~BNHA~ Everything That I Am

Chapter 31

By midday, Izuku was no closer to finding Chieko than when he had started. The sun was hitting lower in the sky and the residents of the school were making their way inside, supper clear on their minds and none on him as they passed him with nothing more than mild interest. No one had seen her when questioned and as the air cooled the later it got, they had left Izuku to wander the grounds on his own until he finally reached full circle at the main entrance to take a break while he considered his next steps.

Movements teases the corner of his eyes and Izuku looked up towards the front gate to find that Kacchan and his team were returning from their outing, their appearance haggard but otherwise uninjured. It was earlier than when Kacchan usually returned to their room, which gave Izuku the hint that he hadn't been returning to their rag-tag group right away.

Denki noticed him first, his grin cheeky as he waved at him from the rear of the group, Kirishima their resident red-head saw him next and he smiled friendly like at Izuku. Compared to them, Kacchan had yet to notice him, too preoccupied with Ochako, who was chattering away next to him. The small smile that graced his face softened his features, and Izuku grit his teeth as it did something to him. It was the fact that his softness wasn't directed towards him, but toward her.

"Yo, Midoriya!" Denki said.

Izuku would have preferred to go unnoticed, so when Denki yelled for his attention, Izuku flinched as Kacchan looked up towards him. Their eyes met and Izuku could do more than wave back at him awkwardly. When Ochako turned back to look at what had captured his attention, she smiled at Izuku with the sweetness of someone who was genuinely glad to see him.

He wouldn't admit that he hadn't felt the same way at first glance, which only made him want to be swallowed up by the ground beneath him as he mustered a smile in return.

Kacchan kept his emotions close to his chest, his face composed, but his gaze held Izuku captive across the field, keeping him in place as they drew closer.

There was no way to avoid the encounter and as his hands grew damp in preparation, he did his best to brush it away against his pants. They didn't prepare him to be the center of attention like this, but he did his best to cover any reservation now that they trapped him to play pleasantries.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, Midoriya. How is everything?" Ochako asked.

"Oh the same, training with Aizawa has been... slow.. but he wants me to join in a mission soon so good, I guess." Izuku said.

The news caught Kacchan's attention, but the subtle tilt of his head, but he didn't verbalize his opinion, merely waiting for the conversation to be over. His arms crossed against his chest, breaking their earlier eye contact now that the others had taken the lead.

"Whatcha doin?" Denki asked.

"Chieko went missing again, so I've been looking for her." Izuku said.

"What do you mean, missing?" Kacchan asked.

This was what brought Kacchan to join finally, his shoulders tense at the very notion that someone in their group had gone MIA. Izuku knew was more reserved for Chieko than anyone else. She had become like the little sister to everyone, as they all attempted to keep watch over her.

She recently started finding ways to sneak past them when they were otherwise distracted. No one had confronted her at this point, but she also hadn't been gone for this long before.

"I had a meeting with Aizawa so she was supposed to meet up with Shinso for training, but never went and no one seen her since this morning." Izuku said.