Chapter 63: Nightmares and Rumours

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Momo fidgeted with the papers in her hands holding the written suggestions from their classmates. Her expression troubled as she glanced around the hallway. "What are we going to do? Aizawa-sensei said to have an idea by tomorrow,"

Sakura held a thoughtful gaze, "What should the overall goal of our activity be?"

Momo could answer that immediately, "Something that will benefit the other students, something that they will enjoy,"

"And something that we don't ordinarily do," Sakura added, just to ensure Momo didn't revisit her study session idea. "Since the other students are a bit tense about the new dorm systems, you should look to tackle that issue,"

Momo nodded, "Of course. We can discuss it with everyone tonight…..But don't you have extra classes?"

Sakura waved off her concern with a dismissive gesture. "It's fine. I'll go along with whatever you all decide since it has to be majority consensus anyway."

 "Okay,"

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After her regular classes had concluded for the day, Sakura was making her way to her extra classes when she heard the murmurs of students nearby. Their voices carried an air of discontent, but nothing to draw her curiosity. But it was the passing comment that sharpened her ears. Or rather the content that included the name "Bakugou" that was repeated several times.

So pausing in her steps, Sakura concealed herself behind a pillar of the outside hallway. Where the students speaking were within earshot.

"First this dorm system, and now the school festival gets downgraded," said a boy, his tone carrying frustration.

"Yeah, I get that," muttered another boy. "Just because of those hero course students, the rest of us have to pay for it."

Sakura furrowed her brow. Shouta told them that the students were having trouble adjusting, but they were putting heavy blame on the hero students for these results. It was understandable to an extent, but there was a limit they just didn't seem to get.

"Why did they have to drag us into this? I mean first, the hero students were the ones who went on that stupid training camp even after getting attacked by the League of Villains. And it was Bakugou who got kidnapped by the League. So why are they making us pay for it?"

"Exactly,"

"What are you guys talking about?" a third student approached the conversation, looking curious.

One of the students turned to Sakura, their expression sour. "Oh, nothing," they replied dismissively. "Just talking about how the hero course students got us into this whole mess,"

They didn't even need to specify, which made Sakura understand the severity of the situation. They didn't even have to call it on the dorms system or the festival, to the rest of the school, it seemed that it was nothing more than an unforgivable disruption. A mess.

"I just don't get why we had to get involved in the first place!" another student retorted, their tone defensive. "It's not our fault they were attacked by the League, or that Bakugo was kidnapped,"

 "Wasn't there another student caught? Haruno?"

"Well yeah, she was taken by the league too,"

"But at least she could bring down that boss villain in Kamino,"

"She ran away too. That put the school under more scrutiny,"

Sakura wasn't going to intervene in the conversation. Shouta had already clarified some heavy feelings were running around the school about the situation. While the hero students could understand, the general and business studies students must've felt especially thrown off by everything that happened.

And she was surprised to see there was another choosing to listen in, but otherwise stay away from the conversation. Katsuki himself. Sakura caught him on the other side, obscured by the wall, but she saw his blonde hair peaking for a moment.

She expected Katsuki to confront them, as he was never one to back down from anything and back-biters didn't sound like the exception. Instead, he decided to turn back and take the long way around.

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The school gardens lay quiet as Katsuki stomped along the empty path. He thought he was alone until he heard the familiar voice that had almost become haunting to him.

"I'm surprised you didn't blow them up for talking about you like that,"

Katsuki Bakgou was not having a good day. He went to bed on time but had woken up from another disturbing dream, taking him back to Kamino, which just threw off his entire day. Reliving everything up until the point where All For One blasted a hole through Sakura. Except after she fell, she never got back up. He would call for her but she wouldn't respond.

Then he would see a shadow of All Might towering over him, but when he turned, there were just silhouettes of the hero, and his classmates, their voices echoing with accusations. 'What have you done Bakugou?' 'Why are you so weak Kacchan?' 'Why did you let that happen?' 'Wasn't supposed to be her,'

This was a jar filling in Katsuki's chest, threatening to crack. He had enough reminders of his failings already, and overhearing those students blab away like they knew it all was just another crack in the jar.

And seeing her in front of him after that was just another.

Katsuki halted in his tracks, his fiery gaze snapping to Sakura's figure as she approached.

"Mind your own damn business Fivehead," Katsuki scoffed, his words dripping with hostility as he bristled at her intrusion. But he had to turn his head away from her face.

"You weren't the only one mentioned in that conversation," Sakura stated.

"Yeah. You're the great hero who took down the boss villain," Katsuki couldn't stop himself from sneering.

"And the idiot who ran away and ruined UA's reputation," Sakura added unapologetically. "But can't change the past, and for now just have to deal with a bit of backbiting,"

He scoffed, looking out into the distance, his face pulling back, nose scrunching as if he smelt something awful. "Those damn extras can't get their fucking story straight. They're too busy having their heads in their asses. Why the hell do we have to try and make those damn idiots feel at ease? It's not like we asked for this shitty situation either!"

"Well, this is how most people are when they've lost a sense of stability. It's hard for them to adapt and they have to find a source to blame. In this case, we're the ones fitting the criteria,"

"I'm not doing shit for no one. It's their damn fault for being so weak-minded."

It was doubtful that Katsuki was going to try and understand someone else's perspective. He was very headstrong and set in his own way. He didn't waver from his own beliefs, and he didn't care to bother considering others.

"I prefer to let them stew," Sakura looked up to the skies, "At some point, they might come running to us for help. And we're gonna be obligated to do so. Ah, the woes of being a hero. No one talks about that in the classes now do they?"

That just felt like a bitter pill to swallow. Katsuki had only just been introduced to the dark side of hero work. The side where society would turn on you for any missteps or mistakes. Something easy to catch when eyes were on you for that profession.

He couldn't care less what those people were saying, spewing their garbage. If he did, he would've blasted them, then and there.

"I don't need you to tell me that crap," Katsuki hissed, like a hostile cat. "Those fools words don't mean a damn thing. It changes nothing. And you better not be thinking about their words either. They did nothing but spew garbage."

"Yeah, yeah," Sakura waved. She was sure Katsuki would pick a fight if she tried to tease him on the subject. He must've been feeling frustrated himself. "It's not your fault."

"Ha!?" Katsuki's single noise made it so Sakura understood he wanted clarity while realizing what she was attempting to relay to him.

Sakura met his challenging gaze head-on, her own. "All Might retiring isn't because of us,"

Katsuki's shoulders deflated when she mentioned him, she didn't wonder what he was holding that tension for.

"All Might is as human as the rest of us. He isn't immortal, and he was bound to hang up his cape at some point. As he is a hero, we should just be glad he managed to do it alive. It's not something worth dwelling on. I'm not letting that take up space in my mind, and neither should you."

Had this been a while back, Katsuki might have blown up on her for that accurate analysis, but he had already confronted these feelings with All Might and unfortunately Deku. But Sakura of all people, did not need to know that. That vulnerability, that wound, was not going to be exposed for her. Not when he had another to desperately shield from her.

"Aren't you just convincing yourself? Don't go pointing at me."

"We were both there that night." Sakura decided to leave on that note before things went sour.

"We've got to show 'em," Sakura paused in her steps, turning back to Katsuki. His head down, fists balled at his side. "We're not gonna mess around just to make them feel better!"

Sakura smiled, "Alright."

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After another long session of make-up classes, Sakura and the intern students made their way back to the dorms, where the rest of their classmates had gathered to discuss ideas for the upcoming school festival. As they entered the common area, the rest of the classes had already erupted into excited chatter, except this time they seemed to be working in harmony.

Sakura approached Momo, "I take it we've come to a consensus on something?"

Momo nodded. "Yes! We've decided on doing a concert."

"A concert!?" Ochaco exclaimed. "So we're doing a song and dancing?"

Denki started strumming an invisible guitar, "We'll play the instruments too! It'll be awesome!"

"Whoah! This sounds great!" exclaimed Eijirou.

"And a concert performance should be a lot of fun for the audience kero."

No one was arguing against the performance, since it fit the criteria they were aiming for. Setting an atmosphere where people could relax and have fun. This should help with the tension brewing amongst the students towards those in the hero course.

"Can you believe Todoroki came up with the idea?" added Tohru.

Sakura looked over at Shouto, who was present for the meeting but hadn't seemed to be taking part in the discussion. "Really?"

"We had to do something similar in the supplemental hero classes."

Sakura's face pulled tight, as she thought, about what kind of activities were happening in those classes because she would be joining them very soon.

Before she could dwell further on her apprehensions, Mina piped up excitedly from across the room. "I'll be teaching everyone how to dance!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Tohru joined in eagerly, her voice filled with excitement. "And Jiro is going to teach us how to play a song!"

The classes chatted well into the later hours of the night before Shouta came in and warned them not to stay up too late on a school night. Everyone gave their good night greetings and went on their way to the dorm rooms.

Sakura was doing the same when Shoto came up to her. "Sakura,"

"Something the matter?"

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After checking in on Eri who was already blissfully asleep, Sakura headed passed her dorm room, and further until she reached another. She knocked on the door, and Shouto opened it. He invited her in, and it was like walking into an old Japanese home. With the tatami mats and wood frame windows. For Shouto he preferred the design since it reminded him of home.

Shouto went to his drawer and pulled out an envelope. Since the Sports Festival, he had been visiting his mother every chance he had. But the dorm system of course changed that, but he was still able to send her letters. And Rei was doing the same for him.

"This is the letter my mother wrote for you," Shouto said, handing her the envelope. It was still closed, with no signs of tampering.

When news got out of Sakura returning to school, Rei had written a letter directly to her but sent it through Shouto. She had been asking about Sakura as well, but Shouto couldn't tell her what he didn't know. When he mentioned in his last letter that she came back to school, unharmed, Rei sent this to him along with her usual letters.

"Has she been doing well?"

"I think so," Shoto said. "My siblings are also visiting her, and they say she's fine. I know she was worried about you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't think that anyone would be too worried."

Shouto's scar tissue seemed to scrunch. That simple admittance twisted and knotted inside of him. "Why would you say that? No one knew where you were, or if you were safe."

Her eyebrows curled as she bashfully said, "Do I come off as someone you need to worry about?"

"Yes." Shouto didn't hesitate to answer.

Shouto packed his belongings preparing to leave for the dorm. Nothing but boxes filled his sight, but even so, the room still felt empty. His sister Fuyumi came to the door and approached him, her expression filled with concern.

"I see you're almost finished. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"No. Thank you."

Fuyumi entered, holding her hands behind her back. "I thought you might like to keep this, since we're not going to be seeing you around here for a while,"

Pulling out a photo album, he didn't even know existed. Fuyumi placed it in one of the boxes.

"So moving to the dorms tomorrow. How are you feeling about all of this?" Fuyumi asked gently.

"Alright, I guess,"

Their household had been tense lately, more so than usual since the events at Kamino and All Might's retirement. Their father's ascent to the position of the number one hero had only added to the strain, and he was not handling it gracefully. He didn't put up much with Aizawa when he came to discuss the dorm system for UA. And Shouto didn't mind either that his father was distracted.

"Have you heard anything about your classmate?"

Shouto shook his head. "No news," he replied quietly, his gaze fixed on his belongings.

Fuyumi sighed softly. "You must be worried," she remarked, her tone gentle yet perceptive.

Shouto furrowed his brows in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

Fuyumi offered him a small, understanding smile. "I can just see it,"

Shouto couldn't quite grasp her meaning. After all, his behavior hadn't changed all that much, even though he wondered what had happened to Sakura. "I have been thinking about her a lot."

It made sense that Sakura might occupy his mind. She was the first person to beat him in a fight. She was also someone who called out to him when he felt like he was sinking. She also saved him, Izuku, and Tenya. And she was someone Shouto admired. He wanted to become as strong as her. To work as hard as she must've. So that maybe one day, he could help her.

"That's just how boys get when they have a crush," she explained, her tone matter-of-fact.

Shouto blinked in confusion. "Crush? I don't want to crush her,"

Fuyumi spluttered a little in her laughter. "That's not it. A crush is when you like someone."

"I don't dislike her." His sister wasn't making any sense to him.

"What do you think about her?" Fuyumi pressed gently.

Shouto paused, considering her question carefully. "She's my classmate," he began, his response somewhat bland. But then he continued, his tone thoughtful. "She's really strong and smart. She doesn't seem afraid of anything. She always puts her life on the line to save people. She's very sure of herself, even when she breaks the rules."

He paused, his expression growing slightly pensive. "She never asks for help."

Fuyumi furrowed her brows, considering his words. "Is that strange?"

Shouto nodded slowly. "I think so, maybe. She doesn't go to any study sessions with our classmates. She turns down invitations to go out. And….I don't think anyone knows too much about her."

Fuyumi seemed in thought, holding her chin. "She sounds so lonely."

"Really?"

"She does everything by herself, she never asks for help and you say she doesn't have any family and lives alone. I think she might be sad. No one can be happy being all by themselves like that. She's probably as strong as you say because she's had to take care of herself."

As Shouto observed Sakura right now, he couldn't imagine her being like that. Being anything close to helpless. Time and time again, she proved to be the strongest out of their entire class. But after remembering that conversation with Fuyumi, he couldn't help but feel a pang of concern. He couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to her than meets the eye.

Before she could leave the room he called out to her. "Sakura," he said, catching her attention once more. "If anything is bothering you, you should say."

Sakura turned back to face him, her expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty. She seemed taken aback by his words, unsure of how to respond. After a moment of hesitation, all she could manage was a simple, "Alright."

As Sakura walked away, Shouto couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing by saying that. Since he still failed to understand certain social cues. He hoped that his words had conveyed the message that it was okay to ask for help, that she didn't have to bear her burdens alone. But only time would tell if Sakura would take his offer to heart.

SNEAK PEEK CHAPTER 64: While preparations for the festival continues, Two shinobi are plagued by nightmares.

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