Affinity

Chapter 17 - Into the Wilderness

It had been weeks since the attack on Stain, and Emiko hadn't spoken much with her classmates. Not that they stopped trying to reach out, of course. She'd received countless texts from Shinsou, messages that had started out friendly and morphed over time into questions laced with panic and confusion and anger.

He'd eventually stopped reaching out. Momo and Jirou both texted her at least once a day, and still spoke to her in class. She wasn't overly receptive to either of them, something she knew caused them great concern.

It's easier this way.

That was why now, sitting on a crowded bus filled with her classmates, Emiko had her headphones shoved deeply in her ears with music blaring. She'd been the first one on, and had promptly settled into her place at the front of the bus. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her forehead was pressed against the glass window, eyes scanning the rapidly changing environment. She'd averted her gaze as each of her classmates filed on behind her, as their pitied gazes landed on her.

She wanted to move towards them, to pull the music out of her ears and take part in the joking. She wanted to laugh with them as Katsuki blew up about something they said. Even sitting here, the joy and excitement they all felt was exhilarating. It filled her with a sense of hope and longing she hadn't felt in a while, and her gaze twitched ever so slightly from the window.

Shoto was watching her carefully. Has been the entire bus ride. He'd settled in besides Izuku, who was talking excitedly with the rest of his classmates. Shoto, though, had really only looked at Emiko from his spot just behind her. If she turned her head just right, she could see that bright red hair. She could tell he wanted to talk to her, had seen it in the way he continually pressed his palms into his thighs as though he was going to stand.

He looked so sad and confused, and his emotions reflected that. He'd been tied up in knots for what felt like forever - something that made Emiko nauseous with guilt. She knew it was her fault he felt this way. That everyone felt how they did - if only she could bite her tongue and fake a smile and pretend they'd all stop worrying and she could quell some of their anxieties.

She couldn't, though.

She knew all too well the pain of losing someone, and she was damned if she was going to let anyone go through that because of her. And so she sat, eyes screwed tightly shut, music blaring in her ears for the rest of that bus ride.

— — — — —

She didn't know when she'd fallen asleep, but she woke up to an excited Kaminari shaking her shoulder.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" He called excitedly, nearly bouncing out of his skin. "Everyone is waiting, and Mineta is gonna pee his pants if we don't get off this bus, like, now!"

Groggy from her unpleasant nap, it took her a few moments to get her bearings. Slowly, it all came back to her. She looked around, stretching the tight, aching feeling in her neck as she did.

"Hellooooooooo? Earth to Emiko! We have a dry pants emergency outside, and we need you to help!"

Emiko laughed slightly, tilting her face up. Kaminari was grinning down at her, eyes tightly pressed together as though he was a child.

"Okay, Kaminari. On my way." She smiled softly back, lost for a moment in his infectious happiness.

He reached down quickly, helping tug her to her feet. She quickly stuffed her phone into her jacket pocket, headphones haphazardly tossed in the pocket of her backpack. He tugged her along behind him, which left her a stumbling mess as the emerged into the blinding sunlight and heat. She shuffled beside him, not that she had much choice. He still hadn't let go of her arm - his fingers were clenched tightly against the soft gray fabric of her blazer - a sense of worry emanating from him, leaving her slightly on edge.