UNMASKED (mha)

77

"So what about you?"
Denki asked Aiko, leaning back in his chair to look at her. "You doing anything Saturday?"

Aiko groaned.
"Unfortunately. I'm gonna be busy all day helping with that situation my mom got in."
She said. "I just got a pass from Aizawa for it." Aiko sighed.

Just what she needed right now, to go sit through a press conference for her mom and her new boyfriend.

Her mom's boyfriend... She never thought she'd have to give someone the title. Though she supposed that's what her dad had been also. They never married.

"What about you?"
She asked him and Kirishima. Weekends were now a much different subject. Because they all technically lived together, and couldn't just go out whenever they pleased anymore. Though it wasn't hard to get a pass from Aizawa, it's not like they were prisoners or anything.

"I'll be pumping iron in the gym!"
Kirishima said, flexing his arm.

"I'll be crying." Denki shrugged.
"The TV shows for one of my favorite books as a kid is premiering and I have no way to watch it." The blonde shook his head with a pout. "It's only on one streaming service that NO ONE has. Sucks ass man." He mumbled.

"Hey! sorry I just so happened to overhear you guys!" Hagakure bounded over to them.
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about Adventures of Ed-venture would you?!" She asked Denki.

His face lit up.
"Yeah I am! You Know AEV?!" He asked, sitting up in his chair to look at her more comfortably.

"Yep! I was obsessed with the books as a kid, I read all thirty books!" She said proudly.

"I heard the actual author has a cameo in it!" Denki said with a smile. "And that the script is almost word-for-word!"

"Me too! Did you know the lead actor read the books?! Before he even got the part. I've seen the interviews! He's sooo Ed!" She giggled.

"Damn, you're making me even more bummed about not being able to watch." He slumped back again.

"Or maybe you could!" Hagakure said. "I have Makie+! I was planning on watching it tomorrow night by myself, but if you want I guess you could join me..." She sat on his desk.

"Really?! You sure you wouldn't mind?" He asked, leaning closer to her.

"Of course not! I'd love the company!" She giggled. "It drops at Seven. We can watch any time after that."

"How about nine thirty?"
Denki asked.

Toru nodded.
"It's a date!" She joked. The bell rang and she slipped off of the desk. "See you later Kami!" She said before walking off with the rest of the class.

"Woah, like an actual date?"
Kirishima asked, looking between Denki and the door. "Dude sounds like you have an actual date tomorrow."

"What? Pssh no! She didn't mean it like that!" Denki laughed and then looked at his two friends. "Right?"

"Kinda sounds like a date to me?" Aiko said shyly.

"Like not just as friends?" He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at Aiko. "Should I still go?" He didn't know why he asked. Why he asked her.

Did he expect her to tell him not too? If she did what would that mean?

"Sure if you want."
Aiko said before laughing nervously. "I-I don't know why you're asking me." She said, looking away.

"Yeah me neither. I was just... You know, wondering out loud I guess." He mumbled.

"Yeah..."
She mumbled.

"Dude you have a date!"
Kirishima slapped Denki's back.

"I guess, I just really want to watch the show though." He shrugged. "But I guess a date wouldn't be so bad."
He said.

"Guess I have a date."

💖💖💖

"Mom!" Aiko said, stepping out of the car. She was entering some building from the back to avoid people.

"Aiko!"
Ms Zhu said, walking over and hugging her daughter tightly. "Oh I've missed you so much baby." She said into her daughter's hair.

"I've missed you too mom."
Aiko pulled back. Her mother had a white dress shirt and a red pencil skirt that ended under her knees. Paired with black flats and a necklace Aiko didn't recognize.

Nothing too fancy, she was still herself but more... Elegant. Just like the girlfriend of a billionaire should be Aiko supposed.

Aiko was wearing her UA uniform, as suggested for events such as this.

"I am so sorry about all of this."
Her mom whispered.

"It's fine mom, it's not your fault. Are you alright?" Aiko asked, stepping backwards.

"Yes of course. I want to hear all about school after this. And how life in the dorms is." Her mother said with a smile.

"Of course mom." The door opened and two pairs of footsteps entered the room.

"Aiko!"
An excited female voice said, running across the room.

"Hi Nishi!"
Aiko laughed.
"I missed you."

"Can you believe it?!"
Nishi whispered. "Operation step sisters and I barely had to do anything!"

"Yes you were right."
Aiko Whispered back, pulling away.
"As always."

Nishi nodded, a playful smile stuck on her face. Aiko knew why she was so excited, even if her friend wouldn't say it.

She was finally getting a mother. The mother she had lacked for so long, and a sister on top of that.

Should Aiko view it like that? Mr Tadashi as the father she never had? She found it difficult. It was hard to see him as her father, he was still a stranger.

"Hello Mr Tadashi."
She said to the man nervously.

Looking at him she realized that his dress pants were the same red as her mother's skirt. They were matching.
She looked away.

"Hello Aiko, please you don't have to call me Mr Tadashi. Just Tadashi is fine." He spoke gently.

"Okay, Tadashi."
She smiled.

"I'm sorry this all happened this way. I wanted to tell you sooner but your mother and I figured it would be for the best."
He put an arm around her shoulders.

Aiko remembered him doing that when she had been in the hospital. Her leaning against him, his jacket around her shoulders.

How had she not seen it?

She had, she just hadn't expected it to happen this soon. This quickly.

It was a lot.