004

RISING IN THE EAST

chapter four. cigarette

________________________________

THE DORMS WERE ALIVE with energy as the students of Class 2-A gathered in the common room for a rare night of relaxation. It was a chance for everyone to unwind after the intense training session with All Might and Aizawa, and they were eager to get to know Saebyeok better. Despite being a new addition to the class, she had already proven herself as an incredibly skilled hero-in-training, but there was still so much about her they were curious to learn.

Izuku Midoriya, had suggested they play a few games to help break the ice. He had set up a board game in the center of the room, and soon everyone was settled in, ready for a fun night.

"Come on, Bakugo! Don't be such a stick in the mud," Denki Kaminari urged, glancing over at the brooding figure of Bakugo, who was standing by the door.

"Tch, I'm not wasting my time on some dumb game," Bakugo snapped, his usual fiery glare fixed firmly on his face. "I'm going to my room."

The others exchanged amused glances, used to Bakugo's stubbornness. Saebyeok smiled knowingly at him, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"Don't worry, we'll play without you," she said in her smooth, confident Spanish accent, a playful edge to her voice. "Maybe next time, you'll join us."

Bakugo didn't respond, just turned and walked out, his footsteps heavy as he retreated to his room. With that, the group focused on the game, but it was clear that the conversation quickly turned toward Saebyeok. Everyone was eager to learn more about their new classmate.

"Saebyeok, tell us some funny stories from Spain!" Mina Ashido said, leaning forward with an eager grin. "I bet you've had some wild adventures!"

Saebyeok chuckled softly, a warm, almost nostalgic smile spreading across her face. "Well, there was this one time. My mentor asked me to practice a rescue mission, and I had to save a group of 'hostages' from a simulated building. But I miscalculated one of my reflections and ended up causing more destruction than I meant to. It was so bad that we had to spend hours cleaning up the mess afterward." She shook her head with a soft laugh. "My mentor was very disappointed, but I couldn't stop laughing."

The group erupted into laughter, imagining Saebyeok causing chaos during a practice mission. Denki, ever the lighthearted one, grinned widely.

"That sounds hilarious! I bet you were all like 'Oops, my bad!'" he said, still chuckling.

Saebyeok nodded, her eyes bright with amusement. "Exactly. I had to fix everything, but I learned a lot that day."

Momo Yaoyorozu, always keen on picking up new skills, leaned forward with interest. "So, what else should we know about Spain? What's the food like?"

"Oh, the food!" Saebyeok said enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling as she began to speak. "We have so many delicious dishes! Paella, of course, but my favorite is 'tortilla española,' which is like an omelet with potatoes and onions. It's simple but incredibly tasty. And 'churros' with hot chocolate are perfect for breakfast or dessert!"

The others leaned in, intrigued by the idea of Spanish food. Denki's eyes widened.

"Man, churros sound so good. You gotta teach us how to make those!" he said, clearly already envisioning the sweet treat.

Saebyeok laughed. "I can definitely teach you! But beware, it's addictive." She grinned mischievously. "You'll want them every day."

Izuku, who had been quietly listening, spoke up, his voice full of genuine curiosity. "Saebyeok, your accent is so cool. I've never heard anyone speak Spanish like that before! How do you learn to speak so clearly?"

Saebyeok smiled, touched by the compliment. "Thank you, Izuku. When I was group up, my dad obviously thought it would be more practical if they raised me speaking Japanese but my mother was insisting that I must learn both languages at the same time, but I often leaned more into Spanish even though I lived here in Japan at the time. I've spent a lot of time working on my accent, actually. It's important to me, especially when I'm communicating with people from different countries. I want to make sure I can understand and be understood clearly."

Denki, still grinning from ear to ear, jumped in again. "Hey, you should teach us some Spanish! I mean, we've got to know how to talk to you, right?"

"That's a great idea!" Uraraka said enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up. "I'd love to learn some Spanish!"

Saebyeok's smile widened as she nodded. "Sure, I can teach you a few phrases. Let's start with something simple, like greetings." She pointed to each of them, going down the line. "For 'hello,' you say 'hola.'" She demonstrated with a smile. "Try it!"

The others repeated in unison, "Hola!"

"Perfect," Saebyeok said, impressed with their efforts. "Now, to ask how someone is, you say, '¿Cómo estás?'"

The students eagerly repeated the phrase after her, some stumbling over the pronunciation, but all trying their best.

"Now for something a bit more fun," she said with a wink. "If you want to say 'I'm hungry,' you say, 'Tengo hambre.'" She emphasized the rolling of the 'r' in 'hambre.'

Kirishima immediately raised his hand. "Ooh, 'Tengo hambre!' I'm definitely going to use that one when I'm starving."

Saebyeok laughed, clearly enjoying the moment. "I think you'll all be saying that soon enough. It's easy to get hungry in Spain with all the delicious food around."

The group continued to laugh and practice their Spanish, and even Bakugo's absence couldn't dampen the mood. As the night wore on, Saebyeok shared more stories, and the students grew closer, bonding over their shared laughter, new language skills, and growing respect for one another. For Saebyeok, it felt like she had truly found a new place to call home among her new friends.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the quiet campus of UA. The night air was cool and crisp as Saebyeok stepped outside, a moment of solitude after a fun but exhausting evening with the others. She needed a break, something to unwind. She pulled out a cigarette from her pocket and lit it, inhaling the calming smoke.

She leaned against the railing outside the dorm, staring out at the starry night sky. The quiet was soothing after the day's chaos. Her mind wandered for a moment, but the sound of footsteps approaching brought her back to the present.

"Hey," a gruff voice broke the stillness.

Saebyeok turned to find none other than Katsuki Bakugo, the last person she'd expected to find out here. He stood with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixed on her with an intensity that bordered on irritation.

"You're not supposed to be smoking here," Bakugo said bluntly. "You could get kicked out for doing stuff like that on campus."

Saebyeok raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden confrontation. She had expected Bakugo to be the last person to care about something like this.

"You're worried about me getting kicked out?" she asked with a small, amused smile, exhaling a puff of smoke into the night air. "I didn't take you for the rule-following type, Bakugo."

"Tch, I'm not worried about you," he shot back, clearly annoyed by her reaction. "I just don't want you messing things up for everyone else. You're already pushing your damn luck with that quirk of yours, so don't add something else to the list."

Saebyeok chuckled lightly, her eyes glinting with amusement. "I didn't know you cared so much about the rules. But I guess you're right." She took another drag of her cigarette before tossing it on the ground and stamping it out with her foot. "I don't want to cause trouble."

Bakugo watched her closely, his scowl softening slightly. "I didn't say I care. I just don't want you to screw things up for the rest of us. You think we're all here by accident? We've all worked our asses off to get into this school."

"I didn't think you were the type to care about other people's problems," Saebyeok said, raising an eyebrow again. There was no malice in her words, just curiosity.

Bakugo paused, almost taken aback by her observation. His usual scowl faltered for a moment, but only for a split second. "I don't," he muttered. "But... you're a part of this class for the semester, so don't screw it up."

Saebyeok regarded him thoughtfully. There was something about his words, the way he spoke, that was hard to ignore. He didn't want to admit it, but there was a flicker of something deeper beneath his abrasive exterior.

"So, you actually care about this class, huh?" she asked, leaning back slightly as she crossed her arms, her voice low but probing. "I thought you didn't give a damn about anyone."

Bakugo's eyes flashed, and he clenched his fists, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "I don't need to care about anyone," he snapped, his voice hard. "But I care about being the best. And if I've gotta share the same damn room with idiots, I'm making sure they don't drag me down."

Saebyeok could see through the bravado, the way he hid his vulnerability behind layers of pride and aggression. She smiled a little, not in mockery, but with understanding. "I get it," she said softly, her tone warmer now. "You don't want to be held back. I feel the same way."

Bakugo shot her a suspicious glance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," she began, tapping the edge of the railing with her finger, "I came here to learn, get better for the exposure. I wasn't trying to join some hero academy just for the title. I wanted to make a real difference. I'm not here to make friends because it's not like it's going to last long anyway, but... I wouldn't mind getting to know people better, it's good to have those connections, you know?"

Bakugo snorted, not quite sure how to respond. "Whatever. I don't need anyone's help to get better."

Saebyeok nodded, her smile turning into something more thoughtful. "You don't have to. But it's okay to want to be around people who understand you. Not everything has to be a competition."

"Competition makes you stronger," Bakugo growled, his voice firm, but Saebyeok could tell he was starting to soften a bit.

"True," she replied, "but sometimes, you learn more from your allies than your enemies."

Bakugo didn't answer right away. He just looked at her, his eyes flicking back and forth between her face and the ground. There was something in his gaze that she couldn't quite decipher—something close to respect, but veiled under his usual stubbornness.

"Well," he said, shifting uncomfortably, "don't go thinking I'll be nice to you or anything. Just don't get in the way, and I won't have a problem with you."

Saebyeok laughed softly, shaking her head. "I never thought you'd be 'nice,' Bakugo. But I'll take that as a compliment."

He grumbled, clearly not used to conversations like this, but there was a slight shift in his demeanor. Maybe he wasn't as closed off as he appeared.

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered. "I'm going back to my room. Don't do anything else stupid."

Saebyeok watched him walk away, a thoughtful smile lingering on her face. There was more to Bakugo than met the eye, and though he might never openly admit it, she could tell he cared about the class in his own way.

As Bakugo disappeared into the shadows of the dorm, Saebyeok leaned back against the railing, gazing up at the stars once more. Maybe she was starting to understand what it meant to truly be part of this strange group. Even if it meant getting to know people like Katsuki Bakugo—who, despite his explosive exterior, had more depth than anyone gave him credit for.