Chapter 1: And Here I Thought Abilities Were Already Flashy…
Summary:
first time at Musutafu
Notes:
Grammar and Spelling FIXED and EDITED (ft. chatgpt assisting this poor 'ol soul 'cuz of eye problems) - 05/21/2025 (12:52AM)
Chapter Text
Inside the iconic tall buildings in Yokohama reside the infamous criminals that the citizens both fear and admire – the Port Mafia.
Mori Ougai, the boss of the organization, had been thinking for a while now as he stared at the unopened envelope on the table, already knowing what was inside without even looking.
His mind was occupied by the unexpected meeting on a cruise ship with almost all the different organization leaders regarding the decision of the state.
Mori liked Yokohama very much. Although ambitious, most information from the outside never interested him in the slightest. Thus, he focused on building his power in Yokohama. Still, who would've thought such a bill would actually pass?
“Rintaro…”
In any case, he couldn't let the others get a head start. It was best to send in his most promising subordinates who perfectly fit the criteria.
“Are you really ignoring me, Rintaro?” A huff was heard, and the girl stood up on the table, her small toes stepping on the envelope without a care. With a frown, her bulging cheeks pouted as she put her arms on her waist in anger.
Mori took a long glance, starting from the pinkish toes to the headband of the blonde girl.
“Elise-chan! You look so gorgeous even without wearing anything!” The mafioso's serious face melted into a puddle, leaving only a stupid grin behind.
Unconvinced, Elise shifted her hips to the side and said, “I am wearing undergarments, Rintaro.”
“Yes, you are! Can you please try this dress? Look at the ribbons—they're so cute!” He moved his hand elsewhere and somehow got a hold of a frilly red dress with black ribbons.
Elise looked like she was seriously considering it for a moment before looking away. “Hmm… no!”
Mori tried to persuade the young girl, but she never caved in. He could only sigh and beckon her to come so he could hold her and focus on the matter at hand. Just as the girl was crouching down to sit obediently on his lap, something sharp flew toward her, making her vanish instantly.
A gloved hand caught it—he recognized it as a scalpel. He looked toward the person glaring at him and, instead of a scowl, gave him an affectionate smile.
“Quite the temper,” he said, smiling as he examined the scalpel. “Did you enter my ward without permission again? I do hope you didn’t mix any drugs and gulp them down like water again.”
The teen was now sitting on the sofa, leaning lazily without a care for his appearance in front of his boss. “I did. Your drugs suck. They don’t work all the time.”
Mori shrugged and walked toward him, placing the envelope on the coffee table as the light grew warmer. “I prioritize safety more than anything else. And, since you're still functioning normally, I’ll let you handle this one together with Nakahara Chuuya.”
The teen glared at the envelope as if cursing its entire lineage. Still, in the end, he was in Mori’s presence. His instincts immediately kicked in, and before he realized it, his seemingly practiced action had already allowed him to know the contents of the mission.
“You want me to investigate the Hero Society and their quirks? I thought you didn't care about these things?” the brown-haired boy said with disgust.
Mori affirmed, but at the same time, he figured there was no need for further explanation. The boy was smart—obviously, he already knew what had sparked Mori’s interest before he even asked, so there was no need to insist on an answer.
“And instead of mixing drugs, why don’t you try this instead, Dazai?” In the ex-doctor’s hand lay a small bottle of pills. He opened the lid and mixed them into a drink before handing it to the other. “It’s potent. Consider that an investment for the upcoming mission.”
The boy’s eyes, though wary, lit up slightly as he held the cup of warm tea, drinking it slowly and waiting for death to kick in. “Why do I have to work with the slug again? Can’t I just do this on my own?” he wondered.
“It’s part of the agreement.” Mori just smiled, watching the boy slowly consume the tea.
Dazai put down the cup with a clink and slid the envelope into his black coat. “Suit yourself.” He stood to leave, but his legs weakened, and he fell back onto the sofa.
No way. Did Mori really give him a potent poison? Never knew the old man had it in him.
When Dazai’s body began to retaliate, he found himself panting, gasping for air, and thinking he might really die this time. He just escaped from the kennel and changed his bandages, though…
Wait. Something's wrong. He feels like he's dying—but he’s certain he’s far from death.
Fuck.
“You should really change your suit. It's quite a hot day.” There was a hint of amusement in that voice, and amidst Dazai's blurring vision, he saw something red.
Red clothing of some sort.
“Let me help you get changed, okay? After that, I’ll supervise your recovery.” With that, the man carried his scorching body all the way to his personal medical ward, returning both the boy and the scalpel to their place.
“...and that’s that. I’ll be counting on you both.” The older man in a green kimono spoke with firm sternness but with warmth underneath.
In a simple building, there existed a group of detectives. They were still small, but they had been operating for three years now. In those three years, they had three members, including the president.
The boy didn’t sound too happy with the news. “Ugh… why do I have to study in a place filled with stupid people? Nope! Find someone else! Let’s recruit another member ASAP!”
The girl finished rereading the contents of the letter and returned it inside the envelope. She and the president sneakily exchanged glances before she spoke, “I remember there are many different brands of snacks outside Yokohama.”
There was a subtle flinch in the boy's lazy demeanor. In an instant, there was no whining—but still no affirmation.
The girl, Yosano, had no choice but to continue. She held her phone and searched for a short while. “I want to try visiting this Hero-themed café. It has free selections of snacks, and oh, I heard there are free souvenirs too if you go VIP.”
The boy, Ranpo, slowly leaned in, trying to be sneaky. Yosano and the president, Fukuzawa, noticed his small, cute, and awkward movement but chose not to call him out for it.
“President, if Ranpo-san doesn’t want to come, it’s best not to force him. I’ll find someone else ASAP,” Yosano commented.
“Alright. Find another member for the agency, ASAP,” Fukuzawa agreed.
Ranpo, however, immediately inserted himself back into the conversation. “Now that I think about it, I am the reason this agency is working in the first place. It’s my responsibility as the elder brother to represent the agency.”
Fukuzawa and Yosano exchanged another quick glance. This time, Fukuzawa spoke up first. “Woah… Ranpo, you’re a very amazing big brother.”
Ranpo: “!!”
Yosano: “I always knew I could count on you, Ranpo-san!”
Ranpo: “!!!!”
Fukuzawa and Yosano: “The agency can’t really do without you.”
Ranpo’s cheeks flushed pink, his face heating up, so he giggled and shrugged. “Really, what can you guys do without me?” He laughed to his heart’s content while munching on some of Fukuzawa’s snacks.
Fukuzawa: “...I’ll leave him in your care, Yosano.”
Yosano: “Well, it’s my role as the younger sister.”
Chuuya looked at the unfamiliar place. He had just hopped out of the black car, but his expression was already about to explode.
“Why…” he muttered under his breath, waiting for a certain mafioso to approach him and say, Sike!
However, he heard the mafioso instruct the driver to get their luggage out of the trunk—in a cheerful voice, no less.
Trembling, he finally grabbed the other person’s collar and exploded, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS?!”
The guy just raised both hands in defeat, but his voice was still as cocky as ever. “‘Cause if I told you about it, how could it still be called a surprise?”
Chuuya went for a smack. “You're fucking—FUCK YOU, DAZAI!” But the other nimbly evaded and even had the audacity to thank the driver and grab the black suitcase.
“Here’s yours, Chuuya. Don’t worry, I made sure to tell them to pack what you like. Look, even the suitcase is pink! Just like how you always wanted it to be!”
The ginger was embarrassed to grab the suitcase he didn’t even know was his. He sighed and glared again. “I swear to god, I’ll kill you a thousand times.”
“Nuh-uh-uh. The person who’s dying with me is already reserved.” Dazai dramatically looked regretful. “No matter how much you want it to be you, we’re just… not meant to be.”
“Who says I’m dying with you, scumbag?” Chuuya raised a brow, one hand in his pocket.
“They’re the same thing, chibi.” Dazai gave the other a judgmental look, as if he were staring at someone too stupid to function.
“HOW ARE THEY THE SAME?! ALSO, I’M ONLY FIFTEEN! I’M STILL GROWING, FILTHY MACKEREL!”
The two bickered without a care. A taxi parked nearby, and two detectives stepped out.
Yosano glanced at the barking mafiosos and let them be. Meanwhile, Ranpo handed her a lollipop, saying, “How can they be so energetic this early in the morning?”
Yosano unwrapped it and handed it back. The guy, as if it were normal to be served, took the lollipop in his mouth and ignored everyone.
Another car came, and two young men in formal red uniforms walked out, carrying their luggage.
“My, my. How lively,” the white-haired man smiled at the sight. The other just followed him silently.
Dazai stopped provoking Chuuya and whistled to grab the other four’s attention. “I didn’t know the Hunting Dogs were also here to take a bite of the pie.” He smiled.
“Dazai Osamu. The youngest Port Mafia executive and one of the Soukoku. Sadly, we’re ordered to focus solely on our task. Otherwise, I’d love to invite you to an interrogation room I’m quite fond of.” Jouno said the words that could scare children—with a smile on his face.
Chuuya became alert while Dazai remained nonchalant. “Really? That’s too bad. Anyway, nice to meet you too.” He gave one of his most charming smiles.
It didn’t take long before an agent came to greet them and led the way after confirming everyone was present.
It was a half-hour ride before they got to Musutafu. However, before they could start observing the place, the moment they stepped out of the van, they were greeted with camera flashes and a different kind of chatter from what they usually heard in Yokohama.
There were too many people staring at them like they were celebrities. Meanwhile, there were even people flying in the sky.
People outside Yokohama looked at them with a perverse desire to dissect. While Chuuya felt a bit uncomfortable, he shifted closer to Dazai—only to brush against the other’s hand.
It was wet with cold sweat.
Sneaking a glance at his partner, Dazai still wore an amused smile on his face.
Chuuya: “...” Better not say anything, then.
Tecchou, the other guy with Jouno, whispered, “Why are they acting like it’s the first time they’ve seen a perfectly normal-looking human being?”
Jouno smiled and said, “Who knows? I really can't tell-” -you are normal—is what he left unsaid while facing the other.
Tecchou: “???”
Ranpo frowned in annoyance. “Are those heroes? Why don’t they assist?” He noted how most of the security guarding them were police, while some heroes just showed off and signed autographs.
Chuuya scoffed, shrugging off the icky feeling. “Hey, Dazai, look at that. That guy’s literally flying with wings.”
Dazai looked up and saw a blonde man with bright red wings. His unfocused eyes suddenly cleared. He couldn’t help but laugh for whatever reason. “And here I thought Abilities were already too flashy for my taste.”
A guy with the body of a bodybuilder landed in front of them and smiled with gleaming white teeth. “I am here! Hello there, Ability Users! I am the Pro Hero, All Might. Welcome to Musutafu!”
He had quite a loud voice. Dazai visibly flinched, his body tensed for a moment before sneaking a sigh.
Who said Abilities are too flashy? Have you seen this guy?
Unbeknownst to Dazai, a certain detective doctor had noticed his little reactions.
Yosano: “...”
Chapter 2: Reviewing for the Exam is Something Only A Stupid Person Would Do
Summary:
uhh... read title...?
Notes:
I guess this is a bonus chapter because I'm not sure if I can upload it on Thursday. I'm still clumsy when it comes to ao3 so I dunno how to schedule an update. No worries tho, I'm trying to figure it out<3
Enjoy reading~!
Grammar and Spelling FIXED and EDITED (fr. chatgpt 'cuz I need a double checker with my faulty eyes) - 05/21/25 (1:20AM)
Chapter Text
One had to hand it to the police force—they managed to calm down the citizens and keep them from following the group after the interview ended.
Basically, after All Might introduced himself, the interviewers asked a few questions, most of which were answered by Yosano, the most sane among them.
When asked about their affiliations, each representative responded:
Yosano: “We’re from the Armed Detective Agency.”
Jouno: “Since the Special Abilities Division will be responsible for the Heroes observing Yokohama, we—the Hunting Dogs—will represent them.”
Dazai: “Hmm… What can I say? We’re the Night Wardens, of sorts.”
After a brief round of introductions, they were finally led to a high-class traditional inn reserved for them, with All Might as their tour guide.
“You’ll be staying here, young Ability Users,” All Might said after showing them every nook and cranny of the place.
“I’ll have you know that I’m already twenty. Please drop the word ‘young,’” Tecchou replied while fiddling with his pocket, looking slightly distracted.
“Twenty is still young, boy! Enjoy your youth!” All Might gave him a bright smile and a thumbs up.
Though Tecchou frowned, he didn’t reply further when he finally found what he was looking for and held it in his hand.
“Hey All Might, is it true that you’re the No. 1 Hero? Why are there rankings? How are they determined? Are they consistent?” Dazai immediately bombarded the blond man with questions, looking quite pleased with his flustered state.
Meanwhile, Ranpo eyed Tecchou and finally couldn’t help but ask, “What’s that?”
Tecchou gladly showed him what he was holding. “Egg.”
Ranpo tilted his head, already suspecting the other might be a little stupid. “What are you going to do with that?”
The other copied his gesture and replied, “Eat.” Then he took a bite.
Crunch.
“You can’t eat the egg with the shell.” Ranpo offered the fact, but Tecchou just took another bite, clearly unfazed. “I quite like eating it this way.”
A sigh came from beside Tecchou. “Don’t mind this dumbass, or he’ll get on your nerves every time.”
Ranpo was about to comment when someone from the other group shouted, “HAH?! I DON’T WANT TO! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT ALL OF US WILL BE STAYING IN THIS INN? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!”
Yup. It was the short ginger.
“Listen, young Nakahara. We figured it would be better for all Ability Users to stay together for familiarity’s sake. Besides, the inn is spacious enough to accommodate all six of you,” All Might explained.
Chuuya couldn’t believe this absurd level of hospitality. Were they seriously making military dogs, detectives, and criminals live under one roof? Were they trying to film a documentary on homicide?
“That’s the point! Familiarity will only lead to a killi—!!!” A bandaged hand clamped over his mouth.
Dazai smiled as he held the feral ginger down. “Sorry, All Might. My dog hasn’t eaten today. Don’t worry, he’s all bark, no bite.” Then, facing Chuuya, he added, “Chibi, behave, or no treats for you!”
Chuuya: “...” What the fuck?! This fucking waste of bandages!
“Well, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to stay together,” Jouno cut in.
“Me neither,” Yosano chimed in.
“Me three,” Ranpo added, mostly just to irritate the loud one.
Chomp. Tecchou didn’t say anything, but his silence was a quiet sign of agreement. He trusted Jouno. Although he knew the real reason Jouno wanted to live together was to make the shorty suffer.
In the end, it was five against one. Chuuya was utterly defeated. All he could do was growl in protest.
All Might informed them that the U.A. entrance exam would take place in less than a month. Six slots had already been reserved for them—they just had to pass.
The exam had two portions: written and practical. For most of them, the practical test wasn’t much of a problem. Only…
Jouno clapped his hands three times. “Everyone, can I get your attention? I just want to know—who among you has actually been to school?”
Everyone: “.....”
Yep. Silence.
They had finished unpacking and picked their rooms. After washing up and resting, they were now lounging in the inn after a long day of travel.
“Tecchou and I were busy training, so we never had time for formal schooling. Still, I bet I could pass high school standards,” Jouno continued, with Tecchou nodding beside him.
“I’ve been working as a nurse since I was eleven,” Yosano admitted, tapping the table twice.
“Oh please! I’m too smart for school. School is booooring!” Ranpo groaned, slouching lazily on the table. Oddly, no one disagreed.
Jouno looked at the two mafiosi. “How about you two? Care to share?”
Dazai smiled carelessly. “You could say I was homeschooled. As for the slug here—he was a street rat who can barely read and can’t write legibly.”
Chuuya was, once again, offended. “Hey! I’ll have you know I can read just fine!”
Ranpo looked shocked. “Oh my god… I can’t believe there’s someone this stupid!”
“Shut it!” Chuuya snapped, pointing at him.
Ranpo covered his mouth with both hands, thinking deeply. In the end, he shook his head. “No, no! Can’t you see the real problem here? Besides, reviewing before exams is only for stupid people with short-term memory.”
“You—!” Chuuya lunged for him, ready to strangle the detective, but Yosano intervened.
“You can’t say that. I’d very much like to read and review. I have to pass the exam too.”
Ranpo frowned, confused as to why others didn’t think like him, but mature enough (somewhat) to let it go. “Then you’ll have to work hard.”
“Well, I’m sure we all know we need to pass the exam,” Jouno concluded. “Though I wouldn’t mind if some of you dropped out right at the start. Like the shorty here.”
“CUT IT OUT WITH THE HEIGHT! I’M STILL GROWING, DAMMIT!” Chuuya stormed out of the lounge and slammed the door behind him.
Dazai shot Jouno a glare. “Hey, that was uncalled for. I’m the only one who gets to call him that.” Jouno just shrugged in response.
It had been a week since then. Strangely, the inn had stayed quiet.
Why? Because most of the Ability Users were now holding books and studying for high school.
Yosano sat cross-legged on the sofa, flipping through her fifth book. Ranpo, on the other hand, was playing a racing game on the TV, focused intently on the screen.
The two Hunting Dogs wrote down notes, occasionally exchanging ideas. There were also mild insults and a few sword pokes, but overall, the atmosphere between them was surprisingly peaceful.
Meanwhile, the last two of the group were the noisiest. Dazai had been tasked with tutoring Chuuya, but every mistake Chuuya made was met with mockery—and even when he got the answers right, he was still made fun of! His barely readable handwriting and slow reading speed didn’t help either.
This wasn’t just teaching anymore. It was straight-up bullying.
“THAT’S IT! I’M OUT! FUCK!” Chuuya exploded, but instead of storming to his room like usual, he left the inn to cool off.
Dazai blinked in surprise. “...Did I go overboard?” he asked himself.
With both hands in his pockets, the blue-eyed boy walked the streets of Musutafu with his hood up. He needed to blow off steam. Honestly, he still didn’t know what their mission was. Every time he tried asking the bandage-squandering bastard about it, he’d get brushed off with: “Now, now, Chuuya! Don’t be so impatient. I’m the only one doing the thinking—just be an obedient little dog and wag your tail for me.”
“Tch!” Just remembering it made his blood boil. He was this close to going on a side mission involving arson and murder.
But after some deep breaths and a while of wandering, he calmed down. Rationally, he knew he was ordered to stay with Dazai. Only Dazai knew what the boss wanted. If he acted out, he might ruin the mission.
He couldn’t mess up what the boss prepared for them. That much, at least, he understood. So, he had to pass the exam—no matter what. But Dazai’s teaching method wasn’t helping. Should he ask the Hunting Dogs or the ADA girl for help? No—Dazai would mock him even more. Besides, those other organizations weren’t fully on their side. They were all rivals, after all.
His thoughts halted when he noticed an explosion nearby. Debris was falling everywhere. But instead of running away, the crowd ran toward the chaos. Some even held up their phones to record or stream the event. Others grumbled about train delays.
How curious.
Since he wasn’t in the mood to study, he decided to check it out. He made his way to the front, where a villain stood atop the train tracks, facing off against several heroes. Some heroes handled crowd control, while others fought the massive villain.
Chuuya whistled in amusement. How strange that no one was dispersing the crowd. Were these heroes so confident in their quirks?
Listening to the chatter, he gathered that the villain panicked after a failed bag-snatching attempt. A bag. All that property damage over a bag. Damn.
A broccoli-haired kid with a bright smile appeared beside him. “Woah! That’s the Punching Hero, Death Arms! He’s super strong! Oh! That’s Backdraft, the Rescue Specialist! Wait—who’s fighting the villain?!”
Chuuya: “...” Who was this kid even talking to?
“It’s Kamui Woods! The young and talented rising star! Woah!” The boy bounced in excitement—until he tripped and nearly stumbled into danger.
But just before he hit the ground, a hand grabbed the collar of his shirt, lifting him slightly off the ground.
“Stop moving around, kid. You wanna trip to death?” Chuuya scolded.
The boy flailed. “P-Put me down! Hurry!”
Chuuya raised an eyebrow but released him. The kid touched the ground and sighed in relief. “Don’t use your quirk unauthorized again! It’s forbidden unless you have a license! Thank goodness everyone’s too focused on the fight!”
“Huh?! I saved you! Should I have just let you trip and die?!” Chuuya snapped.
Before the kid could argue more, the fight escalated.
“Canyon Cannon!” A giant woman appeared and kicked the villain down from the tracks. He crashed into the ground, shaking the street. Civilians stumbled. Chuuya, still holding the kid’s collar, stood firm.
“Damn, look at all those casualties,” Chuuya muttered sarcastically. Yet the crowd cheered, unfazed.
The woman picked up the villain with one hand and declared, “Today is the day of my debut. My name is Mt. Lady. A pleasure to make your ass-quaintance.” She winked.
Chuuya looked utterly done. The broccoli kid scribbled notes excitedly.
“...Quirks are too flashy indeed,” Chuuya muttered. He released the kid and walked away.
But then came running footsteps behind him.
He turned—and saw the same broccoli kid.
“What now, kid?”
“We look like we’re the same age! Stop calling me a kid!” - besides, you look shorter than me. The other pouted, the added sentence was only his mental retort.
He quickly changed the topic. “I’m Midoriya Izuku. Based on your Quirk, you look strong! Are you planning on going to U.A. by any chance? If so, can I get your name and your Quirk?”
There was a hint of excitement and adoration in the boy’s eyes, making Chuuya a bit flustered.
“Save it for someone else. I’m Quirkless.”
The ginger wanted to leave, but was forced to stay after the other bombarded him with questions, insisting it was impossible for someone to be Quirkless if they could make people float.
Defeated, Chuuya went straight to the point. “I really am Quirkless. I’m what you call an Ability User.”
The pen dropped. The boy stared at him in shock.
“An Ability User?!”
Chapter 3: The Ginger’s Exclusive Tutor
Chapter Text
It was all over the news. The moment the bill passed and became law (temporarily), everyone in Japan and Yokohama was caught by surprise. Even Midoriya Izuku, a hero enthusiast who has nothing but the hype of heroes in his mind and only wanting to become like the No. 1 hero, was interested the moment he found out that Ability Users will now be coexisting with the superhumans.
Yokohama is a city that declared its independence less than two hundred years ago. The reason was known as the Lesser Revolution.
Because of the discrimination towards the quirkless when superhumans emerged throughout the whole world, there are bound to be parties in disagreement with the whole system. However, at that time, one of their laws states that they cannot be labeled as villains since they do not possess quirks.
These quirkless people had a movement and after fighting a seemingly losing battle, one was blessed with overwhelming strength out of the blue. Everyone was confused at first but they believed that the person is quirkless from birth until the revolution.
The so-called Gifted people emerged and addressed themselves as Ability Users and their powers as Abilities.
The losing battle didn't exactly overturn the tide because of the overwhelming number of Heroes and the small number of Ability Users. Still, they managed to take Yokohama and make it their territory.
As for the reason why countless Heroes couldn't defeat a small number of Ability Users, textbooks only mentioned that they were careful not to hurt the civilians, especially the quirkless.
In the end, they entered a truce and halted the war. The conditions set were that the Hero Society must never touch Yokohama and that Ability Users must never enter the Hero Society. If this was peacefully fulfilled for a decade, then all enmity will be forgotten.
The enmity did pass and some quirkless people could enter both places after adhering to the rules but the conditions set were still present, that is, until an unknown bill was passed without prior information given to the public beforehand.
The Hero Public Safety Commission ensured the people during an interview that everything was for the greater good of the country. Heroes and Ability Users can coexist. It is time to make Japan whole again.
Midoriya also watched the short interview with six Ability Users five days ago and he never knew he would have such a luck to meet one.
“M-M-Mister! A-Are you really an Ability User?! T-That–That’s so cool! The books say only quirkless people can have the chance to become Ability Users, we have quirkless people here as well but there was no news of them becoming Ability Users. How can you be one?!” Midoriya couldn't stop himself once he realized the pie that fell from the sky in front of him.
He is also quirkless. Maybe, just maybe, he can also become an Ability User? If he can, he’d be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a hero like All Might!
“Woah–Hold it! What’s with you? Anyway, I’ve no time to chatter. I still need to find out why Algebra exists and why it has to be in the exam that heroes are supposed to take!” Chuuya held out his hand to block the boy’s incoming face while the other was still in his pocket.
“Exam? Entrance exam to U.A. right?! I know a lot and I have decent grades! I can help! Just please tell me about abilities and Ability Users!” This was Midoriya’s last resort to being a hero (in the most normal possible way he can think of), no way he would let it go away just like that!
At first, the ginger wanted to get away from the sticky broccoli, but the offer he gave was too tempting to reject, “Wait, are you sure you can help me? How?” he pondered.
Midoriya felt quite proud of himself when he caught the other person's interest, “I can tutor you! Just give me five–no, give me three days! I’ll write you some reviewers and give you quizzes to practice with. I'm really good at studying and teaching others, I swear!”
“Hmm…” Chuuya thought for a while and inquired, “In exchange, you wanted information about abilities and Ability Users, correct?”
“Yes!” Midoriya’s head pounded like garlic.
Well, in the end, it's just a peaceful way of information exchange.
Surely Dazai would've thought of a scenario where he’d find a total stranger for help in exchange for something, right? Besides, the mackerel never forbade him from speaking about Ability Users and abilities so it's not violating anything.
“Alright, sounds fair to me, it's not really a secret anyway. But, you should tutor me for the whole month before the exam. In three days, we’ll meet at my place. If I can really learn something from you, I’ll give you all the information you want.” Chuuya agreed after weighing the pros and cons of passing and failing the exam.
At least he knows that the mission involved passing the exam.
“Your place? Does that mean… I get to meet the other Ability Users?” Midoriya froze for a moment.
Chuuya, “???” he raised a brow, finding the freckled boy acting kind of foolish, “Yeah. What about it?”
Broccoli’s brain exploded and his big eyes widened even more, “WOAH!!!!”
After their deal was struck, Chuuya and Midoriya exchanged phone numbers for contact and Chuuya sent him a message about the place and time before they went their separate ways.
“Such a handful kid. Totally the opposite of Akutagawa.” he muttered before heading back to the inn.
The two adults are nowhere to be seen while the detective prick is persuading the doctor to go to ‘something’ café but the other is pacifying him with a bucketful of patience (Chuuya could never).
The short-haired girl noticed him and spared him a glance, “You're back,” before looking away while the other guy blew out bubble gum from his mouth.
He hummed in response before asking, “Where's the jackass?”
The bubble popped and Ranpo chewed once again while saying, “Bandages went to your room. It has been hours.”
“There are leftovers in the fridge. Just heat them up.” Yosano continued. The other detective seemed to have remembered something upon hearing the word ‘fridge’ and stood up to open it and searched for something inside.
Chuuya thanked Yosano and waited for Ranpo to finish grabbing a popsicle and a jelly drink before grabbing the two bowls of ramen inside. He heated them for a while and put them on a tray together with two glasses of water and two pairs of chopsticks before retiring to his room.
Putting down the tray, he ignored how much the trespasser sitting on his bed followed his movement with his eyes. He stood on the side and held the hem of his hoodie, removing it and hanging it on a hanger.
He then proceeded to remove his shirt, leaving him topless with his back facing the other. He sighed and said in an exasperated tone, “What else do you want this time?”
There was no reply.
Chuuya can only put his shirt in the laundry basket and grab a different one in his closet to wear before walking to check himself in the mirror. Suddenly, there was a movement from the bed and footsteps approaching him from behind.
A forehead lay on his left shoulder, making the frown in his face deepen, “Get off, you're fucking heavy.”
He tilted his head to the right and even refused to look in the mirror. He’s lying of course. The guy is even lighter than the him who suffered malnutrition before.
“... Are you angry, chibi?” Usually, Chuuya will explode upon hearing the stupid nickname. However, the tone of the voice was weary and careful, as if afraid it would get scolded.
He held back his temper and somehow was able to say, “I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now, Dazai. Get off.” somewhat kindly.
The brown-haired boy slowly moved his head upward. Now, his chin is leaning on the ginger’s shoulder instead of his forehead.
Curious, Chuuya took a glance and– shit he shouldn't have. What's with the puppy eyes?! Even though the scumbag only has one eye open with the bandages covering the other, the impact is still too much!
His left eye twitched and stood his ground, “Cut it out. You can't manipulate me.” But the other continued by looking at him pitifully.
“I told you already…”
Puppy eyes attack.
“You can't…”
The puppy eyes blinked twice. Chuuya even imagined there were sound effects somewhere.
“Ugh… FUCK IT! FINE! FINE! I’M NOT ANGRY ANYMORE! I DIDN’T REALLY MIND IT ANYWAY! IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYWAY! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!” Chuuya’s face flushed red and pushed the other away but his actions were careful, he even fixed the creases of the other’s shirt and the ruffle on his hair.
He pulled the other to sit on the other side of the short-legged table in his room and even served him his food, “DAMMIT DAZAI! HERE! YOU HAVE TO EAT, JACKASS. I’M TELLING YOU, NEVER LOOK AT ME THAT WAY AGAIN, OR ELSE, I’LL FUCKING GOUGE YOUR EYEBALLS OUT AND DONATE THEM TO THE HUNTING DOG!”
With a twitch of his lips, Dazai couldn't help but laugh loudly at the sight of his flustered partner, “Hahahaha! Chibi you're so–! Hahahaha!”
Chuuya, on the other hand, almost broke his chopsticks in anger, “You–! Ugh! Fuck you! SCRAM!”
Suddenly, the door opened and Dazai was kicked out, together with his bowl of ramen in his hands.
“Oof–! Chuuya, you're so rough!” He commented and was met with the loud bang of the door closing.
“It hasn't even been ten minutes since he came back and you’ve already angered exploding ginger again.” Ranpo, who was walking in the hallway, witnessed Dazai getting kicked out as he sucks on his jelly drink.
Beside him is Tecchou who is also sucking on his drink with the same packet as Ranpo.
“Oh, hey detective, hey soldier! What are you drinking?” Dazai waved them hello.
Ranpo smiled proudly, “Heh, glad you asked. It’s a grape jelly drink!”
Tecchou, “Tomato ketchup.”
Dazai, “Eh?”
“Don't mind this fool. Blind guy said he has weird taste buds.” Ranpo answered for him before saying, “Don't eat in the hallway. Go to your room or the dining area, bandages.”
Before walking away confidently. Tecchou blinked at Dazai first before following the foodie. He respects a man who also loves food.
Dazai shrugs and leans on the door of the slug’s room. He began eating the ramen while speaking to the person inside the room. Even without getting a response, he continued to speak freely, only quieting down whenever he put the noodles in his mouth.
The method worked and before he knew it, he finished his food, “Woah, can you believe it, chibi? I finished my food this time!” he was amused at first before realizing he just prolonged his life by finishing his food.
Ugh. This is all that slug's fault.
As if on cue, the door opened a bit and a glass of water slid out before the door shut tightly. Dazai couldn't help but smile at the sight.
“I’ve found someone that can properly tutor me. He’ll arrive in three days.” Dazai froze and frowned, not quite happy with the news even though he already expected it.
“I can teach you just fine.” He retorted.
There was a snicker, “Yeah right. With every ten sentences you say, eight of them are insults. How the fuck will I learn anything?”
Dazai childishly pouted even when no one was around to look at his bulging cheeks, “Hmph! I can't believe my dog is cheating on me!”
“If it's with you, I’ll gladly cheat.” The other replied, “And no, I’m not your fucking dog!”
Dreams can become a reality - this was what I wished my mom had told me back then.
Lost in thought, Midoriya reached the Ability User’s home and stopped at the front door. Truly, he hesitated for half a day before deciding to continue tutoring Nakahara-san.
En. He only found out the other person's name after getting his contact number. Nakahara-san graciously typed in his own number and name in Midoriya’s phone. However, that's not the point. The thing is, just a couple of hours after meeting Nakahara-san, he was attacked by a sludge villain and once again gained a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet his idol, the No. 1 Hero, All Might.
It's like he's collecting rare poke-balls.
Many things happened and he also got himself in danger for the third time by trying to fight the sludge villain in a desperate attempt to save his schoolmate, Bakugo, whom he calls Kacchan.
All Might once again came to save the day and he got scolded by other heroes at the scene afterwards. His hope was ignited by Nakahara-san, dimmed by All Might, ignited by his resolve, dimmed by the heroes' scoldings, and once again ignited by the words All Might told him after everything…
“You can be a hero.”
He was validated. For the first time in his life, he was validated. There is nothing more to say. All his pent-up stress and discomfort came out like a flood and washed away the ache in his heart.
After that came his contemplation. He has to focus on his own training with All Might, especially now that he only has a month to train before taking U.A.’s entrance exam. All Might told him that even with ten months of training, he’d have to push himself hard, so with only a month, his training schedule only left him with half an hour of sleep and five minutes of eating per meal.
Still, he already struck a deal with Nakahara-san. It would be rude to just call it off. Besides, Midoriya is someone who appreciates quirks. Abilities are a whole new power system that he knew little about. There is no harm in also analyzing them. It might be quite useful in the future! He told his encounter with the Ability User to All Might. Since the kid also needs to review for the written portion, the pro-hero agreed to his request with the condition that he’d have to wear weights on both hands and feet.
Taking a deep breath, he clicked on the doorbell, and it rang twice. The door opened up letting out a person with white hair.
Midoriya tensed up. He watched the interview with the Ability Users more than 30 times. The only reason why he didn't realize that Nakahara-san is one of them at first is because he was wearing his hood, hiding his features.
But not this person in front of him! Although they never introduced their names on camera, he knows this person is from the strongest military division in Yokohama – The Hunting Dogs!
“Oh my, a lost pup?” The other spoke after a second, “Unfortunately, I’m not into charity so shoo before I decided to make an entertainment out of you.”
Midoriya didn't quite catch what the other told him because he is busy creating a proper script with his brain and the moment he finalized what he was going to say, he spoke up without thinking, “Good morning, mister! I’m Midoriya Izuku. I'm here for Nakahara-san from the Night Wardens.” And with that, he hurried to open his bag and show the reviewers he had written in pieces of paper.
Jouno, “...” He did hear some rustling paper sounds. He put his hand on his chin and said, “Nakahara… Nakahara Chuuya?”
The broccoli didn't notice something odd and nodded enthusiastically, “Yes! The short ginger one!”
“Ooh… so he's really a ginger. I never knew. I thought it was hair dye. After all, who would expect a Japanese person to be a ginger? It doesn't make sense to me.” Jouno shrugged and shook his head.
“Those papers, are they for the exam? Are you here to tutor the loudspeaker?” He continued upon connecting every dot together.
Midoriya blinked twice. The moment he showed the papers, it's already obvious that they're reviewers. Why is there a need to reconfirm?
His train of thought was cut off when the other grabbed the papers from his hand, “Thanks. These are good for the fireplace. Would you like to come in to watch me rip and crumple them to— Ow! What the heck?!”
The teenager saw the adult bounce in shock and pain, letting go of the papers. Luckily, he caught them and quickly hid everything inside his bag so that it wouldn't be used for any form of ignition.
The other person looked behind and started ranting. Interested, Midoriya tilted to the right and saw the other Hunting Dog member holding a sword while eating a banana… with its skin intact.
That's some strong teeth…
“You–! Why would you stab me all of a sudden?! What did I even do to you?!” The white-haired man pointed at him in anger.
“I just kinda want to. Chomp. You’re acting kinda annoying so I felt like stabbing.” The banana guy answered nonchalantly, as if stabbing people isn't a hazard. Then he saw the boy his partner was playing with, “Broccoli…” he muttered.
“B-Broccoli?” Midoriya mumbled, feeling quite hurt. Even if he's kinda… well it's still rude to say that in front of people.
Jouno’s anger came and went, “Oh! So the broccoli is teaching the carrot. I like that analogy.” He smiled.
“Motherfucker–! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A CARROT YOU FUCKING RADISH?!” Chuuya just finished fixing himself when he heard the insult. How can he endure it?
The bandages came from behind, “That's right. It's too insulting to call him a carrot. After all, he’s a slug. Small, annoying, and ugly.”
Chuuya mechanically faced the other, his veins bulging on his forehead, he smiled furiously at the other, “You always say one word too many, don't you?”
Dazai chose to ignore the remark and walked towards the confused and somehow astonished freckled boy, took a look, and shook his hands, “Hi! Hello! Welcome to our humble abode. You must feel so terrible for being blackmailed by chibi into tutoring him, but you must never falter! You can do it even if the slug doesn't have that many cells in his brain– Ack!”
He went flying, crashing to the wall nearby, toppling the sofa upside-down. Luckily, the wall didn't break.
Chuuya put his foot down and faced Midoriya who was frozen with a gaping mouth upon seeing what just happened, “Stop acting stupid. Let's go over there.”
“R-Right…” Ability Users are well… interesting.
The ever-behaved (compared to everyone in the inn) Midoriya Izuku followed Chuuya to the living room and saw two people sitting in front of the table. The girl is reading a textbook about physics and the boy is eating cookies while reading a… mystery novel?
“Nee Yosano… Yosano-sensei… Yosano-chan~ Are you sure this is a hit mystery novel? It's totally predictable. I haven't even read half of it yet but I already know that this blonde inspector is the killer.” he closed the book and carelessly tossed it aside in disappointment.
“We can't do anything about it. Ranpo-san is just that great.” Yosano combed his fur, successfully calming him down.
“That's true. After all, I’m the greatest detective in all of Yokohama. Nope! Maybe in the entire world!” His smile infected Yosano, making her quirk her lips upwards.
In front of them sat the hot-headed mafioso and a new face.
“H-Hello.” Midoriya greeted timidly. Poor guy, after seeing the scene earlier, he’s afraid he’d start another brawl again.
“Hmm… And you are?” Ranpo asked with interest in his voice. The younger one introduced himself and upon knowing his purpose for coming, the two detectives gave them a bit of privacy and left the table to sit on the sofa.
We have normal people here! – Izuku cried in his heart. Their session began after he asked Chuuya what subject he wanted to learn for the first three hours before moving on to the next subject. So far, albeit slow because of Chuuya's reading and writing level, they are progressing well. The others are also conscientious enough to not bother them.
After half a day of learning, Midoriya finally decided to give Chuuya a break and the first thing Chuuya did was to stretch his limbs, “Dang, who knew high school is this hellish. And I only finished three out of nine subjects!” Chuuya commented in annoyance.
Midoriya laughed awkwardly and decided to praise the other, “Well, you're doing well Nakahara-san. It's just that you need to try reading a lot faster since the exam is timed and you also need to practice your handwriting more so that they can actually read and assess your essays…”
His praise didn't end up lifting the other person's spirit. It just fueled his desire to go back to Yokohama and add another collection to his alcohol. Studying sucks.
The two rejoined the group and joined them for lunch. Midoriya is a bit fidgety, feeling happy that he gets to meet all of the Ability Users and interact with them. Dazai saw his excitement and couldn't help but say, “Midoriya-kun, right? You're very generous for teaching my little pup. I can't believe I’m seeing a good samaritan right now!”
Chuuya gave him a frown but decided not to argue lest he lose his appetite. Midoriya, on the other hand, vehemently refused to accept his praise and told them about the deal he made with the shorty.
“Oh? What do you wanna know about us then?” Dazai raised a brow in wonder. Chuuya saw his relaxed demeanor and knew his decision to share information about Ability Users was not bad.
Midoriya flailed his hands, “Oh, um, ah… I can't ask for a while. I have to wait for a month…”
“It doesn't matter now. I’m already learning from you and everyone is here. There may be things that I don't know but they do. They might give you an answer if they want to.” Chuuya replied. Midoriya didn't waste a second to grab a brand-new notebook and a pen.
On the cover, he wrote - Gifted People Analysis for the Future No. 1
Notes:
Might upload every Saturday if my schedule allows it.
Thanks for reading!
Chapter 4: Ability Users Are The Damned, You Don’t Know That?
Notes:
Yay! I can't believe I get to post todayyyyy<3
Thank you for liking this fic! Honestly, at first, I thought this might seem boring to others since most of the crossover fics I read about these two animes are like, fighting towards each other without really being friendly (in a sense of Japan vs. Yokohama thingy)... but don't worry! This author here likes writing angst *evil laugh*~~~
So I'm really glad that there are people who read this TwT /~<3 Thank you so much!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
I’ve found an interesting kid. No, I think the kid had found me instead.
There was once a homeless fourteen-year-old lad. He did not want to think of all the bad things and the discomfort he was feeling. It’s alright. He told himself, ‘It’s alright because I’m the greatest.’
He believed himself to be a genius – or something along those lines. People are just different. Why they are different, he has no clue. Actually, he already figured it out. He just didn’t want to accept the only probable truth. Everyone’s the same, only he is different.
At present, he is already 19. Those thoughts no longer bother him as much. It’s all because of the Mr. Bodyguard he met back then and the president he kept in touch with. He found a purpose for his existence and ignored the rest of ‘what ifs’. The only probable truth is something he accepts it to be.
All’s well that’s well for him.
Looking at the bright boy now eating in front of him, it’s easy to point out that the other is struggling to move. Sometimes, his fingers tremble and he drink water as if he can never quench his thirst. It didn’t take long for Ranpo to analyze that there were weights around the boy’s wrists and ankles. Of course, he also knows that it is for training. With how enthusiastic the boy is when talking about heroes and U.A., it seems he is an aspiring hero. There’s a 98% possibility that the boy will also take U.A.’s entrance exam with them.
Obviously, Ranpo thinks the boy is nowhere near his level, but he senses his potential. Earlier, he was listening in on how the teenager tutors the ginger. Whenever exploding ginger is having a hard time, the boy mutters for a while, and with only half a minute, he already proposed a different approach that's suitable for the other’s learning progress. It didn’t happen only once. With how slow exploding ginger was, pushover had to juggle his ideas many times without making the other person feel bad about themselves.
Pushover is a diamond in the rough. Ranpo was quite amused. If only he could take the boy to the agency and train him under his name. However, he was 100% certain that the boy would disagree.
If only he met him first. Too bad.
“C-Can I really ask now? As in, right now?” Excited, he reconfirmed once again, unable to hide his smile. He was affirmed and stopped being too polite, “Then, I’ll have to ask the same question as before. Nakahara-san, what is your quirk, no, ability?”
Chuuya grinned, “Getting straight to the point, are we? My ability is called ‘For the Tainted Sorrow’ . I cannot necessarily explain it in detail but I can manipulate gravity. You’ve had a first-hand experience in that.”
All Ability Users in the room are engaging in a fragile truce. He cannot truly expose the extent of his ability for many reasons he refuses to state. Everyone also realized what he was doing but no one forced him to spill anything. They all understood what he meant.
Midoriya was oblivious and seriously wrote down Chuuya’s full name, the name of his ability and how it works, “Is there a weakness to your ability? Like, duration or anything… Not that I was forcing you to say anything if you don’t want to!” he defended himself quickly after realizing his question might be too personal.
“When it comes to the duration, I can probably use it continuously until I drop dead. As for other weaknesses, there’s none.” Chuuya replied confidently. The only weakness of his ability is that he cannot control it when it’s at full strength. A taboo only Dazai could touch. The worst part is that he only found out about it recently and that out of all people, it's a taboo that's available for Dazai.
Midoriya continued to ask about the names of abilities but Chuuya and everyone in the room didn’t know how the names came to be. It just felt like those are what their abilities should be addressed so that’s how they came to be named that way. When he asked about how one can obtain an ability, the answers he got were quite vague:
“I’m not really knowledgeable about this. All I know is that abilities are randomly gifted to people. How they are chosen, I have no clue.” Chuuya scratched his head.
“Some say abilities are connected to people’s souls and only those who are qualified will be blessed with one.” Jouno joined in.
“Abilities are currently the only mystery that I cannot solve. However, it won’t be long enough for me to find out.” Ranpo chimed in.
Dazai chuckled in amusement, making everyone face him, “Say, Midoriya-kun, how can one obtain a quirk?”
“Huh?” Midoriya blinked in confusion, making him answer subconsciously, “Quirks are genetically passed down to people. Although it started with a golden baby being born in China many years ago, it was proven that right now, quirks run in people’s genes. That’s how one can also find out the nature of their quirk.”
“Genes. That’s fascinating.” Dazai smiled, his eyes crescent before he continued, “Abilities appear randomly. Parents may have Abilities but the child wouldn't or vice versa. Also, the nature of Abilities cannot be deduced by people's ancestry. However, there is a rumor circulating in Yokohama about them. Want to know about it?”
The boy couldn’t hold in his curiosity and nodded after swallowing his saliva in nervousness. Dazai beckoned him with his fingers, making not only Midoriya, but everyone leans in with only a table in between. It was quite a comical sight.
“Rumors’re stating that only the damned can be granted an ability. Those who are suffering and on the verge of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual breakdown are the lucky ones to be chosen. Sometimes, they don’t even know that they have an ability. Sometimes, their ability will only make their lives a living hell. But one thing is for sure. When one is an Ability User, he is someone who the world has toyed with, given up, and granted a teeny tiny false apology called an ability.
I mean, look. Isn’t it written in history books that quirkless people were on the verge of destruction in a losing battle, only to suddenly be gifted with an ability? The person gifted with an ability must’ve felt so pathetic. In a war like that, he would surely hate the superhumans to the core for killing his family and friends but, as if to mock him, the world granted him an ability with super strength. He just became what he detested the most. He couldn’t even face it properly and called it ‘different’. How laughable! He’s such a fool. He should’ve just chosen death.”
At first, Midoriya is quite invested. However, as Dazai continued, he felt unnerved and shivers ran down his spine. The words the other person is saying are frightening yet the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice, the actions he makes – he made it as if he’s only sharing his favorite food with a new friend and defending why it's so good. He even laughed about it as if he found it funny why he likes such food.
Everything… everything is unnerving.
A hand hit Dazai’s head. He held it for a while and grimaced in pain. The tension disappeared and everyone sat properly once again. Just as he was about to complain, he found that the hand that hit him wasn’t from the slug but from the doctor sitting beside him, “Wha–? Sensei~~! Why would you do such a thing?” he whined.
“Midoriya-kun is looking for facts, not baseless rumors. Stop spreading misinformation.” she then faced the boy who was awkwardly scratching his cheek, “Midoriya-kun, I can assure you that while there are also people who experienced suffering before gaining their abilities, there are also people who are born with it. I’m one of them.”
I was born with an ability, and I suffered because of it. If Yosano acknowledged the mafioso’s theory, then she’d be rejecting her entire existence.
Midoriya, ‘I… I JUST TALKED TO A GIRL!’ – no he didn't.
Chuuya rolled his eyes at Dazai and continued, "In any case, Abilities are a mystery and only a small percentage of the quirkless can be gifted with one."
The wilted broccoli sprung up, looking all lively again, “I see! So up until now, it remained unknown. I’ll take note of that.” he muttered while writing everything he heard, even Dazai’s theory (although he refused to write in detail lest it became a curse), marking it with a big red question mark.
“Umm… can I ask one last question then?” Midoriya wondered after seeing the time. He really needed to go back to the beach to train with All Might so when they nodded, he timidly asked, “Can… can I know all of your names and abilities?”
There was silence.
“Right, I’m sorry for demanding too much…” he scratched his head dejectedly.
“I’m Edogawa Ranpo. No rush about our abilities though. If you’re able to successfully pass the exam, you can slowly learn about us in U.A.” Yosano finally glanced at her brother with a slightly intrigued look in her eyes. It was the third time Ranpo initiated a conversation and responded to Midoriya.
“I see. You’re right, Edogawa-san!” Relieved, Midoriya was grateful.
“He’s also going to U.A.? How did you know?” The ever-silent fool finally spoke up while drinking a surprisingly normal tea. Midoriya just realized that the other did know without him saying anything so he was curious about it.
Ranpo only grinned, “I’m just that smart, but you can guess it if you want to.”
The days passed by smoothly. Chuuya is learning well academically and Midoriya is learning to death physically. His physical state started looking more and more worn out whenever he visited the Ability Users. He was even almost played to death by a man called Jouno after he acted over the top upon realizing that Jouno is blind. He’s quite thankful Tecchou is there to stop him. Still, they almost fought because of him so he began avoiding colliding with Jouno whenever he could.
After knowing all their names, Ranpo usually pulls him to the side to play a guessing game with him while Chuuya is taking an activity or a quiz. Because the other usually closes his eyes, the aftershock of learning Jouno's blindness causes him to mutter his theory about Ranpo’s blindness. Aggrieved, Ranpo bullied him for three days by forcing him to buy sweets and snacks whenever he wanted.
Yosano’s daily question of ‘Are you okay? Do you want me to heal you? I’m a doctor.’ also came in and out of politeness and embarrassment, he always said he was fine. He doesn’t know why the other is always disappointed with his reply though.
Chuuya is still Chuuya but Dazai is very difficult to discern. Sometimes he’s so goofy that they can laugh together, sometimes he acts stern and throws filtered insults. He couldn’t understand anything about him so he ranks second after Jouno of the people he must avoid to keep peace. In his mind, he always chants 'Viva peace!'
During his interactions with everyone, he found out many tidbits of information about Ability Users. They weren’t anything too important and can even be labeled as useless but he wrote them in his notebook. By that, he meant information about the six Ability Users he had been interacting with.
For instance, ‘Tecchou-san can eat many bizarre stuff and not suffer indigestion. Perks of being an Ability User. So amazing! This can be very useful in a long-term battle with little food rations or expired food!’
Then he goes, ‘Jouno-san and Ranpo-san disagreed. Ranpo-san said he’d die if he drank vinegar as tea. Jouno-san said Tecchou-san has a few screw loose in the head. Still, I think it’s thanks to Tecchou-san’s ability. Abilities do different things to the body! PS. I’m dying to know everyone’s abilities!’
Oddly enough, there are times he’s getting somewhat useful information such as, ‘Unlike superhumans, Ability Users’ bodies remain that of a normal human body. Since it doesn’t adjust to accommodate the ability, will it be painful for them to use their abilities given their quirkless bodies?’
As well as, ‘Quirks work against abilities. Abilities work against quirks. The stronger one will probably be based on the users’ power, experience, and endurance.’
February 26th – the month of reviewing and training ended. Today is the day of the entrance exam. Despite Chuuya’s learning montage, he isn’t actually nervous about today’s exam. The other five aren’t either.
“Whoa! That’s one gigantic school!” Dazai rushed forward and gawked at the sight. They hadn’t even entered the school yet, but the sight was truly something that would scream, ‘You can only have a good future if you study here!’
He grinned and looked back to his housemates, “It’s like a luxurious prison!” like the Port Mafia’s towering buildings!
“Wait, everything inside there is part of a ‘school’? It’s not just one building?” Chuuya looked confused.
Tecchou nodded and said, “I used to think like that too… until three seconds ago.”
Dazai and Jouno grinned mockingly, and soon enough, the four people argued while walking to the exam orientation for the hero course. Meanwhile, Ranpo and Yosano acted as if they didn't know the idiots in front of them.
After the orientation about the practical examination led by another pro-hero called the Voice Hero, Present Mic, they headed to their exam room destination for the written portion. It went off without a hitch for Ranpo, Dazai and Jouno. Yosano and Tecchou didn’t get to figure out some of them while Chuuya failed to finish the exam because of his reading and writing pace. Still, he is confident that every answer he wrote is correct so he can still get a passing grade.
After two hours, all Ability Users gathered in the same Battle Center, Battle Center A. They were briefed and given the reason that it is easier for the judges to determine their locations because the cameras following them are a number next to the other.
Of course, with Ability Users on the group of examiners, there is a need for extra personnel. The one guarding Battle Center A is a man with unkempt black hair and extremely tired eyes, still yawning, thinking it was a pain to be the one chosen for the job because he can nullify quirks.
The students were shocked to see such an appearance at U.A. and began discreetly talking about him. He ignored the chatter and went straight to the Ability Users, “I’m Eraserhead. I’m in charge of guarding and observing you for today’s practical exam. Best of luck.”
Another reason given to him is that it has been a long time since a person with a quirk has met with a gifted person. History books are lacking in detail, so they do not know the extent of their abilities. Whether those who assigned him in this overestimate or underestimate these young Ability Users, only they, themselves, know. And in all honesty, he doesn’t really care. He just has to make sure that these gifted children don’t get permanent damage that may hinder their growth.
Aizawa Shouta, Eraserhead’s real name, frowned upon seeing a brown-haired boy cheerfully approaching him. It isn’t because of the boy himself. It’s because of the bandages wrapped in his arms and neck.
‘Is he injured? If he is, he shouldn’t be allowed to take the practical exam. Seriously, people see him and they just ignore it?’ Aizawa was still weighing the better decision when he heard the kid inquiring about something with one hand raised.
“Question, Mr. Eraserhead. My ability isn’t suitable for attacking. So, may I bring these two with me?” he moved his raised hand into his coat pocket and showed a gun and a knife.
The short-haired girl also approached and dropped her bag with a thud. Opening it, she grabbed a chainsaw. There are also other sharp things in the bag, “I’m planning to use these babies as well. My ability is more suited for support, you see?”
The boy with a brown hat, also raised his hand that was holding a soda bottle. He waved it and said, “Mr. Eraserhead! My ability doesn’t grant me superhuman strength. I’m not one to fight on the frontlines either so I’d probably get injured and die. Can I skip this part of the exam?”
Aizawa, “...” Sigh. Why do I have to deal with this?
Notes:
Ara~! Aizawa-sensei might be dealing with more problem children than he has to~
Chapter 5: Aizawa’s Observation Log
Summary:
Practical entrance examination begins!
Notes:
Hello! I just wanna clarify the character timelines because I know it seems confusing for a lot of you TTvTT
For MHA/BNHA, it's obviously S1, where Deku is starting his hero journey.
For BSD, the timeline is quite skewed with each character (so that I can control the fanfic pacing more):
Dazai has been with Mori since he was 7 and became an executive at 15. He took Akutagawa for a while and is in charge of training him, however, he is still working on a training plan that'll fit Akutagawa so mostly, he ignores the kid.
Akutagawa is 13 when he met Dazai.
Chuuya and Dazai met when they were 13. Chuuya left the Sheep at 13 too. At 14, the Stormbringer took place. So in this fic, Chuuya already knew about N, the lab, Arahabaki, etc.
Yosano's timeline and Ranpo's timeline follow the canon.
For Jouno and Tecchou, nothing much was given to their canon backstories, so I made everything up in connection to the canon to fit in this fic.
Therefore, this fanfic will consist of many OOC regarding their characters but I will do my best to give their canon personalities justice with all my ability.
Lastly, I really like knowing other people's analysis regarding character personas. So, it would be much appreciated if you could give me your thoughts about the different characters involved in this fic (both MHA/BNHA and BSD). It would really help a lot in improving the quality and storyline of this fanfic.
P.S. I feel like we're all authors at this point (>////<)~<3
Thank you so much~!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Everyone in Battle Center A knew at a glance who the Ability Users were and subconsciously avoided them. These six people from Yokohama looked a bit isolated and lonely at first glance but when one looks closer enough, they would see no discomfort nor gloom on the faces of these gifted ones.
When an exam observer approached them, they became even more lively and animatic. It sparked some curiosity to the examinees, prompting some of them to eavesdrop. When they heard the absurd claims, they all had different reactions – confused, relieved, annoyed, and disinterested.
Someone named Bakugo Katsuki even scoffed.
“First, I’m still surprised how you’re able to bring those weapons inside U.A. when they’re not even part of your abilities. Second, whether you use your quirks, abilities, or fight without them, is all up to you. I’ll have to talk to you after this exam is over. Third and last, if you don’t take the practical exam, you’ll immediately fail. I don’t care if you’re an Ability User assigned to observe in U.A., if you’re unqualified to pass, you won’t be able to get in. That’s all.” Aizawa’s mouth felt dry. He really hates long conversations, especially the ones where he needs to speak more than a sentence.
“Eeehh~?” Ranpo complained wordlessly. He thought for a while and grabbed his phone to dial a number.
“Hello?” the person on the other line immediately picked up after the second ring of the call.
“Hello, Mr. President. I’m just calling to say goodbye in case I die. That’s all, bye~!” Ranpo hung up and smiled at the man in black, “Okay, no worries now. No one will sue you even if I did die.”
Yosano approached the other and offered assistance, “Do you need a hand, Ranpo-san?” However, the older one shook his head and declared that the exam was only ten minutes. He won’t really die, it’s just that, like Mr. Messy Hair implied, he’s just too lazy to try when he knows he won’t produce a stellar result because of his abilities.
The girl can only nod, “Alright.”
Dazai walked towards Chuuya and the other two who were talking quietly. He smirked and asked the blind dog, “Hey Mr. Officer, where did you go last two days? You just up and left before appearing earlier at 6 am.”
“I’m afraid that unlike you, we don’t like being cooped up inside the inn so we explored Musutafu and got carried away.” The other shook his head condescendingly.
Lies. Would they need a service to escort them for that? It’s the same car that drove them to their meeting place to meet the agent that will escort them to Musutafu. The people who fetched them are also the same. But Dazai doesn’t have to force an answer. He just wanted to cause some trouble and it worked wonders. The other dog is glaring daggers at him before pulling Jouno away from them.
“What did you do this time?” Chuuya already blamed him without knowing what happened. If there is Dazai, whenever there is a commotion, it’s always his fault.
“I just asked if he knew a beautiful lady that’ll commit double suicide with me~! I couldn’t believe he’d be so selfish not to share!” Dazai dramatically put his hand on his forehead.
“... Suicide maniac.” Chuuya can only mutter.
On the other side, Tecchou is still looking at Jouno unabashedly. Jouno couldn’t stand the stare and said, “Don’t stare at me, weirdo.”
“Jouno, the surgery…” Tecchou mentioned but the other warned him with his expression, “Are you insinuating that I’m weak?”
Two days ago, they had to undertake another one of their monthly surgeries so that their organs wouldn’t fail them. Usually, after the surgery, they were given a day or two to rest. It was also recommended that they do not use their abilities. Even if they do, it wouldn’t be harmful, it’s just taxing to their bodies.
“Compared to me.” Tecchou nodded without a thought.
Jouno held the hilt of his sword, his thumb slightly pushed it out of the scabbard, “Oh yeah? Wanna try finding out right now, dumbass?” Provoked, Tecchou put his hand on his sword.
“OKAY, START!” Present Mic’s voice echoed, ending their dispute.
“Tch! I hate you the most.” Jouno muttered before dashing inside the area with Tecchou. Dazai, Chuuya, Yosano, and Ranpo also started moving when they heard the signal. As if they had a tacit understanding, they all separated when they saw the opportunity to do so.
It wouldn’t be fun if they had to fight for villain kills in the same area. Chuuya and Dazai headed the same way. Ranpo and Yosano separated after nodding to each other, while Jouno and Tecchou also separated without a word.
Behind them, an angry Pomeranian is blasting to increase his speed, “Don’t joke with me! I’ll fucking murder everyone I see!”
That’s when most of the examinees realized that the exam had already begun without a countdown! They scrambled to the area and started racking up points. Aizawa scouted atop a building to give him a wider scope of what was happening with the examinees, especially the Ability Users.
He first witnessed the guy with the hoodie, he was glowing red and when he attacked a faux villain in front of him, there was an illusion that he was flying before he delivered two hard kicks to knock it down, he didn’t even consider to re-prep himself by dropping back to the ground. Instead, after he delivered the second kick, he rolled mid-air to gather momentum and attack the other faux villain beside the fallen one.
“Chuuya, not fair! Leave some for me!” Dazai said with a smile but the other ignored his obviously fake complaints.
Two in a row. Impressive.
Aizawa then scouted for another and found the white-haired man in a red uniform. Seems like he and some other examinees are up with a three-pointer faux villain. He stood still for a while while others try to attack it for points. When the villain moved its hand to throw a punch, hero examinees backed away to defend. Only he stood his ground.
“What the–?! Is he stupid?!” one of them exclaimed.
The faux villain punched a hole in the ground but when the smoke cleared out, the person disappeared. Confused, they tried to look for him only to see him behind the robot, slashing its neck cleanly, rendering it dead.
He landed and said, “Well that was boring.”
Aizawa raised his brows and looked for others when he heard a loud crash followed by earthquakes. It was a long straight line, slicing half of the area they were in. Five faux villains had fallen in the process. The person who did it is another person in a red uniform.
Tecchou raised his sword again, ready to strike in a different direction when he heard someone from behind say, “Hey man, I don’t think you’re supposed to do that… but that’s so manly!”
“Really?” he titled his head, “But I want to finish quickly so I can kill Jouno.”
The redhead blinked in confusion, “Huh?”
A purple-haired girl with long ears struggled to stand after the earthquake, “The exam will still be ten minutes no matter how much you hurry it up…”
“...Ehhh?” Tecchou was just hit with the realization. He put his sword back to his scabbard and sat on the rubble, “Then I’ll wait until there’re only three minutes left.”
“Even though the exam time doesn’t change, the targets are still decreasing, you know?” the other guy replied but Tecchou didn’t budge. In the end, the guy and the girl had to leave him to collect their points.
Aizawa, “...” That was… something…
Yosano somehow encountered the two mafiosos in her search for points. The two are working well together. Even Dazai, who only has one gun and a knife can kill swiftly. He loaded his bullets without missing his target. He targets the joints and when it falls down, he goes in for the kill using his knife.
Her technique is more barbaric compared to him. With a chainsaw in hand, faux villains are too pitiful. Dazai just finished another one-pointer faux villain when he noticed her, “Oh! Hi~ Detective Sensei! Do you have bullets? I’m almost out!”
She shook her head and said, “I don’t use guns. Ranpo-san thinks people who use them are stupid.”
Chuuya heard her comment and laughed to his heart’s content, “Stupid mackerel!”
Dazai, “...” Okay, but what did I do?
They were distracted by the blasting sounds from behind and saw another examinee taking advantage to advance and use his fist to steal Chuuya’s target, “Die! Everyone die!” he punched recklessly and all the debris exploded because of his quirk.
A big burning piece is about to land on Dazai. He crouched to move away when there’s a stabbing pain rushed through his head. His legs shook, his body fell, and his eyesight blurred. The boy just looked up, with eyes wide open, trying harder to see what was in front of him, frozen in place. His mouth opened, subconsciously trying to signal for help but it was as if he swallowed his words, no sound came out.
“Dazai!” Anxious, Chuuya kicked his feet without hesitation and jumped in front of his partner to cover him.
“Watch out!” Yosano, being the one nearer to Dazai got to him first and prepared to cut through the burning debris that is about to explode.
Chuuya shielded Dazai with one hand and the other covered his only unbandaged eye, his hands slightly hovering away from Dazai’s, unable to hold him due to his ability. Chuuya then used his ability by touching Yosano, propelling her forward to gain momentum as she struck the falling debris down with the force of her chainsaw.
The force of her strike made the explosion stay in place for a second and blew up to the opposite side. She received a few scratches and burns while Chuuya used his ability to manipulate the rocks that touched him, rendering him unhurt.
Once it was done, the girl heaved a sigh of relief after landing safely. She never expected the other to use her like a bullet, thankfully, her body is somewhat able to endure such force. Chuuya, on the other hand, created a wider space between him and Dazai. The bandaged guy opened his eyes while sitting on the ground and his vision cleared. Everything is over so quickly.
Dazai didn’t expect himself to freeze after falling, truly. He felt his stomach churning in disappointment. Whether he was disappointed for letting his guard down or for making another failed attempt at dying, he doesn’t know. All he knows is that he is feeling quite disgusted.
Still, it was within his calculations that if he were to get hurt or attacked, Chuuya, like the obedient dog he is, will come running no matter what. Chibi truly didn’t disappoint him this time either. If he can cultivate the slug more, Dazai might even make Chuuya willing to die for him just to keep him safe.
Of course, Dazai, the suicidal maniac wouldn’t want that. Mori is already a handful for always trying to keep him half-alive most of the time.
Dazai let out a weak smile, “Thanks.” whether it was genuine or not, even he didn’t know. But his weak response made the feral youngster angrier, “That damn punk! How dare he mess with me!” with that remark, he chased the explosion bastard, seething in anger, without looking back.
Meanwhile, Yosano walked to her bag and grabbed a sword. It's something similar to a butcher’s knife but with a size bigger and longer than a katana. She swung it thrice before lending it to Dazai, “Here, I’ll let you use my baby for a while. A gun with no bullets and a small knife won’t do much.”
Standing up carefully, the other grabbed the sword and copied her actions, ignoring the throbbing pain on his head. He whistled in amusement, “Sweet.” he smiled and they separated ways.
Aizawa’s eyes lingered towards them for a while before looking away when the bandaged teen turned around to meet his gaze. He’s too sharp.
On the other side of the battle center, there’s a timid guy who’s hiding and attacking then going back to hiding once again. The greatest detective just happened to catch him and saw that his quirk is similar to lightning. The boy’s points are currently below the passing mark, making him anxious about the remaining time left.
With a smile, Ranpo rushed towards him and greeted, “Yo! Do you want to pair up?” This carefree-looking detective is actually 0 pointer and there are only 4 minutes left.
The boy was shocked, almost short-circuiting in the process, “P-Pair up? Is that allowed?”
“No one said it’s not.” Ranpo replied, “Pair up with me, and I’ll let you collect all the villain points we harvest.” The detective found out the exam mechanics the moment he heard Mr. Messy Hair’s reply to his suggestion. The only problem is that because of his declaration about not being able to defeat faux villains on his own, the people he encountered rejected him. Foolish Blondie is his 14th encounter.
The boy with the electric quirk is hesitating big time. After all, he is also one of the eavesdroppers from before the exam begins. He heard what the Ability User said to their observer so he knew that the guy was probably useless and may even be a baggage. But… he’s running out of time. Right now, he’s really desperate.
‘Whatever! Let’s just believe in my guts this time!’ he thought and Ranpo instantly smiled brightly upon seeing the resolve in the other person’s eyes, “Alright! I don’t know what your deal is, but I’ll trust you this time!”
“Good! Now foolish blondie, are you a fast runner? Can you jump high? Can you still summon those lightnings?” Ranpo inquired without a care about the other’s suddenly clueless face.
“Foolish what? Wait–! I’m not as fast as those with speed quirks but I’m faster than average and can jump higher than average, I suppose. I can still discharge about 50% of my quirk.” blondie decided to just ignore the insulting nickname.
Ranpo became even more confident, “That’s good enough!” he hopped into the other person’s arms, forcing blondie to princess carry him, then he pointed, “Let’s run! See that building over there? Go! Go!” he cheered.
Blondie ran on command but he still complained, “Hey! Why do I have to carry you?! Can’t you run on your own?!” Ranpo confidently declared while grabbing his glasses from his pocket, wearing them, “I’m not running. If I do, I will be left behind.”
He opened his eyes, revealing his green irises, “Now, prepare to jump near the building after 30 more steps. Don’t hold me too tight. I’m going to the building after all.”
The dumb blonde looked at him in shock, “What?! I’ll get stuck!” Even though he’s not counting his steps, he can still estimate the distance. If he jumped on cue, he’d tangle himself with those electric wires that were loosely hanging above them. The other person can use him as leverage to leap onto the building’s veranda but…
No way… did his guts fail him this time?!
Damn it!
“That’s the point, blonde fool. The exam is designed so that we’d have real-life simulations of chasing and fighting villains. That means, even the electric wires aren’t fake, just like the trees planted in the ground. They’re working very well.” Ranpo grinned, “So, while you were stuck, use your quirk and go crazy.”
Blondie is on the verge of tears when he hears the person’s response. With no time to think, he jumped, loosened his grip, let the person leap to the building, grabbed the electric wires that tangled him, and used his quirk with a shout.
Soon, the wires broke and he crashed to the ground, feeling too tired to move. Ranpo, on the other hand, has his hand above his eyes, looking over the distance, “Good job, blondie! You killed all nine of them! Three 1-pointers, four 2-pointers, and two 3-pointers! A total of 17 points! Do you need more?” he said while using the emergency ladder to go down and approach the person lying on the ground.
The guy looked too shocked to function, “I… I did all of that? Eh? Who am I? Where am I? How did I…? Ehhhh~?”
Of course, it’s all thanks to Ranpo’s deduction. He already scouted the place for more than a minute before asking to pair up with people. Once the blondie accepted, he immediately formulated a plan to help the other. Those faux villains are big robots. In narrow spaces, they are easily entangled with electric wires. He deduced that the wires near the building he told the other connect to most of the narrow spaces. It’s as simple as that.
Not like he’d explain anything.
“It’s all thanks to me, y’know?” Crouching, he made sure that the other person knew how kind he was.
The fool laughed, “Hahaha… 17 points added… I passed! You’re amazing!”
A blush crept up Ranpo’s face. He blinked twice to shake off the giddy feeling and smiled, fixing his glasses, “Then, let me take you to the evacuation site.” He replied and helped the other stand up. He held him as they slowly walked away.
“But I… I haven’t helped you yet…” the other person sounded so disappointed in himself. They teamed up but he’s the only one who benefited. It's not fair no matter how much he looks at it.
Ranpo doesn’t want to say anything but the other is wallowing in self-blame. He can only hint, “Trust me, you’ve done more than enough.” the other person wanted to retort but, as if he is short-circuiting, he started giving Ranpo two thumbs up and mumbling, 'wey wey wey' with a foolish grin on his face. Ranpo struggled to hold back his laughter and thought, 'Could it be quirk overuse? What a fool!'
They hadn’t even reached their destination when a voice echoed, “TIME’S UP!!!!”
Aizawa stood up. He had seen enough. Luckily, no one truly got hurt. Besides, that child who wanted to skip this exam portion, to think that he actually cracked the code… Eraserhead couldn’t help but let out an amused smile.
This year’s hero students are insane. He had to watch all of his students-to-be’s entrance exams.
EXTRA:
Ranpo’s Daily Nicknames Part 1!
Dazai → Bandages!
Chuuya → Exploding ginger!
Yosano → Sensei-chan~
Jouno → Blind guy.
Tecchou → Fool.
Midoriya → Pushover.
Aizawa → Mr. Messy Hair!
Kaminari → Foolish blondie!
Notes:
Wey wey wey wey wey wey wey wey wey wey wey wey wey~~~!!!!!
Chapter 6: Eat First, Think Later
Summary:
The letters have arrived.
Notes:
Hello! Update on my posting schedule here:
Classes started yesterday and I have to adjust my schedule for this. I don't want to rush making chapters because it lessens the quality of my work. First, I want to consistently post 1 every Thursday but something came up and now I have been consistently posting 1 chapter every Saturday. However, my class schedule isn't really friendly with my posting schedule so I have Saturday classes too.
The good news is - I don't have any classes on Fridays. Thus, I figured I would be uploading 1 chapter every Friday. Once I really started doing research, I might not be able to do 1 chapter a week but maybe 1 chapter every two weeks. Honestly, I really want to be consistent but I won't take risks in failing my research subject because the grading system for that is quite strict (I found out after our class orientation) so I hope you guys can understand.
That's all~<3 Thank you always~!
Enjoy (^3^)~<3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The sound of water’s gentle splash.
The aroma of herbs.
The sigh of youngsters.
Inside the inn’s public hot spring, six Ability Users are soaking with towels on their head while drinking tea. Naked body - muscles and curves. The only girl doesn’t seem to care. In fact, she shamelessly looks at other people’s bodies and sometimes even cop a feel to understand their structure.
Indeed. It is from the point of view of a sadistic doctor.
Jouno, even without his sense of sight, couldn’t really smile, “Alright this is weird. First of all, why do we have to share a bath? Second of all, why are you all okay with this? And third of all, why is this guy wearing his suit and pants?” the third one directly jabbed a finger at Dazai, who’s drinking peacefully to the side, his body submerged in water.
Chuuya stared at the other, his gaze held many complexities, “It’s so amazing how you can tell whether the mackerel is wearing anything or not.”
“What a beautiful and sexy lady.” he heard Dazai comment on the girl who’s raising Tecchou’s left arm.
“Mademoiselle, would you grant me the honor of committing double suicide with me?” the brown-haired guy flirted when he was splashed with hot water on his face, “Ah! My tea!” he cried excessively while blaming the attacker.
“Shut the hell up. You’re annoyingly loud!” … says the one who’s always hot-headed.
Ranpo blew bubbles before facing his sister, speaking with his mouth under the water, “Blubblub blub blubblubblub blub blub???”
Yosano sighed in regret after accepting that none of them were injured. She let go of Tecchou’s arm and faced Ranpo, “I can’t accompany you tomorrow. Since I’m interested in a healing quirk, I also took the chance to apply as U.A.’s nurse’s assistant. Tomorrow, I have to go back there for another written exam, plus, an interview.”
Frowning, Ranpo tilted his head and continued to say, “Blub! Blubblubblubblublublub! Blubblub! Blub!”
Yosano nodded in response, “I know. I’ll make it up to you next week, okay?”
The two continued to communicate while others looked back and forth between them. Chuuya wondered, “How the fuck do they understand each other?”
Interested, Dazai leaned towards the slouching Ranpo, “Detective-san, what are you talking about?”
The other finally sat properly but his mouth was still in a pout, “You already moved the date before! You said you’d definitely take me to that whatever café after the exams.”
Yosano, ‘... when did I say that?’
Dazai smiled excitedly, “Is it the hero-themed café? I’m free tomorrow, I can accompany you!” he volunteered. He also said that they could ask Midoriya-kun for directions and recommendations. Upon hearing his suggestion, Ranpo’s pout disappeared almost instantly, and agreed without hesitation.
Chuuya and Yosano, “...” this won’t be a disaster, right?
Tecchou's melting and relaxed face instantly changed as he was reminded of something. He calmly leaned near Jouno and inquired, "Come to think of it, we also need to go back to school tomorrow, no?" He remembered when he and Jouno were stopped by a U.A. staff after their practical exam. The person said they were to come back at a certain time and date to personally meet with the principal.
There was a snicker coming from Jouno but other than that, their third day of waiting for exam results announcement ended peacefully.
“Then, chibi, we’re leaving~!” Dazai waved goodbye to Chuuya, the only person staying in the inn when Midoriya arrived. Ranpo immediately ordered the pushover to lead them to the place with haste.
Midoriya is quite the responsible tour guide. Since he is used to roaming the place, (an experience he got when running back and forth to watch heroes fighting villains) he can say many things about different places and things.
Soon, they arrived at the café, which was Midoriya’s favorite café when he was still a child because of their hero-merch and hero-themed drinks and desserts. He immediately recommended his go-to food back then and it didn’t disappoint the two Ability Users.
Ranpo held between his index finger and his thumb a candy that somewhat looked like a v-shaped yellow antennae, “Look! This one looks like the muscles guy’s weird bangs.”
Dazai removed the mini flag on his extra large burger and read the words, ‘Plus Ultra!’ in his mind before nodding, “It really does~!” He hummed with a smile, humoring the other. He grabbed a fork and sliced the burger into three, giving Ranpo and Midoriya a piece. The remaining piece was left untouched on his plate as they talked.
Midoriya took a bite and observed the two seemingly carefree people in front of him. He chewed and swallowed before finally asking, “You… don’t seem nervous at all.”
Ranpo held his slice of burger and took a bite while Dazai blinked twice at him. Midoriya was flustered so he explained, “W-Well! I mean–! The exam results aren’t out yet and you’re umm… t-too calm about it!”
“Midoriya-kun, are you nervous?” Dazai smiled, looking harmless.
Ranpo took a sip from his Choco Midnight Frappe topped with whipped cream and small candied red masks, candied cuffs and candied whips.
Midoriya scratched his head and forced a smile, “T-To be honest… yes. After all, even though I did well in the written exam, I completely busted the practical exam. I didn’t even manage to get one point. All I did was take down one 0-pointer faux villain because of luck…” Being unable to contact All Might after that lackluster performance also doesn't help in alleviating the heaviness in his heart.
“Geez. Stop being such a worrywart. You’d pass.” Ranpo said as a matter of fact but Midoriya only thought that he was only coaxing him so he laughed it off, making the other frown, “What? You doubt me?”
Dazai, however, said, “Whatever detective-san says is true.” He looked at the guy with a smile. Unlike Midoriya, he completely believed in Ranpo’s words.
“In any case, you two seem to have passed. Congratulations!” Midoriya shifted the talk to the both of them but Dazai sighed heavily, “I don’t really know. Maybe I just barely made it. I even tripped and fell, you know? It hurts my butt so much, I couldn’t focus!”
“I’m passing, of course!” Ranpo exclaimed happily while putting his drink on the table with a slam, “Just so you know, I have zero villain points!”
Midoriya’s mouth opened in shock, “...Huh?! What?! Zero?! Like mine?!”
The other nodded confidently, “In any case, I’m passing the hero course. Both of you will pass as well. Now, let’s eat first, think later!”
‘How unbelievable. Ranpo-san is failing and yet he can still enjoy eating without a care. Shouldn’t he be worried that he might not be able to observe quirks properly? If he couldn’t come to U.A., how can he report back? More importantly, how is he so confident that he’ll pass the exam with zero points? Is it the perks of being an Ability User sent to observe at U.A.? No, I don’t believe U.A. will allow someone who failed the exam to enter as a student…’ Midoriya thought very hard when a finger snapped in front of his face.
“You’re muttering creepily, Midoriya-kun.” It was the smiling Dazai. Embarrassed, the boy covered his mouth with his own two hands and apologized profusely. Poor boy didn't even know when he started muttering what.
They stayed in the café for more than four hours and ate a lot of food. When the bill was finally on their table, Midoriya, who only ordered a drink and a cookie, looked at the two. Dazai turned his head to Ranpo and the boy fearlessly looked back at him, “I didn’t bring anything on me.”
“Ack?!” Shocked, Midoriya turned to Dazai. The other person smiled confidently and declared, “Don’t worry, I got this!” he put both hands in his pockets and… they were empty.
“Huh? Did I forget to bring my wallet again?” Dazai blinked innocently, making Midoriya almost kneel on the ground in horror, “NOOOOOO!!!!”
Dazai laughed while Ranpo called over to order another Choco Midnight Frappe, the largest size as a takeout, “RANPO-SAN?!?!?!” Midoriya freaked out.
Dazai used a bread stick to tap his shoulder twice and said with a smile, “Don’t worry too much. You’d immediately look old like that damn Mori. I said I got this, didn’t I?”
“T-Then… what do you plan to do, Dazai-san?” Midoriya, on the verge of tears, asked when the other person gave him a smug smile. Meanwhile, Ranpo already got his drink and drank happily.
“Hello?” Chuuya is currently surveying the people’s way of living on top of someone’s roof when he receives a call from his partner. Feeling quite lonely and bored alone in the inn, he decided to be proactive in gathering intel, hence, his situation right now.
He heard a serious voice, “Chuuya. We’ve encountered something terrible. I can’t tell you the details. I need you to come here as fast as you can.” it’s been a while since he heard such urgency in Dazai’s voice. The only time he hears the mackerel with that tone is when he's currently on a mission on his own or when he is truly cornered and is in immediate need of a backup.
Considering that the scumbag never told him about the exact contents of the mission, Chuuya reached a conclusion - He might’ve run into trouble!
“Where are you?” Chuuya’s body instantly glowed red and he leaped upon hearing the location, “I’ll be there in five minutes. Be safe. Don’t die before I kill you.”
Five minutes later:
“Thank you for your patronage! Please come again! We’ll reserve some seats for our dearest customers!” all the workers greeted them with a very satisfied smile on their faces, ‘We’ve made such a huge profit!’
Midoriya sighed in relief that he didn’t have to use his allowance, Ranpo waved goodbye, and Dazai promised to the pretty adult ladies that he will definitely, definitely return. Plus, the chandelier looks sturdy enough. He can swing to death, it could be fun.
Chuuya, who's holding his almost empty wallet, “......”
“DAZAI YOU MOTHERFUCKER! HOW DARE YOU TREAT ME LIKE YOUR GODDAMN WALLET AGAIN?! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!” Chuuya attacked while Dazai dodged with a satisfied smile on his face as he continued teasing the ginger. Midoriya felt quite bad for Chuuya and tried to calm him down but he was of no help when Dazai suddenly used his ‘gentle temperament’ to compare to Chuuya’s ‘rabid dog temperament’, escalating their argument further.
Ranpo stopped and faced the three chaotic people, “He~y! Can you guys do that later? I want to go back~!” he yelled to get their attention.
Thankfully, the two stopped and everyone went home after accompanying Midoriya to his home as a gesture of thanks.
“Well, see you in U.A., pessimistic pushover~” Ranpo waved his half-finished drink.
Midoriya felt a bit painful but he decided to be optimistic like the other, “S-See you too, guys.” he waved back until they were no longer in his line of sight. Somehow, he had the illusion of feeling more exhausted compared to when he was training to death with All Might.
“... And go!”
Six letters in white envelopes soon came and they all sat down on the warm mat while wearing the inn’s provided green kimono (for the only lady in the house) and a pair of nagagi and hakama (for everyone else). Ranpo even has his haori on.
Ranpo took the lead. They all opened their envelopes first and with his signal, they all showed their results in the middle at the same time, forming a circle of papers. Long story short, they all passed the hero course. Ranpo grinned and crossed his arms, “See? I told you, we’d all pass.”
Chuuya noticed his written exam results were only a bit above the passing line and didn't care any longer, “Well at least there's one less thing to think about. Wait– holy?! How come the mackerel’s practical exam rank is higher than the doctor and the hunting dog?!”
“Really? Who's hunting dog? Recite it to me!” Jouno enthusiastically humored. Tecchou also wondered what the letters meant in the criteria, “VP, RP, SP, and MP?”
“Oh, fine. Since your brains cannot comprehend, I’ll gladly explain it to you all.” Ranpo wore his glasses to explain the exam results and ranking, “First, these letters above are the criteria. The Mic Guy only told us about VP or Villain Points, but he never said that that's all there is to the practical exam. The evidence is the criteria here in this paper. This means that we were graded in four ways. First is the Villain Points. The others are RP – Rescue Points, SP – Strategy Points, and MP – Moral Points. All of which are criteria for being a hero.”
After the genius detective explained the grading system, he pointed out the scores and ranking of each:
Nakahara Chuuya (1ST)
Total Score: 152 P
VP → 87
RP → 40
SP → 15
MP → 10
Saigiku Jouno (3RD)
Total Score: 138 P
VP → 63
RP → 5
SP → 60
MP → 10
Dazai Osamu (14TH)
Total Score: 115 P
VP → 40
RP → 0
SP → 60
MP → 15
Yosano Akiko (23RD)
Total Score: 109 P
VP → 44
RP → 40
SP → 5
MP → 20
Suehiro Tecchou (27TH)
Total Score: 97 P
VP → 89
RP → 0
SP → 5
MP → 3
Edogawa Ranpo (32ND)
Total Score: 95 P
VP → 0
RP → 55
SP → 30
MP → 10
After his speech, he clapped his hands with a smile, “So, does anybody have questions? If you do, I propose that you should probably start from the basics and stop bothering me.”
Beside him, Yosano grabbed each paper and placed some to the left and some to the right. Then, she faced her colleague and inquired, “Did I divide them right?”
Ranpo gave a quick look and nodded, “Yup! These three will be entering Class 1-A and these will be entering Class 1-B.” He said as he pointed from right to left.
Class 1-A includes Chuuya, Jouno, and Dazai while Class 1-B includes Yosano, Tecchou, and Ranpo.
Jouno snickered and gave Tecchou a gloating look, “You're stronger, huh?” he commented sarcastically.
Tecchou gave him a look and said, “This doesn't count. I waited for 6 minutes before getting serious.” He pouted to the side with knitted brows, “Besides, I thought we would kill each other after that so I was conserving my energy.” He muttered to himself.
Jouno only grinned and spoke in a gloating manner, “Lame excuses.”
The other wanted to retort more, such as wanting to compare their Villain Points. He’s ahead of everyone when it comes to that. He even beat the ginger carrot in that area. But maybe it’s because he and Jouno used their abilities at that time and their surgery-healing process was a lot slower, he felt a bit exhausted so he refused to speak anymore. They can probably function normally at this point since all that’s left were dry scars but they still feel kind of drained.
“This ranking is only for practical exams right?” Chuuya raised a brow while looking at his paper. It’s not like he’ll get first place in both since he barely hit the passing mark for the written exam, “How come you’re already sure which class you’ll be in? I mean, considering your annoyingly good wits, don’t you think you’d rise in ranks?” he asked the detective guy.
“It’s true that we all should’ve been to Class A if we only used exam results as the basis for everything. But we’re Ability Users. It not really entirely up to our performance.” Ranpo answered, leaving Chuuya even more confused.
Yosano, on the other hand, knew the gist of Ranpo’s point since they talked over the possibility of this division happening last night, “There are two classes for the hero course: Class 1-A and Class 1-B. It’s for equality.” she raised two of her fingers.
Jouno rubbed his chin, “Now that I think about it, U.A. seems to like pitting classes with each other, especially Class A and Class B in the hero course. After what we’ve shown in the entrance exam it's quite obvious that if all of us are in the same class it would truly be unfair for the other class. Therefore, dividing us into two. The first three in the practical exam will be going to Class 1-A and the last three will be going to Class 1-B.”
Chuuya’s confused look dissipated, “Well, it doesn’t matter much which class we’re in since our only goal is to observe and gather intel.”
Dazai took a second look at the glasses guy’s paper before asking, “Detective-san, how did you gain points for other criteria? Logically speaking, you're not the type to block a giant robot to save a stranger, no?”
Ranpo, who was busy chatting with Yosano, halted and faced the curious criminal. For a moment, Ranpo saw a child asking how to open a box of candies with an eager look in their eyes. Of course, Ranpo knew that wasn't the case. After all, in front of him is a Mafia Executive, the Demon Prodigy, the mafia boss’ right-hand man.
He smiled carelessly and said, “Yeah, why would I put myself in danger for that? It would be a waste. I'm not really in the mood for talking, but since you seem like you admire me, I’ll tell you. Though it won't be free of charge.”
Dazai nodded and everyone heard how the detective found a desperate blonde fool so he teamed up with him, proposed a plan, and took him to shelter even after the exam ended. Coincidentally (not quite), the person was running a high fever at that time but couldn't miss the exam day so he forced his body instead.
That boosted Ranpo’s RP and elevated both his SP and MP.
Dazai clapped and commented, “That's so smart! I should've done that instead of fighting!” – As if. He’d rather have Chuuya fight difficult battles for him while he enjoys the show from behind. Too bad.
Dazai sees no point in carrying someone who has no value or potential. He thought of teaming up, but with individual grading, he would only be overpowered by Chuuya. And with others, he’s too busy to calculate which one would pass and which one would fail. In any case, Dazai knew he’d pass the exam.
After all, they (the school heads) won't only look at VP gathered. That's something he’s certain. There must be one to three more hidden points that they can gather, though he wasn’t as spot-on as Detective-san was. Since they were taking an exam for heroes, he guessed that the criteria also fall in that area. Meaning, their offense and defense, analytical skills, and compassion. He assumed that the first category belongs to the Villain Points, the second category belongs to Strategy and Planning Points and the last category may be Ethics or Rescue Points.
Since he’s planning on abandoning any kind of rescuing, he tried to focus more on VP and SP, to kill birds in one stone. He made sure to give encouraging words to some stressed-looking randos that he encountered while making sure they were being captured by cameras. Loe and behold! Results show that he’s more righteous than the slug! How ironic!
That night, he finished writing his report on what he observed from the hero society, the exam contents, U.A. personnel that he met, heroes that he heard about, and the background of quirks. After checking and editing for the third time, he clicked save and sent it to his boss. He didn’t forget to demand for a reward. The description below the file is sort of childish - P.S. I want alcohol. Not just any other alcohol. Buy a bottle from Bar Lupin and steal one of Chuuya’s collections. I want the most expensive one ^v^/~ (Hope Ane-san catches you in the act, Rin-chan!)
He stretched lazily and a smile crept up on his face with his eyes devoid of light. He clicked another tab on the screen, and it showed records of accepted students in Class 1-A with their names and pictures. Above them is the picture of their homeroom teacher.
There's only a week before class starts. Don't disappoint me, U.A.
EXTRA:
Mr. President, You’re Busy!
Fukuzawa Yukichi, a man who founded the Armed Detective Agency, sighs deeply while looking at the bright sky through the open window of his office. It has been a lot more peaceful since his children left for school.
School – it’s something his children really have to experience. Maybe it’s because he isn’t used to taking care of young ones, so he never really thought about school until he was tasked to send them to one. In any case, his children never stated anything about going to school.
A gust of wind gently flowed in from the window and hit his face. It made him more awake and turned to look at the table. On it are stacks of reports, cases, plans, expenses, etc. He couldn’t help but sigh for the second time.
It would be preferable if a tea and a cat were on top of his table. He wouldn’t get tired of them for a lifetime.
A girl wearing glasses arrived, bringing with her a new stack of paperwork to deal with as she greeted the president when his phone rang. Fukuzawa looked at the caller and answered almost instantly, “Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. President. I’m just calling to say goodbye in case I die. That’s all, bye~!” then he was hung up.
Fukuzawa, “...”
He looked at the ‘Call Ended’ note on the screen of his phone while listening to the beeping sounds.
He stood up after three seconds
“President, you’re busy.” The girl reminded him with a smile.
He faced her seriously, “But Ranpo –”
“You’re busy.” the other is still smiling with crescent eyes.
With his brows knitted, he looked at her grimly, “I need to –”
“Please finish your work, president. Don’t do overtime.” A loud thud echoed when the stack of paper was put down on the president’s table.
Fukuzawa, “...”
He slowly sat down and finally began doing his work.
Notes:
If there's something incorrect about the terms I used to describe their traditional clothes, please forgive me. I'm not Japanese so I only know superficial information about their kimonos, etc.
:">
P.S. I'm posting today since I will be doing something tomorrow but I will try to make the official updates every Friday.
Thankies~!
Chapter 7: Welcome to Reality, Class 1-A!
Summary:
First day of class with the trio - Dazai, Chuuya & Jouno!
Notes:
I chose to lose something very important to me yesterday....
I hope I can get it back soon.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Students from a certain class are standing on the school field wearing their bright blue P.E. uniforms. Their expressions were tensed and confused at the sudden tone change of their adviser. The guy looked at them with a threatening smile and said word for word, “Alright. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion.”
Before the students could react, a whistle was heard from the white-haired blind guy beside the shorty while the other person on his other side hummed in response with quite an excited look on his face. Chuuya looked at him askance and muttered, “You do know this is a physical test, right, Dazai?”
“This sensei is interesting, so it’s forgiven.” the other responded. Chuuya only sighed and looked straight ahead. The guy was also their observer in their practical exam before. How did it end up like this? – well, we have to rewind a bit.
It was a dark room. Thick curtains covered all sunlight that was supposed to pass through the window. Covered in the quilt, a brown-haired teen looks peacefully asleep, painfully dead even, if no one notices the small rise and fall of his chest. The strands of his hair are sliding on one side due to his position. It seems as if he’s satisfied lying down for all eternity when a loud bang forces his door open.
“DAZAI, YOU FUCKER! THIS IS THE 85TH TIME I TOLD YOU TO WAKE YOUR ASS UP!” It was none other than his beloved partner, Chuuya Nakahara, kicking the door hard that inertia even made the door almost close once again if not for his foot still hanging up to block it.
Dazai’s brows slowly furrowed with his groan, “It’s too early, chibi. Shut up for a while, I’m busy pretending to be dead.” he muttered while burrowing his face on his pillow, trying to suffocate himself to death. Unfortunately for him, a gloved hand grabbed his nape and his world turned upside down.
He didn’t know what exactly had happened, but the ginger surely used martial arts for that because he was thrown to the ground quite painfully. He hissed, holding his throbbing head in annoyance, wanting to reluctantly go back to bed when the sunlight suddenly hit his eye, making him fully awake after another groan.
The slug actually dared to open the curtains! Fuck! This is why he hates windows! His shipping container is truly the only place he can depend on! Sure, it has many disadvantages but at least it doesn’t have demon windows!
“Hurry and get up. Everyone’s gone already. Do you want to be late on your first day, asshole? Wake up and get a move on, kid!” the other person said while already preparing Dazai’s clothes, snacks, and bag (because if he didn’t, they will surely run late and fuck up their first day).
Dazai finally took a good look at his chibi while massaging his head and sitting down. The person is no longer wearing his crappy hoodie. Instead, it was a uniform. They look a bit like formal military uniforms at first glance but well, the style is quite good but the color-coding doesn’t suit his taste. In other words, it’s shit. Still, he didn’t know the slug would actually manage to look good in it. Meh, it’s okay, I guess. – is what summarizes his thoughts. Realizing he also has to wear the same thing, made him shudder and his face soured for a moment. Annoyed, he can only make himself feel better after he can get back at the slug.
“Tch! The small one is actually calling the big one ‘kid’, try to look at yourself in the mirror. Maybe you’ll find a lost child crying for milk.” Dazai bantered while grabbing the stuff that he needed for a quick shower. He saw the chibi roll his eyes, “Ugh! Just shut up and go!”
Thankfully, they reached U.A. and spotted their room quite early than they imagined. Although, the door seems to be a bit too big. The room space between the other classes is too wide either. There was a momentary strain on Dazai’s smile, he couldn’t help but dig his thumbnails to his index finger for a second. The slug snorted at the towering door, making him snap back to his senses. Right, they are away from Yokohama at the moment. It’s not like he’s being isolated since there’s chibi by his side and probably a bunch of teens inside the door. Blinking twice, he calmed himself down.
Chuuya took the lead and opened the door. The moment they came in, almost simultaneously, the students looked at them with scrutiny. ‘Damn. What a welcome.’ Chuuya raised a brow and walked forward, ignoring the others. Meanwhile, the mackerel behind him was full of smiles as he raised an arm and waved, “Hello everyone! Good morning~!” And some people were drawn in, greeting him back enthusiastically, especially the extroverted ones.
Chuuya looked at Dazai being surrounded by some of their classmates and sighed in distress, ‘Is that his way of telling me to be friendly with these people? That fucker…’ he continued walking towards his seat when he heard a quite familiar voice from the side, “Ah-! Nakahara-san! You made it! That’s good!”
Turning around, he blinked twice, a bit surprised to see the handful kid who tutored him before together with a kid with glasses and a girl with pink cheeks. He smirked, “Yo Midoriya! I guess we’re classmates now!”
The other nodded his head in excitement as he ran towards him, his two friends also approached and asked about their relationship. Midoriya didn’t hide anything and told them about him tutoring Nakahara-san for a month, in which, Chuuya nodded and thanked him again, “Yeah. Thanks, you were a big help.”
Midoriya waved his hands as he shook his head, “No! No! Nakahara-san doesn’t have to thank me! W-We’re just following the deal after all!”
“Don’t humble yourself too much.” the other flicked his forehead. Midoriya covered his smoking forehead with tears in his eyes, groaning in pain, “Right. Don’t call me Nakahara-san anymore. It sounds too formal. Since we’re already classmates, just call me Chuuya.” he also faced the curious two students beside Midoriya and said, “The same thing goes for you two.”
The girl immediately brightened and put her hands together, “Nice to meet you, Chuuya-kun! I’m Uraraka Ochaco!”
The guy, on the other hand, offered his right hand to shake his’, “I am Iida Tenya from Somei Private Academy! I watched you on the news! Pleasure to meet you, Nakahara-kun!”
Midoriya finally collected himself and forced himself to say, “Ch-Chuuya-san!”
Chuuya, “.....”
“... Just Chuuya is fine, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida.” he said and repeated their names to remember them easily.
Midoriya and Iida decline vehemently:
Midoriya, “I-I couldn’t possibly do that right away! G-Give me some time, Naka-Ch-Chuuya-san!”
Iida, “I believe it’s not proper to call other people I’ve just met for the first time in an intimate way. Not until I truly know them. Let’s get to know each other more, Nakahara-kun!”
Chuuya, “.....” Dude, it’s just a name for fuck’s sake…
Uraraka, however, nodded bubbly, “Alright, Chuuya! In exchange, just call me Ochaco!” Chuuya grinned at her and agreed, “Great!” It quite made Midoriya embarrassed and Iida a bit ashamed for a moment, but they stick to each of their moral compass.
On the other side of the classroom is Dazai together with other people who he already knew based on appearances - Mina, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Mineta. He sighed and dramatically ran his hand through his hair, “I guess this is just part of being charming.”
The girl laughed energetically, “Daz-kun, you’re really funny HAHAHAHAHA!”
“Yeah man! That ego is high but it’s very manly, Zaibro!” the redhead gave him a thumbs up with a toothy smile.
The blondie joined in and asked, “So what’s with the bandages, Dazai-kun? You even have ‘em until here.” he said as he pointed to his own neck. Not to mention, Dazai also has some on his face.
The guy laughed mysteriously, sat on the desk, and slyly looked at them, making them all curious. He paused long enough until they were about to burst before finally speaking, “It’s a fashion statement! I’m trying to be an icon and have famous modeling agencies line up for me!”
“Yeah, it’s covering half of your face. That’s kinda stupid.” A purple-haired girl joined their conversation. She’s sitting on her chair and her desk happens to be the desk Dazai is sitting on. He blinked twice and smiled handsomely, “Milady, your beauty is unparalleled! I am beyond dazzled. May I ask for your name?”
The girl, having no experience of being pursued openly and shamelessly, almost had her brain crash but she managed to hold it in (knowing that the other person might just be a shameless flirt) and faked a cough, “Jiro. Jiro Kyoka.” Before Dazai can continue inquiring about her thoughts on suicide, he hears an angry bitter screeching sound.
“Oi! This is unfair! It’s only the first day! Don’t tell me you’re into fubu ?!” Dazai looked and looked before he looked down and saw an angry grape. He blinked twice and pretended to ask, “And you are?"
“I’m Mineta Minoru! If you want to flirt with girls, you have to swear allegiance to me first and call me boss!” he proudly declared with bulging eyes. Mina, Jirou, Kaminari, and Kirishima looked at the two speechlessly. Dazai seemed to have realized something and gasped exaggeratedly before picking up the other in his armpits like a plush toy.
“No way! No way! No way! How can there be someone smaller than chibi?!” He freaked out and shouted across the room, just enough to get everyone’s attention, especially Chuuya, “Hey slug! Look! Look at this guy! He’s shorter than you! This should be physically impossible!”
This is a room of twenty-plus people and Dazai just had to shout three things he hates the most - chibi, slug, and short. Would he, the victim, take such an insult lying down? Hell no! Fuck Dazai! He grabbed the nearest thing he could get and threw it to the jackass, “YOU SMELLY FISH! I’M STILL FUCKING GROWING!”
Chuuya shouted and Iida instantly reprimanded him for his vulgar language, drowning Midoriya’s complaints of, “No! That’s my notebook!” Turns out, his yellow bag was unzipped and Chuuya grabbed a random notebook to hit Dazai in the face. Poor Midoriya despaired. That notebook is quite… pitiful.
Dazai was hit and it felt more like a slap. He groans in protest as he lets go of the perverted grape head. Mineta fell quite painfully but no one gave a damn to assist him when Dazai leaned down after massaging his face, making sure he didn’t get a paper cut. Everyone watching the gossip thought he was going to help Mineta but he picked up the notebook instead, “Damn, look what you did to this poor notebook, Chuuya. You’re such a brute.” he said after seeing the burnt marks of the notebook.
Of course, Chuuya couldn’t be the one who did this but who cares? There's no stopping Dazai from throwing the pot to the slug.
“Shut it!” Chuuya retorted, bending down a bit. Dazai on the other hand read the title, Hero Analysis for the Future No.13 . He blinked twice and thought, ‘Deja vu…’
“Hey! That’s rude! Picking me up like that and letting go without warning, you’re too rude!” the grape guy retorted while pointing at Dazai, who was already flipping the pages of the notebook, making Midoriya want to go there and grab his notebook back but also hesitating since it’s Dazai who has it.
Dazai flipped the pages nonchalantly and closed the notebook with one hand before facing the lustful creature, “You accused me of being into and wanting a fubu . I wonder who’s ruder?”
Before things escalated, Midoriya timidly raised his right hand, “Uh-Uhm… c-can I get my note–” Sadly, he was interrupted when Iida quickly zoomed in on Dazai and moved his hands stiffly while explaining in a stern manner, “Don’t sit on the desk! That’s rude on the people who made the desk and the upperclassmen who used to use the desk! You’re like Bakugo-kun–” but the moment he turned around, he saw the other person who never moved once after he scolded him, “Bakugo-kun! I told you not to put your feet on the desk! It’s very improper! As students of U.A. we must be responsible with their properties–!”
Poor Iida can’t take a break.
“I said, shut your goddamn elite mouth, shitty extra!” the boy with his legs on the table, leaning on the slightly tilted chair exploded in anger, “What? You want me to crush it for ‘ya? Hah?!”
Midoriya trembled and tried to make his presence invisible, hoping he could talk with Chuuya-san later to ask for his notebook. It was at least a year of hard work for that one notebook, okay? He really wishes he could get it back, otherwise, he might cry. Suddenly feeling cold, he looked to the side and saw the anger in Chuuya-san’s eyes. Mentally, he freaked, wondering why when the other person began walking towards… Kacchan?!
“Hey, remember me, asshole?” Chuuya raised his chin, feeling quite the taller man since the other was sitting.
Bakugo looked at him and raised his brow in annoyance, “Hah?! The fuck are you?! Whaddaya want, cheap shit?! Wanna die?!”
“For someone who stole my prey and almost caused an accident, you’re acting senile. What? Want me to recommend you a nursing home, gramps?” Chuuya taunted with an annoying grin.
Bakugo kicked his feet and stood on the ground, looking down at the other, his palms already having small sparks of explosion, “You Ability Users are nothing but quirk knockoffs. Don’t think that just because they let you in at U.A. means you have a chance. You’re nothing but mobs to pave the way for my grand journey of becoming the number one hero!”
Chuuya scoffed, he looked up but his stance didn’t lessen his threatening aura, “Oh look, a baby in his onesies already has his superiority complex! I can’t wait to see his satisfying downfall.” He practiced a lot to create this intimidating impact even with his height. If one thinks it’s because he is now in the mafia for two years and had to learn such a trick, he will look at you like an idiot. The reason was the fucking mackerel. Always going on and on about his height, it’s freakin’ annoying!
Dazai looked at them with interest. One is his favorite dog on a leash while the other is a stray dog without a proper owner. He tried to think and think of a proper description before a lightbulb was turned on in his mind, ‘Oh! An angry Pomeranian!’ he snickered at the thought and wanted to share his idea to chibi when he caught on the corner of his eyes, something long and yellow, quietly rolling on the ground.
Dazai turned his head and looked down, nobody noticed anything but him, “......” The yellow thing stopped when it hit his left foot. The zipper slowly unzipped and it revealed a face, the person’s tired eyes looking at him… then a hand with a drink slowly appeared in his sight. The person sucked on the straw. His cheeks sank, making his eye bags show more.
Dazai blinked twice, “.......”
“AHHHHHH!!!!” he jumped and dangled on Chuuya. His arms wrapped around Chuuya’s head, ruining his hair, while his legs wrapped tightly around his stomach, “C-Chibi! Chibi! Save me! Ahhh! I’m being haunted! Ahhhh!”
Chuuya almost fell backward because of the filthy mackerel but somehow managed to balance himself after a lot of difficulties due to Dazai’s chaotic movement. He cussed and cursed the other, “Wha-?! What the fuck?! Daz-! Ahh! Don’t move! Get down! Asshole! You fu–! Stop pulling my hair! If I go bald, I’ll kill you!”
Dazai sniffed in a fake manner and behaved (except he didn’t go down, literally almost pulling Chuuya into a death hug). Then, he whispered near the ginger’s ear, “How kind of you.”
Chuuya helplessly sighed and looked at the ground that freaked out the weirdo. Everyone did the same and looked at the person, ‘S-Something’s here?!’
With the ruckus finally over, the person stood and fully unzipped his sleeping bag as he spoke, “Okay. It took you ten minutes to quiet down. Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough.” Now he’s searching for something inside the bag in his hand.
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, another person entered. For Chuuya and Dazai, he could not be more familiar, “Sensei, I got what you’re looking for.” he said while giving him U.A.’s P.E. shirt.
“Blind dog? What are you doing there?” Dazai blinked in wonder. His previous timidity is nowhere to be seen.
Chuuya complained, “Oi, if you’re done with the act, get off.” but he was ignored. Instead, it was Jouno who spoke, “The principal asked us for a favor. The Hunting Dogs are also assigned to be teacher assistants. Somehow, I ended up with this sensei.”
Dazai and Chuuya's gait somewhat changed, their faces becoming alert. The principal of the school dared to take such action and only offered whatever 'incentives' to The Hunting Dogs that represented the Special Abilities Division. Even if the Special Abilities Division is the overseer of most Ability User-run organizations, it's quite a show of favorability given that they have three organizations here.
"Now, now. Don't look at me like that. It's not like I tried to take advantage of you or anything. I'm just utilizing every opportunity given to me." Jouno smiled quite smugly. After all, he's had a great negotiation with the principal. In other words, The Hunting Dogs incentive is something that puts them in the lead of information gathering. As a matter of fact, he's already sending stacks of files to Teruko and the Director of the Special Abilities Division, Taneda Santoka.
Jiro wondered, “He’s the other Ability User?” and Mina nodded, “Yup. He looks just like the one on the news.”
The oldest in the room grabbed the shirt and continued, “I’m your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Nice to meet you.” Everyone was shocked. The guy is simply saying that he’s in charge of homeroom and he’s Class 1-A’s adviser. But who was he? It seems like not only the Ability Users, but even their quirked classmates seem to not know him. Heck, even the hero enthusiast Midoriya is looking clueless.
Dazai was amused once again, ‘This sensei’s quite fun. I hope he’s more interesting than slimy Mori.’
Aizawa didn’t wait for the kids to process any information and just showed them the shirt he was holding, “It’s kind of sudden, but put this on and go out onto the field.”
Even though everyone didn’t have any idea of what was going on, they immediately followed his instructions and headed to their locker rooms to change clothes. Chuuya grabbed his P.E. uniform and then opened Dazai’s locker to grab Dazai's before proceeding to leave when Iida called out, “Nakahara-kun! What are you doing? And where’s the other Ability User?”
Holding the doorknob, Chuuya turned half-way and said, “That fish is shy so I’m bringing his clothes to the men’s restroom. I’ll accompany him lest he blames me for being heartless. See you.” He left without waiting for a response.
Kaminari just finished wearing his shirt and raised a brow, “Eh? It’s hard to think Dazai-kun is shy with this.”
Kirishima nodded while closing his locker, “He’s pretty outgoing to me. Guess we really can’t jump to conclusions hastily. It’s not so manly. Am I right, Midori-bro?”
“Midori?!” Midoriya was hit with the word midori once again. Well… at least it’s better than Tecchou-san’s broccoli…?
“Why? Is it too long?” Kirishima wondered with a raised eyebrow before smiling and said, “Then I’ll shorten it and call you Midobro instead!”
A black-haired guy with the tape quirk looked around and asked, “Now that I think about it, where’s the other Ability User?”
“I saw him walking with Aizawa-sensei. Maybe they’re together.” The guy with the tail answered.
“Do I sparkle in this? Oui! I always do! Right?” someone butted in during their conversation but before they could reply, Kaminari called, “Hurry up, we still don’t know what we’re doing yet!” and everyone hurried to finish.
Sparkles went to the shy classmates and insisted, “Right?” With a smiling face. The classmate who is averse to talking only nodded in a panic, making sparkles happy.
The moment they reached the field, Dazai, Chuuya, and Jouno were already there, waiting, together with their homeroom teacher. Their P.E. uniforms are flashy with colors, especially the shade of blue. For Chuuya, it was unflattering. His distaste for the uniforms is shooting quite high.
Should he invite a fashion designer from Yokohama to show the U.A. people what’s good and what’s bad? Maybe give them an eye-opener or something?
On the other hand, because it’s a P.E. uniform, the sleeves are shorter and the jogging pants are more flexible and comfier. With a slight movement of his head, he can see Dazai standing bored with his arms behind his head, making the sleeves wrinkle and pull down even more, allowing his bandages to become more exposed. Those bandages ran unceasingly upward his elbows, exposing no skin. He had to admit, even though the clothes are unflattering, it looks good on Dazai. Not like he’d admit it openly.
Too bad, Dazai couldn’t see his blatant stare because he was currently standing in his blind spot, where he had his eye covered in bandages.
Their teacher finally explained what they were doing. It was actually nothing more than a quirk assessment test. Basically, it’s similar to a physical fitness test but with the assistance of their quirk to elevate their results. Aizawa-sensei then called Jouno for a demonstration of a softball throw.
Jouno walked to the circle while lightly tossing the ball up and down and said, “Although I won’t be able to apply my Ability for this, it doesn’t mean I lack anything compared to those with offensive quirks.” he smiled and even with his eyes closed, he spotted where Bakugo is and pointed at him, “Don’t underestimate Ability Users. You’re in for a surprise.” Blame him for having sharp senses that he heard Bakugo’s bullshit from a distance away.
“Tch!” Bakugo wanted to go over but his shoulder was held by Iida so he stayed put. Also, he remembered that a teacher is watching them.
With Aizawa’s signal, Jouno fixed his stance and threw the ball with his physical strength. The ball was propelled upwards like a bullet without intending to stop soon. Once it dropped on the ground, Aizawa showed his result and it baffled everyone. Dazai’s eye sparkled in amusement while Chuuya became even more serious.
705.4
He turned to face the other with a disturbing grin, “Come on, loudmouth. Beat it if you can.”
Most of his classmates cheered for him and felt pumped, enjoying such leisurely activity. It was okay for Chuuya, amusing for Dazai, terrifying for Midoriya, and a provocation for Bakugo. But before they can enjoy further, Aizawa dampens their child-like ignorance, “ It looks fun, huh? You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time? Alright. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion.”
And so, we’re back to the present.
“Well, what do you think will happen? Who will be expelled?” Chuuya blinked in a wonder. But Dazai looked at him, acting all hurt, “Oh! Why do I have to do all the thinking? You wound me, Chuuya~ ack!” an elbow hit his ribs and an angry slug walked away from him.
He massages his hurting area while observing his surroundings. Everyone seems to show signs of panic and anxiety. One person looks too obvious though. To Midoriya-kun, his face screams absolute terror.
A self-serving smile crept up on his face, ‘Ah… this is really amusing.’
......
EXTRA:
Mori's Dilemma
An elegant woman is spending a peaceful tea time with a man and a child. The child is sitting on the cold floor of the gazebo, a litter of crayons and piles of paper spread all around her, ignoring the elderly, she continues to scribble splashes of color on the paper.
The man's face is rounded, a goofy smile pasted on his melting face while rereading an email he received some time ago for the nth time, "Ah... what bliss~ Dazai called me Rin-chan~!" He can't help but remember the time young Dazai used to insist to call him 'Rintaro' so he even had his birth certificate change 'Ougai' to 'Rintaro'. Even if he's still well-known as 'Ougai', his real name already long changed to 'Mori Rintaro'.
"You've already said that thirty minutes ago, Mori-dono. How about we move on to the actual document, hmm?" The woman smiled at him with crescent eyes, unable to hear him babble about Dazai one more time. Besides, she favors Chuuya more. It wouldn't be a chore to listen if her boss talked more about Chuuya instead... No. Nevermind. It wouldn't be good if Mori-dono's fixation switched from Dazai to Chuuya. It's better to maintain the status quo.
"Oh, Kouyou-kun. You just don't understand. Dazai no longer calls me Rintaro! It's always Mori-san this, sensei that, boss this, old man that!" He whined like a soft dad who had a daughter all grown up and refused to call him 'daddy' anymore, and no longer wanted to 'marry her daddy' once she grew up.
Kouyou can only sigh and throw that information out the window. Thankfully, Mori's pudding-like face returned to serious as he earnestly looked at her, "Actually, I have already read the contents of the document so there's no longer turning back for me. It truly puts me in a dilemma."
She couldn't help but look at him in inquiry, her brows lowered, seriously assessing the threats they might face in the long run with the new government and the events outside Yokohama. She wouldn't let anything happen to her beloved Port Mafia.
Mori looked at her again, his brows knitted, "I need Chuuya's most expensive alcohol, Kouyou-kun."
Kouyou, "....."
Kouyou, "You're free to leave."
Elise picked up her paper and admired her drawing. It was Mori in a professional white coat, sitting on a cushion, a low table in front of him, holding a red pocketbook in one hand, the other hand flipping the book. The book's title is written in a wobbly manner and can't fit the spaces, only one word can be written, 'Suicide'. She seems happy about it so she stands and runs towards the person himself.
"Rintaro~ I'm hungry! I want to eat crabs now." She said while giving him the paper. Mori took a glance and couldn't help but soften once more, "Ah~ how nostalgic~" he muttered and patted Elise's head. He can only rub her hair twice before getting his hand slapped, "I said I'm hungry."
"Of course~ let's eat lots of crabs okay?" Mori stood and faced Kouyou, "....."
"Can you reconsider--"
"No." Kouyou closed her eyes to avoid seeing Mori-dono's face trying to gain pity by showing her his puppy eyes.
"Just once--"
"The exit is that way, Mori-dono." She pointed the way with her hand, her eyes remain closed. Mori couldn't help but let out a defeated sigh. He can only disappoint Dazai in this one.
Notes:
Kouyou is an icon. A queen. Put Mori in his place. ^v^~<3
Chapter 8: Damn Quirk Knockoffs...
Summary:
Aizawa's test commenced!
Notes:
I have a lot of subject courses focusing on literature. Last Monday, we've tackled E.A. Poe and my prof. asked us if we know who his 'author' friend that asked him about his writing techniques in his short stories was.
I know jackshit about it but then our prof. gave us a clue by writing one of that author friend's work.
Loe and behold! It was 'Scarlet Letter'!
I felt like a sage and just shouted, "NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE."
I was praised.
I felt like a fucking genius for the whole class period :D
Thank you, Asagiri.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Aizawa reviewed the practical exam footage of his students. He was quite disappointed that he didn’t get the three other Ability Users but what did he expect from that brute of an adviser from Class 1-B? So, in the name of fairness for both classes, it was unanimously decided to divide the Ability Users into two groups.
Aizawa had also noticed one particular difference between his quirked students and his gifted students - the former clearly weren’t as used to using their Quirks. At the same time, the latter proved to be experts in using their Abilities. He can understand that it was because of their laws regarding quirk regulation and quirk safety. But as for these Ability Users, it’s as if they were given the freedom to explore their Abilities as much as they wanted to from a young age. He doesn’t have the slightest idea how the laws work in Yokohama but seeing those six children in action, it looks like a huge success. It kind of amazed and worried the pro-hero at the same time, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
When he said he would expel one student, he meant it. Aside from the Ability Users, one student is particularly standing out a lot - Midoriya Izuku. How can he be injured so much while using his own quirk? There are things that don’t add up, but he doesn’t care. Aside from wanting to see how Ability Users strategize, he also wanted to see how Midoriya Izuku would cope with the situation at hand.
If things go his way, this will be the boy’s first and last day in U.A. It would be better for him to stop dreaming of becoming a hero when he couldn’t even take care of himself. So in this test, Aizawa is actually targeting four people all at once.
There are eight tests and a student’s result has already been shown. That was only a demonstration. So, they will have to do a different test first.
Test 1: Fifty-Meter Dash
The first two students positioned themselves and with the cue of the robot, they started to run. With Iida’s engine, it was a breeze and with Tsuyu’s flexibility, she only lagged behind by two point something seconds.
“So fast~” Dazai commented on the side.
More and more students were finished and next up was Uraraka and Chuuya. The girl lightened her clothes and shoes when she noticed the other stretching his legs, “Good luck to us, Chuuya!” she cheered. Chuuya gave her a nod, “Yeah.”
Once they were in their position, the robot gave the signal and Uraraka started running. Chuuya, however, crouched down with his hands in his pocket, he then blasted to the other side, leaving only a dent in the ground of his starting point.
Iida went to the two after their turn, “You are so fast, Nakahara-kun!” he was amazed that the other almost looked like he had a speed type of quirk. Uraraka took a moment to breathe, “At least my results are better than in middle school.” she cheered herself up.
“Boo~ Show off!” Dazai let out his tongue and Chuuya gave him a smack but this time, Dazai nimbly avoided it.
Next up is Bakugo and Jouno. When the signal sounded, Bakugo used his explosive and combined it with his speed. He was quite confident but when he reached the end, it took two seconds more than Jouno. The Hunting Dog frowned and patted his sleeve to remove the dirt, “How uncivilized of you.” he said before leaving.
“Tch!” Bakugo kicked the dirt in anger.
After each pair, it was finally Dazai’s and Midoriya’s turn. Both of them positioned like they were running on a marathon when Dazai once again noticed the other person’s anxiety so he smiled at him and said, “Let’s do our best, Izuku-kun.”
With his mind occupied, Midoriya didn’t notice how Dazai addressed him in his first name out of the blue. He only forced a smile and took a deep breath.
“Ready… go!”
The two ran normally and Midoriya finished at 7.02 seconds while Dazai finished at 7.05 seconds. He scratched his hair and mumbled, “Aiya~ It looks like I’m getting rusty…” but once again, Midoriya was so hung up on his results that he didn’t even hear the other person, only mulling about how slow he was and how he might fail this test. He cannot upset All Might. He had to do something or else... he'll be expelled!
Chuuya raised a brow upon seeing the bandaged freak's results but chose to ignore Dazai’s antics. He knew that even if Dazai is inferior to him when it comes to physical abilities, the person can jump from the window of the second floor to the first floor without damage. His stamina isn’t also something to underestimate. Both of them went on missions that involve a lot of running and fast-paced plans that Dazai himself had concocted.
Acting like that means that the mackerel doesn’t take this test seriously at all. Should I also tone it down? But before he could decide, he felt Dazai’s stare. It was the same stare he used to give him whenever he wanted him to just continue whatever he was doing.
Seriously, the jackass is acting all on his own again. Whatever.
Test 2: Grip Strength
It went without a hitch for most of the students with good physical stats. Uraraka used her quirk to lighten the tool as much as possible so when she pulled it, it was like she was playing with a kid’s toy and got a high score. Chuuya, Jouno, and Dazai don’t need to use their abilities and still got high scores, with Midoriya being the lowest, having the most normal-looking result.
Jouno even sighed, “I could still go on, but this will definitely break.” his result was once again .02 higher than Bakugo’s, making the other person almost smash his tool on the ground.
Test 3: Standing Long Jump
Class 1-A are already starting to get creative with their quirks and are having fun with the challenge. Tsuyu only needs a jump and Iida only needs the momentum with his speed. Chuuya and Uraraka just floated their way through - one steady and one wobbly. Bakugo blasted once again and Jouno jumped in a carefree manner. Midoriya only reached half and Dazai only reached a bit more than Midoriya’s before falling on the dust.
“Ugh, dirty.” He said while walking away and dusting off the dirt that were stuck in between his bandages. Chuuya approached him while the test was still ongoing. He handed him a handkerchief and said, “You could’ve avoided that, asshole.”
Dazai sighed. Right, he should’ve just avoided it. But he’s having fun copying Midoriya, ah. What can he do about it? Besides, the blind dog is messing with the stray pomeranian, not even intent on doing his best, rather, focused on always maintaining a 2-point difference each time, so why couldn’t he do the same with the freckles?
“It’s getting itchy now.” He mumbled in annoyance.
Chuuya carefully reached out his hands from his pockets and removed his right glove before lifting Dazai’s elbow. Using his fingernails, he gently traced the edges of the bandages and scraped off the dirt. Dazai just let him do the work and stopped picking his bandages randomly. Instead, he used Chuuya's handkerchief to gently dust off his uniform.
The two remained in their own little world until the third test ended.
Test 4: Repeated Side Steps
Dazai and Chuuya blinked twice in unison. Their eyes couldn't believe how the grape guy was able to 'proudly' show off such a skill. That perverted guy seems too pumped up with this. In any case, Mineta got the highest score and Iida got second.
“I have a speed quirk and yet…” Iida muttered with his soul leaving his mouth. Uraraka catches it immediately and forces it back inside before breathing a sigh of relief.
Well, none of the Ability Users wanted to look stupid so they did the test with their own pace. Of course, Jouno is still able to taunt Bakugo by making two sets more than his’.
Bakugo, "FUCK!"
Test 5: Ball Throw
Now they are back with the one that was demonstrated earlier. Bakugo was the first to be called and after hearing the go signal, he added the strongest blast he could with the strongest pitch he could make, “DIE YOU WHITE-HAIRED FREAK!”
Midoriya, "Die?"
Dazai whistled.
Everyone, “.....”
705.2
Bakugo seems satisfied and everyone also praised his technique when a certain ‘white-haired freak’ stepped forward and reminded, “This quirk knock-off scored 705.4. A .2 points more than you. I guess I overestimated your abilities. After all, I always set the criteria with two more points than you.”
“AAARRRGGHHH!!!” Bakugo fumed in irritation when Aizawa called the next one.
Uraraka readied herself and threw quite a soft pitch. However, the ball kept on going higher and higher until the result turned infinity.
“Woah!” most of the students felt she was cool, even Chuuya whistled in interest. So when it was Chuuya’s turn, he faced her and said with a grin, “Let me borrow your idea, Ochaco.” and with that, Class 1-A got another infinity.
“Amazing! Two got infinity!” Kaminari freaked out.
The one beside him nodded with his arms crossed, “They’re so manly!”
After his turn, Uraraka excitedly ran up to him, “Chuuya! Could your ability be related to gravity as well?!” Chuuya was infected with the girl’s smile and he let out quite a sunny-looking one when he gave her a thumbs up, “Yup.”
Uraraka cannot conceal her joy. It will be a huge help to her if they train together some other time. Chuuya also looks like he’s better at controlling gravity than hers so it will really benefit her in figuring out her techniques!
After each student finished, it was Midoriya’s turn. In this test, he lost his head in a panic and was planning to go all out. Dazai saw the glow and strange patterns coiling the boy’s hand but it suddenly disappeared and Midoriya’s pitch went to waste.
There was a buzz that he felt. His ability, No Longer Human, is triggered by something and is now activated. Before he could search discreetly who was targeting him, he heard a voice from behind, “I erased your quirk,” clearly, their teacher didn’t mean him. Only Midoriya.
But there are two things he found out. One, Mr. Caterpillar can nullify quirks with his sight. Since he is also standing near Midoriya, he is within the guy’s range and got caught up in it. And two, his ability seems to work perfectly well with quirks too. He is nullifying Aizawa’s nullification quirk but Aizawa hasn’t had a clue since his quirk is working well. It seems that his sensei's quirk is unable to send him a signal when his quirk is interrupted midway.
There is an invisible force meeting in the middle that resulted in both Aizawa’s quirk and Dazai’s ability to be unable to nullify each other. It’s like a singularity, but not quite. Just an empty space in the middle with the quiet result of their powers. If a superhuman or a gifted tried to step in the middle, Dazai was sure that they would get caught up in their powers rendering such individuals unable to use their quirks and abilities.
Dazai blinked twice, almost outing himself by wanting to smile and look at Aizawa with amused expression, 'Interesting indeed.'
It turns out, Midoriya is quite reckless and couldn’t control his quirk so he isn’t using it until now. But what made Dazai more invested in the evolving scene is the Pomeranian’s confusion and refusal to believe that ‘Deku’ has a quirk. Dazai didn’t even listen to all of Aizawa’s preaching and the students’ reactions upon realizing who their teacher was.
He glanced at the slug who’s engrossed in watching the drama play out. Well, he can just ask chibi later how he encountered Deku . Dazai felt like the broccoli’s nickname from the Pomeranian made sense, ‘En, Deku it is.’
It turns out, by some sheer luck or an external force, Midoriya managed to injure only his index finger instead of his whole arm, earning a score of 705.3.
A whistle was heard and a finger pointed at Midoriya, “Look, broccoli’s got more potential than you. That must be so~ embarrassing.” Jouno once again provoked Bakugo but the other person didn’t have time to deal with him at the moment and launched at Deku in anger with his palm ready to explode, demanding for an explanation.
Midoriya got lucky once again when Bakugo was stopped by Aizawa’s scarf which turns out to be made with special materials that are very durable. In the end, the test ended and they continued.
Test 6: Sit-ups.
Dazai and Kirishima were paired up making Dazai quite awkward, “Y-You don’t have to use your quirk while holding my feet, you know?” His smile strained as he continued to do the sit-ups.
“Don’t worry, Zaibro! With my hardened body, your movement will be more stable!” Kirishima gave him a thumbs up. Dazai only paled in despair, “No… it’s uncomfortable… also… heavy…” Poor redhead panicked after hearing that he's unconsciously hurting his classmate.
Dazai looked away and sneaked a sly smile, enjoying Kirishima's misery.
On the other hand, a tail was wrapped around Chuuya’s legs as he did his sit-ups, “You’ve got quite a tight grip.” He mentioned.
The other guy was startled, “Oh- sorry! Are you hurting? Do you need me to loosen it up a bit?”
“Yeah, that’ll help. Thanks.” Chuuya nodded and continued, feeling a bit better when the grip on his legs loosened. When they switched positions, Chuuya asked for his name, “I’m Ojiro Mashirao,” he spoke and Chuuya nodded, “Nakahara Chuuya.”
“Don’t touch me there. Are you coveting my body? You disgust me. Get your sweaty hands off me!” Jouno unfortunately had to be paired up with Bakugo and felt disgusted with his 24-7 sweaty hands.
“Hah?! Who would want the likes of losers like you?!” Bakugo exclaimed and the two argued the whole test. To everyone, it's a miracle how the two even managed to finish their sit-ups.
Test 7: Seated Toe-Touch
Midoriya wasn’t quite the flexible one but most of his classmates, especially the girls, are more flexible. Dazai and Chuuya were quite flexible too. Jouno was once again above Bakugo by 2 points on purpose.
Lastly, Test 8: Long Distance Run
In this test, Iida, Chuuya, Jouno and Bakugo shone. Midoriya huffed when he reached the finish line and wiped his sweat, ‘Once again, I finished last.’ he brooded when he heard a whine coming from behind him, “Man! That was tough as heck!” He turned around and saw Dazai fanning himself with his hand while panting. Dazai looked at him and smiled, “This truly sucks, right, Deku?”
The panting Midoriya, “.....” Deku…?
Before his brain was rendered, everyone was called for the results. Midoriya was feeling helpless. After all, his only good result is the ball throw, nothing else. So when the results are being shown through a hologram, he scans it very slowly, afraid of what he will see. But before he can scan until the end, he hears someone.
“Aww shucks. I guess I’m going~ Will you miss me, chibi? Say you’ll miss me so I can say that I definitely won’t miss you too~!”
Instantly, he looked over and found Dazai-san exaggeratedly leaning on Chuuya-san. The shorter one shrugged his shoulder in displeasure, “Get off, you’re heavy!”
Dazai put his weight on him even more and clutched his heart in pain, “Ah! You’re throwing me away now that I’m useless! Chuuya~! How can you be so heartless?”
When Midoriya once again looked at the results, he saw that he ranked 22nd, below him is Dazai-san, who ranked 23rd. Chuuya-san ranked 3rd. Jouno-san ranked 4th.
Jouno snickered a bit louder, loud enough for Bakugo to hear, “Oh I’m sorry. It’s quite funny how this ‘quirk knockoff’ is always two digits above you.”
Bakugo who ranked 6th, “DAMN YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!”
Iida who ranked 7th, “Language!”
Aizawa looked at everyone’s reactions. Some have mixed opinions, some celebrate their ranking, and some are openly dissatisfied. He turned off the hologram and saw Midoriya approaching him, “Sensei… why do I rank higher than Dazai-san?”
His question silenced everyone, making him quite baffled and flailed his hands, “W-W-Well! I mean! I-I’m not saying that the r-results are r-rigged or anything!”
“But you did score higher than me, Deku. I don’t blame you for not realizing though. You’re too focused on feeling worthless after all.” Dazai said while half of his body weight was being carried by Chuuya, who was wearing a dark face.
“Huh?” Midoriya blinked twice, looking really lost.
“It’s kinda obvious, man! I mean, did you see his ball throw result? You scored a whopping 705.3 and Zaibro only scored 60!” One of them said.
“Huh?!” Midoriya’s eyes widened in shock.
Another person with a bird head nodded, “It is for naught that amongst all men, he not but underestimated thy hero’s trial.”
“Kero. Dazai-chan never did use his ability in the whole test.” The girl with the frog quirk answered.
“That’s right. Out of 8 tests, you are 4 tests above him with a huge difference in Test 5. Also, Daz-kun lagged behind you in the last test.” Mina answered.
“Huh?!” Midoriya freaked and looked at the person in question, “But why didn’t you use it, Dazai-san?!”
“‘Cause, it wouldn’t matter anyway. Even the white-haired blind freak didn’t use his’, y’know?” Dazai emphasized. Jouno faced him with a not-so-kind smile, “You seem to be enjoying quite a nickname, don’t you think?”
“You heard your classmates.” Aizawa finally answered before putting the device in his pocket and saying, “By the way, I was lying about the expulsion. It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks and Abilities. It worked for most of you, so I’d count it a win.”
“HUUUUUUHHHH?!?!?!?!” His statement shocked those who were really taking the exam seriously. The loudest are Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida who felt so betrayed for having their hearts hanging desperately only to realize that the ground is only a step away.
A certain girl with a ponytail finally couldn’t help but speak, “Of course that was a lie. It should’ve been obvious if you thought it through.” Making some of them who didn’t notice anything feel like an idiot the whole time.
Aizawa dismissed the homeroom and left with Jouno for his next class.
“Jackass. You could’ve told me so I wouldn’t expose too much of my ability.” Chuuya blamed the annoying one and finally pushed him away for real, making him stumble and fall on his butt.
Dazai groaned and massaged his aching buttocks, “No chibi. I wouldn’t tell you such a lame lie. That sensei is really serious.” His goofy attitude dissipated and a smile crept up, paired with his empty gaze, it was as if he was a different person once again, “Eraserhead-sensei is testing us. But his focus isn’t solely on us. After seeing what happened, it turns out that he singled out Deku, and wanted to expel him. He could’ve done so, but given Deku’s performance and my own lackluster performance, there’s no longer a need to continue pursuing his previous goal.”
“Did you know, chibi? I’ve done my research about Eraserhead. He’s an underground hero who’s the polar opposite of that one blonde muscles guy. I can say he’s quite a noble one since he truly only focuses on saving people and teaching hero wannabes. He’s quite strict though. After all, he has a record of expelling a whole class because there’s no potential in them. He’s quite the sensei, don’t you think?”
Although Dazai knew what his sensei’s quirk is, it’s still surprising to experience it firsthand than only seeing it up close. Still, it gave him some benefits.
Chuuya frowned and faced him, “I see. So you wanted to see whether he’s going for it or not, huh?” He looked at his classmates being chaotic in the field, loudly discussing their reliefs and frustrations, and said, “Still, why did you aim for last? If he followed through, he could’ve really expelled you.” But then Chuuya realized their status in this school, “Right, he would need the principal’s permission for that.”
“Bingo.” Dazai winked.
Chuuya offered him a hand and helped him up, “So in the end, your plan was to make sure no one gets expelled even if Midoriya couldn’t perform well. It’s not like you to help others. What’s your deal?”
They began to grab their bags and walked to the nearby restroom, “Nothing much. I just found Deku quite amusing. Besides, he helped my little dog enter the school with me, so let’s cut him some slack.”
“For the nth time, I’m not your fucking dog!” Chuuya and Dazai bickered all the way to the restroom before finally quieting down when changing.
Notes:
I actually didn't plan on writing the whole 8 tests but I figured it would be kinda fun to imagine Class 1-A and the trio perform each tasks together so I thought, "Heck, Imma write it!"
So I did... he he...
Chapter 9: The First Step to Fitting In
Summary:
first day of school with the trio - Ranpo, Yosano and Tecchou!
Notes:
this is my last draft AAAAAAA why is school always making me 10 times busier T^T
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Did you get it, Ranpo?” Sitting on the sofa, face-to-face with a teenager who looks quite younger than his age, the president of the Armed Detective Agency might look calm on the surface because of his heavenly demeanor and stoic poise but the overflowing emotions shown in his eyes betrayed his facade.
The said teen leaned on the sofa and melted like a puddle, with a dissatisfied look on his face and a frown visible between his brows. He waved the pocketbook he is holding, “It’s just a school filled with dumb children. Why do I have to follow this stupid thing?”
If anyone were to take a careful look, the book is actually written by hand using a brush. The fine and powerful strokes can easily attract readers to read the title on the cover - Complete Guide to Proper Communication.
The contents of the pocketbook are still fresh as if it was just written recently. Coincidentally, when Fukuzawa reached out his hand to grab his cup of hot tea, there were ink smudges on his sleeve, some even on his fingers.
Ranpo's tongue refused to move after noticing the detail. Even without noticing the subtle hints, the fact that the writing is very familiar to him already gave it away. He truly doesn’t want to go to school but since he’s a part of the ADA, he has to play his role as the role-model detective so he has no alternatives than to do so. Upset, he reached out to snatch a snack and inhaled it as if he didn't do anything bad.
Fukuzawa, “.....”
Fukuzawa, “Eat slowly, I won't take it from you. It’s written on the 23rd page how to properly ask for food with the same age range.” He explained patiently even if he already knew that the teen in front of him already memorized the contents at one glance – whether the teen wanted to or not.
To Fukuzawa, Ranpo is gifted in a different sense. But that is also why he wanted to give him the best of the best, the things he deemed that the teenager deserved. The idea of studying in a formal institution doesn’t bode well with Ranpo. Fukuzawa knows this (as much as he doesn’t want to), the teen seems too trusting of him in a spoiled manner, telling him almost everything about himself. Therefore, it doesn’t take an Ability for Fukuzawa to know why Ranpo looks down on schools. It’s cruel of him to force the teenager to attend school and alter most of his normal responses to situations through the use of the notebook he just handed him, but Fukuzawa wants Ranpo to overcome this certain burden in his heart, instead of letting it rot deep inside.
Since to Fukuzawa, all men are created equal . It's the external influences that made them have the illusion to be below or above others.
As expected, Ranpo whined, “You don't need to tell me. I’ve already memorized everything. But, president, aren't you going overboard? Why do I have to bring this with me all the time once I set foot to the hero society? Why do I have to follow everything that’s written here? It's not like I also want to play house with those people.” He complained while choosing what mochi flavor he would ‘steal’ next, completely ignoring Yukichi’s instructions on how to ‘ask for food’.
Fukuzawa Yukichi sighed in defeat and took a moment of silence before speaking, “I want you to socialize and have a proper school life. You and Akiko are dear to me. Rather than focusing on gathering intel, I hope for you both to truly enjoy being a student in a formal institution. That's why.” His bluntness made Ranpo knit his brows even more. Ranpo wanted to inquire why he was forcing things on him when he already knew why he hated such things. However, he doesn’t want to question the president’s decisions.
“You want something. You should know there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Unfortunately, I’m not motivated by your take on the matter.” He put the book on the table and closed it. Although he doesn't like the contents of the book, he truly wants to keep it in his collection. It’s a symbol of Mr. President’s care for him after all.
If it's motivation his rebellious teen wants, Fukuzawa actually already has something in mind, “If you are able to follow through even only half of the book's contents, I will message you 1 praise every three weeks.”
A flinch.
Fukuzawa knew that this son of his was baited.
Ranpo, “.....”
Slowly, he looks up to see if the president is truly serious and not joking. Ooh boy, he saw one dedicated expression on the man’s face right there. One praise every three weeks is too tempting, considering Mr. President’s record of saying praises only once in a blue moon. Thus, with his lips pursed, he looks away in embarrassment as his right hand slowly… slowly reaches for the pocketbook, quietly hiding it in his pocket.
“... You should've said it earlier…” he muttered with a pout.
There was relief in Fukuzawa's eyes. Truth be told, he didn't want to use ‘affection’ as a bargaining chip. Not because he feels bad for the subtle manipulation, but because he thinks it would easily wear out and Ranpo might not take the bait anymore.
Maybe 1 praise every 3 weeks is still too much. Should I change it every month instead? – But before he could speak, Ranpo had an inkling about his train of thought. So the teen grabbed the whole plate of mochi and rushed out of the office.
He thinks changing the deal after it was struck is unfair and despicable. Mr. President should follow the end of their deal.
Ranpo grinned, feeling a bit giddy, and eagerly waits for a text message from the other person.
The detective doctor pointed in a different direction, “I’ll be going there now. Did you memorize the way to class?”
Today is their first day of class. The two arrived early since Yosano’s classes start 30 minutes earlier due to the added schedule with her meetings with Recovery Girl.
“There's still 40 minutes before class. I’ll figure it out by then. You go.” Ranpo waved goodbye and the other nodded and left.
The boy started strolling the campus and trying to familiarize himself in the area. He reached for his pocket to grab his phone, opening the text messages, he clicked on the president’s number.
It was still empty.
It has been a month but he still hasn't received any praise. He figured that since the guidebook was written for his school relationships, the deal would only take place once school started. Still, it bummed him a bit. After all, he did well in the entrance exam and actually worked together with someone. There are a lot of ways he can score. If he wanted to, he could even gain some VP on his own. For instance, he can manipulate the surroundings and use the debris and destruction caused by other examinees to trap those faux villains and use the momentum to his advantage but he didn't. Not only because it was too much work, but also because of page 3 in that senseless book. Going on about teamwork, cooperation, etc. that he doesn't even want to remember.
“Stingy.” He huffed and stomped his feet in frustration. When he looked up, he noticed… somehow, he was back to where he started…
“This makes no sense! I followed sensei-chan’s advice just fine!” He fumed and equated his wrong turns to Yosano’s incorrect map explanation. He tried to find his room again but no matter which building he entered, he is always ending up near the school entrance.
Ranpo’s heart felt tired, “.....” This school is as complicated as train stations.
He folded his legs and crouched down to take a rest in the middle of the road. There are only 7-10 minutes left before class starts. And since it was almost time, there were barely any students to ask for directions. A small frown appeared on his forehead. He remembers how a section in the book talks about having good first impressions.
Forget waiting three more weeks for someone's praise, he might fail on the first day.
“Well, it’s not my fault that this damned school is cursed,” Ranpo muttered. Right. The president is wise. He should know that this one doesn't count.
Suddenly, he heard an engine. Looking towards the school gate, he saw quite an expensive sports car. The door opened and a student in U.A. uniform came out with a sly grin. He bid the driver goodbye and entered the school grounds confidently.
He saw a boy crouching in the middle of the pathway so… he swerved a bit on the right and pretended he didn't see anything. However, he felt a tug on his polo. He looked behind him and saw the boy looking at him.
Then the boy spoke, “Sports car-san, can you show me which building is the hero course? I'm new so I'm lost.”
The guy in question turned sideways and faced the other. Suddenly, his tame smile became condescending, “Haaahh? You're from the hero course? Maaaannnn! Students from Class 1-A are really too privileged; they don't even bother learning how to read maps!”
“I’m from Class 1-B.” Ranpo answered with a tilt of his head. The person went silent for a while, looked away, and looked back with a bright savior smile, his face glowing like Buddha, “Well, it's common to get lost, especially when it's your first day. Come let me take you there. We're going to the same place after all!"
That’s such a switch.
Ranpo stood up and said to the other, “Sports car-san, my feet are hurting. They might have blisters. Carry me?”
The “sports car” guy, “.....”
In any case, they are now on their way to their room. And yes, Ranpo is currently being carried on the guy's back. What a smooth method to reach the classroom, a piggyback ride is good every now and then!
“Be thankful you're a classmate. If not, I won’t even bother.” The other pointed out and fixed Ranpo's position on his back.
Ranpo leaned his face closer to the other and said with a smile, “Thank you, sports car-san!”
“I HAVE A NAME!” the other looked at him in contempt and said, “Remember, I’m Monoma Neito. Now that we're classmates, I’ll make sure you don't appear as a disappointment, especially with our conquest to overtake those future attention-seekers in Class 1-A.”
“Edogawa Ranpo.” Curious, Ranpo introduced himself first and inquired about the other person's quirk, “Is your quirk strong?” Monoma nodded proudly and even asked if the other wanted to see. When Ranpo nodded eagerly, Monoma gave him a smirk and used his quirk to copy Ranpo’s ‘quirk’.
Nothing happened.
Monoma blinked twice and tried again.
Nothing happened.
“???” Confused, Monoma stopped and looked at Ranpo. Coincidentally they are already standing in front of their classroom door.
Ranpo hopped off and admired the huge door, “Wow! Why's the door so big? It's awesome! Mr. President should do this too. Maybe there will be more people wanting to go to the agency and my path to greatness will spread faster to everyone.”
Monoma looked at the other, unable to fathom a word, lost in thought. Soon, he couldn't help but ask, “Are you… quirkless?”
Ranpo turned to look at him, “Affirmative. And?”
There was an incredulous glint in Monoma’s eyes. He suppressed his emotions, but it seemed to also suppress his ability to communicate properly, “You better drop out from the hero course then. Being a hero is not a game. You can contribute to society in a different way. You’re unneeded here.” He walked past the other and opened the door to enter the room. The door showed different types of quirked individuals and their peculiar similarities with each other.
“Look around. There's a fine line between you and us . The difference will never change no matter how hard you try.” He said without looking back, leaving the other behind.
Ranpo stood still in place, seemingly lost in thought for a while.
“Why haven't you kicked him out of school yet?! He said hurtful things to my son! My son is only 13!”
“He said mean things about my daughter too! She kept crying all night and couldn't even stop!”
“My kids are skipping school because of this freak! Where are even his parents?! They clearly didn't do a great job at raising their son!”
“What a cocky piece of shit! Get out of this academy!”
Flashes of red and blue lights followed, blurring the memory, and muting the sharp voices.
Black and white cars.
Loud sirens.
Yellow tapes.
Blood.
Blood all over.
The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of two people’s graves.
Ranpo removed himself from the thought and reconnected with reality. He entered the room and walked straight to the guy who is now sitting.
“What do you know?” He spoke.
Monoma raised a brow, “Huh?”
Ranpo put his hands on Monoma's desk and leaned forward, “I’m saying, we’ve only met for a solid 10 minutes. So what makes you think you know me?”
“The fact that you’re a quirkless student in the hero course says a lot about you.” The other person replied.
There was silence. Why wouldn’t there be? Ranpo couldn’t get how an idiot’s brain works. On the other hand, other students were curiously eavesdropping while some were shamelessly looking at both of them.
“What’s happening?”
“I dunno, man. They just started arguing over something.”
“Woah, really? It’s just the first day though…”
Murmurs echoed throughout the room, creating a somewhat unbearable atmosphere. It also made Monoma more conscious about his words but he found that it’s too late to take them back. His worries couldn’t reach Ranpo though, since Ranpo’s busy trying to understand what he meant that he just couldn’t get. The fact that he’s quirkless in the hero course says a lot about him - what does it say about him? How can they know something about him all of a sudden? Why can they decipher him with those sets of words? To Ranpo, the sentence is nothing but rubbish.
Could they know something about him that he didn’t?
Ranpo looked at everyone, feeling askance, when he noticed the soldier with weird taste buds. He brightened up and waved his hands, “Foolish soldier! Hello!”
Tecchou, who was busy eating, offered Ranpo a chocolate bun when the guy reached him, “Don't take their opinions to heart. Do it and you’ll lose your sense of control over yourself.”
Ranpo took the bun and sat beside him, “Oh, I know.” He took a bite, savoring the sweet taste of chocolate, and faced every curious student, even Monoma who looked baffled and ashamed upon realizing what Ranpo might be, “I just want to let everyone know that my ability may not be offensive but it is the most powerful ability of all.”
It sparked another discussion and another round of noise.
A loudmouth guy chimed in, “Ability?! Wait! Both of you are Ability Users?! The ones on the news?!”
A guy wearing a headband was curious, “Damn! How come I didn’t realize someone was sitting there? Did you notice him, Tsuburaba-kun?”
The other shook his head in awe, “No, not at all. He’s practically invisible to me.”
“Right? I even had the illusion that no one was sitting there. I didn’t even hear the wrappers and all the munching.” A foreign language rang out between the two, making them feel awkward. The girl felt the awkwardness as well so she tried to speak in broken Japanese, “I mean… the sitting with no munch-munch is… amazing!”
Awase and Tsuburaba, “......”
Awase and Tsuburaba, “Ohhh! I get you!” - No, they didn’t.
The girl felt happy and smiled timidly with a hint of pride on her face.
A little earlier, unlike Ranpo’s somewhat flashy entrance, Tecchou just entered the room, dropped his bag, grabbed his snacks, sat down, and erased his presence while eating. So far, so good until the detective found him.
Being sent to a couple of missions, erasing his presence and camouflaging himself is a breeze. Although, maybe it's not as perfect as he thought since he was spotted. He should inform Jouno about this later. It would be troublesome if the detective kept on spotting them all the time.
The door opened and a muscular white-haired man, entered the room imposingly, walking towards the teacher’s table. He was easily recognized by the students and most of them behaved with excited smiles and shining eyes painted on their faces.
“Welcome to U.A., Class 1-B of the Hero Course!” He greeted enthusiastically. His imposing aura and strict countenance is still present, but somehow, his loud voice delivered a friendly tone, making the students more inclined to admire him, “I’m your homeroom teacher and adviser, Kan Sejikiro. Most of you must’ve known me as The Blood Hero, Vlad King!”
“Vlad King in the flesh… as our adviser…” a ginger-haired girl couldn’t help but feel hyped up. She feels like everything is a fever dream. Seeing The Blood Hero this close is one of her goals in life.
“Since it’s the first day today, we’ll be getting to kow each other more. So, let’s start with individual self-introduction. State your name, your age, your previous school, and your dream! Let’s go, Plus Ultra!”
“PLUS ULTRA!” the students replied excitedly. Tecchou looked confused but joined in by raising his hand and Ranpo leaned on his desk to cover his ears.
“Alright, that’s the spirit! Then, let’s begin with my student assistant!'' The hero’s hand spread out as everyone turned to look at the no-presence student earlier. It turns out he's still eating some sweets.
Tecchou looked confused once again but he stood up and went to the podium. He looked at everyone’s curious gazes before looking back at his sensei, “Excuse me, sir, I don’t think it’s good to start with me…”
The man patted his back and said, “It doesn’t matter. Everyone will be doing this anyway. Go on.”
“Well, if you insist.” Tecchou didn’t argue much and faced forward before speaking, “I’m Suehiro Tecchou. 20 years old. You can say, I’m the oldest here except for… Vlad… Kan… sensei.” His unsure tone and hesitance in the proper address garnered a few good laughs from the students, “As you all know by now, I’m an Ability User from Yokohama. As for my previous school, none. I didn’t go to school before. This is my first time.”
“...Really?” one whispered in disbelief, unable to comprehend why because of the difference in their government policies.
Tecchou faced the brown-haired girl with bangs covering her face, “Really.” he then on continued, “I wasn’t originally from Yokohama. I lived in a small village near the borders of Japan. Back then, the great war also reached the area so I took it upon myself to defend my village. That’s when I found out about my ability. Soon, the Hunting Dogs reached the area and took me in, taught me basic stuff about the real world and stuff about my ability.”
He remembered that time when he first met Jouno. The guy was wearing an unclean cloth to cover his eyes. Through the cloth was blood that dried for a long period of time. The cloth might’ve already stuck through his flesh, but the boy doesn’t mind it. Of course, they argued as soon as they met but decided to work together in the end before meeting a young girl called Teruko Okura and getting taken in by The Hunting Dogs.
“Just so you know, I don’t need someone’s protection, much less yours! Why do you insist on following me?!” a youthful voice of young Jouno echoed in the desolate area filled with the scent of blood and rotting flesh, a pile of corpses everywhere. But even as he walks, he never trips on any of the dead bodies on the ground.
“You’re injured. I’ll guard you.” an equally youthful voice of young Tecchou answered as a matter of fact. His eyes focused on the road as he used his ability to carefully swipe the corpses that were almost stepped on by Jouno. Of course, his actions made the other angrier. Poor young Tecchou doesn’t know why though.
The memory came and went as he continued, “After being more aware of the war and my own inability to protect the people dear to me, I vowed to protect the weak and helpless and enforce justice as a member of The Hunting Dogs.”
Silence permeates the air at first. Each student’s worldview is slowly being shattered. Although they are aware of wars and how wars affect people, they mostly see them on the news or read them in historical textbooks. In other words, it’s something intangible and far away from them. They can only sympathize but never fully empathize.
After a long while of Tecchou’s confusion because of the silence, a hand was raised and a question rang out, “Instead of taking you in, shouldn’t they provide therapy instead?” the girl with green vine-like hair asked.
Ranpo sighed in exasperation while Tecchou cocked his head to the side, “Why? They gave me what I need, so why does that matter?”
“......”
Their teacher broke the awkward silence by faking a cough, “There are a lot of things we ought to know about Yokohama. I’m sure we’ll figure things out soon. Let’s not rush things. Besides, I admire your strong sense of justice, Suehiro-kun! It’s the same thing I live by as a hero. That thought of yours is a hero-in-the-making.”
Blinking twice at him, Tecchou looked away with flowers blooming around his head. Although he knows his sense of justice is vastly different from the hero’s society’s sense of justice, it still makes him quite proud of himself. A hero-in-the-making has a nice ring to it. He should tell Jouno later.
The self-introduction continued and students began to have fun admiring everyone’s dreams, making jokes about normal stuff, relating to others’ school and relationship experiences, and the like when the door opened and a girl entered, “Good morning, sensei.” she greeted.
“Oh, you’re the one who’s taking tutors with Recovery Girl? Are you done with the class?” Vlad King wondered and the other answered that Recovery Girl would always take 30 minutes of homeroom for her and the adviser gladly accepted. He even said, “Perfect timing! We’re in the middle of self-introduction. Care to share?” He then told the girl how to do it and she willingly went to the podium with confidence.
“The name’s Yosano Akiko, 18 years old. I’m a doctor and a detective from the Armed Detective Agency. I didn’t have time to study when I was young. I became more engrossed in using my ability as a way to help people and it became my passion. That’s probably why I chose to work really early as a nurse.”
“WHAT?!” Another info dump shocked the class. This time, even their homeroom teacher had the same expression. Yosano only raised an eyebrow, “What? Have you never heard of a bone-deep dedication in your whole life?”
“No, you’ve gotta be lyin’! What kinda medical institution would take in a child as a nurse?! What kinda patient would accept a child as a nurse?!” the guy stood up and pointed at her, unbelieving in her story.
Yosano smiled and pointed back at him, “Correct! What’s your name?”
“Huh? My name? Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu…” That got him confused for a bit.
“Tetsu x4!” Yosano called, “I get why you’re curious. Of course, it’s the military doctors back from the great war. They will need all the hands they can get. Although, it’s true that I’m too young for that, so I’m very glad that the ADA took me away from that awful environment.”
The foreign student couldn’t help but look at Ranpo. Although she couldn’t understand a lot of Japanese, she could somehow understand some words or phrases (only, she couldn’t get the correct idea), “You’re from the great war too?” she asked in English to Ranpo before realizing that she really shouldn’t speak in her native language anymore.
To her surprise, Ranpo faced her and muttered with his brows furrowed, “Are you stupid? No. Why would I enlist myself in the army?” Her eyes sparkled, ‘He can speak English really well!’ she felt quite happy that there was at least someone who could assist her whenever she was having a hard time.
Although there are mind-blowing information that was shared, Vlad-sensei was glad that his students are getting along well. He’s also very satisfied that he fought for Class 1-B’s right to have half of the gifted people. Now, there’s only one person left unintroduced, “How about you, lad? It’s finally your turn to shine!”
Ranpo frowned even more. With his chin on his palm, he looked away and refused to stand up. This made it impossible for Vlad-sensei to find a proper response to his student’s blatant show of unkindness.
Yosano approached the other and mentioned, her tone several degrees warmer, “Ranpo-san, it’s your turn.” Ranpo looked up at her and sighed in annoyance.
Only it was because it’s Yosano that Ranpo cared to even bother to give a reply, “Do we really have to? It’s pretty obvious who’s who. The school has all the details. This sensei surely keeps a list of students with their pictures and other stuff. Even all students here should’ve also browsed through the school’s bulletin board with our class segregations. Each of our names and ranks are also written there. If they didn’t, there are also online records of students who passed with their faces and ranks included. So why should I bother with this charade? Is playing house really a part of a school’s curriculum? Sounds dumb to me.”
His response was met with silence. Yosano understood him, but their classmates didn’t. Some were embarrassed for not really focusing on those things, some were offended because they really wanted to savor the excitement of just getting to know each other in its purest form, while others were enraged for the sheer disrespect Ranpo had just shown towards their teacher.
The guy who introduced himself as Shishida is the first one to stand up in anger, “How could you say that! In front of Vlad-sensei no less!”
His response was met with others who joined in, “That’s right! No matter how you think, you could’ve just cooperated or at least have spoken in a different way.” the girl named Kendo reasoned.
“You’re even targeting Monoma right from the start! That’s so uncool!” Tetsu x4 wanted to lecture him when Monoma himself tried to stop him, “No! It wasn’t all his fault I was also–”
Shoda chimed in, “I don’t get your deal…”
“That’s not really giving hero vibes…” Kaibara muttered cautiously.
All the voices seemed to spook the detective a bit. However, compared to that feeling, he was even more confused. In the end, he really isn’t cut out for school. His parents tried and failed. The strangers who introduced him to a military school also tried and failed. This is why he never brought up school to Mr. President. School is not somewhere he should be.
Amidst the echoes of voices, a clear voice rang out, “This is Ranpo-san. My co-worker at the ADA. Remember when I told you I was taken in by the ADA? It was actually Ranpo-san who saved me. He’s my hero through and through. So everyone, please be nice to him.”
Ranpo flinched at first before slowly facing behind him, seeing Yosano’s determined face and proudful expression while telling everyone about him. Somehow, it made him feel praised, “Akiko… you…”
Yosano looked at him and gave him a smile, “Since you don’t want to introduce yourself, I did it for you. Be thankful.” Ranpo felt vibrations from his pocket. He snapped out of his trance and grabbed it to take a look.
A message.
Mr. President Former Bodyguard: [Very well done.]
Ranpo, “.....”
His lips quivered for a split second and formed a smile. He energetically looked at Yosano and said, “What kind of introduction is that, sensei-chan? Lame! So lame! Besides, you didn’t even tell them my full name!” He pointed at her before hopping off his chair.
He stepped forward and grabbed a chalk to write his full name in bold powerful strokes. He faced everyone with his mood soaring high, “Alright. Since everyone wanted me to play along, then I will gladly play along! Remember the name of a master detective that will be known in the whole world! Surname, Edogawa. Given name, Ranpo. I’m Edogawa Ranpo. 19 years old. A master detective of the Armed Detective Agency!”
Everyone, ‘Damn! What a switch!’
Yosano let out a smile. Her hand behind her holding her phone - it had just finished a call with the president.
……….
EXTRA:
The Day I Encountered Fate
“Cough! Cough!” the wind carrying the scent of rust and countless dust particles made it difficult for young Tecchou to breathe. He used his right hand to swat the dirt in front of his face to no avail before grabbing a loaf from his pocket. The edges of the loaf are already forming molds. Tecchou’s two small hands exert a bit of force to break it in half. The other half was bitten lightly and the other was once again hidden in his pocket.
That piece of stone-hard loaf stuffed in his mouth will be his food for the day. He bit harder to chew, his hands holding the flavorless loaf. His hands are full of blisters and dirt, even the inside of his nails are filled with it.
Sitting on the ground stained with dried blood and leaning on a broken wall, he was lost in thought. Tecchou remembered the people back in his small village. No one survived, if it weren’t for the mysterious phenomenon that happened to him, he would’ve been dead as well.
He had to find everyone to give them a proper burial.
After burying and praying for everyone, he set out to find a shelter that could aid war victims. However, reality proved to him how difficult it is to walk around alone, navigating a path he had no clue about, with no proper goal in mind.
Just as he was about to take another bite of his bread, he heard ‘tak tak’ sounds coming his way. It sounded like a piece of wood hitting the uneven ground. His carefree demeanor changes instantly. With his teeth holding the cold bread, he cautiously unsheathed the butcher’s knife he grabbed from the butcher-uncle back home.
The sound is nearing.
Taking the chance, he leaped in front and attacked with a stab. But in the blink of an eye, the person in front of him disappeared, no, more like the part where he stabbed disintegrated. Caught off guard, he froze. His instinct however forced him to take a step back. He only realized that the other person had already swung a dagger towards his previous location.
He blinked upon seeing that the disintegrated part of the other person’s body seemed to go back.
He stood properly. Tecchou finally noticed that he and the other had the same height. Both of them wearing civilian clothes, looking weary. The guy in front of him even has his eyes covered due to an injury. It explains the sounds he heard earlier. It’s the sound of a tree branch tapping the ground to help the person navigate his direction without stumbling.
Just as the other prepared for another attack, Tecchou couldn’t help but open his mouth, dropping the bread on the ground to ask, “You also experienced it, haven’t you? That mysterious phenomenon…”
The other person flinched. The voice sounded young, definitely not one of those war crazed soldiers he encountered before.
“I’m Tecchou. You are?”
“...... Jouno…."
Little did these two children knew, their strings of fate intertwined, creating a beautiful tapestry.
Notes:
Is it wholesome? It is wholesome.
Chapter 10: A Pair For A Pear
Summary:
continuation of class 1-b's orientation
Notes:
I know they say "Special Ability" in English dub, but I really like how they say, "Inōryoku" so I will use it instead.
Have fun reading<3
Chapter Text
[Surname, Edogawa. Given Name, Ranpo. I’m Edogawa Ranpo. 19 years old. A master detective of the Armed Detective Agency!]
To Ranpo, this is a waste of time. To be playing dumb games with a set of dumb people– nevermind. Akiko and Mr. President are hoping for him to fit in so he thought he’d at least put in a bit of effort.
A hand was raised in hesitance before the girl with green hair asked, “Edogawa-san, what were you doing before?”
Ranpo raised a brow before answering, “As I said, I am a master detective working at the ADA.”
“No, not that–I mean, before that. Suehiro-san is already a soldier back then and Yosano-sensei is also already working as a nurse. Could it be that you're also already working as a detective before?”
After the question was said, curious gazes fell onto Ranpo, waiting for his response. Some even speculated that Ranpo was a rookie detective before, or maybe a policeman, investigator in training, a member of the scouts, and such.
Ranpo found their gazes hilariously stupid, he couldn't even laugh or grimace, “Are you all stupid? Of course I’m at school, studying at that time.”
“HUH?!” Class 1-B felt that it was anti-climatic, especially since they were anticipating a different outcome due to the influence of the first two gifted people.
Ranpo only thought to himself, ‘Do they think school is unavailable for Ability Users? Nonsense.’
Tecchou, however, seemed to be lost in thought. The detective lied to them. No, not exactly. After all, he didn't respond. But still, his actions before clearly indicated that he, too, is on the same boat as them.
He was thinking about the time when Jouno asked if there was someone who had experienced going to school before. It was only a simple question but the detective is not very truthful. Tecchou also couldn't blame him entirely. After all, the detective is not obligated to be friendly with them.
It was just a bit of a pity. He likes the detective already.
Ranpo continued to educate his pea-brained classmates, “Just so you know, I went to kindergarten, elementary, I got a tutor at home, high school too, and even the police academy. But I left as soon as I decided to be a detective. It worked out just fine.”
The guy with the headband blinked twice, “Whoa… that's so… normal.”
Kendo can't help but respond, “Right?”
Ranpo never thought he would be associated with the word ‘normal’. His classmates sure are always trailing behind when it comes to IQ. He just shrugged and walked back to his seat after a few conversations with their teacher.
Vlad King clapped twice, successfully grabbing his students’ attention, “Alright, now that this round of introduction is over, let's proceed to the exciting bit. Suehiro-kun!”
Tecchou crouched and grabbed a black box under his desk. It has a hole on top, similar to a lottery box. He stood and brought it to the professor in front. The box was then put on the table.
“I made it as requested.” Tecchou spoke, earning a proud grin from his teacher. Vlad-sensei faced everyone and said, “Line up in alphabetical order to draw lots.” The students followed his instructions with curious eyes. Even Yosano found this activity interesting. However, Ranpo shivered, not liking the activity at all. His sixth sense is kicking in.
After they all got their empty cards, Vlad King confirmed once again if they all got one before telling them to peel off the sticker. Each of them got a number ranging from 1 to 11. Their teacher clicked his smartwatch and the classroom lights softly dimmed. The projector was turned on and it shows a list of items required per number.
“You're all 23 in the class. You will be paired with someone with the same number and 1 will be a group of 3 people. All you have to do is to find these items and bring them to me. I booked today's schedule for the homeroom so you have the whole day to find them.”
The white-haired guy contemplated, “The whole day for just one item? That was easy.”
Awase couldn't help but nod, “Right? The classroom only has four walls. No big deal.”
Vlad-sensei looked at them, “Who said these items are inside the classroom? You have to go around U.A. to find them. Besides, only those with my stamp are accepted!”
“Huh?!” One guy freaked out, “Sensei, are you serious?! U.A. is too big! Even a day won't be enough!”
“That's why, you better find your pairs already and get a move on! Those who failed to bring me the item before the last period ends will be transferred to the Gen. Ed. Class! Best of luck, Class 1-B!”
Most of the students panicked and chaos erupted. They were only on the stage of finding their pair or group but everyone was shouting, pushing, and pulling just to be noticed.
“Eight! Who’s number eight?!”
“Hey! Careful! Don't push!”
“Here for ten! Let me through! Can you hear me?!”
The dark environment also didn't help since the only source of light was the projection in front of them.
Ranpo sighed and grabbed a paper and ink pen. He wrote a big 1 and pasted it on the board. He then grabbed the empty lottery box and banged it five times on the board, creating a loud sound. Everyone's attention turned to him, even Vlad-sensei.
Then a person rushed forward amidst confusion, “One!” He raised his paper to Ranpo. His face flushed red because of the chaos earlier… or perhaps because he was embarrassed to be paired with Ranpo.
Ranpo gave him a warm smile, “So it's you, sports car-san.”
“Y-Yeah…” Monoma scratched his head to avoid awkwardness.
Ranpo stood up from the teacher’s table and said, “Let's go. No one’s coming anymore so I guess we're a pair.”
Monoma blinked before trying to focus on the situation at hand, “Right.” Both of them left the classroom with ease.
Kendo was the first one to snap out of it and said, “Everyone! Let's use the seat numbers to find our groupmates instead of running around!”
Most of them found the suggestion agreeable so they followed her instruction and their process of finding their pair became easier.
Yosano was paired up with Tetsutetsu.
Tecchou was grouped with Kendo and Shiozaki.
Thankfully, the door was big enough to fit them and no pushing or pulling happened. Vlad-sensei observed his students with the thought of making a lesson plan that will fit with their strengths and weaknesses. This activity is just his criteria. The most that his students need at the moment is critical thinking and rationality. For instance, Edogawa-kun easily found his pair without panicking. Kendo-kun’s wits are also commendable. Her suggestion made it easier for everyone to go back to their senses.
If Edogawa-kun is a soloist, Kendo-kun is a team player.
What amazed Vlad King even more were the two groups who remained inside the classroom without rushing to leave, unlike the others. They are the groups with the Ability Users. They sat opposite each other, discussing their tactics.
Tetsutetsu, with brawls over brains, couldn’t understand why Yosano stopped him from carrying her and use his quirk to take advantage of the situation earlier to leave the classroom, “Hey Yosano! I don’t think just just idling like this will do us good! Everyone’s left already! We gotta do our own thing!” he persuaded.
Yosano furrowed her brows, her arms crossed and her right index finger tapping her left elbow, “Not yet. We shouldn’t go out before formulating a foolproof plan for the search.” Their item is a fountain pen. The problem is, in a school as big U.A., there are plenty, probably tens of hundreds of pens. It would be unwise to just check on each student’s and staff’s bags for a pen.
On the other hand, Tecchou’s group is also staying still in their room. Shiozaki raised a hand, gaining the attention of her groupmates. Tecchou, who looked absentminded, snapped out of it and faced her while Kendo, who was listening in to the other group left in the room, focused on her. Shiozaki used her finger to brush her hair behind her ear, “Our item is a ball. It is only logical to look for it in the P.E. rooms, right? Shall we get going?”
Kendo, just having to hear Yosano’s reasoning, contemplated, “You’re right, but… I think we should think outside the box for a while. We have the whole day and it’s not good to just blindly search in the P.E. rooms…”
Tecchou nodded at her suggestion. These two girls actually wanted to leave earlier but he grabbed their wrists and pulled them to sit down for a while. They looked confused at first but when they saw their classmates rushing out with a bit of confused look in their eyes, they realized that they should calm themselves first.
“After we search the P.E. rooms, what’s next? It’s good that you’ve thought of something but you should know that once we stepped out of this classroom, there’s no more time for pondering. It’s best to plan everything here so we can conduct the search without a pause. It’s less hassle.” Tecchou reminded, “In battlefields, those who rush out without a plan or a set of backup plans are the first ones to die.”
Yosano nodded, “That’s right. Now, do you understand a bit more? It means that we’ll only waste our energy without thinking through things.” Kendo and the others turned around only to see that Yosano and Tetsutetsu were also listening in.
The guy nodded, “Hmm… so that’s how it’s s’pose to be. Alright! You make the plan Yosano! I’ll do the task!”
Yosano and Kendo, “.....” In the end, he just didn’t want to think too much and was eager to just move around.
In any case, Tecchou’s group and Yosano’s group began drafting their plans and the pros and cons of their strategies. Shiozaki’s mind wandered for a while before being unable to hold back from asking, “If this is a very good decision, why isn’t Edogawa-san doing the same thing?”
Kendo also wondered, “Now that I think about it, he’s the first one to leave the classroom.”
Tetsutetsu put down the papers with the U.A.’s structure and labels in them and enthusiastically joined in, “Ah! Maybe he already figured it out? He said he’s a master detective!”
Kendo laughed it off and said, “Come on, there’s no way that’s possible!” Even Shiozaki thought it would be impossible. After all, detectives still need to investigate to find who the killer is. But Yosano commented nonchalantly, “The least of our worries is Ranpo-san. If he wants to, he can figure out where his item is. That’s just part of his gift.”
Everyone listening in was silent for a while, even Vlad King pondered what type of Ability Edogawa-kun might possess. Is it an Ability that allows one to see the truth? If so, that is a very powerful Ability indeed.
‘Embarrassing… embarrassing… it’s awkwardly embarrassing!’ Monoma had repeated this thought a million times in his head while walking in the canteen with Ranpo. As he reflects on his 15 years of life in this world, Ranpo’s interest is piqued by the desserts’ corner, and quickly pulls his partner over to the said location, “Look! Look! Sports car-san! Buy me a set, m’kay?”
Monoma snapped out of his trance and said, “It’s Mo-no-ma! It’s not even break time yet. Instead of focusing on that, let’s find our item first, okay? It’s a bit difficult. What even is a pear with the shade of peach?!” Unfortunately, they got a weird item to find. It makes Monoma’s head ache in annoyance.
“Relax. It’s not even that difficult.” Ranpo shrugged it off and finally ordered a set. In the end, Monoma paid for his overindulgence. Sitting with his arms crossed and brows knitted, he watched the other eat carelessly. He tapped his foot on the ground in impatience, “After that, we’ll have to find it, okay?”
Ranpo, on the other hand, didn’t mind his rudeness, “Sports car-san, what got you so fired up anyway? It’s so unlike you when we first met.”
Monoma almost blurted out, ‘We first met today!’ but held back. After all, he also judged the other person too quickly. He’s not one to talk. Somehow, it calmed him down a bit, and because the canteen was somewhat empty due to the ongoing classes, the silence made him able to gather his thoughts for a moment. Thus, after a short while, he looked at Ranpo who just finished eating, “Edogawa-san… I… I’m sorry.” He muttered.
Ranpo looked at him without speaking so he continued, “When I realized you were quirkless, I was worried you’d do something reckless and injure yourself in the hero course so… I-I had a friend before… he was also quirkless but I supported his dream of becoming a hero. I thought that if one put in enough effort, they could be what they wanted to be. But because he attempted to save someone from drowning, until now, he’s still in a coma and couldn't even attend U.A.... It was a hard blow for me, so I just…”
“That mentality isn’t entirely incorrect.” Ranpo commented, making Monoma look up at him in astonishment, “There’s no need to give someone false hope. If I were you and some amateur without an Ability approached me to go on a mission where it involves plenty of Ability Users, I would tell them straight up that they’re useless and unneeded.” He took a sip of his drink before continuing, “You might be thinking, you’re too soft back then, but it’s the exact opposite. You’re quite cruel if you ask me.”
“What? Me? Cruel? I don't think I am, in fact, it's because I let him indulge in an unreachable dream because I--” Shocked and confused, Monoma couldn’t help but ask. It’s only a moment of soft-heartedness that he supported his friend because they both have the same dream of becoming a hero. So how can he be cruel?
Ranpo felt a bit annoyed, his words turned sharp, “That is the epitome of idiocy. An axiom you can never be a part of because of your lack of IQ, unable to make up for your atrocious beliefs, ideals and messed up EQ. Can you even fathom such a featherbrain individual existing? Oh, my bad. Mr. President told me that rhetorical questions are rude. In any case, the world and human nature are too complex for you to understand. Not for me though. I can see through the hearts of people in a heartbeat. Just like how right now, you're still unable to figure out such a simple thing. Your expression already says it all, I don't even need to use my ability to deduce all that.”
His sharp words did hurt the other, but they also made the other understand his point. It also meant that the both of them see the world through opposing lenses, that’s why they find it difficult to understand each other without proper explanation.
Monoma can only mutter two words, “I see…” Feeling dejected, he lowers his head. Unlike his previous behavior of restlessness, his entire demeanor is tranquil until he hears the sound of a straw with little to no liquid but air can pass through. He looked up and saw Ranpo finishing his drink.
“Don’t look so down, sports car-san. I forgive you already.” he said while standing up with a smile, “Shall we begin finding that weird item?” he said while pulling out his glasses from his pocket.
Monoma also stood up and asked, “Finally. Where do you plan to start?” After receiving a positive response, he felt as if a thorn stuck in his throat had been removed.
Ranpo grinned, his face filled with pride, “Right here.” He wore his glasses and activated his ability, “ Inōryoku: Ultra Deduction.” In an instant, the air encircled him as strands of neon light with kanji characters floated around him, his glasses reflecting countless kanji characters. This went on for three seconds and everything went back to normal, “I see.”
Monoma was amazed when he saw the activation of an ability. Compared to quirks, abilities look like countless stars in the galaxy bowing to a person of their choosing. It was beautiful, blinding, and fascinating. When he heard Ranpo’s words, he raised his brow, unable to follow through with his train of thought.
Ranpo faced him and said, “Do you know where the principal’s office is? Carry me on the way.”
Monoma, “.....” he just mended their relationship with each other. Better not argue first.
Left with no choice, Monoma carried the detective to a different building, towards the principal’s office. When they got there, a dog-like, mouse-like, bear-like creature greeted them. Ranpo cut through the chase and said, “Hello Mr. Hybrid Sir. We’re here to collect a painting!”
Shocked, Monoma shushed him and apologized to the principal for the inappropriate address. To be honest, at first, he thought that Edogawa-san was only teasing him with the nickname, it turns out he’s doing this thing with everybody! To his relief, Nedzu didn’t mind the nickname and let them in. Ranpo looks like he knows where exactly he is heading and pointed at a painting, “This is the one. You carry it and give it to sensei-wannabe-vampire.”
To Monoma’s surprise, it is an abstract painting with something that looks like a pear but is painted in the shade of a peach. There are countless pears but only that pear is different. Nedzu saw the painting and commented, “Oh that. That painting is called Shameful Pear. It is said that the pear is too ashamed to be the odd one out, but the more it is ashamed of itself, the more his color turns different.”
After a brief of talking and asking, Principal Nedzu agreed to lend the painting to the two and Monoma carefully removed it from the wall. He double-checked the painting and found their teacher’s stamp on the painting’s frame. It was only stamped after putting a sticker to not damage the painting.
As they walk back to their classroom, Monoma couldn’t help but look at Ranpo. They passed by an open field with students doing a physical fitness test, which caught Ranpo’s interest. Unfortunately, Monoma was too preoccupied to notice. He’s just thinking, ‘Ability Users are kinda cool. Edogawa-san is also cool.’
Ranpo giggled after seeing what was happening in the other class. Why not? The class was being trolled by those two and no one even noticed.
Yosano and Tetsutetsu had been searching for a while with no dice. However, because they had a detailed plan, their search in different places was a lot faster than it should’ve been. Tetsutetsu felt so frustrated and roared in anger, “GGRRAAAAHHHH! WHY CAN’T WE FIND THAT LITTLE THING?!”
Yosano sighed, “It can’t be helped. Our item is too common, which made it difficult to find, especially when we focus on the item–” realizing something, she had an epiphany, “Of course, it’s difficult if we focus on the item itself, but if we focus on sensei himself…”
The usually dimwitted guy also guessed instantly what she meant, “UUOOOHHH!!! VLAD KING SENSEI’S SIGNATURE PEN IS ALWAYS A FOUNTAIN PEN!” Having been a fan of countless heroes, Tetsutetsu knows a lot more than Yosano. Although Yosano is only guessing, he is already 100% sure that the fountain pen they are trying to find is already in the possession of their teaching himself!
Yosano gave him a smirk and they exchanged a high-five before rushing back to their classroom. The moment they entered the room, they saw Ranpo and Monoma already finished their task.
“Woah! That was fast bro!” Tetsutetsu gave them two thumbs up.
Vlad King looked at the next pair and asked if they found their item. In truth, he’s still baffled at how fast the first team managed to find their item. It had been half an hour before Yosano’s team came back to the classroom.
Yosano approached him and said, “Sensei, will you let me take a look at your pocket?” Just that sentence alone made Vlad King smile in defeat, “Alright, you found your item.”
“ALRIIIIGHHHHHTTT!” Tetsutetsu celebrated, making Ranpo cover his ears in irritation.
After ten minutes, the next group came and it was Tecchou’s. Yosano raised a brow upon seeing Kendo’s and Shiozaki’s defeated face as if everything they’ve known in their life is a lie. Tetsutetsu didn’t notice that though. His focus is on the ball item but they aren’t holding any ball at all, “Hey Kendo, isn’t your item a ball? Where is it?”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Right. A ball.” her face, devoid of emotions, says it all.
Tecchou approached their teacher and put a poster on his table. On the poster is a silhouette of a man in a suit and a woman in a gown, forming a dance movement. Below, there is a stamp.
It turns out, it wasn’t an actual ball that they are required to find.
Monoma couldn’t help but laugh at Kendo’s pale face and Shiozaki’s almost dry expression. Tetsutetsu scolded Monoma and patted Kendo on the shoulder and said with a loud voice, “DON’T MIND!”
Kendo and Shiozaki, ‘That only made it feel worse. Idiot.’
In any case, no one in Class 1-B failed so they escaped the threat of being transferred to another course. Of course, Vlad King didn't mean it. Why would he transfer his students? They're future heroes!
Chapter 11: The Defensive Trio
Summary:
Ability Users' shenanigans back at the inn
Notes:
I was late T^T but long story short: (a) there was a typhoon and we've got electricity problems; (b) it was exams week last week and; (c) I was sick and am still sick even now.
I hope you're all okay wherever you are. If there is also a typhoon or any other disaster in your place, remember to always stay safe<3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Earlier, before Group 4 submitted their item, they had spent their time in the P.E. storage area, trying to find the ball they were looking for. Shiozaki gave up halfway as she went to the nearby open wash area to wash her hands filled with dirt. She feared her vines would lose their vibrant touch with all the stress, sweat, and glaring sunlight. She sighed in exasperation and heard a crash coming from the storage area. A ball bigger than a human body rolled out, much like those huge balls used in circus performances. Underneath it was the flattened Kendo.
Shiozaki, “...”
Shiozaki, “!!!”
She rushed towards her in a panic, “Oh god! Are you alright?!”
Kendo only tremblingly raised a finger and carved the dirt on the ground with a wobbly writing resembling – ‘Motherf$%#@ ball’ . Shiozaki panicked even more and cried, “No! Don’t die! We haven’t found the ultimate ball yet! As long as there’s hope, we can do this as a team!” They have been to many storage rooms and this is their sixth try.
Kendo raised her head, and her face that was planted on the ground appeared unsightly, “Speaking of teamwork, where’s Suehiro-san?”
Shiozaki’s face brightened when Kendo raised her head but instantly vanished after hearing her inquiry. Instead, it turned awkward as she faced away. Kendo followed her gaze and saw their other teammate holding and looking through the green fence, silently watching the other class from the hero course.
Kendo sat down as Shiozaki helped in patting the dirt away from her clothes. After a moment, she stood up and called, “Hey Suehiro-san! A little help?” but she was ignored. Tecchou is a bit busy with his thoughts. He didn’t expect he would find Jouno here. His gaze instantly locked into him, watching him infuriate someone to his heart’s contents. His eyes narrowed a bit, whether it was from satisfaction – that Jouno was having fun , or from strictness – that Jouno was having fun bullying someone , it didn’t matter. He just wanted to watch a little longer.
Kendo had called him three times and Shiozaki sighed, “Come on, you gotta at least help us out in bringing the ball back inside…” After all, it’s easy to trip and fall while pushing and rolling a huge ball.
Tecchou’s ears finally caught their voices and said, “There’s nothing yet?” in which the two shook their heads weakly as an answer. Kendo washed her hands and face while Tecchou rolled the ball away from the wall it bumped slowly when he saw that there was a poster pasted on it. It was a poster about a ball from last school year.
What are the odds… He ripped it off the wall and kicked the ball back inside the storage room. The kick was controlled properly and the ball rolled when it had to, and stopped when it was supposed to, leaving the girls, who were watching him on with their heads turned to their left, in shock when their eyes and heads followed the ball to the right, as if it was willing to go back inside the storage room.
Kendo and Shiozaki, “... Wow.”
They hadn’t reacted yet when Tecchou was already beside them saying, “I found it. The ball,” as he showed them the poster, leaving them shocked twice. They had this complicated feeling of wanting to fart but only releasing half of the gas, making their guts churn uncomfortably.
In short, they felt a bit stupid.
After Yosano and Tetsutetsu finish submitting their item, they are free to go back home. After all, their sensei has booked the whole day for homeroom. Ranpo left after seeing her successfully finishing her task, and mostly everyone followed suit. She, however, went back to the clinic to assist Recovery Girl for the rest of the day.
Entering the door, they greeted each other and talked about her experience on her first day of class. She answered in a general manner and casually recounted what had happened, gaining a few laughs from Recovery Girl.
“No worries. Sejikiro might say he will transfer you, but he really adores his class. He’s totally different from Aizawa.” Recovery Girl commented.
“Aizawa?” Yosano wondered so Recovery Girl answered, “He’s Class 1-A’s adviser. If Sejikiro is only scaring you, Aizawa meant what he said. There’s even an instance where he expelled all the students from his class. He’s such a strict teacher.”
Upon hearing that information, Yosano can’t help but smirk condescendingly. She put her fingers on her chin and said, “Heh… it’s better to expel everyone. It would save me the time cooperating with those three.”
Recovery Girl didn’t know what she was talking about so she ignored her little fantasy before asking her to check all the first aid supplies in the cabinet and record them. Yosano instantly complied and stayed there, helping, for a while.
The door opened and a boy entered the clinic shyly, inquiring if his injured finger could be treated. Recovery Girl was a bit surprised to see the state of the boy’s finger. It was only the first day. She led him inside when Yosano came to confirm her suspicion of familiarity upon hearing the voice.
“Midoriya?” She wondered what he was doing in the clinic when she saw his captivating finger, “Oh my! What a nice injury we have here~!”
Embarrassed, Midoriya’s mouth couldn’t open and his whole body turned pink. It seems like ever since he got into U.A., he’s getting more acquainted with girls. It made him feel honored and shy, eventually, unable to speak due to disbelief and excitement.
Unfortunately for Yosano, Recovery Girl handled the boy and gave the injury a long smooch. It was long, indeed. Not the smooch, the flexibility of those lips is insane.
Yosano watched Recovery Girl’s treatment with interest. On one hand, she was a bit envious that the doctor in front of her could treat light injuries. On the other hand, she was thankful that she didn’t have to be kissing or touching anybody to activate her ability. If that’s the case, she might’ve abandoned her identity as an Ability User if she had to kiss every patient she encounters.
It’s a bit unhygienic.
Recovery Girl proceeded to explain to Midoriya about her quirk, and how she uses his stamina to heal his body, so he shouldn’t overdo it, else, he might not be able to heal fully. Yosano raised a brow as she stood behind Recovery Girl. She had a thought, ‘It turns out, a healing quirk isn’t as powerful as Thou Shalt Not Die.’ After all, if Midoriya were to die right now, she can still bring him back to life as long as his brain activity is still present. And if she uses her Ability on him, his physical health will shoot to 100. Well… he might end up mentally drained though.
In a matter of a single visit from a patient, Yosano has gotten ahold of a very important information without actually doing detective work. She guessed that these people were too trusting, especially Recovery Girl.
The Ability Users from Class 1-B are lounging lazily while watching a bizarre T.V. drama with food scattered on the ground. Yosano planned to stay for the whole day but was ordered to go home after lunch to rest, so now, here she is, joining the two foodies. She has an unbothered look on her face but she is actually a bit surprised to see that Ranpo-san and Suehiro-san are not arguing and stealing each other’s snacks. As a matter of fact, they are eating in harmony. Ranpo even taught the other how to properly eat some of the childish snacks that ahem she bought.
Hours later, there was a movement from outside and it was the other three. Dazai, being the first to enter, saw their peaceful bonding, and his eyes sparkled. In a swoosh, he reached them and said, “Whoa! What is this? What is this? Why am I not invited? I should be invited too!” He carelessly threw his bag to the side and sat with them, leaning on the detective doctor as his eyes surveyed the floor full of different colorful snacks. His interest was piqued by the colorful dust-looking one in a clear packaging, “Detective-sensei, is this delicious?” he asked as he picked up the snack but a hand smacked his wrist, making him let go of the food.
Ranpo caught it and protected his food in his bosom, “This is mine! Don’t touch!”
Dazai looked at him incredulously, “Huh? Why don’t you share with me? You’re sharing with this guy who can’t even appreciate gourmet food because of his trashy tastebuds!” he pointed at Tecchou who is busy peeling the banana-shaped marshmallow.
Offended, Tecchou knew he had to retort. It is a matter of pride. So he said, “Excuse me? My tastebuds are good.”
Dazai, Ranpo and Yosano, “.....”
Well… at least he tried to stand up for himself.
Chuuya and Jouno were met with such a scene. Chuuya can only sigh at Dazai’s shameless behavior, not wanting to be involved in the mess while Jouno stifled a laugh upon hearing Tecchou’s response. However, his whole being exudes mockery as he watches with interest.
Ranpo continued, “He is different, of course. We’re all from the same class. What even are you on?” he raised a brow.
Dazai confidently smiled and hooked his right arm on Yosano’s neck. He then forcefully hooked his left arm on Ranpo before tutting and grinning, “Tch! Tch! Look, your ability is not offensive, detective-sensei’s ability is not offensive, and my ability is also not offensive! We are the defensive team! We should be the trio! So my suggestion is, you kick that offense Ability User out of the group and focus on me!”
Ranpo struggled to get out of his arm making Dazai blink twice before letting go of the both of them. Ranpo gave him a frown, “Yeah, I don’t want to. As a matter of fact,” he pointed at the two who were now sitting on the sofa while enjoying themselves through watching the four Ability Users on the ground, the T.V. drama being neglected the whole time, “you fit in better with those people!”
Dazai, however, reasoned out almost immediately, “No! No! Those people are obviously from the offensive team! Don’t you think so, hunting dog?” he turned to get a confirmation from Tecchou.
The guy wanted to focus on eating but since he was involved in the first place, he answered whatever came to mind, “No. In the first place, we are all working for the law while you are a criminal who disregards the law.”
Dazai clutched his chest and acted, “Ouch! That’s foul play!”
“Besides,” Tecchou continued upon feeling the daggers on his back due to Jouno’s glares. He knew that because he used the word ‘criminal’ as a basis for the bandaged mafioso, it also meant that Jouno also belonged to the criminal category, probably upsetting him. He can only salvage the situation by saying, “your morals are warped.” He pointed at him, “A suicidal guy,” then his finger moved from Dazai to Jouno, “a sadistic bastard,” then it moved to Chuuya, “and a killer. You three clearly matched better.”
Dazai, “.....”
“Tecchou.”
Tecchou couldn’t help but flinch. Slowly, he looked at Jouno and saw the other person smiling so preciously. It only made his spine shiver. Jouno stood up and proceeds to say, “Let’s have a heart-to-heart conversation in my room. As you know, I’m such a sadistic bastard, so I don’t like waiting.” His face is angelic and his voice is soft-spoken, but the air is freezing.
Jouno walked away until he was out of sight and Tecchou stood up obediently. But before he followed the other person, he went to the nearby corner and grabbed his sword.
Chuuya jolted in disbelief, “Damn, are you planning to kill someone?!”
Tecchou can only reply with a straight face, “Soldiers can be killed but not humiliated.”
Everyone, ‘There's no fucking connection at all!’
“Well, make sure to kill hard~!” Dazai sent him a wink and a finger heart. Chuuya saw all of that gesture and his face turned blue to green to black in disgust, “Bleugh! Seriously, stop that. You think you’re cute? You’re making me vomit.”
“At least, compared to some short stack, I’m more charismatic.” Dazai bantered, making Chuuya explode about being called short. He kicked Dazai’s bag beside his feet and all the contents littered the room, “Say that again?!”
What can Dazai do? Of course, say it again! Say it a gazillion times!
“I sa~id…!” he spoke when the doctor finally covered his mouth.
“Alright, that’s it! Stop, else you’d banter for the rest of the day!” The harmony and peace were disrupted just like that. She couldn’t help but sigh.
Dazai’s visible eye turned crescent as he raised both hands in defeat. Seeing his intention, Chuuya scoffed and went to his room, away from the mackerel. Yosano only moves her hand away from his mouth when the other person is no longer in sight.
“Really, how old are you? Seven?” She muttered under her breath, making Dazai’s smile a bit strained. His eyes darted for a split second before seeing the drama on T.V. It was supposed to be sad since there was a lot of crying, but maybe because they were crying about something he didn’t understand, he found it weird and his lips curved freely again. He neglected the drama and just looked at the different snacks on the ground and spotted a snack his eyes hadn’t noticed earlier. It was labeled as ‘SEAFOOD GOODNESS’, making his mouth water.
Seafood… crab? But he obediently sat there without the same haughtiness he’s shown earlier, his eyes, however, unmoving. He gulped and forced himself to look away, thinking, he could try to find something similar in whatever grocery store later.
Unknowingly, his series of micro-actions was seen by Ranpo. The moment the snack the detective was saving was almost stolen by this mummified guy in front of him, he was on edge and watched his every move in case he needed to save another one of his precious snacks.
Unexpectedly, he saw the stiff smile, the rapid movement of the pupils, and the restrained impulse. He furrowed his brow in contemplation. It was difficult for Ranpo to share his things, especially with someone like the other person - a mafioso, a criminal. In the hero society’s terms, a villain.
One of the reasons why Ranpo solves difficult and complicated crimes is because he doesn’t like difficult and complicated things.
He doesn’t like difficult and complicated people either. So this person in front of him, he definitely doesn’t like.
He grabbed the snack bandages was looking at earlier before deciding to throw it at him. Dazai saw the snack he wanted landing on his legs and was caught off guard. He looked at the detective but the other was already picking up the rest of the snacks on the ground before standing up, not bothering to look at him.
Then, he just left without saying anything.
Yosano, seeing that Ranpo left and no one was watching anymore, grabbed the remote control and turned the T.V. off before standing up to pull out the plug. She turned and saw the other person still looking at the snack with a bemused expression, as if he didn’t know what to do with it.
It was quite comical.
She faced him and put her hand on her waist, “Ranpo-san gave it to you. You should try it and see if you like it.”
Hearing that confirmation, Dazai’s hands finally held the snack. Like a curious child, he looked at the front and back of the packaging before opening it. The smell of artificial seafood penetrated his nose, somehow, making him feel hungry.
He grabbed a chip inside and there was a crunch in a bite.
Yosano found his actions novel so she asked, unconsciously softening her voice, “How is it?”
Dazai let out his tongue and winced, “Salty.” Besides, there’s no crab-like taste at all. But there’s definitely some artificial shrimp scent.
Yosano chuckled, “That’s kid’s junk food alright. It’s all about the enticing packaging and exploding flavors.”
“Is that so?” Dazai muttered and narrowed his eyes at the packaging, feeling betrayed. He couldn’t believe he had fallen for such a trap! He almost wanted to buy it somewhere too!
Yosano observed his antics silently and a thought came to mind briefly before it was washed away, ‘The defensive trio kinda sounds awesome.’
…………
EXTRA:
Notification!
School, for those who have never experienced it and never wanted to experience it, is absolutely tiring. Even Chuuya, who’s used to doing high-risk and taxing missions, has never felt this type of exhaustion. It’s the unique exhaustion that only a student in a formal institution can experience like a goddamn privilege.
After a quick shower, Chuuya quickly dove into his bed, not wanting to move a muscle, forsaking his dinner time. He could only hear muffled noises from another room and assumed they were the military dogs wrestling or sword fighting – whatever the hell that screeching noise was.
He covered his ears using his pillow to filter the noise outside when he felt something vibrate on his bed. Annoyed, he used his Ability to move his phone near his face and the screen showed a notification from ‘I’M UR F4TH3R’.
His whole body felt energized as he sprung into a sitting position. Then, he made sure to lock the door. After that, he used For the Tainted Sorrow to control the door’s gravity, in case someone can still unlock it.
He grabbed his wireless earbuds and connected it to his phone to make sure no sound would leak out. Then, he slowly clicked on the notification in anticipation.
The video loaded.
A physically fit guy appeared on the screen and started his intro: Yo fitness slaves! Welcome and welcome back for another session of your one and only DA~DDY~~! I’M UR F4TH3R! Let me hear you call me F4TH3R!
Chuuya couldn’t speak, so he mentally screamed, “F4TH3R!” His eyes twinkling in excitement.
The guy on the video then continued: HAHAHAHAHA! Yes! I’m the one and only! Now, let this F4TH3R, once again, teach you an exercise on how to increase your height! Are you ready?! Follow me!
Even though our chibi is tired, he’s still working his hardest to increase his height.
Did it work? Let’s see what's in Chuuya’s mind!
‘Hell yeah! I can feel it! I’ve grown! Kekeke! Watch me outgrow you by a head you fucking mackerel! Kekekekeke!’ - He has a crazy villainous smile as he continues his nightly exercise.
Everyone, let’s support his ambition!
Notes:
Chuuya: KEKEKEKEKE! I'LL BE TALLER BY A HEAD! >:D
Dazai: *UNO REVERSE CARD* :)
Chapter 12: Hero Costumes!
Summary:
combat training part 1
Notes:
Doing research atm, I missed the upload date yesterday because I fell asleep after our data gathering T^T
!!!SHAMELESS STREAM PLUG IN!!!
Those who are interested in BL talks, I will be a guest on a friend's livestream on Twitch tomorrow (Sunday) at 9:00 PM (PHT/Philippine Time). For non-Filipino speakers, there will be mods on stream to translate in English. If you also have some questions or just a simple curiosity, you can catch up with me there!
Here's the link<3
https://www.twitch.tv/elisai_kwartsThanks and enjoy reading~!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was back when the skies were bluer and the grasses are greener. Back when it was 10 years ago that a certain wooden box, wet by the rain yesterday night, rattle. It was inside a dusty storage room with only a rusty roof full of holes covering its four sides. The box continued to move until a clicking sound was heard. It was akin to a sound of happiness – because the rattling sound had stopped.
Slowly, the lid was pushed up and a young boy emerged. This five-year-old boy used his small hands to fix his messy brown hair. He didn’t stop until he was satisfied – whether it was truly fixed or not, he couldn’t tell, it was only based on his instincts. His big eyes blinked in satisfaction and a small upward curve appeared on his lips, not minding the stain on his clothes nor the dust on his face.
He carefully stepped out of the box and climbed up to the open window after stacking random things before jumping out of it. Now, he can feel the wet grass and the damp dirt beneath his skin. He ran towards a dog hole covered in bushes. It was a small hole that no one is supposed to enter, but he managed to do so because of his skinny body. The only challenge he seemed to have was fitting his whole head in. Excitement spelled out in his eyes as soon as he was outside the huge walls of his big house. He ran in circles, finding the most unique-looking tree branch before digging the soil.
He crouched to pick the dirt with his tiny hands, his little fingers shaping the soil into a small circular bump before picking the nearby rocks to encircle the soil. To add to the final touch, he plucked the most fresh-looking blade of grass he can find and inserted it in the middle of the soil bump he made.
His eyes softened. Slowly, he opened his mouth and inhaled before imitating a scene he saw before. Leaning in, he exhaled with his lips shaped in an ‘o’, blowing the blade of grass. His eyes crinkled, seemingly joyful, making him clap thrice.
An idea came to mind afterwards. He stood up and rushed back to the storage room and found the pieces of papers that he folded into cranes after collecting them from the used notebooks that were stored in the place.
Rushing back to his self-made delicacy, he witnessed a tragedy – a teen seemed to lose his balance after being angered in a call with somebody, and accidentally stepped backwards, crushing the small bump into paste. The teen, however, seemed to regain his balance because of the bump and sighed in relief. He then left one final swear word before hanging up the call, muttering, “That fucking old bastard…”
The young boy looked at the teenager in disbelief. His head hurt, and he felt crushed. In a fit of rage, he held the tree branch tighter and walked towards the teen, slapping his butt with the branch, making the other jump in shock and pain.
“Oww! What the hell?!” he looked behind him in anger, almost wanting to throw a punch. However, he saw a small boy with bulging cheeks and reddened eyes, holding back his tears as he looks down on the ruined bump.
The teen realized his mistake and apologized in shock, but the boy only looked at the bump without moving. This made the teen even more upset. He scratched his head, making his hood fall down. His fair face was exposed to the sun. The small cut on his cheek is contrasting his pale skin. His straight black hair flew with the wind, almost touching his shoulder. The wind cleared the strands of hair on his face, showing the rows of bandage from around his forehead and neck. He crouched and put his bandaged hands together, suggesting, “I’m really sorry. How about… I build it for you?”
The boy did not answer, so he took the liberty to fix the thing and created a perfect sphere, “Tada! Good as new! Ack--!” Unfortunately, the boy seemed even more distressed and hit his head with the branch in his hand.
‘What a scary boy!’ – the teen freaked in his mind.
He forced a laugh and his hand moved, trying to reshape the soil, “HAHAHA! Of course I’m joking, it’s actually… this one!” Now, he made a cone. But he was hit again so he tried to make a box, a star, a whole castle, but none worked and his head is already filled with small bumps.
‘WHAT A SCARY BOY!’ – he freaked once again, feeling defeated.
“Um… well, how about you tell me what you want to build and I’ll do it for you?” he sighed. His rough hands are already full of dirt, even his bandages were soiled. Strangely, he didn’t lose his temper at all.
The boy looked at him and mumbled his grievance, “It’s my first cake…” in an instant, it dawned on the teen what it was, so he diligently molded a three layered-cake, using the stones and blades of grasses to create a variety for the cake.
The boy’s eyes twinkled and he’s reluctant to hold the dirt. He only made a small bump but now he got such a big cake. The teenager saw his bright eyes and grinned, “So, do you like it?” The boy shyly nodded, his gaze still fixed on his prize when the other continued to ask, “What’s your name, little one?”
“Shuuji.” He whispered shyly, “Tsushima Shuuji.” It was the first time in a long time someone asked me for my name. It was a weird feeling.
The other person nodded thinking it was a good name, “Then, happy birthday, Shuuji!”
The kid’s face brightened up even more as he sneakily moved nearer the stranger who almost destroyed his birthday cake, “Thanks, uhh…”
The boy pointed at himself with his thumb, “Rintaro. Just Rintaro.”
“Hmm.” Shuuji nodded in response, repeating the name in his head three more times. The teen stood up with a frown after feeling the vibrations in his pocket. He grabbed his phone to answer the call and exclaimed, “PISS OFF!” before facing Shuuji with a smile, “Well, I gotta go now. See you around, Shuuji!” He waved goodbye and left, leaving the kid follow him with his eyes, reluctant to wave his hand.
Soon, footsteps were heard and it was Rintaro rushing back to shout, “Next time, I’ll buy you a real cake!”
The kid stood up and hurried towards him with his short legs. He grabbed his pants and his big eyes show happiness, “Really? That’s a promise!”
Rintaro found him adorable. He couldn’t help but chuckle and rub his hair twice, “Of course.”
That was the first lie Rintaro told me. – Dazai woke up with the glaring sunlight. He saw Chuuya standing above him as he lies on his soft bedding. The slug has his feet separated from each side near his waist, slightly leaning down to look at him while using his ability to make water and a white cloth float, almost wanting to waterboard him awake.
“Shitty Dazai, how many times must I remind you to wake up on time, goddammit!” He looks really angry. It was only second day in and he was about to torture a certain suicidal maniac.
“You’re always so rough, chibi. That’s why nobody can put up with your shitty attitude—glug! Cough!” Chuuya undid his ability and water poured on Dazai’s face, almost suffocating him to death.
“Good morning to you too.” Chuuya greeted nonchalantly before throwing the towel to his face, leaving his room, “Hurry it up so we can hitch a ride with the detective, idiot.”
Dazai sat down after the other person had left. He can only sigh while holding the towel, “Only choked me half-dead, what a tease.” He mumbled before wiping his face, successfully making himself awake.
It was the same boring school format to all of Class 1-A – Mathematics, English, Chemistry… it was so normal that it was mid and students were getting restless. That is, until afternoon came and it is time for the Hero Basic Training.
A huge figure sped up to their door shouting, “I AM… COMING HERE THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!”
Gasps filled the room and student feel a surge of excitement upon seeing their No. 1 Hero, All Might, as their instructor for today’s HBT. They even talked about his hero costume from his peak, Silver Age, with such awe.
Meanwhile, Dazai, Chuuya, and Jouno had mixed opinion. Jouno was a bit thankful that he couldn’t see such travesty. Dazai only has access to one eye, but he couldn’t help but close the other, thinking to himself, ‘See no evil, do no evil.’ Chuuya almost rushed towards the man to shake him awake. Such awful fashion sense makes him want to stab his eyes for good!
All in all, they concluded that the hero society is blind.
The three Ability Users didn’t catch most of what All Might is talking about, but he showed a card with the word ‘BATTLE’ on it, indicating that students will be doing a combat training or a mock battle of some sort.
It truly gets the young ones blood boil in excitement. Even Chuuya couldn’t help but whistle in interest. Dazai also listened a bit more attentively while Jouno couldn’t help but curve his lips upwards slyly as he felt someone’s gaze piercing him from the other side of the room.
Obviously, it was from Mr. Quirk Knockoff Lower Than Twice Himself.
He openly faced Bakugo and let out his tongue with his chin on his hand, successfully pissing the other person off, making him almost explode himself. Jouno looked away, feeling victorious.
Of course, All Might has experience with dealing with crowds and media, so he absolutely knows when and how to hype people up. After waiting for a short while, he continued with his exaggerated movement, “And to go with that are… these!”
He pointed to the side and the mechanism in the wall and it opened a space for their hero costumes that were made based on the students’ quirk registrations and requests they sent in before school started. Dazai, Chuuya, and Jouno also got theirs, making them wonder how. But before they can ponder, their cases include notes from their higher ups, or basically, their organizations.
The note for Jouno was from Teruko, she simply stated that it was his usual uniform and some other demands that are already unrelated to any heroic act, such as teasing him with Tecchou. He dismissed the rest and planned to let Tecchou handle the rest.
Meanwhile, the note for Chuuya was quite touching. It was from Kouyou, asking about how he’s been and stating that she took one of his sketches to tailor for his hero uniform. He eagerly opened the case and saw his envisioned mafia attire together with his hat that was intentionally left in the mafia by Dazai (since Dazai’s the one who prepared his luggage). Kouyou’s attentiveness made his heart soften.
On the other hand, Dazai found it boring after seeing that the sender of the note was none other than the old bastard. He opened his case and as he expected, it was his usual mafia attire. It was too boring that he couldn’t even bother to act like he felt anything. He was about to throw the note away but curiosity still took over him. He opened the envelop and Mori’s note looked more like a letter. It contains a greeting, an apology, a reward, and a scribble –
Dazai dear,
How could you leave your coat? I truly hope you did not leave it in my office on purpose - knowing that you’d leave for a long time. Right, I hope you forgive me as I could not give you what you want, Kouyou-kun is a terrifying woman. In any case, I heard that this is some sort of costume for the Hero Basic Training Course, so I prepared you some good stuff. Try to socialize more, it may enlighten you.
Lovely as always,
Mori Rintaro
Dazai looked at the name of the sender for a second more before glancing at the scribble on the lower right corner of the letter. It was a crab holding a slice of cake. He felt amused. If Chuuya could see the drawing, he would definitely think it was Elise who drew the abstract picture, but only Dazai knew that it was Mori himself.
It’s his signature to suck at something. Wait, that came out strange – In any case, Dazai found it interesting and it brought him ecstasy so he chose to obey. Indeed, obey. The letter looked harmless but it sent a lot of information. First, it was the boss just being sticky; then he recounted the answer to his request for a reward and implied that he’ll compensate Dazai with something else; lastly, he instructed Dazai to analyze his classmates’ and teachers’ quirks more and send the information to him.
‘Fine, I’ll forgive you for now.’ Dazai thought, there’s no reluctance or whatsoever in his eyes, indicating that he’s only acting out a persona nobody would notice. Although, he was certain that Mori’s just too shameless to not even try to be sneaky about stealing Chuuya’s wine. He bet that Mori just straight up asked Kouyou for it, resulting in him being driven out of her place. Upon imagining a chibi Mori being escorted out with his Ane-san’s ability while his scarf is hanging on the tip of its sword, his eyes curved in pleasure and couldn’t help but grin.
An arm hooked Dazai’s neck, his grin vanished, and the redhead leaned on him, “Woah! That’s quite an expression Zaibro! You like the costumes too, huh? It’s exciting!”
Dazai offered him a perfunctory smile, “Well, it’s for comfortability. Ours is just our work attire.”
Another person leaned in, “Kero, will that be your hero costume?” In the girl’s eyes, a hero costume should pop out more – stylish, vibrant, and unique. She glanced at Dazai’s costume and it looked like an ordinary suit and tie.
“I believe that in this line of work, unique equates to normal and normal equates to unique.” Dazai reasoned, knowing that there are many bizarre-looking hero costumes out there, “Just take it as me missing my old damn coat,” he chuckled.
All Might instructed Class 1-A to go to the Ground Beta after changing. The students gather in the said place, showcasing their unique hero costumes while complementing and teasing each other. As they crack jokes while waiting, the three Ability Users walked with long strides towards them, looking confidently different from the rest. Some of them even gasped in awe.
“They say clothes make the man, young men and ladies. Be fully aware, from now on, you are heroes!” All Might nodded in satisfaction at the sight of his students. Chuuya scoffed at his first sentence though. He found it hilariously ironic.
“Waaaah~ Chuuya you look good!” Uraraka nervously approached the other person. Chuuya faced her while fixing his gloves and blinked twice. At least she looks decent in his eyes, “I support your taste.”
‘He’s definitely thinking about the body suit!’ Uraraka freaked in her mind in embarrassment. She doesn’t even know how her costume changed into something so skintight. Is her drawing really that bad?
Dazai chopped the space between them and wisely said, ‘Stop praising the slug. He’s so bad at it, he even wears his tacky hat to look ju~st a bit taller. Obviously, it’s not working.”
“You fucking--!” Chuuya kicked but Dazai evaded. Uraraka laughed and muttered that Dazai looks good too. Only, the ginger one is swearing loudly that her comment wasn’t heard by the two.
Dazai cleared his ear using his pinky finger before his eyes caught an amazing sight. There’s a classmate wearing a revealing red dress. How did this go past the school’s dress code - just take a wild guess. He ignored Chuuya and walked directly towards her, calling out, “Ah~! Bella donna!”
Chuuya rolled his eyes in frustration. A green figure caught his eyes and holy shit! What kind of nightmare is that person wearing?! Who designed such a tasteless jumpsuit?! He was about to go and check who it was when a robot hand tapped his shoulder, “Nakahara-kun, hello! I heard your vulgar words earlier! As a student from U.A., we must—” Iida began his bout of lecture for the day, making Chuuya speechless.
Poor Dazai didn’t manage to reach the black-haired girl. Instead, another person blocked his way, thrusting as he moaned, “Ah! You called, monsieur?” Goosebumps climbed up to Dazai’s spine, feeling glad that they weren’t too close, else, the thrusting might really thrust into him.
It didn’t take a lot of thinking for him to realize that the person is just happily showing off his belly belt. Dazai was still left speechless though. He made a mental note to himself to never commit double suicide with this person. If they were the only ones left in the world, he’d reluctantly choose living than dying together.
Unlike Chuuya and Dazai, Jouno hadn’t interacted much with his classmates due to being a teacher assistant. He stood quietly to the side, free from the torment the two mafiosos are currently facing.
“That costume – the shade is quite pleasing to the eyes.” A girl’s voice sounded. Her footsteps indicated that she’s walking towards him.
Jouno faced her and said, “Yours isn’t bad either, Yaoyorozu.” He still had no idea about her costume, but since he spent time with Aizawa-sensei yesterday, even during office hours, information about the students is easy to acquire, especially when they were handed over personally by their principal.
Yaoyorozu didn’t know that, so she inquired how Jouno knew her name and the guy only gave her a perfunctory smile, “Try assisting Aizawa-sensei and see for yourself,” making her blush shyly after realizing how stupid her question might’ve sounded.
Dazai finally escaped the ‘Oui’ guy, but another blonde had blocked his way, “Young Dazai!”
‘Such a full smile. He must’ve spent a lot of cash for those teeth to look perfect.’ Dazai’s mind wandered.
“What is it, Antennae-sensei?” he cocked his head to side while showing a smile. He tried to copy All Might’s smile, but he felt he would look like a fool, so he just opted to his usual smile, without a curve in his eyes.
His smile gave the No.1 Hero a start. He only wanted to ask if Young Dazai is in a good condition to do combat training, considering how he’s still wrapped in bandages, who knew the other person would make him feel that he had to keep his guard up? It’s not a good thought.
He faked a cough and before he can start voicing out his concerns, a childish voice trailed over to Class 1-A, “Yippie! We’re here!” Everyone looked at the entrance as saw a strange sight.
Students from Class 1-B entered Ground Beta wearing their hero costumes. The one who spoke seems to be Ranpo, who is currently being carried on Monoma’s back. Despite being used as a car, Monoma managed to make an infuriating look on his face, “Well, if it isn’t the losers from Class 1-A!”
Class 1-A, ‘Wha-?! All Might! Why is Class 1-B here?!’
All Might, ‘Nedzu-sensei! Why is Class 1-B here?!’
Turns out, All Might had no clue about the situation either.
Notes:
Plot twist? OvO
Chapter 13: Round 1
Summary:
battle at the ground beta part 1
Notes:
Please pardon typos and grammar errors, I haven't got the time to edit it so this is raw. I will edit the chapter as soon as I can.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Iida is the first one to raise his hand, inquiring what is going on. Tsuyu is not one to keep her thoughts to herself either so she just blurted on what comes to mind, “Did they mix up the schedule?”
Likewise, Class 1-B are also clueless. They were supposed to have a different class but suddenly, their class adviser, together with Class 1-A’s adviser, notified them that they were to quickly head to Ground Beta for HBT, while their supposed to be period for the time will be swapped with their set schedule for HBT.
Clueless as they were, they were all excited to finally have their first HBT lesson, but who would’ve thought that they were doing it with Class 1-A? Their confusion overshadowed their excitement upon seeing All Might as their instructor.
All Might, on the other hand, was trying to find a way to look composed. Thankfully, Class 1-B came with two other U.A. teachers. While Kan gathers both classes, Aizawa explained to All Might how Nedzu wanted to fully test their future heroes’ mettle when it comes to battle. He also mentioned that since they have Ability Users as transferees, their students should grab the opportunity to learn from them while had it, considering that these six gifted people are already working and are more experienced.
All Might held his chin while deep in thought, “So the principal wanted to take advantage of the situation, huh? How very cunning and efficient.”
Aizawa can only sigh. Truly, he doesn’t want to do things this way. He felt that it would be unfair for the six Ability Users. However, it is also affirmative that his gifted students are far more experienced compared to his superhuman students. It will take one step at a time to get familiar with actual villain encounters. In any case, if something goes overboard, he will stop it no matter what. Besides, he couldn’t help but glance at the contemplating All Might, observing him. After all, All Might is an amateur with no experience when it comes to teaching. Aizawa wants to see his capabilities, considering how he’d be the one to handle his students in some of their lessons.
On Kan’s side, the students finally knew that their HBT will only be combined for today and they will be facing each other through a mock battle. It was randomized and not a class versus class cliché – at least, not for now. After seeing their understanding, Kan gave the spotlight to All Might.
All Might quickly revised his plan for today’s lesson and told the students the instructions for the mock battle, “This time, we’re going to move two steps ahead. Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside, but if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate. Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deals, torture –”
All Might continued to give examples when Dazai and Chuuya somehow felt that Ranpo, Yosano, Tecchou and Jouno unanimously faced them after hearing the examples.
Chuuya only raised a brow. He didn’t believe that those military maniacs didn’t commit at least one of those in the list, considering that they have a sadistic bastard. Besides, the ADA isn't all fun and rainbows either. Meanwhile, Dazai only blinked twice innocently before facing one of them as he smiled like a harmless black cat.
Yosano happens to be the lucky one who Dazai turned to. She raised her brows slightly, thinking how it would be a problem to let their president see this boy because of his cat-like demeanor. She prayed for the day not to come, otherwise, Ranpo-san might throw a tantrum.
For this class, they will be split into villains and heroes and fight 2-on-2 indoor battles. There will be three pairs at a time because there are three instructors to facilitate.
“We’re doing this without basic training?” Tsuyu tilted her head in a wonder.
All Might responded, “This is a real battle to understand those basics!”
Aizawa let out a sigh. This is Hero Basic Training Course. They should learn the basics first before diving directly into battle. Even stating them in a summarized manner will truly help out at lot, but this flashy yellow thing just couldn’t see that. It’s plain obvious that one cannot build a bridge without a base. This method of teaching is no safe and stable manner, it’s dirty and reckless.
He had one word for All Might, ‘Demanding.’
Most of the students understood that the key point in this lesson is that there’s no faux villain to defeat but rather, it will be a classmate disguised as a real villain. This means that the battle will most likely be out of touch with the textbook. Instead, it will be more focused on situations and chances. They have to have their tactics and tricks up their sleeves ready if they wanted to come out on top.
The bella donna in a red dress raised her hand and inquired politely, “Sir, how will wins and losses be determined?”
On the other hand, the hot-headed exploding guy questioned without filtering his words, “Can we beat them up anyway?”
Uraraka even wondered to herself, “Will the punishment be expulsion like Aizawa-sensei?”
Kaibara, who’s standing beside her, looked at her in camaraderie, “I feel you. We were threatened to drop the hero course and move to the support course if we fail to meet Vlad-sensei’s expectations…"
They looked at each other and sighed dejectedly, never wanting to experience that kind of thing ever again.
“Isn’t this cape crazy?” Aoyama interjected.
All Might, bombarded with questions felt the need to answer everything so he grabbed his script and read the fake situation. It once again made Aizawa sigh, thinking, ‘No professionalism.’
The situation is that the villains have hidden the nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout, which has five floors, and the heroes are trying to dispose of that. The heroes need to catch the villains using the white tape given to them (by wrapping the themselves and the villains with the tape) or get the nuclear weapon back (by touching it) in the allotted time. Meanwhile, the villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes. Of course, teams and opponents will be decided by drawing lots.
Kan-sensei knew of the lesson ahead of time so he came prepared with the list of names for his students. Before they even begin, Tetsutetsu raised his hand in a wonder, “S’cuse me, but All Might-sensei, isn’t this unfair? There are many of us here who do not have offensive quirks.”
At this time, All Might, Kan, and Aizawa seem to have the same thing in mind. All Might answered the boy’s question, “Not at all, young man! Everything is fair in this activity.”
“But we have different quirks--!” Kirishima also understood the same thought and is conflicted. What if somebody got hurt really bad in the process?
This time, Aizawa interrupted, “--like you have different builds, genders, mentality, experiences, names, tastes, and capacity. If you focus more on what’s unfair to you than what’s the best thing you could do in such a situation, you might want to rethink whether you’re meant to be in the hero course. Do you expect villains to cater to you? What a foolish idea!”
Kan faked a cough and looked at the other, “That’s enough, Aizawa. I’m sure my class already understood your point.”
Aizawa thought that Vlad King is truly a softie before refraining from saying another word and continuing being a spectator.
All Might shivered with his spine straighter than a pole, ‘How frightening of you, Aizawa!’
Vlad King faced his students who were a bit culture shocked by Aizawa and felt that they are pitiful. In his mind, Aizawa is always bullying students and it's worse that his students are also being bullied. As for Class 1-A, they all had determined faces to absolutely come out on top - at least those who’re really aspiring to be heroes. He said, “Are there any more complaints? How about those with non-offensive quirks?”
The silence is satisfying for many. The confidence radiating from those with non-offensive quirks is also something else. Yosano, Ranpo, Dazai, and Jouno, despite not having an offensive Ability, stayed nonchalant and didn’t back out either. In their lives, they are not given the chance to choose whether they’ll be sent at the frontlines or be stationed at the rear. No matter what ideals they believe in or which organization they belong to, all of them never bothered to enforce equality in these aspects.
The draw lots began when everyone is finally onboard. The teams were quite interesting but what interested Dazai most is when they were finally shown who’s fighting with who and which is which. There are good ones such as:
ROUND 1:
Team A (Hero): Midoriya Izuku & Yosano Akiko
Team D (Villain): Bakugo Katsuki & Shiozaki Ibara
ROUND 8:
Team G (Hero): Dazai Osamu & Saigiku Jouno
Team K (Villain): Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu & Jiro Kyoka
ROUND 12:
Team B (Hero): Yaoyorozu Momo & Mineta Minoru
Team C (Villain): Kaminari Denki & Edogawa Ranpo
ROUND 15:
Team F (Hero): Uraraka Ochaco & Kirishima Eijiro
Team I (Villain): Nakahara Chuuya & Monoma Neito
ROUND 17:
Team L (Hero): Tokoyami Fumikage & Toru Hagakure
Team J (Villain): Aoyama Yuuga & Suehiro Tecchou
“So, it’s you, Midoriya-kun.” Yosano waved at him with a smile, “Are you ready? You seem tense.”
“Yosano-sensei!” Midoriya somehow felt relieved when he was paired up with someone he knew. But his gaze fell on the blade in her hand, “A-A machete…?” He mumbled. Yosano titled her head to the side, making him flustered and just answered the question instead. Midoriya tried to act composed because of the Ability user in front of him, “I-I mean… it’s just… I didn’t think the opportunity will come this fast. I’ll be up against Kacchan so soon…”
Yosano raised a brow, sensing a sob story or something. In any case, she’s not one to pry if the other person doesn’t want to share anything. She just shrugged her shoulders and said, “Is that so? In any case, you’ve got me here as your support. As long as I’m safe, you won’t lose no matter what.”
“Huh?” Midoriya’s nerves seemed to relax a bit more because of her statement and her confident smirk. He wanted to ask, “What’s your Ability, Yosano-sensei?” - and so he did. They were facing against Kacchan and a student from Class 1-B. He knows Kacchan’s quirk but it’s not like he can stop it from coming at him. Moreover, he had no information about the quirk of the girl either.
Yosano is prepared to answer but All Might already signaled the start of the training, “Now, let’s start the indoor person-to-person combat training with the three pairs of teams!”
All Might, Vlad King, and Eraserhead also connected their earpiece to their students they are supposed to observe.
Of course, more students in the waiting area are inclined to watch the battle with Ability Users because for them, these gifted people are akin to an anomaly in the hero society. They are looking forward to their performances.
The first set of Ability User fell into All Might’s jurisdiction. Aizawa (observing Round 2) and Kan (Observing Round 3) also gave half of their attention to Round 1. After all, their students are also present.
In the training area, Yosano agreed to follow Midoriya’s plan. To her, it seemed feasible. Besides, the teen gave her information about the quirk of the unfamiliar guy in the Villain Team. It’s similar to small bombs. She told Midoriya in turn that her classmate’s quirk from the other team is plant-based. She hadn’t seen how it was used before though, so they had no idea about how it works, as well as its strength and weaknesses.
Midoriya assumed that the bomb will be kept somewhere above, in upper floors. That’s why, he proposed to Yosano that they will split up to hasten the battle. After all, both from the Villain Team had the possibility to go on full offense because of their offensive quirks. The green haired boy assumed that Yosano’s ability is more on support and Yosano agreed as well. That’s why in their team, he is the safer bet to face Kacchan.
Yosano actually questioned him about how he’s certain that this ‘Kacchan’ will go alone to face them. Midoriya only gave he a shaky smile containing both fear and excitement, “Kacchan will. He thinks highly of himself. He won’t cooperate with anyone.”
In the waiting area, Dazai sat on the floor with his palm on his cheek. His leg is shaking in impatience as he sighs dramatically, “How long will this last? It’s getting boring.”
Chuuya turned to look at him with a frown, “They’re just starting. Of course they need to plan more.” After gauging his classmates’ current abilities based on their quirk assessment test, Chuuya lowered his expectations, and actually thought that they are doing well compared to children their age.
On the other hand, Dazai is different, he sees all the wasted chances and potential in Deku, that’s why he’s bored as hell. Also, what’s with the extra caution in their approach? Heroes should be overly cautious. Although, Dazai knows that he’s too reckless and that Deku’s approach is one of the best alternatives. Still, that doesn’t mean that he likes the plan.
In short, he’s just being dramatic.
Going back to the battle area, Shiozaki is having a hard time. She tried her best to talk to her partner but the guy has been wrapped up in his own mental process and self-centered thoughts, not listening to her. He even told her to shut up while directing an explosion to the wall beside her, almost setting her vines on fire.
‘What kind of unreasonable person is this?!’ she freaked out in her mind. She held herself back from pulling her hair in distress. Even with her predicament, she hadn’t forgotten how difficult it is for her to maintain this superb quality of vines. She hates the idea of being portrayed as a villain in this training, but it is what it is. How-e-ver! This man in front of her is definitely a villain! An undercover villain! What kind of hero would do this thing?!
The guy kicked the metal bucket in anger. It hit the ground loudly and rolled to the wall, scaring her once again. Although this time, she showed a frown in annoyance, “I don’t know if you wanted to win, or you’re just upset because we’re chosen in the Villain Team… but no good thing will happen if you let your anger out on things.”
“THAT DAMN NERD!” Bakugo roared in anger, “He had the balls to lie to me?! What does he mean he has a quirk?! How can a useless trash like him obtain a quirk?!”
Shiozaki heard another round of tantrums again, making her sigh and hug herself for support. She assumed that this ‘useless trash’ is the guy with Yosano-sensei in the Hero Team and is obviously an acquaintance for this hot-headed teenager, “You know, it should be that way. After all, how can a quirkless person become a student in the hero course? It’s just common sense.”
“HOW DARE HE LIE TO ME?! DEKU!” In the end, he runs off on his own. Shiozaki had no choice but to chase after him to the door in a hurry and panic showed in her expression, “Hey wait-! We haven’t made plans yet! Come back here!”
“SHUT UP! I AM THE PLAN! I WILL KILL THAT NERD SO JUST STAY STILL AND FUCKING GUARD THAT THING!” He said before he completely stormed off, leaving Shiozaki speechless.
“Wha- What kind of shit—shallow plan is this?!” She fumed but, in the end, she couldn’t leave the bomb unattended so she had to abide in reluctance.
Jouno’s shoulders couldn't stop shaking as he kept his laugh to a minimum. Meanwhile, Dazai is already leaning on his legs for support because of laughing out loud. Disgusted, Jouno swiftly moved his leg to push the laughing Dazai to the other side, making Dazai lean on Chuuya’s leg instead.
“Shut up, or do you want me to step on you?” Chuuya commented but didn’t mind the other, letting him lean on his leg. Dazai can finally breathe and take a breather. Other students who got distracted by him and Jouno wondered what’s so funny, but most of them didn’t decide to approach the two to ask.
Iida is different though. He calmly walked towards Dazai and asked, “What’s so funny, classmate? It is obviously infuriating! Classmate Bakugo-kun is not behaving like a true hero at all!”
In a good mood, Dazai replied calmly, “See, that’s what’s funny. After all, they are in the Villain Team. He’s too great at portraying the villains!” except, that’s his real persona, which made it more interesting.
Iida didn’t get the message. He only thought that what Dazai said made sense. He was also sorted in the Villain Team. Therefore, he had to assimilate himself. He realized what he needed to do and felt really grateful, “I see! So that’s how it is! That you for sharing your insights!” before leaving and discussing it with his teammate.
Dazai blinked twice, “Eh?”
Mina also joined in, “You’re such a good mentor Daz-kun!” Chuuya thought he heard it wrong as looked at her with an incredulous gaze, making her tilt her head cluelessly, “Don’t say that again. It brings shame to great mentors out there.”
Mina, “???” On the background, Monoma had a murderous smile directed at Class 1-A while Tetsutetsu is being held back by his classmates from going to the training area while shouting that the explosion guy, no, the whole Class 1-A should get disqualified.
Class 1-A, ‘It’s Bakugo himself! Not us!’
Inside the building, Midoriya is just about to turn to a corner when Bakugo showed up and basted an attack directed at him. Yosano was quick and pulled him out of the way, making the blast hit the wall instead.
Yosano raised her brow in an understanding, “Oh? It’s you.” She remembered this destructive quirk. This guy is the reckless superhuman who only cares about his own strength and didn’t care about his surroundings at all. Thanks to him though, she got a lot of Rescue Points.
“Yosano-sensei, let’s follow the plan!” Midoriya immediately calmed down and showed a proper fighting stance. Quick to think, he began to formulate what move should come next. Even though he still doesn’t believe that he could beat Kacchan at the moment, he believes that he can fend for himself now.
“Alright. You sure you’d be okay on your own?” She agreed and inquired. Midoriya nodded in return, not removing his gaze from the smoke that’s about to clear. They just needed Yosano to slip past Kacchan and then they’re set.
“Come Deku, don’t dodge. Oh wait, you got your ass saved by someone from an inferior class. How pathetic.” Bakugo provoked but Midoriya is already used to his provocations. He just thinned his lips and prepared for what’s to come, “I figured you’d come for me first.”
“Bakugo, that’s cheating! A surprise attack isn’t manly at all!” Kirishima and another voice complained. The only difference is that the other voice used a nickname ‘Human Bomb’ to address the other person.
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu looked at each other.
Ranpo decided to correct their brains, “I wouldn’t say it’s cheating. Even though their entire plan is concerning, it’s a strategy that even the military uses. I suggest you guys read Sun Tzu’s works or study Napoleon Bonaparte’s life to get those rusty brain cogs working.”
All Might nodded, “That’s right, young man! Surprise attacks are also common in the battlefield.”
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu who prioritizes strength and fairness were brutally silenced.
Back to the battle, Bakugo rushed towards Midoriya but Midoriya figured out his next move due to the slight movement of his right arm. With this, he swiftly counterattacked the other and flipped him on the ground. This gave Yosano the chance to leave the two and used the stairs to find the bomb.
She doesn’t know what will happen to Midoriya, but since they were a team now, she decided to trust him and follow the plan.
The green-haired girl with the purple mask and fitted purple uniform pointed, “Look! Yosano-sensei is about to reach Shiozaki-san!”
The brown-haired girl with bangs covering her eyes felt a bit panicky, “Oh my! Who do you think will win?”
Upon hearing that question, Monoma looked at the laid-back Ranpo who’s struggling to unwrap his lollipop since the match began, and asked casually, “Hey, what team do you think will win?”
Ranpo frowned and gave him the candy, “Unwrap it for me.”
Monoma, “…” Fine. If you don't want to answer, then don't answer. Why do you have to torment me like this?
Yosano finally reached the area. She examined every room per floor with her hearing senses first, that’s why at the moment, Shiozaki has no clue that Yosano had already found their base. With a smile, she headed towards door and gave it a kick. A loud bang sounded when the door flew, making Shiozaki lock eyes with her. However, Yosano was quick, the moment Shiozaki reacted to the sound, she is already in the middle of the room.
After being flustered, Shiozaki put her hand in a praying position and her vines grew longer, penetrating the concrete and crawled to the whole room, almost capturing Yosano’s ankles had she not reacted faster and cut the vines with her weapon.
‘It seems that even without nature, she can still use her vines freely.’ She thought and wondered what would be the best solution for this hiccup.
Shiozaki, now calmer than ever, composed herself and said, “I’m not going down that easily, Yosano-sensei.” Her vines started to attack the other person in all directions and Yosano swung her blade, not letting the other have the chance to tie her up.
The situation became a stalemate.
Kaminari was amazed at the two separate battles going on in the Round 1. However, he couldn’t help but worry about the Hero Team, “This… it looks like Midoriya’s team is having a hard time.”
All Might felt terrible for the Hero Team as well. They have a good plan – it’s just that their skills are still too insufficient. Midoriya can still defend himself, but the damages he is continuously acquiring is concerning. Meanwhile, his teammate is moving her body more while Bakugo’s teammate is only standing still.
Ranpo only watched in silence while eating his lollipop.
Yosano finally finished examining the changes in room so she grinned confidently and threw the blade towards Shiozaki herself! The vines attacking Yosano finally grabbed her but in shock, Shiozaki used her vines to create a thick barrier in front of her… but there was no blade hitting the barrier.
Clueless, she thought that there’s a chance Yosano missed and is about to sigh in relief when her barrier fell and all the vines that enveloped the room became inanimate. Even the vines wrapping Yosano unwrapped themselves and fell on the ground, unmoving. The vines she used to shield the bomb fell lying on the floor as well.
“What?!” She is about to ask what just happened when she felt the cold breeze from the window behind her graze her naked neck. Raising her hand, he touched her nape and… “Thi-This…” her whole body trembled and looked at the other person in horror.
“YOU--YOU--YOU CUT MY HAIR?!” She freaked out. Her hair was cut so short that it couldn’t even cover her nape anymore. It turns out, Yosano added a spin in the throw but because it was blocked with many vines, it became a blind spot for Shiozaki, making her think it will hit her upfront when in actuality, it rotated the room, like a boomerang.
Yosano caught the returning blade and smiled while the other is still in the process of breaking down, “Your vines are getting really annoying, I hope you won’t mind.”
Shiozaki knew she could just grow them back. However, there was a difference. Whenever she uses her quirk, she extends the tips of her hair, not the roots. This is because she applies many hair products on her hair for years to always look shiny, silky, and even with the thorns, smooth. Who knew it would be cut just like that?! Now she had to grow them from the roots and start all over again!
Yosano walked past her as she still struggles to face the truth. Yosano figured this would happen since she observed how she always strokes her hair lovingly in class yesterday. Although she feels bad for ruining someone’s hair, she has to win.
Just as she approaches the bomb with no more threats, a huge explosion caused an earthquake. It created cracks on the floor and walls. Because of Shizaki's vines that already formed cracks on the walls and the ground, the concrete is starting to crumble, making the bomb fall from this floor to a lower one, covered in debris, not knowing which floor it fell. She had a bad premonition – Midoriya might sustain a grave injury or die.
She turned around and rushed towards the other. Shiozaki snapped out of it but before she knew it, she was already taped. One of the villains were captured, only one left.
Abandoning the bomb, Yosano rushed towards the center of this problem.
Jouno watched the battle between the Midoriya and Bakugo with Tecchou’s assistance and frowned as he read the words that Tecchou kept on writing on his palm using his finger. Although he can guess half of the live video due to the sounds and his classmates’ commentary, Tecchou’s straightforward depiction is still clearer.
“What a desperate fool.” He muttered. Tecchou doesn't know who's the fool one between the broccoli and the potato, but he doesn't have time to ask since he's busy writing on Jouno's palm. He just looked at him before looking at the screen and wrote, [The ADA girl finally arrived to help.]
Jouno guessed as much. He heard the sound of heels running.
Aizawa and Kan is about to drill holes through All Might’s body. Their bloodlust directed at his is oozing malice, ‘My students are hurt to this degree. Surely, you’ll stop the battle now?’ All Might felt the cold sweat from behind him but he chose to ignore it. He admits that he’s quite selfish and wanted young Midoriya to grow quickly, that’s why he doesn’t want to stop the battle.
All Might opted to giving a warning to Bakugo but even though it stopped him from using the same trick, he is still beating Midoriya to a pulp. This is what Yosano saw and immediately rushed to catch his body before it hit the wall, “Are you okay?” She immediately inquired after seeing his state.
Midoriya stood up difficultly and panted, “Yosano-sensei, what happened to the bomb?”
Yosano shook her head, “Unfortunately it fell because of the explosion. This building won’t hold out much longer because of the damage on the top floor created by Shiozaki's quirk. We have to finish this quickly.” She showed Midoriya the tape and said, “We only need to capture or immobilize that terrorist and we’re done.”
In an instant, Midoriya knew that their Plan A didn’t work out. Luckily, Yosano-sensei is adaptable and quickly formulated Plan B, ‘It’s all or nothing now…’ he told himself.
“Yosano-sensei, I know we’re running out of time and I might come off as selfish to you but… please, let me handle Kacchan all by myself!” He asked the other person, his eyes full of determination.
Yosano saw his courage and decisiveness. She gave him a nod, showed him the capture tape and said, “Alright. I’ll be behind you. Do what you gotta do. I will cover for you.”
Bakugo also knows that this is their last clash because they are running out of time. So, he condensed his power in one hand and prepared to launch it to Midoriya. Midoriya also prepared to use his quirk to conclude this battle while Yosano watched from behind him and sneakily gave him the capture tape on her hand.
Finally, All Might couldn’t take the pressure from both the students and teachers in the waiting room and was about to stop the battle when Midoriya suddenly deactivated his quirk and used the capture tape to encircle Bakugo’s waist and hurried to tie it to his wrist. The force to the explosion directly hit him.
Yosano and the others were caught off guard. They didn’t think that Midoriya would deactivate his quirk in the end. Even Yosano herself was frustrated at how the boy just let himself be hit without any form of self-defense.
Everyone who didn’t see it coming were tensed.
Bakugo realized that he fell for his half-assed action and was angry, especially after seeing his waist tied with the capture tape, “From the start… you were underestimating me, aren’t you?!”
In all honesty, Midoriya didn’t want to deactivate his quirk either, but he knew that if he really countered with Smash, he might hurt Kacchan because he still doesn’t have control over his quirk. Besides, that’s not the focus of Plan B. Unfortunately, he still failed.
The smoke cleared and it revealed the rest of the tape on the ground. It turns out, Midoriya dropped it before tying it to his wrist because of the explosion. Now, he no longer has the strength to even pick it up. He felt like if he moved, he would fall down and pass out.
In the end, he was still too weak, yet he decided to be selfish in front of Yosano-sensei. He wanted to cry in frustration, but even his eyes were too dry to function.
Bakugo doesn’t have to do anything anymore. In a minute, they will win. Still, it left a bitter taste in his mouth, and it gave him all the more reason to blame Deku.
“What’s that look on your face? You think you’ve won?” A woman’s voice rang out and he instantly faced her. Shit. I forgot about this one!
“Hey Midoriya, you told me I shouldn’t interfere with your fight, so hurry up and finish him. Look, he overused his quirk already.” She mentioned while patting off the dirt on her clothes. It irritated Bakugo because it’s true. He’s about to reach his limit too.
She sighed and a bad premonition welled up inside Bakugo, making him almost rush towards Deku and push him away but he’s still a step too late.
Yosano’s blade already penetrated Midoriya’s chest. Midoriya instantly coughed out blood in shock, unable to fathom what just happened.
Most of the people in the waiting area were also frozen in shock, most of their eyes are wide open.
“Y-YOUNG MIDORIYA!” All Might screamed in disbelief. Some students fell on their knees while others tremble in anger.
What just happened? Yosano killed Midoriya? In front of everyone?!
Dazai, Chuuya, Jouno and Tecchou are unbothered in the slightest. They just watched the changes in the plot with interest.
Monoma also couldn’t believe his eyes. His body shook his fear when he heard Ranpo’s groan because he couldn’t open his bag of chips. Ranpo looked around to ask for help, especially to sports car-san when he finally realized the tense atmosphere. He looked at the monitor and finally realized why.
“Oh, the Hero Team will win.” He commented casually. His voice isn’t loud, but because of the deafening silence in the room, everybody heard what he said and felt incredulous in their hearts, 'Win? WIN?! HOW CAN THEY WIN WHEN THEY INFLICT DAMAGE IN THEIR OWN TEAM?!'
Just in time, Yosano smiled demonically before pulling out her weapon from Midoriya’s chest.
“Inōryoku: Thou Shall Not Die!” A purple glow enveloped Yosano and soon, butterflies emerged, the purple glow reached Midoriya and as if a miracle, his almost lifeless state disappeared, surprising everyone.
The most baffled one was none other than her victim himself, Midoriya. His physical strength… it’s as if it was restored fully! Yosano-sensei’s Ability is a support type. It’s a powerful healing ability that let's him instantly recover his strength without any physical side-effect!
His eyes sparkled as he faced her, but before he can fanboy, Yosano reminded him about the tape. He rushed to grab the tape on the ground and was about to tie it on his wrist when Bakugo, flustered by everything, prepared his preloaded explosion and pointed it at Midoriya.
“YOUNG BAKUGO! I ALREADY TOLD YOU, YOU CAN’T USE THAT ANYMORE!” All Might warned but the feeling of urgency to get away overwhelmed the other, making him pull the ring.
Midoriya didn’t expect for this to happen, but because he is more confident now with Yosano backing him up, he decided to use Smash but he used it upwards, starting from the front of Kacchan’s palm, forcing his explosion to change direction, and the power of his smash and explosion combined, destroying the building from below.
Bakugo was shocked by his actions and was more confused upon seeing the capture tape wrapped around Midoriya’s wrist.
[Time left: 00:02]
All Might’s voice rang in his earpiece, “Hero… Hero Team… WINS!”
…………
EXTRA
On The Way to U.A.
Monoma Neito is quite the rich fella. It was obvious right from the start. Requests such as riding in his car is nothing but normal and always trivial. However, he didn’t think it would be this… much.
At the moment, me sat on the back seat of L***** latest model with a stiff smile on his face while his driver is only half-focused on driving the kids to U.A. because he cannot contain his curiosity about his young master’s new friends – especially when these new friends are indeed very special.
Monoma recalled how Edogawa-san requested to be fetched because he doesn’t like walking long distances, and he might get lost again in the process. Since Monoma has a high sense of responsibility, he only hesitated once before agreeing. After all, to him, it was only a small favor. Who would’ve thought that the said guy would bring all of his friends with him?
‘They are all Ability Users ah! I’ve got all six Ability Users riding with me on my way to school! Mom, look! Your son is going down the history of superhumans!’ Monoma freaked in his mind.
Luckily, the car reached its destination before Monoma completely loses his composure.
Unfortunately for him, his internal panic was pretty obvious to everyone except for the driver and Tecchou. Still, since they all shamelessly included themselves in riding such a car, they graciously did not expose him.
Notes:
Midoriya and Yosano won~!
Chapter 14: Round 8
Summary:
continuation of the battle in ground beta
Notes:
The previous chapter is already edited.
This chapter is raw. I'll edit it as soon as I can.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
There was a brief break after the first three rounds while staffs assigned to fix the buildings started their work. Midoriya was still taken to the infirmary due to injuring his whole arm. However, as he was being taken there, he couldn’t help looking at Yosano in awe – he really, really wants to ask her about her Ability! Luck favors Yosano when he was scolded by one of the robots carrying him to Recovery Girl.
Yosano went to the waiting area and as she walks, most of the students took a step back, making way for her. She looked at everyone with a raised brow, “Huh? What’s wrong with you all?”
“You scared them, that’s what.” Ranpo answered when she reached him. She glanced at Monoma beside Ranpo and the guy also struggled to look at her straight in the eyes. She grinned and only let out a, “Is that so~~?”
Despite her grin, her eyes hid a bit of regret. As much as possible, she truly doesn’t want to scare these teens, but what could she do? It’s her Ability. This situation can only be her fault.
Ranpo stopped speaking anymore and changed the topic, not wanting anyone to look at Yosano in the eyes, “Look over there.” He pointed at the hero in charge for this class. Distracted out of her thoughts, Yosano looked over and finally realized that she had just missed a commotion while she was making her way in the place.
The chin of the No.1 Hero is swollen in a perfect sphere. Not only that, he also has a black eye on his left eye. Yosano’s eyelids twitched and sent an inquiring look to Ranpo. The older one didn’t disappoint and said, “The black eye was Vampire-sensei’s masterpiece and the circle chin was Mr. Messy Hair’s obra maestra.”
Monoma’s chill disappeared after a short while and continued, “Well, All Might-sensei refused to stop the battle earlier despite the persuasion of Vlad King-sensei and Aizawa-sensei, so when the situation escalated, they just went ballistic. Luckily, everyone’s safe.”
Yosano gave him a look of understanding and wondered, “Say, do you think the No.1 Hero will accept my treatment if I offered it?”
Monoma shivered once again and just looked away before answering, “H-How would I know? I’m not All Might.” His reaction made Yosano grin. However, this time, she eyes curved with her lips. Ranpo noticed that she’s alright and couldn’t help but think to himself, ‘See that, Mr. President? I am a great older brother!’
After everything was ready, the next six pairs, Rounds 4, 5, and 6 started to head to their location. Soon, they were given the go signal.
On the other side of the waiting area, away from Yosano and Ranpo, were Chuuya and Dazai sitting on the ground with their legs crossed. Chuuya is watching as the battles are still in their starting point. He felt hyped upon watching Midoriya’s team fight against the trashy guy’s team. Although most of his interest died down after the break they had, he still wants to pay attention on the students’ performances.
If one would take a look at him, it looks like he’s just watching a good show on T.V. with all his attention. However, when one looks at the guy beside him, they would question why they thought ‘full attention’ can describe Chuuya’s demeanor. Unlike him, Dazai’s wide eye with ink black orb devoid of light, is fixed on the monitors. It stayed open without even a blink.
His eye seems to see through not only the people showed in the screens but also what’s inside their minds, piecing through their intentions. He just watched without moving, it made even Chuuya creeped out. Still, Chuuya knows that when Dazai entered this full state of focus, nothing could snap him out of it until he does it himself.
Suddenly, the battles in the screen felt boring for the shorty, so while Dazai is busy watching, he busied himself watching the other instead. He leaned his cheek on his palm and tilted his head.
A soft breeze passed through the room and it made Dazai’s brown hair strands dance. Chuuya’s finger felt itchy, wanting to reach out and brush those strands of brown hair. He frowned in irritation before moving his hand, raising it carefully, not wanting to disturb the other. Slowly, he gently hooked his index finger to that brown hair, but before he could play with it to his heart’s content, the other person flinched.
Chuuya thought it might be because of him, but before he can make up an excuse, he saw Dazai still focused on the screen. But this time, a sliver of interest is present in his eye. Not only that, he is focused on only one of the screens this time.
It intrigued Chuuya so he also took a look. It was a battle that ended quickly. If he isn’t mistaken, the person walking out of the building is the one that caught Dazai’s attention.
“Woah… he obliterated them so fast…” one of their classmates commented.
“No wonder he got in through recommendations…”
“Todoroki-kun is so amazing!”
‘Todoroki?’ Chuuya raised a brow and looked at Dazai with his eyes full of suspicion, ‘What are you planning?’ He saw Dazai’s lips curving upwards but his eyes remained empty – he’s definitely planning something damaging.
The second set of teams ended without a problem. There isn’t a need for a long break since the place isn’t that damaged. The only place that the staffs need to fix is the area of Todoroki’s team since it was covered with ice.
A guy from Class 1-B sighed as he went back to his classmates, “What kind of monstrous quirk is that? Give me a break!” Unfortunately for him, he was instantly caught in the ice like his teammate from Class 1-A.
Kendo wanted to console him and can only say, “W-Well, at least you did your best.”
“My best? I haven’t even been able to use my quirk, okay?” the guy cried even harder, making Kendo flustered.
Monoma of course seized the chance to comment, “Uwaa… Kendo-chan, you’re such a bully!”
Kendo panicked even more, “I-I am not!”
“Okay, the pairs in Rounds 7, 8, and 9, go to your designated areas!” All Might reminded and Dazai finally snapped out of his thoughts before standing up and stretching his limbs.
He groaned and sighed, “Finally! It’s my turn!” He turned towards Chuuya, who’s sitting on the floor while looking up at him. He smirked and said, “Do your part and cheer for me loudly m’kay?”
Before Chuuya can give and answer, Dazai already walked away after giving him a blink. It only made him scoff at the other. Unlike the others, only Chuuya knew that Dazai’s act runs very deep. In fact, ever since arriving at the meeting place before going to Musutafu, Dazai has already been acting.
Even since then, he never stopped his act.
Maybe it was because the two of them moved away from the crowd after the first set of rounds that the mackerel was able to concentrate fully and analyze the second set of rounds without an act. Or maybe, if he can be a bit wishful, it can be said that because he is beside Dazai in this dark corner of the waiting area that Dazai can rest for a couple of minutes before putting on his mask once again.
In the end, no matter what it was, Chuuya still thinks that Dazai is a jackass. A big jackass. That’s what’s going on in his mind while looking at the gradually cooling floor beside him.
Dazai’s in the Round 8, observed by Aizawa. Of course, All Might and Kan also had half of their focus on this round. After all, not only Dazai, but also Saigiku – two Ability Users are in this round. Most of the students are also eager to see how the battle would go.
Inside the building, Jiro Kyoka bit her thumbnail. She had a nagging feeling that she couldn’t identify. However, it felt too heavy so she knows that it isn’t good at all. It’s just in her intuition that those two on the Hero Team – Dazai Osamu and Saigiku Jouno – are bad news! Somehow, she felt that they were the ones targeted by villains instead and not the other way round!
“Hey, girl from Class 1-A!” Her train of thought was dispersed by her teammate for today. It cleared her mind for a bit, making her able to calm down and think things through.
The guy doesn’t have a clue about her thoughts and just asked, “What kinda quirk do you have? Mine’s stronger on self-defense, but I can pretty much go all out on offense too! Cool right?!” As he said this, he displayed his quirk in front of her and his body turned to steel.
Jiro moved her ear and showed him her plugs, “I can amplify and control soundwaves.”
Tetsutetsu nodded in understanding, “Then, you’re not very physically strong. I will go out and face them while you guard the bomb!”
Jiro thought that his suggestion made sense as well, especially after seeing Saigiku-san’s physical ability in the quirk assessment test, but something is still bothering her. She had no clue about their Abilities at all. Both Saigiku-san and Dazai-kun did not reveal their Abilities in their Qurik Assessment Test. While she tried to use hers in minimal ways, she’s very certain that the Hero Team already has a clue about it. After all, Dazai-kun seems observant and good with words. She experienced his glib tongue first-hand and while she was in the waiting area, Dazai-kun is the first one to guess Bakugo’s intentions.
But if both of them did not use their Abilities in the Quirk Assessment Test, then there’s a higher possibility that their Abilities are not offensive nor a proper support enough.
Jiro blinked and felt that she connected the pieces. If Saigiku-san is physically strong and Dazai-kun’s strength lies in his brain, then the first one to take action would be Dazai-kun himself! He’ll try to get information about the bomb’s location and then send the information to Saigiku-san! It’s the most effective tactic!
Jiro turned to look at Tetsutetsu and said, “No. I will be the one going down. You will have to guard the bomb instead. If my hunch is correct, a simpleton like you will easily reveal our location to Dazai-kun.”
“HUH?!” Tetsutetsu was offended and is ready to speak up but Jiro continued as if she didn’t hear him at all, making him confused at first but later, realized the gravity of the situation.
“Saigiku-san will have to be the one taking the bomb since he’s more physically active than Dazai-kun. Therefore, I couldn’t be the one guarding the bomb at all. I’m not proud of it, but close combat is not my forte.” Jiro answered.
Tetsutetsu put his steel knuckles together, creating a clanging sound, “Alright! Leave the bomb to me! I’m very good at close combats!”
Jiro nodded and prepared to leave the room quietly.
Meanwhile, outside the building, Dazai and Jouno are still waiting for the go signal to enter. After all, both the Hero Team and the Villain Team have 5 minutes to come up with a strategy. But Dazai and Jouno doesn’t have the intention to talk about plans at all.
“Seriously, what are the odds that not only will our schedules get mixed up so badly but also making the both of us being randomly paired up.” Dazai sighed in defeat. He’d rather be paired up with the grape guy than this military officer here.
Jouno only took a glance at him before saying, “I believe I can do this faster all by myself.”
Dazai chuckled, “Are you saying that I’ll only be burden? You’re hurting my feelings, Mr. Officer.”
“Oh my, you’re more self-aware than I thought you would be. I guess that’s one good trait about you.” Jouno remarked sarcastically.
“Why thank you, I appreciate the compliment.” Dazai continued before his carefree demeanor changed, “You don’t look bothered at all. It’s as if you already knew that the conflict of schedules will happen.”
Jouno’s perfunctory smile also changed, “Oh? How can you say so?”
“Since earlier, there aren’t any single complaints from you nor your partner about this situation. If that wasn’t strange yet, there’s also the last-minute change of class schedules all directed by the principal himself. Oh, would you look at that? You remind me, you made a deal with the principal days ago, no?”
Jouno raise a brow and cocked his head to the side, “You’re saying?”
“You proposed this whole idea. The principal wants you, The Hunting Dogs, to help train the students from the Hero Course in U.A. in exchange for information. Even though you agreed because of the tempting offer, it would be too tasking to teach everyone, so you came up with this. I’m pretty certain, you made sure to inform the principal in the last minute too. It’s so that he would have no choice but to agree, am I right?” Dazai replied confidently.
Every answer of his is on point. Jouno indeed suggested this idea to Principal Nedzu just before the HBT course of Class 1-A. Jouno’s smile widened and he felt very intrigued. He even wondered what would happen if the fragile truce in their organizations were to break right this moment.
He wanted to capture this person in front of him and use his favorite torture devices on that bandaged skin, slowly dying them crimson.
He wondered how great must it be upon seeing this guy’s face filled with nothing but fear and pain.
But outwardly he just chuckled, “You’re truly interesting, Dazai.”
“I know I am.” Dazai answered and Aizawa already gave them the go signal, “Well, Let’s try to make this battle longer. Let’s see… let’s use the most obvious approach. I’m going in first.”
Dazai proceeded to enter the building while Jouno stayed relaxed in his place, “Okay, don’t take too long~”
In the waiting area, everyone was baffled. At first, the students are amazed at Jiro’s intelligence. She crafted a well-thought-out plan. Even All Might and the other two instructors liked her analysis. However, when the screen showed Dazai and Jouno’s banters and theories, everyone was even more shocked. The two didn’t even bother to hide anything in their conversation.
The students even thought, ‘Does this really mean that we are here to learn from these Ability Users?’
Aizawa was also taken aback. He already knew that Dazai, this problem child, is sharp and smart. Still, he didn’t expect he would be this excellent. He guessed everything by only observing Saigiku’s attitude on the matter.
Saigiku is already spotless in his actions, yet Dazai still caught even the slightest possibility. It was frightening for a boy his age.
A girl named Yanagi worried, “That brunette said something about the most obvious approach before going in. The other guy stayed behind after hearing that. Does that mean they already know of the purple hair’s strategy?”
Tokage faced her with a frown before raising her brow, “But how did they know? It’s not that obvious at all.”
Uraraka heard their conversation and couldn’t help but ask Iida about it. However, Iida doesn’t know it as well. Not many of Class 1-A seem to get how Dazai thought Jiro’s carefully planning is the ‘most obvious’ approach.
Chuuya spoke up, “It’s because of our Quirk Assessment Test. Everything becomes obvious with that.”
Tsuyu walked up to him and said, “Kero. How is that obvious?”
“Both the mackerel and the bastard—I mean, both Dazai and Saigiku showed only a specific strength in the test. Therefore, if that long ear girl wants to gain advantage in this battle, she will surely consider their performance. In turn, it will be her undoing.”
In Class 1-B’s side, Ranpo is explaining almost the same as Chuuya, “So in short, bandages and old man officer is using saggy ear girl’s knowledge and intelligence to their advantage.”
Class 1-B, ‘Wow… those nicknames are something else!’ They appeared to be more intrigued at the casual nicknames thrown around by their strange classmate.
Just as Jiro suspected, she ran into Dazai after reaching the second floor and became vigilant. Dazai saw her and his eyes sparkled. He opened his arms and said, “Ah! My beautiful Jiro-sama! I can’t believe you came all the way here just to meet poor old me!”
Jiro was baffled and blinked twice at first. However, she regained her composure and refused to engage in any kinds of talk with him, afraid that she might slip up.
Dazai wanted to continue but then he remembered something, “Oh! I was planning to ask you something before but I was blocked but an expired perverted grape thingy. Now, I can ask freely, right?” he smiles charmingly. And without waiting for her response, he knelt on the ground with one knee and raised both of his arms, reaching out to her direction, “Jiro Kyoka-sama, your beauty is far too ethereal and unparalleled. It’s otherworldly! That’s why, will you give me the chance and agree to commit a double suicide with me?”
Jiro jerked in shock, “What?!”
Everyone in the waiting room, “?!?!?!”
Chuuya, “……” Sigh.
“I mean it! Really! Deep in my heart, you are forever permanently etched! That’s why, this is the perfect time to—” Dazai continued as he tried to hold her hand. However, Jiro took a step back and pulled her hand away in both confusion and dread.
“What are you talking about?! You shouldn’t say things like that carelessly! E-Even if it’s just for this battle! Playing with the word suicide is not good!” She pointed at him while panting in distress.
Dazai blinked twice and realized that his heartfelt feelings were treated as joke. It was too cruel that he lost the will to continue pressing her to accept his marriage—no, suicide proposal.
His heart was brutally broken, ah.
He stood up and said with a kind smile, “Is that so? Then, how about you tell me where the bomb is?”
Upon hearing the word ‘bomb’, Jiro remembered what she’s about to do and tensed up once more, “What makes you think I’ll tell you?”
Dazai snickered, “It’s alright. I can just guess.”
“Huh?” Jiro unconsciously muttered in confusion. She’s pretty sure she hadn’t revealed anything. How come he already knows? What does he know?
Dazai continued as he looks at her, “Oh. I got it.” He said, making Jiro panic even more, ‘He got it? He got what? How did he guess?! There’s no way he could! He must be bluffing! Don’t fall for it, Jiro Kyoka!’
Dazai pointed upwards, making Jiro feel unnerved even more. A grin crept up on Dazai’s face and said, “It’s in fifth floor, isn’t it? As for the room…”
Jiro felt threatened as her heart leaped. She sneakily used her quirk to slowly slide downwards to her plugs as Dazai speaks, “One… two… three…”
‘Shit! Shit! Shit! He knows!’ Jiro hastily plugs in her earphone and is about to activate her quirk when an announcement was heard from both teams.
[HERO TEAM, WINS!]
Frozen and baffled, Jiro looked at Dazai in a dumbfounded manner.
Dazai’s shoulders are shaking a little until he can no longer hold back his laugh, “Pfft… ha ha ha… HAHAHAHAHA! Jiro-chan, you’re so amazing! HAHAHAHA!”
Tetsutetsu heard the announcement and was almost angered to death. He was about to argue that he still has the bomb when he heard someone’s voice from above, “Hey!” Turning around, he looked up and saw a person in military uniform sitting on top of the bomb.
“WHA-?! HUH?!” He freaked while pointing at Jouno, who miraculously appeared from nowhere.
Jouno enjoyed his exaggerated reaction and snickered, “Better luck next time?”
Mostly everyone in the waiting room didn’t know what happened. At first, Dazai was just having a conversation with Jiro, then suddenly, Jouno, who’s supposed to be on the ground floor, outside the building, disappeared from there and appeared in the third room of the fifth floor in a blink of an eye.
It’s as if he teleported.
“No way! A teleportation ability?!” One of the students freaked out.
“That’s too overpowered!” One sighed in defeat.
Yosano looked at Ranpo who’s frowning, seemingly unable to believe what he just witnessed. She leaned over and asked, “What do you think? Is it really teleportation?”
“No. It’s definitely not teleportation. As for his real Ability… I’m afraid it’s not appropriate to say it here.” Ranpo muttered quietly and Yosano ceased questioning him. Ranpo felt that the bloodlust around them disappeared. He secretly glanced at the location where he felt it, and just as he deduced, it was from Tecchou.
The guy sheathed his sword once more upon confirming that the detective will not run his mouth willy-nilly.
Jiro is still left in the dark and unconvinced, “How did you guys to it?! How did the both of you get past me?!”
Dazai answered, “I cannot tell you everything since even I don’t know half of it. However, I know that the fifth floor is common in this type of battle since it’s the floor farthest from the ground floor. As for the room, I really have no clue. I just observed your micro-expressions as I count.”
His explanation made Jiro even more confused, “You don’t know? Then how did you even send the message to Saigiku-san?!”
“Alright, alright. Calm down. I’ll answer you. Have you never wondered why he keeps on taunting Bakugo-kun? How about his use of ‘quirk knock-off’?” Dazai waved his hand at first in an attempt to make her relax a bit.
Jiro didn’t get it at first. However, she soon realized that when Bakugo was swearing at Nakahara-kun, it took five minutes before Saigiku-san came in the classroom with Aizawa-sensei.
Jiro’s face turned pale as she figured things out, “Don’t tell me… he… from the ground floor… he can here us from over there?!”
All Might with the other instructors, “?!?!?!?!”
Class 1-A & Class 1-B, “!!!!!”
Ability Users, “……”
Tecchou, ‘I know. Jouno’s the best after me.’
He seems to be very pleased at everyone’s reactions that he nods with a faint smile in his lips.
Notes:
Dazai and Jouno Team wins!
Chapter 15: Round 12
Summary:
battle in ground beta part 3
Notes:
Do forgive me for not posting these past few weeks.
I had a mental breakdown because of stress.
I might not be able to update for the following weeks since we have our Oral Defense this week and demo next week. I will still try to keep up on schedule.
Here's the chapter. It's still raw, but I hope you enjoy.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“I say, sensei, you’re biased.” With a frown, Dazai pouted at Aizawa. How could he not? He performed very well but he was being scolded for the second time. The first time he was scolded was after the practical entrance exam. Him, together with the detective doctor, was given a scolding for bringing weapons without permission. After that, they finished filling out forms and signing papers that allows them to bring those weapons as a part of their ‘quirk assistance tech’.
But today, he was the only one being scolded, that was because his sensei claimed that he gave an underhanded remark. Although the drones can only capture some sounds of the battle and not every conversation, the earpiece that the students and teachers share can pick the sounds very clearly. Therefore, Aizawa and the other two instructors heard Dazai’s comment to double suicide, fairly upsetting the pro-heroes.
Aizawa sighed heavily, “Dazai-kun, I know that I am the least person who should meddle into your affairs, but seeing as you are currently one of my students, I still have a degree of responsibility. That’s why those words that you’ve mentioned earlier, whether it was only for diversion or something else deeper—”
“Yes~ yes~, sensei just don’t want me to say it, right?” Dazai waved his hands in annoyance, “I’ll try my best but no promises. Can I go back now? I wanna see how the detective guy from ADA handles this fight!”
Aizawa felt like he didn’t get through the kid in front of him, but he also knows that there’s only so much influence he can bring since they aren’t that close to each other to begin with. For now, all he can do is to continue observing the other. Thus, after a few more remarks, he let Dazai go, making Dazai instantly run away from him, as if he was suffocating to death.
Who suffocating to death? It’s none other than Chuuya himself. He felt dizzy with Dazai’s complaints about Aizawa while being shaken continuously by the mackarel who rushed towards him and landed on his lap.
“That sensei might be interesting but how can he only scold me?! I did very well! If there’s someone to be scolded, it should be that dog from the government! I even did them a favor by exposing his tricks but it was I who was reprimanded! It was terrible! Chibi! How can sensei be so horrible?!”
“GET OFF! YOU DESERVE IT, YOU SUICIDE MANIAC!” Chuuya raged and flipped Dazai to the ground on his back, making him groan in pain after hitting his head, his body bounded up and down twice because of the impact.
Chuuya flinched a bit. He thought that Dazai would evade again but he didn’t, that’s why he suffered… quite a bit. He wanted to check if his head is alright but he realized the reason why he did it in the first place, and realized that… ‘Well, you deserve it, jackass.’
Dazai massaged his head for a while before sitting upright with a smile upon hearing All Might’s prompt, “Finally they’re starting!”
15 minutes before the battle began; Hero Team and Villain Team Planning Stage
Kaminari admits he is totally nervous. After all, he’s up against Yaoyorozu-san. Even if he’s fantasized about beating her in battle whenever he’s bored in Present Mic’s English class, and also day dreamed about having her as a girlfriend once in Midnight’s Modern Hero Art History, he knows that she’s probably the real deal!
Yaoyorozu Momo is someone who was accepted in U.A. through recommendation, similar to Todoroki-kun. Kaminari witnessed how quick Todoroki’s match was, and felt even more nervous. His nervousness didn’t dampen his enthusiasm though, he just hated that he’s panicking in this mock battle.
“We’re a pair again, blonde fool.” A familiar voice caught his ears. At first, he thought he was hallucinating but then he realized that the Class 1-B person that he’s paired with is none other than the Ability User he also teamed up with in the practical exam! What are the odds!
“You-!” Kaminari jerked with a smile, “Oh! So, your name is Edogawa Ranpo-san! I’m Kaminari Denki! Let’s both do our best in becoming heroes!”
Ranpo gave an immediate answer, “No, but I’m not here to become a hero.” He completely shut down the idea before continuing, “Besides, we’re assigned to be villains in this mock battle, so there’s really no opportunity to become heroes. You really are a dumb blonde.”
Kaminari who just wants to lighten up the mood, “…” I forgot that this guy has a sharp tongue.
“Right! Edogawa-san, we need to start planning now. Mineta-kun might not be a threat because he only has those sticky orbs, but Yaoyorozu-san is on a whole new level! I saw in our Quirk Assessment Test that she has full control of her quirk and can create a lot of things with it!” Kaminari informed him of what he knew. Now’s not the time to be hinding things after all. If they want to be prepared of what’s to come, they have to give it their all right from the get go.
Ranpo stretched out his hands and said, “You see, I don’t really like fighting. I’ve already asked Vlad-sensei if we are allowed to do a makeover of this building in the planning stage and he agreed.”
“Huh?” Kaminari looked confused.
Ranpo sighed at his idiotic expression. He grabbed his glasses and wore it, “I’m saying, if you want to win, you better work your ass off already before we start. Now first, about this bomb…”
The villain team busied around and by the time Kaminari is almost panting without even starting the battle, they heard the Vlad-sensei’s signal.
There were three ongoing battles and the students’ attention are divided, besides, the battle is not starting yet, so most of them are busy chatting with each other so not a lot of people noticed Ranpo’s and Kaminari’s movement.
Kan, who was assigned to watch Round 12, caught everything. At first, he was worried because his student is alone and was surrounded by Class 1-A. He even felt that this pairing is rigged. But then he noticed that the blondie who was with Ranpo acts with familiarity and a hint of respect, making his heart calm down.
Upon hearing of Ranpo’s plan, the other person followed it without a question. It made Kan proud of his student. Still, while he knows that Edogawa-kun is a genius, he didn’t know he could be this genius. The plan he proposed leaves no room for errors. If they can implement it well, their win is guaranteed.
It made him thrilled and nervous, ‘These are Ability Users. The same Ability Users that made it difficult for the Hero Society to secure a complete victory hundreds of years ago, and remained standing until now.’
The battle finally began. Now, most of the students’ attention are in Round 12, especially those who are from Class 1-B. Monoma looked carefully at the screen, somehow feeling confident. After all, even though Edogawa-san is alone, he witnessed firsthand how good he is.
Kendo noticed his intense focus and finally couldn’t help but comment, “Wah… look at that glare, don’t tell me you’re jealous?”
Monoma snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her weirdly, “Huh? Jealous? Me?”
Kendo, however, didn’t believe his ‘I’m innocent but you’re still accusing me’ look. Instead, she pointed out heavy evidence, “Well, look. Edogawa-san just replaced you will another blonde.”
A vein appeared on Monoma’s forehead, he smiled but his aura is leaking bloodlust, “Kendo, rather than blond, his hair is more of a golden shade. Don’t lump me in with the likes of Class 1-A trash.”
Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu and Mineta finally entered the building.
Yaoyorozu wanted to formulate a plan, but as she discusses, Mineta always shifts the topic to something unnecessary and uncomfortable for her. It made her scream internally, ‘Why do I have to be paired up with this pervert?!’ but she can do nothing about it for now.
When the battle finally began, they haven’t formulated a proper plan.
Mineta still had bliss written all over his smiley face, “I say, Yaoyorozu-san, who made your costume? It’s perfect! Skintight, revealing, and most of all, skintight!” his eyes ogling at her thighs and chest, making her even more uncomfortable, so she decided to ignore him.
But Mineta was unbothered by her aloofness, “THAT’S RIGHT! HOW ABOUT YOU LET ME MAKE SOME CHANGES?! IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YAOYOROZU-CHAN STRAIGHT UP WEAR BIKINI, MAKE IT A SEE-THROUGH WITH LACE!”
“Quiet down.” Yaoyorozu frowned as they walk.
Unsatisfied with her bleak reaction, Mineta crossed his arms and stated in a confident manner, “Tsk! Tsk! Yaoyorozu-chan, you need to be more demure and dainty. Otherwise, how can you please men? A lot of female heroes’ fans are men! GIVE THEM THE DUALITY OF BEING STRONG YET BEING WEAK! YOU DON’T WANT TO BE DESPISED, DON’T YOU?!”
Yaoyorozu finally couldn’t maintain her poker face and felt shameful, her cheeks turned red as she faced Mineta, “You-! Can you pipe down?! You’re making it easier for the villains to detect us!” she whispered in urgency, wanting to end the conversation.
However, Mineta liked her expression this time and freaked out even more, “WWWWUUUOOOOAAAGHHH! THAT’S IT! THAT'S A GREAT EXPRESSION YAOYOROZU-CHAN! I BET THAT KAMINARI-KUN IS HELLA JEALOUS OF ME RIGHT NOW! DO IT AGAIN! AGAIN! SHOW ME—UGH!”
Something small and hard hit Mineta at the back of his head, making him almost choke on his words, “Oww! What the hell was that?!” he massages his head while looking everywhere.
‘Oh no! Did they already pinpoint our location?!’ Yaoyorozu became even more alert, a hint of uneasiness slowly creeping in her eyes.
She felt painful in her right arm and noticed that she was hit with the same thing that hit Mineta became of the bruise it created, making her hiss. However, she instantly realized that it also came from the same direction. Meanwhile, Mineta looked down and grabbed a small stone that rolled to his feet, “It looks like they’re throwing stones at us.”
When the third stone came to target Yaoyorozu, she evaded successfully because of her quick calculations. However, because the stone’s angle is downwards, it hit Mineta on the forehead, making him groan and curse in pain.
Completing the clue, Yaoyorozu looked towards the staircase and saw a guy with glasses preparing for another hit. He’s carrying a handmade slingshot.
“Found you!” Yaoyorozu did not waste a single moment rushed towards him. Mineta followed after realizing what was happening.
Ranpo opened his eyes and hurled the last stone in his hand, hitting Mineta on the forehead once again. This made the guy lose his balance and roll down the stairs before cursing at him and chasing him crazily.
Ranpo ran away to the second floor while looking behind him every now and then to see how the other two are keeping up. While doing so, he struggled to open a pack of gummy bears, “Tch! That’s why I told the blonde fool to open this for me first! I should’ve asked Yosano-chan or sports car-san to open this for me instead!”
In a fit of anger Ranpo forced to break his speed, looked back, and stretched his hand, “Wait, stop!”
The other two stopped upon seeing his pale face, his chest heaving faster, “Can you open this for me? I have hypoglycemia and I feel like dying. I need sugar.”
Yaoyorozu became worried. Seeing how the other person’s face and lips resembling a white sheet of paper, even if they are in the middle of the battle, she felt the urge to help him.
“You-You! Isn’t that bad?! You should go see a doctor!” Mineta freaked. He doesn’t want to be charged for murder!
Yaoyorozu ran to Ranpo and helped him open the snack in his hand. Ranpo grabbed it and ate a handful. Then, he slowly looked at the other two before finishing the gummies in his mouth with a smile, “You really believed that? Well, Thanks for feeding me, I guess?” He sticks out his tongue condescendingly before running away.
Yaoyorozu and Mineta, “……”
‘AHHHH!!! WE’VE BEEN HAD!!!’
“YOU LYING VILLAIN! GET BACK HERE! HOW DARE YOU LET MY YAOYOROZU-CHAN OPEN YOUR SNACK FOR YOU, YOU FOUR-EYED BASTARD! COME BACK HERE!” Mineta screamed at the top of his lungs, so much so that it is deafening even with the students watching the battle.
Dazai shook Chuuya once again, “Waahh! I wanna do that too! I wanna do that too! Next time before we finish our mission, let’s ask them to open plenty of canned crabs!” His eyes twinkled in delights while Chuuya’s face remained black with Dazai’s behavior.
Tecchou gulped and wiped the saliva from his face, “I want to bring snack later.”
Jouno, “…..”
Jouno, “It depends on the snack first.” I can’t be having you make us look like fools.
Tecchou gulped once again before nodding, feeling that Jouno is somehow in a good mood because he’s being quite lenient.
Going back to the battle, the chase reached the third floor but they still couldn’t reach Ranpo. Angry, Mineta finally used his quirk and threw many sticky balls towards Ranpo. Ranpo evaded all that he could before letting out a look of satisfaction, “Just as I thought, you’d easily cave in in third floor.”
With that, he evaded the last ball that stuck to the wall and grabbed a thin, almost invisible thread and pulled until it snapped. The floor suddenly went dark because all of the windows were blocked by thick layers of cement sacks.
Not only that, after Yaoyorozu and Mineta lost their ability to see clearly, the sound akin to coins hitting the floor echoed for a while.
Those who are watching also lost their sight, as if the camera man is doing a bad job. They don’t know what’s happening in the battle anymore.
“Well then, I’ll be going!” Ranpo, with his flashlight on, waved them goodbye after eating another piece of his gummy bear snack.
The light instantly left the two as it headed for the fourth floor, making Yaoyorozu panic even more. However, Mineta was angry, “Let’s go Yaoyorozu-san! Let’s beat him up!”
But Yaoyorozu knows, with Mineta’s reckless attack, she couldn’t just mindlessly take a step, or else she’ll get stuck to his sticky balls. God knows what could happen if she really did get stuck. She found an excuse, “Wait, we can’t just step on carelessly…”
Mineta didn’t listen and took a step. However, he raised his foot in pain, “Ow! Ow! Ow! Something pricked me!” because of his movement, he fell down on his buttocks, and countless of sharp unidentifiable objects pierced him, making him howl in pain.
Yaoyorozu slowly squatted and gently placed her hand on the ground, and fiddled with the object. After a while, she realized, “These seem to be… nails?” She figured these were long nails but in different sizes. Some of them are huge and felt new, some are used, curved and felt quite rusty.
“Stop moving so much. You might get infected.” She warned before finally using her quirk to create flashlights. She gave one to Mineta and finally saw that the ground, aside from Mineta’s sticky balls, are filled with nails. They only have 15 minutes to plan and prepare but those two managed to prepare this meticulously. It gave her chills.
She guessed that she had to carry Mineta on her back and use a pole, similar to those for a standing long jump pole, to jump from one side to the other, then concentrate to create a foam for landing while they are above ground.
She’s nervous, but she couldn’t dawdle any longer, they were running out of time. However, just as she’s about to tell Mineta about her plan, she heard a buzzing sound. A different light source was seen. It was non other than Kaminari who’s standing upstairs, on the fourth floor.
Kaminari whistled upon seeing the two’s somehow wretched state, “Whoa… Edogawa-san is really something else.” He muttered to himself first before finally talking to them, “Yo! Mineta-kun, Yaoyorozu-san, no hard feelings, okay?”
He said as he discharged electricity from his hands.
Yaoyorozu realized something, “Electricity… nails… iron!”
What’s iron? It’s a good conductor of electricity. In other words, it can amplify the impact of an electric shock because it lowers the resistance of electric flow! With the two of them standing in the middle of these countless iron nails, forget not touching them, the electricity will make the effort to approach them!
Her hands shook and stepped back, preparing to create an anti-electric shock cover. She tried to grab Mineta but the other used his quirk on the ground and rushed towards Kaminari, “A GUY’S BUTTOCKS SHOULDN’T BE PIERCED! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!”
“Time to sleep!” Kaminari released electricity from his hand. It traveled downwards from the stairs to the ground of the third floor. He stopped exerting his quirk and the iron nails did the job for him.
Suddenly, the third floor was bright with electric lights, it burned the cement sacks and the light outside peered in.
The students watching were surprised to see the unconscious Mineta. Yaoyorozu however, managed to create a cover for herself and didn’t get electrocuted.
Kan announced Mineta’s defeat, and only three people remained. Kan told Yoayorozu that medics will come for Mineta so she can continue on by herself.
Yaoyorozu gritted her teeth in frustration before running towards the fourth floor without removing her cover, she only removed it once she reached the next floor.
“It’s alright, Momo. You’re nearing the top floor!” She told herself and started running, not long after, she ran into Kaminari.
“Students that got through recommendation are really tough.” He smirked in excitement, “Come at me, miss top student!”
Yaoyorozu took a deep breath before calmly facing Kaminari, ‘There’s no time left… I have to… do it!’
“As you wish!” she said and created a spear. Kaminari was shocked upon seeing how sharp the tip was. Besides, the spear was made out of the finest dry wood. Which means, he cannot use easily use his quirk to deal damage.
The students watched as the two fought toe to toe, Yaoyorozu even created dud grenades and smoke screens to gain advantage. Still, she was running out of time.
Kaminari was hit in the ribcage and felt like at least three of his ribs were broken. He grimaced in pain and remembered what Edogawa-san had told him before the battle starts.
“In the fourth floor, do everything you can to stall time. Protect the fifth floor at all cost.”
Kaminari frowned, “Why can’t I just knock her unconscious then? I mean, she’s not immune to electricity.”
“Big talk. You’ll need to train more to defeat her. She’ll probably use a weapon that can create distance and also make a lot of distraction that’ll lower your focus. If that happens, use 90% of your quirk, and the last 10% will be used to intimidate her later.”
Kaminari generated electricity from his whole body. The only thing is his mind is, ‘Ninety percent. I only need to use 90%. I can’t go further or lower!’
Yaoyorozu felt a premonition in her heart. She heard Kaminari’s shout, “TAKE THIS!”
The whole floor radiated electricity. The difference of this floor to the previous one is that the third floor doesn’t have any electric power. Meanwhile, in this floor, the lights were on. This is because while Kaminari is working on what Ranpo has told him, Ranpo fixed the generator and only turned on the power on the fourth floor.
This aided Kaminari in creating a bigger impact compared to the one in the third floor, considering that he also used 90% of his quirk. The building practically shook and a brief earthquake occurred even in the other two areas where two different battles are currently happening.
Caught unprepared, Yaoyorozu suffered its impact before forcing to move her hand. She struck the spear on the ground and created a cover to minimize the effect. She stayed there until she can no longer feel any buzz around her.
She opened her eyes and took a peek. Kaminari was down on his knees, breathing heavily. After seeing that he will take a long time to recover, she jumped down and almost lost her balance. Her legs feeling numb.
Seeing that the stairs are just a few steps away, she forced herself to walk. Thankfully, moving her body lessened the numbing feeling. The moment she reached the top floor, Ranpo is sitting on a chair and held out a snack.
“If you open this snack for me, I won’t stop you from checking out the rooms in this floor.” He smiled while handing out his jelly bean snack.
Yaoyorozu frowned, “You’re lying.”
Ranpo titled his head, “I did lie before because that’s not according to plan. But this time, I’m not. If I lie, Vlad-sensei will consider us, the Villain Team, defeated. How’s that sound?”
Yaoyorozu contemplated before hearing in her earpiece, “I will supervise. If Edogawa-kun lie, the Hero Team wins by default.”
His answer gave her a peace of mind and opened his snack. Ranpo grabbed it with excitement and said, “You may go.” While eating his delicious jelly beans.
With no time to waste, Yaoyorozu searched each room until she reached the last one. However, the bomb is nowhere to be found.
She ran towards Ranpo and said, “You! You lied to me!”
Ranpo faced her and raise his brows, “Hmm? I did not. I said that I will allow you to search everything in this floor. Didn’t you get to search it without my intervention?”
Yaoyorozu felt stumped. That was indeed the case but… “But the bomb isn’t here?!”
“I never said it was here in the first place.” He said before cocking his head to the said, “Say, maybe you missed it on other floors? I mean, you are too busy chasing me after all. You look so pitiful, so I will give you a clue. Which floor did you spend the least time? I’m sure it’s there.”
Yaoyorozu thought for a moment. It could be the fourth floor. She dragged a bit because of Kaminari. The third floor is the longest time they spent on. As for the second and first floors… Mineta rambled quite a lot before Edogawa-kun appeared.
That means, the bomb is in the second floor! The floor where they have the least concern!
‘Not good! I’m out of time!’ she turned back and ran.
Ranpo waved goodbye, “Good luck, I guess. However, do you think you can make it?”
Yaoyorozu went down to the fourth floor but just as she is about to take a few more steps, Kaminari almost got her legs with the electric wires he pulled that were hanging in the roof because of his previous 90% attack.
This time, he only had 10% left, but because of the wires, it was a good bluff.
Yaoyorozu thought so. It must be. But then Kaminari laughed out loud and spoke, “Good! Thanks to these, I’m fully recharged! Come at me again, Yaoyorozu-san! Let’s go for Round 2!”
Yaoyorozu froze, her confidence waned, ‘No way… he’s already… how can I get past him…?’
As she was thinking, an announcement declared her fate, “TIME’S UP! VILLAIN TEAM, WINS!”
Notes:
Ranpo's a savage.
Chapter 16: Round 15
Summary:
battle in ground beta part 4
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Back in the waiting area, Yaoyorozu couldn’t help but feel dejected. She stood on the side, slightly farther from her class. Her head hung low and her right arm folded, holding her left. With her brows furrowed, she bit her lower lip and couldn’t help but compare her hopeless match to Todoroki’s instant win. They both got into U.A. with the same method but why is she so far behind? She lowers her head even more while listening to her classmates congratulating and teasing Kaminari who is short-circuiting at the moment. The pro-heroes decided to also send him to Recovery Girl.
On the other side, she witnessed how Class 1-B pounced on the Ability user she just fought but the other looked disgusted as he hides behind the girl that was paired with Midoriya from the first group. Her foolish actions in her match flashed in her mind once more. Her left hand drew into a tight fist, currently feeling the disappointment to herself. The whole match, she was running on the other team’s palms and she had no clue at all. If she only hesitated less and charged at Kaminari in the end maybe…
She didn’t notice a girl walking towards her. The girl stood beside her and gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder with her long ear. Yaoyorozu looked at her with a pale face, “Yes?” she mumbled.
Jiro gave her a weak smile, “Don’t be too sad, I know how you feel as well.” She scratched her hair to lessen the awkwardness and continued, “I mean, did you see my battle? At least you really get the chance to struggle! I wasn’t even given the chance to do so!” She complained softly. Her cheeks blew up and her face shaped like a bun, making Yaoyorozu think of a hamster and couldn’t help laughing.
Yaoyorozu realized what she did and felt embarrassed, “Oh… um… sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh…” It was rude to laugh at someone’s misfortune but Jiro didn’t mind at all. She just wanted to cheer her up because she hated how Yaoyorozu had a pig teammate. Maybe the fight would’ve been more different if she was paired with others.
“Don’t sweat it.” She said, giving her a thumbs up, “I’m Jiro Kyoka, by the way.”
“Yaoyorozu Momo.” She brightened up and spoke when an arm encircled her neck. Jiro also felt the same thing. In between them, a pink girl jumps in delight, “Yay! Girl friends! I’m Ashido Mina! Wanna go to the café with me later?”
Yaoyorozu and Jiro were both baffled but they gave her a smile of affirmation afterwards.
Rounds 13, 14, and 15 were up next. Once again, Kan Sejikiro got the team with an Ability User.
Before separating, Uraraka gave Chuuya a fighting smile and a thumbs up, “I’ll do my best, Chuuya!”
The ginger actually forgot that she’s one of the opposing team. He blinked first and smiled, “Then, I’m expecting a good fight, Ochaco.”
Just as Uraraka is about to turn around, she bumped into someone, “Oh-! I’m sorry!”
The guy scoffed, “How entitled must Class 1-A be to not even look at where you’re going. Do you think you own the road or something?”
Kirishima looked back and asked, “Hey, is everything alright, Uraraka bro?” He looked suspiciously at the blonde guy, knowing that this is the same guy who kept on aggressively saying mean things about his class.
“E-En. Let’s go?” Uraraka felt awkward and just nodded before pulling Kirishima away from the other person.
“Look at where you’re going? You’re the one who purposely bumped into Ochaco. Do you think I don’t have eyes?” Chuuya retorted but didn’t delve deeper. After all, he just remembered that this guy is the one who drove them to U.A. so he’s leaving him a bit of dignity.
The guy observed him and concluded that he really isn’t mad, which is a good thing, since they are a team for this round, “I’m Monoma Neito.” He introduced himself without reaching for a handshake.
“Chuuya.” The other didn’t mind since his hands are inside his pockets. In fact, he is thinking about what the mackerel has asked him before he went out.
‘Chibi, do you think Arahabaki can be duplicated?’
He doesn’t know what that meant and it hurts his brain thinking too much about it so he just sighed and muttered, “Weirdo.”
In Round 15, Chuuya and Monoma are the villains while Uraraka and Kirishima are the heroes. Now that they are inside the building with the fake bomb just beside them, Chuuya looked at Monoma and asked, “So what can you do?”
Monoma looked around for a while and touched a random wooden box on the ground. It gently floated upwards. He observed for a while before he spoke, “I seem to be able to control gravity.” He smiled meaningfully, making Chuuya raise a brow in suspicion.
‘Seem to be?’ he thought. He overwrites Monoma’s control and the box flew into his hands, “Oh look at that, we’re similar.”
Monoma froze for a moment and thought, ‘Dang. I should’ve just bumped into the redhead instead…’ Not knowing what to do, he asked Chuuya, “Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”
Chuuya spun the box like a toy and said nonchalantly, “Depends on your usage,” then he smirked confidently, “but gravity happens to be my expertise.”
Monoma doesn’t want to underestimate an Ability User, especially after what happened with Edogawa-san. When he tried to copy his Ability, there was nothing. This is why he’s reluctant to try it with Chuuya. After all, what if he couldn’t copy it as well?
“The girl should be a gravity user as well. Should we get rid of these random things and clean the building?” he suggested.
Chuuya disagreed, “Nah. If she can use these to her advantage, so can we. I wanna see what Ochaco can do, so I’ll be the one fighting her. Can I leave the other one to you?” To Monoma's convenience, Chuuya chose not to question how he knew Ochaco's quirk. Obviously the other person doesn't want to expose it, so he wouldn't pry.
Monoma wanted to face Uraraka as well so he could continue using gravity but since it turned out this way, there’s nothing he can do about it. He nodded as was thinking of a different strategy for himself when Chuuya fist-bumped him on the shoulder before leaving the room first.
Monoma felt goosebumps all over his body. Since he is fighting, he already conditioned himself to copy anyone’s quirk with a slight touch. His quirk activation should be when he, himself, touch someone. However, when he’s 90%-100% focused and heightened the senses on his body, even the slightest touch of another superhuman can be copied. This is why when he intentionally bumped to Uraraka, even without his hand touching her, he can copy her quirk with no difficulty.
This should be similar to Chuuya as well. However, the feeling of control in gravity is far broader and clearer. It made it more difficult for him. If he were to describe it, Uraraka's quirk allowed him to simply follow the given pathway. In comparison, Chuuya's ability requires self navigation and the pathways are like roots of an old tree. Not only that, he felt that there’s something more if he were to exert dominance. However, it’s as if his whole body refuses to listen to him, and instead of going deeper, his organs strongly opposed him. He felt stuffy and the veins in his hands and head bulged. For a while, he was covered in cold sweat before being able to somehow calm himself down.
Monoma realized that there must be something more to Chuuya, but that ‘something’ couldn’t be touched no matter what.
Dazai saw the changes in Monoma’s micro-expression through the screen and felt half-intrigued. It looks like Arahabaki couldn’t be duplicated. What a shame. Only chibi can be that ethereal.’ He’s thinking that it was a shame, but his lips curved upwards, looking satisfied.
The preparation time is almost over and both teams stationed themselves.
“Are you ready, Uraraka bro?” Kirishima’s eyes twinkled in delight, feeling excited about their plan.
Uraraka looks fired up as well and gave him a thumbs up sign, “I’m ready, Kiri-bro!” she even copied his way of speaking.
[ROUNDS 13, 14, AND 15…. START!]
The hero team wasted no time at all. Uraraka lowered her stance and touched Kirishima. She let out a determined shout and tossed him upwards, shocking most of those who were watching. Once Kirishima’s eye-level reached the fifth floor, he hardened his right hand and punched through the wall.
Uraraka put her fingers together and said, “Release!” before running towards the building in the first floor.
Without the control of Uraraka’s quirk, Kirishima succeeded in entering the uppermost floor. There, he saw Monoma standing in front of the bomb, looking paler than ever, but his eyes flashed with determination.
“Kero! They’ve sandwiched the Villain Team!” The green-haired girl couldn’t help but shout. The students who aren’t focused on Round 15 looked over and was shocked.
“This! The Hero Team got them cornered!” one of them shouted.
All Might looked over and said, “Hmm… looks like they’ve learned from the previous battles, especially with Round 12. Instead of searching for the bomb on a specific floor, they’ve decided to attack from above and below to maximize the time and prevent the same outcome. Very innovative! Good hero strategy!” He felt prouder and prouder to these students and his smile is now more than half his face. He decided to tell young Midoriya about these battles later.
This strategy couldn’t work on just anyone. First, the other person must be like Uraraka who can control the gravity. If not, that person should at least be strong enough to toss another person to the sky. Second, the person who was tossed should be equally as tough and precise as Kirishima. If not, that person should at least have a destructive quirk to make things work out flawlessly.
In this case, Uraraka and Kirishima not only formed a great team but also devised a plan that could maximize their potential and usefulness in battle. The hero team was indeed off to a great start.
On the lower floors, Chuuya held his earpiece and listened to Monoma’s report. His face didn’t have a trace of panic, “I see, so they’ve already reached the bomb, huh?” he commented first before hearing lighter footsteps. He realized who it was and said, “Well I’m leaving that trouble to you. Since you have no qualms with what I said earlier, that means you can protect that bomb on your own, correct?”
Monoma, on the other line, was speechless. But maybe it was because of Chuuya’s calmness that made him assured that there was not even a hint of doubt in Chuuya’s tone at all. It’s as if he was fully entrusted with a heavy task of do or die situation. Unknowingly, Monoma truly entered the scenario of the battle wherein he and Chuuya are both villains and the bomb that he is guarding at the moment is their final trump card to lay waste on the hero society.
He doesn’t know how he was able to exert his quirk to a hundred percent. Maybe because it was Chuuya’s copied Ability, his words, or his trust in himself, but Monoma’s whole aura changed in an instant, "Filthy hero wannabes." he mumbled, at the moment of his full immersion, he was really feeling disgusted with 'heroes' in general.
Kirishima also felt the sudden change in the room’s atmosphere. He felt he’s going nuts when he subconsciously thought that the person in front of him is a real villain instead of a schoolmate in a mock battle.
Chuuya and Uraraka met each other on the third floor, “’Sup, Ochaco.”
Uraraka’s face had excitement and nervousness written on it. Her hands shook for a moment but she still faced Chuuya head on. She touched the random things on the ground and tossed them to the other. Chuuya whistled and evaded without removing his hands on his pockets. For a second, Uraraka lost sight of Chuuya when the other spoke, “Up here.”
She looked at the ceiling and Chuuya is sitting cross-legged upside-down. His black cloak flowed with gravity but his hair and hat are still prim and proper.
“Woah!” Uraraka exclaimed in amazement. Her control isn’t that precise after all. Somehow… somehow she’s envious! Teach me too, Chuuya!
Chuuya saw her fiery gaze of wanting to make him her mentor or something and it made him feel helpless. He thought that Ochaco is a bit silly before saying, “Defend now. It’s my turn.” He squatted on the ceiling and kicked, directly lunging towards Uraraka.
Uraraka snapped out of her fangirling thoughts and evaded in the last second. She rolled on the ground before getting back up again. She hadn’t had the time to focus her vision when she was kicked in the stomach. It was too painful that she coughed as if she wants to vomit. Inertia made her take a few steps backwards. Her mind is still muddled when her eyes caught a series of circular shadows.
Out of instinct, she used her hand to block them. Thus, her hand suffered a series of strong punches. She gritted her teeth in pain. The rhythm of punches stopped. For a moment she thought it was over when she felt the slight change of air flow on her left side. She moved and her hand to block her left side and the kick that was supposed to hit the side of her neck hit her arm instead.
Even though her arms feel so painful and bruised all over, she felt thankful that her quirk is gravity. That’s why she’s sensitive in the changes of the airflow and the like. Still, that doesn’t mean she’s fast enough to dodge! She can only painfully block with tears in her eyes!
‘Chuuya is a gravity manipulator yet he’s relying on martial arts! How… How… How cool! I want to be that badass too!’ she can only cry in her heart as she stumbled on the ground, coughing and retching.
Chuuya sighed, a bit disappointed. Maybe he overestimated her a bit. He grabbed the capture tape and walked towards the girl when she pressed her body lower and kicked diagonally upwards. Her execution is clumsy and couldn’t actually even bruise a human body but Chuuya evaded nevertheless.
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow and his lips smiled once again. He threw the capture tape away and took a stance. By the time he was finished, Uraraka is already standing and bent her knees a bit. Her arms in front and her fists tightly closed, “I also…” she spoke, “I also watch boxing matches many times with my dad!”
She rushed forward and went for a series of punches – jab, cross, hook, uppercut and such. Chuuya evaded some while blocking some. He felt the force of her attacks. Unfortunately for her, it was too weak to even push him back.
When Uraraka tried to punch again, Chuuya directly grabbed her wrist and used his other hand to punch her stomach. She felt her body pushed backwards, but because her wrist was being held, she can only endure in place, “See now?” Chuuya spoke, “This is how you throw a punch.”
Still in a fit of coughing, Uraraka felt that it was time and she lunged towards him, encircling her arms on his thin waist, all ten of her fingers touched his body and her quirk activated.
She didn’t waste any time and threw him out the window with her quirk still on. As long as she didn’t release, the other person will have to follow the flow of gravity that she set.
Chuuya looked over the increasingly small building. He blinked twice and laughed wholeheartedly, “Hahahaha! So, all this time, she’s only waiting for an opening to do this?”
Midflight, he turned to another building and stepped heavily on the wall, cracking it, entering the topmost floor. His whole body turned red, overwriting Uraraka’s quirk. Before he leaped, he noticed the people in the room looking at him dumbfounded.
Mina, Pony, Sero, and Kendo.
He went so far that he disturbed other people’s battles. He only nodded and took off with a kick.
The other four, “……”
Unlike Uraraka’s soft and wobbly flow of gravity, Chuuya’s control is sharp and strong, it reached less that half the time Uraraka used to make him float far away. In fact, she hadn’t even had the time to stable her breath when he’s back already, catching her off guard.
She really thought that he can only go back once she released her quirk! This is a huge miscalculation!
She prepared herself and floated the things around her but they suddenly felt so heavy he lost control. Everything fell down and crashed on the ground, cracking, “Wha-?!” Unable to finish her words her whole body flung and crashed to the wall, cracking it to her shape. Blood flowed out from her mouth; she almost lost her consciousness.
She finally realized another miscalculation – Chuuya can freely overwrite her quirk! She’s too careless!
She tried to overwrite Chuuya’s Ability on her using her quirk but before she can completely focus, Chuuya didn’t even need to move his finger before she crashed to the opposite wall, making here feel painful all over her body. Not only her mouth, even her nose and forehead are bleeding non-stop.
Vlad King felt that the two are going too far and wanted to stop them but because of the girl’s determined eyes, he hesitated. He ironically found himself in All Might’s shoes back in Round 1. Still, as a teacher, he should stop them already.
Taking a deep breath, he is about to halt their battle when a hand grabbed his arm. Looking to the side, he saw Aizawa stopping him, “Look at the other two. This match is about to finish. Don’t extinguish the flames in their eyes.”
Aizawa doesn’t like what’s going on with Uraraka’s and Nakahara’s fight as well. However, in any minute now, it will be dealt with. Thus, he stopped Kan from making a blunder that may damage the relationship of the two kids.
Kan was engrossed in the fight of the two that he forgot to watch the other two. When he looked at the monitor capturing Monoma and Kirishima, he was stupefied. Not only Kirishima looks beat up, even with his whole body fully hardened, he doesn’t have the strength to escape Monoma’s slender foot that’s stepping on his head as he knelt on the ground, his hands and knees buried in the cement. Instead of being able to raise his body, he’s being buried deeper and deeper on the ground.
With his simple mind, Kirishima only thought that Monoma’s foot is too hard. Monoma’s body is glowing red as he looked at the redhead coldly, on his right index finger is the huge bomb, settled there in a behaved manner, as if it doesn’t have any weight, "Seriously, are heroes nowadays this weak? How laughable." He said, his pale face show no emotion. However, deep down, Monoma’s head is splitting like crazy. Controlling Chuuya’s ability almost made him pass out in pain, as if his brain is slowly being ripped apart. He had no time to use the capture tape at all. He felt that once he bends down, he’ll fall unconscious. Thus, instead of doing so, he focused more on the Ability to his foot and stepped on Kirishima’s head harder.
Kirishima’s arm gave out and his head instantly hit the ground ten times harder than before, knocking him out. On the other hand, Chuuya tossed Uraraka over and over again until she passed out, unable to overwrite his Ability.
Kan felt terrible for the two but he had to announce, “HERO TEAM KNOCK OUT! VILLAIN TEAM WINS!”
This time, both members on the hero team were sent to the infirmary. Uraraka and Kirishima sustained broken bones, scars and bruises. Moreover, Monoma also rushed to the infirmary on his own. However, he didn’t walk for long when he coughed up blood and felt dizzy all over. In the end, he had to be taken to Recovery Girl as well. He felt his limbs slowly growing numb until he can no longer feel them. There’s a sense of fear enveloping him.
He took a deep breath and seriously considered the consequences of copying Abilities. He doesn’t know about others, but for him, Abilities are beautiful yet frightening! It’s too scary! If he could, he wouldn’t want to do anything with them at all!
Chuuya went back to the waiting area without anyone congratulating him. He raised his brows in confusion but didn’t think much of it when Iida approached him, “Nakahara-kun!” He called and walked faster in a mechanical manner, “HOW. COULD. YOU. HIT. A. GIRL. LIKE. THAT!” he reprimanded while moving his hands up and down but he knows that this is a battle so after ranting, he stopped and said, “So, is Uraraka-kun okay?”
“Only superficial wounds. She’s fine, she just passed out.” Chuuya said and realized that his classmates must’ve found his actions terrible. Chuuya thinks he already held back a lot in that fight but these hero wannabes still think he’s too much. He wondered how much of the world have they not seen to feel that he’s already terrible with just that display. If they saw Dazai interrogating someone, will they pass out?
Two arms circled his slender waist and a chin propped on his shoulder. The person then said, “Right! Right! Nothing life-threatening at all, Iida-kun! By the way, did you see chibi’s martial arts? It’s so good right? In fact, it’s one of the best in our organization!”
Iida’s attention was successfully piqued and there was a hint of awe in his voice, “Woah! Really?! That’s amazing, Nakahara-san!” he said before trying to copy Chuuya’s actions earlier, “Hya! Hya! Whack! Bam! Like this? Or maybe like this?! Oraoraoraoraaa!”
Chuuya’s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and even forgot to remove Dazai's hands on his waist. Surely, he doesn’t look as stupid as four-eyes when he’s doing the thing… right?!
Tsuyu went up to Iida to correct his posture and some even had fun teasing him and soon, one of them nudged Chuuya's shoulder and the light-hearted atmosphere went back.
Jouno listened to the unfolding scene and couldn’t help but observe Dazai a little bit more. Dazai realized his intention. He let go of Chuuya, faced the other and held both of his cheeks in a shy manner, like a girl blooming in her first love, “Ah~ if you pay attention to me that much, I’m gonna melt~”
Jouno felt all the hairs of his body stood up and he turned his head away. He couldn’t see the face, but the sticky tone of the voice made his face turn green is disgust. Tecchou tried pacifying Jouno by stroking his head, “Yosh, yosh,” but Jouno felt even more terrible. He hit Tecchou’s hand away and left to find a different spot to stay.
Tecchou’s hand froze on the same spot where he was slapped as his gaze followed the other. He then looked at his hand and slowly move it closer to his face. He took a sniff and smelled the shampoo the other person was currently using. It was a different shampoo, a shampoo provided by the inn they were staying at. Tecchou’s hair also smelled the same and he felt quite happy.
Of course, he conveniently didn’t think that all six of them use the same shampoo.
Curious, he licked his hand but there’s no other taste than his skin. It was disappointing to not taste the same sweet scent. He wondered if he could taste it with Jouno when he was hit with a small thing on his head. He caught it and it was a strawberry-flavored candy.
He looked at where it came from and saw Jouno’s dark face. He knew that face. It meant, ‘What weird shit are you thinking about me now? Scram!’
Tecchou was silent for a minute, ‘Tch. What a sharp hearing.’
His heartbeat exposed him again.
Unwrapping the candy, he put it in his mouth and he tasted a burst of sweetness.
Notes:
Hmm... how sweet could it be...???
Chapter 17: Round 17
Summary:
battle at ground beta part 5 (final)
Chapter Text
To most students, the guy in the red military uniform with even marks on his face is quite puzzling – an oddball of sort. To elaborate, he went to the exit door but then made a beeline, ending in front of another guy in the red military uniform. Not only the students, even the instructors are left speechless.
Class 1-B’s adviser, Kan, tried to remind him that he should head to the location of the mock battle, but the guy has a tunnel vision and selective hearing at the moment. He then muttered to the person in front of him, “You said I could have it.”
The other guy’s arms are crossed as he raised his eyebrow in confusion, “Have what?”
Tecchou’s gaze turned fifty degrees serious, “My snack.”
Speechless, Jouno had to take a moment – at most three seconds – to compose himself because of the idiot standing stupidly in front of him. Then, he crouched to grab his bag and picked a snack – a sweet, soft, milky, and creamy pudding. In an instant, Tecchou’s tunnel vision switched to Jouno’s gloved hand and the pudding resting on his palm, enveloped by long and defined fingers. Unfortunately, Tecchou’s small brain can only process the pudding, not the fingers. His eyes are even twinkling in delight and his mouth couldn’t stop from watering.
Jouno realized his restlessness due to the erratic sound of his pulse. Smirking to himself, he held out his hand, but once Tecchou reached out, he pulled back, making Tecchou’s hand catch nothing but air. Tecchou glared, mildly annoyed. He emphasized, “You promised.”
“Indeed, I agreed but I never promised anything.” Jouno played with the pudding in his hand, tossing and spinning it like a toy.
Tecchou stepped forward twice to grab it when Jouno grabbed his collar with his other hand and forcefully pulled him closer. His lips hovered near Tecchou’s right ear. In that brief moment, Tecchou stiffened, his breath hitched, and his heart unknowingly performed somersaults. It was only 0.3 seconds, making Jouno feel like there’s something wrong with his hearing for a second.
Jouno chose to ignore that odd thing and proceeded to whisper in the other person’s ear, “I’ll give it in one condition. Finish this battle early.”
Tecchou cocked his head a bit lower in a diagonal manner and whispered back, “If I do that, the students won’t be able to maximize their learning.” After all, they made a deal with the principal, in exchange for legitimate information about the hero society, quirk genetic make up and the Hero Public Safety Commission, they will assist all students under the Hero Course, that are, Class 1-A and Class 1-B, in their quirk training, forcing them to their limits without leaving any permanent physical, mental, and emotional damage.
This will go on for a year.
Jouno obviously knows what Tecchou meant, but he has other designs in mind, “It doesn’t matter. Most of these brats are inwardly thinking that we, Ability Users, are only able to win because they have an advantage in the situation at hand. Stupid assumptions like that need to be crushed. Show them.”
Tecchou finally understood Jouno’s intentions. If these kinds of impressions fester, not only their credibility will be at risk. The whole power system in Yokohama will experience major discrimination. Jouno could honestly care less about the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia. In fact, he prefers that these two completely useless organizations to just disappear completely – it would do good for humanity.
In all honesty, Tecchou disagrees with Jouno’s gory imagination. Still, he doesn’t disagree with the fact that he has to act out a bit so that these classes won’t be able to say a single word of complaint, especially since that brown-haired bandages from the mafia publicly exposed their intentions.
“Alright.” He agreed, “Now give me my pudding.”
Jouno smirked and threw the pudding away, making Tecchou dash and perfectly catch it unharmed. Satisfied, he walked away with his confused teammate, Aoyama.
Chuuya snorted before stretching his arms, “I’ll skip this one. I have something to do.”
Dazai eyed him almost immediately as if asking where he’s going without him. It gave Chuuya a pause before feeling weirded out why he did so, “What? I can’t use the bathroom?” he replied defensively before turning away, ignoring the mackerel whose sight followed him until he finished asking for permission and leaving the room.
Upon closing the door, Chuuya shivered and shook his arms, “That damn bastard. What the hell is he tryna achieve by staring at me?” he mumbled to himself before walking out.
Chuuya does have a different purpose. Instead of going to the bathroom to relieve himself, he went straight to the canteen to buy one seaweed soup, one slice of strawberry cake, an apple, a banana, one curry bread, and two bottles of cranberry juice.
After paying for it using his card, he left the canteen staff whose eye sockets widened upon seeing the number of zeroes in that card. In her mind, he freaked out, ‘What kind of high school student have that much money?!’
The ginger then stopped by another place – the clinic. He knocked twice before entering. He was greeted by Recovery Girl as he stated his reason of visit before he was allowed to go further inside. As he walks by, he can hear murmuring sounds from the people inside the curtain. He opened it and saw the students sitting on each bed, talking about how their fights went, their disappointments and amazements.
The green-haired boy is the first one to notice him, “Ah! Nakahara-kun!” he waved in excitement.
“Yo!” Chuuya grinned before walking inside. Together with Midoriya are the others who got injured in their HBC.
“Chuuya-kun!” Uraraka became excited as well, “You’re so amazing!”
“Right! Right!” Kaminari nodded, “I heard everything from Uraraka-san and Kirishima!”
Deku pounded his head recklessly, ignoring his head injury, “But Nakahara-kun, how did you overwrite Uraraka-san’s quirk? How did it feel? Can you tell me step-by-step--!”
Chuuya was overwhelmed by his questions so he had to use his hand to cover that chatty mouth, “Alright, alright. Let’s leave that for later, focus on recuperating first.”
He then turned to look at the blonde guy who looked disgusted at everyone from his class, “Are you alright? What happened there?” Chuuya didn’t think the other person would faint. It made him feel a bit irresponsible as a teammate.
Monoma lost his spikes and nodded hesitantly, “I’m fine. It’s just quirk overuse…”
“I see.” Chuuya replied before looking at the purple midget still passed out on the bed, “He must be terribly injured.”
Kirishima laughed out loud and said, “HAHAHA! Not that much! Mineta woke up earlier so I gave him a pat in the back but he somehow passed out again! HAHAHAHA!”
Midoriya good-naturedly filled him in with details, “Kirishima-kun overused his quirk too so his hand at that time were still stiff. Mineta-kun coughed out blood after one bump.”
Chuuya, “……” I guess it’s the perverted punk’s fate to sleep for eternity.
Just then, he remembered what he came here for. He looked at Ochaco and asked, “How’s your condition?”
Uraraka waved her hand playfully before imitating All Might’s standard pose, “I’m all good from top to bottom!”
Chuuya scratched his cheek in embarrassment, “That’s good… I won’t go that hard on you again…”
“No! No! It doesn’t matter! I’ve learned a lot from that fight! Actually, I’ve been meaning to say this but… do you want to train together, Chuuya?!”
Relieved, Chuuya sighed before nodding, “I felt your potential too, that’s why I was a bit excited during our fight. Don’t worry, I’ll train you properly.” He rubbed the girl’s head and grabbed the curry bread from the plastic bag. He turned to the freckled boy and said, “Midoriya, catch!”
Midoriya took it and found out that it was his favorite curry bread, “Wah! Thanks Nakahara-kun!”
Chuuya smirked before tossing an apple to Monoma. The other caught it and thanked him with a hint of shyness in his voice before looking away. Then, Chuuya gave the whole bag of food to the brunette one, “Here’s yours, Ochaco. Recover well.”
Uraraka felt bashful and thank him formally before taking the food. Just in time too, she’s really hungry. Plus, there’s seaweed soup, too? How thoughtful! Chuuya must be an angel sent from above!
Kaminari and Kirishima looked at Chuuya, eagerly waiting for theirs:
Kirishima with his hands out, “Bro! Bro!”
Kaminari with his finger pointing at himself, “Mine! Mine!”
Chuuya took a long look at them and asked, “Who are you guys again?”
Defeated, the two cried:
Kaminari bit his pillow in envy, “Damn favoritism! Damn favoritism!”
Kirishima faked punched the bed, “How could you, bro?! How could you forget our friendship?!”
Midoriya, Uraraka, and Monoma, “……….” What the fuck.
Chuuya held back but he couldn’t help laughing out loud at their antics. After he laughed enough, he took a seat on Ochaco’s bed and shrugged, “Fine~ Fine~ What can I do with you guys. Once you’re fully healed, I’ll treat you to ******!” He took out a black card from his pocket with a proud grin on his face.
Kirishima and Kaminari finally stopped whining and celebrated wildly before being reprimanded by Recovery Girl, leaving them to grow mushroom in the corner.
Midoriya laughed along the other before remembering, “Ah! That’s right, Chuuya-kun. What’s going on at Ground Beta right now?”
Chuuya also turned half-serious, “Oh? Are you that interested?”
Midoriya nodded and the rest also looked at him intently. So Chuuya can only share what will happen but he also mentioned that he left before the battle starts, “In any case, that hunting dog from Class 1-B alone is enough. It’s obvious who’ll win at this point, so I left.”
Monoma listened before thinking quietly to himself, ‘Suehiro Tecchou-kun… if this guy acknowledges him, then his Ability might also push me to the limits if I tried to copy it.’
Once they’ve reached their destination, it’s funny how inside the dark building, Tecchou’s teammate is the source of light – he’s twinkling from head to toe, “Tsk! Tsk! I just can’t stop.” He mumbled with 100% confidence and 100% sass. Thankfully, Tecchou is someone who doesn’t give a shit.
Aoyama felt a sense of camaraderie from the other person since he didn’t hear a single word of complaint – if only he knew that Tecchou’s just busy trying to open his pudding – so he actively volunteered, “Worry no more, you unflashy guy! I will make sure to flawlessly guard the bomb and win this battle in shining colors! Do you agree, oui?”
Tecchou finally finished his battle with the pudding wrapper and grabbed the small spoon before finally taking a scoop of that mouth-watering, jelly-like pudding. After taking a bite, he replied nonchalantly, “Mn. I don’t care.”
Aoyama took that as acquiescence and felt even more confident, “Then, let’s hide this hideous-looking bomb somewhere on the fifth floor, like, in the closet, shall we?”
Tecchou inwardly wondered how such a huge bomb can fit inside a non-existent closet in the building but he couldn’t blame him. After all, he couldn’t understand why people have to remove eggshells before eating an egg.
Instead of listening to the awfully sparkling blonde guy in a weird and flashy purple cape, he carried the bomb with one hand, the pudding on the other, and the spoon in his mouth. However, instead of climbing up the fifth floor, he went to the first floor, near the door before putting the bomb down.
Aoyama’s brain almost crashed, “GAHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! THAT’S SO ANTI-GLITTERING!”
Tecchou felt at ease after putting the feather-weight bomb down. After all, he can finally take another scoop of his sweet and tasty pudding. Only then did he realize that Aoyama is talking to him so he answered, but a single beat late, “Oh. Don’t mind me and I won’t mind you.”
Aoyama doesn’t even have the chance to reply when he and Tecchou heard in their earpiece the go signal from their teacher-in-charge.
The Hero Team, Hagakure and Tokoyami, are already prepared. The students watching them realized that this team is actually another perfect combination like the with Uraraka and Kirishima. They both excel in stealth and camouflage.
Thus, when they heard the go signal, the invisible Hagakure head in as quickly as she could including Tokoyami’s dark shadow who instantly grew twice as large after it entered the building because of the lack of light.
Aoyama, scared out of his wits, shot his light beams forward until it gave him a terrible tummy ache, making him moan in pain.
However, the Hero Team swiftly evaded his series of attack but was rendered a bit blinded because of the piercing light. This made them unaware of the sudden wave of sharp blades appears as if out of nowhere. The blade pierced every bit of their non-fatal areas. It gave them the illusion that there were countless of blades piercing them at the same time, but the truth is that it was only a single blade moving in a fast pace, with a brutal thrusting force.
The battle was over in a matter of seconds. Tokoyami and Hagakure, who should have a huge advantage due to their high compatibility with stealth, couldn’t even step inside the building for a whole minute. The blade forced them back outside to their starting point. The wall near the door was damaged with slashes until it crumbled.
The students saw everything since All Might turned on the heat sensors in the cameras. This means that they also saw how incredibly accurate the attacks were, even properly pinpointing Hagakure’s location without needing to take a minute to think.
Tecchou stood within the smoke, the spoon in his mouth, the pudding on his left hand and a single sword on his right. The blade seemed to slither like a snake, as if it had a mind of its own, it whisked away the blood, splattering red dye to the ground, before returning to normal.
“There you go. Villain Team wins. Now I can eat my pudding in peace.” Tecchou said while looking at the floating camera, rendering almost everyone, including All Might and Kan, shocked speechless.
Aizawa was the first to move, his face is dark with a deep frown as worry seeped into his eyes, “Hurry! Get them to Recovery Girl for emergency treatment!”
Only then did it occur to the teens how badly injured Tokoyami and Hagakure are. Ranpo realized it right from the start – the wounds are placed on a non-fatal area, but they’re definitely deep. On the other hand, Yosano didn’t think that the Hunting Dogs will go this far just to secure a win and leave an impression – it’s nasty.
Dazai had a hunch about it when he saw Jouno and Tecchou talking with each other earlier, but he left a room for doubt because Tecchou doesn’t seem to be someone who’d harm innocent people. In short, Tecchou fell for Jouno’s machinations. Dazai hid his grin and intrigue filled his brain.
He really wants to see how things’ll turn out if the port and those special military corps were to have an all-out war. That would be truly fascinating, he might even find a reason to live if he was lucky.
Notes:
Yay! We're done with ground beta arc!
Chapter 18: Hero Course Starting Point
Summary:
pre-aftermath
Chapter Text
The rest of the matches finally ended after a while. Chuuya received a message from Dazai and went back to the waiting area just before the last match finished. Afterwards, All Might and the instructors talked about each match by themselves while the students were given 10 minutes of break time.
Ten minutes went by in a flash and soon, the three teachers gathered the students together and they sat on the floor by class. On the left side were Class 1-A and on the right side were Class 1-B. Aside from those who are injured, everyone is present.
Their discussion then began with All Might asking the students who they think is the MVP of today’s battle lesson and everyone went silent – some preferred not to answer, some were genuinely thinking, and some were physically present but mentally absent due to the shock they received in the succeeding strange battles.
Even the ever-participative Yaoyorozu refrained from answering.
In the end, All Might opened his mouth to say that all three of them (the instructors) settled for three selections with each of their own opinions as to why they chose those students. First, Kan spoke up and said, “Although I really do have many biases regarding the class I am in charge of, I want you to note that this decision of mine did not stem from that.” After making it clear to the students, he continued, “For me, the MVP in this battle is none other than the Villain Team from Round 12, Edogawa-kun and Kaminari-kun!”
All the students clapped in applause. Yosano looked at Ranpo with proud eyes and Ranpo enjoyed the applause by putting his hands on his hips and grinning like a placated cat with a fried breadstick in his mouth. His thin eyes squinted even more and his chin is pointing high. It made most of his classmates look at him with adoration. Pony couldn’t help herself and took a secret shot of him looking cute.
Ranpo of course noticed her little actions but did not dissuade her. In his mind, he thought that she admires his coolness.
Kan admitted that he couldn’t choose just one person so he opted to choose a team instead. He further explained in detail how Edogawa’s wit and Kaminari’s flexibility blends well, creating a well-crafted plan with the success rate of 97%. From what he can see, their team is the most compatible team among every teams.
After he finished saying his point, another round of applause was given to Ranpo and his teammate who, unfortunately, is unaware of his achievement at the moment.
Next up, Aizawa stepped up and directly said, word-for-word, “Monoma Neito. Understood his teammate. Understood his role.”
They were very short words but everyone who watched their battle knew that Nakahara-kun just blindly trusted Monoma and Monoma himself did not disappoint. Even when Kirishima-kun appeared at the top floor out of nowhere, not only did he remain composed, but he also guarded the bomb like a real villain. Most of the students might not feel the aura emanating from him at the time, but Kirishima and the rest of the instructors knew that Monoma felt like a real villain with the suffocating atmosphere he gave off in the entire fifth floor. If they were not certain the he's someone who’s eager to be a hero, they might mistake him for an undercover villain.
It was a terrifying thought to have.
The students then gave Monoma a round of applause even if he’s also absent in the discussion.
Then, All Might finally stepped forward and congratulated everyone first, telling them encouraging words before finally getting to the point, “My MVP for this session is… Todoroki Shoto! His technique and precision, as well as his control over his quirk is truly amazing! He also made sure not to harm anyone other than the minor inconvenience for the villains which made it easier for securing them in prison if this is a real-life scenario. Plus, Young Todoroki finished his battle in a flash! Although, young man, you can still work on with your communication skills, you have to learn how to be a team player.”
Todoroki gave him a slight nod and everyone clapped their hands for him. Dazai’s line of sight lingered a bit longer before looking away. Just in time, he saw Bakugo who couldn’t even lift his head nor response. It’s so unlike the guy not to make a fuss after not being called one of the ‘MVPs’.
‘That loss must’ve hurt like hell.’ Dazai couldn’t hide the schadenfreude in his expression so he decided to look away and focused on appreciating Chuuya’s ginger hair strands that are slowly sliding down from his ear because of trying to change his sitting posture. With Dazai’s hand on his left chin, he moved his right hand to brush the hair strands properly when the short one immediately raised his arms and pressed his hat firmly on his head as he turned to Dazai with a glare.
Dazai was taken aback, he blinked twice and finally realized – chibi mistakenly thought that he’s trying to steal his hat.
“Pfft-!” Dazai covered his mouth and tried his best to stop laughing, eventually crouching until his head almost hit the ground. Clueless about what’s going on in the mackerel’s mind, Chuuya raised a brow in confusion but still refused to let go of his hat, “The heck?” he murmured before moving his butt away from the other, creating a wide distance.
Dazai saw his silly attitude and didn’t comment on it. He just watched the other person until All Might finished his lengthy speech about heroism, courage, true strength, and blah blah blah – Dazai could honestly care less.
Finally, the students can officially go to the canteen to eat and take 100% normal boring classes after All Might sprinted away in a hurry. Class 1-A and Class 1-B also separated ways after walking out of the Ground Beta and most of them scattered around with either by themselves or with friends.
Midoriya and the others inside the clinic can now also go and take the rest of their classes. It took a while to persuade Mineta to go back to class instead of just lazily rolling around in bed, they had to pull him away from the bed with all their might.
The teachers following All Might felt that there’s something wrong with their students. After all, they seem to be more intense and out of it, as if they are thinking about something that requires 100% of their attention. Thus, the last teacher, Ectoplasm, decided to make it a self-study time and let the students ponder about whatever the hell is bugging them. He thought that he’ll never be able to teach anything until his students figure things out.
Good for him, because every superhuman from Class 1-A still cannot separate themselves from the battles earlier. Take Kaminari for instance. He should be ecstatic that he was chosen as one of the MVPs but after hearing about the rest of the battles from his classmates, he went silent and slowly realized that without the guidance of Edogawa-san, fighting Yaoyorozu might end up very badly for him.
He was lucky twice because of Edogawa-san.
Midoriya busied himself with writing in two of his notebooks. One for his classmates’ and Class 1-B’s quirks and the other for the Abilities he witnessed and heard about, especially Yosano-sensei’s healing ability that was called ‘Thou Shalt Not Die’, Edogawa-san’s Ability that allows him to see through everything (?), and Saigiku-san’s Ability that enables him to teleport (?).
He wrote facts and theories, muttering here and there, busying himself.
Tokoyami keeps on recalling his battle with Class 1-B’s Suehiro-san. He was ashamed, but he really couldn’t bring himself to see it as a ‘battle’ when they couldn’t even do anything. He taps his fingers on his desk as his mind wanders off, dark shadow also seems to be thinking deeper than the night sky.
Iida is seriously taking notes about the subject at hand when he heard a loud slap. He looked at that direction and saw Uraraka-kun with her two palms rubbing both her cheeks after slapping herself hard. He wanted to ask if she’s alright when she lowers her head to her desk and muttered in a low voice, “I’ll do better next time, I swear. I’ll use my quirk to it’s fullest potential. I’ll train more. I’ll do better next time and win.” – on repeat, as if hypnotizing herself.
Iida closed his notebook and sighed. He didn’t have the chance to be paired with or fight against Ability Users so he could only theorize and not relate to Uraraka and the others who fought with or against them. He closed his eyes and began a simulation wherein in he’s in an arena and Nakahara-kun is in front of him, telling him to try and fight him. He moved forward with his quirk activated but he failed to capture the other, when he looked up, Nakahara-kun is already about to throw a punch directly to his face.
Iida’s hands on his desk tightened as he frowned – he lost in his simulation. He restarted is once again.
Kirishima is looking at the gradually orange-ing sky. His upturned eyes narrowed as weird feeling from his stomach surfaced once again. It took him a while to build up his confidence and get to where he is now, but it’s as if all his preparation were stepped on – just like how he lost earlier.
His lips thinned and the feeling of frustration started to swell when he was tapped from behind. He looked at the person but he was met with a bottle of energy drink. The bottle tilted to the side and he saw the smiling face of Ashido.
He took the drink after a relieved sigh before thanking her. Ashido just leaned on her desk and smiled brightly.
Soon, it’s time to go home. Chuuya bid goodbye to Midoriya and the rest before walking away with Dazai. Jouno is still with Aizawa, who’s currently finishing up with Class 1-C. After packing up his things, Midoriya finally noticed that Kacchan is not around.
After a brief inquiry, he realized that the other already left so he hurriedly went out, wanting to somehow explain things. He doesn’t know why he’s acting this way even after all that bullying he experienced because of Kacchan.
Maybe it’s because he still treats him as a friend.
Maybe it’s because he wants to be friends.
Maybe it’s because he wanted to be recognized by the other person as worthy.
Whatever this feeling is, all he knows is that if he refused to say anything now, they might drift apart even further.
Midoriya Izuku doesn’t want that – that’s one thing he’s clear about.
Inside a cat café near the school grounds, three teens took a seat and ordered a latte, an americano, and a caramel macchiato. They also included donuts, three slices of shortcakes and a whole pepperoni pizza. While waiting for their drinks and the rest of their order, they played with the cats that rubbed on their legs.
Mina rubs the Siamese cat’s belly and sighed. The atmosphere in class is too heavy earlier. It wasn’t really depressing but it’s still pushing her on edge. Everyone was tensed and she knew why. She looked at the other two girl friends she had just made – Yaoyorozu and Jiro.
Jiro looks like she’s still trying to distract herself from what had happened with her battle while Yaoyorozu is still looking a little pale. Mina doesn’t know, but she felt even more ashamed when Todoroki can make it to MVP.
Yaoyorozu doesn’t want to compare herself to others, but maybe it’s because she and Todoroki are the only ones who got into U.A. through recommendations, even if she closes her eyes, it’s becoming more and more difficult for her not to compare.
Their order came and they stuffed themselves with food while voicing out their frustrations.
“Ugh! I hate it! Dazai-kun is not playing fair! No! I shouldn’t have bothered listening to him in the first place and just activated my quirk right from the start!” Jiro grumbled.
Yaoyorozu chimed in, “Right?! I couldn’t believe I fell for Edogawa-san’s nonsense… twice! TWICE! My gosh, I feel so stupid!”
Jiro looked at her and continued, “And what’s with your partner?! Mineta-kun’s such a pig teammate! Can he even understand human words?!”
Yaoyorozu sipped her caramel macchiato and put the drink down after clearing her throat, “And Saigiku-san too! His ability is too much! Not only does he have incredible senses, he can even teleport?! What can we, plebians, do about it?!”
Jiro slapped the table in excitement, “You said the thing! I’m almost going crazy thinking about that too! And Dazai-kun is so cheeky, he didn’t even show me his Ability! I gained nothing but losses!”
Yaoyorozu nodded solemnly, “Right, right.”
Jiro, “Next time, I’ll show ‘em!”
Yaoyorozu, “Yeah! Me too!”
The two quietened down and sighed as if they finally let go of their burdens. At last, Mina can intervene and grabbed a slice of pizza, one for each hand before shoving them to the other two, “That’s the spirit! Want seconds, Yaomomo, Kyo-chan?”
Jiro and Yaoyorozu realized what they had just done and blushed in embarrassment before nodding and taking Mina’s offer. Yaoyorozu felt shier, so she said, “I’ll treat you guys next time…”
Mina’s eyes sparkled and Jiro felt challenged, so she declared without thinking, “Then, I’ll treat you guys next next time!”
Mina’s eyes shone even more before celebrating, “Yay! I can’t wait!”
Yaoyorozu felt a little bit better but Jiro’s soul almost flew away.
Jiro, ‘What was I even thinking…?’ Unfortunately, once words were said, there’s no going back.
Peacefully drinking tea inside her room back in the inn, Yosano felt that her classmates were a bit silly but capable. Earlier, they began to group themselves into four and discussed every battle they faced. The ones that led the sharing of thoughts in the class were Kendo and Ranpo’s friend, Monoma.
If they continue this kind of progress, they might even be able to defeat some of Midoriya’s classmates. Of course, they also asked for her thoughts but Yosano kept her observation to herself and just stated the general gist of what the others also shared. Ranpo, on the other hand, straight up arrogantly called them fools for still needing to ask for his thoughts when everything was already laid out for them.
Yosano can only sigh. Thankfully, most of their classmates now know how to deal with him, especially Monoma.
Suddenly, she snapped out of her thoughts when Ranpo, wearing a darker green nagagi and a lighter green haori, barged in her room while carrying a box of cards, “Akiko! Let’s play hanafuda!”
Yosano took everything off the table to make it nice and clean before grinning, “What’s the wager?” Ranpo hurried to sit down and open the box to scatter the cards.
Inside a different room, Jouno just finished showering and was wiping his face while wearing a bathrobe when he heard a crunch. He frowned and said, “What are you doing in my room?”
Tecchou faced him and sniffed. After smelling the scent that’s now stronger because the other person is just fresh out of the bathroom, Tecchou is even more satisfied. He stood up and threw the crackers in his mouth before leaving the room confidently.
Jouno’s forehead vein bulged, obviously feeling irritated but he just sighed and finally laid down on his bed. His arms folded behind his head as he recalls what he stumbled upon earlier –
Midoriya and Bakugo.
It turns out, those two go wa~y back.
It turns out, that spotted broccoli used to be ‘quirkless’.
How curious.
Jouno smirked slyly.
He can’t wait to meet Mr. Quirk Knockoff tomorrow.
………
EXTRA:
“Welcome to 4th Wall!”
Interviewer: Hello, Chuuya! How does it feel to be our first guest?
FanFic Chuuya: Normal. What do you wanna know?
Interviewer: Well, some of the readers are confused as to why you are having a hard time studying when you’re managing a diamond mine. What do you say about that?
FanFic Chuuya: First of all, I’m definitely smarter in the canon, no doubt. But this is a fanfiction so the author’s different. In this one, Ane-san is the one officially handling the diamond mine and I help from time to time. Soon, it’ll be mine to handle.
Interviewer: So, do you admit that you are less intelligent in this one?
FanFic Chuuya: What’s wrong with that? At least I’m one of the most normal! Besides, Class 1-A loves me!
Interviewer: So, in short…
FanFic Chuuya: It’s for the plot! THE PLOT!
>>>>>
Interviewer: So he says…
redbun2x: Please don’t come after me for that one derailment anymore TvT… if we're really sticking 100% to canon, I can't make any ships T^T like, really, it’s for the plot to move forward… I swear… also, the only ones who had the gall to call Chuuya ‘stupid’ or ‘dumb’ are Dazai and Ranpo. If Jouno chimed in, that's because of his sick personality ^v^.
Interviewer: And that’s all for today’s 4th Wall! See you for another Easter Egg!
Chapter 19: First, Aftermath. Second, Shigaraki.
Summary:
U.A.'s decision, student bonding, and villains.
Chapter Text
Click.
The video playing in the projector paused. It showed the image of an Ability User with a small spoon in his mouth. A pudding on one hand and a sword on the other. His eyes staring straight to the floating camera.
The whole office went quiet for a moment before someone leaned back to his chair. He crossed his legs and twirled the gun he is holding, “Those kids are really something else. No wonder they’re already professionals.”
“Professionals or not, they still hurt our students.” Midnight interjected as she leans on the table. She took a quick glance to the principal before facing everyone, “If this is how they behaved even with the negotiation made with the principal, I believe they will be more unmanageable in the future.”
Present Mic scratched his chin while thinking deeply about the videos he saw earlier and said, “She’s got a point. I mean, they did the last thing like that just to show off their skills. However, I also get why Principal Nedzu would want them to handle the students’ quirk training inside and outside of class hours.”
Midnight frowned and moved her hand, “But it still doesn’t excuse them from their petty actions. It’s fatal wounds last time, next time, out students might lose a limb or two. Besides, I don’t think that last time was a part of the principal’s deal.”
Everyone faced the one in charge. Nedzu finally got their attention after a small squabble. There’s still a smile on his small face while he sips his tea. After being satisfied with the quiet atmosphere, he spoke gently, “Indeed, that wasn’t a part of the deal at all,” he looks at the floating tea stalk before continuing, “And here I thought I got the upper hand, but they took advantage of the few loopholes of the deal we’ve made.”
Putting down the tea, he turns off the projector and raised the window blinds, the orange light slowly creeps in the room, “But given that I have the original copy of the signed contract, they won’t abuse the loopholes too much. In fact, I’m quite certain that this is the only time they’ll commit such an act. After all, you have seen that Dazai-kun exposed them in front of everyone. They’ll need to establish their authority as early as possible, lest they become the target of discrimination.”
“If we’re looking at the results of their battles, most of these problem children are actually trying to lay low with their Abilities as much as they could. One example is Dazai’s ability. Until now, we don’t know what it was. There are only three of them that appear to be high profile – Edogawa-kun and Suehiro-kun from Class 1-B, and Nakahara-kun from Class 1-A.”
Midnight was slightly persuaded. Still, she asked, “Wouldn’t the result of those battles hinder the motivation of our students? After all, the results of their battles with those six are…” she couldn’t even continue. It’s good to lose since there’ll be a lot to gain in return. However, losing so badly might crush people’s spirits, especially if they’re only beginning to learn.
This time, All Might, in his shrunken form made a cross in his arms as he faced Midnight, “That’s pure nonsense!” The moment he said ‘nonsense’, he turned buff again, surprising Cementoss, who’s sitting beside him.
“I know you care about the students’ well-being. But our students from the Hero Course are chosen for a reason! They all embody the deepest meaning of ‘Plus Ultra’. Just like how you get fired up with the spirit of youth, they also get fired up the more challenge you bring their way. Sure, they may think like, ‘Shit! I did badly!’ but after that, they also know how to stand back up. The first criteria to being a hero is to never crumble to difficult situations. If this is enough to break our students, then wouldn’t the practical exam with the robots be useless? Villains are more cunning. They’ve watched MY videos after all. At the very least, they have a rough idea of how heroism works. So, there’s NO PROBLEM!”
He gave her a big smile and a thumbs up. His face full of pride and big expectations from this year’s first year hero course students. The purple-haired woman sighed in defeat. Maybe she really did worry too much. Since the concept of Ability Users are new and almost alien to her, it made it easier for her to feel on edge after seeing the recordings.
Kan gave a nod, “I also believe that the battle impacted my students in a good way. It's the first time I’ve seen them volunteer to stay after class and discuss the details of the battles. Not only that, they shared information and formulated tactics. It’s something that never once happened in my class! I was surprised at how their eyes look like they're burning with passion!”
Kan have handled a lot of Class 1-B batches in first year. Most of them accepted that they can never overshadow Class 1-A, some were covertly or openly hostile to the other class, while others just entered the class with the goal of being a hero sidekick.
It’s his first time he saw his advisory class’ determination to swallow Class 1-A like a phyton lying in wait for their prey to get too comfortable.
Ectoplasm chimed in, “Class 1-A seemed distracted in my class, too. I gave them a breather and they each went on to do their own thing. But I tell you, I can feel the tension inside the room.”
Midnight couldn’t help it. She held her whip tightly and slapped the table, leaving a crack. She licked her lips, her cheeks burned as her eyes twinkled in delight, “THE BURNING PASSION OF YOUTH! I LIKE IT! LET’S CONTINUE IT THIS WAY, PRINCIPAL!”
In the end, everyone agreed to continue passively observing the Ability Users.
Meanwhile, Recovery Girl on the corner, ‘These reckless adults… sigh…’
It’s been a few days since the reckless class they had from their HBC. Most of the time, they are doing lectures about what they have learned based on their battle experience and connecting it to the basics written in books.
It’s a bit boring, but it gave them the buffer time they need.
Mina approached Jiro and said, “Heya! Let’s go to karaoke after this?”
Jiro thought about it and after finding out they have no assignments and whatsoever, she agreed. Kaminari heard it and wanted to come as well. Of course, for these teens, the more the merrier, so they agreed. Mina even invited Kirishima and Yaoyorozu.
Kirishima invited Bakugo. The other exploded at him before being forced to agree after the redhead, together with the pink one, team up and said that the blonde just couldn’t sing well and is embarrassed about it.
When Bakugo agreed out of spite, the two secretly gave each other a high five.
On the other hand, Yaoyorozu took a deep breath and walked towards the white-haired guy sitting crossed-legged on his chair. The person is holding a book, his gloveless fingers running through the words.
“Saigiku-san, do you want to join us to karaoke?” she asked politely.
Jouno looked up and imagined the cautious look on the girl’s face. Ironically, it 96% matched.
He grinned and said, “Why do you look like I’m going to eat you up? Be careful. I might just do it and take a bite on that nerve in your neck.”
Yaoyorozu flinched and felt goosebumps all over her body. That response should be a joke… right?
But she waited for three more seconds and there’s no confirmation whether it’s a ‘joke’.
The poor girl felt like crying. How should she reply, then? She had no clue.
A loud gasp was heard the between the two of them and a short guy interjected, “I DIDN’T THINK YOUR TASTE RUN THAT WILD, SAIGIKU!” Mineta’s eye sockets are open wide, his nose puffing out smoke while his cheeks are red.
Jouno’s face went black. He faced the other and said, “Say that again and I’ll step on your fragile skull.”
Mineta’s brain couldn’t help but short circuit. He immediately covered his mouth but his face turned even stranger, ‘SWINGING BOTH WAYS! BDSM! SADISM! ROLE PLAY!’ he screamed in his mind.
Because of the erratic heartbeat, Jouno felt that the other didn’t take him seriously. He raised his leg and is about to step on his head until it pops like a balloon when the door opened loudly, making others face him. Tecchou didn’t mind and just waved his phone, “Jouno, Teruko wants to talk to you.”
Mineta, not knowing he was saved by Tecchou, was still contemplating when he saw Jouno grab his things, walk towards the other, threw his bag to him, grabbed Tecchou’s phone, and walked out.
Tecchou carried Jouno’s bag and closed the door quietly before running up to him.
Yaoyorozu scratched her cheek shyly, ‘I guess that’s a no?’
But Mineta’s brain malfunctioned even more, ‘GAY BDSM!’
While he was occupied, Yaoyorozu took the time to leave. She wanted nothing to do with the guy. The moment she got back to their group, she noticed a few more people – Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida.
Midoriya even freaked out at first, ‘Mom! I’m going to karaoke with friends!’
Mina grinned proudly at her, “Jiro-chan invited Uraraka-chan and somehow we got two more!”
Yaoyorozu laughed at her explanation when Midoriya asked if he can invite more people. Yaoyorozu agreed and the broccoli instantly ran to the ginger. He asked if he wanted to come with them.
Chuuya raised a brow, wanting to say no at first, but then, he remembered his promise to them. So, he agreed and said, “Alright. How many are we? It’s my treat.”
Those who are going celebrated upon hearing that they will no longer have to worry about their allowances.
While Mina and the rest tell Chuuya about the people and location, Dazai just stared blankly. No one had noticed, but his eye turned instantly dark. His gaze fixed on Chuuya and the overly familiar voices and actions of others as the flocked around him.
Somehow, it’s starting to get annoying.
Uraraka giggled for a while and remembered, “Right! Dazai-kun, do you wanna join us as well? It’ll be fun!” The moment she looked at Dazai, his eye went crescent and his mouth curved upwards.
She didn’t notice any hostility at all.
Dazai answered, “I’ll pass. I’m really not into that.”
Chuuya finally turned his head to look at the other. He was curious, but the mackerel just continued smiling charmingly with his eye folded. The other stood up and grabbed his bag. His eye remaining closed, “I’ll go back first. Have fun with them, chibi. After all, a dog still has to go on walks. I really can’t be bothered.” He shook his head.
“Huh?! Are you trying to start something again?” Chuuya stood up and was ready to fight but Midoriya blocked him, “I-I’m sure Dazai-san’s just kidding!” he said as he fakes his laugh.
No violence please! Thank you!
In the end, almost half of the class went to karaoke after adamantly rejecting Mineta’s presence. Bakugo and Chuuya almost caused a mayhem just by walking side by side so the group had to separate them.
The group never would have thought that they will have a hard time holding the mic because of the childish banter of the two later on.
Dazai walked alone without a destination in mind. The moment he got out of that classroom, his smiling face collapsed, and the big black orb in his eye made him impossible to approach.
Outside U.A., he felt like he wanted a drink. However, unlike in Yokohama, it’d be harder to get a drink in Musutafu as a minor. Once again, he blamed Mori-san for not rewarding him some good wine.
He scratched his hair in irritation. He turned into a dark alleyway to somehow alleviate the alien feeling in his guts and remind him of his usual time in the mafia. Who would’ve thought that he’ll almost bump into a guy holding newspapers.
Gladly, his instincts made him pause. There’s only a little space left before the two bodies touch.
The guy wearing a windbreaker with the hood on dropped the newspaper. Dazai took a step back and looked down to pick it up. He saw the cover talking about All Might becoming a U.A. teacher. He raised a brow and handed it to the other, “It seems you’re invested in this?”
He didn’t say it just to hold a conversation. Dazai clearly spotted the countless similar newspapers hidden under that windbreaker.
Dazai thought at first, ‘What an obsessive fan.’
But then, the other laughed out loud and took the newspaper from his hand. He pointed at the big headline and said, “Did you see this? It says he’s a teacher.”
As the other person talks, he saw a purple blob growing wider on the ground until it reveals a fog-like person wearing a neat white polo with a black vest on.
“Hey.” The other tried to grab his attention again.
Dazai nodded, “Yeah. I’m a U.A. student after all.” He put his hands in his pocket and confidently smiled at the two obviously suspicious guys. He flaunted that he’s wearing a U.A. uniform. Although Dazai still thinks that the uniform is ugly.
The guy in the windbreaker nodded in satisfaction after the other obediently answered him. Afterall, mostly people tend to shout and run away to call for help, making him irritated, “Then, what do you think will happen if the Symbol of Peace…”
The other removed his hood and revealed a hand holding his face. His red eye peeked between the fingers and stared deep into Dazai’s deep black eye.
“… is killed by villains?” The other continued. When the fog guy behind him threw a dagger directly at the guy in U.A. uniform. Surprisingly, the guy didn’t budge at all. The blade cut through his cheek to his ear and was stuck on the wall.
Obviously, it was just a threat. Dazai figured out that what these guys want is for him to alert the officials and heroes about them to cause a panic. Unfortunately for them, Dazai’s eye only narrowed, his feet remaining steady on the ground.
Dazai gave them a smile, “Well, it would be a sight to see.”
The hand guy threw the newspaper on the ground and walked towards the other, “I like you.” He muttered, “What’s your name?”
“Tell me yours first.” Dazai flipped his momentum.
Before anything happens further, the fog guy spoke up, “Dazai Osamu from the Night Wardens. He’s an Ability User from Yokohama.”
The guy turned to him and said, “Oh? Speaking of Yokohama… that thing… is that thing in there now?” His attention towards the Dazai didn’t last long as he walks towards the fog guy.
“Whatever. This is boring. Let’s go back, Kurogiri.” Before the fog guy can answer, the other lost interest completely.
A portal opened and before the hand guy vanished, it’s as if he remembered something and said, “Oh right. I’m Shigaraki Tomura. En. I’m a villain.”
Just like that, the portal closed, leaving only the crumpled newspaper and Dazai, with his bleeding ear and cheek, staining his bandages red.
“I see.” Dazai mumbled.
A sinister smile formed in his face. His eye turned darker, “There’s a surprise waiting at Yokohama.”
How exciting.
Chapter 20: Serenade
Summary:
back at the inn with the yokohama crew
Notes:
Yes, it's unedited. Will edit once I rested enough.
Time check: 4:05 am
Damn, I might be a vampire.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
If there’s one thing that permanently changed in Dazai’s life, it would be his contacts. Surprisingly, his ever-silent social media account became too lively the moment he connected to the inn’s internet. At first, he didn’t mind that everyone decided to create a group chat for their class since it’s just their shenanigans that he thought he’d already rid of outside U.A., but today is different.
His phone keeps on buzzing.
The source – Class 1-A group chat.
Main source – Mina’s constant chat bombing.
Not only is she sending random photos of their food, drinks, and chaotic behavior, she’s also flooding the chat with multiple short videos.
Dazai’s already wounded head hurt even more. He was about to turn off his annoying phone while loosening his red tie when Mina’s latest chat got him curious.
.
[ Mina: Guys you need to listen to this! Tell me, who won? Chuuya or Bakubabe? Place your bets! ]
.
After that, two videos were sent. Both were two-minute videos. The thumbnail of the first video is the ownerless Pomeranian and the thumbnail of the second one is obviously his dog, who’s standing on the table with a wired microphone on one hand. His face wears a mocking look to the side, possibly looking at the exploding Bakugo who was half-cut in the camera lenses.
Dazai lay on his futon and clicked on the video. It’s a dizzying video because of all the shaking. At first, because of all the noise, the singer’s voice couldn’t be heard due to all the noise, the shouting, laughing, Bakugo’s cursing, and Iida’s reprimand.
Dazai’s pillow was slowly stained with blood but his eye was fixed on the video. He saw the chibi looking straight towards the lyrics on the screen as he sung the words:
I don’t wanna miss one smile
I don’t wanna miss one kiss
I just wanna be with you
Right here with you
Just like this
As he sang, the voices from behind the camera sounded a bit louder. One was obviously Kaminari’s voice, freaking out, “Damn! With that voice, Nakahara-kun can be a rockstar!”
“I for one thing still can’t believe he knows such an ancient song!” Uraraka’s voice sounded amazed.
“Nah bro! Bakubro’s good too, but I’m betting on Chuuyabro in this one!” Kirishima shouted.
That was followed by loud cheering, and somehow, it became a playful chant of ‘Chuuya! Chuuya! Chuuya!’
“DAMN YOU, SPIKY SHIT! I’LL BLOW YOU TO BITS IF YOU DON’T VOTE FOR ME!” Bakugo, who heard Kirishima, almost used his quirk to teach him a lesson, thankfully, Kirishima ran away faster after grabbing a tray of fish and chips.
Amidst those noise, Dazai couldn’t properly see the others, because in the video, although shitty in angle, still only focused on Chuuya. The latter, unbothered by the chaos, continued to sing the chorus passionately.
I don’t wanna close my eyes
I don’t wanna fall asleep
‘Cause I’d miss you babe
And I don’t wanna miss a thing
‘Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dreams would never do
I’d still miss you babe
And I don’t wanna miss a thing
Unfortunately, before he could finish the whole song, the video was abruptly cut.
A frown showed on Dazai’s face. He clicked the video once more and before he knew it, he already watched the same video for the nth time. The only thing that extricated him from replaying again is the damp feeling from his head that became increasingly hard to ignore.
He sat down to take a look, only to realize that almost 1/4th of the pillow is stain with red. He felt a bit lightheaded for a moment. His eye devoid of light. But instead of doing something about it, he just sat there frozen, at a loss of what to do.
A bit hopeful about dying from blood loss – which he threw away almost immediately since it was just a minor cut.
Just a minor cut.
But maybe if he scratched it, it would be infected.
After all, he hasn’t taken a bath yet. He’s still in his uniform.
Without a second thought, his hand moved upwards, his bandaged fingers traced the wound line. After fiddling for a bit, he buried three of his finger nails on the almost clotting wound and pulled down, causing it to bleed faster.
After a series of pushing and pulling movements, he hastily stopped and wondered, ‘But dying from infection is quite… well… disgusting.’
His goal is to go out just as beautiful as the fireworks blooming like flowers in the sky. If he died from an external infection, he would resemble a firework that died because it got soaked under salt water.
So Dazai sighed in defeat and just as he’s about to pull his hand away from his face, the door opened, revealing Chuuya who about to hand him a paper bag, “Get up, I got you some leftover seafood… bowl…”
His commanding tone diminished upon seeing Dazai’s disheveled condition. He instinctively understood that Dazai got into trouble, sustained wounds, and is now aggravating them based on how his already pale face is now as white as a sheet of paper.
The shorter one couldn’t help but frown. Subconsciously, he walked towards other and is about to grab his face, wanting to question him about what happened and if he’s alright when the other suddenly said, “Oh, look who’s here, it’s Mr. Rockstar.”
It doesn’t sound like Dazai’s usual teasing tone. This time, it was riddled with malice and unconcealed disgust, making Chuuya’s actions come to a halt. All of his concerns suddenly vanished. Annoyance bubbled up. And instead of saying the words, “Hey, what happened to you? Are you alright? Where's the first aid kit?”
His words that were stuck in his throat were swallowed and he spat out, “The fuck did you just say?”
Dazai didn’t care about the other’s mood and just continued to mock the other with a grin on his face, “Mr. Rockstar’s so popular, I could never! Let me bet on him, too! It’s nice to be friends with Mr. Rockstar~”
“Hey.” Chuuya’s hands turned into fists, the paper bag he’s holding was pitifully crumpled. He doesn’t know what Dazai is up to, but he’s really doing his best to get on his nerves. It made him feel pathetic that he worried for the guy.
“You’re really a source of inspiration, making friends here and there.” Dazai continued without a care.
Chuuya signaled the other to stop with his deepening tone of voice the moment he said, “Cut it out.”
But the other continued to aggravate his already bad mood, “What is even Mr. Rockstar doing here, anyway? Go and enjoy your high school life with those useless things. In any case, I’m the only one doing the mission since the beginning. Unlike you, who does nothing but play house—”
Thwack!
The taller one suddenly received a punch and his collar was pulled up. He was forced to kneel on the futon while Chuuya, with a face full of anger, stood up leaning down to meet his eye, “Look here, I don’t know what drug you took or who made you shittier than you already are, but if you think you can gaslight me into thinking I’m nothing but a useless baggage, I’m really going to beat the shit out of you! Who is it that doesn’t want to tell me what we’re here for?! Who is it that left me out whenever I wanted to volunteer to do something?! Isn’t it you? So, stop whining like a little kid, you fucking bandages!”
Chuuya’s voice sounds furious, but the complexity of feelings in his eyes is difficult to hide from Dazai’s scrutiny. There were five parts anger, three parts frustration, and two parts… agony.
Agony? Why?
Unfortunately, the two of them didn’t want to dive deeper as to why.
Chuuya pushed him away and threw the paper bag in the trash bin near the door before stomping out of Dazai’s room in anger.
Dazai held his bruised cheek and it stings, making him hiss as he winced. He stared at the trash bin for a while before finally deciding to grab the paper bag.
It was a clean trash bin to begin with. After all, they were staying at an inn, and every day they went to class, there were people assigned to clean the whole place, even changing the trash bins every now and then.
It’s very high class, indeed.
The paper bag is a bit oily now due to the shaking, making it fragile. Dazai carefully opened it up and saw a half-open container. The scent of seafood permeated into his nose, especially the scent of crab meat.
Looking closely, most of the seafood are without shells.
Dazai likes seafood, especially crabs. But he hates deshelling them because it takes a lot of time and effort. That’s why, he prefers to buy canned crabs instead.
Taking the container out of the bag, he saw that even the smallest of shrimps or the toughest of crab claws were carefully deshelled, with no damage in the meat at all.
Dazai couldn’t help but purse his lips.
He wanted to eat, ah.
He held the food tenderly, but in the end, he closed it and put it away for storage. He went to the bathroom to wash his hands before heading to a certain detective doctor’s room. He knocked twice first and after receiving permission, he slid the door open and peeked inside, refusing to come in.
“Detective-sensei, do you have anything that’s anti-infection?” he asked cautiously. He doesn’t know why – maybe it’s because of his interaction with Chuuya – but he just felt like he needs to be cautious… at least with his words.
Yosano, who just got a list of snacks to buy in the form of text message from Ranpo (who’s just lying on his bed next to her room), was surprised to see the demon prodigy acting like… a scolded black cat.
She blinked in confusing first before finally realizing that the reason why the other refuses to come in is because of his injured face.
‘My my, a mafioso asking treatment from a detective is quite a comical sight.’ Yosano thought for a moment before saying, “Come in, I’ll do it.”
Dazai hesitated for a moment before coming in. He doesn’t need to remind her about their contrasting Abilities. After all, he’s quite notorious back in Yokohama.
Indeed, Yosano knows that her Ability couldn’t work on him, so she had to do everything by hand – like a real doctor. After patching up the bruise from his left cheek. She considered her words carefully before saying, “Your bandages are dirty. I need to remove it first, clean the wound, and rewrap it.”
As she speaks, she noticed how the boy in front of her stiffened for a moment, as if he very much rejects the idea. It was very out of character of him to act extremely guarded in front of her.
When she realized that the cat she just caught after giving it some treats won’t allow her to pat its head, she said, “Are you worrying that it’s hideous? There’s no need. I’ve seen guts and intestines pouring out from someone’s body, eyeballs rolling down from eye sockets, and skin melting off until the bones are showing. I’m immune.”
Dazai’s words of rejection hung to his throat, “That’s… not the point…” The truth was, he feels a bit weird since aside from himself, only Mori-san, and sometimes a certain hat rack, removes and replaces his bandages for him. Thus, having someone else do it… is a bit… he doesn't really know, weird, maybe?
“Just this once, sensei. Be thankful that you’re a beautiful maiden.” Dazai sighed in defeat and smiled playfully, regaining his previous behavior.
Yosano just raised a brow as if she’s amused but unaffected. She carefully removed the bandages over Dazai’s right eye and was surprised to see that it’s clean and devoid of any gruesome injuries. Still, she regained her composure in split second and decided not to ask anything.
Dazai looked down and just fiddled with the fallen bloodstained bandages, not showing any curiosity about Yosano’s behavior at all. But it did help that she didn’t ask any unnecessary questions.
The detective doctor’s hands were quick and soon enough, Dazai’s wounds are patched up, even the cut on his ear. However, his right eye is still unbandaged, “Sensei, you forgot this place.” The boy pointed at his right eye but she just continued packing up her tools.
“Let it breathe for tonight, after that, come to me to get bandages early tomorrow morning.” She said.
Dazai’s eyes narrowed with a pout forming on his face, “Boo~, is this fun to you?”
“It’s quite fun.” She said and ruthlessly kicked him out, “Shoo! It’s late. Let me sleep.”
The lights in the hallway made Dazai’s right eye ache for a moment. He used his hand to shade it before finally adjusting. Instead of joining the others to the living room, he went straight to bed after taking a quick shower while avoiding his wounds.
The God of Sleep must’ve felt very much awake, so much so that Dazai couldn’t help but open his eyes in annoyance. Although he’s used to not sleeping due to the nature of his job, this time is a relatively slow-paced mission. He can still afford to sleep. But what the hell is this insomnia out of the blue?
He tried to force himself to sleep once again by trying to count, ‘Chibi sheep one… chibi sheep two…’ but he was almost driven crazy when he reached Chibi sheep 12859, yet he still couldn’t sleep!
Who’s to blame? The 12859 CHIBI SHEEP WEARING THE SAME HAT inside his head!
“Tsk!” Dazai scratched his head. He grabbed his phone and considered annoying Mori-san through a phone call until all of his hair turns white but decided to let the old man off the hook since he’s definitely not telling him about the ‘surprise’ that will happen in Yokohama soon.
Instead, he stepped out of his room and entered a certain ginger’s room quietly. No matter how slow-paced their mission is, Chuuya’s still alert, especially at night. Thus, when the mackerel had entered, he quickly realized what's going on because of his familiarity with the other person.
He’s still angry at Dazai’s stupid face, so he decided to ignore him.
Dazai knelt down and watch the other ‘sleep’ for a bit. Knowing that Chuuya is deliberately ignoring him, he said, “Move over.”
But the guy didn’t respond, so he can only continue, “Chuuya, move over. Else, I’ll lie down on you and suffocate you to death.”
Still, there’s no response.
In the end, Dazai sighed and just lay down on the cold ground. Since the other is lying on his side, Dazai can clearly see his sleeping face. It’s a lot gentler compared to when he’s awake. If he knew less about Chuuya, he would be fooled and think that the ginger is truly in a dreamland already.
Dazai just continued to stare as he listens to his breathing, partly because he really doesn’t have anything else to say. Just then, he remembered the video he watched on repeat. He thought, ‘How did that go again?’
“Hmm… hmm… hmm…” he hummed first and after a bit of familiarity, he sang the verse slowly and quietly.
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you were sleeping
While you’re far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Where every moment spent with you
Is a moment I treasure
Unlike Chuuya’s voice that carry raspy texture that adds grit and rawness, Dazai’s quiet singing sounds husky and breathy. One can faintly hear the treble cause by the vibration in his voice.
Chuuya refused to move, but his irritation, somehow lessened.
I don’t wanna close my eyes
I don’t wanna fall asleep
‘Cause I’d miss you babe
And I don’t wanna miss a thing
‘Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dreams would never do
I’d still miss you babe
And I don’t wanna……
Before he knew it, his headache disappeared and he fell asleep as he sang. Chuuya listened to the gradually even breathing. After waiting for almost an hour, he sat down and carefully moved Dazai on his futon. He shared his blanket with the other, carefully covering his cold body.
That’s when he noticed that the mackerel doesn’t have the bandages on his face. He subconsciously caressed the recently treated wound on his cheek before lying down beside the other.
Funnily enough, the moment his head hit the pillow, he slept very deeply.
Just like Chuuya, Dazai also felt the slug’s movements. Again, just like Chuuya, Dazai’s irritation completely disappeared. But other than that, he stopped processing the reason why he felt that way.
It’s not a subconscious reaction, either.
It’s because he noticed clearly what the budding implication was that he instantly nipped the bud.
Chuuya did as well.
Many times.
It became a tacit understanding.
Understanding that no one…
No one is allowed to cross the line.
For now, the good thing is...
Both of them quite like it this way.
Notes:
To those who are wondering, the song title they sang is 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' by Aerosmith.
Personally, I think Chuuya's version is closer to Aerosmith while Dazai's version is closer to Regine's cover but make it a guy. But it's up to your imaginations at the end of the day!
Chapter 21: CODE: GLASSES. Top Priority.
Summary:
lunch rush and villain infiltration.
Notes:
yes, once again, it's unedited.
i need to prep now, i have somewhere to go.
will edit once i'm free.enjoy~
12:21 am: FINALLY EDITED.
ps. i hope there're no more grammatical errors T^T
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Yawning as she made her way to the kitchen, the lady with the butterfly hairpin, wearing her school uniform, saw someone already there. She ignored the white-haired guy who’s brewing a hot tea. Instead, she went to the fridge to grab the fresh milk, heat it on the stove while dicing the half-open chocolate she got from the store last week.
Although she tried her best to ignore the other, Jouno seems to be in a good mood because he couldn’t help but hum, adding with his signature grin, he’s practically telling everyone he meets that he’s really feeling the spirit of ‘good’ in the morning.
Curious, she asked, “Did something good happen?” as she pours the chocolate in the heated milk, slowly mixing them together with a ladle.
“I stayed up late last night listening to a live radio drama. It’s quite good.” Jouno spoke as he pours the tea from the kettle to two teacups.
Yosano, initially focused on the pot, turned to face him, her hand even stopped stirring, “Really? Is it better than the radio stations at Yokohama?”
She thought that if it’s better, she could recommend it to their president. After all, he likes listening to radio drama whenever he’s doing paperwork. Whether Fukuzawa really likes it or not, the radio is always playing whenever Yosano drops by.
While all that was happening, Ranpo, who just got up and haven’t even changed his sleepwear yet, approached her, carefully grabbed the ladle, and poured the hot cocoa milk on his cup. Taking a sip, he smiled happily.
Akiko still knows how he likes his cocoa milk!
Jouno grabbed the tray and just said, “It’s definitely better, but it doesn’t go live all the time, unfortunately.” Before leaving Yosano, who’s slightly confused.
She turned off the stove and poured the rest of the cocoa milk into her cup and before she can even drink, Ranpo just said as he walks back to his room, “Don’t think too much about it, Akiko. The live radio drama came from the room next door.”
Yosano, ‘No, but what really is it?’
She took a sip and was greeted by the ginger mafioso who also almost finished prepping, “Hey, sell me a box of your bandages.”
Something finally clicked from Yosano’s brain. She put her cup down and led the other to her room. She gave half of her bandages supply and sold them for more than ten times the price. Chuuya gave her a glare but she just said, “The cost includes yesterday’s treatment.”
In the end, because of Dazai, Chuuya had no choice but to pay a ridiculous amount.
Yosano, ‘The live radio drama must be really good.’ She can only sigh that she doesn’t have superhuman hearing like those two from the Hunting Dogs.
“Oh right, before we move on to our next topic, I would like to state my full input to your combat training last week.” Aizawa mentioned while they are in their homeroom class.
Those who are eager to hear the feedback leaned closer with an excited and nervous expressions. Dazai, who’s right eye is now once again covered in bandages that’s worth more than one of his branded neckties, raised a brow when he saw that his sensei is looking at him directly when he spoke those words.
Aizawa sighed and faced a different problem child instead, “Bakugo, you’re talented, so don’t act like a kid.”
The boy couldn’t help but make a stink face before looking away, reluctantly answering, “I know.”
Dazai blinked twice, ‘Oh? He didn’t explode?’
Jouno scoffed. With the room being silent because of the students’ intense attention to their sensei, his scoff was heard by everyone.
Bakugo, who’s initially calm, doesn’t have the patience to continue, “YOU FUCKER! I’LL BLOW YOUR SKULL--”
Jouno held his stomach with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, trying his best to stop laughing. On the other hand, Iida stood up almost immediately, “BAKUGO-KUN! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I REMIND YOU ABOUT YOUR FOUL LANGUAGE!”
Aizawa hit the table with his hand and everyone stopped fussing around. After seeing that he got their attention once again, he continued, “And Midoriya,”
Midoriya immediately sat stiffly while looking down with guilt in his eyes. Perfectly embodying the behavior of a scolded child. Aizawa still didn’t let him off the hook though, “You settled it by breaking your arm again, huh? You can’t keep saying, you can’t help it because you can’t control your quirk.”
With that, Midoriya felt even more ashamed of himself. Chuuya who’s beside him, tapped his shoulder twice as a gesture of comfort, however, his words we something else, “Suck it up. It’s your fault.”
Midoriya wanted to cry, “Nakahara-san… you suck at this.”
Dazai saw the two and covered his mouth, Deku’s suffering, it’d be disrespectful to the atmosphere if he just started laughing out loud, won’t it? “Pfft-!” However, his shoulders betrayed his thoughts.
“Dazai, you can’t be laughing.” Aizawa looked at the boy, making the other confused as he pointed at himself, his expression asking, ‘Why me?’
“You’ve got a new injury. What happened?” Aizawa went straight to the point.
Dazai held the gauze on his left cheek and pondered, ‘It’s not like I can say that chibi hit me, can I?’
Dazai smiled brightly and said, “I’m just thinking, since I put bandages here,” he pointed at the bandages over his eye and continued, “might as well add one here,” he pointed at the other, “to balance it out! What do you think, sensei? It’s ingenious, right? Shall I apply for modelling agencies, now?”
Aizawa, “…”
Everyone, ‘Bro’s acting like a Chunni, it’s not even funny!’
Aizawa can only sigh, ‘What a lame excuse.’ Obviously, the student in front of him will not open up with everyone watching, but to the point that even a thing as simple as admitting that – yes, he got a bruise or a minor wound – would also be too difficult to say, made the adult feel like the boy is used to keeping negative things inside his head.
It’s absolutely worrying.
“In any case, Nakahara, you did good. However, you overdid it at the end, considering that you’re facing a classmate. Know the difference between an actual battle and a friendly bout.” He continued, not delving further about Dazai’s issue.
Chuuya crossed his arms and said, “Alright. I’ll tone it down whenever we’re sparring.”
“HUH?! ARE YOU UNDERESTIMATING ME, SHORTSTACK?!” Bakugo exploded, “COME AT ME LIKE YOU’RE TRYING TO KILL ME! I DARE YOU!”
“Ugh! Grow up!” Chuuya rolled his eyes and covered his ears.
“Settle down.” Aizawa raised his voice and everyone calmed down once again.
He said, “Still, I don’t like saying the same thing over and over. As long as each of you fix the control issue, there’s a lot you’ll be able to do. Look at Saigiku and Kaminari, for instance.”
While Kaminari felt fluttered that he scratched his head, everyone agreed at what Aizawa said. So, when he asked, “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Aizawa-sensei!” They unanimously replied.
“Good. Now, let’s move on to our original agenda.” As he said that, most of the students became tense. After all, Aizawa’s first homeroom had the risk of expulsion. Now… what crazy thing would he do?
“We’ll decide on a class representative.” The moment he said that, everyone cheered happily. Not only that, most of them wanted to be representatives. Once again, noise covered the classroom.
Dazai used both hands to protect his ears and frowned, “Seriously, why is this a big deal?”
Tsuyu, who’s sitting behind him, kindly gave him the details. It turns out that since this is the hero course, the duty of the class representative means taking a role that allow one to practice being a top hero by leading a group. Most of the time, because of their position in class, they’re the first to be noticed in many hero agencies. Thus, being the class representative is an all-win situation.
Dazai still reached to one conclusion though, ‘Sounds like a pain.’
Yaoyorozu, who’s raising her hand at first, then suggested, “How about we select Saigiku-san? After all, he’s kind of acting like our class representative already.”
Sero thought long and hard about it and said, “Well, that’s true. I second that.”
Jouno, ‘No.’
Mina jumped in, “Eh~? If we’re recommending someone else other than ourselves, I think it’d be funny to vote for Daz-kun!”
Dazai, ‘Haha, Pass.’
“Then, I’ll vote for Nakahara-kun!” Midoriya happily suggested.
Uraraka, who wanted to say she’d vote for Midoriya, instantly lowered her head in embarrassment.
Since half of the class got along well with Chuuya, they thought it wouldn’t be bad and most of them pointed at him.
Bakugo doesn’t care about their opinions and said, “WHO CARES ABOUT THAT MIDGET, I VOTE ME! OI, KIRISHIMA, YOU FUCKER, VOTE FOR ME!”
Kirishima, “Ehhh~~? I’d rather vote myself, thanks!”
Bakugo almost used his quirk, “HAH?!”
Dazai smoothly said, with his hands raised in excitement, “Oh! Oh! I know! If it’s chibi, It’s gonna be great. After all, he was once called the Sheep Ki— oof!”
“Gah! My notebook!” Midoriya’s yellow tattered notebook (that he just got back after begging Dazai) was once again stolen. He truly wanted to cry a bucketful of tears.
“SHUT IT!” Chuuya exploded, “Don’t you have other things to do?!”
“EEEEEEEVVVVVVVRRRRRYYYYOOONNNNEEEEE!” The loudest voice calmed the students down and they saw a blue-haired guy with glasses on. Iida proposes that the one who’s most trusted by the class is the one most deserving of the title, so they should vote quietly through democratic election.
Class 1-A, ‘Sounds convincing, just put your hand down, will you?’ Indeed. Out of everyone, Iida is the most eager.
Aizawa also agrees with his decision and called Jouno for assistance. Jouno prepared the things needed and used the chalk box to collect everyone’s papers. Before writing the name of who they wanted to be their class representative, Jouno ‘kindly’ explained, “Just a quick reminder. I’m out of the choices. Since I’ll be assisting Aizawa-sensei most of the time, I’d really have no time to babysit you guys.”
Class 1-A, ‘Harsh!’
“That’s right. Saigiku is a teacher-assistant. It would be better for you all to choose someone who isn’t.” Aizawa nodded in agreement.
Jouno just faked a smile to hide a bit of annoyance, ‘It would be better if you said that earlier.’
Chuuya raised a hand, “Then, I say we’re out of the possible choices as well. This is a chance for you, superhumans with quirks, to be selected in a hero agency that you want to go to. However, it’s different for us, Ability Users. Not only is that not beneficial for us, but we’re also already affiliated with our own organizations. It’s a chance for you, not for us.”
Dazai audibly gasped, “Oh my god! I can’t believe you’ve managed to realize that!”
Chuuya raised a middle finger.
Dazai tucked his hair behind his ear and acted shy.
Chuuya rolled his eyes, hiding the upward curve forming in his lips.
As that interaction happened, several students gasped. Tsuyu simply croaked, "Ribbit." It made the scene even funnier.
After that, the election results showed that the Class 1-A’s representative is…
Midoriya Izuku.
Midoriya, who got four votes, “Eh?”
Iida, who got zero votes, “Eh?”
Bakugo, who only got his own vote, “EH?! WHY THE FUCK--! WHO THE FUCK VOTED ON THIS DUMB SHIT--!!”
Ojiro mumbled to the side, “Well it’s better than voting for you.” But then he heard a giggle and realized that Hagakure heard his silent protest. Embarrassed, he put a finger on his lips and said, “Sshh… okay?”
“Mnn! Mnn!” he heard her say. It’s confusing, but he assumed that she nodded twice.
Tsuyu tilted her head and asked, “Now that I think about it, I wonder who Class 1-B’s representative is?”
Jiro thought for a while answered, “Maybe it’s that Ability User with the glasses?”
Tecchou took a big bite of his burger. He chewed slowly and concluded – ‘It’s tasty. Jouno should try it too.’ Just as he’s contemplating whether to buy two more burgers, three people occupied the remaining seats near himself. One sat beside him and two in front of him.
The one sitting beside him is the foodie from the ADA and the two are… the foodie’s lackeys?
Monoma opened the packaging of the ice cream sandwich before giving it to the detective beside Tecchou. Then, he focused mixing his cold noodles. Meanwhile, Kendo, who’s sitting beside him, is busy slicing her beef steak.
Tecchou, “…” I wanna try those too.
“I’m telling you, it’s really weird. Those reporters are something else.” Kendo explained. Among the four, only she got bombarded by the reporters on the front gate. The other three entered the school using Monoma’s sports car. In other words, Ranpo and the other Ability Users hitched a ride once again.
“You’re making it sound like they’re terrible. I bet they just wanted a good scoop.” Monoma answered before eating.
“I know that! But a lot of us were late due to them blocking the school gates! Even the teachers have to come get us! It’s good to admire U.A. and All Might, but I was late for the first time in my life, okay? This and that are different!”
As they talk, Ranpo and Tecchou just look at them. Ranpo moved his hands closer to Tecchou and said, “Wanna try?”
Tecchou’s tunnel vision looked at the chocolate-flavored ice cream sandwich and instantly went in for a bite. After chewing for a bit, he seriously said, “It tastes good with the burger’s meat.”
Ranpo frowned and said, “You really have to get your tongue checked.”
Tecchou blinked twice in confusion. Last time he checked, his tongue doesn’t hurt. He didn’t accidentally bite it either. However, he remembered Jouno’s reminder that when the foodie detective said something, he should take it in consideration. So Tecchou nodded and said, “Okay.”
Ranpo raised a brow and figured out the hidden meaning behind the weirdo’s words. It made him laugh thrice and boosted his appetite. He took a big bite of his food and grabbed him phone from his pocket. Just as he’s about to send a text to Mr. President, Tecchou’s face turned to the window, his eyes fixated somewhere far away.
Ranpo stopped typing and turned to look at the other, “What did you notice?”
Tecchou frowned a bit and said, “Something just cracked. It was small though. But it will probably break soon. Hmm… footsteps… one… no, two people…?”
Ranpo’s face turned serious. He stood up and said to the two people bickering in front of him, “Yeah, we should go.” As he fixes his glasses.
Both Monoma and Kendo looked at him in confusion. When they asked why, Ranpo just calmly said, “There’ll be a mass panic soon. What do you think will happen in this place then?”
Just as Monoma and Kendo are still thinking while looking baffled, Tecchou felt like he got the answer, “Oh. A stampede.”
Ranpo smiled, “Bingo. So, we need to get away from here, ASAP.”
Monoma and Kendo secretly glanced at each other; their expressions grim. Kendo gave him a nod and Monoma grabbed his phone to open the class’ group chat. Kendo, on the other hand, asked, “How many minutes do we have left?”
Ranpo faced the soldier beside him, “How’s it going?”
Tecchou titled his head and said, “Halfway through.”
Ranpo looked back at Kendo and said, “I say we have 5 minutes and 11 seconds left.”
Monoma clicked send and the three of them started cleaning up the table while the detective just waits on the side. At the same time, everyone from Class 1-B received four short messages:
.
[Monoma: A message from Kendo - Leave the canteen ASAP. Stay near the entrance.]
.
[Monoma: @Shiozaki, lead Yosano-sensei to the canteen entrance.]
.
[Monoma: @Awase, @Shoda, ensure that everyone’s outside the canteen.]
.
[Monoma: @everyone, CODE: GLASSES.]
.
Because of the effect of their consecutive class meeting, no one asked for further information. Once they saw that it was a message from their class representative, and that it was coded, one by one, they started to act on the instructions.
Shoda began the head count of the students outside the canteen and communicated with Awase, who’s scanning inside the canteen for their classmates who did not notice the message and helped them out.
Shiozaki, who’s rocking her short hair for a week now, rushed to the clinic to inform Yosano-sensei about the situation at hand.
A bit earlier before everyone from Class 1-B reached the entrance, Monoma carried his tray and is about to dispose of his food when he accidentally hit someone’s shoulder because of his hasty movements. He was about to apologize, but when he saw that it was a student from Class 1-A, his face twisted and he started taunting instead, “What the-? Oh, excuse me! You’re so invisible, I thought you’re a garbage bin.”
Uraraka, who’s sitting in front of Deku, who just got his by a tray in the head, pouted, “How rude! Isn’t it your fault to begin with?”
Monoma grinned even more, “Oh look! It’s the losers!”
“Be nice! That’s not how a hero should behave!” Iida started lecturing. Chuuya and Dazai, who’s sitting beside them just remained quiet.
Ranpo’s head popped out behind Monoma to remind him, “Hey, sports car-san, stop wasting time. Theres only two minutes left.” Because of his timely reminder, Monoma realized the reason why he is hurrying and rushed to throw his garbage and put his tray back. As he does that, Ranpo noticed untouched Dazai’s vanilla frappe and fluffy pancakes.
“That looks delish!” He couldn’t help but drool.
Dazai found him comical and smiled, “Do you want it? I’m not really hungry.” Is there a reason for the detective to refuse? None! So, he hurriedly grabbed the frappe and the pancakes, “I’ll take them then! Bye~!”
Dazai chuckled, but Chuuya in front of him frowned, “Not hungry my ass.” He mumbled quietly.
Since last night, the mackerel hadn’t eaten anything.
In truth, Dazai tried to take a bite, but just the thought of holding his utensils made him feel drained. Moreover, the thought of eating felt distant. Now that the detective wanted it, why not give it to him?
Dazai clapped his hands twice and said, “One minute and thirty seconds! We need to hurry. Let’s go, chibi?” he grabbed Chuuya’s wrist and pulled him up.
Chuuya raised a brow but didn’t struggle, “It’s that serious?”
Dazai faced him and directly said, “I mean, if you wanted me to be stomped to death, it’s really not that serious.” He remembered some of the wild animals films Mori made him watch. Somehow, the scene that’s about to happen reminded him clearly about hundreds of blue wildebeests running forward nonstop.
There were animals fleeing in distress. However, the most notable scene was when a kangaroo started grabbing its babies and throwing them to the horde of those massive blue wildebeests. He clearly saw how those pitiful things were brutally crushed into paste with those heavy hooves.
Just as he’s imagining of his gruesome death, Chuuya spoke, “Then let’s go. Now.” Making him snap back to reality.
Midoriya, unaware of what’s going on, asked, “Wait, what’s happening, Nakahara-san, Dazai-san?” Both Iida and Uraraka are also curious.
Chuuya shook his head, “I don’t know the exact details. But based on the detective earlier and this mackerel’s reaction, a stampede’s about to happen in a minute—”
“No, it’s right now.” Dazai interrupted when the school’s alarm bell rang. It was followed by an announcement with a lady’s voice, saying, [There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students, please evacuate promptly.]
Iida was confused and asked, “What’s Level 3 security?”
Dazai’s eyes narrowed, “Trespassing.”
The three of them looked shocked, “What?! Could it be… villains?!”
If Midoriya and the rest can think of that, so do everyone in the canteen. The stampede began. The air grew thick with the scent of sweat and fear. The sound of hundreds of feet pounding against the floor drowned out every other noise. Students pushed and shoved, desperate to reach the exit. The walls seemed to close in. For a moment, Midoriya lost sight of Uraraka and Iida. His heart pounded louder than the alarm blaring through the speakers.
Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka were swept in and can only be squeezed with the panicking students. Chuuya, however, immediately flung Dazai to his shoulder and hopped to the top of the large window pane and clung to the rounded steel using one hand.
It’s no trouble even with Dazai. After all, the mackerel is a lot lighter than what he looks like.
Dazai covered his mouth, his face turned pale and blue, “You could’ve carried me gently… unlike… urk! This…” being flung on someone’s shoulder and hanging from above while looking at the enormous amount of people below is making him dizzier.
“Don’t be picky.” Chuuya replied and worried about Ochaco who’s face is slowly turning red. He saw Midoriya trip and fall, luckily, he got up in an instant, else, it’d be dangerous for him.
“Tch!” Chuuya clicked his tongue. He could just float everyone and separate them. However, with him holding Dazai, his Ability is as good as nothing. Dazai felt his inner struggle and his eyes darkened.
“Why don't you let go now, Chuuya?” Dazai asked, but because it was too noisy, the other didn’t hear him clearly. So Chuuya asked, “What did you say?!”
Before Dazai can repeat his words, both he and Chuuya saw how Uraraka tried to reach Iida with her hand and floated him towards the front, above the door, making him crash to the wall.
“EVERYONE! EVERYTHING’S FINE!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, successfully getting the students’ attention. He even got Chuuya and Dazai to listen to him. After he explained that everything’s just the press’ doing and there’s no danger, everyone slowly calmed down and the pushing had stopped.
Chuuya can finally go back down. He let go of Dazai and rushed towards Midoriya and Ochaco to see if they’re doing fine. Moreover, he helped Iida down since Ochaco’s legs gave out.
“Waaahh… that was scaaaaryyy!” She weakly freaked out.
Midoriya weakly laughed and helped her up. After Chuuya helped Iida, they went back but Dazai’s gone already, “Did you see the mackerel?” Chuuya wondered but the three were still trying to calm themselves that they didn’t notice the other person at all.
With his brows furrowing, Chuuya decided to help the three teens out first.
At the entrance, he saw the students from Class 1-B catering to the needs of the students who got out. Some are handing out water, wet towels, and those who got scratches, bruises and sprains were being treated by the detective doctor and Recovery Girl.
He raised a brow in amusement when he saw Dazai sitting on one of the benches laid out for the students with an open water bottle from his hand. It was half-full.
Chuuya sat beside him, his gaze flicking to Dazai’s hand. The bottle trembled slightly.
“You really do what you want,” he said, keeping his voice steady. But inside, he wondered, 'Was it the crowd? Or something else?'
Dazai stole a glance at the other before looking at everyone busying themselves. Deep down, he felt that he doesn’t belong to this group once again. Before the stampede happens, if it’s not for the mission, he wouldn’t care whether he died or not.
When others got hurt, it really doesn’t matter to him.
When others are busy helping those who got hurt, he thought it was a waste of effort.
As he watched Chuuya rush toward the students, Dazai felt… nothing. Or maybe it was something. A flicker of a feeling he couldn’t name. He told himself it didn’t matter. These people weren’t like him. They cared, they acted, they lived. He simply watched. And yet, as he sat there with half a bottle of water in his hand, he couldn’t help but feel his stomach churning without knowing why.
He took a deep breath and said, “It’s impossible that the press can break through the school’s security.” As he speaks, Chuuya sat beside him and shared his thoughts as well, “So they’re right, then? A villain had trespassed?”
Dazai just gave him a smile and finished his drink before leaving. Chuuya initially wanted to follow him but remembering those three, he ultimately decided to stay.
Jouno reached the entrance of the canteen, which had now turned into a makeshift clinic area. He was still busy sorting through papers for Aizawa in the faculty when he heard that there had been an incident inside the canteen. Aizawa had been called out to manage the press outside, so Jouno figured he'd check it out.
Usually, at this time, Tecchou would be there, eating whatever alien food he likes. Jouno wasn’t underestimating him, but rather, he was just curious.
As he approached, he heard Tecchou’s voice chatting with someone. From the sound of it, he was handing out bottled waters—how typical. 'What a useless thing to do,' Jouno thought, 'Typical.'
Sure enough, Tecchou spotted him from the corner of his eye and quickly approached. Jouno realized it with the increasing noise of the other person's footsteps. Tecchou was eager to offer him a bottle of water and a half-eaten burger. "Try it. It’s good!" he insisted, holding out the food like it was a prize.
Jouno’s nose wrinkled in distaste. Even without seeing, just the scent and texture alone in his hand, made his face darken. The burger was cold and half-eaten, the bread dry and probably unappealing. 'Yup, alien food.' Jouno mused, pushing the food back toward him. "You eat it," he said, his voice laced with disgust.
Tecchou, unfazed, immediately inhaled the burger, as if he had just been offered a gourmet meal.
Jouno, momentarily bemused by Tecchou's behavior, reached out to feel his face. Imagining how ridiculous Tecchou must look with his bulging cheeks, Jouno's fingers grazed the greasy residue of the burger. His expression soured, and he pulled his hand away quickly, wiping it with his handkerchief before asking, "What happened here?" He wasn’t really interested, but curiosity still nagged at him.
Tecchou, feeling a bit lost that Jounos' hands left his face, still launched into a detailed explanation of the stampede. His enthusiasm was hard to miss, but Jouno’s interest quickly waned. Rescue operations, huh? So boring… he thought. He listened clearly to the noise around the makeshift clinic where students were being treated for minor injuries. Unfortunately for him, there weren't any howls or loud cries.
"So, there were no major casualties? None at all?" Jouno asked flatly, his voice devoid of any real concern.
"Nope," Tecchou replied, "We handled it well."
Jouno’s lips curled downward, his mood darkening at the lack of excitement. Talk about boring. He could feel his irritation building. This was supposed to be a bit of a spectacle.
He turned to leave, clearly dissatisfied. “What a waste of time,” he muttered under his breath, heading for the exit.
Tecchou felt a bit bitter. He handled it well, so why didn't he get at least one praise?
After the incident, Class 1-B was featured prominently in the school’s newspaper. Their swift handling of the situation had earned them praise, though most of Class 1-A had initially been supportive, but because of Monoma’s arrogance and taunts, they started to feel like they should get back at him some time. Who knew that this had only further fueled the rivalry between the two classes.
Well, Class 1-A definitely did get back at Class 1-B.
Because not long after that, they will be featured nationwide for facing villains that had trespassed inside U.A.
………
EXTRA: Voting Results
A little earlier in the canteen, everyone just found out that Iida is not only a young master, but also the little brother of a well-known hero, Ingenium.
After the shock, Midoriya remembered something, “Ah! Now that I think about it, who voted for me?” He’d understand it if only he voted for himself, but with three more votes?
Uraraka raised her hand proudly, “Oh! I did!”
Midoriya looked flustered, “Eh?!”
Iida coughed twice as well, “I voted for you too.”
Midoriya looked shocked, “Wha--?! Why?!”
Iida began spouting things about courage and stuff, making the green head flustered. To be honest, Iida got the wrong idea about him. After his talk about his ambition and his brother, Midoriya thinks Iida is more suited to be the class representative instead of him.
“But aside from that, who else voted for Deku-kun?” Uraraka wondered, making Iida and Midoriya silent, pondering.
Chuuya finished his carbonara and wiped his mouth, “It’s me.”
Uraraka’s eyes twinkled and Iida just nodded, as if it’s obvious why. Only Midoriya questioned him. Chuuya’s answer is simple, “Well, you’re good at analyzing things. You also tutored me before. So, I voted for you.”
“Nakahara-san…!” Midoriya wanted to cry because he’s so touched.
“But if Nakahara-kun voted for Midoriya-kun, who voted for Nakahara-kun then?” Iida’s question stumped the others.
That’s right, Chuuya gained one vote.
“Who knows?” Chuuya shrugged it off, “That person must be mentally challenged.” He emphasized that there’s no point in voting for them, so if that person insisted, they just wasted their vote.
Dazai chose to keep quiet. After all, he’s the one who voted for the ugly slug in front of him.
After the stampede incident, Midoriya decided to relinquish his position to Iida because he thinks that Iida deserves it better than himself. It was a sad sight for Yaoyorozu who got three votes. Although she wondered who voted for her other than herself and Jiro.
But like Dazai, Jouno decided to keep quiet about it, too.
Notes:
hmm... what's the saying again...?
actions speak louder than words.
Chapter 22: Blondie and Lame Cutie
Summary:
dazai rushing to school because chuuya really left him behind :<
Notes:
Still unedited.
Got very busy.
Exams next week.
R.I.P. to me.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Honey oozed from a slice of fluffy pancake. A fork stabbed through it and entered Yosano’s mouth. Ranpo wiped a crumb from the side of his lips before taking another bite of his buttered toast. The two detectives enjoyed their breakfast peacefully.
Beside them, Jouno struggled to put the bread knife back after spreading chocolate on his croissant. He frowned and scolded the person below him. “You’re too rowdy. Can’t you be a good ride?”
Tecchou, chewing an egg sandwich, was doing push-ups with Jouno sitting on his back. He answered, but all he could manage were muffled noises. Jouno sighed in exasperation. “What a muscle-brain,” he muttered before elegantly taking a bite of his food.
Yosano dabbed a tissue against her mouth as she suddenly remembered something. “Speaking of a good ride, is your friend coming over to fetch you again today?”
Ranpo raised a brow. “What friend? Sports Car-san isn’t a friend; he’s my personal car,” he corrected.
“Right…” Yosano replied in a strange tone, as if she found it hard to believe. Before Ranpo could point it out, she decided to ask, “So, is your car fetching you today as well?”
“Uh-huh!” Ranpo nodded and inhaled his food before snatching Yosano’s half-eaten pancake. “Wanna hitch a ride with us, Hunting Dogs?”
Ranpo had no particular opinion about Jouno, but he definitely liked Tecchou—enough to invite them along if they wanted to join.
Jouno smirked. “That’s not a bad offer. We’ll take it.”
“GAH?! YOU THREW MY FOOD IN THE TRASH?! BAD DOG!”
A sudden shout made everyone in the living room flinch. Jouno almost fell from Tecchou’s back, but Tecchou instantly caught him with one hand and steadied him.
Jouno frowned in annoyance and slapped Tecchou’s hand away. Tecchou obediently resumed his push-ups.
Yosano raised a brow and glanced toward the sleeping quarters. “Whoa, what’s going on?”
“It’s probably because Bandages did something stupid again,” Ranpo guessed. His assumption was proven right when the argument inside Dazai’s room escalated.
“WHY WOULDN’T I?! THAT’S DISGUSTING! BESIDES, I ALREADY THREW THAT IN THE TRASH BIN A FEW DAYS AGO!”
“HOW DARE YOU! I WAS PLANNING TO EAT THAT AND DIE! YOU’RE STEALING BACK WHAT YOU ALREADY GAVE ME! I NEVER KNEW YOU WERE SUCH A PERSON!”
“THIS SHIT IS MOLDY AS HELL! AND IF YOU WANT TO DIE, DON’T USE MY SINCERITY TO OFF YOURSELF, ASSHOLE!”
“I HATE YOU!”
“I HATE YOU MORE!”
Jouno casually took a sip of his tea. “Well, the radio drama I’ve been waiting for just went live again. It’s a shame there aren’t any buttons to control the volume.”
“You’re eerily enjoying this,” Yosano commented, taking a casual sip of her cocoa.
“Don’t you?” Jouno raised a brow.
Yosano couldn’t help but smile. “It’s interesting, to say the least.”
“I don’t. Their banter is always childish. Couldn’t be me.” Ranpo shrugged and shook his head.
Tecchou grabbed a soft-boiled egg and ate it whole before continuing his push-ups. Fortunately for him, Yosano had already deshelled it.
“Hey! Akiko cooked that perfectly for me! Give it back!” Ranpo gestured with his hand, his face puffing up in anger.
“I can’t. It’s already in my stomach.” Tecchou answered truthfully.
“Why, you—!” Ranpo stomped his feet and looked at Yosano. “Akiko, look! He ate my egg! My perfectly boiled egg!”
Yosano and Jouno: “…”
A shadow loomed over Ranpo. As they looked up, they saw the ginger still frowning.
“Hey, detective, is your chauffeur coming to pick you up? Let me join in.”
Ranpo turned to him. “Sure, if you can boil me three soft-boiled eggs.”
“Deal.” Chuuya agreed and headed to the kitchen to start heating water.
“I won’t wait for your boyfriend, though~!” Ranpo called after him.
“Leave that damn mackerel, then!” Chuuya shot back, not even sparing a thought for Dazai.
Yosano and Jouno clinked their drinks at the same time.
Jouno: “The tea is quite good.”
Yosano: “I couldn’t agree more.”
Tecchou, meanwhile, wondered why the detective doctor agreed when she wasn’t even drinking tea. Unfortunately for him, he was the only one out of the loop.
When Monoma arrived at the inn, everyone—except Dazai—had finally gone to school. As for the person in question, he was still lying in bed, inside his dark room, under his blankets, stewing in how much he hated that slug.
‘Stupid slug! He’s so unreasonable! I kept that seafood bowl! I hadn’t even taken a bite yet! It was mine! How could he just throw it away after giving it to me?! Stupid! Dumb! Idiot!’
After half an hour of sulking, he finally sat up and glanced at the time—10 o’clock. He was totally late, alright.
He yawned lazily and wiped his teary eye. He was tempted to go back to sleep, but he resisted and quickly washed up, not even bothering to shampoo his hair.
He dressed quickly, tousling his still-wet hair with his fingers. The guy didn’t even look in the mirror before leaving the inn.
As he lazily strolled down the street, he occupied himself by glancing here and there—until his stomach rumbled.
Dazai frowned and pressed his hand against his stomach, as if scolding it for betraying him. But his stomach growled again, this time louder. Groaning in annoyance, he picked up his pace.
Soon, the scenery started spinning. He staggered and nearly collapsed—only for two arms to catch his swaying body.
“Oh my! Are you alright?” A concerned woman’s voice reached him.
Dazai shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to steady his vision. After taking a deep breath, he looked at the woman and felt that she resembled someone he knew—but he couldn’t quite place it yet.
“Yes, I’m alright. Thanks.” He let go of her hold but stumbled again, instinctively grabbing something for support. The nearest thing happened to be the woman’s arm.
“I don’t think you’re alright,” she said gently. “It’s good to study hard, but if you’re sick, you need to rest. Let me take you to the hospital, okay?” She patted his back in a motherly manner—like an ideal parent in children’s picture books.
It made Dazai uncomfortable. Too uncomfortable. He started sweating cold sweat.
“No, I… Ma’am… I’m fine. I’m just hungry. I just need a bite, no hospital.” He insisted, trying to pull away, but his body refused, knowing it would collapse.
The woman pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and noticed his still-wet hair. “Oh dear! Your hair is soaked! You’ll really get sick at this rate!” She hurriedly wiped it before guiding him toward a nearby public bench.
She carefully wiped his hair before handing him a hairbrush. “Here, brush your hair first, and I’ll buy you something to eat.”
Dazai finally sighed in relief when she left to buy him something to eat.
Dazai looked at her. His eyes revealed 50% suspicion, 30% hesitation, and 20% helplessness. It took him five seconds to grab the hairbrush and nod meekly, which reassured her.
Contrary to her expectations, Dazai merely held the hairbrush and stared at it until she returned. She was speechless to see him looking at it as if it were some kind of unfamiliar object.
“You haven’t combed your hair yet?” she asked, then gasped. “Oh no! Does he think the hairbrush is dirty? Is he the type who’s uncomfortable using other people’s things? I should’ve asked him first if it was okay! Should I buy a new hairbrush instead? Oh my god, Inko, you’re too careless!”
Dazai blinked twice, finally piecing things together. That endless muttering—he’d heard it before.
“Are you related to Midoriya Izuku?” he asked. The woman flinched.
“Y-You know my son?” she asked in confusion, though there was also a mix of shyness and pride in her voice.
‘They’re really too alike,’ Dazai thought.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m a friend of his. He tutored my partner,” he replied casually.
Inko brightened up and sat beside him, handing him the corndogs and water she had bought nearby. “Really? That’s amazing! Izuku never talks about friends! If you’d like, you can drop by anytime! As his friend, you’re always welcome!”
Dazai opened the water bottle and took a sip as he listened to her chatter. Feeling slightly at ease, he eventually stopped her mid-conversation and excused himself, using classes as an excuse.
“Oh dear, look at me, getting carried away! I’m sorry! Be careful on your way!” she said, waving goodbye.
Dazai left with a smile, hiding the corndogs behind his back—untouched.
Once he was finally alone, he sighed in relief. He took out one still-hot corndog from the container and blew on it. Since he had food, it would be a shame to waste it. He just hadn’t eaten in front of Inko earlier, fearing she’d start lecturing him about his health and insist on taking him to a hospital.
After blowing on it a third time, he took a bite. The warmth of the food brought a bit of color back to his face. He was pleasantly surprised by the taste. It had been a long time since he’d last eaten a corndog.
The last time was when Rintaro found him waiting in his room.
Rintaro had just received money from an odd job and took him out to eat skewers. That was when five-year-old Dazai realized he particularly liked corndogs and takoyaki.
Dazai was about to take another bite when he heard it—ragged, uneven breathing right behind him.
His body locked up.
A loud, eager bark tore through the silence.
“Arf!”
His stomach plummeted.
Slowly, mechanically, he turned his head.
A small stray dog stood there. Tongue lolling. Eyes bright. Drool pooling at its feet.
Dazai swallowed, his throat dry, his muscles screaming at him to move—to leave—to be anywhere but here.
He faced forward again.
‘If I ignore it, it will ignore me.’
He took a step forward.
Paws scraped against the ground behind him.
His breath hitched.
He walked faster.
So did the dog.
His pulse pounded in his ears.
‘Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!’
His feet carried him forward on instinct—until he realized.
He had walked into an alley.
And there—
More.
More dogs.
Their ribs jutted out, their noses twitched, their yellowed eyes locked onto him.
Dazai: “…”
“Arf! Arf!”
“Woof!”
“Arf!”
His chest squeezed tight, his hands clenching into fists.
His throat felt like it was closing.
He spun on his heel, desperate to flee only to see another dog waiting for him.
His stomach turned violently.
His vision blurred.
No way out.
His eyes darted wildly, searching, searching, searching—
For a key.
I need a key.
But there was no key.
There wasn’t even a cage to begin with.
Still, he knew he needed one just to get away.
The dogs lunged.
His knees buckled.
“I—I…” His voice broke.
The ground tilted beneath him.
His breath hitched—then stuttered—then stopped.
Air. He needed air.
He gasped for it, but his lungs refused to expand.
Get me out.
His nails dug into his arms.
Get me out.
His head pounded. His ears rang. His body trembled, curling in on itself as the memories crashed down on him all at once—
‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’
I didn’t do anything wrong.
I really didn’t.
I’ll behave.
Mori-san.
Rintaro.
Chuuya.
Then—
His stomach lurched.
The world spun as his body was yanked upward.
For a split second, he thought he was falling—
Until he landed somewhere else.
Light. Open air. The sound of—
Laughter.
A bright, amused giggle.
Dazai slowly opened his eyes.
He was now sitting on top of a parked truck.
The dogs were still barking below, but they were no longer focused on him. It turned out they hadn’t been after him at all—they had been after his food.
He let out a sigh of relief.
“How funny! How funny! A hero student, afraid of dogs?! KYAHAHAHA! It’s too funny!”
The girl laughed so hard she fell on her backside, kicking the air.
Dazai, having finally calmed down, muttered, “I don’t fear them. I hate them. Those are two different things.”
“Pfft—! BAHAHAHAHA!” The girl laughed again, as if mocking his excuse.
Dazai pouted playfully, knitting his brows. “Don’t laugh! It’s the truth!”
“Phew!” The girl wiped tears from her eyes. “Whatever you say~ It’s lame either way. Thankfully, you’re cute, or else I wouldn’t have helped you at all!”
Dazai dramatically pointed to himself. “Well, I know how valuable my looks are, blondie. I guess you deserve a thank you. But I really gotta go—I’m totally late for class.”
As soon as he waved goodbye, the blonde girl pulled him back down.
“Not yet! Do you think you can get away with just a simple ‘thank you’? A villain doesn’t just save anyone!”
Dazai blinked twice in amusement. “You’re a villain?”
The girl nodded enthusiastically.
“Then, do you want to kill me?” he asked. After all, he was now a hero student.
“Why would I want to kill you now? I’ll just kill you later—after I find a suitable villain organization to join,” she said while playing with the fabric of his sleeve. “But cutie, you’re a hero, aren’t you? What should I do if you report me? I can’t let you go just yet.”
Dazai found the situation amusing, so he decided to play along. His expression shifted—his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and his fingers clutched the hem of his shirt, making him appear both grateful and shy.
“Even… even if you’re a villain, you saved me. And as you said earlier, you won’t kill me now. So, I won’t report you now either. I owe you. In my morals, I have to repay people threefold. So, in turn, I’ll agree to three things you ask for.”
The girl’s eyes sparkled. “Really? Really?! No take-backsies?!”
She watched as the boy nodded innocently, making him look even cuter in her eyes.
“Yay! Then, I want your blood!”
Dazai: “…” My blood? What for?
“Sure, should I just use a towel, or…?” Dazai answered readily, making the girl even more excited, as if she had just found an amazing toy.
“No! I want to see it splashing!” she said and eventually pulled a clear measuring cup from her bag. “Here! Fill it up to the brim!”
“This… You’re really going all out for this request,” Dazai commented before obediently filling the cup with his blood after slicing his arm with his pocket knife.
The girl excitedly sealed it and said, “Next, I want a gallon of your blood!”
Dazai: “…” Hmm… This girl has a screw loose.
He immediately shook his head. “I can’t do that. I’d die long before I bled a gallon.”
“Aww… shucks.” She looked disappointed and annoyed.
Dazai took a long glance at her expression before saying, “How about this instead? I’ll let you take a cup of my blood anytime you want. If you keep collecting it, you’ll fill a gallon eventually.” He smiled.
As expected, the girl brightened up and nodded immediately. “Let’s do it! Let’s do it! This is fun!”
“Then, can you give me your contact information?” he asked. Almost immediately, she gave him hers. He saved her name as ‘Blondie,’ while she put his name as ‘Lame Cutie.’
“Now, for my last wish!” She pinched his cheeks excitedly, pausing for a second before letting go. “Be a villain like me! Quit trying to be a hero—it’s so boring! You’d like it here more~!”
Dazai blinked twice. “Too bad, I can’t be a villain.”
“Why not?! You said you’d grant me three wishes!” the girl complained.
When did I say that? Dazai almost rolled his eyes. “Think about it. If I became a villain, I wouldn’t have the same morals. I’d have to take back my blood and wouldn’t keep my promise either. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“Of course not! Who would?! You gave me this blood! You also promised to supply me whenever I wanted to!” She hugged her bag tightly, as if afraid Dazai might steal her precious blood.
“That’s why I can’t be a villain.”
“There’s nothing good about being a hero…” he heard her mumble. “We can’t be friends if you become a hero…”
Of course, Dazai chose to ignore what he had just heard and instead said, “In return, I’ll tell you about a villain who will definitely take you in.”
“Oh? Really? For a hero student, you sure seem knowledgeable about villains,” she inquired, looking curious.
Dazai scratched his cheek. “Not really. I just happened to run into one before. He looks like he’s planning something big, so I figured he might accept you.”
The girl clapped happily. “I want in! I want to plan a surprise too! I want to shock everyone!”
For a split second, the look in Dazai’s eyes changed before returning to his usual innocent, harmless expression. “Surely, you have more connections to the underworld than I do. Listen carefully—look for a man called Shigaraki Tomura. If you manage to find him and join him, I assure you, you’ll have plenty of fun things to do.”
The girl stood up. “Alright! I’ll take your word for it. But if it’s not fun, I’ll come back and kill you. Actually, I’ll kill you soon enough anyway.”
“Oh, that’s harsh, Elise-chan~!” Dazai teased.
“It’s not Elise.” She stomped her foot. “It’s Toga. Toga Himiko.”
She winked cutely. “See you soon, cutie!” But just as she was about to jump off, Dazai grabbed her wrist, making her turn back in confusion.
“Well, Toga-chan, can you drop me off somewhere else?” He blinked at her cutely. After all, the dogs were still there.
Toga noticed this and once again burst into laughter before deciding to drop this scaredy-cat right in front of the hero school gates.
Before leaving, she pinched Dazai’s cheeks again—hard—leaving them rosy, then waved goodbye.
Dazai was forced to wave back until she disappeared from sight.
'Well, that’s one lead. If she’s capable enough, it’ll be easier to track down those two as well. By then, Chuuya and I can move to Phase 2 of the mission.'
The thought made Dazai smile uncannily.
Just as he entered the school gates, his phone rang. He answered—it was Ashido Mina.
[Ah! Finally, it connected! Daz-kun, hello! Can you hear me?]
“Yeah, what’s up?” he asked as he walked toward the classroom.
[You’re really late today. Are you still coming to class?]
“Uh-huh. I just overslept. I forgot to set my alarm.”
[Damn, that’s the worst!]
Dazai sighed heavily. “I know, right? It’s the worst. But I’m inside the campus now. I’m on my way to the classroom.”
[Oh! In that case, don’t. Just head straight to USJ after changing into your hero costume. We’re already here. It’s going to be a fun lesson!]
“USJ? Where’s that?” he wondered.
[I’ll send you the location. See you, Daz-kun!]
“Alright, thanks! You’re a lifesaver! See you!”
Dazai ended the call, and a message popped up.
After changing into his usual Port Mafia attire, he reached the destination. Upon opening the door, his eye twitched—he just knew something bad was about to happen.
Notes:
Dazai and Toga dynamic can be cute too! Is it just me?
Chapter 23: Isn’t It Amazing? We Have The Same Gift.
Summary:
USJ part 1
Notes:
i have exams today, but i chose to upload a chapter instead...
... yaaaaaaaaaayyyy.... yaaay.... ya--y...
TT^TT send HELPPPPPPP!!!!
time check: 4:20AM
Still unedited.
(P.S. I know, my tenses are always a mess. I feel ashamed that all of my recent chapters were unedited. I'm sorry, but this is the busiest school year I have ever had HUHUHU!)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Ashido Mina is known in Class 1-A as your average friendly classmates who can befriend anyone in a minute. She only ranked second in befriending the ever-so-difficult to befriend, boss level, Bakugo Katsuki (but most of Class 1-A thinks that he’s pretty easy to talk to, even lightly bully). The first one being Kirishima Eijiro and the, ahem, expired one, being Midoriya Izuku – which is also kind of painfully obvious to everyone in the class.
Those two guys had a history that’s not really optimistic at all.
But enough of that. Today, Mina was worried about Daz-kun – a very endearing nickname she came up with on the spot –, a person whom she already considered a part of her friend group, in these teens term, a squad – Although, it’s still newly formed.
She approached Chuu-kun, her nickname for the readhead, to ask, only to hear him say, “Why are you asking me? Do I look like his babysitter?”
She almost said yes – but held back – upon seeing Chuu-kun growl at her in a bad mood. She wondered to herself if the lovebirds fought but kept it to herself as well. In the first place, she doesn’t really know if the two were lovebirds, she just had this hunch that the two are lovey-dovey but want to remain lowkey.
Her sixth sense is also telling her that their class representative and Class 1-B’s representative have something going on, but without any clues to connect, she brushed off the idea, thinking that it might be rude of her to assume many things without evidences.
Thus, instead of continuing to pester Chuu-kun, she decided to give Daz-kun a call after how many classes have passed without a hint of the other guy. When she heard how he overslept, she felt that the guy was quite the night owl and is probably someone who hates mornings.
In any case, she graciously informed him about their class and just as the Space Hero, Thirteen, is ending the speech. She’s about to enthusiastically call him with a wave when she saw the other instantly searched for… Chuu-kun.
Then, after seeing Chuu-kun, she felt that Daz-kun’s uptight figure loosened, as if he’s just able to relax after a stress-inducing situation.
Mina, “…” Just get a room, I beg you.
Just as she’s about to change her approach to teasing the other, she saw Daz-kun walked towards the other but stopping in the distance, only looking from afar. She glanced at Chuu-kun who had no idea about the other, and was busy having a playful banter with Midori-kun and Uraraka-kun. When she looked back at Daz-kun, for a split second, she saw the lost and empty gaze of the other person, but before she can process what it meant, Daz-kun looked at her way and cheerfully waved his hands.
“Hey~! I made it in time!” He approached her wearing his usual expression, making her wonder if she misunderstood what she saw.
Still, Mina trusted her instincts 80% of the time. Right now, she knows – Daz-kun isn’t happy. But Daz-kun doesn’t wanna show it. She respects people’s boundaries, so there’s nothing she could do other than pretend not to notice anything.
She just grinned playfully and said, “Aw shucks! I wanna surprise you but you saw me first!”
“Milady, you have such presence! There’s no way you could go unnoticed!” Dazai exaggerated, making her laugh as he continued, “So? This time’s a rescue mission?”
Mina nodded, “Yeah. It’s turned into a class with Aizawa-sensei, All Might-Sensei and Thirteen-sensei. As you can see, this place is crafted to imitate disasters. It obviously for our immersion in the rescue training. I think we’ll be grouped to different locations. I really hope I don’t get assigned somewhere I’m not good at.”
“I see. It’s another fake situation to assess our capabilities.” Dazai nodded but them his expression changed, “But Mina-chan, we really aren’t required to wear hero costumes, right? You forced me.”
Mina laughed nervously as she scratched her head, “Hahaha… I couldn’t help it! You look good in that suit and tie. I want a group photo later~! Sorry, teehee~!” she stuck out her tongue and winked, trying to get out of the awkward situation.
Dazai, “…”
“In any case, Antennae-sensei is absent today. Guess I’m not the only one who’s tardy.” He changed the subject, not wanting to know why Mina wants a photo.
“Aizawa-sensei told us something came up, so All Might-sensei would be running late.” Mina was glad that Daz-kun stop investigating her instigation and gladly embraced the abrupt topic change.
Regarding All Might’s whereabouts 10+ minutes ago, Dazai did have a clue. After all, he ran into the guy while he’s being princess-carried by Toga-chan. Although, the buff guy probably didn’t notice him since Toga-chan deliberately changed her course, as if she’s playing one-man hide-and-seek. She even celebrated when they successfully passed by All Might without him noticing anything unusual.
Touché though, since All Might looks pretty busy with his hero business.
If only Dazai knew that at the time, Toga is comparing him to a stuffed toy because of how light he was, he’d jump off her arms immediately and give her a look of disapproval.
Aizawa finally gathered everyone’s attention after Thirteen’s speech. However, just as he pointed to a certain location, electricity was suddenly cut off and a portal opened near the fountain. Dazai was the first one to recognize the portal, as he’d seen it before.
Once the portal grew as big as a human person, a familiar face – at least to Dazai – emerged. Although he had a bad premonition, he still couldn’t hide his surprise. His eyes slowly widened as soon as he saw the number of villains that had managed to infiltrate.
The villains have begun their attack.
In the other side of the class, Jouno still haven’t finished his lazy yawn when all these unexpected things happened. His lazy demeanor changed into intrigue, and he felt more awake. He thought he’d be playing childish rescue missions, who could’ve predicted such an eventful situation?
Curiosity enveloped him, wanting to see how these villains were compared to the ones he faced at Yokohama (though most of the criminals he fought were part of the most terrible ones since that’s his job as a Hunting Dog in the first place) so he doesn’t expect too much, lest he’d become bored too quickly.
“The heck?” Chuuya mumbled, wondering if this is part of the rescue skit. However, seeing Aizawa’s expression, he realized that this is the real deal. Dazai’s words about the stampede incident clicked into his brain immediately and he frowned thinking, ‘Slippery little shits.’
Aizawa was quick. He instructed the students not to separate and told Thirteen to defend the students while he focused on attacking – such a selfless and heroic thing to do.
It’s an instinct Dazai couldn’t have. Still, he knew that with Aizawa’s quirk, although it’s possible to defeat many, his stamina won’t be able to keep up, especially when his nullification quirk only works through sight, which is a double-edge sword.
Dazai concluded, ‘What a desperately stupid move, sensei. A frontal attack isn’t your forte at all.’ Though he’s pretty certain that Aizawa typically doesn’t fight this way. It’s just that Aizawa had no choice but to assume the role of a tank just to buy time for their escape.
There’s nothing to get in return. It’s loss after loss. That’s why Dazai thinks it’s stupid. It’d be better if he sent students who have offensive quirks and make them face real-life rescue scenario. Dazai admits that maybe two or five would probably die in the process and half of the class might get severely injured – but hey, they got front seat experience, didn’t they?
Most of the students thought that this is a part of the class until Aizawa finally confirmed that those are real villains – villains who had the goal to kill every person they are with. Panic set in with most of them, some anger, and others, confusion.
Why, coincidentally, during the time that they are supposed to be practicing saving lives, villains conveniently showed up, wanting to partake in their drill?
Dazai had an epiphany, he just needs a confirmation. This confirmation, he’d force it right out of these villains’ mouths.
Aizawa didn’t waste any more time, he unleashed his quirk and headed to battle alone. While Thirteen ordered them to stay back and prepare for evacuation.
Kirishima, utterly confused, asked, “Why?! A villain shouldn’t be able to enter here!”
“Sensei, what about the sensors?” Yaoyorozu asked.
While Thirteen was busy thinking, Todoroki spoke up, “Did they only appear here or around the whole school? Either way, if the sensors are not responding, that means they have someone with a quirk that can do that.”
Chuuya clicked his tongue in distaste, “Tch! Are you telling me that we just happened to be in isolated area separated from the main campus, that we just happened to have a class in this place, and that these fuckers just happened to crash this place?”
Dazai smiled as the whole class is busy talking to themselves, took out his phone and took at photo at the villains and Aizawa while they were fighting. Then, he casually sent it to Toga with the message:
[A present for you, blondie.]
He saw an immediate typing, […]
Then, a response he expected came, [Is that the Shiga-whatchamacallit dude? Whoa! I’m in! count me in! I wanna be there so bad!]
Then it was followed by, [Hey cutie hero, tell me where you are!]
[Please, please, please?]
[Hurry and tell me!]
Dazai snickered but refused to indulge her further. He turned off his phone and tucked it back in his pocket.
Away from him, Todoroki continued to speculate, “There might be some foul play somewhere. These villains, they might be fools but they’re not dumb. This surprise attack was carefully planned with some sort of goal in mind.”
Dazai chimed in merrily, “Uh… yah. To kill us,” he pointed at himself.
“You look so unbothered, kero.” Tsu couldn’t help but voice out.
“I mean, this is an opportunity! An opportunity to prove yourselves as a hero who can actually fight off villains! Don’t tell me you’re wasting the chance? Do you guys really just want to run away and let Aizawa-sensei get beaten into a pulp?” Dazai provoked, and indeed, his words messed up with their rational instinct to run away in the face of danger.
“Wait-!” Thirteen wanted to stop him, but Dazai talked over, ignoring the poor teacher who just wanted to keep the students safe.
“Why did you enroll in this class in the first place? You wanted to be the next generation’s number one hero, to be respected by all, to be looked up on, to be a symbol of peace and justice! Voila! Here’s an opening! A time to prove yourselves! Shine! Shine like the hero you want to become!” He practically gave an enthusiastic and inspiring speech, making everyone’s blood boil.
Dazai’s right. If not now, when can we become a proper hero? If not now, are we still dreaming about becoming a hero? If they ran away from here, can they still have the right to consider themselves hero candidates? It has to be now! This it their ultimate dream! They have to fight now!
Thirteen saw the changes in their eyes and felt a bad premonition. She was afraid that if this continues, she’d have to send dead bodies back to these children’s families. In a panic, she raised her voice, “STOP IT! WHATEVER YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE TO STOP IT! AS YOUR TEACHER, I FORBID YOU TO ASSIST OR YOU’LL BE IMMEDIATELY EXPELLED FROM U.A.! YOU’RE STILL TOO YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED TO FIGHT OFF THESE MANY VILLAINS!”
The desperation in Midoriya’s eyes dissipated in an instant after hearing Thirteen’s voice, ‘Right. It’s obvious that we won’t be able to help Aizawa-sensei. Instead of helping, we’d only burden him even more. What was I thinking? There’s no shortcut to being a hero! None at all!’
He faced his classmates and shouted, “Everyone! Thirteen-sensei’s right! We couldn’t burden Aizawa-sensei even more! What we urgently need to do right now is not to assist him directly, but rather indirectly! We need to call for backup!”
Thirteen nodded instantly, “That’s right! He’s right! Leave! Hurry and leave, now!” Worried that the students might change their minds, she urged them to get out of USJ, and lucky for her, they all have respect for their teachers, so even though some of them remained doubtful, as students, they instinctively followed her command.
Dazai followed with the crowd, ‘Too bad, all the provocation went to waste.’ He secretly observed at the corner of his eyes and noticed that Thirteen seems to be paying attention to him, he figured that this sensei is having doubts about his intentions.
He could only sigh in his mind, ‘Sigh… I still need to be extra careful.’
“Nice try. Could be better though.” On his blind side, he heard the white-haired dog’s voice.
Dazai smirked at him and replied carefreely, “Oh yeah? Care to demonstrate, then?”
“Only if I feel like it.” Jouno shut down the idea for the mean time.
“Bummer.” Dazai pouted upon not getting what he wanted from the other.
Just as they’re about to reach the door, a fog, similar to the portal, showed up from the ground, blocking their escape, making them stuck in the same place. Thirteen instantly walked a few more forward to protect the students.
Aizawa noticed the problem but couldn’t do anything to assist them at the moment, making him more frustrated.
The fog, with only it’s golden eye-like silhouette as an indication that it is a living being spoke, “Nice to meet you, we are the League of Villains. It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves in to the home of the heroes, the U.A. High School, in order to have All Might, the Symbol of Peace, take his last breath.”
Dazai, “…”
Finally, he pieced it all together – ‘To think I don’t even have to force it out of their mouths after all…’
Dazai’s eyes widened, his lips couldn’t help but twitch – they have a snitch. It’s someone who’s close to their class, possibly those who know their class schedule. Using the process of elimination, it could be either a corrupt faculty, or, just like them, an undercover student.
He looked at the clueless and helpless looks of despair in his classmate’s faces and felt that they were all starting to bore him, that’s until he witnessed Jouno tilting his head to the side with his fingers on his jaw as if he was thinking. After a couple of seconds, he muttered, “I see. So that’s how it is. How… pathetically predictable.”
An amused and sinister smile tugged at Dazai’s face. The dog also got it. This could keep him entertained.
Because Dazai got so busy with his thoughts, he didn’t know how the ownerless Pomeranian and spiky red hair guy suddenly started blasting and blindly attacking the fog villain.
'Wow~ was my speech really that inspiring? Maybe I should quit being a mafioso and switch to being a public speaking instead!’ Dazai wondered as he watched how the two greenhorns squirm around the fog guy.
Meanwhile, Thirteen was at the end of her wits, “Oh no! Move away, you two!”
But things didn’t go well for her. The moment she said that, purple fog trapped the whole class with the intention to teleport everyone in different places. In short, scatter them.
Dazai realized this, not wanting to get dragged away, he hurried to step out when he heard someone calling him, “Oi Dazai! Grab my hand!”
He knew that voice. He immediately turned around and it was Chuuya rushing to him, holding out his hand.
Chibi is rushing to him.
To him.
Not to the cowardly greenhead.
Not to the annoying gravity girl.
But why?
Chuuya, this guy, is too far away from him, after all, he's been deliberately avoiding Dazai. It’s more logical to go after the nearest person.
Still, Chuuya chose him.
In the spur of the moment, Dazai’s eyes shone bright. He stretched out his hand and rushed towards the other, wanting to hold him in his arms and never let go.
But then the fog disappeared along with Chuuya, the only ones remaining at the entrance is himself, Thirteen-sensei, and three other classmates – Iida, Uraraka, and Sato.
Slowly, Dazai lowered his arm, feeling… nothing. It might not be exactly nothing. It just felt empty. He always felt this way, but somehow, he felt that the emptiness this time… it’s different.
It annoyed him. So much so that he didn’t listen to Thirteen and rushed to the battlefield when Aizawa is. He pulled out his gun that he has never touched since the entrance exam and shot it directly to a villain’s right chest, making whoever it is fall down and crumple in pain, groaning loudly.
“Vermin. Stop wriggling around so much. Your life itself is already as disgusting as it can be.” Dazai pointed the gun to the person’s forehead and is about to pull the trigger when a hand held his arm and redirected it to another villain, hitting the villain’s left arm.
“What are you doing? Why are you even here?” a man’s voice sounded, laced with suspicion and worry.
The fog in Dazai’s head disappeared and his eyes cleared up.
He looked behind him and saw his eyebags-sensei instantly shielding him for defense and stepping a bit far away from the villains, “For now, let’s not talk about how you almost… in any case, I appreciate your sentiment, but I don’t need your help. Just get to safety and report to the pro-heroes.”
Aizawa glanced at the boy, but he looked so defeated upon being scolded, as if he’s saying, ‘I’m already here to help but you’re still scolding me? Do you even have a heart?’
“Sensei, don’t underestimate me too much. I’m not like your genetically gifted students. I’m an Ability User with lots of experience.” Dazai pursed his lips first before smiling… purely, like an innocent kid who smiled because he got complimented for being cute.
Aizawa was speechless. How is it that this kid can smile so lovely while also having empty eyes? Compared to the boy’s relaxed exterior, Aizawa can glimpse that this boy in front of him, is feeling deeply irritated, frustrated, and restless.
Just as they were talking, five villains with powerful quirks attacked the two at the same time. Most of their quirks were long-ranged: Earth manipulation, Fireball, vines with thorns, sharp spears, and one that can turn her hair into venomous snakes.
They attacked all at once.
‘Oh no! It’s too late!’ Because he was distracted with Dazai, he only noticed the attack once it’s already damn near them. He hurried to bury the boy with his body when the other insisted to raise his left arm.
Suddenly, neon light blue lights made up of writings circled the two, and at the tip of Dazai’s hand, Aizawa saw the light gathering, as if it was a source, and every attack that touches the light, was covered by it, as if cruelly devoured, they all disappeared in a matter of seconds.
To the five villains’ shock, the attack didn’t just fail. They felt the absence of their quirk from within.
As if…
… they suddenly became quirkless.
The strange feeling overwhelmed them. The split second of them losing their quirk changed every genetic makeup in their body, making them clutch their heads and shout in despair. They felt foreign in their own bodies, some even losing control of their limbs and falling to the ground, struggling to move.
Aizawa noticed the abnormality and felt shivers running down his spine. He looked that Dazai’s unbothered smiling face.
He was still smiling so lovingly.
Yet his eyes were crueler than before.
“Inōryoku: No Longer Human.” The boy spat words coldly.
Dazai’s big ink black eye looked at Aizawa’s frozen and cautious expression. His eyes narrowed, his lips curved upwards even more, “It’s amazing, right? We have the same gift.”
The teen’s eye crinkled close, as if he’s just casually saying that they matched shirt.
Aizawa can only swallow all of his questions.
This problem child in front of him… might be even more of a headache than he thought he’d be.
Dazai Osamu – he might as well be the death of him.
Notes:
Oh my... dazai's ability reveal also shooketh me, this lazy ass author.
Imagine, I was imagining the whole scenario in my head and then i was like, "FUCK! THAT'S SO FUCKING COOL! WRITE THAT DOWN! WRITE THAT DOWN!"
HAHAHAHA MY MOM SAID I LOOKED LIKE A LUNATIC WANTING TO EAT MY KEYBOARD LMAO
I hope you enjoyed this chapter<3
Chapter 24: You Don’t Kill Villains?
Summary:
eraserhead and dazai's lighthearted squabble...
...oh, also chuuya on the waterslide, how fun! ;'>
Notes:
Y'all I'm back TTvTT
I'm sorry for disappearing for too long. I'm trying to find a job so I can earn money and not die @v@... and also other stuff that couldn't be mentioned *fufufu*
So yeah, enjoy reading if you're still here waiting~~
Also, UNEDITED.
I plan to edit all grammar errors from Chapter 1. English is not my first language and I only write alone so it's hard to track everything.
Thanks for bearing with me<3 *bows bows bows*
Chapter Text
“It’s amazing, right? We have the same gift!”
Dazai cocked his gun once again, focusing on the two villains he just disabled, “No worries now, sensei. I’ll be finishing this. Just stay back, okay?”
Dazai pointed the gun to the two writhing villains, his eyes show no remorse, no pity, no hesitation.
Aizawa figured that Dazai would truly pull the trigger without batting an eye and kill as many people as he could. No – Aizawa is certain.
The teacher’s eyes narrowed and he held Dazai’s wrist, slightly pushing it down with an exhausted sigh, “Problem child, don’t even think about that. You don’t want to go to prison for questioning, do you?” Aizawa is trying to weigh his student’s intentions. He doesn’t believe that this student of his will kill just for the thrill of it… or will he?
Dazai raised a brow as if he realized his teacher’s intentions, “Eh? Sensei, don’t tell me you don’t kill villains? Even though you’re heroes?”
Aizawa sighed in exasperation, ‘I knew it would be like this.’ He thought weakly, even slightly frustrated as he comes to terms that there is a huge disparity in the justice system ingrained in the Ability User’s brain and Musutafu’s general way of handling conflicts such as villain attacks.
“No, we don’t. Villains kill heroes. Heroes arrest villains. That’s how things work.” Aizawa explained and prepared for battle once again since the villains are now coming back to their senses, and this time, the villains target Dazai more than him, which makes him want to complain to the higher ups to increase his pay, “Now, stay back, problem child.”
Dazai looked at him in disbelief and also criticism, his expression clearly asking, ‘That’s what you do? Lame!’
Aizawa can only sigh again and went on stance once more, “Go back to Thirteen. You’re not safe here.” He commanded. The villains began their attack and Aizawa focused on attacking while defending Dazai and the other students with Thirteen.
Dazai blinked twice and refused to go. Instead, he grabbed a pocket knife on his right hand and the gun clutched to his left, “Who do you think I am, sensei? Back in Yokohama, I’m already employed.” He grinned and joined Aizawa in the fight.
After kneeing someone’s stomach and swinging his arm to injure the villain, Dazai chuckled and said, “But sensei, heroes suck~ the police force in Yokohama is lame, but it’s definitely cooler than this.”
Obviously, Dazai meant that their police force still apply the death penalty for serial murderers – oh, even the mafia. How cool is that?
“Yes, yes. It’s cool. Watch your back.” Aizawa replied half-heartedly, switching positions to Dazai’s behind to disable the villain’s quirk and use his scarf to attack.
Dazai only stuck out his tongue, “I knew that guy was coming.”
“You—” Aizawa wanted to warn Dazai once again, but Dazai got tired of his chatter.
“I know. No killing. Fine. Jeez.” Dazai grumbled. He knew, of course. Although, the next time he’d see the slug, well, it’d probably be in jail – since the slug doesn’t know about the ‘no killing villains’ policy.
Dazai only worried about Chuuya for a split-second before getting distracted, ‘I’ll just cross the bridge when I get there.’ He half-heartedly concluded.
...
Scritch scratch…
Near the fountain, Shigaraki stood with the Nomu, his fingers almost digging his skin to scratch his neck, “Huh? Hey. I know that guy, didn’t I? Who is he again?” His red eyes focused on the bandaged guy beside the pro-hero pestering around his underlings.
Unfortunately for him, the Nomu is not answering nor moving, only standing beside him like a statue. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, kicking the Nomu’s leg in the process, “You’re really useless! Are you really a cheat?! You’re more like a bug!”
On the other side of USJ, Chuuya doesn’t have a damn clue about his location, nor does he care.
He was falling from a height, his sight looking at the top of the dome encircling the whole place. Instead of worrying about his situation, he’s occupied by his last memory before he got in this situation.
When he saw the purple fog guy, he was already wary, and it didn’t help that he’s far away from Dazai. He knew he’s still angry at the guy, but it’s also his instinct to always stand by his side, especially, the mackerel’s blind side. He knew that the jackass is always a handful, but that’s what makes him feel even more… protective and responsible, in a sense.
When the purple suddenly expanded, he had no time to think but to rush to Dazai, calling his name, “Oi Dazai! Grab my hand!” – somehow, deep inside, he had a hint of self-blame. He felt like he shouldn’t have blown up this morning, shouldn’t have avoided the guy on purpose just now either.
And his sense of guilt came heavily even more when Dazai actually stretched out his hand with the intention to grab him, but then he was covered in the fog, and before he knew it, he was falling.
Chuuya frowned upon seeing his empty hand, not noticing the greenhead freckled boy also came out of the fog portal and was also falling.
Midoriya screamed, “WAAAHHH!” Not because he’s about to fall into deep waters, but because Chuuya is about to hit a rock, “CHUUYA-SAN! ROCK! ROCK! LOOK OUT!!!”
It turns out that they are in the Shipwreck Zone.
The redhead fisted his hand and turned around and raised his fist to punch the huge rock. The feeling of annoyance somehow dissipated upon letting out his frustration on the rock.
Midoriya covered his head, taking a deep breathe, and dove into the water, hoping that the impact of the small rock particles falling from Chuuya’s punch won’t hit him underwater. But then he noticed that the rocks weren’t much of a threat compared to the underwater villains waiting for him.
Midoriya tried his best to swim above water as fast as he could, but the villains with quirks suitable and advantageous underwater made it difficult for him to surface. Just as he’s about to lose oxygen from fighting underwater, a classmate with the frog quirk came and kicked the villain with the shark quirk. Then, stuck out her long tongue to swim ashore all while carrying another classmate, Mineta.
As soon as they surfaced, they saw Chuuya standing on the water, unfazed.
Midoriya looked at Chuuya’s solemn expression and wanted to call him when Tsuyu flexed her tongue and carefully dropped him on the ship near them, “Thanks, Asui-san.” Midoriya thanked her first.
“Call me Tsu-chan.” Tsuyu replied. Afterwards, she carelessly dropped Mineta on the ship after he nuzzled his cheek at her breast and commented, “For a frog, your boobs are pretty big.”
Tsuyu climbed the ship as well and Midoriya called Chuuya, “Chuuya-san! Over here!” The person turned to look at him and jumped on the ship with the three of them.
He then asked Midoriya, “How far are we from the entrance?”
Midoriya blinked twice in confusion, so Tsuyu answered, “We’re quite far, kero.”
Her answer made Chuuya frown. He turned to leave the area but then saw people emerging from the water, “Those are also villains, right?”
Midoriya snapped out of his confusion and nodded, “Right! It seems they planned to scatter us and eliminate us in a territory that’s very suitable for their quirks.”
“It’s nasty!” Mineta crossed his arms and stomped his feet, “In any case, we can just wait for All Might-sensei! What can they do about us when we’re safe on the ship?”
Tsuyu looked at Mineta and replied non-committedly, “I admire your simple-mindedness,” then, she turned to Midoriya and said, “Still, this has turned into a bad situation, kero.”
Midoriya also nodded in disbelief, “They knew U.A.’s schedule, even when it’s supposed to be private. Looking at the picture, those guys must’ve set up the media intrusion the other day to get information. They were waiting to pounce, just as Todoroki-kun said.”
Chuuya leaned on the ship and crossed his arms, “Dazai also said that the other day. The stampede is just a front to their actual goal of infiltrating the campus. Although at that time, it’s just a theory.”
Mineta shivered at the thought that this attack is premeditated since way back and said, “But-But! It’s not like they can kill All Might! Once All Might comes, he’ll pound those guys!” he punched the air, imagining how All Might could beat them with a single punch.
Chuuya shrugged and said, “Maybe he could. But he’s not here at the moment, even if he comes, are you sure you’re still alive by then?”
Tsuyu also added her thoughts, “Since this is premeditated, don’t you think the villains are trying so hard right now, risking a lot, because they have a way to kill him? Guys that strong just told us they would torture us to death, you know.”
She paused and faced Chuuya, who looks unbothered at the situation, yet thinking deeply, as if his mind is worried about something else, not their dire situation at hand. Then, she continued, “Chuuya-chan is correct. I wonder how long can we hold out until All Might comes to our rescue… and even if All Might comes, I wonder if we will all make it out in one piece…”
Mineta finally realized their situation and rushed to Midoriya, pointing at Tsuyu and Chuuya in fear and urgency, “M-M-M-Midoriya! Wh-What the heck is that?! You don’t really think like that, right?! We’re on the ship now! The villains’ quirks are only powerful underwater! We’re safe, right?! Right?!”
Midoriya had to crush his false hope, “We might be safe, for now, Mineta-kun. It doesn’t mean that they cannot…”
As he speaks, Chuuya and Tsuyu eyed the water – there’s a movement from the villains.
“… attack the ship.” Midoriya finished.
Almost instantly, the villains all surrounded the ship and one of them controlled the water and attacked, slicing the ship in half. Slowly, they were sinking. In about a minute, they will have to fight underwater, just like the villains wanted.
The three panicked, with Mineta shouting the most, “WAAAAHHH! WE’RE GONNA DIE! WE’RE GONNA DIE! AT LEAST LET ME TOUCH YAOYOROZU-SAN’S BOOBS BEFORE I DIE!!!!” Mineta mindlessly threw his sticky balls to the water without a plan in mind.
Chuuya frowned and used his Ability to touch the three people and hops over the rock that was stuck on the tall green water slide, “Get a grip, will you? You’re not little kids anymore. Grow up.”
Midoriya clung to Chuuya for a moment to steady himself, worrying about Mineta since Tsuyu has already calmed down upon getting away from the sinking ship. Chuuya didn’t let go of Midoriya since the rock is unbalanced. Tsuyu can stick on the rock on her own and Mineta has his own sticky balls, so Chuuya only assisted the freckled boy.
Midoriya saw how the villains are avoiding Mineta’s sticky balls, cautious and careful. He realized that the villains have no clue about their quirks at all. Maybe that’s also why Tsuyu was transported in the same place with them, even though Tsuyu’s quirk is most useful underwater.
Midoriya had a plan in mind, “I have super strength, but once I used it, I’m pretty out of commission…” he mumbled to himself, unsure if he wants to go with his plan when Chuuya gently put him with Tsuyu, saying, “Then don’t use it.” He replied to Midoriya’s mutters first before continuing, “Take care of Midoriya for a moment, will you?”
Tsuyu grabbed Midoriya, looking at Chuuya in inquiry, “Kero? What are you planning, Chuuya-chan?”
Mineta also tremblingly looked at Chuuya, “That’s right! You’re very strong, aren’t you?! You’ll protect us, won’t you?!”
Midoriya felt something wrong. His guts telling him something bad will happen, “Chuuya-san…” he looked at Chuuya who is leaning down, his hand dipped in flowing water of the damaged waterslide.
The villains finally got rid of Mineta’s sticky balls and the same villain who struck the ship used the water to his advantage and was about to destroy the waterslide as well.
Mineta freaked out and Midoriya prepared his right fist to punch it back while Tsuyu crouched down, ready to pull the two away when things get too disadvantageous for them.
But just then, Chuuya flicked his arms up and the water flowing from the slide followed the gravity and the trajectory of Chuuya’s hand with too much intensity. Much like a bullet, it pierced through the villain’s quirk.
That much is enough to startle the villains, but Chuuya didn’t stop there. Ironically, the mechanism of the water flowing from the slide is connected to the deep water where the villains are swimming.
Chuuya used his ability to gather the heavy water above, forming a huge sphere, high enough to reach the top of USJ’s dome. His arm is raised, and his eyes filled with irritation, “Hurry it up, will you? I still need to get to Dazai.”
Midoriya’s gut plummeted even more and tried to reach out to Chuuya, “No! Chuuya-san, wait-!”
But Chuuya flicked his arm downward, the water sphere crashed the ground, causing a tsunami and an earthquake. Tsuyu, Mineta, and Midoriya clung to the side of the waterslide tightly so that they wouldn’t fall down.
The water couldn’t protect the villains, the impact crushed their bodies on the ground underwater, and soon, their dead bodies floated one by one on the water surface.
Chuuya scoffed lightly and turned to face the three, “I’m done. Let’s go back to the entrance.”
“WAAHHH! ARE THEY DEAD?! REALLY DEAD?!” Mineta freaked out.
“Ch-Chuuya-san… y-you… you just…” Midoriya was speechless and taken aback.
It was Tsuyu who spoke her mind, “Chuuya-chan, you killed them all…”
Chuuya put his gloved hands in his pocket and raised his brows, “Yeah. I got rid of the villains, what’s wrong?”
“Kero…” Tsuyu was also speechless.
Midoriya stood up and held both of Chuuya’s shoulders and screamed desperately, “That’s not right, Chuuya-san! You can’t just kill people!”
This time, it was Chuuya who was taken aback, “Don’t heroes kill villains?” I raised a brow in indignation.
“WE DON’T!” Mineta screamed in horror, “Am I an accomplice now?!”
Tsuyu was quiet, and Midoriya looked desperate. It feels like he failed his friend. Of course, their values and justice systems are different! He should’ve taken note of that from the beginning! He’s too stupid to let Chuuya-san handle things alone!
Chuuya was silent for a second before patting Midoriya’s head, “Hey, don’t sweat it. If things get dirty, I’ll just abide by Musutafu’s law. For now, we need to get a grip and help the others.”
Tsuyu nodded and decided not to think about this event for a while, just until they escaped this situation, “Aizawa-sensei had drawn a large number of villains to the plaza, but there are too many villains. Of course, Mr. Aizawa is trying to suppress them, but still…”
Chuuya used his Ability to help them get down to a dry ground and said, “I’ll go there and assist him. You guys need to call for outside help or get to safety.”
With that, he left the three of them without looking back.
For now, he had to make sure the mackerel isn’t being suicidal again in the middle of the fight.
...
Far from the Shipwreck Zone, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Kaminari, and Jouno were stuck in the Mountain Zone, and to Jouno, things are getting more and more…
… underwhelming.
Chapter 25: What A Terrible Person
Summary:
jouno's advice and chuuya's unfruitful hunt
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
He regretted it – if he could go back to the past, he would definitely avoid the purple fog so he won’t be stuck in the USJ’s Mountain Zone. It’s a lie to say he isn’t looking forward to how villains work in this part of society of Japan but at the same time, it was a downer for him.
If he knew that everyone aside from the fog guy and the hand guy wouldn’t be worth fighting and observing, he would definitely step out of the way and just aided Aizawa. In the first place, he should’ve been aiding Aizawa anyway.
The white-haired guy with red streaks on his hair yawned lazily at the top of the mountain rubbles, listening to the noise below him. Judging by the voices, footsteps, and movements, the people he’s been stuck with other than the villains are most likely Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Kaminari.
As for the villains, there were 27, no, 33 of them – it made Jouno scoff in disgust. That many adults going against three teenagers is too low, considering that these teens are still weaklings who haven’t experienced any hardships that can be deemed worthy – that’s at least that's what it was for Jouno.
This will be a boring fight – he thought but he opted to observe instead, since the villains doesn’t seem to notice him and were only focused on the three below.
Kaminari let out a scream before evading a sucker punch, running away from the gigantic villain with tears threatening to fall from his eyes, “Ahhh! Scary! Seriously, did you see that just now?! I saw the River Styx! No, seriously!”
Jiro had a dagger thanks to Yaoyorozu while Yaoyorozu had a metal spear, each of them defending themselves from the villains. Kaminari headed to them and positioned himself beside Jiro, who is in between Yaoyorozu and him.
He asked with a hint of panic and confusion, “What the heck is up with these guys?! What’s going on?!”
Jiro moved the tip of her ear to listen to her surroundings while replying to Kaminari, “Worry about that later!” Then, after using her quirk, she realized there was one other person with them. She looked up and saw Jouno on top of some rubble, “We could really use some help too, you know?!” she raised her voice. Yaoyorozu and Kaminari also looked up and noticed that Jouno was also with them, leisurely watching them struggle.
It isn’t quite right to say he’s watching them. It was better to say he’s observing them.
Jouno just smiled and hops down, saying, “My, my. I understand why you’re still bitter about me, but we fought fairly last time, so I suggest you stop harboring any ill intent—”
“I’m not!” Jiro blushed shamefully, realizing that her bitter feelings about the combat training against Dazai and Saigiku was still exposed just because of her manner of talking, ‘This guy, really!’ she can only complain in her heart, making Jouno snicker.
Kaminari, on the other hand, had a ray of hope and smiled. Since Jouno performed excellently in their mock battle last time, he felt safer now that Jouno is with them, “Man! Thank goodness! I thought I’m a goner!”
Yaoyorozu is more respectful among the three of them and said, “Saigiku-san, I know I’m imposing, but is it alright for you to command us? We heard that you and Suehiro-san made a deal with the principal and…”
Jiro defended Yaoyoruzu when a villain attacked before she whined, “Ugh! Can we talk about that later? So? What do you think? Care to show us a demonstration?” She cut the conversation short and looked at Jouno, obviously asking if he’s willing to train them right now.
Jouno tilted his head and thought about it, “I don’t really understand why you need a demonstration, but it’s easy to just…” He spun around and kicked a villain in the face for trying to sneak up to stab him and continued, “… do that, you know?”
The three hero students, “…” Yeah right! As if that’s easy for us!
Jouno grinned upon hearing their erratic heartbeat, “What if instead of relying on me, you start using your brains for a bit? Let me see how badly you can fail first. That might give me some inspiration.”
Kaminari and Jiro freaked out, “What a terrible person!”
But still, the three of them gathered and Kaminari realized that they might be fighting without Jouno’s help after all, so he blurted out, “Hey, I’m not about discrimination, so can y’all give me a weapon too?!”
Jiro just looked to the side and said, “You’re the electric guy, aren’t you? Just hurry up and fry them, will you?!”
Yaoyorozu also agreed with a hint of shame, “As someone who has been electrocuted by you last time, you can just go crazy, you know…?” She still has nightmares of that time when she was electrocuted by Kaminari because she couldn’t figure out Ranpo’s plans in advance.
In short, the both of them are telling him that he has no need for a weapon. Jouno’s snicker also doesn’t help him at all.
He freaked out and said, “You saw during combat training, didn’t you?! I can only cover myself with electricity! I cannot freely control who I electrocute! That’s why Edogawa-san and I are always not on the same floor whenever I use my quirk!”
He moved his hand to show his quirk and continued, “I can discharge electricity, but that doesn’t mean I can control it. I’ll hit you both! It’s like, you know… the same as Todoroki!”
Yaoyorozu interjected and said, “How about you call for help then? Is that also not plausible?”
Kaminari frowned and replied, “I already tried it many times! There’s interference jamming the signal! So, in short, well, you can’t count on me. I’m counting on you!”
Jiro was angered and screamed, “Go drop dead, you deadweight!”
Meanwhile, Jouno is having a blast, laughing so much behind the three of them.
Yaoyorozu thrusted her spear forward when a villain attacked and said to Jiro, “No good! We’re being pushed back!”
Jiro’s eyebrows twitched and she kicked Kaminari towards another villain, “Go be a human stun gun then!”
Kaminari was kicked and pushed to a villain. He screamed and hugged the villain, using his quirk to electrocute him. When he realized it, he was kind of happy, “Hey y’all! This could work! I’m strong! You can count on me after all!” He gave Jiro and Yaoyorozu a thumbs up.
Jiro snorted, “What a happy-go-lucky guy.” But then, she noticed a guy charging at Kaminari, while carrying a huge rock, planning to throw it at him. She instantly used her quirk, the flash drive on her right ear connected to her gear on they lower right leg.
Jouno instantly covered his ears and jumped up to the top of a rubble when Jiro’s attack came through, “Sound attacks really are a pain…” he grumbled but observed it either way. He noticed that the sound pattern is actually Jiro’s amplified heartbeat, which is a unique way of using soundwaves to her advantage.
Yaoyorozu created a net and threw it to the villains before throwing the long rope of the net to Kaminari’s electricity, making all the villains caught in her net also suffer being electrocuted. She then kicked a villain that was sneaking up from above and landed on the ground, finally being able to finish her creation, “Finally done. It took a while to create something so big.” Right after saying so, from her back appeared an insulation sheet, just like what she did before in their mock battle, only, it was bigger now that she included another person.
“Kaminari-san! We’re good!” She signaled, making Kaminari grin and finally discharge all of his electricity.
Jouno, on the other hand, sighed and palmed his face, his voice echoing amidst the electric zaps and the villains’ screams, “You guys haven’t forgotten the signal interference jammer, have you?!”
Jiro and Yaoyorozu froze underneath their protective sheet. They indeed forgot it. It means that overusing Kaminari’s quirk is dangerous! Not only can they not contact the outside if Kaminari is short-circuiting, they also cannot protect him while he's vulnerable.
But it was too late, the electric zaps soon ended and many villains fell. Kaminari’s brain had already short-circuited, rendering him unable to fight anymore. Jiro hurried to get out of the insulation sheet to cover for Kaminari but an electric quirk zapped her in an instant, making her kneel in pain, slowly numbing her muscles.
A villain emerged from underneath the rubbles, the one responsible for the signal interference. He was also holding a gun customized to shoot electric bullets, “I won’t do that if I were you.” He warned before telling Yaoyorozu to leave the protective shield and stand with Jiro, “You, hurry up and get over here if you don’t want your dear friend to die.”
He didn’t let Jouno off the hook either, he glared at him and ordered him to stand with the girls, threatening him with Kaminari’s life, "You too!"
Jouno raised a brow and hops down from the rubble and said, “If I say I don’t care about his life, what can you do?” Instead of walking towards the girls, he began walking towards the villain himself, “Hey, do you really think you are capable of ordering me around?”
The guy fired towards Yaoyorozu, missing only an inch, “I’m warning you! If you don’t stay still, I won’t hesitate to kill all of your comrades!”
But Jouno just chuckled, “Go ahead, be my guest.”
Yaoyorozu was shocked while Jiro felt indignant. In the end, they miscalculated and even almost brought Kaminari’s death with their own inadequate skills and planning.
The villain thought that Jouno is just bluffing, so he planned to shoot Yaoyorozu’s leg but when he pulled the trigger, the electric bullet went off but there was no bullet to be seen at all. Jouno appeared in front of the villain and walking towards to the girls while his hand lets go of the muzzle.
He also already has Kaminari on his other hand, dragging him on the ground while he’s still short-circuiting, “You know, you have good quirks, but you tend to hesitate a lot. Instead of making yourselves useful, you’re all being useless. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider your ambitions?” On his other hand, he threw the electric bullet on the ground and then tossed Kaminari on Jiro’s lap with his other hand.
“I hate doing this job, you know? I feel like my ability is being underestimated. I usually only fight strong people, not delusional villains who think they’re at the top of the food chain. This minor thing is police work, not a Hunting Dog’s job, for goodness sake.” Jouno turned to the villain who was now shouting at him and is about to use his electricity to electrocute everyone.
Jouno disappeared and reappeared near the villain’s face before the villain got punched on the face, his body flew through the rubbles and splattering on the mountain, his body still intact, but all his bones are broken. Jouno stood elegantly and flicked his gloved hand, “He doesn’t even count as a warm up.”
Jouno turned around and told the three people, “You failed spectacularly. I’ll give you that. Now if you’ll excuse me. I still want to find what that quirk knockoff is up to. I bet hearing him struggle is more entertaining that the three of you combined. Just clean up, will you?”
With that, Jouno jumped away, leaving a massive crack on the ground due to his force.
Yaoyorozu and Jiro are speechless for a few seconds before realizing… Saigiku-san probably… just killed a person.
“Wey… Wey…” Kaminari has his thumbs up and still walking aimlessly with his short-circuiting brain, unaware of what had just happened.
A while earlier, before Jouno got rid of the villain with the signal interference quirk, in the entrance were Thirteen, Iida, Uraraka, and Sato. They are facing one of the dangerous villain, Kurogiri.
When they got separated, they were still in a trance until Dazai jumped off to the plaza to aid Aizawa. Thirteen blamed herself for the letting the boy go so suddenly, but she can’t do anything at the moment now. She has to protect the remaining students behind her with all her might, while also trying her best to think of a way to inform the other pro-heroes outside USJ.
She knows that she and Aizawa alone won’t be able to handle everything.
She might die.
Aizawa might die.
But she couldn’t let the students die.
As a pro-hero, she couldn’t let the students, who are training to be heroes, be scarred for life. So, she gathers the rest behind her and prepared to use her quirk, even though her quirk isn’t really a good attack quirk, and she might be punished for using it on a living being.
She turned to Iida and said, “Class Rep, I entrust this duty to you. Run to the school and tell them about what is happening here. I don’t know if we could find the signal jammer person with all of this. Since even if Eraserhead is using his quirk left and right, it still couldn’t be found. It highly likely hid right from the start. It would be faster for you to run than for us to find that person.”
Iida doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to abandon his classmates. For him, leaving now would mean saving his own skin, and he doesn’t like that idea one bit. He feels that it’s a disgrace.
However, Sato has a different opinion, he prepared to fight, even though he is still unsure of the outcome and just told Iida to go, since it’s the best way for him and all of their classmates and teachers. Outside, there are alarms, they can signal U.A., and properly get help from pro-heroes.
There’s nothing disgraceful in that.
Uraraka also nodded and stood beside Sato, “I totally support you, Iida-kun! I can help you with my quirk if necessary! I will! So please, Class Rep, bring all the pro-heroes that can bring here!”
Even if Iida is still doubtful, he has everyone’s trust, so he began heating up his engine. Since he’s also wearing his customized hero uniform, it boosted his quirk even more.
Kurogiri doesn’t think of them highly. He only has high alert on Thirteen, so he doesn’t necessarily think that the teens can actually beat him.
He began his attack, using his fog to target the three students, but Thirteen, in front of them, stretched out a hand to use her quirk, “Black Hole!”
The fog was being sucked inside the hole in her finger suit. However, because there’s too much fog around the villain, it’s as if it’s never-ending, and the villain is almost still unscathed, since the only thing being sucked inside the Thirteen’s black hole is the fog.
Thirteen isn’t a combatant at all, so she was easily caught off guard when the villain opened a warp gate behind her, using the force of her quirk to swallow her slowly from her back, slowly turning her gear into dust.
She halted her quirk a bit too late, making her unable to fight any longer.
Iida had no choice but to run now, completely leaving the defense to Uraraka and Sato. It was a tough shot, but they are willing to try that to wait for their persecution.
A warp gate suddenly opened in front of him and because of his speed, he couldn’t stop on time. He felt helpless but then, Sato carried Uraraka and threw her towards Iida. She stretched out her hands and touched Iida, making him float and avoid the warp gate.
Uraraka crashed on the ground, but even after sustaining scratches are bruises, she put her hands together, “Release!” It made Iida swiftly go down and continue running, “Thanks, Uraraka-san!”
“Go, Iida-kun! Hurry!” She screamed.
“You impertinent-!” Kurogiri’s fog rushed towards Iida, ready to prevent him from reaching the gate.
Sato grabbed the nearest pole and hurled it at Kurogiri to prevent him from chasing, “Sugar Rush!”
Kurogiri was ticked and opened a warp gate, “Useless!” The delay made it possible for Iida to open the gates and ran out from USJ as fast as he could. Kurogiri clicked his tongue and opened another warp gate above Uraraka, the pole coming out.
Sato and Uraraka was shocked. Uraraka forgot to use her quirk due to suddenly fear of being crushed to death when a red light from the sky kicked it away, crushing it to bits, and landed on the ground, making a crater.
Uraraka’s eyes lit up, “Chuuya!”
Chuuya finally reached the entrance.
But still, Dazai wasn’t there.
Chuuya can only frown, “… That motherfucker…”
Notes:
Not Jouno tracking down Bakugo just so he can insult him like he did with Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Kaminari lmao~~ next chap's gonna be a wild ride fr fr
Chapter 26: I Can Kill This Thing, Right?
Summary:
jouno having fun, chuuya finally locating dazai
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
An explosion was heard inside a dilapidated building. It was actually at the Collapse Zone, to be exact. Inside that building, two people, a blonde guy and a redhead, are stuck together in the same floor to fight off some troublesome villains.
Compared to the other students, they seem to be having an easier time defending and attacking – more on attacking, in fact, since the blonde guy believes that offense is the best defense.
“Die!” Bakugo blasted two villains on the wall, rendering them unconscious while Kirishima used his hardening quirk to slice a villain’s weapon in half and knock them out with a nudge. Taking a breather, Bakugo asked, “Is this all of them? They’re so weak.”
Kirishima looked around and confirmed that there were no more on sight. He panted and said, “Alright. Let’s go now and save everyone! If we’re here, then everyone should be inside USJ too. I’m worried about the guys with less offensive abilities! Besides, if we didn’t make the mistake of running off earlier from the entrance, we slowed Thirteen dow--!” Kirishima’s words were cut short when they heard a terrible scream. It doesn’t sound like one of their classmates, but he and Bakugo ran towards the sound anyway for investigation and confirmation.
The two ran through the hallways and to another room. Inside the room, they saw more than five villains lined up, all of them with their guts open. Kirishima couldn’t help but cover his nose and mouth to prevent himself from vomiting. It was the first time he saw blood guts flowing out from a person’s – no – from people’s bodies.
Amidst the kneeling villains who are already dead, the last one alive is the farthest from them, holding a sword that’s not quite fitting for his build. And, in front of the person, is their classmate, Saigiku Jouno.
Jouno stood there as if he’s thinking deeply. His right palm on his chin, the other arm supports his right arm. His scabbard is empty, but he doesn’t seem to mind that his sword is on another person’s hands.
Bakugo and Kirishima watched him tilt his head and inquire to the kneeling villain, “And? Is that the best sound you can do? Your despair really isn’t that satisfying to listen to, just like the rest of your companions. Maybe it’s because I caught you so easily, that even listening to you all is like a waste of time. Well, at least you gave me something good at the last second.”
With that, Jouno slowly turned his head at the door where Kirishima and Bakugo are standing, “What great sounds you’re making.” He smiled meaningfully and inquired, “What to be a part of my entertainment…?”
It’s really such a good sound for Jouno, especially the sound that the quirk knockoff is making.
Bakugo finally stepped forward, feeling angry and annoyed, “What the fuck are you doing, you piece of shit?!”
Jouno shrugged and replied nonchalantly, “I don’t get what you mean. I’m just getting rid of villains, isn’t it heroic? I happen to be serving under a hero myself, so there’s no need to make a fuss—”
“Don’t fucking give me that crap!” Bakugo’s palm lit up sparks and he attacked Jouno, in which, Jouno raised his hand and redirected the angle to the ground, near the last surviving villain. Bakugo pulled his arm away and continued, “You think you’re heroic?! You’re just a fucking villain disguised as a hero! If I don’t fucking ensure you die, I’ll be tarnishing myself as a hero!”
Bakugo’s philosophy of ‘die’ is more of the spirit than the body. It’s his hero way of thinking, and any acts of physical murder such as this one is only a villain’s work, nothing else.
Jouno only chuckled and replied, “You’d make a terrible interrogator, you know that? In the first place, even if you conduct and investigation right now, it won’t be enough to implicate me. After all, you have no evidence that I did such a thing.”
“Their wounds are definitely caused by a sword,” Kirishima intervened and stepped forward, siding with Bakugo, “If we trace that to your sword, you’d have no way out of this, Saibro. I can’t believe you…” Kirishima cut off his words, unable to find any more words to say.
Jouno just sighed and said, “I can’t believe I have to explain everything for you. This must be what the brat from the agency feels like.” He complained for a second before saying, “I just gave them the sword, you see? Each of them cut open their guts on their own. I barely scratched them. If it bothers you guys so much, why don’t I take back my sword and you guys can examine it thoroughly?”
Bakugo and Kirishima couldn’t believe what they just heard, “What?!” Does this mean… the villains here… committed suicide?! There’s no way. How could they?
But before the both of them can ask Jouno about it, the last villain can no longer wait. He was actually almost going crazy and losing his mind while the three heroes talk. With every movement from Jouno, he was barely able to suppress his instinct to run away. The last string was when Jouno was about to take the sword away from his hands.
He still remembers earlier, when all of a sudden, the guy in red appeared out of nowhere. He and his fellow villains didn’t know how, but they knew he was with the students. They thought he was late in being transported like the rest of the kids and thought that they definitely had a chance.
But he didn’t know what happened, all of a sudden, in a blink of an eye, they were made to kneel in line and were tortured psychologically. They felt like they died a hundred times, but when they regained their senses, they were still kneeling.
Only kneeling, uninjured, unharmed.
But every inch of their bodies is screaming in terror. Their minds breaking down. And in front of them, is a monster, a person worse than a villain, smiling, relishing at the sounds of their suffering and despair.
So, the person in red finally unsheathed his sword. But instead of cutting them, he threw it on the ground and said, “Why don’t we play a game? If you can grab the sword before I count to three, I will free you of your torment. However, the price is that you have to cut your stomach open. If you resist, I will continue the torture.”
The person who’s supposed to be on the hero side let out and eerie smile, and uncanny expression of bliss, “I happen to be an expert of that. It’s just that I couldn’t help it. Whenever I hear those hearts beating frantically, I feel so soothed and ahh…~ It’s just so beautiful, don’t you think so?”
And just as Jouno deduced, every time he started counting to three, each of the villains are scrambling to grab his sword and with a resolve that bordered on madness, began gutting themselves with a liberated smile.
Now, it was only the last guy left – he’s the most cowardly out of his crew, so he was the last one. He screamed until his throat was raw – to him, it’s now or never. He raised the sword and before Bakugo and Kirishima understood what was happening, he sliced his stomach open using Jouno’s sword, almost cutting himself in half.
Kirishima and Bakugo witnessed the truth – the villain did commit suicide using Jouno’s sword.
Kirishima was confused. Are the villains here really that suicidal? Would they really kill themselves using Saibro’s sword so they can take Saibro down with them? Is that really all there is to it?
Jouno grinned at the sudden change of heartbeat and leaned down to grab his sword, slashing the air to rid of the blood, “Well, that’s unfortunate. We could’ve used him to cough up their plans entirely, jeez…”
Meanwhile, Bakugo can barely suppress his rage. He screamed and grabbed Jouno’s collar, “YOU! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO THEM?! DO YOU THINK I WILL FUCKING BELIEVE YOU?! I’LL FUCKING MURDER YOU!”
“Wanna try?” Jouno taunted, making Bakugo prepare his free hand to blast him off.
“Bakubro, don’t--!” Kirishima tried to stop the two but it was too late. Jouno flicked Bakugo’s wrist to free his collar and the two jumped on the opposite sides, instantly making a stance, rushing towards each other with bloodlust.
The moment the two reached their nearest point, Kirishima prepared his stance as well, hardening his body to the fullest of his capabilities, intending to get in between the two to block their attacks, no matter how much he would get injured.
But in the next second, Bakugo and Jouno stepped over each other and targeted free areas. Bakugo used his explosion on the air and it seemed like his hand is holding something and plunging it to the ground.
Jouno, on the other hand, used his sword and sliced vertically, lower, as if that’s his original target to begin with.
Kirishima saw it once the quirk of the villains wore off. There were two chameleon-like villains lying in wait. One was knocked out by Bakubro and the other was cut through the ankles by Saibro’s sword.
Bakugo’s earlier outbursts ended, but when he turned around, he’s still glaring at Jouno. Jouno slashed the air with his sword to rid of the blood before sheathing the blade back. He turned around with a smile and said, “How about this? I won’t prevent you from reporting this incident to Aizawa or even the police. It’s a good deal for you, isn’t it? After all, you’re quite the pathetic person I’ve ever met. Killing is a no-go, but abuse is fine, isn’t it?”
With that, Jouno turned to walk away and continued, “In any case, I have already made an insurance with the principal. Try as you might, I’ll be getting out of jail in no time. Best of luck, hm?”
Jouno’s words made the blonde freeze. He may not be as intelligent as the other, but he’s not dumb. He knows what the other person was implying. He doesn’t know how Jouno got ahold of that information, but he knew that Jouno is definitely talking about… his middle school with Deku.
Bakugo punched the wall in fury and told Kirishima, “Oi, spiky! I’m gonna fucking go and kill that warp gate. That gate bastard is the enemy’s way in and out. I’m gonna cut off their getaway route for when the time comes. It’s not like we don’t have a way to fight the fog.”
He faced Kirishima properly and lifted his chin, “You coming?”
The redhead was shocked and stoked. He can’t believe that it was Bakubro who’s initiating a duo, “The hell, bro? Of course!” He smiled and the two walked the hallways while Kirishima continued, “Anyway, were you always so calm and rational? I thought you were more like…”
Kirishima’s thoughts are almost spelled out that Bakugo is always yelling, ‘Die! Die! Die!’ 24/7.
Kirishima just waved it off and grinned, “Saibro must’ve rubbed off on ‘ya, huh?” Unfortunately, his comment isn’t accepted well by Bakugo and we retorted, “Huh?! Don’t lump me in with that blind fuck! I’m always calm and rational, you spiky-haired punk!”
Earlier before Bakugo and Kirishima finished everything in the Collapse Zone, Midoriya, Mineta, and Asui finally made it to the plaza. They still have no idea what’s going on with Thirteen, but for now, their plan was to observe the situation at the plaza and then to assist in whichever way they can.
Only, Mineta only agreed on the first part of the plan, which is to observe.
As they peek from a distance, they saw many villains already down and captured by Eraserhead. However, they can also see him panting, clearly, signs of exhaustion are very evident.
Midoriya heard gunshots and groans. When he turned his head, he saw Dazai who’s also already sweating while taking down villains. Thankfully, Dazai isn’t killing anyone. Midoriya knew that he must’ve been told by Eraserhead in advance.
But the situation isn’t going well.
There are just too many villains in the plaza.
Dazai clicked his tongue when he tried to fire once again, only to find out he already ran out of bullets, “Tsk! Well, sensei, isn’t our backups supposed to be here already? Or are we now just a throw-away pawns?” He still grinned before barely dodging a kick and slashing the ankle of the villain who tried to kick him using his pocket knife.
Suddenly, the hand guy who was just standing and observing finally stepped forward – one step, two steps… he began to run, clearly a sign of attack.
His target is the one he already figured out – Eraserhead.
He counted as he ran and with it, Aizawa defended himself using his capture scarf and went in for an attack.
Dazai sensed something bad and turned back, “No! Sensei, step back!” But it was too late, Aizawa’s attack was blocked by Shigaraki, his bare hand holding Aizawa’s elbow in place.
Dazai is too far from Aizawa and can’t rush to his aid, so he can only say, “Don’t disable your quirk!”
Earaserhead realized the danger of disabling his quirk with Dazai’s warning even though he has no clue of the hand villain’s quirk. The only problem is that he’s stuck in this position and couldn’t step back.
He has used his quirk for more than 2 minutes now, which is also equivalent to not blinking, having dry eyes, painful and already on the verge of blindness.
In the end, he gambled and blinked once to be able to continue using his quirk. However, that was enough time for Shigaraki to use his quirk and by the time Aizawa opened his eyes to disable Shigaraki’s quirk and create distance, the skin on his right elbow has already rotted, his muscle exposed.
Dazai’s eyes widened and concluded that the situation just turned for the worse.
Shigaraki let out a laugh and said, “I got it now. It was difficult at first, but after observing for a while, I don’t have to detect your eyes in the first place. I just need to count the seconds when you can use your quirk fully. And what I found is interesting – the space between has gotten shorter and shorter. Don’t push yourself, Eraserhead. This kind of battlefield doesn’t suit you anyway.”
Aizawa has no time to think about his elbow. He was attacked by many villains afterwards, taking advantage of his weakened state. It left Aizawa with no choice but to keep on dodging first to collect his thoughts.
Midoriya saw what was happening and doesn’t know what to do. Should he jump in? Should he offer help? But he can only basically attack once and everything is over for him. He would be a liability instead. Can he really risk it?
Shigaraki enjoyed the scene and spread out his hands while watching Eraserhead do his best to attack and defend, “Even though knowing that you’re not good at frontal attack, you still did it anyway. Was that to put your students at ease? How cool… You’re so cool…~”
Before he can continue, something glinted from the side and before he can dodge, he was stabbed from the side and a bandaged hand grabbed his neck, “Tough luck, huh? It must suck for you now. As long as I keep you on my hold, you’re not going anywhere.”
It was Dazai, who’s left hand is wrapped around Shigaraki’s neck and right hand holding his pocket knife stabbed on the side of Shigaraki’s stomach.
Shigaraki was caught off guard, and the pain of the stab wound made him scream and thrash in pain. Not only that, Dazai’s nullification ability made him panic, “AHHHHHHH!!!! KUROGIRI!!!! KUROGIRI!!!”
It was much like a child’s tantrum.
It shocked both Dazai and Aizawa.
But Dazai can analyze things, he felt danger and looked at Aizawa’s way, “Sensei, behind you!”
“What?!” Aizawa turned around and quickly activated his quirk, but even so, he was attacked.
Over and over and over.
It even stilled Dazai for a split second.
“Aizawa-sensei…” Midoriya saw the desperation of the situation and froze on his place. His eyes wide with fear and something else he couldn’t name.
Somebody tell him… what can he do…?
Dazai rationalized things and saw a bright red light from above, crashing on USJ’s entrance.
Chuuya’s back.
As if it was on cue, Dazai pulled the pocket knife from Shigaraki’s stomach and gently let him lean on the fountain while he is still wracking in sobs and confusion, “Take a rest for a minute.” He whispered before looking straight ahead and rushing to assist Aizawa.
At the entrance, Chuuya was given a quick assessment of what had occurred: First, Thirteen was now out of commission. Second, Iida has managed to go out and inform the outside. Third, they have to somehow get rid of the purple fog guy.
Chuuya assisted Ochaco from the ground, helping her to stand up, saying, “I get the gist of the situation. Listen up, Ochaco. Unfortunately, my arms are very much tired right now. Since we almost have the same gravity power, I’ll instruct you from behind. I know you’d understand the difficulty of using gravity to control water. My muscles were torn, and some of my blood vessels popped open.”
Ochaco eyes widened in horror, she couldn’t see what’s beneath Chuuya’s long sleeves, but she didn’t waste any more time, “Alright, Chuuya. What do you need me to do?”
Sato took care of Thirteen, putting her on the side and guarding her while Chuuya and Uraraka went to the front row.
Chuuya put his hands in his pant pockets and said, “I’ll block of his routes. Use your quirk to throw him high up and don’t disable it at all.”
“What?!” Uraraka freaked out,” But he’s all fog! I can’t even touch him at all!”
“You can.” Chuuya insisted, “If there’s one thing I learned in this hero society, it’s that quirks are genetic. Do you understand it now?”
Uraraka was enlightened, ‘Right. Genetic. Genes. That means… this fog also has a main body!’
Kurogiri was thinking of ways to warp everyone again but before he can finalize his plan, he heard Shigaraki calling his name. Anxious to aid him, he began attacking instinctively and randomly.
“Go, Ochaco!” Chuuya signaled and used his legs to crumble the ground and create huge chunks of rocks to attack the fog and prevent it from touching himself, Ochaco, Sata and Thirteen.
Uraraka ran forward on signal, completely trusting Chuuya for her defense. She looked closely at the fog person and one thing definitely stood out – the silver thingy that was always there since the fog guy appeared.
She doesn’t know if it’s just an accessory or if it is connected to the body, but she can’t miss the chance Chuuya gave her, so she stretched out her hands and grabbed it, throwing it up up and away, not releasing her control just like Chuuya told her.
But Kurogiri is desperate, so the moment his fog can reach a tree bark, he stretched it and warped himself, completely escaping from Uraraka’s grasp.
“Ugh-!” Uraraka tumbled and panted, “He escaped!”
Chuuya disabled his ability and the rocks fell one by one. He sighed and said, “Forget it. Since Iida has already escaped, we can leave that fog guy to those heroes you all talk about.”
He turned to Ochaco and the rest and asked, “For now, tell me. Have you seen Dazai?”
Uraraka blinked twice and shook her head, “No. I was too focused on the villain, I didn’t even notice him…”
Chuuya looked at Sato but Sato only shook his head as well, “I’m sorry. I was also the same.”
But then, Thirteen moved her arms and tried to point at somewhere, “H-He’s over… over there… I couldn’t stop him… and he went… to… t-the plaza…”
“The plaza?! That’s where the villains gathered the most!” Uraraka screamed in terror.
Chuuya rushed to the end of the entrance and got a full view of the plaza. Uraraka followed and they were both taken aback. Uraraka even gasped and covered her mouth, her tears threatening to fall.
The plaza was a mess.
Midoriya was there with Asui and Mineta. Mineta was holding the severely injured and unconscious Aizawa and threw a bunch of sticky balls on the ground, his head even bleeding. Asui was also already full of injuries fighting the villains on the ground, unable to use her quirk to the fullest. Midoriya is upfront of the defense, four of his fingers from his right hand is already broken.
While Uraraka was focused on them, Chuuya looked around, searching for one figure – just one figure.
He saw the hand guy sitting beside the fountain, groaning and thrashing about, saw that the fog guy came immediately to protect him.
He saw several villain lackeys focusing on Midoriya and the rest.
He saw a being – huge and also humanoid – standing up, its back facing Chuuya.
Still, there was no Dazai.
Just as Chuuya is almost at his wits end, the huge villain turned around. And there, wrapped in its right hand is Dazai…
… bleeding, quiet, and unconscious.
Chuuya saw red.
Everything went red.
He used his ability and jumped off, “Inōryoku: For The Tainted Sorrow.”
Landing perfectly in front of the villain who has Dazai in his hand, creating a massive earthquke inside USJ. He stood up and his hands fisted, forgetting the ruptured muscles and blood vessels.
Just in time, Bakugo and Kirishima, as well as Todoroki arrived at the scene with confused looks on their faces.
Chuuya just inquired. It doesn’t matter who. But he just inquired, “Hey. I can kill this thing, right?”
His every word oozes with bloodlust.
Notes:
redbun2x: AAAAAHHHHH!!!! CHUUYAAA HABIBI<3 I WUV U SO MUCHHHHHH<3
Dazai: ... Ha. Ha. :)
redbun2x: ... don't worry, I promise I'll take good care of u in the next chapters *kiss kiss*
Dazai: ......
Jouno: The tea is quite good today~ *snickers*
Chapter 27: Conflict After Conflict
Summary:
end of USJ arc
Notes:
Still UNEDITED. I am editing spelling and grammar errors from Chapter 1.
English isn't my first language, but I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
In the plaza, as Midoriya stood there with his battered fingers, he looked at Chuuya, unable to answer his question.
Kill? Should they really kill that Nomu…?
Midoriya vividly remembered how the situation happened. He was watching hidden on the side with Asui and Mineta, trembling in fear and an unwanted anger as they watch how Eraserhead is getting pummeled on the ground by the strange giant villain.
Midoriya can’t even identify if that’s still a human being.
Eraserhead tried his best to fight it off, but even of he’s using his erasure quirk, the villain just isn’t flinching at all. Then, he saw Dazai-san let go of the hand villain, and with only a pocket knife in hand, he rushed to the giant villain.
Dazai-san slashed the wrist of the hand that’s grabbing Eraserhead’s hair and while the villain was still recovering from that injury, he touched the villain to disable his quirk.
Midoriya knew – it should’ve been over. But somehow, he saw that Dazai-san’s facial expression changed and the villain’s other hand swung over to Dazai’s side flinging him to a bench, destroying it in the process.
Dazai coughed out blood and stood back up immediately. He wiped the blood from his mouth and said, “Unbelievable. Can that thing even be called a person? It doesn’t have only one quirk source. It has a lot of sources, which is definitely not normal since it’s supposed to be under one person’s genes… unless…”
Dazai couldn’t help but chuckle darkly, his hand clenching his pocket knife, “… It’s hard not to kill after all. I might die before I can subdue that monster.”
Midoriya heard everything. Every bit of Dazai-san’s words echoed in his mind, ‘Dazai-san knew he’s no match at all? Then what are we supposed to do?! Should we really just wait for the pro-heroes?! Aizawa-sensei might die!’
Just as Midoriya was devastated, Dazai cracked his neck and sighed, “Oh well. This is such a nasty way to die, but I guess it’d have to do.” He then turned his head towards Deku, obviously knowing that they were watching and gave the freckled boy and unnerving smile, “Collect my body afterwards and send it back to Yokohama, will you? Absolutely never give it to the slug!”
With that, he rushed back to the mutant villain while defending himself from other villains. Dazai stole the villain’s attention from Aizawa and began avoiding the villain’s physical attacks. He knew that the villain has more than one quirk up in his sleeve, but he’s still thinking of ways on how to disable it.
However, because he was out of bullets, not only that, he also he also couldn’t bring his hand grenades in school, all he has right now is a small pocket knife – which doesn’t do much of a damage, considering on of the mutant villain’s quirk is regeneration.
Midoriya couldn’t stand by anymore. Dazai-san has already lured the villain away from Aizawa-sensei. But the other villains are now targeting Eraserhead even though he’s already barely conscious.
“I can’t wait any longer! I’ve got to do something!” Midoriya finally decided and rushed forward. He readied his hands and finally flicked his finger, using his quirk in the process to drive away the villains that are swarming Eraserhead.
“Dazai-san! I’m not running away after all! I’m gonna cover for both you and Aizawa-sensei!” Midoriya screamed at the top of his lungs. He knows he can’t do much. He knows he is not as experienced, professional, tactical, and strong as Eraserhead, who is an underground hero, and Dazai-san, who is a member of the Night Wardens.
Even so… even so, he can’t just watch idly by and do nothing!
Asui felt compelled to assist Midoriya as well so she roughly grabbed Mineta by the collar and said, “On your feet, Mineta-chan, we’re helping!” With that, she hopped off the ground while Mineta was crying why he should be involved.
When the two reached Midoriya, Mineta took charge of guarding Eraserhead and began throwing his sticky balls, saying, “Just so you know… If I don’t make it out of here alive… I’m gonna come back as a ghost villain and haunt you both!”
Midoriya forced a determined smile despite the pain from his fingers as he faced the villains coming at them, “In that case, you don’t have to worry about that…”
Asui also walked to the front, fully defending Mineta while Midoriya is at the very front of the three, “… we’d be goners first before you, kero!”
Dazai jumped backwards to evade another punch but the force pushed him back, making him tumble. He looked at Deku and smirked at the situation.
Then, Kurogiri appeared beside Shigaraki, who’s still throwing tantrums due to his stab wound, and oversaw the situation. His eyes narrowed and said, “Do you really think that you can defeat that Nomu with just a pocket knife?”
Dazai glanced at Kurogiri for a split second and said, “I see, a Nomu huh?”
“KUROGIRI!” Shigaraki shrieked in anger and pain, “Did you finish Thirteen?!”
Kurogiri shook his head and replied that Thirteen was out of action, but there were students he couldn’t disperse in time, and one of them managed to get out. In other words, it’s game over for them. Shigaraki is already pissed that he was injured, now, knowing that Kurogiri failed to not only kill Thirteen but also even failed to keep the students isolated inside USJ, he wanted to scream and kill right this instant.
“Kurogiri… you…! If you weren’t a warp gate, I would’ve crushed you to pieces…!” He reprimanded while scratching his neck, as if he wanted Dazai’s ghostly touch to leave him completely.
Shigaraki managed to calm down while pressing on his stomach wound, “We can’t win against dozens of pros… it’s game over. Man, it’s game over this time. Let’s go home?”
Mineta heard him and was glad, truly glad. At least, right now, they’re safe. He even wanted to drop Aizawa on the ground to rush at Asui for a congratulatory boob hug.
Meanwhile, Midoriya was confused. That’s it? Will the villains really just leave them alone just like that? After all their efforts to break into U.A.? Are they that confident even after knowing that U.A. will probably tighten their security after this incident? It seems fishy to him, especially considering that the villains are here to kill All Might.
Dazai’s eyes narrowed upon hearing Shigaraki’s words. Leaving? No. He won’t allow them to leave just like that. So discreetly, Dazai moved and kicked a small stone to the Nomu. The Nomu essentially instantly detects bloodlust, so upon feeling Dazai’s bloodlust targeting itself, it let out a roar.
Dazai hid his grin and just as he planned, Shigaraki took notice of him. Shigaraki recalled how he stabbed him in the stomach, and even now, it fucking hurt like a bitch. So, he laughed manically and made a scope with his hand on his eye, zeroing on Dazai’s tired figure, “Oh yeah, before we leave, let’s smash some of his pride as the Symbol of Peace. Starting from that prick. Go, Nomu!”
The Nomu began to charge at Dazai with speed and power, making Dazai unable to fight back and only evade and block. But soon, his latest block broke the blade of his pocket knife, making him clench his teeth.Kurogiri used his fog and from Dazai’s back suddenly appeared Shigaraki, holding a dagger from one of his fallen villain lackeys and stabbed the side of Dazai’s stomach, at the same location where Dazai had stabbed him before.
It made Dazai cough out blood and fall to the ground.
Shigaraki grinned before evading, entering Kurogiri’s warp gate, leaving Dazai to the Nomu who gave him an upward kick and caught his body with its hand, it’s nails digging on his stomach and ribcage, making him groan in pain.
Midoriya was frozen at first before pointing his fist to the Nomu’s direction, wanting to help Dazai, but then a warp gate appeared in front of him, and he saw that Kurogiri is on to them as well, ‘Damn it!'
Dazai was thrown down to the ground, crushing the cement below.
He was unmoving, his eyes dilating. Then a shadow covered his face before the Nomu’s hand grabbed his shoulders and head with its single large hand and raised his up like a toy.
“Dazai-san!” Midoriya screamed, as if he’s begging for something, for someone.
Then, out of the blue, something fell from above, crushing the ground from all over the plaza, causing a massive vibration, an earthquake. The smoke made it difficult for Midoriya to see anything.
When the smoke cleared up, he heard a voice, “Hey, I can kill this thing, right?”
There, in the core of the debris, there stood Chuuya, glowing red, his anger palpable, his state unreadable.
One thing is for certain.
Chuuya is not messing around.
He wants to kill the Nomu.
No one answered Chuuya for seconds now, so Chuuya repeated, his voice louder and impatient, “I CAN KILL THIS MOTHERFUKER, RIGHT?”
Bakugo, who just arrived at the scene with Kirishima, was also shocked to see Eraserhead’s state and the Nomu holding Dazai like that.
Shigaraki scoffed, “Do you think you can kill Nomu, an artificial villain specially and scientifically made to combat All Might at his 100%? You must be dreaming.” Then, he turned to Kurogiri and said, “We’re done here. Nomu, finish them.”
The Nomu turned to Chuuya and raised its other hand to punch.
“Chuuya-san!” Midoriya rushed to Chuuya, ready to warn him about the villain’s unusual quirks but Kurogiri suddenly appeared in front of him, wanting to make him another hostage besides Dazai, ‘Oh no! I fell for their trap!’
“Move, you fucking nerd! Die!” An explosion suddenly blew up and it targeted Kurogiri from behind. Bakugo trapped him by holding him down from his metal armor.
“Kacchan!” Midoriya was surprised at Kacchan’s arrival and when he turned to Chuuya, the guy is returning the punch with his kick and it’s a stalemate. Kirishima jumped forward and used his hardened arms to break the villain’s hand that was punching Chuuya but he was shocked to see that it barely had any effect at all.
“What the-?!” Moreover, he was almost kicked by the villain if not for Chuuya pushing him away and receiving the kick with a punch. Kirishima shook his head and freaked, “What was that?!”
Asui commented, “It’s shock absorption. They call that thing a Nomu. It has many quirks such as shock absorption, enhanced strength, enhanced speed, and regeneration. That’s why Aizawa-sensei’s erasure quirk and Dazai-chan’s seemingly nullification ability isn’t working.”
Chuuya clenched his fists, “I don’t care about any of that. You need to fucking let go of the mackerel right now.”
The whole USJ suddenly vibrated with Chuuya’s Ability and bloodlust. The Nomu went wild and attacked Chuuya. It punched the ground but Chuuya jumped and landed on its large hand. He ran on his arm to deliver a punch on the face.
The Nomu absorbed the shock but it was still pushed back and Chuuya floated above with a massive cone shaped ground floating under his feet, he gathered momentum and rushed down, delivering a blow to the Nomu, burying half of its body underground as if using the cone shaped-ground he manipulated like a nail in a wood.
The Nomu’s hand was slightly aboveground, and Dazai is still unmoving, his head to his upper chest wrapped inside the Nomu’s fingers.
Chuuya stepped closer and used both hands to pry open the mutant villain’s index finger and thumb. Because his arms are tired and hurt, it took more effort to open its fingers. And when he did manage to do so, he saw Dazai unconscious. The mackerel’s forehead is bleeding, his bandages already too red from his blood.
Chuuya’s face fell. His hands hovered from Dazai’s cheeks, afraid to touch him, afraid he might accidentally hurt the boy. He even gasped quietly, in fear of startling his partner. He didn’t notice it himself, but his lips are slightly shaking, his fingertips are also slightly trembling.
Yes, Chuuya’s heart is aching.
Slowly, Dazai’s eyes opened. It made Chuuya’s heart skip a beat. He took a careful breath, his hands still hovering on Dazai’s cheeks, “D-Dazai… are… are you okay…? H-Hold on… I’ll get you out of there… just… hang on…”
Chuuya didn’t notice, but his voice is softer, lighter, gentler, and full of worry.
On the other hand, when Dazai’s eyes cracked open, he not only saw the bright blinding light. He blinked once, twice – then squinted up at Chuuya.
His face twisted.
"Ugh, a fucking slug just as soon as I wake up. Can you not disturb me from my endless slumber? Can't you see I'm busy getting smothered by aggressive love from this thing? So, if I may?" Dazai stretched his arm and pulled the index finger back to cover his face.
Chuuya almost lost it and stretched the Nomu's finger open again, "You motherfucking suicide maniac! Get outta there this instant!"
“Nuh-uh!” Dazai complained, “Maybe have a brain and think for once? After all, living things die without using their brains. Who knows, you might die tomorrow!”
“What the fuck did you say, asshole! I’m here to fucking save your ass, and this is what I get?!” Chuuya was fuming. He never should’ve felt bad for this freak! Now he’s looking like a total moron!
Yeah! He should’ve just let Dazai die alone, for all he cares!
Everyone was speechless as the two bicker like they aren’t in a middle of a fight. It’s more like… they’re inside a house, bickering like an old married couple.
Suddenly, Dazai’s expression changed as he pushed Chuuya away, “Look out!” He shouted just before a spear appeared from below, it supposed to pierce Chuuya from behind, but since Dazai pushed him away, it went straight to Dazai’s abdomen, “Argh! Fuck! It fucking hurts!” He cursed before pulling it out.
It was Shigaraki. He grabbed a villain’s spear and used Kurogiri’s warp gate. He threw the spear inside, and another warp gate opened behind Chuuya.
Moreover, the Nomu didn’t get buried underground. It was Kurogiri’s doing. He opened a warp gate before Chuuya could bury it alive.
Dazai couldn’t help but chide Chuuya, “What a trashy prince you are. Waking up sleeping beauty even before the chaos ends… guhhh!” He groaned when the Nomu’s grip tightened, and everyone can hear his bone slowly cracking.
“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Chuuya was even more pissed. But now, he knew what he had to do.
Dazai had spilled the beans to him loud and clear. He doesn’t need to use his Corruption after all…
“Maybe have a brain and think for once? After all, living things die without using their brains. Who knows, you might die tomorrow!”
He has to target the Nomu’s brain and destroy it. That’ll kill it for sure. Dazai was never wrong. Only… Chuuya couldn’t help but worry about Dazai. He wants to make sure Dazai was out of the Nomu’s grasp first, but the freak definitely doesn’t want to leave that ‘smothering love’.
Chuuya charged forward once again and this time, he heard an unfamiliar voice from behind, “Nakahara, jump on!”
Cold air rushed to his veins and the moment his jumped up, ice showed on the sole of his feet and maneuvered his way to the Nomu. Somehow, Chuuya felt like he’s riding his bike.
It was Todoroki, carefully assessing where Chuuya should safely go to approach the Nomu.
Chuuya rode the ice and when he was close enough to the face, he cracked them and used his ability to kick the ice shards forward. They stabbed through the Nomu’s tough skin, but soon they were bounced back.
Shigaraki let out a victory smile, “Heh. Do you think you can defeat Nomu just like that? You’re not All Might. Stop dreaming.”
“Stop chirping around, villain.” Todoroki said and suddenly, his ice climbed up to the Nomu.
“What?! Is the attack earlier just a fluke?!” Shigaraki freaked out. Suddenly, he eerily calmed down and said, “Whatever. Nomu.”
The Nomu forced himself to move through the ice, crushing half of its body to ice pieces, even so, it’s still moving, preparing to regenerate.
Todoroki was shocked, his eyed widened as he watched the Nomu’s muscles slowly forms back. It made Shigaraki’s eyes show a hint of amusement, “Again, Nomu was modified to take All Might at his 100%. Do you really think a mere child play can kill it?”
Dazai was freed when the hand that was holding him was frozen and broken. He stood up difficultly and wiped the blood off his chin from his mouth as he laughs, “Of course it’s enough. After all, you didn’t even think about Chuuya just now, did you?”
Dazai pointed above and Shigaraki looked up, alarmed while Dazai rolls his arm and massages his stiff shoulder while still holding the spear that was thrown at him earlier. Chuuya is floating upside down at the uppermost dome of USJ. He bent his knees and kicked to gain momentum, falling down with increasing speed, “Come, Dazai!” He stretched out his hand.
“He’s all yours, Chuuya!” Dazai replied and threw the spear upward. Chuuya grabbed in and spun around, so fast that when he landed on the Nomu’s brain, it’s like a drill, making the Nomu, who’s still regenerating, spin around like a ragdoll, and by the end Chuuya hops down the ground beside Dazai, the Nomu was there, still incomplete, the spear fully drilled inside its brain, through its neck, poking out its stomach.
It was dead.
Shigaraki couldn’t believe it. It was Nomu. It was THE NOMU! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DEFEAT ALL MIGHT! ALL MIGHT!!!
Jouno was standing atop of a building, far from the plaza, observing the outcome of the battle. Behind him are the fallen dead and mentally tortured villains. He got the information he wanted, so he’s no longer interested in any fighting.
“Are you sure you don’t need me there? I can help you.” A voice sounded from the phone he is holding on his lowered hand. It wasn’t on loud speaker, but he can hear Tecchou’s voice loud and clear. Jouno received a call from Tecchou exactly when Iida rushed to the campus, screaming on repeat, “Please! Call pro-heroes for help! Send them to USJ! Hurry!”
Jouno answered, “I told you, no need. I don’t need your help.” If he could, he would roll his eyes after hearing Tecchou inquire for the umpteenth time. He picked up some sounds from his ears and added, “Besides, the help is already here. Our class rep sure worked hard.”
“You are cheating… you’re all cheating… you’re cheating me!” Shigaraki screamed before rushing towards the nearest person to him – Midoriya.
“I’M TAKING YOU DOWN WITH ME!” He stretched out his hand, prepared to go in for the kill, making Midoriya frozen in his place, because if he back out now, behind him is Asui. He can’t evade, yet he can no longer attack.
Kurogiri was the first one to regain his senses, “No good!” He used his warp to catch Bakugo off-guard and when Bakugo accidentally let go, he rushed to Shigaraki.
However, a bullet pierced Shigaraki’s hand and another two gunshots were heard, hitting two more villain lackeys who were also caught off guard.
When they looked at the entrance, they saw that Iida has returned. Not only has he returned, but he has also brought as many pro-heroes as he could.
Suddenly, the tightness and heaviness in the hearts of Class 1-A disappeared.
They’re finally safe.
The villain lackeys have nowhere to run to, so they began to target the pro-heroes instead of the students, but they were met with Present Mic’s sound attack.
Even though Jouno was far away, he didn’t predict that it was a sound attack, and flinched. He dropped the phone and his ear drums began to bleed in an instant, “Tch! What luck…” He mumbled. It was ironic. He didn’t get hurt from the enemy, but got hurt from his supposed teammate instead.
“What’s wrong?” Tecchou asked on the phone.
“You annoy me, so can you quiet down?” Jouno shushed him while wiping his ears clean with a handkerchief.
The principal ordered the pro-heroes to split up to protect and gather the students back together, thus, they pro-heroes didn’t waste any time and assisted.
Kurogiri rushed to block more bullets from hitting Shigaraki. He used his fog, but some bullets from the pro-hero Snipe still managed to hit him.
Dazai’s eyes narrowed and he discreetly stepped into Kurogiri’s fog, of course, while avoid the fog itself, since he’d just disable it with his Ability. Chuuya noticed it, but he was only worried for a moment, since he knew that Dazai must be planning something again.
And he was.
Kurogiri was surprised and when he saw Dazai there and blocking the bullets that’s supposed to hit Shigaraki in fatal areas. Since Snipe’s projectiles are a part of his quirk and he also uses a pair of modified guns just for his quirk, Dazai can surprisingly nullify them.
Another thing to note for himself.
He turned to Kurogiri and said, “Pretend to use me as hostage and get Shigaraki out of here.”
Kurogiri is doubtful, so he hesitated for a split second, asking, “Why?”
Dazai just smiled darkly, his eyes turning hollow and pitch black, “Because it’s fun. I look forward to the next time, so I have to get you out. Consider this a payment since you didn’t kill me back then.”
Of course it wasn’t a payment at all.
But Dazai doesn’t mind that they think that way.
Shigaraki, while clutching his wounded left leg in pain, finally realized where he met the bandaged person, “It’s you…! From the fucking Night Wardens… Dazai… it’s you!!!” He groaned and Kurogiri and was determined to get Shigaraki away already.
Dazai saw his determination and with the next bullet being fired, he screamed even though it didn’t hit him, and that’s when Kurogiri revealed Dazai inside his fog, placed in front of Shigaraki.
It made Snipe stop shooting for a moment, but that gave Kurogiri the time to finally warp himself and Shigaraki out USJ.
Dazai fell down, unconscious. There was a dagger stabbed on his back.
Chuuya’s eyes widened, ‘That jackass really fucking--!!’ He rushed to Dazai and carried his unconscious body. He can only bite his tongue and swallow his reprimands. In the end, he can only quietly mutter, “If you don’t wake up, I’ll kill you, you mackerel.”
The battle finally ended.
The pro-heroes gathered the students, the injured were brought to Yosano, who also came with the pro-heroes upon hearing the situation. Recovery Girl is too old after all, and can’t rush to the scene like Yosano.
So those who got small injuries were patched up and were sent directly to U.A. clinic so recovery girl can fully heal them, while those who sustained grave injuries were healed by Yosano on the spot, especially Aizawa’s and Thirteen’s grave injuries.
Yosano even got to heal Chuuya using her Ability because his arms are already blotching because of his ruptured blood vessels and muscles. It was almost bone deep. She gathered all the students with grave injuries on one area and healed them all in one go.
But then, when it came to Dazai, she already knew her Ability wouldn’t work. Nevertheless, she tried it thrice.
Still, once her butterflies try to touch Dazai, the boy’s Ability activates instantly and it turns her butterflies into nothing.
Yosano can only turn around and say, “I can’t heal Dazai. His Ability nullifies any Abilities and probably even quirks as well. He needs to be taken to the emergency room immediately.”
Principal Nedzu spoke, “I’ve called a car, and it’s already outside. Use it as you see fit.”
Cementoss helped Dazai up with his quirk so that Dazai won’t be moved too much and Yosano rushed to the bandaged boy’s aid, since she’s his nurse for now.
Chuuya saw Dazai getting father and farther from him, but before he can take two steps forward, he was prevented.
It was because other that the pro-heroes, the police are also at the scene, arresting villains, and also gathering every student.
Everyone is present other than the one student who was gravely injured – Dazai.
But they also gathered something else, there were low ranking villains who died. Many of them too. Counting the death toll, there were more than 30. Based on the testimonies of the students as Naomasa Tsukauchi uses his quirk, he found out that there were two students who are responsible.
The Ability Users, Nakahara Chuuya and Saigiku Jouno.
So, he had no other choice but to interrogate them further in prison.
Chuuya was handcuffed while his line of sight is still at Dazai being pushed inside the car. Chuuya pursed his lips, feeling frustrated at not being able to check up on Dazai at all.
Midoriya saw him, just like the other students, and he walked forward, “I-It’s not Chuuya-san’s fault… h-he’s just trying his best to help us--!”
Asui put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Midoriya-chan.” She helped him calm down first, “The detective… already probably knows that…”
A person walked forward, towards to Chuuya and asked, “How did you know?”
Chuuya looked at Todoroki, the guy who assisted him earlier, and raised a brow, “Huh?”
Todoroki asked directly, “How did you know the Nomu’s weakness? How did you know that Dazai will give you the spear?” Todoroki was there the whole time Chuuya arrived at the plaza. He heard everything and witnessed everything. The spear was only there because it was thrown by Shigaraki. It’s not even talked about by the two of them, so how did Chuuya know anything?
Chuuya just looked at him and replied briefly, “Isn’t it obvious? Dazai told me. That’s all.”
Todoroki looked at him incredulously. Chuuya only gave him a glance and said, “I answered your question. So, look after Dazai while I’m gone.”
With that, he was carefully assisted to get inside a police car.
Jouno, on the other hand, shook his hands, admiring how light the handcuffs were. It isn’t like any of the handcuffs he’s worn before he became a Hunting Dog, “Well, Ms. Police Officer, lead the way.”
The police in charge of his is also careful, since not only is Jouno an Ability User from Yokohama, but he’s also… blind. The police woman was even being careful, blocking the pushing away sharp things until Jouno can sit inside the police car, must to Jouno’s amusement.
Todoroki saw the police cars driving away, his eyes still looking straight ahead. His mind wondering, ‘It’s because Dazai told him? Dazai… told him…? When…? How…?’
He was utterly confused. He remembered seeing his father, Endeavor, ranting about going to Yokohama as a part of the exchange person test-drive. Todoroki was relieved that this old man would leave him for months. But then, he received a vague text message from Endeavor.
It only said: [I should’ve brought you here back then to train you.]
He doesn’t know why the guy who was ranting about going to a place filled with ‘quirkless weaklings’, as per Endeavor’s own words, is now wishing that he raised Shoto in that environment instead.
But now, he’s getting the gist of it after seeing Dazai and Nakahara in an actual fight.
Even without their intervention, the two can defeat the Nomu all on their own. It’s painfully obvious to him.
It slightly… infuriates Todoroki.
On the other hand, All Might stood in front of the corpse of the Nomu, he has a smile, but he’s feeling chills down his spine. Two 15-year-olds defeated a genetically engineered mutated human.
The villains’ ace card in trying to kill him at his 100%.
It’s chilling, indeed.
Just what are Ability Users…?
Notes:
Chills indeed, All Might. I second that.
Chapter 28: Every Man Takes the Limits of His Own Field of Vision for the Limits of the World
Summary:
interrogation scene
Notes:
Yeah... I failed to update on time 'cuz ao3 was laggy... then i got busy with work, I got too lazy to post since I knew I have to edit first.
Anyways, here's the chapter! Thanks for bearing with me<3~!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It had truly been an eventful day for Class 1-A. Not only did they have to face villains unprepared and realize their own incompetence, but they also witnessed two of their classmates being taken by the police—under the accusation of ‘killing’ villains.
Most were confused. To them, the very notion of killing was villainous, unless it happened by accident or under circumstances that were absolutely unavoidable.
Yet at the same time, they couldn’t bring themselves to call Nakahara or Saigiku villains—because the two had killed in order to save them. The very foundation of their beliefs had cracked a little—almost imperceptibly, but still there.
It didn’t help that the media descended like vultures. Reporters swarmed in, livestreaming their coverage and questioning U.A.'s security measures. And this all happened right after Nakahara and Saigiku were taken by the police, when their classmates’ minds were still a confused, blurry mess.
Elsewhere, away from Class 1-A, Jouno and Chuuya had arrived at the prison’s interrogation room. They were interrogated alternately, but the questions they received were almost identical.
Now, Detective Tsukauchi sat in his office, reviewing their statements, while the two shared a prison cell.
He sighed as he read. He had used his quirk during the interrogation—and neither of the students had lied. He knew, without a doubt, that they truly believed they had done nothing wrong. That their actions were justifiable.
He recalled the moment he questioned Jouno.
“Based on eyewitness accounts, you killed one villain in the Mountain Zone. Meanwhile, the villains in the Collapse Zone were said to have committed suicide. However, one witness claimed you killed them. Are these statements true?”
Jouno had leaned back in his chair and answered nonchalantly, “It depends on how you interpret it. Indeed, I killed a villain in the Mountain Zone because those weaklings were about to die, and I just couldn’t stand still. After all, I’m a soldier. As for what happened in the Collapse Zone, I really didn’t kill them, ah. Even I know that indiscriminate killing is bland and tasteless. It doesn’t suit my aesthetic at all. If you’re doubtful, I’m most certain that if you ask either of the people who were with me, they can guarantee the villains committed suicide—using my sword.”
Tsukauchi’s quirk told him the boy wasn’t lying. Even if the story was suspicious and the Collapse Zone report downright bizarre, he had to accept it as truth.
What he failed to consider, though, was that Jouno was also good at deflection.
Jouno might not have lied—but that didn’t mean he had told the whole truth. Depending on how Tsukauchi phrased his questions, Jouno simply omitted what he wanted to keep hidden, only saying what he believed to be true. Because in the end, as long as he perceived it as truth, Tsukauchi’s quirk would read it as such.
For example, Jouno had indeed killed a villain in the Mountain Zone because he truly thought his classmates were weak. That much was the truth.
But Tsukauchi, unfortunately, interpreted it as: “Jouno, the only professional present, killed in order to protect his rookie classmates.”
When in reality, Jouno’s version of the truth was: “They were so pathetically weak it amused me. I killed the villain to help them out. Besides, the villain’s heartbeat and breathing were awful. Even his voice was grating. I did myself a favor by eliminating the pest.”
Tsukauchi had missed the mark entirely.
When he flipped to the next statement record, he recalled the other interrogation. This one had been more difficult—because the subject barely responded, only following instructions.
Chuuya hadn’t been looking at anything in particular. His eyes were lost in a whirlwind of worry, guilt, and uncertain frustration.
It took three or four calls before Chuuya raised his head to meet Tsukauchi’s eyes.
“Yes, I killed them all,” Chuuya said flatly—getting straight to the point before Tsukauchi could even ask.
Tsukauchi narrowed his eyes in concern. He hesitated, unsure how to proceed. After all, he’d heard that the boy’s partner and best friend had been hospitalized and couldn’t heal properly. Chuuya must’ve been devastated—especially since he couldn’t even go visit.
That thought lingered in Tsukauchi’s mind. Unknowingly, his tone softened as he asked, “May I ask what drove you to kill those villains?”
Chuuya’s eyes widened—he clearly noticed the change in tone, and it made him uncomfortable. Still, he answered, keeping his gaze on the table, avoiding eye contact.
“I was the only one who could deal with them. Even if Midoriya and the others helped, they would've been seriously injured. I kinda felt like it was my responsibility, y’know? Besides… I needed to find the macke— I mean, Dazai. So I was in a hurry too.”
“Then… why did you decide killing was the solution? You could’ve captured them. Was it because you thought it would take too much time?” Tsukauchi asked, trying to keep things more conversational than accusatory.
His mind also flashed back to Jouno’s interrogation.
“No matter how the situation played out, you still killed someone—and let multiple others die when you could’ve saved them. Why did you do it?”
Surprisingly, both boys gave the same answer.
Chuuya had looked at him and said, “I don’t know about you, but this is how we do things in Yokohama. Allies are saved. Enemies are killed without pardon.”
Even if Chuuya wasn’t a government ally, the government also killed those deemed dangerous. So there was no lie in his words. Of course, exceptions existed—usually only for those who fully surrendered.
Jouno had raised a brow, tilting his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “The Hunting Dogs save the innocent and eradicate evil to keep the peace. That’s the law. We’re not pure saints, but we’re not corrupt either. In our society, this is hero work. If you meet our captain, I’m sure he could rival All Might’s position.” He grinned. “Want a copy of Yokohama’s law book? I can send you one.”
Tsukauchi tossed the papers onto his desk and sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. At the very least, he knew the two weren’t guilty—at least, not in the way the public might think. But that didn’t change the fact that people had died.
In the final report, Jouno had killed one person. Chuuya had killed eight.
This is going to be a nightmare if it goes public—especially in hero society, Tsukauchi thought. He had no idea what the higher-ups were planning, but he was resolved to write a favorable testimony for both—especially Chuuya. Chuuya’s statement felt genuine. Jouno’s… still felt off, but he couldn’t quite pin down why, since his quirk told him everything had been true.
Inside the prison cell, Jouno sat at a small table while Chuuya sat on the cold floor across from him, head leaning against the wall, uncharacteristically quiet. His face looked strangely calm.
Jouno also remained quiet, tapping the table every so often. Eventually, he broke the silence. “I must say, even without Dazai, you’re pretty good at scheming on your own.” He grinned.
Chuuya furrowed his brows, annoyed. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Jouno pointed a gloved finger at Chuuya’s chest. He didn’t need sight to be accurate. “Your heartbeat says it all. ‘Oh, thank god that interrogation’s over. I didn’t know what that guy’s quirk was, but he seemed moved by my performance. Doesn’t look like I’m getting a heavy sentence.’ That’s what it’s saying. Did you really think I wouldn’t know?”
Chuuya scoffed and ignored the bait. “I’m more surprised you didn’t know about the ‘no killing villains’ policy. Must feel like shit.”
Jouno chuckled. “Unlike you, I did know. I was briefed back at HQ. Our intel is better than the mafia’s, anyway.” He shrugged. “I killed because I was annoyed. And those other rascals? Can you blame me? I got tired of pretending, so I decided to have a little fun.”
“Sick bastard,” Chuuya muttered, rolling his eyes. He hated how that last line—‘decided to have a little fun’—reminded him of Dazai. He turned away, already expecting an insult.
And he was right.
The moment Chuuya thought of Dazai, his heartbeat changed for a split-second before returning to normal.
Jouno didn’t know the reason, but he grinned in amusement. As if a lightbulb had gone off, he said, “Were you thinking of that guy? How absurdly loyal of you. You really are a dog.”
Chuuya glared. “Last I checked, you’re the one with ‘dog’ in your title.” He growled, “And do me a favor—don’t talk to me. I’m busy minding my own damn business.”
“It’s too bad. You’re locked up here while your partner’s probably in a coma. Can’t even notify your superiors. If this drags on, you’ll be stuck longer—might even end up a wanted man. Just like you were back in Yokohama,” Jouno continued to prod.
Chuuya stood up halfway, rage flaring, “Bastard—!” but stopped himself. He knew Jouno was trying to provoke a fight. Even though he really wanted to punch him, he sat back down.
“You must be going senile. You’re stuck in here with me too, asshole,” Chuuya snapped. “No matter what you say, that doesn’t change.”
Jouno tilted his head, unfazed. “Hmm… true. But that’ll only be true for three…” He held up three fingers. Chuuya narrowed his eyes.
“…two…”
Footsteps echoed outside.
“…one.”
A shadow fell over them. Chuuya turned to look—and saw a tall woman in a red military uniform, similar to the Hunting Dogs’.
Jouno smiled. “Hello there, Vice-Captain.”
“KYAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!” she laughed obnoxiously, hands on her hips. “Fancy seeing you in a jail cell! Man, this brings back memories! I wish I could go back to those days. I’d gladly be your torturer instead of the captain!”
Jouno’s smile twitched. “I’d prefer a break, thanks.”
He stood and added, “By the way, Vice-Captain, what’s with your outfit? Don’t tell me you’re trying to look more mature… Gasp—! Did you—”
“—Say one more word and I’ll leave you in there to rot,” she replied sweetly, wearing the most terrifyingly gentle smile.
Jouno wisely shut up.
She grabbed the cell lock and crushed it with her gloved hand. “That’s it? What a weak lock. You didn’t even need me.” She gave Jouno a look. “I should’ve gone with the Captain instead of wasting time getting you.”
“Um… Vice-Captain, we’re not here to perform a jailbreak…” Jouno raised his hand awkwardly—just as the police rushed in, sirens blaring. Detective Tsukauchi among them.
They saw the lock broken. But both prisoners were still inside.
“I know,” she replied. “I broke it so I wouldn’t have to walk all the way to these guys’ office and waste more time…” the girl said casually, tossing the broken lock to the ground. She smiled at them. “Hi there! You see, this guy is part of the strongest military force in Yokohama. So, I don’t get why he’s being held in this jail—”
“—He did not abide by the law in this country. That much is true,” Tsukauchi interrupted calmly. “If you wish to ask questions, please follow the proper procedures,” he added respectfully.
The girl raised her brows, tilting her chin upward. With a hand on her hip, she leaned forward and said nonchalantly, “Question? I think you misunderstand. Let me be clear—I want my subordinate out of this jail. Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am the Vice Captain of the strongest military squad in Yokohama, the Hunting Dogs. My name is Teruko Okura. I am demanding the release of my subordinate.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out an identification card, flashing it to the group—a diplomatic immunity ID. But it wasn’t hers. It was Jouno’s.
Everyone present, including the police and Tsukauchi, looked stunned. Even Chuuya hadn’t expected such a trump card. The Hunting Dogs truly hid their aces well.
Teruko turned toward Jouno, scolding him, “Really? After the captain went through all the trouble of requesting this from the Special Abilities Division, you actually forgot to bring it with you?”
“I wasn’t informed, Vice-Captain,” Jouno replied, stepping out of the cell as she handed him his ID.
“Nonsense! I told Tecchou to tell you in advance!” she argued.
“How many times must I tell you not to use him to pass on important messages…” Jouno muttered with a wince but didn’t press the matter further.
Stretching her arms, Teruko continued, “Anyway, let’s go. I’ve got a lot of questions for you, and the captain has a message too. Hurry up. Tecchou’s waiting outside.” She gestured before casually walking past the police and Tsukauchi.
Jouno gave in with a resigned shrug, but before leaving, he turned to Chuuya—who was still silently analyzing him—and grinned again. “Have you heard this? Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world. Well, it was nice sharing a cell with you for ten minutes.”
Later, Chuuya was moved to a different cell, where Tsukauchi approached him with concern.
“Do you also have an ID like that?” the detective asked gently. “If so, we can proceed with the appropriate procedures.”
Chuuya hesitated before replying, “No, I don’t.”
The Hunting Dogs having immunity made sense—they were officially backed by the government.
But the “Night Wardens” was just a fabrication Dazai made up. The Port Mafia couldn’t afford such exposure. Gaining diplomatic immunity would risk revealing that they were, in fact, a criminal organization. It was far too dangerous.
And worse—Chuuya had no idea when Dazai would wake up from his coma.
It wasn’t the first time Chuuya had seen Dazai hurt himself in pursuit of his goals. But no matter how bad it got, Dazai was always returned to Mafia territory, to the boss’s clinic. Somehow, that gave Chuuya a sense of reassurance.
As unsettling as things were now, he still believed that the boss wouldn’t let Dazai die—not yet.
Chuuya sighed, then looked up at Tsukauchi and spoke with feigned vulnerability. “Detective… may I call my sister? I heard the incident was broadcasted. I’m sure she saw it. I just want to tell her I’m okay. That’s all.”
But truthfully, he also wanted to find out what the boss planned for him now. He didn’t know the full scope of the mission—Dazai had intentionally kept him in the dark. Still, Chuuya trusted him enough to believe that not knowing was part of the plan. At least for now.
Tsukauchi looked at the boy with sympathy and nodded. “Alright. I’ll let you make a call. Wait here—I’ll get your phone. And don’t worry. The report I submitted doesn’t paint you in a bad light. With the Hero Public Safety Commission involved, you’re under protection. You won’t be harmed here. I promise.”
He gave Chuuya a reassuring pat on the head before turning to leave.
Chuuya, still seated on the ground, stared in disbelief.
Did that… did that bastard really just pat him on the head?!
He forced himself to stay calm, brushing off the irritation.
It’s fine. It gave him an advantage. He could let it slide—just this once.
But never again.
Absolutely never!
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The steady rhythm of the hospital monitor filled the room. Dazai lay motionless on the bed, wrapped in bandages, IV lines in his arms.
Yosano entered quietly, only to find a student already sitting at his bedside.
The boy wasn’t acting close or sentimental. In fact, he felt more like a stranger. Yet, there he was.
“I didn’t expect anyone to visit,” Yosano remarked after a moment.
The boy, with red and white hair and a burn scar over his left eye, looked up and gave her a small nod.
“I was told to look after him. I won’t fail,” he said.
The boy was Todoroki Shoto.
And at first, he really was just following orders—just spending a few hours at his classmate’s bedside.
But that changed.
He’d been there when the doctors discussed Dazai’s condition. Yosano wasn’t around, so they assumed Shoto was close to the patient and shared the details with him.
From that, Todoroki reached a conclusion:
Dazai… was just like him.
Now, all he needed was proof.
So, Todoroki was willing to wait—until Dazai woke up.
Indeed, every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.
Notes:
“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
Chapter 29: Prologue of the Damned (Part 1)
Summary:
little shuuji
Notes:
This is two-parter, please bear with me.
Also, for those who are still confused if Mori is Rintaro, please go back to Chapter 7, and read the Extra: Mori's Dilemma very very carefully. ^v^~<3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The echoes of crickets after a light rain, mixed with the rustling of greenery, ricocheted in the little boy’s ears. He sat on a small waxed wooden staircase carved with delicate patterns. The brunette boy, dressed in a traditional kimono, stared at the wide fence gate—or rather, through it—watching the world outside.
Children in their choice of colorful clothing ran around with firework sticks, laughing under the watchful eyes of nearby adults.
It was almost New Year.
Christmas had already passed.
Within the large gates of the estate, the house remained quiet, as it always did—detached from the liveliness beyond.
But this time, after many instances of simply watching, curiosity got the better of the boy. He wanted to see it for himself—the massive fireworks show, the beautiful parade, the joy of the crowd. The parade was held far from their traditional home, and from where he stood, he only ever caught fleeting glimpses of the fireworks. The parade, he knew nothing about.
For the first time in his life, the ever-quiet, emotionless Shuuji—who was always content with the cold stillness of their household—reached out.
He saw his older brother, a teen with wavy brown hair slicked back neatly, already dressed in his school uniform.
The homeschooled boy stood up, walked over, and reached out with his small arms, his fingers tugging lightly at the hem of his brother’s uniform. His voice was soft but clear.
“Where are Mother and Father?”
His brother didn’t look down, still adjusting his cuffs. “Why?”
“I want to see the parade,” Shuuji said plainly. “I saw people outside preparing fireworks and having fun. I want that too.”
His brother paused, finally glancing at him. His face was unreadable, his voice flat. “Tomorrow night, huh? I’ll do something about it.”
Shuuji’s eyes lit up ever so slightly—widening, then narrowing into the shape of a smile. A genuine smile. His first.
He couldn’t wait to see the fireworks and the parade up close—to experience life the way others did.
But the next day, the wide fence gates had been replaced. Concrete walls and massive wooden gates now blocked any visibility from outside.
He couldn’t understand how it had been done so quickly, so quietly. All he could feel was the weight in his chest, sinking to his stomach like a stone. A sick, twisting heaviness.
As always, his brother was preparing to leave for school.
Shuuji’s pupils followed his every move, zeroing in. “Why?” was all he could manage to say.
The teen paused mid-button, then looked at him briefly. “I just fixed the cause of your strangeness,” he said, coldly. Then, with disinterest, he continued adjusting his cuffs. “I don’t care what you do. Just remember, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Stop bothering Mother and Father.”
With that, he left the house—and that became their final conversation.
From that moment on, little Shuuji understood: he could do whatever he wanted, even to extremes, as long as he didn’t bother anyone.
Three months passed.
The boy found a way to dig a secret doghole out of the property so he could escape whenever he pleased. He also enjoyed locking himself inside the storage room, either to starve himself or attempt to suffocate inside a cardboard box. It was fun. No one stopped him. No one talked him out of it.
He called it freedom.
Twisted, but his own.
Yet… it was starting to get boring.
He needed something new. Something more extreme. Something upgraded to keep himself occupied.
That’s when he met Rintaro—the teen wrapped in bandages.
The guy had stepped on his sand cake.
But then he fixed it—and made it even better.
So, Shuuji forgave him.
It had been so long since anyone other than himself had spoken to him. The experience was novel. Addicting. Shuuji hoped they would meet again.
Plus, the guy had promised to bring him real cake next time.
But how many days had passed since then? There was still no sign of Rintaro. No voice. No footsteps. Nothing.
Shuuji waited at the front of the house, near his doghole. Still nothing.
So, to rid himself of the boredom and frustration, his mind began to work.
He crawled through the doghole and ran, small legs moving fast, all the way back to his “headquarters”—the storage room. There, he began gathering clues.
Shuuji was gifted. It was obvious. Just from his first meeting with Rintaro, he could deduce a lot.
Rintaro had disheveled shoulder-length hair and a hair tie on his left wrist. That meant he often tied it back for something requiring focus—something physical. He didn’t cut it, which suggested he didn’t go to barbers often. The hair tie looked slightly worn—frequently used.
‘Probably for a job…’ Shuuji thought.
Teens having jobs wasn’t strange. But what kind of job?
There were the bandages—high-quality ones—wrapped around Rintaro’s neck and hands. Shuuji recognized their make. His rich household made him sensitive to quality. He even remembered the texture—he had felt it himself when Rintaro patted his head twice, his large hand grazing Shuuji’s forehead.
Such bandages weren’t cheap.
That meant Rintaro’s pay was high.
Which meant the job was risky.
‘Underground work, maybe?’ Shuuji guessed.
He recalled that Rintaro had received a phone call right before leaving—and had shouted “PISS OFF!” before hanging up. It reminded him of the way Rintaro mumbled angrily when he’d stepped on the sand cake.
‘That fucking old bastard.’
So perhaps that caller was a guardian. Or a relative. Or… an owner.
‘Rintaro has anger issues sometimes,’ Shuuji noted.
Eventually, he completed his 'information map.'
He pulled out a real map and traced the direction Rintaro had walked when he vanished.
‘Now, what underground business is present in this direction? The nearest is…’
He examined the map carefully and spotted a casino just a few blocks from the house. His eyes narrowed. He circled it with a pencil, then changed out of his kimono into Western clothing—black leather shoes, white socks, black shorts, and a long-sleeved white polo with a green ribbon tie.
He looked polished and composed—like a wealthy child playing pretend. He stuffed his brown leather sling bag with money, the strap hanging a little too long for his frame.
Carefully, he crawled through the doghole so as not to dirty his clothes. With the map in hand, he walked with unsettling normalcy, not pausing to look around—as if he’d done this a hundred times before.
Eventually, he reached the casino’s front gate.
He stepped back to get a better view of the structure, then smirked. A classic substructure. His gaze fell to the ground—not just at it, but through it.
‘Something’s there,’ he thought.
Something.
Someone.
As he approached the entrance, a guard stepped in front of him. “Sorry, kid. This place isn’t a playground.”
Shuuji smiled—eerily sweet. “How dare you stop me? My father is waiting for me inside.”
The guard raised an eyebrow, skeptical. But then he looked closer. Designer clothes. Polished shoes. Ribbon-tied collar. The kid’s posture was refined. The tone in his voice—too calm, too poised.
So the guard tested him. “Is that so? Then forgive me, little sir. Can you tell me which floor your father is on, so we can contact him?”
The building had three visible floors. Gambling happened on the ground level. Storage on the second. Lounges on the third—meant for things people didn’t talk about.
As the guard escorted him slowly inside, Dazai tilted his head.
“Isn’t it strange, Mr. Casino Guard?”
The man glanced at him. “Strange?”
“It looks like there are three floors… but inside, it feels like four. Did someone eat a floor?”
The guard laughed. “Oh? How’d you figure that out?”
“Well,” Shuuji said, pointing to a wall, “this wall is really thick. Outside, the building didn’t look this big. But inside… it feels bigger. Like something’s hiding.”
The guard chuckled. “It’s built that way. The boss likes a sturdy foundation.”
Shuuji didn’t blink. He pointed at a ventilation fan half-hidden behind a statue of a Greek goddess.
“Does your boss also like the walls to breathe?”
That made the man pause.
“There’s a fan down there,” Shuuji said. “What’s it trying to cool?”
“…It’s just air, kid.”
Shuuji’s voice dropped. “Air doesn’t go up like that unless something’s down. I think this casino has a belly. A big, fat one… filled with delicious things.”
The guard grinned. “And what do you want with the belly?”
“I’m here to be eaten.” He opened his bag, revealing thick stacks of bills. “I brought treats the belly might like. And I think it’ll like me too. I’m soft. Easy to chew.”
The guard laughed, now fully amused. “Alright, kid. But fair warning… the belly’s never hungry.”
He led Shuuji to the elevator, pressed the button for the third floor—then twisted it, transforming the number into an “M.”
The elevator descended.
The moment it stopped, Shuuji knew this was it.
The doors opened—and a crowd’s roar slammed into him. Screaming, swearing, betting. In the middle stood a huge arena.
It was like an ancient Roman coliseum… but worse.
Blood, drugs, and violence in every corner.
Shuuji stepped forward. No one batted an eye. In this underground den of lust and depravity, a child was hardly the strangest thing they’d seen.
He didn’t like the noise—too chaotic. But in the ring, he spotted him.
Rintaro.
Hair tied back. Hoodie, baggy pants. Fancy bandages. Bruised, tired—but still standing.
A man twice his size stood opposite him—armed with a dagger.
Rintaro had nothing.
The match was unfair. Apparently, owners could give their fighters weapons—or not. Rintaro had misbehaved recently, so he was given nothing.
Still, the bets leaned heavily in his favor.
The crowd shouted for blood anyway.
Shuuji didn’t understand them.
A girl approached with a clipboard. “Wanna place a bet?”
Shuuji pulled a wad of cash from his bag. No counting. “All on Rintaro.”
The girl beamed. Her commission would skyrocket.
The betting screens shifted—Rintaro’s odds doubled. His opponent’s owner scowled.
“Shit,” Rintaro muttered, running, dodging. Blood loss made his steps clumsy.
He tripped.
The dagger sank into his back.
Shuuji’s breath caught.
Then—light.
A sudden, blinding, purplish glow enveloped the ring. Rintaro’s wounds closed before Shuuji’s wide eyes. It was like something out of a video game.
Without hesitation, Rintaro sprang up, grabbed his opponent’s arm, slammed him down, took the dagger, and drove it into the man’s chest—over and over.
The crowd erupted.
Rintaro had won.
But there was no joy in his eyes.
Only death. Despair. And rage.
He looked to the crowd—and saw him.
The boy.
For a second, time stood still.
Rintaro’s eyes widened.
A spark of life returned.
“…Huh…?”
Thankfully, that was Rintaro’s last fight for the day.
Without another word, he dragged Shuuji out of that hellhole. He didn’t ask why the boy had come, didn’t even try to scold him until they were far away—until they were at the doorstep of his rundown apartment.
“What the hell?! What were you doing there?!” he snapped, loud and sharp, before freezing.
He ran both hands down his tired face, wiping off dried blood and sweat. His voice cracked as he forced himself to breathe. When he finally looked at the child again, the edge in his expression dulled.
Shuuji simply answered, “You didn’t visit me, so I went to you instead.”
Rintaro’s eyes widened. A breath hitched in his throat, and he gave a strained, shameful smile.
“You were waiting for me?” he echoed. “I… I wasn’t serious. I forgot. I’m sorry.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to laugh off the guilt—but the laugh didn’t come.
Shuuji just shook his head. “It’s alright. We met again anyway.”
There was a pause. Rintaro opened his mouth, searching for something—an explanation, maybe. “What you saw earlier… the fight…”
But he never finished.
Shuuji didn’t press.
Instead, he tilted his head and asked, “So… is my cake here already?”
“Ca—?!” Rintaro flinched, then groaned. “I—yeah, no. Not yet. I forgot… sorry. Next time. I promise.”
He reached out and patted the boy’s head, twice—careful and slow.
“Some other time. For sure.”
Shuuji smiled faintly. “Okay. I’ll wait.”
It was awkward, yes—but there was warmth. Rintaro slowly eased beside him, trying to fill the silence.
“But hey, you really found me, huh? You’re sharp, kid. Your parents… aren’t they worried?”
Shuuji shook his head again, as if it were obvious. “No. As long as I don’t bother them, it’s fine.”
Rintaro stared at him, speechless.
He let out a hollow laugh. “Damn. Must be nice. My dad’s always breathing down my neck. I hate it.”
It was the first time Shuuji had this kind of conversation—casual, honest, messy.
He wasn’t sure how to respond. So he asked something else instead. “That purple light. What was that?”
“Oh, that.” Rintaro’s face shifted. For five seconds, it went dead serious.
Then, he grinned.
“No idea.”
“...Huh?” Shuuji blinked.
“I think it’s a curse,” Rintaro said airily. “My mom had it too. Said she and my dad met at some club. Fell in love. Had me. But she never changed her appearance, never stopped being… her.”
His tone darkened.
“My old man said it was a curse. Said she bewitched him. Called her a demon. Broke her down until there was nothing left.”
He went quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was bitter.
“She was beautiful, you know? A singer. Men lined up for her. But Dad… he got older, got jealous, and started accusing her of all kinds of things. In the end, she couldn’t take it. She jumped.”
Shuuji watched him closely. Rintaro didn’t cry. He just… stared.
“I thought I’d honor her,” he went on, “by becoming a singer too. But Dad tricked me. He said he’d help. Instead, he signed me up for underground fights. He told me I wouldn’t die anyway, so it’d be fine.”
He laughed again—but it didn’t sound like laughter.
“Isn’t that funny?”
Since that day, Shuuji began visiting Rintaro regularly.
He was forbidden from ever stepping into the casino again, well, Rintaro forbade him. So he went to the teen’s home instead—listening to stories of his mother, his father, his strange healing power, and his cursed bloodline. It was all so different from Shuuji’s own family. And he found himself drawn in.
Most days, he simply sat and listened, letting Rintaro ramble—about songs, memories, likes, dislikes. One afternoon, Rintaro even showed him a notebook filled with lyrics written by his mother, all in a foreign language.
Rintaro couldn’t read them well, but he kept them anyway.
He said it felt like she was still singing to him, somehow.
Eventually, Rintaro announced that he had found a new job. A real one. In Suribachi City. One that might let him live more freely.
Shuuji felt complicated about that news, since that would mean that he won’t be seeing Rintaro anymore. Suribachi City is quite far. However, the boy didn’t express his dislike. Didn’t speak any of it. Since he can’t be bothering people – like his brother said.
But he also noticed how the bandages kept piling on—each day, more and more.
Rintaro never explained.
And Shuuji never asked.
In the meantime, Shuuji spent nearly every day with him, only returning home before dark. The only days he didn’t visit were Sundays and Fridays—strictly forbidden by Rintaro.
But then, one Friday afternoon, something happened.
Shuuji’s little sister died.
No one cried. No one mourned.
Her ashes were cremated that same day and placed in a simple urn in the living room.
No words.
No prayers.
Not his mother.
Not his father.
Not even his brother.
And not Shuuji.
He couldn’t explain the feeling—just an ache in his gut, dull and strange. Without realizing it, he stepped out of the house.
Before he knew it, he was in front of Rintaro’s door.
He’d forgotten it was Friday.
His mind was too foggy.
He slipped inside like always, settling into the usual spot. He wanted to ask—how do you deal with someone dying?
But hours passed.
The house stayed empty.
He waited, and waited…
…until the front door clicked open.
Shuuji turned to greet him—then remembered.
Friday.
Instinctively, he dove under the bed.
Rintaro stumbled inside, breathing hard. He yanked the sling bag from his shoulder and flung it across the room. Then, he screamed—a guttural, broken sound.
His clothes were torn. His bandages unraveling. His skin was bruised, battered, bleeding.
Before he could fully calm down, the door slammed open again.
His father stormed in, belt raised, “YOU DO NOT WALK OUT ON ME LIKE THAT!”
The belt cracked across Rintaro’s face.
He staggered back, stunned—but then his fury erupted, “YOU MOTHERFUCKER! I HATE YOU! GO TO HELL!”
They fought.
There was no elegance to it. Just rage and desperation.
Hair was pulled. Skin was clawed.
Rintaro was dragged out of the room.
Shuuji stayed hidden, frozen stiff. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.
But finally, when the noise shifted, he crawled out and followed.
To the kitchen.
Where boiling water hissed on the stove.
They were still wrestling. Rintaro’s voice, hoarse and hateful, cut through the chaos, “You’re a disgusting piece of shit! Mom died because of you! You ruined my life! What kind of father are you?! You’re a monster!”
The older man snarled, “Your mom was a witch! She seduced every man she met! A filthy whore! And you—you're just like her! So what’s wrong with whoring you out?! You're living off me, you ungrateful brat!”
They were careless.
Too careless.
Rintaro slipped.
His head plunged into the pot of boiling water.
He screamed—a scream that shook Shuuji to his bones.
And then—the purple light.
It burst from Rintaro’s body, blinding and unreal, healing his burns.
But the pain didn’t vanish.
It lingered.
Beneath his skin. In his heart.
He snapped.
The knife was grabbed.
And before he could think—
He stabbed his father.
Once.
Twice.
Over and over and over.
“You don’t get to control me! You don’t get to demand thanks! You didn’t raise me! You fucking ruined me! You don’t deserve to live! You don’t get to live!”
He kept going.
Because there was no referee to stop him this time – unlike his previous underground matches.
And just like that, his father was dead.
The bandages around Rintaro’s arms fell away, revealing more than just bruises.
Scars.
Scars not from fists or belts—but from something else.
A different kind of violence. Adult violence.
Violence that lingered.
That festered.
That no magic could heal.
Blood covered his arms. His chest. His hands.
He wanted to vomit.
And then he saw the boy.
Eyes wide.
Silent.
Watching.
Rintaro froze.
The first words that escaped his mouth—raw and reflexive, “…Sorry… I still don’t have the cake.”
Dazai lay motionless on the hospital bed, still deeply unconscious.
It had been two days since the USJ incident.
Yosano had only visited on the first day. Her ability couldn’t do much — not for injuries like his.
Todoroki, on the other hand, kept dropping by after class, quietly taking the seat beside him, saying nothing, waiting.
Meanwhile, inside the prison, Chuuya remained locked up — but he was doing good, since Tsukauchi is there to chat with him.
This time, however, he had a visitor.
An old man in a sharp suit, wearing a monocle, stood across from him with a calm expression.
He had come to deliver a message from the boss.
Notes:
I want to finish this past in 1 chapter, but it would be too long, so it'll be divided into two chapters, then we're gonna go back to the crew<3
Chapter 30: Prologue of the Damned (Part 2)
Summary:
dazai's prologue end
Notes:
Again, last call for those that are still out of the loop -- please go back to Chapter 7, and read the Extra: Mori's Dilemma very very carefully<33
Thank you!
Also, credit to lumilkumo for giving me a really sick idea<3 part of this chapter is based off of their theory!
Song: Tsukuyomi - Moonlight at Midday
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It stretched like an eternity for Rintaro—the act of actually killing someone. It lingered in his bones. There was no sense of satisfaction, only a sickening urge to vent and a deep, gnawing dread.
But for little Shuuji, it was different. Everything happened too fast. One second, someone was dead; the next, Rintaro was already showering in the bathroom while Shuuji sat motionless on the living room couch, staring at the now-clean floor as if nothing had happened. As if no blood had ever been spilled.
As for the body, Shuuji saw everything—how Rintaro wrapped it in a garbage bag and shoved it into the refrigerator. It was a large one, a meat fridge. Fitting.
Still, the boy knew it was only a matter of time before the body was discovered. After all, Rintaro had been sloppy. A small puddle of blood still leaked from underneath the fridge.
It was the first time Shuuji had seen death. No, perhaps not. He had seen death countless times—bugs, ants... even the pale body of his little sister after she fell down the stairs and bled out, left there until her color drained.
But it was indeed his first time witnessing murder, and it caught him off guard.
Because he realized—it was that easy to take a life.
Too easy.
Easier than living.
More tempting.
But what little Shuuji failed to consider in that moment was Rintaro himself—his feelings, his state of mind, his everything.
Because the little boy was too curious. Too fascinated.
Rintaro stepped out of the bathroom in a white shirt and baggy pants. The bandages weren’t on yet. His hair was damp, a towel slung over his shoulder. His tired eyes scanned the room until they landed on the boy.
He looked at the quiet child for a moment, then went to the medicine kit—filled mostly with bandages. Sitting beside Shuuji on the couch, he began to tightly wrap his own arms.
Shuuji noticed and couldn’t help but say, "You’re putting too much pressure on that hand. It might block your blood flow."
Rintaro paused briefly before continuing. Without facing Shuuji, he replied, "It’s fine. I won’t die anyway."
Shuuji blinked twice as he watched the teen continue wrapping himself.
Rintaro finished bandaging his arms and neck, then turned to the boy. Only then did he notice the scraped knees. The child was wearing shorts and must have scraped them earlier while crawling under the bed.
Rintaro’s eyes narrowed before he stood and knelt in front of Shuuji. He looked up and asked gently, "Will you let me treat your wounds?"
Shuuji didn’t think much of his injuries, and the question baffled him—no one had ever asked him something like that. He could only manage a small nod.
Rintaro pressed his lips together, eyes flashing with an emotion Shuuji couldn’t name. Relief? Guilt? Disappointment? He didn’t know.
But it disappeared quickly. Rintaro’s eyes narrowed into a gentle crescent, and he smiled.
A truly gentle smile.
It made Shuuji’s breath hitch.
Soon, Shuuji’s knees were covered in bandages. Rintaro gave one final glance at his handiwork before standing. "Shall we go out? I’ll buy you cake," he said, back to his usual self.
Shuuji breathed a small sigh of relief. Rintaro is being normal again.
He took Rintaro’s hand, and they walked the orange-tinted streets of dawn. But when they reached the nearest bakeshop, there was no cake left.
Rintaro looked awkward and smiled. "Ah... let’s try somewhere else."
After three more failed attempts, Rintaro’s steps began to slow. Eventually, he stopped beneath a flickering lamppost—the only source of light now.
The sun had gone down.
There was still no cake.
"It seems... it was a bad time," Rintaro said, forcing a smile as he looked at the boy.
Shuuji looked straight at him, as always.
And that gaze made Rintaro feel exposed—as though the boy had seen right through him. As though a ghost were staring out from those big black eyes. He instinctively pulled his hand away from Shuuji’s grasp.
Shuuji froze. "Huh...?"
Realizing what he’d done, Rintaro quickly grabbed the boy’s hand again, clutching it too tightly. "N-No... I didn’t mean to... I was just... a little out of it today."
Shuuji winced but said nothing. Instead, he looked up and smiled—a perfect imitation of Rintaro’s smile.
The teen didn’t realize it was a copy. He calmed down at the sight.
They returned to the apartment. On Rintaro’s bed, the teen stared blankly at the moonlight streaming through the window. Shuuji stared at him instead. Something felt wrong.
It was the same face, but it didn’t feel like Rintaro.
Shuuji shut his eyes, trying to remember what Rintaro had looked like the first time they met. But the memory was already blurring.
“Mahiru no tsuki no akari no shita
(Under the light of the midday moon)
Kimi ga kasuka ni mietanda yo
(I thought you looked like a ghost)
Hora mou ai no sora ni toketa omoi ni te wo furu
(Waving to the thoughts that have already melted into the indigo sky)
Adieu adieu”
He heard a quiet song—a beautiful yet haunting voice. It was Rintaro’s. Shuuji opened his eyes and saw the teen looking at him, staring straight into his eyes.
Shuuji remembered those lines. They were from one of the notebooks Rintaro had shown him—his mother’s notebook of songs. He remembered how Rintaro had once told him that he wanted to continue what his mother had started and become a singer himself.
The little one could see it. Rintaro’s eyes were blank—empty.
But his mouth moved slowly, singing the song in that ghostly way.
So little Shuuji moved his hands…and gently covered Rintaro’s mouth with them. The teen snapped back to reality, his eyes slowly coming back to life as he looked at the small boy in front of him.
Then, his widened eyes narrowed after confirming that the boy was still there with him. His eyes slowly closed, and he fell asleep.
Shuuji never moved his hands that night. He just held on like that, even forgetting when he had fallen asleep.
Early in the morning, Shuuji woke up, feeling suffocated.
His eyes snapped open, and he thrashed around, gasping for breath. Two large hands were wrapped around his neck, coiling like a snake—tightening, tightening, tightening.
Shuuji’s eyes narrowed, his vision blurring. All he could see above him was Rintaro. He couldn’t make out the teen’s expression through the wetness in his eyes.
He could only struggle and choke.
But then, the teen let go, and Shuuji inhaled sharply, exhaling over and over, coughing and retching without anything coming out of his stomach. Tears welled up, burning in his eyes.
Then he heard a voice.
“I’m leaving now, Shuuji. I’m going to Suribachi City.”
Shuuji was still trembling. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Rintaro’s face. He was afraid of what he’d see. But his hand struggled to move and grabbed Rintaro’s pinky finger. He couldn’t hold on tight; he didn’t have the strength.
But it was clear—Shuuji was once again, for the second time, trying to make a request. Just like the fireworks back then, the child was trying to say, 'Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone.'
Shuuji waited and waited as he struggled to steady his breathing.
Rintaro’s answer…was to pull his hand away. In a quivering voice, Shuuji heard:
“Can’t you see? I can’t.”
With that, the teen left.
Leaving Shuuji—and his life—behind.
Ruthlessly.
Decisively.
Shuuji regretted it. He regretted not looking at Rintaro’s face one last time.
Because this time, Rintaro was truly gone.
The boy lay still on the bed, unmoving from early morning until the sun was already beginning to set.
He sat up and went downstairs, still not quite himself. As he walked slowly, he looked at his small hands, and then he had the urge to lift them to his neck. His tiny fingers wrapped around it like vines. He began breathing harder before tightening…slowly…slowly…
…until his breath hitched.
His eyes were wide open, realizing that if he tilted his head down, it would make it harder to breathe—so he looked at his feet as they stepped on the ground.
His vision was darkening, but then, there was another set of small feet in front of him, slightly bigger than his own, but small nevertheless.
His hands loosened their grip as he looked up. It was a boy in a uniform. There was a number 4 on his polo shirt, clearly indicating his grade level. Shuuji could only start first grade next year, so technically, the boy in front of him was indeed older.
Although the boy wasn’t faring much better. His hair was messy, and he had scratch marks all over his face. His uniform was dirty.
Shuuji only stared at him before looking away, trying to pass by, but the boy said,
“Where’s the taxi?”
Shuuji stopped in his tracks and turned back. “…Taxi…?”
“Yeah. I’ve been walking from school for quite a while now, but I still don’t see any cars,” the boy answered.
Shuuji looked at the boy’s uniform again and found it hard to believe. After all, the school was a mile away. The taxi parking was only near the school building.
“You’re…a mile away from the taxi…” Shuuji could only say.
“…?” The boy was speechless before finally reacting. “Huh?! But they clearly said to just walk straight ahead!”
Shuuji: “…”
“Anyway, take me to the taxi,” the other boy demanded.
Shuuji wanted to leave him alone, but he sighed and simply walked. “Follow me.”
The boys walked side by side, not talking for a while, before the boy in the uniform said, “You’re a little liar, you know that?” He was pulling a lollipop from his pocket, fighting with the wrapper as he continued, “I asked you because you’re a baby. But you’re even more disgusting than adults. Ugh—bleugh—” He retched before handing the candy to the little one. “Remove the wrapper for me.”
Shuuji frowned but did it anyway. After unwrapping it, though, he put the lollipop in his own mouth.
The other boy was stunned. “Wha—?! You’re so petty! That’s mine!”
As the older one whined, they finally reached a waiting area for buses. Shuuji pointed. “Bus.”
The other boy looked at it and said, “I don’t know how to take buses.”
“Then learn.”
Shuuji took the lollipop out of his mouth and forced it into the boy’s. The boy was so disgusted he wanted to throw it away, but it just so happened that it was his favorite flavor, so he was torn.
He gagged before realizing the smaller one was about to leave.
So he pulled the lollipop out of his mouth and called, “Hey, kid.”
When Shuuji turned around, he just said seriously, his green eyes wide open,
“Learn how to control your hands better.”
With that, the boy headed to the bus without even paying—and somehow hijacked it, since the driver thought he was a child of an older passenger.
Shuuji watched the bus for a moment, his hands at his sides. He was quiet.
Just like that, two years passed.
Shuuji was now seven years old. He had grown quieter—more in tune with his family’s dynamics.
Still, his sense of fashion had changed. He now wore hoodies regularly. He’d even developed a strange hobby: collecting bandages and storing them neatly in a cabinet. Sometimes, he would bring home old, tattered notebooks from who knows where and hide them under his pillow, reading the words inside and humming softly when alone.
“Asu ga jinsei saigo no hi da to shite
(Supposed tomorrow is the last day of life)
Kyou nani wo shite mo kui wa nokoru
(No matter what I do today, I will have regrets)
Aa "mou kietai" nante uso da
(it’s not true that I want to disappear)
Demo doushite mo koko ga itainda
(I just can’t help it – my heart hurts)”
Then, out of the blue, a letter arrived.
It was addressed to their house, but left unopened on the table. Shuuji was used to ignoring letters like that—usually business proposals for his mother and father.
But for four whole days, it remained untouched. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him, and he picked it up to read the envelope.
It was from Suribachi City.
Sender: R
To: Shuuji
The boy’s eyes widened, 'It’s Rintaro!'
Shuuji immediately opened the envelope and read the letter. The message boiled down to three things: Rintaro had found proper work—restoring jewelry; he wanted to know how Shuuji was doing; and he promised to visit soon—with the cake he’d once promised.
Shuuji’s eyes sparkled.
'Visit soon?' he thought. But he couldn’t wait.
So he rushed to his room, clutching the letter. He changed clothes, packed only a spare set and a lot of money into a sling bag, and ran outside.
He was going to Suribachi City.
To the address written on the letter.
Because he couldn’t wait to see Rintaro again.
This time, he was determined to see his face. He wouldn’t look away. No matter how Rintaro looked at him—he would accept it. Because in the end, it was still Rintaro.
The boy traveled far, hands gripping the letter, rereading it again and again. A small smile tugged at his lips.
But as soon as he reached the city entrance, it became clear how out of place he looked. His clean and tidy appearance contrasted sharply with the rough, worn-down environment. Suribachi was more slum than city.
Still, it was lively.
Shuuji’s first move was to find a telephone booth and call the number written on the envelope.
It rang for a long time before someone picked up.
“Yes, hello?”
Shuuji’s breath caught. His voice trembled with excitement. All his thoughts condensed into one word.
“Rintaro.”
There was a thump—something falling on the other end—then a flustered reply: “Hold on… S-Shuuji…?”
The boy nodded, then realized Rintaro couldn’t see him. “Mm. You said you’d meet me.”
There was a soft laugh on the other end. “Yeah. I was planning to... next week… wait, don’t tell me you—like before…”
“Yes! I’m in Suribachi now!” Shuuji said, unable to hide his excitement.
“What?! Now?! You really have no sense of danger, do you?!” Rintaro scolded. Then, more softly, “I’m actually about to meet a really important client. He just returned from France and wants a gemstone repaired.”
Shuuji hesitated. “…Oh… should I wait, then?”
“No. You’re already here. I’ll hand the job over to a co-worker. Just tell me where you are—I’ll come get you.”
Shuuji wasn’t surprised. Rintaro always chose him. That part never changed.
He gave his location. Rintaro—now 21 and no longer a teenager—said he was on his way, then hung up.
Across the street, a gang member lay injured from a fight, and his friend shouted into a phone.
“Are you fucking dumb?! I said no damn hospitals! Just call Mori-sensei! He’s tight with the leader anyway! Way better than those snitch-ass doctors! Hurry up or I’ll smash your ugly face in!”
Shuuji had been waiting for twenty minutes, but there was still no sign of Rintaro.
Then, a sleek black car drove past. The gang members piled in, and a calm man’s voice came from inside.
“Oh dear, that’s quite the injury. I’m afraid I’ll have to charge a little extra.”
Shuuji glanced at the car, but the windows were tinted. He couldn’t see the speaker. Then, the back window rolled down.
A teenage girl with blonde hair peeked through.
For a brief moment, she and Shuuji locked eyes.
She smiled and waved. Shuuji blinked, confused, before raising a hand and waving back.
Then, the telephone rang again.
He picked it up. “Hello, Rintaro? Where are you?”
Rintaro was walking, a smile on his face, a box of cake in hand.
“Sorry—I stopped by the bakery to finally get your cake. Took a while, huh? I got it from the main city. There’s a foreign-run facility nearby, and a dessert shop opened up next to it. A co-worker gave me a bite of their strawberry vanilla cake and I knew you’d love it!”
Shuuji smiled, “I don’t care how long it took. I’d wait forever. It sounds really sweet.”
He looked back across the street. The car’s window was rolling up, but the girl inside was still staring at him, unblinking.
As the car began to pull away, the ground suddenly shook.
A massive earthquake.
Shuuji clung to the telephone pole for balance, confused and terrified.
But Rintaro understood. He turned toward the facility—and saw it. Something inside was glowing. Bright. Red. Growing larger.
“Ah…” he gasped, instinctively shielding the cake. He didn’t know how, but he could feel it—he wasn’t going to make it. So he whispered,
“I’m sorry, Shuuji… I don’t think I’ll… be able to give you the cake… again…”
The line went silent.
Then came the explosion.
A boom so loud it seemed to tear the sky apart.
The center of the city collapsed into a crater, buildings vanishing into smoke and ash. But curiously, the outer edges were spared—as if out of pity.
Just like Shuuji was.
The phone line died. Shuuji panicked, trembling. His hand slackened. He stumbled, struck his head—and blacked out.
The earthquake had ended.
And with it, countless lives.
A man stepped out of the black car, floating slightly with help from the girl.
“You should be more careful, Master.”
The gang members in the car hadn’t survived. The man sighed again.
“There goes our profit… I haven’t even paid for this car yet…”
“You didn’t pay because you stole it,” Elise muttered, brushing off his coat.
The man scratched his cheek and pouted. “Hmph… You’re such a strong-willed woman, Elise. Daddy’s hurt.”
He turned toward the devastation. “Well… that was intense. I can’t heal the dead.”
Elise pointed toward a boy in the rubble.
“What about that one, Master? You’ve had your eye on him since earlier.”
Her eyes were his, after all. Both had been watching the same boy.
The doctor turned—and saw glowing blue light encasing the boy before shattering like glass. Other than a head wound, the boy was untouched.
His brow arched. A curious smile bloomed.
“…What a lucky find.”
Shuuji opened his eyes.
He woke up to white.
Memories flooded in all at once, and he jolted upright, rushing out of the room. Injured people surrounded him.
He searched desperately.
Then, on the wall, he found lists — Alive, Missing, and Deceased.
He scanned them all.
Rintaro’s name wasn’t in the first two.
His face paled.
No. He refused to believe it.
'Rintaro has that purple thing… he can’t be… he can’t be dead… it’s not true… it’s not true…' he muttered, spiraling into panic.
He ran to the shelter’s morgue, uncovering body after body.
Rintaro couldn’t be there. He shouldn’t be there.
Then he found it.
An unidentifiable corpse. Arms wrapped tightly in burnt bandages, frozen in a hugging position. Nothing remained in its grasp—but the air still smelled of sweet vanilla and strawberries.
Shuuji collapsed beside it.
He had promised himself he would look at Rintaro’s face this time.
That no matter what Rintaro looked like—he’d accept it.
So why, now that they were together again… couldn’t he see his face?
A guttural, wrenching cry echoed from his throat.
He didn’t feel the hot tears, or the way his hands squeezed his own neck.
His eyes were fixed on the body.
So close.
So close.
A man ran over and tried to pry his hands off, but the boy struggled—his body on autopilot, lost in madness.
Everything went dark as the man covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
Shuuji woke up strapped to a gurney.
His eyes were hollow.
No matter how much the man beside him talked, he couldn’t process anything.
That lasted for days.
Eventually, the man let him sit in a chair. Chatty as ever, he brought out a medicine kit and gently applied ointment to the scratches on Shuuji’s neck.
Then—he started to wrap a bandage around it.
Shuuji’s eyes widened.
The man’s neatly parted hair fell just above his shoulders… just like someone he knew.
Those eyes… the way he wrapped the bandages…
Shuuji reached up, grabbed the man’s wrist, and whispered with a trembling voice:
“…Rintaro…”
The man blinked, amused. “Oh no, I’m not Rintaro. I’m Mori Ougai. Ougai,” he repeated kindly.
But Shuuji didn’t hear him. He shook his head.
“No… you’re Rintaro…”
Mori chuckled and shook his head. “No. It’s Ougai. Ou-gai. Try saying it.” He even moved his mouth slowly, encouraging him.
But Shuuji only tightened his grip.
“You’re… Rintaro… You have to be. You can’t be someone else…”
There was something desperate in his eyes. Something broken.
Mori stared at him for a beat — then simply smiled and finished wrapping the bandage.
“Well… I suppose I can allow myself that name, if it pleases you.”
His fingers slid to Shuuji’s neck, feeling for a pulse.
“Tell me… would you be willing to come with me, little one? I might treat you to…”
He recalled the charred corpse.
The scent of cake.
“…something sweet. Like… cake, perhaps?”
Shuuji flinched. His voice was small. Hopeful.
“…Do you mean it? This time…?”
Mori stood, just as his hand lets go of Shuuji's skin, Elise entered. “Master, the car is ready.”
“We’ll be right there. Thank you, Elise.”
Elise glanced at the boy. “Who’s he?”
Shuuji recognized her—but it felt like a distant dream. He said nothing.
Mori turned with a smile.
“He’ll be your little brother. Osamu. Dazai Osamu.”
Shuuji stared, confused, “…Huh…?”
And just like that, the boy became someone new.
Dazai Osamu.
Chuuya sat inside the police department, contemplating life. He wasn’t in a cell anymore—thanks to whatever Tsukauchi had said to the HPSC — but he still wasn’t allowed to leave. That was the Commission’s condition: he needed to “reflect” on his actions, to recognize that what he did was still wrong.
So now, he was stuck sorting files—petty villains, low-class ones. His mind wandered as he recalled the message the boss had left him, in a recording Hirotsu had shown him:
[Hello, Chuuya-kun. I’ve been briefed about what happened during that mission. And, ah, as much as I’d love to assist both you and Dazai-kun personally, I’m rather busy maintaining our image here. We are the Night Wardens, after all. But I trust you understand. Kouyou’s also tied up—I had her handle a few things. Just do your best to learn while you’re in there. I doubt you’ll be harmed. Might as well enjoy your stay.
Oh, and say hi to Dazai-kun for me. I’m sure he’d love that.
Study well, my children~
Ah! Elise-chan! No more cake! You’ll get cavities!]
The recording ended, and as soon as Chuuya nodded, Hirotsu crushed the device without hesitation. It was obvious to both of them that the boss was speaking in code. It was better to stay cautious.
Now, Chuuya was stuck with the oh-so-enlightening task of “learning Musutafu’s morals.” He sighed and tapped the file folder against his leg.
The door opened.
It was the detective who’d detained him in the first place.
“How’s it going, lad?” Tsukauchi greeted with a smile.
Chuuya lowered the files onto the desk. “Annoying,” he muttered. “Reading these reports is really annoying.”
The kind of response that would normally tick someone off, but Tsukauchi didn’t seem to mind. If anything, it was a good sign. The boy was starting to act like himself again.
Much better than the quiet, downcast kid they’d first brought in.
“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Tsukauchi said with a shrug. Then he added, “Oh—almost forgot. Just got a call from the hospital. Your friend’s awake.”
Chuuya’s head snapped up. “Dazai… is awake…?”
There was a hint of excitement—relief—in his voice. So subtle he didn’t even notice it himself.
Notes:
Is the misunderstanding about Rintaro and Mori clear now? I hope so TTvTT
Chapter 31: Unwanted Liabilities
Summary:
a switch in perspective, indeed
Notes:
i hate deployment so baddd ughghgh
save me from dying T^T
Give me liberty (from deployment) or give me dazai body pillow! - redbun2x, not copyrighted, clearly original (jkjk)
Chapter Text
Class 1-A had been quiet for a whole day.
It was the second day since the USJ incident.
Everyone was still deep in thought—about everything they had been taught, and about their three strange classmates.
It’s not like they needed the gifted people in their class. But since the school year had started with them, having even one of the three absent felt like too heavy a blow for Class 1-A to swallow.
They had heard that Dazai-kun was still in a coma after sustaining severe injuries while trying to save Aizawa-sensei. Chuuya-kun was still imprisoned for murder, while Saigiku-san had been released early but was summoned back to HQ for “disciplinary action.” Of course, it wasn’t really disciplinary action—but neither these teens nor the rest of hero society needed to know what was unfolding within the Hunting Dogs.
Understandable, yes—but not exactly making sense to everyone.
That moment at USJ had made it painfully clear: accompanying the Gifted meant truly seeing the divide between them and us, we and they.
Gifted people and Superhumans weren’t just separated by power or ability acquisition. No—it was everything they believed in: from personal views to collective norms, from logical reasoning to moral conclusions, from personal conscience to political values.
For the proposed bill to pass, surely both governments had considered this issue… hadn’t they? And probably, they had. After all, Chuuya was in prison but not placed on trial. It was like a detention center. Jouno, serving directly under Yokohama’s government, was pardoned far quicker than anyone else. Lastly, Dazai was in a coma, being treated carefully in a hospital—without military interference—even though he could be considered Chuuya’s accomplice.
If these actions went public, society would surely be divided in opinion. So the HPSC did its best to censor the news, keeping it completely confidential.
Only a limited few knew: U.A. teachers and heroes, and Class 1-A.
Never in their wildest imaginations would they think Dazai had planted a seed of knowledge in the villains’ minds back at USJ—knowledge now seeping through the cracks, rooting itself.
Midoriya sighed, thinking of the mess they had gotten themselves into. But before he could even hear the sound of his own exhale, he caught another heavy sigh beside him.
“Iida-kun?” he asked. They sat at their desks while classmates chatted and ate. It was breaktime, and because of the recent villain attack, Class 1-A had become celebrities on campus. Add to that Class 1-B’s growing resentment and competitiveness—though Midoriya didn’t understand why their hostility had suddenly flared to new heights.
That was why most of Class 1-A chose to buy food and eat in the classroom.
“Are you alright? You’ve been sighing heavily since yesterday…” Midoriya finally voiced his curiosity. Uraraka, a takoyaki still stuffed in her mouth, nodded in agreement.
“Eh? Have I?” Iida blinked twice, surprised. He hadn’t realized his worries had shown so plainly. Clearly, he needed to learn better composure.
But when he saw Midoriya and Uraraka nodding eagerly, he faltered and confessed, “Well… I was just thinking about the USJ…” He trailed off, unsure how to phrase his thoughts.
Uraraka swallowed and grinned. “Don’t beat yourself up, Iida-kun! You did great, calling for backup!”
Midoriya nodded earnestly, adding, “That’s right! Without you, we would’ve been in a much worse situation! You even called so many pro-heroes!”
“Yup! Yup!” Uraraka chimed in.
Iida smiled faintly at their encouragement, but shook his head. “Actually, that’s not what worries me. I’ve been troubled by something else…” He crossed his arms in thought.
Midoriya leaned forward to ask, but in turning his body too quickly, his shoulder bumped into someone’s arm. “Ah—! I’m sorry—!” he blurted, flustered.
Looking up, he saw a boy with red-and-white hair. Todoroki Shoto, who had shown excellent potential from the start.
Todoroki nodded quietly, replying with equal politeness, “I’m sorry as well.” He seemed in a hurry, bag slung over his shoulder.
“Ah, are you going somewhere?” Midoriya asked curiously. Todoroki usually came and went as quickly as possible, often leaving early to head elsewhere.
But Midoriya immediately covered his mouth—realizing he sounded far too nosy. After all, he and Todoroki weren’t close.
Luckily, Todoroki wasn’t the type to be easily annoyed. He simply answered, “I’m visiting Dazai. Nkahara assigned me to do so.”
With a final nod, he left.
“Dazai-san, huh…” Midoriya murmured. Truthfully, he had wanted to visit Dazai himself, but with all the commotion, he hadn’t found the time—especially with All Might constantly checking up on him.
Mina and others also wanted to visit, but the hospital didn’t allow group visits. Uraraka even threw a near-fit when she learned she couldn’t see Chuuya in prison.
“So?” Uraraka brought the conversation back on track. “If that’s not what you’re worried about, Iida-kun, then what is?” She was definitely curious.
Midoriya’s train of thought disappeared, and he focused on Iida as well. That was when Iida recalled the time he rushed out of USJ to find pro-heroes as quickly as possible.
He had frantically shouted at nearby students, urging them to hurry and call pro-heroes to send them to USJ. As he sprinted toward the principal’s office, he passed the open door of the clinic and shouted for help there as well, explaining the situation to Recovery Girl and the two Ability users from Class 1-B inside—Yosano and Ranpo.
Recovery Girl understood immediately. She picked up the clinic’s telephone to alert the pro-heroes while offering Iida some water. He wanted to keep running, but he knew her call would be faster than his Quirk, so he reluctantly sat down, catching his breath and hydrating.
“No way, you’re not going.”
Iida heard the sudden commotion to the side. The boy sat on a hospital bed, flipping through an old hero magazine, while the girl was double-checking her suitcase.
Iida remembered them from their HBT course. They’d faced off in a mock battle of heroes versus villains—the boy, Ranpo, was exceptionally intelligent thanks to his Ability, while the girl, Yosano, could heal instantly. Iida inwardly hoped they could help his classmates too, especially the girl with the healing power.
“It’s just a bunch of kids. I’ll be done in no time,” Yosano said flatly, replying to Ranpo’s protests while checking her syringes and tools. Not everyone would need her Ability, but if anyone did, she’d be ready.
Ranpo frowned deeper, refusing to look at her. His eyes stayed fixed on All Might’s image in the magazine. “Does it even matter if you go or not? This isn’t Yokohama. They already have someone here. Frankly, you don’t need to do anything. It’s not your responsibility to take on unwanted liabilities. So, don’t go.”
Yosano stopped fiddling with her instruments and looked at him. She sighed. She knew what he was thinking, but simply replied, “It’ll be faster if I help. So my presence still matters, doesn’t it?” Closing her suitcase, she walked toward Iida. “Lead the way. I don’t know USJ.”
Iida, still confused by their exchange, snapped to attention. “Oh—! O-Okay! Okay—”
But before he could finish, Ranpo’s brows furrowed sharply. The magazine crumpled in his hand as he called out with sudden force, “Akiko!”
Iida and Yosano froze, startled by the weight of his voice.
Ranpo lowered his tone, trembling slightly. “Don’t go,” he repeated.
Yosano had a lot she wanted to say, but before she could form her words, Recovery Girl called Iida over, saying a car filled with pro-heroes was already on the way to the entrance. They had to hurry down.
In the end, Yosano only said, “I’m going.” Then she followed Iida and Recovery Girl out of the clinic.
Ranpo was left alone, clutching the crumpled magazine. His voice fell into a broken whisper. “I said… you really… cannot go…” His head lowered, chest heavy, caught between anger and reluctance.
Iida ended his recollection at the point where he and Yosano-sensei had rushed into the car bound for USJ. His frown deepened. “I think I made two friends argue with each other, and now Class 1-B is targeting our class… I am the Class Representative. How could I commit such a blunder?!”
Uraraka could only laugh awkwardly, patting his back stiffly. “T-That’s not your fault, Iida-kun…”
Midoriya was also surprised. At first, he thought Class 1-B’s hostility might just be about TV coverage and rivalry. But no—their resentment was because Class 1-A had somehow caused Yosano-sensei and Edogawa-san to fight.
Midoriya hissed uncomfortably at the thought. In the end, he pressed his palms together and prayed silently, 'May Edogawa-san and Yosano-sensei make up as soon as possible!'
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students packed their things, ready to hang out or head home as usual.
But Ranpo was caught in a dilemma.
Still busy giving Yosano the silent treatment, he ignored her completely, choosing instead to walk back to the inn by himself. The problem was, Ranpo wasn’t very good with directions.
He looked left, then right, then walked aimlessly, thinking he’d eventually stumble across a familiar alley. After all, he was used to being chauffeured by Sports car-san or guided by Yosano, who sometimes stopped by stores to buy him snacks. Without them, he couldn’t memorize the way at all.
He walked with his head down, sulking.
'It was Akiko’s fault,' he thought bitterly, 'She hadn’t even bothered to apologize.'
Last time, he’d waited for hours in the clinic, and she never came back. If Sports car-san hadn’t found him, who would’ve taken him back to the inn?
What Ranpo didn’t know was that Yosano had been busy with Dazai’s condition and had asked Monoma to escort him instead. Ranpo remained in the dark, his sullen mood deepening.
He had been right, he thought. He told Akiko not to go. But she was stubborn, and now things had turned out like this. Why waste her Ability on snot-nosed brats? They had their own clinic, even a hospital. They didn’t lack nurses or doctors… so why was she being so stubborn when he was only stating facts and… and—
Rrrringgg! Rrrringgg!
His phone vibrated. He hurried to answer, thinking it was the president or Akiko. A grin spread across his face. “Hello!”
But as the voice on the other end spoke, Ranpo’s smile slowly faded. “….”
When the person finished, Ranpo replied flatly, “Boo~. It’s obvious you’re a scammer. What name, what bank account? Anyway, I’ve got your coordinates. The police will be calling you in five minutes. Bye~!”
Beep. He ended the call, his hand falling limply to his side. That icky, familiar feeling returned, the one he hated. He walked forward on autopilot, bumping into strangers. “Oh, sorry… sorry…” he muttered.
Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him back. He stumbled, dropping his phone.
A truck screeched to a halt right in front of him, missing him by inches.
“Hey! Quit spacing out!” the driver barked out the window. “Can’t you see the red light?!” With that, the man drove off.
Ranpo stood frozen, wide-eyed, blinking in disbelief. “…Ah.”
He reached out for his fallen phone, but another hand caught his shoulder, spinning him around.
“Oh my goodness! Are you alright?! I’m so sorry if I hurt you!” a girl babbled in rushed English, cupping his face and checking his arms and legs in a panic. “I just acted without thinking—waaahh, I’m so glad you’re okay! I don’t want to lose a classmate and idol!”
Ranpo blinked at her, cheeks squished by her desperate hands. It was Tsunotori Pony.
“Ngh… I’m fine,” he muttered back in English.
Pony let out a huge sigh of relief, releasing him. She picked something up from the ground while Ranpo retrieved his broken phone. He tapped the screen, but it wouldn’t turn on. He groaned softly.
“Here you go!” Pony held out his glasses. “Thankfully, it's not broken, right?”
Ranpo examined them before putting them on. “Hm. Not broken indeed. Well, they can’t break. Mr. President gave them to me, after all. Very special.” He said it proudly.
Pony smiled, helping him to his feet. She dusted off his clothes, then asked gently, “Where were you headed, Ranpo? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Ranpo puffed his cheeks. “Back to the inn… but I don’t know the way. Do you know where the Ability users are staying? Or maybe just help me find a taxi.”
“Ah… unfortunately, I’m not very good at Japanese, so I don’t know much about the inn you mean…” Pony admitted shyly.
Ranpo shrugged, as if expecting her answer. “I thought so. So, what now? You’ve started to help me, so you should help me ‘til the end, right? Not good to abandon someone halfway.”
Pony’s eyes widened at the responsibility suddenly shoved onto her shoulders. After thinking hard, she suggested, “Then… how about crashing at my place for a few hours?”
Ranpo tilted his head. “Hm?”
Ranpo sat on the bed, feeling oddly baffled after being directly invited into someone’s room. This kind of thing had never happened to him before. Even with Mr. President, he had to invite himself into the man’s home—and back then, he had to learn to linger in the living room first before ever stepping into more personal places like the bedroom.
“Is this… a difference in culture?” he mumbled to himself in Japanese.
“Yes?” Pony tilted her head, her look asking him to repeat it so she could catch his words.
Ranpo, however, switched to English. “Do you have jellies?”
And so, in the end, Ranpo found himself busy eating an assortment of authentic American snacks, while Pony chatted with her Class Representative, Kendo, asking for advice on how to get Ranpo back home.
After finishing the call, she really wanted to take pictures of Ranpo happily eating. But she’d already taken two secret shots during HBT, and she didn’t want to go overboard.
…Still, she wanted a little souvenir, ah…
She was naturally shy and timid, but maybe because Ranpo was the one person who could really understand her—at least verbally—she felt a lot more comfortable around him.
In the end, she gathered her courage, sat down beside Ranpo, and casually draped her arm over his shoulder. Raising her touchscreen phone, she leaned in to take a selfie.
Ranpo was caught completely off guard. With his mouth full of sweets and his face full of confusion, he turned toward her, then toward the phone.
Click! Click! Click!
Ranpo—who had never been treated like this before—“???” He was utterly speechless.
Pony giggled. Since he wasn’t saying anything like “Hey, delete that,” she even showed him the photos before asking shyly if she could post one on social media.
Ranpo swallowed down the sweets and tilted his head, looking adorably puzzled. “Post it? Why?”
Pony beamed. “Of course! To celebrate the day we’ve become friends!”
“We are?” Ranpo asked immediately, making Pony choke on her saliva and almost burst into tears. “Aren’t we?!”
Ranpo blinked at her sudden emotional shift, frowning slightly. “Is it that simple to make friends?”
Pony froze, surprised, and looked at him more closely. She was about to speak when Ranpo continued, staring at his fingers.
“If I let people into my bedroom and give them snacks… will they befriend me too? Is that what this means?”
Ranpo thought that if making friends was as easy as that, then he wouldn’t mind doing it again and again—just so he could proudly show Mr. President how many friends he had made, and then… demand a well-earned praise.
Maybe it was because he wasn’t on good terms with Akiko, and Mr. President hadn’t been messaging him. Maybe that’s why he had taken the initiative to reach out to someone else to rid of the icky feeling.
“Ranpo, did you ever try making friends on your own before?” Pony asked cautiously.
The boy nodded, “Well, yeah. Mr. President… and Akiko… and… two more people…” He pressed down four of his fingers, leaving only the pinky raised. His frown deepened. He only had four friends. Was that why Mr. President had insisted he attend U.A…?
The girl just looked at him silently. She realized that while Ranpo might be intellectually gifted, he was still a stranger to ordinary things. But she didn’t say that out loud. Instead, she gently hooked her pinky finger with his.
“I guess I’m the fifth, then. Aren’t I lucky?” she grinned.
Ranpo looked at her, a little clueless.
So Pony elaborated, smiling warmly. “You’ve made friends even without letting them stay in your bedroom or feeding them snacks, right? I think you’re doing just fine. And I’m very honored to be your friend too!”
Ranpo didn’t speak. He just stared at her—silent, unblinking—until the doorbell rang.
Pony stood up quickly and excused herself.
Ranpo’s gaze dropped to his pinky finger. It still felt a little warm.
He tried to think it through—Mr. President, Akiko, the two people back then… Should Sports car-san be included? If so, then that stupid blondie should be, too. And now, there was Pony…
Eh? Somehow, Ranpo felt like he was collecting different kinds of yellow-headed creatures…
Multiple footsteps entered the room, and when he looked up, it was Akiko, the tall big-handed girl, and his chauffeur.
Akiko’s eyes softened as she smiled. “Shall we go back home, Ranpo-san?”
Ranpo still wanted to puff his cheeks and cross his arms, but… doing so might make him feel icky again.
So, in the end, he took the offered hand and said, “As long as we can get crepes first.”
Thus, Akiko didn’t bring up the cause of their argument, and Ranpo let it go for now. Either way, if someone dared to take advantage of her, Ranpo would deal with it—one way or another.
Back in Yokohama, in an unknown, hidden, private, and well-protected location, the three Hunting Dogs—Teruko, Jouno, and Tecchou—waited for their captain to arrive.
After all, it was about time they underwent another surgery.
But it seemed that some of the doctors were greatly dissatisfied with their “defective” patient.
The thought alone made Jouno tap his fingers on the armchair twice.
It irked him to the core.
..........
EXTRA:
Elise’s Secret Diary Entry 🍰
(written in pink glitter gel pen, stickers everywhere, and 90% sarcasm)
Dear Diary~ 💖
Ugh. Today was sooo boring. I had to sit in the car with those gross gang guys bleeding all over the leather seats like EWW. I told Rintaro they’d stain my dress!! And guess what? THEY DID.
Anyway. While I was waiting for Rintaro to finish patching up the gross guys (I swear he only saves ugly people 🙄), I saw this kid across the street. He was kinda weird.
You know that creepy quiet kid in school who eats glue and stares at walls?
Yeah, that was him.
But he was kinda... sad-looking. Like a puppy who just got kicked by life. And then I looked into his eyes and thought, “Ohhhh. He’s totally gonna be important.”
Because get this—
💥💥💥💥💥
BOOM
💥💥💥💥💥
EXPLOSION. ENTIRE CITY GOES BOOM.
And that little weirdo kid is still there, alive, like he’s in some kind of edgy sad boy manga or something.
So I told Rintaro, “Hey, that one. That’s the one you want.”
He looked at him, and you know what he said?
✨“What a lucky find.”✨
LIKE HELLOOOO??? YOU THINK I DIDN’T NOTICE YOU SMIRK WHEN THE ENTIRE CITY BLEW UP???
(Also yeah, you totally stole that cake idea from the dead guy. Don’t think I didn’t notice.)
Anyway. Fast forward—Rintaro carries the sad boy away, gives him a new name, blah blah blah. I was kind of excited. I thought I’d be getting a cute little brother or something.
But NOPE.
This one barely talks, stares all the time, and keeps trying to drown in bathtubs. Not fun!
He’s always reading books or scribbling in a notebook or putting bandages on his arms like ugh, so dramatic. Like, get a hobby. A fun one. Like harassing Rintaro – well, it’s fine. I can teach him.
But Rintaro says he’s special.
Like, extra special.
Like, “this kid will change everything someday” kind of special.
Hmph. I guess he’s alright. Sometimes I catch him humming songs under his breath when he thinks no one’s listening.
And sometimes, late at night, he says "Rintaro" in his sleep. Over and over. Like he’s afraid if he forgets the name, he’ll disappear too. I know it was a different Rintaro.
(So I never tell him. But I remember the other Rintaro for him.)
Rintaro says that memory will fade. That I’ll be enough of a sister for him.
...Well, duh. Of course I will. 😤
But sometimes… I wonder.
What would’ve happened if the cake had made it?
What if the boy hadn’t been the one left behind?
And sometimes, when Dazai’s not looking, I sit next to him and hum those weird old songs from his notebooks.
I know the words. I know the tune.
Because I’m the one who remembers what he wants to forget.
And me and Rintaro are one and the same.
THE END 💋
P.S. Rintaro owes me cake. Like, real cake. Not trauma cake.
P.P.S. If he says “I’m too busy with surgery” one more time I’m gonna put a needle in his eye.
P.P.P.S. Other Rintaro? You were kind of dumb. But I think I would’ve liked you anyway.
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