BNHA: Force Within

The sun streamed through the windows of U.A.'s cafeteria, casting a warm light over the students gathered for lunch. Anakin sat at one of the tables, the usual bustle of his classmates filling the air around him. The exhaustion from his internship with Obi-Wan had caught up with him, but the sight of his friends Mirio and Nejire made him feel a little lighter.

Mirio grinned as he slid into the seat across from Anakin, his usual enthusiasm still evident. Nejire flopped down beside him, a more subdued look on her face as she sat next to Anakin.

"So, how was the internship with Obi-Wan?" Mirio asked, propping his chin up with his hand, clearly eager to hear about it. "He's gotta be one of the coolest pro heroes, right?"

Anakin leaned back in his chair, stretching slightly. "It was... intense. We did a lot of physical training—fighting, blocking stun bolts, that sort of thing."

"Sounds like you learned a lot," Nejire chimed in, her eyes brightening for a moment. "I bet you're better at dodging now. I know I wouldn't last a minute against you in a fight!"

Anakin smirked, but there was a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. "I don't know about that. Obi-Wan's tough. He pushed me harder than I thought I could handle."

"Yeah, but you're pretty tough yourself," Mirio said with a wink, slapping Anakin on the back. "You'll probably come back as one of the top students. You're going to leave us in the dust!"

Anakin rolled his eyes, though the comment made him feel a little lighter. "I wouldn't get too confident, Mirio. You might have the edge over me when it comes to raw power."

Nejire's voice cut through the conversation, her tone suddenly dropping. "Speaking of power..."

Anakin turned to her, noticing the playful yet teasing expression that was slowly turning into a pout. "What's going on?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was just thinking about the Sports Festival," she said, her lips twisting slightly into a frown. "And how... well, how much fun it was."

Mirio leaned back in his seat, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he reminisced. "The Sports Festival was awesome! Remember when we had to team up in that relay race? I didn't even think we had a shot, but we made it work. It felt like we were unstoppable!"

Anakin chuckled at the memory. "I think we were definitely unstoppable. But I also remember how the audience went wild when Mirio and I teamed up. We were running so fast, they couldn't keep up."

Mirio laughed. "Yeah, that was one of the best moments! We were in sync, almost like a perfect tag team." He then gave Anakin a quick, knowing look. "Of course, I never expected to have to face you in the individual rounds."

Anakin's grin faded for a second as he recalled the match that had followed. His fight with Mirio had been a tense one, both of them pushing each other to the limit. But it wasn't just that fight—it was the moments that came afterward.

Nejire crossed her arms, a pout forming on her face as she shot Anakin a teasing glare. "You know... I haven't forgotten what you did to me during the festival, Skywalker."

Anakin's eyes widened for a moment. "Wait, what?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a mock-stern look. "You didn't go easy on me, did you? You know how I felt when you knocked me out of the ring in that match. It wasn't just about losing. You really hit me hard, Anakin!"

The mention of the Sports Festival brought a flush to Anakin's cheeks, his hands instinctively shifting in his lap. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Nejire, I... didn't mean to—"

She held up her hand, cutting him off with a dramatic sigh. "You apologized right after, remember? It wasn't the hit that bothered me. It was how you acted like it was just another move." Her pout deepened. "I didn't even know if you realized I was on the floor, knocked out cold, until you came to apologize."

Mirio snickered, trying to hide his smile behind his hand. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Nejire. Anakin didn't mean to do that. He was just in the moment. You know how competitive he gets."

Nejire's glare softened, though her arms remained crossed. "I know, I know. But it wasn't until after the match that you came over and said sorry, looking all serious about it. I wasn't sure if you were actually sorry or just trying to cover for what happened." She gave a small huff. "I'm used to it. You're always so serious when it counts."

Anakin gave a reluctant chuckle at that. "Alright, alright. I wasn't exactly thinking straight during the match. But I meant the apology."

"You better have!" Nejire shot back, although there was a playful light in her eyes now. "Otherwise, I was going to make sure you never heard the end of it. But you're lucky. I like you, Skywalker."

Anakin held his hands up defensively, knowing full well that Nejire wasn't going to let him forget it. "I swear, I didn't mean to hit you that hard. You're right, though. I did apologize right after. And I meant it."

Mirio leaned back in his chair, looking between the two of them with a smile. "You know, you two make a pretty good pair, even if you're constantly bickering about things."

"Don't you start, Mirio," Nejire warned, though there was a slight grin tugging at her lips now. "But seriously, Anakin, don't think I'm going to let you get away with that one anytime soon."

Anakin sighed in mock defeat. "I guess I'm just going to have to make it up to you somehow. How about I buy you lunch after class?"

Nejire raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's your idea of an apology?"

Anakin shrugged. "It's the best I can do. You've got me on the ropes now, so I've got to offer something."

Mirio let out a loud laugh, slapping the table. "This is exactly what I wanted to see! You two are just as entertaining as ever. It's good to have you back, Anakin."

Anakin grinned, glad that the mood had lightened. It felt good to be around his friends again, joking and laughing. Even after everything with Obi-Wan, the weight of the training, the tension from the mission, being back here with Mirio and Nejire made it all feel normal again.

"You know," Anakin said, looking at the both of them, "I think the Sports Festival might've been one of the best parts of this year so far. We were all pushing each other to be better, even when things got a little out of hand."

Mirio nodded. "It was a lot of fun, for sure. And now that we're back, I'm sure there's more ahead of us. This year's just getting started!"

Anakin's gaze shifted to the window for a moment, recalling Obi-Wan's words.