Reiji stood motionless as Principal Nezu's question lingered in the air. "Do you believe in coincidences?"
He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Sometimes," he replied cautiously. "But I believe most things happen for a reason."
Nezu's eyes sparkled, his expression unreadable. "An interesting answer. It seems you've grown more thoughtful since the Sports Festival."
Reiji offered a faint nod, the tension coiled tightly in his shoulders, like a bowstring drawn taut.
"We received notice that your assigned agency has not filed a single log since your placement," Nezu continued, voice still light but edged with concern. "That's highly irregular."
Aizawa's arms were folded as he leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed in quiet scrutiny. Recovery Girl stood quietly to the side, glancing occasionally at Reiji with a flicker of concern beneath her usual calm demeanor. Her presence made the room feel less clinical, but not any less tense.
"I reached out, but they told me the agency would reveal its curriculum in due time," Reiji said, keeping his tone level. "They said it operated with limited oversight due to specialized training methods."
Nezu tilted his head slightly. "And you found this acceptable?"
Reiji hesitated for a breath. "I wasn't given much of a choice, sir."
Recovery Girl stepped forward, her voice firmer. "Have you been overusing your quirk, young man?"
Reiji blinked, slightly thrown off. "Not intentionally."
She examined him briefly. "You're showing signs of stress. Minor neurological flare-ups. Fatigue around your pupils. Classic symptoms of quirk strain. Your nervous system is taxed."
"I've been fine," he said quickly. "Just tired from training."
Nezu sipped his tea again, the room heavy with silence. The clink of porcelain against ceramic echoed unnaturally.
"We're not accusing you of anything, Reiji," he said at last, placing his cup gently on the saucer. "But if there's anything unusual, we hope you'll come to us willingly. Secrets don't stay buried forever."
Reiji bowed slightly. "Yes, sir."
He was dismissed with a courteous nod, but as he stepped into the hallway, his chest tightened, and the unease followed like a shadow draped across his shoulders.
The walk back to the dorm felt longer than usual. The halls stretched endlessly, footsteps echoing louder than normal. Reiji's mind spun with the weight of the meeting, the figure in Room B-7, and the system's continued cryptic behavior. His thoughts swirled like a cyclone, refusing to settle.
He reached the dorm entrance and paused as a chill wind brushed past him, making him shiver.
[System Notice: Higher observation protocols engaged. Remain adaptive.]
"Great," he muttered under his breath. "Now even you're vague."
The door creaked shut behind him as he slipped inside. He barely registered the murmurs from the common room—Sero's laughter, Mina's upbeat chatter, the shuffling of card games. None of it reached him. None of it felt real.
He trudged upstairs, feet dragging slightly. Behind the safety of his door, he tossed his gloves onto the desk and collapsed onto the edge of the bed.
His hands trembled faintly. The energy within hadn't calmed—it pulsed erratically, growing more volatile by the hour. He pressed his palms together, trying to ground himself, but it was no use.
He turned his head toward the window, the glass barely reflecting his silhouette. The sky outside was grey, like the world was waiting for something to snap.
How much do they know? he wondered. And how much longer can I keep it buried?
At lunch, Reiji sat alone. His tray was barely touched. The rice cooled, the soup untouched. Around him, the cafeteria buzzed as usual, but everything felt like it was happening underwater. Laughter, conversations, clinking utensils—all muffled by his rising anxiety.
Midoriya sat across the room, discreetly watching him while scribbling something into his notebook. Reiji could feel the green-haired boy's eyes flick to him every few seconds.
Nearby, whispers drifted between classmates.
"Did you see him come back last night?"
"Something's off with Carter lately..."
"The staff called him in again. That's the third time this month."
Reiji lowered his head and kept chewing slowly. The food tasted like ash.
"Hey," Kaminari's voice snapped him out of his daze. The blond grinned, trying to keep things light. "You alright, man?"
Reiji forced a nod. "Just tired."
Kaminari hesitated, then gave a small pat to his shoulder. "Alright. Let me know if you wanna blow off steam later, yeah?"
Reiji nodded again, but didn't speak. The warmth in Kaminari's tone was appreciated, but it did little to lift the cloud in his chest.
Then the intercom buzzed across the cafeteria.
"Reiji Carter, please report to Conference Room 2 immediately."
Several students looked up. Uraraka arched a brow, Midoriya tensed. Even Bakugo looked up briefly, then scoffed and returned to his meal.
Reiji stood, chair scraping across the floor, and walked out without a word.
The hallway felt colder now. His footsteps echoed with more weight.
[Caution: National-Level Entity Detected – Hero Hawks]
His eyes narrowed slightly. A name he recognized well.
He reached Conference Room 2 and stood in front of the door for a moment, exhaling deeply. Whatever this was, it wasn't routine.
He opened the door slowly.
Inside, the lights were dimmed slightly. A single figure sat at the far end of the room.
Hawks.
The Wing Hero sat in his usual relaxed pose, but there was a weight behind his stillness. His wings were folded back tightly, and the usual cocky smirk was absent.
Reiji stepped in and closed the door behind him.
He'd fought beside Hawks before—during coordinated raids, intense battles, moments that tested them both. He knew Hawks liked to play dumb, always grinning and half-joking. But this... this was different. This felt like an interrogation masked in civility.
He'd seen Hawks bluff through villains and warlords. But not like this.
Hawks didn't move right away. Then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers. His eyes, normally unreadable, were focused and intense.
"We've fought together before, Reiji. I've seen what you're capable of. But I need a straight answer this time."
Reiji didn't flinch, but something in his chest shifted. The room suddenly felt smaller.
Hawks' golden eyes sharpened.
"Do you believe in coincidence… or were you chosen?"
To be continued.
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