The Ultra Academy cultural festivities had been held on the last Friday of October. Hyori had been busy mounting the installations with her classmates while checking her phone at every stop. At some point, her classmates had asked her if she was expecting a text from her 'girlfriend' or her 'boss'. She had reluctantly answered her little sister would come and she was waiting for her text. She thought her sister had arrived when a classmate told her people wanted to see her. She had been able to leave the attraction since her role wasn't very important for the experience.
Among the school's apprentices and other teens, two of her former middle school classmates had stopped by her class jumpscare house and wanted to talk with her. Hanabi and Kiku. A tall boy who had partaken in harassing her and a petite brunette girl who stood by her side. She sensed Hanabi was the initiator of the trip and Kiku followed because of his guilt. They had assumed she was a relative of Shinsou Hyori when they watched the Ultra Academy sports festival and Hanabi had jumped on the occasion to encounter.
The conversation had been awkward and curt with Hyori's half-hearted participation. She still addressed Hanabi's concerns and told her her cousin had left Kamakura and had been put on distance schooling following the bullying. She had stressed it was useless to try to contact her as her cousin had been recluse since the events. The teens had remained forbidden and been stunned by the revelation. Hyori left them on what she hoped was a high note by stating her cousin was still alive and thanked Hanabi for her help. She added that 'Hyori' would eventually heal from the trauma before addressing her farewell. She sensed it hadn't done much to their morale but at least, they had been comforted the worst hadn't happened.
Hyori's classmates had been excited to meet Megumi who only arrived the late afternoon. They had fawned over the petite girl who wore a light blue Kimono dress with her orange-caramel clumped curls falling in curtains past her shoulders. The girl had been slightly disappointed she hadn't been able to see any hero, especially her favourites who taught and studied in the school. Hyori had walked with her to different booths and purchased souvenirs before they headed to Tokyo.
During her visit, the Vice President of the commission had informed her Mother had been suspected in a mass suicide case that occurred almost seventeen years ago in Kyoto. Dozen of boys had ended their lives and the families all stated they had been heartbroken over Shinsou Hina's refusal to date them. The recordings were unusually undetailed and the court's decision to rule out any accusation had been prompt, if not rushed. Yet, there hadn't been anything solid against the then-teen girl.
The pension manager might have intel that would re-open the case but it was unlikely to amount to anything as long as her Mother remained under the Emperor's protection. Regarding the threat her activities would be disclosed, Mister Mera assured the commission would help prevent any media coverage and the internet would eventually forget if there wasn't any media attention to amplify the phenomenon.
The following week, Hyori received a visit from the number one hero. The fresh scar on his face made him even more recognisable. He must have been discharged from the hospital a few hours ago. The man was mentally exhausted beyond his recovery and she assumed he had personal issues going on. She wouldn't pry and never did. She would do her best to lift the weight of his worries while engaging the least.
"Can we have dinner beforehand?" Requested the man.
Knowing where it was heading, she agreed and let him order sushi platters for them. She had lived the situation enough to recognise when she was used as a replacement for whatever her visitors didn't get home. She knew the man was married and had children, one of them attended her college-preparation school. He should have already had dinner at home. Confirming her suspicions, the redhead had handed her a one million yen Gotemba-mall voucher in exchange for staying the whole night.
When they headed into the bedroom after dinner, he had requested to remain conscious instead of blacking out like she usually had him. He took his sweet time exhausting himself before Hyori held him above her heartbeat until four in the morning. Upon parting, the man had requested a 'goodbye' kiss and she knew he was hooked on whatever relationship he thought they were having.
On Thursday, she stopped by the Support Department for the last version of the artificial vocal cords and the requested prototype of the ribbons. The vocal cords worked fairly well even if the device had been heavier than the prototype. She hoped to upgrade with lighter materials or a slimmer design. The sticks of the gymnastics ribbons had been moulded in a metallic material that would stick to magnetic gloves. She had tried frontal spirals and they drew just fine. The only downside was how the magnets prevented her from switching hands by throwing the stick.
"I'll note your feedback and work on it once I've completed the work in progress." Replied Mei to Hyori's appreciation of the ribbons.
The pink-haired inventor had been hectic about the modifications the heroic apprentices had requested for their upcoming end-of-semester examinations. She couldn't add any modification to the ribbons at the moment but noted to experiment with a hooked stick instead of a magnetic one. The modification wouldn't be ready before the next semester, though. Agreeing to meet again next January, Hyori thanked Mei and exited the Support Department area.
The final version of the artificial vocal cords was ready just in time for the joint training evaluation scheduled at the end of the month. She had been elated to hear the college-preparation school board considered her transfer into the heroic classes and offered her a chance to prove herself. She was eager even though she doubted her abilities to perform on par with the heroic apprentices. Still, it was now or never and she would give the best of her.
Days unfolded and the eve of the joint training finally came. On the last Thursday of November, she received a text from an unknown number in the morning. The heroic student she chatted with had asked if they 'could meet'. Hyori replied 'Sure, in the infirmary area during lunch break'. She wanted to be the closest to her changing point and the area would be the fittest to use her quirk. She rushed out of her classroom to change and inform the nurse of her plan. The area was vacant at the moment and the elderly woman agreed.
The blond boy arrived at a quarter past noon and Hyori guided him to a bed with curtains.
"Are you often in the infirmary?" She enquired.
"No. I'm not lame like that." Replied the blond apprentice.
"Great. You just lay there and I'll work my magic on you." Announced the teen girl.
"That's all? It sounds quacky." Nagged the teen boy.
"The most effective way would be to re-enact what happened but we can't fake kidnap you here. Right now, making you sleep in an unfamiliar environment is the closest reconstruction." Elaborated the girl.
The boy considered her statement and she sensed resignation from him. He laid as instructed and was about to cover himself when she halted his movement.
"Don't cover yourself. The least comfortable would be the better."
He was exasperated but complied nonetheless.
"Are you good?" Asked Hyori.
"Just do it already." Requested the other teen.
She disconnected his frontal cortex and focused on his thalamus to create a sense of serenity. She made sure his breath and heartbeat remained even in the unfamiliar bed to take him past the stage where uncertainty triggered a disproportionate response from his nervous system. She held him for the whole lunch break and he had remained serene after she lifted her quirk from his mind. Hyori hoped to be as composed as the heroic apprentice during the joint training and not face the boy she had helped. The encounter would be bizarre even if he wouldn't recognise her.
Hyori was mentally floating on a cloud after hearing the magical words. She would transfer into the hero course next semester and couldn't wait to share the news with Megumi. After cleaning herself in the infirmary bathroom, she hastily glanced at the pupils lying on the infirmary beds when she rushed out of the area. She had witnessed their fights and how they escalated to the point some of them needed medical aid. She needed to work on a better strategy to prevent those escalations in real situations.
She might have needed some medical assistance if the green-haired boy had been any rougher when he pinned her down. Her first match had been mitigated but the second went out of hand when Midoriya lost control of his quirk. Surprised by his friend's request to brainwash the agitated teen, Hyori secured the bubbling mind under her quirk's cover to soothe his nerves. Feeling the effervescent state of the boy's mind, she remembered where she felt a similar feeling. It was similar to how 'Professor's mind had been strained by the disturbances in his mind when he first visited her. She wondered if it was a common trait of people with multiple quirks or a mutation on itself. Again, Midoriya had woken up from her quirk and won the match.
Not being a heroic apprentice yet, she had to hand the artificial vocal cords and the binding cloth to the heroic teacher. She found the man in the teachers' lounge and put the equipment case beside the couch he was sitting on. She was about to leave when she felt the urge to receive an answer to a question that had haunted her for the past five months.
"I'm grateful for everything you did for me but why?"
Black eyes met her lavender ones before the man answered. "I guess I saw myself in you during the sports festival."
Memories of her first match against Midoriya flashed before her eyes. It was the only moment she had been noticeable. Yet, that hadn't been her true self at the moment. She had reflected the boy against her even if she related to him at some point. She felt uneasy that the chance she had been handed was based on a misconception. It was a good thing the kid had been a heroic pupil from the start or she might have stolen someone else's opportunity.
"I know I look like a homeless man but you don't need to be gloomy at the thought that we might be alike."
Hyori sensed the man was trying to humour her and she adorned an easy smile to distract the man from the awareness that his joke fell flat.
"I could never. Good evening, Mister Aizawa." Said the teen before exiting the room and taking the route to Tokyo.
On Saturday, Hyori celebrated her transfer with Megumi in a cat cafe. They had grown accustomed to the environment and so did the cats of the establishment. They planned to spend the winter break together as Megumi's training under the commission had started. Hyori wasn't privy to the sessions and hoped to get intel if she spent more time with Megumi.