Cherry Bomb

A Word To The Wise

Kaminari won't shut up about what you did in the pedestals game.

I flushed awkwardly. Why? It wasn't all that impressive. I'd made a huge gamble that happened to pay off. But even then, I couldn't protect everyone on my team. I couldn't save someone who was right next to me.

And why was everyone so worried about me? I'm their opponent. Kirishima didn't make it to the duels, so I'm not a threat to him. But still...isn't he frustrated that some stupid first-year advanced while he fell behind? Why are they being so nice to me?

It made me feel even worse.

What the hell is wrong with you?! You knew what he was gonna do, so why?! Why did you just stand there?!

I glanced at Bakugo from the corner of my eye. His gaze was fixed on the arena below, with his usual unapproachable expression. Even him...the person I'd hated for the past year...stepped in when I needed help. Just last night I instigated a fight and said all those horrible things...but he protected me anyway.

Iida's words kept playing in my mind over and over, like a song I couldn't escape.

How can you be so insolent?! You severely lack in the experience department. You're hoping to climb higher towards success. Towards being a hero. But heroes are supposed to be selfless. They don't commit acts for their own personal gain while disregarding the consequences.

He's right. I've been incredibly selfish. For the first time in my life, it felt like a good thing that my father wasn't around. I didn't want him to see the kind of person I'd become.

"Don't look so down, you're bumming me out," Kaminari complained, laying his chin on my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I insisted under my breath.

"You're upset about Bondo, right?"

I sighed, giving a brief nod.

"You did everything you could," he insisted. "Your grenade launcher scheme saved a lot of people, not just us. Bondo gets that."

I winced. "But I still failed."

Kaminari shrugged, talking quietly. "On actual missions, things like that happen. But everyone tried their hardest, and that's what matters. So don't have any regrets."

That's exactly why I had regrets. If this had been real, and we were fighting actual villains...Bondo would've been killed. I had to learn everything I could now, while there was still room for error. Because after graduation, the stakes would be much higher. The world is unforgiving. It gives and takes, indiscriminately.

I swallowed down the lump that rose in my throat. That's a lesson I learned a long time ago.

I winced and covered my eyes with my hand. A blindingly bright light suddenly shone from the middle of the arena. "What the hell - "

" - warp refraction!" Midoriya-senpai answered as he covered his own eyes.

"KENDO HAS BEEN K.o.d! HAGAKURE IS THE WINNNEEERR!" My homeroom teacher bellowed. The crowd's cheers were quiet claps and confused murmurs. Of course. It was hard to cheer for someone you couldn't see.

"That means we're up, Bakugo," Kaminari quipped excitedly, jumping from his seat. He winked at me and shot me two thumbs up. "Wish me luck, beautiful."

I flushed with annoyance. As if, I thought. The damn idiot. Besides, if he won I wouldn't get to fight...

Bakugo stepped over my knees and shot me a look from the corner of his eye, as if to say, don't do anything stupid.

I scowled up at him and snapped, "You better not lose." You have to make it to the end so I can finally beat you.