Excessive. Unnecessary. Obnoxious.

They were all words to describe Class 3-A's reaction to Shoto and Bashira sitting together.

Shoto usually sat with Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida. To their credit, they were some of the most composed of the class. Iida didn't offer the couple more than a smile and genial greeting; Bashira didn't know him nearly well enough to catch any implications that might have been behind it. Midoriya and Uraraka didn't say anything out loud and the constant glances and stifled grins they shared, while obvious, were easy enough to ignore.

It was Bashira's regular company, only one table over, that were causing the most ruckus.

Kirishima made the least of a scene, only sending Bashira a wave in acknowledgment. Kaminari and Mineta were unabashedly giggling and shooting over thumbs-ups and crude gestures. Ashido appeared to be pouting, as if taking it personally that Bashira had chosen a different spot, while Jirou smirked softly beside her, speaking quietly to the other girl. Whatever she said made Ashido bristle for a split second before she seemed to redden… er, or, pinked? More than usual. If that were possible.

Honestly. Were they all seniors in high school or freshman in middle school?

She was only sitting with the guy, for All Might's sake!

Bashira jabbed at her sukiyaki, her appetite lost. Shoto ate perfunctorily next to her, as if he didn't notice any of the attention on them. Bashira envied his single-mindedness.

They were joined at the table by a few more people – the multi-armed guy and the tailed boy whose names Bashira didn't remember – and then by Asui, who brought some sense of comfort when she took the open seat on Bashira's other side.

"Long time no see, Kobayashi," the frog-girl greeted as she settled in. She didn't off any special double-take in seeing Bashira there, for which the other girl was thankful. "We haven't talked in a while, how have things been?"

Bashira took the bait and engaged in a polite conversation. It was only when the mention of training came up that Uraraka sprung to attention across from them.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me! Mina-chan was telling us about your session in the simulator the other day. She said you did great!"

"Eh, you trained with our class, Kobayashi-san?" Midoriya also perked up. "No one told me. You really held your own? That's definitely impressive!"

Bashira couldn't help but roll her eyes half way, eying Shoto at her side. "It depends on who you ask, but I didn't die so you could say that I did okay."

"It's a little unusual though, kero," Asui admitted. "No offense but it's pretty amazing that someone without the training and experiences we've all been through could be much of a match against anyone in our class."

While most of the table was used to Asui's too-casually spoken observations, a few pairs of eyes hung onto Bashira, anticipating her response. Shoto was mildly impressed when she barely reacted, only very subtly pausing in her motions.

"I guess I'm just awesome. Plus everyone went super easy on me, I'm sure."

Uraraka's lips curled up. "I'm sure you were totally awesome," she said, full of sincerity.

"Quite commendable," Iida added, catching Bashira by surprise. She looked down at the table, feeling sheepish. Did this group have compliment competitions on the regular? It didn't seem like Shoto would fit in with them at all.

Bashira felt an urge to glance at Shoto but she refrained. Maybe he hung out with this circle just because of their positivity? There wasn't any stretch in understanding why he'd seek out such transparent people.

Probably sensing Bashira's discomfort, the rest of the bunch let the topic end there. As they chewed and chattered among themselves Bashira continued with her musing, mixing the meticulously prepared food in front of her around into a scramble of slop.

"You should be eating," Shoto hummed next to her. Bashira tilted her head towards him but didn't look over. "You're body's still recovering, it needs energy." Bashira twisted her shoulder in something like a shrug, causing Shoto to sigh. "You're also making a mess."

Bashira's fingers tensed over her chopsticks before making the move to pick up a clump of food – a single bite with a blend of beef and udon and tofu and cabbage and shiitake – and stuff it into her mouth. She turned to Shoto, a challenge in her eyes, and said through the food, "I li'e it 'is way."

Which wasn't untrue. Bashira's grandparents had always chastised her for mixing up all of her food into some kind of casserole style. What did it matter when they were at home, though? She minded her manners during special occasions and could be the pinnacle of poise per command. So why care how she ate on the average day? Didn't it all go to the same place anyway?

Shoto seemed about as impressed with her etiquette as her grandparents, and Bashira felt guilty immediately. It was petty of her, especially since they were actually in public, in front of his friends. The only thing she could do was face her plate again and gnaw on her mouthful as inconspicuously as possible. Once she'd managed to swallow everything Bashira scanned the faces at the table, gauging how many of them had witnessed the exchange. No one seemed to be paying attention to them, thankfully, so she sat up straighter and began to eat smaller, more concise bites as a silent apology to Shoto. She could feel him still watching her for a few seconds more until he equally as wily accepted her concession by turning away.

Bashira didn't engage in much of the conversation after that, more so letting the meal pass while she was caught up in her own mind. At one point when she did seem to be paying attention, though, Asui made it a point to address her.

"We were planning on having a girls' get-together tonight, Kobayashi," Froppy explained. "Just to relax a little. Would you want to join?"

It was a weekday, which Bashira at first thought was strange, but then again they were all stuck in dorms and probably needed any sort of escape they could get.

"Uh, sure," Bashira replied. She regretted her decision as soon as she made it, but the way that Asui and Uraraka beamed made her push all of her doubt back. "When and where exactly are you planning this?"

"Yaomomo's room," Uraraka supplemented. "She's tutoring first years now, so we'll bring back some take-out dinner and extra snacks, then meet her there once she gets back."

It took a few moments for Bashira to piece together that "Yaomomo" was actually "Yaoyorozu Momo". Yaoyorozu wasn't her single favorite person in the world but, considering she didn't have a tangible reason to complain about it, Bashira only nodded.

"Okay. Sounds good." Bashira, as a second and almost mocking afterthought, rolled her neck so that she faced Shoto. "Is that okay with you?"

Shoto was finishing up one of his final bites of food and didn't rush on Bashira's account. The girl pouted as she waited.

"Do you want me to come and walk you home afterwards?" Shoto asked once he'd swallowed. It wasn't a response that Bashira would have suspected, and the slight squeak from Uraraka made it obvious she wasn't the only one caught off-guard.

"I'm sure I'll survive on my own," Bashira drawled, purposefully nonchalant. Her lack of interest, though, was more to keep up a charade and not flush over Shoto's show of concern.

Bashira eyed her seatmates as knavishly as she could. Uraraka was blushing more than usual, her eyes wide and shimmering and zeroed in on the couple in front of her. Next to Uraraka, Midoriya's eyes were also soft. His expressing was something similar to someone looking at a shy, dopey puppy.

'They're really so sheltered and innocent, aren't they?'

Bashira didn't want to judge and she didn't want to scowl, yet she did both. Obviously these kids weren't normal. Their entire lives revolved around being selfless figures, dedicating their youth towards becoming symbols and peace keepers for some intangible greater good. They weren't even really kids anymore.

It was kind of sad, actually.

Have any of them ever dated? Broken up? Had their heart hurt and twisted?

A Girls Night might be the best chance that Bashira had to get that insider information.

The U.A dorms, as Bashira took them in more closely on her second visit, reminded her of a library or high-class office space. The common area's walls and windows were too tall to be cozy and the floor plan seemed too vacant without the entire class filling it. Uraraka and Asui lead Bashira along swiftly, leaving her with the feeling that she'd never be able to retrace her steps or recognize any landmarks to help her find her way around again.

The trio wasn't the first to arrive. Yaoyorozu had already returned from her tutoring and prepared a platter of tea and crackers. Ashido and Jirou were also settling in, and Hagakure arrived soon after. The invisible girl was, ironically, someone that Bashira had forgotten existed.

"Thank you for bringing my meal," Yoayorozu said with a smile and clasped hands. She was seated at her desk – the only thing she managed to squeeze into the room other than a literal boat-sized bed – in front of her take-out. "Please excuse me while I eat and help yourselves to drinks and snacks."

The girls obliged, claiming their share of cups and sides before settling on Yaoyorozu's ginormous bed. Bashira hovered between the bed and the desk, leaned up against the wall, holding her tea and busying herself more with blowing and taking tiny sips to help pass the time. She listened to the other girls' chatter – they asked Yaoyorozu about her students and discussed their own work-studies – but she mostly remained a wall flower. Even when Bashira thought of a comment to make, the conversation seemed to pass by too fast for her to find the opportunity to jump in.

The other girls eventually realized Bashira's muteness and made it their mission to veer off and put her under the spotlight.

"So, Bashira-Babe," Ashido remarked, folding over herself to hold her chin in both of her palms, "how are things going with Todoroki? You two seemed super cozy at dinner today."

"It was pretty sweet, seeing you two connecting," Uraraka chimed, looking like she was melting at the memory.

Bashira wanted to blush, really, but she put her everything into keeping a cool visage and scrambling only internally to make her answer blasé.

"If that's what you'd call 'connecting'," Bashira rebutted. She was at least pretty sure her face and tone had stayed neutral even if she couldn't find the exact words to relay an easy nonchalance. "I'm surprised that you're all so supportive, actually." She knew she was delving into dangerous territory a little too quickly, but the move had already been made and she couldn't control the impulse to keep digging. "I would have thought Shoto would have a lot of admirers or girlfriends or whatever."

The aftermath wasn't as monumental as Bashira would have feared; most of the girls didn't seem bothered, and the ones that did react didn't give away anything extreme.

"Obviously he's got the best looking face and hottest bod in our class," Ashido admitted easily, "but he's so aloof, you know? He's gotten way better since our first year but you still never really know if you've getting through to him. Yaomomo's the only girl he's ever seemed close to."

Bashira's gut immediately plummeted and she whirled to face their hostess. Yaoyorozu, to her credit, only coughed on her food in the most girlish way (how could someone even choke girlishly?) before regaining her composure and pressing a hand to her chest.

"It's not like that. We're not particularly close," Yaoyorozu promised, making sure to look Bashira in the eye. A second later, though, she was focusing on her lap. "Todoroki is just such an admirable person to me, and he's helped me build my confidence significantly over our time training together as classmates."

But Yaoyorozu was flushing as she spoke, something that Bashira didn't fail to notice. Was Yaoyorozu lying? Whether about not having any feelings or being more than friends with Shoto?

It wasn't fair, Bashira reminded herself. It wasn't fair that she and Shoto were thrust together so suddenly. And, on the other end, it wasn't fair for her to feel so possessive. She'd had boyfriends and more-than-friends before. Why wouldn't Shoto?

Still, the hard stare that Bashira had on Yaoyorozu didn't lessen.

Fuck being fair.

"You two are the perfect team!" Hagakure chirped. The motion of her clothing gave it away that she was doing some sort of dance move. "Yaomomo and Todoroki are a good match on the battlefield, but Kobayashi can meet Todoroki head-on personally, challenging him and keeping him grounded all at the same time!"

While not exactly comforted, Bashira was bemused. She was sure that she'd never even spoken to Hagakure; why was the Stealth Hero the first one to cheer her on?

(She hadn't been spying on them, had she?)

"Honestly, Todoroki's not the type I'd ever imagine being interested in a relationship," Jirou confessed. She was sprawled out at the head of Yoayorozu's bed, leaning into one of the way-too-many-to-be-reasonable pillows. "But I get Hagakure's point. If he was to be with someone, that person should have some fire in them – not to be 'punny' or anything."

"Kobayashi is a little icy too, though," Asui added, placing a thoughtful finger to her lower lip. "I guess they do really complement each other, in a way."

"That," Uraraka said, "or they'd just be butting heads a lot of the time, wouldn't they?"

"Not as long as they can balance their hot-and-coldness with each other!"

Bashira half wanted to melt into the wall. She was being talked about like she wasn't right there with them. Was she supposed to be flattered? Appreciative? Were these people always so bold and unfiltered?

Besides that, they barely even knew Bashira. Were they only putting on a show to reassure her?

"So is there really no one else?" Bashira asked, somewhere between a purr and a growl. "Shoto's never had a girlfriend or fling?" Bashira very pointedly didn't glance towards Yaoyorozu. "He's still a virgin and everything?"

There was a moment, an extended breath, when the girls all froze to process the question.

And then, Bashira was surrounded.

"Virgin?! Is that what you're worried about?!"

"Are you saying you're not one?!"

"He would never force you into anything, Kobayashi. I would swear on it!"

"Wait – would you be jealous if he had been with someone else?"

Bashira wished she wasn't still holding her teacup. She would have crossed her arms across herself like she was in a strait jacket. "I didn't mean anything either way," she cleared up, maybe too quickly. "It was just a question."

The girls let it go (surprisingly) and edged back to their original spots, twittering amongst themselves too quietly for Bashira to hear. She felt left out – again. But this time she was glad to be.

"I wouldn't blame you," Ashido moaned as she fell back onto the bed. "In fact, I envy you. Whatever might have happened before you're the one with the ring on your finger now, right?"

If Bashira could have pushed herself any further into the wall, she would have. Obviously she and Shoto didn't wear rings. They never made any promise to each other.

"It must be nice," Uraraka murmured wistfully, "to have someone… like that."

Jirou sat up straight, an incredulous twist to her face. "What do you mean? What about you and Midoriya?"

"Yeah, you two have been a thing for years," Ashido dismissed, waving an arm over her head.

"W-what?! We're not, I mean – why would you guys–"

"The denial is really getting old, to be honest."

"Aahh, b-but it's not, we're not –"

"We know. None of us have time for a real relationship," Ashido sighed. While Asui patted Uraraka's arm to help her friend calm down, Ashido shifted her weight to her elbows and clapped her socks together. "It totally sucks."

"Don't say that," Yaoyorozu said. "We're all working our very hardest to become Heroes. The sacrifices will all be worth it once we graduate and become Pros."

'Would they?' Bashira doubted it. The gloom that hung over the room reminded her of the pity she'd felt at lunch. She'd basically found out what she'd wanted to know, at least; apparently Class 1-A really did forfeit most teenage normalcy for the sake of their dreams.

No wonder they were socially unadjusted.

"So, who is that guy with all the arms again?" Bashira asked, sensing the need to change the subject. She used her free hand to twirl the hair near her pierced ear. "There's too many of you to keep track of."

The girls blinked out of their daze. "You mean Shoji-kun?" Asui croaked. Bashira only shrugged because she didn't if that was the person she meant. "He can actually produce different body parts like ears and mouths from the ends of his arms, kero. It's a really cool Quirk."

Bashira raised a brow. "More like kinky."

For the second time, like a true slap-stick comedy, a pulse went through the room before all hell broke loose.

Jirou let out a screech, flinging herself forward and clamping her hands over her ears. "Why did you have to say that, huh?! I'll never get that image out of my head!"

"What image? I only said one word – you made up an 'image' all on your own."

"I won't look at him the same way again either!" Hagakure gushed, her bottom half wiggling while her sleeves pitched together as if she were covering her face. "I'll blush for sure!"

Bashira couldn't help but snicker. The girls were way too easy to rile up.

Ashido, despite flailing around with emotion initially, settled down and bit her lip with a reflective look. "Shoji is pretty buff though, isn't he? Strong, silent, chivalrous, chiseled…"

Jirou aimed a kick at the alien girl. "Stop it!"

"There was another one that I didn't recognize at dinner today, too," Bashira went on. "The one with the tail? Although, it is super thick and vascular. And since only the base is covered in hair it definitely looks more like a—"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!"

Bashira couldn't dodge the pillow that Jirou whipped her way. Despite the throbbing the direct hit left her with and the near deafening shrieks and squeals from the other girls, she grinned. And when Ashido dragged her onto the bed to be dog piled ("The china!" Yaoyorozu warned in the distance) Bashira only allowed the assault and laughed fully.

Bashira almost regretted rejecting Shoto's offer to walk her back from the dorms. Even if UA was one of the safest places in the country, a girl couldn't help but be nervous by herself at night.

It was close to curfew so there weren't any other students on campus, leaving an eerie silence in the air. Bashira's footsteps seemed amplified as she made it further from the dorms (the main light source) and closer to her condo. The area in between was the most shadowy. Bashira did what anyone would do and pulled out her phone so she could pretend to text.

She'd been focused on the prickling on the back of her neck so the alerts on her home screen didn't register right away. Between generic update recommendations and news headlines, there was a missed call. A voicemail.

From Noritaka Sada.

The feeling of eyes between her shoulder blades turned into the feeling of a knife in her back.