My Healer Academia (Bakugo x OC x Todoroki)

[S2] Hawks Appears

A/N: The title is edited from the "Bizarre! Gran Torino Appears" episode. ALSO, Tokoyami will not be in this part of the arc because the manga describes his experience as one where he didn't learn. Fear not! Hawks will still take Tokoyami for work study because that's a significant part of their relationship building. Still undecided as to where Ai will do her work studies, but that's for a future chapter.

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               Kyushu is the third largest island in Japan, an appropriate location considering where Ai was interning this week. It was bizarre to finally do something alone for once, but she shook off the longing of her childhood friends and took a deep breath, exhaling sharply before entering the gigantic building of Hawks' Hero Agency. The front desk of the lobby held two secretaries, one of which greeted her only with a glance before returning to typing. Neat, efficient, and cold. Those were Ai's first impressions of this place.

               "Ai Shuzenji," the secretary said, "we've been expecting you. Hawks is waiting on the top floor for your arrival."

               "H-Hai," Ai said, giving a bow that wasn't acknowledged. "Arigato!" On the elevator ride up, Ai couldn't help how tightly she was gripping the handle to her costume's case. The feeling of not belonging only enhanced the longer that she was here. She didn't know what to expect, but she was ready to take on any challenge thrown her way. With the ding of the elevator doors, Ai bit down on her bottom lip and entered.

               The atmosphere changed drastically.

               Unlike the serenity of the first floor, everyone was bustling in a frenzy. Ai was almost knocked over several times on her short walk to the middle of the room, where a majestic being with red wings hovered, feet never touching the ground. Employees went up to him and left within seconds, but he handled every one of their concerns with precise language. There were even malfunctions with several machines around the office, all of which were handled with various lengths of separated feathers. His ability to successfully multitask was insane.

               "Um, excuse me." Ai's voice was drowned out by the crowd despite her close proximity to him. The overwhelming environment made her dizzy. "Hawks-" A bump to her shoulder caused the case to fall from Ai's hands, and she clenched her fists in annoyance. Her filter was temporarily disabled. "Excuse me!" The abrupt change in volume caught everyone's attention. It felt as if time had slowed significantly as the hero turned midair, fully facing the girl with an off guard expression. Only when she exaggerated her bow did the notorious smirk return to his face. "My name is Ai Shuzenji, and I'm here to intern for you!"

               "I appreciate your attention now," Ai said, "but isn't this a bit... much?" The entire top floor had been evacuated albeit the pro hero and student who still stood in the middle of the room. She shifted her weight between legs, uncomfortable underneath the stare of someone of his renown, especially because he was still adrift.

               "Not at all." Hawks finally allowed his feet to touch the ground, though the height difference was still large. He gave Ai a cheeky grin upon his next comment. "Especially for my cute little intern." Her face heated impulsively, but the shift in Hawks' demeanor kept her thoughts from spiraling. "Besides, this won't take long anyways. I just didn't want anyone around when we discuss."