Kuri wiped her damp palms on her leggings as she sat down on one of the armchairs in the lobby across from Aizawa, who had his head leaned back and eyes closed. Even the hotel's air conditioning couldn't stop Kuri's anxious sweating, but she reassured herself that nothing she wanted to say warranted punishment.
"Mr. Aizawa…?"
Her teacher stirred and glanced at Kuri with confusion and a twinge of annoyance.
"What? Aren't you going to dinner with the others?" he asked.
"Um, no, well, not yet—"
"If you're here to invite me, I already told your friends no. I spend enough time supervising the lot of you," he said, leaning his head back again.
"I'm here for academic advice, actually," Kuri said, curling her hands into fists and resting them on her knees.
"Go on, then."
Kuri blew out a heavy breath and closed her eyes. She felt a barrier between her mouth and the words she needed to say, but Kuri forced her lips to part and squeezed out the truth she'd hidden from practically everyone.
"I don't want to be a hero," Kuri said. Aizawa didn't respond immediately, and Kuri was too scared to look up and see his reaction, so she hurried to add context. "I started feeling this way before I transferred here, but things just keep getting worse, and I want to quit, but my parents won't let me. I still want to stay here, though—"
"Okay, slow down," Aizawa cut her off, and Kuri looked up with zipped lips. He had a hand up, urging her to pause. "So, what exactly do you want my advice on? How to drop out of UA?"
Kuri paused and tilted her head to the side. She had half-expected him to immediately tell her it was an idiotic decision to leave or to question why she had transferred here in the first place, but Aizawa started right on her level. Kuri had prepared for a debate, but he really was willing to advise her on quitting.
Aizawa raised his eyebrows, and Kuri realized she'd failed to provide an answer yet, so she straightened in her seat and cleared her throat.
"I guess I just want someone to tell me whether or not I should stop hero training for good," Kuri said.
"Don't ask someone else to make the decision for your life," Aizawa said, crossing his arms. "What do you want to do—continue or quit?"
"I don't know…" Kuri shrugged and furrowed her brow. "There's too much to consider."
"Such as…?"
"Well, you might've heard about my kidnapping…"
"It's noted on your school file, yes."
"There's that, so I get mental breakdowns during missions. I don't want to get into that, but it's the main reason—besides general disinterest—why I want to quit. But I feel selfish for not wanting to save people anymore, and my parents won't let me out of here anyway, so I'm stuck."
She fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt, studying a loose thread while Aizawa contemplated her response and formulated a question.
"Is helping others something you value?" he asked.
Kuri nodded, and Aizawa leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Everyone has a different skill set they can use to serve their community, giving us doctors, teachers, sanitation workers, you name it," Aizawa said. "You, Nakano, have the skills of a hero, which is only natural after all your training."
Kuri nodded and looked at her hands in her lap. So, he wanted her to keep going…
"But that doesn't necessarily mean you need to be one," Aizawa continued. Kuri's head shot up, and she looked at him with keen eyes. "You likely have skills in other areas, too, and you may find you enjoy those things more than heroism."
Yes, she could just make one of her passions her career! The smile on Kuri's face generated by this suggestion slowly faded as she tried mentally listing her interests, only to realize she had nothing usable.
Kuri's life was dominated by all things hero for her entire life, so she never had many chances to pursue hobbies. When she thought of subjects besides heroism that she was skilled at and enjoyed, the only thing that came to mind was academics. Kuri was incredibly adept at writing, math, and science, but she couldn't just keep going to school forever.
"I can't think of anything I could do instead," Kuri said. She chewed on her lip and scrambled to remember anything else she enjoyed, only to draw a blank. Kuri had invested her whole life into heroism, to the point that it was all her brain could consider. She recalled topics from her nighttime discussion with Katsuki and the thinking she'd done after the fact. "Another idea I had was to stick with hero stuff in the long run but take a break for a bit."
"A break would be good. Your wounds are still fresh," he said, referring to her kidnapping. "It's unreasonable to ask you to rescue others."
Kuri glanced at her bare left forearm. She wished that anyone could have said this two years ago and spared her the additional trauma wrought by her missions with Endeavor Agency.
"Before you transferred to UA, there was a large-scale attack on the class at the USJ," Aizawa said. Kuri was familiar with the incident since her friends had mentioned it before. "I sustained severe injuries during that battle, but came back to teach class after a very short recovery period because they needed me to teach. The difference between me in that situation and you is that you're a kid, and I'm an adult."
"So, you're saying I'm not ready because I'm young?" Kuri asked, raising an eyebrow at the paradox. "Then why are we all in school to become heroes?"
"I'm trying to tell you that hero society is flawed because it pushes children to test their limits when that does more harm than good."
"Yet you're training us until we faint?"
"UA teachers are part of hero society, too, aren't they?" Aizawa asked with a sarcastic smirk. Kuri gave him an annoyed look, and he sighed. "Look, it's not easy to mend the institution, even from within, but I'm trying. Nezu's even loosening up, having us come here, so I'm sure next year the training plan will be less intense."
"Well, I won't be here next year, so that's not my business," Kuri said. "I just want to know if you think I might as well leave the hero course altogether."
If Kuri got her teacher to kick her out, that would override her parents' wishes (though she would totally get in trouble).
"Most teenagers aren't well-equipped to handle the emotional burden that comes with saving others, yet we teach them how to be heroes," Aizawa said, shaking his head. "You may not like it now; however, with time, you might recover and come back to the hero scene. Happens with a lot of people."
"Anything's possible, I guess," Kuri said with a shrug.
"In any case, you only have a few months left at UA, so I think you should stay here until graduation."
"Then, would it be ill-advised to quit my work study?" Kuri asked. That was really the root of all her issues in recent times. Her first few months at UA were like floating down a calm stream, then a tsunami hit and pulled her under wave after wave of resurfaced trauma. She needed to get out of Endeavor Agency, but would that screw her over?
"Yes, if you plan to start hero work immediately after graduation. Otherwise, there's no harm in working shorter shifts or finding a different agency," Aizawa said.
"Sweet, I can quit," Kuri sighed in relief, sinking deeper into her seat. She wondered what Katsuki would think about her ditching him to work alone with Izuku and Shoto. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too grumpy.
"Staying at your current work study isn't as important as graduating from the hero course."
"Even if I never become a hero?" Kuri asked. She had no intention of actually doing as Aizawa suggested. It didn't seem realistic that Kuri could come around to heroism, considering she found little joy in the action-packed hours of fighting crime. However, it was still her only option unless she defied her parents.
"You got another career path in mind?"
"Not really," Kuri said sheepishly. "The only thing I know I like is school."
"What about college?" Aizawa asked.
Kuri's jaw dropped to the floor, and it felt like the whole Earth turned to look at her in her foolishness. She squeezed her eyes shut as she brought her palm up to smack it against her forehead. The impact was so strong it produced a noise loud enough to slightly echo in the lobby. Her hand and face stung, but the pain was earned for her stupidity. How hadn't she thought of furthering her education before?
Aizawa had cracked the code. The only way Kuri could ever convince her parents to let her quit would be to suggest a course of action they would deem respectable.
"I'm guessing you haven't considered it," Aizawa continued. "If you want to have that as an option, start studying for the entrance exams now."
"Okay," Kuri said, placing her hands on her knees. She took a slow breath to process everything he had told her in the last several minutes. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Aizawa. I think I've got a better idea of what to do."
"I'm glad," Aizawa said, cracking a small half-smile.
Kuri pushed herself up from the armchair and gave Aizawa an appreciative smile as she bid him goodbye.
"Whatever you choose, Nakano, know that you have the heart of a hero," Aizawa said, leaning back again. He closed his eyes and waved her away. "Now, go be with your friends so I can have my break."
Kuri stifled a laugh and thanked him again before walking away. She stepped through the automatic doors at the entrance and found Katsuki standing there with his arms crossed. A hopeful smile jumped onto his face as soon as they locked eyes.
"How'd it go?" he asked before taking her hand and starting on their way to the restaurant.
"Not bad. It was easier to tell him the truth than I expected."
"Good," Katsuki said with a bright smile. "So, you've got a plan now?"
"Well, I'm thinking of going to college."
"Are you serious? That's awesome," Katsuki said excitedly. "Better start studying."
"Yeah, I don't know what I'll major in, though."
"You've got time."
Kuri swung her and Katsuki's hands back and forth as they walked down the sidewalk in the glow of the setting sun. The warm breeze tickled her skin, and chirping cicadas sang a summer evening's melody. Finally admitting the truth to someone with authority in her life had lifted a weight off Kuri's shoulders, and now everything seemed beautiful.
"Hey, Katsuki, do you think I should tell everyone else?" Kuri asked. "Then, I wouldn't need to keep pretending."
"If you feel like it," he said. "Mina already knows, doesn't she? You could start with your other friends."
"Right, I will," Kuri nodded. "Might as well just do it during dinner. I'm feeling good after talking to Aizawa. I could probably even tell my parents right now! Well, maybe not, but you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," Katsuki chuckled. "By the way, if anyone makes fun of you for this, I'll kill them."
"Woah, buddy, you don't need to go that far," Kuri laughed and bumped her shoulder against his.
"You're right," Katsuki said with a smile. "Because they'll all be supportive."
The restaurant—a hot pot place—was only a couple blocks from their hotel, so Kuri and Katsuki arrived in no time. It didn't take Kuri more than a second to spot their huge table when she entered because her classmates' voices carried over the other patrons' conversations. Plus, Izuku waved at them as soon as they walked through the door.
Kuri and Katsuki found their saved seats at the end of the table with Mina, Izuku, and Ochako, and suddenly a flurry of servers flew by to dish up ingredients. Kuri's classmates readily took the plates and started cooking in the four pots they shared between the twenty of them.
"Hey, Kuri, you're just in time!" Mina exclaimed, taking hold of her chopsticks and throwing tons of leafy vegetables into their pot.
"You wanna order anything more?" Ochako asked, handing her a menu. "We already got a lot, but if we missed something you like, add it!"
"What's our budget?" Kuri asked, glancing at the dozens of plates landing on their table. She only had so much cash on her, and she wondered if even everyone pooling their money could pay for such extravagance.
"Don't worry! Momo said it's on her," Izuku said.
At the mention of Momo's generosity, someone threw out a cheer for Momo, and the whole class thanked her for what was likely not the first time, if her shyly humble smile was anything to go by.
"I think I'm good with what we've got," Kuri said, handing the menu back to Ochako. "A drink would be nice, though."
"For sure!" Ochako said before flagging down a waiter, who took Kuri's order for a lemon tea.
While Kuri and Katsuki waited for their drinks, he gave her a reassuring look, reminding her with his soft gaze that she need not worry about telling her classmates the truth. Kuri turned to face their little group of five and cleared her throat.
"So, I was just talking to Aizawa," Kuri said.
"Right, Kacchan told us before we left," Izuku said, fishing cooked food out of their pot.
"What'd you discuss?" Ochako asked, glancing at Kuri while she added noodles to the broth.
"Whether or not I should drop out."
At Kuri's answer, all activity in their little corner of the table paused. They all looked between Kuri and each other with confused faces. A waiter stopped by to deliver Kuri and Katsuki's drinks, and they broke the quiet with their thanks.
"Girl, did I hear you right?" Mina asked incredulously, her eyes wide. Then, after a second, something registered for her, and Mina started nodding in realization. "Oh, wait, is this about what I think it is?"
"Probably," Kuri shrugged. "I've told you and Katsuki before."
"Why do Izuku and I never know what's going on," Ochako shook her head in a display of mock sadness.
"Right? We're always out of the loop," Izuku concurred with a fake frown.
"Sorry," Kuri said awkwardly. Her friends noticed her mild discomfort, and guilt immediately registered on their faces.
"Well, you don't actually have to tell us everything!" Izuku said while Ochako nodded profusely. "It's okay if you're not comfortable—"
"Just shut up, Deku, she's about to tell you," Katsuki interrupted. He shot her a half-smile, urging her to be brave. Kuri took a deep breath.
"Right, so, the truth is I don't want to be a hero," Kuri said quickly, so the words wouldn't have a chance to get caught in her throat.
Ochako and Izuku were quiet again for a second, while Mina tapped her temple with her index finger and grinned proudly at knowing all along.
"I see why you want to drop out, then," Izuku said.
"Have you always felt like that?" Ochako asked. "Because I couldn't tell at all."
"Yeah, I've wanted to quit for years," Kuri said, to the shock of her friends. She gave them the abridged version of her reasoning, basically that her parents forced her into this profession, and her kidnapping left her with PTSD that made hero work doubly stressful. "I'm just not interested in this life."
"So, are you actually dropping out…?" Ochako asked hesitantly.
Her friends listened carefully for Kuri's next words, looking at her with trepidation. Kuri grinned at them.
"Nope."
A collective sigh rushed from her friends' lungs, and Kuri giggled at their exaggerated relief. To think they would be so disappointed at her departure amused her, even though it was only logical. After all, she would miss them, too!
"Sorry to scare you," Kuri said. "I love you all. There's no way I'm leaving!"
"Girl, there's no need to lie," Mina said, waving her hand and rolling her eyes with a teasing smile. "We know you're just staying for your boyfriend."
Kuri glanced at Katsuki, who turned his head away from the giggling bunch to hide his embarrassment, but she could still see his ears reddening. Well, he was certainly a big reason to stay.
"I'm here because of you, too!" Kuri asserted. "Plus, my parents pay my tuition, and they wouldn't let me leave."
"If you're not gonna be a hero, what'll you do after graduation?" Ochako asked, putting cooked food from the pot on her plate.
"I've still gotta get past the final boss before I can answer that question," Kuri sighed before finally contributing to the hot pot by adding more tofu.
"Huh…?"
"We're seeing her parents in a week," Katsuki said, rewording Kuri's statement for her.
"Kacchan, you're going too?" Izuku asked between bites.
"Duh, what the fuck did I just say?"
"Hopefully, I'll convince them to let me go to college," Kuri said, claiming some food for herself.
"College! OMG, Kuri, you're gonna be our little genius!" Mina exclaimed, grabbing Kuri's arm and shaking it ecstatically.
"If all goes to plan," Kuri grinned, grabbing her glass and sipping her drink.
"So, are you gonna tell anyone else in class, or do we keep this a secret?" Ochako asked.
"I regret to inform you all that I've heard everything said, so I'm unsure if Nakano's truth will remain hidden," Tenya piped up from beside Izuku.
Figures he would've heard anything. Kuri and her friends were often too loud for their own good, and Tenya was sitting adjacent to them.
"That's okay," Kuri said. "I think everyone should know."
"Know what?" Shoto asked, turning toward their group in his seat beside Ochako. "Was something going on over here?"
"You know what, everyone, let's have a toast!" Mina said, standing up and raising her glass. Their classmates diverted their attention from their meals to her and cheered, revving up for a toast to the end of their training. "But before that happens, a PSA from Kuri."
Kuri's eyes widened when Mina tapped her on the back, urging her to stand. Still planted in her seat, she glanced up at Mina, who gave her a reassuring wink, then looked at Katsuki. He noticed her nervous expression and took her hand, standing with her.
When everyone in class saw them standing together, a gasp flew from each of her classmates' mouths.
"You're pregnant?!" Denki exclaimed in wild confusion.
Kuri's jaw dropped in shock and embarrassment.
"Holy shit! Really?" Eijirou asked, looking from Denki to Kuri and Katsuki's joined hands.
"No!" Kuri nearly shouted. Her face burned hotter than the boiling broth currently cooking her food. "I'm—"
"Engaged?!" Tooru blurted, excitedly bolting out of her chair and (probably) clasping her hands together.
"Congratulations," Shoto said before raising his glass and taking a swig.
"I should sit down," Katsuki said, letting go of Kuri's hand to stop people from getting the wrong idea.
"I've been lying to you guys all along! I don't want to be a hero!" Kuri proclaimed, shouting for real this time.
The whole restaurant went silent, except for the simmering of each individual pot. Even the other customers had paused their conversations to get a load of the ruckus their table was making. Kuri's classmates looked at her with unique faces of surprise, ranging from raised eyebrows to wide-open mouths.
Kuri expected an onslaught of questions, "whats" and "whys" that would leave her wilting and wishing she never spoke up. But her classmates had almost nothing to say.
"Honestly, that's a bit underwhelming after Denki's guess," Tsu said, to the class' amusement. Kuri couldn't hold back a laugh herself.
"Indeed. It's natural that people change their career goals," Fumikage said.
"You're not gonna leave us, though, are you?!" Tooru asked, running around the table to be between Kuri and Katsuki, planting an invisible hand on her shoulder.
Kuri smiled at Tooru and gave her a side hug. On the other side of her, she could see Katsuki's grinning face.
"Nope, I'm staying right here," Kuri said before Tooru returned to her seat.
"Hell yeah, you are!" Mina exclaimed. "Now, let's toast!"
Everyone stood with raised glasses, laughing and cheering as they clinked their drinks against one another's.
"To our last day here!"
"To our last year at UA!"
"To the end of hellish summer training!"
At that last toast, everyone celebrated loudly before finally sitting down, and Kuri wondered how long they could have kept it up until they were thrown out for disturbing other customers. Kuri turned to Katsuki while he took a drink of his water and held out her glass toward him.
"Here's to staying together," she said, smiling softly.
Katsuki lowered his glass from his lips and returned her smile before gently knocking his drink against hers, their fingers brushing against each other in the process.
"We'll be alright," Katsuki said before taking a swig again.
Kuri sipped on her own drink and smiled at her boyfriend. He was right; the two of them could take on anything. They had defeated villains and vigilantes, won sports festivals, and—the biggest challenge of all—declared their feelings for each other. Her parents wouldn't stand a chance.
California, here I come.
