Despite his misgivings, (L/N) reported to the Class 1A homeroom the following morning at 8:15 sharp. He had already made up his mind following Aizawa's first test; he had to gain control of his quirk, and that was exactly what he intended to do. He would learn to control his power, so he never hurt anyone again. But he would not follow his idealistic classmates in their goals to become heroes. Control. No more. No less.

He had memorized the layout of the classroom well enough by now that he was able to navigate his way to his desk without much assistance from his cane, and though his fellow classmates served as inconsistent obstacles, he arrived early enough that Iida and Yaoyorozu were usually the only students to have arrived before himself.

"Good morning, (L/N)!" Iida said with the high volume his voice always carried. "I hope you're doing well and appreciate you arriving the recommended fifteen minutes before class start!"

Ignoring the class representative, (L/N) dropped into his seat and lifted the cloth covering his eyes, massaging at the scarred tissue underneath. His forefinger and thumb rubbed at the corners of his eyes, clearing away the dead tissue that had peeled the scar tissue around his eyes and accumulated there. He stopped, sensing a pair of eyes on him, and hastily replaced the blindfold in its proper position.

Yaoyorozu blushed and looked away, embarrassed that she had been caught staring. One couldn't blame her for being curious though. (L/N)'s aversion towards people and conversation meant he was a mystery, one that was only added to by the cloth that he was never seen without. She'd never been one to participate in gossip, but she was well aware of the way her classmates talked about it. Coming up with different theories as to why he always wore the blindfold. Midorya proposed it was because by removing visual stimuli, that it enhanced his other senses. He quickly became a bumbling mess when reminded that (L/N) was blind even without it. Kirishima thought it was because his eyes might be damaged and he didn't want people to know, and Kaminari came up with the crazy idea that it was because he had no eyes at all.

It was rude, really, to be talking behind his back. But it's not like he ever talked to them, so it was really all they had to go on. Regardless, Yaoyorozu didn't think it prudent to gossip about what might be a sensitive topic. Still though, she couldn't help but wonder. Whenever she looked at him, she found herself wondering what lie behind it. What color his eyes were.

"Good morning, (L/N)." She said as more of Class 1A trickled through the door.

"Morning." He said shortly.

She smiled. It was more than she usually got out of him.

"Did you enjoy your day off?" She asked, pressing the small progress she had made. He simply shrugged. "Hmm, well I think we should all strive to learn something new every day. For instance, just this morning I discovered that hot water actually freezes faster than cold water due to something called the Mpemba Effect. I'm not quite sure I completely understand it, but it's still fascinating. What about you? Did you learn anything new?"

(L/N) was just about to open his mouth to respond when Iida's booming voice cut through the chatter in the classroom, effectively ending everyone's morning conversations. (L/N) was just as surprised as anyone when he heard Mr. Aizawa greet them. The muffled tone of his voice told him that their homeroom teacher's face must be covered in bandages.

"My wellbeing is irrelevant." He said dismissively. "What's more important is that your fight isn't over yet."

Mr. Aizawa had a way of setting everyone's nerves on edge even when referring to the most harmless of scenarios. Today was no different. Everyone stiffened at his words, and (L/N) could hear Mineta shaking in his seat.

"The UA Sports Festival is about to start."

Predictably, Class 1A became abuzz with excitement at the mention of the world-famous event. A few points were raised about the practicality of the decision; if it was wise to be hosting the event immediately after villains had managed to bypass security. But apparently administration thought it for the best.

After class was dismissed, talk once again broke out about everyone's excitement about the festival. How pro hero agencies used this as an opportunity to scout for potential sidekicks, and how putting on a good show at this festival could guarantee you a successful future. Because the event was essentially a performance, the conversation turned again to the topic of flashy quirks. He heard his name, in addition to Bakugou's and Todoroki's, being brought up again as the rest of the class displayed their envy at such flashy, show stealing quirks. Their continued ignorance annoyed him, yes, but it was Iida's comment that elicited a resentful scoff from him.

"We enrolled at this school with the sole aim to become heroes."

With that, he had decided he'd heard enough. Class had been dismissed, so there was no point in him sitting here and continuing to listen to everyone's incessant prattling. Gathering his school materials, he stood up and made for the exit. He was nearing the end of the hallway and about to round the corner when he heard his name being called from behind. What did she want now?

"Can I help you?" He asked abrasively as Yaoyorozu caught up to him, her footsteps falling in pace with his own.

"Er, sorry." She said, unbalanced by his rather aggressive tone. "I just, I never got a chance to thank you for what happened at the USJ."

(L/N) inhaled sharply, his grip tightening around his cane. "It was nothing." He said.

Yaoyorozu frowned and bit her lower lip. "I spoke with Ashido about it. She told me about how you saved our classmates. I think she might have a bit of a crush on you." She said with a small laugh. "My point is it wasn't nothing. Jiro, Kaminari, and I probably wouldn't have made it out of there if it weren't for you. What you did was very heroi..."

"Drop it." He said firmly. "Just... just stop talking about it. Please."

"I-I'm sorry." Yaoyorozu stuttered, her face flushed. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just..."

"Look," (L/N) sighed, "I don't want to talk about it, okay. Not with you and not with anyone else. In fact, go ahead and tell the others to leave me alone, too."

"Very well." Yaoyorozu nodded. "I'm sorry if I upset you. Do you... do you mind if I ask you something else?"

She took his silence to mean yes.

"Why do you want to become a hero?"

It took her a few seconds to notice he had stopped. She looked back to see him a few paces behind, his brow furrowed and both his hands holding the neck of his cane.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, well, I suppose I'm curious." She said. "I'd like to know more about you. I think everyone in our class would. You're somewhat of a mystery to be completely honest. We're nearly a month into the first term and we still know almost nothing about you. I thought this might be a good place to start."

"Listen," (L/N) said, "you've been... kind to me, so I'll phrase this as politely as I can. I enjoy my privacy and don't appreciate it when others intrude upon it. I understand what you're trying to do, and can recognize it as a kind gesture, but I'm not here to make friends. As far as I'm concerned, you, and everyone else in this school are just more sources of noise that I have to drown out. Now, I don't know if the others put you up to this or if you're really just trying to satiate your own curiosity, but if anyone else asks why I want to be a hero, you can tell them this. I don't."