Chapter 19

Refuse, Admit, Concede

A new dawn, a new day.

Rei was not a morning person. She made it work, given the fact that she had little choice in what time the day began for school, but if given the choice she would sleep until at least ten or eleven o'clock in the morning. She was at least grateful that, now that she was at Reina's house, she now lived marginally closer to U.A., taking twenty minutes off her travel time compared to when she lived at the orphanage in the next prefecture over.

And yet, despite all of that, she had nearly slept through her alarm, the sudden realization once she was coherent enough making her jolt up in bed and speed through her morning routine in order to get out the door in a timely fashion.

Scrubbing her face fastidiously and throwing on her uniform, she thanked her lucky stars that she at least had the brains to pack her backpack the night before, slinging it over her shoulder before running down the stairs, trying to not slip on the hardwood floors as her socks threatened to send her careening in every direction at once. Hands fumbling as she attempted to tie her shoes as quickly as possible, she barely noticed Reina coming up behind her, glasses on her face and the scent of coffee wafting over to Rei's nose.

"Late?"

"Not yet, but almost." Standing up straight and turning around to say goodbye, she blinked as Reina handed her a piece of buttered toast, a smile on her face.

"Have a good day."

Rei grinned, taking the toast and stuffing it in her mouth. "Fanks mum."

"That's nee-san to you!"

She shook her head and smiled, closing the door behind her and taking off at a brisk pace down the street. Running her fingers through her hair, she tried to at least make herself passable until she got to school. Maybe if she begged Yaoyorozu, her friend would make a small comb or brush for her to use before Aizawa, or even worse, Iida, berated her for an unkempt appearance.

So engrossed in her thoughts and panic, she startled when Bakugou suddenly appeared next to her, falling into step as she passed by his house.

She looked at him in surprise and confusion, but he merely attempted to level her with a glare. Strange. He tended to arrive fairly early to class. By her estimation, he should have left already. But here he was, giving her a challenging look as she stared back at him in surprise, eventually making her shrug her shoulders and shake her head.

Blinking, she took the toast out of her mouth, speaking hesitantly. "'Morning."

He grunted, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily, clearly still somewhat tired. Rei grinned but she said nothing as she chomped away at her toast, choosing to the let the silence stretch between them as the both of them continued to wake up. The morning was bright and slowly becoming warmer as they walked along, doing nothing to help Rei wake up more. Direct sunlight and heat tended to make her a little sleepy. Reina had joked that she was like a solar charged battery, the comparisons of Rei and cats seemingly endless in that conversation as she and Hotaru tried to come up with the ways that Rei was actually a feline mammal.

So sue her; even if she didn't have a tail and obnoxiously obvious ears, she was definitely cat like in a multitude of ways.

Having Bakugou around made her thankful, Rei falling behind slightly as he began to naturally navigate around the train station, weaving through the crowds and leading the two of them to the proper train. She had her eyes peeled as she chewed the last pieces of her toast thoughtfully, noting landmarks and taking mental notes so that she would be able to find her way later. At least she wouldn't be even later on her first day; if Bakugou was leaving at this time, then that meant that Rei would make it on time as well.

By the time their train made it around it was standing room only, though thankfully not jammed packed quite yet. Bakugou still hadn't said a word, although he was looking much more awake now that they had been moving and standing around for quite some time. He had pulled out his phone, looking at something that Rei didn't bother caring about. She didn't want to be nosy. Instead she watched the view outside the train pass them by, looking at the city with half her wits about her, absorbed in her own little world as the morning passed in rosy and warm awakening.

It was the start of a new week. Now that she thought about it, they were well into June; there was around a month until finals, and while she was constantly keeping up on her studies she definitely needed to start reviewing for the big test sooner than later. She considered asking Momo or Midoriya to study with her, since both of them seemed pretty competent in hero laws and ethics, one of her weaknesses. She was able to get the big picture, but some of the more technical aspects tended to slip past her, and she wanted every point she could get.

Hearing their stop over the intercom, Rei had turned towards the doors only to balk at the amount of people outside. As soon as the doors opened it was like a torrential flood of bodies suddenly began moving, Rei powerless to determine where she was going and unable to see clearly beyond all the tall shoulders above her. She tried to watch where Bakugou was going, but he was slowly starting to pull ahead, slipping away from her as the crowds began to tear them apart. Voice frozen in fear, she reached a hand out to grab something, some part of him in an effort to not lose him or let the distance get too wide, her fingers managing to grasp his shirt as she poked him on the back near his left side.

It was enough to grab his attention, his head turning back for a fraction of a moment and eyes widening marginally as he realized her predicament. His left hand reached back to grab her wrist, pulling her forward and closer toward him so that she no longer fell behind. The station was packed with bodies, but no matter how much Rei was jostled around his grip never loosened, grasping her firmly as he powered through the crowded mess.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, pounding away at his touch. She always felt so small compared to him, his single hand encircling around her wrist easily. She wondered what was going on in his mind. Did he feel as discombobulated as she did whenever they touched, or when their eyes clashed?

Tugging her all the way through the station, he didn't let go until they climbed their way up to the streets, releasing his grip slowly as he looked over at her. "You good?"

Soft. She smiled, a bit nervous. "Yeah. It's busier than the train I used to take."

He only nodded, walking forward and letting her fall into pace next to him, the two of them walking casually toward U.A. as the crowds began to thin out. The smile never left her face, even as they drew closer to the school campus. Much to Rei's surprise he never broke away or ahead of her, instead keeping in time with her steps. She had expected him to leave and stop associating with her the moment they turned onto the street for the school, but instead he stayed with her the entire way, all the way into the shoe room.

Testing her theory, she intentionally took her time to unlace her shoes and take her feet out, organizing her locker and putting her slippers on. There was no way he would wait; her shoes took forever compared to most people, who could easily slip their shoes on and off. He would definitely-

"Oi, what's taking so long?"

Head whipping to the side, gold eyes widened as she made eye contact with the boy in question, completely startled and caught off guard. He had shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at her grouchily at having to wait for so long. Embarrassed, Rei shut the door quickly, shuffling over to him apologetically. "S-sorry."

He only rolled his red eyes, now leading the way as they climbed the steps to their classroom. From then on he seemed intent on ignoring her, walking just a few steps ahead and not turning back. The only hint she received that he was still considering her was when he opened the door wide, pausing for a moment for her to catch up and giving her a look to close it behind her. She scowled at his bossiness, but followed through anyway. Neither said a word as they made their way to their desks, sitting down and beginning to operate in their own worlds.

Rei sighed as she sat down. As if the morning couldn't get any weirder.

"Good morning."

Looking up, she smiled gently. "Good morning, Todoroki-kun. Did you visit your mother?"

Silver and blue eyes looked startled, catching Rei slightly off guard as she hesitated. "Did I… say something wrong?"

"No." Clearly something was wrong. Tilting her head, she watched as he simply sighed. "You just changed suffixes. It caught me off guard."

"Oh." She hadn't really noticed, the change had just rolled off of her tongue. Did it have something to do with the fact that she and her guardians had been gossiping and trash talking over the weekend? "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I… prefer it."

His answer brought back a genuine smile to Rei's face. "I'm glad. How's your mother?"

He shrugged his shoulders, but didn't seem to be adverse to the question, much like she had originally anticipated. "She's well. I'm learning a lot from her."

"That's good." Stifling a yawn, Rei stretched her arms up lazily. "I wish we had another day. I'm beat."

The two of them could have passed for a pair of cats in another life, blinking slowly at one another in lieu of speaking. Eventually Yaoyorozu entered the classroom, bringing her usual charm and light hearted conversation with her, the two girls beginning to talk about their weekends more in depth. It was as though nothing had changed, though everything had. Rei made a mental note to talk with Momo later to catch her up on everything.

Just then Aizawa walked into the classroom, signifying the beginning of the day. Materials out and ready on her desk, Rei twirled her pen in her hands.

Another day at U.A..

"How do you feel about eating outside today? The weather is wonderful, don't you think?"

Momo's comment caught Rei by surprise, slowing her footsteps and her pace as they picked up their lunch trays. Momo had ordered something… rather fancy. Rei didn't know what exactly it was, just that she had never seen anything quite like it before. She herself had picked up a tray of cold soba, the perfect summer food for the hot and humid June air, more than excited to dig in. Today's math class had been a push with introductory calculus materials, Rei's head still trying to wrap around everything. To be quite frank, she was going to have a lot of catching up to do this weekend.

But she only nodded, letting Momo lead the way. The two of them walked out of the cafeteria, roaming through the half empty corridors and eventually coming to an exit that deposited them at the back of the main building. Walking around the corner, searching for a satisfactory spot, the two of them made their way to a bench that sat in the shade of the building, the perfect respite from the blazing sun in the sky. Settling down and beginning to dig in, the two ate in silence for a few moments, relishing in the meal for a minute before getting into more conversation.

"I forgot to tell you," Rei began, after slurping down a few bites. Buckwheat noodles really were the best, and the chilled green onions on top were crisp and cool. She was almost distracted by the food, temporarily side tracking her before she continued. "I've moved out of the orphanage to my mentor's house."

"How wonderful!" Momo seemed nothing but earnestly ecstatic, pausing in her eating and setting her chopsticks to the side. Even while her best friend ate properly and kept her mouth clear while speaking, Rei continued to munch away, a stark contrast to the regimented girl next to her although Rei tried to be polite by covering her mouth as she chewed. "When did this happen?"

Swallowing, she kept her hand over her mouth, unsure if there were green onions in her teeth now. "This weekend. It's a lot closer to school now, so I don't have to wake up so early."

Momo nodded, preparing another bite but stopping so that she could throw in one more comment before popping the food into her mouth. "Where do you live now?"

For all the time and space that Momo had, Rei had already shoved another mouthful of noodles into her mouth. She couldn't help that she was a fast, and sometimes messy eater. She had tried to be more conscious of herself around her friends now at school, but old habits were hard to break. Scavenging against almost twenty other kids at dinner time had raised her to eat her portions quickly so that no one else could sabotage her. The rapid pace was engraved in her. It was in this moment that she realized exactly how much of a pig she was being, so she chewed carefully for a while before swallowing, taking a moment to take a breath before answering. "In Mustafu. It's a nice area." Images of Bakugou as her neighbor flashed through her mind, but she pushed them away.

"Oh, I see!"

Actually, now that she thought about it, who was she going to walk back home with? Usually she walked to the station with Momo, but if Bakugou was still acting weird, would he want to walk home with her? She scowled. There was no way. This morning had been a fluke.

A really, really, really bizarre fluke.

One that definitely made her heart beat faster.

Damn it.

"Tsuki-chan, why are you scowling?"

Damn it again. She had been caught, Momo looking at her in concern. Rei shook her head, letting her face smooth over. "It's nothing really." The silence fell back over the two again as they took another bite of their respective meals. Rei was careful to chew at a slower pace, letting the various flavors wash through her mouth, finding a new appreciation for the dish and relishing in the cool taste on her palate.

After a few more minutes, Rei looked over to Momo, who had been strangely silent for a while now. She was usually all talk, excited to make conversation with everyone at their table and usually never one to let a conversation die. But she was picking at her food in a way that was… strange.

Rei blinked, setting her chopsticks down for a moment. "You seem… oddly quiet. Is something," she paused, blinking, "on your mind?"

She had never really been good at coaxing people to talk, nor at approaching people who were nervous about things. In that sense, her interpersonal skills were relatively horrible; although she at least tried to approach things with sensitivity and a level head, she wasn't the best at being able to comfort people who were emotional or sad. But fortunately, this didn't seem to be the case. Biting her lip, Momo finally lifted her head to look at Rei.

"I don't want to be terrible forward, but is there something going on with you and Bakugou?"

Rei blinked once. Then twice. Had she really heard Momo right? She knew she had. But that only begged the question: what had led her best friend to that conclusion? Stuttering, Rei opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What was she to say?

It quickly became apparent that Momo felt awkward about the situation as well, raising her hands in defense as she sputtered quickly. "That is, I don't mean to press, and I'm sure there could be nothing going on at all, but I was simply curious as to why…" She trailed off, looking rather uncertain.

"Why what?"

Momo placed her hands back around her tray, looking to the food with sudden interest. "Last week, Jirou mentioned something about how Bakugou entered before you did, and how you were rather angry looking. I recalled that you grew rather frustrated. I just… wanted to know if there was anything that I should be concerned about." At this she seemed to grow a bit more determined, looking back at Rei. "Not only as your friend, but as class vice president, I must make sure that everyone is comfortable and is working together. Please let me know if there is something I can do."

Her outcry had been rather unexpected, forcing Rei to reevaluate everything that had just been said. She was more than flattered that her interactions and reactions had raised some concern from the black haired girl next to her, that someone would pay that much attention to her well being and be willing to confront someone about it. But her concern was misplaced; there was nothing going on between her and Bakugou, except for the feelings in her chest that were ready to explode at any given moment and the uncertainty she felt around him now. If anything she was confused on her own, floundering around and simultaneously looking for an answer to save her from her plight while completely unwilling to do anything to help herself.

Groaning, she placed her chopsticks down and buried her face in her hands. The embarrassment was too much to bear. What would Momo say? Would she tell Rei that she was looking in the wrong direction, that she shouldn't like someone like the explosive personality in their class? Worse, would she tell the others? Rei couldn't handle the potential for mass embarrassment and shame. She was ready to implode from the futures she foresaw in her head, her imagination running wild.

Bless Momo and her pure heart, she simply sat, watching in concern as Rei seemed to crumple as the rug was yanked from beneath her feet. She simply sat there, giving Rei the time to process everything and attempt to conjure a coherent answer, letting silence speak louder than any words she could provide. From between her hands, still blocking her face, Rei grumbled. "You're going to laugh."

"Laugh?"

Rei nodded, eyes closed behind her hands. "I hate myself."

"Tsuki-chan, is everything alright?"

"No," she moaned dramatically. "I hate myself and I hate everyone, and I hate that stupid Bakugou."

A hand gently rested on her upper back in a supportive manner. "Is something wrong? Is there anything I can do?"

She had to laugh. It was more of a scoff in irony at the situation. Yaoyorozu could do nothing in this situation. Rei had brought this upon herself. "Not unless you can make me something that can make me not have feelings. God," she laughed half to herself, feeling rather spiteful about her entire situation, "I hate this. Feeling feelings is the absolute worst."

Momo only began to rub circles on her back, making Rei feel even more pathetic as she leaned over her half finished soba. "Do you… have feelings for…"

"Yes." Rei groaned again. "Can I go die in a hole now?"

"What is so wrong about having feelings for someone? It's a wonderful feeling."

"Maybe, except I feel ready to die." Finally she moved her hands up and away from her face, still leaning forward and letting her forehead rest on her fingers and palms. "I don't want to feel like this. I feel jittery and anxious and," she swallowed hard, "scared."

Lifting her hand away, Momo set her tray to the side on the bench, leaning forward on her palms as they rested on her legs. "Tsuki-chan…" Reaching forward, she pulled Rei's food tray away as well, setting it next to her own. Rei immediately hunched over further, now that there was no worry about her uniform falling into her meal.

"I feel stupid. And I feel like everyone's going to make fun of me." She couldn't stop. If Rei had any reservations of telling anyone, they went out the window. Momo had the courage to ask her if something was wrong, and Rei knew that she was trustworthy and a good friend. She could keep a secret. If not, well, then Rei would craft a revenge so dastardly that it would make the class shiver in their seats. But her mouth opened, unable to contain her feelings any longer. "I don't even think he likes me back. And if anyone finds out, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to die alone and drop out of U.A. from humiliation."

"I'm sure that such a thing won't happen."

Rei nodded her head, acknowledging Momo's more rational statement. "It won't. But these feelings, they won't go away. I feel like I'm going to explode, but I don't want to know what's up ahead. At least, if things stay the way they are, nothing will change." She sighed, running her hands over her face again. "Everyone will remain the same. I don't want things to change."

As expected, Momo hit the nail right on the head. "You're scared of losing the friends you have now."

What else could Rei do but nod in agreement? "Yeah."

Her companion sighed, a slow exhale as she placed a hand on Rei's knee. "I can't tell you what to do. But as your friend, I'll always be here for you. Your secret is safe with me."

It was enough to make Rei's head jerk up in surprise and gratefulness. "Really?"

"Of course. That's what friends are for, right?"

Sniffling, Rei grabbed Yaoyorozu's hand back, much to the girl's surprise. Golden eyes looked up to meet cobalt in thankfulness and relief, the smallest bit of tension easing from the strained looked she had on her face. "You're the best. The absolute best."

Momo smiled a bit sheepishly, uncertain if she deserved such praise. But Rei was nothing but genuine, sitting up straight and heaving a sigh in relief. "Thanks, Momo. I feel a bit better now."

"I'm glad." Turning away for a moment, she handed Rei back her lunch tray, which was accepted greedily as the two began to dig back into their lunches. There was an air of trust, a new layer that had been added on to the two, a sort of knowing that could only be created by the trading of secrets. Even if Rei had been the only one, she knew that she could trust Yaoyorozu. The gut feeling was there. What had she done to deserve such a friend?

As Rei popped another mouthful of noodles in, Momo shifted in her seat. "If I may ask," Momo tread carefully again, "why Bakugou?"

It was a valid question, to be fair. Who in their right mind would even want to spend time around a person with such an abrasive and aggressive personality? But Rei only smiled. "He's not so… cruel as he may initially seem. He's very kind, and soft. At least," she defended and prefaced, "what I've seen. He doesn't really show that side around others."

"I see." Momo took another bite of a few vegetables, chewing thoughtfully and thoroughly before swallowing and speaking. "Though, I do suppose he does act much softer around you."

"Huh?"

Looking to her friend in surprise, Momo's eyes widened a bit. "Surely you must see it? It was particularly noticeable during the capture the flag event last week. No one has truly been able to work with Bakugou, let alone give him directions. The fact that you were able to direct your entire team, work with Bakugou, and win the entire round…"

"I get it, I get it." Rei waved her hand, already hearing enough. Even she had been surprised at the outcome, particularly when it came to Bakugou. She had already grappled with the fact that it was due to him deferring to her judgement that the rest of the team had followed, though she still was unable to fully comprehend and process it. "He just listened because he wanted to win."

"But who else has ever been able to do that with him?" Momo challenged her, getting slightly aggressive. It always seemed to be like that, when she knew that she was right or had at least a solid lead on something. When riled, Yaoyorozu was a force to be reckoned with. "He's always been the loose canon or the solo player. But he's different around you, somehow."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Don't get my hopes up," she said with a playful eye roll as she shoved another wad of noodles into her mouth. Momo giggled for a moment before composing herself.

"I suppose it would be a nice match. You two seem to work well together. I can't imagine anyone else even getting close to him."

Tilting her head back and forth in a noncommittal manner, she only grunted in response as she swallowed her food. Now that she was feeling more at ease, she also felt more inclined to give out more information. "Did I mention that he's my new neighbor?"

"Eh?!" Momo looked at her in shock, completely caught off guard as Rei tried to pick at her noodles, frowning as a few strands slid back onto the platter. Focusing on her plate, she tried to multitask.

"I moved to my mentor's house. Bakugou lives next door."

"Incredible." Rei blinked, looking to her companion at the starry tone in her voice. She was completely taken aback as Yaoyorozu seemed to be looking at her with a dazed expression, eyes literally sparkling with some romantic notion that made Rei a little unnerved. "It must be a sign! It's just like in the novel I just read! It's so romantic!"

Rei blinked, mind slowly stitching the pieces together. "You… read romantic novels?"

Momo pulled herself together, clearing her throat as she composed herself and returned to eating. "Well, that is to say, I do read a lot…"

Rei only grinned. "Nerd," she teased affectionately, smiling widely as Momo looked at her in surprise, shock morphing into understanding at the term used in endearment.

"Well, you should try reading some for yourself. I'm certain I could load you some of my copies."

"Maybe during our next break. I'm gonna be busy studying for finals."

"Oh, that's right." Momo paused for a moment, an idea striking her. "Would you like to study together? I know we already compare notes, but if there's anything else I can do for you, you only need to ask."

Shaking her head, Rei smiled thankfully. "Thanks, but I mostly need to just go over my notes. I'll probably ask my mentor for any additional help. I'll keep your offer in mind though," she added at the end, not wanting to sound like she was being incredibly dismissive or rude. But Momo only smiled in response, full of warmth.

"Of course. Just give me a call, or let me know."

"Actually, what did you think about today's math lecture?"

"Oh, about the different functions? It's something I actually read ahead about…"

"Alright! Today we'll be doing something a little familiar, but with a twist. Can you guess what it is?" All Might stood before them, as dramatic as usual. The class tensed up at the fact that they were about to do something familiar, waiting with bated breath as they watched their instructor. The mighty pro hero laughed, gesturing up toward the sky. "It's hide and seek, mixed with a race! That's right, a scavenger hunt gauntlet!"

Rei shivered with anticipation, rolling her shoulders as she could feel her muscles desperate to warm up. They had arrived back at Field Gamma once again, the labyrinth of metal buildings, pipes, and other odd structures a familiar and welcome sight after a couple weeks. All Might immediately launched into a rough idea of the activity. "The class will be split into thirds, with three rounds occuring. Each group will have the opportunity to be the seekers, while the others will hide. It's a race against time and your own team to see how many people you can gather! And remember, your goal is to deal as little damage to the buildings as possible! The hiders will be stationary, and you don't want them to get hurt by falling pieces or your quirks!"

"Oh, so it's like the rescue training we did back at USJ?" Kirishima seemed to get the idea, others nodding in time, although a dark look came over everyone as they looked at their teacher, recalling how All Might had disguised himself as a villain in the middle of the activity. Right after the actual villain scare at USJ not two weeks prior; how cruel had that been?

It seemed that All Might also felt the shift, quick to defend himself. "R-right, but remember that this time it's a race! Additionally, there will be no surprises. It will just be you in the field, I promise."

The class released a collective sigh at the reassurance, beginning to gear up in earnest. Most of the class seemed to be getting pumped, talking with their neighbors as All Might pulled out the traditional box of names. Like everything, lotteries were popular in this class, if anything to make things more fair.

"We'll be drawing lots again, just to make sure things are fair. There'll be seven people per team. Are you ready?! Team A!" He dug his hand in and out, reading names quickly and efficiently. "Todoroki, Ojiro, Bakugou, Uraraka, Iida, Aoyama, and Sero!"

Rei watching in amusement as the first group began to loosely cluster together. It was an impossible feat, what with Bakugou sneering ferally at Todoroki, who only stared back in blank confusion and slight indifference. Uraraka tried to stay as far away from Bakugou as possible, using Iida as a buffer between her and the boy. Ojiro and Sero at least looked slightly sheepish at the obvious tension boiling in their group, however one sided it clearly was, while Aoyama looked altogether unperturbed, as usual.

"Team B!" Without skipping a beat, All Might stuck his hand in the box dramatically, pulling out seven more names rapidly. "Midoriya, Kaminari, Akatsuki, Mineta, Yaoyorozu, and Jirou!"

Mineta let out a cry of joy at being placed in the same group as Yaoyorozu, who looked slightly sick at having to be paired even in the smallest ways with the short boy. Rei placed a hand on her shoulder in consolation, offering a small smile to her tall friend. "At least we're together this time." The notion cheered Momo considerably, even though it clearly meant that they would be competing eventually. Rei physically placed herself in between Momo and Mineta, sending a cold, withering glare at the boy. He at least had the smarts to shrink away, silenced almost immediately as Rei's traditional frosty and aggressive look came over.

"Right! That leaves Team C, with Kirishima, Tokoyami, Shoji, Hagakure, Ashido, Tsuyu, and Satou!" He nodded at everyone as they formed loose clusters, addressing them once again. "We'll start with Team A as the seekers. Teams B and C will have five minutes to hide themselves wherever they like. Remember, the seekers must physically tag you, but hiders cannot move once the opening buzzer sounds! Ready… Go!"

The two hiding teams burst off through the gates, spreading out as they went through the training field. Rei and Yaoyorozu stuck together for quite some time, heading to the furthest side of Field Gamma and using their quirks to sail over the buildings with ease. Looking to her companion, Rei shouted through the air. "Where are you going?"

Landing on a high roof, Yaoyorozu looked around before pointing to a water tower in the distance. "Probably to the base over there. What about you?"

Rei grinned, a feral look coming to her face. "I'm gonna find somewhere to barricade myself, somewhere tricky."

Shaking her head, Momo laughed before waving. "I would expect nothing less of you, Tsuki-chan." The two finally split, Rei jumping over a few more buildings. By her estimation she had at least three more minutes to find a hiding spot. It was enough to certainly get into trouble, the good kind.

Turning off the beaten path she began making her way down to the ground floor. If she wanted to make this truly difficult for the seekers, she would have to weasel her way into some inconvenient place, in order to disadvantage those who could jump or maneuver over the buildings. Team A had plenty of strong, fast individuals, and it would certainly be a bloodbath among them to get the most hiders. She would have to find something tricky, something that would make them think. She wouldn't be able to move from her spot once she found it or nestled in, but she could certainly make the seeker's lives a living hell.

She was certainly about to have some fun.

Eventually she burrowed her way down into a worn out warehouse, only managing to find an entrance after circling the exterior and finding an archway that was mostly obscured behind broken barrels and various beams that had fallen from high in the sky. She had wiggled through the puzzle pieces, trying to keep them as intact as possible and hiding her path, eventually emerging into the massive, empty space. There were streams of light coming through the fractured ceiling, but none big enough to fit a person through. High in the ceiling were fragments of catwalks that were long past due for a safety inspection; most of them looking ready to drop at the slightest breath or disturbance.

Rei grinned. It was perfect.

She managed to jump onto the most safe looking of the walkways, leaping up onto one that began to swing dangerously as soon as she landed. Her eyes bugged out as she froze, praying that it wouldn't suddenly collapse beneath her feet and releasing a sigh as the creaking and groaning eventually stopped. Carefully watching where she stepped, she began skirting her way around to the most isolated one, a slender walkway that hung in complete isolation near the center of the building. Golden eyes had been set on the prize from the moment she had walked in the room, now eyeing it carefully as she snaked her way over. Jumping from one walkway to the next, she was sent grasping for straws as the floor gave out underneath her feet. Hands latching on to a chain suspending from the ceiling, she could only listen as the sound of metal smashing into the floor below sounded, echoing in the large space. Wincing, she took a moment to breathe before planning her next move, swinging on the chain before leaping onto the next piece.

By the time the buzzer sounded, she had finally made it to the isolated piece, heart beating wildly in her chest. Laying down on the walkway it was just big enough for her to rest on top of, almost hiding her from view from below had the piece not been so skinny. The fragment continued to swing from the ceiling, disturbed from Rei's far leap toward the piece. Even she had been hard pressed to make her way to her hiding spot; it wouldn't be easy for anyone to get her.

If anything, the only people who would be able to reach her with relative ease would be Todoroki, Sero, and potentially Uraraka. It wasn't impossible for the others to reach her as well, but Bakugou and Ojiro in particular were going to have to compromise the integrity of the building, which went against what All Might told them. Grinning to herself, she closed her eyes, relishing in satisfaction at her job and lying on the cold sheet of metal. Up here in the ceiling, she could almost take a nap, if it weren't for the fact that there was also a chance she could fall…

Minutes passed. Rei yawned, stretching her arms up above her head in a cat-like manner as she dozed. There was a sunbeam that was hitting her from a crack in the ceiling, and it was rather relaxing, making her sleepy and contentedly drowsy.

"Fifteen minutes and the halfway mark! Still missing: Yaoyorozu and Akatsuki from Team B, and Tokoyami, Shoji, Hagakure, and Tsuyu from Team C!"

All Might's voice rang through the field, although it was muffled from Rei's location. Brows furrowing, her nose twitched in annoyance. Even if there wasn't any penalty for one team being found first, Rei found it rather aggravating that the other team was doing better than them. She would have expected that Midoriya would have found something creative, but then again, Uraraka and Iida would have a pretty good idea of where to find their friend. That was the cost that came with knowing people too well.

Still, she was doing quite well. She hadn't heard as much as a single footstep come within radius of the warehouse. Perhaps the seekers had combed through the beginning of Field Gamma; after all, Momo hadn't been found yet either, and the two of them had run to the far end of the field. Did some of the seekers underestimate how big the field truly was? It certainly did help to hide on the far end to buy some time, although it wouldn't have been good if everyone had hidden around the same area. For that, she was thankful, even if the others had been found first.

More time passed. Rei began growing restless. Had her spot been too good? She didn't think that it was the best. But All Might's voice rang through the field once again. "Only one hider remains on the field! Where could young Akatsuki be? The seekers have seven more minutes!"

The last one, huh? No one yet had made it close to her area. But after a few more minutes she began to hear footsteps and voices drawing closer.

"Oi, back off! I'm going in first."

"But I was the first one here-"

"Shut up! If you're not gonna go in, then get outta my way!"

Behind closed lids her eyes rolled. Iida and Bakugou, just her luck. Suddenly an explosion sounded fairly close by, making Rei jump as the ceiling shook. Her private island trembled, creaking barely audible from above as the chains groaned from the strain. If something like that happened again, she would certainly fall; the building was barely holding together as is, and if they weren't careful…

"Oi! Akatsuki! I know you're in here!"

A voice loud and clear as day, Rei internally groaned, turning her head toward the door and opening her eyes slowly. Sure enough, Bakugou had blasted his way through the entrance, clearing the barrels and obstacles in record time and striding in confidently as Iida followed a bit more tentatively, shouting at his brash decision.

"Are you serious?! You could have brought the entire building down on our heads from that explosion! The buildings in this area are particularly worn and on the verge of collapse-"

"Whatever, I didn't kill us yet. Oi! Akatsuki!" He shrugged Iida off, instead looking around for Rei. Eventually as he realized that there was nothing on the ground, he turned his eyes slowly toward the ceiling, eventually meeting a glittering pair of gold high above his head. He glowered, storming forward into the space. "Of all the places you could be, you have to choose the most inconvenient."

Rolling her eyes openly now, she folded her arms over her chest, still lying on the isolated chunk of walkway. "My job wasn't to make it easy for you. Hurry up and get me if you want."

"Huh? Hurry up and drop down then!"

"Directions were for hiders to stay put once the round began. Sorry, but I don't make the rules."

"Akatsuki-san, are you sure now's the best time-"

"What'd you say to me? You actually want me to come up and get you?"

At this Rei carefully pulled herself up to a sitting position, letting her legs dangle over the edge enticingly as she peered down. "Better hurry up, Mr. Hero. We don't have all day."

She could hear him growling from below, starting to crouch down and prepare himself to jump up using his gauntlets. She began to cringe, knowing that if he succeeded he would most cause the rest of the room to shatter, including her tenuously holding platform. But fortunately Iida stepped in front of him, holding him back for a moment. "Wait. If you use your quirk in here, you could bring the building down on us."

Sighing in relief, she internally shot thanks to Iida for being the voice of reason. But Bakugou only glowered, his eyes never leaving Rei's. "Screw that, I'm taking the lead on rescue points here and now. I'll get her down and rescue both of us from the building if that's what it takes."

Her own eyes widened at his words, suddenly uncertain of her entire plan. She had intended to make things difficult for everyone, perhaps give Uraraka a lead. But she hadn't accounted for Bakugou's absolute stubbornness and drive to win, no matter the circumstances. How stupid of her! And now, all she could do was watch as the chaos unfolded.

It seemed to happen in slow motion at first. Bakugou jumped into the air, propelling himself upward as he rose to Rei's height. It was exactly as he began to reach her level that she felt the straining hold of the walkway rattle and shake before snapping above her head. Her seat gave way, eyes widening as she lost her grip on everything, falling without warning and breath leaving her chest from the shock. She couldn't believe it; the exact situation that she had planned around and had understood, the one that she thought would provide enough incentive for her classmates to go around the problem, was now unfolding in front of her eyes and beneath her body. It was in that moment of horror, shock, and cold realization that a pair of red eyes locked with hers, mere feet away, a furious determination holding time still for a moment longer. Even in her fear that tried to hold her motionless under lock and key, she found her hands reaching out instinctively.

Then everything passed in the blink of an eye. A hand pulled her into his chest, her hands wrapping around Bakugou's neck instinctively as she buried her face in his chest, bringing her legs into her chest and curling into as small a ball as possible. In a moment she had felt fear wash through her, making her almost incapable of movement as her plans and ideas had been shattered in an instant. Closing her eyes she braced for impact, barely feeling a set of arms and gauntlets wrapping around her and pulling her close just before their momentum came to a complete halt. She heard a grunt, a rumble of the chest beneath her, and suddenly an arm swung out, the sound of metal hitting metal as a sheet tumbling from the ceiling was redirected. For a moment she remained frozen, breathing heavy as she slowly came back to her senses.

She had been saved. Again. This wasn't entirely new. Opening her eyes slowly and blinking, she lowered her legs and loosened her grip around his neck, dropping her hands and brushing herself off as she backed away. The hand still holding on to her was slower to back away, lingering on her back and drifting down her arm subtly as she pulled away, grabbing her attention as she looked up at the boy. Red eyes looked down in concern, a warmth in them. "Are you okay?"

His voice was so low, so quiet, she almost missed it. She was so shocked that she simply nodded, dumbfounded for a moment before she finally snapped out of it, recovering quickly. Their classmates who had already been found would most likely be watching this unfold, and she took another step away. With a sniff she regained her composure and her mask, tossing her head to the side in annoyance as she tried to cover her moment of weakness. "Fine. You just had to break the building, didn't you?"

Scoffing, he rolled his eyes, turning away from her. "Last time I rescue you, idiot."

Lips pulling upward at his comment, she simply shook her head before scratching behind her ear. "Well, guess you got me."

"Of course I did."

"Akatsuki-san! Are you alright?!"

Iida made his way through the dusty rubble, trying to swat away the dust that had risen in the low light. Bakugou scowled and turned away from Rei, although he didn't make a move to leave quite yet. "You're the one who put yourself in so much danger."

Crossing her arms and scowling right back, Rei lifted her voice, Iida finally able to hear her. "I set that up thinking that the risks would make people improvise a better solution. Clearly I was wrong about that." Iida only sighed at her sarcastic remark, relieved that she was altogether fine. If she was snapping off that much, then she was clearly safe from physical harm.

"Akatsuki has been found and rescued! The first round is over!"

Exhaling sharply through her nose, Rei blinked quickly in irritation. "Let's just get back. My group's next. Try not to make this too difficult."

Iida had already taken off, a short distance away but far enough so that he was unable to hear Bakugou's response. A shiver ran down Rei's spine as he fell into step next to her, voice husky as he muttered half under his breath. "From what you did to me, you deserve what's coming."

The sentiment filled Rei with dread. Apparently, karma was a bitch, and she knew exactly where Rei now lived.

Much to Rei's satisfaction and relief, it was Kaminari who found Bakugou and had to deal with his temper in the next round. She had been dreading what the boy would do to try and get in her way or slow her down during the round, but thankfully she never even saw his face or heard from him until the round was over. In the end it was Midoriya who won by finding five people, Rei coming in a close second with four. She knew that it was due to the fact that Midoriya was insanely fast now with his new move that he had created during the internships; for all her own maneuverability and skills navigating unlikely layouts, she couldn't compare to his speed now that he was boosted and was like a wasp flitting through the air.

Time flew by, and before Rei knew it it was time to go home. Changing out of her hero costume and heading back to the classroom, she walked with all the girls as they bantered about today's hero training class and one another's strengths. Rei mostly remained silent, but she occasionally spoke when Momo in particular directed a question toward her. It was a nice change, being surrounded by a group of girls who weren't trying to tear her down or ignore her at every turn. She was definitely getting used to this.

They took their time getting ready to go home, Momo and Rei eventually splitting off and leaving the classroom on their own time, talking casually as they made their way through the shoe room and to the front of the school. But as they walked towards the front of the school Momo slowed down, spotting something ahead of them. She elbowed Rei, subtly pointing towards the base of one of the arches. Standing in the shade was a scowling Bakugou, although he was fixated on his phone, punching away at something on the keyboard. Rei sighed, looking to Momo. "I'll see what he wants. He's probably angry with me from hero training."

Elegant, sculpted eyebrows raised, a knowing smile on her face. Rei only rolled her eyes, gently shoving Momo, their conversation at lunch coming back to her. "Go without me. I'll be fine."

"Alright." A wicked smile quirked up her lips. "See you tomorrow." The vice president was off and running before Rei could say anything back to her, although a scowl briefly touched her face before shaking her head with a sigh, making her expression more neutral. She watched Yaoyorozu disappear down the stairs before making her way to her new neighbor, looking at him carefully as he eventually noticed her approach. Upon seeing her he stood up straighter, tucking his phone away in his pocket.

Rei stood before him cautiously, not quite sure what he wanted. "Why are you still here?"

He clicked his tongue, turning away and moving back onto the path. "Didn't want you to get lost on the train again, idiot. Hurry up."

His brusque facade was almost transparent at this point, Rei seeing his intent and smiling as she hurried to catch up with him. They walked together in silence for a while, Rei fidgeting with her backpack straps as they made their way to the station. What should she say?

She ended up saying nothing, all the way until they disembarked at their station and began to walk home through Mustafu. By then Rei had managed to gather her thoughts, preparing to say what she wanted to say. "You didn't have to save me from that fall. I would've been fine from that height."

An eye roll. "Idiot. The instructions were that we had to make sure that no harm came to the hiders. I don't care about the fall. You would've been hit in the head by the debris."

So he said. "Suuure."

"Would it kill you to say 'thanks?'"

Rei smiled. She couldn't help but egg him on sometimes. "Thanks. You didn't have to, but you did." She could barely hear him mutter something under his breath along the lines of dismissal, but she knew that he had accepted her thanks all the same. "Have you started studying for finals?"

This time he fully turned his head to get a good look at her. "Of course."

"Then…" she hesitated a moment before rushing through her words, "wouldyouwanttocomarenotes?"

He blinked, trying to comprehend what she had said before shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever. Guess I have nothing better to do this weekend."

Rei looked at him blankly. That was all? It had been surprisingly easy; she had been expecting some resistance, or for him to tell her to buzz off. The jitters in her stomach began to get a rise again, but she squished them down as much as she could. "Then, I know a cafe we can go to. My treat."

Nodding, he said nothing. That was all there was to it. Internally Rei breathed a sigh of relief; that had all gone rather smoothly, unlike everything else during the day. She had been thinking about who to study with for a while now. Since Momo and her compared notes constantly, there was little else that the girl could teach her. Plus, she wanted to hear the information from someone new. She had considered asking Midoriya, which wasn't off the table yet either, but Bakugou had placed higher than the boy, landing in third place on the midterms. Surely it helped to ask the best of the best; she considered asking Todoroki, but she knew that he was busy on his own during the weekends, visiting his mother. She didn't want to impose herself on his schedule.

Of course, it helped that she enjoyed Bakugou's company, although she was rather nervous about it. Would he noticed how jumpy she was, how flustered she got around him? In the end, the desire to compare notes and get more information for the final won out. It was only logical, she rationalized, that she ask one of the top people in the class for help.

So lost in her own thoughts, she barely noticed that they had already turned onto their street. The two of them muttered their goodbyes quietly, Bakugou breaking off and turning into his house's entrance, Rei watching his back as he walked away. She eventually made it to her own home, pulling out her key and opening the door, walking inside carefully and peering around the space. "I'm home."

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Reina's voice rang out from around the corners, a beacon for Rei after she removed her shoes and padded quietly around the first floor, peering around the corner and peeking into the kitchen. Reina was rummaging through the cabinets, pulling out a bag of shrimp chips triumphantly and grinning at Rei. "Want a snack? Thought we'd eat something as we go through your notes."

"Are you busy still?"

"No, I finished a conference call earlier this morning. That's all I really had today." Reina still grinned, leading the way into the living room as she practically skipped to the couch and flopped over it unceremoniously. "Just because you're living with me now doesn't mean you get to slack off with your studies."

"I know, I know." They made their way to the low table, pulling zabutons off the couch and plopping down onto the floor, Rei pulling out her notes and materials and scattering them across the surface. "Actually," she began, trying to remain casual, "Bakugou and I are gonna study this weekend for finals."

"Oh, I see!" A pause. "Am I not good enough? You should know that cute boys are only a distraction when you study."

"Nee-san…" Rei dragged out her words, exasperated by Reina's teasing. Her mentor only laughed fully, picking up a pen and twirling it in her fingers, clearly the influence for Rei's own pen twirling habits.

"I'm joking. It's good to compare notes to a classmate. Where will you be studying?"

"I thought we'd go back to Mamaru's cafe." She didn't mention the fact that she'd be buying Bakugou food in return for saving her ass that afternoon. That was a minor detail that could be skipped. Reina only nodded in approval.

"If anything goes wrong, just call me."

"I know."

"Good. Now let's get started. Shall we start with math?"

AN: Fluff, fluff, fluff! Look at my two idiot children, bumping heads and being generally clumsy and adorable!

Forgot to mention a few chapters ago, a zabuton is basically a seat cushion. Think "futon" but only for your butt. :)

So, another update.

Remember how I was stuck on writing chapter 23 and 24 since, like, chapter 7 came out?

Guess who just finished writing chapter 29 and is h̶a̶l̶f̶w̶a̶y̶ now completely finished with chapter 30?

I finally managed to break out of my writer's block. Scrapping what I had and pushing it to the side for another bonus chapter was exactly what I needed. So good news! I'm actually writing more for this story, and it's been pretty good. I'm pretty sure some of you will actually want to murder me for where I'm taking this story, but that's neither here nor there... we'll get there when we get there. In any case, we're moving right along. Now that I'm getting comfortable with have a bunch of chapters stockpiled, I might release a fun couple of chapters ahead of schedule. Who knows!

No joke, I was tempted to upload this Saturday. This document has been sitting in my account since Friday. I'm so ready to bring this content to you. [insert joke about content creation]

Also, lifethroughanotherseyes made a rendition of Rei, and the link's on my profile (since it's so dang hard to put it in here). They were cool enough to send this to me and let me share it with all of you. I love seeing people's interpretations of my characters and work; it really makes me happy that y'all are thinking of this story so much!

Have you made any art that you'd like to share, or played with character creators? PM me and share your work!

Review Thanks Time!

dragontamer64: Best of luck with all the tests, and happy summer! Thank you for your words about character interactions; it's been a lot of work to try and get my dialogue sounding and feeling natural, so your words mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this fluffy sort of chapter as well! Please look forward to our shitty children being adorkable and stubborn in the next chapter as well (it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with Chapter 20, so I hope you enjoy)

yaoi4adollar: When I was brainstorming and doing a character chart for Rei, I literally made a note that said "she doesn't always curse, but she prefers a generous dolling out of middle fingers." Haha I'm glad you're enjoying the sort of fluffy and cute moments! I have a hard time writing them, so I really try to make sure they're not over done :D

Puddin: Hearing someone you that you've been looking forward to this story all week is literally so surreal for me; I've spend so much time waiting for others to write stories that it's shocking to hear it from someone else about me. Thank you so much!

Venta: Ahh, I'm so happy you find this story addictive! And I'm doubly glad that you think this slow build up is looking natural as well; it's kind of hard because I feel a bit of pressure to pair characters together, but I know what I want as well. It's hard to hold out for the cute moments, but thank you for your support and kind words!

ILikeFoxes828: Omg you have no idea how happy that makes me that you ship Rei and Bakugou, I'm so happy! This story has been a long build up, and I'm glad it's paying off so far.

Anseo: Wow, I'm so glad that I could inspire you to write again! I understand how hard it is, and how we can get into slumps. Please keep me updated with what you do! And I'm glad you love Reina and Chirasaki in particular; I know Rei and Bakugou get a ton of attention (as they should), but hearing that you like the other original characters I've created really means a lot to me too. Please let me know if you have any more questions about writing in general! I'm happy to help out however I can :) I look forward to your reviews in the future!

Please, please, please review!

It helps me write more and chunk out more content for you!

I always try to respond as well.

Love you all!