The Monday after I hung out with Bakugo everything was back to normal. I got to class on time and greeted Aizawa, who was laying on the ground in his caterpillar sleeping bag.
"Good morning, sensei", I said with a small smile. "Glad to see your bandages are finally off."
"You're awfully early, (l/n)", he commented in his usual dead tone. "Do you need something?"
"No", I shrugged as I put my bag down by my usual seat. "But I woke up early and I wanted to get out of the house."
"I see", Aizawa said and he got out of his sleeping bag. "I need to prepare for homeroom. I'll be back."
With that he left the classroom. I walked up to the window and looked outside.
Pretty day. Lots of sunshine.
I passed the time I had until class started by exploring more of UA. I'd never been to the parts of the building where the other courses were, so I decided to check them out.
It was rather boring. The halls were the same and the classrooms were even less interesting than ours. I saw only one interesting thing there.
"Hi, Shinso", I said as I saw him leaning against the wall in a hallway. "Nice work during the Sports Festival."
He looked up from his phone like I was an annoyance. I didn't care. I knew I could be very annoying.
"And you are...?", Shinso said in a bored tone.
Alright he really does remind me of Aizawa. It's creepy.
"(Y/n)", I answered. "(Y/n) (l/n). Nice to officially meet you. I think I first saw you when you declared war to my class."
There was no mean undertone in my voice. I was just stating a fact.
Shinso raised his eyebrows.
"You're in 1-A?", he asked.
"Yup", I answered with a small smile.
"Then you better leave right now."
I furrowed my brows.
"Why?", I asked.
"Because your homeroom is on the other side of the building and the bell will ring in about 20 seconds", Shinso said.
"Shit", I muttered under my breath as I checked the time. "I'll see you some other time, Shinso-kun!"
"Whatever", he muttered as I started running.
Although I was at school insanely early, I arrived at class late.
"(L/n)", Aizawa said in an irritated tone as I opened the door. "How is it that you were here 45 minutes before class started, and you're still late?"
"I'm sorry, sensei", I said as I tried to control my breathing. "I was on the other side of the building. At general studies."
"I don't care. Sit down."
I gulped and did as he said. Aizawa took one last look around the class before he continued the normal lesson.
"Today you'll be deciding on your hero names", he stated.
My eyes widened.
Hero names?! Noooo, I suck at thinking of names!
"But first, concerning the hero internships I mentioned earlier...", Aizawa continued. "It's based on who the heroes think will be ready to join their workforce in two or three years. So you could say it's a way for them to say they're interested in your future."
I wonder if I got any offers. I don't really care about most of them, but I need an offer from this 'Guardian'. They're the only one who might be able to help me with the whispers.
"Now, here are the complete draft pick numbers", Aizawa said as he gestured to the board.
~~
CLASS A DRAFT PICK TOTALS
TODOROKI: 4,123
BAKUGO: 3,456
(L/N): 3,268
TOKOYAMI: 360
IIDA: 301
KAMINARI: 272
YAOYOROZU: 108
KIRISHIMA: 68
URARAKA: 20
SERO: 14
~~
I was surprised Midoriya's name wasn't on the board.
"Usually it's more spread out", Aizawa commented. "But our top three stole most of the spotlight."
"Gah, they're in a whole other league!", Kaminari complained.
"These pro's have no eye for talent", Aoyama agreed.
"Didn't they get the first three all messed up?", Kirishima asked.
"Guess they were scared of the guy who was literally chained to the winner's stand", Sero commented.
"WHAT THE HECK ARE THE PRO'S DOING GETTING INTIMIDATED?!", Bakugo yelled.
I smiled and shook my head as their conversation continued.
"Well done as usual, Todoroki-kun", Yaoyorozu said. "You too, (y/n)."
"Thank you, Yao-momo", I answered.
"It's mostly just my father's influence", Todoroki mumbled.
On the other side of the class, Uraraka was going wild because she got offers.
"With that settled", Aizawa said, shutting the whole class up. "Whether or not you got any offers, you will all be getting a chance to work alongside the pro's. It's true that you've experienced more than most, but seeing the pro's in action and taking part in it yourself will still be worthwhile."
"That's where our hero names come in!", Sato said.
"This really is getting fun!", Uraraka exclaimed.
"They're only tentative, but still you'll want to pick something appropriate...", Aizawa said.
"Or else you'll know true hell!", another voice said. "The name you pick... May be what the world ends up calling you. That happened to plenty of heroes out there!"
"Yes, true enough", Aizawa agreed. "And Midnight will be here to check the sensibilities of the names you pick."
Awesome. I'm going to need a good name.
"What kind of future do you see for yourself?", Aizawa continued. "The name you choose will bring you ever closer to cementing a certain image, because names are capable of reflecting one's true character."
We all got a piece of cardboard to write our names on. I didn't really have any inspiration, so I watched the others. I especially liked Tokoyami's hero name.
'Jet Black hero: Tsukuyomi'
Bakugo went through several failed attempts of picking a name. Everything he came up with had something to do with death, which wasn't approved by Midnight.
Uraraka settled for the name Uravity, and Asui picked Froppy. I thought their names really suited them. I finally thought of something and wrote it down. Then I raised my hand.
"Yes, (l/n)!", Midnight said. "Show us what you've got!"
I got up and walked to the front of the class.
"For my hero name, I'd like...", I turned my paper so the entire class could see. "Wraith."
(You can think of your own name but I'm going with Wraith because I thought it sounded cool.)
"Sounds awesome!", Midnight said. "Like something very dangerous and efficient! What's your inspiration?"
I smirked and looked at her.
"Death from above", I grinned. "Metaphorically speaking."
I chuckled as I heard sounds of approvement throughout the class. Everyone knew that I liked to attack from above, as I'd done plenty of times during the Sports Festival. Midnight nodded and wrote it down.
As I walked back to my seat I passed Bakugo, who seemed very grumpy. I put my paper down on my desk before walking up behind him.
I put my hands on his shoulder and bent down a little. He tensed, making me smile.
"You know, Katsuki", I whispered in his ear. "There is a nickname you've had for years that you could use. You just don't want to admit it. It's the perfect hero name for you."
With that I left him and sat down in my own seat. I turned to Todoroki, who was staring in front of him.
"Sho-chan?", I asked, gaining his attention. "Do you have an idea for your hero name yet?"
"I do", he answered. "I really like yours. It suits you."
"Thanks", I smiled.
The class went on as my classmates thought of their hero names. Eventually Midoriya chose 'Deku', which I really liked. I was surprised Iida and Todoroki went with their first names, but it was their choice so I didn't interfere.
"Your internships start in a week", Aizawa stated. "For this important decision I'll be handing out personalized lists to those who were drafted. You may chose from among those who scouted you. For those who did not get drafted... The list I just passed out contains 40 agencies from all over the country who are willing to accept interns. You will choose one from that list."
I really hope Guardian saw me during the Festival and offered me an internship.
Aizawa handed out the personalized lists and continued talking about how important it was to pick a good internship. I wasn't really paying attention to his words because I was already scanning through my list. I got a whole stack of papers, since there were only 90 agencies on every page, and I got over 3000 offers.
"Huh?!", I stammered as I double checked. "I got an offer from Endeavor hero agency?!"
"That's a great opportunity, (y/n)", Yaoyorozu said. "He is the no. 2 hero after all."
Yeah, and one of my best friends' dad. Oh, and he scares the hell out of me.
"Yeah", I awkwardly said. "You're right."
I continued looking through my list of offers. I didn't rush, because I didn't want to miss the offer I was looking for. When I finally found it, I noticed that it did stand out a bit. The offer just said 'Guardian'. Not 'Guardian hero agency', or anything like that.
I filled out my form with desired internships.
On number one was of course Guardian. On number two I put Hawks, just because I thought it could be interesting. I was very surprised he drafted me. He was the no. 3 hero after all. I put Endeavor on number three. It took some guts, but I figured I could learn a lot from him.
I was surprised with the amount of offers I got, but especially with the heroes who drafted me. The no. 2 and no. 3 offered me an internship. If I weren't completely sure Guardian would be the best choice, I definitely would've gone with Hawks. I'd been a fan of him ever since I learned of his existence.
(I just realized Hawks probably hasn't been shown in the anime yet??
So yeah, this is Hawks.
He's amazing.
I love him.)
I didn't think I would need my number two and three choices, because I was sure Guardian would accept me, but I filled them in just in case. I gave Aizawa my list that same day.
Then it was time for English class. But it was Monday, meaning that I was definitely going to skip it.
"Takami-san...", I mumbled as I walked up to the indigo-haired boy in the training room. "You're not standing by the wall!"
Tamaki looked at me with a neutral expression, like usual. Suddenly Mirio appeared next to him out of the floor, scaring me half to death in the process.
"Mirio!", I breathed. "Jesus Christ you scared the shit out of me!"
"Language", Tamaki said in a low tone.
I sighed and tried to slow my heartbeat.
"You never told us you were in class 1-A", Mirio said.
"You never asked", I retorted.
"Regardless, you did well placing second in the Sports Festival!", Mirio praised me.
"You actually watched the first year's Festival?", I asked in a surprised tone.
"Of course we did", Tamaki said.
"We had to see you in action", Mirio added.
"Thanks", I said with a small smile. "I wanted to watch the third year's Festival, but I completely forgot about it because of my friend. Sorry. How'd it go for you?"
"It was okay", Mirio shrugged.
"I don't like the Sports Festival", Tamaki commented. "Too many people."
I couldn't imagine Tamaki feeling at home in an arena like that. He refused to train when I was around. Let alone an entire stadium full of cheering people.
"Why'd you give up in the finale?", Tamaki then asked. "You could've easily continued."
"I know", I answered. "But I kind of lost myself during the match against Shoto. I didn't want to hurt Katsuki in the same way, so I decided to give up. I knew it would hurt his ego, but I never expected it to be so bad that they needed to restrain him."
"He sure was... energetic", Mirio commented.
"I know he can be a bit much, but he's actually really nice", I said. "Once you get past his tsundere attitude."
"You seem awfully interested in this guy", Tamaki said.
"What?!", I asked as I felt my cheeks turn bright red. "Me? Interested in Katsuki?"
"Well you do call him by his first name", Mirio said. "And that Todoroki boy too."
"Because they're my friends!", I argued.
"Sure they are", Tamaki said.
A small smirk pulled at his lips. Like an actual smirk.
They're teasing me. They're really teasing me. What are they, twelve?!
"Alright, time for training!", I quickly said as I tried to hide my embarrassment.
I wanted to put my hands on both of their shoulders to turn them around and move their attention from me to their class, but Mirio activated his quirk and made me lose my balance as my hand went right through him. I would've fallen flat on my face if it weren't for Tamaki, who caught me.
My blush intensified and I quickly scrambled back.
"Y-You're making it worse!", I said. "Just go train or something!"
I turned to the wall to get my mind off what Mirio and Tamaki said. I absorbed darkness and blasted it at the wall.
Am I... interested in Katsuki? Or Shoto?
I yelped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Mirio standing next to me.
"The wall's broken already, (y/n)", he said as he pointed at the wall.
I quickly stopped using my quirk when I saw the damage I'd done.
"No fair!", I complained as I removed Mirio's hand from my shoulder. "You can use your quirk to stop people from touching you, so don't scare me by suddenly touching me!"
"That's true", Mirio chuckled. "I'll leave you be. Just try not completely ruining the wall."
I breathed out through my nose as I watched Mirio walk back to Tamaki. Both boys returned to their class. I flinched and yelped again when another hand touched my shoulder.
I let out a sigh when I saw who it was.
"Cementoss", I mumbled. "Sorry for breaking the wall again."
"That's okay, (l/n)", he assured me. "Try to take it easy. Using more delicate attacks is also important. Try training that."
"I will. That you, sensei."
Cementoss nodded and and fixed the wall before he walked back to his own class. I took a deep breath before I got back to training.
The week until our internships started flew past. In the end, I did get accepted for my internship with Guardian. I had no idea what they'd be like.
Everyone from class 1-A was gathered at the train station.
"You all have your costumes, right?", Aizawa asked. "Wearing them in public without your guardian is prohibited, but make sure you keep them with you."
'Guardian' hehe. That's funny because the hero Guardian is called guardian.
Why is my humor so bad?
After I said goodbye to my classmates I went on my way. I was surprised to see Bakugo on the same train.
"Katsu-chan!", I said as I slid down in the seat next to him. "You're also headed to Tokyo?"
"Yes", he grunted.
"Where is your internship?", I asked.
"Best Jeanist", the ash blonde answered.
"The fiber hero: Best Jeanist?", I asked with amazement. "That's the no. 4 hero! It's awesome that he drafted you!"
"Yeah, I think I might be able to learn something from him", Bakugo answered. "I only picked him because he is the no. 4. Where are you going? Did you get any interesting offers?"
Although he still sounded grumpy, I enjoyed having a normal conversation with Bakugo. Usually he complained about things and yelled, but now he was pretty cool.
"I'm going to a hero named Guardian", I said. "I've never heard of them, but Aizawa-sensei said it would be a good choice. He said Guardian has the same quirk I do."
"Really? Maybe they can help you with the whispers."
"Exactly", I said with a nod. "That's why I picked them. It's a shame though, I really wanted to follow an internship with Hawks."
"You got an offer from Hawks?", Bakugo asked in a surprised tone.
"Yes!", I said as my fangirl mode involuntarily activated. "Could you imagine patrolling the city with him?"
"I think you're overreacting a bit", Bakugo grunted.
"Sorry", I awkwardly said. "I've just been a fan of him for quite a long time. I think he's amazing."
"Sure he is", Bakugo muttered. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep though."
"Alright", I answered. "You're going to the same stop as me, right?"
Bakugo nodded before he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to sleep. I couldn't help but stare at him.
He's really pretty when he's not scowling.
"Stop staring at me", Bakugo snapped.
I quickly averted my eyes.
"I wasn't staring at you", I lied.
"Sure", the ash blonde scoffed.
I ignored him as I scrolled through my phone. The train ride was pretty long, and Bakugo slept nearly the entire time. A few minutes after he fell asleep he moved to rest his head on my shoulder, which was somehow incredibly cute to me.
Oh god, stop your thoughts right there.
When we neared our stop I turned my head to look at Bakugo. He was peacefully sleeping. I placed my hand on the side of his face.
"Katsuki", I whispered. "We're almost there. Wake up."
He stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake up. I stroked his cheek with my thumb.
"Katsuki", I said again, a little louder than before. "Wake up."
Again, he didn't wake up. In fact he snuggled closer to me, which made me blush.
"Katsu-chan", I whispered.
His eyes snapped open and he looked at me. When he realized what was happening he quickly retreated and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair.
"We're almost there", I mumbled. "Don't fall sleep again."
"Right", he murmured.
When the train stopped we both got out. Unfortunately we had to separate there, because the address I got for Guardian was in the other direction than Best Jeanist's agency. I said goodbye to Bakugo before I went on my way.
I had to walk for about fifteen minutes until I reached my destination. It was a pretty large building with a nice looking front door.
I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. I heard shuffling inside before the door opened. It was a tall woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She had silky black hair and pretty gray eyes.
"Welcome, Wraith!", she greeted me. "Please, come in."
"Thanks", I mumbled as I followed her inside.
We entered a nicely decorated hall with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
"I'm Guardian", the woman said. "But I think you guessed that already."
"Yeah, I figured", I shyly answered. "Please, call me (y/n)."
"Alright, (y/n)", Guardian said. "I suppose I'll tell you my real name as well."
My eyes widened at her next words.
"My name is Ruma", she said with a small bow. "Ruma Aizawa."