Approximately three days passed between the parent-teacher meetings and move-in day. In the minds of U.A.'s various esteemed educators, the sooner the school's students moved into their new homes, the sooner they could adjust to their new lifestyle and have their safety guaranteed by the Pro Heroes who'd be living on-site. All things considered, it was rather sound reasoning; unfortunately, U.A.'s explanatory email had also revealed that the new dorms hadn't completed their construction, yet.

Thus, immediately after the parent-teacher meetings finished, Pro Heroes and expert construction crews worked alongside one another to build the school's newfound system of dormitories. From foundations and support structures to interior walls and amenities, superhuman society's smartest architects and technicians combined their talents to ensure that the homes U.A. High would offer their students would be built in record time – and they did. Over just three days and two nights, the contractors contacted by U.A.'s senior staff built buildings that pre-Quirk society might've taken months to, and all without a single safety measure having been overlooked.

And so, on the fourth morning after the parent-teacher meetings, the moment that those impacted by the forest camp attack had been anticipating and dreading in equal measures was upon them – move-in day.

In that three-day interim, however, a certain luminous teenager didn't waste a moment.

As many might've rightly assumed, Nishimura Jomei spent most of this time reconnecting with his father in a wide number of manners. Casual conversation offered the longtime separated pair plentiful opportunities to share their most impressive tales, but their time wasn't whittled away in its entirety by such mundanity. Once, Ayane had offered the father-son duo a surprise reservation to the same facility she'd brought Jomei to, prior to the Sports Festival. There, Haruto watched with rapt attention and astonishment as Jomei displayed everything his semester-long tenure at U.A. had taught him. Once he'd recovered from his initial amazement, however, Haruto didn't delay another minute before bringing his son out to a certain student-friendly nightclub for an evening of celebration.

Yet still, even that seemingly spontaneous visit served numerous purposes, in the end. Of course, it did let them commemorate Jomei's improvements where combat was concerned, but it also let Haruto reconnect with his longtime friend in the place's owner. Soon after, his reconnection with Monty transitioned smoothly into the third motivation the pair had for visiting the establishment – to discover how exactly a certain sixteen-year-old could possibly emulate the student-friendly nightclub within his assigned dormitory. With that knowledge in tow, Haruto and Jomei set out to purchase a multitude of decorative items, wallpapers, and tools that'd aid him in making that impulsive dream become a reality.

Although their return at downright ungodly hours that following morning almost earned them the unyielding wrath of their household's matriarch, if Jomei realized anything from the experience, it was that he wouldn't have traded the time he spent with his father for anything. On account of that, someone could've concluded that Jomei having to leave his father behind so soon could've caused him intense consternation, but… it didn't.

Would Jomei become somewhat saddened during the night preceding and the morning of his transition away from home? Absolutely, but he knew far better than to work himself up into a total wreck simply because something fundamentally necessary for his future aspirations would change his lifestyle, moving forward. For years, Nishimura Haruto had worked tirelessly for the faintest chance to achieve his dreams, and his family hadn't resented him for it. Likewise, Jomei couldn't and wouldn't do himself the disservice of sabotaging everything that he'd been working toward just to avoid feeling homesick.

Besides, visits home weren't impossible. Students would always need to be accompanied by a certified Pro Hero whenever their requests were authorized, certainly, but it wasn't like they'd never see their families again, after moving. Given how his entire relationship with his dad for several months had consisted almost entirely of scheduled social calls, simply knowing that he had the option to see his father again from time to time easily ensured Jomei could maintain his peace of mind. What mattered most to him was that they'd anytime spent together before fate forced them apart, once again.

So when the time arrived that his parents drove him to school, held him close for the last time in the foreseeable future, and eventually vanished into the distance, Jomei felt nothing other than excitement and anticipation. And when he turned toward the school that'd become his home, a warm smile spread across his face.

But thoughts of his parents lingered, and as he continued into the campus, the world around him disappeared, until nothing but himself and the keepsake from his father dangling around his neck held his focus. In this peaceful isolation, time passed without him noticing until he noticed he'd almost arrived at two titanic rows of unfamiliar buildings. Almost immediately, Jomei's fiddling with his necklace's ring ceased, and he witnessed the student dormitories with silent, wide-eyed wonder for the first time.

They were everything they'd been described to be, and then some.

Designed with western inspiration in mind, the mighty buildings before him were impressive in every conceivable manner. Built with two distinguished wings which Jomei assumed were equal in size, every dormitory stood an imposing five stories tall, each decorated with class names and a sign written in English which he discerned read something like 'Alliance.' Sidewalks leading toward each dormitory building had been decorated with alternating bushes and lamp posts, and a small number of benches were nestled against the exterior walls. While each dorm's first floors were painted ornate white, their patios supported by Greco-Roman pillars painted similarly, the majority of each dorm's four floors were painted a relatively mundane brown to match the brick they'd presumably been constructed from.

For residences built almost overnight, the buildings before him were more impressive than many of the homes Jomei had passed each day while walking to school, but… such was the way of the superhuman society he'd been born into.

Various denizens of which were currently passing him by.

Somewhere in his periphery, Jomei vaguely identified some of the people passing him as either classmates or familiar faces from around the school, but he couldn't help himself but to continue staring at the buildings he'd soon call his home. While the dorms weren't going anywhere, some childish, illogical part of him thought that looking away would make them all disappear without a single trace they'd ever existed left behind. Then, a short amount of time later, he heard some familiar footfalls and looked toward the sound's source, a small smile adorning his lips.

"'Heights Alliance,'" Akiko said as she arrived, returning his smile with her own. "It's certainly impressive, isn't it?"

Jomei didn't miss a beat. "Not nearly as impressive as the people that'll be living there, though."

"Flattering," Akiko said, playfully nudging her shoulder into his. "How're you feeling?"

At her casual touch, Jomei's heart warmed immeasurably. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

"Our line." Akiko corrected, poking him in the chest. "We're in this together, and I know you didn't have as much time with your dad as you might've wanted. So?"

"Seriously? I think I'm alright," Jomei answered. "Yeah, I wouldn't have said 'no' to more time with him before moving away, but those three days? That right there's more time I've spent with him this week than since we were accepted into this school. It was really awesome, and I can't complain about a single second I spent with him. What about you?"

"Same here, more-or-less," Akiko claimed, shrugging slightly. "It took some time for Takai to somehow convince me he wouldn't get eviscerated once the time came for me to leave, but I'm alright now. Takai came with me this morning, and… here I am, now."

"Nothing terrible happened, at least," Jomei pointed out. "That's a positive, right?"

"Yeah." Akiko agreed. "I'd much rather prefer an uneventful morning moving away from home than a seriously stressful one. Especially with how much getting used to these new dormitories will take from us."

"It's definitely a clean slate," Jomei said. "On the upside, from this point forward, you'll almost always be around awesome people who know and like you… except maybe Bakugo, but I don't know if he likes me either, honestly."

"Maybe a little bit?" Akiko supplied. "He almost doesn't call anyone by their name, and you earned that honor fighting him at the Sports Festival, remember? Besides, you said it first… there's a decent chance you two are 'rivals' now… even without a formal declaration."

Jomei nodded. "That was the impression, yeah."

Only the briefest of moments before Akiko could continue the discussion, another assortment of footfalls announced the presence of two additional arrivals. Jomei had assumed that they'd show their faces eventually, but he still found himself excited to find himself in their presence again so soon.

"Or maybe he's just plotting your downfall," Kyoka quipped.

"Wouldn't put that past him," Denki agreed. "Not completely, anyway."

"Kyoka, Denki!" Akiko beamed. "It's good seeing you both again so soon."

"Seriously." Jomei nodded at them. "I'll admit, it's been so hectic these past couple days I kinda lost track of keeping in touch with you guys, there. Didn't mean it. Honest."

"Not that we'd blame you," Denki dismissed with a wave. "Between the meetings and moving, we had some pretty insane times, ourselves."

"Uprooting everything you've ever known in three days takes tons of running errands," Kyoka commented. "It's intense, but here we are. Halfway there, when it comes to the whole 'moving in' part of moving away from home."

"If it's any consolation, I like to think we're more than halfway," Akiko claimed with an optimistic lilt. "Between packing, loading trucks, and the parent-teacher meetings, almost everything is finished. Only thing that's left now is unpacking, which should be relatively simple, compared to everything that's come before."

"Good point," Kyoka admitted.

"But about moving…" Jomei straightened. "Have any trouble with that?"

"Not really," Kyoka claimed. "They weren't lying about sending help wherever they sent those moving trucks. My parents didn't want me lifting a finger, so the moving crews U.A. hired did almost everything for us… until I decided I wasn't standing around anymore, and dragged my dad into packing the truck along with me."

"Same here, minus the standing around part!" Denki casually threw his arms behind his head, his expression completely relaxed. "Maybe those moving crews didn't want us stressing out over the move or anything, but I haven't been training myself with Shinobi's lessons this entire time just to do nothing whenever some heavy lifting needs doing."

"Wait, was that a humble brag I heard, just now?" Jomei smirked. "From you?"

"Maybe," Denki jabbed. "How'd you two handle packing up? Anything interesting happen?"

"Unless you count standing around awkwardly while moving crews load everything you own into their truck as 'interesting,' then no," Akiko confessed awkwardly. "Nobody in my family was about to do heavy lifting, and I was under the impression that helping out myself would've caused more problems than it might've solved."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Jomei said, sighing. "Meanwhile, my move wasn't that hard. I mean, the moving crew assigned to our place apparently had instructions not to let me carry all that much around myself, since my arms were still freshly-healed. That definitely didn't stop my dad from nearly working himself to death making up the difference, though…"

"Pft. Your dad would be gold-star worthy." Kyoka's breath emerged in a subdued laugh, but she tamed her expression into something far more genuine soon after. "But you didn't… you didn't happen to get any autographs from him for me, did you?"

Opening his mouth to respond, Jomei stopped himself short. With an uncomfortable noise, his expression turned apologetic, his hands pressed together palm-to-palm. "You know, that totally didn't cross my mind, but I'll definitely remember that in the future. Sorry…"

"Don't apologize." Kyoka waved with her hand. "Not like I ever really asked you to get me any autographs from Synth whenever you were with him, again. No harm done."

"Thanks. Although in other news…" Jomei turned himself around to face the dormitories once again. "It looks like once we find wherever our class dorm's been built everything will start to feel completely different. From this day forward, it'll be a whole new game."

"You think? Yeah, being told that we'd be living together pretty much came outta nowhere after the forest camp attack, but I'm not that nervous about this whole thing." Denki glanced between his friends. "Is that weird?"

"Obviously I don't speak for anyone but myself, but Class 1-A? They're like a second family after everything we've been through together," Akiko offered. "Honestly, I'd think it'd be even weirder if we still thought of each other as complete strangers, these days."

"Then how about we go join them?" Kyoka didn't delay, walking forward and past the dynamic power couple ahead of her. "Sooner we get there, sooner we unpack and can be finished talking about moving and just be moved in."

"Right there with you, Kyoka!" Denki agreed.

Only exchanging a companionable nod between themselves, Denki and Akiko started after their friend at an unhurried pace, neither evidently seeing much point in jogging after someone who'd only gained a few seconds' lead on them. Not particularly minding being briefly left behind for the moment, Jomei found himself watching those precious few people as inexorably linked to his life as blood relatives walk away with some fondness. Akiko, Denki, Kyoka, and he had all been through much together, and they'd undoubtedly experience additional disasters before their days at U.A. were through, but Jomei wasn't concerned; rather, he felt excited.

Whatever happened next, whenever life's challenges became seemingly impossible to overcome, they'd always have one another to lean on. That much was certain.

It wasn't much longer after their close-knit quartet wandered off toward their newly-built dorms that they reached their destination. Despite having ample opportunity to study the buildings from afar whilst walking in pursuit of Jomei, earlier, Akiko couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity and excitement at seeing Heights Alliance this close. It wasn't an estate like Yaoyorozu's family owned, but nor was it a hastily-constructed apartment complex like what many Japanese citizens might find themselves living in – and it seemed that the sensation of excitement wasn't exclusive to herself.

From the moment she and her friends arrived at their class dormitory, from what she saw, every other individual in Class 1-A had already arrived. In all but the most exceptional cases, like with Todoroki, Bakugo, or Tokoyami, everyone's faces were painted with the same lively enthusiasm and jubilance Akiko felt blossoming in her own chest.

Although unlike herself, Class 1-A's reactions were much more audible than her own.

"Wow…!" Uraraka fawned. "This place is amazing! So big!"

"That it is," Tokoyami agreed. "Indeed, from outward appearances, it's almost certainly a den fit for forgotten kings…"

"Hm… it reminds me of my dining hall back home in terms of size, but it'll do," Yaoyorozu commented. "Assuming that the floor plan is suitable enough…"

"This is one massive showcase of raw manliness, definitely," Kirishima claimed. "Woulda paid to see whatever went down that made this place livable this quick. Wouldn't you, Bakugo?"

Bakugo scoffed. "Tch. What, do you watch construction sites in your spare time?"

"You don't?"

"Everyone, please!" Iida shouted. From his position ahead of everyone, him throwing his arms into the air caught the attention of those that didn't hear his voice. "Aizawa-sensei is coming out of our dorms, now, and we should offer him our fullest attention! I know we've been away from school for several days now, but tame yourselves!"

Her friends each sighed with variable degrees of exasperation at the class rep's model behavior, but Akiko's breath punched from her chest in a silent laugh. If there would be anyone aside from her friends that could brighten her mood, it would be Iida. His incomparable intensity regarding all school-related matters might've annoyed some among Class 1-A, but she considered herself fortunate not to suffer that same affliction.

Nevertheless, Aizawa emerged, and soon everyone in their class had silenced themselves. At the same time, Akiko's social circle assembled themselves slightly off to the side of their assembled peers without a second thought. Whatever happened next, they'd have an unobstructed view of their classmates and homeroom teacher both.

"Thank you, Iida. Now, first things first…" Aizawa stopped a few meters away from his class, his hand moving overtop his heart. "Given everything that's happened, I'm glad we were able to assemble Class 1-A together again, today."

"Musta took tons of work, for sure, but everyone got the go-ahead from their parents, huh?" Sero observed.

Hagakure's uniform betrayed her exaggerated slouch. "Mine took a lot of convincing…"

"I was a tiny bit concerned about mine, but it turned out alright," Kyoka revealed, scratching an invisible itch on her cheek. "Once I remembered how my dad was pretending to be stern with the teachers, everything went down without a hitch."

"Which is a miracle in itself," Ojiro commented. "Nishimura and you received the worst damage from the villains directly out of almost anyone in the whole class."

"Doesn't take much to show my old man heroes are still rocking out, I guess," Kyoka dismissed with a shrug. "All Might fighting that 'All for One' villain was all he needed to see, after hearing what happened with that last villain attack."

Jomei crossed his arms confidently. "And my parents never lost their faith in hero society – the teachers almost didn't have to explain anything about the dorms. My parents pretty much saw it as a no-brainer."

"Same here," Denki added.

"Though I am surprised that the teachers were allowed back, ribbit," Tsu said. "Especially after the news has been attacking U.A. all the time, lately."

"And I was surprised, too, but circumstances have changed." Aizawa ducked into his scarves, awkwardly scratching his head with two fingers. "Besides, I suspect it might've been easier for the administration to allow teachers to return rather than revamping the entire faculty."

"Guess even U.A.'s opposition wasn't opposed to understanding that much, huh?" Shoji said.

"Right." Aizawa sighed. "Now then, I'll explain your dorm assignments shortly. However, we haven't forgotten about the provisional licenses you were supposed to have acquired during the training camp, either."

Sato tilted his head slightly. "Oh yeah, that's what we were there for, huh? Weird."

Akiko blinked. "With everything that happened, it completely slipped my mind."

"Understandable, but there's another thing I'd like to mention, too," Aizawa asserted. "It's important, so listen well."

At the unexpected shift of his inflection from its typical boredom toward something resembling sternness, Class 1-A regarded their teacher with mixed emotions. Some narrowed their eyes with suspicion, others anticipation, and others still with complete confusion. Akiko landed right in the middle category, herself.

"Kirishima. Yaoyorozu. Todoroki. Midoriya. Iida." Aizawa stared at them intently. "You were the group that violated the law and went out to rescue Bakugo by yourselves, that night."

Despite the destructive payload of tension that dispersed throughout their class, not a single soul opened their mouth to confirm or even deny the accusation. Akiko briefly wondered whether someone among them sprung some sort of leak or if Aizawa was using another of his 'rational deceptions' on them, but that couldn't have been the case. Bakugo's classmate-turned-vigilante allies had appeared on the news, albeit as a fast-moving blur, which meant that Aizawa had all the evidence he needed to confirm his suspicions.

And soon, his motivations maintained their mystery no more.

"Based on your reactions, I can only assume everyone else here was at least aware of their plan," Aizawa noted firmly. "In hopes of making this encounter brief, I'll set aside a number of issues and simply say this – if it weren't for All Might's retirement from the hero scene, I would expel everyone here, with the exception of Bakugo, Jiro, and Nishimura."

Another pause allowed Aizawa's warning to worm its way underneath her skin, chilling her soul like permafrost unto an ancient tundra. Despite their futures having been preserved in this other timeline Aizawa had proposed, it seemed that Jomei and Kyoka weren't at all comforted by the thought. Denki didn't make so much as a sound, instead transitioning his ashamed gaze toward the ground.

Only once his assertion settled among the students did Aizawa continue.

"Those five of you who went, absolutely, but everyone else? Understand that you qualified in my book too for immediate expulsion because you did nothing to stop them," he reprimanded. "You betrayed this school's trust, even if it was to keep those five from getting into trouble. For you to regain that lost trust, you'll have to follow our rules exactly and behave as model students."

Somehow, the ultimatum did little to dissolve everyone's tension.

"Alright. That's all. Now, look alive," Aizawa ordered, turning around. "Enjoy your new home."

Watching their teacher stroll slowly back toward their dorm, Class 1-A's hive mind had them speaking the exact same thought.

"We're supposed to feel excited after that…?"

"Well on the upside, we weren't expelled…?" Jomei proposed lamely. "Now's our best chance to start behaving as 'model students' and everything, right?"

Offering him a sympathetic look, Akiko patted Jomei on the shoulder. Innocuous as the gesture might've seemed, between them, Akiko knew her partner could recognize her wordless warning therein. Admirable though his awkward attempt at lifting everyone's spirits was, it was a much safer option for him to stop talking before the situation soured further than it already had.

"You'd be correct, Nishimura. However, I'm afraid my actions whilst recovering Bakugo have taken away any qualifications I previously possessed to be called a model student." Iida looked toward the ground, the morning sun's glare against his glasses hiding his eyes. "It appears that this might just be an endeavor that everyone will have to collaborate upon to complete, then."

Kirishima sighed. "Alright guys, I know things are looking really grim right now, and this doesn't make up for what happened with Aizawa-sensei, but… how about we make some awesome dinner together, tonight? And don't worry, everything's on me!"

Almost faster than Kirishima finished speaking, an impressive assortment of excited cheers and compliments rained down upon him. Seemingly inspired into amplifying the sudden shift in the atmosphere around their class, Sato dove underneath Kirishima's legs and hefted him onto his shoulders, displaying the sudden savior of the morning for everyone to see. Offered spotlight by the rising sun and his comforting sharp-toothed smile, another round of excitement burst forth, washing away the lingering dregs of discomfort Aizawa's speech left behind.

Sometimes, it was the simplest things that mattered most.

Now that the unpleasant aftermath of 1-A's collective reprimand by their homeroom teacher had been wiped from their minds for the moment, Akiko's mood lightened in much the same manner as her classmates. Excitement replaced disappointed tension and anxiety, presenting her a second wind's worth of enthusiasm to combat whatever new obstacles laid ahead – and she was acutely aware she'd need it, too. As Jomei had said some minutes ago, once they'd finished settling into their rooms, everyone would experience an all-new, unfamiliar way of living for the foreseeable future. She couldn't claim to be any exception to this rule, either.

Yet somehow, she wasn't worried about what'd happen when 1-A finally finished moving in, in earnest. Not really. Sure, her concerns for Takai remained relatively prominent in her mind, but it felt like every moment building up until 1-A entered their dormitories behind their teacher was one where memories of the prison she'd been raised in had become a little less prominent in her heart. Over time, the bitter memories of her history at home would be overwritten by all the new ones she'd gain at Heights Alliance – of that, she was certain. Combine that certainty with what company she'd always have with her, and Akiko didn't doubt that there wasn't all that much this new way of life could do that'd threaten her happiness.

And what everyone would witness within their new home's interior instantly reaffirmed that this faith of hers wasn't without cause.

Stepping into the dormitory, it rapidly revealed how it'd easily earned the hype its exterior had built for it by appearances alone. From the moment she passed through the threshold, she was welcomed by the sight of a large common area that seemed to fill the entirety of the u-shaped building's first floor. Green carpets and matching couches comprised what would serve as the dorms' living room whilst a comprehensive, freshly-cleaned kitchen stood ready for use at the opposite corner of the expanse. Just across from where the kitchen's breakfast bar ended was a utilitarian, albeit mildly charming eating space of simple wooden chairs and tables, while the remainder of the first floor's space looked to be taken up by other attached rooms whose closed doors made it impossible to tell what they were.

As Class 1-A slowly started to disperse throughout the first floor, Akiko would have almost certainly found herself wandering away from her friends to discern what those enigmatic rooms contained when Aizawa started speaking again. It seemed that their homeroom teacher still had some obligation to formally introduce his students to Heights Alliance's various features, rational preference to simply let them explore the place themselves be damned.

"Each student dormitory holds one class," Aizawa explained. "Gendered dorms are located on either side of the building itself, with boys taking up the left, and girls taking the right. As you might've gathered, this first floor in its entirety serves as a common area – that's where you'll find your kitchen, baths, and laundry rooms."

"There's even a courtyard!" Sero exclaimed.

"So spacious and new!" Ashido bounced forward, laughing giddily. "This is so cool!"

"It's like I'm living in a mansion…!" Uraraka uttered.

Always concerned with his classmates' health, Iida slid onto his knees to catch her as she suddenly fell backward. "Uraraka! Are you alright?!"

Oddly, Akiko didn't immediately dash toward Iida's side; instead, her body carried her further inside the building seemingly of its own accord. She felt that her friends were trailing after her slowly as they continued their own inspections of their new home, but she paid their presence little mind. Once she drifted toward the windows that led into the small courtyard of their dorm, filled with healthy greenery and some vibrant flowers that flourished in the summertime weather, her heart bloomed with the same liveliness that the flowers outside presented. Without thinking, her initial impressions of Heights Alliance transformed from simple sensations into sentences with the utmost of ease.

"You know, this place might be completely uncharted territory, but…" She stood straighter, her Quirk's namesake betraying her satisfaction. "I think this place has a unique sort of charm about it. It isn't quite cozy, but… it'll start feeling like home in no time. I know it."

"Eh, cozy's overrated for a common area!" Denki merrily proclaimed. "Ashido had the right idea about this place from the moment we got inside – it's already awesome!"

"Definitely feels like what you'd expect a dorm at U.A. to look like," Kyoka commented.

"Yeah," Jomei agreed. "Like Akiko said, it's pretty charming. I like it."

Turning around toward her friends, Akiko didn't intrude upon their personal inspections of the common area. She suspected Jomei had already noticed her attention turning away from the main courtyard, but he said nothing, instead letting his partner bask in the abundant positivity that their classmates and closest friends were giving off. If their morning continued like this, Akiko knew that Aizawa's scathing words would fade from everyone's minds almost overnight.

However, the universe's most lecherous low-life almost completely countered that positivity.

"Doth mine ears deceive me? Our baths… are located in the common space?" Mineta swallowed thickly, his eyes unfocused. "Is this heaven?"

"They're separated by gender, and you will behave yourself," Aizawa seethed. "Although if you need a reminder… Nishimura?"

"Say no more, sir."

In the otherwise terrifying moments that followed, Akiko conveniently didn't notice whatever unfortunate fate befell the humanoid trash can named Minoru Mineta. Until the time came that he reared his unusually sticky head unto the world once again, Akiko was more than satisfied to forget about him.

Which was a mentality her teacher seemed to share.

"Good. Anyway, the living quarters start on the second floor. Everyone gets their own room, and you should be comfortable – every room comes with an AC, toilet, fridge, and balcony, and their closets should suffice for whatever storage needs you might have. Essentially, they're miniature apartments that should help you further your independence. It should be liberating, once you become accustomed." Aizawa recovered a sheet of paper from somewhere within his mess of a costume. "Now although everyone's effects should be in their rooms by now, I'll only explain who's living on each floor once, so listen up."

At that unsubtle warning, Class 1-A's excited exploration temporarily ceased. Once everyone gathered themselves at their homeroom teacher's side, Aizawa finally continued.

"Alright. Mineta, Midoriya, Aoyama, and Tokoyami's rooms can be found on the second floor. Koda, Kaminari, Iida, Ojiro, Jiro, and Hagakure should find their rooms pretty easily upon the third. Shoji, Kirishima, Bakugo, Uraraka, and Ashido share a claim to the fourth." Appearing as though he didn't need the listings to complete his recollection of room assignments, he pawned the paper off into the hands of an expectant Kirishima. "Meanwhile, the fifth floor rounds things out with Nishimura, Sato, Todoroki, Sero, Yaoyorozu, Takara, and Asui sharing that space. There have been names printed onto the plaques outside everyone's rooms, so there shouldn't be any confusion figuring out which rooms belong to those assigned to each floor."

"Okay, that all checks out…" Kirishima lowered the paper, which he'd been studying intently while Aizawa finished speaking. "What happens now, then?"

"Now you spend the remainder of the day settling into your new rooms," Aizawa stated simply. "Details concerning your next few lessons will come tomorrow. Now get moving."

"Yes, sir!"

And with little time after that almost automatic agreement, Class 1-A slowly started away from one another, either headed toward their rooms or toward the aforementioned amenities Aizawa had mentioned. Some dutiful individuals like Tokoyami, Todoroki, and Iida marched toward the elevator or stairs, whereas Ashido, Hagakure, and Uraraka made a mad dash toward the laundry room. Apparently anything they weren't familiar with was cause for unimaginable excitement.

Although the majority of their class wasn't anywhere near as feverish about heading away from the common area anytime soon.

"Okay!" Denki clapped his hands together tightly. "Dunno about you guys, but my room's calling my name right about now. Anyone need anything before I go?"

"Not really," Kyoka said. "Besides, I think I might just head upstairs right now, too. Some of the stuff my parents let me bring here's kinda demanding to set up, so I should probably start while there's still time. What about you two?"

"As it turns out, my move-in won't be all that hard," Akiko claimed. "Almost all I had to bring was furniture – everything else is miscellaneous bits of decoration. Won't take me much time to organize, once I've moved some stuff around a little bit."

"Lucky you." Jomei stretched his arms over his head. "As for me? I'm convinced my move-in's gonna get real time-consuming. Brought tons from home and bought a bunch of other stuff that needs putting together, so it'll be a sprint for me to finish with what I have in mind before it gets too late. My situation's kinda like Kyoka's, honestly."

"Then how about we regroup later tonight?" Denki recommended. "Sound good?"

"Yeah."

"Yep!"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay!" Denki sauntered toward the stairs. "Good luck settling in, everyone!"

"Yeah, I'll definitely need it…" Sato rubbed at his neck, following his lead. "Didn't realize I'd need the original boxes to move my kitchen stuff. Hope nothing broke during the move…"

"Kitchen gear? Oh…" Jomei's eyes flashed with inspiration. Evidently having created some sort of scheme or surprise plan, Akiko didn't have time to wonder what'd popped into his head before he hastily marched after his peer. "Wait Sato, you have a second…!?"

"...and then there were two," Kyoka said. "Headed upstairs yet, Akiko?"

"Sure." Akiko directed her attention toward the elevator. "Who knows? Maybe this entire thing won't take anywhere near as long as everyone's thinking."

"Eh, with everything I brought with me, I'm not betting on it," Kyoka countered. "Now let's-"

"Wait!"

Moving with the same urgency as she'd exhibited during the Sports Festival, a bubblegum pink blur practically exploded from the laundry room alongside her companions. Momentarily frozen by their surprise, Akiko and Kyoka were helpless but to find themselves entrapped by Ashido's arms in an apparent attempt to prevent them from leaving.

"Don't go anywhere, yet!" she urged. "Tsu! Yaoyorozu! Come over here, too!"

"Wait, what's going on…?" Kyoka asked.

"I don't know…" Akiko glanced at the newcomers. "Yaoyorozu? What's this about?"

"Oh, you didn't tell them yet, huh?" Tsu observed.

"I haven't yet had the opportunity." Yaoyorozu looked at the confused pair. "But I believe I know what's going on, yes. Earlier, while we were waiting on our various other classmates to reach the dorms, Ashido started to wonder what'd be best to do, once everyone's fully moved in."

"Wait, what?" Kyoka sounded. "You don't mean-"

"That there's something super-mega-awesome right around the corner? Yeah-huh!" Ashido chirped; and, as she let her arms fall from her captured classmates' shoulders, a mischievous smirk spread across her lips. "Now hear me out, because this super-sweet plan I have in mind might just be the best idea in dormitory history…!"

In what amounted to the most unsurprising turn of events imaginable, Class 1-A's unpacking and reorganizing their things took almost the entirety of the morning and afternoon of their move-in date. Whereas some of his classmates might've anticipated they'd be able to move their effects around enough to become fully settled before lunchtime, though, Jomei suspected his endeavor to customize his room would take him well past sundown – and potentially further beyond that. Therefore, when his affinity for technology meshed with his hard-working attitude toward any and all forms of housework, Jomei surprised even himself with how efficiently he managed to put his room together.

Which made it mildly more shocking when Jomei returned downstairs to find virtually nobody around. Despite how everything he'd accomplished took a span of time from Class 1-A's initial introduction to Heights Alliance until the evening, it seemed he was one of the first to have truly settled in. Fortunately, the awkward sensation that came along with standing around alone in the common area didn't last for long. Among the multitude of familiar faces that soon emerged from upstairs, however, there were only three whose company Jomei yearned for most.

It wasn't another minute after they arrived that they rejoined him.

Whereas Iida, Kirishima, Midoriya, Tokoyami, Mineta, Sero, and Sato settled around the small living room of the common area, Jomei's social circle secured a modest amount of privacy by sitting in the dining area. With Kirishima's proposed dinner having been delayed until another time, and with everyone's batteries being more-or-less drained for the moment, Jomei tentatively considered the decision a smart one. Shortly after whipping together a simple meal that'd satisfy them until the next morning, when they'd presumably have enough energy to make themselves something more nutritious, Jomei's social circle washed their dishes and settled back down into the seats they'd been occupying moments prior.

Which brought him to the present. Accompanied by nothing but the most amazing friends he'd ever made, and awaiting the moment that he'd have a chance to reveal the fruit of his impromptu collaboration with one surprisingly-talented baker classmate of his. Though until that time came, Jomei was more than content to simply rest and relax with those that'd become his second family over the past few months.

"Okay…" Kyoka began. As she sank into her seat beside Denki, Jomei noticed some subtle signs of fatigue across her face. It seemed that she hadn't been exaggerating about how hard preparing her room would be for her, earlier in the morning. "That about covers everything I wanna do, for today. I'm exhausted."

"Already?" Denki glanced at her, mildly surprised. "Always figured that you'd be more of the night owl kinda gal."

"And I am, but not after working nonstop to put together everything I brought from home in one day," Kyoka explained. "Sure, it looks like you didn't have a tough time with your stuff, but I'm gonna guess you could 'get' that, right?"

"Definitely. Just didn't think that this whole moving thing would take this much outta you, is all, but it's all good," Denki said. Casually pointing across the table with his half-drank water bottle, he continued. "What about you guys, though? How'd you handle today?"

"Eh. I think I'm running mostly off the rush that comes from working so hard," Jomei claimed. "I don't think my body's gonna love me tomorrow with how much I did, but it's not a problem. Definitely been through worse."

"Likewise," Akiko added. "I've never needed much sleep to get by, and it didn't take much energy to decorate my room the way I wanted. Whatever happens tomorrow, I'll be more than prepared for it."

"Oh, aren't you three lucky?" Kyoka planted her elbows onto the table, resting her chin against her upturned palms. "I don't need much either, but after today? I think I'll need a good night's rest more than pretty much ever."

"At least you don't have to worry about Ashido's idea interfering with that," Akiko reasoned.

"True."

"Ashido's idea?" Denki paused halfway into another drink from his bottle. "What's that? Jomei, you know what they're talking about?"

He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"And there isn't a chance you'd guess right, anyway." Kyoka gestured with her earphone jacks between herself and Akiko as she continued. "When Aizawa-sensei scattered us, Ashido held Akiko and me behind after you two left. Evidently, she spoke with the other girls already about having some sort of 'dorm room decor competition,' or whatever."

"Right. We weren't particularly excited about the idea of everyone in class walking around our rooms, though, so…" Akiko continued, mildly tense. "Ashido called the competition off. She didn't want to mention the competition to the boys unless all us girls were with her on doing it."

"Still, she seemed fine when we said she could just visit everyone's dorms anyway whenever she wanted," Kyoka finished, shrugging with her earphone jacks. "Personally, I think that was half the reason she wanted to do that competition in the first place."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Jomei turned toward the clustered couches of the common area, whereupon he found their topic of discussion striking up a conversation with the boys assembled there. "And it looks like Ashido's come up with another idea, now. Can't quite hear what she's saying exactly, though. Kyoka?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Kyoka subtly tilted an earphone jack toward the discussion and, following a moment of unnoticed eavesdropping, she continued. "Okay. Seems like she's rebranded the idea from a full-blown competition to her just messing around and rating everyone's dorms herself, if they'll let her inside. Figures."

"She doesn't surrender easily, does she?" Jomei said.

"Not in the slightest," Akiko confirmed. "You wouldn't guess how many times she's tried to make me gossip about our relationship, once we actually started dating."

"But she was onto something, I think," Denki threw in. "Now that we're living together, we'll be learning lots about each other, but I don't think we've even mentioned whatever's in our rooms, before now. It could've been fun, maybe."

Kyoka made an uncomfortable noise. Despite drawing her friends' attention toward her in the process, she didn't answer their confusion, instead retrieving her phone from her pocket to check the time. Although the numbers were upside-down from where Jomei was sitting, the illuminated time of '8:30' remained simple enough to discern.

"Hm. It isn't totally off the table…" she muttered.

"What?" Denki blinked.

"Don't short-circuit on me now, dummy," Kyoka halfheartedly complained, pushing him away with a finger against his forehead. "I mean that we can do a little tour of our rooms tonight, if you want."

Akiko straightened. "Really? I don't have anything against that idea, but are you sure?"

Jomei nodded in agreement. "Yeah, don't feel pressured."

"Don't worry, I'm fine with this. Honest. Although…" Kyoka's cheeks reddened slightly and, as she removed her elbows from the table, she started nervously tapping her earphone jacks against one another. "Just make sure that it's just us, alright? I… I don't want anyone other than my friends judging my room."

"Then that's fine by us. Right?" Jomei said, glancing at the others.

"Right! No judging whatsoever, here," Denki asserted. "Besides, I think I might just have the kinda-sorta lamest room outta everyone. Just a disclaimer, there."

Her mouth tilting into an almost unseen smile, Kyoka's mood brightened. "Heh. It might be pretty hilarious to see how weird your room is. Like I said, it's alright if we're doing this… but you're going first."

"Ouch…!" Denki rose from his seat, feigning injury with a hand over his heart. "Still, it isn't like I'll have anything to live up to if my room really is up first, so… let's move. Sooner we start, the better!"

It couldn't have been a minute after eagerly leading everyone away from the common area that Denki realized how much trouble he'd potentially gotten himself into. While he knew Jomei and Akiko enough to know they wouldn't mock him relentlessly for his tastes, Kyoka's tendency for teasing was another matter entirely. Some small part of him hoped a miracle would happen that'd have her not tease him for his slightest mistakes or failings where fashion was concerned, and yet another knew that hope was ill-advised. From the very core of her personality outward, Kyoka's teasing was essentially baked into her biology these days, which meant that the best thing Denki could do was prepare for the comments that'd come when she judged his room.

Those aforementioned preparations manifested in a way unlike anything he could've conceived of, before tonight. Somehow, his atrocious attempt at conveying some confidence had his smile turning tight-lipped, his strides strangely chipper, and his hands hooking into 'fists' that swung strangely around his hips.

Consequently, the moment their group reached the third floor, Denki noticed an amused, but mostly concerned look, had crossed Jomei's expression. Relatively lackluster though his mind-reading abilities were when compared to his companions, Denki knew that that look was meant as a silent offer of aid and encouragement, but he decided against accepting it, for the time being. While there wasn't anything wrong with accepting his friends' assistance where their hero work was concerned, this once, Denki wanted to debut his room to his friends entirely on his own. No matter their reaction, that much wasn't changing.

Although it seemed like he wasn't the only uneasy member of their circle at the moment. While Jomei followed beside him as they continued toward his room, Denki overheard the hushed tones that made up Akiko and Kyoka's quiet conversation somewhere behind him.

"You know it isn't too late to call this off," Akiko suggested.

"Yeah, but I'm not chickening out now," Kyoka quietly insisted. "And it isn't like I don't wanna do this tour thing. I wasn't bullied for my tastes in junior high or anything, but… I've still always been sensitive about it. Aren't girls, you know, not supposed to be into heavy metal and rock, and stuff?"

"Where'd you get that from?" Akiko questioned. "Those are stereotypes that should have died centuries ago."

"No arguments there." Kyoka sighed. "Still, I think I'll feel way better once we're finished with this first room. Hopefully Denki's dorm will set the bar pretty low…"

Ignoring the somehow demure-sounding preemptive strike at his dorm's design, Denki felt his awkward tension drain into some short-term clarity. Kyoka had sounded embarrassed, just then. Like she'd started thinking her room somehow had a chance of being worse-received than the utterly unique abomination of a living space Denki's dorm had become throughout today.

'Wait, that means- that means she's… nervous?'

It might've been obvious for anyone with an IQ even remotely higher than his own, but for him, that realization was only just beginning to settle in his mind. Surprisingly, Kyoka was far more human than Denki had been giving her credit for. She was exactly as afraid of reprisal from her friends and family as anyone else across the country, the planet, even – not some unimpeachable badass that her performance at the USJ incident and the initial internships had once made Denki think she was. There was a sneaking suspicion in the rearmost portions of his mind that Jomei and Akiko had long since drawn that assumption themselves, but that realization still provided him some much-needed comfort as they finished the short journey toward his dorm.

Which they reached shortly after that epiphany temporarily subdued his tensions.

"Here we are, then…" Denki trailed off. Unlocking the door with the key that'd come with his dorm, he turned around and, in hopes of somehow scoring himself some more brownie points with his friends, made a show of throwing the key into the air before catching it, again. "Now you guys should probably prepare yourselves, because this right here is Kaminari Denki's big dormitory debut!"

Kyoka halfheartedly shook her head. "Here it comes…"

Fearful of losing whatever momentum he'd built himself, Denki didn't wait another moment. He threw the unlocked dormitory door open and, pressing himself proudly against the empty frame, gestured his guests inside.

Whereupon they witnessed what could only be classified as funk with form.

In whatever manner the word might mean, everything about his room's decor could have been granted that title. From his multi-yellow cheetah print bedsheet to his grey-and-black tigerlike curtains to his plush rug and beyond, everything about the aesthetic in his room screamed with garish amounts of color. Adorning his walls were a multitude of random other items that added to this effect – manga merchandise in the form of a poster, numerous hats he'd never once worn, headphones, license plates, boots, an autographed shirt he'd received at the age of twelve, and even an (apparently) often-used dartboard. From his own approximation, the only things in his room that anyone could have anticipated were the stickered-on lightning bolts strewn across his dresser; which, come to think of it, had more lightning imagery than his entire wardrobe – his current tesla coil-themed t-shirt he'd been wearing notwithstanding.

From his humble perspective, however, Denki considered his room extremely earnest. There was nothing he had to hide from anyone who found themselves inside his abode. Whether that was a necessarily good thing or not remained to be seen.

Alongside the others' opinions on the controlled chaos that their friend called home.

If Akiko's comfortably curious expression was anything to go by, at least one of his few friends didn't harbor any notable disdain for his decorative style. Beyond that curiosity though, despite how expressive her Quirk's namesake could be, Denki couldn't quite discern the exact thoughts running through her head.

Similarly, Jomei's intrigue had crawled clearly across his face in the few seconds after entering the room. Unlike Akiko however, his inspection of the interior design wasn't relegated to merely surface-level glances at what decorated his furniture and wall shelves; rather, his exploration had him closely studying quite a few bits of the tech around the place, perhaps curious about brands or the quality of whatever his friend owned.

Meanwhile, Kyoka simply seemed stunned. Nothing about her face betrayed the slightest hint of whatever she might've been thinking, leading Denki's previously-vanquished tension to return in force. His nervous smile creeping back onto his lips, Denki slowly shut the door behind him. He wouldn't let himself flee from this judgment, no matter what came next.

Besides, Kyoka couldn't dislike his room that badly, right?

"So… whatcha guys think?"

"You know, I think it's definitely the most unique room around," Akiko commented, studying the framed t-shirt presiding over his bed. "It's almost like an especially distinct store at the shopping mall, if that makes sense."

"Not one you'd shop at though, huh?" Denki inferred.

Akiko's pleasant smile shrank a little. "N-not really…"

"Won't lie. Same there, but…" Jomei paused. "I think it's really neat."

"Really?" Denki's eyes widened, surprised. "You kidding?"

"No, I'm serious. There's a bunch of random stuff in here, yeah, but I'm sure everything has its own story somehow. Doesn't matter if you bought it on impulse or if some of this stuff might be unfashionable now – if you like it, that's enough," Jomei insisted. Reaching toward his dresser, he recovered a dart and started spinning it between his fingers.

"That means a lot, actually." Denki leaned against his closed door. "Thanks, man."

"No problem. Besides-" Jomei threw the dart at its corresponding board and, though the attempt was admirable, it only managed to penetrate the wall rather than any targets. "Ouch. Okay, I had a clever comment prepped, but that completely failed. Yikes."

"Maybe I have a reason to invite you over sometime, then," Denki supplied. "I could teach you how to throw darts!"

"Just be sure not to blind yourselves, alright?" Akiko cautioned with a smile.

"Promise." Denki's attention fell onto his still-silent guest. Despite his initial misgivings, some part of him believed that his next question wouldn't be answered with a mildly scathing remark about his room. "What about you, Kyoka?"

She continued scanning her surroundings. "This room is… probably the best worst thing I've literally ever seen."

At that moment, Kaminari Denki stopped functioning.

Falling face-first into his plush carpet without even realizing it, let alone recognizing the pain that reasonably followed the impact, his mind momentarily drew a blank. Why, why in the world did he somehow trick himself into thinking that she would miraculously approve of how he had decorated his room? Kyoka's immediate laughter following his collapse was at least some sort of minor comfort, in a moderately painful sort of way.

Or maybe that could've been his fractured skull. At this point, who knew?

Jomei knelt beside his prone form. "Kyoka, I think you killed him."

"Not me," Denki mumbled through the carpet. "Just my phenomenal pride…"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it," Kyoka reasoned. "There's still a chance someone here could manage to overhaul this place. Make it look a little less… completely abominable."

"Maybe you?" Denki suggested. Jomei hooked his arm underneath his own, and he didn't fight against the assistance in getting back onto his feet. "When would we start?"

"Never."

Another mind-numbing shockwave rippled through his mind, and Denki would've made another wondrous encounter with the floor if it wasn't for Jomei catching him in time. Denki didn't even attempt to understand what Kyoka's game was, at this point. If she turned out to be some eldritch abomination-turned-teenager from Lovecraftian mythos, at this point, he might've been inclined to accept the notion.

Even those 'old gods' were more understandable than she was, sometimes.

"Oh, come on, do I really have to spell this out?" Kyoka breathed out slowly, offering him an understanding look. "Listen, this room is literally you in every way, and remember, I haven't exactly gotten rid of you for being a complete nutball yet, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Then don't change your room. It makes me feel better about mine, and besides…" Kyoka blessed him with the faintest glimpse of a warm smile. "This room really isn't half-bad, when you get used to it."

"That. That-" Denki stopped himself. "Thanks."

But sometimes, there were mysteries that didn't need solving. If the comfortably cozy sensation that'd settled inside his chest was any indicator, if Denki understood anything now, it was that Kyoka's constantly teasing behaviors were one of those mysteries. Would he ever vanquish his instinctively overdramatic reactions to her remarks? Probably not, but for whatever reason…

He didn't mind that. Not anymore.

"Don't mention it," Kyoka said, watching him stand up again. "Seriously."

"Okay. Now that this room's all explored and everything…" Jomei stepped away from his now recovered comrade, gesturing toward the door with his thumb. "How about we run by the room that's closest to this one, next?"

"Which means that since we're on the same floor, it'll be my turn next." Kyoka made another uncomfortable noise, albeit much more subdued than those she'd made before. "This'll be so much fun…"

"Still nervous?" Akiko asked.

"No, no, just…" Kyoka stepped toward the door. "Try and take everything you see in there with a pinch of salt or something, alright?"

Denki made an overdramatic salute. "Will do, chief!"

Much to his pleasant surprise, Kyoka's smile subtly expanded as she reached the door. Although her happiness was quickly hidden away when the door hid her face from his view, Denki's chest swelled with pride at the unintended success of his instinctive exuberance. On their walk back into the hallway, Jomei offered him an appreciative nod whilst Akiko looked like she was just barely keeping herself from laughing at his dorky salute. Neither of their reactions diminished his newfound pride, and Denki followed them out with a grin.

Though they didn't move anywhere in a hurry afterward. Apparently, Ashido's proposed tours had transformed into a full-blown reality TV show-like event, with the bubblegum girl herself having changed into business attire and unnecessarily formal-looking sunglasses while they'd been inside. Once it became clear that Ashido and her audience hadn't noticed them, and had marched inside their latest victim's abode in the form of Ojiro's room, Kyoka didn't delay in leading them away from the action, toward the opposite wing of Heights Alliance.

Personally, Denki didn't mind that they were 'missing out' on that particular affair. Perhaps Ashido's impromptu tours might've had some visual flair and tremendous enthusiasm in the form of the number of people participating, but there was something that their little ventures lacked something that his group's adventures had in spades – genuine kinship.

So Ashido's audience could continue their explorations together. They could have their fun, rank whatever rooms they wanted, and continue their romp until midnight and beyond, but Denki felt little envy for them. For him, spending time with his friends would always be more exciting than almost anything Class 1-A in its entirety decided to do together.

Without any doubt, the simplest things mattered more than anything else.

Authors Note: Yeppo! After considerable internal debate, it's happening! I'm miniaturizing this dorms mini-arc such that I'm not spending around three-to-five chapters creating some entirely meaningless dorm room exploration scenes with the less-than-super-important cast members of WFAF. Instead, it'll just be Denki, Kyoka, Akiko, and Jomei's rooms that are explored over these two chapters, although I do think that something toward the end of next might turn into a welcome surprise. More on that later, probably.

At any rate, everyone's away from their original homes now! How about that, eh? I mean yes, I could've made it a much bigger occasion with scenes coinciding with every member of the main quartet leaving home and made some drama that way, but as with everything in this fic's narrative, I try to keep the plot rolling forward at a semi-decent clip. While I'm completely for the idea of exploring the minutiae of how powers, society, and a whole slew of other things work in this universe Horokoshi's created, sometimes, I think it better to follow his lead pacing-wise. Emphasis on the sometimes, of course, what with how Ashido's 'competition' being a plain example of how this fic, by necessity, altered the pacing of the dorms mini-arc. In anime/manga form it's easy enough to montage, but with my style? Not quite as simple, y'know? Other than those small notes, that… about covers everything for this chapter. Most of it speaks for itself, methinks.

Which brings us to the kinda-sorta outro of this chapter, whereupon some DBZ-esque cliffhangers sometimes happen. What will they be this time? Not super poignant by any means, but I'm happy to report that this next chapter will be (probably) 75% positive vibes as the main quartet's private romp continues and the OC duo's rooms are fleshed out after Kyoka's. About the other quarter, though? That scene should be a mild surprise, and will lead into a brief, albeit entirely original arc between the dorms and provisional licensing exam events. Until next time, then!

PS: Apologies about the delay! IRL's been difficult lately, so check out my main profile page for more details on the delayed upload of this chapter and potential future ones. Sorry again, all!