Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 31: A call for help

Class 1-A decided not to talk about what happened. They were too scared to-- the whole thing just seemed so big and beyond them.

Momo still felt partially responsible. Todoroki and Bakugo seemed to be the only ones not shaken up by it. In fact, Momo heard Todoroki address Shine while she was making coffee the next day.

"What you said, you know it was out of line, right?"

"I know. I expect to get a call to the office at any moment this morning," Shine replied, "but don't you worry about me, Todoroki-san. I don't have much to lose here. Did I use that right?"

"Yes, if you wanted to be an equal," Todoroki replied. He paused. "Uh... I thought what you said, about Tokoyami, was... well, right. I thought the same thing, but I didn't say so. It made me wish I had sooner."

"You said something, though," Shine said.

"Who told you?" Todoroki said.

"No one. I was eavesdropping around the corner. I dashed away once I heard you all start moving," Shine said slyly.

"You... really shouldn't--" Todoroki realized midway through the sentence that all of them had been eavesdropping on her.

"Yeah, don't finish that," Shine said.

"Well, it was true," Todoroki said.

"It was," Shine said, "and I was proud of you, not that it had much to do with me, but I'm sure it was a relief to finally say it."

"It was," Todoroki said, "but reckless. It could build resentment between classes."

"Oh, please, that's already there. If anything, speaking the truth destroys resentment between reasonable people. I've avoided many misunderstandings by being direct, myself... Everyone around here trusts you so much, and you're probably one of the most straightforward people in the class. Facts speak for themselves," Shine observed.

Well, that was true, Momo thought.

"Miss Likstar, do you think the Sports Festival was out of hand?" Todoroki remembered now that they had acted a little odd about that. "Is that when you began to think the teachers were reckless?"

"No, sweetie, I began to think that my first day of training with your class," Shine said dryly, "Wally and I never saw such dangerous training except in this one world.... and they had no choice-- they were fighting literal monsters... but at least they were not fighting each other so ruthlessly as that...Well, I can't think you really want to hear more of this. Everyone is already mad at me." She sighed.

"I think the students are more reckless than the teachers," Todoroki seemed hung up on this.

"No," Shine said, "The students only risk their own safety. A man (or woman) can do as they like with that, and we'll never be able to ascertain if it was justified or not, most of the time. When you are risking someone else, most especially someone less powerful than yourself, you are being irresponsible."

She sipped her coffee. "Perhaps it's just a world difference. Still, if it's my job to keep you all safe, I'll not just pretend that doesn't include the training here. Seems to me Deku gets hurt more often in training than he does fighting villains. Todoroki... believe me, okay? That's all I want, safety."

She seemed oddly worried about this.

"I believe you," Todoroki said slowly, as if he was just realizing it himself, "Don't mind the rest of the class so much, by the way. I think they are just nervous about what Vlad King will do. They are still concerned about Tokoyami."

"Oh, I know," Shine said, "I didn't take it too personally. Hey, shouldn't you be getting ready for class?"

"Yes." Todoroki left.