Chapter 30: A Good Teacher

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The next day started off like any other day. I knew I was in higher than normal spirits as I finished my morning routine in the bathroom, but surprisingly Momo seemed to be more excited, too. Evidently she wasn't planning on taking Shoto's rejection to heart. Conversely, Ochako seemed less exuberant than usual, her smile seeming more strained, her eyes tired. Maybe she hadn't slept well.

I walked to class with my classmates but despite walking with him every day, today I felt my cheeks warm ever so slightly when I felt Shoto's arm brush against mine. Class after class proceeded as usual until it was time for lunch. I walked and chatted with Shoto about what game he wanted to play tonight as we collected our trays of food. But as I turned to head to our table, I froze. There, sitting at our table, sitting in my usual seat, was Momo.

"That didn't take long. One day and they're already trying to replace me."

"What are you..." Shoto trailed off as he finally noticed the predicament we were in.

"I think it's pretty obvious at this point, don't you? They could have asked Momo to sit anywhere at our table but she's specifically in my seat. I'll go eat somewhere else, it's clear they don't want me there; I'm just in the way."

Shoto leaned down and spoke quietly in my ear. "You're not going anywhere. Even if they don't know it yet, you are my girlfriend. We are eating lunch together with our friends just like we always do. Yaoyorozu being there doesn't change anything." He took my hand and began pulling me toward our table.

"Eating lunch with your friends, you mean," I said somewhat bitterly.

He gave me a look before shaking his head at me as we reached the table. He set his tray down one seat over from his usual spot before whisking the tray out of my hands and setting it before his usual seat. Just like on the first day we had lunch together, he pulled out the chair and ushered me into it before sitting beside me. I began eating my food as I quietly sat between Shoto and Momo. I didn't even bother looking up from my tray until I felt a hand squeeze mine under the table. Shoto gifted me with a beautiful smile before rubbing his thumb across my knuckles in an attempt to soothe me. I felt myself relax slightly and he pulled his hand away to continue eating his lunch. I glanced up and saw Midoryia watching me from across the table. He gave me a small, knowing smile before he spoke.

"Hey, whose turn is it to pick a movie tomorrow and what are we watching?"

Whatever awkward tension I felt evaporated as everyone began excitedly discussing movies. I finished my meal with Shoto beside me, feeling thankful for having a friend like Midoriya.

After lunch, Mr. Aizawa had us change into our gym uniforms and informed us we wouldn't be training in gym gamma today. Once we all arrived in gym beta, he announced the day's training.

"Today we'll once again be working on hand-to-hand combat without the use of quirks. I know most of you have been practicing in your free time and I want to assess the progress you've made. When you're taking your provisional license exam and when you're out in the field working as a pro, it's impossible to know what kind of opponent you'll be up against. For example, if you were to engage me in a fight, your quirk would be erased and you'd be forced to subdue me without it. Or you may be in a situation where the terrain or the presence of civilians makes using your quirk impractical. It's important to be able to swiftly take down an opponent in any situation and that includes without relying on your quirk."

He held up several sheets of paper. "Here are your group assignments. You will be rotating partners to specifically train with people outside your skill level. Do not hold back against a classmate who is weaker than you, but allow them to learn from you. Don't stop thinking of ways to win, even if you're being overpowered. You all have differing levels of experience and training, so feel free to offer each other advice and encouragement as you spar. I'll be overseeing and helping with technique and instruction when needed. Satori and Todoroki, I need to speak with the two of you privately for a moment. The rest of you, group up!"

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