LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 13: Invited
The day after the chaotic birthday party, Mina couldn't stop herself from grinning as she sat across from Bakugo in the common room. He was lounging on the couch, scowling at her as she brought up her latest idea for the millionth time.
"Come on, Bakugo," Mina said, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Just let Kikidori join the Bakusquad! He fits perfectly. He's already one of us—he just doesn't know it yet!"
"No," Bakugo snapped without hesitation, crossing his arms. "We don't need him."
Mina leaned forward, her tone turning pleading. "But he's cool! And mysterious! And his quirk is awesome! He's, like, the perfect addition to the squad."
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "He's weird. And quiet. He doesn't even hang out with us."
"That's because he doesn't feel included!" Mina countered. "Come on, Bakugo, just say yes. Please? Pretty please? With sugar on top?"
Bakugo groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're so annoying."
"I'll stop bugging you if you let him join," Mina promised, clasping her hands together in a mock prayer.
"Fine!" Bakugo barked. "He can join. Just shut up about it already."
Mina jumped up, pumping her fist in victory. "Yes! Welcome to the Bakusquad, Kikidori!"
---
Over the next few days, Kikidori found himself spending more time in the Bakusquad dorm than he ever expected. Mina had taken it upon herself to "officially" induct him into the group, which meant dragging him into whatever chaos the squad was up to. Whether it was Kaminari trying to prank Sero, Kirishima convincing everyone to do intense workouts, or Jiro playing music and ignoring the others, there was always something going on.
Kikidori, as usual, stayed quiet and observed. But even he couldn't deny that the group's energy was oddly infectious.
One afternoon, he was sitting in the corner of the dorm while Kaminari and Sero argued over which movie to watch. Bakugo was in the kitchen, yelling at Mina for stealing his snacks, while Kirishima tried to mediate. Jiro sat nearby, nodding her head to the beat of a song playing through her headphones.
It was chaotic, but it felt… comfortable.
---
A few days later, Kikidori was in class, sitting at his desk near the window. Aizawa was going over the details of their next training exercise, but Kikidori couldn't focus. His mind wandered as he stared out the window, his mismatched eyes catching the sunlight.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
Kikidori ignored it at first—Aizawa wasn't the kind of teacher who tolerated distractions. But the vibration came again, and then again, until it finally stopped.
When class ended and Aizawa dismissed them, Kikidori pulled out his phone to check his messages. His eyes narrowed when he saw who the texts were from.
*Toga.*
He opened the messages, his expression unreadable as he read through them.
The first text was casual enough:
**"Hi, Kikidori! Miss me?"**
The second one made his heart skip a beat:
**"So… I've been thinking. You're super cool, and I think you'd be perfect for the League of Villains. What do you think? Wanna join us?"**
Kikidori stared at the screen, his grip tightening on his phone. He could practically hear Toga's cheerful, sing-song voice in the words.
He didn't reply right away. Instead, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked out of the classroom, his mind racing.
---
As Kikidori made his way to the Bakusquad dorm, he replayed Toga's words in his head. *Join the League of Villains?*
It was insane. He wasn't a villain. He didn't want to be one. But the fact that Toga had even asked made his stomach twist uncomfortably.
When he entered the dorm, Mina was the first to notice him.
"Kikidori! You're just in time—we're picking out our next squad activity!" she said, waving him over.
Kikidori sat down on the couch, his expression distant.
"Something wrong?" Kirishima asked, noticing his demeanor.
"Nothing," Kikidori muttered, leaning back against the couch.
Bakugo, who had been sitting nearby, narrowed his eyes. "You're acting weirder than usual. Spill it."
"It's nothing," Kikidori said again, more firmly this time.
But even as the Bakusquad continued their conversation, Kikidori's mind stayed on Toga's question.
He knew his answer was no. But somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that Toga wasn't going to take no for an answer.
End of Chapter 13