When Kanami enters the training facility for the first and third-year training program, she's more than a little surprised to find Hitoshi waiting for her at the door. Taking a deep breath, she makes her way over to him, trying not to get her hopes too high. She had heard about Katsuki's outburst after their last session on Monday and, while she was flattered he would stand up for her like that, it isn't how she wanted to start her training with Shinsou. When she reaches him, she gives him a little smile. He opens his mouth to say something but Kanami raises her hands, cutting him off, an embarrassed expression on her face.
"Before you say anything, I want to apologise," Hitoshi is careful to keep his surprise off his face. "I heard about Kats- Bakugou's outburst on Monday, and I want you to know I'm really sorry. I didn't know until yesterday. It was completely inappropriate, you didn't do anything wrong." She's fidgeting with her hands and unable to meet his gaze again. Hitoshi sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. This is gonna hurt, he groans inwardly.
"No, he was right," he admits. Kanami looks up at him in shock. "I was being a jerk. I don't have an excuse, but I'm sorry for my behavior. It won't happen again." He glances over her shoulder, catching Katsuki glaring at him, warning him to upset the small girl again. Suppressing an eye roll, he looks down at her only to find her beaming up at him.
"Thank you, this really means a lot to me. Training under you I mean." Her cheeks flush as she realises how else her phrasing could be interpreted and immediately begins trying to save it, stumbling over her words. "N-not under you, I, I didn't mean it like that, I-I just, I meant it's amazing to have you as my teacher, instructor! That's not the right word," she fumbles, hiding her face in her hands. Hitoshi is unable to stop the laughter bubbling up and out of him, forcing her, and several other students, to look at him in surprise. He shakes his head, putting his hands in his pockets, facing her with an amused expression.
"Don't worry about it, first-year. Let's get going." He nods his head in the same direction they had taken on Monday but waits for her to walk beside him. He had gotten there early to get a few things for their training and, when they arrived, Kanami finds a notebook on the floor next to some rolled cloth, and a couple of punching mitts. She looks at him in confusion while he reaches down to grab his notebook. "Alright, I don't wanna work on your quirk right now. Like I said before, your control is pretty solid and I don't know much about it, short of the sparse supply of information the internet provided." She looks over at him, a little surprised he had put more time into this than she had anticipated. It is for his grade, she reminds herself, that's probably the only reason. "I heard you were struggling in some of the more physical aspects of your classes, so we're going to focus on that." Hitoshi flips to another page and shows her a chart, detailing the next several weeks of classes. "I want to see what you can do today so I have an idea of what needs the most work and where you're struggling, but I know we're going to do a lot of stamina stuff. Later on, we'll start incorporating your quirk so you get used to using it in high energy situations. Sound good?" He glances over to find her studying his chart. This close, he can smell her perfume, a subtle cherry blossom and lilac, and finds himself breathing in a little deeper.
"Looks great," she replies, snapping him out of his daze. "What do you want to do first?"
"You know how to wrap your hands?" When she shakes her head, he gestures for her to sit on a nearby bench while he grabs the wraps. "This is just a precaution," he explains as he begins wrapping her hands in the long cloth. "It won't give you any cushion in your hits, but it will prevent your bones from shifting if you do anything wrong." She nods her head, carefully watching his hands work, weaving the fabric between her fingers and across her palm. "And finish off around the wrist. Done. Now you do the other one." She takes the other roll from him and quickly sets to work, having to undo it a couple of times because it was either too tight or too loose, but eventually she manages. He helps her up and leads her over to their mat where he picks up the two mitts. "Let's see what you got, first-year." She narrows her eyes at the nickname and immediately throws a right punch, giving Hitoshi barely enough time to block.
He looks at her with wide eyes for a moment before smirking, catching her off guard and causing her left to graze the edge of his mitt. She doesn't like nicknames, he muses. They continue for a few minutes, stopping when Kanami's on the brink of becoming out of breath.
"Show me your high kicks," he orders. She nods her head, complying quickly, landing several hits at his chest level.
"You can raise them," she informs him. Raising an eyebrow, he brings the mitts to be level with his shoulders, which she easily kicks. Suppressing a look of surprise, he chances raising the mitts higher, level with his head a solid twelve inches over hers. He is astonished when she lands several hits at that height, without compromising their strength. It must show on his face because, just a second later, he catches her smirk, pride beaming through her eyes. He chuckles a bit, calling her to quit. At his questioning expression, she shrugs her shoulders. "My mom made me do a lot of dance when I was younger," she explains.
"So, you're pretty flexible?" He inquires, already formulating a plan to incorporate this into her training regimen. She blushes a bit, nodding her head. "Interesting. We can work with that. Let's see your run." Before they can make it to the track, the bell chimes, signaling the end of class. "Guess we'll lead with that on Friday."
"For what it's worth," she starts, grabbing a nearby water bottle. "My mile time is eight minutes forty-two seconds." Hitoshi nods his head, making a quick note in his book. Not great, but it's a start. "See you Friday," she calls out, waving over her shoulder. Don't want to make him deal with me more than he has to, not when we've just made positive progress, she smiles, making her way to the front of the facility where Katsuki is waiting by the locker room doors. She smiles, jogging the rest of the way over.
"So?" He leans against the wall, smirking down at her. She looks happier, her posture's less tense, good signs, he thinks, checking her over. "How'd it go?" She beams up at him, practically bouncing on her feet.
"Much better." She takes out her braid, quickly putting it up in a messy bun to get it off of her neck. "You can leave him alone now, no more cornering him. Got it?" Katsuki raises his hands in surrender.
"No need this time. See you at lunch, shorty." She huffs at the name, rolling her eyes, even as she blushes when he squeezes her shoulder before running in the opposite direction. She changes into her school uniform quickly and hurries to English class. After her turn translating, she reaches for her water bottle only to realise she left it in her locker outside the classroom. She grimaces, rubbing at her dry throat, making a mental note to keep it with her next time. By the time class lets out, she's desperate for a drink, practically running out of her classroom for some relief. Once at her locker, she drinks every drop from her bottle, but still feels a scratching at the back of her throat. With furrowed brows, she makes her way to the cafeteria where her expression is not unnoticed by Eijiro and Katsuki. The two exchange a confused look as she makes her way over to them, nearly walking right by when Katsuki reaches out and startles her out of her thoughts.
"Hey, you okay, Sato?" Eijiro asks, concern lacing his voice. She quickly shakes her head and smiles up at him.
"Yeah, fine! Just need something to drink is all." The boys shrug and follow Kanami in line where she gets a large cup of hot tea. I do not have time for this, she chastises her throat internally while thinking about her next class coming up. All Might had mentioned doing stamina drills, her voice needs to be functioning properly.
"You sure you're okay?" Katsuki asks, keeping his voice low. Kanami had been acting strangely since lunch started nearly an hour ago.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replies, smiling away his concerns. He purses his lips, not believing her, but doesn't push the matter. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him. He catches her rubbing her throat again and raises an eyebrow. Eijiro looks there way and notices as well. He and Katsuki share a look before their attention is drawn away by Denki accidentally overcharging Mina's phone and starting a small fire.
"Denki, what the hell? That's my only phone!" The poor boy apologises over and over, dragging Todoroki over to put out the fire. Naturally, that's when lunch ends and they all go their separate ways, Katsuki walking Kanami back to the locker rooms so she can change for her stamina run. When he makes it back to his classroom, Eijiro turns around in his desk to face him.
"She tell you what's up?" Katsuki shakes his head. "I'm sure it's nothing, maybe she's just dehydrated or something." Hitoshi picks up on their conversation from across the room and stares at his own desk in confusion, She seemed fine in training, he recalls.
Kanami makes sure to refill her water bottle before running out to the training facility where they would be doing their drills. All Might instructs her over to a secluded area, not far from where Hitoshi and she go for their sessions.
"I want you to alter the area around you, and only around you for as long as you can. It doesn't have to be anything big or flashy, but just try to prolong the time you can use your quirk before you exhaust yourself. Alright?"
"Yes sir!" She takes a big drink of water as he turns to walk away, running through her mental list of songs to choose one. She starts with a couple of slower songs, warming up her vocal cords and altering the wind directions as she goes. Her throat itches, still feeling severely dehydrated, despite the two bottles she's finished and her tea at lunch. She refills her bottle, again, at the fountain in the corner before returning to her spot to work on a bigger reaction. She takes a deep breath, popping her neck, and closes her eyes, focusing on the image.
"Almost thought we made it home." Her voice takes on a slightly gravelly quality to it, making the song raspier, raw. "But we don't know this place at all. That's enough now, dry your tears. It's been a long eleven years." She opens her eyes, anger rolling off of her in waves as she becomes encircled by a small fire. "Fire, fire, fire! Fire from the tongues of liars." She pulls her voice back in and, as she does, the walls of her fiery circle shrink to reach just above her ankles. "You're ashamed of where you're from, crying cause your father's drunk. We can't die because we're young, at least that's what we heard in a song." Each time her voice raises in volume, she carefully raises the flames around her, reaching just around her head before lowering them quickly back down.
"Fire, fire fire! Fire from the tongues of liars. Fire, fire fire! Fire from the tongues of liars." Her voice cracks slightly on the last word, a confused expression taking over her face. I must be reaching my limit for today, she realises with no small amount of disappointment. I can at least finish this song. "You're ashamed of what you've done," she sings, voice low and sympathetic, "crying 'cause your father's wrong. Trying to be something new, you'll feel you had something to prove. What you confuse for glorious fire, this fire from the tongues of liars, what you confuse for glorious fire is fire from the tongues of liars." Okay, give it all you've got Kanami, she squeezes her eyes shut forcing every last inch of her quirk out as she raises her voice.
"Fire, fire fire! Fire from the tongues of liars. Fire, fire fire! Fire from the tongues of liars. You're afraid of who you are! Crying 'cause your father's done. Clinging to your youthful truth." Her voice squeaks out on the high note, sending a fiery pain through her vocal cords, but she grits her teeth determined to finish. "You'll find that you've nothing to lose. You'll find that you've nothing…" Though she mouths the last words, nothing comes out. The fire around her quickly dies out, leaving her standing in a circle of scorched ground. She tries a few more times to get a word out, any sound at all, only to find air escaping her lips and a fierce burning in her throat. You have got to be kidding, she thinks to herself, irritation stiffening her posture and slumping her shoulders. She quickly picks up her water bottle, draining it of half its contents, and tries again only to yield the same results. She'd thrown her voice out.
"Sato!" She looks over her shoulder to find All Might strolling towards her, a large smile in place. She groans inwardly, walking over to meet him halfway. "Looks like you've made some great progress," he comments, noticing the circle of ashes. "I saw your pillar from the front of the facility." She smiles up at him, feeling a little better at his praise. "How are you feeling?" At his question, her gaze falls to the floor, disappointment evident in her every feature. "Do you need to sit down?" His concern is evident in his voice. She shakes her head, looking up at him with sad eyes.
How's your signing coming? She mouths while making the corresponding signs with her hands. She watches as realisation hits him.
"Ahh, I see. Did you overuse your quirk?" She shakes her head, quickly explaining in the same manner.
No, I shouldn't have, I've sung for much longer than that before. My throat was bothering me earlier today but I wanted to come to class. I don't feel sick, but it's been hurting since this morning. As she watches his expressions, she prays he understood what she had signed as she doesn't have her notebooks with her.
"Your throat was hurting, but you came to class anyway?" He questions, looking a little confused, but seems to have gotten most of her message. She nods quickly, hoping he isn't upset with her. "Alright, go on and head down to Recovery Girl to see what she has to say. If you're getting sick, you should stay home to recover." Disheartened, she nods her head but does as she's told. She arrives quickly to Recovery Girl's office, fingers crossed she's not coming down with anything.
"Sato? What brings you in, dear? Are you alright?" Kanami smiles at the older woman, nodding her head, before tapping her throat. She opens her mouth to speak and winces in pain when nothing comes out. "Did you overuse your quirk?" Kanami shakes her head again with a shrug. "Alright, have a seat, let's take a look." Recovery Girl grabs a tongue depressor before making her way over to the first year. "Open up, try to say ahh." Kanami does as she's told, wincing again when no sound comes out. "Dry throat? Can't seem to get enough to drink?" Once her hands are out of Kanami's mouth, she nods. "I'm afraid you have laryngitis." Kanami's eyes fall as she buries her face in her hands. I haven't had that since I was a kid and still learning my quirk, she groans inwardly. "Your body isn't used to working this hard. That, combined with stress, it makes sense that this would happen. As it is not an injury, there's nothing I can do I'm afraid. Have you had this before?" Kanami nods her head in shame. "Then you know how to fix it. Lots of fluids, suck on a few lozenges to keep the vocal cords lubricated, and no talking or whispering." Kanami nods her head again, bowing in thanks. She returns to the locker rooms to change back into her uniform before hurrying to her next class. Upon her arrival, she quickly writes down her situation on a piece of paper and shows Yamada.
"Aw man, that bites. I had that once, not a fan," he sympathises. "This your first time?" She shakes her head, raising her hand up to show four fingers.
But I was little, she mouths, lowering her hand to her hips.
"So you know," he chuckles as she nods her head. "Alright, go on and take your seat. I'll make sure not to call on you for a few days." She smiles her thanks, taking her seat at the back of the class. A little over halfway through class, her phone vibrates in her pocket. She stealthily pulls it out and holds it in her lap, finding a text from Katsuki. She suppresses a smile, opening it.
Hey, Deku said he saw you leaving RG's office. What happened? It suddenly got much harder to hid her smile. Biting her lip, she typed up a quick reply.
I'm fine, just a little laryngitis. She scowls at the word, as though acknowledging it to someone not her teacher made it more real. His reply was just as quick as her's had been
That why you kept rubbing your throat at lunch?
… I don't want to talk about it lol Katsuki rolls his eyes in his own classroom.
You should have said something, stupid. Kanami arches an eyebrow.
Why? You have some miracle cure for no voice?
As a matter of fact, I've done enough yelling in my time to have a few tricks up my sleeve. I'm not saying it'll fix it by tomorrow, but you certainly won't be stuck like this three weeks from now. Her eyes widen, intrigued.
I'm listening. Katsuki chuckles, shaking his head.
Meet me outside after class, I'll take you to pick up some stuff.
"Bakugou!" Midnight yells from the front of the room. "Is that a cell phone I see?"
"I dunno, I can't see through your eyes," he retorts, pocketing the offending device. She glares at him, but just before she can say anything, the bell rings. "See you tomorrow," he calls over his shoulder, leaving her shaking her head. "Hey, dumb hair!" Eijiro turns around, already smiling at his friend. "I'm gonna have to rain check training today, Kanami needs help with something." Eijiro's expression immediately becomes concerned.
"Is she okay?" Katsuki nods, turning down the hallway for their next class.
"Yeah, lost her voice though. Laryngitis. I'm taking her to get some stuff to help." Eijiro looks at him in blatant surprise. He had never taken Katsuki for a medic. "I've thrown mine out a few times yelling over the years, that's the only reason I know." Eijiro nods in understanding.
"That makes more sense. We can spar when you get back if it's not too late."
"Thanks, man." The two boys smile, fist-bumping, before going their separate ways. Katsuki makes his way to the front of the building where Kanami is already waiting. She waves in his direction and Katsuki notices a pen and notebook in her other hand. He walks a little faster, nodding his head at her other hand. She blushes a little, holding the notebook up for him to read.
I can't talk, so this is the only way to communicate.
He nods his head in understanding, smirking a little at her.
"Have a good day at least?" She nods her head, shrugging, before tapping her throat and making an annoyed face. "Happens to the best of us," he reassures her. "Ready to go?" She nods her head, again, when both students turn around at the sound of All Might's voice.
"Sato, you're still here?" At his puzzled expression, Kanami passes her notebook to a very confused looking Katsuki. He watches as she moves her hands, mouthing words to the retired hero.
Recovery Girl said I'm not sick, just laryngitis. Stress and more work than it's used to apparently. All Might nods his head, understanding.
"Well," he begins, hands raised as he slowly signs the words he knows. "At least it's not any worse. This way, you can still go to classes." Kanami smiles up at him, clearly proud of her teacher.
You've been practicing, she comments, sending an embarrassed look to All Might's face as he rubs the back of his head, even as he stands up a little straighter. Your signs are looking really good, she assures him.
"Thanks," he signs back, looking a little more pleased with himself. Katsuki looks between the two, still a bit confused. "I'll let you two get going," All Might says, signing the words he knows. "I'll see you both tomorrow!" Kanami corrects one of his signs before waving goodbye, taking her notebook back from Katsuki as All Might walks in the other direction.
"Umm, what was that?" Katsuki asks. Kanami smiles, writing something in her notebook.
He's learning sign language, I'm helping. Katsuki's eyebrows lower a bit after reading her sentence.
"Why do you know it? You're not deaf… right?" She laughs, silently, writing something else.
No, I'm not, but it's easier sometimes to communicate like that than writing everything down. More people understand this though. She chuckles, showing him the notebook, before grabbing his arm and pulling him in the direction of the nearest store.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Let's go." He smirks down at her before draping his arm around her shoulders, walking towards the grocery store down the road. Easier to communicate, huh? He looks down at her from the corner of his eye, eyeing the notebook in her hand. If All Might can learn, how hard can it be? He decides to look it up when he gets back to his room later. Once they get to the store, he grabs a basket from the front before taking her down the tea and coffee aisle. Kanami lowers her eyebrows, writing something in her notebook before tapping his shoulder to get his attention.
I've had tea before, it doesn't really do anything.
Katsuki smirks, scanning the boxes for something.
"I'd agree with you if we were getting normal tea, but this is magic tea," he informs her. Her expression turns skeptical while she watches him read the boxes, making a small, "Aha," when he finds what he was looking for. "Honey chai turmeric, a gift from god." He turns to walk down another aisle, grabbing a bottle of honey. Before she can write anything else, he grabs her hand. "Yes, there is honey in the tea I just grabbed, this is for eating. One spoon every two hours if possible." She shrugs, allowing him to pull her along. When he grabs a bag of ginger root, she can't stop the expression that takes over her face. Katsuki notices and chuckles in response. She mimes eating something too spicy, fanning her tongue. "Just trust me, throw a little of this into a stir fry or a drink, won't even know it's there." She rolls her eyes, writing,
I can't make stir fry.
Katsuki's eyebrows lower in confusion. Stir fry is easy to make, he thinks, even that laser kid can make it. "Can you make anything else?" Kanami looks at the floor, embarrassed, and shakes her head. Katsuki smirks, Of course she can't. He drapes his arm around her shoulders, steering her in the direction of the actual groceries. "Don't worry, I'll teach ya. You'll be a master chef in no time," he promises. She looks up at him in surprise before smiling, nodding her head. It would be nice to eat something that didn't come out of a microwave every once in a while, she admits to herself.