I watched as Tokoyami and Katsumi trudged back into the classroom, both looking worse for wear. Tokoyami's feathers were ruffled, and Katsumi's hair was singed at the edges. The absence of Todo and Midoriya was glaring.
"Where are the others?" Uraraka asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"Recovery Girl's office," Katsumi grunted, dropping into her seat.
Tokoyami nodded solemnly. "Midoriya's arms were... in bad shape. And Todo took quite a hit at the end."
A murmur rippled through the class. I leaned back in my chair, processing this information. Midoriya's quirk was powerful, no doubt, but the cost seemed steep. Two punches and he was out of commission? That was a serious liability in a real fight.
All Might cleared his throat, drawing our attention. "Yes, well, Young Midoriya and Young Todo are receiving treatment. They'll be fine. Now, let's discuss the match, shall we?"
Katsumi snorted. "What's there to discuss? We won."
"Indeed you did," All Might said, his voice carrying a hint of exasperation. "But how you won is just as important as the victory itself. Can anyone tell me what the turning point of the match was?"
Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "It was when Bakugo and Midoriya started working together, wasn't it?"
All Might nodded, his ever-present smile widening. "Exactly! Young Bakugo, Young Tokoyami, would you care to elaborate on what changed?"
Katsumi scowled, crossing her arms. "Deku had a plan. It wasn't completely stupid."
"It was quite clever, actually," Tokoyami added. "They used Todo's quirk against him. Midoriya acted as a decoy, knowing Todo would swap him with Bakugo. Then Bakugo restrained Todo while Midoriya delivered the final blow."
"Precisely!" All Might boomed. "They turned their opponent's strength into a weakness. That's the kind of thinking that makes a great hero!"
"But sir," Iida interjected, his hand shooting up, "isn't it concerning that Midoriya injured himself so severely? In a real battle, that could be disastrous!"
All Might's smile faltered for a moment. "Ah, well, Young Midoriya is still learning to control his quirk. With time and practice-"
"He's a liability," Katsumi cut in. "Two hits and he's useless? That's pathetic."
"Young Bakugo," All Might warned, "that's not-"
"She's not wrong," I replied. "Midoriya's quirk is powerful, but if he can't use it without crippling himself, it's a serious weakness. Villains won't hesitate to exploit that."
All Might's expression grew serious. "You raise a valid point, Young Nakamura. However, every quirk has its drawbacks. Part of being a hero is learning to overcome those limitations."
"But at what point does the risk outweigh the benefit?" Kaori asked, her voice thoughtful. "If Midoriya consistently injures himself to this degree, he's putting not only himself but his teammates in danger."
The class fell silent, contemplating her words. Even All Might seemed at a loss for a moment.
"Perhaps," he said finally, "that's a discussion for another time. For now, let's focus on the positives of this match. Young Tokoyami, your use of Dark Shadow was exemplary. And Young Bakugo, your final strategy showed real growth in teamwork."
Katsumi scoffed, but I caught a hint of pride in her eyes.
"Now then," All Might continued, "LET'S SEE WHO IS NEXT!"
The rest of the class passed in a blur of matches and discussions. As the final bell rang, signaling the end of class, All Might called out, "Remember, heroes! Reflect on today's lessons. Your strengths, your weaknesses, and how you can improve. Class dismissed!"
The room erupted into chatter as everyone gathered their things. In the locker room, I stood up, stretching, when a hand clapped me on the shoulder.
"Yo, Nakamura!" Kaminari grinned. "Some of us are heading to the cafeteria. Wanna join?"
I shook my head at Kaminari's invitation. "Nah, I think I'll check on Todo. Make sure he's alright after that hit."
Kaminari's grin faltered for a moment before bouncing back. "Fair enough, man. Tell him we hope he's okay, yeah?"
Kirishima nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, that last move was super manly! He took it like a champ!"
"I'll pass that along," I said, shouldering my bag.
Outside, I noticed Uraraka hovering nearby, worry etched on her face.
"Um, Nakamura?" she asked hesitantly. "Do you mind if I come with you? I want to check on Deku too."
I shrugged. "Sure, why not? The more, the merrier."
We left the classroom together, the noise of our classmates fading as we walked down the hallway. I glanced at Uraraka, realizing this was the first time we'd really talked.
"So," I began, searching for a conversation starter, "that was some fight, huh?"
Uraraka nodded, her eyes wide. "I can't believe Deku and Bakugo actually worked together! I mean, I hoped they would, but..."
"But Bakugo's not exactly the cooperative type," I finished for her.
She giggled. "That's putting it mildly."
We turned a corner, and I frowned. Something seemed off about the hallway, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"You know," Uraraka said, oblivious to my confusion, "I was really impressed by your match too. The way you handled Todoroki's ice was amazing!"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Thanks. It was mostly luck, to be honest."
She shook her head. "Don't sell yourself short! Your quirk is really cool."
I laughed. "Better than being hot-headed, I guess."
Uraraka snorted, then quickly covered her mouth, looking embarrassed. I grinned, finding her reaction oddly charming.
"So, Infinity Girl," I said, "what's your story? How'd you end up at U.A.?"
She blinked, surprised by the question. "Oh, well... I've always wanted to be a hero. To help people, you know? And... well, to help my parents."
There was something in her tone that made me pause. "Help your parents?"
Uraraka bit her lip, then sighed. "They run a construction company, but it's been struggling lately. I thought... if I became a hero, I could support them."
I whistled low. "That's... actually really admirable."
She blushed, waving her hands. "It's nothing special, really! I'm sure everyone has their reasons for being here."
"Maybe," I said, thinking of my own complicated motivations. "But not everyone's thinking of others like that."
We walked in comfortable silence for a moment.
"What about you?" she asked. "Why did you want to become a hero?"
I hesitated. It wasn't a simple answer, and not one I was entirely sure of myself. "I guess... I wanted to prove something. To myself, maybe. Or to..."
I trailed off, realizing I wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. To who? My family? Society? Some nebulous idea of what a hero should be?
Uraraka nodded, as if she understood. "It's complicated, isn't it? Being a hero, I mean. It's not just about having a cool quirk or winning fights."
"Yeah," I agreed. "It's about..."
I stopped, looking around. We'd been walking for at least ten minutes, and something was definitely wrong.
"Uh, Nakamura?" Uraraka asked, her voice tinged with concern. "Isn't Recovery Girl's office on the other side of campus?"
I felt heat rise to my face. "Ah, shit. I think I might have... taken a wrong turn."
Uraraka's eyes widened, then she burst into laughter. "Are you telling me we've been walking in the completely wrong direction this whole time?"
"In my defense, this place is like a maze. Who designed this building anyway?"
She wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling. "Oh man, wait until Deku hears about this. He'll probably make a map for you or something."
"Please, no," I groaned. "I'd never live it down."
We turned around, retracing our steps. This time, I let Uraraka take the lead.
"So," she said, glancing back at me, "does this happen often? The getting lost thing, I mean."
I sighed dramatically. "More often than I'd like to admit. It's my tragic flaw. Super powerful quirk, zero sense of direction."
Uraraka laughed again. "Well, I guess that's what teammates are for, right? To keep you from wandering into the wrong city during a mission."
"Careful," I warned jokingly, "or I might just make you my official navigator."
"Oh? And what would that entail, exactly?"
I pretended to think it over. "Well, you'd have to follow me around everywhere, make sure I don't get lost on the way to class, maybe hold my hand when crossing the street..."
Uraraka's face turned bright red, and for a moment I worried I'd gone too far. But then she grinned, playing along. "Hmm, I don't know. Sounds like a full-time job. What's the pay like?"
"Pay? Isn't the joy of my company payment enough?"
She pretended to consider it. "Well... I suppose there are worse ways to spend my time."
We both laughed, the earlier awkwardness completely forgotten. As we walked, Uraraka told me more about her parents and their construction company. I found myself genuinely interested, asking questions about the business and her family.
"What about your family?" she asked as we finally approached the correct wing of the building. "Are they heroes too?"
"Ah, no. They're... in a different line of work."
"Oh, look! We're here!"
Sure enough, the sign for Recovery Girl's office loomed ahead. As we approached, the door opened, and Midoriya stumbled out, his arms heavily bandaged.
"Deku!" Uraraka called, rushing forward. "Are you okay?"
Midoriya looked up, surprise and then joy crossing his face. "Uraraka! I'm fine, really. Just a bit sore."
I hung back, letting them have their moment. My eyes drifted to the door, wondering if Todo was still inside.
"Oh, Nakamura!" Midoriya said, noticing me. "Did you come to check on us too?"
I nodded. "Yeah, wanted to make sure Todo was alright. That was quite a hit he took."
As if on cue, Todo emerged from the office, his uniform disheveled but otherwise looking no worse for wear.
"Ah, brozzar!" he exclaimed upon seeing me. "And the lovely Uraraka! Have you come to witness the fruits of our passionate battle?"
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling. "Something like that. How're you feeling?"
Todo struck a dramatic pose. "Like a phoenix risen from the ashes! Though I must admit, Young Midoriya's punch was most invigorating. Truly, the clash of strong souls!"
Uraraka giggled, while Midoriya looked torn between embarrassment and pride.
"Well," I said, "glad to see you're both okay. Oh, and Kirishima and the others wanted me to tell you they hope you're alright."
Todo's eyes welled up with tears. "Such camaraderie! Truly, our class is bonded by the fires of friendship!"
"Right," I said, patting his shoulder.
I glanced at Todo, Uraraka, and Midoriya as we walked back to Heights Alliance. My muscles ached from training, and exhaustion pulled at my eyelids.
"We should play Mario Kart again!" Todo declared. "I must reclaim my honor after yesterday's devastating loss!"
Uraraka giggled. "I don't know, I'm pretty tired from today's training."
"Same here," Midoriya added, rubbing his bandaged arms. "Recovery Girl said I should rest."
I stifled a yawn. "Think I'll pass too. Need a shower and some downtime."
Todo clutched his chest dramatically. "Betrayed by my own besto friendo! The pain! The agony!"
"You'll survive," I said, patting his shoulder as we entered the dorm building.
Back in my room, I let the hot water wash away the day's tension. The shower helped, but my body still felt heavy. I pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and sprawled on my bed, scrolling through YouTube on my phone. Lo-fi beats played softly from my speakers – Jiro's arrangement really did sound better.
A knock at my door interrupted my mindless scrolling. I considered ignoring it, but another knock followed.
"Coming," I called out, pushing myself up.
I opened the door to find Kaori standing there in short shorts and a cropped t-shirt that showed off her midriff. Her lips curved into that familiar predatory smile.
"You said tonight, right?" she asked innocently.
I leaned against the doorframe. "I did say that, didn't I?"
Her eyes flickered over me briefly. "Nice lotus pendant. It matches your eyes."
"You're deflecting."
"And you're stalling." She tilted her head. "Going to invite me in?"
I studied her for a moment. "That depends. Are you going to tell me who taught you how to fight?"
"Maybe." She stepped closer. "If you ask nicely."
"Kaori..."
"Yes?" She was close enough now that I could catch the faint scent of her shampoo.
"What are you really doing here?"
Her smile softened slightly. "Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to spend time with you?"
"No."
She laughed. "Smart boy. But that doesn't mean it isn't partially true."
I raised an eyebrow. "And the other part?"
"That's what I'm here to discuss." She glanced past me into my room. "Going to make me stand in the hallway all night?"
I stepped aside, letting her enter. As I closed the door behind us, I wondered if I was making a huge mistake.
==========
[Next time on "My Hero Academia: Limitless"]
"Hey everyone, Yoichi here in the studio to—" I squinted at the script pages in my hands. "Wait, what?"
The pages rustled as I flipped through them faste. "No, no... she wouldn't—" Another page flip. "Oh god, she would."
I dropped the script on the desk and ran a hand through my white hair. "So, uh, next time things get... interesting in my room. And by interesting I mean—" A nervous laugh escaped. "You know what? I'm just going to say that Kaori is—"
"Reading your lines perfectly fine without your commentary," Kaori's voice purred through the studio speakers.
I jumped in my chair. "How long have you been in the booth?"
"Long enough." Her smile was audible. "By the way, viewers, don't forget to drop those power stones and add us to your libraries. You won't want to miss what happens next."
"That's my line!"
"Was your line. Now, about that scene in your room..."
I grabbed the script again, scanning further down. My eyes widened. "We can't show that on—"
"And cut!" Todo's voice boomed through the speakers. "Besto friendo, your face is getting red!"
"Is not," I muttered, though my cheeks burned.
"Is too!" Todo's grin filled the entire booth window. "Want to practice the scene? I can play Kaori's part—"
"No!" I stood up so fast my chair toppled over. "We're done here. Next time on My Hero Academia: Limitless – um... stuff happens. Maybe dangerous stuff. Probably dangerous stuff. Just... tune in, okay?"
I bolted for the door, but Kaori's voice followed me: "Running only makes it more fun, Yoichi-kun..."