Chapter 22: (Episode 20: Victory or Defeat)
The opening theme commences.
"Oh come on, I just want this dumb festival to be over already…! Skip over the damn song- They're just gonna play it on loop later…" Tomura grumbled out, moving his body to hang over the back of the couch as he stretched.
"At least there's no recap before…"
"Now that I think about it, there's only been that short recap at the beginning of the episode whenever someone new comes in…" Eijiro pointed out, Mina and Hanta realizing this as well while Katsuki rolled his eyes, having already noticed that while the boy went on, "I mean, it doesn't really tell anyone anything from yesterday, unlike the super long one from the first episode…"
"All Might's letter or the one where Midori-kun was shown on a cliff and using One for All in a weird way…?"
"The second one- A-And is it really that weird? It may be… different from how we've seen him use it before, but I didn't think it was weird…"
"Yeah, I have to agree with my twin because 'weird' doesn't seem like the right word." Hanta grinned as Mina hummed in thought on what that word could be.
"Strange!"
"No."
"Fascinating…!"
"Uh… Maybe."
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" Mina exclaimed over the speakers, a few eyes turning to her while some groans echoed through the room at that word.
"You really like that word, huh…?"
"There has to be some way to break out of whatever Shinso-kun's quirk is, right…? All quirks have a limit, whether it's time or physical, so what could his possibly be?"
"Well, first you have to figure out what Shinso-kun's quirk even is, Deku-kun…!" Ochaco stated, which couldn't be argued with as Izuku acknowledged that.
"Hopefully, the truth will shine its light on this match and for some unforesaken reason it does not, we will only have our minds to wonder…"
"O-Or we could try asking… S-Shinso-kun…?" Izuku stuttered out, the three students around him casting unconvincing looks to him until Ochaco thought about Hitoshi's reaction before when he called his quirk amazing.
"Yeah, we'll try that… Only if it's not revealed."
"The first match of the first round of the finals tournament! From the hero course, it's Midoriya Izuku! Versus… From general studies, it's Shinso Hitoshi! The rules are simple! Force your opponent out of bounds, or immobilize them! You can also win by making your opponent say, 'I give up'!"
Midoriya took a deep breath in and out as he heard Shinso say, "'I give up', huh?"
'Okay, so it doesn't count… that's good.'
"This is a fight to test the strength of your spirit. If you know what you want for your future, then you can't worry about appearances."
"Ready?!"
"That monkey was going on about his pride…"
"Start!"
"...but don't you think he was dumb for throwing away his chance?"
Midoriya gritted his teeth at what Shinso said, rushing forward in rage toward his opponent while demanding, "What did you SAY?!"
"I thank you for trying to defend me, Midoriya-kun, but if it costs you the match, especially after my apparent warning, I don't think I can forgive myself…"
"I-It's not your fault, Ojiro-kun…!" Izuku muttered back, biting the eraser of his pencil as he mumbled, "I just can't let what Shinso-kun said slide… Not about someone I care about."
Mashirao was taken by surprise by that sentence only to recall what the greenet said last night. And how even still, Izuku saw Katsuki as his friend.
'There's just no stopping you, huh, Midoriya-kun…?'
With Midoriya's expression blank and his body going still, Mic couldn't believe what he was seeing as he yelled, "Midoriya! The match just started and he's completely frozen?! He's got a blank look on his face and isn't moving a muscle! Is this Shinso's quirk?! He didn't stand out at all, but could he actually be someone amazing?"
Title screen 'Episode 20. Victory or Defeat'
"Well, I sure hope it's victory…!"
"What if the title is talking about Shinso…?"
"Then I sure hope it's defeat!"
Hearing Hizashi's dramatized announcement, it just made Hitoshi feel even worse about what he said back to Izuku. Now it seemed everyone wanted to call him amazing over something that he had been hated for throughout his life.
"-has gotten the better of Midoriya Izuku from the hero course! Who would've imagined this?! Will the bottom really overthrow the top?"
"That's why I said the entrance exam wasn't rational."
"Huh?" Mic glanced over to Aizawa, who held a couple sheets of paper in between his bandaged arms, which piqued the blond's interest as he asked, "What?"
"Here's some basic data on the two of them. Since it's individual matches from here on out, I had someone compile it for me." Aizawa replied to his friend while eyeing the student files of Shinso and Midoriya, explaining to Mic only, "Shinso failed the practical exam for the hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably knew that would happen."
Hitoshi eased into his seat upon hearing this, glad to know that his future self was prepared and hoping to make that second chance into the course via the Sports Festival. But even so, knowing how the exam was run, it still stung that he thought he was gonna fail anyway.
But this helped open a few people's eyes in the theater.
"That's kind of smart."
"Smart, yeah, but also a little sad…" Toru hummed after Minoru's comment, slumping into the cushions.
Hitoshi tried not to flinch at their words.
"-of fighting faux villains. That gave an advantage to those with physical attack quirks."
As it replayed the entrance exam with Izuku's battle against the zero-pointer robot, Enji narrowed his eyes at the flashback while Hitoshi's jaw nearly hit the floor. Boy, was he glad to have him under his quirk, there was no way he was letting the greenet freely use his power when he could cause that amount of damage.
"I'm telling you, this will never get old."
"I'm over it…" Shoto spat under his breath, causing Denki to tense up as he looked over to the teen before furrowing his brows, because he wanted to help the person beside him, but he knew there was nothing he could do if he wouldn't let him. But, maybe also because he missed his friends.
"-been able to rack any points with his quirk." Aizawa stated from the description of Shinso's quirk and how it wouldn't have helped him in the entrance exam.
"You're lucky that you've been blessed, Midoriya Izuku." Shinso hummed under his breath, observing the blank state he forced his opponent into before eyeing the other end of the arena, ordering Midoriya, "Turn around and walk out of bounds."
There was a heartbeat of a second after Shinso's command before eventually, slowly, Midoriya began to turn around and walk the other way.
"Like a puppet…!" Izuku gaped, briskly writing his theories down while the students panicked around him.
"Midoriya, what are you doing?!"
"Come on, break out of it! Break out of Shinso's quirk; whatever it is!"
"There has to be a way to defeat that quirk, right…?! It's too powerful…!"
"That is what Mic said and how Aizawa Sensei contradicted the entrance exam, kero."
All of their exclamations came to a hush when the comic strip effect panned over Hitoshi, showing the title of his quirk, 'Brainwashing', and explanation.
'Shit…' Hitoshi mentally prepared himself for the mockery and taunts.
"Shinso Hitoshi. Quirk: Brainwashing! Answering his question turns on a brainwashing switch in his opponent's brain, forcing them to do what he says. If he doesn't want the brainwashing switch to turn off, it won't!"
Hitoshi waited as the explanation concluded, tensing in his seat and bracing for any kind of comment. Any taunt, any tease, anything that would come because he was used to the snide remarks of others and the laughter that echoed down the hall.
"That's so cool!"
What Hitoshi wasn't prepared for, was someone to praise it.
"Present Mic was right- I mean, a mental quirk that can take over others just by speaking? Imagine all the possibilities…! Rescuing civilians would be so much easier and defeating villains- You wouldn't even need to lift a finger with Shinso-kun's quirk…! I wonder if there's a limit to how many people Shinso-kun can brainwash because it showed him being carried by three or four people during the obstacle race and there's also Aoyama-kun and Ojiro-kun, who were brainwashed during the cavalry battle, and- Oh, Iida-kun, who's your friend again?"
Tenya, like a few others in the theater, had his jaw open by the plethora of words Izuku was muttering, the blue-haired teen hesitantly answering, "Um, hi-his name is Shoda Nirengeki-kun, but uh… M-Midoriya-kun, you do realize that you are about to possibly… lose the match, correct?"
"Hm? OH, right…! But that's the reason we're here, right? To learn from our mistakes so we can change the outcome…?"
"Yes, but… uh…" Tenya forgot what he was about to lecture Izuku on, but the greenet backtracked, waving out his hands as he stuttered out.
"I-I mean, yeah, i-it would be bad if I- if I lost, but I also want Shinso-kun to have his sh-shot into the hero- hero course, so, um…"
"Since he made it to the finals, based on his performance, he could have a spot in the hero course later in the year."
"Eh, really?! That's awesome…!" Izuku jumped up from his seat, leaning against the back of the third couch as Shota nodded, which brought the teen to smile down at Hitoshi, who could only stare at the greenet.
"Why are you being so nice to me…?"
The air grew a little heavy as that question weighed in the air, someone muttering under their breath as they imagined the conversation to get slightly intense, "Pause…"
"Wh-Why wouldn't I… be…?" Izuku's question threw Hitoshi completely off guard.
"The hell- Why shouldn't you…?! The second I got in here, I've harshly lashed out at you, and not to mention that I discriminated against you… I even insulted your parents- How can you look over things like that and still think I deserve your kindness…?!" Hitoshi yelled up at Izuku while at the same time, his mind pleaded with him, 'What the hell am I saying…?! Stop it…!'
Izuku shifted uncomfortably where he stood, casting a glance down to the floor before he looked back to Hitoshi and responded with, "I mean… e-everyone deserves… kindness, and…"
"Yeah, I bet you're the kind of guy who thinks their biggest abuser is their friend…" Hitoshi sneered as Izuku flinched, unknowing how a few eyes glanced over to Katsuki, who narrowed his eyes at the purplenet while he begged, 'Just stop talking…! You're just digging yourself a deeper hole- Quit it, Hitoshi!'
Before anyone could speak up, Toshinori standing by Izuku's side, Tomura whined out through the tension, "Shut up already- I'm trying to watch the stupid match…!"
"Keep quiet, villain." Enji spat out in return before directing Toshinori with the question, "Why has this criminal not been restrained and knocked unconscious?"
"As I explained before, Endeavor, we are unable to reach Shigaraki." Toshinori glanced behind him, staring back at Enji's piercing glare while Tomura cackled.
"Yeah, even the heroes that beat their own family- Actually, now that would make a great backstory for a villain…! Just imagine the lore! And then there's the purple freak's quirk being the perfect trump card for stopping any hero…!"
As the criminal leader brought into a fit full of laughter, Shoto and Hitoshi bristled at his words with Denki trying to comfort the victim as Shota glanced to the outcasted student.
"A quirk that can control people, huh? Isn't that too strong to beat?" Midoriya asked Ojiro as they sat in the locker room before his first match.
"Yeah, but you can probably avoid if you know about it. I don't remember much after I answered his question. I think that's how it works."
"So if I answer without thinking, then I'll lose right away." Midoriya paled at the thought of making that simple mistake, folding his hands over his expression as he internally began to panic.
"No, it's not completely impenetrable." Ojiro reassured, with Midoriya blinking away his horror while his classmate went on to explain, "I said I barely remembered anything until almost the end, right? When we were running away after Shinso stole Tetsutetsu's headband, it looks like I ran into one of the horses on Team Tetsutetsu. That's when I snapped out of it."
Both listening and seeing the explanation had Mashirao and Izuku entranced, more understanding of Hitoshi's quirk, while some had a few questions, like Mina, "Wait, why didn't Mic say this in Shinso's quirk explanation?"
"Probably because Ojiro-chan was going to explain it later in a flashback, kero. It would just be repetitive information at that point."
"-I don't know what level of shock you need, and in a one-on-one match, you can't count on outside forces like that." Ojiro sighed as he leaned back before standing up, finishing as he pulled his tail out from the space in the chair, "Anyway, that's about all I can tell you."
"Thanks! That was amazing!"
"Level of shock, huh…? So taking that into consideration, that means a bump on the shoulder was good enough… Even with this information, if you didn't know about it when facing Shinso-kun, his quirk is still insanely powerful-"
"But like I said, Midoriya-kun, there's nothing in that arena that can give you that level of shock." Mashirao stated to the greenet as he began writing in his notebook again, looking back to watch Izuku wince with a sheepish grin.
"I could trip and fall…!"
"I'm sure Shinso's quirk would prevent that outcome." Fumikage shot that down instantly, which Izuku had to give him credit for.
'...quickly!' Midoriya's mind urged his body to stop, thinking back to Ojiro's trust in him to overcome his opponent's quirk, thinking of everyone else in his class and their expectations, All Might, his mom, 'Even though… everyone is… counting on me! In a place… like this… Like this…!'
The fuzziness in his mind suddenly cleared for a moment, dancing lights glimmering in the dark hallway before they formed into eight, misted figures, watching over Midoriya as he gaped. His head flooded with dazzling colors and vestiges, One for All rushing through his body when he caught sight of them.
'What… is… this?!' Midoriya asked himself while outside of his mind, his power began to charge up in his index and middle fingers, twitching as he pleaded, 'Mov…'
His foot landed, mere inches away from the white line as Shinso's words echoed, "You probably don't understand, but even with a quirk like this, I have my own dream… Now, lose for me."
Seconds away from crossing the boundary, Midoriya was able to flick his hand down, which then caused the wind to explode out from under him. Those down on the field covered their face to block the rush of air while the greenet gaped, Shinso's quirk canceled out and his eyes returned to their natural color.
"Oh my god…!"
"What was that…?!"
"All Might?!" Izuku immediately turned to Toshinori once the show revealed that he was still in the match, his feet just at the white line, while the blond hero was gaping, just as confused.
"All Might, could those figures have possibly been past holders of One for All…?! You spoke of them before, but you never stated just how many others welled this power before you…!" Momo called up in question to the baffled man, with Izuku sparing a glance down to her.
"Yes, yes, that…" Toshinori uttered, but he could hardly focus on what he was saying as his thoughts ran wild, 'What was that display…?! I remember seeing the vestiges like that, yes, but it was at least a year after inheriting One for All…! How many months has it been- Four?! Young Midoriya will certainly have questions, but he must save those for our next break… Because I don't know how to explain it now.'
"That- He… How is he not out…?! He crossed the boundary line! How is the match not called?!" Hitoshi was furious, disturbing his cat by accident as she ran off for a new sleeping spot.
"That's crazy…"
"Why…?" Shinso gasped, gritting his teeth as he yelled out to Midoriya, who glared back at the purplenet, demanding, "You shouldn't be able to move freely! What did you do?!"
Midoriya immediately covered his mouth so he wouldn't accidentally answer back, then thought about what had just happened, 'I'm the one who discharged my fingers. But I wasn't the one who moved them. What happened?'
"Uh, yeah, great question… You didn't move your fingers- Well, Shinso didn't make you move them either, so what's up with this, huh…?!" Hanta, along with a few others, found what Izuku was thinking to be strange.
Meanwhile, Momo found her answer as she spotted eight pairs of eyes from the misted figures, meaning there could possibly be eight past users of One for All. But did that include Toshinori, meaning Izuku is the ninth wielder of this power?
'One for All. Passed on to me like a sacred torch.'
Midoriya blinked as he thought, 'The people… The presence of the people who spun together this power… Did they save me? Is that even possible?'
Izuku and others tried to look up to Toshinori for the answer, but seeing the older man's puzzled expression wondered if even he wasn't sure.
"That's a little creepy. Makes it sound like One for All is haunted, kero." Tsuyu said out loud and though the other girls looked like they wanted to brush off her comment, thinking about it, they found it strange as well.
'-it now, I won't find the answer. Later…' Midoriya decided as he now held his broken appendages, shaking his head and turning back around to face Shinso properly, 'Thinking can come later!'
When his opponent remained silent, Shinso grew impatient as he came to realize, 'He won't answer… Did he figure out my secret? No, he should've heard from that monkey from the beginning.'
The students as a whole were beginning to get agitated by the repetitive insult toward their friend whereas Mashirao tried not to flinch a second time.
'All I can do is make him talk again…' Shinso tried to hide his distress by grinning toward Midoriya, simply asking his foe, "Say something."
When Midoriya refused, Shinso faltered for a second on what to do before he started complimenting him instead, "You can produce that much power just by moving your fingers? I'm jealous."
'I felt the same way in the past.' Midoriya thought as he began charging toward Shinso.
"Thanks to my quirk, I've been behind from the start. Someone who's been blessed like you can't understand, can you?"
'I do understand. But, it's true… I've been blessed.' Midoriya tried not to think about Shinso's words too hard, but it made him wonder if they weren't so different after all.
"Someone like you who was born with the ideal quirk! Someone who can reach your goal!"
'I've been blessed by others!' Midoriya squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on his goal as he rammed into Shinso, pushing his opponent back as he thought, 'That's why!'
"Midoriya-chan looks like a toddler trying to push his older sibling away." Tsuyu randomly blurted out and Toru couldn't help but burst out laughing at the comment, leaving Kyoka and Momo confused while she tried to contain her laughter.
Hitoshi might have snickered if he heard them. But his eyes and ears were solely focused on this match; this one chance into the hero course.
'If I lose… it's all over.' Hitoshi couldn't help but flinch as he watched himself punch Izuku.
Shocked by Shinso's sudden throw, Midoriya gritted his teeth while fighting back the pain as blood seeped from his nose, turning a stubborn glare onto his opponent to watch him flinch before he continued pushing, 'I can't… lose, either!'
'Is he trying to push me out?' Shinso glanced back and checked the distance of where the boundary line was before he aimed for Midoriya's broken fingers, hearing the greenet gasp in pain while he stepped to the side. The smaller teen stumbled forward and looking back, was overtaken by the purplenet's hand as he started pushing him out now, "You've got to be kidding! You get out!"
Grabbing his collar and then his wrist before gaping out at the strain, Midoriya slid his foot against the concrete and started throwing Shinso over his shoulder by the base of his arm. And even though he was watching this from a distance, Bakugo widened his eyes as he recognized that move, the same one that was used on him a month ago.
'I CAN'T LOSE…!' Midoriya declared as he slammed his opponent onto the ground, with Shinso gasping for air as everyone in the stadium gaped at what they saw.
What had gone from an easy win for Shinso had been turned around by Midoriya's unexpected comeback.
"Shinso-kun is out of bounds! Midoriya-kun advances to round two!"
The students erupted into cheers around the room, Fumikage leaning back so that Tenya could reach out for Izuku as Ochaco bounced in her seat while holding his hand. Toshinori's eyes shone with pride for his successor at his victory while Enji's narrowed in disappointment, scoffing at that fatal mistake of the greenet's and how that looked upon his mentor. He knew Shoto would never be caught dead making that mistake under his teachings.
"My only chance… and I blew it…" Hitoshi wouldn't let himself break down, not here, not in front of everyone.
Noticing how the room seemed to grow quiet, the despairing teen glanced up at the TV to see if anything changed only to find a cherry blossom tree covering half the screen. The kanji for 'Three Years Ago' appeared before being replaced with 'Nabooh City Middle School'. Hitoshi knew exactly what was about to happen, slumping in his seat and turning away from anyone's eyes just as Shota glanced over in his direction.
"Wow, Shinso-kun, your quirk is Brainwashing?" a classmate approached him on the first day of junior high, Shinso looking up from his desk as two other's came up to the front of the classroom, where he sat.
"Seriously? That's amazing! I've never heard of that before!"
"I'm so jealous…"
"I can't believe you can control anyone!"
"You can do so much bad stuff as you want!
"No one'd know it was you." a girl with frilly pink hair stared at Shinso as if waiting for something, telling him next after nothing happened, "Don't control us, okay?"
"I don't like these people."
'Yeah, and they don't like me either…' Hitoshi clenched his teeth after hearing what Tsuyu said, glaring up at the scene as it continued. Why it was showing his junior high classroom at a time like this, he didn't know, but he wanted it to be over.
"Everyone says that." Shinso simply replied to his peers' comments, rubbing the back of his neck as he put on a brave face while secretly reading between the lines of their words, 'Of course, if someone else had it, the first thing I'd think is that they'd use it for evil, too. 'Criminal'… 'It's good for being a villain, huh?'. I'm used to people insinuating that about me. That's just what the world is like.'
Even if his classmates tried to hide their judging eyes and assumptions about him, Shinso knew. He had known before he even stepped through the door what they would think, but he couldn't let what they thought get to him. He couldn't let it show that their words hurt him, even if it stung every single time.
Shinso's lip trembled as he wondered, "But you know…"
A petal flew from the sakura tree.
Slowly opening his eyes again, Shinso's ears began to focus on the roaring buzz of the crowd cheering, which brought him to clench his fist as he remembered what happened. He lost, gritting his teeth as the victor stood above him, Midoriya breathing heavily while he observed the purplenet below him.
"In the finals, the first person to advance to the second round is Midoriya Izuku from Class A!"
Hearing that after what they watched felt like salt in the wound, the theater silent as a few glanced over to Hitoshi, who buried himself deeper into the sofa.
"Fucking pathetic…"
"Bakugo, what the hell?! Are you serious…?!"
"Yes, I'm fucking serious!" Katsuki yelled back at Hanta. Mixed reactions fell over the room when some heard what he said while others were confused, the ash blond standing up to tower over the teen as he shouted, "All you people do is complain and whine over shit that you haven't put any effort into! Fucking teach said it himself that there's no way Deku would make it into the hero course as a scrawny ass little wimp, and you expect Shitty Eyebags to get in…?! He's just as skin and bones as Deku is! You think All Might became the number one hero, the Symbol of Peace, by complaining?! Hell no, he worked for that shit! So shut up and stop complaining- Damn!"
As Katsuki slumped back down in his seat after his earful, his words sinking in, there were still plenty of mixed reactions surrounding them. On one hand, there was truth in what he said since being a pro hero was one of the more dangerous careers out there, they got to see that first hand yesterday. But on the other hand, the way he delivered that message didn't sit well with a few people, especially after Izuku's flinch when he yelled his name.
But listening to what Katsuki said, it made Hitoshi open his eyes.
'-and the throw from the combat training… Rather than calling it the best use of his experience, it's like he's using any experience he can to force the flow to change in his favor.' Aizawa noted Midoriya's fighting style right now, in the developing stages, as the students headed back toward the center of the stage.
"Yahoo! That was kind of a boring first match, but we should praise them both for a bravely fought match. Clap your hands!"
"It might have been boring from an outsider's perspective, but seeing it here was shocking, kero."
"Yeah, especially with whatever was happening with Midoriya and One for All… Still need an answer for that."
"Shinso-kun, why do you want to be a hero…?" Midoriya awkwardly asked his opponent, Shinso raising his head to look at the greenet in surprise, unsure what to say.
'But you know…'
He turned his head away, Shinso beginning to walk toward the stadium entrance as he remarked back to Midoriya, "You can't help the things you long for."
Tomura couldn't help but laugh at that answer, wiping at his eye as he hollered, "What a stupid fucking answer…! Things would be soooo much better if everyone got to be anything they wanted, huh…?! Man, this really is all starting to look super pathetic, right, Bakugo…?"
"Shut your face hole, bastard."
"But really-" Tomura chuckled, ignoring Katsuki as he continued to glare across the theater, "-if we all got what we wanted, All Might would have been died so long ago…"
"Then we'll just want All Might to stay alive to counter what you want…!"
"Just goes to show that you can't have everything you want…" Yuga murmured into the palm of hand, thinking of his parents as his stomach dropped.
Taken by surprise, Shinso looked up to see his classmates waving him down from the front seats of the stadium, all of them shown to be happy, despite him losing, and grinning as he stopped at the gate.
"Good job!"
"I was really surprised!"
"You're the star of general studies!"
"You put up a great fight against the guy who placed first in the obstacle course!"
Shinso was shocked by their praise on him before one of them gestured to a group of pro heroes, "Besides-"
"That quirk would work quite well against villains. I wish I had it."
"U.A.'s not very smart if he's in general studies."
"Well, they got a ton of people applying, so some things just can't be helped."
"It was the difference in combat experience, huh?"
"Yeah, it ends up making a big difference."
"What a waste."
Glancing back down to Shinso, one of the student's called down in awe that the purplenet had never heard before, "You hear that, Shinso? You're amazing!"
Hitoshi didn't know what to say, how to feel after he heard all that; it was becoming too overwhelming. He wouldn't have noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks if one didn't land on his fist.
"Huh? What the…" Hitoshi choked out, shaking the water from his hand before he hiccuped, his body trembling as he curled into himself. Shota and Denki looked over to the purplenet as he weeped, the blond furrowing his brows while the pro hero silently watched him, wondering what the teen would do now.
Even though he couldn't see Hitoshi and how he was reacting, Izuku's chest swelled with emotion at how he was reminded once again that U.A. was different. U.A. was better because it was a school of heroes, of people that were there to build you up and support you as you grew.
Izuku had found those people, here, and now it would be Hitoshi's turn.
"U.A. really is amazing…"
"Depending on the results, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. Remember that. Even if it didn't work this time, I definitely won't give up. I'll get into the hero course, get certified, and I'll definitely…! Become a better hero than you guys!" Shinso yelled out to Midoriya, his back to the greenet, who straightened up at his words.
"Yeah!" Midoriya believed in Shinso, but his response triggered the boy's Brainwashing to take over his mind once again, the curly-haired teen gaping as his pupils turned white, 'He got me! Even though the match is over, what's he…?'
Chuckling at how trustworthy he was, Shinso's upper body relaxed as he released his quirk on Midoriya while saying, "People are usually wary when they talk to me, though… At this rate, someone'll trip you up in no time. At least… don't lose in an unseemly way."
'Shinso-kun…' Midoriya thinned his lip, heeding his opponent's warning before he replied back without missing a beat, "I won't!"
He was brainwashed again, surprised by it, while Shinso sweated, nervous for Midoriya's next match.
Hitoshi snickered while rubbing the back of his neck, "Too trustworthy…"
"That's Midoriya-chan for you." Tsuyu's croak caught Hitoshi off guard, slowly turning to peek at the four girls that were looking down at him, all of them with different expressions until the greenette sent him a friendly smile, "It wasn't right how you treated Midoriya-chan when you first walked in, but you two have a lot in common, kero."
"Yeah, I'll… I'll have to apologize for… everything I said…" Hitoshi swallowed thickly as he recalled just what he yelled at Izuku, as well as Ochaco, but that would have to wait until later.
Meanwhile, Tsuyu and Toru were pleased to know Hitoshi was regretting his anger, happy to make another friend, with Kyoka and Momo glued to the TV screen. Izuku was getting patched up by Chiyo in the nurse's office within the stadium, and Toshinori was standing close by, so that meant there had to be a conversation about what the boy had seen during his match soon.
"-his cries hit close to home for you, huh?"
"Wait, so that means we could have heard what was being said…?"
"Oh my god, nobody cares about how you fucking feel!" Tomura grumbled out, running his hands down his face with Katsuki agreeing wholeheartedly; the villain and also what Izuku said on screen about becoming 'number one'.
'Now the nerd finally gets it.'
"-one, right?" Midoriya said as the female hero slumped into her chair.
"Poor thing." Recovery Girl sighed before turning to glare at All Might, scolding, "You put some weird pressure on him again, didn't you?"
She punched him harshly on his uninjured side, All Might grunting at the swift jab while Midoriya watched this unfold.
"Yeowch…!" Ochaco sympathized even if she agreed with Chiyo, patting Toshinori on the back while she muttered, "I mean, she's not wrong, but maybe hitting you in your injured spot was going too far…"
"Oh, do not fret, Young Uraraka, it was the other side." Toshinori reassured her with a wave of his hand, smiling as the brunette understood.
"There were eight or nine people… I'm not sure exactly how many… But when it felt like my mind was filled with fog from the brainwashing, the vision appeared, as if to drive away the fog. It was like I was barely able to move just my fingertips for a moment…" Midoriya recalled what he had seen during his match with Shinso, gasping when he remembered one figure in particular as he mentioned, wondering, "There was someone with eyes like you, too, All Might. Was it… the people who had inherited One for All who did it?"
When Midoriya looked back up to All Might, he was surprised to see his mentor horrified, hearing the man utter, "Scary… What the heck?"
"What…?! I thought you'd know about it!"
Toshinori quickly waved out in apology to Izuku's questionable glance, others that were watching the interaction assuming that the hero was just thrown off by the greenet's description.
"No, I also saw it before, in my younger days." All Might backtracked, causing Midoriya to gap as he listened to his mentor explain, "It's a clear sign that you've got a better grasp on One for All."
"What does that mean?" Midoriya leaned in with anticipation.
"I think it's like a trace of something they left behind in One for All. It's not something with intent that can interfere with you, and you can't interfere with them. In other words, that vision isn't what got rid of the brainwashing. It was that when you saw the vision, your strong emotions allowed you to overcome Young Shinso's Brainwashing for just long enough to move your fingertips, I think." All Might answered the best he could, Midoriya soaking in every word as he tried to decipher what that could mean for the future. But he still didn't know, rubbing the back of his curls with disappointment.
"That explanation's not satisfying at all, though…"
"Don't get too hung up about it!"
"You know, I actually have to agree with Midori-kun on that…"
"Yeah, that totally makes it sound like One for All is haunted or something…!" Hanta chuckled with Izuku listening in as the black-haired teen went on to say, "I mean, people from the past, that are most definitely dead, just sitting there within One for All? At least that's what I'm interpreting it as."
Izuku made a note to ask Toshinori more about his explanation later to see if there was more to it.
"That's a good thing." All Might replied solemnly to Recovery Girl's comment about what Midoriya said, him being there in the presence of the past users of their shared quirk.
For some reason, Izuku didn't like the sound of that.
Todoroki left his waiting room and headed down the hallway for his match against Sero. As he walked through the stadium, the rumbling of the awaiting audience outside, he swung his fists at his side as he tried to get lost in his thoughts, concentrating on winning.
'Midoriya won, huh?' Todoroki thought just as he turned the corner. What he saw made him stop, narrowing his gaze at the eyesore leaning against the wall as he spat out, "You're in the way."
Endeavor glared right back at his son.
"I don't know who I was expecting it to be, but Endeavor checks out… I'd glare too." Denki muffled into the palm of his hand, but Shoto still heard it, deepening his glare from what his father said about being 'disgraceful'.
Ignoring the flaming hero, Todoroki moved to quickly walk around his father, trying to get the focus that he lost back, but it seemed Endeavor had other things he needed to tell his son.
"If you use the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and the cavalry battle." Endeavor lectured his boy with Todoroki completely blowing him off as he passed by. So he took a different approach to make the teen listen to him, "Stop this childish rebellion already. You have a duty to surpass All Might. Do you understand? You're different from your siblings. You are the greatest masterpiece!"
Some perked up at this information, Denki and Shota both thinking the same thing as the blond looked over Shoto to the dark-haired man.
'He has other children…?'
"Is that all you can say, bastard? I will win and advance with just Mom's power. I won't use your power when I fight." Todoroki swore to his father as he exited out of the hallway, Endeavor watching his son as he headed for his match.
"Even if that works for now, you'll soon reach the limits of that power."
As it panned over Shoto's grim expression, some felt a chill run up their spine. Like with Izuku yesterday, they too were seeing many sides of emotions to their once emotionless peer.
"Good luck, Sero…"
"Eh…?" Hanta had completely forgotten that he was going up against Shoto.
Making it back out to the stands, Midoriya walked through the sections in search of where his class was sitting, passing by a wall before he spotted his classmates and friends.
"Oh, Deku-kun!" Uraraka caught sight of him as well, waving out from the front row as she called with a grin, "Good work!"
"We saved a seat for you!" Iida gestured to the empty space between him and Tokoyami.
"Thanks." Midoriya smiled down to his friends, showing his gratitude until he blinked as he noticed Ojiro, who held his fist out toward the greenet, which he acknowledged with a quick nod.
Fire erupted from the corner of the arena as the crowd roared at Mic's call, "Thanks for waiting! Next up is… these guys! He's good! He's good, but what's with that plainness he just can't get rid of?"
"I thought Midoriya was the plain one…? I at least have distinguished elbows…"
"To be fair, Midori-kun has distinguished cheeks, but nobody seems to notice them…!" Mina pointed out while Eijiro was unsure if he should add anything to try and make Hanta feel better. Because the boy seemed fine on screen after Hizashi's commentary.
"-wasn't recommended for admission for nothing! Also from the hero course, it's Todoroki Shoto!" Mic took a second to let the audience get their cheers out for the students before he went to start the match, "And now, for the second match of the finals… Ready?!"
"Well, I don't feel like I can win…"
"Start!"
Immediately after Mic's call, Sero easily shot out tape and wrapped up his opponent before moving to throw Todoroki out of the ring, grinning with triumph as it was working, "...but I don't feel like losing, either!"
"A surprise attack aimed to push his opponent out of bounds! Don't you think that was the best choice for this situation?! Seriously, get him, Sero!"
Hanta suddenly felt a little better about his match, both from his strategy and Hizashi's encouragement, so maybe he had a fair chance after all against Shoto.
All his confidence was shot down as they got a close look of just how angry Shoto was.
"Sorry." Todoroki briefly warned before a sheet of ice shot out from under his foot, on a headway for Sero, who had just a moment to counterattack.
He took that moment to ponder what his opponent was doing.
The stadium shook violently, with Recovery Girl in her office looking up at the flickering lights as she gaped, "Wh-What was that?"
"What's this vibration?" All Might wondered the same thing, standing protectively over the older woman.
Meanwhile, back in the arena, Mic's glasses began to slip down his nose as he pressed his face against the glass window, him and Aizawa in complete shock at what they were seeing. And in the stands, several people were backing away from the large glacier of ice that was blocking their view, same with those outside as they could only stare at the iceberg.
"What's that?"
"Holy… fucking shit…" Denki swore, a hand over his mouth as everyone took in the size of the glacier that Shoto produced, spikes shooting out of the top of the stadium dome.
Immediately, there were concerns for Hanta, who had fallen onto his knees and started praying as Tomura laughed.
"I… should probably be glad that I didn't win, then…" Hitoshi knew that there was no way he was beating Shoto, even if he had won against Izuku, so, good luck to him.
"Don't… Don't you think that's a bit much…?" Sero choked out, his entire body encased in ice with his arms helplessly trapped, chattering his teeth at the excessive cold.
"Sero-kun, can you move?" Midnight shivered, half of her body covered and stuck in the ice as well.
"O-Of course not… Ow…"
"Sero-kun is immobilized! Todoroki-kun advances to the second round!"
"You've got to be kidding me?!" Hanta cried out, dropping back onto the floor as he screamed into the carpet, "That was totally unfair- Putting me up against a recommended student like that! Like seriously?!"
Just like the future audience, the students felt bad for their friend, Mina bending down to pat his back before he suddenly bolted up from his despair.
"Midoriya!" Hanta called out, startling the stunned greenet before he pointed to Izuku with tears streaming down his cheeks, "You better avenge me! You better win against Todoroki; show him that you won't be backing down any time soon and that you'll be number one!"
"Hey- I'm the person that's gonna be number one, Tape Arms! Not fucking Deku!"
"Last time I checked, the only way you'd be fighting Todoroki is if you and Todoroki got into the finals! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT, BAKUGO!"
"YOU'RE WHINING IS JUST AS BAD AS THAT STUPID NERD'S!"
Izuku, like everyone else, had no idea what was going on, but he found himself more focused on the episode than Hanta's revenge scheme.
"Under the eyes of the crowd that started shouting 'Don't worry about it' unprompted was Todoroki-kun, melting what he'd frozen himself with his left hand. For some reason… he looked very sad to me."Midoriya remembered as the mist around Todoroki engulfed him, sealing his heart once more.
The ending theme commences.
"OH, that was so poetic…! Like a song of someone so close, yet so far away!"
"Kyoka-chan, are you okay?" Tsuyu noted the purplenette trembled with emotion as she spoke.
"Totally, totally… I'm just really excited to know what the rest of the songs will be."
"You're super invested in the lyrics, right?" Rikido asked from the row above, Kyoka looking back to nod, which prompted the brunet to reply next, "That's cool, do you have the lyrics from yesterday's songs? I wanna look over something real quick."
"Oh yeah, sure. I wrote them down in Midoriya's notebook, so we can all look together once lunch happens." Kyoka nodded back to Rikido, who smiled down to her with satisfaction.
"Did… you all have breakfast, too…?" Hitoshi cautiously questioned the group, slightly flinching as they all stared down at him as if he said something wrong.
"Kero. If you're hungry, that makes sense. We watched one episode after eating when you arrived and we'll explain how everything works."
"Oh, um, thanks… I appreciate it…" Hitoshi rubbed his neck, suddenly growing embarrassed as he caught Tsuyu smiling back at him in return, her tongue sticking out. He turned back to the front only to remember something else, looking to Shota closeby as he asked, "Um, Eraser Head? You said that you would, uh… explain things that I missed during this lunch? Are you-"
"Yes, that still stands, and I'm sure your peers wouldn't mind filling you in as well." Shota cut the purplenet off, with Hitoshi faltering as he just nodded along.
"I'm mostly concerned with how long this explanation will be…"
"Oh, it's not too long…!"
"Toru-chan, you were one of the last to arrive yesterday, kero."
"Well, when did you come in, Tsuyu-chan?"
"Episode six."
"This is episode… twenty, something…? Right?"
"Yes, I do believe that is the number of flicks we have viewed so far while here." Momo agreed with Kyoka's claim while Hitoshi appeared shocked at the number.
"Wow, that's… a lot of time put into watching this…"
"You're not wrong, but most of us weren't here until a lot later. I mean, if you want the full story, you'll have to get it from Midoriya-kun…!" Toru remarked, Hitoshi sucking a breath through his teeth at the thought of interacting with Izuku. He already screwed up every conversation he had with the greenet and was expecting the other to hate him.
"Yeah, from… him…"
"You are sorry for what you said, right, Shinso-chan?"
Hitoshi avoided the girls' looks, awkwardly rubbing his chin as he subtly tried to nod as an answer. Attempting to tune out their whispers, he glanced back up at the TV only to find not a loading screen this time, but a different message, in words.
(Will move on to the next episode once lunch is concluded)
'Huh, guess lunch comes when you talk about it…' Hitoshi chuckled softly at the irony from it, glancing to his right and watching Shota follow after Denki for somewhere behind the couches, turning back around to see it before he almost jumped at seeing Tenya suddenly standing there.
"Hello, Shinso Hitoshi-kun…!"
"Um, hi…?" Hitoshi replied with a short wave, clearing his throat before he rubbed the back of his neck as he nervously admitted, "Uh, sorry, I'm not the best with names…"
"That is quite all right. I am Iida Tenya, and this is Midoriya Izuku-kun." the blue-haired boy briefly gestured to the greenet teen standing behind him, Izuku gripping his shirt as he peeked to look at Hitoshi while Tenya continued, "And Uraraka Ochaco-kun is our other friend. She has short brown hair and eyes and-"
"Oh, yeah, I… remember her." Hitoshi interrupted the other, recalling how he acted to Ochaco, which brought confusion as to why these two were before him, "Um… Did you want something, or…?"
"Ah, yes we did. Midoriya-kun wished to ask you a question." Tenya stepped to the side, putting the other on the spot, which Izuku must have not have expected as he suddenly tensed up as he faced Hitoshi.
"Uh… um, Shin-"
"Wait, let me say something first." Hitoshi held up his hand as he stood up, thinning his lip as Izuku straightened his stature. Looking down at the smaller teen, he tried to maintain eye contact with the greenet as he spoke, "I… I want to apologize for how I acted towards you… when I came here. It was… Well, it was really uncalled for and I kind of put you down without even knowing you… I acted… really horrible towards you, so…"
"S-Shinso-kun, you didn't need to apologize…!"
"The hell I did…" Hitoshi sighed, looking to the floor as he fiddled with his thumbs. Silence fell over the teens until he coughed into his hand, Izuku glancing back up to the purplenet as he awkwardly wondered, "Um, what was it you wanted to ask me…?"
"Oh, uh, I-I was wo-wondering if you- if you wanted to s-s-sit with me, Ii-Iida-kun and Uraraka-san…? It's okay if you don't want to, but- but I just thought-"
"Oh…" Hitoshi hadn't expected the invitation, backtracking as he caught Izuku's disappointed expression, "I mean, uh, are you… sure? I… don't think your other friend… um… I don't think she would like me-"
"Have no worry about Uraraka-kun. She is a kind and understanding friend and I could not be prouder to say that. The same goes for Midoriya-kun." Tenya tried to ease Hitoshi's nervous feeling, but he only made Izuku duck down and cover his face, shaking his head as if to deny the claim.
"I mean… I guess- If you'll have me."
Having people that actually liked him and saw him as a friend was a new concept to Hitoshi. But, he figured that he'd never learn it if he didn't put himself out there, allowing Izuku and Tenya to lead the way and explain how lunch worked. It was a strange feeling to see them looking at him with joy instead of fear in their eyes, but he smiled anyway at the comforting feeling.