Lunch.
The cafeteria was filled with the sounds of clattering cutlery and murmuring students. It was especially loud for the tables with first year students, as they are excitedly discussing their internship offers. The older years occasionally glance over at their juniors, reminiscing with fondness about the time they were in their shoes.
In one particular table close to the edge of the cafeteria, seats Kizuki who's forgone eating rice for the day and decided to indulge in sandwiches instead so he can eat in one hand and gloss over papers with the hand simultaneously.
"Seriously, it's either I'm the bullish artillery, the manic demolitionist or the reluctant healer." Complained Kizuki as he threw down another offer into the pile of rejections. "People are making assumptions about me just from seeing videos of the incident. It's almost like they want me to have an issue."
"( ˘_˘) I'd say the last one describes you accurately, though not in the way most people might think." Commented Manga while he's poring over his own stacks of offers, the kami having ignored his lunch that has grown cold. "People might think you're uncomfortable with blood or something when in actuality you're just annoyed that people you've just healed were hurt so quickly that you've though about just hurting them yourself."
'Well... I can't deny that.' Thought Kizuki. "If I did do something like that, then they probably deserve it from being idiots."
"Death by an healer angered by their patient's stupidity? Natural selection at its finest then." Joked Yanagi, who's actually eating her lunch. She didn't get too many offers like her two friends so she didn't have to think too hard about her decision. "I'm much more interested in the fact that our brethren of darkness has chosen not to feast with us."
"Didn't he start dating Kinoko?" Kizuki gave a look to Manga, who just shrugged. "Well, either way, even if they're not dating they seemed closer regardless."
"(눈‸눈) Tsk. Probably just the puppy love phase. I'd give it a week or two before the ship sinks. Whatever happened to 'Bros before hoes'?!"
"Ahem." Yanagi cleared her throat.
"(ー_ー゛) You're one of us. You don't count."
"Just leave them be." Lightly chided Kizuki. "As he is our 'bro' as you put it, we should be supporting him."
"(ノಠ益ಠ)ノNo!" He stood up and slammed a hand on the table. "We must show our resistance! We have to form an alliance, and it shall be known as the Single's Society! Our goal is the irradication of normies! Who's with me!" A small chorus of cheers came from some of the students eavesdropping on his words. --Although, he wasn't exactly quiet--
Kizuki shared a look with Yanagi before both of them stood up. "Sorry, I'm not single." "I might be single but I'd like to experience a taste of romance myself."
The two of them carried their belongings and decided to move tables, assuming that they should let Manga get the drama out of his system.
"Forgot about that part.." The bubble-headed teen muttered to himself before talking to those that gathered, some genuinely thinking that they're making the society and others being in it for the fun or curiosity.
Meanwhile, Kizuki managed to pull Yanagi over at 1A's table, or more specifically, near Kuroko who called the duo over when she saw the two of them leave their table after the brief commotion.
"So, what was that about?" Asked Jiro.
"Don't you have super hearing?" Kizuki couldn't help but ask back.
"We're in the middle of the cafeteria, dude. Not like I had a reason to eavesdrop on every person here."
"Fair." Kizuki nodded. "As for what it was? Best way I can put it is teenage stupidity."
"Ah." The rocker girl glanced back at Manga's table and saw the people seated there all have their elbows on the table and mouths hidden behind their hands, as if they were planning how to put an miserable teenager into a giant robot. "Yeah, that checks out."
"And speaking of checks, have either of you already made a choice for your internships?" Kuroko asked.
"Not at the moment, no." Kizuki sighed. "I'm flattered to receive so many offers, sure. I just don't think I'd fit in with most of these guys. On the other hand, I did get an offer from Best Jeanist and Edgeshot but from the way they worded their offers, I think they're misunderstanding something about my personality."
"As for myself, I have decided to intern under Jynx, The Hallow's Hero." Replied Yanagi. "Our quirks are somewhat similar and our interests align. It was not a difficult decision to make."
"What about you girls? Kuroko?"
"I'll be interning under Idaten. They are a Hero Agency with the fastest response time and I wanted to make full use of my teleportation. That, and I'd like to have more experience at cooperating with a team larger than five."
"I shall be interning under Majestic. Although I originally planned to accept Uwabami's offer, Kenta-kun persuaded me against it and adviced that I should accept Majestic's offer instead. He seemed adamant about the matter so I looked into it." A thoughtful look passed Yaoyorozu's expression. "...I do find it odd how he knew about my choice before I told anyone, much less write it down on the form."
"Maybe you were muttering about it and he overheard?"
"But I don't mutter?"
"You do." Jiro pointed out. "It's a recent development actually. I've been overhearing you talk to yourself under your breath more often nowadays."
"Is that so?"
An odd look passed by Kizuki's face but he quickly schooled his features.
He wasn't quick to jump to conclusions. This 'Kenta' was originally someone he viewed to be a part of the butterfly effect that he caused as a consequence of Kuroko joining 1A.
However, Kizuki did vaguely remember that Yaoyorozu being unhappy with how her internship came to be. With the additional details he just learn of, the memory came back to him like a bolt out of nowhere. Immediately, he began to suspect the origins of this person who may or may not be similar to him and, to what he should expect from this sort of person.
But still, Kizuki did not jump to conclusions, giving the individual he hasn't personally met the benefit of a doubt.
Because after all, reincarnators that are reborn into a price of fiction they loved have a... Tendancy to be certain troublesome archetypes. And those can get messy quickly.
Either way, Kizuki is not looking forward to it.
~~~
I have just finished the last of my written report about his patients after patching up another student in the infirmary. There have been more cases like that recently because of the incident.
Hero students can feel the pressure and train hard, but the remaining gen-ed students --who were mostly made up of people that failed the entrance exams and wanted to get their way into the Hero course by showing what they can do during the sports festival-- have been beating themselves black and blue just to 'show determination' or maybe because 'their pride wouldn't allow it' or something.
Point of the matter is that those guy have been pushing themselves even to the very brink of collapse which isn't very healthy.
It can't be helped that I'm a bit more irritated than usual because first, I still have to decide on who's offer to accept and second, the same dozen or so idiots practically crawl themselves into the office every half an hour because of a dislocated shoulder or a pulled muscle.
I sighed and stood up.
I'm just a bit stressed. I just need to not think about things and take a break. Like getting a snack.
I got around to making myself a cup of coffee to enjoy with my melon bread. The aroma of coffee and the sweet melon bread, I'm going to-
"WE NEED HELP!"
-possibly kill someone.
"What is it this time?" I sighed, putting my snack down and walking out to greet the patient. "If it's a broken bone then we have t-"
I was grabbed by both biceps and dragged Infront of their friend. I couldn't help but gawk at their stupidity. "...Have none of you heard about this this called a helmet? Those are pretty nifty."
"We don't have time for this! Help him!" The gestured to his friend who has a price of rebar sticking out the side of his head. After some scans, I deduced that these guys are very lucky since the rebar only went through the skull and missed the brain entirely.
So without further ado, my head floated slight off my neck and gently pushed the patient down by the shoulders. With a steady head, I swiftly took out the rebar and flooded the injury with smoke.
Seeing the patient now healed, I promptly turned around, threw the rebar into the bin and left for my snack.
Anymore of their idiocy and I'll be the one having an aneurysm.
Granny can scold those guys in my stead. Its only a matter seconds because I sensed her walking down the hall.
Sure enough, not even a moment later I can hear her infamous 'No more healing until you learn your lesson' spiel. Granny's great.
Granny poked from the side of the doorframe as she made her way inside while I began relishing my snack. The same kind smile on her face as she spoke. "Good afternoon, dearie. How was school?"
"Same as usual."
"I see." She chuckled as she made her way to her desk and sat down. "And how goes the internships? Have you made a decision yet?"
Yeah, I figured she'd know about my offers at least.
"Not really." I shrugged as I took another bite.
"Is that so? Did you know that what you have now isn't all of the offers directed for you?"
Now that, that I didn't know.
"...Go on...." I took a another bite.
Granny opened a drawer and took out a small stack of papers. Offers, no doubt, but from who is the question.
"These are?..."
"Offers, not from Hero agencies, but from other healers and hospitals." She explained. "They're not Heroes in the sense of HPSC so they're a separate type of paperwork involved. That's why it isn't brought to you earlier."
"Ah yes. Bureaucracy and red tape, my favourite. Nothing beats good ol' government nitpicking." I replied dryly while I scrimped through the first few pages.
"Oh, shush you. I completely understand how you feel but that's just the way things are right now."
"Yeah, I guess." I didn't take my gaze off of the papers. "Guess I'll just pick something from this pile. The other one didn't really catch my eye." Not like I'm lacking in firepower anyway. And besides, there's still work studies if I find some agency later on.
"That'll be your choice, dearie. Just make sure to pick properly and ask me for advice if you're unsure."
"Alright."