Boku no Hero Academia

Emergency Exit Iida

The walk to the lunchroom after the seemingly endless morning classes was the easiest part of the day. Students of UA are scattered about the long halls. Rakurai walks obediently beside Etsuko, and Akira trotting on the other.
"So, I hear you guys have the same literary assignment as us." Akira inquires.
"Yeah, everyone was begging to be in Etsuko's group. I'm not sure why she's so popular right now." Rakurai teased. Etsuko knew it was true, she heard many students sulk and complain about their groups for the project in her class.
"Because I'm so cool!" Etsuko put her hands to her cheeks as if she was a character; the idea of so much attention all at once was beginning to churn her stomach, a swirling detestation and guilt clung onto her chest like a leech, eating away at her self comfort.
"Huff! It's always so crowded in here." Akira sighed, cramming little bites of her lunch at a time in her mouth.
"I mean... It's the lunchroom." Rakurai said plainly, stuffing a large amount of rice into his mouth.
Akira blushed at Rakurai's bluntness. "Yeah. Its just way different from last year." She nibbled some more.
"Not really," Rakurai leans back, finishing his mouthful.
"Takamori was always pretty packed. It's a private school. Lots of people with amazing abilities went there at the request of school officials and parents. I'm not surprised we were even there." Rakurai recalls, shoving another large portion into his mouth. Everyone stuffed their faces with their lunches, the room bustling with other conversations.
"And besides, all of UAs courses share the same lunchroom." Rakurai said through another mouthful.
"Hey guyyys!" Chibi skipped up to the table, her bento box in hand. A boy with wild, purple hair followed just behind her with his tray. She slid into the booth, while the boy stood, waiting to be accepted to the table.
"Hey, been a while!" Rakurai pat her shoulder.
"Yeah. I hope you guys won't mind! This is Shinso Hitoshi from my class!" She held a hand out, as if to display him. He waved, then put his hand to the back of his neck.
"Hello." Etsuko greeted, making room as Rakurai and Akira waved.
"We were assigned this project in our class where we have to interview someone, and we're just getting started before it's due in two weeks." Chibi explained the boy's presence.
"We got that project, too!" Rakurai said, enjoying his rice.
"Yeah, me too." Akira said.
"Really? Maybe it's a school-wide thing for first-years?" Chibi held a finger to her chin in thought. Shinsou took his place beside Etsuko, preparing his tray to be eaten.
"Well, I'm gonna go find my partner. Chibi's idea about getting a head start is actually pretty smart. See you after school!" Akira waved to them as she walked off with her empty tray.
Shinsou eyed the boy and girl he had yet to be introduced to in the booth, although hearing a few things about them "So, you guys are from the hero course?" Shinsou asked, taking a bite of his food.
"Yep!" Rakurai sounded through his next mouthful.
Shinsou swallowed his food, licking his lip as he looked into his bowl, before quietly asking
"... what's it like?"
"It's pretty... intense. We're not even half a month into the school year, and we're already doing so much! I think we have a trip in a few days? Rescue training, I think." Etsuko suggested, satisfied with her own answer.
"Interesting." Shinsou replied plainly. Suddenly, Mina and Hagkure, their own group, came over with their lunches.
"Hey Saigo-kun! I hope you don't mind us sitting with you!" Mina said defensively, her eyebrows knitted together.
"Oh, no! Please, sit." Etsuko patted another seat beside her, and pointed at another across from her. Mina beamed to her friends as they quickly sat.
"So, who's all everybody?" Mina asked.
"This lovely girl right here is Chibi; she's in 1-C. And this gentleman right over there is Shinso. We actually just met him." Rakurai introduced the two.
"Well, I'm Mina Ashido, and I think your hair is totally cute!" Mina's pitch rose as she looked at Shinso's wild hair which stood out into the air.
"O-oh! Thanks." He rubbed his neck, quite shocked.
"Come to think of it, I really like it, too." Etsuko said, looking into his deep, lilacy locks. He blushed, releasing a breathy chuckle.
"I'm Hagakure Toru!" The invisible girl waves, and they all get to eating.
"Hey, Etsuko? What's the matter?" Rakurai's eyes looked to her as he spoke, again, through a mouth filled with food.
"I'm kind of worried about the class representative thing; I don't think I'm qualified." Etsuko sighed, picking at her food.
"Sure you are!" Hagakure reassured, cheering her on.
"How would any of you know? I think everyone likes the idea of me being their representative, and not actually me. Sure, you all know me because of my father, but do you really know me?" Etsuko questioned, her fist clenching around her chopsticks, the other at the ends of her skirt.
"You... have a point." Mina sighed, realizing that Etsuko felt more like a flattery prize than a classmate.
"Yeah, but her courage and quick thinking under all that pressure from a few days ago really helped seal the deal! I could go on about all the things we idolize you for; I totally would've voted for you!" Hagakure reassured.
"Hey, you'll be great! I know, because I know you." Rakurai assured Etsuko, his eyes full of emotion as he said so.
"Who's your father?" Shinsou asked, chewing on a piece of food.
"You don't know?" Toru gasped.
"Only, like, one of the greatest heroes ever!"
"That could be anyone in this day in age." Shinsou deadpanned.
"Cyclone! The Number Three Pro Hero!" Mina waved her arms, smiling widely.
"Really?" Shinsou's eyebrow cocked up.
"You guysss." Etsuko hissed, covering her flushed face with her hands, but suddenly drawing herself from behind them.
"H-Hey, the only reason I was able to demonstrate those kinds of things is all because of my brothers." Etsuko sighed again.
"Etsuko, stop being so hard on yourself. Trust me, you'll be fine; it's just the stupid class rep." Rakurai shrugged, taking another bite, although his enjoying of the food was short lived, Hagakure bonked him on the head, causing him to bite his tongue and nearly choke.
"IT'S NOT STUPID DIDN'T YOU HEAR SENSEI IT'S GOING TO DECIDE OUR FUTURE!!!" Hagakure shouted at him, almost scolding.
"Well, these are my friends, Shinsou. Plus two!" Chibi held up a peace sign. Shinsou hummed through his bite of food.
"So, Saigo-san," Shinsou began.
"Hm?"
"What's it like? Being... famous?" Shinsou guessed.
"Famous..." Etsuko's face contorted from confusion to reflection, "Frustrating." Etsuko deadpanned.
'So, she is...'
"And I'm sorta famous. I'm only known by my dad. No one is really interested in me, anyway. Just everything behind me, like my family, or more specifically, my dad." Etsuko looked quite upset, her eyebrows furrowed, and she began gobbling down her food.
"I see..." He said, turning back to his lunch.
"Who is your partner, Etsuko?" Rakurai asked, scooping up the last grains of his rice. Etsuko sighed another time, deeply through her nose.
"It's Todoroki, that half and half guy. He makes me feel anxious sometimes. There's just something about him that drives me crazy."
"Crazy like you like himmm." Mina giggled.
"N-No! Not at all!" Etsuko's face deepened in shades of red hotter than fire.