Red in Different Shades

29.

"Stay in line and move promptly to the grounds!" Iida directed, gesturing down the hall with all the snappy movements he could muster.

Niwa trailed behind her classmates, most of them seemed entertained enough to humor the class rep's enthusiasm.

"Pretty sure you're the one not in line," Sero teased, strolling on by.

Niwa chuckled as Iida visibly deflated at the realization. Being class rep seemed to carry a surprising amount of moral dilemmas for him.

"I heard Class A..." came a taunting voice from down the hall. Niwa looked up to see Class B's very own obnoxious blonde strutting toward them, a smug grin on his face. "Two people! You had two people fail the provisional licensing exam!"

"Class B's Monoma..." Sero groaned. Oh yeah, that was his name.

"He's as crazy as ever," Kaminari muttered.

Kirishima, unfazed, shot back, "So, Monoma, did you fail again? Like with the finals?"

Monoma laughed dramatically, whole body doubling over and eyes vacant, like he'd been possessed by the spirit of a dead fish, before whipping around to face the other way.

What an eccentric. Niwa raised an eyebrow, watching from the side as Kirishima called after him, "Well, which is it?"

As the rest of Class 1-B filed past, Monoma turned back with flair, practically shouting, "We all passed! We've pulled ahead of you, Class A!"

Todoroki, brooding against the wall, looked like he'd just been sentenced to life in a snow globe. "Sorry... everyone..."

Niwa snickered to herself as Kirishima clapped a reassuring hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "They're turning it into a competition all by themselves. Don't sweat it, man."

"According to Vlad-sensei, we'll have some classes together this semester! Lookin' forward to it!" said a tiny girl with horns and a thick American accent. Niwa admired anyone tackling Japanese as a second language—or any language, really—but the exaggerated vowels and occasional "Engrish" words made her cringe just a little.

"Really? I can't wait to test out my skills!" Kirishima pumped his fists, looking genuinely hyped. Niwa had to agree; new opponents and allies might be refreshing after the same lineup over and over.

Monoma leaned over and whispered something to the American girl, who brightened. "You're an exchange student, right?" Kaminari asked, eyes bright, maybe a bit too eager. Niwa felt a sudden urge to throw a shoe at him.

The girl grinned, totally unbothered by the attention. "I'll beat you up so bad, you won't be able to stand!" she announced cheerfully.

Niwa burst out laughing, appreciating the stark contrast between the girl's energy and her surprisingly brutal threat. Monoma joined in with a cackle of his own, only to be swiftly chopped on the head by his own class rep.

"Don't make her say weird things!" The Class 1-B rep scolded.

"Uh, excuse us, but we're trying to get through," came a familiar voice from behind Class 1-A. Niwa recognized the slightly exasperated tone right away.

"I'm so sorry!" Iida blurted, ushering his classmates forward. "Come on, everyone! Save your chitchat for later; you're holding up the hall!"

The two classes shuffled apart, and Niwa found herself falling into step with a few classmates.

"Try not to embarrass yourself too much," Shinso called as he strolled past with a few students from his class. Niwa glanced over at him, noting he'd definitely put on some muscle since the Sports Festival.