(Denki's POV)

"C'mon, Kaminari, stop sulking in the corner! You're no fun when you're like this," Sero grinned, trying to pull me up. Unfortunately for him, I stubbornly stayed where I was. Can't these people give me a break? Geez, now I know how Bakugou feels.

"Don't wanna. Leave me alone, Sero."

Sero gave me a weird look. "If this is still about Jirou, I'mma yeet you out the window," he joked, trying to cheer me up.

"She's not just any plain girl, this is Jirou Kyoka we're talking about, bro. She's smart, pretty, cute, talented-"

Sero narrowed his eyes. "Okay, now you're just cringing me out. I get it. Cheer up, you're a hero in training, man. Heroes aren't that easy to knock down."

All calm thought in my mind just disintegrated, right there and then. "So what? What if I don't want to be a hero anymore?" I argued.

"Are you out of you mind, dude?! All that hard work you've put in for two years now?! You're willing to toss all that into the dumpster, just because a girl rejected you??!!" Sero asked, bewildered. "Man, quit the crazy talk, you just need to chill out. Why don't we go to the arcade? That will clear your thoughts."

I just shrugged. I'm not really feeling the mood for games, for anything in that matter. But I need a break from all this shit. "Sure, I guess. Maybe a game or two will help me breathe."

One thing I didn't tell Sero though: I wasn't fit to be a hero. All because of who I am. I can't be a hero. If Kyoka knew, she would blow a gasket, she'd really give it to me. That's why no one should know what I'm really like.

~~~~~~

"Hey, Kyoka-chan, are you okay?" Isn't that Keijirou-nii's voice? I grabbed Sero and pulled him behind a tree.

"Yo, dude, what the he-" I slapped a hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Shhhhhhh! They'll hear us!" I whisper-shouted. I peeked at the two from behind the tree. Keijirou and Kyoka were talking. Aren't they a little too close to each other?

"You look kinda pale and your eyes are swollen.." Keijirou said in a worried tone.

"Tell me something I don't know, Sherlock. I haven't been able to sleep at all last night," Kyoka grumbled. "All because of fracking Denki! I wish he would just listen to me! He hasn't been answering any of my messages or calls!"

A pain coursed through my heart. Have I caused her as much pain as much as she caused for me?

"Maybe it's because he thinks we're an actual couple, that idiot."

"It was all because of your dumb idea, Hajime-san. If only we didn't do this stupid hey! let's fake date to make Denki jealous so he'll like you! plan. I'm sorry if I'm rude but-" Kyoka was cut short by Keijirou. Wait...so they were actually faking it? To make me jealous? My heart skipped a beat. I'd hate to say it, but their plan had worked.

"You don't have to apologise. It was my idea, I deserved that. The plan wasn't only to help you, you know that?" Keijirou said quietly. "To be honest, it was also to keep you to myself for a bit. I know, selfish, right? I like you."

Kyoka looked stunned for a sec. "Hajime-san...I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything. I know..you don't feel the same way. You should know that, Denki loves you, way more than he actually lets on." Why'd you have to throw me under the bus like that?? I thought. "Please, tell him what you feel in return. Don't torture him anymore by making him wait. Or all this, that we've done will be wasted.. please, Kyoka-chan."

I sat there, speechless. Keijirou had loved her so he's willing to give up. Just for me and Kyoka to be happy. I didn't think I would say this but, I really owe him. I heard a crunch behind me.

"Sero....where did you get the popcorn?" I asked Sero who was munching on a bucket of popcorn.

"I was hungry! Besides, you can't watch a drama without popcorn. Everyone knows that."

I sighed and laughed.

~~~~~~

It took me freakin' 10 minutes to get up the guts to talk with Kyoka after a long time of self conflict. Out of the blue, a hand gripped my wrist hard, and roughly pulled me to the side. The hand that was gripping my wrist was the last person I wanted to see today...Mineta.

"Yo, Kaminari, you going after that lame ass chick of yours again, aren't ya?" he asked me with narrowed eyes. "What happened to pals before gals?" Wait...Mineta would never say that. And I mean never ever, not in a billion lifetimes. He would always go for gals before pals.

"Huh...Mineta you're acting weird."

"Kaminari, wanna hear a joke?" he snickered, ignoring me. Before I could reply no, he pushed on. "What did the lightbulb tell his opponent in a fighting match? Lights out!!!"

Before I knew it, I felt a prickling pain on my upper arm and everything went black.

(Kyoka's POV)

I left Hajime there after our minor dispute, feeling very anxious and frustrated but mainly confusion. Had Denki really felt like that? I've always thought he was just joking around like always or it was just a small attraction. He constantly has crushes like those. He'd be interested in a girl for a while, but as soon as another girl steps into the picture, he'll run off chasing her. By the end of our first year, he had a total of 23 crushes, including Uraraka, Yaomomo, Ibara, Nejire-senpai, Sekigai and many others. He isn't one to be called reliable or consistent or even decisive.

"Hey, Jirou! You have a moment?" Speak of the devil, here he is now.

Gotta keep my cool..don't wanna blow up and make a scene. "What do you want, Denki?"

"Geez, why so cold, girl? I know you can't resist my gorgeous face," Denki flirted, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Something about him just doesn't add up...I shrugged it off. It's Denki, being weird is normal for him. "Anyways, I need help with something. Mind coming with me?"

"Um...sure?" Denki beamed and slung him arm around me, pulling me away with him.

"Awesome! I knew you'd agree! Now, is it okay if I try something?"

Now I'm certain...something was not right here. Then it hit me: he had called me by my last name. And he usually respected my space and limited himself to what I was comfortable with. This Denki...was not Denki.

"You're not Denki! Denki stopped calling me "Jirou" ages ago! Who are you and where's the real Denki?!" I asked, threatening the impostor with my ear jacks...which were completely harmless without the speakers on my hero costume. If only I had them...I'm completely helpless at this point.

The fraud smirked and not the flirty kind either. It was eerily creepy and made my nape feel tingly. "Oh you'll find out soon enough, Jirou-chan." Those were the last words I heard before I got hit upside the head and fell into darkness.