MANIA - Katsuki Bakugou

━ touch

chapter 24

ONE WEEK LATER

Everyone in U.A. was stressed out of their minds at this time of the year. Specifically the second years. Although the new semester just began, the pro hero license exam is coming up in a few weeks. And unique to this year: the first years are testing as well for their own licenses. It's unheard of for first years to receive their license so early on, but it's not impossible.

With this knowledge and prospect of actual hero work, Class 1-A was diligently training. They'd been training all week. Trying to make new ultimate moves and honing in on their quirks. But today is Saturday, and most every student is taking a break for today and today only.

Most every student.

Irisa Arima sat on a bench in Gym Gamma, holding a book up to her face. She read through it silently, ignoring her surroundings. One leg kicked over the other, her nose stuck in the book she picked up about Mental Disorders, and whistling to herself. She seemed relaxed.

Shocking, based on what was going on in front of her.

"C'mon, just let me hypnotize you!"

The purple haired attacker received no response to his plead. He skidded backwards on his heels, falling forward on his hands, dragging his fingertips in the cement floor. His lazily spiked hair flopped into his face. He blew upwards on it casually, trying to clear his vision.

Standing across from him in the gym was none other than Tikki Shimamura, dressed down in the typical U.A. gym uniform. She had her leg up and extended in front of her, a resulting pose from kicking her friend in the chest and sending him across the gym. She smiled but made no sound. She put her foot down and flexed her fingers at him, motioning to him to get up.

Shinsou chuckled and stood up, pressing his hands to his knees to do so. They had been at it for a little more than three hours now, taking turns beating the other to the ground. They had always been a fair match for each other when they were in the Transfer Program. But ever since Shimamura entered the Hero Class, it was obvious she had improved.

She was faster. Stronger. Surprisingly a lot cockier in a fight now—she learned that from Bakugou, definitely. More willing to get hurt to hurt them back.

"Focus, children." Arima said from the bench, without taking a second to look at them.

"Yeah yeah..." Shinsou muttered with a smirk.

They were just having fun at this point.

Although the results of the Transfer Program had come and passed, Shinsou and Aizawa were still determined to find a way to get Shinsou into the hero course. Such a task was difficult to achieve, but Principal Nezu seemed confident they'd manage to do it. Shinsou had high hopes as well.

Since Shimamura was in the final two with him in the Transfer Program and was already close friends with Shinsou, Aizawa allowed her to help him train. She was the only other student in the school so far that knew of Shinsou's training to get into the Hero Course. And they wanted to keep it that way.

Shinsou lashed forward at her with his mesh capture weapon, trying to wrap around her legs. The white fabric looped around one of her ankles, but narrowly missed the other. However, she didn't take very kindly to this attack. She swapped her weight to her back foot and kicked in a circle with the bound ankle. The wrappings tightened around her foot, but she had a better grip now.

She kicked backwards, taking the capture weapon and thereby Shinsou with her. He didn't fall but he skidded forward on his feet a few yards. As soon as he was close enough distance to her, she swiveled back onto her wrapped ankle and kicked him in the chest with her other.