Red Shoes: an MHA Tale

Chapter 25: The Mystery Student

Kota and Satsuki walked in silence far behind the mysterious student as he marched down the hall. They noticed he turned his head several times searching for something, a specific room perhaps?

It could just be a normal student looking for the nurse's office. Probably in the general course or business course. But his expression was off. And he seemed disoriented, but not visibly injured.

The two hero students each had these thoughts run in their heads as they followed, occasionally looking at one another for assurance to press on, that their suspicions were correct. That this might not be a student at all. And only students were allowed in the halls at this time for the bathroom or the nurse's office.

Kota wasn't even quite sure they should keep hiding from him. Any turn of his head could catch either in his peripheral, and that would look suspicious, being followed quietly by two kids.

Just then, Satsuki released her large tongue from her mouth and grabbed Kota's body, pulling him off his feet and into an open custodial closet just as the targeted "student" turned around. He must be getting wary. He may be getting the feeling that he is being watched. When he saw no one, he turned and resumed on his path, quickening his pace.

Kota found himself lying on top of his classmate with his face briefly caught in the valley of her shirt. He quickly jumped up, moving his head around to hide his blush. "Thanks!" He whispered as he got to his feet, without helping her up too. He was a little busy being embarrassed by the situation. Satsuki didn't make it easier too. Her usually half-lidded frog-like eyes were wide open and her mouth was pursed as her cheeks turned pink.

Once they were on their feet again, ignoring what just happened, Satsuki realized that she had grabbed him with her tongue. Unlike her sister, her tongue had... toxin.

"Izumi!" She whispered. "Are you feeling okay?"

Kota didn't know what she was talking about, as he had forgotten about her tongue hitting Eri earlier, and was focused on the mystery student. He also thought she could be referencing his fall onto her body back there and wanted nothing to do with that conversation. "Uh... Fine. Just focused."

Satsuki had instinctively wrapped her tongue around his torso, which was covered by his sports jersey. But the underside of his arms could've been hit. The less contact made, the longer he has until it hits.

"I-If I hit your skin with my tongue you could black out." She whispered to him as they walked.

"Oh... I should be fine. You got my arm a little but, I have a feeling we're headed for Recovery Girl's anyway." He replied at the same low volume.

"What makes you think that? That's where other students are. And a member of the faculty." Satsuki questioned with a tilt of her head.

"Could just be hurt from the festival. If he's... not a student, I don't know what else he would want in here. It's just a school." Kota explained.

Satsuki nodded. Again they were on the same page and pressed on.

But when the student turned a corner and they followed, he was gone.

The students looked at each other. "Uh oh..."

Their mystery student leapt down from the ceiling behind them. "Why are you following me?" He asked them with a heavy glare.

Kota was about to raise his arms when Satsuki stepped between them. "We're looking for the nurse's office! We're still getting used to these winding halls." She said with a cheery voice that did not match her personality at all. "Sorry to spook you like that! My Quirk kinda makes me look a little silly sometimes."

The student kept his glare as he looked from her to Kota. "And your boyfriend?"

"Whoa! I am not her boyfriend!" Kota protested.

With their eyes on him, he gulped. "I-I'm just going to check up on some friends there. A-And she's just my friend too." He needed to work on his lying, even if it was technically true.

"Well." The student folded his arms. "I thought the nurse's office was this way."

"Yeah, Mrs. Yashimoto, right?" Satsuki asked.

The student looked at her like she just swallowed a basketball. "No... The nurse here is the infirmary hero, Recovery Girl."

Kota and Satsuki glanced at each other for a moment. It seems if this student knows more about the school than they do playing dumb, he just might be legitimate.

"Did you get hurt in the festival?" Kota asked, changing the subject.

"No, just been getting this headache today. I couldn't even get far in the festival before I lost." He explained. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the nurse's office for my perscription."

Satsuki frowned at Kota as they watched him walk away.

"Guess he's just a hurt student." He shrugged.

"Maybe... But he said he got a headache today. And yet he's picking up a prescription from Recovery Girl." She thought aloud.

"At this point, we're just spying on another student for no reason." Kota stated. "We should go back."

"Does Recovery Girl give prescriptions to students for headaches?" Satsuki turned to him.

Kota sighed. "Maybe? I know if people have prescriptions for headaches they'd probably already have it."

"He said he got it today and is picking up a prescription from her...today." Satsuki spoke it out. "It's a student that doesn't know his way around the school and I've never seen him before. And what kind of Quirk was that? Sticking to the ceiling?"

Kota rolled his eyes. "Are you okay? I've never heard you talk this much."

"Do you remember our encounter with those villains on the train?" She asked.

He groaned. "Yes. Do you think this guy's connected to them?"

"They were from the Purity Alliance. It's rumored that they have people in many organizations, like how the Meta Liberation Army functioned." Satsuki explained.

"I think it's too big of a stretch to assume this student is connected to them just because of a headache." Kota told her.

"I agree. But if this stops something bad from happening, then maybe I'll be able to....redeem myself." She tapped her large fingers together.

Kota frowned. "And if it's nothing?"

"...Then nothing is lost but time." Satsuki sighed. She didn't wait for him to respond. She went ahead to continue following.

Kota watched her walk down the hall. His legs moved, before his mind could finish his thoughts.

They reached the corridor with the nurse's office and watched the student walk inside past the line. In synchronization, they followed after.

"Hey! Get in line!" One student called to them.

"Yeah! Wait your turn!" Another yelled.

Just to be sure Satsuki's worries weren't justified, he grabbed her hand and pulled them both past the mystery student and into the room with a few beds.

Katsuma and Eri were both standing, about ready to leave, in fact.

"Hey! We've you guys been?" Eri asked.

"You two can't be in here!" Recovery Girl snapped at them from across the room after she kissed another bed-ridden student on the forehead. "I already excused you!"

"Just..." Kota tensed up. "It's nothing."

"Actually."

Everyone turned to the mystery student now standing in the doorway. "It's something." He smiled and stared at Eri.