Marie couldn't help but put the phone call that she had with her mother on replay for the next few days. She hated how quickly she fell back into step into the prim and proper pompous feline that her mother drilled into her for so many years.

Getting into U.A was more than just an academic choice. It was an escape. The vigerous academics and the distance were the best and only excuses that she could provide her mother for her absence. When the school made the choice to add the dorms, her mother almost fought it, but to Marie's delight she allowed it.

Home visits were easy to avoid and her mother was usually too busy nowadays to fight it. Now with her mother, and Bianca, being so adamant made it feel like she was being dragged into a trap.

Sakura wasn't budging on any extra details about this dinner. She never did crack. Probably too scared of their mother, or her reputation, or both.

"If you heavy sigh any more, you're going to get bad breath." Marie heard the voice next to her, bringing her to the present.

They were standing outside the school gates waiting for Midoriya and Shinso to arrive. Golden Week had barely started but the extra days off were going to be nice and the malls were going to have all the sales.

"Sorry." I mutter out.

Of course that wasn't enough for Gina though. Gina nudges her shoulder, "Stoooop." She whines, "Don't bring down the mood today. Shinso's gloomy enough."

The side comment makes Marie crease her brows, "He's not gloomy."

"Well, I haven't seen him smile yet." Gina shrugs as if to dismiss the conversation. Like her point was right and that was it.

But that wasn't it. Because, "Shinso actually has a really beautiful smile." Marie's thoughts go back to the times she's been close enough to notice, "His smile is subtle but it reaches his eyes and his brows rise just slightly. And-and if he's just finished laughing his lips are slightly open showing his bright teeth with his smile."

Marie stops talking for a moment to digest the word vomit that she just spewed all over Gina. Whose eyes were widened with surprise but she had an upturn to her lips.

Meanwhile, Hitoshi is standing between Izuku and Todoroki with a blush forming across his face. He couldn't help but think about how he also thought that her smile was appealing to him.

"Oh, Well, I guess I'll just have to take your word for it." Gina nods her head in the direction behind Marie, "Here comes Mr. Smiley-" A squeal abruptly comes from Gina's lips, "Todoroki came!"

And sure enough Marie turns to see Midoriya, Todoroki, and Hitoshi heading their way. The fading pink on Hitoshi's cheeks were the only indicator that he had heard what she had said.

Marie felt her tail curl itself inwards as she felt the embarrassment set in.

Midoriya was the first one to speak, "Which mall did you say we were going to?"

Gina's stare doesn't leave Todoroki, "Only the best of the best. Of course we have to head into the city. Mutsufu isn't good enough for what we need."

Marie nudges Gina to get her to stop staring at the duel haired boy, "You're lucky there will be sales for all of us."

"Pfft. Don't start with me Marie. I'm sure your Mommy has more than one card in your wallet with unlimited funds." Gina.

Marie just glares because she couldn't deny the truth that was spoken.

"I also have multiple cards with my fathers accounts attached to them. I plan to spend as much as I can of his money." Todoroki speaks evenly and Gina's smug poke clearly goes over his head.

"Well, Of course." Gina walks to Todoroki's side and takes his hand into hers, "But that's all hard hero money while Marie's money comes from both sides of the justice system."

They all start to walk, following Gina's moving steps.

"I thought your mother was a criminal justice lawyer." Todoroki simply states.

Marie doesn't like to think about it, "She is… but that doesn't mean she's always on the side of justice."

"Are you saying she's on the side of the criminal?" Todoroki inquired.

Looking ahead she thought about all the cases she had seen her mother deal with over the years. How many people she had been on trial with. The he said she said.

"I'm saying…-" Hitoshi watches as Marie speaks, her eyes ghosting over and the life draining from them, empty of emotion, "That she's on the side that wins."

Hitoshi wasn't the only one that heard the tone change and felt the aura around the feline alter the air around them.

"Innocent until proven guilty. And my mother is very good at her job. It's as she says, No one she defends is a criminal. Because they've never left the trials as a criminal."

They made it to the station and no one spoke as they entered the train and headed out.

Of course the trains were going to get packed during the holiday week. It shouldn't have been something to get past Marie.

But now she was in the corner with Shinso's arms having her caged so that she wouldn't get smoothed by the growing amount of people.

Only it wasn't just the people as much as it was an overwhelming increase of sounds that her keen senses could pick up on.

Out of her peripheral she sees Shinso shift and before she realizes what he's doing he is offering her an earbud.

Her eyes look from the earbud up to his eyes. Reading the message that was behind them.

Marie feels her lips upturn and her tail slither from behind her and wrap around his leg.

Ignoring the faint blush on her cheeks she takes the earbud.

Two train transfers later and the group was gathered back together outside of the mall. The mall was definitely on the busier side. There were people outside calling out deals and the sales that the different businesses were having.

"Okay." Gina claps her hands together and turns to address the group, "We're going to split up. Todoroki, Izuku and I will go one way and Marie and Hitoshi will go the other way. Meet up for soba in 2 hours."

Before anyone can have a word in she clapped again, took Todoroki be the wrist and headed out.

"Oh, Uh. Okay." Izuku stated awkwardly as his project manager moved ahead of him, "Guess I'll see you guys in a bit." He waves and nods his head to Hitoshi before running to catch up.

Gina was walking with purpose. If she wasn't as confident as she was she'd be blushing at the fact that she was so close to Todoroki. He was attractive but her flirting was ultimately for possible business purposes only.

"So, Do you have an idea on what you would like for us to wear? I was just thinking I'd wear my hero suit. We probably didn't need to split up either." Izuku started talking as they entered the building.

Looking over her shoulder she takes in Marie and Hitoshi talking to one another. She'd never admit out loud that they looked cute together. The purplette looking down at the petite feline. Marie's tail was of course dancing and only coming to a stop to wrap around the boy's calf.

They were cute together and maybe one day they'll thank Gina for completely abandoning them that day.

"Yeah. Yeah. Aizawa wasn't specific about the interview. So I'm going with a fancy host show theme. So, you'll not be wearing your suit." She nonchalantly answers her project partner, "Also, I was just trying to get your friend some alone time with the finicky feline."

Izuku doesn't outright have anything to say about Gina's scheming but was overall intrigued. It was also good to hear that she wasn't just trying to alienate everyone to try and get uncomfortably close to Shouto. They were there for school after all. Not a complete social hour.

"Alright Shinso, I was thinking purple and black because that's what your hero suit's theme is." Marie was looking at a rack of clothing with her back turned to her project partner, "I'm going to go for modern and maybe sleek." She turns to him.

"You know. Because your mask kinda gives off those vibes. It's best when your manager follows the same themes as their client."

"Even if I won't be part of the interview?" He inquired as he watched her. Taking things off of the racks just to inspect it and then put it back on.

"Especially because you won't be there. I will be representing you."

Hitoshi wanted to laugh at the exaggeration she added to her words. Because she took it so seriously and he thought it was just clothes.

"If you're supposed to be representing me then maybe I should get a say in what you wear." He stepped close behind her. His taller stature towering over hers. It pleased him to see the shiver go down her spine.

He couldn't help but continue with his flirtatious advances, "My favorite color's actually orange." Reaching forward he grabbed the bright burnt orange blazer that had had his eye, "This blazer with some leather pants."

Marie's brain was close to short circuiting. His breath tickled her ear and his chest wasn't pressed against her back but she could still feel the heat radiating off of him.

He wanted to pick out her clothes? Why did that feel intimate to her? She hadn't had someone pick out for her since she was living home. Was it silly that she kinda liked handing the task over to him.

Wait? Leather?

"Leather?"

Still holding the blazer Shinso's other hand brushes her hip and he walks around to face her.

"Yeah. It's modern, sleek, and a little sexy."

Marie's eyes widened. Sexy? He thought she had the potential for sexual appeal?

The blush from earlier was going from a soft pink to a bright red.

She keeps her eyes downcast now, only seeing the blazer in front of her.

"I-I don't know Shinso. It's pushing it even on the business casual side. I also don't think I could pull off leather pants."

Hitoshi left the snarky comment of someone else pulling off her leather pants and instead pushed the orange blazer into her hands.

"You should start using my first name. We're friends now." His lips formed a soft reassuring smile when her eyes looked up into his, "And I think you'd look fine in leather. As my manager you need to represent me and you're representing me by wearing the outfit I pick out."

He ended the debate and left her mute with the blazer while he looked at the leather pants. Trying to judge what size she might be by just glancing at the width of the waists.

Marie couldn't ignore the butterflies storming in her gut and the permanent blush on her face.

Her tail was dancing around her, reminding her that she loved the attention that Shin-Hitoshi was giving her.

She watched him shift through the leather pants. His broad shoulders were to her and her eyes trailed over his figure. He was fairly built and if she looked back hard enough she could remember a time that he wasn't. Back when he was in the Gen Ed courses.

Seeing him in casual clothing wasn't abnormal for Marie. But he wasn't wearing his lounge around the house or campus clothing either.

Biting the inside of her lip to not visually give anything more away. She allowed herself to appreciate the guy that most people saw at doom and gloom.

She felt goosebumps trail up her peach fuzz arms as she thought about the second kiss they had shared. And his body pressed into hers. She thought about admitting to Gina that she liked him.

And she thought about what she was going to do with that information.

"Marie."

All hair stood up and she just about hissed at the hand that was on her shoulder. It wasn't Hitoshi's because she was just ogling him.

Her senses hit her and she recognizes the person before turning toward her. Hitoshi is now facing the interaction that's about to begin with a brow raised.

"Hey, Sakura."

Her sister squeals and pulls her into a hug. The orange blazer acting as a layer to separate her sister's larger breasts from flattening out her already below average ones.

"This is the last place I would have ever expected to see you." Her sister pushes her at arms length, "And you're buying colors from the rainbow."

"Yeah. I'm getting ready for a project for after Golden Week." She shrugs her shoulders and in doing so shrugging her sisters hands off of her.

"Yeah. Golden Week. Hehe." Her sister's bright smile tightens, "You're coming to the dinner?"

Hitoshi had made his way next to Marie and the other feline. Eavesdropping and context clues gave him the assumption that the pure white blue eyed feline was one of Marie's sisters.

He notices Marie stiffen at the question regarding the dinner. Probably the same dinner she was trying to get out of while on the phone the other night. It didn't take any second thoughts for him to want to ease Marie.

His friend. His crush.

And the way her tail wrapped around his leg when he placed his hand on her lower back showed him that he had made the right move.

"Yeah. We will both be coming." Hitoshi tried to get his most professional smile as he invited himself to the family event, but was pretty sure it came out more like a condescending smirk.

Both of the females turn to him and that emotions read on the both of them very in different degrees.

Marie's face may as well have a permanent blush on it after today but still it felt like she was leaning into his hand for physical support. Registration hits her eyes as he sees her come to understand that he was trying to help her out. With the registration comes the smile that's always ingrained in his mind.

Her sister on the other hand went from surprised, to worried, to… acceptance?, and ended with a soft smile of appreciation.

"Oh, Is this the reason why you bought the lingerie the last time we were together?" The albino-esque female brightened again.

The thought of Marie in lingerie brought a smirk to his face and he was pleased that the teasing didn't push Marie away and out of his arm that was now around her waist.

She instead groaned at her sister's teasing but lacked a comment in return.

"Ah- I- We. Shi-Hitoshi and I will be at the family dinner. Do you know what exactly this is about?" Marie pushed to get answers to help ease her anxiety that had been eating away at her and of course ignoring the lingerie accusation.

She noted the poker face. Blank. Void of emotion. It was something that her sisters and herself learned at a young age. You had to keep things neutral around a mother that was a lawyer. A woman that could read people and used it against them alongside the loopholes of the law.\

Unfortunately it was also a tell that meant that one of them wasn't being completely honest. Or at least not completely honest.

"Our mother is working with a client and they requested to meet you." Sakura's voice was low and even, "I suggest you stay close to you boyfriend during the dinner."

There was a sad turn of her sister's lips just before she quickly turned to leave them there in the clothing department. Marie looked at the opening of the store with a foreboding feeling weighing on her shoulders.

But it was only there for a moment as she felt Shinso's arm move from around her waist and grab the blazer from her hands. He held up the leather pants and blazer together.

"So, will you be wearing this as my manager or as my girlfriend?"

And she couldn't help the annoyed squint in her eyes at the shit eating grin he had on his face from her sister's boyfriend comment.