As the time flew by, Mariko kept improving. She did not realize this herself, but she was quite obsessed with training; and she kept working on both her body, soul and her mind. The woman was seen very often in the school library, borrowing some books about: first aid, martial arts, defense, human anatomy and history of Quirks. She wanted to know everything that could be useful for saving people's lives.

On top of that, after the weekend when she managed to control her Quirk, she started having regular lessons. Most of the time she would have them together with Shinso - they would both go and see All Might after the normal school hours and sit in an empty classroom, listening carefully as the man laid down the crucial rules of Heroism.

'So we cannot fight villains during work studies?' the both students would ask, very confused.

'No, no. You guys keep mistaking them,' All Might explained patiently. 'Hero Agency Internships are the second level of grasping some knowledge of the hero work. The first level is the hero school and the third level are Work studies. Third level can only happen if one has a hero license - then, you are allowed by law to engage in combat. Without the license you are considered a vigilante, so also a criminal'

'Ohhh.'

'You can use your Quirk during your Hero Agency Internships only under a strict supervision or for self-defense purposes.'

Shinso also managed to officially join the class 1A.

Heroics weren't the only lessons that Mariko was taking. She asked Present Mic if he could spend some time with her to talk only in English. The teacher was excited about the idea and started complaining how only a few people that he knows would ever want to do that with him.

After Okaido spent some time in the man's company, she discovered that he is intoxicating her with good vibes. His energy never seemed to drop and he was so incredibly extraverted, that she was pretty sure he could even beat Mirio in high-on-energy competition. The young woman would also hang out with Nemuri and occasionally some other teachers.

Despite her busy schedule, she still managed to find at least an hour a day to hang out with Eri, helping her with practicing writing letters and short stories and just playing with the kid. Mariko loved Eri and treated her like her own, younger sister that she always wanted to have.

As much as she started to love being around heroes, she simultaneously tried to avoid Mr. Aizawa. Mariko knew what has been happening with her and knew exactly where her feelings towards the man were going. She was scared of him finding out, that's why she would ask Kayama to supervise some of her trainings, whenever it was needed.

However, there were times when she had to interact with Eraser.

'Mr. Aizawa, do you have a moment?'

'I was about to take a nap,' he said, as she walked through the gigantic door with '1 A' painted on it's surface.

Mariko stepped into the empty classroom, dressed in the UA school uniform. She didn't look at the teacher until she stood next to his desk.

'I wanted some guidance.'

'Shoot,' he said in his usual slow and tired tone.

'I can't decide on the support item. I have two ideas and third one is just your suggestion, sir,' she explained. He turned himself on the office chair to face her. 'Can I use the whiteboard?'

'Yes.'

'I wanted to have something that would made up for lack of movement capabilities of my Drain. Sure, I can boost myself a little, bit it will just add stamina, not any kind of speed or momentum. So I've talked to some people and I came up with these.' She started writing and doodling on the whiteboard. After a few minutes, Shota looked at three different drawings with some brief descriptions. 'This one,' she pointed at a grapple glove. 'Sounds fantastic, would be super fast and very universal because of the tip of the hook. It could attach to any flat surface. But,' She stroked her chin in a thought. 'It will also cause a lot more property damage when used, because the arrow would need to penetrate stuff.'

'Oh there you are!' They heard Midnight's voice coming from the corridor. 'I leave you for a second with your favorite Sensei and you immediately jump into penetration.'

'Tch,' Aizawa sighed with annoyance.

'What?' Mariko asked, quickly turning red. She tilted her head towards the other teacher 'I am talking about the grapple, Kayama!'

'Sure thing.' She entered the classroom, swinging her hips. 'So what's up with that penetration?'

'It's the property damage,' Okaido whispered, turning towards the whiteboard. 'So the second idea is something that Mei Hatsume already has in the Support Department. It's... you know what? Let me cross it out, because I don't really like it anyway,' she said and removed rocket boots from her plan. 'So it's pretty much just this, either the Binding Cloth or the grapple, but my main issue is - I don't like it being around the neck.'

'True, show your face, pretty girl,' Kayama commented, looking at the drawings on the board.

'Don't get me wrong, it is very cool and is difficult to counter, universal and doesn't impact environment around when used... But I still don't like it, sir.'

'Well, then, why don't you do this,' Aizawa said and stood up, grabbing a black marker from his table. 'If you were to implement the design of the Binding Cloth, but put it in a grapple.'

'But where would it go, sir? You have like twenty meters of it on yourself. It won't fit in a glove.'

'It will if it's thinner,' he argued and stood right next to Mariko.

He was so close she could swear she felt the warmth radiating from his body. The young woman tilted her head, forcing herself to look away from the man.

Aizawa made a simple, yet very pretty doodle of a grapple glove, replacing the rope inside of the grapple with a thin version of the Binding Cloth.

'For better projectile velocity, the tip could be either rounded or in a shape of an arrow and maybe slightly thicker.'

'As it should be,' Kayama commented.

'You are so nasty!' Mariko laughed, turning her head to Midnight.

'There is no actual risk of the Binding Cloth being thinner. I keep it in this width because I use it for capturing. But with your Drain, the opponent might not have enough strength to break free anyway. And when it comes to swinging, you are tiny, so it should be enough for that as well,' Aizawa finished, placing the black marker back on his desk.

'I'm tiny?' Okaido asked.

'Yea.' He pulled an instant smoothie from his sleeping bag, placed in the corner of the classroom, next to his desk.

As he turned back towards them, Midnight's facial expression changed; she was now smiling playfully.

'You know that it is not so bad with a tall man...' she started, looking at Shota.

The man looked at Kayama with pure murderous intent, his eyes turned red as the scarf and the hair started floating.

'Do. Not,' he warned coldly.

The tone of his voice and his blood-freezing aura made Mariko want to evaporate. And it wasn't even her who he was looking at!

Kayama laughed and leaned towards nearest desk.

'You were always fun to tease, Aizawa.'

Mariko nervously cleared her throat.

'Soo... I think I will try this design then. I like it. Thank you, sir.' She bowed politely.

'You are welcome.'

'Do you want to take it straight to the Support Department?' Midnight suggested.

'Would be great!' Mariko responded and wiped the board.

As both women left the classroom, Aizawa zipped himself inside his sleeping bag. After a short nap, he would go to check out on Eri and spend some time with her.

'Do you know what day is tomorrow?' Nemuri asked.

'Wednesday,' Mariko responded, but Midnight shook her head.

'It's Shota's birthday.'

'Mr. Aizawa's?' she asked in disbelief.

Midnight nodded.

'I will go to the closest shopping center tomorrow, want to tag along?'

'I would love to! But not sure if I will get the permission.'

'Use your charm, then,' the woman advised, stroking Mariko's jaw.

The student chuckled.

'See? It's the approach, you don't believe it will work, so it won't.'

The women turned right, heading towards the Support Department. The corridor was completely deserted, allowing her for some private conversation.

'It's just... He intimidates me so much,' Okaido admitted.

'Eraser?' she wondered, looking up at the ceiling of the corridor. Midnight put her index finger on her mouth. 'Do you have a crush, or something?'

Mariko's face blushed and she raised the inner corners of her eyebrows.

'No?'

'No way,' Midnight said quietly, making the girl look at her. 'You do!' She covered her mouth and giggled like a kid.

'Noo...'

'Oh my God, finally something interesting is happening in this school,' Midnight admitted. 'I was so bored ever since school festival finished.'

Mariko wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but she just kept walking in silence.

'So you like older men, huh? I cannot relate at all. Youth is where it's at. Do you think it's daddy issues or just your taste?'

'I think it's sorta both. I didn't really have any fatherly figure throughout my life. I mean, there was the Principal at the orphanage, but he was a dick.'

'I see. What about a motherly figure?'

'None, either.'

'Would you go for me, then?'

Mariko looked at Midnight, her eyes wide with surprise. She tripped on her foot and immediately regained balance. The older woman smiled wildly at her.

'I find you extraordinary attractive, but I don't think I am into women.'

'What a shame,' Midnight sighed. 'Can I tell you something in private?'

'Yea.'

'I sometimes feel like whipping you during your training. You tend to make extremely appealing expressions when you struggle. It get's me going.'

Mariko stopped and crouched. She covered her face with her hands, hiding her deep blush.

'That's so hot,' her voice was muffled because of her palms.

'And it's true!'

After a while, the girl stood up and smiled at Midnight. They started walking again and soon after that, Mariko chuckled.

'I might be not so straight after all. But above anything, I just enjoy hanging out with you, even if it means a lot of R-rated humor and conversations.'

'I appreciate that,' Midnight nodded and they stopped again in front of the Support Department door.

Okaido remembered the guidance she received from All Might, about how she should cultivate her relationship with Mei Hatsume, as she was an extremely passionate and creative person to be around. This, combined with her dream occupation, created a fantastic-but-quite-dangerous combo. Every time Mariko would visit Mei, the girl would immediately start measuring her and trying to put her into various combat suits, attempting to make her wear some weird shoes, helmets, breastplates and all sorts of different things. This has always happened, even if Okaido came prepared, with a blueprint and an idea of her own. That time was no different.

As Mei jumped around Mariko, pushing her from one corner of the room to the other, Midnight slowly backed up, until she decided to leave and wait in the hallway.

Around half an hour later, Okaido was sent flying with the door, which detached from it's hinges, as some odd device exploded inside the room.

Senchi stood up, smelling her burnt hair strands. She hissed and stood up on shaky legs, her ears ringing. The young woman looked at Nemuri, who was in a pure state of shock and showed her thumbs up.

'It's done. It's submitted. The glove should be ready in a day or two, apparently.'

'Hatsume works hard, doesn't she?'

'Oh, for sure. Coming here is always worth all the burnt hair,' Okaido informed and swept the dust from her school uniform.

~~~

'It's absolutely ridiculous,' Aizawa thought to himself.

The man was sitting on the couch in the common living room, away from Snipe and Ectoplasm, currently cooking something in the kitchen. He was holding a book, that he thought he will be really interested in, but at the moment his mind was occupied with something else.

Aizawa Shota was a perfect observer; he could sense feelings of most people before even speaking to them and because of his introverted personality, he had a lot of opportunities to study everyone around him without too much of an interaction. This skill was especially useful in his teaching career. And even though he had practiced both of these abilities, he had a hard time understanding the logic behind his current mood.

He wasn't the type of guy who would brag about anything. His pride was on a very healthy, small level, just enough to have self-confidence, but too little to get hurt over someone throwing barbs at him.

He would always follow his logic, a lot more than his heart and sometimes, especially in his own school days - it would negatively affect his development in hero work. He knew how it is like to completely stop believing in yourself, so much so that one would doubt everything positive about themselves.

His various experiences and analysis, combined with natural observation, keen mind and the Pro-Hero-Teacher career allowed him to see things that other teachers couldn't see.

Shota could easily sense if one's heart wasn't in the right place and Mariko was the perfect example of that. He observed, analyzed and carefully calculated how, when and where to strike. He could read her like a book he was currently holding in his slender fingers.

He wasn't the one to play favorites, or that's what he always claimed, and he knew that raising students was a collective effort. Everyone played their part here, even the schoolmates around the person.

But with her...

'Tch,' he snorted with annoyance, a slight smirk appearing on his face, covered by the Binding Cloth sitting on his shoulders.

'Ridiculous,' he repeated again.

He was truly happy for Okaido's growth. He really was.

He would sometimes think about her from the time when she first appeared at school; her absolutely disrespectful behavior towards him and everyone else making him want to stomp the brat inside of her. And eventually he did that. He destroyed the worst side of her, he tamed her and then she immediately started fawning on others.

'Like a cat,' he compared. 'A huge individualist, but still wants to be social.'

Shota often said that the hero course was not a place where one should be when they just want to find friends. But he, above anyone else, knew how important friends truly are.

That's why he enjoyed seeing Mariko hanging out with Togata, Shinso, Eri, Kayama, Yamada and even All Might. But at the same time, he couldn't understand why she doesn't spend as much time with him anymore. Was he no longer her mentor?

He gave up and put the book on the coffee table in front of him. Then, he leaned back in the armchair's seat, seeing the two men - Snipe and Ectoplasm - leave the kitchen.

He let out a sigh, closing his tired eyes.

'Evening, Aizawa-kun,' All Might greeted him with a smile, as he entered the teachers' dorm.

He replied back and watched the Pro Hero climb the stairs.

He spent so much time thinking about this situation and he still didn't have any logical analysis? Eraser hated wasting time and that's how it felt in that particular moment.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and sighed again.

'What a drag,' he thought.

At this point, she spent more time with All Might, than him. But he was the one to lay the ground work for her growth. Without him, she wouldn't have gotten anywhere. He wondered if she ever thought about him that way. Was it his hurt ego? Was it pride? Maybe?

'Is it jealousy?' he asked himself in his mind, staring at his entwined hands. 'You are getting old and stupid,' he told himself, as he finally realized what has been bothering him so much.

He looked outside the window and saw Midnight's hair sticking out from above the hedge. A she appeared on the sidewalk leading straight to the building's main door, another person came into his view. It was Okaido. She was clearly exhausted from the training; her arms were dropped and she was dragging her feet.

Aizawa leaned back in the chair.

'Make just one, single mistake,' he thought as a devilish smirk appeared on his face. 'Just give me a reason.'

Midnight entered the dorm and held the door for Mariko.

'Thank you,' Senchi said to the older woman and stepped inside, closing the entrance to keep the cold air out.

The student was now wearing a dirty, sports school uniform. She brushed the hair from her face and whined, as the tiny movement felt like her muscles are ripping. She slid her shoes off.

'I told you to leave the rope climbing for another day once we were done with the Quirk training,' Midnight shook her head.

'But it is essential,' Mariko responded.

Through her half-closed eyes, she saw Eraserhead, sitting on the armchair, with completely emotionless expression. She opened her mouth to greet the man, but Midnight was faster.

'Evening, Sho!' the teacher greeted and Mariko just waved with a slight smile.

'Evening, Kayama,' he responded with a slow, deep voice.

'How is Eri?'

'She fell asleep like a baby some time ago.'

Mariko stood still, her exhausted eyes bouncing between Midnight and Aizawa as they talked. Then, Midnight turned towards her and winked.

'You were going to ask about something, right?'

'Me? Question?' she asked, confusing Midnight.

The older woman stared at her and then slapped her on the sore arm with a laugh.

'I guess it's just not your body being tired?'

'Yea,' Mariko exhaled.

'Earth to Mariko.' Midnight brought her face in front of Okaido's eyes, trying to make a connection with her brain. 'The trip. Tomorrow.'

'Ohhh, yeaaaaa.' Mariko straightened her back and slowly walked towards the armchair, in which Aizawa was sitting on. He followed her with his sight.

She inhaled, made eye contact with the man and folded her hands in a pleading gesture.

'Shota,' she started and immediately collapsed, covering her mouth; her eyes now wide open with shock.

Midnight, who was standing a few meters behind the girl started laughing.

Eraser grinned, seeing the student fall on the floor to the side of the armchair. Okaido flattened her self on the carpet and put her hands on her head, while kicking the ground with her right foot.

'NOOOOO!' she yelled in the fluffy fabric, her scream partially muffled.

Aizawa would never admit that to anyone, but he was so extremely entertained. It's been a while since he actually grinned.

'I AM SO SORRY!' she screamed and then put her chin on the floor, looking up at the man, making puppy eyes. 'I didn't mean to.'

'Well, but you did.' He looked at her coldly, but his voice was betraying his demeanor; there was a clear hint of a smirk in his tone.

'Mr. Aizawa, please, I am so sorry.'

'What did you want to ask about?'

She sat on the floor and pointed her thumb at Midnight, who was now leaning onto the sofa's backrest, her face cupped.

'Kayama wanted to go outside tomorrow and I was going to ask for a permission to join her,' Mariko explained.

'Guess the answer, Okaido.'

'No, pl-'

'You are right, it's a no.'

'But it just slipped, please, I didn't mean to call you by your first name, sir. I am so sorry.' She raised her hands above her head, bowing slightly.

'Three days of house arrest,' he announced.

'Wha-what?' Mariko was shocked.

He leaned towards her, a chaotic and scary expression appearing on his face. She straightened herself up and felt her face color.

'A week. Keep arguing and I will add more,' he warned in a quiet voice.

She opened her mouth, but instantly closed it as he raised his eyebrow. She would rather die than say this to anyone, but she always thought he was so much hotter when he was mad or at least slightly annoyed.

'OK,' she agreed and lowered her head, still looking up at him.

They held the eye contact for a long moment and then the man reached for the book, finishing his conversation with the girl. He couldn't comprehend how convenient this situation was.