Hiding The Pain || MonoShin [BOOK 1]

Chapter 5 - Progress, Friendship and Family

"Is this a declaration of war?" Kaminari asked, eyes narrowing at Monoma. Monoma's smirk only grew wider as he taunted Kaminari. "Do you want it to be?"

"Oh, it is on Monoma."

"It is on, bitch."

And with that, they left the room. Kaminari didn't know Monoma's true intentions, but following the blonde's competitive streak, he decided that Monoma just wanted to beat him, not because Monoma liked Shinso, but just to make sure Kaminari didn't accomplish his goal. He just had to make sure that didn't happen.

....................................................

"Wanna be friends or something?"

It was an entirely random question. Monoma and Shinso were in Shinso's room at the Class 2 - A dorms, working on their project. They had eventually decided to leave it for the weekend, seeing as they both needed rest, and those signature eye bags Shinso always sported weren't getting any fainter. The other students in the Hero Course had chosen their partners today, and Vlad-sensei, Mic-sensei and Eraser Head seemed a bit surprised (Eraser Head seemed a bit more angry than surprised, but Monoma didn't really know the difference) to learn that Monoma and Shinso were partners, even before the assigned date to choose had come. Vlad-sensei had praised Monoma, telling him that he was proud that Monoma could 'overcome rivalry and tribulation for the success of a larger goal' or something along those lines. And true to his word, Tsuburaba teamed up with Kaminari, even though their plan for him to confess to Kaibara had seriously backfired. At least being friends was still better than being rejected, right?

Shinso looked at Monoma and cocked an eyebrow. 

"Well, do you?" Monoma asked, more earnestly this time (because that first time was actually on accident that he blurted it out), trying to show Shinso that he wasn't joking. "I thought we were friends after that time we sat together in the cafeteria, but sure." Shinso replied, eyes moving from Monoma and back down to the notebook that held his unfinished essay. Monoma stared at him, eyes widened in shock and mouth hanging open. After regaining himself, Monoma gave a small smile. He was friends. With Shinso. '1 Monoma, 0 Kaminari! Take that Pikachu!' Monoma cheered to himself inwardly. He had made a friend. In 2 - A. Dang, that would do some damage to his reputation. Oh well, he had a war to win anyway.

Shinso eyes flicked from Monoma and his notebook multiple times, as if wanting to say something. Monoma quickly caught on and nudged Shinso's foot with his hand. Shinso was sitting on his bed, and Monoma had taken the liberty of sitting cross legged on the floor, his own study table on his lap, balancing his own notebook. "Need something?" he asked, tilting his head slightly for emphasis. Shinso suddenly looked away, staring back at his notebook, hiding his face with it.

"Can I ask you something kinda personal?" he asked, voice unusually a bit shy.

"Depends." Monoma replied, shrugging.

"How did you discover your quirk?" he asked, looking at Monoma, putting the notebook down.

'Why do you want to know?" Monoma asked.

"Everyone else told me stories of how they discovered their quirks. Like how Kirishima's quirk suddenly activated while he was rubbing his eye, and so he ended up cutting himself and getting that scar on his left eye, or how Bakugou was sweating in class so much that sparks started to come out of his hands. Or also how Hagakure was playing with her mother's pepper shaker, and ended up sneezing so hard that she went invisible. And since your quirk seems like one that would be hard to figure out, I'm a bit curious."

Monoma gave a small chuckle at the stories, easily imagining each one, except for Hagakure's. He didn't know what the hell she looked like when she was visible, and he knew that he wouldn't know anytime soon. All he could imagine was a pepper shaker floating in the air as floating clothes belonging to a child wrinkled as the invisible person wearing them moved.