47

Chapter 43

Two hours.

I had two hours to get my arms repaired in a half-assed sense. Two hours to rest before Bakugo and I laid everything out before these people who craved to see the most unhinged and bloodthirsty students of the evening. They'd wanted to see Bakugo and I so badly- that they booed the fact that they had to repair the stage. Boo'd the fact that I had opted for the two hours they offered for me to rest.

I hadn't rested. Instead, as soon as the match had ended, All Might had specifically asked for Izuku and I to be taken to separate rooms. This was a decision I was grateful for, I didn't even have the heart to look at him. Nor could I. I had to focus on Bakugo this next round, somebody who had seen last round just exactly what weaknesses I would walk out of this room with.

When I first got here, I hadn't been in the room not even a moment before All Might was beside me, telling me to bite down on a blanket. I didn't have the energy to ask why, but I understood as soon as he popped my shoulder back into place. Though the extent and strain of my injuries would always be minimal due to high pain tolerance and the supplements One For All offered, I still found myself in pain. I had no idea what state Izuku had been in. As All Might shifted between our rooms every ten minutes for two hours, I was left to go on mumbles of, "he's fine."

My legs were seemingly unharmed, All Might's horrible training finally going to show for something. I'd only been left with one injured arm and after Recovery Girl did her best, I was left with soreness and scars to show. Though she had immediately wrapped it in order to hide these scars from me due to All Might's instructions, she couldn't protect the fact that I had already seen the damage.

Between every short healing session, I'd taken to napping between each one. I could've sworn I'd seen spiky blonde hair wandering awfully slow past my room at some point but I couldn't tell if I'd dreamed it.

Now, I'd found myself with a ten-minute countdown to my final match. I felt fine, the aching not enough to hinder my performance. The only thing concerning me now was the fact that Bakugo and I had gotten into it just hours before. I'd felt horrible, I'd never wanted that fight but sometimes I forgot how quick to anger he was. He and I had exchanged words that would be seen as treacherous to others before, so why those exact words had irked him so horribly, I wasn't sure. Neither would I ever know, he never spoke.

The door cracked open, "Asami, let's go kiddo." All Might watched me as I sighed, pulling some monitor from my finger as I got up and made my way towards him. He turned to follow closely behind me, mumbling to himself about how he was nervous. My head was down and I could see my hair dangling in my eyesight.

Damn it. Can I do this?

"How are you feeling?" He asked,

"How is Izuku?" I muttered.

"I told you to wait until after you're done."

I stopped, turning to face him. "Done!? You've been saying after I won all day. You don't think I'll win anymore, do you?"

"You've been through a lot kid," I wanted to yell at him, tell him that he was wrong. But he was right. Every bet had been placed on Bakugo after that last fight. People didn't want to lose money on the girl who blew her arm in the semi-finals, they'd seen Izuku lose after doing the same thing. Still, I had the admiration aspect.

I turned back, beginning to walk away as I hung my head once more. "Sure."

We stood at the end of the tunnel, Present Mic ushering the crowd to settle their roar. All Might was rubbing out my shoulders like some coach about to send their boxer into the ring.