The humid air hung heavy, but the sparkling water in the half-cleaned U.A. pool offered a refreshing illusion. Most of Class 1-A was in their gym clothes, either knee-deep in water with brushes or hosing down the slick tiles. Laughter and shouts echoed, particularly from the boisterous Bakugo and the ever-optimistic Kirishima who were currently engaged in a playful splash war near the deep end.

Perched on the very edge of the pool, legs dangling, you watched the chaotic scene unfold. Your raven black hair, usually pulled back, cascaded around your shoulders as you took a long sip from a strawberry juice box, the sweetness a familiar comfort. Your heterochromatic eyes, one a striking blue and the other a warm yellow, observed each interaction with a quiet intensity. The general ruckus was bordering on your 'dislike' for loudness, but the genuine joy radiating from your classmates was...tolerable. It was your own unique way of participating, finding amusement in their boisterous efforts, a reserved smile playing on your lips.

Suddenly, a loud yelp pierced the air. You looked up just in time to see a spray of water, courtesy of Bakugo's hose, arc spectacularly. But instead of hitting Kirishima, it caught the invisible Hagakure, who shrieked with a surprised laugh. A small, almost imperceptible "Tch" escaped Bakugo's lips as he lowered the hose, scanning the general area for his next target. His gaze, usually a fiery glare, softened for a fleeting moment as it landed on you, serene amidst the chaos, sipping your juice box. There was an almost uncharacteristic pause in his movements, a flicker of something unreadable in his crimson eyes, before he seemingly caught himself and, with a snarl, snapped back to spraying Kirishima. The brief admiration, if that’s what it even was, was gone as quickly as it came, unnoticed by everyone…

Everyone, that is, except for a certain observant individual. From the shallower end, Todoroki paused his methodical scrubbing. His dual-colored eyes, sharp and discerning, had briefly flickered from Bakugo's momentary stillness to your tranquil presence, then back to Bakugo's immediate return to aggression. A subtle arch of an eyebrow was the only indication that he had registered the almost imperceptible shift in the explosive blonde. He continued scrubbing, a quiet thought forming in the back of his mind.