Chapter Text
The common room of Class 1-A hummed with the gentle murmur of voices and the occasional burst of laughter. Evening sunlight spilled lazily through the tall windows, painting the walls a soft, honeyed gold. The air smelled faintly of Mina’s nail polish and the light, lingering sharpness of sweat from the boys’ recent sparring match.
You were tucked into the far end of one of the couches, half-hidden behind a battered coffee table stacked with half-read magazines and someone’s forgotten All Might figurine. A mechanical pencil twirled between your fingers, its eraser scuffed down to a nub. The notebook on your lap was a warzone of formulas, messy annotations, and hastily scribbled diagrams.
You weren’t even sure why you chose the common room, maybe it was the relaxing light, maybe it was the quiet chaos of other people’s lives around you– not intruding, just existing, background noise to your frantic attempt to untangle the physics problem unravelling your brain.
Or maybe, it was your best effort to be more social. You just got transferred to U.A just a few days ago, feeling a bit lonely and out of place was something inevitable. You weren’t in the Hero Course, of course, you’re just a ‘genius kid’ who happened to win a few national prizes, and was transferred to General Department of U.A high from a private school in your city. As in for why you’re in the same dorm with all the heroes-in-training… you got your reasons, and you preferred to keep it a secret for now.
A flicker of movement caught the edge of your vision, and before you could fully process it, a shadow fell over your notebook.
“Yo!”
You startled, glancing up– only to meet the warmest, most brilliantly alive grin you had ever seen.
He was bright. Not just in the literal sense, though his hair was a shock of messy crimson and his eyes a fierce, inviting shade of ruby. It was in the way he stood, a little breathless from whatever he’d been doing, a towel slung around his neck, face flushed from exertion. His smile wasn’t practiced or a grin of someone trying to impress you, it’s boyish, radiant, kind of dumb and cute at the same time, a genuine friendly smile.
“You the new girl? Whatcha workin’ on? Looks intense.”
You blinked, mouth parting before the words formed. It’s as if you were entranced by his eyes and lips alone, until his voice snapped you out of your bewitched state. “Uh… physics. Well— trying to. It’s this… friction calculation for a sliding object on an inclined plane…-It’s stupid.”
You winced immediately with a swallow, cheeks burning. Great. First real conversation since you got here and you sounded like a walking equation.
But the boy’s grin didn’t waver, if anything, it widened. For a split second, you thought maybe the light they saw in heaven only shined so far.
“No way, that’s seriously cool,” he said, plopping down onto the couch across from you in a natural manner that made you question if it’d ever supposed to be this way, or had you known him before. “I wouldn’t understand half of that even if you crack my skull open and stuff it in with force, but you sounded awesome just now.”
Your heart hiccupped.
Your eyes went to search for any hint of dishonesty on his face, the kind of expression people make when they try to be friendly on purpose, but you saw none, and it almost made you think you actually were awesome.
“I’m Eijiro Kirishima, by the way.” He stuck out a hand, that boyish grin once again appeared on his face, but this time you can see his teeth– sharp and pointy like those of a shark. His hand was large, his fingers showing distinct joints with solid muscle tendons on the back, palm calloused, nicked with small scrapes you could tell came from training.
You hesitated for a beat, unconsciously swallowed what you figured out later as ‘that was hot’, then slid your hand into his. Not to be a weirdo, but the sensation coming from that mere contact nearly transported you into a state of euphoria. The grip was warm, firm and solid, the kind that made you feel grounded without trapping you, unlike those of a business man which feel like they're trying to insert dominance.
“[Name]”, You murmured, suddenly grateful for the dim light to hide the flush climbing your neck. People say those who act sweet and shy are usually the spiciest ones in secret, that may apply to you, because a crush may or may not have started growing in your chest at that moment. He approached you with the purest smile, and you over here…
“But… uh, you can call me [name]. Everyone does.”
“[name],” he repeated, releasing your hand as he looked up slightly, like he was trying the name out on his tongue. You couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed from the loss of contact, but at the same time secretly grateful he pulled away before your heart combusted. “Cool name for a cool person.”
He chuckled, his gaze dropped down at you, then slightly swept to the notebook on your lap, making your toes squirm a little.
“I’m not cool… I’m just.. kinda good at math.” You let out a soft, incredulous laugh, ducking your head to avert your staring gaze from him.
“That’s super cool,” he insisted, leaning forward with elbows on his knees, his expression grew more serious, as he wouldn’t let you get away with doubting yourself. “I mean, you’ve got your thing, right? People say what makes a person awesome ain't about flashy achievements, but it’s when he does what he's passionate about. I totally believe that.”
You glanced up, surprised by the quiet conviction in his voice, it wasn’t hollow flattery, it’s something he truly believed in.
“I’m not the best student out there among my peers, but living true to oneself is the spirit of a hero. I’m doing the best I can without comparing who can do more than who, you know, it’s about living a life without regret.”
Maybe you were supposed to say something, but you had already lost in those glowing red amber hues of his, as if nothing really mattered, because whatever he said, you just automatically nodded. You could see the moment something shifted behind those bright eyes, the way his gaze lingered a second too long on your face, the way his cheeks slowly dusted pink as he looked away, biting the inner of his bottom lip, and as his voice softened, you felt the uncertainty for the first time in his tone .
“S-sorry, kinda gave you a speech there.”
“No! Uh- I mean, It was great!” You stammered, shaking your head out of the intoxicating bubbles, while secretly cursing yourself for talking like an idiot. “I like it, you also sounded awesome.. We are...both awesome?”
He laughed, and gosh, how could a boy sound so… great that made your heart swell and hurt at the same time. It's weird, but you're not normal anyway.
“Well– " He coughed, rubbing the back of his neck, his ears pinked, and you could’ve sworn he looked flustered. "Uh– if you ever need help with, like, fighting stances or workout routines, I’m your guy.” “And in exchange, maybe you could help me out with my math assignments sometimes… I’m really bad at it, like, really.”
You couldn’t help it– a smile tugged at your lips. He’s so adorable.
Your classmates from your old school had told you about how stuck-up these students were in U.A, how they wouldn’t befriend a transferred kid like you. But there’s a certain someone in front of you with a smile so infectious, a bit dorky even.
“I’d be happy to be your tutor, call me sensei when you need.” You teased, showing a bit of your personality, because he’d made you feel so welcomed, someone equal.
In that moment, you both knew one thing for sure.
This wasn’t the last time you’d talk.