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Neito regrets letting himself be roped into this.
When Bakugou first arrived in the illustrious class of 1-B, Neito wasn’t sure what to expect.
When Vlad-sensei welcomed him into the room like he belonged there, Neito was starting to suspect the worst.
When both of them turned to face him and gesture for him to follow them out of the room, Neito was beginning to feel like this was one big joke.
When Vlad-sensei told him, a pinched look on his face, that Neito would be swapping places with Bakugou until further notice? Well, the only reasonable response in that situation is to laugh.
Because surely that was a joke? Surely, Bakugou isn’t taking Neito’s place? Surely, Neito isn’t going to end up where he’s always secretly wanted to be?
Surely not... ?
Surely so, apparently. Because only a few minutes later, Neito is standing still as a statue as he just watches the 1-A plaque and listens to the lively conversation happening just on the other side of the doors.
It still doesn’t feel real when the chatter stops, or when the door slides open to reveal twenty sets of eyes staring directly at him.
Neito walks stiffly to the front of the room when beckoned, standing next to Eraserhead (Eraserhead!) and waiting to be told what to do. He’s half aware of his new teacher saying something about being civil, but Neito is too focused on the multitude of emotions he’s being looked at with.
Some of 1-A are sad, likely because they lost one of their own to an imposter. A small number of them are curious or neutral. An even smaller number (just Midoriya) outright pleased.
Most of them look angry, to varying extents, with one or two outright glaring at Neito as he shifts his weight from foot to foot.
Neito has to be nudged to remember he needs to introduce himself.
Bending stiffly into a bow, he ignores someone muttering about how they’re surprised he knows what manners are. He introduces himself the way he was always taught, only barely managing to bite back a scathing insult.
Eraserhead looks pleased enough with Neito’s civility. Everyone else not so much.
All of the anger has turned to confusion, suspicion. They don’t trust him.
Stiffly sitting down in his assigned seat, the recently vacated one in front of Midoriya, Neito quietly brings out his notebook. The lesson goes on as presumably normal.
It’s not until after lunch, when Neito returns from where he sat with Kendo and the others, that he regains his energy to be combative.
Someone makes a mistake in Heroics training, a simple blunder that really they shouldn’t still be capable of. Neito calls them out, telling them to get a handle on themself because isn’t 1-A supposed to be above mistakes?
The words are barely out of his mouth when Midoriya turns to frown at him.
“Don’t do that,” he says, voice quiet but commanding.
“But-” Neito stops, and doesn’t do that again.