rubatosis | s. todoroki

26 | sports festival

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Saito Emi

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The festival passes in a blur and Emi soon finds herself losing to Tokoyami in the finals, unable to free herself from the shadow. As soon as he is claimed to be the winner of this round, she is gently set on the floor and Tokoyami, being the kind gentleman that he is, helps her up and offers her a handshake.

"That was a good match," he says.

"Yes, if only it didn't end so soon," she muses back, a playful grin dancing on her lips and she soon finds that her amusement is shared when Tokoyami lets out a huff of laughter.

"Worth a shot." He shrugs.

They walk back together where the rest of their classmates sit. They are instantly greeted with the "good job"s and a "at least you lasted so long".

Emi plops down beside Shoto who sits away from the rest of the class like he's avoiding a disease. Rolling her eyes at the thought, she looks at him and notes his tense posture. His jaw is clenched and his knuckles are turning white from the firm fists his hands have formed.

"What's bothering you so much?" she asks, keeping her voice soft as to not be heard by anyone. Bothered is an understatement. He looks like someone just killed his mother and is currently being awarded for the act.

"The old man is here," he says through gritted teeth. "He expects me to use his fire."

Emi sighs through her nose and contemplates reasoning with him but with another look to his figure and then to the fury swimming in his eyes, she decides against it.

"It'll be alright. In a few hours, this festival will be over and maybe you'll win."

He looks at her from the corner of his eyes and Emi can't help but feel a shiver run down her spine and not a good one.

"I have to win. I have to prove to him that I can win this without using his power."

"How's it his power when you're the one using it?" Emi pursed her lips regrettably when she practically feels his levels of irritability rising. "Nevermind."

"It'll be alright," she repeats after a few seconds of silence.

"Easy for you to say. You no longer have someone breathing down your neck."

This bit-

"Wait Emi." He turns his full body towards her but she doesn't move an inch. She doesn't even glance at him. "I didn't mean it, I-"

"Yeah, you did," she breathes out. "And you're right, she's no longer around. But you know what, Todoroki?"

She stands up, ignoring the way he flinched at his last name being uttered. Before she walks away, she gives him one last look.

"She still haunts me to this very day."

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Emi watches from afar as Shoto wins his fight against Izuku. She doesn't feel like congratulating him nor acting more bitter than she already is.

Despite his words being true and thrown out of anger and envy, they still send a sharp pain through her chest. That woman was her mother for crying out loud. And though Emi detested her methods of training and motivation, she still feels like she has to live up to her expectations.

But she's dead, she whines internally. What else can she do right now but argue with herself? Her nightmares, ever since her death, plagued her and the words "not enough" might as well be stamped on her forehead.

The cheer of the crowd pulls her out of her thoughts and she notices that she spaced out for so long, Shoto is already back from getting his injuries treated and is now up against Bakugo.

She narrows her eyes at Shoto's hesitation to use his left side, almost feeling frustrated at his confusion. How hard could it be?

Extremely hard when his left side is the reason why his mother is sent off to a mental hospital, she responds to herself.

Bakugo, as expected, feels the same frustration and doesn't think twice before yelling out profanities. But it all goes down the drain because when Emi looks closer, Shoto doesn't seem like he's even trying and that gets to Bakugo even more. The dual-haired boy barely moves with the grace that Emi knows he has and uses his ice half-heartedly like he's doubting it as well.

He's a mess, she concludes and looks away from the heartbreaking scene. She feels like jumping down to the field and hugging him until he's all better. But in what perfect world do hugs solve a complicated problem like this?

Maybe not this problem, her minds muses with an impish feel.

She keeps her gaze to the ground until Bakugo is announced winner.