"Are they there again?" Reiji muttered, seeing the caras crowded outside the U.A. gates. Not a single day had passed since U.A. opened without them trying to get the scoop on the incredible event of All Might becoming a teacher.
The teachers, and especially the principal, refused to give interviews or anything similar. They weren't obligated to, and aside from the swarm of reporters outside the gates and the social dia frenzy, the dia pressure wasn't forcing them to act either.
"Apparently, they never tire of yelling at a tal gate until they get an interesting response," Himiko remarked, adjusting her scarf over her mouth and pulling down the hood of her coat to avoid being seen.
Reiji did the sa.
"We could go around and enter through the practice area. Access is granted to students in these situations," Himiko said, keeping a close eye on the cara angles. "I'm not going through that avalanche again."
"That sounds great."
They turned onto a side street. Slowly circling the imposing U.A. building, the path was much longer but far quieter.
"Theoretically, you could also enter and exit this way if needed," Himiko comnted, with Reiji close behind. "It's just that it's not normal for first-years to know about all the other entrances."
"Yeah, I've noticed that part of the autonomy we're given on campus is also to figure this place out for ourselves..."
Since the day he started, Reiji hadn't heard a single explanation about the different areas of the academy and had mostly had to look things up himself or ask Himiko.
They both entered the building, walking casually through the empty hallways. From there, they could take the elevator directly to the academic sector without going through the main entrance.
"Do you think this will last?" Himiko asked, while they waited for the elevator to arrive.
"The reporters? Just a little longer. All Might doesn't go unnoticed throughout Japan, so until sothing or soone does sothing significant, we'll just have to put up with it," Reiji said wearily. He really didn't like the dia... More specifically, reporters.
The day before, he had almost been crushed by the avalanche after being identified as the boy who saved Bakugo from the mud villain.
"So the solution is for another student to save a boy from a villain, right?" Himiko replied with a smile.
"Sothing like that..."
'Didn't this stop when Shigaraki broke down the door?' Reiji wondered silently. If so, then it probably wouldn't happen, and it would be several more days before the mob completely disappeared.
The elevator's ding caught their attention. They stepped inside and waited for it to take them to their destinations.
The doors opened onto one of the building's main hallways. A couple of students were walking briskly down the corridor. Classes were just a few minutes away, and so classrooms were quite a distance from where they were standing.
As they walked toward their respective classrooms, Himiko moved a little closer.
"I won't be able to have lunch with you today," she told him again, sothing she'd already ntioned a couple of tis on the way. "I hope you don't eat lunch alone, okay?"
Even though Reiji seed like the older brother most of the ti, Himiko occasionally rembered his position of authority.
"I don't think I could, even if I wanted to," he said, thinking that not only his classmates, but Shinso and Izuku would probably join him at his table if they saw him eating alone.
She smiled, satisfied.
***
It was just after eight in the morning when Aizawa entered the classroom, looking as exhausted as ever.
His hair was slightly disheveled, the dark circles under his eyes seed deeper than the day before, and his shoulders slumped as if it were a natural part of his anatomy. He paused for barely a second by the doorfra, observing the students scattered around the room.
Most were chatting animatedly about the previous day's training, others were comparing their hero costus, and so were simply enjoying the last few quiet minutes before class started.
Aizawa let out a long sigh.
"Silence."
He didn't need to repeat it.
The natural authority he exuded gradually silenced the conversations until the classroom was quiet. His footsteps echoed slowly, the door closing behind him as he entered.
"You've had enough ti to get to know each other, so today it's finally ti to choose the class representatives."
"Representatives?" Uraraka asked from the front rows as she settled more comfortably in her seat.
"Are we going to elect a president?" Mina added imdiately afterward, leaning on her desk with obvious enthusiasm. "That sounds fun!"
"President and vice president," Aizawa replied, dragging himself to the teacher's desk. "They lead school activities, represent the class at official events, help maintain order, and coordinate ergency situations. It's not a decorative title to make you feel important. If soone accepts the position, they'll have real responsibilities."
That slightly dampened the enthusiasm of so.
Not everyone.
"Tsk," Bakugo clicked his tongue from the back. "Why don't we just choose the strongest?"
The question sparked several imdiate reactions.
"Because this isn't a competition of strength," Momo replied calmly before anyone else could. Sitting with her back straight and arms crossed, she seed to have considered the matter even before it was brought up.
"It takes leadership, organizational skills, and sound judgnt to make decisions. Strength helps, but it's far from the only important thing," Aizawa emphasized, wanting to avoid major problems in the future if soone as impulsive as Katsuki were to take the position.
There was a brief pause before Tsuyu finally spoke.
"Although, if we're talking about strength, Reiji is the right person, and he seems to et the other criteria."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The first to react was Reiji, who narrowed his eyes, wanting to refuse imdiately, but then relented. As long as the idea didn't gain traction, he had no grounds to argue against it.
Bakugo slowly turned his head toward the frog girl sitting a few seats ahead. Her expression clearly showed she'd just heard sothing she didn't like at all.
However, before he could start an argunt, another voice chid in.
"I completely agree!" Iida raised his hand with lightning speed. "But anyway, the election should be done through a democratic vote! It's the fairest way to ensure the class chooses who they think is best suited for the position!"
"Exactly," Aizawa confird. "You have the whole class. Vote for whoever you think is the most suitable."
He glanced at the group.
"And don't vote for yourselves..."
So felt their chances dwindle drastically with that final warning.
A few minutes later, the classroom began to organize itself. Momo created a small box for the ballots while lissa and Mina helped distribute makeshift ballots among the desks. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than a formal election usually would be, but that's precisely why most people seed to be enjoying it.
"This actually feels like a real election," Camie comnted, observing the makeshift ballot box. "It's only missing a political campaign."
"And more posters," Mina added.
"And impossible promises," Denki finished.
Laughter spread through several rows.
"I just hope it doesn't turn into a popularity contest," Mineta muttered, looking around, his gaze inevitably landing on Reiji.
Reiji seed completely oblivious to the situation. Or at least as oblivious as his classmates, who constantly approached him to ask questions, would allow.
lissa leaned slightly toward Uraraka.
"Do you know who you're voting for yet?" she asked quietly.
Uraraka smiled imdiately.
"I think it's pretty obvious," Uraraka remarked, my eyes glancing slightly at the blond boy calmly studying the sheet of paper in front of him.
"Yeah, I thought so..." lissa comnted. "It seems like the most obvious answer considering how long we've been together."
anwhile, Reiji stared at the sheet of paper in front of him. He didn't seem particularly interested in the results. In fact, when he finally marked a na, he did so with the sa nonchalance he would have shown completing any other academic assignnt.
Five minutes later, the votes were tallied.
And the result was far less surprising to the class than it would have been to any outside observer.
Mina practically leaped to the front of the classroom, paper in hand.
"Alright!" she exclaid. "Ti to announce the results!"
Excitent rippled through the room.
"In third place, we have Momo Yaoyorozu, with 3 votes." A few claps erupted imdiately.
Momo bowed her head slightly in a sign of gratitude.
"In second place with 4 votes..." Mina smiled. "lissa Shield!"
This ti the applause was louder.
lissa smiled with so surprise.
She hadn't seed to expect such a high ranking. Although, considering the number of votes, it made so sense.
"And the winner by a rather absurd margin of 11 votes is..." Mina held up the paper dramatically. "Reiji Toga!"
The reaction was imdiate. A round of applause filled the room. Even so students who hadn't voted for him seed to find the result logical.
"Yeah, that makes sense!" Kirishima exclaid.
Reiji slowly rubbed his forehead. The feeling was strangely similar to when Mina had started the whole Nejire thing.
Too many people talking about him at the sa ti.
When the noise finally subsided a bit, he stood up.
"Thank you," he said with a slight sigh. "But no."
Silence fell imdiately.
"What?"
Several people asked at the sa ti.
"I don't accept," Reiji replied with absolute composure.
The sentence took several seconds to process.
"You don't accept?" Denki repeated.
"Is that even possible?"
"Of course it is," Reiji replied. "And I am doing it. Consider it my sole rule as class president..."
Several expressions of disbelief appeared around the classroom.
"But you won!" Mina protested.
"That's precisely why I'm resigning," he replied.
"That doesn't make any sense," Jiro added.
Reiji let out a small sigh.
"Listen. I appreciate you considering suitable for the position." His tone was completely sincere. "But I'm not the right person."
Several eyebrows were raised.
"Why?" Uraraka asked.
Because it really did seem like an absurd answer.
Reiji rested a hand on the back of his chair. It was a good question, one that didn't have a concrete answer beyond the fact that his double life as an agent, the imminent threat of Shigaraki, and the public figure he already represented consud him far too much to add another burden.
However insignificant it might be.
"Because being a representative ans keeping an eye on everyone," he explained briefly, attempting to offer a plausible lie. "Organizing things. Solving problems. Coordinating people."
He shrugged slightly.
"I'm not good at it."
Half the class seed eager to argue with that statent. The other half was simply confused.
But the calmness with which he spoke made sothing important clear.
He truly didn't want the position.
And precisely for that reason, no one could find an easy way to convince him.
Finally, Mina held up the paper again.
"Well..." She glanced at the results. "I suppose the next person is lissa then."
lissa blinked.
Then she smiled.
And stood up.
"If everyone agrees..." she said, looking at the class. "I'll do my best."
The applause returned imdiately.
"And the vice president?" Uraraka asked.
lissa turned her gaze to soone else.
"Momo." The girl in question raised her head slightly. "You were the third most voted,"
lissa reminded her with a nod, snapping Momo out of her initial daze.
"And honestly, I think we'd work well together."
Momo remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.
"I can take on the responsibility," she replied calmly. "I'll do everything I can to help the class."
Aizawa observed the entire scene from his desk. He kept his eyes closed and appeared to be asleep, but that wasn't really the case.
"Perfect," the hero murmured. "We're done with that."
***
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