"Hmm...They look a little nervous." Hina said, watching the students enter the field from the teacher's box of the stadium up above. The crowd roared as the now practically infamous class 1-A stepped into view, making their way over to the middle of the field where Midnight had her judge's stage set up. A big, 4-sided screen above the stadium had a close-up view of the students' faces, which for the most part were frozen in expressions of sudden realization that they'd have to compete in front of such a massive crowd.
"It's their first time in the spotlight of the public like this. Of course they would be. Young Bakugo seems just fine, though." Toshinori remarked from his seat, pointing to the spiky-haired blonde in particular, who was just eating up the attention with a grin, head held high for all to see his confidence and swagger.
The redhead chuckled, unsurprised by this. "Well, at least he's taking my advice to heart." She said.
Show them the hero you want to be, she thought proudly.
Hina was tempted to extend her quirk to know exactly what they were thinking, but she eventually concluded that it would be best to leave them be. They needed all the focus they had on the task at hand, and some may be more prone to feel if she was in their head than others.
Present Mic's enthusiastic announcer's voice boomed over the crowd of baying people, announcing each class as they followed after the well-known hero course. Each class reacted much the same way as class 1-A did, intimidated by the number of people looking down at them from the stands, though some seemed perfectly fine to be in the limelight. The pressure had suddenly amplified.
She could spot Monoma and Kendo from class 1-B, and several groups back Shinso from the general course. His wild hair made him stand out from those around him. He seemed unperturbed by the crowd, hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked. The posture reminded her very much of a certain teacher.
She smiled, hoping he'd do well and go far in the sports festival. If he wanted to attain his goal of being transferred into the hero course, he'd need to prove himself on a grand scale. This was exactly the sort of environment he needed to do so on. Once all of the students had gathered in front of Midnight's stage, she began explaining the rules of the festival to the students.
The door behind Toshinori and Hina opened. Snipe and Ectoplasm entered, taking seats in the empty chairs available to watch the festival unfold below. Hina and Toshinori bid their greetings to them.
"Did we miss anything?" Ectoplasm asked, but Toshinori shook his head. "They're just about to begin the first event."
Snipe looked over at Hina in slight confusion. "I thought you wanted to be part of the security detail for the stadium? Did you change your mind?" He questioned.
She looked back towards the field with a small frown. "Nezu decided it was safer in here."
Of course, she hadn't been very happy with the principal's decision to deny her request to help protect the stadium just in case something were to occur. Despite the public's concerns regarding even hosting the event, many heroes from around the city had been asked to assist in watching over the outer grounds for any villainous activity. Seeing a chance to begin proving herself useful in the protection of her students, she'd approached Nezu with the idea of joining the detail.
He had openly rejected her statement, saying that on the contrary, having her walking around in the open, even if in a large crowd of people, might not only increase the risk that she run into her brother but openly made her and anyone else near her a target. She'd be more of a liability by putting herself in the open like that than actually being of assistance. And, as was Nezu's way, he didn't mince words.
His blunt statement had certainly disheartened her, and she'd retreated back to the teacher's box in dismay. The redhead couldn't be sure whether the principal just didn't trust in her ability to protect herself or others around her, or if his only qualm was the recent USJ attack making the stakes all the higher. She hadn't been brave enough to ask him.
Toshinori had arrived to the teacher's box not long after, but she'd made herself appear outwardly just fine once he'd entered the room, not wanting him to be concerned about what she felt. If there was a silver lining in her rejection, she could at least watch the festival unhindered and see the progress of her beloved students. Small victories...
The other teachers sensed her sudden displeasure and decided not to touch on the subject further, turning their attention back to the event. Midnight's board had selected an obstacle course as the first event, and all of the students had moved over back towards the entrance to wait for the start signal. The rest of the staff filtered into the room and took their seats. Cementoss was the only other teacher not present, as he would be assisting in the one-on-one battle events towards the end of the day.
A horn blared out as the light turned green above the doorway, causing the students to all rush for the narrow entrance. Most got tripped up inside the passage itself, the crowd all vying to get to the front all at once
"Okay, here's the play by play!" Present Mic's voice rang out, pump up to get the event truly started. "Are you ready to do the commentary, Mummy Man?"
"You're the one who forced me to come." Was Aizawa's even reply, and Hina smiled. Roped into his antics once more. Poor Aizawa couldn't catch a break. He didn't sound too thrilled to be there, especially considering he was still healing from his injuries and didn't like being in the spotlight anyway. Mic had really brought him out of his comfort zone this time.
Immediately, there were those that pulled away from the rest, exiting the passage well in advance of their fellow students. She was unsurprised to see Todoroki and Bakugo among them, but even Midoriya managed to get himself past the pushing crowd of bodies just moments later.
"All of class 1-A avoided Todoroki's ice." Snipe mentioned. "They must have predicted he'd use it to break away from the pack early on."
"This is when knowing your classmates closely can be a downside. When you're pitted against those you've trained exclusively with, suddenly your strengths don't give you much of an edge." Vlad King added with a nod.
The students came upon their first obstacle; a handful of giant robots the school had used for the entrance exam. They blocked any further progression unless they figured out how to defeat them or get around them. It took some time, but they began figuring out how to use their individual quirks to overcome them, and the race quickly got back on track.
Toshinori let out a quiet sigh of relief, and a small smile touched his face. Hina watched him as Midoriya grabbed a piece of metal off the ground, using it to destroy one of the robots with ease, before running off towards the next portion of the race, behind only Bakugo and Todoroki. Missing was the tell-tale glowing strands of power through his body. He hadn't used his quirk.
"Is Midoriya still having trouble using his quirk without damaging himself?" Hina asked Toshinori suddenly, having noticed that the green-haired boy hadn't used his quirk to gain an upper hand, and the blonde hero turned to her in surprise. The look on his face made it seem like he didn't know why she was asking him, of all people, mixed with some...fear? To alleviate his confusion, she added. "I figured you'd have the best gauge of it, since they use their quirk most often in your class lessons."
"Ah," He nodded, her explanation making sense, and he relaxed a bit, "he hasn't quite managed to control it, but he's certainly made progress from day one. I'm sure he'll find a way around that particular setback today."
Hina smiled, staring at his profile. "You really have that much faith in him, don't you?"
"I do." He said, his gaze fixed on the boy he thought held such promise. "Young Midoriya knows this event is especially important. He will rise to the occasion."
Toshinori didn't elaborate further, and the redhead directed her attention back to the event, curious as to what the outcome would be. Part of her wanted to read Toshinori's mind to really understand just how much the boy meant to him-there was an obvious connection between the two that neither had gone into detail with-but she figured it would be rude of her to intrude on his mind like that.
Besides, she had a feeling the answer wasn't something she was supposed to know.
The teachers all watched as the cavalry battle ensued with most teams, predictably, going after Midoriya and his 10 million point headband right off the bat. They managed to get away the first time around, taking advantage of Mei's support items, but there was still a long while to go, and things weren't over yet.
"They're in for a tough 15 minutes." Ectoplasm muttered. Hina agreed, but stayed quiet, too focused on the event to respond.
"I'm a little surprised by the team formations." Thirteen pointed out from inside her helmet. "I thought for sure Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka would certainly try to team up together. They seemed such close friends at USJ. But they included a support student rather than Iida."
"They've figured out that this isn't a game." Vlad King stated seriously, carefully watching his own students in class 1-B as they formulated what their first step should be. "You can't win by just teaming up with the people you get along with most. You win by having a solid strategy, creating a team to suit your needs."
"He's covered all his bases. Mobility, attack power, and support all in one unit." Snipe said, and that was that. Whether his smart thinking paid off would be another matter altogether. And they'd just have to wait and see if it did.
"Your students have yet to really display their quirks' capabilities, Vlad King." Hina pointed out suddenly, realizing that most of class 1-B had yet to really show themselves off yet. She'd been expecting at least a few to make it into higher ranks in the obstacle course. She gave him a smile when he looked at her. "They're up to something, aren't they?"
"Hmph." His mouth twitched with a grin, turning back to the field. "They're determined not to be outshone by class 1-A again. Showing all your cards right from the start has some disadvantages, you know."
So saying, Monoma swiped his second headband from an unsuspecting team, tying it around his neck triumphantly. Ibara's vines were working to great effect, as well, snagging them some extra points from Mineta despite Shoji's excellent defense of him.
"Well, their plan is paying off in dividends." She said, hoping that his success so far wouldn't completely inflate Monoma's head. "The other teams are too focused on Midoriya's high point value to see that they're being poached from behind. Very clever."
She didn't understand why the intelligent 1-B student was so competitive with class 1-A, but at least Kendo was around to keep him in check most of the time. He was very supportive and encouraging in class, showing no sign of his arrogant and snobbish habit of taunting the other hero course students, but the last thing she wanted was that attitude to bleed over into her time with them in class just because he succeeded in knocking Aizawa's students down a few pegs.
Hina found herself bouncing between teams, lingering on a few for a few seconds before flicking to the next. There was so much going on at once, she wasn't sure who to keep her eye on consistently. They were all doing their best, and she smiled, seeing such determination on everyone's face.
By the time the festival's lunch break came around, Hina was starving. She nearly sprinted from her chair all the way down to the grounds around the stadium below to try to get a jump on the food stall lines that would inevitably spring up. She'd been looking forward to the takoyaki stall that she'd spotted on her way inside the stadium when the games first began. It was her favorite festival treat, and it had been some time since she'd enjoyed some. Just thinking about it made her ever more determined to get some before the lines became insanely long.
It was probably pretty comical of a sight; a pro hero trying her best not to appear to be in a rush, but definitely failing, in her pursuit of takoyaki. She slipped into the line of several people and breathed out a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't miss out if they happened to run out. She'd been early enough to get a decent spot in line. She could smell the delicious scent of the small dumplings from her spot, and she salivated at the mouth. Her feet shifted in place, eager to get her hands on some.
After several minutes of waiting and with her food in hand, Hina walked back towards the way she'd come, looking for any drink stalls that caught her eye. She wasn't in the mood for anything particular, and simply eyed all the available options until something stood out. She munched happily on her food in the meantime, savoring each bite while she could.
Soon enough, her attention was more rapt on the many people and the general atmosphere of the stadium grounds. The sports festival was a highly looked-forward to day of the year in the city, and even people who didn't have kids in the school system enjoyed watching the event. It was quickly becoming something of a holiday for the city, as most businesses allowed their employees a day off to watch it, or at the very least allowed for them to spectate from their places of work on the broadcast.
Her thoughts were brought back to the present when she heard shrill laughter. Small children ran after each other along the pathway, holding small toys and UA merchandise. She stepped out of the way of a couple boys playing Hero and Villain, nearly running into her in their pursuit. Nezu had requested she try keeping her time outdoors to a minimum, so she drank up the atmosphere while she could, knowing it would be another year before she got to enjoy it to it's fullest again.
Further on in the crowd, a ridiculously tall and gravity-defying hairstyle bobbed its way along among the people. Hina smiled, quickening her steps and dodging people left and right to try catching up to her coworker.
"Mic!" She called, and the flashy announcer turned in place with his signature, casual smile. He held two boxes of onigiri in his hand, and a soft drink in the other.
"Yo, female listener-! Ah! Hina, it's you." He stopped mid-sentence, having originally mistaken her for a fan. He toned down his radio personality a little and gestured for her to walk with him. "How's security detail? Surely you're dying to know what the kids are up to, huh? Well, I suppose my brilliant commentary has kept you in the loop so far!"
"I haven't been patrolling." She admitted, her expression falling somewhat.
"Eh? Why not?" He asked, clearly confused. He'd heard her talk about it the day previously in the teacher's lounge.
"Nezu rejected my request to join security, so I've been in the teacher's box spectating." She took a solemn bite of her takoyaki, still a little sore about that. "He said I'd be more of a liability than of assistance."
"Ahh..." Mic mused understandingly, "it's about your brother, right?"
The red head nodded silently, still chewing her food. She noticed they were making their way back towards the stadium.
"Don't take it personally. I'm sure he's under a lot of pressure to make sure nothing goes wrong. The media would have a field day if something else were to happen today." He surmised with a shrug. "I'm not saying he's completely right, but I can see why he'd be cautious about it."
"I do too." Hina sighed, moving out of the way of a person who hadn't corrected their course to not collide with her. "Just doesn't mean I can't complain about it. Daichi seems to be wreaking havoc on my life without having to even be here. It's maddening."
Present Mic wrapped an arm around her shoulder, still holding the drink. "Well, don't worry too much about it. Chances are he'll be caught in some other hero's patrol soon enough and then things'll go back to normal."
"Yeah...somehow, I'm not too confident in that." She admitted, eating the last bite of her takoyaki and tossing the small box it came in in the nearest trash can. "He's smart and even more skilled using his quirk than me. If they underestimate him or go in without knowing his quirk, he'll never be caught, and people may get seriously hurt in the process."
Mic's smile faltered somewhat, growing serious. "Is he really that dangerous?"
"Yes." Was her simple reply, looking him in the eyes. "Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't found me already, but it's only a matter of time."
The pair entered the stadium through the arched entryway, and Mic stopped just outside the door that would take him to the announcer's box. He eyed her curiously.
"Say he does find you..." Mic proposed, "What then? What is it he wants?"
Hina shook her head. "That's the thing, I don't know. I have no idea what he wants or why he became a villain in the first place. I don't know why he hates me, other than having him arrested, but even before then there was this...resentment in his eyes. The only thing I know for certain is that he doesn't hold back his quirk. And after all this time, I'm afraid of what he'll be able to do."
Her eyes flashed determination. "I can't let that get to me, though. Which is why I have to train harder. I have to extend the capability of my quirk as fast as possible. Because I've wasted so much time just slacking off, not improving myself. I'm tired of feeling like I can't protect my students. I'm tired of having to sit on the sidelines just telling myself I'm not combat-suited."
He stared at her for a moment before Mic smiled again, much more genuine than his boisterous and flamboyant ones. This was meant only to comfort a friend. "With an attitude like that, I know you'll do your best. But regardless, Eraser and I will be there if you need support. We wouldn't let one of our own be in danger like that."
His words were heartwarming, and she smiled. Then, looked back with a raised brow, glancing around. "Speaking of, where is Aizawa? Did he not get lunch?"
Mic lifted the onigiri boxes purposefully. "He's sleeping upstairs, but I'm getting him something anyway. Either his injuries are still fatiguing him and he's not admitting to it, or he's just not cut out for the announcer life like I am." His easy grin returned, now that the subject had shifted away from the serious stuff, and Hina returned his smile.
"Tell him I said hello, once he wakes up."
"Of course!" He said with a suggestive wink behind his sunglasses, somehow managing to point at her enthusiastically with both of his pointer fingers, despite having two boxes and a drink in his hands. "Enjoy the festival, and the commentary!"
He opened the door to the stairwell and slipped inside, and Hina turned towards the direction of the teacher's box entrance. The lunch break would last for another half hour, but she figured there was nothing left to do other than return to her seat. It should be empty during the break, and it would give her some time to work on her mental exercises anyway.
Hina gripped the armrest of her seat tightly, watching pensively as Uraraka dashed towards Bakugo with set determination, slowly forming a net of debris and boulders above their heads. To the crowd, it was clear what she was trying to do, but Bakugo's focus was solely on her, and not the floating debris above him.
Come on...don't let him know what you're doing, she thought to herself, wanting Uraraka to prove to everyone in the arena and herself that she was not beneath the likes of Bakugo. There was so much the young woman had going for her, and she was creative. Against such firepower as Bakugo's explosive quirk, she knew the girl was desperately forming a strategy to negate it, or possibly work around it. The flying debris was evidence of that.
And the part that most excited her was the fact that Bakugo seemed to be treating his opponent as an equal. He didn't go easy on Uraraka just because his quirk was subjectively 'more powerful.' He didn't flaunt his confidence with arrogance. He didn't look down or mock her for trying this hard to defeat him. No. He treated her as an actual threat that needed to be recognized.
In the commentator's box above her, Aizawa was saying much the same thing, calling out whoever had offhandedly remarked that Bakugo was toying with Uraraka. She didn't pay it much mind, watching the match intently, but subconsciously she completely agreed with what he was saying.
Uraraka must have decided that she'd collected enough debris with her quirk, and formed her 'release' symbol with her hands. The boulders came crashing down on top of the boy, and Hina leaned forward out of instinct, trying to see if it had won her the match.
She was slightly disappointed when the debris exploded in a cloud of red light and smoke, and Bakugo stood there with little damage. The young man was strong, and despite her best efforts, her plan hadn't succeeded after all. The knock-back from his quirk had downed the brunette, and she was struggling to move any further, the injuries he'd given to her previously starting to take their toll.
Despite the outcome, Hina still smiled when Midnight called the match in favor of Bakugo. Both students had performed very well. Bakugo had displayed his intelligence in not underestimating an opponent, even one he believed he could defeat. Uraraka had displayed her immense determination and strategy-planning around tough circumstances. Not to mention, courage in the face of someone subjectively stronger than her. The redhead thought to herself that despite one of them losing the match, they'd both won in favor of the observing heroes, who no doubt were keeping in mind anyone who displayed the skills and personality traits they were recruiting interns for.
The festival had come to a close with All Might handing out the medals to the victors. All three winners were comprised of students from class 1-A, a fact that Hina was a little surprised about. She'd been anticipating at least one or two from 1-B, but Aizawa's students were very capable. Considering they'd already experienced a battle with villains firsthand, she supposed this seemed like child's play to most of them.
The redhead waited in the teacher's box for most of the crowd to dissipate before attempting to leave the stadium. She was looking forward to having the rest of the day to herself. The teachers were granted leave since school would not be in session, though there was more work to do the following day, of course. But for one night, she could relax for awhile and continue training her own mental capabilities in private. Her talk with Mic had only emphasized her own desperation to strengthen her quirk as quickly as possible, and the ever present threat of Daichi confronting her before she was ready was daunting.
Deciding that enough time had passed to miss the largest of the crowds, Hina pushed out the door and descended the staircase to the ground floor. There were still stragglers coming out of the public stands, but nowhere near the mass exodus that had occurred right after the festival ended.
She dodged through a few people and made her way outside. Most of the stalls were in the midst of packing up for the day, and she was tempted to grab some more takoyaki for her walk home, but decided against it. The people looked to be right on the cusp of closing up. Hindering their task and delaying when they'd be able to get home wasn't high on her things of things to do. She walked on.
It was still bright and sunny. The festival had been several hours long, but it was only late afternoon by the time it had ended. Still plenty of time to enjoy her day and get things done.
She turned left past the food stalls and towards the street to get where she lived. Standing in front of the small wall that separated the stadium grounds with the sidewalk up against the street was a bandage wrapped man, watching her approach.
"Aren't you on your way home?" She asked, and Aizawa nodded. "Then what are you waiting out here for, Mummy Man?" Hina asked with a smile, and she was met with his customary stare.
"You." He replied, and she stopped mid-step, not having expected that.
"Me?"
Aizawa nodded, then pushed off from the wall. "I'm walking you home."
"I appreciate the thought, but...You don't have to do something like that. I'm sure you're tired as well from commentating all day long." She said, concerned with his ever present injuries. Plus...where was this coming from, anyway? "Why the sudden interest in accompanying me?"
He shrugged. "We live close to each other. And Mic told me about what you'd said earlier. You're worried your brother will face you soon."
The redhead let out a breath and looked away. She should have known Mic wouldn't have kept what they'd said to herself. She'd known him long enough by now to not forget that, but still. He could be so disarming sometimes. "That damn announcer..." She muttered.
"He's concerned." Aizawa explained his friend's behavior, gesturing with his bandaged hand towards the street to her home, and she reluctantly began walking beside him. "If you're that afraid of him finding you, the least you should do is not walk home alone."
"I'm not that useless that I don't know how to protect myself. I don't need to be babysat by my coworkers" She winced, slightly insulted that he thought she was that weak and half frustrated with herself that it was in a sense justifiable. Her combat prowess was well below that of the average UA teacher, and she was painfully aware of it. He only looked at her.
"I know that. If we doubted your strength or wanted you to have a bodyguard, I would have asked Mic to walk you home instead. I'm not exactly the shining example protection at the moment." Aizawa gestured with his injured hands, proving his point.
"Then why are you here?" She asked, genuinely curious. If he wasn't saying she was weak, why did he feel the need to be here? She wasn't exactly complaining, but Eraserhead was not a social person and the sudden desire to accompany her just felt out of place without explanation.
"You want to get stronger, don't you?" He asked, and she nodded. "Then in the meantime, you can't have your brother confronting you before you've improved your quirk. If having someone else in your vicinity wards him off, better not to isolate yourself until he's back in prison. It's not a matter of you being weak. I know you're not. But until you're ready to potentially face him, you shouldn't give him the chance to catch you off guard and without support."
She supposed that made sense. Hina's own insecurities were just throwing her friends' intentions into question. They had all been very supportive of her when they first discovered that her brother was a imprisoned villain, and even when he'd escaped, their loyalty hadn't shifted. Just the fact that she was a UA teacher and a licensed pro hero should have been enough for her. Why did she have to go and ask too many questions?
Somehow, Daichi's shadow had gripped her the moment he'd escaped, and she was letting this invisible hold over her dictate her emotions. Shaking her head, she vowed to take control of her person again and stop letting his reputation influence her.
"I appreciate everyone thinking about me." She finally answered, and Aizawa nodded, glad she'd accepted his company. They walked for several paces, the conversation ended. Then, wanting to talk about something other than her brother, she turned to him. "What did you think of the festival?"
"It turned out mostly as I'd expected."
Hina smiled with a small laugh. "So, you knew all three winners would be from your class? How arrogant, Aizawa."
He shook his head, showing no outward reaction to her jesting. "There was no way to know for sure who would win. There are too many variables to consider, and I was only vaguely informed of the other classes' quirks and skills. I had a feeling they'd take it seriously, though. And they did."
"Uraraka and Bakugo's battle was one of my highlights." Hina went on to say, clasping her hands behind her back as she stretched her shoulders and back. Aizawa watched her patiently, eyes flicking down to watch the way her back arched for only a moment. "I was impressed with how dauntless she'd shown herself to be, and the fact that Bakugo wasn't taking their fight lightly spoke volumes of his character. Don't you think?"
"Hmm. And Mic had the gall to say he was just playing around with her." Aizawa muttered bitterly. Apparently he still wasn't over his friend's remark. "His attitude leaves much to be desired, but he's well-adjusted to the nuances of a fight."
"I wonder...maybe Best Jeanist will bring him on as an intern." The redhead mused to herself, thinking about it. "I'm sure he'll get lots of offers, but Best Jeanist has reformed many different hotheads before."
"Bakugo will be a challenge either way. So will Midoriya." Aizawa said.
"How so? He seems a smart boy with a lot of ambition." Hina didn't see how the green-haired boy would be too much trouble.
The bandaged hero sighed. "He still has a very minimal control over his quirk. At this rate, he'll be a one-and-done hero, and there isn't much use for those. The fact that he was reluctant to show off his quirk may make the agencies hesitate in offering him an internship as well."
It made sense, but from an outsider's perspective, she could definitely see each of their potential for remarkable growth. "If it's any consolation, all of your students seems to have improved by large margins since day one."
"That is true." He conceded, looking both ways as they reached the edge of the sidewalk to cross a section of roadway. "I suppose the USJ attack has demonstrated the sort of threat they'll be facing. They're aware of the power gap and are even more determined to meet it quickly."
Speaking of... "How are the injuries, by the way? You've had those bandages on for quite awhile now."
He looked down at his arms. "They're fine, and the broken bones have healed by now. I should be able to remove them soon, which couldn't be soon enough, truthfully."
"Any particular reason why, Mummy Man?" She asked in amusement, and he turned his stale gaze on her.
"So you and Mic will stop calling me that awful nickname."
Hina laughed aloud, then shook her head. "It's not awful! I was quite proud of it, you know. Normally I can't come up with stuff like that on the spot, but I did this time. What? You don't find it just a little funny?"
"No."
Hina tilted her head and just smiled. "You're no fun, Aizawa."
They'd reached her apartment building. Already? The time spent talking to her coworkers had made the time go by so quickly. She had even realized where they were until he'd stopped and looked up at the building.
"Anything exciting planned for the rest of the day?" She asked, reluctant to just part ways so soon. She enjoyed talking to him, even if the amusement was a little one-sided. She still like spending time with him.
"Probably sleeping. I can only take so much of Present Mic in a day." He said, closing his eyes tiredly. "Having to spend hours next to him while he shouts out commentary is enough to exhaust you. I don't know why he even asked me to be there in the first place."
"Everyone likes a little company." She said, head tilted happily. "Even you. Come on, admit it. There's a sensitive soul in that apathetic exterior of yours, I just know it."
He stared at her for a moment, before taking turning to leave. "You shouldn't intrude on someone like that, Scarlet Seer. Some may consider it rude."
The redhead only smiled and shook her head, then perked up before he walked out of earshot. "Oh, and quit being so formal with me! You can call me Hina. I won't mind. Everyone else at work does already."
Aizawa seemed to consider it, watching her with a strange expression, before turning back towards his path home. "Ja ne."
The life skills teachers huffed out a breath, finding the man impossible, before turning in place and heading inside her apartment building. Eraserhead truly was a mystery to her, in almost everything he said and did. She had no idea where she stood with him, and doubted she'd find out anytime soon either.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
