Work Text:
“Are you supposed to be in here?”
Eri turned towards the door. “Shinsou!” She ran towards the purple-haired boy and tugged on his arm. “C’mere! I need your help!”
“With what?” Shinsou asked, as he let her take her arm and drag him into the room.
“I wanna get that box at the top of the closet,” Eri said, gesturing to the top shelf of Present Mic’s closet. She pointed to an unmarked box that she could only assume was also filled with CDs and mixtapes that Present Mic had. Sometimes she called the hero Present Mic, sometimes Mr. Yamada, one time, she’d nearly called him Dad. It was hard not to, considering she lived with him and Eraserhead, and they treated her like she was their own kid. She really liked them a lot.
She liked Shinsou, too. He came over a lot to train with Eraserhead, and incidentally, had been tasked with watching her whenever he was around, and both pros were busy. More often than not, Shinsou ended up staying over for dinner whenever he came over to train with Eraserhead, which made Eri happy. She could tell Shinsou always looked forward to coming over, even if his facial expression never really showed it.
Shinsou was kinda funny, in a quiet way. He’d tell subtle jokes that got Eraserhead to smirk and Present Mic to flat out cackle, which made Eri giggle too. He also had the same liking for cats that Eraserhead did, and she liked watching Present Mic holding back laughter as they’d discuss cute cats they’d seen that day. Eri liked watching him train, too. He was always getting tangled in that capture scarf of his, though he never gave up. That was also really amazing.
“What do you want with that box?” Shinsou asked. He looked into the closet. “Wait… is this Present Mic’s closet?”
Eri nodded. “Yeah. I’m here with Eraserhead and you today, and Present Mic told me I could listen to some of his music while he was gone.” Eri struck a pose, trying to emulate the enthusiastic hero. “He was like ‘Eri, be sure to tell me which tracks you enjoy, so we can put them on full blast when I get home! It’s time for your music education to begin!’”
Shinsou snickered. “Oh. Alright. Aizawa-Sensei’s busy setting up my training obstacles and course for today anyway.” Shinsou looked down at the various CDs littered around the floor of the room, and at the radio that sat down by the foot of the closet. “Once you’re done listening to these songs, you really should pick this stuff up.”
Eri twirled a lock of hair, staring down at the floor. She adjusted the glittery pink bow around her hair, a gift from Mr. Yamada. Mr. Aizawa had put it in her hair this morning, while fending off Mr. Yamada, who’d come with a dozen more bright hair clips. The neon, glittery sweater with the cat on it was the compromise they’d decided on. “Yeah, I know. I just got really caught up in listening. I liked the songs a lot. Some of them were happy, but some of them were sad. I really liked this one called Hidoi Tatsumaki!” Eri jumped around, as if she were dancing to the song. The song was bright and energetic, and it just radiated joy. It was unlike anything Eri had ever heard in the past. “I really wanna ask Present Mic which ones he likes later. I just need that last box!”
“Sounds like a plan,” Shinsou opened his arms, beckoning Eri to come closer. Once she did, he lifted her up in a fluid motion, making her able to reach the box. Eri grabbed onto it, and he gently set her down.
“Wow, you’re getting stronger, Shinsou! Yay!”
“Eh… you’re pretty light.”
Eri peered at the box and frowned. “These are all boxy…”
Shinsou looked over her shoulder. “Those are cassettes, not CDs. Hm, this stuff seems more basic, though there is a cassette player right in the box.” Shinsou lifted the device up, and Eri could see the buttons for play, pause, and rewind on it. “I guess he hasn’t converted these ones to CDs yet.”
“Can you play it?” Eri asked.
“Mhm,” Shinsou nodded, and Eri smiled. “Let’s find somewhere else to listen to these though…. I feel weird being in my teachers’ room.”
“I sleep in here all the time when I have nightmares,” Eri offered. She held onto Shinsou’s arm as he guided her from the room. “Sometimes I still think about Overhaul… and I get sad. It’s nice and comfy here, though. Mr. Yamada likes to sing to me when I’m scared, and Mr. Aizawa reads to me all the time.”
“Sounds nice,” Shinsou said, a small sigh escaping him. “I had nightmares when I was a kid too.”
Eri frowned, and when they were in the hallway of the house, she and Shinsou sat down. “You wanna listen to music with me, Shinsou?”
Shinsou nodded. “Sure.”
Eri grinned, sitting down in his lap before Shinsou could get a word out. “Let’s listen!”
Eri saw a brief smile flit across Shinsou’s face. “Alright. Let me figure out how to play this thing.” Eri hummed as Shinsou dug around in the box. “Oh, this one has the oldest date. I guess this must be first in the album series or something.”
Eri heard a click, then the sound of static. Soon, however, that static was replaced by a familiar voice.
“Hey, hey, listeners! Welcome to the first showing of ‘Put Your Hands Up Radio!’ On with us today is our very first, very special guest, my best friend and classmate, Oboro Shirakumooo! His quirk allows him to make and manipulate clouds! Neat, huh?”
“Happy to be here! I can’t believe I’m your first ever guest! What an honor! I’m stoked!”
“Of course! This show is gonna be the first of many, though this is smaller-scale than what I have in mind for the future.”
“Oh? Whaddya have in mind, ‘Zashi?”
“Hey, I’m supposed to be asking the questions to you… but if you must know, listener, I plan to make ‘Put Your Hands Up Radio’ into a sensational show! I’ll be a pro hero, which will boost the popularity of my show, and I’ll have dozens of adoring fans! I’ll bring the party to the people and make ‘em smile!”
***
The other boy, Oboro, laughed. The laugh sounded light and joyful. Eri sat up straighter. She always did love listening to Mr. Yamada’s show. She’d listened to it this morning with Mr. Aizawa when he’d helped her get ready in the morning. Mr. Yamada sounded different here, though. His voice was lighter, as if he were younger.
***
“Hizashi, you already make me smile all the time, so that’s definitely gonna be a breeze for you.”
“As much as I love getting praise from my listeners, I’m afraid you can’t be the sole critic, Oboro! You’re my best friend, you have to say that!”
“Nu-uh! Nope! I’m saying that you’ve got a real passion for this stuff, and people love to talk to you! This is gonna be a synch for you! Just promise you’ll still have me on the show once it takes off. Oh, and play that one song by the Fubuki group, ‘Hidoi Tatsumaki’ whenever you get the chance. I love that song!”
“Seriously? You think I’d ever pass up an opportunity to interview a hero, and my best friend at that. My listeners will love it whenever I have Loud Cloud on the air with me! Oh, and Hidoi Tatsumaki can totally be your intro song! I love that song too, so I doubt I’ll get sick of it. It’ll be great! Oh, just to be sure, that’s the hero name you chose, right? Loud Cloud? That’s your final decision?”
“Well, I’ve pretty much decided on the name, though I was thinking about something cool like Storm, or even Sky’s the Limit.”
“Personally, my vote’s for Loud Cloud… though I guess I’m already the loud one. What do you think, listeners? Should Oboro stick with his name, or consider other options? We’ll be waiting by the phones, so get dialing!”
“Hehehe! That was great! I loved that expression you just made!”
“Oh, this one?”
“Hehehehe! Dude, c’mon!”
A loud thud sounded.
“Oboro!”
“I’m good! It’s gonna take more than falling off a chair to hurt Loud Cloud, hero extraordinaire!”
“I couldn’t agree more! Listeners, I’ve got to help my friend off the floor, and when we get back, we’ll discuss our plans for our years together at Yuuei! Costumes! Hero names! Classmates! All that, after the break!”
The tape cut off to the sound of Mic and Oboro’s laughter. Eri furrowed her brow. She’d never heard of someone named Oboro before. When she’d asked about friends, Present Mic had told her that Eraserhead had always been his closest friend. She remembered looking up at him when he’d said that. His glasses had obscured his eyes, and his grin was so wide, it threatened to stretch off his face. Eraserhead had called it creepy, and Mic had laughed it off. Eraserhead had sighed and frowned, not unusual for him.
“Who’s Oboro?” Eri looked at Shinsou. “I’m confused.”
“I don’t think these are your music CDs,” Shinsou said. “I’m pretty sure these must be recordings Present Mic did when he was around my age. He sounded pretty young… though just as hyperactive. I don’t know who this Shirakumo guy is, though. Aizawa-Sensei never said anything about him.”
Eri peered up at Shinsou. “Can we listen to another one? I wanna hear more. I like listening to Mr. Yamada’s show now… and this sounds fun!”
Shinsou’s expression clouded over. He looked down the hallway, then back at Eri’s pleading gaze. “Fine. One more… it is weird he hasn’t mentioned Aizawa-Sensei yet. I do remember him mentioning meeting Mic in the middle of his first year of Yuuei.”
Shinsou set the tape back in the box, and rustled around, muttering to himself. Eri craned her neck to see what he was doing. He took a tape, labeled #15, and set it in the box.
“Welcome back to ‘Put Your Hands Up Radio!’ Our top story today concerns our first year sports festival at Yuuei! Our dedicated listeners remember our vow to win the festival, right Oboro?”
“Yeah! I lost kinda early, but this year, our very own Present Mic made it to the finals!”
“Yes, I did. However, listeners, I must inform you that I lost! Epically! Today, you’re gonna get some exclusive insight on our festival experience! So, Oboro, let’s start with this. What do you think of this year’s champion, the mysterious quirk eraser, Aizawa Shouta?”
***
Shinsou straightened up, and Eri felt a smile spreading across her face. She loved it whenever Mr. Yamada talked about the sports festival, because it always made Mr. Aizawa roll his eyes and bite back a smile. Eri could tell how much Mr. Yamada loved getting that reaction from him, and seeing it made her happy.
***
“Well, I think he’s amazing! His quirk is so cool, and it’s totally insane he wasn’t placed in the hero course to begin with! I mean, he did the impossible, and he shut you up! I’m sad you didn’t win and all, but I’m really happy for Aizawa too. I could tell how much it meant to him, y’know? When they were handing out medals at the ceremony, I looked at him, and I could see the passion in his eyes. He really wanted this. Who cares if he’s from general studies? He deserved his win! Even if some jerks say otherwise.”
“As the guy who was punched in the face to secure that win, I’ve gotta say that I agree! I think that if anything, I’ve got to start to improve my combat skills beyond my quirk. If Present Mic is gonna be a chart topper, I’ve got to lay off the auto tune once in a while, ya dig?”
“Uh… I think I get what you’re saying. We’ll both train together! I mean… I didn’t even advance past the first round of finals. Sensoji of all people beat me.”
“Hey, don’t be sad! You did great! Get this, listeners. During the cavalry battle, Oboro, our hero, came up with a great plan to get us to the next round. By using his cloud quirk to obscure our team from view, no one could snatch our headbands, thus placing us in the next round. We all made it thanks to you! You even got a thanks from Aizawa, who I must mention, was our third man on the team, listeners!”
“Yeah… now that I think about it… that’s it! We should ask Aizawa!”
“Ask him what? To be on the show? I admit I would like to talk to him but-”
“-’Zashi, you didn’t know?”
“Know what? Wait… is there gossip I don’t know about? As a radio host, I apologize to the listeners for not having my facts!”
“Hey, hey! Loud Cloud’s comin’ atcha, listeners! Get this, I heard some whispers that Aizawa’s getting transferred up to our class, post-haste! He’s gonna be a hero!”
“Wow, that’s great!”
“I know, right? That’s where the plan comes in. We make friends with him, and we can all train together and become heroes!”
“Listeners, what do you think? Should we open up a friendship position for our Yuuei champ, Aizawa?”
There was a brief pause.
“Wow, a unanimous vote! Aizawa’s in! Stay tuned, listeners, for next week’s update, where hopefully, we’ll be joined by our guest of honor, Aizawa!”
“Hey, Aizawa, if you ever listen to this, you were so cool in the festival! Can’t wait to be friends with you!”
“I can’t wait either, Aizawa! We’re gonna rock the house down, like that rockin’ punch you gave me!”
“Ack!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Just some moth that flew in.”
“...moth? MOTH?! ”
A sharp scream rang out from the tape, and Shinsou quickly ejected it as Eri covered her ears. An annoyed purr came from beside her. “Oh, Rōsu!” Eri opened her arms for the orange tabby, and it curled up in her arms. “You wanna listen too, huh? Isn’t this fun, Shinsou?”
Shinsou’s face was set in a grim line. He didn’t respond to her question, and was already rooting through the box to find another tape.
“Shinsou?”
“I… who’s this Shirakumo guy? Why hasn’t Aizawa-Sensei said anything…?”
Eri scooted closer to Shinsou. “You look… worried. Is this not fun? I like hearing them laugh and have fun!”
“No, I mean,” Shinsou sighed. “Don’t you want to know more? Why did they never say anything? Aizawa-Sensei… he told me so much about his experience in Yuuei to make me feel better about my own situation but… why would he just…” Shinsou pushed play on another recording before Eri could think of what to say.
“Welcome back to ‘Put Your Hands Up Radio!’ Today, we have a very special guest with us today! It’s our reigning sports festival champ, Aizawa Shoutaaa!”
“Woohoo! Say hi, Aizawa!”
“Shirakumo… what is this? There isn’t even an audience… which is good. You told me we were going to pet some cats.”
***
Eri could tell the third voice was Eraserhead. He sounded sleepy.
***
“Aw, Aizawa, when you’re in the studio with Present Mic, you don’t need an audience! I’ll hype ya up all you want!”
“He’s right, it’s totally awesome! Oh, and the cat thing totally still stands.”
“Um… alright.”
“So, question. Are you excited to have moved up from general studies to the heroics course?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I want to be a hero.”
“C’mon, Aizawa, work with me here! Why’d you want to be a hero?”
“Are you always this nosy?”
“As your new friend, and as a dedicated host, this nosiness is my job! My listeners count on me!”
“Hey, Aizawa if you want, we can share too! I became a hero because I want to be able to protect others and make them smile. Even if all I do for the day is make cute shapes in the clouds, I can brighten someone’s day. I just want to inspire others.”
A tired sigh came from Aizawa.
“I… don’t have a very heroic quirk… but I want to help people. No one in my family is heroic… but I want to be. That’s really it.”
“That’s totally not tr ue !”
“Ack, Hizashi, your quirk!”
“Sorry, uh, I’m still working hard to control my quirk, but that’s also kinda my point. Any quirk can be heroic, depending on how you use it. I could be making people go deaf right now, I kinda already blew out my own hearing, but I’m gonna help people instead! I was told when I was little that my quirk was dangerous, but I still wanted to be a hero! I got my quirk under control, and now, here I am! Future hero, Present Mic, at your service! Your quirk is gonna do so much good, Aizawa!”
“...thank you.”
“Anytime, listener!”
“Woah, that was great, Hizashi! I remember what you told me about- oh, nevermind.”
“Heh, thanks, Oboro! Aizawa, any ideas on your hero name? Apparently, you’re gonna have to come up with one soon. I could ask our listeners to call in with suggestions!”
“I don’t really care what I’m called.”
“What?!”
“Huh?! Aizawa, the scandal! Let me pick out a name for you! I promise it’ll be good!”
“Okay.”
“YEAH!”
“Hey, can we get to my segment now? Loud Cloud’s mystery cloud?”
“Heck yeah! Alright, listeners! Time to guess about the mystery item that Loud Cloud has hidden amongst his clouds!”
***
Briefly, the beginning of Hidori Tatsumaki played. The room seemed to light up as the happy song reverberated around them. Eri smiled as the light, airy notes danced around the singer’s gentle voice.
***
“Any takers for guesses? Aizawa, how about you?”
“Uh… is it a cat? I swear I hear purring.”
“Ta-da! This guy’s a natural! Meet Rōzu! Isn’t she precious?”
“She’s amazing. I knew I heard purring.”
“Wow, high praise from Aizawa! We’re gonna go on a brief music break to pet this cat, and when we return, we’ll discuss everything Aizawa and-”
“-let’s not.”
The sound of a cat purring could be heard through the tape, in the background of the chatter.
“Hey, don’t interrupt my sign offs… oh. I’ve never seen you smile before. It’s-”
The tape cut off, leaving Shinsou and Eri sitting together in silence.
“I like Shirakumo,” Eri said at last. “He seems really nice. I guess that must be where Rōzu got her name! It’s so pretty!” Eri smiled, petting the cat in her lap.
“Yeah, it seems like it.” Shinsou shook his head. “Where is Shirakumo now, though? If they were a trio, why is there no evidence this guy existed?”
Shinsou popped in another cassette.
“Welcome! On today’s show, we have our usual suspects, Shouta and Oboro! Loud Cloud and Eraserhead! Today, we’re discussing our prize loot at the arcade! Shouta, tell the listeners what you got!”
“I got a cat plush… you won it for me.”
“Well, you did play me in DDR for a while, I figured it was fair!”
“I didn’t mind. It was fun. This plush is soft. It’s nice.”
“It’s a fluffy black cat, listeners! It’s got the same fluffy mop of hair that Shouta does!”
“Well, fluffy isn’t how I’d describe it. I’d say messy.”
“Oboro! Bite your tongue! Your hair is a literal cloud! It’s easier to maintain!”
Oboro began to laugh.
“You got me there. I won this small purse… I’m gonna give it to Kayama-Senpai!”
“Of course you are.”
Aizawa sighed.
“I’m sure she’ll love it. She likes it when you get all dopey, says it’s adorable and, uh, nevermind.”
“Wait, what else does she say?!”
“I’m not saying on air… or whatever this is.”
“Woah, sounds intense, listeners. Well, I suppose Kayama-Senpai is nothing if not intense! One of these days, I’m gonna get her on this show, and we can talk to the seductive Madame Midnight, future heroine extraordinaire!”
“She’d be a great guest! We should have a guest here soon! I almost asked that one girl Shouta and I met at the arcade. She seemed funny! She kept telling joke after joke while we were at the claw machine.”
“She asked me to marry her. It was painful.”
“Ooh, Shouta! Do you have an admirer? Tell the listeners all about it? Is she your type?”
“Eh, I don’t think she was Shouta’s type.”
“Oboro, are you hijacking Shouta’s question?”
“Well, I think that Shouta’s type is more-”
“-Hey, hey! Give Shouta a chance to answer! You’re looking a bit warm there, Shouta? You need a rest, energy-saver! I keep telling him, listeners, just eating jelly packets isn’t enough!”
***
Oboro began to laugh again, and Eri could hear Mr. Aizawa’s muffled groan.
***
“I’m fine, Hizashi. I wouldn’t date someone I just met. That’s it. Plus, her jokes were bad.”
“Hey, I thought she was funny… Oh! Look, there she is! Right out the window, walking home from the arcade! Woah, she won a lot of stuff!”
“Oboro, what are you doing with that cloud-”
“-I’m getting Hizashi his next guest!”
“Heck yeah, everyone loves a comedian!”
The sound of footsteps and wind came through the tape.
“I’m really not interested in her, Hizashi.”
“Shouta, it’s okay to admit you have a crush. I mean, Oboro was probably trying to just deflect for you-”
“-No. He knows I don’t really like her like that. I hardly know her like I know-”
“-Hey, arcade boys! You all are still together, even here! You must have a real pac-man-tality! Oh, or are you like those money machines at the arcade! Afraid of some change? HAHAHAHA!”
Mr. Aizawa’s groaning was drowned out by the laughter of Mr. Yamada, Shirakumo, and the mystery girl.
***
“Ms. Joke…” Shinsou breathed out. He seemed to be biting back a smile. “She did say that it was game over when she met Aizawa-Sensei and had to marry him… that was a joke the whole time.”
“You think Ms. Joke is funny, right, Shinsou?”
“Yeah… don’t tell Aizawa-Sensei.”
***
“Hizashi, meet Fukukado Emi, your next guest!”
“Yo, Fukukado! Welcome to the show!”
“Glad to storm in, though I’m glad my reception was more sun than clouds!”
“Oh my god.”
The tape cut out again, to the sound of more laughter. Shinsou searched through the box again.
“Welcome back to ‘Put Your Hands Up Radio!’ It’s our first show of our second year, and I’m extra pumped! Today, we’re in the studio with Loud Cloud, Eraserhead, and we have a very special guest! The heroine-in-training…. Madame Midnight! Her quirk is Somnambulist! The pink aroma that comes from her body puts evildoers to sleep! Say hi to our listeners, Midnight!”
“Hey, audience! I don’t know if you can see it now, but I’ve struck a very special pose for your beloved listeners.”
“She’s just sitting down.”
“Shouta, why would you ruin the illusion?”
“Oboro… it’s just the truth.”
“Aw, Eraserhead, you’re no fun sometimes.”
“We’re not even in that empty warehouse place we go to. We’re on the rooftop.”
“Hey, good hosts take interviews wherever we can get them. This rooftop is where Kayama-Senpai could meet us! Thanks for getting her to come, Shou.”
“It wasn’t a big deal. She likes to talk.”
“Oh, Eraserhead. That wasn’t the only reason. It’s so rare to see Eraserhead ask for a favor.”
“Aw, she just ruffled his hair! It’s even messier than before.”
“Oboro…”
“-Oh, listeners, Kayama-Senpai is the name of Madame Midnight, by the way. Didn’t mean to confuse you.”
“Oh, Yamada, your passion for your show, a passion so deep that you skip out on your lunch break… it’s so stimulating! I don’t want to hold anything back! I’ll bare it all!”
“Now that’s what I call spirit! Let’s do it, Kayama-Senpai! So, first question. What are your plans for the future?”
“Well, now that I’m in my last year here in Yuuei, I’m gonna put extra time into my work study, so I can be prepared to debut as a pro hero!”
“Wow, what a great goal! Do you have everything planned? Catchphrase? Costume?”
“Well, my costume is pretty showy, but if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Besides, the way my quirk works, I need to show some skin.”
“You could get hurt, though. What if a villain has a quirk involving sharp objects? Like a spike quirk?”
“I’m touched you care, Aizawa!”
“Hey, we all care! I guess as long as you like what you’re wearing, it’s totally whatever you want!”
“That’s the spirit, Shirakumo. You get it!”
“Hey, Kayama-Senpai, want to see my segment for the show?”
“Hey, my questions!”
“Wait, I want to see this! Aizawa told me about this.”
Yamada sighed, but Eri could practically see the smile on his face.
“You won’t see me do this for just anyone, listeners! We’re having a topic detour! It’s time for Loud Cloud’s Mystery Cloud!”
***
Hidori Tatsumaki began to play, and Eri bobbed her head to the music, causing Rōzu to squirm in her lap.
***
“Alright! As our guest of honor, Kayama-Senpai, Madame Midnight, please, do us the honors! Guess what Oboro has hidden in his clouds!”
“Hm…is it… a cat?”
“No, that was yesterday! Aizawa, your guess?”
“I can’t. Oboro told me what he had.”
“Oh! My friends are conspiring behind my back!”
“Well… I may have hidden something else too, Shouta.”
“Really?”
“Yup! Ta-da!”
“Oh, what’s this listeners! Today, we have a purse, and we have… headphones and goggles?”
“Well, the purse is for Kayama-Senpai, the headphones are for you, and the goggles are for Shouta!”
“You already gave me goggles, Oboro.”
“C’mon! It never hurts to have a spare pair! Besides, I just wanted to do something nice for my friend.”
“Aizawa… I love that look of gratitude on your face! The depths of care and gratitude you have for Shirakumo’s friendship… it’s simply ravishing!”
“Oboro… how much did these headphones cost?”
“It wasn’t too bad. I’m just gonna have to save up before we can all go out for Udon again.”
“I’ll pay next time.”
“Shouta, c’mon! You’re gonna totally upstage me!”
“I won’t back down, Oboro.”
“Aw, I know. That’s what I like about you. You never give up!”
“Thanks… Oboro, these headphones are amazing. I’ve gotta get you something too-”
“-No way! You can have me back on the show! You can be a great hero with Shouta and I! That’s what I want!”
“YOU GOT IT!”
“Hey, this purse… I’ve seen it before. Is this a prize at the arcade down the street?”
“...yes.”
“A gift that’s covered in the scent of hard work and dedication to win! The youthful vigor of an arcade win! It’s perfect! Thanks, Shirakumo!”
“Oh, yeah! Of course! I could win you something else if you want, Kayama-Senpai, or even-”
The sound of a bell ringing cut through Midnight’s reply.
“Aw, man! This interview got totally off track!”
“This was fun.”
“Oh! You think so, Shou? Then… this show was a success! This has been Present Mic in the studio-hey, Oboro, what’s that look for! Kayama-Senpai, stop smiling like that, it’s creepin’ me out!”
The tape cut out again to the sound of Mr. Yamada’s protests.
“So, Midnight knows this guy too?” Shinsou shook his head. “What’s next, All Might?”
“Wait, really?” Eri looked at him with wide eyes.
“No, I was joking,” Shinsou clarified. He popped in another tape. This one seemed to be a bit ahead of the others. Shinsou seemed to be getting impatient. “Well, maybe.”
“Yo, welcome back to our show! While we were away, we were visited by Kayama-Senpai, who just adopted yet another cat Oboro and Shouta fell in love with. Sushi, you will be missed! Unfortunately, Kayama-Senpai was unavailable to interview today, though she did say that she found our youthful passion invigorating! Never change, Kayama-Senpai!”
“Oh, I agree with that statement!”
“Of course, you would. Get this listeners, Oboro, our dear Loud Cloud, has his head in the clouds concerning the upper class beauty Kayama-”
“-Hey, hey! I don’t come on here talking about how you melt into a puddle every time Shouta falls asleep on your shoulder! I was born seventeen years ago, not yesterday! This just in, listeners, Hizashi Yamada has a crush on Shouta Aizawa!”
“Wait, I’m being that obviou- hey! You’re hijacking my show! You’re lucky Shou isn’t here right now! I’m the host, so I ask the questions around here! So, Oboro, are you excited to do a work study where you’ll be up close and personal with Kayama-Senpai?”
“Hey! That sounds so… hey! Though, I will say that I am excited for my work study for sure! Shouta and I are studying with Kayama under pro hero His Purple Highness! I get to hang out with one of my best friends, Shouta, learn from a pro, and be around Kayama! It’s perfect!”
“What’re you looking forward to doing the most?”
“Hero work, duh! I want to get out there and start helping people for real! I can’t wait! Doing it beside Shouta and Kayama is just a bonus! Just wait when we all go pro, and you’ll be beside Shouta and I! The three of us will have our own agency!”
“You heard it here first, listeners! You’re getting a sneak peek at the future of heroics right here! Eraserhead, Loud Cloud, and Present Mic, all together! With us at your beck and call, villains won’t stand a chance!”
“Yeah! Though… maybe we should invite Kayama-Senpai… I’d be willing to wait on her if that’s what it takes! That is what she said, about her going solo. Maybe we can still change her mind! Her quirk will be great against villains. We can go on a double date, too!”
“Hey, slow down, listener! Shouta isn’t really interested in me.”
“You admit you like him, then?”
“Well, you have been gushing about Kayama-Senpai. I guess it was my duty as host to level the playing field and fess up as well.”
“Well, I kinda already assumed. Kayama knows too-”
“-Seriously?!”
“Hey, you get this look in your eye around him, y’know? You smile all wide, and it’s super sweet! You talk even more around him, and I can see you light up whenever you manage to make him happy.”
“Yeah, but I'm so loud and what if he's been annoyed or thinks it's too much like-”
“‘-Zashi. Stop it! You're not too much, you're great! Shouta thinks you're amazing, not annoying! I do too! You both like each other. I hang out with Shouta all the time, we’re friends, obviously, and I see the way he looks at you. Yeah, he smiles at me and hangs with me, but it’s kinda different with you, you know? He makes an effort to lean on you when he’s tired, he hangs on your every word, and he told me-okay, no. I’ve gotta keep my best friend confidentiality here. I’ll just say that he thinks your eyes are pretty and leave it at that.”
A silence filled the room.
“Hizashi, you with me? Present Mic? Uh, host?”
“What should I do? What if he changes his mind?”
“You’re both my best friends. I’ve had to watch this for months. I honestly just want you both to be happy, so you better do it! Tell ya what, when we finish our work studies, we’ll do it. Both of us! I’ll ask out Kayama-Senpai, and you ask out Shouta! Deal?”
“What if-”
“Hizashiii, please? For your best friend? I’m gonna need to see you and Shouta in love to lessen the blow when Kayama-Senpai rejects me!”
“Dude, Kayama-Senpai isn’t gonna reject you! You’re nice, heroic, and a total catch! She’d be blind to turn ya down! Besides, I know she lets you come over to play with Sushi all the time. I think she does have a bit of a soft spot for you. Under all that bravado, she’s pretty nice.”
“I know. Just like you, Hizashi. Shouta sees that, I do too. That does make me feel better, no matter what, I know Kayama-Senpai will still be my friend. So will Shouta. So, deal?”
“Hehehe. Okay. Deal.”
“Yes! Mark this down in your calendars, as the day that best friends Present Mic and Loud Cloud were set down the path of love! Eraserhead and Midnight won’t know what hit ‘em!”
“You heard the man, listeners! We’re on the path to potential romance, and even if it doesn’t work out, we’ll still have Shouta and Kayama-Senpai as our friends! I call that a total award-winning scenario! YEAH!”
“YEAH! That’s what best friends do! We’re always gonna hype each other up! Always!”
“Always!”
Shinsou ejected the tape, and held up one more. “This one… it’s the last tape in the box. I can’t see any other numbers that come after this one… oh. There’s one more. This one isn’t labeled.”
Eri felt a sudden pang of dread. “I dunno… I think the box was hidden… I don’t think I was supposed to find this… what if Mr. Yamada finds out I listened to this… then he hates me? What if he and Mr. Aizawa kicked me out?” Eri felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, and she clutched onto Rōzu as if the cat were a lifeline. She couldn’t go back to living like she had before. Scared, afraid, alone… she felt his shadow creeping closer over her-
“-We wouldn’t do that.”
Eri and Shinsou turned to see Mr. Aizawa standing at the edge of the hallway. He looked exhausted.
“Mr. Aizawa… how long have you been…”
“Long enough, Eri. I didn’t know Hizashi… he still has those tapes. I didn’t even think about…”
“Sorry, Sensei.” Shinsou’s expression was painted with guilt. “I didn’t… I just…”
Mr. Aizawa shook his head. “You shouldn’t have given in to childish curiosity… but I’ve never heard these since they were recorded.” Mr. Aizawa came towards them and knelt down, taking the tape recorder and the last, unlabeled tape from Shinsou. “I’ll lecture you both later.”
Mr. Aizawa pressed the play button for the last time.
“Hey, listeners. I have s-some sad news. Loud Cloud has taken a leave of absence from the show, so unfortunately, all those Loud Cloud fans out there will have to stare up at the sky to get a glimpse of our hero at work. At his work study with Midnight and Eraser…”
A shaky sob left Mr. Yamada’s throat.
“I-I can’t do this. I can’t talk like Mic. Oboro’s dead. A villain killed him, and now, I’m never gonna talk to him again. I had to watch him be buried. I held Kayama's hand…. Shouta wouldn’t even look up… it was so hard to watch them both be so upset. I… it was like there was this gap where a fourth person should’ve been. I already miss his voice. Isn’t that weird? I heard him just a few weeks ago, asking me about cat names, and where we should go to eat. It’s so weird to think about that. No, it’s messed up, it’s so f-fucked up. I feel so bad saying this because Shouta… he was right there. How could I feel sorry for myself when he’s hurting way more than me? I can’t do anything to help him. I know I used to probably annoy him all the time with how loud I was...I can feel him slipping away from me as he trains… you know, he trains so hard, his hands bleed. I sit there and watch him train as he climbs further up using his capture scarf and I’m left on the ground… and it’s like he’s getting further and further from me. I don’t know what to do. I promised Oboro we’d all be happy… but we’re falling apart. I’m trying so hard to be happy for Shouta, for Oboro… but it’s so hard. I get this feeling… Shouta’s going to leave.”
***
Loud crying that echoed through the tape blared through the silent hallway. Mr. Yamada’s quirk must’ve slipped. Eri’s heart twisted at hearing the normally sunny man sounding so distraught, as his breath heaved. He was obviously trying to compose himself. He'd always put on a smile for her, and he always was happy around Mr. Aizawa. Eri knew it was hard for her to smile, but she'd always thought it'd been so easy for Mr. Yamada.
***
“I-it’ll be okay, listeners! This won’t be the last you hear of Present Mic! Everything will be fine! We’ll just have to adjust our roster…”
“Yamada?”
“Kayama…? You came to see me?”
“What are you doing?”
Midnight’s voice was laced with concern. She probably saw Mr. Yamada, and realized he’d been crying.
“O-oh! Nothing! It’s nice to see you!”
“Yamada, are you okay?”
The tape was cut out. Mr. Aizawa’s hands trembled as he held the recorder in his hands. He silently dropped them both in the box. “I’m going to put this away,” was all he said, as he stiffly stood up, taking the box back to his room. He turned before Eri could see his face, and made his way down the hallway. Rōzu jumped from her lap and followed Mr. Aizawa down the hall.
Eri began to wipe tears from her eyes. “...Shinsou… is he gonna be okay?” She felt herself clinging to his shirt.
Shinsou gently rubbed her back. “I… I don’t know, Eri. I don’t know what to say…”
“I don’t want him to be sad… I know what it’s like not to smile,” Eri stood up shakily, releasing herself from Shinsou. “I gotta apologize-”
“Eri-”
Eri took off down the hall, and rounded the corner into Mr. Aizawa’s room. The box of tapes was nowhere to be found, and instead, Mr. Aizawa was going around, busily picking up the CDs Eri had left on the floor. Rōzu was curled around his ankle, looking as concerned as a cat could look.
“I’m sorry, M-Eraserhead.” Eri hung her head. “I didn’t wanna-”
“-Why’d you listen? I didn’t take you or Shinsou for problem children.” He continued to sort the CDs. He seemed to know where they all went.
“I… I like listening to Present Mic on the radio, because he’s so happy. I thought the tapes were CDs, but then he sounded so happy on them, and it made me happy to hear everyone talk… and…” Eri began to sniffle again.
Eraserhead turned to face her. He didn’t look angry, like she thought he would. He gingerly picked her up. “I like listening to him too,” he whispered in her ear. “I came over… because when I came to get Shinsou, I heard his voice. I like listening to his show because he sounds so happy. He deserves to be happy. We both know that, but you do too. He wouldn’t want you to cry. You didn’t know. This isn’t your fault.”
Mr. Aizawa wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Now, go get Shinsou. We’re going to pick up these CDs, and Shinsou is going to stay for dinner. I know how much Hizashi loves it when he does. He’s always telling Shinsou to take care of his health more.”
Eri nodded, racing out. She came back with Shinsou, who avoided looking at Mr. Aizawa.
“One day, you’ll find friends like them,” Mr. Aizawa said, eyeing Shinsou. “A word of advice. Don’t let them go.”
“I don’t plan on making friends,” Shinsou said quietly.
“That’s what I said too,” Aizawa murmured. “Now, pick up these CDs. You’re staying for dinner, too. Hizashi always worries about you when you don’t. He knows we have similar habits.”
“Okay,” Shinsou said, without protest.
He began to sort the discs, and Eri did as well. The three sorted through as the room became cleaner and cleaner.
“Who’s Shirakumo?” Eri asked at last.
“Later,” Mr. Aizawa said. His eyes fell to the floor. “Hizashi and I can tell you both another time.”
Mr. Aizawa set aside the last of the CD boxes. He rustled around in the closet for a while, before taking out a worn plush. A black cat. He handed it to Eri. “Here. It’s pretty soft.”
Eri hugged it close, and allowed herself a small smile. “Thank you.”
Hizashi Yamada came home to the smell of something burning, and his cat rubbing against his ankles as if nothing were amiss. Normally, Eri would’ve been right there too.. Panicked and holding back a yell, Hizashi raced to the kitchen, to find Shouta, Eri, and Shinsou standing in front of an oven. Black smoke was coming from the oven as Shinsou tugged Eri away from the disaster area and Shouta fanned at the smoke desperately.
“HEY!” Hizashi stepped into the kitchen. “What the heck happened here?”
“Uh… we were trying to make some stuff for you,” Shinsou admitted sheepishly. “Eri found a cupcake recipe online.”
“Aw!” Hizashi beamed. “You guys are too nice to me!”
“Sorry it turned out like this,” Eri sighed, her adorable face curling up in a pout.
“No, no!” Hizashi pointed to his smile. “No need to be upset! I’m just happy you all cared so much… but what’s the occasion?”
“Oh, Eri decided on a favorite song,” Shouta said quickly. “This was a thank you.” Shouta’s gaze was on him, and Hizashi saw a rare spark in his eyes. Shouta wrapped the arm that wasn’t in a burnt oven mitt around him. “Thanks for thinking of her. For thinking of all of us.”
Hizashi felt the faint sensation of lips brushing against his cheek, and the scruff of Shouta’s chin against his face.
“Shouta… you really don’t have to thank me.”
“I really do.”
Hizashi placed a kiss on his forehead. A gentle warmth spread across his entire body. Being here, with Eri, Shouta, and even Shinsou… it just felt so right. He felt content.
“So, little listener,” he turned to Eri with a flourish. “What’s your favorite song?”
“I… I really liked Hidoi Tatsumaki, by the Fubuki group.”
Hizashi felt his eyes widen behind his shades, but his smile stayed. It was less theatrical, and more sincere and soft.
“That’s a good choice. I love that song too.”
“We can put it on, if you want,” Shinsou offered.
“Yeah, we can dance!” Eri took his hands.
Hizashi laughed. “Yeah, I’d like that.”