My Hero Academia: Nightmare Mode

The game continued, the circle still buzzing from Kikidori's earlier dare. Mina, however, wasn't about to let him off so easily. She was determined to get payback, and when the bottle spun and landed on her, she grinned mischievously.

Everyone in the room knew that grin. It meant trouble.

Mina clapped her hands together. "Okay! My turn for a dare. Hmm… let's see…" Her eyes scanned the circle until they landed on Tsuyu and then flicked to Kikidori. Her grin widened.

"I dare Tsu… to go into the closet with Kikidori for *Seven Seconds in Heaven!*"

The room erupted.

"WHAT?!" Tsuyu's calm demeanor cracked as her face turned a deep shade of green. She looked at Mina, flustered. "Why me, ribbit?"

Kikidori, as usual, didn't react. He sat there, his expression neutral, as if he hadn't even heard the dare.

Mina leaned forward, practically bouncing with excitement. "Come on, you two! It's just seven seconds! What's the harm?"

"Yeah, Kikidori! You've gotta do it!" Kaminari chimed in, smirking.

Tsuyu's wide eyes darted to Kikidori, who still hadn't moved or said a word. His calmness only made the situation worse for her. "I-I don't think this is a good idea, ribbit."

Mina wasn't having it. Before either of them could argue further, she grabbed Kikidori's arm with surprising strength and pulled him to his feet. Then she reached for Tsuyu and gently but firmly guided her toward the closet.

"Let's go, let's go!" Mina said cheerfully.

"Mina, ribbit—wait!" Tsuyu protested, but it was no use. Mina practically shoved both of them into the small, dark closet, and before they could escape, she shut the door behind them.

Inside, the closet was cramped and dimly lit, with barely enough room for the two of them to stand. Kikidori leaned back against the wall, his usual calm still intact. Tsuyu, on the other hand, stood awkwardly on the opposite side, fidgeting nervously.

Outside, Mina's voice rang out. "Alright, you two lovebirds! Remember, if you don't kiss, we're extending it to an hour!"

Kikidori's sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He sighed, finally breaking the silence. "She's peeking under the door."

Tsuyu glanced down, and sure enough, Mina's eyes were visible through the small gap between the door and the floor.

"She's not going to let us out unless she thinks we kissed, ribbit," Tsuyu whispered.

Kikidori closed his eyes briefly, thinking. "Then we make her think we did."

Tsuyu tilted her head. "How?"

"She can only see our feet," Kikidori said. "If we get close enough, she'll assume it happened. No need to actually do anything."

Tsuyu blinked, then nodded slowly. "Alright, ribbit. Let's do it."

Kikidori pushed off the wall and stepped closer to her. She hesitated for a moment but then stepped forward as well. The two of them leaned in just enough that Mina, from her limited view, wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"We need to make it look believable," Kikidori muttered.

Tsuyu nodded again, her voice soft. "Okay, ribbit."

They leaned into a brief hug, their heads close enough to block any view Mina might have had. For a moment, they stood there silently, their movements slow and calculated to avoid suspicion.

Outside, Mina gasped. "Oh my gosh, are they actually—?!"

Kikidori and Tsuyu exchanged a subtle glance, their plan clearly working. After a few more seconds, Mina opened the door triumphantly.

"Alright, time's up!" she announced, grinning from ear to ear. "So… how was it?"

Kikidori stepped out first, his expression unreadable. "It was seven seconds," he said flatly, walking back to his spot in the circle without another word.

Tsuyu followed, her composure mostly back, though her cheeks still held a faint green tint. She sat down quietly, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Mina, meanwhile, looked between the two of them with a knowing smirk. "You two are so cute!"

Kikidori ignored her entirely, leaning back against the wall with his usual stoic demeanor. Tsuyu glanced at him briefly, a small smile playing on her lips as if to silently thank him for not making things more awkward than they already were.

The game moved on, but the energy in the room had shifted once again. Despite the chaos, Kikidori felt a rare sense of camaraderie.

As ridiculous as this night was turning out to be, he had to admit—it wasn't entirely unbearable.

End of Chapter 5