"How lovely to finally meet you kids."
The three of you sit across from Uwabami at her extravagant desk. The entire room, including her, is beautiful and highly embellished.
Uwabami sits with her hands interlocked on the table and her legs crossed underneath. She's intimidatingly attractive.
"How wonderful to meet you as well." Yaoyorozu smiles brightly. She's been really looking forward to get some field experience. She leans forward, polite and attentive.
Kendo nods and offers a small grin of her own. "Yeah, likewise. I'm looking forward to working with you, Mrs. Uwabami."
Uwabami beams prettily at the two girls before looking at you expectantly.
You try to smile without teeth but it comes out . Although you look very polite, it's not appealing. You drop it as soon as you start speaking. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Uwabami."
"What was that."
Yaoyorozu and Kendo visibly flinch back at Uwabami's tone.
Her slit pupils grow smaller somehow. The smile has dropped from her face and the snakes in her hair hang forward passive-aggressively.
"If...if I may speak," Yaoyorozu starts courageously, "[L/n] does not know how to smile."
Uwabami blinks. "What?"
Kendo is equally as confused as Uwabami. She leans over and whispers to you with a raised brow, "What the heck was that?"
You turn your head to Kendo. "I was smiling. I am assuming it was not correct."
Uwabami studies you from across the desk. She leans her elbows on the table, narrowing her eyes as she scans your face. You stare back with a blank expression.
After a few seconds, she huffs. "Well, we'll have to work on that. We can't possibly have you in the commercial if you can't at least smile." Shockingly, she doesn't ask for an explanation. Yaoyorozu sighs in relief. You not being able to smile was one of the few things she didn't know enough about to explain.
Kendo studies you from the corner of her eye. Uwabami wasn't the only one with unspoken questions.
Then the three of you simultaneously realize the last part of her sentence.
You all blink. Commercial?
You nod to yourself. I know what a commercial is.
Uwabami rises. "The changing rooms are at the right end of the hall. Go change." She claps her hands twice. "Chop-chop."
You all nod, and suitcases in tow, you bow and leave the room. The girls' changing room is to the left at the end of the hall and boys' to the right.
Kendo comes out first, then Yaoyorozu. They idly chat as they wait for you.
Inside the boys' changing room, you're struck with realization. Your armor fits a tad tighter than usual around your left leg now.
You blink. I have gained muscle.
[Achievement Get!] Big Mascle.
You carefully shimmy into the rest of your armor before picking up your helmet. "No hats indoors." You exit the changing room with your helmet carefully held with both arms.
"Ah." Kendo looks at it with mild interest. "You wore that at the Sports Festival, didn't you?"
You nod. "Yes."
As your trio starts to move, Yaoyorozu says kindly, "It's very cute."
"It is cute?"
"Yes indeed." She laughs at your vaguely confused expression. It was just the tiniest shift in the position of your eyebrows that gave it away, but Yaoyorozu was highly observant.
She smiles and turns forward. So he can make facial expressions after all.
On the way to the back entrance of the agency, Uwabami briefs you on what you're going to do today. "Today is highly important, kids. Can you guess why?"
Yaoyorozu's hand immediately shoots up to Kendo's amusement. "We will be helping people?"
"Indeed! Indeed we will." Uwabami turns around to directly face you. "I have a fan event today."
Oh, is the collective, dumb-founded thought between the two girls of your trio. You, meanwhile, shuffle your feet. You had no idea what a fan event was and you couldn't ask because Uwabami was here. Were you really going into this blind?
You immediately think to Melissa. I am sorry...I have wasted this opportunity to become a Hero that you've given me by being blind--
"A fan event is where a celebrity meets and talks to fans and signs their autographs."
Your head quickly turns to Yaoyorozu. She smiles back at you warmly.
"Thank you, Yaoyorozu. I have been wondering that. Do you know what I'm thinking?"
"I figured you were confused."
Uwabami and Kendo watch the weird exchange with cartoony beads of sweat on their heads.
"Well, no time to waste." Uwabami turns back forward and walks a bit faster. "I have a reputation to maintain! Full speed ahead!"
After a ride in Uwabami's limo, you're all dropped off on a sidewalk in front of a park. The area has already been sectioned off by roadblocks, and Uwabami's adoring fans are everywhere.
As she talks to them, signs their stuff, and talks to the camera, you kids awkwardly stand off to the side.
Kendo frowns. "This really wasn't what I had in mind when I decided I wanted to intern here..."
"Based on the commercial she mentioned earlier and the photos she wanted, we're just here because of our faces." Yaoyorozu, standing tall and with crossed arms, tries her best to be optimistic. "However, a small portion of the internship might include actual field work. Let's remain hopeful."
Meanwhile, you internally debate taking your helmet off.
I am not in combat, but I am still outside. Do I need to wear Melissa's helmet?
No, I shouldn't be so weak in my conviction. A disaster may arise at any time, just like at the U.S.J.
Kendo looks at you with exasperation. She's only known you for a few hours, but she can already tell by your odd silence that the is all you've got going on inside your head.
She tries not to laugh out loud as she looks forward again. No thoughts, head empty.
Suddenly, a stray paparazzo jogs up to you. "Hey, you're Uwabami's new interns for this year, aren't you? Don't mind if I snap a few pics. You, with the helmet, take it off."
Yaoyorozu is taken aback for the second or third time today. You watch the man carefully, subconsciously spreading your feet farther apart. Kendo moves in front of your group with an irked expression. "Listen, we don't want our photos taken--" She's rudely cut off by a flash to the face.
She growls. "Ow! Watch where you're using that thing--"
Yaoyorozu pulls her back. Her pretty face is contorted with worry. "Are you alright, Kendo?"
Kendo sighs. "Yeah, thanks." She side-eyes the paparazzo, who's attracted a few more of his kind. "Uwabami told us this would happen. Guess there's nothing we can do."
Meanwhile, you stand like a deer in the headlights. Your hackles are up. You've been told to take off your helmet, and the paparazzi keep chiding to you take it off. Your feet are spread and ready to hold your ground.
Kendo lightly elbows you in the rib. "Relax. It's not like they'll attack us. These are just regular people with cameras."
You eye her elbow curiously. Bakugou also elbowed me. Is this common? "They will not attack us? I see." You go back to standing like an idle Sim.
"Hey, take your helmet off!" One of the paparazzi actually approach you and you hold your arms in a defensive X.
"It is against protocol." You have the palm-side of your fists strategically facing away from you. Both Kendo and Yaoyorozu pick up on this.
Kendo quickly lunges forward to pull your arms down. Your eyes widen subconsciously, and Kendo quietly hisses, "Keep your palms facing inward. Don't tell me you planned on using your power against a civilian?"
Yaoyorozu watches, her hands over her mouth and eyebrows furrowed.
Your mouth opens silently. Then you lower your hands to your sides. "I would if it became necessary. Anything is liable to happen."
Kendo watches you with slightly narrowed eyes before pulling back. "Be careful with that."
You think back to when you burned Rin at the sports festival. Shifting to face Kendo, you bow. "I will."
Her eyes soften when you bow, but she says nothing.
An hour later, you're finally allowed to go back into the limo and drive back to the agency.
"Sheesh." Kendo stretches her legs. "My feet hurt from standing so long."
Yaoyorozu pumps a fist. "Perhaps it was part of our endurance training? What a wonderful way to incorporate training into a fan event!"
Kendo tries not to face-palm.
"Hey, kids." Uwabami talks to you from across the limo. "How do you feel working alongside so many cameras?" She points a manicured finger. "As a Hero, you'll always be facing countless cameras, fans, and rude paparazzi. As public figures, there's very little we can do to avoid the publicity. I hope you learned something today."
Yaoyorozu's countless brain cells work hard to conjure a lesson she learned by standing in place for two hours. Kendo smiles uneasily and you play with your hands in your lap.
As Yaoyorozu talks to Uwabami, Kendo takes notice of the pink sensor pads on the tips of your fingers. She blinks. "Woah. You have cat paws."
You hold your hands up to her. "Some of my classmates call them 'toe beans.' But these are not my toes. And they are not beans."
"...Interesting."
"Take care of your skin, alright?" Back at the agency, Uwabami lectures you all on skincare. "Get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water. Don't forget to exfoliate and moisturize. Moisturize your lips too."
After a few more words, you all bid her goodbye and walk towards the train station in your uniforms.
"...What does it mean to 'exofoliate?' And to 'moisturize?'"
Kendo visibly cringes at you. Crusty little man.