Flamebound: Embrace the Heat ||BNHA||

.Chapter 15.

Chapter 15. Get Your License.

The weekend passed quietly for Class 2-A, each student taking the well-deserved time to rest after the Sports Festival. Sore muscles, minor injuries, and the emotional roller coaster of the competition had left them all drained, but the break gave them a chance to recover and reflect on the event. So, when Monday rolled around, everyone returned to class feeling refreshed, and eager to get back into the groove of their studies.

Kaye strolled into the classroom, the familiar scent of pencils and paper welcoming her. As she made her way past Bakugo's desk, she noticed the blonde pointedly avoiding eye contact with her. She quirked an eyebrow. Strange. Normally, he would at least give her some sort of reaction—a scoff, a glare, a begrudging nod. But today, nothing. Just silence. She let it go for now and continued to her own desk.

Midoriya, who sat in front of her, turned around and waved cheerfully. "Good morning, Kaye!"

"Good morning, Midoriya!" she replied with a smile, taking her seat and pulling her notebook and pen out of her bag.

She waited for Aizawa's instruction, her fingers idly tapping against her pen as her thoughts drifted back to what had been occupying her mind all weekend: Toya. Her mystery guest on the balcony. Just thinking about him sent her stomach into a whirl of confusion and curiosity.

The questions weighed heavily on her mind, but the thing that unsettled her the most was the knowledge that she was being watched. Was it just her? Or was her entire class being targeted? There was no way it could be her alone. She was too new, too... insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But if it's the whole class, why didn't he tell me about anyone else being followed?

Should I say something? she wondered, biting her lip. Maybe tell All Might? Aizawa? But then they'd ask how I knew, and I can't tell them about... Toya. That would only lead to more trouble. She might get scolded for letting him hang around, or worse, the school could see him as a threat and have him arrested.

No, she decided. For now, she would keep quiet and just keep an eye out. If anything else happened, she'd deal with it then.

"Kaye?"

She blinked, startled out of her thoughts. Sero was looking at her from across the aisle, his face etched with concern. He must have noticed her spacing out. She flashed him a quick thumbs-up and mouthed, I'm okay!

Sero gave her a skeptical look but nodded before turning back in his seat.

Before she could dwell on it further, Aizawa's gruff voice cut through the classroom, snapping her to attention. "Alright, listen up." The entire class quieted immediately. Aizawa stood at the front of the room, his tired eyes sweeping over each of them. "Tomorrow, you'll be assigned groups for a project relevant to what you've been learning about Hero Agencies."

Kaye perked up, straightening in her seat. A group project?

"You'll be expected to create a mock Agency, complete with its own theme, motto, and budgeting spreadsheet," Aizawa continued. "A detailed rubric will be provided to you. At the end of the month, you will be presenting your agency to the class, so start thinking about it now. This project is very important and will count for 35% of your final grade."

The students murmured softly, excitement buzzing in the air. Some already started turning to their friends, whispering about potential themes and partners. Kaye couldn't help but smile a little. Despite the nerves, it felt... nice. A school project that'd prepare her for her future, it seemed fun.