MANIA - Katsuki Bakugou

the final three ━

chapter 9

THREE WEEKS INTO THE TRANSFER PROGRAM

The following weeks after the Sports Festival... an exciting time for the Hero Course students who were currently partaking in their hero internships across Japan. They were learning the ropes from true pro heroes and hopefully understanding what it took to be someone capable of saving the innocent. For other U.A. students, this time just meant schooling.

Except for the few that had been accepted into the Transfer Program. After school hours for the past three weeks, these select 6 have been meeting to partake in tests that might qualify them for the transfer spot in the Hero Course. Only the top finisher will graduate as a Hero—a saying which they definitely took to heart.

Test after test, injury after injury, elimination round after elimination round... the Transfer Program had narrowed down its top three. Their minds are lulled with tiredness and their bodies ache with pain and soreness from the relentless work they've put in just to get to this point. But they haven't given up.

Not yet, at least.

And the top three finishers are!—

"You were supposed to pay this time."

The white haired Support Course student stuck her tongue out. The student walking next to her rolled his tired eyes, hung down with deep set bags underneath. They both took a lick of their double scoop fudge ice creams.

—eating ice cream?

Shimamura shoved her wallet into the back pocket of her jeans and licked up a stripe up her finger from dripping ice cream. Shinsou took a bite out of the top of his ice cream, chewing on the cold sweet. Apparently someone didn't have sensitive teeth.

"I paid last time. It was your turn this time."

"No, I paid last time." Shimamura refuted.

Shinsou shook his head, taking another bite of his ice cream. If he kept up, he'd finish his ice cream before she'd even make it to the cone. But that was normal. Shinsou and Shimamura have been going to get ice cream together after the tests for the last 5 weeks—so 15 times they've gotten ice cream now. It was always a different flavor but they matched each time.

"No. I paid," Shinsou said.

Shimamura shook her head. "I strictly remember paying with my Aunt's credit card last time—so I paid."

"Oh we're basing this off of your memory?"

Shimamura shoved him with her elbow. He donned a slight smirk—which is the equivalent of Shinsou laughing.

He took another bite and the ice cream was gone. "Strawberry was better."

"Mint."

"We gonna have this argument every time?"

Shimamura nodded once. "Until we find a flavor we both love, yes!"

Shinsou rolled his eyes, groaning. They'd never find a better flavor than their separate personal favorites: mint and strawberry. They both knew that.

But the flavor test was not what these little ice cream trips were about. The first two tests of the Transfer Program consisted of intense quirk tests which broke all of their minds, regardless how strong they were. Those were the tests to see if they had the nerve to continue in the Program to fight for their spot in the Hero Course. Most of the students returned to their comfort zones or comfort foods to try to encourage themselves to keep going. Shimamura and Shinsou's comfort food just so happened to be strawberry and mint ice cream in the ice cream parlor down the street from the U.A. stadium.