From Distant Lands - A BNHA Fanfiction

Chapter Two

Later that night, back at the dorm, I sit in the community area with my feet tucked beneath me and my nose buried in a book. It's not exactly school work, but it is a much needed escape after finishing my dorm room. Shiori came so prepared she finished hers in record time and practically held a gun to my head to finish mine before scurrying off to her own room. As for me? I needed to be in a place that felt less like a cage.

"Oh, I'm sorry" I hear the boy from earlier say in a cool tone, his mismatched hair dusting over his eyes a bit. I look up absently and his name suddenly comes to me.

"Todoroki" I say by way of greeting and he blinks at me.

"Am I bothering you?" he wonders and I shake my head, turning the page in my book. Honestly, after some lightly intrusive conversation made by a few of the dorm girls, this is hardly an obstacle for me.

"Not at all" I reply, going back to my reading. He doesn't say anything in reply, but out of my peripheral vision I can see him taking a seat on the couch across from mine with his own book. I look up. The book's in Japanese and I've definitely never read it before but it makes me smile a bit to see another nighttime reader. I might not be as studious as my sister, but I love a good book.

I go back to focusing on reading, trying to get lost in the pages even though I keep getting distracted by his presence. Okay. So maybe I was being polite in saying he wasn't bothering me, but he's not really bothering me so much as he is distracting me. When I look up again, I catch him looking my way.

"Have you read it?" I ask him, gesturing to my book.

"I can't say that I have" he replies then goes back to reading. I try not to laugh my way out of the awkward conversation and go back to my reading for maybe the millionth time today. I finally get finished a paragraph when I start to think about how powerful this guy is. I mean, I've seen him a million times on TV, not to mention his father is Japan's number one hero. Back in the states, I was better able to convince myself that I had a good shot at becoming number one, but here? I'm surrounded by talent and by the time tomorrow comes, I'm going to have an agency assigned to me... I gasp suddenly, throwing my feet out from under me and standing up straight.

"Ito? What is it?" Todoroki asks, suddenly alert.

"The agencies! I forgot! Shit!" I shout in English, tearing off down the hall and back to where the girls' dorms are located. Todoroki doesn't follow me, thankfully, and when I get to Shiori's dorm room she flings open the door before I finish knocking.

"The agencies!" we exclaim together, the two of us in a frenzied panic.

"You did the research, right?" I demand, waltzing into her room and pacing as she sorts through her binders. I drop my book on her desk, too preoccupied with stress to worry about where I left off.

"Of course I did! Do you have any idea where you want to go?" she asks and I throw my hands up.

"If I knew, would I be here?" I bark and she gives me a look.

"Listen, attitude, calm yourself before I put you to sleep on my floor" she threatens. I glare, but I don't say anything while she pulls out her notebook.

"Look, these agencies are the ones best suited to you and your goals. Three of the top heroes are included in here as well as some of the more active agencies when it comes to dealing with villains" she starts, showing me a few lists. I nod, thinking carefully.

"And these ones are a little more tailored to support heroes and the like" she finishes, displaying the other array of lists. I nod.

"Your kanji is so much better than mine" I note and she rolls her eyes.