Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Kazue Shimakage first saw Cayden Hall, she couldn't keep walking.

By all accounts, she could have done so very easily. Just keep walking. Ignore the stuttering white boy on the sidewalk. Ignore his rusty Japanese and the translator in his hand that doesn't seem to be helping at all. Ignore the way his ears are starting to steam, sticking his brown curls to the perspiration on his forehead.

But, Kazue stops. She lingers at the entrance to a bustling train stop and tries her best to look casual, all while her gaze returns to the poor tourist in front of the ramen shop. The couple trying to help look as helpless as him, the woman's forked tail flicking from side to side while her partner shakes his goat head.

Kazue glances away, gritting her teeth as she checks her watch. Isn't there someone with a translator quirk that could help him? She has places to be.

"Uh...okay, where..." He starts flipping through the translator again. "Watashi wa sup...suppa? O saga..." He blushes hard, steam getting more prevalent as he nearly drops his book. "G-Gomen'nasai."

Kazue fights back the smile that lifts her lips. The only word he pronounced correctly is an apology. Who is this guy and why doesn't he have someone accompanying him? Travel companies are good with that.

The couple gives up, shaking their heads yet again before shuffling away. The man's shoulders slump and he looks up and down the street, starting to wipe moisture from his forehead, and the absolute sorrow on his face is enough to steel Kazue's nerve. She whirls around, gripping the strap of her bag tighter as she jogs towards him, cursing her bilingualism the whole way.

"Gaijin-san?" she asks once she's in earshot. His head shoots up and the first thing she notices are his dark blue eyes and rosy cheeks. "I couldn't help but notice that you need some help."

"You...you speak English," he breathes. "Thank goodness." She tilts her head and he clears his throat, starting to brush his sweaty bangs back. "I, uh...yes, I'm trying to find this spa. A ganban'yoku? I think I took the wrong train or...something."

He sighs, eyes closing as he looks at his feet. Kazue feels her heart clench and she curses him for being so...well, she isn't sure whether she finds him helpless like a baby bird, adorable like a kitten, or both.

"Do you have an address?" she asks.

He nods, pulling out his phone while scurrying to shove his translator into his backpack. He holds the paper out to her, where the English address is scrawled in an easy-to-read print: "Odaiba Tokyo Oedo-Onsen Monogatari".

"Oh, I know where that is," she says with a small smile. His relief is evident as she hands him the paper. "Actually, I was just going that way."

She hadn't. She hadn't been thinking of spas at all until she ran into this man and now, here she is. A spa suddenly seems like a great idea.

"You are? Could I come with?" he asks, eyes widening. "Only...only if that's alright with you. I can just get directions from you and go, if..."

"That's alright. I'd be happy to show you." She gives him a small bow. "May I ask your name?"

He gasps, shoving his hair out of his eyes again. "Ah! Cayden! Cayden Hall." He swallows. "It's okay to call me Cayden, I know how Japan works with names and...yeah." He cringes inwardly and mumbles something under his breath.

She bows her head. "I am Kazue Shimakage."

"Nice to meet you, Shimakage-san."

He got the honorific right, she thinks. That's good. He isn't completely helpless.

And so, two strangers start to walk the same path.

----------

Until a few minutes ago, Cayden thought that today was a nightmare. From waking up too late to getting hopelessly lost in Tokyo, he was sure that there was no way this day could be redeemed.

Then, she arrived—“she” being a young, beautiful stranger with long black hair and a kind smile. Cayden was struck dumb before she even opened her mouth, thinking her far too beautiful to be real, and then she spoke fluent English and he was sure that his nightmare had just become a dream.

As they stand together on the train, crowded between a man with some kind of ear-related quirk and a young woman with headphones on, Cayden wonders whether it would be okay for him to engage in conversation with Kazue. Back home in Canada, conversations with strangers happen often, but he isn't sure if Japan is good with that sort of thing. From what he remembers, the stereotypical approach is that they don't care to converse with strangers for too long.

It's a struggle for him. He wants to talk to her for as long as possible.

"Hey, is there a café or something near the spa?" he asks, tilting his head down enough that he can murmur it to her.

She puckers her lips. "I believe so. Why?"

His mouth goes dry and he scrambles for a better excuse than the truth. "I feel very dehydrated. A drink would help," he admits.

Her eyes meet his and he hopes that steam won't come out of his ears. "Is it about your quirk?" she asks.

A sheepish nod. "Steam. Without moisture, I shrivel up. Very unsightly, eh?"

She lifts a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle. "I see, Cayden-san. Then we should go get a drink."

The train pulls to a stop and they hurry off, side by side, tugged by the flow of people around them.

----------

Over tea and coffee at their chosen café, Kazue feels herself becoming more and more comfortable around Cayden. He must have noticed it too since his stuttering has vanished and he seems more sure of his words.

In an attempt to find some kind of common ground, she asks about his quirk. Through that, the conversation blossoms.

He tells her about his recent inheritance spurring him to travel from Canada and research more about being an aesthetician, working to make people relaxed and happy. His quirk is useful for such things and, he adds as a joke, helped a lot with acne when he was growing up.

Kazue has to admit, she didn't notice just how beautifully clear his skin was until he mentioned it.

She tells him a little about her quirk, Smoke Bomb, and how it's mostly useful for blinding people around her. She doesn't use it for anything aside from her training at the police academy and, in the future, for rescue and stealth missions.

"You didn't think about becoming a hero?" Cayden asks, arching an eyebrow as he takes a sip of his drink.

She shrugs, tapping her fingernails against her ceramic cup. "I thought about it, but my family is very well known in the police force. The connections are there." Her eyes grow sad. "And, well, I tried for the Hero course at U.A."

He purses his lips. "Didn't make it?"

"Class 1-C, Department of General Education. It wasn't the Hero course, but the way things look now, I'm content with it."

His sparkling gaze is intense, only softened by his gentle smile. He scratches at his stubbled jaw. "You're cooler than me, Shima-san."

Her cheeks get a little too hot for her liking and she tucks her lips against her mug. "Thank you," she mumbles around it.

He sets his cup down, forehead wrinkling. "Oh, sorry...that was too much." He shakes his head. "I'm so sorry, really, I need to curb myself–"

"It's okay," she says. She tucks her hair behind her ear. "I...don't hear that a lot."

"I can't imagine that."

He smiles at her and she melts yet again. He was a stranger only a few hours ago and now she has no idea what to think of him as. All she knows is that he is Cayden Hall, of Canada, and she would like to keep spending time with him. She would like to get to know him.

"Hey, feel free to say no, but...maybe you could stick around? I don't know how much you know about spas, but..." His hopeful, childlike expression shoots through her. "Maybe I could show you?” He rubs the back of his neck. “E-Either way…I would like to do this again.”

Her logic screams no.

Her heart, and her mouth, say yes.

The rest is history.

Chapter Text

When Kemuri thinks about it, the happy memories of her grandfather became nonexistent after age four. Before then, while her grandfather was never the loving, doting type, he still smiled at her and offered her sweets and told her stories before bed.

Then her quirk manifested and suddenly, she was a ghost to him. Kemuri knows why he became distant and cruel, in fact she heard him screaming at her father a few nights after she got home from the hospital, sad and nearly blinded but brimming with new potential.

“If it weren’t for your damned quirk infecting her—”

“Shimakage-san, I…I’m sorry.”

“She’s blind because of you! Try living with that for the rest of your life!”

“Dad, please, this is hard enough as is!”

“Stay out of this, Kazue. If you had listened to me, you would have given me the perfect grandchild by now. Instead…”

Kemuri stopped listening. Her grandfather couldn’t see past his hatred, past his disappointment. He still hasn’t. All he sees is a mixture of his distinguished heritage and the blood of his precious daughter mashed together with that of a Canadian foreigner, an outcast that he deems undeserving of his daughter’s love.

To him, Kemuri was and is a mistake.

She remembers only bits and pieces of the whirlwind that followed her quirk’s arrival. One moment she was racing down the winding suburban roads near her family estate with a childhood friend, the next she had fallen and twisted her ankle. As tears and sobs poured freely from her eyes and lips, water turned to billowing steam. Her eyes burned and her wails grew worse.

Between her friend racing off to get her parents and them rushing her to the hospital, Kemuri thinks she must have fallen asleep, lost in a void of pain. Her eyes hurt so much and she couldn’t make it stop. Why couldn’t anyone make it stop?

She awoke in a hospital bed, her world blurred down to blobs of colours and shapes. Her peripherals showed nothing but murky, cloudy darkness like the kind at the bottom of a lake, leaving her with the feeling of constant tunnel vision.

“Mom? Dad?” she whimpered, fumbling for her parents’ awaiting hands. “Why is everything so messy? Why can’t I see everything?”

The explanations, the guilt-ridden voice of her father, and the murmurings of concerned doctors stick in her mind even to this day.

“The steam did some major damage to her sight. We fixed what we could, but she’ll be partially blind for the rest of her life. Perhaps if our medicine gets more advanced, we can look into more options as she gets older. Until then…” The doctor sighed. “All we can do is help her adjust.”

“This is all my fault,” came her father’s mumbles. “Your dad was right, I—”

“Cayden, we couldn’t have prevented this,” her mother replied, voice soft and calculated as ever. “Just be glad she didn’t lose all of her sight.”

Once Kemuri got home, her life was tense. Stories with her grandfather became stories with mom and dad. Her martial arts training got held back just until she got more used to her new way of life. She got multiple eye-tests from other sources but all of them revealed the same thing: farsightedness, extreme loss of peripheral vision, and no way to make it better.

She got a pair of glasses but gave up on wearing them for anything other than reading. If this was her life now, she thought back then, then she wanted to be able to function to the highest of her ability even without all her sight. Martial arts training began and with it came much-awaited quirk training.

“Smoke Bomb has been in the Shimakage family since the development of quirks,” her grandfather said at the start of her first lesson, “and even before that, the Shimakage prided themselves on being the most skilled martial artists in all of Japan. When you fight in this dojo, you carry the pride of your ancestors with you. Don’t disappoint them any more than you already have.”

The feeling that spread through Kemuri’s chest at his words back then was shame and confusion. Now, she feels determination at the thought of them, tinged with desperation. If she gets better, if she works hard, then maybe her grandfather will accept her again.

“Kemuri?”

She snaps out of her thoughts, punching bag swinging aimlessly before her. She blinks a few times and steps back, starting to unwrap the cloth from her knuckles as she turns around.

“Yes, mom?” she calls.

“I’m off to work. Give yourself lots of time to get to school, alright?”

“Yes, mom.”

“Good, good.” There’s a few beats of silence before she speaks again, “Oh, and Kemuri?”

Her voice is closer now. Kemuri frowns a little and turns around, focusing on the door to the dojo, and sure enough her mom is standing there. She smiles a little, tapping her fingertips against the doorframe. The look is borderline apologetic.

“Make sure you have your cane today,” she says. Kemuri’s shoulders slump and Kazue adds, “They started construction down the street and the last thing we need is for you to fall into the sewers.”

Kemuri takes a deep breath. She’d almost be annoyed that her mom would feel the need to remind her, but she has gotten into a bad habit of leaving her cane at home when she goes to school—the route barely changes, after all, but it’s a good tool to have.

“Okay, mom, I will,” she says.

“Thank you, sweetie. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“Yup!” She bows her head. “Good luck putting away criminals.”

Her mom’s laughter makes her feel a little lighter and Kemuri turns away, dropping her hand wrappings into the dojo trashcan, listening to the front door creak and slam shut as her mother leaves. Kemuri has watched her walk down the long front walk so often, tall and proud in her police uniform, sleek black hair tied back in a ponytail. Kemuri wishes that she could move with the easy confidence that her mother does.

She looks up from the trashcan and slowly looks around the dojo, searching for her water bottle. After almost ten years of living in a foggy world, she’s used to her vision being the way it is and the length it takes for her to do tasks that sighted people do swiftly.

Her vision can be most easily compared to a fogged-up window with a spot of clarity in the dead centre. That spot moves around like a cursor whenever she moves her eyeballs, giving her a sense of the big picture around her, and the closer she moves to something, the blurrier it gets.

She locates her water bottle, a bright red cylinder near the door, and she moves towards it. She takes a drink and immediately feels stronger, her toes curling against the tatami mats as she lets out a sigh. Water is definitely the best drink.

The sound of an alarm goes off and she follows it back to where she left her phone. She squints at the blurred words for a moment before shutting off the alarm with a shrug. She knows what it’s telling her already—time for school.

She leaves the dojo and hurries to her room, weaving through the halls of her family home on autopilot. She ducks inside, snatching her Somei Private Academy uniform off the hanger on the wall, and gets dressed. It’s been three years of putting on the same middle school uniform every day, hands working at the buttons she knows so well, staring blankly at herself in the mirror as she goes. She smiles a little. Soon, it’ll be time for high school and she’ll finally be able to start something new. She isn’t one to complain, in fact she prefers to keep her mouth shut, but she’s tired of the rut she’s gotten into.

With her uniform on, she moves closer to the mirror and gets to work on making her long silver hair more presentable. She ties it into a loose side braid, gives her bangs a fluff with her fingertips, and fastens her rose hair-clip above her ear. She grabs her school bag, hanging it over her shoulder as she turns and heads out.

She stops to snatch her white cane from where it’s leaning next to the door, giving it a shake to unfold it, and she sets it on the walkway ahead of her as she leaves the house. She glances over to the other building on the estate, belonging to her dad’s spa, and makes a mental note to visit him after school.

She keeps walking down the sidewalk, cane tapping, the wind in her hair.

Chapter Text

“As third-years, it’s time to start thinking seriously about who you are and what your future entails,” Kemuri’s homeroom teacher, Sensei Suzuki, states as he adjusts his glasses. “Today, I’ll be handing out career aptitude tests. I know a lot of you want to be heroes, but the cold hard truth is that not everyone will make it. You need to have a backup plan and this test will offer some options.”

There are a few mutters that ripple through the class, complaints at the extra work. Suzuki’s glare sweeps over the class and Kemuri immediately sinks further into her desk. His quirk, Glare, can freeze multiple people in place for a few seconds if he looks at them, and while it isn’t an impressive quirk, it’s exceedingly useful for a teacher.

“Pass these out,” Sensei Suzuki says to the girl in the seat right in front of him, handing her a stack of papers.

She stands in a hurry, bowing as she takes the papers, then starts moving up and down the rows. Kemuri keeps her eyes on her, heart pounding. Her seat is at the back of the class, closest to the door, so she’ll get her paper last. She digs her hand into the pocket of her navy blazer, fingers closing around her glasses, and she swallows. Please, she begs internally, nobody mention it. Nobody mention the blind girl using glasses. It’s hard enough explaining to everyone that doesn’t know her and, yes, there are still people in her class who, after three years, don’t understand her condition and its complexities.

“Oh, so you’re blind,” they say.

“N-No…I can see some things.”

“Then you’re not blind?”

She gave up on explaining a long time ago.

She startles as her classmate sets the paper on her desk and walks away without so much as a second glance. Sensei Suzuki settles into his desk, folding his hands together in front of his mouth as he props his elbows on the tabletop before him.

“Finish the test, hand them in, and the results will come back to you soon,” he says. “If you finish early, go to the library. Sensei Ito will keep an eye on you while you study.” He gives a pointed look to a few of the boys in the class, warning them against causing any trouble. “Alright, begin.”

Kemuri unfolds her glasses and puts them on, immediately making the title at the top of the page clear enough to read. As she reads along the page, word by word as they move into her tunnelled sight, she feels her shoulders knotting with stress.

Each question feels like a punch to the gut. What profession would you like? What are you good at? Mark all that apply. Answer below. Include your hobbies. On a scale of one to ten, how heroic are you? She feels like she’s going to pass out.

In truth, she knows what she wants to do with her future, but has very little confidence in herself to get it done. She wants to go to the same school that her mother went to and she wants to be better than she was. She wants to go further than her mother did, become someone so amazing that her grandfather can’t possibly ignore her. He’ll be forced to see her for who she is. She will go beyond. Plus Ultra!

That’s what she wants more than anything, to embody that motto, and yet, sitting here in a classroom, surrounded by blurs of beige and navy blue blazers, she feels incapable of being anything more than ordinary. How can someone like her become more than…this?

She keeps working on the test, frustration burning in her chest. It’s so stupid of her to dream of being something more when her mother is everything that she wishes she could be; beautiful, confident, successful, able-bodied, pure, loved. How can Kemuri live up to such a legacy? It’s impossible, but some small speck of determination, of ambition, begs her to try.

That’s why she requested an application for U.A High. That’s why she decided to go for the big guns and try her luck. The acceptance rate is the lowest in the country but the alumni line is astounding. Kemuri gets starry-eyed just thinking of walking the same halls as All Might, Edgeshot, Endeavour, Best Jeanist, and other amazing heroes like them.

And, if all else fails, she can still be a police officer and help out the students who do become heroes. She can keep civilians at bay during any unrest, a faceless nobody to stand in the way of the gawking public as they squeal and take pictures of heroes at work. The only problem with that is Kemuri would be lingering in her mother’s shadow when what she needs is to cast her own.

“Shimakage.”

Kemuri looks up, glasses sliding down her nose as she releases a startled breath. Sensei Suzuki stands next to her desk, blank-faced, and when she looks around the classroom she sees that most of the students have already finished. Her face flushes and she bows her head in shame.

“I’m sorry,” she says, hands shaking. “I…I was just working on it…”

“You still have time,” Suzuki states, casting a brief glance at the watch on his wrist. “Once you’re done, I’d like to talk to you. Just come to my desk. Don’t rush yourself.”

She nods and goes back to work. By the time she’s done, she can hear the footsteps of the only other student in the room rushing out the door. She’s used to being the last one done, as awkward as that makes her feel, but she needs to take her time to ensure that she read every question right. Plus, reading too fast makes her eyes ache, even with the glasses.

She stands and shuffles to her Sensei’s desk, holding out the test to him, and he takes it with a loose, barely-there smile. “You…wanted to speak with me?” she asks, adjusting the red, striped tie around her neck.

“Yes, about your UA application,” he says, shuffling the stack of test papers a few times before patting them into a uniform pile. He sets them aside and slides his chair back, reaching for his desk drawer. “Your grades for the mock exam were better than your usual average. If you keep those up, I have confidence that you’ll be able to get into U.A.”

Her heart swells. “Y-You really think so, Sensei?”

He gets a paper from the desk drawer and sets it before her. “I do.” He gives her a moment to read the top of the sheet—a standard application for the U.A hero course—before speaking again, “Many students from many different schools apply for U.A, and Somei is no different. While I am supportive, I hope you understand what you’re getting into.”

Kemuri looks up from the application form, starting to tug at her braid. “I understand, I…I just feel like that’s where I need to be. It’s where my mom went and, well…” She bows her head, voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s…my dream.”

“A dream is fine. I am only asking you because you’ve had some difficulties in the past, concerning your quirk,” he states. She swallows hard and he leans back in his chair, ghosting a hand over his dark hair. “Any hero course aims to bring out the full potential of its students and if you aren’t willing to push yourself, you have no place trying to be a hero.” His eyes pierce into hers and despite the absence of his quirk, she still feels frozen.

“I…I know,” she squeaks.

He exhales and straightens up a little. “But, the point of this conversation is to…give you some confidence. Your grades are good. You have a good handle on your quirk, or at least parts of it. You work hard even when you don’t think it will pay off, and best of all, you already have quite a few backup plans.” he says. His face softens just a little bit. “So, go out and make Somei Academy proud.”

Just like my mother did, she thinks.

She bows at the waist. “Hai, Sensei! I…I will do my best!” After a second, she adds, “Or better.”

He slides the application closer to her, his expression falling back into the serious one that she knows well. “Be sure to get this filled out as soon as possible,” he says. “Don’t want to miss out.”

“Hai, Sensei.”

The bell rings and with a final, hasty bow, Kemuri goes back to her desk and gathers up the rest of her books. She heads out of the room, bumping her hip on a desk as she goes. She winces and tries to act like the incident didn’t send shooting pain up her entire body.

In the hallway, she pauses to take her glasses off and put them back in their case. There’s no point in wearing them if she’s not actively reading. Everything’s going to be blurry anyway. She looks down at the application in her hands, perched carefully on top of her books, excitement thrumming through her veins and making her fingertips tingle. U.A is within reach.

She starts down the hallway, sticking to wall at her right. Students flow past her in both directions, a sea of uniformity punctuated by bursts of colour from hair and body shapes that vary between quirks. Kemuri likes the colourful people best, at least from a viewer’s perspective. She’s grey, from her hair and eyes down to her skirt, unassuming and unnoticeable, yet others have red or blue or purple hair and she finds it so very lovely to watch their colours flow past.

“Of course, I will be applying for U.A,” an enigmatic voice says from a little ways ahead of her. “It is my best option, a fine institution built on the legacies of the greats and I wish to join them!”

Kemuri feels like her heart will leap out of her chest and race away down the hall, right towards the owner of that voice. He’s barely even talked to her and she doubts that he knows she exists even if they are in the same grade—him in Class 3-A, her in 3-B—and yet she can’t help getting butterflies at the thought of him. He’s so cool, so passionate…he’s got the “look at me” vibe that Kemuri wishes she had and she can’t help but admire him for it.

A shoulder smacks against hers and she gasps, losing her balance in a second as one foot catches the other. Her books go flying, she hits the floor, and she hears a harsh “watch it, cripple” before the owner of the voice disappears. Kemuri slowly pushes herself up, eyes burning with brimming tears that only serve to make her vision worse, shoulder aching from the impact of the fall, and she looks around herself in an attempt to find her books.

“Are you okay?”

She looks up enough to see a hand holding a book out to her. She wipes at her eyes hastily and reaches for it, nodding. “Y-Yes, I…I wasn’t paying attention. I…”

Her gaze travels up the rest of the way as the boy kneels down, hands moving to grab the books that she didn’t see. Again, her heart flutters and words clog in her throat; blue-black hair styled in an undercut, half-rim glasses, angular eyebrows, deep blue eyes. Kemuri’s body goes into shutdown.

Tenya Iida; the boy who saved her on the first day of middle school and the boy who’s held her heart in an iron grip ever since.

“That was incredibly rude of him,” Iida states as he stacks her books for her, setting the application on top. He gestures widely to his chest, hand chopping a little. “I saw the whole thing! He was the one not paying attention!” He shakes his head. “The audacity…a gentleman of Somei Academy should never act in such a way!”

Kemuri manages a nod, still unsure of what to say or do. Iida offers a hand to her as he starts to get up and she takes it, dazed. As he helps her back to her feet, she snaps out of it, immediately looking away from him as she brushes off her uniform and smooths her blazer. He waits for her to glance up at him before extending the books to her. She takes them, clutching them close to her chest.

“Are you going to be alright?” he inquires, adjusting his glasses.

She nods, bowing her head. “I’m…” Her throat is way too dry and she swallows hard, waving her hand a bit as she nods her head faster. “Yeah. I…I’m…” Her face gets even redder.

He smiles a little. “Good! Glad to hear it!” He’s chopping his hand again, like a robot, and it makes Kemuri smile. “Just be sure to get some ice for your shoulder. That will help with the pain.” As he turns to go, he adds, “Good luck with the application there.”

Again, all she can do is nod as her gaze darts to the paper. She keeps standing in place even as he walks away and rejoins his friends, starstruck and dumbfounded and falling to pieces. She knows it’s just a silly crush, that he’s just another regular boy, but she can’t help it.

She keeps going to the office, heart light, feet lighter. “This is the best day of my life,” she breathes.

Chapter Text

When Kemuri gets home, she stops just long enough to put her cane on its peg before she jogs off to her dad’s spa. Inside, there are a few customers getting helped by the receptionists and one of the beauticians, Ito, emerges from the back room with a freshly manicured client. Kemuri greets her on her way to her dad’s office and Ito bows her head with a smile.

“Hey dad!” Kemuri says as she enters the small office, shutting the door behind her.

Cayden looks up from his paperwork, smiling as he gets to his feet and extends his arms for a hug. “Hey, Kemmy. How’s my favourite girl?”

She hugs him tight, closing her eyes and revelling in her father’s warm safety. “I’m good,” she says. She pulls away and bounces a little. “I applied to U.A today.”

He arches his eyebrows. “Wow,” he breathes. He lowers his voice. “Does this mean…that my baby girl is gonna be a high schooler?”

She grins. “I am!” She tugs at her skirt, biting her lip. “And…maybe a hero, too?”

He laughs and engulfs her in another squishy hug. “You’ll be the greatest hero ever, sweetie. I know it.”

“And if it doesn’t work out, I can be a police officer or maybe I can work at the spa with you,” she says. She looks at her hands, curling her fingers into her palms. “Make use of my steam…maybe?”

His expression falters for a brief second, revealing guilt, but he hides it as soon as she looks back up at him. “Of course,” he says. He runs his hand through his curls. “Actually, I’m a little short-staffed today. After you get changed, how about helping me with the massage and sauna rooms?”

She nods, perking up a little. The spa is the one place where she feels like the steamier half of her quirk isn’t useless. She can use it to clean, give the saunas a boost, and applying the little bit of heat and moisture during massages and facials really helps relax the body. She uses it on herself often when she’s cleaning her face, giving her very clear skin.

There’s a knock on the door and Kemuri takes that as her cue to go back to the main house, leaving her dad to his conversation as one of his aestheticians pushes the door open. The second she gets inside the house, the quiet envelops her. Her footsteps seem to echo around her as she goes down the hall to her room, stopping for a second to look closely at the family portrait hanging in the hallway.

There are only four people living in this house—Kemuri, her mother, her father, and her grandfather. Grandmother Shimakage, Kazue’s mother, used to live here too until she passed away many years ago. Kemuri was just a baby then.

On the other hand, Grandma and Grandpa Hall died in a villain attack when Cayden, their only son, was a very young man. Kemuri knows from stories that his only child status was one of the reasons that Grandfather Shimakage allowed Cayden to marry Kazue, despite all the other factors that he hated so much. Apparently, Grandmother Shimakage was far more supportive of the union and that helped them along.

Kemuri tilts her head a little as the figures in the picture stare back at her. There are her grandfather and grandmother, both stoic and poised, and below them sit Kazue and Cayden with baby Kemuri in her mother’s lap. There are no aunts and uncles, no cousins, no nieces or nephews to be found anywhere in the Shimakage family and while Kemuri has been told the reason why many times, she still hates it. The family line has stuck to the rule of “one child and one child only” since a time before her grandfather and when she asks why, the answer is chalked up to, “That’s tradition. We stick with it.”

Kemuri thinks that that isn’t the full truth. She heard her grandfather tell her mother that he forbade her to have any more “ruined” children with “that man.” It’s obvious that that’s the reason there aren’t any siblings for Kemuri to love and the words still sting when she thinks of it.

Maybe she wouldn’t be so lonely if there was someone else in the house closer to her age, someone to play with. As she ducks into her room, she imagines getting a pet, like a dog. That could be fun, having something cute and fluffy and eager to see her when she comes home. The idea makes her smile.

She changes out of her uniform, hangs it up, then takes some time to smooth out the wrinkles. She uses the steam part of her quirk for this too, another mildly useful part of having it. With that done, she changes into a more casual outfit of a t-shirt and shorts before heading back out to help her dad.

----------

That evening, when Kazue has returned home, the Shimakages gather for a dinner of yakitori and rice. They eat in silence, Kemuri keeping her eyes on her food. Her grandfather sits at the head of the table, his dark eyes fastened on something in the distance. Kazue offers seconds and Cayden accepts.

“Um…grandfather?” Kemuri says, peeking up at him as if he might jump at her.

He exhales heavily through his nose, greyed eyebrows furrowing as he sets another clump of rice in his mouth. Kazue glances at him for a second before looking at her daughter. Kemuri straightens up and focuses on her grandfather, trying her best to ignore the twisting in her gut.

“I applied to the Hero Course at U.A,” she continues. “I’m…gonna work hard to get in.”

Her grandfather blinks once, jaw clenched, and he swallows his food. He takes a moment to look at Kazue, who tries to smile, before looking back at Kemuri. “And?”

Kemuri’s face flushes. “And, I…I want to work harder at training so I…I’m ready for the entrance exam,” she says, starting to tap her fingers against her leg. “Could…could we do that? In training?”

Her grandfather thinks for a moment before he sets his bowl down. “Fine.” She sits up straighter and his expression turns harsh, stern. “But if you fail the entrance exam, or fail to make it into the hero course, then you will have wasted my time and I will no longer train you.”

Kemuri’s heart drops into her feet. Her grandfather stands, thanks Kazue for the meal—despite Cayden being the one who cooked it—and leaves the dining room. Kemuri stares at her half-eaten chicken, appetite gone, and she hears the chair closest to her squeak as its owner shifts. She thinks that she’s gotten used to the harsh, to-the-point way that her grandfather speaks to her and yet every time, it still hurts.

“It’s okay, Kemuri,” her mother says. “Even if you don’t make it into U.A, there are plenty of other courses. Shiketsu comes to mind…”

“No,” Kemuri whispers, shaking her head. “It…it has to be U.A. Not Shiketsu, not Ketsubutsu.” She looks up at her parents. “And grandfather has to keep training me. That’s the only time he gives me any attention.”

Cayden stands up, gathering the dirty dishes as he releases a sigh. “He isn’t exactly kind to you, honey,” he says. “He’s always pushing you past your limits in training and honestly, it worries me.”

“We can always hire a new Sensei,” Kazue adds.

Kemuri bites her tongue, muscles tense. How can she say to her parents that, no, it can’t be a different school and it can’t be a new Sensei. It has to be U.A because that’s where her mother went and it has to be her grandfather because he’s the most skilled at using Smoke Bomb even if his methods are rough. It has to be all of these things because how else is Kemuri going to be better?

“Mom, dad,” she says. Until that point, they were still talking, but now she has their attention in an instant. She opens her mouth, trying to say everything that she’s feeling, but it falls flat and instead, she says, “I…I was thinking that this house would be less empty if we got a dog.”

Cayden gasps. “I love dogs.”

“We’d have to talk with father about it,” Kazue says, but the gears in her head are already turning as she mulls over the possibility. “But, I agree…a dog would be nice.”

They keep talking and Kemuri sits back, trying to eat a little more off her plate. As long as they’re focused on that, they won’t spend time worrying about her. She hates worrying them. They do it enough what with her circumstances.

She finishes her food, cleans up her plate, and heads up to her room to do homework. Music plays softly as she works out math problems. As she works, she imagines the future. She imagines being at U.A, confident and strong, a brand new hero for the world to love, and she hopes above all that she be good enough to make that dream a reality.

Chapter Text

Before Kemuri knows it, it’s the final semester of middle school and the U.A entrance exam looms before her, daunting, an obstacle she must face if she wants to continue on her chosen path.

On the morning of the exam, February 26, she does her regular morning workout, then heads to the shower. She stands in silence, letting the water run over her, the moisture making her feel stronger, rejuvenated. As she massages shampoo into her hair, she releases some steam from the pores on her back to untangle her knotted muscles. Now is not the time for stress.

She dries off, brushes her hair and braids it, puts on her Somei uniform, and packs an extra tank top and yoga shorts in her bag. She hurries down the stairs, nearly tripping over herself as she slides into the kitchen, eager for the breakfast she can already smell.

“Someone’s excited,” her dad says with a smile as he reads the morning newspaper, nibbling at a piece of toast.

Her mom sets a few pancakes on his plate, stopping to brush his curls back and kiss his forehead, then sets up a plate for Kemuri. “Why wouldn’t she be? It’s exam day,” she says.

“I’m nervous,” Kemuri admits. “But I’ve worked hard! I think I’ve got this.” She bounces a little on her feet before she sits down and grabs her utensils. “Plus, grandfather said we could get a dog if I do well, right?”

“Just between us,” her mom says, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “we’re getting a dog no matter how it goes today.”

Kemuri grins and takes a big bite of pancake.

----------

When she reaches the U.A campus just before nine o’clock a.m, what little confidence she had runs away at top speed. The school is huge and not to mention unfamiliar, meaning Kemuri can’t rely on muscle memory like she does in most other places around her home and the places where she grew up.

She shuffles to the far end of the gate, trying to stay out of the way of other examinees, and swallows down the nervous lump in her throat. First up is the written test. She isn’t too worried about that part, but after that is orientation, then the all-important practical exam, and that’s what she mulls over the most.

She catches herself before she can drift off into daydream land again. She gives her head a hard shake and clears her throat. She needs to focus all her energy on finding where she needs to be and getting stuff done. She straightens up, blinks a few times, and searches the immediate area.

Easier said than done. Following the other examinees is a good place to start, but she worries about what she’ll do once she gets inside. Keep going, just hope that someone else knows the way and she can keep an eye on them for long enough to get where she needs to be? God, this is so much worse than she imagined. Every time she stops to try and orient herself, she ends up blocking the flow of traffic, getting bumped by others who know where they’re going.

She looks around again, trying to find any familiar face in the throng of middle schoolers, but they’re all just blobs of colour moving too fast for her to keep up. She starts to shake, gripping her cane tight as she presses it against her leg, teeth gritting as frustration flushes her face. Why must she always be such a screw up?

A hand touches her shoulder for a second and she startles, letting out a squeak as she whips around. A very tall, very muscular boy with…she stops to count. Six? Yeah, six arms. He’s wearing a mask and his grey hair covers what the mask doesn’t, all except his dark eyes. For four painfully awkward seconds, they stare at each other.

“You look lost,” he comments.

Kemuri clears her throat, averting her eyes. “I…I kinda am,” she admits, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m…not sure where to go for the written part of the exam.”

“You can walk with me, if you want,” he says.

Relief floods her and she bows her head. “Yes, t-thank you! That would be great.”

She extends her cane in front of her and the odd boy steps to her side, blinding himself from her view. She doesn’t mention it. She can feel one of his arms just barely brushing hers as they walk, so as long as she keeps checking to make sure that he’s still there, she’s good. She hopes he doesn’t mind her elbow brushing his arms.

They walk in silence up a flight of stairs and into the main building. After a bit of silence, she hears the boy clear his throat.

“So, what course are you testing for?” he asks.

She maneuvers around a potted plant. “Hero.” After a second, she adds hastily, “Uh…you?”

“Same.”

Two emotions run through her. One is relief. If she gets into the hero course and this boy does too, maybe they’ll be in the same class and she’ll actually know someone! The second is a sense of doom. This guy is huge and looks incredibly strong, perfect hero material, and next to him she feels like a quirkless dwarf.

“C-Cool,” Kemuri squeaks. She immediately wants to smack herself over the head. Cool?! What kind of a response is cool?!

She physically can’t get herself to talk more after that, too focused on tapping her stick and trying to get over what an embarrassment she is around people. Only a little while after, she feels the boy’s hand brush her arm and she stops.

“It’s in here,” he says. She turns to look up at him and he blinks a few times, eyeing the stick for a second. “Can you find your seat, or…?”

“Oh! Yeah, I…” She brings her stick closer and tries to don a casual smile. “I’m…I’m not totally blind, I’m just partially…uhh…” She squeezes her eyes shut, steam puffing from her ears as she groans. “I’m okay,” she finally says, defeated by herself.

The boy doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, there’s a glint in his eye that makes her imagine that he’s smiling a little and when she looks down, she sees that there is indeed a smile formed on the edge of one of his limbs. “Okay,” he says. “Glad I could help, anyway.”

“Yes, thank you,” she says. He starts to move past her and she gasps, remembering something. If he’s going into the hero course, there’s a chance they may be in the same class and if that happens, she’ll need to know something very important. “Uh, wait!” He stops and she tugs at some of her hair before tucking it behind her ear. “Er…w-what’s your name? I’m Kemuri Shimakage.”

He blinks. “Mezo Shoji.”

She nods. “Nice to meet you!”

“You too, Shimakage.”

She can’t help but feel a little jarred at the sound of her last name. Sure, it’s a common thing in schools, but nobody talks to her enough for her name to be used often and when she is spoken to, it’s at home with her parents and they, of course, use her first name.

The six-armed boy disappears and Kemuri hurries into the room, shaking off her nerves and getting back into the exam mindset. At least she accomplished something today; she talked to someone new and it wasn’t a complete failure.

Chapter Text

At the end of the written test, Kemuri follows the wave of people heading for the Hero Course Exam Orientation hall. She holds tight to the exam ticket she got earlier, detailing her examinee number and the battle centre where she’ll take part in the practical.

The hall is already filling up with students, the low hum of conversation swimming in the air like a swarm of bees. The room is divided up according to school and while Kemuri can already see the Somei uniforms belonging to her classmates, there are so many of them that finding her exact seat is troublesome. Kemuri looks down at her ticket again, squinting hard as she holds it away from her face. Number 7112, it reads.

She searches the rows ahead of her, starting to get an anxious knot in her gut again, and swallows hard. There’s no Shoji around to save her now. Guess she’ll have to be brave and—she shudders at the idea—talk to a stranger.

“E…Excuse me?” she asks, tapping the shoulder of the student nearest to her, a girl with an orange ponytail and green eyes. The girl looks up at her and offers a smile. “I can’t…f-find…” Kemuri swallows again, trying to get her throat to loosen up. “Can’t find my seat,” she squeaks.

The girl shifts to face Kemuri better. “What’s your number?”

Instead of answering, Kemuri shows her the paper. The girl reads it, smiles, and points a little ways down. “That’s three rows down from here, right near the middle,” she says. “Do you want me to walk you there?”

“No, b-but thank you.”

She bows to the girl and walks away. She moves three rows down, double checks the number to the best of her ability, and goes in. She does her best to avoid people’s feet as she goes, watching each chair to make sure she’s still in the right place. 7109, 7110…

“Sorry, let me get out of your way!”

Kemuri freezes, heart pounding. Of all the people she could be sitting next to, it had to be him. Is this a blessing or a curse or both?

Iida waits patiently, eyebrows lifted, expression stoic, and Kemuri kicks herself internally as she squeaks out a thanks and shuffles past him like a nervous penguin. She turns and sits herself down right next to him, far too warm to be comfortable. Iida sits back down, posture straight and hands perpendicular to each other on the desktop before him.

Kemuri stirs in her seat, eyes facing forward in an attempt to ignore the boy next to her. If she could just calm down and act normal for once in her life, that would be great.

“What did you think of the written test?” Iida asks.

Kemuri takes a second or two to realize that he’s talking to her and even once she looks at him, she points to herself and asks, “What…what I thought?”

“Yes!” He shuts his eyes as he sucks in a deep breath, nodding once. “I studied hard, so I found most of it to be simple, although a few questions did manage to stump me. Of course, I’d expect nothing less of this institution.”

She can hardly get herself to nod, starting to play with her fingers as she purses her lips. “It was okay,” she says, a little breathless. “My eyes kinda ached by the end, but…” She sighs. “That’s nothing new.”

“Ah, right, you are only partially blind,” Iida says with another thoughtful nod. Her face slackens with shock—he remembered?—and he continues, “Have you tried getting glasses? My eyes ache if I try to read without them but, truthfully, I can hardly see without them anyway.”

“I can hardly see at all,” Kemuri says. As soon as it’s out, she covers her mouth with her hand and her face flushes. That doesn’t even make sense! Stupid—

Iida chuckles. “You would understand better than anyone.”

Her heart squeezes and she fiddles with the tip of her braid, yet again finding herself unable to look at him. “B-But…uh,” she starts. “I…I do have glasses, but they’re mostly for when I’m taking tests and they fog up a lot because of my quirk so they’re kind of annoying so I just work without them most of the time, which I can do so—”

And…now I’m rambling, she thinks. Great. I’m an utter embarrassment to myself, my family, and everyone around me.

“I see,” Iida says, stroking his chin. “That’s very interesting. I can’t say I relate, but it’s impressive that you’re so capable without them!”

“Oh…thanks.”

Before they can say much else, spotlights go on around the room and the lights dim, bringing all conversations to a standstill. The giant screen at the front of the room switches on, displaying the glittering U.A logo on a blue backdrop.

“What’s up, U.A candidates? Thanks for tuning in to me, your school DJ!” an enthusiastic, amplified voice greets from the stage. Kemuri recognizes him immediately. “COME ON AND LEMME HEAR YA!”

Present Mic turns and cups his hand around his ear. Nobody makes a sound. Kemuri squints a little, taking in the swoop of blond hair on the man’s head and the orange-tinted sunglasses glinting in the spotlights, and grins. She’s so close to a real pro hero! She can’t wait to tell her dad about it. He adores Mic’s radio show.

“Keepin’ it mellow, huh?” Mic asks the silent, watchful crowd. “That’s fine, I’ll skip straight to the main show. Let’s talk about how this practical exam is gonna go down, okay?” He does a little flourish and sings out, “ARE YOU READAYYYY?! YEAH!”

Kemuri can’t keep the smile off her face. He speaks as if every sentence ends with two exclamation marks or three question marks, like he’s rapping or singing with every word, and the enthusiasm is infectious, at least to her. The rest of the students are still silent, far too drained from the written exam to get pumped up.

“As your application said, today, you rockin’ boys and girls will be out there conducting ten-minute mock battles in super hip urban settings!” Present Mic continues. Behind him, the screen shifts to show seven different squares, labelled A through G, extending from the orientation hall. “Bring whatever stuff you want, my friends! After I drop the mic here, you’ll head to your specified battle centres!” Silence. “OKAY?!”

Kemuri glances at her ticket, marked “Test Location: Battle Centre A”, and she turns her head enough to see Iida’s paper. He’s at Battle Centre B. She feels both elated and disappointed all at once. They separate schools as much as possible to discourage people from working with their friends; she finds that unfortunate, but at least he won’t see if she messes up.

Present Mic launches into a discussion about the faux villains at each battle centre—one-pointers, two-pointers, and three-pointers—and explains that all they’ve got to do is shred the robots like a mid-song guitar solo. Kemuri notices the kids around her watching their papers, but she sticks to watching Mic. Listening suits her better.

Iida gets to his feet, one hand raised straight up in the air, and Kemuri startles as he lets out a sharp, “Excuse me, sir, but I have a question!”

“HIT ME!” Mic calls.

A spotlight appears above Iida and Kemuri flinches away from it. Iida does not. “On the printout,” he starts, pointing to the page, “you’ve listed four types of villains, not three. With all due respect, if this is an error on official U.A materials, then it is shameful! We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan’s most notable school! Mistakes such as this won’t do!”

Kemuri looks at her lap, wondering if any of the stares aimed at Iida are lingering on her. She starts to fiddle with her braid as Iida gives the printout another firm shake. She realizes that most others in the room aren’t accustomed to Iida’s loud, controlling way of doing things and she wonders whether they all find it strange. Even Kemuri thinks it’s a little too much at times.

“Additionally, you, with the unkempt hair!” Iida snaps, whirling around with a finger ready and aimed. Kemuri looks over her shoulder and searches for a second before locating the boy in question. He makes a nervous squeaking noise and points at himself in confusion. “You’ve been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can’t bother to take this seriously, then leave. You’re distracting the rest of us.”

The boy claps his hands over his mouth and Kemuri catches a whimpered apology from him, earning a few laughs. Iida is still glaring at him, intimidating and sharp, and she wonders whether she should step in and ask him to calm down. He was just muttering. Kemuri didn’t even notice and she happens to have impeccable hearing, thank you very much.

Before she can, Present Mic does it for her. “Alright, alright, examinee number 7111. Thanks for calling in with your request!” He shoots Iida a thumbs up and he finally turns around, leaving the unkempt boy free of his glare.

Only once Mic explains the 0-Point villain does Iida sit back down, but not before bowing deeply and apologizing for disrupting things. Mic continues for a bit longer, spouts some inspiring words from Napoleon Bonaparte, and signs off with a hefty, “PLUS ULTRA!”

“Good luck!” he adds as the students start to grab their things. “Hope you practiced hitting more than just books!”

Kemuri smiles to herself as the auditorium starts to clear out. She did a lot of hitting of both books and punching dummies. Hopefully, it’s enough.

Chapter Text

Iida leaves in a hurry, briefly mentioning something to Kemuri about the importance of wearing proper athletic gear before he runs off. Kemuri isn’t sure whether she feels honoured that he even bothered to talk to her again or sad that he left in such a hurry. She’s started to notice that, when it comes to him, she has a lot of conflicting emotions.

She had imagined them walking together, pumping each other up, and then she remembers that he only knows about her existence because they have spent three years passing each other in the halls of Somei and, if they were to walk together, she’d probably trip or fumble over her words and he would never speak to her again.

So, instead of her fantasy, she goes to one of the bathrooms to get changed. She puts her makeshift belt on, slipping a few water bottles inside, ties her hair into a ponytail, and hurries off to join the other examinees at battle centre A.

Once she’s in front of the cityscape, everything seems far more daunting and she can’t help but stare up at the hugeness of it all. When she looks around, the other students seem, for the most part, confident, although a few of them shift in place and stretch away their nerves. Kemuri takes a second to release some steam all over her body, once again unwinding her muscles and making her feel loose and relaxed.

As she looks again, she can’t help but remember that only a select few of them will actually get into U.A after this. She could be looking at the heroes of tomorrow while others, she will never see again. This really is a defining moment for each and every one of them.

She starts toward the front gate, trying to muscle in with the crowd waiting so that when the time starts, she doesn’t get left behind. She’s already got strategies rolling through her head, ideas on how to take down the faux-villains. With a somewhat solid plan in mind, she takes a deep breath and focuses.

Above them, Present Mic shouts, “TIME STARTS NOW!”

The other candidates turn at the sudden noise as the gate flies open, but Kemuri is already running, arms pumping, eyes scanning everywhere in search of her first target. Behind her, the pounding of feet continues and she hears Present Mic calling, “Come on, real fights don’t have countdowns! GO GO GO, LISTENERS!”

There’s a loud boom, an explosion of some kind, and someone goes whipping past Kemuri at top speed. She nearly stumbles over herself as she turns to look at the person, just able to see spikey blond hair, bursts of fire coming from his palms.

“DIE!”

A one-point robot crumples beneath his attack and he lands on the wreckage, a wicked grin on his face as he flexes his fingers. Kemuri takes a second to gape at his raw power before the rush of the other examinees brings her back to reality. Everyone is going to be trying their hardest, just like that boy. She’s got to keep up.

More and more robots flood the streets and the examinees take to destroying them in any way that they can. Kemuri searches for a good vantage point just as a three-pointer rolls into her path. Its red eyes light up and an electronic voice groans out, “Target acquired.”

Before it can move another inch, Kemuri releases a cloud of white fog from all over her body and within seconds, she’s obscured from view. The robot halts, eyes going dim, and she smiles to herself. Her vision is completely blinded and yet she feels like she can see better than ever. She can sense the robot’s position, its size, and she starts toward it at her top speed.

The robot still can’t see her. She skirts around it, leaps onto its back, and smashes the power button. The robot shuts off, sagging to the concrete in a heap, and Kemuri drops back down to the ground and races off in search of another target. That’s three points. She needs more.

Most of the other examinees have gathered in the same area, picking off robot after robot as they mutter their number of points to each other. Kemuri could disperse more fog and take out the robots in the immediate vicinity, but doing so would blind the other examinees and she doesn’t want to ruin their chances of passing. So, instead, she dashes around the outside and picks off the robots coming through the side streets.

Three points becomes ten, then fifteen, then twenty, then twenty-one.

Kemuri stops to drink some water, panting a little. She’s doing okay. If she just keeps it up—

The ground rumbles and a few streets down, buildings collapse in explosions of dust. The examinees nearby stop fighting for just long enough to turn around as one of the infamous 0-Point villains appears. It towers over the buildings, giant red eyes glaring down at the students, and there are a few shouts as people start running.

In the chaos, Kemuri backs into the nearest alley, searching around herself. There’s so much broken asphalt and rubble that if she runs with the rest of the students, she’ll probably lose her footing and put herself in more danger. She could use her quirk to feel out everywhere, but her fog doesn’t follow her so she’d have to continuously disperse it and that puts her at risk for dehydration. She’s already pushing her limits.

She looks back at the looming robot, still creeping towards them, and she realizes that there are still explosions around. Upon looking further, she sees that the explosion boy from before is still around, picking off the straggling robots left behind by the fleeing examinees.

Smart, Kemuri thinks. Gain more points with less competition.

She, however, keeps moving down the sidewalk in search of other robots. She doesn’t have the firepower to do what that boy is doing, plus if she butts in she fears that he’ll blow her up, so it’s in her best interest to look elsewhere.

“FOUR MINUTES LEFT! KEEP MOVING, KIDDOS!”

A two-pointer robot stands in the path ahead of her, back turned, its focus on something else. Kemuri picks up the speed, her skin prickling as she readies her quirk, and she hears a shout of pain as the robot lunges.

Kemuri leaps onto the robot’s back, smashes its power button, and hops off as it collapses. She hears coughing and turns, catching sight of another examinee—a girl with no outstanding physical features aside from rather large ears and short purple hair. She clutches her side and gasps for breath, tears rolling down her face, and Kemuri rushes to her side.

“Hey, what happened? Are you okay?” she asks.

The girl motions frantically, but can’t get a single word out as she wheezes and struggles. Kemuri glances back at the robot for a second before kneeling down and helping the girl up, noticing that her ankle is twisted.

“It’s okay, just try to relax,” Kemuri says. “I think I can help, just…just hold on.”

As the girl keeps wheezing, Kemuri rests her hand on her back and releases some steam from her palm. The girl’s muscles relax and she takes a gasping breath, then seems to deflate as she sags with exhaustion. She keeps breathing normally, albeit there’s a rasp to it, and Kemuri smiles a little.

“There,” she murmurs. “I’m sorry, I used my quirk on you.” She bows her head in apology. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Tha…thank you,” the girl says, wiping at her eyes. “That robot…” She glances at it, wincing a little as she shifts in place. “It caught my foot and when I fell, I couldn’t breathe…”

As the girl starts to cough again, Kemuri glances at her belt. She only has one water bottle left, but this girl probably needs it more. She takes it out and hands it to the girl with a gentle smile, earning a wide-eyed, teary look.

“Here, it’ll help,” she says. The girl nods, uncapping it and taking a long drink, and Kemuri looks around. “It isn’t safe here. Can you walk?”

“M…maybe?” The girl tries to stand, testing her foot, but it wobbles and she stifles a cry. “N-No, I can’t.”

Kemuri kneels down, securing an arm around her waist and hooking the girl’s arm over her shoulders. “Okay, I’ve got you,” she says.

She helps the girl walk, moving at a much slower pace, and Kemuri’s heart hammers against her ribcage. How close is the 0-Pointer? How much time is left? Are there any enemies nearby? At her side, the girl looks over her shoulder and lets out a terrified squeak. Kemuri grits her teeth.

“H-Hey,” the girl says. “It’s getting c-closer.”

Kemuri’s already getting tired, shoulders aching from supporting most of the girl’s weight, and she grits her teeth a little as she gets the both of them over a chunk of loosened concrete. “Hold on,” she repeats. “We’ve just gotta keep moving.”

She tries to go faster, but the combined weight, her growing exhaustion, and focusing on avoiding possible tripping hazards just makes it harder. There are still explosions going off behind them and the crashes of robots getting destroyed rings in her ears.

The girl lets out a scream and Kemuri has barely enough time to turn around before a two-pointer appears. The girl shoves away with her good foot, bringing them both to the ground just in time to avoid being crushed. The robot advances with a rumbling noise.

Kemuri scrambles back to her feet, elbows aching from the force of the fall. The girl stays on the ground, tears starting to roll down her cheeks as she grips her ankle.

“TWO MINUTES LEFT!”

The robot advances and Kemuri dispels more fog, hoping that she’ll have enough time to obscure them from view and shut it off. It’s moving fast. It may not fall for it.

Before her fog can spread too far, she senses another body appear right behind the robot and with a metallic screech, the beast collapses. Kemuri’s fog dissipates and she catches sight of a fairly muscular boy with bright orange hair and freckles sprayed across his cheeks. He wears a ragged tank top, shorts that seem a little too high up on his calves, and no shoes. One of his arms has taken the shape of a broadsword right up to his shoulder. It turns back to normal as he stomps around the broken machine, eyebrows furrowed, and Kemuri notices a scar on the right side of his jaw.

“What, you couldn’t get it yourselves?” he snaps.

Kemuri flinches. “It…” She shakes her head, clearing her thoughts. No time to be emotional. “It caught us off guard. A-And she’s hurt.”

The boy’s eyes, the colour of rich soil, move to the purple-haired girl and his stern expression softens just a little when he sees her clutching her ankle. “Oh…”

Kemuri perks up a little. “Hey, uh…could you help me? I’ve been trying to get her out of danger but it’s slow moving, and you…you, uh, look strong.” She flushes as the boy arches an eyebrow. “Please?” she adds in a bare whisper.

He sighs. “Y’know, this exam is about getting points, and we don’t have much time left,” he says. Kemuri bows her head and he brushes past her, heading towards the girl. “I’ll carry her. You keep an eye out for robots.”

Kemuri decides not to mention that leaving her on lookout isn’t the best idea, instead opting to nod, and the orange-haired boy scoops the injured girl into his arms with ease, holding her bridal style. She clings to his neck, cheeks pink, and he breaks into a light jog.

“Come on, keep up,” he mutters. Kemuri obeys.

They don’t run into a lot of villains and when they do, Kemuri blinds them and finds their off switch or the orange-haired boy slices them apart with his blades. Kemuri quickly realizes that it’s not just his arms that can transform, but his legs too. He can kick the monsters while turning his leg or his foot into some kind of sword. Kemuri realizes that that must be why he isn’t wearing shoes.

“TIME’S UP!”

Both of them stop running as a siren peals through the fake city. Any examinees near them stop fighting too. The orange-haired boy doesn’t set the girl down quite yet, his chest heaving with effort, and Kemuri brushes sweat from her brow as she surveys the others. Some look proud. Others seem disappointed. She can hear them talking to each other about their point totals and as the conversation swirls around her, dread sinks into her gut like an anchor.

She had twenty-one points before she stopped to help the girl, then…what? She counts on her fingers, thinking back to the robots she fought off while fleeing the 0-Pointer, but the feeling doesn’t get any lighter. She only got twenty-three points. That can’t be enough to pass.

Tears well in her eyes and she grits her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut as she feels her arms tremble. If it wasn’t enough, then that’s it. No more training with her grandfather. No surpassing her mother’s legacy.

The conversation lulls as soft, shuffling footsteps arrive. Kemuri sniffs and wipes at her eyes as she looks up. A tiny old woman wearing a pink visor shuffles through the crowd, a smile on her ageing face. Both the pin in her hair-bun and her walking cane are shaped like syringes.

“Well done, very nice, each and every one of you,” she says. “You’re all heroes in my eyes! Does anyone want some gummies?” The kid nearest to her accepts a few of the colourful candies, thanking her with a few head nods. “Is anyone injured? Come on, don’t be shy.”

Kemuri raises her hand. “Uh…” A multitude of onlookers switch their attention to her and she feels her skin crawl, swallowing hard. “She’s…” She points to the girl still cradled in the orange-haired boy’s arms. “She’s hurt. Her ankle.”

“And you two helped her? How kind of you,” the old lady says. She hobbles over to the pair and the boy sets the girl down. “Don’t worry, sweetie, I’ll have you fixed in a jiffy.”

She puckers her lips and presses a kiss to the girl’s forehead. In a few seconds, her ankle untwists, good as new, and the girl manages a thank you before she slumps over and falls asleep. A few people gasp and one boy calls, “Woah, is she okay?!”

“She’ll be fine. My quirk speeds up the healing process, but that requires energy,” the old lady says.

Kemuri gapes a little, realization sparking in the back of her mind as the woman starts checking on everyone else. She’s Recovery Girl, the U.A school nurse. Kemuri didn’t recognize her at first, mostly because she’s only ever heard of her in stories from her mom.

“The exam is now complete! All you listeners please proceed back to the main campus to retrieve your things!” Present Mic hollers. “Nothing left to do but be patient! Thanks for tuning in!”

A few robots carrying a tiny stretcher arrive as the examinees head out, but Kemuri and the orange-haired boy wait until the girl is loaded on and well on her way back to campus. The boy doesn’t stick around once that’s over, leaving without so much as a goodbye. Kemuri wishes he would at least let her thank him for his help.

Recovery Girl’s gentle smile persists as she heads towards the gate and Kemuri gasps, jogging a little to catch up. “Uh, Recovery Girl Sensei?”

“Yes, dear?” she asks.

“Thank you,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck. “I was worried…but then you showed up and it turned out okay, so I…” Her voice drops to a whisper. “I guess I worried for nothing…”

Recovery Girl’s gaze is wise and kind. It reminds Kemuri of her own grandmother, before she passed. “You’re so much like your mother,” she muses, making Kemuri’s lips part in shock. “Even as a student, she always cared about others first. It’s a great thing for a hero to have.”

Kemuri still can’t get herself to speak. Does Recovery Girl know just how much of a compliment that is to her? She purses her lips hard, hands shaking, and Recovery Girl reaches up to pat her hand.

“Go home and get some rest, dear,” she murmurs. “You need it.”

Kemuri does just that. It isn’t until a week later that she finds out whether or not she succeeded in her endeavours.

Chapter Text

“Maybe the letter will come in today,” Cayden says as he waters the plants near the hot springs.

Kemuri can’t even get herself to smile as she drags a net along the smooth, warm waters of the bath. She tugs it back to her and scrapes the fallen leaves into a pail. They’ll use them to help with the compost.

“Maybe,” she mumbles.

She hears her dad shuffle to the next set of plants and can just see his sympathetic smile. “No matter what happens, Kemuri, it’s not the end of the world. You’ve got a lot of potential!”

“Thanks, dad.”

She scrapes more leaves off the net, a heavy sigh escaping her. She wasn’t awful during the practical and if her previous grades say anything, she probably passed the written test. She tries to remind herself over and over again to be positive and yet, every time she thinks of it, she just sees the boy with the explosions and the boy with blades for arms. Guys like them are so strong and so capable, not to mention they have an amazing handle on their quirks. How could she ever stand next to them as an equal?

“Dad?” she calls.

“Yeah?”

“Can you tell me about when you met Peacekeeper?”

She looks over her shoulder at him as he rests his hand on his hip, a tender look on his face as he delves into the past. “Okay, sure,” he says. “Peacekeeper was like…the All Might of Canada. Of course, she was around way before All Might.” Excitement fills his eyes as he speaks, passion flowing. “Her quirk neutralized all negative feelings and she was known for resolving every fight without any violence. She could calm any villain with a few words, a kind smile, and a few pats on the back. She was amazing.”

Kemuri knows this story, but hearing her dad talk about it makes her happy and it reminds her that all is not lost, even when things seem dark. She sets the pool net aside and moves closer to her dad, scooping soil into the bucket at her side so they can repot some plants later.

“I never thought I could be a hero, even if I dreamed of it. In fact, all I wanted to know is how I could make a difference. I wanted Peacekeeper to tell me. Her opinion meant everything,” he continues. He drops his head a little, sorrow invading for a second. “Then…there was that bridge collapse and my parents were two of the casualties. Peacekeeper caught the villain that caused it but she couldn’t reverse the damage in time. I was at school.”

He has to stop, his hands trembling. Kemuri keeps shovelling soil. When her dad doesn’t say anything, she prompts him by saying, “Then…you met Peacekeeper by chance. She was leaving the police station after the accident, right as you were going in.”

Cayden nods. “Yup.” His face brightens up a little. “She took one look at me and, I don’t know…she must have felt the pain I was feeling because she stopped me and offered an apology. Before she left, I asked her how I could I make people happy the way she does, even if I’m not a hero.”

Kemuri looks up at him. “And she said that you don’t need to be a hero to change the world.”

“Exactly,” he says. He reaches over and ruffles her hair. “That changed my perspective on things. It made me feel brave enough to go to Japan after I graduated. It reminds me that being someone who runs a spa is a good thing because I make people feel better. So…” He pokes her cheek lightly and she giggles. “No matter what happens when you get that letter, you’re going to do great things.”

“Cayden! Kemuri!”

The door leading into the hot springs flies open and Kazue appears, eyes wide. She’s still in her uniform, just home from work, and in her hand, she clutches a thick envelope sealed with red wax. Cayden gasps and Kemuri, focused on her mother’s face, frowns a little in confusion.

“Honey, your letter—” her mom starts.

Kemuri’s gaze darts down to her mother’s hands and her heart flies into her throat. “My letter!” she cries.

She barrels over, tripping over her own feet and grasping the letter desperately. With a harried goodbye, she races away from the spa, into the main house, and right into her bedroom. She collapses onto her bed, heart pounding in her ears. This is it. This letter holds her future.

She rips the edge of it open, avoiding the wax seal, and dumps the contents into her hand. There’s a little silver disk tucked alongside a folded piece of paper and when she presses it, a giant hologram appears. A familiar grinning face takes over most of the screen and a booming voice startles her backwards.

“I AM HERE, IN A PROJECTION SCREEN!” All Might bellows.

Kemuri gapes. “A-All Might?” she squeaks.

“Yes, you must be very surprised to see me, Kemuri Shimakage!” All Might continues. He steps back, smoothing out his yellow, pinstriped suit as he clears his throat. “But, I am here to tell you the results of your examination, as one of the new U.A faculty members!”

All Might is going to be a teacher? She may get the chance to meet All Might? She has to stop herself from bouncing in place, stifling a squeal of excitement. Instead, she settles in, cross-legged, hands gripping against her knees as she tries to stop her shaking. She doesn’t dare tear her eyes away from the screen.

“You passed the written test and in the practical, you received twenty-three villain points! An admirable score indeed, even if it’s small,” he says.

She swallows back the lump in her throat. “O-Others…had more, though.” She knows that this is a prerecorded message, but she can’t help but respond. It feels like he’s talking to her. She again thinks of the boy with the exploding palms. He must have had fifty points or more.

“But, being a hero is not just about beating bad guys! It’s about having courage, being cunning, and saving others in the midst of chaos. Take a look at this clip!”

All Might brandishes a remote to a nearby screen, where a video recording of Kemuri helping the purple-haired girl through the streets can be seen. There's no audio, yet Kemuri feels as if she can hear everything as if she's there. She's struck by her appearance. Her expression shows fear, but above all that, she seems confident. She moves with a determination that she rarely shows in regular life.

“Instead of abandoning a fellow examinee, you took the time to make sure that she was safe. You could have left her behind and focused on gaining more points, but you didn’t. You put her worth above the exam and that is a wonderful, heroic thing,” All Might says.

“Does…does that mean…?” Kemuri can’t get the words out. Where is he going with this?

“A panel of judges watched every moment of the practical, awarding rescue points for heroic acts,” All Might says. “You not only saved someone, but you called others to action! For your selflessness and courage, you were awarded twenty rescue points!”

Her heart swells. Courage? All Might just told her she had courage! And she has forty-three points, too! Relieved tears roll down her cheeks and she internally berates herself for stressing over lost time. It didn’t go unnoticed, she repeats to herself. She did well.

A top ten board appears on the screen behind All Might. Her name isn’t there and she feels her heart sink. She got a decent score, but is it enough for the hero course?

“You created quite a stir with us judges, Young Shimakage,” All Might says with a boisterous chuckle. “You, Mr. Akio Nishimura, and a few other students all got similar scores. Each of you have strengths, each of you had weaknesses.”

He shows another clip of the orange-haired boy smashing villain bots to pieces, only stopping once Kemuri asked him for help. She idly wonders how many points that boy had before she interrupted him. Did she ruin his chances?

“We had to make some decisions.”

This is it, Kemuri thinks. She braces herself for his next words as he smiles at the camera, at her. No amount of steam can release the tension in her muscles now.

“Kemuri Shimakage,” he says. He extends a large, strong hand towards the camera. “You have passed.” She clutches her chest as tears blur her vision. His voice continues, “Welcome to the U.A Hero Course.”

Kemuri bursts out crying, obscuring the rest of the video from her senses as all the emotion that she’s been keeping at bay floods out in a personal torrential downpour. He says something like congratulations before it shuts off with a powerful, “PLUS ULTRA!”

She keeps crying, even when her parents come in and ask her what’s wrong. She can’t stop the tears as she throws her arms around both of them, sniffling and wailing like a baby, their concerned expressions almost making her laugh.

They don’t have to worry about her, not right now.

“I did it,” she manages to force out, watching as their faces light up, her heart soaring with glee. “I’m gonna be a hero!”

Chapter Text

Before Kemuri knows it, it's April 2nd, and that means that her time at Somei Academy has come to an end and it's time to head off to U.A. Instead of her Somei uniform, she puts on a green pleated skirt, grey blazer, a red tie, and stockings to go with her new shoes. She does her hair into its usual side braid, gaze darting to the rose hair clips waiting on her dresser. She wants to look good today.

It still doesn't feel real. She keeps thinking that any second now, she's going to wake up and find out that it was all fake and that she didn't get accepted to U.A, that any second her uniform will transform into the one from Shiketsu or somewhere else. She shudders as she imagines what her grandfather would say if that were the truth...

She frowns, fingertips ceasing their methodic braiding as a knot twists in her gut.

"Grandfather, I...I got into U.A."

His cold look made her feel like a statue of ice. "Is it the Hero Course?"

"Yes."

"Did you finish in the top ten?"

Her heart sank. "N...No."

"Tch..." He shook his head and turned away, focused on trimming his bonsai tree. "What a shame."

"It's fine," she says to her reflection, pumping herself up. "I'm on my way. I'll just keep working. Grandfather will see..." She trails off, voice hitching as she adds, “Someday?"

She sighs and puts in her hair clip right before her phone dings at her. That's her cue. It's time for her first day at U.A High.

----------

She reaches the campus and heads up the stairs, keeping her bag close to her shoulder and tapping at the ground with her stick as she moves. She's got her glasses, she's got extra supplies, she has her wallet, and she has a water bottle. She can't think of anything else that she would need.

As she wanders down the hall, she squints at the classroom doors. She's got to find 1-A. That can't be that hard, right?

Wrong. She spends far too long wandering around the halls, getting more and more confused with every turn. She can't recognize where she's been and what's new. It all looks the same.

Turns out, she had walked past her classroom twice already, so turned around and distracted by the new setting that she failed to actually read the number on the gargantuan door. Speaking of the door, she takes a second to stare up at it, feeling like a dwarf in the presence of the mouth of a dark cave. She can hear voices on the other side.

She takes a deep breath and slides the door open.

Inside, there are already quite a few students milling about, chatting with one another. Kemuri takes a second to look at everyone, hit with a wave of uncertainty. Pink hair, yellow hair, frog girl, a boy with a tail, a boy with a bird head, a girl with fleshy earphone jacks, a boy with spiky hair—Kemuri lingers on him for a second or two longer than the others, admiring how red his hair is. Her heart starts to hammer a little faster and she switches her gaze to somewhere else, desperate to find a familiar face. She finds some in the next few seconds.

First, explosion boy. He has his feet kicked up on a desk in the fourth row, a surly expression twisting his face. He looks just about as angry as Kemuri remembers from the entrance exam.

Next, she sees the orange-haired boy; Akio Nishimura. He lingers near the other students, closest to the frog girl, listening to their conversation with crossed arms as he leans on one of the desks. Kemuri is somewhat glad to see that he passed too.

The last boy is the one that calms her down and lightens the worry in her chest. Before she can stop herself, she grins and lets out a loud, happy, "Shoji! Hi!"

The conversations nearby trickle out and far too many eyes fall on Kemuri all at once. She pales, bringing her arms close to her chest as she squeaks. Shoji, undeterred, reveals a smile on the end of one of his many arms.

"Shimakage," he greets. "Nice to see you again."

She can only get herself to nod now that there's so much attention on her. "Uh...y-yeah. Y-You too. Heh..." she attempts.

Her attention darts back to the others just as the red-haired guy reveals a toothy grin, so she sucks in a deep breath and shuffles further into the classroom. She promised herself that she would be braver this year and she promised her parents that she would try to make friends. She translates both those things into, simply, being extroverted. If that's what they expect, then they're going to be disappointed. Kemuri is to extroversion as ketchup is to popcorn; they should never, ever, ever go together.

That doesn't mean that she isn't going to try her best.

"Uh...uh..." She swallows hard and bows her head a little, enough to get her eyes off the others. "I'm...Kemuri Shimakage. Hi, e-everyone?"

Nobody seems to care about her horrid nervousness. The red-haired guy leaps to his feet, still grinning as he motions to his chest. "Cool to meet you!" he says. "I'm Eijiro Kirishima!"

The other students follow his lead, bombarding Kemuri with names that she hurriedly tries to keep in line: Tokoyami, Kaminari, Jiro, Ashido ("Just call me Mina, though!" she says with a laugh), Ojiro, Aoyama, Asui (she, too, offers a nickname and says, "Call me Tsu or Tsuyu, if you want), Hagakure.

"Hey, why don't you two introduce yourselves?" Kirishima asks, aiming alternating looks between the angry boy and Nishimura.

"This isn't some damn Kindergarten," the first snaps.

Nishimura, on the other hand, lets out a breath before saying, "I'm Akio Nishimura. Shorten it to Nishi if you really want to." He glances at the angry boy and adds, "Also, how about you suck it up and just tell us your name so we can leave you alone? That'll make us all happier, won't it?"

The angry boy glares at him, teeth grinding visibly, and Tsuyu makes a croaking noise as some of the other students shift. Kemuri takes a few steps back, worried that the boy may blow something up.

Instead, he huffs and says, "Katsuki Bakugo, now fuck off, scar-face."

Nishimura turns his head away, a smug look lifting his lips as he crosses his arms loosely over his chest.

The door opens and some more students pile in, all chatting away. Mina greets them and prompts more introductions, but Kemuri isn't really listening. She's already focused on the tall, muscular boy with glasses who's just entered.

"Iida?" she asks.

He notices her the second she speaks, his eyes widening. "Shimakage! I'm glad to see you here," he says, already striding towards her. "Congrats on getting in!"

"Y-Yeah, same," Kemuri says. God, he looks nice in that uniform.

His glasses glint as he looks up, latching on to Bakugo. Kemuri tenses up, starting to open her mouth, but Iida is already on his way, hands chopping, vocal cords turned up to ten. She covers her face with her hands and emits a soft groan. Rest in peace, Tenya Iida. You will be missed.

"Take your feet off of that desk, now!" he commands.

Bakugo looks up at him, amusement stretching his face. "Huh?" There's a laugh in his voice that makes Kemuri nervous.

"It's the first day and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing school property, you cretin," Iida continues, unaware of his impending doom.

Bakugo sits up a little straighter. "You're kidding me, right? Your old school put a stick up your ass or were you born with it?"

Iida stammers for a second, sweat beading on his forehead, then he clears his throat. He touches a hand to his chest. "Let's start over. I'm Tenya Iida from the Somei Private Academy."

"Somei, huh?" Bakugo repeats with a glaring grin. He leans closer to Iida and Kemuri wonders whether she should drag him away before this escalates. "So, you must think you're better than me! I'm gonna have fun tearing you a new one."

Kemuri grimaces, tugging at her skirt, and she feels Shoji nudge her, finally tearing her attention away from the quarrel. "We should get to our seats," he whispers. "The chart's on the front desk."

Kemuri nods. The rest of the students have already sat down, she realizes, so she hurries over to the paper and looks hard at it. She's in seat number 17, right at the back of the class in the third row. When she searches for her seat, she finds that it's also part of the two desks that stick out from the others. Nishimura is sitting in the other one.

Only once she gets to her seat and sits down does she realize that everyone's attention has fallen to the door. When Kemuri looks, she sees the unkempt boy that Iida yelled at during orientation. He turns red and grips his backpack straps, looking up at the ceiling.

"U-Uh, hi..." he says, voice quivering so much that it sounds like he's singing.

"Good morning!" Iida says, starting towards the boy with the gait of a marching soldier. "My name is Tenya Iida from the—"

"I...I-I know," the boy stammers, holding his hands up as Iida stops mid-step. He lets out a weak laugh, still visibly nervous just by being in Iida's presence. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's super nice to meet you."

Iida keeps talking, lowering his voice so much that from her position, Kemuri can't hear his words properly. She turns away and tries to focus on getting comfortable in her seat while the others talk to the people around their desks. It's none of her business. Besides, if she keeps staring at him then...well, she'd rather not think about it.

Instead, she leans back and stares at the ceiling, willing herself to calm her racing heart as the buzz of conversation surrounds her. Nishimura's voice is the most prominent as he speaks to the broad-shouldered boy sitting in front of him. They're talking about food, but she's too zoned out to bother paying attention to what.

"If you're just here to make friends, you can pack up your stuff and leave," a low voice says from outside the door.

Kemuri's head shoots up and she sees that a brunette with rosy cheeks has joined Midoriya and Iida at the front of the room, but the mysterious speaker is nowhere in her line of sight. There are a few more mutters before a giant yellow sleeping bag blocks the door.

The zipper comes down and a tired, dishevelled man steps out. "It took eight seconds before all of you shut up. That's not gonna work," he says, monotone. "Time is precious. Rational students would understand that."

The boy in front of Kemuri, someone with multicoloured hair split perfectly down the centre of his head, mumbles, "Who is this guy?"

The man turns his eyes, rimmed with dark circles, to the rest of the class. "Hello. I'm Shota Aizawa, your teacher." There are a few shocked noises that ripple through the class and Aizawa digs back into his sleeping bag, pulling out a gym uniform. "Right, let's get to it. Put these on and head outside."

Everyone stands up and hurries to get their uniforms on, not yet questioning what exactly their new teacher has in mind.

Chapter Text

“What?! A quirk assessment test?!”

Kemuri flinches at the outburst of noise from her classmates and tugs at the hem of her gym uniform. Everyone has gathered in front of a shot-put ring, staring at the back of Aizawa’s head as he looks out at the athletic field.

“But…what about orientation?” the rosy-cheeked girl, Ochaco Uraraka, asks. “We’re gonna miss it!”

“If you want to make the big leagues, you can’t waste time with pointless ceremonies,” Aizawa deadpans. A few shocked gasps ripple through the class and Kemuri tenses a little. He’s blunt, just like her grandfather. Aizawa glances at them over his shoulder. “Here at U.A, we aren’t tethered to traditions. That means I get to run my class however I see fit.”

More mutters of confusion and slight fear. Kemuri steps to the side as Sero, a boy with very strange elbows, stretches and fidgets in place, nearly hitting her.

“You’ve been taking standardized tests for most of your lives,” Aizawa continues, lifting up his phone, “but you never got to use your quirks for physical exams before. The country is still trying to pretend that we’re all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It’s not rational. One day, the ministry of education will learn.” His deadpan glare sweeps over the class and he turns a little. “Bakugo, you managed to get the most points on the entrance exam. What was your furthest distance thrown with a softball?”

Bakugo shrugs. “Sixty-seven metres, I think.”

Kemuri feels herself start to sweat. She could only throw about thirty-five metres in school, an average throw and certainly not the best. If the others have records like that already under their belt…oh boy.

“Right,” Aizawa says. “Now try doing it with your quirk.” He tosses Bakugo a softball and he starts toward the shot-put circle. “Anything goes, just stay in the circle.”

He mutters something to himself as he stretches his arms across his chest. Then, he winds up, a crazed grin lighting up his face, and he throws the softball with all his might.

“DIE!”

An explosion bursts from his palm and dust flies around him as the softball soars into the air on a trail of flame. Kemuri, despite having seen his quirk in action, still startles in place. Her classmates are no different, eyes wide, mouths agape. Someone, maybe Midoriya, squeaks out, “D-Die?”

“All of you need to know your maximum capabilities,” Aizawa says as Bakugo’s softball plummets back to earth. It lands, bounces, and Aizawa glances down at his phone before turning back to the class. “It’s the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a pro hero.”

He holds up his phone, revealing a whopping 705.2 metres for Bakugo’s throw. Kemuri’s mouth hangs open and nearby, she hears Kaminari say, “705? Are you kidding me?”

“I wanna go! That looks like fun!”

“Yeah, this is what I’m talking about! Using our quirks as much as we want!”

Aizawa lets out a small breath. “So, this looks fun, huh?” The smiles around the room fall and he continues, “You have three years here to become a hero. If you think it’s all going to be games and playtime, then you’re in for a shock.” He grins. “Today, you will engage in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none and will be expelled immediately.”

“WHAT?!”

All the air is sucked from Kemuri’s lungs and she hugs herself, hands shaking. Her quirk isn’t good for physical stuff. It just enhances her stealth. She tries to think of ways to use it but nothing comes up. She bites the inside of her cheek, forcing back tears. This can’t be her last day at U.A. There’s so much she wants to do, so much she wants to learn.

“Like I said,” Aizawa says, pushing his shaggy hair from his eyes. “I get to decide how this class runs. Understand?” Determined grins spring up around the class while others just look sick. “If that’s a problem, you can head home now.”

Kemuri can hardly focus, even when Uraraka insists that the whole test is unfair and Aizawa tells them that the world isn’t fair. All she can think about is passing this test and continuing her time at U.A, and when she looks around at her classmates, she fears for them. They all have dreams too.

“Show me why it’s not a mistake that you’re here,” Aizawa utters. He smirks. “Now then, we’re just wasting time by talking. Let the games begin.”

----------

First up is the 50-metre dash. They go in heats of two people each, some students excelling while others just do their best. Within a few minutes, Kemuri is blown away by her classmates and in turn, starts to feel utterly inferior.

Iida blows away the first heat, clearing the finish line in just over three seconds and flooding the area with engine exhaust that smells faintly of oranges. Tsuyu crosses two seconds after him. In the second heat, Aoyama uses his navel laser to get a decent head start, but loses to Mina in the end. Apparently, shooting his beam hurts his stomach.

When Kemuri’s heat comes, she’s paired up with Todoroki. He waits at the start line, arms crossed over his chest, completely relaxed. Kemuri rolls up her pant legs and decides to try and use bursts of steam from her calves to give her a speed boost, like Iida.

When the machine at the finish line cries “go”, Kemuri takes off with a burst of steam. She runs as hard as she can, but Todoroki blows past her on a sheet of ice. He crosses the finish line in three seconds, just a little slower than Tenya, and Kemuri reaches it two and a half seconds after him.

“5.36 seconds!” the machine chirps.

Todoroki turns and melts the ice he left behind as Kemuri catches her breath. As he starts to walk away, she straightens up and waves her hand a few times.

“Uh, g-good race!” she says.

He glances at her for a second, nods, and walks back to the group. Kemuri slumps a little and trails after him, happy that at least Shoji offers her a “nice job” when she arrives.

----------

The rest of the tests don’t get much better. When they do grip strength, Kemuri reaches 35.3 kg at her best. As they head to the standing long jump, she asks Shoji how he did.

“540 kilograms,” he answers. She pales and nearly trips, his eyes widening as he goes to catch her. “Shimakage? You okay?”

“You’re…” She shakes her head. “Woah…that’s…” A weak laugh. “Amazing.”

He seems to be smiling behind his mask. “Thanks.”

During the standing long jump, Bakugo, Uraraka, and Aoyama do the best, blasting or floating themselves way past the long jump pit and earning awesome scores. Nishimura also does well, morphing his feet into blades at the last second and embedding himself in the dirt at the edge of the pit, sticking his landing better than others.

“Wicked,” Kirishima mumbles.

Kemuri does average, alongside most of her other classmates. She feels the worst for Mineta, whose short height and even shorter jump lands him on the bottom for that event.

Then, the ball toss. Uraraka blasts everybody’s attempts out of the water, earning a score of infinity after making the softball float, and Midoriya finally uses his quirk. It breaks his finger, but he gets a score that beats Bakugo’s and honestly, Kemuri finds that impressive enough.

Alongside Midoriya's performance, Aizawa revealed both his quirk and the fact that his scarf is actually a capture weapon that's strong enough to stop a rampaging Bakugo. Kemuri feels silly for not realizing that he's the pro hero Eraserhead sooner, but in all fairness, he hates the media and isn't all that popular.

After a few more throws, it’s Kemuri’s turn. She takes the softball and moves to the centre of the circle, fingers tightening against it. It’s getting harder to focus and she can’t help but fret to herself about the state she’s in. She hasn’t gotten a single outstanding score, only levelling with Midoriya, Mineta, and Hagakure. Now Midoriya got an awesome score for the ball toss and she’s already heard Mineta talking about how he’s going to ace the side steps.

She feels like she can’t breathe. Her grandfather taught her everything about using the fog in her quirk to her advantage in battle, but he never showed her anything that would be useful here, nothing that would enhance her physical abilities. When she thinks about the past tests, it’s glaringly obvious that she’s not standing out at all. She isn’t fast, she doesn’t sparkle, she isn’t freakishly strong…

A few tears roll down her cheeks and she sucks in a sharp breath.

“Throw the ball,” Aizawa states, making her startle and look up. He’s glaring at her and for a second, all she sees is her grandfather. “Hurry up. We don’t have all day.”

She tries to force her tears back, biting her lip and blinking as fast as she can, but now it’s too late. She’s already thinking about her grandfather. She’s already thinking about the disappointment in his eyes whenever he looks at her.

She winds up, eyes closed, and throws. The ball bounces a little ways away, then rolls to a stop in the dirt. She slowly opens her eyes back up.

“Forty-three metres!”

Her heart sinks and she feels her knees wobble, like she may collapse. Average. Unremarkable. A forceful breath leaves her and she buries her face against her hands, trembling. She can hear her classmates whispering to each other and steady footsteps approach her before a low voice sounds near her ear.

“You can’t cry whenever something doesn’t go the way you plan,” Aizawa says. She drops her hands enough so that she can see the ground beneath her and the tips of his shoes just at the edge of her vision. “I saw the practical exam. You were close to not making it, yet special circumstances permitted you to be in this course.”

“Wh…what?”

“I know you aren’t using everything that you have to offer. I’m still waiting to see it, so…” He straightens up and she finally meets his eyes. “Stop crying and shape up, unless you don’t really want to be here,” he says. He points out at the fallen softball. “Give it another shot. Be a little more creative.”

She sniffles and wipes her eyes, managing a weak nod. No, she tells herself. He’s isn’t like her grandfather. He’s blunt and deadpan but when Aizawa Sensei talks to her, she can’t help but feel like he really is trying to get her to be better. What’s more, he talks like she can be better, not that it’s unreachable.

She retrieves the softball, gives her eyes another wipe, and stretches a bit. She winds up and throws again, adding a burst of steam from the pores all over her palms. The ball reaches sixty-eight metres and while it’s not outstanding, scattered applause sounds from her classmates. She walks back to them feeling a little more hopeful and she gives Shoji a high-five as soon as he offers it.

“If anyone else is going to have a breakdown, make it quick. We don’t have all day,” Aizawa states as Yaoyorozu steps up to take her turn.

Repeated side steps, distance run, sit-ups, and the seated toe-touch end up pretty much the same as all the other events. Kemuri has no way of using her quirk unless it’s giving her tiny boosts while she runs, although her stamina does give her an edge in the distance run and she’s flexible enough to do well in the toe-touch.

After the events conclude, everyone gathers back together, a little exhausted, a lot nervous. Midoriya can hardly stay standing, drenched in sweat and clinging to his broken finger, and Kemuri wishes she could help him.

“Alright, time to give you your results,” Aizawa says, readying a remote. “I’ve ranked you all from best to worst. You should probably have a good idea of your standing already.” Kemuri and a few other students stir self-consciously while others just shrug or remain reverent in a scary sort of confidence. “I’ll just pull up the whole list. It’s not worth it going over each individual score.”

Aizawa clicks a button on the remote and a holographic chart appears, eleven names listed on each side. Kemuri quickly realizes that it's like a sliding scale of the most powerful or versatile quirks all the way down to the quirks that can't do much or anything at all.

To no one’s surprise, Yaoyorozu snatches first place. What do you expect from a girl who can create literally anything she needs for any given event, like spring-loaded shoes or a cannon?

Todoroki, Bakugo, and Iida take second, third, and fourth with little confusion from any onlookers. Kemuri can’t argue against it either. Their quirks really are the best in class.

Kemuri finds her name in 19th place, only beating out Hagakure, Mineta, and Midoriya. Next to her, Jiro mutters a soft “damn” to herself at the sight of her name in 18th, and Kemuri nods in silent agreement. It’s not the best placing at all, but she isn’t last. That means she isn’t going home.

At her side, Shoji lets out a small breath. “Sixth place…”

Kemuri swallows hard and forces a smile. “That’s amazing, Shoji. You deserve it.”

“Thanks,” he murmurs, a little shy as he glances at the list for a brief second. She scuffs the ground with her feet, biting her lip hard, and she feels one of his arms brush her shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. You aren’t going home, so you can still improve.”

She nods. “R-Right…”

Kemuri looks up, taking in the rest of the class, and she finds herself lost in their relief and their pride. Their voices linger as they talk to the people nearest to them, congratulating or wishing them better luck next time.

“Fourteenth? That won’t do.”

“Cheer up, Nishi-kun. You were really good!”

“I got seventh. That’s better than I expected, at least.”

“To earn fifth place is an honour.”

Then, her gaze travels to Midoriya, his eyes filled with tears as he clutches his injured hand to his chest. Kemuri’s heart aches for him. He spent the last three events fighting through the pain of a broken finger and while he has a powerful quirk, the drawback is so severe that she can’t imagine how he could have made it work better for him. She wouldn’t know where to start if she were in his shoes.

“And I was lying, no one’s going home,” Aizawa says as he shuts off the projector. Everyone’s jaws drop and he reveals a creepy grin. “That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all in the tests."

While Midoriya rethinks his entire life and shocked gasps pop up all over, Yaoyorozu raises her eyebrows. “I’m surprised the rest of you didn’t figure that out,” she says. “Sorry, I guess I probably should’ve said something.”

Kemuri stares at her, her heart pounding so fast she thinks it may give out, and all she can think is, “Yeah, you should have.”

“Well,” Shoji murmurs.

“I think I almost had a heart attack,” Kemuri squeaks.

Aizawa shoves his hands in his pockets. “That’s it. We’re done for the day.” He starts walking away, adding, “Pick up a syllabus in the classroom. Read it over before tomorrow morning.”

He stops for long enough to hand Midoriya a note, mentioning something about getting his finger fixed, before he wanders away.

“Well, what a day this has been,” Iida says, adjusting his glasses. He zooms around to the front of the class, raising one arm. “Everyone, we should return to class and retrieve our things!”

Nobody has to be told twice. They’re already hurrying back into the building, their conversations picking up in volume as they go. Kemuri sticks by Shoji’s side, a little bit dazed, the adrenaline and energy that the test gave her already waning away.

“Hey, Shimakage,” Shoji says as they walk. She doesn’t look up at him, focused on the path ahead, but she nods and he continues, “What happened with the ball throw?”

Her face flushes and she exhales a little too hard. “Uh…that…” She swallows. “Just…just let it get to my head, I…I guess.”

He lets out a low chuckle. “Ah…I was worried.”

She mumbles out a thank you, but can’t get herself to say anything else. It’s easier to say that it was just nerves, since the other option is admitting that for a split second, Aizawa reminded her so much of her grandfather that she broke down. She’d rather not be questioned about that.

They split off to get changed, return to the classroom, and everyone gathers their stuff. On the way out, Kemuri and Shoji end up walking with Ojiro, Hagakure, and Tokoyami. They do most of the talking, especially Hagakure. Kemuri realizes rather quickly that while Hagakure may be invisible, that does not mean she wants to be ignored.

“Ugh, I totally bombed that test,” she sighs, bouncing around ahead of the ground and occasionally doing a twirl as she turns to face them. “Not like you guys. All of you were top ten!”

“Except me…” Kemuri mumbles.

She startles as, far too quickly, Hagakure disappears from her line of sight and she feels the sudden weight of an arm around her shoulders. “You still beat me! That makes you awesome in my books!” Hagakure’s disembodied voice chirps.

“We all have a lot of growth to do,” Tokoyami says, crossing his arms over his chest. Kemuri can’t help but find it funny how serious he can look, even with a bird head. “Earning a spot further down on the chart does not mean you have less potential. It simply means that the test did not play to your strengths.”

“Agreed,” Shoji says.

Ojiro lets out a soft laugh. “True. I don’t want to go up against you in a stealth lesson, Hagakure.”

The invisible girl giggles and Kemuri wonders whether she’s blushing, judging by how her sleeves have moved up to hover near the collar of her uniform, as if to cover her face. Ojiro swishes his tail and he leans forward a little, just enough for Kemuri to notice him wave at her.

"Hey, Shimakage, what's your quirk, exactly?" he asks. "I didn't really see what you did during the test.”

Kemuri bows her head, fiddling with the end of her braid. "Oh...yeah," she whispers. She smiles a little. "I can emit fog, smoke, and steam from all over my body. I can change the temperatures and the density too if I want."

"Like...all over?" Hagakure gasps. "Like from your mouth and eyes?"

Kemuri flinches and her eyes ache as if possessed by the memories of its past pain. "Yeah...but some hurt more than others. Pores and mouth are easy, uh...nose and ears are a little uncomfortable but nothing bad, and..." She blushes hard. "E-Eh, eyes and other places hurt."

"Oo," Hagakure coos. "I really, really wanna see you use it now." She gasps. "Are you stealthy too? We could be stealthy together!"

"I...I guess?"

Hagakure lets out a squeal of excitement and hugs Kemuri again. Kemuri still can't get over how strange it is to feel someone hugging her but see no one.

"Wait, so...what's the difference between smoke and fog?" Ojiro wonders. "Doesn't smoke come from burning things?"

"Fog is water vapour," Kemuri says. "When warm water in the air cools quickly, it becomes visible, and that's fog, so...I guess I'm triggering that, depending on what I'm expelling into my surroundings. Smoke is a hot vapour and it tends to be denser, plus it's created through combustion." She glances down at her hand, turning it over a few times in thought before rubbing her thumb against her palm. "But...my smoke is more of a fake smoke. It differs from fog based on its heat and density." She pauses, rubbing her arm. "Long story short, the fog is cool and dense, the smoke is hot and dense."

"Like Todoroki," Hagakure says.

She lets out a snorting laugh and buckles over as Kemuri gasps and covers her mouth. Shoji bows his head as his eyes close, his shoulders quivering as he lifts a fist to his mask. Ojiro blinks a few times in confusion.

Tokoyami sighs. "You're all very immature."

That restarts Hagakure's giggles, making it more difficult for Shoji and Kemuri to stay composed.

Ojiro holds up one finger, a thoughtful yet furrowed look on his face. "So...you're saying Todoroki is...cool, hot, and dense?"

Hagakure laughs even harder. Ojiro sighs and runs his hand over his short blond hair as his cheeks turn pink.

They head outside, where Kemuri takes out her stick and gives it a quick shake to extend it. As they head for the front gates, she can see Iida walking out with Midoriya and Uraraka, chatting away without a worry in the world. When she looks elsewhere, she can see that Nishimura has also found a few people to walk with: Sato and Koda.

Kemuri lets out a long breath and brings her backpack closer to her shoulders, happy to have people to be around and glad to see that the other classmates are finding somewhere to fit. Her only sorrow is that she didn’t talk to Iida at all aside from saying his name when he first walked in.

“Shimakage?”

She blinks a few times and turns her head. “Huh?”

Shoji’s appendage mouth smiles at her. “I just asked whether you were going to the station or not.”

“Oh,” she says with an embarrassed smile. “Yes. I’m a little ways out from Hosu, so it’s just a quick ride home.”

“Cool, you can walk with us, then,” Ojiro says with a smile.

As they wander down the sidewalk, making idle conversation, Kemuri remembers one more thing that’s been nagging at her. She waits for a break in the conversation, then makes a small noise to get the others’ attention.

“Uh, this is sudden,” she says, “but could…could you guys just call me Kemuri?”

Tokoyami arches an eyebrow. “I suppose so, but why?”

Kemuri sighs. It’s common practice to refer to classmates by their last name, and unless you’re close friends with someone, it stays that way. Using someone’s first name is a sign of trust, a sign of intimacy and affection, so Kemuri isn’t sure how they will react.

“I’m half-Canadian and, I dunno, that’s a normal thing in Canada, to…to call someone by their first name if you’re classmates,” she says, starting to rub at her arm nervously. “My dad still has that habit and it’s kinda rubbed off on me, so…yeah. Plus, the…the only people I talk to on a regular basis is my family and they all call me Kemuri, so I’m used to it. It’s…” She exhales. “It’s…silly, sorry, I…”

“Oh…!” Hagakure chirps. “I get it, I think!”

“If that’s what you’re comfortable with, that’s fine,” Ojiro says.

Shoji and Tokoyami share an agreeable nod and Kemuri exhales, bowing her head a little. “Thank you,” she says.

Her explanation is not wholly a lie, more like part of a truth. The other half is far more complicated to explain and dumping all of it on her new classmates would at best scare them off.

The name Shimakage is well known for two reasons, one being her grandfather’s influence and the other being her mother’s. Whenever someone comes by the home to talk business with her grandfather, he is Shimakage-sama or Shimakage-san. Likewise, her mother is always Officer Shimakage, Sergeant Shimakage, or Shimakage Junsa-buchō.

The Shimakage name is so influential that when Cayden and Kazue got married, Cayden legally took her name in order to be included in the family and be able to reap its benefits. His spa bears the name Shimakage, although he hyphenates his own surname, Hall.

So, at the end of the day, being called Shimakage makes Kemuri feel like she is just like her grandfather and just like her mother, and that would be fine if it weren’t for her ambitions to be better than them and be her own person, setting out to make her mark on the world.

Her new friends don’t know that side of her yet and she isn’t sure if or when she’ll tell them about it. For now, she’s just glad to have people who are willing to spend time with her.

Chapter Text

Kemuri comes across a slight problem early on during day two. All the regular core classes take place before lunch, all of which involve note-taking, reading off the board, and the like. Her desk was at the back of the class at Somei, but it’s not like she particularly enjoyed that. She was just too shy to speak up and ask for a seat change.

She had hoped that her luck would change. It did not.

She decides rather swiftly that English class with Present Mic is her favourite, mostly because she’s fluent in the language already thanks to having two bilingual parents.

Present Mic writes out four sentences on the chalkboard.

1. The man whom I respect most is my father.
2. That is the house in which he lived.
3. I well remember the day on which we both met.
4. Please tell me that all you know.

“Now, which one of these four sentences contains a mistake?” he asks, turning to the class.

It's strange to see him so serious, since Kemuri is used to the enigmatic personality he shows off on his radio show and likewise during the entrance exam orientation. That thought gets debunked in the next second.

"Hey, everybody, look alive! GRAMMAR RULES!" he shouts. Kemuri raises her hand, maybe a little too eager. "Shimakage! Lay it on us!"

"The relative pronoun's wrong in sentence number four," she answers. "It should be 'tell me all that you know' or 'tell me what you know'."

"NICE WORK!" he praises. He whirls around and starts erasing the sentences. "Next up!"

In every other class, she stays quiet and focuses on taking notes, only answering questions when she's called on or when she's sure of her answer. It's a moot point most of the time, seeing as Yaoyorozu and Midoriya seem to be powerhouses of knowledge rivalling few others.

When lunchtime rolls around, her and Shoji linger in the hall, taking turns at the water fountain. She takes a second to marvel at how he uses one of his duplicate mouths to drink before she takes her turn. Her glasses slip down her nose, specks of water appearing on the lenses, and she removes them with a small huff as she straightens up.

Shoji, his hearing as amazing as ever, glances up at her from his phone. "What's wrong?" he asks.

She lifts her glasses to the light, squinting hard as her lips form a tiny pout. “They’re…very dirty,” she admits. “I exist…and boom, a new smudge.” Another sigh as she gives the panes a few wipes with the inside of her jacket. “I’m jealous of you, Shoji.”

“Why?”

“Because…” She rubs the back of her neck. “If I had your quirk, I wouldn’t have to worry about having eyes that don’t work. I’d just,” she says as she wiggles her arms a bit, “make more.” His eyes widen a little and she puts her glasses back on. “That…that was weird, sorry, I…geez…”

He shrugs. “It’s not weird,” he says. “I’m flattered, honestly.”

Kemuri exhales. Seriously, she thinks, he’s almost too nice to me. Not that she’s going to complain. In the short amount of time where they’ve known each other, she’s already figured out things she likes about him and reasons why she wants to be his friend. It’s easy to talk to him, he isn’t loud and commanding, and he checks on her often, even if it’s something as simple as wondering if she needs water.

I always need water, she muses, laughing to herself at her inside joke.

It’s littler things too, like how she can rely on her hearing more than sight with him because all his emotions are conveyed in his tone of voice or, if he chooses, on his arms. There’s no pressure to constantly be looking at him, paying attention to the way his facial expressions change, and it’s nice.

Basically, being his friend is easy and she appreciates that.

As they head to the cafeteria, evading the rush of other students, Shoji nudges her shoulder lightly. “Actually,” he says. “I was wondering whether you’d switch desks with me.”

She blinks a few times. “What? Why? Is something wrong? If you’re worried about me, there’s no need—”

“No, no, it’s not that. Or…” His eyes squint a little. “It’s not all that. I heard Jiro say something to Kaminari about having to see past my head during class,” he admits, sheepish. “I don’t think she’s super upset about it, but still. If we switch, it’s good for both of us.”

Kemuri imagines sitting in his seat, right at the front of the class, the board close and easy to read, and she has to admit that it sounds like heaven.

“Kemuri?”

She comes back to the present. “Right, sorry, I…” She shakes her head. “I’d like that. If…if Aizawa Sensei is okay with it, of course.”

Long story short, Aizawa is fine with it. They catch up to him right before he disappears into the staff room to eat lunch and, in his plain way, he says, “Sure. Just don’t make it a big deal, okay?”

“Yes, Sensei! T-Thank you!” Kemuri says with a hasty bow.

He waves his hand a bit, dismissive, and he shuts the staff room door behind him. Kemuri and Shoji get in line to buy lunch from Lunch Rush, then join Ojiro, Hagakure, and Tokoyami at their table.

When lunch time is over, it’s time for the most exciting class of all—basic hero training, taught by the one and only All Might. Kemuri feels like she might faint. As everyone crowds into the room, Kemuri slips into her new seat, number twelve, and Shoji takes her old spot. Nobody makes any comment about it, save for a brief question from Jiro that Kemuri quickly answers.

Before conversations get the chance to start, a booming voice announces from the hall, “I…AM…HERE!” In a burst of red, white, blue, and gold, All Might appears, perched on his tip-toes and clinging to the doorframe as his massive body leans into the classroom. “COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!”

There are gasps and exclamations from everyone.

“Woah, I can’t believe it’s really All Might!”

“So he is a teacher! This year is gonna be totally awesome!”

“Is he wearing his Silver Age costume?”

All Might struts into the room, arms swinging, giant smile on his face, and Kemuri feels dazed, starstruck. He looks even cooler in person. He seems to radiate energy, the model of what a hero should be, and Kemuri suddenly wonders whether her nervous sweating is noticeable.

“I’m getting goosebumps,” Ojiro whispers. He turns to Kemuri and lifts his arm, as if to show her, and she nods in agreement as she rubs her shoulder.

“Welcome to the most important class at U.A High,” All Might greets, hands on his hips as he superhero poses at the front of the class. “Think of it as hero-ing 101! Here you will learn the basics of being a pro and what it means to fight in the name of good!” He drops onto one knee, flexing his biceps as he shouts, “LET’S GET INTO IT! Today’s lesson will pull no punches!”

He whirls around, cape flying, and extends a card to the view of the class. Kemuri doesn’t get the chance to read it, the font far too small, but Bakugo gives her an idea of what it says as his low, aggressive voice sounds from behind her.

“Fight training!” he says with a wide grin. Kemuri is still shocked that he always manages to look so angry even when smiling.

Behind him, Midoriya pales. “Real combat?”

“One of the key things about being a hero is…looking good!” All Might says, sweeping his arm towards the far wall. Shelves labelled with numbers slide out as he continues, “These were designed for you based on your quirk registration forms and the request you sent in before school started!”

Excited cheers burst around the room and Kemuri can’t help but clap, bouncing a little in her seat. Hero costumes! Real, honest-to-goodness hero costumes!

“Get yourselves suited up, then meet me at training ground beta!” All Might says.

“YES SIR!”

Kemuri gets caught up in the scramble as her classmates race to get to their costumes. She grabs case number twelve and is about to join the other girls as they head for the change rooms, then stops. They haven’t changed the seating plan officially yet, so…

She turns around and sure enough, Shoji is waiting with suitcase number seventeen. She laughs sheepishly as she hurries over to him and they exchange cases. They don’t say much more to each other before Hagakure snatches Kemuri’s arm and drags her away in pursuit of the other girls.

In the change room, the other girls are buzzing with excitement while helping one another figure out buttons and zippers. Hagakure finishes first, since she’s only wearing gloves and a pair of shoes.

“Kemuri, do you need help? I can totally help!” she chirps.

Kemuri’s face flushes and she hugs her costume top closer to her chest. “I’ll…uh, let you know,” she says.

As she works on getting her costume on, the only thing she can think of is how she wishes she had been better at describing her idea of a costume or, perhaps, describing her quirk or anything else about her personality. The costume, while stylish and well-made, is far from what she expected.

The other girls get their costumes on and hurry out, but Kemuri doesn’t move as she stands in front of the mirror. She feels…what’s the best word for it? Exposed.

In her description, she said that she has to leave a lot of skin showing so that she can use her quirk effectively, but would also like some sort of armour. Not the easiest thing to make, but she had hoped. The costume department compromised.

She has a cropped tank top, shorts, a belt with pockets and holsters for water bottles (as requested), ankle boots that hug the shape of her foot perfectly, and to top it all off, a silver mask fitted with prescription lenses. The mask and the boots are her favourite part.

The colour scheme consists of icy tones like silver and grey, with a pop of blue on the utility belt. Pretty much everything except the boots and mask is spandex, hugging each and every curve and leaving very little to the imagination. Kemuri has never worn something that shows off her stomach and cleavage, or at least not when anyone can see her. The closest she's gotten to this is when she does solo training at home.

“Shimakage, you coming?”

Kemuri expected Hagakure, so Uraraka is a surprise. The brunette moves closer to Kemuri, heels clicking, and her expression pinches with sympathy as Kemuri crosses her arms tightly over her chest and looks at the reflection of their feet in the mirror.

“Don’t you like your costume?” Uraraka asks.

Kemuri wants to say yes. She does like the costume. It’s flattering, the colours work well, and it’s expertly made. The costume department outdid themselves. The only problem is that she doesn’t like the costume when she’s the one wearing it.

She opts for a weak shrug before the silence gets too awkward.

“You look nice,” Uraraka continues, slight hesitance in her tone. When Kemuri doesn’t answer, she exhales a little. “Hey…uh, I don’t know if this helps, but I’m a little self-conscious too. I thought my costume would be…looser. Bodysuits aren’t really my type…”

She giggles, rubbing the back of her head, and Kemuri finally looks at her in shock. “W-What?” she asks. “But you look really cute…”

“Thanks,” she says, all rosy cheeks and smiles. She tilts her head a little. “Maybe you can ask for something with a little more coverage. It shouldn’t be that hard.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Kemuri admits. She observes herself again, wishing she could tug the crop top a little further down her stomach. “The armour thing worries me…”

“Costume changes happen all the time,” Uraraka says. “Until then, just work it. You do look good.”

She smiles a little, still flushed. “Th…thank you.”

She extends her hand, bouncing a little. “Come on! I bet everyone else is ready!”

She follows Uraraka out, jogging a little to catch up. The further they go down the hall, the closer they get to the training grounds, the more comfortable Kemuri feels. As much as she isn’t used to the exposure, the material is breathable and easy to move in. The only thing she needs to worry about is armour, but that can come later. She can test out the costume today and maybe once she’s training, she won’t notice it at all.

The second they get outside, Kemuri finds herself looking around at everyone else’s costumes. Some of them, like Yaoyorozu’s, also show a lot of skin, and just seeing someone else with a similar situation to hers relaxes her. There are also costumes like Kaminari and Jiro’s that look more like outfits with some tech adjustments while others are full-bodied and flashy.

All in all, everyone looks pretty awesome in their own way. Kemuri reminds herself to close her mouth before she starts attracting flies.

She finds Shoji as quickly as possible from where he’s standing near Kirishima and someone in full armour. Kemuri makes her way over to him, slipping into a spot in the group, and she lifts her hand in a tiny wave.

“H-Hey,” she says.

“Hey!” Kirishima replies with a grin. His red eyes dart over her before he flashes a thumbs up. “Nice costume!”

She tugs at the tight material hugging her ribcage as her cheeks flush. “Heh…t-thanks? I’m still…getting used to it.”

“Of course,” the armoured student says, and Kemuri nearly startles at the sound of Iida’s voice coming from the helmet. Within another second, she wants to smack herself for not realizing it sooner. His costume is a near carbon copy of the ones belonging to the rest of Iida family. “We’ve just gotten them, after all. It will take a bit to adjust.”

She swallows enough to wet her throat, eking out a nod. “Uh, yeah, it…” She reaches to tug at her outfit, but this time Shoji’s hand leads hers back down to her side. Her gaze darts to him for a split second as she dons a weak, hesitant smile. “I like how…armoured your costume is, Iida.”

“Thank you, Shimakage,” he says with a brief hand chop. He thumps his chest. “I’m proud to wear it.”

He starts to say something else, but Kirishima steals the conversation first. “You won’t see me in something like that. I’ve got enough armour just being me,” he says. He hardens his arms as well as the entirety of his bare chest, slight ridges appearing along the dips of his abs and biceps. “I’m covered.”

“Lucky…” Kemuri whispers to herself. She can’t help but admire the black metal mask fitted to his face, mimicking a fanged jaw, and the rest of his outfit. Literally everyone looks so cool and confident that she feels plain in comparison.

Iida and Kirishima keep talking while Kemuri turns enough that she can see Shoji, taking a good look at his costume. There’s nothing different about the blue and purple bodysuit that would allude to having much purpose and Kemuri almost asks about it, but doesn’t. He probably wants something practical and bugging him about it could seem pushy. Besides, she can’t imagine that his quirk requires lots of support items.

“Students, gather!” All Might shouts, and Kemuri jerks her head to the front as she shuffles into one of the lines, sticking by Shoji’s side. “Now that you’re ready, it’s time for combat training!”

Iida, ever vigilant, sticks his hand up with a sharp, “Sir!” When All Might nods at him, he continues, “This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean we will be conducting urban battles again?”

“Not quite,” All Might says, extending two fingers ahead of him. “I’ll be moving you two steps ahead. Most of the villain fights you see on the news happen outside, however, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dastardly evildoers take place indoors.”

Kemuri nods to herself. From what she’s heard from her mom during police missions, there’s a lot of stuff that happens inside homes and buildings, like backroom deals, homicides, and the like. There’s so much in the city that happens out of the public eye.

“Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows,” All Might says. “For this training exercise, you’ll be split into teams of good guys and bad guys and fight two-on-two indoor battles!” Iida starts to raise his hand, but All Might adds, “Or, due to the number of students, one group of three-on-three.”

“Isn’t this a little advanced?” Tsuyu asks.

“The best training is what you get on the battlefield!” comes the easy response. “But remember, you can’t just punch a robot this time. You’re dealing with actual people now.”

A barrage of questions erupts from the class, making Kemuri’s head spin from trying to keep track of who’s saying what.

“Sir, will you be deciding who wins?”

“How much can we hurt the other team?”

“Do we have to worry about the losing team getting expelled like with Aizawa Sensei?”

“Will you be pairing us based on chance or comparative skill?”

“Is this really necessary? Some of us already have battle experience.”

“Isn’t this cape très chic?”

Kemuri grips her head. “Can everyone stop talking?” she squeaks.

All Might’s neck strains as he grits his teeth, managing to keep his smile as sweat rolls down his forehead. “I…wasn’t finished…talking,” he mutters.

With silence regained, All Might pulls out a tiny book (or maybe, Kemuri thinks, it just looks tiny because his hands are so huge) and reads out the scenario. Villains have a nuclear missile hidden somewhere in a building and the heroes have to either recover the weapon or capture the villains. The bad guys win if they capture the heroes or protect the weapon until time is up.

“We’ll decide teams by drawing lots!” All Might finishes, hoisting a box into the air.

“Isn’t there a better way?” Iida wonders.

“Think about it,” Midoriya says. “Pros often have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot, so maybe that’s why we’re seeing that here.”

Kemuri, stuck behind them and in perfect range to eavesdrop, adds in a soft, “He’s got a point.”

Iida glances at her for a second before he lets out a thoughtful hum. “I see, life is a random series of events.” He bows at the waist. “Excuse my rudeness.”

All Might whirls around and thrusts his fist into the air. “No sweat! LET’S DRAW!”

Lots are drawn and each team is assigned without much trouble. A few seconds are allowed between each choosing for teammates to group together.

Team A: Midoriya and Uraraka. Uraraka is all smiles, bouncing a little, and poor Midoriya looks like he’s about to sweat through his costume, blush evident even through the green material.

Team B: Shoji and Todoroki. Kemuri can’t help but stare at her friend with wide eyes when she hears who his partner is, but Shoji is unfazed. He moves to stand next to Todoroki and the silent boys share a brief nod of acknowledgement, then move on.

The teams keep coming, going through C (Mineta and Yaoyorozu), D (Bakugo and Iida), E (Mina and Aoyama), F (Sato and Koda), G (Kaminari and Jiro) and only once they reach team H does Kemuri hear her name.

She hurries over to Tokoyami and Tsuyu as fast as she can, far too relieved to have at least one friend in the group. Tokoyami offers her the tiniest of smiles, his dark cape swishing as he moves aside to give her space, and Tsuyu greets her with an adorable croaking noise.

Team I is Ojiro and Hagakure, both pleased with their respective partner, and the final team, J, consists of Kirishima, Nishimura, and Sero.

All Might somehow gets two more boxes, labelled “Hero” and “Villain”, and he digs one hand into each. “I declare the first teams to fight will be…” He lifts the balls into the air. “THESE GUYS!”

Team A are the heroes. Team D are the villains. Bakugo shoots a glare at Midoriya that’s so wrought with hatred that Kemuri isn’t sure whether she feels a burn or a chill.

“Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch!” All Might says. “Come along!”

“Yes, sir!”

While the groups hurry off, Kemuri lingers between Tsuyu and Tokoyami, using them as barriers. If she stays between them, then it’ll help her avoid smashing her shoulder into doorways or something. Tokoyami already shifts closer to her, the edge of his cloak brushing her arm as if to remind her that he’s right there at her side.

“Do any of you have ideas?” Tsuyu asks.

“Not yet. I will have to see who we’re up against before I know for sure,” Tokoyami says, bowing his head as he closes his eyes. How is it that he always sounds like he’s reciting emo poetry when he speaks?

“We’re a group of three,” Tsuyu says. “Doesn’t that mean we’ll end up with Team J?”

“True…but it may change. All Might seems to be using chance,” Tokoyami says.

Kemuri’s gut sinks as the reality of the training sets in and what little confidence she had gained disappears. They will be working in teams to protect, obtain, and/or capture. She’s never worked in a team, just with herself. Her grandfather told her that the Shimakage family only works with people who can maneuver themselves under a smoke screen without becoming a hindrance. If they can’t, she’s better off alone.

So, at the end of the day, Kemuri sucks at teamwork.

“Tokoyami? Tsuyu?” she whispers. She imagines that they’ve turned to look at her and trusts that they’re listening. “I…I’ve never really worked in a team when it comes to fighting. I…I don’t want to get in your way.”

To her left, Tsuyu croaks. “That’s okay, Shimakage,” she says. “That’s the point of training. You learn.”

“To be honest, I haven’t had much practice either,” Tokoyami admits. “Unless you count Dark Shadow.”

“Dark Shadow?” Kemuri and Tsuyu echo, eyebrows creasing.

Tokoyami’s beak curves with a hint of amusement. “I’ll introduce you once we’re inside. Then we can talk strategies.”

Chapter Text

The first fight is utterly astounding, to say the least. Kemuri can’t take her eyes off the screen, stunned at the ferocity that Bakugo shows, Midoriya’s strategizing skills, and the raw power of Midoriya’s singular powered-up punch. Even without impact, the force of his fist swinging through the air broke the ceiling to bits and shattered his arm. It’s enough to make Kemuri queasy.

Iida and Uraraka did well too, although, as much as Kemuri hates to admit it, their performance pales in comparison to Bakugo and Midoriya’s when ranked by pure shock value. Kemuri does like Iida’s dedication to the assignment, though, and finds herself stifling giggles at his villainous cackling and monologuing.

All Might gathers Bakugo, Iida, and Uraraka in front of everyone else—Midoriya having already been carted off to the nurse’s office. Yaoyorozu perfectly analyses every element of the brawl, along with every flaw, how foolish certain moves were, and how in the end, Iida was the MVP. Kemuri feels her heart squeeze at the proud, dopey look on Iida’s face at her words.

Moving right along, the second fight starts with Todoroki and Shoji playing the heroes and Hagakure and Ojiro playing the villains. This one takes only a few minutes, with Shoji figuring out where the villains are followed by Todoroki encasing the entire building in ice. Hagakure and Ojiro can’t even fight back as Todoroki walks in and claims the dummy weapon.

Meanwhile, the ice has thoroughly chilled the viewing room. While the rest of Class 1-A shivers, arms folded tightly against any exposed skin, Kemuri feels fine. It’s one of the side-effects of her quirk; because she can change temperatures to create steam or fog, her body adjusts to the environment, warming her up in the cold and cooling her in the heat, although not in extreme cases. She glances around for a second while All Might shudders through some praise for Team B, then disperses some steam. There are a few sighs of relief and Mina shuffles closer to Kemuri, exhaling as she leans against her.

“You’re like a space heater and sauna mixed together,” she sighs.

Kemuri blushes hard and keeps letting off steam, or at least until Todoroki melts all the ice and the room drops back to a normal temperature. Kemuri guzzles water while they wait for the groups to return for their debriefing.

With that done, All Might selects the hero and villain teams for match three. “Heroes will be team H, which means that the villains will be team J!” he announces. He hands out communicators. “Put these in your ears and prepare yourselves. Good luck!”

Before the groups split off, Kemuri casts a quick glance at her opponents. Sero and Kirishima share a high-five, talking rapidly about something, but Nishimura stares right at her. He holds her stare for a second when he sees her looking, then glances away.

His hero costume, she notices, resembles a keikogi, a training uniform sort of like Ojiro's. He has a green shirt and black hakama paired with a green headband that pulls his shaggy hair out of his eyes. It doesn’t have sleeves, his chest is bared, the pants are hiked up so that they look more like shorts, and it’s tighter than most uniforms she's seen. He looks like a samurai, if a samurai showed more skin.

“Be ready in five minutes!” All Might shouts and Kemuri startles, adding in a hasty “yes, sir” with everyone else.

The boys race off to get their fake weapon set up. Kemuri follows Tsuyu and Tokoyami to Battle Building C, which is more of a warehouse-type building than the office layouts of the first two. They wait outside the front door and Kemuri is acutely aware of how much she’s fidgeting compared to her laidback companions.

They don’t have much of a strategy, considering how little they know about the guys they’re about to fight, but they discussed their individual quirks beforehand and worked out the best strategy going in. Kemuri goes on defence, Tokoyami and Tsuyu double-team as the offence.

“Hero team!” All Might’s booming voice echoes around them. “BEGIN!”

Tokoyami shoves open the door and they slip into the building. The first floor is quiet and some of the lights have been shut off, creating patches of darkness. Kemuri squints and tries to get an idea of the layout as she turns in little circles.

“I say we keep moving up,” Tsuyu says. “Something tells me they found a really big space to put the weapon in, so they have more room to fight.”

“Or set up some kind of dastardly trap,” Tokoyami agrees. He shuts his eyes for a second. “Sero has tape, correct? I imagine he could make good use of it.”

“Does that leave Kirishima and Nishimura on offence?” Kemuri asks.

There’s a loud thud from the floor above and Tokoyami hunches, his black cape rustling—possessed by an impatient spirit. “Perhaps.” He starts forward. “Come. We have to make haste.”

Tsuyu croaks and hops after him. Kemuri stays at a jog, keeping an eye on at least one of them and mimicking their movements, praying that she doesn’t trip and fall on her face with every step. They make it up numerous flights of stairs before emerging onto the fifth floor. The trio looks up and down the hall, seeing nothing.

“This way,” Tokoyami murmurs.

They head for a darkened hallway. Before they’ve entered, the sound of scuffling against linoleum floors stops them in their tracks. Tokoyami hunches as two shadowy claws erupt from his cape, hovering at his sides, and Tsuyu climbs the piping on the wall to get a better vantage point. Kemuri steps back and settles into a defensive position.

There’s a flash of light catching a blade and Nishimura bursts out of the darkness, one arm already transformed into a sword. He lunges, his expression struck with a serious air that makes Kemuri shudder, and Tokoyami races to meet him in the blink of an eye. Dark Shadow blocks Nishimura’s attack, forcing the ginger back, and he smirks a little and rolls his shoulder.

“Almost had you there,” he says. He extends his other arm, skin starting to darken and shift as it morphs. “Better try that again.”

Before he can move, Tsuyu’s tongue appears and wraps around his leg. He blinks before he gets yanked off his feet, hitting the ground hard with a grunt.

“Sorry, Nishi-kun,” Tsuyu croaks. “Ribbit.”

He twists away from her and rolls back to his feet, crossing his arms in front of his chest and glaring at Tokoyami through the blades before lunging in again.

Kemuri feels frozen as she watches them fight, both in awe and panic. Nishimura fights in a style that Kemuri recognizes—it’s similar to the one that she learned from her grandfather—but he seems…off. He’s fast and his recovery time is astounding. He doesn’t leave time for his opponent to come up with a strategy, but…

Kemuri clenches her hands into fists. He’s trying too hard. Moving fast enough to make your opponents hesitate is good, but it doesn’t give him time to strategize either. Kemuri takes a few more steps back. Tokoyami and Tsuyu work well together, taking advantage of openings that the other makes, but how is Kemuri supposed to get involved? Does she flood this place with smoke and take Nishimura down? That would put her teammates at a disadvantage if Sero and Kirishima are nearby, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

That leaves her the option to fight without her quirk, and she could do that if it weren’t for the other people in her way. She can’t focus on multiple people at a time. Her ruined sight doesn’t let her and the last thing she needs is to accidentally attack her teammates. She grits her teeth, eyes stinging as she resists the urge to stamp her foot on the ground.

“Asui, Kemuri, we’re running out of time,” Tokoyami says as Dark Shadow’s claws wrap around Nishimura’s torso and hold him in place. “Go and find the weapon! I’ll hold him off!”

Kemuri nods, already backing up, and Tsuyu croaks as she leaps down to land next to her. Nishimura’s eyes widen as he grits his teeth and he kicks, his leg transforming into yet another sword, shredding his shoes and slicing through Dark Shadow. Tokoyami, caught off guard, stumbles back, and Nishimura starts towards the girls.

“Hurry, Shimakage,” Tsuyu croaks, grabbing her wrist and dragging her away.

Kemuri snags one last glimpse of Tokoyami blocking Nishimura’s advance before she turns away, hurrying after Tsuyu. They get a safe distance away, rounding a few corners before they stop, catching their breath.

“The weapon has to be on this floor,” Tsuyu says after a second, touching one finger to her chin. “I bet Nishi-kun was patrolling for the other two, so they shouldn’t be far away.”

Kemuri purses her lips. “So, do we just…search around and hope for the best?”

Tsuyu croaks as she takes another second to think. “I guess so,” she says. With another glance around the halls, she adds, “Good thing there aren’t too many rooms up here. We’ve wasted too much time.”

They start searching. After opening a few doors, they find that most are connected to rooms on the other side of the walls via secondary doors and most of the lights in said rooms are off. Kemuri squints hard as she peeks into an office room, just able to see light coming from the other wall.

“Tsuyu,” she whispers. There’s a soft croak behind her and Kemuri points in the direction of the light. “That’s gotta be them, right?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Tsuyu hops past her and goes to the light, which Kemuri can now see is coming from the base of a door. Tsuyu reaches for the handle and slowly turns it, pushing the door in with a faint squeaking noise.

Kemuri has to blink a few times as she adjusts to the light in the new room. The first things she notices are the strips of tape surrounding the weapon, stretching from wall to wall. When she pans her gaze over, she can see Kirishima and Sero waiting, the former pacing while the latter watches.

“Nishimura? Come in, man,” Kirishima says, fingertips poised against his earpiece. He frowns and drops his arm, turning back to Sero. “Whatever he’s doing, he isn’t listening.”

Sero shrugs. “Maybe he found the others and he’s too busy to update us,” he suggests before stretching his arms to the ceiling. “Seems lame that he’s taking all the fun for himself.”

Tsuyu turns back to Kemuri while the boys keep talking. “Do you have a plan?”

Kemuri shakes her head and the frog girl glances back at the villains, then up at the ceiling. Her dark eyes gain a spark as she straightens up. “Okay, do you see that?”

Kemuri frowns a little and tries her best, but sees nothing. “No…”

“It’s an opening near the ceiling,” she whispers. “I’m gonna climb the walls, slip in through the top, and snag the weapon.”

“So…I’ll stay on lookout?”

“Ribbit,” she says with a nod. “Keep in touch with Tokoyami too.”

“Okay.”

Tsuyu slips into the room and disappears from Kemuri’s sight, forcing her to creep closer to the door and crouch low. She can’t see Tsuyu, but she can see Sero and Kirishima as they chat. There are a few tense moments of silence where all Kemuri can do is watch, time ticking.

“Come on, Tsu…come on…” she whispers to herself.

Sero glances up and lets out a shout, alerting Kirishima, and deploys a string of tape. There’s a startled croaking noise and Kemuri just catches the sight of Tsuyu hitting the ground, bound in tape. Kemuri lets out a squeak, eyes wide, and Kirishima’s attention flickers to the door she’s hiding behind.

She squares her shoulders. It’s now or never.

Kirishima rushes for the door but Kemuri moves first, bursting in and ducking beneath his first strike. She pops up behind him, blinking rapidly as she readjusts to the sudden brightness inside the room. Sero is still behind her and Kirishima is turning around, a grin on his face and his quirk activated.

“Thought you could slip past us, huh?” Kirishima asks. He crouches. “Nice try! You almost had us, too!”

He lunges. Kemuri dodges his attack again, heart pounding, mind racing. She isn’t sure where exactly Tsuyu is and she definitely doesn’t have the time to rescue her, not while fending off both a long and short range fighter. She can’t even take the time to look for her partner, because taking her eyes off Kirishima means blinding her to his attacks. She grits her teeth hard as she again ducks and scurries away from her opponent.

“Tsuyu!” Kemuri shouts. “What’s your position?”

“I’m behind you!”

A strip of tape whizzes past Kemuri’s shoulder and she just narrowly dodges it. She almost turns to look at where it came from when she hears a grunt and the sound of someone hitting the ground.

“I got Sero!” Tsuyu says, and it sounds like she’s talking around her tongue.

“Nasty…” Sero groans.

“Can you—” Kemuri gasps as she evades another punch from Kirishima and jumps over his sweeping leg kick. “—get out?”

“Working on it! Ribbit!”

“How much time is left?”

Kirishima narrows his eyes a little. “Not enough for you to win!” He laughs a little, breaking the façade of being an actual villain for just a second as genuine amusement reveals itself.

But Kemuri feels herself freeze. He’s right. Kemuri has no way of knowing whether Tokoyami won his fight with Nishimura and as far as she knows right now, Sero and Tsuyu are tied up in each other’s quirks. Her close-quarters fighting isn’t good against someone like Kirishima, who is taller, stronger, and a whole lot harder than she is. Her only chance is to use her quirk.

Kemuri’s head spins and her breaths pick up. She imagines telling her grandfather about losing her first hero training exercise, imagines the cold glare in his eyes—hard, dark, and cold as onyx—and she feels like she might faint. Kirishima catches her with a hard punch to the ribs, knocking her onto her back. He looms over her, a giant grin on his face, and she tenses her muscles.

I’m sorry, Tsuyu, she thinks.

She releases a cloud of fog from every exposed area of her skin, earning a shout of surprise from Kirishima and a startled croak from Tsuyu. Kemuri gets to her feet, already far more relaxed. She can sense everyone’s positions now, feel every strand of tape through the fog, and she fixes her attention on the prize.

Moving fast and keeping her steps as silent as possible, she races away from Kirishima and slips through the tape trap. It takes a few seconds to wiggle around them, but when she’s through, the weapon is before her and she reaches out, smacking her palm against it. It takes a second before All Might’s voice rings out around them.

“Your indoor combat training is over! The hero team wins!”

Kemuri exhales and slumps against the weapon, her head pounding. From outside the tape cage, she senses Kirishima moving slowly, hands waving in front of him.

“Sero? Dude? Where are you?” he asks.

“I’m over here!” Sero calls. “Hey, Asui, could you let me out of your…tongue?”

“Whoops, sorry.”

“Hey, Shimakage? You mind getting rid of this fog?” Kirishima calls.

Kemuri feels her face flush as she stands back up. “Uh…I…can’t. It’s gotta go away on its own.”

“Okay, hold on. We’ll figure this out.”

Kemuri hugs herself, trying to stop her hands from shaking as she zones out. She won. It’s okay. She got the weapon. Despite all that, she can’t shake the uncertain feeling worming its way into her gut.

Chapter Text

They gather for debriefing back in the monitoring room. Tokoyami won his duel against Nishimura, eventually wrestling him into submission using Dark Shadow, and Nishimura isn’t good at hiding how unhappy he is with the results. He keeps his arms crossed over his chest, jaw clenched, and ignores Kirishima and Sero when they try to congratulate him.

Kemuri stays between Tsuyu and Tokoyami as they stand at the front of the class, All Might lingering in the space between them and the rest of their classmates. “Alright!” he says, hands on his hips. “Well done to all of you! I saw some interesting strategies and some decent communication between teams, but the MVP for this round goes…to Tokoyami!”

Kemuri claps along with the rest of the class as Tokoyami bows his head. “Thank you, sir,” he says.

“Young Yaoyorozu, do you have any insight as to why that choice was made?” All Might asks, already turning to the girl, who has her hand slightly raised.

“Of course,” she says. She crosses her arms over her chest. “Tokoyami was brave and put the safety of his teammates above his own, focusing on the immediate problem without forgetting the mission. He also worked hard to make sure his teammates all had a role to play.”

“Exactly!” All Might says. “Thank you! Does anyone else have suggestions or reasonings as to why the others didn’t match up?”

Again, Yaoyorozu raises her hand. “The villain team started off shaky right from the start, seeing as Nishimura split off from his teammates without much discussion,” she states. Nishimura’s face scrunches into a half-glare, half-pout. “He was too focused on winning and pitted himself against the odds instead of working with his teammates. If he had stuck with the group or taken one of the others with him, he probably could have turned the fight in his favour, seeing as he is obviously a seasoned brawler.”

“You can cut all the chatter,” Nishimura huffs, fingers clenching against his biceps. “Maybe I just didn’t think of that. Maybe I knew I could handle it. Maybe I don’t overanalyze everything like you.”

Yaoyorozu meets his glare head-on, unflinching. “And, maybe,” she says, with the slightest hint of sarcasm, “you should give at least one brain cell worth of thought to things so that you don’t lose.”

Nishimura visibly bristles and there are a few low whistles around the room. Kaminari lets out a laugh that he stifles when Jiro elbows him.

All Might clears his throat and steps in before anything can escalate. “Yes, good observations, again,” he says, patting Nishimura’s shoulder with one giant hand. He smiles at Kirishima and Sero. “Likewise, the two of you did well in your situation, making up for the loss of your teammate! However, your problems lay in letting yourselves relax and treating this as a game, leaving yourselves vulnerable. Real hero work is not a game!”

“Yes, sir!” Kirishima and Sero say. Kirishima does a hasty salute.

All Might turns to the class. “Can anyone tell me what Young Asui did well on? What she could improve?”

“She kept a cool head,” Jiro says. “And she didn’t waste time worrying about Tokoyami when he told her to go.”

“Good! Anything else?”

“She could give her teammate more to do?” Ojiro offers. “She went for the weapon by herself and left Kemuri to watch. She could have done something.”

All Might hums a little. “Not a bad suggestion.” He turns to Tsuyu and smiles. “But, all in all, you did well! ” Tsuyu croaks a little as she thanks him and All Might glances down at Kemuri, who shies beneath his look. “Any suggestions for Young Shimakage? Pros and cons are accepted!”

Some of the classmates glance at each other and a few murmurs ripple through the room. Kemuri swallows hard, feeling her palms start to sweat, and she slips a water bottle from her belt and takes a hasty sip.

“She got the weapon and won the exercise,” Shoji says from the back of the class, making brief eye contact with her. Kemuri smiles a little.

“But she did it on her own, at the expense of her teammates,” Yaoyorozu, yet again, comments. “Asui was struggling with Sero while trying to free herself when Shimakage released her fog. It blinded the villains, which was fine, but it put her teammate at a disadvantage.”

Kemuri bows her head again, that frustrated burning feeling rimming her eyes again. She knows that it wasn’t the best move, but she had to. She had to do it in order to get the weapon and win the exercise. Tsuyu wasn’t hurt at all.

“Furthermore, if this was a real scenario, the villains would not have stopped just because their weapon was captured. They very well could have hurt Asui or gotten away,” Yaoyorozu continues. “Shimakage didn’t work very well with her teammates in helping them fight, and when it mattered, she froze up. Tokoyami and Tsuyu did most of the work until the end.”

Kemuri feels like she could cry, not because she feels attacked or bullied, but because she’s right. Everything that Yaoyorozu has said is correct and it stings to hear it.

“With all due respect, and to be fair to Shimakage,” Iida says, raising his hand and making Kemuri look up, mouth agape, “she didn’t use her quirk until the last minute, so I’m sure that she was at least aware of what it meant for her teammates and wasn’t sure how to use it effectively until the situation seemed dire.” He looks at her, adjusting his glasses, and she bites the inside of her cheek as her attention darts to her feet. “And I do think she deserves credit for working around a disability that no one else in this room has.”

Kirishima peers out from the line at Kemuri, a confused look on his face, and he straightens up and whispers something to Sero. Kemuri searches the room to find that most of her classmates seem confused as to what Iida means. She feels like shrinking into a tiny ball, holding up a flashing neon sign with arrows pointing down at her that read, “I’M ALMOST BLIND!”

Iida continues, unfazed, “She didn’t immediately go for what was easiest for her and did her best in the situation, like when she called to Asui to figure out her position and if she was alright, all while evading Kirishima. Despite lack of teamwork training, Shimakage knows her limits, did her best, and won the challenge in the end, and I think that that deserves praise.”

Kemuri presses her fists into her legs as her heart pounds in her ribcage, begging to fly out of her chest and run all the way into Iida’s arms. There are a few more whispers, only Shoji and some of Kemuri’s other friends staying silent and knowing.

All Might chuckles and nods, aiming a thumbs up to Iida. “A very good observation, Young Iida,” he says. “She did as much as she could in the situation, even if there were some rougher spots near the end. But!” He sweeps his arms enough that his cape flutters. “Hero work is unpredictable! Take care to remember that!”

“All this teamwork talk…” Kaminari says. As the attention turns to him, he says, "I don’t think a quirk like hers can be used in a team.” Murmurs pop up around the room. “Maybe she works better alone.” He hooks his thumbs in his pockets and adds a slightly softer, “I get that.”

“With practice, any quirk can be used in a team setting,” All Might states. “I doubt any of you have used your quirks with other people around either, so let’s be gracious here!” He makes a sweeping movement his hand at the students behind him. “You six can relax while we move into the next round!”

Kemuri shuffles back into the class with the others while All Might picks out the next two teams —Kaminari and Jiro as the heroes, Mineta and Yaoyorozu as the villains—and finds herself next to Iida. She swallows, her cheeks dusted with pink, and she feels him shift next to her.

“Iida,” she whispers, and she turns her head enough to see that he’s looking at her. “Th…thank you, for…” She takes a quick breath, heart pounding again. “For saying all…that.”

He smiles. “I had to. Although…” He lowers his voice to a whisper and drops his head down closer to her ear. “I hope you don’t mind me alluding to your eyesight situation.”

“N-No,” she stammers. He’s so close, so very, very close, close enough that she can feel his breath and smell his cologne and—she mentally slaps herself and swallows hard as she pinches her leg. “It…it’s fine. They…they were eventually gonna find out, s-sorta. A-And if they haven’t noticed me use my stick, they will now, s-so…” She slams her mouth shut and tugs at the hem of her shorts.

“Good, I’m glad.” He straightens up with a nod. “Let me know if you want help explaining to others. I’d be happy to assist you.”

“O-Okay.”

Uraraka says something to Iida about Midoriya and Kemuri takes that as her cue to slip away, nudging her way past Aoyama and Bakugo to where Shoji is standing with Ojiro and Hagakure.

“Kemuri!” Hagakure squeals, gripping her arm and bouncing up and down a few times. “I knew it! You are stealthy!”

Kemuri rubs the back of her neck with her free hand. “I wasn’t sure if I was…up to your level,” she admits.

Hagakure giggles and releases her, her gloves bobbing around in the air. “You were great! Seeing your quirk in action was awesome,” she says. Her shoulders slump. “I just wish I could have used mine…Todoroki totally squashed us.”

Ojiro scratches his chin as he exhales. “We didn’t stand a chance,” he agrees.

“There’s always next time,” Shoji says with a shrug.

“Says the guy who beat us,” Ojiro retorts.

“I didn’t do much. I just figured out exactly where you were positioned.”

“You’re a stealthy fighter’s worst nightmare,” Hagakure whines.

In front of them, Uraraka turns and holds a finger up to her mouth, a sympathetic look on her face as she signals, “Sssh…” She points to the screen, where Kaminari and Jiro have entered their battle building. Hagakure whispers an apology and they focus on the lesson.

----------

Yaoyorozu and Mineta pull off the win in their round. Sato and Koda also win, albeit the match was a close call with the villains just managing to keep the weapon safe until the timer ran out. When all of the debriefings are done, the class gathers on the training grounds in front of All Might. He blocks the exit tunnel with his massive form, that pearly white smile still emblazoned across his face.

“That’s a wrap!” he announces. “Super work! You really stepped up to the plate. We didn’t have any major injuries, except for Midoriya. You should be proud!” He extends a thumbs up to them. “Excellent first day of training, all around!”

Tsuyu raises her hand a little. “It’s nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class.” Everyone seems to deflate, nodding solemnly as she adds, “Aizawa Sensei was kind of a buzzkill.”

All Might flings his arms up, cape flying. “I’M HAPPY TO BRING SUCH STAGGERING POSITIVITY TO MY ALMA MATER!” He turns, doing a strange sort of salute. “That’s all for now, folks. I should go and check on Young Midoriya’s progress. Now, watch how a pro exits, like he’s got somewhere to be!”

He bursts into a run that kicks up a trail of dust behind him as he disappears down the exit tunnel. Kemuri shields her eyes against the gusts of wind buffeting them, dust speckling her face and making her nose itch.

“Okay, that’s a hero,” Kaminari says.

Mineta covers his mouth as a shudder rolls through him. “So awesome…”

“Aw, I’ll never be able to run that fast,” Ojiro says.

Nishimura rolls his eyes. “None of us could,” he retorts. With a quick glance to the armoured boy at the back of the group, he adds, “Except for Iida.”

As if on cue, Iida zooms to the front of the class and raises his hand sharply. “We should all go and get changed! We have afternoon classes to get to and being late is unacceptable!” he insists. “Back to the changing rooms, everyone!”

A few people cover their ears and shy away from him, but Kemuri dips her face towards the ground, hiding her fond smile. Someday the rest of them will be used to Iida’s extravagant way of talking and moving, but for now, she finds their shock amusing. It’s nice to be the one who’s not freaked out by something.

“What’s with that look, Kemuri?”

Kemuri startles so hard that she nearly tumbles into Sato, who says a quick apology as he and some of the other guys head for the changing rooms. Still confused, Kemuri looks around for a second before Hagakure’s glove appears in her line of sight and she blinks a few times.

“W-What? What look?” Kemuri asks.

“That little smile…” There’s a questioning tone in the invisible girl’s voice. Kemuri stiffens and her gaze darts to where Iida is still standing, directing people along with a stern look. “And I saw it earlier too! After your debriefing and—” Hagakure gasps and Kemuri feels a light breeze along with the tickling of long, invisible hair as Hagakure whips her head around, then whips back. “Ohhhh my gosh—”

Kemuri shakes her hands about and turns towards the sound of the retreating footsteps of their classmates. “Hagakure, p-please don’t do this right now,” she begs as she starts to speed-walk.

“Kemuriiiii…” Hagakure retorts, halfway between a whine and a shout. There are a few pattering footsteps and Hagakure takes a hold of Kemuri’s arm. “You’re heading to the boy’s change room…”

Kemuri turns completely red and turns around, covering her face with her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Hagakure says. She makes a peace sign in the air, angling it towards where her face must be. “To save you from embarrassing yourself.”

“A…a true hero,” Kemuri whispers.

Hagakure lets out a snorting peal of laughter that makes a few of the stragglers glance over at them. “You’re so adorable, Kemuri, oh my gosh,” she says, wiping at the sudden disembodied tears bobbing in the air. “Come on, let’s go get changed.”

Kemuri gladly follows her, taking a few cleansing breaths. If doing this will further distract Hagakure from asking any more questions about the “look”, then Kemuri’s fine. She isn’t quite ready for people to start knowing about the helpless, admiring-from-afar feelings that she holds. It’s far too pathetic and cringe-y, even for her.

Hagakure holds the door open for Kemuri when they reach the changing rooms, where they join the gaggle of girls inside, chatting about the lesson and lessons to come. Kemuri opens her gym locker, grabs her folded uniform, and glances back at the girls. She takes a breath, turns, and moves to a bench that’s a little closer to them. She doesn’t have to speak, she just has to be brave enough to mingle near them.

“Shimakage,” Yaoyorozu says. She’s already changed out of her hero costume and her school uniform is almost done up. “I hope I wasn’t too harsh with you or…for that matter, any of you girls.” She offers a tiny smile to the group. Kemuri stares, in slight awe of her ease and her charm. The tall girl returns her attention to her. “I wanted to give you the best constructive criticism I could so that you can improve from it.”

“O-Oh, that’s…that’s okay…” Kemuri says, again batting at the air as she shakes her head. “Y-You were right, I…I suck at teamwork. I…heh…yeah, I…no…you, you’re fine. No need to apologize!”

Yaoyorozu ties her long hair up into a ponytail as she exhales. “Okay, good. I’m glad there aren’t any hard feelings.”

She finishes adjusting her tie and turns to get her blazer and the conversation returns between the other girls when Mina compliments Jiro on her “super cool sound wave attack”. Kemuri packs away her costume and keeps getting dressed, content, and she glances up briefly as Yaoyorozu walks past her seat on the way to the door.

As she goes, she rests a fleeting touch to Kemuri’s shoulder and whispers, “Iida told me a few specifics about your…sight. I’m sorry if I seemed ignorant.”

Kemuri shakes her head. “It’s fine, r-really. You didn’t know.”

She exhales and murmurs out another, “Okay, good.”

She leaves. Kemuri finishes getting changed and hurries to join the other girls as they head back to class, jostled between them and their bouncing voices.

Chapter Text

When the afternoon comes to an end, Aizawa’s deadpan look sweeps over the fidgeting students before him. “You’re all dismissed,” he says. He bends down and produces his giant yellow sleeping bag from behind the front podium. “Feel free to stick around and discuss your scores for the training exercise. I will see you tomorrow.”

He heads out of the classroom, dragging the sleeping bag behind him. Kemuri exhales and leans back in her seat, closing her eyes for a second. It’s silly to feel so exhausted after only the second day of school, but to be fair, today was more active and intense than Somei ever was.

She can hear her the door to the classroom sliding open and shut as people leave. Voices grow from hesitant whispers to full-on conversation and Kemuri tells herself that she should probably pack up her things and get ready to go home. She has a lot to tell her parents about what she learned today.

She opens her eyes and gets to her feet, heading to the back of the room to where the cupboards for backpacks and supplies are kept. Shoji and Hagakure are already there, bags almost packed as they talk to each other.

“About time,” Hagakure jokes when Kemuri arrives, skirt swaying as she bounces in place. “I thought you fell asleep.”

Kemuri tilts her head a little. “Oh…I was just resting for a second,” she admits. “Uh…what were you talking about?”

“Results,” Shoji says.

“There isn’t much to talk about, sadly,” Hagakure adds as her shoulders sag. Kemuri opens her mouth, trying to think of comforting words, but the invisible girl perks up and says, “But! On the bright side, we agreed that taking off my shoes wasn’t the best idea when going up against a guy whose quirk involves ice.”

“Hagakure?” Kemuri asks. “Is your hero costume really just…you, naked?”

“Yup!” She pauses and Kemuri imagines that she’s looking at Shoji, her sleeve drifting back to her face for a second. “Whatever works best for the quirk, right?”

All Kemuri can think of in response is, “You have confidence that I can only dream of.”

Hagakure laughs.

With her backpack on, Kemuri turns back to the classroom as both Shoji and Hagakure head for the door. Only a few people have left, like Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, leaving most of the others behind. Bakugo is seated in his desk, scribbling something in his notebook, shoulders tensed and hunched, and Kemuri is honestly surprised to see that he’s still here.

“Hey, Shimakage!”

She blinks a few times and looks up to see Kirishima waving at her from the front of the room. She lifts her hand and shakes it once before she shuffles over to him. Shoji hesitates at the exit, making eye contact before he points to the hallway. She nods before he slips out the door.

“What do you think?” Kirishima asks once she’s closer.

Again, all she can do is blink. “Of…of what?”

“The training results! What shocked you the most? What do you want to improve on? Anything,” he says, scarlet eyes glittering with excitement. Next to him, Sero nods a few times.

She rubs the back of her neck and peeks up at the other students to find that they’re also looking at her, expectant. Her cheeks get hot as her attention darts down to her feet. “I…didn’t know how…how much I suck at teamwork,” she admits in a bare whisper. “S-So…that’s what I want to work on. I felt…kinda stupid today.”

Kirishima doesn’t say anything for a second and she cringes inwardly, fists tightening. Then, a hand grasps her shoulder and she startles a little as she looks up. Kirishima lifts his free hand, clenching it as his grip tightens reassuringly.

“Don’t feel bad. We all have to improve,” he says. He glances to his left with a small grin. “And hey, if anything, you and Nishimura could learn teamwork together.”

Kemuri follows his gaze to the orange-haired boy just as he stiffens, eyes narrowing and jaw clenching. His hand tightens against his backpack strap and Kirishima laughs, waving to him and releasing Kemuri’s shoulder.

“Right, man?” he asks.

“Lack of teamwork skills wasn’t my problem,” Nishimura states. “I actually tried to get something done instead of sitting around and chatting or guarding some stupid door, like you guys.”

“I don’t know,” Sero says, rocking his head back and forth as he shrugs. “You didn’t exactly work out a plan with us. You went rogue.”

Nishimura’s ears turn red and his lips tuck into a pout. “I didn’t go rogue! I tried to win the exercise for us! If you guys would appreciate that—”

“Oh, someone’s angry,” Mina murmurs, half-singing, and Aoyama lets out a bouncing chuckle.

Nishimura mutters something under his breath and Iida, the only one close enough to hear him, gasps. “Nishimura, that is highly disrespectful!” he insists, chopping one hand towards the boy.

“Bite me,” Nishimura snaps as he heads for the door. Sato reaches over to try and stop him, but the ginger shoves his hand aside and disappears out the door, slamming it behind him. Kemuri flinches at the noise.

“Yikes,” Mineta mumbles, slurring the “s” a little.

“He’s just upset about losing,” Tsuyu says, tapping her finger to her chin. “Probably has a lot of pride.”

Kemuri hears someone huff and when she turns around, she sees that Bakugo is now glaring at the wall, chin perched on his fist. He has a notebook open in front of him, a half-written sentence laying next to his abandoned pencil.

With the conversations starting up again, Kemuri’s attention drags itself back to Bakugo. She isn’t sure what she’s feeling, whether it’s sympathy or terror or some terrible mixture of both. After his match with Midoriya, he stayed at the back of the group with his head bowed, a grimace on his face, and he didn’t give any input to any of the other matches. Kemuri likes to think of herself as an intuitive person, and from what she can read from a situation, he must be feeling a little wounded.

She doesn’t know what godly force turns her around and sends her back across the room to his desk, but it scares her. Maybe it’s some innate need to cheer him up or the naïve hope that maybe if she talks to him, he won’t blow up like Nishimura did and they can avoid more yelling.

On second thought, she thinks. If anyone is going to literally blow up, it’s Bakugo, and yet she is still walking towards him.

As soon as she stops and he’s looking at her, she wants to throw away everything she just thought of and run for her life, but she stays put. She dons a shaky smile and clears her throat, making him arch an eyebrow.

“Um, I…I wanted to tell you, you…” Is she sweating? She thinks she’s sweating. His glare gets more intense and she squeaks out, “You…you’re a really strong fighter and you d-did really well today.”

There’s a beat where he does nothing but stare at her. Then, he stands up, grabbing his bag and yanking it over his shoulder. “Don’t patronize me,” he utters.

Her mouth goes dry. “W-What?”

He bares his teeth and leans closer, making her startle backwards and bang her hip into Jiro’s desk. “Are you deaf too?” he growls. “I don’t need your fucking pity, smokey.”

He storms off. Kemuri is only faintly aware of the others talking to him as he goes, but her heart is pounding too hard and she thinks she saw her life flash before her eyes. Ojiro appears in front of her, waving his hand a bit, and she shakes her head enough to make her braid slip from her shoulder.

“Huh?”

Ojiro’s thin eyebrows furrow. “Are you okay?”

“What? I…” She shakes her head again and sucks in a breath. “I…yeah, I’m…fine.”

She finds herself moving, walking past her shocked classmates and out into the hall, her face far too hot and her eyes stinging. It’s just a stupid comment, she tries to tell herself as she squeezes her eyes shut. He’s just upset. Don’t let it get to you.

But, it is getting to her. It’s absolutely stupid that such a thoughtless comment would do such a thing and yet, it is. All she wanted was to give him a genuine compliment, maybe cheer him up. She understands why he would feel so inadequate after being surrounded by people with strong quirks. She lives with it every day. She just wanted to comfort him and it blew up in her face.

So much for being brave. So much for putting herself out there.

She hits someone and she gasps as the person lets out a small grunt of pain. Midoriya comes into view once she rubs away her brimming tears, still wearing his tattered hero uniform, his arm casted and in a sling. He’s holding his injured arm, a small grimace on his tired, grubby face.

Guilt plunges into her gut like a dagger made of ice and she covers her mouth with her hands, the tears reappearing and turning him into a smear of green and beige.

“Shimakage?” he asks. “What—”

“I’m s-so sorry,” she squeaks. She sniffs hard and rubs at her face. “Midoriya, I…I just…” She moves past him and lets out a slightly strained, “Feel better soon!”

“H-Hey, wait!”

She keeps moving, stumbling blindly through the school hallways, realizing far too late that she isn’t going the right way to get out of the school. Getting more upset by the second, she goes to the nearest door, yanks it open, and throws herself inside.

There are no lights in the room and she barely takes a step before she kicks something plastic and hollow. She stops, gasping for breath, hands grabbing around. The space is small, judging by how her breaths don’t echo, and it smells of water and dust. She feels the handles of brooms and the long stringy tendrils of a mop head and decides that she found the janitor’s closet.

She sinks to the ground, letting her backpack slip off her shoulder, and she brings her knees to her chest. She tucks her face against them, a shudder rolling through her shoulders as she releases soft, whimpering cries.

She isn’t crying over Bakugo. It’s more like she’s crying over everything that Bakugo made her think about. She tries to comfort herself by listing off everything in her head that she is crying about, but that just makes it worse.

Thing number one, she sucks at teamwork and being a hero is all about teamwork.

Thing number two, she’s awkward, apparently so awkward that she can’t even get a genuine compliment across.

Thing number three, everyone else in her class seems a whole lot better at literally everything, whether that be strength, charisma, quirk ability, intelligence…

Her crying stops for a second as she realizes what exactly she’s upset about. She’s upset because nothing she has done has gone off without a hitch. She tries to be brave and talk to people and she just stumbles over her words and makes a fool of herself. She tries to be a team player and she ends up being a burden until she takes over everything. She tries to comfort a classmate and she makes him think that she’s pitying him.

She hugs herself tighter and tucks herself into a ball. She’ll just stay here until she feels better.

Chapter Text

She isn’t sure how long it’s been when the closet door opens, spilling light over the bottles of cleaner and mop buckets. Kemuri flinches and shields her eyes, letting out a weak, ragged cough as she tries to compose herself.

“Kemuri, there you are…”

She frowns. That isn’t a teacher’s voice. That isn’t even Shoji or Hagakure’s voice. She allows herself to imagine that she fell asleep and now she’s having some lovely dream, but then she uncurls her arms from her legs and the stiff aching of her joints brings her back to reality.

Iida shuffles into the closet and kneels down in front of her. His arm shifts, hesitates, then moves forward again as he rests his hand gently on her knee. She wipes her face hastily, dragging her sleeve under her nose.

“I…I’m sorry, I…” She shakes her head. “I’m sorry.”

His expression is soft, his angular eyebrows pulled together just enough to show his concern. He waits for a second before standing and switching on the light. Kemuri dissolves into another flurry of blinks even though the light of the grimy, singular lightbulb isn’t at all bright, and Iida shuts the door behind him before he settles down at her side.

“You shouldn’t be in here,” he says.

“I know, I…” She hugs herself again. “I…” She drags the heel of her palm against her eyes and he exhales, glancing up at the ceiling. “How…how’d you know I was gone?”

“I noticed Hagakure and Shoji looking for you, plus Midoriya mentioned that he saw you running off,” Iida admits, pausing to adjust his glasses. “I offered to look for you.”

“B-But…how’d you find me?” she asks, gesturing to the surroundings with an awkward hand wave. “Here, of…of all places…”

His lip lifts just a little as he looks at her. “This isn’t the first time you’ve hidden in a janitorial closet.”

Kemuri feels her entire face flush and she coughs. “U-Uh…”

He has a knowing glint his eye. “Year seven, remember?”

Of course, she remembers. She remembers every detail of the rather horrible day as if it were yesterday. It’s not something that she would just forget.

“First day of classes. There was a large group of first years—” he adds.

She knows this story and as he speaks, she replays it in her head. She was a skinny, awkward twelve-year-old and it was her first day at Somei Private Academy. She didn’t know anybody, nobody knew her, and she was already feeling the start of some major anxiety as she entered the building.

They were doing some sort of first-year orientation, which basically meant walking around the school and pointing out all the classrooms and high-tech computer labs and libraries and all that great stuff. Kemuri quickly got overwhelmed. The rowdy group of boys that liked pulling her braid and snapping the band of her new training bra didn’t help.

By the time lunch came around, Kemuri was nauseous, exhausted, and her scalp hurt from the yanking. Despite the tour, she was still lost. Every hallway looked the same. On the verge of tears, she ran to the nearest janitor’s closet and hid inside, hands pressed over her ears and tears rolling down her face. She just wanted to go home.

After a while, the closet opened and when she looked up, there was a scrawny kid with glasses that were too big and a uniform that was so pristine and new that it seemed fake.

“Oh,” he said. He adjusted his glasses, intensity burning on his pudgy little face. “You’re the kid everyone’s looking for.”

Kemuri remembers that she was shaking and her nose was running and her braid was loose and undone from all the tugging. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

The kid walked in, turning on the light and shutting the door behind them. He knelt down in front of her, lips pouted and eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you hiding? And why are you crying? Did something happen?”

She nodded. “There…there were these boys tugging my braid a-and snapping my…my…” She shook her head, too embarrassed to say it. “I felt s-sick from all, from all the noise and, and…” She sniffles hard and buries her face in her hands. “I just wanted to h-hide…” Another round of sniffling. “I…I d-don’t want to get in t-trouble.”

The little boy frowned and stood straight up. “That’s ridiculous! You were being mistreated and disrespected,” he insisted. The legitimate anger in his tone surprised her. He reached down for her hand and it took a second before she noticed it. “Come on, I’ll take you to the office. I’ll stand up for you.”

“You…you w-will?” He nodded and she took his hand, letting him help her up. “Oh…okay…”

She was taller than him back then. He held her hand diligently and lead her through the halls, making sure that she didn’t trip, and he stayed with her when they got to the principal’s office, where they found that one of the homeroom teachers had already arrived. Kemuri did her best to explain herself, still a trembling, snot-nosed mess, and as much as she expected him to leave, he didn’t. He stayed by her side until everything was figured out.

“I’m just glad that someone found her,” the homeroom teacher said with a sigh. “Let’s get to class, alright?”

Kemuri nodded again and accepted another tissue from the secretary nearby. The teacher started out and Kemuri started to follow her. She stopped after a few steps and turned back around to the boy, trying her best to smile.

“Thank you,” she said.

He grinned and made a few chopping motions with his hand. “It’s a hero’s job to be there for those in need! I’m glad I could help you!”

So, he wanted to be a hero. Some might have cooed or commented on how cute that was, but the only thing Kemuri thought back then was, “He would make an amazing hero.”

“My name is Tenya Iida, by the way,” he added as she scurried towards the door.

“Kemuri Shimakage.”

She was smitten. After that, for the first couple days of school, Iida waved to her when they passed each other in the halls or during lunch. After a while, he got new friends from his class and she faded into the background. She didn’t catch his eye anymore. He got taller and more muscular, his voice dropped an octave, and while he wasn’t the most popular guy in the school, Kemuri felt that, compared to her, he was. He was just as unattainable.

“I remember,” Kemuri whispers. She tucks her hair behind her ear and adds, “I don’t know why you do, though…”

“I have an impeccable memory,” he says, tapping the rim of his glasses. “Besides, you were the highlight of my first day. My big brother was really proud of me.”

Just as she thinks that she’s stopped blushing, she starts up again. “Oh…heh…”

They linger in silence for a few seconds. He shifts and clears his throat, his shoulder brushing hers, and she fiddles with the end of her braid.

“If I may, and you don’t have to answer,” he says after a while. “Are you upset because of what Bakugo said?”

Kemuri purses her lips, then shrugs. “No…I…” She sighs. “I guess…I feel like a bit of a screw-up, like…like nothing that I try to do ends up perfect. I want to be perfect.”

He lets out a small hum. “Well, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. No one is perfect,” he says. She opens her mouth, but he adds, “You had a bit of a rough day, but you’re trying your best and you have a goal in mind. That is as perfect as one can hope to be.”

“I’m just worried that I’m not good enough to reach that goal.”

“You were good enough to make it into U.A,” he says, making her chest puff up a little. “So, with time and practice, you and I and all of us will learn to be better. That’s why we’re here.”

His words combined with the proud look on his face makes her heart pound faster, but in a good way. She looks at her lap, fiddling with her hair again as she whispers, “Yeah, you’re…you’re right.”

He nods and angles himself forwards again, shoulders back against the wall. Nothing is said between them for a few seconds, then he sits up and adjusts his tie.

“Do you have a ride home?” he asks.

The word “home” triggers something in her and she sits up, eyes wide. She scrambles for her backpack, unzipping it in a haste. “Crap, I…I totally missed my train,” she mumbles. “My parents are going to freak and—” Another gasp as her hand freezes around her phone. “I…I ditched Shoji and Hagakure. I am a terrible friend and—”

“Kemuri,” Iida says, resting his hands on her shoulders and giving them a firm squeeze. “Relax.”

When did he start referring to her with her first name? He never has before. Does he know that she likes being called by her first name? She can’t imagine that he took the time to notice something (or anything) about her.

She takes a long breath in, then exhales. “Right…”

“My brother is actually picking me up today,” he says. “We can give you a ride home.”

“Don’t you just…run home?”

“Sometimes. Not today.”

She hesitates before nodding. “Okay, sure. I’d…like that.”

He stands and extends his hand to her. She takes it, he pulls her to her feet, and they leave the closet together.

----------

Outside, Iida and Kemuri make themselves busy with their own tasks. Kemuri texts both her parents about the change in plans. Iida calls his brother. Within ten minutes of waiting, a shiny blue Prius pulls up in front of the school and a young man leans out the window and dons a charming smile. There’s no doubt that he’s related to Tenya; they have the same hair, the same eyes, the same face shape. They're both handsome enough to make Kemuri nervous.

“Hey, Tenya! About time you called,” he says.

“Hello, Tensei!” Iida replies, already moving to the car and opening the door. Just the sight of his brother has made him perk up, a smile staying on his face as he turns back to Kemuri and ushers her in. “Are you coming?”

“I’m a very safe driver,” Tensei says with a tiny smirk, “so if that’s what you’re worried about…”

Kemuri has to remind herself to shut her mouth, doing a hasty bow in an attempt to recover from her staring. It’s one thing for Tenya to mention that his big brother is Ingenium, it’s another thing to actually be standing in front of Ingenium and getting into his very shiny Prius.

“No! Not at all! I trust you,” she insists.

She hurries over to Tenya, who extends his hand and motions for her backpack, and she hands it over before she ducks into the backseat. She watches as Tenya closes the door behind her and walks to the trunk, putting both their backpacks inside.

Kemuri clears her throat. “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Iida,” she says.

“I was in the neighbourhood,” he replies with a slight hand wave. “And please, just call me Tensei.”

She almost chokes. Is…is she on a first name basis with Ingenium? She thinks she might faint.

The left side door opens and Tenya climbs in the empty seat beside her. He buckles up and Kemuri, still a little starstruck, clambers to follow his lead. With both of them secure, Tensei shifts the car and starts off down the road.

“So, little brother, are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Tensei asks, glancing at them in the rearview mirror.

Tenya’s posture gets impossibly straighter. “Of course! This is Kemuri Shimakage. She’s the one who went to Somei with me,” he says, gesturing to her.

“Shimakage?” Tensei repeats. “Are you Kazue’s daughter?”

Kemuri nods. “Uh, yes…sir.”

“I was working with her today for a bit. Cleaning up a burglary,” Tensei says. “Lovely woman. I knew she had a daughter but I had no idea that…” He shakes his head and a chuckle makes his shoulders bounce. “It’s great to meet you.”

“Uh, you…you too,” Kemuri stammers.

They drive in silence for a little bit before Tensei clears his throat. “So, how are you enjoying U.A, Kemuri? Is Shota still as gloomy as ever? I’m really curious about his teaching methods, although Tenya told me a little bit about it the other day.”

There’s teasing in his voice that confuses Kemuri. It takes her a second before she remembers that Shota is Aizawa Sensei’s first name. She glances at Tenya, who looks expectant, and she swallows as she looks back at Tensei’s seat.

“It’s…intense,” she admits. “Being around all these pro heroes is really cool though, and…and our classmates are pretty nice. Aizawa Sensei is a little intimidating but I think I can learn a lot from him.”

“He’s just a character,” Tensei says with a laugh. “Some things never change.” Kemuri again looks at Tenya for answers, but he’s looking out the window at a passing restaurant. Tensei adds, “But, I’m glad to hear that you’re liking it! I had a lot of fun there.”

Kemuri likes talking to Tensei. He is simultaneously very brotherly and fatherly at the same time and the atmosphere he creates is soothing. She doesn’t feel like she’s suffocating and she doesn’t feel the insatiable need to get out of the car and run far, far away.

“So…uh,” she asks, “you know Mr. Aizawa?”

“They went to U.A together,” Tenya pipes up. “Same class and everything! Present Mic too.”

“Seriously?” Kemuri gawks. Tensei nods, smiling, and she adds, “You’re all the same age?”

“I know, I’m old,” Tensei says with another chuckle. He stops at a red light and takes the chance to look over his shoulder at the two of them. “I started U.A something like…” He thinks for a second before saying, “Something like four or five years after your mom graduated?”

“She completed her third year when you were finishing elementary school,” Tenya says. He grins and leans closer to Kemuri. “And I was born when Tensei was our age.”

“I may…have brought pictures and showed my entire class,” Tensei says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not going to lie, I was a bit mushy. And maybe a little teary.” He makes a motion with his fingertips, squinting his eyes as he does so.

Kemuri stares at Tenya, inklings of a giggle making their way onto her lips. “So…Aizawa and Present Mic have seen baby pictures of you?” she asks. Tenya’s cheeks turn pink. “Aw…”

“I…don’t give much thought to it. It feels wrong to view my teachers as anything less than my teachers,” Tenya admits. He stiffens and thumps his chest. “Even if they were my brother’s peers.”

“Nothing wrong with that, Tenya,” Tensei says. He makes a small noise, like an “oo”, and passes his phone back to Tenya. “Shimakage—”

“P-Please, Kemuri is fine!” she blurts.

He smiles. “Okay, Kemuri, do you mind punching in your address? I know it’s in Hosu, but...”

“Oh, yeah, s-sure thing!”

Kemuri enjoys the rest of the ride so much that she feels like she may be overreacting. Tensei talks a little about hero work, shares some funny stories, and at one point he turns on the radio and starts singing along. He’s kind of bad, but Tenya’s laughter more than makes up for it.

By the time they pull up the long, wooded trail leading to Kemuri’s home, she’s a little breathless from laughter and unable to stop smiling. The wheels crunch against the gravel and the engine purrs to a stop as Tensei shifts into park. He exhales, hiking one elbow on the edge of the seat and looking back at Kemuri with another grin.

“Shimakage Estate,” he announces. “Please exit on your right.”

Kemuri reaches for the handle. “Thanks again. It means a lot.”

“Anytime. Or…” He grimaces, sheepish. “Not. I don’t get the luxury of doing this all the time, but seriously, you need help? Call me.”

“I appreciate it,” Kemuri says.

She gets out of the car just as Tenya appears, already holding her backpack. She thanks him as she slings it over her shoulder, starting towards her house. Then, she gasps and whirls back around, hurrying back to the car just as Tenya starts to close the trunk.

“H-Hey, Tensei,” she says, knocking on the passenger window. He rolls it down and she bites her lip. “Could…could I get an autograph?”

He laughs, eyes crinkling at the edges. “I’ll do you one better! You’ve got a phone?”

“Yeah, I…I do,” she says as he unbuckles and gets out of the car.

He joins Tenya at the trunk and reaches in. He pulls out his helmet and slips it over his head, giving it a wiggle or two to make sure it’s in place. Kemuri blinks a few times as he holds his hand out.

“We’re doing a selfie,” he says. “Get over here.”

She nods and joins him, handing over her phone. He slings his arm over her shoulder and flashes a peace sign that Kemuri imitates as she smiles at the camera. He takes the shot, then motions Tenya over as he removes his helmet and tosses it into the trunk.

“One for Instagram, one for personal,” Tensei says, repositioning himself.

Tenya takes her other side, the brothers looping their arms behind her and donning identical grins. Kemuri smiles so hard that her eyes close, her cheeks rosy.

“Boom, Ingenium selfie,” Tensei says, handing her phone back.

Kemuri brings it to her chest, nearly bouncing in place. “Thank you so much!” She already imagines showing Hagakure and Shoji and Ojiro and—

“No problem.”

He shuts the trunk and gets back into his car. Kemuri readjusts her backpack, meeting Tenya’s gaze as she turns around. He puts his hands in his pockets, a small frown appearing on his face.

“Before I forget,” he says.

He pulls something from his pocket and she squints at it for a second as his fingers unfurl. Her rose hair clip sits in his palm and her hand flies to her hair, empty and plain.

“When did…” she starts.

“It was laying in the hallway near the closet,” Tenya says. His glasses slip down his nose and he pushes them back up. “I thought you would want it back.”

“Yes! Thank you, I…” She takes it back, reaching up and clipping it back into her hair. She takes a deep breath. “So…I’ll see you at school?”

“Of course,” he says. “Have a good rest of the day, alright?”

“Yeah.”

He gets back into the car, the passenger side this time, and Kemuri watches as the Prius turns around and drives back down the road, giving one last wave to the Iida brothers as they pass her. She hears the music start up again and she lets out a breath, turning and wandering back to the house feeling lighter than air.

When she gets inside, her mom and dad are sitting in the living room, drinking tea. Cayden looks up from his magazine and Kazue sets her cup down.

“Hey, Kemmy,” Cayden says. “How was school?”

I almost had the worst day ever, she thinks. I almost spent the majority of the day thinking that I’m a loser with no hope of reaching my dreams.

“I just had the best day ever,” she breathes. Kazue smiles a little and she kicks off her shoes. “I’m gonna put my bag away, change, then come back and tell you everything, okay?”

“Okay,” her parents call.

She practically dances to her room, flopping onto her bed and opening her phone up to look at the picture of her, Tensei, and Tenya. As she stares at it, she comes up with another thing that she wants more than anything.

She wants to always feel as happy as she is right now.

Chapter Text

“Kemuri! KEMURIIII!”

Hagakure is far too loud for the early morning, but Kemuri isn’t about to tell her to quiet down. Instead, she offers a smile at the bouncing uniform of her friend as they walk down the sidewalk.

“What is this?” Hagakure demands, aiming her phone at Kemuri’s face. On the screen is her selfie with Ingenium, posted to Instagram. “Tell me what this is!”

“It’s Ingenium and me,” Kemuri answers.

“You met Ingenium!” Hagakure repeats, stifling a squeal as she yanks her phone back. “You totally disappear yesterday and then I find out through social media, of all things, that you were chilling with mother-freaking Ingenium?!”

Kemuri blinks. “…yes?”

“I’m so jealous of you right now,” Hagakure sighs. “How did you even…?” Her phone screen scrolls, pushed by invisible fingertips. “Ugh, girl, do you just attract cool things?”

“It’s really not luck or anything,” Kemuri says, starting to feel flustered again as she waves her hands about. “Iida…offered me a ride home. I was having a breakdown and he was really sweet. Ingenium’s his big brother and he happened to be doing the driving so…”

Hagakure has no visible eyes and yet Kemuri still feels dwarfed by her stare. “Iida…” she repeats. “That reminds me, you avoided the topic yesterday when you were giving him googly eyes—”

Kemuri gasps. “I was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not.”

“Was too!”

“Okay, fine,” she buckles. “I was smiling because the rest of the class reacts to him in a funny way and I…I went to middle school with him so I’m used to it.” Hagakure giggles and Kemuri adds, “And that’s it.”

“Suuureeee,” she hums. She gasps. “Okay, real talk, is Ingenium as muscly and tall in person as he is on TV?”

Kemuri turns red. “I…I guess? He’s attractive, b-but he’s like twice our age and our classmate’s brother and that feels very strange—”

“Ooh, you’re totally—” She stops in her tracks, her words frozen at the edge of her lips. “Woah…”

“Woah” is right, but Kemuri is too stunned to make any noise of agreement. Gathered in front of the U.A gates is what seems like every newscaster in the entirety of Japan, clambering and shouting for answers, begging for an interview. Kemuri also stops, her stomach twisting as she stares at it all.

“Shoji!” Hagakure calls. She waves her sleeve around. “Over here!”

Kemuri turns around just as Shoji crosses the street and joins them, eyes narrowed a little as he too observes the reporters. A wave of relief washes over her and she steps a little closer to him. She has a feeling that those six muscly arms are going to be super helpful in trying to get through the crowd.

“This is crazy,” Hagakure whines. She laughs a little. “But…hey, publicity can’t be bad, right? Maybe it’ll be really cool!”

Shoji sighs and shakes his head a few times, but keeps his comments to himself. Kemuri tightens her backpack straps and brings her stick closer to her side, idly wondering whether she could use it to push people aside if the need be.

“Ready?” Shoji asks as they start walking, getting nearer to the hoard.

“Ugh,” both girls mumble in response. Kemuri retracts her stick and slips it into her backpack.

Within seconds of reaching the fray, there are people literally shoving each other to get to them.

“Hello, HNA News, are any of you All Might’s students?” a woman asks, shoving a microphone towards Kemuri’s mouth, then sweeping it towards Hagakure and Shoji like a metal detector. “What is he like as a teacher?”

“He’s super cool,” Hagakure says. “Uh…yeah! He’s a real good guy!”

“Excuse us, we have to get to class,” Shoji says, spreading three of his arms to surround Hagakure and Kemuri as he starts to wade past reporters.

“Don’t leave yet! Can you tell us anything else? Could you possibly go and get All Might for an interview?”

“U-Uh, we really can’t do that, sorry,” Kemuri apologizes. “All Might’s a busy guy, so…”

The NHA woman gasps and shoves closer. “Wait, aren’t you Sergeant Kazue Shimakage’s daughter?” Kemuri stammers out something like a yes, but the woman is already talking a mile a minute. “Did she really date Best Jeanist while they were in high school? Is it true that she was given a hero license after she won the U.A Sports Festival in her third year, even though she was a General Studies student?”

“I…I…”

“Move along,” Shoji repeats.

“Can you tell me anything about your grandfather, Keiji Shimakage?” the woman cries after them as they squeeze by. “What business partners is he looking into? Any hero partnerships? Is it true that he’s opening training facilities for prospective heroes across the country? Please, tell me anything!”

Shoji puts himself between Kemuri and the reporter, shielding her from view and ushering them along. Kemuri shrinks closer to his chest. “Thanks, Shoji,” she murmurs.

“Anytime.”

“Your mom dated Best Jeanist?” Hagakure whispers, shock lacing her tone.

Kemuri shuts her eyes, following Shoji’s guide. “No, he was just a year behind her in school. They talked sometimes, maybe enough to be considered friends.”

“I didn’t know your mom was famous. And what was that about your grandfather?”

Another sigh. “There…is a lot you don’t know about me.”

Only once they’re inside do they find any kind of peace. Shoji retracts his arms, giving his head a shake so that his hair shifts out of his eyes.

“Animals,” he mumbles.

“Mmhm,” Kemuri agrees.

----------

In class, things are considerably calmer. Aizawa holds a stack of papers and if Kemuri were to guess, she would say that they’re their grades for the past few hero training exercises.

“Decent work on yesterday's combat training, you guys,” Aizawa says, glancing down at the first sheet on the stack. “I saw the video feeds and went over each of your team’s results. Bakugo—” Bakugo straightens up, teeth gritted, and Aizawa continues, “You’re talented, so don’t sulk like a child about your loss, okay?”

Kemuri braces herself for some rude comment, but Bakugo just huffs and mutters out a, “Yeah, whatever.”

“And Midoriya,” Aizawa adds, making the boy squeak and clamp his arms close to his sides. “I see the only way you won the match was by messing up your arm again. Work harder, and don’t give me the excuse that you don’t have control of your quirk. That line’s already getting old.” Midoriya bows his head. “You can’t keep breaking your body while training here, but your quirk will be really useful if you can get a handle on it. So, show a little urgency, huh?”

“Y-Yes, sir!” Midoriya says with a short nod.

Aizawa goes through every student, team by team, giving them something they need to work on or a compliment on what went well, but could have gone better. Some of them don’t require much talking, some require more.

“Uraraka, work on finding solutions that are less reckless. Property damage is a big deal and the insurance companies are less than forgiving in certain situations.”

“Iida, good thinking getting rid of everything in the room, but you should tone down the monologuing. I’m assuming you were just getting into character, but just in case, work on it. Most villains won’t give you a chance to talk.”

“Second round, there isn’t much to say, but…” Aizawa lifts his dead-eyed look to the back of the class. “Todoroki, while you were effective, keep in mind that most buildings will be filled with civilians or there could be hostages. Target your quirk at villains in a way that won’t endanger teammates or innocents. For the other three, you did your best in the situation. You will get more chances.” He shuffles the papers as Todoroki nods. “Third round—”

Kemuri feels her breath catch.

“Not bad for a first try. Kirishima, Sero, don’t slack off. Spend less time chatting and stay alert.” Both boys nod. “Nishimura…”

There’s an audible grunt from the back of the room and Kemuri imagines him slumping down in his seat, arms crossed over his chest, lips pouted. Aizawa lets out a small breath, shutting his eyes for a second.

“Your dedication to the scenario within the exercise is admirable,” he starts. Nishimura perks up. “But,” Aizawa continues, eyes narrowing, “that dedication is useless if you’re going to act like your teammates are incapable of helping you. Trusting others is crucial.”

“But—” Nishimura starts.

“Don’t give me excuses,” Aizawa interrupts. “Whoever taught you not to trust anyone but yourself is flawed. You can’t be a hero without it, so unless you’re willing to challenge your beliefs, consider leaving this course.”

There are a few low whistles around the room and Nishimura whispers out a, “Yes, sir.”

Undeterred, Aizawa continues, “Hero team. Tokoyami, taking on the challenge of fighting Nishimura in order to let your teammates find the weapon was a fine plan, but keep in mind that you outnumbered Nishimura three to one. In a scenario with a time limit, efficiency is important, and capturing the villains was another option for winning.” As soon as Tokoyami nods, Aizawa says, “Asui, your plan to sneak in alone was flawed. You left Shimakage on lookout, not taking into account that she could not see you, thereby inhibiting her from helping you to her full ability.”

Kemuri is only faintly aware that she’s probably gaping at her teacher. She thought that Yaoyorozu’s analysis was in depth, but Aizawa notices things that no one even mentioned. When she gives it another second, she realizes that that’s probably why he makes such a good teacher.

“However, Shimakage,” Aizawa says, making her snap her mouth shut and sit up straighter. “Don’t be ashamed to mention any difficulties you have. Your teammates are there to support you and, I will stress this again, that involves trust. Likewise, don’t forget to mention the strengths that you have. This will be critical in the field when you meet up with other heroes who may not know your fighting style. That goes for all of you.”

The entire class seems to straighten up. Kemuri can hear the scratching of pencils on paper and Midoriya mumbling faintly to himself. She nods.

Aizawa observes the paper for a moment before adding, “Also, you froze up when the situation got difficult. Hero-ing is a high-stress job, so take the time to teach yourself how to remain calm and keep the overthinking at bay. It will help you be more competent.”

She nods again. “Yes, sir.”

Aizawa finishes up with the rest of the class swiftly. With that done, he sets the papers aside and brushes his hair from his eyes. His tone shifts to something calmer.

“Let’s get down to business,” he says. “Our first task will decide your future.”

Kemuri feels her chest tighten and she crosses her fingers on one hand, pressing it against her leg as she takes a breath. Please, she begs internally, not another quirk test.

“You all need to choose a class representative,” Aizawa says.

Kemuri frowns a little even as relief loosens her chest back up. That’s such a normal thing! Why did he have to make it sound like it was the single most important thing that they will ever do?

Then again, it is pretty important. Kemuri remembers her mom mentioning that, at U.A, the class representative does more than just a bunch of extra work. It’s a way to get noticed by hero agencies and prove you can lead a team like real pros do. It seems the others know this too because within seconds the entire class has exploded into a cacophony of noise, getting up from their desks in the process.

“Pick me, guys! I wanna be class rep!

“I’ll take it!”

“Yeah, you’re gonna need me.”

“Someone with style would be best—”

“I’M TOTALLY THE RIGHT PICK!”

“Me, me, me, me, me! Being rep would get me some ladies!”

“I’M GONNA BE THE FUCKIN’ REP AND ALL OF YOU BETTER AGREE!”

Kemuri covers her ears and hunches over in her desk. Being rep is cool and all, but she already knows that she is the least qualified for the job. She can’t even effectively work within a team, much less lead one.

“SILENCE, EVERYONE, PLEASE!” Iida’s voice cuts through the noise, making Kemuri sit up as every voice goes silent. Iida stands at his desk, hands braced against the top. “The class representative’s duty is to lead others. That’s not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom.”

“Well, count me out,” Nishimura mutters, earning a few snickers from the people around him.

“Unnecessary comment, Nishimura, but anyway,” Iida says, holding up his hand. “Therefore, the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader.”

His cool demeanour fades as his lifted arm starts to tremble, mouth wobbling. Kemuri covers her mouth, hiding her smile, while the others stare at him in varying degrees of shock or indifference.

“It’s pretty obvious that you want us to vote for you,” quite a few people say at once.

“Is this really the best idea?” Kaminari asks.

“We’ve only known each other a few days,” Tsuyu adds. “How do we know who we can trust?”

Kirishima sighs and leans back in his chair. “Besides, everyone will just vote for themselves.”

“Most people will,” Iida agrees, “but that means that whoever does get multiple votes must truly be the most suitable for the job. Is that correct, sir?”

He turns to Aizawa, who’s already zipping himself into his giant yellow sleeping bag. “Do whatever you want,” Aizawa says. “Just decide before my nap’s over.” He flops over and within seconds, Kemuri can hear him snoring.

“Thank you for your trust!” Iida says with an arm chop salute. He zooms to the front of the class. “Alright, first, everyone get a pen! We will also need slips of paper! Who will volunteer some notebook paper?”

“I’ve got some,” Shoji says. He rips a few pages out of his notebook and walks to the front of the class, handing it off to Iida before going back to his desk.

“Thank you, Shoji! Now,” he continues, starting to rip the paper in strips. “When you get your ballot, write the name of the person you are voting for! Shimakage!”

Kemuri jumps so hard that she nearly knocks her knees on the bottom of her desk, pointing to herself. “M-Me?”

“Would you mind helping me?” He holds out the stack of paper strips.

“O-Oh! Yeah, okay.”

Kemuri stands and hurries over to him, taking the strips and turning back around. She moves up and down the aisles, putting a ballot in front of each student, while Iida starts writing everyone’s names on the board underneath the words “Election Results”.

When Kemuri returns to the front of the room, Iida puts the chalk down and whirls around. “Perfect! Everyone write your choice and…” He reaches under the podium and produces a small, white box. “When everyone is done, Shimakage will collect the results and we will tally them!”

He sets it down on the podium and returns to his seat. Kemuri follows his lead, returning to her desk and picking up her pen. It doesn’t take her long to make a decision. She writes down her choice, folds the paper in half, and stands up, moving to the box and slipping the paper inside.

Iida also finishes swiftly, doing the exact same thing as Kemuri before waiting patiently at the front of the room. People start to put their pens down and, with a slight nudge from Iida, Kemuri goes back around the room. She holds out the box as she moves down the aisle, pausing to let people on both sides put their votes in.

With everything collected, she gives the box a few shakes. She looks around at everyone, every expectant gaze on her, and she slowly turns to Iida.

“Should…should I count?” she asks, just above a whisper.

“Yes, and I will tally the votes on the board!” Iida says, reaching down for the chalk again.

Kemuri avoids Aizawa’s sleeping bag and opens the box, giving it another shake before reaching in and reading the first ballot. With every name she reads, Iida puts a mark next to their name.

When all is said and done, Midoriya has three votes, Yaoyorozu has two, and everyone else has one. Kemuri looks over the list, realizing that aside from her, Todoroki and Uraraka are the only ones without any votes.

“H-How did I get three votes?!” Midoriya asks, his voice cracking a little at the end.

Bakugo stands up in his seat. “Alright, you idiots, who voted for him?!”

“What, did you honestly think that anyone was going to vote for you?” Sero asks.

“What did you say?! You wanna go?! HUH? Don’t tell me you voted for that little turd!”

Uraraka becomes very interested in the classroom wall and a few of the others start trying to calm Bakugo down before he does something drastic. Kemuri counts herself lucky that Bakugo is too enraged to do the process of elimination that would give him the answers he wants. Kemuri, Uraraka, and Todoroki are the only ones without a vote. Most of the others have one, meaning they voted for themselves. Kemuri knows who she voted for, but he also only has one vote, meaning that he voted for someone else.

That leaves Uraraka and Todoroki, and if Kemuri were to guess, she would say that Uraraka probably voted for Midoriya. Yaoyorozu and Midoriya most likely voted for themselves. That just leaves the question of who voted for Yaoyorozu and who the third Midoriya vote belongs to. It’s Todoroki on one and Iida on the other.

With that thought, Kemuri tears her gaze away from the board to look at Iida, who has an expression of confusion on his face as he stares at the results. His shoulders are tense and quivering a little, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Iida?” Kemuri whispers.

“I…” He squints a little. “It’s…it’s nothing.”

He turns and goes back to his seat. Kemuri doesn’t move for a second, still holding the ballot box, and there’s a yawn from her feet as Aizawa sits up.

“Okay, nap’s over,” he mumbles. “Shimakage, go back to your seat.”

“Sorry, sir!”

She scrambles back to her desk as Aizawa stands up, still cocooned in the sleeping bag—truly, a feat of skill. He glances at the board, then sighs. “Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, get up here.” Both hurry to obey, Midoriya looking like an anxious mess and Yaoyorozu with her regular, cool head. Aizawa continues, “Class rep is Midoriya, and your deputy is Yaoyorozu.”

“U-Uh, you mean it’s not a mistake?” Midoriya squeaks. “M-Maybe…m-maybe Shimakage read the votes wrong?” Kemuri blinks, face falling, and he turns red as he starts to shake his head and his hands rapidly. “N-Not like that though! B-Because miscounting can happen to anyone! U-Uh…”

“Oof,” Ojiro whispers, making Kemuri’s lip twitch upwards for a second.

Yaoyorozu bows her head. “How did this happen?” she asks no one in particular.

“This might not be so bad,” Tsuyu says.

“Yeah, I could get behind Midoriya, I guess,” Kirishima agrees.

Kaminari flashes a thumbs up. “And Yaoyorozu was totally on top of it when it came to our training results!”

Kemuri glances back at Iida again. He’s still stiff, arms framing his desk, sweat beading on his forehead. She looks away before it gets obvious, stomach churning.

Chapter Text

When the morning classes wrap up, it’s time for lunch. Kemuri finds her group and they head for the cafeteria, stomachs growling.

“I’m so hungry,” Hagakure moans, rubbing her stomach. She inhales deeply. “Lunch Rush always makes everything smell so good.”

“The starving masses require nourishment,” Tokoyami says with a stiff nod.

Ojiro laughs a little as he scratches his chin. “That sounds kind of dark, man.” Tokoyami stares at him, blank-faced, and Ojiro adds, “But…you are a bit dark, so…”

“I don’t live in darkness. Darkness lives in me.”

“Ooh, this is a new side of you, Tokoyami!” Hagakure chirps. “It’s edgy, but cool! And a tiny bit scary!”

Kemuri can’t help but laugh to herself. They enter the cafeteria and crowd into the growing lunch line, staring up at the menu with eager eyes. Kemuri can feel her mouth watering and after a few seconds, she has to physically swallow.

“I love this place,” Shoji murmurs.

“Same,” comes a response from the other four.

They get their food and hurry to find a spot that fits all of them, the cafeteria getting fuller with every second. They eventually snag a table, Kemuri and Shoji settling down on one side while Tokoyami, Ojiro, and Hagakure take the other. They set their trays down and dig in.

Kemuri lets out a long sigh as she lifts her first bite of nikujaga into her mouth. She closes her eyes and makes a few happy noises as she chews. Her friends are no different, focusing on eating for a few minutes before starting any conversation.

“Wait, did both of you get squid ink pasta?” Hagakure asks, eyeing Shoji and Tokoyami’s platters.

“I like the colour,” Tokoyami says, lifting the bowl of jet black noodles to his beak. “And the flavour.”

Shoji nods. “It’s my favourite,” he says as one of his tentacle mouths munches on a piece of takoyaki.

Kemuri clicks her chopsticks absentmindedly. “Sounds like cannibalism, Shoji,” she whispers. There’s silence for a moment and Kemuri looks up. Her cheeks flush. “B…Because…you’re k-kinda like an octopus…” she mumbles lamely. “Bad joke, okay, never mind.”

Shoji’s shoulders shake as he lets out a low, rumbling laugh. “I like it.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Kemuri breaths, resting a hand on her chest. Gently teasing people is not one of her strong points.

Light conversation continues between bites of food and offering each other pieces of each other’s meals, and Kemuri pays attention for long enough to trade some of her dango for one of Ojiro’s gyoza. She nibbles at it as her attention drifts to a nearby table, where Iida is sitting with Midoriya and Uraraka.

“Guys, I’m kinda worried about the class rep thing. I don’t think I’m qualified,” Midoriya admits.

“Sure you are,” Uraraka says around a mouthful of rice.

“You’ll be great,” Iida adds. “Your courage and quick-thinking under stress will make you a worthy leader. Not to mention the strength you’ve demonstrated. That’s some of the reasons I voted for you, at least.”

“You were one of the three?” Midoriya asks. “B-But…you had a vote. I thought for sure that you voted for yourself…”

Kemuri’s breath catches and she finds herself leaning a little closer to their table. In the background, she hears Hagakure ask Tokoyami if he’s ever tried dipping apples in caramel.

“Well, yes,” Iida says. Kemuri can’t see him, but his tone makes her think that he has that confused look on his face again. “It wasn’t mine, though.”

Uraraka giggles. “Oo, that means someone voted for you. Any idea who it could be?”

“I…have theories.”

“Kemuri?”

Kemuri whips her head around, nearly choking on her milk in the process. Shoji catches her milk carton before it tips out of her fingers, setting it back on her tray. Ojiro, Hagakure, and Tokoyami aren’t paying attention, too focused on cutting an apple into slices while Hagakure readies a cup of caramel sauce.

“What? Huh?” Kemuri asks.

Shoji lowers his voice. “Your heart is racing,” he says. He glances past her at the other table and his arm shifts. Kemuri looks down to see that he’s grown an ear on the end. “Also…I couldn’t help but overhear.”

“Oh,” Kemuri says. She clears her throat. “U-Uh, I…I heard a little too. Midoriya seems nervous.”

Shoji keeps looking at her. “He does,” he agrees. When she doesn’t say anything else, he adds, “You didn’t get any votes. That means you voted for someone else. Was it Iida?”

Hagakure must also have impeccable hearing, because her entire body turns towards Kemuri, shoulders snapping as if her head moved with it. “You voted for Iida?” she asks.

“W-What? No! I…” Kemuri casts a harried glance at the other table before hunching forward, putting her finger over her lips. “Don’t talk so loud.”

“You totally did,” Hagakure accuses. She turns to Ojiro and Tokoyami, pointing her sleeve towards Kemuri. “She went to middle school with Iida and I think that she’s—”

“Hagakure, I am begging you—” Kemuri pleads.

She huffs. “Fine…but you did vote for him. Don’t deny it.”

Kemuri groans and sinks down on the bench until just her head is visible above the table. “Okay…I did…” She waves her hand about. “But it’s not a big deal. I just know he really wanted the job and I think he’s suited for it, that’s all. Nothing more than that.”

Ojiro shrugs. “If you think so,” he says. “He seems a little tightly-wound to me, but you probably know him better than I do.”

“I agree,” Tokoyami says. He bites into a slice of apple with caramel, chewing for a second before turning to Hagakure. “This is delicious.”

“I told you!” she squeals. “Caramel makes everything better!”

Shoji is still looking at Kemuri. His tentacle mouth finally stops eating to grin at her. “Your heart is still racing.”

She covers her ever-reddening face. “Leave me aloneeee…” she whines, batting her hands at him and making him chuckle.

Before he can say anything else, a siren pierces the lunchtime din. Kemuri sits up, searching around in confusion alongside everyone else.

“Warning! Level three security breach! Please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion,” a woman’s voice announces over the PA system. “Warning—”

“Level three?” one of the third years at the table next to Kemuri’s group says. “That means that someone got past the gate!”

“Orderly” means nothing to anyone. Panic sets in and within seconds, chairs are getting shoved away and trays are being abandoned as everyone heads for the hallway in a screaming, running mess. Kemuri tries her best to keep up and stick with her friends, but they reach the door and the crush of scared students yanks her away.

She can’t even get a word out, even as she hears Hagakure shout after her. The sheer number of students feels like an ocean, yanking Kemuri beneath the waves, tossing and turning her until she feels like she can’t breathe.

Kemuri doesn’t think of herself as short. She’s the second tallest girl in the class at five feet, three inches, but right now she really feels like she is indeed height-challenged. Everyone around her at the moment, from what she can tell by the feeling of their bodies crushing her, are boys. She can see nothing but blurs of grey and green, feel elbows jabbing, hands shoving. A sharp pain spirals through the side of her head, right near her eyebrow, and she lets out a tiny shriek of pain.

This is it, she thinks. This is how I will be remembered. She imagines the headlines: “Girl Crushed to Death in Freak Evacuation Accident”.

She tries to fight back, heart pounding in her ears, panic rising, when two strong hands grab her shoulders and yank her out of the crowd. For a second, she shuts her eyes in preparation for what comes next, but all she feels are four more arms surrounding her, holding her tight.

She gasps and her eyes snap open. “S-Shoji?”

“Are you alright?” his voice rumbles, vibrating in his chest.

“I…I think so,” she stammers. She tucks her face against his shoulder, starting to shake as she grips the lapels of his uniform. “T-Thank you.”

He nods, letting out a small grunt as the crowd shoves against him. “I’m glad I found you,” he says. He looks down at her and his eyes widen. “Kemuri, your face…”

“What? What is it?” she asks.

“Someone must’ve hit you,” he says, expression dark. “You’ve got a bruise.”

“O-Oh…”

He starts to say something, but his attention switches as the rumble of an engine sounds nearby. Kemuri turns her head in its direction just as Iida hits the wall above the exit sign, posed like an Ancient Egyptian painting.

“LISTEN UP! EVERYTHING IS OKAY!” he shouts. There’s a gasp from the crowd, but they stop shoving each other. “IT’S JUST THE MEDIA OUTSIDE! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! EVERYTHING IS FINE!”

Somehow, despite everything, Kemuri finds herself smiling. Around her and Shoji, people start whispering to each other or gaping in shock at Iida.

“We are U.A students!” Iida continues, gritting his teeth as his legs tremble. “We need to remain calm and prove that we are the best of the best!”

Around them, people exhale in relief and try to give more space to each other. A girl near the window shouts, “Hey, look! The police are here!”

Kemuri’s first thought is of her mother, who is no doubt outside in one of those cars. Her second thought is of the strawberry Kit Kat bar that got left behind in the cafeteria.

“Do you want me to put you down?” Shoji asks.

Kemuri shakes her head. “Not…not quite yet.” She isn’t sure she’ll be able to make her legs work.

Chapter Text

“Oh, dear,” Recovery Girl says, clicking her tongue as she examines Kemuri’s face. “That’s a real shiner, right there. Don’t worry, I’ll get you fixed up and you can get right back to class.”

Kemuri bows her head a little. “I’m so sorry for bothering you, Recovery Girl Sensei.”

“Are you kidding? This is nothing, dearie,” Recovery Girl says. “Besides, I’m here to help. Don’t feel sorry about that.”

“Okay…sorry,” Kemuri whispers.

Recovery Girl leans up and kisses Kemuri’s cheek, taking away all the pain in an instant. Kemuri takes a second to adjust as a wave of exhaustion rolls through her, then fades. Recovery Girl pushes her swivel chair back to her desk, where she opens the drawer and removes a Kamui Woods PEZ dispenser.

“Candy?” she offers.

“Yes, please.”

She shakes some into Kemuri’s waiting palm. “Alright,” she says, putting it back into the drawer. “Better get to class, and hopefully I won’t see you soon.”

“Thanks again,” Kemuri says as she moves to the door.

“You’re welcome!”

Kemuri exits and after a second of re-situating herself, she heads in the direction of her classroom. There are a few students still lingering in the hallways, chatting to one another on their way back to class. It’s quiet.

After the evacuation finished and everyone was accounted for, Shoji took Kemuri to the nurse’s office. Recovery Girl insisted that he go to class and, while he was hesitant, Kemuri’s eventual request that he not wait up got him to leave. She doesn’t want him to be late because she got a little bruised.

Kemuri glances out the window, able to see that most of the police cars have already left. Only a few remain. A couple officers are talking to Principal Nezu. Kemuri stops and pulls out her phone, noticing a message from her mom.

Super-Mom!
Never expected to be called to U.A, but somehow I’m not surprised. Let me know if you’re okay, ASAP!

Kemuri types out a quick response, sends it, and pockets her phone with another sigh. When she looks back up at the cops, one of them stops talking to reach into her pocket. She checks something, taps at the screen, and puts it back.

Kemuri’s phone buzzes.

Super-Mom!
Glad to hear it! I’ll see you at home. Hopefully, the paperwork doesn’t take forever :)

Kemuri smiles a little and turns around to keep walking when the tip of her shoe kicks something on the ground. It makes a skittering noise as it slides across the linoleum and Kemuri stops, searching the floor for it. After a second or two of searching, she locates the item; a pair of twisted glasses.

They belong to Iida. He must have lost them during the evacuation. She tries to fix the arms, lifting them up to the light as she squints through the cracked lenses. His prescription is way stronger than hers, she notes.

She folds them as best she can and slips them into her pocket. Sure, they’re broken, but it feels wrong to toss them out instead of returning them. She gets closer to the hallway where 1-A is when she hears voices.

“Look, guys…I’m…” It sounds like Nishimura’s voice. Kemuri slows down, frowning a little to herself as the voice lets out a long sigh. “I’m sorry, okay? For yelling at you yesterday.”

Kemuri slowly peeks around the corner, just able to see Nishimura. His back is turned to her and in front of him are Kirishima and Sero. Nishimura has one hand braced against the back of his head, ruffling his hair.

“My old man is really anal about honour and winning and I kind of…lapsed into my training,” Nishimura adds. “He always tells me I can only trust myself, but…I want you guys to trust me. You get that?”

“Oh, man, Aizawa Sensei really has you pegged,” Kirishima comments with a wide grin. “He must’ve gotten to you this morning.”

Nishimura bristles a little, hands forming fists at his sides. “That’s why I’m apologizing!”

“Hey, calm down, Nishi, you’re good,” Sero says, waving his hands in an up and down motion. “It was our first training exercise. We all made mistakes. No hard feelings, okay?”

“I gotta say,” Kirishima says, bracing one hand on Nishimura’s shoulder. “It’s really manly to be vulnerable like this. I appreciate it.”

“Are you just saying that to make me feel better?” There’s skepticism in his tone. “Or are you being sarcastic? I hate sarcasm.”

“No! I really mean it.”

“Oh…” The ginger’s shoulders slump. “Then…thanks.”

“Clean slate, dude,” Sero says, flashing a thumbs up. He glances at the classroom door. “We should head in.”

“Right behind you,” Kirishima agrees.

Both of them disappear into the class, but Nishimura doesn’t leave immediately. Instead, he slumps against the wall and covers his face with his hands, feet tapping as he lets out a long, rather high-pitched noise.

Kemuri decides that now is an okay time to casually walk around the corner. She takes only a few steps before Nishimura’s head snaps up. His freckled cheeks are flushed and his eyes are so dewy that they’re glistening, making Kemuri stop in her tracks.

She blinks at him. “Uh…”

“I’m not crying! Nothing happened!” Nishimura says, a little too loud. “I’m…I’ve got dust in my eyes.”

“Okay, but…but I didn’t—”

“I said I’m fine! Don’t be weird about it!”

He turns, flings the door open, and rushes into the classroom. Kemuri stares after him for a second, wondering whether that really happened or if her slight exhaustion from Recovery Girl is making her hallucinate. She decides to let it be and heads into the classroom.

Nishimura has his head down on his desk. Shoji glances between him and Kemuri when she walks in, arching an eyebrow in questioning, but she just shrugs. Maybe Nishimura is softer than even he would like to admit.

----------

After hero training for the day, the students return to the classroom. Aizawa is already holding his sleeping bag again.

“Before the end of the day, there are some duties that need to be fulfilled. Class officers need to be chosen,” Aizawa says. “The job isn’t a big one, you’ll just have the occasional meeting and some school events will require your help. Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, you have the floor.”

He zips himself into the sleeping back and slumps against the wall as the duo moves to the front of the room. Midoriya stands in silence, shoulders hunched, eyes wide and teeth gritted. Yaoyorozu waits a second, eyebrows knitted in slight concern.

“It’s time, class rep,” she says, hesitant. “Let’s begin.”

“Um…” Midoriya starts, starting to tremble. “Okay, so we need to find out who the other class officers will be! But first, there’s something that I want to say…”

Yaoyorozu’s eyebrows lift. Kemuri leans forward, expectant.

“I’ve thought a lot about this,” Midoriya continues, a little softer, “and…and I think that Tenya Iida should be our class rep!” Kemuri and a few other students turn to look at Iida, whose face is slack with shock. “He was able to capture everyone’s attention and get us in line.” He smiles at his friend. “So…I believe that he should be the one to lead our class from now on.”

A few more people turn to the boy in question as he gapes at Midoriya.

“Yeah, you know what…” Kirishima says, “if Midoriya vouches for him, I’m good. Plus, he was a big help. He totally manned up and took charge, right?”

“Oh, did you notice that looked like the dude on the emergency exit signs when he was on the wall earlier?” Kaminari asks with a laugh.

“I…I agree,” Kemuri says, raising her hand a little. “With all of that. I…” She swallows hard. “I think Iida would make a great class rep!”

From the floor, Aizawa sits up. “This is a waste of time,” he complains. Midoriya freezes up in terror as he continues, “I don’t care who the rep is, just make it quick.”

Iida slowly stands up. “If Midoriya is nominating me for this job,” he says, thrusting his hand into the air, “then I humbly accept! I pledge to carry out the duties of class rep to the best of my abilities!”

“Sounds good, Emergency Exit.” Kirishima grins.

“Emergency Exit Iida,” Kaminari laughs. “Don’t let us down, man!”

Yaoyorozu slumps a little. “Hello? I got more votes than him…” she mumbles.

Midoriya goes back to his seat and Iida takes up his new position.

“Alright!” he says, extending his arms forward. “Class officers! There are three positions in need of filling; Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian.” He turns to Yaoyorozu. “Do you have any ideas on how we go about filling those spots?”

“Voting could work, but the method should be different,” Yaoyorozu says. “I suggest we get a few volunteers, then the class can vote on their choice via a show of hands.”

“That sounds like a great plan,” Iida agrees.

He turns to the board and writes out the three jobs. Kemuri leans back in her seat, fiddling with her fingers as she thinks. Her mom has mentioned before that the other class officers don’t do much from day to day, but they still play important roles when it comes to planning special class events, organizing stuff like the Cultural Festival, and more. It doesn’t look half-bad on a resume, either.

Iida whirls back around. “The Secretary is first. Their job will be to take minutes of all the class meetings, maintain attendance records, and such,” he says. “Any volunteers? Nominations?”

No one says anything for a second, looking around at each other, searching for options. Then, Bakugo raises his hand. “I nominate Deku,” he growls.

“Wha—?! Me?!” Midoriya asks. “Really?”

“Don’t get all flattered. The job requires taking notes and you’re always writing in those damn notebooks.” Bakugo’s glare sweeps over the class, making a few people shudder. “So, yeah, him.”

“K-Kacchan—”

Bakugo whirls around, hand raised and teeth bared. “DO YOU ACCEPT THE DAMN NOMINATION OR NOT?!”

“AhhHHH, I do! I accept!” Midoriya shrieks, shielding himself against a possible attack. Bakugo sits back down with a huff.

“Alright, so Midoriya! Anyone else?” Iida asks as Yaoyorozu writes his name on the board. When no one says anything, Iida grins. “Then it’s settled. All in favour of Midoriya as secretary?”

The entire class raises their hands. Midoriya sinks into his chair, face flushed.

“Next job is Treasurer,” Iida continues. “The treasurer will take care of any budgeting, should we plan a school funded event, and help with dividing up costs for events we do as a class. We’ll go right into volunteers and nominations!”

Uraraka raises her hand. No one else does. The same thing that happened with Midoriya repeats itself and Uraraka is chosen as the treasurer. That leaves only one position left.

“There can be multiple people in this position, if the need be,” Iida says. “The historian or historians will have the duty of keeping track of documents and coordinating activities. They will be the ones to contact everyone in the case of a class event or change in schedule. Volunteers?”

Kemuri presses her fingertips to her leg. She doubts this will go anywhere, but…she raises her hand.

“Shimakage! And…Todoroki?”

Kemuri looks behind her and sure enough, the scarred boy has his hand raised just enough that it’s noticeable. She turns back around, hand trembling, and she thinks about putting it down. She doesn’t need to be an officer. It’s fine…

“Everyone in favour of both of them?” Iida asks. Everyone’s hands go up and Kemuri gapes. “Then it’s settled. Todoroki and Shimakage will be our historians.”

“Last chance,” Yaoyorozu says. “Any complaints about these choices?” No one complains. “Alright, then I believe that we’re done here.”

“Good,” Aizawa says from the floor. “Pack up and go home. You’re dismissed.”

No one has to be told twice, standing and getting their things with ease. Kemuri gets into the hallway with the male side of her group—Hagakure quite literally disappeared before Kemuri could catch her. Her hand dips into her pocket as they walk and she brushes the frame of Iida’s glasses. She gasps a little, stopping in her tracks, and the three boys walking with her cease and look at her in confusion.

“I forgot,” she says, “I have to return something. I’ll be right—”

“Shimakage!”

She whirls around just as Iida skids to a stop, clouds of ignition fading behind him as he almost collides with her. She startles and reaches out to steady him as he wobbles, her hands brushing his shoulders. He shakes his head and takes a step back, lapsing into his ramrod-straight posture.

“I had to give you something!” he announces, chopping his hand a few times.

“O-Oh, me too! You!” Kemuri groans and tugs the end of her braid. “I mean, I…I have something for you too.”

“We’ll be outside,” Shoji says. Him, Tokoyami, and Ojiro leave the two of them alone.

Iida adjusts his glasses and for a second, Kemuri wonders whether she was mistaken about the pair in her pocket. Maybe he didn’t lose them. Her hand plunges deeper, fingers curling around them as she swallows.

“Hagakure asked me to give this to you,” Iida says, pulling something out of his pocket and holding it out to her. “She said you left it behind during the evacuation.”

It’s her strawberry Kit Kat bar. The pure shock of seeing it freezes her for a moment before she reaches out and takes it. “O-Oh…thank you,” she whispers. She focuses back on his face. “N-Not meaning to be rude, but…why didn’t Hagakure do it herself?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” he admits with a sharp shrug. “She told me that she had to go get something from the principal’s office. Maybe she felt you would be gone before she got back.”

“O-Oh…”

He nods and makes a quick motion to the bar. “These are your favourites, aren’t they?”

Her brain just about short-circuits. Did he know that beforehand? Did Hagakure tell him? Kemuri’s cheeks turn pink and she nods a little too fast, the wrapper of the candy crinkling in her nervous fingertips. “Yes…they are,” she says as she puts the chocolate into her free pocket.

“I like the green tea flavoured ones, but there are so many wonderful flavours to try that picking a favourite is a monstrous task,” he says.

“What about the orange one?”

His lips part and he presses his fingertips to his chin. “The orange one is…definitely top three.”

Is it possible to get a harder crush on someone that you already have a crush on? Because Kemuri thinks so, and judging by the hammering of her heart, her body agrees. This boy is far too cute for his own good.

“Oh, you said you had something for me?”

“Ah! Yes!” She yanks the glasses out of her pocket and holds them out in such a swift manner that she nearly punches him in the chest. “These…these were on the floor in the hall after…the thing today,” she rambles. “I thought they were yours.”

Iida smiles a little. “They are, thank you,” he says. He examines them for a second. “I had to use my backup pair for the rest of the day.”

“You have a backup?”

“Of course! I expect to break at least one pair of glasses each day in training,” he says, flapping his arms about. “It’s important to be prepared!” He pushes his glasses back up. “Do you not worry about that?”

“I hardly wear mine…I should, but they’re so annoying.”

“You mentioned that before the entrance exam,” he says with a laugh. “And my opinion is the same. You’re very capable without them. It’s admirable.”

“I…t-thank you.”

He folds the broken glasses and puts them in his own pocket. Kemuri starts to turn away, just about to say goodbye, when he reaches his hand out to her. “Actually, before you go,” he says. He clears his throat, tugging at the collar of his uniform, and he shuts his eyes. “I…I’m going out on a limb with this, but…I wanted to thank you for voting for me.”

Steam explodes from Kemuri’s ears.

Iida startles, his hand flying to her arm. “Are you okay?!”

She grips her ears, her bangs now firmly stuck to her forehead. “A-Ah, how…how do you know it wasn’t…Todoroki? Or…or Urarararaka?” she stammers.

“Uraraka voted for Midoriya, Todoroki is a little tougher to read, but…” He glances down for a second, then his hand zooms away from her arm as he slams it against his side. “I…I assumed that you were the most obvious choice.”

She’s been defeated, caught, found out. She pushes her soaked bangs out of her eyes, biting her lip for just a second as she whispers, “I…I thought you’d be best for the job…”

“I’m honoured, and…thank you, again,” he says. “And I’m glad to have you as my Historian.”

Her heart leaps into her throat. “I’m g-glad you’re my class rep.”

She really, really wishes that her mouth would just not open sometimes. She berates herself internally for a second, screaming, “WHY DID YOU SAY MY INSTEAD OF OUR?!”

Someone must have called Iida’s name, because he turns around and waves at something down the hall. Kemuri doesn’t see who it is before Iida is facing her again.

“I will see you tomorrow!” he says.

“Y-Yeah, see you!”

He races off with another cloud of engine ignition. Kemuri stands for a second, a little breathless, head spinning, when she feels two hands clamp onto her shoulders.

“Everything went according to plan,” Hagakure’s voice sounds in her ear.

She yelps and whirls around, but she sees nothing, and that means nothing. There isn’t even a floating uniform. “H-Hagakure?” Kemuri asks.

“You two are really something,” says a disembodied voice in front of her. “Discussing flavours of chocolate, exchanging lost items, ‘my’ historian, ‘my’ class rep…”

“Did…did you set him up?” Kemuri demands, but it comes out squeaky and not at all…well, demanding.

“Yup!” Hagakure giggles. “I need answers and I am…the queen of stealth.” There’s some squeaking near the floor and Kemuri wonders whether Hagakure is posing. “And my sleuthing has come up with juicy results.”

“You’re terrible,” Kemuri mumbles, burying her face in her hands. “I can’t believe you saw that…”

There’s the sudden pressure of someone wrapping her in a hug and Kemuri pulls her hands away from her face only to find that her arms are pinned. “You’re both dorks! I think it’s sweet,” Hagakure continues.

“He doesn’t see me like that,” Kemuri insists, her tone drooping a little.

“Maybe he didn’t before, buuuuttttt…” She clicks her tongue. “Things change!”

Kemuri wiggles her arms a bit, trying to maneuver them, and they land on an invisible head of silky hair. There’s another floating laugh before she releases Kemuri from the hug.

“H-Hagakure?”

“Yeah?”

“Please put some clothes on…”

Chapter Text

“So, how was school today, Kemuri?” Cayden asks. He casts a loving look to his wife, eyebrows crinkling as he adds a teasing, “Except for your mother chasing away the press.”

Kazue smirks and shakes her head at her husband before taking a bite of her food.

“We picked our class rep today,” Kemuri says as she picks at her katsudon. Her grandfather barely looks up, just a twitch of an eyebrow upwards, and her parents look at her expectantly. “It’s Tenya Iida. I’m…I’m the historian.”

“But you’re not the class rep,” her grandfather says with a small “hmph”.

Kazue purses her lips. “Dad…”

Kemuri ducks her chin towards her chest. “N-No…not rep…”

He lets out another long-suffering sigh and stabs a slice of pork a little too hard, enough that Cayden flinches. “I don’t know how you expect to get noticed by an agency if you don’t step up, but then again…I’m not surprised. I should have expected this.”

“Dad, that’s uncalled for,” Kazue says, eyes narrowing a little.

“I will get noticed,” Kemuri says, fists tightening against her thighs. “But…but I’d be a terrible class rep so, so I’m noting my weaknesses and not setting myself up for failure. B-Besides…” She pales beneath her grandfather’s sharp glare. “No…nobody wanted me to be the rep…”

“Kemuri, it’s okay,” Cayden says, reaching over to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Being historian is great. I’m proud of you.”

“I agree,” Kazue says with a smile. “I wasn’t on my class council at all.”

Her grandfather exhales and stirs his rice around the bowl, hunting down any stray pieces of pork. Kemuri keeps eating her dinner.

----------

“Hey, mom, dad?” Kemuri asks that evening as she works on her homework. They both start to look up from their own activities, and Kemuri continues, “I kind of wanted to invite my friends over on Saturday. Is that okay?”

Kazue’s eyes light up. “Yes,” she says. “Of course! What would you want to do?”

Kemuri is a little embarrassed by the excitement in her expression. “I…thought we’d use the hot springs, then watch a movie? If you’re okay with that, dad.”

Cayden nods. “That would be fine! The springs aren’t booked Saturday afternoon, I just have a group coming in for massages,” he says. “Please, by all means, invite them over.”

“I’m so excited to meet them,” Kazue gushes. “I know you haven’t known them for long, but…” She stops and her smile becomes more sad, wrought with sympathy. “I’m really happy that you’ve found some friends, Kemmy.”

Kemuri’s cheeks burn and she looks back down at her math homework, pushing her glasses up her face with the end of her pencil. “Yeah, me too,” she whispers.

It shocks her. It’s only been a few days since the start of school and, come this weekend, it will have been one week since she started U.A. Maybe it’s because she’s never had anyone consistently spend time with her before at school that she feels such affection for the group she has now. Maybe it’s pure desperation.

Maybe it won’t be like last time, she thinks, and a second later she shakes her head so vigorously that her glasses almost fall off her face, making her math equations blurry. She presses one hand to her temple against her growing headache. She refuses to let it happen again and especially not with Shoji, Ojiro, Hagakure, and Tokoyami. She’s not sure she can deal with that again.

----------

“Our next hero training exercise will be in two parts, one today, one tomorrow,” Aizawa says the next afternoon at school.

Uraraka slowly raises her hand. “Um…Aizawa Sensei? Where’s All Might?”

Kemuri nods along with the rest of the class. All Might is supposed to be their hero training teacher. It’s not that Aizawa isn’t a good teacher or anything, it’s just…All Might. He’s the number one hero and Kemuri—along with her class, she assumes—want to get as much knowledge from him as possible.

“He had some other business to attend to,” Aizawa says, “and I am better suited for this particular lesson.” He presses a button on a remote, bringing out the hero costume doors. “Get your costumes and meet me at Gym Gamma.”

A shiver rolls up Kemuri’s spine. She loops her hands together beneath her desk, hoping and praying that this isn’t another quirk assessment. There hasn’t been nearly enough time for her to improve since the first one.

She grabs her costume case, which has finally been switched to number twelve, and hurries to join the other girls.

----------

Gym Gamma is an enclosed space almost entirely made out of concrete. At the sight of it, Kemuri quickly figures out why Cementoss is standing next to Aizawa.

“For the next two days, we will be focusing on individual combat,” Aizawa says to the gathered students.

Cementoss’ cubed face lifts into a rather adorable smile. Kemuri looks around at her classmates, gauging their reactions, and she feels a wave of relief when she sees that they seem nervous too. Bakugo is the only one who seems unaffected. He just looks ready to punch someone, as per usual.

“Today, the combat will involve quirks,” Aizawa says. “But…you will be fighting in close quarters that restrict your movement. Tomorrow, you will fight without the use of quirks.”

That sets everyone off, dissolving the class into a mess of noise and complaints.

“What the hell is that supposed to teach us?!”

“Wait, like no quirks? Not even a little? At all?”

“Aw, but I like my quirk…”

Aizawa activates his erasure, his hair flying up as everyone stiffens. He closes his eyes, hair drooping back into its fluffy, black mess. Cementoss chuckles.

“Today’s combat is more aimed towards those of you with mutation type quirks,” Aizawa continues. Attention falls on the students that his words apply to. “Tomorrow will be more focused on emitter and transformation types, a.k.a the ones with quirks that can be erased with a quirk like mine.”

Hagakure bumps Kemuri’s shoulder and lets out a soft, whining, “Oh, this is gonna be weird…”

Kemuri nods. “Yeah…” She looks over her shoulder to find that some, like Todoroki and Bakugo, look increasingly uncomfortable and/or enraged at the idea of these training exercises. “But…” she adds, turning back to her friend, “I’m interested to see what will happen.”

“Mutation types, gather over here,” Aizawa says, pointing to a spot a little ways from the group.

Shoji, Ojiro, Iida, Hagakure, Mineta, Tsuyu, Jiro, and Sero leave the group. The first thing that Kemuri realizes as she stares at them is the fact that, except Tokoyami, all of her friends are there. Hagakure keeps waving her glove at Kemuri as she bounces in place and Kemuri waves back.

“Close quarters fighting is difficult for anyone,” Aizawa says. He turns his attention to the group. “For the most part, you eight students are long-range fighters or you work better with lots of space to move. Space isn’t always readily available, however, so being prepared for anything is crucial.”

“Sir, is this related to All Might’s lessons on indoor combat training?” Iida asks, raising his hand sharply into the air.

“Yes, but scaled down. It’s not uncommon for heroes to find themselves fighting in restricting environments—shipping crates, basements, bathrooms, storage closets, and other places where moving around is not an option. Knowing how to adapt to the situation is crucial.”

“Um…” This time, Uraraka lifts her hand. “Shouldn’t we be somewhere with more buildings, then? Like Training Ground Βeta?”

“Maybe, but I think this works best for us.” Aizawa’s unnerving smile spreads across his face for a second, causing another shudder to roll through his students. “Cementoss.”

Cementoss’ hands glow green as he lowers them to the floor. Within seconds, four giant walls of concrete have erupted from the floor, creating a small room, maybe seven by eight feet, with no ceiling and only one door. In the next second, Cementoss creates a set of stone bleachers that are high enough for spectators to look inside the room.

“For the sake of observation, the room will not have a ceiling,” Aizawa says. “That doesn’t mean that you can leap out in order to get away, so don’t try it.”

Kemuri isn’t worried about that temptation. The walls are far too high for her to climb or jump over.

“To start, how many of you have had martial arts training?” Aizawa asks, pulling a clipboard out of who knows where and poising a pen against the paper.

Ojiro, Kemuri, and Nishimura immediately raise their hands. Others—mostly notably, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Iida—raise their hands about halfway, probably unsure whether more quirk-centred training counts. A few others just shrug or look at each other, as if their classmates can answer for them.

“Alright, we’ll start with you three,” Aizawa says to the first group. He eyes each of the trio, then adds, “Shimakage.”

She stands up straighter. “Yes?” Her voice is a little too strained for her liking. Someone behind her snickers and she hunches her shoulders in embarrassment.

“You’re going to be half of our example pair,” Aizawa says. He turns to the mutation group, tapping his chin with his pen before pointing it. “Shoji.” Shoji blinks a few times and Aizawa continues, “You’ll be the other half.”

There are a few audible “oo’s” around the room as Shoji shuffles out of his group and Kemuri leaves hers, stopping once they’re at each other’s side. Cementoss waves his hand at the concrete building and the door swings open with a heavy creak.

“Go inside. Everyone else, watch from the bleachers,” Aizawa says. The guys race for a seat, shoving each other, and Aizawa raises his voice. “And pay attention!”

“Yes, Sensei!” comes a shouted, scattered response.

Kemuri smiles up at Shoji as they enter the concrete walls together. The door glides shut behind them and they move to separate sides of the small room. Kemuri looks up to see that her classmates are watching eagerly, although some look nervous.

“Go easy on her, Shoji!” Kaminari shouts.

“Yeah, you don’t want to hurt her, right?” Sero adds.

Shoji gives his shoulders a shake and Kemuri crosses her arms over her chest as she returns her attention to him. “Shoji?” she asks. When he meets her eyes, she smiles a little. “Don’t hold back, okay?”

His eyes crinkle at the edges and one of his tentacle mouths grins. “If you say so.”

“Use those hands for good, Shoji!” Mineta calls. He’s starting to drool. “Go for the clothes!” Iida chops him firmly on the head and he yelps.

“Guys, have a little faith in Shimakage,” Jiro says, leaning back in her seat. Yaoyorozu nods absentmindedly in agreement, although she’s more lost in her own thoughts. “You’re acting like she doesn’t have a chance.”

“Um, because she’s tiny, Jiro,” Kaminari laughs, leaning over so that he’s closer to her. “Shoji’s a beast.”

“Shimakage is all about stealth,” Aoyama says, flicking his hair as it sparkles in the gym light. He claps his hands on his cheeks. “Shoji has strength. With the small fighting space, the outcome is obvious, non?”

“We will see,” Tokoyami murmurs.

Bakugo braces his elbows on his knees. “Idiots, maybe you should stop running your mouth and watch the fight,” he growls.

“Woah, man, scary,” Kirishima says with a nervous, wobbly grin. He laughs, patting Bakugo on the back, and Kemuri is honestly shocked that he didn’t get blown up the second his hand touched Bakugo. Kirishima must be special, or his hardening quirk leaves him without any fear of possible explosions.

While the guys keep talking amongst themselves—Kemuri watches for long enough to notice Nishimura and Sato each holding up some yen between them and nodding—Midoriya is muttering to himself, notebook splayed on his lap. He keeps poking at his fingers and bobbing his head back and forth, to and fro, and it keeps getting louder. Uraraka nudges him and he stops, apologizing rapidly.

“Remember, to win you have to incapacitate your opponent, knock them down, or get them to surrender. Get ready,” Aizawa calls. He stands on the lowest bleacher, close enough to the fight.

Hagakure gets to her feet and claps, letting out a few cheers. “You’ve got this, Kemuri!” she hoots. “Sorry, Shoji!” Shoji gives her a thumbs up and she keeps cheering.

Kemuri really isn’t sure how she should feel about this whole thing. She’s a little daunted, sure, but she has a strategy in mind. She can’t look at Shoji like he’s her friend and she definitely can’t let the doubters get into her head.

Shoji rolls his shoulders and Kemuri settles into a battle stance, arms poised, joints loose. She releases some steam along her back and lets out a soft sigh. For a second, she thinks of the entrance exam. Just…fight.

“Begin!” Aizawa calls and Kemuri startles a little at the sound of an air horn. Did Yaoyorozu make him one?

She snaps back into the present just as Shoji lunges for her, arms spread wide. So, he’s going for brute strength, immobilizing her before she can get away. She can’t get around him from the sides—his arms cover that—but it shouldn’t be an issue. Her gaze darts to the floor. She smirks and disperses enough fog to cover the entire room as she ducks.

Shoji swipes at nothing, letting out a surprised noise, and Kemuri slips between his legs and pops up behind him. He doesn’t have enough time to turn around before she aims a few solid, targeted strikes to the back of his neck. He freezes up, one tentacle twitching, and he collapses to the floor—Goliath defeated by David.

There are mutters from the spectators.

“I can’t see anything. What happened?”

“I heard a thump.”

“Maybe someone fell?”

“Kemuri! Shoji! Clap twice if you’re okay!”

“Uh, Hagakure? Why wouldn’t they just…say that they’re okay?”

The door to the room swings open, allowing the fog to disperse, revealing Shoji laying face down, stiff as cardboard, and Kemuri standing near him, untouched. There are a few gasps. Sato groans and hands some yen to Nishimura, who pockets it with a smug grin on his face.

The girls—and Iida, always enthusiastic and encouraging—start cheering and clapping, Hagakure being the loudest of them all. The other guys just stare, dumbfounded, although Kirishima, Tokoyami, and Ojiro join in on the applause after a few seconds.

“Well done, Shimakage, Shoji,” Aizawa says. “You can return to your seats.”

Shoji still doesn’t move. Before Aizawa can say anything else, Kemuri lifts her hand. “Uh, hold on, I’ll fix it,” she says.

She hurries over to Shoji and kneels down. She rests her hands on his back, releasing some steam, and Shoji seems to deflate as his body goes limp again. He slowly starts to get up, stretching and flexing his arms, and Kemuri grabs one of his hands until he’s steady again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“No, no, uh…” He cracks his neck and gives his limbs another shake. “No holding back, right?”

She smiles at him and they go back to their seats, where Ojiro gives Shoji and fist-bump and Tokoyami praises “his fighting spirit”. Hagakure hugs Kemuri and squeals.

“Alright,” Aizawa says, flipping a page on his clipboard and scribbling something down. “What did this example show you?”

“Size doesn’t matter?” Mineta suggests.

Tsuyu slaps him with her tongue as some of the guys burst out laughing. Kemuri turns red and when she spares a glance up at Shoji, she finds that he has dragged his mask further up his face, hiding his own blush. Iida lurches to his feet and starts hand chopping at Mineta.

“That is crass, Mineta! Have some dignity for yourself and our classmates!” he scolds.

Aizawa sighs. “Actually, he isn’t entirely wrong, although he could have said it in a less suggestive way.” More laughter. “The point is that, even if your opponent is bigger, stronger, more skilled, etcetera.” He waves his hand about in the air. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is how you use your quirk in any given situation.”

“Damn,” Kirishima whistles.

Aizawa flips his clipboard paper back again and clicks his pen. “I randomly assigned pairs before this activity began. Listen up for your sparring partner. Once the list is complete, the first group will go in.”

He lists them off, one by one: Hagakure and Ashido, Tokoyami and Jiro, Sato and Tsuyu, Iida and Uraraka, Kemuri and Midoriya, Shoji and Bakugo, Kaminari and Sero, Kirishima and Yaoyorozu, Koda and Aoyama, Todoroki and Ojiro, and finally Nishimura and Mineta.

Hagakure stands up and Kemuri reaches up, smacking her hand against Hagakure’s floating glove. “Good luck,” Kemuri says.

“I’ve got this,” Hagakure says.

Kemuri really doesn’t know how Hagakure is going to win. She’s physically weak, especially against someone as fit as Mina, and without a lot of space to run around in, Hagakure’s stealth aspect isn’t going to be the best either. But, Kemuri settles in to watch. People doubted her when Hagakure believed. Kemuri is going to do the same.

“Go, Hagakure!” she calls. The volume is maybe half of what Hagakure used, but the happy waving glove that responds makes Kemuri happy.

“Start,” Aizawa says.

Mina hurls a glob of acid at Hagakure, but she dodges. Her fingers spread wide and she lunges towards Mina, making the pink-haired girl’s eyes widen.

“Say cheese!” Hagakure cries.

There’s a blinding flash of light that most of the class shields their eyes from. When it disappears after a second, Mina is laying on the ground, dazed, and Hagakure is laughing.

Kemuri stares at her best friend. What a beast.

Chapter Text

Most of the fights don’t last longer than a few seconds and after the first few, it becomes obvious that this exercise is anyone’s game.

Tokoyami almost got a hold of Jiro using Dark Shadow, but she smashed her earphone jacks into the ground and released a sonic boom that rattled Tokoyami hard enough to knock him down.

Then, Sato and Tsuyu went. Tsuyu climbed the walls and hopped about, evading Sato for maybe ten seconds, but then she tried to wrap him in her tongue. She missed, her tongue bounced off the wall, Sato grabbed it—a feat that made a few people grimace—and within seconds, Tsuyu had been wrestled to the ground.

During Iida and Uraraka’s fight, Iida didn’t have the room to use his engines effectively. Uraraka easily touched him and made him float, but there was nowhere to push him to since the invisible ceiling blocked them. Iida tried to use his engines while floating but ended up rocketing himself into the wall. Uraraka released him and he dropped to the floor, dazed. Aizawa declared Uraraka the winner.

That means that it’s Kemuri and Midoriya’s turn. The attitude of the class has shifted drastically since Kemuri’s example match and now most have resorted to lightly teasing Midoriya, wishing him luck, or saying, “Wouldn’t want to be you right now.”

Kemuri enters the concrete room, Midoriya trailing behind her with an expression that’s stuck halfway between distressed and thoughtful as he mumbles to himself. It’s a little scary, but Kemuri looks away and gives her arms a good shake, unwilling to be distracted.

She’s going to have to change things up for this fight. Midoriya has incredible deductive skills when it comes to his opponent’s actions thanks to those notebooks that he’s always writing in. He’s going to try and predict her moves, which means she has no choice but to outsmart him.

“Start,” Aizawa calls.

Kemuri releases enough fog to shroud the room and through it, she senses Midoriya’s foot slide into a position that will allow him to pivot. She ducks low to the ground and rushes at him head-on, one arm poised to spring. Midoriya pivots, ready to block where he thinks she’ll appear, but her hand strikes the back of his neck and he collapses to the ground.

This time, when the door opens, Cementoss is waiting with a large fan. He blows all the fog away while Kemuri “unlocks” Midoriya’s stiffened joints. As she helps him up, he rubs at his nose and lets out a sheepish chuckle.

“I thought for sure you were going to pop up behind me,” he admits.

“I…thought you would think that,” she replies, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Shimakage wins,” Aizawa says. “Well done, both of you.” He flips to his list, marking down something before saying, “Next up, Shoji and Bakugo.”

As soon as Midoriya sits down, he flips open his notebook and starts scribbling. Kemuri tunes him out, propping her head on her hands as she settles in to watch the rest of the fights.

Bakugo goes all out, no surprise there, hitting Shoji with such a heavy barrage of explosions that he eventually collapses onto one knee and forfeits. Aizawa scolds Bakugo for causing so much damage to the room, among other things, then asks Shoji if he needs to go to Recovery Girl.

“I’m okay. I’ll just go after,” Shoji says. Kemuri frowns at how he winces when he sits down next to her, but when she looks at him, his eyes lift as if he’s smiling and she decides to leave it alone.

The fights continue. Kaminari wins against Sero with an electricity blast, Kirishima beats Yaoyorozu by pinning her down before she can create anything, Aoyama beats Koda with an immediate laser blast, Todoroki beats Ojiro by pinning him to the wall with his ice, and then it’s Nishimura’s turn against Mineta. Hagakure nudges Kemuri and leans over to whisper in her ear.

“Is Mineta going to get diced?” she asks.

Kemuri grimaces. “I…don’t think that’s allowed.”

“Start,” Aizawa says.

Mineta starts punting balls at Nishimura. Nishimura dodges them with minimal movements, turning his head to the side or tilting his body, his face just a little more animated than a dead-eyed stare. Then, he races forward as his arm morphs into a blade. Mineta lets out a high-pitched scream and shields his face, the blade hits him like a bat meeting a baseball, he flies into the wall, and he drops to the ground with a defeated “oof”.

There are a few shocked gasps from the crowd and Mina gets to her feet with a startled, “Is he dead?!”

Then, Mineta gets up, rubbing his stomach, and there’s no sign of blood or the expected sword wound. Mina sits back down and there are a few sighs of relief. No one wants to witness a classmate’s accidental murder, even if it’s the perviest guy in the class.

“Nishimura wins,” Aizawa says, bordering on a sigh. “That’s all the fights for the first round. Nice work.” He keeps writing on his clipboard. “Go sit down. Feel free to discuss your results. In a few minutes, we’ll switch teams up and go through this again.”

Mineta groans as he gets back to his feet, rubbing his head, Nishimura heads back to his seat in between Sato and Aoyama, and Aizawa goes over to Cementoss and they start conversing with each other. The class takes a second to sit in the silence before Sero breaks it, turning around to face Nishimura.

“So, Nishi,” he says. “Why isn’t Mineta…cut in half right now?”

Mineta nods, starting to get teary as he leaps over and grabs the edges of Nishimura’s keikogi shirt. “Yeah! I saw my life flash before my freakin’ eyes!” he blubbers. “I need to touch boobs at least once before I go!”

Nishimura’s nose wrinkles and he pries Mineta off of him with one hand as all the girls cover their chests with tightly-crossed arms. Iida scoots over so that his body is blocking Mineta’s immediate path to the girls. Kemuri feels a little bit sick at the idea of Mineta’s hands coming anywhere near her, but having Iida as a shield is comforting.

“Seriously, though, how’d you do it?” Kaminari asks.

Every eager, questioning eye is on Nishimura and his cheeks gain some colour as he sighs. “It’s not that big of a deal,” he mumbles.

“Spill! Spill! Spill! Spill!” a bunch of the guys, plus Mina and Hagakure, start chanting.

Tokoyami shakes his head. “Such childishness.”

“So you’re saying you’re not the slightest bit curious?” Ojiro asks.

Tokoyami eyes him, then looks back at Nishimura as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I never said that.”

“Guys, it’s nothing,” Nishimura reiterates. “I just control how sharp I make my blades.” He lifts his arm and forms a machete blade out of his forearm, ending at the elbow. “When we’re training, I make them dull so that if I do hit someone, it’s just blunt force. No cutting.” He swings his arm slowly through the air. “I had to teach myself how to do it, but…it works, so I’m happy with it.”

Tsuyu reaches over to press a firm touch to the edge of his arm-blade, then examines her uninjured finger. She makes a small croaking sound. “That’s pretty cool, Nishi-kun.”

His cheeks darken even further. “U-Uh…” His arm reverts back to normal as he bows his head into his hands, letting out a muffled, “Thanks.”

His words seem to signify a shift. With their questions answered, most of the class revert back into their own conversations.

“Hey, Tsuyu, while you’re here…sorry for being kind of rough in there,” Sato says.

“It was a fun fight. Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey, Hagakure, what was that light thing you did?” Ojiro asks.

“Oh! That’s a special move I’ve been working on since I was little! I call it…Light Refraction!” Hagakure sags a little. “But it’s still only a short flash right now. I want to make it bigger or have it last longer.”

“It was impressive,” Tokoyami says.

Kemuri’s attention returns to Shoji, who hasn’t moved much since his match. His arms are quivering and he still looks pretty scuffed up from Bakugo’s hits. Kemuri thinks of how he held his arms up against the blows, shielding as much as he could but not finding any way to retaliate under the relentless attack.

“Shoji, I…I think you should go to Recovery Girl,” Kemuri whispers.

He exhales and one of his arm shifts, earning another wince of pain. “Yeah…I should.”

“Can I come with you?”

“I’d like that.”

Kemuri tells their friends that they’ll be right back before they leave the bleachers and head out of the gym, pausing just long enough for Kemuri to tell Aizawa where they’re going. He doesn’t have any complaints, considering they have both fought two battles already.

Shoji keeps a brave face as they walk to Recovery Girl’s, but Kemuri can’t shake her worried feeling.

----------

“For once, Midoriya isn’t the one sitting here after class,” Recovery Girl says, clicking her tongue. She frowns at Shoji’s burned arms, lips pursing. “But…these burns—” A heavy sigh. “That Bakugo needs to reel himself in. Winning is one thing, this…this is another.”

Shoji bows his head a little as Recovery Girl gets back to work. Kemuri stands near the bed, fiddling with her fingers and her braid intermittently. With every smooch on Shoji’s arms, the burns get fainter and Shoji seems more tired.

“There, that should do it,” Recovery Girl says. Shoji blinks a few times, drowsy. “Do you need to rest, sonny?”

“Can I?”

“Go ahead and lie down,” Recovery Girl says. She pats his shoulder as he settles onto the bed, making a very funny picture between her tiny stature and his giant one. Recovery Girl turns to Kemuri. “Dearie, you should go and get changed out of your costume.”

Kemuri startles and looks down at herself, and sure enough, she’s still wearing her costume. “O-Oh…right. I’ll do that,” she stammers. She moves closer to the bed for just a second. “I’ll see you soon, Shoji.”

He manages a small mumble in his half-awake state, eyes already closed, arms splayed out in front of him like handheld fans. Kemuri smiles a little at how cute he is before she heads out.

She goes as fast as she can down the hallways, getting increasingly relieved at the fact that many of the U.A students are still in class and therefore aren’t going to see her in an outfit that is far out of the regular dress code.

She rounds the corner leading down to the change rooms, thanking her luck, and runs right into another student. Just as she’s about to fall back, a strong hand grasps her arm and pulls her back. The momentum slams her into their body as another hand falls to her waist, steadying her, and she shakes her head a few times as she blinks at the U.A uniform in front of her. For a second, she just stands there with her face in someone’s chest.

“Shimakage, are you okay?”

She imagines some divine being descending from the ceiling and putting her out of her misery. It was bad enough when she thought this was a stranger. Why must she be such an embarrassment of a human being, especially after being so cool in class (for once)?

“Iida!” she yelps, lurching out of his hold. “Iida, hi! What…ah…what’s up?”

Iida clears his throat and adjusts his glasses. “Hi,” he replies. She feels her entire body seize up with pure cringe at her awkwardness, but he continues. “I was just looking for you. Is Shoji alright?” he asks, hand chopping once at the air. “I have his uniform.”

Kemuri nods. “Yeah, he’s fine! He’s…sleeping in the nurse’s office,” she says, trailing off into a mumble as she tucks her arms around her chest. “I was just going to get changed.”

“Oh, then, by all means, don’t let me hold you back!” He steps aside and gestures for her. “I will take Shoji’s uniform to him.”

“Thank you,” she says. She keeps imagining climbing into a very deep hole and dying. In a fashion that would make Tokoyami proud, she wishes for the sweet release of death, because in death she will be free from ever being an idiot in front of Tenya Iida again.

“Actually, before you go,” Iida says. She stops and slowly turns around, eyes wide. “I wanted to say that I was incredibly impressed by you today. Your skill was awe-inspiring.”

Okay, now Kemuri wants to faint. Forget death, she wants sleep—pure, shocked, sudden sleep. Is her face as red as she thinks it is? Was she really that impressive? She did take down Shoji, but—

Tenya Iida, what are you doing to me? she wails internally.

“O-Oh, thank you,” she repeats dumbly. “It’s…just my training. My grandfather taught me everything.”

“He must be incredibly proud of you.”

That makes her heart hurt and for a second, her eyes burn with the promise of tears. She swallows and forces a wobbly smile. “He…he…” Another hasty gulp. “Yeah.”

“Either way, I just wanted to tell you. Good work deserves praise,” he says with another hand chop. “But I will let you go!”

Iida zooms off down the hall and after another second of existing and taking up space, Kemuri hurries to the change room, hands hiding the insatiable blush on her cheeks while she tries to focus on Iida’s praise instead of her grandfather’s inherent lack of it.

----------

Kemuri doesn’t go back to class once she’s changed. Instead, she goes right back to Recovery Girl’s office. When she gets there, there’s a curtain surrounding Shoji’s bed and Ojiro, Tokoyami, and Hagakure are waiting inside.

“Hey! There you are!” Hagakure greets, bouncing over to Kemuri with all her normal exuberance. “We thought you would be here, but Recovery Girl said you were getting changed.”

“Yeah, sorry I almost missed you,” Kemuri says with a tiny, apologetic head bow. She eyes the curtain. “Is Shoji…?”

Two tentacles, one with a mouth and another with an eye, appear from between the curtains. “Just getting changed,” the mouth says.

“Oh, good!” Kemuri says. “Iida gave you your uniform, then.”

“He did,” the mouth confirms. The tentacles retract back into the shroud of privacy.

Kemuri smiles at her other three friends. “So…how was the second round?”

Ojiro’s tail lashes. “Uh…nothing super big. Sero beat Bakugo, that’s probably the coolest thing that happened,” he says.

“Seriously?” Kemuri gapes. “And I missed that?”

“Bakugo tried to keep damage to a minimum since he hurt Shoji, but it made him hesitate,” Tokoyami says. He bows his head, fist clenching. “Sero unleashed his power on him. He never stood a chance.”

Hagakure giggles. “That just means that Sero taped up Bakugo’s legs and yanked them out from under him. It was hilarious.”

Kemuri has to admit, she’s shocked that the words “Bakugo” and “hesitate” were said in the same breath. What’s more, it sounds like he actually might have felt just the slightest bit of remorse for blasting Shoji’s arms as much as he did. Maybe Bakugo does have normal human emotions above insatiable rage and determination.

“Did you guys win?” Kemuri asks, changing the subject as smoothly as possible. Tokoyami and Ojiro nod. Hagakure doesn’t. Kemuri frowns. “Did you try using Light Refraction again?”

“Yeah…” Hagakure’s sleeves droop. “But Yaoyorozu can make sunglasses.” She sucks in a dramatic breath and Kemuri wonders whether she’s dramatically clenching her fist like Tokoyami. “My only weakness.”

From behind the curtain, Shoji starts to laugh, which catches Ojiro and Kemuri and drags them into it, both cracking smiles as their laughter joins in. Tokoyami’s beak curves with amusement.

“If you’re just going to goof around here, then go back to class,” Recovery Girl says. Her tone is scolding but her face keeps some of its kindness, and the five students turn to her with a chorus of apologies. “Shoji?” the elderly woman calls.

The curtain opens. “I’m ready to go. Thank you, Recovery Girl,” Shoji says, adjusting his school bag on his shoulder.

“You’re welcome, sonny. Now hurry along before you miss the rest of your afternoon classes.”

The rest of them thank her, mostly for her patience in bearing the inconvenience of having them in her office, and head for the door.

On the way back to class, as they discuss training for the day, Kemuri remembers her mission from last night. She tries to think of a smooth, casual way of bringing it up, but instead, she just makes a weird “ah” noise that makes her friends look at her.

“Do…do you guys want to come over on Saturday? My house?” she asks. They blink a few times and she tugs at her braid as she looks at her feet. “I…I wanted to hang out more. ‘Cause we…we’ve only talked at school and maybe it’s kind of fast, but we could use the hot springs at my dad’s onsen and watch a movie and I can get snacks. It…”

She’s crashing and burning. She can feel it. She never got practice with these sorts of things as a kid.

“Wait, your dad has an onsen?!” Hagakure gasps, starting to bounce in place.

Kemuri nods. “Yeah, it’s in Hosu. It’s called Hosu Harmony.”

“Oh, I know that place!” Ojiro says, tail lashing. “I never went, but I heard it’s great.” He starts poking at his fingers as he lists, “Nice scenery, friendly staff, clean and modern facilities…” He frowns. “Isn’t it…a shared bath, though?”

Kemuri’s cheeks blaze again as the three guys suddenly look away. In Japan, shared baths at hot springs and onsens are common, but usually, they’re separated by gender. Only a few onsens have unisex baths and they’re usually more aimed towards couples. Kemuri herself has used her dad’s onsen so often by herself that she never thought about what it would mean to have company. It completely slipped her mind and now that she’s imagining it, she’s back to wanting to curl up in a ball and die.

“O-Oh,” Kemuri says. “It’s sort of shared. It’s one big bath in the same area, but there’s a low stone wall running between it, so it allows both genders to talk to one another without…losing the modesty. And there are towels available! You guys wouldn’t see Hagakure and I—”

She realizes how stupid that sounds as the boys look at the invisible girl, but Hagakure seems to have forgotten her invisibility and is covering her face with her sleeves. Somehow, Kemuri knows that she’s blushing.

“Gah,” Kemuri sighs, closing her eyes. “Forget it…it was stupid…”

“No, no!” Hagakure blurts. “I want to come over! I love onsens!”

Shoji is rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to one…” he admits. “It could be nice.”

“I agree,” Tokoyami says.

Ojiro nods and smiles at Kemuri. “Then we’re in. What time on Saturday? And do we meet at the onsen or your house?”

Kemuri is a little stunned that she, Kemuri Shimakage—shy, awkward excuse for a human being who until recently, couldn’t even speak coherently to the guy she likes—has successfully invited people over to her house. She starts to smile.

“Actually, the onsen is right on my property,” she says. “It’s just a little walk away from my main house, so…we can just meet there. It’s the same address if you look up Hosu Harmony, Tokyo. Maybe come around 3 o’clock?”

They pull out their phones and punch in the info, starting to discuss snack options. Kemuri can’t stop shaking, her smile getting wider and easier to hold onto.

Chapter Text

"Before we start today," Iida says, standing at the front of the classroom. "The class council would like to get everyone's phone numbers!" 

Yaoyorozu, standing beside him, nods and holds up both Kemuri and Todoroki's phones (given to her at the start of class). "The numbers will be given to our Historians, Todoroki and Shimakage, only. They will use it to alert all of you to class activities or any gatherings that we want to do together." 

Iida's hand shoots straight up. "Is everyone alright with that?" he calls.

Less enthusiastic nods and mumbles of "sure" and "fine" pop up around the room, all except for Mineta, who's drooling at the thought of easily getting every girls' number. Aizawa continues snoring away in his sleeping bag. Yaoyorozu hands Kemuri's phone to Hagakure and Todoroki's phone to Aoyama. 

"Make yourself a new contact and put in your number," she says. 

The phones get passed around, then returned to their rightful owners. Kemuri scrolls through her new contacts and starts to smile. Some of them were serious. Others made their contacts silly.

Most notable are ones like "✧·ﾟ: *✧·ﾟ:*Aoyama*:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧" and "Don't text this fucking number" and one that makes Kemuri grimace a little to herself as her cheeks turn pink— "Daddy ;)".

"Now we'll do a quick test!" Iida says. "Everyone, phones out. Shimakage, please create a group chat and message everyone."

Kemuri does so. Text tones ring all around the class.

Kemuri
Testing, testing, respond if this works ^_^

Sero-tape
FIRST

Dank-i Kaminari
FIRST

Eijiro Kirishima
FIRST

Don't text this fucking number
I'm going to kill every one of you.

Sero-tape
You don't know who we are, soo...good luck.

Don't text this fucking number
Shimakage knows who you are!

Bakugo looks up from his phone, standing up at his desk. "Shimakage, tell me who's texting right now!" he demands.

Kemuri pales. "I...don't think I should." 

Their phones ding in synchronization and everyone looks at the new text.

Daddy ;)
Helloooo ladies~

Every eye in the class moves to Mineta, who notices the looks with the dignity of a raccoon being caught rifling through a trashcan. Kemuri deletes his contact name and replaces it with "No". Everyone returns to their phones, typing, and Mineta lets out a nervous laugh.

"Are you done here?" Aizawa asks from the floor. "Class is about to begin."

"Has everyone responded?" Iida calls.

"Yeah." 

"Yup."

"Uh-huh."

Bakugo growls. 

"Perfect!" Iida turns to Aizawa. "Then we are done, Aizawa Sensei!"

Aizawa somehow stands up, still cocooned, and turns to the door. "Then I'll leave you to it. Put away your phones. Class is starting." 

The door swings open and Present Mic sweeps in as Aizawa sweeps out. "ALRIGHT! WHO'S READY FOR ENGLISH CLASS?!" he shouts.

 Kemuri tucks her phone away and prepares for her favourite class.

----------

The morning classes sail by and before Kemuri knows it, it's time for another round of one-on-one sparring in Gym Gamma. Already, a lot of the students are starting to fidget. The idea of sparring without their quirks is causing a lot of anxiety, it seems.

"I hate this stupid exercise," Bakugo grumbles.

"It hasn't even started yet, man," Kirishima says.

Kemuri looks to her sides and catches Nishimura glancing down at his arms for a fleeting second. He morphs one finger into a knife, mouths something like "I'll miss you", before returning it to normal. Kemuri stifles a giggle.

"Remember, to all you emitter and transformation types, no quirks," Aizawa says. Cementoss has already created the sparring ring, stretching out across a sizeable expanse of the gym. "If I see anyone try, I'll erase it."

Again, he lists off the sparring partners. Kemuri ends up against Todoroki, and in any other situation, that would make her feel faint. Today, she is exceedingly calm. She knows that she has some luck on her side that will put her above the other emitter and transformative types. She knows how to fight without her quirk. The fog just makes it easier.

First up is Hagakure and Midoriya. Within the first few seconds, it becomes painfully obvious that these fights aren't going to be nearly as exciting as one with quirks involved. Midoriya seems hesitant to approach the floating gloves and boots waiting ahead of him, cheeks red, and when he does Hagakure dodges his hits.

Then, she ditches her gloves and shoes, leaving Midoriya effectively alone. He turns around in circles, flinching at every scuff on the ground, and then he yelps and swipes at his shoulder. There's the sound of skin hitting skin, Midoriya gasps, and then his entire face turns red.

"MIDORIYA, YOU PERVERT!" Hagakure's disembodied voice shrieks.

"I...I didn't mean to! I swear! I can't even see where you are!" the poor boy wails, flailing his arms around, blushing so hard that Kemuri starts to wonder whether steam will erupt from his ears.

He starts shielding his face as Hagakure's shouting continues, dropping onto his knees against invisible blows until he's curled up in an ashamed ball. Hagakure stops smacking him, judging by how he stops flinching, and Aizawa lets out a long-suffering sigh.

Kemuri wraps her arms around herself and glances to the guys on either side of her. "Hagakure sure knows how to use her feminine charms," she mumbles.

"I really don't want to fight her...ever," Ojiro agrees. The tips of his ears have turned pink and his tail has moved to cover his mouth. Shoji clears his throat, nodding, and Tokoyami yet again is reserved to crossing his arms, eyes closed, head bowed.

So stoic, Kemuri thinks to herself.

"Alright, Hagakure wins," Aizawa says. "Next up, Bakugo and Ojiro."

Ojiro gets to his feet and stretches his arms to the ceiling. "Wish me luck," he says.

"Luck," Shoji and Kemuri say at once. They fist bump. Ojiro and Tokoyami sigh in tandem.

As the two boys head down to the fighting ring, Hagakure returns to the bench, gloves and boots back on, and takes the spot Ojiro vacated. Kemuri stares at her for a second, unsure whether she's smiling or not.

"So...you okay?" she asks.

Hagakure leans over and Kemuri feels her breath tickle her ear. "Midoriya...slapped my boob," she whispers. "I didn't think he was like that."

Kemuri flushes. "Uh...Hagakure, I mean this in the nicest way possible, not trying to victim blame or anything, but..." she says, starting to shrug. "He...can't see you. And he said he didn't mean to. It was just an accident."

Hagakure thinks about that for a second. "Oh...right. I forget sometimes!"

"How do you just forget? Can you see yourself?" Hagakure doesn't do anything and Kemuri frowns. "Did you just nod or...?"

"Oh! Yeah! I nodded," Hagakure says. "I can see myself sometimes. It's a little finicky, like sometimes it flashes on and off, but it doesn't work for others. Invisible people are the only ones who can see other invisible people. Like sometimes my parents are just randomly visible to me, and no one else, and it's like woah!" She flails her arms. "Boom! Hi mom and dad! Nice to see you!"

So, her parents are invisible too, Kemuri thinks. That explains a lot.

"So what do you look like?" Shoji asks.

"I'm kind of like a mash-up of Yang Guifei and Francis Xavier."

Kemuri and Shoji stare at her, brains doing their best to work out that mash-up, while Tokoyami nods sagely to himself. Kemuri honestly cannot come up with a combined picture of what one of the four beauties of Ancient China and the first Christian missionary to visit Japan would look like.

"Uh...okay," Kemuri mumbles.

"Just think round face, bluey-green eyes, and lots of greenish-pink hair!” Hagakure giggles.

That does make it a little easier, although Kemuri wishes more than ever that she could actually see her friend. "Aw, that sounds really pretty,” Kemuri says with a smile.

"DAMMIT, TAIL, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

Kemuri jolts away from her conversation to look back at the fighting ring only to find that Bakugo is trying to defend himself against a relentless attack from Ojiro's tail. Ojiro fights with a calm ferocity, spinning and ducking and swinging his tail with swift, sure movements. On the sidelines, Aizawa's hair is sticking straight up with the effort of stopping Bakugo from using his quirk.

Ojiro keeps attacking. Bakugo keeps cursing. Kirishima, Kaminari, and a few of the other guys are clutching their stomachs from laughing too hard.

Bakugo, for lack of a better term, is getting his ass kicked.

Eventually, Ojiro manages to knock Bakugo down and pin him. Aizawa declares that the fight is over, his hair drops down, and he grumbles to himself as he starts putting in eye drops. Ojiro backs off and offers a hand to Bakugo, but the angry blond smacks it away and storms back to the bleachers and his guffawing classmates.

"ALL OF YOU BETTER SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Kemuri has to admit, she feels somewhat bad for him. Not bad enough that she doesn't join in on congratulating Ojiro to high heaven when he returns, but bad. Ojiro's cheeks stay pink for a while, but even he can't hide the pride on his face.

"I only won because my quirk can't be erased," he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But you won!" Hagakure retorts. "You're so awesome!"

Ojiro's face gets even redder.

"Shimakage, Todoroki, you're up," Aizawa calls.

Kemuri scrambles to her feet and hurries to the ring, casting a brief glance at the solemn boy she's up against. The last time she interacted with him was during the 50 metre dash on the first day of school and she feels a little queasy thinking about how cringe-worthy she was after that race.

Still, he won't have his ice or his fire today. Thank goodness.

She settles into place on one side of the court and he takes the other. He observes her blankly, arms crossed, and she wonders whether Hagakure is swooning in the stands. She is so not subtle about who she finds cute.

But, if there's one thing that Kemuri can confidently say she knows about Todoroki, it's that he is freaking attractive—attractive enough to almost be a distraction.

Almost.

"Start."

Kemuri races forward and Todoroki takes a step back, tapping his right foot, then his eyes widen at the realization that this fight is "no quirks". Kemuri goes for a punch and he dodges it, hair flying.

He tries to return his own blow, but she evades that too. For a few seconds, they engage in a back and forth hit and dodge routine where neither of them gets a strike in. Todoroki doesn't turn his back to her, focused intently on facing her at all times.

She's impressed. He's a decent fighter, but she can see how uncomfortable he is even behind that stoic expression. He's used to using his quirk and not having it is hard to adjust to.

He manages to block a few more of her strikes and as she goes for a left hook, he grabs her arm with his right hand, prickling her skin with a sheen of ice. Aizawa's hair flies up again as his quirk activates. Todoroki hesitates, frustration flooding his heterochromatic eyes, and Kemuri grits her teeth. This is her chance.

She goes in close, wrapping her arm around his torso and slipping her leg forward. She uses his own weight against him, flipping him over her back and smashing him into the ground, his other arm pinned under her armpit. He grunts at the impact as he lands on his side, eyes squeezing shut, but Kemuri holds him in place.

"That's a wrap. Shimakage wins," Aizawa says.

Kemuri releases Todoroki and he gets to his feet, stretching his arm a bit as he grips his shoulder. Kemuri uses her steam to get the ice off her arm, then offers him her hand as he turns to look at her.

"Good fight," she says with a tiny smile. If there's one thing she's learned from her years of training, it's that respect for her opponent is just as crucial as the actual fight.

Todoroki still holds his shoulder, eyes narrowed, but he takes her hand and gives it a firm shake. "Yeah, good fight," he mumbles.

He heads back to his seat. Kemuri trails behind him. As she passes Aizawa, she feels his hand touch her arm and she stops. Her expression is probably way more scared than it needs to be. Aizawa digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out a slip of paper.

"The support course finished part of your costume," he says. When he notes her look of confusion, he taps the paper, "Head to the Development Studio after class and talk to Power Loader. He'll explain."

Kemuri nods. "Thank you, Sensei."

She goes back to her seat and settles in to watch the rest of the fights. Hagakure bumps their shoulders together, elbow jabbing Kemuri's side.

"That last move? I thought you were going to hug him," Hagakure says. "I was like, dang Kemuri, you're really going for it. Just...gonna hug the cutest boy in the school. Without me. Alright."

Her cheeks heat up. Internally, she says that she personally thinks that the cutest boy in the school is someone else, but instead she nods. Objectively, Hagakure has a point. "I don't think he would want me to hug him," she says.

Ojiro leans forward and smiles. "That move is a classic! Taking down an opponent who's bigger than you," he says with a thumbs up. "Nice work! Your form was great!"

Kemuri nods and a nudge of excitement makes her smile. "Thanks! It's one of the first moves my grandfather taught me when I was little. He said that, since I'm so small, it would be useful."

Well, she thinks a second later, those weren't his exact words. It was more like "you're so tiny and pathetic that if you don't learn this move, you'll never win a single fight." She proved him wrong as she got more skilled, but...

"You're not that small," Hagakure says. "You're, like, the second tallest girl in the class after Yaomomo! And you're taller than Tokoyami!"

"She is correct. It is a cross I must bear," Tokoyami says.

"Do you ever talk normally?" Ojiro asks.

"Yes, but it's more fun this way. It's all about..." He pauses, fist clenching. "The aesthetic."

Kemuri focuses on Hagakure's comment instead of...that. "Yeah...true," she says.

"I mean, I don't even crack five feet. You've got..." She stops to count. "Six inches on me! So maybe if your grandfather met me, he'd realize that you aren't tiny at all." She gasps. "Oh my gosh, I can show him tomorrow!"

Kemuri's stomach clenches with nervousness and she gulps. That's yet another thing that she didn't think about when she planned for her friends to come over—her grandfather. She didn't forget, she just chose to trust that her grandfather will be different this time. Even he has to understand how important this is for her.

"Right," she squeaks. She clears her throat. "Tomorrow."

She suddenly doesn't want her friends to go anywhere near her grandfather tomorrow. Not if she can help it.

Chapter Text

When class is over and they’re getting changed, Kemuri lets Hagakure know about the note from the support course.

“Apparently, it’s about my costume,” Kemuri says, again fiddling with the note in her hands.

Hagakure’s blazer shoulders bounce as she buttons it up. “Okay! Do you want us to wait for you back in class?”

“If you want, but if you think you’re going to miss the train, just go. I’ll head back by myself.”

Hagakure freezes and Kemuri gets the feeling that she’s got a teasing look on her face. “Are you going to drive home with Ingenium again? Hm?”

Kemuri sputters. “That was one time!”

From her locker, Mina whirls around like a dog when they hear a treat bag being opened. “Oh, yeah, Shimakage! That reminds me!” she gushes. “Did Ingenium seriously give you a ride home and take a selfie with you? I saw the Instagram post and was like…whaaaa?”

The other girls are looking at her now and Kemuri hurries to get her skirt on. “I mean…yeah, but only because he happened to be picking Tenya—Iida! Iida. He was picking Iida up and he offered me a ride because I missed my train—”

“Ooh, I heard a first name...” Hagakure sing-songs.

Kemuri is not a violent person, but this time she reaches over and smacks Hagakure’s arm. The invisible girl squeals, then starts laughing as she rubs the spot.

“That’s so sweet of Iida,” Uraraka says, clasping her hands together as her face lights up with an adorable smile. “And his brother is a super cool hero! It’s awesome that you met him.”

“I didn’t know that Ingenium is his brother,” Jiro says.

“He is. Ingenium is a stellar pro and a gentleman as well,” Yaoyorozu says. “I’ve met him a few times before and it’s always been a pleasure.”

That gets the other girls yammering, demanding to know how Yaoyorozu got to meet him, which leads to her admitting that she meets a lot of pros through her family. Kemuri takes that chance to finish changing and hurry out of the changeroom, unfolding the note and reading it again as best she can. She read it fine before thanks to her goggles.

She finds the Development Studio and knocks. After a second, the door slides open and she’s greeted by a small, skinny man with orange hair and very large hands. The yellow helmet that mimics construction equipment is enough to tell Kemuri that she found the right place.

“Uh…Power Loader Sensei? You asked to see me?” she asks.

“Ah, Shimakage! Perfect. Please, come in, and bring that case,” he says, ushering her inside.

She enters a large room decked out in prototypes of support items, tools, machinery, and every other important thing that a support course needs. Power Loader takes her costume case and opens it, taking out a set of instructions, and Kemuri keeps staring at everything in awe.

Then, she notices a girl with bright pink hair sitting at one of the desks. She has a pair of safety goggles on and is using a blowtorch to weld something together.

“Alright, looks like we’re set,” Power Loader says, getting Kemuri’s attention again. “I already filled out the formal application for the support companies, so all we have to do is add the upgrade.”

Kemuri raises her hand a little. “Uh…what exactly is this upgrade?”

The pink-haired girl perks up and whirls around in her chair, revealing a wide smile and strange golden eyes. “Ooo, you’re Shimakage,” she says, her voice bouncing as she inhales sharply. “Your upgrade is fabulous! I wish it was one of my babies, but Power Loader got to it first…”

“Babies?” Kemuri echoes.

Power Loader waves his hand about. “She’s Mei Hatsume, one of the support course students. She helps me out in here during last period,” he says. He eyes the girl. “Let me explain her suit to her, alright?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Power Loader!” Hatsume giggles. She winks at Kemuri and adds, “Let me know if you want any changes.” Kemuri wonders whether it’s just her who found that wink seductive, but there isn't anyone else to confirm her suspicion.

Power Loader sighs. “Anyway,” he says, “we had a bit of trouble with your costume request; the part about armour, but with exposed skin, so you could use your quirk.” Kemuri nods. “We had to take some extra time to get it ready. Sorry about that.”

Her grey eyes start to sparkle. “You found a way to give me armour?” she repeats.

Power Loader nods and moves to a shelf, where he pulls down a case and sets it on the counter. When he opens it, it reveals something that looks like a fish net. He steps back and gestures to it.

“Go ahead, feel it,” he says.

She reaches over and pulls it out. The immediate sensation on her fingertips is of chainmail, like the kind knights used to wear, but lighter and with larger gaps in between. It feels smooth and it’s shaped like a bodysuit. Each sleeve has a small ring at the end that looks like it fits around the middle finger, acting sort of like a glove. The pants cut off at the ankle.

“This is a mesh suit, made of a special lightweight metal. It’s breathable, allowing you to continue using your quirk all over your body as you already do, but…” He holds up one finger and turns to his workstation, grabbing a small knife. “It’s also armour. Watch.”

He grabs the sleeve of the suit and slices it across, but the knife glances off with a soft ringing noise. Kemuri’s eyes get sparklier.

“It’s not invincible. It will rip if it gets too beat up, but that's the case with any armour,” Power Loader says with a small smile. “Again, we’re sorry it took so long to get it ready.”

“Are you kidding? This is amazing,” she breathes, rubbing her thumbs along the mesh. “This…this is better than I could’ve hoped for. I thought it was forgotten about.”

“Not at all,” he says. He extends his hand and she hands him the suit. “We’ll sew it into your current costume, make it all one piece, and have it ready for you by training class on Monday.”

She bows. “Thank you so much.”

Suddenly, all her silly worries about her costume are gone and she feels nothing but love. Just having something like this mesh suit will make her feel more covered and protected. It’s wonderful. Christmas has come early!

“Glad you like it!” Power Loader replies. He pats her case. “Come by if you have any issues with it.”

“Yes, of course! Thank you!”

She heads out of the studio with a slight skip in her step.

----------

On her way back to class, she passes the principal's office, and with it, something tickles at the back of her mind. She remembers the quirk apprehension test and the words that Aizawa said to her before he gave her a second chance on the ball throw.

"I saw the practical exam. You were close to not making it, yet special circumstances permitted you to be in this course."

That makes her think of All Might's comment during her acceptance video, where he said that her, Nishimura, and a few other students created a rift with the judges due to having similar scores. What does that all mean?

She stops in front of the door, glances up and down the hall, then knocks.

"Come in!" a sweet, high-pitched voice says from within.

She pushes the door open, revealing a quaint little office that smells of freshly-steeped tea. Sitting at the desk at the head of the office is an adorable white creature that resembles a dog, a mouse, and a bear all at the same time. He's wearing a little suit that makes Kemuri have to suppress an audible "aw".

"Ah, Shimakage!" Nezu greets, standing up in his large seat. "What brings you here today? Sit, sit! Would you like some tea? I just made some."

Kemuri nods as she sits down in the chair opposite the desk, accepting the cup from the principal's paw as he climbs onto the desk to hand it to her. He sits down on top of it, holding his own cup, and smiles.

"What can I do for you?" he asks.

"I...had a question about the entrance exam," Kemuri says. She takes a brief sip of the tea and recoils in shock, gaping at the cup. How can tea be this delicious?

"Yes?"

"Well...Aizawa Sensei said that special circumstances let me into the Hero Course," she continues. "Can...can I ask what those were?"

Nezu's smile fades a little. He takes a sip from his own cup, then sighs. "I suppose I could tell you, but...I would ask that you do not spread it around."

"Of course, Principal Nezu...sir." She winces a little at her awkwardness.

Nezu is unfazed. "It came down to a few different factors, actually. One, a lot of students ending up tying for points, so the elimination system was a little rocky."

"Like with Nishimura and I," Kemuri says. She thinks of All Might's explanation in her video as she says it.

"And two other students that are now in Class 1-B, Miss Ino and Yo Zandaka, and others," he adds. Kemuri arches an eyebrow at the strange names—quite literally the Japanese version of Yin and Yang. "As you know, our acceptance rate into the Hero Course is thirty-six through the exam, then four through recommendation, creating forty in total."

She nods. "But this year, U.A accepted forty students from the exam and four from recommendation."

"Correct!" Nezu tilts his head back and drinks his tea deeply. Trying to seem less awkward, Kemuri takes another drink. "When the exam was over, the judges simply could not decide who to let go of amongst the tied students. There were so many outstanding performances."

"No disrespect sir, but...I don't see why that would be a problem. Shouldn't the person with the lowest score get kicked out? That's how it always works," she says.

"That is also true, but...this wasn't so easy. For example, you and Nishimura acted in very similar ways during your entrance exam. You got twenty-three points from villains, twenty points from rescue. He got thirty villain points and thirteen from rescue. You ended up with forty-three points each, and since you worked together, the judges were stumped."

"And the other students? The...Yin and Yang?"

"Oh, you mean the Zandaka twins? Their quirk is something called Fusion. It only works if they are together, so in the end, their points were combined. Apparently, they were born as one person, and when their quirk arrived, they split into two! Remarkable." He chuckles, then says, "But, anyway, they had forty points total, tying with some of the other students."

She sighs. "Principal Nezu...I'm sorry, but I don't get what all this has to do with why you let in more students than normal."

"Oh, sorry, I get really long-winded when tea is involved." Nezu chuckles and sets his cup down, clapping his paws together. "Basically, we had a situation where we could not fairly decide who should leave and who should go. Because of so many students doing well, plus the case with the Zandaka twins having a shared quirk...it was a real pickle. Then...I remembered some of Aizawa's past teaching tendencies, linked to how many expulsions he has on his record. Why, just last year, he expelled an entire class of first years."

Kemuri almost chokes on her tea. "W-What? He can do that?"

"He can and he does. As you can imagine, it puts an awful amount of strain on our graduation rates," Nezu says.

She realizes all too quickly that Aizawa was most likely telling the truth about expelling the person who came in last on the quirk test a few days ago, meaning that Midoriya...

Wait, why did he let Midoriya stay then? she wonders. Did he change his mind?

"As a faculty, we assumed that Aizawa had a high chance of expelling more students, and felt that perhaps it would be alright if, just this once, we let in the four extra students," Nezu says. "That way, if they did get expelled, we would just drop back to the regular class size."

Kemuri bows her head a little. Her chest feels tight and shame invades her. Is that grace really all that got her into the Hero Course? It makes her sick just thinking about it.

Nezu smiles a little, his gaze drifting to somewhere distant. "I have watched the entrance exam for many years," he muses. "The test is very biased towards those with physical power, flashy quirks that allow them to destroy the robots. That's part of the reason why we added power switches and implicated the rules that immobilizing the robots was just as good as destroying them. It allowed for more cunning or physically weak students to have a chance."

Kemuri purses her lips. Her mother failed the entrance exam for the hero course because her smoke screen couldn't stop the robots and she didn't have the body strength to just destroy them. She got maybe three or four points in the end after she desperately used chunks of broken concrete to smash some one-pointers into submission. That's why she ended up in General Studies.

"The test is a show of power, yes, but it's also a test of character," Nezu says. "There are always students with quirks that don't allow them to fight, but every person is capable of rescuing and helping those in need. Your classmate, Izuku Midoriya, got by only on rescue points, for example."

Kemuri finds that hard to believe. The kid has incredible power. Sure, it breaks his limbs when he uses it, but seriously? How did someone with a power like his not destroy a single villain?

"My point is," Nezu says, "sometimes, we see people who have incredible potential and others who are obviously just there because they think that heroism is something cool and trendy. It is very easy to weed out the ones who don't have what it takes, easy to find those thirty-six future hero students. This year, it simply wasn't. There were four extra students that we just could not let go of, so..." He spreads his arms wide. "I said let them in!"

"And one of them was me?"

His tiny black eyes are soft. "Yes," he says. "But, I don't want you to think for a second that you did not earn your place at this school. If you hadn't earned it, you would not be here. Do you understand?"

She sniffles a little and looks at her lap. "But...Aizawa Sensei said...?"

"Aizawa has his own way of motivating his students. In the context that he told you such things, he must have been trying to get you to boost your potential," Nezu says. "Am I correct?"

She swallows hard and for a moment, she imagines the ball in her hand. She imagines Aizawa, her grandfather, and her quirk. "Yes...sir."

He hops off the desk and walks over to her, reaching out to pat her knee. "You have a lot of determination, Shimakage, and so much potential. I cannot wait to see how you and your classmates grow."

She wipes at her eyes. "Thank you, sir."

Another gentle pat. "You're welcome. Now, you should get back to class."

"Right." She stands, handing back the teacup. "Thank you for answering my questions."

"If you need anything else, feel free to stop by!"

She bows and heads back out into the hall. When she returns to class and meets up with her friends, she feels a little lighter. She earned her spot next to them, and that feels good.

Chapter Text

Saturday morning, Kemuri is up with the sun. She does her morning workout in the dojo, buzzing with adrenaline, not even a bit tired. Today, nothing is going to bring her down.

She finishes her training, hits the showers, and gets dressed. She sits in front of her vanity mirror, combing through her silver hair while she runs over a list in her head. She has to go and get some snacks, plus she has to make sure that the springs are nice and clean—they always are, her dad takes very good care of them, but it can't hurt to check—and she needs today to be as close to perfect as possible.

She stops brushing her hair. It's been about ten years since she had friends over. Sure, there have been children her age inside the house, thanks to parties thrown by her grandfather or mother, but the last time she had one of her friends inside this house? That was in kindergarten.

That makes her anxiety worse. She finishes up with her braid and smooths her Kamui Woods t-shirt; one of those cartoony things that makes it look like you're wearing the hero's costume. She eyes herself closely in the mirror. Is it too casual?

She goes to her closet and pulls it open, flipping through her stacks of t-shirts. Kemuri is not what anyone would call fashionable. When not in her school uniform, she likes keeping things simple, wearing t-shirts, tank tops, long-sleeved shirts, and jeans, sometimes layering sweaters on top, and most of her tops have some relation to cartoons or heroes that she likes. Her entire look is casual, and with that confirmation, she decides that her friends won't care.

The only time she dresses up is for the rare occasion when she gets to go to banquets and parties that her parents and grandfather get invited to. That happens once in a blue moon, so she only has one or two dresses, and the last time she wore them was probably a year or two ago. They might not fit anymore.

Her phone dings and she checks it. The grocery stores are open now, so she can go and get her shopping done. She packs herself a purse and leaves her bedroom, tiptoeing past her parents' room on the way to the kitchen. She peeks in for just a second, long enough to see that they're still sleeping.

In the kitchen, she grabs the last apple in the fridge and scribbles a quick note to her parents about where she is. She slaps it on the fridge, takes a bite of her breakfast, and hurries out the door.

----------

"Apples, caramel sauce, takoyaki bites, chips..."

Kemuri stops walking and looks up from her list just in time to see the holy grail of snack food. Her mouth waters and she dashes over to the candy shelf, gazing up at the pinnacle of delicious.

Multi-pack of Kit Kat bars, assorted flavours...and it's on sale. She whispers a "thank you" to whoever is up there, watching over her, and snatches the chocolate from the shelf and drops it into her basket.

"Okay, what else..." she murmurs. She has her glasses on for the sake of reading her list and all the prices, and they slip down her nose as she reads. She has to use her knuckles to push it up, since her hands are full.

Check, check, check, she's got pretty much everything. She just has to get drinks. She wanders over to the correct aisle and peruses the ramune options before pulling out her phone and starting a group chat.

Kemuri
Guys, what flavour ramune do you want and how many bottles each?
I'm thinking two.

Hagakure
Bubblegum for me! And chocolate if the store has it!
Also you're the best for buying me food ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Ojiro
Just original is fine for me.

Hagakure
Ojiro, why are you so...plain?

Ojiro
...
Also, melon.

Hagakure
Did I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry ;-; I didn't mean toooo

Ojiro
No...I'm plain...you're right...

Hagakure
LIVE YOUR PLAIN LIFE, OJIRO! DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU NOT TO
I WAS JUST TEASING!
YOU'RE GREAT THE WAY YOU ARE

Ojiro
Heh...thanks, Hagakure.

Shoji
Do they still have the octopus and takoyaki flavours??? 🐙

Kemuri
Yes, but I legit didn't think anyone drank those.

Shoji
I do.
They're delicious.
...
Don't judge me (ง'̀-'́)ง

Hagakure
You're very dedicated to the "octopus", Shoji. I LIKE IT!!!
Also awww you use emojis!!
That's so cuteee~

Kemuri
TAKOYAKI AND OCTOPUS COMING RIGHT UP!!
Also, I agree it's very cute~

Shoji
(⌒_⌒)

Tokoyami
I will have the mystery flavour.
And green apple.

Kemuri
Sounds good! I'm getting strawberry and watermelon ^_^
Omg guys...
There's wasabi and chilli oil and kimchi.
If I buy it, we have to try it.
SHOTS.

Hagakure
OMG that sounds so fun!

Shoji
Kemuri, not to sound dramatic
But we have to do that.
I've never tried those, tbh.

Hagakure
What, mister takoyaki hasn't tried wasabi ramune?

Shoji
Have you?

Hagakure
...
No...

Tokoyami
Drink deep of the poison...
In this mad banquet of darkness...

Ojiro
Dude...
Are you even real? XD
...I tried to use an emoji, did it work?

Hagakure
10/10. Very cute <3

Ojiro
...
Cute??

Kemuri puts her phone away and gathers the ramune bottles, marbles clinking a little as she slips them into her basket. With that done, she goes to the checkout, smiling like an idiot to herself the whole time.

She really, really likes having friends.

----------

Kemuri has to force herself not to hide everything that she has in her room. It's okay to have a poster of Ingenium and Kamui Woods and Best Jeanist. There is nothing wrong with having figures of All Might, Gunhead, Edgeshot and...

She stares at her literal legion of Pop figures and gently adjusts her special edition 6-inch Gang Orca from where he stands next to Midnight. Then she dusts off the glass case where she keeps her PVC figure of Peacekeeper. She steps back and, just to be safe, and mostly to avoid further teasing from Hagakure, she hides the Ingenium plush she won at an amusement park a few years ago in her closet.

"At least my bedsheets are normal," she says to herself as she makes her bed and adjusts all the cushy soft pillows sitting on it.

The doorbell rings and she's bolting out of the room, ramming her shoulder into the doorframe as she barrels towards the front door, screaming, "I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT IT!" Kazue and Cayden, sitting peacefully in the living room, smile at each other knowingly as they shake their heads.

Kemuri opens the door to find Shoji standing there, dressed in a tank top and camo cargo pants. He waves, eyes crinkling a little, and nervousness smacks Kemuri in the face.

"Shoji, hi!" she greets. She backs up. "Please, come in!"

He enters with a soft thanks, slipping off his shoes and setting them aside. Kemuri leads him into the living room, where Kazue is already starting to stand up and Cayden resigns himself to sitting on the couch. Kemuri smiles at her parents and gestures to her tall friend.

"Mom, dad, this is Mezo Shoji," she says. "He's the one who helped me out on the day of the entrance exam. Shoji, my mom and my dad."

Shoji bows. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Same to you," Kazue says, moving closer to him and gently patting his arm. "If you want, you can wait in here until the others arrive. We were just watching TV."

Shoji eyes the TV, then nods. "Thank you. I will."

Just as he sits down, the doorbell rings again and Kemuri races off. This time, Hagakure and Ojiro stand on her front step. Ojiro waves and Hagakure lets out a squeal, bouncing a little as her tank top sleeve starts to shift with her waving.

"Kemuri! Hi!" she greets. "Oh my gosh, your house is amazing! I love it already!"

Kemuri laughs. "Thanks! Come on in."

Hagakure gives her a hug the second she's inside while Ojiro slips off his shoes. With that done, Kemuri brings them to the living room and goes through the same introductions.

"Hi! I'm Toru Hagakure!" Hagakure says. "Your house is amazing!"

"Why, thank you," Kazue says with a smile. "You're very kind."

"It's an honour to meet you, Sergeant Shimakage," Ojiro says, bowing to her. He turns to Cayden. "And to you..." He hesitates, unsure of whether the last name is the same. "Uh, Shimakage-san?"

"Please, just Cayden," Cayden says with a smile. He rubs the back of his neck, mussing his brunet curls. "We're kind of informal in this house. That's my fault. If that's a little too much, you can call me Mr. Hall."

"Okay, thank you...Mr. Hall."

Kemuri holds back a giggle at his formal attitude. Ojiro takes a seat next to Shoji and Hagakure flops down next to Kemuri's dad.

"So, Mr. Hall, you're Canadian, right?" she asks.

He nods. "Yep. But I've lived in Japan for..." He thinks for a second. "Well, about eighteen years now."

"I hope this doesn't sound rude or anything, but your Japanese is really good!"

"Thank you. It took quite a bit of learning," he admits. He smiles at Kazue as she sits down next to him. "But it really helped that Kazue knows English. She was a great teacher."

"So that's why Kemuri is so good at English class," Shoji says. "Now we know your secret."

"I'm bilingual and proud of it," Kemuri says in perfect English. She points at Shoji. "It's like my secret quirk.”

Cayden laughs. "Bilingual families are more fun," he agrees. Ojiro squints hard, struggling to keep up with the translations.

"And now we're all speaking English," Kazue says with a sigh. She reverts back to Japanese. "Honestly, I almost walked past Cayden when we first met, but his Japanese was so bad..."

"Aw, honey, you found it endearing and you know it," Cayden retorts.

That triggers Hagakure into asking how they met, gushing the entire time, and Kemuri's parents eagerly recount the tale. Kemuri lingers by the entrance to the living room, casting fleeting glances at the door. One more and it's a party.

When the doorbell rings, she's at the door in a flash, and there's Tokoyami, dressed in jeans, a black top, and a vest. Kemuri smiles and ushers him in, to which he thanks her.

"Tokoyami's here!" Kemuri calls, leading him into the living room. "Mom, dad, Fumikage Tokoyami. Tokoyami..."

"Your mother and father," Tokoyami finishes. He bows. "I am honoured."

"Nice to meet you too! We were just sharing some stories," Cayden says.

"So, do you kids want to go to the onsen first?" Kazue asks. "It's up to you."

"I'm ready to relax!" Hagakure says, leaping to her feet. She dashes over to Kemuri and grabs her arm. "Kemuri, please say we're doing the onsen first."

Kemuri smiles. "We're going to the onsen first."

"Yes," Hagakure whispers, dragging out the "s".

Chapter Text

“This is the life…” Hagakure sighs.

Kemuri nods, eyes closed, a warm towel draped over her forehead. The day is just cool enough that the springs are extra enjoyable. Across the low wall, she can hear the three guys talking to each other while they relax.

Hagakure shifts, the water parting around her, and Kemuri opens one eye. It’s funny to see just a hole in the water that perfectly outlines Hagakure’s body and seeing it makes her smirk.

“Kemuri, your dad may be one of my favourite people ever,” Hagakure says.

“Oh? Why?” Kemuri asks.

“Because he’s Canadian, he’s super nice, he’s adorable, and he runs a spa! He’s awesome!” She sinks lower and the water slips over her chest until the hole is reduced to the size of her neck. “Totally get why your mom married him.”

“So you just ship my parents, then?”

“Definitely. I’ve gotta love the people that created my BFF.” She pauses. “They are…Kazayden.”

“Cayzue.”

“Oo, I like that one!” She gasps and stands up, moving over to the wall and hoisting herself up. Kemuri’s eyes widen as a wet outline of the lower half of her body appears on the rock. “Guys! Serious question! Kazayden or Cayzue?”

“What? Is that a ship name?” Ojiro asks.

“Cayzue,” both Shoji and Tokoyami say at once.

“I agree!” Hagakure says before splashing back into the pool. She giggles and swims closer to Kemuri. “Ojiro’s face got so red when I looked over. Adorable.”

Kemuri stares at the space where her friend’s face most likely is, eyebrows starting to wiggle. She senses payback time, which means its time to put her mediocre teasing skills to the test.

“Adorable, huh? So…do you…like him?” she asks.

Hagakure gasps. “I do not! I’m allowed to say he’s cute without liking him!”

“Then what was that flirting in the group chat?”

The water forms the shape of crossed arms. “I was not flirting!” Kemuri wiggles her eyebrows and promptly gets splashed. “You’re terrible! This is payback, isn’t it?”

“Maybe a little…”

“Well, maybe I’ll just start talking about Mr. Tenya Iida—”

“Shut up! The guys can hear you!”

“Like they don’t already know!”

“Hagakure…”

“Shimakage…”

“Oh, last names, huh? Fine…Toru.”

“Kemuri.”

They have a stare-down for about two seconds before they burst out laughing.

On the other side of the wall, Shoji lifts his warm towel off his eyes and glances towards the sounds of their laughter. “They sound like they’re having fun,” he says.

Tokoyami nods. “Indeed. I am glad that they are.”

Ojiro sinks into the pool up to his neck, letting out a long sigh. “Oh, man…I can feel my worries slipping away. Along with all my tension.” He smiles blissfully, then raises his voice a little as he calls, “Kemuri?”

On the girl’s side, Kemuri stops laughing and stands up, just enough that her head can be seen over the wall. “Yeah?”

“I’m so glad you invited us over,” he replies. He extends a thumbs up towards the sky. “I needed this.”

Tokoyami also does a thumbs up and Shoji, in a show of power, morphs his tentacles and gives her six of them. Kemuri’s entire face lights up and she returns the gesture.

----------

“So, Kemuri, when do I get to meet your grandpa? I’ve got to show him how not tiny you are!” Hagakure says as they get changed into their regular clothes.

Kemuri shrugs, feigning ignorance. “I don’t know. He’s a pretty busy guy and he’s probably going to stay at work,” she says. “He might not come home until you’re already gone.”

“Aw…well, next time then?”

Kemuri manages a nod. Hagakure puts on her bra, then reaches for her shorts. Kemuri stares at the floor as she shimmies into her jeans.

“Kemuri?” Hagakure asks. “I don’t know if I’m totally out of line here, but…why do you look so scared whenever I mention your grandpa?”

She sucks in a sharp breath. “What…what do you mean?”

Even without a face, Hagakure radiates an expression of “don’t give me that crap”. She pulls her shirt on and moves closer to Kemuri. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“I am not.”

“I have known you for literally five days and I already know that. Yes, you are.”

Kemuri almost laughs, but instead, she just gets her shirt on and grabs her comb. “I’m…not scared,” she mumbles as she starts brushing her hair.

The invisible girl doesn’t say anything for a second. Then, her soft, warm hand touches Kemuri’s arm. “We’re friends, right?” she asks.

Kemuri feels panic rise in her chest. “Yes, of course,” she says. “You…you think so, right?”

“I do.” Her tone is far more serious than Kemuri has ever heard it. “And if we’re friends, I want us to be able to tell each other the truth, trust each other…you know?” Kemuri nods. “So…are you scared of your grandpa?”

Her words are suffocating Kemuri. She stops combing, takes a breath, and shrugs. “It’s…hard to explain, but…” She sighs. “I don’t know, Hagakure. I’m scared of what he might say. He…he isn’t super kind.”

“What? About me?” She has that laughing tone back in her voice. “There is nothing he can say that’ll get to me, and your family is super nice. I’m sure he isn’t that bad.”

Kemuri doesn’t have the guts to correct her.

----------

Later, feeling fresh and rejuvenated, the five teenagers sit scattered around Kemuri’s bedroom. Bowls of snacks and ramune bottles dot the floor and the credits of a movie scroll on the TV. Hagakure sits on the bed and hugs one of Kemuri’s many plush pillows; the one she chose is a Hello Kitty shaped like a strawberry mochi. Kemuri lays on her stomach next to her and the guys have taken up spots on her beanbag chairs.

“I think it’s time for ramune shots,” Kemuri says.

“YES!” Hagakure squeals. “I’m so ready to hate myself the second I drink it!”

Ojiro nods. “I am lowkey terrified.”

“Poison…” Tokoyami utters.

Shoji holds up his takoyaki ramune to one of his tentacle mouths like a mother bottle-feeding a baby. At this point, his method of eating just doesn’t faze any of them anymore. “I’m ready for anything,” he says.

Kemuri pulls out the forbidden drinks; wasabi, chilli oil, and kimchi. Tokoyami grabs the plastic shot glasses she bought just for this occasion and sets them out—three for each person. Kemuri pours out one shot of chilli oil, one shot of wasabi, and one shot of kimchi into each cup.

“I say we do kimchi first,” Hagakure declares.

“We must treat this like a true tasting,” Tokoyami says. He lifts the shot glass to his beak. “First…a sniff test.”

They all inhale the kimchi-flavoured carbonated soda. Kemuri gasps and she lurches away from the cup and a millisecond later, her friends all do the same.

“It’s like they put real kimchi in here…” Kemuri gapes.

“Bottoms up?” Ojiro asks.

“Cheers,” Tokoyami says.

They drink. Kemuri grimaces a little as the drink goes down. She’s never been a huge fan of spice and there is a huge spice kick in the back of her throat. She smacks her lips, a veggie aftertaste getting to her, and she looks at her friends.

“That’s kimchi, alright,” Shoji says with a nod. He shakes his head. “Not a huge fan.”

“It’s alright,” Hagakure says with a shrug. “But I prefer sweet!”

Ojiro and Tokoyami nod along with Kemuri. They take the wasabi one next, only to be disappointed. It tastes more like water than wasabi, although there’s a hint of spice. They toss their cups and let out a joyous, “FAIL!”

Then, the chilli oil. At this point, Kemuri is feeling pretty invincible. Nothing has gotten her yet, and judging by the looks on the others’ faces, they feel the same.

“Cheers!” they say, taking their cups and raising them.

They throw it back and within seconds, they’re choking.

Kemuri’s eyes start to water. The spice didn’t hit until she swallowed it and then, oh boy, there is a lot of spice. She coughs and flaps around blindly for her watermelon ramune while the desperate hacking of her friends fills the air.

“Nope, nope, definitely not,” Ojiro says through hacks. He starts guzzling his drink.

“I’m crying. Can you guys see me crying right now?” Hagakure asks, and yes, they can see the floating tears.

Tokoyami stays the most reserved, but even then his urgency in drinking his “mystery” ramune is hilarious. Kemuri finally gets her drink thanks to Shoji literally placing it in her hand and for a few seconds, there’s no sound but the ones that come from them drinking something else.

Hagakure gasps as she stops guzzling. “Okay, that was the worst.” She buries her face in the mochi pillow, making an indent as she lets out a soft screaming noise.

Ojiro’s nose stays wrinkled, tongue flicking as he shakes his head. “I’ll just stick with my boring old original,” he says. He lifts the bottle and takes another sip.

“I feel like we look like a bunch of college drunkards,” Kemuri says as she flops onto the bed. “Just sitting around, drinking ramune and crying a little, dying inside.”

“Mood,” Tokoyami says.

The other three crack up laughing. Kemuri, basking in the result of a successful joke, reaches for another flavoured Kit Kat from the snack pile in the centre of the bedroom as she grins to herself.

The door to her bedroom slides open and all five of them look up to see Kemuri’s grandfather standing there. Kemuri’s hand goes limp, her Kit Kat dropping back into the pile, and her grandfather’s forehead wrinkles.

“Grandfather!” Kemuri says, pushing herself off the bed and nearly tripping over a discarded shot cup. “You’re…you’re home! Hello!”

He says nothing. He looks past her as if she’s nothing but a ghost and focuses entirely on the other four people in the room. Kemuri’s breathing picks up.

“You have…guests,” he states, slowly.

“Y-Yes,” Kemuri says. “These are my friends; Shoji, Hagakure, Ojiro, and Tokoyami.”

“Friends?” Keiji repeats, the word falling from his tongue like a curse. “Why am I not surprised? You lose your sight and suddenly, you don’t care about how everyone else sees you. You befriend monsters.”

Kemuri feels like she’s been stabbed in the chest. She tries to speak, tries to scream, but the words clog in her throat and she is frozen. Behind her, no one has said a word, or maybe they have and she just can’t hear them over the pounding of her own heart.

“What…did you just say?” Shoji asks, standing up.

Keiji’s lip curls. “What, are you deaf too?” His gaze darts away for a second, to where Shoji’s ears would be if he had visible, external ones. “Mhm, birds of a feather flock together, huh?”

“Grandfather—” Kemuri squeaks. No, no, no. Not again. Please. STOP.

Shoji flinches as if he’s been slapped. Ojiro starts to stand up, visibly shaking, and Hagakure lets out a weak noise that’s somewhere between a whimper and “huh?". Tokoyami gets up too, hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Keiji lifts his chin. “I wanted to know what all the noise was about. Now, I see.” He glares down at Kemuri, making her feel like she’s two inches tall. “Tell them to shut up. I’ve got work to do and their braying is distracting.”

“Braying?” Hagakure repeats.

He leaves, heading up the stairs to his room, and Kemuri lets out all the breath in her lungs. She’s shaking, badly, and as she turns to her friends, it just gets worse. Their expressions are hurt, wounded, and she didn’t do anything to stop it. She didn’t protect them.

She froze.

“I…I think I need to go,” Ojiro says. He steps over the snacks, moving past Kemuri with hardly a mumbled goodbye.

“Ojiro, w-wait—” Kemuri says, but it comes out barely above a whisper.

Hagakure climbs off the bed. “He’s…we, uh…we came together, so…so…” She doesn’t get any more words out as she runs after him.

Tokoyami’s chest is heaving and Shoji just stands there. Kemuri still can’t get herself to move.

“I have to go as well,” Tokoyami utters, tone thick. “Thank you for having me over.”

“No, please…”

Now there are tears in her eyes. Everything is blurring again and she can’t see anything except the blob that she knows is Shoji. She clutches at her own chest, quivering, unable to move.

“Shoji, I…he…”

Shoji shakes his head. “It’s…it’s best that I go too,” he whispers. He tries to say more, but he’s struggling and it’s visible to her in every move he makes. “I can’t…can’t…”

He heads out of the room and Kemuri wants so badly to follow him, to follow all of them, to stop them from leaving or to explain or to rewind the last five minutes and restart it all. Her knees give out and then she’s on the floor, tears flowing freely, sobs wracking her body.

It happened again.

Chapter Text

Kemuri can’t get herself out of bed the next morning. Her mom and dad come to check on her, trying to get more answers about what happened above “grandfather said…something”, but Kemuri can’t get herself to say it out loud. It feels more like a nightmare than reality.

“Kemuri, please, just talk to us,” Kazue says, sitting on the edge of the bed. Cayden lingers by the door. “He said that all he asked was for you and your friends to quiet down.”

Kemuri buries her face against her pillow, shaking her head as her tears reappear. Of course, he makes it sound kind when Kazue asks him. How typical of him.

It’s her own fault. She invited her friends over knowing that there was a high chance of her grandfather seeing them and commenting on them. She was stupid enough to think that things would be different this time around.

Her mom tells her to just let her know if she wants to talk. Cayden lingers by the door for a second longer after his wife leaves, then follows her, sliding the door shut behind him.

----------

Around late afternoon, the doorbell rings. Kemuri sits up, rubbing her aching eyes, and runs her fingers through her hair. For a few seconds, she just sits on her bed. She can’t hear anything happening downstairs.

Another ring and Kemuri is reminded that both of her parents are at work and that her grandfather won’t answer the door himself even if he is home. He never does. With a tired sigh, she hauls herself out of bed and wanders toward the front door. Whoever it is, they will be blessed with seeing her looking like a heartbroken gremlin, from her puffy eyes to her wrinkled pyjamas.

When she opens the door, Shoji is standing on her front step, and at first, Kemuri thinks that she’s dreaming. They stand in silence, staring, and Shoji clears his throat as he rubs the back of his neck.

“Is your grandfather here?” he asks.

Kemuri bites her lip. “I’m…not sure. He’s…he’s either in his room or at work.”

He lowers his voice and casts a darting glance to the house interior behind her. “So, he won’t see me?”

Her chest clenches as she has to force back another round of tears. She opens her mouth, her voice dies, and she closes it again.

“Actually, I don’t care if he does,” Shoji says after a second. “Can I come in?”

“Y-Yes, of course.”

He enters, she closes the door, and they walk in silence back to her bedroom. She sinks onto her unmade bed, again becoming aware of what a wreck she must look like. Shoji wanders over and sits down next to her, perching his elbows on his knees.

“You…look terrible,” he mumbles.

She rubs her eyes as a weak laugh shakes her shoulders. “Thanks, I know,” she replies.

He lets out another sigh. “I’m sorry for leaving yesterday, in the way I did,” he says. “I…just didn’t know what to do.”

They sit. The legion of pro-hero figures watch them expectantly from the shelves and the dresser.

“I’m so sorry, Shoji,” Kemuri whispers, her voice creaking with the strain of crying so much before. “I…I didn’t protect you. I knew, b-but I didn’t do anything and I…I didn’t stand up for you. I should have and—”

“Hey…” His tone is gentle, soothing, and his hand touches her shoulder. “It’s your grandfather’s fault. Don’t apologize for his ignorance.” She wipes at her face, amazed that she still has tears to shed, and he leans forward. “Kemuri, your grandfather…he isn’t kind to you, is he?”

She shrugs and snatches a tissue from her bedside table, wiping her nose. “He’s just strict,” she says.

“We all heard how he spoke to you. He acted like…like you were something unbearable. He was as disgusted with you as he was with the rest of us.”

She says nothing for a second as she wipes at her eyes. “I could have stopped it. I knew…”

“Why do you keep saying that?” he asks. When she just stares at her lap and the used tissue still clutched in her hands, he adds, “You said…you didn’t protect us, so…this must have happened before.”

It hurts to hear him say it. She nods. “Yeah.”

A pause, then, “What did he do?”

She stares at the tissue, takes a deep breath, and shuts her eyes. “Right after I got my quirk, I…I had to stay in the hospital,” she says. “It’s a long story, but…basically, I fell, I started crying, and steam came out of my eyes instead of tears. It ruined my sight.”

She focuses on the trash can near her dresser and tosses the tissue. It glances off the rim and bounces to the floor, dejected. Shoji lets out a small “mhm”.

“I missed the first couple days of school, and when I did go back, it was scary,” she continues. “I still wasn’t used to my…eyes, so I kept running into things and tripping. The other kids thought it was hilarious, but one girl didn’t. She helped me.”

Kemuri hasn’t thought of her in a while. She shoved memories of her far into the back of her mind, tucked away and misfiled with the rest of her rocky start to her childhood.

“She had a pig quirk. Pink skin, the nose, the ears…and she squealed when she laughed,” Kemuri says. “I liked her a lot. She was brilliant, and she was always ready to help me navigate around during those first weeks. She’s the one who introduced me to strawberry Kit Kats.”

“Let me guess…your grandfather wrecked it?”

She nods. “I invited her over to play and on the day of, my grandfather picked me up from school instead of my mom or dad. He took one look at my friend and refused to bring her into his home. He called her a monster, said that I had no reason to spend time with her. I…I froze.”

She can see it in her head. The look of anguish on her friend’s face, the tears in her eyes, how her sobbing turned into oinking wails. Kemuri tried to go after her, but her grandfather seized her arm and dragged her to the car, muttering about “damn disgusting mutants”. He told her that he didn’t want Kemuri playing with monsters.

“She never spoke to me again.”

Shoji’s eyes are soft as he looks at her. “Kemuri…”

“I…I was never good at making friends after that. The kids at school kept ignoring me, laughing at me when I bumped into things, and, I…I don’t know, I let it get to me,” she continues, starting to shake again. “I didn’t understand why he was so mean to her, just because she looked different than me, and…and I was scared that I was going to end up the same way. I…”

Three of Shoji’s arms surround her shoulders and in a second, she’s pulled gently into a warm, squishy hug. Kemuri cries into his shirt, feeling worse and worse. He comes over and she makes it all about her, and now she’s making his shirt all gross. I really am the worst, she thinks.

“I’m used to people being scared of me,” Shoji admits.

Kemuri takes a few deep breaths, but doesn’t let go of him. Her heart aches.

“It’s not as common nowadays, but…there are still a lot of people who don’t treat mutation-type quirks with respect,” Shoji says. There’s an edge in his voice that Kemuri wants to wipe away. “What your grandfather said was mean, but…I’ve heard worse.”

Kemuri is torn between wanting to cling to him as tight as she possibly can and going out and kicking the ass of every single person that ever said something mean to Shoji—tall, gentle, kind Shoji with a freaking heart of gold who deserves a much better friend than a blind crybaby.

“And honestly, I expected you to be scared of me too,” he says. “Before I went up to you on exam day, I seriously considered just walking by, but…” He shrugs. “I couldn’t. Then, you were so happy to see me and...you didn’t even care. You just saw…a person.”

Kemuri laughs a little before it dissolves into a few coughs. “Yeah…I guess I did,” she says. She finally leans out of the hug and looks up at him. “But, my grandfather…”

His eyes crinkle along with his tiny smile. “What I’m trying to say is that you aren’t your grandfather, and I’m not going to throw away a friendship just because one old guy was rude,” he says. “I’m not stupid.”

That sends Kemuri back into a crying fit. “Sh-Shojiii…” she whimpers, and yet again she’s hugging him. “I’m s-so sorry. Y-You’re too good to m-me.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he soothes, patting her hair with one hand while multiple others swipe at her tears or rub her back. “You apologize too much,” he adds with a chuckle.

She lets him go, sucking in more cleansing breaths. “I have to apologize. My grandfather won’t,” she mumbles. She sighs and starts running her fingers through her hair nervously. “Shoji, what…what about the others? I need to talk to them. In person.”

Shoji pulls out his phone and taps something on the screen. “Well, I’ve got Tokoyami’s address,” he says.

Kemuri checks her own phone. “I’ve got Hagakure’s.”

“I think she’s closer.” He stands up. “Let’s go.”

She nods, getting off her bed, and then she freezes. “Wait…” He blinks at her and she grips her hair. “I look terrible.”

He turns away from the door, aiming one finger at her. “Right, we’ve gotta fix that.”

“Bless your soul, Shoji.”

----------

After a quick tidy up and a train ride, Shoji and Kemuri find themselves standing on Hagakure’s front porch. Kemuri sucks in a breath and rings the doorbell. Shoji pats her shoulder reassuringly.

The door swings open to reveal the floating blouse and pants of what Kemuri assumes is a woman. There’s a small gasp, then…

“Oh, hello! What brings you here today?” says a cheery, bouncy voice.

“Uh, hello, Mrs. Hagakure,” Kemuri replies, hesitant. She’s starting to shake again. “Is Toru home?”

The invisible woman releases something like an “ah”, clothes bobbing as if she’s nodding. “Oh, you must be those friends she mentioned! Yes, she’s right upstairs. I can go get her. Please, please come in!”

“Thank you,” Kemuri and Shoji say together.

They enter the house as the blouse and pants disappear up a small set of stairs. The house is quaint and nicely decorated. From where they’re standing in the entryway, they can see a living room to their right and a dining room to the left, with a kitchen a little further back. The bedrooms and bathroom must be upstairs.

The frantic pattering of footsteps alerts them as a floating pair of sweats and a t-shirt races down the stairs. Kemuri finds herself smiling, then anxiety claims her and it falls away.

“Shoji? Kemuri?” Hagakure asks. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to say sorry,” Kemuri blurts, a little too fast, a little too frantic. “About what my grandfather said. I…I don’t want you to think that I’m like him, that I think you guys are like that. I should have stood up for you guys and I didn’t and I feel so terrible, like worse than I have ever felt in my life and I didn’t think that was possible—”

She stops rambling as Hagakure hugs her, quivering. Kemuri can feel the point of a nose pressing against her shoulder, the blinking of eyes, and tears wetting her shirt.

“I forgive you, Kemuri,” she says. “I forgave you pretty much the second I left your house, trying to get Ojiro, and I was worried that maybe you did hate me.” She sniffles, pulls out of the hug, and Kemuri feels two hands cup her face. “I freaking missed you already, and it’s only been a day since I thought that maybe, possibly, we weren’t friends anymore—”

“No! No way!” Kemuri insists, shaking her head. “I missed you too! And…and I was scared! I’m so sorry…”

“Stop apologizing for something that wasn’t your fault, seriously. I bet your grandfather didn’t even notice that I was there.”

They hug again, crying and smiling and laughing a little bit. Behind them, Shoji chuckles to himself, shoulders relaxing.

“Honestly,” Hagakure says as they separate. Her attention shifts to Shoji. “I was more worried about the boys. Ojiro seemed really torn up.”

“We were going to see Tokoyami,” Shoji says. “You don’t know where Ojiro lives, do you?”

Hagakure shakes her head. “When we took the train home, I got off first. I told him to text me but I’ve gotten nothing but silence, aside from when he let me know that he got home safe.” She droops. “It sucks…”

Kemuri purses her lips, hands clenching into fists, but Shoji speaks before she can start verbally berating herself again. “Well, we’re still going to visit Tokoyami,” he says. “Do you want to come along? I think Kemuri could use the support.”

Kemuri shuts her eyes. Shoji, bless your soul, you beautiful, beautiful boy, she thinks.

Judging by the bouncing of Hagakure’s neckline, she’s nodding. “Yeah! Totally, just let me tell my mom!”

She races back up the stairs. Shoji pats Kemuri’s shoulder, prompting her to look at him, and one of his tentacle mouths smiles.

“It’s going to be fine, see?” he says.

She nods. “Yeah.”

Chapter Text

The man who opens the door when they arrive at Tokoyami’s house is no doubt his father. He looks just like Tokoyami, from the bird head onwards. The only difference is that he doesn’t wear Tokoyami’s red choker bandages (or whatever they are) and his eyes are brown. His feathers are greyer than Tokoyami’s too.

“Hello,” he greets in a deep, rumbling voice.

“Hi,” the three teens say together, donning nervous smiles. “Is Fumikage home?”

The birdman arches an eyebrow. “It depends who’s asking.”

As they start to speak, the girls shaking in their shoes, another voice sounds from further inside the house. “Odorikage, you had better not be intimidating any guests.”

Kemuri frowns a little at the name. Shadow dance? His name is…quite literally, shadow dance? A second later, she shakes her head. She is in no place to judge someone’s name, not when hers literally means “smoke shadow island”.

“It’s a bunch of kids asking about Fumikage,” Odorikage calls back.

“Maybe they’re his friends from school.”

Odorikage eyes the teens again, his expression becoming less skeptical. “Well, they could be, but I don’t know what his friends look like.”

The voice inside the house sighs. “Tall boy with six arms, invisible girl, a girl with silver hair—”

“Oh, it’s them.” He bows his head. “My apologies. Please, come in.”

“Thank you.” Again, their voices are synchronized.

They enter and immediately catch sight of a woman in the dining room. She has a dove’s head, in contradiction to her husband’s raven head. She’s tidying something using both her hands and a yellow, glowing being emerging from the small of her back that’s shaped like a dove. She’s in a work uniform and her nametag reads “Himari”, with the kanji that means “ball of light”.

Kemuri is suddenly far more aware of just how Tokoyami’s quirk was created.

“I apologize for that,” Himari says as the light-being fixes a picture frame behind her. She speaks with the same sort of drama that her son does, although it’s softer, lighter. “My husband tends to be overly cautious.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Odorikage huffs, arms crossed over his chest.

Her beak curves and her eyes, red and humanlike, glitter with amusement. “Of course, my love,” she murmurs. She turns her attention to the teens, still waiting by the door. “Fumikage is in his room if you want to go see him.”

“I’ll show them,” Odorikage offers with a grunt.

They follow Mr. Tokoyami down the hallway in an obedient, single file line. Hagakure keeps one hand on Kemuri’s arm, seemingly still nervous. They stop in front of a door and, while the teens expect a knock, Odorikage just opens it. No light comes from within and some kind of heavy metal music is playing.

“Fumikage, you have guests,” he says.

“Father, I said I wanted to be alone. Leave me be!” Tokoyami’s voice sounds. “My room is my private haven.”

“I said, you have guests. Don’t be rude,” his father retorts. He frowns. “And let some light in, for Heaven’s sake.”

He sweeps his hand and the darkness literally blows away with the movement as the light switches on, and an animalistic cry that Kemuri hopes doesn’t belong to Tokoyami pierces the air.

“So bright!” the voice wails.

“Now you’ve angered Dark Shadow,” Tokoyami utters. “Father—”

“Come and see your friends or I will make the light brighter,” Odorikage threatens. His hand is lifted slightly, fingers bent, and his expression means business.

That gets Tokoyami out of his room. He sees his friends and his annoyance fades, replaced with shock. His work done, Odorikage goes back to whatever he was doing before.

“Uh…hi,” Kemuri says, waving a little.

“Your parents seem nice,” Hagakure adds.

“Sorry for stopping by suddenly,” Shoji says.

Tokoyami stares at them, then his eyes close as he sighs. “This is about what happened yesterday.”

The other three nod and Kemuri finds herself holding her own hand. “I…I’m sorry,” she says. She starts to say the spiel she gave Shoji and Hagakure, about how she should have stood up for him, done something, but it gets stuck. She swallows thickly, a lump in her throat. “I…”

“It was not your fault,” Tokoyami says. He glances away, pausing. “I was shocked, I will admit, and the tension was high after your grandfather made his exit. I felt there was nothing to be done at that moment, but there was. I should have stayed, talked about what happened, and let you know that I do not feel any ill will towards you. Perhaps…” He shuts his eyes. “I just needed time to think. It has been a while since I dealt with such ignorance.”

Kemuri nods a few times, tears appearing. He’s so well spoken when she isn’t. “I’m…yeah, I’m just…sorry. I had to tell you.”

Tokoyami’s beak curves into a smile. “Your actions speak of your good-hearted intent. I am glad that you care enough about my friendship to fix the problem before it got bigger.” When he opens his eyes, he seems sorrowed that Ojiro isn’t there to comment on his dramatic speech. “I am saying I forgive you, Kemuri.”

She resists the urge to hug him and instead wipes her eyes and croaks out a “thank you”. Letting bygones be bygones, hearts healed, they linger in the silence for a second before Hagakure breaks it.

“So…what about Ojiro?” she says. “We don’t know where he lives, so…what do we do?”

“I can text him,” Kemuri suggests. “Tell him I want to apologize. Hopefully, he’ll listen.” She thinks of his expression before he stormed out of her room and her stomach clenches. “Hopefully,” she repeats.

“In the meantime,” Tokoyami says. He jabs his thumb towards his bedroom. “I…have Super Smash Heroes.” Hagakure lets out an excited squeal and he rubs the back of his neck. “Would you like to stay? If you’re not busy.”

“Heck yeah!” Hagakure says. “That’s that new game where you battle each other as pros, right?”

“Correct. I am currently trying to unlock Edgeshot.”

Kemuri perks up. “We must unlock Edgeshot.”

“I call dibs on All Might,” Shoji says, already starting for the bedroom door.

The girls rush to follow him, Tokoyami at their heels as they disappear into his room—which is full of black, emo things that surprises none of them—and scramble for controllers. While they set up the game, scrolling through the hero avatars, Kemuri pulls out her phone and texts Ojiro.

It delivers. It gets read. She gets no response. She puts her phone away and decides to give him time to respond, but her gut doesn’t settle for a while.

Chapter Text

Ojiro doesn’t text Kemuri back. The message stays on read and goes nowhere further. Kemuri toys with the idea of texting him again, but it seems pointless. He read the first message. He’ll read the second one and probably still not reply.

She vows to just talk to him at school.

That also backfires. When she gets to school on Monday morning, Ojiro steers clear of her. The closest she gets to him is when they’re sitting in their desks, but he makes a point of turning his head in the opposite direction whenever she looks at him.

And Kemuri, being a shy type, can’t get herself to pursue him.

Classes go by, and then it’s time for History class with Miss Midnight. She enters the room exuding power and sex appeal, settles herself behind the front podium, and eyes the class with eager, sparkling blue eyes. She doesn’t smile. In fact, she seems rather serious.

“Alright, today we’re going to be talking about a rather sensitive issue,” Midnight says. “It will be hard to listen to, however, it is important to know about it. Acting as if it never happened is an injustice.”

“Yikes…” Jiro mumbles.

Midnight turns around and writes a single word on the chalkboard: “Quirkism”. It’s amazing how one word can cause so many emotions. Immediately, multiple students sink lower in their seats. Others purse their lips. Kemuri feels like she’s going to throw up.

Wow, Midnight, what impeccable timing, she thinks.

“Who can define this word for me?” Midnight asks.

Silence. Then…

“Quirkism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different type of quirk than your own, based on the belief that yours is superior,” Yaoyorozu says, voice clear even with the obvious discomfort on her face. “This…is most often involved with mutant-type quirks.”

“Yes, that is spot on. Thank you, Yaoyorozu,” Midnight says. She rests her hands on her hips. “With the emergence of quirks came many changes for humanity. It was a time of confusion and fear.”

Kemuri grits her teeth, knuckles turning white as she squeezes her hands into fists. She swallows hard.

“As many of you are aware, some quirks cause mutations in the bearer. When quirks were new, many questioned whether such people were still human. There was a lot of discrimination towards so-called…monsters.” She has to pause, grimacing as if the word leaves a bad taste in her mouth. “Mutant-types, those with abnormal features, and even some whose quirk was deemed ‘villainous’ were treated as criminals, given fewer rights than those with emitter or transformation-type quirks. Many thought that they had no other choice and turned to a life of crime. That only reinforced the hurtful stereotypes.”

No one says a word. Kemuri thinks about the “Top Ten Heroes Who Look Like Villains” lists. She thinks of her grandfather. She thinks about Ojiro and Shoji and Tokoyami and all the mutant-type quirks that she’s come across.

“As time has gone on, quirkism has almost completely disappeared, but some still harbour prejudices and the effects are still present in our world today. Quirks and appearances are still called ’villainous’, and it is a practice that needs to be wiped out.”

“Miss Midnight?” Ojiro asks, hand raised. Kemuri looks up at him just as the rest of the class does. His face is pained, hand quivering. “Can I please go to the bathroom?”

Midnight nods. “Yes, of course, dear.”

Ojiro stands and leaves the room, head down. For a moment, no one moves. Then, Midnight clears her throat and looks back at the class.

“I understand that this is a difficult topic. If any of you are uncomfortable, it is alright if you leave,” she says. "Don't worry about asking. Just don't be disruptive on the way out."

With that said, she continues the lesson. The tension in the room doesn’t let up.

----------

Ojiro doesn’t sit with the rest of his group at lunch. Instead, he sits at a separate table with Nishimura, Sato, and Koda.

“Maybe this is stupid of me, but have you talked to him?” Hagakure asks.

Kemuri stares at her. “I try, but he walks away.” She pokes at her katsudon. “And he read the texts. He knows that I’m trying to say sorry.”

“This is ridiculous,” Tokoyami utters.

Shoji doesn’t look up from his food. “I’m sure he just needs some more time. We’ll give him some space for now,” he says.

The girls let out defeated sighs.

----------

Tuesday isn’t any better.

Ojiro does come and sit with them at lunch, but he doesn’t look at Kemuri. She might as well be invisible, for all he cares, except he actually pays attention to the person who is invisible. He talks about his training, asks the others what they thought of math class, and whenever Kemuri starts to talk about anything that isn’t directly related to school, he changes the subject.

It’s frustrating and the guilt is eating Kemuri alive.

Lunch ends and everyone goes to get ready for Hero Basic Training with All Might. With everything that’s happened with Ojiro, Kemuri can’t even get herself to fully enjoy her new costume, although the compliments from the other girls help.

Kemuri feels like a ghost, drifting about, hardly paying attention to the class. They’re doing more indoor combat training, similar to the scenario with the bomb from the second day of classes. The groups have to go into a building, scout out the villains’ hiding spot, and subdue them. No weapon, just capturing bad guys.

Kemuri gets paired up with Mineta. She does her best to work out a plan with him on how they’re going to find Aoyama and Jiro, but it doesn’t go well. Jiro can hear them coming and consistently changes hiding spots until time runs out. The only time they get close, Aoyama blasts them with his laser and Mineta nearly pees himself.

Kemuri’s shoulders stay slumped as she walks back to the observation room. Mineta complains about their loss, babbling about what they could have done differently, and Kemuri offers nothing but weak nods and “uh-huh’s” in response. She’s too drained to offer anything more than that.

“Why didn’t you whip out your fog or something and kick their butts?” Mineta whines. She feels him start to tug on her belt. “We could’ve won…”

“We were outmatched, Mineta. Besides, Jiro could hear us. My fog…it wouldn’t have worked,” she says. “Just…try again next time. We’ve got to suck it up.” She freezes, jaw clenching a little as her face turns red. “Mineta…”

“Uh-huh?” His tone is hard to place, but it’s pleased enough to make her stomach churn.

She channels every molecule of her “inner Bakugo”, gritting her teeth. She usually tries to get along with everyone, be a peaceful person, and her confrontational abilities are subpar, but today? No, not today.

“Take your hand…off my butt.”

The pressure whips away and he starts to sputter. “Wha—b-but I’m out of your line of sight! How did you—”

“I…I can still feel things!” she retorts, starting to shake. She adds in a weak, "Dumbass..."

She shoves the door to the monitoring room open, heart pounding, head down, and plants herself securely between Shoji and Hagakure.

“Uh…you look super pissed,” Hagakure whispers.

Kemuri takes deep breaths, unsure of whether she wants to cry or puke or something else. “Just considered murdering Mineta, that’s all.”

“Young Shimakage, please come back to the front of the class to discuss!” All Might calls, waving her forward.

Kemuri’s face gets even more heated and Hagakure has to nudge her to get her to move. She takes her spot, Mineta tries to stand beside her, and she uses her foot to push him at least a metre away from her. No one questions it and Mineta, with whatever respect he has left, stays put.

After training ends, on the way back to the classroom, Kemuri hears someone calling after her. She stops and turns around just in time to see Midoriya skid to a stop in front of her. His eyes are bright and he seems in good spirits, and before she can question why, she chalks it up to him not breaking any bones today.

“Hey, Shimakage, you got a minute?” he asks.

She blinks a few times. “Well…I think so, yeah,” she says. “Why?”

“I was just wondering about your quirk.”

She glances down at his hands, but she doesn’t see his notebook or pen. She flushes a little. “What…what about it?”

He must see the worry in her eyes, because he starts flapping his hands around. “It’s nothing bad, I swear!” he says. “I was just wondering why you don’t use it to fight.”

“Uh…” She blinks again. “I’m…not sure—”

“It’s just that you obviously know how to fight and you use your fog to cover your tracks and I think that, judging by your movements, you can probably use the fog to sense where your opponent is, right? I’ve seen you use your steam maybe once or twice, but never in battle, and you seem to rely on your fog a lot more than your smoke. Your quirk is just a tool that you use and otherwise, you’re just like any other person who knows martial arts! And of course, that’s how your family fights. Your grandfather is a super well-known martial artist and both him and your mom use the same smoke screen technique that you use when you fight. It’s just interesting how—”

Kemuri stares at him as he keeps muttering, the words bouncing around her head, poking at her hair and spiralling around them like a swarm of bees. She shouldn’t be surprised that he knows a lot about her quirk, even if he’s just basing it off knowledge about her mom, but…it’s a little creepy. He gets more and more unintelligible until finally, Kemuri reaches over and pokes his forehead.

He startles so hard that he nearly falls over. He gasps, hands clapping over his mouth. “I was muttering again, wasn’t I?”

“Just a little…” she whispers.

He musses his curly green hair, cheeks red. “I’m sorry, I was just curious. At first, I thought your quirk was just like your mom’s, but then you used your steam to fix me up after that fight last week…” He stops himself before he gets too mumbly again. “But…yeah, why don’t you use your quirk itself to fight? Like use it to enhance your abilities?”

It’s a lot to take in at once, and she’s very emotionally drained, but she still decides to answer him. “I don’t think I can use it to fight,” she admits. “No one in my family does. And my dad just uses his steam for cosmetic purposes at his spa.”

“But you’re not your family, Shimakage! You’ve got both those quirks and with your fighting skill, you…you could probably do a lot more. I’m not sure what that would be yet, but…” He shrugs, rubbing his neck and shoulders again. “Ah…I…just thought I’d ask.”

She smiles a little. “Thanks for the thought, Midoriya…but I think my fighting style is pretty concrete.” She glances at her hand. “My steam…it’s weak. It’s useless.”

He frowns. “Who told you that?”

Her chest tightens and that tight, painful feeling returns. She puts her arm down, bows her head a little, and tries to smile. “I…I’ve gotta get to class,” she mumbles.

She turns and hightails it down the hallway, leaving her classmate behind.

“You’re not your family,” he said. Yeah, she thinks, shoulders slumping. Tell that to Ojiro.

Chapter Text

At breakfast before school on Wednesday, Kemuri finds herself eating with her grandfather and only her grandfather. It’s odd because usually, he gets breakfast once he’s at work instead of sticking around home for too long.

He’s in his suit, looking neat and powerful and ready to secure some business deals. His job involves a little bit of everything, but if Kemuri had to describe it in a single term, she’d say that he’s a “Hero Executive”. He works closely with support companies and hero agencies, working out budgets, securing partnerships and endorsements with popular heroes, and the like. He’s versatile and his knowledge of business and heroes is indispensable.

“So…uh, what’s happening at work today?” Kemuri asks as she pokes her scrambled eggs.

Keiji huffs, dark eyes flitting to her for a split second. He flips a page in his newspaper and takes a bite of bacon. “Nothing much. There’s a facility for licensing exams that needs renovations, Endeavour is working on a new endorsement, and such.” He clears his throat, giving his head a flick that perfectly moves a loose hair back into his bangs. “Not that you understand any of that.”

Kemuri decides that silence is the best response, shoving some eggs into her mouth and chewing. Her grandfather’s newspaper rustles, cutlery clinks against plates, brief inhalations through noses or clearing throats breaks the silence.

“Are you still hanging out with those…friends?” he asks.

Her body seizes up, but the emotion she feels this time around is pure frustration. Her hand tightens around her fork, her body quivering, and she sucks in a deep breath before releasing enough steam to loosen her up. She coughs.

“Yes, I am,” she says, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. His eyebrows arch. “And I’m not going to stop. I don’t care w-what…” She coughs again, swallowing hard as his glare bores into her. “What…what you think. I like them. They’re great people and if you don’t like it, then…then that’s your issue.”

His forehead wrinkles as he frowns. Kemuri holds her breath, preparing for a verbal barrage, but after a second Keiji just gives his newspaper a shake.

“I expected as much from someone like you,” he utters. His annoyance radiates off of him like fog off dry ice. His fingers are tense against his reading material. “Fine, but don’t expect me to like it.”

“You don’t even have to talk to them. Just…just pretend they don’t exist.” She pauses. “I…I won’t let you speak to them the way you did. Never again.”

He “hmphs”. After another second, he folds his newspaper, stands up, and adjusts his tie. He points to his plate. “Clean that up.”

As he leaves the kitchen, Kemuri remembers to breathe. It wasn’t kind, wasn’t warm and heartfelt in the slightest, but she did it. She got her grandfather to respond to her.

One small step for mankind, as they say.

----------

At 12:50 p.m, right after lunch, class 1-A sits in their desks and watches their homeroom teacher expectantly.

“Today’s training will be a little different,” Aizawa says. “You’ll have three instructors. Me, All Might and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you.”

The class murmurs to themselves and Sero raises his hand. “Sir, what kind of training is this?”

“Rescue,” Aizawa answers. “You’ll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks…stuff like that.”

The nervousness of the class shifts to excitement. Until now, they have mostly done battle training, which is all fine and good, but a change is great. Kemuri starts to smile, bouncing one leg as she fidgets in her seat. Rescue is one of the two areas that she feels confident in, the other being individual combat.

“Rescue, huh?” Kaminari asks. “Sounds like we’re in for a big workout.”

“Totally!” Mina squeals.

“Real hero stuff! This is what separates the men from the boys,” Kirishima says. “I’m shaking with excitement.”

“I’ll finally get to show off how good I am in water,” Tsuyu says. “Ribbit.”

“Guys, I’m not finished,” Aizawa says, cutting through the chatter and silencing them. “What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know all of you are still pretty excited about your costumes, but keep in mind that you haven’t had a lot of time to get used to them. That can limit your abilities.” He presses the button that activates the costume storage shelves. “This training is at an off-campus facility, so we’ll be taking a bus to get there. That’s all. Start getting ready.”

Kemuri is definitely wearing her hero costume. Maybe, if this training was happening before she got her upgrades, she’d be less inclined to wear it, but she really wants to get more practice in with the new armour.

Plus, those prescription goggles are a godsend.

----------

Once changed, everyone heads for the school parking lot. Kemuri walks out with Hagakure, tugging at the material of her gloves as she goes.

“I can’t believe you already got a costume upgrade,” Hagakure says. “It’s been, like, a week.”

“Technically, this is my original costume,” Kemuri says. She drops her hand, flexing her fingers a bit. “They just took some extra time to finish it.”

They get into the parking lot just as Iida starts blowing on a whistle. The two girls startle at the noise, attention turning to the armoured boy.“Gather around, class 1-A! Using your student numbers, form two neat lines so that we can load the bus efficiently!” Iida calls.

He blows the whistle again, beckoning everyone over to the awaiting bus with wide, sweeping arm movements, and Kemuri shakes her head as a tiny smile falls across her face. She’s glad to see that he’s taking his class rep position seriously. However, once they’re on the bus, they find that the layout is open, completely wrecking Iida’s boarding strategy. Iida slumps onto one of the chairs, distraught, berating the design, and Mina tells him to chill out.

Kemuri sits at the back of the bus next to Shoji, resting her eyes as she leans back against the seat. She idly listens to her classmates talk, occasionally peeking at them when the topic catches her attention. Currently, she’s casually eavesdropping on Sato and Nishimura.

“No way, man,” Nishimura says. “You’ve got to cream the butter and sugar together before adding eggs.”

“They’re all going together anyway, aren’t they?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s about the process. Sugar granules create air pockets in the butter, which makes the pastry fluffier in the end. Do you want dense, heavy cake, Sato? I didn’t think so.”

“Man…I’ve got a lot to learn, still.” There’s a pause. “Actually, Nishi, that reminds me…you put the dressing on your salads way too early.”

“What? Seriously?”

“The leaves get soggy, and that’s gross.”

“Damn it. I thought you should dress it before you plate.”

“Like a few minutes before, not an hour.”

Kemuri has to stop herself from giggling. The bus jostles as it hits a pothole and she snaps them back open as she bumps against Shoji. Her friend doesn’t seem to notice. Kemuri looks toward the front of the bus again, where Midoriya, Tsuyu, Kirishima, and a few others are having their own discussion.

“Well, if any of our classmates have pro quirks, it’s Todoroki and Bakugo,” Kirishima says, aiming a smile at Bakugo, who pouts at the window, head perched on his hand.

“Sure, but Bakugo’s always angry, so he’ll never be that popular,” Tsuyu says.

“What did you say?!” Bakugo shouts, leaping to his feet and making Jiro lean away from him. Midoriya pales noticeably. “I’ll kick your ass!”

Tsuyu’s expression doesn’t even flicker from its blank, easy smile. “See?” she says with a gesture.

Kemuri can’t help but admire Tsuyu’s utter “I don’t give a single shit” attitude in the face of a boy who can quite literally blow things up. That amount of bravery is impressive.

“You know, we hardly know each other, so it’s kinda telling that we all know your personality is flaming crap mixed with garbage,” Kaminari says with an easy smirk.

Bakugo leans over the little railing separating the higher level of the bus from the lower. “You’re gonna regret the day you applied to this school, you loser! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Midoriya leans forward, having a tiny bit of an existential crisis judging by the way he cradles his head in his hands and the stunned expression on his face. Iida straightens up, his body language screaming that he wants to stand up, but he doesn’t dare do something so “dangerous”.

“That’s enough! Classmates should encourage each other!” he scolds, chopping his hand.

“I’m gonna encourage this dumbass to EXPLODE!” Bakugo rages in response.

“Woah, what did you say? You sound crazy, dude,” Kaminari laughs in the face of the looming death threat that is Katsuki Bakugo.

“SHUT IT, SPARKY!”

“Alright, alright. Kaminari, apologize,” Iida orders. He sounds like a tired dad with far too many children.

“Sure, if he goes first,” Kaminari retorts, still laidback, a smirk on his face.

“LIKE HELL I WILL!”

Kemuri isn’t sure whether to laugh or cower in fear. Maybe she’ll do both.

“Hey, hey!” Aizawa snaps from the front of the bus. “We’re here. Stop messing around.”

Everyone, even the people who weren’t fighting, says, “Yes, sir.”

Kemuri looks past Shoji and out the window, where a looming dome can be seen cresting the treetops. Her excitement grows and she has to stop her legs from bouncing. The only dampener on this whole trip is that Ojiro is still acting like she doesn't exist. When she looks at where he's seated next to Hagakure, he's locked in conversation with her, and his attention doesn't flicker to Kemuri at all.

----------

After a brief greeting from the Space Hero, Thirteen, the students are led inside the domed building, where they’re greeted by a long purple carpet that stops at a golden, checkered archway. The archway marks the gate onto a giant training facility that looks like an amusement park, with different stations spread out in a circle around the perimeter and a main plaza in the dead centre. Kemuri wishes she had more vision just so she could take in more of it at once.

To her right is a domed structure decorated with storm clouds. Next to it is a sizeable lake, complete with a boat, waterslide, fake rocks, and even a waterfall. Then, another dome decorated with flames on the outside. Following that, in order, is a mountain zone, a landslide, and a cityscape filled with collapsed buildings.

“A shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm…etcetera,” Thirteen says. They gesture up at the archway. “I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters. I call it…the Unforseen Simulation Joint!” They spin around, lifting up on one foot and pointing forward. “But you can call it USJ!”

The class goes silent and Kemuri arches an eyebrow. Just like Universal Studios Japan, she thinks.

“Hey, shouldn’t All Might be here already?” Aizawa asks, moving closer to his fellow pro. “Let me guess…he booked an interview instead.”

“Actually, it’s something else…” Thirteen starts. They lower their voice for the next couple of words, holding up three fingers as they go.

Aizawa sighs. “That man is the height of irresponsibility.” He glances at the students, then turns to them. “Clock’s ticking. We should get started.”

“Excellent!” Thirteen says. “Before we get started, let me just say one thing! Maybe two things…possibly three! Four…or five—”

“We get it,” multiple voices berate them at once.

Thirteen is unaffected by the response. They lift their gloved hand up and, even without facial expressions, a sense of seriousness descends on them. “Listen carefully, everyone. I’m sure you’re aware that I have a powerful quirk," they say. "It’s called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it to dust.”

“Yeah, you’ve used Black Hole to save plenty of people from disasters, haven’t you?” Midoriya asks.

“That’s true,” Thirteen says, “but my quirk could also very easily be used to kill. Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous.”

Kemuri shivers a little, lips pursed. Her quirk isn’t dangerous. At best, the only danger it causes is from blinding people, and she’s only ever used her steam to make things better. Thirteen continues on, explaining that they need to be careful, but thanks to Aizawa and All Might, they have a good idea of their quirk’s potential and know how dangerous it can be when used against other people.

“Carry those lessons over to this class,” Thirteen says. “Today, you’re going to learn how to use your quirks to save people’s lives. You won’t be using your powers to attack enemies or each other—only to help. After all, that’s what being a hero is all about; ensuring the safety of others.”

Kemuri’s heart is pounding and she can’t keep the determined smile off of her face. This is what she came to U.A for. This is why she wants to be a hero; so she can save people and make their days just a little bit brighter, and give them hope.

“That’s all I have to say. Thank you for listening,” Thirteen says with a bow.

Everyone starts cheering, clapping, and talking all at once. For a pep talk that started with a warning about dangerous quirks, it ended on a really good note. Anyone who wasn’t excited before is definitely pumped up now.

“Right, now that that’s over—” Aizawa starts.

There’s a buzzing sound and the lights around the dome crackle with electricity, then go out. As the USJ dims, the fountain in the plaza starts sputtering. Kemuri looks to the ceiling with the rest of her classmates, utterly focused on the loss of light.

Aizawa’s expression becomes urgent and he aims one hand out at his class. “Stay together and don’t move,” he commands, getting everyone’s attention. “Thirteen, protect the students.”

“Wha…what is that thing?” Kirishima asks, pointing towards the plaza.

Kemuri’s eyes widen. The plaza is filled with something like purple smoke, but it’s concentrated, and it looks like there are people emerging from it. Is it some kind of warp gate? Why would there need to be a warp gate for rescue training?

“Wait, has the training started already?” Kirishima asks, cupping one hand above his eyes as he tries to get a better look. Behind him, more students clamber for a better look. “I thought we were rescuing people.”

“Stay back!” Aizawa repeats as Midoriya takes a step forward. The entire class flinches at his sharp tone.

Kemuri steps closer to Shoji, a feeling of dread settling in her stomach like a rock. Aizawa is putting his goggles on, which means…

“This is real,” Aizawa says. “Those are villains.”

Kemuri wobbles, suddenly dizzy, and Shoji steadies her. His hand is shaking too. The rest of the class starts to bunch closer together and not a single face is calm. It ranges from flat-out terrified to shocked.

Kemuri hates to think something so obvious, but this is bad—really, really bad.

There are tons of villains coming out of the warp gate, but the most notable trio consists of the warp gate itself (actually a man with yellow eyes and a body that seems to allow people to warp from one place to another), a man with pale blue hair, covered in hands, and a gargantuan beast with its brain showing.

Thirteen raises one arm between the students and the villains. Aizawa’s scarf and his hair fly up, surrounding him, and suddenly, he isn’t their Sensei. He is the pro hero, Eraserhead. If it weren't for their imminent danger, Kemuri would feel all squealy and fangirl-ish.

“Real villains? No way,” Kirishima says. “How could so many of them get into a U.A facility this secure?”

“Thirteen?” Yaoyorozu asks. “Why aren’t the alarms going off?”

“Good question,” the Space Hero says. “I’m not sure.”

“Is the entire campus under attack, or is this their only target?” Todoroki asks. “Either way, if the alarm sensors aren’t being triggered, then one of these villains must have a quirk that’s masking their presence here.” His mismatched eyes narrow. “They carefully chose this isolated facility as an entry point at a time when a class was being taught. They’re fools for trespassing here, but…” He frowns, cool as ice. “They’ve thought this out. Whatever their plan, they must have a concrete objective in mind, but what is it?”

“Handsome…and perceptive,” Hagakure whispers to Kemuri.

“Hagakure, this is literally the worst time to be thinking about a cute boy,” Kemuri says, hardly able to keep the tremor from her voice.

Hagakure lets out a breath. “I’m just trying to distract myself from how much danger we’re in, okay?” she retorts, strained.

“Thirteen, get them out of here, and alert the main campus.” Aizawa orders. “Actually, if they’ve got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications too. Kaminari, try using your quirk to contact the school.”

“Yes, sir,” Kaminari says, reaching one hand to his headset.

“What are you going to do?” Midoriya asks as Eraserhead moves closer to the steps. “You can’t fight them on your own! There’s too many of them, even if you can nullify their quirks. Your fighting style isn’t suited for this. Your power works best with stealth and one-on-one fights. That’s…” He seems to deflate. “That’s not going to help with a group.”

Kemuri hunches her shoulders a little, eyes locked on her teacher. Even in the midst of this situation, she wants to learn. Aizawa’s fighting style is similar to hers in strengths and drawbacks so, no matter what her teacher says next, she’s going to gain inspiration from that.

“You can’t be a pro if you only have one trick,” Aizawa says. He leans forward. “I’ll leave it to you, Thirteen.”

And with that, he leaps into battle, scarf whipping in the wind as he zooms toward the villains, head on. As he fights, Thirteen ushers the rest of the class to the exit. Kemuri bursts into a jog with the rest of her peers, just able to hear Iida telling Midoriya to stop analyzing and hurry up over the pounding of her heart.

They don’t get very far when the warp gate man appears ahead of them, his smokey body blocking their path.

“There is no escape for you,” he utters. His glowing yellow eyes glare down at them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains. I know it’s impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello.”

Kemuri swallows hard again, lifting her fists and settling into a defensive stance. This guy would seem gentlemanly if it weren’t for the fact that he’s a villain, blocking their path to freedom and safety.

“Besides,” he continues. “Isn’t this a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath? I believe he was supposed to be here today, but I see no sign of him. There must have been some sort of change in plans that we could not have foreseen. Ah…well, in the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter…I still have a role to play.”

His warp gate body starts to flow outwards, like arms, and one of the caps on Thirteen’s glove pops off as they aim their hand at him. Before anyone can act, Bakugo and Kirishima leap at the villain with a loud battle cry, quirks at the ready.

An explosion rattles the ground and from somewhere near Kemuri, she hears Nishimura shouts, “Idiots!” Smoke shrouds the area and Kemuri lifts her arm up to shield herself. She curses the fact that she can’t sense anything when it’s not her own smoke screen.

Kirishima’s voice sounds. “Did you think we were gonna stand around and let you tear this place to shreds?”

The warp villain, for a second, seems to be gone, but then a splotch of purple reappears from the depth of the smoke. “You live up to your school’s reputation,” he says, reforming as the last of the smoke blows away. Bakugo and Kirishima’s proud looks disappear. “But you should be more careful, children. Otherwise, someone might get hurt.”

Shoji’s eyes narrow and he lets out a soft gasp. From the mouth formed near Kemuri’s ear, she hears him say, “A body…”

“What?” Kemuri asks.

“You two, get out of the way, right now!” Thirteen shouts, finger ready and aimed.

“I’ll scatter you across this facility to meet my comrades…and your deaths!” the warp man says as trails of purple smoke fly out and surround the group in a second.

Kemuri stumbles as the warp villain completely engulfs them, buffeting her with a wind so harsh that she can’t open her eyes against it. She blindly reaches for her nearest friend, but Shoji’s body is gone and Hagakure is nowhere to be found.

Kemuri feels herself go weightless for a second, like she’s floating in water as black as the night. Her stomach flips, she tumbles head over heels, and then the next thing she knows, she’s falling through the air.

She tries to look around, but she’s going too fast to get an idea of where she is. All she can feel is heat. All she can smell is smoke. She braces herself for impact, heart pounding, and hopes that if this fall does kill her, that it’ll be over quick.

Chapter Text

“Kemuri!”

She hits something solid and jolts to a stop, all the air leaving her lungs in a rush, arms and legs dangling. She blinks rapidly, trying to stop the world from spinning, and then looks to who saved her.

Ojiro hangs off the edge of a burning building, his tail holding up her body weight. They lock eyes, his lips purse, and she swallows hard.

“O-Ojiro…” she whispers.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I…I think so.”

He nods and pulls them both onto the roof of the building using nothing but his upper body strength. He curls his tail around and lets Kemuri slide off. She sits on the roof, still trying to catch her breath, and Ojiro crosses his arms over his chest.

“Where are we?” she asks, still a little winded.

“From the looks of it, the conflagration zone,” he says. He frowns at their surroundings. “That villain must have warped us here.”

Kemuri shakes her head, resting one hand on her chest. “Dang it,” she whispers. This is so not a good match up for her. Heat and moisture just don’t mix, even if she can make a kind of fake smoke.

“This is crazy,” Ojiro mumbles. His tail lashes with annoyance. “A villain attack out of nowhere? And Todoroki said that this seemed planned out…”

“How…how did they know our entire schedule?” she asks. “It…it doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe they broke in during that incident last week with the press,” he suggests. “The teachers were busy and all the students were too busy panicking.”

“Right…that would work, and maybe…if we’re still here, that means that everyone else is still at the USJ. That’s…good, right?”

He lets out a small hum, then nods. “Yeah.”

They linger in silence for a second and Kemuri looks up at her friend. “Uh, Ojiro—”

“That warp guy said that he would send us to meet his comrades. I bet there are villains around,” he interrupts. “We’ve got to stay alert.” When she nods, he adds, “Can you walk?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m…I’m not hurt,” she stammers, scrambling to her feet.

“Good.” His attention travels to something behind her and he grits his teeth. “Crap. We’ve got company.”

She turns around and sure enough, villains emerge onto the next rooftop. They shout something inaudible and start running towards the students, some already scaling the distance between the two buildings.

“How good is your manoeuvrability?” Ojiro asks.

“Like…nonexistent.”

Hearing that, he scoops her into his arms, gives a brief warning of “hang on” and leaps off the roof. Kemuri clings to his neck as they plummet downwards, then his tail latches onto a lamppost and breaks their fall. He swings for a second, then easily drops to the ground.

“Wow,” Kemuri says. “That tail is really useful.”

He sets her down. “Thanks,” he says, his tone flat. He looks around and catches sight of something that she doesn’t. “There are more coming. We have to move.”

He grabs her wrist and starts running, Kemuri doing her best to keep up.

“But where to? There are villains everywhere,” she retorts as they go.

“All Might will get here. We just have to stay away until he does.”

“But…but that warp guy said that they thought he would be here, that he would breathe his last…” She trips over a chunk of concrete, but Ojiro’s tail catches her and keeps her moving even as she regains her footing. “I…I hate to say it, but they…they probably have a way to kill him!”

That makes Ojiro stop. He turns around, his expression struck with horror. “But…he’s All Might. He’s the strongest hero in the world.”

“I know, but…” She squeezes her eyes shut, knotting her fingers in her hair. “I think…I think we have to fight. These guys aren’t…”

She chokes a little at the thought, paling, and he nods grimly. “They aren’t above killing us,” he finishes.

She nods. “If we’re…going to survive, we need to work together,” she says. His eyebrows furrow. “We need a plan.”

He exhales and looks to the burning buildings, hands clenching into fists. She darts a glance back the way they came, fully aware that the villains are still coming.

“Okay,” Ojiro says. “I trust your fighting ability, but I think we stand a better chance if we do hit and run.”

Kemuri can’t help but smile. “That’s my specialty.”

His cold façade breaks as his lip lifts into a tiny smirk. “Yeah, I know.”

“There they are!”

“Get those brats!”

Kemuri and Ojiro turn around, lifting their fists, and Ojiro’s tail lashes as they both move closer to each another. Their shoulders bump.

“This heat won’t be good for moisture,” he says as the silhouettes of the villains get nearer. “If you’re starting to weaken, shout…uh…something that won’t tell them you’re weakening.”

“It’s getting hot in here?” she suggests.

“Yeah, that works. That’s when we make a break for the exit.”

She nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

----------

On the bright side, these villains are, at best, low-level thugs. Kemuri has beaten tougher opponents during the group training sessions she attended when she was younger.

On the not-so-bright side, despite the communication between her and Ojiro, she can tell that he’s still harbouring some hurt. The tension is still present, even if it’s not choking them, and she can’t stand leaving it dangling there like an unsightly cat toy.

If she gets the chance after this, she’ll make him talk to her about what happened.

She disperses smoke in bursts, taking advantage of the already smoke-filled arena to shroud herself, taking down villain after villain with her pointed strikes to the back of the neck. A lot of them have additional weapons to compliment their quirk and for the first couple villains, Kemuri is hyper-aware of every blade that comes her way.

By the third knife that glances off her arms or stomach with the feeling of maybe a dull scrape, she starts to gain confidence. The new armour is holding up. She’ll probably bruise later, but she isn’t getting cut or scraped. She’s in the zone. Her body is racing with adrenaline. Her nervousness is easy to ignore and she easily wipes all emotion from her face. There’s something about fighting that brings out the strong part of her, a part that she has a hard time finding in her day to day life.

She narrowly dodges another knife swipe, but this time the blade catches her on the lower jaw. She lurches away, one hand flying to the cut as she feels blood trickle down her neck. The villain, a beefy dude with five horns, grins.

“Gotcha there, girlie! What’re you gonna do n—AGH!”

Her fist sinks into his gut, earning a satisfying spray of spit. “Shut up,” she mutters as he collapses to the ground.

Another comes at her from behind and she dodges, dispersing more fog and disappearing from view. Her hand finds his soft spot and he too drops to the ground, twitching and groaning.

She goes through her first water bottle, then her extra, then her back up. She keeps moving, her limbs aching, sweat pouring down her back, the flames and smoke making her eyes burn even with the goggles. Her movements get slower and she starts to feel parched, both on her skin and mouth.

“Ojiro?” she shouts as she high-kicks a thug in the jaw. She curses her sloppy form even as he collapses. “OJIRO! IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” someone nearby asks.

“Is she only realizing the temperature now?”

She blinds them and rushes forward, one hand chopping on either side of their necks, knocking their heads together in the middle. They slump down, eyes rolling, and Kemuri hunches over as she lets out a wheezing breath. Now there are spots appearing in what little vision she has left and her breathing is way too fast.

She grits her teeth. If it weren’t for the heat, she’d be retaining her moisture better. Maybe if she’d been more careful with her water bottles or if she took more advantage of the smoke that’s already in place, then…

She senses someone move through the little bit of her smoke still lingering around her; a leg, judging by position and shape. She whirls around, coming face to face with yet another villain, but he’s too close to dodge. She throws her arms up in front of her just as he makes impact, knocking her onto her back.

She grunts, head spinning even more, and the villain plants his foot on her chest. He grins at her as needles erupt from the skin all over his hands and she grabs his ankle, straining to get him off of her, but he doesn’t budge.

“Night, night,” he sing-songs.

Before he can throw a punch, the ground rumbles. The thug loses his balance and Kemuri takes her chance to twist his leg hard enough that he falls over. The ground is still shaking and something like an explosion sounds from outside, but Kemuri focuses on her opponent. She gives him a hard kick to the head before he can get up, knocking him out, and she collapses to her knees, heaving.

“Not good…so not good…” she wheezes. She looks up, searching the immediate area for villains, but she can’t see anything. Did she get them? Are all of them chasing Ojiro? Her jaw is still stinging, blood mixing with her sweat and the soot in the air, and her hand goes to press against the wound.

“Ojiro…” she calls, as loud as she can muster. “It’s…” She blinks slowly, exhaustion taking over. She really, really needs water. “Getting hot…in here…”

Just as she starts to pitch forward, a solid body catches her. She inhales so hard that she starts coughing and a hand starts rubbing her back.

“Kemuri, breathe,” Ojiro says. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you the first time.”

“It’s…okay.” Another cough. He helps her up, her knees wobbling, and slings her arm over his shoulders. “Ojiro, the villains—”

“I went through one of the buildings, got them off my tail,” he says. His gaze darts to her jaw. “Kemuri, you’re bleeding.”

“I’m f-fine. We...we can take care of it later.”

His lips purse. “Alright. If we head for the exit, we should be fine. Can you hold on?”

She nods, head slumping against his shoulder, and he starts off in the direction where he thinks he saw an exit sign. There are unconscious villains everywhere they go.

Ojiro stays quiet, focused on the task at hand. From Kemuri’s position, pressed against his side, she can feel his pulse thrumming, his breaths quick. He’s been fighting hard and, however bad the situation between them and around them is, pride surges through her. He’s brave, he’s strong, and Kemuri? Kemuri is lucky to be one or the other some of the time.

“Ojiro…” Kemuri whispers. “Ojiro, I’m sorry.” His jaw clenches. She feels it shift against the top of her head. “I know you hate me, but…you need to hear me…apologize. Talk to me…please?”

He sighs. “I…” He pauses and she feels his jaw shift again before he says, “I don’t hate you.”

She finds that hard to believe. “Sure…” she mumbles as her eyes drift shut.

“I mean it,” he insists, a little more forceful. “I…I hate your grandfather, though.”

She doesn’t blame him. Not in the slightest. She would hate Keiji too, if he wasn’t her grandfather and her Sensei, if she didn’t want his recognition so badly, if he wasn’t some of the only family she has left. If he was anyone else, maybe she would be able to agree with her friend.

“After Saturday, I…I was so angry. I didn’t want to text you back because I was afraid I would say something that I would regret,” he says. He adjusts her a little, helping her over a chunk of concrete.

“Then…why’d you…ignore me?”

“Every time I looked at you, I…I thought of what he said, and the rage came back, and then I couldn’t make myself talk.” He sighs again. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t an honourable or mature thing to do.”

“I should’ve—” She coughs and her ankle rolls, but he catches her. “—protected…you. You’re…my friend.”

He lets out a tiny, weak laugh. “You shouldn't have to protect your friends from your own family." They walk a bit more. "Y’know, before you texted…I thought you saw me the way your grandfather does," Ojiro admits. "I thought that, maybe, you pitied me, and that was the only reason you hung out with me.” After a second, he adds, “Why…any of you hang out with me, honestly.”

“No…never…” She shakes her head. If anything, she’s the one who’s worth pitying. “Why would you…think that?”

“I’m not memorable. I just assumed…” Again, he stops, taking in a short breath. “I let the negativity get to me. That’s all.”

She wonders if he ever got teased as a kid by ignorant classmates for a mutation that he couldn’t help being born with. She wonders how many times people have commented on how plain or boring he is. She wonders if he understands what it means to be lonely, the same way she does. The same way Shoji does.

Is that why she has the friends that she does? Because they’re all just lonely people looking for a place in the world, but now they found each other? She smiles at the thought.

“I told my grandfather,” she starts, “that I was…gonna stand by you. That…I didn’t care what he thinks.” She exhales. “It…was scary.”

She wants to believe that he’s smiling a little. “Huh,” he says with a small nod. “That takes guts.”

“Mhm…” She rubs her cheek against the furry collar of his hero costume, comforted by its texture. “I’m sorry.”

He brings her closer to him, movements gentle. His hand tightens against her hip and his cheek touches the top of her head. “I forgive you.”

From up ahead, there’s a shout, and Ojiro freezes. Kemuri drags her eyes open and searches the horizon, catching sight of another group of villains as they round the corner of a building. Ojiro’s tail lashes and Kemuri tries to get herself to stand, but fails.

“Drop me,” she says. “You fight. Go.”

“Kemuri—”

“It’s okay. Just…go.”

Before he can protest or anything else, the ground splits open in a burst of dirt and concrete. The villains go flying and from underground, a giant yellow construction machine appears, giant metal-tipped claws sweeping at anything near it, batting villains aside.

“Power Loader Sensei,” Ojiro says, relief making his shoulders sag.

With the rest of the villains knocked out, Power Loader and his machine work their way over to the students. His expression is grim.

“Don’t worry, the pros are here,” he says. His attention flits between them, lingering on Kemuri. “Are you both okay? Shimakage?”

She lifts her head, then flashes a thumbs up. “The armour…works great,” she says with a pitiful excuse for a smile.

Power Loader’s lip twitches a little at the side. “Then I did my job,” he says. “Although, looks like someone got your face.” She nods, too exhausted to insist that she should’ve dodged better. He beckons them both forward. “Hop on, you two. Let’s get you back to the others.”

Chapter Text

“Kemuri, holy shit,” Hagakure gasps when Power Loader drops her and Ojiro off with the rest of the class. Iida makes a disapproving noise at the language, but the invisible girl doesn’t care. “What happened?”

“Quirk overuse…” Kemuri whispers, waving her hand about. “Just…need water…”

“I’ll find you some! Hold on!”

She races away and Kemuri just stays on the ground, staring up at the ceiling as it swims in and out of focus. At least Hagakure seems uninjured. Kemuri lets her head roll to the side, just able to see her classmates gathered near the front doors. They seem okay too.

“Kemuri, do you need to sit up?” Ojiro asks. “The floor can’t be comfortable.”

Kemuri shakes her head. “Feels…fine to me…”

She must look awful. Whenever she overuses her quirk, her skin gets all dry, her lips get chapped, and she generally looks dried out. It’s not a cute look.

Todoroki appears at the top of the staircase. He observes the gathered teenagers for a second, then his gaze flickers over to Kemuri. His eyebrows furrow and he walks over.

“What happened to you?” he asks.

Ojiro answers for her. “She got a little dehydrated. Quirk overuse,” he says. Todoroki nods and Ojiro adds, “You don’t happen to have any water, do you?”

Todoroki blinks, thinking for a second, and then he reaches out his right hand as an icicle forms from the palm. “I have this,” he says.

Kemuri makes grabby hands and he sets the icicle in her grasp. With the last bit of her strength, she pushes some steam out of her palms, melting some of the ice. She drops it to her mouth and sucks like her life depends on it.

“Thankou,” she mumbles around it.

Todoroki nods again and wanders off just as Hagakure returns with Midnight in tow. The invisible girl’s gloves turn in midair, between Kemuri and Todoroki, then she lets out a soft groan.

“Aw, he beat me to it,” she says.

Midnight kneels next to Kemuri. “Can you sit up now?” she asks.

When Kemuri nods, the pro helps her up, and Kemuri keeps drinking what she can from the icicle, letting out little puffs of steam to help it along. She feels better with every drop. Midnight says something to Ojiro and Hagakure about joining the others and they hurry off.

Midnight checks Kemuri’s bandaged jaw, prodding the edge of the cut lightly enough that it doesn’t cause a lot of discomfort. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asks.

Kemuri shakes her head. “No,” she says, lowering the icicle to her lap.

“And the quirk overuse?”

“I wasn’t careful enough. I’m weaker in dryer, hot climates,” she admits.

Midnight smiles a little and pulls a small patch and a cloth from somewhere on her suit. “Well, I’m glad that all of you are okay,” she says. She uses the cloth to wipe away some of the blood on Kemuri’s neck and around the cut, then puts a bandage over it. “That’s just until Recovery Girl gets to you, alright?”

“Thank you,” Kemuri says.

“My pleasure, dear.”

----------

The police arrive while all of the students wait outside. One of the cruisers pulls up, parks, and Kemuri pales a little when the officer gets out.

“Oh, boy,” she whispers.

“Kemuri!” Kazue calls. She rushes over, deftly avoiding running into any of Kemuri’s classmates, and engulfs her daughter in a hug. “Thank goodness, you’re alright,” she says. She eyes the nearly-melted icicle and the bandage on her jaw, dark eyes getting wider. “You are alright, right?”

“Yes, mom,” Kemuri says.

“Good, I’m glad.” She seems to relax, then looks Kemuri over again. “Wow…that’s a pretty awesome hero costume. You look great!”

“Thanks, mom.” Kemuri would say more, but she’s pretty drained. That incident was like the most hardcore training session ever, but with ten times the danger.

“You know, Tsukauchi tried to tell me to turn around when he found out it was your class,” Kazue says, smoothing her daughter’s hair. “But…I didn’t.”

“Are you going to get in trouble?”

“Oh, no, sweetie. It’s fine.” Kazue finally seems to notice the presence of other students, her concern falling into an easy smile. “Oh, all of you must be Kemuri’s classmates. It’s nice to meet you, although…the circumstances could be better.” When the teens look at the ground, her expression softens and she says, “Do any of you need water? I always have some in my cruiser, if you need.”

“Actually, I’d love water,” Uraraka says.

“Me too…” Sato says. Nishimura raises his hand in agreement.

Kazue turns around, goes to her cruiser, and emerges with a twenty-four pack of water bottles. She passes them out to the students, urging them to stay hydrated, easily reminding them that the police and the pros have the situation under control. Everyone takes a water bottle. Kemuri guzzles hers.

“Sergeant Shimakage!” someone calls from the USJ doors.

“Oh, duty calls,” Kazue says. She gives Kemuri’s forehead a kiss and adds, “I’ll see you at home, alright? This paperwork is going to take a while.”

“Okay,” Kemuri says. “I’ll see you later, mom.”

They hug before Kazue adjusts her cap and hurries off, dark ponytail swinging. She immediately starts directing the stream of handcuffed villains and officers coming out of the doors, all business.

“Your mom is…kinda awesome,” Kirishima says to Kemuri as he takes sips of his water.

“Your mom is a fox,” Mineta adds, only to get head-chopped by Iida. “Ouch…geez, just trying to distract myself…” he mutters, rubbing his head.

“There are more respectful ways of doing so,” Iida retorts.

The conversation gets interrupted as a tall man in a tan overcoat and matching hat approaches. Kemuri immediately recognizes him as Detective Tsukauchi, one of her mother’s co-workers and an all-around nice guy.

He introduces himself to the class, then says, “I’m just going to do a quick head count, alright?” When they nod, he starts, looking between a sheet of paper in his hand and them. “…nineteen, twenty, and twenty-one,” he finishes.

Kemuri looks around, startled, and realizes that Midoriya is missing. Where is he? Until she got rehydrated, she was too out of it to notice his absence. She starts fearing the worst, although the mood of her other classmates doesn’t suggest anything as drastic as death.

“Everyone’s here and mostly unharmed, all except that boy whose legs were all messed up,” Tsukauchi says. Kemuri relaxes. “I’ll go report back. You kids hang tight.”

As he walks away, conversation starts up as the class gathers in groups. The only topic is about what just happened.

Hagakure’s glove touches Ojiro’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you guys are okay,” she says. Ojiro smiles a little and she adds, “And…correct me if I’m wrong, but did you guys make up?”

“Yeah, everything’s forgiven,” Ojiro says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I owe you an apology too, for how I acted.”

“Are you kidding? I’m just glad all my friends are friends again!” Hagakure says, hugging Ojiro’s arm. He turns red, looking away as sweat rolls down his forehead. “How’d you guys survive the fire zone, anyway?”

“Hit and run,” both Ojiro and Kemuri say at once. They glance at each other and share a laugh.

“Where’d you end up, Hagakure?” Ojiro asks.

“The landslide zone, with Todoroki.” She sighs. “He’s so strong, it’s amazing! I don’t think he noticed me though…he was kind of caught up in fighting.”

“Well, I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt,” Ojiro says with a smile. Hagakure giggles and her gloves move up to her face.

Honestly, Kemuri wishes her friends weren’t so darn cute all the time. Her heart can’t handle it.

“Tokoyami! Shoji!” Hagakure calls, waving the boys over. Both of them leave their groups to rejoin their friends. “Ojiro and Kemuri made up! Isn’t that great?”

Tokoyami nods. “I am pleased to hear that.”

“Me too,” Shoji says. “We were worried.”

Ojiro looks sheepish again. “I just let myself get way too angry at the wrong person. I’m sorry for making you worry,” he says. He meets Kemuri's eyes and she smiles at him.

“You're allowed to be angry," she says. "What he said was...bad." As they nod, she adds, "Uh…hate to change the subject, but…where were you guys?” She gestures to Shoji and Tokoyami. “You don’t seem hurt…”

“I was in the Downpour Zone with Koda and Nishimura,” Tokoyami says. “Most of the villains were low-level thugs. Koda acted as a decoy, then Nishimura and I took them down. They were easy foes.”

“I didn’t get warped,” Shoji says. “All I did was tackle the warp villain, but…it gave Iida time to go get the pros.”

“Iida’s the one who alerted the pros?” Kemuri echoes. She turns, searching for the armoured boy in the crowd, and finds him talking to Uraraka. Kemuri lingers for a second, then returns her attention to her friend. “So, you guys that didn’t get warped really saved the day.”

“I feel like we missed a lot,” Ojiro says.

“Agreed,” Tokoyami says.

Shoji fills in some of the details that he can, mostly about the fight with the warp villain and All Might’s arrival, plus his battle with the brain beast (Nomu, they called it). Kemuri completely missed the giant gaping hole in the USJ’s roof that All Might created, but she blames her ignorance on the dehydration.

“Let’s get these kids back to the main campus,” Tsukauchi’s voice breaks up the noise as he walks back to the group. “They’ve been through a lot. We don’t need to question them right away.”

“Detective,” Tsuyu says, hopping closer to the man and stopping next to Mineta. “What about Mr. Aizawa?”

Again, Kemuri kicks herself for not noticing the absence of their teacher, and then realizes that she has no idea where Thirteen is either. So much has happened and she missed most of it.

Tsukauchi’s face falls and he pulls out his phone, typing in a number before holding it to his ear. He has a brief conversation with the person on the other side, probably a doctor, then asks for an update on Aizawa. He puts it on speakerphone and holds it out to the class.

“The bones in his arms are splintered and he’s got facial fracturing,” the voice on the phone says. “Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any serious brain damage, but…his orbital floor has almost been completely destroyed. We have no way of knowing if his eyesight will be impaired once he heals up.”

Tsukauchi thanks him and hangs up. “Well,” he says. “You heard the man.”

Tsuyu lets out a weak ribbit as Mineta’s eyes fill with tears. “Not his eyes,” he whimpers.

Kemuri has to blink away her own tears, sympathy overwhelming her, and she rubs at her eyes as Hagakure’s hand rests on her shoulder. Aizawa’s eyes are, at the most fundamental level, his quirk, and without them…

“Um, sir…what about Thirteen?” Mina asks. Jiro and Yaoyorozu linger behind her, faces wrought with worry.

“There’s no need to worry there,” Tsukauchi says. “Despite some pretty bad lacerations to the back, Thirteen is going to pull through, good as new.” Relief floods them and he adds, “All Might is also without any serious injuries. He’s in the nurse’s office right now. Recovery Girl’s power should be all the treatment he needs.”

“What about Deku?” Uraraka demands, her voice choked.

“How’s Midoriya?” Iida asks so quickly after her question that their words nearly overlap.

“Midori…ah.” The detective tips his hat. “Recovery Girl is taking care of him too. He’s fine.”

Uraraka exhales. “Oh, thank goodness.”

Tsukauchi orders them back to the bus and everyone complies. Kemuri climbs onto the bus, taking a spot with her friends on either side of her. As the bus pulls away from the USJ, the flashing police lights, and the villains, Kemuri leans her head onto Shoji’s shoulder.

“Still tired?” he asks.

She nods, eyes closing. The full force of everything that just happened hasn’t hit her yet. When her body has rehydrated and the adrenaline wears off, the numbness she’s feeling will probably disappear. Then…well, she isn’t sure of what to expect.

She’s just happy to be alive.

Chapter Text

It does hit her, but it’s easier to deal with than she expected.

School is closed on Thursday, so Kemuri spends the day at home, doing things that remind her that she’s alive and that things are okay. She watches funny videos online (Pro-Hero Crack Compilations are some of her favourites), takes a nap, and spends time in the Japanese garden that makes up her backyard. She spreads a blanket out next to the small pond and lies down, staring up at the clear blue sky, surrounded by the sound of trickling water, birds chirping, and the ripples that the koi make as they swim about.

Her grandfather tends to the garden. It’s a peaceful place with mostly the traditional Japanese aesthetic, although the occasional western touch is thrown in—like the red rose bushes, a personal favourite of Kemuri’s. Her grandfather designed it, helped build it, and he maintains it. He trims the trees, weeds the plants, feeds the koi when they need it, keeps the soil neat and the pond water clean. It’s the one thing he’s more dedicated to in his life aside from his job.

It’s strange for Kemuri to see her and her classmates on every news station that they turn to. Her grandfather hates it. For reasons Kemuri can only guess at, he has always disliked the idea of Kemuri’s face being in any sort of news outlet and he was adamant that she stay out of the news when she was younger, even more so once Kazue became relatively famous. It’s part of the reason why most people don’t recognize Kemuri, even if she is from an influential family.

“It’s time to get used to this, dad,” Kazue says as she turns off the TV. “Kemuri is on the hero track. She’s going to be on TV a lot more in the coming years. This is just the start of it.”

He grumbles something and stands up. “I’ll be in my room.” Before he leaves, he adds, “Kazue, dear, have you seen my bonsai clippers?”

“You left them on the shelf near the back door.”

“Thank you.”

Kemuri stares at the blank TV. “He tells me that I need to make connections and get noticed, but…he gets angry when I do,” she says.

“He’s…hard to understand, Kemuri,” Kazue says. “I’m sorry. I wish I knew why he acts like that.”

Kemuri knows, or at least she has a solid idea. He doesn’t want her face being associated with his proud name. He doesn’t want people knowing that his granddaughter is a half-Caucasian, half-Japanese girl with strange grey hair and nearly-blind eyes. He wants to look perfect and put-together. Kemuri is neither of those things.

Kemuri hears the front door open and she looks up from the TV just as her dad walks in with four pieces of mail. He smiles at his girls as he walks over to them.

“We’ve got some letters,” he says. He hands Kazue a card. “This one’s for both of us. Then there’s one for dad, and…” His eyebrows arch. “Oh, Kemuri, there’s one for you.”

Kemuri perks up. “What? A letter? From who?”

He sets the envelope in her hands, winking. “You’ll have to see, eh?”

Kazue is already reading the card inside. “Oh! Of course…” she says. She laughs as Cayden settles next to her, eyes glancing over the card. “I almost forgot about this.”

Kemuri doesn’t pay attention to her parents, focused entirely on the envelope with her first and last name written in beautiful calligraphy across the front. She rips it open, pulling out a sleek card with a familiar logo on the front: “Idaten Hero Agency”.

“What?” Kemuri whispers. She keeps repeating to herself as she flips the card open. “What? What? What?”

It’s an invitation to an Annual Heroics Gala at the Iida Estate on Saturday, April 21st, at 7 o’clock p.m. She reads the words with wide, unbelieving eyes. Formal wear, an acknowledgement of heroes at work in society, a time to network with heroes and businessmen and women…

She knows about this party. Her parents and grandfather go to it every year. Kemuri never went, far too nervous at the idea of being inside Iida’s house, plus she never got an invitation anyway. Despite her grandfather’s invite allowing him to bring a guest, he never extended the offer to Kemuri. She stayed at home and contented herself with other things, convinced that she was not fit for a party and that, even if she went, it would be a disaster.

Now, she’s staring at a real, honest-to-goodness invitation, addressed to her and only her. She finishes reading the details, then her attention falls to the last sentence.

It was great meeting you the other day! I’m sorry for not sending out an invitation to you in past years, but now I hope you’ll attend. I would be honoured if you did.
Sincerely,
The Turbo Hero: Ingenium,
Tensei Iida

Kemuri chokes on her own spit and dissolves into a hacking fit, hunched over on the couch as both her parents rush to make sure that she’s okay. Cayden leaves and returns with a glass of water that she gladly accepts, her chest still heaving as she blinks away the moisture in her eyes.

“I’m…I’m invited,” Kemuri squeaks. She shows her invitation to her wide-eyed parents. “Am I dreaming?”

Kazue takes the letter and reads it, her eyes brightening as much as her smile. “Nope,” she says. “This is real.”

“What’s real?”

The trio looks up to where Keiji is standing in the doorway, holding a bonsai tree in the crook of his arm. Kemuri’s mouth goes dry, Cayden’s fingers clench against his knee, and Kazue stands up.

“Kemuri got invited to the Heroics Gala,” she says. “Isn’t that great, dad?”

Keiji stares at her, then at his granddaughter. “Why would she get invited? She never was before.” His voice is smooth, low-toned, suspicious.

“W-Well…” Kemuri says. “I…I met Ingenium the other day and…and now he invited me.” She points to the invitation as Kazue hands it over to her father. “See?”

Kemuri prays that he doesn’t rip the invite in half. She wants to put it on her shelf next to her Ingenium figure as soon as this conversation is over. She watches her grandfather read, then hand the invitation back without so much as bending a single corner.

“Unbelievable,” he mumbles.

“Kemuri is making connections already,” Kazue says with her winning smile. She gives Kemuri her card, maintaining eye contact with her father. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she interned with Ingenium later this year.”

Kemuri smiles at the thought while Keiji just frowns. He makes another grunting noise, adjusts his bonsai tree, and walks away. The atmosphere relaxes noticeably and Kemuri goes back to staring at the invitation.

“Mom, dad,” she says. “I just realized something.” Their expressions are concerned as she looks from one to the other. “I don’t have a dress.”

Kazue grins. “Then get your shoes on, sweetie. We’re going shopping.”

----------

The excitement Kemuri felt over receiving her invitation and going to the mall to find a dress has pretty much disappeared by the time she puts on the seventh dress in the third store they’ve tried. Trying on clothes is fine, but her hair is starting to get frizzy and the dressing room lights aren’t as flattering as they could be.

“Is this really my colour?” Kemuri asks. She toys with the skirt of a long, green gown, turning to and fro in the mirror on the change-room door.

“I think any colour works on you,” her mom says with a smile. She sits on a plush chair in front of the door, one leg crossed neatly over the other. “Grey is very versatile.”

Kemuri sighs. “Yeah…I’m not feeling this one.”

She disappears back into the change-room. She gets out of the dress, hangs it up, and looks at the four others waiting on the hooks. She hugs herself, frowning a little, and selects a simple blue dress with long sleeves and a long skirt.

It’s times like these when she gets smacked in the face with how lucky she really is. This store is one of the more high-end places. A lot of their brands are designer and their formal wear is on par with bridal shops, not to mention plenty of the more fashion-forward pro heroes like to shop here.

Kemuri almost told her parents to just go past it, but Kazue felt it was worth a shot, especially since money isn’t exactly an issue for them. Cayden decided to go get them some drinks while Kemuri tried on dresses, stating that he really isn’t fit for this sort of thing.

As Kemuri is slipping her arms into the sleeves of the new dress, she hears her mom gasp.

“Hakamata? Is that you?”

There’s a soft chuckle. “Shimakage, it’s been a while,” says a masculine voice. A few smooth footsteps patter against the sleek tile floors of the store, then stop. “How are you?”

“Fine, fine. The past few days have been pretty busy, but I’m surviving.”

“Ah, I’m guessing that must be because of the USJ incident?”

Kemuri doesn’t move, her ears alert, eyes wide. She knows that voice, but from where? She wracks her brain as she wiggles the zipper up her back.

Her mother sighs. “Yes…they gave me the day off today. Kemuri didn’t have school, and they thought I could use the break to spend time with her.”

“Kemuri…” the man repeats. “She’s at U.A now, isn’t she?”

“Yes. High school, can you believe it? Feels like yesterday that that was us.”

“Time passes far more quickly when we aren’t paying attention to it.” A pause. “Are you here on your own?”

Kazue laughs. “No, no. Kemuri’s actually inside the change-room. Ingenium invited her to his Heroics Gala and she needed a new dress, so…” Her chair squeaks. “Kemuri, are you done in there?”

Kemuri startles. “Uh, y-yeah. Hold on.”

She turns the handle and exits the change-room to find a tall, thin man standing next to her mom. He’s wearing a button-up dress shirt, a pair of jeans, and a rather large scarf that covers the majority of his neck and face. What the scarf doesn’t cover, his sweeping blonde hair does.

Kemuri finds herself staring. “B-Best…Jeanist?” she squeaks.

He rests his hand on his hip and waves the other lightly. “Hello,” he greets. “Your mother and I were just talking. You got invited to the Heroics Gala, I hear.” When she nods, still too starstruck to speak, he adds, “I will be attending as well. If you want, I can offer you some advice.”

“U-Uh…sure? Yeah.” Again, she sticks to nodding her head like a woodpecker smashing its beak into a tree. Kazue smiles at her, one hand covering her mouth.

Best Jeanist moves closer, one hand drifting to his chin. “Hm…blue is a good colour on you. You have the advantage of such neutral-toned hair,” he says. “However, this type of dress doesn’t suit your figure.”

“O-Oh…it doesn’t?” Kemuri asks.

He shakes his head. “You have an athletic, yet petite build. I would suggest something strapless or backless, with a shorter, fluffier skirt. It will bring attention to your toned arms and legs, while making you look taller.” He turns her towards the mirror, gesturing down. “This dress hides you. The skirt is too straight. It mimics my jeans, but the difference is that my jeans are supposed to be straight.”

He’s absolutely right. “So…uh, which dress would you pick for me?” Kemuri asks.

“Show me the ones you already picked. I want to help you look your best, but not at the expense of your own comfort.”

She nods and grabs the remaining three that she left on the hooks. Best Jeanist immediately hands the lilac one to Kazue, shaking his head, then takes more time thinking between the last two. One is pink strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a high-to-low skirt. The other is scarlet with hints of black, a knee-length layered skirt, and has halter-top straps.

He hands her the red one. “Try that on.”

She does so, and when she emerges from the change-room, his eyes crinkle at the edges. He turns, crossing one arm over his chest as the other smooths his fringe.

“It’s perfect,” he says, low and dramatic.

Kazue clasps her hands together. “Oh, Kemuri…it’s lovely.”

Kemuri looks at herself in the mirror, fluffing the skirt a little. It sparkles under the dressing room lights, twinkling as she moves. The neckline is flattering for her small chest and both the off-the-shoulder sleeves and the first skirt layer are made of sheer black lace with rose designs. It really is the best choice.

“I love it,” she breathes.

Kazue claps a little, almost bouncing with excitement. Best Jeanist moves forward again, this time toying with her hair as he hums in thought. Kemuri looks up at him, expectant.

“For your hair, I want you to try wearing it down,” he says. She blinks, a little alarmed, and he continues, “The braid is nice, but I think if you frame your face a little with some loose, bouncy curls, it will complete the look. Also, wear a necklace.”

“Okay, I will.” She turns and bows to him. “Thank you so much, Best Jeanist.”

Again, he waves his hand a little. “It’s no trouble. I was needed, and a hero comes when they’re needed.” Kazue smirks and his dark eyes move to her. “I will see you two and Cayden at the gala, then?”

“Of course,” Kazue says. “It was so nice to see you, Hakamata.”

“Likewise.” He nods to her, then casts one more look at Kemuri. “It was lovely to meet you, too.”

He walks away and Kemuri finally takes a full breath of air. Kazue is smiling at her daughter knowingly, eyebrows arched.

“Did…did that just happen?” Kemuri asks. She gasps. “I didn’t even get his autograph!”

“I’m sure he appreciated the anonymity,” Kazue says. She grabs her purse from the floor and tugs it onto her shoulder as she stands up. “And besides, you don’t need his autograph when he gave you his personal fashion advice.”

She grins to herself and does another twirl in the dress. “Yeah! He…wow…”

“Hey ladies, sorry I took so long,” Cayden says as he hurries down the hall, a drink tray in hand. “The lines were crazy—”

He stops, staring at Kemuri. She smiles a little, fingers bunching at the skirt, and Cayden’s expression falls into confusion.

“Uh…excuse me, princess, but have you seen my daughter?” he asks. He searches the area aroud him dramatically, his curls bouncing. “She’s supposed to be here but—”

“Dad…” she giggles.

He laughs. “Sweetie, you look great. Is that the one you’re getting?”

“It’s Best Jeanist approved, so…yes,” she says.

Before Cayden can question what that means, Kazue loops her arm through his and takes her drink from the tray. “We ran into Hakamata and he helped Kemuri find a dress,” she says, taking a sip.

Cayden shakes his head. “What a guy.”

“I’m gonna get changed, then we can go,” Kemuri says as she ducks back into the change-room.

On the way out of the store, shopping bag in hand, Kemuri takes out her phone and texts Hagakure.

Kemuri
You’ll never guess who I just met.

Hagakure
…uhhhhh…
Best Jeanist!

Kemuri
Uh…yup!

Hagakure
Wait what!?
I was kidding?!!!
You met Best Jeanist?!?!?
GIRL WHAT IS YOUR LIFE????
WHAT NEXT??
GANG ORCA…LIKE, IDK…
ADOPTS YOU??

Kemuri
OMG Gang Orca as my dad? Wild.
Also…Ingenium invited me to a Heroics Gala.
Like there’s one every year but I was never invited before.
And now I am.
And I have a new dress…that Best Jeanist picked for me.

Hagakure
I am so heckin’ jealous right now
OHHHMAGAWDDDD
His jeans are my life.
I want to be buried in them >^<
Best Jeanist? More like Best GENIUS.

Kemuri
Lmao!
Maybe he’ll make you a funeral suit out of jeans :D

Hagakure
THAT’S A GREAT IDEA
YAS!!

Kemuri looks up from her phone as her mom calls her, saying something about new shoes. She pockets her phone and hurries to catch up with her parents, bag thumping against her leg.

Chapter Text

It’s good to be back in class, but Kemuri can’t help but wonder who’s going to be teaching them. Aizawa is still in the hospital, recovering from his injuries, so maybe one of the other teachers will be stepping in.

“Guys, did you watch the news last night?” Hagakure asks, leaning across her desk.

“Yeah,” Ojiro says. Kemuri nods.

“It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time,” she continues. Her shoulders slump and her sleeve crosses her chest. “Though I don’t think anybody noticed me hanging out in the background.”

Ojiro lets out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah…it’s difficult to stand out when you’re just gloves,” he says.

Kemuri thinks of the picture that appeared on the news. Kemuri was behind Hagakure in it and with their positioning, it looked more like Kemuri herself was wearing gloves, not that the gloves were another person.

Kemuri doesn’t mention that and instead says, “Uh, well…I’m sure you’ll get more attention later. It was only a few seconds, after all.”

Behind them, Kaminari hooks his arms behind his head and lounges in his seat. “We’re totally big deals,” he says. Kemuri swivels around in her chair just as Ojiro and Hagakure do the same. “Those news channels love us. We’re practically celebrities.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda crazy, right?” Kirishima asks.

“Get over yourselves,” Jiro says, her earphone jack twirling around her finger. “The hero course that pumps out pros was attacked and that’s what they care about.”

Sero slumps onto his desk. “Who knows what would’ve happened to us if the teachers hadn’t shown up,” he says.

Mineta stands up on his chair, tears already building in his eyes. “WHY’D YOU SAY THAT?!” he wails. “I’m gonna pee myself just thinking about it!”

“OH, SHUT UP! GROW A PAIR, YOU LOSER!” Bakugo shouts, making the purple-haired boy collapse into his seat while Midoriya nervously holds his hands up in surrender.

“Did you guys see All Might fighting the bird guy?” Sato asks. He starts imitating punches. “He was super strong and All Might still destroyed him!”

“Yes, his strength is truly a thing of wonder,” Tokoyami agrees.

Nishimura lets out a slightly scathing laugh, shaking his head. “We were stuck in the Downpour Zone, Tokoyami,” he says. “We didn’t see All Might or that bird dude do much of anything.” He leans back in his chair, arms crossed. “I would’ve liked to see him in action, though.”

Shoji arches an eyebrow. “You…wanted to see Mr. Aizawa get smashed into the ground?”

Nishimura straightens up. “Don’t go twisting my words, man. I meant All Might. Punching and stuff! I’m not twisted.”

He and Sato do a series of organized punches, then fist-bump, and make an explosion noise as they pull apart. Todoroki lets out a long sigh and Yaoyorozu’s grey eyes dart upwards from where she’s writing in her notebook, eyebrow arched in amusement.

Kemuri spins back around in her chair. “Did they choreograph that?” she whispers to Hagakure.

“It’s funnier if you imagine that they did,” she retorts.

The clock ticks to 8:24 a.m and, right on time, Iida marches to the front of the class. “Attention, homeroom class is about to begin!” he shouts. He flings his arms out, the force making his uniform jacket flare out. “Everyone stop talking and take your seats!”

“Uh…we’re all sitting,” Kirishima says.

“Yeah, you’re the only one standing,” Sero adds.

Iida stomps back to his seat, flops down, and mutters out a strained, “Dang. It.”

Kemuri dips her mouth into her hand to hide her giggle. She hears Mina asking Tsuyu about who she thinks the teacher will be when the door slides open, revealing a man who’s only recognizable via the mop of unkempt black hair on his head and the scarf around his neck. His face and arms are shrouded in bandages.

“Morning, class,” Aizawa grumbles.

“MR. AIZAWA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” almost everyone exclaims. Kemuri asks it at a much softer volume.

“Woah…what a pro,” Kaminari utters.

“Mr. Aizawa! I’m glad you’re okay!” Iida says, one hand shooting straight into the air.

“You call that…okay?” Uraraka squeaks.

Aizawa stumbles to the front podium like a zombie. “My wellbeing is irrelevant. What’s more important is that your fight isn’t over yet.”

Kemuri’s blood runs cold, hands forming fists against her desk. What fight? Were the statements she gave at the police station not enough? Did the villains escape and already plot their revenge?

“Our fight?” Bakugo asks.

“Don’t tell me…” Midoriya whispers.

Mineta is shaking in his seat. “Not more bad guys…” he whimpers. For once, Kemuri finds herself agreeing with his feelings of utter terror.

Aizawa’s bloodshot eyes peer out from the bandages. “The U.A Sports Festival is about to start,” he says.

Kemuri’s mouth falls open and a shout of, “WHY WOULD YOU SCARE US LIKE THAT?!” erupts from her classmates.

“The Sports Festival,” Kemuri breathes.

“LET’S GO KICK SOME ASS!” Kirishima yells, fist pumping.

“Wait a second.” Kaminari shoves his entire hand at Kirishima’s face, forcing the redhead back into his seat.

“Is it really such a good idea to hold the Sports Festival so soon after villains snuck inside?” Jiro asks.

“They could attack while we’re all in the same place,” Ojiro agrees.

“No!” Kemuri insists, startling herself and others with the volume she says it at. She turns red. “I…I mean, no…it’s…we can’t cancel! It’s…it’s the Sports Festival…” she mumbles.

“Apparently,” Aizawa says, “the administration believes this is the best way to show that the threat has been handled and that our school is safer than ever. Plus, they’re beefing up security compared to past years.” His head lifts just a little. “This event is a huge opportunity for all students at U.A. It’s not something we can just cancel because of a few villains.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, but why not?” Mineta asks. “It’s just a sports festival.”

And just like that, Kemuri is back to never agreeing with a word that comes out of Mineta’s mouth. That was short-lived.

“Huh? Mineta, don’t you know how important this competition is?” Midoriya asks.

“Of course, I do. I just don’t want to get murdered.”

“Our Sports Festival is one of the most-watched events in the entire world,” Aizawa says. “In the past, everyone obsessed over the Olympic Games, but then quirks started appearing. Now the Olympics have been drastically reduced in terms of scale and viewership. For anyone who cares about competition, there’s only one tournament that matters: the U.A Sports Festival.”

Kemuri’s heart is pounding. In her mind, she can hear the screaming crowds, see the coloured bursts of fireworks. This is what she’s been waiting for. This is the event that put her mom on the map and it’ll be the one that gets Kemuri noticed too.

“That’s right, and top heroes everywhere will be watching,” Yaoyorozu says. “This is where you get scouted!”

“Sure, unless you’re dead…” Mineta mumbles.

“She’s right! After graduating, a lot of people join pro agencies as a sidekick!” Kaminari says.

“Yeah, but that’s as far as some people go. They miss their chance to go indie and end up as eternal sidekicks,” Jiro says. Her hooded eyes fall on Kaminari. “Actually, that’s probably where you’re headed. You’re kinda dumb.”

Kaminari twitches, teeth gritted.

“It’s true that joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater choice and popularity,” Aizawa says. “That’s why the festival matters. If you want to go pro one day, then this event could open a path for you. One chance a year, three chances in a lifetime—no aspiring hero can afford to miss this festival.” His gaze turns hard. “That means, you better not slack off on your training.”

“Yes, sir!” everyone shouts.

“Class is dismissed.”

Kemuri can’t keep her hands still. This is it. It’s finally happening and she can’t wait to get started.

----------

When the bell rings for lunchtime, ending Modern Literature class, Kemuri heads to the back of the class to get her lunch money from the cubbies. The rest of her classmates linger, all starting to talk about the festival at once.

“That villain stuff sucks, sure, but I’m pumped for these games!” Kirishima says. Kemuri, kneeling by her cubby, wonders how it’s possible for one person to be so bright and positive.

“We put on a good show, and we’re basically on the road to being pros!” Sero says, elbowing his friend.

“Yeah, this is why I’m even here in the first place,” Sato says, punching his own palm.

Nishimura, lounging on his desk, nods. “Same,” he says. “But, man…my dad threw a fit when he found out I wanted to go here, mostly because of the festival. He hates the spotlight.” He smirks a little. “Glad that that didn’t rub off on me, though.”

Tokoyami is sitting on top of the cubbies, arm perched on his leg. “We get so few chances to impress,” he says, head bowed. “We must make the most of it.”

Kemuri inches her way past them, trying not to disturb them, and she searches for a group to join before going off to the cafeteria. Hagakure and Ojiro are talking at the front of the class—Kemuri can hear them discussing how Hagakure could get noticed—and Aoyama is saying something about how dazzling he is while Koda erases the blackboard.

Kemuri decides to wait with Shoji, who’s sitting in Kemuri’s desk with Kaminari, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu. As she walks up to them, she hears Kaminari saying, “You’re so lucky, Shoji. People are bound to notice your unique quirk.”

“Sure, but what matters is that I show them how useful I can be,” Shoji says, clenching his hand into a fist.

“No doubt you’ll make a scene too,” Jiro snickers, nudging Kaminari. Kemuri wonders if she’s referring to how Kaminari shocks himself dumb when he overuses his quirk.

Judging by the way Kaminari bristles, teeth gritted, she is. “You’re the worst, Jiro,” he says, but his tone is too light-hearted to be truly mean.

Yaoyorozu notices Kemuri standing awkwardly behind Shoji and smiles. “Shimakage, are you excited for the festival?”

The other three turn to her as Kemuri nods. “Well, yeah…I’ve been training for it for as long as I can remember. It’s…” She touches her fingers together, biting her lip. “It’s kinda my goal to win the whole thing.”

Jiro and Kaminari’s eyes widen. “Wait, seriously?” Kaminari asks. “You plan to win?”

Kemuri hates the shock in his voice, but she nods. “Yeah…”

Yaoyorozu strokes her chin. “Oh…I can see why you would aim for that. Your mom won the festival when she was at U.A, right?” she asks. “She was one of the first General Studies students to win first prize! She even beat the top hero student in her year.”

“What?” Jiro asks. “Who’s your mom again?”

Kemuri swallows. “U-Uh…Kazue Shimakage.”

That not only makes Kaminari audibly gasp and say “no way”, but it gets the attention of the group of guys lingering by the cubbies. Kemuri’s entire face turns red as Kaminari leans closer to her.

“Wait, she’s your mom? Seriously?” he asks, his golden eyes wide. The other guys are still staring. “I thought you just had the same last name!”

“Uh…didn’t…didn’t you see her at the USJ?” Kemuri squeaks. “She…she gave everyone water…”

Kaminari stares, mouth hanging open. “…oh. Right.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I forgot.”

Jiro coughs into her fist. “Idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot! I just forgot that Sergeant Shimakage is the same person as Kazue Shimakage!”

“How many Shimakages do you think there are?”

“Well, more than there actually are, apparently!”

“It’s…like, not common at all, dude.”

“Guys? Can…we stop talking about my last name?” Kemuri requests. She looks around to find that most of the class is staring at her and her entire body floods with something akin to panic, telling her to run away. “Yup! My mom’s famous! Now you all know and won’t be weird about it anymore!” she says to the onlookers, her voice gaining pitch.

Shoji rests his hand on her arm. “Hey, it’s okay. Calm down,” he whispers. Her classmates return to their own conversations and he gives her a gentle squeeze. “See?”

“R-Right…” She takes a deep breath and turns to Yaoyorozu. “I’m sorry, Yaoyorozu. Your…uh, original comment was correct. My mom won in her third year, so…I kinda want to beat her record and win in my first or second. If…if that doesn’t sound weird or anything.”

Yaoyorozu smiles. “It’s good to have a goal in mind. I wish you the best of luck.”

“T-Thank you.”

“EVERYONE! I’M GONNA DO MY BEST!”

Every head turns to Uraraka as she throws her fist up in the air, her face shrouded in an expression that’s dark and determined. It really doesn’t suit her. At the proclamation, Iida and Midoriya let out weak “yeah’s” and Mina giggles as she cheers.

Uraraka whirls around to the five guys at the back of the class. “I SAID I’M GONNA DO MY BEST!”

They respond with a series of confused mumbles.

“Got it…” Kirishima says. “You okay? You kinda seem like you’re losing it.”

“ONCE MORE FOR MY PEEPS IN THE BACK!” Uraraka shouts, pointing towards Kemuri’s group. “I SAID I’M GONNA DO MY BEST!”

Kemuri lifts her fist. “Yeah! Everyone…everyone should do their best!” she calls, trying to sound more confident than she is.

“THAT’S IT, SHIMAKAGE! CONFIDENCE IS KEY!” Uraraka praises.

Kemuri feels sweat roll down her face, but smiles anyway as she gives her fist another shake.

Chapter Text

“Real talk, Kemuri, what’s your plan for winning?” Hagakure asks over lunch.

Kemuri looks up from her food, biting her lip. “Well…because we won’t know what we’re competing in until the day of, I just plan to do my best.”

“That’s all fine and good, but doing your best is more of a sentiment than a plan,” Tokoyami utters. “I mean that in the politest way possible.”

“Well, I have to make it to the final round. That’s always a one-on-one fight, then depending on how that works out, I’ll use my martial arts. That’s all I can hope for, right?”

“True,” Ojiro says. “It’s hard to plan for a tournament when everything from the events to your opponents is a surprise.”

“How did your mom win?” Shoji asks. “Maybe she can give you tips.”

Kemuri sighs and pokes at her rice. “Well…she fights the same way I do. She flew under the radar for most of her school life, then her third year hit and she went all out.”

She purses her lips. Kemuri hadn’t been born when her mom competed in the festival, obviously, but she’s seen the video clips. It’s been included in Top 10 “Shocking Sports Festival Moments” for years, even now. Kazue Shimakage was known as the “General Studies Dark Horse of U.A” for a while after she graduated, and even now that title still comes up.

“She didn’t even reveal what she could do with her quirk until she got to the third round, then she knocked out every opponent she went up against,” Kemuri continues. “When she got to the finals, the hero course guy she was up against nearly beat her to a pulp. He knocked her down hard and he thought he won, so he started boasting. He got cocky, and the next thing he knew he got a strike to the back of the neck. Done.”

“Oh, so she had the element of surprise,” Hagakure says. “You…don’t really have that.”

Kemuri grits her teeth, eyes closing, and her chopsticks stab into her rice. “Right…”

“Just because our class knows how she fights doesn’t mean we can beat her,” Ojiro says, trying to sound hopeful. “I think you’ve got a chance, Kemuri.”

“I do too,” Shoji says.

Kemuri smiles a little. “You guys are being really supportive, considering this is a competition,” she says. She eats some rice and, as she chews, adds, “I think Tokoyami’s got a better chance than I do.”

Tokoyami’s eyebrow arches. “Oh?”

She swallows her rice, nodding. “You’re one of the top students in the class, if we’re going by raw power,” she says. “Honestly, I think it’s going to be between you, Bakugo, Todoroki, and…Iida, maybe Midoriya if he doesn’t break every bone in his body.”

His expression is hard to place. After a second of silence, he bows his head. “I am…honoured, that you see so much potential in me.” His beak curves into a smile. “Honestly, I think that the festival can be won by anyone, under the right circumstances. I don’t want any of you selling yourselves short.”

“Yeah! We should all do our best and have fun!” Hagakure chirps. She sticks her sleeve toward the centre of the table. “Right, guys?”

Kemuri puts her hand on top of Hagakure’s. “Right!”

The boys follow their lead. They bounce the stack of hands between them and Hagakure cheers, making Kemuri, Ojiro, and Shoji laugh. Tokoyami, reserved as ever, just smiles as he shakes his head. Even he isn’t immune to Hagakure’s constant sunny disposition.

----------

At the end of the day, class 1-A finds their path to freedom blocked by a hoard of students from other classes. Kemuri stands at her desk, staring with wide eyes at the gaping students.

“Uh…why the heck are you all here?” Uraraka asks. She’s the one closest to the door, if you count out Aoyama still sitting in his desk.

“Do you students have some sort of business with our class?” Iida asks, his hand sweeping outwards to point at them.

“Why are you blocking our doorway?” Mineta asks. He starts shaking his fist. “I won’t let you hold us hostage!”

Bakugo stomps past them. “They’re scouting out the competition, idiots,” he utters, making Mineta shake like a rattlesnake’s tail. “We’re the class that survived a real villain attack. They want to see us with their own eyes.”

Midoriya waves his hands at the panicking Mineta and whispers, “Let’s hope he doesn’t explode anybody.”

Bakugo stops in front of the hoard, hands in his pockets, stone-faced. The students closest to the door physically shy away from him even when he’s just looking at them. Kemuri is both terrified and in awe of the power he holds.

“At least now you know what a future pro looks like,” he says. “Now move it, extras.”

Iida’s hand starts chopping rapidly while multiple others pale at his rudeness. “You can’t go around calling people extras just because you don’t know who they are!” he scolds.

“So…this is class 1-A?” a monotone voice says from the crowd. Kemuri cranes her neck around, just able to catch sight of a tuft of purple hair peeking above the heads of the other students. “I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the hero course delusional, or just you?”

Bakugo’s eyes go white and he bares his teeth while Uraraka, Midoriya, Iida, and Kemuri all start shaking their heads and hands in warning. The speaker reveals himself as he muscles through the final row of students; he’s a tall boy with voluminous purple hair and dark circles under his violet eyes.

“How sad to come here and find a bunch of ego-maniacs,” the guy says, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kemuri frowns a little. He’s really quick to judge all of them based off of the most explosive, rude guy in their class. She finds that just a little unfair.

“I wanted to be in the hero course,” he continues, “but like many others here, I was forced to choose a different track. Such is life.”

“Tch,” Bakugo mutters.

“I didn’t cut it the first time around, but I have another chance,” the stranger says. “If any of us do well in the Sports Festival, the teachers can decide to transfer us to the hero course. Then they’ll have to transfer people out to make room.” His words make a few people stiffen as his tired gaze flits about the class. “Although…this year they so generously let in extra students anyway.”

Kemuri’s shoulders hunch and her eyebrows furrow.

“Scouting the competition? Maybe some of my peers are, but I’m here to let you know that if you don’t bring your very best, I’ll steal your spot right out from under you. Consider this a declaration of war.”

Kemuri shifts closer to Ojiro and Hagakure, glancing at their expressions (or at least, Ojiro’s). His lips are pursed, unsure, and Kemuri is glad to see that she isn’t the only one who’s a little shocked at the stranger’s declaration.

Although, she can at least understand his annoyance.

“HEY, YOU!” another voice shouts. A guy with silver hair, crazy long eyelashes, and sharp teeth appears from the middle of the crowd. “I’m from class 1-B right next door to you! We heard you fought some villains and came to see if that was true, but you’re just a bunch of brats who think you’re better than us!”

If Kemuri was a braver person, she would retort against everything that these two guys have said. “No, I’m not a brat! I worked hard to get into this course!” she would say. “I don’t think I’m better than you! Not at all! Please…please don’t hate me.”

But she isn’t brave, so she keeps her mouth shut and just thinks all of that.

“Talk all you want, but it’ll just make it more embarrassing once you’re K.O’ed!” the guy keeps shouting. Bakugo, unfazed, starts toward the door. “DON’T IGNORE ME!”

“Dude, where are you going?” Kirishima asks. “You’ve gotta say something! It’s your fault they’re all hating on us, Bakugo!”

“These people don’t matter,” Bakugo utters, earning a confused noise from Kirishima. “The only thing that’s important is that I beat them.”

He shoves past the purple-haired guy, disappearing into the stunned crowd, and the guy from 1-B adds in a final, “HEY! I’M COMING FOR YOU!”

Kirishima clenches his hand into a fist, a tear in his eye. “I hate that that was such a manly exit,” he says. Kaminari gapes at him.

“You said it,” Sato says.

Nishimura rolls his shoulders, his neck cracking. “It’s competition. If you don’t beat them, you lose,” he says. “Bakugo could’ve put it nicer, but you can’t beat that honesty.”

“Well, sure, but this sucks!” Kaminari says, visibly distressed. “He made us everyone’s enemies!”

“Yeah, he’s right! All of these dumb students are gonna be gunning for us in the festival now,” Mineta says, again getting teary.

Kemuri adjusts her backpack. “I…think they were gonna do that anyway,” she admits. Mineta’s head whips around to her and she jumps, starting to sputter, “I mean, we…we did just survive a villain attack, plus the hero course is always the one to beat…”

“Man, why can’t you just agree with me for once?!” Mineta whines. “You’d be cuter if you did!”

Kemuri’s expression falls flat. “Maybe I don’t care if you find me cute, Mineta.” She clears her throat, adding in a slight mumble, “I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

Hagakure whistles. “Oo, savage! Burn!”

“Same, though,” Kemuri hears Mina say from her desk.

Kemuri shrugs a little as she tucks her backpack closer to her. What can she say? She has no reason to be shy around Mineta. He’s the kind of guy who needs it told the way it is, no fat, no fluff, and his opinion is one of the only things that she doesn’t want to waste mental energy on.

“We’ve got a train to catch,” Kemuri says. “Ready to go, guys?”

“Yup,” Ojiro and Hagakure say.

Shoji and Tokoyami join them as they leave the class. Most of the students get out of the way as soon as they take one look at Shoji. Kemuri lets out a long breath and Hagakure’s arm loops through hers.

“Hey, let’s just think positive about this, okay?” she says. Noticing the sullen mood of her friends, she adds, “How about we hang out tomorrow to get our minds off things?”

“What do you suggest?” Ojiro asks.

Hagakure seems to grin. “How about going to the arcade? We can win prizes, eat yummy food…”

Shoji perks up. “That…actually sounds fun. I’m pretty good at those games.” He glances at his hands. “Not to brag or anything…”

“Oo, yeah! Those six arms are like a prize-winning machine!” Hagakure squeals. She bounces in place, jerking Kemuri’s arm a little. “How about it, guys?”

“We…could use a re-do after last Saturday’s disaster…” Kemuri admits.

“I’m in,” Tokoyami says. Ojiro nods.

“Sweet! I’ll text you the details!” Hagakure giggles.

They hurry out of the school and onto the sidewalk, where they lapse into scattered conversation and content silence. The walk to the station tends to be quieter than other times that they hang out. It’s what happens when a clan of introverts (minus the resident extrovert, Hagakure) spends an entire day surrounded by people.

Kemuri is just happy to have friends who enjoy some occasional peace and quiet, just like she does.

Chapter Text

Kemuri is the first person to show up at the arcade. She fiddles with her purse, playing some games on her phone and nervously checking the sidewalks for her friends. She checks the address that Hagakure sent her multiple times, and just as she thought, she’s at the right place.

She looks up from her phone to observe her surroundings, from the cherry blossoms to the pedestrians going past her and the cars that go by on the street. It’s peaceful.

“Kemuri!”

Her head snaps away from her daydreaming as Hagakure dashes towards her, Ojiro in tow. He waves at her, a lot quieter than his companion, and Kemuri accepts a hug from Hagakure as she arrives.

“I’m so excited! I’ve got coins and everything!” Hagakure says, jingling her tiny purse. It’s shaped like a cat head, with adorable eyes and a cute expression on the front. It matches the rest of Hagakure’s painfully cute casual clothing.

“Me too,” Kemuri says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Us three.”

She jumps and whirls around to find Shoji and Tokoyami standing on the sidewalk behind her. Shoji’s tentacle mouth grins and Tokoyami has his hands tucked in his pockets. He waves a little.

“Sorry for startling you,” Tokoyami says.

“Did you guys wait for long?” Shoji asks.

“Nope! We just got here!” Hagakure says. There’s a clapping sound as her clothes bounce up and down. “Perfect timing!”

Ojiro smiles a little. “So…games first, food later?”

“Yes,” the other four say with a nod.

They head inside the arcade, immersing themselves in a world of giant crane machines and the flashing lights of classic games. Kemuri can’t help but feel a jolt of nervousness as the bustle of the arcade surrounds her. In truth, she’s hardly ever gone to arcades. As much as she likes a good video game, she isn’t necessarily good at them, plus she’s never had anyone to go to arcades with. It’s a new experience entirely.

Hagakure squeals and grabs Kemuri’s arm, dragging her off to one of the dancing games. Kemuri tries to tell her that she isn’t all that good at dancing, but the invisible girl won’t have it.

“This isn’t about being good! Just have fun and follow the steps!” she urges. “Live it up, Kemuri!”

Hagakure slips some yen into the machine, then hands her purse to Ojiro. Kemuri does the same thing on her side, but turns around and asks Tokoyami or Shoji if they can hold her bag. Shoji takes it without question and the boys linger behind to watch.

Hagakure is right. Once Kemuri forgets about trying to look good, she starts to have fun. It’s easier than she expected to tap her feet along to the arrows on the screen, and when she casts a brief glance to Hagakure, she finds that she’s getting her entire body into it. Her clothes are swinging and bobbing along with the movements of her shoes.

Once the song is over, Kemuri takes a break and Ojiro goes for a round with Hagakure, handing off her purse to Tokoyami as he goes. He’s a lot more coordinated than Kemuri, even if he’s a little unsure of how to start it up, but Hagakure is giggling as she dances and he has a grin on his face as he tries to imitate her movements.

After the dancing game, they split off to do more one-player games. Kemuri and Tokoyami play a game where you hunt vampires, one where she loses spectacularly.

“Ooh, look!” Hagakure gushes, racing over to a crane machine. She points. “Hero plushies!”

Kemuri joins her friend’s side, admiring the toys nestled in the machine. Her eye lingers on one of Edgeshot while Hagakure is fixated on the jumbo Mt. Lady. Kemuri reaches into her purse and digs for coins. She’s terrible at these games—her hands always get shaky—but sometimes luck wins out. That’s how she snagged her Ingenium plush.

“Want me to try?” Shoji asks, tapping her shoulder lightly. “I could win that for you.”

She looks up at him, eyes wide. “You would?”

His eyes crinkle at the edges with a smile as he cracks his neck. “One Edgeshot plush, coming up.”

She hands him her coins, he puts them in, and he settles in front of the machine. He forms two extra eyes on the ends of his tentacles and positions them on either side of the machine, then rests his hands on the controls. He wins the plush with ease that Kemuri can only dream of and when he hands it to her, she has to stop herself from squealing as she gives it a hug.

“Shoji, you’re amazing!” Hagakure praises. She jumps in place. “Could you try for the Mt. Lady? For me?”

Shoji laughs. “Sure thing.”

He wins that one too. Hagakure thanks him repeatedly as she clings to the giant plush, nearly the size of her entire torso, while Shoji just rubs the back of his neck and humbly says, “It’s nothing, really.”

“What else can you win?” Tokoyami asks, stroking his chin—or is it beak? Kemuri chooses not to dwell on it.

One of Shoji’s tentacle mouths smirks. “Let’s see.”

Maybe it’s ridiculous, but the group tries out every crane machine they can find. Shoji plays most of the time, but the others take their shots too. They win mini figures, stuffed toys, and more; Tokoyami tries to act like he doesn’t want a chibi Hawks figure, but Shoji wins it for him anyway. Tokoyami can’t hide his embarrassed smile as he holds the box close. They have so much fun with it that they almost forget to eat, only alerted by the rumbling of their stomachs.

“Shoji, are you sure you don’t want any of these?” Kemuri asks as she stirs her All Might cup noodles. She motions to the prizes, tucked away in some plastic bags.

Shoji shakes his head. “I’m more of a minimalist. I don’t need that stuff,” he says.

“If you say so, man,” Ojiro says. “You won most of these for us, so…we wouldn’t want you to feel cheated.”

“Agreed,” Tokoyami says.

“Yeah!” Hagakure agrees. “Just let us know if you change your mind, okay?”

Shoji’s cheeks turn pink and he bows his head. “Thank you…but really, don’t worry about it.”

They finish up their food and return to the arcade to play a few more games. When their coin stashes reach their limit, the group decides to call it a day, and they head for the doors. On the way out, they pass a row of gashapon machines, and one catches Kemuri’s eye. She stops for a second, digging out some of her yen, and puts it into the machine.

She catches up to her friends just as they notice she isn’t with them, plastic ball in hand.

“You got a gashapon?” Ojiro asks.

Kemuri nods. “Yeah. It…made me think of something.” She smiles and holds it out to Shoji. “Why don’t you open it?”

Shoji’s eyebrow arches, but he nods. “Uh, sure.”

Hagakure, Ojiro, and Tokoyami lean closer as Shoji opens up the toy capsule. His expression floods with confusion, then an amused chuckle shakes him as he pulls out a keychain; the charm is a chibi octopus holding a takoyaki platter on two of its tentacles.

“Aw, it’s so cute!” Hagakure coos. “Isn’t that from that new show where different animals all make food, but some of it includes, like…themselves as an ingredient?”

“Oh, yeah, that show is kind of twisted,” Ojiro says. “But adorable? Because the animals cook? But it’s sort of cannibalism…”

“Yeah, but none of them eat the food they make. They eat all the other foods. And there’s that duck that makes rice.”

“I like the pufferfish that makes sashimi,” Tokoyami states.

Shoji is still holding the keychain, watching it spin to and fro as it dangles from its chain. Kemuri folds her hands behind her back, clearing her throat.

“You should keep it,” she says. Shoji’s attention switches to her and she adds, “I know you said you don’t need anything, but...that’s so you, and it’s small…and you deserve something.”

Shoji’s eyes lift and he nods. “Well, I do like this,” he says. He closes his fingers around it and tucks it into his pocket. “Thank you, Kemuri.”

She grins. “Y-Yeah! No problem!”

The next time she sees that keychain, it’s hanging from Shoji’s backpack, and it makes her all warm and fuzzy inside.

----------

On Sunday morning, Kemuri enters the dojo to find her grandfather waiting there. He’s dressed in his training uniform, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows furrowed. Kemuri freezes in place.

“U-Uh…” she starts. “Good morning, grandfather.”

“I need to talk to you,” he says. Without waiting for a response he continues. “As you know, it’s almost time for the Sports Festival.”

Kemuri feels her gut twinge. “Yes? If…if by almost, you mean in two weeks—”

“Two weeks is hardly enough time to get you into shape,” he snaps, making her flinch and nearly lose her grip on her water bottle. “Get in here.”

She urges herself the rest of the way through the door, sliding it shut behind her, and she puts her water bottle and phone aside. She feels cheated. Her morning workout is supposed to be her relaxation time. She usually puts on some music, does some yoga poses, practices sensing around the room with her quirk, and the like.

“I…I hate to ask, but…” His glare makes her mouth go dry and she swallows before saying, “Isn’t…our training session later in the day?”

“Usually, but you need more training if you’re going to have even a remote chance of making it in the festival,” he says. She bows her head and he continues, “This is your chance to get noticed. You have to win.”

“I want to, really,” she says. “B-But…”

“But…what?” His tone is harsh, daring her to continue her thought.

Like an idiot, she does. “My classmates…some of them are incredibly…incredibly strong. I…I don’t stand a chance even if I make it to the final round. I—”

“I don’t care. You think Kazue ever stopped to think about how strong her opponents were? No. She didn’t, because she isn’t weak-willed like you and your father.”

“H-Hey, dad isn’t—”

“Kazue trained hard. I taught her everything and she did her best, claiming the medal she deserved, and if you don’t do the same, then you can forget calling yourself a hero or a Shimakage.”

“Grandfather, I…I understand, but I’m up against people like Endeavour’s son. He’s…he’s powerful, and I’m—”

“A Shimakage overcomes such things. It’s like I said.” His eyebrows furrow. “If you go out there and do nothing but embarrass me and disparage the Shimakage legacy any more than you already have, then it will prove what I’ve known all along—that you’re weak and that you will never be stronger than you already are.”

Her chest is tight and she bites her lip, moving her eyes down enough so that she doesn’t have to look at his face. The floor creaks as he moves towards her and she immediately settles into a defensive stance. He has a reputation of starting their sparring matches without warning. It keeps her on her toes and helps improve her reaction time.

“You can only dream of being like anyone who’s born with power,” he says. She still doesn’t look at his face. She doesn’t need to see the hatred in his eyes. “You are not their equal. That is a privilege that you have to earn.”

The floor creaks again and she shifts, throwing her arm up just in time to block his punch. She looks up, eyes narrowed, and finds that he’s smiling. It’s not a kind smile; there isn’t a trace of warmth in its depths. Its only rival is Bakugo’s smile, the one he gets right before he lets off an explosion in Midoriya’s face, but Keiji’s sends chills down her spine that even Bakugo can’t get out of her.

“Well done,” he utters as she blocks another hit. “Keep up.”

He shrouds the dojo in smoke as he disappears from sight. She takes a deep breath. Just focus, she tells herself. Just focus on being better.

Chapter Text

“In light of the approaching Sports Festival, hero training for the next two weeks will be carried out in individual training sessions,” Aizawa says during Monday morning homeroom. He’s still cocooned in bandages. “Work on your quirks, your fighting styles, and whatever else you need to do so that you’re prepared for the festival.”

Kemuri perches her chin on her hands, nodding a little. It makes sense that group training would get put on hold. After all, there’s a high chance that they’re going to be fighting each other, so most people, including Kemuri, should want to keep the limitations and strengths of their quirks under wraps.

“If you want to train with another person or a group, that’s fine. Just be aware that having someone know about your quirk could be a disadvantage in a competition.” Aizawa’s peers out from between his bandages. “Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

They settle in for class as Aizawa leaves the room, stumbling a little as he goes. Kemuri smiles to herself. She gets the feeling that these next two weeks are going to go by in a flash and, before they know it, it’ll be time for the Sports Festival.

----------

The U.A workout room is stacked with every imaginable piece of equipment that a gym rat could dream about. Walking inside next to Shoji, Kemuri feels out of place, but Hagakure’s presence helps lessen that.

Tokoyami and Ojiro are starting their training elsewhere. Tokoyami mentioned something about light exposure while Ojiro said he wanted to work on mobility. When Shoji mentioned strength training, Kemuri and Hagakure jumped in on the chance to join him.

“So…I’m guessing you’re going to use the weights?” Kemuri asks.

Shoji nods, stroking his chin as he stops next to a barbell bench. “Yeah, I want to improve my lifting,” he says.

“Says the guy with a grip strength of 500 kilograms,” Hagakure whines.

Shoji shrugs. “I can always be stronger.”

Kemuri has to stop her mouth from falling open as he lifts eight of the heaviest weights onto the barbell. He locks them in place and gives his arms a shake, glancing up in time to catch her staring. His eyebrow arches and she looks away.

“I’m…going to warm up first,” she squeaks, jabbing her finger at the open space near the machines. “Stretches…and stuff.”

Hagakure’s sleeves spin in circles and, judging by the breeze hitting Kemuri, she’s wind-milling her arms. “I think I’m going to try the pull-up bar. Upper body strength and stuff!” she says.

Before Kemuri can suggest an easier workout, one more suited to Hagakure’s existing strength, she’s already racing away. Kemuri sighs, shaking her head, and Shoji chuckles to himself as he settles down on the bench. Kemuri observes him reach up and flex his fingers against the barbell, then starts to turn away.

“Kemuri?” he calls.

She stops and looks back at him. “Yeah?”

“Can I count on you if I need a spotter? Not now, but later.”

Kemuri blinks a few times. A spotter is useful when you’re pushing your limits and, judging by the ease in which Shoji prepared the weights, he probably won’t have a hard time doing his reps. What’s more, Kemuri wouldn’t be able to lift the bar off his chest in the event that he did have difficulty.

But, a spotter is also meant to be encouraging, so Kemuri gives him a thumbs up and a smile. “Yeah! Sure thing,” she says. “Just let me know!”

----------

Kemuri gets through her warm up, her limbs feeling loose and ready to go, a light sheen of sweat slicking her forehead. She returns to where Shoji is doing his reps, folding her arms behind her back as she watches him. His eyes are narrowed and his low, grunting noises seem frustrated.

“Everything’s okay over here?” she asks.

He sets the barbell back on the rack with a small huff. “It’s not enough weight.”

She frowns. “Uh…maybe the gym has heavier weights hiding somewhere,” she suggests. He sits up, resting his elbows on his knees, and she adds, “Not every student can safely lift...” She pauses to try and count the weight he already has the bar, decides that it’s heavy enough to be over 400 kilograms, and instead says, “…that much.”

He exhales heavily as he reaches for his water bottle, one tentacle forming a mouth as he tips the bottle into it. He pushes his fringe from his face for a second, giving Kemuri a decent view of his forehead and both eyes—his eyes are dark, so dark that his pupil blends in with the iris.

He’s staring at her now. “You…have weight,” he says slowly. Her eyes widen and he adds, “Could you sit on the bar and let me bench press you too?”

Kemuri’s face is red and she is fully aware of it, but she doesn’t know how else to respond. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, then ekes out, “Wouldn’t…wouldn’t that unbalance you?”

“Hm…true,” he murmurs. He looks up. “Hagakure?”

The invisible girl, having long since stopped trying to haul herself up on the pull-up bar, looks up from her sit ups. “Yeah?”

“I need you to balance out the barbell.”

“Huh?”

Kemuri waves her over, shaking her head, and Hagakure listens. After a brief explanation, a bit of shrugging and an “it can’t hurt” talk, the two girls find themselves seated on either side of the barbell. Kemuri clings to the weights, holding on with her legs and hands, while Hagakure is giggling.

“Let me know if you feel unsafe,” Shoji says as he again settles onto his back.

“Isn’t this pushing your limits?” Kemuri asks, knuckles turning white. Between her and Hagakure, that’s easily an extra 110 kilos added on.

Shoji grips the bar. “That’s the point.”

“You don’t have a spotter either.”

“We’ll hop off and help out if it gets bad!” Hagakure chirps.

“B-But…”

“Kemuri.” Hagakure’s voice is dead serious. “Let me get bench-pressed by a boy, okay?”

Kemuri decides that Hagakure must have some really specific fantasies, and Kemuri isn’t about to ruin them.

Shoji says nothing as he takes a deep breath, lifts the barbell from the rack, and starts doing reps. Kemuri sways as they go up, then down, then back up. Hagakure giggles and cheers Shoji on. His eyes stay narrowed as he works, six arms straining with the effort of every movement, and Kemuri can’t get herself to speak.

When he finally sets the rack down and the girls climb off, he’s sweating and his hair is sticking to his forehead. Hagakure pats his shoulder as he chugs his water bottle, chest heaving.

Speaking of his chest, the sweat is making his uniform stick to him and again, Kemuri finds herself staring.

“You did so good!” Hagakure says, making Kemuri snap out of it. “You’re amazing!”

Shoji lifts a tentacle-mouth up, leaving his real mouth for catching his breath. “Thanks,” he says. “Couldn’t have done it without you two.”

Kemuri waves her hands about in the air. “Well, I’m just glad it worked out! That was probably not safe in the slightest…at all, b-but! It worked!” she stammers.

“You sound like Iida,” Hagakure says with a laugh. After a second, she gasps. “Oh my word, I’m so glad Iida didn’t see that. I bet he would’ve lost his mind!”

“I…yeah, yeah he would,” Kemuri agrees.

“He would, but…seriously, thank you,” Shoji says. “That really helped. I feel good.” He stands up, flexing a bit as he cracks his neck. “I’m going to do some of the other machines, okay?”

“Cool! And I’m gonna steal Kemuri so she can help me focus on this stuff!” Hagakure says, snatching her friend’s arm and promptly dragging her away.

Kemuri shakes her head and slaps her hand firmly against her cheek. Hagakure stops at a safe distance, right near where she set up her workout mat previously. Kemuri can tell that Hagakure is staring at her, probably with some kind of stupid grin on her face too.

“Is it getting hot in here?” Hagakure asks. “I…think it’s a little hot.”

Kemuri groans. “Oh, please…it’s…it’s fine. It’s very nice and air-conditioned in here and definitely not hot. Not hot at all.”

“Totally, but…not air-conditioned enough to keep Shoji from sweating through his gym uniform. Hm…?”

She covers her face. “Stop…this is weird.”

“I’m just appreciating some fine muscles. I don’t know what you’re thinking of.” Hagakure leans closer and adds, “You closet perv…”

“What?! No! I’m not thinking of…” She lets out a wheeze and says, “I’m…just a little weak…to muscles. In a respectful way.”

Hagakure inhales rather loudly. “Same, girl!” she gushes. “Like, Kirishima’s costume makes me feel some type of way, you know?”

Kemuri can’t help but let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “What? Hagakure, oh my word…”

“Hey, no judgement here. We’re just two girls bonding over cute boys, okay? That’s what girls do, unless they also like girls, then they are girls who bond over cute girls.”

Kemuri is still stuck between amusement and utter shock. “Oh my word—”

“And of course, boys might bond over cute boys? But I’m not a boy so I don’t know what they talk about.”

“Hagakure, you’re killing me here,” Kemuri says, giving her head another stunned shake. “How can you just talk about this stuff? You’re so…open.”

Hagakure doesn’t say anything for a second, then...

“Kemuri, have you…really never had friends?” When Kemuri’s expression falls, Hagakure adds, “Because, at least in my experience, it’s really common to talk about boys. In middle school, I used to talk to the girls in my class about the boys all the time. Who’s cutest, whoever had a new crush…it’s normal.”

Kemuri rubs the back of her neck. “I…”

It’s jarring for her mood to go from shocked amusement to embarrassment so swiftly. No, she’s never had friends, definitely not girls and even more so, not boys. All of the mushy, gushy feelings that she had through elementary school and middle school were shoved down, stomped into submission by her own foot, better left unvoiced.

The one time she admitted a crush to anyone other than herself, she was in grade two. The girls she told laughed and said that he would never like her back. The boy in question found out and told her that she was weird. He joined in on the laughter and the feelings she had for him faded, but the hurt lingered.

So, Kemuri put up a guard and kept her mouth shut. It was easy, she found, because if she didn’t approach, then they didn’t pay attention to her. She talked to herself about her feelings instead—writing in diaries and such—and sometimes, she was just as mean to herself as the people she tried so hard to avoid.

For a little while, she was terrified of anything that she thought might be a crush. She told herself that everyone already thought she was weird, so don’t even think about it. No, you’re not allowed to like him because he smiled at you. No, you don’t like him like that, he was just being polite. She kept her heart under lock and key, pushing it back whenever it tried to break free. Maybe she was getting basic attraction and genuine feelings mixed up, but it’s not like she had anyone who she felt comfortable asking about it. It was easier to think that “any mushy feeling equals bad”.

Elementary school passed. Then, Tenya Iida pulled her out of a janitor’s closet and her heart ran away with him before she could stop it. She did her best to remind herself that the butterflies in her stomach were ridiculous, that he would never look at her in the same way, and that she should just give it up, but her heart is a lot stronger than her logical thought, and her heart was screaming, “YOULIKEHIMYOULIKEHIMYOULIKEHIM!”

The heart wants what it wants, apparently, and no matter what Kemuri does to fight it, feelings always emerge, and she always finds herself desperately trying to shove them back down. She tries to keep them unseen, but she’s bad at hiding it.

“No,” Kemuri says, shoulders sagging. “I…I kind of…thought it was stupid…to feel that…” She rubs the back of her neck again. “And…I don’t know, maybe because just…being attracted to a guy without feelings for his personality or something attached felt…wrong? I…I don’t know…”

She shuts her eyes, hands shaking. If this goes over badly, she isn’t sure she can come back from it. It’ll prove to her that she was right about all this.

Hagakure touches her shoulder. “Aw, well…that’s okay, Kemuri,” she says, tone still perky even with the gentleness underneath. “It isn’t stupid at all.”

“It…isn’t?”

“Yup.” Silence. Kemuri looks at the floor, cheeks red, and Hagakure adds, “Y’know, I’m sorry if the teasing made you uncomfortable.” Her uniform sleeves slump. “I tease my friends a lot, like…I try to make them laugh, but…I didn’t even realize that you didn’t like it and I didn’t think to ask you if you did. I’m sorry. I’ll stop, if you want.”

Kemuri opens her mouth, but hesitates. Her first instinct says that yes, she wants the teasing to stop, but something else opposes it. Hagakure’s teasing is good-natured. She doesn’t tease the way the girls in elementary school did, with cruel laughter and mockery. Hagakure teases in a way that makes Kemuri want to laugh, that makes her feel less foolish.

“No…it’s okay,” Kemuri says. Hagakure seems to perk up. “You aren’t mean. It’s the mean teasing that I don’t like.”

Hagakure exhales. “Okay, good, but please promise that you will tell me if you don’t like it or if I cross a line. Got it?” Kemuri nods. “Good.” She settles onto the exercise mat, crossing her legs and starting to rock a little in place. “Oh, and Kemuri?”

Kemuri follows her lead, taking the spot in front of her. “Yeah?”

“I want you to know that finding a guy attractive is normal and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that.” Her tone is firm now. “I want to tell you that because I’m getting the feeling that no one has, and you deserve to hear it.”

“O-Oh, well…thanks.” She tries to smile past the blush on her cheeks. “Um…so, can…” She mumbles a little to herself, gripping her shoes before finishing, “Can we talk more about…this stuff?”

Hagakure bounces in place and Kemuri can tell that she’s grinning. “I’d love to! What’s first?”

“Um…well, is…is it just me, or are a lot of the boys in our class really…cute?”

“Oh my gosh, they are! I was thinking the same thing! The cute boy to normal boy ratio is really unbalanced.”

“Okay, because I was starting to wonder if I was the only one thinking it.”

“And it’s not like they’re all hot, either. It’s like, there’s hot boys and cute boys and handsome boys—”

“And then the boys where you aren’t sure if they’re conventionally attractive but you’re still attracted to them? Because the way they carry themselves is…cool?”

Hagakure exhales. “Kemuri, it’s like you’re reading my mind.”

When Shoji returns from his workout a while later, he finds Kemuri and Hagakure chatting while running on treadmills. Kemuri looks shocked, but the awe and relief on her face is unmistakeable. He towels off his forehead and arms, eager to disappear into the changeroom and get a clean mask on, but he stops in front of his friends anyway.

“You two seem happy,” he comments.

Kemuri slows the treadmill to a stop, wobbling a little as she readjusts to walking on regular ground. “Yeah, uh…we just had a good talk, that’s all.”

Hagakure bounces in place as she climbs off her treadmill. “Yeah! It was great!”

He smiles. “That’s good to hear.” He jerks his head to the side. “I’m going to get changed, so…I’ll see you back in class.”

“Yup!” the girls say.

As he walks away, Hagakure turns to Kemuri. She nudges her with her elbow, making Kemuri’s lips tremble into a hesitant smile.

“So, where does Shoji stand on your hierarchy of boy-dom?” Hagakure asks.

Kemuri takes a short breath. “He’s…somewhere between hot and adorable.” She adds after another beat, “But being bench-pressed nudged him towards…sexy.” As Hagakure inhales, shoulders lifting as she starts to bounce in place, Kemuri covers her mouth. “Can I even say that? That felt weird…but it’s a compliment…so no? Gahhh…”

Hagakure pats Kemuri’s back, letting out a half-giggle, half-squeal. “Look at you, you’re learning already!” She sniffles and feigns wiping a tear. “They grow up so fast.”

Kemuri shoves her a little. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But I’m your best friend and you’re stuck with me, so…deal with it!”

Their laughter mingles together and Kemuri adores how safe and understood she feels around Hagakure. It’s like a breath of fresh air.

Chapter Text

Training does make the time fly by. Between the sessions with her grandfather and the individual training at school, nothing much happens. Kemuri pays attention in class, takes notes, eats lunch and walks home with her friends—the usual stuff, going on day by day. She’s exhausted but eager. The festival can’t come soon enough.

On Thursday afternoon, Kemuri is eating lunch with her friends when a familiar girl walks up to their table. Kemuri recognizes her as the student who helped her find her seat on the day of the entrance exam.

“Hey,” she says, waving a little. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Itsuka Kendo. I’m from class 1-B.”

Kemuri’s friends kind of look at her, most of the boys unsure of how to react, but Kemuri perks up. “Oh, we…we met briefly at the start of the year,” she says. “You…uh—”

“Oh, yeah!” Kendo smiles. “You couldn’t find your seat. I’m glad everything worked out for you.”

“You…you too.” Kemuri tries to mimic her easy smile, but it’s wobbly.

Kendo rests a hand on her hip. “Look, I actually needed to ask you guys something,” she says, her orange ponytail swinging as her head tilts. “I’m looking for the little guy in your class. He’s…I don’t know, this tall?”

She holds her hand up only a few feet off the ground. Tokoyami’s eyebrows lift and Ojiro’s tail lashes as he looks at Shoji, who shrugs.

“You mean…Mineta?” Hagakure asks.

Kendo nods. “Yeah, I think that’s his name. I’m looking for Mineta.”

As if called by the combination of a pretty girl and the sound of his own name, Mineta appears at the end of their table and makes the fur on Ojiro’s tail spike in surprise. Mineta grins, leaning his head onto his hand as he eyes Kendo up and down.

“That’s me,” he purrs. “You need me for something? I’ll do…anything…you want.”

Kendo blinks a few times. “Uh…actually, my classmates are the ones who want to talk to you,” she says. “They’re just shy.”

Mineta is starting to drool and Kemuri shifts closer to Shoji, grimacing. Kendo turns and points across the cafeteria to where most of the rest of class 1-B has placed themselves. Two girls sit at the table Kendo’s pointing at, both with long black hair and bangs that cover one eye—one with the bangs covering the right, the other covering the left. Even from this distance, the piercing scarlet colour of their remaining eyes is prominent. Their skin is so pale that it’s nearly white, their legs and arms as long and skinny as their bodies.

Kemuri wonders whether they’re Ino and Yo Zandaka, the twins that Principal Nezu mentioned to her during their talk.

“Uh…them?” Hagakure asks, sleeve aiming at the pale girls. Mineta climbs onto the table, craning his neck around to get a better look.

Ojiro leans closer to Kendo, cupping one hand around his mouth as he whispers, “Have they…met Mineta?”

Kendo shrugs. “Yo said that she wanted to talk to the ‘tiny purple boy with the cute bubble hair’ in class 1-A.” She makes quotation marks around everything from “tiny” to “hair” as she speaks.

Mineta’s mouth falls open. “Cute? Wait, what? They think I’m cute?” He squints. “I can’t tell what cup size they are from here…”

Kendo’s eyebrows knit together while the other five students groan and sigh in varying degrees of annoyance. From across the cafeteria, the girl with her hair parted to the left looks up, notices Mineta, and waves as a smile spreads across her face. Mineta makes an “eep” sound and drops back onto the bench, out of sight.

“Nope. Nope.” Mineta shakes his head. “This is too weird.”

Kemuri frowns at him. “Mineta, you haven’t even talked to them,” she says. He stares at her and she avoids eye contact. “They could be really nice.”

Kendo nods. “They’re sweet girls. Yo is a lot nicer than her sister, she’s just a little…air-headed, I guess. Ino’s the one to look out for. She’s got a photographic memory.”

Mineta is still shaking. “This…is not what I expected,” he squeaks.

“It can’t hurt to talk to them,” Ojiro says with a sigh. “Man up, would you? You’re not in the position to pass this up.”

“Yo wants to train with you, if you’d be okay with it,” Kendo says. “She wanted to ask you herself, but she got really nervous and kept forgetting what to say.” When Mineta does nothing but open and close his mouth repeatedly, Kendo adds, “No pressure. You know where to find them now.” She smiles and waves her hand a little. “Well, it was nice meeting you. Good luck with training.”

She walks back to her friends, leaving them to mull over what they just heard. Shoji has a tentacle eye trained on Ino and Yo as he turns his head back to Mineta. His real eyes narrow.

“Go talk to them,” he states.

Mineta pales. “B-But—”

Shoji reaches across the table and picks Mineta up by the back of his uniform, setting him down on the other side. Mineta gulps hard and Shoji nudges him forward before crossing his arms over his chest. His expression dares the much smaller boy to test him.

“You don’t know them yet,” Shoji says. “Ojiro’s right. It can’t hurt.”

“Yeah,” Kemuri says, tapping her fingertips on her water bottle. “Give it a chance. And if you don’t like them…in that way, just tell them. Leading them on is just mean.”

Mineta whines. “Ugh, you guys just don’t get my standards.”

Tokoyami huffs a little and mutters, “Your standards are made up of trivial, fleeting appearances, and that is all we need to know.”

Hagakure crosses her arms over her chest. “That means you only like boobs and butt. Perv.”

“I mean…yeah,” Mineta says. “What else is there?”

“How about personality?” Ojiro suggests. “Appearances fade. Personality is forever.”

Before Mineta can respond, Shoji gives him another shove towards Ino and Yo and the small boy lets out a few muttering words as he goes shuffling across the cafeteria. One of the girls starts to shake and turns around, nudging her sister. The other observes Mineta with a blank face, eyes slightly narrowed.

Kemuri reaches for her water. “That was strange,” she says.

Tokoyami nods. “Agreed. He is the last person I would expect a girl to have feelings for.”

“I bet the only reason that Yo girl likes him is because she can’t remember anything,” Hagakure says.

“Hey, that’s mean,” Ojiro says. “Kendo said she thought he was cute. Everyone has a preference.”

“Hm…yeah, I guess you’re right.” Hagakure takes a sip of her drink, then slams it down. “But seriously…Mineta?”

Her friends just shrug and shake their heads.

Kemuri watches as Mineta reaches the twins' table, starting to rub the back of his neck. The first twin is grinning, fiddling with her hair as she talks, while the other just watches. She has a look on her face that screams, “If you do anything to hurt my sister, I will kill you.” Mineta seems to notice this.

Kemuri’s eyebrows arch as, after a minute or two, Mineta and the perkier twin swap phones, type something, then swap them back. Mineta does a small bow, pockets his phone, and walks away. The twin turns to her sister, flapping her hands and bouncing in place, grinning. The other exhales hard enough that her shoulders droop, shaking her head as it sinks into her waiting palm.

“How’d it go?” Ojiro calls as Mineta walks by their table. Kemuri looks around to find that her friends were also intently watching the events go down.

Mineta’s cheeks are pink. “I’m…training with them…” he mumbles. “Tomorrow. It’s…kind of a date.”

Kemuri forces a smile. “Well, I hope you have fun,” she says, clasping her hands together.

He nods. “Yeah, uh...thanks.”

He hurries away.

“Woah,” Hagakure whispers. “He actually looked nervous. I thought he was creepily confident when it came to girls.”

Kemuri shrugs. “I…I’d like to imagine that things went well and it’s surprised him,” she suggests.

“We have entered a new realm, a twilight zone where reality has turned on its head,” Tokoyami says before taking a bite of an apple.

Ojiro laughs a little. “Exactly. Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

----------

On Friday, nothing out of the ordinary occurs except for when everyone is coming into class at the start of the day. Kemuri settles into her desk just as Midoriya walks in, a small wrapped box in his hand. He takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders, and walks up to Bakugo’s desk.

“H-Hey, Kacchan,” Midoriya says. He holds the box out to the frowning blond, hand shaking. “Happy birthday!”

Kemuri’s eyes widen and she turns around enough to see the two of them. If she were to guess who the oldest person in the class is, she wouldn’t have guessed it to be Bakugo. He doesn't seem mature enough.

Bakugo’s expression softens just a little bit, his anger giving way to something more like frustration, and he snatches the box from Midoriya’s hand. He says nothing as he rips the paper off, opens the box, and stares at what’s inside for a solid three seconds.

After another beat, he puts the lid back on and sets it aside. “Deku…” he growls, fingers still gripping the box even as he’s pushed it away.

Midoriya swallows. “Y-Yeah? K-Kacchan?”

“…thanks.” As Midoriya starts to grin, Bakugo bares his teeth. “Stop grinning at me like a fucking idiot, you damn nerd.”

“Right! S-Sorry!”

Midoriya scrambles to his seat behind Bakugo and sits down. Kemuri purses her lips a little, still watching, and Bakugo slowly reopens the box. He pulls out a shiny golden dog tag necklace and clips it around his neck. Kemuri catches sight of the words “HERO” in big, bold letters on the tag just before he slips the necklace into his uniform shirt. He looks up and meets her eyes. He narrows his.

“What are you looking at, smokey?” he snaps.

She swallows hard. “U-Uh…” She tries to smile. “Happy birthday?”

He huffs and turns away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks.”

Her smile gets a little more natural as she turns back around, focusing on finding her reading glasses.

Chapter Text

In the rush of training for the Sports Festival, Kemuri almost completely forgot about the Heroics Gala at the Iida Estate. She was only reminded of it when her phone dinged, her calendar proudly proclaiming “Party at Tenya’s house!”

After that, Kemuri spends far too much time calming herself down and trying to imagine what she will do once she’s at the party. It’s been so long since she went to anything like this and despite having the dress, the accessories, and the hairstyle planned out, she still can’t shake the nervousness.

She is going to be inside Iida’s house, inside Ingenium’s house, and there are going to be super important people all over the place. This is a very, very big deal. There might even be dancing.

And, above all, Tenya is probably going to be wearing a suit and she isn’t sure if her heart will be able to take it.

In an attempt to both psych herself up and knock all her annoying doubts and worries from her head, she calls Hagakure.

“What’s up?” Hagakure asks as she answers the call.

“Hagakure, I’m freaking out.”

“Oh, boy. Spill it, girl. What happened? Did you meet another pro hero?”

“No, but it’s close. Remember that party I told you about? The one at Iida’s house?” Kemuri starts twirling her hair around her finger. “It’s tonight and I almost forgot about it.”

Hagakure gasps. “Holy crap. Kemuri…”

“I know…”

“This is perfect! You’ll get to spend an entire evening with Iida!”

“That’s…what I’m worried about.” She sits down at her vanity, staring at herself in the mirror, poking at the pudge of her cheeks and her lips. “He might not even notice that I’m there. I mean, his brother personally invited me, but that doesn’t mean he knows. He didn’t even mention it to me at school, so—”

“Um, first off, have confidence. Judging by the pictures you sent me of that dress, you look amazing, and he must be blind if he doesn’t notice you.”

“Ah—”

“Wait, not blind! Bad joke. He’s…ignorant if he doesn’t notice!”

Kemuri laughs softly. “Thank you.”

“Two, even if he doesn’t notice, be brave! You obviously want to talk to him, so go and do it. I believe in you!”

Again, all Kemuri can say is, “Thank you.” She smiles at her reflection, reaching up to pinch a loose strand of hair. “I’ll text you before I leave and I promise to send pictures.”

“Uh, you better!”

“Okay! Thanks again for…I don’t know, talking to me about this.”

“Of course. What are friends for?” There’s a muffled sound from the other end and Hagakure gasps. “Oh, gotta go. T-T-Y-L!”

As she hangs up, Kemuri laughs at how she spelled out an acronym in real life. “Weirdo,” she mumbles, lovingly.

----------

Her mom helps Kemuri get her hair and makeup ready. After a quick shower, Kazue dries Kemuri’s hair, making sure that her loose, more natural curls come out, and tidies it up for her before putting in Kemuri’s rose hair clip. The makeup is just a little bit of mascara and some red-tinted lip gloss, enough to make her look more done up than usual.

Now, Kemuri is in a literal limo, settled beside her mom on one of the benches. Her grandfather sits on the separate seat, one leg crossed over the other as he looks out the window. Kemuri could easily imagine him with a cane and a top hat; it would match the rest of his clean, pressed suit.

Kemuri’s parents are also dressed to the nines—her mom in a silver gown and her dad in a suit with a matching tie. They hold hands, chatting softly to one another, while Kemuri focuses on being calm and collected. She’s in a nice dress, her hair is cute, and she is going to own this party.

When the limo arrives at the Iida Estate, Kemuri can’t keep the awe off her face. Iida doesn’t have the biggest mansion that she’s ever seen, but it’s still a mansion, with pillars and tons of windows and lights everywhere. It’s almost futuristic—shiny, metallic, really giving into that “engine” theme. There’s a gate that you have to go through before going down a long driveway that goes in a loop. There are cars driving past them on the other side of the driveway as they roll up to the front doors.

Kemuri climbs out of the limo after her parents and her grandfather, heart pounding. She clutches her small purse closer to her, taking calming breaths as she follows the adults toward the front doors.

The doors are wide open, allowing people to enter, and inside everything is even more amazing. The front hall has two separate staircases winding up to the second floor and the room itself divides into many others. Immediately to the right is what Kemuri can only guess is the main “party room”, judging by the wide open space crammed with partygoers. It’s this room that her grandfather and parents go into, so Kemuri follows. Keiji doesn’t waste any time in separating from them, disappearing into the crowd of dresses and suits.

There’s a live band settled on a raised part of the floor, playing music that some people are dancing to, and there are multiple tables set up, stuffed to the brim with hor d'oeuvres and other treats. Kemuri gapes at the full-service bar that’s set up near the punch table and the smartly-dressed waiters working at it.

“Oh…my…” Kemuri breathes.

“Kemuri, do you want to just do your own thing?” Kazue asks. She looks so elegant, with her perfect hair and dress and makeup, holding Cayden’s arm, and Kemuri feels silly standing next to her easy grace. “You can linger with us, but I think you’d benefit from mingling.”

“Yeah, I…I can do my own thing,” Kemuri says. “Totally.”

“You’ve got your phone. Text if you need anything, okay?” Cayden asks.

Before Kemuri can answer, a familiar voice sounds. “Shimakages, it’s good to see you!”

Tensei emerges from the crowd, all smiles, and Kemuri feels her knees go weak. Somehow, she stays standing upright as he comes right up to them. His attention falls on Kemuri and his eyebrows lift, pleased.

“Oh, good, you came!” he says with a bow. When he straightens up, he’s still grinning. “I’m so glad, really! I’m sorry if the invitation was a shock.”

She shakes her head. “No, of course not. I’m honoured,” she says. “Thank you.”

“I’m always happy to invite more of Tenya’s friends and classmates.” He pauses to glance over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowing before they relax. “Speaking of which, I just saw Tenya near the punch table. I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.”

“Uh, sure, yeah. I’ll go find him then.” She adds in another bow. “Thank you again.”

“Hopefully, we can talk later,” he replies. “For now, please…” He looks up at her parents, gesturing. “Enjoy the party and let me or my parents know if you have any concerns.”

With another thank you from all three of them, Tensei hurries off to greet more guests. Kemuri doesn’t waste any more time, telling her parents that she’s going to get punch before hurrying off. She makes a beeline for the punch table she saw earlier, all while trying not to bump into too many people or freak out at the sight of the many pro heroes attending the event. She's one hundred percent sure that she just saw Ms. Joke talking to Selkie—so cool!

“Shimakage?”

She stops abruptly, turning around just as Iida emerges from the crowd. Just as she expected, he’s wearing a navy blue suit that fits him perfectly, just making him more handsome. His eyes widen and a smile softens his face when they lock eyes.

“Iida!” Kemuri says. “U-Uh, hi!”

“I…almost didn’t recognize you,” Iida admits, adjusting his glasses as he stops in front of her. “Tensei said that he invited you, but I wasn’t sure if you were going to show.”

“I…yeah, I had to,” Kemuri stammers, reaching up to fiddle with her braid only to remember that she doesn’t have her braid. She resigns herself to clasping both her hands around her purse. “I didn’t want to miss out.”

He smiles and for a second, his gaze darts to her dress, then back to her face. “You look lovely,” he says. “Red…really suits you.”

In a cruel twist of irony, her entire face flushes with the same shade. “O-Oh, thank you. Best Jeanist actually helped pick this out. Long story…”

He chuckles. “You’ll have to tell me about it. For now, you should come join me and the others.” He extends his arm to her. “Follow me.”

“Others?” she repeats even as she takes his arm and allows him to lead her away.

Her question is answered as her eyes fall on Todoroki and Yaoyorozu standing together, and the sight of them almost makes her choke. Todoroki is wearing a white suit that makes him look absolutely stunning and, likewise, Yaoyorozu’s black dress makes her look about five years older than she actually is and ten times as gorgeous as usual. Kemuri reminds herself that she looks good too. She won't look like a gremlin standing next to three of the most attractive people in her class.

“Momo, Shoto, look who I found,” Iida says as they approach, making their classmates look up. Kemuri pales a little at the sound of their first names, wondering where such familiarity came from.

Yaoyorozu gasps. “Shimakage!” she greets, taking a few steps towards them and meeting them halfway. “I’m sorry for my surprise, but I didn’t expect to see you.”

Todoroki nods, his expression blank as he too moves closer. Kemuri nods, realizing a little too late that she’s still holding on to Iida’s arm, and she clears her throat as she takes her hand away.

“No, it’s fine! I…I’ve never been,” she says. “I’m…kind of surprised to see you too, but it makes sense that you would be here.”

Yaoyorozu smiles and Kemuri has a brief moment where she questions how on earth one girl can be so pretty. It would be enough to make her jealous, if Kemuri was the jealous type.

“My parents and I come every year,” Yaoyorozu says. “Same with Shoto.”

Todoroki nods. “Yeah, same, but…I get dragged along. My father thinks that I need to be seen at stuff like this.” He rolls his eyes a little and takes a sip of punch.

Kemuri is a little shocked at his casual nature. It’s different than the stoic, cold Todoroki that she’s gotten used to at school. Still, she shrugs it off and instead says, “My parents and grandfather come here too. I just never got an invitation.”

Yaoyorozu’s brow furrows. “That’s strange. Your grandfather could easily bring you as a plus one. That’s what my parents do.” Todoroki nods again, as if to say that he’s the same way.

Her face flushes. “I…didn’t think I’d be welcome,” she says, only half the truth, covering the less sightly part. Before the subject can continue, she adds, “So…I…I heard you guys call each other by your first names?”

Iida answers this time. “Yes, but it’s more to avoid confusion. My entire family is here, as well as Momo and Shoto’s, so we thought it would be fine to use first names just for tonight.”

“We’ve had a lot of mix-ups in the past with Tenya trying to address me, but getting my father’s attention instead,” Yaoyorozu says with a laugh.

“Granted, your father is an esteemed gentleman and it is always a delight to converse with him, however accidental it is to start,” Iida says, chopping his hand a bit.

“I see,” Kemuri says. “So…you guys can call me Kemuri, then. I prefer it that way.” After a second, she asks, “Can…I use your first names?”

“Of course,” Yaoyorozu says. She takes a sip of her drink, eyes sparkling. “Oh, do you want punch? It’s fabulous.”

“I would,” Kemuri replies. “Thank you.”

They go off to the punch table together, conversations starting up, and Kemuri takes a long breath in, then out. So far, so good. She can actually see herself enjoying this.

----------

Kemuri does enjoy herself, quite a bit.

Iida and Yaoyorozu have a way of keeping the conversation flowing, filling in gaps and effortlessly moving onto new topics whenever things start to die out. Kemuri and Todoroki aren’t as adept at it, Kemuri more often than not stumbling over her words or getting flustered while Todoroki only talks occasionally.

Kemuri has a reason for being a less socially-inclined, but she can’t help but wonder why Todoroki, the son of a pro hero, would be in the same boat as her. Doesn’t he have a similar upbringing to Iida and Yaoyorozu? Shouldn’t he be well-adjusted to this sort of scene?

Their conversations continue, sometimes breaking off. Momo has to go with her dad to meet someone important while Tenya’s mother asks him for help restocking something. Kemuri finds it refreshing that, despite all the obvious wealth, Tenya’s family are still hosts and they aren’t just hiring servants to do everything.

All too quickly, Kemuri finds herself alone with Todoroki. They stand side by side, taking sips of punch, observing the mingling party guests. From where Kemuri is positioned, the red half of Todoroki’s hair is obscured along with his scar and one blue eye. All she can see is white hair and a soft grey eye. He looks less severe from this angle.

“So…” she starts, already wishing she had just stayed quiet. “You know Momo pretty well, then?”

He shrugs. “I guess. I’ve known her for a few years, just because we’re always the only people our age at these parties,” he says. He glances sideways at her. “Tenya said you went to middle school together.”

She nods, then purses her lips. “Same school, different classes. It’s…” She frowns a little and sighs. “I don’t know what I’d call us. Maybe friends?”

He exhales out his nostrils and drinks. He mumbles something that she doesn’t catch, but his expression is hard enough that she can tell she struck a nerve. What that nerve was, she can’t tell. School? Friends? She shakes her head and takes a drink.

“Hey…” he murmurs. She looks up from her cup to see him pointing a little. “Is that your grandfather?”

She follows his finger to where sure enough, only a few feet away, her grandfather is standing and talking to a buff man with a flaming moustache and beard. Her eyes widen a little and she looks back at Todoroki, whose expression has turned hateful.

“Yes,” she says, slowly. “Is…is that…” She stops herself, then settles on, “Uh, your dad?”

Todoroki’s eyes narrow. “Yeah.” His tone is as cold as the ice he wields. This time, when he mumbles “unfortunately” under his breath, she does catch it.

He finishes his drink and tosses it into the nearest trashcan. Kemuri watches his movements as he straightens his jacket, then turns to her with his hand out.

“Dance with me,” he states.

Kemuri turns red. “What?” He arches an eyebrow. “W-Where did that come from?”

He clenches his jaw. “Just…dance, okay?”

She swallows hard, glances around for a second, then tosses her cup into the trash as well. She takes Todoroki’s hand and he sweeps them into the swarm of other dancers. It takes them both a second to get situated, his hand falling to her waist while she settles her hand on his shoulder.

She notices that his right hand, the one on her waist, feels cool while the one holding hers is warm. Is that a part of his quirk?

As they start to sway, she can’t meet his eyes. The only thought in her head other than the constant “don’t screw up” chant is how Hagakure is going to lose her mind when she hears about this. Todoroki leads, turning and spinning to the music, eyes narrowed in concentration. Kemuri just tries to keep her feet off of his toes.

“Is that son of yours still being rebellious?” Kemuri hears her grandfather’s voice over the din of the crowd. Her and Todoroki have danced closer to where they are, she realizes.

A low hmph follows. “Of course, but that shouldn’t last much longer. Shoto knows what he must do. It’s his destiny.” There’s a beat, then Endeavour continues, “Besides, the Sports Festival is coming. He can’t afford to be childish.”

Kemuri looks over her shoulder just enough to see the two men, then switches back to Todoroki. His expression screams of silent rage, scalding and freezing all at once. Kemuri’s fingers tense against his shoulder and his mismatched eyes switch to her at the pressure.

“Consider yourself lucky, Todoroki,” Keiji says. “You have a child who is powerful. My daughter is perfect, but…” A pause. Kemuri shuts her eyes, starting to tremble as she imagines the look on his face. “That child of hers, it’s embarrassing, and the way she’s been acting lately…” A sigh. “I wanted so much better for Kazue. If she had only listened to me, then she wouldn’t be shackled with such a disappointment.”

“Sometimes, a child just needs discipline,” Endeavour states. “A strong hand to put them in place.”

“I agree.”

He can’t even acknowledge Kemuri as his granddaughter. She’s reduced to nothing but “that child”. The words sting at her eyes and she finds herself leaning closer to Todoroki, the trembling obvious now as she hides her face as close to his chest as she can without touching him.

Todoroki’s heart is pounding. She can hear it. “That scumbag,” he mutters.

She takes a long breath. “Which one?” she asks.

“Both of them.”

She doesn’t ask. She doesn’t pry. It’s Todoroki’s business what’s going on between him and his father. When she looks up at him, the scar on his face seems so much more prominent than it was before.

Todoroki’s hand slips from hers as he leads her off the dance floor, lips pressed in a firm line. He hasn’t said anything, but somehow his silence speaks volumes. Maybe it’s in how, despite the fury in his expression, his eyes soften when he looks at her. It’s like, in a way, he understands.

“Do you want more punch?” he asks.

She nods and reaches up to wipe her eyes, doing her best not to smudge her makeup. “Yes, please.”

He gets her a fresh cup as well as one for himself. They drink together in silence, shoulders brushing, while they wait for Iida and Yaoyorozu to return.

----------

Kemuri's dress below! Credit to Scarlett Knight on Deviantart.

Chapter Text

“Kemuri, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to meet your grandfather.”

Kemuri feels her blood go cold and she’s suddenly very grateful that she doesn’t have any liquid in her mouth. Spitting it all over Iida’s suit would not be a good thing.

“Huh?” she asks.

Iida doesn’t seem to notice her shock and says, “He is an astute businessman who has dedicated a lifetime of work to our society! I have heard so much about him.” He adjusts his glasses. “If you wouldn’t mind introducing me, I would love to talk to him.”

Before Kemuri can protest, Yaoyorozu nods. “Actually, I would also like to meet him. He’s worked with my father many times, after all.” She smiles at Todoroki. “And he’s working with Endeavour now, isn’t he?”

Todoroki purses his lips. “Yes.”

Kemuri swallows a little. “I…I mean, sure. I can introduce you, if…if you want.”

Todoroki is the only one of the three who’s even slightly aware of how uncomfortable she is, but he doesn’t say anything. Kemuri ushers her classmates after her, searching for her grandfather in the crowd. She finds comfort in the fact that, at least with these three, he won’t say anything quirkist.

She finds him speaking to a tanned man with short brown hair. Kemuri faintly recognizes him as a pro, but can’t recall his name. If he was in costume, maybe it’d be easier. She moves to her grandfather’s side as he laughs, lifting his glass towards the man.

“Um…grandfather?” she whispers once there’s a break in the conversation.

Keiji’s dark eyes flit to her for a brief second and his charming, businessman smile becomes terse. “I’m talking to someone right now,” he states. “Wait your turn.”

Kemuri backs off to where the other three are waiting. “He’ll be a second,” she says. She purses her lips, rocking back on her heels before adding, “Uh, we…we don’t have to wait around. I can just do this later—”

“I’m done. What do you want?”

She closes her eyes and she forces a smile. Slowly, she turns around. “Grandfather,” she starts, forcing the strain from her voice. “I’m sorry, I…I just wanted to introduce you to my classmates.”

Keiji’s eyebrow arches. “Ah, yes…your far more powerful, more capable classmates,” he muses. “By all means,” he continues, gesturing his glass to them in a half circle. “Introduce me.”

She steps aside. “This is Tenya Iida, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Shoto Todoroki. Guys, my grandfather—”

“Keiji Shimakage,” her grandfather interrupts, extending his hand to Iida. They shake and he says, “It’s a pleasure to meet such talented young heroes in the making.”

“It’s an honour to meet you too, sir,” Iida replies, gesturing his hand about in the air. “My brother and I recently visited one of the training facilities you worked on. It was fantastic!”

“Well, thank you. We worked very hard to bring only the best,” Keiji replies. He swirls his champagne a little as he clears his throat. “Despite the training given in high school hero courses, many prospective heroes still find themselves unprepared for the real world. Hopefully, these new facilities will improve that.”

“Right, and won’t it allow hero agencies to train more sidekicks at once?” Yaoyorozu says with a small smile.

Keiji nods. “Exactly. It will also allow for better…how do you say?” He thinks for a moment. “Let’s say, pruning. Hero agencies will be able to test the skills of potential sidekicks, train them, while also figuring out the ones best suited for the job.”

“In your opinion, what makes the best kind of hero?” Iida asks. “I assume it’s a combination of heroic work and endorsement possibilities?”

"Partially."

While Iida and Yaoyorozu keep asking questions and Keiji keeps answering, Kemuri relaxes a little, shutting her eyes as she lets out a long breath. If she just stays quiet and unseen, then this will be perfect. Her friends can finish their talk, her grandfather walks away, and she’s home free.

“Ah, young Todoroki, I was just talking to your father,” Keiji says, making Kemuri’s head snap up.

Todoroki’s jaw clenches. “I heard.”

Keiji chuckles. “You must mean that you’ve heard of our business partnership,” he corrects. Todoroki stays silent, hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Endeavour speaks very highly of you. You have such great power, it will be easy to segue you into pro hero work once you graduate.”

Todoroki rolls his eyes and Kemuri nearly chokes. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he says.

From anyone else, it would sound cocky or arrogant, but coming from Todoroki, all Kemuri hears is hatred, annoyance even. It’s like he’s tired of hearing how powerful he is or, judging by the rage she’s seen in his eyes, there may be something far deeper going on.

“You have confidence,” Keiji says with a smirk. “That’s good. Heroes need confidence. Perhaps Kemuri could have been like you, if it weren’t for her unfortunate parentage.”

Todoroki’s eyebrows lift as Yaoyorozu and Iida glance at Kemuri. Her face turns red and she ducks her head down, hands gripping her skirt. Her grandfather still wears his winning smile.

“Oh, speaking of parentage, Young Iida, you come from a long line of heroes,” Keiji continues, nodding in approval at the dark-haired boy as he looks away from Kemuri. “Your grandparents and parents all went to U.A, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they did,” Iida replies, adjusting his glasses. “I am proud to be following in their footsteps.”

“It’s very impressive. You remind me of myself, in a way. My family has a history to uphold as well,” Keiji says. “I can only hope that you do not end up like me, without viable grandchildren to carry on your legacy.”

Iida opens his mouth, then closes it. His eyebrows furrow and relax a few times before he says, “Well, thank you, sir, but I’m not sure what you mean by that last comment. Kemuri is…” His cheeks darken slightly. “Ahem, perfectly viable, unless…I’m missing something?”

Kemuri’s knuckles turn white around the folds of her skirt, shoulders hunching forward, and she can feel Todoroki and Yaoyorozu’s stares. She looks up for a brief second just in time for Keiji to clear his throat, snatching their attention back.

“No, no, it’s nothing. Kemuri is just…less than ideal. A black sheep, you could say,” he says. He gestures to Yaoyorozu and Todoroki. “Anyway, I heard you two were both recommendation students this year.”

Yaoyorozu takes a second, blinking a bit before she nods. “Ah…yes, sir. It was an honour to be accepted into the Hero Course.” She rests her hand against her chest and lets out a soft laugh. “Although, for a while, I was concerned that I didn’t get in. Todoroki and this other boy were far more impressive than I was during the practical. If it wasn’t for the other one refusing the offer…”

Todoroki’s lip twitches just a little at the sound of the compliment, but it fades away swiftly.

“To be accepted through recommendation is enough of an honour, in my opinion,” Keiji says. “That wasn’t even an option for someone as weak as Kemuri. She’s lucky she even made it into the Hero Course. After all, she didn’t even crack the top ten.”

“G-Grandfather, please,” Kemuri starts, cursing her stutter.

“Kemuri, don’t interrupt,” Keiji retorts, his smile disappearing just long enough for him to shoot her a stern glare. “I’m having a conversation.”

“I…I’m sorry…”

Iida’s jaw clenches a little, eyebrows knitting together, and his body makes a slight movement towards Kemuri before ceasing. Keiji doesn’t seem to notice the shock on their faces as he continues talking. At this point, Kemuri wonders whether he just likes the sound of his own voice.

“Really, it’s wonderful to meet you three. After Kemuri brought home her friends, I wondered whether anyone in her class was normal,” he says with a chuckle.

“Normal?” Yaoyorozu repeats, arching an eyebrow. Another darting glance at Kemuri. “That seems like a matter of perspective, sir. I think our class is made up of rather abnormal people, in a good way. They are unique, interesting people.”

“I suppose, but all of you are going to be in the spotlight more and more, especially after the incident with the USJ,” Keiji says. He shrugs. “The truth is, attractive heroes with equally attractive quirks advertise best. I had hoped Kemuri would have taken that into account when choosing her friends, but that girl doesn’t listen.”

“Grandfather, I’m right here. Y-You don’t have to act like—”

“Kemuri.” His tone is nothing but venom. “Be. Quiet.”

“B-But…”

“Speaking of advertisement, the Sports Festival is coming up,” Keiji says. The shift in topics is enough to give Kemuri mental whiplash.

At this point, Yaoyorozu’s mouth is agape enough to be noticeable, eyes flickering between Kemuri and her grandfather, while Iida is stunned and Todoroki looks like he wants to break something. Kemuri starts to look around for an escape route. This room is suddenly far too hot.

“I’m sure you three are training hard. It’s a very big deal,” Keiji says. “While I was at U.A, I was more focused on the other classes. Business students are like that.” Another smile. “Kazue, of course, made her own little piece of history when she brought home the gold in her third year, and she was only in General Studies. Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir, and isn’t it wonderful that, now, Kemuri is among the hero students? In a way, she has done better than you and her mother did,” Iida says. Keiji’s eye twitches, but Iida stares him down, resolute, one hand motioning to his chest. “I mean no disrespect, of course, but I feel that Kemuri’s accomplishments must be acknowledged too while you are on the topic.”

“Tenya…” Kemuri whispers, reaching out and grasping the hem of his suit jacket. His gaze darts to her for a second. “Don’t…it’s fine. Please.”

Keiji’s smile falls into something more akin to a smirk. “If that’s the way you see it, then fine, but in my family, I expect the standard to keep being raised,” he says. “Kemuri just managed to reach the new standard and she must continue to prove herself if I am to acknowledge her. It’s as simple as that.”

Todoroki’s shoulders are starting to hunch, teeth gritted. “Why, you—”

Yaoyorozu’s hand falls to Todoroki’s arm, eyes wide. “Shoto, don’t.”

“Well,” Keiji says, adjusting his tie before taking a sip of his champagne. “Again, it was great meeting you. Good luck at the festival.”

He turns and walks away without another word. Somehow, even with the live band and the hustle and bustle of laughter, conversation, and the clinking of drink glasses, the silence is far more deafening. Kemuri releases Iida’s suit jacket and backs away as all three of them turn to look at her.

“U-Uh…” Kemuri stammers, reaching up to fiddle with her hair. “U-Um, how…how about we get more punch? I’m…I’m parched! Yeah. Why don’t I get all of you some while I’m at it? Yes? Okay, I’ll be—”

Iida grabs her wrist as she turns away. His expression is serious, stare burning into hers, and she squeezes her eyes shut. What a nightmare this has become.

“Does he always talk to you like that?” Iida demands. “With…with such disrespect?”

Kemuri shakes her head, eyes starting to itch. “It’s…it’s nothing, really. He’s just strict. It’s n-normal.”

Yaoyorozu’s lips part, stunned. She’s still gripping Todoroki’s arm. “Kemuri, you think that’s normal?” she asks.

Todoroki doesn’t say anything, but his face has a dark edge to it. It’s the same expression he wore when he heard his father talking about him. He keeps watching the spot that her grandfather occupied, but Yaoyorozu keeps him in place.

Kemuri wrenches her hand away from Iida, clutching it to her chest as she sputters out, “A-Ah…I have to go to the bathroom!”

She dashes away, working her way through the crowd, so desperate that she has to actively stop herself from bowling people over. She can’t breathe. She can’t think. All she can hear is her grandfather’s voice. Her classmates’ faces stick in her head. They must think she’s a freak. They must be disgusted. They must realize how useless she is.

She leaves the main hall and dashes up the stairs, not even sure what she’s looking for. A bathroom is a good start, but there are so many doors and hallways that it all looks the same. She tries a few doors, most of them locked, before one finally opens.

Through some brief moment of chance, it’s a bathroom. She ducks inside and shuts the door behind her, locking it before slowly sinking to the floor. She’s covered in goosebumps and yet she feels hot, her chest tight, and a few tears slip down her face as she drags her knees to her chest.

Why does he always have to ruin everything?

“Kemuri? Kemuri, where are you?”

She hears the sound of Iida’s engine rumbling from down the hallway, but she doesn’t answer. She slips her fingers into her hair and presses the heels of her hands against her ears, head ducking between her knees as she tries to make herself breathe past the steady stream of tears.

She startles as someone knocks on the door. “Kemuri, are you in there?” Iida’s voice is softer now. She bites her lip, shaking, and he adds, “I don’t want to invade your privacy, but I have ways of getting this door open if things start to be…concerning.”

She exhales heavily and forces herself back to her feet. She smooths her skirt and unlocks the door, pulling it open slowly as she wipes her face. She realizes that her mascara is probably a mess now. She must look like a raccoon.

“Kemuri,” Iida breathes. He has one hand braced against the door, glasses slipping down his nose. “Don’t…don’t go running away like that. You could get lost, even if it’s just a house.”

She sniffles. “I…” She purses her lips as hard as she can, squeezing her eyes shut again as she bows her head, hugging herself. Tears roll down her cheeks and drip onto the floor. “I’m…I’m s-sorry.”

They stand in silence for a second before she hears his hand sliding off the door. Then, she’s pulled towards him and she finds herself wrapped in a hesitant but tender hug. Somehow, that just makes her feel even more like crying, and she buries her face against his shoulder as her arms surround him, fingers gripping his jacket.

He’s warm, solid, and his suit smells faintly like oranges. In most scenarios, a hug is all she wants when she’s upset—she finds the gesture calming—but because it’s Iida giving her this one, she doesn’t feel calm in the slightest.

“I apologize,” he murmurs. She sniffles, unable to voice her confusion, but he continues, “I made a comment a few weeks ago, pertaining to how proud your grandfather must be of you. I see now that that is…not the case, so my words must have made you upset. I was hasty and made assumptions, so I hope you can forgive me.”

She isn’t sure whether she wants to laugh or not, but either way, a small noise of disbelief is heard as she pulls her face away from his shoulder. “You…you didn’t know,” she says. “You…” He’s gazing at her and for a moment, she can’t speak. “U-Uh…you meant well.”

His lips lift a little. “Ah…good. I’m glad you didn’t take it the wrong way.” He steps away from her as he adjusts his glasses and she releases him in the same beat. “Are you okay with going back to the party? Or do you need more time?”

She wraps her arms around her middle. “I…I could go back,” she says. “I’d…just need to clean this up.” She gestures to her face, trying to smile but knowing that it looks more like a sad grimace.

He nods. “I will let Momo and Shoto know that I found you. They were worried.” He pulls out his phone to start texting and Kemuri finds herself smiling a little. It’s cute how, even when they’re no longer in a context where their first names are necessary, he still refers to them as such.

“Iida?”

“It’s okay to call me Tenya, remember?”

“R-Right…” She swallows. “Tenya?” He finishes his text and looks up, eyebrow lifted, and she forgets all her words. “I…uh…” She bites her lip a little. “This…this is stupid, but could you help me fix my mascara?” He blinks a few times and she adds, “My mom did it for me in the first place. I…I always end up stabbing myself in the eye when I try, s-so…”

He smiles, then straightens up. “Of course! I’d be happy to help!”

Her shoulders sag with relief as they disappear back into the bathroom.

Chapter Text

When the two of them return to the party, they can’t find Yaoyorozu and Todoroki right away. Iida sticks right by Kemuri’s side with her holding his arm. She trusts Iida’s eyesight far more than hers in this scenario, content to just let him lead her.

“Ah, they’re dancing,” he says after a moment, stopping at the edge of the dance floor.

Kemuri spots Todoroki’s bi-coloured hair among the crowd and sure enough, he’s dancing with Yaoyorozu. Kemuri can’t tell whether their lips are moving or if that’s a trick of the light and she kind of hopes for the latter. She doesn’t want to think of what they could be talking about.

“Well?”

She blinks a few times a looks up at Iida. “Huh? What? Sorry, I…”

He smiles a little. “Would you like to dance?”

In her head, she replies with something like, “I would dance with you even if both my feet were cut off.” In reality, she swallows and manages a nod as she goes, “U-Uh…sure!”

He takes the lead again, his movements much more sure than Todoroki’s were. He takes her hand and waist, eyes narrowed a little in concentration, then he easily joins the other couples. The first thing she notices is that, between Iida and Todoroki, they simply feel different. Iida is taller than Todoroki, for one, and Todoroki is more slender. Iida is broad and firm, and Kemuri has to stop herself from running her fingers along his shoulders absentmindedly.

“Kemuri,” Iida murmurs as they move with the tempo. “Can I ask you about your life at home?”

She exhales. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” she starts, trying to keep her words steady. “My grandfather has…expectations.”

“But, surely, you must see how rude he was towards you. And the way he talked about your friends?” He shakes his head. “Did something happen? Was that why Ojiro was so upset a few weeks ago?”

“I…” She shuts her eyes. “He…he doesn’t like mutant-type quirks, and…all my friends are mutant-types. My grandfather…”

It makes her sick just thinking about it.

She hears him exhale through his nostrils. “It seems like it isn’t the quirk, but the appearance that sets him off. Otherwise, he would dislike me too.” He shakes his head. “He is obsessed with power and yet he doesn’t see the abilities that your friends have? Ridiculous.”

Kemuri has to admit, she forgot that Iida does, in fact, have a mutant-type quirk. Her hand slips from his shoulder to his collarbone. “Tenya, please…don’t mention this to everyone else,” she pleads. “I…I hate when people find out.”

His expression is conflicted. “Is it just your grandfather? Do your parents—”

“No!” she insists, maybe a little too loud. She darts a glance to the couples around them, but no one gives them a second look. She returns her attention to Iida. “No, my parents…they’re kind. My grandfather hates my dad too, and my mom…she does her best.”

“And the…’unfortunate parentage’ comment?”

“I get a lot of my…mannerisms from my dad, like…like being shy and introverted, but my grandfather just sees that as being weak-willed. Plus…my dad is white.”

“Ah, so he dislikes gaijin too.” Iida’s expression hardens with annoyance again before he asks, “Does your mother know what your grandfather says about you? How he talks to you?”

“Yes? No?”

“Which is it?”

Kemuri shuts her eyes as her head bows again. “She knows…about what he says when she’s around both of us. She does her best to keep me away from him, but she isn’t always around, with work and…I don’t know. There’s this power dynamic in my family that—” Her breath hitches and she almost coughs, shaking her head. “I don’t know, Tenya. I…I just don’t know…”

“Kemuri—”

“He doesn’t…he doesn’t hit me, or anything l-like that. It’s…it’s not that bad. Please, just…don’t talk about it to others. It’s something that I need to deal with on my own.”

He brings her closer to him, close enough that their chests touch, and she inhales sharply. His head dips enough so that his cheek brushes the side of her face. Goosebumps erupt across her entire body.

“It pains me to stay silent, but…I will respect your choice,” he says. “But...if things get worse, you must understand that I am obligated to step in. I can’t stand by and let him treat you like that.”

She smiles just a little. “Thank you,” she whispers, “for…standing up for me back there. He…” She almost laughs. “He was really angry.”

He straightens up, eyes closing for a second. “I try to be respectful at all times, especially to elders, but I couldn’t stay quiet.” His eyes open and he blinks a few times, “And, yes…you’re welcome.”

Her fingers tighten around his and she imagines resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, and just letting herself be carried away by this moment. It’s something close to perfect.

“Kemuri, please know that you can trust me,” Iida says. “We may only be getting to know each other now, but…” He pauses, choosing his words, but seems to give them up as he instead says, “Please, talk to me if you need to.”

Her heart just about explodes out of her chest. “Y-Yes, of…of course. I will.”

He smiles at her, as radiant as the dancing lights surrounding him, and Kemuri can’t help but return it.

----------

Before the song ends, some commotion from the main entrance snags Iida’s attention. He frowns at the door, hand tensing against her waist. All too quickly, Kemuri thinks of the USJ and her heart rate spikes.

“Tenya?” she asks, stepping closer to him.

“Something’s not right,” he says. His dark eyes flit back to her questioning ones. “I’m sorry to cut this off, but—”

“No, it’s…it’s alright,” she says, shaking her head. “Let’s go.”

Wordlessly, he leads her off the dance floor and into the crowd. They haven’t gone far when Tensei passes them and Tenya perks up, one hand snapping into the air, straight and true as an arrow.

“Brother!” he calls, making Tensei stop in his tracks. The teens hurry up to the man and Tenya’s eyes narrow. “What’s happening?”

“It looks like we’ve got some party crashers,” Tensei replies. Kemuri’s eyes widen as she grips Tenya’s arm, and Tensei notices her anxiety. “Don’t worry,” he says, donning a calm smile. “We’ve got this under control.”

“Do you want assistance?” Tenya asks. His eyes are starting to sparkle.

“Dad’s on his way, but…just keep an eye out, okay?”

“Yes, brother! Of course!”

Tensei hurries off, shaking his head a little, and Kemuri’s hold tightens. Tenya reaches over and pats her hand as he starts moving again, leading her through the guests. Some are starting to murmur and point, but Kemuri can’t make out what they’re pointing at. She imagines the Nomu and the guy with all the hands standing at the doorway, and the thought just serves to make her more nervous.

“Excuse me, but you’re not welcome here,” Kemuri hears someone say as they near the entrance. “You should get out before there’s trouble.”

“Trouble?” a laughing voice repeats. “We don’t want any trouble. We just want to have some fun.”

Tenya muscles his way through a crowd until him and Kemuri come to a stop at the edge of the crowd. Standing in the entrance is a group of five people, three men and two women, dressed in relatively casual clothes. Two of the men and one of the women have orange hair. The obvious leader is the man in a red keikogi shirt and long pants who stands at the front of the group, his hair mostly grey with pieces of orange managing to stay present.

The person who spoke first is the same pro hero who was talking to Kemuri’s grandfather earlier. He stands apart from the watchful guests, standing straight and tall, eyes narrowed. He sizes up the older man as best he can, despite the inches he has lost on him.

“This party is for celebrating heroes,” the tanned pro says. “I will say it again. You should leave.”

“So harsh, not even giving us a chance,” the other retorts, tucking one hand into his pocket. He eyes the guests. “I don’t see anything stopping us from coming in and…sampling the festivities. Maybe we’d like to mingle too.”

“Native,” yet another new voice says. “Thank you, but I can handle it from here.”

Before Kemuri can question who the newcomer is, Tenya’s arm loses some tension and he whispers, “Oh, father is here. Good.”

Sure enough, a man that is no doubt Tenya and Tensei’s father approaches; he has the same build and eyes as his sons, although his hair is black. Tensei is behind him. The greying man at the head of the group grins, his head tilting to the side. Tensei is behind him. The greying man at the head of the group grins, his head tilting to the side.

“Oh, Tetsuya, good to see you,” he greets. “Hope I’m not bothering you.”

“That’s Mr. Iida to you,” Tetsuya Iida states, crossing his arms over his chest. “This isn’t the best time to stop in for a visit. Maybe call ahead next time, then we can accommodate you better.”

One of the other men snorts with laughter and nudges the woman hanging on his arm, making her giggle. Kemuri looks up at Tenya just in time to see his jaw clench, hands forming fists. Without giving it a second thought, she runs her hand along his arm, trying to help him release his tension. It works, just a little.

“As proper and boring as ever,” the stranger sighs. “I don’t need a visit with you, Mr. Iida.” The way he says the name makes Kemuri cringe. It’s dripping with fake politeness. “I just wanted to talk to some of your guests, that’s all.”

“If we allowed every rogue fan to do that, we would be overrun,” Mr. Iida says. He keeps his voice steady despite the growing annoyance painting his features. When the stranger’s smile falls, Mr. Iida taps Tensei’s arm and leans over to whisper something to him.

“Now you’re ignoring us?” the man asks. He rolls his shoulders and lifts his arm. “Well—”

“Don’t even think about using that arm, Akiara.”

This time, Kemuri recognizes the voice of her grandfather and the venom in his tone is enough to make her blood go icy. He uses the man’s first name and yet there is no sense of friendship in his voice.

Keiji moves past Tetsuya and Tensei, stopping in front of the stranger, his forehead creased. The man, Akiara, slowly lowers his arm as he smirks again.

“Ah, Keiji, just the man I was hoping to see,” Akiara says. He reaches out and grips Keiji’s shoulder, smile getting wider and more strained. “I wanted to have a little talk.”

“This isn’t the time or the place for that,” Keiji retorts. “You should know better than to be this reckless.” He scoffs a little. “But, then again, what should I expect from a Nishimura?”

“Nishimura?” Kemuri repeats, maybe a little too loud.

Akiara’s head snaps towards her and she feels her knees wobble, heart pounding as she shrinks back. Keiji steps to the side, blocking her from Akiara’s view, extending his hand out.

“You should go, K—” He cuts himself off before her name comes out, but she can tell that this order is aimed at her. He sounds, dare she say it, legitimately concerned. “Please. Now.”

Her eyes widen and her grip on Tenya’s arm gets more desperate as his eyebrows lift. The grandfather she knows is not a man that says such things easily. Whoever this stranger is, he must be bad news.

“Is that Kemuri? Oh, she’s gotten quite big,” Akiara comments, craning his neck around to get a look at her. He waves a little, eyes narrowing. “Hello, sweetie.”

“Don’t you dare say another word to her,” Keiji snaps, keeping his voice low, and Akiara just looks amused. Keiji spares a glance at Tetsuya and Tensei, jerking his head to the side. “I’ll take care of this, Iida. You…handle everything else.”

Tetsuya nods. He and Tensei start directing the immediate onlookers away, apologizing as they go, but Kemuri doesn’t move even when Tenya gives her arm a gentle, urging tug in the other direction. She stays put, eyes wide and locked on her grandfather. This situation feels dangerous and if he’s in trouble, then—

“I will speak with you outside,” Keiji says. He keeps his hands planted firmly at his sides, clenched into fists. “Then, you will leave, peacefully.”

“Oh, no need to worry. I’m not the violent one, Keiji.” Akiara’s eyes seem to burn as his smile turns sour, taunting. “Am I?”

Keiji stares at him long enough to raise the tension between them tenfold before he moves past him and towards the door. Akiara snaps his fingers and turns on his heel, bringing the other four adults with him as he follows him out.

The other Iida men seem to have made quick work of distracting the guests, because no one is paying attention anymore. Kemuri is still staring. Her mouth is dry. Between thoughts of her grandfather, she allows for a memory of her classmate’s face to linger.

“Did your grandfather call him Nishimura?” Tenya whispers, snapping her out of her shock.

“It’s…it’s a common surname,” she suggests, voice weak and pitched a little too high for her liking. “It…could be a coincidence. Akio…”

His eyes stay narrowed and the panes of his glasses glint as his head shifts. “Perhaps, but consider the similarities in the first names too, and the orange hair? Maybe I should ask father—”

“My grandfather has it handled. I wouldn’t worry about it, anyway,” Kemuri says, giving his arm a small tug and forcing him to look down at her. “We should find Shoto and Momo. I bet they’re looking for us.”

After a moment, Tenya sighs. “Yes, you’re…you’re absolutely right,” he says. He exhales as turns away, the two of them walking back to where they last saw their friends. “I’m used to the occasional incident at these parties, mostly from celebrity chasers desperate to get a glimpse of pro heroes,” he admits as they walk. “But that was…something else.”

She just nods, trying to will the anxious goosebumps away from her arms. She can’t shake the way Akiara looked at her and how he addressed her with such familiarity. She’s never seen him before in her life.

She hears Yaoyorozu’s voice calling their names from somewhere ahead of them, shaking Kemuri from her thoughts, and she takes a deep breath as she picks up the pace. She can ask her grandfather about this Akiara guy when she isn’t trying to have fun.

----------

When Kemuri and Iida reunite with Yaoyorozu and Todoroki, Kemuri is struck by how time is flying. The first incident with her grandfather already feels like it happened hours ago, between the dancing and the party crashers and what not, and yet she hasn’t seen Momo or Shoto since.

Still, Yaoyorozu tentatively brings it up. Kemuri does her best to explain her situation, similar to what she told Iida earlier, and Iida fills in the blanks when she gets too stuttery and nervous. She appreciates it. He says just enough to get her point across.

“Well, I extend the same offer to you as Tenya did,” Yaoyorozu says. “If you need to talk, I’m all ears.”

Todoroki doesn’t say anything, his lips pursing as he digs his hands into his pockets. Kemuri doesn’t pester him, neither does Iida or Yaoyorozu.

“Thank you, Momo,” Kemuri says. “I’ll…I’ll do my best to keep that in mind.”

Todoroki stares at her, eyes narrowing. “He…doesn’t hit you?” he asks, spoken like a clarification.

Kemuri nods, avoiding eye contact. “Yes.”

He makes a small humming noise and looks away. Before the quiet invades too much, Iida suggests going out into the backyard and taking a look at the sakura blossoms. He emphasizes that their blooming season is coming to a close and they should enjoy it while they can.

“We’ll come back before my father gives some parting words to the guests,” Iida adds.

“That sounds lovely,” Yaoyorozu says.

Kemuri and Todoroki nod. The four students head outside, joining the other guests that have migrated outdoors, and Kemuri lets the fresh air of the night fill her lungs as loose petals flutter around them. She loses herself in conversation.

By the time the night comes to an end and Kemuri is climbing back into the limo with her parents and grandfather, she’s too tired to ask about the Nishimuras or much of anything else. Instead, she waves goodbye to Iida, saying that she will see him at school, and sits back in her seat only to slump against her dad’s shoulder.

“Did you have fun, honey?” Cayden murmurs.

She nods, eyes fluttering shut, and before she knows it, she’s asleep.

Chapter Text

Another week of school passes in a blur. On Monday, she spends maybe a little too much time watching Nishimura at lunch, but all he does is chat with Sato and Koda while wolfing down a giant plate of kale salad. He’s innocent enough. Maybe he doesn’t even know about what happened at the Iida Estate. Maybe his family, if they are his family, never mentioned it.

By the time Thursday rolls around, Kemuri is fully engaged in being ready for the Sports Festival. Training with her grandfather is as hardcore as ever, but she feels stronger despite wishing for something less intense. Whatever the festival throws her way, she’s ready. She’s going to take home the gold even if it kills her.

She winces as an explosion rattles the ground and she casts a glance over her shoulder to where Bakugo is solo-training. He grins, hands smoking, and she swallows hard as she whirls around and returns to her own work. She changes her words: she’s going to take home the gold even if it seriously injures her.

Now that the festival is so close, everyone in her class is focused on solo training. They share the same cityscapes, sure, but it seems like everyone is keeping their quirk’s secrets under lock and key for the express purpose of keeping an edge on any possible opponents in the festival.

“Keep up, Kemuri!” Ojiro urges as he swings and leaps across lampposts with ease.

Kemuri races along behind him, arms pumping, sweat pouring down her back. She’s lucky Ojiro is willing to test her stamina with a game of tag, although so far she hasn’t even gotten close to catching him. He’s too quick.

Ojiro swings to a halt, dangling upside-down from a lamppost as they reach a four-way stop. He crosses his arms over his chest as he watches her catch up and she stops beneath his perch, hands braced against her knees.

“You good?” he calls.

She takes a gulp of water and sticks her thumb up. “Yup…” she croaks.

“Sports Festival starts tomorrow! No time to slack off!” He smirks. “And you still haven’t caught me!”

“Because I physically can’t!” she hollers up at him.

He laughs. “Never say never, Kemuri.”

With that, he’s swinging away again. She curses his mobility as she gives chase, startling a little as Sero goes soaring over her head on a strip of tape. He switches directions with the same ease that Ojiro exhibits and disappears around a corner.

Everyone has different strengths, she reminds herself. Just focus on improving yours.

She nearly trips in surprise as Kirishima belly-flops against the pavement to her right. Just as she’s about to stop and check on him, he erupts from the concrete with a scream of victory, hardened up and ready to go.

“I’M STILL WINNING!” Ojiro calls back at her, urging her back into a sprint.

“I’M DOING MY BEST, OJIRO!” she retorts.

----------

Friday feels different. Kemuri eats a good breakfast, something that’s nutritious but isn’t enough to make her feel bloated, and makes sure she has extra water bottles. Her grandfather has already left the house for a business trip, but his presence lingers.

“Just because I’ll be away doesn’t mean you can slack off,” he warned her during yesterday afternoon’s training session. “I’ll be watching the festival closely, so don’t disappoint.”

Her parents are far more excited. Cayden promises to have the TVs on in the spa while he works, plus he’s recording everything in HD so that Kazue can watch once she gets home from work.

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to watch live,” her mom apologizes as she puts on her hat. “The department needs me to be out there on patrol.”

Kemuri smiles. “It’s okay, mom. You can watch it later.” She straightens up. “I’ll make you proud!”

“You already have, sweetie.”

They hug. Kazue showers both her daughter and husband in kisses before hurrying out the door, waving goodbye one last time at the gate. Kemuri grabs her backpack and her stick, already anticipating the crowds she will have to find her way through plus the unfamiliar layout of the U.A arena. Her dad gives her another squishy hug that she returns eagerly.

“Go kick some butt, kiddo,” he says as he ruffles her hair.

“Will do!”

They fist-bump and she races down the front walk and out the gate, en route to the train station.

----------

There are fireworks going off above the U.A campus and the front gates are packed. Kemuri maneuvers her way around, most people parting for her when they see her using her stick, and she thanks her lucky stars that she doesn’t have to try and get in through the front doors of the arena. It looks like a nightmare.

She manages to locate the sign directing her to the participant waiting rooms only after stopping herself from having a good old-fashioned fangirl meltdown at seeing Mt. Lady ordering takoyaki with Kamui Woods and Death Arms.

No, Kemuri did not have the guts to ask them for an autograph. Their security nametags told her that they are busy and hey, if they’re security, then maybe she’ll be able to see them later.

Still, the moment of “holy crap holy crap holy crap” takes her a bit to get over and by the time she gets changed into her gym uniform and finds the correct waiting room, she’s one of the last students there.

“I’m sorry for being late,” she says to whoever is listening, bowing apologetically as the door swings shut behind her. “I got lost.”

“Eek, you made it!” Hagakure squeals, racing over and engulfing the taller girl in a hug. “I’m so excited! And nervous! Is there an emotion for both at the same time?”

“Uh…anticipation?” Kemuri suggests.

Mina pops out of nowhere, one hand raised. “Nervouscited!”

Tokoyami, lounging at one of the nearby tables, bows his head. “There are two types of people.”

Behind her, the door opens and Kemuri lunges out of the way before it can hit her, making her stumble into Shoji. Iida appears, seemingly unaware of the near-collision.

“Everyone, get your game faces on!” Iida shouts. “We’re entering the arena soon!”

The tension in the room skyrockets and anyone who looked even slightly relaxed before then starts to shift and fidget in their seats. Sato has his hands folded on the tabletop so tightly that his knuckles are turning white and Nishimura reaches over to pat them, unable to voice anything comforting.

Kemuri, realizing that she still has her backpack and stick with her, hurries over to the lockers at the side of the room and claims one. As she starts putting her stuff away, she hears a familiar voice say, “Midoriya.”

She turns around, halfway through retracting her stick into itself, to find Todoroki staring down Midoriya. He has one hand in his pocket, his expression deadpan.

“H-Hey, Todoroki,” Midoriya says. “What’s up?”

Now it seems like everyone’s watching. The two boys are in the centre of the room and there isn’t much else to do but listen in on whatever is about to go down. Kemuri reaches into her locker and hangs up her stick without looking away.

“From an objective standpoint, I think it’s fairly clear that I’m stronger than you,” Todoroki says.

“U-Uh…” Midoriya swallows, then nods. “Yeah…”

“However, you’ve got All Might in your corner, helping you out,” Todoroki continues.

That makes Midoriya’s shoulders tense up. Kemuri closes the locker door behind her as quietly as she can, eyes widening a little. She hasn’t really noticed All Might giving any extra attention to Midoriya, but maybe she just isn’t looking hard enough.

“I’m not here to pry about what’s going on between you two,” Todoroki says, “but, know that I will beat you.”

Oh, boy, it’s time for declarations of war. Kemuri’s mom warned her that stuff like this happens, although she only heard about it from her friends in the Hero Course. Business students never fight each other leading up to the festival, more focused on, well, business, and Kazue said that most General Studies students are painfully optimistic or equally cynical about the entire thing.

“Woah, what’s with all these declarations of war, lately?” Kaminari asks, breaking the tense silence created by the two boys.

Kirishima gets up from his seat. “Yeah, what’s the big deal?” he asks, resting his hand on Todoroki’s shoulder. “Why’re you picking a fight all of a sudden, and right before we get started?”

Todoroki elbows Kirishima’s hand away from him. “We’re not here to be each other’s friends,” he utters. He turns away, heading for the door. “Don’t forget, this isn’t a team effort.”

Kemuri catches Yaoyorozu’s eye from where she’s sitting at a nearby table, but she just sighs and shakes her head a little. Kemuri purses her lips, leaning her shoulder against the locker. Despite how it looked at Iida’s party, Todoroki is still…Todoroki. What an ice prince.

“Wait a sec, Todoroki,” Midoriya says before he can get too far away. Everyone’s attention flits back to the green-haired boy. “I don’t know what’s going through your head, or why you feel the need to tell me that you’ll beat me.” He looks at the floor. “And, yeah, of course you’re better than me. In fact, you probably have way more potential than anyone in the Hero Course. That’s why you got in so easily!”

“Midoriya, maybe you’re being a little hard on yourself…and us,” Kirishima says with a hesitant smile.

“No. He’s right, you guys.”

Kemuri doesn’t need to hear him say it. She knows that she’s weak compared to Todoroki. She’s weak compared to plenty of people in their class. She turns her head away, arms reaching to hug herself, and she darts a glance upwards just in time to see Iida look away from her.

Is he thinking what she’s thinking?

“All the other courses, they’re coming for us with everything they’ve got. We’re all gonna have to fight to stand out,” Midoriya continues. Todoroki turns around and Midoriya finally looks up from the floor, less scared and more determined. “And I’ll be aiming for the top too.”

“Fine,” Todoroki says.

Kemuri bites her lip as the atmosphere in the room shifts. Bakugo’s eyes narrow. A few others in the room steal glances at the person closest to them. Kemuri feels another spark of determination roll through her.

It doesn’t matter how long she’s been thinking of this festival or how much training she’s put in; if it all falls short now, then what was the point? She wants the top just as bad as her classmates do and she’s willing to work for it, but so are they.

Maybe nobody else believes that she can do it. Hell, she doubts her own abilities more than anyone else does, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t going to do her very best. At the bare minimum, she is going to try.

----------

Present Mic’s voice echoes down the long hallway leading into the arena. Kemuri takes long, deep breaths as she walks with her class, Shoji on one side, Hagakure on the other, Tokoyami and Ojiro lingering a few steps behind.

“This year, we’re bringing you some of the hottest performances in Sports Festival history, guaranteed!” Present Mic calls. “I’ve only got one question before we start this show! ARE YOU READY?!”

The crowd roars and Kemuri closes her eyes, reaching out to take Hagakure’s hand as they keep walking. Her friend squeezes her hand in reassurance and, as small as it is, it makes Kemuri feel better.

If she just focuses on the other students and doesn’t pay attention to the thousands of eyes watching her, then she won’t completely break down. She needs to channel the Kemuri that goes into fight mode, like the Kemuri from the entrance exam, the Kemuri without fear.

“LEMME HEAR YA SCREAM AS OUR STUDENTS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE MAIN STAGE!”

Kemuri opens her eyes as she releases Hagakure’s hand, the light at the end of the tunnel invading her vision for a brief second before she emerges into the arena. She clenches her jaw and holds her head up high as the thunderous roar of the crowd pounds against her ears and the sun beats down on her.

She thinks of her dad, watching the TV screens between crunching numbers and greeting guests who want to watch the Sports Festival from the comfort of a hot spring. She thinks of her mom, somewhere out there in Hosu, keeping a careful eye out for trouble and trying not to worry about her daughter in the meantime.

Lastly, Kemuri thinks of her grandfather, who’s no doubt watching her at this very second, head perched on his hand, dark eyes narrowed.

“Make them see you, Kemuri. Show them what a Shimakage is made of.”

She swallows the nerves invading her. “I won’t let you down.”

Chapter Text

“Welcome back to the U.A Sports Festival, where up-and-coming heroes leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve worldwide fame and celebrity! This first group are no strangers to the spotlight! You know them for withstanding a villain attack, the dazzling students lighting up your TV screens with solid gold skills: the Hero Course students of class 1-A!”

Kemuri keeps her eyes focused ahead, obscuring the roaring crowds from her view as she takes a deep breath. Present Mic sure knows how to talk them up and, judging by the nervous conversations of her classmates, they’re feeling the pressure too.

“That’s a lot of people,” Shoji murmurs, one of his tentacles forming a mouth that hovers near Kemuri’s ear.

“Heroes have to work in the spotlight. I guess…this is just a taste of what’s to come,” Kemuri replies.

“They haven’t been getting nearly as much screen time, but this next group is still chock-full of talent! Welcome, Hero Course class 1-B!” Present Mic announces. “Next up, General Studies classes C, D, and E! Support classes F, G, and H! And finally, Business classes I, J, and K! GIVE IT UP FOR ALL OF U.A’S FIRST YEAR CONTESTANTS!”

The crowd roars again and Kemuri dares to lift her head up a little more, taking in the screens all around the arena and the waving crowds. Her stomach flips and she swallows hard, casting brief glances at the other classes as they gather in the centre of the arena.

Standing on top of a raised platform is Midnight, the first year’s chief umpire. “Now, the introductory speech!” she calls. She flips her dark hair and flashes a dazzling smile at the audience.

Kemuri hears some of the guys discussing her outfit, questioning how appropriate the attire is, but Kemuri doesn’t mind. In fact, she admires Midnight’s confidence. Midnight knows she’s hot and she uses it to her advantage, and a woman using her femininity to empower herself is something Kemuri can get behind.

“Silence, everyone!” Midnight shouts, striking her flailed whip to the side. “And for the student pledge, we have Katsuki Bakugo!”

Kemuri nearly chokes as her and everyone else turns to Bakugo. The blond walks out of the crowd, hands in his pockets, and Kemuri seriously questions whoever decided that he would be the best choice for rep.

“I guess that hothead did finish first in the entrance exam,” she hears Sero comment.

Nearby, a brunette girl from General Studies sighs and crosses her arms over her chest. “Only for the Hero Course exams,” she mutters. Her classmates are all glaring at class 1-A too.

“O-Oh, right,” Midoriya mumbles.

“Oh, man, that girl obviously hates us,” Sero whispers, shoulders hunching.

“Yeah, and we’ve got Bakugo to thank for them not liking our class,” Kaminari adds, eyebrows furrowed.

“I think they’d hate us anyway,” Kemuri whispers, but only Tokoyami seems to hear her. He nods in agreement.

Nishimura cracks his neck. “If they’re jealous, that’s their problem. Not ours.”

Bakugo reaches the stage and a hush falls over the crowd. She glances at the microphone, then slowly looks up at the audience. Kemuri holds her breath.

“I just wanna say,” Bakugo starts. “I’m gonna win.”

It’s like lightning strikes class 1-A and Kemuri has a moment where she feels her soul leave her body. Around her, she hears people groaning and booing, others complaining that they knew Bakugo would say something like that.

“What did you say?!”

“You’re so full of yourself!”

“GET OFF THE STAGE!”

Iida zooms out of the crowd, arm chopping like a rogue Nutcracker. “Why would you be so disrespectful?! You’re representing us all!”

“Not my fault the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory,” Bakugo retorts, aiming a thumbs down at everyone else.

“I’M GONNA CRUSH THIS OVERCONFIDENT JERK!” the silver-haired guy from class 1-B shouts. “I can’t wait to knock him down to size!”

Kemuri swallows hard. She wants to hate Bakugo, almost wishes she could join in with the rest of the angered U.A students, but she can’t. He’s rude, yes, but he’s powerful and he knows it. Kemuri and her classmates know it. The Bakugo she saw at the entrance exam was the type of guy to grin and laugh his way through demolishing robots, but this Bakugo is stoic. He means business.

It’s utterly terrifying.

Bakugo rejoins his class, ignoring the sputtering, scolding Iida and bumping his shoulder into Midoriya as he goes. He takes his place next to Kirishima, expression hard, and Kemuri scoots away from him. While she doesn’t join in with the outrage, annoyance lingers. Thanks for making us targets for everyone else, Bakugo.

Without much time to breathe, Midnight goes full swing into the games as the jumbo screens around the arena light up with the words “first game”.

“Without further ado, it’s time for us to get started,” she calls. “This first game is what you’d call a qualifier! This is where you begin feeling the pain; the first fateful game of the festival!” As she lifts her whip, a hologram screen appears behind her as a roulette wheel spins. “What could it be?”

It stops on “Obstacle Race”. Kemuri rolls her shoulders and releases some steam along her back and shoulders. She isn’t a fast runner, but if she plays it smart, then maybe she can find some way to get a headstart. Too bad this event doesn’t exactly allow for planning ahead.

“All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest,” Midnight says as the holographic screen shifts around, displaying colourful, lettered bubbles and maps. “The track is four kilometres around the outside of the stadium.” Her whip finds the air again. “I don’t want to restrain anyone, at least in this game. As long as you don’t leave the course, you can do whatever your heart desires!” As cheers erupt again, she finishes with, “Now then, take your places contestants!”

Kemuri quickly realizes that the exit onto the course itself is going to be an issue. The hallway leading outside is narrow and she can already imagine the pandemonium that’ll ensue once the buzzer goes. It’ll be like the lockdown incident all over again.

“Oh, god,” she whispers, massaging her fingertips.

Shoji glances down at her. “You okay?”

“I’m gonna get trampled,” she replies, jerking her head towards the space ahead of them. “If I can figure out a way to get through without falling or…something, then maybe I’ve got a chance.”

He observes the gate for a moment, then his eyes crinkle. “Well, I can give you a boost,” he says. She stares up at him and he adds, “It’s the qualifier, so I want to make sure you get in. It’s no fun if my friends aren’t there to compete against later, right?”

Her heart lifts and she starts to smile. Here she is, thinking that what’s about to happen is the be all, end all, and she didn’t even stop to think that she has friends now. What’s more, friends who aren’t concerned with winning the first round of the festival.

She thinks for a second. If Shoji lifts her above the crowds, then she could potentially use everyone else as springboards and walk across the messier bits. That could help, but only if she’s quick and stays light on her feet.

“Okay, all I need is to get above the crowd,” she whispers.

Shoji gives her a thumbs up. “I’ve got you covered.”

She bumps her shoulder with his arm. “I owe you one.”

“I’ll keep you to that promise.”

The first light shuts off with a beep. Kemuri squares her shoulders and Shoji reaches one hand to her waist. The second goes off. Then, the third.

“BEGIN!”

Everyone bursts into a stampede and Kemuri feels herself get lifted off the ground until she’s perched on Shoji’s shoulder. She looks to the side to find that he’s also lifted Tokoyami, and the edgy boy casts a smirk and a thumbs up her way when they lock eyes. Kemuri returns it.

“See you at the finish line, Tokoyami!” she calls.

“I will, when you come in behind me,” he retorts.

Kemuri finds herself grinning. She reaches over and touches the top of Shoji’s head, making sure that she has his attention. “Shoji, thanks for the boost,” she says.

He nods and she stands up on his shoulder, one hand still holding her ankle, and he releases her as she lunges forward. She lands on the shoulders of the student in front of her, earning a shout of “hey”, but she keeps going. The people are so crowded together that, even if they wanted to stop her, they’d have to fight past the shoving masses around them.

Before she goes too far, a blast of cold air hits her and ice floods the bottom of the tunnel, locking people in place. Kemuri focuses on the door, hopping across the shoulders of her peers, idly wishing she had the chance to apologize above just shouting, “Sorry!”

She emerges into the sunlight and touches down on the patch of ice trailing behind Todoroki, who’s off to an early start. She stops for just long enough to take off her shoes, holding them tight as she starts releasing steam from the soles of her feet. The ice melts beneath her and she runs, passing the students trapped in Todoroki’s ice.

Behind her, Yaoyorozu, Bakugo, Kirishima, and Aoyama burst from the tunnel, all avoiding the ice in their own way. Tokoyami, Ojiro, Nishimura, and Mina are close behind.

“Man, you made me wreck my shoes early!” Nishimura shouts. Kemuri dares only a brief glance back to see that he’s morphed his feet into blades, moving like a seasoned ice skater. “You’ll pay for that, Todoroki!”

Kemuri smirks to herself. There’s so much energy in this competition already; it really gets her blood pumping.

Mineta goes bouncing past Kemuri on a trail of balls, cackling something about outsmarting Todoroki, when a two-pointer robot appears out of nowhere and knocks the snot out of him.

Kemuri gasps and skids to a halt just a few feet behind Todoroki, the path forward blocked by a legion of 0-Pointers from the exam. She looks behind her just in time to see that other, smaller villain bots have blocked off the rest of the racers. She can hear shouts of disbelief and fear from non-hero course students.

“Oo, enemies have shown up out of nowhere!” Present Mic calls. “I bet we’re in for a treat here! A test of strength and cunning, it’s a robo inferno!”

This is it, Kemuri thinks. In the exam, she ran from the 0-Pointer. Today, she’ll run towards it. They’re too slow to adjust positions quickly, so if she hurries…

Somehow, she makes her body move. She releases a cloud of fog and she bursts into a sprint as the 0-Pointers start to move. She hears a few shouts from behind her and as she passes Todoroki, just for a second, she wishes she had her peripheral vision if only to get a glimpse of his expression.

The 0-Pointer either doesn’t see her through the dust and fog, or it can’t adjust fast enough, because she slips between the first one’s legs without much trouble. The second row of bots creaks as they start towards her, but she again shrouds herself from their presence and slips through without any trouble.

She thanks the dust surrounding the scene. It only amplifies her stealth abilities without forcing her to use her quirk too much. She kisses her fingers and aims them at the sky in a “thank you” motion. The road ahead of her is clear and the robots are behind her. She grins and lets out a laugh that soars into the sky.

“There goes Kemuri Shimakage from class 1-A, stealing the lead!” Present Mic’s voice echoes from the stadium speakers. “Always keep an eye out for the quiet ones, folks! They’ll shock ya! Mummy Man, what’ve you got?!”

“She used the dust to magnify her stealth abilities,” Aizawa’s far less enthused voice says. “She made good use of her surroundings.”

“Why fight ‘em when you can outsmart ‘em?! This just in, Shimakage is definitely smarter than a giant robot!”

Another rush of cold air hits Kemuri’s back and she has no doubt that Todoroki just unleashed a massive ice attack. The ground shakes beneath her bare feet as the screech of destroyed metal grates against her ears.

“That’s Shoto Todoroki from class 1-A in hot pursuit of Shimakage!” Present Mic cries. “Amazing! He’s one we should watch! It almost seems unfair!”

“His attack was both offensive and defensive,” Aizawa adds.

“No wonder he was let in on recommendation! He’s never even fought those robo infernos before, but they didn’t stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!”

Kemuri’s attention darts to the side as Todoroki catches up to her, shooting her a glare as they fall into pace, neck in neck. She tries to return the look, but the pleased smile working its way onto her face is stronger.

“This is fun, eh?” she calls to him.

He doesn’t respond, pumping his arms faster as he starts to pull ahead. Kemuri grits her teeth, eyes glinting, and she releases a few puffs of steam from the back of her calves. It helped a little in the quirk assessment test, why not try it here?

She matches his pace again. His annoyance gets more prevalent.

“Shimakage and Todoroki are neck in neck, neither one giving up the lead! What can I say, folks? Legacy kids do it best, huh?! Such tenacity!”

This is good. Now, no matter what, she’s snagged the attention of the crowd early on. She’s the girl who’s keeping up with the top recommendation student, so if she just keeps going, she’s golden.

Are you watching, grandfather? she asks. Am I making you proud?

She’s tuned out Present Mic’s commentary, just able to catch snippets. She’s more focused on getting to the next obstacle, but as soon as she sees it, her stomach drops into her feet. A giant cavern stretches out before her with pillars of stone erupting from the dark far below. The only thing stretching between each pillar are ropes.

From what she can make out, some of the pillars are close enough that she can jump across. That makes it only a little less daunting.

Todoroki forges ahead, skating across the ropes on a sheet of ice, and Kemuri looks behind her. The others are starting to catch up. She’s going to lose her headstart if she doesn’t focus, so, despite the terror that grips her, she moves to the edge. She debates putting her shoes back on but opts to tie the shoelaces together and hook them around her neck.

All she can do is grab the ropes and climb across like a sloth. She kneels down, takes a deep breath, and slides off solid ground. As gravity takes hold, she fastens her legs around the rope and dangles with her back to the depths below. Her shoelaces dig against her throat.

Don’t look down, she tells herself. Just don’t look down.

“For those of you who thought the first obstacle was easy, let’s see how you feel about the second one!” Present Mic hollers. “If they take a spill, they’re out! If they wanna pass this test, they’re gonna have to get creative. It’s…THE FALL!”

She keeps moving, teeth gritted.

----------

By the time she makes it across “The Fall”, plenty of other students have passed her. She was forced to watch while those with good mobility quirks blew past her. Seeing Shoji literally gliding, using his arms like wings, almost shocked her enough to make her lose her grip.

That sneaky jerk, she thinks, all tease, no shade. Keeping such a cool ability to himself.

She catches up with the others, already able to see explosions of pink up ahead. When Todoroki reached it, sometime while Kemuri was still climbing, Present Mic announced the third obstacle—a minefield with relatively harmless explosives.

It seems to be slowing everyone down, most people shuffling by while watching their feet. Kemuri pauses at the edge of the field, releasing some fog from around her ankles. She smiles a little. The dirt where the mines are buried is higher up than safe spots, little mounds that are just present enough for her to feel it out. Rejuvenated, she lets out a steady stream of fog as she starts moving, easily dodging the mines as she hops about.

She passes quite a few people, narrowly avoiding the unfortunate students who trip up the mines. She isn’t in desperate need of water yet, but she’s starting to dream of the water bottles waiting for her back at the stadium.

Honestly, she’s so stuck in the zone that she doesn’t focus on what’s going on around her unless it’s an immediate threat to her. She does get tripped up by an explosion or two that goes off near her, but it’s never enough to keep her down for long. Present Mic is talking about Todoroki and Bakugo fighting for first place.

When she’s about halfway across, a giant explosion from behind shakes the ground and Kemuri can’t help but turn around. Most of the other contestants stop too, shielding their faces against the whipping wind and flying dust.

“Incredible! What just happened?!” Present Mic shouts. “Whatever the case, class 1-A’s Izuku Midoriya is in hot pursuit of first place!”

“Midoriya?” Kemuri repeats.

“Strike that! THE LEAD IS HIS!”

Kemuri finally finds Midoriya, flying through the air on a piece of metal. She can’t make out everything that’s happening—it all goes by too fast, with plenty of explosions only making it harder to focus—but she knows a few things for sure.

One, Midoriya is a force to be reckoned with, and she isn’t sure whether he’s crazy or admirable or both. Two, at this point, the top three spots are going to be taken by Todoroki, Bakugo, and Midoriya. And three, if she doesn’t keep it up, she’s going to fall behind.

She reaches the ice path left behind by Todoroki and uses it to her advantage, rejoining the front-runners as they head for the arena. Sato, Shoji, and Uraraka are ahead of her, but that’s all she can make out right now. She’ll know where she placed once she gets inside.

When she makes it across the finish line, there’s confetti raining from the sky, music is playing, and the crowd is going wild. Kemuri looks up at the jumbo screens, hoping to see placements, but all she sees is a replay of Midoriya snagging first place.

“The contestants are pouring in, one after the other! Let’s hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results!”

Kemuri braces her hands against her knees, catching her breath as sweat rolls down her face. Did she do okay? She lost her early lead, but she wasn’t too far behind everyone else. If she doesn’t qualify…

“Kemuri!”

She stands up as Shoji approaches her, his eyes smiling behind his mask. He lifts his hand up, expectant, and she smiles a little as she smacks her hand to his.

“Do you think we made the top twenty?” he asks.

She pushes her hair from her eyes. “God, I hope so.” With a small smile, she says, “That second obstacle was tough, and you…” She aims an accusing finger. “You can fly?! What?”

He raises his hands in defence as he starts to laugh. “I can glide, yes…I had to keep some secrets from you.”

She shoves him gently as laughter overtakes them both.

Chapter Text

“The first game for the first years is finally over, and what a game it was!” Midnight says. “Now, let’s take a quick look at the standings, shall we?”

Kemuri watches the screen, her friends bunched around her in a comforting circle, although the most nervous of them by far is Hagakure. She got into the stadium quite a while after Kemuri did, while Tokoyami, Shoji, and Ojiro all got in ahead of Kemuri.

Midoriya is in first, followed by Todoroki, then Bakugo. Tokoyami takes seventh, right after Iida, while Ojiro takes eleventh and Shoji is in fourteenth. Kemuri exhales as her face appears on the screen next to number seventeen, right before Yaoyorozu.

“Man…top twenty,” Kemuri breathes. She shudders at the thought of her grandfather’s reaction. He’s a top ten kind of guy.

Still, it could be worse. When she looks around at her classmates, she finds that Aoyama is nearly bent over, face white as he clutches his stomach. Nishimura is patting Aoyama’s back, his expression slightly awkward, while Sato and Koda linger nearby with Koda flapping his hands about nervously.

“It’s okay, man,” Nishimura says. “I bet you still qualified. I only got twenty-sixth place, so maybe we’ll just go down together.”

“Can I get you something?” Sato asks. “Do antiacids help?”

Aoyama just shakes his head.

Hagakure hugs Kemuri’s arm when her name and uniform appear in spot number thirty-nine. Kemuri feels the invisible girl’s face dig into her arm. “Oh, man…I sucked,” she mumbles.

“No, you did great. Thirty-ninth out of, what, over two hundred students?” Kemuri encourages.

“Yeah, you did awesome!” Ojiro agrees, reaching out to pat Hagakure’s shoulder.

“Only the top forty-two will advance to the next round,” Midnight announces. Hagakure immediately perks up, bouncing in place. “But don’t be too let down if you didn’t make the cut. We’ve prepared other opportunities for you to shine.”

“Oh man, we’re in,” Hagakure whispers. “Everyone in our class made it!”

“And looks like most of class 1-B made it too,” Tokoyami says, eyeing the leaderboard.

“Now, the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move into the limelight,” Midnight continues. “Give it your best!” She extends her whip to the screen as the roulette wheel starts spinning again. “Let’s see what we have in store for you next! Will your wildest fantasies come to life? Oh, what could it be? The waiting is torture!”

Okay, Kemuri may hold quite a bit of respect for Midnight, but even she thinks that Midnight could stand to tone down the suggestive way of speaking. It’s very…dominatrix.

“Prepare yourselves for this!”

It comes to rest on “Calvary Battle”. Kemuri’s eyes widen a little. A team event, huh? How are they going to be split up, then? Will they get to pick their own teams or will it be random, based on placement?

“Allow me to explain,” Midnight says as a picture of All Might being carried by Thirteen, Present Mic, and Snipe replaces the roulette wheel on screen. “The participants will form teams of two to four as they see fit. In theory, it’s the same as any old playground game, but there is one difference. Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course.”

She continues her explanation, noting how points go up in increments of five, starting from the bottom. Aoyama is only worth five points, for example, and Kemuri is worth—oh. She nods a little. 130 points isn’t too bad, actually. Nice and square in the middle.

“And so on until second place, but…the point value assigned to the person in first place is TEN MILLION!” Midnight proclaims.

Kemuri’s jaw drops. Every pair of eyes falls on Midoriya as the poor boy loses a few shades of colour from his face and Kemuri immediately switches up her game plan in her head. She isn’t going to team up with him, not when everyone is going to be gunning for him and his headband, but she isn’t sure she wants to go after him either.

Her strategy, if she can find teammates that are okay with it, will be to snag headbands from lower-ranked teams and aim for, at best, second place. That’s a safer bet and while it won’t necessarily put her in the spotlight, it should guarantee her advancement to the third bracket.

“That’s right,” Midnight says, licking her lips. “It’s survival of the fittest, with a chance for those on the bottom to overthrow the top!”

Kemuri eyes the crowds. If they weren’t rabid before, they are now.

----------

Midnight explains the rest of the rules. They’re easy enough to understand: the battle itself will last fifteen minutes, each team will have a headband that shows the point totals, and stolen headbands have to be worn by the “jockey” from the neck up, and best of all, losing your headband doesn’t knock you out of the game. However, making a team fall on purpose does get you disqualified.

And, of course, quirk use is allowed.

“You have fifteen minutes to make your teams! I recommend that you get started!” Midnight calls.

Kemuri turns to her friends, already noting that there’s one too many of them to make a team all their own. “So…” she starts. “What’s the plan? Do you guys want to team up…or?”

“Obviously, I’m going to go after Midoriya,” Hagakure says. “His headband means an instant win! Also…” Hagakure’s attention darts around. “I want to be a rider, preferably getting carried around by a bunch of boys.”

“Someone has their priorities in line,” Ojiro says with a tiny smirk.

“Let me dream, Ojiro!”

Kemuri purses her lips. By the sound of it, Hagakure won’t like Kemuri’s strategy, so maybe it’s best if they don’t team up.

“I’m sorry, but I would like to scout out the competition a little more,” Tokoyami admits. He bows his head. “I mean no disrespect to you four, but I must look at you as more than my friends. You are my opponents too.”

Although it does sting a little—having Tokoyami on her team wouldn’t hurt—Kemuri nods. “N-No, of course. You do you, Tokoyami.”

“I wish you the best of luck. I hope to see you in the finals,” Tokoyami says. With one more bow, he turns and walks away.

For a second, the remaining four just look at each other. Then, Shoji’s shoulders sag a little and he shuts his eyes.

“I’m sorry to say this, but…I would also like to branch out,” he says. Kemuri’s heart sinks even further. “If all else fails, then we can team up, but first I want to take a look around. Maybe try to team up with Bakugo.”

“Oh, I wanted to try teaming with Bakugo too! He’s so strong, and I bet he’s got a really good plan for winning!” Hagakure agrees.

Kemuri has to stop herself from gasping and clutching her chest. Bakugo? Above her? It’s not surprising when she thinks about it, but still…yikes.

“Besides, I don’t think my quirk would be used well if any of us teamed up,” Shoji adds, a little more sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck. “I want those ten million points too.”

He has a point, although Kemuri hates to admit it. She isn’t sure how she’d make her quirk work with anyone in this situation, and while Shoji could potentially use his quirk to navigate through her fog, she can see where his concern comes from.

“I’m sorry, Kemuri,” Shoji repeats, noting the crestfallen look on her face. “It’s nothing personal.”

“No…I get it,” Kemuri sighs. “It’s no big deal.”

“Okay, so…” Hagakure starts. “I guess we should all go and look for other people?”

“Yeah,” Shoji says.

Their departure is rather awkward, although Hagakure is quick to join the crowd of people swarming around Bakugo and within a few seconds, Mineta is racing up to Shoji, nearly in tears. Kemuri and Ojiro are left behind.

“Ojiro?” Kemuri asks, turning to him. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I want to avoid Midoriya and that headband as much as possible.”

Ojiro smiles. “No, I agree. If we lay low and knock out the smaller teams, we have a good chance of making it,” he says.

Okay, her mood is back up in the positives. She nods a few times, starting to smile. “Yeah! I’ve been thinking,” she says, motioning between them, “that you and I would work well as the right and left horses. We’d just need a rider and one more person for the front.”

“So you and I can do defence,” Ojiro says, stroking his chin. “That could work. We’d just need someone with a long-range quirk to take the front, and possibly the same for the rider.”

“Seems like you two have a good plan in mind,” says a voice behind them.

Kemuri and Ojiro whirl around to find the purple-haired guy from General Studies standing there, a lazy smile on his face. He rubs the back of his neck and glances off to the side, nonchalant.

“Hey, uh, no hard feelings about that declaration of war, right?” he asks.

Ojiro narrows his eyes a little while Kemuri dons a smile. “Uh, no,” she says, shaking her head. “No hard feelings. Heh…”

His violet eyes wander back to them, that smile getting a little bigger. “Good,” he says. “Look, I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re looking for a rider and a front-man. Maybe you’d like to join my team?”

He jabs his thumb over his shoulder to where Aoyama is standing alone. He isn’t buckled over in pain anymore, but the blank, vacant stare on his face is a little unnerving. It isn’t like the sparkly, flamboyant Aoyama that Kemuri has gotten used to.

“Maybe,” Ojiro says.

“Is Aoyama the front?” Kemuri asks. “His navel laser could be good for that.”

The boy shrugs. “If that works best. You two seem like you fly under the radar, which…” He chuckles a little. “Works well for my plan. I just want to lay low and snag some headbands when the other teams aren’t looking. Shock everyone, get them excited. You get it?”

Kemuri nods. “Yeah! That’s…that’s actually exactly what I had in mind. I’ll join you,” she says. She extends her hand to him. “I’m Kemuri Shimakage.”

He takes her hand and shakes. “Hitoshi Shinso.” He looks at Ojiro. “Are you coming?”

Ojiro’s eyebrows furrow and he purses his lips in thought. “I don’t know…”

Kemuri frowns a little. “Ojiro? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I…I think. I’m just…unsure.”

Before Kemuri can respond, Shinso pats her shoulder. “Hey, I’ll talk to him,” he says. “Why don’t you go and join, uh…Aoyama?”

Kemuri hesitates, but nods. “Okay…sure.”

She wanders over to Aoyama, settling at his side and folding her arms behind her back. Shinso goes closer to Ojiro, tucking his hands into his pockets, and Ojiro’s tail lashes. Kemuri turns her head enough to look at Aoyama.

“So…how’s your stomach?” she asks. She’s never really talked to him, she realizes. She’s just witnessed him from afar.

Aoyama hardly glances at her. He just keeps staring at Shinso and Ojiro. Sensing the awkwardness, Kemuri focuses her attention on the other teams. Hagakure has teamed up with Sato, Jiro, and Koda, from the looks of it and—wow, she’s taking off her shirt. Kemuri assumes there’s a strategy behind the decision.

She also notices Tokoyami talking to Midoriya, Uraraka, and the support course girl that Kemuri saw in Power Loader’s office: Mei Hatsume. Honestly, major kudos to Tokoyami for having the balls to team up with Midoriya. That’s a risk Kemuri just wasn’t willing to take. Although, she’s a little shocked that Iida isn’t with Midoriya and Uraraka. The three of them are a pretty dynamic trio.

Then, Kemuri sees Iida standing with Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Kaminari and things seem a little clearer. Todoroki is a better offensive choice. Kemuri idly wonders what could've been if she had snuck in and snagged Kaminari’s spot. It’d be the rich kid quartet, reunited! But, alas, it is not meant to be.

She searches for Shoji next, remembering him getting chased down by Mineta, and finds both boys standing with Tsuyu and Nishimura. Tsuyu and Mineta are actually good choices for him, she notes. Mineta is so small that carrying him is a cinch and Tsuyu has some wicked offensive ability. Nishimura is the sore thumb, but she’s sure that they’ll find a way to use those blades of his. With that thought in mind, she does some quick math as she finds their scores on the leaderboard, eyebrows arching. That team is worth 500 points. That’s a headband she could go for.

“Hey, sorry, that took a while,” Shinso says as he returns. Ojiro walks behind him, his gaze just as vacant as Aoyama’s.

Kemuri frowns. “Uh…yeah, no problem.” She waves her hand. “Ojiro, are you okay?”

“He’s fine,” Shinso answers. “He was just concerned about my strategy, but I convinced him.” He smiles at Ojiro. “Right? Go ahead and tell her.”

Ojiro nods, stiff, like a robot. “Yeah. His plan will work fine,” he states. His lip twitches at the side. “Don’t worry, Shimakage.”

Kemuri gets goosebumps all over her body and she reaches up to rub her arms. “Uh…”

Shinso steps between her and her friend, towering over her, and her words die in her throat. “Is everything alright? You’re not backing out, are you?” When she still can’t get herself to speak, Shinso’s eyes narrow a little. “I could really use your help. Your quirk is great for sneaking around, and that’s just what I need.”

She opens her mouth but still doesn’t say anything. God, he’s actually kind of intimidating. She feels bad for being so rude, just staring at him like a deer in headlights, but she just…can’t get herself to talk.

“What, cat got your tongue?” he asks, teasing a little. She shakes her head, swallowing hard, and he lets out a rush of air from his nostrils. “Just, tell me, are you backing out?”

She shakes her head. Even with the creepy way her classmates are acting, if she backs out now, finding another team will be nearly impossible. What’s more, she would feel too guilty for just abandoning him. He’s the only General Studies student left in the festival now and, if his earlier declaration to class 1-A says anything, it’s that he wants to win too.

Why not help him so that they both get the chance that they want so bad?

Shinso seems to relax. “Okay, good,” he says. His tone is a little strained and he turns, giving his shoulders a shake. “How about you stick to my left? Does that sound good?”

“Y-Yeah, okay,” she squeaks.

They wait in silence as the teams are put together and headbands are handed out. Shinso puts on their 365 point headband, still looking pretty proud of himself. Kemuri bites her lip. She remembers what Aizawa told her after their first battle training, something about not being afraid to mention weaknesses to potential teammates.

“Actually…uh, one thing,” she starts. “My peripheral vision is…nonexistent, so I won’t be able to see people coming at us from this side. Ojiro would be better at that.” Shinso arches an eyebrow. “I…just thought you should know that.”

Shinso glances around the stadium. “Okay, then you should take the right wing of the formation. I want to stay close to the outskirts, keep a close eye on the other teams, so you’ll have some defence on your side thanks to the walls.”

She sighs with relief. “Yeah, that sounds good.” She looks around at the other teams, adding in, “Also, I think our best bet is to aim for Shoji’s team. They have 500 points.”

“Which one is Shoji?”

“The tall guy with six arms.”

Shinso finds the group and his smile lifts. “Noted, but you don’t need to worry. I’ve got this.”

She frowns a little. “You mean…we’ve got this?”

He shrugs. “Sure.”

Kemuri goes back to being quiet, the tension starting to suffocate her. She just wants this game to start.

----------

When the timer goes off to end the fifteen minutes, Midnight starts stretching her arms across her chest. “Oh, goodie, it’s time to get this party started!” she croons.

“Hey, hey, hey, look alive!” Present Mic says. “After fifteen minutes to pick teammates and talk strategy, twelve calvary teams are ready to go head-to-head!”

“I see some unexpected student combinations,” Aizawa says.

“Come on! Everyone, get your hands in the air! It’s time for the U.A Battle Royale! LEMME HEAR YA SCREEEEAAAAAM!”

The teams are spread around the packed dirt field that takes up most of the arena floor. Kemuri watches the other teams while Shinso lounges on the seat she’s created with Aoyama and Ojiro. Her heart is pounding and she hopes that her sweaty palms aren’t bothering Aoyama too much.

“Okay, all you first years, I hope you’re happy with your chosen teams!” Present Mic calls. “Alright, let’s get this party started! One final countdown before the game starts! Three…two…ONE!”

“BEGIN!” Midnight shouts.

As predicted, everyone rushes at Midoriya. Shinso smirks, stretching his arms to the sky before letting out a long breath.

“Well, let’s go,” he says.

Ojiro, Aoyama, and Kemuri start forward. It quickly becomes clear that avoiding everyone won’t be possible, but they can do their best. Kemuri focuses on keeping up with Aoyama and Ojiro, watching her feet and occasionally adjusting herself when she hears Shinso telling them to. Nothing super exciting happens to their team, just lots of running away, save for a brief run-in with Team Kendo.

Note to self, Kemuri thinks. It’s hard to defend against a girl with gigantic hands.

As Kendo and her team races away, headband in their possession, Kemuri grits her teeth.

“Don’t worry,” Shinso says before she can voice her concern. “We’ve got time. Just trust me.”

He must be working out a strategy as he goes. If Kemuri was in charge, she’d suggest keeping an eye out for whoever has a solid point total, then swoop in and snatch it right before time runs out. With the way things are looking, that may be just what he’s thinking too.

By the time the seven-minute mark comes around, half the teams are stuck at zero points, and only two of the Class 1-A teams still have their headbands. Otherwise, class 1-B is dominating the charts.

Something’s going on on the other side of the arena, and from what Kemuri can make out, Todoroki’s team is making a move against Midoriya. There’s static in the air that she decides must be Kaminari’s doing and half the contestants have been frozen to the ground. Kemuri can make out Shoji struggling to get his feet out of the ice while Nishimura does his best to chip away at it with a bladed foot. Tsuyu and Mineta mourn the loss of their headband. Hagakure and her team are in the same position.

Kemuri searches the rest of the arena. Bakugo’s team seems to be going after a blond guy from class 1-B—Kemuri thinks his name is Monoma, if she remembers the leaderboard correctly. The people who aren’t frozen are going after one another, and no one is paying attention to Team Shinso as time starts to tick further and further away. The audience and the cameras are locked on Team Monoma versus Team Bakugo or the fight between Team Midoriya and Team Todoroki.

Their chance is coming.

“Shinso, whose headband are we taking?” she asks.

“Testutetsu,” Shinso replies. “They’ve been snagging headbands the entire game. Knocking them down will really get everyone’s attention.” He grins and points to the team of class 1-B students. “After them.”

As they break into a sprint, Kemuri is only faintly aware of Present Mic shouting and the blaring of horns announcing the oncoming end of the match. They’re down to seconds. If this doesn’t work, then her trust in Shinso will have been useless.

“Shimakage, use your quirk to blind everyone around us,” Shinso says as they get closer. “Then, we’ll get in close and I’ll snag the headband.”

Kemuri starts to nod, but hesitates. Dread fills her. After the first event, she didn’t get the chance to drink a lot of water and she used her quirk quite a bit during the obstacle race. Depending on the scale Shinso wants, she may not have enough to get the job done.

“Shimakage! What are you waiting for?” Shinso demands.

“I…I don’t think I should,” Kemuri admits. “My quirk requires water and I didn’t drink enough before going into this! It could be dangerous!”

Shinso grits his teeth as his constant relaxed smile disappears. “What? And you didn’t tell me until now?” he demands, his fists starting to tremble.

“I’m sorry, it slipped my mind!” His rage doesn’t fade and, in a desperate attempt to keep things positive, she says, “We can still make it. We’re almost there!”

“No, we have to use your quirk! Those guys are too good at defence. I won’t be able to get the points if they can see us coming.”

“B-But—”

“I don’t care, just do it! Unless you want to lose this thing!”

She swallows hard. “I don’t, b-but—”

And just like that, everything goes black.

When she wakes up a few seconds later, the cavalry battle is over and the entire arena is covered in fog. Shinso is panting and he has two headbands clutched in his shaking hands. Ojiro is blinking rapidly, looking around in confusion, while Aoyama clutches his stomach as his face goes pale.

“Woah, calm down, everyone!” Present Mic shouts. “We’ll figure out the final standings once this fog clears up! What an interesting final move from Shimakage! Wish I could see what’s going on though.”

Kemuri’s ears are ringing. Her vision is swimming in and out of focus and her mouth feels dry. Her heart is pounding way too fast. Her body is suddenly too heavy for her to support and she feels hot. Oh no. Oh no. This isn’t right. She doesn’t get overheated this easily. Her quirk should be cooling her down.

“See, was that so—“ Shinso stops, noticing her instability, and his expression slackens. “Shimakage?”

Her eyes roll back in her head and she collapses, dropping Shinso in the process as their team literally falls apart. She hears Ojiro shouting her name and he appears above her as the edges of her vision start to get even darker than they already are. Her breathing grows more and more shallow.

“Kemuri? Kemuri, what happened?” Ojiro looks up at somewhere she can’t see, desperation rising. There’s a flash of recognition. “Someone get Recovery Girl!” His hands cup her face. “Kemuri, hey! H-Hey! It’s gonna be okay, you hear me?”

“Damn it,” Shinso mutters, getting to his feet. He digs his fingers into his hair, stamping his foot against the dirt. “Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!”

Kemuri tries to speak, tries to ask what’s happening, but she doesn’t have the strength. Her eyes slide shut and all too soon, everything is black again.

Chapter Text

When Kemuri wakes up, her mouth feels like sandpaper, her muscles are cramping, and there’s something cool on her forehead. She peels her eyes open to find herself staring at the ceiling of Recovery Girl’s temporary nurse’s office. She has an IV in the back of her hand. The skin around it is sore, just like everything else.

“H-Huh?” she wheezes. She starts to sit up, far too fast, and it forces her into a round of dry, hacking coughs.

“Hey, dearie, just calm down,” Recovery Girl’s sweet voice reaches her, a hand resting on her shoulder.

A cup of water appears just above her line of sight and Kemuri takes it, gulping it down desperately. Before she chugs too much, Recovery Girl pulls it away.

“Slow down, don’t want to rehydrate too quickly,” she says, lowering Kemuri back onto the pillows.

“What…what happened?” Kemuri asks. Her head is still pounding and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t remember what happened after Shinso demanded that she use her quirk.

“Well, you overused your quirk, for one,” Recovery Girl says. Kemuri turns her head enough to see the old woman, seated in a swivel chair at her bedside. “You covered the entire arena in fog, then collapsed.”

“Is there a…a way to watch the last part of the battle? I…I don’t understand what happened. I would never—”

She chokes on her words, eyes stinging with tears although none come out. If there’s anything that she monitors with her life, it’s her intake and outtake of water when using her quirk. The last time she went overboard was when she was just a child, still trying to figure out how to regulate everything.

Her grandfather is going to be so upset with her.

Recovery Girl purses her lips but nevertheless grabs a remote control and switches on the nearest TV. She has the Sports Festival recording, allowing her to rewind. Kemuri watches as her team races towards Tetsutetu’s team, watches as she starts talking to Shinso, and then…

There it is. Her expression goes blank and within seconds, fog seems to explode from all over her body and it doesn’t stop. Her stomach floods with ice and she feels like screaming. “No!” she wants to shout at the person on the screen, the girl that looks like her but isn’t acting like her. “No! Stop! You’re using too much!”

She watches as Shinso takes the headbands from Tetsutetu and just like that, the Kemuri on the screen returns to normal. She falls, Ojiro calls for help, and Present Mic tries to commentate the audience into calming down. The fog is already fading away, too thin to stick around for long.

“Don’t worry, folks, everything is under control! Just a little hiccup!”

Kemuri can’t look away. Her entire body sags with embarrassment as she watches herself getting carted away, and…oh god, someone please tell her that she didn’t actually start puking all over herself on live television. Please tell her that that’s just a really sick joke.

She looks down at herself and, sure enough, her uniform top is missing, leaving her in just the red tank top she wears underneath it. The shirt must be getting cleaned.

Her eyes start to itch and burn again as Recovery Girl shuts off the TV. For a few seconds, they don’t say anything.

“I…I have to go,” Kemuri starts, trying to get out of bed.

Recovery Girl holds her hands up as her expression turns stern. “No, you do not. Your only job is to stay here and rest!” she scolds. She reaches up to fix the cool cloth on Kemuri’s forehead. “You lost a lot of fluid with that final move.”

“I’ll…I’ll just drink a lot of water. I’ll be fine!”

“What, and send yourself into shock?” Recovery Girl demands. “You have to rehydrate slowly if you’re going to recover. I can’t even use my quirk to speed the process along.”

Kemuri sinks back onto the bed, squeezing her eyes shut. Recovery Girl watches her for a moment before heaving a long-suffering sigh.

“I shouldn’t have to remind you of how dangerous it is to overuse your quirk,” she starts. Kemuri’s hands form into fists against the bedsheets. “I won’t scold you, however. Something tells me that you had no idea what you were doing.”

Kemuri wishes she could cry, just let out some really loud sobs, soak her dry, itching face in tears, but she can’t. There isn’t enough moisture in her body for that, and she’s so embarrassed that all she wants is to curl up in a ball and die.

“Some of your friends stopped by,” Recovery Girl adds, trying to lighten the mood. “You were still asleep, but they were very concerned.”

Kemuri does her best to smile, but her lip just barely twitches. She stares at the blank TV screen for a second before asking, “What were the final standings?”

Recovery Girl sighs. “Team Todoroki took first place, followed by Team Bakugo, then Team Shinso in third, and fourth was Team Midoriya.”

Hope bubbles in her chest. “My team qualified? Oh my word…” She exhales. “That’s good…really good.”

There’s a knock at the door and both the student and teacher turn towards it. Ojiro stands at the entrance, a tray of food in one hand. Kemuri perks up a little and Recovery Girl smiles, pushing her chair back to her desk.

“Hey,” Ojiro says, heading into the room. He gives the tray a little shake. “I got you some food.”

“Thank you,” Kemuri says. He puts the tray on the side table before settling down in the extra seat beside the bed. Kemuri looks to the door. “The…the others?”

“They’re caught up in the cafeteria lines,” Ojiro admits. “I got there early because I left with you after…”

“Oh…”

He folds his hands on top of the bed, his fists just about touching her blanketed legs. “Kemuri…do you remember anything about the Calvary Battle?”

Her eyebrows knit together. “What? Yeah, of course. I remember everything except for the moment before I covered the arena in fog.” Ojiro’s expression hardens and she adds on a tentative, “Why?”

“That guy, Shinso…I think his quirk involves some kind of mind control,” Ojiro says. She gapes a little and he meets her eyes. “After he told you to go wait with Aoyama, he asked if I would reconsider. When I responded, everything went black. I...I only woke up after you fell.”

“Seriously?” Her shoulders sag. “That’s why you were acting so weird. You…” She tries to laugh. “You called me Shimakage.”

He almost laughs too, but it fades fast. “Yeah. Either way, I think he controlled both me and Aoyama. I think his quirk gets triggered when you respond to him.”

Kemuri feels a shudder roll through her and she thinks of right before the battle began, when Shinso was starting to get angry at her for questioning what was wrong with Ojiro. She didn’t know anything about his quirk. It was just her stupid shyness that kept her from responding to him.

Did he try to control her then, too? Did she only avoid it by chance?

“I wanted to be a part of his team,” she whispers. “I…I trusted him. I thought he deserved a chance to win too and…and I tried to work with him.” She purses her lips together, hard. “A-Am…am I just a bad teammate? Why…w-why wouldn’t he trust me in return? D-Did I do something wrong?”

Ojiro reaches over and takes her hand as a weak sob leaves her. He starts to say something when Midnight’s voice sounds from the door.

“Knock, knock,” she sing-songs. She walks in, smiling gently at Kemuri. “How are you feeling, dear?”

“I’ve…been better,” Kemuri admits, doing her best to return the smile.

“Well, I’m glad to see that you’re awake. You gave us quite the scare,” Midnight says. She turns to the old woman. “Recovery Girl, will she be ready by the time the next event starts? After all, she is one of the finalists.”

Kemuri starts to smile, but Recovery Girl is already shaking her head. “She is in no condition to compete and there’s no way she’ll be ready in time. She has to keep that IV in for at least a few hours and rest while her body recovers.”

Kemuri’s little ball of hope deflates, then crumbles to dust. She looks at Ojiro, as if begging with him to tell her that her ears aren’t working right. Recovery Girl can’t be saying what she thinks she’s saying.

“She has to forfeit,” Recovery Girl sighs.

“No,” Kemuri squeaks. She starts to move out of the bed again, desperate, and the cloth on her forehead falls onto the blankets. “No, no, no, you don’t understand. I have to compete. You have to let me!” she begs.

Ojiro’s grip tightens on her hand as he gets up. “Hey, careful,” he murmurs, his free hand reaching to her shoulder. “Don’t strain yourself.”

“P-Please, Recovery Girl, just…just find a way. I have to compete,” she repeats as her chest constricts painfully. “I’ve…I’ve worked too hard. This can’t…”

Recovery Girl’s expression is pained, but she shakes her head. “I’m sorry, my dear, but it would do nothing but harm you further. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to compete. You will get another chance next year.”

Kemuri crumples as sobs start to leave her. There still aren’t any tears, but the noises are enough. Ojiro reaches over and pulls her into a hug, allowing her to bury her face in his shoulder as she weeps. This isn’t what she wanted. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Midnight sighs. “Oh, darling, I’m sorry. You did put on a good show while it lasted,” she murmurs. When Kemuri can’t get herself to respond through her sniffling, she turns to Recovery Girl. “I’ll…make the announcement before the event starts.”

She leaves the room, heels clicking, and Ojiro shifts as he looks up at Recovery Girl. “There’s really nothing you can do?” he asks.

“No, I’m afraid not. My quirk is very good at healing physical wounds, but…this is beyond my abilities.”

Outside, a voice on the speaker systems says that lunch will be ending soon. Kemuri pulls away from Ojiro, her gaze falling to her lap. She takes a long, shaky breath, then looks up at him and tries to smile.

“You should go,” she says. “Don’t…don’t want to be late.” When he purses his lips, she gives him a thumbs up. “Good luck out there. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

He hesitates, but nods. “Yeah…okay.” He takes a deep breath. “I’ll let the others know that you’re awake. We’ll come and see you again later.” As he starts to turn around, he points to the tray. “And don’t forget to eat.”

“I won’t,” she replies.

He leaves, head hanging, expression conflicted. Recovery Girl retrieves the cold cloth and takes it away while Kemuri reaches for her tray of food. Ojiro got her goma dango and a strawberry Kit Kat bar to go along with her rice and tempura—the thoughtfulness of the gesture makes her feel a little better. She still feels sick to her stomach, but she makes herself eat.

“We may have to have a talk with that Shinso boy,” Recovery Girl says. “I don’t think he understands the full extent of what could have happened to you.”

The thought of seeing Shinso makes Kemuri anxious all over again. A guy who can force someone to use their quirk into extreme overuse, someone who can make someone do anything against their will…she hates to think it, but it sounds like a quirk suited for a villain.

Even as that thought crosses her mind, it feels mean. Something tells her that he’s heard that before.

She makes herself swallow a bite of rice. Recovery Girl puts the TV back on and fast-forwards through the commercials until they’re caught up. Kemuri will have to content herself with watching the next match from here.

Chapter Text

It just feels wrong to not be with the rest of her classmates, but Kemuri doesn’t have a choice. Recovery Girl is watching her like a hawk and Kemuri would rather not push the woman’s limits. She isn’t even allowed to compete in the side games.

This isn’t how she wanted to spend her first Sports Festival.

“Before we draw lots, I have an announcement regarding Miss Shimakage,” Midnight says. Kemuri feels a little bit of comfort at the worried looks of her classmates, their eager, questioning eyes on Midnight. “Recovery Girl has deemed her unfit to continue so, unfortunately, she is withdrawing from the tournament.”

At least her classmates look disappointed for her. There are even a few cries of “what” and “no” from some of them. Hagakure lets out a huffy “lame”. Kemuri sighs and sinks further into the pillows, her heart aching. This sucks so much, she can’t stand it.

“Due to Shimakage’s withdrawal, a member from the fifth place calvary team will have to move up. So—” Midnight continues.

“Um, excuse me,” Ojiro says, raising his hand. “Sorry, but…I’m withdrawing as well.”

Kemuri’s mouth falls open and her classmates’ do the same.

“Ojiro, no way,” Midoriya says.

“This is a rare chance for you to get scouted,” Iida adds, aghast.

Ojiro lowers his hand, clenching it into a fist above his heart. “It…it just wouldn’t be right. I barely remember anything from the Calvary Battle until the very end of it. I…think it was that guy’s quirk.”

Kemuri presses her fist to her lip, her knuckle pressing into it hard enough that she can feel the ridges of her teeth. “No, don’t do it,” she whispers to the screen, to her friend. “Don’t waste this, Ojiro.”

“I know this is a great opportunity,” Ojiro continues, “and I wish I could take advantage of it, but…it all feels wrong. My conscience won’t let me.”

“Just think about this—” Midoriya starts.

“I have, okay?” Ojiro retorts, his voice gaining a sharpness that Kemuri has only heard once before. “Everyone gave their all in round two, but I was just someone’s puppet. Kemuri wasn’t, not until the end, and now she can’t even compete. She should be the one advancing, not me. I don’t even know how I got here, if it was even my own strength, my…my own skill.” His fist gets even tighter. “It’s…it’s not fair.”

“You’re making way too much of this!” Hagakure insists. For some reason, she and the other girls are wearing cheerleading uniforms. “Kemuri would want you to advance! Just kill it in the finals and prove you should be here!”

“Yeah, what she said,” Mina agrees. “I didn’t do much in the battle either.”

Ojiro covers his face with his hand, his voice starting to shake. “That’s not it. I’m talking about my pride here. I refuse to give that up. I want to earn my place, not just have it handed to me.” He sounds like he’s on the edge of tears.

“Ojiro…” Hagakure whispers, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

“Hagakure, you didn’t see Kemuri’s face. She’s…she’s devastated.” He looks up at his friend, pausing to scrub a tear from his cheek. “How can I look her in the eye knowing that I stole the spot she earned? I can’t do that. I just can’t.”

“Aw, dude…this is so manly,” Kirishima says through his own tears.

After a second, Ojiro’s cheeks turn pink as he looks away from Hagakure. “Also…why are you and the other girls wearing cheerleading outfits?”

Hagakure giggles sheepishly while the rest of the girls flush. Kirishima wipes his eyes and sniffles a few times.

“Well now, this is another weird, but heart-warming turn of events,” Present Mic says. “Nothing like friends being concerned for their friends, right?”

“We’ll have to see what Midnight thinks of this,” Aizawa adds. “She’s the one in charge.”

Midnight watches Ojiro for a moment before extending her whip. “This kind of talk is incredibly naïve, my boy, but your dedication to your friend…” She grins. “I like it. Mashirao Ojiro, you are disqualified!”

Aoyama reaches over and grasps Ojiro’s shoulder. “Don’t worry…I’ll win it for you.”

“Now, let’s see,” Midnight says. “We’ll need two contestants from the fifth place team to replace Ojiro and Shimakage. Team Kendo?”

Kendo purses her lips. “We were frozen most of the time. Honestly, we barely did anything in the Calvary Battle,” she says. “Isn’t that right? Girls?” The other three girls from her team nod. “You should pick from the team that kept fighting the whole time, Team Tetsutetsu.”

“Kendo…” Tetsutetsu says.

“I’m not doing this as a favour. It’s just fair,” Kendo says with a shrug and a smile.

“Seriously, you guys…” Tetsutetsu stammers. He squeezes his eyes shut. “Thank you!”

After a brief huddle, it’s decided that Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki will advance to the final. With that out of the way, Midnight brings everyone forward to draw their lots. Kemuri tilts her head back towards the ceiling, flexing her fingers a bit to try and work out the stiffness the IV is giving her.

“Don’t be afraid to have a nap, dear,” Recovery Girl reminds her. “You need it.”

Kemuri nods. “Do you think I’ll be able to watch the matches in person? You’ll need this bed for when Midoriya is done with his fight.”

Recovery Girl snorts a little. “Oh, you yank my chain,” she huffs, earning a tiny, pleased grin from Kemuri. “That boy is so…so…” She dissolves into angry muttering, then composes herself. “My concern is you right now. If your lightheadedness is gone and your temperature has dropped by the time the matches start, then I see no problem with you going out to watch. You’ll just have to take the IV with you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

On the TV, the side games begin and Kemuri shuts her eyes. She is tired, however badly she wishes that weren’t the case. Maybe a nap would be nice. Then, she can wake up feeling refreshed so she can go and support her classmates.

“Hey.”

Her eyes snap open and her entire body seizes up. Shinso stands at the door, rubbing the back of his neck again. Recovery Girl slides off her chair and hobbles over to him.

“I hope you’re here to apologize, young man,” she says. “Or at least explain yourself.”

“I am,” Shinso retorts. “Can I come in?”

Recovery Girl moves aside, allowing Shinso past, and Kemuri finds herself gripping the blankets at her sides as he approaches. Shinso stops at a safe distance next to the bed, hands in his pockets, lips pursed. He doesn’t look her in the eyes.

“So…how are you feeling?” he asks.

Kemuri doesn’t say anything. She just stares at him, her skin crawling. She doesn’t think she’s ever felt this angry at someone in her life. She tends to resort to frustration and sadness first, then anger, but Shinso…Shinso is the boy who inadvertently caused her to puke all over herself on national television and, in a way, cost her her advancement in the tournament.

Shinso sighs. “I’m not going to control you if you talk to me,” he says.

She swallows, dragging her tongue across her still-dry lips before she speaks. “Why?” she asks. “I…I chose to trust you, and…and you couldn’t do the same for me?”

He lets out another sigh. “I didn’t mean to use my quirk on you. Your…willingness was appreciated. That doesn’t happen a lot, if you can believe it.”

His dry sarcasm would almost be amusing if it weren’t for the circumstances. When she says nothing, watching him with expectant eyes, he shrugs.

“I needed to get into the final round. I’ve got something to prove,” he says. “I need people to see what I’m capable of, even with a villainous quirk.” His nose wrinkles a little, teeth gritting. “So, when I thought my plan was falling through, that my hard work was going to go to waste, I got angry and I took it out on you.”

Kemuri, again, doesn’t respond for a second. She finds herself pausing more often, afraid of what she might say if she doesn’t think over her words. “I wanted to prove myself too, you know?” she asks. “I’ve got…someone who expects a lot from me. This festival was supposed to be my moment to prove him wrong.”

He scoffs a little. “Yeah, but you’re in the Hero Course. You have a quirk that sells. You don’t know what it’s like for someone like me, someone who’s treated like they’re weak or evil, like their quirk is useless for anything heroic. You can’t possibly understand.”

She’s smacked with another round of rage, but this time it’s mingling with pity. They aren’t so different. If only he wasn’t so harsh about it, if he wasn’t so…well, maybe whiny is mean. She wishes he wouldn’t put himself down so much.

“I…I do, actually,” Kemuri admits, hoping that by some miracle, she can get through to him. “I mean, yeah…my quirk is more physical than yours, but it took a lot to make it work for me. That’s the only reason I’m even slightly capable of…whatever it is that I do. As for being told you’re weak, I—”

He rolls his eyes. “You don’t need to preach at me,” he says. “I know your family. Your grandpa’s rich, your mom is famous, and you’re just another legacy kid with a decent quirk. Spare me the pity act.”

She grits her teeth. “I’m not pitying you. I’m trying to…I…I don’t know, connect,” she retorts. “This doesn’t sound like an apology anymore.”

“Fine, I’m sorry. There. Happy?”

Again, she has to take a few deep breaths, or she will throw hands with this guy in the middle of a nurse’s office. He may be taller than her, but she’s thinking that she’s got some strength on him. She’s grappled Todoroki to the ground. She can take him.

A second later, she shakes those thoughts from her head. No, Kemuri, you are not a violent person, she tells herself. He’s obviously got some issues regarding his quirk. Don’t let him get to you.

“Our team was…actually kind of great,” Kemuri says, changing the subject. “We almost did it, but now…that’s all ruined.” His expression twists a little at the sound of “we” and she has to swallow back a growing lump in her throat. “Ojiro isn’t even competing anymore and…and it isn’t fair that you took that experience from him, and from me.”

Shinso bristles a little. “Hey, it was his own choice to forfeit instead of taking the opportunity I gave him. He didn’t get hurt like you did. If that monkey didn’t care so much about his pride—”

“Hey,” she utters, sitting up straighter as her eyes narrow. “No. You don’t get to talk about my friend that way.”

It’s scary, talking back to him, but she made a promise. She promised that she would be brave and stand up for her friends. Shinso closes his mouth, jaw clenched, tired eyes narrowed with annoyance.

She tries to speak, but her heart is pounding and she feels ready to break. She wants to snap at Shinso, ask him whose fault it is that she’s in this bed instead of out there enjoying the festival. She wants to be able to forgive him, but no words come out. He doesn’t even seem sorry.

Instead, she says, “You should leave.” It comes out weak and squeaky, but it’s got enough warning in it to get her point across.

“What?”

“Leave,” she repeats, a little more forceful. “You said your piece, now leave me alone.”

He opens his mouth, then closes it, and from behind him, Kemuri can see Recovery Girl watching them closely. If he starts to talk again, Kemuri is seriously considering throwing a pillow at him. He doesn’t get to do this. He doesn’t get to walk in here and preach to her about what she does and doesn’t know. He doesn’t get to insult her friend.

He turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him with a little too much force. All of her energy leaves her and she slumps back on the bed, her body quivering.

It’d be so easy to blame him. It’d be so easy to just say that she got mind-controlled and that that was the only reason she got hurt, but the little voice in her head is arguing against that.

It tells her that, if she had just been a good teammate and listened to Shinso the first time he told her to use her quirk, then she could have kept her free will. It tells her that, if she wasn’t so afraid, if she wasn’t so weak, she would still be enjoying the Sports Festival. It tells her that she was a fool for ignoring her gut feeling, that if she had just talked to Ojiro and gotten him onto Shinso’s team without the mind control, then he wouldn’t be so guilt-ridden right now. It tells her that she’s a crybaby, that she over-reacted to Shinso’s words, and that all the anger and frustration she’s feeling should be directed at herself.

At the end of the day, she’s the one in the hospital bed, and she’s the one who wasn’t strong enough to pass the second stage of the festival.

When the door reopens yet again to reveal Hagakure, Tokoyami, and Shoji, Kemuri can’t even get a word out before her throat tightens and she feels the tears starting up. Crying won’t help her dehydration, she tells herself. She just got some liquid back, she can’t just go around spilling it again.

“Kemuri, oh my gosh, you’re alive!” Hagakure beams, racing over to her. Shoji and Tokoyami follow. She climbs onto Kemuri’s bed, reaching for her hand after setting her pom-poms aside. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything? We were so worried, you have no idea!”

Kemuri opens her mouth, she makes a soft squeaking noise, and then tears start rolling down her face as she lapses back into sorrow. Hagakure gasps and crawls over to her side, wrapping her in a hug as she starts petting her hair.

“Aw, Kemmy,” she murmurs. “I’m so sorry. Maybe if I had teamed up with you, then…”

Kemuri shakes her head. The last thing she needs is for her friends to start thinking that this is their fault, that they could have changed something. The bed shifts as Shoji settles on her other side, reaching out to take her free hand in his, careful about the IV, while Tokoyami just takes the chair next to the bed.

“Aren’t…” Kemuri hiccups a little and accepts a tissue from Tokoyami, wiping her nose and cheeks. “Aren’t you guys g-going to do those...those side games? And…Tokoyami, you…you have a match to get ready for…”

She feels Hagakure’s hair brush her cheek as she shakes her head. “I don’t want to play those games if my best friend isn’t there to have fun with me,” she says.

Shoji nods and the pressure on her hand increases for a second. “We were too worried about you, anyway.”

Tokoyami perches his chin on his folded hands. “I will have time to rest and meditate before my fight begins,” he states. “For now, I want to spend some time with you. After all…” He smiles a little. “I think the Sports Festival should be spent with friends and I don’t want you to miss out.”

Kemuri’s wobbly, teary smile disappears back into her tissue as she blows her nose. “I don’t deserve you guys,” she sniffles.

Shoji leans down enough to brush his cheek against the top of her head and Kemuri finds herself leaning against him, closing her eyes. “Yeah, you do,” he retorts softly. Hagakure’s hug gets a little tighter.

Chapter Text

Kemuri’s friends watch the replays of the Calvary Battle with her, focusing on the teams that they didn’t see during the event, and they discuss what they think the next event is going to look like. Before too long, exhaustion starts to take hold of Kemuri and Recovery Girl steps in. She ushers Hagakure, Shoji, and Tokoyami to the door, insisting that Kemuri needs rest if she’s going to get better.

“It’s okay, guys,” Kemuri says. “Just go play some of those side games, okay? It looks like they’re going to do a cheerleading thing.”

Hagakure’s skirt juts out sideways and it’s easy to imagine her posing with her hands on her hips. “If I must make this body work, I will,” she sighs, dramatic as ever. Shoji laughs softly and Tokoyami gives her a thumbs up.

“Go, go, go.” Recovery Girl shoos them away. “Young Shimakage will see you later.”

“Bye, Kemuri! I love you, girl! You’re the best!” Hagakure cheers, shaking her pom-poms as she bounces in place. “Gimme a K! Gimme an E! Gimme an M-U-R-I! What does that spell?!”

“Kemuri,” Shoji says as leads Hagakure out the doors, shooting an apologetic look to Recovery Girl, then one last smile at Kemuri.

“Do not let the darkness claim your soul, Kemuri,” Tokoyami says before he too disappears. She smiles, knowing that that’s just his way of telling her to stay positive, because the edge-lord of their squad has an aesthetic to uphold.

“You have very good friends, dearie,” Recovery Girl comments as she double-checks the IV bag.

Kemuri nods. “Yeah, I…” She exhales and slumps against her pillows. “I really can’t believe that they’re mine.”

Recovery Girl arches an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything as she starts to hum to herself.

Kemuri closes her eyes. Her phone buzzes, but she doesn’t reach to check it. What she wants is a nap. That’ll be nice. If she’s unconscious, she can’t keep thinking about everything that’s gone wrong today.

----------

When Kemuri wakes up again, it’s to the sound of someone grunting in pain and something rattling. Kemuri blinks a few times, a long breath leaving her as she slowly glances over at where the voices are coming from. Everything is still hazy with sleep. A curtain has been pulled around her bed.

“One of the figures had eyes just like yours, All Might,” she hears Midoriya say.

Her eyes widen a little. Did he say All Might? All Might is here? And with Midoriya, no less. He must have hurt himself during his match with Shinso, to no one’s surprise.

“Do you think…all the people who’ve used One for All in the past were there, pushing me on? Like spirits?”

Kemuri glances down at her arm, wondering whether Recovery Girl put painkillers or something into her IV. What the heck is Midoriya talking about? Spirits? One for All?

Within a split second, her stomach drops. They probably don’t know that she’s awake and, whatever’s going on, it sounds private. She slams her hands over her ears before she hears anything else, letting out a few loud coughs to get their attention.

The curtain slides open after a second and, sure enough, there’s Midoriya with bandaged fingers and wide eyes. Standing near him is a living skeleton of a man with messy blond hair and sunken, dark eyes, wearing a suit that is far too big on him.

Kemuri slowly lowers her hands from her ears as both Midoriya and the strange man stare at her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear anything!” she insists. “But…uh…” She looks around. “I thought All Might was here?”

“No, no, dear. All Might is busy right now,” Recovery Girl says with a smile. “Perhaps you were having a dream about him.”

Kemuri frowns a little. She was dreaming, but she isn’t sure what it was about. She nods a little, willing to accept the explanation. All Might definitely isn’t around, after all, so who is she to question it?

“Oh, okay,” she says. “I’m sorry for disrupting your…talk.”

“It’s fine. We were talking a little too loud, anyway,” Recovery Girl says. She aims pointed looks at both the man and Midoriya.

“Is it okay if I leave now?” Kemuri asks.

Recovery Girl touches her hand to Kemuri’s forehead, then shakes her head. “Not quite, dear.” She turns towards the boys. “You two should go and talk elsewhere. Midoriya, be careful with that quirk, you hear?”

“R-Right, thank you!” Midoriya says as he scrambles to his feet and does a hasty bow. “Shimakage, I hope you feel better soon!” he adds with a smile.

She returns it. “Thanks, Midoriya, and…and good luck with your next match,” she says. “If…if you advanced that is.”

He grins. “I did! Thank you!”

The scrawny guy coughs up some blood as he shuffles away, muttering to himself, and Midoriya bounces after him. Recovery Girl clicks her tongue, shaking her head, and Kemuri smiles a little.

“I bet it’ll be his arms next time,” Kemuri says. “And maybe his legs too.”

“If you weren’t in such bad shape, I would cuff you over the head,” Recovery Girl retorts. “Quirk overuse is not a joke, and that boy is the poster child for irresponsibility!” As Kemuri bites her lip hard enough to suppress a giggle, the old woman adds, “He has a good heart, but so help me…” Another huff. “You had better not become a regular, dearie.”

Kemuri swallows back a giggle. “Right. Sorry, ma’am.”

Recovery Girl hands her the TV remote, suggests she go back to sleep, and pulls the curtain shut around her. Kemuri turns on the TV and catches up on the side games. There’s some kind of race with a giant ball that she finds entertaining. Ino and Yo, who she just now remembers didn’t make it to the Calvary Battle, are a highlight.

Once they fused, they grew to ten feet tall, stronger thanks to extra muscle and an extra set of arms. The others in the race didn’t stand a chance once they got their ball rolling, and Kemuri finds herself laughing as she watches them dominate, Mineta perched on their shoulders, cackling about their easy victory. At least they look like they had fun.

There’s also a scavenger hunt, a cheerleading demonstration (that Hagakure slays), and a soccer match that involves the use of quirks. Kemuri starts to feel sad, watching everyone else have fun, and she fast forwards through the last few games to the Shinso versus Midoriya match.

When she falls asleep again, she dreams of All Might musketeers running around chanting, “All for one and one for all!” with French accents as they swing swords at each other. Kemuri is standing on the sidelines next to Midoriya. He keeps mumbling about spirits and ghosts.

Weird.

----------

Her next nap is a lot longer and far more refreshing. This time, she wakes to find that her head isn’t hurting and she doesn’t feel feverish anymore. The TV is still playing and Kemuri can see Iida running around in the fighting ring, wearing some really strange contraptions. Hatsume is talking about “her lovely babies” through a headset microphone, dodging Iida’s attacks as she goes.

Kemuri has to pinch herself to make sure that she isn’t just dreaming up a really weird, Iida-centric support company infomercial, but nope. She’s awake. U.A is just a really weird place.

“Recovery Girl?” Kemuri calls.

The curtain parts yet again to reveal Recovery Girl’s smiling face. “You look better already,” she says. She hobbles over, a thermometer in hand. “You may be just about ready to go watch the matches in person.”

“Really?” Kemuri asks, eyes starting to sparkle. Rest is good, but she’s starting to feel stir-crazy. She needs to be out of this bed.

“Open up.”

Kemuri accepts the thermometer, they wait, and when Recovery Girl checks the temperature, she nods. “Good. That’s good,” she murmurs to herself. Kemuri eyes her, expectant as a puppy waiting to be adopted, and Recovery Girl laughs. “Yes, dear, you’re free to go. But!” She holds up her hand as Kemuri starts to grin. “I forbid you to use your quirk until tomorrow, at the earliest, and that IV stays in until you head home at the end of the day. Feel free to drink water, but do not guzzle it down like a camel. If you start to feel sick, get back here at once. We don’t need you collapsing again.”

Kemuri nods. “Yes, of course. Thank you,” she says with a hasty bow.

“I’d suggest catching up on the other matches before you head out. Rounds two and three went quick.”

Again, Kemuri nods. She rewinds the TV to the start of Todoroki and Sero’s match. Sero didn’t stand a chance, the poor guy, but Kemuri has to give him credit for trying. The shouts of “nice try” coming from the audience almost seem patronizing.

“Geez, Todoroki,” Kemuri mumbles to herself. “You didn’t have to send him into a new Ice Age…”

Likewise, Shiozaki and Kaminari’s match went fast. Kaminari maxed himself out within his first move, allowing the other girl to snatch him up and immobilize him. Kemuri wonders whether Shiozaki was another recommendation student. Judging by the power of her quirk, it wouldn’t be surprising.

By the time Kemuri catches up, Iida is still in the ring with Hatsume. Thinking that she’s seen enough of that already, Kemuri sits up and swings her legs off the edge of the bed, earning Recovery Girl’s attention. The old woman hands her a clean uniform shirt and double checks the IV one more time while Kemuri pulls the shirt on. She leaves it unzipped, still a little warm, and bends down to put on her shoes.

It takes her a bit of steadying once she stands up, her legs and feet tingling. Recovery Girl pushes the rolling IV pole into her hand and for a second, Kemuri almost laughs. This thing could be like a replacement stick if she needs it to be.

“Remember what I told you?” Recovery Girl reiterates. Kemuri nods. “Good. Now, go enjoy yourself, dear.”

Kemuri thanks her one last time before heading out, gripping the IV pole tight. The last thing she hears from the nurse’s office is Hatsume’s cackling laughter.

----------

Kemuri is almost to her class’s box when she hears Midnight announce Iida’s win. She finds herself wishing that she could congratulate him, but comforts herself with the knowledge that she will get to wish him luck before his next match. If she hurries, she can probably catch Mina and Aoyama’s fight.

By the time she reaches the box, she’s starting to feel tired again. She might be awake and alert, but man, she’s still feeling the effects of her quirk overuse. She drags her IV pole up the stairs and emerges into the stands, gripping the railing as she steadies herself.

“Hey, Shimakage returns!” Kirishima calls as he waves at her, all smiles. The others in the class turn to look at her as the redhead stands up. As he bounces up the stairs to where she is, he adds, “How are you feeling?”

“Ah, better, I guess,” she answers. She rubs the back of her neck. “I’m…still recovering though, but I…I wanted to support everyone in person.”

“That’s hardcore, dude,” Kirishima says, giving her a thumbs up. “Being supportive is super cool.” She can’t help but smile in response. “I can help you with that pole. Hagakure made a big deal about saving you a seat.”

“You bet your ass, I did!” Hagakure calls, making Kemuri turn towards her voice. She’s sitting next to Ojiro, an empty space between her and Shoji, and Tokoyami is absent—no doubt preparing for the next match. “Get over here, girl!”

“O-Okay, coming,” Kemuri says. Kirishima lifts the pole for her, grinning, and she exhales. “Thank you.”

“Anytime!”

Kemuri idly wonders whether Kirishima has a second quirk that involves softening hearts, because wow, does she ever feel mushy inside when he smiles.

He makes sure that she’s settled in with her friends before vaulting over the rows of seats into his place next to Bakugo, who snorts at him. Now, she can finally start to enjoy the Sports Festival.

Chapter Text

Flames erupt from pillars all around the ring as Present Mic’s voice echoes through the stadium. “Let’s hope that gaudy belt serves some kind of purpose. It’s Yuga Aoyama from the Hero Course!” he hollers.

“Bonjour,” Aoyama chirps, flicking his hair as he winks.

Kemuri is a little shocked that she can hear him. The Sports Festival must have some mics set up around the ring. Hopefully, they’ll turn them off once the actual fight starts. The feedback would be awful otherwise.

Right at the front of the box, Nishimura starts to cheer. “YOU’VE GOT THIS, AOYAMA!” he hollers, cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Versus…” Present Mic continues. “Is there some kind of use for those things sticking out of her head? From the same class, Mina Ashido!”

This time, Sero stands up. “GO, ASHIDO! GO!”

Nishimura eyes Sero, a small smirk appearing on his face. “Oh, so you think you can out-cheer me? That’s my boy down there. Don’t test me,” he says.

“Challenge accepted,” Sero retorts.

“Hey, Sato! Help me cheer for Aoyama! Koda, you can, like…wave and stuff!”

As both Sato and Koda race over to join their friend and Sero recruits Kaminari and Kirishima to his cause, Hagakure starts to giggle. She nudges Kemuri and whispers, “My money’s on Mina.”

Shoji lets out a long, thoughtful hum. “It all depends on how Aoyama approaches it. If he hits her, he can win.”

From down in the ring, Mina chuckles. “This match is gonna be a piece of cake,” she says.

Aoyama flutters his eyelashes. “I do believe you’re going to be eating those words, mademoiselle.”

“Yeah, you tell her, Aoyama!” Nishimura hoots. “THAT’S MY BOY!”

“Kick his butt, Ashido!” Sero shouts.

“Wow, Nishi, you’re really dedicated,” Tsuyu comments. The boy smiles at her and she shrugs. “But, I’m still rooting for Mina.”

Nishimura feigns hurt. “Aw, Tsuyu, why’d you turn on me like that?” She lets out a few croaking giggles that are, honestly, really freaking cute.

Mineta’s voice takes centre stage. “SHOW HER NO MERCY, AOYAMA!” he cackles, bouncing in his seat. Kemuri missed the fact that he’s sitting next to Tsuyu. “ACT LIKE YOU’RE IN ONE OF THOSE VIDEO GAMES WHERE CLOTHES GET BEATEN OFF!”

Nishimura snorts out a laugh. “He’s too gay to even think of doing that, Mineta. Have some dignity.”

“Then he can do us straight guys a favour!” Mineta retorts. “COME ON, AOYAMA!”

Nishimura seems slightly put-off at the “straight guys” comment, muttering something to Sato that earns him a pat on the back and a few words of “Hey, don’t worry about it.” Koda nods repeatedly, tapping his fingertips together in silent agreement. Mineta is still foaming at the mouth.

“Pervert,” Jiro mutters as Tsuyu smacks Mineta with her tongue, knocking him onto his back.

Kemuri shakes her head. “Honestly…”

“AH-SHI-DO! AH-SHI-DO! AH-SHI-DO!” Sero, Kaminari, and Kirishima chant.

“YOU THREE NEED TO SHUT THE HELL UP!” Bakugo roars.

As the trio laughs and urges Bakugo to join them in the cheering, Midoriya is muttering about the quirks involved, flicking through his charred notebook as he goes. Kemuri smiles to herself, glad to be immersed in the emotions of the festival again. Everyone seems to be in good spirits, especially Nishimura. She’s never seen him so pumped up before.

“ALRIGGGHHTTT! Let’s get started!” Present Mic hollers. “Fifth match, BEGIN!”

At first, Aoyama keeps Mina on the ropes, forcing her to dodge his laser, but Mina is patient. She waits for the opportune time to strike, right after a particularly long burst.

She hurls a glob of acid at Aoyama’s belt, melting the shiny orb in the centre and part of his pants in the process. As the poor boy wails over the loss of his support item and struggles to pull his pants up, Mina finishes him off with an uppercut.

Most of the class flinches, letting out muttered “oof’s” as Aoyama collapses, face flushed, his pants at his knees.

“Aoyama has been knocked out, so Ashido is the winner!” Midnight declares.

The crowd goes wild and Mina starts aiming peace signs at the audience, grinning and bouncing in place. Hagakure lets out a few cheers while Kemuri and Ojiro clap politely.

“Her strength is amazing,” Ojiro murmurs.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Kemuri agrees.

Nishimura frowns, takes a deep breath, then slams his fist against the stone wall ahead of him. “You did good, dude!” he shouts. “Just walk it off! You did good!”

“Nice try, Aoyama!” Sato adds. “Nice try!”

Sero shivers. “Oh, man, I’m triggered,” he whines, making Kaminari and Kirishima howl with laughter.

Mineta sinks into his seat, a traumatized look on his face. “I got to see panties,” he whimpers, “but why were they…his?!”

“Because karma’s a bitch,” Shoji mumbles.

Kemuri chokes on her own spit and doubles over, wheezing and hacking as she tries to get her breath back through her laughter. Shoji makes sure the choking isn’t life-threatening before he crosses his arms over his chest, a pleased look lifting his eyes, while Mineta just cries, somewhat accepting his utter failure to see a female’s panties.

Aoyama gets carted off to Recovery Girl and Kemuri recovers from her amused shock, wiping her eyes a little. Nishimura, Sato, and Koda return to their seats, where Nishimura starts drinking some kind of green smoothie from an incredibly oversized cup.

“Oo, Tokoyami’s up next!” Hagakure squeals.

“And he’s up against Yaoyorozu,” Kemuri says. “This could be really interesting.”

Shoji leans forward a little, eyes narrowing. “We’ll have to see.”

While the transition happens, Kirishima stands up from his seat. “Well, guys, wish me luck,” he says to his friends, hands on his hips. “I’ve gotta go get ready.”

“Good luck, man,” Sero says.

“Show that class 1-B guy who’s who,” Kaminari adds with a grin.

“Just fuck off,” Bakugo mutters. He adds, in a barely lighter tone, “Don’t embarrass us by losing, shitty hair.”

From his spot, Nishimura perks up, eyes widening as if remembering something. He reaches down to his feet and pulls out another giant green smoothie, making Kemuri’s eyebrows lift. The ginger stands, drink in hand, and moves over to the wall to their left.

“Hey! 1-B!” he calls, arching onto his tiptoes.

Jiro leans over to Tsuyu and whispers, “What is he doing?” Tsuyu shrugs and makes another croaking noise.

From over the wall, Kendo appears. “What’s up?”

“Has Tetsutetsu left yet?”

“Nope, he’s right here.” Kendo disappears for a second as she calls, “Hey! Tetsu!”

The silver-haired boy’s head appears over the wall, eyes narrowed, teeth bared. “What? You guys want a piece of the competition?” he demands. He notices Kirishima and aims his finger. “I’m gonna crush you, you copycat!”

If Kirishima weren’t such a nice guy—if he were Bakugo— Kemuri is one hundred percent sure he would flip him the bird in return.

“Your quirk uses iron, right?” Nishimura asks, unfazed by the shouting.

Tetsutetsu’s eyebrows arch. “Yeah…”

“Cool, mine too. I’ve got an extra kale smoothie, and…” He lifts the drink a little and his cool demeanour falters into something more guarded. “I thought you might want the boost, man. This stuff really helps me out.” When the other boy keeps squinting at him, he adds, “Iron deficiency isn’t a joke, dude.”

“What?! You’re helping him and not me?!” Kirishima shouts.

“What, does your quirk need iron too?” Nishimura asks, looking over his shoulder at Kirishima. “Do you even like kale?”

Kirishima laughs, sheepish. “Uh, no…I’m more of a meat guy.”

“I’ve got some beef kebabs leftover from lunch. Take them.”

Sato tosses Kirishima a takeout container, aiming a thumbs up at Kirishima, and the redhead grins. “Okay, Nishi, we’re cool again!” he says before he races out of the stands.

Tetsutetsu is still watching Nishimura, his expression stunned, and Nishimura lifts the drink towards him. “I promise it isn’t drugged,” he says. “Only take it if you want though.”

Tetsutetsu’s bottom lip quivers. “I…wow, yeah. That’d be…great.” He takes the drink, starting to smile. “Thanks, man!”

“Hey, I don’t want Kirishima kicking your ass too easily,” Nishimura retorts.

“Oh, that’s low, man. If I wasn’t about to enjoy this drink, I’d climb over there and pound you.”

“Maybe some other time.”

Tetsutetsu disappears and the rest of class 1-A can faintly hear him talking to his classmates. Nishimura turns around, dusting off his hands to find that his classmates are staring at him. His cheeks flush.

“Uh…what?” he asks.

“That was oddly nice of you, considering this is a competition,” Ojiro says.

“And they kind of hate us,” Sero adds, making Koda nod nervously.

Nishimura purses his lips. “The dude needs iron. I get that, plus I find that food is a great way of bringing people together. Call it a diplomatic move, a gesture of peace from A to B,” he says.

“Amen, brother,” Sato says with a short nod.

“Where’d you even get that other smoothie from?” Mineta demands. He looks Nishimura over, as if searching for a hidden blender.

He shrugs and tucks his hands into his pockets. “I brought two from home. One for lunch, the other for if I moved on to the third round and needed a boost,” he says. For a second, annoyance flashes across his features. “That didn’t work out, so…yeah. Plus…” His dark eyes dart to Kemuri and he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know, after Shimakage, I’d rather not see anyone else get hurt because of quirk overuse.”

Kemuri sighs. “Yeah, please…no one else get hurt.”

“We’re all looking at you, Midoriya,” Ojiro says, nudging the boy’s shoulder.

Midoriya looks up from his notebook, blinking. “What? Huh? Sorry, I was writing some stuff down about Nishimura’s quirk,” he says. The ginger’s eyes widen and Midoriya adds, “So, does eating iron-rich foods improve the hardness or the sharpness of your blades, or does it help with forming them in the first place?”

Nishimura doesn’t answer for a second, then sighs. “Well, I guess I’m not competing anyway. No secrets here,” he mutters. He wanders over to Midoriya and sits down, pointing to the diagram on his notebook. “I would say it’s more about formation, plus durability. If I don’t have enough iron in my system, I can’t use my quirk, so it’s a constant part of my diet.”

The two of them keep talking, although they lower their voices. Kemuri leans back in her seat, nudging both Hagakure and Shoji’s thighs and earning their attention.

“So, is Nishimura in a really good mood, or is that just me?” she asks.

Shoji shakes his head. “He was really down after the Calvary Battle. He didn’t like that we lost,” he says. “But then Midoriya and Shinso started their fight and he perked up.”

“Yeah, and when Sato asked him about it, he just said that he really likes watching competitions and fights,” Hagakure says. She giggles. “He’s kind of cute when he’s not all sulky, don’t you think?”

“It’s a new side of him, for sure,” Kemuri says.

For a moment, Kemuri thinks about Akiara Nishimura and his laidback smile. What did he have to do with her grandfather? Why did they talk to each other with so much tension and hidden meanings interwoven in their words? She forgot to ask her grandfather about it after it happened and felt too awkward to bring it up again in the days after.

She watches Akio for another second as the boy points to Midoriya’s notebook, which is now flipped open to a page about Tokoyami. His brown eyes are alight with curiosity despite the lack of a smile on his face. He looks innocent, so different from the fakeness and the smiling tenacity that Akiara exhibited.

Kemuri shakes her head. Now is not the time to worry about such things. Besides, it’s none of her business. Whatever it was, her grandfather handled it, and Akio seems unaware that such things went down.

“Alright, time to move on to the sixth match!” Present Mic says, pulling her back to the present. Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu approach from opposite sides of the ring. “Offence and defence in one, the dark samurai and his darker shadow…from the Hero Course, Fumikage Tokoyami!”

Kemuri joins her three friends in cheering as loud as they can, although Kemuri has to stop herself from laughing. Tokoyami must love being called a dark samurai.

“Versus…the great creator! She was admitted because of recommendations and I think we can all see why! Also from class 1-A, Momo Yaoyorozu!”

Kemuri perches her hands over her mouth in a triangle, letting out a long breath. Tokoyami has a good chance of winning thanks to Dark Shadow, but Yaoyorozu is amazing at her creation quirk. If she makes the right items, then she could pull off the win.

“Sixth match, begin!” Present Mic shouts.

Tokoyami acts first as Dark Shadow soars out of his midsection. Yaoyorozu creates a shield and throws it up just in time for Dark Shadow to ram into it. Her hand starts to glow, but Dark Shadow whirls back around and hits her shield again, knocking her off balance. He hits her twice more, the first one sending her shield flying, the second sending her skidding backwards to the very edge of the ring.

Kemuri squints. From here, she can’t tell if Yaoyorozu is out, but Tokoyami isn’t attacking anymore. She gets a sinking feeling in her gut.

Yaoyorozu straightens up, forming a pole in her hand, and Midnight’s voice calls out, “Yaoyorozu, you’re out!" As Yaoyorozu gasps and looks down, Midnight continues. "This match goes to Tokoyami!”

Tokoyami retracts Dark Shadow before bowing to his opponent. Yaoyorozu just stands there, crestfallen, and he walks away. The crowd hollers and cheers.

“Yikes! Another fast, overwhelming victory!” Present Mic says. “Is it possible that Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow is the best quirk ever? I think so!”

“Oh, man…Tokoyami is so strong,” Hagakure says. Her shoulders sag. “But, I feel bad for Yaoyorozu. It wasn’t much of a match after all.”

Kemuri nods to herself, eyebrows furrowing in sympathy. Yaoyorozu didn’t even get to show what she could do. That just…sucks. Her heart goes out to Yaoyorozu as she trudges out of the arena, head drooped.

“The seventh match-up includes two completely redundant quirks!” Present Mic continues. He truly doesn’t believe in giving people time to breathe.

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu’s pictures appear on the jumbo screen and Kemuri almost laughs out loud at how their poses are the same. Hagakure actually does.

“One of them is a passionate, manly fighter made of steel! The Hero Course’s Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!”

“BRING IIIIIIIIT!” Tetsutetsu bellows.

“And next, a passionate, manly fighter made of rock! The Hero Course’s Eijiro Kirishima!”

“Seriously, even our intros are the same?” Kirishima asks as he clenches his fist, manly tears springing to his eyes.

“Go, Kirishima!” Sero and Kaminari holler. “Make us proud, man!”

Jiro jabs her earphone jack into Mineta’s head and shakes him awake. “Look alive,” she mutters.

“Can’t wait to see how this one ends!” Present Mic laughs. “BEGIN!”

And so began the most copy-paste, redundant fight that Kemuri has ever seen, only made exciting by the passion the two fighters bring to the ring.

Chapter Text

By the time Kirishima and Tetsutetsu K.O. each other at the exact same time, Kemuri and the rest of her classmates are itching for some action. Unfortunately for all of them, Bakugo and Uraraka are next and no one is looking forward to what could happen.

Kemuri wishes she could be even a little bit positive, but it’s tough. Bakugo is a fierce, unrelenting opponent and Kemuri doubts that he’s going to hold back. In fact, Kemuri would be insulted if he did. Not giving your all in a fight is incredibly disrespectful to your opponent; it’s treating them like they’re weak.

Kemuri has dealt with plenty of scenarios where that’s been the case. When she was younger, her grandfather would teach martial arts classes, and a lot of those boys treated Kemuri as someone weaker than them and were very vocal about it. Sure, they had impressive quirks and thanks to her grandfather’s license, they were allowed to use them in certain exercises. Many of them were cocky.

Kemuri loved wiping those stupid grins off their faces. The smirk on her grandfather’s face only fuelled her.

Now, she hopes that Bakugo will give Uraraka the respect she deserves, but she also hopes that Uraraka will be strong enough to hold her own.

Tokoyami silently slipped into place beside Shoji during the last fight, briefly nodding to his friends and accepting fist-bumps from Shoji and Ojiro. He promptly settled in to watch the rest of the fight and even now, he isn’t being talkative. Yaoyorozu came in after him, keeping her head high despite the twinge of sorrow curving her lip.

Iida has finally come back from his match and Midoriya, who left briefly, returned with him. Todoroki and Aoyama are still absent and Kirishima is being carted off to Recovery Girl’s office at the moment, so that takes out three. Mina comes dashing into the stands just as Present Mic announces the start of the next fight, practically vaulting herself into a spot next to Jiro and Tsuyu.

Kemuri is honestly a little frustrated. She has so many classmates to congratulate and compliment and no time to do it.

“The eighth and final battle of the first round of matches. He was kind of a hot-shot in middle school, and just look at that determined face!” Present Mic says as the camera focuses in on one of Bakugo’s less than attractive expressions. “From the Hero Course, Katsuki Bakugo!”

The crowd roars. Kemuri leans forward, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat, and Hagakure starts to bounce in her seat.

“Versus, the one I’m personally rooting for,” Present Mic continues. So much for being unbiased, Kemuri thinks. “Also from class 1-A, Ochaco Uraraka!” The crowd bursts into applause yet again. “LET THE EIGHTH MATCH BEGIN!”

Midoriya and Iida are already talking a mile a minute about strategies as Uraraka bursts into a sprint towards Bakugo. Bakugo winds up, eyes narrowed, and as soon as she’s in range, he sweeps an explosion towards her that knocks her back.

“Uraraka!” Iida and Midoriya shout.

“He blasted her…” Mineta whimpers as Jiro claps a hand over her mouth.

“Looks like Bakugo isn’t planning on showing her any mercy,” Tsuyu croaks.

Kemuri exhales, leaning back in her seat, and she makes brief eye contact with Ojiro. He gets it. He’s a martial artist too, and judging by his actions before this started, his code of honour is a lot higher than Kemuri’s. He understands what this fight is.

If Bakugo holds back, it just proves that he doesn’t think Uraraka is worthy of his effort. If he fights with all his strength…that’s another story.

The ring is so crowded with smoke that Kemuri can hardly make out what’s happening. She sees a flash of blue and white burst from the smoke followed by another explosion. Uraraka appears behind Bakugo, hand extended, and Present Mic lets out a whoop of glee.

“Woah! She flew her jacket over as a decoy! What incredibly quick thinking!”

Not quick enough. Bakugo whirls around and sends her flying with another blast.

“Look at that reaction time,” Sero whistles.

“Seriously, the dude’s insane. You can’t get the drop on him,” Kaminari says.

Kemuri tries to tune her classmates out, her stomach twisting. Uraraka doesn’t back down. With every blast, she whirls right back around and races at Bakugo, full tilt, but he’s too fast. The concrete crumbles beneath his attacks and the scent of smoke permeates the air. Jiro has her eyes covered. Others just look ill.

“Looks like she’s not resting between attacks, despite being exploded,” Present Mic says, and even he sounds downcast. “The poor girl.”

Kemuri grits her teeth and leans back, her head starting to pound from all the flashes of light and from the effort of trying to see what’s happening. She stares at the sky, wondering why there are so many blotches of brown and grey, and then…

She gasps and sits up, eyes widening. Uraraka, you sneaky genius…she had a plan this whole time! Kemuri starts to tap Shoji’s arm, pointing to the sky wordlessly, and he lets out a low, impressed hum.

“Do you think Bakugo’s noticed?” he asks.

Kemuri watches as more rubble sails into the sky right after an explosion. “I hope not,” she whispers.

After a few more blasts, there’s a voice from the audience near the front row. “Hey, shouldn’t one of the teachers step in?” they shout to the ever-watchful Cementoss.

“Yeah, this is too rough!”

When the next explosion goes off, no one is cheering.

“This is shameful!” a voice from the crowd says. Kemuri can’t make out where this person is, but their voice carries. “Listen, kid, you really wanna be a hero? Then stop acting like a bully! If you’re so good, just send her out of bounds!”

God, Kemuri wishes she could find that guy and give him a stern talking to. Does he not see what’s going on? And how dare he assume Bakugo is doing this to be mean! Ojiro’s hand finds Kemuri’s and squeezes, reminding her to take a deep breath, and he nods to her as a gentle smile softens his face. She tries to stop shaking, but it’s like her muscles have been replaced with rattlesnake tails. Hagakure’s hand finds her shoulder.

“Stop toying with the girl and end this match!”

“Yeah! You heard the guy!”

Kemuri’s blood is boiling by the time the crowd starts booing. She starts to her feet, hands shaking as they clench into fists, and Ojiro’s hand moves to her wrist. Her teeth are gritted.

“Kemuri—” Ojiro warns. Her classmates turn to look at her and for a second, she notices that Nishimura’s expression is as pissed as hers. Oh yeah, she remembers, he’s a martial artist too.

“Someone has to say something,” she utters, still trembling. “Why doesn’t anyone understand? This…this is…”

“The crowds are now booing Bakugo!” Present Mic says. “And honestly, I kind of agree with what they’re—”

Present Mic is abruptly cut off, his voice spluttering out at the sound of a blow, and Aizawa’s voice booms through the stadium. “Where is the man who started this uproar?” he demands, calm but with enough ferocity that the crowds start to quiet down. “Are you a pro? Because if you’re being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I’d suggest looking into another career.”

If Aizawa was here right now, Kemuri would strongly consider hugging him. If anyone understands, it’s the man who taught them that anyone can win a fight, no matter their size or the strength of their quirk.

“Uh…do you know what he’s talking about?” Midoriya asks.

Nishimura turns to him. “Are you kidding me, Midoriya? You? Mr. Analytical?” His disappointment is so palpable that Kemuri can almost taste it. “Come on, man.”

“Bakugo’s fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent’s strength,” Aizawa continues. “He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he’s making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top.”

“Yes,” Kemuri breathes. She has a surge of confidence and points towards the announcer’s box, fully aware that he can’t see or hear her. “Yes! That’s what I’m saying! Yes, Aizawa Sensei!”

Bakugo is still standing, but so is Uraraka. Kemuri sits down, her breaths still a little too fast, and the rest of the class slowly returns their attention to the match.

A shout rings out from the arena as Uraraka puts her fingers together, and all at once, a meteor shower rains down on them both. Bakugo’s expression floods with shock as he looks up. Kemuri grins.

“A METEOR SHOWER?!” Present Mic shouts.

“Now you notice…” Aizawa mutters.

“Hey, she had a plan all along!” Midoriya exclaims. Again, Nishimura is reduced to shaking his head at his lack of observation.

Uraraka is running at full speed towards Bakugo while concrete pieces plummet to earth all around her. Kemuri finds herself leaning forward, gripping her IV pole in anticipation. With all this debris, she has a shot. Bakugo will have to leave himself open in some way.

Bakugo extends his hand to the sky, the other bracing his arm, and Uraraka lunges.

There’s a brief popping noise before a blast rockets from Bakugo’s hands, sending a wave of hot air racing over the audience. Kemuri squeezes her eyes shut as her bangs whip around her face and she feels Shoji’s hand on her arm.

When she opens her eyes again, the meteor shower has been reduced to pebbles and Uraraka is laying on the ground. Smoke crawls across the ground, dancing and curling amongst the gentle pattering of falling debris, and Bakugo is unscathed. Kemuri’s mouth falls open along with the mouths of her classmates.

“Bakugo banks on a huge demonstration of power!” Present Mic exclaims. “He blasted apart Uraraka’s finishing move and remains untouched!”

Uraraka pushes herself to her knees, hands braced against the ground, arms trembling. Bakugo’s arms are shaking too, but he hides it better than she does. As she stumbles to her feet, Kemuri feels her breath hitch.

“URARAKA!” Bakugo bellows, and for the first time in the match, he makes his move.

Uraraka whirls around to meet him, lifting her arm, but her leg buckles and she collapses back to the ground. The sound of her hitting the concrete makes Kemuri flinch, her hand flying to her mouth.

“Uraraka is down!”

Midnight moves into the ring, holding one hand up at Bakugo as she kneels next to Uraraka. She rests one hand on the girl’s back, face grave, and Kemuri’s stomach flips as empathy overwhelms her. There are tears in her eyes, she realizes, and she blinks rapidly in an effort to get them away.

“Uraraka is K.O’d. Bakugo advances to the second round,” Midnight announces.

While the crowd cheers, Uraraka is loaded onto a stretcher and rolled off to Recovery Girl. Kemuri swallows the lump in her throat and leans her elbows onto her knees, still shaking a little, and she feels Shoji’s hand rest on her back.

“Kemuri?” he whispers.

“She…she tried so hard,” she replies, starting to blink again. “And he…he was too strong. How…”

She can’t say it. It sounds selfish before it even leaves her lips, and Shoji adds gentle pressure to his touch. Kemuri leans her face into her hands, gritting her teeth.

How is she ever going to surpass her mother and win this festival one day when a power like that exists?

Chapter Text

During the break before the next match, Kemuri is suddenly reminded of her dad. He’s the only family member she has who’s watching the games and she didn’t even text him after her ordeal. He must be freaking out.

She apologizes to her friends and, towing her IV pole after her, she hurries out into the hallways outside the stands. She digs her phone out of her pocket and checks her texts, finding that there are multiple ones from her dad.

She doesn’t even bother reading them, instead just pressing the call button.

“Kemuri?” Her dad’s voice is breathy but relieved.

“Dad, I’m so sorry,” she says. “I didn’t even think to check my phone between napping and…and all that. It totally slipped my mind to call you—”

“Kemmy, sweetie, it’s okay. You scared the hell out of me, but Recovery Girl contacted me soon after you collapsed,” he replies. She can imagine him patting the air in front of him as if calming her in person. “She said you were severely dehydrated after you used your quirk…”

“Yeah, I…I’m sorry, it was a stupid mistake,” she whispers. She can’t even bring herself to talk about Shinso as she settles onto a nearby bench next to a vending machine. She inhales. “Dad…I’m sorry. I…I didn’t even get into the third round.”

He exhales a laugh. “You were amazing, Kemuri,” he says. “You kept up with Endeavour’s kid during the obstacle race and then you came out of nowhere in the Calvary Battle and claimed third place. I had customers in the spa just losing their minds over you!” Another laugh, more confident this time. “I got to tell them that that was my daughter. You made me so proud. I can’t wait for your mother to see it.”

“But…” There are tears in her eyes again and she reaches to wipe them away. “But I didn’t win. I wasn’t even close. How can she...how can grandfather—”

“Kemuri.” His tone is suddenly far more serious and it makes her fall silent. “Your grandfather isn’t going to take it well, but you have to know that you did all that you could. You still have time to prove yourself and you’ve already done so much. Next year, I’m sure you’ll be even greater. Keep looking up, right, kiddo?” She can see his smile.

“R-Right, dad.”

“I love you, Kemuri.”

She smiles and squeezes her eyes shut, bringing her phone closer to her face. “I love you too, dad.” She sniffles hard, dragging her hand beneath her nose. “I’m…”

“I know, sweetie.” In the background, she hears a bell and he gasps. “Oh, I’ve got to go. New customer just came in,” he says. “I’ll see you tonight. I bought strawberry mochi for us to eat, to celebrate! Okay?”

She nods. “Y-Yeah. Okay, dad. Bye.”

“Bye!”

As she hangs up and lifts her head, there’s a thunk to her right and she startles. Bakugo kneels by the vending machine, snatching a can of something before looking up at her. His eyes narrow.

“What?” he snaps.

“N-Nothing!” she replies. “Just…startled me, that’s all.”

“Tch…”

He pops the tab on the drink and takes a swig, shutting his eyes. For a second, his exhaustion reveals itself. Kemuri’s gaze trails down to his dangling arm and she notices scuff marks and a slight tremor. That last explosion must have taken more out of him than he let on.

“Hey, Bakugo,” Kemuri says. He glares at her and she gulps, but stays resolute. “I’m…I’m really glad you gave Uraraka the respect she deserves. If you had held back...” She shakes her head. “Yeah. Uh, that…that was a good fight. You were both really strong.”

His eyebrow arches and for a second, that sneer remains. Then, he turns his head away. “Damn, you really mean those lame ass compliments you give, huh?” he snorts.

She tries to smile. “Yeah, I do.”

His fingers tighten around the drink. “Whatever. Thanks.” He eyes her for a second, can hovering near his lips. “You still all dehydrated and shit?”

She almost laughs. “Yup. I won’t be back to normal until tomorrow, and…and I’m not allowed to use my quirk until then.”

“That’s fucking stupid,” he mutters. He moves closer to her. “Next time, how about you don’t fuck yourself up so bad you have to forfeit? That shit gave me secondhand embarrassment.”

She blinks a few times as her skin crawls with the memory of seeing herself puking. “I…don’t plan on it,” she squeaks.

“Good.” He pauses, glances at his drink, then at her. “Are you one of those types that gets all weird about germs?”

She blinks. “Uh…no? I guess?”

He practically shoves the can into her hand. “Take this.”

“Huh? But—”

“You need it more than I do, and I don’t even like the damn flavour. I don’t do that backwashing shit either, so don’t be fucking weird about it.”

He digs his hands into his pockets as he stomps into the stands, leaving her with the barely-touched drink. Kemuri sits for another second, confused, to say the least. Bakugo is very hard to read.

She eyes the drink and her eyes start to sparkle. It’s strawberry flavoured. Halle-freaking-lujah.

She wipes the edge of the can with her shirt, gives it a hit of steam on top to kill any possible germs, shrugs, and takes a sip. The sugar really hits the spot, actually. She makes a mental note to get Bakugo a drink sometime to repay him.

She gets back to her feet, tucking her phone back into her pocket and gripping her IV pole. She hurries back into the stands.

----------

“This next match is going to be crazy,” Hagakure says. “Todoroki versus Midoriya, fated from that one conversation in the waiting room!”

“I want to see who wins this arm wrestling match first,” Shoji says, already craning his neck forward. “But…I agree.”

Kemuri subconsciously mimics him, lips pursing, while Ojiro and Tokoyami stay silent and focused. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu are locked in battle yet again, quirks turned up to eleven, straining against one another while Midnight and Cementoss look on. The crowd is going nuts and class 1-A is fidgety with anticipation.

“Come on, shitty hair!” Bakugo snaps.

“Aren’t you facing the winner of this match?” Sero asks.

Bakugo glares at him. “Yeah, and maybe I would rather kick Kirishima’s ass, soy sauce face.”

“GO, KIRISHIMA! CLASS 1-A FOR THE WIN!” Hagakure shrieks, nearly blowing out Kemuri’s eardrums in the process.

In the ring, something happens that makes Tetsutetsu flinch, and in the moment of weakness, Kirishima slams his arm down. The concrete table shatters beneath the blow as Midnight’s hand soars into the air.

“Kirishima is the winner!” she declares. “Add him to the bracket!”

Class 1-A bursts into applause with the rest of the crowd as Kirishima screams in victory, fists in the air. Present Mic cheers him on and Bakugo gets to his feet, aiming one finger at Nishimura.

“You’re damn lucky shitty hair won, scar-face, or I’d kill you,” he snaps. “Giving the enemy smoothies and shit…damn idiot.”

Nishimura shrugs. “Kirishima still won, didn’t he?” He stretches his arms back and lets out a long sigh. “No harm, no foul.”

Before Bakugo can retort, he’s drowned out by Present Mic. “It’s time for the second round of the tournament! Let’s start this party now, you dig?!” he shouts.

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu leave the ring. Uraraka comes in, her eyes all puffy and red around the edges, and she takes her spot next to Iida. Since Aoyama is back, his chin bandaged, that means that everyone except Kirishima, Midoriya, and Todoroki have returned, ready to support their classmates.

The fires around the ring light up again, sending the audience into a frenzy.

Hagakure squeals. “It’s starting!”

“I can FEEL the anticipation in this stadium, and that’s because the first match of the second round is gonna be epic!” Present Mic says. “It’s the guy who won his first fight by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen! From the Hero Course, Shoto Todoroki!”

Todoroki looks downright enraged. It’s the same expression he wore at the Heroics Gala, and Kemuri finds herself thinking of Endeavour. Has he been pressuring Todoroki as much as Kemuri’s grandfather pressured her?

“And this kid almost walked out on his first matchup, but made a steady comeback by showing us some impressive moves. Also from the Hero Course, Izuku Midoriya!”

“Oh man, I can feel the tension,” Ojiro says, running a hand up his arm.

“This fight is going to be insane,” Shoji says. “Tokoyami, what are your thoughts?”

Tokoyami lets out a low hum. “It will depend if Midoriya can get close to him. His power is great, but Todoroki is a force to be reckoned with.”

“I don’t even know who to root for,” Hagakure admits. “And with Midoriya’s quirk…I don’t know how long he’ll last.”

“Do you hear that?” Kemuri whispers. “Recovery Girl is having an aneurysm already…”

Shoji chuckles. “That woman deserves an award for her patience.”

“U.A would fall apart without her,” Ojiro agrees.

“Both of these two heroes in training have been front-runners in the Sports Festival, but which one of these rivals will advance to the next round?!” Present Mic asks. “Prepare for Midoriya versus Todoroki!”

“Oh, mon Dieu,” Aoyama mumbles, hand clapped over his mouth.

Nishimura pats his shoulder. “Yeah, same.”

“BEGIN!”

Kemuri expects the massive ice attack that shoots out of Todoroki’s right foot. What she doesn’t expect is for Midoriya to stop it with just a flick of his finger. The air pressure created by the blast is enough to break the ice apart and force Todoroki to defend himself.

“Woah, Midoriya managed to break Todoroki’s insane opening move!” Present Mic praises.

He does it twice more, breaking another finger with every flick. Kemuri’s stomach twists and she has to swallow back a nervous lump in her throat. Despite the jokes she made to Recovery Girl, she still doesn’t want to see Midoriya get seriously injured.

Kirishima rushes in after the second blast, saying something about missing the match, but Kemuri is too focused on the fight to pay attention. They turned off the mics surrounding the ring already, but it looks like Todoroki is pausing to say something between his attacks.

Are they seriously talking during a fight?

Midoriya stops another wave of ice, breaking a third finger. Todoroki is again forced into the wall of ice he’s erected behind him.

“Is Midoriya trying to make this a drawn-out fight?” Ojiro wonders.

“Why would he do that?” Hagakure asks. “Todoroki is so strong, I would want to take him down fast.”

Kemuri purses her lips as her gaze darts to the needle still stuck in her arm. “Quirks are physical abilities, Hagakure, and everyone has limits,” she says. “We haven’t seen Todoroki use his fire at all so far. I’m…” She stops, pursing her lips. “No, it’s stupid.”

“What?” Shoji asks, leaning closer to her. Tokoyami also turns his head to her, arching an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I’m…I’m just thinking, there’s got to be some kind of temperature regulation thing going on here,” Kemuri says. She rubs her wrist, again thinking of her own quirk. “With my quirk, I can change the temperature of whatever I release, and my body adjusts its own temperature to help combat negative effects.” Her eyes narrow. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Todoroki’s quirk is similar, so...” She exhales, lips pursing. “I don’t know, but Midoriya is trying to make this a long fight, which…which leads me to believe that he knows something about Todoroki, a weakness maybe…like why we haven’t seen him use his fire yet.”

“Actually, I heard Todoroki mention something like that before the Calvary Battle,” Shoji says. “He told Iida that he never uses his left side in battle. You could be on to something.”

“Intriguing,” Tokoyami murmurs.

“Kemuri, you’re kind of brilliant,” Hagakure says, awe in her voice. “Like…your observational skills when it comes to combat are actually really good.”

Kemuri blushes. “O-Oh, really?” She clears her throat. “I…I guess I’m just used to trying to figure out my opponents. Heh…”

There’s a blast from the arena that grabs their attention as a tunnel of wind much stronger than the last few attacks pummels the audience. Midoriya’s entire left arm is broken now, bruised and limp. Todoroki shoves away the chunks of ice pinning him down as he gets back up.

“Holy shit,” Hagakure whispers. “Todoroki…he’s amazing.”

“They’re not making any moves,” Ojiro whispers. “Is Midoriya done? Is…”

Kemuri gets the same feeling in her gut that she got after Bakugo and Uraraka’s match. She’s surrounded by so much power, so much potential, and who is she compared to that? She has to close her eyes as her grandfather’s words wheedle their way into her head.

Weak. Weak! WEAK!

She shakes her head and reopens her eyes just as another blast shakes the arena and the entire class gasps. Midoriya’s using his broken fingers now, but it’s still strong enough to deflect Todoroki’s attacks.

How in the world…

They’re talking, but the mics around the ring are turned off and Kemuri can’t hear what they’re saying. Midoriya is shaking, his broken arm dangling at his side, his destroyed hand forced into a fist. Todoroki’s teeth are gritted.

Midoriya straightens up and there’s a wild look in his eyes. “SO COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU’VE GOT!”

His words seem to echo through the stadium and Kemuri can’t help but let out a confused breath as her eyebrows furrow. At her sides, her friends seem just as confused.

Todoroki bursts into a sprint towards Midoriya, but that only makes Kemuri’s brow wrinkle further. Todoroki’s movements are slowing down. Her gaze darts to the television screens around the stadium and for the first time, she notices the frost clinging to Todoroki’s right side.

He’s overusing his quirk and for some reason, he isn’t using his fire to regulate himself. If he did, he’d be removing his only drawback. He’d be unstoppable, so why? Why is he holding back?

Endeavour’s cold blue eyes flash in her mind, followed by the mismatched eyes of his son. She thinks of the hatred in Todoroki’s expression, the way his hands and muscles tensed against her as they danced at the Heroics Gala.

She knows that feeling, that feeling of hatred, but she’s only ever directed it onto herself. She has stared at herself in the mirror and asked why she couldn’t have been born with just her mother’s quirk, so that she wouldn’t be nearly blind, so that her grandfather wouldn’t hate her.

Before her father taught her how to use the steam side of her quirk, she too hated to use it. She was terrified of hurting herself again and, for weeks to months after her quirk manifested, she adamantly refused to use it. She practiced with her smoke and fog, but never once let steam pass through her pores.

It took a lot of talking-to from a quirk counsellor combined with the gentle devotion of her father that got her to start using it just for cosmetic reasons, but even now, she holds it back. She’s never put a name to the feelings she has towards it, but perhaps what she felt back then was resentment.

Midoriya lands a hit on Todoroki and he goes sailing across the ring, bouncing across the ground. Midoriya lets out a yell as more of his fingers shatter. His broken arm is shrouded in ice. Blood splatters the concrete, red against grey.

Todoroki gets to his feet and unleashes another attack, but it crawls compared to the tenacity of his past moves. His expression burns with rage.

Endeavour had called him rebellious during his talk with Kemuri’s grandfather. He mentioned the Sports Festival. He said that a child needs discipline, a strong hand to put them in place, and hearing that sent chills down Kemuri’s spine. She was never the biggest fan of Endeavour. She admired, at most, his drive to get to the top and how he became the number two hero, but that’s where it stops. He never seems content, even after a job well done, and he never offers kind words to soothe the public. He shows up, he gets the job done, and he storms off. His only concern is his image.

That is the man who Todoroki said is, unfortunately, his father—a man who seems unafraid of disciplining his children, a man with cold eyes despite the flame surrounding his face.

That scar, so prominent beneath the sparkling lights of the Iida Estate…

She drops her head into her hands, squeezing her eyes shut, and she’s only faintly aware of Shoji saying her name. There are tears building behind her closed lids again and only now does she realize how hard it is to breathe and how much she’s shaking.

“Shoto,” she croaks. What has Endeavour done to you?

Another shockwave rattles the stadium, but Kemuri doesn’t pull her head from her hands. Her throat is burning and her heart is aching. She knows what it’s like to deal with strict family, but she’s always had her parents; two people who love her more than anything on this planet.

Does Todoroki have a mother at home? Who is the person who gave him the ice half of his quirk? Was she kind? Did she look out for him when his father was cruel? Was Endeavour cruel to her too?

“Kemuri,” Shoji repeats, more forceful. His hand presses against her back. “Kemuri, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick again?”

“I…” She inhales hard through her nose, tears blurring her vision. “This…I…”

“That’s why I’m giving it my all, just like—” Midoriya’s voice is loud enough to be heard again. “—YOU SHOULD BE!”

Why didn’t she see it before? During the party, she was so focused on her own fear and shame that she didn’t stop to think about Todoroki. She didn’t give a second thought to why he was so angry at even the mention of his father’s name. She selfishly focused on herself instead of seeing what was going on right in front of her face, seeing a classmate who’s gone through something so much worse than anything she has, and she didn’t do anything.

“IT’S YOURS! YOUR QUIRK, NOT HIS!” Midoriya screams, and Kemuri’s head lifts from her hands, tear-stained cheeks flushed, eyes wide.

Midoriya, she thinks, too choked to speak out loud. You’re trying to save him.

The words hang in the air, and then Todoroki burns.

----------

Kemuri and Todoroki are very different people.

She has spent her life chasing her grandfather, reaching her hand out in a desperate attempt to take hold of whatever it is that will finally make him proud of her. Everything she has done has been to earn his love, to become better than what everyone expects of her. She had to work for every bit of power she holds.

Todoroki has never had to earn the attention of his father, and Endeavour’s shouting from the audience to his son only secures that assumption in Kemuri’s mind. His words are the polar opposite of everything that Kemuri has ever heard from her grandfather.

He hears that he will surpass his father. She hears that she will never surpass her mother.

He hears that he will live up to the reason he was created, that the blood coursing through his veins will propel him to victory. She hears that her blood is tainted and that it will always be her crutch.

He hears that he is powerful. She hears that she is weak.

He is a masterpiece and she…she is a mistake.

And yet, despite that, they are so similar. The words are different but the message leaves the same feeling in its wake. It sticks inside their minds and shapes everything that they do, everything that they are.

“It’s yours! Your quirk, not his!”

It’s not directed at her, but it hits Kemuri in the heart. She’s selfish. She’s strived to become a hero only to surpass her mother, only to make herself seem stronger than her grandfather believes she is, only to show that the power given to her by her parents isn’t useless in her hands, but she isn’t using all her potential either.

Now, there is something burning in her that shines just as brightly as Todoroki’s left side, lit by the spark of Midoriya’s words. Surpassing her mother and proving her worth is the only thing pushing her forward and there’s nothing noble or heroic about that. Watching Midoriya, she realizes something about herself.

He wants to win too, but he saw Todoroki’s pain. He saw that pain and he fought against it. He sacrificed his own goals to save another in trouble; he is a hero.

Kemuri wants to be that selfless. She wants to be that brave. She wants to be that strong and unmoving in the face of adversity, a beacon of hope, someone who can smile even when they’re terrified. That’s the kind of hero she wants to be, the kind of person she wants to be.

The arena is blazing. Ice surrounds the ring and fire scalds the concrete as wind rushes in from every direction. Midoriya’s body is glowing as he soars towards Todoroki, one arm poised to strike, and Todoroki’s body is engulfed in his own flames.

Midoriya is smiling.

Concrete walls erupt between them before they can meet. There’s a flash of light, a breath of silence, and then an explosion that would make Bakugo jealous rocks the arena. Hot wind rushes at the audience, sending debris and dust into their faces. Shoji has to catch Mineta by the ankle as he’s blown out of his seat, screaming. Hagakure clings to Ojiro’s arm as his tail shields them both and Kemuri catches her IV pole before it topples over, eyes squeezed shut.

“This is crazy!” Kaminari shouts.

“What’s happening down there?” Yaoyorozu asks, struggling to keep her eyes open.

When the noise and the wind die down, the arena is shrouded in dust. Kemuri lowers her arm from her face, knuckles white around the pole.

“What happened just now?” Present Mic asks. “What the heck is up with your students?”

“The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down and then rapidly expanded when heated up,” Aizawa states.

“Wait, that’s what caused the explosion?” Present Mic asks. “How hot did that fire get? Geez, I can’t see a thing. Is the match still going on or what, huh?!”

Midnight gets up, rubbing her head as she scans the area before her, and the dust finally starts to clear. The tips of red sneakers and a head of multicoloured hair emerge. Todoroki is still standing, half his uniform shirt burned off, and Midoriya…

For a second, it looks like he too is still on his feet, back against the stadium wall. Then, a second passes and he drops to the ground in a broken heap, dust drifting up around him.

“T-There,” Midnight stammers, aiming her whip with a shaking hand. She sounds out of breath. “Midoriya is…out of bounds! Todoroki wins and…and advances to the third round!”

The crowd roars. Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Mineta get up and go running out of the stands as Midoriya is carted away. Kemuri’s head is full of static as she slowly stands up.

“I…I have no words,” Hagakure is saying, but she sounds far away. “That…that was…”

Kemuri drags the IV pole with her as she moves past Shoji. Before she gets too far, she feels his hand take hold of her wrist.

“Kemuri, what’s wrong?” he asks.

She blinks a few times, stuck in a daze. “I…I have to see Recovery Girl.”

Shoji stands up, still holding her arm. “Can I come with you? You don’t seem…okay.”

He doesn’t finish, but she nods. “I’m not,” she whispers. “Please…come with me.”

They leave the stands together, the distance chattering of the crowd fading at their backs as Present Mic announces a ten-minute break to fix the ring.

Chapter Text

Kemuri hopes that everything that’s happening to her right now is just a stress response. Her stomach is twisting, all tied in knots, and her head won’t stop pounding. It’s like the force of her epiphany was too much for her brain to handle.

When she and Shoji reach the nurse’s office, there’s a sign on the door that reads “Surgery in Process”. Kemuri grimaces and Shoji lets out a long sigh as he shakes his head.

“Midoriya’s injuries must have been really serious,” he says. She nods as she takes another long, slow breath, and Shoji turns to her. “Do you want to wait here, or…?”

“I’ll…yeah, I’ll just sit here,” she says, sliding down the wall until she’s sitting on the ground.

He glances around for a second before he sits down next to her. “Do you want to talk about what’s going on?” he asks.

She hugs her knees to her chest. “I have a lot of…thoughts, right now,” she says. “That’s all."

“About who?”

“Todoroki, and…Midoriya…and, and myself, I guess.”

She drops her chin to her knees, closing her eyes against her spinning head. Of all things, she thinks about what Midoriya told her many weeks ago, back before the incident at the USJ. He was more timid, nothing like the boy who just screamed at Todoroki, but the message he gave her is so similar.

“But you’re not your family, Shimakage! You’ve got both those quirks and with your fighting skill, you could probably do a lot more.”

“I keep thinking that I’m weak,” she whispers. “And right now, I’m…realizing that yeah, I am, compared to others—”

“Kemuri…”

“But…there’s this whole other side of my quirk that I’m not using. It’s…” She inhales, then lets it all out. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m feeling, but…but I’m not…content? Yeah, I’m…not content with where I’m at.” She wants to look at him, but it’s so easy to just keep her eyes closed, head resting on her arms. “I want to be better.”

From down the hall, someone calls, “Shimakage?”

She looks up at the same time as Shoji, both their heads turning towards Iida as he approaches. His eyebrows are furrowed.

“Are you alright?” he asks. “You look pale.”

“Ah…I’m…just a little light-headed, that’s all. Recovery Girl told me to come back if I felt sick,” she says, batting her hand at him a little as Shoji starts to stand up. She follows, suddenly feeling very small between the two of them. “Uh, what are you doing here?”

“I have my match against Shiozaki as soon as the ring is fixed,” Iida answers. “And I was just visiting Midoriya with the others. Apparently, he needs surgery…” He frowns, jaw clenching with concern as his gaze darts to the sign on the door. “I hope nothing goes wrong.”

“I’m sure Midoriya will be fine. Recovery Girl is very good at her job,” Kemuri says. She swallows, reaching up to fiddle with her braid. “Iida…” she starts, more hesitant this time. “Have…have you seen Todoroki anywhere?”

Iida shakes his head. “No, not since the match ended.”

Shoji clears his throat. “I’m…gonna take care of something.” He leaves brief touch on Kemuri’s arm as he starts to move away. “I’ll be back.”

She nods and Shoji disappears down the hall, leaving the two of them alone. Iida’s shoulders lose some of their tension and his face softens.

“You seemed fine,” Iida says. “Did something happen?”

She sighs. “No, it’s…I don’t know, it’s all in my head.” His eyebrows lift and she clenches her fingers, wincing at the stiffness again. “I realized something about Todoroki during that last match and I got a little overwhelmed, I…I guess. Too many thoughts.”

“Ah, I see.” He nods, eyes closing for a second as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Is there any way I can help?”

She shakes her head. “It’s fine, really. No big deal. I’ll…I’ll talk to you about it later, okay?”

“Alright, if you say so.” He takes a deep breath, then perks up a little. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. I didn’t get the chance earlier.” As she tilts her head in confusion, he continues, “Have you heard anything from your family concerning your…injury?”

“Oh, y-yeah.” She lets out a small, breathy laugh. “I had a talk with my dad and I’m sure he let my mom know, but she’s working right now, so he might…he might wait until she gets home tonight.”

He purses his lips. “And…your grandfather?”

Her grip tightens around the IV pole. “He’s…away on a business trip. He won’t be back until the whole festival is over, so…he’ll have time to calm down before we see each other.”

Iida exhales. “Well, that’s good,” he says. “But, please, contact me if things go…wrong. My offer still stands, and of course, you have Yaoyorozu and Todo—”

“I think Shoto has his own…things to deal with,” she interrupts. She smiles a little, chest flooding with butterflies. “But, of course, I’ll let you or Momo know.” She clears her throat. “U-Uh, also…I never got to congratulate you on how well you’ve done so far.”

His cheeks turn red as he closes his eyes. “My first match was hardly a fight. I was tricked into becoming a walking advertisement for that woman’s inventions.” He exhales, shaking his head as he swipes his hand at the air. “It’s embarrassing! I only won because she decided that she was done with her speech!”

“Hey, it wasn’t too bad,” she insists, trying to stay positive. “Just think, all you have to do now is beat Shiozaki and fourth place is yours. Then…”

“Then, if I beat Todoroki…yes, it’s quite exhilarating, I suppose. I have a chance,” Iida finishes. He crosses his arms over his chest, eyes closed in thought. “I can only hope that I am good enough to pull off the win.”

“Of course you’re good enough.” She lets out a long breath, the edge of a sigh. “You’re…really cool, Iida,” she admits. “Honestly, I…I kind of expected you to be in the top. It’s really awesome to see you succeed.”

He stares at her, slight shock registering on his face before he smiles. “Well…thank you. I’m honoured that you see me in such a way,” he says with a small bow. As he straightens up, he adds, “My only regret is that you aren’t competing with us.”

Kemuri’s heart just about explodes and it takes a huge amount of effort to not let steam burst from her ears. She would never hear the end of it from Recovery Girl if she accidentally used her quirk in such a way.

Still, his words touch her heart and her tear-ducts, and she inhales hard through her nose. “M-Me too,” she whispers.

An announcement distracts them both, declaring that the second match will begin soon. Hearing that, Iida’s breath hitches a little and his shoulders pull back into his impeccable posture.

“Well, that’s my cue,” he says. He smiles at Kemuri. “I will see you afterwards, then.”

“Yes, and…and good luck!” She rubs the back of her neck and adds, “I’m sorry that I distracted you.”

“No, don’t be. I enjoy talking to you,” he says. “I’ll be off!”

He hurries away, leaving Kemuri standing in the hall. After a few seconds, the door creaks open and Recovery Girl pokes her head out. She looks exhausted and Kemuri feels a wave of guilt at how loud she must have been just now.

“Shimakage, I thought I heard you,” she murmurs. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m sorry, Recovery Girl. I…it’s not urgent,” she says. “You can focus on Midoriya.”

“Nonsense, dearie. You’re important too,” the woman replies. “Besides, Midoriya is resting. I can’t heal everything at once, so I have to let him rest between treatments. Come in, please.”

Kemuri searches the hallway for Shoji before going inside. There’s a curtain surrounding what she can guess is Midoriya’s bed and there’s the unmistakable smell of blood and antiseptic in the air. She swallows back another wave of nausea as she settles down on the stool Recovery Girl motions to.

“Hm, your temperature seems steady,” Recovery Girl says as she touches the girl’s forehead. “What hurts?”

“I feel…achy, and a little nauseous, but…” Kemuri sighs. “I...I don’t think that’s from the overuse. That last fight kind of…”

“It was very emotional, hm? Midoriya was quite distressed himself,” Recovery Girl says. She reaches for Kemuri’s hand and taps the IV, eyebrows furrowing. “Hm…I’m going to move the IV to your wrist. I don’t want your veins popping.”

“W-What? That’s a thing?” Kemuri asks, eyes wide.

“Hush, dear, it’s alright. They don’t explode, but they can get stiff, which is painful, and it increases the risk of infection. But, don’t worry, I won’t let that happen.”

She removes the IV and while she prepares her needed equipment, Kemuri flexes her hand a bit. Her attention drifts to Midoriya’s curtained bed, her lips pursing, and she wishes him a speedy recovery under her breath.

While Recovery Girl works, Kemuri distracts herself by watching Iida’s match against Shiozaki. The IV needle hurts a bit going back in, but it helps that she’s focused on him winning instead of the pain. Kemuri almost feels bad for Shiozaki, but her happiness for Iida overrules it.

Kemuri gets taped back up and, to top it off, Recovery Girl gives her some medicine to calm her stomach. “Thank you,” Kemuri says, standing up and taking hold of the pole again. “I’ll see you at the end of the day, then?”

“Yes, dear. Take it easy, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When she leaves the office, Shoji is waiting outside, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He smiles when he sees her and she returns it.

“You’re okay?” he asks.

“Yeah. She switched my IV and gave me some anti-nausea stuff,” she says. She bows her head. “Sorry, I…kind of had a breakdown.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he insists. “You can’t hold it together all the time.”

She sighs. “Right…”

There’s a beat of silence before he nudges her lightly, knuckles brushing her arm. “Ready to go and watch some more matches?” he asks. “Tokoyami’s is starting soon.”

Her eyes widen. “Oh, yeah! Let’s hurry, I don’t want to miss that.” She eyes the pole with a frown. “And of course, I’ve never been slower.”

“I can help with that.” He extends his hand. “If…that’s okay?”

She nods. He lifts the pole in one hand and then, with the other, he scoops Kemuri up. She smiles a little, settling her arms around his neck as he turns and starts jogging for the stairs.

“You’re seriously awesome, Shoji,” she murmurs.

One of his tentacle mouths grins.

----------

Somehow, Shoji manages to get the both of them back to the stands just in time to see Dark Shadow send Mina skidding out of the ring.

“That was quick,” Kemuri says as they rejoin Ojiro and Hagakure.

“I’m pretty sure Dark Shadow is invincible,” Hagakure says as he sleeves press close to her sides, as if crossing her arms over her chest. “He took her down in, like, five seconds.”

Ojiro leans forward a little. “You okay, Kemuri? You kind of ditched after the last match.”

“Just had some nausea,” Kemuri says. “I’m okay.”

The third match begins between Kirishima and Bakugo, already far more interesting than Kirishima’s last battle. He counters all of Bakugo’s explosions thanks to his quirk and for the first time in the festival, Bakugo is forced into defence.

“Woah, Kirishima almost got a hit on him!” Sero exclaims.

Kaminari’s leg bounces in place. “Man, my heart is rooting for Kirishima, but my brain says Bakugo,” he sighs.

Jiro snorts, starting to giggle. “You have a brain?”

Kaminari pouts. “Burned again,” he says. When Jiro turns away, he mutters, “If she wasn’t so cute, I might actually be mad.”

“Woah, Bakugo countered again!” Present Mic hoots. “But, what’s this?! This time, it seems to be working!”

“Is his quirk giving out?” Nishimura asks. He leans forward in his seat. “Aw, man, and I thought he had him.” Koda nods a few times.

Bakugo switches back to offence, sending a fierce barrage of explosions at Kirishima. Kirishima's body holds up, but his gym uniform doesn’t as pieces tear away under the force of the attack. An echoed shout of “DIE” rings through the stadium as Bakugo unleashes a final explosion in Kirishima’s face. He collapses to the ground, scuffed and beaten.

“Kirishima has been knocked out! Bakugo is the winner!” Midnight says.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen Bakugo on the ropes this entire festival,” Ojiro says. “Kirishima held is own really well.”

“I feel like we’re going to get a lecture about quirk overuse when we get back to class,” Shoji admits.

“With that vicious bombing, Bakugo advances to the third round!” Present Mic says. “Ladies and gentleman, our final four!”

A picture of Todoroki, Bakugo, Iida, and Tokoyami appears on the screens around the arena. Hagakure laughs and pats Kemuri’s shoulder.

“You totally called it, girl! Please tell me you bet money on this,” she says.

“I…did not.”

“Aw, lame, we totally could have gotten milkshakes or something with the winnings!”

Ojiro chuckles. “That would have been nice, but…” He holds up one finger. “We can celebrate together after anyway. We’ll definitely need it if Tokoyami wins.”

“Totally,” Kemuri agrees.

Someone comes into the stands and she looks over to see Midoriya, all bandaged up and limping, but alive. He settles down next to Uraraka, who smiles at him before they both look towards the arena. Iida and Todoroki are already walking into the ring, because the U.A Sports Festival rests for no man.

“It’s the first match of the semi-finals, folks! This is what you’ve been waiting for!” Present Mic says. “Both of them come from hero families, making this a battle of the elites! From the Hero Course, Tenya Iida, versus his classmate, Shoto Todoroki!”

“Shimakage,” Yaoyorozu says, turning around in her seat to face the girl. She smiles a little. “Who are you rooting for?”

Kemuri sighs. “Is it bad if I can’t choose?”

Hagakure gives her a look that screams, “Girl, you know you’re cheering for Iida.” Kemuri ignores the stare, cheeks a little pink.

Yaoyorozu sighs. “No, I’m feeling the same way. They’re both fantastic.”

Kemuri leans closer to her. “If Iida is fast enough, he can throw Todoroki out of the ring before he can use his quirk too much,” she says. “But Todoroki is…a powerhouse.”

“Yes, I agree. We’ll just have to see.”

As Yaoyorozu turns around, Hagakure giggles a little. “Huh, you hang out at one rich kid party and suddenly, boom! Best friends forever.”

Kemuri shakes her head. “Hagakure, you know that you and the three guys are my best friends and no one can replace you.”

Shoji lets out a huff akin to a laugh. “No matter how rich they are?”

He’s teasing, but it makes Kemuri pout a little. “No one is poor when they have good friends,” she states.

Ojiro smirks. “Agreed. Money is fleeting. Friends are forever.” He pauses, then cringes a little. “I feel like I just quoted a children’s TV show.”

“Guys, do you mind quieting down?” Tsuyu asks, glancing over her shoulder at their group. “The match is gonna start soon.”

“Oops, sorry, Tsu!” Hagakure says with an apologetic bow.

“No biggie. Ribbit.”

Right on cue, the match begins. Todoroki unleashes a wave of ice at Iida, forcing him to run to the left, looping towards the boy. Todoroki sends out another ice attack, blocking his advancement and corralling Iida between walls of ice.

“Iida has been surrounded!”

Ice soars towards Iida, straight down the middle, and he has nowhere to go. Kemuri leans forward, heart pounding.

Iida prepares, powerful legs ready to spring, and with a burst from his engines, he leaps into the air. The sheer distance he crosses in a single long jump is astounding, making Kemuri’s mouth fall open while others in the class gasp.

“RECIPRO…BURST!”

Todoroki narrowly avoids the kick as Iida lands. He wastes no time, whirling back around and landing yet another powerful kick that sends Todoroki to the ground, all in less than two seconds. Yaoyorozu winces.

“Look at that speed!” Present Mic howls.

“Woah, that was a heavy hit,” Sero says.

“I didn’t know he could kick like that,” Kaminari gapes.

Kemuri pops the cap on her water bottle and starts guzzling water. Hagakure leans over, elbowing her lightly in the side.

“Thirsty, Kemuri?” she whispers.

Kemuri swallows the water and brings the bottle down to her side. “Yes,” she states, earning a hoot of laughter from the invisible girl.

Iida avoids another sheen of ice and takes hold of Todoroki’s uniform, bursting into a sprint towards the edge of the ring, and Kemuri can almost feel the audience buzzing. Is this it? Is this how Todoroki falls?

Before Iida gets too far, he stumbles as his engines sputter out. Ice starts to crawl across his body, spreading from his muffler, and within a few seconds, he’s trapped in an iceberg. Todoroki gets up, stumbling a little as he holds his head.

“Iida has been immobilized! Todoroki advances!” Midnight calls.

“And just like that, Todoroki moves on to the finals, and he didn’t even have to use his flames again!”

The audience cheers and Kemuri leans back in her seat, heart clenching. Iida wanted to win, but she hopes that he can be proud with how far he made it. Besides, he can still get third place.

Her phone starts to buzz as Iida and Todoroki leave the arena. She apologizes to her friends as she digs her phone out. The call display reads “Mom”.

She grabs her pole and drags it after her as Present Mic announces Tokoyami and Bakugo’s match. She answers the call and presses it to her ear.

“Hi, mom,” she greets.

“Kemuri, I’m glad I caught you,” Kazue says. She sounds breathless. “Are you busy?”

“No. I…I didn’t make it very far, mom. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry to hear that, but…listen, I’m still at work. I don’t have much time to talk, but I promise we will later,” she continues. Her voice has an edge to it that Kemuri doesn’t like. “I called to ask you to please be extra safe coming home. Maybe…maybe take a buddy with you, like Shoji. He can even stay the night at our house, if he wants. Just to make sure.”

“What? Mom, what’s wrong?” Kemuri asks, her stomach plunging.

“The Hero Killer attacked someone, and…and I’m just worried about you staying safe. Even if you aren’t a full-fledged hero yet—”

Sirens wail in the background. Kemuri grips her phone a little tighter, but nods. “Yeah, sure. Um…” She taps her foot a little. “Maybe…maybe I can call Ingenium? He said I could call him if I ever needed help.”

The silence from her mother only serves to make her more nervous, then, “Oh…honey, that—”

The sirens are louder now and she hears someone shouting. Kemuri’s heart rate spikes.

“Mom?”

“I’m at the crime scene right now, Kemuri. Please, just…make sure Shoji walks home with you and that he watches your blind spots. I’ll see you at home, okay?”

“O-Okay. Please be safe, mom.”

“I will. Don’t worry.”

The line goes dead, leaving Kemuri with nothing but the sound of a dial tone and the pounding of her heart.

Chapter Text

As soon as Tokoyami’s fight with Bakugo is over, Kemuri leans over to Shoji and taps his arm. “Shoji, are you busy tonight?” she asks.

He shakes his head. “No, not really. Why?”

“My mom just called. The…” She swallows, clearing her throat. “There was an attack in Hosu and she’s worried about me going home alone. She even said you could stay over, if you want.”

His eyes widen a little, but he nods. “Sure, yeah, I’ll just text my dad.”

He pulls out his phone and starts typing. Kemuri stares down at the ring without focusing on it, still far too nervous. It’s one thing for a hero murdering villain to be on the loose near her home, but her mother’s worry just makes her nerves worse.

She can’t shake how she paused after Kemuri suggested calling Ingenium.

She also can’t shake the way Iida’s been acting since he returned from his match.

Kemuri looks over at the spots where Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida had been sitting for most of the festival only to find that they’re still empty. Iida got a phone call seconds after returning to the stands, left, then came back only to pull his two friends back into the hallway.

She perks up a little as Midoriya and Uraraka return, faces stricken with worry, and yet again Kemuri is getting up and shuffling past her friends.

“Midoriya, Uraraka!” she calls before they can take their seats. They seem confused, but turn to her nonetheless. “Where’s Iida?”

Uraraka looks away, shaking a little, and Midoriya tries to smile. “He had to go. Family emergency,” he says.

Kemuri feels the blood rush out of her face. “O-Oh…”

No. No, no, no. Please, don’t let them say what she thinks they’re going to say. Please let this be some kind of cosmic coincidence.

Uraraka blinks a few times, her hand reaching out. “Are you alright?”

Kemuri’s chest feels choked, but she manages to speak. “It’s Tensei, isn’t it? In…Ingenium?”

Midoriya and Uraraka’s faces fall, then Midoriya nods. Kemuri’s knuckles turn white around her pole and she claps a hand over her mouth. So much for those anti-nausea meds…

“How did you know?” Uraraka asks.

“My mom…she called me,” Kemuri says. She swallows back the lump in her throat. “She…she was at the scene last time she checked in.”

Midoriya’s eyes widen. “Did your mom say anything? Is he okay?” he asks. “Iida didn’t know any details…”

Panicked shouts and sirens ring in her ears and she forces herself to take deep breaths. The faint images of the Hero Killer that have appeared on TV flash in her mind. Ingenium could be dead or dying or…

“N-No, she…she just said she had to go.” She takes a step back. “I…uh, thank you. Sorry…”

“Shimakage?” Uraraka asks.

Kemuri can’t get herself to reply. She goes back to her seat, sits down, and tries to breathe.

----------

She just can’t snap out of it.

Bakugo and Todoroki’s fight is insane, but she can’t even get herself to focus. So much has happened today that the exhaustion is hitting her full force. The most she can do is stare down at the ring and hope that she can follow along.

Something must have really set Bakugo off, because he seems angrier than ever—Kemuri wonders whether it’s because he’s so close to victory. He’s shouting a lot, although most of it gets drowned out his explosions, and Todoroki is…

Well, he’s Todoroki. He’s still hard to read. The only thing Kemuri can tell for sure is that, ever since his match with Midoriya, he’s been more subdued.

Kemuri notices that Bakugo is paying a lot of attention to Todoroki’s left side. Aizawa notices too, commenting on Bakugo’s aptitude for this competition along with how Todoroki has lost his spark. His attacks are too simple.

Kemuri doesn’t blame him. She’s lost a bit of spark too, but what she doesn’t understand is giving up when he’s so close to victory. If that was her in the ring, she’d give it her all.

“You bastard!” Bakugo shouts. “I’ll tell you what’ll happen if you make a fool out of me! I’LL KILL YOU! I don’t want there to be any doubt that I’m the best student at this festival! That’s only possible if you come at me as hard as you can!”

Kemuri purses her lips, shaking her head a little. Todoroki is holding back, not out of disrespect, but to Bakugo that might as well be the case. Despite everything that’s scary or rude about him, Kemuri at least understands his drive to win.

“There’s no point if you don’t fight me with the same power you used against Deku!” His voice is ragged, but forceful enough that it carries. “If you don’t wanna win this, why are you even here?! SHOW EVERYONE THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO DESTROY ME!”

Todoroki doesn’t move. Frost creeps up his arm, and his face…god, he just looks so lost. He just stares as Bakugo runs at him, hands raised.

Midoriya gets up in his seat, earning the attention of his classmates. “Come on, Todoroki!” he screams. “DON’T GIVE UP! DO YOUR BEST!”

And yet again, Midoriya is the instigator. Todoroki’s flame reappears and Bakugo propels himself into the air. He keeps setting off explosions, turning himself in midair until he’s a whirlwind of dust and smoke. Todoroki lifts his flame-covered arm, teeth gritted.

“HOWITZER…IMPACT!”

A split second before they hit, Kemuri sees Todoroki’s flames go out.

The arena explodes with light and heat as the ice left behind by Todoroki shatters. Kemuri doesn’t shield her eyes this time, just sitting back and letting the heat wash over her.

“Bakugo combines speed and rotation with a huge blast like what he used against Uraraka!” Present Mic exclaims. “He turned himself into a human missile! Todoroki did fire off a flame attack that wowed us in his match with Midoriya, so what has become of our two top competitors?!”

When the smoke clears, Bakugo is laying on his stomach in the middle of the ring and Todoroki is slumped against his own ice, out of bounds. Bakugo doesn’t move for a second as murmurs ripple through the audience, then he starts to get up.

“Hey…HEY!” Bakugo shouts.

He runs to Todoroki and grabs the front of his uniform, yanking him up as if he can shake him awake. Cementoss is already getting up and Midnight is reaching for the sleeve of her uniform.

“You, stop messing around!” Bakugo screams to his unconscious opponent. Pink gas float towards him, wafting off Midnight’s skin. “This isn’t a real win for me unless you try harder! It can’t end this way! GET UP! You half-n-half bas…tard…”

He sinks to the ground, Midnight’s quirk taking hold of him. She walks to both boys, staring at them for a moment, and Kemuri holds her breath. No one in their class moves.

Midnight raises her hand. “Todoroki is out of bounds. Bakugo is the winner!”

“And with that, the final match is officially over! The first year champion of the U.A Sports Festival is…KATSUKI BAKUGO FROM CLASS 1-A!”

Just like that, the Sports Festival is over. The crowd goes wild, screaming and shouting and applauding as if their hands are about to fall off. Class 1-A sits in shock. Kirishima gets up and runs out of the stands without another word.

Kemuri just stares as Bakugo and Todoroki get carted off to Recovery Girl. She has to hand it to Bakugo, when he says he’s going to do something, he does it.

----------

Kemuri is glad to be back on the field with her classmates. She would feel self-conscious about the IV if it weren’t for the fact that others around her are bandaged too. She just wishes that she didn’t look so beat up for the cameras flashing behind them.

“The first years have completed all the events in the U.A Sports Festival,” Midnight says as she stands at the head of the crowd. “Now it’s time to relax and enjoy the award ceremony!”

Trumpets play and fireworks go off all around the top of the stadium and in the sky high above them. Kemuri looks up, focusing on the flashes of colour as a small smile lifts her lips.

Confetti and smoke explode from the ground behind Midnight as three pillars emerge from the ground. Tokoyami stands on the number three, Todoroki on number two, and Bakugo is chained to the first place spot, literally.

He screams and flails against his restraints, his voice muffled by the muzzle around his mouth. Kemuri feels cringe overtake her entire body and a second later, she thinks that this could inadvertently be his payback for her giving him secondhand embarrassment.

“He’s been going nuts ever since he woke up,” Kirishima sighs. “Man, Bakugo, pull yourself together.”

He looked a little tired when he came back from seeing Bakugo and even now, he still seems a little annoyed. Kemuri wonders whether he had to hold Bakugo back from going after Todoroki the second he woke up. Seeing Bakugo now, she wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.

Midnight eyes the paparazzi. “Tenya Iida actually shares the third place award with Tokoyami, but unfortunately, he had to leave for family reasons. Gotta love those familial bonds.” She winks and poses for the cameras.

Tokoyami gasps. “A media darling…”

“Too bad Iida couldn’t be here,” Tsuyu says. “He was so excited.”

Kemuri bites her lip and glances to the side just in time to catch Midoriya’s eye. He looks away, distress painting his features, and she sighs. It feels wrong for Iida not to be here, but then again, it’s wrong for his brother to have been attacked by a villain.

“Now, let’s break out the hardware,” Midnight says. “Of course, there’s only one person worthy of distributing the awards!”

From the rooftop, strong laughter rings out and a tall, muscular silhouette appears. The crowd goes absolutely nuts, foaming at the mouth for their number one hero, and he leaps into the air, eclipsing the sun for a moment.

All Might starts to say something, but Kemuri honestly can’t make it out past Midnight welcoming the number one hero, their voices overlapping. He lands, then slowly looks up at Midnight while the crowd keeps screaming and the cameras keep flashing.

She touches her fingertips together. “I ruined that, didn’t I?” she asks.

All Might just waves it off, keeping his smile on. “Never mind! I am here now!” he booms, giving her a thumbs up.

Midnight holds up a small tray with medals on them. “Well, now that you’re here, All Might, why don’t you start the presentation?”

He takes the bronze medal and moves up the steps to Tokoyami’s pedestal, congratulating him as he slips the medal around his neck.

Kemuri is smiling now. No matter how badly she wanted to be up there, the next best thing is seeing her friend earning that medal, and dang it, she’s proud of him. Tokoyami bows his head as All Might brings him into a hug, patting his back.

“Aw, I bet All Might’s hugs are great,” Kemuri whispers to Hagakure.

Hagakure giggles, swooning a little. “So muscly, right?” She adds, “He could break me in half and I would thank him.” Kemuri nearly chokes, forcing back her shocked laughter, and she can tell that Hagakure has a smug grin on her face.

Ojiro places one hand over his face and lets out a long sigh. “You’re something else, Hagakure,” he whispers.

All Might moves on to Todoroki, giving him the silver medal, and they have a brief conversation that Kemuri can’t hear. All Might gives him a hug too, then goes to Bakugo.

“And now, young Bakugo!” All Might eyes the muzzle and restraints, letting out a hum. “This is a little much.” As he removes the muzzle, he says, “Well, you did what you said you’d do in the pledge! You’re true to your word!”

“All Might…” Bakugo growls. “Winning first place this way…DOESN’T PROVE THAT I’M THE BEST ONE HERE!”

Kemuri actually recoils at the sight of his face, bumping into Shoji’s arms. Hagakure lets out a squeak and grabs Kemuri’s arm, trembling a little, while Ojiro stares in mild horror.

“EVEN IF THE WORLD CONSIDERS ME THE WINNER, I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT LIKE THIS!” Bakugo wails, eyes bulging and teeth bared.

All Might clears his throat. “In a world where we’re constantly being compared to one another, there are very few who can keep their eyes focused on the top spot! You’re one of them.” Bakugo keeps growling as All Might lifts the gold medal. “Please, accept this medal, even if you have to think of it as a scar, something you’ll never forget.”

“I DON’T WANT THAT PIECE OF SHIT!” Bakugo screams. All Might tries to put the medal over Bakugo’s head, but he sticks his head up and it loops around his nose. “GET THAT TRASH OFF OF ME, YOU IDIOT!”

All Might yanks it down so that it hangs from Bakugo’s gaping, angry mouth, and turns back around to face the first years. Hagakure stifles her giggles against Kemuri’s shoulder and Kemuri claps a hand over her mouth.

“Here they are! The winners of this year’s Sports Festival!” All Might says. “But, listen closely, any one of you first years could have ended up standing on these podiums. Think about what you’ve done today. You’ve challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer to your goals of being pros! I think this next generation of heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet!” He aims one finger at the sky and light glints off the end. “So, I have one more thing to say! I want to hear everyone yell it with me! GO BEYOND!”

Kemuri thrusts her fist into the air and joins in, shouting out a proud, happy, “PLUS ULTRA!”

For just a second, she forgets all about her grandfather.

----------

After the award ceremony, all the students are told to gather their things and change back into their school uniforms. Before they leave for the day, their homeroom teachers are to give them a debriefing back in their classrooms.

Before they get to any of that, Hagakure and Kemuri have the very important job of engulfing Tokoyami in a squishy, happy group hug, and Kemuri is again shocked at the fact that Tokoyami is shorter than her. Shoji and Ojiro are more subdued.

“You did amazing!” Hagakure squeals as she bounces up and down, dragging Tokoyami’s arm along for the ride. “I’m so happy for you that I could cry!”

“Please don’t,” Tokoyami utters, too tired to resist.

Kemuri smiles at him. “I knew you had it in you,” she says. She extends her arms to him. “Real hug because I’m proud of you?”

He sighs, then opens his arms to her. She grins and hugs him tight, starting to feel a little choked up. He pats her back, more than a little awkward, and she pulls away as she hastily wipes her eyes.

“Seriously,” Shoji says, clasping one hand on Tokoyami’s shoulder. “You did great.”

“Everyone has said all there is to be said,” Ojiro adds with a shrug. He gives Tokoyami a thumbs up. “Nice work, Tokoyami.”

Hagakure leans closer to him. “So, All Might…good hugger? Bad hugger?”

“He is so muscular and huge that I felt as if he could snap me in half if he wanted. It made me feel very vulnerable,” Tokoyami says. “Kemuri gives better hugs. She’s softer.”

Kemuri feigns shock. “Me? Better than All Might at something?” She shakes her head. “Shoji has six arms, though. Can’t ignore that…right?”

“Only thing left to do is have a hugging contest,” Hagakure says with a shrug.

“Later, please,” Tokoyami says. “I can feel my energy leaving me in waves, dragging me towards the sweet release of death.”

Hagakure stops bouncing, taking a deep breath. “Seriously though, guys. Today was nuts, and there were lots of tears and lots of emotion, but in all seriousness…” She takes a deep breath. “I had so much fun today and I’m proud of all of us. We were totally Plus Ultra and I freaking loved it!”

She turns around and hugs Ojiro as she lets out another happy squeal, making his entire face turn red, and Kemuri lunges forward to join the impending group hug. Tokoyami shuffles over and just flops on top of them before Shoji surrounds them with all six of his arms—careful to avoid Kemuri’s IV pole. They all inhale, then exhale.

“You guys are crazy,” Ojiro sighs.

“But you love us?” Hagakure asks, hope painting her words.

Ojiro swallows. “Can…can I say that? Yes? I love you guys?”

Another happy squeal and Hagakure’s arms tighten around him. Kemuri closes her eyes and relishes in the feeling of being loved.

Chapter Text

Kemuri gets her school uniform on, returns her IV to Recovery Girl, and gets back to class as fast as she can. She’s the last person to arrive and she can’t help but cast a glance to Iida’s empty desk before she sits down. Aizawa walks in right after her.

“Nice work,” he says as he takes his place in front of the class. “You have Monday and Tuesday off of school. I’m sure the pros who watched the festival will want to recruit some of you, so we’ll look over the draft forms and update you on your return. Get some rest.” His stare is as stern as ever. “You still have a lot of training to do.”

“Yes, sir,” the class says.

Everyone gets up and starts to trickle out, chatting away about the festival. Kemuri says goodbye to her friends, lingering a bit as everyone leaves. Shoji goes out of the classroom, but she knows that he’ll wait for her. She moves to the back of the room, heart clenching.

“Todoroki,” Kemuri says.

He looks up at her. “Hey.”

She opens her mouth, then closes it again. She doesn’t actually know what to say to him, despite having a lot in mind, and there’s no way she’s starting a conversation with, “So, I think I’ve figured out that your dad is abusive. Am I anywhere near correct?”

He arches an eyebrow at her silence, letting out a breath as he gets out of his desk and reaches for his bag. “How are you feeling?”

“O-Oh, fine,” she says. “I…I was more worried about you.”

Another eyebrow arch. “Worried?”

She looks over her shoulder to find that they’re the only people left in the classroom. Even Aizawa has left. Seeing that, she feels a little safer.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I…I didn’t see the signs at the Heroics Gala, with…your dad.” His expression hardens a little and she takes a slightly shaky breath. “That’s…why I’m worried.”

He shuts his eyes, dragging his bag onto his shoulder and gripping the strap. “Don’t be,” he says. “I’m not a weak little kid anymore.”

That just makes her feel worse, the last word lingering in her mind. He used to be a weak little kid, someone unable to protect himself.

Her head droops a little. “I don’t even…know what I wanted to say to you. There’s so much going on in my head right now, it’s…” She stops, noticing his blank look, and purses her lips. “Sorry, n…never mind.”

“Did Midoriya get to you too?” he asks. When she nods, he glances towards the door. “I don’t know what to feel, honestly.”

“Me neither.”

Silence. She wonders if she would feel more awkward if this was in a different situation, because right now all she feels is a strange sense of camaraderie. Maybe it’s just her, but she hopes that he at least knows that she understands his struggle.

“You know about my grandfather,” she says, making his forehead crease. She runs her hand up her arm. “But, I…I know about your dad now, at least…I think I do. I want to be there for you too,” she says. “Only if you need it.”

He seems confused by the offer as he looks away, mouth forming a straight line. He exhales, gripping the strap of his backpack a little tighter, then he looks up at her again.

“Okay,” he says. “I doubt I’ll need it, but…thanks.”

“Y-Yeah, no pressure.” Before the silence returns, she clears her throat. “So, uh…Shoji is probably waiting for me, so…enjoy your weekend, and…and stuff.”

She turns away, starting for the door, and he lets out a soft, “Hey.”

“Huh?”

She turns back around to find that he has that confused, lost look on his face again. He tucks his hands into his pockets, taking a few absentminded steps forward.

“You don’t use your steam to fight,” he states.

She looks at her feet. “No.”

“Why?”

She lets out a long breath. “I…I was always told that it was a weak part of me,” she says. “That…it represented everything that’s wrong with me.” His eyes widen and he blinks a few times. She adds, with a sheepish laugh, “And…well, it’s the reason my eyesight isn’t good, so for a long time, I was scared of it.”

“Huh…” he murmurs, hands shifting in his pockets. “Interesting.”

“Did your quirk…um…?” She motions to her own face, hesitant.

He shakes his head. “No, that was from boiling water.” He sees Kemuri’s alarm and adds, “But, it represents something for me too. I’m seeing everything surrounding it differently now.”

She can’t say much more than a soft, “Oh.”

“Mhm.”

“Well…good talk.”

“Yeah.”

He leaves first. She has to take a second to breathe and mull over his words before she shuffles out of the classroom. Shoji is waiting in the hall, playing on his phone, and he looks up when he hears her footsteps.

“Ready to go?” he asks, pocketing his phone.

“Yeah. I really want to be home,” she admits. As they settle into pace next to each other, she asks, “Are you sure you’re okay with coming with me? Are your parents going to miss you?”

“My mom’s working a late shift at the hospital and my dad…he’s not the type to miss me terribly. He knows I’ll be home tomorrow.”

Kemuri’s eyebrows lift. “Your mom is a doctor?”

“A surgeon, actually. She specializes in transplants, plastics…trauma too,” he says. “Her quirk allows her to grow organs out of her skin and detach them, so she’s really important for emergencies and stuff.”

“Woah…she sounds hardcore.”

“She is.”

They lapse back into silence, but something still nags at the back of her mind. She’s learned a lot about herself today, more than she thought she would. The biggest thing is that she knows that she’s not as strong as she could be and that, from here on out, she’s going to work even harder.

They get outside, the sky lit up with oranges and pinks of the dying daylight, and as they pass through the front gates, Kemuri looks down the sidewalk and sees Todoroki walking away. Something compels her to speak and before she can second-guess herself, she’s cupping her hands around her mouth.

“Hey! Todoroki!” she calls. He stops, turning around, and she smiles a little. “Next year, I’m going to be a lot stronger, and I’ll be working to surpass you! So…so watch out!”

Shoji blinks a few times, staring down at her in shock, and Todoroki’s expression is similar. Then, his lip twitches at the corner for just a second.

“I’ll be ready,” he returns.

Kemuri nods, a rush of exhilaration passing through her, and she turns back around. Shoji is still staring at her, even as they walk, and she meets his eyes.

“What?” she asks.

He smiles a little. “Challenging Todoroki, huh?”

She exhales. “Yeah, I…I guess I’ve got a new conviction, that’s all.”

“Hm,” he murmurs. He gently maneuvers her around a loose piece of sidewalk that she didn’t see, then adds, “Well, that’ll be an interesting fight to watch next year.”

“I hope so.”

----------

That evening, the Sports Festival is the hot topic of the Shimakage household. The atmosphere is more relaxed thanks to Keiji’s absence and Cayden is very good at staying positive about the whole thing. Not only does he encourage Kemuri, but he also does the same for Shoji, and of course he comforts Kazue. She looks drained from work, her emotions running on high, and Kemuri really can’t blame her for feeling a little weak. Kemuri felt anxious just from hearing about Tensei’s attack, much less witnessing it.

Kemuri is just glad to see that her mom seems to be calming down, staying snuggled tightly in Cayden’s arms while the four of them watch the recording of the festival, enjoying some snacks and drinks while they’re at it.

It’s strange to see herself on TV, especially the couple close-ups she got right at the start of the Obstacle Race. She got a solid few seconds where all you can see is her laughing and aiming a peace sign at the sky in celebration. It almost hurts to know that only a little while later, that euphoria would be destroyed.

“That second obstacle is a tough one,” Kazue sighs. She smiles a little. “Look at you two go…”

“Man,” Cayden whistles. “Shoji, kid, you’re actually flying…”

Shoji smiles a little as he shifts against his pillow. “More like gliding, and I almost fell a couple times.”

Kemuri nudges him with her elbow. “Sneaky…” she whispers.

He returns the light shove before reaching a tentacle mouth to the snack plate, snatching up another mochi.

By the time the Calvary Battle starts, Kemuri is already cringing. She covers her face as soon as her fog covers the arena and she hears her mom gasp.

“Kemuri…” she starts.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Shoji says immediately. His voice is steady and smooth. “One of her teammates has a mind-control quirk and he used it on her.”

“Honey, I told you about this,” Cayden murmurs. “Kemuri is fine, it was just dehydration.”

Kazue starts to sit up, untangling herself from Cayden’s arms. She opens her mouth, then closes it, and Kemuri takes a hesitant peek at her. She has that look on her face that screams “I must protect my child, but I have to think rationally”.

“Did anyone talk to this student?” she asks, slowly. “Does he understand what could have happened?”

“I’m sure the school will talk to him,” Cayden says.

“He…did talk to me,” Kemuri adds, slightly timid. “He said he didn’t mean to use it on me, that it was just a lapse in judgement—”

“Did he apologize?”

Kemuri purses her lips. “Sort…sort of.” Kazue exhales through her nose and Kemuri shakes her hands about. “It’s nothing, mom. I…I learned a lot during the festival and…and next year it’ll be different. Shinso…he wanted to win too, and…and he’s in General Studies! Like you were! And his quirk, I think people have told him it’s villainous—”

“Kemuri, breathe,” Cayden whispers and she stops, sucking in a long breath.

“You can’t say that it’s nothing,” Kazue says, shaking her head. “What he did was dangerous. I understand his struggle, but…he still hurt you. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.” Kemuri looks at her lap and there’s a brief pause. “Kemuri, are you blaming yourself for this?”

“I…I mean…” She shrugs, swallowing hard. “He only got mad ‘cause I wouldn’t listen to him—”

“Kemuri, no,” Kazue says. She gets up and moves over to the other couch, taking the spot next to her daughter. “I don’t know about details, but what I do understand is that there were two instances of quirk abuse going on here, and yours was not your fault.”

Kemuri doesn’t look at her. “Yeah…”

No one says anything. The TV is playing commercials but no one is fast-forwarding through them. Kemuri gets up from her seat, stretching her arms a little bit. She doesn’t dare look anyone in the eyes. It’s hard enough to see the worry on her mom’s face, she doesn’t need to see Shoji and her dad’s.

“I’ve had a long day,” she says. “I’m gonna…get some rest.”

She walks out of the living room with her head drooped. She’s had too many mood swings today, jumping between excitement and devastation and sympathy and guilt and every other colour of the emotional rainbow. It’s exhausting.

Behind her, she hears her mom say, “Maybe I’ll go by the school tomorrow…”

“It’s the second year stage. Will they have time?”

“Maybe you should wait,” Shoji murmurs. “We have two days off school. Maybe then?”

“Good point. Thank you, Shoji.”

Kemuri doesn’t want Shinso to get in trouble, no matter how upset she is at him. He said it himself, he didn’t mean to do it. But, if anyone is to talk to him about this, Kemuri thinks her mom is a suitable candidate. She’s the General Studies student that made it.

Kemuri slips into her bedroom, takes a few steps, and flops onto her bed, where she lays face down in the pillows for as long as she can before she has to turn her head to breathe. In the silence, she thinks about Iida and Todoroki and Shinso and Midoriya and all the rest of her classmates. Is Iida at the hospital with Tensei right now? Is Todoroki avoiding his dad? What’s Yaoyorozu doing, and is she okay after her fight with Tokoyami? Has Shinso given her a second thought since he walked out of the nurse’s office?

The door to her room opens again and Shoji walks in. He closes it behind him and she pulls her hands away from her face. Both of them just look at each other for a second before he walks over and sits down on the edge of the bed.

“A lot happened today,” he says.

She nods. “Yeah.”

His dark eyes flit back to her, narrowing a little in concern. “I…think I’ve asked you if you’re okay too much already,” he admits.

“I’ll be fine, Shoji. I promise.” She sits up, bringing her knees to her chest. “Right now, I’m still processing everything.”

“I get it.”

She slowly unfurls, flopping back onto the bed. “Are you tired?”

He exhales, then nods. “Yeah.”

“Me too.” She pats the space beside her. “Just…lie with me for a bit.”

His eyebrows lift, but he doesn’t argue against it as he lies down. They lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling, just breathing and taking everything in. A few minutes pass, her eyes starting to droop, and she hears gentle snoring. Shoji’s eyes are closed, his breathing evened out as he sleeps, and she can’t help but smile.

She rolls over, tucking her arm beneath her pillow as her eyes fall shut. “Goodnight, Shoji.”

Chapter Text

Shoji leaves early the next day, leaving Kemuri in a quiet house. Her mother has to go to work, her father has his spa to run, her grandfather won’t return from his business trip until tomorrow, and both her parents told her to take a break from training for today.

It leaves her with a lot of free time, but she knows what to do with it.

She searches up a recipe, makes a list of what she needs, and goes grocery shopping. When she returns, she sets her haul on the kitchen counter and pulls out her phone. Scrolling through her contacts, she selects the name and waits.

After a few rings, her expectant face slips into a tiny window in the corner and Nishimura's face replaces the rest of the screen. He has one eyebrow arched, halfway through scratching his chin.

“Uh, hi?” he asks.

Kemuri smiles a little. “Hey…uh, sorry, this is kind of sudden,” she says. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Nah.” He shrugs and the camera angle shifts as he lifts it a little. “Was just about to make some lunch.”

“Oh, cool, I…actually wanted some help,” she says. “I wanted to make some nikujaga for Iida and…uh…” She clears her throat. “You’re a good cook, right? On the bus to the USJ, you and Sato were talking about recipes…”

His eyebrows lift, his expression softening. “You want my help?” he repeats.

“Yeah, if you want.”

He thinks for a second, then nods. “Okay, I’ll make some stew too. Then, you can follow along. Got it?”

She nods. “Yeah! Got it!”

“Okay, prop your phone up somewhere where you can see me but it won’t get in the way.”

“Gotcha.”

They get to work. She has to hand it to him, Nishimura is really skilled in the kitchen. It helps that anytime he’s chopping stuff, he just morphs his hand into a knife and gets to work. Kemuri is a lot slower, having to focus more so that she doesn’t cut her fingers off.

Also, he has a lot of advice to give at once. Round out the edges of the potatoes, don’t cube them! But, cube the carrots, and make sure they’re bite-sized. Cut the beef thin so that it cooks faster. Don’t worry about the mirin and sake, you won’t get drunk. All the alcohol burns away while you cook it.

He’s like a powerhouse of nikujaga knowledge and Kemuri has to audibly tell him to slow down for her multiple times.

“I prefer using dashi for the broth,” Nishimura says as he sautés vegetables. Kemuri can hear the pan sizzling while she’s still working on browning the beef. “It’s more flavourful than beef stock or water.”

“U-Uh…” Kemuri looks to her pile of ingredients. “I…I only have beef stock.”

“You can still use that, I’m just saying…dashi is good.”

“Oh…”

She tosses diced carrots, onion, and potatoes into the pan with her beef, starting to stir. She can hear the thunking of a knife on a cutting board coming from her phone again.

“So, why are you making food for Iida?” Nishimura asks. “Do you like him or something?”

Kemuri turns completely red and ducks out of the frame as Nishimura looks up. She takes a few deep breaths, trying to make sure her voice is calm.

“He’s…he’s an old friend, and his brother just got attacked by the Hero Killer, s-so…” she stammers. “I…I wanted to make him his favourite food! It’s…it’s the least I can do.”

Nishimura lets out a small hum. He lifts a bottle of sake, eyes grazing over the label before he nods. “Well, that’s nice of you.” He turns and tips the sake into the pan, just a splash or two, and he looks into the camera. “So, with the sake and stuff?”

“Yeah.”

“Measure yours. I just eyeball these things now, but I’ve got more practice.” As he says it, he takes a pinch of sugar and sprinkles it into the pan, as if to send his point home.

She nods and gathers the wet ingredients, just about ready to add it all to the beef and vegetable mixture. She starts measuring, the only noise the snapping and sizzling of cooking food. Nishimura stirs, then stops to taste his creation. He ponders, frowns, then turns and adds a bit more sliced onion and a dash of spice.

Kemuri puts in the last few ingredients, looking up at him again while she stirs. He’s so strange, just asking a question and dropping it so easily. She’s more used to every question leading to a conversation, so his way of asking, getting the answer, and moving on is a little jarring.

“Okay, so once all the wet ingredients are in, just stir and leave it to simmer for a bit. The potatoes and veggies need to soften up,” he says. There’s a soft clang as he puts the lid on his pan, looking pleased with himself. “Are you putting any shirataki noodles in?”

She stares at him. “No…the recipe didn’t say I needed noodles, and…I’m not sure if Iida prefers it that way.”

“Hey, that’s fine, Shimakage. No worries.” He lifts a package into view, smirking. “I just like adding noodles.” He brings the package out of frame and she hears him opening it. “Also, soy sauce and salt are good. Don’t forget those.”

“Right.” She reaches for them, letting out a breath. “This is a lot more complex then I expected.”

“Do you not cook?”

“Not really…” She purses her lips. “My dad usually does. It’s kind of difficult for me to keep everything on track, I guess, and I just don’t prefer to do it.”

“That’s a shame. Cooking is one of life’s great joys, in my opinion,” he says. He lifts the lid and starts stirring again, in gentle, slow motions that are so unlike his rash way of fighting in class. “I guess I just like keeping busy too.”

“Is your house empty a lot, too?”

His eyes widen a little, then narrow. “Well…” He looks away from her, clearing his throat. “Sort of. Just depends on whether the aunts and uncles are busy, or my cousins. Sometimes it’s just me and my mom.”

Kemuri doesn’t say anything. Her nikujaga is bubbling a little and she starts stirring before Nishimura reminds her for the hundredth time—something about making sure it all cooks evenly. His words remind her of the Heroics Gala, and of Akiara.

“Do…do you have lots of aunts and uncles?” she asks.

He shrugs. “Like four, I guess. They’re technically my great aunts and uncles, since they’re my grandpa’s siblings and siblings-in-law. My dad and mom don’t have any siblings, so…”

“Oh…”

Man, if she wasn’t sure that that group was his family before, she knows now. She thinks of Akiara and the four people standing with him, the other man and woman with orange hair. Those must be Akio’s great aunt and uncle, leaving the other two to be their spouses.

“Why do you ask?” His eyes are narrowed again, lips pouted slightly.

She swallows. “A-Ah, nothing! Just…uh…I don’t have anyone like that. It’s just me, my parents, and my grandfather.”

“No siblings?”

“No.”

“Huh…me neither.”

She looks down at her stew, biting her lip a little. She can’t help but feel a slight spark of jealousy. Akio has such a big family, by the sounds of it, and she can’t help but wonder what it’s like. Does he get along with his cousins? Are his great aunts and uncles fun to be around? Aside from the party-crashing thing, Kemuri imagines they could be cool people.

But the tension between them and her grandfather can’t be ignored.

“So, the nikujaga just needs to cook until everything is done. Make sure the veggies and potatoes are soft, then you’re golden,” he says. “If you weren’t taking it to Iida, I’d say garnish it with green onion, but don’t worry about that.” He leans closer to the camera. “What are you serving it with?”

“Um…” She grins a little, sheepish. “Kit Kat bars and orange juice…?”

He stares at her for a second, heaves a long sigh, and says, “Make some rice, at least. God…”

“O-Okay.”

He leans back, ruffling his hair. “Well, I think my work here is done. I hope Iida likes it,” he says.

“Me too.” She grins and bows her head. “Thank you so much, Nishimura! I couldn’t have done it without you!”

He seems a little flustered by the thanks, his freckled face getting red as he clears his throat. “U-Uh, yeah…don’t mention it.” He reaches for his phone. “Okay, bye.”

There’s a soft beeping sound as the call disconnects. Kemuri stares at her reflection in the camera for a second before shaking her head. She gets to work on the rice and prepares some bento boxes to pack it all up.

----------

“I’ll be at Hosu General, dad,” Kemuri says as she hands him his lunch. “Just visiting the Iidas.”

Cayden nods. “Okay, be safe out there.” He opens the bento, blue eyes starting to sparkle. “Nikujaga?”

“I made it myself,” she says, more than a little proud, “with…a little help from a classmate.”

“Well, I can’t wait to dig in. Thanks, sweetie.”

She hurries out of his office, waving to some of the workers at the front desk on her way past. The Sports Festival is still playing on the TVs and it looks like the second years aren’t pulling any punches either. Present Mic is having a hay-day with his announcing.

Kemuri makes sure the food is all packed up one last time before she heads out.

----------

“Um, hi…I’m here to see Tensei Iida?” Kemuri says. She cringes at how it sounds like a question and, judging by the look on the receptionist’s face, it didn’t go over well.

“Are you family?” she asks, arching an eyebrow.

Kemuri swallows. “I’m…a friend.”

The woman doesn’t seem convinced. Kemuri kicks herself internally, hand tightening around the bag in her hand. Of course, they would be skeptical. If they let in every Ingenium fan that claimed to be the friend of the family, it would be chaos.

She seriously considers name-dropping her own family when she hears a soft, feminine voice ask, “Shimakage?”

Turning around, Kemuri sees a woman with short, navy hair and glasses. Just from appearance alone, Kemuri can tell she’s an Iida. The woman starts towards her, stopping at her side. They’re the same height.

“You’re Kemuri, right?” she asks. Her tone is still gentle.

“Y-Yes.” Kemuri does a hasty bow. “And…I’m sorry, have we…met?”

The woman gasps. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, batting her hand at her. “I’m Sachiko Iida. Your mother pointed you out to me at the gala.”

“O-Oh, you’re Tenya’s mother,” Kemuri stammers. “I’m…” The apology dies on her tongue, the word already said too much. She gulps. “I…I wanted to see how you were doing. Is Tenya here?”

Sachiko nods and Kemuri can see the exhaustion on her face; the dark circles under her maroon eyes, the tired lines by her mouth. “He hasn’t left since yesterday, but…none of us have,” she says. “Please, come with me. I’m sure he’ll be glad to have a friend here.”

Sachiko waves to the receptionist, earning a nod, and Kemuri hurries after the woman. They go down the hall, grab the elevator, and get off on the third floor. Kemuri looks down the hall, half-expecting to see Tenya, but it’s empty. She follows Sachiko yet again until they stop in front of the door with the placard reading “Tensei Iida”.

Sachiko opens the door and slips inside, but Kemuri doesn’t move. She doesn’t want to barge in unless she’s sure that she’s allowed.

“Tenya?” Sachiko calls. “You have a friend here to see you.”

“What?”

There are a few footsteps before Tenya emerges and seeing him just about makes Kemuri lose her composure. He hasn’t even changed out of his school uniform: the tie missing, the first couple buttons are undone, and it’s wrinkled. It isn’t even tucked into his pants.

It’s like looking at someone pretending to be the put-together, pristine Tenya Iida that she’s always known. It breaks her heart.

“Tenya,” she says. “Oh my god…”

“Kemuri? How did you…” He stops, shutting his eyes, and another ache rolls through her. He looks so tired. “Did Midoriya tell you?”

“My mother, actually. She…she was on the scene, said a hero got hurt, and…I put the pieces together.”

He exhales, looking away from her. “I see.”

She dares a step closer to him, unsure if she wants to look into the room. Does she really want to see Tensei in whatever state he’s in? The idea makes her stomach curl, but before she can say anything, Tenya steps in.

“Do you want to say hello?” he asks, and there’s a twinge in his voice that she wants to take away so badly that it hurts. “I’m sure he’d…be glad to see you.”

“I…” She swallows. “Yeah, sure. Do I need a mask or…?”

“No, it’s fine.”

She follows him into the room. Sachiko is sitting in the chair nearest to the window and next to her stands Tetsuya, his arms crossed over his chest. Kemuri can’t bring herself to look away from Tenya’s parents quite yet, but the hospital bed is getting closer.

She finally looks and she immediately wishes she hadn’t. Tensei definitely looks like he’s been attacked. His head and torso are bandaged, stitches creeping out along the side of his head, and there’s an IV in his arm. He’s utterly still aside from the rise and fall of his chest and he stares at the ceiling, a faraway look in his eyes.

Kemuri tries to imagine the smiling, laughing Tensei who took a selfie with her so many weeks ago, but it’s like the sight of him now destroyed the image.

“He was on a ventilator yesterday, but he’s breathing on his own again,” Tenya murmurs to her. He moves closer to the bed and rests a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Brother, Kemuri is here to see you.”

Tensei takes a long breath, gaze flickering up to his brother. “Kemuri?” he repeats. His voice is raspy.

Tenya motions her closer and Kemuri obeys. Up close, she can see how chapped his lips are and how bruised he is, only making it worse. Still, she reaches out and takes his hand slowly. His fingers twitch, then tighten around hers.

“Hey,” she whispers. “Just…wanted to see you. I’m…” She bites her lip. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

Tensei releases another long sigh, eyes closing, and his grip loosens. Kemuri pulls her hand away. She feels so stupid, standing here with their family when she’s hardly spent any time with them. She hadn’t even met Tenya’s mother before today and she’s only seen Tetsuya from afar.

“I…I made some food for you,” Kemuri says, lifting the bag in her hand as she starts towards Mr. and Mrs. Iida. She reaches into the bag and pulls out two of the prepared bentos. “I…hope you like nikujaga and rice.”

“Oh, thank you,” Sachiko murmurs. “That’s very kind of you.”

Tetsuya nods. “We’ve been surviving off hospital food,” he says. “A home-cooked meal is well appreciated.”

Kemuri is suddenly very glad that she made enough to feed at least five people. Sachiko’s smile is wobbly, pained, and Kemuri can’t look at it for too long. She turns around, meeting Tenya’s eyes, and she hears Sachiko’s chair squeak.

“Tenya, why don’t you two go and talk?” she suggests.

“Yes, mother,” Tenya agrees.

Kemuri wants to scream, her chest constricting. Everything is so tense, so wrong. Tensei shouldn’t be in a hospital bed. Tenya shouldn’t be this quiet and un-Tenya-like. As they go back into the hallway, the voices of Tenya’s parents trail after them.

“So…” she starts.

“Follow me,” he says.

He ends up leading her to a small rooftop garden. There are benches, flowers, and it looks like it’s somewhere for patients to go and get fresh air. The teenagers settle onto one of the benches and Kemuri sets her bag next to her.

“Have you eaten, Tenya?” she asks.

He shakes his head. “Bits and pieces, I suppose. Just enough so mother wouldn’t worry.”

Kemuri’s shoulders sag. She pulls out another bento and a can of orange juice, handing it off to him, and he takes both after a moment of hesitation. She brings out another set of the same thing, her own meal, setting it on her lap before grabbing the dessert.

He seems shocked by the sight of a green tea chocolate bar and when he directs the shock at her, she forces a tiny smile and lifts up her own strawberry one.

“I remembered,” she murmurs.

“Yes, you…you did,” he replies.

He takes the chocolate. They sit in silence, just eating. Tenya doesn’t start right away, but the second he takes the first bite, he doesn’t stop. He by no means wolfs it down, but his pace is just desperate enough for Kemuri to notice. She doesn’t regret bringing him food.

“I’m sorry if it’s not that good,” she says. “It was my first time making it.”

“No, it’s…” He swallows a bite. “It’s delicious, Kemuri. Thank you.”

She smiles before returning to her own meal.

After a while more, she asks in a small voice, “How bad is it? With…with Tensei?”

His fingertips clench around the orange juice can. His breaths become slightly shakier and he swallows hard before saying, “He had serious injuries. The doctors said that, had he been even two minutes later—” He stops, a shudder rolling through him, and Kemuri puts her bento box down. “He…wouldn’t have made it.”

“Oh my gosh, I…” She reaches out and touches his shoulder. “At…at least he survived, right? Ingenium still lives.” His expression floods with grief and she tenses. “Tenya?”

“His spine…” He shakes his head. “It…it was severed. He’s paralyzed, Kemuri, from the waist down, and…and they can’t fix it!”

He slams the can down a little too hard, making it fall off the bench and spill against the asphalt. He hunches forward, hands shaking as he stares at the ground. Kemuri doesn’t take her hand off his shoulder despite the heat flooding her chest, the horror and grief taking over.

She isn’t what’s important right now.

“They tried, but…but something went wrong and it couldn’t be salvaged, so the paralysis is permanent,” he continues, his voice getting more and more unstable. “The Hero Killer…he didn’t take his life but he…he ended his hero career and it’s…it’s not fair. My brother’s a true hero, a g-good man and…and…”

There are tears rolling down his face. He sniffles, reaching to adjust his glasses, but he’s shaking so much that he just knocks them askew. Kemuri slips her hand from his shoulder and grasps one of his, trying to calm him despite being just as powerless in this situation. As he tries to take deep breaths, she reaches up and takes off his glasses with her free hand, setting them aside so that they don't get crushed. He squeezes his eyes shut.

“Why him?” he asks. “Why my brother? He didn’t do anything wrong. Who…who does this Hero Killer think he is, passing…passing judgement as if he, as if he knows who’s a true hero and who isn’t? It’s…it’s such complete and u-utter…”

She doesn’t know what bravery overtakes her, but one second she’s holding his hand and the next, she’s pulling Tenya into her arms and he’s clinging to her, his face buried against her shoulder. He weeps, his back heaving, and all she can do is hold him.

“I know, Tenya,” she whispers, tears stinging at her own eyes. “I know, it…it’s awful…”

“He’s…he’s never g-going to walk again, Kemuri. It’s…” His arms tighten around her. “W-Why? Why him?” he repeats.

She presses her cheek to his hair, tears escaping, and she just keeps rubbing his back. He’s been there for her so many times, been a strong hand to hold when she was breaking down, and now she’s going to be strong for him.

“Tensei is strong, he’ll…he’ll find a way,” she murmurs. “His quirk is in his arms, so…so maybe he can propel his…”

She stops. Just saying the word “wheelchair” feels wrong. She still can’t fully grasp that Tensei will never walk again, that he will need something like that to get around.

She strokes his hair, moving rhythmically from his head, to his neck, down to his shoulders, then repeating it. Tenya doesn’t let go of her, his tears soaking the shoulder of her hoodie. She’ll stay here with him for however long he needs. All he has to do is ask.

Chapter Text

Kemuri spent quite a while at the hospital, just being there for Tenya. She listened while he talked about his frustrations, although there wasn’t much to say after a while, and oftentimes they just found themselves sitting in silence, his head on her shoulder and her arms wrapped around him.

The next day, she wakes early and spends some time in the dojo. She tries experimenting with her steam, adding little bursts with her punches, but it’s weak at best. She becomes frustrated easily and resigns herself to doing a regular workout. She’ll bring up her concern to Mr. Aizawa once school starts up again.

For the rest of the day, she hangs out in the onsen, helping her dad out with massages and whatever else he needs. It makes her feel better about her steam as she works the knots out of people’s backs and what’s more, seeing their worries fade away for a bit makes her happy.

She also keeps up with the third year stage of the festival. They’re always the most interesting, in her opinion, since so many of them are about ready to go pro already and they have an amazing handle on their quirks. She likes seeing how far they’ve come and it inspires her to keep going.

“That one kid always loses his clothes,” Cayden says with a slight laugh, shaking his head.

Kemuri covers her eyes, cheeks red, and she spares just a quick glance at the blond student struggling to pull his pants back on. If she remembers correctly, he has some kind of phasing quirk.

“At least he doesn’t seem all that upset about it?” Kemuri suggests.

The door to the spa swings open and Cayden immediately perks up, putting on his winning smile. “Hello! Welcome to Hosu Harmony! What…” He stops. “Oh, Shimakage-san, you’re back.”

Kemuri feels her blood run cold at the sight of her grandfather. He still has his suit on, briefcase in hand, as if he just got home. He looks at Kemuri, his expression as stony as ever, and jerks his head toward the door.

“Kemuri, dojo. Ten minutes,” he states.

He turns and leaves. Kemuri starts to get up, hands shaking, and she wipes them against her jeans. Good thing there aren’t any customers in the waiting area. Cayden moves out from behind the front desk, resting one hand on his daughter’s shoulder.

“Kemuri,” he says. “Whatever he says, please remember that you did well at the festival. None of that was your fault and…” He swallows. “Don’t be afraid to tell him about Shinso. I’m sure even he can understand that you weren’t in control.”

She nods. “Yeah, it’ll…it’ll be fine. I’m sure he just wants to talk about where to go with training from here.”

It sounds fake even as it leaves her mouth.

“If you go out there and do nothing but embarrass me and disparage the Shimakage legacy any more than you already have, then it will prove what I’ve known all along—that you’re weak and that you will never be stronger than you already are.”

This isn’t going to go well, but for the sake of her father’s nerves, she smiles and hurries away. The last thing she needs is to be late. She starts unravelling her braid as she goes, preparing to tug it into a ponytail.

----------

When she arrives in the dojo, dressed in her sparring clothes, her grandfather is waiting. He has his arms crossed over his chest, watching her every movement as she takes her place in front of him. He doesn’t speak, but she knows he will.

“Grandfather…b-before…before you say anything, can I—” His eyes narrow and she feels her entire body tense up, stomach clenching, and she has to take a second to breathe. “Can…can I say that I really…really did try my best?”

He exhales out his nostrils and she imagines him as a bull, a second away from charging into her. “Are you joking?” he utters.

“W-What?”

“Are. You. Joking?” he repeats. When she just stares at him, he grits his teeth. “That performance was not your best and if you believe that it was, then…” He shakes his head. “I knew it, all along, and yet I was foolish enough to believe that you would be better.”

She presses her fists to her legs, willing herself to stop shaking, but she feels like a leaf in a windstorm. “G-Grandfather, I…I would’ve made it into the third round, b-but—”

“But you overused your quirk. You threw away every lesson I gave you.” He’s moving towards her now and she instinctively steps back, sliding her foot into the ready position as he looms over her. “I spent years, spent hours of my precious time working to make you something worth seeing, and you threw that away in one second. You showed me that you don’t care about what I’ve taught you.”

Her grandfather doesn’t yell. His anger lies in his eyes, in the way his muscles tense, but it never seeps into his tone. It’s all words. His steady, low speech is just as terrifying. It’s harder to tell when a calm person is about to snap.

“N-No, grandfather, it…it wasn’t like that,” Kemuri says and she can hear the begging in her voice. “My teammate, his quirk…he controlled me. He didn’t mean to—”

“You can’t even accept the blame for your actions?” he retorts. “You were weak. You stayed back, hid away in the shadows, and then…you trusted a stranger. That boy wasn’t even in the Hero Course, but you sunk to his level and let him take advantage of you. It cost you your advancement.”

She purses her lips and squeezes her eyes shut, bowing her head. “I…I know, I’m sorry.”

“What have I always said? Shimakages…”

“Work best with other Shimakages, people who know how to maneuver themselves in smoke and fog the way we do. If not…we’re better off alone.” She says it like a robot, repeating a mantra she’s heard one hundred times before.

“But, you shirked that too, along with the rest of your training.”

“It…it was a team event…” she whispers.

“You didn’t even try to team up with anyone powerful, people who could support your inability. You chose that mutant friend of yours, some sparkling idiot with a weak quirk—”

“H-Hey, Aoyama isn’t—”

“And a useless General Studies student.”

Her eyes snap open and she finally looks at him, knuckles turning white. “Mom was a General Studies student too, and Shinso is strong, just…just in a different way, and I told you that he didn’t mean to hurt me. It’s not fair that you—”

She catches his brief movement just in time and throws her arm up as his fist flies, landing hard against her forearm and nearly making her lose her footing. She keeps her arm braced against his fist, trembling, and her grandfather glares at her.

“This world is unfair, Kemuri,” he growls. “People turn on you. Friends are just enemies playing a part, traitors biding their time. Do you want to be naïve and spineless for the rest of your life?”

She thinks for a second of Aizawa and his words about trust, words she took to heart from the very first week of school. He directed them at Nishimura, but they rang true for everyone.

“Don’t give me excuses. Whoever taught you not to trust anyone but yourself is flawed. You can’t be a hero without it, so unless you’re willing to challenge your beliefs, consider leaving this course.”

“Answer me.”

She shakes her head. “N-No, I don’t.”

“Then show me. Show me that I haven’t wasted my time with you!”

Her eyes widen as he reels back and pivots. She doesn’t see his leg in time and it collides with her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She hits the floor with a heavy thud, pain spiralling through her arm, and she gets back to her feet despite her shock.

“You embarrassed yourself and this entire family during the festival,” he says, rolling his head to the side and making his neck crack. He presses his fist into his palm, massaging his knuckles. “It made me sick, watching you disregard everything, watching you shirk your training.”

“I swear, I—”

“Ungrateful child,” he utters. “Ungrateful, stupid, weak child. What was the point? What was the point of me training you if you don’t use it?”

She braces herself against another blow, the force sending her skidding against the floor, and she moves to retaliate. He blocks her, grasping her wrist and slamming her back into the ground. She grits her teeth, already starting to breathe a little too fast. She left herself open. What a rookie mistake.

He releases her, allowing her to get back up. When she turns around, he’s poised and ready. She puts her fists up and he rushes at her again.

He lands more hits, knocking her down again and again. She can already tell that this isn’t normal training. He’s hard on her during their regular sessions, but he always pauses between take-downs to tell her what she did wrong. He isn’t giving her any advice now.

It’s like a test, like he expects her to show what she knows.

She deploys her fog and tucks low to the ground, moving in a wide circle around him. If she can get behind him, into a blind spot, then he’ll have a harder time defending and she can take him down.

As she rushes at his back, he whirls around and his foot connects with her stomach. She hits the ground and rolls, coming to a stop only once she hits the wall. She lays there for a second, coughing and trying to get her breath back, and she senses her grandfather moving towards her through the fog.

“Get up. That was hardly a kick.”

She forces herself to obey, dragging her forearm across her mouth before lifting her fists. He’s coming for her again.

----------

By the end of the session, Kemuri feels like a punching bag. She stays on the ground, bangs sticking to her face, breaths slightly wet and ragged, the cushy floor pressing against her shoulder. She can just see her grandfather’s feet in her line of vision.

“You couldn’t even pass this test,” he says. “I am an old man and you…you are young, and yet I still defeated you. Can’t you see how pathetic that is?”

He has decades more experience than she does in both fighting and quirk use. Everything she knows, he has taught her, but he hasn’t taught her everything that he knows. He is still healthy, still strong and able-bodied, and twice her size with a working pair of eyes. This fight wasn’t fair.

The world isn’t fair.

She nods.

“I’m done,” he states. “I’m done with all of this.”

Her eyes widen and she tries to get up, her body screaming in protest. She only gets to her knees before she has to stop, forcing herself to look at his face. His expression is like stone.

“I will no longer train you, since you aren’t doing anything with it anyway,” he says. He looks around the dojo. “Clean the mats before you leave.”

He takes the towel Kemuri brought for herself and dries his face and hair, slinging it over his shoulder before he leaves. Kemuri’s head sags forward and she stares at the floor, sweat dripping down her face and off the tip of her nose.

She drags herself to her feet, trying to keep herself composed. The adrenaline of the fight falls away in waves, leaving her to become acutely aware of the fact that everything hurts. She makes herself move. She doesn’t want to think about what’ll happen if she leaves a single drop of sweat on the mats.

Chapter Text

When Hagakure invites Kemuri to a movie the next day, she’s all too eager to snatch the opportunity. She still feels like she got run over by a truck, but a movie doesn’t require moving around too much, so it should be fine.

She wears a light sweater, something that covers her arms, and a pair of jeans. She fakes a smile with her friends, enjoying their company, the popcorn and candy, and the movie itself. When she gets home, she keeps the façade going for the sake of her parents.

She texts Iida too, just to ask if he’s alright and if things are still going okay with Tensei. If it is, then she can maybe tell him about what just happened with her grandfather. He did say that she could talk to him if she needs it.

But, he responds with only a “yes”, and somehow she can tell that he’s lying. She puts down her phone and tries to find something to distract herself. She resigns to reading and playing around on her computer. Anything that doesn’t require plenty of movement.

“Kemuri, are you sure that you don’t want to come?” Kazue asks. She’s dressed in a casual, yet put-together outfit of sleek black pants and a button-up blouse, looking just about ready to go to a meeting. “Hearing the actual apology would be best.”

Kemuri purses her lips. If she sees Shinso again, it’s going to go the exact same way it went when he first tried to apologize. She’s going to get nervous, she’s going to try and connect with him or sympathize, he’ll get annoyed, and boom, ruined. She already hates the fact that he probably hates her. She doesn’t like not being on good terms with people.

“No,” she says. “I…I’d rather stay home. I don’t feel too good, so just…make sure he gets the letter, please?”

She wrote him a letter. She felt stupid writing it, but sometimes she just needs to put her feelings in writing to help her put her thoughts in order. She said that she didn’t harbour any ill will towards him and that she understands that it was an accident. She added that she hopes that, if anything, he can start to see his quirk in a more positive light and that they both succeed in their goals.

Kazue smiles a little, tapping her fingers on the door frame. “Of course. I’ll see you when I get back.”

“Bye, mom.”

Her bedroom door slides shut. Kemuri lies back down, wincing a little as her stiff muscles move. That training session, or whatever it was, was a lot harder than usual. Maybe she can go to the hot springs once the customers have left and have a soak.

Yeah, that’d be nice. She’d just have to make sure that her dad doesn’t question it.

----------

“Ah, Mrs. Shimakage, please, come in!” Principal Nezu says, stepping aside and gesturing into his office.

When Kazue enters, there are two men already inside. One is the boy who Kazue recognizes as Hitoshi, and the other is a man who can only be his father. He has the same hairstyle, although it’s brown instead of violet, and he has the same tired eyes as his son.

He’s the one who stands up when he sees Kazue. “It’s good to meet you,” he says, extending his hand. “I’m Hideo Shinso. I’m glad you could meet with us today.”

She takes his hand. “The pleasure is all mine,” she says. She turns her gaze to Hitoshi and he immediately looks away. “And this young man must be Hitoshi.”

“Yes. My son.” Hideo looks to him, clearing his throat.

“Hello,” Hitoshi states with a slight sigh.

Hideo glances behind Kazue for a second. “Kemuri couldn’t be here today?”

“She wasn’t feeling well, I’m afraid,” she says, shaking her head.

“If you would all take a seat, I want this meeting to go as quickly and peacefully as possible,” Nezu says as he climbs up onto his chair and pats his desk. “Would anyone like tea, before we start?” Both adults utter a soft “no, thank you” and Hitoshi just shakes his head. “Good. Then, moving on. This meeting, of course, is concerning what happened at the Sports Festival a few days ago.”

Kazue purses her lips and nods. She didn’t see the event as it happened, due to her work schedule, but watching the replay was enough to kick her motherly instinct into gear. Kemuri, the most precious person in her life, could have been…

“I would like to start out by saying that I am incredibly sorry,” Hideo says. His voice is calm, but sincere. “Hitoshi is aware that he abused his power. We had a long talk about it.”

“Perhaps Young Hitoshi would like to speak for himself?” Nezu suggests.

Hitoshi lets out a long breath. He meets Kazue’s eyes for just a second and she dons a soft smile. He looks away.

“I didn’t mean to use it,” he says. “I told Shima—Kemuri…after she woke up. I got mad and I thought she was going to cost us the match, so…” He stops, pausing, then grits his teeth. “Okay, no…that was a lie.”

Kazue lifts her eyebrows. “So, you intentionally used it on my daughter?”

“Yeah. I needed her to use her quirk and when she was being…timid…” He stops again.

Hideo pats his shoulder. “It’s alright. Working on the word choice, right?” He looks at Kazue. “He has a habit of being rather blunt.”

“Dad…” Hitoshi mutters, rolling his eyes. He huffs a little. “She said she was worried about her quirk or whatever, and…I didn’t believe her. I thought she was just scared, so I thought I would help her out. I just told her to use her fog, but then…I forgot to tell her to stop because I was trying to take some headbands. When she collapsed…”

His expression twists and his hands form into fists against his knees. Kazue doesn’t speak yet and Hideo gives his son a reassuring shoulder squeeze. Nezu takes a sip of tea, still looking a little too happy, but Kazue has noticed that he always tends to have a smile on his face.

“I thought I was going to help her, but I didn’t take in how her quirk worked. It was…stupid, and I know I was wrong.”

Judging by the discomfort and annoyance on his face, Kazue can tell that admitting to his wrongs took a lot. She settles back in the chair and folds her hands in her lap.

“Kemuri didn’t tell me much about what happened when you tried to apologize, but Recovery Girl told me that it didn’t go well. Can you tell me about that?” she asks.

Hitoshi grits his teeth. “She started telling me all this stuff about teamwork and trust. I told her I have something to prove and she started saying that she did too but…that pissed me off. She’s already in the Hero Course. She can’t possibly understand…” He swallows hard, eyebrows furrowed. “She said I stole her and her friend’s chance at moving forward, she treated me like a villain, and it just went bad from there. That’s all.”

Kazue hums. “Well…Kemuri is a very sympathetic person. She tries to understand people and see from their point of view, so I’m sure she wasn’t trying to treat you like a villain. In fact, when she told me about what happened, she defended you.”

“H-Huh?” His anger melts away, replaced with shock.

“Listen, I may be a little biased. Kemuri is my daughter, my…only daughter, and of course I want to protect her, but I want to know that both sides are understanding what happened,” Kazue continues. “I’m sure that Kemuri just wanted to make you feel understood.”

“She can’t understand me. She’s got it easy,” he snaps. “She’s never had to work for—”

Kazue frowns and Hideo straightens up. “Hitoshi,” he says. “This is supposed to be peaceful.”

“Dad—”

“Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“Of course, I do—”

Kazue holds up her hand. “Mr. Shinso, thank you, but…I can handle this,” she says. She takes a long breath, reforming her calm smile. “Hitoshi, Kemuri may be in a different place than you, but she has her own struggles.”

He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in the chair. “Yeah?” It still sounds like a challenge, like he doesn’t believe it.

“Kemuri’s grandfather is very hard on her. He’s a very strict person and I can only do so much to protect her, but…Kemuri has used it to fuel her. The Sports Festival was going to be her way of proving her worth to him, so being knocked out against her will was a very hard thing to deal with. Perhaps that is why she wasn’t quite calm during your attempted apology.”

Hitoshi blinks once, then twice. He bows his head. “Did…he see what happened?”

“Yes, and he was angry. Kemuri was quite shaken by his reaction, but…the damage is more emotional. That’s harder to protect from.” Kazue swallows a little, taking a breath. “I hope you understand, but such things are private. Don’t go spreading this around.”

“I won’t,” he says.

There’s a pause. Hitoshi still has his arms crossed, but the annoyance has faded a little so now he just looks tired. His father watches, as if ready to step in should something go wrong.

Kazue leans forward a little. “You know that I was also a General Studies student here, at U.A.”

Hitoshi nods. “Yeah, you’re…like, a legend. I’ve heard a bunch of my classmates talk about you.” He meets her eyes. “Some say you got lucky, others think that you’re inspirational. I’m indifferent.”

“I wanted to be in the Hero Course too, but…I settled for General. I understand wanting something so badly, but feeling like everyone sees you as weak or, in your case, villainous.” He grimaces and she clasps her hands together, her smile becoming something more serious. “But those people are wrong. I’m still not a strong fighter, but I know what works for me and I’ve done my best with what I have. For you…you have a great power, and it’s unfortunate that you’ve been told that it isn’t fit for a hero. No child should have their dreams shut down so harshly.”

He glares a little and his knuckles turn white as his hand clenches against his arm. He opens his mouth, then closes it. “Yeah…” he mutters.

“Kemuri may have been upset, but I think she sees something in you. She called you strong and said that you were just like me.” Her lips lift. “And, for reference, she admires me quite a bit, so…I think what she means is that she believes you can make it too.”

“She could’ve said that.”

“Yes, maybe, but perhaps she wasn’t sure of her feelings about the matter,” she says. “But, one thing’s for sure, Kemuri doesn’t want this incident to ruin your chance at the future you want.” She reaches for her purse. “In fact, she wrote you a letter, since she couldn’t be here to tell you in person.”

She hands the paper to Hitoshi and he unfolds it, taking a minute or two to read the words. His facial expression changes multiple times, cycling through annoyance and confusion and shock. When he’s done, Nezu extends his paw.

“May I see it?” The letter lands in his paw and he looks it over. He nods a little, then clears his throat. “I don’t want this accident to hurt your chances at being a hero, so please know that I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for not being a better teammate,” he reads. He looks up at his three guests. “Well…”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Hideo asks. “If the person who got hurt isn’t upset…”

“A student still got seriously hurt,” Nezu says. He stands, bracing his paws against the desk. “We have been dancing around the situation for a while, but Young Shinso, you need to hear it. Miss Shimakage could have died, and you would have been at fault for killing her.”

Kazue shudders and runs a hand up her arm. Hideo sucks in a sharp breath and Hitoshi flinches, eyes closing as if bracing for a slap. Nezu refolds the letter and hops off his chair, walking around the front of the desk to stand before them.

He holds the letter out to Hitoshi. “But,” he says, “you were both lucky, and the damage was repairable. Young Shimakage is alive and forgiving.” As the boy takes the letter back, Nezu folds his hands behind his back. “Still, we need to help you with your feelings towards your quirk. I think, at the heart of the problem, you are insecure.”

Hitoshi grimaces.

Hideo exhales. “And…do you have any ideas for helping that?”

“Actually, I do. We have a teacher here, a U.A alum who transferred from General Studies to the Hero Course early in his first year.” Nezu smiles. “His quirk is also unassuming. It doesn’t grant him strength and it isn’t flashy, but he made it work. I think that, if he mentors you, then it will help you grow. It will give you the quirk training you need.”

Hideo blinks a few times and looks at his son. “Well, that sounds great, doesn’t it, Hitoshi?”

He sighs. “Yeah…I’ll give it a shot.”

“Perfect, then I will let Eraserhead know that you agree. He is already aware of the plans I have in mind, so this should work perfectly.” Nezu goes back to his desk, adding, “He has shown quite an interest in you since the Sports Festival, I should mention! I think he sees a lot of himself in you!”

Hitoshi clears his throat and tucks his chin towards his chest. Kazue smiles a little and Hideo just looks glad that the entire thing will be over soon.

“Ah, and one more thing,” Nezu says. “Young Shinso, I want you to write a personal apology to Miss Shimakage. I have some paper and a pen here, and then Mrs. Shimakage can take it home.”

Hitoshi sighs. “Yeah, okay.”

While he writes, Kazue accepts some tea from Nezu and Hideo takes some coffee. The parents chat idly and, once Hitoshi is done, they bid their goodbyes.

Kazue stands up. “Then, I suppose this meeting is over?”

“I think everything is in order.” Nezu smiles and extends his arms to the sky. “Thank you all for coming. I’m glad it was all taken care of!”

“Me too,” Hitoshi mumbles.

Kazue shakes Hideo’s hand one more time, thanks Nezu, and takes her leave feeling a little bit better. That boy will get the help he needs and hopefully, nothing like that will happen again.

----------

Kemuri doesn’t read the letter, not until she’s eaten supper. She’s worried that the contents might make her feel sick.

When she retreats to her room, she settles on her bed and puts on her reading glasses. She unfolds the letter and starts reading.

Shimakage,
I’m sorry about what happened during the Calvary Battle. I didn’t realize what could have happened and I’m glad that you were able to recover. I’ll be getting some help with my quirk thanks to your homeroom teacher, so…I guess, don’t worry about me.
Thanks for sticking up for me. Your mom said you defended me. I didn’t really expect you to do that, so…thanks. I still have a chance of becoming a hero now.
This doesn’t make us friends. My only intention is to become a hero and friendship will just get in my way, so don’t act weird if you see me in the halls or something. Just focus on yourself and your own goals.
Hope you’re feeling better,
Shinso

She blinks a few times, then smiles.

Chapter Text

It’s raining on Wednesday, so Kemuri takes an umbrella with her. On the subway to school, she hears some women whispering behind her.

“Is that Shimakage?” one asks. “From the Sports Festival?”

“I think so. It looks like she’s doing alright after that incident…”

“Poor girl. That really scared me.”

Kemuri purses her lips and focuses on her phone. She hasn’t had lots of people recognize her, although the ones that do either tell her that they’re glad to see that she’s alright or they comment on how cool she was during the first leg of the obstacle race. One particularly rude set of children made puking noises at her, only to be promptly dragged away by their exhausted caretaker.

Kemuri is honestly shocked that anyone recognizes her in the first place.

As she walks down the hall towards her classroom, she sees Iida just ahead of her. She perks up and picks up her speed, racing to get to him before he reaches 1-A.

“Iida!” she calls. He turns around as she skids to a stop in front of him. “Iida, hey…uh…” She clears her throat. “How are you?”

He blinks a few times before a tiny, weak smile lifts his lips. “I’m fine, thank you,” he says. He steps back and does a deep bow. “I wanted to apologize for my weakness the other day. It was incredibly rude of me to dump my emotions on you in such a way.”

She blinks a few times. “W-What? That…that was fine! I was worried about you and Tensei anyway, so…”

He straightens up. “Well, thank you again, but please try to disregard what I said and did. That is all.”

“Disregard what you…?”

He opens the door to the classroom and goes inside, leaving her dangling mid-sentence. Her brow furrows as her mouth falls into a defeated frown. That was…odd. She sighs. He’s probably still worried about Tensei, and maybe he didn’t get enough sleep. She won’t bother him.

She enters the classroom to find that everyone is eagerly discussing the Sports Festival.

“It’s so weird that people recognize us from TV!” Mina says. “Everyone wanted to talk to me on my way here.”

“Yeah, me too!” Kirishima says.

“People on the street were staring at me! It was kind of embarrassing…” Hagakure adds, but her voice is far from sounding upset.

“Well, sure, but isn’t that pretty normal for you?” Ojiro asks.

“Sure, but this time, the stares were different. I could tell,” Hagakure whispers.

“You wouldn’t believe what a bunch of elementary school brats yelled at me,” Sero says, already grimacing.

Tsuyu looks up at him from where her head is perched on her arms. “Nice try?”

Sero groans, gripping his head, and Kirishima grins apologetically at him. Kemuri sits down at her desk, just enjoying the banter of her classmates.

The door slides open to reveal Aizawa, and to Kemuri’s surprise, he’s unbandaged. The only reminder of his injury is a scar beneath his right eye. The students still standing slide into their desks.

“Good morning,” Aizawa says.

“Good morning, Mr. Aizawa!” the class chirps.

Tsuyu lets out a surprised ribbit. “Mr. Aizawa, you don’t have bandages anymore! That’s good news…”

“The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment,” Aizawa says. “Anyway, we have a big class today on Hero Informatics.”

Kemuri cringes a little, hoping that it’s not a pop quiz. If it is, she hopes it’s on something easy, like Hero Laws. Having a police officer mother really helps with knowing what’s allowed and what isn’t.

“You need codenames,” Aizawa says. “It’s time to pick your hero identities.”

Most of the class literally leaps out of their seats, screaming and cheering and squealing and emoting every kind of excitement there is. Kemuri doesn’t do any of that, still too sore to move quickly, although she does start smiling a lot.

Aizawa activates his quirk, his hair flying upwards, and the class quiets down. “This is related to the pro hero draft picks that I mentioned before the weekend,” he says. “Normally, students don’t have to worry about the draft yet, not until their second or third year, but your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first years like you, pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though.”

“Stupid selfish adults,” Mineta mumbles.

Kemuri swallows, but she feels more determination than anything. She’s going to keep getting better, no matter what, and there is no way that she’s going to give the pros any reason to lose interest. There won’t be anyone interested in her after her performance in the festival, but she’ll make that change. She’ll find someone to intern with in her second year.

“So, what you’re saying is that we’ll still have to prove ourselves, even after we’ve been recruited?” Hagakure reiterates.

“Correct.” Aizawa lifts a remote and turns to the board. “Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers.”

The entire class seems to lean forward, anticipation building as numbers appear on the screen.

Todoroki: 4123
Bakugo: 3556
Tokoyami: 360
Iida: 301
Kaminari: 272
Yaoyorozu: 108
Kirishima: 68
Uraraka: 20
Sero: 14
Shimakage: 1

Kemuri’s jaw drops at the sight of her name on the board and Ojiro’s head turns to her at the same time as Hagakure’s. She got an offer, but people like Midoriya, Mina, and Aoyama who made it into the third stage didn’t?

The real question is, which pro saw a girl puke all over herself, nearly die, and still thought, “Yes, that one. I want that one.” She has some questions for them about their standards.

“In past years, it’s been more spread out, but there’s a pretty big gap this time,” Aizawa says as he motions to the numbers.

“Ahhh, that’s no fair,” Kaminari whines as he slumps back in his seat.

“What about the real star, moi?” Aoyama demands, hands clapped over his cheeks as he huffs a little. Mina, sitting behind him, has the most offended look on her face that Kemuri has ever seen.

“Todoroki got the most, ahead of Bakugo?” Jiro asks.

“Yeah, it’s the opposite of how they placed in the festival,” Kirishima says.

“They probably weren’t excited about working with the guy who had to be chained up at the end,” Sero suggests.

“IF I SCARED A PRO, THEY’RE JUST WEAK!” Bakugo roars.

“That’s amazing,” Yaoyorozu says, turning to smile softly at Todoroki. “You must be proud.”

“These offers are probably because of my father,” Todoroki replies.

Uraraka starts shaking Iida’s shoulders hard enough that his head snaps back and forth. “People want us…” she says, tears in her eyes as she lets out relieved laughter.

“Someone…wants me?” Kemuri whispers. She looks at Ojiro, then Hagakure, then spins around in her chair to look at Tokoyami and Shoji. “Me?!” she repeats.

“Accept it,” Tokoyami utters as Shoji nods. “It is an honour.”

“Hey, we’re all in this together, right, boys?” Nishimura asks, patting Sato’s shoulder. “Team zero offers…”

“Not even surprised…” Sato mumbles. “But, yeah, at least we’re all in the same boat.”

Koda nods in agreement and Nishimura cranes his neck to look at the front of the class, as if expecting Aoyama to turn around, but Aoyama is still puffing away in annoyance.

“Midoriya…you got none,” Mineta says, holding onto the boy’s shoulder as he groans. “I bet everyone was really grossed out at the crazy way you were fighting.”

“Despite these results, you’ll all be interning with pros,” Aizawa says. “Got it? Even those of you who didn’t get any offers.”

Midoriya’s eyes widen. “Wait, really?!”

“Hell fuckin’ yeah!” Nishimura shouts. Aizawa glares at him and he promptly sticks his arms down. “Sorry. Got…a little excited there.”

Aizawa sighs. “Yes, everyone will get to intern,” he says. “You already got to experience combat with real villains during the USJ attack, but it’ll still be helpful to see pros at work, up close and personal, in the field, first hand.”

“And for that, we need hero names!” Sato exclaims.

“Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!” Uraraka grins at him and he returns it as they both lift their fists.

“These hero names will likely be temporary,” Aizawa says, “but take them seriously or—”

The door slides open. “You’ll have hell to pay later!” The class turns and immediately, a bunch of the guys get way too excited as Midnight struts in, arms perched behind her head. “What you pick today could be your codename for life. You better be careful, or you’ll be stuck with something utterly indecent.”

“It’s Midnight!” a bunch of the guys say at once. Kemuri starts to wonder how on earth so many of them can say stuff in synch all the time.

“Yeah, she’s got a good point,” Aizawa says as Midnight stops at his side. He looks as if he’s reliving a bad memory for a second before he reaches for his sleeping bag. “Midnight is going to have final approval over your names. It’s not my forte.”

Kemuri remembers something that Present Mic said on his radio show once. He was discussing teamwork and friendship, and he mentioned that back in school, he’s the one who gave Aizawa the name “Eraserhead”. Kemuri smiles to herself at the thought and she looks around, wondering if anyone in the class is going to get help from someone else for a name.

“The name you give yourself is important,” Aizawa says. “It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of hero you want to be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take All Might, for example.”

He retreats into his sleeping bag and Midnight starts handing out whiteboards and dry erase markers. Kemuri takes the stack, grabs one, and hands it over her shoulder to Jiro. Only once she uncaps the marker does she realize something crucial.

She has no idea what her hero name should be.

Growing up, she didn’t do a lot of the stuff that the other kids did. They would play heroes, coming up with names for themselves, even talking about what ultimate moves they would come up with once they were allowed to practice with their quirks.

Kemuri hardly joined in on those games and whenever she imagined herself as a hero, all she saw was “Kemuri”. The problem is, she doesn’t want to be Kemuri as a hero. Kemuri is who she is right now, the Kemuri who’s a normal girl. As a hero, she wants some more anonymity, something that people can scream out in joy when they see her coming.

She wants to feel like a better version of herself when she puts on her mask.

As she stares at the whiteboard, she realizes that she has a lot of thinking to do in a very short amount of time. She starts writing down stuff about who she is but quickly realizes that none of it would make a good hero name.

Shy, grey, roses, smoke screen, stealthy, steam, relaxation…

She groans and grabs a tissue, wiping the board clean. She needs something snappy, something cool but not too crazy. Maybe she can ask Midnight for advice. She runs through hero names in her head: Ingenium, Kamui Woods, Best Jeanist, Mt. Lady, Gunhead, Endeavour, All Might, Edgeshot…

“Now, students, who among you is ready to share?” Midnight asks.

Kemuri nearly drops her marker. They’re sharing these? And here she is thinking that she just had to come up with something and share it with Midnight later. She swallows hard, looking around the class, and then she takes a deep breath.

Okay, she can use her classmates for inspiration.

Aoyama stands up, walking to the front of the class. He sets his board in front of him, the blank side facing them, and grins.

“Hold your breath,” he warns. “The Shining Hero…” He hoists the board into the air. “My name is I Cannot Stop Twinkling! Mon ami, you can’t deny my sparkle.”

Kemuri blinks a few times. What a mouthful.

“It’ll be better this way,” Midnight says, taking the board from him and starting to scribble. “Take out the ‘I’ and shorten the ‘cannot’ to ‘can’t’.”

She turns the board back around and Aoyama chuckles. “It’s stunning, mademoiselle.”

The rest of the class seems shocked at Midnight’s reaction. Kemuri repeats the name under her breath, then shrugs. It’s kind of unique and with the new writing, it rolls off the tongue easier. It suits Aoyama.

“Let me go next!” Mina squeals. She reveals her board. “My codename is Alien Queen!”

“Like that horrible monster with the acidic blood?!” Midnight exclaims. “I don’t think so. I understand the reason behind it, but…no. No.”

“Dang it…” Mina mumbles as she goes back to her desk.

Kemuri feels sweat roll down her back. The first two names were so strange; it definitely doesn’t help her lack of inspiration. With names like that, she could call herself “Neck Strike, the Knockout Hero” and be done with it.

She thinks over that name for a second, then tosses it away. She’s really putting herself into a box there, and besides, she wants to be more of a rescue or undercover hero. She needs a mysterious name, yet she wouldn’t mind something elegant. She wants to feel pretty, but kickass.

“Man, this is hard,” she whimpers as she knocks her head against her desk, smudging marker on her nose.

As she wipes it away, Tsuyu walks up to the front. “I’ve had this name in mind since grade school,” she says. “Rainy Season Hero: Froppy.”

“That’s delightful!” Midnight gushes. “It makes you sound approachable. What a great example of a name everyone will love!”

“Froppy!” Nishimura calls, and soon enough, the rest of the class joins in on the chant. “Froppy! Froppy! Froppy!”

“I’ve got mine too,” Kirishima says. He goes to the front of the class. “The Sturdy Hero. My name is Red Riot.”

“Red Riot,” Midnight repeats. “Interesting. You’re paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero, Crimson Riot, yes?”

“That’s right,” Kirishima says with a grin. “He may be kind of old school, but some day I want to be just like he was. Crimson is my idol.”

“Hm, if you’re bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to,” Midnight says with a smile.

“I accept the challenge,” Kirishima says.

Kemuri sighs. She isn’t as cool as Kirishima and the person she looks up to isn’t a hero. Her mom’s only nickname is “the Dark Horse of General Studies” and none of that applies to Kemuri, unless she called herself “the Pale Horse of the Hero Course” and that just sounds like a really weird children’s storybook rhyme.

She writes down one thing though; Stealth Hero.

People keep going up. After Tsuyu and Kirishima, the names start to pile in, and most people start to have more confidence. Kemuri tries to brainstorm and pay attention to them at the same time.

Some names pay homage to heroes of the past, like Kirishima’s. Some are very obviously based on appearance. Others are based on the quirks of the classmate in question. The best ones, and the most complex, are those that use kanji and wordplay: those are the ones that are Kemuri’s favourites—meaning she likes Shoji’s, Tokoyami’s, and Uraraka’s best.

Midnight adds in ecstatic comments after everyone and Kemuri finds her enthusiasm rather adorable. Some of the students add in little things about why they chose the name, but most of them just say it and move on due to the straightforwardness of it all.

“The Hearing Hero. I’m Earphone Jack.”

“The Tentacle Hero, Tentacole.”

“The Taping Hero, Cellophane!”

“Martial Arts Hero, Tailman.”

“I’m the Sweets Hero, Sugarman!”

“Ripley Hero, PINKY!”

“Stun Gun Hero! I am Chargebolt! Electric, don’t you think?”

“The Stealth Hero, Invisible Girl!”

Kemuri nearly curses her best friend as she again resorts to erasing the only thing she thought she had down. Hagakure suits it better anyway, but that doesn’t stop her from being frustrated.

“I hope I can live up to this name. The Everything Hero. I’m Creati.”

“Shoto.”

Kemuri stares at Todoroki, eyebrow arched. That’s a little too on the nose, even from a class that just pumped out Invisible Girl and Tailman.

“Just your name?” Midnight asks. “Is that it?”

“Uh-huh.”

Mineta goes up. “I’m the Fresh-Picked Hero, Grape Juice!”

Kemuri’s frustration rises. Even Mineta has a decent hero name ready and where is she? Stuck on a freaking. Blank. Slate.

Koda comes up, revealing his name as Anima, the Petting Hero, and Kemuri officially gives up. That’s a freaking adorable name. It oozes innocence and cuteness. She debates ramming her head against her desk as if to shock some ideas into her aching brain.

As Tokoyami goes up, announcing his name as “The Jet-Black Hero, Tsukuyomi”, Kemuri starts to panic. There aren’t many people left and she still has no idea what hero she is and what her name should be. She grips her hair, muttering as she closes her eyes.

Think, Kemuri, think. Think stealth, smoke, blindness? Grey, silver, eyes…

She gasps and her eyes shoot open.

Bakugo stomps to the front of the class and Kemuri looks up at him, heart pounding. First, she owes him a drink from the Sports Festival, now she owes him for giving her a hero name idea. If Midnight doesn’t like it, then she’s toast.

“King Explosion Murder,” Bakugo says.

“I’m gonna say that one’s a little too violent,” Midnight says.

Kemuri whistles a little. With the kanji, the name plays off Bakugo’s first and last name nicely, but it’s way too un-hero-like.

“Huh?! What do you mean?!” Bakugo shouts.

“How about Explosion Boy?” Kirishima calls.

“SHUT IT, SHIT HAIR!”

“Go back to your seat and think it over, alright, dear?”

Bakugo curses the whole way back to his seat and Uraraka takes his place. She seems nervous as she turns the board around.

“This is the name I came up with…Uravity,” she says. “No…no hero title yet, though. I’m working on that.”

“I just love that,” Midnight says with a grin. Uraraka releases a noticeable amount of tension and she goes back to her desk. Midnight smiles. “Well, look at that, we’re almost done. All we have left is Bakugo, Iida, Midoriya, Nishimura, and…Shimakage! Are any of you ready?”

Bakugo races back up the front. “LORD EXPLOSION MURDER!” he bellows.

“That’s basically the same thing,” Midnight mutters.

“Hey, Bakugo,” Nishimura calls from the back of the class. “How about something like Ground Zero, the Explosion Hero?”

The class turns to the ginger and Midnight arches an eyebrow. “Like the centre of an explosion or a testing area for nuclear bombs? That seems dangerous,” she comments.

“Bakugo is in the centre of a lot of explosions,” Nishimura states. “And at least it doesn’t sound murderous.”

“You think you’re so damn good at coming up with hero names, huh?” Bakugo growls.

“You don’t have to use it. It was a suggestion.”

Bakugo bares his teeth. “I’ll fucking take it, but you don’t get bragging rights!” He scribbles on his board and whips it around. “I’M GROUND ZERO!”

Midnight sighs. “Fine, it does have a nice ring to it,” she admits.

Nishimura stands up. “I guess I’ll do mine now,” he says. He takes his place at the front and reveals his card. “I’m Ronin, the Blade Hero.”

Midnight’s annoyance at Bakugo fades away and she swoons. “Oh, an ancient warrior living by a code! I like it!”

He rubs the back of his neck. “I have a pretty strict code myself, so…I think it fits.”

“Well done! I like your style!”

He goes back to his seat looking proud of himself. Iida gets up, reveals his name to be “Tenya”—something that Kemuri finds disappointing—and sits back down. She expected him to have something really cool.

She looks back at the name she’s written. Is this it, the name that’ll follow her into the future? As soon as she walks up there, that could be it.

Midoriya goes up. He doesn’t say anything as he puts the board down, revealing only the word “Deku”. Kemuri arches her eyebrows and there are a few gasps and mumbles from the others. Bakugo looks about ready to pop a few veins.

“Really, Midoriya?” Mineta asks.

“You sure about that?” Kaminari asks.

Kirishima nods. “Yeah, man, remember that could be your name forever!”

“Right, and I used to hate it, but then something changed,” he says. “I guess someone taught me that it could have a different meaning, and that had a huge impact on how I felt. So…now, I really like it.” He grins. “Deku. That has to be my codename.”

Uraraka is smiling, her cheeks rosier than ever, and Bakugo just stares. As Midoriya sits down, Midnight smiles and extends her hand.

“Shimakage, are you ready?” she asks. “It’s just you, now.”

Kemuri nods and gets to her feet, tucking the board against her chest just enough so that it’s covered. She doesn’t want to smudge the writing. She gets to the front of the class and takes a deep breath.

“Honestly, I…didn’t have a hero name in mind before today,” she says, cheeks flushed, “so I really hope this goes over well.” She turns the board around. “I’m Smokey Eye, the Ambush Hero.”

Hagakure audibly gasps, clasping her hands together, and Bakugo’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head as he lets out a, “HUH?!” Kemuri turns to Midnight, expectant, and the hero smiles as she rests her fingertips against her jaw.

“I like it,” she says. “It’s elegant, making me think of makeup, and yet it perfectly suits your quirk while hinting at the silvery, smokey colour of your eyes and hair. It’s lovely.” Kemuri’s heart swells. “And…ambush hero, huh?”

“I was going to do Stealth Hero, but Hagakure beat me to it. Besides…my fighting style involves a lot of ambushing, so…I thought that was a good description of me, showing my fighting skill without losing the element of stealth.”

“Bravo, dear! Just what a hero name should be!”

Hagakure and Ojiro let out a few cheers, prompting others like Kirishima and Sero to join in, and soon enough, Kemuri gets her own little round of, “Smo-key Eye! Smo-key Eye!” It makes her feel like crying and laughing all at once as she goes and sits down.

Thanks for the codename, Bakugo.

Chapter Text

“Now that everyone’s decided on their hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships,” Aizawa says, awake again from his nap. “They will last for one week. As for who you’ll be working with, those of you who are on the board will choose from among your offers. Everyone else will have a different list.” He shifts the stack of papers in his hands. “You have a lot to think about. There are around forty different agencies from across the country who have agreed to take on interns from your class. Each agency has a different specialty that its heroes focus on. Keep that in mind.”

“Imagine you’re someone like Thirteen,” Midnight says. “You’ll want an agency that focuses on rescue, not fighting villains. Understood?”

“Think carefully before you decide,” Aizawa warns.

“Yes, sir!”

The papers are handed out and Kemuri eagerly awaits hers. There’s only going to be one agency listed, or one pro, and she’s nearly foaming at the mouth to know who it is. Midnight hands out the papers to the students without offers while Aizawa takes care of the others.

When he gives Kemuri her paper, he says, “You don’t have to accept this offer, but I think it would be the best choice. If you aren’t content, just ask me for the paper that the others are getting.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

She can’t get herself to see the paper yet. Now that it’s in her hand, it’s almost too nerve-wracking. What if it’s not a decent agency? What if they’re not her type? Why is she so freaked out right now?!

“Turn in your choices before the weekend,” Aizawa says as the class starts to bustle.

“We’ve only got two days?!” Sero calls.

“Yes, so you should start now,” Aizawa says as both him and Midnight head for the doors. “You’re dismissed.”

The door closes. Kemuri takes a deep breath and looks down at the paper. There’s her name, her student number, basic information, and…

She reads the hero name, pales, and promptly falls out of her desk as she lets out a high-pitched, wheezing scream that would make a dog cower. Others in the class startle at the sound of her hitting the floor.

“Kemuri!” Hagakure shouts. “Are you okay?!”

Kemuri clutches the paper, kicking her feet about. “Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap,” she squeaks, half-laughing with joy and half-crying from the pain of landing on her sore shoulder.

“Woah, what happened?” Jiro asks, already leaning down to help Kemuri up. “Was your one offer really that good?”

Kemuri opens and closes her mouth, making little noises that don’t sound like anything intelligent. She lets Jiro help her up as Hagakure and Ojiro rush to her side, but she just keeps bouncing in place, heart pounding.

“I…holy…real? Is…real?” she babbles.

“Kemuri!” Hagakure shouts, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. “WHO MADE AN OFFER?! I’M DYING HERE!”

“IT’S FREAKING KAMUI WOODS!” Kemuri screams right back, shocking herself with the pure volume she punches forth. “KAMUI WOODS!”

“HOLY FLIPPING SHIT, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”

“YES!”

“H-Hagakure, watch your language,” Ojiro says, waving his hands at them.

Neither girl is listening, bouncing together as they scream and shriek, and Kemuri is pretty sure there are tears in her eyes. Mina races over and demands to see the paper, eyes bugging out of her head, and then she joins in on the fangirling session.

The others just stare at them.

“That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard Shimakage talk,” Kirishima says.

“It’s weird,” Kaminari whispers.

Shoji and Tokoyami get closer only once Kemuri has been released from the Mina-Hagakure hug. Kemuri calms down, reducing her volume as she stares at the page. She keeps reading the words over and over again.

Kamui Woods.

Kamui Woods.

Breakout hero of his generation.

Freaking…Kamui Woods.

“Are you going to faint?” Shoji asks.

“I feel like I could,” Kemuri whispers.

Tokoyami reaches out and holds her shoulder while Ojiro moves his tail to hover behind her back. Kemuri grins at her friends and hugs the paper to her chest, shaking her head.

“I, just…” She sniffles a little and reaches to wipe her eyes. “I feel like I’m dreaming. I wear this guy’s t-shirts and I own a figure of him…” She gasps. “Would he autograph it for me or is that unprofessional?!”

“First, send in your acceptance,” Tokoyami says. “Then you can embark into deeper waters.” He smiles. “You must have really made an impact in the short time you were on screen, Kemuri. You did something right.”

Kemuri takes another deep breath and fans her face. “Right, I just…don’t know what that was. Obstacle race, maybe?” She shakes her head and keeps fanning. “Is…is this…?”

“This is real,” Shoji says. He smiles a little. “Congrats.”

“Yes! Congrats!” Hagakure agrees as she gives Kemuri another squishy hug. “I’m so excited for you!”

“Same,” Ojiro agrees. She feels his tail thump against her back. “I hope it’s a rewarding experience.”

Kemuri hugs the paper again and takes a long breath in, then out.

----------

Throughout lunchtime, all anyone can talk about is the internships. In Kemuri’s group, Tokoyami is the topic of interest. Ojiro, Shoji, and Hagakure all have the same agencies to look through, and Kemuri has hers picked. Tokoyami is far more interesting.

“Anyone catching your eye, Mr. Three-Hundred-Sixty?” Hagakure asks as she leans on Tokoyami’s desk.

Tokoyami looks down at his paper, hums, then says, “Hawks is the most standout option.” Kemuri and Hagakure gape at him and his eyes widen. “Please don’t scream again.”

“Hawks?” Kemuri repeats. “Like the super young hero that burned up the charts to get to number three? Isn’t he in his early twenties?”

“Birds of a feather flock together!” Hagakure cries, already starting to buckle over with laughter.

Tokoyami sighs, just watching as she takes up his desk space with her laughing, shaking body. “Why do I tell you anything?” he asks.

Kemuri leans over his shoulder from her spot perched on top of Todoroki’s desk. “Sorry, Tokoyami. You know she means well,” she says with a soft smile. “That’s just really exciting, and I’m sure he could teach you a lot!”

Ojiro pats Hagakure’s back. “Hagakure, breathing is a thing,” he says.

The invisible girl stands back up and takes a deep breath. Floating tears get wiped away by unseen fingers. “Bird squad,” she whispers. “It’s beautiful.”

“Hagakure, where are you thinking of interning?” Shoji asks.

“Hm…I want to find an agency that focuses on covert, undercover missions. Stealthy stuff.” She bobs to the side, back and forth. “But I’m also interested in the Mirror Hero, Rebound. She’s got a lot of experience manipulating light and stuff, so maybe she could help me with Light Refraction!”

“That’s a good idea,” Ojiro says. He clenches his fist, donning a smile as his tail wags. “I’m not sure yet, but I really want to get more experience fighting in the field. Tumbler is an option, so she might be able to help my flexibility.”

“So we’ve got Rebound, Kamui Woods, Hawks, maybe Tumbler…” Hagakure lists. She turns to Shoji. “What about you?”

Shoji eyes the paper and hums. “If Gang Orca took me, that’d be cool. I might request him just to try my luck, but otherwise, I’ll stick with something rescue-oriented.”

Others start to come back from lunch and Kemuri gets off Todoroki’s desk as he approaches, going back to her desk with Ojiro and Hagakure. The classroom is still buzzing with talk about the internships, but Kemuri is glad for the distraction. With everything that’s happened, she almost forgot about her still-aching body.

That distraction doesn’t last long. Hero Basic Training starts and All Might announces that they will be going back to the USJ for some rescue training. That just gets people even more pumped, but dread settles in Kemuri’s gut. Her hero costume doesn’t cover enough for her to hide her bruises.

When they get to the change rooms, she opts out of wearing her costume and instead puts on her gym uniform. She changes quickly and hurries out, praying that no one noticed.

----------

Rescue training goes well and Kemuri thanks her lucky stars that part of the exercise is to lie in a cavern and pretend to be a victim of an accident. Kemuri gets to lie still and pretend to be unconscious. Being carried like a princess by Kirishima is just a bonus, although she wishes it didn’t hurt to have anything press against her skin.

By the time everyone gets back to U.A, they’re exhausted but content. Kemuri drags herself to her locker and unzips her uniform jacket, tugging it off and tossing it into the locker while reaching for her folded school uniform. Her shoulders ache and she releases a little bit of steam in an attempt to rid herself of the soreness.

“Woah, Shimakage…what happened to you?”

Kemuri freezes. She wasn’t quick or anonymous enough. She turns around to find that the other girls are looking at her and Mina, the one who spoke, has a furrowed brow. Kemuri looks down at herself, sees the splotchy, black and purple bruises dotting her torso, legs, and arms, and gulps.

“U-Uh, what? These?” she asks, motioning to one of the bruises. “I…I just went a little overboard with training the other day, that’s all.” She hurries to pull on her dress shirt. “Dodging practice. I’m…not very good at it.”

“Are you okay though?” Hagakure asks as her floating bra and skirt bounces over to Kemuri. “That looks like it hurts. Have you been sore all day?”

“N-No, really, it’s fine. I don’t really feel them, honestly,” she insists. “And some of these are old…sort of…”

“Maybe you should see Recovery Girl,” Tsuyu croaks.

Uraraka nods. “Yeah, I think so too. Those look…bad.”

“Whoever was throwing whatever you were dodging needs to chill,” Jiro adds.

“I will…make sure that happens,” Kemuri says.

Yaoyorozu is the only one who doesn’t say anything. She gets changed at a slightly slower pace, humming to herself, and the other girls trickle out while Kemuri fumbles with the last few buttons on her top. If her hands would stop shaking—

“Kemuri,” Yaoyorozu says and just from the tone of her voice, Kemuri knows.

She stops fumbling and slowly looks up, finding that the change room is empty save for the two of them. Yaoyorozu gets closer to her, lips pursing, and Kemuri sucks in a sharp breath.

“You’re not telling the truth,” Yaoyorozu says. “If those bruises were from something like training, you wouldn’t be making such an effort to hide them.”

“I…I swear, it wasn’t—”

“Your grandfather?”

Kemuri’s lie dies in her throat and she clenches her hands into tight fists as she brings them to her chest. She opens her mouth, then closes it, then gives up on speaking and just nods. Yaoyorozu’s shoulders sag and she lets out a soft gasp.

“Oh, Kemuri…I thought you said he doesn’t…” she starts.

“He doesn’t, or…at least, he…he didn’t,” Kemuri says, shaking her head. “He…he was just upset about the festival, and…and it was a test, anyway. He w-wanted to see what I could do with my training if—”

“He hurt you.”

She squeezes her eyes shut and her back hits the wall of lockers as she stumbles a little. “It…it was my own fault…for being so weak…” she whispers.

She startles as Yaoyorozu’s arms wrap around her, bringing her into a warm hug, and Kemuri wonders if this is what it’s like to be hugged by a big sister. She sniffles a little and starts to return the hug as Yaoyorozu pets her hair.

“Please stop saying things like that,” she says. “It’s incorrect and toxic for your mental health.”

“B-But…”

“No, Kemuri, you aren’t allowed to blame yourself. It is not your fault,” she repeats. She pulls away, creating a handkerchief from her palm and handing it to Kemuri. “Do your parents know?”

Kemuri shakes her head. “I…I didn’t want to worry them. B-Besides, bruises are a normal thing to get while fighting another person.” Yaoyorozu frowns a little and Kemuri swallows, wiping at her cheeks. “And…he refuses to train me anymore, so…so he won’t get the chance to do it again.”

Yaoyorozu purses her lips, crossing her arms over her chest. “Alright, at least that’s good. If it does happen again, he wouldn’t have the cover of them just being regular training injuries,” she says. Her slate grey eyes narrow. “Hagakure didn’t know, so…I’m assuming that you haven’t told your friends.”

“I don’t want to w—”

“Kemuri.” She sounds exhausted and yet again, Kemuri imagines her as a big sister. “People are allowed to worry about you, especially with something like this. If you told them…”

“They hate my grandfather enough as is. Please, Yaoyorozu…” She swallows. “They…they don’t know everything, just pieces, and…and I don’t want them to see me as weak too. I…I hate the fact that you and Todoroki and Iida know about it, about how useless and stupid—”

“The only people who think that you’re weak are you…and your grandfather.”

Kemuri doesn’t believe her. She wants to, but she just can’t. Yaoyorozu is a rich, intelligent, beautiful girl who got into the Hero Course on recommendation. Kemuri is a less rich, less talented, and less pretty version of her, mediocre compared to her in every way.

She, of all people, should be able to see what Kemuri knows is the truth.

“Let me take you to Recovery Girl,” Yaoyorozu says. She reaches out and fixes the last few buttons on Kemuri’s shirt, then straightens her tie. She smiles. “Okay?”

Kemuri nods, wiping her face one more time. “Y-Yeah…” she mumbles.

She starts to hand the handkerchief back, but Yaoyorozu shakes her head. “No, keep it. I made it for you, after all.”

Kemuri looks down, taking in the rosy pink colour and the monogrammed “KS” in the corner, surrounded by tiny embroidered roses, and feels herself get choked up. She inhales hard through her nose before she nods and pockets it.

“Oh, and also…please call me Yaomomo. The other girls do, and…some of the guys have picked up on it too.”

Yaoyorozu—no, Yaomomo, smiles, and Kemuri again resorts to nodding. “O-Okay, then…why don’t you just call me Kemuri?”

“Sure! I’d be delighted to!”

----------

“Oh my…” Recovery Girl murmurs.

Kemuri closes her eyes and cringes a little as she feels Recovery Girl’s gentle fingertips prod her aching ribs. There’s a curtain pulled around the bed, allowing for privacy, and Yaoyorozu has already left to go back to class.

“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself through training if you were in this much pain,” Recovery Girl scolds.

“I…I did my best to take it easy,” Kemuri whispers. “But…I didn’t want anyone to worry. Or… notice…”

Recovery Girl doesn’t say anything for a second. Then, she hobbles around the edge of the bed so that she can see Kemuri’s face. Her dark eyes are alight with knowing that makes Kemuri’s skin crawl.

“Did Keiji do this to you?” she asks.

Kemuri’s breath hitches and her throat tightens at the sound of her grandfather’s name. “It…” She wraps her arms around herself, shutting her eyes as a shudder rolls through her. “I…”

“Oh, dearie…” Recovery Girl’s voice is soothing and her hand touches Kemuri’s knee, rubbing gently. “I’m sorry.”

“How did you…?”

“This isn’t my first rodeo, dear. I’ve known Keiji for years,” she says. She shakes her head. “And what’s more, I’ve been at this school for years. He was tough on Kazue too.” Her attention darts to a rather large bruise on Kemuri’s leg and her lips purse. “I suppose…I hoped that it wouldn’t be the same for you, but it seems like it’s only gotten worse.”

Kemuri doesn’t say anything. It’s silly for her not to realize Recovery Girl’s age and how it would correspond to her knowledge of U.A and its history. But, she can’t imagine her mom as a student, sitting in this office with a younger version of Recovery Girl, sore and lost. She can’t imagine her mom in the same position as her.

“But…my mom is grandfather’s whole world. She’s the only person he truly loves,” Kemuri says.

“And I believe that, but…some people do terrible things and call it love. Keiji wanted her to be tough. He wanted her to make him proud. If it weren’t for your grandmother, I fear how Kazue would have turned out.” Recovery Girl shakes her head.

“I…” Kemuri swallows hard, starting to shake her head.

“Mayumi protected her when he got too tough. The first time he pushed Kazue a little too hard in training, she stopped him before it got worse.” Her gaze is intense, but not scolding. “You need to let your parents do the same for you.”

“B-But…” Her lip wobbles and she bites it, taking a shaky breath before she tries to speak again. “I…I don’t want to worry them. They…they worry about me enough, with…with my eyes and everything, and…and things are finally seeming better. I…I have friends and…” She sniffles again. “I can handle it.”

“I don’t think you can. Do you not hear yourself?” Recovery Girl asks.

“But if I ask for help…then, then that just proves that I’m weak. If I can’t handle this, then…then…” Her eyes sting and she reaches her fist to them, rubbing as she tries to steady her breathing. “I…I just want to be strong, so…so he loves me, so he can see that I have potential, b-but…”

She pulls out Yaoyorozu’s gifted handkerchief and buries her face in it as tears roll down her cheeks. Recovery Girl lets out a long breath.

“You don’t have to deal with this alone. Sometimes, it takes more strength to ask for help,” she murmurs.

“G-Grandfather doesn’t…doesn’t think that,” she retorts. “He…he…”

“He’s a very damaged man, dearie, and someone who is very scared of losing what he has left.” Recovery Girl sighs. “I doubt that he has told you anything, and I am not redeeming his behaviour in any way, but…I am a firm believer that no one is born filled with malice. Keiji had no one to protect him and so, he ended up hurt.”

Kemuri wipes her eyes and looks at the woman, letting a few more tears drop off her jaw. Recovery Girl shuts her eyes, shaking her head again.

“We live in a world of heroes, but sometimes the ones who truly need saving are ignored because their troubles happen behind closed doors,” she says. “Needing someone else’s help is not weak, Kemuri, and I fear that you will break under the pressure if you keep facing this alone. I don’t want to see you become like him.”

“I…I won’t,” she whispers.

“Keiji said the same thing, said he wouldn’t end up like his father.” The old woman purses her lips. “But…”

Kemuri can’t get herself to speak. Her entire body feels hot and she still feels like crying. There’s so much she doesn’t know about her own family, despite constantly being told about bringing honour to its name.

Recovery Girl sighs. “Let’s get those bruises fixed up, dearie.”

“It was during training,” Kemuri whispers. “He didn’t…just hit me for no reason.”

Recovery Girl presses a kiss to her arm and Kemuri feels the aching stop as a wave of energy leaves her. The woman purses her lips for a second as she switches to the other arm.

“And…I’m not training with him anymore,” Kemuri adds, somehow making her voice even quieter. “He…he gave up on me.”

“Have you given up on yourself?”

She takes a deep breath, then shakes her head. “No.”

“Good.”

A few more kisses, a few more fading bruises. Kemuri’s eyes droop a little and she yawns, while Recovery Girl still has a troubled look on her face.

“Are you going to tell?” she asks.

Recovery Girl arches an eyebrow. “Do you want me to?”

“Not really…”

“If your safety is in danger, I have an obligation to step in.”

“It was just this once.”

She narrows her eyes. A beat passes, then she returns to her computer. “I…will let it slide, but only this once. Besides, he will probably claim it was training anyway, and with his influence…” She grits her teeth. “But, if I hear anything about this happening again, I will make a report. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you need to tell your parents.”

She cringes. “Yes…ma’am.”

“Alright, dear. Go on back to class, now, and please…let me know if you’re in trouble.”

Kemuri nods, dresses, grabs her things, and trudges back to class with the weight of her thoughts perched on her shoulders.

Chapter Text

Things are okay on Thursday.

Kemuri told her parents about the training session, although she left out the bruising part and just said, “He gave me a test, I failed…and now I’m not training with him anymore.” She couldn’t get herself to tell them the whole truth, not after seeing the look on their faces when she mentioned it being “difficult”. Kazue offered to hire a new Sensei, but Kemuri just smiled and said she’d train with her friends.

At school, classes go well. Iida still seems off, although he puts up a decent enough façade, and for the most part, everything feels normal.

Then, lunch comes around and Todoroki is suddenly standing by Kemuri’s table. Hagakure freezes and the takoyaki ball clamped in her chopsticks drops to her plate. Her mouth must be hanging open.

“I need to talk to you,” he states.

Kemuri blinks a few times, looks at her equally-confused friends, and starts to get up. “Uh…okay, I guess.”

He turns and starts walking away, leaving her to trail after him. She’s hardly out of earshot when she hears Hagakure starting to freak out.

Kemuri follows Todoroki out into the hall, where he walks until they find a spot where there aren’t any lingering students. When they get there, he turns around and puts his hands in his pockets. Kemuri stands there, a deer in headlights.

“I heard about the bruises,” he says.

Her muscles tense up and she shuts her eyes. “Yaomomo…”

“She was worried about you, and other than her, Iida and I are the only ones in the class who know about your situation,” he says. His eyes narrow, jaw clenching a little. “You said he didn’t hit you.”

“He doesn’t,” she repeats, already tired of hearing those words. “It…was just that once.”

“Once can turn into more.”

She lets out a long breath. “Why does everyone keep saying that?” she asks. “It won’t, okay? I’m not training with him anymore so it won’t…” She sees his expression, eyebrows furrowed, and her voice trickles out as she tacks on, “…happen.”

“You stopped training with him?” he repeats.

“Yes…”

“Hm.”

He turns and leans against the window at his back, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling, and Kemuri awkwardly leans over until her shoulder touches the window too. He doesn’t say anything for a few moments, then he exhales.

“Did you tell Iida?” he asks.

She shakes her head. “He’s already dealing with his brother’s condition. I didn’t want to bother him.”

“And you didn’t tell me or Momo.”

“…no.” He closes his eyes and she adds, “I’m sorry.”

“No, I…get it,” he says. “It’s hard to ask for help.”

Silence. The red-haired, blue-eyed half of him is facing her and yet again, she thinks of Endeavour and the Sports Festival. She swallows hard.

“Are…you still getting hurt?” she whispers.

He bristles, the pockets of his blazer bunching with the clenching of his fingers. Kemuri considers taking the question back, apologizing, saying that she didn’t mean to ask him but it was on her mind and she’s sorry—

“No,” he says. “It…happened for a long time, but once I got stronger, he backed off. Once I was exactly what he wanted me to be, he switched to praising me instead of hitting me.” He grits his teeth. “I hate him.”

She looks at her feet. “Oh…”

“It’s why I don’t completely understand you, or…your way of thinking,” he says. “You love your grandfather.” He grimaces. “Everything you do is to make him proud, but he doesn’t deserve your love, and all he’s ever done is make you hate yourself. I don’t get it.” He exhales, but his shoulders stay tense, and Kemuri wishes she could reach over and use some steam to help him relax. “But…I understand the fear.”

This is the most she’s ever heard Todoroki talk, but she has to admit, it’s nice. It’s nice to hear a little bit about what’s going on in his head and she doubts that he would share this if they didn’t have a mutual experience. It’s nice to hear that, however different their feelings are, there is someone who understands.

He turns to face her again. “I…don’t know where I was going with all this.”

She almost laughs, but instead just smiles a little. “Me neither…”

“I’m not good at comfort. Or friendship.”

“That’s okay. I’m kind of bad too.”

He glances away, thinks for a second, then looks back. “Who are you training with now?”

She purses her lips. “Well…no one. I was going to ask Ojiro, and maybe ask Aizawa about quirk training my steam…”

“I could.”

Her eyes widen. “Huh?”

He blinks. “If you want, I could train with you.”

“O-Oh…” She swallows. “Uh, yeah…sure! Thank you.”

“Yeah.” He pushes off the window and starts past her. There’s a fire in his eyes as he adds, “If he so much as lays a finger on you again, let me know.”

She nods. “O-Okay.”

----------

“What was that about?” Hagakure asks as Kemuri slides back into her seat at the lunch table.

“Oh, he…he offered to be my training partner, if I needed it,” Kemuri says. She reaches for her rice, hoping that it isn’t too cold already.

Ojiro’s tail lashes. “Training partner?” he repeats. “Doesn’t your grandfather train you?”

Kemuri’s hand freezes around her chopsticks and she looks up at her friends. Tokoyami is eating an apple, although he’s looking at her with an arched eyebrow, and both Shoji and Ojiro look confused. Hagakure is leaning closer to her, expectant.

“Um…about that…” she starts.

Yaoyorozu’s words ring in her head. She needs to tell her friends. They need to know what happened, what’s going on, but when she opens her mouth, nothing but air comes out. Kemuri can’t do it yet. She doesn’t want them to know how weak and pathetic she is.

“He was…really mad about the festival. He said I ignored his training, that I wasn’t using it, so…he refuses to teach me anymore,” she says.

“What?” Hagakure gasps. “But that wasn’t your fault!”

Shoji’s eyes narrow. “I wish I was more surprised,” he mutters.

Ojiro’s tail lashes again as his jaw clenches. “What did he say? Just…it’s over? You’re…what, a failure?” he asks. He shakes his head. “That jerk…”

Tokoyami swallows his bite of apple. “A deep darkness lies within the soul of that man.”

Kemuri takes a slow breath. If they’re this upset thinking that he just ditched her, just words and no actions, then she really doesn’t want to see how they’ll react to the entire truth.

“It’s fine, really,” Kemuri says. “I…I wanted to branch out anyway. He refuses to let me use my steam or fog in different ways, so now I can do other things.”

They still seem annoyed. Hagakure sits back, crossing her arms over her chest, and Ojiro shuts his eyes as he takes some deep, calming breaths. Shoji and Tokoyami stay the most reserved, but the look in their eyes speaks volumes.

“I can train with you too,” Ojiro says. “Maybe you can show me that back of the neck strike.”

She arches an eyebrow. “That’s my secret weapon, Ojiro.”

He snaps his fingers. “You got me there.” He laughs a little, tail wagging. “But seriously, sign me up. It’d be really cool to have a sparring partner who isn’t my brother.”

“You have a brother?” Hagakure asks. She leans closer to Ojiro, making him flush. “What’s he like? What’s his quirk? Does he look like you?”

“Woah, you seem excited,” Kemuri comments.

“I like hearing about other people’s families, especially siblings. I don’t have any…so…” She shrugs. “And none of you have them either.”

Shoji and Tokoyami shrug. Kemuri lets out a sheepish laugh.

“Um…okay, my brother…” Ojiro rubs the back of his neck. “His name’s Naoyuki, he’s…eleven now, and he’s a lot more excitable than me, just…a bit of a goofball, and…yeah, he’s blond too. Basically looks like a mini version of me with shaggier hair.”

“Does he have a tail?” Hagakure asks.

“No, he’s like my mom. They both have a quirk called Extend. It just lets them make their arms, legs, and neck longer when they need it.” Ojiro purses his lips. “He uses it to prank me.”

“Aw, he sounds so cute!” Hagakure gushes. “I totally didn’t know you were a big brother.”

“It just never came up…” He gulps, his cheeks still pink. “None of us really talk about our families. Kemuri’s comes up just because hers is so…influential.”

Kemuri claps her hands over her cheeks. “I’m sorry…”

“No, no, I’m not mad,” Ojiro says, batting his hands at her. “Seriously.”

“Well, my family isn’t super exciting or anything. My parents are invisible, like me, and they’re just regular working class people,” Hagakure says. She pauses. “Shoji, Kemuri, you’re the only ones who’ve met everyone’s parents, right?”

“I haven’t met Shoji’s or Ojiro’s,” Kemuri corrects, softly.

Shoji smirks. “I just haven’t met Ojiro’s.”

Tokoyami sighs. “My parents are embarrassing.”

“Are they…I’m sorry for asking, but do they also have bird…heads?” Ojiro asks. Kemuri reminds herself that he wasn’t around when they met the Tokoyamis.

“Yes. I look like my father, but I have my mother’s eyes,” Tokoyami states. Ojiro nods a little and Tokoyami smirks a little. “What did you expect?”

“I’m…not sure, but I guess I expected bird heads.”

“Would you like to see a picture?”

“Yeah, sure! I’m sure I’ve got some of my family too.”

Kemuri keeps eating her lunch, content that the conversation has taken a lighter turn. While her friends start sharing pictures, Kemuri takes a brief look around the cafeteria. She finds Todoroki sitting at a table with Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, and Tsuyu. He seems content and she’s just glad that he’s finding his place in their class too.

----------

This time, when she talks to the receptionist at Hosu General, she smiles and directs her on in. She goes up to the third floor and walks down the hallway until she reaches Tensei’s room, where she knocks lightly.

The door opens and Sachiko is there. “Oh, Shimakage! Hello,” she says.

“Hello, Mrs. Iida,” Kemuri replies with a small bow. “I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

“No, of course not. Please, come in.”

As she goes inside, she adds, “I brought more food. My parents send their well wishes.”

Sachiko takes the bag with a smile. “You really are too kind.”

Tetsuya and Tenya are nowhere to be seen, but Tensei is sitting up now and he’s wearing a shirt, although it isn’t buttoned up. He’s propped against a generous amount of pillows and the bandage around his head has been taken off, replaced with a grey scarf. He’s reading a book, fingers brushing the pages. The table beside his bed has a few cards on it, probably from sidekicks and friends.

He looks up as soon as his mom passes the bed, then his attention darts to Kemuri. His eyes widen and a small, weak smile lifts his face.

“Kemuri,” he greets, his voice softer than usual. Everything about him has been toned down, weakened.

“H-Hi, Tensei,” she replies, shuffling closer to the bed and settling down in an empty chair. Behind her, she hears Sachiko rustling through the bag she gave her. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Well, I’m…awake,” he says. He slips a bookmark between the pages, shutting the novel and putting it to the side. He takes a long breath. “But…I’ve been better. Still feels…kinda like a nightmare.”

“Yeah…”

She cringes. It was one thing talking to Tensei before this, when he was still Ingenium. Now, he’s so…normal, albeit injured, and Kemuri feels like she doesn’t know him well enough to be here. He should be seeing his friends, his sidekicks, and other people he knows, not his little brother’s random classmate.

“Here you go, Tensei,” Sachiko murmurs, setting a plate of food in front of him. She smiles. “I’m going to find your brother, alright?”

“Yeah, sure thing, mom.”

She smiles at Kemuri, adjusting her glasses before walking out. Kemuri almost smiles at how she adjusts them the same way Tenya does, with her pointer finger and thumb on either side of the frames.

“Tenya…said something about internships coming up,” Tensei says.

“Oh…yeah, it…it’s exciting,” Kemuri stammers. She reaches to rub the back of her neck.

Tensei stirs his food a little, but doesn’t move to eat any of it. Maybe he still doesn’t have much of an appetite. Kemuri’s gaze darts to his legs, covered by the blankets, and she feels a wave of sorrow wash over her again.

His eyebrows sag downwards as he sighs. “I’m really sorry,” he murmurs. “I…I wanted to send you an offer to join me at Idaten, for…for the internships.” He shakes his head. “But…with this—”

“No, no, it’s fine! Please, don’t apologize,” she nearly begs. The last thing she wants is for him to feel more guilt. “Actually, I…I got an offer. One offer, but…”

Tensei seems to perk up. “You did?”

The glint in his eye makes her heart swell. “Y-Yeah! It’s…Kamui Woods.” His lips part and she adds, shaking a little, “He…he was working security at the festival, so…so I don’t know what he saw of my performance or why he thought I’d be good but—”

“Kemuri, that’s great. I’m really happy for you,” he interrupts, a soft smile on his face. He stretches towards the side table, fumbling a little as he gets the drawer open. “It makes me feel a little silly for writing this though.”

“Huh?” Kemuri asks.

He straightens back up with a small wince, one hand darting to his torso, and Kemuri reaches out automatically as if to steady him. He takes a few breaths, blinking, then clears his throat. He holds out an envelope to Kemuri, that gentle smile returning. She stares at it, then up at him.

“What is this?” she asks, taking it.

“Well, I…” He rubs the back of his neck. “I was kind of groggy that first day or two after the accident, but…after your visit, you kind of stayed on my mind. I was thinking about internships and I thought, if I can’t get you as an intern, then maybe…” He reaches out and taps the envelope with his pointer finger. “Maybe I could help you get in somewhere else.”

The gears in her mind turn, then click. “It’s…a recommendation letter?”

He nods. “It was the least I could do. I’ve been…feeling like a let a lot of people down, recently. I didn’t want you to be one of them.”

She has tears in her eyes, but she’s too stunned to move and wipe them away. She lets out a breath that sounds like a weak laugh, clutching the envelope tighter. “T-Thank you,” she squeaks. “It…I…” She sniffles and reaches up to catch a tear as it escapes onto her cheek. “I’m…honoured.”

He smiles. “Hold onto it. You won’t need it for this internship, but…you might need it later.”

She gets her handkerchief out of her pocket and wipes her face. “Thank you…” she repeats.

He reaches out and pats her shoulder. “Really, it’s the least I can do. I haven’t seen any of Tenya’s friends stop by lately, and…he seems like he’s having a really rough time.”

“He’s been weird at school too,” Kemuri admits. “He…I don’t know. He’s very reserved.”

Tensei perks up. “Oh, that reminds me…” he says. “How did hero naming go?” Before she can ask how he knew, he says, “First internships always mean hero names.”

“It was interesting. There were some pretty cool names in my class,” Kemuri says. She clears her throat. “I’m…Smokey Eye, the Ambush Hero.”

“Hmm,” he hums in approval. “I like it. Did…” He glances at the door and his content look falls away. “Did Tenya have a good name?”

She frowns a little. “It was…fine. Why do you ask?”

Tensei sighs and sinks back against the pillows. “He didn’t do it then.” When Kemuri just stares, he says, “I asked him to take my name.”

Her lips part. “What? But…in class, he said his hero name was Tenya.”

“Maybe I pushed him for it too soon,” he murmurs. He suddenly seems tired again. The food on his lap is all but forgotten. “I told him soon after I woke up, but…maybe…” He purses his lips. “Maybe he doesn’t want the name of someone like me, someone who’s—”

“No, Tensei, it…it can’t be that,” she insists, taking his hand in hers and squeezing. “I’m sure he was just overwhelmed. Tenya adores you, there’s no way he’d see you as anything but a worthy hero.”

He sighs, eyes closing for a second. “I let him down, Kemuri.”

“None of this was your fault.”

Funny, how she can so easily say it to someone else but can’t believe it when it’s about her.

Tensei swallows hard. “But, I…” He exhales. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I…understand the feeling.”

There are footsteps in the hallway and she releases his hand. A nurse walks in, clipboard in hand, and he smiles a little. Kemuri stands up.

“I’m just here to do a routine check,” he says. He moves to the bed and Kemuri shuffles backwards.

“Um, I…should get going,” she admits. “It was nice talking to you, Tensei.”

“Same. Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Tensei asks.

“Right!”

She grips the strap of her purse, recommendation letter in hand, and hurries out to let the nurse do his work. On the way down the hall, she just stares down at the envelope. She doesn’t need it now, but someday, this could really help her out.

She bumps into someone, just clipping their shoulder, and she lets out a soft yelp of surprise. The other person startles, looking up from his phone, and their eyes lock.

“Oh, Iida,” she says, hastily slipping the letter into her purse. “I was just checking in.”

He stares at her for a second, then sighs. “Yes, my mother said you were here,” he says. He pushes his glasses up, expression stony. “Look, I appreciate your kindness, but this is none of your concern. There’s no need for you to visit anymore.”

Her eyes widen and she feels like she just got impaled. “What?” she asks. “Iida, where did this come from? What’s…what’s going on with you?” When he doesn’t answer, turning away from her, she feels her stomach twist. She moves closer. “Tenya, please—”

“I’m fine on my own. You should focus your attention elsewhere and just leave me be.”

“I…”

“I will see you at school tomorrow, Shimakage.”

And with that, he hurries off down the hall at a steady pace, never once looking back. Kemuri stands, frozen in place, her heart pounding and aching. She bites her lip hard and forces herself to turn around, hurrying to the elevator and clicking the down button rapidly.

The hallway is suddenly far too stifling.

Chapter Text

The evening passes by. When Kemuri gets back from the hospital, supper is ready. She sits down to eat with her family, joining in on the idle conversation only when spoken to. As usual, her mother and father do most of the talking, discussing what happened at work and their plans for the weekend.

Her dad is going out with a few friends for drinks on Saturday. Her mom is going for coffee with an old friend from the police academy. Her grandfather grumbles that he has work to do. Kemuri tells them that she’s going to be packing for her internship.

“I still can’t believe that Kamui Woods made you an offer,” Kazue says with a proud smile. “It’s fantastic.”

“I’m curious to see what he’ll teach you,” Cayden adds.

“Me too,” Kemuri says. She wishes she could be even a little bit more enthusiastic, but she keeps thinking about what Iida said to her.

“Hmph,” her grandfather mutters. “He’s a rookie. He still needs training himself, I doubt he’ll be an asset.”

“He’s the breakout hero of his generation, they say,” Kazue states. “I’m sure he can handle it.”

Another “hmph”. Kemuri has to admit, she feels a slight sense of pride at his obvious frustration, but that pride is drowned out by fear. Her muscles still ache when he glares at her, as if haunted by a memory of pain.

Kemuri finishes her food, excuses herself, and wanders back to her bedroom. She flops down and snuggles one of her many pillows, closing her eyes and trying to calm her mind. It’s full again.

Iida isn’t himself. Something is definitely going on but she just doesn’t know what. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki know about what happened, but her friends still don’t, and Yaoyorozu’s words buzz around her head like an incessant fly.

She purses her lips.

Tomorrow, she’s going to be brave.

----------

At lunch, it’s time for the moment of truth.

“Guys, I…” She swallows, her mouth already getting dry. Today, she’s sitting next to Hagakure, with the three boys on the other bench. “I…have something to tell you.”

They stop eating and look at her, expectant. Shoji arches an eyebrow and she wonders if he can hear her pounding heartbeat.

“What’s up?” Hagakure asks.

Kemuri grips her skirt and she feels chills roll across her entire body. Her legs are shaking. She sucks in a deep breath, then releases it.

“After…the Sports Festival,” she says. “My…my grandfather was really angry.”

“Well, yeah,” Ojiro starts, his voice slow as he raises an eyebrow. “You told us. He refused to train you anymore.”

Kemuri doesn’t say anything. Her breaths pick up and she squeezes her eyes shut, shoulders hunching. At her side, she feels Hagakure shift.

“Something happened, didn’t it?” Shoji says. “Something…you’re not telling us.”

Kemuri nods.

Hagakure gasps. “Oh my g—” Her breath hitches. “Kemuri, the bruises?”

“What bruises?” Tokoyami asks.

Kemuri still doesn’t open her eyes. Hagakure’s shoulder brushes hers.

“On Wednesday, in the change room, I saw a bunch of bruises all over Kemuri’s body. She said she went too hard during training,” Hagakure says. “She said…that she failed dodging practice.” Kemuri can feel their stares. “Kemuri…what were you dodging?”

God, Kemuri wants to puke. She swallows back the lump in her throat. “My…grandfather,” she whispers. “He…”

The table rattles and Kemuri’s eyes shoot open to find that Shoji is standing up and Ojiro looks about ready to follow him. Hagakure gasps and also gets to her feet while Tokoyami stares at them, eyes wide.

“Woah, guys, calm down,” Hagakure pleads.

“I have to go somewhere,” Shoji utters, and for the first time, Kemuri finds him genuinely scary. “Just to have a talk. No big deal.”

“Shoji, sit down and think rationally,” Tokoyami states. “You too, Ojiro.”

Shoji’s arms are trembling, but he sits down at Tokoyami’s request. Ojiro stays up for a second more, his jaw clenched.

“Ojiro…” Hagakure whispers.

“You can’t tell me that you aren’t angry,” Ojiro snaps, although they can tell the malice is directed at someone far away. “You can’t tell me—”

“Oh, I’m freaking losing my mind here, but what’s important right now is Kemuri,” Hagakure retorts. “Look at her! This is stressing her out.”

Kemuri is indeed shaking like a leaf, although she hadn’t noticed until Hagakure gestured her sleeve towards her. She must look like she’s a second away from breaking apart. Kemuri presses her lips into a firm line and closes her eyes again.

Ojiro sits down and folds his hands together on the table. “I’m…I’m sorry. You’re right.”

Hagakure touches Kemuri’s shoulder, thumbs moving in gentle circles against her shirt. “Why didn’t you tell us? You didn’t text, you didn’t say anything…” Her voice is laced with sorrow. “Kemuri, we didn’t even know—I…I thought your grandfather was just rude.”

Kemuri slumps against the table, looping one hand into her hair. “I’m sorry…” she whispers. “I…I’m sorry that I’m so…”

“Kemuri, don’t,” Ojiro murmurs.

“How long?” Shoji asks. Kemuri slowly looks up at him, and there’s genuine guilt in his eyes. “How long has this been going on, with him…hurting you? How long did I ignore—”

“N-No, it’s not like that,” Kemuri says, shaking her head. “That…that was the first time. Before, it…it was…”

Tokoyami leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Kemuri…this relationship with your grandfather is toxic. That much is obvious, but…how bad is it?” When her lip trembles, he sighs. “Because, until now, all four of us were under the impression that he was strict, and often unkind to you, but…it seems like there’s so much more than what we’re seeing.”

“And he talks about you like…like he hates you,” Ojiro adds.

Kemuri has to take a few more deep breaths before she responds. “He…he hates my existence,” she says. “And…I don’t know why, but…but everything I do is to make him love me. It’s…it’s so hard to explain.”

“I don’t like it,” Shoji says. “When you’re around us, without him, you’re…fun and relaxed and…happy. Then he shows up and he takes that all away, turns you into some trembling, scared mess, and it…” His jaw clenches and he has to pause. “It makes me mad, Kemuri. Really…really mad.”

“I agree,” Tokoyami states. “He robs you of happiness and snuffs out your light.”

Ojiro and Hagakure are resigned to nodding. Kemuri reaches out and takes a gulp of water, trying to wet her throat and loosen her tongue.

“I didn’t want you guys to know,” she says. “I didn’t want you to know about how weak I really am. I’m sorry.” She bows her head. “I lied to you, because…because I was scared. I’m sorry.”

Before anyone can respond, there’s a small popping noise, like the start of an explosion. From the table behind Kemuri, Bakugo gets up. He whirls around, takes the few steps it takes to get to their spot, and slams his hand down on the table as another small explosion bursts from his palm, rattling their trays.

“Hey, what are you—“ Hagakure starts.

“Would all of you just shut the fuck up?” Bakugo snarls, shooting a burning glare through Hagakure before aiming his attention at Kemuri. “You realize people can hear you, right?”

Kemuri returns the stare, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. “H-Huh?”

He leans closer to her, smoke wafting from his palms, and Kemuri is only faintly aware of movement happening on the other side of the table. “I’m so fucking sick of this. You—“

“Bakugo, back off,” Shoji’s voice cuts in. Kemuri doesn’t dare look away from Bakugo, frozen in the face of Medusa. “What are you doing?”

Bakugo whips his head around, baring his teeth at Shoji. “I’m trying to eat my lunch,” he snaps, “but I can barely taste my spicy soba over the sound of Smokey spewing her shitty sob story everywhere!”

“Um…okay, but this doesn’t have anything to do with you, so you can—” Ojiro starts.

“Oh, what, you wanted this to be private? We’re in the cafeteria, dumbass. Nothing about this is fucking private.”

Kemuri shrinks into her seat, eyes stinging. This was bad. This was a bad idea. She should have kept her mouth shut. “I’m sor—“

“Stop fucking apologizing!” he roars. Kemuri flinches away, lifting her hands in front of her, and Bakugo huffs. “Tch…get up.”

“W-What?”

“I said, get up.”

“I’m…”

He reaches out, grabs her wrist, and pulls her out of her seat. Despite his anger, he doesn’t pull hard enough to hurt her, just enough to get her moving. She sputters a bit as he leads her away, his face set, and she casts one last look back at her stunned friends before they disappear from the cafeteria.

He walks until they reach a door and he slides it open, bringing them both inside and closing it behind them. Kemuri looks around the empty classroom, still confused, and she slowly turns to the fuming boy behind her.

“You’re so annoying,” he growls.

She backs up, her fight-or-flight response running at top speed. “I…I don’t know w-what I did, but I’m…I’m sorry, I’ll—“

“The past two days, it’s like you’re this little bug just nattering in my ear. First you act like a damn child when a rookie hero gives you one shitty little offer—“

“H-Hey…”

“Then Ponytail was flipping her lid yesterday, talking to Half-n-Half about how fucking worried she was about you. All because of your damn grandfather. Then today, you ruin my lunch because you can’t stop crying for ONE. DAMN. SECOND!”

Again, she flinches when he looms closer, palms ready to wield their explosions, and she nearly trips into a vacant desk. A few tears spring to her eyes in a fit of cruel irony and she bites her lip, hand falling back to the desk as she tries to keep herself standing.

She stares at him, at the way his shoulders heave, at how his teeth are gritted and his eyes are narrowed, and she swallows hard. The emptiness of the room is punctuated with every echo of Bakugo’s raspy breaths and her pounding heart.

“B-Bakugo, why…why are you so angry?” Kemuri stammers.

“BECAUSE YOU’RE PISSING ME OFF!”

This time, she bangs her leg on the desk as she puts it between the two of them, quivering. She needs to get out of here before she becomes a splatter on the far wall, surrounded by charred concrete and ash.

Bakugo’s shoulders shake, but he takes a few seconds to breathe. His face softens into something less murderous and more pissed off which, believe it or not, is an improvement.

“Damn,” he mutters. He digs his hands into his pockets. “Your grandpa must be some kind of sick fuck, because it sounds like he gets pleasure out of making you feel like shit.” He grits his teeth. “And from the looks of it, you feeling like shit makes everyone around you feel like shit.”

“B-But…”

“But what?”

“He’s…he’s my grandfather. You wouldn’t understand, it’s—”

“What don’t I understand? The shithead is abusing you and you’re being a spineless little freak about it!”

“A-Abuse?” she repeats. She’s never actually spoken the word and for the most part, no one else has. She looks away, his stare making her lose her nerve. “Okay, it’s…it’s not ideal, but it’s always been like that. He’s—”

“He’s a quirkist fucktard who gets off on hurting you and you’re letting him do it,” Bakugo snaps. She just looks at him, shaking, and he bares his teeth. “Stop being a fucking weakling, Shimakage. How do you expect people to respect you when you can’t even respect your damn self?”

It’s strange, she thinks, that she feels so shocked by his words. No one has ever called her out so brutally. No one has ever smacked her in the face with her own truth. Bakugo is brash, loud-mouthed, and rude, but he isn’t an idiot.

She is weak, but not in the way her grandfather always told her she was.

“He’s my family, Bakugo,” she whispers.

“Yeah, no shit.” He shakes his head, turns around, and stomps to the door. “Whatever. I’m fucking done here.”

She blinks. “W-What? Where are you going?”

“I’ve got half my lunch waiting for me back there.”

“But, you…you dragged me out here…” She shrinks a little, voice getting quieter when he glares at her. “J-Just, just to yell at me?”

“Yeah?”

“That…doesn’t make sense.”

“What, would you rather I did it in the cafeteria? Pretty sure Tentacles would try to stop me before I could get a word in.” He scoffs. “Consider this a warning. Don’t ruin my lunch again or I’ll actually explode you.”

“W-Wait!”

She scrambles forward and grabs his arm, making his entire body go stock still. She’s breathing a little too fast and she’s shaking, only getting worse when Bakugo’s nostrils flare.

“Don’t touch—“ he starts, wrenching his arm from her grip.

“Wait, just…don’t l-leave.”

By some miracle, he doesn’t move. He still looks like he’s a second away from destroying her, but at this point, maybe that would be a good choice. She’s digging herself a deeper grave.

“What…what should I do?” she whispers.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know?”

“You’re…” She looks at her feet, tugs at her hair. “You’re so…confident, Bakugo. You just…don’t care, or…or you’re good at acting like you don’t. I’m nothing like that—“

“No shit.”

“So, please!” She makes eye contact with him, desperate. “Please just tell me what I can do!”

He keeps staring at her, lip curled just enough to show some teeth. He steps closer to her, a growl leaving his lips, and she braces herself.

“You want my advice? Don’t give a shit,” he says. “I don’t give a shit about what anyone thinks of me because what matters is that I like myself. You’re the one pegging all of your worth on one asshole’s shit opinion.”

She squeezes her eyes shut. Okay, that’s not the answer she thought she’d get, but it’s a start. The truth is, she doesn’t like herself all that much. She constantly wishes she was better, someone prettier or stronger or smarter or more capable—she constantly wishes that she wasn’t Kemuri Shimakage.

It’s like she’s aware that she is who she is and at times, she does like herself, but most of the time there’s the lingering feeling that if she were just someone else, things would be better.

“He’s…always told me that I’m nothing,” she admits. “And…before U.A—“

“I don’t want to hear your melodrama, Smokey,” he snaps. “If I were you, I’d give that old bag two middle fingers, tell him to shove them up his ass, and go do whatever I wanted with my life. Tell him ‘fuck you, old man, I’m my own goddamn person’ and ride off into the sunset or something.”

Her mouth falls open. “I…I can’t do that!” she gasps.

He rolls his eyes and mutters a curse word. “God…you’re such…” He shakes his head. “That’s all I’ve fucking got for you. Piss him off and show him your power, if you’ve even got any. I’m going to eat my lunch.”

She panics. She has a second to come up with something and ask Bakugo what he thinks before he’s gone and this whole thing ends like a weird fever dream. What would be powerful, something she’s never done because her grandfather never let her?

There’s only one thing, the only thing she could see herself doing, and she feels stupid even thinking it, much less admitting it to Bakugo. It’s something her grandfather is oddly opposed to, on the same level as her being on TV or being in public toting his name around. He’s so against it that it’s almost a taboo subject in her household.

Maybe that’s why she gets so flustered around boys.

“I…I’ve always wanted to—“ He’s halfway out the door, but he stops, and she swallows hard. “…go on a date,” she ekes out.

He stares at her like she’s grown a second head. “News flash, Smokey, I’m not into girls and even if I was, I wouldn’t date you if someone paid me.”

She splutters. “W-Wha—not with you!” she nearly shouts, covering her face. “That’s…that’s my…f-fu…” She cringes. “Frick you…to my grandfather. He doesn’t like the idea of me…falling in love, eventually…p-passing on genetics, so I’ll…g-go…on a date.”

Bakugo is too busy rolling his eyes into the back of his skull to register what she said. “You can’t even say fuck right,” he snorts.

“I’m n-not big on swearing, okay?”

“Okay, and the sky is fucking blue.”

This is going nowhere. She groans into her hands and she hears him huff, but doesn’t hear any footsteps. He still isn’t leaving. She slowly peeks out at him between her fingers.

“Um…” she mumbles. “You’re…uh, staring—“

“I’m trying to imagine you seriously asking someone on a date and my brain just can’t picture something that ridiculous. You’d never.”

She purses her lips tightly, her heart pounding, filling her to the brim with annoyance at his barbed comments. “You’re right,” she mutters. “It’s…it’s not an easy thing to do."

“Hah? The fuck you mean it isn’t easy?”

She blinks at him. “Uh…it isn’t?” Just the idea of trying to ask someone out makes her feel all queasy with nerves.

“Yeah, it is! You just ask someone! It’s not rocket science!”

She regrets her words the second they come out of her mouth. “Prove it, then.”

His eyes blaze, teeth bared. “Fine! I will!”

Again, he grabs her wrist and leads her out of the classroom. He goes all the way back to the cafeteria, storming inside like a man on a mission, and she feels like she’s entered some weird dream, or a nightmare.

“Hey! Tentacles!” Bakugo shouts as they near the table.

Kemuri’s entire face turns red and multiple students in the immediate vicinity turn to look at them. Shoji is one of them, as are the rest of her friends, and she considers digging her feet into the linoleum to stop their advance, or maybe blasting some steam into his palms from her wrist.

Nope. Nope. NOPE. This was not what she had in mind. She thought that maybe Bakugo would ask someone out, not ask someone out for her!

“B-Bakugo, people are staring,” she squeaks.

“Don’t give a fuck about what others think, Smokey,” he snaps. He reaches the table, releases Kemuri, and jabs his thumb at her all while glaring at Shoji. “Go out with Shimakage.”

Shoji blinks a few times, eyes wide. Kemuri feels steam burst from her ears and she covers her face. Bakugo waits, expectant.

“Whaaaaat?” Hagakure whispers.

“I have no idea,” Ojiro returns.

Tokoyami’s expression is, in simplest terms, shook.

“Well?” Bakugo asks.

Shoji gulps, then nods. “Uh…sure? I mean…I’d…” He clears his throat and his face turns red behind the mask.

Kemuri nearly collapses onto the floor. How many people are staring at her right now? How many are from her class? She wonders if it’d be possible to eject herself right into the sun. She apologizes to Shoji one million times in her head and starts writing her last will and testament.

“See? It’s fucking easy,” Bakugo states, turning to her and giving her shoulder a slap. “I’m out of here.”

He starts to walk away, but not back to his table. Kemuri looks at her friends, sputters, then whirls around and chases after Bakugo.

“H-Hold on,” she calls. She catches up to him, snatching the sleeve of his blazer in her fingertips. “Why? I know I’ve asked that a-already, but—” She shakes her head. “You…helped me?”

He turns around, eyeing her sharply, and then he looks away. “For some reason, people give a shit about you, and acting like you deserve this crap is disrespectful to all of them and yourself,” he mutters. “Don’t just lay back and take this shit. It’s pathetic.”

Her fingers slip from his jacket. She clenches her hands into fists at her sides and bows her head, shaking, and Bakugo lets out another huff. He leaves the cafeteria, hands shoved in his pockets again, and she just stares at the floor for what feels like a good, long while.

The truth hurts.

----------

“I’m really sorry about that,” Kemuri says as she and Shoji walk to the train station.

Because of everything that happened at lunch, she requested that the two of them go to the station on their own so they can talk. They didn’t really get the chance to do so for the rest of the day, mostly because classes got in the way, so walking together seemed to be the best option.

Her nervousness won’t let up. Every time she looks at him, she gets all warm and it feels like she’s about to explode.

“You don’t have to go on a date with me,” she says. “Bakugo…he was—”

“I don’t mind,” Shoji says.

She looks up at him. “R-Really?”

“Well, it sounds like a vengeance plot against your grandfather. A peaceful revolution. I can get behind that,” he continues. “It’s either that or I rip off his arms.” She gawks at him, eyes wide, and he clears his throat. “I’m…kidding. I wouldn’t go through with it.”

“Ah…” she squeaks.

He looks down at her and his expression softens. “But, uh…with the date? It’s only if you want to…”

“I…I do. It’ll…be fun.”

“Yeah, I…want to, too.”

She darts her eyes away again, cheeks flushed. “O-Oh.”

“But, we should wait until after the internships. There’s a lot going on right now,” he says. He glances up at the sky. “I’m…kind of nervous.”

“Did you send in your requests?”

“Of course.”

“Me too.”

They lapse into silence and she purses her lips tight. Her stomach is in knots and she’s still having a hard time processing that she, Kemuri Shimakage, is going to be going on a date with Shoji. It’s not that she doesn’t like Shoji—she likes him a lot—but she never thought of dating him, at least not in earnest.

She’s never thought about seriously dating someone, ever. Her crushes amount to wanting to date the person but never believing that they would have any interest in her. Even when it comes to Iida, while she’d like to date him, she just can’t imagine it happening.

Looking at Shoji, she remembers how flustered she got watching him train before the Sports Festival. She claps her hands over her ears. Does she like him? But, she has a crush on Tenya. Shoji is…Shoji, her best friend.

What the heck was Bakugo thinking? And why, of all people, did he pick Shoji for her? There are plenty of mutant types in their class who would do a great job of ticking off her grandfather.

“Kemuri, your heart is racing,” Shoji says.

She yanks her hands away from her ears and wipes her palms on her skirt. “I’m…uh…” She shakes her head. “God, I don’t know. Bakugo…he was very blunt.”

He arches an eyebrow. “What did he talk to you about?”

“He…uh, said…I need to respect myself. And…that it ticks him off that I’m so spineless about this stuff.” She tries to smile, but it turns out far more sad than she intended. “I wish I wasn’t like this, Shoji…but…I truly believe that I’m not memorable or…anything important, really. That’s why…I don’t know why you’d be okay with this date…thing.”

She feels his hand brushing hers. “I think you’re pretty memorable,” he whispers. “And I…or, all our friends; we want to help you. Please, know that we…that we love you, and…this can be a new start. We know what’s going on, so…now you can rely on us.”

She takes his hand, although she doesn’t look at him. She sniffles a little, reaching up to wipe her eyes with her other hand and Shoji’s grip tightens gently.

“I love you guys, too,” she murmurs.

Chapter Text

The internships represent a fresh start. Kemuri is going to learn, gain confidence, and she’s going to do her best to leave her grandfather behind her. It won’t be easy, but she has to try. It’s holding her back.

“Everyone has their costumes, right?” Aizawa asks.

It’s bright and early Monday morning and class 1-A is gathered in the train station. They have their costume cases in hand and backpacks on, positively buzzing. Kemuri can’t stop her fingers from tapping.

“Remember, you don’t have permission to wear them out in public unless you’re with your pro,” Aizawa continues. “And don’t lose them or anything.”

“GOTCHA!” Mina squeals, lifting her case over her head.

“Speak properly. It’s ‘yes, sir’, Ashido.”

She hugs the case to her chest, whining out a defeated, “Yes, sir.”

“Make sure you mind your manners with the other heroes during your internships.” He eyes his students, lingering on some of the problem children. “Now, get to it.”

“Yes, sir!” they call.

“Good luck to all of you,” Tokoyami says as people start to scatter.

“Yeah, I hope we all learn lots!” Hagakure chirps.

Ojiro smiles. “This is gonna be great,” he says. “And don’t be afraid to text, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Shoji says.

Kemuri smiles. “Group hug for good luck!”

They crush together, costume cases bumping against their legs and backpacks as they struggle to get their arms around each other. They part ways with more excited waving and Hagakure shouting, “I’ll miss you, nerds!”

Kemuri heads for the nearest train. Kamui Woods’ hero agency isn’t very far from here, so it’ll be a quick train ride. She reaches for her reading glasses and slips them on, knowing that she’ll need to read a lot of signs before she reaches her destination.

“Iida, wait!”

She stops as if her own name was called, looking over her shoulder as Midoriya and Uraraka run up to their friend. He doesn’t turn to look at them.

“Hey, if you ever want to talk or anything, just let us know,” Midoriya says as Uraraka starts to nod. “We’re friends, right?”

Iida turns, wearing a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Yes,” he says, and then he’s off again.

Midoriya and Uraraka watch him leave, their faces wrought with concern, and Kemuri’s heart clenches. She debates going after him, trying one more time to get him to talk to her, but his words at the hospital the other day ring in her head. It’s none of her concern.

But, she is concerned.

He gets onto the train and she tries to find which number it is, maybe so she can see where he’s going, but she can’t make it out before it pulls away. She stares at the tracks for a bit, trying to refocus her attention. She digs for her ticket, lips pursed, when she feels a hand touch her shoulder.

She whirls around, nearly smacking Sero with her costume case, and the boy jumps back to avoid it.

“Woah! Hey,” he says. “Sorry.”

“Oh, no, I’m…I’m sorry, I zoned out,” she replies.

He nods, rubbing the back of his neck, and she just…stares at him. Kemuri realizes, rather sheepishly, that she hasn’t really had a proper conversation with Sero. The last time they interacted for a significant amount of time was during that first battle training exercise.

“So…you’re going to Kamui Woods’ agency, right?” Sero asks.

“Well, yeah, I…kind of screamed about it…” she mumbles.

“Right.” He grins. “I’m heading there too. We can go together.”

She blinks a few times. Kamui Woods took two interns? She has to admit, she kind of hoped that she was his only choice, but maybe having a classmate along for the ride could be fun.

She nods. “O-Okay.”

“Perfect, ‘cause there’s our train!”

He hurries off and she follows him, gripping the strap of her backpack as they go.

----------

Kemuri is honestly a little shocked to find that Kamui’s “agency” is more like “his apartment”. It makes sense that he doesn’t have his own agency, like other big name heroes, but still, she expected an office or something of that kind—maybe the agency he signed at before he went pro, and especially since his offer detailed a “Kamui Woods Hero Agency”.

“Uh…are we in the right place?” Sero asks. He’s reading a sheet of paper, no doubt similar to the one Kemuri received soon after accepting Kamui’s offer.

“This is the address,” she answers. “I guess…we should go in?”

“I guess.”

They go up the stairs, stuck in awkward silence. There are rows upon rows of doors watching them as they pass by and Kemuri starts looking for numbers. What were Kamui’s instructions again? Third floor, a few doors down…

“Oh, this should be it,” Sero says, making Kemuri jolt to a stop.

They both stare at the door for a second. Kemuri imagines knocking only for some grumpy tenant to open the door, yelling about two kids disturbing them. She darts a look up at Sero just as he reaches up and raps his knuckles against the door.

They wait a few seconds. Kemuri hears faint, thumping footsteps, and then the door opens. The man standing before them is wearing a baggy blue sweater, jeans, a face mask, a yellow scarf, and a hat with a brim so wide that it covers most of his face and hair. Kemuri’s gaze darts down to see brown hands covered in wood.

She frowns a little. She understands heroes wanting privacy, but man, she really wanted to know what Kamui Woods looks like under that mask of his.

“Um…Mr. Kamui Woods?” Sero asks.

“Oh, good! My interns,” the man says. “Please, come in.”

They shuffle inside, stopping to take their shoes off in the genkan. Kamui points to the two pairs of slippers sitting nearby. Kemuri takes the smaller red pair while Sero slips on the larger black pair.

“I’m sorry that we’re meeting here, but I felt that bringing you here would be less intimidating. Besides, you will be staying here for the next week.” He clasps his hands together and turns to the two of them. “I suppose I’ll show you your rooms first. Follow me.”

Kemuri takes in the apartment as she trails after the two males. It’s a nice place, with a decent-sized TV, a gaming system, and comfy-looking couches in the living room. There’s a small kitchen and an extra space just big enough for a small table with three chairs. He also has a lot of plants and wooden furniture, from the shelves to the cabinets and bookcases. She can’t blame him for sticking with an aesthetic.

They go down a hallway and Kamui points out rooms as he goes. “That’s the bathroom. There’s only one, so we’ll take shifts for things like showering and cleaning up before bed,” he says. “That’s my room. That’s just the cabinet for towels. Ah, here’s your room, Cellophane.”

Sero’s face lights up at the sound of his hero name. Kemuri shares his excitement. Hearing it out loud, spoken by a real pro, really brings the point home that, yes, they’re heroes in the making.

Kamui pushes open the door and inside, there’s a small bedroom with tatami flooring. There’s a bed, a small fan, and a bedside table. Kamui rubs the back of his neck as Sero walks in, setting his costume case and backpack on the bed.

“It’s not much, but I wanted you to have your own space,” Kamui says.

“It’s perfect, sir! Thank you!” Sero bows at the waist, all smiles.

“Glad to hear it.” Kamui turns and from beneath the brim of his hat, his eyes meet Kemuri’s. “Now, on to Smokey Eye.”

The more she hears her hero name, the more she likes it, and she hides her goofy smile as Kamui turns around, gesturing to the door across the hall from Sero’s room before reaching out and opening it.

“And, your room,” he says.

It’s the same as Sero’s—bed, fan, and a bedside table. The slight difference is that, while Sero’s walls were painted a creamy white, hers are pale green. She goes in, putting her things down on the bed. Kamui lingers, arms crossed over his chest.

“I’ll leave you two to settle in,” he says, clearing his throat. “Please come to the dining room in a few minutes. I want to discuss what will happen over this next week.”

“Yes, sir!” they both say.

Kamui disappears and Kemuri flops onto the bed, hands clapping over her face as she lets out a tiny, fangirling squeal. She’s in Kamui Woods’ house! This is the coolest thing ever!

She pulls out her phone and sends a text in the group chat, a simple “I’m already living for this” followed by way too many excited heart-eyes emojis. She puts her phone down on the bedside table and takes a deep breath.

“Hey, Shimakage.” She sits up and looks to the door, where Sero is leaning against his doorframe. He grins. “Are you as excited as I am?”

“I think so,” she replies. She gets off the bed, smoothing out her skirt. She starts to fiddle with her braid as she moves to the doorway and peeks out into the hall. “Should we…go?”

“Yeah, why not?”

He goes first and she follows. They go back into the main living space, where Kamui Woods is already seated at the table. He looks up at them when they walk in and he gestures to the extra chairs. They each take one, Kemuri taking the seat at the end that allows her to more easily see both Sero and Kamui. Sero sits between them.

“Alright, so…to start, I want to thank both of you for accepting my offers,” he says, aiming one hand at each of them before folding them together on the table. “I think that we can all learn from each other and, honestly, my plan for this internship works best with both of you.”

Kemuri darts a glance at Sero, but he’s smiling like he hasn’t got a care in the world. He has very straight teeth, she notices. It makes his smile very distinctive. She tries to mimic his easy look, but it’s much easier to just hold her slightly nervous resting face.

“I want to explain my reasons here, because…well, I am a rookie hero. There are plenty of heroes out there with more experience than me, so I want you both to feel like you’re in good hands.” Kamui tilts his head a little. “During the Sports Festival, I noticed that you both have one half of my two skill sets—mobility and combat. Shimakage, however, lacks decent mobility.” He eyes her. “That’s what cost you your lead in the obstacle race.”

“Right,” she says, bowing her head.

“Sero, you have impressive mobility. The way you move reminds me a little of myself,” Kamui admits, making Sero straighten up. “But, your first match with Todoroki…your combat was lacking.”

Sero’s shoulders slump. “Yeah.”

“But, I have confidence and a plan in mind. I’ll be training your quirks while also teaching you some hero basics, and you’ll be learning from each other while also learning from me.” He taps his forehead, or more like the brim of his hat, with one finger. “Do you get what I’m saying?”

“Yes, sir,” both students say.

“Good, because I want to get started right away. Go get your costumes on and meet me back in the living room.”

“Yes, sir!”

----------

With all three of them in their hero costumes, Kamui Woods urges them out of the apartment. They travel a little ways away to a small clump of buildings with roofs that are close together. On one of those roofs, Kamui explains his plan.

“Alright, Smokey Eye, I took the liberty of looking up your quirk. You have the ability to use smoke, fog, and steam emitted from your body. Correct?” Kamui asks.

She nods. “Yes, sir.”

“How often do you use your steam?"

“Well…uh, not very much. I use it when I help out at my dad’s spa, but that’s it.”

“You used it in the festival,” Sero reminds her. “To walk on Todoroki’s ice.”

She gasps. “O-Oh, yeah! I almost forgot,” she admits. “I tried using it to boost my running speed too.”

Kamui crosses his arms over his chest. “Have you done anything else with it?”

“No, but I want to. I…I want to get stronger!”

Kamui’s eyes glint from behind his mask. “Good, that’s what I like to hear.” He motions towards the gap between the buildings. “I want you to work on crossing large gaps using steam boosts from your feet. If you work on making the blasts stronger, I imagine you could use it like rocket boosters.” He pauses, then says, “No, more like walking on geysers.”

Kemuri’s eyes widen. “You…you think that’s possible?”

“It’s worth a shot.” He turns to Sero. “And Cellophane, there’s something here for you too. You have a good handle on your quirk, and it’s far more simplistic than Smokey Eye’s.”

“Ouch…” Sero mumbles.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with a simple quirk. What matters is what you do with it.” Kamui aims a finger at him. “I want you to catch Smokey if she falls. Swing in using your tape. Heroes have to be ready for anything and in a disaster situation, catching people happens a lot. Got it?”

Kemuri swallows hard and eyes the gap. “I…I’m not sure about this.”

“I’m also here to catch you if Cellophane doesn’t.”

She fans her face a little, trying to calm down. “R-Right.” She looks down at her feet. “I’m…gonna have to take my boots off.”

“Then get to it.”

She toes them off, heart pounding, gaze darting to the gap again and again. She prays that this doesn’t go terribly wrong.

----------

On the bright side, Kamui doesn’t immediately get Kemuri to throw herself off the edge of the building. He takes some time having her practice boosting herself into the air, timing the bursts of steam with her jumps. It’s strange to be using her quirk in such a way, but it’s exciting all the same.

While she does that, Sero works on attaching his tape to various holds. He has a lot of trouble with flat walls, often hitting them too fast as he swings down or having the tape itself rip off before he can land. Kamui has to catch him quite a bit with various branches coming off his arms, giving him tips after every failure.

After what feels like forever, Kamui declares that it’s time for their first test run. Sero readies himself, elbows aimed, and Kemuri stands on the edge of the roof. She stares down at the alleyway far below and feels her courage waver.

“Remember, no one’s going to let you fall,” Kamui says, tone smooth. “Be brave, Smokey Eye.”

She nods. She flexes her toes against the concrete, takes a deep breath, poises, and jumps with a burst of steam added in. She goes weightless, her eyes widening as her breath leaves her, and for a second, she just hangs in the air, soaring forward.

The second ends and as she starts to fall, panic sets in. She lets out a burst of steam from one foot as she yelps, pedalling at the air with her bare feet, but it knocks her off balance and she goes careening off-course.

She plummets, eyes squeezing shut, and she hits Sero’s solid body before she goes too far. He grins, lets out a proud laugh, and they promptly slam into the brick wall of the building across from them. They both groan, peeling off the wall, and Sero lets out a panicked shout as they fall again. He haphazardly shoots tape at the sky, as if snatching a cloud or passing pidgeon will save them.

Before they get too far down, a strong branch surrounds Kemuri and Sero, pinning their arms down, and they jolt to a stop. They’re slowly dragged back up to the rooftop, back to their straight-faced teacher. Sero flashes a sheepish grin and Kemuri turns completely red.

“Uh…oops?” Sero asks.

Kemuri closes her eyes, wishing her hands were free so that she could cover her face.

Kamui Woods sets them down before he sighs, pinching the space between his eyes. “We have a lot of work to do,” he mumbles.

----------

Kamui decides that, after that first disaster, he’s going to slow things down. Sero keeps practicing swinging between walls and buildings, finding different ways of anchoring his tape, and Kemuri practices boosting herself into the air more, trying to time her steps better.

“Imagine that you’re jumping from wall to wall, like in a video game,” Kamui says. “Boost off one foot, then the other. One, two, three, four—” He waves his hand about. “Use the motion of…climbing and walking at the same time, like…ah. Does this make any sense?” He groans. “I can’t find my words!”

Kemuri blinks a few times. “Uh…you mean…like climbing stairs?”

He snaps his fingers. “Yes, that’s it! You’re climbing stairs made of air.”

It does get easier to time things when she imagines that. When she climbs stairs, she usually can’t see anything except for the destination ahead of her. The motion of moving up and down flights of stairs are more muscle memory than any sort of visual thing. She thinks of all the times she’s seen other students climbing stairs, one hand on the railing while they watch the steps ahead of them.

It’s not something that’s exclusive to her, but still. It stops her from looking down, allowing her to focus only on the sky.

By the end of the day, things are only marginally better. At best, they’re aware of the new skill they need to improve, but it’s nowhere near perfection. Sero and Kemuri trudge back into Kamui’s apartment, sweaty and exhausted. The sun is sinking below the horizon.

“My arms hurt,” Sero mumbles.

Kemuri nods, shoulders sagging. Her feet and calves are sore and her brain aches from the effort of thinking of a rhythm while using her quirk. She doesn’t tend to use her quirk simultaneously with an action, unless it’s adding steam to her palms as she massages. This is a whole new level.

She has a long way to go.

Kamui watches them both for a moment, then his eyes crinkle at the edges. “You did good work today. For trying something new, you’re making good progress.”

Kemuri sags forward into a tired bow and Sero imitates her. “Thank you, sir,” they groan.

“By the end of this week, I want one of you to be sky-walking and the other to be a swinging, catching pro. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Go shower up and get changed. I’ll start making dinner,” Kamui says.

“Are we going to be patrolling tonight?” Kemuri asks as she drags herself back into an upright position.

Kamui shakes his head. “No. I’d patrol if it was just me, but my job for the week is teaching you two. There are other heroes that can do it for now.” His hands fall to his hips. “Tomorrow, we’ll be training and patrolling all day, so consider this your evening of rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. No fighting over the shower, and don’t take too long. We all want hot water. Got it?”

They both nod. Kamui disappears into his room, no doubt changing out of his hero outfit, and Sero lets out a long, tired breath.

“You can go first,” he says. “I don’t mind.”

Kemuri doesn’t even bother to argue against it. “Thank you.”

She takes her pyjamas and towels with her to the bathroom. The shower feels like heaven and she has to make a conscious effort not to just stand in the warmth forever. She climbs out, dries off, puts on her pyjamas, and ties her hair up in a towel hat.

When she opens the bathroom door, Sero is waiting, leaning against the wall with towels tucked under his arm, and she can hear something sizzling in the kitchen. Sero looks at her, then at the towel on her head, and grins.

“How do you do that?” he asks, pointing at it.

She blinks. “The towel?”

“Yeah, like…is your hair in it?”

He seems genuinely confused, and Kemuri has to stop herself from laughing. “You bend over, drape the towel over the back of the head, twist, then flip. Easy,” she says.

He narrows his eyes. “I don’t know about easy…every time I try, I fail.”

She purses her lips tight against another laugh. “You’ve tried?”

“I have shaggy hair, plus my mom and sister always do it.” He holds his hands up. “Don’t judge me.”

She feigns innocence, shaking her head. “I’m not, I’m not.”

“Then show me how, as soon as I’m done.”

“Alright.”

A little while later, Kemuri finds herself seated on the couch with a plate of omurice and stir-fried vegetables on her lap (Kamui apparently has a thing for organic food) and Sero at her side, a towel wrapped around his head. He looks exceedingly proud of himself. He already took a selfie with the two of them and sent it to a group chat called “Bakushimanaridosero”. “Pinky Cutie” is currently sending way too many laughing emojis, winking faces, and “so handsome oof” while “Hard Boy #1” is telling him that he looks refreshed and manly.

“That’s some name,” Kemuri comments as Sero puts his phone away.

He shrugs and digs into his food. “Mina said we needed a squad name, so…”

Kemuri purses her lips in thought. “Maybe something simple would be less of a mouthful.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Um…like Bakusquad.”

“Why does Bakugo get to be the squad leader?”

“I mean…I just suggested it because he’s the first name in Bakushima…Kaminari…whatever?” She turns red at how bad she murdered that monster of a name.

Sero thinks about it for a second, then nods thoughtfully and shoves more omurice into his mouth. “I’ll mention it to them. It is easier to say,” he says, food in his cheek.

Kamui returns to the couch with his own plate of food along with a side-plate of orange slices. He isn’t wearing the hat or face mask anymore—maybe he felt that staying super anonymous in his own home is annoying—and now Kemuri can see the rest of him. The wood on his body actually stops at the top of his throat, leaving a pretty normal face framed with shaggy, dusty brown hair that he’s pulled back into a ponytail. He has a couple of scars nicking his cheek, eyebrow, and the bridge of his nose.

She remembers a documentary that she saw a while ago based around his life. Apparently, his childhood was pretty rough, and she gets a little teary just thinking about the film.

“What movie are we watching?” Kamui asks. He scrolls through the options on the TV. “No horror movies, okay? I need you both rested for tomorrow.”

Sero mumbles something, but he’s already chomping down on the orange slices like he’ll never eat food again. Kemuri leans away from him a little bit, eyes wide. He can really pack it away when he tries.

“Um…I like comedies,” Kemuri admits. “And hero movies.”

“Oh!” Sero perks up, swallowing his food. “There’s that new movie out featuring…uh…” He snaps his fingers. “The Hollywood Hero, Starlet, right? I heard she was amazing in it.”

“We could try that,” Kamui says, already punching the movie into the search bar. He finds it and starts it up. “Perfect. Hit the lights, Cellophane.”

Sero lifts his elbow and deploys a stream of tape. It latches onto the light switch and he promptly yanks his arm down, dragging the switch down with it. The room dims.

“Well, that’s useful,” Kemuri mumbles.

Sero grins. “Thanks!”

They settle in to watch their movie and Kemuri feels a sense of contentment. She’s too tired to think of anything else than what’s happening right in front of her face.

Chapter Text

If there’s one thing that Kemuri can say about Kamui Woods, it’s that he takes hero work and training very seriously.

She’s never worked this hard with her steam in her life and Kamui refuses to train her with her fog. He insists that she’s spent almost a lifetime working on it, so she can spare a week to catch up with her steam. He also says that she knows how to train her fog, so she can do it on her own far more easily. He’s right, of course, but what she hates most is feeling this ridiculous in front of a hero she admires.

“Good! Keep up that rhythm!” Kamui calls as she manages to get a few mid-air steps in. When she comes back down, unsteadily, he gives her a water bottle and a thumbs up. “Do you feel any difference?”

She takes a gulp of water and looks down at her legs. “Well…sort of?” She lifts her foot and wiggles it. “I’m not used to using my steam like this, so that feels different in and of itself. It still doesn’t feel strong enough yet.”

“Quirks are physical abilities. You’re working out parts of your quirk that are out of shape,” Kamui says. “But, no one just wakes up and knows how to use their quirk effectively and creatively. It takes practice.”

Behind him, Sero goes hurtling by. His heels hit the roof, he skids, then faceplants. The tape extending from his elbow keeps clinging to the wall he stuck it to, and Kamui turns around. He crosses his arms over his chest as Sero gets up.

“Too much tape that time,” Sero says immediately. “Swung a little too low.”

Kamui nods. “Yes, good. Try it again. You want to be able to measure the distance perfectly with just a look.”

Sero turns around with a small sigh, deploys his tape, and goes soaring back off into the sky. Kemuri bounces in place, testing her steam a few times, and Kamui turns back to her. She purses her lips.

“I think I need to add more steam from different parts of my legs,” she says. “Like…my feet, but also my shins and calves. Make it more geyser-like.” She adds, “Also, I…want to be able to use it with shoes on.”

Kamui hums a little, stroking his chin. “Good idea,” he says. “Multiple pores aren’t an issue?”

She shakes her head. “It’ll just take more focus.”

“Good, then focus until it’s second nature.”

And so, she gets back to work.

----------

Kamui Woods breaks up quirk training with hand-to-hand combat, just in time to save Kemuri’s self-esteem (Sero improves faster than her on their respective quirk training). In combat, it’s Kemuri’s turn to shine. They go to a gym with an available dojo—a common hero training spot, apparently, and the workers seem unfazed when Kamui walks in. Sero and Kemuri spar for what feels like hours under Kamui’s watchful eye.

Kemuri has to hand it to Sero—what he lacks in skill, he makes up for in attitude. He’s a fast learner too, although he’s skittish when he fights her at first. As soon as she promises not to use her knockout move, he relaxes and focuses more on the movements that she’s trying to teach.

Kamui doesn’t say much as they fight, and Kemuri starts to wonder whether he’s going to put in his two cents at all. As she runs through the hip toss—the move she used to take down Todoroki in quirkless training—she realizes that he probably doesn’t have much experience fighting without his quirk. He’s a capture hero, good at evading and subduing opponents rather than engaging in heavy hand-to-hand combat.

She leaves it be. This is good practice, teaching Sero as they spar. It’s giving her the chance to run over what she already knows, then forces her to slow it down and really focus on each movement. She actually likes teaching Sero. It’s fun.

“That should be good for today,” Kamui says after a good long while.

Sero snatches a towel and wipes his face. “Thank goodness…” he mumbles.

Kemuri takes her own towel. Her quirk is good at regulation, but even she gets sweaty after a good, hard workout.

“Now, we’re going on patrol,” Kamui says.

Sero’s soul just about leaves his body and Kemuri hesitantly reaches over to pat his back. They leave the dojo and go get changed out of their keikogi and back into their hero costumes. Kemuri gives herself a few slaps on the cheek. Once those endorphins kick in, patrol should be easy.

----------

Patrol is easy, but not in a good way. There aren’t a lot of villain attacks, but Kamui Woods doesn’t let them complain.

“Being a hero isn’t about running around taking down villains,” he says. “We’re here because our presence itself deters villains and makes the public feel safe. Also, it’s good to interact with civilians. It humbles you, reminds you what you work for.”

Kemuri nods. “Right, sir!”

“So…smile and wave?” Sero asks, doing a tiny, mock wave.

“Correct,” Kamui says.

To drive the point home, he waves to a group of girls walking home from school and they start to squeal, waving back and grinning. When they look again, Kemuri lifts up her hand and waves too, hesitant, and one of the girls smiles back and returns the gesture. It makes her heart happy.

“It’s good for the people to know you, even if you aren’t a big name hero yet,” Kamui continues. “If you’re being saved, it’s far more comforting to see a familiar face than the face of a stranger. When you save people, you want them to feel relieved at the sight of you alone.”

“Like All Might?” Sero asks.

“He’s the best example, yes.”

The rest of Tuesday passes with few incidents. Kamui helps a little girl get her cat out of a tree and Sero fixes some broken shopping bags with his tape, earning a lot of adoration and attempted cheek pinches from a very sweet old lady. Kemuri catches a runaway basketball before it rolls into the street and gets a “thank you, hero lady” when she gives it back to the young boys who lost it.

“This is the part of hero work that most people don’t think of,” Kamui says. “But it’s no less essential than fighting bad guys and rescuing civilians from disasters.”

“It’s more relaxed than I imagined,” Sero admits.

“Mmhmm,” Kemuri agrees, nodding.

Kamui rests his hand on his chin. “Perhaps tomorrow we can take a trip out of this area, see if you can get some more experience.” As they perk up, he adds, “Remember, you aren’t qualified to use your quirks to apprehend villains yet.”

“Yes, sir!” they respond.

Before Kemuri goes to sleep that night, she checks her phone. The group chat has a few check-in messages; Hagakure is having a great time with Rebound, Shoji and Gang Orca are getting lots of work done, and both Ojiro and Tokoyami say that they’re learning a lot. Kemuri sends out a quick “saved a runaway basketball” message, complete with laughing faces, and flops down on her bed.

She checks the group chat for their class too, where a lot of people mentioned where they were going for their internships. Iida never answered, but Midoriya did, saying that Iida told him he was going to intern with Manual.

Kemuri knows Manual’s agency is in Hosu City, and Hosu is where the Hero Killer…

“I’m fine on my own. You should focus your attention elsewhere and just leave me be.”

She swallows hard and takes off her reading glasses before rolling onto her back. She mashes her pillow beneath her head a few times, staring up at the ceiling. Iida wouldn’t do something reckless. After all, he’s Tenya Iida, one of the most straight-laced, rule-abiding people she knows, and he’s fine on his own.

She tries to get some sleep. She dreams of a dark, rainy alleyway, glowing red eyes watching her from the far end. Rainwater glints off the edge of a blade. For some reason, she can’t move.

Chapter Text

On Wednesday, training continues as per usual. Sero is better at catching Kemuri when she loses her balance and while she still isn’t super steady, there’s a slight improvement with every failed run. Practice makes perfect, after all.

It helps that Sero is improving a lot faster than her, sparking a competitive streak in her that forces her to keep going even when she feels dead on her feet.

Kamui Woods knows how to keep them busy. They practice, practice, take a break for lunch, go on patrol, and then it’s right back to practice. Kamui spars with them during combat training instead of it just being the two of them, which is good practice in and of itself. Kamui’s no martial artist, but he knows how to use his quirk.

Kemuri is pretty sure that she’s going to forever smell like sweat at this point.

After yet another failure to properly walk on air, Sero brings Kemuri back to the roof and sets her down in front of Kamui. She bends over and braces her hands against her knees, shoulders shaking.

“You’re doing great, Smokey,” Kamui says. “You too, Cellophane. It’s only day three and I’m already seeing improvement.”

“Thank you, sir!” Sero says. He flips his visor up so that they can see his wide grin.

Kemuri sighs and slowly pulls herself. “I’m sorry, but…I don’t feel like I’m improving,” she admits.

Kamui reaches over and grasps her shoulder, giving her a serious look. “Learning a new skill takes time. You’ve only experimented with your steam before now, so of course, it feels slow. Mastery doesn’t happen overnight.”

She purses her lips tight. He’s right, of course, but she’s got that annoying, nagging voice in the back of her head. Her grandfather demanded fast learning and perfection and even when she was learning, he didn’t take kindly to too many mess-ups. A new skill was to be practiced until it was second nature.

Kamui’s hand tightens, snapping her out of her head, and she looks up at him. His eyes crease as if he’s smiling. “I can see you improving, so keep your chin up.”

She swallows and nods. “R-Right, sir!”

Kamui steps back and announces that evening patrol will start shortly, so they need to get going. His phone rings and he goes on ahead of them, taking the call as he goes, and the two interns head for the stairs that’ll take them back to the ground. Sero pulls his helmet off and scratches the back of his head, ruffling his hair while he massages his neck.

“You okay?” Kemuri asks.

He sighs. “My shoulders are driving me crazy,” he says. “All the swinging around is really working them out, but…man…” He winces a little as he starts making windmill motions with one arm. “Ouch…”

“I…could help,” she offers. He glances at her and she swallows. “U-Uh, my dad…runs a spa, and I’ve got a license that lets me use my quirk so long as it’s for cosmetic reasons. I could…” She feels herself turning red and looks at her feet. “I could give you a massage.”

Sero’s eyes stay wide. “There’s a quirk license for that?” he asks.

She nods. “Yeah. It’s like a cosmetology license from before quirks, but…with quirks involved. I got the training so I’m legally allowed to use my steam in certain situations.”

“Well, if it’s okay, then yeah. That’d be great!”

They enter the stairwell and Kemuri gestures for him to sit down on the staircase in front of her. He’s tall enough so that when she kneels down, he ends up being the perfect height. She stretches her fingers, gives them a wiggle, then gets to work massaging his shoulders, adding little puffs of steam as she kneads his aching muscles. Within seconds, he’s letting out soft sighs.

“Oh man…” he mumbles.

She clears her throat. “All good?”

He nods. “Ohhh yeah. Could you do my arms and elbows too?”

She does so, turning Sero into putty in her hands. She tries not to rush, but she can’t help but worry about keeping Kamui waiting. Sero looks lost to the world, a dopey smile on his face. Looking at him, Kemuri feels another round of worry plague her for an entirely different reason.

“Hey, Sero?” she asks.

“Mhm?”

She digs her thumb against a particularly stubborn knot. “I…I’m sorry. I feel like I’m stealing Kamui’s attention from you,” she says.

He blinks a few times. “Huh?”

She closes her eyes, embarrassed heat rising into her face. “He’s giving me a lot of encouragement and attention, but…not a lot to you. I…don’t want you to think that I’m trying to…uh…” She clears her throat. “I dunno…outshine you.”

“Oh.” He pauses, then lets out a chuckle. “I didn’t think you were.”

It should be comforting, but it just makes her feel more foolish. Classic her, overthinking everything. Her fingers are starting to ache, but the movement is so mechanical and easy for her that she works past the slight discomfort.

“O-Oh, ah…sorry,” she whispers.

He shrugs, wincing a bit as she finds another knot. “Don’t worry about it, Shimakage. I mean this nicely, but I think you need more encouragement than I do.” He glances at her just as she purses her lips and adds, “That’s not mean or anything, I just…think you could use it. You seem like the type who gets really into their head.”

“Well…” She sighs. “You’re…not wrong.”

Their phones beep in synchronization and Kemuri removes her hands from Sero’s shoulders with a start. They reach for their phones and glance down to see a text from Midoriya in the class group chat. There aren’t any words.

“A location?” Sero asks.

“In Hosu,” Kemuri says. She taps on the little beacon. “And…it’s in an alleyway. Near Echo Street.”

“Weird. Was Midoriya’s internship in Hosu?”

She shrugs. “I thought he was interning with that old hero, uh…” She snaps her fingers. “Grand Tornado?”

Sero shakes his head. “I can’t remember.”

As Kemuri’s attention drifts back to her screen, she types out a quick message to Midoriya. Just a brief, “Are you okay?”

Kamui Woods’ voice brings her back to the present. “Cellophane! Smokey Eye!” he calls, voice echoing up the stairs. “You coming?”

“Yes, sir!” they shout.

They hastily tuck their phones away and book it down the stairs.

----------

“What took you?” Kamui asks, arms crossed over his chest.

“Shima—Smokey Eye was helping me out,” Sero says. “My shoulders hurt a bit.”

Kemuri nods. “Just a quick massage. Sorry for keeping you waiting, sir.”

Kamui looks between the two of them, then nods. “Alright, so long as you weren’t goofing off,” he says. He turns, squaring his shoulders. “Let’s get going then.”

They start walking. It’s around seven o’clock p.m, the sun is setting behind the buildings, and there are still civilians bustling about on the streets. Again, there’s nothing big going on. Not even a store robbery. Kemuri is thankful for the peace, although she’s disappointed not to be getting too much action.

Midoriya’s text lingers in her mind and on her phone, burning a hole in her utility belt pocket.

“Um, Kamui Woods, sir?” Kemuri asks.

“Yes?”

“There’s…something bothering me,” she admits. “I…er, we…” She motions between her and Sero. “We just got a really weird message from our classmate.”

Kamui turns around as they step to the edge of the sidewalk, not wanting to get in the way of other pedestrians. “Weird, how?” he asks.

“No words, just…a location,” Kemuri says.

“He’s in an alley in Hosu,” Sero adds.

Kemuri swallows. “It seems like an SOS.”

Kamui doesn’t say anything for a second, then his shoulders sag a little as his arms unfold. One hand rests on his hip. Kemuri awaits his words with the eagerness of a child.

“That phone call I just got,” he says, eyes narrowing slightly, “was from my agency. There have been some Nomu attacks in Hosu City.”

Kemuri’s breath hitches and she hears Sero doing the same. Nomu…like that giant, hulking thing from the USJ? Her blood feels cold just thinking about it.

“Seriously?” Kemuri squeaks.

“I’m afraid so,” Kamui says.

“So…are we going? Do they need help?” Sero asks.

Kamui lets out another sigh. “There are already pros on the scene, including Endeavour, and by the time we get there, the whole thing will probably be handled. If anything, we’ll head out there tomorrow to keep an eye on things, especially if this is another League of Villains attack.”

Kemuri’s fingers tap against her leg to the beat of her heart. Midoriya is somewhere seedy, Iida is in Hosu, and…now that she thinks of it, Todoroki said he was going to his father’s agency, so if Endeavour’s in Hosu, then so is he. That’s three of her classmates in a dangerous area and the idea of them getting hurt makes her queasy.

Kemuri feels a hand touch her shoulder and she looks up at Sero. He smiles a little and gives her a tiny shake.

“Hey, I’m sure it’s nothing,” he says. “Besides, Endeavour’s there. They’ve got number two on their side.”

“Y-Yeah, okay,” she whispers.

Kamui lets them have their moment, then glances down the sidewalk. “For now, we need to focus on our area of the city. A large scale attack is important, but if everyone went for the big ones, then the smaller villains would get away with a lot more.”

As if on cue, an alarm blares from down the block and there are a few shouts. Kemuri searches the sidewalk ahead, just able to see a bulky figure booking it down the street. Kamui breaks into a sprint, urging his interns to follow, and they race after him.

----------

That evening, after the burglar was apprehended and things calmed back down, all Kemuri wants is to sleep and not think about anything.

“Hey, Shimakage?”

Kemuri stops outside her bedroom and turns to look at Sero. He’s leaning against the doorframe of his own room, hands tucked in the pockets of his sweatpants. He watches her for a second, then exhales.

“You seem a little off,” he says. “Like, you seem worried. Is everything okay?”

She purses her lips. Honestly, why does she have to be such an open book about things? It feels like, ever since she got to U.A and actually started getting attention from people, that she’s become more emotive than she thought.

“I’m…” She shakes her head. “I guess I am, yeah.”

“About Midoriya?”

“A little, but also…”

She stops herself, wrapping her arms around her middle. Sero’s an honest guy, right? She could admit something to him without it becoming class gossip. Not that this is anything super juicy, but she’d rather things stay anonymous, unassuming.

“I’m worried about Iida,” she says, just above a whisper. When he arches an eyebrow, she adds, “He’s been having a hard time with his brother, and he’s been acting…weird. I can’t put my finger on it, but…I can tell.”

Sero hums a little. “I didn’t notice, but…I’m not super close with Iida,” he says. “Do you know him well?”

“Sort of. We went to the same middle school, and…I guess I know his family too.” She reaches up and messes with her hair, silver strands threading through her fingers. “I don’t know, I just…have a bad feeling, like he’s going to do something stupid.”

“This is Iida you’re talking about, right?” He smiles a little, revealing his impeccably straight teeth. “He’s like the golden boy, stellar student type.”

“That’s true.”

“I’m just saying, I can’t imagine him to be the guy to break the rules.” He aims a thumbs up at her, winking. “Things will be okay, Shimakage.”

She smiles a little. “Thanks, Sero.”

“Get some sleep. We’ve got a trip to Hosu tomorrow!”

She bows her head a little. “Goodnight, then.”

“Yup. Night!”

He disappears into his room, shutting the door behind him, and Kemuri retreats to her own little haven. She does her best to ease herself of her worries, even trying to meditate, but at best, her anxieties only diminish slightly.

Chapter Text

There’s nothing on the news outlets about Hosu the next day, so Kemuri assumes that either the news hasn’t hit the stations or maybe it wasn’t much of an attack after all. She mulls over this while she jogs along behind Kamui and Sero, en route to an assignment.

Turns out, their trip to Hosu wasn’t in vain. When they first showed up, the police were taping off destroyed sections of the streets while pros patrolled the areas, stuck on high alert. While Kamui spoke with one of the officers about details of the attack—how the perpetrators got away, how their whereabouts are shady, etcetera—Kemuri stayed back with Sero, watching policemen and women directing traffic around the shattered streets.

Once Kamui got enough information, he returned to his interns and announced that, yet again, they were going on patrol. Kemuri elbowed Sero in the ribs as soon as he started to groan, cutting it off before Kamui heard him. They set out without any further complaints.

“Stay on high alert,” Kamui warns as they jog down the streets. “I doubt villains will risk pulling anything with all these heroes around, but you never know. There are some insane people out there.”

Kemuri stops short when she hears a scream and what sounds like a child crying, followed by low, enraged shouts. It’s a mess, but Kemuri finds herself turning towards the noise. Kamui and Sero also stop.

Kamui waves his hand as takes the lead, bringing them down a smaller street. The shouts and cries get more prominent the further they go and Kemuri searches the buildings above them, knowing the sounds are too high up to be coming from the street-level.

“There!” Sero calls.

Kemuri searches where he’s pointing, latching on to a balcony near the middle of a sizeable apartment block. A man stands on it, shouting, holding something that glints in the sunlight. At the other end of the balcony is a woman, shielding a sobbing child with her body.

Kamui cracks his neck. “I’ll get the weapon and the man. You two, be ready for—”

The man lunges and the woman screams. There’s a brief flash of light, probably a quirk, and the sound of impact followed by another terrified wail. The child is hanging onto the railing, feet kicking helplessly at the air. His fingers start to slip.

Kemuri can’t tell what’s going on with the man and woman, but she reacts nonetheless. She doesn’t take any time to think, her mind taking on one thought and one thought only; “Get to that boy.” She kicks off her boots as she starts running. She leaps into the air, adding a burst of steam at the last second, and she nearly chokes in shock at the force of soaring upward. Before she takes another breath, she focuses and adds another boost that gets her the rest of the way up. She snatches the child just as he loses his grip, securing him tight in her arms.

Before gravity gets the chance to yank her back down, a piece of tape loops around the railing and within seconds, Sero’s got both of them. Above their heads, Kamui has the man subdued, knocked out and wrapped in branches, his knife laying uselessly off to the side. The woman is seated, clutching her stomach as tears roll down her face.

The boy is still sniffling and shaking like a leaf, fingers scrabbling at Kemuri’s shoulders. She looks down at him as Sero starts pulling them back to the balcony, donning a smile.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she whispers to the boy. “We’re heroes.”

He sniffles, his watery brown eyes staring into hers. “Is m-my momma okay?” he asks. “D-Dad was gonna…”

This time, Sero answers, “She’s just fine, and your dad isn’t going to do anything else to you.”

The boy curls against Kemuri’s chest. “Thank you,” he whispers.

Sero lifts Kemuri and the boy onto the balcony, allowing the child to run into his mother’s arms. They hold each other desperately as she smothers her son’s face in kisses. Sero hands Kemuri her boots, wrapped up in tape, and she blushes a little with embarrassment as she rips the tape off and gets them back on. Kamui waits for her to finish before motioning them closer with his free hand.

“Check them for injuries,” he says. “We may need to bring them to the hospital.”

“Should we call an ambulance?” Kemuri asks.

“With the streets the way they are, it may take a while for them to get here. It’s more efficient for us to do so.” He eyes the victims, still hugging each other. “Be gentle, considerate. Don’t bring up the situation and stay hopeful, alright?”

“Right,” Kemuri and Sero reply.

They both turn around and the little boy looks up, making the mother do the same. Kemuri moves forward first, bringing herself into a squatting position before them.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” she asks. For once, she’s glad that her voice tends to err on the soft side.

“My head kinda hurts,” the boy says. He looks up at his mother. “And momma’s got a cut.”

The woman shakes her head. “It isn’t too bad, really.”

Nevertheless, Sero helps her up and asks if he can do anything for her. Kemuri can hear Kamui talking to someone, no doubt on his phone. While they work, Kemuri focuses on the boy. She reaches out and rests her hand beneath the boy’s chin, lifting up one finger.

“Follow this with your eyes, okay? Just like when you visit the doctor.” He watches diligently as she brings her finger back and forth across his line of vision. “Hm…your pupils are a little unevenly dilated.”

“Is that bad?” he asks.

She smiles. “It just means you bumped your head. That’s why it hurts,” she says. “Do you feel dizzy?”

“A little…”

“Hey, Smokey Eye,” Sero says. She looks up at him. “I think the mom’s got some broken ribs, and that little cut…”

He motions a little to the darkening splotch on her abdomen. It’s definitely not little, but Kemuri doesn’t say anything as she forces her face to stay neutral as she digs some bandages out of her utility belt and hands it to Sero. She tries to channel her inner All Might and smiles at the boy again, giving his golden hair a soft pat.

“We’re going to take you and your mom to the doctors, okay? They’ll fix you both up,” she says.

“Is momma okay?”

“I’m fine, Ichiro,” the mother says. “These nice heroes are going to help.”

“Kamui Woods, sir,” Sero calls as Kamui gets off the phone. “These two need to get some medical help.”

“We’ll head for Hosu General,” Kamui says. “I’ll bring this one to the police on the way.” The woman stares at the unconscious man and Kamui moves to her. “Ma’am? Am I understanding the situation correctly?”

She nods. “Y-Yes, take him away,” she whispers.

Ichiro wipes his runny nose, letting out a soft whimper, and Kemuri reaches her arms to him. He willingly climbs in, letting her lift him up, and Sero asks the woman for permission to carry her down to the ground. She accepts.

On their way to the hospital, Ichiro leans up and whispers in Kemuri’s ear, “You’re my hero.”

Her heart leaps.

----------

“A domestic incident, hm?”

“Unfortunately. It escalated to the point where we had to step in.”

Kemuri lingers nearby with Sero while the doctors examine Ichiro and his mother. Kamui speaks to a police officer who happened to be in the hospital. There are a lot of police officers at the hospital, now that Kemuri thinks about it. Far more than would be normal, but she’s sure there’s a reason behind it. The officer helping them writes down Kamui’s words in the notebook, having already taken both the victims’ statements.

The flash of light was indeed a quirk—Ichiro’s, in fact. He can emit light from his palms in flashes and, in the panic of the situation, he attempted to use it to get his father away from his mother. Kemuri couldn’t help but feel proud of the boy for being so brave in the face of very real danger.

She still feels a little jittery, the adrenaline of the situation hitting her full force, and she has to actively focus so that she doesn’t go drifting away, spacing out. She’s also feeling a little parched.

While Kamui keeps talking, she nudges Sero. “I’m going to get some water,” she whispers. “Be right back.”

He nods and she ducks out into the hall. There are a few nurses milling about, moving in and out of rooms while they check on patients, and normal civilians wander down the hall to go and see family members and friends. Kemuri wanders a bit, doing her best to remember where she saw a water fountain on the way in.

She eventually finds one, although it took a little longer than she hoped. She drinks, wipes her mouth, and straightens up as she adjusts her mask. Honestly, the most amazing thing about her mask is the fact that the lenses somehow don’t get smudged. It’s like magic.

If only every pair of glasses was like that.

Turning away from the water fountain, she realizes that she’s in a part of the hospital that she isn’t used to. Tensei’s room is in an entirely different section, closer to where people who have a long stay ahead are, while this area is dedicated to emergency victims and what not. She starts back down the hall, searching for signs pointing her back the way she needs to go. She curses not looking at her surroundings more.

Then, she hears a gruff voice say “U.A students” and “Hero Killer” in the same sentence, coming from nearby. Her blood turns to ice and she stops in her tracks, eyes darting to a room with a slightly open door. She can’t see much other than a massive shadow, but she swears she’s heard that voice before.

“Stain has some serious injuries; severe burns and several broken bones. Right now, he’s in the hospital under strict guard, woof.”

She nearly stumbles into the wall, eyes wide. First, that must be why there are so many officers around. Two…that “woof” is enough to tell her why she knows that voice. It’s the Hosu Chief of Police, a.k.a Kenji Tsuragamae, a.k.a her mother’s boss.

She reminds herself that this is none of her business, and if the Chief is here, then it’s serious business on top of that. This isn’t something that she should stick her nose in.

Despite that, she finds herself creeping closer to the door. Tsuragamae is still talking, saying stuff about quirk regulation, and Kemuri swallows hard. She just needs to know which students they are. If she could just hear their voices…

“That means the three of you, and your supervisors, Manual, Endeavour, and Gran Torino, are sure to receive harsh punishment for your gross overuse of power.”

Kemuri sure is glad she’s in a hospital, because she feels like she might have a heart attack. Those heroes are the ones Todoroki, Midoriya, and Iida are interning with. It’s those three—the one she knew was in Hosu, the one she found out was in Hosu, and the third she figured was in Hosu.

She hates being right.

“Now, wait a minute,” Todoroki’s voice comes next. “If Iida hadn’t stepped in, Native would’ve been murdered.”

At this point, the guilt gets the best of Kemuri and she races past the door on silent feet, hurrying for the nearest stairwell with her hands clapped over her ears. She heard too much and whatever is happening, it can’t be good. Her classmates were involved with the Hero Killer in some kind of incident, and it sounds like they ended up using their quirks against him. Her stomach twists at the idea of what that punishment that Tsuragamae mentioned is. Are they going to get kicked out of U.A? If they’re in the hospital, how bad are they hurt? What if she never sees them again after this? God, what if they had been killed? She would never...

She shakes her head against the questions plaguing her mind, flitting about like nattering hornets. They're alive, so don't even think about that, she thinks as she keeps moving down the stairs as fast as she can without hurting herself.

Todoroki mentioned Native, so maybe Iida noticed him in trouble and stepped in. Her hopeful side thinks that, but her logical side reminds her about Iida’s cold attitude leading up to the internships. It reminds her that, of all places, Iida chose an internship near where his brother was attacked. The puzzle pieces fit a little too well.

When she reaches the next floor, she finally pulls her hands away from her ears. She fans her face a bit and takes deep breaths, knowing that she can’t return to Kamui and Sero looking like she’s seen a ghost.

She glances up at the ceiling, as if able to see Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya through the panels and the floor above. She’ll have to wait for this story to hit the news outlets, and waiting is not a fun game.

Chapter Text

Kemuri does her best to distract herself, sending texts to her parents and friends about her little heroics act without mentioning anything about what she heard at the hospital. Their excitement for her makes things a little better, but that worry remains.

Then, Hagakure asks them if they also got a weird text from Midoriya, and Kemuri shuts off her phone. She doesn’t trust her emotions right now.

As she tries to fall asleep, her worry shifts into slight, tingling annoyance. It isn’t enough to be detrimental, but it’s enough for her to notice. Iida’s behaviour before the internships was so off and now, she can’t help but think that he did exactly what she feared he would.

If that is the case, could she have stopped him? If she had been more persistent and tried to talk to him, tried to be a better friend, then maybe…

Maybe.

Maybe.

That word makes her head ache.

----------

The news channels have a hay day. Stain’s defeat is plastered on every channel with the newly-named Hosu Incident getting some time in the spotlight too. The Nomu are already getting people talking about the League of Villains, although they pale in comparison to the Hero Killer.

Kemuri sits at Kamui’s dinner table, reading glasses on while she reads the paper in search of answers. Sero and Kamui have migrated to the couch, watching the news, and the news reporters’ voices mingle with the print on the page.

HERO KILLER ARRESTED!

GOOD JOB, ENDEAVOUR!

The End of the Hero Killer

Every article screams out praises and thankfulness. Kemuri is stuck on the fact that the story being told is that seven pro heroes and three high school students stumbled across the Hero Killer, then Endeavour rushed in and took care of it. The picture of the captured Stain shows him looking burnt and bruised, so it isn’t hard to buy that Endeavour took him down.

Still…it just doesn’t seem right to her. How did Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya all just happen to be in the same place at the same time, and around the Hero Killer to boot? Todoroki made it sound like Iida stepped in to stop the Hero Killer from killing Native, but…

She swallows back a wave of nausea. Even when she first visited Tenya and Tensei at the hospital, he spoke about Stain with anger in his words. She thought nothing of it when it was happening, but all she can think of in hindsight is the solemn way he looked at everything and how dead his eyes were.

He knew he was going to do something reckless and stupid, so he pushed his friends away and focused only on vengeance. She winces at the thought of his words during her last visit with Tensei, so…mean, so unnatural coming from him.

Her phone beeps and she practically lunges for it. There’s a message from Midoriya and she opens it with the same haste and anxiety with which she opened her U.A acceptance letter.

Midoriya
Sorry to worry you. I’m okay, really ^_^

Kemuri
You sure?
Your text came from the heart of the action…
Did the Hero Killer…?

Midoriya
Yeah…
Uh…it’s hard to explain.
Endeavour was there anyway.
I’m gonna explain a bit in the group chat later.

She leaves it at that. Some messages pop up in the group chat, answering to quite a few people asking if Midoriya is okay. He tells them that Iida got attacked by the Hero Killer, then Midoriya and Todoroki stepped in and played defence. Endeavour showed up soon after and saved them. They’ve got some injuries but all in all, they’re okay.

Kemuri doesn’t buy it, or…at least, not all of it.

“You two done breakfast? I want to get out there,” Kamui says.

Kemuri folds the paper, sets it aside, and brings her dishes to the kitchen. She has to focus on training.

----------

Training goes on as per usual, with lots of attempts and fails and falling and catching. Patrol is when things take an interesting turn, but not in the way Kemuri expects. It starts out fine, with her walking along with Kamui and Sero, when a feminine voice calls out and she sees Kamui visibly stiffen.

“Oh, Kamuiii…” the voice sing-songs.

Kamui sighs. “Here she comes,” he mumbles.

Sero starts to turn around. “Who?”

Kamui follows the motion. “The bane of my existence.”

Kemuri’s eyes widen at the sight of Mt. Lady with not one, not two, but three interns flanking her like her own squad of groupies. She has a smile on her face, eyelids drooped just enough that she looks flirtatious. Sero lets out a small noise and Kamui heaves another sigh.

Kemuri is more focused on the interns, although seeing Mt. Lady is exciting. Two of them are the identical twins, Ino and Yo Zandaka, while the third is none other than Mineta.

Kemuri finds herself admiring the hero costumes the twins have on. One wears a white jumpsuit with a single black dot in the centre of her chest, paired with a black mask, while the other wears the exact same outfit, but with the colours inverted. On their own, the costume seems bland, but when they stand by side it gives off the impression of a Yin and Yang symbol, a coordinated team.

“Fancy seeing you out here,” Mt. Lady says as she sashays up to Kamui’s group. “With your…two…interns.” She dons a wide, shit-eating grin, and Kamui gets impossibly tenser. Kemuri worries that if he stiffens up any more, he’ll just turn into a tree.

Kamui shakes his head. “Quantity doesn’t mean quality, Mt. Lady.”

Sero rubs the back of his helmet. “Hey, aren’t you two from class B?” he asks, pointing to the twins.

One of them, the one in the white outfit, nods and smiles. “Yup!”

The other, more straight-faced and wearing the black outfit, tilts her head so that her bangs slide further down the right side of her face. “I’m Ino, she’s Yo, and the short one is just a gremlin.”

“Hey!” Mineta whines.

“Don’t bad mouth Mineta,” Yo says, patting her sister’s arm. She reaches down and pets Mineta’s hair, letting out a floating giggle. “He’s just height-challenged.”

Mineta crosses his arms over his chest and pouts. “I haven’t hit my growth spurt yet,” he mumbles.

“We…know who he is, but thanks,” Sero says to Ino, who shrugs.

Mt. Lady raises her hand, motioning them closer, and she drapes one hand on Ino’s shoulder as soon as she’s close enough. “Kamui, meet my interns. These two make up a hero team of their own: Geminus.” She grins at the twins, who both bow their heads. “They can grow really tall too! I’d be stupid not to take them on.”

“Technically, we morph, growing to ten feet tall and gaining multiple limbs and eyes,” Ino says. She rests her hand on her hip. “Our quirk is called Fusion. We were destined to be a hero team from the moment our quirk manifested.”

“But it’s nowhere near as impressive as your quirk, my lady,” Yo adds. Kamui rolls his eyes at the last two words. “It’s…uh…” Yo stops, blinking, and looks to her sister. “She…grows too, right?”

“Yes, you’re remembering correctly.”

Yo exhales. “Oh, thank goodness.”

Kemuri quickly realizes that Ino is the brains of the outfit and Yo…Yo is the nice, slightly ditzy one. Mt. Lady gestures down to Mineta and her smile fades just a little.

“He’s Grape Juice. He really wanted to intern with me and I thought he’d be good at cleaning,” she states.

Mineta shudders. “I’m going to smell like toilet bowl cleaner for weeks,” he whimpers.

Sero laughs and Kemuri tries her best to smile apologetically. Yo insists that she thinks he just smells clean, to which Ino audibly groans and suggests that she “stop sucking up to the little turd”. Mineta pokes his tongue out at Ino and she retorts with the same childish gesture. Mt. Lady seems unsurprised by the behaviour of her interns.

“Honestly, you allow them to act like this in public?” Kamui asks. “You may have taken on more than you can handle.”

“I can handle a lot, Kamui,” Mt. Lady retorts. She eyes Sero, then Kemuri, and her magenta eyes sparkle. “Looks like you didn’t go for the vine-haired girl.”

“Mr. Redwood wanted her,” Kamui states. “Besides, Cellophane and Smokey Eye are stellar interns, and they at least know how to act respectable.”

“Why does Mr. Woods sound so mean?” Yo whispers.

Ino reaches up and adjusts her mask, despite it being firmly stuck on her face. “Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady have been rivals ever since she came onto the hero scene. She tends to steal his spotlight. If I remember correctly—” Kemuri boggles as Ino lists off the exact date and time almost a year ago when Mt. Lady debuted, destroyed a giant villain and stealing Kamui Woods’ thunder. “He is not mean. He is just trying to get a rise out of her.”

Kamui stares at Ino. Yo just nods and smiles, head in the clouds. Sero lets out a low whistle.

“Watch out for this one,” Sero whispers.

Kemuri startles as Mt. Lady’s face suddenly appears in front of hers. The girl freezes as Mt. Lady eyes her, touching the end of her braid. She straightens up and smiles a little at Kamui and he stubbornly holds her glare.

“At least you found someone cute,” she states.

“Ah, buh…huh,” Kemuri stammers. “T-Thank you?”

“Aw, that’s adorable. She’s all red!” Mt. Lady coos, only serving to make Kemuri even redder. “So, Kamui, how about we patrol together? Spend some time with me?”

“Two pros and five interns patrolling one area is ridiculous,” Kamui states.

“Aw, come on. It’s our first real patrol,” Mt. Lady adds.

“Huh? But…it’s the fifth day of internships,” Sero says. “What have you been doing this entire time?”

Yo raises her hand, bouncing in place. “Oo, oo, I remember! We…sit around the house, eating snacks, watching TV, and talking about boys while Mineta works very hard to keep things clean!”

Kamui scoffs, almost offended. “Internships are meant to teach!” he insists.

Mt. Lady laughs a little. “This area has been so slow lately. I was just keeping an eye out for the bigger crimes,” she says.

Ino nods. “In the meantime, she taught us a lot about being careful using our quirks. She also spent quite a lot of time ranting about you, Mr. Woods—”

“Ah!” Mt. Lady whirls around, aiming her hand at Ino. “Nope, don’t. That’s…not something you just say. Girl secrets, remember?”

Kamui blinks a few times and Kemuri covers her mouth to stifle a giggle. Sero and Mineta share a glance, then slowly look at Mt. Lady while Ino bows and apologizes. Mt. Lady runs a hand over her golden hair, clearing her throat.

“After Hosu, I felt a patrol wouldn’t hurt,” she says. “Besides, a large group would really keep those villains away. Don’t you think?”

Kamui eyes her, then heaves a sigh. “Fine…”

She grins. “Lovely! Thank you, Kamui darling.”

He shakes his head, turns, and urges his interns to follow him. Kemuri and Sero leap to attention.

“Can I vlog, my lady?” Yo asks. “Please?”

“Only if you get my good side, sweetie.”

“Why me?” Kamui mumbles to himself. Sero just seems happy to be spending time around someone like Mt. Lady. Kemuri tries to focus. If she doesn’t, then her mind will fill with anxieties that she doesn’t want to battle right now.

----------

Turns out, having more interns around is kind of fun. Kamui and Mt. Lady, despite their apparent rivalry, seem comfortable with each other and their banter is fun to listen to.

Ino is quite the conversationalist and it turns out that when Kendo mentioned a “photographic memory," she meant it. Ino quite literally remembers everything about everything. When she asks Sero about his quirk, she makes it into a conversation about the uses of tape and, to Kemuri’s surprise, Sero seems into it. He starts asking her about applications for his quirk and just like that, they’re off.

Yo is, in simple terms, energetic. She keeps her phone out, camera aimed, ready to record anything, even the most mundane things. She keeps turning the camera to herself, adding things like, “Mt. Lady can grow into a giant, remember? And Kamui Woods can manipulate wood on his arms! Don’t forget that, future me!” Hearing her talk, Kemuri almost feels sad. It’s like if she doesn’t record everything, she’ll forget it.

While they patrol, Yo films the squirrels that run past them on the sidewalk, the clouds, Mt. Lady laughing, and even spends a solid minute just filming Mineta walk, giggling to herself about his “cute little steps” and his “tiny cape”. Mineta starts to loosen up, abandoning his obvious annoyance at being Mt. Lady’s maid, and starts goofing around with Yo and hamming it up for her camera.

“What can I say?” he utters, winking up at her. He adjusts his belt. “The ladies love my walk.”

“I love it!” Yo chirps. She almost drops the camera as she tries to clap, making both her and Mineta startle, then dissolve into laughter.

Kemuri feels like she’s entered an alternate universe where Mineta is slightly less terrible than usual, although she doesn’t trust him for one second. One butt touch is enough to put her on edge around him for life. He seems focused on Yo, anyway. Her butt is probably safe from those grubby, yellow-gloved hands.

The rest of the patrol goes by with nothing major. The most exciting thing to happen is when some rabid hero paparazzi start hounding Kamui and Mt. Lady for juicy gossip about their “hidden relationship”. Mineta sticks the paparazzi to the ground with a solid line of balls so that they can’t pursue them as they run away. Kemuri adds in some fog to make sure they don’t get any more pictures.

“Honestly,” Mt. Lady sighs. She flicks her hair and taps Kamui’s chest lightly. “As if I would ever date you, much less have a secret relationship with you.”

Kamui nods. “Agreed. It’s ridiculous.”

As they keep walking, Kemuri wonders whether Kamui always had tiny flowers blooming from his arms. She definitely thinks he didn’t, but she keeps her mouth shut.

The groups split off once it gets darker, returning to their separate homes. Kemuri collapses onto her bed after her shower, her still-damp hair flopping around her face. Two more days, and then it’s back to school.

No rest for a hero in training.

Chapter Text

The last two days of training fly by. Kamui adds in some first aid training and crisis response to spice things up, going so far as to make powerpoints about the basics of both topics. Kemuri and Sero take notes like their life depends on it.

They also stop by the Redwood Hero Agency, run by the pro hero, Redwood. Both Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods started their hero debuts at his agency, due to the fact that he has an affinity for size and plant-based quirks, and Kemuri idly wonders why Kamui didn’t just send Kemuri and Sero here instead of his apartment on that first day. They notice Shiozaki from class 1-B at the office during their visit, working alongside Mr. Redwood himself, and she offers a wave when she makes eye contact. They wave back.

The best part of visiting the agency is seeing all the different jobs that go into it. There are secretaries, businessmen, sidekicks, support workers, and of course, heroes. Kemuri is simultaneously overwhelmed and starstruck, especially when Kamui starts introducing her and Sero to people.

“Congrats, Kamui,” says a woman with Venus Flytraps growing out of her shoulders. She feigns wiping away tears. “Taking on interns is a big step. You’re growing up so fast.”

A man with thorn-covered arms and roses for hair gasps when he sees Kemuri’s hair clip. “Oh, I love that! Such a lovely statement piece!” he gushes. He plucks a rose from his head and wraps Kemuri’s hands around it. “For you, my dear.”

She turns utterly red and can hardly form a thank you, only making the man gush further about her adorableness. Kamui swoops in and saves her, ushering her away under the pretense of having more work to do.

With quirk training, Kemuri pushes herself even harder. Kamui said he wanted to see some definite improvement by the end of the week and she isn’t about to walk away leaving him disappointed in her.

The biggest change is Kamui showing her how he holds his body while he’s in the air, then getting Sero to do the same. She’s at a disadvantage, not having anything she can use to latch onto her destination, but imitating their movements helps her keep her balance in mid-air better.

“Remember, Smokey Eye, focus on the feeling you got when you went to catch that boy,” Kamui says as she stands on the edge of the building, toes tapping against the grainy brick.

She takes a deep breath and looks over at Sero, already aiming a thumbs up her way, one hand braced against his lifted arm. He’s ready to catch her, as per usual. She hopes that this time, she won’t need him.

Her goal is the other rooftop. It’s got just enough distance and just enough height to make it a challenge and she has yet to reach it. Today’s her day. She can feel it in every fibre of her being.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She wants to feel where her quirk is going, where she wants it to come from, feel it pushing against the concrete and sending her into the air. She lowers herself, poised, then leaps forward with a burst of steam.

This time, she keeps her eyes on the roof ahead. She tucks her legs up and spreads her arms like wings, keeping her centre of gravity, and waits for the second she starts to fall. She feels gravity tug at her, then extends her legs with another steam jet. She gets higher. The roof looms.

At this point, she usually chokes. She messes up the rhythm or starts thinking about how far up she is. Today, she grits her teeth and keeps staring at the roof, not daring to blink. She springs her legs at the air, feels the pressure of her steam launching her forward, and she crests the edge of the next roof.

She tumbles unceremoniously onto the new rooftop, her hero costume protecting her against scuffed arms and legs. She hears cheering and scrambles to her feet, eyes wide. It felt like ages, but in reality, took maybe three seconds.

“YEAH, SHIMAKAGE!” Sero hollers as he lands on the roof next to her. He races forward and she doesn’t see his raised hand until he adds, “High five!” That prompts her to look at his raised hand.

She slaps her palm to his as Kamui lands lightly on the roof. Even she can tell that he’s smiling behind that mask of his. He moves closer and grasps her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.

“Nice work,” he says. His voice hitches and he coughs, clearing his throat and blinking rapidly. “Ah, it’s…good work. Good work. The landing will take some time but, kid…you did it.”

She bows at the waist. “Thank you so much, sir. I couldn’t have done it without your guidance.”

Again, she hears him cough, covering up a sniffle. “Of course,” he says. “You’re welcome, Smokey Eye.”

Sero joins her in the bowing. “I want to thank you too. I feel like I’ve gotten even better at mobility.”

Kamui sniffles again and as they straighten up, they catch him wiping his eyes through the gap in his helmet. “You’re making me tear up,” he mumbles. “I’m glad that I was of some use to you, Cellophane.”

“Are you okay, sir?” Kemuri asks.

He takes a long breath, then lets it out. “Oh, yeah, just…first time seriously taking interns. I’m glad it went well, that’s all.” When they grin at him, he shakes his hands about in the air. “Alright, that’s enough. It’s not quite time for you two to head home, so I want you two to do some sparring.”

“Sure,” Kemuri says as Sero gives their teacher a thumbs up.

Kamui’s eyes glint. “And I’m going to let you use your quirks.”

They eye each other, equal parts nervous and excited.

----------

Kemuri hates fighting Sero when he’s allowed to use his quirk. Why? Because he’s a sneaky little bastard.

She uses her fog, of course, but Sero has a way of laying down strips of tape just in time to trip her up. Even though she can sense them as they shoot through the fog, he’s too fast for her to evade them.

“Sero, I’m saying this lightly,” she says, “but damn you and damn your stupid quirk.”

He lets out a loud laugh. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you swear!”

She flushes hard. “It…doesn’t happen a lot…” she mumbles. “Sorry…”

“Aaaand there’s the Shimakage we all know.”

She focuses, eyes closing. There are strips of tape everywhere, on the floor and hovering in the air from where they’re attached to the far walls. Sero isn’t too far from her, but the problem is getting to him. She turns around, slowly reopening her eyes. He still can’t see her, so if she keeps on her toes…

Another strip of tape appears and she hardly has to duck as it flies past her shoulder. If he’s smart, he’ll be watching the back of his neck.

She tucks as low as she can and gets moving, leaping over and under strips of tape as she skirts around the edge of the cloud, dispersing more fog just in case. Sero is only a little ways away from her and if she can just reach him, then victory will be hers.

She lunges forward and there’s a yelp before he straight-up disappears, leaving Kemuri with her hand extended at nothing. She blinks a few times, not sensing him anywhere in the fog. After a second, she looks up.

“Sero—” she starts.

He grins at her, hanging upside-down from the ceiling on a strip of tape. He aims a peace sign at her, his visor lifted so she can see his wide, cocky smile.

“Almost got me there, Shimakage,” he says, clicking his tongue.

She eyes him for a second, then crouches. “You’re not safe yet.”

“Huh?”

She leaps into the air with a steam boost, propelling her up to his level, where she latches onto him like a leech and earns a satisfying screech. They tussle in midair for a moment, hands smacking and grabbing at each other, before the tape strip rips and they both go tumbling back to the ground. If it weren’t for the mats and Kemuri’s armour, it would’ve really hurt.

Kamui intervenes before they can start up again. “Alright, you two. I’m calling this a draw,” he calls, his tone more light-hearted than usual. As they untangle and return to him, he nods. “Nice use of your quirks. Glad to see you both thinking outside the box.”

Sero grins and Kemuri gives her arms a good shake. It was kind of cool, knowing that she wasn’t just trapped on the ground with no way to end the fight. She really was holding herself back from her potential.

Kamui checks his phone. “It’s time to get back to my place. You two need to pack and get going.” When their faces fall a little, his eyes crease at the edges. “Don’t look so sad. We’ve still got time. I’ve got one more exercise planned.”

“What?” they ask, eyes wide and slightly eager.

“A race across the city rooftops, all the way back to my apartment. I want to see that mobility training at work.”

Kemuri and Sero grin. “Alright!”

----------

The race back to the apartment was a little rough for Kemuri. Sero had to catch her a couple times, but all in all, she really got the hang of it. Instead of trying to “walk” on air, she used her steam to boost her jumps forward, giving her more distance.

It wasn’t as flashy as swinging around on branches or tape, but it’s her move and she likes it.

Now, she and Sero are dressed in their school uniforms, suitcases and costumes packed. They stand in the front entryway of Kamui’s apartment, facing their teacher. Kemuri has a selfie of the three of them on her phone and an autograph in her notebook.

“Not gonna lie, I’m going to miss having you kids around,” Kamui admits. “I hope all my future interns are as good as you two. You’ll make fine heroes.”

Kemuri has to stop herself from getting weepy. “Thank you again, sir.”

Sero bows. “This was an amazing experience.”

Kamui lets out a low chuckle. “I’m glad to hear it.” He rests his hand on his hip. “Be safe getting home, alright? And good luck in your further studies.” She can tell he’s smiling. “I’ll be keeping an eye out for pro heroes Smokey Eye and Cellophane in the next couple years.”

“We’ll make you proud, sir!” Sero promises.

Kemuri nods. The next couple of years, she thinks. It’s hard to believe that, should everything go well, she’ll be a hero like Kamui Woods relatively soon.

They say one more goodbye, Kamui makes sure they have money and everything else they need, and they head off together. Kemuri has her stick out, tapping lightly at the sidewalk as they go.

Kemuri wonders if she really got her thankfulness across. Kamui’s endless patience with her, his encouraging words and his constant reassurance helped her so much, showing her a whole new world. He saw something in her and pushed her to be better, showed her what she can do with her quirk.

He never called her weak. He stopped her when she tried to beat herself down. He believed in her.

It’s ridiculous how happy something like that makes her feel.

“That was really cool,” Sero says. “And, uh…I know Kamui taught us a lot, but I want to thank you too. You showed me a lot of new moves that will really help me up my game.”

“Oh, you’re welcome.” She smiles. “Thank you, too, for…catching me all the time, and showing me how to hold myself in the air. It really helped.”

He laughs. “No problem.”

They don’t say anything for a few moments. Birds fly overhead and clouds wander along, urged only by the gentle breeze. They both look at the sky, Kemuri’s stick allowing her to maneuver around obstacles that she can’t see.

Despite everything she’s been told, she feels like an equal while walking next to Sero.

“He said he was a rookie, but I’ve got to hand it to the guy. He knew exactly how to make us stronger and he showed us how we can teach and learn from each other,” he says. He looks down at her with a grin. “He’s a great teacher.”

She nods and returns the smile. “He…really is.”

Chapter Text

Kemuri expects everything to be fine when she gets back into the classroom. Instead, her eyes find Iida, his arms wrapped in bandages, and all hell breaks loose within her head.

She kept her cool for the sake of her internships and because, for what it was worth, the thought of Iida and his potential act of stupidity was nothing more than, well, thoughts. Seeing him now, with the bandages acting as a stark reminder that, yes, he got hurt…it’s a lot.

She hasn’t felt this annoyed, this wounded, since the Sports Festival. Anger buzzes in her head, hurt makes her heart ache, and guilt gnaws at her stomach like a rabid animal. It’s enough to make her nauseous.

Most people are gathered in groups, discussing their internships, and Kemuri finds herself looking around at everything. It’s like, after being gone for a week, she has to remind herself that this is the norm.

Kirishima and Sero are cackling. “Holy crap! What the heck, Bakugo?” they shriek.

Bakugo stands in front of them, his hair combed down nice and smooth. “Stop laughing,” he growls, teeth gritted, hands shaking. “My hair’s gotten used to this and I can’t get it back the right way.” They keep laughing. “Didn’t you hear me?! I’ll kill you both!”

“I’d like to see you try, pretty boy!” Sero taunts.

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!”

Kirishima and Sero laugh even harder as Bakugo’s hair poofs back to normal, spurred by the force of his pure rage. Bakugo tackles them.

“Man, Snatch was so cool,” Nishimura says to Koda and Sato. “The guy’s practically made of sand, so I could go all out without worrying about hurting him. It felt so good to really focus on my skills.”

“I bet!” Sato says, punching the air a bit. “I did a lot of patrols, but just learning from Beefcake was amazing. I think I raised my endurance levels a little during training.”

“Is it just me, or does Beefcake sound like the name of your, like…alter ego?” Nishimura laughs and pokes Sato’s bicep. “Get it? Beefy? Cake?”

Sato shoves him lightly, although it’s still almost enough to send him toppling off his desk, and Koda covers his mouth as the softest of giggles escapes him.

“Kemuri!” Hagakure calls. She’s standing with Shoji and Ojiro, with Tokoyami perched on top of Hagakure’s desk.

Kemuri hurries over to them, doing her best to smile. No time for negative emotions. “Hey, guys,” she says.

“How was your week?” Shoji asks.

“Pretty good. You already heard about the most exciting part,” Kemuri says with a shrug.

“Oh yeah, the domestic incident,” Hagakure says. Her shoulders sag. “So cool…I just did a lot of patrols and training.”

“I think quirk training is a given during internships,” Ojiro says, reaching out and patting her shoulder. “The most exciting thing I did was visit a gymnastics competition. Tumbler sponsors a lot of the teams, so…I spent a few days surrounded by kids and playing errand boy. It was kind of fun, in a way.”

Kemuri nods, then both her and Ojiro look at Tokoyami and Shoji. “What about you two?” she asks. “Anything notable?”

“Well, Gang Orca wasn’t afraid to push my limits.” Shoji scratches his chin lightly. “He…made me do a lot of swimming practice, and I helped someone find their lost cat. That was nice.”

“Hawks worked well with Dark Shadow,” Tokoyami says. “It was mostly just…patrols and training, and we ate an insane amount of fried chicken.” He bows his head. “But, thanks to him, I have some new uses for Dark Shadow.”

“Cool! Uh, Kamui showed me some new stuff, too,” Kemuri adds with a smile.

Hagakure leans closer to her, bouncing on her toes. “Ooo, like what? What are you two hiding?”

Tokoyami smirks. “It’s a secret.”

“Uh, same,” Kemuri adds, reaching one hand to cover her mouth.

“No fair! You guys are mean,” Hagakure whines.

Kaminari’s voice seems to snatch the attention of everyone in the room as he says, “Now, if you want to talk about the ones who really changed, it was those three.”

Kemuri turns to find everyone staring at Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya, where they are gathered around Todoroki’s desk.

“Oh, yeah! The Hero Killer!” Sero says. Both him and Kirishima are being held up by the scruff of their blazers by Bakugo.

“Glad you guys made it back alive,” Kirishima adds. “Seriously.”

Yaoyorozu, seated at her desk, rests her hand over her heart as she looks at Todoroki. “I worried about you too,” she murmurs.

Hagakure grabs Kemuri’s arm and drags her closer to them—Kemuri doesn’t get the chance to protest—and Shoji, Tokoyami, and Ojiro follow suit with a few more of their curious classmates. Sato and Nishimura look up from their conversation.

“You’re lucky Endeavour showed up and saved you guys,” Sato says.

Hagakure nods. “So cool! Just what I’d expect from the number two hero!”

Kemuri bites her lip hard and crosses her arms over her chest. Todoroki blinks a few times before looking at his desk. Midoriya and Iida watch his movements.

“Yeah, that’s right. He saved us,” Todoroki deadpans.

Kemuri wants to scream and rip her hair out. Those three know what really happened, they have no idea that she knows something about it, and oh boy, it’s making her antsy. At least Hagakure isn’t holding onto her wrist anymore. She won’t be able to feel her shaking.

“Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?” Ojiro asks. “Everyone’s been saying he’s somehow connected to the League of Villains.” He looks up at Shoji. “Can you imagine how frightening it would’ve been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?”

“He’s scary, yeah,” Kaminari says, a wide grin on his face. “But, did you see him in that weird video? It’s all over the internet.”

“I didn’t even know there was a video of him,” Ojiro admits.

Kemuri nods in agreement, although no one is looking at her. She didn’t exactly have free time for browsing villain videos during her internship.

“It keeps getting deleted, but people keep reposting it,” Nishimura says.

“Yeah, Stain’s a pretty evil villain, but like, super tenacious. He’s almost kinda cool, don’t you guys think?” Kaminari asks.

“Kaminari…” Midoriya whines, lips pouting.

Attention darts to Iida and Kaminari winces, covering his mouth. “Oh…dude, I—”

“No, it’s okay. You’re fine,” Iida says, raising his right arm a bit and staring at it. “It is true that he’s quite a tenacious villain. I understand why people might think he was cool, but instead of helping the world, his beliefs led him to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned.”

The excitement of discussing internships has pretty much disappeared. Kaminari removes his hand from his mouth, expression downcast, and Kemuri bites the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything. She has to fight against her own thoughts wanting to scream at Iida, call him an idiot, the like. She’d do the same for Midoriya and Todoroki, except something tells her that they didn’t mean to get mixed up in this, but did anyway.

“To keep anyone else from suffering like me, well…” Iida turns and chops the air with his right arm. “I promise, I will strive to be the perfect hero!”

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Midoriya says.

Iida starts waving his hands about. “It’s time for class to begin! Everyone, please take your seats!”

He keeps ranting and Tokoyami lets out a long sigh. “He’s back,” he mumbles, making Kemuri purse her lips. If this were any other day, she’d find Iida’s ranting adorable. It still is, but…well, she can’t enjoy it.

“This is your fault for talking about weird stuff,” Jiro mutters, eyeing Kaminari.

“Sorry, I’m gonna keep my mouth shut,” Kaminari says.

“Let us work much harder! All of us will become pros, and villains won’t stand a chance! Class 1-A shall ensure that there is peace!” Iida continues, unaware of the muttering from the others.

Kemuri goes back to her desk with Hagakure bouncing along behind her. Her shoulders stay hunched a little, her teeth gritted behind a blank resting face.

----------

It’s childish, but Kemuri does her best to avoid Iida at all costs. She doesn’t think it’ll be too hard, because why would Iida want to talk to her? She doubts he knows what’s going on and besides, he wants her to leave him alone.

Her thoughts are her worst enemies at the moment. Every time she looks at Iida, or Midoriya and Todoroki for that matter, she’s reminded of the Hero Killer and it sends her spiralling into her theories about what the truth is. The newspaper articles made it seem like, at best, they were attacked and they didn’t use their quirks at all. The story the class was told was that Midoriya and Todoroki defensively used their quirks, but not against the Hero Killer himself, and Iida was too injured to do anything.

She knows her classmates and she knows their quirks, their power. The Hero Killer has killed other pros before, obviously, but she can’t imagine him being strong enough to put three of their class’s strongest students on defence, especially Todoroki.

Then there are the bits that she heard at the hospital. Having a cop mom makes Kemuri increasingly aware of laws that most other people just know the basics of. Quirks can be used in self-defence in dire situations, like when Ichiro blinded his dad with his quirk, and quirks can be used in the privacy of your own home and in designated training areas. Public use is not allowed (although some use theirs anyway if they’re small and non-malicious), licenses are required to use them for certain jobs, and there is no way that you’re allowed to use it to apprehend villains unless you’re a licensed hero.

Tsuragamae wouldn’t have wasted his time if Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya were using their quirks for self-defence, and even if he did, he wouldn’t call it a “gross overuse of power.” An overuse of power is when you use your quirk to injure someone else or otherwise abuse its power.

So, the only thing that makes sense to her is the idea that those three boys used their quirks to attack the Hero Killer, maybe even defeating him, and that the story they’re telling is a cover-up so that they don’t get into worse trouble. If that’s at all true, then it’s an amazing feat, and it would explain why Todoroki sounded so angry at the hospital.

They did something heroic, but still illegal. She understands the frustration as much as she understands the police’s side of it. If everyone was allowed to use their quirks in the name of something they thought was noble, then the world would fall into chaos. The whole point of quirk regulation is to keep the peace for everyday citizens.

She thinks about all this and more whenever she sees them, and the look in Iida’s eyes whenever they see each other is guilty enough that it makes her stomach churn. Does he feel bad for how he treated her? He starts moving towards her when they make eye contact, as if he wants to talk to her, so there’s that.

For example, right now. All Kemuri wants is to go to the cafeteria and eat, but she makes the mistake of looking at Iida. His eyes widen and he starts towards her, moving like a toy soldier, and she does an about face and races off to the nearest bathroom, leaving her friends behind. She stands by the sinks, taking deep breaths, arms wrapped around herself.

The door opens and Hagakure enters. Kemuri drops her arms to her side and whirls around to face her friend.

“Girl, what the heck?” Hagakure asks. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I…had to go,” Kemuri replies. She turns back to the mirror and fixes her hairpin. “I’m…uh, I’m good now! Sorry about that.”

Hagakure doesn’t say anything as Kemuri leaves the bathroom, rejoining her very confused male friends. She can’t see Iida anywhere.

For once, she’s glad. She’s putting her foot down. He doesn’t get to be all cold and worry her half to death, then turn around and try to chat with her like nothing happened, like he didn’t almost throw his life away for something like revenge. It’s none of her concern, right?

“Kemuri, you seem…nervous,” Shoji says.

“I’m fine,” she replies. “Don’t worry about it.”

She’s a terrible liar.

----------

Soon, it’s time for Hero Basic Training and Kemuri welcomes the distraction with open arms. A place to let out all her nervous energy? Yes, please.

The class gathers outside an unfamiliar training zone, something like a makeshift factory or refinery, and All Might stands before them in all his muscular glory.

“I hope you’re ready to return to your lessons,” All Might says. “Feels like I haven’t seen you in a while. Welcome back!” He smiles even wider. “Now then, listen carefully for what’s in store. We’re going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you’ve learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training.”

“If it’s rescue training, then shouldn’t we be at the USJ instead?” Iida demands. He isn’t wearing his costume, and Kemuri guesses that it’s being repaired.

She imagines blades piercing his armour and has to swallow the urge to gag, one arm reaching to her stomach.

“That facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier, this is a race. So, prepare!” All Might gestures to the winding maze of pipes behind them. “You’re about to step into Field Gamma! Inside is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around. You’ll be competing in two groups of five and two groups of six.”

He pulls a remote from his belt and presses a button, lighting up a giant TV screen that shows an overhead map of the maze. Tiny arrows move towards a screaming All Might emoticon in the middle.

“Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I’ll send out a distress signal and you do what you must to rescue me!” All Might continues. “Whoever finds me first, wins! But, try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please.”

The entire class looks at Bakugo. All Might goes so far as to aim a finger at him.

“Why’re you pointing at me?” Bakugo growls.

All Might moves right along, separating everyone into groups. Kemuri lands in the first group, going up against Ojiro, Sero, Iida, and Midoriya. Her and Ojiro walk together to the other three, and Kemuri high-fives Sero when they get there. He winks at her.

“Get to your positions and wait for my signal! Everyone else, to the observation deck!” All Might calls.

“Since when are you friends with Sero?” Ojiro asks as everyone splits off.

Kemuri smiles a little. “We both interned with Kamui. I thought I mentioned that.”

“You didn’t.”

She rubs the back of her neck. “Uh…oops?”

Ojiro shakes his head and gives her a light, teasing shove before dashing off to his spot. Kemuri starts to smile as she eyes the winding maze of factories and piping. Time to show off her new skills.

----------

Kemuri watches her surroundings, ready for any sign of the distress signal. She bounces a bit on her feet, the metal cold against her bare toes. She’s up against three of the most mobile people in the class and, to the unknowing eye, she probably looks like she’s at a huge disadvantage. Midoriya is the only one she feels is completely unprepared.

“Is everyone ready? BEGIN!” All Might’s voice echoes out.

A horn goes off and Kemuri releases a burst of steam, soaring off her pedestal and landing on a wide strip of metal. She takes off across the platform, searching for another foothold that she can leap to. She finds it and goes sailing off again.

Walk on air, she tells herself. She holds her body the way Kamui and Sero showed her, tucking in for landings, adding bursts of steam when she needs them. She’s moving fast.

Up ahead, she catches sight of a spot of yellow among the silver pipes and starts to grin: Sero’s helmet. She pushes herself into a sprint, moving as fast as she can as she springboards off pipes and walls. She’s trusting her instincts and direction here more than her eyes, but that’s nothing new. It’s easier to listen for the signal and follow it using nothing but her ears. If she doesn’t, she’ll just get lost.

“What’s up, Cellophane?” she calls as she soars through the air next to him.

Sero grins, eyes narrowing. “Nothing much, Smokey Eye. Just about to win this race. You?”

“Oh, I was going to do the same.”

He laughs. “Your banter is getting better!”

She lands on a pipe and immediately springs off again, doing her best to keep up with Sero’s easy, smooth movements. As she flies through the air, neck in neck with Sero, a blur of green whips past them and she topples off balance. Electricity prickles her hair as she loses her rhythm, falling back to earth in a pinwheeling motion that turns the world into a spiralling mess of grey. She lets out a scream and squeezes her eyes shut.

Before she goes too far, she feels a hand grab her wrist and jolt her to a stop. She blinks a few times, utterly dizzy, and she doesn’t have to look up to tell that Sero’s the one holding her up. She’s gotten used to the feeling of his hands.

New habits die hard, apparently.

“What the…?” she starts.

“Midoriya,” Sero says. “He’s…fast!”

“Huh?”

Sero pulls her up, setting her on a platform before extending his tape out again. “I don’t know, but he isn’t breaking any bones, so I’m lost.”

He flies off and Kemuri follows, gritting her teeth. She can just make out a speck of green and…what is that? She blinks rapidly, confirming to herself that Midoriya’s entire body is definitely laced with some kind of energy. It looks like he’s glowing. Kemuri can’t wrap her head around it.

He drops out of her line of sight and she refocuses on the task at hand. The signal is coming from a water tower labelled “TEPPEN”. Sero is still ahead of her, but maybe…

She searches the area. The fastest way would be to just go through the air, no stopping on pipes and footholds. That way is safer and easier, but she needs to be fast right now. She can see another long pipe that makes the perfect platform for her to build up some running speed. The tower is close. Sero is still ahead.

She lands on the pipe, rolling once before popping back into a sprint. She goes as fast as she can, wishing that her bare feet had better grip. She reaches the end and jumps, pouring on the steam.

It’s like climbing stairs, just like Kamui said. When she imagines it that way, it’s easy to throw herself into the rhythm. Step, burst, step, burst, step—

She tumbles onto the water tower two seconds after Sero does, hitting the ground hard and rolling until she comes to a stop against the railing. She lays there for a second, waiting for the world to stop spinning so she can get off.

She really needs to work on her landings.

“Young Shimakage! Are you alright?” All Might asks, his footsteps making her rattle slightly as he walks to her.

She aims a shaky thumbs up. “Yup. Just…landing is hard…” She forces herself up, wincing at the ache in her shoulder, and All Might lifts her the rest of the way onto her feet like she weighs nothing.

The number one hero rests one giant hand on her unhurt shoulder. “That new technique is impressive. I take it your internship went well.”

She nods and straightens up. “Kamui Woods was a great teacher.”

“I’m glad to see you using your steam as well as your fog!” He removes his hand, giving her a thumbs up. “The rest of your group should get here soon. Again, well done!”

Kemuri walks back to Sero while All Might watches for the other students. Sero has his helmet tucked beneath his arm. He dons his wide smile when she comes towards him.

“You kept up, Shimakage,” he says as she stops next to him. “Although, if I hadn’t saved you—”

She clears her throat. “You could’ve let me fall…” she says.

Sero smirks. “I’ve been trained not to let that happen.”

Ojiro, Iida, and Midoriya arrive in close succession to one another, panting heavily with effort. Kemuri gives Ojiro a high-five while Midoriya lays face down on the ground, shame radiating off of him. Apparently, he didn’t pay attention to where he was putting his feet and slipped, costing him the lead.

“And it’s over!” All Might shouts as soon as they’re all gathered. He holds a sash out to Sero, who puts it on eagerly. “Thanks, hero, and congratulations!”

Sero aims one finger at the sky in celebration while Ojiro catches his breath and Iida makes sure that Midoriya is alright. Kemuri gulps down water.

“Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all showed me some incredible improvements!” All Might continues. “Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!”

“Sir!” all of them except Midoriya say.

“Group one, leave the field.”

Kemuri starts off with the others, making sure to keep Sero and Ojiro between her and Iida. She realizes about halfway back to their classmates that she’s still missing something.

“Dang it,” she mumbles.

“What’s wrong?” Ojiro asks.

She bows her head, cheeks flushed. “My shoes are back in the maze.”

Ojiro chuckles, shaking his head.

“I’ll go get them!” Sero says.

She can hardly shout a thank you before he’s off, swinging through the maze back to her starting point.

Chapter Text

“Kemuri! You were amazing!” Hagakure shrieks as soon as Kemuri is within earshot.

Kemuri opens her arms, ready for the incoming hug, and sure enough, Hagakure throws herself into the embrace and starts rattling Kemuri around in an energetic hug. Kemuri is far too familiar with the feeling of Hagakure’s bare skin against her now.

“You were jumping! And leaping! And you kept up with Sero like whoosh! Boom! AHH!” The screech makes Kemuri wince and Hagakure releases her, gloves swinging about in the air. “Did Kamui teach you that?”

“That was the secret,” Kemuri admits, rubbing the back of her neck. “I was just going to show you guys later, but…training beat me to it.”

Ojiro, still standing at Kemuri’s side, grips her shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze. “I didn’t see much, but…what I did see was pretty cool. You’ve gone from zero maneuverability to…”

“Maybe…fifty percent?” Kemuri suggests. “I’ve got some now, but it needs work. Like…landing, and speed can always get better…”

Hagakure’s gloves go still. “Kemuri.”

“Yeah?”

“You seem…relaxed. Like, super relaxed.”

Kemuri blinks a few times, tugging at her braid. “U-Uh, what? Am…am I?”

There’s the sound of lips flapping. “Okay, now you aren’t.”

“Oh, sorry…”

“Actually, yeah, I can see it too,” Ojiro says, stroking his chin. “You’re…different.”

Kemuri ponders that. Thanks to Kamui’s training and the relative success of the exercise, there’s a lot of excitement in her that she hasn’t had before. When she thinks deeper, a lot changed at once and maybe, she had to change with it.

Her grandfather stopped training her. She told her friends the truth about her grandfather and their relationship. Bakugo gave her the angriest pep talk of her life. Kamui Woods spent a week forcing her to be better, filling her with determination and positivity and grit.

She’s still her—shy, awkward, too unsure of herself—but she’s growing.

“I…guess, I feel different?” she admits. “My internship really helped kickstart everything, really, uh…showed me a new way of seeing everything, I…I guess. I really want to work on improving.”

“Kemuriiii…” Hagakure whimpers as she wraps her in another squishy. “I’m so glad to hear that, you have no idea.”

Ojiro smiles. “Me too.”

From the observation area in front of the TV, the trio hears someone telling them to hurry. They break into a sprint, Kemuri apologizing under her breath as they go.

----------

In the change room, the topic of interest is on the new skills that were showcased during the exercise. Tokoyami used Dark Shadow to swing from pipe to pipe, which is cool, and of course, Midoriya has some kind of freaky new way of using his power.

“I still can’t believe you made a hang glider, Yaomomo,” Mina says. Yaoyorozu shrugs, her cheeks slightly pink, and Mina shimmies out of her jumpsuit. “I wish my quirk was that versatile.”

“At least you can climb things,” Jiro retorts, folding up her costume jacket. “You and Tsuyu are both great at that.”

Tsuyu lets out a little ribbit. “You can’t do everything, though,” she says.

“But Kyoka and I have got nothing when it comes to mobility!” Hagakure says. Kemuri eyes her, wondering when she started using first names for the other girls. “And until recently, Kemuri was one of us too…” Kemuri can tell her best friend is staring at her as she whispers, “Traitor.”

Kemuri turns red and keeps folding her costume. “I…I wanted to show off what I learned. I’m sorry.”

“You and Deku really shocked us,” Uraraka says as she tugs on her dress shirt. “But it’s so cool to see what you two learned from your internships!”

Kemuri smiles. “Speaking of that…how was Gunhead? Please tell me he’s actually as adorable in real life as he is during interviews.”

“He’s so cute, Kemuri,” Uraraka says, letting out an “ugh” at the end of her sentence. “Like, he could take down a knife-wielding villain with his bare hands, no sweat, but he was…so cute? And he’s an amazing fighter!”

Kemuri has to hide a squeal. “I adore Gunhead. I can’t wait for you to show your stuff!”

Uraraka beams. “Me too!”

“Guys…ssh,” Jiro says, her earphone jacks lifting upwards.

The girls go quiet and Jiro slowly creeps to the wall. They can faintly hear voices coming from the other side and Jiro rests her hand against the surface, fingers brushing a small, barely there hole. She plugs her jack in and listens, eyes narrowing.

“Mineta,” she mutters. “He’s saying…Yaoyorozu’s curves, Ashido’s slender waist, Shimakage’s…” Her expression darkens even further.

Her earphone jack shoots through the hole in the wall and after a second, the girls listen to the satisfying sound of Mineta shrieking in pain.

“Ugh, thanks Kyoka,” Hagakure huffs.

“Despicable,” Yaoyorozu mutters. “We’ll close up this hole immediately.”

She moves over to Jiro and starts forming some kind of clay on the palm of her hand. Kemuri keeps getting dressed, although she moves a little faster. The rest of the girls do the same. When they get out of the change room, they’re greeted by Iida dragging Mineta down the hall by the ear, fuming about his “inappropriate behaviour” while the shorter boy clutches his aching eye, whimpering and crying.

“Thank you, Iida!” Uraraka calls after him. Iida waves at her but says nothing, still focused on scolding Mineta.

On the way back to the classroom, Kemuri glances at Hagakure’s bouncing uniform. She clears her throat.

“Hey, uh…Hagakure?” she asks.

“What’s up?”

“Um…I noticed…that you called Jiro by her first name in there,” she starts. “Uh…”

“Oh, yeah. A bunch of us girls just started doing that.” Kemuri stares at her and Hagakure lets out a gasp. “Oh! I didn’t mean to exclude you or anything! Mina just started doing it and I joined in, especially since Tsuyu and you like being called by your first names—”

“O-Oh, no, I…I’m not upset,” Kemuri says. She looks at her feet. “It, uh, got me thinking though. I…was hoping…maybe I could call you Toru?”

The invisible girl says nothing for a second. Kemuri looks up at her just in time to see tiny, floating tears materializing from nowhere. Kemuri’s eyes widen in alarm.

“Are you okay?!” she demands.

Hagakure sniffles and the tears wipe away. “I…I feel like we just entered a new level of best friendship,” she squeaks. “Yes. Please, call…call me Toru.”

“Okay…Toru.”

Hagakure hugs Kemuri’s arm and Kemuri tilts her head onto Hagakure’s silky, invisible hair. Kemuri’s heart feels very light, free from the emotions that have been following her all day for just a minute or two.

----------

“I’d like to remind you that midterms are coming up next week on Wednesday,” Aizawa says as he stands before the class. “So mark your calendars. Study hard. These tests will give us a ranking of where you stand in the class and give you an idea of how much you need to prepare for the written half of the final. Take them seriously.”

“Yes, sir!” the class says.

“And another thing,” Aizawa says. “Summer vacation is coming up. Don’t get excited. You can’t just relax an entire month.”

The class shifts about and Kemuri swallows. Whenever Aizawa tells them not to get excited, it usually means he has something devious planned. Is he going to give them a summer reading list a mile long? Extra assignments?

“You’ll be training while camping in the woods,” Aizawa says.

The entire class erupts with excitement, Kemuri included. A school camping trip was mentioned in the syllabus, but she had honestly forgotten about it in the rush of everything else that’s happened. It’s something totally new to look forward to.

“A big sleepover!” Mina squeals.

“Pools!” Mineta says.

“Fireworks,” Tsuyu adds.

“Hot springs!” Mineta shouts.

“And s’mores!” Iida says with a firm hand chop.

“SKINNY DIPPING!” Mineta is now foaming at the mouth. Apparently, his injured eye wasn’t enough to dampen his spirits or his hormones.

“Picnics,” Nishimura and Sato say at once, immediately turning and fist-bumping each other. Koda starts nodding and makes hand motions to them, eyes wide.

“Yeah, and bird watching too,” Nishimura says, making Koda grin and clasp his hands together in glee.

“We’ve been training in cities, so these will be very different conditions for most of us,” Yaoyorozu says.

“No matter what the environment, we must always remain vigilant,” Tokoyami states. He bows his head, eyes closed. “Yes, very wise.”

“Hanging out with everyone all summer?! I’M SO EXCITED!” Hagakure squeals.

Kemuri can’t process it all. She’s seen fireworks and gone swimming and such, but it’s always been on family trips. She’s never done anything like this with her classmates, much less actual friends. It makes her exceedingly nervous beneath all the eagerness.

“However,” Aizawa utters, silencing the class. “Those of you who don’t pass the final exam at the end of the semester will have summer school.”

“Everyone! Do your best!” Kirishima says.

“This is so stupid…” Bakugo mutters.

“All you girls better pass this thing!” Mineta urges, making Midoriya roll his eyes.

Aizawa sighs. “Important dates to remember. May 23 is the midterm. Finals are on July 5, and the training camp starts on July 30. Don’t lose those dates.”

“Aw, camp starts on my sweet sixteen?” Mina asks. She slumps back, her fluffy pink head landing on Tsuyu’s desk. “Lame!”

“You get to spend your birthday at camp with all of us,” Tsuyu says. “That’s not bad, is it, Mina?”

Mina pouts in thought, then grins. “No, I guess not!”

Aizawa gives up trying to corral the class and instead grabs his sleeping bag. “Class dismissed,” he mutters just as the bell rings.

In the hallway, surrounded by her friends, Kemuri feels anxiety take over. She grips her backpack strap in one hand and her stick tightly in the other. Hagakure is talking a mile a minute about everything she loves about summer and how she can’t believe the year is going by so fast already.

“And at camp, it’ll be a class 1-A sleepover!” she says. “Kemuri, can you imagine how much fun it’ll be? I can’t wait!”

“I guess, but…I’ve…never really had a sleepover,” Kemuri answers. “Not…one that I can remember anyway.”

Hagakure gasps so sharply that Kemuri is worried she might choke. “What?! But sleepovers are an integral part of childhood!” She whirls around to face the boys. “You guys have had sleepovers, right?”

“Sure, when I was little,” Ojiro says.

“I tend to avoid sleepovers. Dark Shadow gets very restless at night,” Tokoyami states.

Shoji glances at the ceiling, thinking. “The only time I’ve had a sleepover was the one time I stayed at Kemuri’s house, right after the Sports Festival.”

“Oh, yeah,” Kemuri says. “Forgot about that.”

Hagakure’s uniform is quivering and Kemuri wonders whether her invisible eyes are bugging out of her invisible head. “You two…had a sleepover? Without me?!”

“It…it wasn’t like that!” Kemuri insists.

Shoji nods. “I walked her home, we ate some snacks, and then I fell asleep in her bed.”

Kemuri turns red. “By…accident! Not…uh…”

Hagakure crossed her arms over her chest. “So this is why Bakugo set you two up.” As Kemuri starts to sputter and Shoji’s face turns pink, she giggles. “Kidding! I know that’s a revenge plot thing.” She uncrosses her arms. “Okay, I’ve decided right now that I’m going to make your summer fantastic and full of friendship. All of you.”

“If that is the curse of human company, I will allow it,” Tokoyami says.

Shoji’s eyes crease at the edges. “Sounds good.”

Ojiro smiles, tail wagging. “Can’t wait.” He reaches towards her as if to pat her shoulder, hesitates, and punches the air a little instead. “Glad to have our resident extrovert around to make us…social!”

Hagakure gasps. “Holy crap, I befriended all introverts. How?!”

“We’re adorable?” Kemuri suggests.

“You were drawn to our…quietness?” Ojiro adds.

Tokoyami, in a true Tokoyami fashion, utters, “You felt a deep magnetism that you could not hope to resist.”

“All of that is true, but mostly Kemuri’s. You guys are very adorable.”

Dark Shadow materializes above Tokoyami’s shoulder. “You ain’t bad yourself, girl!” he chirps.

Tokoyami’s eyes widen in alarm. “Dark Shadow!”

“Aw, thanks! You’re cute too!” Hagakure says with a giggle.

Tokoyami mutters something under his breath about being cursed while Hagakure starts petting Dark Shadow’s head. Kemuri observes for a few seconds, realizing this is one of the first times she’s heard Dark Shadow actually talk.

He really is another entity living inside Tokoyami. How edgy.

They head out the front doors and down the steps, moving towards the campus gates. Kemuri imagines the summer to come. She’ll be turning sixteen in June, and maybe she’ll have an actual party this year, and now she can also look forward to camp with her classmates.

Chapter Text

“Why are you avoiding Iida?”

Kemuri nearly chokes, clapping a hand over her mouth as she jolts up and away from the water fountain. Hagakure has her arms crossed over her chest, shoe tapping.

Maybe it’s because she’s such an emotive character in the way she speaks, but Kemuri feels like she knows the exact expression on Hagakure’s invisible face. Right now, she would bet money that Hagakure is staring at her with her eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed, lips pouted.

“I’m…not?” Kemuri suggests, darting a glance at the empty hallway. It’s the break between classes, so there isn’t anyone around. Thank goodness.

“Right. Sure.” Her foot stops tapping. “So, you racing into the washroom and taking the long way to class had nothing to do with the fact that both times, Iida saw you and—”

“Toru—”

“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on,” Hagakure continues, frustration hitching her words. “You were all quiet yesterday morning, and then you perked up in training, and then this morning you were back to being quiet. And I’m not analytical like you, but I’m pretty good at figuring out feelings and every time Iida looks at you, you turn away and your face gets all upset. What happened?”

Kemuri opens her mouth, then closes it. Her chest is all tight and all those frustrated emotions, emotions she’s been trying to push away, won’t leave her alone. She isn’t ready for a confrontation. She doesn’t know what she would say, doesn’t know if she would be able to keep her cool.

“Before the internships, he…” She purses her lips, starting to tug at her braid again. “He told me to leave him alone. I’m just…doing what he wants.” Hagakure lets out a small huff and Kemuri shakes her head. “I’d rather not go into details, okay?”

“Alright, if…that’s what you want. Just let me know if you want to talk, okay? I’m here for you.”

She smiles weakly. “Thank you.”

----------

Cementoss leaves the classroom once the lunch bell rings and Kemuri gets out of her desk, her tastebuds tingling at the thought of food. When the rest of her squad gathers, they head out of the classroom with the flood of other students.

“I’m thinking of getting soba today,” Hagakure says. “Hot or cold, though?”

“Are you in a hot or cold mood?” Ojiro asks.

Hagakure hums in thought. “Hot…I think. Or…gah!” Her sleeves flail. “I don’t know! There are so many options! Shoji, Tokoyami, help me out.”

Shoji shrugs. “I’m getting my usual.”

“As am I.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure, guys?”

Kemuri smiles as Hagakure starts doing her very best to convince Shoji that he doesn’t have to live off of takoyaki and that, despite his aesthetic, Tokoyami can stand to eat foods that aren’t black.

“Shimakage!”

Kemuri’s entire body erupts with goosebumps and she tries to pick up the speed. He’s resorted to calling her out now. That’s going to make things harder. Ojiro glances over his shoulder, then looks at Kemuri.

“Hey, I think Iida—” he starts.

“I know, just…keep moving,” she says under her breath, edging on desperate. Ojiro blinks a few times as his brow furrows in confusion and she adamantly refuses to look behind her. She has both a literal and metaphorical tunnel vision.

“Kemuri!”

That makes Hagakure stop talking as Shoji and Tokoyami turn around. The rest of her friends stop moving and she walks right into Ojiro, letting out a short yelp. Crap, crap, crap—

She hears running footsteps coming to a halt and just the faintest hint of fast breathing. She keeps her back turned.

“Kemuri, can we talk?” Iida asks.

Her entire face is hot and she can tell that not only Iida, but all of her friends, are looking at her. Hagakure is the only one who has a slight idea of what’s happening. Kemuri grits her teeth a little, frustration clawing and ripping at her chest like a trapped wolverine.

She makes herself turn around and immediately regrets it. Iida looks like a kicked puppy, his glasses slipping down his face. He looks so desperate that it confuses her. Is her behaviour affecting him that much? She can’t wrap her head around it.

He said he didn’t need her.

“We can go on ahead, if you want,” Ojiro suggests, fidgeting a little on his feet. Tokoyami and Hagakure nod. Shoji’s eyes dart between her and Iida.

Kemuri screams internally. She turns away from Iida, unable to look at his expression. “No, we can go. Let’s go,” she whispers.

“Kemuri...” Hagakure starts.

She starts off again, but her friends don’t follow. Her stomach does somersaults and she grits her teeth harder, eyes stinging, head full of static. Why can’t he just leave her alone? That’s what he wanted! Why is he so insistent on—

The sound of an engine makes her startle and before she can blink, Iida is skidding to a stop beside her. He plants himself firmly in front of her, arms spread out like wings, eyes locked on her. He’s definitely breathing faster now, his hair windswept.

“Please,” he utters.

It was easy to distract herself once the internships started. It was easy to focus on herself, just like he wanted. Now…

“Why should I?” she whispers. His lips part, shock enveloping him, and she feels her throat burn as hot as her cheeks. “You…you said you wanted me to leave you alone. I’m doing my best.”

There’s the kicked puppy look again. “Kemuri, please let me explain.”

She shakes her head. The last thing she needs is to cry in front of him in a hallway with plenty of watchful U.A students around, or worse, explode at him and, dare she imagine it, shout at him. She isn’t a yeller. She doesn’t explode, but she feels pretty freaking close.

She tries to brush past him; keyword, tries, but as soon as she goes to duck under his arm, his hand wraps around her wrist and holds her in place. She yanks against him, starting to tremble with a who-knows-what clusterfuck of emotions.

“I will get down on my knees and apologize in the middle of this hallway if that’s what you want,” he says under his breath. “I don’t care where it is, but…you need to listen to me.” A pause, then a softer, “Please, Kemuri.”

God. Damn it. She’s so freaking weak.

She nods a little as she releases the tension in her arms and, taking her cue, he leads her off to somewhere quieter. She keeps her eyes on the floor, far too aware of his hand on her skin, his expression burned into her head, taunting her.

They stop in an alcove. One of the overhead lights has burnt out, leaving the area darker than the other hallways, and it’s tucked away from where anyone else would be strolling by. They won’t be interrupted here.

Iida releases her wrist and she backs up until she hits a wall, crossing her arms over her chest. He stands in front of her, arms pressed to his sides. She refuses to lift her eyes enough to see his face. She has to hold onto her frustration just a little longer, because that’s the only thing keeping her from crying. Her anger is ice, cold and hard, but her sorrow and worry is fire that, any second now, will melt all that ice away.

“I am so sorry,” he whispers. She doesn’t move. “I…I was rude and you didn’t deserve it. I have so many excuses but none of them validate what I said to you.”

She swallows hard. “I don’t understand.” She hears him inhale, ready to speak, and she raises her hand. “Don’t. Let…let me talk, okay? All I wanted,” she says, “was to make sure you were okay, to make sure Tensei was okay, to…to be someone you could lean on, and…and you treated me like dirt.”

“I know.”

“It…it was like I didn’t even know you anymore.”

“I…I know. I…”

She finally looks at him to find that he’s bowed his head, leaning his body forward. She watches him, sees the bandages playing peek-a-boo from under his sleeves.

“Hosu,” she says, and he tenses. “I…was at the hospital, the day after the attack, for a mission.” His body straightens, eyes wide. “I heard Chief Tsuragamae talk about the Hero Killer, how you stepped in…”

“Kemuri…”

She takes a sharp breath. “The story Midoriya gave the class, it…it didn’t sit right with me. Why would you three get attacked by the Hero Killer all at once? And Midoriya sending out his location…it was like a cry for help.”

The guilt dragging his eyebrows and mouth down is enough to solidify her thoughts, but she needs to hear it. She needs him to tell her what happened, tell her that her worry wasn’t misplaced and that she isn’t some crazy chick with an overactive imagination.

“You went after him, didn’t you? That’s...why you chose Manual, why you chose Hosu.”

He purses his lips. She waits.

“Yes.”

Actually hearing it is like another punch to the gut. She asked for this, she reminds herself. She wanted him to confirm, but god, she still hoped that maybe it wasn’t true. Her eyes sting.

“I…searched for Stain and found him in an alley. If Midoriya hadn’t shown up when he did, I would be dead,” he continues. It’s his turn to avoid eye contact. “Then, Todoroki was nearby and he answered Midoriya’s call.”

“And Endeavour?”

“A cover story. To avoid punishment from the police. We…”

“You three…you three are the reason he’s behind bars.”

Iida opens his mouth, closes it, and nods.

Her knees go a little weak and she braces her shoulders against the wall, holding herself up somehow. That tightness is back, covering her in a cold sheet that threatens to swallow her up. Iida exhales.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” she whispers. “You, being so reckless, it…it didn’t…” She lifts a hand to her mouth and inhales, shaky. “Did…did you even think for one second…about…”

Tensei’s forlorn expression, the worry on his parents’ faces, Midoriya and Uraraka…

He’s looking at his left hand again. He didn’t elaborate much to the class, just said there was some damage. If he was seconds away from death, then it must be more serious than he’s letting on.

“Tenya, your arm…how bad is it?”

He looks up as if snapped from a daydream. “There was some serious nerve damage, so…I’ll have trouble moving my fingers, and feel some numbness from time to time.” When she gasps, he shakes his head. “There’s a chance for full recovery, but I won’t get it fixed until I have paid for my un-heroic actions. That includes letting my anger take hold, resorting to revenge, and…being cruel to those who just wanted to help.”

She slides down the wall until she’s sitting, crossing her legs and pressing her skirt down to the floor as she lets herself sag. Her eyes are still itching and something inside her is welling up, waiting for its chance to burst. After a second or two, Iida’s footsteps approach and he sits down at her side. They stare straight ahead for a few minutes.

“Kemuri,” he murmurs. “During the attack, I had to be protected by my friends. Then, before, you…you were protecting me too, but emotionally, and I lashed out. I was…ashamed.”

She nods, but can’t get herself to speak.

“And…and that night at the hospital,” he continues. She feels him shift at her side and when she glances up, he’s turned towards her a little. “I felt weak, and…I don’t want to feel weak in front of you.”

She blinks a few times, lips parting. “What?”

“Everything that happened with Tensei shook me to my core, consumed me, and I was blinded.” He purses his lips. “I didn’t even notice when you were injured because I was so narrow-minded—”

“You…you know about that?” she asks. Her body aches with phantom pain. “With my…?”

“Grandfather, yes. Yaoyorozu informed me that he…stepped further over the line.”

She shuts her eyes, gripping the material of her skirt. “Does everyone know?” she asks in a small voice.

“Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and I know,” he says. “And we haven’t told others.”

“Bakugo knows too,” Kemuri admits, making his eyebrows arch. “And…my friends. I told them.”

“Oh, that’s…that’s good.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry. My…point in bringing that up, is…you were in need, and because of my hatred towards Stain, I ignored you and only thought of myself. I want you to trust me, rely on me, and…I’m so sorry that I broke that trust.”

She purses her lips, inhales, tries to hold it together. “Don’t…don’t you think that—” She feels the tears coming, ready to fall, and she speaks even as her voice breaks, “I want you to r-rely on me, t-too?”

Tears roll down her cheeks and she releases a laugh that quickly dissolves into a sob, tears blurring the rest of her vision into nothing. She hears Iida shift and then his arms are around her, pulling her against his chest as she cries.

She didn’t think it hurt this much until now, when she’s letting it all out, feeling utterly destroyed from the stress of worrying and deliberating and questioning herself over and over. He put her through the emotional wringer right when she needed it the least, and…come to think of it, no one has ever apologized for hurting her before, physically or emotionally.

She keeps her eyes closed, wanting to focus on everything else; his warmth, his smell, the sound of his breathing and of his voice. He could have been killed. He could have been ripped away from her and she would have never seen him again, never heard him shout at their classmates and chop at the air or adjust those stupid glasses or smile at her…

Jesus, she has it bad.

"I'm sorry..." she says through her tears. "I...I was so worried, and...and..." She can't get her words out, can't voice just what she's feeling and how she isn't as angry as she thought she was. Emotions are so confusing.

His cheek brushes the top of her head as she tilts it onto his shoulder. “I…I promise, I will do whatever it takes to regain your trust,” he whispers. “I don’t expect forgiveness, but…please, consider it, and only give it to me once I’m worthy of it.”

She snakes her arms around his broad torso, gripping the back of his uniform shirt and dragging herself impossibly closer to him. She can feel his heart pounding next to hers. He’s alive.

There’s still an ache, but the weight of it has lessened.

Chapter Text

The next day, Hero Training was based around survival, and class 1-A had some guests come in from Isamu Academy High School. One of the guests had some kind of zombie quirk, resulting in a mini-apocalypse straight out of a cheesy zombie movie. The quirk wore off just as Midoriya made a desperate attempt to escape his zombified classmates, resulting in plenty of injuries.

Kemuri tried to use a steam boost from her calves and the bottom of her feet to slow her fall, but she still had shoes on and she blasted herself off course, nearly rocketing her boots off in the process. She ended up plastered to a tree trunk, nose bleeding and face full of splinters.

She got out of Recovery Girl’s office before her friends and, realizing that she still had her costume case with her, she saw her chance to go and put in a costume change request.

That’s how she ended up in the Development Studio at the end of a very long, rather tiring day.

“Is the armour still working alright?” Power Loader asks as he digs out the instruction manual.

“Oh, yeah! It’s great, I…uh…” She rubs the back of her neck. “I need something else changed. I learned a new skill, but I can’t use it unless I take my shoes off.”

Power Loader smirks a little. “Ah, I see. That happens a lot, so no worries. As students figure out uses for their quirks, it’s common to see plenty of costume changes,” he says. “So, walk me through what you’re thinking.”

“It’s nothing huge, really. I like the ankle boots, but I need vents or something on the soles so I can use my steam without taking them off.” She fiddles with her fingers. “I use my steam like boosters to move, if…if that helps.”

“I think I’ve got what you’re thinking of. I’ll look up some designs and get to work,” he says, giving her a thumbs up. “It should be ready before training tomorrow, and if not, then…”

“Oh, no rush,” Kemuri says, shaking her hands about. “Thank you, sir!”

“You’re welcome, Young Shimakage.”

She hurries out of the studio, feeling a little chipper. Training wasn’t great today—Bakugo isn’t much of a team player—but making updates to her costume is exciting. She wonders what it will be like to move around when she has that extra traction.

“Miss Shimakage!”

She stops and turns around to see Principal Nezu standing outside his office, the door ajar. He waves a large paw, all smiles.

“Oh, hello, Principal Nezu,” she says, bowing her head a little.

“You’re just the student I wanted to see! Do you have time for a chat?”

She blinks a few times, then glances down the hallway. Aizawa will understand if she’s late because the principal wanted to talk, right? And her friends will definitely understand.

“Yes, of…of course,” she says.

She shuffles into the office after him, gravitating to one of the comfier chairs. She expects him to sit at his desk, but he climbs onto the chair in front of hers and starts pouring hot water into two teacups. She wonders whether he always has tea prepared just in case he has a visitor.

“So, how are you, Shimakage?” he asks, handing her one of the teacups. It smells of fruit and something flowery.

She cups it in her hands, not yet taking a sip. “I’m fine. It’s been…a little crazy, but it’s fine.”

He nods sagely. “And how is your family life? It was lovely seeing your mother here the other week with the Shinsos.”

She purses her lips. “Oh, yeah, it’s…better.”

“Has your grandfather hurt you since the last incident?”

Boy, she chose a bad time to take a sip of tea. The hot liquid shoots into her nose and she coughs, nearly spilling the rest of the tea onto his rug. The temperature itself doesn’t faze her—her steam is just as hot—but the sensation of liquid up the nose is still uncomfortable.

“W-What?” she sputters. She digs out her handkerchief and coughs into it a few more times.

Nezu is still smiling, but it’s softer now, less manic and unnerving than his other ones. “I believe your ears work fine, Miss Shimakage.”

Oh, so I didn’t hear him wrong, she thinks.

She takes a few breaths, her sinuses still burning a little. “He…he…no. No, he h-hasn’t.” Nezu nods, eyes closing, and she stares at him. “I’m sorry, but…but how did you…?”

“I’m the principal! It’s my duty to make sure that each of my students is safe and happy!” he says. He shifts in the too-big chair, paws tapping against his cup. “Also, I am incredibly intelligent and I know how to piece together puzzles, even if they are occurring in real-life events.”

“B-But…”

She runs through the list of people who know, the people she begged not to tell. Her heart pounds. Who betrayed her?

“If you want to know specifics, I have had a few faculty members express concern about what you’re dealing with at home. I have also heard your classmates discussing it with each other, unsure of what to do and how to help.”

She just keeps staring. She feels like she might puke and that fruity, flowery tea that seemed so welcoming only a few seconds ago is now repulsive. She wraps her arms around herself and tries to remember how to breathe.

“I also picked up some concerning clues in your letter to Young Shinso,” he continues, “as well as hearing about your grandfather’s unkind nature from your mother, among others.” She stays mute. “How is your family life, really?”

Her jaw clenches and she feels herself shaking. “It’s…it’s not that bad. Whatever you heard, it…it just looks bad, but it isn’t. My grandfather doesn’t hit me, except…except for that one time, b-but it’s not that bad. It’s not.”

“Abuse does not have to be physical to be valid, Shimakage.”

There’s that word again. Abuse. She hated hearing it coming from Bakugo’s mouth and now, hearing it from the principal of all people, it just hits her again. This can’t be abuse. It’s strict, sure, but abuse happens in fists, in screaming and kicking and shouting. It doesn’t happen in a home where, for the most part, she feels safe. It doesn’t happen in homes where she has two parents who love her.

Her parents…

“I have noticed…that you tend to protect people. You worry for them,” Nezu says. His tone is lighter, but no less serious. “You protected another examinee at the Entrance Exam, and you were concerned about ruining Young Shinso’s chance at heroism due to the incident at the festival.” His beady black eyes stare into hers and she looks away, biting her lip. “Who are you protecting now, if not yourself?”

She bites her lip even harder and grips the material of her skirt. “P-Please, don’t…don’t get legal stuff involved,” she whispers.

“Why?”

Her eyes are stinging again. “My parents…they’re good, kind people. They would never do anything to hurt me, but…but if my grandfather gets attacked for a-ab…” She chokes on the word and slams her eyes shut. “Their livelihood, the reputation of my family, it would be destroyed. I…I can’t let that happen.”

“But, you are dealing with someone who is psychologically hurting you, and has been for years. And your parents—”

“I meant what I said,” she insists, desperation making her voice louder than she intended. Nezu blinks at her and she gulps. “I…I mean…” she says. “The only reason they haven’t done anything to stop it is because I haven’t told them everything. They’ve spent my entire life worrying about me, trying to give me the best life, and…and I need to do this on my own or else they’ll just keep worrying. They don’t know how far grandfather went and, for…for what it’s worth, he has more power than either of them anyway so telling them probably wouldn’t do much. He owns the house, he brings in most of the money, if…if he falls apart, then I don’t know if…if…”

She chokes again, reaching to clutch at her heart as she sucks in sharp, shaking breaths. Her head is pounding and she’s dizzy. Why is this room so hot? Her chest hurts. She can’t breathe, she can’t breathe—

“Shimakage, it’s alright,” Nezu’s voice sounds near her. “It’s alright, breathe.”

She feels a paw touch her arm, patting it, and his voice continues but she doesn’t hear the words. She forces her mouth open, gulping air like water as she slowly bends over and rests her head between her knees. Her fingers grip her hair.

After a few minutes, some of the panic subsides and she reaches to touch her face. It’s wet. Was she crying too? God…

“I understand your fear,” Nezu speaks again as she slowly sits back up, slumping into the chair. “And it’s true, a lawsuit would be a lot to handle. I would not advise it anyway, as your mental health seems very fragile at the moment.”

She doesn’t argue. She’s cried too much in these last two days. She’s dealt with too many emotions.

“I did not call you in here to suggest taking legal action, anyway, but I did want to discuss getting you help,” he continues. She lifts her head enough to see him as he smiles. “I want you to spend some time every week talking to Ms. Midnight or Mr. Hound Dog, whichever one you choose.”

“Huh?”

“Hound Dog is the school guidance counsellor, and Midnight does have a license to help with therapy, believe it or not. I think that talking to them, even for just a few sessions, will help you sort through everything you’re feeling and teach you how to manage it.”

Now she needs a therapist. Great. As much as she hates the idea, as much as she wants to keep believing that she can do this on her own, she doesn’t make a sound to argue. She thinks of how upset her friends were when they found out, how shocked Todoroki and Yaoyorozu and Iida were, the sorrow on Recovery Girl’s face…

She hates it, but if anything, she’ll do it to put her friends at ease. She doesn’t want anyone else worrying about her. She’s spent her entire life dealing with that.

“It’s not weakness to admit you need help,” Nezu adds.

She exhales. “Can…can I talk to my parents about it?” she asks, just above a whisper. “I…I need just one day…where I don’t have to confront anything major. I’m…I’m so tired.”

“Of course. Let me know of your decision, but only when you’re ready. Take a week if you need.”

She nods. “Can I go home now?”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

She stands, bows to him, and leaves the office.

----------

When she gets home, she stands in the genkan for a second before slipping off her shoes. She hears someone shift in the living room, then soft footsteps approach. She looks up as her dad appears, wearing a retro Peacekeeper t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

“Hey, Kemmy,” he greets with a smile. “How was school?”

She opens her mouth, makes a weak noise, and promptly bursts into tears.

She just keeps crying, even when she feels her dad bringing her into a hug, petting her hair and murmuring to her while trying to find out what’s wrong.

“I’m so tired, dad,” she weeps.

“That’s okay, sweetie. You’re allowed to be tired,” he says. She sniffles, the tears still coming, and he pulls away from the hug just enough so that he can drag his thumbs beneath her eyes. “Why don’t you go get some comfy pyjamas on, I’ll get some snacks, and we just have some daddy-daughter time, okay?”

She nods. “O-Okay.”

A few minutes later, she’s cuddled up at her dad’s side, arms wrapped around her soft and squishy Fatgum pillow, whom she lovingly refers to as Mini Fatgum. She keeps her head on her dad’s shoulder while they watch TV. For a few hours, she just focuses on spending time with him, her dad who loves her and cares for her and wants what’s best for her.

“Dad?” she whispers.

“Yeah?”

“I…was offered some therapy from U.A,” she says. He makes a noise in his throat, hardly a “huh”, and she adds, “My teachers and peers are worried about me, so…Principal Nezu offered to let me talk to someone about it, work through my…feelings.”

“About your grandfather?”

She nods.

Cayden sighs and slumps back against the couch cushions and Kemuri hugs Mini Fatgum a little tighter.

“Do you want to do it?” he asks.

She sighs. “No…but I need to.”

“I think that’s what a lot of people experience, Kemmy.”

She blinks rapidly, her chest getting tight. “I…I don’t know how to react,” she whispers. “To…to people being worried, to…having people who care about me. I’m still…the same old Kemuri who spent middle school alone, w-with no one…” She buries her face against Mini Fatgum’s head, crushing his smile a little. “I don’t…I don’t understand why they…”

Cayden lets out a soft laugh that she feels vibrate through his body. His hand falls to her hair, stroking through the loose strands. “You have friends, Kemuri.”

“I don’t know why they like me.”

“You’re a great kid.”

“I…don’t feel great.” She lifts her head, smoothing out the crumpled face on the pillow. “And my classmates, my friends, they’re all…amazing and cool and beautiful and sweet and good, and I’m…” She stops stroking. “I’m just me.”

He pauses, then says, “You want my advice?” She nods. “You have everything that you admire about them, but I bet they have something they admire about you too. You just…don’t think of it.” She looks down and he shifts again, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing. “I get it, though. This is your first time having some real friends, and it’ll take some time to adjust, but…you’ll come out stronger in the end. These people are the ones who will be with you for years to come, in high school and in the workforce as heroes.”

She nods again. In the past, before quirks, and with anyone going into normal work nowadays, high school is more like a stepping stone, a chance to figure out where you want to go once you become an adult, and University or college is where the training and higher education comes in.

At hero high schools like U.A, those three years are the training and most graduates become real heroes not long after they leave the school. Some even get the chance to start working before they graduate. The classmates she has now will most likely continue to be a part of her life far into adulthood, and thinking of that is a little scary. There’s so much future ahead of them.

“Just…don’t be afraid of them caring about you,” Cayden says.

He rubs her shoulder and she looks at him, meeting his dark blue eyes, the wide, goofy smile. His curls wave as he tilts his head. She feels her chest burst with how much she freaking loves her dad.

“Don’t let fear keep you from being the best person you can be, either,” he continues. “You’re…so much braver than me, Kemuri, even if you don’t see it. You get that from your mom.” A laugh, a smile, wrinkles forming by his eyes and then fading. “You’re going to do great things, my girl. I know it.”

She leans against him as he kisses her forehead, his stubble scratching at her skin. “I love you, dad,” she whispers.

“I love you too, honey.”

On the table, her phone beeps. She reaches out and checks the notification.

Shoji
So…I’m thinking we could go on our date on Saturday?
If you’re free ^_^
Just let me know!

Her eyes widen a little and she sets the phone down, vowing to answer it a little later as she settles back in to watch the movie.

“Hey, dad?”

“Uh huh?”

“I’m…going on a date, too. On Saturday.”

“…what? With who?”

“…Shoji.”

Cayden blinks a few times, then shakes his head as he lets out a laugh. “Wow, you’re growing up fast.”

Chapter Text

Kemuri decides to wait a bit more before telling Nezu her decision. She needs Thursday and Friday to be calm, normal, so that she can be as relaxed as possible for her date on Saturday. Nezu said there was no rush.

Thursday goes by. After school, she trains with Ojiro in the dojo and catches her grandfather glancing in just as they finish a sparring match. She catches his eye and he moves along as he turns his head away. She settles back into the ready position as Ojiro’s tail lashes, a smirk on his face. She returns it.

It’s good to get back into training with another person.

On Friday, the nervousness starts nagging at her more, so much that she can hardly focus on their studying. Turns out that, in their friend group, Kemuri gets the best grades and Ojiro isn’t that far behind her. She ends up helping the others out a lot, mostly with English. Being bilingual is exceedingly helpful.

“Uh, guys? Are any of you free to hang out after school?” Kemuri asks as they work on quadratic functions. She’s starting to tap her pencil on her notebook, toying with her braid in her other hand.

“I’m not, sorry,” Hagakure says. “I’m going shopping with my mom for my dad’s birthday!”

“I promised Naoyuki I’d take him and his friends to the arcade,” Ojiro adds.

Shoji shakes his head. “I’ve got chores. Sorry.”

Tokoyami shrugs. “I’m free. Why?”

Kemuri lifts her head, blinking a few times. “Oh, I…just…wanted to hang out.”

In truth, she wants to spend some time out of her house. Her parents are letting her grandfather know about her date with Shoji and she wants to give him plenty of time to calm down before she gets home.

Tokoyami arches an eyebrow at her. “We can, then. Do you want me to come to your house or—”

“No! No, uh…” She flushes. “Not…my house.”

Hagakure shifts in her chair, setting down her pencil. “Is everything okay at home, Kemuri?”

She purses her lips, reminding herself that she’s supposed to be honest with her friends. “Well…it is, but…” She glances up at Shoji, then looks away. “My parents are telling my grandfather about the date tomorrow, so I want to give him time to calm down.”

All four of them nod in understanding. “Good plan,” Ojiro says.

Shoji smiles a little. “Maybe he’ll have a stroke,” he mumbles. Noting the alarm on Kemuri’s face, he adds, “Just a small one. Enough to put him in the hospital for a bit.”

Tokoyami pops an apple slice into his mouth. “I’d gladly give you a reason to escape,” he says.

She smiles. “Alright, sounds like a plan.” She starts to write again, then adds, “Oh, and…thank you.”

Tokoyami nods. “Anytime.”

----------

They end up at Tokoyami’s house, playing Super Smash Heroes in his room. Tokoyami lounges on the floor and Kemuri sits cross-legged on the bed, leaning forward a little in concentration.

Dark Shadow hovers next to Tokoyami and barks out orders, urging him to punch and jab and kick. On the screen, Hawks and Gunhead duke it out. Kemuri sucks, to put it plainly, but it’s still fun.

After another defeat, Tokoyami leans back against the bed, tilting his head back enough so that he can see Kemuri. “Do you want to play another round?”

She shakes her head, handing Dark Shadow the controller. “My eyes kind of ache. I need a break,” she admits.

“I’ll play!” Dark Shadow insists. “Lemme play!”

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow play a round. Kemuri lays down on her stomach folding her arms beneath her chin. Not gonna lie, she’s a little defeated at the fact that a sentient quirk is better at video games than her. While she watches Gang Orca and Ryukyu battle, she turns her head enough that Tokoyami reappears in her line of sight.

“Have you ever been on a date?”

He doesn’t physically react, but his thumb spasms against the controller and Ryukyu’s avatar nearly plunges off the edge of the stage. He clears his throat and keeps playing.

“No, I haven’t,” he admits.

“Have you had the chance to?”

“Perhaps, but I do not fall in love easily, and I think most women are put off by my appearance.”

She frowns. “Oh, that’s kind of…sad.”

He shrugs. “I suppose, but then again, I don’t mind all that much.” Dark Shadow cackles as he gets a few decent strikes in, but Tokoyami calmly counters. “Why?”

She exhales. “I’m nervous.”

Tokoyami nods a little. “That’s understandable.” He wins the round, making Dark Shadow call him a cheater and retreat back into his torso. “If you’re worried because it’s Shoji, then there’s no need. He is a good man.”

“I know he is, but…it’s…” She groans and flops, arms and head hanging off the edge of the bed. “I’ve never been on a date before. I don’t know what to wear or what we’ll talk about or…or anything!”

He shuts off the game and sets the controller down before crossing his arms over his chest. “You will talk about what you always talk about, just one on one. The fact that it’s a date doesn’t mean the conversation has to change.”

She lets out a long groan. “I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

He watches her for a second, then stands up. “What are you two doing? For your outing?”

She finally lifts her head as she pushes herself up. “Dinner, then…we’re just going to go with whatever we feel like. We wanted to do something casual.”

“Are you eating at a fine dining establishment?”

“It’s not fast food, but it isn’t…crazy expensive.”

Tokoyami rests one hand on his chin, then nods. “Alright, so for your outfit, you must find the intermediate between formal and casual. Do you own anything like that?”

She flushes. “I…have the dress I wore to Iida’s party.” She grimaces. “And otherwise? T-shirts and jeans…” His eyebrow raises as a smile lifts his beak and she waves her hands about. “It’s just, I usually don’t have to worry about clothes because I’m in school anyway and we have a uniform so t-shirts are easiest and I’m not good at makeup either so—”

“Deep breath, Kemuri. I’m not judging you,” he says. “I may be able to help.” He moves to his bedroom door and leans out into the hall. “Mother?”

“Yes, Fumi?”

He cringes at the nickname. “I could use your assistance, if you aren’t busy.”

There are a few far-off clatters, then footsteps, and Himari appears in the doorway. She smiles at her son, then her gaze drifts to Kemuri. Kemuri waves.

“What is it?” she asks.

“Kemuri doesn’t have anything to wear for a date. Do you have anything?”

Himari gasps, her feathers puffing up a little. “Do I?! Of course! Hold on, let me go and grab some things!” She giggles. “Oh, this is so exciting! I never got to dress up a daughter!”

“Mother…”

“Look at you, Fumi, being so sweet and helpful to your friend.” She pinches his cheek and he shies away, arms crossed over his chest. “Be right back!”

As she walks away, Dark Shadow pops out and shakes his fist. “Touch him again and you’ll face me!” he calls.

A floating, feminine voice that doesn’t belong to Himari retorts, “Oh, can’t we all just get along? I do not wish to fight you.”

“Goody goody,” Dark Shadow grumbles before disappearing.

Kemuri blinks a few times as Tokoyami turns around, head bowed, trembling a little as gloom settles over him. He mutters something under his breath about “overbearing” and “affectionate” as he shuffles back into the room.

“Uh…thanks for your help, Tokoyami,” Kemuri says.

He sighs. “Of course. It’s no trouble.”

“Shimakage! Can you come here, dear? I have something for you to try on!” Himari calls from down the hall.

Kemuri gets up and hurries away, leaving Tokoyami with some privacy.

----------

Mrs. Tokoyami is very…exuberant, but Kemuri is thankful that she’s going to all the trouble of helping her. Himari knows something about fashion, it seems, and Kemuri wonders if that’s where Tokoyami got his sense of style from.

“How about this, Fumi? We need a man’s opinion too,” Himari says, gesturing to Kemuri as she stands in the hall.

Tokoyami glances up from his guitar, then shakes his head. “A grey sweater? Mother, she needs something that won’t blend with her hair.”

“But silver works with everything!”

This goes on for quite a while. Himari gets Kemuri into an outfit, she brings her back to Tokoyami’s room, and he either agrees or adds something that could change. Kemuri feels a bit like a dress up doll, also a little shocked that Himari’s clothes fit. Light, Himari’s light-being quirk, flits about helping as much as she can.

When they finally find an outfit, Himari declares her job done and ushers the girl into the hall. Kemuri returns to Tokoyami’s room wearing a pale pink cold shoulder top with flowing elbow-length sleeves. Tokoyami, again, looks up from his guitar.

“That looks nice,” he says. Looking her over, he adds, “Did the bottoms change?”

“No, your mom said I should just wear a nice pair of jeans and some dress sandals,” Kemuri says. She glances at the shirt again. “I feel weird just…wearing this. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“My mother has too many clothes. She could stand to let some go,” he says with a shrug. “Besides, you can return it to me, and I will take it home. Simple.”

She smiles. “Thank you, again.”

“I haven’t done much, but…you’re welcome.”

He picks the strings of his guitar a bit and she wanders back into the room, settling next to him on the bed. She listens as he strums a few chords, eyes furrowed in concentration.

“I didn’t know you play guitar,” she says.

“I felt it would add to my aesthetic.” He strums another chord.

“Well, you definitely look cool.”

He lets out a singular huffing laugh. “Good. It’s working.”

More silence passes, broken only by the twang of guitar strings. Kemuri looks down at her arms and the soft fabric draped around them.

“Is this really enough?” she whispers. “I mean…”

“Kemuri.”

She looks up at him. “Yeah?”

“Shoji doesn’t want you to be someone else. He likes you, so…be you.”

She’s warm in the face again and she tilts her head down, hands against her cheeks. “O-Okay…”

“I hope you two have fun tomorrow.”

He’s smiling, just a little, and that makes her feel more relaxed. “Yeah, me too,” she says.

Chapter Text

Her grandfather’s expression is terrifying, but it’s not enough to make her back down. Shoji will be here any second and she is going on a date, whether he likes it or not. She’s got her Tokoyami approved outfit on and she’s feeling…well, cute. She hopes she’s cute.

The doorbell rings and Kemuri races for the door, heart pounding. When she opens it, Shoji is standing on the front steps in a sleeveless black button-up shirt and jeans. He’s replaced his usual teal mask with a dark blue one. He looks…really nice. It’s enough to make Kemuri stare.

His eyes crinkle at the edges. “Hey,” he says.

“H-Hey,” she replies. “Please, come in. I’ll, uh…be one more second.”

He nods and enters. As soon as the door is closed, she races off to her bedroom to find her purse and sandals. She takes a few seconds to calm herself down while she gathers her things. Deep breaths, Kemuri. Even if it’s a date, it’s still Shoji, and Shoji is your friend, she tells herself.

When she returns with her bag, Cayden is talking to him about curfew and adding in a teasing, “No funny business, eh?” Kazue reminds him that she’s a police officer, then winks and pats his shoulder as she tells him to make sure they have fun. Her grandfather watches, silent, face creased with annoyance.

Shoji looks over as soon as Kemuri enters. “Ready to go, Kemuri?” he asks.

She smiles. “Yup!” She moves to his side. “Bye mom, bye dad.”

“Bye!” they say.

Shoji opens the door for her and she looks back, meeting her grandfather’s eyes. His narrow and she forces back any fear as she lifts her chin. “Goodbye, grandfather.”

She doesn’t wait for his response.

----------

Kemuri feels like a nervous wreck at first, but then Shoji comments on the Japanese BBQ they’re going to, sparking up a conversation that’s easy to relax into. Tokoyami was right. Despite the setting, they’re still the same people.

Once in the restaurant, tucked into a two-person booth by the window with nothing but a grill between them, things start to liven up. Shoji reads the menu for both of them, Kemuri having forgotten her reading glasses at home in her haste, and they pick out what they want.

“We have to eat everything we order,” Kemuri reminds him. Japanese BBQs like this one have a policy that encourages reducing waste, meaning you pay extra for every piece of food you don’t eat.

Shoji looks up from the menu, eyebrow raising. “Sounds like a challenge.”

She starts to smile. “Maybe it is.”

His eyes crease, almost playful. “Then maybe we should get that sushi plate.”

“Maybe we should.”

They get the sushi plate, along with rice, tempura of all kinds, meat, and fruit. The sizzling of food on the grill mingles with their voices. They pass one another pieces of food once they’re cooked, trying new things.

Kemuri watches Shoji as she nibbles on some shrimp tempura. He stares at the grill intently, flipping thin pieces of beef, strips of pork, and rings of pineapple with his tongs. While he cooks, an extra hand and mouth eats off his tray.

“You’re great at multitasking,” Kemuri says. He looks up and she smiles a little, gesturing. “It’s…interesting to watch.”

He clears his throat. “I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.”

She shakes her head. “Oh! No, I…sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” She takes a hasty bite of tempura, cheeks burning as she chews. Once she swallows, she adds, “It…was supposed to be a compliment.”

“Oh, sorry.”

The grill snaps and pops, filling the silence between bites.

Shoji lets out a soft laugh. “We’re…kind of awkward, aren’t we?”

She starts to giggle. “Oh, really? I didn’t notice.”

The laughter brings the mood back up. Shoji sets a piece of grilled pineapple on her tray and she reaches out to give him another takoyaki ball.

----------

Dinner ends with Shoji seeing how much sushi he could pack away before he felt sick. Between the two of them, they clear the plates of everything they ordered. With their stomachs full, they leave the restaurant into the evening air.

They wander into a park, watching the trees and the flowers and the wildlife. While they walk, Kemuri feels Shoji’s fingers brush hers, hesitant, as if asking for permission. She reaches up and intertwines their hands, his large and firm against hers.

“I don’t think I’ll eat for a week,” she says.

“Mm, same,” he agrees. He exhales, cheeks puffing a little. “Still, it was delicious.”

“Very.”

A squirrel scampers across their path, the trees rustle in the soft breeze, and Shoji’s hand guides her away from anything she could trip on. They talk about school, about midterms and hero work, about life in general. They’re friends, but Kemuri realizes that aside from small details, she doesn’t know a lot about Shoji.

That thought is what brings her to say, “I want to know more about you.”

He blinks a few times. “Me?”

“Yeah, like…like why you want to be a hero and what your life was like as a kid and why you wear that mask.” She gazes up at him, fingertips tapping against their clasped hands. “I want to know you.”

He glances away, his cheeks slightly red, even more noticeable against the dark mask. “Well…uh, where should I start?” he asks. “The mask?”

“You decide.” The last thing she wants is for him to be uncomfortable.

“Alright, then the mask.” He glances around. “You know how I said I’m used to people being scared of me?” She nods. “Well, that’s…part of why I wear it. I was always told I look too scary to be a hero, so…the mask is my way of fixing that.”

She keeps her eyes on him. “I’m sure it isn’t that bad.”

“Oh, it is. I made a little girl cry once.” He shakes his head. “I’m not pretty, Kemuri.”

She keeps her mouth shut. She finds him very pretty, in a…handsome way. He’s got nice, fluffy hair and strong, broad shoulders and kind eyes. The mask makes him mysterious and his face is longer than most, but she can’t imagine him as scary. Even more so, she can’t imagine crying from fright at the sight of him.

“It’s…uh, embarrassing, but I worry about what it’ll be like when I get my first girlfriend,” he continues, reaching to rub the back of his neck. “Like, what if she wants to kiss me or I want to kiss her, but my face…”

“If she likes you, it won’t matter,” she says. She steps closer to him, bumping her shoulder to his arm. “She’ll love you for you.”

He lets out a soft laugh. “Well...I hope so.”

They pass a park bench. The sun kisses the tops of the trees and the sky behind them is already fading into the dark blue of oncoming night.

“I…worry too,” Kemuri admits. “Not because of my looks so much, but…I guess I worry about finding someone who likes me for me and doesn’t care about my grandfather or anything like that.” She sighs. “He’s part of the reason I never dated, among…other stuff…”

She doesn’t want to go down the rabbit hole of insecurities about attraction and what not. Not yet. Shoji glances down at her, hair drifting across his face, and she has the sudden urge to reach up and brush it back, let her hand linger on his cheek…

Her breath hitches and she coughs a little. “I’m…yeah, I worry too. I…just want it to be meaningful.”

His hand tightens around hers. “I get that.” He eyes the sky, painted by the sunset, and lets out a long breath. “Relationships are so complicated.”

“Yeah,” she murmurs. “People make such a big deal out of first kisses and first dates and all that that they don’t stop to just let life happen.”

“Agreed. Part of me just wants to get a lot of it over with, but…I want it to be special.”

“Me too.”

They wind through a curve in the path, trees surrounding them on both sides. There aren’t many people out, most trying to get home before it gets too dark. Kemuri isn’t in any rush and Shoji isn’t either.

When he speaks next, it surprises her.

“Do…do you want to see my face?”

Her eyes widen. “I…you’re okay with that?”

He shrugs, but his hand shakes a little in her grip. “I…I feel like you should know. I trust you.”

“You don’t have to, Shoji. I don’t care what you look like.”

“I want you to know.”

His voice is sincere and steady despite the trembling in his fingers. They stop on the path, no one to witness them but the trees and the birds and the gentle spring breeze. Shoji slips his hand from hers and reaches it to the mask, swallowing hard. He closes his eyes, then slowly pulls it down.

His face breaks her heart, and not for the reason she expected. He has a wide mouth and a blunt face with no visible nose, making his head rather square in appearance, but his scars are what grips her heart the tightest. There are two jagged, sharp-ended scars on the left side of his face, crossing over his strong jaw and lips, and another that crosses from the edge of his mouth and goes around the back of his neck, where still others mark the back there.

It’s like someone tried to cut his head off but didn’t get far enough, and her stomach churns at the thought of who could do that to him. She wants to ask, but she fears it will open up invisible wounds, things that hurt for him to talk about.

He gulps again, keeping his eyes closed, and his hands are still shaking.

She moves closer to him and reaches up, resting her hands on his scarred jaw, tracing the gnarled skin that’s been healed for so long, and he startles at the touch as his eyes fly open and lock on hers. When looking at him, it’s easy not to focus on everything else. His hands fall on her wrists, tense, and she smiles.

“You’re still very handsome, Shoji,” she whispers, and she means it.

His cheeks flush beneath her touch. “S-Still?”

She doesn’t think she’s ever heard him stutter before, or look this vulnerable. He’s usually so stoic and put together, aside from occasional moments where emotions run high, but this…she likes this. She loves how much he trusts her.

They’re so close to each other. She can feel his breath fluttering against her bangs, brushing her forehead as he tries to calm himself. She rubs her thumb against his cheek gently.

“Kemuri?” he breathes.

“Shoji?”

“You…don’t have to say yes, but…I…” His pupils dart away and his fingertips press against her wrists. “Could I…kiss you?”

Her mouth goes dry and she hears her heart in her head. Is she okay with that? It’d be her first kiss, and if she says yes, does that mean that they’re official? Will it change things? What if it’s weird and their friendship falls apart or what if it’s great and they become more? Does she want it?

If she’s going to have her first kiss with anyone, she wants it to be with someone she cares about, someone she feels safe with, and…

She nods and he leans in, her hands drifting from his face, dancing across his pulse, stopping on his shoulders. She closes her eyes, fully aware of every touch and breath and heartbeat and then…

Oh.

He’s gentle, just like he always is, and the length of his mouth makes no difference that she can tell. His lips feel…like lips. Soft. Nice. She leans into it, tilting her head a little as his hands rest on her waist and her arms loop around his neck. She doesn’t move and neither does he aside from a slight shift in his jaw, both too nervous and awkward to do anything.

He pulls away and for a moment, they just stare at each other.

She steps back, hand drifting to her lips as a smile takes hold. “Oh…”

He turns completely red and steps back too, reaching to yank his mask up. “I’m…sorry, that was…uh…”

“No! It…it was nice, I’m sorry—”

“I haven’t—”

“Me neither, I—”

They shut up at the same time, staring. Overhead, a bird chirps. A car passes on the street. Her lips turn upwards and he starts to smile too, his hand still gripping his mask, halfway up his neck.

Then they’re laughing, and everything feels okay.

----------

They get ice cream before catching a train back to Kemuri’s house. She’s conflicted, and the dopamine dancing around in her head and yanking her face into a smile doesn’t help. She feels…something, especially after a first kiss, but it’s different than what she’s used to. The only comparison she has is to what she feels for Iida and those emotions feel completely separate from what she just experienced.

With Shoji, she’s still awkward and nervous, but she feels safe and comfortable. Iida…Iida is similar, in how she feels safe, but there’s something between them that she can’t figure out, like a wall or barrier keeping them from being casual and relaxed with each other. It’s casual and relaxed with Shoji.

On the way back up the path to her house, negativity seeps back in. If she doesn’t feel whatever would constitute a real relationship, then she’s just stringing Shoji along. She doesn’t have a label for her feelings, and if he has actual feelings for her, can she reciprocate them knowing that she still likes Iida? Internally, she grips her hair and screams, “You’re so selfish, Kemuri! You can’t like two boys at once! Only girls in romance novels do that!”

But this isn’t a romance novel. It’s her life and, wow, she isn’t ready for it.

They stop at the gate in front of her house. The lights are on upstairs and Kemuri has no doubt that her dad stayed up for her, wanting to make sure she got home safe. Her mom is probably asleep, fully trusting in Shoji’s capabilities.

“Kemuri, can we talk a bit more?” Shoji asks.

She sucks in a breath, but dons a smile and turns around. “Y-Yeah, of course.”

He’s rubbing the back of his neck again. “Look, I…I like you,” he says. “But…”

Her heart leaps into her throat. “But?”

“I’m…unsure. I’ve…never had really good friends, or a girlfriend, and…I don’t know, I’m a little scared of it all.” He tucks his hands into his pockets, letting out a sigh. “I’m unsure,” he repeats.

She releases a breath. “I…I am too. I’m…sorry.”

He smiles a little. “Because you like Iida.” As her mouth falls open, that smile grows. “I hear your heart speed up when you see him. You get pretty flustered around him too, so…it’s obvious.”

“That…isn’t gonna go anywhere though,” she mumbles. She twists the end of her braid. “Especially when I don’t have the courage to tell him. I…I can’t tell him, not when I’m finally getting to know him and—” She stops, cheeks flushing. Way to go, she thinks. Ranting about another guy on a date. “I’m sorry, Shoji, this…” She bats her hands about in the air. “I didn’t mean to…to toy with you or anything. I…”

“Oh, I know, and…I didn’t want to toy with you.” He moves closer to her, almost unconsciously. “Uh…with the…kiss…” He clears his throat, looking away as he collects his thoughts. “I think I got caught up in the moment. I thought, if…if I was ever going to be vulnerable with someone like that, I’d want the first one to be with you.”

“I…I felt the same.”

He bows his head. “I just…don’t think I’m ready for a relationship, but I love being your friend, and if we can stay friends…” He shuffles on his feet. “That’d be ideal. I understand if—”

“No, I’d…I’d want nothing more.” The relief flooding her chest is almost too much to take. “Being friends, I mean. I’m…I agree.”

She isn’t ready for it either, no matter how much fun it is to fantasize. She’s got so much emotional baggage going on right now that trying to be someone’s girlfriend would be too much to handle. She’s just getting used to having real friends too. The fact that Shoji feels the same is a huge weight off her chest.

He exhales, shoulders slumping. “Okay…good.” His smile returns. “We can figure out all this confusing stuff together then.”

“Exactly.”

He steps closer to her again. “I had fun tonight.”

“Me too.”

“We should hang out some more, one on one.” His eyes glint with mischief and he leans closer. “As friends,” he whispers.

She leans in a little more, their noses bumping as she grins. “As friends,” she returns.

He engulfs her in a hug that she gladly returns, lifting her off her feet a little. He’s strong and solid and she holds onto him with her hands and her heart.

I really don’t deserve him.

As they part, one of his tentacles forms an eye and he grins, pointing subtly. Kemuri follows his finger to the window, where she sees the silhouette of her grandfather. She grins and turns back to Shoji as he morphs the eye into an ear.

“Is he mad?” she asks.

He cocks his head and the ear shifts a little before returning to normal. “Judging by his heartbeat, I’d say he’s fuming.”

“Huh…mission accomplished.” They high-five and she adds, as an afterthought, “Maybe I should thank Bakugo.”

“I knew it.” He pauses. “The world is ending.”

They stay serious for about a second before they burst out laughing, hers ringing in the night, the soprano to his low, steady baritone.

Victory rolls through her. She went on her first date, she had her first kiss, she still has her best friend, and her grandfather didn’t ruin a single second of any of it. She’s on top of the world and nothing is going to bring her down.

Not now and, she hopes, not ever.

Chapter Text

“I swear, I didn’t plan this.”

Kemuri smiles a little, phone tucked by her cheek. “It’s okay, Ojiro. I get it.”

On the other side of the line, she hears him sigh. “We’ll train again soon, promise. Someday when Nao isn’t…” Another long sigh, disbelieving. “Straining…his neck…”

She stifles a giggle, hand covering her mouth. “Kids, huh?”

“Sometimes, I just really wish I was an only child,” he admits. A faint voice calls from far off and he gasps. “Oh, gotta go. I promise we’ll train later!”

“No worries, Ojiro.”

“Okay, bye!”

“Bye!”

She hangs up. Apparently, Ojiro’s younger brother overused his quirk while showing off for some friends and now is neck is locked in the extended position. Because their parents are working, Ojiro is now in charge of taking his brother to the hospital. In Ojiro’s words, the poor boy looks like a distressed giraffe.

Unfortunately, that means Kemuri doesn’t have a training partner. She has a few options and, as she scrolls through her phone, she deliberates. Todoroki visits his mom on weekends, so that’s a no. Yaoyorozu and Iida are decent enough when it comes to fighting, but when it comes to martial arts, there’s only one more person who could really help her.

She debates it a little, but in the end, she decides to be brave.

She presses Nishimura’s contact and sends him a quick text. While waiting for a reply, she makes herself some lunch. If all goes well, Nishimura can come over and they can train together. It’ll be a little weird, but maybe they can help each other learn.

Her phone buzzes when she’s halfway through her bowl of ramen and she gulps down her mouthful before reading the answer.

Nishimura
Yeah, that sounds good.
Your place or mine?

She suggests hers and he readily agrees, stating that he wants to get out of his house. They arrange a time and she tucks her phone away. She has the house to herself thanks to all the adults being at work, so there won’t be any issues with them getting interrupted for a while.

She hurries off to get things ready.

----------

“Nice place,” Nishimura says as he slips his shoes off.

Kemuri smiles. “Thanks! It’s been in the family for generations.”

He nods, shifting his gym bag on his shoulder as he slides into a pair of house slippers. Kemuri motions for him to follow her while she leads him to the dojo. She looks back at him only once as they go and finds him looking around at everything with a straight face and wondering eyes.

“This is the dojo,” Kemuri says, sliding open the door. “If you need to change, there’s a bathroom just down the hall there.”

“Sure, thanks.”

“I’ll…wait here, then.”

As he goes into the bathroom and shuts the door, she tries to settle herself in the dojo. She prays that this awkward politeness between them will fade once punches start flying.

When she trains with Ojiro, it’s intense but they know how to banter and encourage each other. Despite their minuscule amount of sessions, she’s gotten used to that. She hopes that Nishimura is talkative enough to bridge the awkward silences she will no doubt cause.

The door slides open again and Nishimura enters, wearing a black keikogi that directly contradicts the crisp white colour of hers. That, and it’s sleeveless, just like his hero costume. He nods to her as he tosses his bag aside.

“So…” she starts. “Do you have a certain way of doing this?”

She cringes at her wording, but he doesn’t react. Instead, he stretches his arms to the ceiling as he breathes deeply, then exhales as he brings them back down. He runs his fingers through his bright hair.

“Stretching, for one,” he says.

She nods. “Good. I do that too.”

They settle on the floor with some distance between them and relax into the warmup. She finds it interesting to watch Nishimura. When he stretches, there’s a lot of focus on his arms, legs, toes, and hands, making sure they’re loose and relaxed. When Kemuri stretches, she tends to work on her back and torso, as that’s where she carries the most of her tension.

He’s very flexible too, easily bending at the waist and reaching down to the floor until his fingertips touch. Kemuri does the same, but she grabs her feet, and she hears him let out a small mutter as she does it.

“Hm?” she asks.

He glances up at her. “Show off,” he repeats.

She lifts herself from the stretch. “Oops?”

He smirks a little, shaking his head as he too unfurls. They both shake out their arms one last time and Nishimura arches an eyebrow at her, questioning. She nods and gives him a thumbs up.

“Before we start, you should know that I’m not used to sparring with people who don’t have swords,” Nishimura says, crossing his arms over his chest. “I doubt I’ll be helpful.”

“I’m not used to sparring with people with weapons,” Kemuri retorts. She purses her lips in thought. “How about we spar hand to hand, just to start? Get a feel for how we fight?”

“And then we use quirks?”

“That’d be ideal.”

He starts to grin. “Alright, then get ready.”

She just manages to slide into the ready position before he rushes at her.

----------

Sparring with Nishimura reminds her of the training she did with her grandfather. He’s very different from her grandfather—he smiles a lot more and he talks while he fights, while her grandfather tends to stay silent and stone-faced, only speaking to correct her mistakes.

What makes her think of him is the tenacity. Nishimura doesn’t hesitate and he doesn’t hold back, taking every opportunity he sees and going for it, full force. It leaves him open at times, allowing for Kemuri to slip in and knock him back, but he’s a strong fighter. She has to be aware of everything or else, and knowing that she’s facing someone who isn’t going to go easy on her just makes it more exciting.

They go for as many rounds as they can handle, wins and losses on both sides, and soon they’re out of breath and sweaty. They take a break in wordless understanding, making a beeline for the water bottles Kemuri left on the sidelines. They sit and drink, catching their breath.

“You know, you’re pretty good,” Nishimura says between sips. The plastic of the bottle crinkles as he shifts his fingers. “You’re tenacious. Most people get a little freaked out with how I fight, but you…you kind of take it, head on.”

She takes a long drink, licking runaway drops from her lips. “It’s…a little freaky at first, but it feels like a real fight too. It feels close to what’d happen in a real fight with a real villain.”

He bristles a little. “I fight like a villain?”

Her eyes widen. “No! I mean…uh…” She shakes her head, ponytail swinging. “You don’t back down for anyone and that kind of tenacity is important. Like, when we become heroes and we’re fighting villains, they aren’t going to stop just because they pinned us or knocked us down. It’s…gah…”

She tilts her head onto her hand, eyes closed, cursing her words. Why is she so bad at compliments? She hears him exhale, a soft “hmph”, followed by the swishing of water.

“It feels like a real fight, which makes it better training for the real thing. Is that what you’re saying?” he suggests.

“Yeah, that. Sorry, I didn’t word it right.”