Another quick little chapter to go with wednesdays, this one feat. Suzumes family, teachers, and friends. Next time we'll get into final exam announcements, meme's, and possible an appearance from a villain or two!

Suzume shouldn't be surprised that the second she steps out of the train station she's being swept up into a bone crushing hug.

"Mom," she squeaks.

There's no question who the gloved hands clutching her belongs to. Her fingers run through Suzume's loose hair and Suzume turns her face into her mothers shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent. Tea leaves and animals.

Her shoulders drop. The rage drains out of her, long enough for her to hug her mother back fiercely. There are tears in her eyes. The rage bubbles into hurt, salt in a wound that had been festering since she was five years old.

She felt like such a fool.

"I was so worried!" Chiasa clutches her close. Her brother is a step behind her, his own cracking voice murmuring the same.

"We saw the news. Holy shit, Suze."

Suzume opens her arm to let her brother step in and hug her just as tight as their mother.

"I should've had my internship with you and Gang Orca," she mumbled.

Kaname snorts. "No kidding!"

He pushes her away from their mother so he can look at her properly. Her arm is still in a sling, her neck is still wrapped up, but she'd otherwise okay. She won't even need the sling soon, she's got an appointment with Recovery Girl before school on monday.

There's so much she wants to say to Kaname. So much she wants to tell him.

About Stain. About Nighteye. About all of it.

But where does she even start?

How does she tell her family that she had almost died and hadn't even learned anything besides 'hit them while they're talking'? That their connection to the Yakuza haunts her still, just as it had him for so many years?

As if reading her mind her mother reached out and smoothes her bangs out of her face.

Chiasa isn't crying. She's one of the strongest people that Suzume knows. She's the rock that her children lean on, and the support for her husband too. She's softened since Suzume was a child, but she's still got a spine made of steel.

"Lets get you home and cleaned up. And then you can tell us everything, and I can decide what I want to do about Sir Nighteye and his negligence."

"Nothing," Suzume says quickly. "You don't need to do anything about it."

She didn't want her mother to get in trouble for retaliating, even if he deserved it.

Chiase hums and herds her two youngest children to the car.

"We'll see."

There is something wrong with Yusada Suzume.

It's apparent from the first day back at school.

Fresh from their internships, the students are rowdy beyond even their normal noise. Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki are chatty as they ever get, but Yusada looked like she did when the year first started.

Silent, uninterested in the people around her but intensely focused on whatever work has been put in front of her. It makes Shouto tense.

It's been weeks since he's seen this dark focus in her.

As useful as a burning drive can be, she had been isolated from her peers. Expecting the worst from them, he was sure, thinking back to the incident that first week. He had rarely seen a student so surprised to be defended.

(He hadn't told her, because it would have been a breach of confidentiality, but later that week he'd also instructed Bakugou to start visiting Hound Dog for counseling. The boy had far too much anger in him to be healthy.)

He looks over her report for the internships.

It's just as detailed and succinct as every report she hands in, with relevant details present and miscellaneous ones ignored.

At this point, Shouta isn't even surprised to learn that she found a murderer in under a minute. He's even less surprised that she went rushing headlong to fight Shigaraki.

For someone so smart, her temper can get the better of her, too.

Just what kind of person can figure out a murder in a blink, then turn around and do something as colossally stupid as taking on the League of Villains on their own?

And,

Just what happened that she left out of this report?

It's all in detail. From the first patrol to Stain's attack, and even her time in the hospital and recovering.

But none of it would cause the sort of reaction that he sees in her.

The shuttering of windows.

The return of a winter that had started to thaw in the face of Kirishima, and the others.

He would be willing to chalk it up to trauma, if she hadn't been relatively fine after the attack on the USJ, and if Todoroki, Iida, and Midoriya hadn't all told him that she was fine at the hospital last they saw her.

(He does need Midoriya to explain what Iida meant when he said 'a religious forgiveness'. Yusada also seems fond of being dramatic.)

He gives it a day.

Yusada has never been the most sociable girl her age. It's entirely possible that she just wants to have some quiet time in the wake of a very busy week, and Shouta knows that he himself hates hospitals and getting fussed over. There's a little too much resemblance between him at 15 and Yusada, and Hizashi loves to point it out.

Given that he also thinks that she's a mole, Shouta isn't sure he exactly appreciates the comparison.

When, on the second day, she still isn't her typical self, Shouta calls her into his office.

She looks somewhere between tired and wary.

Shouta sits across his desk from her. The other teachers are gone, at his request, save Nemuri who sits two desks down. She has a soft spot for all of the girls in the hero course, but Yaoyorozu in particular, and Yusada right after.

(Those girls will get a lot of attention, she had said, her eyes dark in a way that few people ever witnessed. And not the kind they want, or the kind you know how to prepare them for.

Shouta wasn't offended. He knew there were certain things that he wasn't qualified to teach, and things that he would never fully understand. That was why he invited her to help in his informatics classes so often.)

"Yusada," He tries to think if there's a tactful way to ask, but then he remembers who he's talking to. "What happened at your internship that's upset you?"

Her eyes flicker wider with surprise. For Yusada it was the same as jaw dropped shock.

Her jaw works and the shock fades into a more familiar look. Fury.

"I learned valuable lessons, that's all," she says with a dark conviction.

Shouta frowns at her.

"Yusada. I can tell that something happened that you didn't mention in your report. You don't have to tell me, but I want to know."

It was his own way of saying, I care about you and I don't like seeing you closing yourself off again. It's bad for you.

The look Nemuri shot him told him she understood.

When Yusada makes no move to tell him, he presses a bit harder.

"If you tell me, it might be something we can fix."

He doesn't know what he's expecting. It isn't for a tremor to work its way through the muscles in her neck, beneath a new, puffy red scar, until her shoulders drop. She looks down at her hand, where she's rolling the scrunchie she wears habitually around her wrist.

Ever since her gloves were destroyed she hasn't gotten another pair, and Shouta can see the scars on her hands, new and old. His own hands wear the same kind, although his fingers are laced through with old cuts from his capture weapon.

"It's not something you can fix. It's not something anyone can fix. It's just… It's just something I have to live with."

Shouta's stomach churns.

"I need more than that. If it's me you don't want to talk to, Midnight, or Hound Dog…"

"What?" Yusada blinks at him. "I mean, Midnight maybe. She's good with public image, but we've already changed our name and moved cities, and there's still people who know about my dad that want me and my brother to- Fuck."

"Your dad."

Shouta doesn't know if he should be relieved or not. He knows that her dad is Kono Sanjirou. All the teachers do.

Yusada twists the scrunchie harsher.

"He's why Nighteye invited me to his agency. He's investigating the yakuza, and he thought I could tell him about them."

The rage in her eyes burns brighter before she bows her head and her bangs fall to shadow her face.

"It had nothing to do with what I can do. It had nothing to do with what I was capable of. He just wanted to use me."

Before Shouta can say anything, she goes on.

"And I know that that's what it's going to be like. I know it. I'll always be the novelty, the diversity hire, the token. But I thought, someone who fights mostly quirkless, someone who isn't as flashy or insane as other pros-"

She takes a breath and Shouta realizes that she's hiding wet eyes.

He thinks of Nakana, who blew right past her doing his job for him and told her to give up her dream. He thinks of Nighteye, who manipulated this girl into going to his agency because he needed something from her, not because he thought she could be a hero.

"It's stupid. I should have seen it coming. I did see it coming. I just chose to be ignorant."

Shouta takes a breath. He's not good with crying students. He never has been.

But he leans forwards, his elbows on his knees, and tries to soften his voice a touch.

"Yusada. Look at me."

She obeys, scrubbing angrily at her eyes.

"It isn't your fault. He's an adult, and if he wanted you to give him information that you might not even have he should have asked for it outright. What happened was on Nighteye. Not you. Togata has been in a bad mood ever since he got back too. This explains that too."

"And," he adds, when she opens her mouth, "No matter what anyone else thinks, you are here at UA because of your capabilities. If it were anything less I would have expelled you on the first day."

"I thought that was a logical deception," her voice is rough.

"No, I really did expel an entire class last year."

"I knew it." He believes her too. Yusada is a terrifyingly smart girl.

And, unfortunately, she's also a hopeful one no matter what she says.

"Sir," she says quietly. "Thank you. Really. You and Midnight, and Present Mic too, you've done your best to protect me. When I found out why Sir Nighteye had really invited me, all I could think about was all the times that heroes, and even regular adults, have failed me. But you never have."

Shouta feels like there's an apology in there somewhere, even though she doesn't owe him one.

It makes his chest warm to know that he thinks that way about him. He knows that people have failed her before. She's quirkless, and a yakuza child to boot. Shouta may have never been either of those things, but he did have a quirk that, on top of not being very flashy, made other people uncomfortable, and it had been a fight every step to become a pro hero at all. He knows how hard faith can be for people who have been let down by the whole of society.

So yeah, maybe Hizashi was right and he had something of a soft spot for Yusada. He had something of a soft spot for other kids too.

He hadn't told anyone, but he'd started training Hitoshi Shinsou after his performance at the sports festival.

Shouta opens a drawer and pulls out a jelly pouch. Yusada seems like she would like peach flavor.

She stares at it when he offers it to her.

Nemuri snorts a few seats over, but covers it with a cough.

"Thank you?" She accepts the pouch.

"Make sure you squish it around before you drink it."

"Right. Thank you," she says again. Yusada stands and offers him one of her rare, small smiles. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Next time, come to me or one of the other teachers as soon as something upsets you. Don't make me call you in here." He tries to make it sound like a threat.

The smile twitches wider. She definitely knows that it's not a genuine one.

"Right," she waves to him ,then to Nemuri, and leaves the room. The door shuts behind her with a soft click.

As soon as she's gone Nemuri scoots into the chair directly next to him.

"So… what are we gonna do about Nighteye messing with our student?"

"So," Mina bounces into the locker room, her hair still wet from their water war- er, training. "What's up with our girl Yusada? What do you think sensei wanted with her?"

"Dunno," Hagakure hums. "Maybe he wants to know what's up with her too?"

Tsu sits on one of the benches so she can wipe down a few scrapes she's gotten during practice. The broken pipes in the industrial area had filled a good sized lake in a crater that Bakugou made, and their initial combat training under All Might had taken a turn for messy and wet. Tsu had been the most adept at the change in scenery, but she's been tripped up by some of Todoroki's ice. Apparently she's scraped her leg.

"I wouldn't be surprised," she says, looking up at the other girls. The three of them were the first ones in, cut into the alcove where their lockers were. Mina could just hear the boys entering on the other side of the wall. "She's been weird ever since she came back. Really withdrawn."

"It's too bad," Hagakure sighed, slumping against the wall in just a towel. Like that Mina coudln't tell what she was doing with her hands. "I really wanted to hug her when we were all together again."

"Hug her?" Mina repeats, surprised. She'd just wanted to show Yusada how many insane meme's had been made out of her punching out Stain.

"Yeah!" the floating towel bounces up with excitement. Hagakure's probably waving her arms around while she talks.

"Yusada gives great hugs. It feels really… safe," she finally settles on.

"Safe?" Repeats Tsu thoughtfully.

"When did you hug Yusada?" Mina asks, blinking at the invisible girl.

Toru rubs the back of her neck.

"During the Cavalry Battle, when we were all inside of Shoji's arm shield thing, she had to catch me. She's really strong, and solid. It's like being hugged by a tiny bear, but in a good way."

Mina stares at her.

Very softly, she whispers, "I wanna be hugged by a tiny bear."

"Maybe we should!"

Tsu eyes Hagakure. "Should what?"

"Hug her! She might just be upset about what happened during her internship. She was there with Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida, right? And she got pretty beat up too. When I'm upset, I like hugging people. So, maybe we should group hug her!"

Mina punched her fist into her palm.

"Yeah! I know she's got that weird ice queen thing going on, but I'll bet she just needs us to take the first steps."

Tsu finishes changing first, and helps Hagakure get her bra straightened out when the clasps get twisted around.

"And, if she doesn't like hugs, she'll tell us," Tsu says with certainty.

Mina winces.

"Oh, definitely. I don't think that girl knows how to pull punches."

The three of them leave the locker room just as Yaomomo, Uraraka, and Jiro come out of the showers.

"Where are you guys going?" Uraraka asks, eying them warily. Mina, who's been grinning mischievously ever since they decided what they were going to do, only smiles all the wider at the shorter girl.

"We're going to group hug the angst out of Yusada!"

"... have fun?" Jiro looks concerned for their safety.

Uraraka grins. "Hug her for me too!"

"Will do!"

The three run off while the other girls finish changing.

"Dibs on going first!" Hagakure shouts when they peel around the corner and see Yusada walking towards them, drinking one of Aizawa's weird jelly pouches of all things.

When she hears them Yusada looks up, her typical smooth expression in place. Her brow does quirk when she sees them running towards her.

"What are you guys-" she begins.

"Yusada!"

Whatever plan they might have had goes out of the window when Hagakure tosses herself cheerfully at the small girl.

For her part Yusada only looks mildly surprised but she catches Hagakure easily.

Hagakure's arms go tight around her shoulders and Yusada loops her strong arms around Hagakure's middle. The invisible girls shoes aren't touching the floor.

"What are you doing?" Yusada asks, holding her easily.

"Hugging you," Hagakure says brightly.

Mina rushes up behind them, with Tsu on her tail.

"Hey, c'mon, it's my turn!"

Yusada arches a brow.

"Is it?"

"Yes!"

Mina half expects to be denied, but Yusada sighs and lets go of Hagakure, setting the girl on the ground.

"You guys are weird," she informs them. But she doesn't move away when Mina steps up and hugs her tight. Yusada sighs against her chest and hugs back and-

Hagakure was right.

It is like being hugged by a tiny bear.