Two minutes later, the rest of the class filed into the room one after another. Nearly everyone had a hand over their nose, as if trying to hide something.
"Where did you all go? Hurry up and sit down, Cementoss-sensei is about to arrive."
"…Yeah."
The students returned to their seats. A faint, metallic scent lingered in the air. Midoriya caught it immediately.
Why does everyone smell like blood? Did they get into a fight with another class? That doesn't make sense…
He couldn't focus during the lesson. Neither could anyone else. The entire class seemed distracted, lost in their own thoughts.
At the front of the room, Cementoss tried to continue teaching, but his patience was wearing thin. Over the past few days, the class had become increasingly difficult to manage. First Bakugo and Todoroki, and now the whole class…
What is going on with them lately? Do they think I can't discipline them just because I teach history?
Still, he couldn't exactly pick a fight with his own students. Being a teacher wasn't easy.
The class dragged on, uneven and disjointed. By the end of it, Cementoss had made up his mind to talk to another teacher. Aizawa was an option… but the image of him zipped into that yellow sleeping bag made Cementoss hesitate.
"…I'll go talk to All Might."
Cementoss knocked on the office door.
"All Might, are you in?"
"I am… come in."
The moment he stepped inside, he froze.
The Symbol of Peace was sitting behind his desk… with tissues stuffed in both nostrils.
"All Might, were you attacked? What happened to you?"
"It's nothing, really! I just… took a few too many supplements. A bit too much nutrition, you could say. That's all."
All Might spoke casually as he slid his phone into a drawer.
"So, what brings you here?"
"It's about Class 1-A. Their recent behavior has been… abnormal."
"Abnormal how?"
A fresh trickle of blood appeared at All Might's nose.
"They've stopped paying attention in most classes. Aside from Hero Basics and homeroom, they're completely disengaged. Even Present Mic has started complaining."
"I see…" All Might nodded. "I'll handle it. I'll discuss this with the principal."
"Thank you."
Cementoss left the office, still uneasy.
Is this because of Young Midoriya… or something else?
At lunchtime, Midoriya sat alone when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Well, if it isn't someone from Class 1-A. Eating alone? Guess trash really does stay trash."
It was Monoma Neito from Class 1-B.
Midoriya looked up and smiled, as gentle as ever.
"Hi. Do you want to eat together?"
Monoma paused for a second, then smirked.
"Well, since you're asking so nicely, I suppose I have no choice."
No one had asked him, really.
The moment Monoma sat across from him, he felt it.
Two sharp glares, heavy enough to feel physical, locked onto him from either side.
Bakugo. Todoroki.
"My, my," Monoma said lightly, stirring his noodles. "Looks like someone's caught the attention of a pair of hunters."
He glanced at Midoriya, amused.
Interesting… two of Class 1-A's top students are fixated on Midoriya Izuku. I wonder how much fun I can have with that information.
Across the cafeteria, tension crackled.
That idiot's got some nerve staring at Midoriya like that. He's dead.
Our class's favorite isn't someone a 1-B extra can mess with.
If we weren't all dealing with nosebleeds every time we look at Midoriya, he wouldn't even have that seat.
Get lost and eat in the bathroom!
Deku's seat is mine!
Who said you could sit across from him?
Before Monoma could react, two figures moved at once.
Each grabbed one of his shoulders—
—and threw him clean out of his seat.