[17] Games People Play

"Midoriya!" Kirishima waved me over. "Ready for some manly bonding?"

I nodded, joining the group. "Sure am. Where are we headed?"

Kaminari grinned. "We decided on this new arcade downtown. Figured we could check it out, maybe grab some food after."

"Sounds good to me," I said, glancing around. "We waiting on anyone else?"

As if on cue, the elevator dinged. Bakugo stomped out, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Let's get this over with," he growled.

Kirishima beamed. "Alright! The gang's all here. Let's roll!"

We headed out, the cool evening air a welcome change from the stuffy dorms. As we walked, I hung back a bit, observing the others.

Kirishima and Bakugo led the pack, the redhead's enthusiastic chatter a stark contrast to Bakugo's surly grunts. Behind them, Kaminari and Sero were locked in some debate about the best fighting game character. Sato and Ojiro brought up the rear, talking quietly about training regimens.

I filed away each interaction, each snippet of conversation. You never knew what information might come in handy later.

"Yo, Midoriya!" Kaminari called back to me. "Back me up here. Ryu is totally better than Ken, right?"

I shrugged. "Never really played much Street Fighter. More of a platformer guy myself."

Sero snorted. "Of course you are. Bet you're all about those puzzle games too, Mr. Strategy."

"Nothing wrong with using your brain," I countered, grinning.

The arcade was a sensory overload when we arrived. Flashing lights, pinging machines, and the constant hum of excited voices filled the air. Kaminari's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning.

"Oh man, where do we start?" he breathed, practically vibrating with excitement.

Kirishima pointed to a row of fighting game cabinets. "How about we settle that Ryu vs. Ken debate?"

As the others dispersed, I hung back, scanning the room. Old habits die hard, I guess. Always looking for exits, assessing potential threats. Not that I expected any trouble here, but you never know.

"Oi, Deku!" Bakugo's voice cut through my thoughts. He was standing in front of a strength-testing machine, a challenging smirk on his face. "Bet I can beat your score on this thing."

I raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, Kacchan?"

His grin turned feral. "Bring it on, nerd."

We ended up drawing quite a crowd. Bakugo went first, his explosive quirk sending the machine's meter skyrocketing. The onlookers gasped and cheered.

I stepped up next, cracking my knuckles for show. I focused, channeling just enough of One For All to make it interesting without raising suspicion. My fist connected with the punching bag, and the meter shot up.

Dead even.

Bakugo's jaw dropped. The crowd went wild. I just smiled, shrugging as if to say, "What can you do?"

As we rejoined the others, I caught Ojiro giving me a curious look. "That was impressive, Midoriya. You've been holding out on us in training."

I laughed it off. "Must be all that arcade adrenaline."

The night wore on, a blur of flashing screens and friendly competition. I made sure to lose a few games here and there, keeping my skills firmly in the "above average" range.

During a break between games, I noticed Kaminari staring longingly at a group of girls by the crane machines. One of them wearing the pin for Tokyo U. An idea formed.

"Hey, Kaminari," I said, nudging him. "Why don't you go talk to them?"

He blinked, looking panicked. "What? No way, man. I'd just embarrass myself."

I shook my head. "Come on, where's that confidence from class? Besides, I've got an idea. Trust me."

Reluctantly, he nodded. I led him over to the crane machines, positioning us within earshot of the girls.

"Alright," I said loudly enough for them to overhear. "I bet you can't win that All Might plush in three tries."

Kaminari caught on quick. "Oh yeah? Watch me."

To everyone's surprise, especially Kaminari's, he actually managed to snag the plush on his second try. The girls cheered, clearly impressed.

"Nice one!" I said, clapping him on the back. Then, turning to the girls, "My friend here's got some skills, huh?"

One of the girls, a cute brunette, smiled shyly. "That was pretty cool. I've been trying to win that plush all night."

Kaminari's eyes lit up. He held out the All Might plush. "Here, you can have it if you want."

The girl blushed, accepting the toy. "Really? Thanks! I'm Ai, by the way."

As Kaminari chatted with Ai and her friends, I slipped away, mission accomplished. Kirishima caught my eye, giving me a thumbs up.

"Nice wingman work," he said when I reached him. "Didn't know you had it in you."

I shrugged. "Just helping out a friend."

The night was winding down. We gathered our tickets, pooling them together to get a ridiculous oversized stuffed animal for the common room. As we headed out, bellies full of greasy arcade food and pockets considerably lighter, I took stock of the evening.

Kirishima was reliable, always trying to include everyone. Good for group morale, but maybe too trusting. Kaminari was easily influenced, but quick to adapt to new situations. Useful in a pinch. Sero was observant, often picking up on things others missed. Could be a valuable information gatherer.

Sato was strong but tended to fade into the background. Potential muscle, if needed. Ojiro was quiet but perceptive. He'd noticed things about my strength that others had missed. 

And Bakugo... well, Bakugo was Bakugo. A powerful ally or a dangerous enemy, depending on how I played my cards.

As we neared the dorms, Kirishima threw his arms around Bakugo and me. "This was awesome, guys! We should do this more often."

Bakugo shrugged him off, but I noticed the hint of a smile on his face. "Whatever, at least the food wasn't total crap."

I nodded. "Yeah, it was fun. Thanks for organizing it, Kirishima."

As we approached the dorms, the warm glow of the common room lights spilled out onto the path. Laughter and chatter drifted through the open windows.

"Sounds like the girls are having a party," Kirishima said, grinning.

Bakugo grunted. "Great. More noise."

We pushed open the door to find the common room transformed. Blankets and pillows covered every surface. The girls of Class 1-A were sprawled out in various states of comfort, all eyes glued to the massive TV screen.

On screen, a dramatic scene unfolded. A man and woman stood in the rain, tears mixing with the downpour as they professed their undying love.

"Oh, come on!" Ashido yelled at the screen. "Just kiss her already!"

Yaoyorozu dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "It's so beautiful..."

Uraraka noticed us first. "Oh, hey guys! Wanna join us? We're having a romance movie marathon!"

Bakugo made a gagging noise. "Hard pass. I'm out of here."

As he, Sero, and Sato stomped off towards the elevators, Kirishima hesitated. "I dunno, it might be fun..."

I saw an opportunity. "Why not? Could be interesting."

Kirishima beamed. "Yeah, alright! Let's do it!"

We found spots on the floor, careful not to disturb the elaborate nest of blankets and pillows the girls had constructed.

Jiro tossed us some popcorn. "Hope you guys like sappy love stories."

I smiled. "I'm sure it'll be entertaining."

As the movie played on, I observed my classmates more than the screen. Ashido was fully invested, gasping and cheering at every plot twist. Yaoyorozu tried to maintain composure, but her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Hagakure was impossible to read, of course, but her excited commentary gave plenty away.

Uraraka kept sneaking glances my way. Interesting. I filed that information away for later use.

Tsu seemed largely unaffected by the movie's emotional manipulation, but she was keenly aware of her friends' reactions. Another observant one to watch out for.

Kirishima, to my surprise, was just as into the movie as the girls. He cheered when the couple finally kissed, pumping his fist in the air. "So manly!"

I chuckled, playing along. "Quite the emotional rollercoaster, huh?"

As the credits rolled, Ashido stretched dramatically. "That was amazing! Okay, who's up for some truth or dare?"

A chorus of agreement rose from the girls. Kirishima nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure," I said, smiling easily. "Sounds fun."

"Yaomomo, truth or dare?" Ashido asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Yaoyorozu considered for a moment. "Truth."

"If you had to kiss anyone in our class, who would it be?"

A faint blush colored Yaoyorozu's cheeks. Her eyes flickered briefly in my direction before she composed herself. "I... I don't think I know any of our classmates well enough to make such a decision. It would be improper to speculate."

Ashido groaned. "Come on, Yaomomo! That's such a cop-out!"

I noticed Uraraka fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, deliberately not making eye contact with anyone. Asui's expression remained neutral, but her eyes darted between me and Yaoyorozu. Jiro twirled one of her earphone jacks, trying to appear disinterested.

"Maybe we should choose a different question," I suggested. "We wouldn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable."

Kirishima nodded. "Yeah, good call, Midoriya. Let's keep things fun for everyone!"

Mina's eyes lit up, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Okay, then how about this? Midoriya, what pro hero do you have a crush on?"

All eyes turned to me. I could feel the weight of their stares, each one laden with curiosity and... something else. 

I paused, considering my options.

Midnight? Too obvious, and might paint me as immature.

Mt. Lady? Powerful, but her personality didn't align with what I'd shown of myself so far.

Miruko? Strong, independent, skilled in combat...

"Well," I said, rubbing the back of my neck in a show of bashfulness, "if I had to choose... probably Miruko."

A chorus of surprised "Ooh"s filled the room.

"Thunder thighs, huh?" Kaminari asked, eyebrows raised. "Can't say I blame you though. Miruko's got some serious muscle packed into those legs."

I nodded, committing to my choice. "Not because of that, man. She's strong, independent, and her fighting style is amazing."

Mina leaned forward. "Ooh, someone likes the fierce type, huh?"

"Anyways, what about you, Ashido?" I asked, deflecting attention. "Any pro hero crushes?"

As Mina launched into an enthusiastic description of her admiration for Hawks ("He's just so cool!"), I observed my classmates' reactions. Yaoyorozu seemed relieved the spotlight was off her. Jiro was trying hard to look uninterested, but her earphone jacks twitched every time I spoke.

The conversation flowed from there, everyone chiming in with their hero crushes. Kaminari picked Mt Lady and Kirishima picked Stars and Stripes while saying "She's so manly!" For the girls, Hawks and Kamui Woods was a popular choice, of course. Best Jeanist got a few mentions. Even Endeavor had one staunch defender in Hakagure, though she couched it in terms of "admiring his dedication to heroics."

As the night wore on, the group started to drift apart. Iida, true to form, came downstairs and began insisting we all get to bed at a reasonable hour.

"We have classes tomorrow!" he said, chopping the air for emphasis. "It would be most unbecoming for U.A. students to be sleep-deprived!"

Groans and eye-rolls met his declaration, but people started to move. As we cleaned up, I made sure to help, earning grateful smiles from the girls.

"Thanks for joining us, Deku," Uraraka said as we folded blankets. "It was really fun having you here."

I smiled back. "I had a great time. We should totally do this again."

Her blush deepened. "Y-yeah, we should!"

Back in my room, I sat at my desk, opening my notebook. Time to update my classmate profiles. As I wrote, ranking potential allies and threats, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of... something. 

I pushed the feeling aside. This was necessary. To achieve my goals, to reshape this world, I needed to know who I could trust, who I could use, and who might stand in my way.

Still, as I closed the notebook and got ready for bed, I found myself looking forward to the next outing like this. Maybe there was value in these social connections beyond just gathering intel.

Or maybe I was just getting soft. Either way, it was something to consider.