The Couples of Class 1-A

LCO | Ch. 22: Prove to Me That it Can

*WARNING: discussion of child neglect

By the time evening rolled around, everyone in class 1-A was quick to escape to their rooms to relax. Bakugo headed straight to bed, Sero, Kirishima, and Kaminari gathered to play video games together, while the girls congregated in the common area for snacks. They had all spent a solid hour beforehand soothing their aching muscles in the bathhouse, but weren't quite ready to disperse off to their rooms. Ashido was the first of them to reach the couch, flopping shamelessly across it as if it were her own mattress.

"Buwaahhh every day has been so tough..." she complained, slowly sitting up when Jiro came to sit beside her.

Hagakure, Asui, and Uraraka plopped down on the opposite sofa, some of them holding drinks in their hands.

"They're not putting on appearances when they call it a bootcamp, huh?" Hagakure added.

"Even so, there's less than a week left before the provisional licensing exam," Yaoyorozu replied pointedly, holding up a finger, "If we slack off here, some of us might not be able to pass."

Ashido gave an annoyed pout when she said this, "That may be true, but..."

"Yaomomo, how's your special move coming along?" Hagakure interrupted, "You seemed really busy today with something, I saw! Was Todoroki helping you?"

Uraraka was the only person to notice the subtle jolt of her shoulders when Hagakure asked this. That, combined with the tiny pink in her cheeks, gave Uraraka the impression that more had been going on between them than mere "training"; which she knew already, but still wasn't sure how to feel about, given the odd rivalry they were now supposedly wrapped up in.

"I've had a couple of ideas, but for the most part my body can't handle what I'm trying to do," she explained, casually dodging an explanation regarding her and Todoroki, "Maybe I'll show you all when I've perfected it."

Hagakure made a curious hum to her statement before turning vigorously over to face Asui, "What about you, Tsuyu?"

"I'm in the process of completing a more frog-like technique," Asui replied vaguely, giving her an unrevealing smile, "I bet you'll be surprised, Toru."

"Interesting! And Ochako, how about you?"

"Me? Ah, well..." she glanced off to the side to take a sip of her drink. Her mind wandered at first to their training session from earlier, remembering all of times she'd alternated between floating around the gym, to visiting the nearest trash bin, but eventually fell upon the conversation she'd had with Midoriya instead.

It was now the evening—meaning her time was almost up. Todoroki had threatened her plenty already, so she knew that if she didn't go and visit with him soon, she would be in deep trouble. She had tried once to talk to him during their training session, but he had been unwilling at the time to divulge much. What especially worried her, was how tired he'd looked—so disheveled and sleepy-eyed... it pained her to see him like that, and she still couldn't help but wonder if she was at fault somehow.

"Ochako?"

She blinked up at her friends, realizing they were all still waiting for her to respond.

"O-oh, sorry! I didn't mean to pause, I sorta spaced out for a sec..." she sighed harshly.

"Are you tired? Maybe you should get some rest," Asui suggested next to her, but she shook her head.

"No, that's not it—I'm still rearing to go, really! It's just..." she twisted her mouth slightly to the side, wondering if there was a vague way she could vent about her feelings without drawing suspicion, "Recently, I... my heart's been feeling all stirred up..."