[BNHA] Uncovering the truth

The scarlet glow lit up the circle of friends sitting directly on the floor. Every face among the students of Class 3-A showed a different expression—surprise, shock, sometimes even dismay—but all eyes were fixed on the crimson point. Almost cold, it exposed a shameful lie brought into the open. Around it, the silence grew heavy.

The one who had just betrayed himself no longer knew what to say. He stared at the crimson bulb between his fingers—just as red as it was. The glow eventually faded, abandoning him to his miserable fate, and he swallowed hard.

“Uh...”

That was the only thing that left his lips as he tried to think of the best way out of this. But nothing. Nada. Not a single brilliant idea that could explain this awful exposure. He was alone...

Not far from him, someone snickered, and just as easily, the silence turned into chatter. Still trapped in an unfortunate situation, the culprit finally raised his eyes. He met a gaze just as ruby-colored as the one accusing him from between his fingers.

“Well then, Deku? What are you trying to hide from us, huh?”

Said Deku shot a glare at Katsuki Bakugo, who had apparently chosen not to help him—hardly surprising. At this point, he was ready to accept help from anyone. His gaze shifted to the left of his longtime rival, hoping to convince the tough-skinned man. Even though they had butted heads earlier that day, Eijiro Kirishima remained his best survival card. Much more than Kacchan...

“That’s very, very red, isn’t it!”

He emphasized his words with his ever-present toothy grin, his whole face lighting up. Now that the initial shock had somewhat faded, the more curious members of the group could only agree. The situation demanded it: the revelation was significant, and Mina Ashido, the evening’s main investigator, could hardly believe it.

The rumor—the cause of all this—had promised money... but now it had struck gold.

For some time now, a rather charming tune had been whispered through the halls of U.A. High School. The story of a couple trying to keep a low profile, pretending to be just friends. At first, Mina had ignored it. Rumors had to be dissected to understand their melody. Most of the time, the tune unraveled before even forming a verse. So there was no need to learn the lyrics...

But not this time. Oh no. This time, the refrain had teeth, and everyone was humming the same tune.

That was when a few intriguing details emerged. First, the facts described a lover with a huge smile, strong enough to stand against a mountain. To the young woman, it was clear: it was a perfect description of Izuku Midoriya.

Now that she knew the people involved firsthand, Mina had investigated. Who saw what—a good hero always checked her sources. And everything seemed far more solid after that.

A third-year hero course student had reportedly been seen sneaking behind the stadium. It was a place where lovers could meet out of sight, provided they managed to slip in unnoticed. The massive stadium was only used for major events; otherwise, it remained empty. Moreover, it stood at the center of the school, right next to the dorms.

So couples would meet there for a bit of privacy. It was so large that it was easy to claim a quiet corner without disturbing anyone else...

In any case, Alien Queen hadn’t done things halfway. Hiding behind excuses—and a bush—she had watched. She was certain: her seemingly innocent classmate was in a relationship.

So the next step was to find out who the lucky girl was. And, of course, one name quickly came to mind: Ochaco Uraraka.

For a while, Mina had considered questioning the girl directly. On the other hand, she didn’t want to raise suspicion. The friends’ group of the two suspects probably wouldn’t say anything. Maybe even Iida and Todoroki hadn’t noticed a thing.

If tonight’s operation didn’t bear fruit, she would confront Ochaco. But she had other cards to play.

In the same spirit, she had taken advantage of teaming up with Bakugo to question him. Even if Dynamight denied everything, he had known Izuku for a long time. He had to understand him in some way... Besides, he and Kirishima spent their evenings at the training grounds. Maybe they had seen something. Anything. A detail. Or a Deku...

First surprised, then perpetually angry, Dynamight had made his stance clear: “He didn’t want to know anything about that idiot Deku’s sex life.”

Bad luck.

Fortune had smiled upon her in the form of Denki Kaminari, who had recently acquired a trendy new game: “The Lamp Genius.” Everyone had heard of it—it was all the rage. One bulb, one question; if it was the truth, it turned green. Otherwise...

“Really red...”

Denki suddenly agreed, looking triumphant.

The goal of the game was simple: each participant wrote a closed or simple question, then the game master—Mina—drew one at random. In turns, the players held the bulb, answered honestly or faced a dare, then passed it to their neighbor.

It was the game of the century for nights like this.

Perfect for uncovering a whole lot of very interesting things.

Denki understood that perfectly. He had wanted to suggest a “let’s uncover the girls’ secrets” night, but hadn’t figured out how to propose it without raising suspicion. Ashido had been a gift from heaven. After all, the answers Mina wanted from Midoriya, he wanted from the charming creatures in his class...

“So that’s how it is...”

The electric investigator pouted, letting the information circulate around the circle once more. So far, everything was going perfectly: the net was tightening, and they had managed to make it clear that a certain hero-in-training was no longer so innocent. And it was quite interesting to get the reactions of everyone present.

Miss Ashido definitely loved this game.

“So we need a dare!”the mischievous electric boy grinned.“And I have the perfect suggestion...”the playful acid girl finished.

Their complicity sent chills down spines. Most of the participants—or victims, if you preferred—mentally sorted through their little secrets. There had to be a way to outsmart the glowing verdict.

In any case, the atmosphere around the circle differed completely from one person to another. Most didn’t really care about the interrogation that would inevitably follow certain questions.

“Go ahead and read us the last message you received from... Ochaco!”

Yes, the interest was clearly shared, especially since most didn’t really understand what bubbly Mina was trying to uncover in the first place. Still, no one would ask her—it was easier to just play along tonight.

However, for those who felt involved in one way or another, the situation was different. You could clearly see the surprise—and even the relief—on Izuku’s face. From what he knew of the pink-haired girl, and given the forced confession he had just made, he had expected something very different from simply showing a text message.

But it was his chance, and he certainly wasn’t going to ignore it.

He cast a puzzled glance at his friend, who shrugged just as confused, then opened their conversation.

“‘Nice job, Deku-kun, and thanks again. Next time, it’s my treat!’”

He recited the last message without really understanding where the interest lay. Still, the die was cast, and he passed the bulb to his neighbor, very happy to escape the spotlight.

Next to him, Iida confidently declared that he had “never done anything,” and the green light confirmed it. Then Todoroki muttered a dull “nothing concrete” with a rather suspicious phrasing, yet he too was cleared.

And the game resumed.

Five other pure students passed around the shining judge. Nothing surprising according to Mina—uninteresting, since they were boys, Denki thought. But right next to Tokoyami, it was the turn of three girls in a row.

Bingo.

“Virgin!”Toru declared, without the slightest hint of intimidation.“Not yet...”blushed the lovely class representative, Momo.

Finally, it was Ochaco’s turn—the second suspect.

“Nothing at all!”she asserted, her cheeks flushed pink.

And the bulb turned green. Oh.

Had Izuku already had experiences before seeing Ochaco? Hard to believe, but it had to be confirmed. In any case, the master of ceremonies hadn’t done things halfway. She had observed her classmate when the red truth had flared up, and she hadn’t seemed surprised.

So one could assume she already knew.

Alien Queen’s curiosity had just been shaken, her mind already wandering toward a new plan. Her thoughts raced in every direction—but not for long. Very quickly, she chose a thread from the web she had mentally woven. Then, with a simple glance, she came to an understanding with Denki, who seemed to get her.

They really were a formidable duo.

Meanwhile, the other students confessed their purity one after another. There were no further surprises. The curriculum didn’t really leave room to meet people, let alone spend time with them. Few couples existed within the school, and the rare ones drew all the more attention.

Though Mina didn’t need much to catch hers.

She even thought there would be nothing more juicy to uncover, considering the remaining participants. So she watched her glowing accomplice with a distracted eye, her hand buried in the bag of questions. Her fingers played with the cardboard edge, hoping her message would help in her quest.

It took several long seconds before she realized that, once again, surprise had shaken the circle.

The lamp shone in its usual green—so it was true—but it wasn’t a regular “no” that had just left Kirishima’s lips.

“Huh?!”

Many stared at him, completely stunned, but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest. He even looked perfectly at ease. He passed the bulb to Katsuki, who, with a sigh and a nearly bored insult, admitted without hesitation that he had already slept with someone.

Once again, the little green light illuminated the blond’s face—in complete silence.

Like Eijiro before him, Dynamight passed it to the last person in the group, who looked like she wanted to disappear underground.

“It’s a yes for me too, kero...”

Tsuyu looked uneasy and hurried to hand the lamp back after it exposed her as well.

Denki took the object back mechanically, completely lost.

“WAIT—YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!”

After all, they were friends and regularly teamed up. Bakugo not telling him wasn’t surprising. But Kirishima? That betrayal hurt.

The second organizer shot a death glare at his so-called friend, but the latter only responded with a smile. He didn’t feel guilty at all. He wouldn’t hesitate to electrocute him at the next training session...

“Well, that’s a surprise...”

Mina’s voice brought Denki’s attention back. He would demand answers from his friend, but for now, just like Mina, Tsuyu’s case interested him far more.

In fact, Miss Chewing-Gum seemed completely stunned. Her mouth hung too wide open to look natural, and her eyes were bulging. For a moment, one might have thought she would start muttering that it was a female version of Midoriya.

She could only think of one thing: Tsuyu—with who??

Bakugo? Impossible... Maybe she didn’t even know the frog girl’s boyfriend. That wasn’t impossible. Or Kirishima? When the girl had naturally sat beside her, Mina hadn’t reacted. After all, they got along well. Maybe she had chosen that spot so she wouldn’t be too far from Eijiro.

Argh. Too many questions. And for once, Deku’s case almost took a back seat.

Oh yes, they had to uncover what was behind all this...

Denki nudged her lightly, helping her refocus. He was right: they could figure all this out. Whether it was about Izuku or Tsuyu. And along the way, they’d also see about Kirishima and Bakugo.

Mina shook the pouch, praying to every god for luck, then sighed, annoyed.

“‘Do you like sweets?’... Seriously, Sato?!”

“Ah! I didn’t know what to write...”

He turned red. Well, he’d lose a turn then. Not a big deal—she knew there were still gold mines in there; they had made sure of it. After all, it was so easy to “suggest” ideas to students willing to play along.

Still, it took two more turns before a wave of curiosity—perhaps inappropriate—was stirred.

“Oh ho... Jackpot! ‘Do you like someone in the class?’”

Less trashy than the previous question, perhaps, but still explicit. Even better: it was exactly what they needed to refine the investigation.

Excited, Denki held the bulb right in front of him, one hand over his heart, suddenly becoming very ceremonial.

“I’d say there’s someone I’m a little interested in.”

Not much information, but it seemed enough for the judge, which approved him with a firm olive glow. Mina smiled. Though she had an idea of who, Denki—her former accomplice—had just joined the ranks of the suspects.

Like the others, she wouldn’t hesitate to expose him.

Her partner handed her the magic lamp with an oblivious smile. Poor guy...

“No, I’m not in love with anyone here!”

Unsurprisingly, the bulb turned green. As much as she loved meddling in other people’s love lives, her own was flatter than water. And apparently, it was the same for the people next to her.

Well, at least this time, no overly... surprising surprises.

Then it was Izuku’s turn.

“...Yes, I... I like someone in the class...”

Blinded by the jade flash that confirmed it, he seemed frozen in place. Lips pressed together, he must have spotted a very interesting stain, because he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

The rumor swelled again, triggering multiple reactions among the students. Once again, it was terribly easy to see who had moved to the prisoners’ side.

Koda, sitting right next to the evening’s first target, awkwardly patted his shoulder in sympathy. The shyest students in the class certainly wouldn’t want to be in his place.

Fortunately, Deku’s exposure passed quickly this time. Since he had told the truth, he passed the ticking bomb along without waiting and let out a breath.

Iida had no trouble answering, and the tension eased slightly.

But not for Mina...

“There is someone.”

And bingo.

Shoto had indeed landed on the red list, even as he stood bathed in a green glow. A list that gained more weight with every cleverly placed question they had managed to slip in...

And the game resumed.

One by one, the players drifted into the realm of the insignificant. At this point, Mina figured there would be no one else—aside from the surprises from the previous round.

Meanwhile, Denki suddenly grew gloomy.

Oh... Just as Alien Queen had suspected, he must have feelings for Kyoka. And she had answered no.

In a gesture meant to be comforting, the girl deliberately bumped into her friend. He gave her a far more troubled look than before, and she attempted a warm smile.

It was difficult, but he responded as best he could.

Though she still had nuts to crack with Kirishima, she promised herself to drag Denki into an “electric pick-me-up outing.” He needed it...

That also meant Mina would continue the investigation alone—or almost.

She refocused on the clues she had, watching the “green-tinted no’s” out of the corner of her eye. She took back the lamp, listing the suspects one by one, trying to connect them.

Izuku, Shoto, Hitoshi, Momo, Kirishima, Tsuyu, and—quite surprisingly—Bakugo had just admitted having feelings for someone.

Too many. Way too many. Possibilities.

So many combinations. Tsuyu and Momo could end up in the arms of this or that boy, and Mina would have to judge the probability... Or maybe that was the very heart of the secret? Were they seeing each other?

Oh boy...

That wasn’t all. They had also just learned that yes, future hero Deku did indeed have a crush... But Ochaco was definitely out of the running. She had confidently stated that it wasn’t the case, and the lamp genius had confirmed it.

So not Uravity.

Could it be that he had fallen for the lovely Tsuyu? Those two would make a very nice couple. Though, thinking about it, Mina had always thought that Hitoshi... had quite a thing for Midoriya.

“Oh ho...”

The mere thought made her mouth water.

She rummaged through her treasure bag and pulled out a treacherous one.

“‘What would you like to learn this year?’”

What kind of question was that? Was there a teacher hiding among them or what?

“On the contrary, I find that very interesting to know! It would allow better class cohesion and—”“Yes, we got it, class rep. Sorry for doubting...”

A new wave of calmer questions followed, even allowing an end-of-evening atmosphere to settle in. Yet there were still quite a few questions left—a stash that the pink-haired girl knew was full of gold.

However, it was getting late, and some were already threatening to go to bed. Mina hadn’t expected it to take this long, and her mission was at risk.

That was out of the question.

She hadn’t even managed to uncover a truly embarrassing secret or a hidden couple yet. And they dared to strut right there, under her nose...

“Alright, I suggest we finish with three questions that I choose myself!”

She phrased it as a suggestion, but it was undeniably an order. Everyone knew what to expect from her, and they all agreed. Even Katsuki had ended up going along with the others tonight. Dynamight himself had played along—all under Mina’s influence.

Just three more questions. Probably not the most innocent ones, but at least they’d be done.

No one objected—at least not seriously enough to be heard.

The acid girl read through the slips of paper, sorting them, thinking about how to deliver checkmate in three moves. But after going through them, she abruptly decided that none would get her what she wanted.

She’d do it herself.

And at this late hour, no one felt like contradicting her—not even the class rep.

“Alright, we’re doing this Mina-style Truth or Dare! I’m the game master, so... Shinso-kun...”

“Uh, Ashido-san, that’s not how—”“SHH, Deku-kun. Your turn will come...”

Well. At least he tried.

He knew he was the target of her curiosity and had no idea how to escape it. Neither did the others, for that matter.

“So, Shinso-kun... do you like Izuku Midoriya?”

A murmur immediately spread through the group. Several things happened at once. Bakugo snickered, glancing at the nerd, who was turning pale before their eyes.

Shoto also looked at his first friend, almost as if waiting for instructions. Ochaco frowned, equally hesitant. Kirishima tensed up, clearly looking like he wanted to intervene—probably to throw him a lifeline.

Shoji reacted the same way.

Many stirred.

The one concerned, however, didn’t flinch. True to himself, Shinso straightened up almost proudly. He wasn’t going to dodge the question, even if he didn’t have to answer.

“Yes. He’s the person I love.”

He let the information hang in the air, completely unfazed, not intimidated in the slightest by the commotion it caused. Mina also noticed that Izuku, for his part, didn’t seem surprised.

“Ooooh... So, Deku-kun, do you confirm?”

“Wait, he said he loves him, not that they’re dating!”

But that was enough.

“And besides, this is far from Truth or Dare—you’re just asking whatever you want to know.”“It’s the remixed version! You know your turn is coming, right, my dear little Kiri?”

Kirishima smiled dangerously.

“I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to the person I love.”

“So who is it? Give us a name!”

“Guess... one clue: ‘he’ is here.”

The clue wasn’t what it seemed. After all, the entire class was present. No, in reality, Kirishima had just admitted he loved another boy.

“Bakugo!”Toru exclaimed, suddenly getting into it.“Yeah, it’s gotta be him,”Mineta agreed.

The two concerned sighed, clearly exasperated.

“You’re all a pain in the ass! Screw that, I’m not even gay!”“So we’re not even playing ‘Guess Who’ anymore?”Hanta joked.

“MAGNIFICENT! So...”

And at that exact moment, the suspects found themselves facing the nosiest students. The fatigue seemed to vanish; almost everyone got caught up in the new game, and one by one, they’d all be dragged into it.

“So, let’s start from the beginning. Todoroki-kun, does the person you like have long black hair?”

“Correct.”

With a triumphant cry, Mina mentally connected the dots, linking Momo to Shoto Todoroki. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Two couples had just been exposed... and there were still three suspects left. And one broken heart.

“Oh, my dear Kiri... Because if we think about it for two seconds...”

Then suddenly, realization hit her like a truck.

“Wait... does that mean... TSUYU, YOU’RE DATING BAKUGO?!”

Outraged, Mina shouted in shock. In front of her, the frog-quirk girl blushed deeply, still trying not to look away.

“Oi! Back off!”her boyfriend snapped sharply.

Mina fumed internally.Oh, don’t worry... I’ll get you later.

That was the simple thought of the usually composed poison queen. This was only postponed. The rabid guard dog would intervene too soon and ruin the flavor of it all. A girls’ night would be perfect for a proper interrogation, away from prying male ears.

“Take it easy, Mina...”her old middle school friend gently reminded her.

She knew why Kirishima was stopping her—she had gone a bit too far. Maybe he wasn’t wrong. Around her, many were already slipping away, trying to stay unnoticed. Had she paid more attention, she would’ve realized some had already succeeded.

Denki, for example.

So now, all that was left was to end the night in style. And for that, she could go after the one who had almost challenged her.

“It’s you and me now, Kiri!”

Even if Eijiro’s love was one-sided, the identity of the other person was still worth uncovering.

“Three!”Toru declared, still fully invested.

She sat in front of the last suspect, blocking the view from the others still present. A blessing for those too shy to stand up—they didn’t wait any longer to slip away.

Still, some remained, probably straining to hear the conclusion of all this chaos.

“So... does your crush have... uh... blond hair?”

After all, maybe he really was in love with Bakugo.

“Ugh, what a pain. No thanks... I’m not dating Bakugo at all, as you’ve figured out.”“What did you say, you spiky-haired dumbass?”“Please don’t talk about my ass, she’ll never believe us otherwise...”

“Wait... you’re dating someone, Kiri?”“Aren’t we playing ‘Guess Who’ now?”

It was rare to see Kirishima this teasing, this confident. Mina had known him for a long time—even if they hadn’t been close back then. But since arriving at U.A. and everything they’d been through, she thought she knew him well.

And yet...

There was a darker side to him she never would’ve imagined, but that somehow suited him. At that moment, Eijiro seemed strong. As strong as he had always dreamed of being.

“Okay, okay... let me recap!”Mina said, regaining focus.

“Do you often team up with your crush?”Toru asked.

“Not really. It happens, of course, but generally we stick with our respective friends.”

It was obvious Eijiro was playing with words, perfectly aware of what information he was letting slip—and what he was keeping hidden. In front of him, the two girls worked quickly, eliminating mental images of every other boy in the class one by one.

“Alright... so we can rule out Sero. Oh! Did your crush take part in the noodle stand during the spring festival?”

Mina whistled, impressed. Hagakure was formidable.

“Nope!”

He paused, then added with a sly smile:

“...We were together, though.”

“Seriously...”

The voice came from the opposite side of the circle. It sounded completely defeated.

The common room lounge was almost empty now. Only eight of them remained. Just eight.

The one who had spoken was the very reason this whole spectacle had started: Izuku Midoriya.

Izuku had been eliminated. Normally.

So why was he still there? He wasn’t the type to meddle in things that didn’t concern him—especially after everything that had happened tonight. That Shoto stayed to support his friend made sense. But Izuku spying? Never.

“No! Wait...”

Mina needed to be sure.

“Does your crush have... um... lots of scars on his arm, and even one under his eye?”

Izuku let out a deep sigh, looking both annoyed and flustered.

A huge grin spread across Red Riot’s face.

“He’s also got a pretty damn sexy one right on his hip...”

He dropped the information triumphantly.

That was impossible.

Unbelievably impossible.

Eijiro and Deku.Izuku and Kiri.

“But Shinso... Oh! Are you three together?!”

Toru completely forgot any sense of tact.

This time, Eijiro stopped playing.

“Hey. I don’t share my man. I’ve got my eye on you.”

He frowned toward Shinso, now sitting near Todoroki. Shinso didn’t even bother responding. It suddenly became obvious those two had already clashed over this.

Message received.

Shinso had a broken heart.And Denki too, somewhere.

“We said discreet...”Izuku muttered, still in total denial.

His gaze locked onto his boyfriend, clearly annoyed. Eijiro held his ground easily, looking just as irritated—which was surprising. Not as much as the revelation of their relationship, of course, but they had always been walking smiles.

Seeing them confront each other like this, in front of everyone, proved that their relationship was solid. Real. Built.

And judging by their indignant expressions... they weren’t even on the same page.

“Yeah right... You’ve been making out in my room for months whenever my back’s turned. And you call that discreet? You can’t even hold back at other people’s places.”

“Yeah, yeah... sorry, oh mighty Bakubro, for defiling your territory.”

“Tch...”

“I can’t believe this!” Mina exclaimed.“This is almost as crazy—and disturbing—as Baku x Tsuyu! How long has it been, you two?”

“Hey, alien... don’t you think you’re pushing it a bit?”

She was about to snap back when Toru tugged her arm. One glance at Tsuyu was enough—yes, she had crossed the line.

The girl clung to Katsuki’s arm like an anchor. Mina immediately felt guilty.

“Sorry, Tsuyu. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay. I expected this kind of reaction.”

Bakugo grumbled, frowning, but said nothing. He would never admit it, but this girl leaning against him... it was way too cute.

“I’ll make it up to you, Tsuyu, I promise!”

“Yes! We’ll go out into town next week!”Toru added cheerfully.

Then she turned toward Eijiro, more hesitant.

“And you two, then?”

“Ashido-san, please...”Izuku pleaded.

He was on the verge of exploding.

Eijiro sighed. He didn’t like hiding. Not at all. But Izuku wanted things to stay discreet. He could’ve revealed everything publicly... but Izuku had the most beautiful ass in the world and knew how to be very persuasive.

And more importantly, he didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable.

So he gave him an out.

“If you buy me a good dinner, maybe I’ll tell you. But for now, that’s enough.”

His voice was soft. Firm. Final.

Even Bakugo seemed to agree.

That was enough for tonight.

The small group slowly stood up. Bakugo and Tsuyu left together without a word. They had nothing left to hide.

Kirishima joined Izuku, throwing one last glare at his “rival,” before becoming ridiculously gentle. He held out his hand. Izuku hesitated, then took it, blushing under this new spotlight—or under the overly possessive arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“I want all the details!”Mina called out.

“Me too!”Toru chimed in.

“Jiichan... I forbid you to—”

“The more meat there is, the more I’ll tell you about his scars!”

“DEAL!”

“JIICHAN!”

Laughter brought the evening to a close.

After all, that was Class A of the hero course: nonstop drama since year one.

And apparently... they had no intention of changing.