Tabula Rasa (BakuDeku)

07

Another New Kid, The Color Purple, and A Talk about Sexuality

"Everyone in their seats." Mr. Aizawa's enters, and the sound of squeaky sneakers and metal scraping against the floor adds to Denki's incoming headache. "Today, we have a transfer from the General Education department. Come in."

His headache doesn't dampen the excitement he feels, though. Another student? So many changes happening so quickly, it makes Denki's head swim wit anticipation.

Curious whispers bounce off the walls and return like a boomerang, as a semi-lanky kid with wild purple hair stalks through the door. He takes Mr. Aizawa's place at the podium, unenthusiastically dropping his bag on the floor at his side. The bags under his eyes and the cup of coffee in his left hand tells Denki this kid is a professional insomniac, and on cue, he takes a mini-sip of his coffee.

Clearly he and Aizawa are cut from the same cloth.

"Um. Hello," His voice is like flat soda, the monotonous and unimpressed tone only contributing to Denki's struggle against sleep. (He stayed up late last night, okay?)

"Hitoshi Shinsou."

Mr. Aizawa's impossibly bored eyes narrow into little slits, and Shinsou chest lifts as he heaves a sigh, "I don't have anything else to say."

"Your age." Aizawa grunts.

"Sixteen." Shinsou answers, just as blunt. "Can I sit down now?"

Their homeroom teacher pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a loud, frustrated exhale, "Fine. Sit next to Kaminari." He points to the spare desk on her right as and he waves excitedly. Shinsou picks up his black bag, and silently makes his way over.

Denki loves meeting new people! This is great.

Mr. Yamada can't even get through half of his lecture before Denki's mind starts to wander. English has never been great for her attention span...he's solid at it, enough to hold a basic conversation, but also enough to be bored out of his mind.

He looks down at his desk, he's torn the eraser he was been picking at to shreds. Sighing, Denki surveys the room for something else to keep him entertained... but Eijirou is laser focused on the lesson, Yuuga's slumped over his desk half-asleep. He sees a flash of purple and turns to his left, smiling deviously: New guy.

"Hey," he whispers, poking him in the bicep with a dull pencil. "What's your name again? Shinmi?" The bored boy's face is steady when he looks at him, shaking his head no. His hair flutters around his face as it moves, and Denki wonders if it feels like cotton candy.

"Shinsou." Shinsou's response is just as blunt as his pencil. Grabbing his half full coffee cup, he ping pongs it between his hands. Now Denki recognizes him - he's the kid who threatened Bakugou at the sports festival last year.

"Well, Shinsou, what are you doing after school today?" He leans in.

"Are you asking me on a date? Because sorry, you've got to get to know me, first." And Denki chokes because Shinou's candor might be the death of him.

"I'm not asking you out on a date!" (Even though, he wouldn't mind a date, now that he's thinking about it.) Denki's hands wave clear the air in a panic, "My friends and I usually hang out after school, and I wanted to see if you wanna to tag along."

"Ah," Shinsou takes another long, annoying sip of his coffee. He leans back to stretch his legs out and focuses back on the boring lesson. Denki refuses to be ignored.

"Ah?"

"Can't, I'm moving into the dorms after school. Maybe next time." Shinsou gives him a small pity smile and swirls his cup around. He watches, hypnotized as the coffee taints the white insides in an ellipse, until there's a beige, oval-shaped ring in the middle. Mr. Yamada's voice filters back into her ears, reminding Denki where he is. Right. Class.