Heartbeats & Hurricanes

chapter 1

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𝙰 𝙳𝙸𝙾𝚂 𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝙸𝙳𝙾 :: 𝙹𝚄𝙰𝙽𝙴𝚂
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❝𝚈 𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚜𝚒 𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚎𝚛𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚍𝚎 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚛
𝚈 𝚜𝚒 𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚍𝚎 𝚟𝚘𝚜
𝚈 𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚞 𝚟𝚘𝚣 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚣ó𝚗
𝚃𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚜 𝚍í𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝙳𝚒𝚘𝚜 𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚍𝚘❞
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Ice breakers.

Sero Hanta watched as a class nearby sat on the grassy patio, already getting along as they began their third icebreaker exercise. He could hear their laughter, the way they each shared their stories, forming a bond. Right now, every single person on campus was dying under the blazing sun, and a few bodies were upset at having to attend orientation the Friday before the first week of school.

He reached up to pat his head, feeling how hot his hair felt even though he'd been standing under the sun for a little under ten minutes. Looking around, Sero noticed the way Class 1-A had already divided into small groups, circles of friends forming, and once again, he got pushed aside, forced to become the outcast. With a sigh, he looked for the nearest patch of grass to lie down on, planning on killing time under the teacher arrived or until his best friends did.

Whispers began to rise around, like a small tidal wave, picking up and getting louder with every passing second. His ears perked upon noticing the names thrown around.

A redhead near him was whispering to a pink girl with horns and a boy with a lightning bolt in his hair, "That's Todoroki Shoto, son of the Number Two Hero. I heard he placed first in the recommendation exams."

Like a scene straight out of a movie, the crowd began to part for Todoroki, leaving a clear path. However, Todoroki was clueless about their actions, his mismatched eyes staring straight ahead— staring directly at Sero.

"And that's Zaizen Reina."

"Is she the daughter of a hero too?"

"No," the redhead paused for dramatics, "But she did place first in the entrance exam. I heard she's closed off and has no friends. I wonder why."

Zaizen Reina had a hand holding onto the strap of her book bag while her other hand swung with every step. She was walking behind Todoroki, her brown skin glowing under the afternoon sunlight.

Those around held their breath as they watched the duo, trying to make assumptions about the top students of their freshmen class. They looked for similarities between the two, wondering what set them apart from the rest of the class, what made them better.

Sero found it amusing how his classmates held their breath upon seeing Reina hurry up and tap Todoroki on the shoulder. Todoroki paused at the gesture, turning his head to look over his shoulder at the girl.

She was tall, at least taller than the average girl, with straight, dark brown hair that seemed to reach the middle of her back. Her uniform ironed perfectly, not a crease visible, and her nails were perfectly manicured, making some girls sigh in jealousy. Besides the aura of confidence and elegancy that surrounded her, Reina stood out from other girls. Maybe it was her dark skin or dark eyes, but Sero noticed that Reina had chosen to wear thigh-high socks rather than the below-the-knee socks required. A streak of rebellion, he assumed.