Chapter 026

Mina had apparently woken up by 10:30, because it was at that point that she finally replied to his message.

Len stepped out of the middle of the sidewalk and leaned against a shop window to check his phone. He'd been sort of wondering aimlessly around the nicer districts of town for a few hours, popping into a couple of stores, not really looking to buy anything. But he planned to visit the facility before grabbing lunch.

Mina: awww damn. was hoping u could join me n tsu and mayb toru to just hang out later this afternoon

Len half-smiled. Mina HAD been trying to invite him to do something, but… with some other people. Oh well. That was better than nothing, right? And it didn't make him feel weird or creepy for saying yes.

Len: well, my workload is actually pretty light today. i'll be free for lunch if you lot wanna grab something and then we can hang out until 4ish

Around four was usually when he returned home from school. Any later and his parents might suspect something.

Mina replied back after about two minutes.

Mina: that sounds great! we'll just meet at u and toru's train station, she'll be there too. does 12:30 sound good?

Len: works for me

He'd have to hustle a bit, since the Quirk facility was kinda far away, in a seedier area of town. But it'd be possible.

Len: say, why didn't we just plan this in the group chat?

Mina: idk lol

Mina: it kinda seemed like it'd be a girls thing. but i figured i may as well invite u too. tsu and toru are fine with it

Len: why not invite sero and shoji? I feel bad leaving them out…

Mina: idk. seems like it's still kind of a girls thing.

Len: fair enough then.

He briefly flashed back to his and Sero's conversation during the battle trial, how Sero had suggested that he only hung out with girls. Back then, it'd seemed like the connotation had been that Len was some sort of slut, with a harem of women. But now? It's taking on a new meaning. I'm being invited to a thing that was meant to be girls only, and Mina said she "may as well" invite me. That means… oh no.

The unthinkable had happened. Len had been labeled in their minds as… one of the girls.

He actively facepalmed, catching the attention of some pedestrians. Was it better than being friendzoned? Maybe. Maybe not.

The thoughts were worrying enough to the point that Len considered saying no to the plans. But he'd already said yes… and he didn't want to flake out on Mina like that. I don't want to play THAT hard to get.

As his feet led him down a familiar path onto dirtier, narrower streets, Len kept thinking. What is it that I like about Mina anyway? I mean, she's really cute… that's what I thought last night before suddenly labeling my feelings as a "crush." But what is a crush anyway? Do I not really understand what's happening here?

He thought he'd had crushes on girls before, but that was different. It had been in elementary and middle school, and nothing had ever come of them. Had his brain tricked him into thinking he had a crush just because they'd been through a life-or-death situation? Plus one practice life-or-death situation, if you counted the entrance exam. And just because they'd happened to share a few weird moments during those?

In the end, Len reached the training building without coming up with any kind of answer. I suppose the best way to find out would be to spend more time with her… which I have made plans to do, this very day! Ha! Len, you are a genius!

The unofficial Quirk facility was an old gymnasium, made of brown bricks and browner windows. On outsider's glance, there was definitely no one in there, ever. But Len knew better.

He walked in, and there was old Simon, sitting in a metal chair in the entryway. Beyond was the open gym, mostly in warm darkness with a single yellow light beam spreading over a dusty boxing ring. Within, two guys were facing off, and other people were conversing in the shadows, laughing, talking casually. The atmosphere was normal, cordial.

Simon stood up from his chair. "Well, if it ain't Kagamine!" he shook the boy's hand with his own wrinkled, bony one. Simon was a hunchbacked fifty-something who'd moved to Japan from America when he was twenty-two and had quickly run out of money. Somehow he'd gotten around to managing this gym for people who wanted to practice their Quirks on the downlow. His scraggly beard was more salt than pepper, and he'd tell his life story to anyone who'd ask… the details of which often seemed to change.

"Hey, Simon." Len smiled at the guy. He was a nice enough guy, although something about him made one uneasy.

"Haven't seen you in a while, yknow. Heard ya went off to UA."

"I did. That's why I've not come back, and… honestly, this'll be my last visit. I'm just here to pick up some stuff and let you know I won't be coming back."

"Oh, for sure. You traded old Simon's facilities for them shiny professional ones. Anyone would make the same choice, I reckon." He spat. Len flinched, knowing that spitting was kind of a rude gesture, especially in the West. See how he makes you uneasy?

Then Simon smiled, cackling. "Oh, I'm just messin' with ya. Another UA boy came by sayin' the same thing actually. Although I think he's stayin' for a bout before leavin' forever."

"Oh, is Bakugou here?" Len craned his neck to look out into the open gym. Sure enough, Bakugou was standing outside the ring, watching the current battle. He'd be up next.

Simon raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I guess that's his name. You two in the same class up there?"

"… Yeah." Unfortunately.

Len walked on through the gym, briefly greeting some guys he had known as he passed them. He went to the far end under the old bleachers, where a few dusty lockers were kept.

It'd be perfectly valid if someone had stolen his shit, but it was still here. One of his hoodies, and a couple of paper and makeshift masks he had tried to use for fighting with his Quirk in the ring. Before I got the metal one. He folded and pocketed the masks, and tied the hoodie around his waist.

He passed Bakugou on his way out, and the blonde explosion user noticed him. "Crackhead," he sneered.

"Yo. Taking advantage of the day off? Getting some extra work in?"

Bakugou's face took on a complicated expression, as if he wasn't quite sure whether or not to be rude. He doesn't know what to make of me, Len realised. He's sizing me up. They had never actually fought each other in the ring before, and rarely came at the same times, even.

The blonde settled on a sadistic smile. "You know it, warp wacko. This'll be my last time coming here, though. It ought to be yours too if you know what's good for you."

"Yeah, I'm just picking up some stuff. We really can't be seen here now that we're training to be heroes. I'm glad that you of all people understand that."

Bakugo's face twisted. "The hell does that mean? Me of all people?"

Len narrowed his eyes. "I haven't forgotten how you threatened Kurogiri's life, or tried to convince me to leave Midoriya behind."

Bakugo seemed like he was going to blow up for a moment, but then he settled, cooling it… and grinned. "I saw you right before I came into the battle, Crackhead. You were threatening that warp gate's life right there with me, don't even try to deny it. You had revenge intent in those stupid blue eyes. And don't lecture me about bloody Deku. That's something you know NOTHING about, and could never understand."

Len flushed red. He'd gotten him with the Kurogiri thing. "Yeah. Okay. Whatever."

Bakugou shrugged. "Hey, I don't judge. Just calling you out on some hypocrisy is all. You sure you don't wanna go a round?" he asked, holding up his palms. "This'll be our only chance to go all out without a teacher watching."

"Can't. Meeting up with some people from our class soon."

"Tsk. I bet you're scared. I saw how you fought against Spiky Hair in that battle trial. You've got a hell of a way to go if you wanna go anywhere in the Sports Festival."

Len raised his eyebrows. "Sports Festival?"

An eyeroll from the explosion user. "God, you really are a dumbass. Yes, the festival's coming up. Big deal. Bunch of pro heroes there watching. All the best offers will go to the winner… and that'll be me."

"Oh. I don't really care about winning, or offers." Seeing other people in the class succeed will be cool though. I'll be rooting for them.

"Tsk. And that's the difference between you and me, and why you'll always be an extra."

Len frowned. "I'm gonna go now. I may have lost my battle trial, but you lost yours too, so…"

"WHAT was that?" He got ready to leap at him and attack in anger, but then the bell rang. Bakugou was up next.

The boy relaxed and went back up to the ring, barely turning his head round to give Len some parting words. "Tsk. You got lucky, loser. You better watch your damn back."

"Certainly." Len kept walking, back towards the door.

"Hey, I know you!" said a voice. Len turned to look at the guy, standing somewhat in the shadows.

"Oh hey, I've seen you around. You've got a flexibility Quirk, right?"

"Yeah, that's me." The guy had a bad case of shifty eyes, and he was real skinny, like he hadn't had a proper meal in days. "Yo," said Len, pointing a thumb towards the door, "do you want me to buy you something from the convenience sto—"

"Nah, that's alright." The guy waved his hands. "I just saw you in the newspaper, that's all. You're at UA, aren't you? You and that other kid." He pointed to the ring, where Bakugou was now getting ready to fight some other guy. "You guys were attacked by those villains."

Len shifted uncomfortably. "Ah… yep."

"Listen, dude… I'm sorry. That could have been me out there, getting arrested and shit. Damn." He shuddered.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Me and a couple of other guys were hanging out outside the gym late one night, about a month ago. Some guy came up to us and asked if we wanted to join that League of Villains."

Len's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Are you serious?"

The dude nodded. "My friends agreed to it, but I said nah. This recruiter guy threatened me a little, but my friends told him to respect my choice, it was no big deal, they'd go with him anyway. So off they went, and now they're all in custody. God, does it make me shake."

Len's head was spinning. "This… recruiter. What did he look like? Did he have blueish hair?" Could it have been Shigaraki?

"Huh? Oh, nah. Brown hair. His Quirk was like, shooting bullets out of his fingers or something."

Oh. Of course it wasn't Shigaraki. By that time he'd have gotten someone else to do his recruiting work. Used the underlings he already had. "Thanks for letting me know," Len said.

"Anyway, uhh… you sure you wanna be here right now? If you're tryna be a hero and all, I mean…"

Len swallowed. "You make a good point. But hey, umm… you did the right thing, man. By not joining them. Keep your head above the ground, alright?"

"Yeah, g-got it."

"Alright, see you." He began to walk toward the door, suddenly faster. I've got to get out of here. This was a mistake. He knew that this place was illegal, but for the League to have been recruiting here? That was on another level entirely. God, it could have been me! A month ago, before UA? I mean… shit! If they'd come around at a time while I was here, and found out I had a warping Quirk? After how Kurogiri had acted towards him, Len could imagine the recruiter acting a little more persistent towards him than he might have done to the guy with the flexibility Quirk. And I told people here my NAME, too! Shit, shit, shit.

He briefly looked back at Bakugo, fighting in the ring. He debated warning him, too.

… Nah. Let him figure it out on his own. Len had a habit of turning spiteful when his emotions ran high.

"Whoa, you good, Kagamine? You seem pale."

"I'm fine, Simon." He briskly walked through the entryway. "See you around."

"No you won't," the American mumbled as Len left the building.