Broken Pieces - Bnha OC x Shoto Todoroki (Multiple Personality Disorder/DID)

16 Echoes of the Past

Aki sat at her desk near the back of the classroom, her hands resting on the smooth wood. The air felt cool against her skin, a welcome contrast to the itchy, rough texture of her uniform. She adjusted the sleeve of her blazer for the third time that morning, trying to shift the fabric away from where it pressed uncomfortably against one of her older scars. Every movement seemed magnified; the slight tug on her sleeve, the weight of her shoes pressing down, the faint hum of the lights overhead.

She took a deep breath, willing herself to focus. *You're in class. Everything is fine.*

The lesson had just begun, and Yamada's energetic voice filled the room as he wrote vocabulary words on the board. English came naturally to her, one of the few subjects where she felt confident. She'd even answered a question in the previous class - quietly, but it had still counted. Aki's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles at the memory. Yamada had beamed at her, his enthusiasm infectious.

Shifting slightly in her seat, Aki glanced around the room. Kirishima was seated beside her, his bright red hair catching the sunlight streaming in through the windows. His posture was relaxed but attentive, and every so often, he'd scribble something in his notebook. She studied his face out of the corner of her eye, tracing the sharp angles of his jaw and the slight frown of concentration on his lips.

*Are we friends?* she wondered. He was always kind to her, checking in subtly when he thought she needed it. But what did that mean? Friends seemed like such a foreign concept. Did they think of her that way, or was it just pity? The thought gnawed at her, and she forced herself to look away.

Her gaze drifted toward Tsuyu, who sat a few seats away. The girl's calm demeanor intrigued Aki; she seemed so composed, so unbothered by the chaotic energy of the classroom. Aki couldn't even remember if they'd spoken beyond polite greetings. She felt a pang of regret at that realization. Socializing was like navigating a labyrinth, each interaction a potential misstep. How could she even begin to approach someone like Tsuyu without tripping over her own awkwardness?

As her mind wandered, her eyes landed on Todoroki. He sat in front of her, his back straight and his dual-colored hair stark against the beige walls of the room. She found herself staring, her thoughts shifting to something warmer. Todoroki had a quiet strength about him, one that made her feel... safe. He wasn't just kind in passing; he genuinely seemed to care about her well-being, even if he didn't express it outright.

*I think we're friends,* she mused. Her chest tightened slightly at the thought, a mix of gratitude and disbelief.

Before her mind could spiral further, Todoroki turned his head slightly, his heterochromatic eyes meeting hers. His gaze was calm but sharp, and she immediately snapped her focus back to her notebook, heat rising in her cheeks.

"You're daydreaming," he said softly, the corner of his mouth twitching in what might have been amusement.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled, gripping her pencil tightly.

Todoroki didn't say anything else, but his gaze lingered for a moment before he turned back to the front. Aki exhaled slowly, trying to steady her nerves. She needed to pay attention.

Yamada was explaining a new exercise, and Aki hurried to catch up, jotting down notes as quickly as she could. The steady scratch of her pencil against the paper was grounding, a small piece of order in the otherwise overwhelming chaos of her thoughts.

When Yamada handed out worksheets, Aki flipped through hers quickly, eager to get started. She liked tasks like this - structured, with clear expectations. But as she turned the page, the edge of the paper caught her finger.