Blue Butterfly | Amajiki Tamaki

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2nd POV

"Would like to have some tea, [Surname]-san?"

"U-Uh, thank you—I mean y-yes."

You swallowed nervously, clammy hands tucked on your lap and your sheepish gaze drifting across the floral chinaware across the table; a whiff of earthy Oolong tea brewed in the air, Principal Nezu's teaspoon set askew in one of the teacups. He was wriggling his nose with a gleam of expectation flashing in his beady eyes, opening his paws with a polite smile.

"Now, now, there's no need to be shy," he beckoned, moving lithely to pour her a fresh cup. "You're not in any sort of trouble."

"I beg to differ."

Your head snapped to the grumbling noise of disapproval, a lump rising in your throat.

"Eraserhead, you'll scare her away."

A disgruntled gruff escaped Aizawa's lips, reclining his slouched frame against the armrest of the cough for support. His disheveled black locks were matted around his shoulders in tumbling waves, his bloodshot eyes half-open and his jaw riddled with a week's worth of stubble; all in all, he was a mess, stifling a lethargic yawn.

Though you knew he was a man with little energy to spare, the exhaustion and exasperation etched onto his pale complexion was evident that he was stressed with the whole villain fiasco.

The authorities had immediately contacted U.A. while you were recuperating, thus why you were in the Principal's office as soon as you returned. You were unsure why Tamaki was easily dismissed when Aizawa had popped up by the shoe cupboards in his tired glory, but you were somewhat relieved he was excused—an earful from the higher ups would surely cause the twinge of resolve he finally built up to plummet.

Principal Nezu's lax and cheery demeanour was the exact opposite of the Pro Hero's sullen and waned manner, making it seemingly hard to know whether you were in trouble or not. But Aizawa looked murderous, so you presumed that you were about to face U.A.'s rage.

Your fingers curled around the handle of the teacup and accepted it from Nezu's outstretched paws, murmuring an airy thank you and softly blowing over the hot liquid. The wafting streams of steam smothered your face with a hint of a raisin scent, ridding the stiff tension in your shoulders after one sip.

"See? You're making our guest nervous," Nezu remarked.

"I didn't come here for idle chats," stated Aizawa."... Let's get straight to the point.

In the corner of his eye, Aizawa watched you with a hawk-like gaze.  "Strictly without any certifications, you, [Surname] [Name], engaged with villains last Saturday..."

"... Under normal circumstances, you would be in a difficult situation, along with your two other classmates, for your irrational action," he resumed. "Even against villains, to use your Quirk in public without a hero provisional license or permission is clearly a violation to the rules—you should at least know that much, and the severe consequences that follow."

All you could do was nod your head in acknowledgment, your nerves steeling under his unnerving stare. If Principal Nezu's chinaware wasn't so costly, you would have already smashed it into tiny fragments from the way you were tightly cradling it in your hands, trembling.

Amidst all the fighting and the conglomeration of emotions that day, you had completely forgotten about that rule, and now your ignorance came biting back. But that didn't mean you regretted it—the reason why you rushed alongside Haru and Tamaki was to initially help civilians who had been caught up in the muddle during the explosions.