Deep Red

55

Sitting in the arena with Shouta and Miss Joke was kind of tense and I don't think I had ever been more uncomfortable. Shouta just seemed to be annoyed by her mere presence and she was... I didn't even know how to describe. She seemed pretty desperate for his attention.

And I mean, I could understand it. I would have loved to get some attention from Shouta right now, but I knew he was not that kind of person and that he would get even more annoyed if I bugged him about it. So watching all this was just... really uncomfortable. All I wanted was to leave.

"So, you still got all twenty, huh?" she asked, after Shouta ignored one of her jokes. They had gotten progressively weirder. I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Shouta, who didn't react much.

"It's a rare year when you don't fail anyone. You must really like them this time." she commented with a chuckle.

"Not really." Shouta replied and rolled his eyes, which just made her laugh hysterically and clutch her belly. I kind of wanted to ask her if she was okay, but I didn't want to be rude. And I also didn't feel like intruding in their... whatever it was. Did Shouta really go out with her at some point?

I didn't really know what to think of that. I mean, sure, it was none of my business, but... ugh. She just rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't help but give her a small glare, everytime she said anything at all. And I really, really didn't like how she was all over Shouta, even though he was as uninterested as he could be.

"Are you blushing? Aww... Please go out with me." she said. I almost wanted to say something, but I decided not to.

"Shut up." was all Shouta said in response. I saw him glancing at me, looking almost a little worried.

"Well, the format of this might be different every year, but there is one thing you could call a 'tradition'." Joke replied, this time looking pretty serious for a change. A tradition? Oh yeah, I remembered that...

"Oh, damn... I forgot about that..." I muttered, but I doubted either of the two was even paying attention to me.

"Out of all the schools competing here today there's only one that's lost the advantage of having unknown Quirks. One top school whose students had their Quirks, styles and weaknesses exposed to the world, thanks to the Sports Festival. If you like this class so much, you should've told them!" she continued and giggled. I raised an eyebrow, starting to panic a little.

"This exam always starts off with the U.A. Crush!" she then announced dramatically. I gulped audibly. Shouta, on the other hand, didn't seem to be concerned in the slightest. He just nodded, as if he had forgotten about the U.A. Crush until now (which he probably had, honestly).

"The U.A. Crush, right... It's not like I didn't tell them for any particular reason. It's not going to change what they've got to do here. They still have to overcome the odds. It's a hero's job to turn the tables in a pinch. Once they go pro, it's a simple fact of life that their Quirks will be known to all." Shouta replied with a shrug. He then turned to her with a slight smirk on his face.

"No offense, but compared to the rest of you, we're looking towards the future." he added. I sharply sucked in the air. I had never heard a semi-polite roast out of Shouta's mouth. Especially not one where he was showing school spirit. She really had to be annoying him for that to happen.

It seemed like she knew when to give up (in that instance at least) when she leaned back and focussed her attention back on the arena. I wasn't sure what exactly I was thinking, but while she wasn't looking, I put my hand on his shoulder, maybe just to make sure he was reminded I was here.

"The whole 'first hundred examinees' thing makes you think this is all about actively attacking, but... maybe not... am I right?" Joke asked, leaning forward, with a challenging smile on her face.

"Unity, cooperation and intel gathering are the real keys here. Those lured in by the first-to-the-finish rule will start to panic and get beaten at their own game." Shouta replied, after quickly analyzing the situation. I loved when he did that - getting all analytical about things.

There was a crackling sound from the intercom system. I forgot that they were doing announcements during the exam. It had been such a long time since I had to do mine, this was like it was all new to me. I was sure Shouta had done this with a bunch of classes before, so he had to be used to it. But for me, it was almost like being here for the first time all over again.

"Uh... the event's at a stalemate... not a single examinee has passed yet..." we heard Mera's tired voice over the intercom. I thought Shouta was tired, or I was tired, but Mera was on a whole other level.

"Oh, right. Just letting you all know that I'll be doing play-by-play announcements from the broadcast booth." he added after that and the intercom crackled again, as Mera stopped his announcement.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that our students are going to do just fine, even though they don't know the others' Quirks. After all, they have been in actual fights against villains and they had no idea what their Quirks were..." I said, more to myself, really. I was trying to tell myself that all the students would be okay.

"Yeah, I think so, too. Our students will be fine, U.A. Crush or no. They've gotten enough training." Shouta agreed and looked back at me with the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. I grinned widely.

Shouta being grumpy and annoyed wasn't new to me, but during this whole Miss Joke situation I hadn't really been sure what exactly was going on with him and where I was standing with him. She seemed to know him from way back, after all, and I knew that Shouta was a creature of habit, so...

I had no idea why I was even getting so worried. I felt bad for getting jealous, when I really should have been trusting him more. I mean, had he ever given me a reason not to trust him? No. Never. So why the hell was I getting this weirded out by someone like Joke who clearly got on his nerves.

"You sure talk like you're above it all, Eraser." Joke spat, looking really annoyed now. She was even giving me a glare. Good. Looked like she finally realized what was going on. I just grinned back at her.

"Kids hoping to be heroes are a dime a dozen, y'know? And how far their determination will take them has nothing to do with how famous they are. Pretending you're the stars of the show and looking down on others is a good way to get your just deserts." she continued and started pouting angrily.

If I hadn't liked the atmosphere before, I sure as hell didn't like it now. It had just gotten so much worse. Joke really seemed to have some sort of problem with U.A., didn't she? I couldn't really wrap my head around it. She had seemed sort of nice, but the more she talked, the more I was wondering why the hell Shouta had ever dated her. If that was even true.

"Uhm... I need a coffee. I'll be back in a minute." I muttered and got up to make my way downstairs to where I had seen a coffee vending machine earlier. I couldn't stand the vibes between those two any longer.

But before I could get anywhere, I felt a strong and calloused hand grab my arm to stop me in my tracks. I looked back at Shouta who was holding onto my arm. The look in his eyes said that he really wanted to come with me. But apparently he had to stay there and stick up for U.A. or whatever.

"Can... can you get me a cup, too, please?" he asked, a small smile playing around the edges of his mouth. That really was all I needed (and the shocked look on Joke's face at Shouta grabbing my arm).

"Sure. Strong and black, as usual, right?" I replied with a big grin on my face. Shouta nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks." he said and let me go, as I practically skipped through the rows and down the stairs.