Chapter Nineteen – The Internship Options
"So… we have until the end of the week?" Clay asked, his eyes flicking to Skipper, who was gleefully gorging himself on miso soup just inches from Tsuyu's plate. "Come on, Skip, have some class," he muttered, though the rat paid him no mind.
"The ones with more than one offer, yes," Tsuyu replied, her tone calm as she carefully picked apart her food. Each piece was handled with such precision that it almost looked like she was performing surgery rather than eating. "You only have four to choose from. It shouldn't be a hard decision—it's just a weeklong internship."
"How many offers did you get, Tsu?" Clay asked, glancing at her with genuine curiosity.
"Seven. Ribbit," she said simply, not even pausing in her meticulous meal.
"Makes sense," Clay said with a shrug, carefully maneuvering his chopsticks to grab what he hoped was pork. "You're everything the coast guard would need. Isn't piracy an issue out here?"
"Well, hello, lovebirds," Mina chirped, sliding into the chair next to Tsuyu with a playful grin. "The offer lists just came out," she announced, holding up a stack of envelopes like a prize. "I grabbed yours because I'm such a good friend."
Clay looked up from his tray, scooting over to make room as Ochaco joined them as well. He took the envelope Mina handed him and began idly flipping it over in his hands. Occasionally, his eyes flicked to Skipper, who was sprawled out on the table nearby, snoring softly.
Tsuyu was the first to break the silence, calmly opening her envelope with her usual efficiency. Clay noticed her already wide eyes widen just a fraction more as she scanned the contents. Without hesitation, she plucked a pen from her bag and neatly circled one of the hero agencies listed.
"Well, Tsu's mind is made up," Ochaco said with a chuckle, still reading through her own options. Beside her, Mina's envelope was already open, its contents sprawled across the table. Clay could only assume she'd made her decision in record time.
"Are you going to open yours? Ribbit," Tsuyu asked, her calm gaze shifting to Clay.
"Wasn't plannin' on internin'," Clay replied with a dry chuckle, setting the unopened envelope down. "I was thinkin' about goin' home for the week. But I guess I could use the money… Well, Ma could use the money."
"Awwww," Mina cooed, clasping her hands together dramatically. "You're such a good son!"
Clay rolled his eyes, though a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Don't go paintin' me as a saint now. Just want her to keep sendin' cookies. That's all." Finally, he opened up the envelope, barely prepared for the surprise inside.
"Ah, hell…" Clay groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes locked onto the name at the top of the list.
"What?!" Mina squeaked, practically bouncing in her seat. "Is it that bad?"
"Yeah," Clay muttered, flipping the paper around for her to see. The list featured four agencies, but only one was circled in bold, black pen with a scribbled note scrawled off to the side.
Highly recommended – Aizawa.
The agency name? Just two simple, ominous words:
Thirteen / Midnight.
"I just know they're messin' with me…" Clay muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of resignation and disbelief.
Mina leaned in, her eyes scanning the note before bursting into laughter. "Oh, they're definitely messing with you!" she teased, giving him a playful nudge.
Tsuyu, ever calm, tilted her head slightly. "They must think you're a good fit. Ribbit."
"Or they think it'll be funny watchin' me deal with it," Clay grumbled, slumping back in his chair.
"What about the other three?" Clay asked.
Mina glanced down the list again, giggling freely now. "You've got a washing machine, some no-name, and Best Jeanist. Pick your poison."
"Best Jeanist?" Clay asked, perking up slightly. "Think I heard someone mention him."
"You don't want him," Tsuyu said flatly, not even looking up from her food.
"Why not?"
"Oh, yeah," Ochaco chimed in with a giggle. "He'd make you shave, and you'd be lucky if he stopped there."
Mina nodded, laughing outright at this point. "Yeah, he's, like, super prim and proper. If you picked him, you'd beg for Midnight."
Mina's smirk widened, knowing exactly how uncomfortable her comment made Clay. He grimaced, grabbing the paper with a resigned sigh. "Well, if that's the way it's gotta be…" he muttered, circling Aizawa's suggested agency and filling out the attached form.
"I can understand Thirteen—she's the reason I'm here," Clay said, still staring at the paper. "But why Midnight?"
"Maybe she wants to break you like a pony!" Mina quipped.
Clay shook his head and reached for Skipper, scooping him up and placing him in his lap. The rat let out an annoyed squeak before curling up and dozing off again. "Better than shavin', I guess," Clay muttered, popping another piece of pork into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, deciding he didn't care much for the texture.
"Who'd you guys pick? Or get picked by?" Clay asked, eager to move on.
"Silkie," Tsuyu said with a small hint of pride in her tone.
"Just who you wanted?" Clay asked, his smirk softening as he saw the subtle satisfaction on her face.
Tsuyu nodded. "He has an animal-based Quirk like I do, and he's water-based. Ribbit."
Mina whistled before looking ruefully at her own envelope. "The only offer I got was from some no-name in Kyoto," she said, her grin fading slightly.
Ochaco, meanwhile, was distracted, glancing toward Iida, who sat eating alone, his shoulders tense. "I'll go check on him…" she muttered, standing up and taking her plate.
"He okay?" Mina asked, watching her leave.
"Something with his brother, I think," Clay said, his voice softening. He stared down at his dish, which vaguely resembled stew over rice, before committing to one last bite. "Well, I'm gonna turn this in and read my hero ethics book for the first time," he added with a smirk, carefully placing Skipper into his pocket.
"Good call," Mina said, her usual grin sliding back into place. "Midnight can get the chains and whips ready!"
Clay rolled his eyes. "You're worse than Sero."
"I don't leave until tomorrow night…" Tsuyu said, her tone just slightly higher than usual.
"I guess I'm stayin' here," Clay replied, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
Mina gave him a pointed look, glancing between him and Tsuyu with a mischievous grin. "Clayton, Clayton, Clayton… That's the part where you ask her if she'd like to go to dinner."
"Oh… Uh… Tsu…" Clay stammered, scratching the back of his neck. "Would you like to—"
"Yes. Ribbit," Tsuyu replied simply, her tone calm and unwavering.
"Good. I'll pick you up tomorrow after the exam," Clay said, his face breaking into a genuine smile.
As he put his plate away and headed for the door, he caught sight of Sero and Kirishima grinning at him from their table. Mina, meanwhile, scurried back to Tsuyu, no doubt eager to tease her.
"Okay, let's get this over with," Clay muttered to himself as he approached his two friends.
"So, what do you got?" he asked, bracing himself as Sero looked ready to burst with laughter.
"Will she use handcuffs or rope?" Sero asked, barely able to get the words out.
"I keep tellin' her I'd only let Tsu do that," Clay grumbled, his sarcasm an obvious gamble. Whether they'd take it as a joke or not, he wasn't sure.
Kirishima barked out a laugh, throwing his head back. "I'm gonna tell Tsu you said that!"
Clay paused, squeezing Skipper in his pocket for comfort. "Please don't," he muttered with a half-chuckle before turning away, fully aware that his fate was now in their hands.
As he walked to the instructors' office, the quiet was a relief. It gave him time to think—not just about hero work or Tsuyu, but home. He didn't know if he'd get a hero's welcome when he returned or if things would ever feel the same. But what was home? He'd made more friends in Japan than he ever had before.
Reaching the instructors' office, he knocked twice and opened the door. Inside, only Cementoss and Aizawa were waiting. Without much fanfare, Clay handed the papers to Aizawa, who glanced at them and gave a rare nod of approval.
"Good choice," Aizawa said simply.