Chapter Text
The door of the car opened wide, revealing a barrage of lights and noises to me. Flashes, shouting, microphones, journalists, fans, guards.
This part hasn't gotten easier so far, maybe one day it will feel natural. Maybe.
A hand reached out,the body behind it momentarily protecting me from the visual assault I was experiencing. It was a gesture of chivalry and care, or it would have been, had it come from anyone else.
“Mademoiselle!”
I took the hand and “put my game face on” as I exited the car booth. My skirt billowed in the man-made wind of motion as I stepped on solid ground with both feet, hand in hand with my partner.
We looked at each other for, well, not reassurance, but to mark the moment when it all began. When everything changed.
“Fortune! Fortune! Over here! How long do you plan on staying in Japan?”
“How does it feel to be so far from home?”
“Leon! Fortune! Give us a shot of the happy couple!”
“Do you have advice for your competition?”
“Oh my god, they're so cute together!”
“Why have you chosen UA to finish your education? Why not stay in Europe?”
“Leon, are you planning on tying the knot after high school?”
“Leon, can I have an autograph? I'm your biggest fan!”
“Fortune! Will you bless your opponents in the upcoming Sports Festival with your luck?”
We both moved smoothly in tandem over the short walkway from the car to the school entrance. As is customary, we stopped by a couple of the fans, signing shirts, magazines, notepads, taking a selfie or two with the adoring, screeching crowd, but the media was persistent as usual. They're like this everywhere.
“Fortune, are you leaving France for good? Will you go back once you've graduated?” All I saw was a microphone even though I was sure there was a person behind it. They all blurred together after a while.
“I bring fortune to whoever needs it. I'm not abandoning my home of course.” The PR copy I was given was kind of vague, so I also didn't know how to elaborate if asked.
Truth is I was happy to be away from home for a bit, even if all the trappings of fame followed me wherever I went. It still felt refreshing to look at different sights.
“Fortune, do you and Leon plan on working together once you're done with school?”
I would rather die in my own vomit.
“We have been partners for years, it would be hard not to.”
“Plus, it's always better working with someone you adore, that way you always work twice as hard!” the sickly sweet tone and words came from over my shoulder, soon a hand clamped over my jacket and a face came to rest over it too.
“Oh, my god, how cute! I want a man like that!”
Everyone does.
“Leon, when you graduate, do you plan on staying in Japan?”
“Ha ha, we plan to go wherever there is a need for a hero! The world is small to great heroes like us, so wherever the wind blows, we'll follow!”
“Oh, he's so dreamy!” followed the squealing crowd.
The gates opened and Leon and I walked through, tailed by our guards.
On the other side stood a fluffy creature of some variety, very small, deeply adorable, and two other men. Even more adorable was their outfit. Formal, academic attire of a collared shirt, a vest and tie over it and dress pants, topped off by a pair of formal shoes that seemed disproportionate to their body size.
Their paws raised up in excitement and they smiled a cartoony smile.
“Welcome, guest students, to the great halls of UA hero school! We are elated to have you visiting us all the way over from France and hope that you will find great success with us!” their voice was that of a kid show character, like a Mickey Mouse or something. I had to actively fight the urge not to squeeze and cuddle them.
“Thank you, sir, we are honored to be accepted into your school.” I bowed down deep like one of my tutors had taught me to, only looking sideways at Leon for a second to give him a look that day “Just do it, prick.” Thankfully, he did.
Good, you live to see another day.
“I am Principle Nezu and those two next to me” they waved towards the two imposing figures he stood between, “will be your homeroom teachers for the time you're here.” the Principal pointed towards a person with grey, square features in a brown costume. “This is Cementoss, homeroom teacher for class 2-A where you will be going, Mr. Leon.”
The man, Cementoss went to shake Leon's hand while bowing respectfully, and all I could see is that bastard hesitating before remembering that we BOTH need to keep up appearances, so he was forced to mirror the gesture.
“Welcome to my class, Durand Leon-kun, we are happy to have you.” Oh, right, the name thing. I keep forgetting that.
“And this here,” Principal Nezu piped up again, excited as ever, “is Eraserhead.” That is an unfortunate name, “Ms. Fortune, he will be your homeroom teacher, along with the rest of class 1-A.”
The man was skinny and looked tired, but that made him no less intimidating. He had a big ass scarf wrapped around his neck, long black unruly hair and extremely tired eyes. As he stepped up to me, I felt an odd shift in my power, like a coin, moving around in your pocket while you're fishing around for your keys. I wondered what that was about.
“Welcome, Fontaine Félicité-kun.” a man of few words apparently.
I shook his hand, bowing respectfully, “Thank you, Mr. Eraserhead,” I can't get over how stupid that name is, “I am so honored to be part of your class.”
“Hm.” all he did was exhale a breath through his nose in, I suppose, confirmation.
“And now that we're acquainted,” Principal Nezu clapped his… paws (?), drawing our attention back to him, “let's go to your first classes. We waited for the bell to ring so that there wouldn't be students milling about the hallways.” he stated a steady pace towards the main building on campus, back to us, as Leon and I were now handed off to our homeroom teachers, ”With your level of fame, you would surely be stopped to give autographs and take pictures.” Principal Nezu turned only a few degrees, his scarred eye peeking at us, as if to gauge our reaction. The comment felt back-handedly somehow.
I felt the need to jump in.
“Oh, we assure you, sir, there would be none of that from us. Right now, here, we're not some international heroes, we're just two new students trying to do our best for the sake of humanity.” okay, I did overdo it a bit, I think, maybe I came in too hot.
The Principal chuckled charmingly, “Well, that is good to hear. We hope you keep your spark, Ms. Fortune, it would be a shame if your training with Mr Eraserhead would dampen it.”
Oh, I see what's happening: they might be trying to sabotage us… Or am I being too weary of everything? Either way, with all that I've been through ever since I signed with my agency, no amount of training could break me.
He led us through the high-ceilinged organised and pristine halls of the academy, every once in a while breaking his professional silence to point out a special room or interesting fact about the building. Not long after, we reached a door with a sign reading “1-A”.
That would be me.
“Mr. Eraserhead, Ms. Fortune, this is your stop. I hope you have a wonderful first day at UA.”
With that he bowed and moved on further down the hall.
A second or two passed and I was finally starting to feel some sense of nervousness. I had been fine up until that point, nothing before that had been unusual, but suddenly realising that I was a new student at an elite school after the school year had already begun was something of a universal nightmare. It was nonsensical, really. Whatever a school could throw at me would not be anywhere close to risking my life on the daily and yet, it didn't feel that way.
A beat passed and the Principal, Cementoss and Leon had rounded a corner, before Mr. Eraserhead spoke.
“Now, I'm gonna go open my class and then I'll call you in and introduce you. Keep in mind, my class could be a bit rowdy.”
The hell does that mean? Am I gonna get tackled or something?
“Yes, Mr. Eraserhead.”
“I prefer ‘Mr. Izawa’ when we're at school.”
You could have mentioned that before.
“Of course, sir.”
“Hm.” he looked down at me with tired eyes as he made that nose sound again.
“Wait until I call you.”
Boy, he's a ray of sunshine, huh?