The following morning Hiroto was sitting in class waiting for everyone. He was still thinking back to the events of last night: the matches he had taken part in . . . and the way he had let his well-crafted mask slip. At least everyone there seemed to take it in stride. I can't imagine the earful I would've gotten if Shion had been there.
"Hey Hiro-kun!" He looked over to see Terra in the class doorway with her usual bright smile as she zipped over to his desk.
"Terra, can you turn it down a few notches? I'm still worn out after last night." Hiroto shot back with an exhausted expression on his face.
"Aww, come on, Hiro-kun! Don't be so gray!" Terra pouted as she sat at her desk. "Where's the excited, fun-loving Hiro from last night?"
"That . . . I don't know what that was," Hiroto sighed as Terra laughed.
"No no, Hiro-kun! It was awesome! You looked like you were having such a good time!"
Hiroto smiled slightly at this. While he usually wouldn't say one way or the other, he couldn't help but agree with her this time. It was nice to let the excitement inside break past his normally reserved exterior. "It wasn't that bad," he said with a sly grin, causing a look of giddy glee to spring to Terra's face. However, this interaction was cut short by an all-to-familiar voice.
"Oh Hiro, darling!" Before Hiroto could react, Shion stood in front of his desk, her usual domineering smile on her face. "Darling where were you this morning? I was worried sick!" She attempted to latch onto Hiroto's arm only to have it slapped away by Sachi, who had come in right behind her.
"Begging your pardon, M'lady, but I'm afraid we don't have time for public displays of affection right now." Sachi stated with a serious look on her face. "Class is about to start, and your desk is on the other side of the room."
Shion was taken aback. "Excuse me, little Miss Sugar and Spice, I was talking to MY boyfriend, so why don't you butt out!"
Hiroto just placed his head on his desk as the two girls bickered. "It doesn't matter what happened last night; this will always be exhausting."
"H-Hiroto," Osen said quietly as she approached her desk. "I-I just wanted to say y-you were amazing last night." She quickly turned back to face the front, with a slight blush on her face.
Despite the bickering, Osen's comment did not go unnoticed by Shion, who looked back and forth between the girl and Hiroto. "Last night?" she asked confusedly. "What happened last-"
"Okay, anyone not in their seats in the next 10 seconds will be expelled," Mr. Aizawa's voice boomed from the front of the room. Rapidly, the class scrambled to find their seats, all the while Sachi kept her eyes on Hiroto, questions burning in her mind. " Okay everyone, today is going to be a little different than usual. We'll be spending the day at the USJ facility for some simulated rescue training. I will save the complex explanation for later. Right now, everyone go get changed into your hero costumes and meet me outside by the bus."
-
As the class loaded up on the bus, everyone was abuzz with excitement. Hiroto, however, sat quietly in the back of the bus, staring out of the window, his thoughts drifting. He could still feel the rush of adrenaline as he played the matches from the previous evening over in his head, and a smile crept onto his face as he realised that there would be more opportunities for that at the USJ today.
"H-hey Hiroto.'' Hiroto snapped out of it as he turned to see Yu, gesturing to one of the empty seats beside him. 'D-do you mind if I sit here?"
Hiroto raised an eyebrow at the boy's nervous demeanour. "Yu, we're friends. Of course you can. No need to ask." He grinned slightly as Yu's face visibly brightened as he sat down next to him.
YOU ARE READING
Hiro Rising
Fanfic"A young boy sets out to prove that he has what it takes to be a hero on his own, but even in an era of peace, he's about to learn that, sometimes, having people by your side is the only way to succeed."
