Shinsou won his fight against Eijirou. At least, that's what Mei had told him. Izuku had been out cold, missing Hitoshi's other match as well. He could imagine how the fight went, though. Shinsou only knew how to win one way at this point in time, after all.

"Come on, don't be like that! You got shared third place! That's amazing!" Hatsume told him as they walked from the infirmary to the stands. The arena was still being prepared for the final fight, but Izuku wasn't so sure whether he wanted to see it. "And your baby was awesome! It broke, sure, but it was just a prototype! Imagine what it can do once you improve the design to-"

"Shut up, Hatsume, please," Izuku sighed. "I... I'm just disappointed, okay? I had hyped myself up and I thought I could actually win and now..."

Now he'd have to confess to knowing everything. He'd have to bring back Kacchan's memories and take the beating that would come with it, followed by days upon days of disappointment and worried lecturing. Izuku knew how this was gonna go, knew Kacchan would make solid points, see the flaws in Izuku's logic and call him out on it. And honestly? Izuku wasn't sure whether he was ready for such a reality check. To be told that everything he'd been trying to achieve in this life was reckless and foolish and that Jikan would never fall for it- Which they still didn't know for certain, by the way.

"Izuku, nobody actually expected you to beat Bakugou. You know that, right?" Hatsume said. "You had an impressive run though! And you should be proud of yourself!"

"...Yeah," Izuku mumbled. He didn't feel proud for cheating everyone, though. He had intel no one else had, had connections, information, experience. It was unfair from the start and he still lost. Ugh! Useless! Useless, useless Deku! Can't do anything right! The fact that his class congratulated him on how far he'd come, on how good he held his own against a monster like Bakugou, didn't really help to lift his spirits. No, instead he settled down in a random seat, watching Kacchan and Hitoshi enter the arena. He hadn't even told the blonde about Shinsou's quirk... And now he had to face him without his own.

Useless.

He was absolutely, utterly useless.

Katsuki was flexing his fingers, as if preparing for a blast. Izuku knew it was more than that, though. He was testing whether his quirk was back yet. Izuku had told him it was temporary, sure, but the after effects could last for hours, and days during that one occasion, but Izuku tried not to think about that. Shinsou opened his mouth the moment the fight started, and of course Katsuki responded to it. Probably to yell something along the lines of 'DIE', or maybe to ask if Izuku had said anything to him. He was more frustrated than angry, after all.

Izuku clenched his fists when Katsuki suddenly stopped moving and Hitoshi grinned. It was like he could feel Shinsou's quirk, like he was the one standing in that arena, being told to give up and walk out of bounds. Yeah, Izuku could understand what Kacchan must be going through as his body rigidly turned away. He wished he could snap him out of it, like the vestiges had done before for him. But Izuku didn't have the vestiges anymore, and Kacchan never had something like that. The only thing he could do was-

"DON'T GIVE UP KACCHAN!" he yelled, up from his seat and standing at the front of the stands before he knew it. "YOU'RE GOING TO WIN, REMEMBER?!"

For a fraction of a second, it felt like Izuku was standing before him, seeing those red eyes snap open before returning back to reality with a bang. Kacchan... Kacchan had created an explosion... So Izuku's blockage must've been badly applied- Well, it's not like he meant to take his quirk away longer than it took to end the match and they were moving around quite a lot so it shouldn't surprise him it wasn't as effective, but... But it still came as a surprise. No one else had ever been able to break Hitoshi's brainwashing before...

Shinsou was taken by surprise, taking a few steps back when Katsuki turned around again with that feral grin on his face.

"Thought you could beat me that easily hah..?" he asked, letting his hands pop as he fell into his characteristic battle stance. His legs spread, his body low to the ground and his hands setting off sparks at his sides. "Think again!"

"What- No, wait-!" Hitoshi called out, trying to come up with some clever quip, some question Katsuki was sure to answer. He was too late, though. An explosion to the face sent him barreling back. Another one pushed him out of bounds. Izuku was sure Kacchan would've preferred to play around with his prey a little longer, but he was probably afraid to fall under his control again. Maybe he hadn't figured out the conditions to Shinsou's quirk? They weren't as glaringly obvious if you didn't know about them, after all.

"And the winner of this year's UA sportsfestival is Katsuki Bakugou!" Midnight called out, waving her fan around. "We'll prepare for the award ceremony shortly!"

Izuku was running out of the stands before she could say anything else, making his way through the stadium in a blur. He knew this place like the back of his hand, had walked these halls so many times before, and they never seemed to change over the course of the years. Yes, Izuku knew his way around. And he also knew they'd be gathering all the winners in one place, a place Kacchan was being guided to right now.

"Kacchan!"

Katsuki glared at him while rubbing his wrists, not answering or reacting in any other way.

"You did it! You won!" Izuku laughed, unable to stop himself from hugging him. "How did you break free from Shinsou's brainwashing? I thought that-"

"Like you don't know," Katsuki scoffed, pushing him off him. "First you take it away, then you give it back... I really don't fucking understand you, Deku."

"Huh? What do you mean? Give it..." Izuku asked, confused.

"Don't act dumb," Katsuki hissed. "You know what you did, and you know what you owe me. I won, Izuku."

Right. Kacchan won the sportsfest, he won their wager. Now Izuku would have to tell him everything. Tell him about their past, their possible future. About their memories, their time spent together. Izuku wondered whether Kacchan would still be his boyfriend if his memories returned, whether he'd still want to put up with him after he pulled something like this. He was sure his pain and discomfort were painted across his face, but a promise was a promise.

"I know," Izuku whispered, taking a shaky breath. "If you... If you really want to have a-"

"Cut it out."

Izuku blinked, feeling tears stinging in his eyes as he looked up from the ground.

"...What?"

"The bet is off," Katsuki declared, putting his hands in his pockets as he looked anywhere but Izuku.

"What?" Izuku repeated, confused.

"Didn't hear me, nerd? The bet is off," he stated. "Keep your fucking secrets, I don't care."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Izuku asked. Katsuki didn't answer, not immediately, but Izuku knew his telltale signs. Kacchan was worried about him.

"If telling me makes you so damn miserable, you don't have to," Katsuki mumbled, clearly not happy with his own decision. "Just... Fuck. Tell me if you're involved in some fucked up business, okay? Tell me you're not putting yourself in danger or doing anything stupid to-"

"I'm not," Izuku told him. This was probably the safest path he'd ever walked. Izuku wasn't in the hero course, didn't possess One For All, so he wasn't a target for any villain. He was safe within the support course, demonstrated his knowledge and smarts, and established his place within their society. If anything, doors would be opening up for him after the sportsfestival. Heck, he was basically guaranteed a job at M2B after graduation. His life had never been more secure. "I promise I'm not doing anything stupid."

"So what's the harm in telling me about it?" Katsuki couldn't help but ask.

"I want to," Izuku choked out, doing his best to control his tears, which were still threatening to fall. "I really want to tell you, Kacchan, but I-"

"You can't," Katsuki finished, frowning. "You won't."

"I won't," Izuku confirmed. They stared at each other in silence for a while after that, neither sure what else was left to say.

"Geez, cut it out with the tension, will you?" Shinsou complained, making Izuku shriek up.

"When did you get here?!"

"Is that important?" Hitoshi snorted. "Look, I don't know what the whole deal is between the two of you, but I'd like to enjoy my second place, alright?"

That's right, Shinsou placed second-

"Oh my god! You did it! You actually got to the final!" Izuku gasped, instantly flying him in the arms. "I'm so happy for you, Shinsou-kun! Now they'll have no choice but to transfer you!"

"I hope so too," the purple head chuckled, clearly flustered but trying to play it off. Eijirou entered the room not long after, congratulating everyone on their accomplishments. Katsuki simply scoffed and sat aside, not wanting to be involved in any of their festivities. Izuku knew he was dying to know what was happening. He knew Izuku was up to no good, in a way. A Deku reader- No, Deku expert, as he called himself in one of their past lives. Izuku wasn't sure which one.

They were ushered to the stage not long after, and All Might made his dramatic entrance, like he did every single time. It was a painful reminder for Izuku though, to see everything he could've had. To see all that he had rejected personified in front of him. It didn't help that Izuku was the first to receive his medal, since he was the one who lost first even if he shared his place with Kirishima.

"You showed great spirit and overcame many adversaries to reach this place! I admire you for your courage, your heart and your smarts! You showed everyone here today what plus ultra means!" All Might told him as he hung the medal around his neck, continuing a little softer, so the rest of the world wouldn't hear. "Being quirkless isn't easy in today's society, but you showed these people that even those who are powerless can achieve greatness. Thank you."

Izuku's eyes widened as he said that, his head following his movements as he went over to Kirishima, congratulating him in his usual booming voice. All Might...had thanked him..? His mentor had never pointed out his lack of a natural born quirk in such a way and then thanked him afterwards. No, he'd always told him that quirkless people can't become heroes, that One For All was the sole opportunity for them to- Oh, he understood now. Izuku choked up, feeling tears roll down his cheeks before he could control himself.

Even the powerless can achieve greatness.

Even the quirkless can be heroes.

You can be a hero.

God, Izuku never thought he'd hear those words again. Not in this lifetime. And he didn't, not those exact words, but something that meant the same. All Might had thanked him for opening his eyes, for showing him it was possible. And now Izuku was crying thinking about it all. Live on stage for all to see. Ugh, All Might really had the worst timing! He sniffled, wiping away some of the tears as the pro hero continued giving away medals, telling each of the students how well they did.

"There's a place in this hero academia for you too, young Shinsou!" he told the insomniac before moving onto Kacchan. Izuku gave Hitoshi a wobbly smile, seeing he had to suppress his own tears by now.

"And you, young Bakugou! You took a vow and pushed through!" All Might started as he stood in front of Kacchan. "You kept your promise to shine the brightest! I'm sure we'll continue to see a lot from you for years to come if you continue to work hard! Congratulations on winning your very first UA sportsfestival!"

Katsuki accepted the medal without much fuss, the crowd cheering as they posed for pictures. Izuku knew he wasn't super photogenic, and with his crying face he was sure those photos turned out awful. Still, he couldn't wait to see it on the front page first thing tomorrow morning.