"…and you're not even supposed to know any of this," Mirio finished. "I just… I can't keep up this game of trying to hide it when you're already halfway to figuring it out. I don't have the energy with everything else going on."

By the time the tale had been recounted in full, he was sitting with his head in his hands as he stared down at the floor. The young man was sweating, a little shaky, and filled with a feeling of overwhelming dread. He had expected at least some relief from opening up to an 'outsider' to the problem of One for All, but none came. Instead, he was left wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his hero career since turning down One for All to begin with. It wasn't that Shiv was untrustworthy. It wasn't that the information was at risk of leaking or impacting the other ma in a negative way.

It was that he had just outright admitting he was at his breaking point with only more stress on the horizon.

"Yes, I gathered that," Shiv replied, saying nothing more.

The heteromorph was sitting on the adjacent piece of furniture in Mirio's shared penthouse. He had given Mirio his full attention throughout the explanation and said little himself, which was how most 'conversations' with his classmate had gone during the previous year. Though he did have several questions, none of them seemed important in the face of the star student of his class seemingly having a breakdown. That was more awkward than the forbidden knowledge itself, in Shiv's eyes- he had never really been a people person, and comforting another was an area in which he had little to no expertise or interest. All he could really think to do without probing further was wait.

"…you would've kept asking me, right?" Mirio asked as he raised his head, looking panicked. "I mean… you wouldn't have just let me keep Midoriya, or taken him yourself and not badgered me into telling you all of this? Right? You've always been good at investigating things, solving problems… digging deeper into anything that seems off is kinda your thing. You would've figured it out eventually. That's just how you are."

Shiv raised a brow as he finally shifted upon the couch. He didn't really know the answer, nor was thinking about such imagined scenarios his style. All that really mattered was what was going on in the moment and what could happen in the future. Agonizing over what could have been was a waste of time in Shiv's eyes. He did, however, know the answer that Mirio was looking for, given the circumstances. All he had to do was tell a harmless lie, and his classmate would likely start to feel better. If Mirio started to feel better, he would also be less annoying. There was literally no downside to reassuring him that yes, the mystery would have eventually been solved. And yet…

"I don't know," Shiv answered. "I likely would have figured it out or gotten close to the truth on my own, in time. The amount of information I can tell about an individual just by looking at them is something that I don't think I can properly express to someone without my Quirk."

"Right," Mirio said before swallowing hard. "S-so… one way or another, this would've… eventually, you'd need to be brought into the loop. You would end up becoming aware. You w-"

"Why does that matter so much to you?" Shiv interrupted. "You made the decision to inform me about Izuku Midoriya's situation. Justifying it or not is of little consequence- it's done. If you're worried that I'm going to tell the others… then you haven't been paying attention to our class dynamic thus far. We barely interact. Outside of the three of you together and Moss and Mei… doing whatever they're doing, we are our own separate islands and prefer it that way. In fact, I am fairly certain this is the most time I've ever spent one-on-one with you outside of a mission. I am capable of keeping secrets, Togata. We're supposed to be professionals."

"I know, I know," Mirio deflected as he leaned his head over the backrest of the couch and slumped heavily into it. "I think… I'm just trying to rationalize the need to rope you in, so you can take Midoriya as a mentee and deal with all of this because I'm basically at the end of my rope. I don't know if I can do this anymore, Shiv."

"'This' meaning what, exactly?" Shiv asked as he sighed heavily. "Looking after Midoriya? Being the face of our class? Informing me of your every concern when this could have been taken care of in mere minutes had you just let me handle it?"

"I mean… hero work in general," Mirio clarified. "I seriously don't know how much longer I can keep this going at U.A., especially with everything going on with the Shie Hassaikai. I want to keep going, and up to this point I've been holding it together, but… spelling it all out to you just makes the whole situation seem impossible."

"You do seem to have quite a bit to keep track of at the moment, in addition to your… unofficially blacklisted status," Shiv acknowledged. "But what does that old Yakuza clan have to do with any of this?"

Mirio tilted his head forward, offering the heteromorph a blank stare. It took him a moment to figure out why Shiv was confused… and then he realized just how much deeper the hole was about to go.

"I didn't… mention any of the situation with them, did I?" Mirio asked. "And Dabi, and the club, and…"

"Listen," Shiv interjected before Mirio worked himself into another panic. He had absolutely no desire to watch his classmate devolve into an even sweatier mess, and there was already a plethora of things to mull over and deal with. "While I'm sure it's all very interesting, we've spent quite a bit of time away from the rest of the class, and orientation is likely nearing its end. If this is something we can cover later…"

"I… yeah, I guess," Mirio agreed. "All of that is more personal stuff… for now, anyway. I'm really sorry I dumped all of this on you, but I d-"

"I understand," Shiv said forcefully, standing up off the couch as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "You needn't explain any more at the moment. I will watch over Midoriya in your stead and report his progress- or lack thereof- to you at regular intervals. Consider this my attempt to be more of a 'team player', or whatever you would like to call it. Not that it's going to make any difference…"

Mirio stood up as well and let out a weary sigh.

"I don't know, I really should just… deal with it and take him on…"

"Perhaps you should," Shiv agreed. "But can you, in addition to whatever else you're alluding to? Would it be fair to Midoriya, and could you provide him the advice and training he needs while you're so distracted and overwhelmed?"

Mirio knew the answer. He didn't like it at all, but he knew.

"No," Mirio answered immediately. "I really, really don't think I could right now."

"Then it's settled… and will become my problem, not yours," Shiv declared as he flicked through his messages. "You and I can discuss whatever else is on your mind later. For now… we have things to do. We're expected to meet up with the rest of the class as soon as the assembly ends, as per Kendo. The group has a plan, apparently."

"I wish I did…" Mirio lamented, causing Shiv to roll his eyes and huff. "…sorry."

"I never thought I'd prefer your empty optimism, bravado, and general obnoxiousness to whatever this is," the man admitted as he put his phone away and folded his arms across his chest. "Do try to bring it back. Without it, the only other candidate to lead the 'team' would be Moss, and I shudder to think of what ridiculous and inane blathering he would subject us to. Your ideas and directives usually don't involve explosions and the justification of 'it would be cool', at the very least."

"I'll try," Mirio affirmed. "I really, really will. I haven't had a collapse like this… ever, I don't think. Thanks for hearing me out and trying to help. I appreciate it… and I owe you. Seriously."

"You do," Shiv agreed as he turned his back on Mirio and headed for the door.

"…and Shiv?"

The man let out another sigh that turned into something of a growl as his hand lingered upon the doorknob of Mirio's dorm.

"What? We have places to be, Togata. I, too, have hit my limit for the day… yet this is only the beginning of the idle pleasantries and social interaction I'm going to have to deal with before I can simply retreat to my dorm. Whatever it is, just say it, and let us be done. Please."

Mirio slowly approached, though he kept a bit of distance between them as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"…I'm sorry about last year. Seriously," he began. "About… everything. I could and should have done more. I guess I was just…"

"Caught up in your own ego and newfound popularity within the group," Shiv finished. "Indeed. Keep your eyes on the path forward. The past is the past. I'm over it."

Mirio desperately wanted to ask whether or not it was true as his classmate exited the room, leaving the door open behind himself. Instead, he held his tongue, following in silence and feeling like the issue was far from over.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaalright then, ladies and gentlemen!" Present Mic called from onstage, where he had returned to center stage in front of the projector screen amid a smattering of applause. "That oughta give you at least some idea of what we're about here at U.A. University! I'm sure you've got lots of questions, and we have all the answers… or we'll get 'em for you if not! For now, though, listen up, 'cause each class is going to different places. All of you should head on out and find your professors… except for Hero Course 1-A , 1-B, and Class 3."

"…the hell?" Katsuki asked, already annoyed by the proposition. "More people to meet?"

"Oh, get over yourself," Minoru said with a roll of his eyes as a few students around them began to stand up and shuffle out of their rows. "Did you really think you'd get through this year only interacting with our class? We should be trying to get to know this bunch. Could probably learn something from them."

"…ease up, both of you. Please?" Momo asked as she gave Katsuki a sympathetic look. "Day One is quite overwhelming, and everyone has differing social limits."

"And shit that pisses us off," Katsuki added. "You just had to hang back over personal garbage. Don't give me shit about mine."

"…fair," Mineta admitted as he raised his hands to shoulder height in a gesture of surrender. "Still, chin up. Put your best foot forward, Kats. First impressions and all that."

"…this 'Kats' thing is not sticking with all of you…" Katsuki warned.

"I have a bad feeling it already has," Momo considered as she and Minoru stood up. "It's spreading organically, and it's… endearing."

Katsuki had been ready to snap the second Momo said 'cute'… but endearing somehow didn't seem quite as bad. He didn't like it, but it didn't make him fly into a rage, either. At the very least, he could live with it for the moment. All the same, Katsuki let out a grumble and shook his head.

"…I'm going to kill Daisuke."

"Just make sure you make it look like an accident," Minoru advised as they made it to the central aisle. "Let's head toward the stage so you can get a better angle on him. Class 3's headed up there, so it looks like whatever's going down, we should meet with 'em."

Momo squinted as the group slowly fought against the tide trying to leave the cavernous room. Once they were within ten feet of the stage, she turned to Katsuki and pulled a face.

"…they have laminates with information."

"About what?" the boy asked as he looked where Momo nodded toward.

"Us, it seems," Momo answered as they joined the crowd of their peers.

"…I'm hating this more and more every second…"

Author's Note:

Next time- All Might meets the Yakuza…

-RD