And just like that, the tenth and final exam concluded amidst a chaotic clash of thunder, ice, and raw power.
As for the result…
"Looks like we'll be staying behind for remedial lessons, Todoroki." Kaminari flashed a bright, carefree smile as he extended his hand toward Shoto Todoroki, who lay flat on the ground, exhausted and covered in dirt.
Kaminari looked equally battered. His body ached all over, and his internal energy reserves were completely drained. The battle suit on his body continued recharging him, but it was a slow, almost negligible process.
Todoroki glanced at Kaminari's outstretched hand, then back at his face. For some reason, Kaminari felt… different. Todoroki couldn't pinpoint what had changed, but something definitely had.
Still, he grasped Kaminari's hand without hesitation and stood up beside him under the bright midday sun.
"Let's get stronger next time," Todoroki said softly.
Kaminari's smile deepened. "Yeah. Stronger… next time."
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice echoed through the arena:
"Kaminari and Todoroki: time expired. Exam failed."
The announcement stunned the audience.
This was the first failure of the entire exam, and it involved two of Class 1-A's top students. The unexpected outcome left everyone reeling.
---
Monitoring Room
"Kaminari... they really failed," Momo murmured, her hand covering her mouth as a trace of sadness flickered across her face.
"It's both reasonable and surprising," Tokoyami said, his tone somber. He rarely spoke, but when he did, his words carried weight.
Midoriya gave a faint nod. "Yeah... it makes sense, though. I mean, they were fighting All Might."
BAM!
The sudden sound of a door slamming open interrupted the group's reflection. Heads turned just in time to see Kyoka running out of the room.
"What the—?" Kirishima scratched his spiky red hair in confusion. "What's going on? Where's she going?"
Tetsutetsu grinned. "Where else? She's going to find Kaminari! He failed, right? Gotta cheer him up. That's what friends do!"
Kirishima's eyebrows lifted. "Wait… you think he's upset?"
"Obviously! The guy just got wrecked by All Might and failed the test. He needs his bros right now!" Tetsutetsu puffed out his chest proudly. "Come on, man! Let's go!"
But before he could leave, Asui's calm voice cut through the air. "I don't think you should go, Tetsutetsu-chan."
"Huh? Why not?" Tetsutetsu frowned.
"Because," Tsuyu said, tilting her head slightly, "if you go, Kaminari probably won't appreciate it."
Momo nodded in agreement. "Yes... I think Kaminari would much rather be left alone right now. And if you do go, you might actually make him angry."
Tetsutetsu froze. "What?! No way. Kaminari never gets mad at me."
Ashido gasped, suddenly connecting the dots. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wait… I get it! This has to do with Jiro-chan and Kaminari, doesn't it?!"
---
"Ahhhh?!"
Uraraka's face flushed beet red. Beside her, Hagakure, though invisible, raised her gloved hands to her cheeks.
Kirishima's jaw dropped. "Wait… Kaminari and Jiro?!"
"Tch. Boring."
Bakugo scowled and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Damn extras. What a waste of time." He stomped toward the door, muttering about how Kaminari was an idiot for losing.
But Bakugo's indifference didn't diminish the others' curiosity. If anything, it made them more intrigued.
"I did notice something weird during the fight," Iida said thoughtfully, adjusting his glasses. "When All Might slammed Kaminari into the ground… Jiro started crying."
He paused, clearly embarrassed by his own observation.
"But… that level of emotion wasn't normal," Iida continued. "Unless…"
Tetsutetsu snorted dismissively. "What's so surprising? They've been dating for a while."
The room fell silent.
"WHAT?!"
Even Ashido, who had just voiced her suspicions, was taken aback.
Toru practically jumped out of her seat. "When?! How?! Why didn't we know?!"
"Relax, relax." Tetsutetsu waved a hand. "Kaminari never tried to hide it. He just didn't make a big deal out of it, either."
Immediately, the group swarmed him with questions, desperate for juicy details. The classroom buzzed with animated chatter.
"Ah… youth," Recovery Girl said, smiling softly as she watched the scene unfold.
---
Outside the Exam Grounds
Meanwhile, Kaminari was far from the chaos of the monitoring room. He stood next to Kyoka, who clung tightly to his arm, her head buried against his shoulder.
"Okay, okay, I'm fine. Really," Kaminari reassured her.
Kyoka didn't respond. Instead, she pressed her fingertip into the corner of his bruised mouth.
"Ow!" Kaminari hissed, wincing.
"Still think you're fine?" Kyoka asked, her voice tight with concern.
"Alright, alright… I get it," Kaminari said, chuckling weakly.
Suddenly, Kyoka grabbed his hand and started walking toward the exit.
"Wait, where are we going?" Kaminari asked, surprised.
"To Recovery Girl," Kyoka answered without looking back. "You're hurt."
"Ah, come on… Todoroki's just as banged up as me, but you don't see him running for help," Kaminari protested.
"I don't care about Todoroki," Kyoka shot back. "You're the one I'm worried about."
Her bluntness caught him off guard. Kaminari's lips twitched into a smirk.
"Why?" he teased.
Kyoka stopped abruptly. Kaminari, unprepared, bumped into her back with a startled grunt.
He opened his mouth to joke again but froze when she turned around.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips trembled slightly, but her dark eyes burned with determination.
"Because I'm your girlfriend. And you're my boyfriend."
Before Kaminari could react, Kyoka rose onto her toes and kissed him quick and clumsy, but full of raw, unfiltered emotion.
For a moment, everything around them faded into silence.
***
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