Endeavour Is Stupid

Estelle stood at the corner of the gym; her eyes narrowed as she observed the two students training in front of her. Kirishima's quirk was activated to withstand the blows Katsuki tried to bestow on him.

Katsuki had mentioned he needed help with perfecting his new moves. He had already managed to focus his shots, which was a considerable feat considering that explosions were generally wild. But, he wanted to be able to perform explosive bullets, focusing his bursts in small measures so they could attack a wider reach. It was a great idea, especially since having the ability to measure his quirk output would give him even greater longevity than he already had.

Kirishima chortled when the next bullet didn't even reach him, pivoting to the floor with a soft pop that set the blonde on fire. Wheezing, the redhead doubled over, his hands wrapped around his stomach as he tried to contain himself in front of his best friend. Every failed attempt only seemed to enrage Katsuki further. "You-you-!"

"Shut up, Shark Face! You want to die?!" Katsuki screamed, his eyes twitching as he threw his hands back within his little fit.

Biting back a smile, Estelle took a step further to get a better look at the damage on the ground. Despite his reach not being where it was, the bullet itself was magnificent. He defiantly had the power levels right.

Noticing a muscled arm move upwards, Estelle peeked her eyes to the right to find Katsuki rubbing his forearm, a scowl on his face as he glowered at the soot on the ground. Pursing her lips, her back straightened as she caught his eye, the hidden question obvious to only him since Kirishima only tilted his head in curiosity.

"Nah, I'm fine. You worrywart."

Frowning at his blatant dismissal, Estelle was more irritated at the jab he had thrown at her. Turning around so he couldn't see her face, she grumbled, "Whatever," as she headed back to the wall. It was all too evident in her voice that she was peeved, but it was more towards herself for being so concerned.

The blonde let out a smug smile, knowing fully that his comment had gotten to her. Straightening up, he prepared his hands for battle as he waited for her command. Before she even spoke, he knew she would have a hard edge to her tone in an attempt to annoy him.

"Again."

Katsuki smirked when he was right, but decided to let it slide as he lunged back into the fray, Kirishima's quirk on full display as he let loose.

The two students trained for hours in the morning under Estelle's guidance. She hadn't done much; his main issue was the placement of his hands rather than his power. After adjusting his hands in increments, the blonde eventually reached his goal, a broad grin on his face as the pellet managed to hit Kirishima in the way he wanted. Power and precision.

Once the bullets began to steady out, Katsuki managed to keep his hands placements at precisely the right place, despite only just figuring it out. Estelle couldn't deny that she was impressed, wondering if he had good muscle memory to always manage to hit the bullseye despite it all.

Though it was practical training for Kirishima too. Now that every bullet was striking him, the redhead eventually amped up his power, working on his endurance as Katsuki worked on his movement. It was foolproof, and Estelle was glad that Kirishima had tagged along, even if it was never the plan.

The duo panted, and Estelle simmered in the silence as she allowed their moment of achievement and rest to sink in. After their shoulders stopped moving, she stepped forward with a smile, her eyes glinting in a way that instantly made them warm from the inside out. "Good job, guys. Rest up, and we'll work on other moves another time."

Taking their easy agreement as her cue to leave, her body turned to the exit, aware she had a meeting with Endeavour in an hour. Before she managed to disappear, she jolted from the hand on her arm, her body following as she was yanked backwards. She tensed from the action, her brain forcibly reminding her body that no danger was nearby as she was twirled around only to meet a sweaty and hard chest.

Her cheek was pressed against the tanktop, and she quickly pulled back and stared upwards, her stomach reversing from the sight. Katsuki was grinning at her with enough enthusiasm and glee that Estelle could only return it. It was palpable, the absolute delight radiating off him that it was surreal. Estelle understood it was because Katsuki took great pride in his powers, so improving them boosted his self-esteem. He loved it.

And Estelle found she quite appreciated how he looked when he perfected a move. It was like his rageful persona had slid off him for a moment, and the smile almost seemed too bright for her eyes to take in. Despite that, Estelle patted his chest lightly, his arms still wrapped around her waist so she couldn't move. Though her small act of affection only seemed to bolster his mood, his head slanting down to kiss her forehead quickly before leaning back.

Letting out a stammer, Estelle's eyes quickly drifted over to Kirishima, who had turned his head like he hadn't been overseeing the whole thing. Narrowing her eyes as he whistled to the wall, his act didn't last long when he tried to get a peak at them, only to wince when he found Estelle glowering at him, red-cheeked within the blonde's arms.

Sweatdropping at the look on Estelle's face, Kirishima bashfully rubbed the back of his neck as he shrugged, wincing when Katsuki's attention was also brought to him. "I think it's pretty manly!"

Mortified at what he was implying, Estelle darted her eyes up to Katsuki, only to find him staring down at her like she was the only person in the room. If she were voicing her thoughts, he would have heard the cusses directed at him because he was not helping with the situation.

Forcing her mouth to move under his heavy eyes, she harshly whispered, "Ruby! Not now!"

Katsuki's grin only seemed to widen, the grip on her body tightening as he peered down at her with mischievous eyes that made her want to punch him. She was embarrassed at being seen like this, but the ruby-eyed male seemed to be living for it instead. "So, not now, but later?"

Nearly choking on air, Estelle let out a glower, her face unable to hide his effect on her as she snapped back like a rabid animal. "No! Not ever!"

Throwing his head back to allow the howling laugh to leave his lips, Katsuki moved back down to keep his view on her face as he revelled in her frustration. She was so mortified about his public affection that it was so endearing; her puffed cheeks sticking out in annoyance only made her look more adorable. His body instinctively tightened its grip as he jabbed, "You idiot, you can't take it back."

Noticing how he was nearly suffocating her within his hold, Estelle was forced to push him back a little to remind him that she still needed air. The blonde relented a little, but only enough to relax her body. Still, it wouldn't stop her from jeering back, "Pfft, who says?"

Feeling the irk mark on his face, Katsuki released one of his hands from her body so he could bonk her on the top of the head. Estelle didn't flinch, used to his antics that it didn't tend to bring a rise out of her. The occasional mishap still happened, but it was a feat she was proud of.

Houndog had mentioned that getting used to physical contact that wasn't connected to violence was a way to manage her body's instinctive reactions. Estelle had scoffed at his words initially, her response being along the lines of questioning how that would be possible in the first place. The teacher did not answer, only leaving Estelle more vexed than before. But she later noticed that her body had begun to get used to Katsuki.

She had brought it up at her next session, and the teacher seemed to be so over the moon that he had lost his speech entirely. Estelle had been bewildered since she had thought he only lost control when he was in a rage, but her confusion turned into understanding when the hero explained that it happened when he was overwhelmed.

Then he told her he was overwhelmed by pride.

Estelle felt warm for hours after that session.

Katsuki seemed irritated that his physical action made no impact, so he landed an even harsher hit as he growled, "Says me!"

Grumbling to herself, Estelle finally managed to leave his embrace as her eyes drifted to her escape route. Though her body had hovered in place when she heard Kirishima laugh loudly, his yell vibrating in her ears in a way that made her heart jitter.

"Oh, man! You two are whipped!"

Estelle and Katsuki mirrored each other, turning to Kirishima like they were snails. Glaring at him, their eyes eventually found each other in mutual agreement about what would happen next.

Estelle observed with a satisfied smile as smoke began to rise in the gym, the sound of explosions bringing out a surge of pleasure within her soul. Watching as Katsuki grabbed onto Kirishima's hair, she giggled as a hand was raised and threats began to enter the room.

The crackle and pop of Katsuki's quirk didn't seem to frighten Kirishima, but the ruby-eyes glare had struck a chord within him, his hands rising up defensively as he tried to calm his friend. "Whoah! Chillax, man!"

"I am not whipped! You're gonna get it!"

"That's so not manly, bro!"


Estelle's leg swung back and forth in the air, her body too short of reaching the ground as she sat on the window ledge. Her eyes moved left and right as they followed the pacing man in front of her, a tiny flicker of amusement twinkling inside her as the hero screeched for dear life. Estelle was silent, her head perking up to convey to the number one hero that she was still listening, yet a small part of her wondered why this was the third time she was called here for this conversation.

"He refuses to listen to me!"

'Here we go again.'

Leaning back so her rear was awkwardly pressed against the windrow, Estelle let out an audible sigh as they were thrown back into the same conversation. She was upset that she had to repeat herself to the stubborn brute, but if he was trying, it was only fitting that Estelle did what she could to help.

Glad he had finally shut up to give her the time to respond, Estelle, grunted, "Maybe you need to stop sounding so demanding."

The hero didn't seem to appreciate her comment, his body swinging to Estelle with a ferocity only he had. "I am not demanding!"

Unfazed that Endeavour, the number one hero, was towering over her, Estelle stared up at him with a deadpan. She could hear her own exasperation within her words, her tone sarcastic as she drawled, "Yeah, Riiiight."

"I had tried to ask him with as much patience as possible, but he wasn't willing to entertain it! I am the best person to help nurture his quirk; he knows this!"

"I can't blame him," Estelle started, pointedly ignoring how his eyes beamed into her soul. "When Nyx asked me to join him after all the abuse he put me through; I spat at his feet. It was the biggest insult he could have given me - as if I would be able to forget his torture. Shoto is the same. It's difficult to return to an abuser, even one who seems to have changed."

"I was not abusive."

Estelle's eyes flared at his denial, her hand moving into a fist before she forced herself to look at him honestly. The slump in his shoulders was all she needed to witness to comprehend that the title abuser had clearly struck a chord. It was hard to admit one's faults. Estelle could only imagine how difficult it would be to actively acknowledge them and try to change. Still, he had to face it head-on to achieve that.

He was an asshole to his son, and he needed to learn that fixing it would not be easy or quick.

"Yes, you were. You emotionally crushed Shoto and then physically pushed him to the brink. He will carry that forever."

Estelle bit her lip when Endeavour winced, the action nearly audible in her ears as it was so harsh. Her truthful yet blunt words had hit him at his core, which was precisely what she wanted, but what she didn't wish was for him to linger in that defeat. So, she persisted, "But, he is lucky enough to have an abuser who became self-aware enough to begin change. That's not the case for most of the world. You are one of the few."

Endeavour seemed to have lightened a little under her observation, a spark of relief deep within his eyes that nearly made her double over. It made her feel glad he had come to her asking for help because he desperately needed it. The dumb brute didn't understand a single thing about Shoto until it was explained to him.

She would never have seen that look in Nyx's eyes.

Endeavour had turned quiet, his eyes pensive as he seemed to think about her words deeply. Though, his following words had made her jump, surprise clear as day as he asked her a question she wasn't expecting. "This Nyx character. It is the one you are warring with, yes?"

"That's right. Nyx trained me for battle in hopes he would have a perfect soldier to pursue his own means. I thought I had killed him, but now he is here with a full army behind him. It's why I hated you so much and still sometimes continue to. The resemblance is uncanny because even if you had different goals, the journey to get there was the same."

Endeavour held a deep and contemplating frown on his face as he turned around so she was facing his back. "That must have been difficult. To see him in someone else."

Dialling back as if she had been struck, Estelle felt lost for words to hear the sympathy within his tone. She had never anticipated this to happen, but the soft nature of his observations made her throat tighten as if she was being strangled. Nodding, her vocals were slow as she sagged, responding, "Yes, it was why I lost myself when I fought you during the exam."

The hero turned around, something clicking into place in his mind as he regarded the female on the windowsill. His lips downturned in discontentment, his fists constricting at his side as he murmured, "Then how can I expect forgiveness in my son if you cannot see past it."

Estelle smiled softly, comprehending how he reflected her own past with his son's. Unfortunately, they shared some themes, but Endeavour wasn't lost to his ambition, unlike Nyx. This meant Shoto had a real chance to experience something Estelle never had, which made her feel hopeful.

"I can. I see it in everything you do. You no longer answer with only brute force. You consider things you had always ignored beforehand. You asked me to help you, and you began your apology with your son. It's not perfect, and making amends is a life-long mission, but it's a start. Eventually, they will see."

"Hmpt, your wisdom is annoying."

Feeling ire rise up from within, Estelle pulled herself from the window as her feet landed on the ground with a slam. Estelle barked, raising her hand to point at him, "Well, you're annoying! This is the third time we've had this conversation, you pitiful man!"

The flame surrounding Endeavour erupted, so Estelle felt like she was sitting next to a fireplace. She watched as he raised his hands like a child having a tantrum and screamed, "You cheeky little girl! Shoto should have better friends than a smart-mouthing brat!"

"Says the father who can't spend time with his son!"

"At least he has a father!"

"And look how good you're doing! I should take notes!" Estelle sarcastically prodded, her hands clapping slowly to emphasise her point.

Endeavour snarled, legs moving to storm up to her as he roared his office down. "With pleasure! One day, you'll look down at your kids with pride and know it was because of me!"

"Hah! Who knew you could make such ridiculous jokes?! My non-existent children would have much better manners than a man who speaks in demands!" Estelle squawked, waving her fist frantically in response.

"Marry my son!"

"Never!"

"Gah! Get out before I smother you in my flames!"

Pausing for a second, Estelle closed her eyes and leaned back as if she was putting herself in front of him like a sacrificial lamp. She ignored his expression of bewilderment as she practically wailed, "Please do so! My life is a joke!"

Soot began to line his walls as Endeavour's flames grew, lowering his back to shove his forehead against hers; he hissed, "You self-deprecating heathen! I'll crush you!"

Estelle added strength to her forehead, pushing against his temple enough that he moved back a few inches. The action annoyed the hero more; his eyes narrowed as if she had just become his mortal enemy. "Didn't I already say you could kill me, old man! Let's see if you can win the fight first! Last I remember, you lost against me!"

"The Exam was designed to allow you the chance of victory! I did not use my full power, so I recommend you think about that before challenging me to a fight! You pathetic child!"

"I didn't need the absurd getaway they gave me! I snuffed you out like a cigar under my foot! You buffoon of a man, don't overestimate your own strength. Your stupidity will get you killed!"

"You disrespectful moron!"

"You ugly old cretin!"

Letting out a scream since the stubborn teen never allows him to have the last word, Endeavor slouched, breathing heavily from their screaming match. Estelle followed, sucking in the air as she finally moved her head away from proximity. It was only when he straightened up that Estelle perked a brow at his blank expression.

"Same time next week?" He asked with a calmness he hadn't had for the last hour.

"Sure," Estelle shrugged, making her way out of the office without saying goodbye. Satisfaction niggled within her as the man grunted under his breath about manners, strutting to the door to slam it right behind her as Estelle walked.

"Is this going to become a regular occurrence?" A sidekick named Onima questioned from the far corner of the room.

"Pah! leave them. It sounds like it's pretty therapeutic for them both. Still, she is amazing! Talking to the number one hero like that!" Burnin answered.

"If it were anyone else, it would be us cleaning up the body."


Estelle left Katsuki's arms to head into the kitchen in the middle of the night. She had depleted the glass of water Katsuki had brought and decided to go for a refill when she noticed someone else was already in the room.

Startled by the figure standing at the fridge, she noticed that the body was tiny, yet the light from the refrigerator was too dim to see who it was. Furrowing her brows, Estelle recognised that the shape of the figure wasn't someone she could immediately identify. It was strange, mainly because nobody else was usually awake at this point besides her and Katsuki on occasional nights.

Estelle had dialled back on the hours she stayed awake. She wasn't up during all night hours anymore, but she still headed to bed the latest out of the class. She had gathered it wasn't good for Katsuki to be awake when he had to learn the next day, and she wasn't there to know if it was impacting his school, but she didn't want to take any chances.

She had brought the topic up, but Katsuki was too stubborn to acknowledge her reasonings, vocalising that he was his own damn person and could go to bed whenever he wanted. It was only when Estelle started sleeping earlier that he happily followed.

Of course, his nightmares kept him awake occasionally, but he was previously awake every night. She didn't find that fair on his side, so she tried adjusting where she could. The bags under his eyes had receded, which was a pleasant sight too.

Flicking the light on, Estelle listened to the noise of stupefaction as the body jumped at the fridge. Furrowing her eyes at the strange clothes, it was only when it turned around that she finally recognised who they were.

Standing by the fridge was Yuga Aoyama.

An obnoxious striped pattern surrounded the blue and white clothes, and a little hat was placed on his head; Aoyama stared up at her in shock. She immediately deadpanned when sparkles quickly enveloped him, a look he always tended to have whenever she glanced at him, which thinking about it now, hadn't happened very much.

Estelle had never communicated with the male directly, yet he had always been present in the class. Looking back at her memories, Estelle noted how he was the only person within their course to whom she had never spoken directly. Even when the class talked to her, Aoyama never uttered a word.

When she had initially offered to train the students after Kamino Ward, Aoyama had been missing. It had never even crossed her mind; quite frankly, he was easy to forget. But how was that possible? How did she overlook him for months?

Flicking through her memories, ignoring how it was awkwardly silent between the two of them in the kitchen, Estelle quickly realised that he was either hiding or was never there.

He avoided her.

How did she miss such a thing? Aoyama couldn't be that invisible to her, no? Or had she been so focused on the individuals she was more friendly with that her mind had utterly overlooked him as unimportant?

Now that she was aware, Estelle didn't like how the knowledge felt.

"Ah, Bonjour Mademoiselle!"

Estelle's eyes seemed to turn white at the words, utter bewilderment lining her face as she regarded the sparkly male in front of her. She tried to connect the dots on what he was saying, but it was such an utter failure that she could only mumble, "Um, hi?"

"You seem perplexed! Did you miss the fact that I am French? My tongue reflects that of my heritage!"

Ah, it was some type of language. Still befuddled by the student, Estelle forced her shoulders to relax, her lips tilted up in an apologetic smile as she responded, "Oh, I don't understand the language. Apologies, but what brings you here?"

"Ah, my stomach called for some cheese, ma chérie! I had finished what remained in my room, so I left its confines for some more!"

Her eyes turned white again. "...Cheese?"

"Yes, yes! The delicious delight of cheese is necessary to keep the mind fresh. Would you like some?!"

Despite his strange words, Estelle felt herself stop, her eyes scanning his sparkling features as if they were revealing their deepest secrets. Aoyama didn't falter under her scrutinisation, and it was only when he sighed that it became apparent he was expecting immediate refusal. Estelle probably would have declined, but something within her told her to stick around.

A flash of puzzlement crossed the blonde's face at Estelle's agreement before it was quickly shuttered with blinding light. Estelle didn't take her eyes away from him, dismissing the sting in her eyeballs as she stared directly at the twinkles floating off him.

The image didn't linger as Aoyama swiftly turned around to pull out a block of cheese, his footsteps the only sound in the room as he hauled out a chopping board and began to cut. Estelle remained noiseless as he cut up his snack, something uneasy filling her gut as she wondered about the character standing in front of her.

Aoyama was quiet too, which was a little unexpected as Estelle would have guessed he liked to talk a lot. She was curious to know if she maybe had him all wrong or if he was uncomfortable with her presence. Estelle could understand it in a sense; it was known within the class that Estelle was a killer. Maybe he was disgusted by her?

Frowning at her own thoughts, Estelle felt her heart plunge a little, thinking about her class viewing her in such a way. It was valid of them to do so, but the students still accepted her regardless for some reason. But what if she was wrong? What if it was a case of out of sight, out of mind? Did they all honestly think of her in a good light?

Why was that bothering her so much?

Her attention returned to her classmate as he pulled out a plate, placing the smaller blocks of cheese so it had the letters Y and E on each side. Perking up her brow, Estelle looked to Aoyama for an answer, but he made no move to respond as he motioned for her to sit down at the table.

Deciding it wasn't necessary to push him, Estelle placed her butt on the chair, observing as Aoyama took a seat in front of her, positioning the plate between them with enthusiasm. He made no move to eat, his eyes staring into Estelle's in a way that made her shift uncomfortably, and the prolonged stillness eventually made her blurt, "I apologise."

Aoyama seemed to freeze from the apology, his eyes widening as his sparkles dimmed. Yet, it returned with strength as he asked, "What for, Mon Saucisson?"

Not wanting to delve into such a dark topic about him potentially fearing her, Estelle decided to take a different route. Her shoulders drooped, a little disappointed in herself for missing an entire human the whole time she was here. She was better than that; she never forgot her comrades. "I haven't been able to help with your training at all. I apologise for not seeking you out. Though, I wonder why you never brought yourself into my presence, unlike the rest of your classmates?"

Aoyama seemed to have managed to pull himself together, as his closed smile never faltered whilst Estelle spoke. However, he had leaned over to place his elbow on the table, his hand resting underneath his chin as he pondered his response. "Ah! No apology is needed! I'm sure you would have gotten to me eventually. My dazzling quirk would have made you shudder from how Magnifique it is. Its beauty is undeniable!"

Estelle frowned at his response, feeling how utterly surface-level it was in her core. He couldn't have made himself known by trusting that she would have reached him. Estelle doubted she would have at all; there was so much going on that he would have slipped through the cracks easily, which wasn't fair.

"But that can't be the only reason, can it?" Estelle prodded.

His smile faltered; if Estelle weren't watching him like a hawk, she would have missed it. She was correct; there was something else there. She remained reserved as the student stood up, the squeak of the chair vibrating in the room as he pushed it back with his legs. "Ah, you have so much on your plate, mademoiselle! I did not want to take up your time when you have more important things to focus on!"

Estelle didn't like that answer, her lips withering as she shook her head. "That's nonsense. Have I ever rejected any of the students for training? You wouldn't be the exception."

Aoyama slowly took his seat, his usual smile still annoyingly plastered on his face, but it did nothing to hide the sheer downpour within his eyes. His glow had dulled, but he was evidently doing everything he could to hide what he was feeling inside. The expression made her feel uncomfortable. When she joined the army, she had seen some of her human comrades do the same, and Estelle found that she always loathed it. Why smile when they're in pain? Who were they trying to fool? And how the hell do they maintain it without their faces hurting?!

The fact that Aoyama was giving her an expression she had seen from soldiers struck a chord within her. She had never seen her classmates exude that kind of pain before. They were all innocent children, barely entering the world as they had been shielded by so much. That truth changed the longer they were in the hero course, but Aoyama seemed different.

An empathetic part of Estelle that she always tried hard to bury rose to the surface from his tortured eyes. He had some demons he was struggling with, but Estelle had no idea what they could be. Yet, it was clear as the rising sun that it weighed heavily on him, and his persona was like a dark cloud, hiding it from view.

Estelle had demons of her own, so maybe that was why Aoyama's true feelings were so apparent. It was almost gut-wrenching to see your own eyes reflected in another. Estelle was not innocent, even if her mind sometimes didn't act like it. Hound-dog mentioned that it was a way to cope and she should use it for healing in a safe space. Though her list was too small to do that, Katsuki would get fed up quickly.

Maybe that's what he was doing too? Sparkles and sunshine to avoid the darkness hidden within?

"What? You think you are the exception?" Estelle finally responded, breaking their silence with her question.

Aoyama turned his gaze to the uneaten plate of cheese, seemingly unable to meet her eyes as he focused all of his attention on keeping himself in check. His actions only furthered Estelle's assumption about his pain; it became more evident to her every second she stayed with him.

"My quirk isn't compatible with my body."

Dialling back, Estelle broadened her eyes as she regarded the slumped blonde. His eyes still refused to meet hers, but she accepted it since the topic was complicated. Not wanting to startle him, she remained muted so he could speak freely.

"I have to wear a belt to use it properly, but even then, it sometimes leeks. There was nothing I could do about it, and I didn't want to make it known that I was different from the rest of the class. So, I never said anything. When you decided to train us, I was afraid that word would get out, and I also figured that you would be of better help to someone with a fully-functioning quirk."

Estelle felt conflicted. A large part of her sympathised with his issue. She could understand his hesitancy to bring the truth to the table, but she also felt a flare of rage that he believed his defect made him less than in some way. She completely disagreed with it and decided to beat it out of him within training.

Though his story didn't completely line up. Aoyama was in the hero course, which meant he had made an active decision to join and train despite the faults in his own quirk. Wouldn't that mean he had some belief that he would be able to achieve heroship? Even if Aoyama had doubts about himself, he had some drive to push onward and be the best he could be. So, wouldn't he do whatever was possible to compensate for it?

Wouldn't Aoyama request training from the strongest person on the damn planet? He had gotten this far on pure will alone, so he had some form of determination. Why allow such doubts to control his actions to the point he didn't ask for training, which should have been the first thing he did when the opportunity arose?

He was withholding information.

Estelle could see it in his eyes. He was practically begging her to take his words and run with them. If it were just his quirk defect, any individual would strive to work to have equal footing. So, if that wasn't it, something else was at play. If it was innocent or not, Estelle had no idea.

But her instincts were always correct.

Aoyama wasn't evil; Estelle had already deduced that from their small conversation. So why lie to her face? Couldn't he have just not mentioned it? The student had given that information far too willingly for someone afraid of the word getting out.

Feeling suspicious circles around her body, Estelle pushed her thoughts aside. Whatever he was hiding, it wasn't a priority right now. Aoyama wasn't hostile, so it eased a little of her worries for now. But, sometimes, good people do bad things, no matter what world you're in. So, she will keep an eye on him.

Her priority was to make sure he joined her in training.

"I expect you to be at the training grounds two days from now. I get why you may think it's more productive for me to train the others, but you are not useless. You got this far on your own, which means you aren't entirely shrouded in doubt. So, I don't want to hear that shit again from you. But to be a hero, you'll need to work harder than anybody else to get there. This means you should have come to me about training. Are you prepared for that?!"

Glad his fake smile had finally left his lips, Estelle joined him with equal enthusiasm as he hollered in response, evident joy lining his tone as he threw his hands into the air. "Yes, Mon Ange! I will work hard to dazzle just as brightly as the stars!"

Shaking her head at his words, Estelle gestured to the plate between them with a mutter. "Good, now eat your cheese."

"Have a bite! I put down the letter of our first names to mark our newly founded friendship!" Aoyama seemed to screech, leaning over the table to stuff her mouth full of cheese before she could blink.

Choking on the snack, Estelle forced her mouth to chew, her eyes following the blonde as he shovelled the food into his mouth at top speed. Swallowing, Estelle internally shrugged as she leaned over for another piece. It wasn't half bad.

'Still, keep your eye on him.'