Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia
Chapter 53:
Zach stood in a meeting room at a government office in Tokyo, his hands down at his sides of the black costume he was still wearing. He had a bandage wrapped around his left arm over the one somewhat deep wound he had received during the attack on the villains the night before, or technically that morning. He stood before a table that had a judge and four officials who were in charge of his review behind it. The woman in the center of the panel, the only woman sitting up there, had long white hair that curled back up just below her shoulder-blades. She had her hands together over the table and was giving Zach a discerning look, as were the men on her sides, and the heroes behind Zach and on the sides of the room.
"You were the one who alerted the police?" The judge asked, and Zach nodded his head firmly and with a straight expression on his face.
He was tired, exhausted actually. He had not slept for over thirty hours now, ever since he had woken up the morning prior a little while before receiving Kaminari's panicked messages. Zach responded to the judge in front of him who led his review board, "I did."
"Yet you went in before Edgeshot or the other heroes arrived, preventing a plan from being formed to get the hostages out. Instead Edgeshot was forced to join a fight already started by you and those-"
"I planned on waiting," Zach said. I heard Mythril talk to Edgeshot, and the other hostages all saw Webb too. "But one of those two men could hear into the building, and he informed me that one of the hostages was about to be executed," Zach hesitated, then added, "and that a woman was currently screaming in a different location as the rest of the hostages." Zach's expression darkened as he said it, and it was not just for show for the panel in front of him. Even if Damian didn't get- even just what he did do… Thompson's going to be scarred from that. She helped us, gave us the extra second to take down Shatterer for good. "So I decided I couldn't wait," Zach finished.
A couple of the panel members glanced at each other, while back farther in the room behind Zach a couple of heroes stared at the boy with wide eyes. Those were not the heroes who took part and went with the police who called them in as quickly as possible considering their agencies' locations compared to where the villains' hideout had been. Those heroes just nodded or hummed from the sides while looking at Zach with satisfied, accepting looks. The ones back behind Zach near the door of the room though, were three who had rushed there from U.A. and who had been frowning at Zach since the boy entered the room in that black costume.
"These two men you just mentioned," the judge before Zach started. "You don't know who they are?" Zach implied it with his last statements, but she was double-checking to see that that was the boy's official statement.
Zach shook his head once, then he said, "When I first got there, those two attacked me. I managed to dodge the bigger one's attack, but they were both trying to stay quiet as we started to fight, and I realized that meant that they did not want the villains near us to hear them." He paused, then he continued after a second, "So I asked if they were with the villains, which I think made them realize I wasn't, though then I told them who I was too. Neither gave me their names back, but I didn't really care about who they were." Zach saw the older woman at the center of the table frown at him for that, and he just continued in a steady voice, "If not for the one who told me what was going on inside, I would have waited for the police and heroes to arrive, and my friend Kaminari Denki would have been killed. He was the hostage the villains were planning on executing even before sunrise."
The judge hummed to herself for a few seconds in a loud enough way that Zach could tell she was pondering what he said. "You did not arrive at the other hostages until after the fight had already begun though, from what the other reports tell us. Where were-"
"As I already mentioned, there was a girl screaming- I went straight to the second floor, leaving the hostages to the other two first until Thompson-" Zach paused as he did not know if they knew her name, and he corrected himself, "until after the girl who was about to be raped was safe." Zach bit down hard behind his lips after phrasing it like that. Did I just, say it that way to make them let me go? I'm not- I don't want to do stuff like that. Using something like that… He continued fast, "And I didn't know the hostage about to be executed was my friend until afterwards. He had tried saving Thompson himself, which was why they were going to do it."
Nezu, All Might, and Aizawa stared at Zach's back with wider eyes again as he said that. He's here to defend his actions, Aizawa thought, an annoyed look on his face that just lifted a bit from the angrier one a moment ago. Yet he is using this time to make sure they know Kaminari also acted as a hero. Explain yourself Sazaki, don't get off track. Aizawa's mouth dipped farther down again and he continued glaring at Zach's back from the left of All Might and the principal.
"Your actions at the War Boys' hideout are clearly heroic then," the judge before Zach said. "But let me ask you, where did you get that costume you are wearing?" Zach's eyes lowered, and his head turned a bit to the side. He turned his head a tad to the right and looked out the corners of his eyes back through the room, right as the judge continued, "It was not a costume issued to you by your high school, U.A., so I must assume you acquired it illegally-"
"I don't know why you'd assume that," Zach said, and he turned away from his teachers whose eyes all widened at what Zach just said. He turned towards the judge and then lifted his arms and looked down at his sleeves and the black gloves he was wearing. "I got this costume from a licensed contractor." Zach thought back earlier the night before while he was speaking with Ganji, "Speaking of which, there's something you need to know about your costume…"
"Edna Gregorvich. She works for Super Costumes for Super Heroes. I don't have a receipt," Zach continued, while the judge and the other officials stared at him in surprise and darted their eyes back through the room, wondering if those teachers back there were as confused as them considering what they had been preparing to say. "I thought if the school found it they'd get mad I got another costume, and I was given it for free too since Ms. Gregorvich knew someone I had brought back to life. I kept my costume hidden off of school property, but it was acquired legally, I assure you."
All Might's jaw was dropped from in between Nezu and Aizawa. He stared at Zach with wide eyes, and all the worry he felt when they were on their way here was starting to disappear. That worry for Zach's future and that he had done something very illegal, was replacing with confusion and then anxiety because of that confused feeling. Sazaki, All Might thought, I could not help but smile, when I saw your smile this morning. It only lasted a few seconds though… How did you do this?
Nezu hummed as his eyes returned to normal size before either of his faculty members. He kept frowning towards Zach's back, but he put his hands together in front of his small waist and narrowed his gaze at the boy in the center of the room.
"We will check that," the judge in front of Zach told him. "It does not just require a licensed contractor. They must get their designs checked and cleared as well before selling a costume that can be considered a dangerous weapon."
"I know," Zach said. "Ms. Gregorvich assured me that it had been checked officially. I assume there are hundreds if not thousands of hero costume requests going through the system every day though, so I'm not surprised every official does not know about my second costume's existence." Zach's eyes narrowed at the judge in front of him, and he questioned, "If that is all?"
A few of the officials were not looking as stern as they originally looked when Zach had walked up to them. I had time while I was in the hospital before they came to call me to this. More than enough time to plan for whatever you're going to ask.
"There is one last thing, Mr. Sazaki," the judge said, and she leaned forward while still holding her hands together over the table. "I would like to know how you located the War Boys and the hostages. When the police and requested heroes could not do so," she added, narrowing her eyes more at the boy without directly accusing him of anything.
"I would prefer not to answer," Zach responded.
Her eyes widened for a second, then she narrowed them again and said in a harsher tone, "That is not an option. This review board must determine whether you acted heroically-"
"I searched out," Zach started, cutting her off as he already expected what her answer to his superfluous question would be. He had to add it in though at first, considering what his reason in this second part would be. His hesitation after cutting her off lasted a couple of seconds, then he said, "A confidential informant-"
"A C.I.?" The judge asked, leaning backwards and glaring down her nose at the boy. "Do you think you can say that it is a secret and we can just let you go?" Zach frowned at her response, and she said in a harsher voice, "What kind of C.I.? Where did you meet them? How did they know where to find the War Boys? Is this person a villain? If so, then not arresting him or her is a failure as a hero-"
"A junky," Zach said. He frowned at the woman and balled his fists down at his sides for a second, but he relaxed and opened those fists. He took a deep breath, then he said, "I didn't tell the police about him, because he's not a criminal other than the drugs… And I didn't tell anyone to look him up when I heard about the hostages, because I didn't know if he was going to have any information. I thought it was a stupid lead myself, and that I was grasping at straws for anything to try and help my friend." Zach bit down, then he continued, "But he had heard stuff about the War Boys recently, about how Shigaraki had killed the gang's other two leaders Rage-Rider and Hugo. Shatterer said during the fight that the money was so he could start up a new operation in China, because the League of Villains are making moves. He said something about 'Shigaraki's army,' but I didn't learn anything else about him before Kaminari and I took him down. Anyway, my informant had heard these things, and he also heard about some of the gang members recently and gave me different locations he heard them talking about-"
"He just gave you this information?" The judge questioned skeptically.
"I threatened turning him in to the cops, since I assumed he was holding," Zach replied. "But he gave me a few leads that he sounded serious about, since he really did not want to lose his stash." Zach kept looking into the woman's eyes, and he finished, "I still felt like I was chasing shadows, and I spent most of the day doing nothing, but then one panned out. I'm sure the cops were following other leads themselves, and I didn't know if the words of a random junky were worth sharing and wasting police manpower, since as much as he looked serious, he's a junky and I couldn't really trust him. But that information panned out, and I found the War Boys after walking over an hour from a bus stop to the lake I thought there was a small chance of the villains being at." Zach started sounding more exhausted as he mentioned that, and he stared into the judge's eyes wondering if she had anything else she wanted to ask him.
"This junky," she began, and only sounded a little skeptical this time. "Where did you say you met him?"
"I didn't say," Zach responded. He grit his teeth, then added, "Because it was while I was with the League of Villains."
"And you met him how?" the judge questioned.
Zach's eyebrows narrowed in, and he said in a frustrated tone, "I already had a whole review with officials and judges about that. It really doesn't sound to me, like that has any relevance to what happened last night." Zach's eyes stayed narrowed after his response, but the judge leaning forward in front of him actually pulled back at his response.
"You're right," she said after a brief moment. "Zach Sazaki, this review board finds that you acted within your right as one in possession of a provisional hero license. There are things to be said about how you did it or what you could have done differently, but the fact remains that all thirty-two hostages were saved, and none of the villains were killed." She added that second part in a more impressed way, before smiling at the boy whose eyes widened and then shot open wider as she bowed her head along with the two men on either side of her. "We thank you," she lifted her head and got a straighter look on her face. "I would have referred to you as Lifebringer through this meeting, but your hero license only has your name on it and not Lifebringer, could I-"
"I'm not," Zach started responding. He stared at the woman questioning him, her eyes narrowing in confusion at the start of Zach's response. "Not L- I'm-" Calm down! CALM DOWN! "I'm not Lifebringer," Zach whispered, forcing it out of his mouth in a soft voice instead of the louder one he had started in, a compromise he realized he made with himself in the last second. Why can't I just shut my damn mouth? Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Zach steadied his expression, and then he shook his head around and regained a small smile on it despite the looks he was now receiving from the panel in front of him, and that he could see out the corners of his eyes from the heroes on the sides of the room. "I haven't decided on my hero name yet," Zach said, and he nodded his head respectfully at the panel to show them that was all he was going to say and ending their conversation on.
"Very well. You may go, Mr. Sazaki," the judge said to him. She shook her head as she realized she herself only knew that name because it was how the media referred to him and not because it was actually on any official documents she had seen. As the boy started turning away from the table, she finished, "The people thank you."
Not all of them, Zach thought, while looking straight back at his teachers who had come to get him.
Zach walked out of the courthouse and was a bit surprised he was not immediately met with a swarm of media presence. They must have kept this private. Don't want to show they don't trust me after what just happened… I know why I'm distracting myself. Zach lifted his gaze to his left a bit then snapped it straight back forward before the taller man with long dark hair could see him looking. He stared ahead and saw the back of the principal walking down the steps in front of him but did not look straight at Nezu either. My chest is pounding. I have to calm down. Relax. They just heard all my excuses. What is there to say? What is there… I broke their trust. Again. After I had- Zach grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut but only for a second before opening them again and keeping a strong look on his face.
I thought it all day yesterday, and I knew it in those moments when I took off my helmet. And even if I didn't, I still would have shown back up with lies and a day missing, and this still would have happened. I can't, think of it like I'm breaking their trust though. Zach's hands shook at his sides as he tried clenching them into fists but failed. I had to save Kaminari! I don't regret it. I saved his life. Yet even without regret, I'm, scared. They're going to- what are they going to- Zach's eyes darted to his right and then straight ahead fast as he accidentally locked eyes with All Might for a moment.
"I'll go bring the car around," Aizawa said, and he started walking left after they reached the bottom of the steps. Zach had a set of street clothes on, and he had a bag with his other hero costume in it on his back. "Don't go anywhere," he muttered, turning and walking away with his hands down in his pockets. Zach turned his head and watched his teacher walking away, a pained look flashing on his face for a second at the tone Aizawa had.
Damn it. I can't tell the truth. I want to just tell you all. I don't like this. I hate lying. I hate it, when I tried making things better. I tried fixing things between… Sometimes the choices I make, have no good options. I knew from the second I started planning to save Kaminari myself, that there would be consequences. Zach's expression hardened and he looked back forward into the road past Nezu. His gaze was serious and unfocused on the principal who turned around now that the three of them were waiting. I had to determine which was worse. What would happen after I came back? Or what would happen if Kaminari never did? The choice was clear. The choice is still clear, and I'd do it again! So now I have to just bare my teeth, and deal with what comes!
"Sazaki," Nezu said, and the boy he looked back at lowered his gaze down to the white-furred mouse man's face. "You did a very brave thing last night." Zach's eyes started opening wide, yet the principal sighed and continued in his high-pitched and sad voice, "And I am sure you must think you are in the right for doing so. People will agree with that. Many people, most in fact," the principal put his hands down together behind his back and said, "But that is not-"
Nezu stopped and lifted his head a little. All Might turned his head left on Zach's right side, and Zach turned to look over his shoulder at whatever the two of them just looked at. He had a look of growing dread on his face from the principal's tone and where this was heading, and his mind was racing as Nezu sounded too grim. His eyes widened though as he looked back and up the stairs towards a man jogging down them no longer in his hero uniform either, but still with three big spikes of gray hair over his head.
"Edgeshot," All Might said in some surprise, and he smiled at the hero he did not get to talk to inside.
"All Might, how are you doing?" Edgeshot asked after reaching the bottom of the courthouse's steps.
"Very good," the thin man with sunken cheeks and pushed back blond hair replied. Zach lowered his gaze as he figured their conversation would be put on hold for a minute while this other hero was here, and would continue as soon as he was gone or Aizawa pulled around with the car. Edgeshot nodded at All Might's response, and All Might asked, "Is there something you have to ask me?" It seemed like there was a reason Edgeshot came over other than just to ask how All Might was doing.
"Actually," Edgeshot said. "I would like a moment of your student's time." Zach's head lifted and his eyes widened for a second, and Edgeshot turned to the short boy with messy black hair who was staring at him in surprise that the number 4 hero wanted to talk to him. "Sazaki," Edgeshot started, saying the boy's name instead of 'Lifebringer' because of the way the boy acted in the review. "The next time your class has internships," Edgeshot said, and he lifted up his right hand in a quick movement so there was suddenly a card in it where there was none before. "I would like you to consider giving my agency a call."
Zach's eyes opened so much wider, while All Might sweatdropped on Zach's side and glanced back to Principal Nezu whose look returned to the expression it had while he was just speaking with the boy. Zach was about to reach for the card, but his hand stopped and he turned to All Might, then he turned more and looked back at the principal. Nezu looked into Zach's eyes and his own beady black ones opened a little wider at the look in his. He is asking permission? Now? Nezu thought, and he hesitated for another moment before nodding his head at the teenager.
Zach turned back to Edgeshot in a more excited way, but he returned his gaze to serious fast as he held out his hands and accepted the card with a bowed head. "I will, consider it," Zach said, and he lifted his head back up and nodded at Edgeshot while suppressing his grin. Principal Nezu nodded! Does that mean I'm not expelled?! If I'll be able to do an internship sometime in the future, that must be it! Please let that be it, or maybe they're going to kick me out and I'll just have to… Maybe I'll be able, to keep my license? Even without graduating a hero high school, could I become a regular sidekick? The thought made Zach's face darken more, and he lowered the card down to his pocket and put it away.
Edgeshot opened his mouth to say more, but the principal cut in, "If I may, Edgeshot. I was in the middle of starting to scold Sazaki, and our car will be pulling around in a moment. I am sorry to be rude, but as the circumstances stand we as Zach Sazaki's current guardians at U.A. High School must keep track of our students and thus Sazaki's actions require harsh and immediate punishment. Whether or not he will be permitted for future internships has yet to be determined, as there are a great many things that Sazaki has the capability of…"
"I'm sorry for interrupting," Edgeshot said, nodding his head to the short but long-winded principal of U.A. He glanced back towards Zach and nodded at the boy again, though he was wondering about those punishments now himself. The pro hero turned and headed off, right as a black car was pulling around the curve with Shota Aizawa behind the wheel.
Did he really have to say that in front of Edgeshot? Zach wondered, though his grimace was as deep as it was before Nezu started speaking. It sounds like I'm going to get it pretty rough. But, it doesn't seem like I'm expelled. Good. That's, really good. The thought of becoming a sidekick early, of getting kicked out of school for this and having to make it on his own, it gave Zach the deepest sense of dread inside him. Momo… Kaminari, Midoriya, everyone. I, I don't want this to end. Zach realized it right as the car was pulling up in front of him, and his heart was racing much faster as he moved for the back seat with the principal while All Might moved for the passenger door.
Zach opened the door and held it open for the principal, though his gaze stayed pointed down as Nezu climbed into the car first and moved across to the next seat over. Zach climbed in and closed the door behind him, and Aizawa started driving. How far to Musutafu? How long is this car ride going to be? I can't do this right now. I don't want to. Zach looked into the rearview mirror at Aizawa who glanced back at him right at that moment, and Zach had to avert his gaze before Aizawa even looked back at the road. Zach shifted his gaze to All Might whose head turned sideways before looking forward himself, a regretful look after he glanced at the principal.
Zach gulped and he turned left towards Nezu who he could see staring at him from across the gap between their seats. "I'm," Zach began. He opened his mouth to continue, but he could not force it out. I already lied, so much to them. Look at him. Zach closed his mouth, and he ground his teeth and pursed his lips in front of them so the principal would not be able to see him doing it. I'm not sorry. It's what I should say though, right? Because, I am, for certain things. "I'm sorry, for-" he paused and just kept staring into the principal's small black eyes, and he tried to look away only to look back shamefully as he was not able to make a genuine apology here. He almost wanted to make a sarcastic remark, like finishing with: 'saving Kaminari,' but he managed to hold off on that.
Principal Nezu could see Zach was failing, and he sighed before saying in a stern yet high-pitched tone, "You have lost the trust of the U.A. faculty." Zach's heart clenched and his teeth clenched down harder. "Many of your teachers voiced their concerns and worry, as well as suspicions when you disappeared. You told All Might you were going to get, 'a bagel from town,' before news of the situation had reached his ears." Zach lowered his gaze down to the floor, his eyes closing a little with a hurt look in them as he stared at his feet. "When I gave you permission to continue acting on your own, even after your last incident, I had hoped your trust in All Might would be a good countermeasure. A week of detention and a compromise on your permissions for leaving campus have shown to not be enough however to stop you from acting outside of the rules. I know you feel that not all rules are there for good reason. To ignore the rules though and act despite them, to go behind the school's back to obtain another costume, and to betray the trust you worked so hard to build with your teachers…"
Nezu shook his head, while Zach grit his teeth even harder and balled his fists at his sides. He wanted to give excuses. He wanted to say how he knew no one would let him go save Kaminari if he told them he could do it. He wanted to shout and scream that if he did not do what he did then more people might have died, that Thompson would have been raped, that lives would have been lost for sure. Nezu continued as Zach sat there shaking in his seat, but unable to say a word himself, "As we discussed, Present Mic mentioned that although this has caused us to lose our trust for you, it was because you cannot trust us that you had to go around our rules." Zach's eyes shot open wide as he stared at his feet, thinking about Present Mic saying that for him. Principal Nezu continued though, "Yet I had believed that we were past that in some part. To have lied even to All Might, after explicitly stating that he was the one teacher whom you could trust, it is not something that I can easily forgive. Last time you broke the rules, I threatened to expel you the next time you did so-"
"That's why I got the costume," Zach said, his head snapping up and his gaze to Nezu who looked back into Zach's eyes. "In case I was expelled for real, and I had to give back the school-given costume. It was- I mean most of the reason was for that. I wasn't planning on using it while still in school-"
"Extenuating circumstances forced your hand though?" Nezu asked. "You should have at least sent a message to All Might, explaining what you were doing. Leaving no information, no trail of where you had gone-"
"I broke my phone," Zach started. He froze after saying it, realizing that that excuse really did not buy him any extra time. "And, the disposable one I used to call the cops, it didn't have contacts… But, I just broke it so I couldn't be tracked, so no one could try stopping me," his voice got softer the more he was speaking, his chin dipping farther and farther down the more he bowed his head. "I just wanted, to save Kaminari." He ground his teeth for a second, and then whispered, "And the others."
Aizawa stared out the windshield as he waited at a red light that he wished would turn green already so he could pretend to be occupied with something other than what the boy behind him was saying. He could look over his shoulder now and at the boy without even worrying about Zach seeing him, since the teen's head was bowed so far down as he spoke. Guilt and shame don't make you any less guilty though. As good as your intentions may have been, you lied to us again. How are we-
"How can I believe this?" Nezu questioned, and Zach's head lifted to see Nezu looking at him wanting a real answer. "How can I believe about your costume, or your mobile phone, when you have given us no reason to trust you?" Zach's eyes opened wider and his lips opened as he tried to come up with a reason. "The truth of the matter, Sazaki, is that you once again broke very strict rules of U.A. You disobeyed when we called all students back, while your classmates even on vacation in distant places all managed to return. When emergency circumstances arise, to have our number one most at-risk student unaccounted for is something U.A. cannot stand for. If something were to happen to you and we did not know the cause, or if you were to go missing, it would be our greatest shame once again. Every member of the staff would feel responsible for your disappearance, even if it is a choice you yourself made."
"You don't have to-"
"But we do, as your guardians," Nezu interrupted Zach in the most firm voice he had ever heard the principal use, which made him shut his mouth fast. Nezu looked into Zach's eyes and said, "I accepted when you did not want to drag your Aunt Maye into your life, but I told you that you needed to take responsibility for yourself. I told you that, for your own sake so you could grow independently though. Sazaki, you are currently in our care. You are a minor, with no family to turn to. The entire staff of U.A. understands this, but you do not seem to care for their feelings." Zach felt his heart pounding even harder, thinking about that room full of teachers and faculty who he apologized for worrying, for being such a burden to, who he knew he had burdened once again.
"I will not expel you, Sazaki. If things had gone just a little differently, I would have though. But you succeeded." Zach's eyes shot open huge and he stared at the principal who kept frowning despite the words coming out of his mouth. "You saved Denki Kaminari, and thirty-one others. You captured villains without killing them. Compared to the start of your year at U.A., you have taken huge strides in ability as well as your own resolve and heroism. We take pride in that as should you." Nezu kept a serious look on his face through all of that and Zach could not smile because of it, even with the principal's praise. "But I told you the punishment would be more severe should you break our rules again."
Nezu paused, then he said to Zach while looking into his eyes, "You are prohibited from leaving campus." Zach's face stayed in its current position, though his breathing started getting heavier as he let that set in. For how long- "Until further notice, you are not permitted to leave the U.A. premises. We cannot believe the things you say you will do off campus, and we will not assign a teacher to follow you whenever you leave. So this is the only logical course of action. Furthermore-"
"That sounds like a prison," Zach whispered.
"It is this, or expulsion," the principal said plainly, and Zach's eyes snapped open wide for a second before he nodded once and just lowered his gaze apologetically for saying that. Nezu nodded after Zach did, and he continued, "This is not the extent of your punishment, however as this has just occurred we do not have the full extent plotted already. That is why I did not stop you from taking Edgeshot's card, but I also informed him that you may not be allowed to take part in internships this next year. We will continue your punishment as we see fit until you can regain the trust you have lost with the U.A. faculty, including myself."
Prison, or expulsion. Absolute freedom, where I lose my home. Or stuck inside the dorm all day every day. I guess I can use the school facilities too, and it's not like I left every day anyway. No more, anti-hero anything though. If I could even keep that up now. I messed up big time. I took off my mask- no, stop regretting. Again there were two choices with bad results from the decisions. I knew everything that would come out of it when I took that mask off, but if I hadn't, Thompson wouldn't have been… she wouldn't have been okay. She's still not- but I hope, I hope showing her my face made things better. I hope she felt safe, and that she was saved, and that although it was scary she had someone who saved her. She must have thought she was all alone right then. She thought everyone was just leaving her to that Damian's twisted- Zach started nodding at the principal, though his eyes were clouded as he did so. Accept the consequences. Don't make them worse. I don't, want to have to leave school. I want to stay there. I don't want to have to figure out my entire life right now. Move out, get a job, find a way to support myself without Maye or U.A., and have no one to help me at all. Instead of a school full of people who care- where I know one of them is betraying me. Where I know one is sneaking information about me and everything I do straight to Shigaraki.
"Okay," Zach said, accepting Nezu's punishment with his head partially bowed. It was bowed enough that he did not notice Aizawa's eyes wide in the rearview mirror after hearing what Nezu said about Edgeshot, and the dark-haired teacher glanced at All Might next to see him nod his head with an impressed look on his face. Aizawa just turned back to the road though, not knowing how to respond to hearing that or the punishment they had already in part discussed, though the final decision had to come after they heard what happened at his review. Getting the attention of top heroes, not that he didn't already have it. Sazaki, Aizawa's gaze focused through the windshield and he frowned some more before humming in a low annoyed tone, Why can't you just… Aizawa felt like sighing, and he rubbed his forehead taking his left hand off the wheel to do so. He saved Kaminari. That's what it sounds like. Even if going in early was too much, just the information he sent out alone. But how he got that- a C.I.? If you made contacts while with the villains Sazaki, you should have given all of that information to the other review board. You acted like you did, yet a criminal whose location you were able to find in under a day was still out there on the streets?
I saved Kaminari. Zach leaned back in his seat and he stared at the back of All Might's in front of him. Just, think about that. Never regret doing this. I won't, not really. But that makes it so much worse. Why do I have to live with consequences, even when I do nothing wrong? Even when the decisions I make are the right ones, I'm still punished. No matter what I do. Zach lifted his left hand and he winced, then brought his right arm over and rubbed a hand over the wound under his new long-sleeved black shirt just given to him. His bag was on the floor between his legs, and he looked down at it imagining the costume inside not including his helmet he left at the villains' base. I don't need a helmet, Zach thought as he looked at his bag. I, I wanted to be an anti-hero. I did. But I also want to be a hero. They were right when they said the difference in idealism between the two is too big a gap to overcome. I couldn't keep my helmet on and leave her without a hero to look to. I smiled at the camera and said that everything was okay. Those things made me feel like a true hero, much more than threatening Hunter's life and soul with eternal damnation in the fiery pits of Hell!
Zach lifted his right hand and rubbed it inside the glove on his forehead. He lowered it a bit to cover up his eyes, and he leaned back on the chair more with his eyes covered and the corners of his lips dipped far down. The things I told him, he sniffled and then grit his teeth hard as he knew that was too loud that the other three would be able to hear him. He wanted to lower his hand so no one would notice a thing, but he knew they would only notice it more because of the water in his eyes. I really convinced him, I was the devil. And Shatterer thought I was some kind of demon too. The Reaper. A monster. I, I'm not- but I threatened Hunter's life. I, I have him scared shitless, and I told him to buy a phone with a phone number I gave him so I wouldn't have to hunt him again, and I think he's going to do it. He really thinks I'm the devil after all! Ahhhh! I want to SCREAM! That's too far. It was worth it to save Kaminari, to save all of them, but the look of fear on his face. Even on a monster who was going to kill me, whose work I've seen before… He was afraid of me. That monster, is terrified of me. He looked at me like I was the most monstrous thing on this world, and I told him he was my fucking servant. I claimed to have demons… and I called myself the devil… Zach's head pushed back harder into his seat, and he sniffled again quieter but his thoughts were slowing down. The exhausted boy in the backseat of the black car was thinking terrible thoughts about himself, full of guilt even as he tried to convince himself to feel otherwise, and he fell asleep.
"Sazaki. Young Sazaki," All Might shook Zach by his right arm at the door of the car. Zach's eyes snapped open and his body tensed hard, his fingers sliding out of his right glove and then his eyes shooting open even wider as he saw it was All Might he was about to swing his right hand at. Zach's face filled with terror, while All Might stumbled backwards and held his hands up apologetically, "Sorry!"
"All Might," Zach whispered, gulping and sitting up from his slouched position on the chair. Sitting up made him remember he was buckled in, then he looked around and realized that he was alone in the vehicle and it was not moving. He unbuckled and turned back out to All Might, but he did not get out of the car just yet. He stared into All Might's eyes and said in a low voice, "What were you thinking? I almost killed you. Don't, don't wake me up like that-"
"I'm sorry," All Might repeated, though he lowered his lifted arms as he said it this time. Zach's fingers slid back into his glove on his right hand, and the boy stopped panting from that shock after he woke up, though All Might knew the panting was from more than that considering the distressed look on the boy's face even before he awoke. "Come," All Might said. "I will walk you back to your dorm."
"I can get there on my…" Zach trailed off. Or maybe I'm not even allowed to walk by myself anymore. They're my prison guards. No! Don't think about it like that. They just want, to help you. He shook his head and climbed out of the car while grabbing his pack with him. I left some money, and my clothes, and my other backpack at Rasheed. I'm never seeing those again. Good thing I still have that other phone I bought in Kyoto still in my room, now I'll just give out that number to the others. Didn't lose anything that important, other than the trust of my teachers. Zach walked forward and All Might walked with him. It was daytime, and it was still in the middle of break between the school years in mid-April. They were behind U.A. already when Zach woke up, but they were down the road a little so they were closer to the school than Class A's dorm.
All Might walked on Zach's right side, and they headed down the road together. All Might took in a deep breath as they walked, then he turned to his left and said down to the boy a bit shorter than him, "Sazaki. I know who you got help from," All Might said. Zach continued walking without saying a word, without breaking stride, without even turning to All Might. The former top hero scratched the back of his head at that reaction, then he lowered that hand and continued in a serious voice, "I must know, if you are still in contact with Webb. I did not think he would allow-"
"All Might," Zach said, turning his head to the right with lifted eyebrows and a confused look on his face. All Might's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose up high as Zach asked in confusion, "Who is Webb?"
"Sazaki," All Might began, his voice lower, and Zach once again noticing that there was no 'young' before his last name.
"All Might," Zach continued quickly, as he heard a tone in All Might's voice that hurt his chest so much. He thinks I don't trust him. And after I sent him that lie over the text- and he didn't even question it! He just said to enjoy the bagel, even joked about getting him one too… "I trust you," Zach said, slowing down and turning his body to face All Might more while they walked down the road. "I really do," Zach said, hoping his tone got through how much he meant that to the man before him.
"Then why pretend when it is just the two of us?" All Might asked, looking in back at Zach and slowing down as well.
Zach pursed his lips for a second, then he turned forward and looked down towards his dorm building just ahead. It was still light out, early in the afternoon, and Zach only felt like he got an hour of sleep, maybe a little less even after he passed out in the car. "All Might," he whispered, staring at the approaching dorm for a few seconds. "Are there people you trust, who you don't talk about this certain kind of thing with?" Zach asked. He turned to All Might and he saw the man's eyes wider at what Zach was referring to, and it was not the anti-heroes at all. "I know Midoriya told you he gave me the rest of the story. And we haven't talked about it, but you showed me your weakened form. You showed me a secret, because you must have trusted me not to tell everyone… yet you didn't just start telling me all about One For All and All For One…" Zach hesitated, then he looked back forward and whispered, "So there are things, I can't talk about too. And you- and no one- can tell me I can't do that."
All Might lowered his shocked look at Zach's reasoning, and he started shaking his head after a few seconds. "You are still a-"
"Don't call me a young man," Zach whispered, shaking his head as he felt like that's what All Might was preparing for. You don't even believe that anymore, Zach added on to himself. "All Might," he turned towards the blond man and said in a firmer voice, "you had the all powerful Quirk to be able to follow the rules and save everyone. But, I was able to get Kaminari and save those other civilians by using everything I could… just like how you saved me." Zach finished it in a way that made All Might's eyes open wide, and his teeth to clench as there was little he could say to counter that. In his method to rescue Sazaki from the villains, he had gone beyond what heroes were supposed to do, and now that boy he had saved was using those same methods. All Might ground his teeth and Zach continued quickly, "I stayed within the rules as much as was possible, but if I had taken a slower route to get there, used only what I could use in public, I would have arrived after the hostage was killed. After Kaminari-" Zach paused while All Might stopped grinding his teeth, his gaze lowering as he could not feel as angry and regretful hearing how these things caused so much good.
"I don't regret doing what was necessary. And it's why I can't apologize, for lying to you. Not really, because I know, you would have stopped me from going if I told you what I was really going to do," Zach whispered. He turned to All Might who looked back at him, and Zach's eyes were soft and apologetic despite saying he would not apologize. "The review board found me innocent too, and I think they didn't dig much farther than they did just because of how things turned out. And I know how it ends shouldn't- but I couldn't-" Zach clenched his teeth now, and then he said through them and gasped out at All Might, "Please. I don't want to say sorry, and lie to you again, but I want- All Might I'm- I'm- I don't want to lose…" Zach started panting heavier, and he opened his mouth to try and finally get out what he wanted to say.
All Might held out his right hand and put it on Zach's left shoulder. He placed it there and stopped the boy with an open mouth from speaking. "Once I heard that Young Kaminari had been abducted, I understood right away what your text really was. I knew you had used me to get off campus. I was angry, and I was afraid." All Might stared sternly into Zach's eyes from close up, and Zach could not look away as ashamed as he felt using his hero like that. "Knowing your past, and the things that had happened to you at the hands of villains, we were all afraid- I, was afraid. I feared that should you find the villains you were looking for, and a part of me did believe that you would find them, that you would no longer be able to be considered a hero." All Might put more pressure on Zach's shoulder, then he moved his hand farther onto Zach's back and pulled the boy forward into a hug. "So when you came out of that building with a smile on your face, all of the hostages rescued," All Might said, his head down next to the side of Zach's and a big smile on his face now that Zach could not see his expression and take that face as how he really felt. "And when I heard that not one villain was killed, I was very proud." All Might's hand held tighter on Zach's back and the boy's eyes started filling with water at what he was saying.
You are all my students. I stayed at U.A. mainly to keep and eye on and train the successor to One For All. I care about each and every one of you though, Young Sazaki. And though I must treat you like an adult for now on, I cannot forget that you are still a boy. A very young, and troubled, and brave boy. All Might pulled back from Zach and he looked down at the boy who rose his right arm fast to wipe his eyes so All Might would not see them that wet and moved by what he had said. "I do understand why you must keep things secret. And I do not think that means that you do not trust me. But if the burdens you carry become too much, know that what you feel you must carry on your own can always be shared with those whom you trust the most."
"I'll, think about that, All Might," Zach whispered in response. He backed up and steadied his expression to stop showing so much genuine emotion on it, shaking his head around a bit to get that moved look off of it. Those, whom I trust the most, Zach thought, and he turned his head back towards the dorm they had been walking towards.
"I think this is far enough for me," All Might said. "I know the principal said that you are no longer allowed off campus," he continued, and Zach looked back as All Might took a step away back towards the school. "But if you ask for something, I could possibly pick it up for you, if I have the time." All Might turned his head and flashed a grin back at Zach who smiled again at the sight of that look, making him feel a hundred times less like this place was the prison he was imagining it was about to become.
Zach watched as All Might started walking the other way, then he turned away and looked back at his dorm with his smile lowering down again. He walked forward more confidently after that talk, but his footsteps slowed before long and he felt his feet dragging behind him. At least, he thought while he walked towards the building more confidently. I really am exhausted, so I have an excuse to just go up to my room and pass out. I'm not expelled. This is, the best outcome. Everyone's alive. Zach's mouth curled into a smile, but it shook and lowered down as his feet just dragged more.
He reached the end of the path outside of his dorm, and he slowed down even more before heading up to the entrance. I didn't tell them a thing. I left. And I probably caused them all sorts of stress. I even, ignored Momo's texts. She was worried, and I just ignored her feelings. Zach rose both hands, though he winced and stopped lifting his left after a second. It's not bad, but I should just give it time to heal on its own. He wiped his right hand down over his face, then he shook his head around to get a calm and straight expression ready. They're going to ask all the same things as the review board. I don't want, to lie. I have to though. The spy could… Zack bit down on his bottom lip as he started walking towards the building. Don't- no I have to! I don't want to, think about that though. I want to forget, and imagine there's no such thing as a spy. I can't just say what I want though. I can't say it even if none of you are. I can't tell anyone! Right?
Zach slowed down more as he was ten feet away from the front door. I don't know how to do this, Zach thought. He stared at the door and lowered his gaze to the floor just outside of it. How to lie, when lying is starting to hurt more and more? I could do it so easily right when I got back. It's the price, of getting close to people. I know I have to lie, but I can't distance myself like I did back then. The thought of losing them. The thought of losing even a single one of them, though it was Kaminari- but even if it was anyone else, I still would have left wouldn't I have? I think I would have. I have to believe that. Zach's right hand lifted up for the door handle, and his fingers stopped shaking as they wrapped around it.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered under his breath, and he pushed the door open.
Zach stepped inside, and he turned his head left right away towards the voices he heard even before he started pushing the door. He stared over towards the couch area, where there were nineteen people standing near it gathered around a single boy with blond hair who Zach's eyes opened huge at the sight of. Half of the people in the room were able to see the front door open, and the other half spun around when they saw the first half's eyes open wide. Kaminari was part of the second half, and he spun around as he saw everyone around him turn. On the right side of Kaminari's forehead there was a closed gash leaving a thin scar, and Zach looked at Kaminari's right arm when the blond boy turned since that arm was in a sling held in front of his chest.
Everyone in the common room stared over towards Zach with wide eyes as he walked in, then Kaminari started running towards him. Zach took another step in and started, "Kami-"
Kaminari threw his left arm around Zach's side and started laughing as he hugged his friend. Zach's eyes shot open much wider, and Kaminari said while hugging him with one arm and ignoring the pain in his right that was now pressed up against Zach uncomfortably. "I can't believe you," Kaminari said, though he just grinned more before pulling back from Zach. Zach stared straight into Kaminari's eyes with his own huge ones at Kaminari's reaction to seeing him. "It was kinda chaotic last night- this morning- but I went stupid and passed out, and by the time Recovery Girl got me going you were gone." He grinned more and added while bringing his left hand behind his head, "Thanks man."
The rest of the class behind Kaminari who did not know how they were going to react to seeing Zach arrive, felt the mood had just been set by Kaminari's reaction. They were already happy from the blond boy's recent arrival, but his recollection of the events of the hostage situation was cut off by their other classmate's arrival. Kirishima ran over and Yaoyorozu moved up quickly as well, and most of the class moved up to follow over towards the door where Zach quickly took off his shoes as he realized he was about to be swarmed. "Yeah," Zach said to Kaminari while he took his shoes off. Yaoyorozu and Kirishima were getting up to Kaminari's sides, but their eyes opened wide just like Kaminari's did as Zach said, "I owed you though, from Camino Ward. Guess we're even."
"No way!" Kaminari exclaimed back at him. "'Cause you got me for USJ too."
"Couldn't have gotten through the Cavalry Battle-" Zach stopped and shook his head, as he could not really compare that to the other things they were talking about. He just smiled after a second and nodded at Kaminari, "Well, I'm glad you're doing, alright?" Zach said, ending on a lifting tone while glancing down at Kaminari's arm.
"Fine," Kaminari said, pointing at his arm incredulously with his left hand. "Plus look," he added, pointing up at the scar on his forehead. It was on the right side of his face, and he grinned at Zach who sweatdropped as Kaminari looked too happy to have a new scar. "Matching scars dude!"
"I wouldn't say those match," Kirishima said, looking back at Kaminari's forehead again, then below Zach's right eye. He only looked below Zach's eye for a second though before lifting his gaze into Zach's and frowning at the boy who looked back at him. Zach lost his smile, then he looked left from Kirishima and past Kaminari at Yaoyorozu. He saw the other students around them too, all of them looking at him with smiles like they were happy to see him, but also looks like they had so many questions. "Hey Zach," Kirishima continued. "About yesterday…" Zach got ready for the barrage of questions, then Kirishima just shouted, "Why didn't you tell me to come along?!" The others around Zach all spun to Kirishima at his question with widened eyes, and Kaminari turned too in surprise only for Kirishima to step forward and lifted up his right fist. "I woulda come with like that!"
Zach sweatdropped more as Kirishima offered to break the rules so easily in front of everyone. That's not good, Zach thought. "I didn't know, if I'd really be able to do anything," Zach replied softly. "So…" he trailed off, not really wanting to talk about anything else, not wanting to lie, not wanting to do anything related to talking about his alibi.
"Zach," he turned his head and looked left at the tallest girl in the class. She had her hands together in front of her waist, and she looked at his face softly before saying with a small smile, "Welcome home."
His eyes shot open, then Ashido leapt forward from behind Yaoyorozu's left side and leaned around her. "How many villains did you beat?!"
"Huh-" Zach was surprised as he was still caught up on how emotional what Yaoyorozu just said actually made him. He was glad Mina leapt in though, as he really did not want to get emotional there in front of the whole class. He had done that once before and still felt a little weird around them because of that time they all apologized in his room. "Um," he started.
"What about the villain boss?" Kirishima asked, leaning forward excitedly, shaking off his disappointment for not being involved and just getting interested again. "Edgeshot said you guys took him on, right?!"
"Yeah, it was…" Kaminari started. He rubbed his left hand on the back of his head through his hair a couple of times, a confused and thoughtful look on his face.
He was hesitating for too long, and Jirou started giggling behind him while putting a hand to her mouth to stop from spitting. "Don't worry about it Kaminari. We all saw you come out of there, looking like…" she trailed off as she thought about more than just the stupid blank look on his face when he came out of the building. When he turned ready to retort, his eyes opened wide instead at the pursed-lipped look that was on her face instead of the teasing one. She quickly changed it back and finished, "Well, we didn't expect you to have the details."
"You don't remember the final attack?" Zach asked in surprise.
"Final attack?!" Mineta exclaimed, poking his head around Sato's legs with wide eyes at how that sounded.
"Y-Yeah," Zach said, looking down at Mineta, and then around at the others who were all staring at him waiting to hear about it. What about the other stuff? What about me leaving school? Sato, I just left without saying anything. Momo, why aren't you scolding me? "Me and Kaminari were on either side of him, and Thompson had made Shatterer slip to give us an opportunity-"
"She did?!" Kaminari exclaimed, then he brought his left hand to his temple and exclaimed even louder, "Oh man! She did didn't she?! That was crazy!"
"Who's Thompson?" Ashido asked. "Was she the girl you carried out of there-"
"Speaking of which, awesome exit," Sero chimed in, and Zach's gaze shot to the floor in an embarrassed way. I kind of thought they might have been watching, but, it was mainly for scared citizens and stuff. Not, well, I wanted you to know we were fine too, I guess. "But really, how many villains did you beat?" Sero asked.
"What final attack?!" Mineta exclaimed again.
"Um, yeah Thompson was that girl. Me and Kaminari used these big attacks on Shatterer at the same time on both sides of him. And, well I don't really remember how many, villains…" Zach responded to the last question more hesitantly. "But there were thirty-two hostages," Zach said, lifting his gaze back up to Sero. "And they're all alright," Zach added, like it was the only number that mattered to him.
Twenty feet behind where Kaminari was standing, Bakugo closed his mouth he just opened to shout something in annoyance about how Zach got there, how he got that costume, etc. The boy with bleached blond hair just stared forward with wide eyes for a few seconds, then he grimaced and crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. He was out of Zach's vision as he was behind Koda and Shoji too, and he just frowned deeply while no one was looking his way. However he did it, really annoys me… but he got Kaminari out of there. What else really, matters here?
A few of Zach's other classmates opened their eyes wider at Zach's response to Ashido and Sero's question. "How'd you get the villain boss when a hero like Edgeshot was there?" Shoji asked through a mouth coming out of one of his left arms.
"Zach came in before Edgeshot and the cops even showed up!" Kaminari exclaimed, spinning to Shoji who he never finished telling this to before.
"What were you thinking?" Yaoyorozu said instantly after Kaminari finished saying that. Others also gave Zach harsh looks that Kaminari was not expecting as he called out about how Zach showed up in the room. He almost wanted to mention about the guy with the mask over the top of his face too, but he decided to keep quiet about that for now.
"I wasn't really planning on going in alone," Zach mumbled as he saw everyone's harsh looks.
Kaminari's eyes were wide as he looked around at them all, then before Zach could continue trying to defend himself, Kaminari exclaimed, "They were about to execute me!" Everyone there spun towards Kaminari, except for Zach who just lifted his gaze back up with a hurt expression on it. He stared at Kaminari's face, but his eyes widened a bit as Kaminari did not look afraid as he called that out. Zach's eyes widened even more, as he realized what expression Kaminari did have on his face. "They had a camera on and were like this close," he held up two fingers close to each other in front of him. "If Zach hadn't shown up when he did, I'd've been-"
"Kaminari," Zach started, cutting off his friend before he said anymore, telling him it was okay to leave it.
None of the others had realized how close it was. Sure it was close to sunrise after all, but they did not know if Kaminari was going to be one of the first ten executed, let alone that he was about to be killed even before sunrise. They looked in shock back towards Zach who glanced around at them with his eyes half-closed and a tired look on his face. He gave them all a half-smile, then spoke while looking left at a boy with curly green hair who was oddly quiet and Zach thought he knew why. "Could any questions you guys have, wait until later?" Zach asked. "I haven't really slept, yet, and I kind of wiped myself out-"
"Yeah dude, get as much rest as you can," Kirishima said in response. "You deserve it!"
Zach kept looking at Midoriya for a few more seconds, and the green haired boy said, "Yeah, later."
He knows more than anyone else. I told him more, but I didn't tell him anything that would give him any idea as to how I did this. He probably thinks I've been holding so much back… and he's not wrong. Zach smiled outwardly and nodded thanks at Midoriya for accepting that. He started to turn for the stairs and some of his classmates surrounding him started backing off. Zach paused though before he turned all the way, and his gaze lowered down, as he thought about pretending like he did not see that look he just skimmed right over a second ago. He couldn't do it though.
Zach had turned his body to the right to face the stairs, but his head turned back left and lifted a little. He stared into Yaoyorozu's eyes, and he whispered in a soft voice, "Sorry, I didn't respond."
Momo shook her head slowly at his apology. I want to answer that it's fine, so that you can get your much-needed rest… but you aren't the only one who hasn't slept yet. The tired girl who had not even felt at all like sleeping until Zach walked through the door found herself unable to answer in an even somewhat upset voice though. "Later," she said, agreeing with Midoriya and giving Zach a small smile to show that there was no rush to talk about it, but she did want to talk about it.
He nodded back at her, then turned more and started heading for the stairs. As he started walking, most of the others around him started walking that way too. He slowed down and looked around as it felt like they were all following him, and he saw Kirishima stretch his arms up next to him. Uraraka rubbed her eyes with her fists and let out a loud but cute yawn, and Sato dragged his legs as they walked towards the steps. Zach did not have to ask why they were so tired. He felt a small pang of guilt for making them all so worried, but he knew they would have been up all night anyway even if he was not gone too. The guilt went away and replaced with a warm feeling, knowing that they would have been up had it just been Kaminari, yet feeling warm because even after Kaminari came back they had all still been downstairs.
Kaminari got up right next to Zach as they started up the steps, and the boy with a broken right arm said softly while leaning in towards Zach a bit, "Who was that guy with you who tossed everybody around? He was super cool."
"No idea," Zach replied just as quietly. "Down to talk about it later though. And hey, when you left the hospital was Thompson still-"
"She woke up. I talked to her for a bit before I left with Recovery Girl," Kaminari replied. "She really wanted to thank you," he added.
"Yeah," Zach said. His eyes lowered to the steps below him, and he whispered, "Kaminari, I'm sorry I went for her first- I mean I'm not- but I had to choose."
"Dude," Kaminari said, stopping as they reached the third floor and were going to break off to head to their own rooms. "You saved us, and I'm glad you saved her first. I couldn't do a thing and that guy would have raped her. She told me you stopped it in time," Kaminari put his left hand up on Zach's right shoulder and patted it down a couple of times. "Thanks from her, and from me too. Never would have gotten past that, you know?" He moved his hand away, then he turned after Zach nodded at him accepting the thanks. Kaminari walked onto his floor, while the other four around them standing on the third floor platform stared at the two with wide-eyed shock at that conversation they had listened to.
Zach turned and continued up the stairs, and Yaoyorozu sped up and got to Zach's left side. She knew she said 'later' a minute ago, but she had things she needed to ask now or she would have trouble sleeping. Jirou turned her head and looked farther up at Zach and Yaoyorozu who kept rising and Kirishima who walked right behind them on the steps, then she turned onto the third floor too with Hagakure. Jirou stared after Kaminari's back as he walked down the boys' half of the floor, and she pursed her lips for a few seconds as she had things she wanted to say but could not open her mouth to call towards him. All the things she had thought about while Kaminari and Zach were missing, how worried she was, how glad she really was that he was back instead of just another joke about his stupidity after using his Quirk.
"Kyoka," Hagakure whispered, making Jirou pull away fast as she did not notice the invisible girl's head was that close to her ear. She spun towards Toru Hagakure who added in a quiet voice, "You probably never noticed, but I used to have that same look on my face all the time." Hagakure leaned farther forward and when her collar moved up Jirou leaned back as she could kind of tell how close Hagakure's face was to hers. "Whenever I looked at Ojiro-"
"Don't you start," Jirou said in annoyance, and she rolled her eyes and started off for her room. "Hear that kind of thing enough from Mina," she muttered, as for some reason Ashido loved acting as the class matchmaker and seemed to spend all of her time imagining them all together. Hagakure ran after her but they were about to split off as Toru's room was right in front of them. Jirou glanced over her shoulder at the invisible girl who she did not feel like she convinced considering her silence. "Really. I was just worried about him. Weren't you?"
"Of course!" Hagakure called out. Then she added while walking up to her door, "But Kyoka, you're a lot stronger than me, so how come you were crying earlier?" Hagakure ran into her room fast as Jirou's cheeks turned red and her earphone jacks whipped up. The invisible girl was expecting it though and escaped Jirou's flustered wrath that someone had spotted her crying earlier, and she got even more red in the face as she wondered if others besides Hagakure had seen it.
I was worried about both of them. It's only natural I was worried more about Kaminari though, because we knew he was there! That's the reason why. Seeing him alright- seeing them alright was what brought me to… Gah! Jirou lifted her right hand and started rubbing her forehead, then she thought about what she just heard the two of the boys she was thinking of talking about out on the stairwell. They saved that girl. They saved other people too. I thought Zach just did it probably, but I forget that sometimes, you can be really strong too. Jirou's lips tugged up at the corners as she walked to her room, unknowingly forgetting about what she was flustered about only a few seconds earlier.
A/N Thanks for reading. Pressed for time so no review responses today. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!