Unexpected Changes ((TENYA IIDA X OC))

Chapter 5

Entering the classroom was like entering a lions den.

I squeezed Bakugou's hand at the sight of our classmates' daunting glances, and undoubtedly my stomach fell to my feet. I could feel their judgement, and somewhere in the mix there was disappointment.

But how could they look at me like they were when Iida had done the same thing to me?

They mustn't have known, I figured.

"The hell are you idiots looking at?" Bakugou suddenly barked, knocking me out of my head and into reality once more.

At his growl, eyes slowly started to fall away from us and the pressure I felt on my shoulders disappeared. Letting out an uneasy breath, I glanced toward Bakugou, who gave me a soft look in return as he led me to my desk.

I tried hard not to look Iida in the eye as we passed, but unfortunately, the confusion in his eyes was impossible to avoid.

Sitting down, I smiled unsurely up to Bakugou, who in turn ruffled my hair.

"Don't look so discouraged," he told me, hushing his voice for only me to hear. "It's you 'n me against the world, right?"

I nodded against his hand. "Y-yeah.."

A brief smile played across his lips before he left me to wander over to his own seat, and as I faced forward, I could feel the strain radiating off of Iida as I stared blankly at his back. A feeling foreign to me pinched my heart and made my fingers tingle, but before I could dwell on said feeling, a finger tapping sharply on my shoulder pulled me toward its source.

"Spill the beans," Kirishima, who was leaning into the aisle to whisper to me, said. "What's with you and Bakugou?"

Glancing in the blond's direction and back again, I forced a fake smile. "It's exactly what it looks like."

"B-but what about..." he bopped his head in Iida's direction and my weak smile fell.

"It's a long story," I replied curtly, shifting forward again. "One that I'd rather not retell."

"Right, gotcha." Kirishima thankfully backed off and sat normally in his own seat again.

Letting out an uneasy breath, the sound of shuffling paper drew my attention to my desk top, where a strand scrap of binder paper laid, neatly folded.

Feeling that strange sensation from before, I didn't have to think too hard on who this little note was from. I glanced up to Iida, who was in the midst of turning his head away from me in favor for the front of the classroom.

Pursing my lips, I plucked the scrap off the table and unfolded it.

What was that about?

It was a simple question and one I knew the reasoning behind. My fingers clutched the paper angrily and I crumpled it up before aiming and throwing it right at the back of Iida's head. His shoulders tensed, and to my surprise, he whipped around with an irritated look on his face.

"You really have the nerve to ask me that?" I hissed under my breath, leaning forward with my hands clutching the edge of the desk.

"Of course I do!" He whisper shouted. "I know we got into a fight at the festival, but do you really have to —"

"Just a 'fight,' Tenya?" I growled. "I saw you and Hatsume. What I'm doing isn't any different from what you did to me."

"What I — are you crazy?!" He boomed, abruptly jumping to his feet with his palms slapped onto the surface of my desk. "What did I do exactly, Osoroshi?! You're the one that pushed me away!"

"It was for your own good!" I yelled back, rising to my feet with hands clutched at my sides. "I thought you of all people would understand that!"

"How could I understand when you never tell me anything?!" He countered, driving in closer to my face.

"Because if I did, you would die! He would kill you! He'd kill everyone! H-he already almost killed Bakugou!" I shrieked, slamming my fist down hastily on the desk.

"Who?!"

I felt my eyes heating up as the anger within me rose. "That's not the point, what is is what happened at the festival. You don't get to ask me what 'that' was about. You don't get to be hurt because you decided not to understand."

Iida huffed angrily and hunched his shoulders, seemingly at a loss for words as his eyes flickered about my face for whatever it was that he was looking for. I stared back, all too aware of the many eyes glued to us as we argued.

"I don't know what I ever did to you," Iida breathed out again, straightening himself out. A stoic look passed his face as he clutched his hands into fists. "I've been nothing but kind and patient because I love you, but you're impossible. You're too much."

"Maybe for you," I said lowly, a sudden pang of sadness rang at my heart. "But at least Bakugou understands without me having to spill my entire life story."

"Oooookay," the sound of Hattori's voice and the feeling of her surprisingly gentle hands coming down on my shoulders eased the tension I was feeling immediately, and when I looked up to her, I suddenly felt emotional. "That's enough, both of you. Whatever happened between you is over and arguing about it in front of the entire class doesn't help anything."

I bit the inside of my cheek and forced my eyes downward. She was right, and I was surprised by her sudden spurt of maturity.

It was as if we switched places.

After a moment of what I assumed to be Hattori eying Iida, she led me away from him by the shoulders and toward her own desk, where she sat me down and knelt in front of my legs.

"What the hell was that?" She asked in a whisper, setting her hands on my knees.

"Unfinished business." I deadpanned.

"Did that business really have to be dealt with in front of everyone?"

I shrugged, suddenly depressed and not up for much conversation. Hattori, noticing my state of mind, sighed in defeat and rose to her feet again. I upturned my gaze to follow her face.

"Alright," she huffed, setting her hands on her hips. "I understand... sort of, but you've got a lot of explaining to do, still."

I nodded weakly and as I did, the classroom door opening captured my and my sister's attention.

"Alright," Aizawa's tired voice rang through the still silent room as he trudged inside. "Let's begin."