⠀⠀Per hospital policy, when I was discharged, I was wheeled out. A cab then took Aisha and I to my new apartment in near silence, with the older woman faintly snoring the whole way. It had snowed the night before, and the morning was left brisk and cold. The drive, however, took us by my mountain of salt. It was devoid of snow and was being chiseled at by a demolition crew.

⠀⠀I tried to trust Aisha, but doubt and fear were fickle things. They were unreasonable at times or frustrating and confusing at best. The four-letter word still didn't feel earned, and the sight didn't help convince me. How I made so much salt alluded me as my mind tried to parse its mass by volume.

⠀⠀Eventually, we reached the apartments, and Aisha led me into the living room. "Go — explore," she lazily explained before flopping face-first into the couch. "Your room is last on the left. Nana's room is the first on the right. Kotaro's is the other one."

⠀⠀"I'll be living with them?" I asked.

⠀⠀"That's been the plan," Aisha mumbled. "Did I forget to mention that?"

⠀⠀"Yes, you did, and did you get any sleep at all?" I eventually asked.

⠀⠀"Quirk produces melatonin when I don't use it," she offered.

⠀⠀"Wait, so if you don't use your quirk, you're more tired? How does that relate to plasma? Is that why you dream so much coffee?" I inquired, the distraction sturring my curiosity. There was no answer. Aisha was already knocked out.

⠀⠀I blinked at the woman, scowled at myself for thinking of shooting her in the ankle, then did as asked. The living room was simple if bare. A gray couch, a wall-mounted television, a wooden table with Aisha's luggage draped over it, and a picture of Nana's family on the wall. I assumed the man hugging Nana and Kotaro was Samanosuke. His feature were sharp, his hair was gelled back, and he wore a black suit.

⠀⠀The apartment had three rooms, a security system, and a full kitchen, and two of the rooms were masters. My room, last on the left, was the smaller of the two master bedrooms. It was roughly as large as my room in my old home, but neither smelled of ash or sake.

⠀⠀It had single mattresses, a desk, a computer chair still in its box, a dresser, and a laptop. The shower was bare and missing a curtain, the bed didn't have a sheet, a pillow, or a blanket, and there were no curtains. I wasted no time unpacking after opening the blinds, but even after everything I owned was put away, it still didn't look lived in.

⠀⠀There was a knock on my door, and I glanced over to see Nana. She was dressed casually, wearing stockings and a blue buttoned coat, and had her hair down. She, like Aisha, looked tired, but her keepsake grin didn't change. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

⠀⠀I didn't have an answer I wanted to share, still confused over the past two weeks. Instead, I answered with a question, "Is Kotaro alright?"

⠀⠀Nana took the hint, but her shoulders stiffened. "He will be. His skin's a bit dry, but they prescribed him a lotion," Nana answered. "You were able to get him out before he got seriously hurt. Recovery Girl's work took care of the rest. Thank you." She gave me a polite bow, then rose and asked, "He's in the living room if you want to see him."

⠀⠀I had no reason to say no, stood and followed Nana. I could see the gratitude she held in the way she stood. It was relaxed and calm, and the sly nature she was known for seemed to radiate in the air. It was an odd feeling and unfamiliar, knowing I'd be living with her.

⠀⠀"Kotaro needs to get used to seeing you before you can watch him," Nana explained. "When I can, I'll be over so you can spend time with him."

⠀⠀Waiting for us was Aisha and Kotaro. The former supped at a cup of coffee from a store I didn't recognize while the latter sat at the table on a raised cushion eating breakfast. He smiled as he ate slices of fruit, eyes glued to the television. A kid show played, but the volume was low. Nana sat next to Aisha, behind Kotaro, and I found a seat on the floor.

⠀⠀"Kotaro," the mother began, "say hello to Akari."

⠀⠀"Hello, Abri," he misspoke.

⠀⠀"No, not Abri. Akari," Nana corrected her. "A-kar-i."

⠀⠀At the breakdown of my name, Kotaro looked up at his mother. "Akari," he corrected himself.

⠀⠀His mother then pointed a thumb at me and nodded. "Good job, Kotaro. Akari. That's Akari."

⠀⠀The two-year-old, almost three, then repeated, "Akari." His free hand raised, and he pointed at me. "Akari sad."

⠀⠀I deflated and needlessly asked, "Is it really that obvious?"

⠀⠀"I think it's your ears. They move a lot," Nana explained.

⠀⠀"Yep," Aisha agreed. "It's cute. They've been down since yesterday."

⠀⠀"Traitors," I scowled as I reached up and gripped my elf-like ears. That only made the two older women chuckle.

⠀⠀"You look like a sad sack of potatoes when you mope," Aisha hummed, and the sass made me smile. I knew it wasn't an insult. "Oh, so that's how we cheer you up?"

⠀⠀"Fries are potatoes," Kotaro explained.

⠀⠀"Yes, Kotaro, french fries are potatoes," Nana hummed.

⠀⠀"Note to self, make fun of Frenchfry-chan to make her feel better," Aisha teased.

⠀⠀Unused to being loving prodded, I sank into myself. "It's because the insult was creative," I countered in a quiet voice.

⠀⠀ "Well, I hope you feel better, Akari-san. I know things have been hard for you," Nana reassured me.

⠀⠀"Now you're mispronouncing her name, Nana-sama. Setting a bad influence on Kotaro," Aisha gasped in her tired tone. "It's Frenchfry-chan!"

⠀⠀"No. Akari." Kotaro jabbed a half-eaten apple slice at me. Meanwhile, he gazed down at Aisha with a confused face.

⠀⠀"You heard him. You're outvoted," Nana laughed. Aisha rolled her eyes, took a swing, then eyed me.

⠀⠀Still flustered, I tried to change topics. "...I was supposed to be in school already. I wanted to surprise my friend I've been tutoring in person."

⠀⠀"Yeah, being a hero means things sometimes never go to plan. Ever," Aisha complained. "You'll get used to it, eventually."

⠀⠀"That sounds horrible," I mumbled.

⠀⠀"It really is," Nana agreed.

⠀⠀"We'll handle school stuff tomorrow," Aisha explained, other not hearing Nana and I's comments or not acknowledging them. "You'll be enrolled by the end of the day since I've already handled the paperwork. By Thursday, hopefully, you'll be able to attend class," Aisha yawned. "Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you take childcare classes in the afternoon. Quirk training will be on days you don't study. You get weekends off, and — we're going shopping later."

⠀⠀The normality of the schedule made me smile, but I still didn't know what to say. Only then did I realize a mistake. "Thank you," I stammered, and Aisha raised her cup at the thanks.

⠀⠀"Don't mention it," she reassured me. "Actually — do mention it. The government needs to know you're being taken care of. They're being stingy."

⠀⠀"Hard to see why. It might have to do with Akari being in the hospital twice since she's met you," Nana pestered her friend, and Aisha groaned at the remark.

⠀⠀"You're lucky you got me coffee..."

⠀⠀"What's that?" Kotaro asked, and his tiny hand was pointed at the television.

⠀⠀"That's candy, Kotaro-kun," I answered as an ad played.

⠀⠀"Oh. Like gum," Kotaro bubbled.

⠀⠀"He means gummies," Nana explained. "He loves gummy worms."

⠀⠀"Yes, please," Kotaro quickly requested, and his tiny hand was outstretched towards his mother.

⠀⠀"No, Kotaro-kun. You have apples," Nana said. "No gummy worms."

⠀⠀"Oh. Why not?"

⠀⠀"Candy isn't for breakfast," Aisha answered for the mother.

⠀⠀"Oh." The kid looked sad for a moment as he gazed down at his meal before continuing to eat. "What's that?" he asked, hand pointing at the television.

⠀⠀"That's a hero, Kotaro-kun," I answered.

⠀⠀"Oh. Like Mama!"

⠀⠀"And me," I mentally told myself, yet, the thought still didn't feel quite right.

⠀⠀"And like Akari," Aisha interjected, almost as if she read my mind. Part of me suspected she could from the sideways glance she gave me until I realized how low my ears dropped.

⠀⠀"Traitors," I mumbled as I realized exactly how telling my ears were. It made me wonder how my Grandfather abused the tells I didn't know I had.

⠀⠀Thursday eventually arose, and I was enrolled. Then passed, and when Monday came, I was thankful for it. My phone's alarm rang, and I awoke to a room furnished in monotone shades, with salt as the backdrop.

⠀⠀Black curtains shined dimly under morning's light while I was enveloped in plane gray sheets. My bed was raised on a bedframe made from white salt that ate away at the moisture in the air. Thin panels of different chemical forms of sodium hung from the wall, encased in black picture frames. With sharpy, I wrote down their formulas and structures on the glass, along with warning labels.

⠀⠀With a vigor I had not felt in weeks, I threw myself out of bed and threw on my new school uniform. When I was done, I strolled into the kitchen to eat breakfast and could hear Aisha drag herself out of Nana's room. The shark whirl of her mechanical toothbrush followed only to abruptly stop.

⠀⠀"Crap," I heard her complain. "Akari, do you know if Nana-sama got batteries?"

⠀⠀"It's on the list?" I offered from the kitchen. The woman let out an annoyed sigh, and I could tell she was manually scrubbing at her teeth now.

⠀⠀When I was finished eating, I arose and flanked the bathroom door. Aisha, annoyed, brushed and brushed, only to notice me in the mirror. "Ready for school?" she asked, her voice muffled.

⠀⠀"Yes," I answered sharply. "Just waiting on you."

⠀⠀"How are you feeling?" Aisha, through her toothpaste and toothbrush, asked.

⠀⠀"Better," I honestly offered.

⠀⠀Aisha's brow raised, and the worried, disbelieving face returned. "Then why do you sound sad?"

⠀⠀"You're leaving in a week."

⠀⠀She softened, turned, and patted my head. Respectfully, she didn't mess up my hair. "I'll miss you too, Akari-kun."

⠀⠀"Hey — what if I had said no?"

⠀⠀"What?"

⠀⠀"What if I said no to Nana-san?" I clarified. "I've been thinking about it since we moved in."

⠀⠀"Elaborate, please," she requested.

⠀⠀"To Nana-sama's offer. What if I had said no?" I repeated.

⠀⠀Aisha cleaned her mouth with a spit. "Email said, 'smaller apartment, something closer to central.' Also, I'd be disappointed."

⠀⠀"Do you think Nana would be disappointed, too?"

⠀⠀"Not really, but she'd understand," Aisha explained. "Don't go getting cold feet, though. You can't be a hero if you second guess helping people. Trust me, Nana-sama needs the help. No regrets. Understand?"

⠀⠀I didn't reply as I thought of the week and faintly added, "I wish Sensei-" I caught myself. Then took a deep breath and corrected, "I wish that — villain — didn't ruin that day. I hope we can get together and eat before you leave."

⠀⠀"Me too," she mused. "Hey, is the coffee brewed?"

⠀⠀I glanced towards the kitchen and the coffee pot. "Do you want me to make you a cup?" I asked, eyeing the steaming brew. "Wait, is that automatic?"

⠀⠀"Yep!" Aisha bubbled. "And no, I got it," she replied as she took her small water cup, gargled, then trotted to the kitchen. After cleaning the glass, Aisha grabbed the coffee pot and poured a swig directly into her mouth. "Oh! That hits the spot," she buzzed. "Let's go."

⠀⠀"D-doesn't that taste funny? Since you just brushed?"

⠀⠀"Absolutely," she bluntly laughed. "I wish we had creamer, though. I had to replace my bra, so now I don't have the yen for it."

⠀⠀"Sorry..."

⠀⠀"If only someone knew how to control her insides," she dejectedly fake cried.

⠀⠀"Sorry," I repeated.

⠀⠀"I can still smell it, too," she scoffed, only to straight. "For real, I can still smell it. Using my quirk was not a good idea."

⠀⠀"I would imagen," I offered, unable to recall the stench.

⠀⠀"Hey, ears up," Aisha snapped. "I don't blame you. Just teasing. Besides, that horse-Gozuki guy, or whatever he was, better enjoy that concussion Nana-sama gave him. That's fifty-thousand yen I'm not getting back."

⠀⠀I recalled the attack and the villain I never saw until days later. "His quirk was Mezuki, not Gozuki," I corrected. "Gozuki is a bull's head, not a horse's head."

⠀⠀"I'll take your word for it, brainiac," she agreed. We quickly left after that, and when we finally arrived at the school, Aisha waved me off with a cheeky smirk.

⠀⠀The school setting was nothing new, but I welcomed the familiarity of brisk angst and teenaged order. I, and every other girl, wore a gray collared long-sleeve, a black skirt, and a red tie. Accessories were optional, but I chose black stockings. The boys were dressed in all black with white undershirts.

⠀⠀Eventually, I found my homeroom, and my teacher waited for me outside the door. She was an older woman with long, rich brown hair and a cat-like quirk. Her attire was professional, with a beige dress and a brown top. Under her beige dress was a long tale that brushed against the floor. Her ears were that of a cat but folded down and hid within her hair. I only saw them from how short I was.

⠀⠀"Shio-san, I am Maki Sakura," she addressed me while other students filed past us and into the class.

⠀⠀I respectfully bowed to the woman. "Hello, Maki-sensei. I look forward to being in your class. Thank you for waiting by the door."

⠀⠀"No need to thank me," she dismissed as she stepped into the class. "I wanted to introduce myself before homeroom after seeing you on the news. Are you looking to become a hero?"

⠀⠀"I am."

⠀⠀"Excellent! As your teacher, it is my duty to help you file for any school you wish to apply to. While you're here, please feel free to put your faith in me. With power like yours, I simply can not let that go unfulfilled." As she ranted, the bell rang, and from the corner of my eye, I could see her glass gazing me down. "I have high hopes for you, Shio-san. I can only pray your academic mind is as powerful as your quirk."

⠀⠀She turned and stepped into the class. With a gesture, she directed me to follow. "Everyone," she announced, and the classes' attention turned to her, "Shio Akari will be joining us for the remainder of the year. Please treat her well." As I stepped into the classroom, Maki-Sensei sat at her desk and opened a drawer. "Shio-san, your seat is behind Yagi-san, by the window. Yagi-san, please raise your hand."

⠀⠀A taller boy, Yagi, raised his hand. His hair was a mess of gold, punctuated by two long bangs. He had soft blue eyes, thick eyebrows, and was lean. I noticed bandages and bandages around his wrists and bruising on his face and hands.

⠀⠀"Thank you, Yagi. Shio-san, before you take your seat," she withdrew a small folder, "this is the work you'll need to finish, so I know where you stand in the class. The pages bound by a paperclip are also my class rules. Failure to follow them will lower your grade." She then turned back to the class and asked, "Would anyone like to explain to Shio-san our homework rule?" Not a soul raised their hand, making the older woman roll her eyes. "No? No one? Very well." Her voice rose to a growl, and she hissed, "Shima-san, please explain the rule."

⠀⠀A girl at the front of the class stood. Her black hair was cut evenly, her uniform looked ironed, and her skin was pale. "Yes, Maki-Sensei," she said in a cooing tone. "Shio-san," she turned to me, and her voice twisted in a smuggish way, "do you see the question in the corner?" I followed her direction to a mathematical question of determining functions.

⠀⠀"I do," I confirmed.

⠀⠀"If anyone can answer that question right, we don't have to do homework for the rest of the month. If you get it wrong," Shima narrowed her eyes, and the false smile she wore faded, "we get double the homework instead. Please refrain from trying to answer if you don't know. It would be impolite for you to try otherwise."

⠀⠀"Thank you, Shima-san. You may sit down now," Maki-sensei allowed. "And you too, Shio-san. Please read over the rules before tomorrow."

⠀⠀"Maki-sensei," I mused, still fixated on the question, "before I sit down, may I please solve this math problem?"

⠀⠀A faint groan murmured through the class behind me as Maki-sensei sat straight. "Do you believe you can solve it?" she asked, and it was hard to tell the expression she wore.

⠀⠀"Yes, Sensei. I do. I've seen this kind of question before."

⠀⠀"Where?"

⠀⠀"Old U.A. entrance exams. This one is simpler than the ones I've seen."

⠀⠀"You've practiced taking old U.A. entrance exams?" Sensei asked, and her cat ears flicked forwards towards me. There was an expectation in her form.

⠀⠀"I have," I reassured her.

⠀⠀Her eyes seemed to flick between several of her students. "Are you sure, Shio-san?"

⠀⠀"Yes, Sensei, but this is an easy equation," I proudly declared, and a second groan quietly echoed through the class.

⠀⠀"Solve away, then, Shio-san," Sensei ordered.

⠀⠀"If she gets this wrong, I swear," I heard someone mutter. I paid that student no mind as I grabbed a stick of chalk and began.

⠀⠀"Let Z be the set of integers. Determine all the functions of F: going from Z to Z, such that for all integers a and b, F of two A, plus two F of B equals F of F of A plus B." As I spoke, I rewrote the puzzle of a question, not bothering looking at the already written question in the corner of the board.

⠀⠀"This question dates back to the International Mathematical Olympiad, twenty-nineteen, and was used as a benchmark question for U.A. during its founding. An advanced question used to weed out advanced students." I then drew out the question again, but only the formula.

⠀⠀"To solve for all functions over these integers making this equality accurate, we need to substitute a letter for select values. If we make F equal to zero, the equation simplifies to F of zero, plus two F of B equals F of F of B. Since the domain and rage of F are the same, we can let X equal F of B and F of zero equal some constant C. That gives us C plus two X equals F of X."

⠀⠀I took a deep breath before continuing the mathematical war. "Therefore, all solutions must be of the form F of X equals two X plus C. Plugging this back into the original equation gives us..." I stepped to the side and began to write larger. "Four A plus C plus four B plus Two C is equal to four A plus four B plus two C plus C. This is true." I tapped the chalk against the formula. "Therefore, F of X is equal to two X plus C satisfies the above for any integral constant C. That makes this family of equations is unique. If we plug what we have solved for back into the original problem, you have your answer."

⠀⠀I took another deep breath before I could be told if I was right or wrong. "However, if F is surjective, this won't work for the answer. Alternatively, if F of X equals zero times two X plus C. For some integer C. If I plug zero for A and zero for B separately, I get F of two X equals two F of X minus F of zero. Then I simplify the equation by rewriting it then I simplify the question again by subtracting two F of zero from both sides. That makes F of A minus F zero an additive, thus linear by Cauchy since this is on integers. Thus, F of A is linear."

⠀⠀I placed the chalk down, still smiling, and turned to Maki-sensei. "That means this," I pointed forward, "is the answer since it shows that zero and two X plus C are the only leaner solutions by plugging in M time X plus N into the equation."

⠀⠀Finally finished, I placed the chalk down and turned to see a sea of dead stares. They wore confusion, marked by suspense as they awaited our Sensei's word. The only soul without a deadpanned expression was Maki-Sensei, who immediately stood and withdrew her phone.

⠀⠀"Excuse me, but what?" someone in the class asked, venting their confusion. "Where did the M come from?!" Several laughed, but the voices died as our Sensei raised a hand. She began double-checking my work in the dead silence of the room, and slowly a considered expression of doubt grew.

⠀⠀"Shio-san, are you — studying to get into U.A.?" she inquired.

⠀⠀"Yes, Ma'am."

⠀⠀My answer made the teacher smile widely. Her polished white teeth were sharp, and she seemed pleased. "Well, you're... correct," she finally muttered, loud enough for every student to hear. Immidalty, the room exploded into cheers. At the volume, Sensei spun around and yelled, "Quiet down, quiet down! I swear..."

⠀⠀She then cleared her throat as the cheers became gleeful murmurs. "Considering this is your first day, Shio-san, you've made quite an introduction. Congratulations. Please take a seat!" I quietly bowed and moved to sit behind the blond.

⠀⠀The class was easy from there, and when the lunch bell rang through the school, Sensei dismissed us to go eat but was the first out the door. She ran as she went, and I didn't know if that was normal or not. The other student's reactions made me suspect the answer was no. I ignored the oddity with a quick dismissing thought and pulled out my phone to text my pen pal.

⠀⠀The moment I pressed send, inviting them to lunch, I was surrounded by four students. One was Shima, and she seemed pleased. The remaining girls were rather plain-looking, with matching red stockings and white bracelets. Of them, they had brown, black, and red hair. Their eyes were black, with a faint purple ring around their iris.

⠀⠀"That was impressive," Shima complimented. "How did you get the letter M, anyways?"

⠀⠀"They're letters I picked to represent new sections of the equation," I answered as I stood while I slipped my phone back into my pocket. "They could have been any letter: K, W, T, or so on."

⠀⠀"Color me impressed, Shio-san. I am Shima Nao," she placed her hand on her heart as she introduced herself. "These three are Hoshino Kiku, Ogura Tamiko, and Kiyabu Mana."

⠀⠀"It's nice to meet all of you," I gave a polite bow. "But I have to go. I told a friend I'd meet them for lunch."

⠀⠀"In a sec, I just have a question," Shima beamed, only to reach down to her side at a bag at her waist. I noticed a red cross agist its front. "I just wanted you to give a quote for the, um, hold on, I have it in here somewhere. Oh, finally!" Shima raised a small box that looked like a recorder. "How's it feel to be the first student in months to answer one of Maki-sensei's questions? They're legendary for being difficult!"

⠀⠀"I'm sorry, but I have to go," I repeated as I stepped past the taller girls.

⠀⠀"Oh, come on, Shio-san! We heard you were practicing old U.A. exams! Think of this like an interview for when you become a hero! It's training," she insisted. "I'm sure your friend will understand! You'll be in the school's article by tomorrow, too!" I stopped at the door and glanced at the girls and the recorder. They had followed me to the door and still held it towards me. "Come on, please?" she insisted.

⠀⠀Shima's eyes glowed in anticipation, and her grin reminded me of Nana's smile. The girls that followed her held back and stayed quiet, neither speaking up nor seeming friendly or threatening. They looked spaced out, but their posture was relaxed.

⠀⠀"Only one question," I relented.

⠀⠀"I wouldn't if I were you," someone said to my right. "Shima's going to use that recording to make a fake version of your voice and blackmail you." I glanced to my right to see the blond from before, holding his phone up at me. The screen showed the tutoring app I was familiar with and a chain of messages I recognized. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sempai."

Author's Note

⠀⠀Let me know what you think, and if you have a suggestion, I'll be happy to read it in a review. Follow and favorite if you enjoyed.