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: — 渦巻 水 — : 𝙐𝙕𝙐𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙄 𝙈𝙄𝙕𝙐
CLASSES SEEMED TO COME AND GO IN SECONDS, and before Uzumaki Mizu knew it was already their lunch break. The bell chimed, student and teacher alike had begun to leave their classrooms.
Mizu was still sitting by her desk, trying to complete an assignment given by her chemistry teacher and totally unaware of Yaoyorozu who stood by the front waiting for her. She probably wouldn't have ever looked up or noticed if it wasn't for her pen being taken out of her hand by someone.
"Hey-" With an annoyed expression, she looked up from her work to meet the eyes of another classmate. Bakugo Katsuki, known to be a hot-headed blonde, had her pen between his fingers and quite the intimidating glare sent toward her.
"Ain't you s'posed to have lunch or something?" Was what he said, his words like a reminder in her head as Mizu finally saw that Yaoyorozu was there, standing and waiting patiently so they could go to the cafeteria together.
Oh my god, I made Yaoyorozu wait for me. The thought had her stand up instantly, not even caring to retrieve her pen, —it was almost out of ink anyways, he can have it— grab her lunchbox from her drawer and made it to the front in just two very big steps to stand before her classmate, the apologies coming in a flurry.
"It's-It's really fine! I understand you were finishing work...!" Yaoyorozu was flushed from the sudden onslaught of bows and sorry's coming at her, her hands were placed on Mizu's shoulders in a panicked rush to keep her calm. "Please Uzumaki-san, there's no need for apologies. Let's just go to the cafeteria now."
Before anymore apologies came out of her mouth, Mizu was hurried out the door by her classmate. "Really, it's not a big deal. I don't mind and I'm sure the others wouldn't either." Yaoyorozu gave a smile, they walked side by side through the halls to their destination.
Though the feeling of guilt for having her classmate wait for her was still there, Mizu decided to drop it since Yaoyorozu seemed uncomfortable with her apologies.
Before long, the hallway led to the cafeteria where Mizu could already see the majority of the student body lining by food stalls or looking for tables to occupy. Conversations were everywhere and it made her own voice seem almost nothing when she tried to ask where they would be sitting.
"I see them! Momo, over here!" Ah, guess she never had to worry about finding the table when they found them first.
It was Ashido who called them over, standing up from her seat and very much vigorously waving an arm above her head. When she realised she had caught the attention of the both of them, she only waved harder with a grin. Mizu let herself be tugged along to the lunch table by her sleeve, Yaoyorozu returned the wave and a smile when they made it over.
"About time! We were starting to wonder if you guys were gonna come!" Ashido's grin had her visibly relax from her guilt, she was glad none of them were mad. But just for good measure, Mizu gave an apology about holding the both of them for so long, if just to get it off her chest. "Ah it's no problem, Momo can get carried away in her own little world sometimes too. Come on, we saved you guys your seats."
When Mizu agreed to joining Yaoyorozu and her friends for lunch, she assumed it was only the other girls they ran into this morning. But now that she was at their table, she realised there were others that she didn't know of, with the exception of Kaminari whom she was thankfully sat next to.
"Mornin' Uzumaki, glad to see you've finally decided to join in on lunch." Came the greeting from Kaminari once she got into her seat, Mizu responded to him with the littlest of amused huffs.
"Good morning, Kaminari. Sorry if I held you guys, I got carried away by chemistry." She said. Kaminari laughs at her reason, it makes MIzu's ears tinge pink a bit out of embarrassment.
"Nah it's totally fine. Honestly we're just glad you took up the invitation!" A snort interrupts their conversation, it was that redhead again. The guy that pushed Kaminari during the first day of school, he was sitting across the table from them.
"More like you were glad, bro-" Turning his attention conspiratorially to Mizu, the redhead feigned a hushed whisper at her. "-He literally begged on his knees for Yaomomo to ask you to lunch since you kept declining him."
She raised an eyebrow at them both, Kaminari exclaiming about how he couldn't believe he was 'being outed by his bro' and said 'bro' laughing and taking the pathetic slaps to the shoulder he was being subjected to.
"Oh, my name's Kirishima by the way! Kirishima Eijiro from class B." Kirishima said with a grin. Mizu blinked, then gave a nod but didn't introduce herself back. She assumed everyone at this table already knew her name from Kaminari.
When she didn't add anymore to their conversation, Kirishima seemed to give a defeated chuckle. "Man, Momo and Denki weren't kidding when they said you usually don't talk, huh?"
Mizu, who was just lifting the lid to her bento, stopped at his comment. The lid was still in her hands mid-air, and her gaze stayed focused on it, on the tightening of her grip. She should loosen it, stay calm.
"It's not a bad thing! I mean, Todoroki's quiet most of the time too but he's good company." Kirishima tried in reassurance after noticing her lack of movement. He shifted his eyes to Kaminari for help when Mizu still didn't respond.
He was about to say something into the tension, yet before Kaminari could open his mouth, Mizu's gently placed the lid down and grabbed her chopsticks. That's it, it's fine. He didn't mean anything by it, just like he said.
"Right, of course." Mizu looked up from her lunch, meeting Kirishima's eye and giving a smile. Her smile was tight, almost forced. "I'm not much of a conversationalist."
"Oh- no no! It's totally cool." That seemed to have the redhead more at ease now, his bright grin back on and his attention turned to another boy next to him —a boy with a very angular smile, named Sero Hanta. Mizu can faintly recall seeing him in her class before.
With no one engaging her anymore, she returned her own focus to her food. Chatter continued all around the table of friends, friends that weren't her's.
"Hey,-" When a hand suddenly touched her shoulder, Mizu couldn't stop the slight flinch of surprise. She turned to her left, her gaze shifted from the hand that was still on her shoulder to Kaminari, the owner of said hand who was looking at her with concern. "-are you sure you're alright? We can go have lunch somewhere else if you're uncomfortable."
She didn't realise how tensed and high-strung she was until she felt herself relax, a sense of ease and calm came over her at his words and his comforting, gentle touch. The constricting knot that was on her chest was gone, and the smile she gave Kaminari wasn't tight nor forced.
"I'm fine, Kaminari. Truly." Mizu brought a hand up to grasp at his, she took it off her shoulder and held it in the space between them. "But thank you."
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my initial plans for this chapter changed at the last minute, there was a conversation that i had wanted to add in but later on the flow of the chapter didn't suit it anymore so i'll put that into a later chapter instead.
being silent and not engaging in conversation sometimes isn't because a person doesn't want to, but because they really don't know how to join in. as someone that is sometimes unable to engage in conversation with my friends, i tried to put my experience of insecurity and anxiousness into mizu's reaction when kirishima mentioned her unresponsive behaviour.
sometimes, all a person needs to feel at ease in an unfamiliar place is one single familiar face and reassurance that they're not being a burden or nuisance affirmation, comfort, and appreciation can go a long way to ease someone's insecurities.
