Lunch passed with little tranquility, given the disdainful looks some students directed at the most problematic siblings under Aizawa's tutelage.
Bakugo felt the need to explode something, Kaminari and Mina grumbled, Toru was making audible pouts in Mei's direction, while Midoriya tried to understand what this meant for him as the holder of One For All.
After almost getting into a fight with Bakugo, Tetsumaru had explained to them that they were here to push their Quirks to the limit, as it was the only aspect none of them had improved.
And of course, he pointed out that both he and Mei didn't need to push themselves to the limit because they had already been doing it for years, and that's why they are stronger than Bakugo.
Yes, Tetsumaru used those words, which made the blonde spit blood.
But Midoriya Izuku couldn't help but feel that he was failing as All Might's successor. Despite having great power, the power of the Number 1 Hero, his performance hadn't been satisfactory to him.
He looked at Todoroki, who defeated him in the sports festival. He looked at Kacchan, whom he had always respected for his strength and bravery. He looked at Tetsumaru, who even had the audacity to jump into battle during the USJ attack and managed to evade a monster capable of fighting All Might.
He looked at Mei, whose strength was inferior to his own, who jumped not once, but twice against those evil creations.
Even both siblings faced villains who attacked them in their own home and came out victorious.
So where does that leave him, who couldn't even move during the USJ attack, who couldn't even contain Stain on his own?
The same thing crossed the minds of some students. For Bakugo, the gap between him and the annoying siblings only widened more and more.
In the past, he had been afraid of the black-haired boy. When he ran into him again at UA, he felt that he could finally show the ugly-eyed bastard who was superior.
But he could only bark and not bite. He never dared to take things too far.
Losing to Mei in the festival only made him clench his teeth harder. He couldn't even console himself with being ranked higher than Tetsumaru, because the latter was left behind due to not taking the race or the cavalry battle seriously.
He didn't give it any importance, but Bakugo gave it his all.
He didn't even bother to register the events at the USJ. That was a matter of skills, and his own wouldn't have allowed him to resist the Nomu as he did.
Conveniently, and as usual, Bakugo ignored the fact that Mei also confronted that monster. It was almost automatic to avoid thinking about the kunoichi, because his mind drifted to things he didn't know how to interpret, nor did he want to.
For her part, Momo started doubting herself once again. Aizawa had helped her regain confidence during the practical exam with Todoroki, but the girl was no fool.
She also realized the disparity between Tetsumaru, Mei, and the rest of the class. She had tried not to let it affect her, as their Quirks allowed them to do many things she couldn't.
But she understood that it wasn't just about Quirks.
Their adaptability to battles, Tetsumaru's unexpected focus on rescue operations, their abilities that didn't depend on their Quirks—or so she thought—made them competent in many more things than she was.
They were good at studying, almost on her level. They were good at hand-to-hand combat, far superior to people like Kirishima and Shōji, whose strong point is their body. They were good at reacting and adapting, and they even received special treatment during this camp.
Was that unfair? Perhaps, but both had a good point in their favor: They really are the only ones who have improved in their Quirk control.
And they are probably the only ones in the class who truly master their Quirk. Momo had no proof, but if she had to bet, she would bet on those two.
Aizawa and the Pussy Cats occasionally observed the silent table of class 1-A. The looks of disdain and dissatisfaction gradually transformed into reflection and finally into determination.
A new fire ignited in their hearts. Aizawa couldn't help but crack a smile, glancing sideways at Tetsumaru and wondering if he had misjudged the young man.
Meanwhile, a battle of ugly glares was unfolding between a blonde woman and a reddish-brown-haired girl, but both Aizawa and Tetsumaru feigned ignorance about the matter.
********************************
—Why is it always you and your stupid sand!?— Mineta shouted, thrashing frantically in an attempt to free himself from the hand of Satetsu that was blocking him in the air.
The boy's eyes shed tears of blood and he looked at the responsible party with betrayal and pain.
—Because you're a pervert and my sister is there— Tetsumaru replied, tossing the dwarf back into the water with a dismissive wave of his sand hand.
Mineta emerged from the water and clenched his fist towards the black-haired boy.
—And what does that have to do with anything? Your sister is not a child anymore and one day she will find love, get married, and have children. What will you do then, Siscon? Will you throw your sand at all her suitors?— Mineta accused.
—Yes— was Tetsumaru's cold reply. Many strange looks fell on him, but the shinobi was unfazed. He looked back at them, briefly stopping at Todoroki before speaking again.
—Anyone who tries to approach Mei will have to cross a damned desert of Satetsu.
—...
Some were left speechless, unsure whether to respect Tetsumaru for protecting his sister or worry about his mental state.
—Is that... Is that manly or...?— Kirishima murmured under his breath, deep in thought.
Ojiro and Shōji dedicated a moment of silence to those poor future souls. Bakugo had a fleeting thought about challenging the black-haired boy for Mei's hand, but quickly reprimanded himself for thinking nonsense. He would just challenge him.
Todoroki blinked a couple of times, pretending not to care, but swallowed deeply.
Mineta thought about it for a while before nodding in understanding. He gave Tetsumaru a thumbs up, classifying him as a good pervert and Siscon.
At that moment, the dwarf decided not to interfere with his classmate's search for forbidden love.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the baths, the girls were slightly blushing and giving awkward smiles to Mei, who stayed a little apart from the rest and kept her eyes closed the whole time, as if meditating.
—I-I guess he's a good brother?— Uraraka expressed.
—It would be cute, if he were a few years younger— Tsuyu added with her usual raw frankness.
They quickly fell silent as they noticed the slight smile on Mei's face and the blush on her cheeks, which they didn't know if it was due to the waters or something else.