一期一会

Ichigoichie

One life, one encounter. / Every meeting is once in a lifetime.

I found it amusing that the instant Mister Aizawa entered the classroom, everyone fell silent. The door slid open, and looking his usual, scruffy self, Mister Aizawa slouched inside. Immediately, conversations ended, and my fellow students corrected their postures and laid their hands on their desks. It was a far cry from how the first day of school had started.

"Good morning," Mister Aizawa grunted, shuffling over to the podium. I repeated him with the rest of the class, but far more quietly. I was still nervous about Tenya. What was he doing? What had happened to his brother yesterday? My lack of access to a normal television or the internet meant I had a harder time keeping up with recent news. "Everyone pay attention," Mister Aizawa prompted, pulling me from my thoughts. "Today's class period is a little special."

I could hear Sero inhale sharply, eyes wide. "Is there a pop quiz…?" He whispered fearfully. I rolled my eyes, although I was a bit clueless myself. What had Mister Aizawa decided not to tell me? Normally, he kept me informed about upcoming class events so I could take care of the paperwork for him.

"You'll be creating your codenames today," Mister Aizawa said monotonously, and the class burst into cheers. I gulped, suddenly feeling much more nervous. I had to pick out a hero name? If the agency didn't approve of the name I made, they'd take over for me though! Why hadn't Mister Aizawa forewarned me?! "This is related to the hero internships I mentioned yesterday," Mister Aizawa continued, unaffected by everyone's excited hollering and my angry stare. "As sophomore's and higher, these internships can determine your future career path. Fortunately, for you as freshman, the stakes aren't so high," the other students quieted down to hear Mister Aizawa's explanation, but I continued to glare. This didn't really affect me anyway. "Your internship offers are basically an expression of 'interest' in your future potential. However, it isn't uncommon that by the end of your schooling, that interest drops," Mister Aizawa now looked to me. "Kurosaki, the postings."

With a put-upon sigh, I stood up, walking over to Mister Aizawa's desk. He may not have warned me about the hero names, but the internship-offers chart was within my quarry. Grabbing Mister Aizawa's remote off of the podium, I did my best to ignore my teacher as he wrapped himself up in his sleeping bag and propped himself up against the wall.

"Th-these are the r-results," I prefaced, clicking several buttons on the device and pointing it at the board. A bar graph, labeled with people's names, appeared. At the top, there was Todoroki, with over 4,500 offers. Below him was Bakugo, with around 3,000, and below that was Izuku, with exactly 2,750. The number of offers promptly dropped off from there, with Tokoyami up next and having only 280 internship requests. "F-from w-what I understand, th-this is normally more b-balanced." I added.

Kaminari whistled at the statistics. "Damn, it's so clear who the heroes were watching!" He whined dramatically.

"Clearly, the pros have no eye for style," Aoyama huffed from his seat in the front.

Ochako looked at me with wide eyes. "Ichigo, you didn't get any offers! How?!" She gasped.

I giggled, covering my mouth with one hand. "I d-did get offers, b-but my internship is already d-decided, so there w-wasn't a point in sh-showing th-them here," I explained, before continuing, "And to th-those who didn't r-recieve offers, there's still a l-list of open agencies. Y-you can grab th-them up here," I pointed to the pile of papers on the podium.

"You aren't hiding any damn thing here!" Bakugo roared, slamming his hands on his desk. "Show your fucking scores, Ichimi!"

I sighed at the blonde's one-track mind. "B-Bakago, this isn't a c-competition," I said exasperatedly, not reacting fearfully like I might've before. Bakugo glared at me heatedly, and with another sigh, I clicked a few buttons and my name appeared on the chart. I had 3,500 offers, so I sat right between Todoroki and Bakugo in the rankings.

"Jeez! I thought this was following the Sports Festival rankings!" Kirishima commented, looking surprised. "I wonder if all of Bakugo's cussing scared them off."

Bakugo stood up at his desk, turning on Kirishima. "PROS AIN'T GONNA BE SCARED!" He shouted, hands sparking.

I tapped his arm as I walked back to my seat. "C-classroom conduct," I reminded him, doubting that it would really matter. Bakugo plopped back down in his chair stubbornly, and I took my seat behind Izuku, who was sparkling. I smiled at his behavior. "You're really h-happy, huh?" I asked.

Izuku turned, grinning widely. His cheeks were flushed with excitement. "Yeah! I'm glad I got recognized by so many pros!" He celebrated, eyes shining.

I giggled. "At l-least you know your internship w-will b-be fun," I agreed. "I c-can't wait for my apprenticeship w-with Mister Aizawa," I looked over my shoulder at Momo. "D-do you have any idea of w-who y-you want to intern w-with?" I inquired.

"Yes," Momo nodded, sounding like her usual confident-self. "I want to find a hero who specializes in weaponized combat," I nodded in approval, glancing over to Todoroki curiously. The heterochromatic boy was staring at his desk sullenly. Momo, prompted by my curiosity, spoke up. "You received an impressive amount of requests, Todoroki."

"They're probably because of my father," Todoroki grumbled bitterly, crossing his arms.

I shook my head. "N-no, otherwise, Izukun, B-Bakugo, and I w-wouldn't h-have so many offers-"

My words were cut off by the classroom door slamming open. I jerked around in time to see Midnight striding into the room. Her hands were up behind her head, emphasizing her… assets, and I blushed at the indecency of her costume. The skin tight bodysuit she was wearing, paired with the thick belt and leather straps, practically oozed sexuality. I saw multiple of my male classmates' faces light up at the sight of her. Thankfully, Izuku looked just as embarrassed by Midnight's apparel as I was, so I felt less alone.

"Hey, Class A!" Midnight greeted, barely sparing Mister Aizawa's resting form a glance. "I'll be helping you all pick out your hero names since your teacher can't. Forewarning to you all, you better take this seriously! More often than not, the names you choose now will stick with you for the rest of your careers. They'll reflect on your public image as well," She smiled, posing with her hand on her hip. "So, will the class president pass out these white boards?"

Tenya stood up rigidly, marching to the front and carefully dividing the whiteboards into piles, handing them to each person in the front row and passing them back carefully. Taking the last two, I grabbed one and extended the other over my shoulder to Yaoyorozu. I stared at the board blankly, completely unsure of what to write down. A hero name? I had never considered one before…

Michi's eyes were shining. "You were so cool! I told Mama I'm gonna be a hero-princess just like you someday!"

I giggled. "I'm not a hero quite yet, Michi-chan. Also, what makes you think I'm a 'hero princess'?" I asked amusedly.

"Well, that's what the Boom-Boom boy called you," Michi told me matter of factly. "And your hair is all pretty like a princess too!"

"Hirohime" sounded pretty ostentatious, I thought doubtfully, but something related to princess would be good. I considered this for a moment, then quickly scrawled down the words I wanted, nodding satisfactorily. I highly doubted this name would stick with me, but it would be a good joke on Bakugo. I giggled to myself, wondering what the blonde's expression would look like.

My eyes widened in startled realization. I was going out of my way to aggravate Bakugo intentionally, with forethought. I really had become more confident.

"Your fifteen minutes are up!" Midnight announced, and I jumped. It had been fifteen minutes?! "Alright, those who think they're ready can present their names to the class!" I gulped, hiding the whiteboard into my lap and hiding it. I had to present this too? Midnight smirked at the front of the room, tilting her head in challenge. "Who wants to go first?" Only one hand was raised. Everyone stared at Aoyama, the sole volunteer. Midnight pointed at him. "You're up!"

Aoyama proceeded to the front of the room. He laid the board down on the podium face-first. "Here it comes," he paused dramatically. "The name of the Sparkling Hero-" he lifted his board in the air. "I cannot stop twinkling!" I wrinkled my nose immediately at his english pronunciation. It sucked, and wasn't he pretending to be french anyways?

"If you take out the 'I' and abbreviate it to 'can't', it'll be easier to say," Midnight suggested.

Aoyama nodded. "Too right, Mademoiselle," he agreed, grabbing his marker and quickly making the changes needed. I sat in the my chair, incredulous, with the rest of the class. Well, I thought sardonically, at least I can't outdo that.

Ashido was the next person to present. "I'm next!" She declared, smacking her board on the podium. "Call me 'Alien Queen'!" I stared at her in confusion as the rest of the class recoiled in disgust.

"You're aiming for the image of that super-acidic blood thing?!" Midnight gasped. "Quit while you're ahead!" She ordered, and Ashido headed back to her seat sullenly. I shrugged, deciding it was probably another thing my lack of access to pop-culture had deprived me of. All I could reference were old movies and dead people. Meanwhile, Midnight, with her hands on her hips, glared at the class sternly. "Tcch."

Tsuyu raised her hand. "Is it okay if I go next?" She asked. I watched her head to the front, and prop up her board. "I've known since elementary school what name I wanted," she prefaced. "Froppy, kero!"

"That's adorable! It's great, it's got a nice, friendly feel," Midnight complimented, clapping her hands. I sighed in relief as Tsuyu returned to her seat. Aoyama and Ashido had almost managed to entirely devalue the exercise. Kirishima was quick to volunteer next, and from there the naming process moved more quickly.

Momo tapped me on the shoulder, and I glanced back. She held up her board. "I know you're fluent in English," she said. "Is this correct?"

I scanned the name she'd created, and quickly changed "evirything" to "everything". I nodded my head, satisfied. "It's g-good," I commented, before turning back to the front.

When Todoroki walked up to the front, the entire class went quiet, curious what the number one student in the grade would come up with. Todoroki didn't even bother being dramatic, simply laying his board on the desk immediately. "Shouto," he said shortly.

"JUST YOUR NAME?! ARE YOU SURE?!" Midnight demanded in surprise.

Shouto automatically returned to his seat. "Yep," he confirmed. I covered my mouth with my hands to hide my giggles, doing my best to muffle them as my shoulders shook. Apparently Todoroki did have a sense of humor, and it was great.

My turn eventually rolled around, after only Izuku and I were left to present (and Bakugo's third try). Reluctantly, I raised my hand. Midnight pointed at me immediately, and I proceeded to the front slowly, feeling like there were lead weights on my feet. I smacked the board down, pointing at Bakugo accusingly. "Th-thanks for the idea, Bakago," I added, just to watch the blonde's face darken.

"That's stupid!" Bakugo roared, pointing right back at me. "Who the hell calls themselves 'hime-hime'?"

I shrugged. "I m-met a little girl d-during the competition who s-said m-my hair reminded her of a princess," I smiled evilly. "She c-called you 'Boom-Boom Boy', if you're s-still struggling."

Bakugo growled. "Shut up! My hero name ain't gonna be fucking prissy like yours, Ichimi!" The blonde returned to scrawling on his board furiously, and with an amused smile, I returned to my seat. I met Izuku's eyes as I walked, and found them filled with determination. The green-haired boy quickly wrote something down, and then raised his hand.

Midnight immediately recognized him. "Midoriya, go!"

Izuku walked up to the front and held out his board. My eyes widened. "This will be my hero name," he declared. "Deku."

My jaw dropped, and then I bursted out into laughter, choking on my own saliva from the force of my giggles. "Th-that is the b-best 'screw y-you' ever," I gasped, hands clutching my sides. I earned a few odd glances, but I was too busy trying to breathe to care.

Izuku returned to his seat, and faced me. "I wasn't sure what name to pick, but your choice to use Kacchan's nickname seemed like a good idea," he admitted. "Maybe I can make this into something other than an insult."

I grinned, cheeks still red from my laughing storm. "Th-that's a great idea!" I cheered, before leaning over to look at Katsuki in the seat ahead of Izuku. "D-don't you agree, Kacchan?"

Bakugo glared at me over his shoulder. "Shut up, Ichimi," he ordered. I giggled again, because even though Bakugo was acting angry, I could see that his fury wasn't directed towards me at all. If anything, he wanted Midnight dead. Without raising his hand, Bakugo stormed back to the front. "Lord of Explodo-kills!" He declared.

"Yeah, that won't fly," Midnight sighed.

When lunchtime finally rolled around, I was bouncing with excitement. I hopped all the way down the hall, skipped through the cafeteria, and once I reached our table, danced in my seat. My usual mountain of food was laid out in front of me, and Ochako took her seat next to me, once again noting my plethora of food.

"Jeez, Icchan," she laughed. "You're still this excited about eating?"

I nodded frantically. "Yes, L-Lunch Rush is a g-great cook! He has s-steak!" I eyed the enormous bowl of steak and rice on my tray hungrily. I made grabbing motions with my chopsticks, and Ochako swatted at my hands. I made cow-eyes at my food instead, knowing I wasn't allowed to eat until everyone sat down. Ochako and her stupid manners, I grumbled mentally.

"Excuse me?" I glanced up, and my eyes grew wide as dinner plates. Todoroki was standing at our table, holding his lunch tray. "A few weeks ago, you said that I could join you," Todoroki said. "Is that offer still open?"

I nodded slowly. "Uh, s-sure. You c-can have the s-seat at the end of th-he t-table, Tenya and Izuku t-take those," I pointed at the two chairs across the table. Todoroki nodded, silently taking the chair at one end of the rectangular table. I looked over at Ochako awkwardly, pleading with her to start a conversation and kill the tension in the air. She was good at that sort of thing.

Ochako smiled, eyes glimmering with mirth. "So, Todoroki," she started. "What's your favorite food?" I facepalmed, because that was the most stupid and obvious conversation starter ever.

"Cold Soba," Todoroki answered, before asking, "Yours?" I blinked in shock. It had worked?!

Ochako chuckled. "My favorite food is chocolate, actually," she pointed her thumb at me. "I'm pretty sure Icchan eats everything, though," she teased.

I huffed, crossing my arms. "I c-can't eat anything now," I said pointedly. "B-because of your s-stupid rules."

Ochako swatted the back of my head. "No, Icchan," she scolded jokingly. "That is where you tell everyone your favorite food, not make a smart-aleck comment."

"Meat," I said firmly. "I l-like meat," I swallowed, staring at my food tray longingly. My mouth salivated automatically.

Ochako laughed, turning to Todoroki. "I suggest you watch your food around her. She likes stealing other people's food once she finishes her own." I didn't bother to respond, fixated on the meal before me.

Todoroki glanced at me oddly, before looking back to Ochako. "She manages to finish that much food?" He asked, staring at the two foot high mound of rice, meat, and vegetables on my tray.

Ochako nodded solemnly. "Yes," she confirmed, swatting my hands down when I reached for my food again.

Just as I was beginning to grow desperate, Tenya arrived. He sat down in his usual chair, across from Ochako, and neatly laid his napkin in his lap. "Hello everyone," he greeted. "I'm sorry for being so late, I got held back turning in my internship paperwork."

"You already decided where you wanted to intern?!" Ochako gasped, staring at Tenya with wide eyes.

Tenya nodded. "Yes, there's an agency in Hosu City I'm interested in," he said shortly. He then changed the subject. "So, Todoroki, you're sitting with us now?"

"Yep," Todoroki agreed, and the conversation died an untimely death.

I looked over at Ochako with shining eyes. "C-can't I eat n-now?" I begged, stomach grumbling to add weight to my request.

"No, Izukun isn't here yet," Ochako said firmly.

"Actually, I'm here," Someone said from behind us. I turned around to see Izuku standing behind Ochako and I awkwardly, food tray in his hands. "Sorry, I had to turn in my internship paperwork. The lines were pretty long," he sat down next to Tenya, smiling apologetically.

Ochako's jaw dropped. "You've chosen your internship too?! Wow!" She stared at Izuku in shock for a moment, before shaking her head. "Anyways, Izukun, Todoroki is sitting with us from now on."

"Oh, alright - wait, what?!" Izuku shrieked comically, head snapping over to Todoroki, who was sitting in his chair impassively.

Todoroki nodded towards Izuku. "Hello, Midoriya," he said calmly.

"Uh, hey, Todoroki," Izuku responded, looking very uncomfortable.

I grabbed Ochako's arm. "Everyone is here n-now! L-let's eat!" I demanded.

"Right!" Ochako grinned, clapping her hands together. "Itadakimasu!" She cheered, picking up her chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu!" I repeated with Izuku, Tenya, and Todoroki, cheerfully tucking into my food. In the back of my head, I considered what Tenya had said. Although decisive, it wasn't like Tenya to make decisions without doing research or getting a second opinion. He had picked an internship in Hosu City - a city that lacked any major heroes - within only fifteen minutes, shortly after his brother had some sort of accident.

My eyes narrowed in suspicion, even as I stuffed my mouth. Something was definitely wrong. I'd have to speak with Mister Aizawa as soon as possible.