One by One

Truth Left Unsaid

I don't remember what UA students I have left to do, so I'm going to continue the thread of "Lies of Omission" where Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are talking, but a special guest will appear because she needs relevance!

***

"A lot has changed since you were last here," Yaoyorozu hummed quietly to herself, tilting her head away from her studies and to the door. The monotone male with half red and half white hair leaned against the door frame with his lips pressed into a firm line. His head leaned to the side as he appeared to be understanding a complex puzzle. Yaoyorozu returned his stare with the same unreadable expression, wondering what he could be possibly be thinking about.

"May we talk over tea?" Todoroki finally decided on a response. He looked away, letting his thoughts sway in his mind. It was no secret that 1A all had their own secrets and baggage. Todoroki was perceptive enough to realize that Aizawa was handling a lot of the kids, but something about Yaoyorozu still nagged at him. He knew Aizawa had talked to her, but that feeling wasn't about to leave him until he resolved the problem or learned the nature of his worries.

"That sounds lovely. I believe our classmates are all asleep, while I know that the... Er... Bakusquad, as I was told it was called, is holding a Spasm stream, where they play games in front of a live audience? I assume that would make the kitchen area vacant," Yaoyorozu nodded, setting her school work away before accompanying Todoroki to the kitchen. He stood motionless beside the counter as Yaoyorozu busies herself with making the tea. She choose one of the blends that Todoroki seemed fond of in the past, and prayed the well meaning drink would allow them to have an open conversation.

"Here," Yaoyorozu said, setting a small and fragile teacup into his hands. Todoroki watched the smoke rise upwards as Yaoyorozu took a sip of her own tea, her eyes closing in enjoyment. She hummed in delight as she smiled, waiting for Todoroki to try his. The male raised an eyebrow before taking a sip, not showing his satisfaction but enjoying the tea none the less. "Now, what would you like to speak about?"

"Have you noticed... problems within our class? Individuals who seem more on edge or worrisome?" Todoroki started, trying to phrase it all properly. He wanted answers, not for Yaoyorozu to find a loophole in the question. Yaoyorozu, with her vast intelligence, had a small tick that alerted others to her lying habits. To make up for that, Yaoyorozu prided herself on answering truthfully but not with the answers other wanted from her.

"I suppose you can say I have. When I first arrived, Midoriya-san seemed distraught and apathetic. With the hindsight I have now, I realize the root of these peculiar emotions... I noticed something was wrong with Uraraka-san immediately, however I couldn't put my finger on. Aizawa-sensei asked me to investigate, and there I realized a lot of our classmates were struggling. Since then, however, I haven't noticed much, other than with Aka-chan, Eri-chan, and... Well, Amajiki-senpei," Yaoyorozu answered, closing her eyes as she remembered the events that transpired not that long ago. A lot had happened in the days since, and Yaoyorozu was almost ashamed that her internal clock got so disoriented. School would be starting soon, however, so she didn't have much to worry about.

"I heard my name," A tired voice said, footsteps slapping against the floor clumsily. Yaoyorozu turned to find Aka in her night clothing, nothing like proper pajamas however. Aka wore a bright red hoodie with some black athletic shorts, and her hair was slightly damp against her back. She was playing around with the strings of her hoodie, her sleepy eyes looking up at Yaoyorozu and Todoroki.

"Oh, I didn't mean to call you. I deeply apologize. I was simply answering a question Todoroki-kun asked me," Yaoyorozu smiled warmly at Aka. "How about some tea for your troubles? Do you like Emerald Leaf tea, or should I make a different cup with something more suitable?"

"I've never had tea," Aka said so bluntly that Yaoyorozu knew her face showed pity. Shaking her head, Yaoyorozu poured another cup, watching both Aka and Todoroki from the sides of her eyes. The two shrugged at each other, not knowing each other well enough to start a conversation. Yaoyorozu sighed at the awkward situation, handing Aka her cup of tea.

"Todoroki-kun was asking me if I noticed anything peculiar about our classmates," Yaoyorozu began instead, trying to continue with Todoroki while including Aka, at least until the red themed girl declared the tiredness they all knew were painted firmly on her features. 

"Like, how a few people cry themselves to sleep?" Aka bluntly stated, unaware that she dropped a bombshell. Yaoyorozu opened her mouth, but closed it firmly as she realized she didn't have a response. Todoroki went wide eyed, but amusement was playing in the back of mind. He was worried for those select classmates, but how in the world could Aka be so brutally honest about it and expect him not to internally chuckle?

"It's hard for me to sleep at night, so I walk around. I've noticed a few people are crying, but I don't know them enough to do anything about it. I'm not really... friends with anyone here, you know? Onii-san likes me, but I know that Aizawa-san is wary and avoidant of me. I'm not close with anyone else," Aka continued, spinning her cup around in her hands with narrowed eyes. "The man who speaks in French. He usually sits in the bathroom crying. I think his stomach hurts. That pink skinned girl is usually quiet, but in the later hours, she's up to sob so I assumed it was nightmares. That yellow haired male with the lightning bolt opens his door a lot to place batteries in the cupboards. He usually has this pained expression on his face. Onii-san told me his quirk, electrification, so I assume that he discharges excess energy into the batteries whenever it becomes too painful for him. Onii-san is often up, while that pink cheeked girl is crying on the phone."

"That's Aoyama-san, Ashido-chan, Kamanari-san, Midoriya-san, and Uraraka-chan," Yaoyorozu stated, tapping her finger against her lips as she realized that she might still be an information gatherer for Aizawa. Yaoyorozu didn't mind, since it was for the benefit of her classmates. Yaoyorozu was willing to do anything for the family Aizawa helped her realize she had. Especially since her real family had started to message her frequently...

"Yeah, it is..." Aka muttered, setting the teacup on the table. For a moment she wavered back and forth before her head slid onto Yaoyorozu's shoulder. The black haired girl seemed startled, but she soon heard the soft snores of Aka. Yaoyorozu smiled at the young girl, something inside of her warming up. Yaoyorozu felt like she needed to protect Aka. (#Yaomama)

"We should take her to her room," Todoroki said quietly, watching Yaoyorozu attempt to pick Aka up. It took some work, but Yaoyorozu was strong and Aka was dangerously light. The two rich kids brought the girl to the guest bedroom she was staying at, and Yaoyorozu made sure to properly tuck her in, her motherly instincts taking over.

"Yaoyorozu-san, I still wish to discern your own problem, but as I see it, we should assist Aizawa-sensei in his pursuit to protect our classmates," Todoroki said before disappearing, leaving Yaoyorozu. She sighed, walking towards her room as she pulled out her phone. Almost fifty messages, all from her parent's secretarys. Yaoyorozu clunched her phone tightly, her jaw locking up as she read the messages.