𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘺 | 𝙗𝙖𝙠𝙪𝙜𝙤𝙪 𝙭 𝙤𝙘

◌ºঃ puppet ◌ºঃ

Emiri inhaled deeply as she stared at her reflection in the changing room mirrors, anxiously shaking her hands out. She wore her sports uniform, her hair tied out of her face.

She poked at her eye bags, feeling a heaviness in her heart and body.

She just finished getting changed for the practical part of her exams. She'd already finished all her written exams the previous week. And, not to toot her own horn, she thought she did pretty well.

But now was the exam that would decide whether or not she was worth being in the hero course.

Emiri mentally gave herself a pep talk as she shoved her gym bag into her locker before making her way to the gym. She rolled her sleeves up, trying her best to control her heartbeat.

Just when she thought she had it all under control, her heart seemed to go haywire at the sight of the hero course classes sitting in the stands of the gym.

She nearly fainted at the sight of her brother's eyes connecting with hers the moment she walked into the room.

Why was everyone here?!

She tried not to freak out too much as she stepped onto the makeshift stage at the centre of the gym, her fellow 2C student right across the stage talking to Aizawa.

Emiri took the moment to stretch by herself, rolling her shoulders and neck simultaneously. She'd been reciting all the strategies she'd practised on Bakugou. It all came down to not responding to Shinso – that was the fundamental part of his quirk that would lead to her downfall.

It seemed easy. But she had to stay on guard. Likewise to how Shinso had been treating her, she should be careful as to not underestimate him; afterall, she has a few tricks up her sleeve herself.

Observing her classmate, she noticed two things; one, that he had a binding clothing around his neck that looked identical to Aizawa's, and, two, that he possessed some sort of black mask that had silver speakers attached to it.

Those were definitely his support items – she could predict what the cloth was for, but not so much the mask.

"Todoroki," Emiri looked up at Class 2B's homeroom teacher, Vlad, who held two velcro straps in his hands. "Here, these are for you. Remember, the aim is to steal your opponent's straps. Don't forget that once the strap is taken, you cannot take it back."

She took them, wrapping each on her wrists.

"Thank you,"

"Best of luck, Todoroki."

Emiri sent the teacher a determined smile, watching as he walked off the stage with Aizawa before they sat at a table nearby to watch their fight.

She fixed her posture as she heard the bustling gymnasium slowly quieten down as Aizawa announced the beginning of the exam. Somehow, the dead silence made her more afraid than their loudness, it was harder to concrete knowing that people were actually paying attention to them.

"As you all know, Vlad and I have been discussing the transfer of one of these eligible students to join the hero course. As there is only one spot left, we will be holding an example to determine which student will be transferred by the end of the day." Aizawa announced. "Before we begin, a few ground rules should be placed: if either participant leaves the confines of the gymnasium, it is an automatic win to the opponent. To win, both velcro straps must be obtained, and once taken, they cannot be retrieved. Do whatever you can to win."

Emiri nodded despite knowing all the rules; she'd anxiously reread her notes on the physical exam at two in the morning earlier due to her inability to sleep.