29: 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙𝑠
"She's so cool." Jirou sighed after Kira left the stage.
"Ahh! She was awesome! Everything is going exactly as planned!" Mina clapped her hands in glee.
"She is awesome." Bakugou crossed his arms and leaned back. A smile on his face.
"Oh really?" Mina asked, raising her eyebrows. "I didn't think you'd ever say that about anyone but yourself." She said, that old need to know if they were together resurfacing.
Bakugou's smile dropped. "The fu-hel- ugh.. heck is that supposed to mean PINKIE?!" He snapped. Groaning when the urge to curse hit. Eri watched him intently. Now being held by Midoriya and not Mirio.
Mina giggled. "Nothin~" She sang. Content for now.
Midoriya watched them, holding Eri up with a small smile. Observing how Kacchan absolutely refused to curse in front of Eri. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy, Bakugou was good with kids. He was perfect.
Midoriya sighed and looked up on stage. Where Bakugou was looking, where he was gazing. Midoriya hated that look, because Bakugou never looked at him that way.
Kira was lined up with the other girls as Tammy or whatever her name is started to show off her 'skill.' Midoriya looked up on stage, at all the pretty girls in their fancy dresses. The girl that Kacchan was looking at like she was the most beautiful thing in the world.
Izuku couldn't help but wonder... If he had been born a girl, would Kacchan like him? Would things be different? Would they have ever faught?
It's not that he didn't want to be a boy. He wanted to be what Kacchan wanted. He wanted to be loved.
Would things be easier if he was a girl?
He shook his head and looked away. Trying to get rid of the thought. It was stupid, not like he wanted to be a girl anyways.
°.•.°•.°•.°
The girls got back into their original dresses. Kira put in a pair of skintone earplugs, they were hidden enough. She didn't want to much extra noise. Especially with all this skin exposed.
"What the fuck are those? Is she deaf or something?"
Kira ignored Emi's thoughts and finished her makeup. Standing to line up with Kendo and Tammy. Next was questions and then their judging. It was all almost over, kira had no way of knowing if she would beat Emi. She just hoped if she didn't, one of the other girls would.
They walked out. The bright light hit Kira's eyes and made her squint. The lights, the noise. She was starting to remember why she didn't want to do this in the first place. She stood next to Emi and Kendo. A hand on her hip and a smile on her face. It wasn't a super fake one, more like a confident smirk. Kendo smiled naturally and Emi had a broad TV smile on. Tammy wasn't really even trying to smile at all. Just looking around at everything, taking it all in. She was still a mystery to Kira.
"First question is for... Tammy Tanaka!" Midnight called her up and Tammy seemed to snap out of a daze.
"Tammy. As everyone knows crime rates are slowly creeping up, what do you think we as a society should do about this?"
Kira raised her eyebrows. Sheesh, that was a big question. For a pageant? Sure she knew they would sometimes ask political or thought provoking questions but come on. They were fifteen.
"They must be desperate for ideas if they're asking us this shit." Emi thought beside Kira, she was very close to Kira. But Kira was also close to Kendo, holding her hand. They were all squished together in a fake form of friendship.
Tammy didn't say anything for several seconds, tilting her head slightly. Like she was listening to something. Then she looked and Midnight and leaned into the microphone.
"Well the crime spiked after the fall of All Might, who was our countries symbol of peace. So the obvious suggestion would be to replace him with a figure similar. Someone that inspires hope in civilians and fear in villains. But the retirement of All Might proved what a faulty system that is, so instead I believe that pro heroes themselves should each be their own symbol of peace. Going above and beyond to prove their strength and dedication to Japan despite their rankings or payment. That way when one falls they'll fall back on hundreds of others." Tammy explained with a straight face.
Midnight's eyebrows raised in surprise. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but that was an extremely good answer to that question. Midnight smiled.
"Thank you Tammy!" She clapped, encouraging the crowd to do the same.
"Kendo Itsuka?"
Kendo squeezed Kira's hand and walked up nervously and stepped away. "Oh God I don't know if I could answer a question like that on the spot..." She thought nervously.
"Kendo..." Midnight looked at the question written down. "Why do you want to win this pageant?"
Kendo let out a breath. At least she got an easy question. "Well, I want to make my class proud and properly represent them to the rest of our school." Kendo said with a smile. "Oh God am I supposed to say more than that?! Because that's literally it. I was basically forced to do this..."
"That's very sweet Kendo." Midnight smiled softly.
"WOOO GO 1B!!!" A voice cheered in the crowd. Several applause followed it. Kendo smiled and bowed slightly to Midnight before walking back. "Thank God that's over."
"Now Kira Kokoa!"
Right as Kira stepped forward she felt something being yanked from her ears. She turned in shock only to see Emi toss it on the ground and smile at the crowd like nothing happened.
Noise flooded into Kira's left ear, the ear plug hadn't done all that much, but it still sounded horrible when it was removed.
Hundreds of kids thinking and chattering. The feedback from Midnight's Microphone. It was a lot.
Kira glanced down but couldn't see where it went. No one else seemed to have noticed what happened. She swallowed hard and stepped forward. Making eye contact with Kendo as they passed each other.
"Something's wrong." Kendo thought when she saw Kira. Who quickly masked her expression. She handled the sports festival, she could handle this.
She stepped up to midnight, her confidence had been damaged though. Emi had thrown her off, which she assumed was the whole idea. She felt shaky.
"Kira... What do you think makes a hero?"
Kira took in a breath. Of course Kendo got an easy question. What the hell was she supposed to say? Just throw out something easy, to please the crowd and walk back.
"I-"
Kira felt a tap on her shoulder and something pressed into her palm. She glanced back and saw Kendo smile quickly before running back to the lineup.
Pressed in her palm was her hearing protection. Kira coughed and shoved it in her ear. She was a little worried that some one might think she's cheating, but midnight was aware that she was wearing them. That's all that mattered.
The woman waited patiently as Kira collected her thoughts and her nerves.
"A hero is someone who stands up for what's right. I don't think it's a concept that can or should be limited to a person with a professional license. You don't have to fight crime to be a hero, and you don't have to wear a cape or have a strong quirk. Savings someone isn't limited to just fighting a villain for them. It's being there... When they need you." Kira said with a sigh. Hoping that was good enough, she glanced back at Kendo who was smiling genuinely now.
"Thank you Kira!" Midnight said, patting her arm. Kira nodded and sighed. Walking back to the line up, shooting a glare at Emi. Who smiled and waved at the Crowd, waiting to be called up.
What a bitch.
°.•.°•.°•.°
The girls stood as Midnight ran through the final round of questions, asking Tammy something.
Kira stood between Emi and Kendo. She really wanted this to be over with, she almost didn't care about who won anymore. But she stood there with a fake smile nonetheless.
"Just something to throw her off..." Emi thought. Kira felt Emi's hand sneak up, reaching for Kendo. Kira turned back to glare at her and pushed it down.
"Cut. it. out." Kira whispered quietly. Emi rolled her eyes and retracted her hand.
Kira sighed and looked back ahead, over at Tammy And midnight. One more question for Kira and then it was all over.
Emi reached up again, right as Tammy started walking back. She grabbed the tail of the Bow on Kendo's back and yanked. The bow came undone and her dress slackened. It didn't come off or anything, but it was no longer tight around her waist.
Kendo froze in panic. Just as Emi wanted, she wanted to throw her off and distract her.
Kira spun around and shoved Emi's shoulders. "I said cut it out." Kira snapped. Louder than usual. Emi's eyes widened and her face twisted together in anger.
Suddenly she felt a sting in her cheek as Emi swung her hand and slapped Kira across the face.
It was the most pathetic little baby slap Kira had ever felt. But it carried so much anger and hatred that Kira returned it.
The crowd gasped multiple times over it all. They didn't move until Kira absolutely decked Emi. Punching her across the face hard enough to rock her entire world.
"OH DEAR!" Midnight whispered, rushing towards them. "Girls!"
Kendo stepped in between the two girls, hand on Kira's shoulder. Things stopped, but only for a second.
Kendo should have held Emi back, because the tear stained girl tackled Kira to the ground with a growl. Kira yelped and then punched her again, Midnight pulled Emi off of Kira and Kendo helped her up in a panic.
"SHE ATTACKED ME!!" Emi pointed at Kira, who rolled her eyes.
"Haha anyways!" Mic appeared out of nowhere to distract the crowd. "We're gonna um... Take a thirty minute break for the judges to... Pick a winner!" He said as though there hadn't been a full on brawl in the middle of the stage. "In the meantime go enjoy the other festivities!"
He clapped a few times. The curtains slowly drew, concealing Emi as she yelled and pointed at Kendo and Kira furiously.
"A round of applause for the girls!"
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: ZingTruyen.Xyz