Chapter Text
A broad smile graces the face of 3-A class member Mina Ashido as she finished setting the reservation at the karaoke bar just a short walk from the UA campus. She’s been planning this outing for her class for weeks at this point, trying to find a day where the majority of her classmates have free time, and it was finally set in stone. She’d even gotten Mr. Rules himself to agree to lighten up and join them. A quiet snicker escaped her at the thought of their class rep Iida Tenya singing along to some traditional song and doing the robot.
Now, the one problem: Their resident green bean had not yet gotten back to her about his attendance, which was a problem since he’s the one person she wants to make sure attends. She’s been noticing a little extra sway in the way he moved around the dorms, little spins and flourishes in his movements. To the untrained eye, it would seem like nothing, maybe something to do with his hero training; but she knows better. Mina has been dancing most of her life, and she knows exactly what perfect dancing movement looks like, leading most of one’s movement with their center, AKA, their hips. It had been a slow change, taking the last year and a half to show itself so glaringly. Her theory? After the school festival and the little number they performed, Midoriya had discovered a new passion of his. She wants to confirm this, because if she can, that means she’d have a new buddy to go clubbing with, possibly. Also, both Kiri and Denki have informed her that Izuku’s a decent singer as well, since they’ve heard him a couple times in the showers when he thought he was alone.
She grumbles quietly to herself before standing abruptly from her desk, offering a short, “BRB”, to her roommate Tooru Hagakure, which is met by a simple thumbs up, only seen thanks to the young woman briefly refracting the light around the digit so it can be noticed. Mina stalks straight to the men’s side of Heights Alliance, practically jogging until she reaches a solid door that she raps her knuckles upon playfully, beaming as her oldest friend Eijirou Kirishima opens it, a broad smile gracing his own ‘manly’ features as he’d describe them. “Hey, what’s up Mina?”
“Nothin much, is Midoriya in there? He still hasn’t gotten back to me about the karaoke bar for tomorrow night.” She offers a slight shrug, acting nonchalant about her line of questioning.
“Oh right, that is tomorrow isn’t it?” A weak chuckle slips from the Hardening quirk user, letting her know he had forgotten. What would he do without Midoriya as his roommate? “Anyway, yeah he’s here, come on in.”
He opens the door wider, allowing access to the room. Mina flashes another smile at him before stepping into the room, eyes drifting over to the side of the room absolutely plastered in the bright personage of All Might. Within the shrine sits Izuku, facing his desk, hand holding onto a pencil that’s scribbling furiously across a page within a notebook. Apparently he hasn’t even noticed the conversation, nor her presence, as he’s caught in one of those ‘mumble storms’ of his. You’d think after knowing him for so long the class would have gotten better at deciphering these, but sometimes Mina’s convinced he’s actually been getting faster by the day. “Hey, Midori,” she calls out abruptly, hoping to pull him free from whatever’s occupying his attention, and to her glee, it works, as the man’s head snaps up to attention, hand firmly setting down his pencil before he turns in his swivel chair, those emerald eyes of his immediately fixed on Mina’s golden ones trapped in a sea of black sclera.
“Oh, h-hey Ashido, what’s up?” His head tilts to the side along with the question, like a puppy, and the pink-skinned woman has to suppress a squeal at just how positively cute he is. “Nothin serious, just wanted to figure out whether you were a yay or nay for our karaoke bar thing tomorrow.” Another nonchalant shrug, but she knows the glint in her eyes could possibly give her charade away, so she directs them instead to peering around the room. Izuku shifts slightly in his seat, clearing his throat before speaking to help cut down on his unfortunate stutter. “Uh, I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it much. I’ve just been r-really busy, ya know?” A weak chuckle escapes him while his left hand lifts to gently run through his seaweed green hair, the unkempt curls brushing behind his ear while his eyes remain fixed on his classmate’s face. She nods in understanding before turning her gaze fully back to her objective: Izuku Midoriya, resident smarty pants, predicted future Number 1 Hero.
“Yeah I get that, I don’t even wanna think about how much studying you have to do in order to beat Yaomomo in test scores.” A small laugh slips from her before she suddenly turns to Kirishima. “So, with all the time dear Midori here is devoting to his studies, what’s he been doing to relax?”
Eijirou smiles wide, raising an arm and flexing before speaking. “Nah, he’s really nose to the grindstone! It’s so manly!” He probably would say more, but Mina cuts him off by pointing an accusatory finger at him. “No it isn’t!” She spins in place again, the offending digit now fixed on Izuku. “Relaxing is an important part of life! You can’t always go Plus Ultra Midori! What happens if you burn yourself out? Then you can’t do anything! I am demanding your attendance that way you can have fun with your classmates!!” She lowers her hand before settling it on her hip, cocking her waist to the side and really pushing the ‘concerned friend’ look into her face. “Self care is just as important as study and hard work.”
Izuku looks prepared to argue, mouth opening before he stops and merely sighs softly, grimacing. “Okay, okay, I’ll go. But I’m not sure how much fun I’ll be.” Mina offers a winning grin. “You’ll be plenty fun Midori, everyone thinks you’re super cool. Anyway, see you tomorrow at 8!! We’re meeting at the front gates to walk there together. Byyyyyeeeee!!!” With that, she darts out of the room before Izuku can argue or Ace any second thoughts. Her grin becomes almost manic as she giggles evilly to herself, hands rubbing together while she wanders back to her room, already forming further strategy to get her way tomorrow. While Mina may be close to the bottom of the class when it comes to actual schoolwork, she’s almost a genius when it comes to social plotting. She’s gonna get Izuku to dance, and hopefully after it’s received positively by the class, he can stop being so nervous. Her grin slowly falls into a contemplative frown. “Even after everything that happened during our first year, he’s still so quiet. He deserves to love himself dammit!” She clenched a fist in determination before walking off to visit one more classmate of her’s. She needs a favor.
- - - - - - - - - - -
The fated hour is now upon the members of 3-A. Mina may be a little worse for wear after a long study session last night, but all she can hope is that it was worth it. She sighs tiredly while remembering the previous night after she’d left Kiri and Midori’s room.
“Yaomomo please, I don’t have time to go to the mall and find exactly what I need, I’ll do whatever you want if you can just make this outfit real quick! Pllllleeeeeeaaaassseeeee!!” Her hands put together in praying fashion, bowing forward, Mina prepared herself for whatever demands their class Vice Rep could make.
Mina hadn’t expected Momo to simply require her to participate in a study session with her. But it was brutal. The study session had lasted for THREE HOURS, and Mina could feel her brain frying by the end. But she’d done it! She made it through, and now she can just hope that her note delivered with the clothes would work its magic. She’s already at the gates by 7:55, although she also isn’t surprised that Iida is there before her, dressed in a buttoned dark blue shirt, sleeves buttoned and cuffed properly at his wrists, as well as a pristine pair of slacks followed with polished black dress shoes. She smirks as she approaches the usual stick in the mud, and she cocks one eyebrow, accompanied by a questioning gaze. Iida for his part looks slightly uncomfortable, but he offers a resolute nod to the class’s party culture aficionado. She mouths a silent ‘thank you’, knowing now her plan will go off without a hitch; hopefully. Within the next few minutes they’re waiting for just a few more members of their class.
Everyone that has arrived so far seemingly understood the assignment when it comes to clothing, the majority of them dressed handsomely and beautifully, but not too extravagantly. Most of the girls are wearing clothes a touch breathier than their regular clothes, what with UA’s business casual requirements. Mina herself is dressed in a comfortable crop top and a slightly longer skirt than longer, and a pair of shoes she feels more than comfortable dancing in; just in case. Most of the guys are a little more dressed down, but they still look good, nothing so bad as completely casual wear. Even Bakugou has dressed for the occasion, despite complaining constantly that this ‘isn’t really his thing’, but he took the time to put on a black vest over a burnt orange button up, his sleeves rolled almost to his elbows, showing his forearms, and he’s got a good looking pair of black slacks on, and comfortable but shined shoes. Mina smirks at him, earning her a middle finger that she rolls her eyes at. 8 o’clock hits, and they’re only missing two people, Izuku and Kirishima. Admittedly, Mina’s getting a tad nervous, but just when she considers shooting a message to her best bud she spots two figures hurriedly walking down the path to the main gate. The closer of the two looks like he’s dragging the other person behind him, forcing them to keep pace and Mina sighs as she realizes she’s really gonna have her work cut out for her. Kiri is hauling Izuku after him, the former wearing a deep red button-up shirt, sleeves rolled similar to Bakugou’s, although his isn’t buttoned up quite so far, slightly exposing the planes of his upper torso, but not enough to be indecent. His shirt is tucked into a pair of slate grey pants, affixed to his waist with a red belt, covered in black studs of metal. He looks nice, but Mina’s main concern is whether her note had the desired effect on Izuku.
She’s elated to see that it did, as Izuku is finally pulled close enough for her to see him properly, Kirishima speaking on his behalf. “Sorry guys, took a minute to convince Midobro about his wardrobe.” A nervous chuckle comes from the manliest man before he slowly releases Izuku’s wrist, the green cinnamon roll looking positively embarrassed, eyes turned down as he refuses to meet anyone’s gaze; which might be for the best, since the majority of the class is openly gawking at him.
Mina speaks up first, a broad smile on her face. “You look great Midori, don’t look so down!” Before the man can meet her eyes she allows her gaze to drop down, taking in the image of him.
“W-well, I didn’t want y-your study session to be for n-nothing Ashido… Um, thanks for th-the clothes…” A scarred hand slips up his opposing arm, gently rubbing a circle on his forearm with his thumb. Mina had delivered to him a green and black checkered flannel, unbuttoned and worn over a slightly baggy white t-shirt, and a black beanie resting on his head, allowing just a few messy tufts of his green bangs to peek through. A pair of rolled, cuffed blue jeans adorns his legs, his typical red sneakers on his feet, and Kirishima put in the final touches, a hint of eyeliner causing Izuku’s emerald eyes to pop out even more. Kirishima’s been given a similar treatment, although unfortunately the barest hint of makeup doesn’t cause as striking an appearance on his face.
The truly shocking part of the two men’s fashion choices are ear piercings. Izuku’s ear lobes, still exposed and peeking out from the beanie, are pierced with square emeralds, glittering faintly when the light hits them. Kirishima’s have something similar, only his piercings are a blood red, and turned to be diamonds. “A-also, thank you for the new piercings, I’ve b-been needing something a little better to put on…” Mina merely smirks and nods. “Of course. I knew that you two don’t get to show off the piercings you get thanks to UA’s dress code, figured tonight would be a good opportunity.” At the revelation that Mina was responsible for Izuku’s appearance, several pairs of eyes flicker over to her, wondering whether they should thank her now or later; later, a dozen people all think simultaneously. But this interaction leaves one question unanswered, one that Tsu voices, being blunt as ever. “So Midoriya ribbit, when did you two get your ears pierced?”
Kirishima thankfully steps in and preventers Midoriya from being a stuttering mess. “Well, after our first year, I realized the truest test of my Hardening would be Midobro’s quirk. He can blast other people away like nothing. I made a bet with him, saying that if I could take a punch from him without letting go of my hardening, he’d have to get his ears pierced. It was mostly Mina’s idea, she told him he’d probably look good with them.” A shrug follows the first half of the story. “Anyway, I managed to tank the hit, barely. Midobro’s one manly dude!” Kirishima raises an arm, holding it with his other hand while flexing. “So, we went to get his ears pierced, and on a whim while we were there I got mine done too!”
“Ribbit, but you won, ribbit.”
Kirishima chuckles and abashedly runs a hand through his hair. “Well yeah but, I thought it would be extra manly to get them pierced together! Because if I can’t be man enough to get my ears pierced, how could I expect Midobro to do it?” He hooks an arm around Izuku’s shoulders at that point, pulling him close in a manly embrace. “Now we’re manly bros together!” He flashes a thumbs up to the group, and Tsu in particular, who responds bluntly as always. “You two are cute, ribbit.”
“Anyway,” Mina drawls out, slowly turning while pulling out her phone to refresh herself of the route to the karaoke bar, “let’s get going! Karaoke time here we come!!” A multitude of cheers is heard escaping into the sea of the twilight sky, Izuku hovering at the back of the group while swallowing thickly. He normally doesn’t wear clothes that fit him like this. He pretty much exclusively wears baggy clothes, even taking the time to layer up, even in warmer months, for school. While he knows he’s in good shape, it’s still hard for him to ‘flaunt it’ as other’s have repeatedly told him to try. He’s already here though, too late to back out, so he merely follows his classmates, his gait matching those just in front of him, Kirishima sticking close to his roommate, offering reassuring smiles and a thumbs up at one point. “She’s right man. Those clothes suit you really well. Super manly.” He flexes his arm, curling his fingers into a fist and flashing his sharp teeth in a fierce smile, pulling the faintest smile from Izuku.
Other members of the class are engaging in casual conversation, excitedly chattering about plans for the night, what songs they want to sing, debating different refreshments to order. While this definitely is about as far from Izuku’s normal activities as one could get, not even he can completely resist the steadily ramping up energy of his classmates, the majority of them slowly getting caught up in the excitement of the night, and soon enough a small smile adorns his soft features.
Within the next few minutes they reach their destination and the twenty of them file into the building, allowing Mina to lead them. The atmosphere of the building sinks in immediately. The low and almost sultry red lighting in the main lobby, soft music currently playing over hidden speakers somewhere in the room. Mina confidently strides up to the desk, where a woman with a subtle bird Quirk is standing, a smile appearing in her avian features once she watches the large party walk in. “Hi there, large room reservation under the name Ashido,” Mina says confidently, a bright smile on her face, and after a couple of taps on the screen before her the employee gives a small nod before speaking. “Alright, your party is checked in. Any refreshments you would like to order other than the basic package you already requested? Keep in mind, any alcoholic beverages are not included in the basic package.” Mina glances back at her classmates before shaking her head, a knowing smirk adorning her lips now. “Not just yet, thank you though. Can we request additional items at any point during our time?” A nod answers her question and Mina returns the nod.
“Also, no other reservations for your room have been placed for tonight, so if you wish to expand your time at any point, please don’t hesitate to use the phone and number provided in your room to contact us at the front desk.” The woman then briefly turns to grab a key card from a series of pockets hung on the wall before handing it to Mina. “Here is your keycard, you’ll be in room 31. I hope you enjoy your time here at Karaoke Heaven.” With a final nod that’s more akin to a bow, she begins tapping on the screen in front of her once again, and Mina turns to her classmates, holding up the keycard. “Alright you lot, let’s get in there!”
A storm of muttered affirmatives meets her ears before the class heads down the hall to the left of the desk, Jirou now walking in step with Mina, the rocker girl being somewhat familiar with this building. She’s come here a few times with friends from class, and even with her parents once or twice. The punk girl is wearing a typical outfit for her, a leather jacket over a black crop top which shows a line of sheet music in white print that starts with a ‘G’ note(iykyk), showing off her smooth stomach and her belly button piercing, which is a piece of sleek black metal in the shape of a treble clef. Top it all off with a pair of tight black shorts that don’t quite meet her thigh high black combat boots, exposing just an inch or so of her pale skin. Add in the dark, smokey eye makeup she’s sporting, complemented by the matte black lipstick with a layer of holo blue over that, making her lips shimmer in the light, she could be a goddess for all anyone knows. Mina’s gotta get some tips from her later.
After a quick trip in a couple elevators, and another walk down a hallway lined on either side with doors spaced every twenty or so feet, the group reaches their room, and with a simple swipe of the keycard gripped between Mina’s pink fingers, the students are given their entrance to, hopefully, what will be a life changing experience for at least one of them. Mina offers a wink to the verdinette as he walks past her, and is met with a fierce blush that adorns his cheeks, making those diamond shaped freckles of his even more noticeable. A small giggle comes rushing from her lips before she follows him into the room, taking in the atmosphere fully while noting the fact that the light snacks she ordered with the basic package are already placed upon the table. The room has very dim lighting, a mixture of red and blue lights giving a smoky feel to the air. There’s ample seating within the room, very comfortable sectionals pressed against the wall to the left of the room. The table is situated between the two extended parts of the sectionals, a small portion taking up the space between the two seating areas, and a few small footstools are slid under the table, accessible to anyone who wishes to take a load off. A few additional straight-backed chairs line the wall across from the door they enter from, with a coat rack directly to the right of the entrance. Beneath the coat rack is a large number of cubbies for extra storage of valuables or even shoes. Lastly, the stage is directly across the room from the sectionals, occupying the right side of the room. The platform is only raised a few inches while lights move across the lifted floor. Standing upon it are four microphone stands, each holding its own mic that are all currently turned off. Upon the wall the stage is attached to is a large screen for viewing of song lyrics, big enough for anyone in the room to see both the performer and the screen.
The night hasn’t even started, and Mina is already enthusiastically happy with her purchase; and that’s when Kaminari suddenly shouts. “Whoa!! That’s where the drinks are!” Her golden eyes shift to look at him. He’s stopped over, having seemingly discovered the room’s mini fridge, sandwiched between the further sectional and the extra chairs, which is stocked with bottles of water and soda. He pulls out a bottle of some yellow pop, unscrewing the top and taking a swig, a bright smile on his face as he turns in amazement. “Is this what the basic package is for?!” Mina laughs and nods, before her always present smile shifts into something a little more dangerous. “And, as long as a couple people care to chip in with me, we can ask for them to bring drinks a little harder than soda to stick in there for later.” The reaction was immediate. While nobody had started singing yet, the atmosphere had already soaked into the class of 3-A, made clear by the eight hands that shot up into the air at Mina’s statement. Denki, Eijirou, Kyoka, Tooru, Sero, Rikido, Momo, and even Iida. Midoriya looks at his friend in shock, and is met with a measured gaze. “Midoriya, it is important to relax now and then. If one cannot enjoy a drink in the company of their closest compatriots on occasion, how else can we be expected to further ourselves in life, and in our chosen career?” Once he has finished speaking, Iida reaches into his back pocket, extracting a predictably normal black wallet, from which he pulls a few bills, before handing them to Mina. He pushes up his glasses and once again fixes his steely gaze on Midoriya, the friend who has saved him more than once, in more than one way. It’s now his turn to save his friend. Iida is not the most gifted in social nuance, but he can tell when a friend is becoming withdrawn. “Ashido, would you kindly take the extra amount I gave you to order me a personal gin and tonic?” Izuku’s jaw drops in further shock. Mina smiles brilliantly and nods, plucking the bills from his grasp before walking around the room, grabbing a few more bills offered from the rest of the eight who offered to chip in, listening to their personal orders as well.
Once all is said and done she walks to the phone hung on the wall by the door they entered from, ringing the desk and requesting the added package along with the special drinks, confirming that payment would be ready when employees made their way up with the added beverages. The party begins to talk once again, this time in regards to the order they want to go in, with Kyoka raising her hand and volunteering to go first. “I’m probably the least nervous out of everyone here, I don’t mind going first to give everyone some time to prepare.” Most of the class sends her grateful looks, but Denki of course argues that he wants to go first, especially because he doesn’t want to follow her performance with his own. The majority of the class can’t help but chuckle at their antics, even Shinso cracks a smile at the playful argument, the quiet man settling back into one of the sectional couches, hands resting behind his head, showing his lean musculature on his arms, a short sleeved black button up allowing his olive toned skin to show. He has the shirt undone, showing the white shirt beneath that, with horizontal royal purple stripes across it. Beneath that his legs are covered in a pair of black cargo pants, with black combat boots tightly fixed over his feet. Izuku slowly settles into one of the high backed chairs by the wall, gulping as he nervously fidgets with his clothes, scarred and gnarled fingers pinching and pulling at his clothes while he watches Denki and Kyoka finally settle their argument, the electricity Quirk user being given the opportunity to perform first. He grins and flashes thumbs up to the class as a whole, and is instantly met with a rebuttal of, ‘Wheeee’ from most of them, followed by raucous laughter, and him even laughing before his thumbs tuck themselves in his curled hands only for his middle fingers to raise. “Yeah yeah, screw you guys,” he says through his laughter before he lowers his hands, brushing his graphic tee down, smoothing a couple wrinkles out of it. He’s dressed the most casually, a thin unzipped athletic jacket over the shirt, sleeves extended to his wrists, and a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands, black like the jacket. A pair of loose fitting, graffiti style black cargo pants covers his legs, his outfit topped off with a pair of converse sneakers, that one would assume started off as white, but it appears Denki has drawn is own designs on them, matching and blending into the graffiti style on his pants.
Just as the decision is reached, a knock is heard from the door and Mina skips over to it, face breaking out into the biggest smile so far as she opens it and steps back to allow the two employees delivering their added drinks into the room. The prepared cocktails are set on the table, the group sorting those out very quickly, while the fridge is stocked with the cans and bottles that come with the alcohol package. Sero and Ochako end up helping the employee who’s stocking the fridge, while Mina hands the cash for everything to the other employee. “Thank you so much for everything!” Both employees offer the group pleasant smiles, and soft wishes for them to enjoy their evening before they depart the room.
Once they have left Kaminari looks up at the stage, and then around the room, before finding a tablet in the center of the table. “Aha! So how many songs do they have for me to pick from?” Mina and Kyoka both look at him in confusion, Mina being the one to speak. “Whaddya mean Denki?”
“Yeah, what’re you on about Jamming Whee?”
The lightning user rolls his eyes at the nickname and questions. “I mean like, the registry or whatever of their songs. Where do I go on this to look through it?” Mina and Jirou level a glance at each other before looking at him once more, the rocker speaking up first. “There is no registry. Just look up whatever song you want, chances are they have it. I’ve never searched up a song they didn’t have prepared.” A simple shrug comes from her before she begins tucking into the Long Island she ordered for herself.
Denki’s jaw practically hits the floor before he starts frantically typing on the tablet, and after just a couple seconds a grin spreads across his face before he suddenly picks up his drink, a violently blue beverage with ice in it, complete with a couple cherries. Before he even raises it to his lips a scoff is heard from the fridge. “What the fuck is that Sparky?”
Kaminari looks over at the explosion quirk user before smiling. “Something that’ll get me a lot drunker a lot faster than that beer you’re holding Bakugou.” He sticks out of his tongue before downing the fruity drink in one go. He shakes his head a little afterwards, a shiver running through his body before he sets his now empty glass on the table, plucking the cherries from the rim and snatching them from the stem with his teeth. He then turns and hops onto the stage, having selected his song, queuing it up to play in just a few seconds. In his spare moments he moves the extra stands with their mics away from center stage, grabbing the remaining mic and flicking a switch on the bottom to turn it on. In the meantime, Bakugou has huffed to himself and sat at the edge of a sectional, ma spreading slightly while cracking open his beer and taking a few gulps of it.
Suddenly, Denki’s voice can be heard over the speakers dotting the room as his song kicks in, the quiet plucking of a guitar playing alongside his subdued vocals, until the song picks up, most of the people in the room recognizing the song as “Odd Future” by UVERworld.
While some may normally roll their eyes at the almost predictable choice, Denki’s killing it, and it’s a great upbeat song to start off the night, and by halfway through the song, thanks to Denki pulling a couple of easy dance steps, the alcohol has already started circulating through his system, giving him a subtle buzz. The liquid courage helps the performance get cranked up an extra notch, the electrified man hopping around the raised stage, a wide smile on his face, several members of the class bobbing their heads along, a few clapping their hands. It’s definitely a good start to the night, nothing too crazy, but still a damned good show on his part. Soon enough, Kaminari’s performance was over. Once the song drew to a close he spun in place, ending the number with a grandiose bow, smirking before setting his microphone back on the stand he pulled it from. Denki’s met with cheers and claps as he walks towards the mini fridge, still bobbing his head while opening it up, pulling two beers out. He nudges the door closed with a foot before giving another small spin, extending a beer to the verdinette sitting in one of the chairs. Izuku’s eyes widen in shock, gaze lifting to meet Kaminari’s. “Come on Midoriya, Iida has a cocktail for himself, you’ve gotta have at least one drink alright?”
Izuku grimaces before his eyes shift, locking onto Iida, who raises his gin and tonic, encouraging his hard working but socially deprived friend. The wielder of One For All sighs and shakes his head while grabbing the cold can from Kaminari, still wondering what world he’s found himself in. “Fine, but I’m not opening it until Iida actually takes a drink.” A smile with just a hint of a smirk appears on the man’s shy face, but the expression quickly turns to further shock and horror as Iida shrugs, tipping his glass to his lips and draining half of the clear, fizzy liquid within. Unfortunately, Iida doesn’t manage to hide the shiver and brief look of disgust after taking said gulp, blinking rapidly a few times. A chorus of laughs runs throughout the room, while Kyoka rises from where she had settled into the sectional, sitting between Momo and Tokoyami. While passing the chairs on her way up to the stage, having already queued her song, she leans towards Izuku. “Go on Green, you said you’d drink it once Iida started on his.” She smirks while hopping onto the stage, nobody being surprised when a mellow rock song begins playing over the speakers hidden throughout the room.
Izuku grumbles to himself but cracks open the can with a scarred finger, taking a breath to settle his nerves. He stares at the opening of the can, unaware of everyone in the room watching with bated breath. The tension and excitement is palpable, his classmates preparing to watch the beginning of the corruption of class 3-A’s cinnamon roll; but what nobody is expecting is for Midoriya to suddenly lift the can to his lips, and beginning to chug the beer down in heavy gulps, eyes around the room widening as he just keeps going, and going, until suddenly his muscles fingers are closing around and crumpling the empty aluminum, holding it high above his head before dropping it. Just as the shriveled can hits the floor of the room, Jirou begins singing her song, and a collective cheer is heard throughout the room at Izuku’s showmanship. A frisson runs through the verdinette’s body, before he subtly shakes his head, surprisingly happy with the taste of the beer as it slowly fades from his mouth. The attention he got from chugging the beer finally seems to catch up with him however, and a dusting of red covers his cheeks while he smiles shyly at his class. “Okay, okay, I had my drink. Are we good now?”
A sudden chuckle is heard from across the room, Bakugou offering a cocky smirk as he sets his own empty can upon the table in front of him. “What’s wrong Deku? Can’t handle more than a beer? Come on, don’t be a boring nerd!” A mixture of glares and looks of shock are leveled at the explosive blonde… And maybe it’s the atmosphere, the clothes, the reassuring yet worried glances from the Dekusquad, but Izuku’s almost tempted to bite back. But before he can even think of a rebuttal Shinso sighs and rises from his seat, stretching before casually wandering over to the phone, quickly pulling it off the wall and punching in the desk number, exchanging a few quiet words with the clerk they interacted with earlier. Most of the class keeps either an eye on him or on Jirou while she continues to sing her selected number, but Midoriya notices Shouji raise an eyebrow and look at Shinso with an almost concerned energy, apparently in response to the brainwasher’s order. After confirming the price the casual man slips a black and purple wallet from a pocket of his cargo pants, pulling out a couple of bills before spinning slowly in place to lean against the wall, offering a look that is somehow both disinterested and irritated to Bakugou, who returns the look with his own feral glare.
At this point Sero finally speaks up. “So, what did you order Shinso?” The man in question tears his gaze away from the angry Pomeranian next to him, smirking slightly while answering the tape quirk user. “A round of shots. How else is Midoriya gonna prove to Baka-gou that he can drink him under the table?” Before anyone can respond the explosion quirk wielder growls before yelling. “It’s BAKUgou you damn EXTRA! Why don’t you go back to the damn general course!” An even larger smirk spreads over Shinso’s face as he responds. “Because Aizawa-sensei actually wants me here, which is more than can be said for you.” He chuckles as Bakugou begins fuming in his seat, grumbling and growling while Shinso shifts his eyes to look at Izuku, offering a reassuring smile. Izuku returns the smile, even though he’s not super excited at the idea of having more alcohol; but maybe everyone does have a point. He doesn’t even remember the last time he actually took time to just relax, and indulge in some self care. Maybe he needs this. He settles back into his chair, deciding he may as well go with the flow for now. After all, it would be rude to decline a shot someone else is paying for.
Just as Jirou finishes her song, and a chorus of cheers at her performance resounds through the room, is when a knock is heard upon the door, and Shinso is quick to open it, greeting the employee standing there with the faintest of smiles. “Thank you so much for your quick service,” the violet haired man says, not hesitating to take the tray laden with shots of a dark brown liquid. In exchange he hands the man the bills he had extracted from his wallet before, his smile becoming broader. “I hope we haven’t been too much of a bother so far.” A soft chuckle is heard while the smartly dressed server shakes his head. “Not at all, we’re all at your service while you’re attending Karaoke Heaven. Please don’t hesitate to call for anything your party requires sir.” With that the two exchange slight bows, and Hitoshi slowly closes the door before turning to his class. He walks to the table, setting the tray down in the center of it, smiling faintly before he spins the tray slightly, everyone watching as the colored lights on the ceiling filter through the shots of what looks to be whiskey. It’s Tooru who speaks up suddenly, her currently unseen eyes spotting something peculiar about the small glasses of alcohol.
“Um, Shinso, why do some of those look different than the others?” Her question is met with a broad smile, and a dangerous glint in the man’s eyes. “Well spotted Hagakure. You see, I asked for twenty shots, each one a different kind, with alcohol content ranging from 40% to 60%. I felt this would be a fun way to get the night truly started for us, right?” He eyes the tray of shots before grabbing two of the glasses, stepping backward before turning and offering one to Midoriya. “So, Midoriya. Ready to prove him wrong?” Dull purple eyes meet shining and steely green ones before the verdinette firmly nods, standing and approaching the table, and his class. He raises his glass while he comes to a stop beside the man offering his help. At Izuku’s almost eagerness to partake in this challenge, the remainder of class 3-A quickly jumps on board, everyone grabbing a shot from the offered tray of alcohol, slowly matching Izuku and Shinso’s postures, with twenty hands soon lifted high into the air.
At this point the man providing this particular indulgence clears his throat. “So, anyway. Thanks for making me feel so welcome in the hero course all this time. It’s been great growing alongside you all, and let’s take tonight to have merriment and get shitfaced!” A chorus of cheers are heard before a collective shout of “KANPAI!” reverberates through the room, and twenty young adults knock back the varied shots of whiskey as one, several coughing faintly and shaking their heads, a couple even choosing to chase the alcohol with a gulp of whatever soda or water they took from the fridge earlier. Twenty glasses are set back upon the tray and several of the party feel a shred of satisfaction as Bakugou’s nose wrinkles before he sneakily takes a sip of the pop he grabbed earlier, while Izuku merely sets his shot glass onto the tray calmly.
What nobody knows is how much Izuku is fighting against his body’s immediate and visceral reaction to the shot he took. He has no doubt he got one of the stronger choices, his eyes threatening to water while he battles back the urge to cough with nothing but sheer will. Shinso notices his friend’s clenched jaw, and a flash of worry travels through his eyes. He was hoping Izuku would have gotten one of the easier drinks; after all, he’s pretty sure the short man next to him most likely has the lowest tolerance of the class.
Meanwhile, after the round is completed, Tokoyami decides to rise from his corner seat on the left sectional, stepping slowly towards the stage, gulping nervously. The man with the sentient quirk is dressed predictably in a dark cloak, but underneath revealed in flashes is a blood red top, sleeves extending down to his wrists, and a pair of black skinny jeans covering his legs, a host of chains hanging from various points on them. To top the outfit off he wears a pair of black sneakers, red moon designs trailing along the sides of them. A slow, foreboding synth begins playing over the speakers, allowing comparisons to the same tone as pieces from Phantom of the Opera; before the song devolves into heavy guitar chords and rapid drums with plenty of kick, and within a few seconds Tokoyami’s low voice is drifting over surprisingly melodic vocals, one hand clenched before him. His eyes close while he sings, the avian-headed boy refusing to truly perform, hoping to ignore the existence of his classmates so that he may push through the song. But he must try. Midoriya has been telling him to step outside his shell, and he wishes to make the class’s resident cinnamon roll proud, show the powerhouse that he is indeed making an attempt to grow as a person and a hero.
While Tokoyami sings his chosen dark rock ballad, a few other members of the class begin passing the tablet around, setting up an order in which the remaining 17 university students will be singing. By the end of Tokoyami’s song the tablet is passed to the last person: Izuku Midoriya, who claps and cheers along with the rest of the class, his smile particularly bright, which is directed completely towards the shadowy man. ‘So bright’, he thinks to himself, smiling warmly at his friend, offering a slight nod of his head. Izuku slowly, reluctantly, turns his head back towards the tablet, and while he may prefer to simply refuse to participate, he doesn’t want the outfit Mina worked so hard to get him to go to waste. He needs to at least do one song, and after a couple minutes of thinking while Tooru leaps up onto the stage and begins belting out a popular pop song, dancing all around the stage, earning appreciative claps and cheers through her performance. As always the invisible woman is dressed loudly, a pastel pink jacket opened and showing a light blue crop top beneath that, cinched with a pink ribbon pinned with a fake rose, also pink, with blue glitter dusted on the petals. She wears a pair of pale pink gloves, fitting tight enough to show how slender her fingers really are, and a few silvery blue bangles adorn both her wrists. On her lower half is a short skirt matching the shade of her jacket, a segment of clear air between the hem of that and the pink and blue pastel striped stockings that tuck into white heels with a shorter heel, lifting her just an inch. To top it all off, a pastel blue bow is clipped to her hair on the left side, that way everyone can know what direction she’s facing.
By the end of Tooru’s number, Izuku has entered his selected song into the tablet, a comfortable fuzzy feeling beginning to spread throughout his head, and he slowly slides the tablet back onto the table. At this point some of his classmates and friends have begun digging into some of the snacks, the faint crinkling of plastic heard as bags and other packaged treats are opened up. An amused expression spreads onto Izuku’s face as he watches Iida muscle his way through the remainder of his gin and tonic, a light giggle tumbling from his surprisingly full lips. Iida turns towards him at the sound, a faint blush rising to his face as he meets Midoriya’s almost playful expression, before it becomes a touch more somber, but still with that lazy smile stretched across his lips. “Thanks Iida.” The spectacled man tilts his head in confusion, turning on the edge of the sectional to face his friend head on. “Whatever do you feel you need to thank me for Midoriya?”
A gentle shrug lifts the verdinette’s shoulders before he responds. “Helping me relax, ya know? I probably wouldn’t be drinking at all without knowing you were also taking tonight to decompress. So thanks. You’re such a great friend Iida.” At that point Izuku flashes the engine quirked user a smile so bright that he’s sure someone brought the sun into the room. Iida merely clears his throat before speaking seriously. “But of course Midoriya. While many don’t think of it, relaxation is also an important part of being a hero. It’s a lesson my brother has been drilling into me for a long time now. Overworking yourself isn’t going to help anyone, and could lead to exhaustion, which could then lead to decreased performance in work. I’m just glad I can finally return all the support you’ve given me over the last couple years.” With that, Iida claps his friend on the shoulder, his hand slipping away just as quickly as the contact came. If Iida wasn’t already turned away, he would spot the brief flash of pain on his friend’s face, Izuku’s body suddenly urging him to bring the warmth back to his shoulder, but the powerful man merely shakes his head slightly, leaning back into his chair while peering out at his classmates, a faint smile curling the edges of his lips. The thoughts have been banished quickly as he occupies himself with spectating the chattering of the other young men and women in the room, as one after the other walks up to the stage, taking their turns, cheers and clapping frequently heard. At some point Izuku finds himself seeking another beer from the fridge, cracking it open, deciding to take his time with this one, nursing it to pace himself.
But he can’t deny how nice the buzzing sensation in his head feels, freeing him temporarily from those awful and self-deprecating thoughts that usually plague him near constantly. He starts to wonder to himself why he hasn’t had alcohol very much before now, with how much better he seems to feel while under its effects. Maybe he should- “Midoriya?” His name being spoken snaps him out of his thoughts, shining emerald eyes rising to look into the rubies of his roommate’s own eyes. He suddenly becomes aware of how much time has passed, and realizes his turn has come up. “Oh, my turn, sorry, I zoned out for a minute there.” A nervous chuckle fills the room before Izuku decides to finish off the last of his beer, before grabbing a bottle of water, deciding to take a few swigs to help prepare his vocal cords. With his preparation complete he slowly steps up to the stage, one shaky and scarred hand reaching up, fingers that no longer sit straight curling around the microphone on the stand before him, a shaky exhale pushing itself from him while his chosen song slowly begins playing.
Nobody can identify the track, but it’s a current favorite of Izuku’s, a song that tugs at something deep within him. He expects his shaky voice to echo through the room as he begins singing, but instead is shocked to hear the smoothness of the words and tones that flow from him, the opening lines of “Paranoia on Main Street” by Demi the Daredevil effortlessly slipping from his lips.
Still, that loner, scared kid peeking glances
Dazed, on a shady, street and now they’re coming near me
And I’m paranoid, I’ll get murdered and die forever, and ever
My heart pounds, you’re just bored and hostile too
If we’re eccentric, you’re the radar
Already the class of 3-A finds themself enraptured, stunned by the grace in the way his voice slides from lower pitches to a near perfect falsetto for the soft high notes. Izuku’s eyes slide closed, brow creasing while he continues singing. His voice drops almost to a whisper at some points, before all of a sudden his vocals crescendo, the increase in volume allowing him to hit the higher notes in the chorus, his expression becoming almost pained as the words course through him.
Save, I’m all alone always have been, all I have’s this hope
Save, I could be so much more than just, just a number baby
It’s at this moment the sudden harshness of Izuku’s voice shocks his classmates, a few even recoiling in response to the sudden anger in his voice, before it’s quickly recorded with anguish and desperation.
Get away, and get these icky, feelings off of me
An almost feral growl stains the terrifyingly beautiful voice of one Izuku Midoriya, his left hand sliding up the side of his head, fingers dragging along his cheek before slipping beneath the beanie atop his head. As the tips of his scarred digits disappear into the head covering, he suddenly pushes his hand quickly upwards, forcing the beanie off and away, the black fabric landing on the floor behind him. His fingers slowly curl into his messy locks, Izuku’s body slowly turning in a slow circle as he finishes out the first chorus.
Save, I’m all alone always have been, all I have’s this hope
A break in the vocals allows the UA students to take a collective breath, enraptured as they watch the angry expression slip from Izuku’s face, being replaced by one that’s deceptively calm. His left hand drops like a dead weight down to his side, hanging there limply while he tilts his head upwards. The plentiful alcohol in his system is working its magic on him, removing the inhibitions that usually prevent him from laying himself bare like this. His voice slowly quiets to the same volume he used for the first verse, kicking into the second one with just slightly more energy, the verdinette swaying just slightly with the music playing.
Not, gonna lie I’m, borderlining psychosis
It’s a brutal neurosis, facing laughing crying voices
And I’m paranoid, that you’ll see me for what I am; underneath I feel like, there’s a set of invisible eyes
Always staring, always watching
A haunting whisper settles into his voice once more at the final line of the second verse, before once again his voice rises to new heights, belting out the second chorus with even more pain coloring his voice, his left hand now taking across his chest while he sings.
Save, I’m all alone always have been, all I have’s this hope
Save, I could be so much more than just, just a number baby
Get away, and get these icky, feelings off of me
Save, I’m all alone always have been, all I have’s this hope
This time, during the chorus his face and lips twist in unbridled frustration as he speaks of being more. His hand that drags itself across his body, his scarred visage hidden beneath his clothes, pulls sharply at the open flannel covering him, causing it to slip from his left shoulder. His appearance is slowly becoming more and more disheveled, especially as he raises his wandering hand to brush back his curled bangs that have begun to drip sweat onto his face. His voice lowers to a husky tone, speaking more than singing for the bridge.
After, so many letdowns
I just, keep to myself now
That huskiness drops even further as it mixes with a harsh whisper, the usually oh so timid boy looking animalistic, and sounding the part as well. Nobody had expected this performance from the green haired powerhouse, especially not one that so easily seems to outclass everyone that had sung before him.
They’re always watching me, they’re always watching me, they’re always watching me, they, WATCH
Finally, after the last word of the bridge tears itself from Izuku’s throat, startling so many members of his absorbed audience, he delves into the very last chorus. This time around he seems more free than ever before, adding extra flourishes, his voice so beautiful yet so tragic as everyone in the room feels the pain he’s radiating sink into their very essence.
Save, I’m all alone always have been, all I have’s this hope
Save, I could be so much more than just, just a number baby
Get away, and get these icky, feelings off of me
Save, I’m all alone always have been, all I have’s this hope
Just like that, the song comes to an abrupt end, silence filling the room for just a moment before Izuku’s panting is heard throughout the room. He sets the microphone back on its stand, catching his breath. At some point he had lost his flannel completely during the last chorus, the baggy white t-shirt beneath sticking just slightly to his muscular body, showing the outlines of the figure he had obtained through years of training and hard work. He finally turns to fully face his class, his hands pushing his hair back again, and jaws drop around the room as they’re able to take in his full appearance. The shirt stuck to his flesh, the unruly hair partially slicked back with his sweat, the eyeliner causing his emerald eyes to feel piercing as they flicker across his classmates.
That’s when he fully notices them, and he remembers his performance. He takes in their shocked expressions, and visibly recoils, panic injecting itself into both his eyes and body as he suddenly darts for the door, hurriedly mumbling just loud enough for everyone in attendance to hear him. “I’ve gotta… Bathroom… S-sorry…” And just like that he’s gone, the door almost slamming shut behind him. In the deathly silence that follows, a single sentence is uttered by 3-A’s very own punk rock girl.
“What the FUCK was that??”