All Might x Student!Reader (Boku no Hero Academia)

Chapter 12 - The Cost of Distraction

After giving it a lot of thought, you realized there was no way you could keep your emotions hidden for much longer. Despite your best efforts, the signs were there for anyone to notice: the way you stuttered whenever All Might was near, how your face flushed an embarrassing shade of red any time he so much as glanced in your direction. You expected someone to figure it out eventually; after all, you were in Class 1-A at U.A. High School, surrounded by people who were not only future heroes but also incredibly observant of one another. Everyone was constantly analyzing their peers, measuring up strengths and weaknesses. The U.A. Sports Festival was coming up soon, where pro-heroes would be scouting new talent, and knowing your classmates' quirks and weaknesses was a vital part of preparing.

Even though you knew how closely everyone in class paid attention to each other, you still found yourself staring blankly at nothing, Todoroki's words running laps in your mind. His calm tone kept replaying, stirring up anxieties you thought you'd pushed aside. You scanned the room nervously, wondering how many others had already figured out what Bakugo and Todoroki clearly had. The thought wouldn't leave you alone. If someone like Bakugo could notice, who else knew? Worse—did All Might...? You quickly shook your head, burying your face in your hands. No way, that's impossible, you told yourself. All Might's too focused on training to catch something as silly as your crush... right?

"(L/N)-san?" A sharp voice pierced through your thoughts, and you jumped in your seat. Blinking rapidly, you looked up to find Kayama Nemuri, also known as Midnight, glaring at you from the front of the classroom. "Can you explain the significance of the Saga Rebellion?"

You slowly uncovered your face, peeking through your fingers as you looked up at your teacher, who was staring back at you with an expectant gaze. She had sky-blue eyes that slanted slightly downward, framed by long eyelashes. Her long, dark purple hair was thick and spiky, with layers of different lengths, the longest reaching below her waist. You couldn't help but think she looked beautiful, exuding confidence and a fierce charm that captured everyone's attention. But even with her striking appearance, you felt a wave of fear wash over you at that moment as you heard her question. Your heart pounded in your chest as you scrambled to focus.

"It was... um... an uprising against the... uh... government..." you stammered, your voice barely steady. The room seemed to close in on you as the weight of your classmates' eyes bore down. You knew the answer—of course you did—but your mind was suddenly blank, the words slipping away no matter how hard you tried to grasp them.

Midnight raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, waiting for more. Her eyebrow twitched, and she crossed her arms. "And who were its leaders?" she pressed, her voice sharper than before.

"The leaders... um..." You trailed off, desperately trying to recall the names, but nothing came. Your face burned with embarrassment as you hung your head. "I'm sorry. I don't remember."

Midnight sighed dramatically, shaking her head as she looked at you with a mixture of disappointment and amusement. "Soo, (L/N)-san, what kind of punishment should I give you, hmm?" Her smile was more predatory than kind, and you knew she was enjoying this moment far too much. "You have two options," she continued, holding up two fingers. "Either you can RUN ten laps around the school court in high heels, or you can prepare a ten-page report on Eto Shimpei and Shima Yoshitake for tomorrow's class. Your choice."

The classroom fell into an awkward silence, and you could feel the sympathetic but relieved stares of your classmates. No one else wanted to be in your position. From the corner of the room, you heard a low, perverted giggle.

"I'd like to see her run those laps in high heels," Mineta Minoru whispered under his breath, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Before you could say anything, Tsuyu Asui—ever the voice of reason—smacked Mineta on the head with her tongue. "Don't listen to him, (Y/N)-chan," she said, her voice calm as always. "You'll learn to shut him up eventually—just smack him before he starts talking, kero."