Chapter 3: Four Hours

All the teenagers in the class seemed to hold similar opinions on the reading: the book titled THE DIVING POOL. It had been assigned to the second-year students, and the reactions had been that of shock. Considering some of the events that took place in the book, their reactions were certainly reasonable.

"Jin, please give us your overall thoughts on the book." The teacher saw fit to get the opinion on the quietest student, who sat in the very back corner of the room.

Upon hearing his name, Jin postured up, taking a few moments to gather his thoughts. "This story was rather avoidable. These problems were unnecessary."

"Interesting. Care to explain yourself?" In fact, the entire class grew quiet, suddenly eager to hear his reasoning.

Despite the audience, Jin remained detached from being invested emotionally to the subject. He simply gave his thoughts, pure and simple. "Aya became infatuated. She permitted herself to succumb to these primitive urges, which ultimately compromised the very thing she desired most."

"But what did you mean when you said it the story was avoidable?"

"Avoidable. Pointless. Irrelevant. The story didn't need to take place, at least if she had been wiser."

"But is that not what it means to live? To experience and learn things for yourself?"

"You can learn many things without suffering." Jin sighed as he glanced down, feeling that his words were inevitably falling on deaf ears.

Strangely enough, the professor didn't pursue additional commentary on the matter. As the attention shifted back to the whiteboard, other students conversed in low voices about Jin Okami's strange personality. No one enjoyed hanging out with him because he was against so many activities. No wonder he had no friends. Even so, he seemed so self-assured. When he spoke, no one ever really came forth to defy him. Every time he shot down things like love, his declarations ran unopposed. Perhaps that was why he had so much power.

With the arrival of Sunday, Ochaco Uraraka finally had an entire day to dedicate to the case. After a quick breakfast in the morning, she bid her dormmates a good day, and then hurried out the door. By now, they were starting to ask her a lot of questions about her recent disappearances, but she had avoided sharing any details with them. At least, for the time being, it was necessary to keep her work with Jin Okami a secret, especially considering there was still the chance that students at the academy were responsible.

Right now, one student was on her radar: Neito Monoma.

At some point today, Ochaco had to find him. With no school in session during Sundays, Monoma would be elsewhere, enjoying a day off. In fact, Ochaco wasn't even sure if she'd be able to have a conversation with Monoma today at all.

Eventually, Jin Okami arrived, getting situated in a coffee shop a few blocks away from the campus. He sent a text to Ochaco, informing her of his arrival, and then he waited in line to order his beverage. The sun was absent today since the clouds were cluttering the skyline. Moisture was in the air, and the smell of rain was noticeable. There was no doubt some precipitation would fall at some point today.

After getting his coffee, Jin proceeded to the table in the back corner of the shop. As he took his seat, he glanced around at the other tables, unable to resist sometimes. His observations of the people around him weren't simply part of a habit, they were also paramount in his life's work. The visions came soaring in, one by one, until Jin chose to put a stop to it. Meaningless visualizations didn't hold his interest for long. It was those events that related to his work that he needed to concentrate on. There was too much demand just keeping up with his caseload.

From his pocket, Jin brought out his meds. He took one pill, washing it down with his coffee.

It wasn't long before Ochaco arrived, and she spotted Jin sitting in the back. The weather was chilly once again, so she had her typical gray sweater. She found it hard to believe that Jin was only wearing a single dark blue shirt, as if he were unaffected by the cold. Maybe he was just naturally more tolerant of the cold than she was. "Good morning," she greeted him politely.

"Morning." Jin took a glance down at his beverage, then motioned toward the front. "Are you going to purchase anything?"

"That's okay. I'm ready to get to work now." She still found it hard to rest at ease. Each day that passed was another that Deku was lost.

"Very well." Accepting her decision, Jin rested his left arm on the table, activating the tablet. On the screen, information on Neito Monoma was being displayed. "He's got some sort of doctor he sees off campus. They've been prescribing him some meds, although naturally I cannot find out what they are."

"What would he need meds for?"

Jin raised an eyebrow. "Any number of things. Clearly, having Quirks leads to all kinds of stress." After saying that, he looked away evasively.

While Ochaco thought it over, Jin reached for his pocket, revealing a small pill bottle. She wondered what it was but was reluctant to ask. Now that she thought it over, she still knew little about the Wolf.

"Before you ask," he explained on his own, "Methylphenidate. It's to tone down my ADD."

Ochaco hadn't been expecting that. "You have ADD?"

"I do. Which is why I need stimulants to stabilize my focus."

Ochaco took a seat, feeling suddenly emphatic for him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It is merely fact. Anyway, my work is most efficient when my focus is sharp. Therefore, it is a necessary sacrifice." The coffee was already starting to cool down, so Jin took a large swig to make up for lost time. "There are times when people simply must deal with afflictions. I suppose it's believable that many people experience this sort of thing."

"That's true," Ochaco said. "Especially with Quirks."

The two of them were in agreement for the time being. That didn't sit well for long with Jin, because he let out a grunt and turned his attention back to the screen. "Neito Monoma harbored disdain for Izuku Midoriya. That means we have ourselves a motive. However, Monoma is still young, and no more than a student here at U.A. I highly doubt he orchestrated any malicious acts against Midoriya on his own."

"So, there were others involved?" Ochaco felt chills at the thought of it.

"If anything happened on campus, I doubt it would have gone unnoticed. They have cameras everywhere, plus they have guards. Whatever happened, it must have involved Midoriya leaving campus to go out somewhere."

As she thought back to how life was six months ago, Ochaco had trouble remembering where Deku was working at the time. "He was interning for Endeavor back then. So, when he wasn't back at the dorms, it felt normal, since he was usually busy. Also, he often went on long runs with other students."

That last part got a reaction from Jin. "What about Neito Monoma? Did the two of them ever go on any runs?"

"Not that I know of," Ochaco said. "I can't even imagine the two of them doing anything together. Monoma was always negative of Deku."

"But there was this element of desire Monoma had for Midoriya's Quirk," Jin reminded. "Perhaps that led to him pushing for the chance to get closer to him. It would have been beneficial if he learned more about Midoriya's Quirk."

It pained Ochaco that she herself knew little about Deku's power as well. He was open to her about many things, but he'd never revealed too many details about his abilities. "If I speak with Monoma, how will I find out what we need to know?"

Jin squinted his eyes as he stared at Ochaco. "I'm confident you'll get him to react in some fashion. However, getting him to reveal any valuable information is very unlikely. I have a suggestion."

"Which is?" She was already worried about where this was going.

"You should ask him on a date."

"What?" She grew red in the face, both annoyed and embarrassed. "I'm not going on a date with him!"

Despite her reaction, Jin was almost motionless. "Is this truly the extent of your willingness to do what is necessary to find Midoriya?"

That was certainly enough to get her to stop and consider it, but even then, she didn't see how it would work out. "If I ask him out on a date, he'd probably just say no anyway, since I'm from his rival class."

It was a valid point. Jin sighed as he reviewed the suggestion. "It is merely our Plan A. Should he turn down your offer, we can try another approach."

"But, but…" She sighed, realizing that it was still worth a try. Somehow, the two of them needed to find some excuse to have an interaction with Neito Monoma. This was definitely a way to do that, since it would mean they had him by himself. "What if it doesn't work? Won't it be awkward approaching him again after?"

"You need only ask him if he wants to go get coffee with you. Something simple. No need to overthink it."

Ochaco grimaced, not a fan of this idea. Even so, she knew it could work, and so she had to try it. "All right. I'll do it."

"Good. Ask him today."

"Today?" She let out a long sigh.

"You didn't have coffee yet anyway," Jin pointed out. "Go back to campus, locate him, ask him if he wants to go get coffee with you, and then bring him right back here."

"And what will you be doing while I do all that?"

"I will be nearby at all times. If you could, try to get him to bring some of his gear with him. Maybe some tools he uses, or even clothes. Help him carry his belongings if you must. As many items as possible, for me to concentrate my Visualization on. It could make the difference."

The plan was in place, but Ochaco still felt unready. This was very sudden. "How much time will you need to see everything?"

Jin thought it over, eager to give her the best response he could think of. "Four hours."

"Four hours? Coffee doesn't take that long to drink!"

He just crossed his arms. "Fine. Coffee, then lunch, then desert after that. Should last four hours."

"Why do I need to talk to him for so long?"

This time, Jin looked irritated. "Don't insult me. Four hours is a reasonable number, given how many visions I'll have to run through to find what I need."

Upon hearing that, Ochaco realized just what all this entailed. The Wolf had to go through all the possible visions involving Neito Monoma, just to find the one potentially involving Deku. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but even that would have been an easier task. This felt impossible.

Even so, Jin Okami was willing to do it. Therefore, Ochaco Uraraka was willing to spend four hours with Neito Monoma if that's what it was going to take.

When Ochaco returned to the campus, she realized this was going to be more difficult than expected. Class 1-B consisted of twenty students, just like Class 1-A. They were living together and always spending time together. Acquiring an opportunity to get Monoma alone would be no small feat. Even if she succeeded, it would be nearly impossible to do so without others noticing.

Along the way, Ochaco spotted Tsuyu and Momo walking together. Normally, Ochaco would always greet her friends cheerfully. This time, she felt like she needed to avoid them. Considering the secrecy in what she was doing, it seemed best to keep them uninvolved. Not only was it vital to avoid raising concerns over anyone involved in Deku's disappearance, Ochaco also wished to avoid putting her friends at risk. By now, she was quite certain someone evil was responsible for taking Deku, which meant they were dangerous.

With some quick thinking, Ochaco maneuvered down a different path, out of sight from her friends. Up ahead, she saw a group of students walking together, none of whom were in her class. Eventually, she caught sight of some familiar faces: students from Class 1-B. Among them was Neito Monoma.

On one hand, it was fortunate that she located him. On the other, he was surrounded by the rest of his class. Getting a chance to make her request to him without being noticed seemed impossible.

While the classmates migrated down the campus, Ochaco followed from a distance. She could justify her presence by saying she was headed to the principal's office if asked, since it was up ahead. She ran the scenarios through her head, and suddenly realized this was probably similar to how the Wolf did his work. She needed to utilize his way of thinking.

The students came to a stop at one point, and some of them began to split off in different directions. As Ochaco slowed down and hung out close by, she overheard Monoma bragging about the new costume accessories he was going to pick up. That meant he was going to see Power Loader, the professor who taught the Support Classes.

At least now Ochaco knew which way he would be headed. For the time being, she simply stayed nearby, keeping an eye on Monoma from the corners of her vision. Sure enough, he started to make his departure from the pack, and was no doubt headed for the Support Class workshop. All she had to do was head that way as well.

Once she got ahead, Ochaco stood and waited just outside the entrance. She was alone now, which was ideal for her plan. Any moment now, Monoma would walk over, and then she had to make her move. Somehow, someway, she had to get him to go meet her for coffee. Even if it wasn't coffee, she just had to get him to go meet her somewhere off campus.

Several minutes later, he appeared, strutting toward the building. Neito's face glowed with a strange excitement when he spotted Ochaco. "Ooh! What's this? Another Class 1-A student trying to live up to the glorious reputation of Class 1-B? How funny that you're here at this moment, just as I'm about to upgrade my attire to the higher standard? Trying to take some notes on how to improve your own costume? Is that what you are doing?"

It proved challenging to hide her disdain for Neito's obsession with antagonizing her class, but Ochaco refused to let it throw her off. She had a plan, and she was going to stick to it. "Hi, Monoma-San. I was wondering, could I ask you something?"

His eyes widened, making it seem he was more surprised than pleased. "Ooh? Asking Class 1-B for a favor? Isn't this striking?"

"Not Class 1-B," she said. "Just, you."

Neito squinted as he walked closer to her. "Me?"

Ochaco forced a tiny smile, the best she could. "I was going to get coffee with Momo right now, but something came up and she can't join me. I really don't want to go alone. I was wondering…. If you would please go with me." After ushering the words, she fought back her gag reflex.

Even though Neito's mouth opened, as if he had a mocking response prepared on a whim, no words came out. The request clearly caught him off guard, which was a relief to Ochaco. It would be best if he went along with it without giving her too much strain. Of course, these types of situations rarely progressed that smoothly.

"I suppose I do have some free time to grant your request," he answered finally. As he pressed his hand to his chin, he put on his best devious smile, as if this were nothing new to him.

It was easy for Ochaco to tell he was putting on an act, but that didn't matter. She had to go along with it, just for four hours. It sounded impossible, but she knew she could do it. There was so much more hardship that probably awaited her in her quest to find Deku. This seemed like merely the first stage. If she couldn't handle this, she'd never be able to commit to the case.

Therefore, she wasn't going to fail.

Eventually, the two of them ended up at the coffee shop. It was the same one she'd been to earlier in the morning, just as planned. Sure enough, Jin Okami was sitting in the same table, near the back of the patio. He was silent, drinking another coffee and reading a newspaper. In addition, he had a bottle of water now since he was expecting to be sitting there for four hours. No matter how they spun it, that was a long time.

Although it was unpleasant, Ochaco did her best to look over Neito. She had to painfully admit he was good looking in his own right, with smooth skin, slick blond hair, and a handsome smile. Of course, he couldn't compete with Deku, but he was far from ugly. Even his choice of clothes complimented him.

The real unpleasant side of him was in his endless tirade of banter when it came to the class rivalry that he so constantly upheld. In that regard, she found his company completely appalling.

"So, Uraraka-San." Neito began the conversation while simultaneously taking a heavy sip of his mocha. He was surprisingly cordial in how he behaved, although there was still the sense that he was trying hard to perform. "Have you gone on many dates before?"

This was going to be so hard. Ochaco couldn't stop from glowing red in embarrassment. And it wasn't the good kind. "I've been on dates, yes."

"But never with a student from Class 1-B," Neito said, maintaining his reputation of promoting his own class. "Why have you decided to start now?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call this a date…" Ochaco explained, using a cautious tone. "Just coffee."

"Just coffee?" he said with a grin, eyeing Ochaco's beverage of choice: sencha.

"I prefer green tea," she commented with a smile. If she could keep a positive energy here, this could work. All she needed to do was find things to talk about.

Fortunately, she quickly figured out the perfect subject. "How's your training been going? Must be going well if you got all those new components to your hero costume."

"Ooh? Yes, I've been improving rapidly, Uraraka-San."

From there, the conversation became a solo act. Neito went through every part of his costume, placing objects down on the table, including one of the watches from his belt. He had four of them, but he'd already learned how to time multiple Quirks with a special code system, since he was capable of copying more Quirks now than his previous record.

None of that mattered to Ochaco. She just wanted him to put as many objects on the table as possible, so that Jin could get visualizations from his seat. Hopefully, he was able to find some good ones, even though Neito was going through his arsenal with great haste.

The 'date' carried on in pretty much the same fashion. Neito didn't seem to ever grow tired of bragging about his feats, which Ochaco had to admit were actually quite impressive. Even so, she was glad now that Neito was narcissistic since that made it possible for the time to drag on. The first hour went by without a hitch.

However, after sixty minutes, Neito appeared to be growing somewhat bored, and Ochaco realized she needed to reignite the conversation. She also had to consider that it wasn't enough to simply give Jin objects to use his Quirk on for visualizations. In addition to that, she needed to interrogate Neito. After all, he had clearly been obsessed with Deku to some degree.

There was no smooth way to bring it up. "Did you ever spend time with Izuku before?"

"Izuku?" In the most subtle fashion, his face grew pale. "He was a powerful student. It's a shame he went missing."

Even after months to grieve, the feelings remained strong within Ochaco. "Recently, I was thinking about it. Deku used to extend helping hands to others. That was part of what made him so amazing."

"Ooh? He was certainly a strong hero. But I never considered that he had that kind of impact on you."

Ochaco could sing songs about how much she adored Deku, but that wouldn't do right now. Instead, her attitude needed to be more reserved on the matter. "Did you ever train with him before?" Each time she took the next step, she felt nervous. But her progression was subtle, and the entire time, she maintained a positive face. Surely, she would get in without raising Neito's suspicion.

"Spending time with a rival? My classmates would lose respect for me if I ever did that." Neito sipped on his mocha, to the point where it became a slurp. Even after an hour passed, he still hadn't finished his beverage, since he was talking so much.

"I don't think Deku thought of you as a rival," she said, taking a slight risk by arousing a potential conflict. "He had a big rivalry with Katsuki Bakugo."

"Eh? That's disappointing. But that's Class 1-A for you. Always underestimating Class 1-B." Somehow, Neito managed to conceal any trace of being bothered by the comments.

Even so, Ochaco was convinced she heard his voice falter. "Those two had great Quirks to go with their rivalry. They really set the bar high for aspiring heroes."

"Izuku's Quirk was quite the superpower. At times, it felt as though he had no limits." Immediately after ushering the words, Neito shrugged and retracted his enthusiasm.

Fortunately, Ochaco noticed it. He really was resisting the urge to divulge on the subject. "What about your Copy Quirk? That's a really good one. Didn't you even use it on Deku's Quirk once before?"

Neito Monoma was doing his best to be secretive, and to withhold the depth of his knowledge on the matter. However, he couldn't resist the opportunity to gloat. "I'm able to copy all kinds of Quirks. Powers, upgrades, enhancements, and more. I can hold several Quirks at a time, and I can switch back and forth between them. My comradery to my classmates has become my greatest asset in my growth, for that alone has granted me the capacity to expand my knowledge on more than a dozen additional Quirks."

"Alas… I never did successfully copy Izuku Midoriya's Quirk. I can copy the nature of the Quirk, but not the ability to stockpile the necessary ingredients. Therefore, there are limits to what I can copy sometimes." After his explanation, Neito leaned back in his seat and rested his hands behind his neck. "What a shame. I really would have liked the opportunity to try out that Super Power Quirk. Izuku Midoriya had great ability. It really is a shame…"

Ochaco's emotions were nearly ready to burst out. Grieving for Deku was a daily burden for her, but Neito Monoma's capacity to make a mockery of it had the opposite effect: it enraged her. "Deku was more than that. He was… he was… he was just a boy." As she thought it over, she barely found the endurance to maintain enough composure to uphold the plan.

"You are still unwell," Neito commented, suddenly very blunt. "In your grief, you've decided to vent your frustrations on me. Is this what I should expect from Class 1-A from now on? Without Izuku Midoriya to be your great leader, has your entire class lost its resolve?"

The limitations were now reached. Ochaco rose from her seat, clenching both hands into fists. The plan was a lost cause.

"Pardon me," came the voice of another person close by, "Uraraka-San?"

Both Ochaco and Neito turned to face the newcomer, but only Ochaco recognized that it was Jin Okami.

"It's me, Professor Jitō," he said calmly. "By any chance, were you headed back to the U.A. today? I forgot to give these documents to Professor Aizawa, and I was hoping you'd be kind enough to deliver them for me, if it's not out of your way that is." He even had a stack of papers in his hands.

Ochaco saw her opportunity to escape and took it. "Oh, Professor Jitō. Yes, I'd be glad to do that. I need to return soon anyway. Actually, I've got a meeting with Professor Aizawa today regarding balancing my internships with my studies. I can bring them straight to him."

"That would be lovely, Uraraka-San. Thank you very much."

"Ooh?" Monoma didn't hesitate to reveal his suspicions. "Professor Jitō? Strange that I've never seen you on campus before."

Even against a suspicious inquiry, the Wolf never lost his composure. "Ah, yes. I'm a substitute teacher at Shiketsu High School. I just happened to meet Uraraka-San and some of her friends this morning during my visit. I take it you attend the U.A. as well, young man?"

Neito Monoma smiled proudly, naturally converting back to bragging mode at the first chance. From there, it was a brief period of Neito repeating most of the feats he'd already shared with Ochaco earlier. In that time, she began to slip away, sticking to her story of having to return to campus for her meeting, and that granted her the excuse for a retreat.

Eventually, everyone left in different directions. Ochaco felt her entire body heat up in frustration. She barely even got over an hour of time with Neito Monoma. Far less than the four hours requested of her. She nearly teared up as she walked away from the coffee shop. She had failed.