"These are the results of yesterday's practical exam."
Aizawa finished speaking and placed a stack of papers on the corner of his desk before turning his attention back to his students.
Most of the class had passed, but a few looked completely dejected.
Those being: Mina, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, and Sato.
Mina tapped both Himiko's and my shoulders as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Himiko-chan... Sniff... Kaneki-kun..."
"..."
Himiko and I exchanged a quick glance before turning our attention back to Mina.
"Enjoy the summer training camp without me!"
Just as she was about to burst into tears, Aizawa got everyone's attention.
"Obviously, the ones who performed poorly on the practical exam are the ones who need the training camp the most."
Those who had been hanging their heads immediately looked up.
"Does that mean...?"
"Yes. Everyone will be participating in the training camp."
Mina's expression changed instantly as she jumped into the air with one arm raised.
The others reacted the same way, though with a little less enthusiasm.
"WOOOOHOOOO!!"
Only to immediately deflate again after the teacher's next sentence.
"However, you're still on remedial status."
"You'll be attending remedial classes there every day."
"Ahhhh..."
"..."
"At least we're still going..."
"Yeah..."
Aizawa wore that peculiar little smile of his as he watched his students suffer, but after seeing it so many times, we'd all gotten used to it.
"Well..."
Aizawa stood up and picked up the papers from his desk.
"You're dismissed early today."
"I expect everyone in front of UA this Sunday at six in the morning."
"Don't be late."
With that, the teacher left the classroom, leaving us free to chat.
"Haaaa, what a relief."
Mina collapsed onto Himiko's desk, while Himiko simply watched her friend's theatrics with a gentle smile.
"I really thought I wasn't going to be allowed to come."
She rolled over on top of the desk until she was lying on her back.
"I need to buy a few things..."
"Me too. I need a insect repellent."
Uraraka joined the conversation, and before long all the girls gathered together, forming the girls' discussion group...
And me...
It didn't last long, though. Uraraka and Tsuyu dragged Midoriya and Iida into the middle of it, and the rest of the boys quickly joined as well.
"I think they'll provide accommodations, Kaminari-kun..." Momo said.
"Ahhh... So we won't be sleeping in tents?"
Kaminari, Kirishima, Sero, and honestly, most of the guys, including me, had been excited about the idea of camping in tents.
"Nothing says they won't."
"THERE'S STILL HOPE!"
"Another thing we have to do is tell ghost stories around a campfire!"
"That sounds fun!"
"Guys!" Mina and Toru called out, getting everyone's attention.
"How about we go shopping at the mall today?"
"It seems like everyone has something they need to buy, so I think it'll be fun!"
"Sounds good!"
"Is everyone coming?"
In the end, almost everyone agreed to go.
Only Todoroki wouldn't be joining us, since he was going to visit his mother at the hospital.
Bakugo was reluctant to come, but Kirishima, Kaminari, Midoriya, and I kept pestering him until he finally gave in.
Well... Midoriya and I were mostly just adding to the pressure, but it worked.
─── ◆ ───
A few hours later, we were all gathered at the mall.
I was holding Himiko's hand as we followed the lively group, trying not to get separated in the middle of the crowd.
It was Friday, so even though it was still afternoon, the place was packed.
"What are you going to buy, Himiko-chan?"
"Oh, just a few smaller things. Insect repellent, sandals, and maybe some swimwear. I don't know if we'll be swimming there."
"Ohhh, that's true!"
"I'm buying one too!"
"Kero, I need a new water bottle."
Without realizing it, the group temporarily split up depending on which stores everyone wanted to visit.
Himiko, Toru, Mina, Momo, Bakugo, Kaminari, Sato, Kirishima, and I headed toward a clothing store.
Since Mina and Momo knew the mall well, they led us straight to the escalators leading to the second floor.
We walked alongside the glass railing, from where it was easy to appreciate just how enormous the mall really was.
"Hey, where's that Deku nerd?" Bakugo asked after looking around.
"Midoriya?"
"I don't know. Maybe he went with the other group?"
"Didn't he go with Uraraka-chan?"
'Hm...'
I glanced down toward the first floor.
It didn't take long to find him.
Midoriya was sitting on one of the benches in front of a massive fountain.
He wasn't alone.
There was a hooded man sitting beside him...
"..."
'Midoriya doesn't look okay...'
I leaned against the glass railing, narrowing my eyes as I tried to make out the man's face.
"..."
"He..."
My Kakugan activated instantly.
"Kaneki-kun?" Himiko placed a worried hand on my shoulder.
I crossed my arms and leaned farther over the railing, ready to jump down from the second floor.
─── ◆ ───
Third-Person POV
Shigaraki's hands were firmly wrapped around Midoriya's throat.
All it would take was activating his Quirk...
Just a single second, and Midoriya's head would be completely separated from his body.
But that wasn't his objective here.
In fact, running into Midoriya had simply been a stroke of luck.
And with that luck, he had found the inspiration he had been searching for.
However, in the middle of his "conversation" with Midoriya, Shigaraki felt a chill run through his entire body.
It was a peculiar sensation.
It felt as though someone had placed a knife directly against his throat.
Which was rather ironic, considering the position he himself was in at that very moment.
He looked up.
Even with the crowds moving across the second floor, his eyes immediately locked onto the two crimson points staring directly back at him.
Kaneki looked as though he were staring straight into his soul.
Despite standing motionless on the second floor, he gave the impression that he could slit Shigaraki's throat at any moment.
Other familiar faces began appearing beside Kaneki, but he ignored them.
'Doesn't look like he'll hesitate to use his Quirk here.'
'Surrounded by all these people?'
'...'
"Hehe..."
A wide grin spread across Shigaraki's face as he stared back at Kaneki.
'A valuable addition to the League... alongside that explosive blond.'
"Hehehe..."
"Midoriya-kun... do you... know this man?" Uraraka asked worriedly.
She had just arrived and immediately noticed the discomfort on Midoriya's face.
"You're lucky today."
"But we'll meet again later..."
Shigaraki released Midoriya's throat and stood up.
After giving Kaneki one last look, he walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
─── ◆ ───
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