Chapter Text
The first time Uraraka met Shinso, he was being an asshole.
Ochako was no stranger to the publicity that came with her fame. Cameras everywhere, constantly keeping up a facade for the media, maintaining a good image and consistent persona, were all things she’d learnt to deal with. Force of habit makes things less predictable, but it doesn’t always make the easier to go through. It helps reducing the effort made, but doesn’t dull it down to zero. So when you’re a star athlete, renown across the whole of the nation of Japan, it’s to be expected, isn’t it?
So as she found herself sitting on an armchair, bright lights and cameras aimed directly towards her, all she could do was smile brightly and carry herself well. Now she was starting to regret having worn such a tight blazer, that and the excessive lights was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. She was so used to her sports attire for matches and training sessions that having her movements restricted felt jarring.
Instead of dwelling on her discomfort, she turned towards the reporter sitting before her on the armchair opposite hers. Separating the two was a low table, characteristically carrying two water bottles on top. In the early days of her athletic career, interviews made her so anxious she’d never even consider drinking from the water bottles offered to her, out of fear she’d throw up if she’d do so. Even as she got more comfortable with these kinds of conferences, she never drank the water offered to her. An attempt at appearing to be humble, perhaps.
When her eyes landed on the reporter, the impression she got didn’t differ anymore than the first time she’d set sights upon him. He looked to be a tall man, in his early twenties as she was, lanky and slouched in posture. Pronounced dark circles rimmed his eyebags, and a permanent scowl was etched onto his countenance. The poor attempt at a formal attire only succeeding in accentuating his disheveled look.
You’d think he’d at least do something about his hair, but of course not. It was kept in a hazardous messy hairstyle, his appearance all in all something she took personal offense too. Somehow, the way he carried himself and the bitter expression of his reminded her of her coach. As soon as the image came to mind, she barely manage to suppress a shudder. The image was so spitting, it was unnerving. Even the way he stared at her was the same, observing her so stubbornly, as though unaware of how uncomfortable the act could make somebody.
She managed not to let her smile falter, though only slightly. She turned back towards the crew behind the cameras, who were indicating that the interview was to begin. When they signaled for the start, she turned back towards the reporter; his cue to open things up. As he held his small notebook in hand, he faced the cameras, speaking directly towards them.
"Hello, and welcome to the J-sports channel. My name is Hitoshi Shinso, and we are live this evening at the J-sports studio with none other than Japan’s national sports star, Ochako Uraraka.
“Indeed, having risen to the top early in her sports career, she has established herself as one of our nations greatest players, and a crucial asset to the Japanese volleyball team. She, along with her team, is now set for the Asian volleyball cup in no more than a few weeks, after having breezily succeeded in the qualifiers back in Korea.
Uraraka knew the way these interviews went, almost by heart at this point. The reporter would give a brief introduction, their name, the news channel, where they were and who they were with. They’d hence go on to present Uraraka as well, and she couldn’t help the warmth she felt at the way she was spoken of. It was no secret she was a national star, but whenever it was brought up, she always felt the need to deny it or humble herself, again, out of habit to avoid appearing to be stuck up.
But the way he spoke was less than eager. It was like he was reciting a text he knew by heart, his presentation carrying nothing of the cheerfulness characteristic to interview hosts. She’d have almost thought he simply didn’t care, if it weren’t for the way he stared at her so intensely. She knew a languid person wasn’t necessarily an uninterested one. In fact, she knew it all too well, she thought, as she thought back to her coach.
He continued, as he turned towards her, his tone just as dry as before.
“Before anything, I must state that you’ve gone on an undefeated run for the qualifiers, beating Thailand, Australia, and the Chinese Taipei team on every single set. Things have gone rather smoothly until now, any thoughts for the tournament overhead?”
This question was easy, typical to ease her into the interview. There was always a certain formula for this sort of inquiry, usually to just speak from the heart and stay cheerful about things. The future ahead was hopeful, she had to show that she believed it to be the case in her answer.
“Before I answer, I’d like to thank J-Sports for having me today, it’s an honour to be seated here this evening.” She first said, giving a small seated bow. In turn, the journalist only nodded.
She continued, paying no mind to his listlessness. “And as for the question, I’m thankful for us having qualified, and I can only credit our success to our amazing coach, and my wonderful teammates. In truth, even if I’m on an official team, I’m only a rookie, so I can’t credit myself for our win. I’ve still got a long way to go, and plenty of things to learn from my teammates. We may have won, but those qualifiers were no easy game, and I highly respect my opponents.”
He nodded again, glancing at his notebook before posing his next question.
“You mentioned considering yourself to be a rookie, right? Well that is true, you’ve only been in the national team for two years...”
Harsh...
“So what does it feel like, to be one of the teams youngest members? How have your events gone so far?”
This was easy, she’d answered this questions plenty times already.
“I made my debut in the team during last years VNL, back in Italy. I distinctively remember being ecstatic about it, since it was such a big achievement for a rookie like me. I never imagined I’d play for my country in an international tournament so early in my career, and especially not fresh out of high school!
“I also went through the Olympics back here in Japan, which I have to admit didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, but I don’t consider the loss a totally bad thing. Me and my team went through a lot, though it was thanks to our loss that we were pushed to improvement! It’s only thanks to my team’s efforts and our coach’s guidance that we’re doing well, really.”
He hummed, the closest thing he gave to a response to her statement. Seriously, that’s it?
“And about your team, would you say you find yourself to be fully integrated in it? And right before the year in which you debuted, a drastic decision was taken to have your coach changed. Your fellow team members don’t shy away from admitting to how strict he is, do you share this sentiment?”
She felt her heart beat a little faster against her chest, as she shifted in her seat. The questions were normal, but for some reason, it rubbed her the wrong way. His questions seemed normal, too normal for somebody or carried themselves the way he did. So what corner was he trying to back her into? What was his motive here? She didn’t like it; nor his bored countenance or his brash statements.
Nonetheless, she answered smoothly, smiling brightly as though she were challenging the sun itself. She wasn’t one to back down before a pissy reporter or two, and this one was no exception.
“Like I said earlier, I greatly admire my teammates, and it’s an honour to find myself playing amongst them. I can only say I was welcomed with nothing less than charity, and my time in this team has been wonderful. It’s true that at first I struggled to keep up due to my lack of experience and slight difference in age, but in the end, all was well.”
He nodded, this time his expression a little less contrary. He stared at his notebook while he listened, scratching his head with the end of her pen. She knew this one would be a little more difficult, meeting a difficult reporter was inevitable to any famous athlete’s career, but she knew that she’d manage to pull this one through. This one may be a little difficult to convince, but in the end, nobody can resist Uraraka’s charm!-
“Never mind your coach then, we’ll circle back to that later-” he started, and it was then that Uraraka realized she’d never answered him on his second inquiry. Before she could catch up, he continued.
“-I’m sure that gap was hard to deal with, with the pressure and all. Back when you lost in the olympics, that was pretty early in your career, right? In fact, that was on your very first year on the team. Did you feel that the pressure put upon you was too great, for someone as young as you ere?”
She pursed her lips. She was starting to realize what he was trying to do.
“Of course, pressure is something all athletes experience, no matter their age or even their sport. I was well aware of the pressure that came with joining a national team back when I decided to become a volleyball player, it's a responsibility I chose to bear. I firmly stand with that conviction, even after we lost.”
A different air came to him as he heard her reply, noticeably less cheerful than the previous ones. Before he could follow up, she quickly continued, taking up a rehearsed cheerful air once more.
“But of course, that was in the past, right? We’ve won until now for the qualifiers, and we can only hope for more wins in the future!”
Her smile faltered when she saw the twitch of his lips.
Was he... scowling?
He didn’t even bother acknowledging her answer, immediately following up with another thinly veiled jab.
“The team was mostly veteran driven beforehand, that was the tactic for the Olympics, but that didn’t really go so well. Many younger players were scouted to improve the team, so did you ever feel your position to be threatened? You’re a younger player yourself, did this shift ever make tension between yourself and your teammates, or your team in general?”
“Uhm, not particularly, we get along pretty well despite our slight differences in age and experience, but even then...”
He basically cut her off, not once looking up from his notebook.
“Oh, and shortly after the Olympics, a drastic change was made and your coach was changed, right? There is a noticeable disparity in opinions when it comes to the media, and it’s found your teammates don’t shy away from admitting how, er, how was it put? How, intense, he can be at times, even if it’s said in a light hearted manner. Do you think-”
No, this was enough. To cut her off while she was talking was one thing, to take her teammates words and use it against them, and on top of that attack her coach was a whole other matter.
She cut him off. This time, she didn’t bother concealing her dismay.
“Are you going to let me talk?”
He didn’t speak. If she wasn’t so pissed, she’d have noticed the vaguest hint of surprise in his expression, the most interest he'd shown for the whole of the interview.
“I’m not quite sure where you’re trying to get at, mister – er, Shinso, but I can assure you, our team is stable and well. I felt more than welcome amongst the others, I was fully integrated in my time and not once did anybody make me feel like an outsider.”
The more she spoke, the more she felt her anger rise in her chest, and her words became rushed in her speech.
“Our coach is only intense because he’s good and he cares, that is all. Any other coach would do the same, he pushes us to our best, and it’s only thanks to him this team has gone so far since our loss at Tokyo.”
She took a deep breath, her senses slowly coming back to her. “I’m thankful for him and my teammates, and I’m thankful for my position. There’s nothing more I can hope for that the prosperity of my team and a good continuation for my own career.”
She sighed. What a bothersome guy... It was true she was used to finding herself in these sorts of situation at times, but no matter that. She’d just get this over with and leave the darn place, soon enough...
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“Man, that guy was such a jerk!” Ochako groaned. Her face slumped onto her palm, propped up by her shoulder on the cafes table.
“It’s bound to happen at some point. I mean, you’re basically a superstar, Ochako.” Tsuyu said, sipping on her mug of herbal tea.
“Was he hot?” Mina suddenly added, seemingly more than eager to know as she propped up her chin on her hands, her smile extending from ear to ear.
Uraraka deadpanned. “Is that really the first question that comes to mind?”
“Well, the interview isn’t gonna get released until a bit, so you might as well tell us, right?”
She shrugged. “Sure, whatever...”
She thought of it for a moment. How do you describe that sort of guy?
“Well... to start, he’s pretty tall, at least from what I could tell, since he was sitting down.” she started, her speech slow. “He was wearing black trousers and a white blouse, but he didn’t look put together at all. His sleeves were rolled up and his shirt wasn’t buttoned all the way, and his hair...”
She gesticulated atop her head, trying her best to give them a straight idea. “It was all messy and all, it didn’t look bad per se, but it welt weird with it being a formal interview. He looks like he hasn’t slept in forever -” she said, pulling at her own eyelids “- he looked tired, and was super languid about everything maybe that’s why he was so irritating.”
She thought of him a bit more, visualizing his image in her head as she covered her mouth in a thoughtful position. “The whole time, I couldn’t help but think of how similar he looks to our coach, it was like seeing a ghost...”
Mina giggled, no different in attitude than a teen girl sharing gossip. “Well, Mister Aizawa isn’t so bad.”
“Mina!” Ochako broke out, eyeing the other girl.
“What? He’s not bad, that’s all I’m saying...”
Tsu only sighed. “In any case, he doesn’t seem like a pleasant person, doesn’t he?”
Uraraka shook her head. “Not at all. He’s a scumbag, a complete scumbag...” she said, sipping on her glass of pomegranate Fanta.
“That’s weird. Last time I was interviewed at J-Sports it went pretty well, the interviewer was really friendly and it went great.”
Mina gaped at Tsuyu, the straw of her milkshake left hanging in her gaping mouth.
“You got an interview at J-Sports?!”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Lucky! But... but you’re just a libero, how did you get an interview before I have?”
“I’ve been on the team longer than you, and who do you think is saving us from losing most points? I know it's not you.”
She muttered that last part, and Ochako only managed to suppress her giggle as she watched Mina gape at Tsuyu.
“Hey, that’s not nice! I may not be savng balls all the time, but you're not the one scoring us points either! I may not be super accurate, but I hit the ball like hell!”
Despite the fact she was laughing, Ochako couldn’t help but feel endeared by her friends behaviour. “We know that, nobody’s doubting you-”
“I’m the opposite hitter for crying out loud, you wouldn’t get half the points you do without me!”
“Quiet down, everyone’s heard you!” Tsu hissed, which prompted the other girl to calm down.
“Don’t worry though, they’re probably planning on having you soon. You’re our teams newest star, nobody's underestimating you, especially with you being our opposite. Who knows, maybe you’ll be just as famous as Nejire one day.”
“I’ll be ten times more famous than she is, you’ll see! Everyone is gonna know me for being an incredible player, maybe I can even have some sort of nickname! Maybe... Pinky! How does that sound?” She excitedly proposed, glancing back and forth at the two other girls.
“I think that would suit you well.” Ochako said, smiling. With the girl's bright pink hair and equally bright personality, it wasn't far from perfect for the energetic girl.
“Stop encouraging her, we're still a long way to getting to Nejire's level, and quiet down Mina we’re gonna get kicked out!”
The girl slumped back to her seat, miserably sipping her milkshake, which at this point was empty. Even if Tsuyu was being quite brash with her honesty, it was true. They were still a long way from surpassing their team captain, both in experience and skill.
“That reminds me, do you guys know who’s gonna get the article feature?” Tsu asked, earning a confused look from Uraraka.
“Article feature?” She asked, intelligently.
“Mhm, it’s -”
“Oh, I know!” It was, of course Mina who’d broken in, cutting Tsuyu off, who didn’t even attempt to resume her speech.
“One of our players is gonna get featured in a big news outlet for an article. A reporter is gonna come and stay with us for a while, probably for the duration for the Asia cup and a bit before that, so that they can get to write their whole thing and get their info, or whatever.”
An article feature, huh? This seemed like a big thing.
“Of course, the most obvious choice would be Nejire, since she’s one of our teams best players and is basically a veteran at this point, but we don’t actually know who the editor picked yet. But who knows, maybe we’ll get surprised!”
“Maybe, but I really don’t think it’s going to be you, Mina.” Tsu said, coolly.
“Awh, c’mon! Let me hope at least!”
Ochako thought back of the reporter from earlier, the article feature and Mina’s words...
“Who knows, maybe we'll get surprised!”
She pushed her thoughts out her mind when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket, already certain of the callers identity before she’d checked. She looked out the cafe’s window, and surely enough, the familiar car was parked right before the entrance, only awaiting her arrival.
To their surprise, she suddenly rose up, swiftly closing her backpack and slinging it on. “I’m sorry guys, gotta go! Dad’s here, I can’t be late!”
“Awh, already?” Mina pouted, though she also stood up to hug her friend goodbye. “Alright then, bye!”
Tsu waved her goodbye from where she sat, as she knew Uraraka was too much in a hurry to give a proper farewell. “Bye, Ochako! Say hello to your dad for me!”
Ochako waved them goodbye, as she hurried through the cafe door and walked out the shop.
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“Yooo, Ochako! Long time no see, how’s our star doing!” Hizashi yelled over the pop-rock song playing in the car. He lowered the volume, as to hear and be heard better.
“We haven’t seen you in so long, ma chere! It is most regrettable, yes.” Aoyama added, seated next to Hizashi at the front of the car.
Uraraka laughed as she closed the car door, finding herself within her dads usual ford mustang and their family’s familiar ambiance.
“I wasn’t in Korea for that long!”
“Sure, but as soon as you get back home, the first thing you do is do stuff for you work! What about poor us, have you forgotten us already?” Ochako’s father, Hizashi Yamada, asked in a mock-disappointed tone.
“Come on, Musutafu’s two hours away, I didn’t have a choice we’re leaving in just a few days again, I couldn’t leave Tokyo!”
She felt she owed them a better explanation, so she explained herself better. “To be honest, I’d have liked to have these few days completely free, but I can’t help my job. I couldn’t miss that interview at J-sports, I dunno if I’d have another chance to be on such a big sports channel...”
“Tres regrettable, oui...” Aoyoma shook his head, him too feigning disappointment.
“Oh come on, it’s not my fault! And stop it with the french, you’re barely even european!”
He dramatically flicked a strand of hair from his forehead, once more feigning drama. “But of course, the plain Japanese girl will envy me for my origins. See this golden hair? It is very joli, unlike yours, tres ennuiyant, I’d say.”
“We’re only joking, Ochako." Hizashi said. "It’s good to have you back.”
As she sat there, finding herself with her beloved family, a fond feeling blossomed in her chest. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed their company.
Any other person would’ve called them her adoptive family, perhaps even her ‘fake’ family for the more unkind ones, but she didn’t believe a word of it. They were her relatives, in flesh and blood, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“So, how did the interview go?” Yamada asked, looking at Ochako through the rearview mirror. The pop-rock music still played in the back round, though not so loudly that it prevented them from hearing each other well. Even if it did, what was a car ride with the whole of the family without an album playing in the back?
“Fine, I guess...” she huffed, kind of annoyed that she had to get reminded of that so much.
“The journalist was an asshole-” she said, ignoring Yuuga’s gasp at her language. “- and it sucks, since I was really looking forward to that. Now I’m gonna seem like a jerk in front of the media.”
“Who cares? You’re a sports player and they’re not, anyone giving you trouble’s just a jealous scum.”
She was about to say that she’d been the one to lose her cool, so it was partially her fault, and not everyone was jealous of her success, but perhaps he wasn’t so far off. It was true that when it came to the media, female athletes often received more backlash and hate. It doesn’t take genius to wonder why. It wasn’t an excuse she liked hiding behind, her media reputation was her own doing, whether it be good or bad. But it wasn’t something she could ignore either.
“Don’t let that sort of person let you down, alright? You’ve got a big tournament a few days away, don’t let this one thing discourage you.”
Yes, he was right. All she had to think about was her upcoming tournament, she couldn’t let anything else let her down. So what if some pissy reporter had ruined her interview, she couldn’t let him worsen her day any further!
Tomorrow would be a brighter day, she was sure. With so much to look forward to, the reporter would be the last thing on her mind.
And indeed, she was right. The rest of the car ride went well, with Ochako telling them stories of her qualifier matches in Korea, and her brother and father telling her of their times watching her play, as they couldn’t watch her directly to Korea due to their jobs. They joked, laughed, and sung more than a few songs, so much so that by the end of the car ride Ochako had ceased to consdier the interview entirely.
When they arrived at their apartment complex, they helped her haul up her luggage, and immediately ordered Chinese food for dinner. They spoke a little more over dinner, and at that point it was so late that barely after having helped clean up the table and prepared herself for sleep that she’d crashed on her bed.
As she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling overhead, she took some time to think for a little while.
She glanced around her familiar room. Nostalgia washed over her like a wave eroding the shore, as she thought back to her younger days.
Technically, she still lived with her father, but she was always either out of the country or out of home. So much so that the last time she’d really lived in the apartment was back in high school.
She thought back to those days, back when she still wasn’t certain of what she wanted to do in life, back when she was a freshman deciding that perhaps joining the school’s volleyball club would be a fun idea. What a time, she thought. She still had her volleyball posters hung up on the wall, along with her shoujo mangas on her shelf. She used to be sucker for romance, as all teen girls are, she even had a crush of her own who she happened to be friends with. Well, she still was, but she hadn’t spoken to him in a while. While the remnants of her highschool affection remained in their friendship, it was now only platonic, with nothing of the romantic qualities it previously possessed. Unless you consider friendly affection as a form of romance, of course.
She huffed. What a time, she thought once more. She took out her phone, checking the messages earlier sent in their teams group chat.
It was a text sent by none other than their team captain, Kendo from their teams group chat, a text sent by none other than their team captain, Kendo Itsuka.
Kendo: Don’t forget girls, tomorrow we gather at the training center at Tokyo at 5 am, and from then on we take the bus to the airport. We bord our flight at 10 am, so everyone come on time!!!
Kendo: (you too, Mina. Please me on time tomorrow.)
Ochako didn’t bother seeing her teammates reactions. She was tired, so tired... The lights in her room were still turned on, yet she felt like dozing off anytime now...
She drowsily reached for her bed side where the light switch was. When the light was turned off, she side and rolled to her side, preparing to sleep. She hadn’t even set her hair in a ponytail, it would be a mess in the morning for sure.
Oh well. No matter that. Tomorrow would be a brighter day, and that was all that mattered...
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It turned out to be that at least by the looks of it, tomorrow would not be a brighter day. Not any brighter than the previous one, at least.
It turns out in all her drowsiness and exhaustion, she’d completely forgotten to set her alarm, so much so that she woke up with Hizashi shaking her violently by the shoulders.
“Wh-what? What's happening?...” she muttered, barely able to pronounce her words properly.
“Come oooon! Wake up, it’s four am we have to go!”
She grumbled, turning over to her side. “Whatever, I gotta go at five...”
He shook her again. “No, we have to go now! Get up damnit, the training centers in Tokyo, and Tokyo’s an hour away! We have to be in the car right now!”
She suddenly gasped, rising up in a frenzy as she hurriedly packed her backpack and closed the suitcase she’d left open the night before. Hizashi rushed out the room, preparing his own things along with Aoyama.
She’d barely removed her pajamas, flinging them to the ground that she changed into her city clothes, taking whatever clothes she could find. Well, no, she didn’t just take whatever, she took whatever her brain thought would be decent enough in her hurry, though she didn’t have the luxury to get to make a proper pick.
Once she’d changed into her clothes, she entered the bathroom (which was odd, since she usually got dressed after going to the bathroom) and did what she could to fix her hair. It was a mess, just as she’d predicted, so she decided to wear it up in a clawclip. It wasn’t great, but it would do.
In the end, she left the room wearing a pink tank top, black shorts and a zip up grey jacket. She’d slip on her sneakers when going out, the apartment was no place for dirty shoes.
It was 4:10. exactly fifty minutes were left for their car ride and arrival in Tokyo.
Perhaps they could’ve caught up in time, with maybe just a few minutes of tardiness, if Hizashi hadn’t conveniently lost the keys for the car just then. They then had to search for a whole ten minutes before the realization dawned upon them that Aoyama was the one holding them all along. 4:21, thirty nine minutes left for an hour long drive.
As soon as the keys were found, they immediately left the apartment, which was a real mess at this point. No matter, they'd deal with it later.
Although it seemed that the day would just be one catastrophe after another, because when they got in the car, they realized it was nearly out of gas. So they rushed to the gas station, with Hizashi running more than one red light, before they were finally, finally good enough to go.
Good enough, as in they had thirty minutes left for an hour long trip, they hadn’t eaten breakfast (and wouldn’t do so before a good while) and were all irritable from hunger and lack of sleep. The brightest of days, Ochako thought glumly.
Hizashi’s phone buzzed by his side, electrict guitar blaring from the small speakers as his ringtone sounded. “Someone get me my phone, I can’t hold it while driving.”
Ochako clumsily leaned forward from the back, taking his phone from the passenger seat. Shit, it was her coach. She swiped the call button, and held it up for Hizashi to speak.
“Yoo, Shota! Uh, what’s up?”
Immediately, Ochako wanted to facepalm herself in her father’s place. His exaggerated dynamism immediately gave him away, and especially considering Aizawa had known her father for so long, he’d immediately see through him.
“You’re on the way with Uraraka, right?” He asked, wasting no time in pleasantries.
“Oh, uh, yeah, of course! She’s right here with me, say hi, Ochako!” Yikes. Sometimes her dad forgot Aizawa might’ve been his friend, but he was her coach.
“Er, hello, sir.” She said, hesitantly.
“Right, because I know you’re a bit far from Tokyo. I was just checking. Make sure to come in time.”
Sometimes, she felt like glaring at Aizawa so scornfully, but since she’d never dare do such a thing in front of him all she was left with was a nauseating feeling inside of her. While he was strict, he was still the teams beloved coach, and nobody had much against him. But god, what vice his actions possessed at times.
For instance, he wasn’t always so laid back when it came to punctuality. If it hadn’t been for her father, he’d have told her to come in time or else she’d sit next to him at the very front of the bus for both the car ride and plane. She knew it to be the case, because that’s what happened when Mina was late for their trip to Korea for the qualifiers.
“How much time would you say is left for you to arrive?”
Hizashi nervously glanced at the cars clock. 4:35, twenty five minutes left.
“Uhh, I’d say thirty minutes, maybe? We’ll be maybe five minutes late at worst, sorry ‘bout that.”
“Sounds good. It’s fine, thanks, Hizashi.”
At this point Ochako wasn’t surprise. She wouldn’t have even flinched if it turned out her father would be accompanying them for the plane for the sole purpose of sitting next to Aizawa. Of course he’d never contradict his high school friend, nooo, because if it had been Uraraka admitting she’d be five minutes late, she might as well have chosen her coffin in advance and dug out her own grave.
She plopped the phone next to her father, who was driving with a stupid smile on his face. Weird.
“Papa? Why are you smiling like that? C'est etrange.” Aoyama asked, asking the question for Uraraka. She wondered, had he known what she was thinking? Perhaps siblings really did have telepathy.
“Hm? What did you say?”
Yuuga only observed him closely, then added. “...bizarre.”
Ochako only sighed. She’d have never guessed when having first joined the team that her father would get so buddy buddy with her coach, but here they were. There also wasn’t much she could do about it, so all she had to do was suck it up.
Oh well. She hoped they’d at least make it in time, things were bad enough as they were...
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5:15. At exactly 5:15, they’d arrived at the training center. Remarkably enough, they were only fifteen minutes late, and it was quite the achievement, considering they’d successfully completed a one hour long car ride in forty minutes.
When they finally made it and saw that the bus hadn’t left yet, Ochako was so relieved, she no longer feared the inevitable reprimanding coming from her coach. Besides, she had her dad by her side, no way Aizawa would tell her off too badly!
She saw Aizawa standing next to the bus, speaking with Miss Nemuri, their team manager. Aoyama greeted Ochako goodbye as she left the car, and her father helped her haul her luggage out the trunk. Once they made it to the bus, Ochako greeted and was greeted by her mentor and manager.
When Aizawa and Kayama greeted Hizashi, she could’ve sworn he'd given a glare in her direction. What else could've explained the shiver she felt go down her spine? Well shoot, perhaps she wasn’t safe after all.
She’d have liked to tell him that her dad was supposed to wake her up and it was because of him that they were late, but she knew that option was out the gutter when her beloved dad affirmed it was Ochako who hadn’t set the alarm. Yup, she was definitely toast now.
When her father walked away, Ochako anxiously observed Aizawa for his reaction. She noticed he stared at Hizashi a little too long, his expression devoid of emotion. Why were the two so weird about each other? Was she missing something here?
She decided to speak up. Her anxiety was making her feel antsy, she didn’t like it.
“Uh, sir?” her voice came out less firm than she’d meant it to be, and more of an anxious squeak.
“Sir?” she repeated, more loudly this time. “Mister Aizawa?”
He wordlessly glanced down at her, his expression passive as ever.
“Pardon? Did you say something?”
...okay.
“Oh right. You’re late.” he finally said, languidly.
She stiffened, bracing for impact. Here it was, coming right about now-
“Even Ashido’s managed to come on time. She’s learned her lesson at least. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again, hurry up.” He simply said, already turning away to enter the bus. Was that it? She was honestly kind of surprised, she’d been expecting worse...
“Oh, you’ll still have to sit at the front of the bus. Not because you're late, but I guess it can count for that. You had it coming either way, just bare with what's coming, alright?"”
She sighed. Of course she would, it was what she got for her mistake. Wait, she had it coming either way? What was that supposed to mean?
She glanced at the bus windows, seeing Mina snicker at her gloomy expression. Since she couldn’t talk to her, she only stuck her tongue in retaliation. Was it juvenile? Yes, but she couldn’t really care at the moment.
What Ochako didn’t realize, however, was that Aizawa hadn’t particularly reprimanded her, it wouldn’t have looked like it was the case from someone watching from afar. So why would Mina be giggling at her?
When the coach entered the bus, Ochako adressed Miss Kayama, speaking lowly.
“What’s wrong with Mister Aizawa? He’s so laid back today, it’s... weird...”
The team manager chuckled soflty adjusting her glasses. She wore her usual formal attire; white blouse under a grey blazer to match her same colour pencil skirt. With her black heels and red glasses, she looked worthy of her title of manager. She was quite the attractive woman, and Ochako sometimes found herself to envy her charm, and how out together she always looked. Their teammates – mostly consisting of Mina – had at first suspected her of dating Aizawa, but it was clear to all that they were only friends. Close friends, but definitely not partners. On the other hand, she had a much more casual relationship with the teams girls, hence why they felt they could speak so freely with her, on the contrary of their coach.
“I honestly don’t know, I guess he must be in a good mood today. Well, I guess it makes sense, since there’s the...”
She stopped herself, chuckling once more. “Well, you’ll see for yourself. It’ll be a nice surprise.”
Ochako had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Why was everyone so weird? In truth, she was much too tired, irritable and hungry to pay any mind to it, so she simply brushed the matter away. Whatever it was, it couldn't be so bad.
When she entered the bus, whoever, she felt her heart drop to the deepest pits of her stomach at the sight that beheld her. Her body froze over, her expression stuck in a look of sheer horror and disgust.
Because as soon as she’d entered, the image she saw struck her like a thunderbolt – shack of messy purple hair, disheveled attire, slouched posture and dark circles.
There was no doubt about it. It was him.
Yesterday's reporter, sitting at the forefront of the bus, right in front of the entrance door. With the empty seat by his side, the scowl on his face and her amazing luck so far, she wouldn't have been surprised if the seat had been reserved for her.
She had it coming, Aizawa had said? Well, it turned out to be true. A fickle, vicious thing life was. What an unfortunate individual to have for company, even more so as her neighboring passenger. She might not have known it yet in the moment, but it would turn out to be that he'd be her passenger for a good while, and for so much more than just a bus ride.