Chapter Text
Ochako listened as Aizawa-sensei talked about about what happened during the USJ - which was now dubbed as 'the USJ accident' in their class group chat (Ashido had collected everyone's numbers the second day of classes and created it, but they had never really used it until now. Ochako had a feeling the attack had brought the class a lot closer than they normally would have been after this little time spent together).
It had been a few days since it happened, but everything was still fresh in her mind. The fear, the adrenaline, the anguish in Iida's eyes as he ran as fast as he could to try and get them help, the sheer determination that seemed to be flowing in Deku's veins as he broke bone after bone after bone in a desperate attempt to keep them alive, to not have anyone die when they had only just started their run in the long path of heroics.
Yeah, Ochako had plenty of nightmares about it. Still. She pushed through. She hardened her heart, focused on her goals and vowed to do better, get stronger, so she would never feel that helpless again. Her parents hadn't raised a quitter, and though she didn't blame Mineta for changing courses after that (after all, he had been one of the closest to the carnage, to the hell that had raised over next to that now broken fountain-), she had never, even during her darkest times, thought about abandoning. It just wasn't who she was.
As she listened to their mummy-looking teacher announce the sports festival, she felt determination fill up her heart, causing her to hold out a fist and yell "I'll do my best !"
The silence brought her back to earth, and she looked around to find her classmates staring at her with varying expressions of shock and amusement. Hehe...Maybe she should calm down a little.
When their last class before lunch ended, Ochako ran to her green friend's desk, noticing Iida already there.
"Deku!!" He slightly winced at the name, but she attributed it to the volume of her voice. "Are you excited about the festival?? I know I sure am! I'm gonna do my best, and beat you all up until your teeth fall out!" She said with a sunny smile. Iida shuddered.
"Yea, we all heard that when class started." He smiled, a little crooked thing that bordered on a smirk, and Ochako felt her ears flush at the teasing tone. Good gods, this wasn't the moment for her stupid crush to make itself know… "But, I'm excited too! I'm sure it'll be interesting." His green eyes glinted in something Ochako couldn't decipher, but looked slightly like amusement to her. How curious.
They stood up and started making their way towards the door in tandem with the rest of the class (with Iida lecturing her about 'proper class behavior' and 'frightening ominous comments' while she giggled at him, of course) but were rudely blocked by a mass of bodies in the entrance of their classroom. What could that be about?
"Hey, what's going on?" Kirishima asked.
Ochako stared as Bakugo pushed his way through the class, making Sero lose his balance and get help from Hagakure to catch himself. Honestly, she didn't know what was wrong with the blonde, but she didn't like him one bit.
"They're scoping out the competition, obviously ." He said harshly. "No point in it, though. Scram extras, I wanna fucking leave."
No one bulged. Bakugo let out small pops in his hands, face twisting in anger. Ochako was pretty sure he was going to start setting off explosions, when a tall, purple haired boy pushed his way to the front of the crowd. With his deep eyebags and his deadpan look, Ochako thought he looked a lot like Aizawa-sensei. Were they related?
"You're right about us coming to take a look, but…" The boy looked up, a hand behind his neck. "I'm a little disappointed with what I see. Are all the hero course students like you?"
Ochako felt slight resentment grow in her chest. She hated Bakugo too! Who did this boy think he was, comparing all of them to the abrasive, dirty-mouthed blonde?
"You know, with that awfully biased entrance exam, a lot of us hero hopefuls didn't get into the course we wanted. Did you know that if they do well enough at the festival, a student might get transferred to your class? And the reverse is true too. Some of you could unintentionally give up your places for us." He said with a slight smirk, which Ochako was slowly starting to dislike very much. "For a gen-ed kid like me, this will be the perfect opportunity to knock you off your pedestals. Consider this my declaration of war." He finished off gravely.
Silence reigned for a moment, everyone processing the words differently. Ochako herself only grew more willpower. The stakes were already high, but if they could even lose their place in the hero course because of a lacking performance...Well then, she would work even harder to win!
Iida would too, to make his brother proud, and Deku...She turned around to gauge his reaction. Knowing him, he was probably terrified at the idea to lose his place, all wobbly lips and shaky hands.
She was wrong.
Ochako's eyes widened as she saw Deku's expression. Instead of glossy and unsure, his emerald eyes had seemingly darkened. His lips were twisted in a smug sort of grin, and his posture was relaxed, too. Nothing like the hunched over shoulders she pictured him as constantly wearing after their first meeting at the entrance exam.
She and her classmates watched in varying degrees of shock as Deku confidently strode over, making his way towards the purple boy.
"You sound awfully cocky for someone who couldn't even beat up a few robots." A few robots? While it did look awfully easy for him to do so, covered in green lightning and bouncing off everywhere, Ochako had literally vomited her guts out at the end of it. Almost everyone struggled against those metal monsters! "You can't actually think you can best all of us in a fight?" Why did he look like that. Why did his face look like that.
When Ochako thought of Deku, she thought of big smiles and an even bigger heart. Of determination. An insane amount of power hidden away by a caring but unsure personality.
This Deku was none of that. The way he leaned his head and shoulder against the doorframe, that air of smug amusement around him. What had happened to her friend?!
Sure, they hadn't met that long ago, and maybe she didn't know him perfectly well, but they were friends! She at least knew what he should look and sound like!
"Oh, I know I can, greenie. Why, you scared? Don't be, I'll just beat you into the ground." The purple dumbass said.
"I'd like to see you try, troll doll." Deku said while approaching the other menacingly. Or...was it? He looked awfully close to him, and...was the purple kid looking at Deku's lips? Probably not, Ochako reasoned. That wouldn't make any sense.
"Looking forward to your loss, broccoli boy." Their noses were almost touching now, and, yes, the stranger was definitely looking at her friend's mouth. What was up with that?? She seemed to be the only one noticing it though, so she dubbed it out as her eyes failing her for a bit.
A few seconds passed, during which most of the class was frozen in shock (excluding Kaminari, who was just continuously muttering "what the fuck" ever since Deku started talking, and Iida, who was trying and failing to stutter out reprimands at their common friend). Deku and Purple were ignorant to it all, staring menacingly at each other.
Then a silver-haired boy abruptly bursted in, yelling about how class 1-A shouldn't appear weak at the event because it would make 1-B look weak too, and the moment was broken.
Purple disappeared in the crowd as Deku returned to hers and Iida's side (with everyone still staring at him) and dragged them off to lunch.
☆
"Deku! What was that about? Since when do you act like that??"
They were now walking towards the cafeteria. Deku had on his back his bright yellow backpack, from which was peeking a giant bento box. They were hidden right now, but Ochako knew it was also full of their hero studies books, which he had stubbornly taken with him even when she pointed out they had no homework or particularly complicated material to go over. She and Iida were eating Lunch Ruch’s food, her because it was included in her scholarship and Iida simply because he wanted to.
"Indeed, Midoriya! Your earlier confrontation was unbecoming! As a future hero, you should know better than to behave in such ways!" Iida lectured, waving his hands around and almost hitting her twice.
Ochako recovered from her dodging to find Deku barely listening to them. Instead, he was attentively looking around, seemingly searching for something. Ochako grew annoyed at his lack of response.
"Deku, are you listening to us?"
He abruptly turned to them, laughing nervously. "Ahhh hehe." He scratched the back of his neck, the action vividly reminding her of Purple. "Sorry guys, I'm looking for someone. What did you say?"
Well now this was interesting. Ochako wasn't aware Deku knew anyone here except from their class and teachers. "Who is it?"
Deku beamed. "My boyfriend, Hitoshi!"
.
..
…
WHAT.
"Uraraka!! Yelling in the hallways is disturbing to the school environment and those who are currently working! Please, do refrain from repeating this action."
Oh well, it seemed she spoke out loud. Big deal. No, what actually was a big deal was Deku dating someone and her not knowing! And, oh no, this meant she really had no chance with him...Or, maybe she did? If they ever broke up, she would definitely be there to take the empty space. But for that, she needed to know if said boyfriend was reliable…
"I didn't know you were dating anyone!" She said-yelled with a bit more jealousy than intended, woops.
Deku looked confused, tilting his head to the side. "You didn't? I thought I told you guys."
"You did not, in fact, tell us, dear friend. Though I congratulate you on your relationship! If I may ask, how long have you been with your partner?" What?! No, Ochako didn't care about that, she only wanted to know who it was!
"Three years!" Deku smiled, and, oh, that was longer than expected… But she still didn't know who it was!
Just the moment she was asking her question, Deku suddenly lit up and started waving enthusiastically towards someone she couldn't see. He then bid them goodbye, saying he would eat with 'Hitoshi' today and ran off, all in the span of a few moments.
Ochako was going to cry. Not only had she not found the identity of the oh so mysterious boyfriend, but Deku was ditching them for him. This was the worst!
"Well! We should make our way towards the cafeteria now as to not wait too long in line, Uraraka."
Ochako sighed. Maybe she just wasn't destined to know today. Still, she threw one last glance in the direction Deku left in, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. She didn't expect it to work.
It did. There, far away into the hallway, Deku's mop of green hair was walking away. Next to him, a tall person held an arm around his waist, making her twitch in envy. A tall person with...wait... purple hair!?