A Collection [ Todobaku Fanfictions ]

Sunset

Instead of the scent of deodorant soap, a bittersweet smell that made my chest constrict wafted around.

The source of the said smell was probably a small orange-colored flower attached to an aromatic tree planted somewhere. It could be apricots. Or perhaps it was a concentration of citrus fruits.

I was sitting in the usual seat of the classroom I was visiting for the first time that week. It was the third seat counting from the front, on the left edge. I pulled the folding chair. I called it a classroom, but it was the conference hall of a certain public gymnasium, where long desks, chairs, and a whiteboard had been arranged to create an impromptu room. I was--or more like, we were-- coming here every week to take special lessons on the essential components to become a hero. It might sound like an exceptional feat but, well, it was just a training course for those who had failed the provisional licensing exam.

Every time I hinted at a new wound on these white pages of my life, I felt a stinging pain. The arms I was resting on top of the desk felt fatigued and their muscles were trembling slightly. When I looked at the clock on the wall, I noticed it was 3:30 PM. The pointer's position had barely changed compared to the last time I had glanced at it. The sun was illuminating the floor through the windows on the first floor and the dust floating in the air sparkled as the sunlight reflected on it.

I had the feeling that since today was a holiday for the general public, time was passing by unnecessarily slowly.

To be able to communicate with others, you first need to look at the other person's eyes.

Gang Orca said that with a reverberating voice while on top of the stage. I wrote 'Look into the other person's eyes' in my notebook. Gang Orca had emphasized that this was something important so I switched to a red pen and added a star mark next to it.

The word 'communication' was written powerfully on the whiteboard. From an outsider's point of view, it was perhaps a lecture with a laughter-inducing subject. However, it was something that heroes needed and something that we lacked. Anyone should know how important of a thing it was by simply looking at the closest hero around them - but in reality, it was something that I was personally lacking so I was using these supplementary classes to properly foster it to the best of my abilities.

"Bakugou," called Gang Orca. Bakugou, who was sitting next to me, sluggishly got up from his seat.

For some reason, I followed that movement with my gaze. I only got to see the palm he was using to lift his printout for a brief moment but it looked feverish red and swollen. Combat training conducted in the supplementary classes was much harder compared to our school's lessons.

It seems painful, I ended up thinking as a spark seemingly snapped in the space between us.

Whenever I looked at him like this, Bakugou's lips would flap open and close to mouth a 'what now?', or 'bastard', or other things I couldn't understand.

When I reflexively averted his gaze with a nimble movement and noticed the crooked shape of the red star shining on the notebook, I began seeing it all in a new light and concluded that looking people straight in the eye could be pretty complicated.

"For example, the communication ability of a hero will be tested during the rescue of injured citizens, cooperation with other heroes, and engagement with villains. We, as hero cadets, must..."