"Katsuki! Naoko! You're going to be late for your internships!" Mitsuki hollered from downstairs. The sun had just peeked over the horizon as she yelled for the two students.
"I'm up!" Naoko called, rushing out of her room, already wearing her hero costume. She scrambled down the hall, and as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard a door slam open behind her.
Glancing back, she locked eyes with Bakugo for half a moment before he looked away with a frown. Without a word, she turned and hurried downstairs.
"I'm going now! Bye!" she called back to Mitsuki before quickly unlocking the door and slipping out.
"Bye, sweetie! Katsuki! Hurry the hell up!"
"I'm up, you damn hag!"
"Get moving before I throw you out!"
"Shut up!"
_______________________________________________
"Good morning, sir!" Naoko grinned as she opened the door to a familiar, empty classroom.
"Sit down," Aizawa instructed tiredly as his sullen eyes landed on her, leaning against the chalkboard with his arms crossed.
Naoko cheerfully slid into her seat in the back of the room. "Hey, wasn't it a little mean to put me back here in a row all by myself? It gets kind of lonely."
"With an uneven number of students, there was no choice but to arrange the desks like this. Besides, you don't seem to have any trouble making friends."
"That's because I'm so nice to everyone!"
"Sure. Anyway, All Might has brought up some concerns about your behavior," he sighed, scratching his head.
"Oh? What kind of concerns?" She leaned forward on her elbows, resting her chin atop her hands.
"He's noticed your lack of effort. He thinks you aren't trying as hard as the rest of the class."
"That's not true, sir! My grades are pretty good, last time I checked!"
"It's not about your grades: he's talking about your commitment. He'll probably come talk to you about it soon, so don't be surprised."
"Understood!"
"Why are you in your hero costume? You could have at least worn your uniform to blend in."
"I know, but I haven't had much chance to wear it: I just thought I'd take the opportunity!"
"Right... well, I'm leaving. You can stay in here if you want, just don't leave this floor. Don't give me more work than I already have, got it?"
"Got it!"
_______________________________________________
"Sir, she's the only one in the room right now; a larger heat signature just left."
"She's alone? Where are the other students?"
"According to our intel, they're currently participating in internships at a number of different hero agencies."
"What? And you didn't think to say that before?"
"S-sorry, sir!"
"When do they return?"
"The internships last a total of seven days, sir."
"Fine. Tell everyone to fall back; we won't be able to take her like this."
"Yes sir!"
_______________________________________________
That day, time seemed to pass all too slowly. After what seemed like an eternity of aimless meandering and staring at nothing over here and nothing over there, 5 PM finally arrived at long last.
"I'm back!" Naoko announced cheerfully as she softly closed the front door behind her.
"Welcome back!" Mitsuki greeted, stepping out from the living room with a stack of laundry in hand. "How was your first day?"
"I think it was fun!"
"Good, good! Oh, I don't think you ever told me who your mentor was, dear."
"Oh, right! Sorry, I'm working under-"
The door nearly knocked her over when it slammed open while she was still taking off her shoes. She stumbled backwards, barely dodging a solid hit to the side.
"Hey! That-!" She looked up and froze.
Mitsuki gasped behind her.
"What happened?" Masaru asked worriedly, stepping into view. "Oh. Oh my."
"Katsuki... what happened to your h-"
"Shut up!" he yelled, face burning red as he shrank from their stares, "Don't say a damn word!" He bolted upstairs without even glancing in her direction, the door slamming behind him hard enough to shake the walls.
Mitsuki and Naoko stared after him in confused wonder. For a moment, they exchanged silent glances before bursting into uncontrollable fits of laughter.
"GO TO HELL!"
_______________________________________________
"Hello, Naoko!"
The classroom door slid open, and Naoko looked over from where she lay atop the two desks she had pushed together. "Principal!" she sat up eagerly as the well-dressed mouse stepped into the room, "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd check up on you! How are you doing?" the principal smiled as he hopped into one of the seats next to her.
"Well, it's a little boring these days, but I'm great! Thanks, sir!"
"Did Aizawa already talk to you about what All Might said?"
"Yes, he did. I'm sorry about all the trouble, sir; I know what happened at the festival ended up being a big deal..."
"It's ok, you don't need to worry! A school like UA is always under public scrutiny no matter what we do."
"Still, I feel bad, and I didn't know All Might was worried about me either. I'll try harder from now on!"
"That's good to hear! Just make sure to be careful, alright?"
"Yes sir!"
_______________________________________________
Naoko (9:09 AM):
What?
What do you mean you're in the hospital?
Tragic Backstory (9:10 AM):
I mean I'm in the hospital.
Was I not clear enough?
Naoko (9:10 AM):
I-
What happened?
Are you ok?
Tragic Backstory (9:10 AM):
I'm fine. Midoriya and Iida have injuries worse than mine.
Naoko (9:11 AM):
What happened?
Was there an accident or something?
Tragic Backstory (9:11 AM):
I would like to tell you but I'm afraid I'm not allowed to.
I'm sorry.
Naoko (9:11 AM):
What are you talking about?
How come can't you tell me?
Is it bad?
Tragic Backstory (9:11 AM):
Not particularly, no.
Sorry, I really can't say anything more.
Naoko (9:12 AM):
...
fine
I'm on my way
Tragic Backstory (9:12 AM):
No, you shouldn't come.
Tragic Backstory (9:15 AM):
Naoko.
Tragic Backstory (9:20 AM):
You're still coming, aren't you?
_______________________________________________
"What happened?!" Naoko demanded, bursting into the hospital room and startling the three inside. Her hair was disheveled and she was panting unevenly as if she had just finished a lap around the city.
"N-Naoko? W-what are you doing here?!" Midoriya panicked, frantically glancing at his friends for help.
"I told you not to come," Todoroki sighed.
"You can't say you're in the hospital and expect me not to come. Now what did you three do?"
"Um- well... we... sort of can't tell you..." Midoriya looked down awkwardly, "...sorry..."
She sighed, a slight frown tugging at her lips as her eyes swept over the bandages clinging to each of them. It seemed they wouldn't be answering her questions anytime soon. "At least tell me you're ok?"
"Thank you for your concern, Naoko. We're alright," Iida smiled faintly, his words lacking in his usual enthusiasm.
"You're one to talk..." she glanced over to him worriedly, "half your body is wrapped up."
"Well... the doctors say I should be ok. I trust them."
Her lip ticked downwards as she turned back to Midoriya. "At least your arms are ok this time."
"Y-yea! Sorry you always have to see me like this!" he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. He fidgeted uncomfortably under in piercing stare.
"And you're ok too?" she turned to Todoroki with a frown. As he said earlier, he seemed to have the lightest injuries out of the three of them.
"I'm fine: it's only a cut," he replied stoically. He shifted his gaze to focus on a spot just behind her as he felt her eyes bore into the patch on his face.
"I swear..." she mumbled, breathing a shallow sigh. She dropped to sit on the empty hospital bed behind her. "If you don't want to tell me what happened, that's fine, but... please be more careful."
"We're sorry to make you worry, Naoko," Iida bowed his head.
"No, don't be. I just don't want you getting hurt doing... whatever it is you did. I guess you haven't told the rest of the class either?"
"No, and we'd like to keep it that way if possible. As class representative, I don't want anyone else to worry."
"...ok," she glanced down, deciding to set aside her concern for now, "I won't say anything."
_______________________________________________
Todoroki was discharged only a few hours later, earlier than the others on account of his minor injuries. Naoko, who had stayed with them until then, insisted on walking back with him. The pair made their way out of the hospital in silence, and for some reason, it made him rather uncomfortable. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and the first thing he noticed was the frown on her lips.
"Sorry," he apologized quietly, if only to try and fill the space.
"I'm going to kick your ass."
"Why?"
"Because you hurt yourself."
"That doesn't make sense."
She huffed and turned away, her grip on the sleeve of her costume tightening. "Why are you going back to the agency anyway? Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I can work. We only have a few more days in our internships, and I'd like to take advantage of it as much as possible."
"I mean, if that's what you want."
"Shouldn't you be at your agency as well?"
"I just stepped out for a bit; they'll understand. More importantly, are you ok?"
"Yes, my injures are small. I should be-"
"I don't mean physically."
He paused, his eyes flicking down to her before he quickly averted his gaze. She seemed to pick up on his hesitation.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, just remember I'm always around if you do."
"...right."
"Oh, this is it, right?"
They stopped outside a shining black building, towering high above all the others nearby. Gleaming rays of sunlight bounced off the checkered windows as the dark, pristine marble walls contrasted starkly against the pale blue sky. On one side of the building was a large flaming "E": Endeavor Agency.
"Yea..." He looked up at the building with a slight frown, the distaste seeping into his voice ever so slightly.
"You'll be ok, right?"
"I'll be fine. You should go back before you get in trouble."
"Let me know if you need anything?"
"I will. Thank you."
"I'm going to text you later so you'd better answer."
"I always answer."
She smiled slightly, waving him goodbye as he disappeared into the gleaming building. With a deep sigh, she turned on her heels and started back the way she came.
She really was itching to kick some ass.
_______________________________________________
Naoko stared blankly at the classroom wall, her mind overrun with pure, crushing boredom.
'Just one more day...'
She had checked in on each of her three injured classmates last night; it seemed they were all discharged by the end of the day and- fortunately- were recovering steadily. They kept assuring her they were fine, but she didn't believe a word of it. She had seen the news; she couldn't have missed it if she tried. Some incident with a villain called the "Hero Killer' had occurred the night before she heard of their hospitalization, barely a few minutes away from the infirmary she had rushed to. They said Endeavor was the one to defeat him, though she wasn't sure how true that was. Regardless, it didn't matter now, she supposed; she just hoped those three would recover quickly, especially Iida. She had heard about his brother as well.
Apart from that incident, the past few days have been thoroughly uneventful: certainly not something she was used to nor something she preferred. One of the few entertaining moments as of late was arriving home and seeing Bakugo's... very interesting hairstyle. It would always return to normal by the next morning, but she wondered if Best Jeanist knew how hilarious it looked. If she really thought about it, she supposed she only found it so amusing because she was too used to his regular hairstyle, and perhaps there was nothing actually wrong with the look itself, but that was why she chose not to think too closely about it, instead opting to revel in the boy's utter embarrassment whenever anyone so much as glanced his way. She hadn't yet had the chance to make fun of him for it, considering they still weren't quite on good terms, but she found watching him get riled up over it far too entertaining.
She sighed. Maybe she should try talking to him. If she waited for him to approach her first, she would probably be stuck waiting for the entirety of this life and the next. She wasn't under any delusion that he would apologize even if she did confront him, but at least the tension would be gone, right?
She groaned, laying her head down on the desk. Just thinking about it was tiring.
By the time Naoko stirred from her accidental nap, the sky outside was already a vibrant orange, and the sun was halfway down the horizon.
'...oops.'
She quickly rose from her seat and hurried out of the building. Hoping Mitsuki somehow hadn't noticed her absence, she dashed down the road and through the evening streets, cursing the strain that burned in her legs after just a few minutes.
As she drew closer to the house, she rounded a corner without looking, only to ram headfirst into someone.
"Oh- I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" she asked, eyes landing on the staggering man in front of her. He seemed to be in his late twenties: tall, handsome, and clearly intoxicated.
"Hey... that's rude," he slurred, swaying a bit too sharply. Regaining his balance, he leaned in, leering down at her. "Oh, but you're cute. You a hero or somethin'?"
Naoko rolled her eyes. "Get lost," she stated plainly. She moved to step around him only for the now-grinning man to block her path once again.
"Hey, heyy, don't be like that... cutie. You should... make it up to me, ya know?" he stepped closer, sliding a hand up her waist.
"OI! FUCK OFF!"
A foot collided with the man's face and sent him flying off to the side, crashing painfully into a light pole a few feet away.
"Keep your trash hands to yourself, damn bastard!" Bakugo yelled, shaking an angry fist at the man. Hurling a few more curses at the groaning, collapsed figure, he turned to her with his usual sour expression. "You ok?" he demanded.
She narrowed her eyes critically, looking at him up and down before turning away and brushing past him.
"Fuck- stop!" he caught her wrist just as she was about to slip away.
She didn't meet his eyes. "If you're just here to insult me, you really don't-"
"I'm sorry!"
She stopped. She had to blink a few times before turning to look back at him. He was glaring intently at the ground, jaw locked, his free hand clenched into a fist. She could see a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, but it wasn't warm today.
"Huh?"
"I said I'm fucking sorry, ok?! For what happened at the festival!"
A silence fell over them as she stared at him, his eyes still locked onto the pavement beneath their feet. With each passing moment, his heart pounded faster.
"H-hey! Don't just stand there! Say something!"
"Your hair looks terrible."
His crimson eyes shot up to glare at her, though it almost faltered when he saw the beaming smile on her face. Almost.
"The hell did you say?!"
"I said I forgive you!"
"Liar!"
She laughed as she looped her arm through his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The past week of tension and uncertainty all but vanished as she pulled him along down the street, back towards the house. He didn't struggle as much as she thought he would.
"Hey, thanks for saving me from that guy."
"Tch! Maybe if you'd put some clothes on, that wouldn't happen!" he sneered, looking sharply to the side.
"I'm not sure that's how it works, Bakugo."
"Whatever!"
She smiled as they continued down the evening street.
"Hey, why were you so angry back then? You know, at the sports festival." She tilted her head up at him as he maintained his unpleasant frown.
"Because you wouldn't fight me, loser," he huffed.
"Why would that make you upset?"
"Because I wanted to fight you!"
"Aw, that's cute!"
"How is that cute?!"
"But you know what's not cute?" she grinned, reaching up with her opposite hand to ruffle his still-styled hair. It was soft, she thought, a second before he shouted and smacked her hand away.
"You think I don't know it's dumb?! The only reason it's still like this is cuz' Best Jeanist said it would help!"
"Huh? Help with what?" she tilted her head curiously.
He looked away again, glaring holes into something she couldn't see. "You know, with... apologizing."
She smiled gleefully as the words left his mouth. Reaching up to ruffle his hair once again, she was met with no resistance this time, only a begrudging grunt as his face flushed pink. "So how do you get it back to normal?"
"Tch! ...if I get angry enough, it spikes back out."
"I didn't know your anger was stored in your hair."
"I swear if you don't shut the fuck up-"
"Midoriya's stronger than you."
"WH-?! OI! GET BACK HERE, LOSER! SAY THAT TO MY FACE!"
_______________________________________________
The day after the conclusion of their week-long internships, the students of class 1-A returned to their classroom for the beginning of another regular school day.
"Hey, are you and Bakugo talking again?" Yaoyorozu half-whispered after seeing the two walk in together.
"Yea! We're good now," Naoko smiled, slipping into her seat. "How was your internship?"
"Well, it was... different than I thought it'd be..."
"You were with Uwabami, right? The celebrity?"
"Yea, we didn't do any field training... but I'm sure it was a valuable experience! I just don't understand it yet!"
"That's a very positive outlook, Momo," she smiled.
"Of course! There's something to be learned no matter where you are!" she stated, the determination in her eyes drawing a stifled laugh from the other girl.
"Good morning!" Uraraka grinned as she ran up to the two, holding something in her hand. "Naoko, Naoko! This is for you!"
She held out a small black picture frame. Upon closer inspection, it held one of the pictures they had taken at the aquarium last week: the five of them smiling brightly in front of a little waterfall.
"Oh! You printed it out? It's so nice! Thank you!"
"Hey, that's really cute!" Yaoyorozu smiled, leaning in to peek at the photo.
Uraraka giggled in embarrassment, "Oh, it's nothing! I got one for each of us- that way we can match!" she grinned. Her doe eyes flicked to the door as she spotted a certain green-haired boy step into the room. "O-oh, I'll see you later! Bye!" She hastily waved before rushing towards him.
"Hey, don't you think they're cute together?" Yaoyorozu whispered, peering at the two with a gleam in her eye.
"Huh? Oh, now that you mention it- yea, they are!"
"They're both so adorable already: how fitting!" They laughed quietly as they continued to not-so-subtly eye the two.
"What about you, Momo? Do you like anyone?" Naoko asked with a curious grin.
"Huh? Who, me?" she flushed in surprise, smiling awkwardly. "Well, I don't know yet, we haven't been here for long..."
"Well, if you do end up liking anyone, I'm sure you'll be way out of their league," she winked, tapping the girl on the back.
"You think so?" Yaoyorozu laughed, scratching the back of her head, "I-"
The ground shook as a loud boom echoed through the school, drawing gasps from everyone in the room.
"What was that?!" Iida stood up in alarm.
The door flew open and two students ran inside, eyes wide with confusion.
"D-did you hear that? I think it was an explosion!" one of them stuttered, backing into the room.
"Should we go check it out?" someone asked.
"According to the UA rulebook, we must not leave our classroom during a possible attack!"
"Should we call the pro-heroes?"
"Do you think the teachers will handle it?"
"I'm sure they will!"
Another explosion shook the room as everyone braced themselves. A mechanical crackle sounded from overhead and a calm voice came over the speakers.
"Attention, UA students. Listen closely, because I'll only say this once. We have captured a number of your friends: if anyone leaves this building, they all die. Your teachers won't be able to help you, so you'd best stay put. No one has to get hurt, because we only want one thing. It's up to you, Class 1-A..."
A few gasps escaped the students as the strange voice singled them out.
"Give us Unknown."