The morning passed uneventfully after the sparring session, and Kenji hoped the worst was behind him. Felix, despite his cocky demeanor, had thankfully kept his mouth shut about what had happened the day before. As for Kenji, he’d managed to hide his injury during sparring, though barely. His side still throbbed with each movement, and the tension between him and Felix was building by the minute.
Ren was talking a mile a minute as they walked to the next class, his usual carefree energy filling the air.
Kenji tried to stay focused on Ren’s chatter, but his mind was racing. The slightest mistake in Felix’s response, and everything could come crashing down. He kept shooting Felix cautious glances, silently begging him to stay on script.
Felix caught Kenji’s eye and gave a barely perceptible nod, his grin widening.
“Yeah, Spain’s a wild place,” Felix said with a chuckle. “Kenji here knows a little about it. Right, Kenji?”
Kenji’s heart skipped a beat. Don’t you dare, he thought. Felix’s tone was light, but Kenji could see the glimmer of amusement in his eyes, like he was deliberately toying with the situation. The tension in Kenji’s chest tightened, but he forced himself to play it cool.
“We’ve exchanged a few stories,” Kenji replied flatly, his expression calm despite the heat rising in his body.
Ren, oblivious as always, let out a loud laugh. “Man, I’d love to hear about those stories sometime!”
Kenji gave a quick, tight-lipped smile before walking ahead.
Felix shot a wink at Kenji, clearly enjoying the dance they were doing to keep things under wraps. For now, it seemed the secret was safe. But Kenji knew Felix could slip at any moment if he wasn’t careful.
In the locker room after classes, the usual chaos of students changing filled the air, but Kenji’s mind was elsewhere. The pain in his side had only gotten worse as the day dragged on, and now, he had to figure out how to change without anyone noticing his injuries.
Felix, already in his training gear, was leaning casually against a locker, watching Kenji with a knowing look. His gaze was intense, like he could see through the layers of Kenji’s composure. The locker room was filled with chatter, but the quiet between them was suffocating.
“You’re not seriously going to push through this, are you?” Felix muttered under his breath as Kenji turned his back to the others, trying to change without exposing the bandages wrapped around his torso.
Kenji shot him a quick glare. “This again? I already told you—I’m fine.”
Felix raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “You can barely move, and you’re telling me you’re ‘fine’? You’re a terrible liar.”
“I’ve handled worse,” Kenji snapped, pulling his shirt over his head quickly before anyone could see the fresh bruises.
Felix stepped closer, his voice low. “Look, I get it. You don’t want anyone to know. But going out there like this is going to get you caught.”
Kenji clenched his fists, feeling the familiar frustration rise. He didn’t want to admit it, but Felix was right. His body was screaming at him to stop, to rest. But he couldn’t let anyone see that weakness. Not now. Not with everything that was going on.
“If I sit out, it’ll be suspicious,” Kenji muttered, casting a glance around the room to make sure no one was listening. “I can’t afford that.”
Kenji focused on his breathing as he finished changing. He couldn’t afford to let anyone in, especially not now. Not even Felix.
“Just… be careful,” Felix added, softer this time. “You’re not invincible.”
Kenji’s jaw tightened, but he gave a brief nod. He didn’t need the reminder.
The second sparring lesson began, and Kenji immediately regretted not listening to Felix. Every movement sent a sharp stab of pain through his side, and it took every ounce of willpower to keep his expression neutral. He dodged as much as he could, keeping his distance from the more aggressive fighters.
Felix, on the other hand, moved with ease. His wind quirk gave him an advantage, allowing him to dart around his opponents with minimal effort. Kenji caught Felix’s eye more than once during the match, the unspoken tension between them hanging heavy in the air.
As the session dragged on, Kenji’s movements grew more sluggish. He could feel himself slowing down, the pain becoming harder to hide. He hadn’t taken a direct hit yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Felix watched him from the sidelines, his expression unreadable.
When the sparring session finally ended, Kenji staggered slightly, trying to hide the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him. Felix approached him quickly, making sure no one else was close enough to hear.
“You look like you’re about to drop,” Felix whispered, concern flickering in his green eyes. “You should’ve listened to me.”
Kenji gritted his teeth. “Oh, give me a break.”
Felix frowned but didn’t push the issue. “You’re stubborn, you know that?”
Kenji didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.
Later, after classes ended, Kenji headed toward the exit, relieved to be away from everyone. His side throbbed painfully, and he knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer.
Just as he stepped out of the building, he heard Felix’s voice behind him.
“Kenji.”
He turned, seeing Felix leaning against the wall, his hands shoved into his pockets. There was a strange seriousness in his expression, a look Kenji hadn’t seen before.
“What?” Kenji asked, keeping his tone guarded.
Felix glanced around, making sure they were alone. “You can’t keep this up forever. I know you’re used to doing things alone, but you need to be smart about this.”
Kenji narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that you’re not invincible,” Felix said, stepping closer. “Whatever’s going on with you, it’s going to get worse if you don’t start trusting someone.”
Kenji stared at him, feeling a strange mix of frustration and… something else. He hated how Felix seemed to see through him so easily. Hated how much he was starting to care about what Felix thought.
But before he could respond, Ren came bounding up to them, completely unaware of the tension.
“Yo, you guys heading out? I was thinking we could grab some food or something.”
Felix quickly shifted back into his usual cocky grin, his easygoing facade slipping back into place. “Yeah, maybe. I could use a break.”
Kenji, still rattled by the conversation, gave a brief nod, thankful for the distraction.
As they walked away, Kenji couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get more complicated. And for the first time, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it alone.
YOU ARE READING
MY HERO ACADEMIA:NEXT GENERATION
ActionTHIS story is about MHA next gen as the title says.. The protagonist is Kenji todoroki's journey to reach his dream of becoming a hero. Along with the strangles and the unfolding mysteries of his life. (What else do you want? It's MHA next gen read...
