Weeks have passed since the pool activity. Hyori had muted the class's group chat that she only looked once a day to check for important information. The girls' group chat was less active, mainly used to plan activities among themselves. The idea of a girl's night inside her room had been evoked. They thought it would be an occasion to share their internship experiences, especially since it was Hyori's first internship. Her first weeks of internship had just ended and her Father drove her back to Hakone on Sunday morning.
She had been granted a cubicle inside the commission's accommodations for the duration of her internship. Her first days had been mundane. She had repeatedly been requested by Uwabami to pose as an eye candy and ease arrests. Their modus operandi was to have Hyori catch the attention of a target, and entice them into lowering their guard. Once they were hazed or brainwashed, she would lead them into a secluded place where an ambush awaited them.
Unlike her classmates who captured battle-oriented villains, Hyori helped subdue white-colar criminals and traffickers. Her most notable operation had been passing as a college drop-out to enter an online cult. Catching the attention of the guru had been rather easy since he personally interviewed all the aspiring members and had been eager to witness her sweet voice' quirk. The most difficult part had been to make him leave the barricaded fortification where he had been hiding since being officially searched by the police.
The law enforcers suspected the man to use his 'intrusive thoughts' quirk to keep his adepts under influence. He was able to project images and sensations into the minds of people in a ten metres radius. The ability had allowed him to subdue people in a fragile situation and gradually build a cult around his persona.
The cult operated by having their aspiring members register on their web application with their identity, bank statements and a picture. A fake identity and documents had been forged by the commission. The cult's agents had successfully been fooled and the guru had granted her an interview. Knowing the most advantageous setting for her quirk, she had requested to be interviewed at dawn after her 'retail job'.
The day of the interview, disguised under a brown wig and a realistic face mask, she had headed towards the cult's fortified headquarters where hundreds of people already lived in less than modest conditions after giving away their life savings to the 'cause'. From the police reports, the adepts accomplished whatever tasks they were given and it looked like the guru was building a mediaeval-styled castle with a magnificent garden and a huge farm. She had a grim idea of what would happen to the adepts once the construction ended.
Since innocent people were living behind the fortified place, the law enforcers couldn't raid it to capture the guru who was using them as a shield and could even command them to attack the heroes. With the public's distrust still ongoing, the commission privileged 'soft methods', or at least discret operations, when possible. Hyori's mission was to brainwash the guru into leaving the fortifications.
The guarded walk towards the man's office had been stressful as she was alone in the wolf's den. The sight of the firearms in the two guards' arms hinted they were involved in arms traffic. She had brainwashed the man as soon as they had been left alone, not wanting to leave him a chance to project intrusive thoughts in her head. Due to the armed guard protecting him, she couldn't order the man to simply walk outside or make him trail behind her clearly under her influence.
Hyori had made the guru use his quirk on his guards to jumpscare them. Once shocked, they had easily been brainwashed into entering the office and sitting still while she exited the room and locked the door behind her. The fight against the man's attempt to overrule her control gave her headaches and she was glad her quirk's hold had been trained in the pension and challenged at the academy. The influenced inhabitants of the fortified ground had already retired for the night and Hyori hadn't encountered anyone on her way out.
Remembering the fortified door was guarded by a duo she suspected of being armed as well, she was tempted to break the seal of the stinky bomb hidden under her wig. That way, the snakes on Uwabami's head would perceive her distress signal and alert the heroes. Instead, she whistled to daze the guards. The trick only worked during the night when people's vigilance was at its lowest. Once dazed, she brainwashed them into opening the gates. The police and her mentor for the day were already waiting outside, along with Gang Orca, his sidekicks and Midnight who lead the operation.
When the villain had been cuffed, she felt a sense of accomplishment and the stress washed out of her system. She had kept her disguise until she parted from the heroes, having been visited by the chimaera a couple of times in the pension. She didn't remember most of her few-times visitors but hadn't forgotten the oppressive large hands that held her in place, the shower antics or how exerting domination excited the male hero. Following the guru's capture, she started receiving requests for hostage rescues and interventions for domestic violence cases which had been on the rise but left on the sideline of hero work.
Her mentee activities aside, the time spent in the commission's accommodations had warmed her relationship with Megumi. They weren't back to normal yet but were on speaking terms. She avoided going to Mister Yoroi's dojo with Touya since the elderly hero was wary of having her around his two special martial practitioners. Moreover, Kiku couldn't practise with the two at the same time.
On the last Sunday morning of July, Hyori's Father drove her back to Hakone after a stop by Kamakura. He had purchased skincare packs with her, wanting to see the establishment she frequented. Telling him it was the place she met Mister Yotsubashi hadn't been an easy conversation. It was the first time she had put words, in front of her Father, on what she had been up to in the pension.
The man had remained forbidden during her confession. Anger and resignation were swirling in his mind. His eyes were strained on the road and his hands gripped the wheel more than necessary as he slowed the car. He hadn't made any comments regarding what happened or why her Mother would put her in that place. He hadn't questioned her either. After a deep breath, he thanked her for her trust and reminded her to always come to him first if she needed anything or had any issue. When they arrived in front of the academy's side entrance, he surveyed as she entered the academy's grounds.
Hyori entered her class's dormitory a little after three in the afternoon. The building was mostly empty at this time save for her home-stuck peers. Uraraka would normally be studying in her room, Kouda was probably in his room catering to his pets, Tokoyami would usually rest during the day and Mineta was always inside his room when he could. She walked into her bedroom to put her luggage away and arrange her bedroom for the evening. She hadn't much furniture in her room and thought the evening would be better inside her apartment in Tokyo.
She brought cocooning packets from the hotel in Kamakura, cotton-scented candles and wool-covered meditation cushions from her studio. She carried a jar of mini dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate cookies, baked by her domestic robot. The treats should allow them to bypass the rule prohibiting eating in the bedrooms. They were dry snacks, afterall. The cushions had taken most of the place in her extra suitcase even if they had been lightweight and easy to carry. She put them on the velvet maroon carpet littering her room's floor.
It was four in the afternoon when she was done decorating her bedroom. She would retrieve flavoured milk from the kitchen at seven in the afternoon before welcoming her guests. She planned to wait for an hour before heading downstairs to collect the milk bottles. Yet, her wait was interrupted by knocking on her door. Opening it, she found Uraraka on the other side, already in her pyjamas. The girl was now her second classmate to have seen her bedroom.
"I was wondering if you wanted some help setting up your bedroom." Announced the girl after they greeted.
"Setting up was quick since I don't have a lot of furniture here." Replied Hyori as she stepped on the side to let the girl see. "I will bring some flavoured milk bottles from the kitchen in a dozen minutes."
"I see. It looks cosy." Commented the shorter girl. "I can help you with the bottles. It would be a piece of cake if they were floating in our arms."
"Thank you. I will put on my pyjamas first. You can wait inside." Replied Hyori.
Uraraka sat on a cushion while Hyori put her pyjamas inside her bedroom. She hadn't done anything after the spa and beauty salon, besides sitting inside her Father's sports car and arranging her bedroom. She didn't see the need for a shower before wearing a pyjama ensemble. She still changed her panties and minimiser. She might be out of the closet but wasn't willing to be completely seen already. She added a sleeping Kimono vest on top of her pyjamas and exited the room with her classmate.
The duo headed downstairs towards the kitchen. Half of their classmates were spread between the salon and the dining table. While the girls would be upstairs for a girls' night, the Sunday movie session would de facto be a boys' night. The class representative was already setting the television with Kirishima, a red-headed boy adorning a spiky hairstyle and shark teeth.
As they passed by the salon to head back inside the bedroom, they were admonished by the class president who yelled "No eating in the rooms!" at them. Uraraka countered that "these are just drinks" before they all but speed-walked upstairs. They put the bottles on a platter between the cushions and Hyori added the cookie jar on it. They didn't wait for long before the other girls arrived.
They were also in their pyjamas, some in ensembles and others in dresses. They appreciated the comfortable cushions and scented candles. Jirou, a petite girl with short deep purple hair, had put on music while Hagakure, the invisible girl, presented the games she had brought. There was a hero-themed mime card game and a game of small horses.
They had started with the activity Hyori had planned for, namely cocooning. They each had a pack containing one-time-use sacks of face cleanser, lip balm and moisturiser. They also had two cotton disks, a beauty face mask and an anti-fatigue mask they could save for later. Ashido had been the most enthusiastic one. Her quirk rendered her skin dry and itchy, forcing her to follow a strict skin care routine. She had loved the soothing sensations of the mask and balms. The girls chatted during the routine and congratulated Hyori for her internship.
"You worked with Uwabami? I interned with her last year but hadn't witnessed much action." Commented Momo. "It's a good thing you found an internship and are active."
"When did you pass the provisional licence exam?" Asked Asui.
"I didn't. The Hero Commission's Vice President delivers me a special authorisation for each case. I'm not interning with a specific hero. The Vice President is my legal mentor and assigns me missions." Explained Hyori.
"Really? Who have you worked with so far?" Asked Uraraka.
"Uwabami for arrests, Centipeder for domestic violence interventions and hostage rescues and I once worked with Midnight." Answered Hyori.
While they waited for the products to work, they played the small horses game and Momo had won every single round. Hyori's phone alarm rang at the end of the mask's pose and the girls cleaned themselves one after the other, using spare towels.
"My skin looks magnificent! ! I think it has never been this smooth! Is that the secret of your flawless skin?! I noticed you are soft like velvet and glow like a Kpop music video." Commented Ashido. "Where did you find these?"
"Thank you. You can find them online." Replied Hyori. Then, she pointed at the still closed pack. "These ones cure any signs of fatigue. I use them when I don't sleep at night. They are pricey so I don't use them a lot."
They were indeed pricey as "a single pack was worth the pay of an internship's week" according to Uraraka's shocked exclamation. The beauty masks they were wearing cost half as much but were still pricey for students.
"I guess it's the price of perfection." Lamented Ashido.
"I will treasure the remaining one, thank you." Commented Uraraka.
Then, the conversation shifted to her travels to Tokyo. Hyori confessed she worked as a yoga practitioner for beginners.
"How are you doing all that?" Remarked Jirou.
"It's only during the mornings. I don't exert myself. I've been active since I was seventeen and I'm already used to the routine." Replied Hyori.
"Speaking of routine, what are you up to after classes? We have never seen you practise." Asked Asui.
"I enrolled in a sports facility five minutes away by bicycle. I receive gymnastics and pool training there. I have sessions every weekday." Answered Hyori.
"That's why you are agile and flexible." Commented Hagakure.
"Why not practising in school?" Pressed Asui.
"I started training in the facility when I was in general education and kept the habit." Stated Hyori.
"That packed schedule doesn't leave much personal time." Noted Asui.
Hyori sensed understanding from the green-haired girl. She must have been in a position where she couldn't afford time for herself.
The girls ate the treats while playing the mime game until it was time to go to bed. They commented Hyori could hold a yoga session someday and Ashido invited her to one of her dance practices, willing to adjust her Sunday agenda. Hyori's first girls' night had been a thrilling experience. It reminded her of her first shopping spree with her former roommates in the pension. Falling asleep, she wondered what they were up to at the moment. Whether they were still hosting or not, Hyori hoped they were doing well and felt as fulfilled as she was at the moment. Their paths may have diverged but they would forever be the first friends she ever made.