Monster

12 | Overwhelmed

- IZUKU -

Hallways are overwhelming.

It's one of the things I learnt when we first walked around U.A. Instead of the usual silence back at the laboratory, when only a few people would pass through the corridors without a single word leaving their mouths other than a simple greeting acknowledging Chisaki, U.A.'s hallways are loud and crowded. Whether it's before first period when we have to meet Aizawa early, or during lunch break when we occasionally sit in Aizawa's office because the lunch room itself is too much, the hallways are always filled with students going in multiple directions.

Normally, I could get through them pretty easily. Tenko is usually tall enough to see just a little over the students and see if there's any gaps or free areas in the moving crowd. It helped a lot, especially when we wanted to avoid being pushed over or accidentally moved in the wrong direction.

But now, I was alone in the hallway with hundreds of students, making their way to first period before the bell rang. Tenko would be here, but he had to see Recovery Girl. He said it was something to do with sudden memory retrieval, whatever that meant.

So now, I stood off to the side as I waited for the crowds to die down. Maybe I could find an opening like Tenko, or maybe I could wait a little longer to see if any more of the student body would disappear down different hallways.

There weren't any different hallways I could take, considering the classroom was down this one. Just a few more doors and I'd be at the tall door of Class 1-A. Then I could be safe there with Aizawa, maybe Kacchan would be there too.

After a few moments, they didn't, instead growing in number. Maybe I could just avoid first period and not go at all if it meant I could avoid trying to get through this crowd.

I took a few long, deep breaths. Tenko would want me to go, so I should try.

A minute or so later, I was trying to get through the crowds. People were shouting at others to move, some were pushing people forwards or out of the way. It was overwhelming and too much to focus on all at once.

I wanted Tenko, or Katsuki, or Aizawa here. They weren't overwhelming. They knew where they were going.

But they weren't here, and it was making everything so much worse.

Someone shoved me forwards, the action familiar. It reminded me of when Chisaki would get annoyed with me walking slowly, so he'd push me forward to make me speed up. Or, when I made him mad by refusing to go into that experimentation room, and he pushed me inside.

Was that what had happened just now? Was someone mad at me for walking slowly, like Chisaki had been?

I took another few deep breaths, moving forwards in the crowd once again, this time a little quicker, though. People were still shouting and complaining and pushing and shoving and it was.. scary. Maybe scary wasn't the right word, but it was somewhat close to what I meant.

The way they were shouting over the crowd, shouting at each other, pushing each other.. it was scary. It isn't like this when I'm with Tenko. Then again, I'm normally not really paying attention.

Now that I'm alone, it's scary and overwhelming and too much. The classroom door isn't that far away, just a few more steps and I'm practically there.

A few more steps.

I quickened my pace, wanting, yearning to get to that door. It was safe in there, quieter, away from all the noise of bustling students and constant pushing and shoving of the crowds. It was safe, and I needed to get there.