The Realist(Shoto Todoroki x reader- Bakugo's twin sister)

Chapter 54

My fist clenched tight enough that my knuckles ached.

I heard the words in my head- or what sounded like it was in the room too. My eyes never left the tall man as they studied him.

Is he with the League?

I asked the voice again, more urgently this time.

No answer.

Just silence.

The man, completely unaware- or pretending to be- began asking the class about their daily schedules, making polite conversation like he was some harmless guest. I watched him with a glare that could cut glass before finally turning away.

I needed breakfast. Or at least something to do before I exploded.

I'm getting really tired of being a broken metal detector.

I sat alone at one of the tables, not bothering to join the others. The girls were a few feet away, clustered around their usual spot, chatting softly. Normally I'd slide a chair up beside them without a second thought. But not today.

Today, the air felt off. Wrong.

I picked at my food, barely tasting it as I ate mechanically. Eggs, toast, something sweet? I was too busy watching him with my quirk.

Tokuda floated around the room with practiced ease, camera slung up to his face like it was part of him. He clicked pictures while pretending not to pose them, but I saw where his lens lingered. The girls. Snapping shots of them mid-laugh, leaning in to talk, brushing hair behind ears.

Perv.

I gripped my juice a little too tight, the plastic cup creaking in my hands. I finished my food, pushed the tray slightly away from me, and started to sip my juice slowly- ready to leave. Or so I thought.

He saw me. Of course he did.

"Just pretend like it's a normal day," he said, voice chipper behind the camera as he approached, raising the lens to his eye with that stupid smile.

My grip on the cup tightened until my knuckles turned white. I didn't smile. Didn't blink. I glared. Straight through the lens and into him.

Anger surged like fire under my skin.

Then-

POOF!

The camera burst in his hands.

A thick cloud of black smoke exploded upward like a miniature volcano, filling the air with the scent of burnt metal and chemicals. The sound was loud enough to echo off the walls, startling everyone in the room.

He coughed violently, stumbling back as he yanked the ruined camera from his face. A perfect black ring now coated the lower half of his face like war paint- dark powder staining his skin and shirt collar.

A small shriek came from the girls' table, followed by the harsh scrape of chairs across tile as people stood up or jumped in surprise. The room erupted in noise and gasps as all eyes locked onto the two of us.

I didn't flinch.

Didn't even move.

Just stared at him, jaw tight.

He looked down at the camera, dumbfounded. "I just got this thing. How could it possibly go up in flames?" he muttered, clearly trying to hold back frustration.