"A wise man once said that fear is nothing to be ashamed of; it's a part of being alive. Heck, if we weren't scared of villains, we wouldn't have heroes, after all. A problem arises when we let our fears hold us back. I thought if I just ignored my fear of thunder, I could still live out my life as a hero, but I couldn't run from my problems forever. Our demons are only as powerful as we make them. Although, you really shouldn't jump headfirst, or you risk killing yourself or getting swallowed up by those demons. Take your time. Don't let others rush you into making your own decisions. And don't be afraid to, at least, try."

Daichi concluded his essay to the class. He stood there among a sea of colorful students with a confident smile. And his head tilted to one side.

"Any questions?" Aizawa asked.

Rikido Sato raised his hand.

"Yes, Sato?" Daichi inquired.

"Why do you have your head tilted?"

"I have an ear infection. It turns out you can get one from shoving mud up in your ears."

"Oh," he responded.

"Well, unless someone else has a question, have a seat, Jinneko," Aizawa instructed.

Daichi did as he was told, his head still tilted. As soon as he sat at his seat, he raised his head back up. He placed his wrist over his ear so his fur could soak up the excess medication that dripped out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Eijiro smiling from ear to ear. The cat quickly smiled at him. As the class started on assignments, Aizawa got comfortable in his sleeping bag. Daichi waved at him. Aizawa gave one scowl then closed his eyes. He returned to his assignment, but his smile did not fade.

The bell rang for lunch. Daichi walked alongside his classmates as he heard passersby whispering as they stared at him. With his advanced hearing, he could hear their chattering.

"What do you think happened to him?"

"I heard he got caught in a storm."

"Well I heard it was a storming villain, and the heroes had to save him."

"Oh please, if it was a villain, it would have been on the news."

"Maybe he got attacked by a river monster!"

"Dude, what have you been smoking? That makes no sense."

"Not if it's someone with a river monster quirk!"

"Maybe the cat was working with a villain to flood the town?"

"That's ridiculous. The teachers would have murdered him if that was the case. He probably just got mange or something."

"Gross!"

"Gossip sure spreads quickly in this school," Daichi talked to himself. It felt like a thousand pairs of eyes were staring at him. He was lucky to come out of that ordeal in one piece, but he still had a few stray band-aids all over his body as well as some missing patches of fur that got torn off by debris. He tried to hide in the crowd like a wounded zebra in a herd, but their eyes continued to follow him. His wounds seemed to burn under their gazes.

"First year, Daichi Jinneko, please report to the nurse's office. I repeat, Daichi Jinneko...," the speakers in the walls blared.

He reluctantly left the safety of the crowd and headed in the opposite direction, with a few of his classmates adding extra eyes.

When Daichi walked into the infirmary, he came across not only Recovery Girl but Vlad King and Hound Dog.

"Why are you here? I thought my sessions were postponed until I recovered," Daichi asked.

"I came to apologize for Monoma's actions," Vlad King answered. "I want to be clear, he did not intend for you to be caught in that flash flood; he just wanted you to be late to school."

Would have appreciated him apologizing in person, Daichi thought as he scowled.

"And don't worry about him; I'm making sure he pays for his actions," Vlad King said.

"And I just came to give you this," Hound Dog tossed him a soft stuffed animal. It was his thunder wolf! And it wasn't soggy or filthy from the floodwaters, it was dry and clean. He hugged it close to his chest as he purred loudly.

"Thank you so much!" Daichi squealed.

Hound Dog chuffed a little in response. "Don't lose it again."

"Well, I better get back to my class before they kill each other."

After that, he took his leave with Hound Dog following close behind.

Recovery Girl patted the bed next to her. Daichi took one last glance at the door before taking a seat on the thin infirmary mattress.

Recovery Girl stuck the otoscope in Daichi's ear. He winced as the foreign object rubbed against his irritated skin. She stroked the fur on his arm in response to calm him down.

As she continued her examination, Daichi allowed his eyes to wander. The room was a pristine white, like a polished pearl. Despite his stuffy nose, he bet the infirmary reeked of the smell of chemicals.

He stared out the window at the pale grey clouds covering the sky like an old thin blanket with holes in it where the blue sky poked through. Every time the sun shined through, the raindrops on the leaves sparkled. If it weren't for those puddles outside, you could say that flood was just a bad dream.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Recovery Girl said.

A mop of green hair peeked behind the door.

Recovery Girl looked up and sighed. "Did you break your arms again?"

"No, ma'am, I just came to see my classmate!" Izuku said, flustered.

"You? Why?" Daichi asked.

"When I saw that weather alert on my phone, I was so nervous. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Daichi shrugged. "My ears feel like they're filled with sharp cotton, but other than that, not a scratch on me."

Recovery Girl removed the device from his ears.

"Well, your ears are still irritated, but the medication is clearing that up, right?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, I feel better when I use the ear drops," Daichi confirmed.

"Then continue using them."

"Sorry, I know we don't know each other well. But, you are my classmate, I want to help if you need any help." Izuku fiddled with his fingers as he avoided eye contact.

This kid is a nervous wreck, but at least he cares.

The following person to walk in was a tall girl with a gigantic ponytail that looked like an upside-down wing.

"Hello, I came to see our classmate," she notified Recovery Girl. "How is he?"

"See for yourself."

Daichi waved hello.

"I don't believe we've adequately met. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. I am the class vice president of class 1-A."

"Nice to meet you. But why are you here?" Daichi asked.

"Iida is busy preventing Bakugo from attacking Kaminari, so he sent me to check on our newest classmate," Momo said.

"Oh, how nice," he said.

Who sends a replacement to check on someone? That's weird, right? Right? Why are you asking me? I'm you.

Then a spiky redhead barged in.

"Hey, Jinneko!"

Eijiro wrapped his elbow around Daichi's neck.

"Why are you here?" Daichi asked.

"I came to see how my new buddy's doing?" Eijiro tousled Daichi's fur and red hair.

Daichi pulled his neck out of Eijiro's grip. "I don't remember you ever saying you are my friend," Daichi retorted.

Kirishima simply gave him his trademark shark-toothed smile.

"When someone risks their life to save a kid and a dog, they are officially my friend!"

The stuffed wolf caught Krishima's attention.

"Hey, is that a stuffed animal?"

He quickly shoved the wolf into his backpack.

"Oh no, it's fine, I think it's cute."

Daichi averted his gaze.

Recovery Girl banged her syringe cane over Eijiro's rock-hard skull.

"If you're just gonna gossip, go outside!" Recovery Girl berated.

"Yes, ma'am!" Izuku blurted out as he stumbled out of the room.

Daichi calmly exited the room. By now, the hallway was mostly empty since many people were in the cafeteria eating lunch.

The mountain lion headed towards the cafeteria. Before he got far, Izuku tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, wanna eat lunch with us?" Izuku asked.

Daichi stopped in his tracks and his ears perked up. Izuku stood there, waiting for an answer.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I don't see why not."

"Awesome!" Eijiro said. "Come on, I know a great table," He grabbed Daichi's arm and started walking to the cafeteria.

"Actually, Kirishima, I was wondering if we could go to one of my favorite spots on the school grounds," Momo said.

Kirishima tilted his head like a confused puppy.

Momo motioned for them to follow her. She pushed open the doors to the outside world.

Daichi felt the cold and slightly humid air surround him. The trees and grass lack their usual brightness in color in the shade of the clouds. The remaining raindrops on the leaves dripped off one by one, giving the illusion of rain beneath the tree's cover.

Shoes splashed in puddles. the grass and leaves were soft from all the dew.

Some tried their best to avoid the mud and water while others happily hopped in them.

"Here it is," Momo stopped at a small willow tree tucked away from the windows.

This tree wasn't like a common willow tree with its branches hanging downward. This tree's branches stuck out in every direction and were decorated with tiny pink flowers. Underneath the tree was a stone bench damp from all the rain and littered with petals. It was also chipped at the edges and worn down at the sides where there were decorative carvings.

"I like to come here when I need to collect my thoughts in a quiet environment," Momo explained.

Daichi stared in astonishment.

"I thought you might like some time away from prying eyes," she responded.

"Wow, thank you," Daichi said.

He used his tail to sweep off the petals. He then took a seat under the willow tree. The rest of his classmates squeezed themselves onto the th all the rain, it's actually quite cool," Daichi remarked.

While his pelt was usually quite breathable due to its shortness, he had neglected his regular grooming due to his sessions. His fur was much longer, giving him the texture of a Persian cat. It was also trapping in more heat. Thankfully, the cold breeze from all the moisture in the air kept him from sweating like a pig.

"I am glad to hear that you are feeling better after such an ordeal," Momo said.

The four of them pulled out their lunches. As usual, U.A.'s food was dishes found in a five-star restaurant. Momo's lunch was the fanciest one of them all, with a sparkling drink and a filet mignon that made Daichi's mouth water.

Daichi was the only one who didn't buy his lunch. He had left in a hurry, so his lunch consisted of leftovers and a few fruit sandwiches.

"I didn't know you could make fruit sandwiches," Momo said.

Daichi shrugged. "They're pretty easy sandwiches to make," he rebutted.

"I tried to make some for my mom when I was little, and I ended up getting whipped cream all over the kitchen," Izuku scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I bet she tanned your hide," Daichi commented.

"No, she cleaned the mess with me then helped me get the strawberries out of my hair."

"...Huh," Daichi quickly started eating the leftover katsu don. The two boys kept shooting glances at each other. Before the tension could grow any thicker, Daichi decided to break the silence.

"Do you want a sandwich?"

"Oh, you don't need to do that. I got myself some lunch; you should enjoy yours," Izuku frantically backtracked.

"I would like a fruit sandwich, Jinneko," Momo said.

Daichi handed Momo the peach one.

She gladly took a bite out of it. From the first bite, her eyes sparkled.

"Is that honey I taste?"

"Yeah, I added a little something to it. That one has honey, and the apple one has a pinch of cinnamon on each slice."

"Wow, you're a hero and a cook!" Kirishima yelled.

Daichi made sure his blushing was hidden by his fur. "It's nothing special. I just added something extra," he said.

"Well, it still tastes fantastic," Eijiro took another bite.

He simply smiled at the remark. He rubbed his paw against his running nose.

Momo handed him a cup of hot tea.

"Consider this a thank you for the sandwich. You should take this before you really catch a cold."

Daichi happily accepted the drink. The warm drink tasted like peppermint and honey. His rough tongue ran over his snout to catch the droplets on his fur.

The distant sound of thunder reached Daichi's ears, but he was too busy chatting with his classmates to be scared.