The next few days passed in a blur, the tension in the classroom softening under the weight of something far more immediate: midterms. Rivalries lost their bite when compared to the looming threat of failure, and even Bakugo’s usual sparks of hostility seemed dulled, hidden beneath yawns and endless pages of notes.

  By Wednesday lunchtime, the cafeteria hummed with its usual storm of voices. Trays clattered against tabletops, chairs scraped along the floor, and the smell of fried food and miso soup hung stubbornly in the air.

  Kaminari had given up pretending to be alive, his forehead planted flat against the table. "Ughhh... why do we have to finish all the midterms in just three days?" His voice was muffled against the wood, almost swallowed by the chatter.

  Momo, sitting prim and proper with her flawless bento in front of her, lifted her gaze. Even chewing looked elegant on her. "Because we’re in U.A. High School. We should be held to a higher standard than most students."

  Her matter-of-fact reasoning earned Kaminari another groan. His arms dangled limply at his sides as if gravity itself was too much to handle. "All this studying is frying my brain..."

  The word made Jirou perk up. She smirked, chopsticks still pinched between her fingers, and leaned in just enough to jab him in the arm. "You sure it’s the studying doing that? Not your quirk?" She snickered like she’d just nailed the joke of the week.

  Kaminari didn’t even rise to the bait. He just slumped further against the table, humming his misery into the wood.

  "Be glad we don’t have a practical test too," Jirou added, satisfied with herself.

  Momo, setting her chopsticks down, straightened as though she were preparing to address a debate panel. "Yes, I'm glad the the internships are being counted as our practical midterm."

  The conversation looped lazily from there, complaints rising and falling in circles until the lunch period bled away into the next class.

  The hours dragged by. Heads sank against desks, notebooks shuffled sluggishly, and more than one stifled snore slipped out during lectures. When homeroom finally ended, the students scattered like spooked pigeons, their hunger for study time outpacing any desire for lingering chatter.

  Robinn was among them at first, bag slung over one shoulder, her stride steady and purposeful. That was until Uraraka appeared in her path, flanked by the other girls like a strangely cheerful gang.

  "Hey, Robinn, do you want to go study at my place? All of us are going," Uraraka asked, her tone bright but edged with expectation.

  Robinn stopped short, caught in place. She looked down at Uraraka, silent for a moment too long. The hesitation was written plainly across her face. Only after the pause dragged did she answer, clipped and almost guilty.

  "Sure."

  The group spilled out of U.A. together, voices tumbling over one another in a rush of energy. Robinn trailed in their midst like a rock in a river, her posture taut and her eyes restless, as though waiting for someone to notice how badly she didn’t fit.

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  Conversations tangled together around her. Jirou and Momo talked about concert dates. Uraraka and Hagakure bickered with bright enthusiasm over mochi flavors. Mina, predictably, orbited closest, her curiosity bouncing louder than the others’.

  "Pleaaase give me your workout routine? Come on, you gotta share!" Mina whined, leaning so close she nearly toppled into Robinn.

  Robinn’s eyes narrowed faintly. "I already told you, Mina, my routine is built with me and my body type in mind. It wouldn’t do you justice. Especially for danci-"

  "Robinn."

  The interruption cut through like a blade. Tsuyu’s voice flat and her gaze unblinking, came from just behind. Robinn turned, brow raised, surprised. "Uhh, what’s up?"

  Tsuyu’s gaze held steady, wide eyes never wavering. Suspicion was plain in her stare. "You really don’t act like the rest of us."

  For a beat, Robinn met her stare head-on, then replied evenly. "Well I don’t really want to act like you, Asui. I’m just being myself."

  The bluntness earned her a glare, Tsuyu clearly on the verge of saying more when Mina, ever the peacemaker, flailed her arms between them. "Hey hey, no funny business before we get to Uraraka’s house! We need to study, remember?"

  Robinn gave a small approving nod and looked ahead again. Tsuyu lingered behind, lips pressed thin, but when Uraraka glanced back their eyes locked. Tsuyu sighed, fell back into step, and followed, still trailing and uneasy.

  At the station, they piled into the short train ride. The group was quieter now. Uraraka dozed off against the window, and Momo sat unnervingly upright, looking uneasy, her composure stretched thin. Tsuyu gently tapped Uraraka awake as they arrived, and the girls filed out onto the platform, shuffling along into the cloudy afternoon.

  Halfway to Uraraka’s apartment, the sky darkened. Robinn tilted her head up at the rolling clouds. "Looks like it’s gonna rain."

  The prediction was almost immediate. Raindrops spattered against the street, drawing mixed reactions. Tsuyu, oddly enough, brightened at the sight. Momo and Mina produced umbrellas in seconds. Jirou and Uraraka, of course, had forgotten theirs.

  Momo fixed that with a swift use of her quirk, making new umbrellas for them. Robinn declined the offer, letting the rain soak into her hair and shoulders without flinching.

  "Won’t your books get wet?" Tsuyu asked, stepping closer, her tone cautious.

  Robinn spared her a glance. "My bag’s waterproof. Same as yours, I assume."

  Tsuyu nodded, letting it go.

  But Momo, glancing back over her shoulder, pressed further. "You could get sick if you stay in the rain. And what about your phone?"

  Robinn’s answer was calm but firm. "I’ll be fine. I can get dry in a second. And my phone’s in my bag."

  That should have ended it. But Mina, ever the bloodhound for secrets, perked up instantly. "Wait, what do you mean you can get dry in a second?"

  Robinn’s glare said drop it, but Mina only leaned closer. With a sigh, Robinn slipped off her bag and handed it over. "Hold this."

  Mina accepted eagerly, stepping back. Robinn exhaled once, then her form blurred and vanished. From her toes upward she dissolved into air, raindrops falling straight through her and splattering onto her abandoned shoes. In moments she was gone entirely. Then, just as quickly, she reformed, skin and hair dry as though the rain hadn’t touched her at all.

  "Get it?" she said flatly, shimmying her now waterlogged shoes with a squelch as she caught up to the others and took back her bag.

  Mina laughed, delighted. "Your quirk is so versatile, Robinn."

  Robinn glanced at her. "Yours is too. Most quirks are more versatile than you first think. I learned that from a friend in America."

  That comment lit Mina up even brighter. "Oh yeah, you did mention studying abroad! What was that like?"

  Robinn blinked as a raindrop landed square in her eye, barely flinching. "Informative. A great opportunity. It wasn’t as good as U.A., but one of the only middle school Hero Courses in the world. Helped me a lot."

  Their positions shifted as they walked. Tsuyu moved to the front with Uraraka and Hagakure. Momo and Jirou walked closer ahead, leaving Robinn and Mina lingering behind.

  "So that’s why you’re so experienced," Momo remarked eventually, eyes dropping to the puddled ground. After a pause, she added, "You must be a recommendation student too, like me right?"

  Robinn tilted her head slightly. "Kind of? More of a direct transfer."

  "I see." Momo nodded, thoughtful, but didn’t press.

  The group fell into quiet. Only Uraraka and Hagakure’s chatter filled the space until they reached the apartment complex. They climbed the stairs, Uraraka unlocking her door with practiced ease and ushering them in.

  Robinn stayed back for a moment, setting her shoes aside and repeating her quick 'drying' trick before stepping in.

  Tsuyu, who somehow didn’t look wet at all, slipped past without a word.

  "So you live alone, Uraraka?" Robinn asked at last, taking in the modest space. "Kinda looks like my place."

  Uraraka nodded quickly, moving to prepare tea. "Yeah, my parents live in the countryside, so we rented something closer to school."

  "My parents would never let me live alone," Momo murmured, scanning the room. Jirou gave her a sideways look.

  Before the silence could stretch, Uraraka reappeared with steaming cups, announcing, "Tea’s ready!"

  They gathered, warming their hands, the tension softening in the small apartment. But Momo, ever the responsible one, finally stood and addressed the group.

  "We really should start studying."