He watched as your figures hung close to one another. Kirishima seemed fixed on your every sentence while you yourself were laughing and joking around with him. Every so often your elbows would brush bringing a heavy feeling into Katsuki's chest.

Since when were you guys so buddy buddy?

The thought was interrupted when you glanced over your shoulder to him. It was brief, but he caught the sad gleam in your eyes before you replaced it with a smile. The confliction in him further twisted when he saw this. Were you angry with him? He thought you two had settled your differences earlier.

Not one for subtlety, Katsuki pushed through the crowds that seemed to be getting thicker by the minute. He had been a few paces away, but still within distance of keeping up with you two.

Bakugou managed to snatch your wrist and pull you aside, much to your bewilderment. Eijirou was too busy commenting on the competition that he didn't catch your sudden disappearance.

"Katsuki!" You gasped once you realized it was him. "What are you doing!?"

He didn't reply, but instead searched around. He must have found what he was looking for because he then guided you both out of the flow of the crowd. He led you to an indentation on one of the walls that hid you two away from the bustling students.

You stared at him, baffled by the turn of events. "Katsuki, what is going on?"

His gaze bore into yours unsteadily, as if trying to form the questions he had rampant in his head. He finally settled and looked you straight in the eye.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"...what? I--no--"

"'Cause it seems like you're still pissed off about earlier. I thought we were past that."

"I am--"

"And you're ignoring me for Kirishima and wearing that stupid uniform--"

"I am not ignoring you!" You glared, the emotions you had shoved down were now beginning to resurface. "But if you feel so ignored, why don't you go find Uraraka? I bet she'll be less of an annoyance than I am."

Katsuki's demeanor changed into one of surprise. "What? Why the hell are you saying that?"

"You two spent your lunch together right? Then why is it so bad that I had mine with Eijirou? At least he was--" You bit your tongue before you could let it slip out. But it didn't escape Katsuki.

The blond stepped forward, caging you against the wall with one of his arms."He was what, huh? What did he do?" He challenged.

You took a deep breath before meeting his intensity. "He was there for me when I needed someone."

The fire in Katsuki's eyes burned brighter, but you didn't back down. "I damaged my arm in the last event and I needed someone to watch over me while I tried to heal it. I went to look for you, but last I heard you were with Uraraka. Plus, I know you didn't even want me here in the first place so how could I ask you for help?"

"I had no one to turn to." Your courage began to wane as the rippling emotions of that day played back like a bad dream. "I called you after the practice with Nezu when I was at my lowest. And all you could say to me is that I had no chance of making it. Do you have any idea how devastating that is to hear from the one person you thought had your back?"

Your eyes were glassy with tears, but you pushed them back. You didn't want to cry.

"I'm not mad at you...but it hurt, Katsuki. It hurt a lot."

You wrapped your arms around yourself and looked away. You hated showing weakness. Oh how you wanted to run away at that moment.

However, the blond didn't intend to let you do that when he suddenly leaned closer, bringing his head right next to yours. You could hear the rhythm of his breathing from how short the distance between you two became.

"I get it, it was fucked up to hear that coming from me. But you know what else is fucked up?" His rough voice sent a slight tremor through your body as the heat of his breath hit your ear. "The possibility that I would have to see you get sent to the emergency room again. I didn't tell you not to come because I don't believe in you. I want you to be careful."

"I trust you, I do, but there are some things you just can't predict," Katsuki continued. His frame towered over you, however there was no aggression in his stance. "Please...promise me you'll use your second quirk as little as you can."

You turned slightly to see his expression but his face was covered by his hair. "I don't want to see you in the hospital again, dumbass."

Your chest ached from the emotions beating inside you. You didn't know what to feel anymore. You understood where Katsuki was coming from, but you also felt so strongly about your own disposition in the Sports Festival. You had worked so hard and for it to be taken away because there was small room for error? What situation didn't have that?

But you valued Bakugou's words. It wasn't a lot to be asking your friend to be cautious about using something so dangerous. You wouldn't want him to do something reckless either.

You let out a long sigh. "I can't promise you that. I won't know what I can do unless I test it out." The blond's glance finally came up to yours though it held a bit of frustration. "But, I will take it into more consideration," You compromised. "I'll be careful."

Katsuki shook his head with a humorless laugh. "God, you have such a hard head sometimes..." You could tell he was upset that you refused to listen to him, but you knew it was because he cared.

His other hand came up to push a strand of hair out of your face. You felt an odd swell in your heart as you tried hard to withstand the fierce aura that was Bakugou.

His eyes shifted away as he spoke next. "And if you need someone, come find me. I don't care what I'm doing, who I'm with, or what I said, just come get me, alright? Better for you to have me around then some chump who doesn't understand your situation."

Your eyes widened, but Katsuki pretended as if nothing were out of the ordinary. It was uncharacteristic of him to be so selfless in order to help someone else. Though a shock, perhaps this was just a testament to how much you have both grown in your friendship. Maybe Bakugou Katsuki did have a soft spot underneath all that rough texture.

You hummed softly as you watched his unquiet features. "Thank you, Katsuki."

This earned you a roll of the eyes. "Whatever, glow stick, it's not a big deal."

You smiled to yourself as your vision half flitted over to the tunnel of students. To your alarm, the number of passersby had decreased exponentially. The sound of the roaring crowds could now be heard more clearly through the hollow hallway.

"I think we should get going," You warned, gesturing to the few stragglers racing to catch up.

The blond nodded, though he still seemed to be brewing with thoughts. You noticed this and took his wrist. "Come on, you big grump, let's go!" You giggled and tugged him through the huge space.

Katsuki scolded your sudden actions, but found himself drawn by your tiny frame. The way your skirt swayed and your hair bounced as you two ran was jarring to him. He wasn't used to seeing you all made up. He'd seen you in your school uniform skirt, sure, but this was a mile difference.

He was in shock by how well you wore it. Bakugou would have never imagined you wearing something so girly, but you pulled it off a thousand times better than what he'd expected. The colors, the design, the size...it looked like it was made for you.

He felt his stomach churn uncomfortably. Katsuki didn't understand why, but the reminder that Kirishima, as well as the others in the arena, got to see you like this was a bit disappointing to him.

You two eventually reached the entrance where the other students had gathered. You both had gotten there just in time because everyone then started to make their way in.

You were trudging along when a familiar voice called to you two. "Hey! Hey! Over here!!"

You glanced over and saw Mina squeezing her way through the crowd to get to you. Her pained expression was immediately replaced by a look of astonishment however. "Oh my go...." She gasped, covering her blushing cheeks with her palms. "You look so cute! I'm glad I gave Momo some pointers when she was making your uniform! It fits you like a glove!"

"It's a little tight around my thighs..." You chuckled, pressing your hands to your hips and gazing down at your legs.

"(y/n), you can't keep all that ass to yourself," Mina grinned coyly and gave you a wink. "You gotta share some of it with the rest of us."

An embarrassed smile spread across your face as you nervously bit your lip. Mina was probably just messing around, but it was hard to tell when she gave you those subtle quirky eyes.

Katsuki then cleared his throat, making you both aware that he was still here. "Can you stupid asses get moving? They're gonna start soon."

The pinkette pouted and groaned. "Fine, Mr. Bitter Britches. Come on, (y/n)! We're gotta join the other girls!"

"Oh! Bye, Katsuki! I'll see you later then!" You said suddenly as Mina led you away from the huddled masses. The blond didn't respond, but instead left you with a longing stare that you didn't know how to decipher. He seemed...almost disheartened.

Your worries were grinded to a halt, however, as a booming voice resonated from the stadium's speakers.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!! Lunch break's over folks! Now we're getting to the nitty gritty!" Present Mic hyped up the audience. "Time to go over the results of the last game!"

"But before that, I've got some good news for those who are out of the running! This is a sports festival, so we've prepared recreational activities that everyone can participate in, too! We've even flown in some cheerleaders from America to get you guys pumped up!"

You frowned and shifted your vision to the group of tall, slender women doing all sorts of stunts and flips. They moved in perfect unison, all turning cogs to an intricate, well-oiled machine. Which begged the question, then why were you guys out there?

"Um, Mina, are you sure Aizawa wanted us out here?" You inquired. She was also beginning to look a lot more confused. "That's what Momo and Jirou said."

You two glanced over at them who looked slightly panicked. "Um, Yaoyorozu? What exactly did Aizawa say to you guys?" Uraraka asked next.

"He didn't tell us," Jirou replied as if putting the pieces together. "Somebody else did."

"Who?"

"Was it Kaminari or Mineta by any chance?" Tsuyu chimed in.

"Yes, it was," Yaoyorozu answered, surprised. "How did you--"

"They're over there."

You followed the girl's finger to the edge of the student crowd where the two devils stood gawking and blushing madly. You could see them whispering between themselves as you and the girls watched from the sidelines. Your blood ignited in fury after realizing what the hell happened.

You stared at them, a deathly glower emanating on your brow. "I'm going to kill them."

But before you could even attempt to stomp over, the speakers blared out. "Huh? What's this?"

Your body wanted to scream when you saw the screens all across the stadium light up with the faces of you and your classmates clad in short, cheerleading uniforms.

"What are they doing?" You heard Aizawa's voice rumbled through the intercom.

"WHY, CLASS A!!?"

"Mineta, Kaminari! You tricked us!!" Yaoyorozu shouted at them, but they were off in their own little world. That was the first time you'd ever seen her raise her voice.

"How could I have let myself fall into Mineta's schemes?"She huffed and sank to her knees. Uraraka was right behind her, patting her back soothingly. "After I'd worked so hard on making the uniforms..."

"Those idiots!" Jirou scowled and threw down her pom poms. You were right there with her, laying down your cheer gear in exchange for cracking your knuckles. "Care for some revenge after this?"

Jirou blinked, but then eyed you with a small grin. "Yeah, I'm down."

"Hey, there's still time before the finals! No sense in sitting around!" Hagakure assured. She then began waving her pom poms and dancing in a crazy manner. "Let's just go with the flow! Who knows? It could be fun!"

"You're enjoying this, huh, Toru?" Tsuyu smiled.

"Uh, right, moving away from that, I hope you all have fun competing in the recreational games!" Present Mic brought the crowd back into focus. "Once that's over, it's on to the final event!!"

"Sixteen from the four teams that made the cut last round will duke it out in a formal tournament! One-on-one style!!

You and the 1-A girls then wandered back over to the mass of students who collected themselves right at the base of a giant monitor. Luckily, you managed to find Katsuki and Ejirou among them. Above, the screen displayed a branching map that detailed how the match would go down.

"A series of one-on-one battles, huh? Can you believe it? We'll be standing on the stage they show off on TV every year!" Kirishima beamed with exhilaration.

You grinned, his excitement really took a load off of your anxieties. "Yeah, I forgot this was broadcasted. It feels different now that we're the entertainment."

Mina nodded in agreement, then quirked an eyebrow. "Was it a tournament last year too?"

"It's a different type each year, but it's always a one-on-one competition," Sero jumped in with an explanation. "Last time, it was a sports chanbara match."

"How can they make it so unique every year? They've gotta eventually run out of ideas," You pondered to yourself.

"Yeah, last year's battles sucked ass. I hope they've prepared something better this time around," Bakugou huffed.

A few moments later, Midnight arrived holding a yellow box. She grinned eagerly as she made her way up the stage, her handcuff bracelets clinking as she went.

"Now then, the matchups will be determined by drawing lots. Once we have the bracket settled, we'll continue with recreational festivities and then the tournament!" The hero explained. "Our sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they wish to participate in the upcoming activities. I expect some of you would rather rest and save your strength."

"Well then, let's begin with the first place team--"

Out of the blue, a boy in front of you raised his hand and called out to the teacher. You recognized him as someone from 1-A.It was the male with a large tail and short blond hair.

"Um, excuse me..!" Midnight raised her brow, but allowed him to finish. "I...I'd like to withdraw."

A series of gasps exploded in waves as everyone turned to look at him. Even quiet natured Izuku spoke up. "Ojiro, why?"

"This is a rare chance for the pros to see you!" Iida added in.

The boy known as Ojiro sighed and lowered his hand. "I can't remember anything from the cavalry battle up until the very end. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with that guy's quirk..." It was a split second, but you followed his gaze which landed on someone you knew all too well. It was Shinsou from the general studies program.

The male who had helped smuggle you into the Sports Festival turned away as another pair of eyes found him. Midoriya, ever the fickle one for detail, must have figured out who Ojiro was paired up with during the battle.

But was this really Shinsou's doing? You'd only seen his quirk in action once and you didn't remember anything about memory loss as a side effect. However, it was possible you just didn't pick up on it the first time.

"Isn't that your little pal over there?" Katsuki whispered to you. He was saying it begrudgingly, but your trust in Shinsou didn't waver. He was a good guy, and besides, wasn't the whole point of the Sports Festival was to show off your quirk? He didn't do anything wrong.

"I know this is a great opportunity, and I know how stupid it must seem for me to throw it away," Ojiro replied to Iida, "But everyone here made it by their own strength. And yet I'm standing here and not knowing how or why."

"You're thinking about it too much!" Hagakure consoled. "Show what you're made of in the tournament instead!"

Mina surprised you by chiming in as well. "Yeah, by that logic, I shouldn't be here either."

"Are you sure you wanna do this? You got here by your own merit somehow, doesn't that count for anything?" You encouraged, a sad frown marring your expression. But the male merely shook his head.

"That's not it. It's about my pride. It just doesn't feel right." He hid his features which were trembling with disappointment. "Also, why are you guys wearing cheer outfits?"

Okay, perhaps not with disappointment.

His selflessness, however, brought Kirishima to tears as he clenched his fist in solidarity. "This guy...! He's so manly!"

"There, there, buckaroo," You chuckled, rubbing his back.

Katsuki rolled his eyes at the pair of ex-contestants. "Idiot..."

You then heard the distinct hum of Present Mic murmur over the speakers. "Hmm, we have an unusual turn of events..."

Aizawa exhaled in agreement. "I wonder what our coordinator will decide?"

Midnight stared at the student with a gaze that could weigh a ton. Her cold eyes seemed as relentless as the suspense she kept the audience in. She tapped her foot slowly against the stage until she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"What a simple, naive mind..." She sighed. However, her demeanor was acrobatic the way it did a 180 in less than a second. The deafening crack of her whip brought everyone to attention. "I LIKE IT!"

"Ojiro, I officially accept your withdrawal!"

Well, Midnight seemed excited about that. But that still left the others in Shinsou's group who didn't say anything.

Your question was answered right after as the shiny boy from 1-A rested a hand on Ojiro's shoulder. "I'll win for you!" The tailed boy seemed less than ecstatic by sparkles' comment.

"Replacing him will be a member of Team Kendo, who took fifth place."

You saw Itsuka place her hands on her hips and let out a sigh. "If that's what's going to happen I'd rather let them take our spot since we were immobilized the majority of the cavalry battle. They were giving it their all to stay at the top. Team Tetsutetsu that is." She turned to her teammates who nodded as well. A grin curled itself on your lips. Typical Kendo, as honorable and just as ever.

The team in question whipped around to face your friend, a jaw-dropping shock registering on their faces. "Kendo...?"

"Don't worry, we're not colluding or anything," The girl offered a soft smile, "It just feels right."

It seemed like Ejirou wasn't the only one who was on the brink of tears because of others' compassionate personalities. Tetsutetsu closed his fist against his chest, overcome with emotion. "You guys...!"

After settling who would be the one to proceed, Midnight clapped her hands together. "So be it! Tetsutetsu brings us back up to 16 competitors!"

The heroine then extended her hand to the screen. "And so, this is the bracket based on the results of the drawing!"

Tetsutetsu v. Kirishima

Yaoyorozu v. Tokoyami

Ashido v. Aoyama

Midoriya v. Shinsou

Todoroki v. Sero

Iida v. Hatsume

Uraraka v. Bakugou

(y/n) v. Kaminari

Your breath caught. You were up against Kaminari, the dude who'd nearly wrecked your arm last time you confronted him. This was going to be more of a test on your tactics than on your strength. Caution was going to be your new best friend.

Another striking revelation was the Bakugou and Uraraka matchup. The two had been training together for a good while so they probably had a good grasp on each others' techniques. Whether they could counter them was now up in the air.

It also felt strange that they had been close to one another during this time only to have to fight each other. It irked you a little for inexplicable reasons, but the way they were constantly being paired up was bothersome to you. You didn't want to think too hard on it; it would just end up making you feel more confused.

Instead, you opted with turning to poke fun at Katsuki. "Well, look at that. How the universes align, huh?"

"Shut up, glow stick," He growled, but then crossed his arms and released an exhale. "So...Uraraka then?"

"Yeah, and it seems she's not too thrilled about it." Kirishima pointed to a mortified brunette. If panic was a person, she was it in that moment.

"He is rather intimidating," You mused.

"Now, let's set aside the tournament for a momentary interlude! Let the recreational games begin!" Present Mic proclaimed right as a shower of fireworks erupted in the sky. You and your classmates stood enjoying the vast array of colors while the audience cheered jubilantly.

Amidst all of it, you suddenly spotted Shinsou making his way by. Your joy sparked remembering his kindness in helping you sneak in, so you started towards him, wanting to congratulate him. He was one of the few from the other programs to become a finalist which was pretty impressive. You also felt like showing your gratitude for what he did earlier.

You were a few feet away when you witnessed him running into Izuku. Your happiness transformed into a frown as you watched the scene unfold. You couldn't hear anything, but the way he regarded Izuku was enough to make the boy shrivel up. Shinsou spoke to him but before Midoriya could answer, Ojirou clamped his mouth with his tail. You saw Shinsou cock his head and grin. He then turned, walking away from the encounter.

It must have been fate that put him in your path because the next thing you knew he was striding your way. On his face was a different smile, one more amiable than the one Izuku had received. "Hey you, thought I'd lost you to the crowds," He greeted.He then abruptly cleared his throat once he eyed your wardrobe. "Uh, that's an interesting choice of clothing."

You were glancing behind him when his words caught your attention. You hugged yourself self consciously. "I was tricked into this."

"Hey, no judgement here. You look good." If Shinsou wasn't an expert at hiding his emotions, you might have seen the sputter of his expression. But he stopped himself short and forced his gaze away from looking for too long.

"What was that back there?" You asked.

He sniggered to himself. "Oh you know, just meeting my competition."

You raised a brow. "Uh huh. You know it's not a rule to be threatening towards your opponent."

"But it does help," Shinsou teased with a confident finger.

You rolled your eyes. "Whatever. I didn't come here to chastise you, I wanted to congratulate you on your win. You came in third, that's really awesome."

"Aw, you're giving me too much credit. You've gotta give it up for my teammates as well," He chuckled.

You furrowed your eyebrows. He was probably referring to his partners that couldn't remember anything from the battle. Despite that being the case, that meant that Shinsou was the one pulling the strings from the beginning and still managed to break into third place in the last second. That was quite the feat.

"I'm sure they did great under your guidance," You said playfully. But the male surprised you by responding to your banter with a slightly serious look.

His eyes avoided yours as he spoke. "You know about my quirk, right? You're not upset by what I did?"

"Why would I be?" You questioned. "You used your quirk like how it was intended and rose above with it. How could I be mad at that?"

This must have alarmed him because his features read a mixture of shock and thoughtful. He stared at you as if trying to make you out. Like he almost didn't believe you. But behind that expression you knew that he did and that it was his own doubt seeping into his mind. "Right...thanks."

"Oi, nightlight, headphone jack girl is looking for you," Katsuki informed as he wandered over to you and Shinsou. He then scanned the new person up and down. "What are you doing here?"

"Katsuki..." You scolded. "Don't be rude."

"It's alright. I shouldn't expect anything less from the guy who basically named himself king at the start of the festival," Shinsou retorted.

But Bakugou had no shame. "And? What's it to you?"

You breathed out deeply and stepped between the two. "Enough. There's no need for this." You glanced over to the other contestants who were headed towards a table that Midnight was manning. "We have to go decide if we're going to be in the games or not."

Katsuki turned to you curiously. "Are you?"

"Hmm, I don't know. I'm open to having some fun that won't exhaust me for the next round." You were pensive in your thoughts when your eyes landed on Mineta who was harassing Yaoyorozu and the other girls. "Hey, you said Jirou was looking for me?"

"Yeah, headphone girl, why?"

A smirk twisted onto your face. "I think I just found something to do, but I'm going to need a couple extra hands..." You shifted towards both males. "Care to join?"

Shinsou watched you with intrigue. "What is it?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The roar of the festival went on in a flash. The Pro teachers who weren't involved with hosting the games were seated away from the public in a designated area that gave them a perfect view of the arena. Among them were Thirteen, Snipe, Sekijirou, and, of course, All Might. Though no one was the wiser since he was in his thin form.

His worries lay with Midoriya who had been joined by the student who had chosen to withdraw. They were conversing about what he could only hope was a strategy on how to defeat his opponent in the next match.

However, his focus was averted when he spotted you and Midoriya's respective opponent running around chasing Mineta and Kaminari. You and Jirou had cheer uniforms at the ready while Bakugou and Shinsou corralled them into a corner.

"An exciting festival wouldn't you agree, Yagi?" The hero turned to find his superior coming back with a cup of tea and returning to his seat.

"Yes, sir." Toshinori nodded and flickered his gaze away from you. He had a hard time believing Nezu had actually changed his mind about you attending and would rather not steal your efforts by revealing you.

"Your young pupil seems to be doing well," Nezu praised. "I can see he is trying just as hard as the others. Endeavor's son is also doing flawlessly. I didn't even have to think twice about accepting his recommended enrollment and today justifies that decision."

The rodent took a sip of tea and peered over the railing. "However, the most surprising one to me was (l/n). Her tenacity is far stronger than I would have imagined. And yet she's only demonstrated one of her quirks thus far."

Yagi froze. So he did see you. But then...

"Was young (l/n) allowed to participate in the Sports Festival again?" He asked.

Nezu merely chuckled. "It seems like she came to that conclusion herself, though there was no input from me." He set his cup on his lap and sighed. "She entered into the festival on her own despite my explicit instruction not to. Despite the dangers that could be posed for those around her."

Yagi didn't know how to read the principal's unquiet features, but continued by offering his aid. "Sir, if you're afraid of anything going awry, I can go down there--"

"No," Nezu said curtly with a wave of his paw. His gaze fell on your group of friends. They were all laughing hysterically with you at how miserable Kaminari and Mineta looked in their uniforms. "No, she's held her own during this competition. I'd like to see what else she can do for the time being."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, Mineta! You wanted a cheerleader. Shake those pom poms faster!" Mina urged, tossing around her own equipment.

"Maybe he needs some motivation," You drawled out and shifted towards Katsuki. The purple grape met the blond's fiery red eyes just as a crackling explosion detonated in his palm. Needless to say, Mineta did as he was told.

Shinsou chuckled as he watched the two dimwits flailing about in accordance to the other girls' demands. They looked depressed and like they were starting to regret their perverted prank.

"Well I certainly didn't expect to be doing this, though it is amusing..." Shinsou laughed as you meandered over to where the boys were. Katsuki as well and Ejirou and Sero were there watching the spectacle play out.

"They got what they deserved. I'm just glad Yaoyorozu was kind enough to make two more uniforms," You replied. "What about you guys? Are you gonna be wall flowers until the tournament hits or what?"

"The recreational activities aren't all that exciting," Sero complained. "I tried the scavenger hunt and it was a bore."

You giggled sympathetically when Hagakure skipped over and tugged on your arm. "Hey! We're gonna do some cheer stunts right now and we need another person!"

"Cheer stunts? Do you idiots even know how to do those?" Katsuki raised a brow.

"Sure do! I was on my middle school's cheer team so I know some moves!"

The blond rolled his eyes. "You guys are gonna break your necks."

"We'd appreciate the help of a couple of fellas..." Hagakure sung suggestively to the others. But Shinsou shook his head. "I don't think I'd be any help. I'm not that strong."

"Kiri, Sero, you guys wanna help us?" You asked. The joyful smile on your face made it hard for the red head to say no. But to be fair, it also seemed pretty fun what you guys were doing.

"Sure, count me in," Ejirou grinned back. Sero sighed and shrugged. "Eh, I'm dying of boredom, what the hell."

"Yay! Okay, let's go!" The invisible girl exclaimed and darted towards the girls' group. You chortled at her childlike mentality and grabbed Kirishima's and Sero's wrists. They were laughing nervously as you pulled them out onto the field.

That left only Bakugou and Shinsou.

The blond kept his arms folded across his chest while he watched you dorks scamper off. Kaminari and Mineta had managed to sneak away while you and Jirou were distracted and were now nowhere to be seen. Their presence wasn't missed though. You guys were now focused on the instruction Hagakure was giving that included Kirishima and Sero as the base.

Katsuki watched as you two conversed and finally put her teachings to action. Kirishima put his hands on your hips as you jumped and twirled up to let him catch you by your feet.

Holy shit, maybe little Miss Disappear did know a thing or two...

His astonishment vanished when he heard Shinsou chuckle under his breath. "Who would've thought that someone like that was friends with someone like you?"

Bakugou gave him a scalding glance and scoffed. "I could say the same for you." His eyes scanned over the nonchalant figure. "How the hell did she even meet an extra like you?"

Shinsou let out an annoyed sigh. "Is that your thing? Constant belittling 'cause your own ego is so fragile?" He slid his hands in his pockets and clicked his tongue. "If you must know, I met her when she was getting bullied by her classmates. Isn't that part of the reason she couldn't come today?"

Katsuki's demeanor changed. A lot of questions were now forming. You told him about your predicament for today? When did you befriend this guy? And what did he mean by 'getting bullied by your classmates'?

His reaction must have been visible because Shinsou stared at him curiously. "You didn't know that did you?"

Bakugou said nothing and turned to face the group again. You were being tossed in the air by Kirishima and Sero, doing all sorts of flips and stunts as you came back down. You were laughing vibrantly as Sero let the redhead take care of the rest. Kirishima spun you in his arms and swung you up so you could stand on his hand with one leg. It seemed like you two really got the hang of it and were making it look easy.

The lavender male let out a chortle. "Huh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised since you're so full of yourself."

"But yeah, I ran into her when she was trying to clean up her marked up desk. I could tell she was trying to tough it out and keep cool so I helped her." Shinsou's brows knit together with fondness as he recalled the day. "Maybe that's why I did. She was putting on a brave face when I knew she was a hair's breath away from falling apart."

Katsuki watched Shinsou out of the corner of his eye. He probably didn't realize it, but there was a small, subconscious smile on his face. "She's always been genuine and I've never had a reason to doubt her kindness, which makes it even more unbelievable that someone like her calls you her friend."

"He was there for me when I needed someone."

The blond grit his teeth into a scowl. "Don't pretend to know everything about me," Katsuki spat venomously. His own anxieties threatened to spill into his words. "You don't know shit about her either. So just keep your fucking nose out of where it doesn't belong."

Kirishima, now this prick... Was Katsuki really so distant with you or was it that you didn't trust him to rely on? He would've blamed it on the lack of communication these past few days but what Shinsou was referring to was from way before then. Just when he'd finally thought you two were in good standing.

As if on cue, you ran over to both of them. "Katsuki, Shinsou! Could you guys help us out? You don't need to do anything, we just need some judges."

"Oh it's a competition now?" Shinsou said with a grin.

"Of course! This is a Sports Festival after all," You beamed back. You gazed over at Katsuki who was looking pensive. You were interested to know why but you didn't say anything. "So? Can we borrow you two?"

"Whatever," the blond shrugged and walked past you. Katsuki was always in a simmering mood, but this seemed different. You were going to catch up and question him about it when Shinsou spoke up.

"That guy's a real piece of work."

You pouted thoughtfully and sighed before glancing back at the purple haired male. "He's just a bit complicated. It's hard to describe him."

"You look like you got a good grasp on him though. Didn't know you were a 1-A student."

"That was a new development I didn't tell you about. Turns out they thought I'd do better under the guidance of Aizawa."

Shinsou nodded. "So does that mean you know that Midoriya kid? Got any good tips for me? He's my opponent during the tournament."

"I saw that," You hummed in response. You didn't want to give too much away since Izuku was your friend, but Shinsou was also. The situation just wasn't in anyone's favor.

"I won't go too in depth, but I'll give you a warning. Avoid his punches," You finally answered.

That reminded you, when Izuku was fighting Todoroki in the cavalry battle he did something strange. You'd never seen his quirk activated before so witnessing it there you reacted with surprise. At least that's what you thought it was. But the more you thought about it, the more it tickled your memories.

You were in shock, but for the wrong reasons. That energy you had felt from Izuku was not your first experience with it. It was your third. Even stranger, the first two weren't from him. That raw power was something you had seen from All Might the day of practice with Nezu. The first time you hadn't been conscious for it, but you could guess that it was when you had transformed into your demonic form.

So, how was it that this sweet, gentle-mannered boy had the same aura that radiated off of All Might, THE number one hero? It was a question that still lingered in your mind.

You put those thoughts to rest for a moment as you neared the group. Right now wasn't the time to be fretting over stuff like that. You deciding having fun with your friends was a better way to ease your nerves for the upcoming battles.

You were up against Kaminari, and though he was a pushover in amicable situations, when he was in battle he was completely different. Your clash in the cavalry event was enough to prove that you were going to need a good strategy if you wanted to take him down.

Lest you suffer the same scorching fate as before. 

Hey, everyone! I hope you guys are doing well and staying safe :) I drew some inspiration from the video I linked while writing the cheerleading parts. Some impressive stuff I must say. 

Had a lot of uwu's while writing and I can't wait to get to the next segments! Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read and I'll see you guys in the next one!