Serendipity

hajimari

"You did exceptionally well, Todoroki. You placed near the top of your grade."

"You don't have to be a hero, but you can take the course and try it out, you can always change later in the year. I think it's worth a try, you're extremely intelligent."

"Great, next week, then, okay?"

Aizawa makes him a schedule. It goes like this:

6:00am- Wake up and shower, iron uniform and fix hair

6:40am- Eat breakfast, brush teeth, check backpack

7:00am- Drive to school

8:00am- Classes start

(See separate schedule)

3:30pm- Classes end

4:00pm~6:00pm: Complete homework

6:10pm- Eat dinner (TV on Tuesday, Thursday, weekends)

7:00pm- Brush teeth, prepare for bed

8:00pm- 'Bedtime'

On weekends, 7:00 am through 6:00 pm are clear. Aizawa says they can do different things on the weekends, like extra training at the school, or visiting a park, or the beach. These are the days that won't usually be the same. He tells Shouto that it's okay, that they don't have to do anything. They can stay home if they want. Shouto drifts.

His uniform is stiff on his body, Aizawa tells him that it might be like that for a while, until he's worn it more often. His shoes haven't been broken in yet, his backpack is heavy on his shoulders. It's all new and Shouto wants to disappear every time Aizawa speaks to him, but the schedule has been helpful. Shouto hasn't lost count of how many hours he loses when he floats, or forgotten what day it is. He knows today is his first day of school. Aizawa told him he did exceptionally well on the placement tests. He's going to join the hero course. That means other students, more teachers, but he assures Shouto that he'll be there the entire time to help him. Shouto isn't weak. He tells Shouto that he's the teacher, and that there are counselors at the school to help him, too.

It's 7:45, they're pulling up to the school now. Shouto sees the other students Aizawa was talking about. They all have backpacks and the same uniform as him. Aizawa drives past them and to the back of the school, to the teacher parking lot. There are only a few adults around, now, Aizawa tells him that those are the other teachers.

He is first introduced to Ms. Midnight. She holds her hand out in greeting, Shouto backs away from it, side steps Aizawa. Aizawa explains not to touch Shouto, Ms. Midnight gives a thumbs up and then they go inside.

"She's your History teacher, she's... eccentric, I guess. She's kind of an airhead so if she tries to shake your hand or hug you, just say no or come find me, okay?"

The concept of saying no doesn't resonate with him. It doesn't make sense, why she would listen to him. She's an adult, older, more experienced, stronger. No doesn't work. No isn't anything, just a word. Aizawa must be tricking him.

"Heya, Shouta!"

Shouto ducks his head at the voice that sounds, it's loud and overbearing and it's the warning call of a punch, of a kick or a burn. Father yells before he hurts Shouto. He yells so, so much.

"Todoroki, you're okay. It's safe," a calmer, gentler voice tells him. Aizawa's hands hover unsurely around him, like his reaction is to touch but Shouto doesn't like being touched. Aizawa knows this, respects it. (Why?) He doesn't touch Shouto.

Aizawa manages to bring the even beating of his heart back, he calms the flipping of Shouto's stomach with just five words. A yellow-haired man is sat stiffly in one of the chairs. He smiles weakly and waves, a sorry expression on his face.