The blackboard clacked as Ms. Kayama tapped the piece of chalk against it, writing out another piece of important information Kairi should be writing down. Her attention was only half on the lesson and more focused on the addicting sickness that hadn't left her gut. It had disappeared some after Shoto had left and seemed completely gone when Momo had to bang against her door to wake her up again. With only time to grab a rice ball, she rushed out the door and didn't even think about the feeling. She waved to Tsu and Uraraka, gave Izuku and Iida a few smiles while Aoyama entered "fashionably late" as he declared. Shoto gave her his usual good morning grin he had reserved for her and that pesky sensation slammed right back into her. Grating and gnawing, thrilling and ecstatic, it was such an odd feeling. What kind of sickness made anyone enjoy its feeling? Was it kind of like how being a vampire was completely awful and dreadful but also made you live forever, never have to sleep, and in some versions made you a completely irresistible lover?
Ruling out the possibility of turning into anything like a vampire, Kairi slumped in her own irritation as Ms. Kayama went on about some fancy mixed style of art that was often used to highlight heroes in paintings, while making sure the background was softer in order to emphasis the importance of the hero. Beyond those basics, she couldn't recall her words and even her usual quaint and neat handwriting was sloppy and unreadable. Eyes kept flicking over to Shoto, who drummed fingers impatiently over his desk. He leaned against his other hand, balled under his chin. Unusual. He was often so attentive in class but today he looked either bored or agitated by something. Likely, he felt her stare because he gave her a glowing smirk. A smirk that leapt through her and slipped a smile onto her lips. Kairi looked back down at her paper, trying to make sense of the scribbles she had made. Restless and trying to find anything to distract her from the strangeness happening in her, she scanned the room. As always, Mineta was practically falling out of his seat with a dribble of drool hanging from the side of his mouth. Modern Hero Art History was his "favorite" class. Of course, he didn't give a shit about art, but rather the teacher up front. Provocatively dressed in a skintight suit that somehow still met professional standards despite the leather corset that split between her breasts and only added to her already curvaceous form, it wasn't uncommon to see many an adult or hormonal teenager lusting over her. Many had gotten used to her by then and treated her with respect and like any other person, but there were still a few who made known their fantasies about her. Mineta, of course, was one of these people. Occasionally, she would make some sort of comment in class that could easily be misconstrued as suggestive. Kairi would slink away in her seat, avoiding the comment that such a remark, even if the suit was necessary for her quirk, was problematic. However, Ms. Kayama, or Midnight as the public knew her, was actually a good teacher, a kind and caring person, even if the little rise she got out of people for making mildly suggestive remarks was potentially problematic.
It wasn't just Mineta who appeared distracted, though no one else had their tongues lolling out of their mouths. Momo was sighing wistfully into an unknown corner and Iida – Iida of all people – appeared as if his eyes were somewhere distant. Ashido covered up gentle giggles with coughs and was looking down into her lap, books poorly hiding the sight of her phone in her lap. Kaminari continued to squirm in his seat, occasionally looking up at the time on the wall. Kirishima's gaze subtly looked over to Bakugo who was fuming more than usual. Izuku and Uraraka were playing the game of looking over at each other before blushing and turning away. Aoyama sighed dramatically. Everyone seemed agitated or lost in their own world. Concerned, the uncomfortable fluttering rolled into something much more upsetting.
"I'm sorry, is there something going on in the class today?" Ms. Kayama finally asked, turning from the board with a scowl behind her linear crimson eye mask. She pressed her crossed arms against her large bosom, her domineering glare striking arrows throughout the class. Koda turned in his seat, looking around at the agitated class, and then shrugged silently.
"There does seem to be a strange atmosphere going on," Jiro mumbled. Kairi swallowed and ducked lowly, tapping her fingers against her thigh. She felt Shoto's gaze burning into her. From the apex of her eye, she caught him looking over worriedly. Embarrassed, she continued to slide down though she could feel a glow in her soul.
"Yeah... Midnight seems exceptionally beautiful today..." Mineta stammered, as if he had been drugged by something that left him a little silly. Dazed eyes looked out at her, and she gave him a cheeky smile.
"Aren't you a sweetie?" she cooed with a wink. Kairi rolled her eyes at the inappropriate action.
"Ms. Kayama is your teacher and should be treated with respect!" Iida called from his spot. An extended finger adjusted his glasses against his nose. "However, Ms. Kayama is correct. I regret that my mind has wandered several times during this class and I am disappointed to have allowed myself to daydream so much." Kayama clacked her tongue.
"Such a naughty boy, Iida. And so unlike you! It's refreshing to see that you can be a little rebel."
"I assure you, once I can get my head right, it won't happen again."
"Yeah, I'm struggling to focus as well," Kaminari said. "I can't stop thinking about some of the pretty girls in this school!" Several faces in the class reddened at his words, as some of the students seem to come to some similar conclusions about different folk of different genders and sexes.
"Huh... Yeah, normally I can dissociate my mind from someone I might find attractive while I'm in class but today it's... rather difficult," Momo spoke up.
"Hmm," Kayama mused, eyes rolling over the class with suspicion. They slowly traced over the heads and lingered on top of Kairi. Her skin prickled under her gaze, feeling exposed and targeted. Ms. Kayama smirked in an odd, whimsical way. "Well I suggest you put away whatever drama or issue you're facing in the class and direct your attention to focusing." With elaborate flawlessness, she whipped herself around so her silky flow of black spun in an attractive manner. Mineta dreamily leaned against his desk, no issues with him tearing his eyes away from the front. Most of the class still seemed restless, but kept their eyes ahead. A few, however, seemed to understand the change of atmosphere. Even if the feeling was different, it wasn't uncommon for a change.
Iida straightened himself in his seat, though his wandering eyes kept trying to look back in Kairi's direction. Kairi looked away from Tsu who turned in her direction with a question raised on her eyebrows. Momo, looked over to her with concern. She caught Aoyama looking her way, appearing knowingly amused. Shoto looked down in his lap, a universal sign a student was typing on their phone. Odd, he never did that.
Her bag hummed. While she didn't make it a habit to reach for her phone in class, connecting Shoto's action to her phone asking for her attention gave her the assumption he had messaged her. An urgent hand swiped her phone from the bag, fire excitedly flying from her fingertips as desperation unlocked her device. As suspected, she had received a new message from Shoto.
This is because of your quirk, isn't it? Are you all right? You haven't seemed right the last couple of days. Did your mother say something to upset you? -S.
The concern swept through her, billowing liquid warmth through her center. Her lips turned involuntarily, finding contentment in the message. She quickly tapped back.
I'm okay, I think. I sometimes get weird emotions I don't understand and I'm sure it's much the same. Sorry for being a disturbance. – K.
She tucked her phone away and put it on complete silence so her mind wouldn't steal away to rocking her more emotionally. Eventually, her mind emptied enough that her focus became the forefront and the class stopped much of their twitching. Kairi kept her eyes away from her friends, away from Shoto. Knowing that if she caught their glance, that guilt would come back and could disrupt class. Fear was also kept at bay, as she considered how this happened in her last class. It had taken longer and the emotion was depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Amongst her new peers, thankfully, those emotions were decreasing a little. Mostly the loneliness, which was helping with the weight of the other two. However, whatever she was feeling now could disrupt her whole dynamic. Shoving it aside, remembering to Focus, she paid attention. After several moments, her notes return to a mostly legible form and only the mild simmer in the room gave away her feelings.
"Hey!" howled Bakugo, like many other days. They had finally been released for lunch so the students were mingling through the hall. As usual, Kairi blocked her ears from the sounds Bakugo was making. He often avoided her or would just make a short, snide remark with a glare. He wasn't a fan of her, but avoided her more than he did Izuku. Today, however, he was stalking her down til he slid in front of her and blocked her path with an arm, slamming a hand against the wall. A fire burned in Kairi as her nostrils widened with instant rage. She winced angrily at him, the strap of her bag sliding off her arm til it collapsed against the floor. "What the hell is going on?"
"What are you talking about?" she snapped, broiling.
"I've dealt with you the days you've been sad and it's kinda pissed me off and I haven't said anything about it! I ignored the days you were angry even though it was annoying as well! Thankfully you usually have the sense and ability to turn off all that shit in class and focus on the lesson, so I haven't said anything! But what the hell is this?!" he snapped, chomping teeth just inches from her face. She grimaced and turned herself from him, trying to wriggle from the angered hold against the wall.
"Yeah, so I feel a little off lately. It will pass," she barked. Just as she was about to turn from him and slip under his arm, he pounded his other arm against the wall, the sound reverbing through her form. It ignited a spark in her, wrinkling a scornful scowl onto her face. "Oh for fu-"
"I don't accept that! What shit are you pulling here, Hoshino?!"
"Let her go right now, Bakugo," Iida growled lowly, lips pressed in patient anger. "You don't cage a lady!"
"Yeah?! Can you really call her a lady? Seems less like a person and more like a diabolical beast to me!" he spat.
"You can't expect her to control how she feels!" Momo shouted, appearing behind Iida.
"You're just pissed off because you hate how her emotions make you feel," Ashido bit back with a snarky grin.
"Shut up!" Bakugo yelled behind him. "I want to know what the hell is going on and why I'm being forced to be feel so strange!" That redhead Kirishima poured out of the classroom then, not hesitating in appearing behind Bakugo and clapping him on his shoulder.
"Hey, come on, Bakugo," he said to him calmly. "It really isn't manly to pin a girl against the wall."
"How about you shut up and walk away..." Bakugo said slowly. Kairi took this brief moment of distraction to throw up a fist and try to knock the arm out of the way that held her against the wall. Instead his arm flew away and landed back to her, this time clutching a hold of her wrist. He hissed through his teeth and slammed her arm into the wall. "I want answers! What the fuck am I feeling, because it's really pissing me off!" Through her teeth, spit squirt in several directions, splattering over his cheeks and eyes. He shouted, enraged. His other hand clamped down her other wrist, both of her arms unable to break free from his hold.
"I'm going to get a teacher!" Iida shouted, utilizing the speed of his legs to run back into a classroom. He had only just left when an instant ice spike flung Bakugo back, sending him sliding against the floor. Kairi drew away from the wall and ran over to where Shoto was standing, his right arm held out in front of him. She wrung her hands around her wrists, heart pumping through them as she steadied her breath.
"You bastard!" Bakugo yelled, jumping back up. "You want to do this, right here and now?!"
"Not really," Shoto said coolly. "But Kairi doesn't have the physical strength you do. In pure combat, it would be an unfair fight. Especially when she did nothing to warrant the attack. Plus, fighting is against school policy unless it's in a training setting."
"How do you know she isn't doing this on purpose?!"
"Because I know Kairi," Shoto said. Her chest thumped again, as she looked over his features. The way he stood, still holding his arm in preparation to defend, instinctively moving himself in front of Kairi. "Control of her quirk is the thing she wants the most. In addition to her desire to never emotionally traumatize a person, not even her worst enemy, she's incredibly private. She doesn't like people knowing her deep feelings and would rather hide them from the rest of the world. She would rather lobotomize her quirk and live quirkless than spend another minute with her quirk effecting another person. However, I am biased and am grateful for her quirk. I wouldn't be here if she wasn't emotional and acted on it without thinking." Her palms, now sticky with heat clenched tight at her sides. Her jaw was held taut as a whirlwind slammed against her chest cavity and begged her to flee the scene and hide. Heart bursting out of her, arms quaked with a need to hold him close to her, take in his scent and listen to him speak til day's end and into the night. His eye glimmered like silver while she lost herself in the ocean of the other one. He was always thinking of her, reminding her she was worthy of so many things, he appreciated her and was always the one who was there to tend to her when things became too much. He never dismissed it or considered her weak. He had taken time to learn what she needed and how to be what she needed, and she knew she could rely on him. Even now, he was coming to her defense when he could have just kept walking. He was so kind, one of the greatest people she had known. Kairi felt warm as she recollected her memories and thoughts about him. He really was a fabulous friend.
"You can't tell me you don't feel her emotions!"
"I do, but unlike you, I can handle them. Honestly, I don't even understand why whatever she's giving off is such an issue for you. I can't really tell much of a difference except in how restless everyone else and how agitated she seems." Kairi turned up to him with confusion. He couldn't read her emotion?
"Of course, leave it to you, coming to her rescue!" Bakugo spit. "What, because she saved your pathetic life once you owe her?! Is that why you feel the need to hang around someone as dangerous as her?!"
"True, I do feel I owe her something." Kairi's heart sunk, shattering with gloom. Was that the only reason he had been spending any time with her? "But not just for that, and that's not the only reason why. Kairi also happens to be my best friend and I don't take kindly to people hurting people I care about."
Her soul grew wings, flitting around ecstatically as the energy caused her emotions to clatter against everything. Best friend?
Bakugo relaxed his stance and turned to face the ground, just as the hurried scuffle of feet came behind them. Iida arrived behind them, and All Might was close behind, looking over the small crowd that had gathered between Bakugo, Kairi, and Shoto.
"What is happening here?" he asked cautiously, eyes piecing together the situation.
"It's fine, we settled it," Bakugo grumbled.
"Uh, that didn't feel like settling it!" Kairi barked. All Might walked between them and held out his arms between them. He gestured to the small group of students that gathered.
"Go to lunch, all of you. You three, stay." Slovenly, the gathered crowd split apart, mumbling to themselves and whispering theories about what was happening and what was going to happen. When the hallway had cleared, All Might looked down at them, sunken eyes assessing each one of them. "You know there is no fighting on schoolgrounds outside of the training ring."
"With all due respect, All Might," Shoto said. "Kairi wasn't fighting. Just trying to escape. Bakugo had her pinned against a wall."
"She may not have been fighting, but what she was doing is still an assault-!" Bakugo yelled. All Might held out a hand.
"Save it for Principal Nezu's office," he interrupted, and turned, expecting them to follow. Shoto stepped between Kairi and Bakugo as they walked, shielding them from their vengeful eyes towards each other. As much as anger continued to broil in Kairi, as much as she burned with a desire to beat Bakugo into the ground, her spirit was twirled and flitting on a wave of euphoria and sparking with delight.
Shoto had called her his best friend, something no one had ever claimed her to be. Words that had never been addressed in her on conjunction with her, and he had meant it, about her. He had prevented Bakugo from laying into her, he had spoken up in her defense and didn't hesitate in coming to her aid. She should be dancing on her joy, laughing with glee. And she was. She was proud, overjoyed, excited for such a new and adventurous chapter of her life. Something undiscovered, something that any other kid seemed to have.
It wasn't the idea of getting into trouble, it wasn't the act of meeting with Principal Nezu. But still, there was something so depressing about being his best friend. As happy as it made her, it also hurt. Bakugo's exasperated growl told her that he could feel the deep splice through her heart as well.