BNHA: Singularity

Though he was tempted to agree to Ochaco's suggestion, especially knowing she was one of the more dutiful girls present, Izuku's expression softened as he replied, "I want to agree, Ochaco-san, I really do. But as I pointed out a few minutes ago, now probably isn't the best time to start a relationship. Not when we have internships, the Hero Licensing Exam, and Work Studies right around the corner..."
Turning his attention to the other girls present, Izuku added, "Besides, at this point, I'm not sure I have the right to date any of you. I thought I was being smart by casting a 'wide net.' I've since come to realize my actions were exceedingly shortsighted..."
With Izuku's final words directed her way, Toru understood she was the reason he decided not to date anyone. The realization caused her to feel pained, but deep down, she was relieved he had rejected Ochaco's offer. Even more so since she knew she was Izuku's 'number one' among all the girls in the Class...
Pouring cold water over the illusory steam rising from Toru's head, Mina pointed out, "You mentioned before that you weren't looking for a 'serious' relationship. The two of you could try dating as 'just friends' and see how things develop from there. You know, kind of like when the two of us went out. A practice date."
Making things much worse, Mina added, "Better yet, since you've clearly put a lot of thought into this, you could try going on mock dates with each of us. Not everything can be learned from simply observing people. If you want to find out if you're truly compatible with someone, you need to go on at least one date together."
Extending Toru a ray of hope, Izuku shook his head, stating, "While I can't refute your words on their merits, I'm fairly confident in my assertion it's a bad idea. One guy shouldn't date multiple girls from the same Class, even if it's just practice."
Blinking in surprise, Mina remarked, "That's a little surprising, coming from you. With how thorough you've been, I genuinely believed you were trying to form a harem. Isn't that like every guy's dream? To have a girl for every day of the week?"
"Maybe if they're children..." replied Izuku, his expression morphing into a deadpan as he asserted, "Real men are loyal to a fault. It's fine to test the waters if you're an adult trying your luck in the dating scene, but once you enter a relationship, you have an obligation&ndash;no, a duty to see it through to the end. People who sneak around or cheat on those they purport to care for deserve every punishment Hell has to give..."
Realizing that everyone was looking at him with expressions of shock and concern, the fury in Izuku's eyes abated, an apologetic smile developing across his face as he said, "Sorry about that...the truth is, my father has a second family in America. He basically abandoned my Kaa-chan and me, so I don't have a particularly good impression of people who fool around in a relationship..."
Hearing about Izuku's family circumstances, each of the girls, especially Mina, had apologetic looks on their faces. If she had known about Izuku's situation in advance, she would never have made such a tasteless joke...
Attempting an apology, Mina hung her head and muttered, "Sorry, Izuku-kun, I..." but stopped when Izuku shook his head, saying, "No. I know you were just joking, Mina-san. If anyone should apologize, it's me. I shouldn't have let my anger get the better of me like that..."
Recalling his encounter with the baldie from the One-for-All space, Izuku couldn't help thinking his recent 'instabilities' were the result of inheriting an Emission-type Quirk. He knew better than anyone he had some shit to work through, but he usually kept his emotions hidden. At the very least, he wasn't the type to lash out at unrelated people. If that were the case, he'd be no better than Todoroki...
Regaining his calm, Izuku attempted to ease tensions by regaining his smile and stating, "To be honest, your suggestion isn't a bad one. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to try dating everyone here. I just can't view it as 'practice.' If I'm going to date someone, I intend to give it my all from start to finish. That being said..."
Turning his attention to Ochaco, causing her to sit a little straighter, Izuku added, "I really would like to date you, Ochaco-san. You're inarguably one of the kindest and most considerate girls I know. I'm just not in the best mental or emotional state right now. I don't want to hurt you...I don't want to hurt anyone..."
As his words were intended to create a bit of distance between him and the girls, at least until he could get his shit sorted, Izuku was left at a loss for words when Ochaco pumped her fists and exclaimed, "That's no good, Izuku-kun! When we're in pain or uncertain about the future, turning away from friends is never the answer! When friends work together, there's no hardship they can't overcome...!"
"..."
While Izuku was momentarily at a loss for words, Mina softly but excitedly remarked, "You go, Ochaco-san! Now finish him off~!" with sparkling eyes.
Though she wasn't paying attention to Mina's words, Ochaco looked up at Izuku, staring at him with upturned eyes as she appealed, "Please, let me help you, Izuku. Whatever you're going through, I promise it'll be easier if we face it together...!"
("How the hell am I supposed to say no to this?") thought Izuku, his gaze briefly shifting to Toru. As he pointed out previously, he was the type that took relationships seriously. If he and Ochaco started dating, there was a good chance they would continue dating throughout High School...if not much, much longer...
Seeing Izuku look her way, even if only for a brief moment, Toru's body and heart tensed. If she had known that feigning ignorance would hurt this much, she never would have broken things off between them. She had thought she was being considerate of the other girls, but now she wasn't too sure...if anything, it felt like she had sacrificed her happiness for Ochaco's benefit...
Causing Toru's heart to twist painfully in her chest, Izuku, his gaze fixed on Ochaco, said, "You're right, Ochaco-san. If we work together, there's nothing we can't overcome..."
Smiling broadly, Ochaco was about to ask if that meant they could start dating but stopped herself when Izuku shook his head, adding, "But we don't need to be dating to support one another. It's barely been a month since we began attending UA. For now, it's probably for the best that we remain friends. Maybe even best friends."
Exhaling a long, adorably exasperated sigh, Ochaco deflated in her seat as she said, "I thought you might say that..." with a dispirited but smiling look. She had given it her all, but it was very clear Izuku wasn't ready to start dating. It was disappointing, but, knowing they could remain friends, Ochaco wasn't particularly upset. At least this way, things wouldn't be too awkward between her, Tsuyu, and the girls in her Class...
Adopting a somewhat self-deprecating smile, Ochaco perked back up as she said, "Well if you ever change your mind or just want to hang out, you have my phone number. Jiro-san isn't the only one who enjoys listening to music, you know?"
Suppressing the notion he was a massive prick, Izuku returned a smile of his own as he replied, "I'd like that, Ochaco-san. Just remember, that's a two-way street. If you ever want to hang out and I'm not busy, just shoot me a text. No, even if I 'am' busy, I can always make time for the people I care about."
Hearing Izuku unabashedly insinuate she was someone he cared about, Ochaco's smile became a lot broader. At the same time, she couldn't help thinking that if they exchanged texts and frequently spent time together, it wasn't much different from being a couple...
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Following the mid-festival intermission, the students participating in the Finals were gathered in the arena to hear Midnight's explanation of the rules and to draw lots. In Izuku's case, he, unfortunately, ended up being paired against Yaoyorozu in the inaugural match, surprising each of them quite a bit...
Standing across from each other on a square-shaped stage prepared by Cementoss, Yaoyorozu had a wry smile on her face as she remarked, "It looks like my journey in this year's Sports Festival ends here..." Then, with a markedly more confident look, she balled her hands into fists, striking a 'guts pose' as she added, "But make no mistake, Midoriya-kun! I have no intention of giving up...!"
Punching his right hand into the palm of his left fist, Midoriya returned a smile as he replied, "I expect nothing less from our Class Representative! Now, come at me, Yaoyorozu-san...!"
As the match had already started, Yaoyorozu kicked things off in a rather 'interesting' way, unzipping her top to reveal her toned body and a stylish black sports bra. The objects she produced with her Creation Quirk would destroy her clothes if she attempted to materialize them while clothed, so Yaoyorozu had little choice but to expose quite a bit of skin if she wanted to produce something large.
Accompanying a rainbow-hued flash, Yaoyorozu materialized a medium-sized canon from her body, shouting, "Please try not to get injured...!" as she unleashed its explosive package in Izuku's direction.
Contrasting the expectations of Yaoyorozu and many within the crowd, Izuku didn't attempt to dodge the explosive projectile. Instead, he stood his ground, waiting until the very last moment to raise his foot, kicking the cannonball directly. This, unsurprisingly, resulted in him being enveloped by the subsequent fireball, but it barely had time to form before dozens of bluish-black tendrils dispersed it, revealing him to be unharmed.
Seeing Izuku take on her most powerful attack without flinching, a look of disbelief briefly marred Yaoyorozu's face. However, true to her word, she didn't give up. Instead, she produced several flashbangs and a canister of tear gas, shouting, "Let's see how you handle this...!" before lobbing them in Izuku's direction.
Realizing what Yaoyorozu was up to, Izuku thought, ("I see she took my comment about having enhanced senses to heart. Not a bad plan, if not for the fact we're outside...")
Before the canisters could reach him, Izuku dashed forward at a blinding speed, bypassing them mid-flight and appearing before Yaoyorozu in an instant. What surprised Izuku was that despite being caught off guard by his maneuver, Yaoyorozu managed to counterattack immediately, dozens of tungsten rods erupting from her chest and abdomen to push him away and propel herself backward. At the same time, she generated canisters of pepper spray from her palms, unleashing their torrents at Izuku's face.
("I'm starting to see why she's ranked first in the Class...") thought Izuku. Yaoyorozu's ability to adapt on the fly was extraordinary, so much so that if she were given time to strategize, Izuku felt she could defeat just about anyone. Bar a few outliers...
While dodging backward faster than the tungsten rods could extrude from Yaoyorozu's body, ten tendrils of Blackwhip emanated from the tips of his fingers, surging forward like teal-tinged bolts of black lighting. Yaoyorozu did her best to dodge, but the tendrils of Blackwhip were way too fast for someone with a fairly ordinary physique to dodge. As a result, Yaoyorozu could only grit her teeth in vexation as her wrists and ankles were bound, followed by her being flung rather unceremoniously from the arena. Izuku would have preferred a gentler approach, but the raven-haired Ojou-sama was simply too capable for him to hold back without it looking like he was toying or overtly flirting with her...
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In the wake of his match with Yaoyorozu, Izuku apologized for not being able to hold back against her before the two accompanied one another to the Class 1-A viewing area. The next match was between Ochaco and a boy whose Quirk allowed him to transform into a golem-like creature, but while his power was nothing to scoff at, his speed was horrendous.
By merely dodging her opponent's initial attack and touching him with the pads on her fingers, Ochaco was able to secure a technical victory when the boy floated in the air, unable to do anything but flail helplessly. If not for Midnight calling the match in Ochaco's favor, he might have continued floating off into space.
Following Ochaco's one-sided victory, Tsuyu, having drawn the shortest possible stick, appeared in the arena alongside Todoroki. He was already a bad matchup for Tsuyu due to her intolerance to cold, but things were even worse for her since Endeavor had appeared before Todoroki to give him a 'pep talk' before the match. As a result, when Midnight signaled to begin the match, the visibly pissed-off Todoroki unleashed a wave of cold that froze the entire arena.
Though it wasn't as impressive as his feat of creating a stadium-dwarfing iceberg in the anime, Todoroki's attack was too overwhelming for Tsuyu to endure. She attempted dodging in the air to escape the initial avalanche-like rush of frigid energy, but doing so left her completely defenseless as Todoroki unleashed a second wave while she was still airborne. She could have tried using her tongue to latch on to one of the many icy stalagmites that had abruptly formed within the arena, but she was afraid it might get stuck like a kid licking a pole in Winter...
With Todoroki freezing the entire arena, the fourth match was delayed until Endeavor, alongside a few other Pros, could clear away the ice. After that, Kaminari and Sero made their way onto the battlefield. However, as the latter had no way to counteract Kaminari's Electrification Quirk, it was another one-sided battle.
Fortunately, just as the crowd was starting to get a little agitated, Ida and Tokoyami entered the arena. The former should have had the advantage in terms of speed, but thanks to a casual remark Izuku made to Tokoyami when they were discussing training methods, the latter had already begun experimenting with wearing his Dark Shadow and using it to fly. Doing so required him to sacrifice a bit of range, but it allowed him to keep up with Ida's speed and escape to the sky when things got dicey.
Though Izuku expected Tokoyami to have an absolute advantage in the match, the primary reason for Ida's defeat was his engines stalling. His Strength, Agility, and Dexterity were amplified quite a bit while his Quirk was in use, so his perception and reaction time were simply better than Tokoyami's. If not for the versatility of the latter's Quirk, it may not have been a match at all. That's how absolutely broken Speedsters, even those who could only run a few hundred kilometers per hour, were.
In the wake of Ida's and Tokoyami's match, Bakugo and, somewhat curiously, Kirishima entered the arena. The two had been good friends in the anime and manga, but because of Izuku, they hardly knew each other beyond initial greetings. Bakugo didn't even remember Kirishima's name, referring to him as a 'dumb-haired bastard' when the former expressed his interest in having a manly showdown.
When the match between Bakugo and Kirishima began, Mr. Sparky Sparky Boom Man wasted no time in closing the distance, propelling himself with explosions from his palms. Kirishima crossed his arms and hardened his body to be as tough as granite but found himself utterly overwhelmed by Bakugo's explosion-enhanced martial arts.
Curiously, at least from Izuku's point of view, Bakugo never aimed his explosions at Kirishima directly. Instead, he used primarily used them to enhance the strength of his attacks while performing acrobatic, difficult-to-adapt-to maneuvers. Kirishima could have inflicted some real damage if he could land a blow, but Bakugo didn't afford him a single opportunity from start to finish.
("He's grown a lot this past month...") thought Izuku. And because of the recent fluctuations in his emotions, he actually empathized with Bakugo since Emission-type Quirks seemed to make their wielders unstable and needlessly 'expressive'...
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Name: [Katsuki Bakugo]
Quirk: Explosion
Current Level: 25
Effective Level: 50
[Attributes]
Strength: 53
Agility: 48
Vitality: 153
Intelligence: 81
Dexterity: 88
Luck: 78
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Though his base Level was higher than Bakugo's, Izuku couldn't deny the explosive youth was monstrously talented. His and Todoroki's base Levels were both 25, but the latter had a Luck attribute of 161, while Bakugo had a comparably modest 78. Both were Level 22 at the start of the term, so it was a real testament to Bakugo's perseverance, or perhaps stubbornness, that he could keep up with someone far more 'talented.'
("I just wonder who he's going to replace...?") thought Izuku, three figures immediately appearing in his mind. Most would believe the obvious choice to be Mineta, but if he had a choice, Izuku would expel Koda, the boy who could converse with animals, or Aoyama, the french parody that could fire a suspiciously 'liquidy' laser from his navel. The former, at least in Izuku's opinion, lacked the temperament of a Hero. As for the latter...well, he was just way too suspicious...
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Name: [Yuga Aoyama]
Quirk: Navel Laser(Vestige)
Current Level: 15
Effective Level: 17
[Attributes]
Strength: 13
Agility: 18
Vitality: 84
Intelligence: 30
Dexterity: 16
Luck: 12
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Not only did Aoyama have some of the worst attributes in the Class, but his Quirk, Navel Laser, had the 'Vestige' suffix attached. In other words, it wasn't his original Quirk, but one he had 'received' from someone. Izuku had already informed the Principal and Toshinori about this, but they had yet to take action since they were still investigating the matter. Aoyama's parents came from exceptionally wealthy backgrounds and were staunch contributors to the Hero's Association, so Nezu couldn't expel him without cause.
Simply put, Aoyama's inclusion in the Hero Course was largely the result of nepotism and Nezu's desire to keep Izuku's Quirk a secret. The latter was fully aware of this and trusted Nezu's judgment, so unless Aoyama exposed himself, there was little he could do but keep tabs on the ever-sparkling Frenchling...
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With the seventh round ending with Mina's victory over a random kid from the General Course, Izuku was sitting in the waiting room, patiently awaiting his match against Ochaco while observing Toru fight a boy with the ability to manipulate water. Unfortunately, while water manipulation was typically a powerful ability, the blue-haired teen could not produce it on his own.
As only students of the Support Course were authorized to use Support items, including a simple water bottle, the blue-haired youth's only option was to fight Toru in hand-to-hand combat. However, with the latter taking off her clothes as soon as the match began, even that wasn't an option as he couldn't see her. It was kind of hard to watch as Toru just kept shoving the boy at random to avoid being grabbed while she was naked...
*tok* *tok* *tok*
Interrupting Izuku's focus on the monitor depicting Toru's match, a knock sounded from the entrance of the waiting room.
"It's open," called out Izuku, rising to his feet just in case his visitor wasn't an ally. While that was ultimately the case, he did not attempt to attack the person who had entered his room, a towering figure with a muscular build, metal pauldrons, metal armguards, and a blue bodysuit wreathed in flames. Similar flames covered his eyes and protruded from his face like a beard and mustache, so it wasn't difficult to guess the man's identity, the No. 2 Hero, Endeavor.
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Name: [Enji Todoroki]
Quirk: Hellflame
Current Level: 103
Effective Level: 549
[Attributes]
Strength: 299
Agility: 165
Vitality: 4,753
Intelligence: 85
Dexterity: 240
Luck: 152
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Though 'Enji' clearly had his Quirk active, Izuku was still surprised by the man's stats. It wasn't for no reason he had been the No. 2 Hero for literal decades. He also had the highest tally of reported case resolutions, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say the man had been grinding that entire time.
Interpreting Izuku's reaction as the same response most would give when meeting him for the first time, Endeavor adopted a notably practiced smile as he said, "I observed your victory in the previous match and witnessed your performance during the first and second events of the Festival. You have a promising future as a Hero, young man."
Before Izuku could pretend to be thankful for Endeavor's 'praise,' the man revealed his true nature, adding, "Unfortunately, it is my Shoto's destiny to surpass All Might and become the No. 1 Hero. To that end, I expect you to do your best as a stepping stone for his future. If you can pressure him into using his flames, I will have a reward for you should you intern at my agency."
"..."
Furrowing his brows, Izuku caught Endeavor off guard by stating, "You're even more of a douche-canoe than I expected. I mean, what even is the point of raising your son to 'surpass' All Might when the latter is basically on the cusp of retirement? You should have focused on&ndash;no, forget it. I'm not going to waste my time trying to reason with you. The simple truth is that Todoroki-kun will 'never' surpass All Might when he has someone like you holding him back. Your fantasy of living vicariously through your son's success will forever remain the delusion of a man who failed to overcome his own ego, obsessed with a rank that means nothing in the face of true Heroism..."
"You..." muttered Endeavor, regaining the perennial scowl he was best known for. "You've got a smart mouth on you, boy. Did your father never teach you to respect your betters?"
Suppressing the rage welling within him behind a smile, Izuku retorted, "Did yours never explain the concepts of dignity and setting an example for others to follow? Or do you think it 'normal' for a Pro Hero to enter the waiting room of someone aspiring to become one, calling someone thirty years his junior a stepping stone before promising a reward in exchange for getting his son to use a power he should have felt comfortable using his entire life? If you had been a better father, Todoroki-kun might very well be on the path to becoming No. 1. Now, he'll be lucky to take 'second' in even a single Sports Festival before our graduation."
Though his expression didn't change in the slightest, Endeavor's flames became much hotter, causing the interior of the waiting room to become like a sauna. He had anticipated Izuku taking offense to being referred to as a stepping stone. In fact, that's the entire reason he came over. To get the boy 'motivated' so that he might draw out Shoto's true potential. Had he known he was going to be lectured by some random brat, he wouldn't have wasted his time.
Instead of lashing out or attempting to threaten Izuku, Endeavor turned away, his grasp on the waiting room's door handle causing it to become red hot as he asserted, "As sure as the Sun rises in the East, my Shoto will be the No. 1 Hero. You may come out ahead in this tournament, but all of your efforts will amount to nothing when he realizes his full potential and accepts his destiny..."
Waiting until Endeavor was stepping out of the room, Izuku pointedly remarked, "You should start wearing a helmet from now on. I don't want you to lose what little mental capacity you have left once you fall off that ridiculously high horse of yours."
Stopping midway through the door, Endeavor took one last look at Izuku over his shoulder, committing the boy's 'smug' face to memory as he said, "We'll see who falls..." before slamming the half-melted door on his way out...
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Without giving Jiro any time to recover, Mina asked yet another question that placed Izuku in the line of fire, specifically, "So, Izuku-kun, have you put any thought into which of us you'd like to date? I was honestly a little surprised when you didn't ask any of us to accompany you during Golden Week. At the very least, no one here tattled if you did."
Though he furrowed his brows slightly, Izuku, knowing pretty much all the girls wanted to hear his answer, replied, "I would be lying if I said I hadn't given it a fair amount of thought. However, I've since come to realize it might be too early to pursue a serious relationship. I mean, we're still in our first year of High School and working hard to become Heroes. Adding romance on top of that might be a little...overwhelming..."
Blinking in surprise, Mina remarked, "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you prefer honesty. So long as it doesn't touch your bottom line, I bet you'll answer just about anything, huh?"
Shaking his head, Izuku answered, "Everyone has their secrets. But if it's just asking for my opinion, I'll usually speak my thoughts."
"Oh? So if I were to ask who you thought was the cutest girl in Class, how would you respond?" asked Mina.
Without hesitation, Izuku responded, "Toru-san, without a doubt. Though that's primarily based on 'appeal.' In terms of physical appearance, I think we can all agree Yaoyorozu-san is the most conventionally attractive..."
Surprised by Izuku's words, Yaoyorozu pointed to herself, asking, "You think I'm attractive...?" as if she was completely unaware her appearance could humble Idols and Supermodels in equal measure.
Sparing Izuku the need to respond, nearly every girl at the table nodded their heads, Mina representing them as she said, "You're really beautiful, Yaoyorozu-san. I'm honestly a little jealous..."
Seeing every girl nod their head a second time, Yaoyorozu tensed in her seat, a gratified but embarrassed smile on her face as she sat straight as an arrow. She had received similar compliments countless times, but most originated from her family. Hearing it from her classmates made her feel a distinct, vaguely familiar feeling of 'fluffiness.'
Shifting the focus back to Izuku, Mina asked, "Then what about the rest of us? Now that you've mentioned metrics like 'physical appearance' and 'appeal,' I'm curious to know where I rank on your list."
Shaking his head, Izuku pointed out, "Answering that question will make me look bad, hurt someone's feelings, or both. Even if I pointed out that everyone here would probably rank within the top ten among hundreds of other girls, it wouldn't stop you from comparing yourselves."
"Hmmm...you have a point..." acquiesced Mina. However, as she couldn't help being curious, she turned her attention to the other girls at the table, asking, "What do you girls think? I probably don't speak for everyone, but I'm sure most of you are curious, right?"
As she had already been declared the 'most attractive' according to Izuku's standards, Yaoyorozu didn't hesitate to reply, "I'll admit, I am a little curious. But I also empathize with what Midoriya-kun was saying before. If hearing his response would cause unnecessary tension within the Class, it might be best to drop the matter entirely."
"So that's one person in favor of hearing Izuku-kun's response and one who could go either way," said Mina. "How about the rest of you girls? If you're for the idea, please raise your hand."
Seizing the initiative, Mina raised her right hand, prompting Toru, Jiro, and, somewhat surprisingly, Tsuyu to do the same. Then, undoubtedly as a result of peer pressure, Ochaco reluctantly raised her hand, whispering, "Sorry, Izuku-kun..." with an apologetic smile.
Shaking his head, Izuku assured, "It's fine. If everyone is this interested in hearing my opinion, I may as well give it..."
Directing his gaze to Mina, Izuku added, "Since you're the cause of all of this, I'll answer your question from before...you rank third in appeal, third in physical appearance, and sixth in general affinity. With a combined total of seven points, that places you sixth in my personal ranking..."
Though she was initially happy since she had placed third in both appeal and appearance, Mina's expression froze when she heard Izuku place her at the bottom of his list. She considered them fairly close, so it was quite a surprise to learn she scored so poorly in 'affinity.'
Exhaling a faintly exasperated sigh through his nose, Izuku pointed out, "I did warn you. The problem with this kind of ranking is that the sample size skews things in a negative light. You're a beautiful girl, Mina, and I usually enjoy our time together. The only reason you placed sixth in affinity is due to situations like this. Not many people enjoy being put on the spot all the time..."
Losing her usual pep, Mina offered an awkward smile, rubbing the back of her head as she replied, "I see..." in resignation. She was tempted to point out she was just trying to help make things clear, for everyone's sake, but it wasn't the kind of thing she could say aloud. At least not at the moment.
Suppressing a second sigh, Izuku passed his gaze over the other girls at the table, asserting, "I feel like I'm repeating myself, but each and every one of you are incredible in your own right. Even if you rank sixth in one of my categories, it doesn't mean you're unattractive, lacking in charm, or we have no affinity together. She might be having second thoughts right now, but I regard Mina as the girl I'm closest friends with. I just don't think the two of us would make the best couple, not when there's someone else in our Class who is so clearly infatuated with her..."
"Eh...?"
Regaining her senses, Mina looked at Izuku as if a banana was growing from his head, asking, "Did you seriously pick up on that? I don't even think the person himself has realized it..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku replied, "I'm pretty observant. I mean, that should be fairly obvious, considering the topic of our discussion. I have a habit of observing and trying to 'quantify' the people around me, not just cute girls."
Shifting his attention to the other girls present, Izuku added, "Speaking of which, should I continue, or should we just pretend this never happened? Honestly, I'm starting to regret my decision to go along with this..."
Since Izuku's gaze happened to settle on her, Jiro swallowed hard before replying, "We've already come this far, so I'd like to know where I place..."
Nodding his head, Izuku revealed, "For you, it's sixth in terms of appeal, fifth in terms of appearance, and first in terms of affinity. With a combined total of nine points, that places you in third place with two others."
Though she winced when Izuku said she was ranked sixth in appeal and fifth in appearance, Jiro perked up when he mentioned he considered her the girl he had the highest 'affinity.' Her overall position was also higher than Mina's, so she couldn't help smiling as she asked, "Does that mean you think I'd make a good girlfriend?"
Returning a smile of his own, Izuku admitted, "Yeah. You seem like the most down-to-earth girl in our Class. I'm also a bit of a music junkie, so I figured the two of us could hang out and vibe together, either as friends or something more..."
Blinking in surprise, Jiro asked, "Seriously? If that was the case, you should have said something sooner. Avoiding me for an entire month..."
Unable to finish her sentence, Jiro shook her head, stating, "Forget it. We can talk about music and who are favorite musicians are later. For now, we should get this whole ranking thing out of the way. There isn't much time left until the Finals."
Nodding in approval, Izuku shifted his gaze to the person seated next to Jiro, stating, "For you, Yaoyorozu-san, you already know you rank first in terms of appearance. As for appeal and affinity, you are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. Overall, that places you second."
Ignoring that she had placed second, Yaoyorozu appeared slightly hurt as she asked, "Do you not believe we would make a good couple...?"
Shaking his head, Izuku asserted, "That isn't the case. In fact, the two of us complement each other exceptionally well. I just think that if we were to date, it would be a very structured, borderline rigid relationship. There's nothing wrong with that, especially if you're looking long-term, but it limits our options and forces us to restrain ourselves out of obligation."
As there was a considerable amount of truth to Izuku's words, Yaoyorozu gave a curt nod before cupping her chin as she remarked, "I see. So when you refer to affinity, it's essentially a metric for short-term prospects. You aren't ready for a committed relationship, so you're looking for someone you can; what was the phrase? Vibe with...?"
Though it was a lot more complicated than that, Izuku replied, "That's a fairly accurate way to assess things." After all, it wasn't like he could say he was looking for someone he could bang...
Satisfied with Izuku's response, a smile blossomed across Yaoyorozu's face as she said, "Thank you for your honesty, Izuku-kun. All of this has been very insightful."
"Don't mention it," replied Izuku. "In fact, once this is all over, I would be happy if this subject never came up again. For now, however, I'll continue until the end..."
Focusing his gaze on the invisible face of Toru, Izuku hesitated for a moment before revealing, "You rank first in terms of appeal, second in appearance, and second in affinity. That gives you a combined total of sixteen points, placing you at the very top of my list..."
Though she had hoped she would be ranked number one, Toru's mind blanked when Izuku revealed it. If anyone could see her, they would be able to see a potent blush rising from her neck, spreading through her face, and finally tinging her ears a bright red. She was also unresponsive for several seconds, prompting Yaoyorozu to give her a light shake as she asked, "Are you okay, Hagakure-san?" in a concerned tone.
"I...I'm fine..." replied Toru, her voice somewhat robotic. Then, noticing that everyone at the table was staring at her, she shrunk in her seat and added, "I was just a little surprised, that's all..." while pressing the tips of her fingers together.
"Hey, wait a minute!" said Mina rather abruptly. "How is Toru-san ranked second when you can't even see her!? I call foul!"
Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku elected to play things casually, stating, "Call it intuition, but I've been saying Toru-san is one of the cutest girls in the Class from day one. If she weren't Invisible, I'd wager my left arm she could give Yaoyorozu-san a run for her money."
Clicking her tongue, Mina crossed her arms in mock frustration, muttering, "This isn't fair. These rankings are clearly biased..."
Raising his right brow, Izuku replied, "Well, yeah...they're based on the preferences of a single individual. You can't get more biased than that..."
Reinforcing the fact she was messing around, Mina stuck out her tongue and blew raspberries at Izuku. Then, looking between Ochaco and Tsuyu, she said, "Well, since Izuku-kun already revealed there were three girls who shared third place, that means the two of you tied with Jiro-san. The only question is, where did Izuku-kun place you in each of the rankings? It might be better for your friendship if you didn't find out."
Answering without hesitation, Tsuyu asserted, "No. Everyone else got to learn where they placed in each category. I want to know as well, ribbit."
With Tsuyu promptly shifting her gaze to him, staring up at him with her large eyes, Izuku adopted a wry smile and revealed, "You ranked second in terms of appeal, sixth in appearance, and fourth in affinity. And, once again, being ranked sixth doesn't mean you're ugly...in fact, I personally find you adorable. That's why you ranked second in terms of appeal..."
Nodding her head, Tsuyu said, "It's okay, Izuku-chan. You don't have to convince me. I know I'm not the most conventionally attractive girl in the Class, so I can settle with being the most adorable, ribbit."
Adopting an affection-tinged smile, Izuku nearly asked if he could pat Tsuyu's head when Ochaco, who had been keeping track of every single person's rankings, said, "I guess that makes me fifth in appeal, fourth in appearance, and third in affinity?"
Directing his smile to Ochaco, Izuku replied, "To be honest, you're one of the girls I think would make the best girlfriend, Ochaco-san. I just worry that you'd feel 'indebted' to me if I treated you too kindly or attempted to help out your family."
Understanding exactly what Izuku was referring to, an awkward smile developed across Ochaco's face as she rubbed the back of her head and said, "When you put it that way, I can't easily deny it..." Then, blushing quite a bit, she brought her hands to the front of her body, pressing the pads of her fingers together as she added, "But if you think we'd make a good couple...I wouldn't be opposed to the idea.."
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Chapter 34: Chapter 34