Unknown stared intently at the phone sitting in front of her, its softly glowing screen appearing bright even with the sunlight cascading through the window.
The abundant rays were warm on her skin, a comforting asylum from the morning chill. It was still cold these days, although the winter was far milder than before; the grass outside was greener now, a bit softer, more lively, and the trees were just beginning to regrow some of their young leaves. The sky was a clear blue, spotted with a few big, puffy clouds drifting slowly across the endless expanse, blown gently onward by the cool wind. Unknown had cracked the window open for the first time since she arrived at this school, letting the fresh, crisp outside air fill her lungs with a pleasant tingle. It was mostly quiet outside, the only real sounds being that of birdsong, the faint whistling of the breeze, and the occasional faraway voice that she could never quite make out.
She had been staring at her phone for hours now, hands fidgeting a bit in her lap, seeming to contemplate something as her eyes remained fixed on the unchanging home screen. Unknown couldn't sleep much last night, her mind too busy with the news of Traceback's impending release. It was good news, certainly, but it worried her. She didn't feel right leaving the girl's well-being to strangers; there was no telling what might happen once she was out of the hospital's protection. Unknown felt there must be something more she could do, but what? Perhaps she wasn't thinking hard enough; there must be something she hadn't thought of.
And so here she was, the gears in her mind having grinded and turned for so long that there was practically smoke coming out of her ears. She needed some new ideas, a fresh perspective, another mind that could make up for what she was missing.
Maybe she could ask someone for help, but who?
It was a few hours past noon when Unknown noticed how much time had passed. She sighed as she stood up, rolling her shoulders and stretching her neck, her stiff joints popping as she shifted for the first time since early that morning. Begrudgingly accepting the fact that she wasn't doing anyone any good this way, she opted instead to take a break.
Unknown closed the door behind her as she stepped out of her room. She started down the hallway with a yawn, tilting her head back and forth a few times to rid herself of the residual stiffness clinging to the base of her neck. She pressed the down button to call the elevator, and after a brief moment, the chime sounded and the doors puffed open in welcome.
The ground floor was quiet as she stepped out. That wasn't too surprising, considering it was a weekday afternoon; her housemates were all occupied with classes just a stone's throw away. She started towards the common area, padding steadily through the familiar, empty corridors. She wasn't too keen on coming down here while the others were home, but with them gone, there was no reason to keep herself locked away on the second floor. She often came down to the kitchen during the late mornings or afternoons in search of something to eat, which was, coincidentally, the same goal occupying her mind at the moment.
It didn't take long for her to reach the kitchen, and she wasted no time in heading directly towards the refrigerator. She didn't exactly know how to cook, considering her rather limited opportunities in the past, so she usually had to settle for whatever was already there. Fortunately, not all of her housemates were quite so culinarily challenged, and even more fortunately, there was never a shortage of leftovers.
Tugging open the refrigerator, she bent down to scan its contents. There was quite a variety of ingredients packed atop the shelves and drawers, and in what limited space they didn't occupy, there was a small assortment of carefully arranged containers, presumably holding various leftovers from the days before.
For a moment, her eyes paused on one of them in particular: a round, white ceramic tupperware container with a plastic top. It was simple and plain, something you could surely find anywhere, nothing too remarkable about it save for the faint, barely noticeable scratch near the edge of the lid: the same scratch she had made when she accidentally dropped it all those months ago.
...
Naoko hummed quietly as she shuffled into the kitchen one evening, a bit tired after having finished her latest essay. She yawned drowsily, deciding she would have to go to sleep early that night, but first, she wanted something to eat. Mitsuki and Masaru were out at the moment, so she made no effort to hide her rather poor eating habits; skipping dinner hadn't made it easier to focus on schoolwork, but when would she ever learn?
Naoko shuffled through the cabinets in search of a snack, browsing carefully through the pantry as well, but even after searching high and low all throughout the kitchen, she still struggled to find anything that caught her eye. She hummed in discontent as she tilted her head. With a sigh, she turned and shuffled towards her last hope: the refrigerator.
'What's this?' she mused silently, as immediately upon opening the door, she spotted a white ceramic container in the center of the shelf at eye-level. She hadn't noticed it there when she checked earlier that day, though she did recognize it as Bakugo's favorite storage bowl, something she learned after he yelled at her when she placed it back in the wrong cabinet one time. Having such a thing as a favorite bowl didn't quite make sense to her, but to each their own, she supposed. Curiously, she pulled it out and lifted the lid, an excited smile spreading quickly on her face as her eyes met the stir-fried noodles inside. She celebrated internally at having found something that drew her appetite. Amidst her newfound glee, however, her hold on the lid loosened for just a moment, and she realized it a second too late. She could only watch, caught off-guard, as slipped from her hand, bouncing off the corner of the counter and clanking to the ground. She held back a quiet gasp, hurriedly setting the bowl down and reaching to pick up the fallen lid. Much to her dismay, a new scratch displayed itself atop the semi-clear plastic near the edge. It was faint and hard to notice, but that didn't help the sinking feeling in her chest.
"The hell are you doing crouched down like that?" a brash voice called out from behind her, prompting the startled girl to instantly stiffen, her gaze flying up the familiar blonde standing in the doorway. "You look like a goblin."
Paying no mind to his insult, Naoko hesitated. Slowly, she glanced down at the lid, then back up at him.
"What're you staring at?" he peered suspiciously down at her as he strode over to where she was hunched.
Carefully, Naoko rose to her feet and slowly turned to face him, a guilty expression overtaking her features as she nervously held the lid out in front of her. "Katsuki... so I sort of... dropped this..." she admitted quietly, concerned gaze focused on the clear piece of plastic.
"Ok? And?"
"Well, it's... it got scratched."
Bakugo raised a questioning eyebrow, scanning her over for a moment before taking the lid, holding it up to get a closer look. "The fuck are you talking about? Where?"
"It's... there, that one. I'm sorry, please don't be mad..."
"What, this?" his face scrunched as he peered down at her, confusion evident in his ruby gaze, "The hell are you so nervous for?"
"I mean... I scratched it. I-I didn't mean to! It was an accident! It just fell and-"
"So you're gonna cry over a tiny ass scratch?"
"I wasn't going to cry!"
He scoffed as he smacked her over the head with the lid, causing her to yelp and shield herself defensively. "Stupid."
"Hey! That hurts! What was- oh, you're not mad?"
"Dumb as rocks," he rolled his eyes as he walked past her dismissively, making his way to the sink.
Naoko blinked, watching as he turned on the water and simply began washing the lid. No curses, no yelling, no proclamations of destruction. He didn't even look annoyed.
Suspiciously, she scooted up behind him, eyes round with confusion as she glanced up at his unusually passive face. "Why aren't you angry?"
"Why the fuck would I be angry?"
"Well, you're always angry."
"I am not! Fuck you!"
Naoko giggled lightheartedly as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, eyes glimmering brightly with relief. "That's more like it," she grinned, squeezing him tightly from behind.
"Get off me, you damn creep," he ordered with a scowl, though he made no move to escape her grasp. "What the hell were you doing anyway?"
"Looking for something to eat. That essay made me hungry."
"You're still not done with that?"
"Well, Midnight only assigned it yesterday... don't tell me you've finished already!"
"Some of us are just smart. Too bad you'll never know what that's like."
"Aw, that's mean. And here I thought you were being nice today," she huffed indignantly as she pulled away from him, stepping back and turning her attention to the momentarily forgotten bowl of noodles. She carefully scooped up the bowl before padding over to the far counter.
"Who said you could have that, dumbass?" he demanded, eyeing her closely as he turned off the water and set the lid aside to dry.
"Huh? I thought these were just leftovers," she tilted her head.
"Yea, and they're mine."
"But... I'm hungry."
"And I made it. Sucks to be you," he arched a condescending eyebrow as he snatched the bowl away from her.
"Wait!" she shouted, hands flying up to stop him just as he was about to brush past, "Can't I just have it?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"But I'm hungry!"
"Then die."
"'Suki! That's mean! Just let me have it, pleeease?" she whined childishly, hands shifting to tug at his shirt. She gave him her most convincing pout, the one she knew he could never resist, and once her sad, pleading eyes began watering, she could practically see his resolve crumble in real-time.
"Stop looking at me like that," he glared down at her warily as he tried to back away, but for each step he took, she took one too.
"Please?" she urged softly, shuffling closer bit by bit. She didn't give in, steadily easing forward until she was all but pressed against him, arms circling around his middle, pleading gaze never leaving his wavering one. Her thumb traced gentle circles into his back, and whatever chance he had at getting his way vanished instantly.
"F-fine! Just take it!" he caved at last, practically shoving the bowl into her hands before quickly turning away, an effort to hide the unbearable flush of his cherry-red face, "B-but only because I felt like it, alright?!"
"Ok!" she beamed, holding up the bowl triumphantly, "I'm gonna go before you change your mind!"
"Hold it!"
"No take-backs!"
"Heat it up first!"
"Huh?" she blinked in surprise, glancing back down at the bowl for a moment, "Oh, it's alright, I like it cold."
Apparently this didn't sit well with him, however, as he only scowled harder, one hand snapping up to point aggressively towards the microwave. "If you're gonna eat my food, at least do it right!"
"Ok, ok! I'll do it, no need to worry your pretty head."
"I am not worried! And don't call me that!"
"Hey, can we watch a movie?"
"Don't change the subject, you little shit!"
"Sorry! But since you're done with homework and all, can we? Please? It'll be fun!"
"You-! You little-! WHATEVER!"
"Wahoo!"
And the rest of the evening passed that way, the pair huddled together on the couch, a blanket draped over their shoulders, some extraordinarily forgettable movie playing on the TV as Naoko happily munched away at her hard-earned dinner.
"You seriously like this garbage?" Bakugo wrinkled his nose at the screen, barely a few minutes into the movie and already struggling to pay attention as the characters' poor attempts at humor fell flat each and every time.
"It's fun, you're just grumpy," she nudged him playfully, eyes still focused on the half-baked comedy scene.
"Your standards are on the ground."
"Must be why I'm friends with you."
He paused for a moment before turning to her, an eyebrow raised. An amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "Since when did you learn to talk back, huh?"
"I'm not talking back, just being honest."
"So you're gonna come to my house, eat my food, follow me around all the time, and still think you can get away with insulting me?"
"Speaking of which..." she grinned as she momentarily set down the half-empty bowl. She pulled her legs onto the couch and shifted a bit to face him, resting her cheeks against both palms as she grinned smugly up at him, "Can I tell you a secret?"
"Why are you making that face?"
"Because I know you made it for me," she whispered dramatically.
"What the hell are you talking about? I told you I was gonna save it for tomorrow," he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye for just a moment before quickly averting his gaze.
"Lying is pretty unheroic of you, don't you think?" her eyes curved as her self-satisfied grin only grew wider. "If you really made it for yourself, it would've been spicier. Don't think I can't tell, 'Suki!"
"Just shut up and eat before I take it from you!"
Upon seeing his pink-tinted, flustered state, Naoko laughed playfully before once more scooping up the bowl, turning her attention back to the movie and cheerfully resuming her meal.
"Thanks, 'Suki," she smiled as she shifted to lean comfortably against him, "It's really good."
"Of course it's good, I made it," he snorted, pinching her cheek and watching in amusement as she whined and swatted at him.
The quiet sound of evening crickets could be heard faintly above the laugh track of the old movie, the voices of the main cast bouncing off the well-lit walls. It didn't take long for a warm silence to settle between the two, but it also didn't take long for Bakugo to lose what little interest he had left in the pseudo-plot happening on screen. His gaze wandered about the room for a moment before quickly growing bored with that as well, and as Naoko had found out long ago, Bakugo had a tendency to complain when he was bored.
"Why do we have to watch this shit?" he huffed irritably as he prodded at her arm, scowling as he noticed her attention was still glued to the TV.
"You don't like it?"
"Obviously not."
"Do you want to watch something else?"
"No, just keep talking or something."
"You want me to talk? About what?"
"Just do it!"
"Ok, ok, fine! Let's see..." she paused for a moment, "How do you think your parents are doing?"
"Who cares?"
"We do!"
"Tch, speak for yourself... they're probably fine, I guess."
"It's nice outside, I hope they're having fun."
"Yea, sure."
"You should be more excited for them, 'Suki. They're on a date, it's cute!"
"Cute my ass."
"Oh, by the way, have they called yet? They said they would check in sometime tonight."
"When the hell did they say that? The old hag never calls."
"They're probably just worried you'll finally snap and murder me or something."
"Oi! I'm not a fucking animal, shithead!"
"I'm joking! No need to work yourself up, your parents just like me better than you!"
"Cuz' you're so easy to push around, dumbass!"
"I am not!"
"Am too!"
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
"Am- AH! H-hey! That tickles! No, wait! 'Suki! That tickles!"
...
Unknown had almost forgotten about that. It was so long ago, after all, and she had been rather distracted in the meantime. She assumed Bakugo must have forgotten as well, otherwise he likely wouldn't still be using that old bowl.
Shaking her head, she dismissed the foggy memories as she reached for a big plastic container next to the ceramic one, lifting it out before closing the refrigerator door and standing up. She made her way further into the kitchen and pulled a spoon from the drawer, then a bowl from the overhead cabinet, unceremoniously dumping some of the contents into it before placing the plastic container back into the fridge.
Unknown couldn't quite tell what the food was- some kind of soup, she recognized it as leftovers from dinner last night- but it tasted good enough and she wasn't feeling picky. She didn't bother heating it up before shuffling over to one of the dining tables, settling down, and gradually sipping away at her lunch.
_______________________________________________
Over the following few days, Unknown diligently counted down the hours to Traceback's release. She had yet to find an answer to her conundrum, though that didn't mean she had stopped trying. Now, with less than twelve hours to go, Unknown was thinking harder than ever.
The sun shone warmly outside her window, the curtains fully opened to let the light in. The distracted girl sat on her bed, back leaning against the wall, gaze tilted upwards in thought. She flipped her phone idly between her hands, her mind wandering far afield.
In the past few days, she had come to terms with a number of realities.
First, it was possible there was nothing she could do. Unknown, despite having been released and cleared of all charges months ago, in reality, had very little autonomy of her own. She was still a minor, unable to legally make her own decisions; she had little power at the moment, relying completely on the generosity of the school just to get by. Regardless of how much she wanted to help Trackback, perhaps there was nothing she could really do for her.
Second, even if there was something to be done, it might not be in either of their best interests. Unknown was still in a precarious situation; things weren't nearly as settled as they might seem, as she learned from Aizawa, and she needed to be careful with how she behaved. It was no secret that the police were still keeping tabs on her, doing all they could to ensure she remained compliant, to make sure she posed no danger to society. She couldn't do anything to make them suspect her, she had to stay in their good graces if she wanted any semblance of a future. Her actions weren't just her own either- they could affect how the other three would be treated, and she couldn't risk any setbacks after all her hard work.
The absentminded motion of her hands slowed to a stop, and the weight of the phone became present.
She had been having unusual thoughts lately, the kind of thoughts she wasn't used to. For some reason, she had been experiencing the urge to talk to someone. Perhaps that would make things clearer somehow, perhaps they could help. How exactly was beyond her, and she couldn't logically explain how merely speaking to someone would change anything, but she was running out of time.
And so, Unknown turned on her phone.
_______________________________________________
The classroom was already bustling with chatter by the time the lunch bell sounded. Some of the more excitable students cheered in relief as they hopped to their feet, the room quickly filling with the sound of chairs dragging against tile and the shuffling of bookbags as the class messily filed out through the doors and into the rapidly-filling hallway. The usual bustling of the busy lunch period had begun once again.
"Uraraka, ready to go?" Midoriya grinned as the said girl eagerly rose to her feet.
"Yes! I'm starving! I hear they have mochi for dessert today, let's go before they run out!" she jittered excitedly. "Tsu, Iida, Todoroki, ready to go?'
"Ready, ribbit!"
"Yea."
"Let's continue to the cafeteria in an orderly line, everyone! No pushing!"
Uraraka and Tsuyu giggled at his unwavering enthusiasm while Midoriya smiled brightly with a nod, "Ok, let's go!"
A faint buzz sounded, nearly lost amidst the bustle, just as they were about to move toward the door.
"Oh, whose is that?" Midoriya paused as he pulled his phone from his back pocket.
The rest of the group instinctively checked theirs as well, and after a moment, each glanced up in curiosity upon finding it wasn't them.
Each, that is, except one.
"Todoroki, is everything ok?" Midoriya asked worriedly upon noticing the boy hadn't looked up from his phone, a slight furrow between his brows.
"...yea, it's nothing," he responded after a brief pause. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"Are you sure? We can wait if you want."
"It's fine, I'll be there in a minute."
"Oh, ok then. We'll save you a seat!"
"Make sure to come before they run out of soba, ribbit."
"Leave yourself enough time to eat properly! Nutrition is an important part of a hero's training!"
"Right. Thanks, everyone."
_______________________________________________
Naoko (12:30 PM):
Come find me when you get back. There's something I need to talk to you about.
_______________________________________________
A knocking at the door pulled Unknown out of her bubbling thoughts. She remained still for a moment before shifting to the edge of the bed and rising to her feet, padding steadily over to the door.
Upon opening it, she could only stare at the familiar figure on the other side, puzzled.
"What are you doing here?" she blinked.
"You told me to come find you," Todoroki stated plainly, blinking back in equal confusion.
"Yea, after you got back. Don't you have class right now?"
"It's our lunch break."
"Oh."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your message sounded serious."
"Oh, it's not, really. It can wait until your classes end."
"I'm already here."
Unknown raised an eyebrow questioningly, receiving only a blank stare in return. She paused for a moment, seeming to consider her options, before mentally shrugging it off and shifting aside to let him in.
"Sorry to bother you all of a sudden," she apologized steadily, closing the door behind him before padding back over to her bed. He took a seat at her desk, and they found themselves in a rather familiar situation.
"It's alright, though I didn't realize you still had my number."
"I wasn't sure if you still had mine."
"...what did you want to talk about?"
Unknown hesitated for a moment, gaze lowering a fraction as she searched for the words she hadn't had time to prepare. After a lapse of silence, she spoke.
"Traceback is being released tonight."
"Oh, I heard about that. The Hero Commission made an announcement not long ago. Congratulations, you must be relieved."
"I am, mostly."
"Mostly?"
"I'm glad she'll be free, but... with the way they're planning to do things, we won't be able to stay together. They're going to send her away."
"...I didn't know. I'm sorry."
"That's why I need your advice."
She lifted her gaze to meet his own, and he saw her eyes were forlorn, resigned.
She took a quiet breath before she spoke once more.
"I've been thinking recently, about a lot of things. When I first heard that they plan on keeping us separate, I thought it was absurd; neither of us have any family or friends, neither of us have anywhere to go, I thought the least they could do was let us stay together. Whatever little good that might bring, at least we could support each other a bit, have someone familiar nearby. I know it might not seem like much, but the three of them are the closest thing to family I have. I thought it was unfair, so I was trying to find some way around it, but I'd been thinking for the past few days, and still I couldn't seem to come up with anything that would help. I tried to come up with something, anything, I really did, but I was no further than when I had started. So I stopped for a while. I stopped trying to come up with a solution, stopped focusing so hard, and soon I found my mind wandering. It was then that I began to think about the time before all of this, and I believe I understand some things better now.
"Originally, I thought once the Manager was gone, it would be easy; we would be free, it would all be over, and we could move on to live normal lives as normal people. It hasn't been quite as simple as I thought, unfortunately, but it's made me reconsider the direction I'm going in. I've come to realize that maybe it's better for all of us to start over. It's the only way to forget everything that's happened, really. If we could all start again with a clean slate, leave the past in the past, it would be easier to move on, I think. I know part of that would mean the four of us going our separate ways, and that's what I've been having some trouble accepting.
"We were never particularly close, not all of us anyway. I was there the longest, I saw the children before them disappear, children who were there one day and gone the next. Sometimes there was an indicator, something that happened right before to let us know what was coming, but sometimes there wasn't. They were just... not there anymore. I was the oldest too, so I think I understood a bit more as well. I knew it was pointless. I knew they would disappear too, eventually, or maybe I would be the one to go first, either way, there was never a road out, never a reason to get attached to them. We were never close, but... we were all we had. I suppose I became attached without realizing it. It might not do much good saying this now, but I think, on some level, I do care for them. At the very least, I want them to have good lives after all this is over. I don't know what's going to happen to them once they're released, I don't even know what kind of people they'll be once they get out, really, but I've decided that's ok. The reason I wanted to talk to you was... just to hear it from someone else. If you tell me I should let them go, that I should let what's going to happen, happen... then I will."
The pressure that had been mounting these past few days weighed heavy on her, and it was evident in her words. She sounded beyond her years, as if she had aged a decade somewhere along the way, as if she had spent all her energy and no longer had any more to spare.
Todoroki remained quiet as her words lingered in the air. He couldn't quite read her, couldn't quite tell what she really meant behind those composed eyes and steady gaze, but that wasn't what he was most confused about.
"Why me?" he questioned, finally splintering the warm silence, "You could have gone to anyone."
Unknown smiled faintly. She must have asked herself the same question before, seeing as she didn't need to pause before answering. "I know we're not close, Todoroki, but I believe you know something of what it's like."
A stillness fell over the room once again.
She didn't need to explain what "it" meant; perhaps she couldn't have even if she wanted to, but regardless, they both understood, and the silence was proof enough.
Unknown had always been observant, attentive: a byproduct of a long childhood of walking on eggshells. That was one of the few positives, if you could call it such, that came from being raised by a man like the Manager. It takes one to know one, she supposed.
Todoroki's gaze shifted, becoming unfocused as her request echoed in his mind.
Finally, after a long moment, he spoke.
"I don't believe I can make that choice for you," he stated simply, eyes rising to meet hers once more. "I don't know what the right choice is, I don't know if there is a right choice at all, but you know the three of them better than anyone; if there is a right choice to be made, you're the only one who can make it."
Unknown's eyes lowered a bit, pausing for a moment before drifting towards the window, gazing emptily at nothing in particular as a small, humorless smile appeared on her lips.
"Well that sounds nice and all, but it doesn't really help."
It didn't escape his attention how Unknown gripped her wrist with one hand, holding on so tightly that her knuckles drained white. Her expression was blank, giving away nothing of what was going on in her mind, but he could see her jaw was clenched too tightly to be relaxed. She was nervous: something he had never quite seen before.
"Maybe not, but you know there's no simple answer to what you're asking."
"That's exactly why I just want to decide already. I'm tired of worrying, I just want to pick one and move on."
"It seems to me you already have."
She raised a questioning eyebrow at him, and he took that as reason enough to continue.
"I think you have a strong belief in the three of them, in their ability to survive. You've known them for a long time, they grew up the same way you did: enduring the same things, fearing the same things, and they've survived just like you have. You know they're strong, that's why you've been thinking about starting over. I believe, on some level, you know they'll be ok. I think the difficult part isn't deciding whether or not to let them go, it's knowing that you won't be able to see them as much as anymore after you do. In the end, it's still your decision, but I believe you already know what you'll do. Whatever that may be, you should believe in yourself enough to follow what your mind tells you."
The early afternoon rays spilled easily through the half-open window, blanketing the simple floorboards where they landed with a pleasant warmth, spreading to illuminate even the far nooks and crannies of the room with their bright light. The sun also warmed the skin it touched, offering some bit of gentle, soothing comfort to those it could reach below.
Unknown sighed as she idly rubbed the back of her neck, hands shifting to rest in her lap as her posture loosened just enough to be noticeable. "I never really thought you were the kind to give good advice," she mused, head tilting as her gaze drifted to the window once more. "No offense."
"None taken."
"I guess I should apologize for dumping all this on you, I'm sure you have better things to worry about."
"It's alright, I'm glad to help."
"Well... thanks. I should-"
A loud buzz from somewhere cut her off. Unknown shifted a bit as she searched for her phone in the ruffled sheets behind her; after a moment, her hand found the still-rumbling device, its face alight with an incoming call.
"Oh, one second," she excused herself before quickly rising to her feet and hurrying out of the room, phone already pressed to her ear.
Todoroki glanced after her as the door closed, the sound of muffled voices drifting through incoherently from the other side. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but he decided it would be rude to eavesdrop. He deliberately pulled his attention away from the indistinct conversation, instead distracting himself by letting his gaze wander around the room.
He had only been here twice in total, and the first time he was a bit too preoccupied with his thoughts to take much notice of his surroundings. He noticed the drawings, crafts, and various other handmade decorations, all clearly done by a child, displayed along the walls and atop the desk. He had heard from some of his classmates that Eri spent quite a bit of time with Naoko throughout the week; he assumed these were her handiwork. There were numerous crayon drawings adorning the walls, paper cut-outs taped here and there, and all sorts of little crafts dotting the surface of the dresser or lining the edges of the desk, but aside from those, there was no sign of any personal items in the room. The bed was made with school-issued sheets, the standard curtains still remained in their place; he knew she probably didn't have much in the way of possessions, but there was nothing here at all. Nothing, that is, until his gaze landed on a cloth bag half-peeking out from under the bed, barely noticeable with the way the sheets partially covered them. He didn't consider himself the type to go sticking his nose into other people's privacy, but curiosity eventually drew him over to the side of the bed, and with a gentle shift of the blanket, the contents of the bag easily came into view. There didn't seem to be anything of note, really: some books, a few school supplies, a pair of shoes, all perfectly unremarkable things for a student to have. He assumed these were from her time at UA- he couldn't see her having much use for a calculator or flashcards otherwise- and he would have come to his senses and stopped himself from prying any further had it not been for a shiny something that caught his eye.
It was tucked a bit further back, underneath a few notebooks, and he could only really see the corner that was peeking out, but the metallic silver shine of the object struck a familiar chord with him. He tilted his head curiously as he tried to figure out what it could be, trying to remember if he had seen it before. He was so occupied with his thoughts, in fact, that he hardly even noticed himself reaching down into the bag until he was already holding the shiny object in his hand. He looked down at it, its noticeable weight pressing against his grip as he instantly identified the silver picture frame: the one he had given Naoko for her birthday last year. The photo peered up at him from behind the framed glass, just the way it had when he placed it there all those months ago. His gaze trailed over the glossy surface for a moment before coming to rest on Naoko. She was grinning brightly then, not a care in the world. He hadn't thought about it much before, but seeing it again after all this time, seeing the way she smiled, he didn't think it could have been fake.
The soft click of the door opening quickly drew his attention away from the photo. He looked up just as Naoko stepped into the room, phone in hand, before turning to quietly shut the door once more. She glanced up at him, about to make her way over, when she abruptly stopped, her gaze trailing down to the silver frame in his hands.
"I... didn't mean to pry," he quickly spoke up, suddenly all too aware of the rather compromising position he was in.
A moment of silence fell between them.
"...it's ok," Unknown stated dismissively, resuming her footsteps as she crossed the room.
For some reason, Todoroki glanced down at the photo once more, his gaze lingering longer than he intended.
"I didn't think you still had this."
"...it was with everything else."
"...I see."
"..."
"..."
"Sorry, it must be strange. I don't have to keep it if it makes you uncomfortable-"
"No, it's alright. I just... hadn't thought about it in a while."
Their conversation lapsed once again, and the silence that filled its place was stiff, yet familiar. After another long moment that likely felt longer than it was, Todoroki extended the frame to her. Unknown's gaze lingered on it for a split second before her hand rose to take it.
"I should get going."
"Yea, sorry for keeping you so long."
Todoroki nodded faintly, remaining for a moment longer before turning and starting towards the door.
"I forgot to ask," he paused, speaking as he glanced behind him once more, "Is everything alright? It sounded urgent," he gestured to the phone in her hand.
"Oh, yea. It was good news, actually. They're going to let me see her off when they release her tonight."
"I see, I'm happy to hear that," he nodded, and for a moment, she thought she saw a faint smile drift across his lips. "I'll see you later then, Naoko."
The door closed quietly behind him, and Unknown found herself lingering where she stood. Her gaze drifted down to the photograph still in her hand, and something long-forgotten stirred in the back of her mind. Something calm. Something hopeful.
_______________________________________________
Unknown's leg bounced impatiently as she checked her phone for the dozenth time in the past minute. She sighed, fiddling with the sleeves of her plain jacket, sitting at the very edge of her bed.
She had been restless for a while now, the anticipation overtaking her normally patient mind, and now that she was mere hours away from Traceback's release, she was as nervous as ever.
A knock sounded at the door, but the person on the other side was hardly even able to make contact before it swung open.
"I see you're ready," Aizawa mused as she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"Not much else to do," she breathed. "We'll make it on time, right?"
"Of course. Let's go, it's a long drive."
The sun was dipping low in the sky by the time they left the school grounds, its pleasant rays casting a slight, warm hue over most of the city. They still had time before it grew dark, and it almost seemed like they were chasing the sun as they zipped along the paved evening streets.
The journey was mostly quiet, the two back seat occupants defaulting to keeping to themselves, gazes cast out the window at the passing scenery.
"You know you'll only be there to say goodbye, right?" Aizawa asked evenly, partially turning to glance her over. Her expression was relaxed, no signs of any tumultuous thoughts brewing in her head.
"I know."
Aizawa examined her quietly, seeming to look for something more.
After a moment, she turned to him, a knowing look on her face. "You don't need to worry about me anymore, Eraser. I'm ok," she smiled. It was faint, barely there, but it was sincere.
Aizawa stared at her for a moment longer before nodding and turning his attention away once more.
"Alright."
It was another few hours before they arrived at the familiar hospital in the nearby city. The sun had mostly set by then, and the sky was alight with the last remnants of the evening's neon sunset by the time they made their way to the designated waiting room. They would meet Traceback here and Unknown would, quite generously, be allowed to walk with her to the police-issued transport waiting just outside the building.
It wasn't much, but it was enough.
"Thanks for everything you've done, Eraser."
Aizawa glanced over at her questioningly, a bit surprised as her quiet words dulled the silence of the otherwise empty room.
"I know I haven't said that before, but better late than never, right?"
He paused briefly before raising a curious eyebrow, "Why the sudden gratitude?"
"Well, I don't know, really. I just thought I should say it at least once."
"I see. Then, you're welcome. I'm glad I could help."
Unknown nodded to herself as the silence resettled between them, clean and comfortable. The only sound now was the rhythmic ticking of the clock hanging on the far wall. Her fidgeting had mostly stopped: her leg had stopped bouncing, her hands now rested in her lap, her gaze focused idly on a plain white tile as she waited.
They had arrived relatively early, so it was no surprise they had to wait a while, yet as the minutes slid by and the scheduled time of Trackback's release came and went, Unknown's worry quickly began resurfacing.
"Any news?" she asked uncertainly as Aizawa checked his phone once again.
"Not yet," he shook his head.
He didn't show it, but the concern was slowly getting to him as well. It wasn't that he expected them to be the most timely people in the world, but the minutes were creeping by and it had already been nearly half an hour since the scheduled time.
"Can you ask one of the staff members?" Unknown suggested worriedly, hoping someone in the hospital might be aware of whatever was holding them up.
Aizawa nodded in agreement and turned towards the door. Before he could even stand up from his seat, however, the door swung open with a sharp bang. Quickly glancing up in surprise, the two were met with half a dozen armed policemen standing tensed, weapons tight in their grasp. The dark-suited man standing at the helm hurried into the room as the pair quickly rose to their feet in confusion.
"What's this? What's happening?" Aizawa demanded sharply, moving to slot himself between the men and Unknown.
"You need to come with us, now," the unfamiliar man gestured at her. Immediately, the armed guards behind him surged forward to surround the both of them, yet their eyes remained shifting and uneasy even as they closed in around them.
They weren't focused on her.
"What's going on? Why are you-"
"You need to come with us right now, we need to move quickly-."
"What in the world is-"
"Listen. The Manager escaped, you may be in danger. Now hurry up, we need to go!"