What's this? Uploading on a Saturday? UNHEARD OF :O

Jk, but I'm posting this now because I feel not great and think I'm boutta crash hard, and I'm worried about forgetting to do it tomorrow. Thank you all for the concern recently, I swear I'm doing fine (outside of being mildly sick rn— Don't worry it's not the rona), I just hit a bit of a nasty writer's block, and been focusing on some real life stuff in the meantime. I've also been debating on going on a hiatus until BNHA is finished, so I can polish up the draft for the ending (I've had pretty much the whole rest of canon/the fic plotted out since the start) but we'll see.

Also, the whole Yuwei thing is another small snippet I've borrowed from the light novels. Again, I haven't read them, all I know is the basic gist, so most likely it doesn't follow the novel much at all. I just needed an extra portion to bulk up the chapter.

"What?!"

"You guys threw down?!" Mina asked on behalf of the whole class.

Except for Hitomi, who was somewhat proud to be the first to know something for once. The others were let in on it upon seeing the two roughed up boys vacuuming the common area.

"Hilarious!" Denki crowed.

"Tres tragique." Aoyama lamented.

"You're both morons." Sero deadpanned.

Katsuki growled, then started vacuuming more aggressively.

"The pinnacle of stupidity." Tokoyami shook his head at them.

"Dude, even Hitomi wouldn't do something that dumb!" Eijirou pointed out, putting a hand on her head when she didn't catch on at first.

"…Wait— Hey!"

Eijirou patted her head. "Hitomi, I saw you chasing a squirrel the other day."

Hitomi flushed. "He stole my keys!"

"That just makes it worse." Denki chimed in solemnly.

"You're lucky you two got away with house arrest." Tenya chopped his hand. "Though, this does mean you'll miss the opening ceremony we're going to right now."

"Bakugou, what about our extra classes?" Shouto brought up the sore spot.

"Shut up, Icy-Hot bastard! This has nothing to do with you!"

"'Kay, well, thanks for cleaning up!" Denki chuckled.

…

"Listen up, everyone! Stay in line and move promptly into position." Tenya instructed from the side, arms emphatically chopping in the direction they were meant to be heading. "I want to see order!"

"Yes, sir!" Hitomi saluted him, skipping along down the hallway with the rest of them.

"Uh, you're the only one who's not in line." Sero pointed out snidely.

Tenya clenched his trembling fists. "Guh— The dilemma of a class rep…!"

"I heard a little rumor about Class 1-A…"

They stopped, looking ahead at the blonde leaning casually against the wall.

"Two people!" Monoma cackled. "You had two people fail the licensing exam, you losers!"

Eijirou smirked. "Bet you were the only one in your class to fail. Just like in the final, huh?"

Monoma laughed, holding his middle, then turned his back to them.

Eijirou's smirked fell. "That wasn't an answer!"

"Ha! Actually…"

The rest of 1-B entered the hall, coming to stand behind him.

He whirled back around, striking a dramatic pose. "Every one of us passed. We pulled ahead of you bigshots."

Shouto looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry. It's my fault."

"They're the ones who're turning it into a competition! It's no big deal!" Eijirou rushed to reassure him.

"Yeah, and besides, Katsuki messed up, too!" Hitomi patted him on the back, probably harder than intended.

"Accordin' to teacher Vlad, we'll have classes together this semester. Doesn't that sound like it'll be fun? I'm lookin' forward to it!" Tsunotori smiled giddily.

"I can't wait to test out my skills!" Eijirou punched his palm.

"Oh hey, isn't she the exchange student?" Denki asked the redhead, while said girl was being whispered something by Monoma.

After the blonde pulled away, she turned to the two boys. "Touch me and I'll pummel you 'til yo mama doesn't know ya!"

Denki and Eijirou gaped in stunned horror.

Monoma gave her a thumbs-up, cackling wildly.

Kendou came up from behind him. "Stop filling her mind with crazy!" She chopped him in the neck.

"I'm really sorry about him." Awase moved to stand next to Momo, looking abashed for his classmate.

Momo smiled brightly at him, before huffing a small laugh. "We've… gotten used to it."

"Uh, congrats, by the way, f-for passing the exam." Awase gave two thumbs-up, before wincing and lowering his hands with an embarrassed flush.

Momo giggled, mimicking his previous pose. "You too."

"Hey. We're tryin' to get through back here."

Hitomi perked up, tail wagging. "Hitoshi!"

The lilac haired boy walked in front of his class, leading them. The sight made her beam, with how far he'd come and how he'd established himself as a Hero hopeful to them, instead of some Villain lying in wait.

"Our apologies! Come on, everyone! Save your chitchat for later. We're clogging up the hallways." Tenya tried ushering them onward.

"I honestly can't believe how uncool some of you are." Hitoshi lamented.

"Oh hey, Brainwash." Denki grinned, using the name teasingly. "Haven't seen you since I-Island."

"Yeah. The peace was nice while it lasted."

Denki clutched the front of his blazer, face scrunching in a pained expression. "Ack, so feral!"

Hitomi bounded up to him, tail blurring. "Hitoshi, hey! I gotta show you my—" she paused, blinking at him. "…You're bigger."

She nonchalantly put a hand on his bicep, and squeezed, feeling the bulked up muscles.

While Hitoshi stiffened and flushed, a girl from his class gasped and ran up to them.

"Ohmygosh— This is the girl! Isn't it?!"

Hitomi turned to her, ear flicking when all she saw was a floating uniform. After a second, she realized it was actually a student— one with a mutation Quirk.

"Hagakure." Hitoshi growled in warning.

"I'm Tooru Hagakure!" The invisible girl thrusted a hand out, going by the movement of her sleeve.

Hitomi took it to shake, only overshooting slightly, which Hagakure quickly corrected.

"It's so great to finally meet you! You're known in our class as the girl Shinsou's gonna ma—"

A boy— one that Hitomi vaguely recognized as a friend of Hitoshi —darted over and slapped a hand over where Hagakure's mouth was, apparently, silencing her.

"Ignore her." The boy smiled awkwardly, his hair an acidic yellow, and made out of a slime instead of individual strands. He shot a look over at Hitoshi, hissing a low, "You owe me."

Hitoshi relaxed slightly, nodding in acknowledgement. "Thanks, Matsuda."

Matsuda smirked, but then recoiled from Hagakure, looking at his hand in disgust.

"Did you just lick my hand?!"

"Everyone, we'll be late if we don't hurry!" Tenya called again.

"Yeah, let's get moving." Kendou put her hands on her hips.

And no one was stupid enough to defy both of them.

…

The students from every class, in every department stood lined up outside. Except of course Katsuki and Izuku.

"Hi there! It's the adorable small mammal you all know and love, the principal!" Principal Nezu started off with his usual greeting. "You may notice the fur I'm so proud of has deteriorated in quality. I haven't been taking care of it."

Hitomi cocked her head, not the only one confused by the random topic.

"This is something that can happen to humans, too. Even if you eat a balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals, you won't have a mane of luscious locks unless you're getting lots of sleep. That's the secret. Disturbances in your normal resting patterns are terrible for your hair. So if you want to improve your fur's strength, make sure to get plenty of hours of rest. My own sleep cycle has been upset by the incidents that took place over summer vacation, which I'm sure everyone here knows about already."

Hitomi stiffened, aware of all the eyes now on her. Ones that were narrowed in accusation, or wide with pity.

She was suddenly glad Katsuki wasn't there, so he wouldn't receive the same looks.

"We lost a pillar of hope." Principal Nezu's voice went softer. "The ramifications of which have appeared faster than I could have ever imagined. And there will likely be even more chaos throughout our world in the near future. In particular, this will be most apparent to those of you studying in the Hero course. You must approach extracurricular activities, like the Hero work studies available to second and third years, with a greater sense of caution, and attentiveness than before. The air always feels heavier when we talk about gloomy subjects. But rest assured, you teachers are working hard to remove this weight from your shoulders. I'd like all of you to learn from their diligence, and remember that hard work will help you develop into capable Heroes. Whether Hero core, support, business, or general studies, I don't want any of you to forget that you're the ones who will inherit our society."

Vlad King approached the podium. "Well spoken. Thank you, Principal Nezu. Now we'll hear from the extra-curricular guidance teacher. Please give Mr. Hound Dog your attention."

He stepped back, and the canine-like Hero took the stand.

"…Yesterday…!" He started to growl, before erupting into a furious fit of barking, then he howled.

Hitomi's fur puffed up, and she took a deep breath.

Momo spotted it, and rushed to smack her hand over Hitomi's mouth, muffling the following howl she gave.

Vlad retook his position at the podium. "Alright… As you just heard, there were students fighting last night. I know you're not used to life in the dorms, but let's all be a little more respectful moving forward."

Momo sighed, letting the pinkette go. "Midoriya and Bakugou were doing well, but now they're being treated as problem children."

Hitomi frowned. "All they did was fight, just the two of them. And now everyone's butting in and making it a big deal."

Momo's brows furrowed. "Hitomi, they fought on school grounds, after curfew, without supervision."

Hitomi's ears flattened, and she felt ire deep in her chest.

No one understood. Not even she fully understood. How could she explain to anyone the subtle yet monumental change in the boys' scents, and what it meant? Something shifted the dynamic the night before, a tension easing ever so slightly. For as many rules as it broke, the fight was probably the best thing to happen to Katsuki and Izuku in the long run.

"That's it. Back to the classrooms, starting with the third years." Vlad King anticlimactically ended the presentation.

…

"Excuse me, but what is with this dust, Bakugou?"

"Deku was supposed to do that, shut up!"

Hitomi meandered past Katsuki, Sero, and Mineta, yawning and flopping on the couch with a huff.

"Hey, can't you even clean something right, you idiot!?"

"Ah, right! Sorry!"

Hitomi shifted, so her head hung off of the sofa. She watched upside down as Izuku gathered up garbage bags, and Katsuki very angrily cleaned up the dust.

"We're not allowed to help you, huh?"

Izuku stopped, giving her a wry smile. "No. Mr. Aizawa expressly forbade either of us from letting you clean too."

Hitomi pouted. "Why just me?"

Denki snorted. "You're the only one whipped enough to share a punishment."

"Seriously. You're so doting it's gross." Mina teased.

Hitomi frowned, sitting upright. "But, friends help each other."

Katsuki paused, sending her a dull look over his shoulder. "You need help with your math homework, don't you?"

Hitomi slumped defeatedly.

"I dunno how you can struggle with that, but then ace English!" Denki cried in outrage.

"It's the only subject I'm good at. I grew up speaking it along with Japanese and Italian." She shrugged.

"What?! Three languages?! You're supposed to be dumb! That's your main character trait!" Denki only became more distraught.

"I think you were the only one who understood any of what Present Mic was trying to teach us today." Eijirou bemoaned to her.

"Oh!" Mina rounded on her as well. "And what the heck is your deal with Mr. Aizawa's announcement?! You weren't surprised or confused at all? Did you know about this?!"

"Hm? About work studies? Yeah."

Mina sputtered.

Hitomi shrugged again. "Mama and Papa were under the radar until their third year work study. They told me all about them, sorta as bedtime stories."

"I'm really starting to hate you." Ojirou deadpanned.

Kyoka crossed her arms. "I wasn't scouted, so I wonder if I'll get to participate in one."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Hitomi chirped, leaning over the back of the couch. "The way it works is—"

For the second time today, her mouth was covered. But this time by Tenya.

"In just one day, I've been completely left behind." He made his voice higher in an imitation of Izuku, then narrowed his eyes and spoke normally. "That's what you're thinking, right, House-Arrest?"

"Hey, don't call me that, it's mean!" Izuku protested. "Um, Iida… what is a work study?"

"Something we can't tell you about." Tenya firmly stated, still keeping Hitomi silent. "The teachers have forbidden us from giving you any details about our classes. Sorry, but you'll just have to experience the same shock and surprise we went through." He turned to look at the fuming blonde. "Did you catch that, Bakugou?"

"Shut your mouth! I heard you, Four-eyes!"

…

On the second day back, Hitomi skipped along after her friends on their way to the school building, until she stopped in her tracks and patted herself down.

Shoot.

"Hey, I'll catch up, I gotta go grab my phone!"

Momo paused, arching a brow. "I told you not to forget it after you plugged it in earlier."

Hitomi giggled sheepishly, then spun on her heel, racing back to the dorms.

If she hurried, she'd hopefully make it back to class in time. She really didn't want a tardy so quick in the semester.

Reaching Heights Alliance, she threw the doors open, and—

—Saw Katsuki and Izuku running at her.

"Ah! Saito! Close the door, close the door, close the door—"

Startled by Izuku's panicked order, Hitomi slammed her back into the doors, shutting them with a loud bang.

"Wha— is that Yuwei?!"

Sure enough, Kouji's white rabbit, Yuwei, was being pursued by the two boys. When he saw Hitomi blocking the door, he turned and shot off to the left.

"I'm gonna kill this fucking rabbit!" Katsuki, clearly fed up with however long the chase was going on, blasted himself forward, propelled by his Quirk.

"Stop!" Both Hitomi and Izuku screamed, sprinting after him.

"Rabbits can die of fright, Kachan!"

"Your Quirk's gonna scare him!"

Yuwei, spooked by the explosions, stopped dead in his tracks, going stiff.

The three teens immediately assumed the worst.

"Ah! You killed him!" Izuku gripped his hair in horror.

For what it was worth, Katsuki did look suitably shocked.

Hitomi danced in place anxiously, waving her hands helplessly. "Oh God, oh God— what do we tell Kouji?!"

Katsuki twitched, whipping his head around to scowl at the pinkette. "Since when is he Kouj—"

Yuwei barreled off down the hall, gone in a flash.

They stared, then leapt into action.

"How'd he even get out?!" Hitomi led the charge, barreling down the hallways and up the stairs after the surprisingly swift rabbit.

"I don't know! We turned around and he was just there!" Izuku shouted, still reeling from the shock of it all.

Soon she was gaining on Yuwei, and took a chance by diving for him.

Yuwei smartly darted to the right, dodging her and doubling back the opposite way.

Hitomi grunted, wheezing after hitting the floor roughly. Her chin stung with carpet burn, and she scrambled to get up.

Katsuki and Izuku were both running too fast to slow down in time, helplessly watching Yuwei shoot past them the way they came.

"I'm gonna blow up this damned rabbit!" Katsuki roared, his pride obviously wounded at being bested by a bunny.

"No!"

"Kachan, you can't hurt him!"

Katsuki snarled. "Says who—"

"If you do anything to Yuwei, I'll cry!" Hitomi glared fiercely.

Katsuki faltered, then groaned loudly. "Fuckin— Whatever! I wasn't actually gonna hurt him, anyway!"

"We should set up a trap." Izuku suggested, fist to his mouth in thought. "It can't be anything that might cause Yuwei harm, so maybe…"

"Ooh!" Hitomi raised her hand as if in class. "I know! Yuwei loves bananas! We can cut one up and—"

Katsuki stiffened, suddenly rounding on her. "Wait, shouldn't you be in class?!"

Hitomi blinked, dropping her hand. "…Oh yeah."

"Kachan and I can handle this, you should head back." Izuku frowned in concern.

Hitomi shook her head. "No, I'm already late anyway. Besides, Yuwei likes me more than you two. We'll have a better chance with me here."

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "Whatever, let's just hurry this up!"

"I'll go set up the trap!" Izuku ran to the elevator, heading for the first floor.

Katsuki turned to her. "Can you sniff it out?"

Hitomi gave a hand-waver. "It'd be easier to listen for him. There's too many smells here."

Without needing to be told, Katsuki fell silent, following her on light feet as she went down the hall with her ears rotating attentively.

But it was pointless to search so keenly, as they came upon the only place Yuwei could have ran into— a dorm with its door ajar.

"Ah, found him." Hitomi sheepishly scratched her head, cheeks flushing.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, scowling briefly once seeing just who's dorm it was. With a harsh sigh, he stomped forward to retrieve the bunny.

Hitomi moved to follow, but suddenly had a finger pointed in her face.

Katsuki glared sternly, eyes narrowed seriously. "Stay."

Unsure as to why Katsuki would care about whether or not she entered Mineta's room, Hitomi chose to stay back. It was probably for the best. God knows what kind of noxious fumes were contained inside.

Hopefully Yuwei wouldn't keel over just from the teenage-boy smell.

…That was an unfair generalization. Mineta was really the only boy in the class who had an unpleasant scent. While Katsuki's was downright wonderful—

There was a crash, and a white blur shot out from the room.

"Shit!"

"Yuwei!" Hitomi gave chase, not waiting for Katsuki. "Please, let's talk about this!"

Then, Yuwei stopped in his tracks for half a second, before changing course and charging for the first floor.

Hitomi bit back a cheer, noticing the smell of bananas once she got closer to the common area.

In the middle of the floor, was a plate of banana slices, and Yuwei b-lined straight for it.

Izuku was crouched on the island counter, holding up a laundry basket. His body lit with green sparks, and he lunged.

Rather anticlimactically, he covered Yuwei with the basket, trapping him at last.

Katsuki came blasting into the room.

"Where's that fuck—"

Yuwei looked up, blinking blankly at him through the slots in the basket.

Katsuki deflated, crossing his arms with a huff.

"'Bout time, nerd. How long's it take you to peel a damned banana?!"

Izuku pouted. "I had to find a laundry basket too!"

Katsuki clicked his tongue, then glowered at Hitomi.

"We caught him, now beat it."

She jumped. "Ah, right! Class! Later guys!"

With a quick wave to Yuwei, she ran for the doors, racing to make it to class before Mr. Aizawa decided to punish her for skipping.

(In her haste she completely forgot about her phone, again.)

…

Saito was gone in a blink, dashing out the door with her hair whipping behind her.

With any luck Mr. Aizawa would go easy on her.

"Alright you monster, let's go." Katsuki smirked victoriously at the rabbit, waiting for Deku's signal to lift the basket.

Before it could go running off again, Deku snatched it up, holding it close to his chest.

"Fucking finally." Katsuki grumbled, tossing aside the basket carelessly.

There was a sharp inhale. "Kachan."

"Tch, what?" Katsuki snapped, glaring at him.

But Deku was staring at his hand. His left hand. "Where'd those scars come from?"

Katsuki tensed, instinctively looking down at the four healed scars marring his palm.

Deku frowned worriedly. "Your Quirk— do they cause any problems when you use it?"

Katsuki scoffed, shoving his hand into his pocket, out of sight. "As if I'd let some tiny scratches slow me down!"

Deku's brows furrowed seriously. "So they do bother you. How'd this happen?"

It was obvious what he meant. How could Katsuki hurt one of his hands— the linchpin of using his Quirk? If something severe happened to his hands, his hopes of being a Hero would be stomped into dust.

So why didn't he seem more bothered about damage on his left?

Well, Katsuki had tried. In the aftermath of Kamino, when he was back home and recuperating, he had tried to be angry at Saito for it. At that point he hadn't been sure if they would cause any problems for his Quirk, but even then it was futile to be upset with her.

They had both reached out to each other. It was as much his own fault as hers.

Saito was anything but callous. If she found out she was the one who gave him the scars, she would likely feel disproportionately guilty for it, for god-knows how long.

So he kept quiet. There was no real point in telling her now.

"Drop it."

Deku blinked, mouth opening, then pursing shut. He sighed through his nose, knowing this was a losing battle.

"Fine."

While not an official member of the "Purity Protection Squad", Katsuki 1000% kept Hitomi out of Mineta's room so she wouldn't see anything lewd, or god forbid smell any traces of… stuff.

(And the crash that startled Yuwei out of the room was definitely Katsuki knocking shit over on purpose. He still hasn't forgotten that "chubby thighs" comment)