The air was laced with the joyful chaos of the end of the semester at U.A. High School. Snowflakes danced outside as the Deku Squad—Midoriya Izuku (Deku), Ilda, Uraraka Ochaco, Tsuyu Asui, and Todoroki Shoto—gathered in the common room for a unique take on the secret Santa tradition.
"Okay, everyone! Remember the twist," Deku announced, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "We're choosing both a worst and best gift! The more impressive your choices, the better!"
"You mean I have to find two gifts for everyone?" Uraraka exclaimed, her expression a mix of excitement and panic.
"Not just for everyone, but as good as you can make your 'worst' gift sound impressive!" Ilda reminded, already jotting down notes. "Let's keep the spirit high, but I can't wait to see how 'bad' we can make it!"
The group chuckled in agreement. Once the names were drawn, playful banter filled the air. Deku felt his pulse quicken—he was tasked with finding gifts for Ilda. He felt a surge of determination.
After hours of brainstorming and a little help from All Might's quirk of rolling with it, the big day arrived. Tinsel adorned their meeting space, the usual high-spirited chatter murmured as they gathered, eager to unveil their crafty gifts.
Deku stood eagerly, his heart racing as he pulled out his gift for Ilda—a pair of socks decorated with blue stripes. "I thought these were cute, and they're warm for the winter!" he said proudly.
"I love them! I'm going to wear them EVERYWHERE!" Ilda replied, beaming.
Then came the twist. Ilda handed Deku his worst gift: a jar filled with what appeared to be colored sand labeled "Deku's Training Sand." "I thought you could use it for heavy lifting practice!" he laughed.
Deku chuckled, his cheeks flushed. "Well, at least it's... unique."
Next was Tsuyu, who gifted Shoto a beautifully handcrafted scarf. "It's warm and stylish," she said with a shy smile.
"Very thoughtful," Shoto replied, modestly accepting it.
Unfortunately, Tsuyu's worst gift—a pair of frog slippers that squeaked with every step—was less well-received. "They'll cushion your feet," she explained cheerfully.
Shoto raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but chuckle. "They're certainly unique."
Finally, Uraraka's turn came, and she presented Tsuyu with a lovely potted plant. "It's a little bit like a mini-ecosystem," she said. "I know you love nature!"
Tsuyu's eyes sparkled with delight. "Thank you! This is wonderful!"
But when it came to her worst gift for Tsuyu, it was a small, fuzzy creature with googly eyes that twitched when it moved. "It's a—um—wiggly best friend!" Uraraka said, less convinced about its charm herself.
"Wiggly…" Tsuyu bit back laughter, admiring the randomness of it.
The group laughed and contemplated who should be the winner of this unconventional Secret Santa. Everyone had put in effort to bring life to their gifts with creativity and laughter.
Finally, with a loud cheer, they unanimously declared the winner: Tsuyu! Everyone found her frog slippers to be so hilariously bad, yet the plushiness of the shoes brought joy to everyone else as they laughed at how ridiculous they were.
Amid gales of laughter, they celebrated each other's contributions. "Maybe next year we should just stick to regular Secret Santa," Deku said, shaking his head with a smile. "But I have to admit, this was really fun!"
The friends continued to enjoy the evening, their hearts warm and smiles bright, reveling in the spirit of camaraderie and the lightheartedness of the holidays.