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Bro, that was long.
Technically, Crowd Favorite kicked in the more I fought. I gave a dope opening speech. In my first battle, I bled to death, my bones broke, all my orifices bled. Including bad holes down there. People cheered or booed me to death. And as I reached the final, my stats were through the roof. Probably around hundreds. If I had Limit Breaker at the moment, I could blast Todoroki with one punch, easy.
To take our rewards from none other than All Might, we took the stage. In the middle, standing higher than all, me. Second Todoroki and third, Iida, because Bakugo was too injured to compete. He was fourth!
Hah. He was Number 4 again.
I will mock him to Kingdom's Cum.
All Might clapped, grinning brightly. "You've all shown great strength, perseverance, and the spirit of true heroes!"
Yeah, yeah. Wrap it up, old man.
Todoroki looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. Iida stood straight, probably mentally composing an essay about honor. Bakugo? Arms crossed, head tilted down, probably about to combust from rage.
All Might continued, "And so, with great pride, I present the winners of this year's U.A. Sports Festival!" He gestured toward me. "First place, Midoriya Ryuu!"
The crowd roared.
Crowd Favorite activated. Stats rolled in. That was free money. It was gonna feel shit when hype died down when this shit was over.
All Might handed me a big-ass medal. I spun it in my hands. "Is this edible?"
He laughed. "Ha-ha! Unfortunately not, young Midoriya!"
"Tch." Useless.
Todoroki got silver. Iida got bronze. Bakugo didn't get shit. He was still fourth. Again.
I turned to him, smiling. "How's Number Four treating you?"
His eye twitched. "Shut the fuck up."
"Man, crazy how it keeps happening, huh?"
"Shut. Up."
Iida cleared his throat. "It's an honorable placement, Bakugo. You should be proud."
Bakugo looked like he was debating between fighting me or Iida. His hands popped.
I leaned in. "Maybe next time, yeah?"
He lunged. Midnight caught him mid-air.
"No fighting," All Might said, smiling at us. "Save it for the battlefield."
"FUCK YOU!" Bakugo yelled, struggling like a feral raccoon.
The crowd loved it. More stats. Bro, this shit was goldmine.
Iida left without a word after that, heading straight for the hospital. His brother got attacked by a villain. The rest of us went home. U.A. gave us two days off, probably so Recovery Girl did not quit on the spot.
Walking back, I could feel Mom's glare burning into the side of my head. Yeah, she had a front-row seat to me bleeding out like a dumbass. Probably not easy to watch.
She started. "Explain."
I shrugged. "I won."
Her eye twitched. "That is not what I asked."
"I also survived."
"Barely."
I took Mom's hand, ignoring the looks from people passing by. "You are my queen. I had to prove to the world that the knight of the brightest queen is tough, so no one bothers you."
She blushed. Then grabbed my ear and twisted. "Enough with the nonsense."
I flinched. "Ow—ow—okay, okay, I get it! No need for violence!"
She let go and sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
I rubbed my ear. "Love me unconditionally?"
She narrowed her eyes. "How about grounding you unconditionally?"
"Mom, come on. That's excessive."
"Excessive? Watching you nearly die in front of the whole country is excessive."
"I didn't die."
"You almost bled to death."
"I believe key word is, almost."
Her hand smacked the back of my head. "Stop joking."
I straightened up. "Fine, I'll stop joking. What do you want me to say?"
"That you'll stop putting yourself in danger."
I opened my mouth.
She raised an eyebrow.
I closed my mouth.
She exhaled. "That's what I thought."
I scratched my cheek. "Look, I can't promise I won't get hurt, but I can promise I'll always find a way to survive."
Her eyes softened, but she didn't say anything. Just pulled me into a hug.
I patted her back. "Seriously, though. I won. That counts for something, right?"
She pulled back, still frowning. "Winning doesn't mean anything if you can't enjoy it."
I smirked. "I am enjoying it. Just… through the pain."
She shook her head. "You're asking for a beating."
I grinned. "That's why you love me."
She sighed. But didn't argue.
--
Two days later, we were on the subway. People kept looking. Izuku fidgeted. "I think they recognized us."
I grinned. "Of course they did. Smile, my foolish brother. You are famous."
He hunched his shoulders. "This is embarrassing."
I looked at him, deadpan. "Bro, you placed in the top five at U.A.'s Sports Festival. What did you expect?"
"Not this," Izuku muttered.
A guy near us pulled out his phone. Another whispered to his friend. A couple of middle schoolers pointed at us. I nodded at them. "Sup."
A girl squealed, pointing at Izuku. "Can I have a picture with you?"
I grabbed his shoulder before he could answer. "Fanbase means nasty rumors. Keep your hands visible, stand at a decent distance, and don't sweat like a pig."
Izuku's face turned red, but he nodded. "Uh, okay!"
The girl held up her phone, grinning. "Say cheese!"
"Cheese," Izuku muttered, stiff as hell.
The girl took a quick photo and ran off, giggling. Izuku sighed like he just survived a life-threatening experience.
I grinned. "Not bad for your first time."
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "And yours is not? Wait, she didn't ask you to."
I shrugged. Not gonna compete on how many people want a picture with us. I was bloody, brutal, and foul-mouthed during the event. No-nonsense aura. People are less likely to bother me. Good. Not that I care.
The train rocked as it sped forward, the low hum of conversations blending with the occasional announcement overhead. Izuku still looked stiff, like someone shoved a stick up his ass. I leaned against the pole, arms crossed, watching him fidget.
"You gonna keep acting like you committed a crime?" I asked.
He sighed. "I just don't like the attention."
I tilted my head. "You do realize you're literally training to be a pro hero, right? Cameras, fanboys, weirdos—it's part of the job."
"I know, I know," he muttered, rubbing his temple.
Walking out of the station, it was pouring. Izuku had an umbrella like a little bitch while I was dodging the rain like a dumbass, failing spectacularly.
"Just come under it," Izuku called.
"No! Real men only share umbrellas if a cute girl invites them."
Izuku didn't even look at me. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard today."
Mina turned the corner, spotted me, and grinned. "Yo, Ryuu!"
She lifted her umbrella.
I stepped under immediately.
"Hey there, you saved my life," I said.
Mina smirked. "Don't mention it. Always looking out for strays."
Izuku rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable."
We walked together, the rain hammering against the streets. Cars splashed through puddles, the city buzzing despite the weather. Mina tilted her umbrella slightly, making sure I stayed covered.
"Didn't think you would be the type to refuse an umbrella just to hit on someone," she said.
"It's not hitting on. It's tactical survival."
"Uh-huh."
"Also, it's a flex. You know, showing Izuku how real men operate."
"Right," she snorted. "How's that working out for you?"
I pointed at myself. "Dry." I pointed at Izuku. "Wet."
Izuku sighed. "You're an idiot."
Mina laughed. "I get it now. You just like messing with him."
"Yes."
We passed by a convenience store. Mina nudged me. "Hey, since I saved your life, buy me a drink."
"That's extortion."
She grinned. "Call it hero work."
I sighed and walked in. Mina followed. Izuku hesitated, then sighed and stepped in after us.
The store was nearly empty, except for a bored cashier who barely looked up from his phone. I grabbed a can of soda, Mina picked some kind of energy drink, and Izuku, ever the nerd, went for a bottle of water.
--
When we got to the classroom, everyone was already talking about their newfound fame.
"Bro, my follower count doubled overnight!" Kaminari said, holding up his phone. "Some girl commented, 'Kaminari-kun, electrocute me daddy.' I think I've peaked."
"That's disturbing," Jiro muttered.
"Speak for yourself," Sero said, spinning his phone in his hand. "Someone sent me fan art of me in a maid outfit. Full skirt, frilly apron, the works."
I snorted. "Did you save it?"
He hesitated. "...Maybe."
Iida adjusted his glasses. "Regardless of social media engagement, we must remember that public perception is an important part of being a hero. We should all conduct ourselves with dignity and honor."
"Are you saying I don't have dignity?" I asked.
He frowned. "You made an entire speech about fighting like gremlins and won your final match by headbutting Todoroki."
"That was skill."
"That was reckless," Yaoyorozu corrected.
"Reckless skill," I clarified.
Todoroki walked in and sat down without a word. Probably tired of hearing my voice after I tossed him like a sack of potatoes.
Hagakure waved at him. "Todoroki, did anyone recognize you outside?"
"Yes."
"And?"
He shrugged.
"...That's it?"
"Yes."
"Man of many words," Sero muttered.
Uraraka turned to Izuku. "What about you, Midoriya? You get recognized?"
He nodded. "Yeah, some people asked for pictures."
"Did you sweat buckets?" Kaminari asked.
"Yes," I answered for him.
Izuku groaned.
Tsuyu tilted her head. "What about you, Ryuu? No one asked you?"
"People are smart. I look like I charge for photos."
Jiro sighed. "You would."
I crossed my arms. "Damn right I would. Money doesn't sleep."
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