Chapter 38: (The Impossible Task)
While everyone began to relocate to the kitchen, and refuel themselves, Shota had a different idea for the moment.
"All Might, can I speak with you?"
Stopping in his tracks and letting the students continue alone, Toshinori nodded, "Of course, Aizawa-kun. I presume this is a secret matter you wish to discuss?"
"Not exactly, but I couldn't help but feel surprised you were able to tell the students about this… future prophecy, despite the future you being unable to just tell Midoriya." Shota was simply curious to know what gave the hero the motivation to reveal the information when it appeared that the show wasn't going to.
"Well… Honestly, something may have come over me to tell the children that information, however… I don't know, perhaps I couldn't stand their down-casted expressions, so I hoped that telling them about Nighteye's Foresight might… help." Toshinori, looking back on his decision, may have only made them feel worse about the future. But there was no taking those words back that he said, adding, "Besides, Young Midoriya recalled that I was going to explain about One for All and myself with it, so I assumed he realized the same."
"Right… I just- It doesn't feel like you to reveal something… like that."
"I can understand that notion." Toshinori softly chuckled, a hint of sorrow in his laughter, before he sighed out next, "Perhaps I felt that I owed the children an answer… Or maybe I foolishly believed that it would change due to our arrival here."
So many possibilities, yet there was never a straight answer to any of them.
"Well, while you're still here, you should teach Midoriya everything you know. And that also means reaching out for help." Shota wasn't talking about only Sorahiko, the number one hero slowly began to understand that when the man stuck out his hand.
Gripping his hand firmly, Toshinori bowed his head, while he reminisced, "You're right, Aizawa-kun. And I apologize for my future choices. I should have informed you about Young Midoriya's clear disadvantage… You may have also been able to guide him as well, and I promise you that I will not make that mistake here."
"It's not like you had a choice in that." Shota reminded the number one hero, before releasing their hold, as he sighed next, "I'm going to get a cup of coffee first before I talk to those kids…"
"Do you mean Young Midoriya, Young Iida, and Young Shoto?" Toshinori was taken aback, since he thought the three kids had learned their lesson pretty early on, asking his future coworker directly, "Do you not believe the children have learned their lesson?"
"It's not just that. I just want to make sure they fully understand the weight of their actions." Shota waved his hand out dismissively while they walked to the kitchen, before running a hand through his hair, as he exasperated, "I know the chief of police said it best, but quite frankly, a selfish part of me just wants to take my frustrations out on those idiotic kids…"
Toshinori bellowed out a laugh that caught the attention of everyone, his signature exclamation causing most to reminiscent on the man they looked up to and aspired to become. Death was something that came for everyone eventually, and perhaps they had not realized it, but their number one hero had held his place for a very long time. Even before they were born, Toshinori had been at the top of the charts for many years.
But for his death to come so soon?
"I can't… believe…" Mina's gentle voice brought eyes to her, tearing up, as she stared at Toshinori, while stating, "...that he'll really be… gone soon… I… I mean, I… I know people… die, but… All Might… he just… He always seemed so powerful… untouchable from death…"
"I get what you mean…"
Izuku curled further into himself as he listened to her pitiful words, with everyone else around the table falling back into silence, as they too had foolishly believed this. Tenya bowed his head, finding it hard to eat his food, while Ochaco sniffed, as she glanced over to where his friend laid his head on the wood. She felt awful that after finding out his childhood classmate was gone, he then had to learn that his idol was on the verge of death. And discussing it definitely wouldn't help his mental state, either.
"Would it be okay if we talked about… something else…?" Ochaco softly suggested, trying her best to explain without mentioning Izuku by name, "I know this is all so… hard to process, but… I mean, it all just- Like… I don't know, but please, can we talk about anything else…?"
She didn't want to sound rude, but she wasn't sure how else to say it. Luckily, her friends understood, a quick glance toward Izuku, before they went deep into thought on something else they could talk about.
"I have one: Has anyone else noticed that no one else has arrived in the theater today…?" Hitoshi thankfully found a good enough question to entertain them, as their heads turned towards him, confused, until they thought about it.
"Shit, you're right…"
"Then that could mean that everyone's here, then, right…?" Ochaco wondered with a faint smile of gratitude toward him, slowly beginning to count them off, as she stated, "'Cause… you and Endeavor came before we had our lunch break… And the majority of us came before lunch on the first day here, too… right?"
"You would be correct, Uraraka-kun." Tenya confirmed for her, before adding another point into their new topic, "Along those same lines, there also has not been another who arrived after our intended break yesterday. So, perhaps there will be no other individual who will enter this theater for the remainder of our viewing."
"Though, all the villains that were shown - aside from All for One - none of them had spoken. It could be possible that they could appear again, and if they speak, be brought here." Shoto pointed out to them, taking a bite of his meal, his words sending a chill up their spines, until he made it worse by saying, "Also, Shigaraki's question about why All Might's here and not All for One is an interesting one. Because both are trying to be mentors to the current generation of villains and heroes, meaning both Midoriya and Shigaraki are practically the next versions of All Might and All for One. That's what I gathered from what All Might said in the episode, too."
Peacefully going back to eating, the rest of his tablemates couldn't help but gap at what his exposition, internally freaking about the near future. At least, in the show, they still had a year or so, hopefully.
"What the hell…?"
"Are you saying you wanted that… that villain to be here, Shoto…?!"
"No."
His simple answer didn't satisfy Mina, as she pushed him for a better one, "Then… what are you trying to say?"
"I'm only saying that the parallels between Midoriya and Shigaraki are too similar. Best Jeanist stated that heroes and villains are the same side of a coin, and there was also that one episode titled 'Midoriya and Shigaraki'. There's a lot of evidence to support all this."
Ochaco looked over to the greenet to try and read his body language and see if she should end this, but Izuku almost looked asleep.
"Okay… but like, to say out loud and admit that All for One should be here-"
"I didn't say that." Shoto narrowed his gaze, slightly frustrated that she wasn't getting it.
"Okay, sorry, um… Can you try to explain to me again what you are trying to say…? Please."
"All Might's here for Midoriya, but All for One isn't here for Shigaraki. I find it odd."
"Wait, I think I get what you're saying…" Ochaco mumbled, tapping her chopstick against her plate, before she did her best to phrase her words right, "So… Obviously, you don't want All for One here, like the rest of us, but you find it strange that he's notbecause All Might is here… So, are you saying that there has to be a reason for that…?"
"Yes."
"That makes a bit more sense…" Mina was starting to understand, and see what Shoto was saying with the simpler explanation from the short-haired brunette.
"Back on to what originally brought all this up, but you would think that this all-knowing voice would let us know who is left to arrive, right? And tell us when everyone's here…"
"I understand what you are implying, Shinso-kun. However, Aizawa Sensei also had assumed that the twenty of us, him, and All Might were all to be admitted into the theater. Then Shigaraki appeared…"
"Ah, I see." Hitoshi hummed, blinking at the frightened look in the boy's blue gaze, before he looked over to where Tomura sat alone at his table. Squinting his eyes on the villain, he scanned the other side of the theater, before mumbling out loud, "Actually, now that we have another look at each other's kitchen area, doesn't the other side also have the same amount of chairs and tables…? Like, an exact copy, as if more villains could possibly come here?"
As they all turned around, and noticed it too, Ochaco huffed under her breath, "Gosh, I hate this…"
"Can't we have one clear answer about all this…?!"Mina exclaimed out of nowhere, all the attention turning to her, as she began to complain with reason, "I mean, I get the point of us being here, but come on now…! How long are we going to be here? What happens in the future that's SO bad we need to be here and watch all this? How far into the future arewe going to see? What's the point of even still watching this if our future is going to change because we now know everything that's going to happen…?!"
"I've been wondering about that for a while, too." Shoto agreed, as he had been asking these questions since the beginning of arriving here, then proceeded to dip some of his food in soy sauce, and continued to eat.
"Oh, Yaoyorozu-san mentioned something earlier about how it didn't matter that she wasn't going to be at Uwabami-san's agency in this timeline, because it still happened in another timeline. And then Shoto-kun said that the multiverse was real suddenly, and that completely blew my mind…!"
"That…" Mina was going to say that her friend hadn't made a point with her words, until she started to digest what exactly Ochaco said, humming, "Actually, someone's a genius here…"
"I admittedly must say, I had a firm denial of any and all theories regarding a multiverse in our existence. However, this entire experience has given me insight on a more, open-minded perspective."
"Iida-kun, your rich boy side is showing." Ochaco giggled at her friend's panic.
"So, would that mean in another timeline, we're still here, but choosing to make decisions that are different from the decision's were making here…?"
"Might be taking it a bit too far with that one." Hitoshi didn't disagree with his pink-haired peer, however.
"That was my reasoning for dismissing there being a real multiverse." Tenya gestured his arm toward the two, before retracting it back, as he began to explain his reasons, "I didn't want to live my life doubting myself on every decision I made. It was no way to live in my eyes, however, I will acknowledge its existence, but it will not change my way of life."
"That's a strong moral, and I respect it."
"Thank you, Shinso-kun."
As the conversation drifted away from talk about the villains and All Might, Ochaco took one more glance at her friend. Izuku had hardly moved since he got in his seat, and while this worried her, on the other hand, the brunette was glad they hadn't angered him in anything they said. She knew he needed some space for now, especially after what was said in the last episode. However, there was something she wanted to help him with when he was ready.
After finishing up in the bathroom, Denki let out a sigh, as he walked over to wash his hands, his stomach rumbling, and reminding him of his hunger. Though, he honestly didn't feel like eating anything.
He thought hard about what Hanta said to him, not understanding why his friend would say something like that about him. Sure, he might insult Enji and Katsuki a bit much, but he had a reason for it, and if his friend saw it, then why ask him to stop? He was only trying to protect his friends by being their shield for them since they couldn't defend themselves against their abusers.
Though, being in the bathroom, Denki looked behind him to the bathing rooms, recalling their conversation from that first night. Even if Izuku admitted that he wanted to be friends with his bully, that didn't sit right for the blond, and he wanted to help change his friend's mind. He needed to so he wouldn't get hurt in the end. Katsuki was a horrible person for what he said, and even if he hadn't said it yet because it was in the future, his constant insults of telling everyone to die said everything.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Denki began to make his way to the kitchen, avoiding the buffet for right now, as there was something he needed to discuss first before he could feel like eating again. Finding where Hanta was sitting with Eijiro, Kyoka, and Momo, he approached his two guy friends from behind, with the girls looking up to him.
"Sero, can we talk about something?"
Slightly jumping in his seat, before turning around, Hanta placed a hand over his chest, while dramatically sighing, "Shit man, since when did you get so quiet…? Damn, okay, what you wanna talk about, Kaminari?"
Taking the other available seat next to him, Denki pulled the chair out to face him, before asking, "Why the fuck were you so pressed about me?"
"Oh, I can answer that question…" Kyoka all of a sudden butted in, before she grinned, "Then again, you should be the one to find that out for yourself."
"Then what was the point of you speaking at all…?!"
"Kaminari." Hanta calmly called his name, with the blond looking at him again, as he clarified for context, "Are you trying to ask me about why I called out your behavior?"
"Uh… No, I'm trying to ask why you acted like that towards me during the last episode."
"Okay, so we are talking about the same thing."
Denki thought about what he said for a moment, before getting defensive, "Wait, so you think I was the one acting childish…?!"
"Uh… yeah."
"What the fuck, Sero…?! I thought we were friends…!"
"Look, I-"
"Can you guys talk about this civilly…?" Eijiro spoke up, fearing the worst if the conversation went on like this.
"You should listen to Kirishima. Maybe he can be your mediator for the time being so you can figure out your shit." Kyoka's words carried more weight, and while the three boys looked to one another, Eijiro blushed at what he heard her say under her breath, "You're a good observer, Kirishima… and therapist."
"I-I'm not a therapist… or anything like that…"
Her blank expression kind of scared Eijiro.
Slapping his hands on his knees, Hanta shifted his chair to face the long-haired boy, as he decided, "All right, then. I'd be willing to talk this out with Kirishima as a middle ground. If that's all right with him."
"You're just saying that because you know he'll take your side…" Denki spat back at the two 'brothers', while turning his own chair around.
'Do I have to do this…?' Eijiro was too nervous to say no, and he also didn't want to lose the new friends he gained from this place. He honestly felt like a child in the middle of divorced parents, but that was weird to think, so he quickly shoved that thought away, before informing them, "I-I'm not going to take any… any sides…!"
"That's fine. I trust your judgment, Kirishima."
"Same here. You're our friend, and even if Sero and I aren't anymore, you'll still be my friend."
"Why don't you wanna be friends with me anymore…?"
"I'll let you figure out that answer by the end of this conversation." Denki huffed, before realizing that may have sounded harsher than he intended it to. And as a result, Hanta dropped his smile, understanding that he was serious.
This also scared Eijiro, staring wide-eyed at the blond, before he coughed into his hand, catching their attention, as he attempted to start, "Uh, so… I guess maybe it would be beneficial for you… guys… to talk…? Like- Each… of you talk about what is bothering you… with the other not interrupting. And see what the problem is."
"I know Aizawa Sensei told us we don't have to do side work as heroes, but like, come on… Kirishima would make a badass therapist."
"Shut up…!" Eijiro, if anything, thought someone like Shota or Toshinori should be in charge of this.
"Well… does it matter who goes first?"
"I'll go first." Denki had a lot of thoughts in the bathroom, and now he was ready to voice them here to Hanta, turning to face his former friend when he genuinely wondered, "Why don't you want me to defend my friends? I mean, Endeavor abused Shoto, and Bakugo told Midoriya to kill himself… Yet, suddenly, you want me to stop protecting them from their abusers? Like… Okay, I thought about it a little bit, and I can admit that I might throw insults too much, but… I can't just… I can't do nothing. You know? And when you basically told me to do nothing, I… It… It snapped something inside me…? I don't know, I just- That wasn't what I wanted to hear from you, 'cause you're… you're my friend. And I want us to stay friends, 'cause you're a cool guy, Sero… But you can't expect me to do nothing, 'kay?"
Despite hearing from only one side, Eijiro could see where the misunderstanding came from. And thankfully, so could Hanta, who couldn't hide his smile because of the other's stupidity.
"The hell's so funny…?"
"Nothing- Nothing…" Hanta sighed, sitting up in his seat, so he could prepare his own counter argument, "Can I go ahead and say my piece, Kirishima?"
"Um, yeah…"
"All right. Kaminari. First and fore-fucking-most: I want us to stay friends, too." Hanta agreed, and this touched the other's heart, before Denki listened to the rest of what he wanted to say, "Second of all: I didn't tell you to stop protecting Midoriya and Shoto. To clear up something, I also strongly dislike Endeavor and Bakugo. However, if I had to choose one over the other, Bakugo would be an instant choice, because he's not that bad. I get your reason for defending Midoriya 'cause yeah, telling someone to kill themselves is definitely a horrible thing to do, but you gotta remember that this is the same guy that tells people to die. It's probably just his way of… okay, this is going to sound completely messed up, but it just might be Bakugo's way of motivating someone…"
"That definitely sounded better in your head."
"Thanks Jiro. To poorly defend myself there, the Kirishima in the future gets weirdly motivated by it. Anyway-" Hanta went to recall his train of thought, before continuing down his list of what to say, "What I wanted you to stop doing was insulting the two of them. I get that you hate them, mostly everyone here does to some level, but yours is… too much. You feel? 'Cause you keep on… going, with no end…! And, there needs to be an end, Kaminari. You can hate people in silence."
After saying his piece, the two friends stared at the other, digesting what was said.
'That honestly went well…' Eijiro was relieved that they seemed to be on better terms now after their talk, so he found it easier to continue the conversation, "Um, so… I, uh, guess the next step is to… understand what was said… better?"
He could feel eyes in the back of his head, and it didn't help that Kyoka and Momo were on the other side of the table.
"I'll go first this time." Hanta spoke up, while his friend had his mouth parted, before closing it, as Denki listened, "Kaminari, I want you to understand that I wasn't trying to make you stop helping Shoto and Midoriya. What I was trying to get you to see was that maybe they don't need your protection. I mean, you remember what Midoriya said about Bakugo that first day, right? How he still wants them to be friends, but believes it to be impossible? With you antagonizing Bakugo at every chance you get in Midoriya's name, you're making it worse. Also, when we get back home, Shoto will still be under Endeavor's roof. Meaning, all those insults you're driving into Endeavor could be pent-up he releases later on Shoto."
When he saw his friend's eyes blow wide open, Hanta quickly back-tracked, as he tried to calm him down, "Though, you know, I could be wrong, I mean, I'm only just talkingoutofmyasshere-"
"Fuck… I'm just making their lives worse, aren't I…?"
"Not… Not necessarily…!"
"But I could be…" Denki hadn't realized the damage he could possibly be doing to his friends, and not knowing it was happening was the worst feeling. He needed to make this right, somehow, someway.
"Well, uh… perhaps, but let's not think about that right now…! We can, uh… I can help you fix… yeah, fix your mistake…! But, it's not something you can just do in a simple lunch break, so, let's talk about it more later- When we have more time, yeah? Yeah, okay, now, um, let's talk about your side…! Help meunderstand why you kept insulting them?" Hanta finally got the nail in the wood, but he ended up smashing his thumb with the hammer in the same movement.
"I mean, I understand your side now more, and… gosh, everything I said to those two is coming back… Why didn't you stop me sooner…?!"
"Oh, we tried, Kaminari. We really tried." Kyoka mostly said that to bring more awareness to the blond, however, this only annoyed him. Before he could snap at her, she stood up from her seat, a sheet of paper in hand, as she called to Momo, "All right, where's Shinso?"
"What do you need with him?" Hanta was curious why the punk teen was looking for him.
"I'm forcing him to talk to Kaminari's least favorite person."
"Endeavor…?!" Denki whisper-shouted in disbelief, before blinking at the stunned look she threw his way.
"No… Bakugo. Sorry, I thought that was obvious."
"What are you talking to Bakugo for?" Hanta moved on before another argument could happen.
"Well, I was talking with Yaoyorozu and Shinso a while ago about the lyrics to the song for today, and hoped that showing them to Bakugo might help… something."
"Jiro-san is not entirely sure what she wants to achieve. However, what we all agree on is that the friction between Midoriya-san and Bakugo-san must be acknowledged. And that is her desire when presenting these words to him."
"Thanks, Yaoyorozu…" Kyoka breathed a quick sigh of relief, before turning back to the three guys, as she asked one in particular, "So, Kaminari, you wanna help?"
"Me…? How could I help?"
Before any words came out of her mouth, Hanta interrupted with a brillant grin, as he exclaimed, "This could be your chance, Kaminari…! Your way of helping Midoriya reconnect with his old childhood friend, and you'd be able to defend him against Bakugo! Like… Like, when he gets crabby about it all, you can talk to him about why Midoriya is a great person…! You see?"
"That sounds kind of selfish…"
"No, no, Kirishima, you don't get what I'm saying- Kaminari here feels awful for what he's done. Because he's now thinking that everything he's been saying is going to make Shoto and Midoriya's life worse-"
"You put that thought in my head…!"
"-so, this is his opportunity to fix the mess he's made!"
"Well, whether you lot wanna help or not, we better start soon, or else the break will be over, and we'll have to wait longer." Kyoka walked away after that, with Momo behind her, as she made her way over to where she last saw him, only to find Tenya and Izuku by themselves. Glancing back to her friend, she found that the three guys had in fact followed them, before asking her, "Shinso was here with them, right…? I wasn't hallucinating?"
Instead of answering her, Momo thinned her lips, before waltzing over to the two boys, with Tenya's eyes catching her movement, as he turned around to greet her.
"It is good to see you, class rep!"
"Please don't call me that, Iida-san…"
"What ever can I help you with today?"
"Well, we…" Momo gestured to the four behind her, before she carried on saying, "...were wondering if you may be able to inform us on Shinso-san's whereabouts?"
"Ah, yes. He, Ashido-kun, and Uraraka-kun retreated to his room so they could see Shinso-kun's pet animal."
"Oh, his cat…!"
"Indeed. They left a short while ago, and while I was invited, I… felt inclined to stay present in the theater." Tenya casted his eyes down to the green-haired boy beside him, his head on the table.
"I understand. Thank you, Iida-san."
"Of course, Yaoyorozu-kun."
Walking back over to where Kyoka stood, parting her lips to share the news she got, Hanta cut her off by chuckling, "You two really do speak like rich people."
"Ignore him. Let's try and find Shinso's door." Kyoka grabbed her friend's wrist, glaring at the dumbass for flustering Momo, before heading toward the collection of doors. Slowing her walk, she bit her lip, while muttering to herself, "Okay… Shouldn't there be some kind of order to all these doors…?"
"Guys, this door's open, and girly squeals are coming from inside." Denki announced, pointing their attention to a door more toward the front of the theater.
As they gathered around Denki, the group immediately jumped back when the door swung open wider, with Hitoshi standing in between the space, his exhausted gaze eyeing them. In the room, the occasional squeal could be heard.
"You need me or… something?"
"Yep. It's time." Kyoka responded, but this didn't give any information to him.
"Time…?"
"What's going on in there?" Denki was curious about the squealing noises, narrowing his eyes at the purplenet, who stared the blond down, before stepping away from his door for them to see.
His cat, Yuki, was curled up in Mina's lap, with the pink-haired girl covering her mouth, as she grinned into her hand, while Ochaco tickled the kitten's chin. It was a very cute sight to see, and Denki was a bit jealous that Hitoshi was able to make the brunette smile like that.
"I see…"
"So, what is it time for, exactly…?" Hitoshi questioned, while they piled into his room, taking his open door as an invitation to come inside.
"Get Bakugo to talk to Midoriya."
"Seriously…? Are you sure this is even going to work?"
"No idea, but we'll see." Kyoka shrugged, before taking a glance around at his interior, until her eyes landed on a frame over his bed, gasping, "Holy shit, you have a Hatsune Miku poster…?!"
"Uh… yeah. Got that at a concert I went to."
"I'm so jealous…!" Kyoka's eyes strayed to the shelf where he had a few figurines of the idol herself, before panning across one of the rows to find CDs of another band that got her excited, as she squealed, "You're a fan of Eve, too?! Man, you have such great taste in music, Shinso!"
"I thought you said we were short on time…?" Hanta threw a grin at the purplenette, who couldn't see his expression, but his message got across to Kyoka.
"Right, right, sorry. I'll geek out about your room later. Let's get this thing going."
"Aww, but she just sat on my lap…" Mina didn't want to disturb the small cat either, sniffing at the thought of waking Yuki up from her slumber.
Luckily, Hitoshi stood over her, with his words of wisdom, "Do you know how to hold a cat? She still manages to sleep as long as you pick her up slowly and gently."
Walking out into the theater again, with a cat securely in one's arms, the large group made their way back to the kitchen area. And thankfully spotting the spiky-haired blond sitting at a table, alone, the eight students gathered around the unsuspecting Katsuki, who glared at each one of them, with genuine surprise.
"The fuck do you extras want…?"
It took a lot for Denki not to say something in a remarking tone, "We… need to talk about… something."
"And we're not leaving until we finish this." Kyoka placed the paper before her, then turned toward the sparked blond to give him a thumbs up.
"The fuck is this?" Katsuki gestured to the piece of paper with a flick of his chopstick, which Momo wanted to reprimand him for carelessly using the utensil, but she stopped herself before she could say anything aloud.
"This is a sheet of lyrics to one of the songs-"
"I already saw you do this shit with Half n' Half. Get this out of my face." Katsuki, cutting off the short-haired girl, turned his head back toward his meal, shoving a bite of rice into his mouth, chewing, as he closed his eyes.
Despite visibly ignoring her, Kyoka continued with what she was going to say, "This paper has the song lyrics to one of the songs from today, and I think you should look over them. Because you and Midoriya need to talk to each other."
"Leave me and fucking Deku alone-"
"No." Kyoka's stern response quieted his raising tone, causing Katsuki to blink, as she explained, "None of us can understand what you two are going through- You both lost a friend, and I understand that everyone has their own way of grieving, but none of us can help Midoriya."
"Even if this… crap, I forgot his name- Sorry, but whoever this kid was to you guys, he meant a lot to Midoriya."
He was getting frustrated that they wouldn't drop this subject, until he heard Kyoka sigh, "Look. Bakugo, whether you see it or not, Midoriya needs you. And I know you're also affected by his death-"
"I didn't know Tsubasa." Katsuki interrupted her, but they listened to him sneer, "He was just someone that followed me around - like Shitty Deku - except I didn't notice when he stopped showing up to school. He was just gone, and I didn't know or cared."
"Typical…" Denki spoke without thinking, before wincing when he felt someone slap his arm, quickly backtracking, "Shit- Okay, I'm sorry, that came out wrong…!"
"How the hell was that supposed to come out…?!"
"Just… I'll shut up now…!"
As they glared at the golden-eyed teen, Ochaco thought for a moment about what was said, before asking Katsuki, "So, if Deku-kun went missing, you would have noticed…?"
"Hah?"
"You said that Tsubasa-san followed you around, like Deku-kun does, but you said 'except.' So, does that mean you would have noticed if Deku-kun suddenly went away…?"
"I don't know what you're fucking talking about." Katsuki knew exactly what she was trying to say, but he didn't want to admit that shit out loud.
Kyoka narrowed her eyes, trying to study his expression, before giving up, as she went back to saying, "Okay, if you're not going to read these lyrics, I'm going to read them for you: 'Think of everything you've done wrong. Think of how you lost it for so long. If you can accept that, you'll be strong.'"
"Oh, powerful…" Mina hummed, until the cat wiggled in her arms, causing the girl to cry when she ran off.
"That doesn't fucking mean anything."
"I think it speaks volume. And I think it also explains why the setting of that song is fictitious." Kyoka slid the paper closer toward Katsuki, while she began to elaborate, "Midoriya wants to be friends with you, Bakugo, but you don't want to be friends with him- You don't want to accept him. And because of this, Midoriya sees being your friend as a fantasy dream, which leads me to the visuals of that ending song. It's based in a fictional world because he can't see being friends with you in this world. Which is why the lyrics of this song are the way they are- It's Midoriya speaking to you in a way, but you won't listen to him."
"You're bullshitting."
"Talk to him, and tell me if I'm bullshitting."
Katsuki opened his mouth to give a response, but when his jaw clashed shut, Ochaco took the opportunity to say her piece, "Deku-kun's not your enemy, Bakugo-kun. Yesterday, when we found out about what you said to him, Deku-kun was the only one trying to defend you. He kept saying that you didn't mean it, and was hoping to keep it a secret from all of us. Deku-kun didn't need to do all that, but he did. Because he wants you to be his friend again, so he's doing his hardest not to make us paint him as your enemy."
"Well said, Uraraka." Denki grinned at the girl he fell for, and while she tried not to let it show, Ochaco couldn't stop the tiny smile that came over her lips.
"We just want you to talk to Midoriya." Kyoka simplified their words, carefully watching his narrowed expression, as she stated, "I know this sounds cheesy, but he needs you, Bakugo, and-"
"Fuck off with that bs-"
"It's not bs!" Denki exclaimed over whatever else he was going to say, catching them by surprise, with Katsuki glaring at him, but listened, "You're an asshole, but can you quit being a selfish asshole for once and see that Midoriya is hurting…?! And you're the one person that could help him stop hurting…!"
"I can't bring people back from the dead." Katsuki remarked, briefly glaring at Denki, before casting his eyes back to the girl, spitting out, "Nothing I have to say to Deku is going to help anything. Tsubasa's dead, and there's nothing no one can say or do. Accept that, Ears."
"But you do want to say something- I can feel it…!"
"Get your feelings checked."
"I don't know what else I can say to get your ass out of that chair, but there has to be something- Something that'll convince you to go talk to Midoriya-"
"What the fuck would I say to him?" Katsuki genuinely asked, catching her off guard, and when she only stared at him, he answered his own question, "I don't have anything to say to Deku. He can deal with his own emotions."
"Maybe you don't need to say anything." Ochaco countered, causing the blond to pause from taking another bite of his food, as she noted, "Maybe… maybe just showing that you're there will help him a little."
Staring at the brunette, Katsuki soon closed his eyes shut, before placing his chopsticks down, as he addressed them all, "Stop acting like you all know what Deku fucking needs."
"Then what do you think he needs, huh? Tell us what the hell we're doing wrong, and we'll right it, big guy." Kyoka was also getting annoyed by how stubborn he was proving to be. Though, as he went silent, going back to his meal, she had to accept defeat, "Okay, fine. I'll fucking leave you alone, then."
While she expected a sarcastic comment to come from his lips, she didn't stop when the silence carried on. And slowly, the formed group began to disperse, leaving Katsuki almost alone.
"Bakugo-kun?" Ochaco softly called, and though he didn't look up from his food, she bit her lip, glancing at Eijiro, before going on, "Is it that you don't know what to say to Deku-kun, or that you believe you can't…?"
Swallowing, Katsuki looked across the table toward the girl, then huffed, "Nothing I say is going to change anything."
"But… grieving alone shouldn't be your first choice." Eijiro hesitated when their eyes turned on him, but he focused on the dulling scarlet gaze before him, stating, "I-I get it, that… You and Midoriya mourn differently… But you're choosing to be alone in a room full of people who have tried to reach you."
"I don't fucking want your help-"
"But maybe you could use it." Ochaco watched how his lips stayed slightly parted, taking that as him considering her words. When Katsuki's eyes flickered to one side of the room, she decided that perhaps it was time for a change, "Why don't you tell us who Tsubasa-san was as a person? Maybe we'll understand a little bit more about who he was to you…"
They observed the way he sighed, before Katsuki answered quietly, "He wasn't a good person…"
"Really…?"
"Nobody Deku knew when he was a kid was a good kid…" Katsuki continued, and the remorse in his tone took the two by shock, with Ochaco tearing up at his mumble, "But he also didn't deserve what happened to him."
"Nobody does…" Eijiro completely agreed.
Observing the teenagers, Shota had been listening in on their conversation, waiting to break it up if necessary, but he was surprised at how well they handled it. Of course, Katsuki was as headstrong as ever, but the way the kids didn't antagonize him on purpose was impressive, especially with Denki. However, he also understood why they wanted the blond to talk with Izuku, as the boy was having a difficult time processing the loss of his friend.
"These young heroes never cease to amaze me…"
"When are you going to talk to Midoriya?" Shota turned back around to face the number one hero, watching Toshinori's expression dull, his azure eyes staring down at his plate.
"I was hoping to give the young boy a moment to… to take in everything that has happened this session."
"All Might, you can't avoid this-"
"I swear to you that I am not purposefully avoiding this…" Toshinori interrupted, with the pro hero staying quiet to hear the man out, as the Symbol of Peace fumbled over his words, "It is simply… I might- I shouldn't have informed the students about my future…"
"I'm still surprised you told them."
"Yes, and now I wish I had not…"
Shota thought for a moment, before stating, "You can't take back your words. You'll have to face this sooner than later, because I'm sure you have plenty to talk about with Midoriya. And they should be said before the next viewing session."
"Thank you, Aizawa-kun…" Toshinori smiled with a sigh, looking toward the man, as he expressed his gratitude for the encouragement, "I believe that was what I needed to hear."
Taking a stand, and leaving his dish with the underground hero, Toshinori passed through the sea of tables to reach where Izuku sat. He took notice of a few eyes turning to him as he walked, mentally telling himself to reassure the remainder of the students after he spoke with the boy.
The hero pulled out a chair to sit beside Izuku, who turned his eyes to him, before sitting up in surprise, as he gaped, "All Might…!"
"Do not strain yourself, Young Midoriya." Toshinori almost went to ask the kid how he was doing, before stopping himself, as he already knew the response. So, instead, he gently placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder, furrowing his brow, as he softly smiled, "I wanted to check on you…"
"I… I'm doing fine…" Izuku lied, knowing it wasn't the truth, but he didn't know what else he was supposed to say.
"You don't have to lie to me, my boy, but… I understand if you do not wish to talk about what you are feeling, as well. However, there is something I wish to say before we resume our session…" Toshinori took his hand back, in case it was pressuring the boy, before going into what he wanted to talk about, "Young Midoriya, I un… I understand that what you have witnessed earlier was… was not what you were expecting- or wanting to hear. But know that you do not need to make a decision now. I hope - and I truly pray - that once we return, I will have the ability to defeat All for One. For certain, and for your sake. I… I do not wish for you to ever encounter this villain. So, if you are still unsure about inheriting this quirk, I completely-"
"Something happens in the future…" Izuku mumbled, and while his voice was quiet, Toshinori paused, allowing him to finish saying his piece, "Something… really bad… I mean… Why else are we here…?"
"Well, it must be something horrific… Since we are in fact here…" Toshinori could imagine what that may be, seeing as the greenet was the main character.
Before he could say anything, Izuku stood up, walking a ways away, and raising his head toward the ceiling, "Voice?"
"Yes, Midoriya-san?"
"Does… Does anyone here… die in our future…?" Izuku's question caught everyone off guard, as they had noticed him get up, but now their full attention was waiting to hear its answer.
Silence followed, until the voice eventually replied, "That is information that can not be disclosed. Future events will only be revealed in the episodes to come."
"That's what I thought you'd say…"
Watching his friend stare down at the floor, Tenya pushed his own chair out, before slightly turning toward him, as he called, "Midoriya-kun…?"
"Someone… I… I don't know if they're here, but someone… Someone else dies…" Izuku was blunt when he spoke, and this spooked a few of his peers, but they listened to him continue, "I don't want to believe it, but… I think that's why we're here… To prevent it…"
"You… You can't just bring someone back from the dead…?!" Minoru exclaimed, before getting a look thrown his way to shut up.
"It wouldn't necessarily be bringing someone back from the dead, would it…? Because they would only be dead in the future, and we're kind of trapped in time right now… if you think about it."
"Why do you think it has something to do with death, Midoriya?" Shoto asked out of the blue, causing any other questions to quiet, as they waited for Izuku's answer.
His emerald eyes flickered to Toshinori, who parted his lips, while hearing out his successor, "Because… it makes the most sense… to me, at least… I mean, we couldn't… save Tsubasa-kun, so…"
Izuku tried not to cry when thinking about his death, wanting to finish what he needed to say, but the tears rolled past his eyelids anyway. He wanted to be strong, but he couldn't help feeling so weak, as there was nothing he could have done to save his old childhood friend.
As Toshinori stood up to comfort the boy, the hero jolted when he heard Tomura's exasperated sigh, "Does this brat always have to cry at every little tragedy that happens to him…?! What a wuss!"
"Hey, leave him alone!" Mina shouted back at the villain, who stuck his tongue out at the girl, irritating her, before she stomped closer toward him, yelling out, "You're acting like nothing's bad happened to ya, so how'd you get where you are, huh?!"
"Ashido…?!"
"Where are your parents, Shigaraki…?"
"Don't fucking care what happened to them, 'Raccoon Eyes'?" Tomura teased, and while the nickname slightly caught her off guard, Mina quickly recovered in order to continue to pressure for answers.
"So, did you run away? Did they kick you out for not getting a life?"
"They're dead- I don't fucking care…!" Tomura threw his hands up in the air, blowing her off, before snatching a bottle of water, then dropping down into one of the couches, leaving Mina without any answers.
"Fine… But I'll get you later…"
Hoping she was done antagonizing the criminal, Toshinori turned back to the boy, approaching Izuku, as he softly spoke, "Young Midoriya-"
"I'm sorry- I'm sorry, I just-" Izuku hiccuped, wiping at his eyes, while blinking the water out, as he did his best to calm himself enough to say, "I just don't want… to watch anyone else die…"
"I… I understand, Young Midoriya, but… Death is… an unavoidable thing, and everyone will one day come to their end-"
"No, no, no- You don't get it…! Tsubasa-kun could have lived- He… He could have, if- if I had done- done something…! I don't… I don't want to see anyone else die needlessly…" Izuku struggled to breathe, panicking, until he went to place a shaking hand against his heart, feeling his heartbeat, and attempting to match its rhythm. He started to feel his breathing slow, and became manageable, as he opened his eyes, staring at the carpet when he uttered, "Sorry…"
"You have nothing to apologize for, my boy." Toshinori's smile was nice to see when he looked, until he spotted others crowding behind the hero.
While Izuku wanted to back away and run, he stayed put, casting his eyes back to the floor, before declaring, "I don't want anyone else to die… I won't… I won't let anyone else die."
"Whoever dies isn't hero material." Katsuki huffed when he came to pass by the teen, causing Izuku to inhale sharply, as he spun around to face him, locking eyes on each other for the blond to spit out next, "So you better fucking live."
After hearing that, Ochaco immediately turned to Eijiro, who matched her excitement. Also taken aback by what he said, Kyoka's jaw dropped in pure shock, before glancing to those around her, with Momo and Denki wide-eyed at the words exchanged. Perhaps they had gotten through to him after all.
Silently watching the blond plop into a seat, Shota uncrossed his arms, as he announced to them, "All right, break time's over. Anyone still eating, go ahead and finish, then we'll get ready for the rest of the session."
As most of the students made their way back to their seats, Tenya and Shoto chose to stay and accompany their friend, as he began to eat his meal. The two boys had a light conversation between themselves so Izuku could focus on fueling himself, which the number one hero was pleased to witness.
Shota approached the man from behind, with Toshinori turning his head to ask him, "You seem to have a perfect opportunity to reprimand these young men."
"I decided it wouldn't be logical. They understand their consequences, and it's not what Midoriya needs to hear right now." Shota rubbed the back of his head at hearing the older hero chuckle.
The green-haired boy eventually finished off his appetite, letting his friends go ahead and grab a seat, as he stood up to get rid of his dish to join them. When he whirled back around, the freckled teen almost jumped out of his skin when Denki stood close behind him.
"Ack- I didn't mean to scare you, Midoriya…! Sorry about that!"
"It-It's okay, um… Sorry-"
"No no, don't apologize…! It was my fault!" Denki tried to laugh it off, until realizing he was the only one laughing. Rubbing the back of his neck, he awkwardly asked Izuku, "I know this is going to sound weird, but, do you… do you like Uraraka…?"
"WHAT…?!"
"I- I mean, the only reason why I ask is, because like… When that hero asked if you were her boyfriend, I got a little… Um, you know, just, uh- Just tell me if you like her…! Honestly."
Izuku's cheeks heated up thinking about what was asked, questioning Denki first, "Why-Why does it… Why do you ask, Kaminari-kun…?"
"Well, it's just that… I like Uraraka. A lot, actually. And I… I seriously mean this in the nicest way possible because you're my friend, and I don't want us to fight over a girl, but could you… like, just be friends with her…? Again, nicest way possible, but I don't want you to… go after her, and, like… I mean… Man, I don't want to sound mean, but-"
"No, no, I, uh… I get it, and I… I don't, um… I don't see Uraraka-san… like that."
"Really…?!" Denki let out the biggest sigh of relief, dropping his head, as he breathed out, "God, I was so worried for nothing… I'm so sorry if I was being mean there, Midoriya."
"You… You weren't…"
"All right, well, sorry, but I'm glad we could talk about this, man." Denki patted him on the shoulder, grinning when he expressed, "I'm glad we could talk about this without getting unnecessarily worked up."
"Yeah, yeah, same… And, uh, I'd be happy for… for you and Uraraka-san… if- if it works out."
"Thanks, Midoriya…! You're such a great friend- Don't listen to what other people say, you're an amazing person to have around!" Denki once more grasped his shoulder, with Izuku trying to play it off with a smile, until he eventually walked away.
Clutching the fabric of his shirt, his jaded eyes strayed to where he could see Ochaco standing, admiring the way she laughed, and how she could easily bring people together. He hated that he compared himself to Denki after what he said, because he knew she would be happy with someone like the charming blond. Because Izuku knew that he would never be the right person for her.