PLASTIC FLOWERS ( k. bakugou )

chapter 24

' never its mysteries are exposed '

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The challenge starts with a pledge and Yuko already sees it coming when Katsuki Bakugou stands on the podium, face neutral but soul burning. The skies are clear with only the most miniscule presence of white clouds, the wind is calm and there's a hint of something about to unfold within the whole venue. "The athlete's oath..."

"I pledge to be number one."
Cool, calm and collected. Exactly the words to describe Katsuki Bakugou after he steps off the stage, litter flying in the air in an attempt to hit him. Venomous words and glares are directed into their class and Yuko fights the shudder that threatens to run upwards her spine.

She's part of the group that's smiling awkwardly because of her classmate's speech and when the first challenge is set into motion, Yuko's eyes are determined.

(Although there was a part of her that was aggravated, because before the Sports Festival officially begun, there was that little incident with Shouto and Izuku in the waiting room. With the former picking a fight with the latter, and Kirishima trying to stop the upcoming fight and Shouto's words stung- "none of us are friends here" and Yuko wanted to stand up, that little smile adorning her face, slap him with sense and ask, "if none of us are friends, then what the hell are we?" follow up with a question regarding who she was to him and inquire, "if you don't have any friends, what am I, then? A roach?" sashay outside with her chin jutted, but the spotlight turned to Izuku who announced, impressively, that he was going to win.)

So it begins. When the announcers signal the beginning of the race, Yuko takes a deep breath. There's a foreboding sense of excitement tingling at her skin and she prepares. She's been sprinting around the school for two weeks now, running has become easy.

When the rest of the student populace crash, the first challenge, bumping against each other in the narrow pathway, Yuko squashed between two unknowns, she decides to use her quirk.

Willing a strong half gust to push her upwards, Yuko's gaze remains steely. When she's in midair, she wills another half gust to push her forward and with that, she falls on the ground with a thud, but she's among the lead group.

Her eyes catch sigh of Todoroki on the front, using his ice to demolish opponents and Katsuki following soon after with Izuku and Iida. They're fast, on an entirely different level than her.

She feels a flush of pride for her friends, finishing tasks with ease and efficiency. Heck, Izuku's doing amazing without a quirk.

"Now that I think about it," Yuko murmurs as she sprints, Kirishima and a metallic boy from Class B overtaking her. "I haven't seen his quirk."

"Stop dilly dallying, Yuko!" The white haired girl turns to see Kaminari and Jitou overtaking her too. "You'll be left behind."

Kaminari sends her a wink before leaving her in the dust. She sees the mechanical robots up ahead, feeling a bout of nostalgia. This, this was how her entrance examination felt. A year ago or so. Barely passing, but she made it. U.A. was her dream, the need to enter it was greater than everything.

The robots are pummeled to the ground with ease by her classmates and Yuko grabs the opportunity and zooms past the other participants who are apprehended by the scraps and bits of the defeated robots.

From the looks of it, she's still pretty faraway from the goal, but looking behind her, she must be somewhere in the middle in terms of ranking. Todoroki, Bakugou and Izuku must be somewhere in the very top.

Yuko knows she's nowhere near their standing but, wielding another air arrow, she can try.

Explosions are all over the place, she's realized and figures out that it's the last running. The announcer, Present Mic, most probably has declared the winner to be Izuku, followed by Todoroki and Bakugou and she can't help but smile in delight at the outcome. Three of her closest friends.