The sun fell slantingly through the large windows of U.A.'s main dining hall, casting golden hues over the metal tables and the scattered conversations of the students.
Reiji sat next to a column near the window, his lunch tray half-full, his gaze fixed on the main doors.
He'd slipped away a little before class to get a good spot. Himiko didn't have the same lunch schedule that day, so he'd had to sit alone, not that it bothered him anyway.
Outside, the noise of reporters continued unabated. But there wasn't even a hint that they would breach the main doors like the original story.
'Shigaraki... You're not going to show up, are you?' he wondered, digging his fork into his rice.
'Waiting for an invasion or just grumpy about the cafeteria food?' a voice asked to his left.
Shinso. With her usual expression of resigned annoyance, she placed her tray in front of him. Behind her were two students from Class 1-B: Ibara Shiozaki, the vine-haired girl, and a boy named Awase, with a screw sticking out of his arm. They seemed to have adopted Shinso as part of the group for some reason.
"Both," Reiji replied without looking up.
"Technically, today's lunch has 17% more protein than last time," Awase pointed out, reading something on her tablet as if it were relevant.
"Technically, it still tastes like hot rubber," Shinso retorted.
Ibara sat down with a calm expression. "We shouldn't complain about the blessings we receive."
Reiji, for his part, just stared at Shinso's two companions. He remembered the girl; she was unmistakable with her vine-like hair. Meanwhile, the other boy... I only suspected he was from Class B, but I didn't remember anything else about him.
Shinso did the honors.
"This is Reiji, Class 1-A. He needs no introduction, but I'll give it anyway. Reiji, this is Ibara Shiozaki and Awase Yosetsu, Class 1-B."
"Nice to meet you," Ibara said with a slight bow. "I've heard of you. Your name gets passed around a lot among the students."
"That's not usually a good thing," Reiji murmured, barely raising his gaze.
"Sometimes it is, if it's accompanied by respect," she replied calmly.
"Awase," the other added, raising his hand in greeting. "Specialist in quick welding. If you ever break something in combat, I'm your guy."
"Thanks... I'll keep that in mind," Reiji replied, almost reflexively.
"You sat alone. So I assumed you had no objection to sharing," Shinso commented, simply beginning to eat.
"I don't mind," Reiji admitted casually.
"It's rare to see two people from different classes who have met before," Awase said, digging her fork into a croquette.
"I guess we're the exception," Reiji commented.
"And there's still Izuku left. One day you'll meet him too."
There was a brief pause. Ibara took a sip of her juice before speaking again.
"It's nice to meet someone from Class A who doesn't act like the rest of us are automatic rivals."
Reiji tilted his head slightly. The vivid image of Katsuki insulting everyone came to mind.
"I promise you, most of us aren't like that..."
"I hope so," Ibara replied with a serene smile. "I didn't come here to compete against my classmates, but against my own weakness."
At that moment, a cheerful voice approached the table from the side.
"Oh, Reiji? What a coincidence," Mina Ashido said, holding her tray. "Can I sit down?"
"Sure," he replied, moving slightly to the side.
"Thank you," she smiled, sitting down naturally. "I didn't expect to find you here with Class B. Hello, by the way," she added, looking at Shinso, Ibara, and Awase. "I'm Mina, from Class 1-A."
"I'm Ibara Shiozaki," the girl with tangled hair said with a slight nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Awase Yosetsu. Nice to meet you," the boy added with a slight gesture.
"Mina is... the most social person in our class," Reiji explained in a neutral tone.
"Don't exaggerate either!" She laughed. "But I do try to get to know everyone. It's easier to survive the first year if you don't lock yourself away in your group."
"That's true," Ibara said, surprised by the frankness. "I'm glad you think so."
Just then, another calmer figure approached, headphones dangling from their necks and a relaxed expression.
"Open table?" Kyoka Jiro asked, scanning the group.
"Come in," Shinso replied quietly. "There's room."
"Thanks," she said as she sat down. "I was sick of the muscle-building conversations at Kaminari and Kirishima's table."
"Did you end up with a headache too?" Mina asked.
"Literally, yes," Jiro said, pointing at his ankles. "I overdid it with the heart-rate training."
"So how are you doing, Reiji?" Mina asked, turning to him with genuine interest.
"Eating"
"Great," she replied, used to his short answers.
The conversation remained calm, revolving around training anecdotes, the differences in style between teachers, and the demanding pace of U.A. Reiji intervened only when he had something to contribute, casually glancing at the main gates of the academy where nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
"Apparently, that won't happen..."
Ibara, for her part, grew more comfortable as the minutes passed. Her conversation with Mina flowed naturally, and from time to time she glanced at Reiji as if trying to decipher what kind of person he was.
After finishing eating, Jiro stretched listlessly.
"Time to go back. Aizawa doesn't forgive being late, even if it's because of the food."
"Thanks for letting us share," Ibara said, bowing her head slightly.
"Anytime," Reiji replied calmly.
Shinso glanced at him as they stood up.
"You're settling in faster than you expected, huh?"
"I should say so. When I met you, you were the number one antisocial."
"Hey!"
***
The air in the workshop was thick with metal dust and the smell of freshly stripped wire. Amid the controlled chaos of loose parts, tools, and oil-stained sketches, Mei Hatsume spun around in her rolling chair without looking.
"You took a while." Her voice was direct, as if she'd been waiting for him longer than she was willing to admit.
Reiji closed the door behind him before answering the girl.
"I had some free time. I thought I'd stop by for the parts."
"Perfect." Mei stood up, walking briskly between packed shelves. "I'd already finished them a few hours ago. I thought I'd drop them off, but... let's just say I had a suspicion you'd come on your own."
She stopped by a side table. There rested the new adhesive gloves and a more cleanly designed compact belt. She lifted them carefully, almost mimickingly.
"Here they are. Second version. I redesigned the gloves with pressure-sensitive microgrips, much more stable on inclined surfaces. And the belt has a double internal anchor. If you fall wrong, at least you won't break your hip and it won't come loose like the first one."
Reiji took the gloves, analyzing them silently as he slowly rolled them between his fingers. The material seemed lighter, and the interior had a hexagonal pattern he didn't remember from the previous one. And this time, they even had a greater function.
"They look... better."
"They feel better," Mei smiled. "But you'll know that when you're climbing a wall like a cockroach with a hero complex."
Reiji looked at her. For a second, their eyes met. He looked away casually.
"Do you have my measurements saved?" he asked, noticing how the gloves fit perfectly, even though Mei hadn't even measured his hands.
"I only observed your previous tests. It's not like I wrote down every exact measurement of your fingers, your palms, the length between knuckles..." He stopped, blinking rapidly. "Well, yes, I do. For accuracy."
He placed the belt on the table and gently tapped it with his fingers.
"This one's new too. More flexible, with better weight distribution. It holds more tools or compartments if you ever want to hide something... I don't know, like a compass, a communicator, a juice bottle... Whatever."
Reiji placed the gloves on the table, carefully trying on the belt. He adjusted it precisely. It fit perfectly.
"Thanks," he said without looking, concentrating on testing the magnetic closure of the buckle.
"You're welcome," Mei replied, leaning against the table with her arms crossed. The gesture was completely unconscious, but it was enough to make her chest stand out naturally. Reiji noticed. Not by choice, but because his body had been betraying him lately. His gaze lowered for a fleeting second, then rose again as if nothing had happened.
He was young. And no matter how hard he tried to stay calm, he knew he was starting to lose that battle. Besides, he'd be lying if Hawks's words hadn't made him think.
With Himiko, it was a topic, but with any other girl. Why couldn't he? Did saving the world really matter that much if by then he'd have nothing left?
"I like it when someone knows how to use what I do," Mei said, not noticing... or maybe he did, the slight distraction from the boy in front of her. "And you... well, you make all this seem really useful."
Reiji tilted his head slightly, remembering the times he'd thrown himself into the fray with his failed prototypes, the explosions, the fixes. He'd suffered more than he cared to admit, but his regeneration helped make those things go away more easily, and it was much better than being stabbed with needles and injected with harmful substances all the time...
"They work," he replied simply. "And the fit is good. Did you use internal braiding in the gloves?"
Mei beamed from ear to ear. "Yes! Finally, someone notices without me having to shout it out! The inner layer is reinforced with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer and an anti-slip compound. You're not just going to stick anymore: you're going to stay."
Reiji nodded, turning the gloves over in his hands again. But his mind wasn't entirely on the materials.
"And the belt?" he asked, out of inertia.
"Modular, with three hidden compartments. Lighter than the old one, but just as durable." She stepped forward and bent slightly to adjust one of the straps, with that familiarity that only time brings. Reiji didn't move. He was used to Mei invading his personal space with complete ease. But this time it was different.
This time, he felt it. The closeness. Her breathing. The brief brush of her fingers against his hip. Even if everything was the same, at least for him it was something different.
"You could adjust this side more, if you want more grip while running," he whispered, without looking up.
Reiji swallowed almost imperceptibly. He kept his expression neutral, even though some unhealthy thoughts crossed his mind. Still, he steadfastly ignored it.
"...Thanks," he murmured.
Mei sat up, her smile softer this time. "That's what I'm here for. For you."
Reiji didn't reply. He calmly took the gloves, hooked them on his belt, and took a step toward the door.
"See you."
"Yes..." she said, more quietly. "I'll wait for you to try out the next version. You know where."
As the door closed behind him, Mei sighed, crossing her arms again.
Reiji, as he descended the stairs of the support building, considered for a moment whether Hawks was right.
"Falling in love... Is it what I feel for Himiko, but much more free?" He wondered, somewhat confused.
===
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