Hyori arrived at her class dormitory twenty minutes before one in the afternoon. She was greeted by a post-it note on the door stating her classmates were spending the morning at the Gotemba Shopping Centre. They would go straight to the pool area of the Alpha gym grounds, the heroic course's sports facilities, at four in the afternoon. She headed into her bedroom to empty her changing bag.
Afterwards, she had a cool meal from the fridge before heading towards the academy's library. She chose a seat in the middle of the room, far enough from the sun rays piercing through the windows. This time around, she hadn't been the only one in the area. After what seemed to be an hour, she spotted a duo of blonde haired pupils in the corner of her sight. A boy and a horned girl entered the area and their blue eyes met her lilac ones.
She recognised the boy as one of her partners in class B during last year's joint training. He looked a lot less maniac in civilian clothing than the last she saw him. He was wearing khaki shorts with a white blouse and the two upper buttons were unmade. Even if his shoes and watch hadn't given him away, the suave and lingering scent of his perfume screamed refined when the duo sat at the table she was.
She didn't recognise the girl even if she assumed she was a 2B pupil. Her long blond hair was tied in a loose and high ponytail. She was wearing a high rise denim skirt and a cropped denim top with the two upper buttons opened. Her doe eyes were wandering in an attempt not to stare. The taller girl thought she was cute with her small and diamond-shaped face complemented by her petite silhouette. She looked like a human deer in all of its candid delicacy.
"My! What happened to you in the wicked's den? I almost didn't recognise you, Shinsou." Addressed the boy, Monoma, once they reached her level.
Assuming she wouldn't meet anyone inside the library during the holidays, she hadn't tied her hair and simply pulled it backwards.
"Good afternoon." Greeted Hyori.
"Hello." Replied the girl. "I'm Pony."
"Nice to meet you, Pony."
The boy had a comic book in his hand while the girl had a crossword book in her hands.
"I was looking forward to your performance during the sports' festivals." Added the boy.
Hyori didn't answer his hidden question. She didn't like interrogations and the boy wasn't entitled to details about her happenings. The trio fell in silence, focused on their respective books, until the boy's voice broke the silence with his laughter. A genuine laughter. The girl by his side enquired and the boy translated what seemed to be a wordplay since the girl didn't find his explanation funny.
Not wanting to linger around, Hyori closed her book and stood from the chair. The library was enjoyable so long as she was alone there. With all the free seats in the area, the newcomers chose to sit at the same table she was. She thought they had wanted to tell her something specific, judging by their anticipation. In the end, it seemed they were simply surprised that she was there. Leaving was the less awkward move.
"Wait." Addressed the boy. "I suppose internship hunting is tricky since no one saw you during the sport's festival. I mean, the class 2A as a whole had made quite the impression but you are a newcomer."
"What do you want to know?" Enquired Hyori with a defensive tone.
Pony's eyes were shifting between the standing girl and the sitting boy. The simple question Hyori asked had shut the blond boy's mouth. Unless it was her annoyed glare coming from her lavender irises half-covered by her heavy lids. She had been told it could feel intimidating by former classmates, as her feline eyes looked piercing from her high stature.
Since the boy didn't answer after a couple of seconds, she turned to walk out.
"I was just trying to check on you." He was looking at the side. "You have been nowhere to be seen since the joint training. I was starting to think you gave up after the crisis or that something happened."
Hyori sensed the boy was honest and was nervously waiting for a response. She had been unnecessarily defensive again.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern. I was onto something else during the last sports festival. And to answer your first question, my internship will start in two weeks."
"Did you already know what branch you are aiming for?" Asked Monoma further.
"I will intern as a support hero and won't be patrolling much." Replied Hyori.
A disappointed yet resigned look took over the boy's eyes when he replied. "Just like me, then."
The conversation was as awkward as it could be and Hyori knew it wasn't her place to console the boy for whatever grieving he was going through.
"Good afternoon, Pony, Monoma." Saluted Hyori before leaving the area.
She walked back to her room inside her class's dormitory to change into her swimming outfit. As she looked at her reflection, she noticed the covering outfit was too close to her skin to dampen her curves. Her bumpy chest was too noticeable under the stretchy fabric. She removed the outfit and put on one of the binder she used under her summer hero costume. The piece was more effective than a minimiser when she couldn't layer or wear ample garments.
The final result was satisfying even if she looked like a skinny fat boy. Her arms were bigger than the girls' arms even given her height. Yet, they weren't as defined as the boys's. It was the same for her thighs. Movements could be seen when she walked and she suspected a few people wouldn't fall for her trick, especially if they saw her soft stomach with the pooch.
Still, her clothing was more of a comforter than anything. She styled her hair into a man bun, showing her forehead. Then, she completed her look with a cap. She couldn't stop thinking about the retro styled swimsuits she had seen earlier in the morning. She could have taken one at least for her personal viewing.
She could imagine the thin straps meeting behind her neck and highlighting her lush chest cupped by the corset-like swimsuit. The fabric would stretch across her waist lines. The bottom of the single piece would hug the top of her thighs, covering her hips and bringing attention to her inner thighs. A few weeks ahead, near the end of her cycle, the mere sight of her fantasy would have her flower demanding and sensitive.
Not being there yet, Hyori easily discarded her reverie and put slippers on before walking towards the alpha gym ground with her changing bag. Arriving early and already changed would save her from the awkward moment she would have to rush towards the infirmary or the painful moment she would sneak her way into the girl's changing room. She was eager to witness the pool activities.
Her classmates weren't already there when she arrived. She sat on the first row of bleachers and hurried to order the specific retro swimsuit she had in mind, using one of her birthday gifts. She was tempted to download again the social media applications she had uninstalled during her recovery, at least to pass time while she waited for her classmates to arrive. In the end, she decided not to and opened the red video browser instead. A few keywords later and she was watching videos of dancing cats.
The girls were the first of her classmates to arrive. They had changed into the school's provided swimsuits. They were carrying their changing bag and the pink haired girl carried a pocket sound system. She had greeted them from afar while they were walking towards her.
"The rest of the class will arrive later. We left them at the skatepark." Announced Momo, the second class president, her long black hair secured in a bun.
They collectively left their bags on the bleachers and picked a dancing playlist on an ear jack girl's phone.
"Do you want to join our stretching session?" Invited Asui.
"Of course." Replied Hyori as she stood from the bleacher and lined with the others.
After stretching, they entered the pool and Hyori sat on the edge, her feet playing with the water. Asui was obviously in her element and had easily won at Marco Polo. After a few rounds, the girls were more lounging in the water than anything, floating on foam fries and talking among themselves. Watching them play had been entertaining, though.
"Could you give us your phone number?" Enquired the second class representative, as if she only remembered to ask. "We tried to text you but no one had your contact. We left you a note but it would be easier to text you. We might as well add you in the class chat."
"And in the girls chat!" Added Ashido Mina, the pink haired girl.
Surprise overtook Hyori when she heard her classmate. Uneasy, she walked towards the bleachers to type her phone number in the unlocked phone that served as the disc jockey. She made her phone ring for good measure.
"How long have you known?" Asked the taken aback girl.
Her classmates looked among themselves, dreading answering.
"Well…" Started Uraraka. "Your legs don't really lie, right now. It was pretty obvious when you stretched with us."
"I'm not mad." Said Hyori in an attempt to lift the mood. "I'm just dumbfounded."
"Now that we know, you can get into an ordinary swimsuit?" Wondered out loud Ashido.
"I didn't take the school bathing suit and left my other swimsuits in my room." Replied Hyori.
"Maybe take the shorts and pants off?" Pressed Ashido.
"Why?" Countered Hyori.
The girls looked at each other before Momo clarified their stance.
"We don't understand why you hide yourself so much. There is too much mystery around you, starting with your lifestyle and now your appearance. It's hard to trust you when everything turns out deceiving. We only want to see your real self and I can tell it's not what you currently look like or else you wouldn't have different kinds of swimsuits in your room."
Hyori couldn't counter Momo's arguments. She took a breath and reluctantly removed her shorts and pants. Since her classmates were in for a show, she also undid her man bun and removed her binder, leaving the dress and panties on.
"Are you satisfied?" Taunted the upset girl.
"It's not like that." Said Momo who picked on her stunt. "You seem to have been hiding for years. We assume you have reasons and thought we could be a safe place for you to uncover."
Hyori sensed their earnestness and felt their guilt. Sometimes, she hated being able to sense others emotions because she felt the ability invalidated her own.
"Thank you for your concern." Said Hyori after a minute of silent consideration.
She sat back at the edge of the pool and the other girls resumed their rest of the class arrived soon after with a blond haired boy she didn't remember. He had blue eyes and a long face contoured by a fringe on his left side.
"It's Aoyama, our former classmate. Do you remember? He was at the joint training. We are still in touch so he's still part of our outings. I was sure we mentioned he would be there." Elaborated Momo.
"I guess I forgot." Replied Hyori.
When the former heroic pupil arrived at their level with the newcomers, he might as well have seen a ghost. She sensed a disproportionate feeling of doom oozing from Aoyama. It looked like her sight had triggered a traumatic response in the boy's mind.
The rest of the class wisely prevented from making any comments and the most eager ones jumped in the pool. Everyone had worn the school provided swimsuit and dived beside Hyori who had remained glued on her spot. Aoyama, the former heroic hopeful who had resigned during the crisis, made efforts not to look at her even though he couldn't help himself. Each time, his eyes had been charged with incredulity.
The boys had played water polo and the closure time soon arrived at six in the afternoon. She suspected the activity had been more of an opportunity for the girls to confront her than anything else. While her classmates walked into the changing area, Aoyama had lagged behind until they were alone. Then, he turned around to question Hyori.
"Are you, maybe, Haze?"
The day was definitely full of surprises for her. She didn't answer and simply eyed the boy. The latter retrieved his phone from his bag and browsed it until he showed her a picture. On his phone were her updated profile picture and the pictures the pension's manager had published on her hosting account. The shots were candid and hinting at her musical skills.
"To think you were right under my nose for so long and I didn't recognise you." Mourned the boy.
"How did you get those pictures?" Enquired Hyori, feeling agitated.
"Professor gave them to me. He tasked me to find you at school." Confessed the boy.
"You worked for him?!"
"I had to cooperate. Your enrolment in the academy had forced him to change his plans since he couldn't launch indiscriminate attacks anymore. I had to spy on my former class and look for you to have his underlings abduct you." He marked a short pause before adding. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's not like it could change anything and Professor isn't anymore. I guess I just wanted to approach the root of my personal drama."
Hyori sensed conflicting feelings inside the boy. He saw her as the reason he had been forced to work with the evil but also knew he would have to regardless of her involvement.
"Are you related to him?" Asked the boy.
"Not by blood. But he used to be a kind of Grandparent to me." Replied Hyori, omitting the carnal details of the relationship.
They silently walked out of the area even, their thoughts louder than ever in their heads.