Solstice and Eclipse: Part I

Chapter VIII: Class Representative

The presentations were given over the course of the next three days. Each group had submitted their work to Mr. Aizawa who then presented it on screen and turning it over to the group presenting. Pressure was not only on those giving the presentations, but also on their fellow classmates as well, as Mr. Aizawa had developed a clever way to avoid having to grade them all himself, and decided that the class would decide each other's grades. Each student was given a slip of paper to grade both each individual's contribution, as well as an overall score for the entire group.

"Aright, decent work on your presentations." Aizawa said as the last group, Jiro, Tokoyami, Oijiro, and Sato returned to their desks. "You'll all have your grade back in a week's time." He yawned and applied a generous amount of eyedrops to his pupils. "Alright, let's get down to business. Our first task will decide your future."

(L/N) scoffed internally as he felt the rest of the class tense at their teacher's words. Didn't they understand by now? Aizawa talked big, but more often than not his bark was worse than his bite, empty threats and intimidating phrasing all meant to keep them on their toes. Just an elaborate ploy to keep them all in check. He was surprised no one else seemed to have picked up on it yet.

"You all need to pick a class representative."

(L/N)'s face scrunched up in pain at the explosion of sound that erupted immediately after Aizawa's words. His classmates all trying to shout over one another, fighting for the position. (L/N) knew as well as the others that being selected as the class representative was a steppingstone for UA students in the hero course, a way for them to gain recognition and prove themselves a capable leader. He, by no measure, wanted the position, but he supposed he could understand why the rest of his classmates were so eager to secure the position for themselves. He did wish though, that they could go about deciding in a quieter manner. He had just taken two capsules during their lunch period and still their yelling was giving him a headache. His teeth clenched and his hands which had balled into fists had started to glow, the aggravation from the noise around him causing his quirk to manifest.

A soft hand placed itself on his arm, giving it a gentle yet reassuring squeeze. He took a deep breath and forced the power to dissipate.

"Better?" He heard her ask over the noise of his classmates.

"Mhm." He nodded. "Thank you."

"Does it happen a lot?" Yaoyorozu asked. "Sorry, I just noticed your hands start to glow whenever you get agitated."

"It's just, I have to constantly focus to keep it in check." He answered. "The noise doesn't help."

"Silence, everyone, please!"

Tenya Iida's loud voice cut through the din of the classroom. (L/N) flinched at the cutting sound of his command and Yaoyorozu instinctively grabbed his hand which had once again clenched into a tight fist.

"The class representative's duty is to lead others." Iida said. "That's not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom. Therefore, the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader."

Quite frankly, (L/N) couldn't care less who the class representative was. It really made no difference to him whoever it was. Though, he had to admit, Iida's logic did make sense. Most people would probably vote for themselves, meaning that by putting it to a vote, only the most trusted students would have a fighting chance to become the class rep. This did beg the question though; who amongst this group of chattering idiots did (L/N) trust?

Most of his classmates hadn't left much of an impression. He barely knew half of their names. Out of those he did know by name, he didn't trust most of them to lead themselves out of a paper bag, let alone the entire class. Ashido, Kaminari, and Sero hadn't exactly impressed him during their group project. It was obvious none of them really understood the subject of their presentation. Bakugou was an obvious no, and Iida, though he had proven himself to be an academically capable individual, had a rather abrasive personality and had given (L/N) no reason to think he could lead. He might have been inclined for Midorya, but his naïve childlike world perspective annoyed him. He supposed if he had to choose anyone, he would choose Yaoyorozu.