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Class 1-A. class 1-A, class 1-A..
You mumbled to yourself while clutching your new heroics textbooks to your chest like a lifeline, you navigated the bustling spacious hallway, your eyes fixed on the numbers on the doorframes.. Where the hell was class 1-A??
You were so focused on not getting lost that you didn't see the foot until you tripped over it.
"Whoa!"
The world tilted. Your brand-new, painfully expensive textbooks went flying, skittering across the polished floor. A hot flush crept up your neck as you knelt, scrambling to gather the scattered books.
"Ah, sorry about that! Wasn't looking where I was going.", you heard a voice before a hand beat you to your copy of Heroic History. You looked up, and your breath hitched. A boy with slightly longish black hair was smiling down at you, your book held out . He had a lazy, confident grin that seemed to take up his whole face.
"No no, it was my fault," your cheeks warmed, "I was in my own world."
His grin widened as you took the book, his fingers brushing against yours. He didn't let go immediately. Instead, he leaned in, just a little, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“With a meet-cute like this, the script usually says we're gonna fall in love.”
You snatched your hand back, the book now safely in your possession, and lightly shoved his shoulder. It was more of a tap, really, but it made him chuckle.
You sputtered, unable to fight the giggle that bubbled up. "Oh my god, shut up."
He laughed, a warm, easy sound that cut through the hallway noise. "Sero Hanta," he said, tapping his chest with his thumb.
You mumbled your name, suddenly very interested in the stack of books in your arms.
“I’ve gotta find my class now. I’ll see you around. Maybe. ”
“Looking forward to it!” He called after you with a wave.
After a minute of more wandering around, you finally found the classroom and pushed the door open. Most of your new classmates were already there, but you couldn’t see the teacher yet. A blue haired guy with glasses very loudly introduced himself to you, “Greetings! The name is Tenya Iida. I’m from Scumei Junior high school!” to which you awkwardly nodded and introduced yourself in return. Your eyes scanned for a nice place to sit, and you decided on the seat next to the window in the front.
You had just settled in, arranging your pens with a nervous precision, when the classroom door slid open again. In walked Sero, his hands in his pockets, looking utterly at ease. His eyes scanned the room, landed on you, your gazes met and a delighted triumphant grin spread across his face. He made a beeline for the desk directly behind you.
"No way," you muttered under your breath, quickly turning your head to stare resolutely out the window.
"Fate's a funny thing, huh?" he said, his voice low as he leaned forward.
"You're going to be a distraction," you sighed, trying to sound stern and failing miserably.
"Yep. That's the plan."
And quite the distraction he was.
The next day, during a particularly boring lecture on hero ethics, a small, clumsily folded paper airplane landed on your desk. You unfolded it with a small scoff.
“Ur hair looks nice. Is it against hero ethics to be this cute? -S”
You fought a smile, scribbling “Yes. Now focus will you?” on it, and tossed it back over your shoulder without looking. You heard a quiet, delighted chuckle.
You heard the quiet rustle of paper and the soft fwip of another airplane being launched a moment later. It sailed past your ear and landed squarely on your open textbook.
“I am focusing. On you. More fun. -S”
A warm, giddy feeling bloomed in your chest, and you pressed your lips together to stop the inevitable smile. This was ridiculous. You turned your head slightly to raise an eyebrow at him and crumpled his airplane. Sero just pouted at you.
You tried to return your attention to the lecture, you really did. But the feeling of his gaze on the back of your head made it too hard to listen to Present Mic as he energetically explained the nuances of a recent hero law. Yet still you sat up straighter, nodding attentively as if your mind wasn’t on a certain goof sitting behind you.
In a few days, during P.E. Aizawa had decided to torture the class with a distance run—a simple test of endurance around the vast U.A. grounds. A simple, brutal gauntlet against your own stamina.
You started strong, falling into a steady rhythm somewhere in the middle of the pack. You focused on your breathing, the pounding of your feet on the track, the burn in your lungs.
About halfway through, just as your legs were starting to feel like lead, a familiar, annoyingly smug presence materialized at your side.
"Fancy meeting you here," Sero said, his breathing even and calm, as if he were on a leisurely stroll. A light sheen of sweat glistened on his temple, but he looked utterly at ease compared to your ragged state.
You shot him a sidelong glance, too breathless to form a proper retort. "Go... away," you managed between gulps of air.
"And miss the view?" he grinned, effortlessly matching your pace. "Nah. Besides, looks like you could use a pacemaker."
"I don't need... your help," you panted, pushing yourself to go a little faster, as if to prove your point.
He easily kept up, his long legs making it look effortless. "Sure you do" He leaned in slightly, his voice clear over the sound of your pounding heart. "My super professional opinion? Your form's actually pretty good. A little tense in the shoulders, though."
You wanted to hit him. You really did. But you needed every ounce of energy just to keep moving. Instead, you focused on the track ahead, trying to ignore him. It was impossible though.
Seeing your stubborn silence, he tried a new tactic. “Need a lift?” he’d teased, flexing his elbow as if to shoot tape. “I could totally make you a scooter, not sure it would work though.” his eyes lit up before he continued “ Or I could rig up a harness. You know, like a dog sled, but way cooler. I could pull you."
The mental image of Sero as your sled dog got a choked laugh out of you, ruining your breathing rhythm entirely.
“I’d rather crawl,” you panted, though you couldn’t stop the corner of your mouth from twitching upwards.
Your body was burning with pain at this point, but you were giving it your all not to collapse in front of him.
Sero seemed to notice the slight change and gave you an encouraging smile.
"C'mon, just a little further. You've got this."
And despite yourself, his stupid, steady presence and his even more stupid encouragement did something. It distracted you from the ache in your muscles. It gave you a focal point other than your own exhaustion. When he pointed to the final stretch, a genuine, determined smile broke through your pained expression.
"You're... insufferable," you gasped as you both crossed the finish line. He caught your arm,stopping you from falling from exhaustion.
“Yep, but you made it. And you’re smiling.” he teased, moving slightly to avoid you elbowing him.
You leaned against him for just a second, too tired to maintain your annoyed act, a small, grateful smile finally reaching your eyes. "Don't... get used to it."
At lunch, you were sitting with a few of the girls when he plopped down right next to you, his tray loaded with food.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, already digging in.
"You already are," you pointed out, taking a delicate bite of your rice.
"Just making sure my favorite person in class has company."
You nearly choked. "I'm not your favorite person."
"Sure you are. You're the only one who shoves me. It's a unique form of affection. I appreciate it."
The girls around you—Mina and Jirou, in particular—watched the exchange with knowing smirks, nudging each other.
You walked up to your locker one afternoon to find a single, slightly wilted daisy taped to the door with a precise, familiar-looking strip of cellophane tape. There was no note.
The next day, it was a packet of your favorite gummy candies, also taped neatly in place.
On the third day, there was a small drawing, It depicted a lanky stick figure labeled "Me" using tape to lasso a grumpy-looking stick figure labeled "U" who was throwing a book at him. A little heart was drawn in the corner.
You finally cornered him by the vending machines after school. “Okay, what’s with the loot?”
Sero leaned against the machine with a soda can in hand, feigning ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must have a secret admirer.”
You rested a hand on your hip with an unamused look . “The tape, Sero. You used your own quirk to stick them in there.”
He looked down at the tape dispensers on his elbows, then back at you, his eyes wide with mock surprise. “Oh. Right. Dang. Busted.”
You couldn't help but snort. “You’re the worst secret admirer ever.”
“Nah,” he said, his grin softening. “I’m just not very good at the ‘secret’ part.” and he left you standing there. Your cheeks flushed and your heart beating fast.
You were diligently taking notes during All Might’s lecture, when a small ball of paper hit the back of your head. You slowly turned your head to glare at Sero over your shoulder before picking the paper up. You had to press your lips together to hold back a snort.
“Do you like me?
Breathe for yes
Backflip rn for no
-S <3”
The sheer audacity.
You looked back at him. He gave you an exaggerated, hopeful thumbs-up. To which you puffed out your cheeks as if holding your breath.
His jaw dropped in mock shock, a hand flying to his chest as if he'd been hurt.
You turned back around, letting the breath out, and folded the drawing, tucked it into your textbook. You'd never admit it, but you kept it.
The final blow to your facade came when All Might had paired you up for a simple capture and restraint exercise.
"Alright, listen up," Sero said, cracking his knuckles with a grin. "I'll go easy on you."
"Don’t," you retorted, falling into a fighting stance.
The match began. You were quicker than he expected, dodging his first tape shot. He looked impressed. "Okay, not bad!"
You lunged, aiming to grab his arm, but he was faster. A strand of tape shot out, wrapping neatly around your wrist. With a gentle but firm tug, he pulled you off balance. You yelped as you stumbled forward, right into his waiting arms. He caught you effortlessly, one arm secure around your waist, the other still holding the tape attached to your wrist.
"Gotcha," he murmured, his face inches from yours.
For a moment, the world stopped. You could feel the solid warmth of his chest, see the playful glint in his dark eyes. Your heart was hammering against your ribs, and you knew your face was bright red. Then you heard a distinct "GET IT, SERO!" from a pink-haired blur that was probably Mina.
Any attempt at being aloof evaporated. You were utterly, completely flustered.
"I... you... that's cheating!" you finally stammered, making no move to pull away.
He laughed, "It's my Quirk, silly. That’s the point." He didn't let go. "So? What's the verdict? Am I ever gonna wear you down, or should I just accept my fate as the guy you pretend to hate?"
You looked up at him, at his hopeful, teasing smile, and your own resolve finally, completely melted. A genuine, unreserved smile broke out on your face.
"Maybe," you said, your voice soft. "Maybe you already have."
You buried your face in his shoulder, groaning in embarrassment, but you were laughing. It was no use pretending anymore. He had seen right through you from the very beginning, and honestly? You were glad he did.