Era

42

As the day continued Era couldn't help but noticed that Todoroki was still staring at her. She had half a mind to confront him about it in the middle of class, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. Whatever conversation he so obviously wanted to have would probably best be conducted in private, so it would have to wait.

And it would have to wait longer than she'd anticipated, because as soon as class let out for lunch Aizawa called for both her and Hitoshi to stay behind while everyone else packed up.

"Sensei?" Hitoshi's voice was soft, and Era was pleased to note the lack of obvious reverence in his tone. It was still there, of course, but it seemed that his feelings had simmered down from "hero worship" to a more manageable and personal admiration.

Good. That kind of blind esteem never helped anyone.

Aizawa wearily looked up from his paperwork, tapping his finger against the list of heroes who'd offered partnerships to UA. "You two will not be interning with any of these agencies. I displayed Shinsou's offers so you'd know that there is interest, but I'm not in the habit of sending untested students into situations they aren't prepared for."

Immediately Era bristled. "If heroes want Hitoshi then he should be able to—"

"I wasn't finished." He didn't sound angry, never sounded angry which was just so fucking infuriating because more and more often Era was finding herself on the cusp of spitting rage, all the time. There wasn't an outlet, and as much as it was a relief she couldn't help but feel like it wasn't fair.

"You two won't be interning with any of the agencies on this list, but it would also be illogical for your studies to be put on hold while your classmates get practical experience, especially since you have a lot of catching up to do," Aizawa continued. "Although it's not technically an internship, in practice it will be similar. You'll both be 'interning' with me."

Out of the corner of her eye Era saw Hitoshi straighten, and she repressed a sigh. Great. More scrutiny from her favorite underground pro.

At least he's a known quantity. The thought was little comfort, as the more known he became the more he knew of her.

Aizawa pulled out two slips of paper and handed them over. "As with the official internships, you'll be boarding with me. Here's the schedule you can expect, as well as instructions of when and where we will be meeting. This will be a mix of training and practical experience, so you'll need both normal exercise wear and whatever elements of your hero costume you have prepared."

Era accepted one of the lists, nose wrinkling as she stared down at it. The schedule was a lot looser than she expected, so vague and obviously subject to change that she wondered why Aizawa had even bothered. As an underground pro he probably was used to setting his own schedule, so maybe this was the most regimented his time had ever been on the job. Still, he didn't seem to be in the habit of wasting time... probably just did what he needed to do whenever it was necessary. No schedule required.

She envied that, the sense of surety it implied. There was a familiarity in schedules, in harshly regimented time. A purpose she'd been fumbling for ever since her escape.

"Hosu?" asked Hitoshi suddenly. Era looked more carefully at her own schedule and saw that yes, indeed, the listed address was somewhere in Hosu City. That seemed far for someone who worked at UA.

"We'll be renting out an apartment there," said Aizawa with a shrug. "I'm working a case, and it's not going on hold so I can babysit you two."

Era wanted to point out that no one had asked him to do this, but she figured it wouldn't go over well.