~~~
The day went by swiftly, only to be replaced with the next. Kira's beating heart had significantly alleviated after Mina's assurance over her chattering lips. She promised she would keep her rumours concealed, though Kira knew she was probably itching to tell someone, anyone.
Midoriya was also free of his house arrest today, leaving the furious Bakugou with his reflections. She was curious as to what the duo discussed during her absence - there were just... things she overheard that she probably shouldn't have. Just snippings of discontinued conversations.
They usually always abruptly ended with a torrent of harsh language from Katsuki Bakugou.
It always made Kira wonder how Kirishima profusely sticks by his side, despite the constant violent tendencies that grow and explode from the boy. After all, her partner already struggles with his own image. Even though he hides that part of himself most of the time, Kira can poke through the facade, mainly because of her witnessing the black-haired Kirishima from the alternate reality.
Only because of him, did she open her stupid eyes. Only because of him, did she see the pain he holds deep inside.
She's just waiting for him to choose when he feels comfortable enough to share it with her. After all, Kira's already made the mistake of prodding the hideous bear that is Bakugou, only resulting in his further distaste of her.
Yeah, Kirishima will open up in time. She has to trust him.
Kira shrugged on her bag, blinking quickly to rid herself of sudden, unwanted tears and accompanies her classmates across the street and to UA.
Her thoughts always find a way to wiggle their way to the front of her mind, finding their priority in her naive life. It's that naivety that's put her in the position in the first place.
Kira's swept along with the wave that is her classmates, allowing the tide to turn her into her classroom.
To be entirely truthful, Kira hasn't got any idea what she's doing.
"You guys!" Kira stops taking her books out her bag, her hand frozen in place, as she turns her attention to the doorway. "I'm so very sorry about my behaviour!"
"Oh - it's no worries, man!" Kaminari pipes up, waving his arms at the fuming Midoriya.
"Iida!" Midoriya turns to the class rep, bowing repeatedly, with his arms locked at his sides. "I'm sorry for everything!"
"Uh.. sure thing, Midoriya!" Iida returns the energy, slightly confused but all the while accepting the apology.
"I'm going to try my best to catch up with everything I missed out on and you'll never see me screw up ever again!" Midoriya blurts out and the whole class merely blinks at his enthusiasm.
"Okay." The dull voice of Mr Aizawa appears behind Midoriya and the boy freezes. Everyone's scared of Mr Aizawa. "That's enough of that. Don't you think?"
Midoriya nods eagerly and rushes to his seat with no further fuss.
"Now that Midoriya's back, we'll go into more detail about what the work studies entail," Aizawa explains, causing Kira to frown. She was here yesterday and didn't hear about this. It must have been something her classmates have been briefly told about a few days prior to the end of her house arrest. "Go ahead and come in."
All heads turn to the door as it slides open and three students enter 1A's classroom.
"I'll have people who've experienced them first hand explain," Aizawa adds. "I suggest you listen carefully as they point out how work studies differ from internships. These three are third years from UA. They rank at the very top of our student body. You may know them as: 'The Big Three'."
The class continues to gush over the newcomers, gawking and cooing and whispering to one another. Mina expresses her excitement the most, practically leaping off her chair and punching her fists in the air.
"Of all the talented students here, they're the ones at the top," Iida announces.
"They're on a different level," Momo decides to add. "Still in school, but practically pro heroes."
Kyoka stares at the three students beside Aizawa, unable to tear her gaze away. "If they're as good as I hear, then they're the students we should be chasing after."
"Get to it," Aizawa interrupts the commotion. "Introduce yourselves briefly. Lets start with Amajiki."
At the mention of his name, the purple-haired student at the far right of the trio sends the students a daring, intense stare. It sends chills up Kira's back - it makes her ponder on what potential they have to be able to inspire such exhilaration amongst them with a single glance.
"It's no good," Amajiki says, his voice quiet. It's only then that Kira notices that he's actually shaking, trembling in front of them all. "You two go. I just can't. Even if I try to imagine them as potatoes, I can see their human bodies. I know that they're still people. No words are coming out, my mind's blank and my mouth is dry. I can't say anything. I wanna-" it's at this point, the third-year student whirls around to face the wall - "go home!"
"Oh, okay," Ojiro says timidly, being in the front row. "So, um, are you really one of UA's top heroes?"
"Come on, Amajiki!" The female of the big three tries to cheer up her comrade. "You need to have the heart of a lion! Not a kitten. Y'know, even though you're human. Get what I mean?" She turns to face Kira and her classmates. "This is our kitten: Tamaki Amajiki and hi, my name is Nejire Hado. I'm supposed to talk about work studies - you first years have a really exciting time ahead of you.
"Hey, wait, hold on." Nejire interrupts her own lecture by approaching Shoji. "Why are you wearing a mask? Is it because you're feeling sick or are you just trying to look cool?"
"Uh, well..." Shoji stammers for a response.
To be honest, no one knows why Shoji wears a mask and Kira would be lying if she says she wasn't the tiniest bit curious. However, Shoji is relieved of the prodding question as she eyes Kira with innocent inquisitiveness.
"You must be Akira Kiriya, am I right?"
"Uh, yeah." Kira blinks at the girl as she practically slides over to her.
"Wow!" Hado gawks as she raises Kira's head back to gaze upon her scar on her neck. "So it is true! I never got to see it in person before, but you really did get taken and burnt by the League of Villains! Does it still hurt or maybe even itch? Ooh, I bet you have nightmares about it all the time!"
Kira frowns at the incessant questions and peels the girl's hands off her neck, giving her a light shove. She's never been so embarrassed in front of her classmates before.
Kira's brain tumbles with a list of needless insults, so Kira settles for some maturity. "It's really none of your business, don't you think?"
"Oh, well." She simply shrugs. "You and Todoroki look like quite the pair now!" Kira blinks at that response - not even the hint of an apology. "Speaking of - how'd you get your scar?" Hado skips over to Todoroki, to which he sends her a dismissive reply.
Kira had begun today's lesson looking up to The Big Three, hoping that they'd be able to offer some advice at the very least. But, all they've done is embarrass her so far. Not to mention, the other one has some kind of stage fright. Not entirely useful.
Kira hated to think, but she could really do with some of Bakugou's boisterous, uncaring insults right about now. Really whip them into shape, but Kira holds her tongue.
Hado has spent the last few minutes asking Mina a bunch of persistent, insensitive questions, poking her horns, despite her quiet pleas to stop.
Aizawa seems to be glowing with absolute rage on the sidelines, glaring at the final third year who has yet to introduce themselves. "This is completely irrational."
"Oh! There's no need for you to worry, Eraserhead," he says. "I'm up next and I'll get the audience refocused. The future's gonna be...!!"
He leans forward, as if expecting the students to know how the sentence is supposed to conclude.
"Gonna be what?" Sero asks finally, his expression an exact copy as everyone else.
"Awful! That's your part guys!" He cheers, before leaning back with his hands on his hips.
It's at this point, that Kira's starting to lose her patience. She never really has been a particularly patient individual, but this right here... this is totally unforgivable.
"Is it just me, or are they all a bunch of weirdos?" Sato leans over his desk to chat with Koda and Tokoyami. "What's the deal?"
"Their strangeness is palpable," Tokoyami says quietly.
"Okay," the blonde continues, once he seems to have settled down. "You guys look like you have no idea what's going on. I guess we are third years who just showed up in your classroom to explain a program that's completely voluntary. I can see how you'd be confused by that. You guys got your provisional licenses as first years, right?"
Kira feels herself sink further into her seat - she wonders if Todoroki can feel the same deep, everlasting pit in his stomach. Of course they were gonna mention the provisional license exam.
"This batch of new students have proven to be pretty darn energetic," he continues. "So, the problem is, you must not have a sense of humour. That's why my joke didn't land."
"Don't do it," Amajiki mumbles, lifting his head from the wall slightly.
"Hands up! The rad new plan is all you first years fight me at once!"
"What!?" The class exclaim in unison.
"You wanna fight us?" Kirishima inquires.
"What? Like now?" Sero wonders.
The third-year turns to Aizawa. "Well, if you want them to experience our experience, this is a pretty rational way of doing it then. Right, Eraserhead?"
Aizawa simply blinks at him. "Do whatever you want."
~
The students have ushered out the door and before long class 1A was in their PE gear in the same training gym where they practised their ultimate moves. That seemed so long ago already.
"Is this guy... for real?" Sero says, as they all watch this third-year student stretch his legs out, readying himself for combat.
"Come on, you can't be serious?" Akira questions, stepping forward from the sidelines.
"I most certainly am," the strong-willed student answers, moving to work on his arms.
Kira crosses her arms over her chest, balancing her weight on her hip. "Surely you're not underestimating us? We have taken on real-life villains, after all. Some of us more than once."
"Is that so?" He perks up at the comment, standing up straight to face the class 1A students. "Let's see how much of that talent you can put into this fight then."
"Kiriya."
She turns to the monotone voice behind her. "Todoroki?" She tilts her head as he stands by the wall beside Mr Aizawa. "What's up with you?"
"We didn't pass the licensing exam," he says bluntly. "I don't think we should take part in this training exercise."
Kira watches Todoroki's serious expression, his tone sincere and his words true. They didn't pass, he's right about that, but what exactly is she going to achieve just by watching?
She turns back to the others, without moving a step towards them, and continues to listen intently to Amajiki as he mumbles with his head against another wall.
"You do what you wanna do," Kira replies finally, turning just her head back to her classmate and Aizawa. "But how do you expect to improve just by standing there?"
Todoroki lowers his head in understanding but doesn't make a move to follow her as she jogs back to her classmates. It seems they've separated themselves into close-distance fighters at the front of the group and long-distance fighters at the back.
Kira steps to the back of the group, waiting beside Kyoka as she readies her earphone jacks.
"You had better all be ready!" Their attacker challenges, before sprinting towards them all with shocking speed.
Kira barely had time to roll up her sleeves before she had to brighten up her arms, allowing her skin to turn green. She doesn't want to seriously hurt this student after all.
Besides, there's no way he can take them all on.
~~~