Unable to slip away, she found herself in the halls of UA. While the other two changed, she stood at the door. Just on the other side was the pool, and she could hear everyone else chatting away. She debated leaving, but Kirishima blasted the door open and shoved her through. Too late to leave, she plopped down against the wall while the others talked.
"You don't look too great," Sero commented on Senji's questionable state. The heat was killing her, almost literally.
"Hot," she croaked out weakly. Tsuyu took note, as well. Senji spotted a cooler, probably for drinks, and pulled it back to her spot. She stuck her hands into the ice, keeping the lid partially closed. Before long, her body had cooled down considerably.
"Eh, what's that? I thought you had work today," Mina questioned Senji, who she'd invited to the pool before but had been turned down.
"It's…a little complicated? And putting something cold on the wrists or neck can cool you down faster," Senji offered a half-assed excuse, and an explanation for her somewhat silly position. She talked with the other girls for a while, vaguely watching the boys' weird competition. Just when it was heating up, the door burst open and Eraser cut it off. Their pool time had ended, so it was time to go home. He glanced at Senji on the ground, raising a brow at her.
"What are you doing," he asked her flatly. He always looked tired, but in this moment he looked even more exhausted. Senji laughed a little at his expression, and held up two fingers, like a peace sign. His expression went as flat as his tone, and he left without questioning her further. She waited in the hall while the others changed out of their swimwear and started leaving. She walked with Kirishima and Bakugo, her tail almost dragging the ground. It was cooler now, but the heat was still no laughing matter for her. It sapped away her energy, even to tease Bakugo while he was fuming.
Kirishima parted with them at the gate to the Bakugo residence. The other two walked in silence up to the door. Senji was still out of it when the door flew open, and a wild Mitsuki dragged them both to the dining table and sat them down. There was a long and awkward silence while Senji cooled down and returned to her senses.
Mitsuki started in on them hard, about consequences and some other things. Senji was still tuned out until about mid-conversation. Then she realized what was going on, and shriveled up inside.
"And you, young lady! I didn't hire you to goof off and…and..! Prostitution ain't legal, you know? I'm not gonna pay you while you do it!," the fiery woman practically shouted at her. Katsuki and her argued back and forth, the whole thing escalating fast. Senji finally slammed her fists down on the table, standing up fast and silencing the room.
"Are you fucking serious?!," Senji shouted, her eyes covered by her hair.
"Watch your tone! You little-"
"You really think that's what's going on? You have that little trust in your own kid, that you'll sit here and shut him down because you misunderstood something?!," the girl's tone was dark, and angry. She slipped back and forth between english and japanese a few times mid sentence, losing control in her fury.
"Hey," Katsuki tried to interject.
"You shut up, too. Talking to your damn mom like that," Senji glared at him hard, silencing him. Then she continued, "That dipshit is loud, and annoying as hell. He's got a really punchable face too. But he works hard, training. Studying. Pushing himself to his absolute limits and pushing back against all the pressure you put on him. He desperately wants to be a top hero, and you of all people should know that. He's your son. He's kinda shitty at times, but he's not…He won't throw everything away just because he might've gotten a little horny."
Mitsuki tried to say something in response, but Senji stormed off. The Bakugo family sat in silence, interrupted only by the sound of the front door slamming.
Senji fumed and wandered around aimlessly. She wound up near the beach by her place, and slammed her fist hard into the wall separating the street from the sand. Her scales had covered her arm and hand, reducing the damage. It activated without her thinking about it, but she quickly shook the scales away. The sudden quirk activation overrode her anger, and she rapidly lost steam. She picked up her bag and walked home, where she plopped angrily down on the couch. After dinner, Izuku approached her a little anxiously.
"Um, Senji?," he flinched when she glared back at him. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and the bandages covering her arms.
"What," the girl asked, softening her expression and taking a deep breath.
"Just, I was wondering," he started slowly, "you were supposed to be at work, right? But you showed up today with Kacchan, and…that's his shirt isn't it?"
"Eh?!," Senji nearly choked. She had been so wrapped up in her anger that she forgot. She was definitely still wearing the borrowed clothes, and they were definitely Bakugo's. Of course Izuku would notice that, she thought.
"That's…Uh."
Senji panicked, trying to think of a believable story. Izuku grew more flustered with her, likely arriving at his own wild conclusions. Before he could get any weirder ideas, and remembering the way Mitsuki had misunderstood, Senji searched for a scrap of an explanation.
"That's. Um. His parents work for a design firm, for um. Clothing and stuff. So I ended up with a job under them, basically. And I end up trying out some of their ideas for….inspiration and..adjustment?," Senji scanned the boy's face, pleading internally that this was a satisfactory answer.
"Oh, that's right. There was an ad at the mall, and the model looked almost just like you," Izuku appeared satisfied and left it at that for now. Senji breathed a sigh of relief and retired for the night, completely exhausted from the day's events.