"I still have your spare key."
Saiki stood motionless in his doorway, still clutching the handle. Thoughts flitted across his mind. His ex-girlfriend here, now. When he was having such a good day. He instantly decided he really didn't want to deal with this in this moment.
Taking two steps into the room he stood adjacent to the open door. "Great. Leave it on the nightstand and get out."
"I just want to talk."
"I think you said all you needed to the last time you were here. Then again, pretending I didn't exist any time you saw me since said a whole lot more."
"What, did getting dumped for cheating on me hurt your feelings?"
She showed no intention of moving, no intention of leaving, and Saiki wasn't keen to make this a show for the whole complex. Slapping the door closed, he folded his arms. "What do you want, Juri?"
She didn't seem to be in any hurry to answer which did no favours for his patience with this entire situation. She had however long she was sitting there alone to figure out what she wanted to say and yet she was content to waste his time. "I want to know what I missed," she said finally.
And much like the time it took Juri to come up with them, the words themselves only served to irritate him. "What you missed? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, Saiki. We've known each other since we were kids. At least I thought I knew you. I... I thought you loved me, but you never said it did you?"
"And you thought you loved me," Saiki appended to her words, tacitly confirming what she had said.
"And I thought I loved you," Juri repeated, eyes downcast. "But the man I loved wasn't you. It was just what you wanted me to see, wasn't it? I thought you wouldn't say it because you didn't want to seem weak, but really you never said you loved me because you never did. You just played along so that I would–... You just wanted me to be a doting hanger-on like that psycho slut. You were just using me."
"That's right."
"I can't believe this!" Her legs folded out from under her, so she could push herself to her feet, physically confronting her ex boyfriend. "You're such a piece of shit!" she spat from only a foot away, "You treat people like that, and you think you can call yourself a hero?!"
"Sure," he shrugged, "You were using me too after all."
"Shut up!" An open palm came up to strike him across the face, not even moving him. "I thought I loved you but you were just a lying sleaze using me like a toy!"
"And you were just living out your little fantasy of a perfect life with me as the prop boyfriend."
The blonde reared back as if she were slapped, mouth an O, brows drawn in from outrage. "Fuck you! I wasn't–!"
"The childhood friend, she watched him from afar." Saiki spoke with the exaggerated emotion of stage narration, gesticulating like the hammiest of actors while staring into the middle distance. "He was the bad boy that no one liked but she, she saw something in him that no one else did! He tried harder than anyone else. He had something to prove. A good boy wanting to be a hero but also a little bit dangerous thanks to his upbringing. But she knew with the love of a good woman he could be something truly special. He could be her one true love." His eyes returned to her, seeing her near vibrating in anger. "It's like the plot of a shoujo manga."
"That doesn't mean it wasn't real!"
"Yeah? How long did it take for you to decide to dump me, huh? Because if I'm remembering right, the very next time I saw you, the first words out of your mouth were that you were breaking up with me. You say you loved me, or your imagined version of me, but you didn't even sound angry. Just matter of fact, like I was some kind of project that didn't pan out. And then, and here's the real fun part, the reason you dumped me wasn't even fucking another girl!"
"What are you talking about?! Of course it was!"
"'You were attacked by villains'!" Saiki quoted, pitching his voice up in a bad impression of her. "That was the very next thing out of your mouth. Fucking another girl? That was way less important to you than the fact that you got confronted by the reality of being with a hero, and that scared the shit out of you didn't it? Suddenly that shoujo protagonist dream world came crashing down, didn't it? Suddenly that bad boy with a heart of gold isn't so dreamy, suddenly you're looking up casualty statistics for heroes and the rose-tinted glasses come off."
"No!" she denied fiercely, "You're wrong! You're all wrong! I'm not like that!"
"All?" Saiki echoed with confusion, but dismissed it as unimportant with a shake of his head. "That's the kind of girl you are, Juri. You didn't even talk to me at all about it before deciding 'Oh shit, this guy's life is gonna be dangerous, fuck that!" I'm the one who got attacked and your first word on it was 'I don't want to get attacked'? Fuck off, calling that love."
"Like you know what love is! You didn't even have parents to teach you!" Hands fly to Juri's mouth, as if to catch the words before they could escape, but they were already out. They couldn't be taken back.
Saiki's lip curled into a sneering half-grin. He should have felt angry that she would throw that in his face, and he did. But at the same time her words proved everything he had been saying. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that. I don't know what it's like to love someone. Maybe someday we'll both find out. But between us? No. We were using each other and in the end neither of us got what we wanted."
Juri's hands clenched into fists, shaking by her sides. This went not at all like she wanted it to. He cheated on her and he tried to lecture her?! Tried to convincer her she was the one in the wrong?! "You got what you wanted. I want you to delete that picture." If this was it, if this was what Saiki truly was, she didn't want any record of the time she wasted with him to exist! Especially of the moment she regretted most of all!
"You think all I wanted was a couple months of fucking you? I wanted you to be mine." Shaking his head, Saiki pulled out his phone and brought up a certain photograph, showing it to her. "You mean this picture? Hm. It's a shame. You look good in it." He took more than a little perverse glee in showing her the picture, seeing the shame on her face, before deleting it. "Satisfied?"
"None of this makes me satisfied."
"Yeah, I know the feeling. Better question. Are we done here?"
She took her keyring, dragged a silver key off of it and threw it on the floor. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we are." Brushing past him, she left the apartment without another word. Within two weeks, Juri would move out of her apartment. She would claim it was to be closer to her school. Even so, both of them knew they were better off apart.
Saiki pulled out his phone again, downloading another copy of the image he just deleted. Sure, he would let her believe it was gone. It wasn't like he intended to share it with anyone. Flicking a finger across the screen he scrolled to other photos of him and Juri together. Smiling, holding hands. Those, those he got rid of. Why would he keep them when everything about them was a lie?
At least the deflowering picture was honest. Him getting what he wanted and Juri doing something stupid while drunk on a fantasy. Really, much as Juri might be embarrassed by it, it was the only part of their relationship worth remembering, the only part where they were honest with each other.
-(-)-
School couldn't come soon enough for Saiki. Long weekends used to be a chance to relax, or at least get some better training in. But ever since he got to UA he never wanted to relax, the pressure of being in such tough competition at the school meant he couldn't relax as well. And after seeing himself grow by leaps and bounds with every week of school? Time off felt like a waste.
These feelings, this desire to get back to school, it of course had nothing to do with wanting to push the frustration of Juri off to the wayside. That would be ridiculous.
Whatever the reason, he was just glad to be back in school again, even if Japan decided that morning was the perfect time to kick off the rainy season. As he finally escaped from the downpour to inside the school building, he saw Izuku as she watched Iida leave the shoe lockers to head for their classroom. "Hey Izuku," he greeted her with a smile, but she didn't look his way. "Izuku?"
"Huh?" her head finally turned. "Oh! Saiki! Hi! Sorry I got lost in thought there I guess."
"You okay?"
"Yeah, it's just... I'm just worried about Iida is all," she admitted.
"Oh, yeah," he had seen that on the news. The hero Ingenium Tensei Iida got attacked by the new villain that had the hero community spooked. Apparently Ingenium was still alive which was more than most heroes attacked by the Hero Killer could say. "How's he holding up?"
"He says he's fine but..." The petite girl looked down, conflicted and concerned.
"Hey," he dragged her attention back to the outside world with a hand on her shoulder, "He's our classmate. We'll be there for him if he needs us, right?" Though he said that, he didn't actually know Iida particularly well or talk to him that much. But it was the appropriate thing to say to make Izuku feel better when she couldn't actually do anything for the bespectacled legacy hero in training.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Now come on, we should change and get to class before first bell. You especially, deputy rep," he reminded her with a teasing grin.
She immediately became flustered and nervous, exactly the reaction he was hoping for. It was adorable how seriously she took that whole class rep thing, same as Momo.
The two quickly changed into indoor shoes and headed down the hall toward the north classroom building where the hero and support course classrooms were. As they walked Saiki suddenly remembered something he wanted to ask Izuku. "Hey, Izuku, this might be a little odd to ask but... Our fight, in the tournament?"
Her expression was a little glum for a half second before it passes. "Yeah. What about it?"
"You didn't hold back or anything, right?" he asked, hoping the answer would be no. "I've seen you hit things at full power and, well, I know I wouldn't have still been in the ring if you did that."
"Oh, no, I didn't!" she immediately answered, "Well, I mean not intentionally."
"Huh?"
"It was weird. I have decent control over my power now but in that moment, even though I wanted to hit you with most of my power, I couldn't. It was like Isubconsciously held back."
"That so?" Saiki responded, not really liking the sound of that even if Izuku hadn't been fully in control.
"Yeah. I talked about it with All Mi–y other friends and they said it was just a reflex. Remember that talk Thirteen gave us about powers being able to kill? I guess it stuck with me. I know you're really tough but I don't want to test that against my power and end up hurting you in a way you can't come back from."
The corner of Saiki's lips curled upward into a smirk. "That sounds like a challenge to me."
The green-haired girl slumped as she walked, arms swinging limply, though her face still wore a smile. "I figured you'd say something like that."
-(-)-
"You need to pick hero names."
"YES!" Kirishima crowed immediately. "Awesome!"
"Mister Aizawa, is this because of the hero agency scouting?" Tsuyu asked.
"This is related to the heroes who were scouting you, yes. Here is a list of how many agencies are interested in each of you." Appearing on the board, a list of the class' names were accompanied by a number and a bar graph for comparison.
"Man, guess it comes as no surprise who's at the top," Kaminari grinned, head resting on his palm.
"Gap's smaller than I expected though," Jiro added, pointing to the top of the list where three names were in close competition. "Saisei, Todoroki and then Midoriya, and then a huge gap to fourth place. No offense, Tokoyami."
"None taken," the black bird man answered with his eyes closed.
"This is how many agencies were impressed enough that they're willing to invest in your potential. But it can be rescinded if they lose interest in future. If you're going to go out into the field with real pros you need to play the part, even if you'll only be acting in a supporting role. Therefore, you're all choosing your codenames today."
"Wait, all of us?" Ochako asked. "Does that mean we're all interning?"
The low-energy teacher pulled out a sheaf of papers. "We have a list of volunteer agencies for those who didn't get scouted. So you all need to choose your names today."
"And you better choose well or there'll be hell to pay later!" Every boy rose to attention at the sultry voice of Midnight as she entered the classroom with a seductive sway. "Once you choose you may be stuck with it for life!"
"Miss Midnight will be helping you choose an appropriate name," Aizawa said dismissively, moving out of the way of the R-rated teacher and relaxing at the teacher's desk.
"Now here, take one and pass the rest back," Midnight ordered, handing out stacks of dry-erase boards, "Just write down the name and then come up and tell us all who you are!"
"Wait, we have to present them?" Sero asked nervously, a feeling that spread from him to everyone else.
Except one person. Saiki whipped the marker across his own board then strode confidently towards the front to stand in front of the lecture podium. "I've got no problem with it! I've had my hero name picked out since I got my acceptance letter." With a dramatic flourish, he flipped over his board. "The ever improving hero: Upgrade!"
"Taken," Midnight cut him down immediately.
"Wait what?"
"Upgrade. The tech hero," Izuku answered for Midnight. "Her quirk lets her incorporate technology into her body and use it like it's a part of her so long as it doesn't exceed her power limit."
"Damn nerd," Katsumi muttered from the desk in front.
"Wow, I've never heard of her," Hagakure noted.
"That's Izuku for you," Tsuyu added, "If it involves heroes, she's like an encyclopaedia."
"Little known or not, that hero name is taken. Looks like you'll have to choose another one, champ," Midnight told the stunned boy as she waved him back to his desk.
"Oof, that's gotta hurt," Kirishima whispered, which did nothing to stop everyone hearing it in a quiet classroom.
"I know, right? Now I wanna go up even less!" Kaminari responded.
Thankfully for the less eager of the class, the next to go up was a winner according to Midnight. Tsuyu's chosen name of Froppy wasn't taken and was considered a winner of a name. And so more went up, giving it a go even if they weren't all winners. Katsumi almost bit her marker in half when 'Queen Explosion Murder' was rejected. Mina's 'Alien Queen' was likewise turned down because a hero name probably shouldn't remind people of a movie monster. Ochako's choice went much better though.
"Uravity?" Saiki asked. "Wow, I really thought you'd have gone with Infinity Gi–"
"Taken," Midnight said absently. As she looked Saiki's way she smirked. "If you're going to keep glaring at me like that young man I might have to take you aside for some," her tongue flicked over her lips, "Punishment."
"What's wrong, creeper," Katsumi sneered back at him over her shoulder, "Getting reminded that other heroes exist?" The sneer dropped into a frown as she saw the way he looked at her. "What's that look for?"
"Nothing," Saiki answered easily, "I'm just remembering something you forgot." Something he would have to punish her for later.
The name choices continued, Kirishima going with Red Riot, unimportant nameless classmate with a tail going with Tailman, Jiro just using her quirk name of Earphone Jack. Momo's idea of 'Creati' seemed kind of lame to Saiki but he didn't want to give an alternative, expecting it would be shot down immediately.
But now, he was ready once again. Once more he walked to the front with his board in hand, flipped it over. "Riser! The hero who will ascend above all others!"
"Taken."
"Oh come on!"
"Riser, the anywhere hero. His quirk let him walk on any surface," Izuku recited.
"What does that have to do with rising?!"
The buxom girl shrugged. "He used it to walk up walls a lot. I think he retired last year so it's technically available but if you don't want to be a legacy hero..."
"Ghh, damn it, fine!"
More went up and got their names over with Midnight. How was Upgrade taken but Pinky was available?! Iida and Todoroki just went with their first names, deferring choosing a hero name for later. Izuku chose 'Deku' which... Well, she had her reasons and they were very cute. Whatever worked for her.
Okay. This time, he knew he had it. One last time, he strode toward the podium. He held his pose maybe a second or two too long, before flipping the board over. "The ever-evolving hero, Evolve."
"Taken."
"I WILL END YOU!"
"Aww, come on, big boy, no need to get so worked up," Midnight crooned as she moved behind him and put her hands on his shoulders before taking his marker. "Here, just wipe this off, take the first three letters and... How's that?"
"Evo?" Saiki asked, calmed down for both having a potential name to mull over and for having the sexy teacher's breasts pressed into his back.
"It's very evocative," Momo opined before blinking, "Pardon the pun. And it's short and to the point."
"It sounds great! It suits you!" Izuku added cheerfully.
"Yeah... Yeah, I think I like that," he nodded with a smile on his face only to get body checked out of the way.
"DAME EXPLOSION MURDER!" Katsumi roared.
"Still no," Midnight replied flatly.