I get an entire earful about under clothes, hero apparel, and why it's not appropriate to undress on a catwalk above what would essentially be hundreds of people even if it was just my classmates as soon as I get home. Somebody snitched—probably Iida, though it was just as easily Toru considering I'd gotten several texts about it as well, Hitoshi was clearly not impressed.

Ugh.

The fact that I argued Aunt Nemuri did it, probably wasn't a point in my favor either though…

Still, the next morning when Sensei mentions heading over to the hospital to pick up Eri with Mirio, It's a decisive pass.

"No thanks."

Sensei just sighs.

"The festival starts at ten and Minasu has the day off. Can I trust you not to get into trouble until I get back?"

The serious look he pins me with promises all sorts of trouble if the answer to that is no.

"Yes, sir!"

Dressed in his hero uniform, Sensei wraps the capture weapon around his neck with a conflicted look. I can literally see the doubt flickering unresolved in his eyes, but the idea of spending the morning in that stupid hospital collecting… her.

"If not…"

"Sensei," I try again, looking pleadingly up at him. "Please? I'll be right here."

"Hmm… Vlad might still be available..."

I scowl petulantly.

"Sensei!"

He cracks a smile at that, before one hand moves back to run through his long hair. It wasn't like I didn't like Vlad, but being forced to hang out at 1B so he could babysit me…

"Fine. But you'll answer all of my texts, and if there's a single incident…"

"There won't be!" I promise, crossing the room to wrap him in a bone-crushing hug.

He just sighs, one hand falling heavily against my head.

"Alright. Be good."

.

.

.

It doesn't take long before Sensei's absence is felt. I wander out into the lobby bored, but it's uncommonly empty, my classmates were all likely still getting ready since the performance wouldn't start till ten. If I still had my long hair, I might have worried, but all I really needed to do was change, since I'd had breakfast, brushed my teeth, and cleaned the dishes.

Stupid Sensei…

Why'd he have to bring her anyway?

I scowl and fall onto one of the lobby couches, wondering if I should bother with fixing the class something to eat before remembering the amount of food likely to be at this event. Minasu had mentioned several of the first-year business class students were competing in a food stand competition as a sort of business project to see who could make the most money and drive the most sales.

I sigh, rolling over to stare at the ceiling.

Sensei would probably still be on the train with Mirio at this rate.

Mirio…

The thought of the blonde has my entire body burning hot.

POWER!

"Heh, you're pretty good!"

The ceiling turns pink. I groan, rolling over, and attempt to suffocate the embarrassing color from my skin only to pause at the heavy patter of footsteps from the stairwell. I blink up, eyes catching on Midoriya's bright expression as he walks determinedly towards the door.

What…

My body moves before I can really consider the consequences.

"Midoriya!" I shout, lips twitching up as the green boy stumbles in surprise.

Did I…

Did I just scare him?

He stops, head snapping around, and I can't help my own giggle.

"You're still wearing your hero gear," I tease, nodding towards his hands wrapped in what's clearly some sort of support gear that looks incredibly out of place with his simple jacket and shorts.

He looks down immediately, eyes widening as his face erupts in red.

"I- Oh! Yeah! Heh, I- I must have forgotten them! Ah, th-thanks Hoki-chan! I'm kind of in a hurry though, so…"

I smirk as he scuttles towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I ask, having no intention of not following him out.

I was bored, and it'd be at least another hour before everyone started dragging themselves downstairs. I had time.

Midoriya blinks. His expression flickers for a brief moment in surprise before something more calculating passes over it. He glances from me towards Sensei's apartment, confused turning to thoughtful before settling into what I think might be a concerned frown.

It leaves me feeling strangely transparent.

Has he always been this expressive?

"The- The store!"

I shrug it off and smile, changing into my outdoor shoes even as he blushes and does the same. He must realize my plan though, because he's kind enough to hold the door as I slip past him into the daylight.

The morning is nice, warm, sunny, and barely any clouds considering the time of the year.

"The store? For what?" I ask, rising smoothly and following him down one of UA's paths. I could probably follow him to the gates at least, though I should probably tell Sensei.

"Oh… Ah, we- we needed some more rope, and I- I wanted to grab a few—a few other things… It-It's not really fair to ask Yaoyorozu-chan to make everything and the store is right there, so I figured I could just run out- And maybe I'll see something else important and I had thought about some ingredients-"

He dissolves into rambling mumbles, and I can sort of understand how this might get on Bakugou's nerves.

Still…

Pulling out my phone, I swipe up until I find Sensei's texts. The past few weeks have all been full of the the same types of messages, questions about my health, comments to be good, and reminders about upcoming hospital visits... I grimace, then shove away the thought.

Midoriya needs to grab some things for the event from the store. Is it okay if I help him?

Making sure the volume is up, I shove the phone into my pocket and examine the world around us. The trees look beautiful, the changing seasons coloring many of them gold and red. I catch sight of several tiny birds flittering throughout, their loud songs filling the air with the chatter of chipmunks.

"So you're cooking?" I ask, not looking at the green-haired boy.

"Ah, n-nothing elaborate like you and Satou-kun! Just- Just some stuff to make Candy apples," Midoriya answers. I glance towards him, a little surprised. Candied apples? That sounded… really sugary. "Eri-chan mentioned she'd never had them before, so I thought maybe I'd make some! And since, well, there probably won't be any at the fair and they didn't really look that hard…"

My joy sours instantly at her name.

"Oh."

Eri. Of course.

I try to keep the displeasure from my voice, refusing to glance his way and instead scanning the scenery as my mentor kept fussing about, but it's just birds and bugs and ridiculously nice weather. "Neat. Well… uh, good luck."

Something cold works its way into my chest despite the morning sunshine and I can't help my dark mood. Of course, this was for Eri. It was like she permeated everything. My weekends. My guardian. Now even my friends…

And the worst part was she wasn't even here yet.

I wrinkle my nose, shoving my hands in my pockets. How much worse was this going to get when she actually arrived?

Midoriya makes a slight noise and I spare him a sideways glance.

"You could help…" he offers.

I give him a look.

Absolutely not.

"No thanks," I grumble, turning to look back forward. "I see her enough as is."

Midoriya sighs, but I ignore him, trudging grumpily ahead.

Apparently, I couldn't even escape her when I was trying.

Ugh.

"Hoki-chan-"

"Rin," I snap, lips thinning in annoyance. "You know, I don't get it. Why is it you can manage to call Eri by her first name after only knowing her for a day, but I ask the same for months, and I get ignored?"

Feet stumble.

Green eyes widen when I turn to check on him, but I just turn back forward, too frustrated at—at this mess of an escape.

"Never mind," I growl, sucking in a deep breath. I let it out slowly as the UA gate comes into view, then take two more just for good measure. When my pocket buzzes, I reach for the phone, thankful for the distraction.

That wasn't a part of our agreement.

"Obviously," I grumble before quickly texting him back.

It's just down the street, and if I don't go Midoriya would be going alone. Besides, I'm asking! I can text you when I'm checking out and as soon as we're back if you want. I haven't left the campus yet though.

"Rin-chan," Midoriya says softly.

I sigh, scowling down at the phone. Sensei's response appears a moment later.

Fine, but stay out of trouble and mind your manners.

I send him a thumbs up before pocketing my phone, then, reluctantly, turn back to face Midoriya. He looks like a kicked puppy. With eyes too wide and that stupid wounded expression that makes me feel guilty. We're not even five minutes out and somehow, I've already managed to ruin this too.

Way to go.

No wonder they like her better.

"I'm sorry," he says.

I sigh, leaning forward, and then slump.

"It's fine," I huff. "I just… I just wanted to think about something else. Let's just… Let's go get this… this apple stuff or whatever and you can make your candy."

The boy smiles, the look so uncomfortably honest I can't help but flush and look away.

"That was Aizawa-sensei, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Are you in trouble?"

I blow out my cheeks before letting go of a slow, noisy breath.

"Not right now," I admit, kicking a stone. "But it's fine, he's just… worried. He got really mad when I went to see my brother and, ugh… You have no idea how many essays he made me write. But it still wasn't as bad as this summer. I had weeks of them. He was so pissed, he kept making me correct stuff when I'd get it wrong or rewrite the whole thing if they weren't up to his standards."

Midoriya laughs, the sound honest and bright.

"That does sound like Sensei," he says, and I can even hear the smile in his voice. Despite myself, I can feel my annoyance sliding away. "Mom would ground me sometimes, but I tried to avoid that if I could help it. Once though, she cut off our router and took away my All Might stuff. I was on restriction for at least a week."

I can already imagine it, a little green-haired Midoriya crying as some vague parental figure stole all his plushies.

"Did she hide all of your posters too?" I tease.

He flushes and I can't help but shake my head.

"You're such a fanboy," I tell him, amused.

"Ah… I mean… probably…" he says, rubbing at his neck.

Bumping his shoulder with mine, I offer him a small smile.

"It's not a bad thing," I admit quietly. "I like you the way you are."

.

.

.

It doesn't take long to get what we need from the store. Rope, some extra nails, corn Syrup, sugar, apples, and sticks. We're supposed to get red food coloring, but of course, they're out of red. I don't really know why it's a big deal. He could just make the apples yellow or blue.

Or ask Sato.

He had everything.

But still, I raise an eyebrow at his crestfallen expression.

"Giving up already?" I tease, my own bag full of rice flour, mirin, and skewers in hand. I wonder if Sensei liked Dango… If not, I could always feed it to my classmates. They ate anything… "You could just make it without it, it's not like food coloring changes flavor."

"Wha—No way!" the boy flounders, arms whirling as he shakes his head dramatically. I snort and he sends me a flustered pout. "Rin-chan, that's- you- It's not the same! They're always red! I'll just ask Sato-kun and see if he has any. He'd have food coloring, right?"

I shrug.

Probably.

"You could ask, I still don't think it's that big of a deal though. It's not like Eri's going to care about the color anyways, you said she'd never had any." I roll my eyes and finish up a text to Sensei, No villains! Heading home now! before swinging my bag and put away the phone. We'd made good time, and I'd already messaged Toru letting her know we were on our way back, cause she was going to be furious if I was late and she didn't get to clip in all the glittery things she'd been working on last night. And I'm about halfway through that thought when I notice someone rounding the corner quickly ahead of us.

Maybe all that training was actually working…

So on instinct more than anything, I reach out for Midoriya's arm, squeezing as I drag him back.

He stops, mouth half-open, and squeaks. Probably realizing he would have collided with the odd couple ahead of us if not for that movement.

I ignore it, brows furrowing as I study the two.

An old man and what looked like a little kid look back in some of the most conspicuous outfits I've ever seen. Long, unnecessary trench coats, wide-brimmed hats, facemasks, and dark sunglasses. I can feel Midoriya stiffening.

Trench coats on a sunny day like this? It was warm enough you almost didn't even need a jacket. And the little one had some sort of woolen scarf.

I could see the sweat dripping off of them even from several steps away.

Oh man…

Sensei's gonna kill me…

"Be careful! You were about to ruin the aftertaste of the Gold Tips Imperial. Now come along, L- Honey."

"Honey! Yes, I'm honey!"

Dread rises in my belly, a twitch blooming in my left eye.

I'm about to be babysat by Vlad for a very long time.

Was I still cursed? Was Sensei?

Why did this always seem to happen when I was trying to be good?

"Is that a café? It doesn't really look like it'd sell tea…"

I turn slowly, face twisting in disbelief to stare at Midoriya. Tea? Seriously, these two weirdoes were walking around acting sketchy as hell and he was worried about a tea house? Apparently, the old man can't help himself either, because he turns as well, mouth open in shock as he stares at my classmate.

"You- You know what Gold Tips Imperial is! How impressive-"

What the hell…

"Are you serious?" I scowl, glowering between all three of them. "Who are you two?"

"Ho-R-Rin-chan!"

"Well, I never!"

Midoriya, thankfully though, finally seems to blink through whatever weird stupidity had been holding him back. Eyes narrowing, I can see the moment his brain starts working, sifting through information faster than I'd ever be able to. In seconds he's mumbling, a puzzled look unfurling into recognition and then wide eyes.

"You- You're the Gentle Criminal!" the green-haired boy shouts.

I have no idea who that is. I have no idea why he would know that, or even really how he came to that conclusion. But, honestly, it really doesn't matter. So ignoring the weirdness of this entire situation, I slide into a defensive stance, because I was gonna beat their asses.

If I was gonna be grounded again, someone else was going down with me.

But the old man and tiny girl just seem to share a look, eyes full of some sort of unspoken decision…

And…

And then run?

I…

I scowl at their backs, teeth grinding at this nonsense.

Did this count towards staying out of trouble if they didn't actually do anything yet?

I'd still need to text Sensei… If he got wind of this and I didn't report it…

My stomach rolls at the sheer number of essays he'd vindictively assign.

"H-Hey! Get back here!"

Before I can react though, I watch in disbelief as Midoriya shoots out after the two, his bag of groceries falling to the ground as he heads… He heads in the direction of the school.

Sighing, I go collect his things. He'd even dropped his change, idiot, and I reach for my phone, swiping quickly until I find Sensei's number. Holding the phone to my ear, it rings twice.

"Yes?"

Rude.

"Sensei, Midoriya-kun is chasing some suspicious-looking weirdoes towards the school. I think he called one of them the Soft, no… er, Gentle? The gentle criminal?"

There's a silence on the other end.

I can almost imagine Sensei's twitching eye, nostrils flared in annoyance.

For once, I don't really blame him…

"Excuse me?"

"They looked kind of dumb," I shrug, leisurely making my way back in the direction Midoriya ran. "One of them forgot her codename, and they're both wearing trench coats even though it's really warm. The… uh, gentle criminal guy was an older man, and his sidekick looked like a little kid with pigtails. That's okay for a description, right? The older guy had a mustache too, it's bigger than Uncle Zashi's though. Really thick and… er, gray? I should… Ah, you know, I should probably go catch up with Midoriya though, just in case there's some actual trouble…"

Sensei just sighs.

The sound echoes through the phone, promising another long talk—hopefully this time with Midoriya instead.

"I'll send Hound Dog and someone else to check it out. Keep your GPS on and go collect the problem child. I expect you to both be returning to the dorms without detours. I'm on my way back now."

I consider asking if this meant I was in trouble but then think better of it at his irritated grumble.

"Ah… Yes, sir."

I can already imagine his scowl as he hangs up, and I morosely discard any hope that he'll ever forget about any of that nonsense with babysitters or trust.

I should have just gone back to sleep…

.

.

.

I can hear Midoriya before I actually see him.

I sigh, following the sound of shouts and fighting.

When I finally do find him, it's with the old man, now covered in some sort of pink aura, floating strangely above, and Midoriya, looking dirty and scratched, crushed into the ground directly beneath him, prostrate like something invisible is holding him down. I scratch my head when Midoriya frees himself, apparently arguing with the guy.

"If you're a UA student, then you must understand my yearning for my dream."

"Why? If you understand so much, then why the school festival?"

Was there a reason he wasn't just stopping him?

I'd seen him put more effort into spars.

The two seem to actually roll around in the grass wrestling and I check my phone for the time. It was almost nine, which meant everyone was supposed to start putting everything together.

The others were not going to be pleased by this little detour.

Midoriya shouts something, still oddly fervent about the festival and whatever they were discussing.

"-and the smile of a girl who doesn't know how to smile yet!?"

My nose wrinkles when I suddenly realize this nonsense is about her.

The little redhead reappears again, and before she can do anything to intervene, I snatch her up, holding her by her collar.

"H-Hey! G-Gentle!"

I shake her sourly, irritated by her high-pitched screeching when the old man's gaze snaps towards us.

"La Brava!"

He does something, bouncing on air, and then with a leap, he's flying towards the both of us.

My response is so instinctual, I hardly need to think about it. I open my mouth and black tentacles the size of tree limbs explode towards him. The little girl shuts up at that, wide eyes inescapable. The old man dodges left, allowing Midoriya the opening needed to catch him, and the freckled boy drops into the dirt catching both arms in a hold.

About time.

I let my quirk dissipate from my mouth, irritation pulling my hair up off my neck. The little girl swallows as I pin her with a furious stare before glowering at the old man who'd resumed his struggle.

"That's enough," I snap, my left hand catching on fire even as my right secures the kid against my hip. All attempts to escape stop. Breathing heavily and covered in scratches, Midoriya stares up with a strange sort of awe that I'm not really sure what to do with. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Ah Hok- I- I mean, Rin-chan! They're—they wanted—I mean, they were planning on ruining the festival!"

The festival.

All of this nonsense over that?

I let the fire go out, pursing my lips.

"Why?" I ask, turning next to the kid. She swallows, looking like a clown in those giant balloon pants and a dark shirt with a bowtie. When she doesn't say anything, I let the darkness seep out again black, inky horror spilling past my lips.

She goes ghost-gray, and I release her so she can back up against the tree.

"We-We- Gentle's dream!"

"He wants to be remembered," Midoriya supplies, clearly picking up on my irate confusion. "So he's going to destroy everyone else's dreams in the process!"

My eyes flick from Midoriya to the old man and back.

All I can hear is Mineta though, sheepish and perched against the back of his chair as he scratches his neck.

"I want to be noticed. I want all the girls to love me! You know how they always throw themselves at the big heroes, like Hawks and Mount Lady and stuff? I want them to do that to me! People used to always pick on me because I'm small, but when I'm a hero, they'll be super jealous!"

"And you can't join a circus or become an actor or do something productive to do the same thing?" I scowl. "The school's sending heroes to our position now and if they catch you, you're going to jail—or prison, depending on your crimes. Is being remembered really important enough that you're willing to rot in Tartarus?"

Both Midoriya and Gentle pale, and I look at the red-headed girl, clearly shaking with silent tears.

"You have someone who notices you," I continue, reaching for the girl and tossing her forward by her collar. Midoriya moves aside, letting the old man up, and the tiny girl screeches, loud, wailing tears as she attaches herself around the older man's neck. It rips at something hollow in my chest, memories of clinging to my brothers at the top of a hill. Memories of the heroes—of the sounds drowned by sirens. "You're both being idiots. Now go away."

I didn't want to see them arrested.

I didn't want to watch the old man's face purple from a fight, the cuffs dig into his skin, or hear this little girl sob.

"Rin-chan…" Midoriya whispers, and I don't meet his eye, too aware he probably sees right through me.

The old man hugs the girl tighter.

Then, coated even more in that strange pink layer, they're gone in a blink.

Midoriya picks himself up, utterly disheveled and looking like he rolled through a bunch of thorns. I sigh, stepping closer and plucking tiny leaves and branches out of his hair. He reddens instantly, the color spilling down his chest, but he doesn't step back.

"Hoki- I- I m-mean R-Rin-chan?"

I swiping little bits of tree bark and dirt from the outside of his jacket and ignore him. He was going to need a shower, and all this dirt was going to stain if he didn't soak it soon. It was all over him, his back, his shoulders, his legs…

"Yes, Midoriya-kun."

"Are… Did you really-"

"Call Sensei?" I ask darkly, amused at his lack of words. Stepping back, I let him finish the rest on his own as he swallows. "Yeah. I called him right after you ran off, chasing two complete strangers without any sort of backup. What if they weren't idiots? You know you're getting a lecture, right? You're never supposed to run off without letting people know."

His eyes widen.

"B-But! But the festival!"

"What about it?" I ask, passing him his bag and glancing towards my phone. Thankfully it was only 9:10, so we'd have time to change and meet the others before ten.

Midoriya nervously wrings his hands, and I type my message, waiting for him to spit it out.

I've got Midoriya, we're heading back.

"It's- Principal Nezu! He- He said if there was another villain attack, he'd shut down the event."

I spare him a glance, finger pausing over the send icon.

He glances uncomfortably away, face full of disappointment and… and I don't like it. I don't like the way his lip quivers, the way his shoulders slump, or how his usually cheerful face turns so world-weary and sad.

I scowl, deleting the message before I can think too hard about it, and retyping another I was probably going to regret.

It was a misunderstanding. We're on our way back. Sorry.

I hit send and stuff the phone quickly away, certain Sensei and I would be having words. He could always tell when I was lying, and there was no way this would be any different.

"Was there a villain?" I ask, sourly imagining all of the annoying lectures and essays. "All I saw was you chase after some weird couple…"

Midoriya seems to freeze, those large green eyes widening in surprise.

I look away, uncomfortable.

"We should probably get back though, before the others really do-"

My voice cuts off as strong arms encircle my shoulders and I suck in a breath. Soft curls the color of dark leaves brush against my face, the smell of forest and damp earth heady. It… It takes too long to realize he's—he's hugging me. My hand holding my groceries is still half up, and I hesitate uncertain if I should reach back and pat him or try to return the hug or just drop them-

"Thank you," he whispers and there's something wet and warm sliding down my neck. And I… I still, stiff and lost and-

Was he…

Was he crying?

The warmth of his breath blooms through the fabric of my jacket, hot across my shoulder.

"I… I don't…"

But he doesn't let me finish, pulling away just as quickly as he had reached out, his face lit with a bright smile so at odds with the trails of tears leaking down his cheeks. He scrubs at them happily, a boyish grin wide against his lips.

"Thank you!"

I awkwardly smile, face burning, and quickly lead the way back to the dorms.

.

.

.

I'm not really sure what's worse. Sensei and Uncle Zashi meeting us in front of the dorms, sharing twin looks of exasperation, or the clearly irate Toshinori-san eyeing Midoriya like some kind of wrathful demon.

"Young Midoriya!"

Probably the later.

"Ah… I've got to go get dressed," I chirp, smiling brightly as I immediately abandon Green to his doom. The freckled boy swallows audibly, casting me a quickly look of betrayal that I aptly ignore. I hurry past them both, lengthening my strides towards the main doors. "Hi Toshinori-san! Bye Toshinori-san!"

Sensei catches me with one arm, nearly knocking away my breath, as I try unsuccessfully to race by. I squeak, half crumpled over the limb when he drags me back.

"Ah ha ha ha… Sensei… Uncle Zashi, it's ah… it's so good to see you!"

My cheeks burn as the blonde man bows at his middle, pinning me with a knowing look over the rim of rose-tinted sunglasses. Dressed in full hero outfits, they both tower over me easily. Sensei steals back his arm, folding it across his chest.

They had sex…

Ewwwww…

"Glowworm, you're a little disheveled for a simple misunderstanding. What exactly have you been up to, eh?"

I shift, dancing from one foot to the other.

They should know. Couldn't know. There'd been no one else with us in the woods.

"Mid-Midoriya-kun got lost," I tell him brightly, offering my most innocent expression. "He… ah… he ran off the path, you see…"

"Chasing weirdoes," Sensei reminds me, his baritone flat. I twitch. "Please explain how villain weirdoes become a misunderstanding?"

I know it's a test. There's no way it's not a test.

But the memory of Midoriya near tears, hugging me in relief…

"Ah… I don't know!" I hedge, quickly scooting backward. "Who can really understand boys, yah know? But, oh, look at the time! I really need to go get ready…"

Sensei just raises a brow, leaning forward and plucking something off my shoulder.

It's a long red hair, far too long to belong to Kirishima or Todoroki.

I pale.

Uncle Zashi grins, his lips stretching unnaturally wide.

"You know you're busted, riiiiiiight?"

"I- You don't- That is-"

"We'll discuss it later," Sensei promises, and I drop my head in resignation. There was absolutely no way I was getting out of this. "Now is there an active threat to our security at large?"

Is being remembered really important enough that you're willing to rot in Tartarus?

I grimace.

"No, sir," I mumble, staring dejectedly at my feet.

Midoriya hadn't thought so either when we'd talked about it on the walk back.

Apparently, it'd been the reason he'd been so hesitant to use his full power.

"Well, is there a body?" Uncle Zashi asks. I jerk in his direction, mouth dropping open, and he laughs, green eyes bright. "You know it's always the quiet ones…"

"What!"

Sensei just smirks though, that dangerous one he usually uses before the whole class ends up doing some stupid exercise. He clamps a hand against my shoulder, efficiently steering me toward the dorm. Uncle Zashi, still sporting his own manic expression, moves behind us and towards the others, expression just a little too bright.

"Didn't you say you needed to get ready?"

Any concern regarding what they were up to melts away, the thought of Toru's rage filling me with dread.

"You know it's almost 9:30…"

I tear myself out of his grip, racing through the doors, past the tiny silver girl and Mirio's curious blue eyes. Toru was gonna kill me!

.

.

.

"I am going to murder you in your sleep if you ever scare me like that again!" Toru growls, one invisible hand reaching into my hair and adjusting several of the clips she'd pinned there angrily after I'd arrived.

"Ah…"

"Thirty minutes! Thirty minutes is not enough time to curl your hair, get you dressed, and do your makeup! If you were up at eight you should have been in my room prepping! Not out gallivanting for ingredients! I'm going to strangle Midoriya!"

Bakugou, standing nearby, spares my friend an amused glance.

"It's not-"

"Oh don't start!" the girl huffs, stepping over towards the curtain to glance out at the crowd. "You better be thankful I'm amazing and-" She cuts off suddenly, her hand whipping the curtain back closed, and there's a sudden tightness in her movements that wasn't there before. "Oh… Oh that's a lot of people."

Ojiro, who'd been lingering nearby with Kouda, turns in our way in concern.

"Hagakure-chan?"

Bakugou snorts, moving to the drums with an eye roll even as Iida starts directing people to their places. There isn't time to address the sudden hesitation, so I pull the girl over, wrapping her in a quick, glowing hug with a whispered thank you—Places everyone! Places! Then, making eye contact with Iida, I scurry to let go to climb the catwalk.

It's only as I step onto the overarching metal that my chest tightens, and I notice what Toru meant.

That's… That's more than a lot…

Beneath us, a sea of hundreds fill every speck of space.

Their heads a multi-colored foam, the dark set of uniforms blending into a dark, yawning ocean beneath. I swallow, hands tightening against the rail. And, for a—For a moment, I can almost imagine being down there.

Bodies pressing close, fingers pinching, feet trampling as the screams-

"Hoki?"

I swallow, hands shaking, as Todoroki faces me, his brows furrowing with lips downturned.

"Ah… the… sorry."

The dual-haired boy's frown deepens, his gaze sweeping past me to the people below. He manages a strange, quizzical expression that's hard to miss on steps apart.

"You're… scared of heights?"

I… blink, completely caught off guard.

"Ah... No?"

He just stares back, clearly lost.

It takes me a moment to realize he's waiting for an explanation.

I... Oh.

"N-No... It's… It's the people," I admit, risking a glance below again and feeling dizzy at the sheer size of them. "They're-They're just… a lot."

The dawning comprehension makes me uncomfortable, so I manage a half-hearted smile and nod to our spots.

"It's fin-"

"Just pretend they're naked," Todoroki says sagely, head nodding in understanding.

My face heats and I splutter as my brain starts and stops to process that. I stare at him wide-eyed, hands automatically rising, and I'm not sure if I want to smack the taller boy or just turn him around and shove him back into his spot.

"I- What?!"

I could almost imagine Ryu spouting that.

Of all the stupid garbage-

Todoroki smiles though, and I flush, ignoring Sero and Kirishima's curious glances.

"My brother-" he starts.

I cut him off, unwilling to listen.

"I don't want to know! Go to your place!" I growl, physically turning the boy about and pushing him forward. I glower angrily as the red from my skin reflects off his back and probably all over this stupid ceiling. Great, now I looked like a walking cherry! "That's horrible advice and nobody ever needs to picture that!"

His chuckle catches me off guard.

I pause but he's already moving to his spot, leaving me uncomfortably aware I hadn't- wasn't sure I'd ever heard that sound.

"Oi! Rin-chan, it's starting! Get in position!"

I spare one last look towards Todoroki, something strange wiggling at my chest before I hurry to position. Then the curtains open.