"I can tell them."
"What?" I asked, shocked out of my reverie. I'd been staring at the door to 1-B's Homeroom, pondering whether to open it or run away.
"I can tell them." I twisted my neck around to see Vlad King standing behind me. "I can inform the class of who Katsuke Fujiwara was, in as little or as much detail as you want me to. But after everything that has happened, they should be told something."
"No. I'll tell them myself. I don't want them to-" To what? To think less of me for it?
"...I want them to hear it from me."
Vlad King gave me a long, hard look, but eventually gave me a curt nod.
Everyone else was already at their seats when we arrived, and by the time Vlad King pulled the door shut behind him all conversation had ceased. Everyone's eyes were on us.
Vlad King gave me one last look, probably to ask if I was sure about going through with this. I nodded, and he moved off to the side.
...If that was a test, I hoped that I'd passed it.
I walked over in front of Vlad King's desk where he usually stood when giving a lecture, looking over the class.
For a few moments I felt paralyzed. I had the whole, undivided attention of the room. I don't think I had ever felt that small as I did in that moment, no matter that I outmassed the rest of my classmates put together.
I shook my head, trying to get the unwelcome feeling out of my head. This was ridiculous. I'd done so much worse. I'd stood up to a horde of reporters, and those were way more of a hostile crowd than this.
...Those were also people whose opinion didn't matter to me.
Fuck.
"Wednesday…" I began, forcing myself to start. The beginning was always the hardest, Dr. Kawaguchi had advised me. Once you get going it becomes easier. "On wednesday, we came under attack by a villain with the intent to kill or maim you for the sole purpose of getting at me. More than that, he attempted to provoke me into facilitating his attack, and nearly succeeded."
Little by little I began to pick up pace, words spilling out from between my jaws.
"I do not enjoy talking about it, but considering the circumstances, I feel you deserve to know… why."
I stared past my classmates, doing my best to focus on a spot on the opposing wall rather than meet their eyes.
"Well. I'll try to be brief. My Quirk is called Horned Dragon, a Transformation-type. It allows me to shift into a rhinoceros-like dragon form."
Yui and Pony already knew this, but a few others made a horrified gasp as they realized what I was getting at.
"The obvious question is, then, if I wasn't born a dragon, why have you never seen me as a human? Two years ago, I had an encounter with Katsuke Fujiwara, the villain who attacked us yesterday. Well, he wasn't a villain yet, then. He- he had a grudge against Heroes, and we didn't get along once he got wind of who my sister was."
I steeled myself, trying to control my breathing. In and out. In and out.
"He ended up getting in trouble because of it, and he blamed me. He tried to kill me… and I guess, in a way, he succeeded. Nobody really knows why, but after he shot me, I didn't die. What happened instead was… I became stuck in this form."
In. And out.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't transform. Healing didn't help. Mind Control didn't help. Forced Quirk Activation didn't help. Quirk Erasure didn't work. For all intents and purposes, my Quirk is a Mutant-type."
Nobody said anything. I could read a mixture of emotions in their faces, but nobody said anything. Were they expecting me to say something more?
Well.
I did have one more thing.
"I… also have an announcement for the class, that I'd like to make." I began, taking a deep, shaky breath. "During the attack… I almost opened that door for Fujiwara. He could have killed or maimed you, because of that. You had to stop me. And that- that isn't conduct befitting of someone entrusted with leading this class. I- I would, therefore like to resign from my position as Vice-President of Class 1-B."
A deathly silence met my proclamation. Nobody moved a muscle.
Then, Monoma spoke up.
"I see." He stood up, and slowly turned to look at Kendo. "I propose an immediate election."
Kendo held his gaze for a moment, and then stood as well, nodding. "I concur. Tsunotori?"
Pony looked shocked for a moment, before her face shifted into an expression of determination as she took out her phone, tapping on the screen a few times. "Right. I've reopened the poll."
"Everyone, cast your votes." Kendo ordered.
I looked down at the small screen mounted on my wrist and opened up the chat room Pony had created, checking the results as they ticked up.
Only one candidate was receiving any votes. By the end it was nineteen votes to- to-
"The ayes have it, Ryuuzaki Tatsuma is re-elected unanimously." Kendo announced.
I looked up from the screen. Not a single person remained seated, each and every last one of my classmates looking at me.
…
...
I tried to muster up a response, but though my jaws moved no words came out. In that moment, for the first time I wished I could cry as a dragon, because words alone felt entirely inadequate.
"Why?" I managed to whisper after a few moments of struggling with the strange tightness that seemed to constrict my throat.
"How could we possibly hold what happened against you? It's like what Vlad King said, on our first day. We lift each other up when we fall." Kendo said, her expression deadly serious, but there was a soft warmth in her eyes. "You have performed beyond anyone's expectation as a Vice-President, and there is no-one we would rather have in that position."
-----
Vlad King had given us a few moments to gather ourselves, before moving onto business.
"In three weeks time, the UA Sports Festival will be taking place. Despite what happened, we must move on and show the world that we are not afraid."
Right. The biggest sports event in the country. Now that the introductory week was over we'd need to start preparing for the main event of the whole semester.
"The Sports Festival represents an immense opportunity for each and every one of you. The whole nation will be watching, and if you want to make it big you'll have show the world what you've got. Pro-Heroes, managers and recruiters will all be following the event with close attention, and if you do well that can open the door to work experience spots and internships, and beyond that, job opportunities and marketing deals. Networking is critical, and you only have three opportunities to make an impression in front of everyone, so be sure to bring your best. This could determine the shape of your future careers."
I could remember cheering for Ryuko on the TV way back when she was still in UA, and to be honest now that I thought about the media circus was absolutely insane, especially for the higher years. You'd have in-depth analysis by experts, betting pools, the full works. The first-year event was usually just a warmup, since the competitors were mainly unknown factors.
But with all the attention the villain attack had brought, who knows?
"In the coming weeks no expense will be spared in preparing you for this ordeal, but do not think that that alone can carry you to the top. You must carry the drive to succeed yourself, and Go Beyond."
-----
"Man, I am just so PUMPED!" Yoarashi yelled out as we began packing up for the day. "The UA Sports Festival! I've always dreamed of being there myself!"
"No kidding." Kendo said. "I don't think there's a single kid in Japan who didn't imagine themselves in that arena."
"And now we get to be there." Shishida said. "It almost feels surreal."
"Aren't you excited?" I asked Pony, who looked a little glum.
"Yeah, of course!" She pulled up a quick smile. "Don't mind me!"
I frowned, but was distracted by a loud noise from the front of the classroom.
"What the-" Monoma had pulled open the classroom door, looking out in disbelief. I glanced over his shoulder: the hallway was packed with people, so thick that you could barely squeeze out of the door.
But curiously, they weren't crowding around our doorway. No, it was more like this was the edge of the crowd, with the target of their attention further down the hallway to the right.
"What are they doing here?" Tetsutetsu asked.
"Scoping out the competition, of course." Monoma begun. "We-"
"They're not here for us." I interrupted him. "Notice where they're looking? That's the direction of 1-A's Homeroom."
Monoma blinked like an owl, absorbing my words, before his eyes widened with realization. Then his face twisted with an emotion I knew all too well. Resentment.
"Why? What makes 1-A so special?" He muttered. "Do they think that we aren't a threat?"
"Monoma, they've literally been on the evening news for the last two days." I pointed out. "They're famous, of course people are going to focus on them. And they've got the Number Two Hero's son in there."
"We faced a villain too." He said stubbornly. "And you're the sister of the Number Ten Hero."
"Are you… jealous of 1-A?" I asked, a little incredulous. "Because you really, really shouldn't be. I'm not trying to downplay what happened to us, but they didn't have a blast door between them and the villains."
I tried to pick my words as carefully as I could, but I couldn't help the small twinge of annoyance I felt at Monoma's attitude. He'd never known what it was like to defend your very life against a murderous villain, knowing that each breath you draw could be your last.
It wasn't something I'd wish upon my worst enemy, and for him to reduce it to a matter of popularity, of all things...
"Look, if you want, think about it this way. Everyone's going to be looking at 1-A, and they're going to be put in front of the media circus." I explained, trying to appeal to pragmatism instead. It was clear that I wasn't getting through on the emotional front. "They're going to be the obvious targets, while we can prepare out of sight."
"Hmmm…" Monoma said, and I could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. "I guess you're right."
"Glad to hear. Now, let's get moving." I said, pushing past him into the hallway, using my bulk to clear a path through the crowd.
"Actually, I think I'm going to go do some opposition research." Monoma said, shaking his head. "Tetsutetsu, you want to come with me?"
"Yeah! I wanna see how tough these guys are!"
"That's going to be trouble." I told Kendo as the two disappeared into the crowd, elbowing students out of the way. "Should we go after them?"
"Mmm, Tetsutetsu is pretty hot-headed but Monoma should be able to keep him in check."
"Well, if you say so." I replied, though I didn't feel all too confident. "Pony, you want to walk to the training field together? Yoarashi reserved it for practising flight, for the next two hours."
"Sure." She said as we walked down the hallway, the crowds rapidly clearing as we left the Heroic Department behind, though her usual cheer seemed a little subdued. "Can you just give me a minute, I have a call I need to make?"
"Of course."
-----
Soon enough, Saturday rolled around. It was funny, how the award ceremony had felt like an insurmountable obstacle just a couple of days ago. But now, after everything, it really didn't seem that big of a deal.
"You know, you don't have to come." Ryuko told me, sitting at one of the lawn chairs at our backyard, munching on an apple.
"I never did, you said it yourself."I sat curled on the grass across from her, devouring my own dinner. UA handled lunch, but we still had to maintain a delivery deal with a local catering company because there was no way our kitchen could handle the amount of meat I needed on a daily basis. "I am choosing to come."
"It's just that after what happened, the media is going to be out in force." She shook her head.
"Isn't that the whole reason I'm coming? To experience it first-hand?"
"There's a difference between acclimatization and throwing yourself in right at the deep end. We can do this some other day, once things have settled down."
"For the next three weekends I'm going to be training." I pointed out. "And then it's the Sports Festival, which is only going to make things even wilder."
"Well, I know when you're past being convinced." My sister sighed. "I'll pick you up at six and we can walk to the venue."
"What, you're not going to arrive via limousine like all the cool heroes?"
"If you find one big enough to accommodate you, I'd be happy to. But until then we'll walk."
-----
The rest of the day passed rapidly. I stayed mostly in my room, avoiding the crew of technicians who'd shown up to set up security cameras, alarms, and the like.
Thursday evening Mom had sat me down with Dad, explaining what she'd been told at the meeting with the police, and Fujiwara's disappearance.
It was… frustrating, that what we did had been so easily undone, but at the same time I wasn't sure I could blame the police for being unable to stop a teleporter. It was just a mess, all around.
They'd also told me about the new security measures that would be implemented. There was precious little Fujiwara could do to me personally, but he'd already tried hurting me indirectly. The fact that we lived next door to Ryuko and her agency was a god-send in that we wouldn't have to move to a safe house or anything, but there'd be a lot of new security measures and systems we'd all have to get used to.
True to her word Ryuko showed up at six, all ready to go.
"You know, I'm pretty sure it's considered some form of cheating to use your costume to substitute formal wear."
"What are you talking about?" She smiled, adjusting her claw-like head decoration. "This is a proper qipao dress, perfectly appropriate for an award ceremony. Besides, you're literally naked."
"Don't remind me." I grumbled. "It's hard enough to not think about it as it is."
"You know, it is a shame I never got to teach you how to use makeup."
"If you think there was ever a chance of that, I don't believe you've ever even met me."
"I know you don't care, but do you think Mom would have let you go in front of the world looking like you'd just rolled out of the bed?"
"She could try and stop me."
The walk passed quickly in conversation as we approached the city center, drawing quite a bit of attention to the two of us. The location the ceremony was being held at was one of the fancier hotels in town, with a dedicated area for events like this.
Mygeeto Hotel was a huge, towering building, illuminated by spotlights lined along the walls. There was quite a crowd near the entrance already, with dozens of reporters and news crews milling around the barricades set up around the red carpet. I felt a chill run through me, my gait involuntarily slowing as we approached.
"I told you there was going to be a lot of media." Ryuko said with a sympathetic smile. "Last chance to back out."
"No, I said I'm doing this." I said quickly, knowing that if I stopped to think I'd convince myself to back down. "Are you sure I won't tear up the carpet? I mean…"
"Relax, the people who plan these events know what they're doing. In a Post-Quirk world an organizer who can't account for things like people having sharp claws doesn't stay in business for very long." She paused. "Also, I called in ahead of time to make sure they knew you'd be coming."
"Right." That did calm me down a little. "Thanks."
A little.
And then there was no more time for talking. The security took us through the crowds and onto the carpet, and suddenly all attention was on us.
They don't matter, I tried to tell myself. All the people whose opinions meant anything were either not there or walking by my side.
It wasn't working very well.
The camera flashes were blinding, and even worse than that was the noise. People reporting, gossiping and judging on every single thing, my ears picked it all up
"Is that Ryukyu's sister?"
"Yeah, her name was on the UA recommended students list…"
"Can't she turn off her Quirk?"
"Very disrespectful-"
I felt incredibly awkward as we finally reached the doors, and I ducked my head to fit through. The ballroom set up for the ceremony was even fancier than I had imagined, with golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and glass tables laden with various delicacies.
It was kind of like being elephant in a china shop. Everywhere we went, there were important-looking people in fancy attire, and I constantly feared I'd knock somebody or something over with my tail. It was something I dealt with every day by necessity, with my size and weight I could break most things with just a misstep. But here the pressure multiplied manyfold, in front of so many people. Thankfully most people took one look at me and gave me plenty of space to move.
And then there were the Pro-Heroes. Dozens of them, people I'd only seen on TV before, here in the flesh conversing with one another or enjoying the available cuisine. Sure, nothing could quite live up to meeting All-Might, but it was still kind of overwhelming.
"Right." Ryuko said, turning to face me. "So, what we're going to do tonight is, we're first going to socialize with the other Pro-Heroes a little bit, then we're going to talk to the press, then there's going to be the ceremony itself, then a little more socialization and then we're done. If at any point you feel like you need to leave-"
"I won't."
"If you feel the need to leave, tell me and I'll have the staff get you out via a back entrance. Remember, you're only here for your own sake."
"Right."
I stuck close Ryuko, letting her lead the way across the room. A lot of eyes followed us, for obvious reasons, but there was one pair in particular that I recognized.
There, lurking on the outskirts, talking to some green-haired lady was Ryuhachi, also known as Ryuo Tatsuma, our uncle. He looked much the same as when I had last seen him ten years ago, though his scales had darkened slightly to an ochre green.
"Why is he here?"
"Who?" Ryuko asked, following my gaze. "Oh, Ryuo? I specifically invited him."
"Why?"
"Because he can't refuse without looking like a jackass. And if he does accept, I get to see him squirm when I get handed another award. He thinks Mom is a traitor to the family? He wants to yell at a five year old?" Ryuko's expression grew sour, and I could smell a tang of ozone in the air. "Well, he can have a front row seat as I eclipse his every achievement."
I just stood there for a moment, before hurrying to follow her. Never let it be said that my sister can't hold a grudge.
Ryuko lead me towards a cluster of people, and I felt my heartrate pick up again as I recognized the faces. Miruko and Endeavour, the Number Eleven and Number Two Pro-Heroes in the country.
"Are there… are there usually this many Pro-Heroes in these types of events?"
"Hm? Yeah, pretty much. If you want to make it big, just winning a lot of fights won't be enough. You really have to make good use of PR, because popularity plays a huge role in the Hero Rankings, and the Hero Rankings are everything when it comes to, well, anything." She said. "I mean, underground heroes obviously don't care, but for most of us rankings influence support company deals, marketing, teamwork, and just in general the ability to get anything done. And of course, there's the prestige involved in the higher rankings."
I nodded as if I understood, as we reached the pair of Pro-Heroes. Objectively I knew that Ryuko worked with these people and knew them personally, she'd even told me about them occasionally.
But that was entirely different to seeing her walk up to Miruko and pull the shorter woman into a quick hug, before exchanging a quick nod with Endeavour. I thought I was starting to get the point of how disturbing it was for my classmates when I talked about Ryuko so casually.
"...I want you to meet Ryuuzaki, my younger sister." I tuned back to whatever she was saying.
"Oh! This is Ryuuzaki?" Miruko bounded up to me, snatching my claw into a vigorous handshake. "Your sister speaks so much about you!"
The Number Eleven Hero was a short but very muscular tan-skinned woman, with white hair coming down mid-thigh. Her most striking feature, however, were the massive bunny ears that extended a good foot into the air above her like horns.
"Um, hi. Nice to meet you."
"She's as shy as you were at her age!" Miruko elbowed Ryuko in the side as she stepped aside, causing her to stumble slightly.
I had met Endeavour only once before, and that had been at a distance, but it was impossible to avoid exposure to the Number Two Hero. His flame-mustached face was everywhere, from the news to licensed merchandise.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." He said. "My son had mentioned your participation in the Recommended exams."
That seemed improbable given we didn't really interact, but I had no cause to dispute his words. I took Endeavour's hand and shook it as the man looked me up and down. I don't know what he was looking for, but it seemed like he'd found it.
"I've heard good things of you." He continued, giving me a firm look. "I hope to see you live up to them in the Sports Festival."
Did… did I just get a compliment? From Endeavour?
"But at any rate, I had just finished my discussion with Miruko. I shall leave you to it."
"Hm." Miruko said as Endeavour walked away. "The old grumpy is usually more gruff than that. I think he likes you!"
I felt so confused.
Ryuko, for her part, only frowned.
"So your sister finally brought you out to the big leagues, kid? About time, too, with the way she keeps talking about you."
I really wasn't sure what to say to that.
"You'll need to work through that shyness, at least." Miruko boomed with laughter, clapping me in the shoulder with surprising strength. "A hero needs to be bold!"
"I'll keep that in mind." I said neutrally.
"Ha! Take care you two, I have a bowl of punch with my name on it!"
After Miruko left several other Pro-Heroes stopped by to offer congratulations to Ryukyu, though I was thankful for the fact that Ryuo elected to skulk around seething instead.
Things continued at a steady pace for a while, Ryuko exchanging pleasantries with various Pro-Heroes as I hung back, aside from occasionally being introduced to new people.
Eventually a suited man came by, his name tag identifying him as an employee of the Ryukyu Hero Agency.
"Ryuuzaki, this is Hiroto Koizumi, my PR Manager. He's responsible for managing my interactions with the media."
"Nice to meet you." He gave me a charming smile, before turning to Ryuko. "I've got the interview set up, the crew is waiting."
We were directed to a smaller side room, where we were met by a tall blonde-haired woman with cat ears standing alongside a cameraman, both of them carrying press badges.
"This is Naoko Kurosawa of Channel Nine live here at Mygeeto Hotel with Ryuko Tatsuma, better known as the Dragon Hero: Ryukyu!"
"It's my great pleasure to be here Naoko." Ryuko was of course in her element, slipping into her role with natural ease. "I'd also like to introduce you to my younger sister Ryuuzaki Tatsuma, who decided to join me today."
"Nice to meet you!" Kurosawa told me enthusiastically, as the cameraman shifted slightly to get me in the shot as well. "Is this your first public appearance?"
"...Yes." I said, feeling incredibly out of place.
"Ryuuzaki here recently started her training at UA's Heroics Course." Ryuko smoothly took over from my stumble.
"I see, the classic tale of following in the footsteps of your big sibling. Can you tell our viewers what it's like to be the younger sister of the Number Ten Hero?"
"It's not something I think about most of the time." I doubted that was the answer she'd been looking for, judging by her expression. "I just- she's my sister. Her rank doesn't factor into it."
"Ah, so you've been able to keep humble!" She smiled pleasantly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's good, very good. Well, Ryukyu, we'd like to ask you some questions about…"
With that, it seemed like my contribution to the interview was done, and I certainly wasn't about to butt myself back in. I hung back as Kurosawa threw a couple more quick questions at Ryuko, just generic ones like "how are you feeling on this historic night" and "is there anything you'd like to tell our viewers?", that sort of thing. In a few moments it was over and done with, and we returned to the main ballroom.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"It was certainly something." I said, letting hold of the breath that I'd been holding.
"Hey. You did fine." Ryuko told me, reaching up to put a hand on my shoulder. "I did much worse, when it was my first time in front of a camera."
"Mmm."
Ryuko was about to say something more, but before she could we were interrupted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Pro-Heroes and civilians, the time has come for the main event of the evening!" An old man holding a mic had stepped up on the raised platform dominating one side of the ballroom. I think I remember seeing his face before, unless I was entirely mistaken that was the mayor of Musutafu.
I'd never seen my sister pale that quickly, except for the time Mom found an empty bottle of hard alcohol in her room when she was sixteen.
"Wait, how can it already be that late? I still need to- I have to go." She fumbled, looking around. "Will you be alright by yourself?"
"I'll be fine."
"Right." She pinched her nose for a moment. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Ryuko disappeared into the backroom, leaving me alone on the ballroom floor. Well, if there's one good thing about being a dragon it's that most people aren't exactly eager to talk to you, and I was mercifully left alone for the most part. However, there was one face I was semi-glad to see approach me.
It's funny. You'd think that looking down at Gang Orca instead of up would make him look less scary. It doesn't.
It really doesn't.
But at the very least he was familiar, in a way nobody here aside from Ryuko was.
"Tatsuma."
"Gang Orca."
There was always this little moment of awkwardness whenever I met somebody who knew me before the incident, where I wondered if they knew why I was, well, the way I was.
"My congratulations on your admission to UA." He said, either oblivious to my nervousness or, more than likely, simply uncaring of it.
"Thank you." I said.
"Tell me." Gang Orca began, as bluntly as ever. "Why did you cease attending the lessons at the aquarium?
"I- Two years ago, I was-"
"I know." He stated. "I saw the police reports. What I do not know is why you stopped attending the lessons."
"Because I couldn't have fit through the doors!" I bit out, defensive.
"I see." He said, folding his arms. "And did you ask any of the staff or myself whether there were alternative accommodations available for use?"
"I assumed-"
"But you did not ask. Do you think you are the only one to suffer from issues with nonstandard body size?" He didn't wait for an answer. "But that is in the past now. Do you still suffer from Thalassophobia?"
"...Yes?" I said, feeling a bit of whiplash from the rapid change of topic. It was true that I hadn't explicitly asked, but…
"Why are you asking me?"
"Yes, I still have it." I corrected my statement with a growl.
"You have not sought treatment for it?" He went on, utterly immune to my growing annoyance.
"I… No. I have not."
"Unwise." He stated matter-of-factly, as he did everything. "Especially in this field of work. It is an avenue of weakness villains will exploit."
I bit my tongue to keep myself from speaking out. He wasn't wrong, but…
"The best time to do so would have been as early as possible. But it is never too late." He took out a small card from his pocket, handing it to me. "Call that number anytime within business hours to set up a meeting."
I looked at the card as if he'd just handed me a loaded gun.
"...Why?"
"Is it so hard to believe that I am trained and licensed to deal with such issues?" He said with a grunt, turning away. "They are quite important to me, as you might imagine."
"No, I mean… why?" I asked. "You don't work at UA. You're not responsible for me."
Gang Orca paused for a moment and then turned back around, his expression unreadable. "Because being a Hero is so much more than just fighting villains and waving in front of a camera."
-----
I found myself a good spot to watch the ceremony, on the outskirts of the room, with my back against a wall. The crowd was starting to congregate around the main stage, but I could easily see over their heads just by standing up straight.
"...Please welcome, the Pro-Hero Ryukyu!"
Just as Ryuko re-emerged onto the stage, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye. A woman wearing a press badge around her neck was making her way across the room in my direction, followed by a cameraman.
I initially hoped they were simply trying to get closer to the stage, but as they drew closer and closer it became obvious they were coming for me. And I'd just cornered myself between the crowd and the wall.
"Excuse me, I'm Yuuna Takenaka from Heroes Daily. We'd like to ask a few questions, if you don't mind."
"I-"
"You are a UA student, correct? Has wednesday's villain attack and the failure of UA's security shaken your faith in their ability to provide a safe learning environment?"
"No, I-" I began, before realizing the loaded nature of the question.
"You-" I began, annoyed, but she interrupted me again.
"Do you feel safe in UA's care?"
"Yes." She opened her mouth, presumably to throw another question at me, but this time I kept talking, raising my voice to speak over her. "It took the largest villain attack of the decade and a teleporter of unprecedented power to breach UA's defences, and even so it was dealt with without permanent injuries or deaths."
"What about All-Might?" She countered. "Do you feel safe under his tutelage, knowing that he is being targeted by a powerful villain group?"
Damn. That… actually wasn't something I'd thought of. And the more I did think about it, the more complicated it got. Of course, having the Number One Hero there . But at the same time, if his presence was inviting attack and students were being caught in the crossfire…
I had no easy answers to that, and I certainly wouldn't be able to form any in time to give to the reporters. But thankfully I did have an easy out.
"Well, I don't have to worry about it, because we have people specifically trained and qualified to do that. I have full confidence in UA and my teachers, and whatever judgement call they end up making I will accept, because they are the experts with all of the relevant facts and experience."
I saw the reporter blanch at the stock non-answer, and gear up for another shot, but I took the opportunity and pressed my advantage.
"But while we're on the topic, wouldn't you say that the constant media attention on All-Might and the fact that his presence at UA was widely reported upon despite UA's attempts to keep it down were likely contributing factors to the villain attack? In fact, and you can correct me if I'm mistaken, but did the villains not use the media's as a cover to break into UA for scouting? I mean, I am just a highschooler, but I think I remember something like that happening."
That last part may have been a little much, but I wasn't in the mood to be generous. For her part the reporter had the grace to look abashed.
"Let's talk about something else, then-" She began, but I took the opportunity to interrupt her in turn.
"Sure, we can talk about something else. Like, for an example, how you're preventing me from following my sister's award ceremony, despite the fact that you're ostensibly here to cover it?"
I nodded towards the stage, and without waiting for a reply I pushed past her and the cameraman.
I sagged in relief as soon as I got out of sight, feeling utterly exhausted. For a moment I considered taking Ryuko's offer to leave, but I'd already come this far and I didn't want to call it quits now.
By the time I'd found a spot on the other side of the room Ryuko was stepping down from the stage, the main ceremony already over. Her eyes scanned the crowd, easily spotting my massive form as she made her way over.
"What did you think of my speech?"
"Well I'd be happy to offer my opinion, but I was kind of distracted with having a mic shoved into my face at the time." I told her.
Ryuko's face fell slightly. "Let me guess, Heroes Daily?"
"Yeah."
"I'll lodge a complaint against them. They've been going downhill in recent times, with rampant gossipmongering and paparazzis. If they keep it up they'll probably start losing press badge privileges for events like this." She said with a scowl. "That's a big part of what I have a PR Manager for, to set up interviews and make sure the ones doing it know the right balance between just throwing softball questions at you all day and being obnoxiously pushy."
"I don't know, even that one we did just felt kind of… fake."
"You get used to it, after a while." She assured me, but I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that. We fell into a silence for a while, before Ryuko broke it again.
"You know, I think I saw ice cream on one of those tables."
"Lead the way."