NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: Happiness.
Ah, so Kuro right now is pretty weak, he'll get stronger and stuff, using plot and however, I explain it or whatever.
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Kuro stood triumphantly atop the dismantled remains of the Zero-Pointer, surveying the battlefield with a mix of satisfaction and mild disappointment.
He might have gotten too carried away with the fight—dismantling the massive robot had been exhilarating, but now that the dust had settled, he realized he had missed out on more opportunities to help others. Maybe he could have racked up even more points if he'd stayed focused on his original plan. Perhaps he could have reached a thousand points?
But just as he was contemplating his next move, Present Mic's voice boomed across the entire arena. "AND THAT'S A WRAP, FOLKS! THE EXAM IS OFFICIALLY OVER!"
Kuro sighed, a twinge of sadness creeping into his usually sunny demeanor. The excitement of the exam had ended, and though he wished it could have gone on a bit longer, he knew it was probably for the best. After all, there were still plenty of other things to do, and this was just the beginning.
...
In Zones A and B, the announcement from Present Mic was met with mixed reactions. Bakugo, who had been pushing himself to the limit, finally allowed himself to relax. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing heavy but controlled.
His performance had been exceptionally strong, but in his mind, it wasn't enough. There was always room for more, for better.
"Damn it," Bakugo muttered to himself, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. He picked up his surprisingly clean jacket from where he had left it, shaking off the dust. There was nothing left to do but leave—no point in sticking around for the speeches and the mushy, feel-good nonsense that would undoubtedly follow.
But as he turned to leave, Bakugo's sharp instincts kicked in, and he felt a familiar tingle at the back of his neck. He spun around, eyes narrowing as he spotted Tenya Iida approaching him with his usual brisk, orderly stride.
"How did you do?" Iida asked, his tone polite but direct.
Bakugo, surprisingly, answered without his usual hostility. "Destroyed around 300 bots," he said gruffly, not in the mood for small talk but too drained to snap.
Iida's eyes widened slightly, impressed despite himself. "That's an incredible number. You've undoubtedly secured your place at U.A."
Before Bakugo could respond, Izuku came running toward them, panting slightly from exertion. He had been searching for them, eager to share his experience and to find out how his friends—if he could call them that—had fared.
Bakugo immediately turned to Izuku, his expression hardening. "Did you pass, Deku?"
Izuku hesitated, still unsure of his performance. "I-I'm not sure..."
Bakugo scowled, clearly displeased with the uncertainty. "You better have passed. Otherwise, I'll make sure to kill you myself for wasting my time."
Iida horrified, interjected with a vehement protest. "Bakugo, you can't just go around threatening to kill people! Especially not a fellow student!"
Bakugo waved off Iida's concern with a dismissive hand. "I'm dead serious," he said nonchalantly, causing Iida's eyes to widen in disbelief.
Izuku quickly reassured Iida, albeit with a nervous laugh. "It's okay, Iida. That's just how Kacchan encourages people. He doesn't mean it... well, not entirely."
Iida was about to launch into a retort when the sound of a vehicle pulling up caught his attention. A sleek black SUV came to a stop nearby, and Iida's eyes immediately recognized it. It was his brother, Tensei, here to pick him up.
Iida turned to Bakugo and Izuku, bowing slightly. "I must take my leave. My brother is here. It was... interesting, spending time with both of you. Best of luck."
As Iida made his way to the SUV, Bakugo and Izuku were left in an uncomfortable silence. The tension between them was thick, neither knowing quite what to say. Bakugo, for all his bravado, felt another prickle of unease, the kind he had become accustomed to over the past months.
And there it was—Kuro, standing a few feet away, his innocent face beaming at them with that ever-present, disarming smile. Bakugo felt his frustration flare up again.
Of all the people he didn't want to deal with right now, Kuro was at the top of the list. But considering his options, Bakugo realized it was either put up with Kuro or face another scolding from his mother—an ordeal he had no desire to endure.
With a heavy sigh, Bakugo muttered under his breath, "Damn it..." Then, begrudgingly, he turned to the two of them. "You two... wanna come over to my place? Celebrate or whatever."
Both Izuku and Kuro blinked in surprise, stunned by the unexpected invitation. Bakugo, showing any sign of kindness? It was almost unbelievable.
"Are you... are you serious, Kacchan?" Izuku stammered, his wide eyes reflecting his disbelief.
Kuro, for once, was equally taken aback. "Wow, Bakugo! That's nice of you!"
Bakugo's patience, already wearing thin, snapped. "Shut up!" he barked, his face reddening slightly, though whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell. "Just follow me, and don't make me regret this."
The three of them made their way to Bakugo's house, which turned out to be less of a house and more of a villa. The place was impressive, to say the least—spacious, modern, and filled with the kind of luxury that spoke to the Bakugo family's well-off status. It was clear that Bakugo's parents had done well for themselves.
Bakugo opened the door and, as was his custom, shouted, "Hey, Hag, I'm home—"
Before he could finish, a blur of movement tackled him, and Bakugo found himself caught in a headlock. The 'hag' in question was none other than his mother, Mitsuki Bakugo. Despite her fierce grip on her son, she wore a calm, welcoming smile as she introduced herself to the bewildered guests.
"Welcome!" Mitsuki said brightly, still holding Bakugo in her grasp. "I'm Mitsuki Bakugo, Katsuki's mother. It's so nice to meet you both! Please, come in and make yourselves at home."
Izuku, who had known Bakugo's mother since childhood, wasn't too surprised by the scene, though he still felt a bit uneasy. Kuro, on the other hand, found the whole thing utterly delightful. He couldn't help but smile at the dynamic between Bakugo and his mother—it was clear where Bakugo had inherited his fiery temper.
As they entered the house, Mitsuki finally released Bakugo, who grumbled under his breath but didn't put up much of a fight. She led them into the living room, which was as impressive as the rest of the house, with plush furniture and a large TV that dominated one wall.
"So, how did the exam go?" Mitsuki asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Bakugo, who had plopped down on the couch with a scowl, mumbled something unintelligible, which Mitsuki promptly ignored.
Izuku, ever the polite guest, answered quickly. "It was intense, Mrs. Bakugo, but I think we did okay... I hope."
Kuro, still taking in the surroundings, added with a grin, "I had a great time! The exam was a lot of fun. And your house is amazing, Mrs. Bakugo!"
Mitsuki beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, dear! And don't worry—if you boys gave it your all, I'm sure you did just fine."
She turned to Bakugo, giving him a teasing look. "And you, Katsuki? Did you make some new friends today?"
Bakugo's scowl deepened, but before he could snap back, Mitsuki ruffled his hair affectionately. "Don't be so grumpy. It's nice to see you spending time with people outside of school. You should do it more often."
Bakugo crossed his arms and looked away, muttering something about not having time for "idiots." But despite his tough exterior, there was a hint of something softer in his expression, something that only those closest to him might notice.
As the evening wore on, the three boys settled in, the earlier tensions slowly fading as they talked about the exam, their favorite heroes, and what they hoped to achieve at U.A. Even Bakugo, despite his usual prickliness, found himself relaxing, if only slightly.
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[Auther: Yo. Want an explanation of how Kuro's quirk works? Well, just read DBZ lore, I'll adjust it slightly, but not by much.
1. Bakugo is surprisingly, the only cook better than Kuro. Why is Kuro a good cook? You'll understand it later.
2. I don't plan on killing anyone without making sure it made sense. Hehe.
]