The next day of school is cancelled so we can rest and recuperate after the attack. I spend most of the morning in bed, watching Disney movies until Mic calls me to practice. Once again, I eat minimal food, but I promise to myself I will eat a large dinner. I can get away with it if I say I don't want to inhibit my training, right?

Starting our training, he tells me to practice my newest skill to strenghten my endurance. We stand across from each other as I close my eyes and focus on every square inch of the room. This attack is powerful, but it comes at the price of me closing my eyes, forcing my guard to be down for the second before the activation of my quirk. 

I illuse white noise from every point of the room, allowing it to flow freely around itself like a liquid. I feel my hair drifting around my face as well as my clothes moving around me, as though I am under water. With this activated, I can feel the location of every wall, person, and object in the room. We call the attack "Echolocation."

"Right now, it just feels like humid air! Try to interact with something! Something light though! Don't wanna strain yourself!"

With a wrenching feeling in every muscle in my body, I send a pulse through the white noise to Mic's jacket. Through the noise, I can feel it moving more. 

I feel through the sound that Mic is opening his mouth and quickly brace myself for his enthusiastic voice. This causes my focus to dwindle and my hair falls back to the sides of my head, the sound faltering and stopping my attack altogether

"GOOD JOB, KOTO!!" he raves, coming over to my side. 

I did it! I actually interacted with something!! I can't hide the smile on my face as he wraps me in a hug. 

"Do it again!!" He enthuses. 

I activate my Echolocation once more with renewed vigor. It feels as though the sound is an extension of my body. Despite the taxing effects on my energy, I find being able to move multiple objects at once feels natural to me. 

Curious, I fill the space with the first few cords of a song that's been in my head lately. The air teems with activity and I feel my body being lifted from the floor, truly floating through the liquified sound. 

"STOP STOP STOP!!!" Mic's voice shouts and I quickly release my hold on the sound, panicked. My body falls through the air and he lunges to protect my head as I collapse onto the lightly padded floor. Breathing becomes labored for me as I try to let out a breath. Inhaling, something thick enters my lungs and I turn over to hack it out into the ground. Below me, a splatter of blood and spit coats the floor and my hands. 

"You're going to have to strengthen your endurance even more before you attempt that again," he says very sternly. I'm taken aback by his tone, but when I look over to him, his smile is still on his face. "But that was very impressive Koto! NOW YOU KNOW A LARGER EXTENT TO YOUR POWER!!! KEEP TRAINING AND YOU'LL GET A HOLD ON IT!!"

He helps me to the bathroom so I can clean myself up before I sneak back to the training room to keep practicing. Of course, just with the light white noise to not strain myself too hard. 

•°•°•°•

The next day, students excitedly discuss the story on the news about our class being attacked. They should be shaken up, but they just look excited to have screen time.

"We're big deals," Kaminari leans back in his chair, addressing Kirishima and Sero. He might be including me in the conversation, but I don't know. "Those news channels love us. We're basically celebrities."

"Yeah, it's kinda crazy, right?" Kirishima adds. 

"Get over yourselves," Tokoyami addresses them. "The hero course that pumps out pros was attacked and that's what they care about."

Soon, the whole class has started joining this one discussion, so I just sit back and listen. 

Iida calls everyone's attention to the front and yells at us to stop talking and take our seats. However, he soon realizes he's the only one standing and rushes to his seat, embarrassed. 

The door opens to reveal… Mr. Aizawa? He's covered in bandages and has casts for both his arms. The mere sight of him all mummified like that makes me want to bury my head in a pillow and cry. 

"Morning, class," his muffled voice says from under the bandages. 

"MR. AIZAWA, WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?!?" The class shouts in shock. 

He limps to the front of the room, explaining that we still have more to do, preparing for the UA Sports Festival. 

Students question the rationale in going through with the festival just after the attack. However, the rest of the teachers seem to think that this is a way to show that the school is still safe, while allowing us to show off our powers so we can be scouted out for internships. 

Internships?!? I'm only 15!! We just started high school and we already have to go out into the real world to do hero work?!? My stomach drops into my shoes and I anticipate not eating much for lunch. 

The whole world watches this event! Why, oh why did I sign up for this school?

With homeroom dismissed, we have to sit through our other academic classes before lunch, waiting in anticipation for the intense training that's to come. 

I run to lunch the moment class is dismissed, leaving the rest of my classmates to discuss the festival excitedly. I pick up my tray and begin walking to my usual table, when a hand rests on my shoulder. Whipping around, I see Kirishima putting his hands up with an amused expression. "Hey there, Yamada! Be careful! I'm not looking to get stabbed by chopsticks today!" 

I send him an apologetic look, seeing as I can't use my hands at the moment to write an apology. 

"We usually sit at that table over there," he points to a table closer to a window. "Go ahead and save it for us, will ya?"

I nod and head over to the indicated table. I sit hastily and try to eat a few grains of rice before the others come over. 

"Why's this extra sitting with us?" An angry voice asks. I look up to see Bakugo across from me, slamming his tray down. I recoil at the action and my heart rate increases.

"Relax, dude! I asked her to sit with us. And her name's Yamada. You should learn it if you want to make any friends here," Kirishima says from my left as he sets his food down. 

The blonde looks taken aback as Kaminari and Sero join us. "Sup, Yamada!" Kaminari greets. I nod in greeting to him and Thing 3 as they also sit down. 

"I asked her to teach us sign language so we could communicate easier!"

"Why would I want to talk with her?" The ash blonde throws a deadly glare at me.

"It makes sense!" Sero exclaims. "It'll be much faster on the battlefield if she doesn't have to take the time to write something down, then for us to read it. Good thinking, Kirishima!"

"Thanks, dude!" He replies. "Besides, Bakugo. If you don't like it, you can always go sit… Over there!" His eyes scan the cafeteria before landing on the table he's looking for. He points to a table closer to the middle where Midoriya, Iida, and Ochaco speak enthusiastically, Iida flailing his arms all over the place. Todoroki eats silently while Aoyama is practically standing, trying to get as much attention as possible.

Bakugo merely grunts and hunches over his food as the other three look at me expectantly. "So… Should we get started?" Kaminari asks. I shrug and nod, eating another grain of rice before uncapping my marker and starting with the basics. 

•°•°•°•

Our time until the sports festival flies by. What with extra training, dance lessons, and sign language lessons with the boys, I barely find any time or energy to do homework anymore. That being said, I still fight my drooping eyelids to get it done, but it's taken its toll. The night before the festival, I am forced to bed by Uncle Mic who takes my laptop hostage so I can't do any more work. I scramble for it, but he keeps it out of my reach. 

"No, you don't have anything due tomorrow and you need your sleep!!!"

"Dude!" I sign and he pauses for a moment before closing the door behind him. 

"Goodnight!"

I've never called him dude before. I'm hanging out with the guys too much, I think with a sigh. But they really have been great. Just today, Kirishima took my phone and added his number to it, sending himself a message so he would have mine as well. 

He's been sending me a few memes every now and then, but I haven't paid attention to them. I've been too focused on work. 

I take a moment to scroll through my phone as I grudgingly begin my nightly routine. I see I have 10 new memes from Kirishima and he also added me to a group chat with three other numbers I don't have. 

"Get some good sleep before tomorrow!!" The first text says from Kirishima. 

I can guess the next number is Bakugo because he politely requested we all fuck off. He hasn't been participating in our sign language lessons. Not that I would expect him to, but I'm just surprised he still sits with us. 

The other two numbers are still mysteries to me as I plug my phone in and turn off the light. After much tossing and turning, I finally fall into a fitful sleep. I haven't been able to get any good sleep lately. Must be all the stress.