Tears streamed down Midoriya's cheeks, but a small smile bloomed on his face.
"Takoyami... Tsukasa, Uraraka!! Thank you—thank you so much!!"
He dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, sobs breaking free from his chest.
"Such a crybaby," I muttered, turning away as I began to walk off.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted Todoroki standing alone—his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his gaze fixed on the ground. Quiet... but burning.
I walked over, slow and deliberate. "Yo! Todoroki!" I called out.
He didn't respond. Just a sharp click of his tongue, his eyes shifting away. Without a word, he began walking forward, ignoring me entirely.
I jogged a little to catch up, matching his pace.
"Hey, hey—don't be like that. I didn't mean to make fun of you back there, you know."
He stopped. Gave me a lazy, unimpressed glance.
"Yeah... I'll admit it. You're strong," he said, voice flat. "And also... sneaky."
I chuckled awkwardly. "H-Hehe... That last word sounded kind of intentional, you know."
He sighed, then kept walking again.
"Hey, wait!" I called after him.
He turned, this time his expression clearly irritated.
"What now?" he snapped.
"You forgive me, right? Riiight?" I asked, grinning.
With an exaggerated wave of his hand, he replied flatly, "Yeah, yeah—whatever. I don't really care. But I'll say this… I've finally found someone I can truly call a rival. Well... besides you."
And just like that, he turned away—his back growing smaller with every step.
***
"Hmph... You won this time, Aizawa Tsukasa. But next time, I will defeat you," came a voice from behind me.
I turned around and saw Yaoyorozu standing there, arms crossed and a sour look on her face.
I walked over with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of my head.
"Ahaha... Well, it was all thanks to my team, really. Without them, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere."
I extended my hand toward her for a handshake.
She hesitated at first, then slowly reached out and took my hand.
"Let's just forget the whole rivalry thing, yeah? How about we be friendly rivals instead?"
Hearing that, Yaoyorozu yanked her hand away.
"W-What are you talking about?! I never saw you as an enemy to begin with! Y-You're so full of yourself!"
Then she spun around and stomped off, leaving me blinking in confusion.
"I swear... I'll never understand girls," I muttered under my breath.
"That kind of behavior is called a tsundere nowadays," said a familiar voice beside me.
Midoriya had appeared, wiping away a small tear from the corner of his eye.
"Eh? Midoriya, where are you heading?" I asked.
He scratched his head awkwardly, clearly hiding something. But eventually, he gave in with a sigh.
"Todoroki... asked to talk with me."
I paused, concerned. Then I reached out and patted his shoulder.
"You sure you'll be okay? What if he's planning to take you out so you don't make it to the next round? Want me to tag along?"
Midoriya shook his head quickly.
"No, no—it's okay, Tsukasa. I appreciate it, but... I trust him. Todoroki isn't the type of person who'd do something like that. Well then... I'll see you later!"
He waved, then ran off, his steps full of purpose.
"HEY!! WAIT A SEC!! TELL ME WHAT A TSUNDERE IS FIRST!!" I shouted after him.
He glanced back briefly, without slowing down.
"ASK YAOYOROZU-SAN YOURSELF!!" he called out.