Aizawa stared at the notes spread across his desk, the fluorescent lights above washing everything in a dull, clinical glow. The ink blurred as his eyes unfocused, his thoughts drifting to the sleep schedule he had painstakingly built over the summer. It had almost felt healthy and sustainable. Now he could already feel it slipping through his fingers as the semester loomed fully into place.

  The teachers' lounge sat in its usual early-morning stillness. The only sound came from the coffee machine grinding and hissing as it brewed a fresh pot, the scent thickening the air. At the start of every term the building felt like this, suspended and quiet, as if holding its breath before the chaos returned. Especially at this unreasonable hour.

  A faint vibration buzzed against his hip, pulling him back. He slipped a hand into his pocket and silenced the alarm. Five minutes until class.

  He rose from his chair in one smooth motion, scarf shifting against his shoulders, gathered his papers, and stepped into the hallway. The corridors were already warming with movement. Shoes squeaked against polished floors. Locker doors clicked shut. Aizawa walked toward classroom 1-A at an unhurried pace, hands buried in his pockets.

  As he passed a bank of windows, he glanced outside. Students trickled down the stone paths in uneven streams, uniforms neat but postures slouched. Even in the gentle morning light, he could feel their collective dread pressing down like humidity. He did not mind it. If anything, it kept them grounded.

  What he did mind was the security.

  Near the front gate, guards stood posted in addition to the usual automated system. They were not stopping anyone, not checking IDs, just watching. Still. Present. Aizawa's gaze lingered on them a moment longer than necessary. No formal notice had reached him, but he did not need one. After the random villain attack some of his students had been caught up in, the higher-ups were bound to react.

  He continued on.

  Midnight approached from the opposite direction, heels clicking sharply against the tile. He gave her a small nod. She winked in return. He rolled his eyes without breaking stride.

  When he slid open the door to class 1-A, he paused.

  Silence.

  Every student sat in their assigned seat, backs mostly straight, bags tucked away. No chatter. No last-minute scrambling. Just quiet expectation.

  He stayed in the doorway a second longer, clearing his throat.

  "Good morning. Everyone get up, we have to go to the introduction ceremony."

  Chairs scraped back at varying speeds. Some students moved quickly, others sluggishly peeling themselves upright. As expected, Iida was the first to reach the door, posture rigid and precise, glasses glinting under the lights.

  "Handle this, won't you," Aizawa said, already turning away. "All of you should be at the main courtyard in five minutes. Don't be late."

  He did not look back.

  Behind him, Iida immediately began directing the class into a line with emphatic gestures that were largely unnecessary. Most of them would have formed one anyway, but that did not stop him from adjusting spacing and posture as if they were a marching unit.

  "What do you think Principal Nezu is going to talk about?" Tsuyu asked, glancing over her shoulder at Uraraka as they shuffled forward.

  Uraraka blinked at her for a moment before smiling. "Probably something silly. I heard from the second years in my club that he always goes on random rants."

  Tsuyu studied her for a second longer than usual, noticing how the smile sat slightly stiff on her face, before the line began moving again.

  They walked through the halls and out into the morning air. Conversation stayed low, scattered. For U.A. students, it was strangely subdued. Normally there would be buzzing excitement, at least some loud speculation. Instead, the loudest sounds were their footsteps and the distant hum of campus ventilation.

  Bakugo lingered near the back of the group, shoulders tense, eyes sharp. Anyone who drifted too close earned a glare sharp enough to cut.

  He had shifted after the sports festival. The disappointment of his hero internship, the lackluster way the semester ended, it had all settled into him like sediment. Over the summer he had thrown himself into training with a kind of ruthless focus. The results showed. His frame had thickened, muscle pressing more solidly against his uniform sleeves, his movements heavier and more deliberate.

  The courtyard baked under the rising sun. Heat radiated from the ground, carrying the faint scent of dust and warming concrete. Students from other classes gathered in clusters, the low murmur of voices rippling across the open space.

  Robinn stood near the front of 1-A's group, posture straight, chin lifted, a bright and steady expression fixed in place. When she caught Uraraka's eye, she gave a small energetic wave.

  "Morning. You look tired," Robinn said, voice light but carrying easily. "The guards at the gate are new. Probably because of the attack, y'know?"

  Uraraka blinked, her smile dipping for just a second at the blunt reminder. "Oh. Yeah. I noticed them too."

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  "It's fine though." Robinn added quickly.

  She shifted her weight, glancing toward Kirishima. He stood rigidly focused on the back of Iida's head, staring at it. His eyes were open, but unfocused. She raised an eyebrow.

  At the front, Principal Nezu had climbed onto a small stool behind the podium so he could reach the microphone. His voice carried brightly across the courtyard, high-pitched and cheerful. He began with an oddly detailed recounting of the school's plumbing history, then smoothly transitioned into describing a specific type of tea he had brewed over break.

  The assembly stretched on. Heat pooled between rows of students. Sweat prickled at the backs of necks. Nezu eventually circled toward the 'uncertainty of the future,' though he kept his words vague enough that it sounded more like philosophical rambling than a warning. By the time they were dismissed, the mood had thickened.

  It was not sadness. Not exactly.

  It felt like summer had been peeled away all at once, leaving only uniforms and responsibility behind.

  Classes resumed. Energy slowly crept back in increments. By the time lunch arrived, conversation had grown louder, more familiar.

  Kirishima walked beside Bakugo toward the cafeteria. Bakugo's gait was steady, shoulders squared. Kirishima frowned slightly, gaze fixed somewhere ahead but not really observing.

  The cafeteria buzzed with noise and clattering trays. They grabbed their food and sat. For a while, they ate in silence.

  Bakugo paused mid-bite, chopsticks hovering in the air as he narrowed his eyes at Kirishima.

  "Why aren't you being a pain in the ass?" He asked, tone rough but edged with something almost concerned.

  Kirishima blinked, clearly pulled out of his own thoughts. He stared at his tray for a few seconds before answering. "I guess it's just that summer ended." He said flatly, then resumed eating.

  Bakugo watched him a moment longer before turning back to his food, unconvinced.

  Movement approached. Bakugo noticed first. His expression sharpened instantly.

  Robinn stepped up to their table with a noticeable pep in her stride. The overhead lights caught in her hair as she stopped in front of them, unintentionally blocking some of the sunlight streaming through the window.

  "Hey Kirishima." She said first, then shifted her gaze to Bakugo without losing the brightness in her tone. "And hey to you too Bakugo."

  Bakugo barely reacted beyond the slightest nod. Kirishima managed a small smile. "Hey Robinn."

  She blinked twice. "Mind if I sit here?" She asked, already lowering herself into the seat opposite them.

  "Uh sure." Kirishima said slowly, watching her with faint confusion.

  A moment of silence followed.

  "Aren't you gonna eat?" He asked, noticing her empty hands.

  She shook her head, tilting it slightly as she let out a small laugh. "Nahh I'm not really hungry today."

  He accepted that with a nod and continued eating.

  Bakugo glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Then again. Something about the way she sat with her hands folded loosely, posture relaxed but too deliberate, irritated him.

  What the hell is wrong with her? Acting like a whole different person.

  The irritation settled under his skin, sharp and persistent.

  The three of them sat in silence while cafeteria noise swelled around them. Trays clattered. Laughter burst from a nearby table. Someone shouted across the room.

  Then Robinn leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, chin propped on her hands.

  "So what's up with you Red? You've been super gloomy the whole day, preetty weird for you."

  Both boys looked at her.

  Confused.

  Kirishima swallowed his last bite, opened his mouth, then hesitated. His gaze dropped to the table. His fingers tightened against his leg beneath it.

  "I'm not sure." He said.

  Robinn's expression softened almost immediately. "Oh... that's fine, you don't always need to know." She offered a lopsided grin, cheeks slightly squished by her fists.

  Bakugo set his chopsticks down harder than necessary, the sound sharp against the table. Without a word, he grabbed his tray and stood.

  "You good Bakugo?" Robinn called after him, a little louder.

  His only response was flipping her off over his shoulder as he walked away.

  She watched him go for a second, face unreadable, then turned back to Kirishima.

  He let out a short, incredulous laugh. The absurdity of the situation hung in the air, thick and obvious to everyone except, apparently, Robinn.

  A silence stretched on, familiar between the two of them, though Kirishima had never quite known how to sit in it comfortably. He tried to keep eating, but his appetite had mostly left him, especially with the way Robinn watched him eat so intently.

  "Robinn you're acting weird." He said bluntly, finally meeting her gaze.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. She straightened, pulling back from her elbows, smile faltering. "Weird? Like... not knowing what I'd do if my gym exploded weird?"

  He blinked at the memory of the last time he had called her weird. Then he shook his head slowly. "No it isn't that..." His jaw tightened. "You're being weirdly nor-" He cut himself off, shaking his head as if physically rejecting the thought.

  "Nevermind." He said, standing and grabbing his tray.

  Robinn stood almost immediately, mirroring him. Her expression did not change as she followed him to return the tray.

  "Wait you're seriously not telling me?" She prodded, stepping from behind him to his side. "Nevermind? Now that's a weird thing to say." She said with a smile and a light wave of her hand.

  Kirishima's shoulders stiffened.

  They walked back to class in silence.

  Robinn leaned forward over the bathroom sink, palms flat against the porcelain, staring at her reflection in complete silence for a full minute. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above her, casting a pale wash over her face.

  Her expression didn't change.

  After a moment, she slipped a small green notebook from her pocket and flipped it open, pages already creased and worn at the corners. She skimmed through lines written in tight handwriting, lips moving slightly as her eyes tracked the words.

  "What'd I do wrong?" she muttered under her breath.

  She scanned her notes again.

  "Don't make it about yourself. Say something supportive. Notice when someone's upset..."

  Her eyes flicked back up to the mirror.

  "Does that not work?"

  The girl staring back at her looked almost the same as always. Almost. There was something a little too sharp in her gaze, something wound too tight. Her eyes shifted slightly and caught movement in the reflection as the bathroom door swung open behind her.

  At the same time, she straightened, smoothing her posture as she made eye contact with Setsuna.

  Setsuna smiled instinctively as she walked further inside, offering Robinn a casual nod while passing. Her eyes briefly caught on the small green notebook in Robinn's hands.

  "Whatcha got there?" she asked, pulling one hand from her skirt pocket and gesturing loosely toward it, tone light but curious.

  Robinn snapped upright, stiff as a board. In one quick motion, she swung the notebook behind her back. There was a small pause, just long enough to feel wrong.

  "It's my diary..." she blurted, her eyes darting between the floor and Setsuna's face.

  Setsuna's smile softened. She lifted a hand in a small, dismissive wave. "Oh, none of my business then." She said, already turning toward one of the stalls.

  The stall door shut.

  Robinn remained rooted in place.

  Warmth spread up her neck and into her cheeks. The sensation along her back prickled, subtle but persistent, like something crawling under her skin. She resisted the urge to rub at it.

  Her posture corrected automatically.