Heartbreaker | BNHA x Reader

[33] Manifestation

Izuku had placed first in the obstacle race. That was a good thing. You were more than just happy for him-you were overjoyed, even. It felt like all of his efforts were finally being recognized, and even though Izuku had to keep it a secret, you were sure that All Might was probably proud of him too.

But what did he get in exchange for winning?

A big fat target on his head.

"The person who placed first will be worth ten million points!"

Midnight said that the next stage would be a cavalry battle. Participants would form teams and strive to steal headbands from rival groups in order to earn as many points as possible. The points increased by intervals of five, and the higher someone scored on the obstacle race, the more points they were worth.

Except for Izuku, who had become the glaring exception, and would surely be targeted by everyone who was still in the competition.

"Man, this is such bullshit," you couldn't help but mutter. Of course, you knew that everyone was here to win, but it felt like a major punch in the gut. He'd done such a good job in the previous stage, but he was basically being punished for it.

Unsurprisingly, Izuku was pale as a sheet. You had to tap him on the shoulder to jolt him back to his senses.

"It'll be okay," you reassured. "I'm still going to team up with you, no matter what. I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but if you're willing to have me, I promise I'll do my best."

"[N-Name]..."

Izuku proceeded to burst into tears, and that part wasn't surprising either. You chuckled weakly and pulled him into a loose hug, then patted him on the back several times to try and get him to calm down a bit.

Needless to say, you were far too preoccupied with this new revelation, so you still didn't notice the two other boys that were openly glaring at you.

Muting the system was clearly the right call, because right now, ignorance was bliss.

Anyways. It was time to form teams.

"I really appreciate you sticking with me," Izuku beamed, slowly wiping the tears from his eyes. "You're always so kind, [Name]. Even though I'm definitely going to be targeted by everyone, you're still willing to help me out. Thank you so much."

"I should be thanking you for accepting me," you said sheepishly. "I'm honestly worried I might just drag you down..."

"What? No way! Your Quirk is awesome, and there's so much you can do with it! Actually, seeing that jetpack you used earlier gave me an idea. You said you can store the items you create, right? So, that means you can bring it back out again?"

You nodded. "Yeah. I can pull it out whenever. Do you think it'll give us an edge for this next match?"

"Definitely," he grinned. "It'll really help with our maneuverability, since everyone will be rushing at us nonstop."

What a pleasant turn of events. Not only were you proud of yourself for managing to pull off a complicated crafting recipe like the jetpack, but it seemed like it could be put to use once again. It made you happy to know that you could help Izuku out, even if it was only a little.

"The total point accumulation doesn't matter in our case," Izuku continued. "Which is why we don't need to bother searching for other people that scored really high. All we need to focus on is defending my headband until the very end. And I've got the perfect people in mind that can help us pull that off!"

Uraraka was the first person on Izuku's list. Her Zero Gravity Quirk was an all-around useful addition, and thanks to her friendly demeanor, she didn't hesitate to team up with the two of you. It was nice to work with people you were familiar with, after all. Definitely a lot more reliable than teaming up with strangers.