To Be a Hero | Boku no Hero Academia x OC

Round One

"All right! Let's leave the tournament aside for a momentary interlude!" Fireworks immediately started to explode in the air as the hero announced what was next on the agenda and the crowd cheered. "Let's have fun with the recreation! First is the scavenger hunt!"

While some of the finalists chose to join in on the fun to shake off their nerves, some of them left to deal in their own ways for the upcoming tournament. They all knew down in their hearts that the tournament was no relaxing matter; some felt it was necessary to polish their strategies against their opponent or sharpen their senses, while others wanted to keep their presence of mind or physically prepare themselves for the fight.

For Shiro, there was something else she needed to do before she could even think about preparing for her match. Recovery Girl's soft voice answered on the other side of the "Temporary Nurse's Office" when she knocked and she pushed open the large door. The hero turned her chair towards her.

"Aisaka? Do you need something?"

"I'm here to see Aoyama-san, if that's okay," she replied. "Is he doing alright?"

"Ah, yes. His stomach collapsed from focusing too much energy only in that area, but I fixed him up and he's recovering just fine," the hero said before letting out a short sigh. "Class 1-A has a streak of sending people to my office, it seems. You guys are such spirited kids."

Shiro rubbed her head, not sure if that was a compliment or not. However, the hero allowed her inside. She walked over to the bed where the blonde was sleeping with a guilty look on her face.

"Aoyama-san..."

There was no movement from the male and she sighed softly.

"I know you can't hear this because you're resting, but maybe it's better this way for now. I actually don't know how to say this to you when you're awake 'cause it's kind of embarrassing... You're actually really strong... 'Cause, um, to be completely honest... I used to think that you were a little..." she trailed off and felt her left eye twitch slightly at the all-too-obvious way that the blonde was twinkling despite being asleep.

"...Aoyama-san! Are you really pretending to be asleep?!"

His one eye peeked open briefly before immediately closing it like a five-year-old would when they tried to trick their parents at night. "I cannot stop twinkling even in my sleep," he insisted before a stagnant silence passed between them. He peeked his eye open again for emphasis, "Well? Continue with all the good things you were going to say about me. Go on."

He's right back to it in true Aoyama style... she thought with a slightly flustered look since she was basically feeding him praises and he was actually awake to eat it all up. However, she decided to allow him to do so, just this once, because he fully deserved it.

"I guess I was just gonna say... Thanks for never stopping your sparkle and pushing us through the cavalry battle. You shined the brighest."

"Merci! Of course, it comes naturally to me."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes but grinned. "I bet."

Both of the felt a lot better after that. For Aoyama, it was because he was praised so wonderfully. It wasn't obvious by the way he acted around his classmates, but he deeply respected them and their strengths and was happy that he was acknowledged for once. For Shiro, it was because the male's positive attitude alleviated some of the guilt in her heart. Teaming up with Aoyama today and seeing his true strength really gave her a different prespective of him.

Knock knock.

"Excuse me."

Turning their heads towards the door from the newcomer's voice, Shiro saw Ojiro peeking his head through the doorway.