Chapter 39: The Rooftop Recap and the Scent of Strawberry Ice Cream
[A/N: 🚩 WARNING: The following content contains high levels of concentrated brain rot, romantic tension that could cut through reinforced steel, and enough fourth-wall breaks to leave the architecture of UA in shambles. My girlfriend assisted with the "Trash-Talker Momo" section, so if the burns feel a little too personal… you know who to blame. Enjoy the 3,111-word fever dream!]
[Sunny Midoriya POV]
The buzzer hadn't even finished echoing through the fake city of Battle Center D before I decided that the vibes were currently too "post-battle cinematic" and not nearly "wrap-party chaotic" enough.
I snapped my white-gloved fingers. [POP!]
"Listen up, crew! Two seconds on the clock! Rooftop of the main UA building! First one there gets a golden trophy that's actually made of high-quality cheddar! Last one there has to listen to Aqua explain her 'Divine Tax Bracket' for an hour!"
I didn't wait for an answer. I grabbed the air in front of me, unzipped the literal atmosphere like a giant winter coat, and stepped through.
One. Two.
I landed on the pristine heli-pad of the UA roof, my yellow pinstripe suit shimmering in the post-exam glow. I pulled a megaphone out of my ear.
"STRIKE A POSE, YA MOOKS! WE'RE ON THE CLOCK!"
[Izuku Midoriya POV]
I didn't even have time to finish apologizing to the girl I'd just saved—Uraraka-san—before a giant cartoon hand reached out of a hole in the sky, grabbed me by the collar of my tracksuit, and yanked.
The world turned into a blur of neon colors and slide-whistle sound effects. When my vision cleared, I was standing on the roof of the tallest building I'd ever seen. My legs were shaking, my arm was still throbbing from the 100% Smash, and my heart was doing a drum solo against my ribs.
"Sunny! You can't just—"
"Zip it, Izu-chan! You're ruining the cinematography!" Sunny chirped, leaning against a floating exclamation point.
I looked around, and my jaw dropped. Everyone was arriving. And they weren't just arriving; they were doing it with more style than a hero debut.
[Katsuki Bakugo POV]
I arrived on the roof in a cloud of sulfur and sheer spite. I didn't use Sunny's weird ink-portals. I blasted my way up the side of the building because I'm not a damn extra.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY, GAG-BOY!" I roared, landing with a heavy thud.
I looked around and clicked my tongue. The whole 'Calamity Class' was already there. Kaminari was stumbling out of a portal looking like he'd been through a blender, Jirou was rubbing her ears, and that bird-freak Tokoyami was emerging from the shadows like he was auditioning for a gothic opera.
But then I saw the blonde stalker-girl, Toga. She wasn't alone. She was dragging the round-faced girl—the one Deku had been blushing at—by the wrist.
"Look what I found!" Toga squealed, her eyes practically turning into hearts. "A souvenir! She tastes like zero-gravity and nerves!"
I let out a sharp bark of laughter. This was going to be better than the actual exam. Seeing Deku's face turn that specific shade of 'shame-tomato' was the only thing that could make this day a win.
[Himiko Toga POV]
Ochaco-chan is so squishy!
I'd grabbed her right as she was trying to thank Izu-kun. I didn't give her a choice. I wanted her to see the family! I wanted her to see the Chaos.
"U-U-Um, where are we?!" Ochaco-chan stammered, her floating quirk accidentally making her hover three inches off the roof. "Is this allowed?! We're on top of the school!"
"Rules are just suggestions for people who don't have a good editor, Ochaco-chan!" I giggled, poking her cheek.
I looked at Sunny-kun. He was already doing a high-speed moonwalk toward Mina. He looked so bright, so loud. My heart did a [BOING] just looking at him.
"Mina-chan! The poses!" Sunny yelled. "Did the cameras catch the shading lines?!"
[Mina Ashido POV]
"SUNNY! YOU HAVE NO IDEA!" I screamed, sliding across the roof on a trail of pink acid that I'd turned into glitter-gel.
I grabbed Sunny's hand, and we immediately hit a back-to-back JoJo pose. I arched my spine until I could see the horizon upside down, and Sunny grew a third arm just to point dramatically at the sun.
"The Zero-Pointer didn't stand a chance against the Stardust Crusaders of Center D!" I cheered. "Did you see the 'To Be Continued' arrow?! I felt the bass riff in my soul!"
"It was a masterpiece, Mina-chan! A five-star performance!" Sunny laughed, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, a pair of sunglasses appeared on both our faces. "The ratings are going to be through the roof! Literally!"
We started doing a synchronized victory dance while the others filtered in. It was pure, unadulterated brain rot, and I loved every second of it.
[Aqua POV]
"I AM AN EXAMINEE, NOT A TELEPORTATION GUINEA PIG!" I wailed, falling out of a portal and landing face-first on the concrete.
I scrambled up, clutching my empty fan. "Sunny! I demand compensation! My divine robes are covered in dust, and I'm pretty sure I saw my life flash before my eyes, and it was mostly just me crying in a fountain! Why aren't people bowing?! I saved at least three robots from... existing! That counts as a rescue!"
"You did great, Aqua," Sunny said, not even looking at me as he gave me a rhythmic head-pat. [SQUEAK-SQUEAK].
I melted into a puddle of blue happiness instantly. "I... I am... a useful goddess..."
Wait! No! I need money!
[Denki Kaminari POV]
I think my brain is leaking.
I had discharged way too much voltage in Center C, and now I was seeing two Sunnys. One was dancing with Mina, and the other was... wait, the other was a cardboard cutout? No, that's for later.
"Hey, Jirou," I slurred, swaying on my feet. "Did you... did you see the thing? With the sparks? I was like... zap... and then... ow."
[Kyoka Jirou POV]
"You were an idiot, Sparky," I sighed, though I caught him by the back of his shirt before he could roll off the roof.
I looked around at the crew. We were a mess. Dust, scratches, and enough adrenaline to power a small city. But looking at Sunny and Mina, you'd think we'd just won the lottery.
Then I saw Izuku and the new girl, Ochaco. They were standing three feet apart, both of them vibrating with so much awkward energy that my ear-jacks were picking up the frequency of a dial-up modem.
"Oh, look," I smirked, nudging Denki. "The protagonist is malfunctioning."
[Ochaco Uraraka POV]
What is happening?!
I was just in a robot graveyard, and now I'm on a rooftop with a boy who can break physics, a girl who looks like she wants to be my best friend or my surgeon (I can't tell), and a guy with exploding hair who is currently grinning like a maniac.
"I-Izu-kun?" I whispered, looking at the green-haired boy who had saved me.
"U-Uraraka-san! I-I'm so sorry! Sunny is... he's my brother, and he doesn't really understand the concept of 'personal space' or 'legal boundaries'!"
He was blushing so hard I thought he might actually catch fire. It was kind of... cute?
[Bakugo POV (Again)]
"OI! DEKU!" I yelled, walking over and shoving my face into his. "You think you're a hero now because you almost broke your arm for a girl? You looked like a damn accordion!"
I turned to the round-faced girl. "And you! You're the reason he's acting like a lobotomized squirrel! If you make him any more useless, I'm blowing up your shoes!"
"K-Kacchan! Leave her alone!" Izuku squeaked.
I laughed. I actually laughed. Seeing him this flustered was a better reward than the passing grade I definitely got. The 'Chaos Crew' was already starting to tease them, making 'kissing' noises and drawing hearts in the air with acid and shadow.
"LOOK AT HIM!" I roared, pointing at Izuku's shaking knees. "HE'S GONNA POP! SHUT UP AND WATCH THE SCREEN!"
[Sunny Midoriya POV]
"Bakugo's right! Movie time!"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a remote control the size of a surfboard. I pointed it at the sky.
[CLICK-WHIRR-BEEP]
A giant, 80-inch floating television manifested out of pixels and pure ego.
"Welcome to the 'Calamity Class' Exam Highlights! Featuring: Slapstick, Screaming, and several violations of the Geneva Convention!"
The screen flickered to life. It showed Bakugo screaming at a 1-pointer, Izuku's face right before he hit the Zero-Pointer, and a montage of Aqua trying to 'purify' a robot and getting splashed with oil.
We all roared with laughter. Even Tokoyami cracked a smile when the screen showed Dark Shadow wearing a tiny top hat while destroying a drone.
"And now," I grinned, looking at the girl in the back who had been oddly quiet. "A word from our Sponsor of Structure!"
[Momo Yaoyorozu POV]
I had been trying to maintain my composure. I truly had.
As a Yaoyorozu, I am expected to conduct myself with grace and analytical precision. But standing on this roof, surrounded by these… these lunatics, my "Structure" was beginning to fracture.
"Sunny," I said, my voice tight as I crossed my arms. "While the entertainment value of this 'recap' is undeniable, we are currently trespassing on the roof of a prestigious academy. The logical course of action would be to descend, find our parents, and wait for the official results like civilized human beings."
"Aw, come on, Princess!" Sunny chirped, floating over to me and poking my nose. [HONK]. "Where's that 'Vibe' you were talking about at the arcade? You're being very 'suboptimal' right now. It's almost like you're… boring."
The word hit me like a physical slap.
Boring? I felt a switch flip. The "Trash-Talker Momo" that Sunny had summoned during our Mario Party blood-feud reared its head. My eyes narrowed, and the air around me grew cold.
"Suboptimal?" I repeated, my voice dropping an octave into a smooth, lethal silk. "Sunny Midoriya, you are a boy who wears white gloves to a combat exam and treats the laws of physics like a rough draft written by a caffeinated toddler. You have the attention span of a goldfish on espresso, and your fashion sense suggests you were dressed by a colorblind magician with a grudge."
The rooftop went silent. Even Bakugo stopped shouting.
"You call me boring?" I stepped forward, looming over him despite him floating. "I am the only thing keeping this 'Chaos Crew' from being classified as a national disaster. Without me, you'd be a puddle of ink on a sidewalk, crying because gravity finally noticed you were cheating. You're not a 'God of Chaos,' Sunny. You're a localized glitch in a world that's trying to be serious, and quite frankly, your 'script' needs a heavy-handed editor with a flamethrower."
I didn't stop. I spent the next three minutes systematically dismantling Sunny's ego, his powers, and his penchant for Brooklyn accents. I used words like 'derivative,' 'structurally unsound,' and 'narratively bankrupt.'
By the time I was finished, Sunny was lying flat on the floor, his body literally two-dimensional and grayed out, like a character who had been flattened by a steamroller.
[K.O.!] appeared in giant red letters above his head.
I exhaled, my face suddenly flushing a brilliant, hot red. I looked at my hands, then at the stunned faces of my friends.
Why… why do I love this idiot? I thought, covering my face with my hands. He's a nuisance. He's a clown. And yet, I can't imagine a world without the noise.
[Fumikage Tokoyami POV]
"The darkness has been out-shadowed," I muttered, looking at the flattened Sunny. "The Princess of Creation possesses a tongue of silver and fire."
"SHE KILLED HIM!" Kaminari yelled, laughing so hard he fell over. "SUNNY IS DEAD! WE'RE FREE!"
"I'm taking his unicycle!" Aqua shouted.
But the laughter was cut short. A shadow fell over the rooftop—a real shadow. One that felt heavy, tired, and deeply annoyed.
[Shota Aizawa POV]
I hate my life.
I was supposed to be in the observation room with Nezu, finishing the final tallies. But then I saw a giant, floating television screen on the roof.
I knew that energy. I knew that specific, 24-frame-per-second headache.
I stepped onto the roof, my capture weapon twitching. I saw them all. The Midoriya twins, the Bakugo boy, the Ashido girl… half of my former middle school class was currently having a party on a restricted area.
I closed my eyes. I took a deep, steadying breath. I opened them, my eyes glowing red, my hair rising.
"I have spent five years trying to teach you the value of subtlety," I began, my voice a low, dangerous rumble. "I have spent five years explaining that being a hero is not about 'viral moments' or 'JoJo poses.' It is about efficiency. It is about the cold, hard reality of the world we live in."
I started my lecture. For five straight minutes, I poured out every ounce of my frustration. I spoke about the "Logical Ruse," the danger of exposure, and the sheer irrationality of their behavior. I told them that if they thought UA would be a playground for their 'Toon Force' nonsense, they were sadly mistaken.
"Do you understand?" I finished, stepping forward. "I am your teacher. I was your teacher in middle school, and Nezu has seen fit to place you in my care for the Hero Course. This is not a game."
They were quiet. Eerily quiet.
I frowned. I walked toward Sunny, who was standing in the center of the group, looking down at his feet.
"Midoriya. Answer me."
I reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
My hand passed through him.
No… my hand didn't pass through him. It hit a cold, flat surface.
I blinked.
It wasn't Sunny. It was a high-resolution, life-sized cardboard cutout of Sunny Midoriya. On the back of the cutout, a small tape recorder was playing a looped sound of a rhythmic, polite nodding.
I stood there, frozen, as the realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
"They're gone."
[Sunny Midoriya POV]
"HE FALLS FOR THE CARDBOARD-SENSEI TRICK EVERY TIME!" I howled, sprinting down the hallway of the third floor.
We were all running—Izuku, Bakugo, Aqua, Toga, Jirou, Denki, Mina, Tokoyami, Mei, Momo, and even a very confused Ochaco. We were a blur of motion, laughter, and escaping adrenaline.
"Sunny! That was so mean!" Izuku yelled, though he was grinning.
"Mean? That's 'Character Building,' Izu-chan!" I chirped, snapping my fingers.
We rounded the corner near the entrance and saw a familiar head of messy purple hair. Midnight was standing by the lockers, checking her phone.
I didn't stop. I zoomed past her, and as I did, I reached into the air, pulled out a piece of paper and a roll of tape, and did a high-speed drive-by.
[Shota Aizawa POV (Again)]
I walked down the stairs, my head throbbing. I needed a nap. I needed to move to a different country.
I stepped into the main hall and saw Nemuri (Midnight). She looked at me, and her eyes went wide. Then, she started to giggle. Then, she started to roar with laughter, clutching her stomach and pointing at my back.
"Shota! Oh my god, Shota!" she wheezed.
"What?" I growled.
I reached behind me and pulled a piece of paper off my back.
It was a drawing of a cartoon carrot. And underneath it, in bright, sparkly ink, were the words:
[KICK ME (FOR LUCK!) - PROPERTY OF THE CALAMITY CLASS]
I crumbled the paper in my hand.
"Midoriya..."
[Mina Ashido POV]
We made it out. We actually made it out.
We were all standing outside the UA gates, gasping for air and clutching our sides. Ochaco-chan was leaning against a lamp post, looking like she'd just survived a hurricane.
"I… I think I need to go home," she whispered, a dazed smile on her face. "That was… the most fun I've ever had in a life-threatening situation."
"See ya, Ochaco-chan!" Toga waved, blowing her a kiss.
One by one, the crew started to split off. Bakugo stomped away toward the train station, screaming at Kaminari to stop following him. Aqua headed toward a nearby fountain to 'refill her divinity.'
"Mina-chan?"
I turned. Sunny was standing there, his hands in his pockets, his Brooklyn accent gone, replaced by that soft, genuine tone he only used when the cameras were off.
"I'm headed your way. Mind if I walk you home? I want to make sure the physics of your neighborhood are still intact."
My heart did a literal somersault. "I'd love that, Gag-Boy."
[Mina POV (Closing)]
The walk was quiet. Not the 'awkward' quiet, but the kind that feels like a warm blanket.
We talked about the exam. We talked about the JoJo poses. Sunny told me that he'd actually been nervous about the Zero-Pointer, which I didn't believe for a second until I saw the way he was fiddling with his gloves.
As we passed a small neighborhood playground, the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange, pink, and deep violet.
"Look," I said, pointing at a bench near the swings. "Let's sit for a second. My legs are killing me from all that moonwalking."
We sat down. The world felt still. The romantic tension was so thick I felt like I could reach out and grab it.
Sunny reached into the air and pulled out two strawberry ice cream cones. He handed one to me.
"Thanks," I whispered.
I leaned my head against his shoulder. He felt warm. Bouncy, but solid. Like a cloud that had decided to become a person just for me.
We sat there in the silence, watching the sun dip below the horizon. I licked my ice cream, the sweetness cooling the heat in my chest.
"Sunny?"
"Yeah, Mina-chan?"
"You're not boring," I said, looking up at him. "You're the loudest, weirdest, most annoying person I've ever met. And I don't think I've ever been happier."
Sunny didn't make a joke. He didn't pull a giant heart out of his chest. He just reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently.
"Me too, Mina-chan," he whispered. "Me too."
In the distance, I could hear the faint sound of a slide-whistle, but for the first time, it didn't feel like a punchline. It felt like home.
[CLACK!]
[AND CUT! THAT IS A WRAP ON CHAPTER 39! THE SHIP HAS SAILED, THE TEACHER IS TRAUMATIZED, AND THE REAL SCRIPT IS JUST BEGINNING!]