I should have known better. Sora half groaned as she checked the time. 9:25 am. He's surely taking his time.
They had already changed into their outfits, ready to step any moment, only Midoriya wasn't anywhere around. Even Aizawa was getting restless. " He said it won't take long but it's an hour already," Sora muttered.
" Why not search for him?" Whisper asked as he floated next to her.
"We can't risk losing any more time." Yuu walked up to them cradling in his arms four small creatures. They seemed like hedgehogs at first glance, but instead of thorns, they had sparkling clear crystals on their backs, gleaming brightly in the light, along with matching bejeweled eyes.
" Yuu, is that...?"
" The spirits the effect team asked for. These guys like light so they agreed to help." He turned to Koda and gently deposited them in his arms. They stirred for a moment, trying to find some comfort in their new cradle. " Koda-san, please take good care of them."
" I'll. Thank you so much, Seijin-kun."
Time was ticking and a few minutes were left to the start of the concert. Midoriya hadn't appeared yet everyone was getting worried.
Yuu fiddled nervously with his fingers as he looked at how many people gathered there. " Too much..."
" You're nervous." Whisper heaved a sigh before smiling at him. " Want me to give a hand? With Take Over you won't get that stressed in front of this crowd. I won't after all."
Yuu mulled over it a moment and was about to open his mouth and agree but stopped, his lips pressed into a thin line. " No, it's fine..."
" Huh?" Whisper blinked twice thinking he must have misheard him. Despite how much he complained about Whisper's Take Over and his rude attitude, Yuu was always thankful for it. It made him braver, it made him strong. For him to refuse it now of all times.
" Everyone else is as restless as I am now," he said looking at the rest of the class. " I, want to go there as who I am right now, and have fun with all of them."
" Yuu..." Whisper couldn't conceal the small smile appearing on his face.
" Still..." Yuu's purple eyes met with Whisper's beady ones and smiled. " I want you by my side too."
Whisper's eyes sparkled for a moment but he quickly folded his arms and looked away. " Guess I'm obliged after all. A mentor never leaves his disciple's side." Yuu's smile broadened at that.
" Everyone! Sorry for being late!" Midoriya called as he ran to them.
" Midoriya-kun! What were you up to?" Iida shouted. " The performance will start any moment!"
" I'm really sorry..." He said haunching over to catch his breath. Then he stood up, head raised high. " Let's do it!"
10:00 am.
The lights went off and the curtains split open with a buzzing alarm. They were all met with shouts from the crowd eager to witness their performance, though Yaoyorozu was getting the most attention. Yuu gulped but he managed to stand his ground. He looked at Sora's back as she stood before him, holding her left hand up like all the dancers. She didn't waver the slightest bit.
" You'll be just fine." The ghost whispered into his ear and Yuu nodded his head. I'm not alone. His hands reached for the controller stand. I have everyone from class 1A with me... and I have you too... His eyes flicked to the laptop before him... Uncle...
"All of UA... We'll kill 'em with our sound!" Bakugo kicked off the concert with a great explosion. That was Yuu's clue as he turned on the music, along with Bakugo's drumming.
The dancers began moving along the rhythm among the thin screen of smoke and the crowd seemed as though they were pushed back not only because of the air pressure from the explosion but from the strong loud wave of music that permeated the gym. " Thanks for coming today!" Jiro shouted and began singing.
Once it all started, the nervousness had vanished. They were having fun. Jiro's voice was like some stimulator, making them give all they have and beyond.
I gave up giving up! I'm ready to go!
Sora's body was accelerating. She allowed the song to guide her, every word marked a move.
Put it on the line to follow my dreams!
She never felt so free before as she moved from side to side, leaped into the air, kneeled, and rose up again.
Hero too! Strength doesn't make a hero!
She exchanged smiles with Uraraka and the rest beside her.
And then Midoriya rushed over to Aoyama, locking arms, and the blond was sent twirling skyward. That's my cue!
So wait and see!
Her wings shot out and she flew to the boy just as he finished his laser show, leaving behind a bunch of falling feathers glistening in the lights. She grasped his arm, span him around for a moment as though dancing midair and rose back into the shadow of the ceiling where they were to wait for their next move.
What do they think of me?
Yuu was sweating, but his focused gaze didn't waver at all. The boy strained his ears, listening carefully to the instruments, matching the timing of the soundtracks with each and every one of them. Whisper by his side was tired of acting stiff and was swaying with the melody too.
I could not care less, I don't wanna know!
Sora smiled broadly as she looked down at them. The way they moved, the way they grinned and looked at each other. I do love this place! She shouted inwardly.
Tried all my life!
She glanced at Aoyama when she noticed he was shaking in her hands. " We're... quite high..."
"It's alright." She smiled at him. " You're safe with me, with us. You're always safe with all of us, Aoyama-kun."
Something that makes me hold and never let go! Oh!
For a split second, she thought she glimpsed guilt in his eyes. His aura wavered.
Sero's tape and Todoroki's ice arched above them. Koda repositioned the lights and some were cast on the spirit hedgehogs and the shimmer of their crystals was reflected on the ceiling like a pool of glistening light. Yaoyorozu shot her confetti through the air.
Hero too! Strength doesn't make a hero!
Sora tugged on the boy who began shooting his sparking laser, she twirled and tossed him up. They kept dancing in midair all around the room, casting Aoyama's light on the ground.
So wait and see!
Yuu looked at the blunette's back. She was the one taking this seriously more than any of them.
" Jiro-san." He called her when they were gathering the instruments after their last rehearsal. " When we were giving suggestions for what we should do, why didn't you suggest something about music?"
" Huh?"
" I mean, everyone suggested something they like. You didn't."
" Right." Whisper added." You suggested to do a skit."
The girl ruffled her hair uneasily. " I... didn't feel like I should do. I wasn't sure about it at first. Music was just a hobby for me. It had nothing to do with my Quirk like Sato and Ashido."
She wiggled her earphone jacks. " When I first told my parents I wanted to be a hero, it was a tough decision. I knew I had to lay music aside after all. But, what Kaminari and the others said made me happy. " Her flushed face beamed. " That I can make people smile with my music."
Yeah I'll be!
The dance team moved on Todoroki's icy platform. Uraraka was whirled around the room, suspended by Asui as she made some of the crowd float in the air when touching their hands. Sora lowered Aoyama to join the rest of them in the dance while she kept dancing midair herself.
So wait and see!
All of the crowd were jumping up and down, adding their own movements to the dance. Their shouts rose high across the venue. Sora looked back at the stage and her eyes met with Yuu's. They were both smiling wide. Sweating, panting, but smiling from the bottom of their hearts.
Now is my turn, to be the one, to make you smile!
" We've done it, Yuu!" She said. Though anyone wouldn't have heard her among the racket of the crowd, she knew Yuu did.
" Ah!" He answered and the music went out...
________________
" Oh man, we missed class B's play." Sora sighed as she helped heave the blocks of ice.
" Why do you even want to go? You've read all of those stories right?" Yuu asked, versing his bucked of ice in the wash trough where Bakugo was melting them.
" Separately, yes," she replied. " But I was eager to see a crossover of it."
" From what I heard of those who witnessed it. It seems rather on the comedy side." Sero joined them at the trough. " They seemed to have stuffed too much in just one hour."
" Calling it an original work though..." Whisper frowned as he took a look at the program of the festival.
" Get your hands moving!" Mineta said running over to them, hauling a basin much larger than himself, full of ice. " We don't want to waste any more time!"
" What's with him?" She pointed at the cloud of dust he left behind.
" He just wants to get good seats for the beauty pageant." Sero waved his hand.
" Oh, speaking of that. Hado-san is participating." She looked at Yuu and Whisper. " Wanna go watch?"
And so they did. Sora was surprised to find Itsuka on the stage. " Well, you remember that ad she appeared in with Yaoyorozu-san?" Sora nodded at her friend. " She apparently gained fans from it. And by the look of it, Yaoyorozu-san too."
" That's why they were shouting her name nonstop back in the gym," Whisper muttered.
The next was the previous beauty pageant. And for her performance, she decided to ride a tank shaped after her face before it shifted into a robot and began dancing. " How could anyone vote for her?" Sora thought every part of her was coated in extravagant amounts of makeup.
Next was Hado. She stepped up to them in a feathery blue dress and started dancing midair, her life energy glowing and trailing after her, forming the shape of a flower she left everyone there agog.
" It's hard... who should I vote to?" Sora mumbled as she looked at the list. " Itsuka-chan was good, but so was Hado-san? But who I should vote for."
" Don't vote for anyone then." Whisper suggested.
" Of course I can't!" Sora retorted before glancing back at her phone, her face contorting with seriousness." In terms of performance, I think Hado-san was best... I feel sorry for Itsuka-chan but, because they're my friends I have to be fair," she said voting to number 4.
" Then, what to do next?" Whisper asked.
"I've heard class C made a haunted maze. Let's go check it!" Suggested the girl.
" Why a haunted maze?" Yuu's legs seemed to drag behind him.
" You've stood your ground on the stage but still can't tolerate a haunted maze!" Whisper exclaimed.
" I hate scary jumps."
" Well, we have loads to do! Let's go!"
She said holding his hand and pulling him along...
________________
Sora and Yuu joined Ashido, Kaminari, Mineta and Hagakure as they trudged over to the haunted house. Mineta tried yet failed to cling to the girls while Yuu almost fainted when Chinso flung limply from the ceiling covered in blood. To be fair to him, the sight scared everyone out of their skins and prompted them to run across the rest of the house, only Whisper was laughing mirthfully at them as they panted outside the so-called house. " That was awesome!" Despite having cried out loudly earlier, Ashido seemed to have liked the experience.
" My heart is still racing," added Hagakure.
Mineta seemed as though he just heard the heavens' bells chiming. " Let me check-" Yet all he got was a fist on the head by Sora.
" You're not ruining this festival for us!"
They then went to get some crepe and juice, mostly to revitalize Yuu. Then they went to participate in an obstacle race, and Ashido won it almost easily before Bakugo claimed the whole of it from himself, trying to beat All Might's record.
Yuu then dragged them to the exhibition of the support course and they stood breath taken before Hatsume'd giant mobile suit. The girl looked cleaner and sharper than usual, for once, she was wearing her uniform. She greeted them rather hastily before taking her spot beside her invention, promoting it like some proud parent.
By evening, the results of the beauty pageant were declared. Hado had won. Everyone congratulated her as she stepped up onto the platform with a tiara and a bouquet of flowers, adorned with a white and red sash across her chest, and waved at them happily.
As the sun lowered, the students slowly grew tired of all the fun and excitement, and one by one, they retreated back to their dorms.
" That was fun!" Sora stretched as they walked down to theirs. " It really was a good relief."
" True." Yuu opened the door for both of them and by the look of it, they were the first to come back. " Everyone still out."
" Well, the day isn't over yet. Maybe they found something to do." Sora fell on one of the couches and Yuu sat on the armset beside her. " I feel like I can sleep for a week now."
" It was a busy month after all." Whisper's voice chimed in.
Yuu was looking down at his own hands before addressing the ghost. " Whisper..." Whisper blinked as he looked at Yuu. " You still didn't tell us anything about Aoyama-san."
Sora leaned forward as well, waiting for him to talk. " Nothing... " The ghost shrugged. " I couldn't find anyone suspicious around him."
" So it was just our wild imagination," murmured the girl as she leaned back. " Still, why would he write such a thing?"
" I'm not sure..." Yuu whispered as he looked at the ghost. But then, the rest of their class came flooding through the door, jabbering about the festival and what they had done.
"Guess we'll have to wait to hear from him," Sora told him before going to meet with Uraraka and Asui...