"You have been informed in advance, but us homeroom teachers are conducting these visits to personally invite you to partake in U.A.'s new boarding policy." Junk Master relayed to them, the incredibly polite and formal speech highly uncharacteristic of him.
"As for her placement in the 1-A dorm instead of the 1-H dorm…we thought it would be best to keep her and Bakugou in the same area. We can't rule out the possibility that the two of them will be targeted again, considering recent events. As such, it would be easier to protect them while they're in the dorms together."
The man looked away, as if he were uncomfortable with saying his next point. "This is also for the safety of the other students as well. If her and Bakugou will be targeted in the future…this arrangement minimizes damage. We are not completely sure of the villains' information network, but we must assume the worst-case scenario."
"Should they become aware of all the students' living arrangements, this provides a sort of countermeasure. Since she'll be living in the 1-A dorm, her classmates of 1-H will be at less risk. The villains' attacks will most likely be centering around Class 1-A and Class 1-B. Without Ayano in the 1-H dorm, there's less of a need for villains to be there. So, there's less danger for her fellow 1-H classmates."
Junk Master coughed awkwardly. "Of course, this is only if something like that happens. We're just taking extra care with this matter."
Ayano set down the four cups of steaming tea onto the wooden table as she glanced between the adults. Junk Master sat on one side of the table in a pristine suit that seemed a bit too small for him.
Her parents sat across from him. Her father stared right at the man, arms loosely crossed. Her mother had her hands in her lap, staring down at them with a face full of concern while gently biting her lip. Ayano took a seat next to her mother, lightly sipping at the tea. She had no intention of speaking up first and her father wasn't exactly the type to talk much either.
A long time passed before anyone said anything. Just as expected, Asuka broke the silence. "When Ayano told us that she was going to U.A., we were so surprised. Primarily a hero school and not a support school? It was such a shock!"
"I had fully supported her decision. Ayano was always a smart child. She knew what was best for her without mother telling her." The woman tightly gripped at her skirt, the fabric bunching in her lap. "Even so…I had my concerns. Arguably the best hero school there is? Of course, that place would attract the attention of some villains here and there. It's only natural."
"I was fine with it because I knew Ayano had no interest in becoming a hero. I knew she was going to the Support Department and that's where she would stay. She's more than capable of taking care of herself. So, I thought that she wouldn't be in much danger because, if anything, the kids in the Heroics Department would be at risk more than her. That was obviously not the case." Tears began to form in her eyes, slowly streaming down her cheeks, off her chin, and plopping onto the tops of clenched hands.
Ayano continued staring into her tea cup, her face never changing. Not even at the sound of her mother's tears.
"I thought about this so much. Since those boarding letters came in the mail. Initially, I didn't want you to take away my precious daughter. Absolutely not! Not after the school failed to protect her already! If she needs protection, then I could simply just call in a few favors and it would be fine."
The woman paused, taking out some tissues to wipe her face. "But I know what my logic-obsessed husband would say. Regardless of whether or not Ayano dorms at U.A., I can still call in those favors and have her protected my way. In that case, it would obviously be better to have U.A.'s protection along with my protection. Even if you have failed before, it's still more security."
Asuka finally looked up from her lap. She glared into the eyes of Junk Master, the conviction in them very similar to the kind that he saw in Ayano. "What I'm saying is…I give you my permission. So you better damn well take care of her!"
Junk Master's eyes were wide. With the way that she started, he had completely thought that this conversation would be going in a different direction.
"You agree with me, right honey?!" The crying woman asked, or rather demanded, of her husband. He simply nodded at her, pulling her in for a comforting hug.
"Thank you, Asuka-san. Kaito-san. I will be sure to relay your message to the school…and I promise you that I will do the most that I can to protect your daughter." Junk Master stood up and bowed to convey his sincerity.
He finished his untouched tea in one large gulp and Ayano showed him out. The car was waiting for him just in front of the house. As they reached it, Junk Master turned to face his student. "You didn't say anything back there, kiddo. Any reason why?" He didn't hide the worry in his voice. She had passed every physical and psychological test, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something could still be wrong.
Ayano's face was perfectly impassive. "I have worried my parents far enough. Whatever decision they settled on would be the one that I follow."
She looked down. "Although…it may not even matter in the end." She mumbled, but Junk Master clearly heard it. He was about to question her when she said, "Please have a safe trip."
With that, she bowed and began walking back into her house. He really wanted to ask her what she meant but with her clearly ending the conversation, he ultimately didn't.
He should have.
It was the evening, and most of the Class 1-A students were hanging around in the lounge when they heard the slamming of a car door. They all rushed to the window, confirming their suspicions that it was Ayano finally arriving at the dorms.
They ran out, Midoriya being the first to reach her with unshed tears welling up in his eyes. "Aya-chan! I'm so glad you're okay!" He was about to hug her when he noticed the white bandages peeking out from her shirt collar and sleeves. His smile immediately disappeared. "Are you still injured?"
The girl shook her head, taking out her luggage from the trunk of the car. "I have almost completely recovered. The bandages are mostly just a precautionary measure. Mainly to restrict my movement to prevent me from doing something foolish."
Hagakure bounced up to the girl. "Aya-chan, you sure don't have much stuff!" She commented, noticing that all the girl took out of the car was a regular duffle bag. The bag also didn't even seem that stuffed.
"I was never one for material possessions." Ayano plainly responded, causing Mina to laugh. "You're a minimalist just like Shouji-kun then!" The pink girl exclaimed.
That much was true, but Bakugou felt something off. Even for Ayano, that duffle bag didn't seem nearly enough. She surely would have brought tons of her inventions and tools. His brows furrowed, thinking deeply on it.
"Anyways! You're on the same floor as me and Ochako-chan, and next door to me!" Mina excitedly revealed. Ayano just nodded in acknowledgement, unintentionally putting a damper on Mina's enthusiasm.
The expressionless girl walked inside, ready to unpack what little she had. "U-Umm…! Aya-chan!" Midoriya's shout stopped her. "You're okay…right?" He timidly asked.
"Yes." She responded and continued walking. Although, there was one problem.
When she answered, Ayano had looked forward and not at him.
He wanted to ask again, but didn't because she had already swiftly entered the building.
He should have.
Ayano had quickly finished unpacking, being efficient with her time as well as having very little to unpack.
She sat at her desk, one of her inventions laid out before her. She stared at it for many minutes, not moving a single inch.
Her mind was racing, thinking about a swarm of things. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand.
Moving it forward with the intention of touching the machine, her hand started shaking. Her breathing grew more erratic. Beads of sweat started dripping from her temples.
She tightly shut her eyes, unable to stand it anymore.
She swept her hand across the desk, throwing everything off of it.
Bakugou stood outside of Ayano's room with his regular, slightly hunched stance and hands stuffed into his pockets. His brows were furrowed as he glared at the door. In his mind, he was going over what he could possibly say to her.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing sound coming from within. The boy knocked furiously on her door, the anxiety bubbling in him. "Hey! What happened?! Open up, damn it!"
The door flung open, revealing a seemingly normal Ayano. "Will you cease your incessant knocking." She asked in a way that sounded like a demand.
There was something wrong though.
Her words didn't have their usual bite to them.
In fact, she sounded almost…exhausted.
Bakugou's frown deepened. Looking over her shoulder, he could see the cause of the sounds. One of her inventions was on the ground, pieces of it flung about. It looked like it had shattered when it came into contact with the floor. "What happened?" He questioned again.
"Just a minor technical difficulty." Ayano responded immediately. It looked anything but minor, Bakugou argued in his head. It didn't look like the machine malfunctioned. It looked like it was intentionally thrown to the ground.
No sound had come from the room prior to the crash. He didn't hear her working. He didn't hear anything that could've been wrong with the invention. It was just the crash.
It didn't look like it was faulty. It looked like it was purposely broken.
Bakugou stared into her eyes. They were blank, giving him no indication of her real feelings. To any other person, this would have been fine.
But Bakugou wasn't just any other person.
He knew something was wrong. Everything today pointed to it. He could feel it in his gut. He just couldn't figure out what.
"If you have nothing more to say, I would like to get back to working." Ayano said as she quickly shut the door on him.
She leaned her back against the closed door, letting out a shaky breath. She closed her eyes as she slid to the floor, elbows propped up on her knees and head in her hands.
The blond grit his teeth, the frustration getting to him again. He raised his fist, debating on whether or not to knock again. Not knowing exactly what he could say, he ultimately decided not to.
He should have.
The next day, everyone attended their first class since all of the incidents. Ayano went through her day largely in a daze. Everything seemed so far from her and her thoughts were on anything but school.
Outwardly, she showed no signs of this. In fact, everyone was none the wiser. They only realized after the fact.
After lunch, Class 1-H was tasked with their first assignment since coming back. Something or another about creating a particular support item. Ayano wasn't paying much attention.
The next thing she knew, they were all in the Development Studio. She was at her normal station with her normal tools and her normal materials.
Everyone was moving around her in a blur. Her eyes darted all across the work bench, flitting to one metal to the next. She was hyperaware of the machines in front of her. She vaguely recognized them to be things she's made before. Yet, they seemed so foreign at the same time.
Just like last night, her body began to shake. Her breathing quickened. She tightly shut her eyes, trying to close out all of her thoughts.
Fujiyoshi, at the station next to her, jolted his head in her direction when the palms of her hands slammed onto the tabletop. "…re right…" He heard her mumble.
"…What?" He hesitantly asked. Her head was bent down, causing her fringe to sway across and cover her eyes. Through the strands, he could slightly see the manic look in her eyes and it frightened him.
"You were right." Ayano repeated more clearly. "About everything. About heroes and villains. How they're the same when it comes to making weapons. You were right. About all of it."
"W-What are you talking about?" Fujiyoshi asked again, growing more and more afraid.
"You were right about everything!" She shouted, attracting the attention of the rest of the class. "These are just weapons! For heroes! For villains!" She tightly gripped one of her inventions.
"IT'S ALL THE SAME!" She smashed the machine to the ground.
Aizawa tried continuing on with his lesson, but the commotion outside was beginning to both bother and worry him. Just as he was about to go and check it out, Midnight slammed the door open.
"Aizawa! Come quick! It's Ayano! She's having an episode!"