"Thanks for saving me a seat." Ayumu smiled at Shinso as she dropped into the chair across from him.

The Cafeteria buzzed around them as the other students began to file in from their morning classes. Shinso looked up at her from his own lunch and glanced passed her to where most of Class 1-A was standing around waiting for their food. He looked back at Ayumu without emotion.

"I wasn't saving you a seat. I thought you would be sitting with your new classmates."

Ayumu glanced over her shoulder to where her classmates were standing, talking and laughing. They had already begun to break up into cliques despite only knowing each other for a short period of time. Ayumu turned back to Shinso and smiled.

"Of course I would be sitting with you, we always sit together for lunch."

"We did when we were in Junior High." He corrected. "I didn't see you yesterday."

Ayumu tugged on her blue ponytail. "Yeah, our class didn't go to orientation. We did quirk testing so we were here a little later than everyone else. Don't think just because we're in high school you're going to get rid of me that easy."

Shinso made a noise, indicating that he heard her and went back to eating his lunch. Ayumu took a bite of her own food. They ate in silence for a short while before Ayumu spoke again.

"Do you want to walk home together today? My mom was asking for you yesterday."

"Sure." He answered without looking up at her. As an afterthought he added, "You can tell me all about being in the hero course."

Ayumu paled as Shinso met her eyes and dropped her gaze, suddenly interested in the table. "We don't have to talk about that."

"Don't be stupid. I want to know how the first few days have gone for you." Ayumu looked up at him, still uncomfortable with the topic. "Just because I didn't get in, doesn't mean we have to pretend you didn't. Besides, I haven't given up on getting in so you can prepare me for what I have to look forward to."

A weight felt as if it had been lifted from Ayumu's shoulders. "Okay, but only if you tell me all about general studies. I'm sure you're making tons of new friends."

Shinso glanced around in confusion before looking back at her. "You did notice I was sitting alone, right?"

"Yeah, saving a seat for me."

"I told you I wasn't saving you a seat."

Ayumu's mouth dropped open, "I thought you were just messing with me."

"No, I really wasn't saving you a seat."

"Wow, Hitoshi." She shook her head in mock hurt, "I can't believe you. I would have saved you a seat."

"Yeah well..." His voice trailed off as the bell rang for the end of lunch. "I'll meet you in front of the school after our last class."

As the final bell rang, Shinso tossed one of his backpack straps over his shoulder and headed out of his classroom. His classmates had more or less formed their own little groups that he never seemed to fit into. He walked down the front steps of UA high school and glanced around for Ayumu. Shinso caught sight of her standing at the entrance with a green haired boy, smiling and laughing.

He vaguely recognized him as a student in her class. Shinso's heart sped up and he felt a pang of jealousy wash over him. Ayumu had always had such an easy time making friends, but she had always chosen to hang out with him. Even when the rest of their class walked on eggshells around him, she never had.

"Hey, Ayumu." Shinso tugged on the straps of his backpack as he walked next to his friend.

"Yeah?"

Shinso didn't look at her although he could feel her eyes on him. "Why do you always hang out with me?"

Ayumu hesitated for a second, unsure how to answer. "That's a stupid question." Shinso looked at her now, surprised. "You're my best friend, who else would I hang out with?"

"I mean why aren't you scared of me? No one else really wants to talk to me because of my quirk. Aren't you worried I'll brainwash you?"

"No, not really. I don't really think about your quirk." She smiled brightly at him, "You're just Hitoshi."

"No one else seems to think so."

Ayumu stopped in front of Shinso and faced him. "Are you planning on brainwashing me?"

The question shocked him and he took a step back from the girl. "No, of course not."

A smile crossed her face and she stuck out her pinky for him to take, "Alright, pinky promise you won't use your quirk on me, okay? Then I'll never be worried."

Ayumu looked away from the green haired boy and caught Shinso's eye. She smiled brightly and waved to the boy and headed toward Shinso, meeting him halfway. "I was wondering when you'd show up! You took forever to get out here! What took you so long?"

Shinso fell into step with Ayumu as they headed out of the front gate of the school. "Who was that?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"Who? Midoriya? He's just some kid in my class. It's kind of weird, he never uses his quirk."

"Hm." Shinso pulled on the strap of his backpack again. "What's his quirk?"

"I don't know. Like I said he never uses it, but it is only the second day so maybe he's just shy? Whatever it is, he didn't do well in the quirk test yesterday." Ayumu linked arms with Shinso as they walked. "So you have to tell me about your classes. Are they fun?"

"They're not really much different from the curriculum from Junior high. Just the normal classes, math, science. It's nothing special."

"Have you made any friends yet?"

"No. It's only the second day of school. Besides, I don't expect to make friends here. People will still think my quirk is meant for a villain."

Ayumu rolled her eyes. "Junior high was rough, but not everyone thinks you're a villain. I doubt the kids at the hero school will think you're a villain. Everyone here seems really nice."

"Name one person from junior high who didn't think I was going to brainwash them the first chance I got."

Ayumu stopped, forcing Shinso to stop as well, "You remember I am from your junior high right. I've never thought you were going to use your quirk on me."

Shinso pulled his arm out from hers and kept walking, forcing her to jog to catch up with him. "You're different."

"You need to be more confident. I bet you haven't even tried to make friends." Ayumu accused as they walked up the steps to her house.

Shinso shrugged as Ayumu opened the door, "You'd be right. I'm not there to make friends. Besides I don't plan on staying in general studies for long, I have a plan to get into the hero course."