Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. The power went out at my house just as I was writing this chapter, and unfortunately, I lost everything. I had to redo it from scratch, and honestly... it was pretty demotivating.
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I looked at all of them in silence for a few seconds.
Well... this is convenient.
Sooner or later, they were going to find out. Better now.
I let out a small sigh and took a couple of steps forward. I could feel all their eyes on me—curious, confused, and in some cases… expectant.
"It's true," I said. Firmer than I expected. "I don't have a quirk."
Tsuyu blinked, saying nothing else. I guess she just wanted confirmation of what she already suspected.
The expressions on the others' faces said the same. None of them had figured it out on their own, that much was obvious. Someone had told them. And I didn't need to be a genius to guess who had talked.
"That sounds super manly!" Kirishima suddenly blurted out, breaking the awkward silence with a big, admiring grin. "You made your own team? That's awesome!"
Kirishima's comment changed the mood.
They went from surprised to… curious? Yeah. They weren't looking at me like I was hiding something weird anymore. Now they looked like they wanted to understand. Well—except for two.
Bakugou was eyeing me like he couldn't decide whether to blow my head off with an explosion or just use his hands. Frown, clenched jaw, twitching fingers… Nothing new, I guess.
Todoroki, on the other hand, looked away after giving me a brief glance. No mockery, no scorn. Just that distant calm of his, like he'd already made up his mind and didn't plan on thinking about it any further.
Momo stepped closer, intrigued.
"That must've taken a lot of technical knowledge," Yaoyorozu said, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "Did you build it all by yourself? Or did you have some kind of specialized mentorship?"
"Self-taught," I replied bluntly.
"That's amazing!" Hagakure squealed, bouncing slightly with excitement. I couldn't see her, of course, but her gloves floating in the air let me know where she was. "I knew you were weird, but not in a bad way! In the cool kind of weird!"
Not sure if that was really a compliment… but at least it sounded honest.
"Thanks… I guess," I mumbled, glancing ahead.
"Wow… seriously impressive," Kaminari said with a slightly awkward smile. "I never would've guessed, but hey, that makes it even cooler."
"Your costume looks good," Jirou added, in her usual neutral but genuine tone.
Before anyone else could say anything, a booming voice cut through the classroom.
"Alright, class!" All Might's voice thundered, interrupting any further comments. "The next match is about to begin!"
Everyone's attention instantly shifted.
I stayed with my arms crossed, silently watching the rest of the matches from the control room. Most of them were predictable—technically interesting, sure, but not much stood out.
Though, I'll admit, the fight between Midoriya and Uraraka versus Bakugou and Iida ended just like in the show. Not a surprise. The protagonist always wins... Except in NTR doujinshi. In those, all he gets is cheated on.
When it was all over, All Might gathered us in front of Ground Beta's entrance.
He said goodbye quickly, striking a heroic pose with one finger pointed upward. Then he vanished around a corner—probably to switch back to his skinny form before his time ran out.
Following his directions, I returned to my seat. A few students were already in the classroom, chatting excitedly about how intense the battles had been.
Not even half a minute had passed since I sat down when Mina walked over. She was moving a bit slower than usual, with her hands behind her back and a nervous look on her face. I noticed it right away.
"Hey, Tachibana... I'm really sorry," she said softly, lowering her head a little. "It's my fault the class found out you didn't have a quirk. I... I didn't mean to put you in such an awkward spot."
I looked at her calmly, not upset at all. Her eyes were locked onto mine, as if she was trying to confirm I wasn't mad.
I gave her a gentle smile.
"Don't worry about it, Ashido. They were going to find out sooner or later."
"Really?" she asked, glancing up slightly. She still seemed unsure, like she didn't fully believe I'd forgiven her.
It wasn't an expression I usually saw on her. Since the moment I met her, she'd always been energetic, outgoing, with a smile as bright as her personality. Seeing her like this... well, I didn't like it. So I decided to do something about it.
"How about this?" I said, softening my tone. "I'll forgive you—if you start calling me by my first name. I mean, we're friends, right?"
Honestly, I didn't care much about that kind of formality. But in Japan, calling someone by their given name meant you trusted them. It was a small gesture—but a meaningful one.
Mina blinked in surprise… then smiled.
"Then… thank you, Riku!" she said cheerfully, back to her usual energetic self. "You can call me Mina too!"
From there, the conversation flowed naturally. Even Momo, who was sitting to my left, joined in. We talked about some of the matches, shared a few jokes, and answered a bunch of technical questions—mostly from Yaoyorozu—about how I built certain parts of my gear.
Not long after, Midoriya came back from the nurse's office. A bunch of classmates greeted him, praising how cool he'd looked during his match. Then I watched him walk down the aisle, heading straight toward Bakugou. I didn't bother paying attention to what came next. I already knew the pattern: shouting, tension, maybe some kind of attempt at reconciliation. And probably more shouting from Bakugou. Nothing worth my energy.
Class was finally over, and it was time to head home.
Before heading out, Mina invited me to walk to the gates with a group that included Kirishima, Hagakure, Kaminari, Jirō... even Momo was with them. Had we formed a group? I didn't give it much thought, but the idea felt nice.
Still, I had to turn the invitation down. I had a meeting scheduled with Power Loader.
They understood without any issue, and just before leaving, Mina asked for my contact info. Actually, she was collecting everyone's numbers.
I didn't hesitate. I pulled my phone from the inside pocket of my bag and gave her my number. She quickly added it to her list, along with everyone else's.
And with that, I split from the group.
A few minutes later, I was walking toward the Support Course building. Just a few steps ahead stood the large metal door to the workshop.
"So they already fixed it... that was fast," I muttered, remembering how it had been practically hanging off the frame during break earlier.
I stopped in front of it and raised my hand to knock.
I never got the chance.
BOOM.
An explosion from the other side shook the entire structure, and the metal door blasted off its hinges with a sharp screech, flying past my face by inches before slamming into the wall behind me with a loud crash.
"What the—?!" I managed to say—but didn't get to finish.
The air was knocked out of me as I fell backwards, not fully understanding what just happened. The moment my back hit the ground, something heavy slammed into me.
Or rather... someone.
Two familiar weights landed right on my face—soft, firm, and warm.
And for a split second, my brain completely shut down.
Déjà vu. A very soft one.
"Huh? You're that guy from the Hero Course, right? What was your name again?" asked a familiar voice from right above me.
I recognized it instantly.
I tried to turn my head—what little I could—and forced my eyes open. A pair of giant goggles and messy strands of pink hair confirmed exactly what I'd feared.
"...Hatsume," I muttered, my voice muffled by lack of air... and dignity.
"Oh right! That was it!" she said, like it had just come back to her. "Tachibana-kun, right? Nice seeing you again! What brings you here?"
"I was... coming for my meeting with Power Loader," I managed to say, still flat on my back. "Could you... get off me?"
"Huh? Oh! Right, right!" she said, as if just realizing her position. She bounced up quickly.
I could finally breathe normally again. Still, I didn't get up right away. I needed a moment to process the fact that Mei Hatsume had just crash-landed on my face. Again.
A loud metallic clang echoed from the back of the workshop, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps heading our way. I knew that sound. A few seconds later, Power Loader appeared in the doorway—covered in grease, smoke… and rage.
"HATSUME?!" he roared, the vein on his forehead about to pop. "How many times have I told you not to test pressure launchers near the entrance?! Are you trying to blow up the workshop again?!"
"It was just a calibration test!" Mei replied, spinning around with her usual carefree grin. "And technically, the workshop didn't explode. Just the door. That's progress!"
Power Loader clenched his fists.
I was still on the ground, but I started to sit up. My ears were still ringing.
Then he noticed me.
"Tachibana...?" he said, and his tone changed instantly. He lowered his voice and walked over. "You okay?"
"More or less. Not the worst explosion this week," I said, brushing the dust off my clothes.
He let out a sigh—this one more tired than angry.
"Tch. Sorry about that."
"I'm starting to think this is just part of the welcome protocol," I joked with a faint smile.
He shook his head and motioned toward the inside.
"Come on. Since you're here, let's get started. And you—" he turned to Mei with a raised brow, "get inside already."
"Yes, sir!" she said, brushing the dust off her overalls.
We stepped into the workshop.