Hina's eyes opened to see her bedroom ceiling, and it took her a moment to figure out how she'd gotten there. The night before was a little fuzzy, but it quickly came back after a few seconds of reflection. Shouta. He'd been so kind, so patient and caring. She honestly didn't know how things had ended up so nice for her.
A look over at her alarm clock showed it was nearly 11 in the morning. It was great to know she'd been able to sleep in so long. She'd definitely needed it after the last few days she'd had. Her wound hurting from this angle, the redhead winced and shifted in place, then frowned when there was resistance on the bed's comforter. She looked to her left and immediately smiled, spotting the sleeping 1-A homeroom teacher fast asleep on his side. Still wearing his clothes from the day before, jeans and all, and his hair a mess on the pillow. The beginnings of his stubble was returning to his chin, and she had to resist reaching out to feel it with her fingertips.
He had his arm draped across her stomach, holding her close without being restrictive. She carefully twisted in place so as not to wake him, and just watched his calm expression. She committed the sight to her memory, staying there a while. His signature frown was gone, replaced instead by the relaxation of sleep. The stress was gone, and he looked so carefree.
Unfortunately, the need to pee began to outweigh any desire to want to stay longer and just enjoy this small moment. Sighing to herself, Hina carefully got up and went to her bathroom to relieve herself, hoping the noise wouldn't wake him up yet. Her body felt stiff and movement was painful. Despite being injured, she felt like he could use more rest than she did. He rolled onto his back but otherwise didn't stir.
Finishing her business, she headed into the kitchen to make something to eat. She was starving and she figured he might be hungry when he woke up too. He'd taken such good care of her the day before. Hina wanted to return the favor somehow. If all she could do was make him a meal, then she'd do what she could for now.
She grabbed one of her pans and her carton of eggs, deciding that an omelet sounded like the most delicious thing in the world. An onion and some mushroom joined the eggs on the counter and she began chopping the ingredients for her meal.
The smell of the sautéing onions and mushrooms was invigorating, and her stomach rumbled with renewed gusto. She hadn't eaten in...well, she couldn't remember the last time. No doubt before the Hideout Raid. Maybe just two eggs wasn't enough for her omelet...
As it went when she cooked, her mind couldn't help but wander. She dwelled on the past day or so and frowned. According to Shouta, Toshinori may never be able to use his quirk again. It was so hard to think about, or even wrap her head around. All Might, the number 1 hero, out of commission? Retired? It had never even occurred to her that such a thing would happen in her lifetime, despite him being her senior. She couldn't imagine what he must be thinking right now. He took such pride in his position...Surely it would be difficult for him to accept that he couldn't use his quirk.
Not only was she concerned for All Might, but she just couldn't let go of the devastation. Part of her wanted to check the news on her phone to see if there were any updates from Kamino. How were rescue efforts? Were they still even finding people alive? How many dead? Had the villains come back for a second attack, now when they would least expect it? Had there been any further developments as to their whereabouts?
She idly stirred the sautéing vegetables, eyes staring off in space as her thoughts got the better of her. Had she done enough? Her injury was still a hinderance to movement, especially now that the healing had begun and the muscles around her torso were stiff and sore. It still hurt, though with some pain meds she could probably bear with it. Hina could power through it, go back out there and try to find more survivors. She was only one person, but every able-bodied hero assisting counted, right? If she had to endure more pain for the sake of rescuing another shell-shocked little girl who'd seen too much, then it was worth it.
Unable to resist the temptation to know what was going on with the rescue efforts, she reached for her phone on the counter. She had to know. It was eating her up, not knowing what was going on while she was just relaxing at home. It all felt wrong.
A hand covered hers on top of it, stopping her from checking. She looked up, peering into Shouta's face. Having been so lost in thought, she hadn't realized he had woken up or even wandered his way into the kitchen in the first place. He'd pulled his hair back in a hair tie, and she was honestly caught by how handsome he looked with his hair like this.
"Let the others handle it. Just rest and recover properly." He said softly, reading her expression for what she'd been thinking, hand still holding onto her wrist as he lifted it so she no longer held onto the phone. Her eyes winced with indecision.
"But I could still-" She tried, but he shook his head.
"The other heroes can do the rest." He reasoned, a stern look in his eye. "You've done enough, Hina."
He lifted her hand to his face and guided her thumb to trace the scar under his eye. A reminder to when she tried convincing him of the same thing in his moment of weakness. A reminder that they all had limits, and she'd reached hers.
Hina was quiet, but finally nodded. Every part of her wanted to go back out there, but the past few days had taken a lot out of her, physically and emotionally. Heroes were expected to push themselves to protect the general populace, to place themselves in danger for their sake, but they also were expected to know when they were in over their head. Injuring herself further wouldn't do anyone any favors.
He released her hand and she picked up the wooden spoon she'd been using to stir the vegetables. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes, but I can make breakfast for-"
"I may not be allowed to go back out to rescue, but cooking an omelet isn't gonna kill me." She retorted, a smile lifting the corners of her lips. "Go sit and I'll make you one. As a thank you for taking care of me yesterday."
"You're injured."
"Shouta. Sit." She urged, holding up her wooden spoon as a mock weapon, prepared to hit him if he so much as stepped another foot further into this kitchen. He glanced at the spoon, then back at her, and she decided that that alone wasn't big enough of a threat to convince him. "Do you want to see a drunk Hizashi in a speedo singing bad karaoke? Because I can make that happen." Her eyes glowed blue to demonstrate her serious treat.
He narrowed his eyes in amusement, but gave in to her wishes, sitting at the table within view of the kitchen so they could still talk while she cooked.
Her eyes returned to normal and she went back to what she was doing. Satisfied that the vegetables were properly sautéed, Hina transferred them to a small bowl in the meantime, cracking the eggs into another bowl to whisk together with milk.
"Have you heard anything from Toshinori?" She asked, and he shook his head. "I'm worried about him. The nurse I spoke to after waking up in the first aid station said the doctors didn't know if he'd be able to use his quirk again. Considering everything, I hope he's ok."
"Mmm." Shouta watched her cook with a relaxed expression on his face. Now that he wasn't pushing to do something else for her, he seemed ok with just spending time together like this. He propped up his chin with one hand, his elbow resting on the table. "The media is worried too. If it is true, and he's forced to retire, Endeavor would take his place as Number 1."
"Yeah...I'm not so sure how I feel about it." She admitted, shaking her head. She took the bowl of vegetables and poured half of it on top of the egg, saving the rest for her own meal after this one. "Having millions of people look to him as their inspiration? I fear for the generation of kids who wish to be just like him."
"I've always felt the rankings were more for public relations than actual heroic recognition-All Might may have been an exception-but in this case, it's more complicated." He stated tiredly. "There's really no one else capable of taking All Might's position in sheer strength, and whoever they officially recognize will become the figurehead for whatever comes next."
She shrugged. "That's true. And hey, maybe suddenly being thrust into the top spot might make him self-reflect. I'm not holding my breath, though. He's just an ass, plain and simple."
"Personal grudge?" He guessed, and she rolled her eyes.
"Not really, but...every interaction I've ever had with him has left a bad taste in my mouth. Either he's displaying why I'm weak or he just gives me these looks like 'why am I even a pro hero?'" She flipped over the edge of the omelet, thinking back on her last encounter with him. She managed a tiny smile. "Felt nice to shove his words in his face for once before the Hideout Raid."
Shouta's brow raised, wondering what she'd said but she didn't elaborate. He was at least glad to hear that she didn't believe Endeavor's claims. She'd worked so hard to build herself up this far. It wouldn't do to see her drag herself back down based on what he'd said.
Hina was putting Shouta's omelet on a plate when they both heard his ringtone sound from his pants pocket. He dug the device out and answered. "Eraserhead speaking."
Bringing him his food and setting it in front of him with a fork to eat it, she stepped away to begin making her own food. He was concentrating on the call and didn't look up.
"What time would you like us there?" He asked, glancing her way. She raised her brows, wondering if she was somehow a part of this conversation and who was actually calling, but he lifted his finger for her patience. "Hero costume or business casual?"
Must be Nezu. Did they have an assignment to perform with the public? Normally they were free to dress casual or in hero costume unless working with the public or the parents of the students. Parent-Teacher conferences were still a while away, and she knew of no public event going on anytime soon.
She whisked together the egg mixture for her own omelet, listening as Shouta promised to be there at the designated time, and to inform Scarlet Seer of it as well. He ended the call and turned to her.
"We have a meeting today with Nezu at 2." He informed her. "Dress is business casual, so I assume we'll be talking with the public at some point today. I don't see any other reason why he'd request us to."
"I figured as much but...how did Nezu know I was with you?" Hina wondered aloud, seeing no reason why he'd tell Shouta to let her know about the meeting. "Did you tell anyone you came over here yesterday?"
The erasure hero shrugged. "No, but he's a genius. Most of the time, I think we underestimate just how much he knows."
"Hmm...true." She said after thinking about it. Not for the first time, she had to be reminded that he was, in fact, the most intelligent being employed at UA. His looks were extremely deceiving.
They finished having breakfast together, chatting about small things until their plates were empty. Hina felt like that one omelet hadn't even put a dent in her hunger, though she'd wolfed it down without shame and ended up finishing her plate before Shouta even did. Given a few minutes, perhaps her body would actually register that she'd even eaten something and the hunger wouldn't be there still.
"I should go and get ready for the meeting." The erasure hero said, standing from his chair with his plate in hand to put in her sink. His usual neutral expression was back in place, as if mentally preparing for his day ahead. "Will you be ok?" He pointed down to her torso, and she glanced down at it.
"I'm sure I can manage." She smiled, right behind him with her own empty plate. She'd wash them later.
He grabbed his shoes and put them on, standing to say goodbye to her. "I'll see you at the meeting. I appreciate the breakfast."
"I appreciate you." She replied, stepping up close and looking up into his face. She smiled wider, noticing the red blush rising up his neck and how he looked away at her wholesome confession.
Her hands stretched up to hold his face and she lifted herself to kiss him. She felt him sigh, and his hands settled themselves on her waist. They ghosted there, gentle and not wanting to cause her wound any harm. Always thinking of her.
"You're too good to me, Shouta." She said quietly against his lips when they finally parted.
Dressed in a professional pencil skirt and a white blouse, her hair down and straightened in a simple style, Hina arrived earlier than anticipated to the school for her meeting with Nezu. She could feel the bandage rubbing underneath the skirt's waistband, but there wasn't much she could do to alleviate it. Tugging the fabric down did nothing, as her hips were too wide to allow it any lower.
Wincing a little with each step, she managed to make it through the entrance doors without problem, and she turned the direction of Nezu's office.
"Scarlet Seer!" She heard a voice behind her call. She turned, smiling when she recognized the signature blonde hair. She raised a hand in greeting, stopping so the injured hero could catch up with her.
"I'm glad to see you're alright, but I didn't expect you to be out of the hospital so soon. You must heal very quickly." She said, surprised by how healthy he was looking so soon after the fight.
He smiled tiredly, his arms and head still bandaged. His head cocked to the side. "In retrospect, my wounds weren't as bad as they probably looked. Recovery Girl's treatment took care of most of the concerning ones, and the rest just need time."
"That is good to hear."
He nodded, then peered down at her own torso with a pained expression. "I remember seeing All For One get a hit on you during the fight...have you recovered?"
"Getting there." She said, laying a hand on the wound in question. "I had a few quirk healings done when I woke up in the first aid station near Kamino, but I'll let the rest heal naturally. Right now It's still pretty raw but I'm sure it'll be much better in a few days."
"I see." He said, crestfallen. She still couldn't get used to seeing such sadness on his face. He was normally so positive and enthusiastic.
Then, to her absolute shock, Toshinori got to his knees and pressed his head to the floor in prostration. To have him bow to her of all people...was truly overwhelming. "I am truly sorry for not having been able to prevent All For One from harming you."
"T-Toshinori! You...you don't have to do that!" Hina sputtered, hands waving in the air defensively. "Please, raise your head. There is no need to lower it for me."
"There is." He admitted with force, face still pressed to the floor. He would not accept her request to rise. "You protected Young Bakugou from the League of Villains when I could not. Not once did you leave his side until his safety was ensured, even when the numbers were against you. My own overconfidence led to things going horribly wrong on the mission. Had you not been there for him, I fear we would have lost him completely."
Hina was speechless, unable to formulate a response as he continued.
"You have shown me yet again the tremendous dedication it takes to teach these young heroes, and that I myself have yet to learn what it truly means to be a good teacher. These students are fortunate to have you. You are so young, yet you know much more than I. Thank you for showing me the way to connect with these young men and women, and how best to instruct them."
Nearly on the verge of tears, both from shock at seeing him in such a position and from Toshinori's acknowledgement of her teaching, she shuffled to her own knees and placed a hand on his hair. "Please, raise you head."
Finally, he did, lifting it to peer into her face. Both of them were still knelt on the floor. She smiled, her eyes glassy.
"Thank you for your kind words, Toshinori. But I should be the one bowing to you, for saving us from All For One. Seeing our difference in strengths is something I cannot forget. We really are very lucky to have you here to teach the hero course." She saw it, the tiny shift of his expression, that sliver of sadness when she mentioned it. Her smile wilted just a little, and she moved to make eye contact with him again. Perhaps the rumors were correct after all. "Oh. Is it true then...that you can no longer use your quirk?"
He let out a heavy breath. "Yes...I cannot maintain my muscle form for more than a few seconds. To put it simply, my body can no longer withstand the strain required to activate it." He looked down at his bandaged hands, making a tight fist before releasing it. "I have no other choice than to retire now."
"I am so sorry." She said empathetically, but he looked up.
"Don't be. Regardless, I would have ended up this way. My quirk's limit was shortening little by little with every use. I've been on borrowed time for much longer than I'd ever expected. Eventually it would have come to this point." He managed a small smile. He shifted to his feet and stood, holding out an elbow to help her stand as well.
"My only regret is not having been able to completely take care of the League of Villains before putting away the suit." He said, and she hoisted herself up, trying not to pull too hard and aggravate his own injuries. She winced as her wound pulled a little. "With Shigaraki still out there with the other villains, I know we haven't seen the last of them."
Hina nodded, smoothing down her skirt before looking back up to him. "Now we just have to entrust the rest to the next generation of heroes. Which makes our jobs as teachers all the more important, I suppose."
"Yes. It does." He agreed.
Standing beside her fellow teachers, Hina faced Nezu's desk. The dog-bear-mouse principal thanked All Might for his services, before moving on to the real topic for bringing them here.
"Despite your efforts, there are many who don't believe you should continue as a teacher at UA." He stated, and she felt Toshinori tensed beside her. "Many point to the fact that these incidents began taking place after you being hired here. There is a fear that the children will get caught up again now that you can no longer fight to protect them. Everyone is uneasy."
The blonde hero lowered his head, but Nezu looked up again with a smile.
"That is why this time, we must make stronger the faith in the heroes you have passed the torch on to. The threat is still present, of course, so this means protecting and training with more strength than before." He said, before reaching for a folder on his desk. It was thick, filled with many papers.
"Now may be the ideal time to proceed with an idea I've had on my mind for awhile now." Opening the folder, he pushed forward several of the sheets, and Hina read the word 'dormitory' on the top of the one directed to her.
"Student dorms?" She asked allowed, grabbing the paper and reading more in depth.
Nezu nodded. "Yes. Not only can we keep them close and in the safety of UA's school grounds, it promotes the forming of bonds from class to class. I understand there is some contention between 1-A and 1-B?"
Vlad King shrugged. "I wouldn't call it contention. For the most part, my students view their relationship with 1-A as a competitive one, but not hostile. They enjoy the thought of pitting their own quirks against theirs."
"1-A holds no ill will towards 1-B, respectively." Aizawa mentioned casually, eyes skimming the page he held. Nezu nodded in understanding.
"Then it will promote the friendships that will help them once they are fully licensed pros. Cultivating those bonds now will strengthen their cooperation and teamwork later."
The teachers nodded in understanding. Nezu smiled again, crossing his paws on the desk. "Now on the topic of safety. For quite obvious reasons, it wouldn't be wise to allow the students to live in the dormitories unsupervised. Ideally, I'd like at least two staff members per dormitory to live on-site as guardians."
"You're asking us to move on campus." Aizawa summarized, his expression not giving as sort of clue as to his mood.
"Not all of you. It would make the most sense for the students to be supervised by their homeroom teacher, so Vlad King and Eraserhead would be my first choices. However, I don't believe parents would be completely convinced of their safety having only one hero there for protection, and in the case of the female students, not having a female teacher available to them may be a parent's concern. So I'd like Hina and Nemuri to consider the request as well."
It made a lot of sense, logically, but she wasn't sure just how she'd feel living on-site to her place of work. There wouldn't be a whole lot of time for herself, should she decide to go with Nezu's request. At the same time, it felt nice to be considered for something like this to protect the students. Quite a difference from when the principal denied her request to work security for the sports festival.
"I realize I am also asking you to relinquish some of your personal time and freedom, not to mention the task of moving from your current residences." Nezu continued. "Of course, staff would be provided with their own separate apartment for privacy and comfort. They would simply be a short distance from the dorms to be accessible to the students when needed.
"I do not require an answer now. In the meantime, please speak to the parents about the dormitory system and get their consent. Unless we are able to convince them that we can keep their children safe, then this discussion is entirely unnecessary."
The cabin of the taxi was quiet as it drove to the first student's house on the list. Vlad was checking the address, and Hina held the consent forms. She stared out the window, watching as they sped past the citizens traveling on the sidewalk.
Nothing felt different. No one looked different. Hina didn't know what she'd been expecting in terms of the social impact of Kamino's aftermath, but certainly not...normalcy. Parents still brought their children out with them shopping. The local arcade was still packed with teens and their friends, competing for high scores and plushie prizes. The streets weren't empty or even emptier than they would otherwise be.
"You'd think they'd feel a sense of...urgency? now that All Might is retiring." Hina mentioned, spotting a grandmother with her two young grandchildren heading towards a local park. "I don't know...no one's panicking. There's no difference in the number of people out here on the street. It's almost like Kamino never happened."
"People are cautious." Vlad said, garnering her attention. "But they understand that living in constant fear isn't good either. Normalcy is preferable to martial law, isn't it?"
He had a point. Hina looked back out the window, and saw the sidewalks crowded with people going about their daily lives. "I guess so. It's just strange...I see all this going on and I've never felt so disconnected from them than I do right now."
"I'm not sure what you mean." He said, and Hina sighed.
"I don't quite know how to put it into words. It's like I've finally transitioned into living like a hero? I see these things going on that I feel like everyone should be worried about, but then I see everything proceeding as normal. Like I'm not part of the same world they live in." Her head shook slowly. "I'm not sure what to call it."
"A change in perspective, maybe." Vlad said simply. "The world of heroes and the world of an average citizen has always been different. Sounds like you've finally crossed over the boundary line."
Hina didn't know how she felt about that. "Yeah, maybe..."
Never before had Hina seen so much greenery in one room.
Plants and flowers and other flora lined the walls and floors of the Shiozaki household, making it feel more claustrophobic than she would have expected. Everywhere she stepped, there was another plant. It was more akin to a jungle than a home at this point. And with how sacred Ibara held the plantlife, Hina took care not to step on or crush anything at all. It was stressful, but they eventually made it to the family's living room without causing a scene.
The two UA teachers were sat on the two chairs opposite Ibara's family. In this case, that only meant Ibara's mother and Ibara herself. The older woman, who looked very much like her daughter in many ways from the vine-like hair to the pristine and delicate personality, prepared them tea once they were settled. If not for the hair, they would have looked so out of place in the jungle-like residence.
"UA is establishing a dormitory system?" She clarified, and Vlad nodded.
"In light of the obvious targeting the students have been subjected to from villains, we believe keeping the students on the grounds of the academy is the safest option available. We do understand, however, if you have some apprehension regarding UA's ability to protect your child. Feel free to ask us any questions or voice your concerns."
After pouring the cups of tea, Ibara's mother used her hair as small plates, gingerly extending the hot tea cups towards her two guests. Hina eyes the cup before accepting it, careful not to knock it over by accident.
"I'll admit, it was rather alarming to see one of the students caught up in the incident at Kamino, may those poor souls find eternal peace." She added on, looking to the ceiling with reverence. Ibara copied the position, and both women took a moment of silence.
Hina glanced at Vlad from the corner of her eye. "I see where she gets her piety from."
The blood user nodded slowly, but otherwise didn't comment. Ibara's mother looked back up at the teachers.
"I've seen many news reports questioning the school's capability. People are scared after what happened. But you are incorrect, Vlad King, I have no hesitation in entrusting my daughter's safety to you."
Both teachers looked surprised, and her mother smiled. "I already know how hard the academy works to keep these students safe. Their intentions are pure, and I do not believe there is any other place that could provide greater security for her. From what my daughter tells me of the training camp, that much is obvious."
Hina bowed her head. "It is still shameful, to have ever allowed such a thing to happen."
Vlad did the same, and Ibara's mother sighed.
"It is an unfortunate reality that villains will always seek to harm the innocent. But it has always been that way, and I am aware that heroes are people too." She explained, turning to her daughter and cupping her chin with one hand. "Having her remain under the academy's tutelage is the best way to protect her. Don't you think, my sweet?"
"UA has been a remarkably educational place for me." Ibara said in agreement, her hands clasped together in wonder. "I can see how I've grown stronger, both in how to protect myself and others. I don't know of another place in which I could continue that growth. I would very much like to continue studying there, and remaining on campus will help bring me closer to my classmates."
Hina smiled. "We certainly believe it will. Thank you for having faith in us as educators, Ms. Shiozaki." She added, directing it towards her mother. She handed her the consent form to sign.
"Of course." Ibara's mother said, smiling softly. "Please, help my daughter reach her full potential."
"Kenshi! Yosetsu! One of you get the door!" A female voice shouted from within the house. A lot of other noise accompanied the shout, including a very vulgar curse that just didn't sound correct coming from a lady's mouth. Loud crashes and bangs followed suit.
Vlad and Hina shared a concerned glance, but the door was opened a moment later. Three sets of eyes, all at varying heights in the doorway, peered at them. Yosetsu who stood in the middle of the opening immediately startled at seeing his teacher. "Vlad Sensei, what are you doing here? Oh, Hitagawa Sensei too? What's going on?"
"Yosetsu, are your parents home?" Hina questioned politely, intentionally ignoring the string of curses they could all hear behind the student, and he nodded.
"Sure, come on inside." He gestured for them to enter, and the two teachers obliged. The three other younger boys ran off another direction, giving them space to enter.
The interior of the house was clean, but the odd nut and bolt could be seen in corners of the room and on various flat surfaces of the house. Small metal and wooden knick knacks hung from the walls and sat on shelves. Hina almost mistook the place as the equipment workshop back at UA. It definitely had a distinctive metallic scent to it, as well.
Yosetsu gestured for them to stay put in the main entryway. "One sec, let me get my parents."
The boy disappeared past a doorway across the living room, where the swearing and loud banging noises were coming from. Down the hallway to their left, they heard several running feet. A moment later, the three boys from before ran into view, then in a circle around them. Playing tag or chase or some other sort of game.
"Fuck!" The youngest of the three shouted out with glee, trying to catch up with his brothers. "Fuck!"
"Yuji! Shut the fuck up!" Another of the boys shouted.
"Boys! Get back here!" An older male shouted from down the same hallway.
Suddenly, one of the boys grabbed his younger brother's hand and placed it against Hina's arm. She gasped, feeling a tingling sensation, and then he ran off, leaving his younger brother welded onto the teacher's arm.
"What? H-hey!" She called, stuck to the child who was now crying and trying to tug himself off of the strange woman he now found himself attached to. Vlad just sort of stood there, in shock and unsure of what to do. Neither of them had been in a situation like this. He would have grabbed for the child but doing so didn't seem that appropriate.
"Daaad! Kensho welded Yuji to the lady!" The middle boy yelled out, chasing after the older sibling without looking back. They left the youngest to cry against Hina's arm. She crouched down and shushed him as best she could.
"It's ok! It's ok..." She tried calming him down, but the kid just wouldn't stop crying.
Thankfully, Yosetsu's father seemed to arrive, looked upset and disheveled. "Kensho! I cannot believe you would do this!" Then, he turned to Hina with a deeply apologetic expression. "I am so sorry about my son's terrible behavior."
"It's really no problem..." Hina reassured, watching as the father laid his hand on her arm and unattached his son from her. She rubbed at the spot the welding had occurred, trying to get the sensation off of her skin.
Yuji threw himself into his father's arms sniveling and crying some more. Yosetsu's father stood, holding his youngest son and bowing his head. "Please, have a seat. I know our home can be overwhelming...four sons isn't an easy force to tame."
"It is not a problem." Vlad said, following after him into the living room. He disappeared into the kitchen a moment later, no doubt looking for his wife.
It was cozy enough, and they sat on the couch to wait for the Yosetsu's parents. Hina and Vlad could still hear running feet in the rooms up above them, and continuous curses from practically everyone in the household. Hina had never heard so much vulgarity all in one place, and she worked at a damn high school.
Yosetsu entered the living room, followed by his father and mother a moment later. They sat on the couch across from them.
Yosetsu's mother, looking haggard and definitely not in the best of moods, crossed her arms and sighed. "I do not mean to be rude, but you must understand you are here at a bad time. Our refrigerator has stopped working and I'll be damned if I'm going to spend money on a repairman to fix it when we have our quirk."
"I understand, Mrs. Awase." Vlad nodded his head. "We are sorry for the poor timing. Please understand, this matter is still very important."
Hina cleared her throat. "UA is implementing a dormitory system, which will house-"
"Dorm system? Will Yosetsu be living permanently on campus?" She asked in a hurry, and Hina paused at the interruption.
"Uh, yes. Given your consent, he would be living in an on-campus dorm with his fellow classmates. If you have questions-"
"Well, sign him up!" She said, grabbing the paper from Hina's hand and already filling her signature on the bottom of the page. "If there's one less boy I have to deal with in this damn house, I don't care what you do with him."
"Honey, don't you think we should discuss this a bit before rushing into a decision?" Her husband asked, but she waved her hand dismissively, pushing the paper over for him to sign.
"Yosetsu, you want to keep going to UA, right?"
"Hell yes!" He cried out, fist pumping the air in excitement.
His mom shrugged. "Well, there you go. Topic discussed. So sign the damn paper so I can get back to fixing our fridge please."
She stood from the couch without waiting for his answer and went back into the kitchen to work. Yosetsu looked at his dad, who wasn't as forthcoming with his consent.
He shook his head, turning to the teachers. "My wife can be very rash, and makes decisions quickly. I don't feel so comfortable just signing away my son to you. Don't get me wrong, I have faith in UA's ability to teach him the right way of being a hero. But with everything going on recently, I can't help but be worried for his safety."
"Come on, dad." The student groaned, but Vlad gave him a look.
"Don't be inconsiderate of your father's feelings, Yosetsu. He has every right to be concerned."
Yosetsu sighed and looked away, crossing his arms. He clearly didn't see the problem here, since his mother had already agreed. However, Nezu required the signature of all living parents before the child could be admitted into the dormitory.
Hina bowed her head low. "All of the staff at UA take personal accountability for what happened with the students, from USJ to the training camp, and even Kamino Ward. UA sees how it has failed. We will take these mistakes and learn from them. It is for this reason that we ask your permission to keep him on campus under the protection of dozens of heroes who would risk their lives to ensure their safety."
"Myself and Midnight will be assigned to the dormitory for class 1-B. We will be available to them at all hours of the day, and will be first on hand should villains somehow breath the entrance." Vlad continued confidently. "If I may say, there would be nowhere safer for him than on campus."
Yosetsu's dad nodded along to all of the information Vlad laid out for him. He stared down at the dormitory consent form and sighed. The father turned to his son, staring at him intensely for a few seconds, before grabbing for the pen.
"I have always been an advocate for UA. We as the public have many things to thank you for. But please, do not make me regret signing this paper."
Vlad straightened in his seat, meeting the father's stare with his own, man to man. "We will not."
"All 20 families signed the forms." Hina summarized, flipping through the pages of paper they'd collected. "I'm actually surprised not a single one refused."
Vlad let out a sigh, undoing his tie now that they were done for the day. The taxi was currently taking them back to the school to drop off the forms to Nezu for filing. "It is good, though. None of the students will be left out of the dorm, and it will strengthen their bond and sense of teamwork."
"Here's to hoping..."
"You don't think it will?" He asked, and she shrugged, meeting his eye.
"We just can't afford for this not to go smoothly. With all of the controversies lately, even the smallest hiccups will be televised and torn into by the media. We're being watched like hawks. For the academy's sake, we'd best hope it will."
Vlad hummed, nodding slowly. "I'd say the hardest part is behind us. Talking with parents has never been my strong suit."
"I wonder if Toshinori and Shouta have had any luck with 1-A." She mused aloud. "Surely Bakugou's family wouldn't be too thrilled about the idea, but maybe having Toshinori there will ease their fears a little."
Vlad didn't say anything for a minute, but then smirked. "So...he's Shouta now?"
"Uh..." Hina tensed, realizing her slip up. Her face grew hot with embarrassment at being called out for the sudden change in how he addressed her coworker. Surely, he probably had the wrong impression of what it meant. Something a bit dirtier than was the truth. "About that..."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to go around telling anyone. It's not that surprising, though." Vlad said, with a shake of his head. "I think we all had an idea that there was something between you two."
Hina smiled ruefully. "Is it that obvious?"
"Sort of. I just might be more perceptive than others." Vlad shrugged.
The redhead sighed, glad that he wasn't making a big deal out of it all. Unlike Nemuri when she first found out. "We're taking things slow, so we haven't really told anyone yet. It's not like it's a secret, though."
"You both are happy, that is all that matters. Right now it seems like you need that." He stated, then turned to look out the window again. They sat in silence for the rest of the taxi ride back.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
