This is where I belong ~ Shoto Todoroki x Black!OC

Chapter 55: Permeation

"Todoroki, where is your shadow?"

Mr. Aizawa's lazy sigh broke through the relatively silent classroom. Ms. Aizawa was taking attendance when he realized that both Bakugos were absent when only one should be missing.

Shoto looked up from his notebook, his eyes automatically going to Aluna's seat. It was indeed empty.

"I don't know, sir." Shoto replied.

"Come to think of it, I've barely seen her since Monday." Kirishima added and the class agreed. After school since Monday, Aluna had disappeared. She was only seen in class, her eyes looking darker each time. Now it's Thursday and she was nowhere to be seen in class.

"Well, I'm gonna have to mark her absent."

Mr. Aizawa was already tired of class today, due to Midoriya's excessive enthusiasm for catching up.

But that's neither here nor there.

And know what else was here nor there?

Aluna.

Cause she was absent for some reason. But he was too tired to care. She was probably back at the dorms. Maybe she slept in.

"Morning. Now that Midoriya is back, we'll go into more detail about what the work studies entail. Go ahead and come in."

Mr. Aizawa addressed the class before looking at the door. Everyone wondered who he was talking to. But their questions were answered when the door slid open.

"I'll have people who've experienced them firsthand explain. I suggest you listen carefully as they point out how work studies differ from internships."

Deku was floored by the cheerful-looking blonde who crossed the threshold of the classroom. The boy who scared the living daylights out of him and Aluna. He walked in with purpose, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth, a smile with it.

"These three are third years at UA. They rank at the very top of our student body. You may know them as the Big Three."

"It's him." Deku mumbled under his breath.

"The best of the hero course." Sero said in awe.

The class was shell-shocked and a little star-struck at their presence. They were the students they had to beat to be at the top. There was no telling what they could do. They didn't have any mutations.

They looked like regular people. Besides the timid-looking boy's ears.

He was like a cute little elf.

"Oh wow!" Mina shrieked.

"Of all the talented students here, they're the ones at the top." Iida thought out loud.

"Then they're the ones we should be chasing after." Jiro added but Kaminari frowned.

"They don't look all that special to me. Excised the girl, she's pretty hot."

Normally he would have had to put money in the douchebag jar. But Aluna wasn't there to run up his tab.

Deku recognized the blonde as a student he watched in the sports festival last year. He lost his clothes, leaving an impression, but also leaving him confused. And everyone else too.

Deku remembered he didn't do very well. But he obviously wasn't still at that level, being in the Big Three and all. He didn't recognize the others either. Maybe their skills enhanced? Maybe they were more focused on rescue efforts?

"Get to it. Introduce yourselves briefly. Let's start with-"

"I'M HERE! I'M HERE! I'M SORRY I-"

Aluna cut Mr. Aizawa off with a slam of the door and raise of her voice. Her apologies were exceptionally loud, but she stopped in her tracks at the sight of the boy that had left her sleepless for the past two days.