Hero training was strenuous work. That was a fact that Class 1A had become intimately familiar with from the first day of classes. However, there were few exercises they dreaded more than disaster rescue sessions at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint (USJ). As anyone who's taken the provisional license exam can tell you, rescue work takes far more than strength, speed and overall athleticism. It takes tact, mindfulness, diligence and a constant awareness of your surroundings. You have to keep constant tabs on the physical and emotional well-being of your civilians, without neglecting your own. Most of all, you have to stay calm and put on a brave face - which is easier said than done when someone's life is literally in your hands.

To make matters worse, the USJ was the site of Class 1A's traumatic first encounter with the League of Villains. While precautions had been taken to prevent a repeat of that incident, the scenery was still enough to trigger flashbacks, which made it even harder for them to keep their composure.

As a result, training sessions at the USJ almost always left the class exhausted by the end - and today's was no different. As they got in line for the bus back to campus, there wasn't a single student who didn't look ready to collapse.

"You all did fairly well," Mr. Aizawa said as he lined them up. "I particularly admire your enthusiasm, Sato - but remember not to burn yourself out too quickly. And Yaoyorozu, your intricate plans never fail to impress me... once you actually put them into practice. You can't keep hesitating and second guessing yourself when someone's life is on the line. And Bakugo, I'd appreciate it if you didn't bark insults at the people you're trying to save."

The three students grunted in acknowledgement.

"I'll have a more complete assessment for each of you once we get back to campus," he said. "For now, get on the bus."

With that, the class stumbled onto the bus and took their seats, without any real regard for who they were seated next to. Once the bus was in motion, they all took the opportunity to catch their breath and get their bearings straight. Some of them, like Tenya Iida, opted to reflect on the past few hours, trying to predict what their teacher would have to say to them about their performance. Others, like Denki Kaminari, were content just to stare out the window and watch as the sun gradually descended below the horizon.

But Yuga Aoyama had something else on his mind. As fate would have it, he had taken a seat right next to Deku in the middle of the bus - and right across the aisle, he spied Ochaco Uraraka sitting between Mina Ashido and Eijiro Kirishima.

A mischievous smile spread across his face. From the very first week of classes, he could tell that Uraraka liked Deku quite a bit, and she all but confirmed it when he asked her about it during the final exam. Through his intuition, he could tell that Deku was quite fond of her, as well - so it was just a matter of waiting until one of them had the courage to make the first move. The trouble was that both of them were too shy to do it... so they'd need a little bit of coaxing.

"Uraraka?" he called out. The gravity girl turned towards him, eyes half-lidded; the constant use of her quirk during the training exercise had left her rather light-headed.

"May I trade seats with you, s'il vous plaît? I want to sit next to Ashido."

"Mmm? Sure," she muttered, standing up and lurching to the other side.

"Much obliged," he said as he traded places with her. Ashido gave him a peculiar look, ready to ask for an explanation. Before she could, however, he pointed to the opposite side of the bus, trying very hard not to giggle.

Deku had been lost in his own thoughts, and hadn't even noticed the brief exchange between Aoyama and Uraraka. When he felt someone new brush up against him, however, he deigned to look.

"Oh, hi, Ura-"

And it was in that moment that Deku snapped out of his dazed stupor, as his senses and his heart sprung to life. He almost let out a yelp, and just barely managed to catch it before it left his lips. Uraraka - Class 1A's resident cutie pie - had just taken a seat right next to him. He felt as though time itself was standing still, and that the eyes of the world were upon him. He had sat next to Uraraka before, but not for an entire 45-minute commute - and certainly not while she was clad in her form-fitting hero outfit. Between her toned stomach, her ample bosom, her adorable bob haircut and her rosy cheeks, it took everything in Deku's power not to stare.

Not that Uraraka would have noticed if he did. As luck would have it, she was too woozy to process the fact that she was sitting next to him, and after taking their seat she just sat there in a daze, her head wavering. Fortunately, this spared Deku the task of having to make conversation with her.

Unfortunately, a far more awkward fate was about to befall him.

For the next few minutes, Deku sat there in silence, twiddling his fingers and trying to keep his leg from jittering while his eyes darted back and forth between the window and Uraraka. He almost considered asking someone else to trade seats, but doing so would imply either that he disliked her (which he didn't want the class to think), or that he had a crush on her (which he didn't want the class to know). As far as he knew, his only option was to sit in silence and wait until the end of the trip.

Then it happened. The bus took a sharp right turn, knocking some of the students off balance. The dazed Uraraka wobbled to and fro before tipping over and landing - plop - right in Deku's lap.

"U-Uraraka?!" he cried, throwing his hands up. Much to his dismay, she did not respond. He said her name again, and still didn't hear a peep from her - aside from the soft, rhythmic sound of her breathing, and some light snoring. He did, however, get the attention of some of the other students, who were now staring at him and giggling.

"I... um..." he uttered, feeling his cheeks burning up. He kept his hands where everyone could see them, so as to broadcast the fact that he wasn't trying anything "funny" with her. At one point, he caught sight of Aoyama, who waggled his eyebrows at him.

"Woo-hoo! Go Deku!" exclaimed Mineta, who was promptly shushed by the other classmates.

Meanwhile, Deku's brain, as it was wont to do, ran through all of his possible options at this juncture. He considered waking her up, but decided that he didn't want to deprive her of rest after such a grueling exercise. He thought of closing his eyes and going to sleep himself, but his adrenaline was a little too high for that. The only other option he could think of was staring out the window until this whole predicament was over.

Wait a minute, he thought, pulling the brakes on his train of thought. A "predicament"? Can I really call this a predicament?

Today's exercise was all about keeping a cool head in a crisis situation - one where you're responsible not just for your own life, but for the lives of countless others. And that, in a broad sense, was what being a pro hero was all about. To be a hero was to smile and stand tall in the face of danger, be it at the hands of villains or natural disasters. With all that in mind, how could he expect to handle pro hero work if he couldn't even handle a cute girl using him as a pillow?

He looked down at the girl in his lap. At the moment, she was sleeping like a baby, with nary a sign of restlessness or discomfort. At the sight of her peaceful expression and the sound of her gentle breathing, all of his tension and anxiety began to seep out of his body. He felt compelled to reach out and stroke her hair, and she responded with a smile and a contented hum. His heart swelled, and he faintly heard a few "awwww"s coming from around the bus. He spent the rest of the bus ride staring down at her, while running his fingers through her soft brown locks.

What an angel, he thought.

While the first five minutes of the trip seemed excruciatingly long to Deku, the remaining forty flew by. Before he knew it, the bus was pulling to a stop outside of the dorms.

"We're here," Mr. Aizawa announced. "Everybody out."

The sound of his voice stirred Uraraka, who rose from Deku's lap with a yawn and a stretch.

"Oh, hi, Deku!" she said as she turned to her left. "Gosh, are we back already? How long was I out for?"

Deku chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Um... a while."

"Well, thanks for looking after me!" she said, giving him a hug. He couldn't help but smile at the sensation of her warm, soft embrace.

Not wanting to hold up the rest of the class, the two of them got in line and exited the bus as soon as they could. He kept his eyes on her as he walked behind her, entranced by the way her hair would bounce with every step. He only made it a few feet away from the bus before he was swarmed by Mineta and Kaminari, who both congratulated him for being such a chad and demanded to know his secret to wooing the ladies.

Meanwhile, Uraraka walked to the common area, where she saw the other five girls of Class 1A gathered in their usual spot. Curiously, they were all looking at her and snickering.

"Um, hey girls," she said. "What's so funny?"

"I don't knoooooow," said Ashido, who proceeded to take out her phone and shove it in Uraraka's face. "Why don't you tell me?"

Her phone displayed a photo of Uraraka resting comfortably in Deku's lap while he stroked her hair. Dumbstruck, Uraraka turned bright red, and the other girls swore they could see steam coming out of her ears.

Ashido proceeded to put her phone back in her pocket and skip off to her dorm, prompting a furious and flustered Uraraka to give chase.

"DELETE THAT PHOTO THIS INSTANT!"

"Sure, just as soon as I post it on Twitter!"

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

"'The most adorable sight you'll ever see. #loveisintheair'"

"I'M GONNA TELL MR. AIZAWA ON YOU!"