If Aizawa had to pick one thing he hates the most, the thing he thinks is stupid and unneeded, then it would have to be early morning meetings.
Now, Aizawa can admit he's a touch biased. Being a teacher means he hardly gets any spare time for himself, due to the never-ending homework to be marked or lessons to be planned. It doesn't help that he's an underground Pro either, most of his patrols run until the early hours of the morning.
He gets so little sleep at night anyway; waking up early for a meeting just digs into that limited time even more. Why can't meetings just take place after school hours? Or, here's an idea: why can't the whole thing be summarised into an email?
Unfortunately, Nedzu likes to see people suffer, so Aizawa has never quite managed to convince him to move the early morning meetings.
Hence why Aizawa, despite being dead tired, is sat in the slowly filling meeting room. His co-workers all look happy and awake; clearly, they had gotten enough sleep last night to be getting up early for this meeting.
There is an exception to that, though.
Hizashi, who usually greets the day by bursting into song, is rather subdued today. He's not completely silent, a feat that likely isn't possible, but his responses and jokes aren't as bright as they were a few days ago.
Naturally, Aizawa knows the reason behind it. Or, well, knows part of the reason.
Two days ago, after Aizawa had already dropped the boys off with Nedzu and Hizashi, he received a worrying call from Hizashi.
Now, one might assume that a man such as Hizashi would fly into a chaotic panic when things go wrong. That isn't the case, though. For more minor things, like a spider or burnt food, Hizashi can and will wake up a whole street with his shouts. For serious matters, however, Hizashi tends to get quiet; that cheery disposition drops, and his eyes focus.
Some people tend to be caught off guard by this, but to Aizawa, it only makes sense. No matter how Hizashi acts, he is still a Pro Hero. If he couldn't keep a level head, he never would have graduated from UA.
So, Aizawa received a call from Hizashi without his usual dramatic greeting and immediately knew something had happened.
Hizashi wouldn't tell him much—something Aizawa respected—but, apparently, he had messed up with Nakahara somehow and the kid had run off.
Before Hizashi could even ask, Aizawa was already setting aside his work and heading off to find Nakahara. Yes, he had to find the kid due to the safety precautions Nedzu had put in place, but he also wanted to make sure he was alright.
He didn't know what had upset Nakahara, nor did he know how upset he actually was. Still, Aizawa wanted to be there for him in case Nakahara needed anything, be it a silent companion or some advice.
Nakahara did seem tense when Aizawa first found him, but fortunately, he relaxed quite a bit by the time they left to get Dazai.
Aizawa had then relayed that to Hizashi, who looked as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Now, looking at Hizashi, it seems the weight of anxiety has been replaced with a weight of guilt.
So, when Aizawa notices the perfect opportunity, he leans over. "You need to talk to him." His voice is low, perfectly hidden behind the loud discussions from the other teachers.
Hizashi sighs, his own voice dropping low to match Aizawa's, "I know, I just… I messed up, Shouta. I'm supposed to be here to help Nakahara, but now I've done the opposite."
Aizawa raises an eyebrow.
"I'm still going to apologise," Hizashi rushes to explain, "I just don't want it to happen again."
Aizawa nods. He's honestly not surprised to hear this. Hizashi has always been a good man, always making sure to apologise to people properly and doing his best not to hurt them again. In a situation like this, where he has no idea what might upset Nakahara next, avoiding making any further mistakes is nearly impossible.
Add to that, Hizashi is supposed to actually help the kid through stuff like this, to strike the balance between being encouraging and pushing too much, and things are much harder.
Aizawa nudges Hizashi's arm, "Nakahara is a good kid; smart and empathetic. He'll likely know you didn't mean to upset him, so try to stop worrying so much."
It takes a minute, one that Aizawa patiently sits quietly through, before Hizashi sighs, a soft smile on his face, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Shouta."
Aizawa is almost tempted to smile back, but as it typically happens, Nemuri's sly voice ends the moment, "Alright, love birds, it's time for the meeting! Make kissy eyes at each other later."
Aizawa rolls his eyes. Beside him, Hizashi laughs, the sound steadily returning to its usual volume.
Before Nemuri can say anything more, Nedzu proudly walks into the room. Aizawa mentally thanks him; he really didn't want to deal with her teasing right now.
Nedzu, after getting settled at the head of the table, claps his paws together, "Alright, let's get this meeting started!"
Aizawa takes that as his cue to take over. "You should all remember the changed structure for this year's exam. Today I'll fill you in on who you'll be fighting."
In the last early morning meeting that Aizawa wished he could have slept through, Nedzu had broken the news about the new final exam structure. Instead of fighting robots, as was the usual setup, students would be expected to go against a teacher in teams of two.
Aizawa's co-workers had been sceptical about it, which was understandable in a way. Sure, the kids are talented, but they're a long way from being able to take down an actual Pro Hero. Even the kids like Todoroki and Bakugou have areas that were in need of improvement.
Moving on from the robots is necessary, though. These days, the students need more in order to be able to protect themselves. If the League of Villains attacks again, which Aizawa hopes they won't, having experience fighting against Pros will be a huge benefit.
Besides, it's not like they expect the kids to take down the teachers at full strength. Students will have to work together to either place handcuffs on the Pro or escape from the training grounds; the smart ones will take note of when they're outclassed and run for the exit. And, in an attempt to give the students some advantage, the Pros will be wearing wrist and ankle cuffs to slow them down by a significant amount.
All in all, it will be hard, there is no doubt about that, but Aizawa has faith in his class. If they work together and don't rush in without thinking, then they can win. He's sure of it.
"First, Todoroki," Aizawa starts. "He's doing quite well, generally speaking, but relies too much on brute force. Yaoyorozu is an all-rounder, but still needs to work on making spur-of-the-moment decisions and applying them. Therefore, I'll erase their Quirks and take advantage of their weaknesses."
Aizawa hears Hizashi laugh beside him, which he easily ignores. He's likely thinking, 'What a Shouta thing to say!', which, while being true, doesn't mean Aizawa wants to hear it.
Not right now anyway.
Aizawa glances at him with what he hopes is a properly scolding look before continuing, "Next, for Midoriya and Bakugou, I'm leaving them to you, All Might. In this case, I didn't pair the two of them up based on ability or class work; I went with relationships."
Bakugou and Midoriya, two of his biggest headaches, both come from the same middle school. Yet, instead of the two being friends, they have one of the worst relationships Aizawa has seen in a while.
If the two of them can't sort things out, then Aizawa will be forced to take further action. They both have the talent and dedication to be Pros, sure, but not being able to get along with each other would just put their co-workers or civilians in danger.
He knows Bakugou is the instigator in most cases, but he also knows that Midoriya never seems to step back from the challenge. Hopefully, Bakugou's desire to win will overcome his grudge against Midoriya, and the pair will be able to work together for this exam.
If his desire to win doesn't take over, then well…
"I know you have a soft spot for Midoriya. Please ensure that they learn something," Aizawa says.
All Might nods, although Aizawa gets the feeling he isn't all that happy about the arrangement. That's too bad, though; he doesn't get a say in this. As Class 1A's homeroom teacher, he was given complete control to decide who would fight whom; no amount of complaining would change his decisions now.
Aizawa glances down at this list, intent on calling out the next pair, when Nemuri speaks up.
"What about your favourite little troublemakers?" she teases, "Who should expect to fight them?"
Aizawa sighs, "I don't have favourites." How many times will he have to say this? Picking favourites is stupid; whoever gets picked will end up with a big ego. That's not to mention the other kids that will feel pushed aside and unliked.
Nemuri rolls her eyes, "Right, but still, I'm dying to know who those two will be up against!"
It seems she isn't the only one, if the expressions of everyone else are anything to go by. Everyone, minus Nedzu, who already knows, looks at Aizawa with such expectant gazes.
Admittedly, it had been a hard decision to make. Fighting against the Pros is meant to be a challenging, but not impossible, task for the students. Nakahara and Dazai are very talented, so whoever they fight has to be able to keep pace and actually push the pair to work harder.
He had contemplated putting himself or All Might down as their opponent. Nakahara being without his Ability would push him to come up with alternative ways to win. The kid is smart, Aizawa knows it, so he doesn't doubt he'd be able to win regardless of if he had his Ability or not, but it still would have given him a little challenge.
All Might would have been the best if he wanted to challenge Dazai specifically. The kid is a mastermind at making plans, an excellent marksman, and well-versed in close-quarters fighting. That being said, All Might's sheer strength and speed would be difficult to overcome.
Unfortunately, both of those plans had fallen through.
Dazai wouldn't be affected by Aizawa's Quirk, which, even if he did tie the kid up with his capture tape, would basically give him free rein of the place. Aizawa is confident that the second he turned his back, the kid would slip out of the capture tape and run off to cause some chaos, something he's far too talented at doing.
Meanwhile, Nakahara would likely be able to use his Ability to keep up with All Might or, if that failed, keep him away from Dazai. There wouldn't be much of a fight or challenge there, thus making the whole point of the exam pointless.
It seems that when those two work together, one person's weakness complements the other's strength perfectly.
In the end, it was Nedzu who suggested the match up. He had reasoned that there was only really one way to make this exam challenging for both of them, but not impossible, and only one way to make it balanced for everyone who took part.
Dazai, Nakahara, and an extra 'variable' to spice things up.
At first, Aizawa hadn't been a fan of the idea. While he is all for throwing new things at his students, this one felt like a recipe for disaster. He could roughly imagine how Dazai and Nakahara would act, but that extra 'variable' could lead to actual problems.
Nedzu had urged him to consider it, however, so Aizawa made note of it while he was observing the students.
It had taken a few days, but much to Nedzu's glee, Aizawa eventually came around to the idea.
While it may not be the most ideal match up, it will get everyone involved to think more and, with any luck, take a step outside of their comfort zone.
It might not end well, per se, but as long as no one dies, it should be fine.
-
Chuuya sighs, the door to Yamada's office still closed in front of him.
He was meant to go in a few minutes ago, but well, he doesn't particularly want to. After everything that happened in the last session, he can't help but cringe at the idea of seeing the man again.
He'll go in there, and Yamada will look all worried, his face far too kind and guilty. He'll want to apologise then and, because Chuuya did just seemingly freak out over nothing, want to know what had actually upset Chuuya.
Frankly, Chuuya can't be bothered with it right now. Final exams are soon, as in, the paper exams start tomorrow, and he feels oddly stressed about it.
Well, not stressed but… Chuuya wants to do well, alright? Bakugou had already thrown down that challenge about the physical exam, but—and Dazai would laugh if he heard this—Chuuya also wants to do well on the paper exams.
So, yeah, he's been studying with 1A each time their little study groups happen. Dazai comes too, although he tends to be more of a hindrance than anything. Despite that, Chuuya just knows that bastard will get perfect grades on all the exams.
Earlier, when Aizawa began leading them to Nedzu and Yamada, Chuuya had considered going along with Dazai for the day. Sure, it would be the coward's move, but whatever.
He, obviously, didn't do that. In the end, he knew it would be stupid to do, as Yamada would read into it and think he had found some sort of hidden weakness or something. Or maybe he'd pity Chuuya for whatever backstory he's probably made up.
(He also rejected the idea because, when he mentioned it to Dazai, that idiot said, "Perfect! We're playing chess blindfolded today, probably a metaphor for trust or whatever, I usually don't listen to that part though.")
Chuuya looks down at the door and, after a second longer of delaying, decides he just needs to get it over with.
Without any fanfare, Chuuya opens the door and steps inside, his feet already bringing him to his usual chair.
Yamada jolts, perhaps not expecting him to enter at all, before a smile appears on his face, "Nakahara! Good to see you." He's clearly trying to replicate his usual tone of voice, but with all the tension and awkwardness, it falls short.
Chuuya nods, his eyes trailing away from Yamada and instead around the office. By now, he's used to the place, he knows which desk drawers squeak when they open and the story behind the chips in the furniture. He knows that student homework is kept in the top left shelf of the cabinet, he knows that Yamada's teaching references are shoved under his desk in a dangerous pile, he knows that the pictures on his desk are of his 'super awesome and amazing husband' (although he hasn't actually seen the pictures yet).
And, as of last session, he knows that Yamada keeps study books in his office for any students who need help. He knows that Yamada makes his own books, ones that are easier to understand and target the specific information students need to know.
Yamada clears his throat, Chuuya looks back at him just as he begins to speak, "Nakahara, I want to apologise for last time. What I said upset you and I'm so sorry."
Chuuya shrugs. "Yeah, it's whatever."
Yamada frowns a bit at that. "It's not 'whatever', you don't have to dismiss when you get upset."
Chuuya doesn't respond to that; all his possible responses would just make this conversation longer.
A few seconds pass before Yamada speaks, clearly realising that Chuuya has no intention of responding. "There's a lot I don't know about you, so I'm sure there will be times in the future where I'll say the wrong thing again, where I'll bring something up that upsets you. If that happens, give me some sort of sign, anything really, and I'll shut right up."
Chuuya nods, intent on getting this conversation over with as fast as possible. If there is a next time, Chuuya will have better control over his emotions and not make it so damn obvious.
Which, now Chuuya's thinking about it, why did he get so upset? Sure, he never likes it when people ask about the numbers or call him inhuman, but usually, he's able to play it off better.
What's different between then and now?
Well, the big one is the location. Being at UA has put Chuuya on edge, although not so much recently. With how everyone fell over themselves to apologise after Dazai's attempt, he has confidence that none of them would try anything, except Bakugou. His temper is too unpredictable.
Maybe it's the people, then? Or, Chuuya supposes, the person in particular who asked.
What is it about Yamada that made Chuuya freak out so much? What is it that made him get so worked up over something that he should have been able to brush off, or at least pretend not to care about, until later?
Across from him, and unknowing of Chuuya's thoughts, Yamada smiles, "You've told me a lot about how you met Dazai, how about I tell you a story this time instead?"
That catches Chuuya's attention, he pushes his previous thoughts to the side of his mind before humming, "A story about what?"
Yamada's smile turns into a teasing grin. "About how I met your Aizawa-sensei, it's quite the story."
It's not necessary information, but… But dammit, Chuuya can't help but be interested. Yamada and Aizawa are complete opposites, from their personalities to their clothes to, well, everything. Despite all that, though, they're clearly close friends.
Yamada must notice Chuuya's interest as he leans in, almost like he's telling some important secret, "You see, we met about fifteen years ago at UA's sports festival. I was in the Hero course, not to brag, and Aizawa was—"
"Gen Ed, right?" Chuuya asks, his mind recalling what Dazai had filled him in on after the joint training session yesterday. Apparently, Chuuya's reaction to learning Aizawa was close to not becoming a pro hero was rather similar to Dazai's, although with more swearing.
Yamada tilts his head, "He told you?"
"In a way," Chuuya shrugs. "Whoever decided to put him in Gen Ed was an idiot; his Quirk is perfect for hero work." Usually, Chuuya wouldn't be bothered about the fate of pro heroes. The fewer there are, the less Chuuya has to hear about them after all.
For Aizawa, though… It just bothers him that such a useful Quirk could be tossed aside; the same goes for Shinsou. In Yokohama, Abilities like theirs would be treasured and fought over.
Yamada laughs. "You sound just like Aizawa. He said the same thing when Shinsou failed the Hero course entrance exam."
Chuuya always had a hunch Aizawa was the only one in this place with sense. It seems he was right.
With one final laugh, Yamada continues his story, "So, we both made it to the final one vs one fights. I was pretty confident I'd win; not many people can do much against my Quirk, after all. Then, in the finals, I'm up against this random kid from Gen Ed."
Chuuya's eyebrows furrow, "You weren't paying attention to the other fights?"
Yamada sheepishly grins, "I was but… Aizawa held off on using his Quirk until absolutely necessary; he wanted the element of surprise. Back then, well, I kinda dismissed his fights as boring and stopped paying attention…"
Chuuya doesn't say anything, instead letting the disappointment on his face speak for him. Who just dismisses a possible opponent because they seem boring?
"I know, I know!" Yamada exclaims, "Anyway, we both made it to the final round, and I had assumed it would be an easy win, just yell at this kid and take first place, you know? Imagine my surprise when my Quirk just didn't work!"
Chuuya can't help but laugh. He's seen enough people caught off guard by No Longer Human to know how Yamada must have acted.
Yamada is quick to continue, "It gets worse! I was so caught off guard that Aizawa got up close and knocked me right out of bounds, somehow breaking my nose and giving me a concussion at the same time."
"And somehow you became friends after that?" Chuuya asks, not even bothering to hide the amusement in his voice.
Yamada nods, "Of course! The second Aizawa transferred, I decided I had to be his friend. It only took about two months of pestering before he gave in!"
Chuuya laughs again, his mind already drawing parallels between this and how he and Dazai met. Somehow, in both stories, it's the one who got beaten around that wanted to be friends. If Yamada was anything like Dazai back then, well, Chuuya can't help but feel bad for Aizawa.
"Ah! Let me tell you about one of the only times Aizawa was late for school," Yamada says, a teasing grin on his face once again.
The story sounds boring, but based on Yamada's expression, Chuuya gets the feeling it isn't as simple as Aizawa oversleeping.
So, without hesitation, Chuuya leans back in his chair as Yamada begins speaking.
As the story goes on, as Chuuya smiles and laughs, he finds himself forgetting exactly what he was thinking earlier. Yamada's storytelling draws Chuuya in, making him feel at ease in the man's cosy office.
-
"This is for you, Dazai. I expect it back before the end of the session." Aizawa holds out a bundle of white fabric, specifically one of his old capture weapons.
Dazai, clearly not having forgotten about his request yesterday, grins and grabs the capture weapon.
In truth, there is still part of Aizawa that feels apprehensive about giving Dazai the capture weapon. Of course, he'll keep a close eye on the boy and take it back at the end of each session, but still.
Even with his worries, Aizawa knows it's best not to coddle Dazai, which is part of the reason why he decided to teach Dazai the capture weapon anyway. He has to have some level of trust in Dazai, even if that seems a little unrealistic.
With a sigh, Aizawa pushes those thoughts from his head. "Shinsou, Nakahara, do some warm-ups, then go work together to climb the tree."
Shinsou nods then, seemingly needing a second to actually understand what Aizawa said, tilts his head in confusion, "Together?"
Casually, Aizawa nods, "If you can't work with others, you'll have no chance in real fights."
Which, for the record, is the truth. As a Pro, you'll never know when you have to team up with other people. Being adaptable and easy to work with is vital in those situations, something that Aizawa intends to drill into his students soon.
No one seems to have any objections, so without further comment, both Nakahara and Shinsou head off to the tree.
Shinsou does, however, shoot Aizawa a pleading look. The kid is still unsure about being on his own with Nakahara and Dazai, mainly due to their distrust of his Quirk.
Aizawa makes a mental note to keep an ear on the pair, just in case Shinsou needs to ask any questions while they're working.
Most of his attention, however, will be directed to Dazai.
"So," Dazai starts, "How do you even use this thing?" He holds the capture weapon up, his inexperience evident, even now.
Aizawa reaches up to his own capture weapon, expertly digging out the two ends, "Have you ever seen those Western films? The ones with cowboys and lassos?"
Dazai seems to think for a second before nodding, a grin coming to his face. "Sensei, you didn't tell me you were a cowboy!"
It isn't the worst comparison Aizawa has ever received. "Using the capture weapon is similar to those lassos, except you have a lot more to work with."
For the next twenty or so minutes, Aizawa carefully goes over the basics of the capture weapon. The very first step is learning how to hold it properly. Doing it incorrectly could lead to rope burn or a broken wrist.
The next step is learning how to throw it. Maneuvering the fabric to loop around something without getting yourself tangled up in the process, something that took Aizawa a good few months to be consistent at.
There are, of course, more things you can do with the capture weapon than just wrap someone up. Aizawa is personally fond of dragging his opponents closer, that way he can erase their Quirks and turn it into a fist fight. He also uses the capture weapon to travel between buildings and help keep his balance, but all those techniques might be too advanced for Dazai at the moment.
Although, as Aizawa watches him throw out the capture weapon again and again, it might not be long until he has to teach Dazai those techniques. The kid is a prodigy with it, which shouldn't be that surprising given how intelligent he is.
He lets Dazai continue for ten minutes more, making sure to correct his posture and grip when necessary. He also makes sure to check on his other two students, who, fortunately, seem to be getting along.
They've made it a decent way up the tree by now, so far that Aizawa almost feels bad for calling them back down before they reach the top.
Almost.
"Shinsou, Nakahara, come back over here," He calls out, not paying any attention to the groans and complaints that follow.
Nakahara is the first to get back, his face weary as he watches Dazai continue throwing out the capture weapon. For a second, Aizawa worries that Nakahara notices something Aizawa didn't, that he had been ignorant again, but those worries are soothed when Dazai shoots Nakahara a teasing grin.
It's likely that Nakahara is concerned that Dazai will attempt to use the capture weapon on him, something that Aizawa can easily see happening.
Fortunately for Nakahara, Shinsou soon arrives. For a moment, he looks a little lost, but with an encouraging look from Aizawa, he heads off to speak with Dazai.
His voice is quiet, so Aizawa can't quite hear what he's saying, but given how Shinsou holds up his own capture weapon, he can make an educated guess.
Beside him, Nakahara quietly watches the duo.
Aizawa glances down at him, "Nakahara, are you interested in learning the capture weapon too?" He hadn't thought to ask yesterday, but if Nakahara is interested, then he should have another old capture weapon stuffed away somewhere.
Nakahara shrugs, "It doesn't seem like my style."
"That's fair, although…" Aizawa trails off, an idea coming to mind. "I feel like Shinsou needs some moving-target practise. Do you want to help out?"
Nakahara seems to consider this for a moment, his eyes flicking between Dazai and Shinsou, "Will Dazai be part of this?"
Aizawa is experienced enough to know what that question means, still, he nods, "He will."
As expected, Chuuya grins, "Then yeah, I'll help out."
Another teacher might warn Chuuya not to be too cruel to Dazai. Aizawa isn't another teacher, though. As long as no one gets hurt, then having a bit of tension will be good. It gives training a sense of realism.
"Alright, you two, listen up," Aizawa calls out, "Shinsou, you're getting better with the capture weapon, but you need more practise with moving targets. Dazai, you've picked it up quickly, but the same goes for you."
Shinsou nods, his hands already grasping at his capture weapon. Aizawa can't help but feel proud at that; he's constantly had to drill it into Shinsou to be prepared at all times. Now the kid is finally getting the hang of being ready to defend himself no matter the situation, something that will help him hugely once he debuts.
"Moving target practise?" Dazai asks, although his eye is already flicking over to Nakahara. Aizawa isn't surprised that he's figured it out already.
For Shinsou's sake, Aizawa begins to explain. "Nakahara will be the target. You need to stop him from getting near you by using the capture weapon. If he touches you, then you have to do five push-ups. If you successfully use the capture weapon, then he has to do five push-ups. Understand?"
Both boys nod, although Shinsou seems more apprehensive about it.
Aizawa, wasting no time, calls out, "Go."
Just like that, Nakahara jumps forward in Shinsou's direction.
Shinsou, due to already having his capture weapon at the ready, is able to throw out a couple of loops. Unfortunately, his aim is just off enough that Nakahara is able to slip right through.
Just before Nakahara is able to make contact, however, a white loop of capture tape wraps around his waist.
Shinsou takes this opportunity to jump out of range, something that Aizawa mentally praises him for.
Nakahara, meanwhile, whips his head around to find Dazai's grinning face at the other end of the capture weapon, "What the hell!"
Dazai releases the capture weapon, "Sensei never said we couldn't work together, and anyway, don't you owe us five push-ups?"
Nakahara, for a moment, looks like he's going to pounce on Dazai anyway before huffing. In one quick movement, he drops to the ground and starts his push-ups.
"Thanks for the save," Shinsou calls out.
Dazai absentmindedly nods, clearly still paying attention to Nakahara.
Nakahara, who has already finished his push-ups and is jumping back up to his feet, glares at Dazai before rushing towards him.
Aizawa watches as Dazai throws out his capture weapon, the instructor part of him noting how he didn't throw enough to actually reach Nakahara. The Pro part of him, however, takes note of how Dazai leans to the side and, when Nakahara's vision is blocked with the capture weapon, runs off.
It's a smart plan. Nakahara had expected the capture weapon to make contact, so he had already lent backward a bit. Which, while not a lot, gives Dazai a head start in this chase.
Dazai runs, the grin on his face getting wider with each step.
Nakahara rushes after him. "Bastard!"
Aizawa watches for a moment, not bothering to push back the amusement he's feeling, before looking over at Shinsou. Admittedly, he had expected the boy to be standing, waiting for Nakahara to come to him. That's a problem many first-year students have; they tend to act passively and wait for the battle to come to them. In a real fight, a Hero should never waste even a second of time.
When he looks over, however, Aizawa is pleased to find Shinsou on the move. On the move… To Aizawa?
Shinsou, moving quietly like Aizawa had taught him, runs up to Aizawa with a grin. One finger comes to his mouth, a clear indicator for Aizawa to play along.
Without waiting for an answer, Shinsou crouches down and starts laying out some of his capture weapon out around Aizawa's foot. He then pushes some dirt around, just enough to hide the stark white of the capture weapon from view.
Aizawa holds back a grin, so that's what Shinsou's up to.
With a nod in his teacher's direction, Shinsou begins walking back, each step leaning down to lay some capture weapon on the ground and cover it up.
Once a decent distance away, Shinsou arranges himself so his leg hides the piece of capture weapon leading down to the floor.
Across the field, Dazai yells something at Nakahara before making a mad dash over to Aizawa. It seems that, despite doing his best to dodge Nakahara, Dazai had still noticed the trap set up by Shinsou.
It's tight, but Dazai just about manages to get behind Aizawa before Nakahara can grab him.
Dazai, his head peaking out from behind Aizawa, is quick to defend himself. "Sensei never said we couldn't hide behind him!"
Despite his teasing tone, Aizawa can clearly hear his laboured breath. It seems Dazai isn't finding this as easy as he let on.
Nakahara, never one to be beaten, wastes no time in running around Aizawa to get to Dazai.
At the same time, Dazai runs to the side, making sure to step over the trap set by Shinsou.
Nakahara, not realising anything, steps right on the capture weapon and, with a tug from Shinsou, falls right to the ground.
There is a moment of silence, then Dazai laughs. "Ha! I can't believe you fell for that!"
Nakahara looks around, understanding dawning on him as his eyes follow the capture weapon from his feet up to Shinsou's hands. "How did you even decide on a trap? Neither of you spoke to each other."
Shinsou, a distinctly pleased look on his face, shrugs, "Dazai helped me, so I wanted to return the favour. I figured he would pick up on any trap I set anyway."
"Don't forget your push-ups, Chibi!" Dazai teases.
Nakahara grumbles but does, in fact, start doing his push-ups. Dazai grins before rushing off, Shinsou not far behind him. So far, those two are doing well, but Aizawa thinks it likely won't last long. As Nakahara adapts to the nature of the exercise, it'll be harder to trick him or catch him off guard.
Aizawa glances down at Nakahara, his thoughts coming to a stop when he notices the boy rubbing one of his wrists.
"Is something wrong?" He asks, although he has a hunch of what the problem is.
Nakahara glances up before continuing his push-ups, "These cuffs are annoying. Is there any way I could take them off?"
It's as Aizawa thought then. The cuffs were designed to be comfortable to wear, but Aizawa acknowledges that it must be annoying to wear them all the time.
The more Aizawa thinks about it, though, the less he sees the reason to have Nakahara continue wearing them. "You're supposed to keep them on for student safety, but… You haven't given us any reason to worry, so I'll speak with Nedzu about it."
That seems to catch Nakahara off guard, "Wait, really?"
Aizawa nods, "Like I said, you haven't given us any reason to think you'll hurt the students. It's only fair we take away restrictions in return."
Aizawa can see as the words register in Nakahara's mind and feels a little bad that he hadn't thought about this sooner. It's alright, though; he'll speak with Nedzu about it after the upcoming exams. If Aizawa can't see a problem with it, then Nedzu shouldn't either.
"Hmm, that reminds me of something…" Dazai starts, his face pulled together in fake confusion.
Aizawa sighs, ready for whatever insult is sure to set off Nakahara.
He thought he was ready, but when Shinsou is the one to speak, he finds himself taken aback for a moment.
"Like giving a pet treats for being good."
There is silence for a moment, during which Shinsou's face flushes. He hadn't meant to say that then or, at the very least, hadn't meant to say it so loud.
Dazai turns to him, a stunned but amused expression on his face, "Maybe we can be friends after all."
That seems to snap Nakahara back to reality, "You!!" He jumps up and, without a second of hesitation, rushes forward.
Shinsou stumbles back, clearly not expecting Nakahara to move so quickly.
Beside him, Dazai laughs, "Come on, Shinsou; let's hear some more!"
Aizawa watches, a fond feeling in his chest, as Nakahara chases around the other two boys. Intermittently, Dazai calls out his own insults and encourages Shinsou to come up with his own, to varying levels of success.
As Aizawa expected, it doesn't take long for Nakahara to catch up to Dazai and Shinsou. Within moments, both of them have been tapped, a grin on Nakahara's face as he instructs them to start their push-ups.
-
"The time is 9:00 a.m. You may begin."
Yaoyorozu wastes no time in flipping open her exam paper, her nerves settling down as she reads over the questions.
Even though she knows she shouldn't get excited just yet, she can't help it. These questions are all ones she prepared for. If the exam continues like this, she should breeze through it easily.
Part of her does worry for her classmates; she would hate for any of them to miss out on the summer camp. Hopefully, the study group she's been doing will have helped everyone to pass their paper exams.
-
Mina shuffles through her papers, a desperate action since she needs to leave for class soon.
Yesterday, on the first day of the paper exams, she had done well enough. There were tricky parts, don't get her wrong, but overall, she feels like she nailed it.
The problem now, however, is that she heard Yaoyorozu and Todoroki talking earlier this morning about the exams. More specifically, talking about what should be on today's set of exams.
Mina had listened, mostly feeling good about herself as she had studied all those topics, before disaster struck.
Yaoyorozu mentioned a topic that Mina had not studied for at all, in any way.
So, yeah, here Mina is trying to at least glance over her notes on the topic before the exam. It's better than nothing, right?
That's her plan anyway, until she pulls out the paper that the notes should be on…
And finds her notes on how to get Dazai and Chuuya together.
"Mina! If we don't leave now, we're gonna be late!"
The papers drop from her hands… is this some sort of messed up karma?
-
Dazai sighs, boredom seeping deep into his body. He had thought Chuuya would stop attending those study sessions once the exams started, that maybe he could drag Chuuya off to do something actually interesting.
Alas, two days of the paper exams are done, and Chuuya is still sitting and going over notes with Yaoyorozu.
There's no point in messing around with people's notes either. Now, they all keep spares tucked away so Dazai doesn't mess them up. It's annoying; each day, Dazai is forced to sit through hours of school, then hours of studying, and yet he's denied the one thing that brings him joy?
With a huff, which is rudely ignored by Chuuya, Dazai stands and begins making his way over to the kitchen. He doesn't actually need anything in there, but with some luck, he might find something entertaining to do.
Todoroki is the only one in the kitchen, something Dazai quickly decides is a good thing. Out of all the students in 1A, Todoroki is one of the few Dazai tolerates.
The rest of the class either fall into the categories of being too loud and lacking any charm to be funny, or too annoyingly nice. Sure, it's fun to mess with them all, but even Dazai can get tired of it.
Todoroki is quiet and takes things at face value, which means Dazai can get away with teasing that Chuuya would never fall for. His sheer awkwardness keeps him from acting too friendly, something that his more social classmates should try to embody more.
"Oh, hello," Todoroki greets, most of his attention still on whatever he's cooking.
Dazai nods in greeting, his mind pulling together vague ideas of how to mess with him, when he notices the papers stacked on the counter. That on its own wouldn't be that weird; perhaps Todoroki meant to join the study session after eating.
No, what stood out was the title proudly displayed at the top of the page.
All of Dazai's previous plans for teasing fly out the window. With a grin, he takes a seat at the island counter. "So, Midoriya is All Might's secret love child?"
The wooden spoon in Todoroki's hand drops, and when he turns around, his face is distinctly pleased. "You think so too?"
Dazai nods. "Oh, absolutely. What gave it away for you?"
Todoroki, ever so diligent, turns back to the oven just long enough to turn the heat off. Then, with a determined expression, he takes a seat beside Dazai, "I first got suspicious when I noticed All Might watching our Quirk Apprehension test…"
-
Sometimes, Kaminari thinks that constantly overusing his Quirk has given him actual brain damage.
It's the last day of the paper exams and he's screwed, he just knows it. All that studying he did, all those nights spent staying up to do practise papers, all of it for nothing!
He swears, like on his life, that he knew the answer to question seven a second ago. He knows, for a fact, that he studied this topic, so why the hell can't he remember the answer?!
Kaminari does his best not to groan, lest Aizawa-sensei come and rip his paper up. Which, now he's thinking about it, who the hell rips up test papers? Sure, it's against the rules to speak in exams, but isn't that too far?
Internally, Kaminari sighs. Goodbye, summer camp…
-
When Chuuya arrives at the site for the physical exam, all it takes is one look for things to click in his head. He knew the robots thing was a fake-out, that much was obvious, but this, really?
He looks at Yamada, who looks away in the most suspicious manner possible, before sighing. When Chuuya had asked, the man had done a terrible job of changing the subject; he really shouldn't be surprised at how he was acting right now.
Around him, class 1A's chatter comes to a stop when they take note of just who is standing in front of them, which is to say, when they notice that nine pro heroes are standing in front of the training grounds. Even an idiot should be able to realise that nine is far too many for a simple battle against robots.
Aizawa, without explaining anything, speaks, "Now then, let's begin the last test. Remember, it's possible to fail this final. If you want to go to camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes."
Jirou, a slightly confused look on her face, speaks up, "Uh, why are all the teachers here?"
"I expect many of you have gathered information on this exam." Aizawa glances around the class. "You think you have some idea of what you'll be faced with."
Kaminari claps his hands, "We're fightin' those big ol' metal robots!"
Beside him, Mina nods and begins to grin, "Fireworks! S'mores! Here we come, camp!"
Chuuya sighs. Had they really not picked up on what's really happening here?
With a quick glance, Chuuya is disappointed to see that a majority of the class seems to think the same as Kaminari and Mina. Really, shouldn't they know better by now?
"Actually, this year's tests," Chuuya bristles at the voice, his eyes snapping over to the teachers just in time to see Nedzu pop out of Aizawa's capture tape, "Will be completely different for various reasons!"
"Principal Nedzu?!"
Chuuya, for once, feels just as shocked as class 1A. Having the principal here makes sense, sure, but why the hell was he in Aizawa's capture tape? Does he… Does he do that often? Like, does he just hide away during classes to make sure students are behaving?
From Chuuya's right, Yaoyorozu gasps. "You're changing things?"
Nedzu nods, his expression unapologetic as he slides down Aizawa's side, "The tests now have a new focus. There will be Hero work, of course, but also teamwork and combat between actual people! So what does that mean for you?"
With a grin that actually sends shivers down Chuuya's spine, Nedzu continues, "You students will be working together in pairs, and your opponents will be one of our esteemed UA teachers! Isn't that fabulous?"
There is a beat of silence, then—
"We're... fighting the teachers?!"
Of course, Chuuya already figured out what was up the second he saw the teacher line up. Dazai probably figured it out too, if the grin on his face is anything to go by.
Aizawa gives the class a look, one that immediately settles them into silence, before speaking, "Additionally, your partners and opponents have already been chosen. They were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships."
Chuuya's likely to be paired up with Dazai. The real question is who will they be up against? If these fights are meant to actually be challenging, then there aren't many pros they could go up against.
Maybe Yamada or Midnight?
A grin takes over Aizawa's face as he lifts his capture weapon up. "First, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team against me."
Yaoyorozu visibly tenses up at that, which Chuuya doesn't blame her for. Aizawa is a formidable opponent, especially when he's your teacher and knows everything about you and your Quirk.
Todoroki doesn't seem bothered, though, so there's that. Maybe his laid back attitude will balance out Yaoyorozu's anxieties.
Aizawa drops his capture weapon, his eyes flicking over the class, "Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugou. Their opponent is…"
Chuuya has about half a second to think about how disastrous that duo will be before something, no, someone, falls out of the sky.
All Might, because, of course, it's him, is quick to shout, "I am here… to fight!"
Midoriya and Bakugou seem to freeze, shock written on their faces as they realise just who they'll be up against in this final exam.
Dazai huffs a laugh, his voice soft enough for only the surrounding people to hear, "He's not that hard to fight."
Mentally, Chuuya agrees. Back when the pros invaded Yokohama for that fight, All Might hadn't actually done that much. Maybe if he had landed an actual punch on Chuuya, then things would be different. Instead, he just punched into the air and seemed to hope that would do the job.
All Might chuckles. "You're going to have to work together, boys, if you want to win."
Next to him, Nedzu nods before pulling out a set of handcuffs from who knows where, "To complete the exam, you'll have thirty minutes! In order to win, you must put these handcuffs on your teacher or have at least one team member escape from the combat stage."
A loose plan is already beginning to form in Chuuya's head, just basic ideas on how to get the handcuffs where they need to be. He'll have to wait and see which teacher they'll be up against, then he'll have to see if Dazai has any plans of his own.
Kaminari makes a sound of understanding, "So we either have to capture the teacher or run away. It's basically like combat training."
Chuuya looks over at him in time to see Mina tilt her head in confusion, "Yeah, but is it really ok to just run?"
Chuuya understands her confusion. No one wants to just turn tail and run mid-fight. It happens sometimes, though, when the odds are too difficult to overcome or someone is in danger. Knowing when to run and regroup is just as important as being able to hold your ground.
Yamada, still not looking in Chuuya's direction, nods. "Yep! Although it's gonna be different from that combat training y'all went through earlier. After all, you're up against people waaaaaay better than you!
"Better, really? Wait, aren't you just the announcer?" Jirou asks, her voice so deadpan that Chuuya, for a second, actually believes her.
Chuuya can't help but laugh when Yamada's face scrunches up in shock, "Hey, watch your mouth, girl, have some respect!" The stupid tone of voice he decides to speak in only makes Chuuya laugh more.
It takes a second, but Chuuya is able to calm down and refocus on what the teachers are saying.
Thirteen, or so Chuuya assumes, speaks up, "This time your exam will be very similar to a real battle. As strange as it is, please think of us as Villains!"
Beside them, Snipe nods, "Assumin' you come across your enemy, if y'all think you can win against them, then fight. However…"
Aizawa then cleanly takes over. "In instances where you're outmatched, it would be smarter to run away and find help." His eyes turn sharp as he looks around the group. "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, I'm sure the three of you understand."
Chuuya is only given a second to wonder on the implications of that before All Might, with no shame at all, dramatically points his arms in the air.
"That's right! It's a test of your decision making skills!" One arm comes down and reaches behind his back. "But with these rules, you're probably thinking your only choice is to flee. That's why the support course made these super clever accessories for us!"
All Might whips out a set of wristbands, the yellow metal matching well with his outfit, "These babies will add about half our body weights to our physiques. It's not much, but they will eat up our stamina and make it harder to move around!"
The other teachers pull out their own wristbands and, in quick succession, start locking them into place. A few grimace once they have everything set in place, clearly not expecting them to weigh so much.
Part of Chuuya is curious how it would feel to fight with those on, maybe he should ask about getting some?
All Might continues, "We had a contest to come up with these designs, and young Hatsume ended up winning it!"
That seems to mean something to the rest of the class, Chuuya mentally makes a note to ask who Hatsume is later. At this point, he knows the names of the entire class, plus a couple from 1B, so this 'Hatsume' person must be from another course. Support course, maybe? All Might did say Hatsume came up with the designs, so it's a possibility.
Before anything further can be said, Bakugou loudly scoffs, "You think we need a handicap to win against you? Think again."
It's somewhat amusing to see Midoriya's panicked expression at that; clearly, he thinks they need the handicap. Chuuya privately agrees with him. There's a reason All Might is the number one hero of Japan. Bakugou and Midoriya are strong, yes, but not strong enough to take down All Might, not yet anyway.
Still, there is part of Chuuya that wishes them good luck.
Aizawa, expertly ignoring Bakugou, speaks, "With the exception of one, all of your fights will take place concurrently. You'll get some time to strategise before the fight, so use it wisely."
All but one? Chuuya can feel his eyebrows furrow as he attempts to figure out the logic behind that one. Why would they separate just one exam?
Aizawa glances over at Chuuya with a knowing look in his eye, one that makes Chuuya feel like an idiot. Right, he and Dazai need proper supervision or whatever.
Nedzu claps, easily bringing everyone's attention to him. "And now, let's announce the rest of the teams and the teachers they'll be fighting!"
Admittedly, Chuuya zones off a little as the match ups are announced. There's no need for him to know who everyone is fighting, not when he has his own exam to worry about.
Part of him does pay attention, though, just to see which teachers he won't be up against. While he's sure he could beat them all, there are a few that would be more trouble than the others.
As the names are announced, though, all the teachers who would be worth fighting are grouped off with other students.
Slowly, Chuuya feels doubt creep in. He has to be missing something here, right? These exams are meant to be a challenge, or so Chuuya thinks, so why does it look like he and Dazai will be paired with a teacher they can easily beat?
Chuuya glances around. Most of the class has already split off into their pairs to talk about strategy. The teachers seemed to have taken a step back when their names were called, leaving…
Absolutely no one from the original lineup.
Chuuya hears Dazai huff, somehow full of disbelief, and knows that he's figured out what the hell is going on. Part of Chuuya wants to turn and demand that Dazai tell him, he really can't stand being the only one left out of the loop.
But, before he can do that, Aizawa's eyes drift over in their direction, "As I said, the final exam will take place after the others, or at least after I'm finished. The match up for this exam will be…"
Chuuya takes one last look around, his eyes trying to find any hint of who he'll be fighting. There aren't any pros left, and the entirety of class 1A has already split off into pairs, so—
No, not the entirety. There is one person, one person who is standing off to the side, looking just as confused as Chuuya feels.
A bad feeling settles in Chuuya's stomach, one that usually appears when Dazai creates insane plans.
There is only one person left, one person who Chuuya and Dazai could end up having to fight against, and that person is—
"Dazai and Shinsou vs Nakahara."
Chuuya feels his thoughts come to a stop; the only thing he can think about is the feeling of shock coursing through him.
The hell???