ii. window shopping the solution to awkward conversations

I had a dream in shades of red.

Dreams tended to elude me when I woke up, but during the rare times they didn't, they usually oscillated somewhere between crimson and vermillion. I dreamt of my mother holding me. Visiting Melissa. Purchasing peach jelly at a convenience store. Mundane things I subconsciously craved if only because any semblance of normalcy now felt like a luxury.

And then I dreamt of my father.

I don't remember him as much as I would like to despite the fact he was, undoubtedly, a present part of my early life. I recognized his influence in subtle ways, like the curve of my eyes when I smiled or my tendency for melancholia. When I dreamt of him, he came in hues of red, too; maroon, burgundy, carmine. I always felt a burn when I tried to recall his face. He would arrive as a conflagration, searing ashes into me while I tried to fight off the flames. I was helpless every time.

It was impossible to forget the day I stopped dreaming. The inferno raged, demanding everything it touched turned to nothing. I noticed his eyes amidst the dripping gold— eyes that saw everything and nothing all at once. Scorn burned so brightly I could no longer see the stars, and when I held my breath, the air choked too. I ached. I fell.. Then everything turned to black.

The headlines and rumors that came after were the primary reasons why I moved to America in the first place. My mother and aunt thought it would be best to get away from the memories of my father's onslaught. They promised I would return one day, and evidently upheld that, but I was different now. People had since forgotten the girl who had been attacked by her hero father. In a lot of ways, I had forgotten, too. I had since decided it was for the best, and if the occasional thrum in my chest was all I had to remind me that it happened at all, then I was fine with that. The only thing worse than dreams were memories. I was lucky enough to be spared from both.

When I awoke, instead of letting my eyes rest, I thought about the fateful words printed on a single piece of paper that recently came in the mail. Something so insignificant carried with it so much weight.

Whether it was due to anxiety or some awful feeling of anticipated doom, I couldn't sleep, so I threw on some sandals and an oversized sweater and teleported to a nearby convenience store, right outside its doors. Upon stepping in, I was greeted with a blast of cold air even more frigid than outside, inducing a full bodied shiver that traveled deep into my bones. I regarded the tired and possibly overworked cashier with a short, if not sympathetic nod and idled towards the back of the store.

I was still growing accustomed to everything these sorts of places had to offer. Being able to pay bills and purchase entertainment tickets at a local konbini store was foreign enough to me, but considering the word convenient was an intrinsic part of the concept, I couldn't help but wonder why those in America didn't offer the same services. I glanced absentmindedly at the multitude of sweets and treats lining the aisle shelves with no real intention of actually getting any, but a sudden craving for peach jelly struck me in an anomalous moment of deja vu. The base never offered the type of snacks that was nothing short of normal for people in Japan. Being able to casually purchase something I considered a rare indulgence back home elicited a feeling of childlike wonder within me.

I turned around, ready to return to the front of the store, only to end up bumping into something— or someone. I stumbled back a few paces, but upon regaining my posture, I found myself staring into a pair of striking silver and trenchant turquoise eyes.

The panic immediately sunk in.

Most of the weeks after the entrance exam were spent trying to forget it happened at all. The smiles of the other applicants felt like figments of my imagination in comparison to the caustic criticisms of the boy before me. I glanced down at my feet as pepperings of tension morphed into larger mounds of anxiety. I could feel my nerves light aflame when static assaulted my veins.

"Oh! Uh— sorry. I'm sorry."

Ignoring the pressure building in my chest and the vague fear that I was suffering an unfortunate heart attack, I rushed past him and threw a bill onto the front counter, exiting the store as quickly as humanly possible.

I felt significantly better as soon as I stepped outside, gulping in breaths of fresh air as if I was devoid of it for too long. The thought of interaction made me uneasy most times, but the memory of the disdain in his eyes and calamitous implication behind his words dealt a devastating blow to my psyche. My brain wasn't as brave as I wanted it to be, and there was no doubt he saw through that, too.

I teleported back to my room and plopped onto my bed. The peach jelly helped me relax enough to the point where listening to music could help facilitate sleep. With the start of the new school year quickly approaching, I at least wanted to try to have everything in order, especially if I was going to be at Yūei for the next three years.

I woke up with a headache that I'm sure was due to some outside influence wanting to curse me. I entertained the thought of complaining to Melissa, but I didn't have the energy to have a conversation so early in the morning. I spent most of my brain power grounding myself, standing in front of the mirror and seeing the reflection of a Yūei student. My brown hair had recently been cut to my shoulders, though it still retained its waves. Deep azure eyes stared back with wavering certainty. I inhaled, then exhaled, and finally left the house.

The trip to school was, for all intents and purposes, fine. It was upon reaching campus that the trepidation filtered in as it always seemed to do. I tried to keep myself calm by keeping an eye out for any familiar faces, barring one.

It still didn't feel quite real being here. As I glanced at the various other students aimlessly roaming around, all of whom and more flickered with my sense, I mused how many felt the same before considering it likely wasn't for the same reasons. Everyone else standing here got here because they worked hard. I got here because I happened to get lucky in the genetic lottery. I already determined that Yūei had its own ways of sifting the good from the great, but I was an outlier sitting far below average.

I buried the self deprecation and made my way towards a staircase. A few upperclassmen passed by me as they descended, but I averted my gaze to avoid any potential for interaction.

Upon reaching the proper floor, I slowly walked down the hall before stopping in front of a massive door with 1-A painted on the front. Heaving a heavy sigh, I slid the door open and was immediately greeted with two powerful spikes on my mental radar that left me reeling.

"Please remove your feet from the desk!" a voice shouted. I furrowed my brows at the sight of a bespectacled boy admonishing a blond disregarding him with a roll of his ruby eyes.

"Make me, you fuckin' extra," he growled.

I had no intention of making myself known, but because the universe apparently wasn't done with me, somehow, the two noticed my presence and turned their heads. I stilled and hoped— prayed— that they would just ignore me.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be my life without a bit of inconvenience.

"You there!" the bespectacled boy called. The sudden acknowledgement made me jump.

"H… Hi?"

"Instead of scolding your classmate for his reprehensible behavior, you are just standing there! Why is that?"

Oh, god. "I-I just—" I took a large step to the side. "I think everyone has a right to exercise their free will."

"It is rude and unbecoming of a hero student to act in such a manner! Furthermore, his actions are an insult to our dear upperclassmen who sat there before and the steady hands that brought this desk to life!"

I nodded slowly. "I see."

Just what was I getting myself into?

"Utsui-san! Is that you?"

A familiar presence flittered, and I inwardly thanked whatever deity was listening for the distraction. Shifting my gaze, I saw a head of black hair I recognized all too well, complemented by a pair of onyx eyes shimmering with a cordial brightness that put me somewhat at ease.

"Yaoyorozu!" I chirped. I spared a glance at the other boy before moving to stand closer to her. On top of her desk was a massive encyclopedia that easily carried over six hundred pages. I shuddered.

"It's so good to see you," she hummed, smiling. "It's nice to have a familiar face."

I nodded, a touch bashful, but thankful all the same. By now, the bespectacled boy had retreated to his own desk to silently sulk, apparently defeated by the stark stubbornness the blond displayed. Had I not been so intimidated, I would have been impressed.

"Do you know who they are?" I whispered as I took my seat directly beside Yaoyorozu, dropping my bag by my feet. Yaoyorozu shook her head for a negative answer.

"I do not…" she said, slightly hesitant. Part of me felt like she wanted to say Nor do I want to, but Yaoyorozu didn't seem like the type of person to let such thoughts free.

"Well, um, I'm glad you made it in," I brought up in a pathetic attempt to make small talk. Yaoyorozu, affable as ever, smiled warmly.

"As with you," she said, holding her hand to her chest. "I will admit, I was a bit worried. It almost seemed like you didn't—"

"Excuse me."

We both looked up at the voice, and I could physically feel my heart sink to my feet. For whatever reason it seemed as though I could never escape him. For a moment that lasted far too long, we stared with unblinking eyes before I finally tore my gaze away.

Within my peripheral, Yaoyorozu straightened her back. "Yes? Is something the matter?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but he was immediately cut off by a loud crashing coming from the front of the classroom. I tilted my head to get a better view, though only a mess of green curls was visible. Beside the individual was a fellow brunette, and the bespectacled boy had made his way forward as well. By now, more students had trickled in, and the entire classroom seemed relatively full.

"You there!" the boy with the glasses shouted. "You… were at the entrance exams, were you not?"

"Y-Yeah…" Another slowly rose to his feet, sheepish and stuttering and far too reminiscent of myself. "Sorry about that!"

"It's okay!" the brunette squeaked, cheeks lifting into a blinding smile. "I knew you'd make it! Your punches were so cool! You were like, woosh! And then bam!"

I felt equal parts puzzled and left out about what she was saying, but the FOMO was quickly quashed when shuffling came from beside me. The boy took his seat directly to the right. I tried to ignore the subtle warmth that emanated from him, but I quickly found, in spite of myself, that the sensation was helping me to calm down. My eyes slowly shifted to look at him, but he looked at me at the same time, and I instantly returned my attention to the chaos ensuing at the front of the room.

He exhaled a short breath, like he wanted to speak, when yet another interruption prompted us all to look at the classroom's door. Standing in the doorway was a man who looked like he was getting engulfed by a neon yellow sleeping bag. My brows furrowed in several levels of confusion, which peaked when he pulled out a juice box and downed its contents. Through some sort of magic, he was able to unzip his sleeping bag from the inside, and it pooled around his feet. The man stepped out of the bag, jet black hair falling around his shoulders in an unkempt manner, and all black clothing adding to his indifferent demeanor. In his hand, he seemed to be carrying what appeared to be a square of fabric.

"My name is Aizawa Shota, and I will be your homeroom teacher this year." He held up the fabric. "Change into these and meet me out in the field. That'll be all."

He left without another word, leaving some of the class muttering expectantly, while others looked woefully unamused. I was only slightly afraid, but to my left Yaoyorozu gave a reassuring hum, and that alone was enough to gather the strength to stand up. The warmth came as well, but I hurried out of the classroom before I could inadvertently get trapped again. I was already struggling enough with convincing myself that it was okay to be here; I didn't want my anxiety to compound on that, too.

Dressed in blue and white stylized gym uniforms, the entire class stood in a wide, open baseball field. The wisps of dust that kicked up with our movements gave me a warm sense of nostalgia that made my heart flutter.

I took a moment to survey my classmates in the same way I did at the entrance exam. Everyone was here for a reason, and Yūei picked them for a reason, too. I stood stiffly, farther away from my classmates, but kept Yaoyorozu within my eyesight considering she was my lifeline for the time being. It wasn't until a presence approached me did I actually begin to pay full attention to my surroundings.

"Hi!" the brunette from earlier greeted. Beside her was a pink skinned girl with similarly colored hair, showing off a wide, toothy smile.

"Oh— hi."

"We saw you standing off alone and thought you looked a little lonely!" Brown eyes practically sparkled. "I'm Uraraka Ochako!"

"And I'm Ashido Mina! What's your name?"

"U-Utsui Cassiopeia." I paused. "It's nice to meet you guys, too."

Uraraka gasped, slapping her hands against her cheeks. "Your name is so cool!"

Once again, I was at the mercy of kindness I didn't deserve. Ashido and Uraraka approaching me and smiling so graciously only meant they wanted to be friends, but I worried more than anything if I would be able to provide something meaningful. But I didn't want to let my anxiety triumph. Not here, not now, so a smile forced its way onto my face and I swallowed the discomfort.

"We'll be doing a Quirk apprehension test," Aizawa explained. "You'll be tested in eight different areas and graded accordingly. You may use your Quirks however you want. Whoever places last will be expelled."

The lighthearted atmosphere immediately dropped in mood, and my sense reflected that with a heavy weight falling onto my skull. Unused to the sensation, I groaned quietly and screwed my eyes shut. I opened one when I felt a hand on my shoulder, coming face to face with a concerned Uraraka.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." My head was throbbing, but I would survive.

"No way," Mina gasped. "Expulsion? After we've come all this way?"

"This isn't fun and games," Aizawa asserted. "If you aren't going to take the Hero course seriously, then you don't belong here."

My heart trembled and I reached for my hands. Toying with my fingers at the very least helped to distract my mind from the perturbation that had become common now. A voice in the back of my head simpered at my unease, but I pushed it away, and for the first time in what felt like a while, I thought of Mom. She wanted this more than anything. She likely would have smiled and told me I was doing something good. A hug was a lot to ask for, but I could expect a pat on the back. If I wasn't going to do this for myself, then I would at least do it for her.

"I hope I'll do okay," Uraraka whimpered, twiddling her thumbs. I turned to her and offered a genial grin.

"You'll do great," I reassured, though it felt more like I was telling myself that. She perked up regardless, a rejuvenated look crossing her face. I let the tension lift from my shoulders once I realized I hadn't messed up.

The first of our tests was a fifty meter dash. I used the opportunity to get a better gauge for the types of people the class consisted of. The boy with the glasses, whose name I learned was Iida, cleared the track in less than four seconds thanks to the massive engines protruding from his calves. People like him were obviously built for speed, but I figured he was unable to make sharp turns effectively, if at all.

There were others like Asui Tsuyu, who used her enhanced frog-like biology to clear the track, and Aoyama Yuuga, who used a laser from his stomach to cross it, though he doubled over and blanched from what I assumed to be a stomach ache. Uraraka was able to clear the track with relative ease, as well; she tapped her clothes and the point of contact with her fingertips glowed pink, though I couldn't tell exactly what she did. Ashido slid along on a trail of acid. The raucous blond, Bakugo, used a series of well timed and placed explosions from his hands to propel him across, unceremoniously yelling an aggressive DIE! It was to my shock that Yaoyorozu manifested an electric scooter when it was her turn to go up much like at the entrance exams, but it gave me better insight into her Quirk.

"Todoroki, Utsui."

I stepped forward, and to my great disdain, so did the boy with the split hair. I quickly clenched the hem of my shirt and hastened to the start line, but having to be so close to him in a manner so similar to the entrance exam made my anxiety skyrocket like never before. I felt nauseous.

"Go."

I didn't want to waste any time. Before the first chills made goosebumps rise on my skin, I inhaled and willed my atoms to separate. For a second, I didn't exist; and then I did again, on the other end of the track. As I looked back, I saw Todoroki was only about halfway through, but a surge of my sense prompted me to pay attention to my classmates. Eyes wide and mouths hanging open, I suddenly felt self conscious at the way almost everyone was acknowledging me— or rather, my Quirk.

"0.7 seconds," Aizawa announced, which only seemed to make everyone all the more incredulous.

"You can teleport?!" Uraraka queried as she jogged up to me. Scratching behind my neck, I shrugged.

"Yeah."

Then came the wintry nip. I glanced over my shoulder, but quickly turned back when Todoroki entered my eyesight. He stopped near Uraraka and I, with her being far more eager to socialize than I was.

"Todoroki-san, you were great as well!" Uraraka beamed, bouncing on the back of her heels. Todoroki quietly glanced towards me, then back at her. I couldn't help but feel like I was being harshly judged.

"Thanks."

He didn't say anything after that. He left, walking past us, and for reasons I couldn't explain I was left feeling worse than before. In recent times, I had learned how to keep my emotions from seeping outwards. I usually benefitted from keeping my lips straight and eyes impassive, but the wavering attacking the corners of my mouth made me distinctly aware that I was failing the stoic act spectacularly. I didn't expect anyone to say anything, but Uraraka placed a hand on my back, brows furrowed in worry.

"Are… you okay, Utsui-san…?"

"I'm fine." I blinked away tears that sat on the edge of my eyelids. "I… I think I'm just struggling to feel like I should be here. I mean— there's probably some kid out there who's amazing, but got rejected because he missed a point on the written exam or something. He—" My eyes drifted towards the back of Todoroki's head. "He reminded me of that, I guess."

"Utsui-san…"

"Sorry." I shook my head. The self loathing could come later. Exposing my insecurities to Uraraka felt childish and immature, especially considering the fact this likely isn't how she expected her first day at Yūei to go.

"That isn't fair to think of yourself!" Uraraka suddenly exclaimed. I jolted, blinking a few times at her as she continued. "You're amazing! If someone else got rejected, then they can be a great hero somewhere else! It's not like that's your fault! And Todoroki-san… well… whatever he said isn't true, either!"

I opened and closed my mouth, unable to find the right words, unsure if they even existed. Nothing I could have said would have felt right. I wanted to give some grand speech on how Todoroki's words gave me some of the worst mental anguish I've experienced in a long time, but pinning my inability to cope on someone who probably had his own issues would have been selfish and hypocritical. I didn't need a scapegoat to explain my ineptitude.

"Besides—" she continued. "If you're here, that means the school saw something in you! That has to mean something, right?"

My heart palpitated. I stood in the silence that simmered between us for what felt like hours. Grandiose calls to action were never my thing, but small statements that seemed so insignificant always managed to hit the hardest. The shorter, the more effective, it seemed, the worst of which happened to be I love you, but Uraraka's words came a close second. I still didn't believe the fact that against all odds, I was attending Yūei. The work I put in was due to necessity, obligations born from nepotism and unfulfilled legacies, but it was beginning to dawn on me that none of those things took away from the fact the effort still came from me. Regardless of what my Quirk did for me, it was able to do such things because I worked to get it to that point.

I bit back a smile, but my lips still curled, and I gripped my shirt not out of shame, but a satisfying sense of joy.

"Yeah," I declared. "Yeah, it does."

A ball throw was the last of our exams. Uraraka and I both tied first, which is how I learned what her Quirk was; with her ability to remove the gravity of objects, and mine to teleport them, we both sent the balls high enough where the score was recorded as infinity. Others completed the test with varying degrees of success— all except one.

He shook like he was in the middle of the tundra, eyes unconfident and unsure. I recognized that look all too well when I thought of myself. Hell, I carried the same look just hours earlier. Midoriya Izuku was a bit of an enigma because he had yet to use his Quirk on any of the evaluations. I had to assume that perhaps his Quirk just wasn't suited for the physically aligned tests, but even Koda Koji, with a Quirk that allowed him to communicate with animals, found use with it at some point. I saw Uraraka look at Midoriya with a troubled expression. I felt a bit guilty somehow. Taking a deep breath, I took it upon myself to shuffle towards him, but made sure to stay out of Iida's way.

"Hey, Midoriya?" I asked, though my sudden appearance only made him yelp.

"U-Utsui-san!" he returned, emerald eyes going wide in awe. "Is there something you need?"

"Yeah, I—" I stopped for a moment to look at Tokoyami Fumikage's display of his Quirk flinging a ball for him. "I was just wondering if…" How could I word this properly? "You're doing okay?"

He seemed genuinely confused at first— which I couldn't blame him for— before the metaphorical lightbulb clicked. He quickly nodded, green curls bouncing against his head.

"Y-Yeah! If… if you mean my Quirk, I, ah—"

"Midoriya!" Aizawa barked. Another yelp, and Midoriya spared me a desperate glance before skittishly approaching the ball throwing circle. I wanted to pity him, but that wasn't what he deserved. It would be best to give my support instead.

"Good luck!" I called. To my side, Uraraka was nervously twiddling her thumbs. I looked back and forth between her and the green haired boy not too far from us. A part of me felt like her nervousness was relatively unfounded for someone she had just met only an hour ago, but that prompted me to ask, "Do you guys know each other?"

She turned to me, offering a smile that thinly veiled her concern. "Uh-huh! During the entrance exam, he pretty much saved my life. He hurt himself really badly protecting me from this gigantic robot." There was a hint of doubt in her eyes. "I just wish I could help him the same way he helped me…"

I pursed my lips and glanced back at our classmate. He seemed to finally gain control of his breathing, and when he did, he reared his arm back. I stifled my sense in anticipation, watching as his expression steeled and his body lurched forward, but when the ball was only thrown a good ten or so feet, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. The question of what happened hung at the tip of my tongue, but a flash of red answered it immediately. Aizawa scowled angrily, eyes glowing a bright crimson that was far too familiar for my comfort.

"I erased your Quirk," he grumbled, a frown settling deep on his features. Midoriya's eyes widened.

"W-What?"

"Yūei must be pathetic if it's letting people like you in," Aizawa spat. The comment felt especially insidious, but I curbed any internalized criticisms. "Should I instantly fail you and save this school the trouble?"

"What? No!"

For the second time, all gazes were on me. When I realized what I had done, I shrunk, but I felt like Midoriya's entire future hinged on whether I could support my moment of boldness. Between him and Todoroki, my track record for butting in and possibly ruining years worth of hard work was scarily high. Nearby, Yaoyorozu smiled, Uraraka grinned, and Ashido gave a thumbs up.

"Uh… I mean—" Aizawa stared at me and everything suddenly went quiet. My sense disappeared instantly. The world went blank. The whiplash nearly made me tumble over. "Well… Midoriya— I mean, Uraraka told me that Midoriya saved her life." I bit the inside of my cheek. "Punishing someone who is obviously showing the qualities of a hero will just do more harm than good."

Midoriya's eyes ballooned, and when I gave my final statement, he nearly burst into tears. "Give him another chance."

Aizawa sighed deeply, closing his eyes. As soon as he did, the white noise returned. Annoyance emanated off him; and close by, stronger spikes, vitriolic in nature, erupted from the blond boy Bakugo.

"There's no use in being a hero when you just end up as a liability to your allies," Aizawa said. Another harsh truth, but not one I've never heard before. It hurt more when Mom said it. "Do you really expect anyone to help you when you end up incapacitated after one move?"

Midoriya shook his head.

"You have one more chance." Aizawa rubbed his eyes. "Make it count."

I think the last thing anyone expected was for Midoriya to break his finger. Though the ball had gone significantly farther, I couldn't see how the price of hurting oneself was worth scoring moderately better on a test. But I guess for Midoriya, that risk meant everything.

Scoring third startled me more than anything, but it also made me distinctly aware of a gaze that buried right into the back of my head. I made a point to not look directly at Bakugo and instead focus my attention on the chipper brunette who nearly toppled me over when she practically leapt into my arms.

"Congrats, Utsui-san!" Uraraka chirped, smiling widely. I partly wondered if her good mood was due to her scoring in the top ten herself. "But I'm not surprised considering you got first in two of the tests!"

I managed to smile, turning my head as Yaoyorozu stepped closer to me.

"Indeed. You did wonderfully, Utsui-san," she hummed.

"That means a lot coming from the person who ranked first," I responded, feeling shy. I consciously searched for Todoroki, who stood somewhere off to the side, with a look on his face that had a subtle self satisfaction— given his second place ranking, I didn't blame him. The others either mulled or marveled at their respective scores, Midoriya most of all, who looked just about ready to suffer a heart attack when his name came last, only to be told the rankings didn't matter at all.

"Utsui." Aizawa's voice pierced my ears, and my head shot up. "Take Midoriya to the nurse."

My brain immediately began to race with the potential whys, but it occurred to me that if there was someone who could immediately teleport a person to safety, then it would make sense for them to actually do that.

I stepped forward, intentionally keeping my eyes off of Midoriya's mangled finger, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Close your eyes."

Midoriya regarded me with an expression that carried an ounce of uncertain fear. I flashed a smile in hopes to ease his nerves even marginally before taking in a deep breath, teleporting us to outside the infirmary. I had made sure to take note of the most important facilities within Yūei's main building, memorizing their locations and imprinting them in my brain for future reference. Without coordinates, I could only teleport to places I had seen or been to before.

We appeared in front of the infirmary, and Midoriya stumbled forward, just barely catching himself. I rarely teleported others and myself at the same time; the extra strain made my head throb, but it was a minor inconvenience that would go away soon enough. I took the liberty to open the door for Midoriya, stepping inside a room that looked almost like a sacred sanctuary. The window had been cracked open, letting in a cool breeze that blew against the white bed curtains.

"Hello?" I called, stepping further into the room, sensing Midoriya close behind. From a corner, an elderly woman emerged, tapping her syringe-like cane against the ground as she walked towards us.

"Oh, hello," she greeted, forehead wrinkling as soon as she noticed Midoriya's condition. "An injury?"

"Yeah." I gestured to him, and he sheepishly smiled. "Aizawa asked me to take him here."

"Aizawa-sensei," the woman corrected. The heat in my body immediately rushed straight to my face. "Please sit on the bed here."

Midoriya trudged further into the room, shoulders slumped and back rounded. I followed him and stood beside the bed as he hoisted himself onto it. The nurse approached him and simply placed a kiss on his forehead. Within seconds, his broken finger put itself back into place. I marveled at the sight of a healing Quirk working so quickly and efficiently.

"Wow!" Midoriya gasped, flexing his hand. "Thank you, Recovery Girl!"

"Hm! So you know who I am," the woman said, tapping her cane once more.

"Of course! You travel all around Japan helping civilians and heroes who need medical assistance! Healing Quirks are incredibly rare, so people like you are an invaluable asset—" Midoriya paused once he noticed Recovery Girl's confounded expression. "Ah, sorry! I was rambling again..."

I was impressed, if not slightly taken aback by Midoriya's sheer excitement, but any hero fanatic would be elated to be in a school specializing in the career. A part of me wondered how he would react if he knew who my mother was. Midoriya grinned sheepishly and hopped off the bed, bowing low to Recovery Girl.

"Thank you for restoring my hand!" he said before rising to his full height.

"Don't make it a habit, now," the elder responded. She held out her palm, kindly offering us butterscotch candy. "Here, take some with you."

Midoriya and I both accepted the offer, him more gracious than I. The both of us whirled on our heels to exit, and before leaving the room, I turned and waved goodbye to Recovery Girl. Unwrapping the candy, I popped it into my mouth and hummed at the savory sweetness that touched my tastebuds.

"Maybe we should go to the infirmary more often if it means getting free candy," I teased. It took Midoriya a moment or two to realize I was telling a joke, but he allowed himself to laugh a bit when it finally hit him.

We went to the changing rooms, and the rest of the day went on like any other. As I thought, I struggled to stay awake during some of the classes, Japanese literature in particular, but the experience made Yūei feel more like a regular high school than I expected. When the bell for the end of the day rang, I said my goodbyes and shared my See you later's before teleporting home, landing right in the comfort of my bed. Somehow, I managed to make it through the first day of high school.

Now, I just had to do the same with all the rest.

(a/n) thanks for reading