•°.NORMAL.°•

3: 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑢𝑠

"And see, that's why X equals twenty! Do you understand now?" Yayorozu asked Kira who had her head propped up on her hand.

'I understood the first time you explained it.' She thought rolling her eyes subtly. "Yeah thanks."

"Very good! Now do you want to try this one by yourself?" Momo asked, pointing at the next equation.

"Fifty." Kira said, clearly bored. She had mentally solved the next five problems while Momo over-explained the first one.

"She's not even trying to take this seriously"
"No dear it's-" she checked the answer key. "Right... Yes that's right it is fifty. Well done, how about-"

"Problem C is one hundred, Problem D is X equals eighty and E is three. Can I go home now?" She yawned. Mathematics was one of her best subjects, and at this point this study session was getting insulting.

"They're... They're all right! How is it possible for her to solve them that quickly?! Unless she checked the answers somehow? But I was very careful to make sure she didn't peek..."

"Y-yes that is correct." Yayorozu stuttered. "Maybe we should move onto history -"

"Or maybe we should accept that I know the material and part ways. I don't need a tutor Yayorozu." Kila stood up.
"I'm on track to graduate middle school with all As and and Bs." She told the other girl while gathering her things.

"I don't understand! She's almost as academically intelligent as I am! Why does she struggle so much in class then? Or was that pained look one of concentration?"
"O-oh are you sure there isn't anything you're struggling with? Anything I can help with?"

"Nope. Bye." Kira said, walking out of the door. Leaving Momo in the room alone.

"Oh... And I was planning on inviting her to study at my house tomorrow..." Momo thought with loads of self-pity. "Maybe I can find someone else to tutor instead..."

Momo Yayorozu didn't care about helping her as much as she cared about the fuzzy feeling she got when getting praised FOR helping people. Even if that praise came from herself.

"Oh! Kira!"
A thought popped into her mind from across the library.

'Oh great, turbo-thighs is here.'
She thought, walking forward without giving Iida a single glance.

"Kokoa!" He whispered, walking after her. She pretend she didn't hear him. Iida would NEVER raise his voice in a library. Or run, or make any sort of noise unless absolutely necessary. "Kokoa wait!" He whisper-yelled. Speed walking after her.

She opened the door too the library and walked out. The Moment Iida stepped out of the door he said her name again at a much louder volume. "KIRA KOKOA." He said, bolting after her.

Kira heard snickers throughout the hallway but Iida seemed blissfully unaware.

"Looks like stiff has a crush."
One boy down the hall thought.

Kira's face went red. But she hid it behind her hair.

"Is she blushing?! That's hilarious."

"The nerd and the quirkless girl. A match made in heaven." A girl mused before giggling with her group of friends.

'Great just what I wanted... Attention.'

"How was you and Yayorozu's tutoring session?" He asked. "Has she been helping you?"

"By leaps and bounds." Kira said sarcastically. "I'm a genius now."

"That's wonderful to hear!" He beamed.
"Glad to see She's thinking positively!"

Iida didn't seem to grasp sarcasm very well. But Kira supposed he couldn't help it very much. "Yep." She mumbled. "So what were you doing in the library?"

"Waiting for you."

"Looking at their books on the third world war!" He lied, his tone was still loud as usual.

"Cool." She said.

"May I walk you home?!" He asked. Again, dude was loud. Even when speaking normally. Which normally was fine, but right now they were in a crowded hall where practically everyone was giving them their complete attention.

"Wow, dude's down bad."

"Aw that's so cute. She better not turn him down."

"What is this the eighteen hundreds? Is he gonna offer to carry her books too?"

"I mean... I won't stop you." She said, continuing to walk. "You can walk wherever you want."

"Alright!" He said. Walking close behind her and talking about today's history lesson. Dude really didn't need to look at books on WW3. He was a walking textbook.

Kira was glad when they were outside. In the fresh air and sun. "Maybe she'll invite me in, and I can meet her parents. I've never heard anything about them, just her uncle. She must be proud to be related to such a pro..."

Kira tried her best to ignore his thoughts. She couldn't yet tell him that... We he would never get to meet her parents. Both of them passed away in a car accident three years ago. Leaving her in the care of the uncle he assumed she was proud of.

"She isn't talking much. I don't think she likes conversation. I like her nose, it's small. What do they call that? A button nose? Why do they call it a button nose I wonder? Maybe my mother would know. I hope my family doesn't mind me being late... I'll tell them that I was walking a quirkless girl home. I'm sure they won't mind if I tell them that, in fact they'll be very proud -"

Iida's thoughts spanned everywhere within seconds. And currently it was ALL Kira could hear. She wished she could put her headphones on.

"You sure you want to walk me all the way home?" She asked, trying to get him to speak so she can hear his VOICE and not his thoughts about her nose.

"Of course!" He said with a smile. "I can hold your bag if you'd like." He offered.
"These books can be heavy. I wouldn't want her to tire herself out carrying them."

"I'm good, thanks." She said, clinching her jaw.

The way was silent for awhile.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked. She wanted him to say it, she wanted him to admit he thought she was weak and needed to be protected. His thoughts were laced with it.

She hated it.

The only reason anyone wanted to be around her was because they thought being nice to a quirkless person gave them brownie points with whoever was around. Even if it just made themselves feel better. Aspiring heroes were always the worst about this.

"To thank you for yesterday."
He replied. He wasn't thinking about any other answer.

"So it's a one time thing right?"
She asked.

"It doesn't have too be. The streets can be a dangerous place for-" His words caught in his throat. "A girl. A quirkless girl for that matter. But I don't think she'll take kindly to me saying that. She'll misunderstand."
"For middle schoolers... You know, we're both young." He decided that was the best answer.

"I've taken this way on my own for years. I'll survive." She mumbled. "Plus you're also in middle school, it would be just as dangerous for you." She said, entertaining his answer.

"But I can defend myself."
He thought blankly. But masked his thoughts with a laugh. "I suppose that's true. I guess I just wanted company then."

"Right." She said and stopped at her apartment building. "Well I'm here. Bye." She said.

"She lives here? No I thought it would be farther away, In a better neighborhood."
He thought, eyes slightly widened. "These apartments are very small. I thought her family was well off?"

He cleared his throat. "Oh... Yes of course..." He said awkwardly. Waiting for an invitation inside.

He didn't get one. Kira heartlessly walked into the building and left him standing outside.