Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 42: Shine and Shigaraki Have a Kindergarten Fight

The story about Mei and Shinso made the rounds around the school's gossip chain, and Momo got some weird looks. 

Shine even heard about it when she was in the teachers' lounge. Power Loader had mentioned it, but she didn't know the details. Wally heard it from Gen Ed students when he was helping a few of them move chairs back in place before a teacher could catch them. 

Of course they wanted to get the real story from Momo, and, after, she told them. She mentioned also that Shinso seemed to think it wasn't the best PR to do what she did.

"I see where he's coming from," Shine said, "but if he praised you, he really meant it. He doesn't like too many heroes."

"Isn't that ironic?" Wally said, munching on an apple.

"I was very flattered, but I don't understand still," Momo said.

"Don't understand what?" Todoroki joined a little late, carrying a book.

"Why hero students associating with non-hero students is such a taboo," Shine said, gesturing flippantly.

Todoroki sat down. "I thought it was just because they weren't in our class. Most people only hang out with their class."

"That is true," Shine admitted, "but you're talking to a homeschooler. The idea of sorting into classes was always really weird to me. I never had a class like that, except in Sunday school. And I always had friends who were either much older or much younger than me. Homeschooling is more like the real world outside school: age doesn't matter that much as long as you have common ground."

"I'd think, then, it won't matter once we leave school," Todoroki shrugged.

"A lot of my training was outside of school," Momo said, "so what you're saying makes sense to me. Is it really odd to hang out with people outside of your class? Kendo and I hang out sometimes."

"Ah, but you're both heroes," Wally said, "Didn't you ever notice how much Gen Ed hates hero students?"

"What?" Momo and Todoroki said.

"You really don't know this?" Wally said, between bites, "They talk about it all the time. You know, like annoyances they have to deal with. They complain about the Sports Festival and funding-- you should see the budget for Gen Ed compared to the Hero Course. If you don't have a Batman, it's just not so simple. And Insurance is the worse."

"Why would they resent that?" Todoroki was mad. "It's only natural the budget would go to the Hero Course. We have a lot of expensive training, and it's a hero school. I don't even know why they have a Gen Ed course."

"Yes, they really shouldn't. A complete waste of effort," Shine agreed.

"But they hate us?" Momo said, "I mean, I know some of them do... but I thought after the School Festival, it got better."

"I don't know if flexing your band skills on the whole school is really a realistic way to smooth things over," Shine said, "Some people don't even want to come, because they think they know what to expect. But it's not that big of a deal, is it?"

"But we do need people to like us." Momo was a bit discouraged. "Shinso was right."

Wally slapped his forehead. "It's never any different, is it, Sunshine? Public favor is such a doubled edged sword."

"Wally has the best PR of anyone," Shine said, "but he still has haters. I hate PR. I prefer to work anonymously."

"Like Aizawa-sensei," Todoroki said.

"Mmmhmm."

"Still, I wish we could make amends with the Gen Ed," Momo said, "I wonder if it was Bakugo's poorly thought out remarks."