UNMASKED (mha)

16

Aiko had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. Probably before that actually.
Her sleep was deep and restful. She was too tired to dream. Too tired to move even slightly in her sleep.

If someone were to see her they'd probably assume she was dead.
She was curled up over the thin blanket on one of recovery girl's medical beds. She didn't even think to take off her shoes or her jacket. She just pulled herself up and let her exhaustion take over.
She passed out with the lights still on.

Though recovery girl eventually woddled in and flipped the lights off before putting a thin stiff blanket over her.

"H-hey. Wake up, school's over."
She was gently nudged awake. She stirred slightly as her upper arm was touched and carefully shaken.
Her eyes fluttered open, long eyelashes batting as she stirred.

"But I'm tired..."
She whined.
"Give me another few minutes..."

He laughed.
"Schools over Aiko, you slept the whole school day away. I wish I could have joined you-"

Aiko peeked a single eye open and the blonde coughed.

"I meant taking a nap! Not specifically with YOU or anything! That would be weird! I-"

"I get it Denki."
Aiko said with a small laugh. She sat up slowly, the blanket fell off her shoulders and landed bunched up around her torso.
She yawned quietly and Denki's heart squeezed.

Why did she have to be so cute?

Like who the hell gave her permission to be this adorable? 24/7 she was always pretty and funny and cute. She drove Denki absolutely nuts.

"I really slept all day?"
She asked, rubbed her eyes again.

"Yeah."
Denki nodded.

"Then why am I still so tired?"
She asked with a groan.

"From what I can tell you've had a pretty busy month. I really don't know how you managed it."
Denki said with a chuckle.
"UA alone has been keeping me busy. I can't imagine what it's like to have a job like yours on top of it all."

"It's been... rough... but it was also fun. But I'm never doing that again, at least not while in highschool."
She shook her head.
"You live and you learn I guess."

Denki laughed a little. But he suddenly felt pained. It kept on hitting him.
What she said at the sports festival. What she refused to tell them.

He looked at her for a moment, silently. With his jaw clinched. He wanted to say it, he wanted to say something.
But he didn't know if that was a good idea. He was already burning with anger towards Monoma.
Anytime he interacted with the boy, or even heard about him he felt a fire of rage in his chest.

It didn't feel healthy.

Aiko looked up when he got quiet. She looked at his face, at his eyes. She looked back down and hid her face in the blanket.
Unnerved by his stare.
"Why... do you keep looking at me like that?"
She whispered.

"What do you mean?"
Denki asked, still not quite out of his trance yet.

"Ever since the sports festival... anytime you look at me. You seem..."
She bit her lip and rubbed the fabric of the blanket against her cheeks.
"Angry, or... disappointed and just... do you think I'm pathetic?"
She finally asked, looking back up at him.

He snapped out.
"W-what?! No! No Aiko you're the strongest person I know. Why would you even think that?"
He asked, blinking in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry, I guess I'm just being silly."
She mumbled, looking away again.