Ashido Mina sat down next to Tsuyu and Toru with a tray of food. Across the table were Shoji and Sero.
"Ashido, Sero," Shoji said through an arm-mouth. "Well done to the both of you."
The two of them exchanged a glance. "Like I said before…" Sero grinned apologetically. "Bakugo did most of the work. Hopefully we'll have a chance to show off in the finals, though."
"How did you end up on his team anyway? Ribbit."
"Oh, I was with Kirishima for most of the obstacle race, and he kinda convinced me, I guess. It didn't occur to me that you guys might have wanted to team. I'm sorry."
"No hard feelings, ribbit. Clearly what you ended up doing worked."
"But Tsu-chan, you and Shoji-kun's strategy was amazing!" Toru praised. "If only you hadn't gotten frozen in Todoroki's ice, you definitely could have finished in the top four teams!"
Shoji's arm-mouth swallowed a bite of food and then said: "Perhaps. But there were many other powerhouse teams as well. We had confidence in our strategy initially, but seeing the end results, it might have been more prudent to team with Kagamine."
"Oh yeah, that team was crazy for sure," Sero commented, leaning back in his seat and stretching. "Both class reps are super smart, plus Todoroki's ice… and Kagamine's Quirk is tailor-made for an event where you have to steal stuff from people. Any team with him on it was basically a guaranteed finalist. No wonder Todoroki tried to snatch him up."
"I'd never seen him use it like that before, ribbit," said Tsu. "After Todoroki-chan froze all of us, he just… flexed his arms, and all our bandanas were his. Did he ever show it off like that in middle school, Toru-chan?" She placed a finger on her chin.
The invisible girl appeared to shake her head. "He never used his Quirk at all in middle school. I think only his close friends even knew what it was."
Mina continued to eat silently. He forced me to join Bakugo and Kirishima's team… and ended up on Todoroki's team. But she understood now. She'd hung out with Kirishima enough to know when a man was being a stubborn man. In that moment… he'd thought that he was holding everyone back, and in the eyes of a boy, that was unforgivable. So he'd freed her of himself.
"Hey guys," said Len, sitting down next to Sero, directly across from her. He placed his tray down and began to eat.
The other five glanced at each other, and then to him. His face was completely normal. He seemed… fine. Like nothing was wrong.
"Lenny…?" Tsu asked. "Are you…?"
"I'm okay. Sorry about stealing you and Shoji's headband. The smug comments were a little unwarranted, but I kinda got caught up in the moment."
"Ah. Right. Well, we aren't angry about it, ribbit."
Shoji nodded in agreement. "Congratulations on making it to the final event, Kagamine."
"Yeah, it feels like you actually earned your place, unlike me," Sero complained good-naturedly. "You played the system, pretending you weren't a threat and then getting teamed up with three of the most impressive people in class, and being front and center no less. You really had me fooled."
"I didn't really do it on purpose," Len said plainly. "Todoroki asked me to team with him. The strategy was all his idea. Seeing how I didn't have a lot of options at that point, I couldn't say no."
"Uh, yeah… sorry again about abandoning you like that, ribbit," said Tsuyu. "Looking back on the match, we probably made a mistake. And it hurts your feelings."
"I'm sorry too!" Toru put in. "When you and Mina were talking to Bakugo again, I got pulled aside by Jiro and… they already had three people, so…"
"It's okay," Len interrupted. "I'm not mad."
"Huh?"
"You're not?"
"Nah. I was before, but I was just being ridiculous, honestly. I was the one causing all the tension and making you all worry, right? All you did was take the best chances you thought you had at the time, because you wanted to compete. But you're all so strong." Len smiled. "You're strong enough to compete against each other without sacrificing friendships, because you understand how you're going to become heroes. I'm sorry for not getting it. I'm still very new to all of this. I was the weak one, for creating tension and getting upset where it wasn't necessary."
A warmth spread through Mina's chest. The corners of her lips turned up without her permission. He… he came around…
"D'awww!" Toru exclaimed. "Apology accepted, Kagamine-kun! And I'm sorry too, still!"
"Thanks, ribbit."
"You are forgiven, of course."
"Hey, no worries man."
"Thanks, everyone." Smiling, Len turned to Mina, who couldn't stop herself from grinning.
"Does that mean you're gonna compete now? With me and Sero?"
"Of course, Mina. I wish the other three were coming to the finals too, but…"
"Good!" she interrupted, reaching over the table and putting her hands over his. "Because we still need to have a DDR rematch!" She winked.
He faintly blushed. "You won that, remember?"
"Not by enough points! I need to beat you harder!"
The others laughed. "Glad you've come around, ribbit," said Tsu to Len. "You had us worried, but you ESPECIALLY had Mina worried."
She felt heat rush to her face. "Hey, sh-shut up, Tsu! Why single me out?"
"I don't know. It was the first thing that popped into my head."
Mina hurriedly retracted her hands from Len's, blushing. His blush had curiously gone away, and he was looking at her in cute confusion, head tilted. Goodness. No wonder I got all jealous for a second when Yaomomo hugged him. Actually, I want to know about that.
And she did it the only way she knew how. By teasing.
"Say, Len…" Mina leaned toward him, blinking her eyes prettily. "What's the deal with you and Yaomomo, hmm?"
"Huh? What?" The boy seemed genuinely confused.
"She practically threw herself at you after the match was over." Mina's grin widened.
"Yeah, wwwaaait a second, I saw that too!" Sero turned to the boy next to him. "Kagamine, you traitor!" He began shaking Len violently.
"Gaaaaah! What in the everloving fuck are you talking abOoOoOut?!" Len's voice went up and down in sync with Sero shaking him.
"You've somehow pulled the hottest girl in class during the sports festival, all while still advancing! Tell me your secrets! Spill!" All the while, Mina was laughing maniacally.
"Aaaargh! I don't know! It wasn't like thaAaAt! Yaoyorozu was just… she was happy about our victory… celebrating as teamAaAtes… let me GO!" He pulled himself free of Sero. "Also, the hottest girl in class? Where'd you get that from?"
"Yaoyorozu, obviously! And you can't lie to me! I see through you." Sero made his fingers into circles and put them over his eyes.
Mina's eye twitched. Len doesn't think Yaomomo is the hottest girl in class? Even I think that. She gulped. Could he… could he possibly think that it's ME?
"Sorry to reign on your parade." Len coughed. "There's nothing going on, Sero. Not to worry. If I got a girlfriend, you'd know. Probably via trumpets in the sky heralding the end of the world."
"There he is," Toru commented happily. "The old Kagamine-kun."
"In any case…" Len looked between Mina and Sero. "I'm happy that three of us are going into the finals, at least. Even if we compete… I support you guys fully!"
Sero sighed and relaxed. "Same here, I suppose. Oh, who am I kidding. Of course."
Mina flashed another grin. "I got it, Len! Friends can still compete with each other!"
"And we will support you from the sidelines, of course," said Shoji.
"Yeah!" Toru echoed.
"Ribbit."
"I'm just glad you're all so mature, and wish I'd realised all of this sooner," Len said. "I wasn't being competitive enough, but you guys were just the right amount of competitive." Something flashed through his eyes that Mina did not understand. "It's the people that are taking it TOO seriously that I suppose I still have a problem with."