Teachers pet (COMPLETE)

Chapter 18: Reflections and Bonds

The U.A. Sports Festival has finally come to an end, and the crowd roars in excitement as the award ceremony begins. I stand with the rest of my classmates, watching as the top three competitors—Tokoyami, Todoroki, and Bakugou—are called to the podium. But when I see Bakugou, my heart sinks.

He’s completely restrained. His arms are bound, his body wrapped tightly in chains, and there’s even a muzzle over his face. He looks more like a captured villain than the winner of the entire tournament. The sight is disturbing. My stomach churns as I watch him struggling against his restraints, clearly furious—but there’s something more beneath the surface.

It’s not just anger.

Bakugou’s eyes dart around wildly, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. I recognize that look. He’s having a panic attack.

He’s reliving it, I realize, my chest tightening in empathy. The sludge villain incident—it must be flashing through his mind right now. And this? Being chained up like this, in front of thousands of people, is making it so much worse. I want to do something, to yell out that this isn’t right, that they can’t treat him like this. But I don’t. I just stand there, helpless, watching as All Might approaches the podium to hand out the medals.

All Might starts with Tokoyami, placing the bronze medal around his neck and offering him a warm congratulations. Tokoyami nods stoically, though I can see the pride in his eyes. All Might tells him that he has incredible strength, but he also gently advises Tokoyami to rely less on Dark Shadow and more on his own abilities.

Next is Todoroki. All Might drapes the silver medal around his neck and tells him that he understands why Todoroki held back during the final match. Todoroki, though, seems distant. He nods but doesn’t say much, clearly still lost in thought. I can’t help but feel for him. He’s been through so much, and I know the weight of his family’s expectations is still bearing down on him.

Then comes Bakugou.

All Might hesitates for a moment, looking at Bakugou with a mixture of concern and sympathy. He removes Bakugou’s muzzle, but as soon as he does, Bakugou starts yelling, his voice raw with frustration.

“I don’t deserve this!” he shouts. “That final match was a joke! I didn’t win the way I should’ve!”

My heart breaks a little for him. He’s been fighting so hard, but all he feels is bitterness. He’s angry at Todoroki for holding back, and it’s eating him alive. But All Might, as calm as ever, places the gold medal around Bakugou’s neck anyway.

“Society sees you as number one,” All Might says gently. “Even if you don’t.”

Bakugou’s struggles cease for a moment, but his eyes are still burning with that wild, desperate anger. He glares at the ground, refusing to accept any praise, and I can’t help but wonder how much this will affect him going forward. He’s been chasing this victory for so long, but now that he has it, it doesn’t feel right to him. It’s not enough.

The ceremony wraps up with All Might giving a final speech to all of us. His voice booms across the stadium as he congratulates every student who participated, reminding us that we all had a chance to stand on that podium.

As the crowd cheers, I can’t shake the image of Bakugou’s panicked eyes from my mind.

This isn’t how it should have gone.

As we leave the arena, I hang back a little, watching from the shadows as Kirishima approaches Bakugou. Kirishima’s always been there for him, and even now, he’s trying to calm Bakugou down, talking to him quietly, his hand resting on Bakugou’s shoulder. For the first time since the end of the festival, I see Bakugou’s shoulders relax just a little. It’s clear that Kirishima’s presence is helping him, even if he won’t admit it.

They’ve gotten closer, I realize, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. Kirishima’s loyalty and understanding are exactly what Bakugou needs right now, even if he won’t say it out loud. It’s strange, seeing Bakugou with someone he actually lets in. But then again, Kirishima’s the kind of guy who doesn’t give up on people. He sticks by Bakugou no matter how brash or angry he gets.

As I turn away from the scene, my eyes catch Kaminari and Shinsou talking nearby. Shinsou is usually so guarded, but I can see that Kaminari’s easygoing nature is slowly breaking through his walls. The two of them are laughing about something, and it feels good to see Shinsou opening up, even just a little. I can tell they’re going to be great friends, and it warms my heart to see Shinsou, who’s always seemed so alone, starting to connect with someone.

It’s nice to see them all growing like this, I think as I walk towards the exit. The bonds we’ve formed, the friendships we’ve strengthened—they’re just as important as any of the battles we’ve fought.

I pause for a moment, looking up at the sky, my mind drifting to Aizawa-Sensei. I wonder if he’s watching from somewhere, if he’s proud of me. I can’t help but think about everything he’s taught me, all the advice he’s given. He’s always been the one to push me to be better, to control my quirk, to focus. I shake my head slightly, telling myself once again that it’s just a silly teenage crush.

But even as I tell myself that, I know it’s more than that. Aizawa-Sensei believes in me, and that belief pushes me forward. I can’t let him down.

With that thought in mind, I take a deep breath and step forward. The Sports Festival is over, but our journey is just beginning.