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I walk into the classroom with a determination that, honestly, is unfitting. Starting the second day of school with cameras being shoved in the faces of minors is not the best, especially when no one seems to see an issue with physically harassing children on private property. Luckily, some of the “scarier” looking teachers and I help get the students inside without any injuries! It’s once we’re inside that I start my devious plan. “Hi! What are you guys up to?” I ask sweetly, my question is directed at a group of boys consisting of Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Bakugo. After yesterday's affirmation that I would in fact need to learn 19 names I’d stayed up late memorizing the class sheet, I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that there's some psychological connection between being called your name and getting closer with somebody.
“Woah, you're the teachers assistant, Ms. Alia, right? It’s so great to get a chance to talk to you!” Kirishima responds enthusiastically. There’s a small (big) part of me that wants to tell everyone to just call me Saeko, I mean I’m not that much older than them and I really hope we can all grow close! However, I want to make sure that they respect me and view me as an authority figure, otherwise there’s no way a group of teens will listen to me. Bakugo looks like he’s studying me, his body language is closed off, and when I give him a small smile he huffs and turns away. Teen angst. “It was so manly how you handled Mineta, dude!” Kirishima cheers, Sero and Kaminari nod in agreement and I can’t help the slightly manic glint in my eyes.
“Thanks! I’m here if you guys ever need anything,” I know that being a teen means I’m going to need to hammer this message into their thick skulls but I need to start somewhere, “so feel free to come to me anytime.” I end my little speech with a warm smile and then try not to cringe as Aizawa walks into the classroom and tells everyone to shut up and sit down. After the… awkward incident yesterday I had ended up coming to school extra early in the hopes of talking to him about it. Unfortunately, despite being quiet and introverted Aizawa is always surrounded by either Hizashi or Midnight so I never quite managed to explain. I spend the whole of homeroom period multitasking nervously stealing glances at him while doing lesson plans and coming up with some early student evaluations. Finally, as Present Mic comes in to take Aizawa’s place, I hurry and follow him out the door.
I know I look slightly pathetic, even though I keep my stride even and my eyes facing upwards, the slight redness in my cheeks and quickness of my breathing gives me away. “Excuse me, Aizawa! I’d like to talk to you for a second.”
Aizawa looks at me expectantly, gives a long suffering sigh, and then motions for me to follow him into an empty classroom. As I’m opening my mouth to say some sorry explanation of why I was crying yesterday and assure him that I am in fact a capable adult he cuts me off with a sharp (but not unkind) glare. “I am truly sorry about what happened with Mineta yesterday, while you may be an adult and a licensed hero, it is still my responsibility to keep you safe.” Aizawa finishes his sentence off with a signature sigh before continuing, “I had a suspicion that Mineta might’ve been a,” he looks off into the distance as if searching for the word, “creep is really the only way to put it, but I brushed it off and because of that it’s clear that you and the other girls were put in a harmful situation.” As he meets your eyes it becomes clear that a moment you considered to be embarrassing and unprofessional (I mean who wants their super cool badass coworker to see them cry) had left Aizawa feeling guilty.
Saeko smiles, decides she’s wasted enough mental energy on an undeserving little pervert, and politely accepts Aizawa's apology. “Hey,” she says with a smile as she and Aizawa head towards the staff room, “we should keep an eye out for any talented kids in GenEd now that we have a free space!” Her comment is really meant to brighten up the mood, but it does have some truthfulness, I mean technically— as seen by Aizawa’s track record— a class doesn’t NEED to be full, but it seems like such a waste to let a seat be empty. He gives a non-comital hum in response and Jesus does Saeko feel like she’s drowning out here. Speaking of social awkwardness, as they both enter the staff room Saeko is hit with the reality that it’s her first time having lunch at UA and she has no idea who to sit with. As Aizawa goes to sit with Nemuri, Saeko makes a bee-line for her homemade caesar salad stored in the fridge, and proceeds to clutch onto the bento box (she’s trying to fit in, okay) for dear life.
None of the other teachers have assistants, so there’s no one who’s actually her age to eat with. That leaves trying to sit with the other teachers and feeling like a toddler at the grownup table, or attempting to sit with a group of class 1A kids in a way that doesn’t read “I’m a socially awkward adult please help.” Fuck it, she walks over to rest of the staff with a bright smile, “Hi how ar—” A very loud alarm blares, interrupting her masterful socialization, and all of the teachers spring to action. The next 5 minutes goes by in a blur of running down different hallways, checking to make sure everything was secure, and trying her best to calm down all of the half-trampled students. In fact, it's not until Saeko nearly considers using her ribbons to tie up a particularly rowdy group of students, that she gets an urgent message on her phone that all members of the staff must report to the west wing security gate.
As they look at the disintegrated and crumbling piece of metal, every member of the UA staff has one shared thought, this was not just a news break in. A dark shadow looms over UA.