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

Chapter 60

Last night didn't go as I thought. Aizawa actually wanted to talk- half about me going off and cussing in front of the pros, and the other half about Ophelia and what not.

It wasn't exactly the conversation I wanted to have before bed. His words weren't harsh, but they carried that weight only Aizawa could pull off, the kind that made you feel like a kid caught with a lit match in a fireworks factory.

I nodded in all the right places, but part of me was only half there, trying to tune him out the same way you tune out background noise. Still, I heard every word, every warning, every subtle threat he slipped between his monotone sentences.

Surprisingly, Red hasn't been too overkill in a while.

What I mean is basically her tormenting me by slick remarks, headaches, or anything else she could get away with. Her absence was strange, like the quiet before an explosion- unnerving in the worst way.

Which was why I was a little paranoid and confused.

In a way, I felt free, but also on high alert. Like when you know a storm is coming but can't prove it, when the air feels heavier than usual and you can almost smell the rain before it falls. That edge of tension clung to me, refusing to let go.

Anyways, after Aizawa's bitching, I went back to my dorm and slept the rest of the night away.

The room was dark, the only light spilling faintly from the window, washing the walls in silver. I laid there in bed, eyes tracing the ceiling for what felt like hours before exhaustion finally took over. Even then, sleep wasn't easy- it was crowded with thoughts I didn't ask for.

Mostly, I thought about Eri. About her small frame, her wide eyes, and the way her voice had trembled when she spoke. What she was probably going through right now was something I couldn't even bring myself to imagine without my stomach twisting in knots. The thought settled heavy in my chest, heavier than any lecture Aizawa could throw at me.

~

I was now getting lunch after a couple of classes- by myself- for some reason the girls don't talk to me as often anymore.

It usually was I would go anywhere and they'd follow. Now I go anywhere and they're just gone- nowhere in sight.

So I sat at me and my brother's old table. Alone.

Katsuki now sits with Kirishima and the others at their table after bribing him. I usually sat with them, but now I'm just alone.

The cafeteria buzzed with life, the usual chaos of overlapping voices, laughter, and the clatter of trays. None of it touched me. The noise felt muted, as if I were behind glass, watching it all but not part of it.

Placing my tray of soba onto the table, I put on my headphones to cancel everyone out. And you wouldn't believe who I'm listening to.

Me.

I'm only listening to one of my songs that somehow made top 10 on Spotify just to see why people loved it so much.

The beat thrummed in my ears as I ate my food, my eyes dropping down to the notebook in front of me. I took careful notes on the lyrics, like I was seeing them appear in front of me, line by line, dissecting the words as if they weren't mine at all. It was strange- studying myself like I was someone else.

The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood up.

I didn't pause what I was doing. Instead, I continued like I didn't feel anything, forcing myself to keep chewing, keep writing, keep pretending I wasn't aware. Only after a few seconds did I finally glance up and around the cafeteria, eyes sweeping the crowd to see who the person was.