You tightened your hands into fists and punched. Beating up the leather punching bag, again and again in an attempt to take your mind off your uncle's shady dealings.
You didn't even hear Todoroki's footsteps, though the wooden flooring in the indoor training grounds creaked with the slightest movement.
Staring at you with his thin lips a tad parted, he ran a hand through his hair, at a loss of what to do or say. Though he had been training as well, he had not expected to see you overworking yourself at the indoor training grounds this late in the least. Primarily because of how you had collapsed at today's quirk apprehension test.
He was about to leave when he spotted your bloodied hands. "(y/n), you're... not doing it right."
You kept going at it, making your muscles burn and getting your frustration out of your system.
Your dishevelled appearance was no match for your usual tidier one, Todoroki noted. But he forced himself to look the other way, internally beating himself up for not having walked away already.
As you ran out of breath, you stopped and closed your eyes shut to give yourself a break. And you tensed up as you sensed someone's presence behind you, like a lurking shadow.
It's probably Shoto? I can't tell, but Fuyumi and Natsuo would have said something by now. After picking up your drink from the floor, you propped yourself up.
As you closed your eyes once again, you recognised that he was still there.
Turning around, you wiped the sweat off your brow, as you noticed Todoroki in his sports gear with a small towel around his neck. "Oh..."
However, you soon turned back around from him. The half-and-half boy had blanked you enough times for you to assume that he hadn't meant to disturb you.
Yet, you still looked back, hope lingering in your heart. He was a few steps away from exiting the spacious room when you addressed him, "Thank you for today, Shoto."
He paused for a moment as his jumbled thoughts caught up to him, letting you know that he had heard you.
Why had his curiosity got the better of him? And what was with your strange antics? Did you not know when to give it up?
And, worst of all, why did you have to be so nice to him? Even when everything would be so much easier if both of you kept your interactions to a bare minimum, Todoroki wondered what had made him stay until now.
But, as you waited for his response, he strolled away and shut the door behind him without a word.
You looked down at your sore knuckles. After bandaging them and resuming to beat the shit out of that punching bag, you thought about your hunch about Daiki. It wasn't as if your uncle had committed anything terrible enough to disclose to the police. The briefcase could be filled with legal documents related to his business, for all you knew. Though, the fact that he hid this from you triggered an unsettling feeling. As the claws of uncertainty snatched any optimism away from you, you wished that you would have never peeked under the blanket of lies.
---
The constant chatter engulfed Lunch Rush Cafeteria, which buzzed with life as some students ate their meals, while others strode in various directions, carrying their trays. You concluded that the food was far superior to your old school's as you took another bite of your lunch.
"I'm really looking forward to today's hero training. How about you guys?" Uraraka said after she placed her tray on the table next to yours.
Midoriya choked on his bite of fish. "Y-yeah, I heard that All Might might be teaching our class."
Iida gave Midoriya another pat on the back. "Yes, I'm most definitely looking forward to it. U.A.'s hero course is so prestigious for a good reason. We can never be complacent about what's to come."
Midoriya perceived your lack of engagement in the conversation, as well as the dark bags under your eyes. "Are you alright, (l/n)?"
You quickly straightened your back at the dark green-haired boy's question, realising that you had been leaning over the table while you stared into space.
"Yeah, thanks. I didn't get much sleep last night." You flashed the boy a weary smile. You'd passed out from exhaustion on the training grounds. When you woke up at midnight, your back ached, but you weren't too cold, as someone had laid a blanket over you. While you were glad that Shoto's sister took such good care of you, you would have preferred if she had woken you up so you could have slept in your bed instead.
"Me, too! I was way too excited for today," Uraraka said.
"Sleep is a critical necessity for us hero students. We must be prepared to give our training our all."
"Yeah, I was up training 'til late. I think I might have overdone it," you replied to Iida.
You let out a rather self-deprecating laugh, which made Iida steeple his fingers as he prepared to give out another of his well-meaning, but mind-numbing lectures.
Nevertheless, Midoriya beat Iida to it when he changed the subject. "By the way, (l/n), I was meaning to ask you about your quirk. Ah, if you don't mind, of course!"
Toying with the left-over stir fried vegetables, you remembered that you were yet to ask him about how he knew about you before both of you met. Midoriya was far too sweet to be a stalker, which made you want to put a hand against your forehead.
So, you nodded, as you stifled a laugh at his frantic nature. "Yeah, I don't mind it at all. Go for it, Deku."
"Thank you so much, (l/n)." Midoriya reached out for a tattered notebook under the canteen's table.
"Aha, that's why you asked me earlier. That's so clever, Deku." Uraraka's cinnamon brown eyes brightened. "Does it help you analyse other people's abilities?"
"Y-yeah, I like to learn from others."
Your chat was interrupted by a third-year student. She was so shy that you barely had the chance to ask her about the neat note she handed to you. The short girl made her way back to her friends as soon as you took the message.
Reading the piece of paper in front of your three classmates, you furrowed your eyebrows. "I'm sorry, Deku, but I've gotta excuse myself now. See you guys later?"
Nodding, Midoriya said, "Yeah, for sure, (l/n)."
Iida's hand chopped through the air as he saluted you. "Please, make sure you drink some water and take a rest if you find the time. It will not make up for your lack of sleep, nonetheless."
Uraraka gave Iida a funny sideways glance before she beamed as she waved her hand goodbye at you. "See you later!"
---
Looking out the floor-length windows, you took in the clear sky and the bustling city further down the lush hill. The principal's office smelled like freshly made tea.
"Hello, young (y/n). Please, take a seat. As I am sure you are aware, I am Nezu, U.A.'s Principal." He poured a cup of tea for himself before offering you one. With great agility, he scooped a few spoonfuls of sugar into his drink with his white paws.
You took a seat on the leather sofa opposite his desk. Trying to stop yourself from fidgeting out of nervousness, you placed your hands on your lap. "Thank you, Mr. Principal."
"I hope you're settling in well to class 1-A. You see, here at U.A. we pride ourselves in taking the utmost care for our students. Your homeroom teacher, Mr. Aizawa, raised some concerns to me."
The image of your uncle popped into your mind, making you question whether you should have disclosed what you saw yesterday afternoon to your teachers.
"There's no need to worry. You have done no wrong, young (y/n)."
You mentally sighed in relief, and nodded along to Nezu's words."Oh, okay."
"I will be direct," he said as a warning shot. "We are conscious that you are living at the same address as Shoto Todoroki. How do you feel about your current housing situation?"
"It's okay because it's the only way I can come to U.A. Still, I miss my dad, but the plan is that I visit home every other weekend."
He nodded, with not much difference of expression on his mousy face. "Not an ideal situation for you, I understand. However, you currently feel safe at the Todoroki household?"
"Yeah. Shoto and I don't talk much, but his sister is really kind to me."
"So you are well taken care of. What about Mr. Todoroki? Do you talk to him at all?" Nezu lifted his cup of tea from his desk, taking a small sip as he eyed you.
You shook your head, wondering why the principal wanted to speak to you about this. "Um, not really. I haven't seen Endeavor much in the week I've lived there. I think he's busy with his hero duties."
"I see. Thank you for answering with such openness and honesty. If there are ever any concerns regarding your living arrangements, please do not hesitate to inform your homeroom teacher, is that understood? We will soon finish constructing a set of brand-new dorms, which we could potentially use to house you."
You nodded, now seeing the reason you'd been called in today: safeguarding.
"Do you have any other concerns?"
You gripped your skirt, struggling to find the right words. You pondered whether they would think less of your integrity if you were you willing to turn a blind eye to cover up for your family.
What kind of hero would do that? It's not right, but it's gonna sound too far-fetched, crazy even, if I declared something like this.
If you had more concrete evidence, then you could raise your suspicions. "None at the moment. Thank you for your time, Mr. Principal."
"No, thank you for yours, young (y/n). I wish you all the best for this afternoon's hero training exercise." Nezu waved you goodbye before giving a calculating look down at your school record, neatly arranged on his office's desk.
You bowed before heading out of the door. As you walked down the corridor to your homeroom, you didn't realise the dire mistake you had just made. But, perhaps, you were still not aware of the responsibility which had been placed on your shoulders.