As he stepped out of the changing room and into the hallway, Haru's eyes instinctively searched for Eichi. The boy was already gone, no doubt heading to the P.E. grounds. Haru hesitated, torn between his curiosity and his survival instincts.
Part of him wanted to dig deeper, to uncover the truth about Eichi. But the larger, more rational part of him screamed to stay away. To keep his distance. Tosurvive.
For now, Haru decided, he would do just that. He would keep his mouth shut, his head down, and his eyes open. Because whatever Eichi was, he wasn't someone to mess with. And Haru had no intention of finding out what would happen if he pushed too far.
Meanwhile, Eichi walked down the hallway toward the P.E. grounds, his mood as irritavle as ever. He had dealt with Haru—for now.
But he knew this wouldn't be the end of it. Haru's Quirk was a problem, one he couldn't afford to ignore. If the boy decided to dig deeper, Eichi would have to take more drastic measures.
For now, though, he had a practical to focus on. And if Haru decided to push his luck again, Eichi would be ready. One way or another.
As Eichi made his way to the P.E. grounds, he found himself walking into a scene of controlled chaos. His classmates were gathered in small groups, chatting, stretching, or nervously pacing as they waited for their teacher to arrive.
The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that came before a practical exercise—excitement, anxiety, and a touch of competitive energy.
Near the front of the group stood Aiko, the serious and uptight short-haired girl from his class. Her black hair was neatly tied back, and her expression was as focused as ever. She was already stretching. When she spotted Eichi, she gave him a curt nod. "Eichi. You're late."
Eichi didn't respond, simply joining the group with his usual neutral expression. As he approached, he noticed Kenta leaning against a nearby wall, his arms crossed and a cocky grin on his face. "Took you long enough, new guy. You sure you're ready for this? Or are you gonna hide in the corner again?"
Eichi ignored him, his gaze scanning the rest of the group. Haru was standing a little ways off, his arms crossed and his eyes darting nervously toward Eichi before quickly looking away.
The black-haired boy was clearly still shaken from their earlier encounter, and Eichi couldn't help but feel a small flicker of satisfaction. At least Haru had gotten the message.
The rest of the class seemed oblivious to the tension, their conversations filled with speculation about what the practical exercise might entail. "I heard it's going to be a team exercise this time," one girl said, her voice tinged with excitement. "Like, rescue simulations or something."
"Rescue? Ugh, I hope not," another boy groaned. "I'm terrible at that stuff. Give me a straight-up fight any day."
As the minutes ticked by, the teacher finally arrived, striding onto the field with a clipboard in hand and a stern expression. "Alright, everyone, listen up!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chatter.
"Today's exercise is a rescue simulator. You'll be split into teams of three and tasked with navigating a simulated disaster zone at ground beta to retrieve a target. Speed, strategy, and teamwork will be key. Understood?"
The class murmured their assent, though a few groans could be heard from those who weren't thrilled about the teamwork aspect. Eichi, however, remained silent, his face twitching. Rescue simulations weren't his forte, but he would adapt. He always did.
The teacher began calling out names, assigning teams. When he got to Eichi's name, he paused, glancing at the clipboard before looking up. "Eichi, you're with Aiko and... Haru. Your task is to rescue the hostage under a time limite."
Eichi's eyes flicked toward Haru, who visibly stiffened at the mention of his name. Aiko, on the other hand, gave a small nod, her expression as serious as ever. "Let's make this quick and efficient," she said, her tone all business. "No unnecessary risks."
Eichi didn't respond. Aiko was disciplined and focused, which made her a reliable teammate. Haru, however, was a wildcard.
The boy's Quirk and his newfound wariness of Eichi could either be an asset or a liability. Either way, Eichi would have to keep a close eye on him.
As the teams dispersed to prepare, Eichi caught Haru's eye one last time. The black-haired boy quickly looked away, but not before Eichi saw the flicker of fear in his gaze. Good. Fear kept people in line. And if Haru knew what was good for him, he'd stay in line.
Aiko approached Eichi, her arms crossed and her expression as serious as ever. "Listen, I don't know what your deal is, but I expect you to pull your weight in this exercise. No slacking, no grandstanding. Understood?"
Eichi met her gaze, his tone flat. "Yup Yup."
Aiko gave a curt nod, seemingly satisfied with his response. "Good. Let's get this over with."
"Against Kenta, Sakura, and Homura."
Aiko wasted no time gathering the team, her tone brisk and no-nonsense. "We're up against Kenta, Sakura, and Homura.
Kenta's Quirk gives him enhanced speed, Sakura's is some kind of plant manipulation, and Homura can manipulate wires. We need a plan to counter them."
She paused, glancing between Eichi and Haru. "Haru, your Quirk lets you see through illusions and detect energy signatures, right? Use that to track their movements and warn us if they're setting up an ambush. Eichi, you're on offense.
Your strength should be enough to handle Kenta if he tries to rush us. I'll focus on Sakura and Homura—plant manipulation and wire control are a bad combo if they get too close."
Eichi listened, he didn't care much for strategy or teamwork, but he also didn't like losing because of variables he could control.
His gaze shifted to Haru, who was fidgeting nervously under the weight of Aiko's expectations. Eichi's voice cut through the air, calm but direct. "Those eyes. How much can you actually see?"