[MHA] The Book Of Akari Tanaka

A Day With Todoroki

Ah, U.A. High School.... The top school for heroes in all of Japan. I still don't know how I managed to get here with the quirk I have, but someone told me that quirks are what make us unique and stand out from others.

Sigh... the counselor put me in Class 1A, a class that I heard oh so much about before I got enrolled. Seemed to me like they were a big deal.. and to be honest, they aren't so much what I thought.

Everyone seemed to be occupied at the moment while I was sitting looking around. Mr. Aizawa was asleep, Bakugo was yelling at Deku for god knows what, the girls were talking and giggling about some boy, Ida was telling Sero, Kaminari and a few other guys about desks not being chairs.. huh. Is there anyone I can talk to?

Then out of nowhere, someone said "Todoroki".

I spotted Todoroki and found him doing the same thing I was doing, just sitting and looking around. For some reason, I got up from my seat and went to him with a straight face; he looked up at me in confusion. The past few days, I wasn't really social to anyone but Sero, but I saw something in Todoroki that made want to talk to him.

"Hey", he spoke first. "I didn't really think you'd talk to me, not like I wanted you to or anything. It's just surprising."

"Oh- no, I just felt dead over there watching everyone socialize and figured to do the same."

"Oh, I see. Tanaka, right?"

...Dear god, no. I hate when people call me by my last n- wait, that was a question. Calm down, Akari.

"It's Akari. I just prefer my first name."

"A lot of people do", he said before going silent. I forgot he isn't really much of a talker. I can relate.

"So... you wanna like- I don't know, meet up after school or something?" WHAT MADE ME SAY THAT?!

"Sure", he responded with a nod after.

"Cool."

We looked at each other and awkwardly smiled, something extroverts wouldn't understand. Extroverts like-

"Hey, Todoroki!", Kaminari happily exclaimed as he approached me with excitement. "After school, wanna hang with me and the guys at the mall? We dared Mineta to do something so funny!"

Todoroki looked up at Kaminari because.. who can ignore that voice? "Actually, I made plans with someone", he said calmly.

"Wha?- you made plans? With wh-" the blonde looked over at me, then back at the other boy before smirking. "Oh, I see. Your secret's safe with me."

It took me a few seconds to process what Kaminari meant, then my face slightly flushed red. "That- that's not what he meant."

"Speaking for him now? I'm telling you, I won't tell a soul. Not even Sero." Kaminari booped my nose before walking away.

My thoughts... what does Sero have to do with this?

"Uh, what secret do we have?", Todoroki questioned.

"None. He's just being weird."
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After school, Todoroki and I met outside the building and began to walk.

"...So", he began. "What did you want to do?"

I was silent. To be honest, I didn't really know why I told him to meet me after school.

He read my awkward body language and said "You just needed someone to talk to, huh?"

"Yes", I answered quickly. "I saw that you were alone and just felt the urge to just go to you. I would've talked to Sero, but he was already with a few people."