apathy

group therapy

Tsuyu pretends she doesn't notice how Shinsou abruptly stops interrogating Midoriya when she gets close to their table. The area is unusually packed because of their tournament infamy, but the seats nearest to the two are empty because of the tired, uncaringly dark look Midoriya has on his face. It promises immediate destruction to anyone who bothers him. All it means for Tsuyu, who has already been through a near death experience with him, is that there's not really anything to prevent her from sliding into the seat next to Midoriya.

"Hi, kero." She greets when Midoriya turns his head to look at her. Shinsou watches her with the wariness of an untrusting stray cat. "Where's your other friend, Midoriya?"

"Mei is in her labs." Midoriya sighs with a shrug. Shinsou shoots him a look, which he ignores. "What do you need, Tsuyu?"

Tsuyu has a reputation for being blunt and to the point. She just doesn't see the point in beating around the bush. All that does is waste time. So, she asks her question bluntly as ever.

"Why did you join the hero course?"

Shinsou openly glares at Midoriya, and Tsuyu suddenly pieces together that this is what he was interrogating Midoriya about. She had a feeling she isn't the only one who notices how disgruntled Midoriya is about being in their class. It's obvious from the way he ignores all the teachers and new classmates. He had literally slept through Present Mic's class. Tsuyu has also noticed that he periodically gives the security cameras a dead eyed stare, as if asking them 'are you happy now?' 

Midoriya doesn't say a thing.

"It's clear that you don't want to be in our class, kero." Tsuyu continues, watching him for any sort of reaction. From the corner of her eye she sees Shinsou scowl into the straw of his milk. "So I have to wonder why you agreed to be there."

Staying silent, Midoriya turns to his lunch. Shinsou clicks his tongue in annoyance and sets down his drink.

"Nezu is basically threatened to leave me to Bakugo if he didn't. Even though I told him that I could handle it on my own." He answers in Midoriya's stead, tacking yet another glare shot his friend's way on the end. Midoriya glances up to meet his eyes and then looks back down like he's very interested in the plastic cafeteria tray.

"Bakugo's ruthless is all." He mutters when it's clear that they're waiting for some sort of answer, digging under his sleeve to scratch something. In the process, he pushes the material up, and both Shinsou and Tsuyu catch a glimpse of a shiny pink, starburst burn scar on his forearm. Midoriya pulls his sleeve down almost immediately, but the split second view is enough for Tsuyu's mind to start turning.

Tsuyu turns her head a fraction to stare across the cafeteria at where Bakugo is sitting. He's crass and rude as hell, but she would never have pinned him for the type to cause physical harm to someone like Midoriya. Not if he got into Yuuei. But Midoriya's voice has a sort of bitterness that only comes from personal experience. 

Across from them, Shinsou softens, sighing with a sort of fond exasperation.

"Thank you for being concerned, Izuku." He says, reaching up to run a hand through his messy hair. Midoriya doesn't lift his gaze or make any move to confirm or deny that he has any feelings towards their conversation. "But I really can take care of myself."

"I know."

"It's very admirable of you to be worried about your friend, kero." Tsuyu says, drawing Shinsou's attention again. "Maybe you can still transfer back to general education if you act quickly."

"Nah." Midoriya pushes his tray away and stretches like he's ready to get up and go. He makes an expression that looks like a vague impression of a wry smile without actually moving his face. "It doesn't change anything either way. I'm technically already a vigilante, they just cant arrest me for it. I'll be fine."

"You are fucking ridiculous." Shinsou grumbles. Tsuyu wonders if she is supposed to know that Midoriya is a vigilante, and why Shinsou doesn't seem thrown off by that at all. They must be closer than she thought. Shinsou glances at her. "Tsuyu, was it? Give me your phone, I'll add you to the group chat. It's us dealing with this guy's idiocy."

"You have a group chat for that?" Tsuyu asks, skeptically. Even so, she pulls her phone from the pocket in her skirt, unlocks it, and hands it over. Midoriya glances between them, frowning slightly.

"You guys have a group chat about me that I'm not in?" He questions as Shinsou works on putting her into said chat. Shinsou flips him off real quick and Midoriya kicks him lightly under the table.

"It's like a therapy group." Shinsou explains when he hands Tsuyu her phone back, still on the screen that shows the new chat. "Izuku isn't allowed in because it would just raise stress levels."

Midoriya considers this as Tsuyu scrolls through some of the recent messages in the chat. Her homeroom teacher, Hatsume, and that one 1-B jerk are all in there, as well as Shinsou and her. 

"That's fair." The subject of the chat decides aloud after a moment. "You should add Tsukauchi and Sansa sometime. I'll send you their numbers tonight."

Shinsou shoots him a thumbs up just as the school bell rings, signalling the end of lunch. Midoriya grimaces but gets up with the rest of them, grabbing his tray. Uraraka and Iida join their small group walking towards the exit halfway through the room. Uraraka starts up a conversation about their hero names and the upcoming internships on the way back up to the classroom, with a few remarks from Shinsou thrown in every once in a while. Iida and Midoriya hang at the back of the pack in mutual silence. 

Tsuyu glances back and catches Midoriya watching Iida suspiciously from the corner of his eye.