Trigger Warnings:

- PTSD

- past traumatic event

- possible panic attack

Hours later, it's Lunch time.

Hanada-chan is understandably agitated in the crowded Cafeteria.

Once she gets her food tray, I tell her to wait for me by the koi fish pools.

At the same time, I stand in line and wait for my turn.

There's the background noise of students chattering. I ignore it all until I hear something close by.

Something peculiar.

"What's going on with Deku?" I hear a girl's voice say.

"I heard he jumped in the second All Might was getting attacked. It's probably something to do with that." A boy's voice responds.

"Also, it's just like Tsuyu said on the bus! His super strength is a lot like All Might's."

"So he might have taken some interest in him."

I can't help but turn my head to the source of the voices. It's my classmates: Iida and Uraraka. I see that Midoriya is not with them. That's strange. Very strange.

I've seen something between Midoriya and All Might one too many times. It's too frequent to be a coincidence. During the Trial of Battle, every day in class, and just recently the U.S.J. incident. There's something going on, and I can't quite figure out what it is.

But that's something I can think about later. Right now, Hanada-chan is waiting for me.

Once I locate her, I sit down next to her. She's already started eating. I place an ice cream cup on her tray and eat my meal. Her expression is hilarious. The hand holding the spoon stops just before her open mouth, and her eyes stare at the cup. Then she turns toward me, the question obvious in her metallic eyes.

"Luck must be in our favor today. The Cafeteria passed out vanilla ice cream. I didn't know if you liked that flavor, but I thought you'd appreciate the gesture."

"I do. Thank you. Thank you so much!" she exclaims.

I chuckle lightly at that. Ignoring the rest of the food on her plate, she devours the ice cream. "Mmm. For cafeteria food, this is surprisingly tasty."

Knowing now that she likes vanilla makes me want to know more about her. I also need to give her the pendant. And I think I know just how to do that.

"Do you wanna play a game?" I ask her.

"What game?"

"Twenty Questions."

"Does the question I am asking now and the one I asked just before count as part of the twenty questions?"

"No."

"Okay. I'll play. But ..."

"We don't have to ask 'Yes-or-No' questions and don't have to answer with 'Yes-or-No.' We'll take turns asking questions until we reach twenty questions, and both of us will answer the questions. You can go first. Is that alright? Oh, this doesn't count as part of the twenty questions."

She nods and looks ahead at the school gate. "What is your favorite color?" I give her an unimpressed look. "I know. It's a cliché question. But it's the first one I could think of."

Now I smirk. "I have many. Sapphire blue, pearl-white, raven black, ... liquid silver."

I detect a light blush in her cheeks when she speaks. "Along with the colors you said, indigo, moonlight silver, emerald green, honeydew yellow, onyx black, snow-white, crimson red, stormy grey, and turquoise."

I return the blush. "What kind of music do you like? I prefer gentle music. Music where I can understand the lyrics if there are any."

"Classical instrumental."

Our blushes intensify. It takes a little more effort to meet each other's eyes now.

"Where would you like to travel?" she asks.

"Somewhere tropical. Probably an island."

"Hawaii. Also cliche."

Now our cheeks are the color of tomatoes. Just why are we blushing!? "If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Mine is cold soba. I wouldn't even hesitate."

"Just one? That seems harsh. Wait, don't count that as a question! Ice cream. Ice cream is my answer." Finally, a difference. "Do you have a place where you find solace?"

"I haven't found such a place like that. I'm the youngest of four children, and I have a dad who is insistent on working me to death. Never found the time. What about you? Don't count that as a question."

"I have one. There's a pond covered with lotuses and water lilies. A small wood deck leads to the pond and a gazebo overlooks it. It's beautiful at night. The stars, the moon, the gentle breeze, and the chittering of crickets."

"That does sound peaceful. Do you have hobbies besides reading?"

"I like to write." Of course, it's a given you must like writing. She sees my expression and laughs that same melodious laugh from before. "Every writer likes to read, but not every reader likes to write."

"I like to draw." But in a game of telling truths, I lie with my next words. "I don't have a theme really. Just whatever comes to mind: buildings, jungles, waterfalls, birds, fish, houses, flowers, humans."

"That's amazing. I've always respected artists and their talent. Their use of colors, lighting, shading, and detail to depict a particular scene or emotion. It's really something admirable. Did you know in some fantasy books, there is an illustrated map on the first page?"

"What?"

"It's true. So many of the novels I read take place in another universe. So at the very beginning of the book, there is a drawing of the map of said universe. It includes city names, lakes, mountains, forests for country maps, and streets, buildings, and residences in city maps. There are also fan arts of the book characters, too. I think that's what made me appreciate art in the first place."

"I did not know that. Drawing an entire map of a world different from our own ... that's pretty darn cool. Hanada-chan, can you draw?"

She hesitates for a few seconds. "If I said my handwriting was the extent of my artistic abilities, would you accept that as drawing?"

I laugh. "Sure, I accept that as drawing. In a way, that's what writing is. But speaking of writing, what do you write about?"

"Same as you. Anything that comes to mind. I've written poems, essays, and narratives. Lately, I've been writing happy moments in my life." Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel that Hanada-chan is lying too.

"What do these happy moments consist of?"

"Nothing special. A stroll in the woods, a moment in a book, a lunch with you." She smiles at the last one.

I smile in return but don't question it further. She's not prodding me, so I'll give her the same courtesy. We continue talking more about our hobbies, the Twenty Questions game forgotten somewhere. When it's time to go back to class, I hold her back. "Wait! There's something I want to give you. I should have given it to you way before, but I hope you'll accept it even now."

She tilts her head to the side as I pull out the lapis lazuli pendant from my blazer pocket. Her head straightens and her eyes widen as she takes it in because the pendant isn't the same as before. Before, it was just a teardrop cut of indigo stone. Now, it's embedded in an elaborate silver design as a festoon. "Yesterday, I went to a jeweler. I paid him to, well, beautify the stone. Knowing now that you like indigo, I thought it would be best to give it now."

She looks at me with gratitude in her eyes. "It was beautiful before. It's beautiful now. I ... I had forgotten about it entirely. I'm sorry."

I'm dumbstruck. "You're the one who's apologizing? Why? I should be apologizing to you! I'm giving you a gift after nearly one month because I forgot to give it to you sooner! What kind of friend does that make me?" I exclaim.

She recoils and stammers, "I-I'm sorry!"

"You're apologizing again!" I'm frustrated now.

She picks up her tray and distances herself away from me. "I-I should go."

Oh, God! What have I done! "Wait!" I shout as I grab her arm. Her tray topples and all the utensils fall to the ground. She bends down immediately and gathers them up. I bend down with her and help her. "Hanada-chan, I'm sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have shouted at you. You were apologizing for something that wasn't your fault at all. I got emotional, and I couldn't control them. And I made you the target. Please forgive me." I reach out and touch her gloved hand. But what happened next I wouldn't have imagined even in my nightmares.

She flinches visibly and pushes my hand away. She raises her hands in front of her face and cries, "Please don't hit me! I'll be good! I promise!"

I barely hear myself whisper, "Hanada-chan," in shock.

She continues crying and pleading to someone not here. "Whatever you want, I'll do it. That's what good girls do, right? They obey every command their master gives them. I'll do the same. I'll be your slave. Just please, don't hit me."

I realize that she is reliving a traumatic event, and sees me as a "master." Just whoever this "master" was hurt her. It's my turn to plead to her. "Hanada-chan! Hanada-chan, listen to me! No one is going to hurt you. Least of all me. Hanada-chan, please calm down. You're at school. You're safe. If anyone tries to harm you, rest assured they'll find their sorry asses thrown in jail," I reason. It's not working. She's lying on her side, curled into a ball, hands now clutching her arms. She's hyperventilating now. Her breaths are coming in pants. I reach out toward her once more. She flinches again, so I pull back. "Selene ..." I whisper uselessly. Tears of my own start falling. What should I do? I want to help her, but I can't approach her. I don't have any other choice but to call for help. "Hanada-chan, wait here! I'll be right back. I'm coming back with a teacher." I get up to run to the school building. But just then, Hanada-chan's sobbing stops. She's fainted. I drop by her body immediately and place a finger under her nose. No breathing. I can't waste a moment now. I sprint to the school building.

"SOMEONE HELP!"