Beginning of a New Spring (MHA/PJO crossover)

Chapter 8

Finals for school vastly approached, and Ophelia was anything but excited for summer break. The anxiety of taking the exam was getting the best of her. No matter how much Bakugo grumbled or yelled that she was doing well or how her grades improved. It wasn't enough.

Their exams were worth a lot, and if she couldn't do well on them, she would have to ask for work to take home over the summer to make up for it, if they even allowed that. That was something she really didn't want to do. She wanted to enjoy going out without the impending doom of work waiting for her return.

"Oi, pollen-head."

She heard behind her, already knowing what the voice would tell her.

"Don't flunk out on the exams; I didn't waste my time helping you for nothing."

"Yeah, easy for you to say, top student," she grumbled back, turning in her seat to mock glare at him.

"You got this, Ophelia!" Midoriya cheered from beside Bakugo.

"Shut up, nerd!" Bakugo growled at him, irritated more at the boy's voice.

That was something she hadn't gotten the grasp on yet, either—the relationship between those two. Midoriya called Bakugo his friend, and Bakugo let Midoriya call him Kacchan but said he was not friends with the loser. Besides the obscene nickname, Bakugo gave Midoriya, Deku.

They may have been friends in their childhood, but Bakugo drifted away from that. The question was, why?

Was it because Midoriya was quirkless? Ophelia had heard about the praise Bakugo got over the years for having such an amazing quirk that it went to his head, making him think that he could do anything. It wasn't a justified reason to stop being friends with someone.

So it pegged her if the strive, motivation, and hope Midoriya had was what set Bakugo over the edge. Everything he had as a privilege, someone else worked ten times harder to achieve and never gave up.

"Uhh... Ophelia, are you okay?"

The question from Midoriya broke her out of her thoughts, realizing she was staring at the boy, lost in thought.

"Of course, she's not okay, loser! Your shitty extra face would set anyone off!"

"Good Gods, is there ever a day you leave Midoriya alone, Bakugo?" She asked. The tiredness was evident in her voice.

"Are you defending the quirkless little shit now? You barely talk to him!" Bakugo growled at her, but she could detect the slight distress in his voice.

"If you think he needs any defending, you've got it all wrong. You're barking up the wrong tree if you think he's defenseless. Sometimes you just need to let go and see the bigger picture," Ophelia advised calmly, turning back in her seat. Shutting down any response he may have had to her answer; she could still hear him gritting his teeth from behind her.

Ophelia could feel the burning curiosity yet appreciation from Midoriya at her words.

"Alright, sit down and be quiet. The exam begins as soon as we pass out the papers. Any talking, and you fail!" The teacher stated. A middle-aged woman was walking in with him, grey peppering through her hair, giving her the wise old look.

Ophelia assumed she was there to help oversee all the students while they took the exams.

"This is Ms. Haruki. She will be here to help oversee this exam," he gestured to the women. "You'll have three hours to get through the papers. When I say time is up, pencils are down."

He passed the exams out, and Ophelia couldn't help the bounce in her leg or fiddling with her necklace as her nerves took over. Worst-case scenarios ran through her mind. She knew this exam was important, but she excited herself up to the point that everything rode on how well she did on the exam.