Different But Not Bad

Chapter 23 {Time to Pick Some Names}

I was mindlessly chatting with Aoyama as we walked to school after our two-day rest. I was getting used to Iida's glasses being on my face all the time now. When Shiori came back that night she was oddly quiet about the whole thing but I didn't push. I couldn't push Iida for details either unless it hurt him and the people around him, I couldn't. It wasn't my place to push, I knew my place. My grip on the umbrella was slack, trying to focus on Aoyama talking and the serene presence of Shiori was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

"Good morning, Higashi! Aoyama!"

We whipped our heads around to see Iida running at us wearing... I don't even fucking know what that shit is. "Iida?" Green was not his color, I mean it might be but just not that shade. And those boots, horrendous, "Why are you walking so slowly?" He ran past us and Shiori had the decency to not laugh at his fashion choice, "You're going to be late!" I looked at Aoyama, "Late?" "There are still five minutes until the first bell." Either way, we ran to catch up to him, well Aoyama jogged, I speed-walked with Shiori next to me after handing off the umbrella to him. Didn't want him to get his hair ruined that took an hour to get right, he'd complain to me all day. "U.A. students should always arrive ten minutes early!" Then he sped off, leaving the two of us behind.

I finally stepped into the main building and watched Aoyama shake the excess water off our purple umbrella. I did my best to shake the water out of my hair as I eyed Iida, "Yo-" "If it's about why I wasn't there for the ending ceremony, a family emergency came up." He placed his rain boots in his locker and pulled the green hood of, whatever he was wearing, back. "I apologize for worrying you needlessly." I watched him as he walked off to class, I turned to Aoyama and watched him put the umbrella away with the other ones. I wiped the water droplets off the lenses of Iida's glasses. Humming a nonsense tune as we walked to class and didn't stop until we were situated in our seats. Shiori went to her normal seat behind Katsuki. "It's different when they broadcast the matches on TV after all, huh?" I turned in my seat so I could see Mina as she talked, "So many people talked to me on my way here!" "Yeah, me too!" I gave a breathy chuckle. "People were staring at me, too, It was kinda embarrassing!" I glanced at Toru, she could definitely turn some heads. "I had some elementary schoolers suddenly tell me 'Don't worry about it'" I happily sighed, good to know they were being recognized. While doing a grocery run with Shiori yesterday the cashiers on duty were talking about the sports festival nonstop. I was checking out and asked them, 'So what'd you think about the sports festival winners this year?' The one checking me out was like, 'Oh yeah! That Tokoyami kid was hella strong!' And the other was like, 'What about that Todoroki kid? The son of the number two Pro Hero! His match with that green-haired kid was wild!' And then they finished it off by saying that Katsuki had a bad temper but was also really strong and had potential. I was grateful when they didn't even mention 'the orange-haired girl' I was fine with attention when it was directed towards the group but I couldn't stand it when it was directed solely to me. I was bright, my hair and eyes being a huge facet, but I was outshined. And I had no problem with that.

The door was slid open and Izuku bounced in after Aizawa, "Good morning." "Good morning!" The class echoed him and I turned so I was facing the correct way. "Today, we're having a special hero informatics class today." I could feel the mood in the class drop, the temperature dropping with them making it cold. "Code names. You'll be coming up with hero names." The class's mood drastically changed and a few jumped up out of their seats, "We're gonna do something exciting!" I had to admit, today was gonna be fun. I had no creativity whatsoever but I was gonna try my best and make a name for myself! Literally! The class quieted and sat down when Aizawa's eyes glowed and his hair stood up, Izuku couldn't have looked more relaxed, "This is related to the pro hero draft picks I mentioned the other day." His hair fell down, "The drafts begin in earnest in the second and third years, after students have gained experience and can become immediate assets to the pros. In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you shows that they are interested in your future potential." I nodded along with him, "These offers are often canceled if the interest dies down by graduation." Toru leaned forward, I think. "So we'll have to prove ourselves once we get picked, huh?" "That's right. And here are the total for those with offers." We watched as he brought out a remote and pushed a button. The board behind him read, "Class A No. of Offers" And the four winner's names under it. Shoto had 4,123, Katsuki had 3556, Tokoyami had 360, and I had 301. After our names were shown, the others that made it appeared. Denki 272, Momo 108, Eijiro 68, Tenya 48, Ochako 20, Hanta 14.