Krouse makes a noncommittal gesture with his cigarette, something between what can you do and so it goes. Deku's stance on luck is the most sensible thing he's said so far, although there's not a chance in hell that Krouse is venturing into those waters of discussion with him.

Now they can change the subject, sufficient niceties and acknowledgements exchanged to put Deku's relentless heroism to bed for the time being. Krouse is sure they'll wind up back there before they get out of the woods, but he'll take the reprieve.

As much as this polite, innocuous question counts as a reprieve. He ducks his head, the edges of his smile pressed together over a secret.

He stopped thinking about what he'd do if he got home a long time ago. It was cleaner that way. There's no point in thinking about something that's never going to happen, and even less point in wanting it. He's aligned his future in a different direction, short-term and goal-oriented. After that -

It doesn't matter after that.

"Not exactly as ambitious as yours." He tucks a hand in a hoodie pocket and tips his head back to blow out a thin stream of smoke. "State college, probably. I haven't decided what I want to major in, but that's what first year is for, right?"

He brings his chin back down and huffs a wry noise short of a laugh, scuffing his foot into a clump of leaves that break apart on the toe of his sneaker.

"Assuming I don't flunk out."