Thanks to Aizawa's last minute decision to send Arata to I-Expo, the next day takes off with a number of problems. One of them is their realization that by no chance Arata can safely depart and land on her own, considering her lack of experience.
Fortunately, it's nothing they can't handle with the help of a certain white-crimson haired boy, who also got invited to the I-Expo to represent his father, Endeavor, the number 2 pro hero.
"I thought he'd already come here before us," Aizawa grumbles, gazing at countless people ahead of them.
This airport's international terminal sure is very crowded, despite the nightfall coming in an hour. The staff have already started turning on the outdoor lamps, the lights shine the way for a series of taxis dropping off families and groups. It is like half of the citizens in Tokyo coincidentally agree to go on a summer vacation at the same time.
She might encounter more people during this exact second than the first fifteen years in her life, Aizawa thinks as he observes the girl by his side. It looks like she can hold her own fairly well for now, though. Oh well, hopefully Todoroki won't have to put the advice I have provided him with into use.
Arata tiptoes and squints her eyes, trying to find a white and crimson head among them all. "Oh, there he is. Shoto-san, we're over here!"
Shoto notices her wave and strolls towards them, heaving a bag over his shoulders. "Evening, Aizawa-sensei, Ara."
"Hey, Todoroki." Aizawa half-raises one hand in acknowledgement. "Thanks for letting Arata tag along with you for the flight. I made sure she has learned as much as she can, as not to inconvenience you in any way."
"No problem." Shoto nods, then glances at Arata. "Are you bringing any luggage?"
"Nope, just this." she taps the straps of her backpack on her shoulders. "What about you?"
"Also none. It's only a two-day trip after all." Shifting his focus back to Aizawa, Shoto asks, "Are you going to follow us inside?"
Aizawa shakes his head as a negative. "I'm needed at U.A. soon, so if you kids don't need anything else, I'll go now. Just remember to let me know after you've landed tomorrow, Arata."
He expects her to say something along the lines of "Aren't you still sleeping around those hours?", yet what he gets is: "Wait... How?"
The man frowns at her question. "By phone, for sure."
"Um, Aizawa-san... I think I don't have a phone...?"
Darn it, Aizawa gripes in his own mind. So that's what I'm forgetting.
Sometimes, he wishes for her to speak her mind more often and more loudly, so he knows for certain in which aspects he is still lacking. Fostering a child is also new to him.
That being said, the boundary between speaking up and being demanding is a fine line. And if she ever crossed that line, it would be more troublesome. Maybe it's better to leave things as they are for now.
"Sorry, it slipped my mind." Aizawa massages his sore temples. "So, no communication line at all, huh..."
"Ara can use my phone," Todoroki offers. "It's likely for us to go around the I-Expo together anyway, and we can get adjacent hotel rooms."
Arata throws him a worried look. "Are you okay with it, Shoto-san? Won't that trouble you?"
"We're going to the same event, so it's fine. Besides, I wouldn't be suggesting it if I was against it."
"Then, I'll take you up on that offer, Todoroki," Aizawa responds in a gruff voice and gives Arata's head a brief pat. "Have a safe flight, Kid. Call me if either of you need any help later."
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This isn't Shoto Todoroki's first time traveling. For him, moving from one place to another is tedious. There isn't much to see, and most of it consists of waiting. This is especially true when flying. He usually breezes through every checkpoint, without paying attention to the mundane details.
But traveling with Arata changes everything. She looks in awe at almost everything—the conveyor belts, the flight information displays, even the baggage trolleys. He doesn't know if he should take it as an innocent, child-like excitement, or curse it as an obvious drawback of her years of isolation.
It's a bit heartbreaking that even using a free water refill station, something ordinary to most people, is a new experience for her.
"Is it true that if we place a bottle under the hole, drinking water will automatically come out?" she mutters quietly to him, eyeing the machine in front of them. "I saw people use it in TV shows several times."
"Do you want to try?" Shoto asks, noticing the plain curiosity written on her face. When she gives him an enthusiastic nod, he pulls out his half-filled water bottle and swigs the content in a couple of gulps right away. Then, he hands the stainless steel bottle to her. "Here."
He watches her green eyes gleam in surprise as water comes out, filling his bottle in a steady, continuous stream. After it is full, Arata sheepishly hands it back to him.
"Thanks, Shoto-san."
"Come on, let's get going." he signals her to follow him with his hand. "We have to check in first."
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Shortly after getting their boarding passes, Shoto leads them through security to their departure gate. He moves with practiced efficiency, staring straight ahead and performing each step with minimal attention. It's as if his body switches to autopilot, only responding to necessary cues like placing his carry-on luggage on the X-ray tray and passing through metal detectors.
While Shoto is used to ignoring people in general, Arata, who has spent most of her life in isolation, can't do the same. Her green eyes dart around nervously, and cold sweat forms on her palms and forehead. She tries her best to trail closely behind him, but even that seems to get more challenging as time goes on.
She hadn't noticed the crowd at first, because she had been so caught up in observing the machines and technology here. But, it turns out that this airport is very packed. Even more packed than what she could have imagined.
Countless people swirl around them, some brushing against her shoulders accidentally. Their chatter and shouts buzz too loudly in her ears. Unwanted gazes from strangers scan her from head to toe for a few moments before disappearing again into the crowd.
Without warning, this airport is getting more and more frightening to Arata. She feels so lost among thousands of unknown faces here, each one a reminder of how unfamiliar this place is to her.
Don't worry, she tries to ease her nerves. I'm not alone. Shoto-san is right in front of me—
— isn't he? Arata looks straight ahead again, fully expecting to see a familiar white-crimson head again in front of her. However, Shoto is nowhere in sight. Among this sea of people, her friend has vanished without a trace.
"Shoto-san?" she pales, hoping that he will suddenly reappear out of thin air. But, nothing happens. Only strangers swarm around her, their faces foreign and uncaring.
Where is he? Did I get separated from him? Did he... leave me alone?
Something akin to fear overtakes her without warning, twisting her stomach in knots. Suddenly, the lights seem overly bright, blinding her eyes. As a sense of light-headedness washes over her, she clutches her head with trembling hands, trying to steady herself.
"Where...? Sho— Shoto-san... Come back, please..."
Arata jerks in shock when someone bumps into her shoulder, almost sending her tumbling to the floor. The stranger mumbles a short apology, then leaves without another glance.
This crowd is too much, she desperately tries to maintain any semblance of calmness left in her. I need to get away.
A wave of irrational panic sweeps over her as she scrambles aside to the wall. She instinctively curls next to a large potted plant, trying to hide from other people. Her heart hammers rapidly, feeling like it might burst out of her chest.
Every breath intake feels lacking, only fueling the scorching sensation in her lungs. Inhales turn to gasps, each one getting painfully short and ragged in seconds. But nothing hurts more than the absence of the white-crimson color in her blurred vision.
Shoto-san, where are you? Arata buries her face in her shaking knees, despair wildly clawing at her throat. Please don't leave me alone... Please come back...