Chapter 18: Unwanted Attention
The classroom was its usual lively chaos. Aizawa had, once again, given up on managing the class and had wrapped himself in his iconic yellow sleeping bag, dozing off in his chair. Kikidori sat silently at his desk, his mismatched eyes focused on the text that had just appeared on his phone screen.
The sender was none other than Toga.
He stared at the message for a moment, debating whether he should even open it. Before he could make a decision, Mina suddenly appeared behind him, her excitement palpable.
"What's that, Kikidori? Who's texting you? Is it her?" Mina asked with a mischievous grin, leaning over his shoulder.
Kikidori's eyes narrowed. "Mina, don't—"
Too late. Mina had already jumped onto his back, her arms around his shoulders as she craned her neck to see the screen. Kikidori grimaced but didn't bother trying to shove her off. He knew better than to waste his energy.
"Let's see, let's see…" Mina said, squinting at the phone. Then her eyes widened, and she gasped dramatically.
The message from Toga read:
**"I love you."**
The room fell silent as Mina screamed, "OH MY GOSH, SHE SAID SHE LOVES YOU!"
Heads turned, and suddenly all of Class 1-A was staring at Kikidori. Even Bakugo, who had been half-asleep, looked over with an annoyed scowl.
"Mina," Kikidori said in a low, warning tone. "Get. Off. My. Back."
Mina ignored him entirely, sliding off his back but staying close. She was practically vibrating with excitement as she pointed at the phone. "Kikidori! Are you dating her? Or—oh my gosh, are you planning to date her? What's the story here?"
Kikidori pinched the bridge of his nose. "There is no story. Stop making things up."
"But she *loves you*! You can't just ignore that!" Mina exclaimed, her voice carrying across the room.
"She's a *villain*," Kikidori said flatly.
"And? Who cares? Love is love!" Mina said with a shrug. "I mean, sure, she drinks blood and maybe has a screw or two loose, but honestly? That just means she's passionate."
Kikidori gave her a deadpan look. "Mina. Stop."
Before Mina could respond, there was a loud crash from the front of the room. Everyone turned just in time to see Aizawa's chair topple over, sending their homeroom teacher sprawling onto the floor in a heap of yellow fabric.
The class erupted into laughter as Aizawa groaned, sitting up slowly and rubbing the back of his head. His hair was even more disheveled than usual, and his expression was one of pure exhaustion.
"Why am I even here…" Aizawa muttered to himself, dragging the chair back upright.
"Sensei, you okay?" Kirishima asked between laughs.
Aizawa glared at him. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to." He climbed back into his chair and pointed at the class. "Whatever you're doing, keep it down. I'm trying to sleep."
The laughter eventually died down, and Mina turned back to Kikidori, her excitement undeterred. "Okay, but seriously. Are you going to text her back? You can't just leave her hanging!"
"I wasn't planning on it," Kikidori said, putting his phone away.
Mina gasped, clutching her chest as if she'd been personally offended. "You're just going to ignore a love confession? That's so cruel, Kikidori!"
"It's not cruel. It's practical," Kikidori replied.
"Or maybe you're just too scared to admit you like her back," Mina teased, nudging him with her elbow.
Kikidori didn't respond, but the way his jaw tightened didn't go unnoticed. Mina grinned triumphantly.
"You do like her!" she said, her voice just loud enough for the class to hear.
"Who does Kikidori like?" Kaminari asked, leaning forward with a curious grin.
"Shut up," Kikidori said, glaring at Mina.
Mina smirked but said nothing, clearly enjoying the fact that she had the upper hand.
As the rest of the class went back to their conversations, Kikidori sat in silence, his thoughts swirling. He didn't want to admit it, but Mina's teasing had hit a little too close to home.
End of Chapter 18