Compulsion

Chapter 8: Friends

CHAPTER 8 HAS BEEN REWRITTEN

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Denki winced as Ashido's head whacked against the lunch table. A split second of worry wormed in his gut before a long, dramatic groan escaped her throat. A look around the cafeteria made it clear she wasn't the only victim. It wasn't just the flunkies or casual students weighed down by the exhaustion and panic and frustration and... well, you get it. It was everybody, even the smartest girl in their class seemed tapped out.

Jirou muttered as she set her tray down, "Yep, she's dead."

"Who?" asked Denki as his attention refocused.

Jirou yawned in her hand as a finger nudged one of Ashido's horns.

"I'm just happy we don't have to deal with a practical exam," sighed Shinso as he sat.

Jirou whirled one of her jacks around her finger, "Yep, now we only have to kick the crap out of each other for our classmates' entertainment."

"Don't forget the humiliation of losing on a screen – that can be recorded and shared," added Shinso with a tired smirk.

"Yay~!" was cried ,neutrally, while they clinked their drinks together.

Again, a long, dramatic groan roared from Ashido with more build-up and a trailing

"Life of the party, you lot," joked Denki.

"Speaking of 'life of the party'," whether Jirou said that in utter sarcasm or simple indifference was unknown to Denki, "Where's Midoriya?"

"Huh? How am I supposed to know?"

Jirou pointed with her chopsticks, "Aren't you besties joined by the hip or something?"

"No." Denki shook his head, "And we're not besties."

Shinso blinked, "Really?" He tilted his head, "With the way you talked about the guy, I thought you knew him well."

"Eh? What're you, a stalker?" questioned Jirou in obvious disgust – the fact that it could be genuine was painful.

"Oi, oi, oi, let's cool it, yeah?" parlayed Denki. "Guy reminded me of you, dude."

Shinso's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Denki shrugged with a smirk of his own, "Lonely guy in the corner of a room, desperate need of friends."

"D-Desperate?" echoed Shinso.

Ashido turned her head, barely lifting her face, "Like Jirou?"

"Oi!" Jirou wiggled the girl's horn, causing her to squirm, while fighting a blush on her cheeks, "Go back to being dead."

"Ah! I'm being bullied!"

"Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean 'desperate'?"

Denki deepened his voice far past reasonable degree, "I'm Shinso Hitoshi, all of you are obstacles I must overcome. I have no intention of making friends."

"So edgy~," cooed Ashido.

"A-Ah..."

Jirou gasped dramatically, looking at her finger, "Oh, no, I think I got a cut."

"Cause it's so edgy~," clarified Ashido.

Shinso's head fell into his hands, "Oh my god, shut up..." He groaned, "It wasn't edgy. It was a declaration."

"I'm a loner," declared Ashido.

"I don't have friends," declared Jirou.

"I am a Dark-Flame Master~!" declared Denki with proper flourish.