Midoriya POV

"Midoriya, I'm surprised that you're not blushing, but then again, by now you're probably used to people calling you cute." I looked up in complete confusion as he said that allowing him to score his winning point.

Who was calling me cute and WAIT he said that I would be used to people calling me cute! does that mean that he thinks that I'm cute I hope it does what else could it mean? "Wait? What? Who? how? " I staggered in confusion.

"Those girls playing that game behind me," he gestured with his head towards a group of girls that looked about our age. "They're talking about how cute you are," once again he's saying crazy things those girls had to be at least three meters away from him and the music was loud how could he possibly know what they were saying while playing with me! I was very confused.

Todoroki POV

Midoriya looked confused when I pointed out the girls talking behind me. Could he just not hear them? If he just couldn't hear them why would he be surprised that I could? "I guess that I'm a closer so you just can't hear them," I respond.

"But how can you hear them! The music's loud and you were playing with me!" I didn't understand his confusion. Isn't everyone always aware of everything around them?

"Midoriya, I don't understand why you're confused. They're within earshot so I listened to their conversation," this comment seemed to further his confusion, he also apaired to be shocked. I didn't know how to respond.

"Why don't we go outside so we can talk about this?" he asked.

"We passed an ice cream parlor a few blocks back," I offered.

"Y...Yea, let's go there..." he muttered, still very confused.

Todoroki pov

The trip from the arcade to the ice cream shop was in silence. It wasn't until we sat down with our frozen treats did we start talking. "So you always listen to what everyone's saying all the time?" the smaller boy asked trying to understand.

"Doesn't everyone?" I asked in response, "I don't pay much attention to most of them." I was confused at how this was confusing.

"N-No that's actually kind of creepy..."

"It's not like I can control it. I'm aware of everything that happens around me at all times," there was a clear look of shock on Midoriya's face. I was starting to get the feeling that this wasn't normal.

I paused trying to think of a way to explain it. "This is how I see the world," I started, "I'm in a room facing a wall of TVs. There's usually around twenty of them. the more comfortable I am the fewer screens there are. They all are playing different shows and I need to know at less the basic plot of all of them. With those, I can hear and see everything around me."

"That's a lot of things to pay attention too." I shrugged for I didn't even finish.

"Along with those there are a few screens that are constantly changing channels. Those are the ones I need to pay the most attention to because something important might come on. We probably should eat our ice cream before it melts." I resumed eating mine but Midroyia just stared at me in shock.

AN

OK, what Todoroki described is something called hypervigilance, it is a common system of PTSD/CPTSD. It is part of the fight or flight part of the brain, it makes it so you have to keep scanning your surroundings for 'dangers'. It's really exhausting, mentally AND physically. If you experience this and are in a dangerous situation regularly and need hypovirulence, try establishing safe spaces where you can let your guard down. If you are out of danger work on lowering it, for you don't need it anymore. There is no one way to do that. I recommend getting professional help to deal with it.