Inside Your Mind

85 - Emi Fukukado

Ready or Not

Emi Fukukado had a feeling about that girl. Something was up with her and she couldn't put her finger on it. Something about her was absolutely infuriating to her. Of course, she was a cute young thing and she was smart, too. Especially if Aizawa had taken such a liking to her. He never did with anyone else.

There had to be something special about this girl. A TA? Aizawa never had TAs. He found just the idea of having to take care of someone else and have someone else snoop around in his lesson planning and his grading abhorrent. He had told her that himself. Granted, it was a good few years ago, but still.

Emi knew there was no point in being jealous, but she couldn't shake that weird feeling. She knew she had absolutely no chance of getting into an actual relationship with Shouta Aizawa, but it didn't stop her from trying. They had gone on a few dates back in the day when they were working together, but Aizawa was of the opinion that they just didn't click well.

Emi thought they clicked fantastically. She loved teasing him about how serious he was with everything, she loved the mysterious air he always gave off and she loved how nicely he was treating her all the time. But it was all no use. He didn't like her back and she had quickly found a new job.

It wasn't like he was being terrible to her after he figured they wouldn't work together, it was just that Emi couldn't really deal with being around him all the time, especially during the long night shifts, while she still had feelings for him. She was only young at the time and it just hurt so much.

So she moved - away from her family, her friends, the job she had loved so much - and had come to the north of the country. It was a rough start, but she had gotten used to it and she had settled into her new life pretty well. And she really liked it now, but there was always this thought of what if.

What if things had worked out at some point later? What if she had just stuck it out for a little longer? What if she had stayed despite everything? Emi sighed. She had made it to the seats in the stadium. Now was probably not the time to reminisce on the past. If she could only have a normal conversation with Aizawa, but somehow it always was just... so awkward.

And now this new girl that was his student and the first TA he ever had? That looked a little like a mini version of him, just with a slightly better fashion taste (which honestly wasn't too hard)? Emi didn't like this new development at all. That girl had been at the press conference, too, she had seen her on the TV around Aizawa several times. What was her deal with him?

As Emi let her eyes wander over the rows, she spotted him, sitting on his own, no one else around him. So she wasn't here? Good. Emi grinned and made her way down to him. Maybe she could at least find out, if there was... anything illicit going on. Like an affair. She normally wouldn't judge any girl that was getting into something like that, but with Aizawa? That was different.

"Hey, you mind if I sit with you?" she asked him. She saw him slowly turn around to her, his arms crossed.

"There are a ton of other free seats, Fukukado. Why do you have to sit with me?" he asked her. Emi felt that familiar sting in her heart. Getting rejected by him still hurt just the same as always.

"Come on, Aizawa. For old times' sake." she answered and laughed. Always laughing through the pain. That was the way to go. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second.

"Fine, whatever." he replied.

"Nice, thanks. So. You got a whole lot of your class left. What's up with that? Didn't feel like expelling anyone yet? You must be going soft, having a TA and not expelling anyone. Say, do you actually care about your students?" she asked, putting her feet up on the seat in front of her and leaning back nonchalantly.

"Not really." Aizawa answered. Emi looked over at him and saw him blushing faintly. She grinned. So he did care about his class, huh? Who knew what else he cared about? Eyebag girl, maybe?

"Aw, are you blushing? How lame. Kinda makes me wanna date you." she replied with a wink.

"Shove it." Aizawa muttered. Ouch. Okay. That one hurt a little more than before. Emi masked her obvious humiliation by laughing out loud and throwing her head back. It was ridiculous, but it was the only way she knew how to deal with this kind of stuff. Laughing it off.

"Well, you must really like that girl that's been hanging out with you all this time. Criminology student?" she asked.

"She finished Criminology and is putting a masters in Criminal Psychology on top of that." Aizawa explained. There it was again. The jab between her ribs. She could hear just that tiny bit of pride in his voice. That tiny bit of pride she had never heard when he was talking to her.

"She seems to be... fond of you. Like you two are pretty close." she commented. Aizawa just shrugged.

"This is the fourth year she's my student. Of course she'd be closer to me than any of the first years." he just replied.

"Yeah, I guess. I think I remember her wearing a Hosu uniform on TV when you caught Stain. Is she interning there?" Emi wanted to know. Aizawa shot her an annoyed glance and sighed.

"Not anymore."
"Oh? What happened?"

"She got asked to intern with the National Police Department. With me." Aizawa answered. Emi gulped. So that's how it was, then? She had managed to get where she once was. That little...

Well, there was nothing, Emi could do about that. Maybe it was time to give up. She had clearly been replaced and on top of that by someone that Aizawa definitely liked better than her.

And with the way things seemed to be, it would be completely senseless to try and find out, whether there was something going on. Aizawa was stubborn and if he hadn't let anything slip until now, it meant that he was definitely watching out for what he said. There was no point in this anymore.

But at least Emi could enjoy his company for now, even though it hurt to know that he wasn't enjoying her company the same way. But that was probably just how things were between them now.