Rejected Prodigy

Chapter 5: Dinner Guest

"Good Evening, my name is Aizawa Shouta. I work for U.A.--" The man began.

"U.A.? AH! You must be Valentine's teacher! Please come in, come in! My name is Maki Youmou, Valentine's mother!" Her mother ushered the man into their safe haven, while spouting about this and that.

'Yup. This is where it all ends.' She had lost the feeling in her limbs as she stood dumbfounded. It wasn't until this 'Aizawa' had made eye contact with her, did she begin to breathe again. His gaze locked onto her and he seemed confused.

'Please don't make a scene. Please don't make a scene. Please don't...' She begged repeatedly. Seeing as he only did as he was commanded of him without saying a single word against her mother, she was hoping that he would wait to arrest her until they were out of her mother's house. 

'Maybe he hasn't found me out...There isn't any evidence against me...right?' 

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'Student? Her?' It was safe to say that Aizawa was thoroughly confused upon entering the dingy apartment. This was not at all what he expected when he originally knocked on the girl's door. First, there is this old woman staggering around, and then there is this 'Valentine' herself, who is peering at him around the corner wearing a stained pink apron. She had taken her hat off, and her blonde curls are in a loose bun on the top of her head. The look in her eyes is a mixture of horror and pleading. With that, something clicks in his brain.

'The old lady doesn't know, huh?' He thinks glancing at the older woman, and back at the younger girl.

After excusing himself into the house, he graciously accepts a pair of new looking slippers. Following the woman farther into the small apartment, he takes note of his surroundings. Other than the wallpaper that was peeling off of the walls near the ceiling, the apartment looked clean and well taken care of. Just passing the door to the kitchen area, the woman stopped quickly and turned her head in his direction.

"Oh! Wait here one second, I wasn't expecting company tonight so the dining room is a bit messy! Let me clean it up a bit." She then shuffles down the remaining bit of hallway into what Aizawa assumed was the main living area. He turned his head to look into the cramped kitchen where Valentine was. She was getting something out of the small cabinet under the sink. She pulled out a small clay tea set and sat it down on the counter. She then noticed that he was looking at her and she flinched slightly under his gaze.

"H-Hello, Mr. Aizawa?" She states, or rather questions him.

'So she wants me to play along, huh?' He ponders this for a bit and comes to a conclusion.

"Hello, Valentine, have you completed the assignment for next Friday?" He responds, hoping that she caught on to what he was trying to say. She seemed to relax a bit at the response.

'Maybe if I play along, I'll be able to learn more about her...circumstances.' He thought, 'The old woman does seem to like to talk.'

"Mr. Aizawa...sir...um" She starts, glancing at him several times, careful not to drop the teapot full of hot water as she places it on an old tray. Picking up the tray, she starts to walk towards him. "Please follow me," She says with a small nod towards the front living room, "I'm sure she's done by now." He follows her into the small opening at the end of the short hall. The main living area had only the necessary items: A table, five chairs, and two small lounge chairs. His eyes fell upon a large chest in the corner of the room.

"Ah~ that's where I keep my job materials," The older woman stated gleefully, "I make hand knitted scarves and jackets using my wool quirk!" She says gesturing to what Aizawa had previously assumed, were just two simple cinnamon bun-like buns on each side of her head, but were actually sheep-like horns. Only then did he notice that all of the chairs in the small space were covered in fluffy knitted patches. The woman gestured for him to sit, and he did so gladly. Valentine gently placed the tray on the table and placed a cup of fresh tea in front of the seated adults.