Finding Me (Todoroki x Reader)

Chapter 89

"N-No..." he muttered, pupils dilated to the smallest circle in creation, and face considerably pale.

Turning back to face the board, I scanned the B's section, going over it again and again until I realised he wasn't there. And if Bakugou's name wasn't there, then... 

He hadn't passed.

My smile dropped as I scanned over the board again, switching straight to the T's in the hopes that a certain name was there, that his name was there. Nonononononono...

My heart plummeted deep into my gut as no sign of a Shoto Todoroki was anywhere to be found. Slowly, I turned to face the icy-hot boy in question, and found him still staring at the board. His face was that emotionless statue he always was, but his eyes drooped the slightest bit. He was disappointed- no, actually, he was gutted. Absolutely gutted.

He'd feared that this would happen, and had had every right to be. But as for me...

"What if I fail, and so do you? It would be all my fault..."

He'd been worried about me not passing either; yet here I was, smiling and jumping and celebrating while he was not. He had failed, but not with me. I had passed, but Shoto had been left behind.

I reached out to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Shoto-"

"Todoroki!"

We both turned to see Inasa Yoarashi walking up to us, his face a stone wall of frustration and anger as he sauntered up to us. However, that anger and frustration wasn't aimed at us, or even Shoto, individually. No, it was reserved for someone else.

The two had a silent stare off for a second, causing me and Midoriya to look at each other in concern. Were they going to fight, again? Was Yoarashi still mad at Shoto? Before I could answer my own questions, Yoarashi did... by bending over in a low bow and slamming his head into the ground.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "It's my fault you didn't pass the Licensing Exam. My focus was too narrow-minded. Forgive me!"

Looking between Yoarashi and Shoto, I was completely stunned. Had Yoarashi actually apologised? To Shoto? After everything that went down between them, now they were putting aside their differences? Well, at least Yoarshi was. Shoto, though...

I watched for Shoto's reaction, picking up how he averted his eyes away from the Shiketsu student for a second. He was in thought. Probably about what Yoarashi had said.

"You and your father are the only heroes I can't accept... You don't deserve the title, understand?"

As much as Shoto wanted to deny his heritage, he couldn't deny that he is Endeavour's son. He couldn't just keep suppressing his feelings in the hope that they would just go away. He needed to accept them and face them. Own them.

"You're fine," Shoto said, lifting a hand out towards Yoarashi. "I was the one who got us off to a bad start."

"But still..."

"And thanks to the things you said to me, I have a lot to think about."

I was temporarily stunned at his response, finding it oddly... mature, in contrast to his fiery attitude with the wind-user before. My lips stretched into a small smile, pride filling my heart. He was learning.

"Holy crap," Mina muttered beside me, eyes on the same scene before us. "Did he really fail?"

"How did our top two classmates not pass the exam?" Sero added.