Red in Different Shades

33. Study those Flashy Moves

Somehow, as October rolled on in, the workload in class seemed to double overnight. 

Niwa despaired in her seat. Last night, her dreams had all been about mathematical theories from so much studying. She could barely keep up with Cementoss in Modern Literature, let alone deal with the ridiculous maze of formulas Ectoplasm was tossing at them in math. Numbers and logic were fine when they involved actual numbers and logic, but derivatives? Exponents? This hyperbolic bullshit? It was like Ectoplasm had a vendetta against her free time. Why did she suck at math!?

Across the room, just outside the entrance, Iida's voice cut through the noise, chastising Midoriya. "One minute before class! You barely made it. You shouldn't stay up so late," he lectured, gesturing with all the grace of an uptight clock.

Niwa resisted a groan as Sero beat her to it, flopping over his desk in a lazy stretch. "It's too early to be that loud," he muttered.

True words. She'd finally started sleeping better in her own bed, but 'better' was a low bar. You know, math dreams. But real rest only kicked in only after she'd trained herself into exhaustion. And she wasn't about to burn herself out just for a couple of hours of deep sleep. Though her sleep schedule was all over the place.

At least she wasn't the only one in the class dragging herself through the day on sheer willpower and cafeteria coffee. It wasn't the biggest problem to have, she supposed.

As the day rolled on, Niwa focused on her classes, eyes drifting now and then to the clock as she mentally counted down the hours until she could finally grab some food.

Finally, they were in the last quarter hour of Modern Hero Art History. The words in her textbook were at least mildly interesting, keeping her awake and vaguely engaged. She slouched over her desk, eyes half-lidded as she followed along, one page at a time. Midnight was in full teaching mode, pacing the room and striking her exaggerated poses. Niwa had developed a knack for ignoring that flare while being hyperaware of the whip in her teacher's hand. Niwa had spent so much time going whip vs whip with Midnight that she supposed the subconscious development was normal... ish.

Midnight was animated, sure, but it was hard not to drift off into thoughts of how much more she could get done outside these walls. Still, Midnight's lecture style wasn't the worst, so Niwa settled for half-listening as she doodled in the margins.

"This brings us to our next historical hero highlight. Lumina, one of the first heroes to make a name for herself on an international scale." Midnight walked past Niwa's desk, sweeping an arm dramatically. "Now, Lumina's Quirk—light manipulation—might not seem groundbreaking by today's standards, but back in her time? She was a game-changer."

Midnight paused just long enough to crack her tassel whip in Mineta's direction as the boy started to snore behind his textbook, drawing muffled laughs from the class. "When Lumina debuted, the public was divided to say the least. Half of the world adored her bright, angelic image. The other half thought she was far too powerful, a threat rather than a savior. But she didn't let that stop her." Midnight turned, her gaze sweeping over her students with an intense look. "She used her abilities to literally illuminate crime-ridden areas, earning the public's trust one town, street, and city at a time."

With a sly smile, Midnight continued, "Now, here's where it gets interesting: The Shining Controversy. A scandalous moment when Lumina used her light to force confessions from villains. This particular use of her Quirk pushed into a more morally gray territory. Many argued it crossed the line. That torture was sinful, no matter how heinous the villains crimes were. Questions thrown about. Was she protecting the public or playing judge and jury?"