Era

5

“Watch your hook; you tend to telegraph your movements a lot.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And your kicks, too; don’t use them unless you have to, they’re super easy to dodge and leave you exposed.”

“I know.”

“Oh, also, don’t forget to—”

“I know, Era. Seriously, what is wrong with you? Let’s just do this already.”

Era tensed, nose wrinkling as she stared at Shinsou from across the sparring mat. “Sorry. Guess I’m a little distracted.”

He huffed, pushing a stray strand of hair from his face. “I’d say. Usually you’re more than ready to start whooping my ass again.”

She tried not to wince at that, but wasn’t quite successful. Shinsou stilled, hand dropping from his forehead as he fixed her with a quizzical look.

“What’s up? For real. Something’s bothering you.”

“It’s nothing, I just…” Era sighed, letting herself fall backwards onto the mat and ignoring the way her muscles ached at the impact.

“You just…?” Shinsou prompted, settling down next to her, sweat already drying on his skin. He really had gotten a lot better, was barely winded from their last bout. And she’d gotten better as well, at least she thought; on the teaching front, not the learning. She’d pretty much given up history as a lost cause, at this point.

And… Era liked teaching Shinsou. She liked helping someone, liked the idea that what she taught him now could save him somewhere down the line. It wasn’t much, but it felt… nice.

“Do you think I could be a hero?” She cringed as the words fled her lips, going as far as to cover her mouth with a hand to keep any other stupid, half-formed thoughts from settling on her tongue.

He tilted his head, gaze growing heavy with consideration. “You’re thinking of trying for the hero track instead?”

God, she hated when he did that. Shinsou had the habit of answering questions with questions, never willing to give a straight fucking answer to anything she asked. It was always two options with him: the bluntest fucking kid you’ve ever met, or the god damn question master. No in between. It was one of the things that made studying with him infuriating.

Era let her hand fall away from her face, raising her head up slightly only to slam it back into the mat beneath her. “Maybe.”

“Don’t see why not, then.” Shinsou leaned back on his hands, not bothering to stifle a yawn.

Her teeth clacked shut, and Era bit her lip to keep herself from saying that there were, in fact, a multitude of reasons going far beyond simply whether or not she made the cut for the U.A. entrance exam.

“Something else is bothering you.” Ah, there it was. He always drove straight to the point, didn’t he.

“Yeah. Something is. Not really your business, though.”

He shrugged, reaching up to scratch his cheek. “Fair enough. But if you don’t body slam me into this mat, then who will?”

Era snorted. “I’ll just grab a toddler off the street, that oughta do the job.”

“Ouch.” Shinsou stood, stretching his arms high above his head and sighing when his back let off a series of disconcerting cracks. He shook out his legs and stepped over Era, offering a hand.

“I can get up fine on my own,” she said with no real bite, even as she gladly grasped his wrist and let him pull her up.

“Could’ve fooled me.” Smiling lazily, he stepped over to the other side of the mat. “Ready?”

“I’m supposed to be asking that.” Era rolled her shoulders, bent her knees ever so slightly, kept her hands loose at her side as Shinsou just snorted.

“Alright, fine. Go ahead, sensei.”

Era felt her lip curl into a smile, and she let it stay there for now. “Ready, eager student?”

“Wouldn’t call myself eager, but—” A punch to the stomach had his sentence ending with a strangled gasp, and Era danced away before he could think about retaliating. Her grin spread across her face, showing teeth.

“Show me what you’ve got.”