BNHAxoc Midnight Musers

Chapter 3

Sleep continued to elude me like a mischievous jinn. Despite the whirlwind of excitement that was U.A. High, my nights were plagued by restlessness and endless cups of cold chai. The bags under my eyes deepened into canyons, etched with the fatigue of the hero-in-training life. My classmates, bless their souls, tried offering remedies. Momo concocted elaborate sleep-inducing lotions (with varying degrees of success), Mina Ashido insisted on painting cheerful stars and moons under my eyes (a well-meant effort that only magnified the shadows), and even Iida, bless his uptight heart, started leaving calming aromatherapy blends outside my door.

It was all endearing, but none of it brought me the sweet surrender of sleep. My insomnia, it seemed, was as much a part of me as my dark hair and chai-stained fingertips. And then, during a Hero Ethics seminar, I met him.

His name was Hitoshi Shinso, a brooding boy with a Quirk as dark as his hair. Brainwashing. It wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, but the way his eyes flickered with intelligence and defiance sparked something in me. And, of course, there were the eye bags. Oh, the eye bags.

They were masterpieces of sleep deprivation, rivaling even my most dedicated efforts. Deep trenches etched beneath hooded eyes, the color of bruised plums. We locked gazes across the lecture hall, a silent understanding passing between us. Two warriors of the sleepless night, united by the power of coffee and the curse of chronic exhaustion.

The next day, after a particularly brutal Hero Training session, I found myself sprawled on the roof alongside Shinso. The setting sun cast long shadows, painting the cityscape in warm hues. We were a couple of tired souls seeking solace in the quiet space, an unspoken kinship hanging between us.

"You know," Shinso sighed, his voice rough from a stifled yawn, "you win the dark circles competition, hands down."

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, tinged with a touch of self-deprecating humor. "Is that a trophy I should add to my collection, next to the 'Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Class' award?"

He cracked a smile, the first time I'd seen it, and it transformed his face. "Maybe. But hey, at least we're not alone in this sleep-deprived club, right?"

Right. We weren't. And in that shared exhaustion, in the quiet hum of the city beneath us, a strange comfort bloomed. Maybe Shinso and I wouldn't conquer the villainous hordes together, but we could navigate the treacherous terrain of hero training, one yawn and chai latte at a time.

Our nights became a symphony of hushed whispers and shared mugs of coffee, stolen moments on rooftops and whispered jokes during late-night study sessions. Shinso, I discovered, was more than just his brooding exterior. He was sharp, witty, and possessed of a surprising empathy that belied his Quirk. We were, in our own peculiar way, friends.

And then, the rumors started. "Shinso and Sleepwalker? Are they dating?" Mina squealed during lunch, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Bakugo scoffed, muttering something about "weaklings and eyebags," but a flicker of curiosity danced in his fiery gaze.

We weren't dating, not exactly. But there was a tenderness in our shared exhaustion, a silent understanding that transcended words. We were two kindred spirits, navigating the chaotic waters of U.A. High, fueled by caffeine and an unspoken bond forged in the darkness under our eyes.

The journey ahead was long, the challenges vast. But as I looked at Shinso, his dark circles mirroring mine in the moonlight, I knew I wasn't facing them alone. We had each other, and that, perhaps, was enough. The battle against sleep continued, but for the first time, it didn't feel like a lonely war. It was a shared adventure, whispered lullabies and stolen cups of coffee under the watchful gaze of the moon.

To be continued...

I hope you like the continued development of Artemia and Shinso's bond! Their shared sleep deprivation adds a unique layer to their interactions, and I'm excited to see where their friendship takes them in the next chapter. Let me know what you think!