Dormient Potential - 10.

 

10.

Upon waking up, Mariko stayed in bed for additional fifteen minutes, thinking about last night's events. She hoped that rescue workers managed to stop the bleeding and the owner of the local shop is safe. Apart from that, she also wondered why Aizawa shared his personal memory with her. Sure, he was trying to calm her down and he showed his soft side, but that was... too soft.

“Could that mean?” she asked herself, looking at the ceiling. “Nah, you're overinterpreting, that's unhealthy. You know that, it happened once already.”

She got out of bed, standing bare-feet on the carpeted floor. She climbed on her toes and raised her arms above her head, stretching her whole body. After a few crunches, she stretched her legs, performing six slow high-kicks, three for each leg. Her body was working smoothly, but her mind stayed uneasy.

“I should talk to him, I guess,” she thought to herself and entered the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror.

She actually got a bit more of sleep than she was expecting, so her puffy eyes were not as visible as yesterday. Mariko took a shower, singing quietly under her breath, thinking of Aizawa. Before she realized, she was smiling, while washing her body, remembering their duels or just conversations.

“Dammit, Mariko!,” she reprimanded herself and chuckled after a few seconds. “I might actually cover my crush with fangirling. He is a pro hero, after all.”

She got out of the shower and put on comfortable clothes. She reached for her backpack to pull out her most comfortable black sweatshirt with small cat ears on the hoodie. She put on a pair of black close-fitting trousers and searched her backpack a bit, inspecting the bottom of it with her palm. After a few swirls of her hand, she found a wrapper and opened it, pulling her glasses from it. Her supply of contact lenses ended yesterday when she took them off before going to the shop. The frame of the glasses was subtle, shaped to a slightly deformed circle, with dark-grey earpieces. After examinating herself in the mirror one more time, she decided to apply some mascara.

She grabbed her earphones, throwing them into her pocket with the phone and then she left the room, looking down the corridor. She had no idea which door were Aizawa's and even wasn't sure if he was on the same floor, but she decided to knock on the first door on her right. If another teacher opened, then she would ask him or her for directions anyway. If that was Eri, she could at least say hi.

Mariko scratched her neck and knocked on the door, thinking if she should take off the hood. There was no reply and door didn't open. She stood still for a few more seconds, then knocked again with the same result. After that, she walked down the corridor, leaving the first floor behind. She entered the common room and immediately caught a glimpse of striking blonde hair.

“Morning,” she greeted and Hizashi, Nemuri, Snipe and Thirteen without her hero costume turned to face her.

“YO, GIRL!” Present Mic shouted and Mariko's face twisted at the high volume of the man's voice.

“Oh, do you wear glasses?” Midnight asked. “They suit you very well.”

“I prefer contact lenses as glasses can break during trainings. But thank you. You look very good today,” she complimented and Midnight gasped happily.

There was a silence and Mariko looked through the window, gazing at the grass covered with fallen leaves.

“Where is Mr. Aizawa?” she asked after a while.

“He went for a walk with Eri,” Midnight answered.

“How are you feeling, by the way?” Snipe asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

“I'm feeling a lot better, I was on the edge yesterday,” Mariko replied, looking over at the teachers, all of them looking at her in the same concerned way. “Hey, c'mon, I'm fine. You don't need to give me this kind of look.”

“We just want to take good care of our students,” Present Mic said with a more quiet tone.

“You are doing an extremely good job with that, I mean it. You cannot control everything, though. It... just happened. I am already very grateful for you taking me here.”

“Not a problem,” Thirteen answered and stood up with Snipe. “We will be having breakfast at the cafeteria. Remember about the Hero Billboard Chart event,” she reminded and both of them left the dorm.

“Breakfast,” Mariko murmurred. “That reminds me that I actually didn't go for groceries after all.”

“Wanna go to the shop? We can be your bodyguards,” Present Mic shot a hand pistol at her.

“Sure, why not,” Mariko replied and before all three of them left the dorm, turning towards the front gate, she sprinted upstairs for her backpack and shopping bags.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Upon approaching the gate, Hizashi decided to speak up.

“We heard what happened to your parents,” he started, glancing at the young woman walking between him and Nemuri, who gave him a warning look. “We are very sorry.”

“I am sorry as well, I've beem blaming myself for that for a very long time, but yesterday's conversation with Mr. Aizawa... he helped me get a clearer picture of the whole memory,” she replied, looking down at the pavement. “I am also sorry for what happened to you three.”

“That's all right. It was a long time ago, we...”

Hizashi frowned and quickly glanced at Midnight.

“Wait, what do you mean, exactly?” Nemuri asked.

“The loss of your friend, Oboro.”

Both teachers stopped, shocked. At first, Mariko didn't notice that she was not being followed, but the prolonged silence made her turn her head and see the two teachers a few meters back. She gave them a questioning look and Hizashi cleared his throat.

“Did Shota tell you about that?” he asked in a forced, low tone.

“Yes, sir. He did.”

Nemuri glanced at Present Mic again and then brought a hand to her mouth, covering her expression.

“What?” Mariko asked, her gaze jumping from one teacher to another.

Midnight's jaw dropped, but her eyes were showing a mix of disbelief and happiness. Present Mic on the other hand was grinning.

“Oi, don't get us wrong, girl,” Hizashi swung his hands a few times in a defensive movement. “It's just. He never talks about it. And by never I really mean never. That's why we are so shocked.”

“Are you serious?” Mariko's eyes lit up and she had a hint of a smile on her face.

“Seriously serious,” Midnight replied and both of them joined Mariko.

“So, all four of us know about that?” Okaido asked.

“Plus the principal,” Hizashi answered.

“What does that mean, then?” she asked and Midnight smirked at her.

“Why are you so curious, huh?”

“I... I just,” Mariko bit her bottom lip. “I don't know, I...”

“But I know why!” Kayama shouted as they both went through the entrance gate. “That sounds like a small crush to me!” she playfully hit Mariko on her shoulder with her elbow.

Mariko's face blushed and she looked down.

“Nah, it's not it.”

“Then why are you so embarrased, I caught you red-handed!” she laughed and Mariko stretched her hoodie, hiding her face away from the two teachers.

“My, oh my!” Present Mic grinned. “Aizawa's fangirl?”

“Stop, please,” Mariko said, her voice muffled with sweatshirt's fabric.

“Why, though? It's our friend, we have to inspect you first, know if you are good enough for him,” Hizashi said and Mariko tripped but quickly regained her balance before falling down. “Haha, I'm just teasing ya, girl!” he patted her on her shoulder.

“But don't tell him, please,” the young woman whispered.

“Oh, so IT IS a crush!” Midnight yelled and they both laughed, to their student's misery.

They walked down the street, a glimpse of the recently assaulted shop in the distance. Present Mic led the way further, to the next closest shop. The city was quiet, the only movement were cars passing the three of them, occasionaly honking at Midnight, who was annoyed.

“I hate when they do that,” Midnight huffed.

“I know, right? Stupid cat calling!” Mariko agreed. “If they want to greet you or compliment you, then they should do it the proper way.”

“I will blast the next honking driver with mah VOICE!” Hizashi said with a frown.

“No need to, but thanks,” Nemuri replied, smiling at Mic.

Mariko scratched her neck, glancing over at Midnight.

“I can tell by your looks that you want to say something,” Nemuri informed, making eye contact with the student.

“Why do all of you read me like a book?” she sighed and Present Mic grinned at her.

“Go on,” Midnight encouraged.

“Actually, it's stupid. I changed my mind.”

“Let's have a girls' talk,” Nemuri grabbed Mariko's arm and quickened the pace, leaving Present Mic behind. “Blondie, be our rearguard.”

“Ohhh, come on, I wanted to hear as well. I can try to act like a woman for a bit.”

“No, you stay there,” Midnight called over her shoulder. “Now you can talk.”

“But seriously,” Mariko looked into Kayama's eyes, seeing persistence. “Oh. Alright. So I wanted to ask if... if Mr. Aizawa is seeing someone. And before you say something, madam, the reason why I am asking is because at my previous school there was that teacher, Ms. Joke, whom I dislike quite a lot. She was bragging that she is dating Eraser Head and now that I know who that is my mind reminded me of hearing it and that's where my question came from.”

“As far as I know she has a crush on him but it's not mutual. In terms of other Aizawa's relationships, they didn't last long. That's why we reacted like that. He's our friend after all and we would love to see him happy.”

“Are you two taken, if I may ask?”

“Me and Hizashi? No, we are both singles as well. It's hard to be in a relationship when you are a pro hero... and a teacher. Unless you find another pro hero, that's probably the best outcome.”

“That's understandable. Both jobs consume quite a lot of time. Are there any teacher couples in here?” Mariko asked.

“From what I know, Vlad is married, but not to a teacher or a pro hero and from our crew it seems that Thirteen and Snipe are kind of dating. They spend quite a lot of time together,” Midnight explained.

“But it's not like... forbidden or anything?”

“No, Nezu is very broadminded, so he didn't set up such a ridiculous rule.”

Mariko sighed, looking at the yellow, red and orange trees on the other side of the fence surrounding the school.

“Yea, for teacher and teacher...”

Midnight glanced at the young woman and later checked if Hizashi is still behind them.

“Keep your distance, Mic.”

“Ey! I am!” he pouted.

“The thing is,” Mariko began and Kayama made eye contact with her. “I am afraid that if you two, plus Hitoshi, figured it out so quickly, other people might also see what's going on and...” she trailed off. “I just don't want to ruin his career and life because of my feelings.”

“I am glad that you are careful. Who is Hitoshi, by the way?”

“It's the guy from the general studies that would like to be transferred into the hero course.”

“Oh, yea! Now I remember, he has spiky purple hair and looks a bit like Aizawa, right?”

“Yea,” Mariko chuckled and Midnight smiled in response.

“I don't think anyone else noticed,” Nemuri said, fixing her hair. “Hitoshi is under Aizawa's care, same as you, so you two have been seeing each other for quite a lot. Are you two friends?”

“We are, actually.”

“See? So that's normal. Friends notice stuff like that very fast. I think we,” Midnight pointed at herself and humming Hizashi “can also be your friends.”

“I would love that,” Mariko grinned.

“So call me Midnight or Nemuri. Whatever you like. Don't call me miss or madam, it's cute but makes me feel old.”

They reached the main road and turned right, passing the crosswalk. Some of the people on the other side of the road waved at them and both pro heroes waved back with smiles on their faces. Mariko smirked and breathed deeply. After a few seconds, she picked up the same attractive scent she had stumbled across in front of the grocery store the day before.

“Is there any golden mean to tell if someone likes you or not?” Mariko asked Midnight.

“Of course.”

“And that is?”

“Honesty,” she simply replied, smiling at Mariko. “Life is too short to play those conjecture games. Especially the life of a hero.”

“But that's scary.”

“It is, but it's also beautiful. All that mystery, mixed messages, wondering, pressure, and my favorite – sexual tension,” Midnight said and Mariko stopped herself from laughing. “If it's going on for too long, it's unhealthy and eventualy you just have to be honest to clarify things. Honesty is always the best way, but that pre-relationship stage might be very interesting and worth recalling later in the future.”

“True,” Okaido agreed.

Mariko nodded at Mic to join them and they all entered the supermarket, the teachers staying close to the entrance, bugged by some fans from time to time.

“Do you want to eat breakfast made by me?” Mariko asked.

“Sure!” Mic replied.

“Do you have any requests?”

“Umm, nothing too greasy, I have to take care of my silhouette,” Kayama informed, brushing her hips with her palms.

“Mild or spicy?” the young woman wondered.

“Mild?” Mic looked at Midnight and she nodded after a few seconds. “Mild.”

“Alright. Something traditional or a bit less traditional?”

“Less!” Midnight enjoyed the idea.

“Alright, how about chicken with pasta and a sauce based on cream with spinach and dried tomatoes?”

“Ummm, sounds tasty,” Mic rubbed his belly, his eyes dreamy. “But don't buy any spices or seasonings and very basic ingredients like eggs and flour, as they are in our kitchen. I think we also have onions and garlic.”

“Yea, we have quite a lot of ingredients but no one makes use of them, as Lunch Rush is always in his cafeteria... What a workaholic.”

Mariko smiled to herself and turned around, getting all the products she needed from the shop. Apart from the ones she already mentioned, she also bought fruit for smoothies and some other ingredients in case she wanted to make dinner as well. After a few minutes of swift shopping, she returned to the surprised teachers and left the shop in their company. Okaido was feeling very comfortable with the two of them, so she decided to get to know them a bit more and started conversations on various topics.

“So, Present Mic, why do you wear headphones? Do you listen to music often or is it connected to your Quirk?”

“Actually, both. During missions they are also used for communication. It's hard to hear anyone over my SHOUTS!” he explained and Mariko squinted at the volume of his voice. “But mostly music. I'm a DJ, ya know?”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah!” he forced himself to control his volume. “I used to have my own radio.”

“That's so cool!” Mariko exclaimed, grinning at the man. “What were you playing?”

“Oh, various music, really,” he waved his hand. “I was playing dance music, ballads, music for driving a car in the middle of the night or even some spicy music. I have a lot of playlists.”

“I also have my own playlists,” Mariko said.

“Do you have spicy ones?” Midnight asked.

“I actually do,” Okaido laughed. “I called this playlist 'the slut hut'.”

Present Mic choked on air and started coughing, stopping at the pavement on the right side of the road. Midnight burst into laughter and Mariko grinned at them.

“Yo! I nearly died here,” Hizashi said after a while and they all started walking towards the school again.

“I'm joking though, I didn't name it like that. But you could pole dance to it, I guess.”

“I used to do pole dancing,” Midnight smiled. “You might show me the playlist one day.”

“Sure, why not.”

“Do you have any main genres?” Hizashi asked.

“I listen mostly to classic metal, not the new subgenres, but like really classic ones. I love rock as well and electronic music, soundtracks, too. It's quite hard to define, as there are some songs from other genres that I like a lot. I am also OBSESSED with old pop and disco music, from the 80's or 90's.”

“OH MY GOD!” Hizashi shouted, jumping happily. “FINALLY SOMEONE! I WILL TAKE YOU TO KARAOKE GIRL, OK?!”

“Deal!” Mariko agreed and high-fived Hizashi.