This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 33

Another few weeks passed, and true to his word, Todoroki hadn't stopped visiting Unknown. It was the weekend once again, and he had just returned from the hospital.

"Todoroki!" Uraraka called out as he closed the entrance door behind him. She eagerly waved him over to where she sat in the common area, "How is she?"

"The same as usual, I think," he responded evenly, pausing near the other side of the plush couch. "You always ask about her, how come don't you go there yourself?"

"Oh, I don't know..." she scratched her head sheepishly, averting her gaze, "I don't think she would want to see me. Last time we met... well, I just don't think she likes me very much," she admitted, laughing awkwardly.

Todoroki only hummed faintly in response, bidding the girl goodbye before making his way further into the building.

He called the elevator, waiting only a moment before a chime sounded and the metal doors puffed open. He stepped inside, pressing the button for the fifth floor. The usual whirr of the elevator grinded to life, causing a brief rumble as it began rising.

First floor... second floor... third floor-

The elevator came to a stop, chiming softly. Todoroki glanced up as the doors opened, meeting a pair of dark, surprised eyes.

"Oh, Todoroki," Yaoyorozu smiled warmly as she stepped into the small elevator, taking a spot on the opposite side.

He nodded. "Fifth floor?"

"Yea."

A moment passed before the doors shut once more. The elevator jittered as it rose slowly.

An oddly stiff silence filled the small space. If he noticed her brief, sidelong glances, he didn't say anything.

The nearby mechanical hum reverberated softly against the metal walls.

The chime rang out once again as they finally reached the top floor, the doors sliding open in welcome. Todoroki stepped out first, followed by Yaoyorozu, though her step seemed to falter a bit. Her eyes followed him as he moved towards the right wing.

"Todoroki."

He paused, turning around. His expression remained ever-passive, though she knew him well enough to see the gleam of curiosity behind his gaze.

Yaoyorozu paused, fidgeting uncertainly before finally coming to the right words.

"...you went to visit her again."

It came out as less of a question than she intended, and much quieter as well.

"Yes," he nodded.

"...how is she?"

"She's alright, as well as she can be."

"Ah... right," she nodded absentmindedly, lips pressing together as she stared off at something unseen in the corner. "Oh, anyways! Sorry to bother you! I'll see you in class tomorrow!" she grinned, hurriedly waving and excusing herself before retreating into the opposite hall.

Todoroki stared after her. He tilted his head slightly, a puzzled expression overtaking his features. Yaoyorozu wasn't usually so jittery, was she? Strange, maybe something happened. He would ask her tomorrow.

_______________________________________________

"Chief, I was wondering if you had a chance to look at the proposal I submitted earlier this week."

"Ah, doctor. Yes, I have; I'm afraid we had to deny it. Our investigation is still ongoing, we can't risk any lapse in security in the meantime."

"This is in the patient's best interest, sir, the isolation is affecting her mental state. She's already developing signs of manic behavior and it will only keep worsening unless we loosen the regulations around her contact with others."