Chapter Text
‘International Heroics Junior Conference: Inspiring the Heroes of Tomorrow!” the booklet on Uraraka’s desk proclaimed in bold letters alongside an image of teenagers from around the world in hero costume. Wasn’t this the conference Deku was talking about at lunch last week?
“…had to pull some strings with Principal Nezu to convince him that it was important that you all be allowed to attend so I expect that you all will make your best effort. I know it’s last minute, but you’ll need to have all of your paperwork turned in by Wednesday…”
While Aizawa Sensei continued on about what would happen if someone failed to turn in the paperwork, Uraraka started to flip through her booklet - a list of the speakers and sessions, oh look Rabbit Hero: Mirko was going to be giving a talk on building a female hero brand, a map of the conference resort (resort!), a list of restaurants, ooh a mochi bar!, and another list of sessions for the evenings but these mostly looked more like fun rather than educational, concerts, performances, a few international meet and greets, etc. The further she got the more fun this was starting to look. No wonder Deku had been so excited about it! She stole a glance in his direction and couldn't help but smile to see him already furiously taking notes all over his own booklet. She continued her own perusal. All scattered throughout were glossy photos of previous conferences and group shots of attending schools. UA and Shiketsu both got full page profiles! Was that because of Japan being the host country this year? Wow, that picture of Principal Nezu standing in front of the main building made him look so much taller than he was in real life! In the back of the booklet there were some inserts from UA - contact numbers, emergency contact paperwork (didn't the school already have all of that?), the permission slip that Aizawa Sensei was talking about now (how was she going to get time to go home to get that signed?), and finally a packing list. Wait - what was that note down at the bottom…?
…!!!
Recommended to bring 30,000 ¥?! Oh no! That was not good! That was almost half of a month's rent! No way could she ask Mom and Dad to give her that! If she only bought cup ramen for a few weeks could she take some of it out of her grocery budget? It was starting to get warmer but maybe she could put off using her fans for a while longer? Could she get away with not eating much during the trip? Then she wouldn't need to bring as much right? But some of that was probably to pay for tickets for the evening shows? Would her friends be upset with her for not joining them? ….
Had anyone else seen that yet? She looked around the room but no one else seemed to be freaking out. There was just an excited buzz. "Not THAT kind of nightlife, you perv!" someone shouted at Mineta. Aizawa Sensei was still talking about behavior expectations. No one had seemed to notice her quietly panicking in her corner.
It was okay. Everything would be okay. She could figure this out.
By the time class ended and everyone started to mill around each other's desks however she had just barely managed to plaster on a smile. No reason to upset anyone with her worries.
She was about to join Iida, Todoroki, and Tsuyu who had gathered around Deku's desk when her name was called. "Yes, Aizawa Sensei?"
"Come find me before you leave for the day please. I'll be in the teacher's offices when you finish with English class."
Oh no, had he noticed that she hadn't been paying attention? What could he want? Now she was going to be worrying about that for the rest of the day too! Her stomach twisted. "Yes, sir."
Never mind. She could talk to Deku later. Instead she took advantage of the break to head to the restroom and wash her face. She hadn't been crying or anything but something about a clean face made everything a little better. She could do this.
Mic Sensei's class was loud and upbeat as usual, and by the time he had them up out of their seats acting out English conversations and dancing to English music she'd almost forgotten that she was stressed. She laughed so hard at Mina’s rewritten lyrics she even forgot about meeting with Aizawa Sensei until they were packing up their things and Momo was asking if she wanted to go with the rest of the girls to get smoothies from the new shop that had just opened near campus, "my treat of course."
The twist in her stomach was back in an instant. No, don’t let it show on your face that there’s something wrong. Put on a smile. “Sorry I can’t make it today. Aizawa Sensei wanted me to meet with him. Maybe next time?”
“We can wait for you.”
She threw up her hands in protest. “Oh no that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to put you out. I really have no idea how long this will take. You all go ahead.”
“Well if you’re sure...”
“Definitely. It’s fine. You all go have fun.”
Wave. Keep smiling until they’re out the door. Phew. Her shoulders slumped as she finished gathering her papers into her bag and prepared to leave the classroom.
“Hey, Little Listener, why the long face?” Mic Sensei had been gathering up assignments and packing the speakers he had used for class away into their boxes. She hadn’t thought he’d been paying her any attention. It took her a second to figure out the English idiom he’d used. “You really that scared to meet with Aizawa?”
She felt her face grow hot. “Oh…ah…no, I guess not…I just…”
He chuckled. “Chill, kiddo. It’s okay. I get it. He can be a bit intimidating.”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah…a little.”
“Well don’t sweat it. He’s mostly all scary glares unless you try to hurt someone he cares about.” His face pulled into a teasing smirk. “You didn’t threaten his cat did ya?”
“N-no…”
“Ah, well in that case, you got nothin’ to worry about. Here carry this for me would you?” He shoved one of the two giant speaker boxes he was holding into her hands. It was a lot heavier than it looked and she had to use her quirk to keep from dropping it. “I gotta take these back to the offices anyway, so I figure I’ll just walk to that meeting with you. That is if y’ don’t mind?”
Uraraka didn’t know what say, but she found herself nodding in agreement.
“Awesome. Off we go then.” Mic Sensei kept up a steady stream of chatter on the way to the teacher’s offices on the other side of the heroics department wing. Even as the twist in her stomach continued to wriggle every now and then by focusing on his silly jokes and funny stories she was able to mostly ignore it.
Before she knew it she was following him into the teacher’s office with its long row of desks and filing cabinets and a few couches clustered in the corner near the wall of windows, a refrigerator and what looked like it might be a coffee bar.
“Hey, what up, my brother,” he called out to Aizawa Sensei who was sitting at his desk on the far side of the room. “Just gonna put these away and then she’s all yours.”
Aizawa Sensei didn’t say anything, just nodded as Mic Sensei lead the way to a closet in another corner near the door which he pushed open with his foot to reveal that it was full of all sorts of odds and ends, laptops, projectors, a couple more speakers, and …an All Might plush doll? Mic Sensei noticed where her eyes had gone as he took the speaker box out of her hands. “Long story – don’t even ask.”
“I-I wasn’t going to,” she stammered.
He chuckled again and nodded his head in the direction of the desks. “I got this from here. Why don’t you go see what Aizawa wanted you for?”
When she walked up to Aizawa Sensei, he was busy typing something on his computer and didn’t immediately look at her but pushed out the chair from the desk next to him with his foot. “Have a seat.”
She sat down and found herself fiddling with the hem of her skirt as she waited for him to finish whatever he was working on. Finally when she felt like she was going to burst, he clicked on last button and spun his chair to face her.
“Sorry for making you wait on me. There are a lot of logistics involved in planning to take 20 high school students halfway across the country.”
“Oh, …it’s fine. I didn’t mind.”
Suddenly from across the room, “Shou, the kid’s about to throw up from nerves. Put the girl out of her misery!”
Aizawa Sensei pulled a look that Uraraka couldn’t quite read but looked like he was maybe ignoring Mic Sensei. “I wanted to talk to you about the conference. I know that things are bit tight right now for you, so first question – do you want to go on this trip?”
Uraraka bit her lip. “It looks like a lot of fun, and I would hate to disappoint anyone.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
Her cheeks grew warm. “Yes, Sensei.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I would like to go to the conference with everyone, but I don’t think I can afford to.”
He nodded as though he had been expecting this answer. “Did you know that UA has an account for students who may need small amounts of financial help?”
…?
She shook her head. “No, Sensei.”
“Of course, 30,000¥ is a bit more than I can take out for you without school approval, but…” he paused and reached behind his computer to pull a piece of paper out from a file, “there’s a form you can fill out to request the money.” He handed her the document and pointed to a line near the top. “Just put IHJ Conference in the line that asks about what the emergency need is.”
She stared down at the paper in her hands, beginning to feel overwhelmed. “What if the school doesn’t approve it?”
“Let me worry about that. You just fill it out and turn it in with your permission slip. I’ll make sure that you have what you need to go to the conference.”
Suddenly her eyes blurred and she had to blink rapidly to keep the tears from falling. “Thank you, Sensei,” she murmured trying to keep her voice from breaking. “I’m not sure what to say.”
He looked decidedly uncomfortable with her display of emotion, but now Mic Sensei came to the rescue again. He walked over with three Styrofoam cups, setting one on Aizawa Sensei’s desk and holding out another to her. “You don’t have to say anything, Little Listener. That’s why the school has the fund.”
She accepted the cup and took a sip of the warm tea, using the few seconds to compose herself. “Still I – thank you. I’ll do my best to get a lot out of this trip!”
Aizawa Sensei’s lips twitched like maybe he was smiling?, and Mic Sensei’s face left no doubt about his feelings. “We know you will, kid,” Mic Sensei said. “Now why don’t you finish that tea, and I’m betting that you still have time to make it to that smoothie shop before your friends hardly even have time to finishing ordering, okay?”
She’d almost forgotten! YaoMomo had looked really disappointed when she’d turned them down. Two gulps finished off the tea. “Thank you so much, Senseis!” She stood and bowed.
“Helping students is part of the job.”
“You know you can ask any of your teachers for help any time.”
“Still thank you,” she beamed as she gathered up her school bag and made her way out the office and the hall. She laughed as she heard Mic Sensei starting into an English pop song as soon as she was out the door. If she used her quirk to fly down the stairs instead of walking? Well what good was zero gravity if you couldn’t use it to float when you were happy?