Peppermint || Shoto Todoroki x Reader

Chapter 63

Sorry for the long wait, school is starting soon and I wanted to get a bit of revision in before I screw up. I also will be updating less frequently, but I'll try my best.

'About the hero work studies that are like a more serious version of the internships, where you go to where pro heroes work and help them... We talked about them at a faculty meeting yesterday and almost all the teachers, including the principal...' Class 1A held their breath as they awaited the big news. 'Thought you shouldn't do them.' Aizawa finished. The class was silent for a moment, before a ruckus erupted, puncturing the morning silence.

'After we had that big meeting about it?' Kirishima complained, leaning forward indignantly in his seat. 'But thinking about why we ended up in the dorms, I guess that makes sense...' Kaminari sighed, fiddling with Ojiro's tail like usual.

Bakugo violently slammed his palms onto his table and shot up. 'Serves you right!' He yelled, a crazy grin plastered on his face. 'Sit down.' Y/N drawled, twirling a piece of her brown hair between her fingers. 'You're starting to look like Monoma.' 'Just because you probably wouldn't be able to participate...' Hagakure remarked, sweatdropping.

'But.' Aizawa interrupted, silencing his frantic students. 'Some think that we wouldn't be able to raise strong heroes with our current policies, so we came to the decision that first years will only be allowed to go to agencies with a good track record of accepting work study students.' Bakugo stiffened up at this, awkwardly sitting back down as the class broke into silent murmurs. 'Damn it!' He suddenly sprang back up before he had the chance to fully plant his butt on the chair.

'Okay, settle down.' Aizawa ordered, waving his arm dismissively. 'That's it for today, you can ask around about the work studies.'

...

'Hey!' Y/N cheered, slamming her palms onto Kaminari's shoulders. 'Why are you brushing your teeth here?' She questioned, smirking at the blond who was just two centimetres shorter. 'Morning!' Someone yelled, rushing across, blowing the brunette's long brown hair into her face. 'Damn it.' She sighed, fixing the loose ribbon that was holding her hair together.

'What's up?' A sleepy Kaminari turned to face his bubbly friend. 'Why aren't you with Todoroki?'

'Sho has classes today, unfortunately.' The silver eyed girl explained as her skilled fingers smoothed her dishevelled hair back into its braid. 'We're having a study session with Yaomomo today, do you want to come?' Kaminari proceeded to invite Kirishima and Tokoyami, who both declined. 'What about you, Y/N?' 

'Oh.' The girl's face fell a little. 'I was going to visit my mother. I haven't been able to bring her any fresh flowers since we moved into the dorms. I best be going now, if Sho asks for me when he comes back, just tell him I'll be at the graveyard. He'll know which one.' Y/N patted Kaminari and Kirishima on the head affectionately, then walked off.

A few minutes later, she reappeared with a small purse, her phone and a bunch of fresh lilies, as well as her go-to black tank top and black shorts. 'Bye!' She waved, shutting the door behind her gently. 'Poor girl's had it hard.' Kirishima commented, catching a glimpse of the girl's flowing hair in the wind.

'Girls like that are hot.' Mineta commented, earning a smack upside the head by Kaminari. 'Don't talk shit about Y/N, or I won't help you next time you piss her off.' Mineta visibly gulped at this threat, hastily returning to his teeth brushing.

...

'Hi, mum.' Y/N smiled sadly, wiping her tears on her sleeve as she set down the bouquet of blooming lilies. 'I've been busy. I know it's not really an excuse, but I couldn't find any spare time. We're going to attend work studies.' She reported, as though her mother could hear her. 'I'm not sure who to choose though, they need to have a good track record of accepting students. I've gotten stronger with both halves of my quirk. Do you remember when I used to try and imitate your quirk?' The girl knelt in front of the stone, letting a few small tears drop.

'I actually have your quirk now. It's pretty hard to believe.' The girl chuckled throatily, wiping her nose. 'I'm not on very good terms with Papa though. He sold me off to the Todoroki family and he's going to have me marry Shoto. I've learnt about what our family's past truly is. I want to thank you, Mama, for being so strong and staying by my side until you couldn't. The other day when I visited you, I told you I didn't know who I was supposed to be.'

'But now, I think I have an idea.' Y/N smiled up at the sky, settling herself next to the marble tombstone. As if by magic, the gloomy clouds parted, letting in a beam of sunlight that shone onto the earth, illuminating the girl and the marble grave. 'I'm going to be the best hero I can be. That's why I'm at UA. I'm going to save people like you did, and be a pillar of hope and inspiration.'

...

'The distance between us has widened again, we need to catch up as soon as possible.' 

'I can't believe Izuku already found an agency to do his work study at. And no, Mina. You can't have my ice cream. There's some more in the fridge.' Y/N commented, coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of ice cream in her hands as she waved away Mina's hungry stare. 'The school said Gunhead hasn't had enough interns, so I can't go there.' Ochaco complained, sighing into her hands.

'Same here.' Tsu admitted from her seat. 'I wanted to go to Selkie's but...' Kirishima, who was draped on the couch, grumbled, 'Fourth Kind doesn't even take work studies...' 'I mean, the threshold's been set really high.' Y/N explained through a mouthful of vanilla ice cream. 'Yeah.' Kaminari agreed, getting his hand smacked away for trying to steal the brunette's precious frozen treat. 'We can only ask pros with good track records who'll take work study students... It can't be helped.'

'Unlike the internships, we'll be directly involved, so if anything happens...' The students shuddered. 'It becomes a problem of who's responsible on the pro side.' Tokoyami, who had been quiet up till now, butted in.

'Mr Aizawa!' Sato suddenly greeted. All eyes turned to their grouchy homeroom teacher, who had just entered their dorm building. 'Pros who accept students even after knowing the risks are the real thing.' Aizawa finished, turning to Tokoyami. 'Tokoyami, you've got an invitation for a work study from one of those real pros. It's from Hawks, who works in Kyushu.' 'Hawks?' Kaminari blurted out incredulously. 'Ranked third in the hero ranking?' Sero cried, almost causing Y/N to drop her bowl. The silver eyed girl shot her friend a dirty glance, then proceeded to gape at Tokoyami.

'What will you do, Tokoyami?' Aizawa questioned the latter. 'I respectfully accept.' The boy replied, turning to face his teacher and bowing. 'Very well.' Aizawa inclined his head as well. 'I'll give you the work study paperwork later. Let me know when you figure out when you'll be going to Kyushu, I'll authorise your absence on those days.'

'Isn't that great, Tokoyami?' Shoji called out from his corner. 'I am most humbly pleased.' The boy replied, bowing his head. 'We need to catch up as soon as possible.' Shoto announced, earning an irritated yell from Bakugo. 'Stop saying that!' 'Also, Kirishima and L/N, Amajiki from the Big Three wants to see you both.'

At this, Y/N halted abruptly next to her redheaded friend. 'He wants to talk to me?' The brunette exclaimed in shock, her spoon dangling between her fingers dangerously. Aizawa nodded, and the two baffled teenagers turned to each other, as though to confirm that what they heard was not a joke. 'By the way, Hado wants to talk to Uraraka and Asui. Go see them tomorrow or something and hear them out. That's all.' He turned and left, mumbling under his breath.

'Amajiki... I wonder what he wants.' Kirishima straightened from his relaxed state, looking up to make eye contact with his silver eyed friend who was staring after the door, at Aizawa's long departed figure in disbelief. Finally coming out of her daze, she shook her head, blinking owlishly. 'I hope it's about the work studies.' 'No way!' Ochaco immediately bolted up. 'If so, I'm getting my hopes up!'

'I'm going to the third years' dorm right now!' Kirishima yelled, dragging Y/N in tow, her ice cream bowl still in her hands.