Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 17: Culture Festival prep with jackasses.

A few more days passed, and Eri was the topic of much discussion at UA and in the law force. The UA staff decided she was going to have live at the school and be under Eraserhead's watch, but Aizawa himself had some misgivings about that. He didn't mind looking after Eri, but he was still a teacher, and there was no way you could bring a 6 year old very-traumatized-about-quirks-kid to hero class. Mirio offered to help...but he'd be going back to class also... there were just huge gaps of time where another teacher would have to watch her...and that wasn't the safest idea. No one like to say it, but Ectoplasm finally pointed out that Eri could get triggered at any time and lose control.

Aizawa pondered it, and Midoriya and Mirio finally visited Eri in the hospital. Eri was still blaming herself for what happened, though they tried to comfort her.

It was in training later the next day that Aizawa heard a conversation between Shine and Midoriya that made him pause.  

"How is Eri doing?" Shine asked, sincerely.

"Oh... better, her fever went away," Deku said. 

"But, how is she doing?" Shine pressed, "That's a lot for a kid to go through."

"Well...uh... she's blaming herself, and she says she doesn't remember how to smile," Deku said.

"What does that poor kid have to smile about?" Shine said indignantly. "Don't tell me someone said that to her."

Deku cringed. "Uh..."

"Deku!" Shine looked angry.

"It wasn't me!" Deku squeaked, "It was Mirio--I mean, someone else, but it's okay, she didn't get upset."

"What a jackass," Shine was still ticked off.

"Miss Likstar," Deku said oddly. "Why is that really so wrong? There's nothing we can do for Eri except try to make her forget about what happened and be happy again."

"Nothing you can---" Shine shook her head. "Midoriya, if you weren't a kid and too ignorant to know better, I'd smack you for saying something so stupid-- but I take it you've just never been taught otherwise... man, didn't you mom ever just hug you while you cried or something?"

Deku looked at her oddly. "Well, yeah, she did..."

"I want to you to picture that, and picture doing it for months and months until finally, it's all cried out," Shine said. "And that's just the beginning... Eri is just a kid, Deku, she's not going to know all this herself, and if people like Mi--what's-his name, who mean well, but don't know jack about it, keep telling her to smile it all away...Well, let's just say, I know firsthand what that does to a kid..." She frowned to herself.

"Uh... Miss Likstar, are you okay?" Deku asked.

"Now I am," Shine looked up more brightly. "But not when I was 6... I'm sorry to go off on you, Midoriya...can I call you Deku, by the way? It's really hard to remember how to pronounce Midoriya."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine. Eri calls me Deku anyway," Midoriya said. 

"Thanks," Shine said.

Aizawa frowned to himself.

* * *

Later that day, he called Shine and Wally into his office. 

"Are we doing this weekly now?" Wally said. "Because I want you to stamp some kind of card or something and give us free espresso."

"If you could for once try to take something seriously, Mr. West, I'd be grateful," Aizawa said, not in the most grateful tone.