Freeze Frame

Chapter 38

Third person pov

"I-It's official. I'm going to die. I'm dead. D-Done for. I may as w-well give up now." It was lunch time, and Lillian was officially panicking again. Hitoshi waited patiently, sipping his drink loudly and lounging back in his seat. They'd managed to snag one of the smaller tables in the corner of the cafeteria. Hitoshi had put his blazer on the other seat to ensure nobody tried to sit down. Not that they would, but precautions were precautions.

"What w-will my parents s-say? M-My quirk r-runs out so fast. I-I can only hold s-so many people at o-once. A-And my classmates a-are so much more powerful th-than the villains at the USJ." Lillian's voice dropped, as did her gaze as she stared at her hands. Hitoshi tensed a little. He hadn't heard Lillian mention the USJ at all since it happened. She'd had a few panic attacks, and mentioned how scared she'd been, but never did she go into detail.

"It's just a Sports Festival. Just a glimpse of your quirk will no doubt get you noticed. It's not for another month anyway." Hitoshi assured. Secretly, he was quite anxious himself, but not on Lillian's level. The girl looked just about ready to lose it. Her pupils had dilated in her panic, and she seemed near hyperventilating.

"I-I'm just scared." Lillian shook her head a little. "I'm... I'm not ready. I-I'm not even in sh-shape, and-" 

"Hey, calm down." Hitoshi said in a steady and reassuring tone. Lillian took a deep breath, bringing up a hand to massage her temples. Hitoshi sat up a little straighter. "We can work together, alright? My quirk is really suited for one-on-one encounters, and everyone knows everyone is put against each other in the beginning."

Lillian lit up at his words. "R-Really? You'd w-work with me?" Lillian pointed at herself, as though he'd meant someone else. Hitoshi felt his lips twitch into a small smile. Playfully, he rolled his eyes at her.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, would I? There's nothing against us teaming up. Besides, it would show any heroes scouting that you're good teaming up with others." Hitoshi pointed out as smartly as he could manage. Lillian thought about it for a moment. He expected her to apologize profusely and fall into a bout of panicked muttering, but instead any anxiety she had was wiped off her face completely. She looked at him with a bright smile, perking up.

"A-And it's a ch-chance for you t-to show everyone you're meant to be in the hero course!" Lillian gasped out. "This is a great idea! If they see that you're willing to team up with someone from the hero course, and they see how useful you and your quirk are, they're bound to accept your transfer request!"

Hitoshi felt his cheeks go a little red with embarrassment. Lillian was the only one he'd told about his request to transfer, and she'd been exuberant ever since. "Yeah, you're right..." He mumbled, clearing his throat a little to try and keep the fluster from his tone. Lillian gazed at him brightly, seemingly reinvigorated by the realization that this could help her friend.

"I need to get into shape." Lillian's cheeks puffed out.

"I do too. I've been... lazy." Hitoshi winced a little. Lillian immediately whipped out her phone, and he leaned forward, already suggesting a site with a good diet plan. Lillian immediately suggested they ask Aizawa-sensei, to which Hitoshi turned into a red-faced mess. As fate would have it, he hadn't realized Shota Aizawa was Eraserhead until getting a better look at the man and seeing him on TV. To say he was excited was an understatement. He'd all but fallen through Lillian's window, jabbering about the man and asking questions with reckless abandon.

Monoma stood a ways off, his tray of food clutched tightly as he gazed at the pair. He'd brushed his classmates off and settled for staring. He couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about, but he definitely caught the dark haired girl, Lillian he'd found out, saying something about them having the power of 'God and anime on their side.' It made his heart race with something akin to excitement.