Heterochromatic

[30] Study

"So you aren't on good terms with your brother," Aizawa watches the girl over his desk.

Ekio has stayed back after school to speak to her teacher about the 'situation' that took place in the hallway outside the classroom not too long ago. Shoto is standing outside the classroom.

Kio didn't particularly want to stay back with her teacher, but judging from the look she received when she stepped back in the classroom after her argument with Xian, Ekio realised that she doesn't have much choice in this situation.

Which seems to be the same as many situations recently.

Ekio nods slowly to her teacher, not knowing how to reply to him with words. She avoids his gaze as she does, not wanting to know what she will see if she does look him in the eyes.

"So how do you deal with him at home?" Aizawa asks, making sure to be calm in case the girl has a bad reaction to his questions.

He has chosen to ask the girl to stay back just to talk to him because he knows that if he brings someone in that Ekio doesn't know she won't talk. He knows that the girl is like that, because she never spoke to him unless he called her up, so he is trying his best to gain the trust of the girl.

If these situations are happening in ekio's life, he needs her to be able to talk to him.

Ekio, on the other hand, is trying to think of how to reply to Aizawa. Obviously, Xian doesn't live with Ekio, but she has to have a legal guardian who is taking care of her to get into U.A.

So lying is essential.

As Ekio does it for everything.

Fun.

"Xian works the night shift," Ekio is going to have to tell Xian to go along with this. "So I leave when he is asleep, and come home after he leaves. I don't see him."

Aizawa and Ekio make eye contact for the first time in this meeting and Ekio wants to be swallowed whole.

'May the earth just fucking eat me.'

"So you too never really see each other, and today we wanted you to 'join him.' What are you joining? His night shift or his underground cult?"

Ekio's face portrays one of an unimpressed wine taster.

"I didn't stop to ask," Kio speaks slowly, "I was trying to get him to leave as quickly as I could."

Kio hopes Aizawa doesn't ask any more questions because Ekio doesn't like telling too many lies at once, because then she has to remember them and make sure that everything works out in the future. When they don't work out is when things start to go south.

Ekio hasn't gone south yet, she hasn't had to move school or change apartments, but she can bet that Xian probably has. Said something to get in the spotlight and then fucked up later.

Sounds rather like Xian.

"And why is that?" Aizawa raises his eyebrows at his student.

Ah, Aizawa on the case.

As always.

"Because," Ekio gulps, "I am embarrassed by my family . . . ?"

Silence fills the room as the two stare at each other for a moment, eyebrows raised and question in the air.

"Right,"

Aizawa stands up from his chair and nods.

He looks around for a moment, as if he is looking for the words he wants in the air.