"What are you doing?"
"Walking with you."
"...Why though?"
She seems so honestly mystified that he's almost offended.
"Do I need a reason?"
"I suppose not." She's flattered, honestly, and she would welcome it with a giddy pep to her step normally. "You just never have before. Or even asked to."
He sighs. "Would you mind if I walked to the train station with you?" There, he asked and everything. It wasn't even that big of a deal anyway. While they didn't live in the same prefecture they were both on the edges of their respective ones and were still fairly close and would probably even take the same trains if Medama didn't usually hang around after school most of the time.
Medama hums.
"Hm. You know, I think I do mind actually."
"What."
"Well, you see. I had actually planned on stopping by that arcade on the corner of 5th and if you walk to the train station, why… I'm afraid I'd be all alone." She smiles as Shinsou stops in his tracks and looks at her blankly, unimpressed by her blatant manipulation. "I 'spose I could go by myself. But it wouldn't be much of a celebration of getting my cast off, now would it?"
She holds up her arm, freshly freed and fully healed. No longer bound by that gaudy cast that the entire class had been obsessed with trying to sign and doodle on.
(His own had been a small little cat doodle on the back of her elbow that Medama had desperately wanted to see the entire time but had never been able to. Even when she'd asked him to take a picture and show her, he'd refused.
Jokes on him. She had asked Recovery Girl if she could keep the cast pieces and his dorky drawing was currently buried, hidden away in her school bag.
Seriously.
Who unironically wrote: 'Don't fur-get to feel better.' Under a small drawing of what she was pretty sure was supposed to be a saddened Espresso.
She loved it.)
He twitches.
"...Fine."
"Wait, really? I- I mean, of course!" She's practically vibrating with excitement. "You… I'll pay-"
"I can pay."
"D-Do you even have money? Sorry, that sounds rude! But people don't usually bring cash to school-"
"Me-dama." His lips pop over the pronunciation of her name. "I can pay."
"I-" She's nearly stumbling over her own feet, still looking surprised. "T-Then, yes, huzzah! Hur-freaking-ray. Let's hurry before all the good games get taken!" If he knew it was going to make her this happy, he may have even suggested it himself. Because as sarcastic as those exclamations were, her eyes were still blown wide in sheer delight. "I… want to hang out with you more. I guess it's good you want to too then!"
Shinsou ducks his head, rubbing the back of his neck, pretending like his ears aren't burning a fiery red.
"Yeah… huh. Good."
He feels bad for having an ulterior motive. Even if it's for her safety in the first place.
Shinsou hadn't been able to bear the thought of leaving her to walk home by herself. After she'd come in with bloodied knees and a big grin on her face, sheepish but much too wide, his stomach had been rolling over itself and he'd felt sick. A little like he might even vomit his own breakfast. Because this was far out of hand, far too much, and a quick glance at Kayama-sensei all but confirms the necessity of the situation.
There's… Just something that makes him want to work harder. Now that there's someone else who knows.
(He knows how selfish that is.)
Medama has no time for him to let bad thoughts, guilty and ashamed thoughts, consume him. She's grabbing his hand and tugging him along and neither bring attention to how easily their hands fit together, how easily their fingers thread with one another, and how the warmth of the connection is enough to have them stepping closer to one another. As if that might make it spread.
Shinsou feels his already small grin grow shaky with nerves.
(Medama sticks her tongue out at the ones that watch from the shadows, ignoring how their faces grow livid as she leads her and Shinsou to the most populated area that would be the easiest to get lost in.
She hadn't expected him to join her.
Hadn't even wanted to head to the arcade all that much.
But she hadn't wanted him to see them try and chase her, didn't want him to get caught up in it, and she could always use an excuse to hang out with him more.)
-0-
There were things that Shinsou was still learning about Medama. Small, tiny inconsequential things that he… couldn't help but notice, even though they honestly meant, probably, nothing in the long run.
Her nose scrunched when she was concentrating, wrinkles would form along the bridge of her nose and would make her eyes squint. Her brows furrowed downwards to follow the move and it made her almost seem like she was glaring, if it wasn't for her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth then, perhaps, he might've even mistaken it for anger.
It breaks away too easily for her to be angry, and she falls into a beaming smile before long. "Shin-sou, I did it! I beat you- yes!"
It's some Hero Fighter game. In fact, it may literally be called Hero Fighter now that he's looking at the side of the machine. Like, the fifteenth iteration of it too. A simple, old fighter game where you picked a character and went to town on an opponent; Medama had mistakenly called it Street Fighter when she first saw it.
She knocks into him, grin cheeky, "Can't believe you just let me kick your ass! C'mon, let's go again." And he rolls his eyes, already going back to the Player Select screen.
He's already beaten her three times at it.
That wasn't even to say she was bad. It's just that she admitted that the last time she played an actual arcade game was when she was eight years old. And given the past tense of how she phrased it, he assumed that was only in her previous memories. The worst part is that he knows that she'll be beating him before long. That her quirk is passively helping her pick up the buttons and moves at an astronomical pace, committing it to muscle memory, and making her learn faster than he could ever compete with.
If this was something he cared about, maybe the thought would make him frustrated and angry. But, honestly, it does nothing here but make him play a little looser, because he's likely going to lose anyways, and takes the chance to stare at her from the corner of his eye, watching her scrunched up face and the way her cheeks grew warm and rosy-
"Shinsou," he blinks out of his stupor, and realizes that her eyes are on his, that her hand has snuck to tap on his frozen ones, and her voice is unusually soft, "I won again. You want to switch games?"
He doesn't know how he could hear her. There was so much noise in the arcade, crowds of students and those younger than them squealing and cheering, and yet- He can't help but listen. The vibrations of her words were so startlingly clear that he had to blink and wonder if there was some part of her quirk that he hadn't known about.
(His own can't help but reach out.
The hum of her voice low in his ears and prickling at his senses, calling out to him. He almost wants to pull her under, to hold her in his hands and savor the feeling.)
"Sure."
He agrees easily enough, glancing back at the screen to see the large letters declaring Player 1 as the winner. There were a couple of kids behind them that looked to be growing impatient with how long they were taking to decide and Medama tugs him by the sleeve of his uniform.
"Oh, and Shin-sou?"
"Huh?"
"I like your smile."
There was also that about her, which made him shift awkwardly and feel almost uncomfortable. Because he didn't know what to react with, what to think. Not when she said things like that so casually and without a hint of embarrassment, ignorant of how flustered he truly got- wanting to press his hands to his face and hide away from any possible onlookers.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
He says instead, hands in his pockets as she rolls her eyes and pulls them over to the next game.
Shinsou shifts from foot to foot as he lets her drag him along, nerves buzzing low in his stomach. He tries to focus on making his way through the crowd, rather than her hand loosely hanging on his wrist, or perhaps on the music that'd come on in the background.
It was an unusual choice to play Halo in an arcade, which was more likely to have remixes and soundtracks without lyrics. But he couldn't help but be glad for it, the soft voice was relaxing, insurmountably so.
And, as he listened to the lyrics, he couldn't help but realize that he hadn't exactly needed it either.
It was strange-
"Ooh~ A racing game will be fun, don't you think?"
-but Medama's voice was just as soothing, if not more so.
(It was a strange dichotomy. To realize that the root of his nerves was also the most successful at easing him. And, now that he was thinking about it, he couldn't remember a time where Medama's voice had been anything but… peaceful.
Like something he'd heard a thousand times before. Like a lullaby on the tip of his tongue. Like a nostalgic memory he couldn't quite recall but could still remember the tranquility it'd inspired.)
"Tell you what, I beat you at this game and we'll say that I actually do know what I'm talking about."
She smirks at him, so proud of herself and so cheeky that he has to scoff at her, mirroring her smirk. "You're on."
He loses.
He loses horribly.
But he'll blame it on Halo's song getting stuck in his head and distracting him, on the scrunch of Medama's nose and her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth before he'll admit to anything else. He'll blame it on how Medama seems to mouth the words to the song as they play, lips so at ease with lyrics she obviously knows well, and he'll wonder if they're pointed. If she means them for anyone in particular.
("You really caught my eye
I'm usually not this shy
But my heart's going through some kind of change
You see, we've always been just friends
But lately these feelings for you have gotten in the way~")
Because when she looks at him afterwards and grins like a looney until he smiles back, he can't help but think that they were.
("So when the stars a~lign
I'm gonna make you mine .")
And that's crazy and stupid of him and he has more important issues and things to focus on. Like training and the Sports Festival and that assessment meeting Kayama-sensei had mentioned.
But Shinsou really, really wants to be right on this one.
("Just tell me, my darling~ do you feel the same way?
It may be crazy but just give it a chance
'Cause what we have is good and I just want this to last
So take my hand and we'll never part
We're meant for each other, this is only the start!")
...
...
"Medama? Shinsou?"
"Kiko?"
It's honestly not all that strange to find Shinsou and Medama in the arcade. It's one of the more popular places outside of school, one of the many places set up outside of UA to try and target teenagers on their way from home or younger tourists. Just looking around she could probably spot plenty more UA students, typically those older, up and about- not just her and Ikimaru. Still. She can't help but find it a little surprising.
"I figured you two would be off… doing your own thing."
"What. Why?"
Because they were what Kiko was going to be calling: the 'cool' kids.
And she says that as fondly as possible. All the while imagining them doing drugs in a dark corner and wearing leather jackets that just emphasized their 'cool kids' personas. Suddenly, she's embarrassed. Because the image looks so distinctly out of place even in her own head. "...No reason."
"Is Ikimaru with you?"
"Um, yes."
"Sweet!"
There had been a very specific image in her head of the pair when Kiko had first arrived at Class 1-C and she's ashamed to admit that they hadn't been particularly flattering. Not really. Considering how quickly Medama beams and hurries off to drag Ikimaru from whatever corner he had found to hide in, shyness completely taking him over, the shame only grows.
"...Medama is…" She trails off and notices Shinsou huffing a little in laughter.
"Overwhelming."
"Yes." Kiko nods rapidly, even though it's rude, and she begins to twiddle her thumbs. They're both watching after her, watching as she manages to get a high five out of Ikimaru and is loudly trying to figure out what game at the arcade is his favorite and get him to play it with her. "She's scary."
"I'm sorry."
Shinsou blinks, absolutely bewildered.
"She's… scary." His gaze flicks back over to pink and laughter and friendliness and he… feels his expression turn flat with just- sheer disbelief. "Tasatsu Medama. Is scary. To you. Medama."
There's a long pause.
"Medama."
Kiko can't help the small chuckle. "I'm sure she's told you. About what happened in the bathroom when those guys followed her there. She was… She was terrifying." Not because she wasn't upset, not because she didn't cry, not because she wasn't scared, but because she was. And she stood up to them anyway. "And after they put tacks in her leg…"
Kiko jumps a bit, suddenly aware of the intense gaze that Shinsou pins her with. The horrified and deadly curve of him not knowing whether to simply be angry, enraged, or to hang his head in his hands and wonder how much else has happened to her in the span of just the last couple days. That he hadn't seen. That he'd seen the signs of and just simply ignored. "Actually," he sucks in a shaky breath, "she didn't tell me a thing. "
Oh shit.
Kiko pales.
"Really?" She squeaks, realizing that she'd said too much and oh wow, oh no. Oops. "Not anything at all?"
"I could guess the tacks." He says bluntly, "Since I was there when it happened. But what do you mean they followed her afterwards?"
Her mouth slams shut and she sweats.
And he…
Shinsou flinches, realizing what he'd done. That he'd asked a question. "I'm not going to use my quirk on you." He says it quickly, before she can scream or call for help or take anything the wrong way. "I just want to help my friend. Please." He's tired. He doesn't have time to be dealing with this.
Kiko shivers, lone green eye shimmering as she glances over to Medama and Ikimaru: "That… I wasn't scared of that." Sure, he snorts, he'll pretend to believe her. "But- I want to be her friend and she asked me not to tell."
"To not tell me." His eyes are dark, bitter. "She doesn't trust me."
Kiko shakes her head.
"She doesn't want to worry you. She looked like she wanted to punch me for even trying to help her." That, at least, has his scowl easing a bit, not quite a smile, not quite an anything. "She's trying to keep it as her problem, I think. I think she thinks she can handle it."
The problem with that was…
"I don't think she can handle it."
"She can." Shinsou says. It's not confidence, it's simply a matter of fact. And Kiko is taken aback. Because that sounds like he's planning on doing nothing, saying nothing, and the thought has her infuriated. "She could. But I... won't let her." That sounded more like something she would expect to hear from him and Kiko ducks her head.
"Good. I don't think I will either."
He blinks, surprised and their eyes meet. They share a look that neither can put into words but there's a camaraderie that wasn't there before. Kiko smiles, "You two are… A bit of a match made, aren't you?" She sounds almost impressed as she says it, even though Shinsou has no idea what she could possibly mean. "I like your styles. I'm… not going to watch you do it alone, 'kay?"
The arcade is bustling and Medama drags Ikimaru over to them, the boy blushing so hard that he's turned purple, "What are you two whispering about over here? Commiserating?" She doesn't care to wait for an answer, so long as it seems like they're getting along, it's probably not important anyways. "C'mon, a game for four just opened up. Let's grab it before someone else can take it!"
...
...
Shinsou is quiet.
It's a bit disturbing, for one so focused.
"What's got you pouting, kid?"
Sora stands over the kid, hands on her hips and half wanting to walk away so she could go grab her water bottle. The kid needs her weight to hold down his feet though, her shoes covering his and keeping them to the floor as he could keep doing sit ups. His expression is unusually tense and blank. She wasn't even sure if he was breathing properly, so hyper focused on something in his own head. She waits for an answer, but receives none, not even sure if he heard her.
What a student she'd taken on.
The kid is someone she would liken to an abandoned kitten or a particularly young doe, all wide eyes and ready to freeze as soon as the spotlight fell on him. Still, he could have sharp claws if he wanted. Little needles that didn't do much harm quite yet but still hurt.
(She's heard the wit on the kid, the personality, he had a silver tongue just waiting to be sharpened into its own personal weapon.)
"Is it because Medama isn't here again?" Sora hums, carrying on, and the name does seem to snap him out of his reverie. "Where is that girl… I know she hasn't been coming in the mornings either. Is she getting lazy? Didn't you mention her arm had healed after she broke it?" Probably not a good idea to immediately go to exercise afterwards, but Sora had been looking forward to testing her strength and getting her arm back up to par if need be.
"She didn't break it."
The mutter is something that she doesn't think Shinsou meant for her to hear. And the emphasis has a frown growing on her face and her eyes narrowing.
"Sora-sensei, you're strong, right?"
"...I would like to think so. I mean, have you seen my arms?" Shinsou isn't in the mood for her jokes, clearly, because he doesn't even react with some quip like he normally would. She finds herself missing the usual sass. "Kid, c'mon, talk to me."
"I know you said I should do some training first, build up muscle and stamina, before we get into the harder things, since I have..."
"Complete noodle arms."
"That." He makes a face, distaste evident. "But I... need to learn how to fight. How to beat someone."
Need. Need. Need . She doesn't like that phrasing.
It's not that she hasn't been teaching him how to defend himself or how to fight back, it was just that she hadn't been teaching any actual fighting styles. Partly because she was unsure what would suit him best, but also because she felt a good understanding of the basics would help him better in the long run. Especially if he eventually got another instructor sometime in the near future, who could teach him live-combat and likely teach differently than she would.
Rather than the safety net of fighting in a safe place where a slip up was just a slip up and where people would fight by rules and didn't usually intend to seriously injure one another.
"Fight dirty." She says, in lieu of actual instruction. She would get there with him. She would. But he needed a faster solution to his problems and this was something she could offer him that was… better. "Fight like…" The scars on her arm ache. Memories of street fights and people who had no qualms about using their quirks coming back to her. "Don't fight like you're trying to win. Fight like you're trying to survive-"
"Is there a difference?"
"Yeah. One of you gets to walk away."
Shinsou is quiet.
Sora sighs.
"Heroes… so much of their battles is just a show they put on. It convinces people that they can do it too, that with just the right quirk, they could win any battle. That's not true. It never has been. The stronger ones don't survive, Shinsou, and you take this to heart, you hear? The smart ones do. The ruthless ones do. The stronger ones just stall for time and when they inevitably fall…" She pauses. "They fall hard. "
"I…"
"This is about Medama, isn't it?" She asks because she can tell that it is. "Not about the Sports Festival. That hasn't been on your mind as much."
(He hasn't forgotten it, certainly not. But there's not much he can do at this point in time- he doesn't think. He doesn't know what else he can prepare or plan with when there's so much he just... doesn't know yet.)
His face scrunches, his hands running through his hair and he'd long since stopped his sit ups. He's frustrated, so very frustrated that it looks like he may scream. "...They broke her arm. And I didn't do anything."
So that's what happened.
"You froze."
"I froze! " She nods, because she expected as much. Not enough time had passed for him to change the base instinct. He'd gotten better but- "I didn't even realize what was happening. Medama got him away all by herself and I… Just let it happen." It's clearly weighing on him, likely has been for awhile, because the despair on his face is so real that she's surprised tears aren't already dripping from the corner of his eyes. "And bad stuff keeps happening to her, it's just getting worse. And all I could do was tell a teacher."
Oh, she can't let this fester.
It may rot if she lets it.
"That's good, Shinsou, that's good. You hear me? You did something, you didn't do nothing, you- You're still friends with Medama, right?"
"Y-Yeah."
"You know what her quirk is? She told you?"
"Yeah."
"That means she trusts you, okay. She wouldn't tell that to you lightly," Sora affirms, "she trusts you. It took me and her family years to get her to tell us. But I know what she thinks of you. And, trust me, so long as you keep doing what you're doing, you will not hurt her. You didn't let anything happen."
He rubs an arm over his face, head ducking to hide the redness under his eyes. "I… still want to know how to fight. Need to know."
"That's fine, kid, that's fine." She pats him on the head, like a kitten, and watches his face turn cherry red and indignant. She can't help it. The kid's just too precious and even she knows how patronizing she must come across. "But I'm going to teach you to fight dirty, got that? I don't care if you win your battles, I just wanna make sure you survive them. Medama would be pissed at me if I didn't teach you at least that much."
He sniffs. "Okay." Determined.
And she sucks in a breath and begins.
"Go for the throat, go for the eyes, go for the previous injuries if you have to-"
Sora grew up on the streets. Fighting for food, fighting for life, and she didn't make it this far because of some heroic morality or sweet mentality. Shinsou is a nice kid. He has integrity, honor, intelligence, and a hint of conniving that she really wants to see in action- but he's not naturally ruthless. He hasn't needed to be. He feels too guilty about taking things too far, he second guesses himself too much, and Sora- as much as she loves that kindness in people- doesn't have time for it.
"Do not apologize for using all of your tricks and cunning." She growls when he makes a move to go for her eyes but instead punches her in the gut and sees the instant fear and concern and shame on his face. "It is your opponent's fault for falling for it, got that? And they knew what they were getting into- when they decided to fight you- or to commit a crime- never apologize."
"...Right."
"By the time I'm done with you, you're going to beat all those Hero Students into the ground. And you're going to make everyone regret hurting Medama."
He nods, rapidly, and perhaps it's because she's glowering at him but she thinks it's more to do with the fact that he's actually listening to her. That he wants the same.
"If you need to lie, you lie. If you need to use your quirk, you do. If you need to trick them into thinking you're weak- or trick them into thinking you're something you're not- it's more power to you."
She likes to think that she can see the gears in his mind turning.
"And, no matter what, never tell them your weaknesses."
Because there's an idea forming in his brain that has his eyes gleaming a little and her grinning back.
"Never, huh?"
"Never."
He leaves for home, limping a little and bruised.
And she makes sure to watch him leave, that no one gives him any trouble, because he's young and it's late and her gym isn't exactly in the best of places.
"Hey, love," she quietly says into her phone, having dialed a number, and waiting for the other person to pick up, "there's been something happening to Medama at school and I want you to take a look into it."
There's a pause.
"She didn't tell me. Her crush did."
She laughs slightly.
"Yeah, he's a sweet kid. Wants to be a hero. No, Underground from the sounds of it. The one I told you about? That I'm training." Sora sighs. "He said someone broke her arm at school. That they've been hurting her and it… sounds bad. Yeah. I don't know why she would hide it from us. But… because of how fast Recovery Girls' quirk works, we wouldn't have even noticed when we visited at the end of the week."
There's silence on her end for a second as she listens.
"You know how she is. Our niece… Gosh, she's definitely a stupid one sometimes, isn't she?"
...
...
"Holy shit, Shinsou, that's genius."
"So you'll do it?" He asks, biting his lip. "I know it's a lot to ask of you. To lie. Especially with all that you have going on with you right now…"
"Don't even have to ask. Are you kidding me? This sounds hilarious." She's lying on her bed, scrawling away in her notebook while it's destroyed copy is next to it. She's carefully copying everything over in a journal of the same make and size and he can't help but wonder how her hand hasn't cramped by now. "Can you imagine Chikuchi's face? Oh my god. Get Kayama-sensei in on it. She'd so do it too."
He fiddles in his seat. Wonders if it was a good idea to video call about it so soon after he had the idea.
"That's the plan. And you're sure?"
"Shinsou. I will absolutely prank the whole school for you."
"It's not really a prank."
"It's a prank."
"It'll get us a lot of attention…"
"Correction. It'll get you a lot of attention." Well, she was right about that. "Wanna pull Ikimaru and Kiko into it? They seem like the type who'd be on board with this. And Kiko and you seem to be getting along."
"We… have an understanding."
"I'm going to pretend that wasn't creepy. So- do you?"
"I- Do you really think they'd help? They probably want to be heroes too."
"Ikimaru doesn't. He wants to go into Child Therapy." Shinsou blinks, wondering when she'd learnt that. "And Kiko… I'm unsure on her part, but I think she'd be down."
"...Okay. If you think they'll keep a lid on it."
"Don't worry about that." Medama smirks. "Ooh~ I can't wait. This is going to be so much fun!"
-0-
Kayama-sensei struts into class with Nezu not far behind, all the grace that she can muster as she sashays.
(They both pretend not to see Kiroku yelp, practically squeaking in fear, and try to hide behind a book at the sight of the Principal.)
"Ooh~ my lovely class, all your efforts are coming to a head!" She licks her lips, overly seductive. "And I have just the most… titillating of surprises. I hope you're ready to handle it."
They tense, waiting for the whip to snap. A pop quiz? A test? With the Principal present, they couldn't be sure.
Shinsou sits up in his seat a little straighter, receiving a wink from Kayama-sensei that tells him that this 'surprise' of hers is exactly what she'd mentioned before. What he'd been hoping for.
"Career Counseling!"
She cheers and the students all groan, for the most part.
"Based on your assessment tests!"
Even more groans.
Shinsou- he shares a look with Medama as Kiko and Ikimaru fiddle in their seats, nervous grins at the ready as they eye their classmates. If they were going to have a successful ruse, they needed the backing of the teacher, because one word from her would have it imploding in seconds.
Shinsou had been waiting for the moment he'd be able to bring it up in private without gaining suspicion, now he had his chance- and what's even better is that Nezu will be present. He'd be the one he'd really have to convince, because if the school board caught wind then… he didn't know what would happen. If they could get the Principal's interest, they could at least try to keep him from vetoing it outright.
"We'll be doing it one-on-one. Or two-on-one, I suppose. The rest of you have a free period until your turn comes up. Only half the class will go today, so that means we stop at… Seat 10. Kiruude Kinto. You'll be last."
Which meant that Shinsou, Seat 7, would be able to speak with her today.
Medama, Seat 14, blew a raspberry in disappointment. The only one from their newly formed quartet that was excluded.
"Tomorrow we'll start with Tobira and end with Chikuchi. For now… Tsutsutaka Agoyamato! You're up first!"
And, then, it was just a waiting game.
"Shibori Ayaaya."
"Kiroku Eiga."
"Sansho Hakusho."
Or it would be.
If they hadn't a plan to enact and prep for, starting now. With or without the teacher's permission. They were going to try and make it work.
Medama starts it off as they descend into conversation and the usual clique's of the classrooms, with laughter and a lie so easy on her lips that Shinsou is a bit shocked. "I can't believe she believed that's how your quirk works, oh my gosh. Is she dumb or what? I mean, take the hint."
He rolls his eyes. "...I mean, it does sound plausible, doesn't it?"
If Medama hadn't caught her attention, then Shinsou asking a question definitely did. And he tried not to let his discomfort of grabbing Chikuchi's attention show. Even if it was their intent.
"I guess but sarcasm exists."
"Don't answer him!"
Hook.
Chikuchi bristles, "I thought you knew what you were doing trying to be friends with him. Do you want to be brainwashed?!"
Medama stares at her briefly, then… snickers.
Chikuchi turns a humiliated red. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Line.
"Oh, I just can't believe that you still think that's how his quirk works."
"W-What?"
Sinker.
And here's where Medama is supposed to turn away and jump into conversation with Kiko or Ikimaru, signaling the end of their little ruse for the moment. Just enough to plant the idea that Shinsou was lying about how his quirk works, just enough to plant a seed of doubt.
Because, here's the thing about Chikuchi, she never shuts up.
And if they could get her to start second guessing how his quirk works, to make her think one thing for one day and then convince her of something else, there'd be enough rumors flying around by the end of the week that no one- absolutely no one in the school was going to be able to figure it out.
"I… thought he said that if someone responded to him he could control them."
Medama doesn't turn away immediately though. Doesn't play it off as just being especially loud with gossiping behind her back.
(This was the part of the plan that Shinsou was worried about. The guise that Medama would have for a bit. He wouldn't be surprised if the class thought she was rude or belligerent or just a straight-up asshole by the end of the day, something he knows she's not.
Could never be.)
Instead, she decides that she has a bone to pick with Chikuchi.
And Shinsou never knew she could be so… petty.
Medama snorts, "That was just to get you to shut up. Fat lot of good that did us, didn't work for even a moment." And rolls her eyes before going to Kiko, hips practically swaying as she walks off, ignoring Chikuchi's gaping face and the deep offense written into it. "Honestly, some people...!"
Shinsou stares, unable to keep himself from watching her go, eyes following the sway of her steps.
He actually startles when Chikuchi jabs a finger in his face, fumbling with his pencil, and demands, "Then how does your quirk work?!"
He smirks. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
The fact that it's a question is the most infuriating bit and appears to be too much for Chikuchi to handle because she lets out a yell and stomps her feet like a child before storming off, back to her seat.
"Maguro Hi-do."
"Ikimaru Hisoo."
Aa.
"Shinsou Hitoshi."
It looks like he was up.
It's time to see if everything would go as planned. If every piece on their board was going to take its place without a fight. Shinsou receives a thumbs up from Medama as he makes his way over and he takes a deep breath, bowing his head-
"I want to be a hero."
He says, firmly. This, they both already know, but it needs to be restated.
"I don't particularly care what my assessment tests say, it won't ever be able to tell you what I can do now. As I am." He doesn't let his voice shake. Even if his nerves are fraying and so much is riding on this. "It won't tell you how I'll work for this. How much I have already prepared." He knew what was on those tests, the questions it asked.
He may not have understood the point of all of them.
But it doesn't matter.
"I'm going to decimate the Sports Festival. I may not win, but I will come out on top." It isn't about winning. It's about being seen. It's about showing his worth and if he had to fight dirty to do that, be ruthless, then he would be. "I have a plan."
Kayama-sensei's brows have risen into her hairline, she's so surprised by the sheer intensity of him that she… can't help but be a bit enamored. The passion was- She knew there was a reason she liked this kid.
Still.
She never would have expected what came out of his mouth next.
"For that, allow me to request that the nature of my quirk- how it works and it's typing- be redacted from file."
He doesn't look at her when he says it. Doesn't see the lost expression on her face. Not understanding how that would help… anything.
Instead, he stares at Nezu.
Who stares back and then-
Shinsou's shoulders rise with tension. This is it. The yes or no. Maybe he'd be able to try and convince him more, explain his reasoning and what he'd meant, maybe they'd be able to meet each other halfway.
Laughs.
-0-
Medama feels shaky with second-hand nerves. They can't hear a word even being breathed from the meetings and, quite honestly, she doesn't know if it would even be better if she could eavesdrop or not. Maybe it'd even make it worse.
"Hey, Kiko," she whispers, throat suddenly dry, "I'm going to head over to the water fountains. If Shin-sou comes back or Sensei asks for me, can you let them know? It should only be a minute."
"Yeah, no problem."
The plan was a simple one. Hide Shinsou's quirk and possible weaknesses behind trickery and deceit, it was too late to tell people that it wasn't Brainwashing, but it was not too late to make people second guess how it worked.
(He would start wearing gloves and avoid touch, making it seem touch activated. He would pretend to make eye contact with her, Kiko, or Ikimaru and would act like he was controlling them. They'd exaggerate what he could and could not do. He would make it seem like he was a puppeteer controlling them by strings. They'd figure out other possibilities- scenarios-
And Chikuchi would sing like the cat that got the canary and the rumor mill would go wild with theories and conflicting information that even the Hero Students would never be able to figure it out. If they even tried.
And, well, they have yet to declare war on them. But there was a plan for that too.)
The only problem was- A teacher could simply look it up and figure out the answer themselves.
The non-Hero teachers would go out of their way to ruin Shinsou's plan if they weren't careful.
(They never called on him in class. Never asked him to speak. And looked at him with disgust that Shinsou was, quite honestly, so used to it, he hardly saw it anymore.
But Medama saw.
And she was angry.)
Which is why they needed Midnight's support- maybe even the Principal's- to get the information out of the other teachers hands. Because, without proof, they would second guess themselves too.
Medama hums and hopes for the best.
At the very least, they could just mess with Chikuchi. Which would be a plus either way.
And… And maybe the bullying would get worse. Now that she's going to be actively faking Shinsou controlling her, but- but that didn't matter.
(It didn't matter that her heart beat a little harsher.
It didn't matter that her throat constricted and she felt horribly cold.)
She wanted to help him. Screw those jerks. She wasn't going to let them stop her from doing what she wanted to do!
E-Even if she was starting to get exhausted, even if her paranoia was starting to get so bad she was starting to see people out of shadows, dancing in the corner of her vision, mocking her. She swallowed, head hanging. She knew they'd get bored eventually, they had to, and they'd mostly stayed away since she confronted them, only really watching her from afar or tripping her up every once in a while.
She hasn't even seen them ready to chase her outside of school anymore.
Maybe… Maybe they already were bored. And she'd have nothing to worry about. Medama tries not to let herself hope, shadows making her jump as she trails down the hallway towards the water fountain.
She sighs, rubbing at her face, leaning down to take a drink.
The problem was, she just didn't know how determined they were and how far they would be willing to take it. Because she didn't know what they were even trying to get out of tormenting her-
Her finger hovers over the button to press for water. Not pressing it.
Frozen.
Her eyes snap open and flick behind her. The hair on the back of her neck is standing on end, prickling and her instincts are screaming at her to move- move- move-
(Shinsou's instincts may be to freeze but hers has been, and always will be, flight.)
She can't move.
Not with the hand- a strength quirk that could so easily break her without him even realizing- on the nape of her neck, holding her in place. "So… you're not going to leave me alone then."
"Not a chance." He growls. "Not so long as you're being controlled-"
Medama wants to scream. For the love of-
And when his hand tightens on her, she does.
-0-
Shinsou is giddy, so giddy that he can practically feel himself shivering with excitement. If this works- If this works-!
"Oh, wait-" He pauses just before he leaves, and his exuberance is put on hold for something more serious. "Sensei. You told me to come to you if… something happened with Medama."
He notices her hands spasm, the way her grin tenses.
"The day she had bandages on her leg. She went to the bathroom sometime during the end of lunch- they followed her there." Shinsou makes a fist with his hands, opening and closing them. "I… don't know if the cameras were back up by then but-"
"They were." Midnight says sharply. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Shinsou. I'll take a look at them personally and see who the perpetrators are. Rest assured, I- UA… We take this very seriously."
He nods.
Once.
And hopes that, finally, maybe, a teacher will keep to their word. He doesn't know what to do if she doesn't.
"Hanzengi Kigen, you're up next!"
Shinsou walks back into class and pauses, thankfully, Kiko sees his silent question. "She went to go get a drink from the water fountain."
"Aa."
He supposes he just has to wait to tell her.
.
.
.
Yes, the plan that Shinsou is going for is partially inspired by the fic How To Win The Sports Festival: A Step by Step Guide by mhwright- will it turn out the same? Oooh, definitely not. But that's actually a fic that really got me interested in writing this one so I would suggest checking it out!
Also- Shinsou is totally into Medama. Ten-thousand-percent. Does he realize that's what's happening though? Up to your interpretation
Medama: *is petty*
Shinsou: I'm going to marry her.
It's all starting to come together. Muwahaha.