It had stopped raining on their way back, leaving the air heavy and damp. Puddles glimmered on the asphalt, reflecting the pale orange glow of the streetlights as they flickered to life one by one. The streets were mostly empty, the sound of their footsteps carrying through the quiet. Both girls walked in a comfortable silence, their bags swinging lightly at their sides.

  A voice cut through the stillness.

  "Hey, you! Tall bitch."

  Both turned at once. Tsuyu’s eyes widened, while Robinn’s expression hardly shifted. A man in his mid-thirties staggered toward them, his scraggly beard patchy and damp, his cheeks blotched red. The way he swayed on his feet made it clear he was drunk.

  "What are some young girls doing out alone in the street so late?" he slurred, stumbling closer. "C’mon, I’ll take you home, cuties."

  Tsuyu shot Robinn a worried glance, but Robinn only looked thoughtful, as if weighing her options. Then she stepped forward, her face brightening with that practiced, cheerful smile of hers.

  "Hey man, don’t worry, we’re fine by ourselves. But thanks for asking, you’re such a kind person!" Her tone was sunny and smooth, perfectly calm.

  The man’s gaze sharpened, his lips wet as he licked them. "I-I don’t think you’re fine. It’s dangerous out here. How about we go back to my place," he hiccuped, nearly tripping over himself "it’s close, and I’ve got a spare couch."

  He closed the distance between them. Tsuyu hovered behind Robinn, frozen in hesitation.

  Robinn’s smile widened. "Thanks for the offer once again, but we were almost home anyway. No need to worry about us."

  The man suddenly grabbed her hand. His palm was damp and clammy. "Don’t be stupid, kid. I’m just a nice person trying to help."

  The change was instant. Robinn’s eyes sharpened, her cheer flattening into something dangerous. She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper only he could hear.

  "You touch me again, and I’ll leave you in a ditch."

  Her smile remained in place, but it no longer reached her eyes. She squeezed his hand hard enough to make him flinch, then leaned back just enough to see the shock spreading over his face.

  Tsuyu hadn’t heard the words, but she saw the man’s reaction, and it was enough. "Hey, Robinn… we should go."

  "Hey, hey, hey, you bitch!" the man barked, jerking his hand back. "You can’t just threaten me! I’m being a kind person, like you said." His voice rose, shrill and indignant, his hand digging into his pocket.

  Robinn’s expression shifted again, sharper now. "Don’t even think about it."

  The man yanked out a knife. Its blade was short and rusted, but in the dim light it caught a dull gleam. He sneered, pointing it at them with unsteady hands. "It’s your fault for being such a prude."

  His stance was sloppy, his balance ruined by the alcohol, but a blade was still a blade. And with their quirks off-limits, even a rusted knife was a real threat.

  Robinn lifted her hands, palms open in a calming gesture. "Calm down, man. You really don’t want to do this."

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  He hiccupped again, his whole body jerking with it, then lurched forward. "Oh, fuck you. You started this."

  That was enough.

  Robinn lowered her stance in a heartbeat, sweeping his legs with one sharp motion. The man’s body hit the wet pavement with a sickening thump. The knife skittered from his grip, and Robinn immediately kicked it down a storm drain, the clang of metal echoing as it vanished.

  Without hesitation, she grabbed Tsuyu’s free hand. "Come on."

  They bolted down the street, their bags bouncing against their sides. The sound of their hurried footsteps and jostling food filled the silence until Robinn yanked them into a narrow alley. She pressed her back to the wall, breathing steady, and peeked around the corner.

  They waited in silence for nearly a minute, the air thick with tension. Finally, Robinn drew back.

  "I don’t think he followed us. That tumble should have knocked him out for a while." She crouched, setting the bags down, and glanced at the wrist he had grabbed.

  Tsuyu spoke carefully. "Robinn… thanks for that. But don’t you think you escalated it?"

  Robinn snorted softly, eyes narrowing. "Even if I did, assholes like that deserve a good lesson every now and then." She raised her hand, her expression twisting with distaste as she transformed it into air. Droplets of grime and sweat fell to the ground before she shifted it back to flesh.

  "And that’s as a civilian, not a hero. It was still self-defense."

  Tsuyu looked at her doubtfully, but she couldn’t deny how quickly Robinn had ended it. Still, watching her react with such revulsion to a simple touch stirred something uneasy in Tsuyu. Maybe Robinn kept her past sealed away for a reason, something darker than she let anyone see.

  "Thanks," Tsuyu murmured, her chest loosening as she let out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  Robinn peeked onto the street again. Clear. She stood, hefting the bags back into her hands. "We’re clear. Come on, let’s get to Uraraka’s before the food gets cold."

  She strode back into the glow of the streetlights, and Tsuyu followed, her steps quieter this time.

  Tsuyu slowed her steps, her throat tight with hesitation. For a moment she considered keeping quiet, but after a nervous gulp she finally spoke.

  "Hey, Robinn… please don’t mention what happened right now to the others."

  Robinn stopped a few paces ahead, tilting her head back toward her with a raised brow. "Why?"

  Tsuyu’s gaze dropped. The words stuck on her tongue before she forced them out. "It’s just… I don’t want Uraraka to feel like it’s her fault we went through this. She’s probably already feeling bad about not having enough food for all of us."

  Robinn blinked, caught off guard. "I mean, I wouldn’t have enough food for all of you at my place either. Why is she feeling bad about that?"

  The weight of the truth pressed down on Tsuyu’s chest. Her voice softened, almost guilty. "It’s just… different situations. Uraraka’s family isn’t doing that well financially, and sometimes she can’t afford food and goes hungry. I hate that. I don’t like seeing my friend suffer because of things out of her control. So she probably feels guilty because of this, and I don’t want to put another burden onto her."

  Robinn froze, her face unreadable for a long beat. Then the brightness dimmed in her voice, leaving something quieter behind. "I didn’t know that… but I guess in hindsight it makes sense." Her eyes narrowed in thought, doubtful in a way Tsuyu rarely saw. "I won’t tell them. I promise."

  The silence that followed lingered, heavier than the damp air around them.

  By the time they reached Uraraka’s apartment, the mood had shifted back to something lighter. Robinn rapped her knuckles against the door, and it swung open to reveal Uraraka’s beaming face.

  "Welcome ba- oh!" Her smile faltered at the sight of Robinn, who stood dripping with mud at Tsuyu’s side.

  Robinn handed over the bags with a sheepish laugh. "I slipped and fell on the way back. Sorry, some of the food got jostled."

  Uraraka fretted, but after towels and apologies and a quick drying, they all gathered around the table. The food wasn’t perfect, but the warmth of the small apartment made up for it.

  Tsuyu sat quietly, chopsticks moving mechanically as she half-listened to the chatter around her. Her gaze kept drifting to Robinn, who joked and smiled easily, as if nothing had happened. And yet Tsuyu couldn’t shake the image of her earlier, threatening with a smile, dropping into mud without any hesitation so no one would suspect the spilled groceries.

  Some of Robinn’s actions seemed to contradict themselves, some hinted at meanings buried deeper. The girl was difficult to place, frustratingly so. But for the first time, Tsuyu felt something other than suspicion. She respected her.

  Even if she still didn’t fully understand her.