I'm back, lovely readers! Not much in the way of news, if I have any important notes for you all, they'll be at the bottom of the chapter. To answer the last chapter's question, I would rather not be able to communicate using my own language for a week. Mineta can suffer in a sewage drain. Still, here we are! I don't own My Hero Academia, but I do own my ideas and characters. Now then, I hope you all enjoy chapter five!
Present Mic stood in front of the class, four sentences on the board. '1. The man whom I most respect 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.' Turning to the class, he asked, "Which of the sentences on the board are incorrect?" Looking at the letters written in English, Himemi had to hold back a smile as she thought, Well, number one for sure, but grammatically, it's number four. In front of her, Yaoyorozu raised her hand, answering calmly.
Lunch was relatively calm. Himemi was making her way towards Midoriya when Iida sat down next to him, the girl with the fluffy hair Himemi learned was named Uraraka Ochaco. Pausing, Himemi glanced around before looking back at the three. I still need to apologize, this is a good chance. Taking a few steps, she was interrupted by her name being yelled. Looking past where Mineko and her green-haired friend were sitting and chatting, Himemi spotted the owner of the voice.
"Himemi-chan! Come sit with us over here!" Waving not far off, Sachiho, Yaoyorozu, and Tsukumi sat, Sachiho and Tsukumi already eating.
Original plan forgotten, Himemi made her way to the group of girls, setting her bento box down before taking a seat herself. "You brought a bento? Lucky! I never wake up early enough to make my own food." Sachiho took a bite of her white rice, chewing and swallowing before continuing. "But I'm actually quite a fan of this food. Lunch Rush makes all the food himself, y'know? It's yummy!" Taking another bite of her food, Sachiho hummed happily and Himemi smiled softly.
Opening her bento, Himemi began to eat quietly, listening to Sachiho talk through bites of her food, Tsukumi chiming in every now and then to praise the food as well. Looking up at where Yaoyorozu sat across from her, Himemi set her chopsticks down and signed, "- Are you enjoying your food as well, Yaoyorozu-san? -"
She smiled at the question, finishing her food and setting her chopsticks down neatly. "I am. Wakana-san, you can call me Momo instead."
"- Then excuse me, Momo-san. Please call me Himemi as well. -" Himemi turned to Tsukumi and nodded at her as well. Grabbing her phone, she wrote, 'Kae-san, you can call me Himemi as well.'
Tsukumi, who had been trying and failing to follow the conversation in sign language, smiled gratefully. "You can call me Tsukumi, Himemi-chan! I hope to become good friends with you."
'Me too.'
Sachiho, who had been thoroughly enjoying her food, looked between the three girls before saying, "You're all so cool! I'm so excited to be your classmate and friend!" Himemi blinked as she registered the word, 'friend'. Beaming brightly at the girls, Himemi's eyes shined and her face lit up as she realized they wanted to be her friend.
"- I'm very happy to be considered your friend too. -"
Sitting in class, directly behind Momo, Himemi could hear from outside the class All Might's not very subtle entrance. "I am….." The door to the classroom slid open so quickly, it looked like it had disappeared, and there, in the doorway, was All Might, dressed in his costume from the Silver Age, with vibrant reds, blues and yellows. "Coming through the door like a normal person!" Blue cape flowing around him with the force in which he appeared, All Might took in the awed looks of the students. Himemi, on the other hand, had to stifle a laugh at the sentence that just came out of his mouth.
Oh my god… What normal person announces that they're a normal person? "Pfftt." No wonder Midoriya-san looks up to All Might so much, they're both so strange! Reigning in the smile on her face, she sobered up as All Might stood in front of the teacher's podium, beginning his introduction.
"I am in charge of basic hero training. It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject!" Finishing his sentence, he moved into a lunge, showing off his muscular arms as he posed for the class. "Now then, let's get right into it! This is what we'll do today:" Twisting suddenly, she showed the class a card that very clearly read 'BATTLE', "Combat training!"
Immediately, Bakugo seemed to look pumped up, and Himemi looked around as the class buzzed with curiosity. "And to go with that are these!" All Might pointed to the wall, and the class watched as several shelves emerged from sections in the wall. Numbered clearly on the shelf were different boxes. "Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started." Costumes, huh. Aunt Kana sent it in without showing me the design, so I'm a little excited to see what she thought up. "You will find that the box corresponding with your seat number is holding your costume. Once you've grabbed your costume go ahead and change in the changing rooms. After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"
The instruction sounded final, and soon the class was bustling around the shelves. "Here! 24, right?" Looking up from her desk, Himemi smiled as Sachiho handed her a box. "I'm seat 18, and since they count the seats vertically here instead of horizontally like in my middle school, I figured yours was 24."
"- Ah, thank you Sachiho-san. -" Grabbing the box, she bowed towards the shorter girl and then smiled a little at Sachiho's pout.
"Mou, call me Sachi-cchi, Himemi-chan! It's cuter, and we're friends, right?" At that, Himemi smiled even wider. Nodding, she set her box on her desk so she should sign.
"- Right, thank you for the reminder, Sachi-chan. Please correct me if I make the same mistake in the future. -"
"Of course! Now let's go get changed! I'm excited to see my costume!"
Standing in the changing room, Himemi stared at the contents of her box with a flushed face, paying no mind to the rest of the girls around her as she began taking the pieces of her hero costume out from the box. Hah, this kind of thing…. Aunt Kana, what were you thinking? Pushing her embarrassment down, Himemi assessed her costume objectively before beginning to change.
Okay, Himemi, it's okay. Zipping up the black fitted jumpsuit and then buttoning the sturdy corset-vest in the front, Himemi breathed out a long suffering sigh. Pulling on the coat and attaching the golden braided rope to the other side so that it stayed on, she looked at herself in the mirror before attaching the last few accessories and braiding her hair so that the final accessory would stay put on her head. At least it's warm. I'm glad Aunt Kana kept my Quirk and skills in mind. Looking herself over one more time, she nodded. Okay, let's get this over with.
Stepping out of the changing room, Himemi strode confidently, neither her posture nor disposition betraying the amount of embarrassment that was flooding her system. "Super manly, Wakana-chan!" Eijiro's compliment only served to fuel her embarrassment more as everyone's attention turned towards her.
Himemi stood tall in an armored, royal blue fitted corset with royal red and gold ribbing, and four rows of golden buttons down the front, matched symmetrically on the other side, each row held together with a braided golden cord. On the left hip of the corset is a black loop and a hook, obviously meant to hold some sort of weapon. On the hoop, there is a thick grey ribbon tied neatly. The bottom of the corset is straight across, with golden trim lining both the bottom and top of the corset. Underneath the corset is a fitted black jumpsuit with a high collar that has golden and red embroidery down the center where it stops at the base of her throat and splits diagonally towards the corset, making an upside down y shape. The sleeves end just short of her elbows. At the base of the throat is a circular crown brooch that, when taken off and pressed in the center, expands to a short golden bo staff that looks like a scepter. The embroidery goes down the fitted legs of the jumpsuit on both sides. She is wearing black boots that end just below the knee.
Over her corset is a fur lined coat that's draped over her shoulders, a metal chain and clasp with a crown insignia as well as two braided gold cords, knotted together in several places, keeping it from falling off her body. The coat is blue on the outside and red on the inside with gold epaulets on the shoulders. The sleeves have golden trim around the bicep and the wrist before the end of the sleeves, fur lined. The length of the coat ends mid-thigh, the bottom of the coat also the white fur. When she takes the coat off, she has a pair of black metal bracers, also with golden embroidery around each end.
Settled on her head like it belonged there, cradled by braided, silver-lavender hair, was a golden crown. On the inside of the crown, at the base in the back, is a loop, with which she can hook the crown to the hook on the left hip of her corset. Her hair was braided around her head to easily fit a crown snugly into the space in the center, bangs and hair by the ears down, framing her face. I take it back. I should've said no what Aunt Kana said her only condition was to design my hero costume. I know my name means Empress, but this is a little bit ridiculous. I must look so full of myself.
"You look so pretty, Wakana-chan! But, it is a little out of place for a wind Quirk, don'tcha think?" Uraraka threaded her fingers together behind her back, leaning forward. I want to crawl into a hole and die.
"Well, her name means princess, right? So I think it fits." Tsukumi chimed in. She was wearing a quarter sleeved fitted jumpsuit that was white down the center and gray on the sides with the two kanji for healing written in red vertically down her back: rei ki. Around her waist was a utility belt that held pouches of medical equipment, two larger than the rest on each hip. The bottoms of the two larger pouches ended right above her knees, which were protected by black knee pads, and had straps securing them to her thighs to prevent the medical equipment from limiting her movement. The boots she wore were gray as well, ending just below her knee pads. Her dark brown hair was tied up into a secure bun with a clip that looked like a syringe, most likely a callout to Recovery Girl herself.
"A-actually, I'm pretty sure the kanji of Wakana-san's given name is B-beautiful Empress." Midoriya adds. Can we move on from this topic?
"Given the regal way she always holds herself and the manner with which she chooses to conduct herself, it is logical that, along with her name, her costume would be one befitting a royal status." Yaoyorozu added, stepping up next to her. Thank you Momo-san. I don't think I could handle any more attention on me right now.
"- You look very nice, Momo-san. -" Himemi quickly signed, ignoring the comments everyone else was making about the amount of skin Yaoyorozu was showing.
"Thank you Himemi-san." Momo said back, and Himemi nodded.
"That's great, everyone. You all look cool!" Coming from All Might, the praise seemed to boost the group's morale even more, and Himemi smiled as Sachiho found her way to Himemi's side.
Sachiho's costume was a deep plum long sleeved bodysuit with black skirt that reached her mid thigh. There was a slit in it that went all the way up to her left hip, and at the top of the slit was a holster that held a metal bar that seemed to be about a foot in length. Sachiho's boots reached a little bit under her skirt, leaving only a little bit of skin on her left thigh showing, her thigh high boots also a deep plum color. Sachiho's hair was braided and pinned to the back of her head, and a tinted visor covered her eyes.
"- You look very cool, Sachi-san. -" At Himemi's signs, Sachiho smiled brightly and playfully bumped the taller girl.
"Thanks, Himemi-chan! You also look very cool, like the type of ruler that would lead the army at the front instead of from the throne, y'know?" Himemi balked at the thought, but smiled at Sachiho's comment anyway. It's okay to say I look ridiculous, this is over the top, even I know that. Glancing over to her blonde classmate in a full suit of armor, Himemi's embarrassment only grew. I'll just pretend it's a dance costume.
"Now, it's time for combat training!" All Might's booming voice was a welcome change from her thoughts, and Himemi turned her attention to the Pro Hero for only a second when Iida cut in, raising a hand.
"Sensei!" Ugh, he's also wearing what looks like a metal suit of armor. The realization was worse than the previous embarrassment she felt. "This is the battle center from the entrance exam, so will we be conducting urban battles again?" The question had Himemi biting her lip in frustration. I get that you want to be viewed as smart, but your question would probably be answered if you shut up long enough for the explanation to start, let alone finish.
"No, we're going to move ahead two steps!" Holding out two fingers, All Might explained. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside, but if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate." All Might began listing, "Imprisonment, house arrests, backroom deals- In this society filled with heroes," All Might cleared his throat, "truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows!" Himemi took a steadying breath at his words, "For this class, you'll be split into villains and heroes and fight 2-on-2 indoor battles."
"Without basic training?" Himemi remembered the frog girl who spoke to be one of Mineko's friends. Tsuyu-san, I believe.
"This is a real battle to understand those basics!" Himemi looked at All Might, wondering once again if he actually had a license to teach. "However, the key this time is that there's no robot you can just beat up." Those of us who have been training in combat will have a clear advantage over those who have not.
"How will wins and losses be determined?" It was Momo who spoke this time, stepping forward to ask her question.
"Can we beat them up anyway?" Bakugo added on top of that and Himemi shot a glare in his direction.
"Will the punishment be expulsion like with Mr. Aizawa?" Himemi closed her eyes as Uraraka asked her question as well.
"How shall we be split up?" At Iida's additional question, Himemi had to get a grip on her slipping patience. If you'd let him speak, maybe he'd answer.
"Isn't this cape crazy?" Snapping her eyes open and looking in the direction of the last person's voice, Himemi held back an audible sigh. It's the armor kid from earlier. Now I really don't want to be lumped in with him. I'm going to have to ask Kanako to change my costume design as soon as possible.
Looking as fed up as Himemi felt, All Might held back an irritated noise at the back of his throat before saying, "I'll answer all of your questions! Now listen!" Pulling out a tiny book, he began to read. A script? Is he really qualified to teach? Himemi's skepticism only seemed to grow larger and larger as the minutes flew by. "The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout. The heroes are trying to dispose of that. The heroes need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapon back in the allotted time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes."
Himemi blinked at the instructions. So all we need to do is capture the other team or capture or protect the weapon. That seems simple enough. Grabbing a box behind him that said 'Lots' on the front, All Might held it up in front of him. "Teams will be determined by drawing lots!"
"They're being decided so haphazardly?" Iida shouted and Himemi held back a groan.
"Pros often have to create makeshift teams with heroes from other agencies, so maybe that's why?" Midoriya suggested and Himemi mentally added, There's also a chance of a big emergency, you'll have to partner with whoever is there, you can't wait around for your favorite partners.
"I see. The discernment to look ahead…" Iida said, and Himemi gave him a sideways glance as he bowed. "Please excuse my rudeness!" It's good that he apologized, but just an apology doesn't give us back the time we wasted.
"It's fine!" Turning, All Might punched a fist in the air. "Let's do this quickly!" Stepping forward, everyone pulled a paper from the box, showing the contents to the group. Going close to first, Himemi pulled out the slip, showing 'Team L' to the class. Getting more and more anxious as Sachiho pulled 'Team K' and Momo pulled 'Team C'. I suppose it's wishful thinking to have my partner know JSL. Wait… Holding her breath as Iida reached into the lot box, she sighed in relief as he showed his slip, 'Team D' to the class. Even if he knows Sign, I'm glad he's not my partner. Himemi had to hide her smile at the distraught look on both Bakugo's and Iida's faces as they realized they were a team.
"Ah, Team L! Himemi-san, looks like we're partners." Blinking out of her thoughts, Himemi nodded at Tsukumi.
"Now that we have the teams set up, let's get the battles rolling!" Bringing out two boxes, one labeled 'VILLAIN' and the other labeled 'HERO', All Might shook them both before saying, "The first teams to fight will be…" grabbing a ball from each, he presented them to the class, and Himemi stiffened. "..these guys!" Midoriya-san vs Bakugo… Himemi looked over at her classmates in question as All Might expanded on the revelation. "Team A will be the heroes, and Team D will be the villains. Everyone else, head towards the monitor room."
Walking past Midoriya, Himemi held out a hand, patting him on the shoulder before nodding in encouragement. "A-ah! Thanks, Wakana-san." Nodding once more, Tsukino continued past, entering the building the rest of the classmates had followed All Might into, taking the stairs up to the monitor room, having missed the elevator.
The monitor room was spacious, and it reminded Himemi of the many monitor rooms at her Uncle's workplace. I can't get comfortable just because it's a little familiar. Pressing a button on a keypad in front of the largest monitor, All Might said into the microphone. "Villain Team, go in first and set up! In five minutes, the hero team will break in, and the battle will start!" After a second, he added, "Young Iida, Young Bakugo, learn to think from the perspective of the villains. This is pretty close to a real battle. Go all out, don't be afraid to get hurt." He turned to the class. "That goes for all of you, too!" Turning back to the microphone, he added, as an afterthought, "If things go too far, I will stop the fight."
Will those two be okay…? Himemi watched as the blinking screen that lined the wall of the room delivered both the footage inside the building Bakugo and Iida entered and the outside, showing Uraraka and Midoriya studying the floor plan. Midoriya-san more than Bakugo, his Quirk seems to have quite severe drawbacks.
After five minutes had passed, All Might spoke into the mic, his voice reverberating around the room, and outside, throughout the battle ground. "Now, let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team A and Team D!" The lights in the monitor room dimmed as All Might addressed the rest of the class. "Okay everyone, you all should be watching the battle as well."
Stepping closer to the front, Himemi let out a deep breath. That's right, even if they get hurt, we have Shuzenji-sensei, so I need to focus on what I can learn from this. How Bakugo fights, the way Midoriya-san utilizes his knowledge. Uraraka-san's Quirk, and even Iida. What can I learn from them? Watching as Uraraka and Midoriya began to float outside of the building, Himemi blinked. That's right, she had some sort of gravity manipulating Quirk. That's good to know.
The camera shifted as the pair entered several floors up, through the window, and Himemi's eyes narrowed. If Tsukumi-san and I are villains this time around, we'll need to be aware of our opponents and whether or not they would be the type to enter through the front or find another way in. Glancing around the room, Himemi made a mental note of all the teams. If we're heroes, though, I could probably get us in through any window without too much trouble… Ah, I should see what Tsukumi-san's Quirk is. I assume it has something to do with healing, since she's Shuzenji-sensei's recommended student.
Sudden movement on the screen had Himemi drawn out of her thoughts. Watching as Bakugo launched himself past a corner aiming right for the pair, Himemi instinctively clenched her left hand. I had expected Bakugo to search out Midoriya-san first, and it seems Midoriya-san had the same thought. Himemi's fist relaxed as Midoriya stood, half of his mask gone from the blast.
"A surprise attack from the start?"
"Bakugo, that's cheating!" Looking back at her spiky, red-haired classmate, Himemi frowned as he caught his fist in his hand. "A surprise attack isn't manly at all!" No… It's actually a good tactic. Catching your opponent off guard is a valid strategy when you're alone.
"A surprise attack is a strategy, too." Himemi returned her attention to the screen as All Might continued. "They're in the middle of a real battle right now."
"Midori-kun avoided it!" Glancing over at her pink classmate, Himemi echoed in her head, Midori-kun? His face would get so red if he heard that. Suppressing a smile, Himemi looked over her classmates once more.
"There goes Bakugo!" Looking back at the monitor as Bakugo rushed forward, Himemi let out a small smile as Midoriya planted his feet and grabbed the fist Bakugo punched in his direction. A right hook, Bakugo always starts with a right hook. Sliding his foot and tossing Bakugo over his shoulder, Midoriya shouted something. As Bakugo stood, Himemi's eyes rose to another image on the screen. Iida is defending the weapon alone- what is he doing? After bringing his right hand to his ear, he seemed to sigh before walking around the room. He's not barricading the door… he's moving everything out of the room!
"What's Bakugo saying? Can't tell with just the cameras in a fixed position and no sound." Himemi looked over at her red-headed classmate before returning her sights to the boy she thought was annoying. He had begun rolling the barrels and moving the desks into the room to the left. I don't like him so far, but I can't deny that's smart. He must've taken Uraraka-san's Quirk into account. I'll need to make sure to do the same for my and Tsukumi-san's turn.
"He's talking to his partner over the small wireless radio." Himemi looked at All Might, who was explaining as he tapped a device in his own ear. "You can bring that, plus the building's floor plan, and this capture tape!" Holding up a roll of white tape, All Might continued, "Once you wrap this around any part of your opponent, it shows you've captured them." Capture tape, huh? If we're the hero team, it might be easier to secure the weapon, but if we're villains, capturing the opponent might be more plausible than waiting for the time to dwindle.
"The time limit is fifteen minutes, and the heroes don't know where the nuclear weapon is located, right?" At All Might's nod, the pink girl frowned. "The heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here!"
"Heroes should be able to turn the tables on whatever predicament they're in." All Might replied and Himemi narrowed her eyes. Is it really a disadvantage? All the heroes have to do is touch the weapon. As long as you avoid the enemy, you don't need to capture them. Himemi frowned at her thought. Well, in this instance anyway. I'm definitely using the fact that this is a simulation, there isn't a real enemy… "Besides, didn't Mr. Aizawa tell you, too? You know- Here we go-" If it was That Man- Himemi took a sharp intake of breath, fortunately it was overshadowed by everyone shouting,
"Plus Ultra!" Blinking rapidly, she looked at the rest of her classmates, who had pumped their fists in the air. She noted that some did with more gusto than others, the boy who was half covered in ice barely lifting his fist, and Sachiho, despite her bubbly nature, seemed to have only shouted along.
"Monsieur, Bakugo is-!"
At the flashy boy's non sequitur, the class turned back to the monitor to see Bakugo launch himself towards Midoriya, engaging in close combat as Uraraka ran the opposite direction. She's probably going to find the weapon, that's smart. Since Bakugo is only concerned with Midoriya-san, splitting up is their best bet. "That guy's amazing!" Himemi noticed the one speaking to be the guy who'd gotten a really high score in the grip strength, with spiky black hair pulled back. I'd not want to get into a fight relying on strength with him.
"He's not even using his Quirk, but he's fighting against the guy who finished first in the entrance exam!" Himemi looked at the boy who spoke, Ah, he's the one with the tape Quirk. Well, it's no surprise, I know Midoriya-san admires Bakugo the most. Turning to the fight, Himemi watched as Midoriya began to run. Everything that Bakugo's done, Midoriya-san has studied… I wouldn't be surprised if Bakugo has a page in Midoriya-san's Hero Analysis Journals.
Himemi's eyes widened as Bakugo stopped, raising his head and shouting. I can't place everything that he said, but I have a good idea. He's angry that Midoriya-san 'tricked' him. From his perspective, it must seem that in all the years they've known each other, Midoriya-san just hid the fact that he had a Quirk. In reality… Himemi looked at her teacher and the No. 1 Pro Hero. Isn't this your fault?
Almost like he could read her mind, All Might looked down, meeting Himemi's eyes. Lifting his hand, he scratched the back of his head, the smile never leaving his face, though now it looked a little sheepish. Himemi returned her gaze to the screen. Well, not entirely. Bakugo has more ego than he should, and the fact that Midoriya-san is doing well when he used to cower at the sight of him is angering for Bakugo. Honestly it's a little…
"He seems really angry! It's scary!"
No, this is good for him. Bakugo needs to see that he's not the best, nor is he the only person in the world. If he doesn't, he'll very quickly be left behind. Himemi frowned. Wait… Why do I care? Is it because Midoriya-san cares so dearly for him, and I want Midoriya-san to be happy? Bakugo's an ass, and honestly, his disregard for others reminds me a little too much of- No, that's a bad train of thought. Between the two, I'd choose Bakugo a thousand times over... So then why? After a moment something clicked in her mind. Slamming her fist down into the palm of her left hand, Himemi nodded. Because he owes me cake! He needs to figure out his shit so he can buy me my strawberry cake. That must be it.
Satisfied with her reasoning, Himemi returned her attention to the fight, absently noting that Uraraka had found the room where Iida and the weapon were. Right, I need to focus. Watching as Bakugo found Midoriya, Himemi pressed her lips together. Raising his right arm, Bakugo pulled back a piece of his gauntlet, hooking a finger onto a pin that looked uncannily like a grenade pin. He's not gonna- Pulling the pin back as All Might shouted into his earpiece, Himemi had to stabilize herself as the monitor room, along with the building Bakugo and Midoriya were actually in, shook violently. The cameras in the area picked up the split second of fiery explosion before it was blocked with smoke. Snapping her gaze back to the monitors, Himemi worried her lip as she searched for any sign of her sort-of-maybe friend on the feed. Is Midoriya-san okay?
"This is supposed to be a class!" Himemi mentally agreed with her red-haired classmate as All Might called into the mic to see if Midoriya was okay. All Might told Bakugo not to hold back… He's not holding back.
On the screen above the smoked out camera, Himemi watched as Uraraka, spotting her chance as Iida called in his radio to see what was wrong, floating in the air as she launched herself at the weapon. Smart! If she touches it, they win and Bakugo will have to stop. In a split second after his shock, Iida processed what Uraraka was doing. Powering past Uraraka, he grabbed the weapon and moved to the other side of the room as Uraraka tumbled to the ground. Engines on his calves, that's why he's so fast. It was quick thinking on his part, even when he got distracted.
The camera that was smoked out switched, and the view changed from the side to the aerial view. From the top, it was easy to see the aftermath of the blast in the ground and the side of the building, accentuated with the gaping hole where the wall once was. Are they on the fourth floor? If Midoriya-san had been hit by that, if he didn't die initially, he could've died from the injuries he sustained. They would've gotten even worse upon impact with the ground.
"Sensei! You should stop them! That Bakugo's really crazy! He's gonna kill him!" Although on the surface, Himemi wanted to agree, she knew that her red haired classmate was a little off. It's the same as that time he told Midoriya to jump off the building, he didn't really mean it, but he knew he could get away with saying it. Himemi grit her teeth. He'll get close, but he won't actually kill Midoriya-san. The same thing that made him sure Midoriya-san would dodge is also the thing that's stopping him from killing him. Bakugo stepped towards Midoriya, the camera only catching his back and Midoriya's determined expression. Besides, If the fight gets stopped, the one who's going to be the most upset is Midoriya-san. Looking over at her teacher, Himemi knew that All Might thought the same.
"Young Bakugo, the next time you use that, I'll stop the fight, and your team will lose." Bakugo looked up towards the sound in surprise. "To attack on such a large scale inside is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting." Himemi narrowed her eyes at the words, watching as Midoriya used the time to communicate with Uraraka using the radio. He hasn't lost sight of the goal… Just what is Midoriya-san planning? "That is a foolish plan for both heroes and villains!" Good to know large scale attacks need to not destroy the building. "You will lose a lot of points for it!"
Body shaking in anger, Bakugo set his jaw, launching forward to attack. As Midoriya finished saying whatever it was to Uraraka, he moved to counter attack, closing his eyes in expectation of pain. In a split second, Bakugo changed his plan, using his explosions to switch directions, attacking from behind. There's the Bakugo I know, he's a little heated emotionally but those kinds of quick maneuvers is what forced me to acknowledge that he was more than just an egocentric bastard.
The red haired boy stepped back at the quick change, "What was that just now?"
Himemi started at the calm sound of her half encased in ice classmate standing closer than she liked. "He doesn't look like the type to think, but he's more subtle than I expected." You're too cold to be standing so close to me, Todoroki-san. Stepping to the side as subtle as she could, Himemi listened from further away as he explained what just happened. "He changed the course in a blast that doubled as a smoke screen, and then did it again immediately."
Momo added onto his explanation, "Getting in a clean hit while fighting against inertia requires fine lateral adjustments to the power of the explosions."
"He's too talented… Too talented… Ugh…" Looking over at the blonde boy with the lightning motifs on his costume as well as in his actual hair, Kaminari-san, I think. Himemi shook her head. That sentiment is what turned him into such a big annoyance in the first place. Talent can only get him so far…
Impressed with the precise movement Bakugo was using his Quirk for, Himemi forced herself to stop biting her lip as Bakugo threw Midoriya to the ground, the force causing the green-haired boy to bounce. Bakugo's not going to stop his attack until he gets what he wants. "This is a lynching! He can just capture him for this exercise by just wrapping the tape around him!" Himemi looked at the pink girl a little closer. Ashido-san… that's her name. Himemi agreed, Bakugo could just do that, easily too. But that wouldn't let him see Midoriya-san's Quirk.
"Those are not the actions of a hero." Looking behind her, Himemi attributed that last voice to the classmate with the head of a raven or crow. Bakugo wants to be a hero because they stand on top, not because they are heroic.
"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing, too, but in terms of combat power, Bakugo is definitely a ball of natural instincts." Himemi couldn't help but agree with Kaminari.
"He's running away!"
"That's not something a man should do, but he has no choice." Himemi gasped, looking at the shift in Uraraka's position as she said something to Iida. No… Midoriya-san's not running away, he's buying time! Stepping forward as her red haired classmate added, "But something's strange… I wonder what it is." Where he's moved to… I think it's right below, is he going to attack the ceiling?! Moving her hands, Sachiho gasped as well.
"What is it, Sachi-chan?" Ashido asked and Sachiho looked towards Himemi, who signed,
"- You can tell them, I don't mind. -"
"Ah, Himemi-chan says that she thinks Midoriya's going to use Bakugo to attack the ceiling."
"Wha-! No way, what would that do?"
Himemi signed once more and Sachiho spoke, "She says to look at Uraraka's position, she's moved behind the pillar. If the ground breaks, she'd have more than enough ammo against Iida."
"Wakana-san… really? It seems a little far-fetched." Himemi paid no mind to the blonde boy's comment, watching carefully as Midoriya stopped, shouting with tears in his eyes. As the class began to murmur, Himemi kept her sights glued to the pair she'd observed for three years. Both rushing towards each other, Himemi braced herself as Bakugo punched forward, and Midoriya punched up.
"This looks bad, Sensei!"
"Both of you, sto-" All Might froze at something he heard and Himemi braced herself as Uraraka moved, hugging the pillar. As the monitor room rumbled, the building blasted through, and Himemi watched as Uraraka activated her Quirk as the room she was in burst from the floor up. Swinging the pillar like a bat, she leapt, shooting the rubble at Iida while she moved past him, latching onto the weapon, securing their victory. Midoriya-san remembered what the goal of this assignment was, even as everyone else got caught up in their rivalry.
When the smoke and dust cleared from the remaining cameras on the floor that Bakugo and Midoriya were in, Himemi let out a breath she was holding, eyes wide at the blackened arm Midoriya used to block Bakugo's attack. Seeing his other arm, also discolored from his own quirk, Himemi signed, "- Those idiots. -" before biting her lip nervously. The timer at the top corner of the monitor beeped, indicating the time was up, and the classmates were speechless as All Might lifted the mic to his mouth, saying,
"Hero… Hero team wins!"
"The losers are practically uninjured… while the winner are on the ground…" There was a pause as he looked at the screen where Uraraka looked sick while getting off of the weapon. "W-Wakana-san was right…" Looking over at the grey haired girl, Kaminari paused at Himemi's expression. "Wakana-san!" Watching as Midoriya fell over, unconscious, Himemi made her way to the door, only to stop at All Might's hand on her shoulder.
"Young Wakana, I know you're worried about your classmates, but fear not! We have always had measures in case of injuries!" Looking back at the Pro Hero-turned teacher, Himemi watched as he pressed a button on the keypad and said, "Wait here, I'll be back in a moment!"
As All Might left the monitor room, it was mostly quiet. Sachiho stepped up to Himemi, hesitantly reaching out. "Hey.. you okay? I know those two were your classmates from before." What? Himemi looked back at Sachiho, surprised to see that her entire class was staring at her.
"- Yeah… I just didn't expect them to be such idiots, you know… -"
Sachiho snorted at that, and even Momo seemed to hide a smile behind her hand. Looking between the two, Ashido bounced from foot to foot.
"What's so funny? What did she say?"
"She just called the two of them idiots." Momo filled in the rest of the class, and Himemi nodded, signing again, and this time Momo translated. "Apparently those two have been like that since as long as Himemi-chan has known them."
"Oh! Is that why you caught on to Midori-kun's plan?" Himemi nodded at Ashido, pausing as Iida, Uraraka, and Bakugo entered, All Might right behind him.
"It's time to review the battle! Gather round." Taking back control of the conversation, All Might pressed a button on the keypad as the lights went up and the monitor screen changed to show 'Team A - Win Team D - Lose'. "Whether you win or lose, looking back and learning from your experiences is part of life." Placing his hands on his hips, All Might let out a breath. "Well, even if I say that, the MVP for this battle was Young Iida!" Himemi nodded. Reluctantly I agree. He was the only one who took this assignment seriously, anticipating the fight between Bakugo and Midoriya-san, as well as preemptively expecting Uraraka-san's Quirk.
The boy in question looked up at All Might in shock, his surprise growing at Himemi's nod in agreement.
"It's not either of the winners, Ochaco or Midoriya?" Tsuyu asked, and All Might pretended to think.
"Hmm, now why is that..? Does anyone know?" Raising her hand with much less gusto than Momo, Himemi signed,
"- You can go ahead, Momo-san. -"
"Ah, thanks." Momo nodded at Himemi before letting her hand fall to the side. "This is because Iida adapted the most to the context of the training. From watching the match, it appears Bakugo acted on his own because of an obviously personal grudge. And as Mr. All Might said earlier, it is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors. In the same way, taking into consideration the damage he received, Midoriya-san's plan was also rash. As for Uraraka-san, she let her guard down mid-battle, and her final attack was too reckless. If she treated the papier-mache as a real weapon, she would not have been able to do something so dangerous. Iida had prepared for his opponent's arrival and assumed it would be a fight over the weapon, which made him late in responding to the final attack." Himemi watched as Iida smiled, a hand gripping his heart as the corners of his mouth lifted up. Well that's cute. Does he not get praise often? "The hero team only won because they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They were practically breaking the rules."
Tapping Momo's arm, Himemi added, "- Iida also made sure to treat the weapon as if it were real, when he was keeping it away from Uraraka-san in battle. Keeping in mind the reckless attacks, if this were a real battle, only Iida was working would be considered suicide. You can't be a villain or a hero if you're dead, and when a nuclear bomb is in the building, that should always be at the forefront of your mind. -" Momo repeated what Himemi said to the class, and Iida tilted his head back, tears streaming under his glasses. Wait, why's he acting so adorable? I can't think he's annoying if he's like that!
"W-Well, Young Iida has some parts where he could be a little more relaxed, but well, that was correct!" Himemi gave All Might a deadpan look before looking over at Momo, who said,
"We should always start with the basics to develop depth of learning. We must strive to devote ourselves wholeheartedly. Otherwise, we can't be top heroes." That's a very earnest way of thinking. Himemi looked at the group. I shouldn't ignore my classmates like I've done the past three years…
"All right everyone, let's change locations and start the second match." Getting out the boxes to choose the teams, All Might said before grabbing the next teams, "Tackle this training after thinking about what we just talked about." Reaching into the hero box, All Might pulled out 'B' and from the villain box, 'I'. "All right, you four will head on over to Battle Building B. Team B are the heroes, and Team I are the villains. Grab your building plans and radios, and five minutes from when Team I has entered, we'll begin!"
Team B was Todoroki-san and… Shoji-san, I think. And Team I… Watching as the four left, Himemi recalled the other two's names, Hagakure-san and Mashirao Ojiro-san. He was especially kind to me the other day. Good luck. Turning to the screen, Himemi let her eyes linger on Bakugo's defeated expression for a moment before fixing her sight on the battle. As soon as Ojiro entered after Hagakure, All Might pressed the button on the timer, twenty minutes counting down.
As soon as it hit fifteen minutes, All Might said into the mic, "Now, let's start the second indoor person-to-person combat match! Start!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the camera's switched and changed, watching as Torodroki and Shoji stood inside the hall to the entrance.
"What's Shoji-kun doing?" Ashido asked and Himemi's eyes widened as he exited the building. Ice… so much ice. Taking a deep breath as Todoroki placed his hand on the wall and ice emerged, Himemi felt her heart drop as the ice began to encase the entire building, floors, walls, and ceiling. It's scary… Eyes wide as the temperature inside the monitor room dropped severely, Himemi stared, shaking as the cameras showed Todoroki waking calmly up the stairs, into the door with both of his opponents frozen to the ground, the entirety of the building encased in ice.
Cold… It's so cold. Unclasping the metal clasp that kept her fur lined jacket on her shoulders, Himemi slipped her arms through the sleeves, all the while breathing slow, measured breaths. Don't freak out, Himemi. It's just a little cold. Looking over at her classmates, Himemi noted that they also were feeling the cold, each huddled together at the monitor behind All Might. "He did not cause any damage to his teammate or the nuclear weapon, and on top of that, he weakened the enemy."
"He's so strong!"
Within three minutes, Todoroki, without any assistance from his partner, placed his hand on the frozen weapon, securing victory. "Hero team wins!" Even with her coat on, Himemi's psyche was damaged, the unexpected cold shaking her in a way that was unnoticeable to the eye. It's too much, I'm sorry… I didn't mean it. Please come get me… I did wrong, please forgive me… someone… anyone…?
Jolting out of her thoughts at a hand on her right bicep, Himemi looked at Tsukumi, her face not betraying the shell shocked emotion as she looked at the brown haired girl who gently tugged on Himemi's sleeve. "Umm, Himemi-chan, are you okay?" Blinking out of her thoughts, Himemi processed the words absently, realizing that the two pairs had already returned to the monitor room and they were already doing the evaluation. Nodding slowly, Himemi looked over at Todoroki, who stared straight ahead as Momo explained everything that went right with the battle. Could it even be called a battle? At the back of the monitor room, Bakugo studied Todoroki, beginning to realize that he was not the only one in the world with a strong Quirk.
"U-uhm… Himemi-chan. My Quirk…. I'm not really super fit for combat. I've been planning to be a support and rescue hero, much like Recovery Girl, and as such, my circumstances for being in this class are a little different." Turning back to her partner, Himemi watched as Tsukumi's eyes shifted to the side and she took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "I will do my best not to drag you down… I know that I'm practically useless, but this is why I pulled you aside. I thought it might be good to make a plan now, since All Might never said we couldn't begin strategizing before we are up, and I'm pretty sharp so…"
Listening to her partner was harder than Himemi imagined, but she was thankful for the distraction from her spiraling thoughts. Focus Himemi. Your friend is worrying. Himemi put a hand on Tsukumi's shoulder and took a deep breath in. Holding it for a moment, she let it go. She needs me to reassure her. Can I do it? No, don't second guess, just do it. Opening her mouth, Himemi prepared her words, and spoke.
"I wil-" "Alrighty! Time for the third match!" Reaching into the boxes, All Might pulled from the villain box 'L' and the hero box, 'F', unaware of the turmoil in his lavender-grey haired student. "Go ahead and make your way to building three and set up. After five minutes, we will start!" All Might's words overshadowed the quiet sound Himemi made, and Tsukumi nodded at him before grabbing Himemi's hand and heading towards the exit.
I spoke! Glancing back at the group, Himemi realized no one seemed to have heard her. All Might did speak at the same time, and he was much louder too. Did no one notice? Looking at Tsukumi's back as she pulled her towards the elevator, she realized that Tsukumi's shoulders were tense. Her hand is shaking too. Looking back at the group, Himemi studied the pair that made up Team F, both physically taller and larger than her. I don't feel good. I'm going to have to finish the battle quickly, before I fall apart again.
Stepping into the elevator, a second passed, and after the door closed, Tsukumi took another deep breath. "Himemi-chan…. Are you…. I mean… I thought you were about to say something back there."
Eyes wide, Himemi felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Taking a shuddering breath, Himemi nodded, eyes roaming the elevator for a camera before focusing her gaze to the ground, finding none. This is your chance. "I…" Don't back down now. "It's easier not to speak to people if they think I'm unable."
If Himemi weren't already on edge because of the way the cold had taken her off guard and the extreme vulnerability she felt, she might've laughed at Tsukumi's shocked gasp and wide-eyed expression. "Then, before-"
"Tsukumi-san," Himemi cut her off, mind moving a mile a minute, forming sentences and reconstructing them until she was sure the words she spoke would be harmless. "This kind of battle plays to my strengths. It's okay to be nervous, but I will finish this quickly, so…" She trailed off, unsure how to reassure the girl who was obviously so tense with issuing a command. "So, please don't worry about being useless or dragging me down. Isn't that why there's different types of heroes in the first place?"
The elevator bell rang as they reached the bottom floor and Tsukumi tentatively grabbed Himemi's right hand. The touch startled her and Himemi realized that she had been clenching her fists. Oh.
"Himemi-chan, will you look at me?" Lifting her eyes to meet Tsukumi's amber brown ones, Himemi was taken aback by the extreme warmth of the brown haired girl's smile. "Thank you. For breaking your silence just to reassure me, you're very kind, Himemi." The elevator doors opened and Tsukumi stepped out first, Himemi following right behind. "I will keep your secret." Himemi smiled at that and Tsukumi blinked. Grabbing the radio earpieces and the floor plans, Tsukino put an earpiece in her own ear and turned to Himemi, handing her a floor plan and her own earpiece. "Your smile is very pretty Himemi-san."
At that, Himemi felt heat rush to her cheeks and she bowed in thanks. Taking the earpiece and putting it into her left ear, she absently wondered if she'd need to use it. Exiting the building that the class was watching from, the pair easily found their battle ground, Battle Building C on the corner and entered.
"All right, after five minutes, the third match will begin!" Looking up as All Might's voice filled the building as well as the radio in her ear, Tsukumi grabbed the papier-mache weapon as Himemi studied the floor plan of the multi-storied building. Unlike Todoroki-san's building, this one has an open floor instead of a hallway. The maze-like part of the building starts on the third floor. Gesturing Tsukumi over with her head, Tsukumi got the hint and walked over, still holding the fake weapon.
"Ah, you said you'd finish it quickly, but how….?" Tsukumi stepped closer, looking at the floor plan that Himemi was insistently pointing at. "The top floor? You want me to go to the top floor?" Himemi shook her head and then held up two fingers, handing her the floor plan and pointing again. "Okay, so I'll take this to the second from the top floor. What about you?" At that, Himemi smiles, raising a finger to her lips and mouthing the words 'Time for the hunt'. Eyes following the line of Himemi's hand, Tsukumi's eyes widened at the capture tape gripped loosely in Himemi's curled fingers and thumb. Nodding, Tsukumi made her way to the stairwell. "Right! Then, I'll be off. Good luck, Himemi-chan."
Himemi nodded at Tsukumi and began casing the entrances. From what I recall of our two opponents, they both are quite strong. Blocking off several rooms and noting the two entrances, Himemi placed herself out of the line of sight of anyone who would enter. I remember from the quirk apprehension test, one of them was using animals to get through the tasks, the other seemed to be fairly built. Neither look like big climbers, though. Spotting two barrels, Himemi placed them both side by side in the middle of the room, equidistant to each entrance. It'll be counterintuitive to let a battle where I'm outnumbered go on for too long, so I'll have to immobilize one and take down the other. Himemi paused for a moment. Midoriya-san and Uraraka-san infiltrated through the window. Unlike Uraraka-san, neither of the two have a way to float, so I'm betting on them entering through one of these two doors. Bangs jostling slightly as she grabbed the crown off of her head, Himemi took a deep breath. Of the two, it looks like one relies more on brute strength, so-
Cutting off her thoughts was All Might's staticky voice through the intercom. "Now, let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team L and Team F! Ready? Start!"
In the monitoring room, the class watched as Sato and Koda walked up to the building. Kaminari wondered aloud, "How do you think she'll fare against those two alone?"
"She got the second highest score in the exam for a reason, besides, I saw her then, she was super manly." Kirishima added, and both of them went quiet as the door opened.
Pressing a button along the inside of her crown, it flattened out, the object now unmistakeable a chakram. I'll make this quick since I'm not feeling well. Winding up, Himemi watched as the two took a couple steps into the room. With shocking speed, the chakram cut through the air, the low whistle of speed the two heroes' only warning. Ducking out of the way barely in time, the chakram circled back and Himemi plucked it out of the air and swiftly clipped it to the loop on her waist. Create a jail dome around the one on the right. The command took effect immediately, wind howling loudly around the boy in red and yellow.
In the monitor room, Bakugo's eyes widened as he, for the first time, saw Himemi truly use her quirk. Rima stepped forward, pointing at the screen. "There it is, that's the dome thing she use to protect me in the exam!" Pausing as Koda reached out to touch the edge, only to draw back in pain, she added. "It's like the opposite though, instead of gentle on the inside, like it was when she was protecting me and Yujo, it looks like it's sharp, almost." Sachiho nodded in agreement, and Bakugo grit his teeth, wondering how she got so strong.
Sato, at the immediate entrapment of his partner, yelled, "Koda-san!"
Himemi didn't give him time to worry about anyone else though. Pick up those two barrels and launch them towards the one on the left! Immediately after the wind picked up, Himemi readied the tape and issued another, well-practiced command. Give me a boost! As the boy Himemi recalled sat in front of Sachiho dived out of the way of the metal barrels, Himemi launched herself in front of him, quickly grabbing his arm and using her momentum to twist and pull it behind his back. Pressing a knee to the small of his spine, she quickly grabbed his other arm and wrapped the capture tape around his wrists.
"That's so manly! She's like a martial artist!"
Not even stopping to look at his reaction to being captured, Himemi's gaze snapped to Koda. Tighten the dome. The air around him got closer and closer to his body, and Himemi watched as he curled in on himself to avoid touching the painfully sharp walls of the dome. Standing in front of the dome as the larger boy inside found himself in fetal position, now much smaller than her, Himemi grabbed more capture tape and reached in through the wall, grabbing his wrist and began walking around the dome to the Koda's back. Cease.
By the time the boy had realized the dome was gone, Himemi had finished tying the capture tape around both of his wrists. Stepping back, Himemi sighed, unclipping her chakram and tossing it lightly in the air before holding it out defensively towards the two she had just expertly taken down.
"Knowing she was at a disadvantage both physically and number wise, she utilized the shock factor and her own knowledge in battle to end the fight swiftly and without damage to her, her teammate, or her opponents." All Might assessed, shock evident in his voice.
"That was as fast as Todoroki-san!" Ashido shouted as Kirishima pumped a fist in the air.
"V-Villain team wins!"
At All Might's announcement, Himemi made her way outside of the building, waiting calmly until Tsukumi bounded out the door to meet her. Nodding in acknowledgement at Tsukumi's presence, the two made their way back to the rest of the class.
"Himemi-chan! That was amazing! I know you said you'd finish it quickly, but that was so fast! Like, lightning fast!" Tsukumi smiled brightly as she continued. "You didn't get hurt did you?" At Himemi's head shake, she let out another sound of amazement. "That really is amazing! You finished on par with Todoroki-san! No, maybe it's because I was just sitting there alone, but it felt faster that Todoroki-san!"
At the reminder of the boy who could create the one thing she hated, Himemi felt the remaining of her focus snap, and her steps faltered. "Himemi-chan? Are you okay?" Stopping just a little ahead of her, Tsukumi turned to face her partner. "Was it something I said? Oh no! Did I offend you somehow?"
Tsukumi's distressed voice had Himemi look up, slowly processing the other girl's words. Once it registered, Himemi shook her head, forcing a placating and reassuring smile that the other girl seemed to buy.
Sighing, Tsukumi linked her arm around Himemi's and smiled. "I'm glad!" Tugging her back towards the elevator, the two waited as their defeated opponents joined them on the elevator to receive the in class evaluation. "Um… I didn't really see anything, since I was guarding the weapon, but… I wanna commend you all anyway." The two boys, both clad in yellow, the one wearing a red vest and muzzle known as Koda, looked to the side. The other boy, Sato, nodded, but it was half hearted, and Himemi felt her stomach drop as the doors to the elevator shut and the four were enclosed in an awkward and tense silence.
I don't feel good at all. The cold is crawling under my skin and those two look utterly defeated. Keeping her eyes forward, Himemi tried not to feel bad for the pair she'd defeated so easily. No, Himemi, this is the result of years of training. You've no reason to feel bad. Breathe. Taking a breath as the doors opened, Himemi walked out of the elevator first, Tsukumi directly behind. This was also just a class. You didn't severely hurt those two, and it was the most logical solution as a drawn out battle would've put you at a disadvantage, seeing as they are clearly stronger physically. You didn't do anything wrong. She had to repeat that last sentence in her head a few more times to truly calm down, eyes still focused straight ahead. Finally back with the group, Himemi wasn't truly prepared for the intensity of her classmates' stares as the four joined the silent group. Several deafeningly quiet seconds passed before All Might began his evaluation.
"Ahem. Let's go ahead and discuss…" As All Might spoke, Himemi stared straight ahead, eyes not really seeing, her mind swirling. I feel sick… I wanna go home. It's too cold. Trying to get her breath under control, Himemi registered Tsukumi's voice, cutting through the blood rushing in her ears.
"Mr. All Might? I feel sick, may I go to Shuzenji-sensei's office?"
"Huh? All right, Young Kae, go ahead!"
"Thanks! But... I need an escort," Himemi's mind returned to the present as Tsukumi's arm snaked around hers, "can Himemi-chan take me?" At All Might's confused nod, Tsukumi beamed. "Thanks!"
Out in the hallway, Himemi blinked rapidly as Tsukumi pressed her hands to the sides of Himemi's face. "Himemi-chan, can you look at me?" Raising her head to meet Tsukumi's eyes, Tsukumi frowned at Himemi's unfocused gaze. "Hey… Hey, Himemi-chan, you're on the verge of a panic attack, can I…" Taking a breath to calm herself, Tsukumi brought the back of her hand to her lips and closed her eyes for a moment. "Can I use my quirk on you? I can help… if you want…"
"...mhm." With a nod, Himemi let out a noise of assent, and Tsukumi sighed in relief. Reaching out, Tsukumi gently cradled Himemi's face in her hand, bringing it closer as she placed her lips on the taller girl's forehead. At the contact, Tsukumi's amber brown eyes closed, and she focused, maintaining her calm with all her might as an oppressive feeling washed over her. Pulling back as the feeling began to fade, Tsukumi met Himemi's, now clear, lilac eyes.
A minute passed of the two just staring at each other before Himemi took a deep breath, gathering her nerve to speak. "Thank you, Tsukumi-san. I- are you okay?"
Nodding unconvincingly, Tsukumi inclined her head towards the door. "Yeah I- let's head to the infirmary." Eyes wide as Himemi nodded, Tsukumi was inwardly relieved as Himemi scooped her up, taking the pressure off of the suddenly dizzy girl. "Sorry… If I don't maintain absolute calm when healing someone…."
"If… If you don't want to explain, you don't have to." At Himemi's voice, Tsukumi looked up, heart beating in her ears as she registered the dejected sound in the taller girl's voice. Falling silent as Himemi walked with Tsukumi in her arms through the hall leading to the nurse's office, Tsukumi thought for a moment before tapping the lavender grey haired girl in the cheek.
"Himemi-chan…. I… I know what your quirk is."
Himemi's entire body seized as she finally looked down, lilac eyes meeting amber brown ones, and at the confident stare of the smaller girl, Himemi felt her heart stop in her chest, the anxiety that had just faded coming back with an unparalleled force. What…?
Heyo lovely people! It's me, AsoSunflower, back with another chapter at last! Thank you all so much for waiting for me! This chapter took a little bit longer than I was thinking it would to get out, but I'm so glad that it's finally finished!
The Question of this Chapter is: If you had an extra arm, where would you want it to be on your body?
This chapter is dedicated to my dog, Micah. Rest in Peace, Little Cashew, you were so old and so sweet and I miss you every day.