Polars // Kaminari Denki x OC

37. Tied Together

The dormitory hums with the muted activity of students going about their daily routines. It's a laid-back atmosphere, which is highly unusual for class 2A. The week that has passed since the villain incident has allowed the dormitory to settle down.

In one corner of the common area, Nishihara sits with a book in hand, but her eyes don't follow the words on the page. Instead, they occasionally drift towards the doorway, hoping to see and avoid Kaminari all at once. The incident may be a fading memory for most, but for Nishihara, it lingers like a ghost, haunting her days and nights.

Kaminari, on the other hand, fidgets with his phone in his room, his gaze fixed on the screen but his mind elsewhere. The weight of Shinso's revelation sits heavy, forbidding him to reach out to Nishihara. Each time he sees her in the dorm, a gnawing hesitation paralyzes him, making it impossible to articulate the words he so desperately wants to say.

Their interactions have devolved into painful avoidance.

Takami, observing the emotional rift between her friends, leans against the doorway with a heavy sigh. She senses the turmoil but remains hesitant to intervene. She knows Nishihara would not forgive her if she took a step on her own.

Just then Bakugo walks past her and puts an arm around her waist.

"What ya thinking?" He asks.

Takami smiles. "Nothing. Just how quiet it is-"

Words didn't last a second in the air before a loud shriek shook them. They rush into the hall and find Mina glaring at Iida.

"Iida, seriously, your way is way too uptight! It's just shoelaces, not a NASA mission!" Mina exclaims.

Iida, unable to let such a comment slide, straightens his posture. "Precision and discipline are essential, Ashido! You can't simply disregard the importance of doing things correctly!"

Their shouts draw the attention of other students, who exchange amused glances as the debate takes an unexpectedly serious turn.

Uraraka, witnessing Iida being unnecessarily bashed for his attention to detail, decides to step in. "Hey, guys, isn't this getting a bit too intense? It's just shoelaces, after all."

"Oh, shut it! You don't even know how to tie shoelaces," Mina scoffs.

Uraraka gasps. "And you can't tie yours without burning them!"

As they almost get into a catfight, Kirishima and Midoriya jump in between.

Kirishima calms Mina before she can bald Uraraka. "It's alright, Mina. Let them geek out. It's their thing."

"What do you mean?" Midoriya turns. "Are you calling us geeks?"

Bakugo yells from behind. "Yes! You pathetic nerd!"

Mina snickers, angering Uraraka even more.

"Just because I wear shoes without shoelaces doesn't mean I can't tie it!"

Mina grins mischievously. "Oh, Uraraka, we can settle this once and for all—a shoelace-tying showdown!"

Iida makes his robotic gestures. "We cannot hold any competition inside the dormitory. It will cause trouble for other students."

"What other students?" Kirishima asks. "Half of them aren't even here."

Iida looks around and only finds Kaminari, Asui, Nishihara, Takami, and Sero in the hall.

"Buddy, this is better than reality TV," Sero remarks, elbowing Denki, who can't help but chuckle.

Nishihara's heart thunders upon hearing Kaminari's laugh, but she tries hard to avoid looking at him.

Todoroki comes to the scene and asks about what is going on.

Sero, grinning, fills him in. "Shoelaces, man. Shoelaces."

He rolls his eyes. "Shoelaces? Seriously?"

Before long, the ridiculous debate transforms into a hot topic among both the Dekuquad and Bakusquad.

The two groups decide to settle the matter once and for all with a shoelace-tying competition.

"Bakugo, you should totally be the judge! You're impartial, right?" Mina suggests with a sly grin, gesturing towards Nishihara.

Nishihara, sensing the attention, looks up from her book, her expression a mix of reluctance and irritation. "No, thanks. I'm not really into this whole... thing."

But Mina, persistent as ever, pleads, "Come on, Nishihara! It's just a bit of fun. We need someone fair, and you're perfect for the job!"

Nishihara is about to decline again when Kaminari, catching her eye, adds a soft "please" that hangs in the air, and against her better judgement, she agrees.

"Fine, but only because I have nothing better to do," she mutters, her annoyance thinly veiled.

As Nishihara takes her place as judge, the battle between the Dekuquad and Bakusquad begins. Mina and Uraraka exchange playful jabs, while Sero and Kirishima engage in a mock rivalry.

Putting on the timer, the team with the most tied shoelaces wins. For this, both parties gather all the shoes present in the dorm, stacking them one above the other.

"Be careful and don't tie your super small fingers with the string!" Mina teases Uraraka.

Uraraka ignores the jab and focuses on tying. Asui uses her long tongue to tie the laces quicker, whereas Bakugo, being highly competitive, almost burns half of the shoes. The disastrous competition continues for another three minutes.

Both Nishihara and Kaminari try to steal glances at one another, just to soothe their broken hearts. But their personal, inner conflicts sting them even more.

As Kaminari gets stuck on a shoe, the atmosphere shifts. His gaze lingers on Nishihara, a silent plea for understanding. The unspoken words hang in the air as he takes his place, fingers fumbling slightly with the shoelaces.

Nishihara watches him intently, her stoic exterior betraying the tumult within. She gives him a silent pass, and he smiles widely before moving on to another shoe.

The shoelace-tying competition reaches a fever pitch, with both the Dekuquad and Bakusquad neck and neck.

As the competition reaches its climax, Mina and Uraraka are locked in a tie-breaking round.

Suddenly, the dormitory door opens to Aizawa looking his usual agitated self. "Has anyone seen my shoes?" His words escape before his brain registers the sight.

The room falls into an awkward silence, and the participants exchange guilty glances. Aizawa's shoes had mysteriously vanished, and when he comes looking for them, he finds them on top of the pyramid, perfectly ruined.

"What the hell is going on here?" Aizawa deadpans, his gaze shifting from his most promising students clutching shoes in their hands.

Before anyone can respond, Kaminari, always ready with a sarcastic comment, points to the pile of shoes. "Found them. Looks like we were just admiring your impeccable sense of style, sir."

Aizawa raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Impeccable sense of—? Never mind. Just clean this up. I don't have time for this."

As Aizawa exits the room with a tired sigh, the dormitory bursts into laughter.

Nishihara steals a glance at Kaminari, and for the first time in a week, a genuine smile graces her lips. Kaminari, catching her eye, returns the smile.

"So, who won?"

Everyone looks at Nishihara. She checks the clock and finds the timer has run out already.

"Rematch!"