Chapter 54: Second Year at UA III

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A/N: I don't do the character bashing thing. The more I write characters, the more I love them. For instance, I love Toga more and more every time I write her. Time to test this theory with a character that barely anyone likes... (cosplayers on TikTok might change your mind, though. Just FYI!)

If the students weren't already looking in the trio's direction due to their loud nature and small celebration of them all passing their evaluations, they were when Mineta made his loud exclamation.

"Oh, shit," Mineta repeated once again when he turned to see that Hitoshi definitely saw Denki just lay one on his soulmate.

Hitoshi lazily pulled himself to standing.

Rushing over to plant himself between Hitoshi and the blonds, Mineta shouted "run away!" at Denki, pulling two purple, sticky balls from the top of his head as he passed.

"Mineta... buddy..." Hitoshi drawled, eyes flashing with what Mineta mistook as malice that Neito and Denki knew was amusement in the purest form.

Hitoshi took a relaxed step forward, but his ease put Mineta on the verge of panic. Mineta gulped and hunkered down, folding in on himself, but to his credit, he held his ground.

"Don't you know that those with purple hair have to stick together?" Hitoshi asked playfully, taking another step forward and not letting his face give anything away.

"Now, Shinsou," Mineta tried to reason, "you know I'd be on your side for anything else, but there's no reason to go after Kaminari for some stupid mistake, right?"

Hitoshi was surprised that he got an answer so easily out of Mineta after asking him a direct question, not that he had his quirk active and ready to go, but still. He wondered if having Denki, Neito, and even Bakugou answering his questions on a regular basis had softened others to him, or maybe Mineta didn't even notice what a huge mistake he might have been making.

Mineta, a little surprised that he still had control over himself after answering Hitoshi, dared a glance backwards to gauge how far Denki had managed to get and blanched when he saw that Denki was still standing there, not trying to run away at all. After the total self-sacrifice that included answering a direct question from Hitoshi to act as the ultimate distraction? The audacity!

Denki just shrugged at him, trying very hard to keep his face schooled, and stated, "It wasn't a mistake. I just have to face the consequences of my actions this time, dude."

"I'm sacrificing myself for nothing?!" Mineta whined, voicing his thoughts aloud and stomping his foot.

Realizing that his back was to the enemy, he quickly whirled around, relieved to find that Hitoshi hadn't snuck up on him.

"Not for nothing! You look so cool and brave right now!" Denki encouraged from behind him.

"Literally not helping," Mineta muttered under his breath before pausing, considering. "You seriously think so?"

"Yeah, dude! I totally trust you to have my back!" Denki quipped. "In fact, maybe you could use your quirk to stick us all together so then they have to let me join Class 2-B."

Mineta was so stunned by the unexpected answer that he didn't try to stop Denki as he skirted around him and straight to his demise.

Standing in front of Hitoshi, Denki looked up at him through his lashes and whispered an apology. The quick switch from the teasing and excitable tone Denki had just been using to the demure and quiet behavior he took on just then threatened to give Hitoshi whiplash.

"What are you sorry for?" Hitoshi asked.

Anyone within earshot might think he was degrading Denki, having him admit out loud that he had kissed his soulmate, but Hitoshi really didn't know what Denki was apologizing so sincerely for when he hadn't done anything wrong.

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