"Alright, class. Take yours seats, please." Hina called out, walking out from behind her desk. As the bell rang free, the last few students rushed to take their spots in the room.
"Our lesson will be a little bit different than what you're used to." Hina said, sitting on the edge of her desk to face the students of Class 1-A, ankles crossed. Leaning back comfortably, she watched them look at her curiously. "Truthfully, there is no lesson plan for today."
Her statement caught them off guard, and they paused.
"We don't have a lesson?" Iida questioned, raising his hand. "Then what will we be learning, Hitagawa Sensei?"
She smiled. "I thought I'd let you guys decide that. I know your final exams are tomorrow, and you've been working very hard on all of your studies and training. We've covered all of the information on the test, so I'll leave it up to you. You can get some extra studying in and I can answer any questions you may have. This is an open forum."
Her hands spread apart, indicating the classroom around them, and the students seemed to like the idea of having the control of the classroom. She clasped her hands back together and tilted her head. "So, any burning questions?"
Fumikage raised his hand. "Is it true then, that the final exam will be fighting the giant robots from the entrance exam?"
"So I've heard." She said simply, keeping her face expressly neutral. She accompanied it with a shrug. "I'm afraid I am not proctoring the final exam and don't know too much."
"All of the upperclassmen say they faced the robots." Mina said aloud, propping her cheek on her hand. "I don't know if I'll be able to defeat one by myself..."
"I hope there's not more than one, or I'll just fry out and be useless." Denki added, and Mina smiled behind her hand, laughing at his predicament. He turned to her with an insulted expression. "Hey, it's not funny!"
"Yes it is!"
"I'm sure you'll all find a way to pass whatever you might face." Hina encouraged cryptically, then pointed to a bored Jirou who had raised her hand. "Yes, Jirou?"
"How many questions will be on the test tomorrow?"
"100. It will be structured very similar to the benchmark test we took on the first day of class." She said, and the students looked a little dejected. "Well, I can't make it easy for you, can I?"
"You could..." Kirishima muttered, and she smiled.
"How would making an easy test help you become heroes? I imagine I'd only be hindering your growth if I simply allowed you all to pass without some difficulty. There's no gratification of reward without a challenge."
They all nodded, understanding the logic behind it, but still not looking forward to the exam itself. She flashed out her quirk and the one sentiment they all seemed to agree on was that she was sounding more and more like Aizawa Sensei through the year. It made her smile with a strange mix of amusement and pride.
"Any questions on heroes in general?" She went on, making herself a bit more comfortable on the table. For several seconds, the students were quiet, perhaps thinking about what they wanted to ask.
Sero raised his hand. "Heroes sometimes get side jobs, right?"
"Mhm, that's right."
"How do you get one? Is there a certain place heroes can go to apply?"
Hina smiled. "Not exactly. They're no different than one a civilian would take on, so you would apply to whatever company you were hoping to work for and go through the usual interview process. Heroes don't have an agency they go to in order to get a job on the side. It grounds them in a sense that they are just like everyone else. Well, I like to think so, at least." She added with a shrug.
Hina nodded towards Aoyama.
"Did you ever have a side job, Hitagawa Sensei?"
"I did, yes. Though it eventually turned into my full time job. I taught English in a primary school for a few years." She said, flippantly gesturing with her hand. "Had I not worked there, I doubt I would have been asked to teach here at UA."
"Kyaa, that's so cute!" Hagakure called out, waving her uniform sleeves in the air excitedly. "Did you like teaching English?"
"Yes, it was very fun." Hina smiled, recalling her time teaching the little ones. They were still several years away from being of age to go into high school, but she had wondered on a few occasions if she'd see them in her classroom one day again. "I like to think I made some sort of impact on their education before I left."
Hina went to call on another student, but Midoriya shook his head.
"Wait...you make it sound like you stopped being a pro hero, Sensei." He said, frowning in thought. "You said it turned into your full time job. What did you mean by that?"
"Yes, well...after awhile, I decided to somewhat retire from the pro hero scene and teach exclusively." She tried explaining after a second of pause. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to satisfy the curious young student.
"But, why? You were a pro! How can you walk away from something like that? You wanted to save citiziens, didn't you?"
"Of course!" Hina defended quickly, holding up her hands to placate the passionate young man. Midoriya's expression was edging on something close to confusion and some sort of betrayal. The young boy was so impressionable and still viewed heroes as these infallible symbols of justice and everything that was right. Hearing that his teacher essentially quit being what he idolized was absurd to him.
Now that the subject was out in the open, among the class, the others were also looking at her curiously. After all, it wasn't at all common that heroes voluntarily retired from their job as a hero. She supposed her wording had garnered more confusion than anything. Serves her right for not being specific in order to avoid the topic of her brother. Thankfully, none of them had yet made the connection between their teacher and the prison escapee still at large.
Damn Midoriya and his endless questions. How am I supposed to go from here?
Hina sighed, shaking her head. "I retired because of a mix of reasons, too many to name. Predominantly, I realized how much teaching meant to me. There was this spark of fulfillment I couldn't find anywhere else, and truthfully...I think I was looking for a reason to step away from the limelight of being a pro."
"Really?" Kirishima asked, looking surprised. "But you know so much about being a hero, Sensei. You make it sound so cool."
Hina smiled ruefully. "Some of the lessons I teach you I learned from experience, you know. Things you shouldn't do. Ways to present yourself. There were many lessons I hadn't realized about being a pro before jumping in, and I payed the price for it. I'm hoping to pass on what I learned so you don't experience some of what I did."
"What sort of things? If you don't mind saying..." Momo raised her hand, and Hina met her gaze.
Shame. Public humiliation. Widespread suspicion.
"Insecurity, the fear of making mistakes, and the like. Even the downsides to dating another hero." She opted to say, pushing her stray thoughts into the back of her mind. "We try our best as teachers to prepare you for what you'll face once you become an independent hero, but of course, we can't cover everything. I found that out the hard way. I was unprepared, and ultimately, not cut out for being a pro full time."
"No way, Sensei, your quirk is really unique!" Sero called out, making fists with his hands in excitement. "I bet you would've made a great pro if you had stuck with it. Maybe one of the top ten."
A few of the others agreed with his sentiment, talking over each other to put in their two cents. Bakugou simply sat with his usual scowl, opting not to be part of the conversation. The redhead smiled, eyes taking in all her students with fondness. She couldn't ask for better pupils. After a moment, she lifted her arms to quiet the room down.
"Thank you, all...but enough about me. We still want to teach you something tangible from this discussion." She waved off the topic, happy to be getting on to something else. The less they talked about the avenue that involved Daichi, the better. Looking around the room, she pointed to the brunette gravity girl in the back who was chewing her lip thoughtfully. "Uraraka, you look like you want to ask something."
Uraraka glanced up in surprise when she heard Hina mention her name. Perhaps she was putting her on the spot, but if it meant the students would stop looking at her, she didn't much care. It took a moment before the red-faced girl could bring herself to actually ask her question.
"Umm...I was wondering, how does dating work...when you're a hero?" Her pointer fingers were pushed together nervously, and she stared down at her desk. "I've heard...it's difficult."
Hina's head tilted as she thought, hand on her chin. "I suppose it can be. Not really any more so than a regular relationship but...Hmm, I guess this was something we could have gone over during the required 3-day sex ed program. Let me explain briefly."
She saw their uncomfortable looks and forged on. "There is no restriction on dating between heroes or civilians if that's what you were asking towards. We're lucky not to be part of a society that requires complimentary quirk matching, as some smaller countries do. You are welcome to form a relationship with whomever you decide, regardless of their quirk or lack thereof. Each relationship type has it's own unique challenges you might face, however."
"Like love affairs and scandals?" Mineta asked, interest piquing with the new topic.
Hina shrugged. "Sometimes. For example, let's say as a hero, you enter a relationship with a civilian. They should expect that you have responsibilities that take you out of the home for long hours or extended days, depending on the mission or patrol. You could even be called away to a different part of the country. They may have to learn that your priority may not always be those you come home to, since you have promised your time and attention to protecting citizens as your full time job."
Hina could see them nodding along in understanding now. "It may also put your partner in more danger. Villains have been known to use hostages a hero is close with to protect themselves or stave off arrest. It's not so common nowadays, but it does still happen. And at times the police will require you to keep certain classified information to yourself, no matter how much your significant other might want you to tell them about your work or to vent."
"What about dating other heroes?" Shoji asked, eyes curious behind his mask. That question coming from him was a bit surprising. He didn't usually discuss things like that and kept quiet during discussions.
"Again, there are no restrictions. But if you thought that heroes and civilians don't have a lot of time to spend together, then heroes dating other heroes have even less of it." She said with a sigh. "Unless you patrol together or work for the same agency, chances are you may not see much of your partner during the day. It can be a tricky thing to work around."
Her arms crossed. "What's more, relationships between pros tend to be highly publicized and talked about, so if you aren't comfortable being in the tabloid or having the inevitable rumors spread, maintaining your relationship can sometimes be too much. Dating another hero is a lesson in trust and patience, and not something to treat lightly."
"I wonder how often things end badly between heroes." Asui remarked, looking upwards in thought.
"Well, I'm no insider into heroes' personal lives," she remarked offhandedly, "but I'm sure it is more common than you might think. Of course, they wouldn't want an unpleasant split to be blasted over the magazine covers, so most stay professional and tight lipped about things like that."
"Even if they hate each other?" Ojiro asked, looking skeptical.
Hina raised a finger knowingly. "Especially in those cases. Keep in mind, heroes are expected to work closely with one another and cooperate, no matter how much animosity is between them. It's a matter of their daily job performance. Letting bad feelings get in the way could compromise their reputation or rate of success at saving lives."
The class nodded, seeing the sense in that.
Something else came to mind. "Oh, I just remembered...should you choose to marry another hero, you would have to file a document with the Department of Revenue for income tax purposes. Marrying a civilian would not require it, though if they one day do become a hero as well, then the form would apply."
Uraraka's face turned a shade deeper of red, and her hands held her cheeks. Curious, Hina delved into her mind and saw her internally flustering, imagining scenes of her and Midoriya dressed in formal attire, walking down an aisle. Uraraka rebuked herself, saying that she was being ridiculous and she needed to stay focused.
The redhead smiled and pulled out of her mind, amused by the girl's discomfort. So, someone had a bit of a crush, it seemed. Poor Midoriya didn't seem to have the slightest idea, either. He had no unusual reaction to her answers.
Hina leaned back on the desk again, leaving the topic there. "Next question?"
Classes had just gotten out. The students had left the building, and the school was virtually empty, save for some teachers who were staying behind to finish paperwork. But not Hina. It was one of those rare days where there was nothing left to grade, no files to update, and no scheduled staff meetings to attend, freeing up her evening to do something fun for once. Maybe Aizawa would be up to some more training with her...
Packing her things away, Hina heard a soft knock against the door of her classroom. She smiled to herself, instinctively knowing who it was.
Speak of the devil.
"Come in." She called, and the door slid open. Aizawa stepped inside, eyes tired and costume on as always. One of these days she desperately wanted to see him in something other than his hero costume. She placed her hands on her hips and grinned. "You actually knocked...what happened to just coming inside like you usually do?"
"You're always right on the other side when I let myself in." He shrugged, "I figured I wouldn't scare you this time."
Hina feigned offense. "It's not me being scared, just...surprised." She tried, but chuckled when he clearly wasn't convinced. That incredulous lift of a brow was enough to convey his disbelief. "You're a tough sell."
He hummed a neutral tone, watching her straighten and throw her bag over her shoulder. She tucked her hair behind her, out from the strap so it wouldn't pull. "How were classes?"
The redhead sighed, and walked closer to her open door. "Unstructured. I've covered everything they'll be tested on tomorrow, so it was just an hour of letting them ask questions. A little slow but I got to know more about the students in the process too."
He glanced at her, falling in step at her side. "Is that so?"
She couldn't help the proud smile at having found out a few new things about them. "Mhm. Like, for example, Uraraka is crushing hard on Midoriya, and I have a feeling Shoji is harboring feelings for someone, too. I'm just not sure who yet." She tapped her chin, trying to think about who it could be.
"You only just realized?" Aizawa questioned, stuffing his hands in his pockets and slouching a bit more in his stride. If that was somehow even possible. Hina's mouth formed the shape of an 'O,' and her pride took a small hit.
"What, that Uraraka likes Midoriya? Is this common knowledge or something?"
Aizawa shrugged. "Sort of."
"Well...how long have you known about it?"
"Since day one." Her incredulous expression made his mouth twitch upwards in an amused smile. "Uraraka lacks subtlety."
The pep in her step lessened a little, and suddenly the flames of accomplishment extinguished. "So...everyone else knew and just didn't want to tell me?" Hina pouted, crossing her arms a little. "Now I just feel ridiculous for being so out of the loop."
"Why bother? They have more important things to focus on anyway. They shouldn't get caught up in distractions." He declared, and she just decided to drop the subject. Midnight would be a much more suitable person to discuss the possible relationships between students with, since Aizawa clearly didn't care much about it.
She, on the other hand, enjoyed the thought of them getting the full high school experience; high school sweetheart beginnings, week-long flings, messy break ups, and social drama included. Just because they were heroes-in-training didn't mean they had to miss out on the most important milestones of being teenagers. At least, that's what she felt.
"Any plans for tonight?" She eventually asked with a smile, walking with him towards the elevators. The halls were quiet without all of the students milling about. "Oh, wait. It's your patrol night, isn't it?"
"Yes, but I have time to spare before I go." He stated, meeting her gaze.
Hina smiled back at him, feeling that little buzz of happiness in the pit of her stomach. After their first date, she couldn't seem to get rid of it, no matter how hard she tried. It was a little distracting, but the good kind. "Anything specific in mind?" She ventured to ask suggestively, tilting her head in a coy fashion.
Her flirty tone made Aizawa rub the back of his neck, looking away for a second. She had to resist blushing at how cute it made him look. "If you'd like, we could-"
The overhead paging system's starting chime interrupted him, and both teachers sharply glanced up to listen.
"Scarlet Seer, please come to my office as soon as is convenient."
Nezu's voice rang through the empty hallways, and the ending chime followed right after it. Hina let loose a little sigh, before her eyes returned to his. "Sounds like I'm being summoned, otherwise I'd love to attend whatever you had in mind. Too bad..."
"Maybe tomorrow, then." He nodded with a small hint of disappointment, about to step away to let her leave. Smiling, Hina intercepted his path and leaned in close to place a kiss on his scruffy cheek before he had a chance to react.
"I'm holding you to that." She promised, seeing his surprised expression. Obviously, he hadn't been expecting her to do that, but he didn't seem upset by it. Good. Hina raised her hand in a farewell as she stepped away. "Stay safe on your patrol."
"Yeah..." He muttered just loud enough for her to hear, and she could feel his stare at her back.
"You asked to see me, sir?" Hina inquired, stopping a few feet in front of the dog-mouse-bear's desk. His large, plush chair seemed to make him look even smaller in it, as his head didn't even reach halfway up the back's support. There were times when she had to remind herself that he wasn't an adorable-looking animal and he was, indeed, leagues more intelligent than her or any hero that she knew of. His personable demeanor was often deceiving.
"Yes, thank you for coming on such short notice." He said, pushing aside a stack of papers and interlocking his paws together. "I'm sorry if you were on your way home."
"It's no trouble." She waved the apology away, not minding at all. "What is it you need from me?"
"Have you been informed of Midnight's injury from her patrol last night?" He questioned, and Hina blinked.
"Injury? No...God, I hadn't even noticed she wasn't here today...is she alright?" The redhead asked with worry, frowning deeply now that the idea was out there. She didn't like the thought of her friends being hurt, and Nemuri was one of her closest ones.
Nezu held up a calming paw. "She will make a full recover with time. It is not that serious to begin with, but it does render her unfit to work for the next few days, unfortunately."
"I see..." She muttered, feeling terrible about the whole thing. What a great friend she was, not even noticing she hadn't shown up to work or reached out to talk to her. She'd have to visit her as soon as she was done with her meeting.
"To make matters worse, the students' final exams are tomorrow, and Midnight was supposed to be one of the participants." Nezu went on to explain, shaking his head sadly. "Which brings me to why I've called you here. I'd like you to take Midnight's place and participate in the final exams tomorrow."
Hina felt a chill go through her body, both in surprise and slight fear. The looming thought of failure was ever present. She swallowed. "Participate? You want me to battle against some of the students?"
"Class 1-A's Hanta Sero and Minoru Mineta specifically, yes." Nezu confirmed casually. "I understand it is a last-minute request and you may have had plans for your own class tomorrow. I can make arrangements to have a substitute oversee your written exam with the other students during the day."
"That's...very thoughtful of you." She stammered, struggling to keep up with what was being asked of her. "I'm just not sure if I'd be a proper fit...to test the students' abilities. I haven't been an active pro in years-"
Nezu chuckled a little, smiling. "I'm aware of your situation, Scarlet Seer. I was the one who recruited you after all. I can see you are hesitant to agree to be our substitution. Is there any specific reason why?"
Hina paused, not having expected to be called out on it, but she would always at least be truthful when her true feelings were in question. She looked up and met the principal's gaze. "I don't think I'd provide an adequate enough challenge to the students to properly test them. In terms of quirk strength, I am far below the standard of my coworkers."
"I thought Eraserhead had begun training sessions with you after classes. Have they not been effective?" He questioned, and Hina vigorously shook her head.
"No, he's been a very big help in developing my quirk further recently." She defended, then seemed to understand her own contradictory statements. "What I mean is-"
"Then I see no reason why you would not pose a challenge to the students." He concluded. "From what Eraserhead tells me, you excel at evasion and misdirection in combat, and can keep an even pace with him for quite some time. If that is the case, I don't see any issue."
Hina shrugged a little. "I suppose, but-"
Nezu held up a paw, halting her sentence. "Not only that, the students have had no exposure to a quirk of your type in a combat situation. It would be beneficial for them to learn to adapt to and counter your telepathy or even know what something like that could do to them if used maliciously. While you might not be the physically strongest teacher among the UA staff, you can provide them a new and powerful combat scenario they've yet to experience. I'm sure you can see the educational value in something like that."
Hina was quiet, thinking about what he'd said. It was true that in terms of mental stamina and ability, she could trump everyone she worked with, but she could never really see it as an equal power scaling to All Might's or Vlad King's straight battle prowess. The moment they saw through what she tried to do, she was done for in a battle of brawn.
Aizawa would have a field day if he knew what I was thinking right now.
She could already imagine the displeased glare directed her way, coupled with a sigh and an order to get over her insecurities if she really wanted to protect the students. She was a teacher and a pro by title, he'd say, she needed to start acting like it. There was no excuse not to.
What had all this training been for, then? If she could progress and get stronger, what was the point in working her quirk and her body this way? Pathetic...
Taking his assumed words to heart, she eventually nodded. "I do see the value in it. If you feel that I could properly assess their progress, then I will participate in the exams."
Nezu smiled. "I'm glad to hear it, though I would certainly hope you have the confidence in yourself to do your best. Your battle will take place on Training Ground Delta at 10 am. The staff will meet the students beforehand to instruct them of their battle assignments and go over the rules."
"Understood."
"One more thing before you go, Scarlet Seer." Nezu said, garnering her attention before she could turn to leave his office. "You weren't just hired for your previous teaching experience at the primary school. If that had been the case, there were several much more qualified teachers I could have brought onto our payroll. I chose you over a dozen other pros to prepare the students for life ahead of them. Do you know why?"
Hina blinked, speechlessly shaking her head. Nezu continued despite her silence.
"UA prides itself on recruiting only the best at what they do to teach the heroes of the next generation. Strong pillars of what it means to be a hero, those who display good character and just set of ideals. Your place here at UA was no coincidence or mistake. Please be sure to remember that the next time you doubt your ability or think yourself beneath those you work with."
Hina wasn't sure what to say, and simply nodded her understanding. Turning her head away so he wouldn't see the first few tears forming at the corners of her eyes, she bid him a good night and left through his office door.
ns 18.68.41.150da2
