Note: Sometimes, these ideas come by. Very quickly. This was very hard to write, but I got it. That guy in my heart is not going to stay in my personal theater anymore. He's going to the Exit without any refunds. Trigger warnings for implied verbal and emotional abuse.

May I recommend A King's Strategy — A No Game No Life Orchestration by Rush Garcia in honor of No Game No Life for a theme. For an alternative that's more fitting for the latter half of the chapter, I'll bring up Rush Garcia's rendition of You Say Run.

Because not everyone is cut out for being a hero. That doesn't make them worthless.

Based heavily off of real people that I both know and knew in real life, and let's just say writing this was cathartic. Enjoy.

Edit: Let it also be said that this version of Tomoko should be considered separate from her CP and S&S selves. So, for that one guest worrying about me writing out Kakashi, well, different universe! Different dynamics. Things happen. :p

Chapter 8: Someone to Believe In

"Neh neh, Shinsō!"

Shinsō was very tempted to put his hands to his ears to block out the sound of Ashido's voice, but this was still his classmate in Class 2-A, so he had to learn how to put up with it sooner or later. It was almost time for lunch after all, and Sensei was asleep in his sleeping bag. No getting around it. "What is it, Ashido?"

The pink girl had turned pinker at the sound of her name, smiling brighter as she looked very close to poking him. "Hey! You answered me!"

"Don't I answer everyone these days," he drawled sarcastically, but still opened one eye to look at her. "What is it."

Ashido clasped her hands together and leaned in very close while blurting out, "Are you and Tomo-chan going out?!"

Shinsō nearly fell out of his chair because at that moment, his legs decided to turn to granite. "Wh—"

Leonhart, who was sitting nearby, started snickering. Shinsō rounded on her with a glare and she didn't stop laughing, merely turning her head away while her shoulders shook. "G-Good question, Mina-chan, good question!" The mirth was obvious in her voice, making Shinsō's irritation spike just a bit more. "They do hang out a lot!"

"True, true!" Ashido's back in her corner again, nodding her head like something wise had just been said. "And with all the hugs Tomo-chan gives you, Shinsō, it's obvious you two have something!"

For once in his life, Shinsō wondered if it was the right idea to have friends. And for the umpteenth time, Shinsō sighs, very tempted to pinch the bridge of his nose but instead resorting to rubbing the back of his neck and turning away to not look at Pinky. "…You realize Tomoko hugs Hikari and Kei-san too, Ashido, right?"

Ms. Foreigner nearby is still snickering. Darn Leonhart.

And in spite of his remark, Ashido looks like she simply got more fuel to her fire, eyes sparkling. "You called Tomo-chan by her first name! And not 'Hoshino'!" She gasps theatrically. "You do have something with her!"

"I so ship you two!" the invisible Hagakure added with a squeal at the front of the room.

Goddammit.

Class rep Iida himself gets up from his seat with a start, chopping his hands through the air almost wildly. "I don't think relationships are ideal since we are all trying to be heroes—"

"Th-There's nothing wrong with relationships!" Uraraka adds her three cents, and Shinsō does not miss how she's a bit pinker than usual. "It brings more positivity to the room!"

Iida looks even more panicked at the prospect and his glasses start shaking from his grasping one of the handles hanging over his face. "Uraraka-kun, the support for your classmate is appreciated, but what if they get in the same agency—"

Goddammit, it was loud.

"Will all of you quiet down," Sensei says suddenly from behind the front desk with an unamused grumble. "They're close friends at the moment so stop asking. I need to sleep."

All the muttering around Shinsō stops and he finds himself able to breathe.

"Wait—" Ashido is gasping even more now because Aizawa-sensei just piped in with his input. "Sensei, you know what's going on between Shinsō and Tomo-chan?! Please tell us!" It's almost like she's fishing for some love gossip with the obvious glee in her voice. Shinsō doesn't know whether he should be morbidly intrigued or just sick to the dark pits of his stomach.

There's a shuffle of the same yellow sleeping bag and then a red eye is poking out of the black hole inside. The following answer was a simple and deadpan, "No." A pause, and then he added an extended hand pointing his thumb downwards. "Get to lunch already." Without any second to spare, Aizawa rezips his sleeping bag and then there's a snore.

As if on cue, the bell rang.

"Darn it!" Ashido bemoans loudly.

"It's okay, Mina-chan," Hagakure says with an invisible hand clamping down on Ashido's shoulder. "We can look into it later."

"Hagakure-chaaaaan…" Hugging ensues.

Shinsō puts his face in his hands. "Thanks, Sensei," he muttered to himself, and the others start filing out of the classroom and into their groups while Midoriya and Ms. Foreigner herself stay behind. Leonhart is still snickering, glancing at him every once in a while to make kissing noises. Ugh.

"You okay, Shinsō-kun?" Midoriya asks, his hands holding his bento bundle and Shinsō can do nothing but shrug.

"I'll be fine," he says, and gets up from his desk to grab his school bag. He needed to get lunch too. "You can get to the cafeteria on your own, Midoriya. I have someone to wait on."

"I-If you're sure," Midoriya says, but the light in his eyes doesn't falter as he walks past. "Good luck with that, and I'll see you in class later?"

"Yeah." Shinsō rubs the back of his head while glancing at Leonhart. She's still looking away, shoulders shaking from snickers. He taps the back of her chair while passing to let her know. "We both will see you later," he says casually. "You can count on that."

Midoriya beams and the moment could've ended there.

It could've.

"S-Someone to wait on?!" Oh shit, Uraraka and Iida are still in the room. Uravity herself is staring wide-eyed at him, and he can see how a big smile has bloomed on her face. If Shinsō didn't know any better, hearts could've been flying behind her head from the sudden "realization" she was having. "D-Don't tell me—" Shinsō can already see the familiar name on Uraraka's lips just from reading her mouth.

Leonhart takes that moment to stop laughing and look at Uraraka with a warm smile. "Who else?"

Uraraka beams back. "Tomo-chan's coming here!"

Leonhart's grin grows wider as she pops the last syllable in her reply of, "Yeeeeep!"

Shinsō shoulders his school bag and walks over to the door, making sure not to bump Iida's shoulder on the way to wait. Iida's looking at him, wordlessly gaping and chopping his hands as usual, but Shinsō can't really find it in himself to care. He's a good class rep, but some things you just don't question.

It doesn't even take a second for blue eyes to peek out from around the hallway corner and then spot him.

A high-pitched "Hitoshi-kuuuuuuun!" echoes through the hallway and Shinsō hides a smirk. The blue hair ribbons are obvious even from a distance. The small petite figure closes in with the sound of shoes hitting the tile floors, and it's obvious Hoshino is running. She looks out of breath, still carrying her own school bag, but she's smiling at him and her blue eyes are still bright. "Hitoshi-kun!"

"Hey, Tomoko," he says, and he doesn't even hesitate to open his arms as soon as she's a meter away. This was a routine at this point. Screw onlookers, they were going to figure it out sooner or later. Even if he would regret the possibility of Ashido and the other girls hounding him on this kind of thing. But wait. She's running too fast. Oh no. "Wait a second, Tomoko, slow down—"

"Oh god," Midoriya says faintly behind him.

Iida's yelling frantically, saying a loud, "No running in the hallways, Hoshino-kun—"

"Taaaaaaaaah!" is the happy squeal-kind-of-noise leaving her lips and then Tomoko is jumping and barreling into Shinsō's chest in a tackle hug. Yep. He was too late. Everyone was way too late. Shinsō holds back the urge to groan, squeezing her anyways while twirling on his feet to try working off the momentum. Tomoko's giggling into his school blazer and cuddling him, and he's tempted to blush if not for the aching in his ribs representative of all of Hoshino's unintended force. "I found you, beloved friend! Hello!"

"Yes, yes, you did," Shinsō mutters tiredly into her hair, and he breathes in the rosemary scent that is Hoshino before tapping the top of her head with the back of his free hand. Still soft. "Hello to you too. But do you have to tackle me every single time?"

Tomoko pulls back as if slapped, and there's a kicked-puppy look in her blue eyes. "Uh," she says, caught off-guard, "if you don't like it, I can stop?"

Shinsō sighs and pets the top of her hair. "I didn't say I didn't like it, Hoshino. Just ease up on the running, okay? Davy would have a heart attack if something happened to you."

He leaves out the thought of, I'd be worried too.

"It is also against school regulations to run in the hallways, Hoshino-kun!" Iida hotly interrupts, and Shinsō pretends to be invisible so Tomoko can notice him instead. "You may have a wonderful relationship with Shinsō-kun—"

"It wasn't intentional—" Shinsō decides to add sarcastically.

Iida continues, unabated with his usual hand chops. "But you could risk danger to others around you!"

Still. The smile is back on Tomoko's face as she nods, albeit sheepish in Iida's direction, raising her hand to salute to Shinsō and him. The gesture merely signified her energy coming back in full swing. "Aye aye, Cap'n Shinsō, Lieutenant Iida!" she chirps. "Roger that!"

"L—" Iida's thrown off guard. "Lieutenant? Not Class Rep?"

"I-I mean, Iida-san is Class 2-A's Rep! I'm in 1-C!"

"Ohhhh," Midoriya says quietly. "That explains things."

Shinsō holds back an amused scoff just in time for Kei and Davy to approach. "Doofus. Be more observant."

"Eh—"

"My baby sis!" Davy coos loudly, and Tomoko has no chance to react before he's swooping her into his arms from behind, pressing his cheek into her hair and snuggling her. Shinsō actively backs up to give the adoptive siblings space. "This is where you ran off to!"

"N-Nii! Too tight, too tight!" Tomo's cheeks flush a light red from the close proximity and the surprise, resulting in Kei chuckling as soon as she flanks Shinsō's side, looking on with fondness in her black eyes. "K-Kei-chan, help!"

"Nope," Kei says simply, wearing a not-so-nice smile. Wow. "I'll stay with Hitoshi-kun over here, Tomo." Without skipping a beat, she glances behind her to wave at the others. "Hi, Midoriya-san, Uraraka-chan, Iida-san, Hikari-chan."

Leonhart lets out a laugh, getting up from her seat as soon as Midoriya is glancing between Davy and Tomoko in shock. "Hey, Kei! Ready for lunch?" The question was short, but it still was marked by how Iida looked caught between intervening and staring himself while Uraraka hummed, going along with the situation.

"Just about," Kei shares a glance with Shinsō and he rubs his neck. "Give it a minute." Meanwhile the hug?

It was ongoing. Going way past a minute. Somehow. Shinsō couldn't help but wonder what kind of house Tomoko grew up in considering who was hanging onto her with a death grip. And this was the guy with the Quirk that made him both "Unkillable" and "Extremely Unlucky." Anyone would die in his position at any second, and yet he was choosing to spend his time cuddling a certain someone who would give cuddles to everyone else. At least, that's how the scene looked to Shinsō.

"Tomo-chan, don't just run off without Nii! Nii needs you around too, y'know!" Davy's still cooing and Tomoko's still blushing. "Hugs are a family thing!"

"B-But," Tomoko's spluttering now, huh, her hands are waving in the air, when did they start doing that? "H-Hitoshi-kun and Kei-chan are family too, Nii! Along with Hika-chan, Ochako-chan, and people in my class, and hugs are great! I don't—" there's another squeeze and she squeaks out in a nervous high-pitch, "see what's the problem!?" Davy's squeezing her tighter now. "Eep!"

Shinsō does his best to hide the happy blush at the whole "family" thing and shoots a glare at Kei once he starts hearing her snickering. Kei merely sticks her tongue out at him.

"Should we…" Midoriya fumbles, raising a shaky pointer finger to the two siblings, "should we stop them?"

Kei and Shinsō share a glance before shrugging. "Nah," they say in unison.

"Why can't I take your attention sometimes!?" Davy's actually starting to tear up. How. "You are growing up so fast, Tomo-chan! I miss you as a little girl! My favorite baby sis!" He's still hugging her, even with the obvious rain starting to drip down onto said little sis's head. "Why can't there be a time machine…?"

Tomoko in question is still pink and starting to squirm. "I-It was going to happen one day? And time machines don't exist! You still see me in school, Nii! Even with the dorms!" It takes a single moment for her to reconsider her words. "A-And I think I was your only baby sis for the first few years… or something."

Uraraka is the first one to break out laughing. "Sh-Should we all just — pffft — go to lunch together?"

Shinsō freezes, but it's only for a second because Kei claps a comforting hand on his shoulder and Tomoko is finally away from her clingy upperclassman of a big brother, no thanks to a careful push. "S-Sure?" Tomoko's voice cracks, but it's really from the sudden offer than anything else. "That's fine? It'll be a big crowd, so we'll have to find a table fast?"

"Then let us be off, Hoshino-kun!" Iida declares, and Midoriya smiles in time with Tomoko's shy giggle. "Former Emergency Exit Iida Tenya shall escort you!"

What.

Yep. Shinsō doesn't know what to make of it, but Kei is still around and Leonhart's suddenly flanking him now too. "C'mon, Purple Troll," Hikari muses, grabbing his right arm, "let's get you a social life!"

"I already had one—"

Kei chuckles. "That doesn't stop you from learning more."

Shinsō sighs. He still wasn't expecting the next moment.

"Oh! Wait a second!"

Iida starts in the middle of his march to the cafeteria. "Hoshino-kun?"

"Give me a minute, everybody." Tomoko jumps and everyone turns to look at her as she proceeds to run into the 2-A classroom of all things, ducking behind the front desk to kneel towards the head of a familiar yellow sleeping bag. She pokes the bag gently. "Aizawa-sensei?"

There's a grumble.

Midoriya and Iida both look like they're close to panicking with the nervous and serious faces they were wearing, but Shinsō watches out of curiosity. Tomoko reaches over to gently pat the head area of the sleeping bag this time with her free hand while clutching her school bag, whispering her words. It was almost like she was used to this. "Aizawa-sensei, could I see you for a second? I want to give something to you, and you can sleep as much as you want after this."

A pause. Then, to the shock of everyone except Kei, Leonhart, and Shinsō, the zipper in the front of the bag comes down and Sensei's grimacing, rubbing one of his eyes. Even though he was sleeping a few seconds ago, the nap made it look like he came out of a dungeon with the dark bags lining his eyes. "Make it quick. I'm tired." The red eyes symbolizing Eraserhead stares Tomoko down in anything but tired resignation. "What is it, Hoshino?"

Tomoko smiles and proceeds to pull out a small bundle of what looked like cookies from her bag, setting them down near Aizawa's nose. "Sweets for you as thanks for letting me see Hitoshi-kun's training session the other day, Sensei," she says in the same whisper, slowly getting to her feet while still smiling. "They're cat-shaped and have plenty of chocolate chips and almonds."

Aizawa goes cross-eyed at the bundle in front of him. "…Is it dark chocolate?"

The Chocolate Fairy nods. "Made just for you, Sensei." She rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet, hugging her school bag while nudging the gift closer to him with her free hand. "Feel free to share them with Mic-sensei if you want."

"Ohmigod," Davy says faintly. "So cute… my baby sis, caring for people!"

Shinsō can't help but give him a look. "What are you, her brother or her dad?"

"I can be both!"

"That just invalidates Judai-jichan's entire blood relation with Tomo, Davy," Kei deadpanned.

"But does that make Kei and I the big sisters?" Leonhart adds her three cents. Wow.

"Huh. I mean," Kei blinks in careful consideration, tapping her fingers against her forearms since she crossed her arms a long while ago. "I am a big sister already with Hayate. Having another sibling isn't a bad thing when I've known Tomo since forever."

Leonhart shoots finger guns at her with a grin. "Exactly!"

Kei grins back.

"You two quiet down!" Iida interrupts, still watching the scene from the doorway.

"Hm," Aizawa says finally and then a lanky arm reaches out of his sleeping bag to take the gift, making it disappear into the yellow sleeping bag with him before the zipper goes all the way up to cover his face. "…Get to lunch, Hoshino."

Tomoko giggles. "Aye aye. Have a nice nap, Sensei."

Everyone was still staring once she trotted over to return. Silence was a good way of approximating what was said in that moment.

Tomoko blinks, but is barely fazed, merely inclining her head in confusion. "Eh? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Yep. The Chocolate Fairy is still oblivious.

Uraraka coos and reaches over to wrap her arms around Tomoko's shoulders. "Never change, Tomo-chan."

"Eh? Eh?"

For once, Shinsō could see everyone else in the group agree without needing him to voice it too.

It's not everyday that the cafeteria isn't crowded and Lunch Rush is especially free for serving today, so Shinsō does his best to not run and get an order of a miso soup set. Iida had to come along with the rest of the Dekusquad, so that meant watching out for any accidental "rule-breaking." Even if everyone in the large gathering was hungry.

Which begs the mention.

Growl.

"Uh," says Leonhart.

Grooooooowl.

"Um," says Midoriya and Uraraka at the same time. Iida is already rounding on the person in question and a certain pianist stiffens.

"Tomo," Kei sighs from Shinsō's right side, "did you eat breakfast this morning before class?"

Tomoko is flushing an indignant pink as she nods vigorously. "I don't skip meals, Kei! I ate!"

"Uh-huh," Kei replies in clear disbelief. "Then why is your stomach sounding like a Tailed Beast?" The reference clearly flies over everyone's heads but Tomoko and Kei's. For once, Shinsō wishes he could get the joke. Or was it a joke?

The pink darkens to an embarrassed red and Tomoko ducks her head. "I… didn't eat much for dinner last night?" she confesses. "There was an assignment I wanted to finish before the morning, not to mention I wanted to make the cookies for Aizawa-sensei ASAP, so I went to sleep at… well, 11?"

"That's fine," Shinsō finds himself saying, much to Davy's visible exasperation and annoyance from over his shoulder, "But what time did you wake up?"

Tomoko's still not looking at anyone. "…Seven," she says finally. "Still eight hours of sleep. I think."

Kei sighs again and merely reached over to pat Tomoko's head before approaching Lunch Rush. "Hey, Lunch Rush-san?" she asks, pointedly ignoring the pianist's confused mouse noises. "Please give Tomo the largest seafood curry serving you got. With some shrimp tempura on top."

Leonhart snickers as Tomoko flushes. "H-Hey!"

"You need nutrition, Tomo," Kei says flatly, adding to Lunch Rush, "Chicken ramen for me please," before turning back and flicking Tomoko's forehead. There's a squeal of protest, but Kei is barely fazed while going on with her talk. "Your Quirk takes a lot out of you and I don't think I need to bring up your internship with Recovery Girl."

"I-It's more like volunteering than interning, Kei…"

Lunch Rush proceeds to slide a tray holding white rice and the ordered curry over the counter and Kei doesn't hesitate to take it and promptly shove it into Tomoko's arms. Not enough to spill, but enough for her to carry something to eat. "My point still stands. Just take this and accept friendly love."

Tomoko goes wide-eyed at the tray before nodding and ducking her head. The reply is barely audible if not for everyone being close by to hear it, Shinsō included. "…Love you too, Kei."

Shinsō decides to ignore the bit of "what the hell" curling in his gut at the words.

Kei smirks and proceeds to pat her shoulder before pushing her towards Shinsō. Now what? "Don't I know it. So get going and find a table, Tomo!"

It takes a careful sidestep for Tomoko to not bump into Shinsō's shoulder, but she's still pink and now pouting towards Kei who made herself a meter or so away. "You better not start a fight with the Hero students and Nii, Kei!"

There's a distant answer of, "No promises!" but Tomoko's now looking at Shinsō and her blue eyes are sheepish and honest. Just like her. "Well, Hitoshi-kun, putting my obnoxious best friend aside, wanna go?"

Shinsō doesn't know if Kei did it on purpose or not, but having the pianist here at his side definitely made his day feel a bit better. That dark part of his gut was gone now and he smirked back. "Sure," he says simply, balancing his miso tray on his left hand while reaching over to pat Tomoko's head with his right. Her hair was still soft. "Let's go, Tomoko."

"Muuuuu, what is it with you getting onto the 'patting my head' train?" Tomoko's puffing her cheeks like a squirrel, but it's obvious she doesn't mean the complaint with the sparkles in her eyes. "It feels like I really am becoming the little sis of the group!"

"It's not a bad thing," Shinsō carefully points out, nudging her with his shoulder so she could start walking. "That means everyone cares for you."

"True, but," Tomoko's starting to whine a bit, huh, Shinsō doesn't think he's heard her whine before. "I don't want to be a baby forever. I wanna help you and everyone else out too."

Shinsō holds onto his tray to hide the pleased grin growing on his face. "And here I thought you weren't a Hero hopeful like the rest of us. Aside from Kei-san."

To his surprise, Tomoko rounds on him with a surprised face before the light in her eyes seems to die a little. Huh? "…I'm still not," she says, quieter, and Shinsō blinks as she carefully walks past him to stand near an empty table. Tomoko then raises her head to smile and wave at him, and Shinsō would've taken it as genuine if not for how dull her blue eyes look now. "C'mon, Hitoshi-kun, let's sit and wait for the others."

Shinsō blinks, feeling a bit out of place. There was that feeling in his head again, that Tomoko was thinking about something unpleasant and this time she was actively trying to hide it. "You sure?"

Tomoko smiles again and sits down, patting the nearby space on the bench. Some of the light is coming back into her eyes, but not all of it is truly there. "Aye."

Shinsō sighs quietly to himself. From the looks of things, this was probably something he couldn't handle alone. And considering…

"Shinsō! Wait for us!"

Leonhart, Kei-san, and everyone else was here too.

They could get an answer out of Tomoko. Hopefully. Shinsō was banking on her having honest, looser lips than Kei-san and Davy combined.

Leave it to Iida to talk first. He barely even touches his white rice before waving his chopsticks in the air as a form of starting the conversation. "So, Hoshino-kun, you are in General Studies?"

"1-C, Iida-san, yes," Tomoko says gently, scooping a small spoonful of her seafood curry to bite on. She chews thoughtfully before finishing with, "I'm a year younger than everyone here."

"And yet you still ended up with us dorks," Hikari teased with a finger gun and Tomoko shrugged, smiling at her. "You regret it?"

"Nope!"

Shinsō carefully slurped his soup, carefully enjoying the warmth in the room.

"Awww," Uraraka coos, and she's pink with joy as she bounces in her chair, daftly avoiding accidentally elbowing Midoriya who's sitting next to her. "You are a little sis, Tomo-chan! Both in UA and at home!"

"Oh, stop that," Tomoko waves it off with a frantic raised right hand, blushing now, "I already have Nii to handle. Not to mention Kei. I dunno how much more I can dedicate to other people, Ochako-chan." Once Davy and Kei are exchanging a glance over the table, though, Tomoko pales and she adds, "Not that I mind you two! I love you two very much!"

Davy "awwwww"s loudly and smiles. Right across from him, Kei chuckles and reaches over to pull the girl into a warm side-hug. "We love you too, Tomo," she says quite warmly. "Just don't overwork yourself."

"I-I'm trying?"

"Just eat your lunch, dork. I didn't ask Lunch Rush to include extra shrimp for nothing."

"But… I thought you hated shrimp, Kei."

"I still do."

Shinsō drinks his miso soup again to hide the scoff of amusement lingering in his throat.

"Which reminds me, Hoshino…san?" Midoriya tries, and now everyone is looking at him, Shinsō included. "Why are you staying in General Studies? With the way your Quirk works and your work with Recovery Girl, I would've thought you would want to be a Hero like Shinsō-kun…"

Well damn. Midoriya was getting nosy.

Kei's eyes go wide first. "What brought this on, Midoriya-san?"

Tomoko's spoon was halfway to her mouth before it dropped to her plate with an audible clatter.

Midoriya blinks, and it's only then that he realizes the situation and he fumbles. "I-I just, I was just wondering! Everyone in the General Studies Course seems to look at the Hero Course pretty badly, so to see Hoshino-san here with us and happy, I was curious…" He scratches at his freckles before glancing at Shinsō. "No offense intended, Shinsō-kun, considering you're here with us too after last year."

"N-None taken," Shinsō says dully, but it really could've been said with more emotion considering how Tomoko hasn't moved. At all. Her spoon was still sitting on her tray. "Think you have to work on your timing though, Midoriya."

"Wh-Why's that?" Iida's chopping his hands through the air. "It was an honest question! I was wondering the same thing!"

"B-But, Iida-kun," Uraraka's face had turned worried now too, and she glances between him and the motionless Tomoko. "I don't know if Tomo-chan's up for answering…"

"About that…" Davy starts to whistle, and Shinsō glances at Leonhart only to see her shrug helplessly. "That's kind of a long story…"

Shinsō didn't know whether to laugh or stare because Davy unknowingly echoed a line he knew Tomoko said many times before.

Tomoko twitches and all the rabble at their table stops once she takes a deep breath.

Kei inclines her head, squeezing Tomoko's shoulders tighter. "Tomo?"

Hikari leans in close too, her smile dropping for a worried frown as she offers a hand. "Tomo-chan?"

Tomoko raises her head and she smiles weakly at the two. Shinsō doesn't miss how everyone at the table with the exception of the Dekusquad exhale a sigh of pure relief. "I-I'm okay, you two," she adds quietly, and she raises her hands to reach out towards Kei and Leonhart. Both females immediately grip her hands back in return and Tomoko smiles again. It's almost as if the warmth came back to the cafeteria with that one expression. "I'm okay."

Screw this. He couldn't wait around either. Shinsō gently put down his miso soup and reached over to pat Tomoko's head. She didn't move, but the sideways glance in his direction was enough.

And then, with no pause, Tomoko glances between each member of the Dekusquad before lowering her head and letting go of Kei and Leonhart's hands, her hair ribbons coming down to frame her shaded face. Kei lets her shoulders go too, for the sake of space, probably. "I… I probably should've shared my story sooner or later. If you don't mind something… well, depressing."

Midoriya notices the situation almost immediately, clapping a nervous hand down onto Iida's shoulder to stop the hand chopping, just as Uraraka pipes up with a small, "You sure, Tomo-chan?"

"I'm sure, Ochako-chan, I'm sure." In spite of Tomoko nodding, Shinsō does not feel convinced and neither does Davy, considering he reaches across the table to push the girl's water cup in her direction. "Thankie, Nii," she says, warmth creeping into her voice, and then takes another breath. She picks up her spoon to absently stir her curry. "I… I used to want to be a hero. Papa was a hero before I was born anyways."

"A pro hero?" Suddenly Midoriya has a notebook in his hands and he's flipping through the pages. "Your father, Hoshino-san?"

Tomoko smiles. "I-I think you might find him in your notes, Midoriya-san. 'Neos.'"

Shinsō freezes. That name was only in textbooks until now. Just, just. What?

It does not take long for Midoriya to find the page he's looking for and he's gaping. "Th-Th-The former Number 10 Hero twenty years ago?! I-I know he retired for family reasons, but I didn't think—"

Uraraka is now staring at Tomoko like she's a goddess of some kind. "I-I didn't know your family was famous, Tomo-chan!"

"N-No, no, it's just Papa!" But Tomoko's smiling and the air seems a bit warmer with it.

Kei snickers in time with Tomoko's giggling. "Marriages are supposed to be private, aren't they?" she adds dryly, patting Tomoko's back. "Judai-jichan doesn't like bragging about it."

"The mass media are shit anyways," Davy interrupts and he's clutching his donut a bit tighter. "When I met him and Tomo-chan, Neos was already long gone. He would like to keep it that way, so," Davy bites into his donut hard enough for some jelly to squirt onto the table. He chews then levels a glare towards everyone, Shinsō included. "Could you guys just keep it a secret?"

"I solemnly swear!" Hikari says first, putting a hand to her heart. Shinsō's speechless, but he does the same, nodding vigorously. Iida has put it upon himself to shut his own mouth, saluting in time with Midoriya's loud, "YES!" so that was that.

Tomoko's smile loses a bit of its warmth in exchange for seriousness as she nods. "Thankie, everyone," she says, and then she stirs a bit of rice into her curry. "I guess, to start things off, I only figured out Papa was Neos when I was little. When… When…" she pauses.

"When?" Uraraka repeats gently.

Shinsō doesn't miss how her lip quivers around the syllable "T". Of course it's that douchebag. Instead of voicing that thought, he offers a hand to her. "Tomoko?"

Kei looks at him questioningly from over Tomoko's hair, but Shinsō can't find it in himself to care. Right now, what mattered was helping someone. And this was reminding him of that time at the swings. He couldn't stand by and do nothing, especially as a future Hero.

The Chocolate Fairy raises her head and shock is shining in those blue eyes before morphing into something soft. Shinsō didn't want to delude himself into thinking it was love, but her voice was sweet all the same. "Thankie, Hitoshi-kun," she says and without hesitation, reaches over to place her palm in his. He starts from holyshit, we're doing this, but squeezes her hand anyway, and a light pink brushes Tomoko's cheeks. "…Think I can continue?"

"Sure, but if something happens, I'm willing to brainwash everyone to forget this," he says immediately.

There's a pause. "Wow, Hitoshi, I think I'm a bad influence on you," Kei then deadpans with a large grin. "And here I thought I was the delinquent."

"Hah," Shinsō replies, but squeezes Tomoko's hand tighter. "I meant it."

Tomoko blinks and then Leonhart snickers first. Tomoko giggles next and she shakes her head. "I-I don't want your Hero image getting ruined, Hitoshi-kun. As reassuring as your words are, I want to say this, okay?"

"A-And that might cause more trouble, Shinsō-kun!" Iida hotly interrupts, and Shinsō does not miss how Midoriya slowly inches off the bench. "Let Hoshino-kun speak!"

"Fineeeeeee," Shinsō grumbles immaturely, closing his eyes. He doesn't let go of her hand. He doesn't think he could anyway. "I'm not going anywhere."

A second later, there's a tug on his fingers. Shinsō opens his eyes and looks into hesitant blue ones. Tomoko's looking at him. "You sure?" she says quietly.

A fond sigh leaves his lips and Shinsō adjusts his hand so that they can intertwine their fingers. Uraraka and Leonhart both are giving them happy looks of sorts while Davy looks like he could burn holes into his head from his stare, but Shinsō still can't find it in himself to care. Only one person mattered right now. "When was I not sure, Hoshino?" He squeezes her hand tighter and Tomoko's blush darkens to a light red. "Just talk. I'm here."

He wasn't All Might. There was no way he could be All Might. But Shinsō was tempted to try.

Tomoko takes a sharp breath before nodding, and she glances between their hands and Shinsō's face. "O-Okay," she says, quieter and definitely embarrassed, but she squeezes his fingers back. "I-I blame you if my heart gives out from this before my story."

"Sure, sure," Shinsō agrees. He doesn't plan on letting go. Nope.

"I got the water in case of meltdown!" Hikari adds in suddenly and happily, and sure enough, she has a water bottle in hand. What the heck. "No worries, Tomo-chan! You got this!"

"I-I don't think water is the way to go for meltdowns, Leonhart-san," Midoriya comments nervously, but he's definitely looking away from this public display of affection. Ugh.

"I don't regret it," Shinsō concludes flatly, and he leans in to bonk Tomoko's head. She yelps, Iida's suddenly yelling, but he keeps his voice down so only she could hear. "I'm not letting you be alone. Ever."

Tomoko jolts again, but it seemed to make a mark because now her eyes are watery when looking up at him. "I-I know. I got it. Just, um," she exhales shakily, "C-Could I get the space to talk, Hitoshi-kun?"

Shinsō rolls his eyes but does so. "Go on then."

With her free hand, Tomoko covers her eyes, her ears now pink. "What is it with me and dorks…?"

"Is that an insult?" Shinsō deadpans.

"N-No."

"You live with them, Tomo," Kei adds dryly, giving a not-so-nice smirk, "Deal with it."

Tomoko sighs and puts her head to the table. "—reaffirms why I don't why to be a hero."

Midoriya blinks. "H-Hoshino-san?"

"Everyone here just reminds me of why I chose not to be a hero," Tomoko repeats, and this time Shinsō feels his heart truly freeze. "Because I want to support people like you, Midoriya-san, who knows how to handle their powers to help people, and… and it would help me remember that Ty doesn't define my life anymore."

There's a distinct sound of something snapping, and Shinsō looks past Tomoko's shoulder to see broken chopsticks in Kei's fists. Welp. Shinsō can't blame her. His name got brought up in the conversation after all. "Tomo…" Kei sounds close to growling. "He's a certified asshole."

"I-I know," but Tomoko's reply sounds weak. "I know."

Davy's fork had snapped too. "He came back?"

"Nonononono, no, Nii, Ty is gone. He's been gone." Tomoko's gripping Shinsō's hand tighter now and Shinsō carefully hides a wince. "I'm okay. I'm okay, I'm just…" she ducks her head away this time, so Shinsō carefully offers a shoulder as soon as she leans in close to him. Tomoko glances at him before nodding and gently resting her head against his blazer for a single second, taking a breath. "I'm just remembering him. He wasn't good."

"T…" Uraraka stumbles over the name. "Ty? Was this person…"

There's something like horror showing in Midoriya's eyes now as Leonhart sits up straighter. "Is this the guy who hurt you, Tomo-chan?" Leonhart asks immediately, and the one water bottle in her hands is infinitely closer to Tomoko in question as a worried expression dawns on her face. "Is this about that ex-friend?"

"Ex-friend?" Iida repeats in disbelief.

Tomoko nods, slowly too, and she loosens her grip on Shinsō's hand. "It was way before I came to UA. Before I met Kei-chan." Shinsō takes a breath with the gesture, rubbing the back of her palm with his thumb in the hopes of being a rock. In the hopes of being some ground. "Ty was… Ty was my first love."

Even if hearing that last part hurt more than any other punch Aizawa-sensei gave in training. Even if Shinsō had heard it before, it still hurt.

"Oh god," Uraraka says faintly. Iida's jaw drops too.

"It… It was a bit after I found out Papa was formerly Neos. Ty was seven. I was five. We were together for… for ten years, now that I think about it." There's a smile on Tomoko's face as she slowly lifts her head from Shinsō's shoulder, but Shinsō doesn't need to be close by to know the smile was fake. That the smile was broken. "We got along at first, liking the same shows and cooking together. Mama and Papa liked him too. Nii too, I think." Davy's scowl nearby clearly showed he didn't feel the same anymore, though. "It was only a year in that… that he might've shown his true colors."

Iida is deathly quiet as his hands clench into tight fists near his tray. "Did he hurt you?"

"No shit, Iida-san," Kei snaps, but Tomoko's flinching and Kei reels back, shooting her an apologetic look. "Sorry, Tomo."

"I-It's okay, Kei-chan, really." Tomoko's gone back to calling Kei with the "-chan" honorific, even though Shinsō's sure she hasn't used that since the beginning of the school year. "You're not alone in feeling that way if Nii is any indication."

"Yeah," Davy growls, but his gaze is anything but angry as soon as Shinsō looks up at him. Davy's brown eyes are pointed at Tomoko and Tomoko alone, and his mouth was trembling between a frustrated frown and a worried line. "Tomo-chan…"

"I-I guess," Tomoko waves her other free hand helplessly in the air, "the only reason why I'm bringing him up is because he's the one who convinced me to not be a hero. Because he wanted to be a hero."

Iida blinks. "Hoshino-kun…"

"I-It's not that I'm stopping all of you who want to be heroes!" Tomoko's fumbling more now but Shinsō squeezes her hand anyways. She shoots him a glance of surprise before taking a deep breath. "Being a hero is a nice thing. You help people, get compensated properly, and make the world a better place. I really really respect that." Through her hair, Shinsō could swear Tomoko's smile looked more nostalgic. Happy, almost, if not for her hand shaking under his grip. "I… I just couldn't make the standard. I never could. Ty cut me down before anyone else could in saying I could never be a hero. That I was better off dead."

Leonhart nearly breaks a plastic cup herself and Uraraka looks close to punching someone. "What."

Davy gasps wordlessly.

"To Ty, heroes were… were worthless. He wanted to be a hero to fuck up all of society, now that I think about it. He hated Papa's identity too, when I accidentally said it one day." Tomoko's grip on Shinsō's fingers loosened and her voice dropped to a dry deadpan Shinsō never thought he could hear from her of all people. "Because Papa couldn't save him. Heroes weren't able to save him from his family. Because no one listened to him when he got hurt. No one hero handled the kids in a way that helped outside of money. Except me. And he didn't want me."

"Hoshino-san…" Midoriya says gently, but even then, his green eyes were close to watering. Was he feeling the same? "Ty… Ty was like Kacchan to you, wasn't he?"

Shinsō glances at Uraraka and she shakily mouths "Bakugo" to him. Oh fuck.

Tomoko shudders and suddenly there's a droplet near her tray that wasn't there before. Oh fuck. "I-I'm not sure, Midoriya-san. I just remember trying to help him feel better, making chocolate over and over and over for him, and then I remember him yelling at me. Over and over and over. Even after he moved away, even after Kei-chan came into my life, he found a way to come back on the phone when Nii and Kei-chan weren't looking." The droplets then become two. Then three. Then five.

Davy's caught between reaching out and fumbling. "T-Tomo-chan—"

Tomoko shakes her head. "I-I wasn't good enough. My Quirk would never be good enough to help people as a Hero. He constantly said I couldn't be a Hero. Even when I looked up to him and what he could do, he never really believed in me. He said my being a hero-idealist would only lead to me being killed by villains, and that I wasn't worthy to be in his world if I didn't change. I would die like any other shitty person if I kept thinking I was going to be saved. If I kept thinking I could save everyone. If I didn't see people as selfish monsters that didn't care for jack shit like him." A soft, dry laugh leaves Tomoko's lips. "He was the one who said Heroes were worthless and that he was going to be a Hero to change that. To re-educate ignorant people like me and everyone else. That's when… when calls became meetings. He spoke a lot more. He didn't notice when I cried after every phone call." Tomoko shudders, shrinking into herself. "I-It's when I decided to come to UA and he failed that he snapped."

Uraraka definitely is close to fuming. Hikari on the other hand looks very close to wrinkling her nose in a very ugly expression while Iida's glasses had long fogged over. Midoriya looks caught between anger and crying himself now.

Shinsō himself is very tempted to punch the table.

Instead of any other reaction, Kei puts a hand to Tomoko's head to pull her in for a side hug. "He's fucking lucky he didn't get hit by a bus, Tomo," she growls lowly, stroking Tomoko's hair. "Because to be a teacher means to not be a fucking asshole."

Tomoko sniffles, shaking her head while trying to pull out of the hug. "H-He was right, though. I cry a lot, I can't exactly fight without freezing up first, and — and," she looks at her lap, many droplets falling down to form a small puddle near her chilling curry. "Chocolate can't save everyone. Not everyone wants to be saved, and not everyone wants to hear a little naive girl like me. People… Some people are just like that. Some people are just… just toxic like that. Even when you trust them. Even when you love them more than anything in the whole world."

And with those words out in the air, there's silence. Midoriya opens his mouth, Tomoko's name clearly on his lips before he closes it, looking away. His hands clench into hard and tight fists too, just like Iida's. Meanwhile Davy's cracking his knuckles, but Shinsō cuts to the chase by squeezing her hand. Making sure to not let up. "…You're still here, Tomoko," he says as gently as he can in spite of the anger spiking in his blood. "You're still at UA, with all of us. You still pushed him away."

To everyone's surprise, there's a soft, tinkly giggle. It's different from the dry laughter from before in how sudden and warm it is. Shinsō can feel the blood roaring through his ears now with the giggle, and then Hoshino is looking up at him with red-rimmed yet bright blue eyes. "It's because of you and everyone here that I am, y'know," she sniffs. "I-It's because of you that I could even tell him 'No.'"

Shinsō found himself speechless. "Wh…"

Midoriya's blushing. "W-Wait, Hoshino-san, did you really—"

Tomoko giggles again. "The Sports Festival for the first years back in my last year of middle school was really famous, Hitoshi-kun, didn't you know?" She's rubbing her thumb against Shinsō's now and her smile this time looked more like Hoshino than any others today. "It was because of your fights with everyone that I decided I wanted to go to UA. That I was going t-to be a Hero in my own way. Without being in the Hero Course."

Shinsō's blushing just like Midoriya now. Goddammit. His cheeks are definitely burning, his hand is starting to get sweaty, but Tomoko's not letting go of him. "I didn't win, Hoshino," he points out dully.

"So?" Tomoko's giggling again and she's leaning into Kei's hug like she would when she was happy. "Kei didn't win either, and she threw her fight with Bakugo just to piss him off. And Nii looked like a nerd. Hika-chan was just… yeah, she was weirdly badass."

Kei's chuckling, Ms. Foreigner in Hikari was dropping her ugly face for the biggest grin in the world, and Davy's yelling a loud "HEY", but the smile on Tomoko's face was still there. It wasn't going away. Her grip wasn't loosening either. "Everyone else too. Iida-kun, Ochako-chan, Midoriya-san." She glanced at each member of the Dekusquad with that same smile. "You all proved that Heroes can do things. That they can save people. That they aren't worthless to believe in. And, well, even if I can't be a Hero, even if there's people like… like Ty out there," she shrugs, gripping Shinsō's hand tight enough for him to feel her pulse if he focused, "I can do something. General Studies let me meet you all for real. And I can be a supporter bringing something sweet back after a hard day for the most Heroic people I know in the whole wide world, can't I?"

Tomoko raises her head and smiles with tears in her eyes. "I-I think I can s-save the Heroes too when they're in trouble, right?"

I can do something too, right?

The resulting silence does not even last a second before Uraraka is standing up from her seat and running over to tackle Tomoko in a warm hug from behind. Tomoko squeaks loudly, Uraraka doesn't let go, and then Hikari is jumping up and doing the same. Kei's already there, providing ground support from Tomoko's left side with a side-hug while Shinsō leans in gently to take up her right, awkwardly trying to do the same. There's not enough space, but they could manage. Because of the dogpile being so big, Davy's crying together with Midoriya in their seats while Iida's chopping the air with something in his eye too, but they're all here.

"O-Of course you can, Tomo-chan," Uraraka whispers vehemently, tucking her nose into the crown of Tomoko's black hair to hide a sniffle. It almost looked like Tomoko had bedhead with how much Uraraka was nuzzling her. "Of course you can. When Deku-kun, Iida-kun, Shinsō-kun, and I all strike out in the real world, w-with our agencies, you'll be the first person we scout. Promise."

Tomoko giggles again, and this time it's shaky from the tears. "I-I don't know, Ochako-chan. I think I need a P-Provisional License for that."

"Recovery Girl could do something," Kei suggests quietly, and her hands haven't moved since they went on to hold Tomoko's shoulders. "You've been working for her almost all year, Tomo. A recommendation letter is simple enough."

"N-Not to mention," Midoriya wipes at his eyes before pushing his notebook near the now cold curry tray. "Hoshino-san, I-I could pull up my old notes on Neos' old fighting style. We could help you get better at fighting." His face turns into a grimace as he looks on. "T-Ty was horrible in saying all that to you when you're more of a Hero than he ever was."

Iida's nodding vigorously with more hand chops, having gone almost silent if not for one specific declaration. "Choosing not to be a Hero and still helping others is a valid and powerful decision, Hoshino-kun. No one has the right to say otherwise."

Tomoko gasps once, but before she could say anything, Davy interrupts with an overexaggerated blow of his nose into a nearby napkin. "It's why you are still my baby sis, Tomo. You care s-so much for other people and, and Ty didn't deserve you. I'm horrible in thinking he was ever a good friend."

"N-Nii—"

"We'll cheer you up, Tomo-chan." Hikari's pushing the water bottle from earlier into Tomoko's free hand with a shaky grin. "We'll always be here."

"Besides, Tomoko," Shinsō tugs on their intertwined fingers and the light force was apparently enough to tug Tomoko out of the dogpile and into his arms. She's still red, she's still tearing up, he's blushing, but Shinsō holds on anyways and breathes in the rosemary scent that is Hoshino. "You made it. You're here. And we're not leaving you."

Tomoko shudders and then a wet patch starts growing in the middle of his school blazer. There's an additional whimper. Shinsō holds back a sigh to hug her tighter, ignoring the stares of everyone else at the table while doing so. She's earnestly, openly crying now, even if she's muffling the noise by curling up and hiding away in the hug. On another day, Shinsō probably would've complained about the commotion considering the number of eyes from everyone else pointed into his back, but this was a moment. There was no point in breaking it. "You don't have to put the whole world on your back, Hoshino," he says gently. "Leave that to the Heroes."

"B-But," Tomoko chokes on a sob, "I-I don't want to see you all hurt!"

No one misses how she fumbles with Shinsō's jacket, as if she was about to add, because of me.

He sighs. "With you here with us," Shinsō presses a kiss to the messy crown on her head without thinking, "I don't think that's a problem. I trust you. Now let it out quick so we can get back to eating lunch."

"W-Waaaaaaaaah, y-you dorks…"

Kei joins in on the hug with a soft hum. "We're your dorks, Tomo. Always."

Hikari smiles. "Friends forever."

Everyone ends up having to visit a microwave to finish eating, not to mention being late to class by about an hour, but the brightness in Tomoko's voice afterwards was worth it.

Shinsō can ask her for laundry detergent to fix his snotty shirt later.

The first time Shinsō meets Ty for real, he can't believe it's actually happening.

For all that he was said to be, from "resident jackass" to "someone who treated Tomo like shit," his appearance is almost normal. Lanky frame, narrow brown eyes, and short black hair covering his head like those Korean pop idols from some of Jirou's music videos. He's wearing a white-blue checkered button-up shirt and jeans, looking more like a simple college student than any kind of Hero. Hell, he barely towers over Shinsō by a few centimeters, but Tomoko's freezing at Shinsō's side and Shinsō already knows it's him.

"Oh. Hey, Tomoko," he says casually, waving a hand at her. "How's UA working for you?"

"T—" Tomoko's gripping Shinsō's hand tighter and she's already inching closer to hide in his shadow. Shinsō doesn't even have to look to know her blue eyes are wide and losing their light, fast. It was him. "What are you doing here, T-Ty?"

"What's so wrong with visiting my old childhood friend? I was wondering how things were going, especially considering you didn't show up in the Sports Festival Finals for the first years." Something dark surfaces in those brown eyes and Ty shrugs nonchalantly. "You said you were going to win, weren't you? Because that wasn't a win to me." His smile looks almost mocking. "What happened to all those times I taught you, huh? Did you forget in your time at UA?"

Tomoko starts to shiver behind him and Shinsō feels something in him snap. "Oh yeah? What about you? Studying going good for you?"

Ty rounds on him with a frown, the fake nice-guy act dropping for plain disgust. "Hey, I wasn't talking to you, vil—" And just like that, those narrow brown eyes go blank and his frown drops entirely. Shinsō has him.

"Go around the street corner and punch yourself," Shinsō barks and without hesitation, Ty turns on the heel of his foot to walk down the sidewalk where he came.

It's only when that checkered shirt turns past a corner and disappears that the hand gripping his loosens. Tomoko's staring at him again. "Hitoshi… kun?" She sounds breathy, in disbelief. "Did you—"

Shinsō turns to her and smiles. Those blue eyes he started to love a long time ago are now back with their light again. "What do you know," he says softly, pulling her in for a warm hug. "He wasn't that scary after all."

Tomoko shudders and her hands reach up to clutch the back of his jacket. "Y-You didn't have to do that, Hitoshi-kun."

"I had to," Shinsō insists, and he makes sure to tuck her nose into his chest before discreetly pressing a kiss to her hair. "I have to keep up my position of someone you believe in as a Hero, don't I?"

With a small jolt, Tomoko curls in on herself and snuggles him. "D-Dork." There's no malice in the word. If anything, it's affectionate and something clearly Hoshino. "You took Kei and Nii's dibs on him."

Shinsō laughs. "They can work on those dibs later. I have you with me first. Now let's get out of here before my Brainwashing wears off."

"M-Mm."

Shinsō keeps a hold on her hand the entire time they go back home to the dorms.

They had a lot to talk about later.