Version A | Boku No Hero Academia Reader Insert

IX

Midnight explained the rules for the next event: The Cavalry Battle.

"The qualifying students have fifteen minutes to make teams of two to four people, and each person's point value depends on their placement in the Obstacle Race. Teams formed will be worth their members' accumulated point value. Team's point values are listed on their headbands, which can be worn around the head or the neck of the rider. The objective of the game is to steal as many headbands as possible to raise your team's point value. If a team falls or has their headband stolen, they can still compete until time is up. The time limit for the Cavalry Battle is fifteen minutes, and only the top four teams will advance to the finals. And please do not make your team fall on purpose."

Once she was done, everyone rushed to me, Bakugo, and Todoroki.

"(L/N)-san would you please join my team?"

"No, me! You'd really want me on your team!"

"We'd make great partners! My quirk is-" Everyone kept on rambling until I noticed the purple haired guy standing alone, scratching his head. I walked through the crowd, saying a few "sorry's" along the way and made a trail to him.

"Hey. Class C, right?" I asked, holding my hand out. He sent a gaze my way, recognizing my face.

"Yeah? What's it to you?" I was slightly offended, but kept a small smile.

"You seem pretty high up. I'd like to join your team. My name's (L/N)." He uncrossed his arms and softened his glare.

"Shinso."

__

I pinched my arm, and closed my eyes, trying to focus on the main goal: the 10,000,000 point headband that Izuku currently possessed. I didn't, however, notice that my teammates had gone slack behind me.

The fight was almost infuriating, with me focusing on the orders Shinso barked out, and driving him around from the front. But at the end, our team actually was qualified for the finals.

I whooped and shouted, cheering at our victory. But my expression soon melted into one of confusion as I saw Ojiro's face. It was a mix of curiosity and fear, and it was directed towards Shinso himself. I was about to ask, but the bell rang, signaling for the break.

I decided that I would tell him in a couple of minutes, alone.

__

"Ojiro-san!" I caught up with the blonde. "Is everything alright? You seemed pretty dazed back there, in the Cavalry Battle." He looked at me suspiciously, the tip of his tail flicking from side to side.

"Are you immune to quirks?" I was startled by the question and shook my head, whipping it from side to side, then looking back at my classmate.

"No! I mean, I don't think so, at least..." I muttered, looking down. He sighed and set down his tail, obviously distressed.

"Shinso's quirk... it's mind control." I tensed up and furrowed my eyebrows, in disbelief and complete and utter shock, my mind still not fully wrapped around the idea.

"What?" Ojiro sighed and ducked into a corner, turning his head, and seeing if anyone else was around. Once we were in the clear, he turned back to face me.

"Whenever he asks a question, do not respond to him. He will then have the ability to take control of your body." I was perplexed, remembering that I did talk to him once or twice.

"I responded to a few questions already... how did I not get-"

My eyes lingered to the thumb and index finger imprint on my forearm. I gasped and widened my eyes, gripping Ojiro's shoulders.

"I found a loophole. Ojiro, I got it." He moved closer to me, face lighting up. I held my arm up, showing him the red marking.

"When I try to focus, I clear my mind and pinch this spot." I pointed towards the bruise. "In the beginning, when Shinso activated his quirk, I was pinching myself. That's the key! You won't be able to get hypnotized if you hurt yourself-"

"-or if someone bumps into you," Ojiro finished, correcting me. "I finally snapped out of it when someone pushed into me." I furrowed my eyebrows and pressed my lips together.

"But people won't know that when they advance into the final round." I gripped the sleeves of my jacket uncertainly as Ojiro just stood, thinking. He came up with a solution in a few moments.

"Then I can just tell whoever's going against Shinso. That way they'll know." I nodded and grinned, giving him a thumbs-up.

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's head to lunch, though. I'm starving," I chuckled, and beckoned for the male to follow. He smiled and picked up his pace, walking alongside me. We started to chat a bit, getting to know each other on the way to the lunch room.

__

When the students' break was over, excitement began buzzing in the air once again as the finalists emerged from the lion's den, the audience beginning to roar. Casting my gaze around the arena, I looked upon in wonder at the vast crowd surrounding us. But something unusual caught my eye on the sidelines.

The girls from our classroom were clad in skimpy orange cheerleading uniforms, no doubt Mineta's doing. I winced, feeling bad that they (namely Momo), had fallen victim to another one of the purple-haired tyke's blunders.

"And it appears we have some fan service from the Class 1A girls!" Present Mic announced, immediately taking notice of the costume changes. I snorted when shouting directly bombarded the two perverts of the class: Mineta and Kaminari. Honestly I think they couldn't have cared less, as they winked at each other and grinned stupidly.

"Alright enough with the side chatter! We will now begin to draw lots for the PVP battles!" Midnight announced, raising her hand and punching the air. Before the pro hero could say anything else, her voice lowered as she caught sight of a hand raised in the crowd.

Ojiro? He looked forwards, eyes dead set on the referee.

"I wish to withdraw from this competition." The whole crowd collectively gasped as the audience began murmuring.

"During the Cavalry Battle, I had no idea what was going on, nor could I remember anything. I don't want to participate in an event I wasn't able to earn. For the sake of my pride." Midnight stood there for a moment, thinking. She's going to say no. She's going to say no.

"I love this young minds thing!" she squealed. "I'll allow it! Ojiro Mashirao, you are now out of the final round!" Another student from Class B also raised his hand and publicly announced his pulling out of the competition.

The tickets were drawn and I looked up at the big screen for who I was going to face.

Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso

Shoto Todoroki vs. Hanta Sero

Ibara Shiozaki vs. Denki Kaminari

Tenya Iida vs. Mei Hatsume

Mina Ashido vs. (Y/N) (L/N)

Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Momo Yaoyorozu

Eijiro Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochako Uraraka

I turned to look at the pink-haired girl that was happily chatting away with her friends. Sighing and ruffling my hair, I looked up at the board with intensity.

This is the event everyone anticipated. This was the event that everyone watched. I thought about my parents at home, and imagined them staring at me on the television.

I want to try to be on top.