The teacher's voice cut through the haze. "Eichi. Can you answer the question?"
Eichi's head snapped up. The question was written there in bold letters, but the words swam in front of his eyes. He hesitated, his mind scrambling to catch up. For a moment, the room felt impossibly quiet, every pair of eyes fixed on him.
Aiko shifted in her seat, her hand twitching as if she wanted to raise it and answer for him. But before she could, Eichi spoke. "The answer is situational awareness. In a hostage scenario, the priority is to assess the environment and identify potential threats before engaging, like you said yesterday Sensei."
The teacher nodded, seemingly satisfied, and moved on.
Kenta rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath, while Aiko let out a quiet sigh of relief. Eichi, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair, his heart pounding from the brief moment of scrutiny. He hated feeling this vulnerable, this exposed.
"Fuck..." He needed sleep—real sleep—but the thought of closing his eyes and facing the nightmares again was enough to make his stomach churn.
The bell rang, jolting him out of his thoughts. The classroom erupted into chatter as students gathered their things and headed for the stayed seated for a moment, his head bowed as he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
Aiko noticed, of course. She lingered by her seat, watching him with a mixture of concern and frustration. "Eichi," she said finally. "You look like you're about to collapse. Need anything?"
He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "I'm fine," he said, his tone flat. "Don't worry about me."
She frowned. "You say that, but you're clearly not fine. You've been like this since day one, and this one's the worst ye—"
"I said I'm fine," he interrupted, his voice sharper than he intended. He immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt flash in her eyes, but he didn't apologize. He couldn't.
Aiko stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "Fine. Have it your way."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stood, his body protesting every movement. The hallway outside was bustling with students, their laughter and chatter grating against his frayed nerves. He moved through the crowd like a ghost, his mind already elsewhere.
As he reached the stairs, he paused, leaning against the wall for a moment to catch his breath. His vision blurred at the edges, the world tilting slightly as his body screamed for rest.
He endured, step by step, until he finally reached the roof access door. The area was restricted, but he didn't care. He just needed an hour of sleep—just one hour of peace before he had to face the rest of the day.
He pushed the door open, the cool breeze hitting his face as he stepped onto the roof. He found a secluded corner, hidden from view, and slumped against the wall, his eyes closing almost immediately.
But just as he began to relax, he felt it—a familiar chakra signature approaching. Kaina. Of course. He'd memorized her signature after their last encounter, determined to avoid her at all costs. But today, it seemed, luck wasn't on his side.
Eichi's eyes snapped open, his body tensing as he pushed himself upright. He couldn't afford to be caught here, especially not by her.
Kaina stepped out. She had that determined look on her face, the one she always wore when she was on a crusade to help. 'Eichi' cursed under his breath. Why was she here? Had she followed him? Or was this just another one of her coincidental "helpful" interventions?
"Eichi?" she called out. "I know you're up here."
He stayed silent.
But Kaina wasn't one to give up easily. She walked further onto the roof. "Look, I get it. You're not exactly the social type. But you can't just disappear like this. People notice, you know. And if you're up here skipping class, I'm going to have to report it."
Eichi closed his eyes, his frustration mounting. Of course she'd use that against him—Wait, did she say I was skipping classe? Class is an hour away.
With a sigh, he stepped out from behind the ventilation unit. "I'm not skipping class," he said, his voice flat. "I just needed some air."
Kaina turned, frowning. "Some air, huh? You look like you haven't slept in days. What's going on with you?"
Eichi's patience was wearing thin. "I don't need you to analyze me, Kaina. I'm handling it."
She took a step closer, her hands on her hips. "You keep saying that, but you're clearly not fine. You're exhausted, you're skipping class, and you're hiding on the roof. That's not exactly 'fine' behavior."
Eichi sighed, running his hand through his hair. "You know, I keep having the same conversation since I came here. First you, Aiko, then Haru. Who's next, fucking All might? Everyone's so concerned about me, but no one seems to understand that I don't need saving. I'm not some broken project for you to fix."
Kaina's expression softened slightly. "We're not trying to fix you, Eichi. We're trying to help. There's a difference."
"Is there?" he shot back. "Because from where I'm standing, it feels like everyone's just poking their noses where they don't belong. I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help. So just... Let me live in peace."
Kaina sighed, already having enough of his bullshit. "You say that, but you're up here hiding from the world. You're exhausted, you're pushing everyone away, and you're acting like you're the only one who's ever had a hard time. Newsflash, Eichi—you're not. We've all got our struggles. But shutting people out isn't going to make them go away."
"Alright, look, Kaina. If I was shutting people out, I wouldn't speak with Aiko, Kenta, and you. And if I really wanted to, you would never find me."
Kaina raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Oh, really? That's why Aiko said you were a rude prick, and Kenta said you looked at him like some kind of moron?"