We learned later on why Midoriya had been so deeply unhappy. It seemed he, Kirishima, Uraraka and Asui had been assigned to a particularly difficult case in their work studies, one involving the kidnapping and torture of a small girl by a group of villains known as Shie Hasaiikai. The event was on the news - Midoriya's mentor had died, Mirio Togata's quirk had been forcibly removed, and by all accounts it had been a very brutal battle. The whole class waited up for them, a tense and nerve-wracking evening filled with quiet and quickly aborted attempts at small talk. Even Bakugou and I, despite our remedial course the next morning, stayed up. It is hard to describe the relief I felt when Mineta called, "They're back! Everyone, they're back!"

The doors swung open and our four absent classmates were there.

"Is everyone okay?"

"We saw everything on the news!"

"That looked like some nasty business!"

"We were all super worried!"

"Have some gateau au Chocolat!"

"If it isn't our resident troublemakers"!

"You punks are always coming home after getting caught up in serious stuff!" called Kaminari at Midoriya and Krisihima. "Stop it! You're scaring us!"

"I'm just glad they're ok," said Shoji to Jirou.

"Ok, yeah. As long as they really are…" she murmured.

"Ochaco! Tussle!" called Hagakure, running forward to hug them.

MY pocket buzzed. I lifted up my cell phone.

A text.

From HIM. From my damned old man.

"Yes, yes, they know we were worried about them!" Iida interrupted, jumping in between us and the four. "But calm down! We all saw the broadcast and the extent of what happened! As their classmates, we ought to let them rest their weary spirits! Because it isn't just their bodies. Their spirits have also been worn down by everything that's happened."

From the intensity of his face, I knew he must be thinking of Midoriya's tears.

"Iida - hey, Iida," said Midoriya, raising up a hand. "Thanks, but - I'm fine."

He smiled in a way that to most could pass for fine, but I rather doubted it. In all likelihood, it was a nice face for Iida's benefit.

"If you're sure," said Iida, and then shouted. "I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU GUYS, I SWEAR!"

Sat provided Midoriya with cake, Asui seemed to be checking in on Uraraka. Yaoyorozu called too, "I'll brew some lavender herbal tea! It's jut the thing to help you relax!" and ran off towards the kitchen, her long dark hair bouncing behind her.

Sero ran over to Kirishima and put an arm around his shoulder. "Why didntch'a say anything? It was such a big shock to all of us!"

"We were under a gag order," Kirishima explained.

"Hey, Kirishima," said Ashido, approaching him, holding Koda's rabbit. "You good?"

"Getting there" he smiled at her. She nodded, then held up the bunny for Uraraka and Asui to admire. Through all of this, Bakugou had remained on the couch, his hands stuffed in his pockets and one bare foot up on the table, saying nothing. Kaminari, at this moment, went over to him to jump onto the same sofa.

"Whittier sulking about, Kacchan!?" he called, making me flinch slightly hearing the nickname from anyone besides Midoriya. "You were worried too, so come join us! Don't hold back!"

"Bedtime." Bakugou snapped, shoving Kaminari away from him and storming off.

"This early? Are you an old man?"

"You have nothing at all to say to them?" Ajar asked.

"Unlike you people, I don't have that much time on my hands."

"Midoriya," I told him sadly, "Uraraka, Kirishima, Asui. Sorry, but I've got to sleep as well."

"You too!? We got another early riser over here?"

I walked away, feeling once more the frustration of being in remedial courses. As always, unable to join in with the others. I sat down in my room and stared at my old man's texts, and thought, and thought….

The next morning, I was walking the familiar track to the bus stop, with Bakugou behind me shouting "No one walks in front me!"

"Poor Mr. Aizawa," I muttered as Bakugou stomped past me. "Having to come with us after all that's happened…"

"Do I look like I wanna make small talk!?"

"C'mon, I mean…" I turned to him, but then saw something that interrupted me.

"BAD BOYS! YOU'RE LATE!"

"Present Mic and…All Might."

"We'll be your chaperones today," All Might explained.

"AFTER YESTERDAY'S EVENTS, ERASER'S GONNA BE ABSENT A LOT IN THE COMING DAYS!"

"And why's that?" I asked.

"IT'S GOT SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GIRL THEY RESCUED. THEY NEED HIS QUIRK. SO! YOU GET ALL MIGHT INSTEAD! AND ERASER ASKED ME TO TAG ALONG FOR EXTRA PROTECTION!"

"Being late is a big no no," said All Might. "Get on that bus."

All Might, huh?

"ON THE ROAD TO YOUR LICENSES! HOP, STEP, HERE WE GO!"

This could be a pain, I thought, running my hand down my neck in frustration. All Might and the old man face to face….

We arrived, leaving All Might and Mic behind.

"We'll be watching from above!"

"ROCK ON OUT THERE!"

"SHOTO! THIS IS PERFECTI I SOMEHOW GOT SOME FREE TIME. I'LL STOP BY TOMORROW NAD GET TO WATCH YOUR TRAINING COUR-"

That was where I'd cut him off, hung up on him, last night. Hopefully he doesn't run into All Might…and -

"HEY! UA!"

There he was, waving, and loud, and obnoxious as ever. Inasa Yoarashi.

Definitely didn't want to deal with him. I could feel my brows knitting in annoyance.

"Ooh, who's this? What a specimen!" A girl's voice that I didn't know, a small blonde girl with large brown eyes, in the female counterpart of Yoarashi's uniform. "I'm awestruck, honestly!" she said, tipping her cap, and as far as I could tell, talking about me. "Getting to take this course with such a handsome man? What a delight! And you seem to know this cutie, Yoarashi! Here's my number." She walked up to me, and handed me a card with her phone number right there.

"Oh, sure."

"NOBODY BEATS CAMIE WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYING THE FIELD! I COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO!" cried Yaoarashi.

"Hey, baldy," snapped Bakugou. "This girl wasn't with you last time."

"RIGHT! SHE SURE WASN'T! AND I'M NOT BALD!" he added, taking off his cap.

"Came! That's in poor taste! A Shiketsu student should never behave in such a manner!" A third Shiketsu student I didn't know approached us - though from Bakugou's face, they'd met before, and not enjoyed it.

"Meatball!" he growled. "Didn't you fail in round one?"

"I received permission to observe as a spectator! This is a learning experience! And the name is Seiji Shishikura!"

I gave a little internal sigh. Well, I guess it wouldn't be our remedial training course without a few annoying complications.