the next day school open as usual and everything was back to normal as Reiji entered the classroom
"Yo! Reiji!" Kirishima waved me over with that usual grin. "You're already back, man! That's hardcore,"
He sounded excited, like I'd pulled off something crazy just by walking in through the front door.
A few others turned at the sound of my name. Sero gave me a quick nod. Kaminari blinked like he wasn't sure I was real. Uraraka asked if I was okay.
Iida stepped forward, posture as rigid as ever. "It's good to see you up and recovered," he said. "Now please everyone take your seats. classes are about to begin "
He was trying to settle the room before it turned into a crowd around me.
Right on cue, Aizawa walked in.
Still half wrapped in his sleeping bag. Still looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
He stopped at the front of the room and turned his head slightly. "Reiji," he said. "How's the injury?"
I stood up briefly. "I'm fully healed. Thanks for asking."
He gave the smallest nod. "You were reckless during the attack. But you held the line and protected your classmates. That's what heroes do."
He unzipped the sleeping bag halfway and pulled out a folder.
"We've got something important to talk about. It's time to start preparing for the Sports Festival."
A few voices around the room perked up all at once.
"Wait, already?" Mina said, blinking.
Kirishima leaned forward in his seat. "Woo-hoo! Sports Festival, baby!"
"But we were just attacked by villains," Jirou said, frowning. "Shouldn't this be postponed?"
Aizawa looked unfazed. "That's exactly why we're holding it now. The public needs to see that U.A. is still standing. That we're not afraid. And this time, security will be five times stronger than any previous year."
He scanned the room slowly. Letting it sink in.
"This isn't just some school festival. The U.A. Sports Festival gets broadcast nationwide. Every major agency watches it. Scouts use this event to choose students for internships. Some of you could get picked up just off how you perform here."
That got everyone's attention.
Even Bakugo shifted a little in his seat, eyes locked on Aizawa like he was already planning to burn the whole stadium down.
Mina looked like she was practically vibrating. Kaminari and Sero were whispering something that was probably half strategy, half jokes. Iida had already pulled out a notebook. I think I even saw Todoroki raise his head a little.
I leaned back.
So. Sports Festival.
...Alright.
As class resumed like usual and we finished for the day, we headed home only to find a wall of students blocking the path. Most of them weren't from our class.
Iida raised his hand like he was calling traffic. "Excuse me! Why are you blocking our exit?"
"They're scouting," Bakugo said, not even slowing down. "Bunch of nobodies trying to size us up. We're the ones who survived the villain attack, remember?"
He didn't stop there. "Pointless. You can bark all you want you're still just extras. So why don't you all buzz off already?"
That lit the fuse.
Some of the other students started shouting back. Izuku tried to step in with that awkward nervous smile of his, while Iida held both arms out like he was directing planes on a runway.
Then a new calm and sharp voice cut through the noise.
A student stepped forward from the back indigo hair, bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in a week. He walked past the others and locked eyes with Bakugo.
"You talk like you've already won," he said flatly. "But the Sports Festival's open to all students… the ones who stand out might be transferred into Class 1-A. That means people like you could get moved down."
Bakugo scoffed and kept walking, not even giving him a glance. "Try me."
You could feel the mood shift. Everyone was thinking the same thing now —Everyone hates us.
As he passed, Kirishima glanced my way. "Man… why aren't you trying to calm them down? This whole mess is kinda because of you."
"These guys don't matter," Bakugo said. "They weren't good enough to get into 1-A from the start. They're not threats. The only thing that matters is getting first. And I'm coming for you, Reiji."
I stopped for half a second, shifted my bag higher on my shoulder, and looked at him.
"I'll be waiting," I said.
[TL:-Hey everyone, Let me know if anything felt off or didn't land right. Open to any thoughts appreciate the feedback.]