His heart rides high in his chest, the light from the TV creating a boxy halo around his face. Eyes wide, lips parted in a tender whirlpool of emotion. On the TV plays live footage of the number one hero himself, Endeavor, Todoroki’s father. The entire class surrounds the device, breaths caught in their throats.

Endeavor—bloodied, beaten, so thoroughly close to death—finally deals the final blow to the villain, rendering him defeated. Todoroki’s father wins.

You watch as a wave of relief practically crushes the boy, his knees giving in as he hits the floor. Hands covering his voice, he finally looses a breath, shaky and weak with reprieve.