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The second half of the class training had begun, and this time it was Shoto Todoroki’s turn.
From where Hikari stood—arms folded, leaning casually against the arena rail—she watched the arena floor transform into a frozen battlefield. Shoto was paired against a student whose name she didn’t catch; it didn’t matter. His opponent didn’t stand a chance.
With a single sweeping stroke of his right arm, Shoto hurled a burst of ice so powerful it rolled across the entire floor, covering walls, pillars, and even the far-off ceiling beams in ice. Cracks creaked under her feet. The very intensity of it bit at her skin, even from a distance.
He wasn't mastering his power. No—He was mastering something else.
Hikari narrowed her eyes. She recognized that look in his eyes, serene on the surface but shattered beneath. She had seen it once before, when they were children and concealing bruises behind quiet smiles. Today, he had the same mask on.
After the match, as students hummed with excitement and came back to the observation room, Hikari remained behind.
Recovery Girl demanded to check her.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghUe7r9bbG
"You did it again," she chastised, waving her cane as she monitored Hikari's vitals.
"I'm fine," Hikari replied, her voice light but her body clearly drained.
"You can heal others like a miracle worker, but even you have limits, young lady," Recovery Girl snapped, thumping her forehead with her cane. "You need rest. Not just for your body—for your Quirks, too."
As Hikari nodded in agreement, the door creaked open. All Might stepped inside, his face abnormally tense. He had returned to his normal state, but even so, the atmosphere shifted upon his arrival.
Recovery Girl did not beat around the bush.
"You should be ashamed," she told him coldly. "Both of those kids overdid themselves today—and for what? Your grand lesson? Your symbolism?"
"I did not intend for it to come to this extent—"
"No, you didn't think at all. Be grateful Hikari was able to defend Midoriya. But her powers have a cost, too." It was cute watching Recovery Girl give my father eyeful about how dumb he was.
All Might's shoulders drooped slightly, the weight of guilt pressing down on him. He gazed at Hikari, but she dodged his eyes, pretending to pull down the sleeves of her hero suit.
When she was finally informed that she could go, she turned down the hall, only to see two familiar faces at the end of the hallway—Midoriya and Bakugo.
Midoriya was talking nervously, attempting to downplay it.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibrznj9EIF
"It's not a big deal, really," he rushed to say. "The nurse patched me up. Just a scratch."
Bakugo stood beside him, fists clenched, eyes to the floor. Hikari approached slowly. Her boots clicked lightly in the quiet hall. She heard it before she saw it. Bakugo's shoulders trembled a little. He turned away, trying to hide the glint in his eyes.
"I lost," he growled. "Not just to him. To you too. All of you…"
"Bakugo," Hikari whispered.
She reached out and gently brushed her fingers over his cheek, catching a tear as it fell. He tensed but did not step back.
“You’re growing,” she said softly. “That’s what matters. You’re allowed to feel. You’re allowed to lose. That’s how you’ll become even stronger.”
He looked at her, vulnerable and bare, his pride stripped away by failure.
She smiled. Midoriya laughed, a bit of the weight lifting from the group as she led Bakugo out.
"All Might," Bakugo growled, then froze in his tracks.
The man himself had just rounded the corner, easy but laden with presence.
"Let me go," Bakugo snarled. "I don't need a pep talk. I'm going to be number one hero—with Hikari as my partner. We'll be better than you and your partner ever were."
Midoriya blinked.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhLpV9PVfM
"Partner? Do you mean Sir Nighteye?"
All Might hesitated.
"Yes," he said quietly. But he didn't continue.
His eyes drifted over to Hikari. A hundred unspoken words passed between them.
He was proud.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI3yKTCTBf
He was worried.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6V8DGmeMd
He was scared.
I'm glad you found someone who can relate to your suffering, he thought. But if anything ever happens to you—or to him—then I won't survive. Not again.
The chapter ends with All Might and Midoriya waiting outside as they see Hikari and Bakugo disappear off into the distance together.
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