Heartbreaker | BNHA x Reader - Kikyo851 - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter Text

When you opened your eyes, everything was dark.

There was very little that you could feel, apart from your rhythmic breathing, faint as it was. It was eerily quiet too. You weren’t sure why exactly, but you got the sense that thiswasn’thow things should be. It didn’t feel natural to be all alone, no sign of life as far as your eyes could see. You couldn’t move your body even after trying for a good while, so you eventually gave up and allowed yourself to settle into the silence.

As it turned out, total silence was loud in its own way. It made your ears buzz from the ever-present nothingness; made your brain feel like it might split in half.

You didn’t know what in the hell was going on, but the longer this continued, the more likely it was that you would go insane.

Then, as if by a miracle, the silence broke.

["You’re awake."]

Someone was talking to you. Well, notreallytalking to you. It was strange. You couldn't hear a voice or anything like that. Instead, you could see the words pop up in front of your eyes, like some sort of weird projection. The projection made a slightpingas it popped up, but otherwise, no words were exchanged aloud.

“Hello?” you called out fearfully. Ah. So, youcouldtalk. Your voice wasn’t lost, thankfully. It was just that you couldn’t move your body forward. Not that you’d even know where to go. Everything was pitch-black.

["Hello. How are you feeling?”]

“Scared,” you admitted, swallowing hard. “I don’t know what’s going on. And I don’t... I don’tremember. Anything. I don’t remember a single thing.”

[“That’s okay. You’re [Last Name] [Name]. Don’t be scared. Everything is going to be just fine.”]

[Name]. Alright. You had a name too, and when you mumbled aloud just to familiarize yourself with the sound of it, you were relieved that it sounded familiar. You were a real person with a name. You had that much, at the very least.

It was too bad that everything else was a total mystery to you.

“Why am I here?” you managed to ask. “Actually... whereishere?”

[“It’s hard to explain. This is a part of space and time that is only accessible to you.”]

“Who are you, then?”

[“I’m not a person. I’m a system. Again, accessible to you and you only. Other people won’t be able to communicate with me the way you do. I’m only here to guide you through things and give you tasks.”]

You felt yourself frown. “Tasks? What sort of tasks? I still don’t understand. And my head... it’s starting to hurt a lot. I’m really scared. Why don’t I remember anything?”

[“Like I said, there’s no reason to be scared. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m on your side. But in order for this to work, you’ll have to cooperate with me. Alright?”]

Your head was now throbbing without abandon, but you couldn’t so much as move a hand to even press down on the points that hurt and try to ease the pain. None of this was making any sense. You hated that you didn’t remember anything, and even though this system was trying to claim that it harbored no ill-intent, it wasn’t exactly answering your questions either.

“I want to leave,” you breathed out. “Please. Let me leave. Are you the one who took my memories? If you did, I’m begging you to give them back. I’m terrified not knowing what’s going on. I don’t know how to explain this, but... it feels like a piece of me has been ripped away. I don’t even knowwhoI am.”

The system didn't respond for a long time, and you felt as though you might drown in this sea of emptiness.

Eventually, you heard anotherping.

[“I didn’t take your memories. But I know how you can get them back. All you have to do is cooperate. It won’t be difficult.”]

The more of its messages you read, the more you doubted whether this system was truly an ally.

But what else could you do? You couldn’t even move a muscle. You were absolutely helpless, so you could only bite back your tears and try to stay strong.

“Okay,” you agreed. “I just want my memories back. As long as you’re not going to make me do anything crazy... then I’m in.”

The nextpingsounded more chipper, somehow. As if the system was pleased with your response.

[“Excellent. In that case, let’s get you back to the real world.”]

You didn't even manage to protest before the scene changed.

Suddenly, you could move again. It wasn’t dark or quiet anymore either. There were crowds of people all over the place. Most of them seemed to be in a hurry to get someplace; some even accidentally bumped into you as they scurried about.

Unsurprisingly, you didn’t recognize where you were, but for now, it was better than being trapped in darkness.

“Where is this?” you asked. You must’ve looked rather silly to all the bystanders, since you were talking to thin air, as far as they were concerned. But you could care less about maintaining appearances right now. What mattered was getting some goddamn answers.

[“This is Musutafu, Japan. You’ll be living here.”]

“Alright...”

It was strange how they said you wouldbeliving here, not that you hadbeenliving here. Yet another cryptic answer, although you shouldn’t have even been surprised at this point.

“Can you tell me how old I am?”

[“Yes. You’re fourteen.”]

“Okay. And... do I have a family?” you couldn’t help but ask. “Is there anyone who can help tell me what I’ve forgotten?”

The system’s next response made your heart sink.

[“No. You don’t have a family. Nobody knows you either. I am the only one who can help you get through this.”]

You briefly wondered if they were lying to you, but you supposed you had no real way of confirming the truth right now. This was all so frightening. You desperately wished you could remember something—anything—so that it would ease your nerves even just a little.

[“Don’t worry. I’ve taken the necessary steps to ensure that you have a home to live in. You’ll be just fine. But for now, it’s time to get started with your first task. It just so happens that there’s a person you need to meet nearby.”]

Thatsure made you perk up. Aperson, they’d said. Whoever that person was, maybe they could help you once you told them you were struggling with a severe case of amnesia. Maybe they would know what to do, and you wouldn’t have to rely on this stupid system who just kept stringing you along without even giving you a chance to breathe.

So, you nodded.

“Alright. Tell me where I need to go.”

[“Take a look at the next screen I’m going to pull up. Follow the map and it’ll show you exactly which route to take. But move quickly, or you’ll lose them.”]

Just as they’d said, the next screen that popped up provided you with a clear visual as to which way you needed to go. You followed it dutifully, somewhat nervous that you were being led into a trap. After all, maybe this system was leading you straight towards a serial killer or something. Maybe it’s true purpose was to get you murdered.

f*ck. Maybe I should reconsider. Maybe I need to go to the police first.

Except it was too late for that.

[“There. You see that guy? He’s the one you’re interested in. Approach him and try striking up a conversation.”]

The guy in question was a teenager, presumably around your age, with spiky ash blonde hair, crimson eyes, and a rather nasty expression. He was angrily chugging a can of pop, and once he was finished, made the can explode in his hands before tossing the smoking remains to the ground.

You gaped. “He just littered, but also... how did he do that? I swear I just watched him create an explosion with his bare hands.”

[“People can use all sorts of strange powers, known as Quirks. His Quirk just so happens to give him the ability to create explosions.”]

“Wow,” you mumbled breathlessly. “Do I have a Quirk too?”

[“I’m the closest thing you have to one. Your ability to communicate with me and use my functions is something entirely unique. You can consider me your Quirk, if you’d like. But we can discuss the details later. For now, go talk to him.”]

“What do I say?”

[“You don’t have to say any one thing in particular, but your goal is to try and get close to him. For now, focus on becoming acquainted, but eventually, you want him to develop romantic feelings for you.”]

Huh?

You could’ve sworn you misread the message. What the hell were they talking about? Why did they want you to put the moves on some person you’d only just seen for the first time in your life?

Or...wasit the first time, actually? The longer you stared at this guy, the more you were starting to feel like he looked familiar somehow. But maybe that was good. Maybe that meant he could help trigger some of your memories.

The system continued to coax you.

[“Don’t be nervous. Obviously, he won’t fall in love with you right away, so you need to try and establish some sort of relationship. Just make yourself known. Make a good impression so that he’ll remember you.”]

You figured that would be easier said than done, but... okay. All you had to do was be friendly, you supposed. Just walk up to him and make polite conversation. Yeah. You could do this. It was going to be just fine.

Taking a deep breath, you picked up the pace and walked fast enough to match his stride. Thankfully, he was alone, which would hopefully make this whole thing a lot less awkward.

Key word beinghopefully.

“Hello!”

It was the only thing you could think to say. How else were you supposed to greet a total stranger, after all?

At the sound of your voice, he turned towards you, and his brows furrowed so tight that it looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.

“The f*ck do you want?” he spat.

Oh no.

You hadn’t expected him to be so confrontational. Granted, most people would probably think it was a bit weird to be called out by a stranger, but the normal response was, “Yes?” or, “How can I help you?”

Yet this guy was glaring at you like he wanted to bash your face in, and all you’d said was one freaking word.

“H-Hello,” you said again, stuttering this time because you were nervous. “Um, I... I saw you walking by and thought you looked really cool. I’m [Name]. Would you mind giving me your number?”

Internally, you were face-palming. God, you didn’t know what the hell tosay,and the fact that the system said they wanted you to make him fall for you was sending your brain for a loop. You didn’t have any memories about the person you were. Was this something you would normally say? Were you actually good at flirting, but your charisma had disappeared along with your memories?

The system seemed mildly frustrated as well.

[“You came on a bit too strong there. Well, maybe that’s my fault. I should’ve warned you that this guy has a pretty short fuse. Oh, well. Let’s just see what happens.”]

What happened was that the guy’s scowl deepened tenfold, and on top of already being angry, he now looked considerably disgusted as well.

“Piss off, dipsh*t,” he snapped. “I’m not in the mood. You think I’d just give out my number to some random creep? Get lost.”

He then shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stormed off, muttering curses under his breath the whole while.

You didn’t need your memories to know that had just gone poorly.

A new message popped up, but it looked slightly different than the ones you’d been receiving thus far.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki thinks you’re an eyesore.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -10/100]

“Bakugou Katsuki,” you mumbled. Huh. Even hisnamesounded familiar, but you just couldn’t place it. You winced and clutched at your head. It had begun to throb again. You felt like you were on the cusp of remembering something, but there was some sort of wall blocking your memories and keeping them from you.

While you were busy fending off the pain, the system chimed in again.

[“That was a failure, but you learn the hard way, I guess. Do your best so that it doesn’t happen again. It’s important that your targets fall in love with you. Theyhaveto fall in love with you. Understand?”]

The system didn’t have a voice, which meant that you couldn’t hear them speak, but there was something mildly threatening about the way the message was phrased.

Chapter 2: Starting From Scratch

Chapter Text

You didn't know what had happened to you, but you needed to get to the bottom of things—one way or another.

[“Where are you going?”]

“To the police,” you gritted out. “I should have done this in the first place. Even though I’ve lost my memories, surelysomeonewill be able to help me. Or at the very least, they can admit me to a hospital so that I can be examined by a doctor. You claim I have no family, but there must still be some sort of documentation for them to go off. I’m confused, andreallyscared, and I don’t know what the hell you’re on about, making people fall in love with me or whatever. I thought you could help me, but it doesn’t seem like you’re willing.”

[“You shouldn’t do that.”]

“No offense, but I’m done listening to you. All you’ve done is made me more confused. I need someone who will actuallyhelp.”

You didn’t know where exactly the nearest police station was, but you figured you could find your way by asking around.

Except you apparently weren’t permitted even that much.

“Ugh!”

Your head was hurting again, except easily ten times worse than before. It was so bad that you ended up crumpling to the ground in a fetal position, pressing your hands against the sides of your head and biting back tears.

The system clearly wasn’t happy.

[“I said no. That isn’t a solution. You don’t seem to understand.Nobodyknows who you are. It was enough of a hassle to forge documentation and find you a place to live. What do you think will happen if the police start looking into you? It’ll just lead to a needless investigation; one that will no doubt complicate your life and make you miserable. The best thing you can do is lay low and do your tasks. You’re not from this place originally. You’re going to have to forge your own path. The only way your memories will reappear is by doing as you’re told. No one else can do this for you.”]

f*cking hell. You gritted your teeth and wiped at your damp eyes. This system really was a major pain in your ass. It expected you to do their bidding without even questioning anything. How could they even be sure that your memories would come back if you completed these so-called tasks? If anything, they were probably using your amnesia to their advantage. There was no guarantee that your memories would return even if you went along with their demands.

“Please let me go,” you begged. “All I want is to remember. That’s all. I don’t want to be your puppet and make people fall for me or whatever else. Is that too much to ask?”

There was a lengthy pause, and when you heard the nextping, the edges of the projection seemed to have turned a reddish color. The color of anger.

[“You’re being difficult. Fine, then. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. I think you’ll benefit from a bit of time to clear your head and think things through.”]

Your face turned pale. “What? What doesthatmean? Hey! What are you trying to say—”

Once again, your world was plunged into darkness.

You couldn’t tell if it had been minutes, hours, or days. When faced with a vast expense ofnothing, your sense of time was understandably warped.

Just like before, you couldn’t move a muscle. All you could do was talk, and for a while you did exactly that—cried out into the darkness begging to be released, begging for the system to let you out. But you didn’t receive a response. They were deliberately ignoring you, and you guessed that placing you back here was meant to be some sort of punishment.

A very cruel punishment, for that matter.

You stopped struggling after realizing that it was futile. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you sobbed quietly, but no one came to help you. In here, you were completely and utterlyalone.

[“So. Have you had a change of heart?”]

The system was talking to you again. You blinked wearily, vision partly blurry from all the tears stinging your eyes. By now, it was undeniably clear that they weren’t an ally. They were your own personal tormentor. They could lock you up inside this endless void for as long as they wished; torture your mind for all of eternity, if they so desired.

After two instances of this sensation, you decided that you never wanted to be trapped in here again. You’d already had enough. If cooperating with the system was the only way to avoid such a thing and possibly regain your memories, then it looked like you didn’t have much of a choice.

“Alright,” you said weakly. “I’m just... tired. All I wanted was for things to make sense. But I’ll listen now. I promise I’ll listen, so please don’t lock me up in here again. It’s horrifying. Please.”

[“Good. I’m glad you’re finally seeing reason. Don’t worry. I will never ask you to do anything criminal or otherwise morally wrong. Your tasks will be simple, and for the most part, will consist of you befriending others and trying to make them like you. If you do that, I’m confident your memories will return, little by little. And I won’t have any reason to lock you up here again.”]

They had already proven to be incredibly untrustworthy, so you didn’t want to put complete faith in their words, but it didn’t seem like there was any other option. You just hoped that as suspicious as they were, they weren’t also a liar.

“Can I go back now? I want to get out of here. I can’t take it anymore.”

[“Of course. I’ll bring you back right now. I think it’s time for you to see what your home looks like.”]

When you opened your eyes, you were back in the exact same place as before. It didn’t look like anything had changed since you’d left. Based on the sun and sky overhead, you doubted much time had passed either. Did time flow differently inside that isolated space when compared to the real world?

[“You must be wondering why the scenery looks relatively unchanged. It’s because the place you were just in is completely removed from this world. Even if you spend tens of years inside there, not a single second will pass out here. The two are independent of each other.”]

Honestly, you weren’t sure whether or not to be relieved. On the plus side, it sounded like there were no consequences to being pulled into that strange void. Your real body wasn’t vulnerable in the process of doing so. But on the other hand, that meant there was no limit to how long the system could keep you there.

You reallycouldbe trapped for eternity, and the thought was so horrifying that it made your entire body tremble.

Like before, a projection of a map appeared before your eyes.

[“Time to go. You must be feeling pretty drained, so head towards the location I’ve marked on the map. That’s where you’ll be living.”]

You definitely needed a proper break, not a time-out inside some lifeless prison. The thought of being able to sit back and kick your feet up was certainly appealing. It wouldn’t solve all of your problems, not by any means, but at least it was a start.

After following the map for a little while, you arrived at your destination. Thankfully, it hadn’t taken very long to get there. You supposed the system had purposely brought you to an area near your home.

You were standing in front of a house. It was on the smaller side, but then again, you were only one person, so you doubted you’d be in need of much space.

“How do I, um... getin?” you asked.

[“There’s a key in your pocket. Use that.”]

What the... how long has that been in there?

You decided not to sweat the small stuff, and as expected, the key was able to unlock the front door. After taking a few moments to collect yourself, you stepped inside.

Well... it was certainlyminimalist, that much was for sure.

And by that you meant that there was literally no furniture. It looked like your dreams of sinking into a plush sofa were something unattainable. Goddammit. You had no memories, practically no autonomy, and now no furniture either.

[“Well? What do you think?”]

You decided not to risk upsetting them again and chuckled weakly.

“It’s nice,” you lied.

[“That’s not what you really think. You’re wondering why there’s nothing here. But don’t worry. You can make your own furniture. I’ll show you how.”]

“Uh,what?” you gaped.

[“I have various functions that you can use. One of those is a crafting function, but as of now, there are limits to what you can do with it. Just take a look at the screen for now.”]

Right on cue, a new projection popped up. It was an image of a wooden chair with what appeared to be a cushion seat. You furrowed your brows, wondering what you were meant to do with this information.

[Craft Simple Wooden Chair + Cushion Seat?]

>> [YES]

The second you tapped on “yes”, something bright flashed in front of you. You let out a little squeal and shielded your eyes. When you reopened them, the chair from the image had somehow appeared, as if by magic.

Stunned, you gently tapped on the chair, just to make sure that it was real. It was solid to the touch, so no doubt about it.

You’d just created that thing out of thin air.

“That’s so cool!” you gushed, but unfortunately, your excitement didn’t last long. All of a sudden, you felt drained beyond belief. If you were a battery, then you’d just about completely depleted your charge. Your exhaustion was so heavy it felt like you’d been hit by a truck.

Thankfully, you now had a chair to collapse onto.

“Ugh,” you groaned. “I’m so... tired. I-Is this normal? Did I do something wrong with my crafting?”

[“No. This is simply the extent of your capabilities at the moment. I have all sorts of different functions available for use, but it all depends on how efficiently you can wield them. It will be difficult at the start, but you’ll get better over time. The harder you work, the more you’ll be capable of. Either way, the possibilities are endless.”]

You supposed that it was still nice to have an ability like this. Since people apparently had all sorts of powers called Quirks, you were glad to have a power of your own. If only the system wasn’t such an asshole at times.

“Can I make food too?” you asked hopefully.

[“Unfortunately, you’re not able to make anything that is living or an otherwise organic compound. This includes all forms of food, plants, animals, etc.”]

Figures. That would have been a bittooover-powered.

[“You can, however, create money. That was how I was able to forge documents for you and purchase a home for you to live in. There’s very little I can do without you, though. It took a great deal ofenergy to plan all this out and make it work. That’s why I didn’t want you to risk ruining it by going to the police.”]

You blinked. “Creating money? Like... counterfeit bills? But that’s... illegal. I shouldn’t be doing something like that.”

[“Well, you’re only fourteen years old. You can’t even find a decent-paying job, let alone get the rights to live on your own. This is the only way. You would need to stay in an orphanage otherwise, and that would make completing your tasks far too troublesome. Naturally, you shouldn’t abuse my functions or use them to inflict harm onto others. You will only create as much money as you need to live comfortably. No more, no less.”]

The pit in your stomach told you that you weren’t the sort of person to relish this choice of behavior. But you supposed that so long as you were only using enough to live... it was okay. You didn’t know anything about what your life had been like up until now, after all. And defying the system didn’t seem to be an option, otherwise they would put you through hell again.

It was the only way. That was what you told yourself to avoid feeling like an awful person.

You slumped back in the chair and let out a heavy sigh. God. There was so much to think about. So much that you didn’t know. Not only were you physically exhausted after using the system’s powers, but you were mentally exhausted too.

The system seemed to realize as much.

[“You should try and get some sleep. There’s no bed yet, but there should be a futon over in that corner. Take a nap. If you’re feeling hungry once you wake up, you can order some food. There should be a decent amount of money in your wallet. For the time being, I’ve stored it, but you can retrieve it from me later on.”]

You nodded weakly. Sleep was good. You were really craving sleep. Maybe a bit of sleep was just what you needed. Maybe you’d wake up with your memories fully intact. It sounded like a stretch, but it wasn’t entirely impossible. Given everything that had happened with the system so far, you could confidently say that much.

You barely managed to unfold the futon before you were out like a light.

As it turned out, you were so tired that you ended up sleeping all the way until the next morning. And this time, when you woke up, there was a new message there to greet you.

[DAILY TASK: Run 5 kilometers.]

“What the hell?” you muttered. “I havedailytasks too?”

[“Yes. On top of your long-term goals of winning your targets over, there are daily tasks that will help keep you focused and hone your body. I am able to issue rewards based on completion. The more difficult the task, the better the reward. Either way, it’s worth it even just for the sake of discipline.”]

You supposed going on a run certainly wasn’t the end of the world. Since you had amnesia, it was probably important to maintain your health and fitness. The last thing you needed was to develop other medical complications as well.

“I’m hungry,” you groaned. “You said I had a wallet somewhere, right? Can I please have it? I’ll go for a run and then buy something to eat afterwards.”

[“Sure. You can store countless items inside your inventory. Your wallet is one of the few things you have there right now.”]

[Open inventory?]

>>[YES]

They were right that you didn’t have much else apart from the wallet. The only other thing was what looked like... a hospital wristband?

“I want the wallet,” you said. “And I’d like to take a look at the wristband as well.”

At your words, both items appeared in your hands. The wallet was, well, literallyjusta wallet, but the wristband intrigued you for some reason. You lifted it up to get a better look at it, and oddly enough, the writing on it appeared to be faded. You couldn’t tell what it was supposed to say.

Why do I have this?

You tried asking the system the same question, but they said they didn’t know. They could have been lying, or they could have been telling the truth. It was hard to tell.

You felt that this wristband was important, though. For reasons you couldn’t put into words.

“I’ll put the hospital wristband back for now.”

Just like that, it disappeared from your grip and reappeared back in the inventory screen you had open. Your head was hurting again, although you were starting to get used to the pain. It would probably be a recurring trend.

You stashed your wallet in your pocket and let out a sigh. “Alright. I guess it’s time to go for a run, and then I can finally get some food.”

Despite the fact that you knew almost nothing about yourself, it seemed like your body’s physical state was fine, for the most part. Running didn’t cause you any excess pain or otherwise indicate that you had any injuries.

You didn’t feel like you were incredibly athletic, though. If you had to fathom a guess, you were fairly average. But it wasn’t like you were trying to win any awards or anything. Being average was just fine by you. What you cared about was regaining your memories. Running 5 kilometers was a small price to pay if it would eventually get you closer to your goal. You could probably finish that distance in about thirty minutes.

Or so you’dthought.

You ended up slowing to a stop, but only because you’d caught sight of a familiar face. There he was again.Bakugou Katsuki. The same guy you’d spoken to yesterday, and based on what the system kept saying, someone you needed to get close to.

Except this time, he wasn’t alone. There was another boy with him—one that had curly hair, big green eyes, and freckled cheeks.

For some reason, healsolooked familiar. You winced, a palm instinctively clutching your head, which was throbbing once again.

Oddly enough, the system wasn’t saying anything. Didn’t they want you to approach Katsuki again? That was one of your tasks, wasn’t it?

Maybe they were just waiting to see if you’d be proactive on your own. Maybe this was a test. And if you didn’t make the right choice...

You shuddered when you remembered being trapped in that god-forsaken void.

No way in hell am I going back there.

With apprehension fueling your actions, you changed your direction and headed for the two boys instead. They were talking. Well, not really talking, actually.Arguingwas probably more accurate. And if you were being even more precise, only one of them was actively saying things. The other was shrinking away out of what you could only assume was fear.

Katsuki was harassing the other boy. You watched as he grabbed onto his victim's shirt and pulled him closer, steam rising from the point where his palm had connected with fabric.

You weren’t sure why exactly, but something told you that you had to intervene. If you didn’t, the freckled boy was going to get hurt.

The thought of him getting hurt made your chest ache for some reason.

“Stop it!” you cried out, pushing Katsuki away from the other boy without even thinking it through. You realized your mistake quickly enough.

sh*t. You were supposed to getcloserto him, not make him hate you even more!

At first, Katsuki’s eyes widened from shock, but it didn’t take long for them to narrow. He was glaring at you the same way he had yesterday, when you’d introduced yourself for the first time.

Actually, scratch that. He waseasilyangrier right now.

“You again, stupid bitch?” he grimaced. “What the hell? Are you stalking me now or what? Who the hell gave you the right to touch me?”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki thinks you are incredibly annoying.]

[-10 love points.]

f*ck! I shouldn’t have cut in! So much for being a good person.

“I-It’s not good to pick fights with people,” was all you could think to say. Honestly, though, you would’ve been better off not saying a word. Katsuki kept on reaching new heights of anger—ones that you hadn’t even thought were possible.

“Don’t youdaretell me what to do,” he gritted out, then shoved you back so hard that you tripped and fell onto your butt.

[Bakugou Katsuki wants to beat the crap out of you.]

[-10 love points.]

Noo! They keep decreasing!

“If you ever show your face to me again, you’re going to regret it,” he warned.

On that note, he stormed away just like last time. You heard one finalpingbefore another projection popped up.

[Bakugou Katsuki is close to loathing you.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -40/100]

Devastated, you just stayed sitting on the ground. You weren’t sure how you’d managed to f*ck things up so badly. Clearly, you’d underestimated just how easy it was to piss Katsuki off.

Just as it seemed like the day was off to an awful start, a timid voice cut through the silence.

“T-Thank you.” It was the boy that Katsuki had been about to hit. You’d managed to keep him from getting hurt, at least. That was better than nothing.

The system isn’t going to be happy, though. I might actually snap if they put me back in that dark place again...

“That was really brave of you,” the boy continued. He was blushing a bit while speaking. Perhaps he was naturally shy? “Helping a total stranger like that, I mean. I-If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your name?”

Surprisingly, you heard anotherping.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku looks up to you.]

[+30 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/100]

Huh.

Well, then. You thought that you’d made a total mess of things, but in the process of pissing off one of your targets, you’d made a good impression on the other.

It was funny how things worked out.

You managed a smile and slowly stood up. “I’m [Name]. And you?”

Chapter 3: Rank Up

Chapter Text

Compared to Katsuki, Izuku wasmucheasier to get along with.

He struck you as rather timid, but despite the fact that you’d only just met, something told you that he was a good person. You weren't sure why, but you could just tell. And at the very least, you were off to a good start since you’d helped him out.

“Are you okay now?” you asked.

Izuku nodded hastily. “Y-Yeah. It’s no big deal. Kacchan’s always getting angry at me for one reason or another. But I appreciate you cutting in. Most people wouldn’t. Actually, it’s the first time anyone ever has.”

Kacchan?

You supposed it was Katsuki’s nickname or something. While you didn’t know the exact nature of their relationship, the hateful glare Katsuki had given you when you’d intervened—plus the way Izuku had basically cowered from him—was enough to tell you that they didn’t get along.

In that case, how the hell were you supposed to win both of them over? Katsuki had lost his sh*t when you’d helped Izuku out. The whole thing was giving you a massive headache.

But again, you remembered that you had no choice. There was no way around it but to follow the system’s orders.

Anythingwas better than being tormented for eternity.

“Anyways, I’m really sorry for bothering you,” Izuku blushed. “You’re probably busy. I didn’t mean to keep you for too long.”

“I’m not busy,” you insisted. It was technically true. You’d been in the middle of completing your 5-kilometer run as part of your daily task, but otherwise, you had all the time in the world. Besides, one of your targets was right in front of you. You needed to take advantage of this opportunity and get to know him as much as possible.

And if the system was actually telling the truth... the more people you got to fall in love with you, the more of your memories would return, right?

That was a hardif, though.

“Do you want to hang out for a bit?” you blurted. You hoped you weren’t coming across as too forward, but you couldn’t risk him leaving right now. You had no idea when you would meet again.

Izuku’s face was only getting redder. “H-Hang out? You mean... withme?”

“Of course. There’s no one else here, is there?”

For reasons you couldn’t quite explain, he seemed in utter disbelief that you wanted to spend time with him. It didn’t really make sense. He seemed like a perfectly nice person, unlike his hotheaded counterpart.

Eventually though, Izuku swallowed and nodded his head.

“If you’re sure you don’t mind, then yes,” he said, smiling shyly. “I would like that.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku has a good impression of you.]

[+10 love points.]

Yes!

This was going a lot better than you’d expected, and you had Izuku’s kind nature to thank for that. You weren’t sure exactly what happened when you maxed out your love points, but for now, you seemed to be on the right track.

You grinned. “Okay, well, what do you want to do? I’m not super familiar with the area, if I’m being honest. Is there anywhere we can sit down for a little while and chat?”

“Ah, there’s a park nearby. Would that be alright?”

“Sure! Lead the way.”

You walked side-by-side, and you quickly came to realize that Izuku wasn’t the best at striking up a conversation. His shyness made him more likely to shrink on himself, but despite the silence that settled over the two of you, it wasn’t unpleasant. Even just being next to him had a way of lifting your spirits.

You caught him stealing glances at you every so often, and his blush had yet to desist.

[Midoriya Izuku thinks you’re pretty.]

[+10 love points.]

Now it wasyourturn to blush. Jeez, these updates were useful as far as knowing how your actions were affecting the people you wanted to get close to, but it was a bit weird being so aware of their thoughts. You felt guilty about it, to a certain degree, even though it was completely out of your control.

“It’s just over there,” Izuku eventually perked up. “There are benches where we can sit down. How does that sound?”

“Sounds perfect,” you beamed.

Izuku returned your smile with one of his own, and he looked more confident doing so this time. You had to admit that he was pretty cute. He had a way of coming across as endearing. It was nice that he was one of the people the system wanted you to win over, because you imagined you would probably grow to love his company.

Before long, you’d taken a seat on a park bench. Izuku was wary of keeping a bit of distance between the two of you. Most likely not because he didn’t want to be near you, but because he was too embarrassed to get close.

“So,” you began. “Since we still don’t know each other very well... maybe you could start by telling me what kind of things you’re into?”

Izuku paused for a few moments, lacing his hands together, then gave you a cautious look. “Um. I-I like heroes. I think they’resupercool.”

You were officially lost.

Heroes? What does he mean by that?

As if predicting your thoughts, the system decided to chime in.

[“Remember how I said people can use Quirks? Certain people decide to use those Quirks of theirs to become heroes and protect the public. Conversely, there are those who choose to use their Quirks for malicious purposes and are referred to as villains. Being a hero is a job. You can think of them as similar to the police, except they're much more involved in taking down criminals and rescuing civilians.”]

Interesting. You supposed it made sense. There were bound to be people that exploited their powers, but also those that kept them in check.

Based on Izuku’s expression, he seemed quite eager to get into this topic, even though he was trying to suppress his excitement. He probably idolized heroes, and for good reason. It sounded like they were actively risking their lives to help others. It was an admirable job.

“Heroes are awesome,” you seconded. You obviously meant what you said, despite having no memories to guide you.

Izuku’s lips split into a grin. “Which hero is your favorite?”

“Uh.”

Balls. You were perfectly content to pile onto his enthusiasm, but you didn’t actuallyknowany heroes by name. If you didn’t give him a convincing response though, he would realize you were just talking out your ass.

Mercifully, the system came to your rescue.

[“Say you like All Might. He’s the strongest hero in the world, so he’s a safe bet. There’s hardly anyone whodoesn’tlike him.”]

“A-All Might is really cool,” you stammered. “He’s just, um... awesome. I like him a lot.”

It turned out that was the right answer, because Izuku’s grin widened tenfold.

“I know, right!” he gushed. “He’s the most amazing hero out there! I’ve watched pretty much all the content there is on him, and I’ve got tons of his collectibles too! He really is incredible. The way he saves people with a smile, no matter what. He’s honestly my idol. I want to be just like him when I grow up! And—”

Izuku stopped mid-sentence, a violent flush spreading across his freckled cheeks.

“S-Sorry,” he said shamefully, looking away from you. “Sometimes I get a bit too excited when I talk about heroes, especially if it’s All Might. I bored you, didn’t I?”

You smiled encouragingly. “It wasn’t boring at all. I think it’s good to be passionate about things. Heroes do amazing work by keeping people safe, so why wouldn’t you be excited to talk about them?”

“Oh. I guess that’s true. It’s just that most people can’t be bothered to listen.”

Izuku’s smile slowly returned, and you heard a familiarping.

[Midoriya Izuku thinks you’re a nice person.]

[+10 love points.]

Wow. This is going really well.

You tried not to feel too guilty. The system aside, youwereenjoying your time with him. The things you were saying weren’t shallow or purely motivated by personal interest. You didn’t have any memories, and you were terribly alone and afraid. You would be elated to have a friend to stand by you amidst all of this.

“If I’m being honest,” Izuku continued, looking a bit more hesitant now, “I really want to become a hero myself. It’s an ambitious goal, though. I know it won’t be easy. I'm worried it might not even be possible, actually.”

You frowned. “Why is that?”

“Because, I... I don’t have a Quirk.”

Once he uttered the words, he looked over at you fearfully, as if he was worried that you might react with complete disgust. Naturally, you had no intention of doing that, and technically speaking,youdidn’t have a Quirk either. The system’s powers were apparently completely different from the rest. In that sense, you and Izuku were alike.

The system had told you that heroes used their Quirks to protect the public, but that didn’t mean that youneededa Quirk in order to save others. The definition of a hero, from what you knew, was someone who was admired for their bravery and self-sacrifice. You didn’t necessarily need outlandish powers to be worthy of that admiration.

“A person doesn’t need a Quirk to be a hero,” you said, and you fully believed those words. “I think it has more to do with what kind of person you are. How much you care for others and want to help them. If becoming a hero is something you really want, and it means enough to you that you’ll work hard to achieve it, then there’s no reason you can’t be one. That’s my take on it, at least.”

You worried that you’d come across as a bit insensitive. It sounded like most people had Quirks, so Izuku had probably felt like an outsider for a very long time. But you still held true to your words. Your gut was telling you that he had what it took to become a hero. Perhaps it was a bit baseless, but you felt very sure of this fact.

Izuku had been silent for a while, but out of nowhere, tears welled up in his eyes.

sh*t!

“Don’t cry!” you spluttered. “I’m sorry, uh... I wasn’t trying to upset you! I shouldn’t have spoken like I knew everything about you when we’ve only just met—”

“No,” Izuku sniffled, wiping his tears away. “Please don’t apologize. I was just happy. No one’s ever said that to me before. Not even my own mom told me I could become a hero after I found out I was Quirkless. I was just overwhelmed by emotion. I-I've been told I cry a lot, so don’t worry. Your words made me incredibly happy. Thank you so much, [Name].”

He proceeded to smile through his tears, and it was so genuine that your heart throbbed in your chest.

[Midoriya Izuku is immensely grateful to you.]

[+40 love points.]

[Current progress: 100/100]

Holy cow! That was a lot of points. And I just maxed them out. Did I do it? There’s no way it wasthateasy, right?

STATUS UPDATE:

[Rank up! Midoriya Izuku has gone from being an “acquaintance” to being your “friend”. Love point meter refreshed.]

[Current progress: 0/200]

Ah. That made sense. The system said the end goal was for your targets to fall in love with you, but that obviously couldn’t just happen in the blink of an eye. You would have to gradually develop your relationships and advance bit by bit. It was still a relatively fast progression, though. You imagined this was only the case because Izuku was such a nice person. Getting someone like Katsuki to become your friend would be infinitely more challenging.

You decided to test that the system’s analysis was actually correct and leaned closer to Izuku, smiling gently.

“There’s no need to thank me. I just said what I was honestly thinking. Anyways, this might seem a bit forward, but... would you like to be my friend? We could maybe exchange numbers and keep in touch. Only if you want to, of course.”

Izuku was as red as ever, but nodded eagerly. “Yeah! I’d love that! Um, I-I mean... yes, please,” he chuckled sheepishly.

It seemed like the system was pretty spot on. You supposed for the most part, you could trust that its status updates were accurate. There was another problem, though.

You didn’t actually have a phone.

[“I prepared for things like this, so don’t worry. There should be a bit of scrap paper and a small pencil tucked into your wallet. Use that for now to write down his number.”]

Izuku was waiting patiently with his phone in hand, so you felt pretty silly pulling out a pencil and piece of paper, but for now, it would have to do.

“My phone broke recently,” you decided on. “I’ll just write down your number and add you once I get a new one.”

“Okay!”

Just like that, you’d officially gotten your first phone number since waking up without any memories. You had a friend now. Even though there was next to nothing you knew about yourself, this small fact comforted you a great deal.

You carefully tucked the paper with Izuku’s number on it back into your wallet, making a mental note to buy a phone as soon as possible.

You and Izuku stayed a while longer to chat. He gushed more about different heroes he liked, and apparently, he was so dedicated about his dream of becoming a hero that he kept various notebooks with detailed notes on hero analysis. He promised to show you the next time you met up, to which you nodded eagerly.

You were having so much fun that time passed faster than you realized. Ultimately, your stomach grumbling was what brought you back to reality. You hadn’t had a bite to eat in nearly a full day, and you were starting to get lightheaded.

“I have a few things to finish doing, so I should probably leave now,” you said, even though you honestly would’ve liked to stick around longer.

Izuku looked a bit dejected too, but he realized this wasn’t the last time the two of you would meet. “Thank you for staying with me,” he smiled. “I had a lot of fun. I-I hope it was fun for you too.”

“It was! I feel really at ease around you,” you grinned. “I can tell we’re going to be great friends.”

Izuku blushed again. “T-Thank you for saying that. I feel the same way. Um... make sure to message me once you get your new phone so that I can add you to my contacts, okay?”

“Of course. You’ll be the very first person I add to my list.”

He seemed pleased with your response, and you eventually waved each other off. Despite Katsuki getting mad at you earlier, all in all, the day was going really well.

Now, then. It was time to finish up your run and get some damn food, otherwise you were seriously going to collapse.

[Daily task completed! You have received a Comfy Pillow.]

“A pillow, huh?” you sighed. You supposed you shouldn’t have expected much, considering how simple the task was. Oh, well. It was better than nothing. At least you had something to rest your head on while you slept on your futon.

After finishing your daily task, you gorged yourself on some fast food. You didn’t have the patience to sit down at a restaurant and wait for a full meal, but it did a good job of filling you up. You felt a lot better now.

You had a lot of errands to attend to, so you would have to hit up the mall soon. You definitely needed new clothes alongside a phone, since you only had the one outfit you’d woken up in. You took a shower and threw your clothes in the washing machine once you got back home, and it was tedious, to say the least. Especially since you were now completely naked apart from the covers of the futon you were curled up in while you waited for your clothes to be ready.

There wasn’t anything for you to really do in your painfully empty house, so you just laid down and stared up at the ceiling.

[“There’s something you haven’t checked yet. You received a reward for ranking up with one of your targets. I’ll bring up the screen for you.”]

[Rank up reward for Midoriya Izuku: You have received one (1) skill point.]

You scratched your head. “What’s a skill point?”

[“They can be used to make you stronger. You can choose to invest them into various abilities, like strength or agility. Since you don’t have a real Quirk, this will help you hold your own in a fight.”]

“Why would I need to fight?”

[“You’ll find out eventually. It’s useful to have, in any case. Skill points can only be obtained from ranking up with your love interests, so think long and hard about what you want to invest them in. Once you assign a skill point, it can’t be changed. Also, they won’t drastically alter your strength right off the bat. You should still train your body if you want to make proper use of them.”]

Once again, you had plenty of questions, but no concrete answers. Oh, well. Becoming stronger wasn’t a bad thing by any means. Especially if there were villains with powerful Quirks looking to cause trouble. There was certainly no harm in being able to protect yourself.

Based on what the screen displayed, the options you could choose from were strength, agility, and vitality. They all seemed pretty self-explanatory, and you figured you would benefit the most from having a bit more power.

[Add one (1) skill point to strength?]

>>[YES]

Once you confirmed your selection, a strange light surrounded your body. It was just for an instant, but you felt different somehow. You reallydidget stronger, even if only a little.

“Cool,” you said, bringing the covers closer to your chest. “It’s nice to know that I can get stronger over time. Right now though, I just really want some clothes. It isn’t fun just laying around while naked. I’m starting to freeze my butt off. Also... you canseeme, can’t you?”

[“I’m not even a person, so I don’t have any dubious inclinations like that. You’re free to be as naked as you want, whenever you want. I could really care less.”]

“Why are you making me sound like I’m some kind of nudist? Jeez.”

You let your head rest on the pillow you’d just gotten. It definitelywascomfy, you had to give credit where it was due.

All in all, a lot had happened today, but you were slowly making strides. Now that Izuku was your friend, you weren’t completely alone anymore. And hopefully soon, your memories would return. You wanted to remember.

Even if you didn’t like what you saw.

[Name]’s Archive:

>>

STATS:

Power: 2/6D

Speed: 1/6E

Technique: 1/6E

Intelligence: 3/6C

Cooperativeness: 5/6A

Confusion: 100/6S+

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (friend):0/200

Bakugou Katsuki (acquaintance):-40/100

(Additional entries in progress...)

Chapter 4: Heterochromatic

Chapter Text

[DAILY TASK: Do 100 push-ups.]

“This again,” you sighed. “Are all my daily tasks going to be related to training my body? Won’t I ever get a task like, I don’t know, buying a cup of coffee or something?”

[“That wouldn’t be much of a task, would it? And 100 push-ups is definitely manageable. You don’t have to do them all in one sitting. Just within a twenty-four-hour period. For the most part, your daily tasks will consist of strengthening your body. This is beneficial to you, anyhow. You’ll need to train up your body if you want your skill points to actually pay off.”]

“I still don’t really getwhyI need to do this, though. I’m not trying to become a professional athlete or anything...amI?” you asked warily.

[“No, not an athlete. But you are going to have to become a hero.”]

“Ah, okay.”

Youtook a bite out of your sandwich, nearly choking in the process.

“Wait,what?!”

Even though the system couldn’t talk, you were starting to get better at pinpointing how they felt about you, and right now, they were probably annoyed.

[“It’s a good thing. It’s the best way to be close to your targets. Most of them want to become heroes as well, so this will provide you with more opportunities to be around them. Besides, you seemed to like the idea of heroes. They’re people that save others. What’s the issue?”]

You chugged a glass of water, then paused to take in a gulp of air. “There's a difference between admiring a person and wanting tobelike that person!” you spluttered. “Don’t these heroes actively risk their lives? I-I'm really not sure I’m cut out for something like that. And you said that earning skill points will make me stronger, but there still wouldn’t be any drastic changes at the beginning. With the way I am right now, there’s no way I’m strong enough...”

[“You’ll get stronger. That’s exactly why you’re training. You should probably pick up a few weapons eventually, but I thought I’d give you time to settle into everything before unloading all of that on you. There’s no need to freak out. You have plenty of time to become a hero. It’s not the sort of thing that’ll happen overnight, and you’ve got almost a full year before U.A’s entrance exam anyways.”]

“U.A?” you blinked. “What is that supposed to be?”

[“The most prestigious hero school there is. Even All Might, the strongest hero in the world, studied there. You’re bound to meet plenty of aspiring young heroes once you get there. But like I said, it’s not going to happen right away, so don’t stress yourself out over it.”]

You lowered your gaze to the ground. “Even so... I don’t know about this. Izuku was saying that he idolizes heroes because they’re so brave while rescuing people from disasters or fending off villains. It sounds like the kind of job where you have to put your life on the line. If I’m not strong enough, I could actually die. It’s a scary thought.”

The house was eerily quiet. Even more so because it was so empty.

Finally, the system chimed in again.

[“It’s not like you have a choice.”]

The writing on the projection made goosebumps rise to your skin. You’d never realized that it was possible for someone—orsomething, actually—to be so intimidating without ever voicing a single word.

You knew exactly what they were getting at. If you didn’t do as you were told, you were going back inside that lifeless void again.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled hoarsely. f*ck. You hated this. How were you supposed to live your life while being threatened every other moment? Were you really not allowed to have any will of your own? This was making you lose your mind.

[“Don’t be afraid. Like I said, I have no reason to hurt you. All you need to do is follow a few of my requests, and everything will be fine. You’ll enjoy being a hero. It’s a good thing. I promise.”]

They were trying to pacify you but failing horribly.Don’t be afraid, they kept on saying. It had apparently become their favorite catchphrase. Well, nosh*tyou were afraid! You had no knowledge of yourself apart from your name, no relatives or long-time friends to turn to, and supposedly the only way you could regain your memories was to go alongwith everything this system dictated.

For now, you truly were helpless. But perhaps there was a way to break free of the system. Naturally, you hadn’t the slightest cluehowat this point in time, but if you were smart about it, you might be able to get them to let their guard down. And then, perhaps you could finally turn the tables in your favor.

But for now, you were just going to have to be patient. Act like a docile little puppy and go along with their requests. It could certainly be worse, you tried to reason. After all, they could be using you to go around murdering people and other crazy sh*t.

So, yeah. At least things weren’tthatbad.

[“Penny for your thoughts?”]

“I’m fine,” you recited robotically. You doubted you were being very convincing, but you could honestly care less. They couldn’t seriously expect you to be thrilled about being at their complete and utter mercy.

[“Hm. Alright. You weren’t saying anything, so I was curious. You’re obviously entitled to your privacy. Just as long as you don’t forget what your goals are. Now, then. Are you going to tackle your daily quest, or focus on something else first?”]

You rolled up your sleeves. “I’ll get started on the push-ups and see how many I can get through. Once I’m done, I’ll take a trip to wherever the nearest mall is. I really need some new clothes. And a phone, so that I can stay in touch with Izuku.”

[“That sounds like a solid plan. Good luck.”]

You didn’t reply. Instead, you focused on pushing down on your arms and slowly lowering your body parallel to the ground.

“One,” you counted aloud, furrowing your brows in concentration. You glanced up at the projection screen that was tracking your progress.

[DAILY TASK: 100 push-ups remaining.]

“Oh, come on!” you exclaimed. “What was wrong with the one I just did? Am I expected to have perfect form or something? Jeez.”

You tried doing another push-up, and to your immense dismay, the number on the screen still didn’t dip under 100.

[“Lower yourself all the way. Come on, put some muscle into it. Let’s see arealpush-up.”]

You audibly groaned.

“Goddammit. I’m going to be here all day at this rate.”

One excruciating and needlesslylongpush-up session later—plus another shower and laundry cycle, because you weren’t about to turn up to the mall like a stinky bitch—you were finally shopping for the essentials.

New clothes, an extensive list of hygienic supplies since your house was practically empty, and last but certainly not least, a phone. You had tons of stuff to get through, so it was probably a good thing you’d gotten your tedious daily task out of the way first. Even though your arms were sore as hell now.

You decided to tackle the clothes first, since between picking them out and trying them on, they would probably be the most time-consuming. It was kind of fun doing something as simple as this, though. Ever since you’d awoken without a single memory, your life had been anythingbutnormal. For a little while, it was nice to at least pretend like everything was fine.

[“Those look good. They suit you.”]

Even though it was a compliment, all it did was make you scowl. Just like that, the illusion had been shattered.

Youweren’tnormal, no matter how badly you wanted to be.

After buying everything you’d picked out, you moved onto the next stage of your errands. This one didn’t take all that long since it was mostly small things like extra body wash and shampoo, a few spare toothbrushes, floss, etcetera. You were rapidly checking items off your list, and it felt pretty good getting things done. Plus, your house wouldn’t look quite as empty once you brought all this stuff in. As far as stuff like furniture, the system had reassured you that you would gradually be able to craft it yourself, which would certainly save you the trouble of hiring a moving company to ship everything and assemble it.

Plus, you were fourteen and living all on your own. That woulddefinitelyraise some eyebrows.

You were lugging shopping bags along and on your way to the electronics store when you randomly heard anotherping.

[“Wait. Don’t go buy your phone yet. There’s another target nearby. This is perfect timing. Pretend to bump into him by accident and use that to strike up a conversation.”]

What in the shoujo anime trope is this?

“Fine,” you sighed, realizing they wouldn’t let you refuse. “Where is he?”

[“Just up ahead. Push through the crowds and you’ll see him eventually. He’s got red and white hair, plus heterochromia, a rare condition that gives someone two differently colored eyes. There’s no way you’ll miss him.”]

It turned out that they were right, and you spotted him in no time flat. That being said, you weren’t sure how to just make a meetinghappen. Izuku’s case was different, since you’d helped him while he was in trouble, but if your first meeting with Katsuki was any indication, most people didn’t like to be accosted out of nowhere by a total stranger.

The system could tell that you were hesitant.

[“Just do it. The more opportunities you create for yourself, the better.”]

Well, then. Here goes nothing.

You kept your eye on the guy you were meant to approach. All you could see was the back of his head, but of all the people in front of you, he was the only one with such a distinct hairstyle. Red and white, but not a blend of it—as in, half of his head was red, and the other half was fully white. He was facing away from you, so you couldn’t see his eyes, but the system had yet to correct you, so he had to be the right person.

Once you were sufficiently close to him, you took a deep breath to prepare yourself for the embarrassment you would soon face.

“Oh,no!” you wailed out, making a terribly exaggerated show of tripping and colliding against his back, whereupon you crumpled to the ground and spilled your belongings in the process. A lot of people were already staring. They didn’t look too worried, though. Probably because your acting was so sh*tty.

Naturally, the boy turned to see who’d just crashed into him, and there they were. Two differently colored eyes. One was a warm gray, and the other was a striking shade of blue that veered towards turquoise. He had also had a rather large scar, but it wasn’t your business to wonder about the story behind it.

Either way, despite his eyes being different colors, both of them were immeasurably cold.

“I-I’m sorry,” you stammered. It wasn’t even an act. Youweresorry that you had to put on this stupid show just to appease the douchebag system.

[“His name is Todoroki Shouto. But be careful not to accidentally call him that, or he’ll grow suspicious of you.”]

No sh*t. I may not have any memories, but I’m not a moron.

Shouto stared down at your fallen frame. You were on your knees, clothes and various other supplies scattered around you since they’d fallen from your bags. Like the other onlookers, he didn’t look concerned in the slightest. Actually, his expression was a lot more passive than the rest of theirs. You could’ve sworn his face hadn’t moved a single muscle.

You kept waiting for him to offer to help you pick up your things, but he did nothing of the sort.

“You shouldhurry and get up,” Shouto said instead. “You’re blocking the way for a lot of people. It’s pretty crowded around here.”

“Um,” was all you could think to reply.

Okay.Okay. Granted, he was under no obligation to do you any favors, but wasn’t the normal reaction to ask someone if they were alright after falling? At the very least, you hadn’t been expecting such a blunt and disinterested response.

You had to think quick. If you didn’t find a way to make him stay, he was going to leave you in the dust.

“It’ll go faster if you help me!” you blurted. “I mean... I spilled a lot of my things. I would really appreciate the help. I-If you don’t mind, that is.”

Shouto didn’t look annoyed, and you didn’t get any notifications about his love points dropping either.

It just seemed like he could honestly care less.

That being said, he still crouched down and began putting your things back in their respective bags. It was all happening so fast that you didn’t really have any opportunities to engage him in conversation. By the time you blinked, all of your items were back where they belonged.

Shouto grabbed you by the hand and pulled you to your feet, then once again prepared to leave.

“Wait!” you called out again. God, you felt so pathetic! This poor guy. He probably wanted to get on with his day, and you were practically holding him hostage here.

I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me. I literally don’t have a choice.

You also didn’t have a plan. He seemed utterly disinterested in everything andeveryone, so what could you possibly say to coax him into staying?

“Was there something else?” Shouto asked. He definitely wasn’t angry, but you spotted the hints of annoyance creeping onto his expression. It was subtle, but his brow was a bit furrowed now.

You mustered up a sheepish smile. “Let me, um, treat you to something. As thanks for helping me out. I also feel bad bumping into you like that. It must’ve hurt.”

It was an incredibly weak excuse, but you really had nothing else to go off right now.

As expected, Shouto was quick to refuse.

“I’m okay,” he said, giving you a deadpan response as always.

“B-But I insist!” you stammered, feeling your cheeks redden. The love points still weren’t dropping, so at least he didn’t dislike you.Yet.

He tilted his head to the side. “Why?”

“Because... you helped me.”

“All I did was pick up a few things. Anyone else could have done the same.”

“Yeah, but they didn’t. That’s why I’m trying to thankyou. And you, uh... you seem like a nice person!” you piled on. Now you’d officially entered total bullsh*t territory, because if you were being honest, he wasn’t exactly giving you the friendliest vibe.

Shouto seemed to think the same. “I’m really not,” he said blandly.

Well, at least he’s self-aware...

“I usually have a pretty good read on people,” you persisted. At this point, you could tell that you were being rather pushy, but what choice did you have? For you, this was practically a matter of life and death. Being unable to move and trapped in endless darkness and silence was a form of torture you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. It ate away at your mind and made you lose all sense of reality.

You didn’t want to go back there, but you hated having to harass people like this too. Basically, no matter what you did, it felt like sh*t. Which was just perfect.

Shouto wasn’t saying anything, and you made up your mind that if he refused your offer once more, you would call it a day and just leave it at that. You would do your best to negotiate with the system so that they wouldn’t be so quick to punish you.

But to your immense surprise, Shouto decided to be merciful.

“Fine,” he eventually shrugged. “I really don’t need anything from you, but if you want to repay me so badly, I’ll go along with it. I don’t have a lot of time to spare, though. It’ll have to be quick.”

A grin spread across your lips, and you honestly felt like you were about to cry tears of joy.

“Thank you!” you gushed. “Thank you so,somuch! I really appreciate this!”

Shouto frowned. “Aren’tyouthe one who’s going to be buying me something? Why are you thanking me for letting you spend your money on me?”

Right. Your reaction was definitely pretty weird, all things considered.

“I just really like meeting new people,” you chuckled awkwardly. “Maybe we could become friends or something—”

“I have no intention of making any friends.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto is thinking of something unpleasant.]

[-10 love points.]

f*ck! I even managed to get this far without pissing him off!

You weren’t sure what the system meant by ‘something unpleasant’, though. It was strange that it wasn’t telling you what specifically about your words Shouto had taken offense at. Normally it told you exactly what your targets thought of you in the moment.

Not that it really mattered. Either way, he didn’t seem too keen on you.

“You’re right,” you swallowed. “Sorry. I guess it’s way too early to bring up friendship. But still... I’d like to maybe get you something like a snack or a drink. And maybe we can start by introducing ourselves? I’m [Name], by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

He stared at you for a little while before letting out a weary sigh.

“Todoroki Shouto. Alright. Take me wherever you want to go. But like I said, I don’t have a lot of time to waste.”

[“I’ll give you a freebie. He really likes cold soba. If you take him to get some, it might raise his impression of you. Or he might not care at all. It’s kind of hard to tell with this guy.”]

Cold soba, huh? Well, you supposed it wouldn’t hurt to at leasttry, so you headed towards the food court in search of the noodles that could very well save your butt.

And luckily, you found a place that sold them.

“How about over there?” you pointed. “Cold soba is really yummy. Would you like some? Or something different instead?”

For the first time since you’d met, Shouto looked somewhat eager.

[Todoroki Shouto is excited that he gets to eat cold soba for free.]

[+10 love points.]

Bruh.

At this point, it was as ifthe soba was his love interest instead ofyou. Oh, well. For certain people, the way to their heart was through their stomach, you supposed.

You quickly realized that Shouto had a bit of an endearing side to him. He looked very content while he ate. His expression was still neutral for the most part, but there was something slightly different about his overall demeanor. It was nice to see him enjoying his food, if nothing else.

“Do you like it?” you asked hopefully.

Shouto nodded while slurping up lots of noodles. “Yeah. Cold soba is the best.”

“Awesome! I’m glad I picked well,” you grinned.

Even though I had a bit of help.

It didn’t take long for Shouto to finish his meal, since he was completely focused on it. Then, he set down his chopsticks and turned towards you. You hadn’t finished yet, so your cheeks were fully stuffed as you glanced over at him.

“Ish shomethin wong?” you barely managed to mumble.

You saw it then, for just a moment. It was subtle as hell, but the corner of Shouto’s lips twitched a bit, as if he was about to smile.

“You shouldn’t speak with your mouth full,” he said. “Take your time to swallow first.”

[Todoroki Shouto is somewhat amused by how funny you look with your cheeks stuffed.]

[+10 love points.]

You heeded his suggestion and fully swallowed your food. At least he was starting to take an interest in you? Somewhat, at least. Either way, you’d recovered your lost points from earlier and had begun to make a tiny bit of progress. It was definitely better than nothing.

After finishing up, you wiped your face with a napkin and smiled. “Sorry. I hope that wasn’t too off-putting. Anyways, thank you for going along with my whims. I feel better now that I’ve had a chance to properly thank you. Um...”

Should I risk it? I don’t want to push him too far, but... it’d be great if I could accomplish this one last thing.

“W-Would it be alright if I had your number?” you finally worked up the nerve to ask.

Shouto looked confused. “Why do you want my number?”

“So that I can maybe see you again someday...? You said you can’t stay long today, so I was thinking it’d be nice if we could maybe meet up another time. I really enjoyed my time with you. But if I’m being too pushy, don’t hesitate to tell me!” you added quickly. “I’m guilty of being a bit too eager sometimes...”

Another heavy silence fell upon you. God. Shouto was incredibly attractive, but he was quite a dreadful conversational partner. You supposed you couldn’t fully blame him though, considering you’d whisked him over here at random.

“Okay,” Shouto shrugged.

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “Okay, as in...?”

“I guess you can have my number. I’m not sure what you’re expecting, though. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not all that interesting to be around.” He paused to add, a bit more gently, “It’s the first time anyone’s been so insistent on getting my number. Most people keep their distance from me once we’ve exchanged a few words. You’re kind of weird.”

If being weird meant that you got his number, then screw it—you weremorethan happy to be weird.

“Thank you!” you beamed, even clapping your hands a few times. “I was right. You reallyarenice.”

“If that’s what you think,” Shouto frowned. He seemed remarkably unsure of himself for some reason. Why did he have such a hard time believing that he could be nice?

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto isn’t used to someone looking so happy around him.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/100]

That one gave me more points than the previous ones. It’s a bit hard to tell because his expression is indifferent for the most part, but something about him seems really sad. It’d be nice if I could help him feel a bit better.

One day, you would like to see Shouto smile properly. You’d just decided that would be one of your personal goals.

You still hadn’t purchased your phone, but like with Izuku, you wrote down Shouto’s number on a piece of scrap paper and tucked it into your wallet for safekeeping. You’d promised Izuku that he would be the first person you added to your contact list though, so you made a mental note to add his before inputting Shouto’s.

“I need to go now,” Shouto said. It wasn’t that much of a surprise since he’d told you from the start he wouldn’t be staying long. Either way, you felt satisfied with what you’d accomplished. Before leaving, he stared at you for a little while. “Thank you for the soba,” was the last thing he said.

You smiled as you waved goodbye, up until he disappeared into the crowds of people.

Then, your hand fell to your side.

“So, you seem to know quite a few things about these people I’m supposed to get close to. Couldn’t you just tell me exactly what I should be saying? I feel like it’d be easier that way, no?”

[“I can offer a bit of assistance, but I’m not supposed to intervene too much. And even if I did, there’s no guarantee that things would go as planned. I know a few facts here and there, but those facts wouldn’t necessarily make any of them fall for you. It’s all up to you how you act. The things you say and do, and the way that you treat them.That’swhat will determine the feelings they form for you.”]

Hm. You couldn’t tell if they were lying. That was the sh*ttiest part in all of this—apart from being threatened, of course. Not knowing what to believe.

But perhaps it was better this way. Youshouldn’tbe relying on the system. These were real people with real feelings. You didn’t want to treat them as objects meant to be won over. You would do your best to forge meaningful connections with them, and in the process of doing so, appease the system so that you could get your memories back.

If you were going to do this, you were going to do itright.

Chapter 5: Progressing Backwards

Chapter Text

The first thing you did once you got home from the mall was set your phone up and add your two new contacts.

You had to admit that you were pretty excited about the whole thing. It wasn’t just because you were slowly making progress and keeping up with the system’s demands. You didn’t have a single memory to your name, nor did you really have anyone to rely on, so it was quite a relief knowing that you weren’t completely alone anymore. The goal was to get close to them and make them fall for you, and while you weren’t super ecstatic aboutthatpart, you certainly weren’t opposed to making friends.

[Name]

Hey, Izuku!

It’s me, [Name]

I just got my new phone

How are you doing?

[Izuku]

Oh!

Hi, [Name]!

I’m doing fine, thanks for asking :)

What about you?

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is excited to hear from you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/200]

Huh. So, it was possible to gain love points even when you weren’t with them in person. You supposed it made sense. There were so many forms of communication nowadays that people could stay in touch pretty much whatever they wanted.

[Name]

I haven’t been up to much

Just went shopping earlier for some other stuff I needed

What do you usually do for fun?

[Izuku]

I’m not all that interesting

I just really love heroes, so I like to spend my free time watching interviews or live footage, and taking notes for my hero analysis

I guess it’s kind of lame that I don’t have any other hobbies...

[Midoriya Izuku feels self-conscious.]

[-10 love points.]

What?

A similar thing had happened with Shouto before, where his points had dipped because of how his mood had soured. It seemed that your relationships with people were constantly fluctuating. Just like how people’s emotions could change by the second, their thoughts and feelings could impact the dynamic you had with them.

He probably worries I might judge him if he keeps on bringing heroes up all the time. I should reassure him that’s not the case. I actually think it’s cute how much he likes them.

[Name]

It’s your life, so you should do whatever makes you happy :)

I don’t think there’s any such thing as a bad hobby

As long as you’re not disrespecting anyone or hurting them, of course

Plus, heroes do really great work, so I totally get where you’re coming from!

I’d love it if you told me more about your notes on heroes

Even though I’m a fan, I’m definitely not as knowledgeable as you are

[Izuku]

You really think so?

Almost everyone tells me it’s a waste of time and that I’m just in denial

You’re so nice, [Name]

Thank you

I really appreciate it

[Midoriya Izuku feels much more confident now.]

[+30 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/200]

You giggled while staring at your phone. As much as it felt a bit unfair to be able to know their inner thoughts every now and then, you were always happy to know that your words were having a positive effect. From what you’d seen, Izuku was a sweetheart. If you could help him build his confidence bit by bit, that was all the better.

You ended up texting for more than an hour straight. As shy as Izuku was, once he started rambling about a topic he had a lot of passion for—like heroes, for instance—he got swept up in the excitement and just couldn’t stop. You liked it, though, because it allowed him to break out of his shell for a bit. He wasn’t boring at all, even if that’s what he seemed to think.

By the end of it, you had amassed a few more points.

[Current progress: 50/200]

I’m making steady ground with him. He’s really nice, so I feel comfortable keeping this pace up. We’re already friends, but I wonder what the next rank is? I guess I’ll just have to find out.

Clearly, Izuku wasn’t going to be an issue. He was easy to get along with, and you had a really good feeling about him. By comparison, Shouto was a lot more difficult to decipher, but evenhedidn’t stress you out that much.

The biggest problem so far was that rude asshole, Katsuki.

You really had no idea how you were meant to make him like you. He seemed like the kind of guy who didn’t likeanyone, just based on how quick he was to lose his temper, and even get violent. Unlike Izuku and Shouto, you also didn’twantto get close to him. You couldn’t imagine yourself getting along with someone so hateful and abrasive.

Unfortunately, you didn’t have a choice. Which made the whole thing that much more infuriating.

Ah, well. No point in giving yourself a headache over it. You would cross that bridge when you got there.

I’ve got Shouto’s number too, so maybe I’ll try texting him as well.

[Name]

Hi, Shouto!

It’s [Name]

We met at the mall earlier, remember?

I’m just messaging you so that you can save my number!

It took quite a while for you to receive a response, but eventually, your phone buzzed.

[Shouto]

Ok.

That’s it?

You’d been foolishly hoping that a conversation might unfold, the way it had with Izuku.

[Name]

What do you have planned for the rest of the day?

(seen)

[“Ha. He left you on read.”]

You threw your phone across the room.

“This couch looks terrible,” you muttered, staring at the picture on the projection screen.

The system replied with a mildly irritatedping.

[“Beggars can’t be choosers. You’re still in the process of getting used to your abilities. It goes without saying that you won’t be able to craft anything too complicated. Once you get better, I’ll be able to provide you with more elaborate recipes. At the very least, you’ll have something soft to sink into. You only have a single chair at the moment.”]

It was true that your home was in desperate need of furnishings, and you had to admit that it was really handy to be able to craft objects as you pleased. You were just a beginner now, but you felt hopeful about the more complicated designs you’d have access to in the future. The concept reminded you of one of those decorating-based video games that required you to grind for inordinate amounts of time.

[Craft Suspicious-Looking Couch?]

>>[YES]

“The name worries me,” you sighed. “It definitely looks worse for wear. But as long as it’s comfortable, I guess it’ll get the job done.”

After confirming your selection, the couch appeared right next to where you’d been standing. Just like last time, you were seized by extreme exhaustion, but you just barely managed to push the couch all the way against the wall and slump onto its cushions.

[“So? How does it feel?”]

“Not bad,” you admitted. “But...” After glancing around the room, you let out a bitter chuckle. “My house definitely isn’t ready to entertain any guests, that much is for sure. Actually, will I even be able to have friends over? Won’t they find it suspicious that I live all alone?”

[“You could always tell them that your parents are out on a business trip or something. It shouldn’t be too big of a deal. As long as no one of authority finds out about your situation, then odds are you’ll be fine.”]

“And what if someone like thatdoesfind out?”

[“Hm. Then you might be f*cked. But let's not worry about things until we have to.”]

It sounded like they didn’t have much of a plan, but quite frankly, you couldn’t be bothered to think that far ahead either. You were just going to take things slowly. Day by day. If you did that, then you were sure everything would be alright.

Whether you were trying to remain optimistic or just plain lying to yourself, you really couldn’t tell.

Eventually, day gave way to night, and you thankfully had some pajamas to sleep in now. Still no bed just quite yet, but the futon was good enough for the time being. You finished up your bedtime preparations then slipped under the covers. It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep.

The next morning, you were greeted pretty much the same way as always.

[DAILY TASK: Do 50 chin-ups.]

“Lord have mercy,” you groaned. “Chin-ups aresomuch harder than push-ups. I’m going to be a bodybuilder by the end of this.”

[“I think you’re giving yourself too much credit.”]

Asshole.

You whipped yourself up a quick breakfast with the few ingredients you had on hand, then changed into the gym clothes you’d bought at the mall the other day. Better to get your daily task over with as soon as possible. You didn’t need the system nagging you relentlessly.

“By the way, shouldn’t I be in school?” you couldn’t help but ask. “I’m fourteen, and it’s not summer or anything right now.”

[“That’s a good point. I’m actually in the middle of forging some paperwork for you, but it’s taking longer than expected. Like I said, I don’t have much power all on my own, but this isn’t something I can make you deal with either. I should hopefully be able to pull some strings and get you into a school soon.”]

You pursed your lips. “Let me guess. You’re going to put me in a school where I can get even closer to certain targets.”

[“You know me so well already.”]

Typical. Then again, this was their entire goal, so it hardly even fazed you anymore. It would be nice if you somehow ended up in the same school as Izuku, but you doubted the system would honor your request even if you asked. You would just have to go along with whatever they had planned.

You decided to go the same park you’d hung out at with Izuku the other day. There was a playground too, so you could do your chin-ups on one of the horizontal bars.

It didn’t take long to get there, but unfortunately for you, the playground appeared to be occupied—andnotby kids.

You almost wondered if the system was somehow making these people materialize at will. If not that, then you really were miraculously unlucky, because the least favorite of your targets was sitting at the bottom of the slide, two other guys hanging around him.

Bakugou Katsuki. You swallowed at the sight of him. He would certainly stir up a fuss the second he spotted you.

But... the parallel bars. They’re right there...

You couldn’t tell if this was a great opportunity or incredibly unfortunate timing. Either way, you were paralyzed and couldn’t think of what to do next, and eventually, Katsuki glanced over and locked eyes with you.

It didn’t take long for him to flip out.

“You’re got to bef*ckingkidding me,” he spat in disbelief. “How the hell are you all over the place these days? I thought I told you that you’d be dead meat if I ever saw your sh*tty face again.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki can’t believe the nerve of you.]

[-10 love points.]

Oh, come on! I haven’t even said anything yet!

“Katsuki, who is this chick?” one of the guys standing next to him asked. He flashed you a lopsided grin. “She’s actually pretty cute.”

“Thisbitch?” Katsuki snorted. “Maybe you should get your eyes checked, ‘cause all I see is a creepy-ass stalker.”

You felt your brow twitch. It was bad enough that you had a horrifying case of amnesia and were struggling to make sense of things, but you needed to deal with this douchebag on top of everything else? Whyhim? You wanted no part in this, butyou were somehow supposed to make him fall for you.

Honestly, with how low your love points already were, it was probably going to take a miracle to make that happen.

“Hello,” you gritted out, forcing yourself to play nice. He was a real piece of work, but you knew you stood nothing to gain by intentionally angering him.

Katsuki sat up from the slide and started inching closer to you, hands buried in his pockets. “What’s your goddamn problem?” he snapped. “I’ll let you know right now, but I don’t have the patience to entertain pathetic stalkers like you.”

“I’m not a stalker,” you protested. “I just happen to live in the area.”

“Bullsh*t. Then why did you walk up to me out of nowhere that day? We weren’t even in the neighborhood at the time. You’re a f*cking creep.”

[Bakugou Katsuki thinks you are incredibly pathetic.]

[-10 love points.]

You felt like ripping your hair out. Honestly, you weren’t even sure if you could dig yourself out of this mess at this point. The difficulty level was just way too extreme.

“I’m, uh—” You swallowed hard, barely managing a smile. “I’m sorry if it came across that way. I just like meeting new people and making friends. But I promise I just happen to live nearby. This park is close to my house. I came here to do chin-ups.”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at you. “The f*ck? What are you on about now?”

“Chin-ups,” you said again, pointing towards the horizontal bars. “I’m trying to improve my fitness. You look like you’re pretty strong, so maybe you could give me a demonstration?”

You hoped that by throwing him a compliment every now and then, it would make him be a bit more lenient towards you.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t at all the case.

“Eat sh*t and die,” Katsuki snapped, flipping up his middle finger. “You know sh*tty Deku, don’t you? That’s why you got in my way the other day. Anyone who bothers stepping in for that loser deserves to get their ass beat.”

You assumedDekuwas referring to Izuku. It sounded like they both had nicknames for each other, which was weird. Maybe they used to be friends at some point? Even though you struggled to imagine it.

“I met him that day for the very first time,” you said. It was the truth, anyways. He couldn’t seriously hate you for trying to protect someone from getting hurt, could he?

Apparently, he sure as hell could.

[Bakugou Katsuki hates you almost as much as he hates Midoriya Izuku.]

[-20 love points.]

What the f*ck?!

How was it possible for someone to havesomuch anger? He’d known you for all of five minutes, for crying out loud!

The system seemed to have an answer ready.

[“This guy can’t stand Midoriya Izuku, and since he’s not used to people going out of their way to protect him, he has a terrible impression of you so far. So long as you are close with Midoriya Izuku, you will struggle to improve your relationship with him.”]

So, then what thehellwere you supposed to do? This wouldn’t be a problem if your only objective was to win over Izuku and Shouto, but with Katsuki in the mix, things were infinitely more challenging. Would he only like you if you treated Izuku the same way he did? But there was no chance you were ever going to do that.

You may not have had any memories of your life up until now, but you knew for a fact that you weren’t a bully.

Despite the overwhelming pressure and just how much Katsuki was getting under your skin, you did your best to keep smiling.

“Anyways, I’m sorry if I offended you somehow,” you said. “That really wasn’t my intention. I’m just going to go and do my chin-ups, since that’s why I came here for. I won’t disturb you.”

All you could do was take things slowly and hope that he would warm up to you over time. Or maybe if you succeeded in winning enough people over, the system would reconsider and agree to keep Katsuki out of it.

Trying to remain optimistic, you turned towards the horizontal bars, but soon found that your path was cut off.

Katsuki glared you down. His two underlings helped to cage you in so that you had nowhere to go. You were starting to feel really uncomfortable. You didn’t understand what you’d done wrong.

“I didn’t say I was done with you yet,” Katsuki gritted out.

So unfair. This is all just so unfair.

You were starting to getreallyangry. You didn’t understand why you had to put up with this. It was scary enough not knowing where you came from or if you had any family, what your favorite hobbies and interests were. Why did you have to deal with some douchebag who went around causing trouble just for the hell of it? You didn’twanthim to like you, even if there was a chance that he might help you recover more of your memories.

In that instant, all the anger you’d been repressing—the fear and frustration induced by the situation you found yourself in—came flooding out.

“Get the f*ck out of my way before I kick you in the balls,” you spat.

You just barely heard the system chime in before things took a turn.

[“Oh no.”]

Katsuki grabbed you by the hair and threw you down into the dirt. You spluttered weakly, floundering to rise to your feet again, but he pushed you flat against the ground and didn’t so much as let you budge an inch. You watched, horrified, as he straddled your body and sparked off an explosion in the palm of his hand. It was hot—waytoo hot—even though it had yet to make direct contact with your skin.

“Did you think I wouldn’t hit a girl?” Katsuki sneered. “I don’t discriminate based on gender, bitch. Who the f*ck you are to talk back to me?”

You tried to push him off, but it was clear that there was no contest between you when it came to strength. You were average at the very best. Based on how robust his body felt and how intimidating his Quirk was, you knew you would get your ass kicked in no time flat.

All you could do was squeeze your eyes shut, tears threatening to spill over, wondering why in the world you had to deal with this. And in that moment, you realized something else that made you immeasurably sad.

How many times has he done this sort of thing to Izuku? How many times has Izuku been forced to endure something so frightening?

You didn’t know, and perhaps it was better that way, because your heart already hurt enough as it was.

Eventually, the heat seemed to dissipate. You finally mustered up the nerve to open your eyes, only to find Katsuki leering at you with a cruel expression.

“f*cking idiot,” he laughed. “You talked a big game only to immediately start whimpering like a little bitch. I’ve lost interest in this already. Let’s get the hell out of here. I don’t feel like seeing her face anymore.”

[Bakugou Katsuki will go out of his way to torment you from now on.]

[-20 love points.]

[Current progress: -100/100]

STATUS UPDATE:

[Rank down! Bakugou Katsuki has gone from being an “acquaintance” to being your “rival”. Love point meter will not be refreshed, but it will become more difficult to progress with this target.]

You stared up at the sky in disbelief, tears stuck to your lashes.

Holy sh*t, I’m so f*cked.

As always, the system decided to add to your misery.

[“This just won’t do. Ranking down with your targets is the exact opposite of what we want. I’m worried you might not be taking this seriously enough.”]

“I am!” you insisted. “It’s not my fault he’s such a horrible person!”

[“Well, regardless of whose fault it is, this isn’t going well. I think you need to spend a bit of time reflecting on your behavior.”]

You felt yourself stop breathing for a moment. “No,” you gasped. “No...please! Don’t put me back in there! I can’t bear being trapped in the dark with nothing but my thoughts!”

[“Don’t worry. I’ve planned something more interesting this time.”]

Once again, your world dissolved into black.

[Name]’s Archive:

>>

PERSONAL INFO:

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (friend):50/200

Bakugou Katsuki (rival):-100/100

Todoroki Shouto (acquaintance):30/100

(Additional entries in progress...)

Chapter 6: Deja Vu

Chapter Text

No matter how often you found yourself here, it still didn’t make the fear any less intense.

As always, it was pitch-black as far as you could see. Your first instinct was to scream out and beg to be released, but unsurprisingly, the system didn’t grace you with a response. Panic rushed through your veins. You had no idea how long they intended to keep you here. You couldn’t even begin to fathom how long your suffering would go on for, and if that wasn’t horrible enough, you would be unable to move for the whole duration of it.

Wait. Actually... youcouldmove.

This had never happened before. When you took a few cautious steps, you found that you were able to move just fine, like in the real world. Hesitantly, you patted the sides of your face and various parts of your body. You could feel things. Something was different. Butwhy?

Suddenly, you remembered the last message the system had sent you.

[“Don’t worry. I’ve planned something more interesting this time.”]

You hadn’t the slightest clue what they meant by that, but if the past was any indication, it couldn’t be good news.

That being said, you could actually move this time, so instead of sitting still and lamenting your fate, you decided to try and look for a way out.

“Hello?” you called. It was probably pointless to wait for an answer. Not like there was anyone else in here but you. Still, you were choosing to believe that the system wasn’t all-powerful. If you made enough of an effort, perhaps you could find its weak spot. Perhaps you could break free of the iron-clad grip it had on your life.

You walked and walked, for several minuteswithout stopping. Unfortunately, the longer you searched, the less hopeful you felt. It was way too dark and disorienting. You could have been going in circles for all you knew.

“This isn’t fair,” you whimpered. “Please let me out of here. I’ll fix things with Katsuki. I-I'm not sure how, but IpromiseI will.”

They still weren’t responding to you. Even though you’d known from a while ago that they were far from being your ally, you were slowly coming to the realization that they truly were rotten to the core.

Right as you were about to crumple to your knees and start crying, it happened.

You sawhim.

From the distance, you couldn’t even really tell that it was a man at first. You just barely saw the outline of his silhouette, light surrounding his body in place of the darkness all around. There was a person in here. Youweren’tall alone. Someone might actually be able to help!

“Wait!” you cried out, breaking into a run. He was walking away from you, and you struggled to keep up lest you lose him altogether. “P-Please stop! I need your help! I need to getoutof here!”

He finally turned towards the sound of your voice, stopping in his tracks. His pause allowed you to catch up, and now that you were closer, you could finally get a good look at him.

You couldn’t tell his exact age, but he was definitely older than you. A young adult, perhaps? He had dark brown hair that was short-cropped and showed off his beautiful golden eyes. They were piercing and bright, with long lower lashes that made them stand out that much more. You got the sense that he was probably quite handsome, but unfortunately, the mask he wore prevented you from seeing his full face. It was red with gold detailing, styled in the likeness of what plague doctors used to wear.

And once again, you were faced with that nagging sense of familiarity. The sense that this wasn’t the first time you’d laid eyes on him.

Not that his appearance really mattered. What mattered was that he was in herewithyou, and thus, your only means of escape.

“I-I’m trapped,” you said meekly.

The man didn’t so much as flinch. He gave you a curious look, tilting his head to the side just slightly. Actually, you were starting to have your doubts about this whole thing. He was eerily quiet. Was he evenreal, or just a figment of your imagination? Had you already lost your sanity and were now simply hallucinating?

Hoping to put your suspicions to rest, you reached out and tried to touch him. If you couldfeelhim, then he had to be real, right?

As it turned out, that was a grave mistake. You didn’t realize it until your fingers made contact with the exposed skin of his forearm, and he shrunk away from you, disgust lacing his features.

“Don’t touch me!” he exclaimed, revealing a deep and husky voice. He then glanced down towards where your hand had made contact with him. You realized that small hives had risen to the surface of his skin.

So, hewasreal. But he looked upset that you’d touched him without asking.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized. Based on how strongly he’d reacted, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Unfortunately for you, it was too little, too late.

“You’re a vile little thing,” the man hissed. You’d only just realized that he was wearing white cloth gloves, and you watched with a mildly perplexed gaze as he began pulling one of them off. “How dare you lay your filthy hands on me. I feel like I’m going to getsick.”

It all happened in slow motion. You could see his ungloved hand reaching towards you, but your brain couldn’t process the information in time for you to move out of the way.

The second his fingers touched your arm, it erupted into a bloody mess.

You screamed louder than you’d ever screamed before. The pain was all-consuming and utterlyunbearable. You were missing an arm. He’d barely touched you, and just like that, your body had been mutilated beyond repair.

“W-Why...?” was all you managed to splutter, cheeks streaming down your cheeks. “I s-said I was sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m just scared. I’msoscared...”

You were losing blood at an alarming rate. Your head was all light and fluttery, to the point that it was a struggle to even keep your vision steady. So much blood. All of this... wasyours?

The man watched you bleed out, and although you couldn’t see the lower portion of his face thanks to the mask he wore, you were certain his expression was devoid of any remorse.

“You shouldn’t have touched me,” he grimaced, carefully placing his glove back on, then shaking his head. “Good grief. Everyone is so diseased.”

You could feel your breathing getting fainter. Short, stuttering gasps left your lips. Your cheeks were drenched with tears, but you were starting to feel less and less of your body. Every part was slowly getting number by the second, and you felt as though something heavy was weighing down on your chest, slowly suffocating you.

Your eyes rolled back into your skull.

Just like that, you died.

But then, you were alive again.

Air rushed into your lungs, and when you opened your eyes, you found that you were in the same position as before—lying on your back and staring up at the sky from when Katsuki had pushed you down.

Instinctively, you screamed, hands darting to where your arm had once exploded into bits of flesh. Unlike before, there was no gaping wound; no indication that you were missing any limbs. There was no pain, either. At least, not to the touch. But in the recesses of your mind, it still lingered. You couldn’t forget it so easily.

[“I told you I had something different in store this time.”]

You shuddered and let out a disbelieving gasp. Just like when you’d been trapped in the void, tears started pouring down your cheeks. It wasn’t fair. This was too much to bear. It was just too cruel. Why did you have to endure something so horrible? Just because you’d unintentionally gotten on someone’s bad side?

You were being tortured over something likethat?

[“I’m sure you must feel that I’m being too harsh on you, but if I don’t show you some tough love every now and then, you’ll be under the impression that you can do whatever you want. I can tell that you don’t want to get close to Bakugou Katsuki, but unfortunately for you, it’s not up for debate. So. Are you going to keep being difficult, or are you ready to put in the effort?”]

You choked on your tears, clamping a palm over your mouth to keep from hyperventilating. “I-I’m—I really didn’t mean to, I was just—”

[“Alright, alright. I’ll give you some time to calm down, so relax. I’ll try not to resort to such extremes next time, but you really have to work with me here.”]

They were completely and utterly remorseless. Just like the man from earlier—whether he was a real person or something fictitious the system had concocted—neither of them cared about your suffering in the slightest. The system had told you from the beginning that they weren’t a human being. They probably couldn’t even begin to wrap their head around the concept of sympathy.

Something told you that if they wanted to, they could put you through things that were much,muchworse.

Mustering up every ounce of your willpower, you clenched your fists and slowly stopped crying. A few more tears kept on rolling down your cheeks, but at the very least, you weren’t sobbing out loud anymore.

“I... understand,” you said weakly. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time.”

For the time being, the system seemed satisfied.

[“Good. Now, while you’re still here, let’s get on with that daily task, shall we?”]

You nodded vacantly. It didn’t even occur to you to hate them for what they’d put you through. All you felt was terror.

As much as you wanted to say that the next few days went by normally, that would’ve been a lie.

Even though the system didn’t punish you, the memories of the nightmare you’d been forced to experience were still fresh in your mind. You did your best to swallow your fear and pretend like everything was fine, but in the back of all your thoughts was the same question.

What happens when I screw up next time?

You could only imagine that each rendition would be more horrible than the last, which made it almost impossible to stay calm. You were always wondering when another one of your love interests would get upset with you and make the system lash out. For that very reason, you felt hesitant to even contact Izuku or Shouto, afraid that one misstep would ruin all your progress and put you back at square one.

You knew you needed to be stronger. You wouldn’t be able to make it if you kept breaking down at the first sign of trouble. But you just couldn’t help it. Even when the system reassured you that they would play nice as long as you didn’t royally screw things up again, you didn’t believe them.

After all, given everything they’d already put you through, howcouldyou?

The days felt long, and your exhaustion ran deep. Nonetheless, you trudged onwards. The thing you wanted most was to regain your memories. Perhaps once they slowly began to come back to you, it would make the situation a bit easier. You might even find out exactly how you ended up like this to begin with.

You were resolved to be free of this system one day, no matter what it took.

“That’ll be 550 yen,” the cashier said.

You nodded listlessly and deposited your coins on the counter, then grabbed your cup of coffee. You weren’t sure if you used to be a heavy coffee drinker, but given how worn-out you were, it was the only thing that was really keeping you going. You’d hardly gotten any sleep the past few nights. You kept seeing that man with the golden eyes in your dreams, and every time, he killed you.

You exited the store and took a gulp of your coffee, not even stopping to think that it would be incredibly hot.

“sh*t!”

You burned your tongue, and the sharp pain made you fumble with the coffee cup and drop it onto the ground. You watched with a blank expression as the dark brown liquid spilled onto the pavement. It wasn’t even a little bit, either. You’d barely had a single sip of your drink, and now it was all gone.

[“What a waste of 550 yen.”]

It wasn’t a big deal. It was just a cup of coffee. That’s what you tried to tell yourself, but it didn’t make the tears stop. You were just frustrated. Frustrated, and beyond that, incrediblyoverwhelmed. You didn’t what to do, or how to do it, and your anxiety was at an all-time high.

Sometimes, the smallest of things were all it took to push someone over the edge.

Feeling hopeless, you slumped down against the sidewalk and buried your face in your palms, then began crying. You knew you shouldn’t be doing this. You needed to stay strong. But as hard as you tried, you just couldn’t escape the paranoia and emptiness that consumed you. Was it so much to ask that you just be normal? Did you used to be such a horrible person that you actuallydeservedthis?

You didn’t know, so you just kept on crying. Mercifully, the system didn’t berate you for it or chime in with any malicious remarks. They let you bask in your sadness until you’d had your fill.

Honestly, you probably would have gone on sobbing for a while longer if not for the stranger that called out to you.

“Hey, kid. Are you alright?”

With a shuddering breath, you managed to lift your face and look up. There was a man standing in front of you. He had long black hair—which was admittedly rather unkempt—equally black eyes, a scruffy bit of facial hair, and wore a black jumpsuit with what appeared to be some sort of cloth piled around his neck as if it was a scarf.

Ah. It’s happening again.

There was yet another person that was giving you some weird sense of déjà vu. But he clearly didn’t recognize you, so how could you possibly know him?

Regardless, before you even realized it, your lips had formed a sound.

“Aizawa?” you mumbled.

His eyes went wide. It was completely silent, and all you could do was watch as his brow furrowed, confusion and mild worry overtaking his expression.

“How do you know my name?”

Chapter 7: School Is Cool

Chapter Text

“How do you know my name?” the man asked.

“Uh...”

Quite frankly, you hadnoclue. The name had just come to you all of a sudden. It just felt right for some reason, which further confirmed your suspicions that youknewthese familiar-looking people, even though they clearly didn’t know you.

Had their memories been erased somehow? Was your entire existence something that had been wiped clean off the face of the planet? But that just wouldn’t make sense. You didn’t understand how such a thing could be possible.

Either way, Aizawa looked incredibly suspicious of you, and considering some random stranger had just said his name unprompted, you couldn’t blame him.

sh*t. I have to play this off. He probably already thinks I’m a total weirdo.

“I-I was right?” you stammered. “My bad. I just kind of felt that youlookedlike an Aizawa, you know what I mean? It’s kind of cool that I guessed it right on the first try... haha.”

Goddammit. You really needed to get a better hang on this whole lying thing.

Aizawa clearly wasn’t convinced. “Uh-huh,” he said, further narrowing his eyes at you. “Well, I guess you really did get lucky. I know for a fact I’ve never seen you in my life, and I don’t give out my personal information that easily. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me?”

That’s whatyouwanted to know. Everything was just so f*cking confusing. It was making your head hurt.

“Sorry,” you said sheepishly. “I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable.”

Aizawa sighed. “I never said that. Anyways, it’s not good to be sitting so close to the road like that. You could get hit by a car.” He leaned forward and offered you his hand, which you gratefully accepted—although not before wiping your tears away and sniffling a few times.

Once you were back on your feet, Aizawa spent a few more moments studying you. He looked like he was searching for words of comfort, but wasn’t exactly sure what to say, or how. Something told you that despite his weary-looking eyes and overall aloof demeanor, he was a lot more compassionate than he let on.

“Are you going to be okay?” he finally asked. “It’s important to be aware of your surroundings. I’m not sure what you’re dealing with, but safety comes first. Don’t wander too close to the road again. You could get seriously hurt.”

It wasn’t much. Just a few simple words of encouragement from a well-intentioned stranger. But the fact that you’d been pushed around so much already—by people like Katsuki and also the system itself—made Aizawa’s words infinitely more meaningful.

Seeing that someone actually cared about you was like a breath of fresh air.

“Thank you. I really appreciate that,” you said, with a grin that stretched out wide.

Aizawa frowned. “Weird kid. I didn’t say much. Make sure to stay out of trouble. And whatever’s going on... it’ll get better soon. Just don’t give up.”

Right. Don’t give up.

You could do that. There was nothing you could gain from wallowing in self-pity and giving in to your anxiety. If you didn’t put in the effort, it went without saying that nothing would ever change.

Although you wished you hadn’t had a breakdown and cried in the first place, you were grateful to have spoken to someone as kind as Aizawa.

He gave you a curt nod then continued on his way, occasionally sipping at his own coffee. You assumed he must have just come out of the same shop as you. Perhaps there was a silver lining to having accidentally burned your tongue after all.

“All these people I keep running into look awfully familiar,” you mumbled. “Do you happen to know why that is?”

[“Not sure. You might be imagining things.”]

That sounded like bullsh*t if you’d ever heard it. As expected, there was a ton of information they were withholding from you. Fine, then. If this was the game they wanted to play, you would just have to uncover your memories piece by piece. Not like they were much help to begin with.

[“Huh? Where are you going?”]

“To get another cup of coffee,” you gritted out. “I’m gonna need it.”

Slowly but surely, your house was coming together. Granted, your furniture left a lot to be desired at the moment, and you doubted your interior design skills were going to be featured in a magazine or anything like that, but it was still progress. With your current abilities, you could craft no more than one object per day. It had taken several days of consistent effort, but your home was finally starting to look like, well... anactualhome.

“It finally looks livable,” you remarked. “And I guess it’s nice to be able to say that I made this all by hand. Well,technicallyspeaking.”

[“It’s definitely the best you can do for the moment, but there’s nothing wrong with being proud of yourself. You’re a teen living all on your own and fending for yourself. Not many can say the same thing.”]

You strained a smile. It was ironic, because most teenagers often went on and on about how their parents were so annoying and they couldn’twaitto be able to live on their own. To you, there was almost nothing worse than complete solitude. Humans were social creatures, after all. It wasn’t good for anyone’s mental stability to be all alone for extended periods of time.

You really wished you had a family to come home to.

Thankfully, you managed to reel in your thoughts before they becametoodepressing. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, you busied yourself with cleaning up around the house, sorting through and organizing things, and watching funny videos on your phone.

Then, you heard a familiar notification.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is thinking of you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/200]

Your brows lifted. Huh. It looked like it was even possible for love points to go up or down regardless of any direct interactions. Since Izuku’s points had increased, you imagined he had to be thinking positive things, especially since you were already friends.

As if echoing your thoughts, your phone suddenly buzzed.

[Izuku]

Hello!

I hope I’m not bothering you or anything

I was just wondering what you were up to

Hope you’re having a nice day so far :)

Aw.

It was cute that he’d messaged you immediately after you’d popped into his mind. You liked Izuku, so hearing from him was always a treat. Especially now that he was striking up a conversation himself.

As far as having a nice day, well... you decidednotto mention the fact that you’d had a meltdown right outside a coffee shop.

[Name]

Hi, Izuku!

It’s been pretty good

Better now that you’re texting me :D

[Midoriya Izuku is happy that his excitement is reciprocated.]

[+10 love points.]

[Izuku]

Um

I was just wondering

Are you busy right now?

Would you maybe want to meet up again...?

[Name]

Yes, of course!

I’m not up to much

Spending time with you would definitely be more fun

Should we meet at the same park as last time?

[Izuku]

If that works for you, then yes!

[Name]

Cool!

I’ll head out right now

See you soon :)

Since you lived in the neighborhood, it didn’t take long to get there. A part of you was worried about running into Katsuki and his goons again, but thankfully, it didn’t look like they were around today.

“[Name]!” Izuku beamed, waving at you from afar. “Hey! Over here!”

Goodness. He really was a cinnamon roll. Shame on Katsuki for bullying such a kind spirit.

You returned his smile with one of your own, promptly walking over to his side. “Hi, Izuku. It’s nice to see you again. I hope you don’t mind meeting here. We could do something different next time, but I didn’t really have any other ideas off the top of my head. I’ll make sure to plan things better in the future.”

“O-Oh.” His cheeks flushed a deep crimson. “Next time, as in... you want to meet with me more from now on?”

“Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we? That’s what friends do.”

He suddenly looked a bit sheepish. “Right. That’s true. I guess a part of me was just worried you might have changed your mind. But I guess you wouldn’t have even come here if that was the case. I’m sorry for asking a silly question.”

“It’s not silly at all,” you reassured. You gently patted his shoulder, softening your gaze as you smiled. “I know there’s probably still a lot we don’t know about each other, but I really enjoy spending time with you. It’s kind of hard to explain properly, but... you make me feel safe. Comfortable. It's a good feeling.”

And that was the whole, unfiltered truth. Despite the mystery and heartache surrounding your troubling situation, if nothing else, you were thankful that the system wanted you to get close to Izuku. He was a good person. The kind of person you would’ve willingly befriended regardless of the system’s demands.

Perhaps what you were saying sounded a touch cheesy, based on the violent flush that erupted across Izuku’s freckled cheeks. He looked even more embarrassed than usual, andthatwas saying something.

“T-Thank you,” he said, shyly avoiding making eye contact with you. “I feel the same way. I can’t remember the last time I spoke to someone so comfortably and honestly. H-Hopefully that doesn’t make me sound too lame, but... yeah. Thanks again.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is really glad to have met you.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/200]

While it was comforting to know that Izuku thought so highly of you, it was annoying constantly having to see all the little pop-ups. You knew it was the system’s way of gauging your progress, but you wanted to enjoy your time with Izuku without knowing his innermost thoughts and just focusing on what you saw in front of your eyes.

If only there was a way to turn off these notifications for a while... that would be so nice.

Ah. Actually, what’s that button over there? I never noticed it before, but it almost looks like—

A mute function. The system actually had something like this? It was exactly what you’d been hoping for. Granted, you wouldn’t be able to track your progress while you chatted with Izuku, but you felt confident enough in your friendship at this point that things wouldn’t go awry.

Most importantly, you wanted to treat him with as much respect as possible. You could only imagine how sh*tty he would feel if he ever found out you had nearly constant access to his thoughts and feelings.

Before you could tap on the projection, you heard aping.

[“Hey. Why’s your finger hovering over that button? Is that really what you want to do? I’ll have you know that there’s a limit to how long you can mute me for. You only get a maximum of about an hour per day—”]

Too late. You’d already muted them, and you had to admit that it felt really,reallygood.

So much so, in fact, that you could hardly contain your smile.

“[Name]?” Izuku blinked. “Um... did I say something funny?”

You shook your head. “Nope. I’m just happy to be here. Don’t mind me. By the way, what’s that notebook you have there? Are those the hero analysis notes you mentioned last time?”

“Yeah! I was hoping I could show some of them to you today. I-If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Of course not,” you grinned, resting your chin on the back of your hand. “Go right ahead. I’m ready to learn.”

Izuku nodded enthusiastically, and for a while, it was just the two of you. Even though you knew the system was watching, you allowed yourself to pretend like they didn’t exist.

[“So, we’re just going to gloss over the fact that you muted me earlier?”]

You exhaled tiredly. It was so nice when they weren’t spamming you with impatient notifications. Thanks to that, you’d managed to fully enjoy the time you’d spent with Izuku. When you checked at the end, it didn’t look like the total love points had gone up or down anyways, so it wouldn’t have made much of a difference in the moment, but the simple fact that you’d intentionally shut them out was already plenty empowering.

“If you hate it so much, I’m surprised you even implemented a mute function,” you remarked, hands buried into your pockets while you walked home.

There was a noticeable pause before the system replied.

[“It can’t be helped. I can’t remove that feature. It’s out of my control. Trust me, I’ve tried.”]

Well, nowthatwas surprising. So, there were certain things that even the system couldn’t control. That could only mean that the system hadn’t created itself. But if they hadn’t just manifested on their own and they didn’t have a hundred percent autonomy, then that begged the question:

Whatexactly was the system, andwhohad granted them their abilities?

Naturally, you couldn’t solve this mystery just quite yet, but it made you feel a bit hopeful. Perhaps there were other things that the system couldn’t do. They weren’t without their weaknesses, and that alone was enough of a reason for you to keep trying to break free of their control.

You did worry that they might punish you for having muted them, but considering you’d just been using a feature that was provided for you, it seemed rather unfair.

Then again, when had theyeverbeen fair?

“Please don’t put me back in there,” you said. It was barely a whisper, but you knew they heard you all the same. “I just wanted to focus on my conversation with Izuku. The constant notifications get distracting after a while. I promise I won’t use the mute function often, but sometimes I just need to be fully present in the moment.”

[“Relax. I’m not going to get mad at you over something so minor. It’s technically a feature, so you’re free to use it for the allotted amount every day. As long as you’re making steady progress with your targets, I’m satisfied. The only reason I’ll intervene is if you mess up one of your relationships big-time or refuse to cooperate.”]

Alright. So, they weren’tcompletelyunreasonable. Just mostly.

[“Anyways, I have some exciting news for you. I recently finished forging your documentation, and thanks to the money I wired to some people who were willing to help out, you’re all set to start attending school in a few days.”]

You arched your brows. “People? What people?”

[“They’re no one important, really. Just two odd-jobs workers that were willing to create fake identities and assume the role of your parents, thanks to the money I sent them.”]

What the f*ck?!

“That sounds highly illegal!” you protested. “What if—what happenswhenwe get caught?”

[“Don’t be so quick to panic. The documentation is perfectly believable. I made sure that it was foolproof. On paper, you have two kind and loving parents. They’re even willing to occasionally play the part if they ever need to come toparent-teacher conferences and stuff like that. They obviously won’t be living with you, but it’s not like anyone will care enough to show up to your house at random and spy on you.”]

All of this was incredibly concerning, but you knew that whatever protests you offered up would be immediately brushed off. It wasn’t as if you had any other means of getting into a school. Not until you uncovered some of your memories and figured out what had happened to your real family, at the very least.

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “Okay. I’ll trust that you did a thorough job and that we won’t get in trouble. So, which school am I going to?”

[“You’re lucky. I managed to get you into the same school as your beloved friend, Izuku. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun.”]

Somehow, you doubted that.

You had to admit that you were pretty nervous. Today would mark the debut of your middle school career. Well, as far as you couldremember, at least. You knew that it was bound to take a bit of time adjusting to the new environment, but the fact that Izuku would be with you was comforting. Since you were the same age, the system had made sure that you wereplaced in the same class as him. Even though everyone else would be a stranger, you took solace in the fact that there would at least beonefriendly face.

Currently, you were waiting outside the classroom, anxious to step inside and introduce yourself. You hadn’t really thought things through. What if they asked you what your hobbies were? What sort of places you liked to frequent, or what your favorite food was? All of those questions may as well have been unsolvable riddles to you, because as incredibly sad as it was, you knew next to nothing about yourself.

[“What are you getting cold feet for? Come on. The door’s not going to open itself.”]

As much as it pained you to admit, they were right. Compared to everything you’d endured so far, introducing yourself to a class of middle schoolers was a piece of cake. There was really no need to get so agitated.

“Okay,” you huffed, patting down your uniform one last time. “I’m ready.”

You slid the door open, plastered on the friendliest smile you were capable of, then walked to the front of the class.

“Ah, there she is,” the teacher hummed. “Everyone, please say hello to your newest classmate. Give her a warm welcome and make her feel comfortable.”

You bowed your head, then straightened up. “Hello! I’m [Name]. It’s very nice to meet all of you, and I hope that we can—”

The words you’d planned out in your head didn’t all make it past your lips. You suddenly froze up mid-sentence, eyes landing fearfully on one of the students.

You’d been wrong in thinking Izuku would be the only person you recognized, and this onecertainlywasn’t a friendly face either.

“The f*ck?” you heard Katsuki mutter. He was staring at you in utter disbelief, and honestly, you were just as shocked as he was. You hadn’t expected him to be here.

The system hadconvenientlyfailed to mention that.

“I hope that we can, uh—” Crap. All of a sudden, your voice sounded hoarse, and your head was starting to spin. “What Imeantto say was that—”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is ready to make your school life hell.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -110/100]

You let out a weary sigh.

Ah, sh*t. Here we go again.

Chapter 8: A New Task

Chapter Text

You should’ve known that things wouldn’t go smoothly for you. No matter how desperate you were to avoid Katsuki, the system was adamant that you try and win him over. And now that you were officially stuck in the same class as him, you no longer had the option of hiding.

“[Name], there’s a free spot over there,” the teacher gestured. “Right next to Bakugou.”

Oh, come on!

Gritting your teeth, you nodded reluctantly and all but dragged your feet over towards your new desk. It was no wonder the seat was empty. Given the option, you doubted most people wouldchooseto sit next to Katsuki.

Izuku’s desk was a bit further towards the back, and you couldn’t help but glance over at him with a mildly pleading expression. You really wished you could sit next to him instead. Al least you were in the same class together. Katsuki couldn’t seem to stand you, so he would probably prefer to avoid interacting with you altogether, right?

Once again, you were way off the mark.

“I see you decided to stalk me all the way to school too,” Katsuki sneered. “For f*ck’s sake. Get a life.”

God, you couldn’t evenbeginto describe how badly you wanted to knee him in the balls.

Still, you chose to ignore his commentary as you sat down. Antagonizing him would just make your points drop even more, and you weren’t really in the mood for another trauma-inducing nightmare at the hands of the system. At the end of the day, bullies craved attention. If you didn’t give him that attention, he would eventually get bored and give up.

You did your best to focus on the lesson, despite the fact that Katsuki’s glare was practically burning a hole through your skull. Although you were trying to avoid eye contact, your curiosity got the best of you a couple of times, and you ended up glancing towards him.

On one instance, your eyes locked with his. Seemingly surprised that you’d caught him staring, Katsuki grew awfully stiff. It had been your intention to not say a single word, but you couldn’t help but tilt your head to the side, dropping your voice so that the teacher couldn’t hear you.

“Um... is there something on my face?”

Then, something totally unexpected happened.

Katsuki’s cheeks turned red.

“I wasn’t staring!” he cried out, slamming his palms on his desk and angrily turning away.

He was kicking up a fuss for some reason. All you’d done was ask him if there was something on your face.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is embarrassed to have been caught staring at you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: -100/100]

...what?

Did your eyes deceive you, or had your points with Katsuki gone up for the very first time? Not that you were complaining about it, but it was kind of weird. He looked all huffy and annoyed, but his points had changed for the better rather than the worse.

This guy really was a major pain to deal with. You were probably better off not trying to understand him.

By the time the lunch bell chimed, you were just relieved to be free of Katsuki’s stifling presence. The first thing you did was rush over to Izuku’s desk and break out into a grin. It was actually kind of incredible how quickly your spirits lifted now that you were by his side.

“Hi, [Name],” he greeted shyly. “I know you said you were going to be starting classes here soon, but I wasn’t expecting it to be today.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” you hummed. “A good one, I hope.”

“Of course! I’m so happy you’re here!”

As always, he was a loveable ball of sunshine, awkward mannerisms and all. You were also glad that your amnesia only appeared to have impacted personal memories and not general knowledge. You were comfortable with most of the class content. Far from being perfect, but based on how you felt so far, you imagined you probably used to be a pretty decent student.

Anyways, you were getting pretty hungry. If you waited much longer, your stomach would start making all sorts of questionable sounds.

“Let’s go,” you gestured to Izuku. “You can show me what’s good in the cafeteria.”

Eager to get some food, but also sit down and finally have a chance to talk with him today, you headed to leave the classroom.

Only to find that Katsuki and his underlings were blocking your way.

“K-Kacchan,” Izuku nervously stammered out. “Um... can we please get past?”

You had to fight back the urge to aggressively roll your eyes, lest you risk pissing Katsuki off even more. Seriously, what was his deal? Didn’t he ever get tired of this? Because you sure as hell were. It felt like a whole bunch of wasted time and effort. Was he so insecure that treating others like dirt actually made him feel better about himself?

Katsuki jutted his chin in your direction. “Why’s this bitch here? Who is she, anyways? I see you two have already become butt buddies. Since when does anyone want to be friends with your sorry ass?”

“D-Don’t call her that,” Izuku swallowed.

“Call her what?” Katsuki chuckled. “Abitch? It’s not my fault if that’s what she is.”

Izuku was trembling slightly, but still managed to clench his fists. “Sheisn’t,” he said, mustering up the nerve to look Katsuki dead in the eyes. “W-We just want to eat. Let us go through... okay?”

It only took a second for Katsuki’s irritation to turn to rage.

“Since when do I take orders fromyou?” he glowered. “Don’t tell me what to say. Don’t tell me what to do. And stop looking at me with those annoyingly wimpy eyes of yours. They piss me off. Goddammit. Both of you get on my f*cking nerves.”

As much as you wanted to get angry at Katsuki for the way that he was treating you and your friend, somehow, you justcouldn’t.

You weren’t exactly sure why, but a part of you felt sorry for him. Something kept tugging at your heartstrings and telling you that despite the bravado he liked to maintain, underneath it all lay a deeply troubled teenage boy.

But since you didn’t want him to mistake your pity for ridicule, you forced your expression to remain as neutral as possible.

“Sorry for being a bitch,” was all you said. Then, you grabbed Izuku by the hand. “We’re gonna go now. I hope you have a nice lunch.”

You pulled Izuku along without waiting to hear what Katsuki said in return. He wasn’t coming after you, at the very least, and his love points hadn’t dropped either.

For the time being, that would suffice.

As Izuku stumbled to keep up with your brisk pace, you could feel his grip on your hand tightening. When you looked back, his expression was rife with dejection.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku wishes he could have done a better job of standing up for you.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 80/200]

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, gnawing on his bottom lip. “Kacchan’s always had a dirty mouth, but you’re my friend, and I shouldn’t have let him talk to you that way. If only I wasn’t such a weakling...”

It seemed that a lot of Izuku’s issues stemmed from a lack of self-esteem, which you presumed had do with the fact that he was Quirkless. But you didn’t see it that way. Sure, maybe Katsuki was physically stronger than him, but as far as you were concerned, those who went around tormenting others for fun were therealweaklings. Anyone could be an asshole. It took discipline and strength to be a good person.

You stopped walking to face him properly. “But youdidstand up for me,” you smiled. “Just the fact that you pointed out his words were wrong is already more than enough. It’s not like I expected you to get violent with him. I wouldn’t have even wanted that. You’re a nice guy, Izuku. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Kindness is something worth taking pride in.”

Although he hastened to return your smile, his love points didn’t go back up. It appeared that his lack of confidence wouldn’t be quite so easy to fix. But you weren't about to give up so soon. You would keep encouraging him to value himself for as long as it took.

Because he deserved it.

“Hello! I’m Ketsu!”

“And I’m Tama! Together, we are...” They posed for dramatic effect, doing jazz hands and everything. “...your fake parents! Hooray!”

Their names literally mean ass and balls...

You couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Was anyone actually going to buy this shtick? Why couldn’t they at least pick more believable names, for f*ck’s sake?

“Ah, yes. [Last Name] Ketsu,” the man hummed. “It’s certainly got a nice ring to it. Anyways, where’s the person we spoke with online? The one that wired us the money and debriefed us on all the documents?”

Considering the system wasn’t anactualperson, they were in for a real rude awakening. Actually, what the literal f*ck were you even supposed to do right now? Two adult strangers were inside your house. To say that you were wildly uncomfortable wouldstillhave been an understatement.

[“Tell them you have a wealthy benefactor, but that you can’t go into any details. They’re only in it for the money, after all. So long as they keep receiving a steady stream of income, they’ll do their jobs. They’re low-grade criminals, to be honest. Overall petty crimes, but they still wouldn’t want to risk crossing us and ending up in jail.”]

Jesus f*cking Christ. There werecriminalsin your house? This situation was literally getting worse by the second.

You cleared your throat, making sure to take several steps backwards. “I, uh, have a benefactor that provides me with spending money, but they can’t be here today. They prefer to remain anonymous. Anyways, they wanted me to meet with you guys and make sure you understood all the rules and stuff. Is there anything that you need me to clarify?”

“Aw, look at her,” Tama giggled. “She’s such a little cutie. Oh, right. You’re supposed to be our daughter now, so I should act the part. Come here and give mommy a big hug!”

“I’d rather not,” you started to protest, but it was too late, because she’d already wrapped you in her arms and pulled you up against her chest.

f*ck my life.

The two fussed over you for a little while before eventually going over some of the things that were expected of them. For instance, in the event that any teachers from school started to feel suspicious and decided to pay you a home visit, they were obligated to make the trip over to your house and put on a convincing performance. Although considering the stupid names they’d chosen and their overall go-with-the-flow demeanor, you had some serious doubts.

Ketsu and Tama started blabbering on about something or another, mostly talking amongst each other, so you took advantage of the moment to slip away towards a corner of the room.

“Are you sure this is okay?” you whispered. “They seem really irresponsible. I’m not convinced that they’ll be able to fool anyone.”

[“Believe it or not, most people wouldn’t be willing to go along with such an elaborate scheme. We have to take what we can get. And like I said, I have some dirt on them, so they have no choice but to do their jobs properly if they don’t want to end up in trouble.”]

“It seems that you like to threateneveryone,” you mumbled under your breath.

[“What was that?”]

“...nothing.”

Based on a first impression alone, the two didn’t seem to have a single shared braincell. They weren’t giving you a dangerous vibe, at the very least. They seemed friendly enough, especially if money was involved. You just hoped they could pull this off.

Honestly though, the main thing that made you uncomfortable—and that wasincludingthe fact that they were technically criminals—was how much lonelier they made you feel. They were fake parents, at the end of the day. Whatever had happened to your real family, wherever they might be right now, they couldn’t be replaced so superficially. The longer you stared at Ketsu and Tama, the more this seemed to ring true.

Perhaps the thought of your family triggered something in you, because all of a sudden, your head began to throb likecrazy.

“Ugh!” you grimaced, falling to your knees. “S-sh*t...! It hurts...”

“What’s wrong?” Ketsu frowned. Him and Tama both rushed towards you. “Are you in pain?”

Youwerein pain. Far too much pain to be able to muster up a response, for that matter. All you could do was grit your teeth and endure, the way you always did when something was wrong. You willed yourself not to let any tears spill. You wanted to be stronger.

In that moment, you saw something. Or rather,rememberedit.

“No! I don’t want to!”

“Oh, I know, honey. I know it tastes bad. But you have to drink it. It’ll help you feel better.”

The images in your mind’s eye were blurry and difficult to make sense of, but for just a split second, you were able to see clearly.

In your memory, a woman was staring down at you. Even though you couldn’t see yourself, you were certain that her gaze was locked onto yours. She had a warm yet sad smile, coupled with kind eyes that looked incredibly wearied.

She reached out a hand, and you imagined she was probably using that same hand to pat you on the head.

“You're such a good girl. Thank you for being so strong.”

That was the end of the memory. It had been cut awfully short, but despite its brevity, it had still revealed a very crucial bit of information.

The woman you’d just seen was your mother. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind. You finally,finallyknew what to envision when you thought of your family.

“Oh no,” Tama mumbled worriedly. “The poor thing’s crying.”

sh*t. Again?

You hadn’t even realized the tears you’d been holding in had spilled over. This time, it had really been out of your control. You were overcome with emotion at having recovered one of your memories for the very first time.

“I’m okay,” you insisted, lightly patting your face. You stopped crying quickly enough, and a smile rose to your lips. You were happy. Now that you knew what your mother looked like, you were truly happy.

Ketsu and Tama exchanged dubious glances. “Well, if you say so. But we’re already here, so if you need to get something off your chest, we’ll listen. Alright?”

You chuckled softly. Actually, maybe you’d been too quick to judge. These two really didn’t seem that bad.

When you woke up the next morning, it was safe to say that you nearly had a heart attack.

[DAILY TASK: Kiss one of your love interests.]

“Huh?” you blinked. “Am I reading this right? Nah... there’s no way. This has got to be some sort of prank.”

Heavy silence filled the room.

“...pleasetell me it’s a prank,” you whined.

The system’s next notification sounded oddly gleeful.

[“Well, there you have it. You’ve been hoping for a non-athletic task for a while now. It looks like you finally got what you wished for.”]

You let out a shuddering breath. “Suddenly chin-ups are sounding a whole lot better.”

Chapter 9: First Kiss

Chapter Text

“I can’t just kiss one of them!” you protested. “They barely even know me yet!”

[“Well, it’s ultimately your call, but you should know that refusing to complete a daily task counts as being uncooperative. I shouldn’t have to spell the rest out for you.”]

Great. f*cking perfect. You were being threatened once again. Sure, having to work out every day got a bit tedious at times, but you wouldeasilytake physical exertion over initiating a kiss with someone. It was just way too soon. They didn’t even have romantic feelings for you yet, and you were expected to pull something like that off?

Not to mention that the thought of going around kissing people downrightmortifiedyou. Since you had practically no memories, you had no way of knowing if you’d ever kissed someone before. You were only fourteen, so in all likelihood, you probably hadn’t. On top of how nervous you felt imagining how the other person would react, your face was also burning up with embarrassment.

You pressed your palms against your scalding cheeks. “D-Does it have to be on the lips?” you mumbled.

[“No, a forehead or cheek kiss will count too. That makes the whole thing a lot easier, right?”]

Hardly. But you supposed you would take any silver lining you could get. A kiss on the cheek was manageable, at least. Even though your stomach was clenched uncomfortably tight, and it felt as though butterflies were fluttering around inside, you tried to convince yourself that you could pull this off.

Probably. Hopefully. f*ck, you didn’t even knowwhatto think anymore.

As you walked to school, you contemplated your options. Based on the sound of things, there were probably more love interests that you had yet to meet, but so far, you only had three—Izuku, Katsuki, and Shouto.

Katsuki wasobviouslyout of the question, so that left the other two. Between Izuku and Shouto, you felt like you had the best chance at kissing Izuku. It was a struggle to get a hold of Shouto on a good day. Even when you did, he hardly bothered to carry a conversation with you. Your love points had been completely static since the day you’d met at the mall. Given his stoic demeanor, it was entirely possible that he wouldn’t even be fazed if you kissed him, but you didn’t want to risk ruining things.

Out of everyone you’d met so far, Izuku was the best option. He was kind and understanding. Granted, he got embarrassedextremelyeasily, but you hoped that a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t be enough to upset him. You wanted to believe that your friendship could survive a bit of awkwardness.

With these dizzying thoughts running through your mind, classes seemed to drag on and on. It felt like time was moving in slow motion. You also weren’t exactly being subtle about your apprehensions, because you kept on glancing skittishly towards Izuku every few minutes. Thankfully, he didn’t look skeptical. He just blushed and flashed you a timid little smile every time your eyes met.

There was someone, however, whodidtake notice. To him, it was woefully apparent that something was going on between you and Izuku.

Katsuki frowned. He couldn’t seem to understand what your deal was. Why did you keep making googly eyes atDeku, of all people? It was starting to leave a bad taste in his mouth. No one had ever given a crap about that stupid nerd before.

She must not be all there in the head,Katsuki couldn’t help but think.Her standards are so low I almost feel bad for her.

Katsuki didn’t realize this himself, but ever since the day you’d gotten in his way and protected Izuku, he was letting his thoughts dwell on you for alotlonger than he would’ve liked.

“Hey. Stupid girl,” he muttered, lightly nudging you with his foot. “Could you be any less obvious about creeping on that loser Deku? You’re embarrassing yourself.”

He hadn’t expected you to react as strongly as you did.

“Creeping?!” you spluttered. “I-I wasn’t doing anything like that! I’m acting normal! You’re the weird one!”

Katsuki gaped at you. He also hadn’t expected for you to be such a god-awful liar. Did you have any idea how damn flustered you looked right now? Which could only mean that he was right. You were embarrassed to have been caught staring at Izuku so often. Did that mean that you considered him more than just a friend?

For some reason, the thought of Izuku having someone who admired him really,reallypissed Katsuki off.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki feels irritated.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: -90/100]

Your shoulders tensed up.

Huh? It happened again. His points randomly went up even though I didn’t do anything positive. Also, isn’t healwaysirritated? I feel like he exists in a perpetual state of annoyance.

As always, you had no answers when it came to this guy. You weren’t about to complain, though. So long as the points increased, the system had no reason to be upset with you. Right now, you had a bigger issue anyways. AKA figuring out how thehellyou were going to kiss Izuku and get away with it.

By the time lunch rolled around, you’d managed to get so worked up that it was difficult to breathe. You hadn’t even done anything yet and you already felt like you were about to pass out from embarrassment. Izuku would forgive you, right? He wouldn’t think you were a total creep for doing something like this?

Ugh.

No matter how much you tried to reason that you had no choice in the matter, it still didn’t make you feel any less shady about what you were going to do.

You walked over to Izuku’s desk so stiffly that one might’ve thought you had concrete slabs for legs.

“I-Izuku,” you stammered. “Um, can we... I mean, is it okay if we eat outside today?”

He grinned widely, completely unaware. “Sure! It’s a pretty nice day, isn’t it? Eating under the sun is a nice change of pace.”

Goodness. He was so bright, almost blindingly so. All the more reason for you to feel nervous and guilty about what you had planned.

You didn’t have much of an appetite on account of how agitated you were. The most you could do was pick at your food and offer a weak smile every so often as you listened to Izuku ramble on about the latest hero exploits he’d heard of in the news.

I have to do it. I should just get it over with, and then apologize for acting so suddenly. What excuse will I make? Will he believe me if I say I have a habit of platonically kissing my friends?

Honestly, it didn’t sound too believable, and you felt even more guilty about making up a lie like that to try and downplay the whole thing.

[“I can tell that you’re hesitating. Come on, it’s no big deal. Just a little kiss on the cheek. There are people in the world that endure all sorts of hardship. Don’t you think you’re making a fuss over nothing?”]

You gritted your teeth. They really were a major scumbag. It was true that all sorts of people suffered, most often the ones who deserved it the least, but that didn’t suddenly make your problems nonexistent. You were allowed to have morals and grievances, and every fiber of your being was telling you that it was incredibly scummy to force a kiss on someone, even if it was done out of self-preservation.

That was why, despite how afraid you were to be tormented again, you still couldn’t work up the nerve to kiss Izuku. It just felt wrong. You didn’t want to upset him. You didn’t want to make your friend uncomfortable purely because you were scared to face the consequences.

And just like that, lunchtime came to an end.

“I need to run to the bathroom,” you blurted out. It was a lie, of course, but you wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. You didn’t even have the courage to face him anymore. All of this was driving you absolutely insane.

Is Shouto still an option? Do I have any chance of actually completing this task?

You could feel your fingers trembling as you constructed the text message.

[Name]

Hi, Shouto!

I hope you’re having a good day so far :)

What are you up to right now?

[Shouto]

I’m at school.

[Name]

Same!

Just finished eating lunch

Are your classes difficult?

What's your favorite subject by the way?

(seen)

He’d left you on read again. As expected, it was a hopeless pursuit. You were nowhere near close enough to invite him to hang out the way you did with Izuku, and since you needed to complete this task before tomorrow, time wasn't exactly on your side.

[“You chickened out earlier. Are you really going to give up over something like this? I won’t complain. But just know that what I have planned for you won’t be pretty.”]

“Shut up!” you exclaimed, digging your fingers into your scalp. “Just leave me alone! I’m trying to figure this out!”

“What the? Now you’re even talking to yourself? You reallydohave a screw loose.”

Katsuki was looking at you with a mixture of contempt and disbelief. Considering there was no one else around, he probably thought you were having a full-blown conversation with yourself, like some sort of crazy person.

You bit your lip. “I was, uh—I was trying to—ah, forget it. I don’t even know what to say anymore.”

Put simply, you were tired. Sick and tired of being ordered around and being forced to do things you didn’t want, all the while not even knowing what kind of person you were. There were moments when you felt confident in the things that you were saying, but other times, you had no clue if they were even reflective of your true personality.

All of this just sucked. Stupid system. Stupid amnesia. You felt like giving the middle finger to life itself.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “Did you and Deku have a fight or some sh*t? You’re acting even creepier than usual, which is saying something.”

“Why would we fight? It’s nothing. I’m just... tired.”

It was the truth, after all. Besides, you had no reason—nor any desire—to get into the details with an asshole like Katsuki.

“Don’t tell me you like him or some sh*t,” Katsuki muttered coldly. “That would be really sad. I’d actually feel bad for you.”

“He’s my friend,” you blinked. “Of course I like him.”

“I didn’t mean it like—jeez, you really are an idiot,” he sighed. He hastily ran a hand through his spiky hair, then rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just so you know, I’m really fed up with your bullsh*t. You keep on gawking at Deku like he’s the best thing you’ve ever seen. Maybe you need to get your eyes checked.”

You felt your brow twitch. Nowreallywasn’t the right time for his nonsense. Your mental state was already strained enough as it was; you certainly didn’t need to be dealing with one of this guy’s episodes on top of everything else.

“Izuku is a good person,” you said. Unfortunately, you didn’t manage to stop yourself from saying the next words. “Are you jealous because you’re an asshole, and he’s not?”

Katsuki’s eyes blew wide open. “What the f*ck did you just say to me? Who the hell would be jealous of a loser like him?!”

He grabbed you by the collar of your uniform before you could even blink. Once again, you were forced to stare into his deep crimson eyes, feeling the heat of his breath against your skin. Students weren’t supposed to use their Quirks at school, but you somehow doubted that would stop him.

“I’m sorry,” you grimaced, trying to push him away. “I didn’t mean it. I’m just tired, okay? Please let me go. I need some time to cool my head. If you could just letgo—”

You pushed, and Katsuki pulled. Unfortunately, all this jerking around caused you to lose your footing, and in the process of stumbling forward, your legs got tangled up with his.

Before either of you realized it, you’d both hit the ground.

Your mouth hurt. Actually, to be more specific, yourlipshurt. As it so happened, you’d fallen right on top of him, and your lips had inadvertently smashed into each other. It took a few moments to let it all sink in. Your eyes were wide as you stared at each other, disbelief and horror gradually overtaking both of your expressions.

[Daily task completed! You have received a Fancy Pen.]

Your reward for kissing someone was nothing more than a measly pen. But you didn’t have time to think about that right now. The present situation was too dire to ignore.

“I-I’msosorry,” you breathed, slowly tearing your face away. Your lips felt swollen and were stinging slightly. When you looked closer, you realized that Katsuki’s lips had begun to bleed a bit. Your mouths had collided so forcefully that you’d both split the surface of your skin. You supposed you should thank your lucky stars that you hadn’t chipped your teeth.

Katsuki’s face was unbelievably red. The shade was nearly a perfect match for his crimson eyes.

For a while, he appeared to be just as dumbstruck as you were, but when the realization hit—and it hithard—he didn’t hesitate to erupt.

“Get the f*ck off me!” he screamed. He pushed you back as hard as he could, and unsurprisingly, you were knocked flat on your butt. You shouldn’t have expected anything less, really. Your unluckiness was a Quirk in and of itself.

You rose to your feet, albeit on shaky legs. Katsuki did the same, and once you were both standing, you proceeded to just stare at each other without uttering a single word.

This is so awkward. I’d rather he just hurry up and get to the part where he kicks my ass.

That didn’t happen, though. Rather than reacting with violence, Katsuki made it a point to be as loud as humanly possible.

“You’re f*cking crazy!” he cried out. His index finger was awfully shaky as it pointed to you. “D-Do you think you’ve won just because you caught me off guard? I wasn’t expecting you to do some sh*t like that, so that’swhy...! That’s why I, uh...”

He appeared to be lost for words. Honestly, you couldn’t blame him, and you felt a bit sorry for him too. None of that had been intentional, but regardless, it was a disastrous way to share a kiss. Your throbbing and slightly bloody lips were more than proof of it.

“Anyways, sh*t like that doesn’t matter to me!” Katsuki insisted, although his violently red cheeks weren’t all that convincing.

One way or another, you’d completed your daily task, which meant that you would be spared. But at the same time, you knew for a fact that Katsuki’s love points would plummet after this interaction, and that would piss off the system regardless.

Basically, no matter how you sliced it, you were f*cked.

At least, that was what you’dthought.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki realizes he’s just had his first kiss.]

[+50 love points.]

[Current progress: -40/100]

Uh... how in the f*ck?

“Don’t you dare go around telling people what happened!” Katsuki fumed. “I’ll f*cking kill you if you do! I’ll say it again—this ain’t sh*t to me, you hear? If anything, you should feel lucky that you got so close to me. It sure as hell won’t happen again!”

He was raging at you without pause, but his points had yet to drop by a single interval. You were slowly starting to piece together that a lot of the things Katsuki said were actuallywaydifferent from what he truly thought.

Whatever. As embarrassing as all of this was, perhaps it was better this way. Better to have kissed someone by accident rather than willingly do it and feel guilty after the fact.

You could hear Katsuki literally stomping as he walked away. His back was turned towards you, so you couldn’t see his face, but youwereable to see the tips of his ears—and they showed no signs of getting any less red.

[“Good job. You actually did it. Even if it was by mistake, it still counts.”]

“Oh, bite me,” you snapped.

Katsuki felt like his stupid heart was about to explode.

He’d always prided himself on not caring about what others thought or did. Izuku was the glaring exception, since pretty much everything about him pissed Katsuki off. But otherwise, he thought of the people surrounding him as nothing more than extras. He was the main character; they were stuck playing background roles that no one would remember. Because Katsuki was obsessed with victory and being number one at everything, he’d always believed there was nothing anyone could do to make him feel overwhelmed or otherwise inferior. Naturally, this meant that it was almost impossible to embarrass him.

Untilnow, at least.

As much as he tried to keep telling himself that it was nothing more than a stupid accident, he couldn’t get the image of your lips out of his mind. And when he realized those same lips had been pressed against his, he felt his entire body get uncomfortably hot, to the point that he felt like he was boiling alive.

For the remainder of classes that day, Katsuki’s face was red as could be. Not only that, but his leg was shaking uncontrollably, and he couldn’t keep from clenching his fists. All of this felt like absolutesh*t. What the hell was this feeling? He hated it. He wished it would hurry up and be over with.

This is so f*cking dumb,he thought.Why should it even bother me? I could care less about that stupid girl.

He kept on trying to convince himself of that fact, but because the tightness in his chest and the heat on his cheeks wasn’t dying down at all, it only managed to piss him off even more.

Unfortunately, Katsuki was completely unaware of the fact that you could see his emotional turmoil plain as day.

[Bakugou Katsuki is thinking about his kiss with you.]

[+20 love points.]

[-10 love points.]

You scratched your head. His points just kept fluctuating up and down, and the fact that his desk was right next to yours made the whole thing endlessly more uncomfortable.

Poor guy. It must be hell inside his mind.

Chapter 10: Enemy Status

Chapter Text

You twirled your newest pen between your fingers and let out a listless sigh. You still couldn’t believe thatthiswas the reward you’d gotten for smashing your lips against Katsuki’s. It was almost like you were being pranked or something.

[“That pen’s pretty nice, isn’t it?”]

You rolled your eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out your skull.

Yeah, right. I thought they said there would be better rewards for clearing tasks of higher difficulty. I’d say kissing someone is pretty hard to pull off. If I'd kissed Katsuki on purpose rather than by mistake, he would’ve probably lost his mind.

Either the system had been lying to you—which was nothing new, really—or that meant that there would be tasks in the future that would bewayharder than the one you’d just completed. You didn’t even want to try and imagine what they could possibly be. You had enough on your plate as it was.

[“Since you don’t have school today, how about you start training? Remember, your goal is to get into U.A, so you’ll need to develop some skills. You’ll keep on gaining skill points as you rank up with your targets, but you can’t rely solely on those. You need to build up some fighting prowess on your own.”]

“How am I supposed to fight?” you frowned. “I don’t technically have a Quirk. Am I just supposed to punch and kick? Will that be enough for me to become a hero?”

[“If you had superhuman strength like All Might, sure, but you aren’t strong enough to get away with hand-to-hand combat. Notyet, at least. You have plenty of room to grow. There’s no telling how strong you’ll get. But for the time being, I think it’d be best if you stuck to using weapons.”]

That didn’t sound much better, because you obviously couldn’t remember having ever used a weapon before. Perhaps you actuallyhad, but you’d simply lost your memories of it. There was such a thing as muscle memory, so even if your amnesia was impeding your recollection of things, perhaps your skills would come back to you once you actually picked up a weapon.

You were kind of hoping this was the case, because you got the sense that becoming a weapon expert would take alotof hard work.

[“Are you wondering if you might have used weapons before?”]

You blinked rapidly. “Um. You can’t also read my mind...canyou?”

[“Of course not. That would be highly unethical.”]

Bitch! Like that’s ever stopped you before!

You supposed they would have done plenty more crappy things if they could see your innermost thoughts. You also wouldn’t be able to curse them out in your head like you were doing right now.Motherf*cker, asshole, dickhe*d, creepy bastard—the list of things you’d secretly called them went on and on.

[“Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re going to be an absolute beginner. You’ve never used weapons before.”]

“How do you know that?” you challenged. “Honestly, how much of my life are you keeping from me? I already said I’d do as you wanted, but can’t you tell me a bit more about myself? Please. I won’t ask for much. I just want to remember who I am.”

[“It’s difficult to explain, but I have a way of assessing your physical condition and knowing what sort of skills you have. Fighting with weapons isn’t one of them, so that’s why we need to start working on it while you’ve still got time before the U.A entrance exam.”]

It was always so hard to get a straight answer. They were hiding more things than you could probably even count. Even if you did exactly as they demanded, there was really no guarantee you would be able to recover your memories. So far, you’d only seen a brief snippet—the one of your mother. And it felt like you’d recalled it naturally, not through the system’s help.

But maybe that was for the best. With enough time, it was possible that all sorts of things would trigger your memory and help you remember. And once youdid, perhaps you would also find the key to getting rid of the system once and for all.

Yeah. It was a really,reallygood thing they couldn’t read your thoughts.

“Fine,” you said, pressing your lips into a thin line. “Let’s say for the sake of argument that I believe you. So, how do I start training? Where would I even find weapons to use?”

[“Well, that’s a silly question. You’re going to craft the weapons yourself, of course. Here. Let’s start with something simple.”]

[Craft Beginner-Level Baton?]

>>[YES]

Is the beginner-level part really necessary? Well, whatever. I guess a baton isn’t too difficult to use.

As always, you felt fatigue crash over you once you crafted the item, but it wasn’t quite as intense as the previous instances. Maybe because up until now you’d been crafting furniture that was a lot larger? Perhaps the size and intricacy of the object were proportionate to the energy required. Or maybe your body was slowly getting used to all of this.

[“How do you feel? Do you think you have it in you to craft a second object?”]

“I guess so,” you nodded. “But why would I need to craft a second one? You’re not going to make me train with two weapons at the same time, right?”

Instead of answering you, they created another pop-up.

[Craft Bakugou Katsuki Training Dummy?]

>>[YES]

Um...

You didn’t really know what to expect until you made your selection and a training dummy popped up in front of you—one that looked suspiciously similar to Katsuki. You assumed it had been fashioned in his likeness. It was kind of cute, but also kind of terrifying at the same time.

[“I thought you would like to pretend like you were beating the crap out of him. I figured it would give you a motivation boost.”]

Well. They weren’tentirelywrong about that.

You poked the training dummy, which bobbed slightly in place. If it was the real Katsuki, he would have probably bitten your finger off by now.

The baton you’d just crafted was nestled in your other hand, and you gripped it tighter, allowing yourself to familiarize yourself with the feel of it.

Then, without even needing to be told anything, you used the baton to whack the Katsuki dummy across the face.

“Eat sh*t, asshole!” you cried out. “You think Iwantedto kiss you? Of course not! So, what the hell are you getting mad at me for? And why are you such a dick to Izuku? Your personality sucks balls!”

This continued for quite a while longer, and by the end of your stress-relieving session, you were flushed in the face and panting heavily.

The system felt inclined to weigh in.

[“Wow. That’s a lot of pent-up anger.”]

“Yeah, no sh*t!”

As much as you hated to admit that they were right, imagining Katsuki right in front of youdidhelp you channel your frustration. It was awfully ironic, considering you were meant to pursue a romantic relationship with him, but so far, he hadn’t given you much reason to think favorably of him. But maybe that would change over time. A part of you still felt like he wasn’t as bad of a guy as he let on.

[“Anyways. That was...okay, I guess, but I wanted to clue you in on another feature you can use. It allows you to access items without needing to scroll through the entire inventory. All you need to do is clearly visualize the item you want, and sayequip. For now, store your baton and try calling it back.”]

You did as they told you to and put the baton away. Then, instead of bringing up the system interface to look through it, you closed your eyes and tried to visualize the baton you’d just held in your hand. You tried to remember exactly what it looked like and how it felt in your palm.

“Equip,” you said, waiting for the baton to materialize in your hand.

Nothing happened.

“Um...equip,” you repeated, but yet again, the baton didn’t appear. Letting out a huff of frustration, you opened your eyes. “Okay, what gives? I tried doing it, but it didn’t work at all.”

[“Hm. It’s probably because you’re still a noob. I suppose you need to practice a bit more before being able to use this feature. What a shame. I didn’t realize you were so incompetent.”]

You were currently thinking of ways to kill someone who didn’t even exist.

[“Well, you’ll just have to keep practicing. Like I said, it’s important to have a super clear visual of the item you want to equip, otherwise it won’t work. The more you get used to seeing your weapons and wielding them, the more likely it is that you can unlock the equip function. It’ll be very important later on, especially if you’re fighting an opponent and need to switch your weapon mid-battle.”]

That certainlydidsound useful. Hopefully it wouldn’t take you too long to get the hang of it. Quite frankly, the prospect of becoming a hero still scared you because you knew you would have to put your safety on the line, but you didn’t exactly have a choice. The possibility of dying was certainly a scary thought, but if the alternative was being mentally tortured—and made to feel pain too—then you would just have to suck it up and become strong enough that no one could f*ck with you.

In that case, you were really going to have to get serious.

You combed through your inventory and retrieved the baton, then turned towards the Katsuki dummy with a determined expression.

“Alright,” you huffed. “Time for round two, bitch.”

Training was hard. On top of your daily tasks, which were always physical—omitting the time you’d been forced to kiss someone—you now had to put inextratime to work out and get used to wielding your weapons. It was even more tiring than you would have expected, and since it didn’t seem like you had a natural competence for athletic tasks, you were struggling.

You took solace in the fact that there was a long way to go until the U.A entrance exam, and you weren’t the only one dreaming big. Izukualsowanted to get into U.A, so that he could attend the same school All Might had. At the very least, you had the system to help compensate for your weakness, but Izuku didn’t have a Quirk at all, so you could only imagine how much more difficult it would be for him. It felt unfair to complain when you knew how badly he wanted to become a hero.

Regardless, between juggling your training and trying to get close to your love interests, on top of having virtuallynomemories, it was safe to say that there was a lot on your mind.

Here we go. Let’s see how today's attempt turns out.

[Name]

Hi, Shouto!

I hope you’re doing well

How do you usually spend your days off from school?

One of the most challenging issues you’d encountered thus far was the fact that Shouto was nearly impossible to hold a conversation with. You’d hoped that after getting his number, you would gradually become friends with him, like you had with Izuku. But nope, it was a miracle if you even received a reply atall, and whenever you did, he usually ghosted you not long after.

[Shouto]

I mostly just train.

He responded! Okay, now how do I keep this conversation going?

[Name]

Oh, cool!

What sort of training do you do?

I’ve actually started training recently as well

I need to get stronger so that I can get into U.A

(seen)

Just like that, he’d left you on read again.

...or so you’d thought.

[Shouto]

You want to go to U.A?

[Name]

Yeah!

I’m trying to become a hero

Heroes are cool, right?

I’m not that strong yet, but I’m hoping that my hard work will pay off eventually :)

[Shouto]

I see.

[Name]

Mhm!

Oh, by the way, what kind of Quirk do you have?

You’d briefly explained to Izuku how your powers worked. Just vaguely, at least. You were supposed to pretend like the system was your Quirk, after all, but you didn’t mention the fact that there was someone—orsomething—that you could regularly communicate with. You also didn’t tell him about love points and the fact that you were supposed to win people over, for obvious reasons.

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Izuku had marveled. “So, you can create things out of thin air? That’s an amazing Quirk!”

You’d intentionally kept things pretty vague, because you figured you would end up having to make a lot of excuses later on. But for the time being, he seemed convinced, and that was really the best you could hope for.

That was why you were prepared to give Shouto the same answer you’d told Izuku if he ended up asking about your Quirk as well. But that didn’t actually end up happening.

[Shouto]

I don’t really feel like talking about it.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto is feeling a bit irritated.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 20/100]

sh*t!

You didn’t even know what could possibly have upset him, but it was clear that you’d struck some kind of nerve. He didn’t like to talk about his powers? Was he embarrassed about them somehow? Or maybe he was just sick of people asking him the same question?

It had been a struggle just to get this far with Shouto, given how unsociable he was, and it was starting to feel a bit hopeless. But then again, for the longest time, you hadn’t even been able toimagineKatsuki’s points going up, and yet they had. You needed to try not to fixate on the points too much. The points were just to vaguely quantify your relationships with people. At the end of the day, these things were more complex than a simple numerical value.

[Name]

My bad

I’m sorry if you feel like I was being too nosy

Well, I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing

I hope you have a very nice day!

You didn’t expect him to respond again, but surprisingly, he did.

[Shouto]

Ok. Thanks.

By the way, I’m planning on going to U.A too.

I guess we might see each other if you end up getting in.

Wow. He actually willingly extended the conversation. That’s a first.

You decided to quit while you were ahead. As much as you wanted to suggest meeting up and actually spending some time together in person, it was clear that was going to take baby steps—and alotof them, for that matter.

Suddenly, you heard aping.

[“Wait. Don’t head home just yet. I can sense that there’s another target nearby. It might be a bit premature, but... let’s just see how it goes.”]

Just like when you’d first navigated around to run into Katsuki, they pulled up a map and directions for you to follow. You were no stranger to this game by now, although you wondered how you would strike up a conversation with whoever it was. Unlike at the mall when you’d run into Shouto, you weren’t carrying any bags, so you couldn’t really pretend to trip and drop your belongings.

“I guess I’ll just have to turn on the charm,” you sighed loudly.

Unfortunately, you didn’t yet know just how sinister the system’s intentions were. Up until now, you’d been under the impression that they would only make you target normal people. People that could be construed as either good, or at the very least, morally decent. Even Katsuki, who was a bully, still wasn’t downrightevil.

But the person you were about to run into sure was.

“f*cking sh*t,” a young man grimaced, angrily kicking the vending machine he was standing in front of. “I paid for my drink—Iwantmy drink, goddammit.”

From where you currently were, you didn’t have a very clear view of his face. He had his hood pulled up anyways, and it was obscuring most of his expression. You could see that he had rather messy pale blue hair that stuck out from under the hood, and an overall lanky frame, but that was about it.

The system’s next message seemed oddly hesitant.

[“That’s him. But, uh, be careful not to say anything stupid and piss him off. He’s got a bit of a temper.”]

Great. Another asshole like Katsuki?

You’d been hoping to run into someone nice, like Izuku, but you supposed that was wishful thinking on your part. Nonetheless, you knew you had a job to do, and you weren’t about to back out without even making an effort.

“Hi there,” you smiled, slowly approaching him. “Did the machine eat your coins? I have a few extra ones, so you could try adding more in.”

You dug into your wallet and proudly pulled out the coins, then held out your hand towards him, expecting that he would take them from you.

He didn’t do that, though. It took him a little while to fully turn around, and you had to do your best not to let your shoulders jolt when you finally got a good look at his face.

His skin was noticeably dry, and you couldn’t help but worry if he was in pain. He had blood red eyes that burned into yours with an intensity you hadn’t known was possible. The dry skin was deceptively aging, but if you took a proper look at his features, he probably wasn’t much older than you. A few years, give or take. He wasalsovaguely familiar, but at this point this sense of déjà vu had become so commonplace that you weren’t even questioning it anymore.

“What do you want?” he snapped. His voice was thin and raspy, even more so now that he was speaking at a low register.

It was okay. You’d been prepared to be met with unfriendliness from the moment the system had told you he had a temper, so you just kept on smiling. “You can have the coins,” you insisted. “I heard you say the machine wasn’t giving you your drink. Usually, if you add more coins in, it’ll eventually dispense what you bought.”

Most people would’ve reacted with a smile or brief nod;someshow of appreciation, at the very least.

But no, not this guy.

“I don’t need your handouts,” he scowled bitterly, turning away from you in one fell swoop. He opted to just give up on his drink altogether, then shoved past you so hard that you nearly lost your balance.

You considered calling out to him, but the next notification you received suggested it was better not to.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shimura Tenko]

[Shigaraki Tomura isn’t amused by your fake display of heroism.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -10/200]

Huh? For just a second, I thought his name looked different... was I imagining things?

Shigaraki was already walking away from you, and you were left standing there with your hand extended, coins piled up in the center of your palm.

So far, you had to admit, most of your love interests sucked ass. Shouto wasn’t necessarily mean or anything, but he was aloof to a fault, and you struggled to imagine him ever developing feelings for you. Katsuki was hotheaded and had a rather nasty personality, which went without saying. And now this new guy seemed like he was about to be a massive pain in your ass too. The only person youreallyliked so far was Izuku. Izuku was great. God, why couldn’t more people be like him?

[“It’s okay. That could definitely have gone worse. It was an honest attempt, and I won’t fault you for trying.”]

Weird. They normally didn’t miss any chances to berate you. Why was this instance any different?

Also, you had some questions. Perhaps the name issue had been nothing more than a glitch in the system, but you were confused as to why Shigaraki’s first love meter capped at a higher value than the others you’d encountered so far.

You scrolled through your system interface and opened it up to where it displayed your progress with all your love interests.

“Izuku is my friend,” you mumbled aloud, “and Shouto is still my acquaintance. Katsuki is my, ugh, rival, and it says Shigaraki is my...enemy?”

What the f*ck? How could he be your enemy? Enemy sounded a hell of a lot worse than rival, and that was saying something, considering how easily Katsuki got pissed off at you.

“Is this another glitch?” you couldn’t help but ask. “It says Shigaraki’s my enemy, but we literally just met. There’s no way I managed to piss him off that much just through a first encounter. Right?”

For some reason, no matter how hard you pressed the issue, the system refused to respond.

Chapter 11: Tenderness

Chapter Text

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is thinking about his kiss with you.]

[+20 love points.]

[-10 love points.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 0/100]

Not this sh*t again.

You stared at your reflection with weary eyes, a toothbrush poking out from between your lips. You spat into the sink, rinsed your mouth out, then patted your cheeks to try and jolt yourself awake. You were still in the middle of your morning preparations, so you weren’t exactly in the mood to deal with Katsuki’s conflicting thoughts.

At least you were finally back to square one. Your points had long since dropped into the negatives with him. Quite frankly, you weren’t sure if you’devermanage to dig your way out of that hole. Perhaps it was actually for the best that you’d ended up kissing him—even if it was by accident—because that kiss was singlehandedly saving your ass right now.

[“You’re doing great. I bet he’ll fall for you in no time.”]

“Uh-huh,” you muttered, clearly unconvinced. Just because he was a bit flustered over the kiss didn’t mean that helikedyou all of a sudden. You were pretty sure that he hated you, actually. You didn’t really know how you were supposed to win Katsuki over while also being friends with Izuku, but you decided it was better not to fixate on the details.

You would just have to keep on being a nice and charming person. That was the kind of person you’d always been, even before you’d lost your memories.

Well,hopefully, at least.

“[Name], hey! Good morning!”

Izuku was there to greet you when you got to class. Seeing his smile was a good distraction, especially since you couldn’t seem to get that Shigaraki guy out of your head. You really didn’t understand why he was marked as an enemy, but you got the sense that it didn’t bode well.

“Izuku,” you smiled back. “Good morning—”

“Get out my way, dumbass.”

You were abruptly shoved, hard enough that you ended up smashing your hip against one of the tables. The pain made your bones rattle, and you barely managed to keep from crying out, small tears welling up in your eyes.

To no one’s surprise, Katsuki was the one who’d shoved you.

“K-Kacchan!” Izuku stammered out in horror. “You... you shouldn’t do that! [Name] looks like she’s in a lot of pain!”

He proceeded to fuss over you and ask if you were okay. You wiped your eyes as quickly as possible, not wanting to come across as too dramatic. It definitelydidhurt, but compared to the pain you’d felt back when you’d been trapped in the void—the pain of having one of your limbs blown apart—this much was nothing.

Katsuki was glaring at you. “What, she’s really going to whine over something like that? I barely even touched her.”

You winced a bit and gently patted your throbbing hip. A nasty bruise was probably going to form later on, but whatever. You were finally making a bit of progress with Katsuki. Lashing out at him now wouldn’t do you any favors.

“I’m fine,” you reassured, smiling weakly for good measure. “And, um... good morning, Katsuki. I hope your day is going well so far.”

He gave you a wide-eyed look, clearly taken aback by your reaction. You noticed that his gaze eventually drifted down a bit, and all of a sudden, he was blushing.

[Bakugou Katsuki can’t stop staring at your lips.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/100]

“Shut up!” he immediately snapped, turning away from you in a hurry. “The f*ck are you acting like we’re close for? Goddamn stalker.”

You chuckled under your breath. He wassobad at being honest, it was actually kind of hilarious. Also, while these system updates were certainly useful as far as knowing where you stood with your love interests, knowing that people were ‘staring at your lips’ definitely made you feel a little embarrassed.

Katsuki stomped over to his desk, sat down, then crossed his arms and made such a sour expression that you would’ve thought his pet died or something.

Meanwhile, Izuku was still fretting incessantly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he insisted. “Y-You can be honest. Kacchan doesn’t know how to hold back. He’s really strong, so he just assumes everyone else can handle most things the way he does.”

You nodded. “I’m alright, Izuku. But thank you for worrying. I can handle being pushed around a bit here and there. I’m tougher than I look.”

“But you shouldn’thaveto handlebeing pushed around...”

Once again, his expression was downcast. He seemed frustrated by his helplessness, even though most things were out of his control. He couldn’t very wellmakeKatsuki behave a certain way. Some people chose to act like assholes, and that was just the sad reality of things. The most any one person could do was manage their own behavior.

“Please don't be sad,” you insisted, reaching out and squeezing his hand. “I promise I’m okay. I’m happy just being around you, Izuku. It isn’t your fault Katsuki is so rude.”

“I-I guess not,” he flushed. “I just wish I could do more for you. You’ve been a really great friend to me, so I can’t help but want to do the same.”

“You already have. I’m being honest when I say this. You’re by far my favorite person to be around.”

As always, Izuku still seemed a touch uncertain, but your words probably helped to reassure him somewhat. His blush deepened, and the most he could manage to do washastily nod his head a few times.

[Midoriya Izuku is going to do his best to support you.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 100/200]

You pushed through your morning classes with visible sluggishness, only half-paying attention to what was being taught. You were tired on a good day, but even more so ever since you’d started training with weapons. Lacking any sort of natural talent, it was a much steeper learning curve than you’d anticipated.

Your head collapsed against the table more times than you could count, and the teacher had to yell you awake.

“[Name]! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Several of your classmates couldn’t help but snicker, probably because you’d lifted up your head with a dazed expression, drool slick against your chin. Thanks to the fact that you were friends with Izuku—something that was apparently unprecedented—you seemed to be steadily building a reputation for yourself. And not really a good one.

I guess this is the effect being Quirkless has. People look down on Izuku for something that’s completely out of his control. It really sucks.

You wiped a hand across your mouth. “Sorry,” you mumbled. “I’ve been tired lately.”

“Just don’t let it happen again,” the teacher huffed.

Needless to say, itdidhappen again, and you earned yourself detention that day.

Feeling rather haggard even though school was officially out, you exchanged goodbyes with Izuku, then collected your belongings and prepared to trudge over towards the principal’s office.

Katsuki grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you aside before you got far.

“C’mere,” he gritted out. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“I have detention,” you tried to protest. “The teacher said I have to go organize books in the principal’s office. I think I’ll get in a lot of trouble if I’m not there in time...”

Unsurprisingly, Katsuki could care less about your problems, and he dragged you through the hallways until he reached a quiet space, free of prying eyes.

After staring at you in silence formuchlonger than you would’ve liked, he eventually gritted his teeth.

“What happened between us wasnota kiss,” he insisted, voice trembling slightly as he spoke.

You blinked repeatedly.

This dude brought me all the way out here just for this? I’m going to get my ass whooped by the principal at this rate.

Katsuki seemed determined to try and wipe the incident from his mind, but based on all the system updates you’d been getting, it didn’t seem like he was having much success so far. The fact that you’d kissed was one of the only things that helped him think somewhat positively about you. If he managed to convince himself that it didn’t count, then you were screwed.

Feeling hot in the face, you gave him a hesitant look. “I mean... it kind ofwas, though. I realize it was an accident, but our lips touched. I’m pretty sure that still counts as a kiss.”

“What the—?!” Katsuki’s entire body tensed up, and just like that, he was red as a tomato again. Despite being polar opposites, this was one thing he and Izuku had in common. They were both serial blushers. “The hell is the matter with you? I’m telling you it wasn’t a kiss, so itwasn’t, okay?!”

You shrugged. “If you say so. But ask anyone else, and they’d say it was.”

“Ask anyone else...?” Realization seemed to dawn on him, and he let out a horrified gasp. “Y-You didn’t,” he choked out. “I f*ckingtoldyou what would happen if you went around running your mouth!”

“No, I haven’t told anyone,” you reassured. “I’m just saying, if Ihad, then I’m pretty sure they would all be in unanimous agreement. I get that it was kind of an uncomfortable incident, but do you really hate the thought of kissing me that much?”

You were trying to goad an honest response out of him for a change. No matter how confusing his thoughts were, based on the fact that your love points kept rising, it was clear that he didn’t fully resent the kiss. Still, getting him to admit that would probably be almost impossible.

“Of course I do!” Katsuki exclaimed. “Who the hell would want to be kissed by a creepy stalker like you?”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Ever since the kiss, Bakugou Katsuki has started to think you’re quite pretty.]

[+10 love points.]

Pfft.

You bit back a chuckle, but Katsuki seemed to pick up on it quickly enough. “The f*ck are you giggling about?” he challenged. “Is this a joke to you?”

“N-No,” you insisted, but based on your shameless grin, you doubted you were being very convincing.

He clenched his fists, looking as though he was going to start making threats, so you decided you would try one last thing before leaving it at that. Even though you felt a little self-conscious about the approach you were taking, you’d realized that flustering Katsuki was one of the best ways to make a lasting impact.

“Katsuki,” you said, awkwardly clasping your hands together. “Um. I really am sorry about the kiss. Regardless of whether or not you count it, I get that it was probably a lot to take in. But I’m personally not all that upset that you were the person I ended up kissing. You’re really good looking, after all. By any chance, do you think I’m good-looking too?”

You were admittedly being rather shameless, but with someone like him, the direct approach was probably the most effective one.

It barely took a second for Katsuki’s crimson eyes to blow wide open.

[Bakugou Katsuki is secretly pleased that you think he’s good-looking.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 40/100]

With that, you had officially made more progress with Katsuki than with Shouto, something that you couldn’t have ever expected. Granted, Katsuki’s mood was all over the place, and there was no telling when he’d get pissed off and his points would drop, but it was the furthest you’d ever gotten, and you decided to take pride in that fact.

Katsuki seemed to be struggling to form his words, but whatever they were, you doubted they would be very flattering.

“Good-looking?” he grimaced. “Who,you? Yeah, right. You wish, ugly girl. You’re so ugly I can feel my eyes burning.”

As always, he was just talking out of his ass. Perhaps other people would have been offended, but since you knew histruethoughts, it didn’t so much as faze you.

“Sure,” you grinned. “Whatever you say.”

“What the hell’s the matter with you? Why the f*ck are you smiling after being called ugly? God. You’re seriously not all there in the head.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stormed off without a moment’s notice. Things were actually going pretty well. You never thought you’d end up being somewhat thankful for the stupid daily task you’d gotten a while back.

Feeling awfully giddy, you almost forgot that you were meant to be in detention right now.

“sh*t!"

The next day, you received a message that caught you completely off-guard.

[Shouto]

Are you free right now?

I was thinking we could meet up.

You’re always asking to, after all.

Is this real life?

Out of nowhere, Shouto himself was initiating a meet-up. You’d been doing your damn best to hold a conversation with him over text, and eventhatwas a challenge, so it was safe to say that you hadn’t been expecting this at all.

Naturally, you were going to capitalize on this opportunity as best you could.

[Name]

Yes, of course!

I’d love to :)

Where should we meet?

I’ll start getting ready so that I can leave right away!

[Shouto]

I’ll send you an address and you can let me know if it’s convenient for you.

[Name]

Perfect, can’t wait!

In the interest of making a good impression, you changed into a flattering outfit and lightly spritzed yourself with some perfume. You doubted Shouto was the type to fall for someone so easily, but you figured it couldn’t hurt to be as presentable as possible.

It had been quite some time since you’d last seen each other, butman. He was just as attractive as always. It was actually kind of unfair.

“Hi, Shouto,” you beamed, happily bounding over to him. “I was super happy to get your text. How are you doing today?”

“I’m okay,” he said. His expression was every bit as stoic as you were used to, but just like before, there was no mistaking that hint of sadness in his eyes. Despite his words, you doubted he wasactuallyokay.

And the system was quick to confirm it.

[Todoroki Shouto is hoping you can help take his mind off some family troubles.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/100]

You did your best not to let any sympathy creep onto your expression, lest you give him reason to be suspicious. Family troubles, huh? You didn’t know the specifics, but whatever it was, it probably sucked big-time. In a way, youalsohad family troubles—namely, the fact that you couldn’t evenremembermost things about them. But you didn’t need your memories to know that it wasn’t an easy thing to deal with. The people closest to you were the ones that often hurt you the most, after all.

I’ll do my best to cheer him up. I want him to be happy.

You plastered on another smile. “So, what did you have in mind for today? Is there anything that sounds fun that you wanted to try?”

“Fun?” Shouto blinked, as if the very concept was foreign to him. “I... don’t know. I can’t really think of anything like that.”

“You know, like going to an arcade, doing karaoke, watching a movie... does any of that pique your interest?”

“Not really,” he admitted with a shrug. “We can do whatever you want. I’m not used to meeting up with people like this, if I’m being honest. You’re pretty much the only person I talk to, so that’s why I contacted you.”

While you somewhat appreciated the fact that you were special to him in a way, it was also quite upsetting that he had no one else to talk to apart from you. You felt that he would really benefit from a bigger social circle. Some kind of support system to get him through whatever he was dealing with.

It was fine, though. He still had you, and you were going to do everything in your power to help him out.

“I think watching a movie is probably a good place to start,” you said. “We’re pretty close to the theaters, after all. Let’s check out what’s playing right now.”

Shouto nodded absently. “Alright.”

It turned out that the only options were either some low-budget slasher flick, or what looked to be one of the cheesiest romcoms you’d ever seen in your life. Neither was great, if you were being honest, but you figured it was less about the movie itself and more so spending time together.

For a while, you contemplated watching the romance movie in the hopes of setting the mood, but then decided to go with the cliched approach of watching a horror movie and pretending to be scared so that he could console you.

“O-Oh no,” you stammered robotically, peeking out at the screen from in between your fingers. “This issoscary. I'm really,reallyscared, Shouto...”

That was a big fat lie. The special effects were god-awful, and the acting was so sh*t that it wasn’t scaring you at all. But you hoped that Shouto’s protective instincts might take over or something. Maybe he would wrap you in his arms or pat your head to calm you down. It was wishful thinking, but still.

Shouto munched on his popcorn, glancing at you in disbelief. “What part of this is scary?”

“Um... all of it?”

“Hm. I didn’t expect you to be so squeamish. Well, if it scares you that much, we can always leave.”

This isn’t the reaction I’d hoped for...

Clearly, your plan was a bust, so for the remainder of the movie, you leaned back in your seat and watched on with a disinterested expression. You tried engaging Shouto in conversation here and there, but he ignored you and said that it wasn’t polite to talk during a movie. Even though the theater was practically empty apart from the two of you.

“Sorry,” you sighed, dragging your feet out of the theater. “I wasn’t expecting the movie to be so bad. I guess it probably wasn’t much fun.”

Shouto just shrugged. “It was fine. I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. I don’t usually watch movies.”

Does this guy doanythingfor fun?

You were actually starting to get worried. He was remarkably closed off, and the fact that he didn’t seem to have any hobbies or interests was concerning. You wondered if it had something to do with his home life. You desperately hoped he wasn’t being neglected or abused.

Still, you’d set off to lift his spirits, and you weren’t going home without doing that.

“I think there’s a park nearby,” you suggested. “If we hop on a bus, we should be able to get there pretty quick. How does that sound?”

By now, you should have probably realized that Shouto would go along with just about anything, without thinking much of it.

“Okay,” he said.

Thankfully, the weather was nice, so taking a stroll through a park wasn’t such a bad idea. You still had about an hour or two before the sun started setting. The fresh breeze and occasional excited squeals from nearby children were enough to make a smile rise to your lips.

“It’s nice here,” you hummed. You paused, scanning Shouto’s expression for a reaction. “Maybe next time we meet up, we can come back for a picnic...?”

To your relief, he nodded, which meant that hanging out in the future wasn’t out of the question. That was promising. Even if progress with him would be slow, at least it wasn’t a lost cause.

As always, it was difficult to keep a steady conversation going, but you supposed Shouto just wasn’t a talkative person by nature. Once you got to know each other better, he would hopefully start to open up a bit more.

You thought things were going pretty well until he abruptly stopped in place, and you realized he was staring at a group of people.

It was a family of six. Two parents and four children, by the looks of things. They could hardly contain their smiles as they chased each other around, tumbling onto the grass together and giggling. In a lot of ways, they were the picture-perfect family; so happy and loving towards one another.

Based on the system update from earlier, you knew exactly what was going through Shouto’s mind right now.

He’s looking at them so fondly. Almost enviously, I’d say. That pretty much confirms it. He and his family must be on really bad terms.

You knew you couldn’t possibly make up for whatever heartache his family had caused him, but you still felt compelled to reach over and gently grab him by the hand.

“Come on,” you smiled. “There’s a crepe stand over there. We can get something yummy to eat.”

Shouto didn’t try to push you away. Instead, his brow trembled a bit, and he actually looked grateful that you were squeezing his fingers with so much tenderness.

“Alright,” he nodded. He wasn’t quite smiling, but at least he didn’t look so sad anymore.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto feels like he made the right call by inviting you out today.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/100]

[Name]’s Archive:

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (friend): 100/200

Bakugou Katsuki (rival): 40/100

Todoroki Shouto (acquaintance): 50/100

Shigaraki Tomura (enemy): -10/200

(Additional entries in progress...)

Chapter 12: Confounding Memory

Chapter Text

You were feeling pretty sh*tty.

Right from the morning, when you came stumbling into class late after sleeping in, you kind of got the sense that it would be one ofthosedays.

“Late again, [Name].” The teacher clicked his tongue and gave you a mildly frustrated look. “Are you trying to set the record for the worst attendance this school has ever seen? Anyways, you get detention. Stay after class and clean the windows.”

Your teacher seemed to hate you for some reason. It most likely had to do with the fact that you had a habit of dozing off during class, as well as your frequent late arrivals. But you just couldn’t help it. You weretired. Day in and day out, you’d been doing your daily tasks and training to try and get stronger, and it exhausted you like crazy. Add mental stress and the frustration that came with your amnesia, and you were far from being a well-rested person.

Academically speaking, you were pretty average, but the teacher didn’t seem to care that you were passing all your tests and getting decent grades. By now, he'd given you detention more times than you could even count. Maybe he was going through a divorce and taking his anger out on you or something? f*ck if you knew.

“Yes, sir,” you mumbled, letting out a quiet sigh. “I’m sorry.”

It would’ve been fine if that was all the day had in store for you. But of course, itwasn’t.

As it turned out, all of the students were required to fill out a form detailing their career plans for the future, and there wasonecareer in particular that everyone seemed to have their eyes set on.

Namely, becoming a hero.

“Sensei!” Katsuki’s arrogant voice cut in. “Don’t lump me in with the rest of these extras. They can’t even comecloseto me.”

He was bragging about being better than the others, which was nothing out of the ordinary, but then the topic of U.A came up. Pretty much everyone knew that Katsuki was gunning for U.A, and given how powerful his Quirk was, they could understand why he thought he had a shot at getting in.

There was, however,anotherperson who’d always dreamed of attending U.A, and being the dickhe*d that your teacher was, he decided to single him out.

“Oh, right,” he hummed. “Midoriya also wants to go to U.A, doesn’t he?”

Just like that, the entire class fell silent. But within a few moments, you would come to prefer the silence, because what followed made your heart sink.

Everyone started laughing at Izuku.

“Haha!Midoriya? Seriously? There's just no way!”

“It doesn’t matter how much you study, that alone isn’t enough to let you become a hero!”

Their cruel taunts and jeers were practically endless, and you were forced to watch as shame washed over Izuku’s expression. You tried speaking up, but your wavering voice got lost amidst the bellowing chatter. And by that point, Katsuki was already inching towards Izuku, sparking off explosions as he did.

He backed Izuku against a wall and glared at him with pure hatred. “What the actual f*ck is the matter with you, sh*tty Deku? Forget being an extra, you don’t even have a Quirk, so where do you get off, pretending like you can stand in the same ring as me? What the hell can a weakling like you possibly accomplish?”

“I-It’s not like that,” Izuku stammered nervously. “I just... can’t help it. It’s been a dream of mine, ever since I was little...”

That was all he managed to muster up as a response. He had since fallen to the ground, forced to look up at the people ridiculing him. For just a moment, his eyes flickered towards you, and there was no mistaking the pained look he gave you.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is ashamed that you have to see him in such a sorry state.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/100]

You parted your lips to try and console him somehow, but everyone quickly moved on from the disgusting group bullying session they’d partaken in, and classes proceeded as if nothing had ever happened.

Things only got worse, though.

Once the school bell chimed, signaling the end of the day, you made a beeline for Izuku’s desk. You couldn’t walk home with him this time since you had to stay for detention, but you still wanted to say goodbye and maybe even try lifting his spirits a bit.

“I’m not done with you, Deku.”

Katsuki pushed you out of the way and snatched the notebook Izuku had been holding. It was one of his hero analysis notebooks, where he compiled all of the observations he’d made thus far. There were countless of them—this one was titled #13—but regardless of how many he had, you knew each of them meant alotto Izuku.

And Katsuki decided to blow this one up.

Your jaw dropped open. Izuku could only stare at him in horror, shaking uncontrollably. The cover and pages of the notebook had been charred beyond repair. You were left wondering if the notes inside would even still be legible.

“T-Too cruel,” Izuku whimpered. “This is just...toocruel...”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, then chucked the entire notebook out the window. “Quit it with the whining. Listen up, ‘cause I want you to get something through that thick skull of yours. A common link between top heroes is that they all came from unremarkable schools. They were the first to make history and land themselves at U.A. Being a perfectionist, I can’t help but want to maintain that streak. You get where I’m going with this?”

He inched closer, likely to threaten Izuku some more, but you grabbed him by the arm before he could get any further.

“Katsuki,” you said. It was scarcely a whisper, and your tone wasn’t fueled by anger either. There was no sense in fighting fire with fire. Screaming at Katsuki or starting a fight would just have the opposite effect. In that case, the most you could hope for was to earn his sympathy. Your gaze was imploring as you lightly squeezed his arm and held him back. “Please just stop,” you breathed. “Everyone already knows you’re going to get into U.A. Can’t you just let Izuku have a dream? He’s not hurting you. So, just...please.”

It took Katsuki a few moments to let your words sink in. He didn’t even look angry at first. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you might’ve thought he lookedhurt.

“Piss off,” he eventually snapped.

[Bakugou Katsuki hates that you keep standing up for Midoriya Izuku.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/100]

Well, that was a swing and a miss. You supposed it could have been a lot worse, though. At least he wasn’t yelling and threatening violence.

Katsuki turned his attention back to Izuku. “Anyways, just give up on U.A, sh*tty nerd. It’s a lost cause for a bum like you.”

You hoped that was the end of it, based on the fact that he and his lackeys were already walking away, but Katsuki made sure to glance back over his shoulder one last time. His eyes met yours for just a moment, and a conceited grin was quick to stretch across his face.

“If you’rereallystill hoping you might get your Quirk one day, maybe try jumping off the rooftop. Who knows? There might even be a Quirk waiting for you in your next life.”

A few sad*stic chuckles left his lips, and you could hardly even process what you’d just heard. The worst part of it was that it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. You could’ve sworn that Katsuki had uttered those exact words before, at some point or another.

But when?

Ugh... my head is starting to hurt again...

Seeming rather satisfied with his victory, Katsuki left. You were now alone with Izuku, and you couldn’t help but feel guilty about not having done anything to spare him from all of this heartache. Quite frankly, you’d been itching to slap Katsuki across the face after the vile comment he’d just made, but a part of you was still terrified of what the system might do to punish you.

“I’m sorry,” you immediately apologized. “I should have done more. I should have made him take back his words. I’m sorry, Izuku.”

You felt like a bad friend, but Izuku didn’t seem to think so. His eyes were rife with sadness, the way they always were whenever he was ridiculed or bullied, but you knew he would never try to blame you for any of it.

He shook his head, sniffling a bit. “I’m fine. Thank you for being here, [Name]. I’m glad you didn’t do anything reckless. The only thing worse would be if I had to watch Kacchan take his anger out on you instead. I’ll be alright, so don’t worry about me. This is just reality. I’m Quirkless, so... there’s really no helping it.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but Izuku let out a shaky chuckle.

“Anyways, I’m gonna go get my notebook back. It looked like it fell into some water, so it’s probably soaked by now... but I’d like to try and salvage it if I can.”

“I’ll come with,” you insisted, but the second you tried to take even a single step out of the classroom, the teacher cleared his throat.

“[Name], where do you think you’re going?” he frowned. “You have detention, remember?”

Ugh. What an asshole.

You knew for afactthat he’d overheard the entire exchange between Katsuki and Izuku, but hadn’t so much as lifted a finger to stop it. He didn’t even intervene back when the whole class was openly laughing at Izuku. The education system needed to do a better job of hiring teachers, because some of them royallysucked.

“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to walk my friend to the school gates,” you said, even though that was a lie. Even if you would get in trouble for ditching detention, you had no intention of leaving Izuku alone after what he’d just gone through.

The teacher scoffed. “Do you think I was born yesterday? You’re not going anywhere. Now, chop-chop. Those windows need to be wiped down.”

You sucked in air through your teeth. It was amazing that you somehow hatedthisguy more than Katsuki himself. Probably because he was an adult, and adults were supposed to know better.

Izuku forced a smile. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about me. I don’t want you to get in trouble. I’ll text you when I get home, alright?”

“...alright.”

You couldn’t hide your disappointment, but the teacher was probably just short of grabbing a ruler and using it to whack your rear. Maybe Izuku wanted to be alone right now. Maybe the best thing you could do was give him a bit of space.

Izuku waved you off and left the classroom, but there was no mistaking how sluggish his steps were. What Katsuki had said was definitely hitting him hard. He just didn’t want to admit it and risk worrying you.

“[Name],” the teacher said again, gesturing towards the windows impatiently. “Get on with it, please. And by the time you’re done, I’d like to be able to see my reflection clear as day. Got it?”

[“Man. This guy’s a real piece of work.”]

“Tell me about it,” you gritted out.

While you were wiping and polishing all the classroom windows—which was alotmore of a workout than you’d been expecting—Izuku was dealing with something much more eventful, but you didn’t realize it until news broke and you got the alerts on your phone.

To summarize, some sort of slime villain had been wreaking havoc through town, and by a stroke of bad luck, he ended up attacking Katsuki and essentially taking him hostage. All of the news articles couldn’t help but praise the blonde for his bravery and resilience, saying that he’d done an amazing job of putting up a fight against the villain. And eventually, the Number One hero, All Might, came to his rescue.

But that wasn’t it.

In fact, All Might hadn't been the first person to try and save Katsuki. Even though the news didn’t outright state his name, civilians had reported that a boy with curly green hair, wearing the same middle school uniform as Katsuki, had rushed headfirst into danger to try and free him from the slime villain.

Izuku.

Despite not having a Quirk, it was exactly the sort of thing you would expect from him. He probably didn’t even stop to think of his own wellbeing before jumping in to help his former friend—who had since become his bully.

Izuku was incredibly kind. His overwhelming desire to become a hero meant that he was always ready to put himself in harm’s way. Even though he was terrified of Katsuki, that still hadn’t stopped him from always doing his best to stick up for you.

If the news sources were to be trusted, then neither Katsuki nor Izuku had been seriously injured, because All Might had saved them both in time. But that didn’t stop you from worrying. You’d initially only planned on calling Izuku tonight, but after finding out what you’d missed, youneededto see him in person.

So, you did just that.

“Izuku!” you cried out, immediately rushing towards him. You were relieved to find that he didn’t have any visible injuries. It seemed like the news sources were accurate in that regard.

It was strange, though. You would’ve thought that after such a close encounter with a villain, he would’ve been incredibly shaken up. He’d already had a terrible day thanks to all the nasty things Katsuki had said to him, so you were expecting his expression to be a hundred times more downcast than earlier.

But it wasn’t. Quite the opposite, actually.

He just couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

“[Name]!” he beamed. “Hey! I didn’t think we’d end up seeing each other again today, haha. You must’ve been a bit worried when you found out what happened, but I promise I’m fine.”

[Midoriya Izuku is happy that you’re so concerned about him.]

[+20 love points.]

Well, if he was in a good mood, then you certainly weren’t complaining. He deserved to be happy, so it was actually a huge relief that he seemed to be doing better now.

Maybe he’s really excited because he got saved by All Might? He finally met his idol.

That would certainly make sense. Getting attacked by a villain was far from what you would consider a good time, but it was nice that it had landed him face to face with the person he most looked up to.

“I’m really glad you’re okay.” You paused, smiling a bit. “You seem pretty happy. All Might must’ve been even cooler in person, huh? It’s great that you finally got to meet him. Did he give you his autograph?”

Izuku’s grin got even wider, and he nodded his head enthusiastically. “He did! I actually have it in the notebook Kacchan blew up earlier. It’s pretty much my family heirloom now.”

“Aw. That’s cute. I’m so happy for you, Izuku.”

“Yeah! I really,reallygot to meet All Might. And...”

He stopped himself all of a sudden. It looked like he was trying to keep from gettingtooexcited, if the way his lips kept wobbling was any indication.

[Midoriya Izuku is happy he met All Might and wishes he could tell you what really happened between them.]

[+20 love points.]

Huh?

What was that supposed to mean? Was there something he was purposefully leaving out?

“After meeting All Might, I’m feeling a lot more confident,” Izuku happily went on. “I’ve decided I’m done with letting people discourage me. I’m going to become a hero, no matter what it takes! I really feel like I can do it now.”

If this was the effect All Might’s presence had on a person, then you could certainly understand why he was hailed as the strongest and most adored hero. But something about the way Izuku was talking just wasn’t adding up. He seemed much more sure of himself all of a sudden, and it was the sort of thing that simple encouragement alone probably couldn’t achieve.

As if affirming your exact thoughts, you were suddenly seized by the most splitting headache you’d ever felt.

“...f*ck!”

You clutched at your head, doing your best to bite back the tears and keep from losing yourself in the pain. You could just vaguely hear Izuku calling to you out of concern, but your senses were in overload right now and you couldn’t discern what he was saying.

It was happening again. You were just on the cusp of remembering something.

“Youcanbe a hero. As a matter of fact... you are the one most worthy of inheriting my power.”

The images flitting through your mind were difficult to make sense of at first. You couldn’t tellwhowas talking, but after you gave yourself a few moments to adjust to the scene, you realized there was a man speaking to Izuku, while the boy was crumpled on the ground, with tears spilling from his eyes.

That man was All Might.

The longer the scene played, and you watched as he spoke of matters that shouldn’t have been possible—such as passing his Quirk on for Izuku to inherit—the more dumbstruck you felt. For one thing, All Might didn’t even look like himself. He was incredibly thin and frail; gaunt, even. Nothing like the insurmountable wall that all villains were said to fear.

But itwasAll Might, and he was telling Izuku that he’d chosen him as his successor. That he could become a hero, despite being Quirkless. All Might was going to give him the greatest power there was,One For All.

You couldn’t make sense of what was going on. When this had happened before, you’d known for a fact that it was a memory from your past. Your mother had been speaking to you in that memory. But here... you were nowhere to be found. How could it be a memory if you weren’t even present? Izuku had only just met All Might for the first time today, which meant that this entire interaction had happened less than a few hours ago.

How can this be a memory? Am I delusional or something? I don’t understand what the hell is going on with me...

As always, you were drawing a blank, but if what you’d just seen was thetruth—that All Might was somehow going to pass his Quirk on to Izuku—then it would certainly explain why he was suddenly so optimistic.

Wincing a bit, you slowly opened your eyes and found that Izuku was almost in tears.

“Oh, thank god!” he cried out. “W-What happened? Are you okay? You looked like you were in a lot of pain for some reason...”

“I’m fine,” you reassured, gently patting him on the shoulder. “It was just an acute migraine. But, um... Izuku,” you said hesitantly. “Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

“Huh?”

Unless you were imagining things, he looked rather stiff all of a sudden. Almost as if he was nervous that he might let something slip.

“N-Nope!” Izuku insisted, doing a rather poor job of being convincing. “I’m just super excited because I got to meet my favorite hero! It ended up being a really great day. All Might was super nice and encouraging, and every bit as strong as I’d expected!”

[Midoriya Izuku really wishes he could tell you the truth, because you’re so important to him. But he made a promise, so he can’t.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 140/200]

Well, that pretty much confirmed it. His receiving All Might’s Quirk was some sort of secret meant to be kept between the two of them. Naturally, you had no intention of butting in and potentially ruining their relationship. If he needed to keep it a secret, then it was probably for good reason.

Besides, based on what you’d seen, it meant that Izuku would finally have a Quirk. He no longer had any reason to feel insecure or doubt his potential, and for that, you were truly thankful.

You flashed him a grin. “Alright. I was just checking. Seriously though, tell me about what All Might’s like in person. Is he funny? Are his muscles just as big as they look in the interviews?”

“His muscles are evenbiggerin person!”

“Holy cow.”

[“You seem to have remembered something. I won’t ask you to tell me what it is, so don’t worry. But based on the progress you’ve made up until now, I feel like you’re probably ready to receive your first ability. Take a look.”]

STATUS UPDATE:

[You have unlocked a new ability,Critical Hit.]

[Ability description: Weak spots will appear on your designated target. Successfully hitting these weak spots will allow you to deal amplified damage. Damage scales based on your strength skill points.]

Sounds pretty useful. Hopefully I can actually make this work, unlike what happened with the equip function.

Anyways, you were choosing not to focus on all this system stuff right now. There was plenty of time for that. What was most important was the fact that Izuku had finally been given the opportunity he deserved, and you honestly couldn’t be happier.

Chapter 13: The Bakugou Household

Chapter Text

[“Alright. Using the ability is pretty simple. All you have to do is focus on your target, and if you’re concentrating hard enough, you should be able to see the weak spots appear. Then, it’s just a matter of hitting them.”]

You gripped your baton and nodded. “Okay. Right. I can do this. Just give me a second and let me get in the zone.”

Accompanying you for this endeavor was what had since become your most trusted ally, the Katsuki training dummy. Unlike the real Katsuki, this one was cute and nonthreatening. It stayed completely still and didn’t make any attempts to badmouth you, because, well... because it couldn’t talk. Which was nice. If only the real Katsuki learned to shut up every now and then.

It was your first time trying out the ability you’d just unlocked, and you felt a bit nervous. You already knew that you weren’t exactly physically gifted, so you worried that this would end up being a total failure. If you didn’t have what it took to become a hero, then the system definitely wasn’t going to play nice.

No matter what, youhadto make this work.

“Focus on my target,” you mumbled. “I just need to focus... yeah. I can do this. I’m focusing, I’m waiting, and I—ah.”

You could see them. All of a sudden, a few circles appeared on the Katsuki training dummy. They were like mini bullseye targets, glowing a bit so that it was easier for you to keep them in your sight. All you had to do was hit one of those, right? And then your ability would allow you to deal a ton of damage?

Pfft. I’m no athlete, but that’s a piece of cake, even for me.

Foolishly, you allowed yourself to get overconfident.

So, when you swung at the Katsuki dummy and hit the wrong spot, it only made the whole thing that much more embarrassing.

[“Well, now this is just awkward for the both of us.”]

“Shut up!” you cried out. “My fingers just slipped a bit, that’s all!”

You drew in a sharp breath, feeling hot in the face from embarrassment, then repositioned yourself and tried again.

This time, you actually hit where you weresupposedto, and the Katsuki dummy was suddenly knocked back by a burst of pressure.

“Wow,” you said, blinking repeatedly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been able to knock it back that far before. So, that was a critical hit, right?”

[“Yes. Granted, you don’t deal very much damage yet because your natural strength and skill points are still very low, but the more you train, the more your power will scale. There’s still a good amount of time until the U.A entrance exam, but you certainly can’t afford to slack off. You’re not talented enough to afford to do that.”]

“Gee, thanks...”

[“I’m just being realistic. You’ll also realize that you can’t use that ability very often as of yet. You’ll start to feel increasingly tired the more times you land a critical hit. Over time, this will also improve. Adding skill points to your vitality is a good way to improve your stamina and overall durability, so that might be something worth considering. Anyways, for now, try using the ability some more. Let’s see what your current limit is.”]

It turned out that you reached your limit after only a few more hits, and you felt even more drained than whenever you ended up crafting an item. The Katsuki dummy was also starting to look pretty beat-up after how many times you’d whacked it thus far. Hopefully you could craft a new one at some point. You’d actually grown rather fond of it.

If nothing else, the daily tasks were a good way to force you to be disciplined, because you doubted you would’ve trained this hard otherwise. You really hoped that your efforts would start to pay off soon. Being a hero was no easy feat, and you would need to build up the strength and skill to give yourself a fighting chance.

But for now, you felt like you’d earned a break.

“I’m gonna go make myself some lemonade,” you said, wiping the sweat off your brow and humming as you breezed through the kitchen.

The system didn’t much care for your carefree demeanor.

[“I really hope you’re not taking this lightly. You won’t become a hero and accomplish your tasks if you treat this like a joke. And if that’s the case, I won’t go easy on you.”]

Ah, there it was again. You actually felt like it had been a little while since they’d last threatened you. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

“I’m definitely not taking this lightly,” you muttered while juicing a lemon. It was the truth.Howcould you take it lightly when your memories and wellbeing were on the line? You already spent a good portion of your days riddled with anxiety. What more did they want from you? Couldn’t you at leasttryto be happy and optimistic?

[“In that case, good. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I’m not against fun, but your tasks will always come first. Remember that.”]

Ironically enough, despite having no memories, this was one thing you knew you’dneverbe able to forget.

The system had damn well made sure of it.

You finished juicing the lemon, mixed it into some water along with a bit of sugar, then took a sip—only for your face to immediately scrunch up.

“sh*t. That'swaytoo sour.”

You were a fourteen-year-old living entirely on your own. Naturally, this meant that you were forced to fend for yourself. Not only that, but you also needed to deal with errands and other sorts of tedious responsibilities.

One of those was grocery shopping.

You actually didn’t mind the process of cooking all that much. It was fun to try out new recipes, and since you couldn’t craft food, there was really no other way around it, apart from ordering in every now and then.

But there was nothing fun aboutbuyingthe ingredients you had to cook. The grocery store was always crowded and loud, and your arms usually wound up hurting from all the heavy bags you had to haul home. You were only fourteen, so you obviously couldn’t drive. Perhaps it felt like a silly thing to complain about, but considering what you already had on your plate, it was yet another pain in your ass.

Eager to hurry up and get this over with as quickly as possible, you’d planned out your grocery list well ahead of time and were already mapping out the best route to pick everything out.

You’d barely taken two steps before you abruptly stopped in your tracks.

“Quit wasting my time, you little sh*t! I told you to head to the frozen foods aisle while I took care of the other stuff!”

“Huh? Why the hell do I have to do that? It’s bad enough you dragged me out here. Have you forgotten how to do the groceries on your own, sh*tty hag?”

Eyes wide, you turned and found yourself staring at your classmate and supposed rival, Katsuki. He wasn’t alone, though. There was a woman by his side, who he was practically the spitting image of, and you could only assume she was his mother.

She seemed to carry his brash temperament too, based on all the yelling she was doing.

“Shut up, asshole!” She grabbed him by the ear, making him wince and mash his teeth from frustration, then pulled him closer. “Don’t talk back to your mother like that! Run along to the frozen foods aisle and grab what’s on my list before I spank you in front of the whole store!”

His personality is suddenly making a lot more sense...

Up until now, you’d just been standing in place and watching them from afar, but it had just dawned on you that this was the perfect opportunity. Since you weren’t on friendly terms with him like Izuku or even Shouto, your interactions with Katsuki were almost entirely limited to school, where he insisted on acting like a total ass. But maybe things would be different if you introduced yourself to his family and tried to get a bit more familiar with him. Also, the fact that Izuku wasn’t around right now certainly couldn’t hurt.

You had no way of knowing how this would go, but you decided to test your luck.

“Katsuki!” you called out, rushing towards him.

It only took a second for his jaw to drop open. He already looked like he was ready to start throwing sh*t, and also quite a bit horrified, if you weren’t mistaken. From his perspective, the fact that you kept popping up like this probablydidmake you look like a stalker.

“The f*ck?” Katsuki snapped, angrily grinding his teeth. “What areyoudoing here?”

You had a response locked and loaded, but before you could say anything else, Katsuki’s mother brought her hand down on his head and started aggressively ruffling his hair.

“Oh, hi there!” she beamed, looking much more friendly all of a sudden. “Goodness, aren’t you so pretty? You know this stupid son of mine? I’m Mitsuki, by the way. What’s your name?”

“I’m [Name],” you blushed, bowing your head slightly. “It’s very nice to meet you. And, um, I’m Katsuki’s classmate. I started attending the same school as him not long ago.”

“She’s a goddamnstalkeris what she is,” Katsuki hissed.

Mitsuki jabbed him in the ribs. “Shut up, you little bastard! Is this how you speak to your friends?!”

“Like hell we’re friends!”

“It’s the first time any girl has ever come up to Katsuki like this,” Mitsuki continued, completely ignoring him. “They usually know to keep their distance from him once he opens his mouth. He’s a real piece of sh*t, so I can’t say I blame them. Anyways, I’m glad you decided to stop by and say hi! Katsuki could use some more friends. He’s always hanging around the same two, and quite frankly, I’m not sure they’re such a good influence on him.”

I’m pretty surehe’sthe bad influence, not the other way around.

Remembering that you had a goal to get on Katsuki’s good side, you forced yourself to muster up a smile and try to forget that this was the same guy who’d jokingly suggested your closest friend go jump off a roof.

“I don’t know Katsuki very well yet,” you admitted. “But I’m hoping to get closer to him. I’d like us to be friends.”

Katsuki’s jaw dropped open a second time, and to no one’s surprise, he was already red in the face.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki can tell you don’t know when to give up.]

[+10 love points.]

Well, his points had gone up, so whatever confusing emotion he was feeling, it seemed to be working to your advantage.

Contrary to her son, however, Mitsuki looked absolutely delighted.

“What a nice girl you are!” she gushed, a grin bursting across her lips. “Katsuki, you hear that? This nice classmate of yours wants to be friends, even though you have such a terrible personality. You’d better show her some respect! I can already tell she’s out your league.”

Katsuki finally managed to push away from her, and proceeded to give you the middle finger. “Get lost, you f*cking creep. The park, random places in the middle of the city, school, and now even the grocery store? When the hell are you gonna stop stalking me?”

“This grocery store is close to my house,” you sighed. “Like I said before, I moved to the area recently.”

“Ignore him,” Mitsuki reassured. She jabbed Katsuki one more time for good measure, then smiled again. “He likes to talk out of his ass. It’s a bad habit he’s learned, and I’m afraid to say that I haven’t been able to set him straight yet. I really have no clue who he gets it from...”

“Are you f*cking kidding me right now?” Katsuki gaped.

“Anyways! I’m assuming you’re here to do some grocery shopping as well, [Name].” Mitsuki glanced around, quickly furrowing her brows. “Didn’t you come with your parents? Where are they?”

You let out a nervous chuckle. “Uh... not exactly. They’re... taking a little trip for the day, so I decided to do the shopping myself. I was out of food and needed to have something to cook tonight.”

“You’re making dinner all on your own?”

“They’ll probably be back pretty late, so yeah.”

“Wow. What a responsible young lady you are. Katsuki could definitely take a page out of your book.” She went silent for a few moments, just staring at you through her pretty upturned eyes, and eventually, it looked like she’d realized something. “Oh, I know! Why don’t you come have dinner with us? It’s a bit lonely to eat all by yourself, and I’d love for Katsuki to finally have a friend who can nudge him in the right direction. What do you say?”

“Hellno,” Katsuki gritted out, answering in your stead. He was glaring daggers at you, clearly signaling for you to refuse—orelse.

You had no intention of doing that, though.

“I’d love to,” you beamed. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”

For the third time in the span of a few minutes, Katsuki’s jaw dropped open again.

Mitsuki let out a happy little squeal. “Perfect! I’m so excited. This is going to be a lot of fun. Ah, we’re still in the middle of finishing up with our groceries, so I hope you don’t mind being patient for a few more minutes. We’ll head home right after.”

“Take all the time you need,” you reassured. This really was a stroke of luck. You hoped the system appreciated how quick you were to act. It'd be nice if they remembered this whenever they considered putting you through hell again.

Unfortunately, Katsuki seemed to hate the way things had turned out, but you were intent on using this chance to show him just how charming you could be.

Feeling a bit cheeky, you puckered up your lips and blew him a kiss.

[Bakugou Katsuki thinks you’re batsh*t insane.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/100]

Ha. He definitely didn’t hate that.

Balling up his fists, Katsuki stormed off to the frozen foods aisle. “Don’t follow me, you crazy bitch!”

You decided it was probably best to give him a bit of time to calm down, so you just glanced towards Mitsuki, still smiling. “Is there anything I can help you look for to save time?”

“Oh, um... that’d be great.” She gave you a puzzled look. “You’re not easily fazed, are you? That’s a good thing, though. Katsuki needs friends who won’t take most of what he says to heart. He doesn’t really mean it, after all.”

“Trust me,” you chuckled. “I know.”

Given that Mitsuki and Katsuki were basically carbon copies of each other, you hadn’t been expecting for the father of the household to be so different.

“Ah,” the man blinked, clearly surprised to see a new face. “Hello there. I didn’t realize we would be having a guest over.” He had a gentle expression and soothing way of speaking, which made sense, honestly. Katsuki and his mother were always at each other’s throats, so they probablyneededa voice of reason in the house.

You politely bowed your head. “I’m sorry for showing up so unexpectedly. I’m [Name], Katsuki’s classmate. It’s very nice to meet you, sir.”

“Look how well-mannered she is,” Mitsuki marveled, unable to keep from glaring in Katsuki’s direction. “If only our sh*tty son was the same way. What a shame.”

“So, kick me out and adoptherinstead,” Katsuki glowered.

“I really wish I could,” Mitsuki sighed. “But unfortunately, we’re stuck with you.”

“That should be my line!”

“Please give it a rest, you two. [Name] doesn’t need to see you behaving this way.” The man adjusted his glasses and offered you a warm smile. “I’m Masaru. The pleasure is all ours, really. It’s nice to see Katsuki expanding his friend group.”

“For thelasttime,” Katsuki felt compelled to cut in, teeth split into a nasty grimace. “This creepy chick isnotmy friend. Didn’t you see how quickly she jumped at the opportunity to weasel her way into my home? She’s f*cking stalking me!”

Mitsuki shoved him aside, then gently patted your back. “Ignore him,” she smiled. “We’re all thrilled to have you. Now, go ahead and make yourself comfortable while we get dinner started. You can hang out in Katsuki’s room for the time being. I’m sure he’d love to show you around.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Katsuki denied.

“See? He feels the same way.” Mitsuki proceeded to push both of you along, much to Katsuki’s immense dismay, and despite all of his screeching, he still couldn’t seem to actively defy his parents.

One way or another, you ended up in his room.

“Wow,” you mumbled. For one thing, you still couldn’t believe you were actuallyhere. After all, this was the same guy whose love points had plummeted faster than you could even blink. Another reason you had to be surprised, though, was the fact that his room was a lot more decked-out than you’d been expecting. There were quite a few All Might posters, and even some figurines and other merch here and there.

Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against one of the walls, unwilling to let you out of his sight. “I’ve got my eyes on you,” he warned. “Don’t eventhinkof trying to steal my underwear or some sh*t.”

“Why are you so convinced that I’m some kind of pervert?” you couldn’t help but sigh.

“Isn’t it f*cking obvious? Because you’re obsessed with me!”

[“Haha. This is kind of funny.”]

As always, the system seemed to delight in your discomfort, but you couldn’t very well respond to them, not while Katsuki was right there. He already thought you were crazy enough as it was.

You brushed off his remark with an airy chuckle. “You’re silly. I’m just trying to get to know you better, that’s all. Anyways, your room looks pretty cool. I didn’t realize you were such a big All Might fan. Then again, you’re always talking about wanting to become the Number One hero, so I guess he probably inspires you, huh?”

“I don’t owe you any goddamn explanations,” he frowned.

“I know that. I was just curious. I think he’s really cool too, but I’m definitely not as strong as you are, so I’m going to have to set a more realistic goal for myself.”

Besides, my current goal is already more than difficult enough.

Katsuki snorted. “At least you know you’re a weakling.”

“For now,” you acknowledged. “But... I can get stronger. Still, I respect people like you that are so driven and know exactly what they want. I’m sure you’ll become a really strong hero, Katsuki.”

Although his personality certainly left a lot to be desired, with his Quirk and ambition, you could tell that he was bound to make a lasting impact. And people could change. You reallyhopedthey could, at least. It would certainly make getting close to him a much more pleasant experience.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki likes hearing that you think highly of him.]

[+10 love points.]

That’s what he wasthinking, but unsurprisingly, he didn’t let it show.

“No sh*t,” he scoffed, crossing his arms at you. “I don’t need a creep like you to tell me that. But if you like strong people, then why the hell do you hang around Deku? He’s the furthest thing from it there is. Or maybe he’s so pathetic that he’s actually able to make a weakling like you feel better about yourself?”

It was such a pain dealing with him, because you had to refrain from lashing out whenever he brought up Izuku. Hearing someone badmouth your friend like this really didn’t feel good. You wished they could be on better terms. Honestly, you hated that it had to be this way.

“Let’s not talk about Izuku,” you said, eager to change the topic. “I’m here with you because I want us to be on better terms. Is that too much to ask for?”

Katsuki’s gaze was cold. “Yes. It is.”

“Well, maybe I’ll grow on you over time,” you shrugged.

“I doubt it.”

“Never say never, right?”

“I say it all the time.”

Ugh.

This was, for lack of a better word,awkward, but you supposed you knew that much going into this whole thing.

Hoping to diffuse the tension somewhat, you walked over to Katsuki’s desk, grabbed a small piece of paper, and hastily wrote on it with a pen.

Then, you handed the paper over to him.

“What the f*ck is this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“My phone number,” you beamed. “So that you can text me! I figured asking foryournumber would be too pushy, but this way it’s totally up to you whenever you decide you want us to talk.”

“Oh, is that right?”

“Mhm!”

“Cool.” Katsuki stared at the piece of paper for a few moments, and it didn’t take long for a smirk to spread across his lips.

Then, he threw the paper in the trash.

“Thanks so much,” he chuckled sarcastically. “How did you know I wanted your number? You must be able to read minds or something. Maybe it’s your Quirk. Assuming you even have one.”

He was clearly making fun of you, but the funny thing was, he wasn’t eventhatfar off the mark.

If only he knew what sort of embarrassing thoughts and feelings of his the system had already shown you. He’d probably never be able to live it down.

Rather than getting mad, you just smiled sweetly. “It’s okay. I’ll get your number eventually. We’ll be friends one day. You’ll see.”

“Dream on,” he grimaced. “I’d rather die than get close to a creepy stalker like you.”

You rolled your eyes, unbothered. “If you say so. Anyways, I need to go to the bathroom. Where is it?”

“All the way down the hall, to the right. Don’t do anything creepy like sniffing my toothbrush. I’llknow.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you sighed.

Katsuki waited for you to leave the room, and even poked his head out the door to make sure you were actually gone.

For a while, he just stood there with his arms crossed, still in disbelief that you were actually in his house right now.

Then, he started pacing around his room, and for whatever reason, he eventually wandered back to the trash can and dug out the piece of paper he’d tossed earlier. The one with your number on it.

Blushing fiercely, Katsuki inputted the number into his phone, and after realizing what he’d just done, proceeded to repeatedly slap himself on the forehead.

“What the f*ck am I doing?!”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki can’t believe he just saved your phone number.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 70/100]

Needless to say, you were on the toilet when you got the notification.

“One moment,” you sighed. “One moment of peace isallI ask for.”

Chapter 14: Fearful Encounter

Chapter Text

“So, [Name],” Mitsuki smiled. “You were saying that you just recently moved to the area and started attending the same school as Katsuki. How are you liking it so far?”

You made sure to swallow the food in your mouth, then nodded. “It’s been good. I mean, I guess I’m still pretty new to everything, but I’ve been liking it so far. The people are... nice. Yeah.”

Naturally, you were lying. About pretty much all of it. Most of your classmates were actually major assholes, given how horribly they treated Izuku. Not only that, but your dickhe*d of a teacher seemed to have it out for you, which made things a hell of a lot more tedious. Katsuki himself had bullied you on more than one occasion, but you felt it was best to keep from mentioning that to his parents and getting him in trouble.

So, yeah. Your school life definitely wasn’t perfect, but you were trying to make the most of it.

“I’m glad to hear it,” she hummed, briefly shooting her son a glance. “Katsuki. I hope you’ve been welcoming towards [Name]. It isn’t easy transferring in late and not having any friends. If you were in her position, I’m sure you’d appreciate someone looking out for you, so make sure to do the same for her, alright?”

Katsuki took a heaping spoonful of curry, grimacing all the while. “I don’t needanyoneto look out for me. I sure as hell wouldn’t want some extra’s help. I’d kick their ass if they even tried.”

“You’re still talking like that? When are you going to stop being so f*cking stupid?!”

“Quit yelling at me in the middle of dinner, woman!”

“I’m so sorry,” Masaru sighed, shaking his head while the two argued in the background. “They’re always like this. I really wish we could have made a better impression. You must be shocked to see what things are like around here.”

You beamed. “No, it’s okay. It’s pretty lively, actually. I don’t mind it. Even if their words can be a bit brash at times, I can still tell they really care about each other.”

I actually wish I could bicker with my family like this. It’d be better than not knowing anything about them.

“Thank you for being so understanding,” Masaru smiled back. “You seem like a very nice person. I hope Katsuki doesn’t scare you away. He used to have a friend like you, back when he was younger. A rather shy boy, but incredibly kind to everyone around him.”

You pieced together right away that he was referring to Izuku, but unfortunately, so did Katsuki.

“Shut it, sh*tty old man,” he grimaced. “This conversation endsrighthere.”

Masaru nodded hurriedly, looking quite a bit dejected as he did. You weren’t sure exactly how much his parents knew about Izuku and why their friendship had fallen through. Maybe they simply thought they had drifted apart from each other over time? Or maybe they already knew about how Katsuki had actually been bullying the freckled boy ever since. Either way, this wasn’t your family, so it wasn’t your business to burden them with the truth.

For a little while, the atmosphere was noticeably more tense, so you did your best to steer clear of that particular topic.

“This curry issupergood,” you enthused. “Would you mind sharing the recipe with me?”

Mitsuki chuckled. “Of course, sweetheart. I’d love to. Will you cook it on your own, or make it with your parents?”

“Um... I’ll try it on my own first. I’ll wait until I’ve got the hang of it before letting my parents have a taste,” you said, awkwardly scratching your cheek.

You must not have sounded very convincing, because Katsuki gave you a funny look just then. Thankfully, he didn’t try and press the issue.

“Oh,” Mitsuki realized. “You’ll have to modify the recipe a bit, though. Katsuki loves spicy food, so when it’s just the three of us, I use the full spice amount as outlined in the recipe. But since I wasn’t sure how good your tolerance was, I toned it down quite a bit. I suppose you’ll have to fiddle around with it to try and find out what suits your palate best.”

“That’s alright. I’m sure I can figure it out.” You paused, gaze eventually drifting towards Katsuki before you broke out into a grin. “So... spicy food, huh? That definitely suits you. Hey. If I cook your mom’s curry recipe and bring it to school one day, will you give it a try?”

Katsuki stiffened up. “Huh? Why the f*ck would you do that? I don’t need it, and whatever you make would probably end up tasting like sh*t anyways.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki refuses to admit that he kind of wants to try your food.]

[+10 love points.]

As always, he was saying one thing and thinking the exact opposite, but you were starting to get used to it by now.

Mitsuki, however, didn’t much seem to care for his tone.

“Take that back, you little sh*t!” she cried out, swatting him across the head. “[Name]’s being nice enough to offer you food, and that’s how you speak to her?”

“Ow! How many times do I have to tell you tostopsmacking me?! And I’ll speak to her however the hell I want!”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. They were both explosively abrasive, but by the looks of things, it never got boring around here.

“Thanks,” you smiled, so brightly that your eyes crinkled. “I’m really glad you invited me over today. You were right about what you said earlier, Mrs. Bakugou. I definitely wouldn’t have had as much fun eating alone.”

Mitsuki happily ruffled your hair. “Oh, aren’t you such a darling? Of course! It’s our pleasure. Having you over has been a lot of fun for us too. We almost never get to do this, after all.”

For the next little while, you focused on finishing off the rest of your food, but there was one last notification you got.

[Bakugou Katsuki thinks your smile is annoyingly pretty.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/100]

After meeting All Might, Izuku had begun a strict training regimen, and based on the fact that he looked like he was barely keeping his eyes open during class, you could tell that it was really doing a number on him.

He was a lot busier than usual, which unfortunately meant that you couldn’t meet up as often outside of class, but you still made sure to walk home together practically every day. You obviously didn’t reveal that you knew his secret, but you assumed he was probably strengthening up his body so that he could properly inherit One For All. You couldn’t imagine just how much work went into achieving such a thing, given that All Might wasincrediblypowerful.

Since you couldn’t put yourself in his shoes, the most you could do was be supportive, and you were more than happy to.

“From what you’ve told me, your training sounds pretty intense,” you remarked. “I know you’re doing an amazing job, so just make sure to take some breaks every now and then, alright?”

Despite his visible fatigue, Izuku nodded happily. “Yep! Don’t worry. I can handle this much. I know I have to work harder than everyone else. There’s just no other way around it.”

“I respect that about you,” you smiled. “It’s really cool how determined you are. Whenever I feel down about something, I just remember how hard you’re working, and it really helps.”

“R-Really?” Izuku squeaked, blushing almost immediately.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is really happy that he can help motivate you.]

[+20 love points.]

“Of course,” you hummed. “There’s almost no one who works as hard as you, or who’s as nice as you. I’m lucky to have you as a friend. Seriously, you have no idea how much you’ve helped me.”

If not for you, I probably would have lost my sanity a long time ago.

Izuku was still blushing, but there was no mistaking the silent look of pride he wore. It was a hero’s job to make others feel safe and inspire them, so your words probably meant a lot more than the system was even hinting at.

[Midoriya Izuku wants to become the most amazing hero, so that he can look out for you and other people he cares about.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 200/200]

Oh. So, this means...

STATUS UPDATE:

[Rank up! Midoriya Izuku has gone from being your “friend” to being your “best friend”. Love point meter refreshed.]

[Current progress: 0/500]

Just like that, you’d officially reached a new milestone with Izuku, which also meant that you’d unlocked another skill point. You weren’t sure exactly how long it would take for all your skill points to start showing visible results, but you would take any bit of progress you could get.

Recovering your memories was still priority number one, though. Well, that and breaking free of the system’s control, but you had a feeling that the two probably went hand-in-hand.

You let out a happy sigh and made a big show of stretching your arms. “Izuku,” you said. “I know you’ve probably got your hands full with training and all, but how about we pick up a yummy snack before we hop on the train?”

The way his freckled cheeks scrunched up when he smiled was as endearing as always.

“Sure!”

[Add one (1) skill point to strength?]

>>[YES]

“I think this is probably the right move,” you said, tapping on the screen to confirm your selection. “You said before that my critical hit ability scales based off my strength, right? I’ll prioritize strength for the most part, but also invest the other skill points I get into agility and vitality from time to time. I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to get new skill points, but... I feel like physical strength is just pretty useful all around.”

[“Just do whatever feels best. It’s your body, at the end of the day, so I can’t really say what’ll work for you. It might take a bit of trial and error to figure out which areas need more development. You’re not a total idiot, so I’m sure you can figure it out.”]

“Why do you always feel the need to slip in a diss?” you sighed.

As much as you couldn’t say you got along with the system, things had been relatively tame lately. They seemed perfectly content so long as you were adhering to their rules and making steady progress. You’d also learned that they didn’t even mind if you outright insulted them—as you’d accidentally blurted out on more than one occasion. They just didn’t want you to put up a fight or refuse to do your tasks. Otherwise, pretty much everything else was fair game.

But despite all of that, you couldn’t forget. It was impossible to pretend like they hadn’t already tormented you by trapping you inside that terrifying dark place, and even forced you to experience death at some point. You didn’t want to let your fear rule you, but at the same time, you knew you couldn’t afford to get complacent either.

The system wasn’t your friend, and they never would be.

As part of your daily task, you’d gone on a run through a different part of the city than you were used to, and you were now taking the scenic route back. Well, notreallythe scenic route. You were still very much in a dense urban area, but it was nice to familiarize yourself with everything these new streets had to offer.

I still have some distance left to cover for my task. I wonder if the system will let me get away with a light jog this time...

You gave it a try, but it seemed that your current speed was too low for it to be considered arun. Letting out a mildly irritated huff, you picked up the pace, albeit a bit too abruptly.

[“No! Don’t go that way—”]

As luck would have it, you ended up colliding with someone who’d just turned the corner. You spluttered, as startled as anyone might be, but the person you’d crossed paths with had amuchmore visceral reaction.

“Don’t f*cking touch me!” the man hissed, pushing you away without stopping to blink.

It wasn’t until you had him properly fixed in your gaze that you stopped to take stock of the situation.

And when youdid, you could feel the blood in your veins run cold.

Short-cropped dark hair, golden eyes framed by long lower lashes, and a mask on his face—even though it was different from the plague doctor one you’d seen before. Not that the minor details really mattered. What mattered was that you were face to face with the man you’d seen before in the system’s simulation.

The same man who’d killed you.

Your heart felt like it was caught in your throat. You hardly even dared tobreathe, let alone blink and let him out of your sight. A cold sweat was quick to form on the back of your neck, and you could feel a panic attack slowly building.

All of a sudden, it came back to you. You’d never completely forgotten the feeling, even though your real body hadn’t actually been harmed. But now that he was right in front of you, it was like your brain was instantly relaying the information you’d so desperately hoped to repress. You remembered the excruciating pain that followed once his ungloved fingers had made contact with you, and you couldn’t help but violently grip your arm, just to make sure that it was still intact.

The man stared at you in disgust—even with his mask on, it wasobvious—and furiously wiped down his clothing, as if he fearedyou’d contaminated him somehow. Despite being near hyperventilation, you could clearly see that angry hives had risen to the surface of his skin.

“Well?” he gritted out. “Aren’t you going to apologize for bumping into me? Filthy little brat.”

Chapter 15: Good Luck Charm

Chapter Text

You were on the verge of passing out.

Why? Why is this happening?

It was bad enough that the system had tormented you that time. Ever since then, you’d struggled to get this guy out of your mind. He kept showing up in your nightmares, as some sort of sick punishment for whenever you went against the system’s demands. But you’d been able to take solace in the fact that no matter how frightening it had been, it wasn’treal.

Yet here he was, standing right in front of you, and endlessly more intimidating in person.

“I believe I asked you a question,” the man glowered. “Most people know to say sorry when they bump into someone else. I guess no one ever taught you any manners.”

Just when you thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, you heard a familiarping.

No.Nof*cking way. Please don’t do this to me. I'm begging you, please—

STATUS UPDATE:

[Chisaki Kai is incredibly irritated by you.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -10/100]

“I-I’m sorry,” you barely managed to gasp out. Small tears had already begun to form in your eyes. You had no way of knowing how much of what the system had put you through was reflective of reality. For all you knew, Chisakididn’thave the ability to make people’s limbs suddenly explode.

But the possibility alone was enough to make you stiff from fear.

You could see the way Chisaki’s nose scrunched up from behind the black dust mask he was wearing. “Are you about to start crying? What in the world is your problem? All I asked you to do was apologize. Good grief. It’s as if everyone has lost their common sense these days.”

You clamped a palm over your mouth to keep from choking on your sobs aloud. This was bad. You realized that it was highly unlikely that he would try to hurt you, not in public like this with everyone here to bear witness. But reason alone wasn’t enough to calm you down. You were having a traumatic reaction, and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

“S-So sorry,” you said again, voice muffled behind your hand. “I’m really sorry, mister. I-I should have been more careful. I didn’t mean to...”

Chisaki glanced around, eventually letting out a weary sigh. “Alright. I get it. I’ll accept your apology, so stop crying already. People are going to think I did something to you. Just be more careful in the future. Most people don’t appreciate being rudely bumped into. There’s all sorts of filth in this world, after all.”

You drew in a shuddering breath and wiped a sleeve across your damp eyes. It was okay. He wasn’t going to hurt you. He didn’t exactly seem like the nicest person around, but you were going to be just fine.

It was crucial that you kept trying to convince yourself of that fact.

[“Calm down. It’s going to be alright. This isn’t exactly the most ideal meeting, but you may as well see if you can try to win him over a bit.”]

Were they f*cking serious right now? How could they expect you to try and get close to this guy, knowing full well that they’d literally scared you into submission by using him to simulate a gruesome death?

Chisaki narrowed his eyes at you. They were awfully beautiful, despite the eeriness they so readily conveyed.

“Did you have something else to say?” he asked impatiently.

You just stared at him, not knowing what the hell to do. “N-No. Sorry. I just feel really bad about running into you.”

“I said it’s alright,” he sighed again. “Now, get out of my way. I have business to attend to.”

Perhaps there was something else you could have said to pique his interest or convince him into staying a bit longer, but quite frankly, you didn’twantto. Even if the system was going to be pissed off at you for not trying hard enough, you were going to have to stand your ground. They needed to learn that no meantno.

Chisaki looked you over one last time, clearly a bit perplexed, then finally walked away.

The second he was gone, you crumpled to the ground. You could care less that you were in the middle of a busy area and people were bound to see you. Every moment of that had been absolutely f*cking terrible. Your gut was screaming at you to be on guard around someone like him, and despite having no memories, you were inclined to trust your instincts.

You heard a notification pop up, but waited a good while before lifting your head and reading the message.

[“It wasn’t such a big deal. He has no reason to harm you. But he despises being touched by others, so when you encounter him in the future, be wary of that.”]

Hugging your knees to your chest, you drew in a sharp breath. “Be honest,” you muttered.

[“About?”]

“Him. Chisaki. That power he used on me back when you put me through that simulation... was it real? Is that his Quirk? Can he kill methateasily?”

It felt like an eternity passed before you got a response, but it had probably been little over ten seconds.

[“Yes. With his Quirk, it would only take one brief touch for him to kill you. That’s why I said to be careful. You’ll need to be cautious around him and give him plenty of time to warm up to you. But conversely, he can also use his Quirk to heal you from irreparable damage in the rare instance that you get hurt. Put simply, he’s a good ally to have. You definitely want him on your side.”]

You could care less about the second part of the message. They were clearly trying to soften the blow and make it sound like Chisaki wasn’t all that bad, but if that was the case, then why did they pickhimfor that simulation? Just by speaking to him once, you could already tell that something wasn’t quite right. And then there was that gut feeling again, telling you to stay asfaraway from him as humanly possible.

“I’m scared,” you whimpered. “Why do you keep doing this to me? I really don’t want to have to get close to him.”

[“It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.]

Liar.

It took a little while, but you eventually managed to stand up, ignoring the concerned looks countless bystanders were giving you. Given everything you’d already gone through, you’d learned not to be all that self-conscious. After all, you had bigger problems to worry about.

“He’s an adult,” you muttered, practically dragging your feet along. You still had to complete the rest of your run for today’s daily task, but you just didn’t have the energy right now. “I’m just a teenager. It seems weird to want to make him fall for me. Although I guess you don’t exactly have a sense of morality to begin with.”

[“It doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic love. For some of your targets, it’s good enough just to get them to feel any sort of affection for you. The love point meter is just a universal gauge used to track your progress. It’ll be okay. Don’t overthink too much.”]

No. It wasn’t going to be okay.Noneof this felt okay. You were tired of constantly being afraid and never knowing what the hell was going on.

[“Come on. Let’s turn that frowny-face upside down. Life is a beautiful thing. You’ve got plenty to look forward to.”]

Perhaps hanging around Katsuki so much was starting to rub off on you, because you couldn’t help but grit your teeth.

“Suck my ass.”

The U.A entrance exam was nearing. Many months had passed, and in all that time, you’d thankfully never run into Chisaki ever again. Unfortunately, you also hadn’t uncovered any more memories either, so the brunt of your time had been spent making progress with your love interests and honing your strength as best you could. You had gotten a lot better at using your critical hit ability, and you hoped that all of your training would be enough to let you pass the exam.

A few things worth noting were that in all that time, Katsuki hadn’t really bullied Izuku the way he used to. Actually, ever since the whole incident with the slime villain, he seemed to have been avoiding the freckled boy as best he could. You assumed that he probably felt ashamed about how Izuku was the one who’d rushed to his rescue. His petty pride appeared to be keeping him in check.

Whatever the case, you were thankful that Izuku was finally getting a break. He had enough on his plate already, thanks to the rigorous training regimen he’d been keeping up with. From what you could tell, it had certainly paid off, though. His body looked a lot more toned than before. His shirt had fluttered up a bit while the two of you were hanging out one time, and you’d definitely caught a peek at some killer abs.

You knew that he’d been training his butt off all this time in order to inherit All Might’s Quirk. You still didn’t know if he’d actually received it yet, but you imagined that he had to have it by the time the entrance exam rolled around. He would need it then more than ever.

I wonder how strong he’ll be. All Might’s power is insane, so even just a fraction of that will already be a lot. I’m so happy for Izuku.

You wished you could gush about how proud you were that All Might had chosenhimof all people, but it was supposed to be a secret, so you did your best to keep your mouth shut.

You had amassed more love points with Izuku over the past few months, but he was still marked as your best friend. It seemed that once you reached the higher ranks with your love interests, it became more difficult to earn points, so you had yet to rank up with him again. Still, being best friends was already a pretty big feat. You wondered what came after that, and if the system would actually reward you for a change.

You realized it was unlikely, but you were trying to remain hopeful.

Speaking of progress, you were pleased to report that you had finally ranked up with Katsuki. It had taken alotof patience on your part, especially since his points so rapidly fluctuated between going up and down. But you’d eventually broken free of “rival” status, and he was now back to being your acquaintance again, which meant he kind of sort of tolerated you. Probably.

Since you hadn’t seen Shigaraki or Chisaki since your first meeting, it went without saying that your progress with them hadn’t changed. Of the three main love interests that you actually interacted with, onlyoneof them hadn’t ranked up a single time yet.

Todoroki Shouto.

He was a tricky case. For one thing, just getting a hold of him was already difficult enough. You’d only met up with him in person one other time in all these months, and it had taken quite a lot of persuading on your part. You could clearly tell that he struggled with letting people get close to him. He had a wall up, and it didn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

You weren’t going to rush him, though. Whatever the system was putting you through, it was obvious that you were in for the long haul. Naturally, you wanted to recover your memories as quickly as possible, but trying to speed-run through things would likely just backfire. Besides, for better or worse, this was your life now. Memories aside, you also needed to learn to live in the moment and enjoy every bit of happiness you could latch onto.

One day, youwouldget rid of the system, but you weren’t going to wallow in misery until that happened.

Anyways, your main priority right now was getting into U.A. No chance in hell were you going to let all that training go to waste.

Izuku, Katsuki, and Shouto all plan on going there too. I need to keep up. I need to prove that I can also be strong.

Wearied after a busy day, you felt as though you’d earned yourself some self-care time. You soaked in a relaxing bubble bath, then cut up a few cucumber slices and placed them onto your eyelids while you stretched out in bed, doing your best to unwind.

Unfortunately, your moment of relaxation didn’t last long.

[Incoming call: Shouto]

You nearly had a goddamn heart attack. Getting a call from Shouto was like spotting Bigfoot. It was downright miraculous, to the point that you actually wondered if your eyes might be deceiving you. Even over the past several months, you’d only ever texted each other. You’d tried calling him here and there, but he never picked up, so you’d quickly abandoned that approach.

Needless to say, you swiped the screen open so quickly that you nearly dropped your phone in the process, and the cucumber slices had gotten lost somewhere in between your blankets.

“H-Hello?” you stammered, somewhat out of breath from the shock of it all.

“Hi,” Shouto replied. Unlike you, his voice was perfectly steady. Then again, that was nothing out of the ordinary. He hardly ever let his emotions run awry—pretty much Katsuki’s polar opposite.

“Um, hello,” you said again, clutching your phone tighter. “It’s nice to hear from you, Shouto. What’s up?”

There was a lengthy pause before he said anything else. He was incredibly dry over text, but you were quickly realizing that a phone call wasn’t much different. The conversation was flowing like molasses.

“The U.A entrance exam is coming up,” he eventually said, and you were relieved the silence had finally been broken.

You nodded instinctively, even though he couldn’t see you. “Yeah. It is. I’m feeling pretty nervous, to be honest. What about you? I know you’re trying to get into U.A as well. Do you feel confident about your chances?”

Another pause.

“I already got in.”

“Uh...what?”

“A separate exam already took place,” Shouto reluctantly admitted. “It was a recommendation exam, for students that have special references beforehand. It’s done on a much smaller scale than the general entrance exam that you’ll be doing, so I didn’t go up against that many students.”

This was your first time hearing about such a thing. So, students that had special references and were pretty strong all around got to do a separate entrance exam from the rest?

“How did you get your references?” you couldn’t help but ask.

There was yetanotherpause, and this time, it was accompanied by a notification.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto doesn’t want to tell you that his father gave him his U.A recommendation.]

[-10 love points.]

You weren’t sure who Shouto’s father was, or why he seemed to have the sort of authority that would help to admit him into such a reputable school. Still, you already knew that Shouto had a strained relationship with his family, so you definitely didn’t want to ask him any more questions and risk upsetting him.

“It’s a long story,” Shouto gritted out.

“Right,” you said, smiling weakly. “Fair enough. I won’t pry. But I guess congratulations are in order, huh? Since your acceptance to U.A is already guaranteed. Great job, Shouto! That’s really awesome.”

“Thanks,” Shouto said, but he didn’t sound particularly thrilled.

Just like that, it was back to awkward silence. You were racking your brain trying to think of some way to get the conversation going, but thankfully, Shouto spoke up again before you could start spiraling.

“Anyways, I just wanted to call and wish you good luck,” he said.

You blinked. “Oh. Thank you, Shouto. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing worth thanking me for. This is the least I can do. You’re the only person I talk to, after all.”

“Still. It was nice of you. And knowing that I have your support is making me feel a bit more confident. You might just be my good luck charm,” you giggled.

“Good luck charm?” Shouto said, and you imagined him furrowing his brows in confusion. “Me?”

“Yep!” you grinned. “If I ever get nervous during the exam, I’ll try to remember that you wished me good luck, and I’m sure it’ll make all the difference. Having people on your side helps, even if they’re not there in the moment with you.”

“I’m hardly good luck,” Shouto mumbled. There was obvious disappointment in his tone, but something apart from that as well, and it sounded vaguely hopeful.

[Todoroki Shouto can’t understand why you think so highly of him, but it makes him a bit happy.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 100/100]

And there it was. After many long, torturous months, you’dfinallymaxed out your first love meter with him. This meant that he officially considered you his friend, right? That was the way things had gone with Izuku, after all.

[Rank up! Todoroki Shouto has gone from being an “acquaintance” to being your “close acquaintance”. Love point meter refreshed.]

[Current progress: 0/200]

You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me.

What in the hell was a close acquaintance supposed to be? You were going to get a skill point for ranking up regardless, but you’d never imagined that progress would be so slow with certain love interests. It went without saying, but every person was unique, and that likely meant that they each had different standards when it came to getting close to someone. That was probably why that Shigaraki guy was automatically marked as your enemy, despite the fact that you’d barely spoken to him for two minutes.

Well, whatever. You were only doing this to meet the system’s demands anyways. You cared about actually forging meaningful connections with people and reclaiming your memories, not treating them as some sort of target meant to be conquered.

Shouto was clearly warming up to you, and that was already more than enough.

“I’m really glad you called me,” you happily piled on. It was the truth, anyways. You enjoyed talking to people and getting closer to them. Regardless of what the system wanted, it was just nice to feel like you belonged somewhere. It made you forget your loneliness, if only a little.

“Like I said, it’s really not a big deal,” Shouto insisted.

“Well, it means a lot to me, so I say itisa big deal.” You rolled over onto your stomach, feet swinging behind you on the bed. Eager to keep talking to him, you let out a hum. “So, what else has been new lately—”

“That’s really all I wanted to say. We’ll talk again some other time. Bye.”

He hung up before you could even finish your sentence. You were left with your mouth gaping open, and you’d literallyjustsettled into a comfy position. Goddammit.

“I guess this is as far as being a close acquaintance gets me,” you sighed tiredly.

[Name]’s Archive:

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (best friend):160/500

Bakugou Katsuki (acquaintance):40/200

Todoroki Shouto (close acquaintance):0/200

Shigaraki Tomura (enemy):-10/200

Chisaki Kai (acquaintance):-10/100

(Additional entries in progress...)

Chapter 16: Overexertion

Chapter Text

[“Today’s the day. Make sure to stay calm and remember all your training. You’ll do just fine.”]

Even though the system was being somewhat encouraging for a change, you knew better than to trust in their words. They had already made it abundantly clear that youneededto get into U.A and become a hero. You feared to imagine what they would do if you failed this entrance exam.

And so, for obvious reasons, you were a nervous wreck.

“I-It’s okay, [Name],” Izuku tried to encourage, despite the fact that his teeth were chattering, and he was probably even more nervous than you. “We made it here, and we’re going to do everything it takes to get in? R-Right?”

You appreciated his efforts to cheer you up. It didn’t look like your nerves were going to disappear anytime soon, but you knew you had to at leasttry. You’d decided a while back to stop always imagining the worst-case scenario and focus on what you could do in the moment. Whether or not you actually passed U.A’s entrance exam, you’d be damned if you didn’t give it your all.

“Yeah,” you smiled. “You’re right. I’m pretty nervous, but... there’s no point in giving up before I even start. Having you here helps a lot. I’m really glad we’re doing this together.”

Izuku blushed, but before he could say anything, he was abruptly shoved aside.

“Don’t stand in my way, asshole,” Katsuki spat. “Do you want me to kill you, or what?”

He was in a sh*tty mood like always, it seemed. His crimson eyes flickered in your direction just briefly before narrowing even further, and then he walked right past the both of you, even while Izuku tried to string together a polite greeting.

You didn’t try to call out to him, because you felt it was probably best to avoid stirring up any conflict on such an important day. Instead, you just pursed your lips and watched as he angrily stomped along, hands buried in his pockets. A few other applicants seemed to recognize him from the slime villain incident and were whispering amongst themselves, but they quickly quieted down once Katsuki shot them a few nasty glares.

Hm. I’m positive I got a system update telling me he saved my number the day I was at his house, but he hasn’t ever texted or called me.

Perhaps his petty pride prevented him from doing so, since it was essentially an admission that he planned on contacting you at some point—despite claiming to be so opposed to it. Oh, well. You weren’t sure how long it would take to get him to open up to you, but you were willing to wait. The small bit of progress you’d already made was still downright miraculous.

“Kacchan seems to be his usual self,” Izuku chuckled weakly. He scratched his head, looking quite sheepish. “I’m so used to cowering before him... I can’t help but feel pretty lame about it.”

“It’s not lame at all,” you reassured. “Katsuki can definitely be a bully at times. At least he’s kept his distance over the past few months. For the most part, at least. Maybe we’ll finally get to see him mature. That’d be nice.”

“Itwouldbe nice, but I’m not sure how realistic it is,” Izuku sighed.

You patted him on the back. “Let’s forget about that for now. Come on. We’ve got to find out about how the exam works first. Time to head over to the auditorium.”

It just so happened that getting rid of Katsuki wasn’tthateasy. Seats were sorted based on middle schools, and since the three of you were the only applicants from your school, you and Izuku ended up sitting right next to him.

“Just my f*cking luck,” Katsuki grimaced, turning away from you.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is pissed off.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/100]

“When you are younotpissed off?” you couldn’t help but sigh, shaking your head. Of course, you hadn’t actually intended on saying that out loud, so you were met with a scathing yet bewildered look.

“The f*ck did you just say?” Katsuki frowned.

“Uh, did I say something?” you chuckled awkwardly. “I think you might be imagining it.”

Katsuki stared at you for a few more moments, but eventually decided that it wasn’t worth his time, and turned away from you yet again—this time, letting out a disbelieving scoff.

Yeah. The day was clearly off to a great start.

Well, not that Katsuki’s short temper was really anythingnew, so you tried to push it to the back of your mind and focus on the pro hero that was currently giving a speech, Present Mic.

It didn’t take long for Izuku to enter fanboy mode, even though Katsuki kept occasionally snapping at him to shut up. You listened as attentively as you could, and it seemed like there would be a bunch of different test sites for all the applicants to undergo their exam.

You glanced towards Izuku’s paper and frowned. “Aw. We’re not at the same test site. Katsuki isn’t with either of us either. Did they intentionally split us up?”

“It’s probably so that classmates or friends can’t cooperate with each other. So f*cking annoying,” Katsuki grimaced. “This way, I don’t get to crush either of you. Also, stop looking at me. I’ll seriously beat the sh*t out of both of you.”

You hadn’t anticipated being split up from Izuku, but it wasn’t like you’d planned on having him help you either. It was clear that you would need to pass this exam with your own strength. You hoped that all the training you’d done and the few skill points you’d amassed so far would pay off in the end. They had to at least be worthsomething, right?

Present Mic explained that the exam would consist of earning points by defeating these fake villains they’d set up. Each villain was worth a different number of points, based on how difficult they were to take down. Naturally, you imagined that the more points you scored, the more likely you were to earn a passing grade. There were also villains that were worth zero points, and apparently, they were intended to be some sort of obstacle to trip you up and get in your way. You were just going to have to avoid them as best you could.

The exam would only last a total of ten minutes. In only ten minutes, you were expected to prove your potential and worthiness. You had to admit, it was a tall order. Then again, no one ever said becoming a hero would be easy.

Goddammit. Why couldn’t the system have proposed a different career path? With your amnesia and everything else you were dealing with, it really felt like you were going through life on expert difficulty.

A weary sigh escaped your lips. No way around it, you supposed. If nothing else, becoming a hero was admirable. The idea of being able to help othersdidappeal to you.

Present Mic was done with his speech, which meant that it was officially time to move onto the actual exam stage.

“Good luck, Izuku,” you smiled. “Everything will be alright. You’ve worked super hard to be here. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

He has All Might’s Quirk, after all. By now, it must have been given to him.

Izuku was still shaking a bit, visibly worked up, but his appreciation was clear as day. “Alright,” he beamed. “Thank you, [Name]. Good luck to you too. We can do this. Together.”

[Midoriya Izuku is determined for the both of you to become heroes.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 170/500]

Soon enough, you each went your separate ways, and it was clear that U.A was not only massive, but lacked for nothing in terms of resources. They’d literally constructed mini cities for the purpose of this entrance exam. You weren’t sure whether to be impressed or worried that they were blowing cash so nonchalantly.

“...aaaaand,start!” Present Mic suddenly announced.

Huh? We’re going already?!

You hurried to keep up with the crowd of applicants who’d just broken out into a sprint. There were a ton of people, so it was hard not to get overwhelmed.

[“Don’t panic. The crowd will start to thin soon enough. Just stay alert and be on the lookout for those villains you’re supposed to fight.”]

You considered muting them just so that you had one less distraction to deal with, but decided that a better use of your time would be to quickly scroll through your inventory and retrieve your trusty baton. It was a good thing you’d prepared quite a few weapons in advance, although you weren’t sure which of them would be the most effective.

Fortunately, luck seemed to be on your side, because you ran into a villain—or rather,robot—almost immediately.

“It says this one’s worth one point,” you mumbled. “That means it must not be that difficult to take down. I can do it... right?”

There was only one way to find out.

You focused all your attention on the robot, waiting for the weak spots to appear. They eventually faded into your line of sight, and given the way you were currently positioned, they didn’t look all that hard to hit. So long as you struck quickly, at least.

“Takethis!” you cried out, whacking the nearest weak spot with all your might. Your critical hit was successful, and it left a massive dent in the robot’s metallic plating. It still wasn’t enough to put it out of commission though, so you struck again.

Your second hit dealt enough damage that the robot stopped moving altogether, and you could see smoke rising from what you could only assume was its electric circuit.

The robot was down. You’d just scored your first point.

I did it!

Perhaps it was a bit childish, but you couldn’t help but let out a little cheer. It was nice to finally see your hard work pay off. One single point was in no way enough for you to pass the exam, but it was a solid start.

You gripped your baton tightly, a shaky smile rising to your lips. It seemed like you probably wouldn’t even need to trade it out for a different weapon. Blunt force, plus the effect of your critical hit, was enough to get the job done.

The hardest part was actuallyfindingrobots. Or rather, getting to them before anyone else swooped in to steal the points. So far, it felt like you were making pretty good time, though, and the system even confirmed it.

[“You’re doing great. Keep it up. Don’t get discouraged, and even if you start to feel tired, push through until time runs out.”]

“Okay, mom,” you sighed.

The more time elapsed, the harder it got to keep track of all your points. Last you checked, you were at forty, maybe forty-five points? Or perhaps even more. The system probably knew, but you were too focused on the task at hand to even bother asking.

You felt like you were doing good.Reallygood, as a matter of fact. The sturdier robots that were worth more points took several critical hits to destroy, but you were still able to whittle away at them. You were swinging your baton like no tomorrow, and you almost wondered what it was made of, because it had yet to break.

For a while, you felt confident. It was quite a liberating feeling. One that you weren’t exactly used to, especially after being threatened and deceived more times than you could count.

Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long, because you apparently weren’t allowed to have nice things.

It caught up with you all at once. Sure, you were tired, and your stamina was rapidly being depleted, but you thought you could handle this much. Your physical capabilities had improved quite a bit over the past ten months. You weren’t a total weakling anymore.

But there wasonething you’d failed to take into account, and it was the fact that you’d never used your critical hit ability so many times in one sitting.

Before you even realized what was happening, blood started dripping from your nose like a leaky faucet. You felt dizzy beyond belief. Even just standing upright proved to be immensely difficult.

“What’s... going on?” you mumbled, swaying unsteadily.

[“Uh oh. I should have anticipated this, but your body seems to be even more fragile than I expected. You’ve used your ability too many times, without waiting to recover. You’ve gone over your limit for the day.”]

So, what the f*ck does that even mean? What’s going to happen to me now?

What happened was that more blood started gushing out of your nose, and you let out a yelp, clamping a palm over it in the hopes of slowing the bleeding. Needless to say, it didn’t work, and you now had blood dripping down between your fingers and staining your shirt.

Even so, you weren’t deterred. After all, you’d come this far. You weren’t going to give up just because of a bloody nose. Whatever punishment the system had in store for you wouldeasilybe worse, you had no doubt about it.

“Need to get... more points,” you muttered. After a while, you gave up on cradling your nose and just let the blood flow freely. You needed your hands to fight, after all. Even though you could barely walk in a straight line, which meant that fighting was going to be a real challenge.

A robot appeared at that very moment, bursting through the wall of a building. You just stared at it blankly, baton in one hand, the other hanging limply by your side and coated in a concerning amount of red liquid.

“Points,” you said stupidly. Your brain was actually kind of fried at the moment. You were on the verge of fainting, and yet you stood right in front of the robot, desperately trying to channel your critical hit ability one more time.

[“Um. You should probably get out of the way—”]

You didn’t do that, because your consciousness was quickly slipping, and you fell onto your butt, spots fading in and out of your vision. You were too weak and faint to run away, let alone fight back, and based on the fact that the robot was poised to attack, you were probably about to get a real ass-whooping.

But then, you were saved.

“Phew! Are you okay?”

One of the applicants had just barreled straight into the robot, and somehow ended up totally destroying it. You were too out of it to understand what had just happened, but when you squinted to try and look more closely, you realized that the boy who’d just intervened had a rather solid-looking body. And not just in terms of his muscles—you meant it in the most literal sense possible. His entire body had gone rock-hard.

Ah. His body just went back to normal.

You assumed it had to be his Quirk. Some way of solidifying his body, or something along those lines. Regardless, he’d showed up just in time to bash that robot in, and thanks to that, you were still in one piece.

Well,kindof.

“Holy sh*t!” the boy cried out, dropping to his knees in front of you. “What’s going on? Your nose is bleeding like crazy!”

You stared at him with a vacant expression, since it was the most you were capable of right now. He had a friendly face, with rather sharp teeth, red eyes, and black hair. His voice was enthusiastic and loud, which felt indicative of his personality. Most importantly, though, he’d just saved your butt, and for that, you were truly thankful.

“I appreciate it,” you mumbled, weakly bowing your head. “Thank you so much, but... I need... more points.”

You stood up, advanced two whole steps, then crumpled to the ground again.

Except this time, the boy caught you in his arms.

“Be careful!” he insisted. “You look really injured and weak right now. I don’t think it’s safe for you to continue. I’ll carry you off to the side someplace. Hopefully you won’t run into any robots there.”

You waved your hand as if to dismiss him, but you were so woozy that you could barely even control your own body. It looked like you were trying to swat a fly or something.

“I’m fine,” you said in a sluggish, garbled voice, clearly convincing no one.

Right before you passed out for good, you got one last update.

[Kirishima Eijirou is worried about you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/100]

Chapter 17: After The Exam

Chapter Text

“...hello? Ah! I thinkshe’s opening her eyes!”

Your head felt like it was filled with cement. Groaning softly, your eyelids slowly lifted, and images faded into your line of sight. The same boy from before, Kirishima, was staring down at you with a wide grin.

“Man, I’m so glad you’re okay! How are you feeling now? You were bleeding so much that you really had me worried!”

He kept chiming in with nonstop questions and remarks, not really giving you much of a chance to respond. It was obvious that he wasn’t fabricating his concern, though. You could tell that it was completely genuine.

Wincing a bit, you eventually managed to sit up, and soon realized that Kirishima wasn’t the only one who’d been watching over you.

“I treated you with my Quirk,” an elderly lady said. She was dressed in anurse’s outfit, so you assumed she was probably one of U.A’s staff.

Kirishima nodded enthusiastically. “That’s Recovery Girl. She healed you, so you should hopefully feel a lot better. It looks like your nose stopped bleeding, at least.”

You patted your nose just to affirm that what he was saying was the truth, and thankfully, it seemed to be the case. Your face didn’t feel as gritty anymore, so Recovery Girl had probably wiped a napkin across your skin to clean you up after treating you. Unfortunately, the front of your shirt was still soaked in blood. You hoped some stain remover would do the trick.

“Your energy was probably quite low to begin with, so you’ll be feeling tired for a while,” Recovery Girl said. “My Quirk saps your energy in order to accelerate your body’s natural healing process. I would suggest taking it easy for the rest of the day.”

You would be lying if you said you weren’t burnt-out, but from what you could tell, the entrance exam was already over. You’d passed out near the end, but you had steadily amassed quite a few points by then. Whether or not those points would be enough, you obviously had no way of knowing, but you’d given it your best shot.

The system couldn’t punish you for failing after you’d pushed yourself hard enough to pass out, right?

Ha. Who am I kidding? They would do it in a heartbeat.

“I’m just glad you’re alright,” Kirishima beamed. “I came looking for you the second the exam was over. The way you were determined to keep fighting and earning points until the very end was super cool, you know? It was really manly of you!”

[Kirishima Eijirou respects your effort.]

[+10 love points.]

Ah. Right. You’d almost forgotten, but right before you passed out, you’d gotten yet another system update. It hadn’t really clicked right away since you’d been too preoccupied with spewing blood out of your nose and fainting, but this meant that he was yet another one of your love interests.

And honestly? You werereallyhappy about it.

First impressions weren’t always reliable, but they still said a lot about what kind of person you were dealing with. Based on everything you’d seen so far, Kirishima was friendly and considerate. He had a sunny personality, and those shark-like teeth of his were actually pretty cute.

Youneededthis, because quite frankly, most of your love interests sucked major ass.

Izuku was the glaring exception. Sure, Shouto wasn’t necessarily mean or anything, but he was difficult to get close to and didn’t exactly give you a lot to work with. Katsuki could be a massive douchebag at times, and even though you were slowly making progress, your relationship with him was far from ideal.

And then, there were theothertwo.

You hardly knew anything about either of them. You’d only spoken to Shigaraki one time, and he was already designated as your enemy, which didn’t exactly bode well. On top of that, he’d been quick to snap at you and overall gave off the impression of being a dick. You’d only met Chisaki one time as well, but knowing that his Quirk could kill you in the blink of an eye made you terrified for any and all future interactions. Plus, he was also a dick.

So, yeah. Up until now, Izuku had been the sole love interest who was wholly and unequivocally good.It was such a relief that you finally had the chance to get close to someone you actuallyliked.

For that reason, you could hardly contain your smile.

“Thank you,” you said, bowing your head in appreciation. “I could’ve gotten hurt a lot worse if you hadn’t stepped in back there. Even if Recovery Girl would’ve healed me regardless, the fact that you took time out of your exam to check on me was really nice of you. I’d say you’re a lot cooler than I am. What was that thing you just said? Something about being manly...? I really think that word suits you a lot better than me.”

Kirishima’s eyes widened. “Huh? Oh... but I didn’t do much. Anyone else would’ve probably done the same.”

“That’s not a sure thing. Everyone was really focused on their exam, after all. I was so immersed in it that I didn’t even think to check my surroundings in case someone needed help,” you chuckled sheepishly. “I kind of regret it, actually. But anyways, I just wanted to thank you properly. You acted the way a real hero would.”

It was a true testament to someone’s character if they acted when there was nothing to be gained, and after all, wasn’t that the essence of being a hero?

You were just voicing your honest thoughts. Kirishima was clearly a good guy, and he deserved to hear it.

But preciselybecausehe was such a good guy, your words of praise seemed to have a tremendous impact on him.

[Kirishima Eijirou is suddenly feeling a lot more confident.]

[+20 love points.]

“W-Wow,” he stammered, looking quite bashful. “I wasn’t expecting you toshower me with complimentslike this. If anything, I feel like I could have done a lot more to help. Like, if I had spotted you earlier and stuff. But... thanks. Hearing that makes me really happy.”

“I just thanked you, and now you’re thanking me right back?” you mused.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he laughed. “I’m Kirishima, by the way. Kirishima Eijirou. What about you?”

“I’m [Name],” you said, and you both decided to shake hands to make the introductions official. Granted, youalreadyknew his name, but there was no way you could explain that without making him needlessly suspicious.

You really hoped you wouldn’t screw yourself over at some point by accidentally calling someone by name before they even introduced themselves to you, but given how bad your luck was, it wouldn’t surprise you.

That was a problem for a different day, though. Right now, you were just thankful that the system had picked a nice person for you to get close to.

You flashed Kirishima asmile. “From what I could tell, your Quirk is really strong, Kirishima. I’m sure you’ll pass the exam. You had no problem taking that robot down, after all.”

“It’s pretty good for combat situations like these,” he acknowledged. “Especially if I can focus on one target at a time. Nothing’s a guarantee, though. Anyways, there’s not much else we can about it at this point. Let’s just be proud we worked so hard. To be honest, I’m still kind of worried about how I did on the written portion, since I’m not that good in school... but that’s already in the past as well!”

“I’m sure you’re much smarter than you’re willing to admit,” you encouraged.

“Uh, right. Haha. If you say so.”

Kirishima awkwardly scratched his head, and you feared that the conversation was about to come to an end, despite how well things were going. The system wanted you to get into U.A, but if by some chance you didn’t, then you needed to at least keep in touch with the people you’d met thus far—Kirishima included.

“Would it be weird if I got your number?” you asked hesitantly. “It’s just that you seem really nice, and I’ve really enjoyed talking to you. Ideally, we’ll both end up going to U.A, but if it doesn’t work out, could I text you sometime?”

The first time you tried asking Katsuki this question, you’d been met with a look of total disgust, after which your love points had instantly dropped. It was entirely possible that you were pushing your luck too far and potentially ruining a good thing, but you had reason to believe that much like Izuku, Kirishima would give you the time of day.

And he did.

“You want my number?” he blinked. “Oh, wow. Sure thing! Yeah, it would definitelybe fun to stay in touch.” He grinned widely before pulling out his phone, but took a moment to pause, red eyes crinkling in a way that softened his whole expression. “We’llbothget into U.A, though. I don’t know why I feel so strongly about this, but it’s just a feeling I have.”

You had no way of knowing whether or not Kirishima was just saying that to cheer you up, but you decided that regardless of what his intentions were, you would believe in his words.

[Kirishima Eijirou is excited to have gotten the number of someone as nice and pretty as you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/100]

You blushed, pocketing your phone once you’d swapped numbers. You were happy things were going well so far, but you doubted you would ever get used to knowing that people thought you were pretty or cute. Then again, even if they told you outright, it would probably still embarrass you.

You smiled one last time before walking off. “Thank you again, Kirishima. For everything.”

Especially for not being an asshole like someotherguys I know.

Naturally, you didn’t say that part out loud.

“Did I score enough points?” you asked, now that you were finally alone. “I don’t remember how many I got before I passed out. I thought I was doing pretty well, though...”

[“Yes, you did a good job. I feel confident about your prospects of passing.”]

A sigh left your lips, and you could feel your entire body sag from relief. Your admission to U.A was far from guaranteed, but at least the system was content. For now.

Anyways, now that the exam was over, it was time to reconvene with Izuku and ask him how he’d done.

It took a little while, but you eventually found him standing by the school gates with a rather listless expression, and for some reason, the entire right sleeve of his tracksuit had been torn apart.

“Izuku!” you beamed, rushing over to him. “Hey! Sorry. I hope you weren’t waiting around too long. How did the exam go for you?”

Instead of being met with one of his usual smiles, he turned towards you with a vacant gaze.

“Not a single one,” he mumbled.

“Huh?”

“I didn’t... get a single point,” he said, clenching his fists and trembling.

You could’ve sworn your heart dropped all the way into your stomach.

But how is that possible? He told me his Quirk manifested recently, and I assumed it had to be the one that All Might gave him. Doesn’t All Might’s Quirk give him super strength? With a power like that, I was sure he’d destroy all of those robots.

“I ran into one of the robots worth zero points at my test site,” Izuku explained, looking rather pained by the recollection. “It washuge, and naturally, everyone ran to get away from it in time, but I noticed that there was someone trapped under the rubble right in its path, so...”

He didn’t need to finish his sentence for you to know what he’d done. It was obvious. Much like how Kirishima had saved you, it seemed like Izuku had done the exact same for someone else. On a much bigger scale, however.

“I passed out near the end of my exam, so I didn’t see what the zero-point robots looked like,” you admitted. “Were you able to use your Quirk against it and save that person who was in danger?”

Izuku nodded hollowly. “Well,yes, but it’s not like I got any points out of it. My powers worked, and I’m glad I was able to help. As upsetting as it is, I still wouldn’t have gone back in time and changed my actions. It just sucks, though. I really,reallywanted to get into U.A, and now it seems like there’s just no chance. I’m lettinghimdown, too...”

He whispered the last part, but you just barely caught onto it. You assumed he had to be referring to his mentor, All Might. But could a hero school really penalize someone for acting heroically? It felt totally unfair. It was a hero’sjobto save people, and now he wasn’t going to get into U.A simply because he’d acted the part?

You were incredibly upset. Honestly, you felt like you were going to start crying, even though Izuku was probably doing his best to hold back his tears.

But for the first timeever, the system actually comforted you.

[“Izuku will get into U.A. Don’t worry about it. He’s obviously bound to be upset right now, but everything will work out.”]

How can they know that? How do they know so many things?

You couldn’t very well ask them right now while you were next to Izuku, but even if you did, you had a feeling they wouldn’t answer. They clearly possessed knowledge in abundance but were unwilling to share it with you. The same line of thinking probably applied to your memories too.

Fine, then. Even now, your goal hadn’t changed. You were intent on getting rid of them and finding outexactlywhat they knew, at some point or another. But at the very least, you could probably trust that their predictions would turn out right.

Which meant that somehow, Izuku was going to get into U.A.

“It’s because I’m useless,” Izuku sniffled, wiping his tears away as hastily as possible, so that they couldn’t spill down his cheeks. “Just like Kacchan always says. That’s why he calls me Deku. Because I can’t ever do anything right.”

[Midoriya Izuku wishes he could stop acting so pathetic in front of you, but he doesn’t know how.]

[-20 love points.]

Izuku wasn’t pathetic at all. He was honestly incredible. Despite everything he’d already endured, not once had he taken out his anger on anyone else or mistreated them, even when they quite frankly deserved it. He acted out of consideration for others rather than himself, and his self-sacrificial nature had even been acknowledged by the strongest hero, All Might—based on that strange memory you’d gotten a glimpse of.

That nickname that Katsuki had given him,Deku... it was really tying him down.

“I’ve never once thought that you were useless,” you insisted. You wrapped your arms around him to try and make his tremors desist, squeezing as tight as you could possibly manage. “You’re an amazing person, Izuku. Even during an important exam like this, you prioritized saving someone instead of racking up the most points you could get. That kind of selflessness is exactly what a hero needs. You did the right thing. U.A would be stupid not to extend you an offer after seeing what you did.”

Izuku was still shaking a bit, but he managed to lean into your touch and rest his head against your shoulder. It might’ve been because he was seeking comfort in a time like this, or perhaps he was too embarrassed to let you see his face right now. Whatever the case, you were unwilling to let go.

“Katsuki can be a real idiot,” you sighed. “It upsets me to see how much he torments you. No matter what he says about you, he’s wrong. And honestly, I never thought that the nickname Deku sounded bad. It’s actually pretty cute. Katsuki’s the one who up and decided one day that it should be used as an insult.”

Izuku tensed up a bit, just barely lifting his face. “Y-You really think so?”

“Of course,” you smiled. “Don’t focus too much on what Katsuki has to say. He’s going out of his way to tear you down, which is really lame. A lot of people put others down so that they can feel better about themselves, but few people treat everyone kindly, the way you do. That automatically makes you the bigger man.”

“Deku isn’t that bad?”

“I definitelydon’t think so. If you want, I can even start calling you that, just so show you that it won’t always be used in a negative way.”

“T-Thanks,” Izuku sniffled again, and he finally managed to smile. “But I think I’d prefer it if you just kept calling me by my real name. I appreciate what you’re trying to say, though. Seriously, thank you so much, [Name]. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

[Midoriya Izuku can always count on you to lift his spirits.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 160/500]

You happily patted his head. “It’s going to be okay, Izuku. We still have to wait to get our letters from U.A. Nothing is set in stone until then. Teachers like Present Mic were watching our performance, right? That means they must’ve seen you fight that massive robot to save one of the other applicants. Maybe they even make special exceptions for people who really impress them!”

“I guess that might be true,” he nodded. “Right. It’s a slim chance, but... it’s still not impossible. I just have to wait and see.”

“You’re going to be an amazing hero, Izuku. U.A’s supposed to be an expert when it comes to heroes, so there’s no way they’d miss out on a chance to recruit you.”

Still smiling, you finally pulled away, then offered him your hand to hold onto. As always, Izuku was red-faced and flustered beyond words, but that didn’t stop him from interlocking his fingers with yours. You were more than happy to walk the whole way home like this, and based on how tightly Izuku was gripping your hand, he probably felt the same way.

There was someone who didn’t share in your enthusiasm, however.

[Bakugou Katsuki wants to gouge his eyes out.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 20/100]

You stole a few glances behind your back, but couldn’t spot Katsuki among the crowd of applicants leaving campus. Since you didn’t know what the hell his deal was, you just shrugged and figured he was probably in one of his usual moods.

Chapter 18: Immeasurably Powerful

Chapter Text

Roughly a week had passed since the day of the practical exam, and you were feeling pretty impatient while awaiting the results. On the plus side, though, ever since that day, you and Kirishima had been texting back and forth, and he was just as easy to get along with as you’d expected.

[Name]

Who’s your favorite hero, by the way?

I just realized I never asked

I’m guessing it’s probably All Might

[Kirishima]

All Might’s definitely amazing!

But my favorite hero is actually Crimson Riot

Not sure if you’d heard of him before, he’s kind of retro

He’s pretty much my inspiration, though

Something about how manly he is, and the fact that he never gives up...

In an interview I saw of his, he said that a manly spirit is basically a life led without regret

It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be overly confident or fearless

And somehow, hearing him say that just really resonated with me

So yeah, Crimson Riot is my favorite hero

Sorry!

I just realized how long this message got lol

[Name]

There’s no reason to apologize!

All Might is super popular, but there are plenty of other incredible heroes out there that are worth looking up to

Crimson Riot, huh?

One sec

I’m looking up a picture of him right now

...oh, cool!

Even just based on appearance alone, he definitely gives off the impression of being manly and reliable!

[Kirishima]

Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying!

If I’m being honest, he helped me out a lot during a rough patch

I definitely aspire to become a hero like him someday

[Name]

You can do it :)

There’s literally a 0% chance that you won’t accepted into U.A

I can just feel it!

[Kirishima]

Thanks! I really hope so

But yeah, I get that same feeling as well

About both of us being accepted

It’d be awesome if we ended up in the same class too!

STATUS UPDATE:

[Kirishima Eijirou really enjoys talking to you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/100]

So far, things with Kirishima were going really smoothly, and you were thrilled to finally have met someone kind, just like Izuku. Now,ideally, the system would pick onlypleasant people for you to approach from now on, but somehow, you really doubted that would be the case.

Oh, well. No point in worrying about something before it even happened. You were choosing to remain blissfully ignorant and just enjoy the moment.

You were in a good mood, and you’d already completed your daily task, so there wasn’t much left for you to do besides lounge around and mess around on your phone.

But then, the doorbell rang.

You instinctively jumped to your feet, wondering who in the world it could possibly be. No one else knew where you lived. Well, not unless you counted Ketsu and Tama, but they weren’t supposed to show up without letting you know in advance. It was part of the terms of their contract.

As it turned out, it wasn’t a person, but a delivery. An envelope was sticking out of the mailbox next to your door, and your eyes widened when you read who the sender was.

“I-It’s here,” you stammered nervously. “The letter from U.A finally showed up...”

For obvious reasons, you were freaking out. The system knew exactly what you were doing at all times. It wasn’t as if you could hide this information from them, the way a child might lie to their parents if they scored a bad grade on a test.

No, the second you opened this envelope and unfolded its contents, your fate would be sealed. For better or worse.

f*cking hell. Your legs suddenly felt like they were made of jelly.

[“Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and open it.”]

Your teeth chattered uncontrollably. “J-Just give me a s-s-second. I want to go inside and sit down first...”

You’d been dreading this moment. This past week had only been bearable because you’d deliberately shoved the issue to the very back of your mind, but you couldn’t possibly delay things any further.

If the system wasn’t happy with the outcome, your punishment was guaranteed.

You swallowed hard, hoping to clear the lump in your throat, but to no avail. You hopelessly tried to buy yourself some more time by saying you needed to grab a glass of water, but the system kept bombarding you with impatient messages.

[“There’s no reason to be scared. Just open up the letter and see what it says.”]

No reason to be scared, my ass. You’re literally going to torture me if I fail.

There wasn’t much to be done about this tricky situation, unfortunately. Besides, if you dragged things out for too long, it was entirely possible they would go ahead and trap you inside the void anyways. You still had achanceat passing. You’d given it your all, and you felt like you did pretty well.

Desperate to get it over with as fast as possible, you tore through the envelope and pulled out the letter.

Except you were too afraid to actually look at it, so you squeezed your eyes shut.

Ugh... I feel like I’m gonna throw up...

You couldn’t see anything, but you heard the usual notification alert. The system had just sent you a message, and when you hesitantly lifted your eyelids, the message was what you saw first, rather than the letter itself.

[“You did it. You passed.”]

“I-I did?” you couldn’t help but blink. Honestly, you’d been deathly afraid, to the point that your head was spinning, and you could’ve sworn you were on the verge of passing out. But the system hadn’t punished you yet, and why would they lie about you passing the exam? They seemed to lie about a lot of things, but in this case, they had nothing to gain from it.

You frantically read over the letter yourself, and sure enough, it confirmed the system’s words.

It was official. You were going to be a U.A student.

The way you reacted was far from being graceful or composed, but oh, to hell with it. You were way too excited and relieved right now to even care.

“f*ck yes!” you screamed, then proceeded to repeatedly punch the air. “I did it! I really did it! I'm not going to be trapped in that dark place again! Holy crap, am I actually secretly amazing? My raw potential must be beyond anyone’s wildest dreams!”

Obviously, you were exaggerating. It was actually a bit sad, because the intensity of your emotions just went to show how much the system had already traumatized you.

But at least for now, you were happy.

[“Your score on the practical exam was pretty good, even though you passed out near the end. You still managed to get enough points in time. I had a feeling that everything would work out. Well, even if you didn’t land yourself in the Hero Department right away, transferring between departments is still an option. I would have still accepted the General Department or something along those lines. As long as you got into U.A one way or another, we would’ve figured things out.”]

You stopped mid-cheer, suddenly deflating. “Wait... what?”

[“You did good, but you didn’t need to worry so much. Even if you failed the practical exam for getting into the hero course, there were still other means of getting accepted to U.A. Don’t always assume it’s the end of the world. You’ve got to have a more flexible mindset than that.”]

“So, basically... I was worried for nothing?”

[“Kind of. A lot of people get into U.A for various reasons, even if their Quirks aren’t needlessly flashy or good in a fight. That’s why they have so many different departments, like the General Department and the Support Department.”]

Leave it to them to make your accomplishment feel like a total waste of time.

“That’s just perfect,” you gritted out. “Thank you so much for sharing this information with menow. It would’ve been nice to knowaheadof time, so that I didn’t drive myself insane worrying about what would happen if I failed.”

The system decided to act extra co*cky, adding insult to injury.

[“Don’t mention it. That’s what I’m here for.”]

You grabbed fistfuls of your hair, drew in a sharp breath, then let out an ear-blasting scream.

“MOTHERf*ckER!”

Despite the fact that the system kept on testing your patience, you received a text later that same day that immediately brought your spirits back up.

[Izuku]

I DID IT!

I GOT INTO U.A!

I’M SO EXCITED I CAN BARELY BRETHAF

BRETH*

BREATHE****

Phew

Apparently, I’m also too excited to type properly

Anyways, I’m so happy right now!

Did you get your results yet??

[Name]

Hell yes!

Go, Izuku!

I told you things would work out :D

You’re so awesome!

I got in too, so that means we’ll both be attending the same school again!

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is overjoyed that the two of you can work towards your dreams together.]

[+10 love points.]

[Izuku]

Yay!!

I really thought I was done for when I got 0 points on the exam

But apparently there’s a thing called ‘rescue points’

And I was able to get enough of those!

I’m really happy that we’ll be in high school together too

U.A has always been a huge dream of mine, but also...

You’re my friend, and I didn’t want us to be apart

Sorry if that sounds a bit lame...

[Name]

It doesn’t sound lame at all

I feel the same way!

It’s a lot more fun being with you, Izuku :)

In fact, why don’t we meet up for a bit?

We both got in, so we should celebrate face to face

Is now a good time?

[Izuku]

Of course!

That’s a great idea!

[Name]

Ok, cool!

Let’s meet at the same spot as always

See you soon!

You got to the park first and killed time by swinging from the monkey bars. It was going pretty well for a while, until you got overly ambitious and tried to skip three bars on one swing, which caused you to promptly fall right onto your butt.

[“Ha. That was lame.”]

“Shut up,” you hissed, fighting the urge to flip off thin air.

“[Name]? Who are you talking to?”

sh*t!

Izuku had apparently just showed up, and when you turned, you found him staring at you with a perplexed expression. God, this wassucha pain. It wasn’t the first time someone had seen you talking seemingly to yourself. If you weren’t more careful about communicating with the system in public, people were going to think you were a real weirdo.

“Just... no one,” you denied, forcing a weak smile. “I was, um, pretending I was in an argument. You know when you imagine having an argument with someone in your head and plan out all the things you want to say? So that when you see them next time, you know exactly which insults to use?”

Izuku clearly couldn’t relate, but he still nodded patiently. “Oh. I think I get it. Who were you pretending like you were arguing with?”

“Katsuki,” you blurted immediately. It was as good an answer as any.

Izuku nodded again. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Thankfully, he looked convinced. As expected, Katsuki could be such an asshole that it warranted all sorts of strange behavior. But more importantly...

“We got into U.A!” you cheered, excitedly clapping your hands. “I’m so pumped! I’m sure becoming a hero will require a lot of training and hard work, but the acceptance rate for U.A is still super low, right? We did amazing just by passing the exam!”

“Yeah,” Izuku smiled. “We’ve still got a long way to go before becoming full-fledged heroes, but the fact that we’ve even made it this far is worth celebrating. I’ve been Quirkless all my life... up until now. For so long, becoming a hero felt like a dream far out of my reach. I still can’t really believe this isactuallyhappening...”

Izuku was sworn to secrecy, and so he couldn’t tell you the truth—that he’d obtained his Quirk from All Might rather than having it manifest on its own. He had a lot more riding on his shoulders than the average person, since he was striving to become the next Symbol of Peace. Your life was by no means a cakewalk, but Izuku still had it a lot harder. You’d known each other for more than ten months, and up until he’d met All Might after the slime villain incident, you could tell that being Quirkless was absolutely destroying him.

That was what made this turn of events so much more meaningful. He’d gone from having all the odds stacked against him to finally being given the opportunity he’d always deserved. And for that reason, you were immeasurably happy.

So much so, in fact, that you acted without thinking and kissed him on the cheek.

“What—?!”

Izuku’s reaction was immediate, not that you could blame him. It took a few seconds for what you’d just done to fully sink in, and when itdid, you suddenly felt as though your face was on fire, and your heart threatened to leap out of your chest.

“W-W-What did you just do...?!” Izuku squeaked. His face was so red it was actually a thing of wonder. His eyes were wider than ever, and you could tell that his head was spinning. It was a miracle he was still conscious, honestly.

As much as you wanted to have a good answer lined up, all you could say was:

“I... don’t know.”

You stared at him stupidly, becoming more mortified by the second. You’d gotten carried away in the excitement of the moment and done something you couldn’t take back. Goddammit! You’d clearly freaked him out. You wished you could go back in time and erase your mistake.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku can’t believe you just kissed him. He wonders if he’s dreaming right now.]

[+50 love points.]

[Current progress: 210/500]

...on second thought, maybe this was for the best.

Izuku tried to stand up from the bench, but his legs were so wobbly that he took a tumble, then instead of trying to stand up a second time, he just stayed lying on the ground with his face pressed against the grass.

“I’m awake,” you could hear him mumbling in a daze. “I’m awake, but I’m still dreaming...”

The whole thing was unbearably cute, and despite your embarrassment, you couldn’t help the burst of giggles that left your lips.

“I still can’t believe it! Not one, not two, butthreestudents from our school made it into U.A! And Midoriya’s acceptance in particular is a miracle among miracles!”

Your middle school principal was speaking to you. Not just you, though. Izuku and Katsuki were there as well, and upon hearing the news, Katsuki’s jaw had dropped so low you could’ve sworn it hit the ground.

He was in complete and utter disbelief, because as far as he knew, Izuku was still Quirkless.

“Great job, kids!” the principal beamed. “I’m so proud of you! Having such distinguished graduates will do wonders for our school’s image.”

He cared more about reputation and increasing the school budget rather than celebrating your personal achievements, but you’d expected as much. Unlike Katsuki, you could care less about being one of the very few from this school to have made it into U.A. You didn’t care about getting your name out there and having people be jealous of you. You just cared about making progress and reclaiming your memories, little by little.

Unfortunately, Katsuki was determined to hold onto his petty pride, and so the second the three of you walked out of the school and were away from any teachers’ prying gazes, he shoved Izuku against the nearest wall.

“You piece of trash!” he spat. “I told you to apply somewhere else, for f*ck’s sake! What dirty goddamn tricks did a Quirkless nerd like you use to pass the exam?!”

“Katsuki, stop it,” you pleaded. “He couldn’t possibly have cheated. There were countless invigilators and other teachers watching the exam unfold. You know that as well as we do.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth, holding Izuku in place by gripping his collar, but paused to flash you a glare as well. “Andyou,” he grimaced. “You got in too? I don’t even know what your sh*tty Quirk is, but I thought I made it clear from the start that I wanted to be theonlyone from our school to get into U.A! Why can’t you assholes just stay out of my business?!”

He was making zero sense, although that was nothing out of the ordinary. You and Izuku—and anyone else, for that matter—were perfectly welcome to do whatever you wanted. Katsuki seemed to think that he could just control people andtellthem what they were allowed to do, but the world didn’t work that way.

You grabbed Katsuki by the arm with the intention of pulling him back and making him let go of Izuku, but as it turned out, your interference wasn’t needed.

Because for a change, Izuku was glaring at Katsuki and standing up for himself.

“I-I’m going to U.A,” he insisted. Even though his voice was trembling, he still didn’t back down. “Two people that are very important to me... acknowledged that Icanbecome a hero. I’ve won the right! I’m going, and... you can’t stop me.”

Your chest swelled with pride. Izuku really was amazing. You’d always known it, but in this moment, watching him stand up to his bully, it was more apparent than ever. In a way, it was even more impressive than the fact that he’d gotten into U.A.

This was proof that he was done letting Katsuki dictate how his life would unfold.

Part of you feared that after what he’d just heard, Katsuki might retaliate with violence, but instead, his hand dropped, as if he’d been defeated.

Katsuki stepped back, finally giving Izuku some space. You took that opportunity to pat Izuku's back and ask him if he was okay. All the while, Katsuki kept on staring at you, still with that defeated, almost desperate expression on his face.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is in shock that Midoriya Izuku stood up to him, and the fact that you were here to bear witness to it doesn’t help one bit.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/100]

f*ck!Not again! It took me so long to get out of the negatives!

Katsuki walked away without another word. Izuku wasn’t hurt, which was a relief, but you still needed to try and rectify the situation somewhat. If things kept progressing backwards like this, then soon enough, the system would punish you again. Whether they used Chisaki to torment you inside that simulation or whoever else, you had no intention of finding out.

And so, you asked Izuku to wait for a few moments, then chased after Katsuki.

“Katsuki, wait!” you cried out. “Just... just listen to me for a bit!”

He was still walking away, and didn’t even bother to glance back over his shoulder. “Piss off,” he said simply. He wasn’t yelling the way he normally did, so that was how you knew he wasreallyangry.

You couldn’t leave things like this. You just couldn’t. Otherwise, you were right back to square one.

“Neither of us is as strong as you are,” you tried to insist. “You’re still amazing, Katsuki. It’s just that... other people have dreams too. We have to at leasttry.”

He still wasn’t looking back at you, or stopping, so you became increasingly desperate. Back when you kissed him,your love points had risen drastically for the first time. Naturally, you weren’t about to spring another kiss on him, but perhaps another form of affection might work? A hug, for instance?

At the rate things were going, you were doomed to have your love points plummet if you didn’t take a few risks, and as the saying went—nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So, you wrapped your arms around him from behind and held him tight, hoping that it might help to pacify him a bit.

“T-The f*ck are you doing all of a sudden?!”

It didn’t work. Rather than pacify him, it just riled him up even more. His points hadn’t dropped right away though, which was an indication that he probably didn’thatebeing hugged by you, even if he was pushing you away quite aggressively.

“Let go of me!” Katsuki screamed, blushing a deep scarlet. “I want to go home, you goddamn freak!”

He kept pushing you back, and you realized you were being kind of annoying, but there was really no other way to get through to this guy apart from being persistent. Plus, you felt like he reallycoulduse a hug. He was way too angry all the time. Someone needed to show him some affection for a change.

With no sign of his blush disappearing, Katsuki proceeded to call you some of the most heinous curses known to man. You were used to it by now, which is why it didn’t really faze you, so you kept clinging to him and hoping that his points would go back up.

And then, things took a turn. Katsuki’s pushing became more forceful, and since youstillrefused to let go, you ended up being forced downwards by his sheer strength. Your hands inadvertently slipped as you tried to hold on, and inthe process of doing so, you pulled.Hard.

Hard enough to yank down Katsuki’s extremely low-riding pants, which meant thatyou’d just gotten a front-row view to what his boxers looked like.

All Might-themed...

Katsuki screamed. You screamed. From a little distance away, even Izuku screamed, because he’d just watched the whole thing unfold.

Before Katsuki could unleash another series of curses your way, you stood up, smiled politely, then bowed your head.

“I would totally understand if you wanted to punch me right now, so go right ahead. I deserve it.”

“WHAT THE ACTUAL f*ck IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!”

His reaction was completely warranted, so you just stood there, waiting to be punched. You already knew that Katsuki didn’t go easy on anyone just because they were a girl, so if he wanted to, he could have easily kicked your ass.

But he didn’t. Maybe because he was too busy pulling his pants back up and tightening his belt for a change to make everything was in place. You’d likely embarrassed him beyond measure, and rather than sticking around, he seemed desperate to leave as fast as possible.

“Perverted f*cking stalker,” was the last thing he muttered before storming away. He was just as red as the time you’d kissed him.

And now, your points would surely drop.

Or would they?

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki realizes that not only have you kissed him, but you’ve also seen him in his underwear. He has never suffered such humiliation before. He’s angry, but somehow... he’s also not?]

[+40 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/100]

“Haha!” you couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh my god. It’s seriously so backwards I have no clue what to make of it. I’ll never understand how he thinks. At least it worked out in my favor. I’m not sure how, but it did.”

Even the system was bewildered.

[“I know I assigned him as a love interest, but I’m starting to feel bad for the guy.”]

You chuckled one last time, trying to push the memory of Katsuki’s embarrassing underwear to the back of your mind. It would be difficult to forget. Probably even impossible. But at least you’d avoided the negative digits once again.

You turned, ready to finally go home, only to find that Izuku was frozen in place with a look of sheer horror.

“You... you just pantsed Kacchan,” he spluttered in disbelief. “And... you’re stillalive.”

“I am, Izuku. I am.”

Perhaps you were more powerful than you realized.

Chapter 19: Not That Easy

Chapter Text

After many months of training, sleepless nights spent worrying about the practical exam, you were finally,finallyat U.A. This time, for good.

Your high school life was officially about to begin.

Things had been good recently, because you hadn’t done anything to incur the system’s wrath. You hoped to keep it this way for as long as possible. Hopefully you could uncover more memories soon, and in doing so, also figure out how to rid yourself of the system.

Assuming it was even possible.

For now, you were choosing to remain optimistic. There was no point in giving up, not when there was so much you still didn’t even know. At least you were safe for the time being. You’d gotten into U.A, you were making steady progress with most of the love interests you’d met so far, and your powers were coming along, slowly but surely.

“Ugh, we’relost,” Izuku groaned. The past few minutes had been spent trying to navigate through U.A’s many hallways. The main building was needlessly large, and it would probably take a bit of getting used to. Not that you were about to complain. The fact that you were evenherewas already more than enough.

“Let’s try going that way,” you pointed, and sure enough, you eventually found yourselves standing in front of the classroom you’d both been assigned to—1-A.

You were incredibly thankful to have ended up in the same class as Izuku again. There were only two classes for first-year students in the Hero Department, so there was a fifty-fifty chance that you and Izuku could have been split up. Not only that, but Kirishima was going to be in this class as well. Shouto, too.

As far as Katsuki was concerned, you didn’t know which class he’d ended up in, since hestillhadn’t texted you, despite having saved your number a while back. You wondered if he ever would. Then again, considering you’d accidentally pantsed him recently, the odds weren’t exactly in your favor.

Oh, well. You would cross that bridge when you came to it.

You flashed Izuku a smile. “Feeling nervous? I am too, to be honest. But I feel like we already got the hardest part over with. The entrance exam was the biggest obstacle standing in our way, and since this is a school for heroes, I’m sure everyone will be nice.”

“You’re probably right about that,” Izuku acknowledged. “Ireallydon’t want to be in the same class as Kacchan... but I can’t afford to be picky. I’m just thankful to be here. With you.”

His freckled cheeks darkened slightly, to a lovely shade of pink. He was right, though. You were finally at U.A,together. That was the most important thing.

You took a deep breath, feeling more excited than nervous, then entered the classroom.

The first thing that greeted you was a painfully familiar voice, speaking rather loudly, although it wasn’t all that surprising. By the looks of things, Katsukiwasin the same class as you. The lesson had yet to begin, but he was already making a poor impression on people, it seemed. He was currently in the midst of an argument with a bespectacled student who was waving his arms frantically.

“You can’t just put your feet on the desk!” he fumed. “Don’t you realize that it’s incredibly disrespectful towards your fellow classmates?”

Katsuki responded with a sneer. “No, as a matter of fact, Idon’t. What middle school are you even from, you goddamn extra?”

“I am from Soumei Junior High. My name is Iida Tenya,” the student promptly introduced. Unfortunately for him, Katsuki wasn’t the type to back down, and no amount of polite introductions would change that.

“Wow, Soumei,” Katsuki scoffed, unable to keep the teasing lilt out of his voice. “So, you’re a f*cking elite. I guess I’ve got more than enough reason to crush you.”

“My word!” Iida gasped. “Someone likeyouwants to become a hero?!”

He was visibly taken aback, and for good reason. By all accounts, itdidseem strange for a person like Katsuki to want to become a hero. His personality sure didn’t give off that impression.

Still, you knew better by now. Katsuki was hotheaded, rude, and could be just plainmeanwhenever he wanted to, but despite all of that, he wasn’t a bad person. That was what your gut was telling you. Perhaps you were wrong, but you were going to keep giving him chances and hope that he didn’t let you down.

Iida eventually shook his head in disappointment and turned towards you and Izuku, since he must have heard the sound of the door opening.

“Hello there, my name is Iida Tenya,” he said again, already marching towards you.

You were just about to be polite and return his introduction with one of your own, but a suddenpingcaught your attention first.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki still can’t believe you saw his All Might underwear.]

[+10 love points.]

You bit down on your lip to keep from laughing out loud. He was so ridiculous. Just like with the kiss, even though the incident embarrassed him beyond measure, it seemed to have resulted in some sort of positive emotion on his end. Perhaps he was secretly a pervert? Or maybe you were just the first girl to have seen him in such a vulnerable state, and that was making him fixate on you for whatever reason.

Whatever the case, you were happy so long as it kept you in his favor.

Unfortunately, as was so often the case with someone as emotionally tumultuous as Katsuki, it didn’t take long for his points to drop back down.

[Bakugou Katsuki is annoyed to see you with Midoriya Izuku, especially here at U.A.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/100]

...one step forward, only to take a step back right away. Goddammit, Katsuki.

He always seemed to get annoyed whenever you and Izuku were together. It was as if he believed Izuku didn’t deserve to have friends or something. He seriously needed to chill out.

Of course, you weren’t about to tell him that to his face, because you would probably end up getting your ass kicked.

Instead, your eyes wandered the room, in search of the one person you’d been thinking about ever since you messaged them to tell them the good news.

Ah! There he is!

He was already sitting down at one of the desks near the back of the class. His expression was every bit as nondescript as you’d expected it to be. Nobody was talking to him, and he certainly wasn’t making the effort to initiate a conversation himself. Good old Todoroki Shouto.

Iida and Izuku were in the middle of a conversation, so you took the opportunity to bound over towards the other side of the room and greet the boy with the dual-shaded hair.

“Hi there, close acquaintance,” you couldn’t help but chuckle.

Unsurprisingly, Shouto arched a brow in confusion. “Oh, [Name]. You’re here. But what do you mean by close acquaintance...?”

“Well, isn’t that what we are? Unless you feel like we’re already friends,” you added hopefully.

Shouto was quick to dash your hopes.

“I don’t have any friends,” he muttered.

A swing and a miss. How unfortunate.

“Maybe one day,” you smiled. “I’d love to be your friend, but I understand that everyone moves at their own pace. Anyways, it’s super cool that we’re here now! I know you already got accepted to U.A a while back, but still. I’m glad we get to be in the same class.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?” he frowned. “I think you’ve got your priorities all wrong. People come to U.A to train and become heroes, not fool around.”

“Well, I’m still going to take things seriously,” you insisted. “Making friends is just an added bonus!”

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t look very convinced, although you’d expected as much.

Straining to think of another way to continue the topic, you didn’t even notice that someone else had already snuck up behind you, not until they suddenly grabbed hold of your shoulders.

“[Name]!” Kirishima grinned. “Hey, you made it! I mean, you already mentioned that you were in Class 1-A, but this is seriously great! Ah, sorry. I wasn’t trying to butt into your conversation. Do you two already know each other?”

You beamed at him. “Yep, this is Shouto. We, um, kind of met alittle while back.”

“Oh, so you’re friends?”

“More like close acquaintances.”

Shouto made a face. “I don’t get why you keep saying that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you waved off.

“Cool,” Kirishima kept on grinning, while extending his hand out. “I’m Kirishima Eijirou. It’s nice to meet you, man! I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see how things will work out at U.A and meet all of our other classmates!”

Now, even though Shouto didn’t have a history of bullying others, the way Katsuki did, you already knew that he wasn’t the friendliest of the bunch. For a different reason entirely, though. If you’d interpreted things correctly, then he seemed to be intentionally keeping himself from getting too close to others. You weren’t exactly sure why, but you could tell that he was purposefully isolating himself. He was hesitant to let anyone—including you—get too close.

That was why, instead of shaking Kirishima’s hand, he turned away without another word and proceeded to stare out the window.

Ugh... this just became super awkward.

It was a good thing Kirishima was so good-natured, otherwise the whole thing could have gone over alotworse. You feared to imagine how someone like Katsuki might’ve reacted to being snubbed by Shouto. A fight would have probably ensued.

“Shouto appreciates his space,” you tried to explain. “I still don’t know him all that well, but I think that’s just the kind of guy he is. Don’t take it personally.”

Kirishima nodded patiently. “I get it. Everyone’s got their own stuff going on.”

“Yeah, but anyways—”

“Are you still standing here?” Shouto muttered, finally looking back in your direction. He was mostly inexpressive, but his brows were now scrunched together, as if he was a bit irritated. “If you’re going to chat, take it somewhere else. Don't do it right next to my desk.”

[Todoroki Shouto feels annoyed for some reason.]

[-10 love points.]

You swallowed, a hint of guilt settling in. Perhaps you were a bit silly to hope that he’d been looking forward to being classmates. It was clear that you were a lot more enthusiastic about your interactions than he was. After all, there was areasonyou were only close acquaintances.

There was no point in rushing things, and the system’s demands aside, you genuinely wanted Shouto to be happy. Ever since the day you met, you’d been secretly imagining what he might look like with a smile. You got the sense that whenever it happened, it would make a big impact.

“Sorry, Shouto.” You smiled apologetically. “We’ll get out of your hair now. It was nice seeing you, though. Even if you don’t feel the same way, I’m really looking forward to spending the school year together.”

You ushered Kirishima away from Shouto’s desk, opting to continue your conversation elsewhere. It looked like Izuku was now chatting with not only Iida, but a girl with rosy cheeks and brown hair styled into a messy bob. You smiled, happy that he was getting to talk to some new people for a change. You were his best friend, but that didn’t mean that you didn’t want him to haveotherfriends. Quite frankly, he deserved all the friends in the world.

Unbeknownst to you, Shouto’s train of thought hadn’t stopped, not even after you walked away. And when you got your next notification, you honestly couldn’t make sense of it, because neither could the boy in question.

[Todoroki Shouto still feels annoyed.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -20/200]

Shouto wasn’t sure why, but seeing you act so friendly with pretty much everyone wasn’t exactly reassuring. You were the only person he’d consistently spoken to outside of his family. Even so, he knew the two of you weren’t particularly close, because the concept ofclosenessmay as well have been foreign to him. He had gone through too much from a very young age. As a result, he struggled to form any kind of relationships. He always expected that no matter what, it would end in disappointment. His heart didn’t have room for any more disappointment. He was too wrapped up in his hatred and revenge to bother admitting to himself that he was incredibly lonely.

But there were a few moments when he hadn’t felt that lonely. The moments he’d spent with you, however brief they may have been. There had been glimpses of happiness, even if he was hellbent on ignoring them. He felt a bit comforted by your cheerful nature, and even just the fact that you always looked so content to spend time with him, despite howpainfully dull and aloof he was—something he knew all too well.

But looking at you now, already chatting happily with so many people...

It was clear that he wasn’t special. And so, once again, Shouto felt horribly and inescapably lonely.

While Shouto was battling his emotional turmoil, your attention was elsewhere, because your homeroom teacher had just showed up.

Youknewthis guy. Aizawa, his name was. You’d run into him more than ten months ago, but despite how brief your meeting had been, the familiarity he’d evoked in you wasn’t something that could be easily forgotten.

And based on how his eyes widened, it looked like he remembered you too.

“H-Hello again,” you stammered, unsure what else to say. He must have already thought you were a total weirdo, since you’d guessed his name out of nowhere that day. And now he was supposed to be your teacher for the rest of the year? Life really never had a dull moment in store for you, huh.

Aizawa had turned up in a sleeping bag of all things, so you could tell hewasn’t too concerned with professionalism. The fact that he was a teacher at U.A meant that he had to be a pro hero. You couldn’t say you’d ever seen him on TV or anything like that, though. Maybe he preferred to keep things lowkey and stay out of the limelight.

“You’re that kid from before,” he frowned. “Hm. I was wondering why you looked so familiar when I read through your file.”

Izuku gently nudged you. “Have you two already met?”

“Yeah, just the one time,” you nodded. “Outside of a coffee shop.”

While I was crying like a little baby, except I’m obviously not going to mention that, for the sake of my pride.

Aizawa gave you one last glance, then turned his attention back to the rest of the class. “I’m your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. It’s nice to meet you. Anyways, let’s not waste any more time and get right down to business. Change into these P.E. uniforms, then meet me outside.”

He didn’t bother explaining, but he was the teacher, so he obviously knew best. Besides, whatever it was, you were sure you could handle it. Getting into U.A was the hard part. Now that you were here, everything would be fine.

Soon enough, you realized just how naive that line of thinking was.

“We’re going to have a Quirk Apprehension Test,” Aizawa announced. Everyone was understandably confused, because the standard school events that usually took place on the first day—such as an entrance ceremony or general orientation—had been completely skipped over.

Back when he’d comforted you that day, Aizawa struck you as a slightly stern, but still compassionate person. However, now that he was your teacher, you were starting to realize that he was the type who didn’t bother mincing words or beating around the bush. You needed to keep up with his pace, otherwise you ran the risk of being left behind.

“This test will be just like the standard physical assessments you’ve all done in middle school,” he explained. “There will be one major difference, however. On those physical assessments, you were largely prohibited from using your Quirks. This time, you’re going to undertake those tests while using your powers to their fullest.” He then gestured towards Katsuki, who had apparently placed first on the entrance exam. “You, there. Bakugou. What was your middle school record for how far you could pitch a softball?”

“67 meters,” Katsuki replied.

“Alright. Try using your Quirk this time around. Step up and give the rest of the class a demonstration.”

Now that Katsuki was allowed to use his explosion Quirk, it was no surprise that the new record he landed was leagues above his previous one. He’d gone from 67 meters to705.2meters. A drastic improvement.

Everyone was impressed, although you couldn’t blame them. Katsuki’s strength was no joke. His personality left a lot to be desired at times, but in terms of sheer power, few people even stood a chance against him.

Once he’d finished with his demonstration, Katsuki rejoined the rest of the students, and you could’ve sworn you saw him smirking over at you.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki feels awfully smug about what he just did.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/100]

Man. What a show-off.

You weren’t even given the chance to roll your eyes, however. A couple of your classmates were going on about how fun the Quirk Apprehension Test sounded, and regretfully,Aizawa didn’t seem to care for it one bit.

“You say it soundsfun?” he muttered, with a glare so sharp it could’ve cut glass. “Hm. I see. That’s interesting. I thought all of you had come to U.A to hone your skills and seriously train to become heroes. I didn’t realize you were intent on just fooling around these next three years and having the time of your lives. Fine, then. Since you clearly think it’ssofun, I’ll add an extra condition to make it evenmorefun. Whoever places last overall on these tests will be judged as hopeless and instantly expelled. How about that?”

You blinked repeatedly.

What... what did he just say?

No way was this happening. You really thought you’d done it. You thought that after getting into U.A and appeasing the system, things were finally going your way for a change. You hadn’t expected to encounter another roadblockthisearly.

[“Better buckle up. Becoming a hero isn’t that easy. This is only the first of many trials that await you. Don't tell me you plan on giving up already. I mean... you don’t exactly have that option. And by the way, if you get expelled, Iwillmake you pay for it. So, yeah. No pressure, though!”]

Great. Talk about a sh*tty first day.

Chapter 20: Clearing Trials

Chapter Text

You were tired.

Things just never seemed to go your way. It was always one challenge after another, and while you supposed that was how life worked, it felt like you never had the chance to let your guard down and enjoy the moment.

Here you were, finally at U.A, already facing the risk of expulsion.

Of course, many of your classmates tried to protest against Aizawa’s sudden decision, claiming that it was far too unreasonable, but he merely brushed them off with a lazy grin.

“As a hero, it’s your job to make the most of an unpredictable situation,” he said. “Even when the odds aren’t in your favor, it’s up to you to save the day. I’m not exactly sure what you were expecting after enrolling here, but... your life at U.A will be full of hardships, from start to finish. If you want to stick around, then I expect you to overcome these trials and rise to the top.”

You’d heard of tough love before, but sheesh. It still felt like he was taking things too far.

Not that there’s anything I can do about it. f*ck.

[“Don’t freak out. It’s not like you’re totally helpless. You’ve got an ability that can be quite versatile. I’m confident it’ll give you a fighting chance.”]

You nibbled on your bottom lip, unable to do much else besides nod listlessly. It was impossible not to freak out, especially since you knew what awaited you if you ended up being expelled.

Placing at the very bottom wasnotan option.

The first of the trials you undertook was a 50-meter dash, and since it was purely sprinting, there weren’t really any fancy tricks you could pull to boost your numbers. You were timed, and your results were promptly tallied up with the rest of your classmates. In terms of speed, you were still very much average, so you doubted you could stand out for this trial, especially when there were people like that Iida guy who were infinitely faster.

Nothing much to be done about it. Time to move onto the next one.

The second trial was a grip strength test, and once again, you weren’t sure how to tackle it apart from mustering up all the strength you were capable of. It went without saying that your results weren’t particularly awe-inspiring. Meanwhile, one of your classmates—a boy with several pairs of arms—had just scored a grip strength value of 540 kilograms.

Quite frankly, the longer this went on, and the more you saw how well some of the others were doing, the faster your confidence plummeted.

I feel like I’m going to be sick.

You were on the verge of both puking and fainting, most likely simultaneously. It didn’t seem like Izuku was doing much better, since he couldn’t really use his Quirk without breaking his limbs in the process. As much as you wanted to console him and offer some encouragement, you were too busy trying to cope with your own anxiety and keep from spiraling. Based on the concerned glances some of your classmates gave you when you walked past them while dragging your feet like a zombie, you probably didn’t look so hot.

The system kept spamming you, not seeming to realize that they were the very reason you were so terrified in the first place.

[“Get it together. You haven’t even used your powers yet. You’ve conserved some energy, so go all out for the rest of the trials. This one is the standing long jump. I’m confident you can pull something off this time. I’ve added a recipe for you to craft, so give it a try.”]

[Craft Bouncy Spring Shoes?]

>>[YES]

Ah. Right. You’d almost forgotten that you technically had the ability to create certain objects out of thin air. That was what your Quirk was officially listed as—some sort of creation technique that also allowed you to store and retrieve items at will.

As of now, you still couldn’t create very many items at a time, but you were confident that you could make more than one per day. It was a start, at least.

“I can do this,” you mumbled to yourself, feeling a bit weary after having just crafted the shoes. You made haste in slipping them onto your feet, then stood up and prepared to clear the trial.

Only to find that there was a girl who’d opted for the exact same strategy as you.

She had black hair tied into a ponytail, and sharp, upturned black eyes. You weren’t sure how exactly, but she looked to be wearing shoes nearly identical to your own.

“I didn’t see you wearing those shoes before,” she frowned. “Is that your Quirk?”

“Um, yeah,” you nodded. “I made them myself just now. You’re wearing them too, so... I guess great minds think alike?”

“Hm. A creation Quirk, just like mine.” She didn’t say much else on the topic, just gave you a polite nod, then took her turn on the standing long jump. She ended up clearing quite a long distance, which made you feel more confident that your strategy would work.

[“That’s Yaoyorozu Momo. Your powers are somewhat similar, so perhaps you’ll form a kinship with her. Well, at your own discretion, of course. Iwon’t tell you who or who not to befriend.”]

That’s literally what you’ve been telling me to do from day one, you lying bastard.

For fear of being seen talking to thin air, you didn’t bother arguing with them. Instead, you drew in a sharp breath, carefully walked up to the edge of the sand pit, then bent your knees and prepared to jump forward.

You weren’t sure what these damn shoes were made of—granted, they had springs and all—but holy hell, you wentflying.

Of course, it was only for a brief moment. You promptly fell right onto your butt, then let out a pained groan as your head drooped backwards, leaving you to stare up at the sky.

[“You definitely didn’t stick the landing, but you got a pretty good score for this one. See? There’s no need to get desperate. Just believe in yourself. It’s all going to be okay.”]

The system seemed to love alternating between good cop and bad cop. One moment they would threaten you, and the next, they would reassure you that everything was just fine. It was psychological manipulation at its finest, and you refused to fall for it.

But to some extent, they were right. There were still several trials left, and if you could successfully craft a few more items to help you score well on the rest, then it was highly unlikely you would place at the bottom of the class.

Slowly but surely, you were starting to calm down and think more rationally. Your confidence was building.

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for your best friend, Izuku.

Now that the odds of your expulsion were decreasing, you finally had the chance to catch your breath and pay attention to your surroundings. It looked like Izuku was just about to step up and do the softball pitch, and you could clearly see the panic lacing his expression. There was a lot riding on this for him. He had a connection to All Might, and thus, a responsibility to uphold.

You knew there was very little you could do toactuallyhelp, but you wanted to cheer him up, even if only for a brief moment.

“You’ve got this, Izuku.” You grabbed his hand and gave it a quick squeeze, smiling all the while. “You’re always super cool. Even though it was hard... you made it to U.A, and you’re here to stay for good. I believe in you.”

Those words— “I believe in you”—were the ones that Izuku valued the very most.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku is nervous, but since you’re rooting for him, there’s no way he’ll give up.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 220/500]

Despite his visible apprehension, Izuku still managed to return your smile with one of his own. He took slow, but steady strides up to the pitch, gripping the softball tight in his hand.

Katsuki crossed his arms and scoffed in your direction. “You know he’s f*cked, right? Now that an expulsion rule has been added, he doesn’t stand a chance. I still don’t know how the hell he managed to pass the entrance exam, but he’s Quirkless. There’s no such thing as a Quirkless hero, and it’s just that simple.”

Poor, naive Katsuki. Of course, you understood that he couldn’t possibly know that Izuku had finally obtained a Quirk, but still. He was in for one hell of a rude awakening once he found out.

Actually, maybe you shouldn’t stand so close to him. You didn’t want to be in his general vicinity for when he inevitably flipped out.

You tried shuffling away, but he gritted his teeth and stepped closer to you again. “The hell is your problem? Don’t ignore me!”

“I’m not ignoring you,” you sighed. “Anyways, shush. I want to pay attention.”

“Did you just f*ckingshushme?!”

[Bakugou Katsuki refuses to be talked down to like a child.]

[-10 love points.]

Yeah, you probably should have expected that, but right now, you were too focused on Izuku’s trial to even care. Heneededto do well on this one. You weren’t sure what his current ranking was, but even ifyoudidn’t end up being expelled, you certainly didn’t want your closest friend to be the one to take your place.

It’ll probably be fine. He has a Quirk now. It sucks that he might end up hurting himself in the process... but he should still end up with a good score.

You knew that he’d inherited All Might’s powers, which granted him superhuman strength. You were prepared for the softball to go shooting up into the sky at a dizzying speed.

And so, when it flew from his hand normally and only traveled 47 meters, you were undeniably confused.

“See?” Katsuki chuckled, all too pleased with this turn of events. “Itoldyou he’s f*cked.”

[Bakugou Katsuki is glad that Midoriya Izuku just put on a crappy performance in front of you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/100]

You didn’t bother humoring Katsuki with a response. His mood was fluctuating like always. It was nothing to write home about.

More importantly, why didn’t Izuku’s Quirk take effect?

“I erased it,” Aizawa suddenly said, as if he’d just read your mind. When you glanced his way, you realized that his eyes were glowing red, his hair had been lifted away from his forehead, and the cloths sitting around his neck had separated, revealing yellow goggles underneath.

He was referring to erasing Izuku’s Quirk, something that should normally haveshocked you.

But for some reason... itdidn’t.

Once again, you were overwhelmed by that strange sense of déjà vu, and before you could even try to process it, you had already keeled over, forced to bite back tears. Your head was throbbing again. f*ck. It hurt—alot—but if you were close to uncovering another memory, then you had no choice but to brave through the pain.

Those goggles, and the fact that he said he erased Izuku’s Quirk... I’m so close. It’s right on the tip of my tongue, I can feel it...

You tried to uncover what you felt was missing. You really,reallytried, but no matter how hard you gritted your teeth and endured, the truth evaded you.

“What the hell’s your problem?”

It was Katsuki’s voice that eventually roused you, and you felt a light nudge on your shoulder. You inhaled sharply, then finally opened your eyes, blinking away the tears that had formed. It was frustrating that you’d experienced all that pain for nothing. You really felt like you were onto something just then.

You stood up on shaky legs, then took another deep breath. “I’m fine,” you grimaced, not making much of an effort to be convincing.

Katsuki didn’t respond. He merely frowned at you, but it wasn’t an angry sort of frown. Maybe he was worried about you?

Nah, that couldn’t be it. This wasKatsukiyou were talking about, after all.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like you’d drawn too much attention to yourself. Only Katsuki had picked up on the fact that you’d momentarily fallen to your knees. The rest of the class was too focused on listening to Aizawa, who as it turned out, was an underground hero with the ability to temporarily erase Quirks, hence what he’d just done to Izuku.

“From what I’ve seen, you can’t control your Quirk at all,” he grimaced. “Did you really believe someone would save you if you crippled yourself again? If the most you can do is run around like a fool and end up needing to be rescued, then how can you possibly expect to become a hero?”

Izuku swallowed hard. Based on your own experiences being threatened by the system and forced to uphold their expectations, you could empathize with the amount of pressure he must have been feeling. He’d wanted to become a hero all his life, and to be repeatedly held back at nearly every step of the way... it was hard not to get discouraged.

But you believed in him. You knew that whatever stood in his path, he could overcome it.

That was why, when Aizawa reluctantly returned Izuku’s Quirk to him and allowed him to try the softball pitch a second time, you weren’t apprehensive. It was hard to explain, but a part of you deep down could already clearly envision how it would all unfold.

Izuku used his Quirk to throw the softball, and instead of breaking his entire arm, he was able to minimize the damage and sacrifice a single finger in the process.

The ball had traveled a distance of 705.3 meters, which was ever-so-slightly further than Katsuki’s throw from earlier. It was obvious that Izuku was in pain. He had tears in his eyes and was cradling his broken finger, which had darkened to a striking purple shade, but despite that, he was still standing. He didn’t need to be saved.

“Sensei,” Izuku mumbled, forcing a smile to show his determination. “I... I can still move!”

Aizawa’s expression had changed. Before, he was barely even willing to give Izuku the time of day. Since Izuku had yet to learn to control the immense power All Might had given him and was prone to injuring himself, Aizawa must have promptly made up his mind that Izuku was a lost cause.

But based on the wide grin now stretched across his lips, Aizawa didn’t seem to feel that way anymore.

Izuku had finally obtained a respectable score, and he’d clearly demonstrated that he had the drive and potential to become a hero, just like everyone else. Surely, he wouldn’t place last, not after all of this.

You were happy. You couldn’t help but smile. It sucked that he was in pain, but he was incredible for adapting to the situation and soldiering through it.

It looked like everything was going to work out just fine—

“What the f*ck?!”

Oh. Right. You’d almost forgotten about him.

There it was. The reaction you’d predicted from the very start. Katsuki had just witnessed Izuku using his Quirk for the first time, and to say that he was blown away would still have been an understatement. You actually wondered how he hadn’t fainted. It sure looked like his head was about to explode.

I hope to god he keeps it together. Don’t do anything stupid, Katsuki. Just chill out and take it easy.

“Deku, you piece of sh*t!” Katsuki screamed, blasting off explosions left and right, all the while charging headfirst towards the boy in question. “Explain what’s going on rightnow!”

You sighed. “I should’ve known I was asking for too much.”

It had been a long and exhausting day. Not just physically exhausting, but mentally too. Between you and Izuku, the threat of expulsion had scared you both enough to nearly crap your pants, and as it turned out, the whole thing was one big sham.

“It was a logical ruse intended to draw out your best performances,” Aizawa grinned unapologetically.

You wanted to shoot yourself in the face. Again. It had happenedagain. You’d gotten stressed out to the point of almost having a full-blown meltdown, and it was literally for nothing. These assholes were going to have to pay for your medical bills, because you were positive you would end up with an ulcer at some point.

[“He’s lying. He had every intention of expelling someone if they showed zero signs of potential. Aizawa expelled an entire class of new students last year. It just so happened that he felt all of you were adequate enough.”]

Oh.

Again, you had no idea how they seemed to know all this stuff, but alright then. At least your stress was warranted in that case. Izuku had still ended up placing last, since he was injured for the remainder of the trials, so whatever the case, it was a good thing Aizawa had changed his mind.

[“Also, on the topic of Aizawa. Be careful around him. You don’t technically have a Quirk, and while therearecertain Quirks that he can't erase, if you’re not careful with how you define your powers, he may grow suspicious of you. I’m still not sure how likely it is, but whatever you do, just don’t draw needless attention to yourself. Lay low and stay on his good side.”]

You could probably do that. Then again, your middle school teacher had hated your guts for seemingly no reason, so perhaps you were the type of student that was just easy to dislike. And there was also the matter of you having randomly guessed his name that time. Something told you he still wasn’t ready to let his guard down around you.

...eh, whatever. You’d done enough thinking for one day.

While you waited for Izuku to be done receiving his treatment from Recovery Girl, you skimmed through the curriculum outline Aizawa had distributed back in class. You were only half-paying attention to the content, though. Your eyes kept wandering around the room, flickering from one person to the next.

These classmates of yours... there wasn’t a single one of them that didn’t look somewhat familiar.

You didn’t understand how this kind of thing kept happening. Was it some sort of side effect from having severe amnesia? Was that why you got the impression that countless people you’d presumably never spoken to were in factnottotal strangers?

Frowning, you called out to the nearest person, a boy with blonde hair and bangs highlighted with a black lightning bolt streak.

“Hey,” you said. “We don’t...knoweach other, do we? You look familiar somehow, but I’m having trouble placing you. Is it possible we ever met before?”

“Huh?” the boy blinked. “Are you talking... tome?”

“Yeah. Sorry if I’m wrong. Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way. Feel free to ignore me if that’s the case.”

Thankfully, he didn’t seem weirded out. In fact, he reacted by breaking out into a cheesy grin and leaning closer to your desk.

“I don’t think so. Well, at least not in real life. We must’vemet in your dreams,” he winked.

Um.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Kaminari Denki thinks you’re flirting with him.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/100]

You were most certainlynotflirting with him, but hey, it looked like you’d just met another love interest. The system did once saythat you needed to get into U.A because that was where the brunt of your encounters would take place.

Anyways, this Kaminari guy didn’t recognize you, so it was exceedingly strange that you sort of recognized him—and all of your other classmates, for that matter.

You still didn’t have any answers. You wondered how long it would take you to uncover the truth. Perhaps you were imagining all of this, and there was no real reason behind it. Just an unfortunate need to question everything because you didn’t have any memories to ground you in reality.

One day, though, youwouldremember. You were determined to. Even if the truth was painful. Even if it frightened you or made you feel more alone than ever before.

You wanted to know who you were.

“Hey, so what’s your name?” Kaminari beamed, making no attempt to hide his eagerness. “I’m Kaminari Denki. You’re really cute, by the way. I can’t believe I didn’t notice a girl as cute as you right off the bat!”

[Kaminari Denki is already putting on the moves.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 20/100]

You tried, but failed, to suppress your smile.

“I’m [Name], it’s nice to meet you. And are you hitting on me right now?”

He flashed you two thumbs-up. “I sure am!”

What a goof. Surprisingly, though, you didn’t mind it. And you could already tell that he was going to be a hell of a lot easier to deal with than Katsuki.

Chapter 21: Suppression

Chapter Text

Your first day at U.A had officially come to an end. It had been a lot more eventful than you’d expected, that much was for sure, but you had pushed through, one way or another. Nobody had been expelled, the system was still treating you somewhat decently for the time being, and you were one step closer to becoming a hero.

All in all, it could definitely be worse.

Just like always, you walked home with Izuku, except a few other people were accompanying you for a change. Iida and Uraraka, two of your classmates that Izuku seemed to have caught the attention of. From what you could tell, they were both really nice and easy to get along with, and you were all for expanding your social circle. With all the sh*t you were constantly worrying about, having more friends certainly couldn’t hurt.

“See you, Izuku.”

You parted ways with the freckled boy once you got to the neighborhood. Even though you werebest friends, he still didn’t know exactly where you lived, and you intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. It saved you the trouble of coming up with excuses for why you didn’t have any parents. Well, not unless you counted Ketsu and Tama, but that was a whole other headache that you didn’t want to deal with right now.

As always, your house was deathly quiet. Apart from the occasional low hum coming from your refrigerator, you may as well have been back in that void the system loved to trap you in. It was hard not to get lonely. Sure, you could talk to the system from time to time, but given the fact that you hated their guts, they didn’t exactly make for a great conversational partner.

You yearned for a family. You yearned for a lively home, like the one Katsuki had. There was no such thing as the perfect parents, the perfect household, the perfectanything, really, but still. You weren’t striving for something unrealistic or unattainable. You just wanted some sense of normalcy. You wanted to feel like you weren’t constantly an outsider, with your missing memories and lack of self-understanding.

Was that really too much to ask for?

Maybe it is. Maybe there’s a reason I lost my memories. Maybe, in a way... I deserve this.

The mere thought was enough to chill you to the bone. You didn’t want to believe that you were being punished for having done something wrong. For the sake of your sanity, it was probably best not to speculate too much.

You were dead on your feet from having used your powers a bunch today, and you could hardly wait to go to sleep, but you still needed to make yourself something to eat. Letting a yawn slip out of your lips, you started rummaging through the kitchen, picking items out of the fridge and setting aside the pots and pans you wanted to use.

Of course, as was so often the case, you soon found yourself rudely interrupted.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki feels conflicted about what he’s going to do.]

[+10 love points.]

[-10 love points.]

You rolled your eyes. There was always something going on with this asshole. You would never be able to make sense of his tumultuous emotions.

Unfazed, you started chopping vegetables, but that didn’t go on for much longer either.

Suddenly, your phone vibrated.

I have a pretty good feeling about who this might be...

[Unknown]

You.

[Name].

We need to talk.

His contact obviously wasn’t saved in your phone, since he’d never given you his number, but based on the system update you’d just gotten, you would be stupid not to put two and two together. That aggressive style of messaging was pretty much a dead giveaway too.

Most people would have responded with an inquiry, since they couldn’t have possibly known who was suddenly reaching out to them, but instead, you opted for a different approach.

[Name]

Katsuki?

It’s you, right?

[Unknown]

What the?

How the f*ck did you know?

[Name] changed [Unknown] to [Katsuki]

[Name]

Oh good, I guessed right! :)

I just had a feeling

Plus, I’ve been waiting forever for you to finally text me

Ever since I gave you my number!

Oh, but...

I could’ve sworn you threw it into in the trash

That must mean you went back and picked it out later, aww :’)

[Katsuki]

Shut your goddamn mouth!

I didn’t dig through the trash just for your stupid phone number!

What am I, a f*cking raccoon??

[Name]

But I saw you throw the paper away right in front of my eyes

If I recall correctly, you said you would rather die than get close to a creepy stalker like me

I should’ve known you were just teasing!

( ˘ ³˘)♥

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is convinced you’re not all there in the head.]

[+10 love points.]

Pfft. He clearly doesn’t hate it. I wonder if he’ll ever learn to be honest.

[Katsuki]

Can you not act gross for literally two seconds?

I have something important to talk about.

[Name]

Oh, no worries

I can be super serious when I need to be

See?

(ಠ_ಠ)

^ That’s the face I’m making right now

[Katsuki]

…

Just

Shut the f*ck up

And listen

[Name]

Ok sorry

I’ll be good

There was a noticeable delay until you received the next message, and you’d been too wrapped up in teasing him that you’d almost forgotten about what had happened back at school.

[Katsuki]

It’s about Deku.

Don’t bullsh*t me, because I’ll just get even more pissed off.

Has that bastard always had a Quirk?

It was a question you honestly should have expected, considering that Izuku’s lack of Quirk was the very reason he’d harassed him for so long. You were Izuku’s best friend, so it went without saying that if anyone knew the answer, it would be you.

And youdidknow the answer, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the sort of answer you could so readily disclose.

For both Izuku’s and All Might’s sake, you told Katsuki the same white lie that Izuku had told you when his Quirk had supposedly manifested out of thin air.

[Name]

I found out the day of the entrance exam

He didn’t used to have a Quirk

Apparently, it manifested just a few days before the exam

Maybe it was because he was training so hard, and it triggered something in his body?

But either way, he definitely didn’t have a Quirk until then

That’s what he told me, at least

[Katsuki]

And you seriously expect me to believe that sh*t?

All Quirks have to manifest sometime before the age of four

There aren’t any exceptions

Either you’re a total dipsh*t who’s stupid enough to believe his lies, or you’re lying to me too

[Name]

I’m not lying to you, Katsuki

I promise

Even though I literally just lied again... but I can’t help it! It’s not my secret to share. All Might said it’s important to keep hidden.

You weren’t sure if he was even the slightest bit convinced, and you could only imagine just how goddamn confused he was after having witnessed Izuku’s superhuman strength. The existence of a Quirk like One For All was a secret for a reason. It defied all logic, and yet, it existed all the same.

But Katsuki didn’t know that, so he must have thought that Izuku had been playing him for a fool all these years. You couldn’t really blame him for being so upset.

As much as you hoped that Izuku and Katsuki would get along someday, it was up to them to sort through their issues. For now, the most you could do was show both of them your support, and slowly but surely, progress your relationships.

[Name]

Are you mad?

I probably could have told you after the entrance exam, but...

I didn’t really think you’d even believe me

It’s the sort of thing you just had to see for yourself

[Katsuki]

You really didn’t know until then?

[Name]

I didn’t

Izuku never breathed a word

If I’d known, I would have been super excited and probably would’ve went around telling everyone

[Katsuki]

I guess you do have a pretty big mouth

[Name]

Um... thanks?

[Katsuki]

It obviously wasn’t a compliment, idiot

But whatever

I just wanted to make sure

[Bakugou Katsuki is relieved that you didn’t intentionally deceive him.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 80/100]

Holy guacamole, you weresoclose! Granted, you were still on the acquaintance stage, but to have even made it this far was already a blessing in itself.

[Name]

Okie-dokie!

Glad I could clear things up :)

Thank you for messaging me, btw

It’s nice getting to talk to you

I have your number saved now, so you’ll be hearing from me a lot more!

[Katsuki]

Ugh

If you spam me, I’ll block you right away

[Name]

Is sending memes considered spam?

[Katsuki]

Yes.

Miss me with that bullsh*t

[Name]

Aww

Okay, I understand

So, anyways...

What are you wearing?

;)

(seen)

[“You really tried it, huh?”]

“Just a little joke,” you sighed. “But I guess I should have known better. I still have yet to see him laugh. I wonder if he even finds anything funny.”

[“He thinks bullying Izuku is funny.”]

“All due respect, please shut the f*ck up.”

You went back to preparing dinner, rolling your eyes every time the system chimed in with another tasteless remark.

Apparently, though, your interaction with Katsuki had yet to come to an end. There was still a glorious finale that awaited you.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki knows he shouldn’t take your words seriously, but he realized he’s wearing his All Might boxers again today, and now his face is on fire.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/100]

It was a step in the right direction, and yet, you still couldn’t help but shake your head and let out a sigh.

This guy is f*cking ridiculous.

Compared to your first day of school, which had been unpredictable to an extreme, the second day was so tame it was almost boring. Morning classes were spent going over basic academic subjects, and the curriculum was no different than what you’d expected. U.A was specialized in heroics, but it was still aschool, at the end of the day, and you personally didn’t have a problem with taking things slow. There was nothing wrong with boring. Boring was good. Boring was safe.

Oh, what you would give to have a normal, boring life.

Lunch eventually rolled around, and you were looking forward to not only getting to eat some yummy food, but spending time with Izuku, Iida, and Uraraka. Neither Iida nor Uraraka were designated love interests, and you had to admit that it was nice having friends without the system pressuring you to advance your standing with them.

It had been your intention to sit down and unwind for a while, but of course, nothing ever went the way you wanted it to.

[“Before you go eat, step outside for a bit. If you’re quick enough, you’ll end up crossing paths with another one of your targets. It might be worthwhile to make an early introduction.”]

You openly groaned. God, they werealwayson your ass. Couldn’t they chill out for literally two seconds?

“Do I have to?” you whined, although you already knew the answer.

[“Yes. Don’t be stubborn. Pouting like that does the opposite of make you look cute.”]

Mashing your teeth together in frustration, you walked over to Izuku’s desk, then promptly flashed him an apologetic smile. “Sorry,” you mumbled. “I’ll meet you guys in the cafeteria in a bit. I just need to, um, run to the bathroom first.”

“No worries,” he reassured. “Take as long as you need.”

You felt guilty for lying, even though you didn’t really have a choice in the matter. It sucked that your precious lunchtime was about to be thrown out the window thanks to the system’s selfish demands. You just hoped that whoever they wanted you to introduce yourself to, they weren’t going to be total asshole.

[“Keep going that way. There’s an exit at the end of the hallway that leads out into the courtyard. I can sense their presence, so they should still be nearby.”]

Alright. Here goes nothing.

You drew in a sharp breath to prepare yourself, then stepped outside. Your expectations were reasonably low, since you knew better than to get your hopes up and risk facing even more disappointment, but you were actually quite pleasantly surprised.

After all, there was a cute little ball of fluff right in front of you.

“Kitty!” you couldn’t help but exclaim, already scampering over. A boy was crouched down next to the kitten, and you surmised that he was who the system wanted you to meet. He was perfectly still, too afraid to move a muscle in case it scared the little feline off.

You slowed your steps once you got closer, mindful of not making too much noise, but both the kitten and the boy heard you all the same. Two pairs of eyes abruptly flickered in your direction. One pair was slitted, and well,cat-like,and the other was calm, almost lethargic, emphasized by distinct dark circles.

The kitten’s long tail swayed back and forth, and as if acknowledging your presence, it quickly let out a softmeow. It wasn’t running away, which was a good sign, so you kept on moving closer, a few steps at a time.

Eventually, you were close enough to crouch down next to the kitten, just like the tired-looking boy beside you.

“Hi there,” you cooed, slowly extending your hand out. “You’re so small and precious. Good job on sneaking into U.A. Their security system is supposed to be crazy, but you must be pretty talented if you made it past all that."

The kitten responded with anothermeow, a bit more enthusiastically this time, and unless you were imagining things, it almost looked a bit proud.

After sniffing your hand for a few moments, it seemed to come to the conclusion that you were good enough to share in its company, and didn’t hesitate to nuzzle its fuzzy head against your fingers.

“Oh my goodness,” you mumbled, having to bite back your grin. It was just so goddamn soft and cute. To be perfectly honest, you’d completely forgotten about why the system even made you come out here in the first place, and they felt inclined to remind you.

[“Ahem. Playing with animals is fine and all, but if you don’t say anything, you’ll miss your chance to make an introduction.”]

Oops.

You quickly turned towards the boy, mustering up what you hoped was your most charming smile.

“Sorry for creeping up out of nowhere,” you said. “I saw the kitten and got excited. I’m guessing you like cats? Or maybe just animals in general?”

He didn’t respond right away, much more in favor of studying you through his lidded purple eyes. Maybe he was the quiet type? Then again, you did just kind of interrupt him while he was enjoying a peaceful moment with a cute cat. It was highly likely he wanted you to leave.

You doubted the system would let you do that, though.

“Yeah. I like cats,” he eventually nodded, and you were relieved that he wasn’t snapping at you or telling you to piss off.

God. Now that you thought about it, Katsuki had really done a number on you, huh? You kept expecting all of your love interests to be as hotheaded as him.

Anyways, this was good. You quite liked animals as well, so the two of you could probably bond over a shared interest.

“It’s so tiny,” you hummed. “I wonder where its mommy is. Do you think it’s hungry?”

The boy shook his head. “Probably not. It would be making a lot more noise if that was the case. My guess is that it’s eaten fairly recently. Worst case scenario, I was thinking of swinging by the cafeteria and grabbing some leftovers. I’ll probably do that before lunch is over, but it’s also possible that someone on campus has been looking after it.”

“Like one of the faculty members?”

“Yeah, probably. Like you said, U.A’s security is pretty intense. It's more likely that someone intentionally let the cat in.”

The kitten meowed again, and you giggled while scratching the back of its head. Such a little sweetheart. You wondered which of the teachers was looking after this cutie. They were all heroes, at the end of the day, so you supposed it was very much in their nature to lend a helping hand.

The kitten started purring and rubbing its whole body against you, and you knew you weren’t imagining how intently the boy kept staring at you. Although you doubted it was because you had piqued his interest that much. Rather, he looked jealous that the cat kept paying so much attention to you instead of him.

“You should pet the kitty too,” you insisted. “From what I can tell, it seems really friendly.”

“Huh? Oh... it’s alright,” he frowned, looking a bit hesitant. “I’m fine just watching. I don’t think animals are particularly drawn to me.”

“Really? But you’re missing out, especially since I can tell how much you like cats.” You hesitated for a moment, but eventuallyworked up the nerve to gently grab his hand and guide it towards the kitten’s head.

The moment his fingers made contact with the thick layer of fur—which was almosttoosoft to be true—he let out a little gasp, and the kitten’s purring grew louder.

A grin stretched across your lips. “See? It’s so much happier now that you’re petting it too. Oh, actually. Is it a boy or a girl? We keep referring to this kitten asit, and I’m starting to feel a bit bad.”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, too transfixed on the kitten to pay attention to any of what you were saying. “But it sure is cute.”

You leaned forward, pressed your head flat against the ground, then angled it slightly so you could get a better look.

“Ah,” you said. “He’s definitely aboy. I just saw his wiener.”

“Um...”

If the system was a real person, they would probably have been facepalming right about now.

[“There must have been a better way of phrasing that...”]

Fortunately, apart from the mildly perplexed look the boy flashed you, he didn’t seem to be judging you too hard. He wasn’t awfully chatty, although you didn’t mind it. Shouto was still alotharder to make conversation with, and you doubted anyone would surpass him in that respect.

The kitten was certainly a good icebreaker, and it gave you something to focus on, but you figured it was time to make your introduction official.

“I’m [Name], by the way.” You smiled and bowed your head politely, and the boy reacted by doing the same.

“Shinsou Hitoshi,” he said, but he turned away from you quickly enough, much more in favor of playing with the kitten.

So far, your love points with him had neither risen nor fallen. Perhaps this was a good enough starting point? He knew who you were now, at least. Then again, it couldn’t hurt to learn a bit more, like which class he was in, so that you knew where to find him in the future.

“What year are you in?” you asked.

“I’m a first year.”

“Oh, cool! Me too. I’m in Class 1-A, so you must be in 1-B, right?”

Everything had been going fine so far. You’d actually been enjoying your lunchtime a lot more than you’d predicted, even though you weren’t in the cafeteria eating with your friends. Cute baby animals tended to put a positive spin on most things.

But for some reason, the moment you’d brought up the topic of class assignments, Shinsou’s expression had turned sour, and along with it came a familiarping.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shinsou Hitoshi can’t help but feel a bit annoyed that you’re in the Hero Department.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -10/100]

Goddammit all. Just when you thought luck might be on your side for a change.

“That’s nice,” he chuckled, although it was practically humorless. “If you’re in the Hero Department, I bet you’ve got a pretty powerful Quirk, huh? A Quirk perfect for a hero.”

It’s not even an actual Quirk, though... and why is he suddenly annoyed with me?

“It’s nothing special,” you tried to brush off. “And I’m sure your Quirk is super cool! I’ll tell you what mine is if you tell me yours?”

“I’d rather not,” Shinsou said, and just like that, he promptly stood up and started walking away. The kitten was mewling after him, clearly hoping that he would stay longer, but even that wasn’t enough to deter him.

In a matter of seconds, everything had gone to sh*t. Did you really suck that much?

“I have literally no game,” you groaned, leaning back on your palms and letting out a heavy sigh. The kitten curled up closer to you and rested his little head on your lap as if to console you. He was adorable, that much went without saying, but it still didn’t change the fact that Shinsou already seemed to have a poor impression of you.

[“If only you were more charming... but I suppose it can’t be helped. We just have to work with what we’ve got.”]

Your brow twitched, and you decided you’d just about had enough of them.

[Mute system notifications?]

>>[YES]

Ha. Get muted, bitch.

They were definitely annoyed with you right now, but f*ck if you cared.If you weren’t going to be penalized for using this function, then you would be damn sure to abuse the hell out of it.

“Hey,” you frowned, gently stroking the kitten’s back. “You don’t think I’m that bad, do you? I can still be charming when I want to be, right?”

He let out a soft, almost hesitantmeow, and even though you couldn't speak cat, you got the sense that he pitied you.

First a Quirk Apprehension Test, and now a Battle Trial. U.A sure didn't beat around the bush. Also, you were definitely going to have to take back what you’d been thinking earlier, about your second day being rather uneventful.

Becoming a hero was a hell of a lot of work.

On the plus side, though, you got to see all your classmates wearing their hero costumes. There were so many different and creative concepts. Yours was perhaps simpler by comparison, since it was a work in progress, and you still hadn’t figured out what sort of equipment or add-ons you would be needing. The system had told you that you would unlock other skills as you ranked up with your love interests, so for the time being, you’d opted for a costume that was both comfortable and practical.

“Your costume looks cool, Izuku,” you beamed. “It really suits you. It’s meant to be a bit similar to All Might, isn’t it?”

He stammered out a quick‘thank you’, too flustered to make eye contact, despite the mask concealing most of his face. Apparently, his mother was the one who’d sewn his costume for him by hand, as a show of her support. You thought it was sweet. Support companies were capable of all sorts of awesome stuff, but his costume had an aspect of sentimentality to it, and that was worth a whole lot more.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku thinks you look really good in your costume, but is too embarrassed to tell you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 230/500]

He was every bit as much of a loveable dork as always, but you weren’t really given the chance to relish the compliment he’d just given you in secret. All Might had already begun explaining how the Battle Trial would work.

Put simply, you were going to be fighting your classmates, in two-on-two battles. The teams would be randomly assigned by lottery, so you unfortunately didn’t have the option of pairing up with your friends. During each battle, one team would be posing as the heroes, and the other team would represent the villains. Each team had their own criteria for obtaining victory, depending on what they’d been assigned.

Either way, it would be a test of physical strength, quick thinking, and the ability to make the most of the situation using your Quirk. There was a lot at stake, so you were going to have to prove your readiness to become a proper hero.

It’d be nice if I ended up with Izuku. He knows a few things about how my powers work, and I know the secret behind his, so I think we could support each other, on top of cooperating well together.

Since you’d been rooting to be paired up with Izuku, the universe of course decided to be an ass like always and separated the two of you.

“That sucks,” Izuku frowned. “I’m on Team A, but it looks like you got Team B instead.”

Well, at least he’d ended up with Uraraka, who was really nice. You had a feeling they would probably make a good team.

So, then... who am I with?

“[Name].”

It turned out that your partner was Shouto, which honestly wasn’t so bad either. You were meaning to get closer to him. This was probably as good a chance as any. Plus, you still had yet to discover what kind of Quirk he had, since he never liked to talk about it. You were curious to see him in action, since he was apparently talented enough to have gotten into U.A through special recommendation.

Above all else, it was just nice partnering with someone who wasn’t a total stranger. Too bad Shouto didn’t seem to shareyour enthusiasm.

“Hi, Shouto,” you smiled. “I’m really glad we ended up together. I know you’re probably really strong and all, so I’ll do my best not to hold you back.”

He just stared at you without so much as saying a word. You doubted you would ever get used to this stifling tension and silence.

I still can’t believe we’re only close acquaintances. I can’t believe that’s even a thing.

When it came to matters of love, you didn’t seem to have much luck. But you didn’t dwell on your problems for very long, because by that point, All Might had already announced who the first pairs to do battle would be.

Team A and Team D, or rather—Izuku and Katsuki.

“Uh-oh,” you grimaced. “Why do I get a bad feeling about this?”

Shouto narrowed his eyes. You seemed to be awfully focused on those two boys. He’d noticed that you spoke quite a bit with both of them. Just how many friends did you have? It was only the second day of school, but you appeared to be familiarizing yourself with everyone at a dizzying pace. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He was confused by why he evencared, and so, when faced with feelings that he didn’t understand, he did the only thing he knew.

He forced those feelings deep, deep down.

[Name]'s Archive:

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (best friend):230/500

Bakugou Katsuki (acquaintance):90/100

Todoroki Shouto (close acquaintance):-20/200

Shigaraki Tomura (enemy):-10/200

Chisaki Kai (acquaintance):-10/100

Kirishima Eijirou (acquaintance):60/100

Kaminari Denki (acquaintance):20/100

Shinsou Hitoshi (acquaintance):-10/100

(Additional entries in progress...)

Chapter 22: Be Optimistic

Chapter Text

“It’s going to be okay, Izuku. You can do this. I know you can.”

As always, you offered a few words of encouragement, but you realized that alone wasn’t enough to put his mind at ease. After all, he was being pitted against Katsuki, the boy who’d bullied him for years on end. His greatest adversary.

Obviously, he was going to be shaking like a leaf in the wind.

“I-I never imagined something like this might happen,” Izuku stammered. “It’s barely the second day... and I’m supposed to fight Kacchan? If you asked me before, I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of doing such a thing. I would’ve said it was impossible.”

You smiled. “That was before, though, like you just said. Things are different now, aren’t they? You’re not Quirkless anymore. You’ve got a real chance.”

Izuku’s lips parted, a mixture of awe and disbelief overtaking his expression.

It took a few moments, but eventually, he was able to return your smile.

“Yeah... you’re right,” he nodded, looking much more resolved. “Kacchan may be a real piece of work, but I still can’t help but admire him. His confidence, his strength, his Quirk... I‘ve always Iooked up to him. He’s better than me in a hundred different ways, and Iknowthat, but still. I don’t want to lose. Not this time.”

“And you won’t,” you insisted. Of course, you didn’t have the ability to predict the future, but you wholeheartedly believed your own words.

Izuku was going to win. You were sure of it.

The Battle Trial was about to begin, so you bid Izuku farewell and watched him walk off with Uraraka, so that they could take their positions before the starting signal. The remainder of the students, those that weren’t participating in their battles yet, stayed behind in the monitor room along with All Might, so that you could watch the match unfold.

Now, even though you believed in Izuku’s strength and unshakable determination, that didn’t mean that you weren’t still nervous, especially since Katsuki was involved. His angry texts from yesterday had made it clear how angry he was. He believed that Izuku had deceived him, possibly for years. And even setting aside the matter of potential deception, he hated that Izuku actuallyhada Quirk now. Katsuki had always believed that Izuku would be powerless, and he couldn’t seem to handle the reality—that Izuku was every bit as capable as him, if not more.

You were rooting for Izuku to win, but given the circ*mstances, you doubted the process of achieving victory would be an easy one.

“Do you think they’ll get hurt pretty bad?” you couldn’t help but fret. “Katsuki really doesn’t know how to hold back...”

Shouto was your partner for the Battle Trial, so you were sticking close to his side. As always, though, he didn’t seem much for conversation.

“Even if they get hurt, Recovery Girl will heal them,” he said with a cold, unsympathetic tone.

You flinched. “Well... I guess so, but it’d be nice if they didn’t take it to extremes. Things can get really dangerous in the blink of an eye. It could even be fatal.”

“Instead of coming up with all these ridiculous scenarios, I think you should worry about yourself. You waste too much time focusing on others.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto wishes you would stop talking.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -30/200]

You clamped your lips shut immediately, afraid of letting your points drop any further. You really didn’t need a repeat of what had happened with Katsuki. The system was going to have a field day with you the moment you slipped up too much.

Still, it was strange. Shouto seemed to be getting annoyed with you a lot more often these days. Ever since you’d started attending the same school, for that matter.

Is he already sick of me? Does he hate having to see my stupid face?

Of course, you didn’t have all the answers. The system updates varied in terms of the information they conveyed to you. Sometimes, they were awfully specific, like that whole incident when you’d pulled down Katsuki’s pants. Other times though, they just gave you a vague idea of how your love interests were feeling. Your love points had dropped, and Shouto was clearly annoyed with you, but the system didn’t spell out exactlywhathad annoyed him.

You wondered if that was intentional. Perhaps this meant that evenhedidn’t truly understand why he’d gotten annoyed.

As always, there were too many questions, and virtually no answers. You didn’t have enough information to draw any conclusions yet, and it was also possible that the system was filtering which thoughts to show you. They were a deceptive asshole, so it wouldn’t surprise you.

Regardless, you weren’t giving up hope yet. Shouto would come around to you eventually. You still hadn’t forgotten how badly you wanted to see him smile.

More importantly, though, it was time. Izuku’s fight against Katsuki was about to begin.

You held your breath as you watched Izuku and Uraraka creep down the halls of the building, being careful so as not to make noise and alert the other team of their whereabouts. Their opponents consisted of Katsuki and Iida, but it didn’t take a genius to know that Katsuki was going to completely disregard his teammate and charge ahead on his own.

Within a few seconds, your deduction turned out to be true, and Katsuki came swinging around the corner to unleash an explosion.

You were nervous. Very much so. But not only did Izuku manage to dodge the first attack, when Katsuki charged at him a second time, he was actually able to predict his moves and throw the other boy over his shoulder.

Katsuki was on the ground now.Izukuhad just thrown him to the ground. And while you couldn’t hear what was being said, because the monitors weren’t transmitting the audio, Katsuki’s unhinged jaw, coupled with his furious expression, told you that he was screaming his lungs out.

Things were only going to get more heated from here. You knew that. But still... you couldn’t help but smile.

As far as you were concerned, Izuku had already earned a small victory.

I expected as much going into this, but that was hard to watch.

Your gut feeling had turned out to be right, and much to your immense relief, Izuku’s team was the one to succeed in the Battle Trial. It had all culminated in a heated standoff between Izuku and Katsuki, where the freckled boy had used his Quirk to shatter most of the building and give Uraraka an opening to secure the weapon.

All Might’s power, One For All, wasn’t something that could be used thoughtlessly. Not only did it damage Izuku’s body, but if someone took one of his punches head-on, it could very well kill them. That was why he’d only used it as a last resort. He’d prioritized the mission instead of beating Katsuki in a slugfest.

But it didn’t matter whether he had knocked Katsuki out or not. A win was still a win, and you knew for a fact that the rest of your classmates felt the same way.

Unsurprisingly, Izuku’s body was in a terrible state. He’d soaked up countless of Katsuki’s explosions, not to mention that his punch using One For All had broken his entire right arm. He was unconscious right now, having to be wheeled to the infirmary for treatment. You hadn’t gotten the chance to congratulate him yet, but you were ready to gush over him once he woke up.

As for Katsuki...

He definitely wasn’t taking the loss very well. That wasn’t surprising either. It had only just sunk in that he’d lost to Izuku for the very first time in his life. The person he’d looked down on for as long as he could remember had finally put him in his place. It was obviously going to take him some time to recover, and as much as you wanted to try and cheer him up, the rational part of your brain knew that the best thing to do was give him some space.

Besides, you couldn’t exactly afford to get distracted right now. Your own Battle Trial was just about to begin.

“I’m ready,” you huffed, and you clenched your fists to show how determined you were—although it was also to keep them from trembling, since the nerves were really starting to set in.

Shouto just gave you a blank look. “You won’t need to do much. This kind of battle puts me at an obvious advantage. The villain team is gathered inside the building, and even though I don’t know their exact location, the second the battle starts, we’ll be able to take the lead.”

“An obvious advantage?” you blinked, not really sure what he was getting at. He still hadn’t even told you what his Quirk was, although judging by his costume, perhaps it had something to do with ice? Some crystallized material had been fashioned to resemble a layer of ice covering the entire left side of his body.

“If you don’t like the cold, then you’d be better off staying outside the building. But if you’re determined to come along, get ready.”

The signal to start went off before you had the chance to ask any more questions, and right away, Shouto unleashed hisQuirk. All he had to do was stomp his right foot on the ground, and ice went surging forward, encasing the entire building, and undoubtedly the students inside it. The attack was done on such a massive scale that you couldn’t help but drop your jaw in disbelief. You used to think that Katsuki was the strongest person you’d ever met, but suddenly, you weren’t so sure anymore.

Shouto was already heading inside the building, and you hurried after him. Not that it was surprising given that the entire building was frozen solid, but holy sh*t, it wassocold. You could hear your teeth chattering, and you instinctively hugged your sides, struggling to preserve what little body heat you had left.

The whole thing hardly took a few minutes, and Shouto was right—youdidn’tneed to do much. As a matter of fact, you didn’t need to doanything.

Your opponents’ feet had already been frozen to the ground the second he unleashed his attack. All that was left was to make contact with the weapon, and just like that, your victory had been secured.

It was incredibly anticlimactic, and served as a reminder of how big the strength disparity was between you and your fellow classmates.

[“Don’t beat yourself up over it. This guy is just super strong. Comparing yourself to him at this stage will only bum you out. There’s plenty of time for you to improve. More importantly, your main goal is to get closer to him and the rest of your love interests. That’s the only thing you need to worry about.”]

You nibbled on your bottom lip. Well, sure... meeting the system’s demands and recovering your memories was the number one priority, but now that you were already training to become a hero, you wanted to at least do a good job. This was the type of profession where people’s lives were on the line. It wasn’t something you could afford to half-ass.

You and Shouto had been paired up together, but you hadn’t contributed a damn thing. He was strong enough to get by even without your support. You were happy that he was so talented, but you would’ve been lying if you said you weren’t at least a little discouraged.

“That was amazing,” you praised, straining a smile. “I had no idea you were so strong. Then again, you did get in through special recommendation, so I guess it makes sense. I wonder if I’ll ever even come close to you. I can’t help but be a bit jealous.”

“Jealous? Ofme?”

Shouto narrowed his eyes, and you were already starting to panic, worried that your love points would drop yetagain, but instead of getting mad, all he did was lower his gaze.

“You have no reason to be jealous,” he mumbled, and his voice sounded so incredibly sad that it actually made your heart clench.

Perhaps you should have let him walk away. Much like how Katsuki’s expression had shattered after losing to Izuku, Shouto now looked hollow, empty inside. It was entirely possible that any attempts to console him would just end up backfiring, and the system would punish you for it.

But right now, you honestly didn’tcare. You didn’t know what was going through his head, but he was clearly in pain, and you wanted to help.

You didn’t know it yet, but there would be many instances where you would ignore the system’s demands, prioritizing others before yourself.

In that sense, you were already more of a hero than you realized.

You grabbed Shouto’s hand—gently, as if it might break. He of course reacted by lifting his brows and giving you a confused, disbelieving look. Instinctively, he took a step back, almost as though he wanted to pull away, but he didn’t actually try to shake your hand off.

Both of you just stood there, neither uttering a word. You didn’t know that the right thing to say was, assuming there evenwassuch a thing. You weren’t perfect. You couldn’t always know what might lift someone’s spirits or help them through a rough patch, but the fact that you were willing to at leasttrywas all that mattered.

“I’m sorry,” you said, squeezing his hand tightly. “You’re right. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that I’m jealous, because you’ve probably worked really hard to become as strong as you are. But Idolook up to you. I can tell that you’ve been through a lot, even if you don’t want to talk about it.”

Shouto swallowed. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”

“I’m not really sure either,” you admitted. “But I just wanted you to know that no matter what it is, no matter when... I’m happy to listen. I’m really glad we ended up in the same class together, and I was glad to be paired up with you too, even though I wasn’t able to do much. You said I shouldn’t be jealous of you, so you probably have your reasons. I’m not going to push you for an explanation. But if you ever feel like getting something off your chest, I’m here. That’s all I wanted to say.” You paused after finishing your last statement, then blushed, having to fan yourself off. “Ugh... I accidentally ended up going on a bit of a rant. Sorry about that...”

Embarrassment was starting to set in, but even through all of that, Shouto still hadn’t let go of your hand.

“It’s fine,” he said, then hurriedly pulled away.

Ah. I spoke too soon.

“You say some weird things,” he muttered. “There was no need to think so hard about the comment I made. I wasn’t trying to berate you or anything. Let’s just head back to the monitor room. We've been taking too long out here.” He tried to turn away from you, but wasn’t quite quick enough on the uptake.

You’d already seen the faint blush on his cheeks.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto’s heart is beating really fast for some reason.]

[+30 love points.]

[Current progress: 0/200]

Having heard what Izuku had said to Katsuki, you were more sure of it than ever. That strange vision you’d gotten before—the one of All Might naming Izuku as his successor and promising to give him his Quirk—it wasreal.

After the Battle Trial, Izuku ran offin a hurry to follow Katsuki. You were worried, since you feared that Katsuki might lash out after having lost for the first time, but surprisingly, that didn’t happen.

Whatdidhappen, however, was that Izuku admitted that he’d received his Quirk from someone else.

You listened attentively from afar, even holding your breath at certain points. Since this was all unfolding right in front of your eyes, there was no doubt about it. That vision, the one that seemed like a memory but couldn’t possibly be, was undoubtedly a reflection of what had actually happened. Izuku was careful not to mention All Might, since he still had a secret to uphold, but he told Katsuki that his Quirk wasn’t something that had manifested naturally, but rather, a blessing granted to him by another person.

It didn’t make any sense. If it wasn’t a memory, then how could you have possibly remembered such a thing? You weren’t with Izuku the day he’d met All Might. The information had just come to you, seemingly out of nowhere, and for some reason, it felt just as familiar as all the faces you kept running into.

The same went for when you’d randomly guessed Aizawa’s name. He’d clearly never met you before in his entire life, but when you looked up at him that day, with tears blurring your vision, there wasn’t a doubt in your mind.

Perhaps youdidhave a Quirk, and the system was deliberating choosing not to tell you. Perhaps your lost memories were preventing you from remembering how to use your Quirk. Maybe it was the sort of power that granted you visions like these. To know things well in advance, despite having never been faced with them.

If that was the case, then you desperately wished more of them would come to you. You felt as if it was the key to solving this mystery.

That day, Izuku told Katsuki about the truth behind his Quirk, but of course, Katsuki didn’t believe him. However, he didn’t respond by cursing him out either. Instead, he chose to admit that he had, in fact, lost, and acknowledged that Izuku beat him fair and square.

As far as their relationship went, they were still on awful terms. All Katsuki had done was finally swallow his pride for a change. But it was unrealistic to expect that they would suddenly be best friends, and you decided that you were thankful for even this much.

It was a step in the right direction, at the very least.

With that, yet another day at U.A had come to an end. As always, you walked home with Izuku, insisting that he make sure to get plenty of rest tonight and fully recover from his injuries. Thanks to Shouto, you had hardly exerted yourself during the Battle Trial, so you were pretty much in perfect shape, but you were still looking forward to tucking in for bed early and catching up on all the sleep you’d missed out on.

A lot had already happened over these past two days. Tomorrow would have to be peaceful for a change, right?

The answer to that, of course, wasf*ck no.

You had been in the middle of your lunch break, savoring the delicious cafeteria food courtesy of the hero, Lunch Rush, when suddenly, an alarm started blaring.

Within just a few seconds, everyone started panicking, and you were swept up in the crowd as countless students rushed towards the emergency exit.

“My food!” you cried out. “No... at least... let me take my food with me!”

Too late. The cafeteria had been thrown into chaos, and you could hardly budge an inch amidstthe throngs of students pulling and shoving each other. Apparently, this kind of alarm only went off in the event that someone was trespassing onto campus, which was absurd, considering U.A’s ridiculously high-tech security. For that reason, everyone was flipping out, worried that a villain had broken in and was going to give them hell.

Iida was the one that managed to calm the crowd down. He used his Quirk to launch himself towards a high vantage point, where everyone could see him, then told all of the students that the trespassers were simply the news reporters that had been hanging around the school gates since earlier in the day.

It took a little while, but once the situation was finally under control, the crowd dispersed, and you returned towards to your cafeteria table with a blank expression.

“My food is cold now,” you said simply.

Izuku offered you a sympathetic smile. “Calming everyone down took a while, but at least there was no real danger, right?”

Sure. It was a good thing that no one had gotten hurt, and things certainly could have gone a lot worse. But still.

“My food is cold,” you said again. “I’m devastated.”

Izuku chuckled softly at your comment, even though you weren’t kidding.

So far, your timeline at U.A went as such:

Day one, faced with a Quirk Apprehension Test and the risk of expulsion.

Day two, thrown into a Battle Trial that you hadn’t been able to contribute towards,leaving you to feel dispirited with your current abilities.

Day three, caught off guard by a random alarm that had terrified all the students, and resulted in your delicious meal going cold. This was the worst one by far.

Given the trend, you wondered how dayfourwould go. sh*t seemed to be happening constantly around here. Your middle school days had been a hell of a lot simpler.

No, I shouldn’t be so negative. Getting into U.A was hard enough, and I should be grateful just to be here. I guess I still need to get used to the fast pace, but an eventful school life isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I need to make the most of it.

Yeah. Tomorrow would be good. Not just good, butgreat. You were done letting U.A surprise you. No matter what they threw your way, you were going to take it in stride.

Ironically enough, you had picked the absolute worst time to be optimistic.

The next morning, your eyes slowly opened, and as always, you were greeted by a familiar screen. You had made a promise to yourself yesterday to act optimistic from now on, but when it came to matters involving the system, it was admittedly more challenging.

[DAILY TASK: Flirt with Shigaraki Tomura.]

You facepalmed right away. “I just can’t anymore. I don’t even know what to say. Also... Shigaraki Tomura? Isn’t he that guy I only met once back when I offered him money for the vending machine? He got angry with me right away, and his status in the system is marked as an enemy. How do you expect me to flirt with someone who already hates my guts?”

[“You’ll find a way. I believe in you. If you want, I’m more than happy to cheer you on from the sidelines. Like this, see? Go, [Name], go! You can do it! You’re the best! Woohoo!”]

You were already tempted to mute them, and you’d barely been awake for two minutes.

“I don’t even know where to find him,” you frowned. “How am I supposed to complete this task before the day is over?”

[“Ah, don’t worry about that. As you already know, I’m able to sense when your love interests are nearby. I can tell that he’ll be in the area today. You will have a chance to interact with him, so make sure you make the most of that opportunity.”]

“Sure, sure,” you sighed. “Whatever you say, I guess.”

You knew from experience that arguing was pointless, and you supposed that compared to having tokisssomeone, a bit of flirting wasn’t the end of the world.

The only thing that would make it hard wasif you had to flirt with him in the middle of a life-or-death situation. But thatobviouslywasn’t going to happen, so you shrugged the problem off for the time being and went on with your day, blissfully unaware.

Chapter 23: Flirting With Death

Chapter Text

Alright. So far, so good.

Having woken up to the stupid task the system had assigned, you were naturally on alert. The system could predict when love interests were nearby, and even though you didn’t know exactly when you would encounter Shigaraki, it was obviously going to happen before the day was over. You found it difficult to focus on classes while you were racking your brain to come up with cheesy pick-up lines and the like.

Seriously, though. You didn’t have a good feeling about this. You just couldn’t wrap your head around why Shigaraki was listed as anenemyin the system interface. Based off a first impression alone, he seemed to be rather irritable, but surely he couldn’t despise you already, right? Even Katsuki hadn’t fallen to enemy status, and that was saying something.

As always, you ate with your friends during lunch, all the while scrolling listlessly though your phone. You had essentially no memories to guide you, but given all of your progress so far, you were inclined to believe that you didn’t exactly have the most outstanding charisma. You would probably make a fool out of yourself while trying to flirt. Perhaps Shigaraki would even laugh at you.

God. You might actuallycryif that happened.

In an attempt to improve your odds, you’d been perusing the internet for the last little while, hoping to stumble across something a bit more inspired. Most of everything you saw was pretty sh*t, though. Maybe a super corny pick-up line was endearing in its own way?

Figuring you didn’t have much to lose, you decided to give it a little trial run.

“Um, Izuku,” you said, quickly clearing your throat. “C-Can I ask you a question?”

“Hm? Oh, sure.” He patted his mouth with a napkin, set his plate down, then smiled. “What’s on your mind?”

You parted your lips, but no sound came out, and already, you could feel your face growing impossibly hot. Sheesh. This was just meant to be practice for the main event, yet here you were, already getting cold feet.

Stupid system. What was even the point of a daily task like this? You were willing to bet your life that they just enjoyed f*cking with you.

Still, as desperately as you wanted to just dig yourself into a hole and never come out, Izuku was the best person to test this out on. You had a strong suspicion that, regardless of how awful your flirting was, he wouldn’t get mad at you.

Already cringing, you strained a smile, then mumbled, with a trembling voice, “D-Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes.”

Silence. You were met with complete and uttersilence. Even Izuku, the sweetest guy ever, didn’t quite know how to respond to your stupidity.

Immediately, your hands flew up to cover your face. “I regret everything,” you groaned.

You were lucky that Uraraka and Iida were engaged in their own conversation, because you really didn’t need any added embarrassment. But Izuku wasn’t staying silent because he was turned off by what you’d just said. No one had ever attempted to flirt with him before, so quite frankly, he just didn’tunderstand.

“Get lost in my... what?” he blinked furiously. “Um. I’m sorry. I-I don’t get it...”

You heaved a sigh of relief, heat radiating off your flushed cheeks. “Ugh... never mind. That wasn’t even a good one. Let me try again. Izuku, you look a bit tired. It must be because you’ve been running through my mind nonstop.”

Once again, he just gaped at you, not putting two and two together. Izuku was by no means a fool, but he suffered from a lack of self-confidence. The idea of someone being romantically interested in him didn’t even register as a possibility.

“Sorry,” he blushed. “I don’t have that good of a sense of humor... so I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Please don’t make me explain it! That’s a million times worse!

“It’s nothing,” you chucked weakly, too embarrassed to keep trying. “I’m not the best at making jokes either, so my execution probably wasn’t that good. Forget what I just said.”

Unfortunately, you weren’t able to gloss over the whole thing that easily. Izuku hadfinallypieced together what you’d been getting at.

“Running through your...oh!” He let out a mortified squeak, clamping his hands over his mouth almost immediately. When he spoke again, it was barely a muffled mumble. “I-I’m sorry! I think I just... understood. Haha... that’s a good joke, [Name]. I feel a bit silly for not getting it right away...”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku knows you’re just kidding, but realizing what you said still made his heart skip a beat.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 250/500]

His reaction was adorable, even if you were still struggling to get over your embarrassment. It was funny that a sh*tty pick-up line like that had actually worked. Then again, Izuku was probably the nicest person you’d ever met, and from what you could tell, Shigarakiwasn’t.

Not completing a daily task was considered refusal to cooperate, though. You knew that no matter how awkward the interaction turned out to be, you had no choice but totry.

Besides, maybe you were jumping to conclusions. Sure, Shigarakiwasmarked as an enemy, but perhaps that was a miscalculation on the system’s part. Initially, the system interface had even shown you a different name—Shimura Tenko—so it wasn’t really all that hard to believe.

The system didn’t specify where I’d be meeting him, but I have yet to see him on campus so far. He’s probably not a U.A student. I guess I’ll run into him sometime after school today.

You were envisioning a normal encounter, like walking past each other on the street, whereupon you would come up with some silly excuse to trigger a conversation with him.

Of course,normalwas the furthest thing from what wasactuallygoing to happen. The system knew this all too well.

You were about to be put into the most uncomfortable situation thus far, and they could hardly contain their excitement.

“For the foundational skill of heroics we’ll be studying today, you will be supervised by a three-person team consisting of myself, All Might, and one other hero,” Aizawa said. Lunch was over now, and based on how the previous few days had gone, it seemed like afternoons were mainly reserved for the hero-centric lessons.

“What are we going to be doing?” one of your classmates asked.

“You had the Battle Trial not long ago, which was focused on direct confrontations. Of course, fighting against villains is an arguably essential skill, but there’s another skill that’s evenmoreimportant, which makes up the entire basis of a hero. So, today, we’re going to have aRescueTrial.”

The moment Aizawa uttered the words, you couldn’t help but glance in Izuku’s direction, unsurprised to find him glossy-eyed and struggling to contain his smile. It made sense. This was his very reason for wanting to become a hero. When it came down to the desire to save others, you doubted anyone had him beat.

Admittedly, the first time the system had said you needed to become a hero, you had very mixed feelings. It was a dangerous profession where you were required to repeatedly put your life on the line. It was bad enough you didn’t have any memories. To work towards a self-sacrificial goal on top of that just felt endlessly more daunting.

But as time passed, and you started to become more familiar with your surroundings, you realized that you quite liked the sound of it. Putting yourself in harm’s way to help another person was scary, without a doubt, but if you could help, even alittle, then it made you feel as though your life was worth something after all.

You were never going to stop trying to recover your memories, but that didn’t mean that you couldn’t save people along the way. And honestly, knowing that you had such thoughts granted you an immeasurable sense of relief.

Youwantedto help. You were willing to risk your wellbeing for someone else. Even though you remembered almost nothing about yourself... at the very least, you had reason to believe that you weren’t a bad person.

For now, that was more than enough.

“The training area we’ll be using for today’s exercise is a bit far, so we’ll need to take a bus to get there,” Aizawa continued. “You're not obligated to wear your costumes this time, so just do as you see fit. I’ll explain more in detail about what we’re doing once we reach our destination.”

A bit of time was allotted for everyone to get changed, and as it turned out, Izuku was the only one who wasn’t wearing his costume. It was less of a personal choice and more to do with the fact that Katsuki had blown his costume to tatters during the Battle Trial, though.

Shortly after the whole alarm incident yesterday, when the press had trespassed onto campus, Iida had been officially elected as class president. His diligence and insistence to always follow the rules made him the perfect fit for this kind of role. He was already going full-throttle, and the class had barely begun boarding the bus.

You sat next to Izuku, eagerly swinging your feet out. You were starting to realize that you were pretty excited about today’s training lesson. You didn’t have much of a flair for fights or violence, so the idea of focusing on rescues was a lot more appealing than the Battle Trial.

Then, out of nowhere, someone said, “Midoriya. Your Quirk reminds me of All Might.”

Izuku nearly choked on his saliva. His reaction was so visceral that you couldn’t help but cringe in his stead, knowing all too well that he had a secret to protect. The girl who’d just spoken up had a frog-like Quirk, and was staring at the freckled boy intently. Asui Tsuyu, her name was. You remembered, much like how you rememberedallof your classmates’ names, thanks to that phenomenon of déjà vu that constantly followed you around.

Izuku was kind-hearted and genuine to a fault, and based on what he’d already told Katsuki—about receiving his Quirk from someone else—you felt compelled to rush to his defense before he spilled the beans.

“Isn’t it kind of generic?” you tried to protest. “I feel like there’s lots of different Quirks that act by powering up your physical strength... and besides, I’ve never heard of All Might injuring his body when he uses his powers. Right?”

“Hm. I guess that’s true,” Tsuyu acknowledged. “I just can’t help but say what’s on my mind.”

You bit back a sigh of relief. She looked convinced, at the very least. After a moment, you glanced towards Izuku with a smile. “Still, it’s nice being compared to the Number One Hero, isn’t it, Izuku? Both you and All Might are super cool and hero-like, so I can understand where she was coming from.”

“T-That might really be overselling it,” he chuckled sheepishly, but the flush on his cheeks seemed to imply that he appreciated the flattery.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku will never get tired of hearing you praise him.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 260/500]

See? I totally called it. I’m getting pretty good at reading people. Well, I guess Izuku does tend to wear his heart on his sleeve in the first place.

“It’s definitely a cool Quirk,” Kirishima grinned, piling on to the conversation. “There’s a lot you can do with a power like that, and pretty flashily too! My hardening is pretty good in most fights, but I guess I can’t help but wish it was a bit flashier.”

“Yours is awesome too,” you insisted. “After all, you saved me with it during the entrance exam. I would’ve been in way worse shape if not for you, remember?”

“Well, Recovery Girl would’ve healed you anyways... but I guess that’s true.” He smiled again, a touch more gently this time. “I’m glad I was able to keep you from getting hurt too bad. When I think about it that way, I should be more thankful for this power of mine.”

[Kirishima Eijirou realizes you have a way of lifting his spirits.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 70/100]

You smiled back, happy to be of some help. A few of your other classmates were discussing their Quirks now too, comparing traits like strength and flashiness. At some point, Katsuki and Shouto were even brought up, since they had already made a name for themselves as the two strongest members of the class.

“But Bakugou’s always angry, so even as a hero, he won’t be popular,” Tsuyu said matter-of-factly.

Perhaps you shouldn’t have, but you didn’t manage to stop yourself in time. Her tone was just so blunt and unbothered. You couldn’tnotlaugh.

And unfortunately, Katsuki heard.

“What the f*ck are you assholes saying about me?!”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki can’t believe you’re laughing at him.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 80/100]

You stifled the urge to rip your hair out. f*ck, f*ck,f*ck! You’d beensoclose to ranking up with him! The same sh*t always happened. So, what, he was totally fine with you seeing his superhero-themed boxers, but chuckling at his expense was absolutely out of the question?

[“Yeah, laughing at him is a big no-no. I don’t think it’ll get you very far.”]

I literally couldn’t help it! I’m only human!

Katsuki was arguing with Kaminari now, who was going on a passionate rant about what a sh*tty personality the explosion user had. Even though Katsuki was mostly focused on screaming his lungs out, every so often, he also glanced your way, most likely to confirm whether or not you were still laughing at him.

Jeez. Talk about a fragile ego.

The two bickered for a while longer, up until Aizawa eventually told them both to shut up, and Katsuki crossed his arms before sitting down and angrily staring out the window.

The moment you were sure he was no longer looking in your direction, you stealthily flipped him off.

“I-I never thought I’d see the day whenKacchanof all people was getting teased. U.A really is in a league of its own,” Izuku whispered. His eyes trailed down towards your middle finger, which was still standing at attention. “And, um... if you don’t mind me asking, what’sthatall about?”

“No reason in particular,” you said, not bothering to hide your annoyance. “I just felt like it.”

The system was clearly delusional, because at the rate things were going, this dude wasnevergoing to fall for you.

Thankfully, the bus trip didn’t last much longer, and you soon disembarked at your destination—USJ.

And no, not the trademarked one. According to the other pro hero that was there to teach you, Thirteen, this one stood for the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, and it was a facility designed to emulate all sorts of different terrains and natural disasters.

To be honest, it was pretty damn cool. You understood why you’d been brought all the way out here for the Rescue Trial. There was atonof stuff you could do.

“The Space Hero, Thirteen!” Izuku gushed, already in fanboy mode. “She’s a hero who does amazing work specialized in disaster relief!”

Uraraka was just as excited, if notmore, and was even hopping up and down all over the place. “Wow, wow,wow! I’ve always liked Thirteen! This is awesome!”

You were glad that they were so excited, but it just sucked that you couldn’t be quite as passionate about idolizing heroes as the rest of your friends. You didn’t have any recollection of who your favorite hero evenwas, assuming you actually had one. Your memories didn’t date back any further than the past ten or so months, after all.

In times like these, you had to admit that you felt a bit alienated from the rest.

“It’s so cool that Thirteen showed up,” Izuku said chipperly, tilting his head your way. “You think so too, right, [Name]?”

“Hm? Oh. Yeah.” You quickly nodded. “Thirteen seems really nice, and I’m sure she’ll be a great teacher for today’s exercise.”

He flashed you a wide grin, too caught up in his excitement to notice the slightly pained look in your eyes.

For some reason, it didn’t look like All Might was here yet. He definitely didn’t strike you as the type to shirk his responsibilities though, so you imagined he would show up sooner or later. More importantly, you were eager to get on with the actual training. You wanted to test your abilities and learn how to help people.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t what fate had in store for you today.

You didn’t notice it until it was already too late. Near the fountain at the center of the facility, a wispy black gate had appeared. It started off small, almost too small to even see, but then it started swirling outwards, away from its point of origin. It was widening at a tremendous pace, and by the time you’d even begun processing what was happening, it had already ruptured into a sea of darkness.

From that darkness, countless figures emerged.

Neither you, nor the rest of your classmates, understood what was going on. It was admittedly strange how so many people had appeared out of nowhere, but then again, you were here for a training exercise. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume that these people had been brought here to participate.

It wasn’t until Aizawa screamed, with an intensity you’d never heard before, that you realized something wasverywrong.

“Huddle together and don’t move!” he ordered. “Make no mistake... those arevillains!”

Villains? Right here? Right now?

It was all happening so fast. You could hardly make sense of your thoughts. But somehow, even amidst all the chaos, you were able to come to a realization.

You remembered the system’s message. There was something special about today. There was areasonthey had given you such a specific task. From the very start, theyknewthis was going to happen.

Because when one of the villains spoke up—the man at the very front—you realized, with a choked-out gasp, that you actually recognized his voice.

“We went through all this trouble... we rounded upsomany people... only for the main boss to be absent? Hey. This had better be a joke. You can’t seriously be telling me that the Symbol of Peace, All Might,isn’there.” He had these freaky-looking hands all over his body, and one of them even covered his face, so you couldn’t see his expression, but despite that, you still made the connection.

That messy pale blue head of hair, that lean frame, the sickly yellowish hue to his skin...

You had already seen all of them before. Up close and personal. Next to a vending machine, of all places.

The realization hit you like a truck. It wasn’t a mistake in the system’s interface. When it saidenemy, it really, truly meant it.

Determined to remind you of your plight, the system prompted you with another notification.

[DAILY TASK: Flirt with Shigaraki Tomura.]

It was him. The villain at the forefront of the crowd—hewas Shigaraki Tomura.

The man you had to win over was a f*cking criminal.

You couldn’t stop yourself from hyperventilating. It wasn’t entirely out of place, since the rest of your classmates were plenty scared themselves, but what you were experiencing right now was a fear unlike any other.

If you didn’t listen to the system, you would be tormented. But if youdidlisten to them, and actually dared to test your luck, there was a very real possibility that you would die.

No matter what you picked, you were completely and utterlyf*cked.

Shigaraki scratched his neck. You’d only gotten a glimpse of his face one time, but even though his skin was rather dry, and you remembered him having a disconcerting glare, you would’ve picked thatanyday over all those creepy hands he was wearing.

You wanted to believe that they were artificial, but quite frankly, they looked too real for that to be the case.

“Such a goddamn pain,” Shigaraki muttered. “This isn’t what the intel promised us. I’m seriously in a bad mood now. I’m not sure why All Might decided to pull out at the last minute... but in any case, he’llhaveto show up once we kill a few of the kids, right?”

He’s going to kill us. I can hear it in his voice. He could kill every single person in this room, and it wouldn’t make him feel a damn thing.

Tears started streaming down your cheeks. It wasn’t fair. You didn’t understand why this was happening. There was no way out. No matter what you did, you were alwaystrapped.

You didn’t have a will of your own. You were just a goddamn pawn.

[“Hey, now. Don’t cry. Everything's going to be okay. I believe in you. You’re such a nice, hardworking girl. I’m sure you can win him over, while playing it smart and ensuring your survival.”]

The tears fell faster, and you were now gasping for breath, on the verge of losing all your sanity.

[“Stop crying. I won’t ask again. These people I’ve assigned to you... they’reimportant. You should be thankful that I’m granting you the opportunity to get closer to them. I’m doing all of this foryou. So that you can be happy.”]

Lies, lies, suchlies. How could they possibly say something so contrived? How could they look at you right now, knowing that you were sobbing your heart out, andstillact like they were doing you a favor?

No. You were a fool. You were a hopeless fool for even bothering to question them, when you already knew they had no such thing as a moral compass.

They didn’t care about you, and they never would.

[“Just shut up and do what you need to do.”]

Everyone had been split up. One of the villains had the ability to warp people as he saw fit, and he’d wasted no time in scattering students all over the facility. Izuku was among the many who’d been caught up in the attack. In an attempt to stick together, you had reached out to him, trying to grab onto his hand, but you couldn't close the distance in time.

Your best friend was gone, being faced with villains god-knows where inside this massive building. Meanwhile, you were stuck behind with a few other students, and Thirteen had already been gravely injured while attempting to protect all of you.

Aizawa had rushed ahead to fight the main group of villains himself. He was strong, there was no doubt about it, but evenhecouldn’t handle such a disadvantageous matchup. For a while, you actually felt like he was winning, but the moment Shigaraki himself got involved, all of that changed.

Shigaraki’s Quirk was a horrifying thing. He had barely touched Aizawa for a few seconds, and his elbow had instantly begun to crumble, flesh peeling off as it turned to dust. Aizawa was fortunate that he could cancel Quirks, otherwise you had no doubt that the decay would’ve progressively eaten away at his entire body, until nothing was left of him.

But even with Shigaraki’s involvement, Aizawa had still been holding his own. You believed that he still had achanceat winning.

Until that creature, the Nomu, started to move.

Within a matter of seconds, the battle went from being terribly unfair, to utterly hopeless. You, alongside your fellow students, were forced to watch as the creature snapped Aizawa’s arm like a twig, then repeatedly bashed his head into the ground. There was more blood than you’d ever seen in your entire life. The only thing that even came close was when Chisaki had killed you back in the system’s simulation.

Except that hadn’t been real. Thiswas.

The longer this went on, the more you felt your spirit break. You couldn’t even begin to express what you were feeling right now. Your teacher was being mutilated right in front of your very eyes. Your friends had been split up, and you had no idea if they were even stillaliveright now.

And in the middle of all this insanity, you were still expected to complete your daily task.

You had no choice. Walking headfirst into danger was a remarkably stupid thing to do, but really, what was the alternative? If you didn’t do as you were told, what awaited you was an eternity of pain and torment. It was probably a fate worth than death itself. No matter what you decided to do, it would ultimately end in your suffering.

If you were going to do this, then, at least...

You had better make yourself somewhat useful.

“[Name]?” Uraraka blinked, too panicked to make sense of your actions. “Wait... no. What are you doing? Where are you going? No, you can’t! We all need to stay together—”

It was too late. You ran down the steps leading towards the central area of the facility as fast as your legs could carry you. Even though you felt like you were choking on your heart, you at least had the good sense to retrieve an item from your inventory. Instead of your trusty baton, you pulled out a long knife.

After all, you had a pretty good feeling that you would be needing it.

You needed to hurry. This had already gone on for long enough.If you didn’t step up, andsoon, then Aizawa might really be a goner. There was no plan. How could there be? You were far from being strong, and you were teetering on the edge of a breakdown.

But if you could throw some confusion into the mix—buy some time, at the very least—then it was a gamble you were going to have to make.

“Huh?” Shigaraki finally seemed to have taken note of you. His blood red eyes could just barely be seen from behind the dismembered hand he wore on his face. “Wow. Look at that. Eraserhead, I think one of your students just rushed over to try and save you. I have to admit, it’s actually kind of adorable.”

From what you could tell, Aizawa was hardly even conscious anymore, but he was still making every attempt to raise his head and keep his Quirk activated. His eyes glowed as they kept Shigaraki in his sight, and when he spoke, it was enough to make your stomach churn.

“...can’t. Don’t... you can’t be here,” he gasped, blood dripping down just about every inch of his face. “Run, [Name]… just please...run.”

The Nomu had him pinned down to the ground, so he had no room to escape. You weren’t delusional enough to believe that you could free him all on your own. What you were doing was playing a waiting game and hoping that eventually, help would arrive.

Until then, you were going to have to stay alive, while also meeting the system's demands.

“You're not very smart,” Shigaraki chuckled humorlessly. “I would think that after seeing what happened to your dear teacher here, you would know better than to try and get involved in the fight. I guess that’s heroes for you. So goddamn naïve and full of themselves.”

You were shaking uncontrollably. Which, ofcourseyou were. It was only natural. Not only was that freaky Nomu incredibly strong, and it could probably kill you in the blink of an eye, but Shigaraki was no joke either.

If he touched you with all five of his fingers... you were going to die. And it would by no means be a painless death.

Knowing all of that, you gripped your knife a bit tighter, then mustered up the courage to speak.

“Do you... have a girlfriend?”

A palpable silence swept over the battlefield. Aizawa was barely clinging to consciousness as it was, so perhaps he hadn’t heard you clearly, but his mouth was slightly agape as he stared at you through heavy, lidded eyes. Even the Nomu holding him down seemed to co*ck its head to the side a bit, as if it might have been confused.

Well, you’d really done it now. Surely that counted as an attempt at flirting, right?

Except the daily task had yet to disappear. You hadn’t gotten a notification, which meant that you still hadn't cleared it.

f*ck. So, it couldn’t just be an attempt, but you had to actually elicit a positive reaction out of Shigaraki?

Your throat felt hoarse, your entire body had gone numb, and above all else, you were so,soscared.

But if nothing else, Shigaraki had stopped moving. He wasn’t trying to kill you. Notyet, at least. The Nomu had stopped moving as well, because it apparently didn’t do anything without being instructed by Shigaraki first.

The ringleader of the League of Villains... he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

You weren’t sure if it was working. You didn’t know what it would take. You also felt incredibly mortified to have to be doing this, on top of how f*cking terrified you were.

It was too late to stop now. Now that you’d already gotten the ball rolling, you had no choice but to see it through until the end.

“Y-You have, um, a really cool style going on,” you chuckled, mustering what you hoped looked like a smile, but was probably closer to a forced grimace. “It’s a cool costume. M-Maybe I could see your face? I bet you have a really handsome face. Isn’t it a bit of a waste to keep it covered up?”

Shigaraki was frozen on the spot. Okay. That was fine. You could work with this. You were stillalive, and so was Aizawa. For the time being, that was enough.

My strongest weapon... I have no choice but to put it all out there.

This guy had been speaking in video game terms the whole time. He was a villain, so it didn’t surprise you that he was also a massive edgelord. You imagined him sitting in a cluttered room, pulling all-nighters to clear limited-time game events, and then blowing up forums online with his nihilistic views.

If he didn’t fall for you after this line, then he wasn’t a real gamer.

“So,” you swallowed, straining another smile. “Do you want to leave this lobby and go into a private one?”

You’d expected as much, butgod, the silence was heavy. Shigaraki still wasn’t moving, and you were at least thankful for the fact that your apparent stupidity had rendered him incapable of any coherent thoughts.

It felt like an eternity went by until Shigaraki finally graced you with a response.

Alas, it wasn’t the response you’d been hoping for.

“...are you f*cking with me right now?”

Chapter 24: Captivated

Chapter Text

“Are you f*cking with me right now?”

Shigaraki’s words were dripping with hostility. Granted, you didn’t have a clear view of his expression thanks to the freaky hand covering his face, but you could still see the way his blood red eyes had narrowed slightly. That, coupled with the tone of his voice...

No doubt about it. You were absolutely screwed.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shigaraki Tomura isn’t amused.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -20/200]

Of course it would end this way. Really, what were you expecting? It was a ridiculous situation to begin with. He was literally here tokillpeople, not pick up a date!

But there was nothing else you could do. You had already thrown yourself into the heat of the battle and caught his attention. You wouldn’t be able to run away. Not from Shigaraki, anddefinitelynot from the Nomu.

Until help arrived, however long that might take, you were just going to have to survive.

“I-I’m not,” you insisted. Even though you hadn’t completed your daily task, and you doubted you’d be able to turn it around at this point, you were still hoping to stall for time. “I, um... I really like strong guys. And you seem... super-duper strong. It also sounds like you’re a fan of video games, so that’s something we have in common! Maybe we can... talk for a while?”

You were being stupidly transparent, although that much was a given. It would take a real nutjob to charge at the person threating to kill them and try to flirt instead. Your actions, although ridiculous, had likely been interpreted as an attempt to buy time.

Shigaraki still hadn’t tried to kill you yet, which had to at least count for something. Even though he wasn’t going to fall for your pathetic attempts at winning him over, your actions were jarring enough to give him pause. You cast a quick glance in Aizawa’s direction. The Nomu had once again forced his head against the ground, so you couldn’t even tell if he was still conscious, but his body was in terrible shape. You weren’t sure how much longer he would last at this rate.

Please... someone, anyone. We need help. We're running out of time!

“You’re even dumber than I first thought,”Shigaraki sneered. “What, did you really think I would entertain this little charade? While we’re at it, should I break out some snacks, so that we can sit down and have a picnic?”

You ignored the tears rolling down your cheeks and strained a smile. “That would be great. If you don’t mind. Haha...”

It seemed thatShigaraki’s patience, as well as your luck, had finally run out. By the time you’d begun to process what was happening, he was already charging right at you. It was already obvious from watching Aizawa’s fight, but this guy wasfast. His reflexes were no joke, and with your current strength, you had no hope of competing with him.

You frantically sliced with your knife to try and keep him at bay, but he nimbly evaded all of your moves, closing the gap more and more with every passing second.

He was able to grab onto you, and in that moment, your entire life—or at least, what little you could remember of it—flashed before your eyes.

I’m dead. He just touched me, and now... I’m guaranteed to die.

But you didn’t die. You had been saved, just in the nick of time.

Countless more tears spilled down your cheeks. You’d always known it, right from the very start. From the moment he reached out to you while you were bawling on the side of the road, you knew that his aloof exterior couldn’t conceal his warm, compassionate heart.

Even with his body all broken, even with blood leaking into his eyes and blurring his vision, Aizawa still hadn’t stopped protecting you.

“Guess I should have expected that,” Shigaraki muttered. His hand was wrapped around your arm, so that you couldn’t break free, but at the very least, your body wasn’t decaying. “Man... you reallyarecool, huh, Eraserhead? Always putting your students first, no matter what."

Aizawa had just saved your life. If not for him, you would’ve turned to dust by now. But there was only so long he could go without blinking. You were going to have to break free.

Fortunately, Shigaraki had once again been caught off guard.

“Huh?” he mumbled, and you noticed him squinting from behind his mask. “Now that I think about it, you look... kind of familiar. sh*t. Not knowing is gonna piss me off. Where the hell have I seen you before?”

He was of course referring to the only other time you’d met, when you’d offered him money for the drink vending machine. But for obvious reasons, you couldn’t reveal that you’d known exactly who he was.

Instead, you mustered up a timid smile.

“I’m not sure. Maybe we met in each other’s dreams?”

The very next second, you slashed at him with your knife.

Shigaraki let out a sharp hiss, and the pain was enough to momentarily loosen his grip, allowing you to free yourself and back away. It wasn’t just an ordinary knife wound. Just then, you’d used your critical hit ability and struck one of his weak points. From what you could tell, the gash was quite deep, even though you’d barely nicked him.

“f*cking hell!” he spat, clutching at his arm, which was dripping blood all over the place. “What the... you’re stronger than I expected. sh*t. That really hurt, you little bitch.”

“I’m sorry,” you swallowed. “But I prefer to take things slow. You can’t just touch me before we’ve even had our first date.”

Once again, Shigaraki was lost for words. His injury was far from being fatal, but the pain, coupled with the sheer confusion of it all, made him go perfectly still. He just stood there and stared at you, not even knowing how to respond.

And then, a miracle occurred.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shigaraki Tomura is starting to think you’re kind of cute.]

[+10 love points.]

It was impossible to suppress your gasp.

No... no way. It worked? It actually worked?! So, this means...

[Daily task completed! You have received one (1) skill point.]

You’d done it. You had somehow pulled off the most seemingly impossible feat of all. Truly, your charisma and flirting prowess were unmatched. It was enough to make you want to break out into a cheer, and you probably would’ve, if not for the fact that you were stillveryclose to being killed.

The system had even granted you a skill point for completing this task. Daily task rewards were normally nothing to write home about, but given how steep the difficulty level for this one was, it was only fair that you be compensated accordingly.

Now, you just needed to not die. Easy enough, right?

“Alright,” Shigaraki chuckled coldly. “You’ve got my attention. For a hero, you’re actually quiteentertaining. I think I’llespeciallyenjoy watching you cry out hopelessly as you crumble apart.”

You returned his chuckle with one of your own, albeit much more shakily. “Um. Will you promise to be gentle?”

From underneath his mask, you could see the sides of Shigaraki’s lips curving into a wide, crude grin.

“I’m sorry,” he mused. “I’m afraid I don’t know how to do that.”

[Shigaraki Tomura wants to hear you scream.]

[+10 love points.]

He charged you again. Despite his injury, his speed hadn’t slowed by much. You gritted your teeth and focused on the weak spots that appeared on his body. He was fast, but hopefully this time, you could react in time and get another clean hit in.

However, the stakes were now higher. One glance in Aizawa’s direction told you everything you needed to know. He wasn’t moving anymore. He wasn’t even bothering to struggle or put up afight. He was either dead, or fully unconscious.

Which meant that if Shigaraki touched you again, you no longer had any hope of surviving.

You tried to calm your nerves. You told yourself that panicking wouldn’t benefit you in the slightest. All it would do was give Shigaraki even more of an advantage. At the very least, he didn’t have a weapon. Thanks to the knife, your reach was slightly longer than his. If you could time your attack accordingly, then maybe you would get lucky enough to slice off a few of his fingers in the process, hindering his ability to kill.

Thatwasthe plan. But you really should have known by now that things never went the way you wanted them to.

Shigaraki’s Quirk apparently didn’t just apply to people. He could decayanything, and he even went as far as to briefly close his fingers around your knife, willingly taking damage just so that he could destroy your weapon.

You didn’t have time to retrieve anything else from your inventory. Shigaraki was already too close. You could hear a delighted, manic laugh building up in the back of his throat. He reached towards you, and you swore you’d never been more terrified of something as simple as a bare hand.

All you could do in that brief moment, which seemed to pass in slow motion, was watch helplessly. This time, you reallyweregoing to die. And the worst part?

Your last words had been: “Will you promise to be gentle?”

So, on second thought, maybe dying wasn’t all that bad.

“Stay... stay away from her!”

Ah.

You’d just heard a familiar voice. Were you hallucinating already? Had you died and gone to heaven?

No. What a silly thought. This was very much reality. After all, Izuku risking his life to save someone...

It was exactly what you would expect from him.

“Nomu,” Shigaraki muttered, and in the blink of an eye, that horrifying creature rushed over just in time to soak up the full brunt of Izuku’s punch. Based on the sound alone, you could tell that his attack had made quite an impact. All For One was incredibly powerful, so surely, even a creature like that was bound to take some serious damage.

Regretfully, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

The Nomu didn’t have so much as ascratch. But how was that possible? Izuku’s punch had definitely hit its mark, no doubt about it. His arm wasn’t broken for a change either, but if his attacks didn’t have any effect, then the whole thing may as well have been pointless.

“Not a bad punch,” Shigaraki acknowledged. “It kind of reminded me of All Might’s style... maybe you’re a fan of his? Well, not that it matters.” He turned back towards you, and at that same moment, the Nomu reached out to grab Izuku in its clutches. Shigaraki was chuckling again. “You’re all going to die here, after all.”

God f*cking dammit.

For the third time—the third time in the sameday, no less—you were about to die.

It was highly unlikely you would be spared again. Your luck was nearly nonexistent, and you’d already depleted what little you had with the previous two instances. For someone to show up right in the nick of time now would just betoocoincidental—

The front entrance to USJ blasted open, and suddenly, All Might was standing there.

Huh. Talk about perfect timing. Almost as if you were in an anime or something.

Shigaraki had thrown a fit. It turned out that Iida had managed to escape earlier on, and with his speed, he’d run all the way back to school in order to alert the other heroes. All Might was the first to arrive, and a whole group of them eventually showed up later on.

The Nomu was strong. Disgustingly strong, even. All Might, the Number One Hero, had actually struggled against it, which went to show just how much he’d been weakened. The image of his skeletal form came to mind, back when you’d seen that memory-like vision of him and Izuku. That was the whole reason he wanted a successor in the first place. So that he could pass on his strength to someone else.

But despite how difficult and undeniably painful the fight must have been, All Might had done everything in his power to win. The Nomu was defeated, and by the time the other pro heroes arrived, Shigaraki had no choice but to flee, though he made sure to bitch and whine about it, like an overgrown child trapped in a man’s body.

You had nearly died three times. Aizawa and Thirteen were both unconscious and gravely injured. All Might wasn’t exactly in the best state either, and Izuku had broken both his legs to try and save All Might during a close call.

In spite of all that, you still considered this a victory. There hadn’t been any casualties, and you’d also managed to complete your daily task, by some stroke of luck. You had done everything in your power to succeed, and based on how the system wasn’t chiming in, they were probably satisfied with this turnout.

Unfortunately, your attempts at flirting meant that you’d just piqued the interest of one of the most dangerous villains—if notthemost dangerous—of all time.

But you obviously didn’t know that you would be seeing Shigaraki again, so for the time being, you were simply relieved.

And now, for the awkward part.

“[N-Name],” Izuku stammered weakly. His legs were broken, so all he could do was lie on the ground, waiting for a stretcher to be brought out. “Back there, um... what were you talking about with that villain?”

Crap! Don’t tell me he overheard. Seeing something like that would definitely ruin my standing with him.

“I don’t really remember,” you lied. “So much was happening in the heat of the moment. I was just trying to stay alive.”

“Oh... I see.” Izuku tried to smile, even though it made him wince from the pain. “I’m just glad... you’re okay. I was really worried. When I saw that he was about to hurt you... I really thought my heart would stop.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku doesn’t ever want to lose you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 270/500]

“I’m alright,” you reassured, reaching your hand out to lightly ruffle his curly hair. You paused just for a moment, and a smile quickly rose to your lips. “It’s all thanks to you, Izuku. Because you saved me. You’re a real hero, through and through.”

He must have been in so much pain. You could only imagine how much it hurt to repeatedly break his limbs, practically every time he used his powers. But it was clear from the look in his eyes that his pain was of no concern to him.

He was just happy that you were safe and sound.

That was how your fourth day at U.A ended. You had stupidly hoped that today would be free of incidents, and the irony was almost enough to make you laugh. Still, at least everyone was alive, and Izuku hadn’t heard your conversation with Shigaraki either, which was good.

Unfortunately, therealawkwardness had yet to begin.

“[Name].” Recovery Girl approached you once you’d made it back to the main school building. “I just finished with Aizawa’s basic treatment, and for some reason, he says he wants to talk to you.”

Uh-oh. You had a pretty good idea where this was going.

“I-I’m tired,” you said, forcing a weak smile. “Can I talk to him another time...? I’m sure he needs his rest too.”

“That’s what I told him as well, but he’s being awfully insistent, so I’m sure he has his reasons.”

There was clearly no room for discussion. Recovery Girl practically pushed you into the infirmary, then closed the door behind her, leaving you alone with Aizawa.

"Wow,” you chuckled nervously. “She sure used a lot of bandages...”

Almost all of Aizawa’s face had been wrapped up, but even so, you could still tell he was giving you the disappointed mom stare.

“I have only one question,” he said. “Whatin the world were you thinking?”

Quite frankly, you didn’t know what to say. You realized, with a violent blush, that he had probably overheard the entirety of your conversation with Shigaraki, at least up until he’d passed out. Your homeroom teacher, the teacher who would be with you for theentireschool year, had just watched you flirt with a villain.

Mortified beyond repair, you furiously bowed your head. “I amsosorry you had to see that.”

“That’s not what I wanted to hear,” Aizawa sighed. “What are you acting embarrassed for? That's not the issue here. I want to know what was going through your head that you would rush into danger and pull such a stupid stunt.”

“I was trying to buy time,” you protested. It was the best excuse you had. Theonlyexcuse you had, for that matter. “I thought, um... I thought I could confuse the enemy. I’m not strong yet, but I was really worried, seeing how badly they’d hurt you. I was convinced that eventually, the other heroes would show up, and until then, I tried to keep their attention off you.”

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. “My instructions were to stick with the rest of the students. It would’ve been one thing to fight back if the enemy had cornered you, but you charged ahead, all on your own, without even having a proper plan. You could have died, [Name]. Being a hero isn’t so easy that you can make a few jokes in front of a villain and get away with it.”

It was clear that from his standpoint, what you’d done was foolish and dangerous. You understood where he was coming from. You weren’t as strong as Katsuki, or Shouto, or even Izuku. But at the same time, you couldn’t disclose the truth. It was unlikely he would even believe you, and you got the sense that the system would silence you the second you even tried.

There wasn’t much you could do to convince him that your actions had been necessary. But that was fine. Because even putting aside the system’s demands, you weren’t lying. If you had helped buy Aizawa even just a few seconds—if those few seconds were why he was even sitting in front of you right now—then it was all worth it.

“I’m really sorry, sensei.” You slowly lifted your head, and even though you felt like flinching from his stern gaze, you didn’t look away this time. “I... I know it wasn’t smart. I was too reckless. But I just couldn’t help it. I wanted to dosomething. I was afraid that we would lose you forever, so I charged ahead without thinking things through. I promise I won’t make a mistake like this ever again. I’ll learn from it. I probably didn’t even help much, in the grand scheme of things, but... I’m just really glad you’re still here with us.”

Aizawa didn’t say anything for a while. He was probably getting ready to reprimand you again, and you could only clench your fists in silent anticipation.

But instead, he just sighed.

“I understand what you’re getting at. I can’t deny that wanting to save others is very much the mindset of a hero. But if you really want to help, then you need to give more thought to these kinds of things. And remember that above all else, you’re still just a kid.” It was only for a moment, but his gaze softened a bit. “As adults, I would hope that we’re not quite so unreliable. You can put more faith in us. I, for one, have no intention of dying that easily.”

A grin stretched across your lips, and you nodded your head furiously. Aizawa was so kind. Considering he’d been forced to sit through your disgustingly cheesy pick-up lines, you wouldn’t have blamed him if he decided to expel you right then and there.

“Let’s pick a different tactic for next time,” he said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “It’s true that confusion can certainly give you an advantage during a fight, but there are better ways to go about it.”

“I agree,” you swallowed. “Please, let us never speak of this again.”

“Yes, I think that would be best.”

His injuries were severe, so you were sure he needed to get some rest. The fact that he’d called you in here, despite still being under treatment, just went to show how much he thought and cared about his students.

Well, that and the fact that it was probably impossible to forget the traumatic scene he’d just witnessed.

“Rest up, sensei. I hope you feel better soon. And sorry again for making you worry.”

You smiled politely, bowed your head one last time, then left the infirmary so that he could get some sleep.

Even though you hadn’t been injured, you were still exhausted. More so mentally than physically, but it was taking its toll on you regardless. You were just glad that it was finallyover. The stupid daily task had been completed, and once you got home, you were damn well going to assign your newest skill point to strength.

Of course, as was often the case, nothing ever ended well for you.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shigaraki Tomura can’t wait to see that pretty face of yours drenched in tears again.]

[+50 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/200]

Chapter 25: Yakuza Hangout

Chapter Text

The day after the USJ invasion, school was temporarily closed. It wasn’t all that surprising, considering you’d just lived through a near-death experience. There was no doubt that U.A could be tough, but even they weren’t so cruel as to forbid their students a day of respite.

And to be honest,no oneneeded this day off more badly than you did. Between fighting for your life and flirting with that creep, Shigaraki, you felt like you had more than earned some down-time.

That dude is sick in the head. His love points skyrocketed when he thought of how badly he wanted to see me cry. I can’t believe I’m supposed to win him over.

You highly doubted the system could be reasoned with, but this time, you felt compelled to at leasttry.

“He’s going to try and kill me again,” you insisted. “Even if my flirting kind of worked, it’s just too dangerous. He wasreallygoing to kill me. He seemed ecstatic to do it.”

You were pouring your heart out, but the system simply responded with:

[“So?”]

You gaped. “So...? What do you meanso? I thought you wanted me to stay alive! If I die, how am I supposed to make progress with my other love interests? Can’t you, I don’t know, find someone else for me to get close to instead? This guy is just way too risky!”

[“But he’s important.”]

“Importanthow? If you at least explain things, then maybe we can come to some sort of agreement—”

[“He just is. Now, are you going to keep being difficult? Should I interpret this as unwillingness to cooperate? I want to believe that you’re not a total idiot. I’m sure you’ll find a way to survive. And if not, then I suppose that’s the extent of your determination. So, I’ll ask you again. Are you going to keep being difficult?”]

You felt like crying. You felt like crying, but you didn’t. Anger welled up inside of you, and it took all your strength to keep from screaming, but despite that, you somehow managed to swallow your tears and nod.

“Alright,” you mumbled. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask again. I was just... confused. He’s really,reallyscary. I can’t help it.”

[“He’s not that scary. Especially if he starts to value you. You just have to play it smart. It might seem a bit tricky, but I’m sure you’ll find a way.”]

As always, they were spewing nothing but bullsh*t. Shigaraki was a villain. Regardless of whether or not he’d taken a bit of an interest in you, he still wanted to watch you suffer. If presented with the opportunity to kill you, he definitely wouldn’t hesitate.

You weren’t sure when you would see him again, but if the system had their way, you imagined it was practically guaranteed. Until then, all you could do was get stronger. You had a lot of potential, especially if you could keep earning skill points and powering up. You would just have to hope that would be enough to stay out of Shigaraki’s clutches.

You patted your cheeks a few times, trying to psych yourself up. It was okay. You were still alive, and that was the most important thing. The system’s influence wasn’t permanent. At some point or another, youweregoing to break free of them and reclaim your memories.

But right now, it was time for a new daily task.

You were no stranger to tedious physical challenges by now. Besides, after being forced to kiss Katsuki and flirt with a villain, you had really come to appreciate these sorts of tasks. You would take doing some chin-ups over using pick-up lines on Shigarakianyday of the week.

Today, it was just a simple jog. Well, notquiteso simple, since it would take a while to complete, but certainly nothing to get worked up over.

For a while, everything was perfectly fine. You were enjoying the fresh air, appreciative of the fact that you still had all your limbs intact after the USJ incident, and for the most part, you were feeling pretty good.

[“Hm. How about you turn left at the next corner?”]

You froze mid-step. A cold sweat had already broken out on the back of your neck. “Why... would I do that?”

[“No reason in particular.”]

Yeah, right. Did they really think you werethatstupid? You’d been playing this game for long enough to know when something was up. They only ever gave you directions whenever one of your love interests was nearby, and they wanted you to cross paths.

If they were making you run into Shigaraki again, you were going toloseyour f*cking mind.

“I don’t want to,” you pleaded. “Please? Can’t I just finish my daily task? I did a good job yesterday. I got a whole bunch of points and managed to catch Shigaraki’s interest. Isn’t that enough for now?”

That was a mistake. Sure, you were desperate, but you should have realized that you’d been pushing their buttons for far too long.

[“Alright. It seems there’s no reasoning with you right now. A bit of time will help bring you back to your senses.”]

Tears sprung to your eyes. It was out of sheer instinct, but you knewexactlywhat they were getting at.

And it f*cking terrified you.

“No!” you cried out. “I-I’m sorry! I take it back! Turn left at the next corner, you said? S-Sure. I can do that. I can do it, so just give me a second—”

[“It’s too late. This was long overdue anyways. You need to remember the way our relationship works. I give instructions, and you follow them. It’s just that simple.”]

You barely managed to choke out another sob. Your surroundings dissolved into black, sounds turned to silence, and once again, you were completely and utterly alone.

When the system finally decided to take mercy on you, three weeks had already passed. Inside that horrible void, where you couldn’t move a muscle, or evensee, three whole weeks had gone by. If you had been of sound mind, you probably could’ve counted the seconds to keep track of time. Alas, it hadn’t taken long for your mind to break. Any longer, and the damage may have been irreversible.

Then again, it probably already was.

You crumpled to your knees, gasping for breath and sobbing relentlessly. Not a single second had gone by. You’d been trapped and tormented for weeks, but here, in the real world, nothing had changed. The system hadn’t been lying when they said they could torture you for all eternity if they really wanted to, and worse yet?

No one would ever believe what had just happened to you.

You felt like throwing up, but your stomach was empty, so nothing actually came out. You ended up dry heaving onto the sidewalk, as if you were a cat choking on a hairball. You didn’t know if anyone was watching you, and quite frankly, you didn’tcare. You were too wrapped up in your pain to even make sense of what you were feeling right now.

[“I’m sorry to have to do this, but I never expected you to be so resistant. I really thought we’d be able to get along just fine. After all... we have a lot more in common than you think.”]

You didn’t even see their message right away, because you were too busy choking on every broken sob that caught in your throat.

This was just too cruel. You weren’t sure if you could keep doing this. As much as you wanted to believe that you were strong, you could already feel yourself reaching your limits.

[“There, there. Please stop crying now. I promise I won’t do this again, not unless youreallygo out of your way to disobey me. Perhaps I was too harsh in teaching you a lesson. I’ll admit that you did a great job with Shigaraki. I’ll apologize for my hastiness this time, if it makes you feel any better.”]

Itdidn’tmake you feel better. Not in the slightest. You were spiraling faster than the speed of light, and you doubted you would be able to get a hold of yourself.

But against all odds, you managed to brave through it. You went as far as to slap yourself across the face, so that the pain would bring you to your senses. Feeling the slight sting on your cheeks helped you focus on something, if only for a moment, and you shakily rose to your feet.

“Turn left,” you mumbled in a daze. “I need to... turn left.”

Having gotten another heavy dose of trauma, your foremost concern was ensuring that the system didn’t trap you back in the void again. For that reason, you were desperate to follow their commands and meet with whoever they had in store for you. Even if that person turned out to be Shigaraki, it was okay. You’d been able to confirm it for yourself just then.

Compared to what you’d just endured, dying would probably be a more merciful fate.

So, you walked. You walked with a blank expression, while dragging your feet along, as if you were some sort of zombie. You weren’t sure where you were going. You just knew that you had toobey. That was the only way to protect yourself.

Eventually, the system told you to stop.

[“That’s strange. Did I miscalculate? I thought for sure he would’ve been out here by now.”]

As always, you didn’t have a clue as to what they were going on about. All you knew was that you’d stopped in front of a large, gated complex. There was a courtyard just past the gate, and beyond that, a few office buildings.

You just stood there, with tears still dripping down your cheeks, and for a while, it seemed like the system was considering telling you to leave.

But that didn’t happen, because the gate soon opened.

“Hm? What do we have here?”

You found yourself staring at an elderly man. His hair was completely gray, slicked back away from his forehead, and he had bushy brows that framed a stern-looking gaze. He was also dressed in a traditional kimono, which wasn’t something you saw very often these days.

Your vision was blurry from all the tears, so you didn’t take note of it right away. The man who’d just spokenwasn’talone.

When you turned, your misty eyes met with a pair of striking golden ones.

Chisaki Kai.

It was a miracle that you managed to keep from screaming. You’d just gone from one hell straight into the next. It wasn’t as if you were calm to begin with, but being faced with Chisaki just made your tears fall even faster.

“What’s the matter?” the elderly man frowned. “Are you alright, young lady? What’s got you so worked up?”

All you could do was gasp for breath, like a fish out of water. You probably looked ridiculous right now, with tears and snot running down your face, but what the f*ck else were you supposed to do? You’d just come out of one of the most terrifying experiences of your life. Who in their right mind could remain perfectly unfazed after something like that?

Here you were, clinging to the very last thread of your sanity, mustering upallyour strength not to pass out from fear, and how did Chisaki respond?

“Ew,” he grimaced. “This girl is filthy. Pops, we should leave. If we stick around too long, we’ll end up catching her germs.”

It was such a slap in the face—figuratively, at least—that for a few moments, you actually stopped crying and proceeded to gape at him.

This absolute bastard. You were very clearly having a meltdown, and he’d just saidew, like you were a turd he’d stepped in or something.

“Quit it, Chisaki,” the man, presumably Pops, snapped at him. “Can’t you see she’s not feeling well? Something must have happened for her to be so agitated.” He looked back at you and offered you a warm smile. Despite his stern features, he actually seemed to be rather kind. “Do you think a cup of tea might help you calm down a bit? If you’d like, you can come inside and sit down for a while, just until you’re feeling better.”

“But she’s disgusting,” Chisaki protested. “Just look at the snot dripping from her nose. If she comes inside, we’ll have to fumigate the place.”

“Goddamn you, boy. I’m the boss, so don’t question my decisions. It’s up toherto decide, in any case. So, how about it?” Pops asked again. “We’re not going to pressure you into anything. But if you feel like you would benefit from a quiet room to clear your head, we’re more than happy to help.”

This man was clearly a lot nicer than Chisaki, although you were level-headed enough to know not to trust in total strangers. That being said, Chisaki was a designated love interest. You were meant to get close to him, one way or another, and this was an opportunity that you knew you couldn’t afford to pass up.

The system wanted you to accept. That much was obvious.

Which was why, even though you wanted nothing more than to run away and never see Chisaki ever again, you held your ground, clenched your fists, and nodded begrudgingly.

“Th-That would be great,” you stammered, barely biting back another wave of tears. “I would... really appreciate it.”

Chisaki scrunched up his nose, but he couldn’t seem to oppose Pops’ authority. The gate opened with a buzz, and you followed behind the two men, making a mental note of just howstupidthis was, and how under normal circ*mstances, you wouldn’t be caught dead waltzing into a stranger’s home.

Your circ*mstances would never be normal, though. That much was painfully obvious.

It seemed like this really was some kind of office. The first floor was decorated as such, although it definitely leaned into the traditional Japanese style. You were woefully ignorant of what was truly at work here, so you just sat on one of the sofas and awkwardly twiddled your thumbs.

Eventually, Chisaki slammed a teacup down on the coffee table.

“For you,” he glared, looking as though hehatedthe idea of wasting his precious tea on someone of your caliber.

Unfortunately, you still had tears and snot on your face, so before you managed to get a single word out, you heard aping.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Chisaki Kai thinks you are absolutely disgusting.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: -20/100]

What a dickhe*d! This guy somehow sucked even more than Shigaraki, and he hadn’t even tried to kill you. Well, not in the real world, at least.

“Um, thanks,” you replied, sniffling once more, since your nose was all stuffy from crying.

Chisaki gave you yet another look of disgust. “Drink it quickly, then hurry up and leave,” he snapped. “Pops is a busy man. You’re wasting our time.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, and to keep from screaming, you imagined yourself flipping him off. Admittedly, it helped.

[Chisaki Kai can hardly stand to look at your filthy face.]

[-10 love points.]

Just like Katsuki, this guy certainly wasn’t easy to deal with. You weren’t evendoinganything, but your points kept dropping nonstop. You wondered if there was anything he actually liked, or if this game was rigged from the start. He sure seemed like the type to look down on everyone.

“Wait a minute,” Chisaki suddenly said. As always, he was wearing a mask, so you couldn’t see the entirety of his face, but it looked like his lips had parted slightly. “Ah. I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You’re that annoying brat that bumped into me.”

“Um... maybe?”

“Itisyou,” he scowled. “I should’ve known from the moment I saw your pathetic, sniveling expression. You were crying like a baby that day too. Why are you always crying? Are all teenagers as overdramatic as you are?”

Mercifully, Pops lightly jabbed him before you were forced to scramble for a response. “Leave the girl alone,” he sighed, then shook his head disappointedly. “I’m sorry, young lady. I’m afraid this one has no manners. He’s not as bad as he seems, that much I can assure you.”

Chisaki narrowed his eyes at you, doing everything short of pulling out a knife and threatening to skewer you on the spot.

I don’t know. He seems pretty bad to me...

“How is your tea?” Pops asked, and you realized you hadn’t actually tried it yet. In a hurry to accept their hospitality, you took a big gulp, realizing far too late that it was stillextremelyhot.

Needless to say, you spat it out, and Chisaki now looked a million times more disgusted than before.

“She’s a freak!” he cried out, jabbing his index finger at you accusingly. “Pops, get rid of her! I’m seriously going to get sick!”

You blinked monotonously, blowing weakly in an attempt to air out your burning tongue. Based on what you knew about Chisaki, and how powerful his Quirk apparently was, you had every reason to be afraid of him.

But seeing him like this, so petrified of a few little germs...

It was doing wonders for your confidence, that was for sure. At the very least, you’d stopped crying. Plus, with Pops here, you felt a bit more secure, as naïve as that line of thinking may have been.

“I’m shorry,” you said again, fanning your mouth repeatedly. “I didn’t realish ish wash sho hot.”

“Getout,” Chisaki glowered. “Don’t make me ask you again. You’ve clearly calmed down enough, not that we ever had any obligation to bring you here in the first place.”

Pops ignored him. “So, what’s your name, young lady? You don’t have to tell us, of course. Only if you’re comfortable.”

“I’m [Name],” you said. It was probably better not to lie, especially since you would need to get close to Chisaki at some point or another. Instead, your eyes scanned the room, and you couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of office is this?”

It was an innocent question. After all, you were curious, and considering you were a teenage girl who’d just walked into a foreign place with two men, you felt that you certainly had the right to ask.

You weren’t really prepared for the answer, though.

“This is the headquarters of the Shie Hassaikai,” Chisaki said, suddenly much more serious and business-like.

“Oh. Okay.” You tilted your head and gave him a confused look. “So... what exactly isthat?”

Chisaki rolled his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe thenerveof you, but Pops merely chuckled. “It isn’t surprising that you haven’t heard of us. The yakuza doesn’t exactly carry the weight it used to, after all.”

You took a few moments to process what you’d just heard. The yakuza. The... yakuza?

Holy f*ck, theyakuza?!

“Please no human trafficking!” you squealed, bringing your palms together as if you were saying a prayer.

This time, both ChisakiandPops stared at you in disbelief.

“She’s just so stupid,” Chisaki muttered. “I almost wonder if there’s actually a brain inside that head of hers.”

“The yakuza don’t get involved in such affairs,” Pops reassured. He paused for a moment. “Well...someof them do, but it certainly isn’t the standard. I can assure you that our organization has never done anything so sinister, and we have no intention of doing so in the future. Nowadays, being part of the yakuza is more about tradition and lineage. Not that I don’t understand why you might be uncomfortable, given what you’ve just discovered.”

“Don’t listen to him. We’re going to sell you overseas and make you work on our behalf, until we’re drowning in money,” Chisaki deadpanned.

You blinked furiously. “Is... is he kidding?”

“I think so,” Pops frowned, looking just as confused as you were. “Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure he knew how to do that. Good for you, Chisaki. It definitely wouldn’t hurt for you to be a bit more lighthearted from time to time.”

What part of that was lighthearted?!

You blew on the surface of your tea, making sure to test it with your pinky this time. It had cooled down a lot, so you were finally able to take a proper sip. “This is good,” you praised, smiling for good measure. “Thank you very much for being so nice to me. I wasn’t feeling well earlier... but this has definitely helped.”

“We may be part of the yakuza, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any empathy or consideration for others,” Pops said. “Right, Chisaki?”

“No, I could honestly care less about her,” Chisaki replied.

Pops jabbed him in the ribs again, and it was so silly, you almost found yourself laughing.

Based on your previous encounter, and the fact that Chisaki always wore gloves and a mask, he was apparently some kind of germaphobe. If nothing else, you were comforted by the fact that he probably wouldn’t try to touch you or anything creepy like that. Perhaps you could slowly build up a platonic relationship, and he would start to care for you somewhere along the line. The system had said that notallof your targets needed to develop romantic love for you, after all. Maybe he could become a friend.

Chisaki kept on scowling at you. Well, regardless of what your relationship would turn out to be, it would clearly take a long time to get there.

“So, um...” You fidgeted in place, racking your brain for a topic of conversation. “Do you like... weather?”

You didn’t think it was possible, but Chisaki’s eyes narrowed even further. “I can feel myself losing braincells every time you open your mouth.”

“Ugh. I-I'm sorry.”

“Stop tormenting the poor girl,” Pops sighed. He leaned forward and smiled. “Try to ignore him. Just take all the time you need. We won’t rush you to leave.”

“But we have business to attend to,” Chisaki muttered in dismay. “We were just about to leave before this snotty-nosed brat turned up.”

“It can wait. We’ll just tell them something came up. Stuff like this happens all the time. Being in this business, you learn to be flexible and adjust accordingly. I should probably make a quick phone call, though. Just to let them know we’re running a bit late.”

Much to your horror, Pops stood up, smiled at you one last time, then left the room.

You were now completely alone with Chisaki.

All you could think to do was sip frantically at your tea, but it didn’t take long to finish it. With your cup now empty, you were forced to set it aside and look him dead in the eye, doing your best to ignore the nervous hiccups building in the back of your throat.

“Being a yakuza... seems cool,” you eventually settled on, pairing your statement with a shaky smile.

Chisaki didn’t seem to care for your weak attempt at flattery. “I wouldn’t expect an idiot like you to understand,” he snorted. “The yakuza has been continuously overlooked. We used to command much more respect before. But now, with the rise of all these villains, it’s as if we’ve become relics of the past. If not for all these disease-ridden freaks with their disgusting Quirks, the yakuza would never have fallen from power.”

“Disease-ridden?”

“Yes. Quirks are a disease. An incredibly widespread disease, at that.” He paused for a moment, and unless you were mistaken, he almost looked hopeful. “Do you... also have a Quirk?”

It didn’t occur to you to lie. Lying always seemed like a bad policy, especially if you were going to have to interact with him more in the future. The fact of the matter was that you didn’t have aQuirk, but you had powers nonetheless. Powers that were otherwise unexplainable.

Besides, if you lied about being Quirkless and he ended up finding out the truth at some point...

The memory of what he’d done to you before, in the void, came to mind. You recalled the sickening sensation of your limbs being blown apart, and how quickly the blood had drained from your body.

Yeah. You were sure of it. Deceiving this guy was abadidea.

“I do,” you nodded. “I have a Quirk.”

Unsurprisingly, Chisaki scowled again. “Ugh. Well, I should have expected that. It’s incredibly rarenotto have one these days. I suppose I was just hoping, for your sake, that you wouldn’t be as sick as everyone else. But given how filthy you are, it’s no surprise.”

“I’m filthy just because I cried?” you frowned, wiping at your face again for good measure. Your tears had fully dried by now, and you'd cleaned up your nose with a napkin as well. You doubted you lookedgreat, but better than a few minutes ago, at the very least.

“You also spat your tea all over the place,” he grimaced. “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten.”

“Only because it was super hot! It was pure reflex!”

“Whatever. Point is, you’re disgusting. But don’t take it personally. So is the rest of the general population.”

You chuckled weakly. It was hardnotto take personally, when he kept on giving you the stink-eye. But at least he wasn’t holding a grudge against you or anything. He just seemed to dislike pretty much everyone.

Anyways, you had no intention of overstaying your welcome, but at least until Pops came back, you wanted to try and get to know him better.

“Why do you dislike Quirks?” you asked. “Do you not have one as well?”

Of course, you already knew the answer to that question, but you had no choice but to play dumb.

Chisaki blinked slowly. “No, I do. But it’s not as if I ever wanted one. Quirks are a mutation that have tarnished the natural state of our bodies. If I could rewind time and turn everyone back to the way we used to be, before the disgusting phenomenon of Quirks took over, then I would.”

There it was again, that strange sense of déjà vu. You couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but when he spoke about despising Quirks and wanting them to be gone... it gave you areallybad feeling.

“If everyone’s Quirks disappeared... you think that would make the world a better place?” you asked hesitantly.

Chisaki didn’t even blink. “Yes. Undoubtedly so. If I have to be the one to put an end to this disease, then so be it.”

“R-Right. Well, um. In that case, I hope that whatever you have in mind, it works out for you. I think you’re right. Quirks are really complicated, and they can definitely create a lot of problems too.”

You strained a smile, even though your words were pure bullsh*t. Of course you didn’t agree with his ideology. If Quirks suddenly disappeared, thenall sorts of amazing ones, like Recovery Girl’s healing powers, would also disappear. People’s lives would change for the worse, not the better. Society had already undergone a gradual shift over the course of several generations. Such an abrupt change would bring about nothing but trouble.

But perhaps you were more convincing than you’d thought, or maybe Chisaki had just been wanting to hear someone support his decision for a long time.

His brows lifted slightly, right as you received a notification.

[Chisaki Kai is starting to think you might not be such an idiot after all.]

[+30 love points.]

[Current progress: 0/100]

In the grand scheme of things, very little had changed. You had barely gotten back to a neutral state. But as it turned out, that statement alone was enough for Chisaki’s perspective of you to change. You were still young and impressionable. You still had time to see reason and reject this flawed hero society.

He didn’t feel very strongly about you. Notyet, at least. But if nothing else, his interest had been piqued.

“What did you say your name was?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh. It’s [Name].” You withdrew into the cushions of the couch, chuckling sheepishly. “Jeez. I only just told you, and you’ve already forgotten? I know your name is Chisaki, and I'm sure I won't ever forget it.”

“That’s because I don’t care to remember the names of idiots. And I’m still not entirely convinced that you’renotan idiot, but I suppose you could say I’m withholding my judgment for the time being.”

“That’s... very nice of you.”

“Yes, I am quite nice.” From underneath his mask, you could just barely see the shadow of a smile. So, hedidknow how to make jokes. Very sarcastic and dry ones, but still jokes nonetheless.

You decided to humor him with a light chuckle. He was still incredibly intimidating. You knew that all he had to do was take off one of his gloves, and you were probably a goner. But you’d survived your encounter with Shigaraki, which was arguably much more dangerous. Chisaki seemed to have a few screws loose as well, but surely, he couldn’t be that bad.

Right?

“One more thing,” Chisaki said suddenly. You nodded, waiting for him to continue, and out of nowhere, he flung a small towel at you. “Clean up the tea you spilled. Every last drop.”

Yeah. You really should have expected that.

Chapter 26: Self-Invite

Chapter Text

"It's time for you to leave," Chisaki said.

Right.Honestly, you felt the same way. You hadn’t even wanted to be here in the first place, but at least you had somehow managed to improve your standing with him in the end.

Pops was done with his phone call, and after you finally finished cleaning the tea you’d spilled, it looked like they were ready to set out again. They had some sort of business errand, according to what you’d heard. Considering they were yakuza members, you weren’t all too keen on finding out what exactly this business entailed.

It was ironic, though. You’d been terrified of Chisaki ever since the system had tormented you. His Quirk was incredibly powerful, and could easily kill. That was much still true, even now. But after speaking with him for a little while, he felt a lot more human to you, and this small bit of social interaction had actually helped you calm down. He didn’t seem entirely evil, which probably wasn’t saying much, but hey, it was still better than Shigaraki.

“I’m glad to see that you’re feeling better now,” Pops smiled. “Whatever it was that you were dealing with, I hope you’ll be able to move past it.”

Chisaki co*cked a brow. “Whywereyou crying, anyways? You sure seem to do it a lot.”

“I guess I can get a bit emotional at times,” you swallowed.

Except not really. I just came out of a seemingly endless form of torture. Most people in my position would have probably reacted the same way.

“You’ll need to toughen up,” Chisaki snorted. “If you’re so quick to break down, you won’t last long in this world, especially considering how filthy it is.”

“Um... right. I’ll do my best. Thank you for your concern.”

“I wasn’t concerned,” he immediately denied, and when Pops reacted by chuckling, Chisaki turned towards him with a look of disbelief. “Iwasn’t!” he insisted. “Do you really think I care about a stupid brat like her?”

“Who knows?” Pops mused. “It’s true that you aren’t exactly the compassionate type, but it’s never too late to start caring.”

Chisaki scrunched up his nose, and by now, you were convinced that was his trademark move or something. He also crossed his arms at you, and huffed—loudly, at that.

Jeez. He acted like giving a sh*t about another person was a disease in and of itself.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Chisaki Kai is slightly intrigued by you, but that doesn’t mean he actually cares.]

[+10 love points.]

And yet, his points still went up, so I guess that has to count for something? Also, he clearly seems to care about Pops’ opinion. That means heiscapable of valuing other people, even though it’ll probably take me a while to get there.

Whatever. It was fine. You were used to sh*t like this by now. Besides, Chisaki was a yakuza, with a powerful Quirk, to boot. You desperately wanted himonyour side, not against you.

Honestly, you would be satisfied just by not making an enemy out of him.

“Thank you again for being so welcoming towards me,” you said, smiling hastily before bowing your head. Chisaki and Pops were walking you out of the building, and soon enough, you would part ways. Still, you couldn’t help but ask, “Will I... ever be allowed to come by here again?”

Pops blinked several times. “Oh. You want to visit us from time to time? Well... I’m not necessarily opposed to it or anything, but... wearestill yakuza. I can’t help but wonder what your parents might think if they ever found out.”

“My parents don’t really care,” you brushed off, which wasn’t really a lie, because you didn’thaveparents, but it raised a few brows all the same.

“We still don’t need the authorities butting into our business,” Chisaki sighed. “It would look suspicious if they noticed a teenager loitering around on our property.”

“This girl may have some difficult circ*mstances that she’s dealing with,” Pops tried to point out. He pulled Chisaki closer, not quite whispering, so you were able to hear what he said. “I’m sure you can relate to being in a similar position. You were the same until I took you in.”

Took him in?

Up until now, you’d assumed that Pops was Chisaki’s father, or at the very least, a relative, but it was starting to seem more like an adoptive or fostering type situation.

Chisaki scowled. “Be that as it may, it still isn’t our responsibility to look after her.”

“Take it easy, Chisaki. We haven’t done anything to incur any suspicion. The police don’t act unless they have reason to.” Pops turned towards you and smiled again. “We wouldn’t mind opening our doors to you again, young lady. The yakuza still have their code of honor to uphold. We wouldn’t turn away from a child in need. If you ever feel like you have nowhere else to go, stop by and mention either me or Chisaki by name. They'll be sure to let you through.”

You smiled brightly. Perfect. You’d officially secured a means of staying in touch with Chisaki, which the system would surely appreciate. It was a good thing Pops was so respectful and chivalrous. If it had been Chisaki alone, you doubted you would have ever gotten this far.

“You guys are awesome,” you beamed. “Thanks again. I’m feeling a lot better now.”

Pops nodded kindly. Meanwhile, Chisaki just stared at you. He didn’t say anything, but you were given a glimpse into his thoughts nonetheless.

[Chisaki Kai thinks you’re strange, but for some reason, it’s hard to dislike you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 20/100]

A few moments later, you promptly waved goodbye, and thus marked the conclusion to your little visit inside a yakuza’s private residence.

The system wasn’t communicating with you, and you couldn’t even begin to express how thankful you were. Pretending like they weren’t actually there was probably the best way for you to stay sane. Perhaps they were starting to realize this as well. You would be a hell of a lot more productive without constants threats looming over your head.

Anyways. It was time to finish up the rest of your daily task. You were dead tired, but it needed to be done. At least the eventful part of the day was over.

Or so you’dthought.

You really needed to stop getting your hopes up. Given everything that had already happened, it was painfully obvious that your luck was nonexistent.

“[Name].”

Katsuki was the one who’d called out your name. You had the misfortune of running into himrightas you stopped in front of your house, with your key in the lock and everything. Honestly, it wasn’t all that coincidental, since you literally lived in the same neighborhood. You’d already run into him at the local grocery store. It was only a matter of time until he found out where you lived.

“Oh. Hi, Katsuki.” You flashed him a wobbly smile. Katsuki was challenging to deal with, but you certainly didn’t hate him or anything. You were justwaytoo tired to be having this interaction right now, and you were eager for it to be over.

He had his hands buried in his pockets, and of course, that distinct frown he always wore. You watched as he stepped closer to you, much to your dismay, which told you that the conversation wasn’t about to end anytime soon.

“So, this is where you live, huh?” He gestured lazily to the house, and you kept straining a smile as you nodded your head.

You desperately hoped he wasn’t about to ask to be invited inside. Sure, he lacked manners, but even he couldn’t possibly bethatrude—

“Let me see your place.”

Your jaw dropped open. “What... what did you just say?”

“I want to see what your place is like. It’s only fair, since you basically invited yourself into my house a while ago.”

“That’s not true,” you tried to protest. “Your mom was the one who invited me over for dinner. I just agreed to it.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re a goddamn stalker,” he scoffed. “It was exactly what you’d been hoping for. I bet you followed us all the way to the grocery store and waited for the perfect opportunity to butt in. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

You blinked, becoming wearier by the second. “Katsuki. Youdoknow I have a life, right?”

“Could’ve fooled me,” he shrugged.

Ugh!

He was as shameless as always, but that was neither here nor there. Letting him inside was a risk you weren’t willing to take. You didn’t exactly have parents, after all. How would you explain your situation if he figured out you were living all by yourself?

“Sorry, but now’s not a good time,” you lied. “It’s, uh...reallymessy.”

“The f*ck is your problem?” Katsuki snapped. “You think you’re too good to let me see your house or some sh*t?”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is annoyed by how you’re trying to avoid him.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 70/100]

f*cking hell. You’d been doing so good for a while. If things kept going this way, he’d be back to zero points in no time flat.

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get it over with. I can just say my parents are out right now.

Taking a few moments to mentally prepare yourself, you eventually gave in.

“Alright,” you nodded. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, then I guess you can come inside for a bit. It’s not like I have anything to hide. Haha...”

Katsuki arched a brow, but thankfully, didn’t press you for an answer. He just walked right up to your doorstep, waited for you to finish turning the key in the lock, then followed you into the house.

It didn’t take long for him to speak up.

“How the hell is this messy?” he frowned, red eyes darting around the whole place. “There’s like...barelyanything here. I expected it to be full of pointless sh*t, not so goddamn minimalist.”

“I usually keep it a lot cleaner,” you insisted, even though he was right. There wasn’t really much going on around here, mainly because it was tiresome to have to keep crafting objects all the time. Apart from the rewards you occasionally got from your daily tasks, you didn’t invest much effort into sprucing the place up. Your life was already more than exhausting enough.

“Are your parents not back from work yet?” Katsuki asked, and right on cue, you flinched.

“N-No,” you stammered. “They work a lot of overtime. That’s why I usually make dinner for myself and stuff...”

“Hm. I guess it’s nice not having them be on your back all the time. Looks like there’s only one bedroom, though. Don’t tell me you all sleep together?”

The house was admittedly quite small, since it only needed to accommodate one person. It also wasn’t decorated the way a normal family home might be. There obviously weren’t any family portraits, or anything else that might indicate there was someone else sharing this space with you.

After seeing what Katsuki’s house looked like, it was definitely suspicious.

“We only recently moved here,” you tried to argue. That was what you’d told him, after all. “We’re, um, still in the process of furnishing the house and all that. For the time being, my parents use the bedroom, and I sleep out on the couch. It’s pretty comfortable, so I don’t really mind.”

Katsuki furrowed his brows. “I thought it’s already been nearly a year since you moved into the neighborhood.”

“Y-Yeah, but transforming a home takes a while, right?”

Goddammit. He kept asking so many questions! He wasn’t an idiot, so it made sense that he’d picked up on all the inconsistencies, but still.

“Sure, I guess.” Whether he believed you or not, he didn’t seem to care too much about getting to the truth. He just kept pacing around the room, not that there was much to see. Hopefully he’d get bored soon enough and would decide to leave. You doubted anything here would pique his interest.

“...what the f*ck isthatsupposed to be?”

Once again, you were mistaken. You followed Katsuki’s line of sight, and even the index finger he’d pointed accusingly, until you sawit.

The Katsuki training dummy you’d been pummeling for the past ten or so months.

Yeah, I’m done for.

Katsuki turned towards you in disbelief, and it was a miracle that he wasn’t screeching like a deranged chihuahua. “Hey. Creepy stalker. Am I seeing things right now, or does that thing look almost exactly like me?”

“You’re seeing things,” you said matter-of-factly, but obviously, it was a futile attempt.

“What the actual f*ck?!”

Oh, great. Now hewasscreeching.

Katsuki stomped over towards the dummy, pulled it closer, then stared at it long enough that his head had probably started spinning.

“This... this is seriously messed up,” he muttered. “I always knew you were obsessed with me, but holy f*ck.”

You didn’t know what to say, because there was honestlynoexcuse. The training dummywassupposed to look like him. If only he knew how much anger you’d taken out on that poor thing. He would undoubtedly have been horrified.

The best you were able to come up with was, “I-I thought it looked cute.”

“What?”

“The training dummy,” you swallowed, feeling violently flushed in the face. “I saw it in the store, and it looked cute, so I picked it out. I didn’t realize it had any resemblance to you. But now that you’re here, and I have a chance to look at you both from up close... I guess I can see some similarities. Kind of.”

Now it was Katsuki’s turn to be lost for words. He glanced from you to the dummy, from the dummy back to you, then made sure to repeat the whole process several times.

You were preparing yourself for another bout of screaming, perhaps even louder this time, but surprisingly, that didn’t happen.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki realizes that if you think that training dummy lookalike is cute, it means you find him cute too.]

[+10 love points.]

“You’re so weird,” he eventually grumbled, avoiding eye contact as best he could, not that it kept you from spotting his blush. “What would you even do with something like that? What’s the point of it?”

Thank god for his ego. You were lucky that he was interpreting this as an indirect compliment.

“I just train with it,” you said, unable to keep from chuckling awkwardly. “Like... I guess you don’t know much about how my Quirk works, but I can create different objects. So, I test out different weapons on it and stuff. It helps me get the hang of things.”

Thankfully, Katsuki was still stuck on how you’d indirectly called him cute. He was choosing to focus on that, rather than the fact that you were consistently beating the sh*t out of a dummy that looked just like him.

Katsuki’s blush eventually faded though, and he was back to frowning again. “I still can’t believe that asshole Deku has a Quirk. It’s such bullsh*t.”

Uh-oh. This is a conversation I should probably steer clear of.

“Do you want some juice?” you hastily offered. “It’s kind of hot out today. You’re probably in the mood for something refreshing.”

He shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

“Okie-dokie. Be right back!”

You rushed over towards the kitchen, thankful for the opportunity to finally catch your breath. It went without saying, but having to maintain the lies surrounding your situation wasrough. You had stupidly hoped that you would get a break after that whole ordeal with the system and running into Chisaki afterwards, but nothing was ever that simple.

Katsuki was sitting on your crappy-looking couch when you returned with his glass of juice, and he shifted uncomfortably. “You seriously sleep on this thing? I’ve barely sat on it for two minutes, and my ass is already sore.”

“I didn’t realize your ass was so sensitive,” you half-chuckled, handing him the glass. “I guess you’re more delicate than you look. Or maybe you just have expensive taste. Your housedidlook pretty impressive.”

“Shut it,” he snapped, making sure to roll his eyes at you. He took a few sips of the juice, which thankfully seemed to be to his liking.

So, what the hell were you supposed to do next?

To say this was awkward would still have been an understatement. You were both just sitting next to each other on the couch, not making eye contact or even exchanging small-talk. Katsuki sure liked to act like he couldn’t stand your guts, but he’d practically jumped at the opportunity to invite himself into your home. Granted, you already knew he was terrible at being honest with himself, but still. You would appreciate having someone else carry the conversation for a change.

“I saw you were in the middle of all the chaos back at USJ,” Katsuki suddenly said. He downed the last few drops of his juice, set his glass aside, then narrowed his eyes a bit. “Were you the one who injured that villain? You had a knife in your hand, and he was bleeding, even before the pros showed up.”

You pressed your lips together. The topic of USJ wasn’t exactly a pleasant one, especially considering all the cringeworthy flirting you’d done with Shigaraki.

God, every time you thought back on it, you could feel your skin crawl. Not only out of fear, but unparalleled embarrassment.

“I just barely managed to get a solid hit in,” you admitted. “I was pretty shaken up the whole time. But I guess I’m lucky to have lasted as long as I did before All Might showed up, even though I’m not that strong yet.”

“It looked like you were crying,” Katsuki remarked.

“Y-Yeah. Seeing Aizawa-sensei getting hurt so badly definitely freaked me out. But you were really cool,” you hurried to add. “Even though those villains had every intention of killing us, you still intervened to help give All Might a better chance at winning. It was awesome how you kept your calm in a situation like that.”

Katsuki’s cheeks reddened a bit, but he maintained eye contact this time. “Yeah, well, if you wanna become a hero, you can’t just wimp out when the going gets tough. Fighting bad guys is the whole point of what we do.”

“Isn’t it saving people?”

“Same sh*t,” he waved off.

You couldn’t help but laugh. He was just so headstrong and unbothered. You wished you could take a page out of his book and learn to be a bit braver. For all his faults, he was still someone you really looked up to.

“I really wasn’t expecting something like that to happen. We’re barely a few days into the school year.” You paused, unable to hide how upset you looked. The fact of the matter was that the systemknewthat those villains would be attacking everyone. They knew exactly what would happen, including the fact that Aizawa would get seriously injured, but they’d still kept it from you.

It sucked, because if the system wasn’t such a piece of sh*t and actually wanted tohelp, you might have been able to keep that whole situation from happening in the first place.

“What’s that face for?” Katsuki scoffed. “Don’t bother trying to figure out what goes on in the mind of those crazies. Its’s a waste of time. When sh*t happens, you deal with it. It’s just that simple.”

As always, he didn’t bother trying to mince words. But strangely enough, you appreciated it. There were a lot of things going on in your life, and despite how crazy it all seemed, he was right that you shouldn’t torture yourself by dwelling on the past or trying to predict the future.

The most you could do was try your hardest in the moment.

“You’re right, Katsuki.” You leaned a bit closer to him and smiled, not having to force it this time. You’d been opposed to him being here at first, but it was nice to have a proper conversation for a change. One where he wasn’t yelling at you every other moment. “What’s done is done, so I should just focus on getting stronger. So that next time, I can contribute more, the way you did.”

Instead of gracing you with a verbal response, Katsuki just stared at you. The lack of distance between the two of you didn’t click right away, at least not until you noticed his eyes drifting downwards a bit, towards your lips.

He really had a thing for your lips, huh?

“Q-Quit it,” he stammered gruffly, and wasted no time before shuffling away from you. “The hell are you getting so close to me for? I should’ve known you would act all creepy. Giving me juice and sh*t to make me let my guard down.”

[Bakugou Katsuki seriously thought you were about to kiss him again.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 100/100]

Your eyes widened. Katsuki was still all flushed and muttering things under his breath, but you were too focused on the notification you’d just received.

It was official. You had finally,finallyimproved your standing with this guy for the better. That being said, you weren’t an idiot. Just like with Shouto, you doubted this meant Katsuki considered you his friend all of a sudden. Maybe you were a close acquaintance with him now too?

[Rank up! Bakugou Katsuki has gone from being an “acquaintance” to being your “classmate”. Love point meter refreshed.]

[Current progress: 0/200]

You slapped your forehead in disbelief.

But we were always classmates! How the hell is this is an improvement?!

[Rank up reward for Bakugou Katsuki: You have received one (1) skill point.]

At first, you felt frustrated. Sure, you were getting skill points which would contribute towards you becoming stronger, but some of your love interests were just incredibly difficult to get close to. It was hard not to get discouraged, especially when you were basically being threatened every moment of the day.

But once you took a few deep breaths, you started to calm down, and you realized this was still a step in the right direction. It was okay. For a while, you were convinced that Katsuki would keep hating your guts forever, yet here he was, sitting right next to you inside your house.

Even if it was gradual, you were making progress. And above all else, you were happy. Your fixation on the points was only so that the system didn’t punish you for failing to meet their requirements. As a human being, you didn’twantto reduce other people to numbers, or targets meant to be won over.

It was just nice making connections and knowing that others were warming up to you.

“What are you giggling for all of a sudden?” Katsuki frowned. “You’re seriously a f*cking weirdo.”

“Sorry,” you mused, incapable of hiding your grin. “I was just thinking this day has turned out pretty nice. I’m glad I ran into you on the way home. Having you here has been a lot of fun.”

The blush on his cheeks, which hadjuststarted to disappear, flared up almost immediately.

And then he stood up.

“So goddamn cheesy,” he muttered. “Forget it. I’ve wasted enough time here for one day. You saw my house before, so now we’re even. I was just trying to get back at you, alright? Don’t you dare read into this sh*t.”

“Aw.” You batted your lashes at him. “And here I was, thinking you just wanted to spend a bit of time with me.”

“Dream on, creepy girl!”

Katsuki made sure to flip you off before promptly storming out of the house. It obviously wasn’t intentional on his end, but the whole thing came across as rather adorable, and your giggles showed no signs of stopping.

It wasn’t until he left that you realized your face felt awfully hot, and your heart was pounding rather fast as well.

Instead of being embarrassed, it made you happy. Even with your unique circ*mstances, youcouldstill forge meaningful relationships with others. This confirmation alone instilled you with a great deal of confidence.

You let out a content sigh, then walked over towards the Katsuki training dummy and placed your hand on its head. “Thank you for your service until now, but I think it’s time for me to swap you out. I’d feel pretty guilty whacking you around after this.”

Chapter 27: Back To School

Chapter Text

Shigaraki was angry. But then again, that was nothing new.

He’d suffered a humiliating defeat at USJ. Going into the whole operation, he believed that All Might had been gravely weakened. He truly thought the Nomu would be more than enough to put the Symbol of Peace out of commission for good.

Alas, reality was cruel. It always turned out this way. Heroes always,alwayswon in the end.

He was f*cking sick of it.

Nothing of note was happening today. Shigaraki still needed to recover from his gunshot wounds, so he had no choice but to take it easy for a while. As such, he occupied his time the way he usually did when he wasn’t going around trying to kill people—by playing video games.

Needless to say, it wasn’t going well. His injuries had him hissing through his teeth every few seconds, and he was a lot more irritable than normal, which was saying something.

“Terrible f*cking team,” he gritted out. “None of you assholes can play worth half a sh*t.”

He kept this up for a while, cursing under his breath—both from frustrationandpain—until he finally got fed up and gripped his controller too hard, accidentally clamping his entire hand around it.

“f*ck,” Shigaraki scowled, watching as the controller disintegrated. It turned completely to dust, which slipped through the cracks of his fingers and fell onto the floor.

Great. Now he needed to buy a new controller too. What a perfect f*cking day.

Shigaraki was bitter and irritable to a fault, but despite how childish he could be at times, he still knew how to keep a level head and follow orders. His master was never wrong. Even if USJ had ultimately been a failure, it wasn’t the last opportunity he would have.

Sooner or later, hewouldknock those pretentious heroes down a few pegs.

For now, though, he chose to direct his attention elsewhere, and surprisingly, it helped him take the edge off a little.

Shigaraki thought you were very strange. After all, what person in their right mind would try to flirt with a villain who was threatening to kill them? It was a remarkably stupid approach, but you’d been trying to buy some time, and as much as he hated to admit it, you had succeeded. He still remembered the way he’d frozen in his tracks when you’d asked him if he had a girlfriend. It was pretty much the shock of a lifetime.

You were... actually pretty cute, though. He found himself thinking about you quite often these days. Granted, you were a hero, so he still despised pretty much everything you stood for, but the little banter you’d shared was probably the most fun he’d had in alongtime.

He suddenly wondered what would happen if he kissed you. Surely, you would hate it. There was no chance a pretty, strait-laced girl like you would enjoy being kissed by a creepy villain. You would probably hate every moment of it. You would probably beg him to stop, with tears pouring down your face.

Shigaraki’s lips split into a wide, disturbing grin. Fortunately for him, that sort of reaction was exactly what he wanted.

He decided right then and there that before killing you, he would make sure to familiarize himself with the taste of your lips. It would make the whole thing that much sweeter. He would rob you of your innocence, only to take your life with his bare hands moments later.

Was he being too harsh? No. Not even in the slightest. It was your fault for being a hero, in any case. People like you were why the world was so f*cked up in the first place.

Shigaraki leaned back against the edge of his bed. His wounds still ached, but now that his mind was filled with thoughts of you, the pain was suddenly a lot more bearable.

“So adorable,” he mumbled aloud. “And so,sostupid.”

He was really going to enjoy breaking you.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shigaraki Tomura wants you to be his first kiss.]

[+30 love points.]

[Current progress: 80/200]

You spat out your milk and cereal, making a mess all over the kitchen table. f*cking hell. The shock was so intense, it was as if you’d just gotten hit by a bus.

“Is it possible to turn off his notifications in particular?” you whined. “I don’t want to see them again. Like,ever.”

[“But how else will you know how you’re progressing with him?”]

“Don’t care. Seeing stuff like this just really freaks me out, especially since I know he’s a villain.” You hugged your sides and shuddered. “Jeez. Talk about a sh*tty start to the day.”

[“Well, unfortunately, there’s no feature that allows you to disable notifications for specific love interests, and again, I’m not sure why you’d want to. You need to know if you’re progressing with them, or regressing. It’s important to know your standing so that you can act accordingly.”]

You let out a heavy sigh. Honestly, you were still hell-bent on eliminating Shigaraki from the equation. Not only did you have no desire to get close to him, but it was quite literally putting your life at risk. You were going to do the bare minimum to appease the system, but the moment you figured out how to get out of this situation, you’d be damned if you ever locked eyes with Shigaraki again.

“He’s going to kill me,” you gritted out. “Or, hewantsto kill me, at least. That much, I’m sure of.”

[“Actually, he's thinking about how he wants tokissyou, notkillyou. Oh, no. Don’t tell me you’re illiterate.”]

You promptly muted them. It was way too early for this bullsh*t.

Anyways, school was officially back in session. You couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous going back to campus, since the last time you’d been there, you’d nearly died. But you assumed that U.A had probably bolstered their security after the fact. No way were they going to allow the same thing to happen again.

Well, that’s what you were counting on, at least.

You walked into class, and although you’d been expecting as much, everyone was already going full throttle. For better or worse, they all couldn’t seem to stop talking about the USJ incident. Getting invaded by villains during a field trip wasn’t exactly a common occurrence, after all.

“Hm? Oh, [Name]!”

Kaminari was the one who’d called your name. He rushed over to you and greeted you with a big grin. You’d started off your day with a horrifying status update from Shigaraki, so it was definitely nice to see a friendly face.

“Good morning, Kaminari,” you smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m pretty good! Excited to be back, even though I can tell some of our other classmates are still a bit nervous. Hey, by the way,” he suddenly frowned. “I heard you charged ahead at those villains all by yourself. That’s badass! You wanted to help Aizawa-sensei, right?”

“Um... yes,” you nodded, letting out a sheepish chuckle. “R-Right. I did my best to buy some time and take the pressure off Aizawa-sensei.”

And also because I needed to flirt with the main bad guy there... ugh.

“So cool,” Kaminari beamed. It was nice that he was singing your praises, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty, since he didn’t know the full story.

You just nodded and kept on smiling. “What about you? I noticed you were part of the group that got scattered around USJ. Does that mean you ended up having to fight some of the villains as well?”

“I guess you could say that,” he hummed, proudly sticking up his nose. “Thanks to my Quirk, kicking those villains’ butts was easy as pie!”

From across the room, one of your classmates, Jirou, rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, but then you short-circuited afterwards,” she sighed.

“Jirou!” Kaminari squealed. “You can’t just go around telling people stuff like that! I’m self-conscious about it!” He was blushing now, and he chuckled nervously in between breaths. “Just... just ignore what she said. I think she enjoys teasing me or something.”

You nibbled on your bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Don’t worry. I’m sure that whatever it was, you still did a really good job taking out all those villains. You should be proud.”

“I should?” Kaminari blinked several times, then stood up straighter, looking much more confident all of a sudden. “I mean, yeah! Ishould! I really kicked ass out there!”

“I wish I could’ve been there to see,” you mused.

“True. You missed out. But there’s always next time! The next time we get attacked by villains, just stick with me! I’ll be sure to protect you,” he grinned.

He flashed you a thumbs-up, and you had to admit, his energy was contagious. You were starting to feel better already.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Kaminari Denki thinks you’re really cute and easy to talk to.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 40/100]

You talked with him for a little longer, but soon enough, Aizawa walked into the classroom, and it was time for everyone to take their seats.

You’d already seen what Aizawa looked like after he’d called you into the nurse’s office the day of the USJ incident, but... damn. He wasreallyrocking the whole mummy vibe.

“Sensei,” you said, frowning a bit. “Is it just me, or do you have even more bandages than since the last time I saw you?”

He waved you off. “Relax. I’m perfectly fine. Don’t concern yourselves with me.”

“Should you really be back to work so soon?”

“This is nothing. I can hardly even feel it.”

Somehow, I doubt that...

“There are more pressing issues, anyways.” He assumed his position behind the teacher’s podium, then proceeded to just stare at the whole class, allowing the tension to build. People were already starting to freak out while imagining all the possibilities.

“Don’t tell me... more villains?!”

“Has the school’s safety been compromised?!”

“We’re not going to have to transfer out, are we?”

Aizawa waited a few more moments, then announced, quite plainly, “U.A’s Sports Festival is coming up.”

Huh. Somehow, it ended up being pretty anticlimactic.

Also, what evenwasthat?

You had the good sense not to ask, of course. Nobody knew that you had a severe case of amnesia. You’d learned about different heroes and such by looking things up online, and also just listening to Izuku ramble on all the time. He was practically an encyclopedia when it came to hero-related news.

Anyways, U.A’s Sports Festival wasn’t something you were familiar with, but thankfully, Aizawa had an explanation ready.

“In the past, we had the Olympics, but since then, U.A’s Sports Festival has taken its place. It’s one of Japan’s biggest events—if notthebiggest. The whole country will be watching, which means that the country’s top heroes will be watching as well.” Aizawa narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure you all know where I’m going with this.”

“They’re going to scout us?” you asked.

Aizawa nodded. “Well, only if you make a good impression, that is. Point being, the Sports Festival is an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself and get your name out there. If you get noticed by a pro, it’ll open up countless more opportunities for the future. The Sports Festival happens once a year, which means that you’ll get a total of three chances while you’re studying here at U.A. If you’re serious about becoming a hero, then this isn’t something you can overlook.”

Wow. It sure sounded like a big deal. To think that you were going to be involved in something like that... already, you were starting to feel nervous.

But you didn’tjustfeel nervous. You were excited as well. Just like everyone else, you had worked your butt off to get here. You deserved the chance to stand out and secure your future.

Lunch eventually rolled around, and even though you’d originally planned on eating with Izuku, All Might showed up all of a sudden and invited Izuku to eat with him instead.

“They sure are close,” Uraraka remarked. “I guess All Might’s taken an interest in him because their powers are kind of similar?”

Not just similar, but literally identical... except I’m obviously not going to say that.

“Let’s just go eat,” you insisted, worried that the longer they dwelled on this issue, the more suspicious they might become.

This time, it wasn’t All Might who got in your way, but Shouto.

“[Name],” he said. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Huh? Oh. Well, we’re just about to go eat,” you said, pointing to Iida and Uraraka. “Do you want to come with?”

“Not particularly,” he replied. Yeah, okay. You probably should have expected that. He stepped a bit closer to you and said,“I wanted to talk with you alone.”

“Alright, then.”

You had no reason to refuse, and getting closer to him was something you wanted, anyways. It was actually nice seeing him take the initiative for a change. You normally struggled to get a hold of him.

“This way,” Shouto said, and he beckoned you towards the end of the hallway, where nobody was around. Only once he was certain that nobody could hear did he lean closer, lips pursed as if he was ready to say something.

Honestly, nothing could have prepared you for the words that were about to leave his mouth.

“Is Midoriya All Might’s secret love child or something?”

Bro.

You couldn’t help but gape at him. It was a justifiable response. From what you knew, Shouto was naturally smart, so to hear him come up with such a stupid theory was giving you a major case of whiplash.

The whole thing was dumb. Almost laughably so. And yet, there it was again, slowly creeping up your spine.

That stubborn feeling of déjà vu.

I swear I’ve heard him say that one-liner before. But why can’t I remember?

You gritted your teeth. Ugh, it was happening again. Your head was throbbing uncontrollably.

“S-Sorry,” you spluttered, pressing a hand against your aching skull. “I’m not sure what... I just... I need a moment to—ah!”

The pain was building, and it was now impossible to ignore. You were doing your best to endure it, but you knew for a fact that your expression was far from composed. You couldn’t even keep your eyes open. Every ripple of pain made you feel as if your head was about to explode.

f*ck. You were going to throw up.

“[Name]?” Shouto was standing by awkwardly, but he could tell that something wasn’t right. A bit hesitantly, he reached out and poked you on the arm. “Hey. What’s going on? Do you need to sit down?”

No, you didn’t need to sit down. What you needed was to run to the bathroom and puke your guts out, and that was exactly what you did.

It was miracle you made it to the toilet in time to empty the contents of your stomach. You groaned, tears stinging your eyes as you looked down at what you’d just purged. Milk and half-digested bits of cereal. Absolutely lovely.

You flushed the toilet, rinsed your mouth out in one of the bathroom sinks, then proceeded to just stand there and stare at your reflection.

Another memory had come to you. Or, maybe not a memory, but one of one those strange visions. This one was of Shouto and Izuku, and it took place in what appeared to be some sort of underpass. Shouto was staring rigidly in Izuku’s direction, and after a good deal of uncomfortable silence, he proceeded to ask the same question you’d heard earlier.

“Are you All Might’s secret love child or something?”

This was all so confusing. You didn’t understand how it kept happening. Maybe you were seeing glimpses of the future? Because you were quite certain that Izuku and Shouto had never spoken a word to each other yet.

A lot didn’t add up, and you wondered if it ever would.

If nothing else, you felt better after puking, and your headache had finally cleared.

“Can’t believe this has to happen every time I remember something,” you muttered. “I swear someone is doing this just to make me suffer.”

You were just talking to yourself, so you didn’t expect a response.

But you got one anyways.

[“Wrong.”]

You blinked, slowly wiping your hands off. “Huh? What do you mean?”

[“I mean you’re wrong. Nobody’s trying to make you suffer. It’s the exact opposite. Even if you don’t realize it, I’m helping you. I’ve been helping you all this time.”]

That sounded like bullsh*t if you’d ever heard it, but you didn’t have the strength to argue with them right now.

Still, it was strange that they’d even bothered to correct you. Did theytrulybelieve they were helping you, in their own f*cked up way?

How could that even be possible?

You shook your head. Yeah, no. You were too exhausted to be getting into this right now. Having just purged your entire breakfast, you needed to fill your belly with some food, and pronto.

“What happened?” Shouto frowned. He was waiting for you outside the bathroom. Perhaps this was wishful thinking on your part, but he looked a bit worried. “Did you have some kind of episode? You looked like you were in a lot of pain, and then you ran off all of a sudden.”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto doesn’t want you to suffer.]

[+10 love points.]

So, hewasworried. To some extent, at least. It was a small gesture, but knowing that he cared was still able to bring a smile to your lips.

“I’m alright,” you insisted. “I have chronic migraines. They just come out of nowhere. Some days are worse than others. I feel better now though, so don’t worry.”

He shrugged. “If you say so. Just take it easy. If you push yourself too hard, it’ll only backfire in the end.”

“You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” There was a pause, and then you asked, while scratching your cheek, “So, um... about what you said earlier. Where didthatcome from?”

“Midoriya and All Might seem to be really close,” he said, as if his conclusion was the natural one. “He pays a lot of attention to him. Much more than to the rest of our class, at least.”

Well, thatwastrue, but not at all for the reasons he believed.

“It’s nothing like that,” you chuckled awkwardly. “Izuku is my friend. I’ve known him for almost a year... so, pretty much as long as I’ve known you. All Might isn’t his dad. That much I know for a fact.”

“Hm. Alright. Well, that’s what I wanted to ask you in the first place. The two of you are always together, so I assumed you’d know.”

He narrowed his eyes a bit more as he said the last part. You got the sense that he didn’t really like Izuku. Were you reading into things too much?

Might as well ask and find out.

“Why did you want to know? It seems a bit weird. Just that... I’ve never seen you take much of an interest in our classmates, so I was surprised to hear you ask such a thing,” you remarked.

If he’d been tripped up by your question, then he certainly didn’t show it. “Midoriya’s caught the attention of the Number One Hero. If I’m aiming to be the best, then I of course have to be aware of any potential rivals. Midoriya’s Quirk seems pretty high-risk right now, but there’s no telling what he’ll be able to do once he gets it under control. I just figured that I needed to keep him in mind, that’s all.”

True. That made sense. You liked that he was acknowledging Izuku’s potential, rather than getting angry and trying to deny it, like Katsuki had done up until now. Not that youwantedIzuku to have rivals, but the more he stood out, the more it was bound to happen.

“Right,” you smiled. “You’re super strong, so I get why you’d want to know who your competitors are. I guess that means you’ll be going all-out for the Sports Festival, right?”

Shouto frowned. “Is there any point in holding back?”

“No, of course not. But this means I’ll get to see you at full-strength. I’m pretty excited,” you couldn’t help but admit.

“You’re excited... to see me compete?”

“Mhm!”

As was often the case whenever he spoke to you, Shouto found himself lost for words. It didn’t help that you always had such an open-minded and kind expression. You smiled a lot, even when you had no reason to.

It was strange, but in a way, he respected you for it.

[Todoroki Shouto is kind of happy about what you just said.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/200]

“To each their own, I guess. Although I’m not sure what there is to look forward to. You should really focus on yourself...”

He walked away without saying another word, but you didn’t take it to heart. You already knew what sort of person he was. His bluntness wasn’t always easy to deal with, but little by little, you’d gotten used to it.

Besides, even if he was walking away, you could clearly see that the tips of his ears were red.

[Name]’s Archive:

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (best friend):270/500

Bakugou Katsuki (classmate):0/200

Todoroki Shouto (close acquaintance):30/200

Shigaraki Tomura (enemy):80/200

Chisaki Kai (acquaintance):20/100

Kirishima Eijirou (acquaintance):70/100

Kaminari Denki: (acquaintance):40/100

Shinsou Hitoshi (acquaintance):-10/100

(Additional entries in progress...)

Chapter 28: Aflame

Chapter Text

According to Aizawa, you had roughly two weeks until the Sports Festival. It sounded like a lot of time, but realistically speaking, there wasn’t a whole lot you could improve within that deadline. Training was crucial, and the system would probably make you work your butt off, but you were probably going to have to get by on your current strength level.

With the abilities you had in your arsenal, did you truly stand a chance of winning against your peers?

I don’t know, but... I have to at least try.

USJ had already been a massive reality check. Even with pros like Aizawa, Thirteen, and All Might on your side, the fact remained that you could very well have died that day. There were incredibly strong and dangerous people out there, and if you were going to become a hero, you needed to know to protect yourself, as well as those around you.

If nothing else, the Sports Festival would be an opportunity for you to find out what you were capable of.

You weren’t taking this lightly. You planned to do your best to prepare over the course of the next two weeks, and even though some of your classmates were incredibly strong, you had no intention of forfeiting to them.

But apparently, you weren’t the only one who had their eyes set on the prize.

“What the heck?!”

School had just ended for the day, but try as you might, you couldn’t leave the classroom. There were countless students blocking your way, preventing you from getting through.

“They’re blocking the exit!” Mineta exclaimed. “What’s their deal, anyways?”

Katsuki let out a derisive scoff. “Isn’t it obvious, asshole? They came here to scope out the competition. They must’ve heard we’re the class that made it out of the villain attack, so they want to see what we’re like, especially since the Sports Festival is coming up. It’s pointless to try, though.” He buried his hands in his pockets and turned towards the crowd in question, glaring all the while. “Hurry up and f*ck off, you goddamn mob.”

It sure is like him to pick a fight right away...

You kind of hoped that Katsuki’s abrasive attitude would be enough to make them leave. You didn’t really want all of this unnecessary attention.

Unfortunately, they didn’t back off. In fact, one of the students even responded to Katsuki’s sharp-tongued remark.

“What a shame. I really didn’t expect you guys to be this arrogant. Is everyone in the Hero Department like you?”

It was Shinsou, the boy you’d met while playing with that kitten a little while ago. His expression was as lethargic as always, but even so, there was no disputing that slightly-irritated look in his eyes. The very same look he’d had when speaking to you.

“A lot of students end up in the General Department or other departments because they failed the exam for the Hero Department, did you know that?”

Katsuki tilted his head to the side in confusion. He clearly didn’t understand what Shinsou was getting at, and he also probably didn’t care.

You were starting to piece things together, though. The reason why your love points had dropped when Shinsou found out you were in Class 1-A... it suddenly made a lot of sense.

He was jealous, plain and simple.

“Based on the results of the Sports Festival, it’s possible for a student to be considered to transfer into the Hero Department,” Shinsou said, his brows furrowing together. “And make no mistake—the reverse isalsopossible. All I’m saying is, don’t get too comfortable. Right now, I’m thinking I want to pull the rug out from under you while you’re sitting on your high horse. Consider this a declaration of war if you want. The point is, don’t let your guard down. Everyone here is gunning for your spot.”

Shinsou only made eye contact with you for half a second, and just as quickly as he’d appeared, he slipped through the crowd and walked off.

Man. Everyone at this school was so confrontational about these kinds of things. You seriously couldn’t take it easy for a single moment.

“Great, thanks for making them all pissed off at us,” Kirishima sighed. “Was that really necessary, dude? You didn’t need to come after them like that. Now we’ve got a bunch of haters looking to take us down.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Katsuki said simply.

“What? Come on, man. Have some self-awareness for a change.”

“No. It doesn’t matter.” Katsuki refused to back down. He looked over his shoulder, and unless you were imagining it, he stared at you and Izuku in particular. “None of that pointless sh*t matters once you make it to the top.”

Then he walked off too, just as Shinsou had done a few moments ago.

He’d left a crowd of angry students in his midst, but some of your classmates actually seemed to respect him for it.

“There’s justsomuch manliness,” Kirishima mumbled. “It takes a true man to say something like that so confidently.”

“What?” Kaminari gaped. “Nah, man, don’t listen to that guy! All he did was make us a bunch of enemies for no reason!”

“He’s still manly, though.”

“Literally how?!”

You half-chuckled. Katsuki was a piece of work, as usual. You definitely didn’t have the nerve to run your mouth the way he did, but it was true that he was always looking ahead and seeking victory. In that regard, you could certainly try to emulate him a bit more.

“It sounds like these next two weeks will be pretty busy,” you remarked, offering Izuku an encouraging smile. “Let’s both do our best.”

He nodded hastily. You didn’t know what he’d talked about with All Might during lunch, but you felt like it was best not to be too nosy. Whatever the case, he looked a lot more determined than earlier. He clearly wasn’t taking the Sports Festival lightly either.

USJ had been rough, to put it mildly, but it was probably the biggest challenge you would encounter for quite a while. Even if the Sports Festival would be hard, it still wasn’t as if your life was on the line. All you needed to do was focus and put in a good effort, and everything would be fine.

At the time, you didn’t realize just how wrong you were.

[“Why can’t you use the equip function yet? You’re seriously useless.”]

You mashed your teeth together in frustration. “I’m doing my best, okay?”

[“Well, your best isn’t good enough. At this rate, you’re going to get absolutely destroyed during the Sports Festival. I’m not saying you need to place first or anything, but a pathetic display like this would be super embarrassing. I’m just looking out for you.”]

As always, their attempts to motivate you or whatever ended up doing the exact opposite. You slumped onto the grass, panting in an attempt to catch your breath. Training had been nonstop lately. Every spare moment you had, the system demanded that you get used to using your critical hit ability, so that you could extend your limit. In principle, you agreed with them about wanting to get stronger, but it was exhausting having to listen to them constantly berate you.

[“The durability on your weapons is going down. You’ll have to craft new ones soon, or they’ll break.”]

That was another thing you’d come to realize. Apparently, the weapons you crafted could only be used for so long. They were pretty damn sturdy for the most part, but after enough uses, they suddenly shattered and needed to be crafted again. You supposed it made sense having a drawback like this. The fact that you could create countless objects and store them indefinitely was already pretty awesome. You couldn’t afford to get too greedy.

“I’ll craft more later,” you dismissed, fanning your sweaty body with your hand. “I’m too tired right now. I don’t think I have enough energy left in me.”

[“That’s fine. Just don’t get complacent. You need to keep training every single day if you want to see some results.”]

You’d reached your limit for now, so you took a bath, changed into fresh clothes, then plopped down onto the couch and started scrolling absentmindedly through your phone.

“I want a TV,” you mumbled. “Or at the very least, a laptop. It gets boring here all by myself.”

[“Blame yourself for not being skilled enough to craft stuff like that. Electronics are complicated. If you want to fill your house with fun, fancy things, you have no choice but to get stronger.”]

Right. Same old story.

You let out a heavy, drawn-out sigh. Amnesia aside, you really were lonely. It would be nice if you could invite some friends over for a sleepover or something. But for obvious reasons, you weren’t going to do that. It had been stressful enough when Katsuki showed up to your house without warning and started asking all those questions. Still, it didn’t hurt to dream.

Right now, Izuku was probably having dinner with his mom. He never talked about his dad, but either way, it sounded like he and his mom were super close, and it made you happy for him. Katsuki was probably bickering with his parents or something. They argued a lot, and they sure were loud, but it was clear that they still loved each other.

As for Shouto, well... his family life clearly wasn’t going so well. He hadn’t told you any of the details, but you’d been able to infer as much based on what you already knew about him. You wondered if he felt just as lonely as you, despite the fact that hedidhave a family.

The thought of such a thing made your heart ache, and on impulse, you decided to text him.

[Name]

Hey, Shouto!

How’s your evening going so far?

You waited a while for him to respond, but it didn’t look like it was going to happen.

Bummer. It would’ve been nice to talk to him. I guess he’s probably busy. It sounded like he was planning on training a lot. Or maybe he's just ignoring me. He sure likes to do that.

Since it seemed like you were in for yet another boring evening, you decided to try and liven things up a bit by running to the convenience store and buying yourself some dessert.

For possibly the first timeever, the system offered you some meaningful advice.

[“Isn’t it too late for a grocery run? If you’re not careful, someone might attack you. You’re a teenage girl walking alone at night.”]

Perhaps you were naïve. Or maybe it was just that you couldn’t bear to stay trapped at home and keep drowning in your loneliness. But whatever the case, you ignored their warning and stepped outside anyways.

In doing so, you sealed your fate.

The neighborhood you lived in was nice. People here were reasonably well-off. Certainly not rich, but upper middle-class. It was a good area, and even though it was a bit of a walk to the nearest convenience store, you were content to fill your lungs with the refreshing night air. There was even a pleasant breeze that occasionally tickled your cheeks.

The streets were empty, though. It was late enough in the night that everyone was probably at home right now. The convenience store was open 24/7, thankfully, and you had your mind set on a particular brand of ice cream you’d really come to enjoy.

Spoiler alert: you didn't end up getting your ice cream.

You drew in a deep breath, but before you could exhale, apingcut you off.

[“Wait. I can sense there’s a love interest nearby, but... something’s wrong. I think you need to turn back.”]

Strange. They were usually so gung-ho about making you approach your targets, regardless of the time or place, or even your mental wellbeing. If they were telling you to turn back in spite of that...

Things were probably about to get really,reallybad.

You took a hasty step backwards, but by that point, it was already too late. A scream cut through the air, the likes of which froze you in place.

Less than five seconds later, a man came running out from around the corner. His face was drenched with tears and snot, but that wasn’t what stood out to you.

It was the fact that his skin had been horribly and irreversibly burned.

He spotted you, and he parted his lips as if he was about to scream out for help, but regretfully, his voice died out in the back of his throat.

Blue flames engulfed him from behind, and all you could do was watch, too horrified to fully process what was even happening.

In a matter of seconds, the man was dead.

[“You need to run. If you want to survive, then run away rightnow.”]

Even the system recognized the danger that you were in, but as desperately as you tried to spur yourself onwards, your limbs refused to budge.

Time was passing in slow motion, and what felt like several minutes was only a brief moment or two. But even if you had reacted immediately, you probably wouldn’t have made it very far. You weren’t fast like Iida, Katsuki, or even Shouto. You weren’t strong yet, and there was so much that you just didn’tunderstand.

You had been thrown into this life, and from the very start, the odds were stacked against you.

“Finally, he’s dead.”

Another man turned the corner, and based on the smoke rising from his fingertips, it was obvious that he was the one responsible for the murder you’d just witnessed. He had striking blue eyes, similar to the color of the flame you’d just seen, jet-black hair, and his skin had been scarred so deeply that most of it had turned a dark purplish shade and needed to be held together with metallic staples.

His appearance was undeniably distinct. Impossible to forget, even. But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

What mattered was that he’d just killed someone right in front of you, which made you a witness to his crime.

You already knew what came next.

“Oh, look,” he hummed. “I didn’t realize I had an audience tonight. A cute teenage girl has showed up to cheer me on? I’m so flattered.”

You couldn’t speak. It felt like your throat was closing in on itself. By now, you were no stranger to this fear—the type of fear that crept up your spine and made your head feel like it was spinning. You’d experienced it countless times already, both at the system’s hands, and most recently, during USJ.

But just because you were used to being afraid didn’t make it any easier.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Dabi thinks your terrified expression is pretty cute. It’s a shame he has to kill you.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/100]

Ha. Haha.

Right. Of course things would turn out like this. You weren’t sure why you were even surprised anymore.

There was another one. The system expected you to win over yet another criminal—yet anothermurderer. But they were in for one hell of a disappointment.

After all, you doubted you were making it out of this alive.

“Don’t run,” Dabi said, and he stepped closer, steady and unbothered. “It makes the whole thing a lot more tedious. Let’s just spare ourselves the trouble, okay? There’s no point in screaming either. Hey. If you promise not to scream, then I’ll make sure I give you a quick death. Hm? How does that sound?”

Tears blurred your vision. Youdidn’tscream, but only because you were too terrified to make any sound.

Instead, you tried to run away, which was exactly what Dabi had just told younotto do.

He clicked his tongue. “Ah. So, that’s how it’s going to be. Fine, then. I guess I’ll play along.”

You should have been prepared for the heat. When that man had died a few moments ago, you’d been assaulted by a wave of hot air that nearly knocked you off your feet. But that unpleasant sensation didn’t even comecloseto how it felt for his flames to come in direct contact with your skin.

This time, youdidtry to scream. Everything burned. It hurt so,sobad. The flames were enough to knock you onto the ground, and you gritted your teeth in an attempt to shoulder the pain and remain conscious. If you passed out here, then there was no question about it—youwoulddie.

“What a cute little scream,” Dabi mused. His attacks were long-ranged, but he was bridging the gap regardless, as if he enjoyed toying with you. “Don’t take it personally. I don’t usually go around killing cute girls like you. It was just bad timing, that’s all.”

You tried to call out for help while scrambling to your feet, but Dabi hit you with another burst of flames from behind. It burned right through the clothes on your back, searing your skin directly. White spots were now dancing in front of your eyes. The pain of being burned alive wasn’t something you would ever wish upon someone, not even your worst enemy.

As you laid there, gasping for breath and choking back tears, you finally noticed that your phone had fallen out of your pocket. Part of the screen had cracked from the impact, and at that very moment, it lit up from a notification.

[Shouto]

I’m okay.

What about you?

You blinked, and a few more tears rolled down your cheeks.

Ah. He responded.

Chapter 29: Two Systems

Chapter Text

You were going to die.

It wasn’t the same as USJ. Back then, at least you weren’t alone. Aizawa and Thirteen had given it their all to protect the students, and in doing so, they had bought enough time for All Might and the rest of the heroes to show up.

But here, you were all on your own. Nobody knew that you were in danger, so naturally, nobody was going to come and save you either.

As things stood, your death was all but guaranteed.

“Be a good girl and stay put,” Dabi hummed. He let loose another wave of flames, and you swore you’d already lost your ability to scream. The heat burned your throat and made it nearly impossible to choke out any sound. Your nerves were quite literally on fire, and you found yourself craving death, because at least then, you would be freed from this excruciating pain.

Every time you gasped for breath, the hot, dry air made you wheeze brokenly.

I... messed up. I should have... invested my skill points into vitality. If I had, then maybe my body could have endured this...

You were still clinging to the last ropes of your consciousness, but you just didn’t have the physical fortitude to resist Dabi’s attacks. You weren’t like Kirishima. You couldn’t harden your body to reduce the damage you took. You weren’t like Iida either. You didn’t have the speed to make it out of here in time, especially when you were incapacitated from the pain.

It was really over. You were actually going to die here, and all because you’d decided to go out for a late-night convenience store run.

What a f*cking joke.

Still, it was human instinct to try and survive. With the last bit of strength you had left, you pulled up the system interface and withdrew the first weapon you laid eyes on. This turned out to be your trusty baton, and it appeared within your tightly-clenched fist, although your fingers were trembling as they tried to hold onto it.

Dabi slowed his steps and gave you a curious look. “Hm? What, your Quirk lets you create weapons or something? If that’s the case, then you should’ve made a gun. It would’ve at least given you a fighting chance.”

You couldn’t have mustered up a response even if you wanted to. Your throat and lungs were burning like crazy. But he was right. A long-ranged weapon would have been ideal for a situation like this. It was too bad you only had melee weapons. They were the only ones you knew how to craft. What good would a baton do if he could just keep setting you on fire from afar?

God. Everything hurtsof*cking much. It was a miracle you were even still conscious, but you doubted that would be the case for long.

Dabi was still too far away for you to land a proper hit on him. You could try to get up and lunge at him, but he would assault you with flames before you even managed to close the distance. In that case, there was really only one thing you could do.

Create an opportunity to escape.

You’d never done this before, so you didn’t know if it would even work, but it wasn’t as if you had any other options left. Before Dabi could strike you again, you stared pointedly down at the concrete, towards a spot right in front of his feet. You focused with all your strength, unwilling to so much as blink, and miraculously, your tactic paid off.

It seemed like your critical hit ability didn’t just work on people. So long as you designated something as your target, it would still take effect.

Those familiar bullseye-looking targets appeared on the ground, and without wasting a second, you slammed your baton down against one of the weak points, cracking the pavement in one fell swoop. Chunks of the ground went flying everywhere, and a dust cloud had formed in the midst of your attack. It wasn’t much, but if nothing else, it would provide you with a bit of cover as you tried to run away. For just a few moments, Dabi’s vision would be obscured.

You shot up onto your feet, choking back tears. The pain was almost indescribable, but the fear and adrenaline somehow managed to overshadow it. You could move, just barely, and you hoped that Dabi would be shocked enough that his attacks would falter.

As it turned out, your hopes and prayers were answered. Dabi was confused by what had just happened, and he took a few seconds to reassess the situation.

But that was it. You had only managed to distract him for a few seconds.

Unfortunately for you, a few seconds wasn’t long enough to escape.

“Nice try,” Dabi chuckled, right as another blast of waves knocked the breath out of your lungs. You wheezed, urging yourself to keep running in spite of the pain, but your body was failing you. Already, you had taken far more damage than you could handle.

This time, when you collapsed onto your knees, you knew that you were done for.

You sobbed, still gasping for breath, trying to let out a sound so that someone,anyone, might hear you.

All of your cries died in the back of your throat, and your body eventually went limp with the realization that it was too late. No one was going to help you. No one even knew that you were suffering.

You were going to die exactly like how you’d lived—alone and afraid.

“Finally done putting up a fight?” Dabi was looming over your burnt, battered body. You were barely conscious, so you didn’t even have the strength to look up at him, let alone try to attack him. He nudged you with his foot and sighed. “Such a shame. You didn’tneedto die, but... you were just unlucky, I guess. Stuff like this happens all the time. Life is unfair. You were bound to find out sooner or later.”

He crouched down beside you, and your body didn’t even flinch out of reflex. Your nerves were shot, your muscles were aching, and you were too overwhelmed with pain to stand any chance against him.

It looked like your time was finally up, and strangely enough, the thought of dying wasn’t what scared you the most.

It was the fact that even now, you didn’t remember a single thing about yourself. You were going to die without ever knowing what kind of person you were, or what sort of life you’d lived until you’d awakened with amnesia on that fateful day.

The regret you felt was gut-wrenching and deep. You knew that you would carry this loneliness with you into the afterlife, and you doubted your soul would ever be at peace.

Dabi’s palm descended upon your head. He pressed down on you, and you could feel the way his skin had begun to heat up. He was going to create more flames and engulf you whole. From this close up, there was no way you would survive.

Regret.

Regret.

Regret.

You kept crying silently. Dabi didn’t care. He was a murderer, after all. He would end your life with his bare hands, then go on with his day as if nothing had even happened.

“Life isn’t fair,” he mumbled. “This society, this world... none of it is fair.”

Perhaps you were delusional because you were quite literally on your deathbed, but for just a moment, he actually sounded a bit sorry for you.

But whether or not that was actually the case, it didn’t matter.

Moments later, blue flames consumed your entire body.

Once again, you found yourself surrounded by darkness.

Is this what death feels like?

You blinked slowly, then tried to speak. It seemed like your voice worked, but your body couldn’t move a single step forward.

Ah. So, it turned out that death was the exact same as what the system had been putting you through. It was just an endless, black void.

The only difference was that here, the silence and emptiness would be eternal.

You felt a tear roll down your cheek. Apparently, even in death, you couldn’t seem to stop crying. Perhaps you deserved it. If only you weren’t such a weakling, if only you’d put up more of a fight against the system and figured out how to be break free of them, then maybe things would have turned out differently.

[“Hello.”]

What?

You swallowed. You still couldn’t move a single inch, but just like before, there was a screen with writing on it. That could only mean...

No.

No, no,no.

You refused to believe it. This couldn’t be your reality.

Even though you were already f*ckingdead, the system still wasn't letting you rest easy.

You opened your mouth as if you were about to scream, but another messaged popped up before you could.

[“It’s not what you think. I’m not the same system you’re used to dealing with. I’m here to help you, even if you don’t believe it.”]

Hilarious. They were always intent on screwing with you, huh?

“Leave me alone,” you gritted out. “I’m already dead. What the f*ck more do you want from me?”

[“No. You’re not dead. But you’re about to be. That man, Dabi, is about to kill you. You must already know that this space isn’t home to your true body. This isn’t the real world, but a separate area just for you. I’m your ally. I don’t want to see you die.Not again.”]

You didn’t understand what nonsense they were spewing, but you already felt as if you were about to lose your mind.

“Just kill me,” you muttered. “Kill me for real. I don’t want to be stuck here with you. It’d be better for everything to just disappear. Please, just... make it all stop. I’ve had enough of this. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

[“It’s going to be okay. Your life isn’t over. I promise I’m on your side, and I never want to see you in pain. It might be a bit premature, but... I’m going to share a memory with you. If you’re strong enough to overcome it, then I’ll be able to regain some of my strength as well. I’ll be able to save you, and you can go back to living with your friends.”]

Your eyes widened.

A memory? The system’s never offered to show me a memory before.

[“But I have to warn you, it’s going to be painful. I’m not sure if you’re ready yet. Still, it’s the only option we have left. The more you remember, the stronger I become. Together, we can get rid of theothersystem. The one that torments you.”]

Ugh. Your head was starting to spin. This was too difficult to make sense of. Were they really a different system than the one you were used to? But that didn’t make any sense. They could just as easily be lying. It was better not to trust anything they said.

Still... a memory. You were desperate to know. It was all you’d wanted, ever since the very beginning.

You were already dead. At the very least, you might as well uncover some answers for a change.

“Show me,” you breathed. “I just want to know. I don’t care how scary or horrible it is. I just want to know who I am.Please.”

[“Alright. Be strong. I believe in you.”]

There was a heavy pause, but finally, the message gave way to something else.

[A core memory has been unlocked! Do you wish to view this memory?]

Suddenly, you were able to move. You reached a finger out to tap on the screen, confirming your selection. The moment you tapped on “yes”, the screen started to grow brighter, as if it was melting all of the darkness away.

You could feel your heart pounding wildly in your chest. You didn’t know what you were about to discover, but whatever it was, you were ready.

Right?

[Core memory is loading. Please proceed with caution.]

Dabi didn’t usually feel anything whenever he killed people. He was a villain, and he’d decided long ago that this was the path he was going to walk. There was no way around it. Someone needed to make a difference and expose this hero society for how ugly it truly was.

But something about you resonated with him. You weren’t particularly strong, for one. Your weakness made it especially pathetic as he watched you struggle to survive. You were like a little ant stuck under the heel of his boot. Not to mention, that look in your eyes... it was hauntingly familiar. He knew it all too well.

It was the look of someone who was broken inside.

For that reason, Dabi sympathized with you. Well, only a little, but still. He didn’t often go around killing people just for the hell of it. The only reason he’d killed that scumbag earlier was because he was the one who’d tried to pick a fight and steal from him.

But you were just a witness. Someone who’d had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Dabi had no reason to hate you, but he also wasn’t a good enough person to let you run away after what you’d just seen.

That was why he was burning you alive right now. His hand gripped your head tightly, and flames engulfed your whole body, charring your skin into a blackened crisp. In just a few moments, you would be dead. It would be impossible to survive after how much damage you’d taken.

There was no coming back from this. That much, he was sure of.

But funnily enough, reality subverted his expectations.

Out of nowhere, your body started glowing. It caught him completely off guard, and it was almost as if there was an unseen force pushing him back. He gritted his teeth, squinting through the bright light that had illuminated the streets.

Dabi watched, mesmerized, as the wounds on your body slowly disappeared. You had been burnt to the point that you were nearly unrecognizable, but now, you were practically brand new. You had been healed from the brink of death.

Buthow?

He knew for a fact that your Quirk allowed you to create objects. After all, he’d literally just seen you create a baton from thin air. You had a healing Quirk on top of that? Was such a thing really possible?

Ah.

In that moment, he remembered. Itwaspossible for someone to have multiple Quirks. Or at the very least, a combination of two different Quirks.

The younger brother he loathed with all his being was more than proof of that.

Whatever the case, you weren’t dead. Your body had been completely healed, and your eyelids lifted, so that you were able to fix him in your gaze. He couldn’t react right away. He wanted to set you on fire again, but he was too slow on the uptake, thanks to the shock of it all.

His hesitation gave you just enough time to strike him with your baton, and he should’ve expected it based on how you shattered the concrete earlier, but it f*ckinghurt.

Dabi was blown several feet back. He crashed into the side of a building, and he winced, momentarily disoriented. His head was spinning a bit. f*ck. If not for this flimsy body of his. He’d always been so goddamn fragile.

When he collected himself and stood back up, you were already gone.

“Figures,” he muttered. “She’d be one hell of an idiot if she stuck around any longer. sh*t. I don’t know where the hell she went, and I’ve made too much noise already. Someone will call the cops sooner or later.”

Dabi let out a heavy sigh. It was probably time to call it a night and get going. This whole thing was pointless to begin with. He’d already wasted enough time.

He was just about to make himself scarce and head off in the opposite direction, when suddenly, he noticed something lying on the ground.

It was a phone. More specifically,yourphone. It must’ve fallen out of your pocket while you’d been fighting.

Out of simple curiosity, Dabi walked back over and picked up the phone. He wasn’t expecting much. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he’d even bothered to check in the first place.

But when he hit the power button and the screen lit up, he realized he’d made the right choice.

[Shouto]

I’m okay.

What about you?

You only had two unread messages, but as far as Dabi was concerned, those two messages were a complete game-changer.

Todoroki Shouto.

The contact in your phone was saved as such. He recognized the kanji used, and it wasn’t a particularly common name to begin with.

What were the odds that the girl he’d nearly killed was acquainted with his piece of sh*t little brother?

Dabi couldn’t help the grin that stretched across his scarred lips. Fate really was a funny thing. If he’d killed you now, it wouldn’t have done him any good. In a way, it was actually for the best that you’d survived.

After all, it would bemuchmore fun to kill you while Shouto watched.

Dabi pocketed your phone, chuckling darkly. He would have to find someone that could help him break into it, so that he could get some info on you. There were all kinds of shady bastards that lived in the belly of the underworld, and with a bit of money, it probably wouldn’t be too hard to figure out who you were.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Dabi is already looking forward to your next meeting.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 20/100]

Needless to say, you received the notification, but you were too busy running for your life to pay much attention to it. You had just barely escaped, by the skin of your teeth.

Come to think of it, howdidyou escape? You could’ve sworn you were about to die because Dabi had burned you so badly, and then you blacked out, but after that... you honestly couldn’t remember a damn thing.

It felt like you’d forgotten something really,reallyimportant.

You ran and ran, all the way back to your house, making sure that Dabi wasn’t following you. It looked like you were safe, but you could never be too sure. You reached into your pocket, determined to call the police now that you finally had a moment to catch your breath, only to realize that your phone was gone.

“f*ck,” you muttered. “I must’ve left it on the ground... but I’m way too scared to go back.”

Whatever. The most important thing right now was that you werealive. For that, you were endlessly thankful.

Dabi burned my entire body, but for some reason, I’m completely fine now. I don’t understand what happened. I’m not complaining, but... it just feels weird. There are gaps in my memory. Although I guess that’s not really much different than usual.

You patted yourself down, and sure enough, you didn’t have any injuries. It was as if someone like Recovery Girl had just healed you. Or maybe this was yet another ability that you’d subconsciously unlocked?

“Didyousave me?” you couldn’t help but ask. It had to be the system. Or at least, one of the system’s functions. Nothing else would make any sense.

For some reason, it took a while for them to respond.

[“Yes. I saved you. But it took a lot of my power to pull that off, so don’t expect it to happen again. You really cut it close this time.”]

They had really saved your life? Come to think of it, they’d been warning you to turn back, right before Dabi even appeared. Since they had a goal in mind, it made sense that they wanted you to survive, even if they forced you to do risky things at times—like flirting with Shigaraki.

Either way, you supposed you should be a bit more appreciative. You still despised them with every fiber of your being, but if not for them, you would be dead right now. That had to count for something.

“Thank you,” you mumbled. “That was... terrifying. I did my best, but... I don’t think I’m strong enough to fight him yet. I need to train harder. So that I can win.”

The system didn’t respond. They chose to let you believe that they were the one who’d saved your life, but in reality, they weren’t able to pull something like that off.

Theydid, however, have the ability to erase your memories. What had unfolded inside the void—with theothersystem—had already been wiped from your mind.

[“You don’t need to know. It’s better this way. It’s better if you forget.”]

Chapter 30: Foreshadowing

Chapter Text

After nearly dying, it was safe to say that you didn’t get much sleep that night. Who could blame you? Even now, you could swear you still felt the burns Dabi had inflicted upon your body. The heat was unforgettable, despite the fact that all of your injuries had been healed.

You hugged your sides and tried to rock yourself to sleep, but as expected, it was practically impossible to calm down.

To make matters even worse, apingsuddenly cut through the dead of night.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto is a bit annoyed that you’re ignoring him.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 20/200]

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake!” you cried out, kicking your blankets in frustration. Of course something like this would happen after you’d lost your phone. Also, you couldn’t believe the nerve of him, to get angry over being ghosted, when he’d done the same to you countless times.

Not that you were even ghosting him in the first place. You’d been too busy getting your ass kicked by a villain.

I’ll have to clear up the misunderstanding at school tomorrow. I need to let people know I lost my phone.

A heavy sigh fell from your lips. Things were always such a goddamn pain in the ass. But again, you supposed you should be grateful just to be alive. It could always be worse.

That much, you knew for a fact.

“I’m so sorry,” you spluttered, bowing your head in a panic. “I lost my phone last night after I texted you. I hope you don’t think I was ignoring you or anything, because that’s definitely not the case.”

Shouto arched a brow. As always, his expression didn’t betray much of what he was feeling.

“I see,” he mumbled. “That sounds like a pain. I wasn’t bothered that you didn’t respond, so don’t worry. I have more important things to worry about.”

Yeah, right. Then why did your points drop last night?

As if confirming your exact thoughts, you promptly received another notification.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto is relieved that you lost your phone. It’s better than you not wanting to talk to him.]

[+10 love points.]

Most of the people around you were terrible at being honest with themselves, but whatever. You were glad that he wasn’t upset, at least. That was the last thing you needed right now.

Shouto pursed his lips. “So... how exactlydidyou lose your phone? It was pretty late when you texted me. You must have just misplaced it somewhere at home. I’m sure it’ll turn up soon enough if you keep looking.”

“Um, not exactly.” You massaged your temples, pained by the recollection. “I left it at the, uh, convenience store. I did a late-night run to buy ice cream. I went back once I realized I left it there, but it was already gone. I’m guessing someone swiped it.”

That wasn’t entirely the truth, but he didn’t need to know that you’d nearly burned to death last night.

“I see,” he said again. “So, you need to buy a new phone.”

“Pretty much.”

“Hm.”

A heavy silence filled the space between you. It kind of looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t exactly know how to bring it up.

Shouto awkwardly cleared his throat. He still wasn’t saying anything, but he kept glancing at you every so often.

[Todoroki Shouto is kind of hoping that you’ll add him as a contact again.]

[+10 love points.]

Pfft.

He was acting surprisingly adorable. What, did he really think you wouldn’t want to text him anymore?

“Once I get my new phone, I’ll add you again right away,” you smiled. “I'm pretty sure I still have your number written down on a piece of paper somewhere. I made sure to save it.”

Shouto’s cheeks flushed. “You... saved it? But something like that isn’t even important.”

“Well, it’s important to me.”

“Uh... okay. If you say so, I guess.”

He turned away from you, unwilling to maintain eye contact. Even though he was usually so stoic, he seemed to struggle when it came to hiding his embarrassment. The tips of his ears also had a tendency to get red.

[Todoroki Shouto isn’t sure why he's in such a good mood all of a sudden.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 50/200]

You chuckled softly. He was awfully cute today, and your face was starting to feel hot. You got the sense that you were probably blushing as well.

Slowly but surely, the two of you were getting closer. You didn’t know Shouto’s exact circ*mstances, but you wanted to help him however you could. That was one of your goals. To finally see him smile for a change. To know that he was happy.

You obviously didn’t know it yet, but Dabi would do everything in his power to keep Shouto from obtaining that happiness.

Classes went by slowly, almost painfully so. It was admittedly hard to focus when you kept replaying the events of last night over and over again. You still didn’t understand just how powerful the system truly was, but if they had saved you from the brink of death, then that was already saying something. You were grateful to be alive, sure, but it seemed like breaking free of their influence would be even more challenging than you’d first thought.

There was no way around it. You just had to get stronger. Strong enough so that villains like Dabi and Shigaraki would never eventhinkof messing with you again.

Lunch rolled around, but before you went off with your usual crew, you made a quick stop by Katsuki’s desk.

“Can I please have your number?” you asked. “I lost my phone last night and I want to add you as a contact again.”

He gave you an irritated look. “The f*ck? Since when did I have a stalker like you saved on my phone?”

“Um, we’ve literally texted before.”

“Don’t remember.”

“Why are you like this?” you sighed. “You never gave me your number in the first place, but now that I need to buy a new phone, I need it. Come on. If you didn’t want to talk to me, then you wouldn’t have texted the number I gave you a while back. You know, the one you initially threw into the trash but eventually dug up because you like me so much?”

“I think you need to get your brain checked,” he scowled.

“My brain is working just fine, thank you.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but the fact that he wasn’t cursing you out nonstop was a good start, at least.

“How do you go about losing your phone anyways? I always knew you were an idiot, but it’s like you just keep finding ways to surprise me.”

“Yeah, well, sh*t happens,” you shrugged.

In my case, sh*t happensallthe time.

Katsuki crossed his arms. “I’m not giving you my number. You piss me the hell off.”

“What?” you gaped. “But why? You already texted me before! I don’t get what’s changed!”

“That was a lapse in judgment, and it sure as hell won’t be happening again.” He promptly stood up, elbowed you out of the way, then left the classroom.

Man. What a dick.

Not that you didn’t already know that.

While you gritted your teeth and thought up all sorts of colorful insults in your head, someone approached you from behind.

“Um, [Name]?” Izuku frowned. “Did I hear that right? You were saying you lost your phone?”

“Huh? Oh.” You turned towards him and nodded hastily. “Yeah, just last night. I was gonna ask for your number again during lunch. My luck is horrible, but I guess that’s nothing new.”

“So, you need to buy a new phone?”

“Unfortunately.”

There was a pause, and then Izuku was blushing profusely for some reason. “W-Well... I was thinking, if you don’t mind... maybe we could go look for one together? N-Not that I’m the expert when it comes to these things! I just thought that maybe you needed a companion while you go shopping, so it’s not too boring, and... uh. Sorry. I-I guess I don’t really know what I’m saying...”

The poor boy looked unspeakably nervous to have to initiate things, which made sense, since a lot of the time you were the one doing it. But it was nice to see him make the effort, despite his shyness. It showed that he cared.

You already knew as much, but meeting him was one of the best things that had happened to you.

“Sure thing,” you grinned. “I’d love to have you come with me. We can hit up the mall and do all kinds of fun things together.”

Izuku’s lips immediately pulled into a smile. “Y-You really want me there?”

“Of course! I love spending time with you. It’s a date,” you hummed, making sure to shoot him a playful wink.

“A... date.”

He went awfully still after that, and to no one’s surprise, his cheeks were now the color of glossy, ripened cherries.

[Midoriya Izuku is excited to go on a date with you.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 290/500]

You tried, but failed, to hide the grin spreading across your face.

“Let’s go eat now,” you said, then looped your arm around his and started pulling him towards the cafeteria.

Even though you’d nearly died last night, with people like Izuku in your life, you knew you would be able to carry on.

Before sitting down to eat lunch, you received one last notification.

[Bakugou Katsuki kind of regrets not giving you his number.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/200]

Ha. Too late. You snooze, you lose.

You weren’t an idiot. After you’d left your phone behind, you’d called your service provider to cancel your plan. You didn’t need some creep picking it up and texting your contacts all sorts of unsavory things.

The service provider had ensured that your phone could be remotely wiped, and thus, none of your information could be stolen by someone else.

Unfortunately, the man who’d picked up your phone was a villain, and it went without saying that he wasn’t going to play by the rules.

“Good thing you brought it by right away,” Giran hummed. “The owner of this phone must’ve wiped everything. We were just barely able to copy the SIM card in time.”

Dabi twirled the phone between his fingers. “So, you were able to save everything? With the new SIM you made, I can access her contacts, messages, and all of that stuff?”

“You should be able to. The guy I know does this kind of stuff all the time. Without a plan, you can’t use the phone’s functions, like call or text, but you should still be able to go through the stuff that’s already saved.”

“That’s fine. All I want is the information.”

Giran took a drag of his cigarette. When he exhaled, the smoke passed through the discernible gap in his front teeth. “Why is this so important to you, anyways? Who’s the girl whose phone you stole?”

“Just someone I nearly killed,” Dabi mused, as if it was a normal occurrence. “She saw something she shouldn’t have, and I wanted to get rid of her, but she managed to escape. But I was able to discover something pretty fun in the process, so I guess you could say I’ve taken an interest in her. I’d like to know more about who she is.”

“Uh-huh,” Giran chuckled dryly. “I didn’t really have you pegged as the type. You usually seem so passive when it comes to others. Well, knock yourself out, I guess. Just don’t draw too much attention to yourself. I don’t need this to come back and bite me in the ass.”

“Whatever you say, old man.”

“Hey, come on. I’m notthatold.”

Dabi pocketed the phone and walked out of the dingy, underground bar. When he stepped outside, he realized that the air tasted sweeter today for some reason. Probably because for the first time in a long while, he’d stumbled across some good news.

Dabi booted up the phone, and much to his relief, everything seemed to be working properly. No service bars, because it wasn’t on a plan, but otherwise, he had a front-row seat to everything you’d put into this little device.

Contacts. You didn’t have a whole bunch of them. Some other names came up, but the only one he was interested in was Shouto’s anyways, so he didn’t really give them much thought.

When it came to your conversations with Shouto, he went through them in excruciating detail.

Dabi had left his family a long, long time ago, but he still remembered them clear as day. Part of him wished hecouldforget, but perhaps it was for the best. After all, they were the driving force in his life. His hatred towards his family was what had motivated him all this time.

Without his hatred, he was nothing. He was determined to cling to it until his dying breath.

As Dabi scrolled through the messages, he couldn’t help but chuckle. Even after all this time, Shouto appeared to be as bland and uninteresting as he remembered. His responses to your messages were practically soulless.

He may as well be an empty shell, yet Dad still considers him his greatest masterpiece. What a f*cking joke.

Still, Dabi could tell that Shouto was making an effort, in his own way. The fact that he was still bothering to respond to you meant that he must care about you, to some extent. At one point, Shouto had even invited you to meet up. That had to count for something.

If Dabi killed you, what kind of expression would Shouto make?

He could hardly wait to find out.

“[Last Name] [Name],” Dabi mumbled. That was your name. He’d discerned as much based on your conversations, and one of them in particular had stood out to him.

It seemed like you and Shouto both attended U.A.

How cute. How f*cking adorable. You must be having the time of your life, Shouto, making friends with a cute girl and playing hero.

Dabi would never forgive his family. Not Shouto, not Natsuo, not Fuyumi or his mother, Rei, andcertainlynot Endeavor.

They were going to pay for what they’d done. It was their fault that he had turned out like this. His suffering had consumed it, and he had already decided that he would go out in a blaze of flames, dragging all of them down into the depths of hell with him.

Endeavor was a lofty goal, though. He was the Number Two Hero, and it wouldn’t be easy to get to him.

Still, an opportunity had fallen right into Dabi’s lap. His path was about to cross with Shouto’s, and as cruel a father as Endeavor was, evenhecouldn’t sit idly while his greatest masterpiece was torn to shreds.

Dabi would start with you. He would break you down until there was nothing left. Your death would inevitably fill Shouto’s heart with dread, and the boy would have to live on knowing that he had only himself to blame for it.

Regardless of how long it took, Dabi's victory was sure to be sweet.

Chuckling darkly, Dabi pulled out his own phone and started composing a message.

Near the end of the school day, right as you were getting ready to leave with Izuku and head to the mall, Shouto received a text.

[Unknown]

Enjoy this while it lasts.

Shouto didn’t know what to make of it. His brows pulled into a frown, but he had no reason to look into things too deeply. He didn’t think much of it.

And that was a mistake.

[Shouto]

I think you’ve got the wrong number.

He never received a response.

Chapter 31: Shopping Date

Chapter Text

“Alright! Time to get going.”

School was officially out for the day, so now, you were free to head to the mall and pick out a new phone. But instead of carrying out this tedious errand on your own, you were being accompanied by an adorable freckled boy.

Izuku smiled shyly. “Thanks again for letting me come along. I hope I’m not being too much of a bother.”

“What, are you kidding?” you chuckled. “It would have been super boring if I went by myself. This way, we’ll have so much more fun! Seriously, there’s no way it’s a bother. You always make things better, Izuku.”

He hastily turned his head to the side, clearly too embarrassed to keep looking you in the eye.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku can’t help but feel flustered when you say things like that.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 300/500]

Even setting the system aside, Izuku was practically an open book. He wore his heart on his sleeve, especially when it came to being embarrassed or excited. You were close enough with him by now that you felt confident when it came to reading him, and for that reason, you resolved that you didn’t need to focus on the notifications for today’s outing.

Besides, it was better this way. It felt more organic, more natural. He was important to you, so if it could be avoided, you would prefer not to peer into his thoughts too much.

[Mute system notifications?]

>> [YES]

The sheer relief that swept through your body once you tapped the screen was indescribable. You knew that it was only temporary, but you would gladly take this bit of normalcy, regardless of how long it lasted.

With the system momentarily pushed to the back of your mind, you were able to focus all of your attention on Izuku, and the train ride passed by in a flash.

“Over here,” Izuku gestured. Having just stepped inside the mall, he was already pointing off into the distance. “There’s a phone store that way. We can try that one first.”

You smiled and followed along, and you had to admit that it was rather endearing watching him fuss over all the different types of phones as he tried to figure out what the best possible deal would be.

Frankly speaking, though, money was of no concern to you. After all, you could always craft more of it.

It isn’t exactly the best thing to do, morally speaking, but I literally have no other way to provide for myself. As long as I’m careful not to ever take more than I need, it should be okay... right?

For the time being, you decided it was best not to get too tied up in the details.

“This one seems alright,” Izuku mumbled, knitting his brows together. “Ah, but... that’s only if you sign up for this particular plan. I’m not sure if it’s worth it in the long run.”

You shrugged. “I don’t really have much of a preference, so I’ll trust your judgment, Izuku.”

“A-Are you sure? Oh, jeez. Now I’m worried that I might make the wrong call and you’ll end up stuck with something that isn’t any good. Give me a few moments... just a few moments to think it over and do a bit of research,” he spluttered.

He pulled out his phone and started frantically searching things up online. To be honest, it was much ado over nothing, but whenever he made up his mind to do something, he could be surprisingly stubborn.

Plus, it was really cute to see him fuss over you like this. You liked having a friend like him—the kind that always made sure to look out for you.

After what admittedly took alotlonger than you’d expected, Izuku finally seemed to have made up his mind.

“This one!” he proudly exclaimed, lifting up one of the phones on display. “I looked it up, and this one has the best reviews, and the price isn’t half-bad either. Plus, if you sign up for a plan that’s on limited-offer right now, you’ll end up saving a lot of money.”

What a cutie. Look at him grinning ear-to-ear.

“That sounds great,” you beamed. “Thanks so much, Izuku. You’re awesome. I knew I could count on you.”

“I-It’s no big deal,” he chuckled sheepishly. Unsurprisingly, he was already bright red. “Anyways, um... what do you think? Is it good, or should I keep doing a bit more research?”

“No, this is perfect. Like I said, I trust your judgment.”

As a show of your conviction, you took the phone out of his hands, then promptly walked up to one of the employees to solidify your purchase. The wait time wasn’t terribly long (really, the longest part was Izuku’s little research session), and soon enough, you had finished what you set out to do.

You had a new phone. Hopefully you wouldn’t end up losing this one during a fight to the death with a villain.

“So, we’re... done?” Izuku blinked. Officially, the whole purpose of this trip was for you to buy anew phone, and now that you’d already done that, he seemed to think that it was over—and there was no denying how disappointed he looked.

Needless to say, you had no intention of heading home.

“Well, we’re done with buying my phone,” you smiled. “But since we’re already here, let’s keep hanging out! The boring part’s over with, so now we can just take it easy and have a good time. What do you want to start with? Food? Window shopping?”

Relief seeped into Izuku’s expression, and he quickly perked up, smiling as brightly as you were.

“We can do whatever you want,” he insisted. “But maybe, once we’re getting ready to leave, uh... can we stop by one of the merch stores so that I can see what All Might figurines they have in stock?”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. “Come on, don’t be silly. There’s no need to put it off until later. Let’s head there right now.”

“Really? But won’t you be bored?”

“Of course not. Nothing’s ever boring when I’m with you.”

You didn’t know it since you’d muted the system’s notifications, and you had only Izuku’s usual flushed cheeks to go off, but that last line of yours had his heart beatingridiculouslyfast.

Anyways, off you went to go browse All Might figurines.

“Wow,” Izuku gushed, eyes glossier than ever. He was squeezing his fists tight, and you could tell he was biting back the urge to squeal. “They must have just gotten a new shipment or something, because I didn’t even realize they were selling this limited-edition figurine here! I can’t believe how lucky I got!”

You leaned closer to him and smiled encouragingly. “Are you gonna buy it?”

“I have to! I’d be a fool to pass up this opportunity!”

That was what he said, but one look at the price tag nearly made his soul leave his body.

Izuku rifled through his wallet, only to choke back a sob when he realized he didn’t have the funds necessary to make the purchase.

“I-I guess it wasn’t meant to be,” he chuckled weakly. “Right. Mom keeps telling me to be mindful of how much I spend on hero merch anyways. I’m the one to blame for blowing all of my allowance so quickly...”

He was doing his best to put on a brave face, but again—he wasn’t exactly the type of person who could hide his emotions, so it was obvious how dejected he was.

Izuku had already done so much for you. Amidst a life of confusion and constant surprises (which werenotthe good kind), he was your rock. He anchored you down to reality and kept you stable.

If you couldn’t help him buy a little figurine, then really, could you even call yourself his friend?

“Wait right here,” you said. “I’m gonna go to an ATM real quick. Don’t go anywhere. I promise I won’t take long.”

“Huh? No, there’s really no need to—”

Too late. You sped away before he could chase you down, but only because you didn’t want him to see what you were about to do.

Naturally, you’d been lying about withdrawing money, so instead of finding an ATM, you rushed to the nearest bathroom and locked yourself inside a stall.

[Craft Counterfeit Bills?]

>>[YES]

Ugh. As always, you didn’t appreciate the choice of words, even though what you were doingwastechnically illegal.

But what Izuku didn’t know wouldn’t kill him, right?

The whole thing took a few seconds at most, and soon enough, you were back by Izuku’s side. The only difference was that you were feeling a bit drained after using your crafting function, and you now had a bag full of cash.

“Sorry,” you said, straining a smile. “My parents put a spending limit on my card so that I can’t buy too many things in one day, so I had to withdraw cash instead. This should be enough though, I hope.”

You pulled out the money, and Izuku’s jaw instantly dropped.

“N-No way!” he spluttered. “But, I... I can’t possibly accept this! [Name], I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it just doesn’t feel right, especially since it’s so expensive.”

“I’ve been saving up for a while,” you insisted. “Seriously, it’s no big deal. Just think of it as a gift. I can buy a gift for my best friend, can’t I?”

Izuku seemed pleased, as always, to hear you refer to him as your best friend, but he was still hesitant to accept your offer.

“It’s just too much,” he mumbled. “I don’t want you to waste all of this on me.”

He clearly doesn’t suspect me of creating this money myself, even though he knows how my powers work. God, what an angel.

You gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “There’s no way it’s a waste. It would make me really happy if you let me do this for you. Please?”

Izuku was a hero at heart. Selfless and kind, never putting himself above others.

But even he was still human, and as it turned out, the promise of a limited-edition All Might figurine was too much for any fanboy to resist.

“I’ll pay you back,” he swallowed. “I don’t have the money now, but one day... one day, I promise I’ll pay it back in full.”

“Silly Izuku. Then it wouldn’t be a gift, now would it?”

With a bit more encouragement, he finally worked up the nerve to ring his purchase throughthe cash register, and it was adorable how he kept on shooting nervous glances over his shoulder, as if he was afraid you’d reconsider.

Seriously, though. With Izuku being the upstanding citizen that he was, you would have to take this secret to the grave. He would probably have a heart attack if he ever found out he’d just made an illegal transaction.

But he looked so damn happy with his new gift that you were positive it was worth it.

“Thank you, [Name].” Izuku squeezed the box close to his chest, unable to contain his smile. “Seriously. Thank you so,somuch. You’re the best friend in the world.”

Your heart did a little flip. What you’d just done was hardly worth mentioning. It was no skin off your back, especially since you had a power that allowed you to create almost anything at will. In a way, you even felt a bit guilty about receiving all this praise. It wasn’t like you’d sacrificed anything in the process.

Still. Knowing that Izuku appreciated you, just like how you appreciated him...

It was impossible not to smile back.

“Oh my god! That looks so good on you!”

You clapped enthusiastically, and Izuku responded by shrinking on in himself, visibly embarrassed.

“D-Do you really mean that?” he stammered, scratching his head in disbelief. “I’m not all that fashionable, so I feel like these kinds of clothes are wasted on me...”

“No way,” you denied. “You look awesome. You’ve got an attractive face and good proportions, so pretty much anything suits you!”

“A-Attractive?!Me?” Izuku buried his face in his palms, and his voice was difficult to make out because of how muffled it was. “But I’m so... plain. Everyone’s always told me I have a plain-looking face. It’s okay, [Name]. You don’t need to try and make me feel better.”

Man. His lack of self-esteem was honestly kind of incredible. Although you supposed being bullied for the majority of his life probably had a hand in that.

“I’m being honest,” you insisted. “And you really do look nice in those clothes.”

You walked over to him and smoothed down the long-sleeve shirt he was wearing. Your touch made him flinch a bit, and his freckled cheeks got even redder, but he didn’t think of pulling away.

Smiling again, you gently squeezed his shoulder. “It looks great,” you reassured. “Don’t change out of it. I’m gonna try on an outfit first, and then we can take pictures together. How does that sound?”

“I think you’ll be disappointed by how unphotogenic I am,” Izuku chuckled weakly. “You should’ve seen how stiff I looked when I had to pose for my U.A student ID.”

“I’m pretty sure that no matter how the pictures turn out, I’ll love them regardless. Because it's the two of us together.”

When it came to you, Izuku could never say no. He was a shy person by nature, and if you'd asked him less than a year ago, he could have never envisioned making such a good friend.

He remembered the way you’d met—how you’d come to his rescue when Katsuki was harassing him. It was a bit embarrassing that you’d seen him in such a weak, vulnerable state, but if not for that, the two of you might never have gotten to know each other.

He couldn’t believe he was thinking this, but in a way, he was glad that Katsuki had chosen to pick on him that day.

“Just give me a minute,” you grinned. “I’m gonna change into my first outfit real quick.”

Izuku nodded and waited patiently. His heart pounded with heavy anticipation, but he already knew that no matter what you came out wearing, you would look every bit as beautiful as you always did.

And he was right.

“Izuku? What’s wrong?” You frowned and spun around to get a better look at yourself in the mirror. “Does this look weird on me?”

Izuku was redder than ever. He wished he was better at complimenting you. He wished this sort of thing came more naturally to him, but nearly every time, he found himself choking on his words.

It didn’t stop him from trying, though.

“Um, y-you look... what I mean to say is that, uh...”

He bit down on his bottom lip, painfully aware of the fact that he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. But if you took note of his awkwardness, then you certainly didn’t show it. You just stared at him with a patient expression and that pretty smile on your lips.

“You look really nice!” Izuku finally managed to blurt, and he had to inhale a big gulp of air immediately after. God. That had taken a lot out of him. He actually felt a bit lightheaded.

It was worth it though, because he got to hear you giggle happily.

“I’m glad you think so,” you hummed, then walked over to him and wrapped an arm around his back. He stiffened when you poked him a few times. “I haven’t set up my phone yet, so how about we use yours to take the pictures? Make sure to send them to me later.”

“O-Okay,” Izuku swallowed. The lack of distance between you just made his heart pound even faster, and for a moment, he worried that you might be able to hear it.

It didn’t take long for that worry of his to fade into the background. When he lifted up his phone, pointing the front-facing camera down at the both of you, he couldn’t help but admire how picture-perfect you looked together.

It was okay if he was plain. It was okay if he was awkward and clumsy, and couldn’t piece together a fashionable outfit to save his life.

You liked him just the way he was, and for that, he couldn’t be more thankful.

“Say cheese!” you grinned, dragging your finger towards the camera button.

Izuku smiled so hard the corners of his eyes creased.

By now, it was already evening, and for some reason, you still had yet to hear from the system or receive any notifications.

That’s strange.

You were still able to interact with the system interface, and that allowed you to track your progress with all of your love interests. Unsurprisingly, Izuku’s points had gone up during your fun-filled day at the mall. It had been a largely positive experience, so that went without saying.

[Midoriya Izuku – current progress: 340/500]

But as far as you knew, you could only mute the system for roughly an hour or so. It had already been several hours since you’d last received a notification, and you’d just said goodbye to Izuku not too long ago.

It was also weird that the system hadn’t chimed in by now, because normally, they liked to nag you at every turn.

“Hello?” you blinked. “Is it just me, or are you being quieter than usual?”

No response, although you weren’t really complaining.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but good riddance.

You decided to charge and set up your phone for the time being, and you added all of the contacts you’d previously saved. Izuku, Shouto, Kirishima—pretty much everyone but Katsuki, since he insisted he wanted nothing to do with you.

The new phone that Izuku had picked out was already infinitely better than your previous one. You probably could have afforded to do a bit more research ahead of time. Maybe this was a silver lining, in a way. Maybe it was for the best that it had been left behind during your fight with Dabi.

Of course, that last thought couldn’t have been further from the truth, but you would find that out the hard way.

Nothing much happened for the rest of the night. You knew the Sports Festival was rapidly approaching, but it was already late, so you resolved to wake up bright and early tomorrow and get some training done. For the time being, it was just nice not having to hear from the system. You could really get used to this.

You were just about to get into bed when you heard the sound you’d come to loathe more than anything else—that dreaded, all-too-familiarping.

Ah, balls.

[“Hello.”]

You curled up under the blankets.“Hi,” you replied curtly. “Where did you disappear to for so long?”

[“Nowhere, really.”]

“Huh. Then why didn’t I get any notifications for so long? I figured the mute function would have worn off by now. Maybe it has a longer effect than you assumed?”

[“The mute function... right. There were technical difficulties. Something wasn’t working.Goddammit. The other system keeps trying to interfere.”]

It seemed like they were unwilling to disclose the exact details, but whatever the case, you felt hopeful for a change.

Technical difficulties could only mean one thing. Slowly but surely, the system was falling apart.

You weren’t sure how long it would take—ideally, the sooner, the better—but you would await their demise with bated breath.

“Okay,” you said, smiling sweetly. “Well, I hope that whatever it is, it fixes itself soon. I had a nice day with Izuku. I made some progress too. So far, I’m doing pretty well, right?”

[“Yes. You’re proving to be rather capable. I’m glad we were able to come to a mutual understanding. Like I said, this is good for you. All you need to do is trust me.”]

Trust them? Ha.

Over my dead body.

You smiled once more, although it was a strained, fleeting gesture, then closed your eyes and welcomed the darkness.

That night, instead of your usual nightmares, you dreamt of the happy day you’d spent with Izuku.

Chapter 32: Under The Spotlight

Chapter Text

You awoke in a good mood.

Things had been quiet for the last little while. Well, not so much quiet, but rather uneventful, at the very least. And while most people sought out excitement or some sense of thrill, you much preferred for things to be boring, almost mind-numbingly so.

If nothing else, boredom meant that nothing was goingwrong.

So, yes. You had welcomed the past week and a half, in all its uneventfulness. The system still wasn’t doing anything too suspicious, and they’d been keeping out of your business for the most part, which came as a relief. You’d been able to focus wholeheartedly on your training, without any pesky speed bumps along the way.

And now, as light trickled in through the gaps of your curtains, you realized it was finally the long-awaited morning.

Today, the Sports Festival would begin.

A soft yawn escaped your lips. Moments later, you were stretching out your arms as if you were reaching all the way up to the sky. Your body felt pretty good. Sleep had never come easily to you, not as far as you could remember, but the physical exhaustion that came with your training had really knocked you out the past few nights. You were somewhat well-rested for a change, and perhaps you were being optimistic, but you actually felt like you were in pretty decent shape.

I must have gotten stronger, right? I’ve been training my butt off, after all.

Choosing to remain optimistic, you pushed any doubts to the back of your mind. Sure, you were nervous about how today would turn out, but you were excited too. The goal of becoming a hero wasn’t one you’d chosen for yourself, but the longer you pursued it, the more you found yourself wanting to become the kind of person that could protect someone’s smile—just like Izuku did.

You knew you were still weak. You knew that you had a lot to learn. On top of that, you had almost no memories guiding you forward. But it was okay.

Yourdesireto want to help people... already, that was more than enough.

Rubbing the morning fog out of your eyes, you slowly got out of bed, then palmed your nightstand to turn off your phone alarm. The morning really was off to a good start, because the second you caught a glimpse of your lock screen, your lips pulled into a smile.

It was the selfie you’d taken with Izuku, back when you’d gone to the mall together. He looked so adorably awkward, all dressed up in the outfit you’d picked out for him. You could still remember just how red he’d gotten when you’d shown him that was what your phone’s new lock screen was. He hadn't complained though, so you could tell that he liked it.

You started your day off with breakfast, as usual, then went to go wash your face and brush your teeth. It felt weird staring back at your reflection and feeling confident for a change. Who knew that finally getting some sleep was the secret fix all along?

“I’m gonna kick ass today,” you mumbled, not really addressing anyone in particular, including the system. You kind of just wanted to hear yourself say the words, and admittedly, it helped your confidence build even more.

Today was going to be good. Not just good, butgreat. And so what if you didn’t place first? You were going to do your best, and you would be proud knowing that you’d given it your all. So long as your heart was in it, that was the most crucial thing.

Finding your memories was incredibly important, true, but findingyourself—meaning, your goals and aspirations—was every bit as important.

It didn’t matter that you’d been dealt a sh*tty hand. What mattered was how you were going to live your life going forward.

You threw on your uniform, smoothed out the crinkles, then smiled at your reflection one last time.

“Today is going be great,” you affirmed.

The Sports Festival would be held within U.A’s very own campus. Since the place was massive—evenmoremassive than you realized—they had ample space to accommodate everyone. After showing up to homeroom in the morning, Aizawa promptly escorted your class to U.A’s stadium, where everyone changed into their gym uniforms and waited for the event to begin.

It came as no surprise, but Izuku was nervous. His knees were shaking so much, it looked like they were made of jelly. Not that you were in a position to judge, because with every passing second, your anxiety was building. You didn’t feel too bad just a few hours ago, but now that you were actuallyhere, the pressure was on.

“I think... I might throw up,” Izuku admitted. The poor boy was pale as a sheet, which was an awfully rare sight, considering how red his cheeks usually were.

You chuckled weakly. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure I will too.”

“Oh no...”

Rather than calming each other down, it seemed like you were doing the exact opposite. If only you were cool as a cucumber, like Shouto. You wished you could be completely unfazed, no matter what life threw at you. If Dabi had attackedhimthat night, instead of you, Shouto probably wouldn’t have even batted an eye. He would’ve won too, you were willing to bet.

Anyways, speaking of Shouto, he was walking over here for some reason. Did he have something to say to you? Perhaps he wanted to wish you good luck before the Sports Festival began.

You turned towards him, already smiling. “Good morning, Shouto. How are you—?”

“Midoriya,” he deadpanned. “In terms of practical strength, I’m pretty sure I’m above you.”

Um.

Okay, you’d just been ignored. But then again, this was Shouto you were talking about, so that was pretty much the standard. You didn’t understand why he’d suddenly approached Izuku out of nowhere, though. Was this about that weird thing he’d said before? When he’d asked if Izuku was All Might’s secret love child?

“You’ve managed to get All Might’s eyes on you,” Shouto continued. Ah. So, it reallywasabout that. “I’m not going to pry into the details or whatever, but either way, I intend to beat you. That’s what I came here to say.”

You were used to Shouto being painfully blunt, so this seemed very much in line with his personality. Still, though. Poor Izuku had been completely caught off-guard, since someone had basically just picked a fight with him.

“We’re all here to compete,” you said, slowly stepping in between the two of them. “I’m sure Izuku already knows that. I don’t think there’s any need to single him out like this.”

Shouto didn’t usually get irritated, but when it came to you, it sure happened a lot more often.

“Nobody asked you to butt in,” he dismissed coldly, then went as far as to push you back.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto can tell you’re protective of Midoriya Izuku, and it kind of annoys him.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 40/200]

You immediately shrunk away. It was already obvious that he was annoyed just based on his expression, but having the system reaffirm it added yet more insult to injury. It was like your failures were being waved right in your face. You doubted you would ever get used to this feeling.

Izuku glanced over at you, and his brows quickly knit together. “Um... [Name] was just trying to help me. You didn’t... need to snap at her.”

“This conversation didn’t have anything to do with her in the first place. You two sure like to rise to the other’s defense, huh?”

Shouto rolled his eyes, then openly scoffed. You felt stupid for assuming as much, but for a moment, you wondered if he might be jealous. You were his only friend—sorry,close acquaintance—and you thought that he might feel a bit left out, knowing that there were other people you were also close to.

That was probably giving yourself too much credit, though. You seriously doubted he thought that highly of you.

Izuku swallowed. “A-Anyways. I’m not really sure what you want from me, telling me something like that all of a sudden. You’re definitely stronger than me. I’m pretty sure that a lot of people wouldn’t be a match for you. But... everyone’s here to do their best. Even students from different departments are aiming for the top. That’s why, even if you’re challenging me... I’m not going to fall behind.”

To be honest, you’d been expecting him to stumble over his words a bit more, or even tremble a little bit. Izuku was an amazing person, but he got nervous easily, and for nearly his whole life, he’d been told that he wasn’t as good as everyone else. With circ*mstances like his, it was only natural that he would struggle to respond to confrontation.

But it was clear as day. He wasgrowing. Right in front of your very eyes.

He’d already made so much progress, and you realized that for someone like him, the sky was the limit.

Shouto didn’t say anything. The corners of his eyes creased as he narrowed his gaze, and for just a moment, he glanced over in your direction.

Then, just as quickly as he’d appeared, he was gone.

He’s so difficult to get a read on. Even with the system, it’s hard to tell what’s actually on his mind. I wish he opened up to me more.

You nibbled on your bottom lip. Patience was a virtue, as the saying went. Now wasn’t exactly the right time to dwell on these things anyways. You needed to focus on the trials that awaited you.

A shaky sigh fell from Izuku’s lips, and he inched a bit closer to you, offering a concerned look. “S-Sorry. Todoroki lashed out at you because of me.”

“I wouldn’t really call that lashing out,” you chuckled. “It’s fine. This is just how he is. I won't take it personally. I probably shouldn’t have said anything in the first place anyways. I should know by now that you’re able to stand up for yourself.”

“I-I can,” Izuku reaffirmed. He paused for a moment, cheeks darkening. “Ican, but... it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate how you’re always trying to help me. Thank you, [Name]. For looking out for me all this time.”

You smiled, despite not really feeling like you’d done much. But perhaps just being here for him already spoke volumes. Up until he’d started classes at U.A, you couldn’t recall Izuku having had a single friend apart from you. The bullying, the constant disrespect, the idea that he would never be as good as anyone else...

All of that must have been a lot to bear. So, maybe it was true that you’d never done anything particularly extraordinary.

But you’d stuck by him through it all, and that was still something.

“Let’s do this,” you said, grabbing his hand and giving it a light squeeze. There was no doubt that you were still nervous, but Izuku really was an incredible role model. Just by looking at him, just knowing everything he’d already accomplished and overcome, it made you feel like you had a chance too.

As always, Izuku’s smile was timid, but blindingly bright.

“Yeah!”

When hissenseihad first suggested that he watch the Sports Festival to get a good look at the students’ abilities, Shigaraki was very much opposed to the idea. What, like he had nothing better to do than waste his time staring at a bunch of pretentious, hero-wannabe brats? He was still recovering from the injuries he’d sustained at USJ, and it felt like more of a chore than anything else.

But then he remembered.Youwere a U.A student, which meant that you would be taking part in the Sports Festival as well.

The moment it all clicked, Shigaraki’s perspective did a full one-eighty.

He fiddled with his bandages, scowling at the unpleasant sensation of dry cloth rubbing against his skin. It was such a pain in the ass that his party didn’t have a healer. It would sure have made things a hell of a lot easier.

But right now, that was a trifling concern. More importantly, he would get to see you again. You had already appeared in his thoughts repeatedly ever since USJ, but fantasizing was different than actually laying eyes on you.

Shigaraki felt like a schoolboy with a crush. Did he seriously have a crush on you? No, that was a ridiculous thought. He just enjoyed the idea of toying with you, that was all. You were a cute little thing, and he found himself having a novel fixation for a change.

He didn’t like you. Or perhaps hedid, but in his own twisted way. Regardless, the details didn’t actually matter.

Inside the darkened room, Shigaraki stared at the screen of his computer, light reflecting upon his blood red irises. His breath was caught in his throat, even if he didn’t realize it, and he kept fidgeting with his fingers, unable to contain his eagerness.

How much longer? This is taking forever.

The Sports Festival was such a pathetic, overhyped affair. He could hardly believe how many idiots with their sheep mentalities had shown up to watch the event unfold from the spectator stands. Even from the comfort of his home, it was absurdly loud, and Shigaraki wished he could reach into his computer and decay everyone where they stood.

But then, it happened.

The person he’d been waiting for finally appeared.

“I’m guessing most of you showed up to watchthem,right? The Hero Department’s first-year course... the students that emerged victorious after a villain attack... Class 1-A!”

Shigaraki would’ve normally scoffed, especially after hearing the braindead announcer openly ridicule him, but he was too focused on the students that had just begun trickling into the stadium. At first, he could only see everyone from afar, but slowly and surely, the camera began to pan across the entire class, giving him a close-up view.

There you were. Every bit as adorable as he remembered. Aw, were you nervous? What a foolish, yet endearing expression you had. He wanted to drink it all in, burn it into the furthest depths of his memory.

Shigaraki laughed manically, then took several screenshots of his computer screen. He wanted to see more of you. He wanted toknowmore. He wanted to break you down until there was nothing left and relish in the fact thathehad been your undoing.

It was all your fault. You shouldn’t have played coy with him in the first place. Killing heroes and fixing this rotten society... that would always be his overarching goal, but no one ever said he couldn’t have a side project along the way.

You were a filthy hero, and there was no changing that. But Shigaraki accepted you the way that you were, flaws and all.

He both hated you and adored you.

Apparently, Katsuki was the freshman representative, because he had placed first on the entrance exam. It followed that he was the one to give a quick speech during the opening ceremony, and it went pretty much exactly as you’d expected.

“I’m gonna place first.”

The stadium fell into an uproar. None of the students could possibly believe his nerve, and how grossly overconfident he was acting.

And yet, it wasn’treallyoverconfidence. The look in Katsuki’s eyes was more than proof of that. You had known him for roughly a year, and in all that time, you’d never seen him make a declaration like this with such a solemn expression.

During middle school, he used to laugh condescendingly, making broad claims and sneering at anyone who dared to tell him otherwise. The person in front of you right now was different. Just like Izuku, he had begun to change, and this was especially true ever since his loss during the Battle Trial.

You had no doubt that Katsuki wanted to win, and he was determined to do everything in his power to achieve that goal. But... he wasn’t looking down on others. He considered everyone here his rival, and he clearly wasn’t underestimating any of them.

In the grand scheme of things, it was a small step, but it made you proud nevertheless.

As Katsuki stepped down from the stage and walked by you, he took note of the smile that had spread across your lips.

“Got something to say?” he snapped. “What are you grinning at me like a creep for?”

You didn’t let his sharp tone discourage you. “Nothing,” you kept smiling. “I thought you looked pretty cool up there. It was really succinct, but you got your point across. Good job, Katsuki.”

“Huh?” He blinked at you in disbelief, and already, his cheeks were starting to redden. “What the...? I don’t need your words of affirmation, asshole! Who even asked for your opinion?”

“Um, you did. Like, two seconds ago. You literally just asked what I wanted to say.”

Katsuki didn’t seem to know how to respond, and you had to admit that it was a bit amusing to see him lost for words like this. You tended to have that effect on him quite often. Perhaps it was a gift.

“f*cking stalker,” he eventually muttered, and yet, his blush showed no signs of disappearing.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki has just remembered that you’ve kissed before.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/200]

Man. That moment sure was living in his head rent-free.

Unsurprisingly, he flipped you off before storming away. Poor Izuku was as out of the loop as ever, and he could only chuckle weakly in response.

“K-Kacchan seems to get pretty worked up around you for some reason...”

It was probably better that Izuku didn’t know about the kiss. If you ever told him, he would probably implode from embarrassment.

With Katsuki’s speech out of the way, it was time for the Sports Festival to officially begin.

As it turned out, the first stage would be an obstacle race, and within a few minutes, all of the students had taken their marks.

Now that you were actually here, just a few steps away from the starting line, your heart was really racing without pause. You felt like you were choking on it, and you knew that this was hardly a matter of life and death—like USJ or Dabi—but still, you wanted to put yourself out there and obtain a result you could be proud of.

Midnight, the invigilator, had already begun the countdown. You drew in another sharp breath, then cast a hasty glance towards Izuku, who was standing just beside you. You’d expected for his lips to be as wobbly as yours, but much to your awe, his gaze was focused and clear. He’d been able to cast his worries aside and focus solely on the task at hand—the way arealhero would.

You swallowed hard, clenched your fists, then resolved to do the same.

Except your circ*mstances were a bit different than his.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shigaraki Tomura is watching you very closely. He can hardly wait to see what cute tricks you’ll pull.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/200]

...Shigaraki? He’s watching me? Right now?

Your jaw dropped open, and while everyone else rushed forward at the sound of the signal going off, you stood absolutely still, skin crawling from both revulsion and fear.

This f*cker had the worst timingever.

Chapter 33: Obstacles

Chapter Text

Thanks to Shigaraki’s bitch-ass, you were already off to a terrible start.

Gritting your teeth, you scrambled to mute the system notifications and avoid any more distractions. You were slightly behind everyone else, but it wasn’t the end of the world. You could make up the few seconds that you’d lost. More importantly, you needed to try and push Shigaraki to the back of your mind, because knowing that he was out there somewhere, creeping on you in true villain fashion, was reallynotmaking this any easier.

In a way, though, Shigaraki had inadvertently helped you. Because almost immediately after the signal tostart went off, a thick layer of ice spread across the ground, freezing a whole bunch of students in place.

If you had charged ahead blindly towards the front of the ground, rather than standing still near the back, you might have gotten caught up in that attack as well.

So, Shigaraki had...kind ofhelped? Sort of?

Actually, f*ck that. You weren’t willing to give him even the slightest bit of credit. Creepy bastard.

The person who’d created all that ice was none other than Shouto, and already, he’d managed to place some distance between himself and the rest of the crowd. Currently, he was all the way in first place, and given how strong he was, you had no doubt that he’d be able to maintain his lead for quite a while longer.

Okay, I just have to take it slow. Avoid the ice for now. Being immobilized this early in the game would pretty much ruin all my chances.

A good deal of your classmates had managed to use their Quirks in order to avoid being frozen, and for the most part, they were keeping a pretty good pace.

Up until a bunch of giant robots showed up, at least.

“Holy sh*t,” you muttered, gaze trailing upwards. They were seriouslymassive, and suddenly, you were reminded of the entrance exam. Wasthisthe sort of thing Izuku had gone up against? You already knew he was impressive, but this just reaffirmed it that much more.

“So, this is what they use during the general entrance exam,” you just barely heard Shouto remark aloud. Right. He’d gotten in by special recommendation, so this was all new territory to him. Not that he seemed particularly worried. It was very much the opposite.

Instead, he swept his right hand across the ground, and in a few seconds flat, several of the robots had been frozen solid.

He ran straight through them, right before they crashed to the ground and blocked the path ahead.

You were dumbfounded. Well, sure. You already knew he was ridiculously strong, but the gap between the two of you was becoming a bit too staggering to make sense of.

While you were floundering, trying to determine your next course of action, several other students—Katsuki included—had already vaulted up and over the robots, instead of wasting time by trying to fight them head-on. You wondered if you could adopt a similar approach. Perhaps you could craft something like a grappling hook? So that you could clear the area quickly? But then again, you needed to be selective with your abilities. If you used them too often, you would run out of stamina, and the Sports Festival was only just getting started. You also didn't have a recipe like that on hand anyways.

You could tell that you were getting overwhelmed, but perhaps luck was on your side for a change, because a deafening blast suddenly cut through the air.

One of the robots had just been absolutely destroyed, and the cause?

Being blasted by the literalcannonYaoyorozu had just created.

Your jaw dropped open. She could even make super complex stuff like that? You couldn’t help but feel jealous of her talent, especially since on the surface, your abilities appeared to be remarkably similar.

You were also jealous that she wasn’t stuck with an abusive system, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

She had opened up a path, and knowing that it was the best opportunity you would get, you charged straight ahead. Some people, like Iida, were using their Quirks to clear the distance faster, while others didn’t have abilities suited for this kind of race. They were instead biding their time, waiting for a more opportune moment to present itself. You knew this was especially true for Izuku, since he couldn’t use his powers without breaking a few bones in the process.

For now, all you could do was run with all your might, and though it took a lot longer than you would’ve liked, you eventually reached the next stage.

Having ventured rather close to the edge of a daunting chasm, you immediately reeled back, legs feeling as if they’d turned to jelly.

Great. On top of everything you already had reason to be afraid of, you could add heights to the list too.

The only way to cross the chasm was to use the ropes that connected to the various rock-like platforms scattered around. You were by no means a professional tightrope-walker, so you doubted you could clear this area that quickly, but you also doubted you could craft anything suitable for the situation.

Nibbling on your bottom lip, you quickly pulled up your system interface. You’d prepared a bunch of handheld weapons in advance, but none of them would help you in this kind of situation. Maybe you could bring out those spring shoes you’d used back during the Quirk Apprehension Test?

...on second thought, probably better not to. You weren’t exactly in the mood to screw up your landing and take a nosedive into the chasm below.

There was nothing you had ready to use. If you wanted to clear this area, andfast, you would need to come up with something all on your own, but you’d never done that before. Up until now, the system had always provided you with crafting recipes that they believed you could handle. Based on your current skill level, could you really envision something that was the perfect fit for this scenario and adequately pull it off? Or should you play it safe by taking your time and using the ropes to cross?

Your life wasn’t exactly easy. You had a lot to worry about, more so than the average person, and because of that, your first instinct was usually to take the less daunting route. But if you never took any risks, then how could you expect to ever rise above anyone else? Especially if you wanted to become a hero.

Perhaps you were making a mistake, but you decided that you would like to have faith in yourself for a change.

A jetpack. If I could make something like a jetpack... that would be perfect. Is that within the threshold of my abilities, or am I being overly ambitious here?

You supposed there was only one way to find out.

Scrolling furiously, you opened the system interface to your crafting tool. It displayed all of the recipes you had ready for use. Naturally, none of them were what you wanted, which is why you concentrated with every fiber of your being—you focused on the image of a jetpack, on all the basic components you wanted it to have, and tried to will it into existence.

A few seconds passed, and still, nothing changed.

f*ck. It was really hopeless after all, huh?

You exhaled tiredly, realizing that you had no other choice but to use the ropes in order to cross, but right before you closed the system interface, the screen changed.

[Craft Jetpack?]

Ah.

It... it worked? Was this going to be arealjetpack, or some horrible imitation that would stall within five seconds of being midair?

Again—there was onlyoneway to find out.

>>[YES]

Fatigue hit you quite hard this time, most likely because you’d come up with a recipe yourself, and also because it was a rather complicated item to create in the first place. But after blinking a few times, you found yourself staring down at the exact thing you’d envisioned.

You didn’t have time to dwell on how proud of yourself you felt, nor did you slow down just because you were a bit tired all of a sudden. Moving fast, you strapped the jetpack to your back, pressed on what you could only assume was the button to turn it on, and just like that, you took off to the skies.

I’m doing it! I’m flying!

It was an amazing, liberating feeling. You grinned widely, noting the countless students that were staring up at you in awe. Not that you could blame them. You imagined you looked pretty f*cking cool.

Everything was going well. You were breezing past the chasm, nearing the other side. Steering was a lot easier than you’d expected. It was a good thing you hadn’t crafted a faulty product, especially since it was your first attempt at something like this. Perhaps you were secretly a genius?

Um. Hold up. How do I land?

Your face hit the ground before you could even choke out a scream.

Okay, so definitelynota genius.

The good news: your jetpack wasn’t broken.

The bad news: your face sure looked like it was.

Quite frankly, though, your appearance was a trifling matter right now. Despite how badly you yearned to ice your tender, swollen cheeks, you needed to focus on the task at hand. Thanks to the jetpack, you’d managed to put a good amount of distance in between yourself and the other students. The only ones that were still ahead of you were Katsuki and Shouto, and they were busy trying to beat the sh*t out of each other.

You couldn’t use your jetpack anymore, though. It was too risky. You were in the middle of a minefield, and since it was clear that you didn’t know how to land for sh*t, one little f*ck-up could result you in getting blasted into oblivion.

But it was okay. Third place was still a result you could take pride in. If you just maintained a steady pace and made sure not to set off any landmines, eventually, you would make it through.

It had been quite some time since you’d last seen Izuku, and even though you were itching to stop and keep an eye out for him, you knew that you needed to put yourself first for a change and focus on finishing the race.

As chance would have it, though, Izuku made a pretty flashy entrance.

With a deafening explosion that sounded like it was coming from the very back of the minefield, he suddenly appeared overhead, riding on a metallic plate. You weren’t sure where he’d even gotten it from. Maybe from one of those robots earlier? Either way, his stunt made your jetpack session look like child’s play in comparison. He was practically hoverboarding.

You kept on running, but all the while, a smile stretched across your lips.

Technically, Izuku was your rival. Just like everyone else here, he was a competitor, and you were all being pitted against each other.

But as you watched him surge ahead, passing even Katsuki and Shouto, then detonating another landmine that propelled him forward...

You couldn’t help but cheer him on.

“And... the winner of the obstacle race is none other thanMidoriya Izuku! Remember his name, everyone, because I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of him soon!”

You could hear Present Mic’s voice booming overhead, a telltale sign that Izuku had officially crossed the finish line. Shouto and Katsuki were hot on his heels, but they hadn’t managed to overtake him, despite their best efforts.

Because of Izuku’s sudden blast to the front of the crowd, you didn’t place third. Actually, you didn’t even end up placing fourth. The girl who’d been running behind you used her vines to pull you back at the last second, and she crossed the finish line just a few seconds earlier.

You’d placed fifth. Perhaps it didn’t sound particularly impressive on its own, but out of the forty-plus students who’d qualified for the next round, it was still a pretty solid ranking.

Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal, but you were proud of yourself nevertheless.

And Izuku. You were really,reallyproud of Izuku.

“That was so cool!” you gushed, wrapping him in your arms right away. “Whoa, you seriously came out of nowhere! I wasn’t expecting that at all. First place is incredible, Izuku!”

He squeezed his eyes shut out of embarrassment, already redder than a tomato. You had the system notifications muted, but he was easy enough to read even without the updates.

“Th-Thank you,” he stammered, so flustered he could barely look you in the eye. “But, um... I-I think I must just have gotten lucky. I used what was available to me, but it could easily have gone wrong. I can’t really say I won purely through my own means...”

You frowned, then pulled away to give him space. He was always so ready to dismiss his own efforts. Of course, you couldn’t confess that you secretly knew about the details of his relationship with All Might, but you were sure that even the pro hero was proud of him right now.

“Izuku,” you said, grabbing his hands and squeezing them tightly. Your lips held a firm, but gentle smile. “You didn’t win because of luck. You won because you worked hard and adapted to the situation. Alright?”

He didn’t seem to know what to say, so he just stared at you with wide, disbelieving green eyes.

“I didn’t win... because I was lucky?” he blinked.

“Sometimes people get lucky, sure, but it was way more thanjustluck. The fact that no one else came up with a strategy like yours is proof of it. You’re the only one who could have pulled something like that off.”

His cheeks somehow gotevenredder, but instead of getting nervous again and hurrying to pull away, his gaze drifted down towards your hands, which were still wrapped around his own.

He was happy, and you didn’t need the system to confirm it for you.

“I-I’m really glad you think I did a good job,” Izuku chuckled, sounding a bit sheepish, but mostly content. “But, um, by the way. Is your face... alright?”

“Izuku,” you gasped. “Are you calling me ugly?”

“O-Of course not!” he spluttered, waving his hands in a frantic attempt to clear the air. “There’s no way that would ever be true! You’re super pretty!Ah! I-I mean... um,um!”

You giggled and playfully ruffled his hair. Your adorable, lovely best friend. He was such a sweetheart. If anyone deserved the whole world, then it was definitelyhim.

One stage of the Sports Festival was officially over and done with. You were relieved to have qualified for the next round, and Izuku had already gotten his name out into the world. So far, the day was going great. You’d even managed to forget about the jump scare from Shigaraki’s notification earlier.

It was actually a good thing you had the system notifications muted, because while you and Izuku were basking in the afterglow, off in your own little world, two boys had turned their attention towards you.

Not only had they lost to Izuku in the race, but the scene they were currently watching unfold...

It felt like someone had just poured salt in their wounds.

STATUS UPDATE [HIDDEN]:

[Todoroki Shouto: -20 love points.]

[Bakugou Katsuki: -20 love points.]

Chapter 34: Manifestation

Chapter Text

Izuku had placed first in the obstacle race. That was a good thing. You were more than just happy for him—you wereoverjoyed, even. It felt like all of his efforts were finally being recognized, and even though Izuku had to keep it a secret, you were sure that All Might was probably proud of him too.

But what did he get in exchange for winning?

A big fat target on his head.

“The person who placed first will be worthten millionpoints!”

Midnight said thatthe next stage would be a cavalry battle. Participants would form teams and strive to steal headbands from rival groups in order to earn as many points as possible. The points increased by intervals of five, and the higher someone scored on the obstacle race, the more points they were worth.

Except for Izuku, who had become the glaring exception, and would surely be targeted by everyone who was still in the competition.

“Man, this is such bullsh*t,” you couldn’t help but mutter. Of course, you knew that everyone was here to win, but it felt like a major punch in the gut. He’d done such a good job in the previous stage, but he was basically being punished for it.

Unsurprisingly, Izuku was pale as a sheet. You had to tap him on the shoulder to jolt him back to his senses.

“It’ll be okay,” you reassured. “I’m still going to team up with you, no matter what. I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, but if you’re willing to have me, I promise I’ll do my best.”

“[N-Name]…”

Izuku proceeded to burst into tears, and that part wasn’t surprising either. You chuckled weakly and pulled him into a loose hug, then patted him on the back several times to try and get him to calm down a bit.

Needless to say, you were far too preoccupied with this new revelation, so youstilldidn’t notice the two other boys that were openly glaring at you.

Muting the system was clearly the right call, because right now, ignorance was bliss.

Anyways. It was time to form teams.

“I really appreciate you sticking with me,” Izuku beamed, slowly wiping the tears from his eyes. “You’re always so kind, [Name]. Even though I’m definitely going to be targeted by everyone, you’re still willing to help me out. Thank you so much.”

“I should be thanking you for accepting me,” you said sheepishly. “I’m honestly worried I might just drag you down...”

“What? No way! Your Quirk is awesome, and there’s so much you can do with it! Actually, seeing that jetpack you used earlier gave me an idea. You said you can store the items you create, right? So, that means you can bring it back out again?”

You nodded. “Yeah. I can pull it out whenever. Do you think it’ll give us an edge for this next match?”

“Definitely,” he grinned. “It’ll really help with our maneuverability, since everyone will be rushing at us nonstop.”

What a pleasant turn of events. Not only were you proud of yourself for managing to pull off a complicated crafting recipe like the jetpack, but it seemed like it could be put to use once again. It made you happy to know that you could help Izuku out, even if it was only a little.

“The total point accumulation doesn’t matter in our case,” Izuku continued. “Which is why we don’t need to bother searching for other people that scored really high. All we need to focus on is defending my headband until the very end. And I've got the perfect people in mind that can help us pull that off!”

Uraraka was the first person on Izuku’s list. Her Zero Gravity Quirk was an all-around useful addition, and thanks to her friendly demeanor, she didn’t hesitate to team up with the two of you. It was nice to work with people you were familiar with, after all. Definitely a lot more reliable than teaming up with strangers.

So, if he wanted Uraraka to join us, then next up is...

Iida. He was the obvious choice, especially since his powers had such good synergy with Uraraka’s. Izuku’s plan was to use Uraraka to make most of the team weightless, and Iida’s Engine Quirk would allow you to dart around the arena in repeated bursts. Plus, your jetpack would allow you to momentarily escape towards the sky, so it was pretty much the ideal formation for defending until time ran out.

It was the perfect team. Almost too good to be true.

“I’m sorry,” Iida said, and you watched, bewildered, as he turned away from the three of you and headed towards Shouto’s team instead. “You’re as admirable as ever, Midoriya. But still, I must refuse. Ever since the entrance exam, it feels like I just keep on losing to you. You’re an amazing friend, but if I get too complacent and just keep following you around like this, I’ll never grow as a person. This time, I decided I’d like to challenge you as well.”

He walked off right after that, although he still smiled politely, very much in line with his chivalrous and respectful demeanor. Iida obviously wasn’t doing this to be petty. He was focused on his own growth, and it was true that everyone here was competing against each other. You just always assumed that friends would stick together. It seemed like the natural thing to do.

Also, why was Shouto glaring at you so much? You’d only just now taken note of it.

“What’s wrong?” you blinked. “Um... is there something on my face?”

He narrowed his eyes, and although you probably should have been used to it by now, his icy expression still made you recoil.

“Nothing,” Shouto said, although it sure didn’tseemlike nothing. He looked offended, for some reason. As if you’d wronged him somehow. “I see you decided to team up with Midoriya after all,” he remarked. “I just hope you know that I’ll be taking that headband for myself. There’s a good chance you’ll lose in the next round.”

You blinked repeatedly.

Wow, someone’s chatty today, huh?

“Uh, that’s nice,” you replied stupidly. What else were you supposed to say to that? He was coming across as oddly confrontational, and you didn’t really know how to handle it. “I know you’re really strong,Shouto... I mean, it’s obvious to pretty much everyone. And it’s true that a lot of people will be targeting our team, but we’re not going to give up that easily. We still have a chance of winning, just like everyone else.”

“If you ask me, you’d be better off on a different team,” Shouto blurted, and he immediately cringed, embarrassed at what he’d just vocalized.

You blinked again. “Well...no. I want to be with my friends. And they’re strong too, so I believe in them. We’ll get through it together somehow.”

Shouto’s fingers unintentionally clenched into a fist. He always felt so strange whenever he spoke to you. Sometimes, it was in a good way. Like there was a weight being lifted off his chest, and he was allowed to finallybreathefor a change. There were moments where your kindness was so readily apparent that he couldn’t help but be soothed by your presence.

Then there were moments likethese, where for whatever reason, talking to you made him feel like absolute sh*t.

Todoroki Shouto was horrible at feelings. Not that it was entirely his fault, more so to do with his painful upbringing. He struggled to make sense of all sorts of emotions. Anger, he knew all too well. Sadness had basically defined his entire childhood. The sensation of being driven almost completely by revenge was familiar, too.

Butjealousy?

It would take him a while to wrap his head around that one.

Which is why, instead of remaining cool-headed, the way he normally did—or at the very least,lookinglike it—Shouto shot you yet another nasty glare, then dropped one last bomb on you before he turned on his heel.

“You’re going to lose,” he glowered. “Tome. I’ll make sure of it.”

Yeah. Todoroki Shouto really was horrible at feelings.

The other members of his team followed behind him, but even Iida, who seemed so determined about joining, was now averting his gaze out of sheer discomfort. The atmosphere was a million times more awkward all of a sudden, and for seemingly no reason at all.

All you could do was keep on blinking, very much in disbelief.

What the literal f*ck is his problem today?

“Th-That was weird,” Izuku remarked, echoing your exact thoughts. "You and Todoroki kind of know each other from before, right? I think you mentioned it at some point. I was already caught off-guard when he approached me earlier, but I guess he’s declaring war on you too now?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on with him,” you sighed. “But it kind of felt like he told me to go f*ck myself just for the hell of it.”

“I-I definitely didn’t hear him usethosewords...”

“The implication was there all the same. Whatever.” Quite frankly, you didn’t have the luxury of dealing with anyone else’s sh*t right now. You’d all been counting on Iida joining, so you were now a member short. “Is there anyone else who doesn’t have a team yet?” you asked. “Do you think it’ll be enough with just the three of us? Midnight did say that you can have teams smaller than four people, too. We’ll just have to hope that my jetpack will give us enough mobility.”

Izuku pursed his lips. “Well... wecoulddo this with just the three of us, sure, but now that Iida’s out of the picture, maybe we should look for someone who can give our team the power it’s lacking. Someone with a more strength-based Quirk, to fight off the people that try to attack us.”

You weren’t sure who exactly was left to fit that mold. A few minutes had already passed, and by now, most people seemed to have formed their teams. Was there even anyone else who was still available?

“...ah!” Izuku suddenly exclaimed, and his green eyes lit up excitedly. “I found him! Hold on a second, I’ll be right back!”

He ran off without another word, but since this was Izuku you were talking about, you fully trusted his judgment.

While you waited to see who he came back with, Uraraka awkwardly cleared her throat.

“Um,” she said, glancing towards you hesitantly, “earlier... Todoroki seemed pretty fired up, huh? He doesn’t usually talk much, but it looks like he actually pays attention to you and Deku. I guess the two of you really do stand out.”

“We have a love-hate relationship,” you reluctantly admitted.

Although lately it seems to be leaning towards ‘hate’ a lot more...

“Maybe he has a crush on you or something,” she giggled, and her rosy cheeks flushed even more. “I’ve heard that guys sometimes act that way around the people they like because they’re embarrassed!”

“Ha. Haha.” You couldn’t help but laugh. It was practically humorless, though. “Uraraka,” you said, placing your hand on her shoulder and giving her an amused, but mildly exasperated look. “I don’t think you understand. Shouto and I are close acquaintances at best.”

Uraraka didn’t seem to understand, but that was fine, because you didn’t either.

Seriously, after all this time, what the f*ck was a close acquaintance supposed to be?

In just a few moments, the Cavalry Battle would begin. You were nervous, of course, mostly because youkneweveryone would be targeting your team, but Izuku had pulled through by finding a great addition at the very last moment.

The boy’s name was Tokoyami Fumikage, and even though you’d never spoken to him until now, you could still tell that he was pretty damn strong.

“I’m kind of scared,” you admitted, shaking a bit from your position. Tokoyami had the most offense and defense, so he was at the very front. Still, even if it wasn’t awfully impressive by comparison, you had your own role to play in all of this.

Izuku cast a quick glance down at you, and even though he was probably nervous as well, he managed to muster up a wobbly smile. “It’s going to be okay,” he reassured. “I-I mean... I know it won’t be easy, but we can do it.”

“There’s no point in cowering from the opponent before the fight’s even begun,” Tokoyami said matter-of-factly. “We must face our adversaries and prove that our conviction is stronger than theirs.”

Huh. He had a rather elaborate, somewhat funny way of speaking. It was actually kind of cute.

You chuckled softly. “Right. Thanks. I feel a bit better now. It’s true that there’s no point in getting worked up like this. I just need to focus on our goal.”

In terms of strength, or even skillfulness, you still had a long way to go.

But that was all the more reason to keep trying.

3...!

2...!

1...

…

START!

The second the signal went off, you scrambled to pull up the system interface. It only took a few seconds to go directly to your inventory and retrieve what you needed, but those few seconds were crucial. You needed to act as quickly as possible.

After all, several teams were already heading straight towards you.

“Here!” you cried out, then passed the jetpack over to Izuku. “Put it on and push that button near the back!”

Izuku put the jetpack on, and apparently, not a moment too soon. Your feet had started sinking into the ground—it was someone’s Quirk in action.

“Everyone, look away!” Izuku instructed.

Thanks to your jetpack, which was perfectly intact (good thing you hadn’t broken it when you crashed earlier), your team was able to break free just in the nick of time. You soared overhead, although your opponents certainly weren’t willing to make it easy for you. They kept attacking as best they could, even from a distance. If not for Tokoyami, they probably would’ve gotten a few hits in.

The Cavalry Battle had only just started, and you knew it was too early to get ahead of yourself, but... just now, you’d successfully escaped. It was proof that this tactic and team formation actuallyworked.

You guys really did have a shot at winning this thing.

“Careful with the landing!” you urged. “Just... slowly let go of the button. If you do it too suddenly, we might lose control and crash like I did earlier. Haha...”

Thankfully, Izuku appeared to be a better jetpack-user than you, and you were able to stick the landing without any problems. So far, so good. People were still coming after you, of course, but if you could just keep running away and making use of Tokoyami’s Quirk to defend, it was only a matter of time before the round was over.

Everything was going great.

Until your jetpack decided to stop doing its damn job.

“W-What’s happening?” Izuku asked, repeatedly mashing the button. “I keep pushing it, but... it’s not turning back on.”

Your face flushed, shame immediately coloring your expression. Goddammit! Youknewit was too good to be true. It was the first recipe you’d crafted on your own. You were too naïve in assuming that it would work perfectly. Really, it was a miracle it had even lasted this long.

“I think it might be broken,” you begrudgingly admitted. “Hold on, I’ll try and see if I can craft another one—”

Too late. In the few moments your team had spent scrambling to make sense of the situation, you had already been surrounded by practically all of the teams in the arena. The sheer quantity of people rushing towards you was already intimidating enough, but worse yet, Shouto’s team was the one leading the charge. His eyes were sharp and focused. Based on his declaration earlier, he clearly wouldn’t stop until he had Izuku’s headband in his possession.

Panic set in, but when you scrambled to try and craft another jetpack, it wouldn’t allow you to.

sh*t! Why won’t it work? Do I have a limit on how many times I can craft a specific object per day? Or is it harder to pull off because this is something I came up with all on my own?

You felt weak. No, youwereweak. Yet again, you couldn’t help but be jealous of Yaoyorozu, who had a similar power to yours, but was able to use it a hundred times more effectively. Plus, thanks to Kaminari’s electricity, the other teams had been momentarily stunned, which allowed Shouto to close the distance more and more.

The only thing you had to offer during this entire match was the item you’d crafted earlier, and it hadn’t even done its job until the very end. Tokoyami could only defend for so long. Apparently, Dark Shadow thrived in the darkness, but when exposed to constant light, it became considerably weaker. Izuku was good at strategizing, and so far, he’d managed to instruct you so that you avoided most of Shouto’s attacks, but it was getting too close for comfort.

Your contribution felt so small. So insignificant. You really,reallywanted Izuku to win. You knew how much this meant to him. Why were you unable to help him when it mattered most?

Were you really so goddamn useless?

[“...No. Youcando it. I believe in you. And most of all... you’re more special than you realize.”]

A strange feeling. Rather than appearing to you in the form of text on a screen, you heard actual words echo inside your brain. The voice was hard to pick apart. It was almost entirely static, but for some reason, when you heard it...

It made you feel at ease.

Something was about to happen.That weird sense of déjà vu came to you again, and it told you that in the next few moments, Iida was about to charge ahead, faster than you’d ever seen him move before.

You needed to defend. You needed todosomething. Even if you couldn’t make sense of the voice you’d just heard, it felt like someone truly did believe in you.

So, you decided to believe in yourself too.

“Torque over!” Iida cried out. “Recipro...burst!”

The gut feeling you’d had turned out to be true, and the very next second, Iida tapped into his presumably highest gear. He was rushing towards you so fast that he may as well have been a blur. Under ordinary circ*mstances, anyone would’ve been caught off-guard by something like that.

This was the first time you were grateful tonotbe ordinary.

Instead of charging straight past your team and snatching the headband off Izuku’s forehead, which was obviously their intention, Shouto’s entire team collided against a springy, transparent wall.

A wall that you had just manifested out of thin air.

“What the—?!”

All of their expressions were laden with shock, and so were the expressions of your own teammates, for that matter.

You weren’t sure how you’d pulled it off, but the very thing you’d just envisioned—it had become reality. And you hadn’t even lifted a finger to do it.

“[Name]?” Izuku blinked. “Did... didyoumake that just now?”

“I... think so.”

“Youthinkso?”

Unfortunately, you didn’t have time to muster up a proper response. Shouto had already recovered, and he used his ice to pierce through the transparent wall you’d just created. He was close enough that he could still attack from this distance. Iida’s engine appeared to be stalling, since he’d just moved at such a breakneck pace, and with less than a minute on the clock, Shouto was still gunning for the ten million points.

But it was okay. If nothing else, you had prevented the headband from being stolen, and you’d bought your team some time.

Izuku gritted his teeth as Shouto drew closer, and much to your surprise, he activated One for All, using the pressure to blow Shouto’s hand out of the way.

Perhaps it was desperation—because victory was so close, yet seemingly out of his grasp—but in that moment, Shouto unwittingly channeled the flames on his left side.

Quite frankly, it horrified him. Heneverwanted to use this power, but here he was, relying on it just because he felt cornered. It went against everything he’d ever believed in, and it honestly made him feel pathetic.

But that wasn’t what horrified him the most.

The clock was just about to run out. There were hardly ten seconds left, and the distance between him and Izuku was a few inches at best.

And it was at that exact moment, right as the battle was about to end, that you fainted without warning.

Shouto’s flames died out. His eyes were wide and disbelieving, and before he knew it, the Cavalry Battle was over.

He hadn’t placed first.

But right now, he could honestly care less.

“...[Name]?”

Chapter 35: Forever Mortified

Chapter Text

Your efforts had helped your team secure victory. Unfortunately, in the process of doing so, you had completely burnt out, and were now lying motionless on the ground.

Since you were unconscious, you had no way of knowing it, but countless people were worried about you.

“[N-Name]!” Izuku exclaimed. Having seen what had just happened, he couldn’t even focus wholeheartedly on the fact that he’d placed first again. Instead, he hopped off your teammates’ shoulders and rushed over to you.

Someone else beat him to the punch, though.

“Ah,” was all Izuku could think to say. He watched, somewhat bewildered, as Shouto wrapped his arms around you and used a hand to carefully cradle the back of your head. To the freckled boy, it came as quite a shock. After all, just moments ago, he and Shouto had been going at it without pause, and he also remembered how harshly Shouto had spoken to you before the Cavalry Battle even started.

Yet here he was, holding your limp body as if it was something precious and delicate. Something that needed to be protected.

Izuku was perhaps too innocent for his own good at times, and a touch naïve as well, but right now, there was very little doubt in his mind.

Shouto clearly cared for you a lot more than he was willing to admit.

“I’m not sure what happened, but it looks like she pushed herself too hard,” Shouto mumbled. He gently placed his hand on your forehead, as if he was checking for a fever. He couldn’t tell what exactly had gone wrong, but you were out cold.

Great. On top of feeling guilty about unconsciously using his flames, healsofelt guilty for making you overexert yourself.

No matter what I do, others suffer because of me.

The thought weighed heavily in Shouto’s mind. He refused to be like his father. He could hardly think of anything he would loathe more. But looking back on it, even before the Cavalry Battle started—even before you started fighting for real—he’d said some rather unpleasant things to you.

Shouto didn’t mean to speak to you that way. He didn’tmeanto come across as insensitive, or cruel.

But he’d done it anyways. f*ck. Was he really no better than his father, after all?

“H-How is she?” Izuku couldn’t help but ask. He crouched down to get closer to you, and instinctively, Shouto recoiled, pulling you further into his grip.

“I don’t know,” he replied, tone clipped. “I can’t tell if she’s hurt or not. But she clearly needs to get some rest. I’m going to take her to the infirmary.”

Shouto wasn’t trying to be petty. He wasn’t trying to keep you from your friend, who was clearly very worried. Perhaps he’d shrugged Izuku off because he was already wary of him to begin with. He was a rival, and Shouto instinctively felt as though he had to prove himself—especiallyif his sh*tty dad was watching.

So, maybe that was why he chose to lift you into his arms instead of allowing Izuku to do the same. Maybe it was his way of finally obtaining a victory, however small it was. He’d certainly done a lot of losing to Izuku thus far.

But somehow, Shouto couldn’t help but feel like it wasmorethan that.As forhow, exactly...

He just didn’t understand.

STATUS UPDATE [HIDDEN]:

[Todoroki Shouto is jealous of Midoriya Izuku, even if he doesn’t realize it.]

[+40 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/200]

Only the top four teams had qualified and earned the right to move onto the third and final stage of the Sports Festival. The rankings were as such:

FIRST PLACE – TEAM MIDORIYA

SECOND PLACE – TEAM BAKUGOU

THIRD PLACE – TEAM TODOROKI

FOURTH PLACE – TEAM SHINSOU

Third place. This time, Shouto didn’t even place second. He’d been too focused on stealing the ten-million-point headband from Izuku, and he’d finished the Cavalry Battle with only the headbands his team had started off with. It was arguably a step down from the Obstacle Race. His father was probably fuming right about now.

Shouto couldn’t deny that he was upset. He felt weak. Not only because he’d lost, but because when he’d been backed into a corner, the first thing he’d done was rely on the power his father had passed down to him.

He was upset, but...

Right now, he just wanted to make sure you were okay.

“I didn’t expect Todoroki to look so concerned,” Uraraka remarked. “[Name] said earlier that they were just close acquaintances, whateverthat’ssupposed to mean... but it doesn’t really look that way to me.”

From beside her, Izuku just nodded slowly. He didn’t really know what to say. He didn’t even know what tothink.

The only thing he knew was that if he followed Shouto right now, instead of watching him solemnly carry you towards the infirmary, he would feel really,reallyguilty about it.

Thankfully, you weren’t unconscious for that long. Not that it was any less disorienting when you finally snapped to your senses.

“Wha—huh?! You can’t steal it! This isourheadband!”

You sat up with a gasp, convinced you were still very much in the middle of the Cavalry Battle. It didn’t take long for realization to set in, though. The feeling underneath you wassoft, suspiciously bed-like, and as the blurriness in your eyes cleared, finally allowing you to scan the room, you were able to put the pieces together.

This is the infirmary. I’m in... the infirmary?

“Whoopsie-daisy,” you unintentionally blurted.

A heavy sigh filled the room.

“Is that reallyallyou have to say?” Recovery Girl asked, frowning slightly. “I heard you collapsed out of nowhere. Aren’t you even a little bit worried about your wellbeing?”

“Well, I’m alive, aren’t I?” you replied, and thatclearlywasn’t the right thing to say, because Recovery Girl’s frown deepened.

“Goodness,” she huffed. “You kids are always so nonchalant when it comes to your health. Especially that other boy, Midoriya, who keeps on inuring himself gravely as if it’s no big deal.”

“He hasn’t injured himself today,” you felt the need to point out.

You would end up eating your words later on, but naturally, you couldn’t have possibly known that.

Recovery Girl shook her head. “Well, I’m not sure what exactly happened to you, but you really are prone to fainting, it seems. I recall the same thing happening during the entrance exam. You were bleeding from the nose quite heavily back then. That didn’t happen this time, though, so perhaps it’s simply a case of overwhelming fatigue. I only treated you with my Quirk a little bit, from when you fell on your face during the Obstacle Race. I’m hoping it didn’t amplify your fatigue too much.”

“Right. Sorry for the trouble,” you said, then quickly bowed your head. “I feel alright now. Like you said, I must have just been tired.”

You were very much underselling it. Even now, you still felt as though your entire body was made of lead.

“Ah,” you realized, eyes suddenly growing wide. “Since I fainted, does that mean that the Cavalry Battle...?”

“You were lucky,” Recovery Girl chuckled. “It seems you managed to stave off your fatigue until the very last few seconds. Your team placed first.”

First place.

Seriously,firstplace?

That meant that you and Izuku had both obtained victory, and better yet—you’d done ittogether.

Despite your immense exhaustion, you still couldn’t stop yourself from giggling uncontrollably and patting your cheeks.

“I did something,” you mumbled happily. “I actually... Ihelped.”

Recovery Girl paused to give you a curious look. “Well, of course you did. That’s what it means to be part of a team. You achieve victory by lending each other support.”

“I know that. It’s just that... I didn’t actually expect to be of much use. Especially when the jetpack I crafted failed. I thought I would end up dragging the team down, and Izuku would be held back because of me.” Your fingers dug into the bedsheets, and you gripped them, firmly, as a smile spread across your lips. “It just feels nice to know that my actions had a positive effect. Even if it’s not much, I feel a bit more confident now.”

“Oh, you silly girl,” Recovery Girl sighed again. “There are all kinds of people in this world, that much is true, but if you want to become a hero, you’ll need to start having some faith. If evenyoudon’t believe in yourself, then how can you expect anyone else to?”

She was right. You were used to feeling weak. Not only weak, buthelpless, forever at the mercy of the system that yearned to control you.

But wallowing in all this pity and self-doubt was never going to get you anywhere. The fact that you’d managed to protect your team was proof that youcouldstep up. Youcouldachieve something if you set your mind to it.

Besides, you’d already endured the system for so long. Ifthatwasn’t proof of your tenacity, then really, you didn’t know what was.

“Thank you,” you said, then bowed your head once more. “What you’re saying is completely true. I’ll do my best to be more confident from now on.”

“Speaking of confidence,” she suddenly blinked. “Are you close with that other boy too?”

“Which other boy?”

“Actually, there were quite a few of them. First off, the boy that brought you here. Todoroki, I believe his name is. He insisted on carrying you to the infirmary in his own arms, instead of letting you be put in a stretcher.”

Shouto did that?

“Then, the injury-prone one, Midoriya, came to check on you too. Along with some of your other friends as well. Of course, I told them not to linger and give you space to rest instead, so they were only here for a few minutes.”

You parted your lips to reply, but apparently, she wasn’t done yet.

“Andthen, just a few moments before you woke up, actually, you had yet another visitor. The loud and awfully confident one, with the explosion Quirk.” Recovery Girl covered her mouth with her palm, trying—but failing—to stifle a laugh. “I have to admit, it was an amusing sight. He just barely poked his head inside the room for two seconds, and when I asked him if he wanted to get a quick look at you from closer up, he yelled and took off in a hurry.”

Uh. Wow. That was alotto process.

First off, you still couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that Shouto had gone out of his way to bring you to the infirmary himself. He’d been acting like a total ass for the better portion of the day. Where was all of this coming from?

The part about Izuku and the others coming to check on you didn’t surprise you one bit, but evenKatsukihad stopped by? Did his body get taken over by aliens all of a sudden, or what?

“It seems like you’re quite popular,” Recovery Girl mused. “You should be happy.”

“Right. Haha...”

You were moreconfusedthan anything else, to be honest. Since the Cavalry Battle was over, the Sports Festival was now on break for lunch, and the next round wouldn’t be announced until afterwards. You were tired as hell, but you doubted you’d be able to fall asleep again. Besides, since you’d made it through to the third round, you desperately needed to get some food in you, or you would probably collapse yet again.

A nice, peaceful lunch. After everything that had already happened, you were looking forward to getting some respite, however brief it would be.

Unfortunately, nothing was ever allowed to be peaceful around here.

“Deku?” Uraraka frowned, quickly swallowing a mouthful of rice. “He’s not here. He left with Todoroki just a little while ago. It sounded like they had something to talk about. But anyways, do you have any idea how worried Todoroki looked earlier? I think he reallymighthave a crush on you!”

You let out a sigh. “I really think you’re reading into things too much there. But what could they even have to talk about? Do you know which way they went?”

“That way,” Uraraka pointed, and within seconds, you were already gone. She merely shook her head and turned towards Iida. “Hey, Iida, what do you think? Todoroki’s definitely interested in [Name], isn’t he? It feels like he gets a bit more emotional whenever she’s involved.”

“It isn’t polite to pry into someone else’s business,” Iida said, immediately adjusting his glasses. “Let’s refrain from making any assumptions. It’s rude.”

Uraraka nodded in understanding. Perhaps she reallywasreading into things too much. But still. From an outsider’s perspective... something was clearly going on there.

“Close acquaintances, my butt,” she muttered.

While Uraraka was still contemplating whether she was perceptive or just plain delusional, you were busy trying to figure out where Izuku had gone. Plus, you also kind of wanted to talk to Shouto too. Recovery Girl wasn’t the type to lie, so that meant that he reallyhadbrought you to the infirmary all on his own. Perhaps he was finally done being moody and had reverted back to his socially awkward, but still somewhat considerate self.

But the more you walked in the direction Uraraka had pointed you towards, the more you found yourself blinking in disbelief.

An... underpass. This area looks super familiar.

You suddenly realized why that was. It was because you’d already seen this scene play out. Izuku and Shouto talking to each other, in an area that looked exactly like this one... it made you remember the ridiculous question Shouto had asked you before.

“Is Midoriya All Might’s secret love child or something?”

f*ck. Your head was hurting again. More sh*tty déjà vu, like always. It seemed reasonable to assume that this was where they were going to have that conversation, though. So, when you’d had that vision back then, it reallywasa glimpse of the future.

And yet, it still felt like a memory, somehow.

God. You were so sick and tired of things not making any damnsense.

Before you could mash your teeth in frustration, however, you collided headfirst into someone as you turned the corner.

“Ow! Be careful where you’re—ah. Katsuki?”

“Shut the f*ck up,” was his immediate reply, but you figured it had less to do with him being mad, and more so the fact that he kept nervously glancing over his shoulder.

You followed his line of sight, but you’d only taken two steps before he suddenly grabbed you by the arm and pulled you back.

“Don’t go out there right now.” For some reason, he said it as if it was some kind of warning. He even pressed a finger to his lips, then grimaced. He was telling you to stay quiet.

Within a few moments, you found out why.

“...I’m sure you know about my father, Endeavor. He’s been the Number Two Hero forever now. If you’re connected to the Number One Hero, then that’s all the more reason for me to win against you.”

That was Shouto’s voice, and based on what he was saying about the other person being connected to the Number One Hero, hehadto be talking to Izuku.

So, the vision you’d had before really was happening, yet again.

You leaned closer to Katsuki and whispered. “Why can’t I go out there? And did Shouto ask Izuku if he was All Might’s love child, by any chance?”

“What are you, f*cking stupid? Why would he ask something like that?”

Huh. Well, Shouto probably hadn’t asked him that exact question because you’d already answered it for him before. But then that meant that the vision you’d seen wasn’t entirely accurate. So,whendid he ask Izuku that question? When did you see it all unfold?

“Ugh,” you winced, pressing both hands on opposite sides of your head. “It hurts...”

Katsuki glanced at you with just the slightest hint of concern. “I feel like your head always hurts,” he mumbled quietly. “Have you considered seeing a doctor or some sh*t?”

Given the fact that the system existed, and your entire life was shrouded in mystery, you highly doubted a doctor would be the solution to your problems.

“I was going to talk to them, but let’s hurry up and leave,” you whispered in between pained grimaces. “At this point, we’re just eavesdropping...”

You’d already overheard enough. Shouto’s father was apparently Endeavor, which for some reason, didn’t surprise you that much. You chalked that up to déjà vu as well, but you’d already known for a while that Shouto had family problems, based on all the system updates you’d seen. It made sense now that his father was a top hero who probably had strict, unreasonable expectations for him.

Either way, you could come back at a later time. This conversation clearly wasn’t intended for your ears, nor Katsuki’s.

“Youcan leave,” Katsuki frowned. “I want to know what sh*tty half-and-half wants to say to sh*tty Deku.”

As always, he was being difficult. You should’ve expected as much. Perhaps it would have been better off if you walked away right then and there.

You intended to do just that. Walk away without a second glance.

Why, ohwhy, couldn’t you just walk away?

“Stop listening in on someone else’s conversation,” you insisted, grabbing Katsuki’s hand in yours and pulling him as forcefully as you could.

Of course, Katsuki was much stronger than you physically, so he resisted, which made things infinitely more difficult.

What followed was the two of you shoving and jerking each other around—while making a conscious effort to be as quiet as possible. But it was clearly a stalemate, and as you mustered up all your strength to get him to budge, you ended up overhearing what you’d set out to avoid.

As the words left Shouto’s lips, you finally stopped moving.

His mom... didwhatto him?

Katsuki looked horrified too, and that was really saying something. He wasn’t the type of person who could usually be stunned into silence, but after what you’d just heard... holy sh*t.

You didn’t have any parents, but you were more certain of it than ever.

Not having parents at all was still better than havingawfulones.

It all made sense now. All the system updates that had told you Shouto was struggling with familial conflict. The way he’d looked so lonely when you’d gone to the park together and seen all those happy families roaming around.

And hisQuirk... the thing he’d been so opposed to telling you about.

He hated half of his entire being. The power he’d obtained from his father was nothing more than a mark of shame. Something that made him feel guilty by default, as ifhewas the one who was somehow responsible for his mother’s abuse.

But itwasn’tShouto’s fault. Right now, you yearned to tell him that. Even though you shouldn’t have been listening in the first place. Even though you felt guilty for overhearing the darkest parts of his childhood.

He was the same boy who, despite struggling to express himself, despite not knowing happiness as easily as others, had still taken you to the infirmary.

He’dworriedabout you.

So, perhaps you weren’t close enough to be called friends yet. Perhaps being close acquaintances sounded like a terrible joke, and it honestlywas.

But it didn’t matter. You cared about Shouto. It was just that simple. And when someone you cared about was in pain... wasn’t it the instinct of a hero to try and help?

You turned the corner, fully determined to wrap your arms around Shouto, even if it took him by surprise. You would apologize as many times as it took for eavesdropping. It was okay if he got angry at you, too.

Right now, he just really,reallyneeded a hug.

“Stop! f*cking idiot—!”

Ah.

It happened at the very last second. Katsuki tried to pull you back, to keep you from revealing yourself. He wasn’t one to feel much remorse—notusually, at least. But after what he’d just heard, he wasn’t exactly keen on admitting that he’d just listened in on all of that, because f*cking hell. It washeavy.

So, he tried to stop you. Except it was already too late.

You ran forward, and when he jerked you back in the opposite direction, you ended up tripping.

Thankfully, Katsuki caught you before you fell.

Honestly, though... you really wish hehadn’t.

There you were, now face to face with Izuku and Shouto. But you hadn’t turned the corner like a normal person. No, of course not. Such a thing couldn’t possibly be permitted.

Katsuki had caught you with both of his hands. One of them was latched around your waist, holding you snug. As for the other one...

It already seemed to be closely acquainted with your chest.

“Sh-sh*t!” Katsuki cried out. He pulled away as quick as he could, and you stumbled forward a bit more, just barely able to regain your balance in time. When you glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, you were unsurprised to find that his face was immeasurably red. It reminded you of the time you’d fallen on top of each other and accidentally kissed. And the time you’d accidentally pantsed him.

Goddammit. Nothing ever went smoothly whenever this asshole was involved.

You were mortified. Not from having your chest groped. It clearly wasn’t on purpose, and you would’ve normally recovered quickly enough.

If not for the fact that Izuku and Shouto had just seeneverything.

Haha. Ha.

You’d planned on consoling Shouto. You were going to say sorry for eavesdropping, then hug him, while also thanking him for taking care of you when you’d fainted earlier.

That opportunity had clearly just gone out the window.

“[N-Name], and... Kacchan...?!”

Izuku’s jaw was unhinged. He could hardly believe what he’d just seen. You wished you could erase his memory right now. You wished you could eraseeveryone’smemory, including your own.

For the first time, you actually wantedmoreamnesia.

“It... it was a f*cking accident!” Katsuki exclaimed. He was practically blowing steam out of his ears, and you had to admit, it was kind of funny to watch him try to come up with a defense. Or rather, itwould’vebeen funny.

Too bad Shouto was glaring at you like he was out for blood.

Not only had you just intruded on a private, vulnerable moment, but you’d done it in the most embarrassing way possible.

“I’m sorry,” was all you could think to say.

At that moment, almost as if the universe wanted you toknowhow badly you’d f*cked up, the system went back to being unmuted.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto is irritated beyond words.]

[-30 love points.]

[Current progress: 30/200]

Chapter 36: A Necessary Discussion

Chapter Text

You had the worst luck of any person to ever exist. It had gotten to the point that you couldn’t help but feel like it was deliberate, as if some omnipotent presence was getting a kick out of f*cking with you.

Not that the logistics really mattered. Whatdidmatter was the fact that you’d just intruded on a private conversation in the worst way imaginable, and Shouto’s points had taken an immediate nosedive.

Honestly, was there even a way to recover from this?

“I-I’m really sorry,” you said again, unable to keep from stammering nervously. The cold look in Shouto’s eyes unsettled you. Sure, you were used to him being icy and standoffish, but this was on awholenew level.

Shouto clenched his jaw. He briefly glanced over to Katsuki, whose face was so red that it looked like he’d just eaten a hundred hot chili peppers. It felt like Shouto's glower deepened for the few moments he made eye contact with the ash blonde, but perhaps you were imagining it. He looked so angry it was hard to tell.

He finally looked back at you. “So,” he said coldly. “The two of you were listening in on our conversation.”

“By accident!” you hastily blurted. “We were just walking towards this area, and we happened to overhear. I promise I didn’t come here with the intention of spying on you. I’d heard that you and Izuku went off together somewhere, and I wanted to talk to both of you, so... it just happened. And I’m really,reallysorry that it did.”

You bowed your head, desperate to try and make amends, even though it was probably too late. Shouto had an icy exterior, and even after knowing him for several months, you hadn’t made that much progress. You dreaded imagining just how much this unfortunate incident would set you back.

Shouto wasn’t saying anything, and poor Izuku—who was somehowalwaysthere to bear witness to your embarrassment—didn’t know what else to do besides gape in disbelief. He probably felt like digging himself a hole and crawling inside of it.

You braced yourself for Shouto’s response, prepared for something remarkably unpleasant.

But rather than hearing his words, you heard apinginstead.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki just groped your chest, and it feels like his heart is about to explode.]

[+50 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/200]

...this motherf*cker.

It was undeniably a lot of progress, but for entirely the wrong reason. Plus, it had come at Shouto’s expense. You could hardly call this worthwhile when another one of your love interests was currently glaring at you like you’d just slapped him across the face.

You shot Katsuki an irritated look. “Now isreallynot the right time.”

Of course, he reacted by blinking repeatedly.

“Huh? I didn’t even say anything!”

“I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“The hell you do!”

Katsuki proceeded to snap at you and run his mouth about how you didn’t know jack sh*t about him, but even without the system’s input, his red cheeks were a dead giveaway as to what was on his mind. In any case, him being here really wasn’t helping. Goddammit. If only you hadn’t had the misfortune of running into him at such a horrible time... then none of this would have ever happened.

You ignored Katsuki and turned back towards Shouto. “I understand why you’d be upset,” you swallowed. “If I’d known you were talking about such private matters, I would’ve steered clear of this area and given you space. You have no reason to forgive me for listening in, but... I still wanted to talk to you. Not just because of what I heard, but also because I know you helped me after the Cavalry Battle. Recovery Girl said you brought me to the infirmary yourself.”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant, and it’s definitely not worth you wasting your breath,” he dismissed with a scowl.

sh*t. You’d expected as much, but he clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk, not after you and Katsuki had rudely crashed the party.

You were at a loss, and it seemed like there was nothing you could do to regain your earlier standing with him. If you left things on such a sour note, it would surely set the tone for the rest of the day, as well as the brunt of your relationship moving forward. Shouto had purposefully kept the details of his family hidden for a long time. He obviously didn't want you to find out like this.

But as was often the case whenever you found yourself floundering, a certain boy came to your rescue.

“K-Kacchan,” you heard Izuku whisper. Despite his apprehension towards his childhood bully, he was steadily inching closer to the blonde. “I think... we should leave the two of them to talk. Let’s give them some space, okay?”

“Why the f*ck should I leave?” Katsuki snapped, making no effort to lower his voice. “I don’t take orders from you, sh*tty Deku. Know your place.”

Izuku grimaced, and he probably felt the urge to back off.

But he didn’t.

“We’re going,” he swallowed, mustering up all his determination, then he quickly latched his hand onto Katsuki’s wrist. The latter was in disbelief and didn’t quite know how to respond. Before you could really process half of what was happening, Izuku was already dragging him away, and you could hear Katsuki’s screams echoing down the halls.

Poor Izuku was probably going to end up with a few bruises before the next round of the Sports Festival even began.

You didn’t have much time to dwell on your friend’s valiant sacrifice, especially since he had once again stood up to the person he’d feared for so long—and on your behalf, no less. The number one thing on your mind right now was trying to repair your relationship with Shouto, which would undoubtedly prove to be a near-impossible task.

“I’m really sorry,” you repeated for what felt like the millionth time. “I know I must sound like a broken record right now, but that conversation clearly wasn’t meant for my ears. Is there any way I can make it up to you? I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Shouto let out a quiet, yet distinctly harsh sigh. “Whatever. It was an accident, I get it. It’s not like I could have hidden who my father was forever anyways. You were bound to find out at some point.”

“I know. But I was waiting for you to open up to me yourself, and now it’s like I’ve cheated or something.” You balled up your hands into fists, trying to keep yourself from shaking too hard. “Either way, I feel really guilty. And I’m sure sympathy is the last thing you want to hear right now, but the reason I rushed out like that is because I had the sudden urge to give you a hug. No matter how strong you are, that’s not the sort of thing anyone should have to endure, least of all a child.”

“You’re right about one thing, and it’s that Idon’tneed your sympathy,” he glared. “That’s not the reason I told Midoriya my story. I just wanted him to understand my motivations for picking a fight with him.”

You nodded meekly. Really, what was there to say? You couldn’t act like you understood what he’d gone through, because youdidn’t. Everyone was unique and had their own circ*mstances. Just like how you didn’t understand Shouto’s pain and suffering with respect to his family, he couldn’t possibly understand the fear and dread you continuously experienced at the hands of the system.

You would never be able to fully put yourself in his shoes. But... part of you still hoped that he would help youtryto understand. You hoped that he would want to share his experience with you, or at the very least, allow you to comfort him as best you could.

That was all up to Shouto, though. And after what he’d just seen, the odds of him opening up seemed abysmally low.

“Right,” you nodded, pressing your lips together uncomfortably. “Everything to do with your family is your business, and no one else’s. I understand why you wouldn’t want me butting my nose in. That’s why... this might sound like overstepping, but...”

Shouto lifted a brow. “But?”

“...but... as far as your father’s power goes...” You paused, worried that you might regret this. Already, you’d done enough damage. Were you really willing to risk angering him even more?

It was a gamble. You realized that much. Yet, for some reason, you got the sense that Shouto really,reallyneeded to hear your next words.

Call it déjà vu, or a sixth sense, or whatever.

You didn’t know how to explain it, but something told you that this message needed to be conveyed.

“Quirks are usually passed on genetically,” you said hesitantly. “That much is true. So, yes, to some extent, youdidobtain your flame Quirk because of your father. And I understand he had some sort of sick goal to surpass All Might, and intended to pressure you into doing as he wanted in order to fulfill his twisted ambitions.”

“I already said that myself,” Shouto deadpanned. “What are you getting at?”

“Right. You did. But I think there’s still an important distinction to make. Your father passed on his power to you, but the moment he did that... itstoppedbeing his power.”

It was only for a moment, but Shouto’s eyes went wide.

“Endeavor sounds like a real piece of work,” you chuckled weakly. “I can’t imagine how awful it must have been to grow up with someone like him as your father. But regardless of what he wants or craves, he will never surpass All Might himself. And so what if his kid becomes the Number One Hero someday? Does that make ithisachievement? Of course not. He might not realize it now, but if you become the best someday, he’ll realize that it wasyourhard work and effort that got you there. It wasyourdiscipline and determination. He can try to take credit for it all he wants, but everyone will know he’s full of sh*t.”

Shouto was completely silent. Unlike before, when he was ready to dismiss you altogether, he now appeared to be listening attentively to each and every one of your words.

It was as good a sign as any, so you kept going.

“Your father clearly had a big impact on your family, and not in a good way. I understand why you might feel as if even the Quirk you inherited from him has negative connotations. But it’s just like how there are heroes and villains. Regardless of the Quirk, it’s up to the individual how they want to use it. Having a power similar to your father doesn’t mean youareyour father, and it doesn’t mean you’ll go on to do the same bad things he did.”

One last pause, right before the final part of your statement—which was undeniably the most important.

“At the end of the day... it’syourpower, not his.”

Saying that felt cathartic, for some reason. It was if the words had been buried deep inside for a long time, and they’d finally been granted release. Which was strange, because they hadn’t even come to you right before this very moment.

Either way, you just knew.

For someone like Shouto, who’d spent the better portion of his life resenting himself for something that wasn’t even his fault, deep down, this was what he’d always wanted to hear.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto suddenly feels a bit lighter.]

[+40 love points.]

You did your best not to audibly cheer, but the notification definitely granted you a lot of relief. Not just because you were back on track with him, but it also meant that your words had gotten through to him, even if only a little.

Regardless of how slow the progress was, if you were making a difference in a good way, that was alreadyenough.

Shouto’s brows knit into a frown. “Not my father’s power? Well, I guess not. Not in the literal sense, at least. But it reminds me of him. Every time I see those flames... I can’t help but be reminded of my mother crying. She saw part of him in me... and because of that, it made her unwell. I can’t pretend like I’m not partly to blame.”

“It sounds like your mother was dealing with a lot, but what she did wasn’t okay,” you protested. “You were just a kid. How can a child be responsible for something like that? In fact, I admire how you don’t seem to blame her even the slightest bit. The way you take the blame on your own shoulders instead of resenting her for what she did says a lot about what kind of person you are. That already makes you leaps and bounds better than your father.”

Shouto blinked several times, clearly bewildered.

“It’s mostly my father’s fault,” he mumbled. “But still, I'm also—”

“No. It'sonlyyour father’s fault. I promise that no matter what he tries to say or do to make you feel like you’re the same as him, it isn’t true.” You took a few hesitant steps, trying to bridge some of the distance between you. Once you were close enough, and you noticed that he wasn’t trying to recoil, you placed your hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Shouto. You took me to the infirmary right away. Recovery Girl told me that you didn’t wait around for any stretchers and wanted to see with your own eyes that I was doing alright. You worried about me because youcare. From what I’ve heard so far, your father is a selfish asshole who only ever puts himself first. The two of you are nothing alike. What does it matter if you can both create fire? It’s stillyourpower to choose what to do with. I don’t think you should limit what you’re capable of just because of a bastard like him. If you ever choose to use your power, remember that you’re doing it for yourself,notfor him. Besides, don’t you want to surpass him as a hero and rub it in his face? Rather than suppressing your powers out of defiance, I think that would be a much better form of payback.”

You ended up saying a lot more than you’d initially planned, but based on Shouto’s expression, it seemed like the situation was nowhere near as dire as before.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

[Todoroki Shouto finds himself wanting to believe in your words.]

[+30 love points.]

He stood there for a while, not really saying anything, and also avoiding eye contact. Perhaps you’d sounded just a touch too preachy, but you’d meant everything you said, and he clearly didn’t seem to hate it, which was a win.

You doubted it would be that easy to overcome his familial trauma. Perhaps you’d granted him a small bit of relief, but it would undoubtedly take some more time to come to terms with everything. It was okay, though. Progress was still progress, regardless of how begrudging and slow it was.

Plus, he seemed to have temporarily forgotten about the chest-grabbing incident, so praise the lord forthat.

Shouto’s eyes trailed over to your hand, which had moved from his shoulder and was now lightly squeezing his arm. “I think you’ve made your point, and I’ll admit that some of what you said makes sense. You can probably let go of me now, though.”

“Huh? Oh.” You blushed and hastily pulled away, trying to laugh off your embarrassment. “S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to get so touchy. I’m assuming you still don’t want a hug?”

“I don’t need a hug,” Shouto dismissed, making a rather defiant, adorable expression. “I understand you’re trying to cheer me up or whatever, but I’m not a child anymore.”

“All kinds of people need hugs though, not just children. Teenagers and adults need them too.” You opened your arms up to him and smiled encouragingly. “Come on. Just give it a try. You might end up liking it.”

“No thank you,” he sighed, and already, he was walking off. It wasn’t that surprising. This was the same guy that had ghosted you more times than you could even count, after all.

So, you didn’t get to hug him, but overall, this hadn’t gone too poorly, especially considering the awful start you’d had. At least you’d gotten to have a serious, meaningful conversation, and it looked like he was trying to give your words a fair shot.

Yeah. All in all, you were really happy with this turnout.

Of course, you quickly found yourself eating your words when Shouto stopped to look back over his shoulder.

“I think you should tell Bakugou to respect your personal space a bit more. What he did earlier really wasn’t okay,” he remarked with a frown.

Great. He really wasn’t going to let you live this down, huh?

“It was an accident,” you tried, but Shouto looked entirely unconvinced.

[Todoroki Shouto wishes he could forget what he saw earlier.]

[-10 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/200]

He walked off immediately after, with the unfortunate misconception that you hadallowedKatsuki to grope you. Definitely a bit infuriating, but in the grand scheme of things, it was a relatively small loss. You were just glad you’d gotten your message across. That was what mattered.

Still, though. sh*t always managed to go wrong whenever Katsuki was involved. It was almost as if the two of you were a cursed pair.

Whatever. I just wanna eat. This whole thing was seriously exhausting.

You turned to head back to the cafeteria, but regretfully, only made it a few steps before being accosted by unpleasant text on a screen.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is trying to eat, but he can’t stop thinking about where his hand touched earlier.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 80/200]

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake!”

As much as you would’ve liked to say that the rest of lunch passed by smoothly, it was hard to focus while Izuku kept glancing at you.

“A-Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “Todoroki didn’t get too upset with you... right?”

“Todoroki probably has a crush on her, so I’m sure it’s fine,” Uraraka waved off.

You rolled your eyes. She seemed to have an unhealthy fixation on your love life. Granted, the end goalwasfor Shouto to develop romantic feelings for you, but that ship was nowhere near sailing.

“A crush?!” Izuku spluttered. “T-Todoroki does?”

“I think so,” Uraraka hummed. She paused, flashing you a cheeky smile. “But don’t tell [Name] I said that, or she’ll probably lecture me.”

“Uraraka, I’mliterallysitting right here.”

She responded with a series of giggles, and you rolled your eyes again before lightly elbowing her in the ribs. It was good that some of the tension between you and Shouto had dissipated, but you were still nervous about the remainder of the Sports Festival. Your earlier stunt during the Cavalry Battle had completely sapped your stamina. You were tired as hell, and you still had a whole round left to go.

Come to think of it, what was that weird voice you’d heard back then? It was all staticky and strange, impossible to make sense of. It couldn’t be the system, could it? They’d only ever communicated with you through text, not spoken word. Plus, they weren’t even a real person to begin with, so it made sense that they wouldn’t have a voice.

As always, you had far more questions than answers, but whatever the case, it was good to know that you were stronger than you’d first thought. It would surely take some time to get the hang of it, but your ability to create things was actually pretty damn impressive.

Izuku awkwardly cleared his throat, then made sure to lower his voice so Uraraka and Iida couldn't hear. “So, [N-Name]… what did Todoroki say after we left? Was he angry?”

“At first,” you acknowledged. “But we were able to talk things out a bit, and it sounds like he’s mostly forgiven me for that whole trip-up. At least, Ihopehe’s forgiven me for it.”

“Ah, okay. That’s good. I’m glad you were able to talk things out.” He paused for a few moments, and sure enough, his cheeks had already darkened several shades. “D-Do you think Uraraka’s right?”

“About what?”

“Well... Todoroki seems super serious about most things, but he definitely talks to you the most out of anyone else. So, you know...”

He clearly wanted to carry on, but his embarrassment got the better of him, so soon enough, he was redder than ever and waving his hands wildly.

“N-Never mind! I’m actually not even sure what I was trying to get at. Haha...”

You blinked, and a point in your chest began to tighten up.

Could he be...?

STATUS UPDATE:

[Midoriya Izuku doesn’t want to admit that he’s really curious about your relationship with Todoroki Shouto.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 350/500]

Izuku didn’t strike you as the type to get very jealous, but it seemed like there was just the slightest twinge of it? Maybe?

It was possible you were reading into things too much, but whether or not it was actually the truth, you couldn’t help but get a little flustered.

You were battling complex, unforeseen circ*mstances, the likes of which virtuallyno onewould be able to understand.

Which was why you couldn’t help but hope. You longed to experience love the way normal people did, and you hoped that it was possible, even for someone like you.

For now, Izuku was your friend, but...

Perhaps one day he could become something more?

Great. Nowyouwere the one blushing like crazy.

“[Name]?” Izuku frowned. “Is everything... okay?”

“Not really,” you groaned, burying your face in your hands out of embarrassment. “Just ignore me. I’m being ridiculous right now.”

“You’re never ridiculous!” he insisted. “Whatever it is, you can tell me about it!”

You chuckled softly. It took a little while, but you managed to collect yourself and stop thinking of embarrassing things—including the groping incident from earlier. Izuku was nice enough not to make any mention of it, and he was in surprisingly good shape despite dragging Katsuki off. The old Katsuki would’ve probably gotten violent with him during that whole altercation, but recently, he seemed to be practicing some self-restraint.

Once lunch was over, it was announced that there would be some recreational activities before the final stage of the Sports Festival took place. Namely—

“Aizawa-sensei said we have to put on cheerleading outfits?” you frowned. “That doesn’t really sound like him.”

“It’s true!” Kaminari nodded enthusiastically. “He said that all the girls need to join in on the cheer battle!”

His intentions were easy enough to decipher, since his wobbly and slightly lecherous grin wasn’t really hiding anything.

You weren’t convinced, but Yaoyorozu sure was.

“If this is an order from the teachers, then I suppose we have no choice,” she sighed. “Just give me a minute. I’ll make everyone’s outfits.”

It was fun seeing her Quirk in action, especially from close up. Once again, you were reminded of the skill disparity between the two of you, but it was still nice to admire her handiwork.

For better or worse, you soon found yourself wearing a cheerleading outfit—something which apparently brought Kaminari a great deal of joy.

“Amazing!” he cried out. “Wow! [Name], that suits you so well! You seriously look great in everything!”

STATUS UPDATE:

[Kaminari Denki thinks you’re very pretty.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 60/100]

You blushed and shyly leaned away. He was very honest about his feelings, so you didn’t really even need the system notifications to know what was on his mind. You appreciated that, because it didn’t feel like you were peering into something private.

“That’s really nice of you to say,” you smiled. “I’ve never done cheerleading before, though, so I’m not sure if I’ll be any good. But the outfitsarepretty cute. Yaoyorozu did a great job.”

“Your encouraging words mean a lot,” Yaoyorozu nodded appreciatively. “Especially coming from someone who has a similar power to mine. I was really surprised by how quickly you created that transparent wall back during the Cavalry Battle. It seems you were hiding a trump card, just like Iida’s Recipro Burst.”

“No, it wasn’t really planned that far ahead...”

I didn’t even know I could do something like that, to be honest.

The recreational activities would commence in just a few minutes, but before that, the final stage of the Sports Festival was promptly announced.

It was a tournament. Meaning, one-on-one battles. Apparently, there was usually some form of a tournament every single year during U.A’s Sports Festival. You didn’t have any memories prior to about a year ago, so you couldn’t have possibly known, but most of your other classmates had already watched the tournaments unfold several times by now.

There wasn’t really much you could do to prepare for this kind of event. It would all depend on who you were paired up against. Some Quirks would undeniably be a worse match-up than others. Part of it would come down to luck.

“I’m going to draw lots to determine the pairings,” Midnight announced. “Afterwards, you’re free to participate in the recreational activities, but you also have the option of abstaining if that’s what you’d prefer. Now, then. Let’s see who’s going up against who, shall we?”

While Midnight started drawing lots and creating brackets for the tournament, your gaze flitted between students, eventually landing on a familiar face who seemed to be staring at you rather intently.

It was Shouto. His eyes were clear and focused—up until he realized you’d noticed him, after which he furrowed his brows and looked away, almost as if he was embarrassed.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto thinks that outfit looks quite nice on you.]

[+10 love points.]

Your cheeks started to feel hot, and you couldn’t help but giggle, basking in the compliment (even if he hadn’t voiced it aloud). It seemed like this outfit was pretty popular with people. Who would’ve thought?

Feeling a bit bolder than usual, you shuffled closer to Shouto, planning on asking him whether he liked the cheerleading outfit or not. Obviously, you already knew the answer, so this was more so to get a little kick out of teasing him.

Shouto lifted a brow, a bit surprised to see you move closer, and you leaned forward, ready to whisper in his ear.

But you didn’t get to.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Dabi can’t wait to watch both you and Todoroki Shouto suffer.]

[+20 love points.]

[Current progress: 40/100]

Your jaw dropped open. No way. First Shigaraki, and nowDabitoo? Was every f*cking villain you’d ever met watching this goddamn Sports Festival?

Immediately, you recoiled, and Shouto gave you a perplexed look, no doubt wondering why your demeanor had changed. You found yourself glancing all around the arena, in search of those distinct purple patches of skin held together by stitches.

It was impossible to pick him apart from the crowd, supposing he was evenhere, as opposed to watching comfortably from home.

You didn’t understand what the problem was with all these sick bastards. Why couldn’t they just leave you alone? Worse yet, why did you have to be aware that they were fixating on you like this? In some cases, ignorance truly was bliss, but you apparently weren’t permitted to have eventhatmuch.

“[Name],” Shouto nudged you. “What’s wrong? You seem jumpy all of a sudden. Are you worried about who you’ll end up fighting during the tournament?”

As if. That was theleastof your concerns. Especially after the disturbing message you’d just read.

Dabi was clearly spying on you somehow. He remembered you from the incident and wanted to shut you up, since you were a witness to a murder. You were a loose end that he still needed to tie up. That part made sense.

But what did he have againstShouto?

Swallowing hard, you turned towards the boy standing beside you. “By any chance... do you know a man named Dabi? Black hair, lots of piercings and scars... someone that might hold a grudge against you?”

It was a shot in the dark, but if Shouto’s life was in danger too, he deserved to know. The more information, the better.

Regretfully, he didn’t seem to have any information.

“No,” he frowned. “Who’s that supposed to be? I thought you were focused on the tournament, but you’re saying weird stuff out of nowhere. If you ask me, now’s not a good time to get distracted.”

“...right.”

You didn’t know what else to say. It was impossible to reveal what you knew about Dabi without confessing the true nature of the system. It was eating away at you, though. You completely understand why Dabi wanted to get rid ofyou, but where did Shouto fit into all of this?

Unfortunately, at this point in time, even with everything you’d discovered about Shouto’s family, you were still missing a very crucial piece.

You clenched your hand into a fist, then took a deep breath. It was okay. Wherever Dabi was, he couldn’t hurt you. He didn’t know where you lived either, otherwise you were positive he would have killed you by now, right after you’d fought him that night.

Even if, for whatever reason, Dabididhave something against Shouto...

You were just going to have to do your best to protect him.

It’s going to be alright. I survived USJ against Shigaraki, didn’t I? And I’ve survived all of the system’s punishments, even when I thought they would mentally break me. I’m strong enough to deal with whatever this is. For now... let’s just focus on the tournament. That’ll be way less stressful.

As always, the universe was laughing its ass off at you, because Midnight finally finished creating the brackets, and lo and behold—you were fighting Katsuki in the first round.

Shouto turned towards you, looking very serious all of a sudden.

“Don’t let him grab your chest again,” he said somberly. “I’m sure he’s going to use this as an opportunity, so make sure not to let your guard down.”

You couldn’t decide whether you wanted to laugh or cry.

Chapter 37: Brief Respite

Chapter Text

There was a lot on your mind, but then again, that was pretty standard. Your life was an endless sh*tstorm, after all.

You were nervous, and understandably so. It was bad enough having to know that asshole villains were keeping their eye on you from wherever the hell they were lurking about, but your very first opponent for the tournament wasKatsuki? f*cking seriously?

“I’m going to get my ass beat,” you sighed.

“Really? On top of your chest, Bakugou’s going to target your butt too?” Shouto frowned.

You facepalmed. “It’s a figure of speech...”

“Oh,” Shouto blinked, looking remarkably unconvinced. “But this is Bakugou we’re talking about, so I wouldn’t put it past him to try something like that.”

How nice. He clearly thought that Katsuki was the biggest pervert he’d ever laid eyes on, and quite frankly, you didn’t care enough to bother correcting him.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand. You were sweating bullets right now. You knew all too well that Katsuki was incredibly strong, and even though you were discovering more and more when it came to your abilities, the odds of winning against him seemed abysmally low. You were doing your best not to beoverly pessimistic, but still. You couldn’t deny the facts.

Perhaps the upcoming recreational activities were exactly what you needed to take some of the edge off. You were craving a distraction, however brief it might be. Between having to fight Katsuki and knowing that Dabi was targeting Shouto, it would be nice to just forget for a little while.

The tournament brackets were up for everyone to see, and Midnight was done with her debriefing. It was now time to move onto the recreational activities, or take a quick breather, for those that were choosing not to participate.

You’d suspected as much, but Shouto had no desire to take part in such a thing. He seldom joined in on any classroom activities. You were pretty much the only person in the class he even spoke to. Well, unless you counted all of the times he’d declared war against Izuku today.

“Okay, I’m gonna head over with the rest of the girls for the cheer battle, so I guess we’ll see each other later,” you said.

Shouto nodded. “Alright. I was wondering why you were wearing that outfit. Have you done cheerleading before?”

“Nope, never. So, I’m probably going to embarrass myself.” You let out a nervous chuckle. “But I guess that’s really nothing out of the ordinary... haha...”

“Oh. You’re referring to when I caught you eavesdropping earlier.”

“Well, I was referring to a bunch of different incidents as well, but did you really have to state the obvious?”

“Sorry,” he said, sounding anything but.

You shook your head in disbelief. At least he wasn’t upset with you anymore. You honestly thought you’d never be able to recover from that.

“Are you going to watch?” you asked hopefully. “You can cheer me on while I’m doing the cheer battle. It’ll be like cheer-ception!”

Shouto blinked repeatedly. “I don’t understand.”

“...yeah, that figures.”

“Sorry. A lot of what you say doesn’t always make sense. I guess I’ll just have to try harder to keep up with you.”

This poor, adorable fool. He didn’t have a single funny bone in his body, and he always took things so literally that most of it went over his head. One of these days, you were really going to have to help him brush up on memes and internet culture. And maybe teach him a few jokes.

Shouto scratched his cheek. “I was going to head somewhere quiet and clear my thoughts for a little while... but if you want to me to watch, I guess I can. I’m not really sure how to cheer you on, though, and I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”

Seriously, what an adorable fool. Emphasis onadorable.

“You don’t need to do anything,” you chuckled. “I was half-kidding anyways. I’d be happy just knowing that you’re watching me. But don’t judge me too hard if I fall on my face, okay?”

“Why would you fall on your face?”

“Not sure. But knowing me, I’ll probably find a way.”

A look of concern settled upon his expression, and you had to resist the urge to laugh. For a guy who usually came across as cold and unbothered, he sure did have a naïve, innocent side to him.

You smiled and waved him off, then joined up with the rest of the girls from your class. You very muchstillhad your doubts about this whole cheerleading thing, and it made no sense that Aizawa had supposedly pushed for it, but you’d already resolved to try and take your mind off things.

Plus, Shouto was sitting in the spectator stands and watching attentively. You didn’t want to let down your one-man audience.

“I’m not even sure what we’re supposed to do,” Yaoyorozu muttered, cheeks flushed as she unenthusiastically waved her pompoms around.

“It’s okay,” you reassured. “I’ve never done this before either.”

Well, not as far as I remember, at least.

“Check out the cheerleaders from America!” Ashido pointed out with a grin. “Let’s just copy what they’re doing!”

“I feel like they’re way more coordinated than our last-minute group, and they’ve got a proper routine down, too...”

“Doesn’t matter! Cheerleading is kind of like dancing, right? I love dancing!”

Well, she certainly had the right attitude, that was for sure. It wasn’t like anyone would be grading your performance, in any case. Not unless you counted Shouto, who was focusing so hard he looked like he was ready to give you a score out of ten.

You glanced towards Yaoyorozu, who still looked quite flustered about the whole ordeal, then sported a grin of your own. “Come on, let’s just try it. I think it’ll be fun. There’s no point in taking this too seriously. I don’t know about you, but I could sure use a little break before we head into the tournament.”

“I... suppose,” Yaoyorozu reluctantly acknowledged. She heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. Things like this don’t come naturally to me. It’s strange. Our Quirks are so similar, but I feel like you’re much better at adapting than I am. I’ve clearly got a long way to go.”

“What?” you gaped. “No way! You’re better than me atliterallyeverything. Schoolwork, using your Quirk, taking charge of situations... there’s honestly no contest.”

Yaoyorozu blushed. “Oh, please. You’re just saying that to make me feel better. My team lost against yours in the last round, so that alone is proof that you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“Well... okay. But ifIneed to believe in myself more, then so doyou.” You patted her on the back, smiled, then lifted up your pompoms. “Something like this is no biggie, right? Let’s just make the most of it and try to have a bit of fun.”

She was clearly still hesitant, but your words seemed to help diffuse her embarrassment somewhat. You watched, barely suppressing a giggle, as she tried to copy Ashido’s movements—albeitmuchmore stiffly.

“A-As expected, I really don’t like this!” Yaoyorozu whined.

You laughed and struck a pose of your own. “Don’t say that, you’re doing great! Our cheerleading group might not be as synchronized as the American team, but I definitely think we should win a few points for creative individuality.”

“Now I know you’re just making things up!”

You were just about to laugh again when you glanced across the arena and locked eyes with Shouto. He was very much still in laser-focus mode, and perhaps it was because he was sitting a good distance away, so you couldn’t see clearly, but... were you imagining things, or did he smile a bit just then?

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto thinks you make a pretty cute cheerleader.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 110/200]

Aww.

You could feel your cheeks getting hot. God, you were so,soglad that the two of you were back on relatively good terms again. Shouto’s walls wouldn’t be easy to break down, but you knew that once he finally started opening up to you a bit more, it would be well worth it.

Feeling a bit giddy from his silent praise, you put even more enthusiasm into your clumsy, yet apparently endearing cheerleading moves.

Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last long.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shigaraki Tomura thinks you make a pretty cute cheerleader.]

[+30 love points.]

God. f*cking.Dammit.

Just like that, you stopped moving, pompoms dropping limply to your sides. It was the exact same notification you’d just received from Shouto, but the effect it had on you was the difference between night and day.

Yaoyorozu stopped moving as well, brows lifting in concern. “[Name], is everything alright? You look a bit upset all of a sudden.”

“I’m fine,” you lied. “I just, uh... I’m a bit more tired than I thought I was. I think I’m gonna rest up for the next few minutes.”

“Oh. Alright.” She offered you a gentle smile. “Well, I hope you can replenish some of your energy before the next round. We might end up facing each other at some point, so let’s both do our best.”

“Thank you. Good luck to you, too.”

You couldn’t possibly walk out of the arenaanyfaster. Shigaraki was either watching you on TV, or he’d showed up to be a spectator. But given that he was a villain who was wanted for the crime of attacking and attempting to kill a bunch of high schoolers, it was more likely that he was holed up at home somewhere. You needed to get away from the cameras, where he couldn’t see you.

[Shigaraki Tomura is a bit disappointed that you didn’t finish your cheerleading routine. He wanted to see your cute face for longer.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 130/200]

“Oh my god, get out of my head, get out of my head, getoutof my head!” you cried out.

Feeling desperate, you tried to use the mute function again, but every time you clicked on it, nothing happened.

[“That’s not going to work. You’ve already exceeded the maximum allotted time for the day. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to mute me.”]

“Well, that doesn’t help menow, does it?”

[“Obviously, there have to be some restrictions in place. Otherwise, you would just mute me forever, and then you wouldn’t be getting anywhere with your love interests. You wouldn’t know if you’re making progress with them or not.”]

“Shut the hell up,” you gritted out, frustrated beyond belief. “Can’t you just, I don’t know, be a bit more selective with the status updates? Maybedon’tshow me the ones that will creep me out and throw me off my game?”

[“Shigaraki is one of the people you have to win over. You may not like it, but these are the rules. And you already know what happens when you don’t follow the rules.”]

“Yes, yes, I get completely and utterlyf*cked,” you sighed exasperatedly.

[“As long as you know.”]

“dickhe*d,” you muttered under your breath.

[“I heard that.”]

“Good. You were supposed to.”

“...why are youalwaystalking to yourself? Seriously, the f*ck is the matter with you?”

Ah. Of course. How perfect. Howlovely.

You strained a smile and turned around, immediately locking eyes with the absolute biggest pain in your ass—who also happened to be your upcoming opponent.

“Katsuki,” you said in a fake, sugary-sweet voice. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Don’t give me that crap,” he scowled. “Were you seriously talking to yourself just now? Also, what the actual f*ck are you wearing?”

You glanced down at your body and shrugged. “Clothes.”

“No sh*t, dumbass.” He furrowed his brows and looked you over from head to toe. “What kind of stupid nonsense have you gotten yourself into now?”

“I’m a cheerleader,” you said tiredly. “Use your eyes.”

“I don’t like your tone, asshole.”

You rolled your eyes. Normally, you would’ve attempted to be a bit more tactful, but it had been a long day, and quite frankly, you weren’t in the mood.

“Okay, well, see ya,” you said, already walking away.

Katsuki grabbed you by the arm before you could leave. You wished you could say you were surprised, but you’d come to expect this sort of sh*t from him.

You pursed your lips. “If you’re going to ask to cop a feel, I’ll have to respectfully decline.”

“What? N-No!” he exclaimed, recoiling as if he’d just been electrocuted. “I already told you that was a f*cking accident!”

“A happy accident?” you asked, raising a brow.

“Just a regular accident, holy f*ck!”

He was already beet red, and you had to admit, teasing him was alotof fun. You could still remember your first meeting with him, and how intimidating he’d seemed. For a while, you’d been terrified of any and all interactions with him, especially since he seemed to loathe your guts.

But now, here you were, casually making fun of him for having groped you. Which was... progress?

Weirdprogress, but hey, you’d take it.

Katsuki gritted his teeth. “Don’t you ever bring that sh*t up again, or I’ll seriously kick your ass. I’m not joking around, so don’t test me.”

“Right,” you chuckled. “Because you’re usuallysucha joker.”

“My point still stands!” He balled his hands into fists, the way he always did whenever he was suppressing the urge to scream at the top of his lungs. It was strange, though, because normally at this point, he would’ve already stormed off.

You watched, perplexed, as Katsuki’s blush deepened, and he awkwardly cleared his throat.

“I’m only gonna say thisonce, so open up your damn ears,” he muttered. “I’m... I’m...”

“You’re...?”

“I’m...”

Jesus Christ. How much longer was he going to drag this out?

Katsuki inhaled sharply, and it looked like whatever he was about to say was sucking the verysoulout of him.

“...I’m sorry.”

…

…

…

Wait,what?

You blinked in disbelief, certain that you’d just misheard him.

“Sorry,” you gaped. “I, uh... I don’t think my ears were opened up enough. Give me a second to try again.”

“Piss off,” Katsuki muttered, still redder than ever. “You heard me loud and clear, so don’t give me that sh*t. I’m just... saying this so that we don’t have to talk about it ever again. It was an accident, and if you hadn’t run out like that then it wouldn’t have even happened in the first place! But... I wasn’t... trying to do that, so... yeah. I’m apologizing so that it’s finally over with. Happy?”

Holy sh*t. Bakugou Katsuki wasactuallyapologizing to you.

You glanced around in a hurry. “The sky isn’t falling... and pigs aren’t flying, either. I guess this is really happening. Wow.”

“Oh,f*ckyou! Here I am, saying sorry, and you have to crap all over it?!”

“I mean, can you blame me? It’s not very in-line with your character...”

Katsuki was mashing his teeth together, and you got the sense thathe probably had the urge to retract his apology entirely.

You chuckled. “I’m just kidding. Thanks, Katsuki. I knew from the start it was an accident. Unfortunate timing and all that. Plus, you were trying to catch me since I was about to trip and fall. I was never mad at you. It just made for a pretty awkward situation.” You paused for a few moments. “Shouto definitely thinks you’re a pervert now, though.”

“Like I give a sh*t what half-and-half thinks of me,” he scoffed.

“True. I guess being anti-social has its perks, huh? You can just do whatever you want without worrying about the consequences.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That was the most backhanded f*cking compliment I’ve ever heard.”

“You’re welcome,” you grinned. “Anyways, was that what you wanted to tell me? I appreciate the apology. It’s all water under the bridge now, so don’t worry about it.”

“I was never worried,” he huffed. “Plus, you’re theactualpervert. Perverted creepy stalker girl. Honestly, I’m not even sure youdeservean apology, but lucky for you, I’m a stand-up guy.”

You smiled sympathetically. A stand-up guy, huh?

Poor baby. He was clearly delusional.

“We’re fighting each other in the first round,” Katsuki continued. “That’s what I really wanted to talk about. Since we ran into each other, I figured I might as well say this, but don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re a girl. I’m not gonna hold back, and you better not hold back either. I won’t be satisfied with winning unless you give it everything you’ve got.”

“As if holding back was ever an option,” you chuckled weakly. “I’m going to need all my strength andthensome to even have a chance of beating you.”

“Good. It’s cute that you think you have a chance, though,” he mused.

You grinned cheekily. “All I heard was that you think I’m cute.”

“Ugh! Forget it, I’m out of here!”

Nowit was time for him to storm off, and he did it the same way as always—with loud, angry steps, and his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Still. He’d apologized for what happened earlier, even though it hadn’t been intentional. He could actually be surprisingly gentlemanlike. Well, byhisstandards, at least.

You were still nervous, no question about it, but talking to him had lifted your spirits a bit. Even if the odds of you winning against someone like Katsuki were infinitesimally small, there was no point in giving up without even trying. What mattered most was giving it your best shot. So long as you did that, you could take pride in it.

Feeling a bit more chipper, you headed into the changing rooms. All the while, Katsuki stole a quick glance at you from over his shoulder.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Bakugou Katsuki is slightly annoyed with himself for thinking that you look good in that outfit.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 90/200]

Wow. This outfit really is a hit, huh?

You made a mental note to dress up like a cheerleader whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Chapter 38: Concern

Chapter Text

“Alright, I’ve changed out of my cheerleading costume, so I figure my charisma stat has probably gone down by a few points,” you chuckled weakly.

[“It seems like you’re really leaning into the whole system theme. It would definitely be nice if your charisma could be upgraded, but alas, we’re pretty much stuck with what you’ve got.”]

You decided not to give in to their provocations for once. The first round of the tournament was about to begin, and Izuku was the one stepping up to the plate. You were a bit nervous for him, of course, but you were also excited to watch him compete. He’d done a great job so far, and he hadn’t even used his Quirk yet. The power of All Might was second to no one, so it really just depended on what his opponent’s Quirk was.

Speaking of his opponent, within moments of you stepping out of the changing room and turning down the hall, you found yourself crossing paths with a certain purple-haired boy.

Ah.

Shinsou Hitoshi. You remembered his name, and not only because Izuku was about to go up against him.

Unfortunately, the two of you had already had a rather awkward encounter, and based on the way his brows had just furrowed, you got the sense that he didn’t have a great impression of you.

[“Talk to him. Who knows when you’ll get another chance.”]

You gritted your teeth. Yeah, you figured they would suggest something along those lines. Shinsou was a love interest, so no way in hell would they let you ignore him. Still, even though you’d only really spoken the one time, it was clear that he didn’t think too highly of Hero Department students. He had a bias against them, most likely due to jealousy, but that unfortunately meant that you were already at a staggering disadvantage.

“Sup?” you blurted, and immediately, you wanted to punch yourself in the face.

The system seemed to feel the same way.

[“Terrible. Just god awful. I’m not even an actual person, but I’m still getting secondhand embarrassment from watching you.”]

Ugh, shut up! I don’t need you to state the obvious!

Shinsou narrowed his eyes, but thankfully, his love points didn’t drop. Your painfully awkward greeting hadn’t offended him, at the very least.

“Hi,” he simply replied, and already, he was starting to walk away.

You stumbled forward. “U-Um! I just wanted to ask you... uh...”

“What is it?” Shinsou sighed, looking increasingly annoyed.

“I was just wondering about... the-the cat!” you exclaimed, coming up with an excuse at the very last second. “Do you remember that kitten we both saw on campus? Did you, by any chance, run into it again since then?”

Shinsou didn’t say anything for a few moments, almost as though he was debating whether or not to grace you with a response. But after contemplating it for a little while, he eventually nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ve seen it around quite a few times, so someone among the faculty really must be taking care of it. Which is good to know. At least I don’t have to worry about it ever going hungry.”

You smiled. “That’s nice. I was thinking I’d like to play with it again too. Oh, whoops. I did it again. I keep referring to the kitten asit, but we already know it’s a boy.”

“Right,” Shinsou said, and for a second, it looked like he was biting back a grin. “You were very vocal about seeing his wiener, if I remember correctly.”

“Haha...”

Your face was on fire. Of all things to take away from your first interaction,thatwas what had stuck with him. f*cking perfect.

“W-We should name him,” you stammered, eager to steer away from the embarrassing wiener incident. “Have you thought of any names yet? I’m actually really good at coming up with names for animals. It’s sort of a gift.”

“Uh-huh,” Shinsou nodded, clearly unconvinced. Well, not that you could blame him, since everything you’d said was pure BS and you were just desperate to prolong the conversation. “But no, I haven’t thought of any names,” he said. “Someone’s probably looking after him, right? So, there’s a good chance he’s already been named. I wouldn’t want to confuse the poor cat.”

You pursed your lips. “True. I guess I kind of just liked the idea of naming him myself.”

“Well, whatwouldyou name him?” Shinsou challenged. “Since you’re apparently so skilled when it comes to this sort of thing.”

Omg. Don’t call my bluff! Everyone already knows I’m a terrible liar!

“Uh,” you swallowed. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him, so my memory might not be super reliable. I’m a lot better when the animal’s right in front of my eyes so that I can name it based on its appearance, you know what I mean?”

Shinsou was looking less impressed by the second.

[“Just say something cute. Like Buttons. Or Mittens. Or Arnold Schwarzenegger.”]

One of those was definitely not like the rest...

But sure, something like Buttons was a safe bet. Albeit a bit generic, but it was a cute, endearing name for a little kitten.

You meant to say Buttons. You really, truly did. Unfortunately, your mind had just been bombarded with:

“Arnold Schwarzenegger,” you blurted, and it took all of two seconds for you to realize the massive tongue-slip you’d just committed.

Forget not being impressed, Shinsou now looked downrighthorrified.

“What the hell kind of name is that for a cat?” he blinked repeatedly. “I was expecting to be let down, but this is taking it to a whole new level.”

[“...I put that name in there as a joke. Now I have to ask, have you suffered some recent brain damage that I’m somehow unaware of?”]

Honestly, you were asking yourself the same thing.

“That kitten looksjustlike Arnold Schwarzenegger,” you insisted, doubling down. “It’s hard to explain. You probably wouldn’t understand.”

Shinsou shook his head. “I don’t, and I’m not sure I want to.”

“Well, that’s your loss,” you shrugged.

Once again, he proceeded to just stare at you in silence. No doubt, he was questioning how someone with your IQ even made it into U.A in the first place.

“You’re definitely a bit weird,” Shinsou finally said, frowning slightly. “But I feel like... at least, compared to some of your other classmates, you might not be so bad. You’re better than that co*cky Bakugou guy, that much is for sure.”

“To be fair, it doesn’t take much to be more likeable than Katsuki,” you acknowledged.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Shinsou glanced around, then cleared his throat. “Anyways. I don’t exactly have time to keep chatting like this. I’m not sure if you know, but my match is first. I need to start waiting on standby.”

“I know,” you nodded. “Your opponent is Izuku.”

“Right. The two of you were on the same team for the Cavalry Battle. It looked like you were pretty close. I guess you must be good friends. Well, try not to hold it against me when I beat him.”

Shinsou gave you one last nod, then walked off. Your points hadn’t gone up or down even once during that entire interaction. He was less temperamental than Katsuki, at least. You didn’t need yetanothermoody asshole to add to the roster.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Shinsou Hitoshi doesn’t want to admit it, but the name Arnold Schwarzenegger is starting to grow on him.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 0/100]

“Oh my god,” you mumbled. “No way. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the f*cking win!”

It wasn’t much, but just like that, you were back to a neutral state. Shinsou was officially indifferent when it came to you. What a stellar victory.

“Please don’t ever doubt me again,” you said, proudly sticking your nose up in the air.

[“Wow. So, not only did you slip up, make very little progress, but you’re also going to take credit formyjoke? How shameless.”]

You decided that you didn’t really mind being shameless, especially since all things considered, that interaction had been pretty fun.

Also, you didn’t carewhatthe kitten’s actual name was—from now on, you’d be damned if you called him anything other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Did you and Todoroki have a secret rendezvous?” Uraraka asked, eyes twinkling.

“Not this again,” you sighed, taking a seat beside her. “I just went to change out of my costume, and then I got sidetracked talking to someone.And after that, I went to go wish Izuku good luck.”

“If you say so,” she shrugged. “But it looked like Todoroki was paying a lot of attention to you during the cheer battle.”

“Well, yeah, because I asked him to. I thought he might find it funny.”

“He also walked off the minute you left.”

“That doesn’t mean anything—wait, really?” you blinked.

A grin spread across the brunette’s lips. “I knew it! I justknewsomething was going on between the two of you! Mina thinks so too!”

Good grief. Since when was Uraraka so meddlesome? She was getting cheekier by the minute. Although it was nice to have people in your life that were solely friends, and who you weren’t supposed to try and win over.

“For the last time, Shouto and I aren’t like that,” you dismissed with a wave of your hand. “Now, give it a rest, please. Iida is hardcore judging you right now.”

“It’s true,” Iida nodded. “Iamjudging.”

Uraraka puffed out her cheeks. “Iida’s just acting all standoffish because him and I are facing each other later this round.”

“No, I’m acting this way because you keepmaking inappropriate comments about [Name]’s love life, which frankly, I’m not convinced she even has one.”

Wow. Iida somehow just defended you and dissed you all in the same sentence.

You let out another sigh. “Let’s set this conversation aside for now and just focus on the match. Look, they’re both taking their places.”

Having spoken to both Shinsou and Izuku beforehand, it was kind of weird to now see them standing on opposite sides of the arena. Izuku was your friend, and you werewaybetter acquainted with him than Shinsou, so naturally, you were rooting for him, but...

Oddly enough, part of you was cheering on Shinsou too. It was hard to explain, but you just felt like he deserved a chance to prove himself. Even if he didn’t win, you wanted him to have an opportunity to shine, at the very least.

So weird. Why do I feel like this? I barely even know the guy, but I keep getting these waves of familiarity.

You shook your head. Whatever. Just another day in the life of a hopeless amnesiac, you supposed.

“It’s about to start,” Uraraka mumbled. “I’m suddenly feeling kind of nervous, and I’m not even the one fighting.”

You nodded, but didn’t tear your gaze away from the arena. Present Mic was just finishing up with the announcements and explaining the rules. But if you squinted, all the while, you could see that Shinsou appeared to be saying something to Izuku. It was a bit difficult to hear from this distance, what with all the noise overhead.

However, even though you couldn’t hearwhathe was talking about, Izuku’s expression told you that it probably wasn’t something nice.

“What did you just say?!” Izuku cried out, lashing out in a rare display of anger. It was rare to see him get so worked up. Honestly, the only time you’d ever heard him yell like that before was whenever Katsuki was concerned, or back at USJ, when he was trying to save your life.

Izuku was angry. Whatever Shinsou had just said, it must have really struck a nerve.

And yet, even though Izuku had lunged forward as if he was about to strike, within a split-second, he’d stopped moving entirely.

“Midoriya isn’t moving an inch?! He’s just standing there, stiff as a statue! What’s going on? Could this be Shinsou’s Quirk at play? Even though he hasn’t made much of an impression until now, is it possible that he’s actually really strong?!”

Present Mic’s words seemed to echo what everyone was thinking. It wasn’t that Izuku didn’t want to move. It was that hecouldn’tmove. Shinsou must have used his powers at some point, even though you honestly couldn’t tell how.

“Aw, man!” you heard Ojiro whine from a few seats away. He clutched at his head in frustration. “Midoriya, this is why I told you to watch out for him!”

You turned towards Ojiro. Apparently, he was part of Shinsou’s team for the Cavalry Battle, but he’d dropped out of the tournament at the last minute, saying that he didn’t feel like he’d earned his spot. He had gaps in his memory or something. At the time, you didn’t really bother to read into it too much, but it was sounding more and more like Shinsou had something to do with it.

“What’s Shinsou’s Quirk?” you asked him. “Is Izuku going to be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Ojiro sighed. “Just to be safe, I warned Midoriya not to respond to anything that guy says. I think that’s the trigger for his Quirk to take effect. But Midoriya got worked up and lost his cool, and now... I’m honestly not sure what he can do.”

sh*t. This all sounded really,reallybad.

“Turn around and keep walking until you’ve stepped out of bounds,” Shinsou said, and you watched, horrified, as Izuku did exactly as he was told.

It’s like he’s been brainwashed or something...

That was probably the exact nature of Shinsou’s Quirk, and based on Izuku’s vacant expression, it didn’t look like he was even close to snapping out of it.

But the longer this went on, the more you found that strange sense of déjà vu creeping up on you. It just felt like... you’d already seen this exact situation happen before. All things considered, it looked like Izuku was being set up for a total loss, but your gut instinct was telling you otherwise.

“...sh*t!”

For what was probably the millionth time, your head began to throb. Your headaches were always bad, but the intensity differed here and there. It didn’t necessarily mean that they would be debilitating.

Regretfully, this was one of the instances when it was absurdly painful, to the point that you collapsed onto the ground.

“[Name]? Oh my god, are you okay?!”

Iida and Uraraka knelt down to try and help you off the floor, and even though your vision was blurring in and out of focus, you could see that several of your other classmates had risen from their seats out of concern as well.

It hurt. It hurtsof*cking bad. God. Why did it always have to be like this? What the f*ck was wrong with you? Why couldn’t you just be normal like everyone else?

[“Try to remember. Everything will be easier once you remember.”]

[“Shut up. She doesn’t need to remember anything. Get out of her head. You’re making her sick. She’s better off if she forgets.”]

[“Why do you do this? Do you think she’ll be happier this way? Even if it’s painful, she deserves to know what happened. You’re poisoning her. You’re ruining her life.”]

[“No,you’rethe poison. What she needs is a chance to start fresh. And here, like this... she can finally be happy. This is everything she’s ever wanted. Now get the f*ck out anddon’tcome back.]

The messages came and went, but with your eyes squeezed shut from the pain, you were none the wiser.

“What the f*ck is going on with her?” Katsuki gaped.

“I’ll take her to the infirmary again,” Shouto insisted, rushing over to your side. “I’m not sure what’s happening, but it looks bad. Everyone, clear the way.”

“Ican take her,” Katsuki glowered. He elbowed Shouto out of the way. “Your match is next, isn’t it? You might not make it back in time. Take the Sports Festival seriously, for f*ck’s sake.”

“Iamtaking it seriously. I bet you’re just jumping at the chance to do something inappropriate to her again.”

Iida adjusted his glasses. “I’m sorry, what did I just hear?”

They both ignored him and proceeded to tug at your limp body as if it was some kind of ragdoll. All the movement and sudden lurching about made you feel a million times worse than before, and you keeled over, gasping for breath.

“Please give her some space!” Uraraka fumed. “Neither of you are helping right now!”

Shouto and Katsuki both hastily stepped back, looking somewhat guilty. You didn’t have the strength to thank her for intervening, but you appreciated it nevertheless. It took a little while, but slowly but surely, you were able to reclaim your breath, and the pain started ebbing away.

You finally stood back up on shaky legs, took your seat, and blinked several times to clear the blurriness in your eyes.

Ah.

Whether by pure coincidence or the universe’s machinations, you had collected yourself in time to see Izuku use his Quirk to break free of Shinsou’s brainwashing. One moment, he was walking to the edge of the arena, and the next, he used one of his fingers to unleash a blast of pressure, jolting him back to his senses.

From then on, it was only a matter of time until Izuku won. He knew better now than to respond to anything Shinsou said, and he was stronger than him physically, even without relying on One for All.

Izuku threw Shinsou over his shoulder and knocked him out of bounds, and deep down, you’d always known it would end that way.

You winced yet again, a few last ripples of pain spreading across your skull. You’d just had another vision. Or a memory. Orboth?

This scares me.

It hurt not understanding what was going on, but worse yet, it hurt to gaze upon the expressions of the people surrounding you and see just how much you'd worried them.

“[Name],” Uraraka mumbled hesitantly. “Are you... are you okay? That looked really bad. You’re always getting headaches, but I feel like it’s not normal for them to be so painful...”

You strained a smile. “I’m fine. Anyways, Izuku won. I’m glad I was able to watch him pick himself back up again. Shinsou’s Quirk is really strong, huh? I’m lucky I didn’t have to go up against him, because I’m not the best at keeping my mouth shut either.”

Nobody said anything. Yaoyorozu’s brows were knit into a frown, Iida was repeatedly adjusting his glasses like some kind of nervous tic, and Uraraka looked like she wanted to give you a big hug, but was afraid you’d shatter like glass.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Several of your love interests are becoming increasingly worried about you.]

[+30 love points ALL.]

How ironic. You’d just made a lot of progress, and yet, when you saw how sad everyone looked, it didn’t feel anywhere close to a victory.

[Name]’s Archive:

>>

LOVE INTERESTS:

Midoriya Izuku (best friend): 350/500

Bakugou Katsuki (classmate): 120/200

Todoroki Shouto (close acquaintance): 140/200

Shigaraki Tomura (enemy): 130/200

Chisaki Kai (acquaintance): 20/100

Kirishima Eijirou (acquaintance): 100/100 --> RANK UP!

Kaminari Denki (acquaintance): 90/100

Shinsou Hitoshi (acquaintance): 0/100

Dabi (acquaintance): 40/100

Additional entries in progress...

Chapter 39: Rival Faceoff

Chapter Text

STATUS UPDATE:

[Rank up! Kirishima Eijirou has gone from being an “acquaintance” to being your “friend”. Love point meter refreshed.]

[Current progress: 0/200]

[Rank up reward for Kirishima Eijirou: You have received one (1) skill point.]

Before, you would’ve probably just funneled most of your points directly into strength, but after nearly dying at Dabi’s hands, investing in vitality seemed like the way to go. Especially since you knew that he was still out there, thirsting for your blood.

And Shouto’s, for that matter. God. It was all such a massive f*cking headache.

Speaking ofheadaches, though, everyone kept on staring at you like you were right on the verge of crumbling into pieces. They seemed to think you were accident-prone, and all things considered, they certainly weren’t wrong.

Kirishima pressed his lips together. “Hey, [Name]. I hope you don’t feel like I’m butting in when it’s none of my business, but I really think you should go to the infirmary after all. You’re looking pretty faint. Maybe try resting up until it’s your turn to fight.”

“I’m fine,” you dismissed. “I want to see how everyone’s matches go.”

“Listen to sh*tty hair-for-brains,” Katsuki glared. “I’myour opponent, and you better be in top condition when it’s time for us to fight. I’m not gonna be satisfied with winning by default. If you don’t go the infirmary and get examined by that old bag, I’ll drag you there myself.”

How charming. Even when Katsuki was somewhat worried about you, making threats was the only way he knew how to express it.

“Go to the infirmary, [Name],” Shouto said. He gave you a terse, almost pleading stare. “I have to go get ready now. Don’t be reckless. I’ll get upset if you do.”

[Todoroki Shouto is bad at putting it into words, but he wants to make sure that you’re safe.]

[+10 love points.]

Well, there was no denying the fact that you’d caused a massive upheaval, unintentional as it was. If nothing else, it was reassuring to know that there were so many people who cared enough to worry about you, but it didn’t make your circ*mstances any less complicated.

I can check on Izuku while I’m at the infirmary. I wanted to congratulate him on winning the match anyways. Oh, and Shinsou...

You wanted to offer the purple-haired boy a few encouraging words as well, but he’d put up a valiant fight, and from what you could tell, it seemed like he had the support of his entire department now.

Another time, then. Hopefully the two of you could bond some more while looking after Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“I guess I’ll go to the infirmary, just to be safe,” you conceded.

Kirishima cracked a grin. “Awesome! It never hurts to be careful, right? I just hope you feel better soon, because that looked pretty rough. Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

[Kirishima Eijirou thinks it’s manly how you always try your best, like when you gave it your all during the entrance exam.]

[+10 love points.]

[Current progress: 10/200]

“Come with me,” Shouto said. “I’ll walk you part of the way, just to make sure you don’t get any funny ideas and run off.”

“Wow,” you chuckled. “Do I really seemthatuntrustworthy?”

“When it comes to how you look out for yourself, then yes. You have a tendency to get roped into trouble.”

He made sure to glance in Katsuki’s direction as he said that. Jeez. He was really never going to let the groping incident go, huh?

You decided to humor him and follow closely behind. Shouto’s opponent for the first round was Sero, and even though Sero’s Quirk was plenty adaptable in its own right, you couldn’t help but feel like Shouto had the upper hand. He certainly didn’t look nervous about it, but then again, he was pretty much always stoic to a fault.

“There’s really no need for all this fuss,” you tried to insist. “I get that it might have looked a bit alarming... but I’m used to getting headaches and stuff. It’s just an ongoing medical condition. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“If your headaches are so debilitating that you momentarily lose your ability to function, I’d hardly call that nothing out of the ordinary,” he frowned. “Maybe Recovery Girl will be able to figure out what’s wrong. It’s better than suffering for no reason.”

Convincing him that it wasn’t a big deal would be no easy feat, especially since it kind ofwasa big deal, and even you were pretty freaked out about it. It was a sh*tty side-effect of your amnesia, but you couldn’t exactly disclose that without revealing that youhadamnesia.

But you were still hopeful that one day, you would get to the bottom of this, and you could be normal like everyone else.

“Infirmary’s that way,” Shouto pointed. “I’m not going to leave until I see you step inside the room.”

You puffed out your cheeks. “Okay,mom.”

“What?” He blinked repeatedly. It looked like you’d just broken him. “I’m not your mom. That doesn’t make any sense.”

You were just about to laugh, but before any sound slipped out of your lips, someone decided to rudely interrupt.

“Shouto,” a deep, booming voice muttered. “What is the meaning of this?”

There he was. Even without any long-term memories, you recognized him all too well. He was far too well-known to go under your radar, especially when you had a fanboy like Izuku as one of your closest friends.

Endeavor, also known as the Flame Hero, who currently held the Number Two spot out of all the professional heroes in Japan.

And as you’d just recently discovered, he also happened to be Shouto’s father.

The moment Shouto heard his voice, it was as if some deep, instinctive hatred took over, and in no time flat, his entire expression had twisted into a grimace.

“Piss off,” Shouto spat, then he focused his attention back to you. “Go on, [Name]. I’m still not leaving until I’m positive you’ve gone into the infirmary.”

“Uh...”

Was now really the time for that? It was obvious that Endeavor had something to discuss, and quite frankly, you felt incredibly awkward being stuck in the middle of another family’s drama.

“Good grief. You’ve been stuck in your rebellious phase for a while now, but this a new low, even for you,” Endeavor scoffed. “Who is this girl? Why are you so fixated on her lately? I saw you carry her after the Cavalry Battle, even after you lost to her team. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

“Don’t drag [Name] into this,” Shouto hissed, his mismatched eyes flashing in a rare display of anger. “Just shut up and mind your own business.”

“I’m your father. It’s my duty to steer you down the right path, and I have to admit, you’re acting like a complete fool.” Endeavor crossed his arms and looked you over. “What, are you interested in her? She’s just a little weakling with nothing to offer. If you’re hellbent on finding yourself a partner all of a sudden, it had at least better be someonestrong.”

Great. All you’d done was literally just stand here, and now this hulking mountain of a man had decided to start talking sh*t about you.

He really was a dick, though. That much was painfully apparent. No wonder Shouto hated him so much. It made your heart ache for his situation a hundred times more.

Shouto gritted his teeth. “You’re such a piece of sh*t. I’ve already told you it’smylife, and you’re not a part of it. Aren’tyouashamed of yourself for talking down to a teenager who isn’t even your own child? I’m not sure where you get the nerve.”

“I-It’s fine,” you tried to brush off. “I’m not offended. Anyways, I can tell that I’m kind of intruding on a private moment, so I’ll be going now...”

You tried to leave, but Endeavor promptly stepped in front of you and blocked your way.

Ha. Haha.

With my luck, I really should have expected that.

“You’re no good for Shouto,” Endeavor glowered. “I suggest you stay as far away from him as possible. I don’t need idiots like you rubbing off on him.”

Your jaw dropped open. Okay, what the actual f*ck? Were you forever fated to get roped into complicated, messy sh*t like this? Because in all honesty, you were getting pretty fed up with this kind of treatment. You already had an abusive system to deal with, and crazy assholes to watch out for, like Shigaraki and Dabi. You didnotneed to get a bitching from a grown-ass man with an inferiority complex, on top of everything else.

“I’m not an idiot,” you gritted out, balling your hands into fists. “I’ll have you know my grades are slightly above average, thank you very much!”

Endeavor blinked. “Slightly above...what? Am I supposed to be impressed or something?”

“Yes! You should be very impressed! If only you knew the sh*t I’ve already been through, then your jaw would be on the floor, wondering how the hell I managed to pull all of it off!”

Perhaps you were getting a little carried away, but you were feeling particularly worked up right now, and quite frankly, you were already past the point of no return.

So, you lifted up one of your fists, shook it in Endeavor’s face, then raised a cheeky middle finger for him to feast his eyes on.

“Asshole,” you spat. “Dirtbag. Flaming pile of trash. Waste of oxygen. Pretentiousdick.”

It was actually pretty cathartic, getting to unload on him like this. A lot of it was anger you’d been bottling up for a while now, most of which was reserved for the system, but Endeavor deserved to hear it every bit as much. And it wasn’t only because of how he’d spoken to you. It was because of how he’d treated Shouto all these years. It was because of all the pain he’d caused his family.

So, yeah. Flipping him off a few times (tentimes, to be more precise) and calling him every insult you could think of was really nothing, in the grand scheme of things.

Shouto didn’t say anything the whole time. He just stood by, watching, with his lips slightly parted in awe. Even Endeavor wasn’t quite able to respond. Your rant must have impressed him more than he would’ve liked to admit, because he actually waited for you to finish.

“Are you done?” Endeavor asked irritably.

You stopped to take a gulp of air. “I... I think so. I think I just about covered how sh*tty of a person you are.”

“Charming,” he eye-rolled. “You’ve clearly proven yourself to be someone worthy of standing by Shouto’s side.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“I was being sarcastic, you mouthy little brat.” Endeavor shook his head. “Shouto. Enough with this disgraceful behavior. Stop limiting your power and see to your duty of surpassing All Might. When will you understand that you’re different from the rest of your siblings? You are my greatest masterpiece! It’s about time you get that through your head.”

Shouto gnawed on his lip, but before he could snap back, or bury his anger deep down—which was what he usually did—you stepped forward.

“I feel sorry for you,” you said, knitting your brows together. “I can’t imagine having such little faith in your own abilities that you choose to dump everything on your child instead. I agree that Shouto shouldn’t limit his power, but whatever he chooses, it hasnothingto do with you. You’re an adult, but it looks like you still haven’t grown up yet. It’s really sad.”

Once again, Endeavor was lost for words. You didn’t know if someone as selfish as him was evencapableof feeling shame, but for your own peace of mind, you were choosing to believe that he was drowning in it right now.

You turned towards Shouto. “Sorry for saying rude things to your dad, but I don’t like him. Anyways, I’m gonna go to the infirmary before I stick around any longer and end up saying something I’llreallyregret. Good luck with your match.”

You were about to leave, but at the last second, your intrusive thoughts won, and you pulled Shouto into a tight hug, making sure to grin cheekily at Endeavor the whole time.

“Okay, bye-bye!” you chirped. “See you later, dear friend of mine!”

You ran away without glancing back over your shoulder, but even without seeing it, you justknewEndeavor was mashing his teeth together, frustrated beyond belief.

Perhaps it was childish, but you felt good about telling him off. It wasn’t much, and yet, it helped you feel like you’d gotten a bit of revenge in Shouto’s stead. A small, but undeniably good deed.

Not only that, but what you’d just done had left a lasting impact on Shouto himself.

STATUS UPDATE:

[Todoroki Shouto has never respected you more.]

[+40 love points.]

[Current progress: 190/200]

“I didn’t realize U.A accepted so many idiots nowadays,” Endeavor muttered. You were already far gone, having retreated to the safety of the infirmary’s walls, but Shouto couldn’t stop staring off into the distance longingly.

Even though he was stuck next to his father, something that normally made his blood boil, right now, he honestly felt perfectly fine.

In fact, his cheeks were warm, and unless he was imagining it—was there asmilepulling at his lips?

This interaction was supposed to have gone terribly. Endeavor’s cruel words would have gotten to him, forcing his rage to rush to the surface, and he would have lost his cool during his fight against Sero. He wouldn’t have been able to hold back.

But now, Shouto was able to breeze past his father, ignore him altogether, and step out into the arena with a clean conscience.

Shouto’s anger had been momentarily quelled, and it was all thanks to you.

“You and Midoriya really are like peas in a pod,” Recovery Girl scowled. “What is it with the two of you and constantly hurting yourselves?”

“To be fair, I didn’thurtmyself,” you felt compelled to protest. “Everyone was just a bit worried about me, so I stopped by here to put their concerns to rest. I just had a bad episode with my headaches. Same old story.”

“Again?” Izuku frowned. “Doesn’t that sort of thing happen way too often?”

“Some people are more predisposed to getting headaches and migraines than others,” Recovery Girl mumbled. “But of course, it isn’t agoodthing. Then again, [Name] already fainted earlier in the day, so perhaps that’s what’s been causing her this lasting discomfort. Exhaustion can trigger all sorts of head pain. Well, take a seat right there so I can give you a check-up just to be sure.”

You smiled appreciatively, but you already knew she wouldn’t be able to figure anything out. The headaches were specific to whenever you felt like you were remembering something, or getting one of those weird visions. The trigger was obvious—it was your body fighting tooth and nail to try and remember. But it really was weird that it was always causing you so much pain.

It was almost like there was something—orsomeone—that was trying to make sure youcouldn’tremember.

It has to be the system. I can’t prove it, but it wouldn’t surprise me, especially considering how much they seem to know. Still. No matter how painful it is, Iwillremember. I don’t care how long it takes.

“Well, everything looks fine to me,” Recovery Girl hummed, shining a light in your eyes. “Reflexes are perfectly normal. No sign of external injuries. You’re speaking coherently and you don’t have any memory loss either—”

Ha. If only she knew.

“—so, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. At the very least, it’s not something I can diagnose on my own. But if you’re worried about this condition interfering with schoolwork and hero training, I would suggest going to see a doctor. Preferably a neurologist.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” you lied. Whatever this was, it clearly wasn’t a natural condition, and besides, if you started poking around and dropping hints about your amnesia, the system was guaranteed to punish you for it.

No, you would have to figure this out all on your own, just like always.

It was ironic. You were steadily building up a social circle and making more and more friends, but when it came to your deepest and darkest troubles, you were still completely alone.

What a harrowing thought.

“Alright, you’re both good to go,” Recovery Girl said. “Hurry along now, otherwise you won’t make it back in time to see the next fight.”

“Okay, thank you!”

You and Izuku both bowed your heads in unison, and you practically raced down the halls, managing to get back to spectators stands just in the nick of time.

“Phew,” Izuku sighed. “We made it. I really didn’t want to miss Todoroki’s fight. I alreadyknowhe’s super strong, but I still need to make as many observations as I can.”

You nodded. “It’s good to be diligent. You’re really smart, so I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with a game plan.”

Now, if only I could come up with a plan for going up against Katsuki... that’ll be rough.

Speaking of Katsuki, he was quite obviously glaring a hole into your back, and you couldn’t help but flinch, glancing his way every so often.

You weren’t sure what else to do, so you flashed him a thumbs-up and mouthed,“I went to the infirmary. Are you proud of me?”

Katsuki barely even blinked before mouthing back,“Eat sh*t and die.”

All things considered, that was actually a pretty civil interaction.

You decided to ignore him and face ahead. Shouto and Sero were standing on opposite ends of the arena. They were about to begin, any minute now.

“...aaaaand,START!”

Present Mic’s voice was the signal, as always, and Sero decided to strike the first chance he got. It was a clever tactic, trying to use his tape to immediately pull Shouto out of bounds. You had to give him credit for taking the initiative and reacting right away.

Unfortunately, the difference in strength was far too staggering, and Shouto was able to freeze Sero in place before he skidded out of bounds.

“It was a good effort, but Todoroki’s just way too strong,” Uraraka sighed.

Well, as much as you didn’t want to undermine Sero, you couldn’t say that you hadn’t expected this turnout. Shouto had won. You had foreseen it from the very start. And yet, it felt... different, somehow? It wasn’t entirely how you’d expected their battle to play out.

For some reason, you’d expected something on a bigger scale. Like,waybigger. Big enough to freeze half the stadium.

Hm. Perhaps you were guilty of having an overactive imagination at times.

Anyways, with this, Shouto had officially advanced to the next round, where he would be facing Izuku. There were still quite a few matches left until it was your turn to go, and if nothing else, you were hoping to momentarily forget your nerves by focusing on everyone else.

Kaminari was next up against one of the Class B students, Shiozaki. Before he left, he made sure to shoot you a playful wink.

“Watch me, [Name],” he grinned. “I’ll put on a cool performance just for you.”

Needless to say, he lost almost immediately, and when he came back, all brain-fried and sheepish, you didn’t know what else to do besides pat him on the back reassuringly.

After that, Iida and Uraraka were set to go up against each other. Iida was fast, but all Uraraka had to do to win was touch him once and get him to float. Unfortunately, Iida wassofast that he managed to get around Uraraka from behind and drag her out of bounds before her fingers could make contact with him.

The battles proceeded, and even though everyone else seemed to be engrossed, you could feel your focus dwindling more and more.

Finally, it was time. Your match with Katsuki was just about to begin.

“I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” you groaned, flattening your cheek against the waiting room table.

Izuku forced a wobbly smile. “I-It’s okay, [Name]. I, of all people, can definitely understand what it’s like to be intimidated by Kacchan... but there’s no reason to give up! Your Quirk is plenty powerful. The way you protected us during the Cavalry Battle is more than proof of that.”

“Besides,” Iida tried to encourage, “even if it’s Bakugou, isn’t there a chance that he’ll go a bit easier against a girl?”

“There’s no way he would,” you laughed. “He’s not the type. If anything, he probably thinks it’s disrespectful to hold back. It means he’s not taking his opponent seriously.”

Izuku scratched his cheek. “Yeah. Kacchan would never go easy on someone, especially not here, when everyone is giving it their best shot. But [Name] can still win, even if Kacchan is at full strength! Where there’s a will, there’s always a way!”

You chuckled softly. He was sweet to try and hype you up, but it still didn’t change how nervous you felt.

That being said, he was right. You had no intention of going into this fight with a loser’s mentality. From day one, Katsuki had been somewhat of a rival to you. He had rejected you almost immediately, making you suffer endlessly at the system’s hands. You didn’t think you’deverbe able to dig your way out of that hole, considering how much he seemed to hate you, but against all odds, you’d pulled it off.

If you could survive an accidental kiss with Katsuki, an accidental pantsing,andan accidental groping... then surely, you could beat him in a fight too.

“Okay,” you huffed, slamming your palms on the table and abruptly standing up. “I think... I’m ready. I’m going to try and stay out of my own head and just focus on what’s in front of me. I’m not going to think about anything else besides doing what I can to win.”

Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida all nodded in earnest.

“You’ve got this, [Name]. We’re rooting for you.”

That was all they said, but those few, simple words were more than enough.

And now, for the moment of truth.

Upon Present Mic’s cue, you walked out into the stadium’s center and took your place on one side of the arena. Katsuki was right there, across from you, but instead of slouching and having his hands buried in his pockets, he was standing strong and tall.

Bakugou Katsuki. He was immensely powerful, and you’d known it ever since you first met him. Strong and intimidating, brave and driven. He had a lot of bad qualities too, no doubt about it, but there were still a lot of things you could respect him for.

He narrowed his eyes. “You made sure to get your head checked, yeah? I’m not fighting you unless you’re in fighting condition.”

“I’m alright,” you reassured. “I’m not in pain anymore. Don’t worry.”

“I was never worried. Piss off.”

Yeah, right. I saw your love points go up along with everyone else’s.

Well, now wasn’t really the right time for any of that stuff. You needed to focus. You could do this. Just like you’d told Endeavor, you had already endured so much, and most likely, you would have to endure more.

Katsuki was strong, but when compared to a true villain like the system, he suddenly seemed a lot less intimidating.

“Just a reminder that I’m not going to go easy on you,” Katsuki said.

“I know,” you smiled. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The seconds trickled by painfully slowly. But in this moment, you’d completely forgotten about the crowd of spectators, all of the people watching back home, and even creeps like Shigaraki and Dabi.

All you saw was Katsuki, and you were comforted by the fact that all he saw was you.

“...START!”

Chapter 40: Acknowledgement

Chapter Text

“...START!”

Once Present Mic let out that familiar, resounding cry, you knew you had scarcely a few seconds to react. In preparation, you had already pulled up your system interface, with your inventory open. You retrieved your trusty baton in the blink of an eye, and clearly, not a second too soon, because Katsuki had already lunged at you.

He was fast. Faster than you were, in any case. Thanks to his explosions, he could propel himself across the arena in no time flat, and it was a miracle that you’d even managed to dodge in time. You gasped for breath as you regained your footing, gripping your baton tight and angling it towards him.

This wasn’t going to be an easy fight. You knew that. Realistically, you would probably lose, and you felt like absolute sh*t after all the times you’d already been sent to the infirmary today, but you refused to just give up. You refused to just roll over and resign yourself to your fate. Katsuki wouldn’t like that either. He wanted to see you give it your all. He wanted you to give him a challenge.

When I used this to try and escape from Dabi, it worked… so I may as well do it again.

Your eyes briefly fell to the ground, on a spot close to Katsuki’s feet. You only had a moment to focus, but just like when you’d been attacked by Dabi, you were able to use your critical hit ability to pick out a few weak points. You slammed your baton down against the targets, as quickly as you could, and as planned, a dust cloud sprung upwards, momentarily obscuring Katsuki’s vision.

All you could do was run. You needed to close the distance, fast, and attack him from one of his blind spots. Thanks to all your training and the skill points you’d progressively invested into your stats, youweregetting stronger. You were becoming more powerful, more agile, and more durable.

Unfortunately, Katsuki still had you beat in every possible way.

“...I figured you’d try to sneak up on me from behind. You’re way too obvious, [Name].”

He emerged from within the cloud of dust, snatching you up before you could get close enough to swing your baton. He gripped you by the wrist with one hand, and you could feel the heat of his nitroglycerin-coated palms searing your skin. You couldn’t even swing your other hand or kick him in time. He proceeded to grace you with an explosion right to the face, and had to grit your teeth, nearly toppling over from the pain.

It was rough. Your body was already in terrible condition after the hell you’d put it through today. You were exhausted from the strange ability you’d used during the Cavalry Battle, when you’d miraculously crafted that invisible wall, and having randomly collapsed near the end of Izuku’s battle against Shinsou.

You felt like giving up, to be honest. You were just so f*cking exhausted. Plus, the hot, stinging pain of Katsuki’s explosions sort of reminded you of being burned alive by Dabi, and it was triggering some kind of PTSD response.

Still. Even if you were fated to lose in the first round, you had no intention of tapping out. Not while you still had some fight left in you.

You swiveled on your foot, just enough to rotate your body around and elbow Katsuki in the face. He dodged it, unfortunately, but he backed off for a moment, grip on your wrist loosening, and instead of running to safety and taking a second to catch your breath, you charged straight towards him, bullseye targets appearing on various parts of his body.

This time, he couldn’t reposition himself in time. Your blow connected with his stomach, and he bit back a curse as the critical hit ability activated upon contact, amplifying the damage several times over.

But you didn’t stop there. You needed to take advantage of this momentum, to push forward while he was still doubled over from the pain. The only way you even had achanceof winning was if you hit him with a barrage of attacks, an onslaught of blunt, heavy force.

Over and over again, you swung your baton, targeting the weak points that appeared on his body. Naturally, Katsuki evaded several of your attacks, while also throwing out explosions in between, but you didn’t back down. You forced yourself to endure the pain, to push through the dizzying, uncomfortable heat. In all honesty, you were likely taking more damage than Katsuki was, but that was fine. You could handle it. You would turn this into a battle of endurance, if that was what it took. You would overwhelm him with your sheer strength of will.

After all, if there was anyone who was used to suffering, who was used to feeling completely and utterly hopeless, it wasyou.

“Holy sh*t, enough already!”

Katsuki finally upped the ante, releasing afarbigger explosion than any of the other ones thus far. Your knees instinctively buckled, and you swore you were seeing stars. He backed away to collect himself, grimacing as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. His body was starting to accrue various bruises, and parts of his P.E. uniform had been slightly torn open from all the times your critical hit ability had landed.

Even so, his body was in much better shape than yours.

“You just won’t let up, huh?” Katsuki muttered. “Are you just going to keep walking right into all of my attacks? Aren’t you even going totryto evade them?”

You wished you could. You wished you were as nimble as him, as naturally adept in combat situations, and you also wished that you had a Quirk like his. A powerful, but intuitive ability. Something that could easily be grasped—not necessarily easy to master, but still. A power fit for a hero. Just sheer, overwhelmingstrength.

Instead, you didn’t even have an actual Quirk.

You had an ominous system that tried to control you as it saw fit.

…sh*t.