I woke up with the ghost of a kiss still lingering on my lips.
Damn.
Rolling onto my back, I stared at the ceiling, replaying yesterday in my head—Nejire's laughter, the way her fingers tangled with mine, the look on her face when I kissed her forehead. And then—
—her lips against mine, quick and warm—
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.
"Get a grip, Kenjiro," I muttered to the empty room.
But I was smiling.
The orphanage sent me off with more teasing than usual—Aiko's exaggerated kissy faces, Mrs. Tanaka's knowing smirk—but I ignored them, tossing a lazy wave over my shoulder as I headed out.
The walk to UA was quiet, the morning air crisp. My mind kept drifting back to Nejire, but by the time the school gates came into view, I'd shoved those thoughts aside. Mostly.
Class 1-A was buzzing when I arrived.
"Kenjiro!" Kirishima grinned, waving me over. "Dude, you're all over the news!"
I blinked. "What?"
Jiro snorted, spinning her phone around to show a headline: "UA Student Cuts Villain's Bio-Engineered Monster in Half!"
"Oh," I said. "That."
Ashido bounced over. "You're famous! People are calling you the 'Mochi Blade'!"
I grimaced. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
Kaminari clapped me on the back. "Embrace it, man. You're a celebrity now."
Before I could retort, the door slid open—and Aizawa shuffled in, bandaged but alive, his usual dead-eyed glare in place.
The room fell silent.
Aizawa didn't bother with greetings. "The UA Sports Festival is in two weeks."
A beat. Then—
"TWO WEEKS?!" the class exploded.
"After the USJ—" "Shouldn't we cancel—" "We just got attacked—"
Aizawa's Quirk flared, silencing them. "The Festival is not optional. It's the single biggest opportunity for you to get scouted by pro heroes. The world will be watching." His gaze swept the room. "If you want to be heroes, act like it."
The weight of his words settled over us.
Bakugo's fists clenched. "Tch. About damn time."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed, icy and focused.
And Izuku?
He looked like he was about to vibrate out of his seat.
This is gonna be chaos.
The cafeteria was louder than usual, the buzz of the Sports Festival announcement electrifying the student body.
"I'm gonna crush it!" Kirishima declared, slamming his tray down.
"Like hell you will," Bakugo snapped.
Ochaco, sitting across from me, suddenly slammed her hands on the table, eyes blazing. "I'm gonna do my best!"
We all stared.
She blinked, then flushed. "I-I mean—I just—"
I smirked. "What's got you all fired up, Cheeks?"
She fidgeted. "It's just… the Festival's a huge chance, right? To get noticed?"
Izuku nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Pro agencies scout students based on their performance!"
Ochaco took a deep breath. "I… I wanna be a hero for the money."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!" Izuku and Tenya yelped.
Ochaco hunched her shoulders. "My family's construction business isn't doing great. If I get licensed, I can use my Quirk to cut costs—floating materials, reducing labor—"
Tenya adjusted his glasses. "That's… actually brilliant."
Izuku's eyes shone. "You'd be helping and following your dreams! That's more heroic than just wanting fame!"
Ochaco's face turned pink. "Y-You think so?"
I leaned back, arms crossed. "Hell yeah. Practical and noble. You're gonna wreck the Festival, Cheeks."
She beamed, resolve hardening. "I will!"
The Sports Festival.
A chance to prove myself—not just to the pros, but to everyone. To show what I could really do.
And maybe, just maybe…
Nejire'll be watching.
I smirked.
Time to give her a show.
******
I was just starting to digging my food when a massive hand clapped down on my shoulder, nearly making me drop my tray.
"Young Kenjiro! Young Midoriya!"
I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was—that booming voice was unmistakable. All Might stood behind us in his muscle form, grinning like he hadn't just scared the crap out of half the cafeteria.
"Come with me," he said, quieter now. "We need to talk."
Izuku stiffened beside me, his grip tightening on his tray. "A-All Might? Is everything—"
"All good!" All Might cut in, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just a private chat."
Ochaco and Tenya exchanged glances.
"We'll save you seats!" Ochaco said, forcing a smile.
Tenya adjusted his glasses, shooting me a look I couldn't quite read. "Don't keep him waiting."
As we followed All Might out, I caught Shoto's gaze lingering on us from across the room—cold, calculating.
Great. Now even Icyhot's curious.
All Might led us to a private lounge—plush couches, a low table, and a teapot already steaming. He collapsed onto the sofa with a sigh, his form shrinking in a puff of smoke, leaving the skeletal Yagi Toshinori in his place.
Izuku flinched. "All Might—!"
"Fifty minutes," All Might rasped, pouring tea with trembling hands. "That's all I can manage now."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Izuku's hands shook. "But—after the USJ, you fought Nomu for longer—"
"Adrenaline," All Might said simply. "And stupidity." He chuckled, but it sounded hollow. "I'm on borrowed time, my boys."
I leaned back, arms crossed. "So what's the plan?"
All Might's eyes flicked to me, then to Izuku. "The Sports Festival."
Izuku paled. "Y-You mean—"
"Your debut," All Might said firmly. "The world needs to see the next Symbol of Peace."
Izuku looked like he was about to pass out. "B-But I can't—I'm not—you're the Symbol, not me—"
All Might's hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Remember the beach, young Midoriya. Remember how far you've come."
Izuku's breath hitched.
I sipped my tea, watching the exchange. All Might's faith in Izuku was unshakable—but the kid looked like he was about to crumble under the weight of it.
"You're asking a lot," I said bluntly.
All Might met my gaze. "The world asks more."
The walk back to class was silent. Izuku kept his head down, fists clenched at his sides.
"You good?" I finally asked.
He swallowed hard. "I don't… I don't know if I can do this, Kenjiro."
I stopped, turning to face him. "Then why'd you take his power?"
Izuku flinched. "I—I want to be a hero, but—"
"But nothing," I cut in. "You've got the strength. You've got the heart. Now you just need the nerve."
Izuku's eyes widened.
"All Might didn't pick you because he thought you'd fail," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. "So stop acting like you will."
For a second, he just stared at me. Then, slowly, his shoulders straightened.
"...Right."
When we got back to the cafeteria, Tenya and Ochaco were deep in conversation—with Shoto sitting way too close for someone who supposedly didn't care.
"—relationship with All Might is clearly significant," Tenya was saying, adjusting his glasses. "But it's not our place to pry."
Shoto's icy gaze flicked to us. "Unless it affects the Festival."
Ochaco blinked. "Huh? Why would—"
"Kenjiro!" Kirishima's voice cut through the tension as he waved us over. "Dude, where'd you go?"
I smirked, sliding into my seat. "Secret hero business. Very classified."
Ashido groaned. "Ugh, mysterious."
Izuku laughed weakly, but his hands were steadier now.
Shoto's eyes didn't leave us.
Yeah. This Festival's gonna be a bloodbath.