Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Izumi Pov. – November 12 Pov.
"Good Morning!! All our preparations have brought us to this day! Today, forget formalities and be free! No matter what year or department you're in, it's time for everyone to enjoy themselves! Everyone, make some noise!!"
"The UA Cultural Festival starts now!!" Present Mic's voice echoed across campus, and we all screamed at once as several fireworks exploded in the air. I smiled broadly at Eri, who covered her ears from the loud noise, her eyes wide with surprise. I chuckled.
"Shall we go, Eri? " I asked cheerfully as I held out my hand. Eri nodded and gripped my fingers firmly, then we started walking. "The UA students really took this seriously; there's so much to do and see," I hummed. Eri just looked around, almost overwhelmed by all the stimuli of the festival, especially all the people coming and going.
I hummed, letting go of Eri's hand before catching her and easily lifting her up, then placed her on my shoulders. Eri squeaked slightly before clinging to my bunny ears and steadying herself.
"This way you won't get lost, and now you can see everything you want," I said cheerfully to Eri. She visibly relaxed, and I began to walk slowly so that Eri would have a chance to see everything the festival had to offer.
"Are you sure you can handle this? Won't it be a distraction during the show? " Aizawa asked, appearing beside me. He was there as Eri's designated caretaker. I simply nodded.
"Don't worry, I only have one clone. It won't distract me enough, especially since I won't be doing anything special, just watching from the crowd with Eri." I said honestly. Aizawa just looked at me and nodded.
Totality with Rabbit Escape. I had used it to clone myself. That way, I could be with Eri and take her through the Festival, and I could also sing along with the rest of the class at the same time. I didn't need any more clones.
In fact, there was one more, who had followed Izuku. This was in case he got into any trouble with the whole Gentle situation. Fortunately for me, it all worked out just like in the canon, so I had nothing to worry about.
With that sorted, I simply undid the clone and started walking with Eri on my shoulders. We had about an hour to explore the festival before we had to head to where we'd be performing.
"Hey, Class 1-A! Try some! " a voice called in my direction. I looked at the second-year student who was working at a fast-food stand. The student had a skewer with three dangos on it. I walked over and smiled.
"What will it cost?" I asked immediately. The girl laughed and held the skewer up to my face.
"Don't worry, 1- A, after last week's party, it's nothing!" The girl laughed happily, I just raised an eyebrow amused but still took the skewer.
"I appreciate it, thank you," I said playfully. The girl just nodded before turning to attend to another customer. I looked at the dango, used my quirk on it, and ate the first one in one bite before raising the skewer above my head. "Want some, Eri? It's delicious," I said happily. I couldn't see her, but Eri carefully took the skewer, and after a few seconds, she practically squealed with joy. I could even feel her feet stamping with delight, and I chuckled.
And that wasn't the only similar thing that happened. Most of the other students, regardless of department or year, started greeting me, and some, just like the first one, began passing food around to me. I had to eat most of it, while Eri took small bites to try everything, and even then, I still had several snacks in a bag.
Eri and I continued strolling through the festival.
"You know, I thought the festival would be a good way to ease the tension between departments, but it seems your... party last week worked better." Aizawa said, starting to walk beside me. I chuckled.
"It really hurt to say that, didn't it?" I asked playfully. Aizawa glared at me.
"Don't force it, Miyamura," Aizawa grumbled. I chuckled. "Nezu wants to make it an annual thing. Something permanent," Aizawa finally said. My eyes widened slightly.
"The principal wants us to have an annual party?" I asked in surprise before I began to smile.
"Not you," Aizawa said, shaking his head. "The party. He wants to organize it annually, but for different reasons." Aizawa said, looking around. "As you know, tensions between departments have always existed."
"Most departments outside the Heroes and Hunters course feel secondary; all the fame goes to the most glamorous course, even though the others are just as important. And in turn, they feel that the Heroes and Hunters course really looks down on them or simply ignores them, when it's they who actually help the heroes behind the scenes."
"That... bitterness, that tension, it was always there. And suddenly, it all disappeared with a party." Aizawa said, shaking his head. I frowned slightly.
"I really don't think a party could have erased all that," I said cautiously. Aizawa shook his head.
"Of course not, but it's a step in the right direction—several steps," Aizawa said simply. "In fact, the principal giving you permission to throw a party could have ended badly. You could have thrown a party just for Class 1-A, or even 1-B. If you had, the other departments would have accused the hero class of favoritism and privilege. But instead, you decided to invite the entire student body, regardless of year or department."
"They felt seen and appreciated. Attending a party organized by the hero course just to have fun without any conditions? For them, it was surprisingly pleasant and fun," Aizawa said gently.
"I did it for Ruby and Jinx." I grimaced. Aizawa nodded.
"Even so," Aizawa shrugged. "For that reason, the principal wants to keep the party going as a tradition, but with a different meaning." Aizawa grimaced. "It's being seriously discussed that both the Heroism and first-year Hunter courses should organize a party for the entire student body, especially for the other departments, as a way of thanking them for their effort and hard work."
"This way, the hero course students will be aware of the other departments from their first year, and thus prevent the other departments from generating resentment and tension against the hero department by throwing them parties in their honor," Aizawa finally said. "He's even considering putting it in the official first-year curriculum; depending on the outcome, it will influence final grades," Aizawa added with a sneer.
I stared at him in disbelief. I felt Eri's hand hit my head, so I quickly gave her another snack, which she accepted and began to eat happily, oblivious to the whole conversation.
"You know that won't work with everyone, right? " I asked incredulously. "The principal has to know that. Forcing students to throw a party in honor of other students could backfire, it could breed resentment. Not everyone wants to waste their time on other people. Even heroic students—saving people is one thing, throwing a party is quite another. I don't think freshmen have that level of altruism or patience."
"And not all students from other departments will be grateful; it might even create a sense of superiority for the hero course simply because of it," I said quickly. Aizawa frowned and nodded.
"Of course the principal knows. But he's betting on you," Aizawa said calmly. My eyes widened slightly.
"On me?" I asked, surprised. Aizawa just snorted.
"You're the only idiot capable of organizing a party for all of UA without realizing exactly what you were doing and somehow making it work." Aizawa said, and I opened my mouth before looking at him.
"Was that an insult or a compliment?" I asked curtly.
"Yes," Aizawa said so dryly that it made me smile. "But getting back to the topic... it's very different if it's something the principal or your teachers force you to do, and quite another thing to continue a tradition started by a top-ranked hero and an S-rank or National Hunter." Aizawa said seriously, and I paused momentarily.
"That... is a big gamble." I said, frowning. Aizawa sneered slightly.
"Are you afraid you won't be able to do it?" Aizawa said, raising an eyebrow. I just snorted dryly.
"No." I rolled my eyes. "You're lucky I like parties," I said playfully. "So, the principal wants to make me responsible for ensuring everyone who comes after me wants to do it and respects the 'original' spirit of the party," I said with a hum. Aizawa nodded.
"There will be speeches, support, and talks, both from the principal and the teachers. Once the students understand that it's not a chore, a burden, something to resent, or something to feel superior about, it will happen on its own. It will be something that belongs to all of UA, and you being the 'origin' of the tradition will make the event something everyone looks forward to and wants to do, not an obligation," Aizawa said easily. I just hummed softly.
"You know, I always thought so, but he never stops reminding me," I hummed. "The principal scares me. Thinking decades ahead, he's a terrifying rat," I said dryly. Aizawa snorted before smiling slightly.
"Yes, you and everyone who knows him thinks the same," Aizawa said dryly. I just snorted and shook my head.
"I thought I'd do things to make UA remember me, and I will, but to also be remembered for starting an annual party tradition, I think that's the best thing that's ever happened to me." I said with a cheeky grin. Aizawa snorted and shook his head.
"Don't let it go to your head, Miyamura, it's already too big." Aizawa said dryly.
"Too late! I'm thinking of suggesting a name for the event. Izumi Protocol sounds good. Or Operation Miyamura. Oh, oh, oh, I know, Miyamura Festival. Or Izumi Fest, that's better. Or how about Izumi Day?" I asked excitedly. If Aizawa's glare could kill, I'd be dead about 10 times over by now. He just grunted.
"Shut up and let's go to the gym, the show 's about to start." Aizawa grumbled. I chuckled and followed him. We kept up with the crowd that was quickly gathering inside the venue. We ran into Present Mic along the way and quickly joined the throng.
"Oh, wait, let's go there," I said to Aizawa, pointing in a certain direction. Aizawa and Present Mic glanced at me briefly before nodding.
"Hi!" I approached the group I'd spotted nearby. The whole group turned around immediately. I recognized Vi, Caitlyn, and Silvia right away. Next to them was another group; I recognized Cassandra because of her resemblance to Caitlyn and the photos Jinx had shown me. And next to them were who I assumed was Vandra, and the siblings Vi and Caitlyn.
"Miyamura," Silvia said with a nod.
"Hello everyone," I greeted the group cheerfully. Then I turned around. "These are Aizawa-sensei and Yamada-sensei, my teachers and Jinx's." I introduced the two of them before gesturing to the group. "And this is Jinx's mother, and the rest of her family." I introduced both groups. A glimmer of recognition appeared in Aizawa's eyes, and he extended his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Aizawa said, extending his hand in Silvia's direction.
"Silvia's fine, Professor Aizawa, it's an honor to meet you. Jinx speaks very highly of you and UA in general," Silvia said, returning the handshake. They both nodded and separated. Then everyone else introduced themselves, and I stood at the sidelines watching.
"Although it's really nice to see my sister's boyfriend, I have... several questions," Vi said, puzzled. Her gaze shifted over my head.
"She's Eri," I said easily.
"Hi," Eri said shyly as she wriggled on top of my head. I chuckled.
"That... doesn't answer my question," Vi muttered before sighing. "And shouldn't you be up there? Isn't the show about to start and all?" Vi asked curiously. I smiled at her amusedly.
"Don't worry, everything's sorted," I said playfully. She was about to speak when the noise from the stage caught our attention and we turned around.
"Let's do this shit!!" Bakugou yelled loudly before her arms exploded with force, shaking everyone in the room. Then the whole band started playing and everyone else was in position.
"Thank you for coming today!!" Kyoka shouted with a huge smile.
( My Hero Academia – Hero Too )
♫ What am I to be?
♫ What is my calling?
♫ I gave up giving up, I'm ready to go
♫ The future's left unseen
♫ It all depends on me
♫ Put it on the line to follow my dreams
♫ Yeah
"Aren't you singing?" Eri asked worriedly, and I suppose that was to be expected, since I wasn't really on stage. Eri leaned forward, still over my shoulders, trying to look at me. I raised my head and met her eyes.
"Not yet," I said with a slight smile. "Enjoy it, I'll be singing soon," I told Eri playfully. She looked uncertain, but turned back to the stage.
♫ Tried all my life
♫ I've tried to find
♫ Something that makes me hold on and never let go
♫ Oh
♫ Hero too, I am a hero too
♫ My heart is set (my heart is set) and I won't back down
♫ Hero too, strength doesn't make a hero
♫ True heroes (true heroes) stand up for what they believe
♫ So wait and see
♫ So wait and see
♫ What do they think of me?
♫ Who do they think I'll be?
♫ I couldn't care less, I don't wanna know
♫ Am I doing right?
♫ Am I satisfied?
♫ I wanna live my life like it's meant to be
♫ Yeah
♫ Tried all my life, I've tried to find
♫ Something that makes me hold on and never let go
♫ Oh
♫ Hero too, I am a hero too
♫ My heart is set (my heart is set) and I won't back down
♫ Hero too, strength doesn't make a hero
♫ True heroes (true heroes) stand up for what they believe
♫ So wait and see
♫ People judge for no reason at all
♫ Yeah, they might try
♫ To say your dream's dumb, don't listen
♫ They may look down on me and count me out
♫ I'm going my own way
♫ They may look down on me and count me out
♫ I'm a hero, I've got music
♫ Hero too, I am a hero too
♫ My heart is set and I won't back down
♫ Hero too, strength doesn't make a hero
♫ True heroes stand up for what they believe
♫ Yeah I'll be!
♫ Hero too, I am a hero too
♫ My heart is set and I won't back down
♫ Hero too, strength doesn't make a hero
♫ True heroes stand up for what they believe
♫ So wait and see
♫ I have met so many heroes in my life
♫ Gave me the strength and courage to survive
♫ Gave me the power to smile everyday
♫ Now it's my turn to be the one to make you smile
The whole song turned out wonderfully. Just as we had hoped, incredibly flashy, bright, eye-catching, and loud. There were a few glitches, but it was perfect that way. It was truly amazing to watch it from here and from up above where my clone was.
I could see everything while I helped move things around on the stage. But most importantly, from this spot, I had a perfect view of Eri. I could only smile foolishly as Eri smiled broadly and freely for the first time since I met her, raising her hands in excitement.
It was… truly beautiful to see, Eri so free, to the point that I cried a little because of it, and I wasn't ashamed to admit it. Finally, the music ended and everyone started cheering. Unfortunately, I had to look away from my clone; my turn would come soon.
"WOOOOOH! THAT WAS QUITE A CONCERT, PEOPLE!" Present Mic shouted loudly.
"Don't shout." Aizawa said with a grimace.
"I CAN'T SHOUT LESS AFTER THAT!" Present Mic exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh, good song, cheerful, lively, the lyrics were nice, they really outdid themselves!" Caitlyn said, cheering happily.
"It was a good song," Vi hummed. "Catchy," she added before looking at me. "But I thought you'd be singing?" she asked. I just smiled at her, but didn't say anything. Just as I expected, after a few moments, the music started again. Slower than before, but with the same power. The others opened their eyes slightly.
"A second song?" Present Mic asked, surprised. I just nodded.
"Yes, we were hesitant to add more songs, especially with so little time to prepare, but luckily, we were able to pull it off." I told Present Mic from the crowd. With that, pay attention to the crowd, especially when I, my clone, fell into the middle of the stage, grabbed the microphone, and started singing.
(The Score - Born for This)
♫ I'm checking my vital signs, drawing my battle lines
♫ Going to war again (yeah)
♫ Feeling the rhythm inside my chest
♫ All I need is just a pen (yeah!)
♫ I know I was born for this
♫ I know I was born for this (yeah!)
♫ Don't care for the critics, my words are like physics
♫ A force that they can't stop (yeah!)
♫ They just don't get it, I think they forget
♫ I'm not done 'til I'm on top
♫ I know I was born for this
♫ I know I was born for this (yeah!)
♫ I believe, I believe we can write our story
♫ I believe, I believe we can be an army
♫ We are the warriors who learned to love the pain
♫ We come from different places but have the same name (yeah!)
♫ 'Cause we were, 'cause we were, 'cause we were
♫ 'Cause we were born for this, we were born for this
♫ We are the broken ones who chose to spark a flame
♫ Watch as our fire rages, our hearts are never tame (yeah!)
♫ 'Cause we were, 'cause we were, 'cause we were
♫ 'Cause we were born for this, we were born for this (oh)
♫ I've struggled for years and through all of the tears
♫ I've faced, the doubts I hide (yeah!)
♫ I never gave into my fears deep within
♫ 'Cause I heard my voice inside
♫ I know I was born for this
♫ I know I was born for this (yeah!)
♫ I will never lose my voice
♫ If I cut out all the noise
♫ I know, I was born for this
♫ I know, that I was born for this (yeah!)
♫ I believe, I believe we can write our story
♫ I believe, I believe we can be an army
♫ We are the warriors who learned to love the pain
♫ We come from different places but have the same name (yeah!)
♫ 'Cause we were, 'cause we were, 'cause we were
♫ 'Cause we were born for this, we were born for this (ooh)
♫ We are the broken ones, who chose to spark a flame
♫ Watch as our fire rages, our hearts are never tame (no!)
♫ 'Cause we were, 'cause we were, 'cause we were
♫ 'Cause we were born for this, we were born for this
♫ These words that I write are for someone like me
♫ To know you're not alone
♫ The moves that you make, yeah, they come with mistakes
♫ Don't ever lose your hope
♫ Just know that you were born for this
♫ Just know that you were born for this (this...)
♫ We are the warriors who learned to love the pain
♫ We come from different places but have the same name
♫ 'Cause we were, 'cause we were, 'cause we were
♫ 'Cause we were born for this, we were born for this (oh)
♫ We are the broken ones who chose to spark the flame
♫ Watch as our fire rages, our hearts are never tame
♫ 'Cause we were, 'cause we were, 'cause we were
♫ 'Cause we were born for this, we were born for this (oh)
♫ We were born for this, we were born for this (oh)
The song was a hit. Unlike 'Hero too, ' which was pop rock, this was more alternative rock; it was slower, but stronger, different, but not worse. Especially since the first one was sung solely by Kyoka, and the second one by me. The contrast was striking. And the crowd loved it.
The song had been a hit. Everyone had played their parts perfectly, much to everyone's relief. We were lucky that everyone in the band was so experienced with their instruments that learning three songs in a month wasn't a challenge at all for them.
Kyoka, Momo, Bakugou, and to my surprise, Yunyun, were really good with their instruments and were able to quickly learn the chosen songs. The only one who had some difficulty was Jinx, mainly because she was self-taught; even so, she was talented enough, and very stubborn, to learn everything.
The only thing that ultimately fell short was the dancing and the stage special effects. Preparing everything for 'Hero Too ' took too long to learn and coordinate, so the rest felt pretty basic, although Taylor's fireflies did enhance the atmosphere, making it quite fitting. It was fine either way. 'Hero Too ' was definitely the most upbeat and danceable of the chosen songs.
"Oh... that was... wow." Vi said incredulously, staring at the stage in shock. "And you guys composed that?" Vi asked, surprised, looking at me. "That song was brutal!" she exclaimed. I just smiled shamelessly.
"It was completely different from the previous one, but... more mature, so to speak, almost like an anthem," Silvia said with a hum.
"It was incredible!!" Present Mic shouted as she joined the crowd in screaming.
And to the crowd's surprise, a third song began to play. I could hear the crowd's incredulous and surprised shouts. Eri, perched on top of me, was having a wonderful time, especially since the crowd's excitement was contagious.
(Skillet - Rise)
(Izumi: normal.
Kyoka: italic.
Both: bold )
♫ All I see is, shattered pieces
♫ I can't keep it, hidden like a secret
♫ I can't look away
♫ From all this pain, in the world we've made
♫ Every day you need, a bulletproof vest
♫ To save yourself, from what you could never guess
♫ Am I safe today?
♫ When I step outside, in the wars we wage
♫ Our future's here and now
♫ Here comes the countdown
♫ Sound it off, this is our call
♫ Rise and revolution
♫ It's our time to change it all
♫ Rise and revolution
♫ Unite and fight
♫ To make a better life
♫ Everybody, one for all
♫ Sound off, this is the call
♫ Tonight, we rise, rise
♫ Tonight, we rise, rise
♫ Tonight, we rise
♫ Like a hand grenade, thrown in a hurricane
♫ Spinning in chaos, trying to escape the flame
♫ Yesterday is gone
♫ Faster than the blast of a car bomb
♫ And when the scars heal, the pain passes
♫ As hope burns, we rise from the ashes
♫ Darkness fades away
♫ And the light shines on a brave new day
♫ Our future's here and now
♫ Here comes the countdown
♫ Sound it off, this is our call
♫ Rise and revolution
♫ It's our time to change it all
♫ Rise and revolution
♫ Unite and fight
♫ To make a better life
♫ Everybody, one for all
♫ Sound off, this is the call
♫ Tonight, we rise, rise
♫ Tonight, we rise, rise
♫ Tonight, we rise
♫ In a world gone mad (in a voice so sad)
♫ Sometimes it's crazy (crazy)
♫ To fight for what you believe
♫ But you can't give up (no)
♫ If you want to keep what you love (keep what you love)
♫ Keep what you love (keep what you love)
♫ Keep what you love
♫ Never give up, no
♫ Rise.
♫ Rise and revolution.
♫ Rise.
♫ Rise and revolution.
♫ Everybody one for all
♫ Sound off, this is the call
♫ Rise, like we're alive
♫ Tonight, we rise!
♫ Rise! Make a better life
♫ Tonight, we rise, rise
♫ Rise, rise and revolution
♫ Rise, rise
♫ Rise and revolution
♫ Rise
The crowd roared when the song ended. It was a good song to finish with, I guess.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Vi shouted above the crowd. She had been one of those who had joined in singing with the crowd. Now she was rocking Caitlyn from side to side. Caitlyn tried to keep her composure.
"I saw..." Caitlyn tries to say, but she too looks surprised.
"CAITLYN! DID YOU SEE THAT?! AND JINX WAS PLAYING THAT!!" Vi said excitedly.
"Yes, I saw it," Caitlyn said with a smile. I chuckled.
"She seemed to be having fun," Cassandra said with a smile. Silvia smiled slightly; only the corners of her lips turned up.
"That she was," she added. I smiled broadly.
"Let's go outside, let's go find them," I told the group, who nodded excitedly. With a broad smile, I started to leave the gymnasium; the crowd was still quite excited and noisy.
"So? What did you think?" I asked Eri as I lowered her to the ground and crouched down to her level. Eri was practically bouncing with excitement.
"At first I was nervous because the noise was so loud, but then she and you started singing and everyone started dancing and then the light went 'flash' and everything went 'fwooosh' and then you both sang like 'waaah' and I said 'waaah' too!" Eri said with a huge excited smile.
I didn't even try to resist; I squealed with delight before happily hugging Eri. Eri laughed out loud.
"I'm so glad you enjoyed it," I told Eri, pulling away from her with a broad smile and a gentle pat on the head. Eri smiled back and nodded happily. "Shall we go meet the others? I'm sure Deku is looking forward to seeing you," I said. She nodded and took my hand before we started walking toward the group. I chuckled and let her lead the way.
I saw Eri talking to everyone else with a satisfied smile, while we cleaned up the mess we'd made. Or rather, everyone was throwing things into my shadows; I'll take care of disposing of everything properly later. One of my clones was at the Class 1-B show to watch the performance. It was fantastic; it was so random it was amazing.
"Oh, not you guys!" Jinx complained, guitar slung over her shoulder.
"Powder! That was amazing! " Vi said, bursting into laughter and hugging her sister tightly.
"I saw! Loosely! I saw! Caitlyn! Control your woman! " Jinx yelled as she tried to break free.
"Good show, Jinx," Caitlyn said with a smile. Jinx just glared at her.
"Jinx." Silvia said, approaching Jinx, who was being squeezed by Vi. "Good job." Silvia said with a smile. Jinx smiled back before whimpering in pain from the hug.
"Let me go, gorilla!" Jinx yelled once more. I chuckled and walked away from them to give them some privacy.
"I see she had fun," Taylor said, approaching while looking at Eri. I just nodded.
"It was a good show. And I'm not just saying that because I sang." I told Taylor, winking at her. She snorted playfully.
"Everyone! We're done cleaning! Let's go to the beauty pageant! " Mina said excitedly after several minutes.
"Oh! Togata-senpai is participating." Izuku said excitedly.
"Lemillion-san?" Eri said curiously, then she looked at me and I could only sigh and nod.
"Alright, let's go." I said resignedly with a sigh. I really, really didn't want to see the male beauty pageant, not because I had anything against it, but I simply didn't want to see Mirio participate; he made me cringe. But they outnumbered me, or rather, Eri was more than enough to force me to attend. So, with that, most of our class went to the pageant venue.
Just in time to see a male student from another department, whom I didn't recognize, come up on stage. He had a delicate build and was wearing a rather tight-fitting dress—and when I say dress, I mean a dress, because the guys certainly wore dresses. I didn't mind makeup, or fashionable clothes, or painting my nails with the other men, but dresses definitely weren't my thing.
After that student left, Mirio finally went up on stage. I stared in disbelief at Mirio, dressed in an outfit that made him look like he was about to dance flamenco. Like, literally. Tight, black pants clung to his body, and a long-sleeved red shirt with ruffles at the shoulders and wrists. The shirt was several sizes too small, making it very tight, and the top buttons were undone to reveal part of his chest. Mirio walked to the front and took a deep breath.
"POWEEER!!" I stared in disbelief at Mirio as he yelled and shifted poses, only for him to yell again and flex his muscles. He repeated this for a full three minutes, and to my horror, the crowd of female students loved it, cheering louder and louder, especially when Mirio started sweating. I just stifled a shiver as I watched the scene unfold before me.
"A huge round of applause for Mirio Togataaaa!" The crowd roared at the announcer's voice, and all I could do was shake my head. "And now, the next participant is, from Class 1-A, Izumi Miyamura!!!" the announcer exclaimed, and I froze. I blinked several times. What… did I just hear?
"Did he say your name?!" Ashido squealed in surprise as she began to shake me from side to side.
"I didn't know you had entered the beauty pageant," Jinx said with a wide smile.
"I didn't do it." I said immediately, incredulously.
"We did it." Taylor said suddenly with a wide smile. Ruby and Azula were beside her, looking at me with matching smiles.
"What did you do?!" I grumbled in disbelief. "I'm not participating in that thing!" I said incredulously.
"You... you're not going to participate?" Eri asked from above my head. I lifted Eri off my shoulders and looked directly at her. Big mistake. Eri had a sad expression, pouting.
"Um... contestant Miyamura?" the presenter asked, confused. I just looked at Eri and tried to look away, which was much harder than I expected.
"Fine! I'll participate!" I grunted as my eye twitched. Eri smiled broadly and ignored the cheers from the rest of the class. I glared at Taylor, Azula, and Ruby; the first two had smug smiles, the last one was excited.
"You'll pay for this, dearly." I hissed dangerously in their direction. The three of them shuddered and paled slightly. Yes, let them be afraid.
"How envious I am!" Darkness groaned, shuddering. "Can I take their punishments? All three of them! I'll sacrifice myself in their place!" Darkness said, breathing heavily. I simply ignored her. I simply placed Eri on Taylor's shoulders.
"I'll be right back." I told Eri, and she nodded happily as she clung to Taylor's head. Ignore everyone else and jump straight onto the platform.
I sighed and looked at the enormous crowd.
"And contestant Miyamura is here! A big round of applause!! " the relieved host exclaimed. I just sighed before sinking back into my shadows. I undressed before putting on my hero costume. The traditional kimono is the best clothing I have in here, and the best for what I was about to do at the last minute.
Then I grabbed two objects that were in here and resurfaced on the platform. I took the fans I was holding and opened them forcefully before getting into position. Then I started to dance.
My sword styles could be ceremonial dances; I just needed to adapt them slightly to work with fans. It would have been better with music for this kind of situation, but I hadn't had time to prepare, so I simply continued dancing in silence. I kept my face completely serene and occasionally glanced at the crowd while blinking slightly. I hated to admit it, but my eyelashes were one of my best features, so I used them.
Halfway there, my body began to drip shadow, and with a powerful movement, a second clone of me appeared and began to dance to my same rhythm. My Totality was still active, so I could continue creating clones.
My duet dance with myself was more eye-catching, before a third clone appeared. Sometimes, I hated my insane talent, because it meant that, in moments like this, I knew exactly how to move and adapt my sword styles to be more flashy, even with multiple clones.
By the time I finished dancing, there were four clones of me, in addition to myself, so there were five of us dancing in unison in the middle of the platform. I finally stopped slowly, breathing calmly. This hadn't even been enough to make me sweat. Still, I dissolved my clones and looked at the crowd, which had fallen completely silent. I only blinked a few times before the crowd roared loudly.
I shuddered slightly.
"A magical dance, ladies!! Izumi Miyamura just performed the most elegant and mesmerizing dance ever! It had me completely absorbed! Now, you can cast your votes here! The results will be announced at 5 p.m. Please stay tuned!!" the presenter said cheerfully.
I just shuddered once more before jumping back to Taylor's side. The girls immediately squealed; I just glared at them.
"That was amazing!" Ashido squealed happily.
"Very elegant," Kyoka said mockingly. I just snorted.
"I hate all of you." I hissed, looking at Taylor and the others. Then I looked at Eri, who was bouncing on Taylor's shoulders. I guess at least she liked me.
"Izumi." I froze when I heard my mother's voice. I turned away, turning pale.
"Mom!" I squealed in disbelief. "No," I said firmly as I began to blush. Mom just smiled broadly and mockingly.
"I didn't know you were participating in the beauty pageant, my son. If it weren't for my dear Taylor, I would have missed it," Mom said playfully. I froze before I could glare at Taylor, who looked away with a smile. I'll get my revenge, somehow. I will.
"For God's sake, tell me you didn't record it." I begged. To my horror, Mom raised a camera and I groaned loudly.
"I also recorded the songs your class played," Mom added. I just sighed wearily.
"Well, at least that's something good," I said, wincing. I glanced behind Mom, and to my surprise, Annette was awkwardly looking around before turning to Taylor. Taylor looked over and walked over, and they both started chatting excitedly. I just sighed. I grabbed Eri. "Let's go find Mirio, let's say hi," I told Eri, and she nodded.
With that, we went to find Mirio, and Eri and he talked for a while.
"I didn't know I had a granddaughter," Mom said, coming closer to me while looking at Eri. I sighed and crossed my arms.
"You don't… yet." I said dryly. Mom just hummed. "I've mentioned it." I said with a sigh. "I... I still don't know what this is, but... I'm figuring it out, I guess." I said with a grimace. Mom snorted.
"Sounds like being a parent," Mom said dryly. I rolled my eyes. "When you figure it out, I want to meet my granddaughter properly," she said. I just sighed.
After we finished there, I grabbed Eri again and we happily began exploring the rest of the festival. It was quite fun. And most importantly, Eri had a great time, so it was a win-win.
And speaking of winning, I ended up winning the beauty pageant…
I hate them all and their smug smiles. I refused to wear the crown.
Author's Notes: Alright! With that, the festival arc is over! This chapter was a bit long, but much shorter than I expected, mainly because I skipped all the choreography. I really didn't want to describe every scene, especially for 'hero too ' which most of you already know.
But putting that aside, about the chosen songs. Well, first, I was planning to leave out 'Hero Too ' and concentrate on other songs, 'Born for This' and 'Rise' were the first ones selected, but there were many more I would have liked to choose, but I felt that both of them fit quite well, especially 'Rise'.
That was the idea, but, BUUUUT, in the middle of it all, a month ago, the 6-minute OVA of My Hero Academia, 'I am a hero too ', came out, where Eri sings 'Hero Too ', and I had to include the song again, obviously.
So that's it. With this finished, the next chapters will begin directly with the Jeju arc. I decided not to include different POVs as interludes as usual, because there were already too many during this arc, and there will be several during Jeju, so I'll wait until the end of Jeju to add more. And that's all, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.