It was a normal Saturday in Class 1-A.

  Most classes had gone as usual, some presentations, a few drills, nothing strenuous. Last period was Aizawa’s, which meant subdued energy and minimal guidance. True to form, he was cocooned in his sleeping bag at the front of the room, only one eye visible above the zipper line.

  “Formulate an emergency response plan for a Level 2 disaster scenario,” he mumbled sometime after roll call. “Solo work. I’m not checking it today. Just... do something that makes sense.”

  He promptly resumed hibernation.

  Kaminari, reclining in his chair like it was a beach lounger, gave Sero a nudge on the shoulder.

  “You think we should hit up that park after class? Maybe grab some takoyaki?”

  “Only if I don’t have to pay your cut again,” Sero replied, not even looking up from his half-sketched plan. “You still owe me from last week.”

  Behind them, Uraraka leaned forward across her desk, tapping Kirishima on the arm. “We’re still on for after class, right?”

  He grinned. “Sure as hell I’m in! We’ve been cooped up too much lately. We could all use the break.”

  When the bell rang, chairs scraped and students stirred. It wasn’t a rush, just students tired from a week of hard work drifting toward the door. Bags were slung over shoulders. Conversations picked up in pairs and trios.

  Robinn lingered.

  She checked her bag twice, slow and practiced. She didn’t look rushed or left out, just... deliberate. Like she was following some internal checklist no one else saw.

  Uraraka intercepted her at the door.

  “Hey!” she said brightly, stepping right into Robinn’s path like a human stop sign. “We’re heading out now. You should come.”

  Robinn blinked at her, caught mid-step. “I have training.”

  “You can train tomorrow.” Uraraka wasn’t budging. “It’s Saturday. And besides, we leave a period early today. It’s just for a bit. Doesn’t cost you anything.”

  There was a pause. A long one. Somewhere down the hall Kaminari shouted something about convenience store snacks, and someone fake-groaned in reply. Robinn looked down at Uraraka, then to the side, like she was weighing what she could gain.

  Finally, she nodded. A single, almost imperceptible tilt of the head. Her expression was flat, but not annoyed, more like a person sighing internally. Her face said “I have no idea why I’m agreeing to this.”

  But she went.

  They gathered at the station, an oddly mismatched pack of uniforms and weekend hoodies.

  Iida was already there with a color-coded route plan, naturally. Sero and Kaminari were mock-wrestling over whether or not the takoyaki stand closed early. Ojiro was telling Uraraka about a new seasonal mochi drop. Tsuyu leaned against the railing sipping a juice box while Kirishima told her about a frog he saw the day before.

  Robinn showed up last.

  She stood a short distance from the group, like she hadn’t quite committed to being there yet. Not aloof or anxious, just slightly off-mark from the center of gravity. She watched them like someone observing an aquarium. Curious, but uncertain whether she belonged inside the glass.

  Uraraka spotted her and waved enthusiastically. “C’mon over! We’re about to head out.”

  Robinn approached, slowly. The group absorbed her without comment, like it was normal for her to hover, and they were just waiting.

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  Their first stop was the park.

  The cherry blossoms had already shed, but the trees were rich with green now, casting long, dappled shadows across the paths. A soft breeze nudged at jackets and blew petals across the ground.

  Kaminari was the first to dart toward the low metal railing running along the slope of a grassy hill.

  “Bet I can balance across this faster than you!” he yelled to Kirishima, already climbing onto it.

  “You’re on, bro!”

  Midoriya dutifully pulled out his phone to record the “event,” mumbling commentary like a sports announcer. “And here we have the pro hero hopefuls testing their quirkless agility in a high-stakes parkour showdown...”

  Sero whistled. “They’re gonna eat it.” Drawing a few laughs.

  Momo got roped in by Iida into explaining the park’s historical background, something about the original layout being designed during the Showa era, but politely redirected when Kaminari asked if there were any ghosts involved.

  Robinn hovered closer to Uraraka, her pace syncing slightly with hers. She didn’t seem anxious, just unsure of where she was supposed to go. When the group slowed, she slowed. When they laughed, she smiled lightly, eyes scanning like she was still studying the rules of engagement.

  The tiny arcade they found was tucked between a bookstore and a bakery, glowing with a flickering neon sign that buzzed faintly.

  Inside, the air was warm and sticky with machine heat. Digital noises stacked over each other, bells, chirps, background music looping forever. The crane game was first.

  Uraraka cracked her knuckles. “Witness the claw queen!”

  Her focus was terrifying. One round, and she pulled up a tiny frog plush. She immediately held it out to Tsuyu, who took it with a quiet, surprised smile and a simple, “Thank you.”

  Kirishima tried one and failed. Kaminari tried and failed twice. Robinn was dragged in by peer pressure.

  “C’mon,” Uraraka nudged her. “Pick something weird.”

  Robinn selected a machine with bright pink capsules shaped like food. She studied it too long, missed by an embarrassing margin, and quietly muttered something about claw calibration.

  But then she found Whack-A-Mole.

  “This one’s better,” she said, tying her hair back without thinking. “Just hitting stuff. I don’t mind it.”

  Five rounds later, she had cleared the leaderboard, drawing an audience. Her face, usually neutral, lit up ever so slightly with the glint of focus. She handed her prize: a rubbery duck keychain to Kaminari, who accepted it like he’d won a medal.

  “Respect,” he said solemnly.

  The food court was chaotic, as all mall food courts are by law.

  Tables were scattered and half-taken, and the group naturally fanned out to scavenge like wolves. Somehow, Midoriya ended up next to Robinn at the corner of one table. The others chatted across from them. Kirishima passing sauces around, Uraraka recounting her crane game triumph, Tsuyu commenting on the noise level.

  Midoriya offered Robinn a tray of fries between bites. “Want some?”

  She smiled politely. “Not really optimal for muscle retention.” Then added, “But I don’t dislike them.”

  His eyes lit up and he blurted out. “You’ve been doing high-intensity intervals, right? I noticed your posture changed this week. More core-focused?”

  Robinn blinked, surprised. “Yes. I adjusted my balance patterns.”

  “That’s.. sorry, I just notice that stuff. Your form’s really efficient.”

  There was a pause, but not an awkward one. Robinn’s face softened a fraction.

  “Thank you. It’s been my focus lately.”

  She didn’t open up more, but she didn’t shut him down either. For a moment, they just ate in comfortable parallel, surrounded by chatter.

  When the sky shifted into evening gold, the group began to split. It happened organically.

  Momo left in a sleek car. Ojiro caught a local bus. Tsuyu hopped her usual train. Iida double-checked the times before sprinting to his stop.

  Uraraka waved goodbye to everyone with her usual sunbeam energy. She lingered briefly, glancing at Robinn, but didn’t say anything. Just smiled and jogged off after her train.

  Robinn didn’t move right away.

  Kirishima ended up next to her as they started walking the same direction, down the residential street leading back to towards their homes. His hands were tucked into his jacket pockets, his stride relaxed.

  “Fun day, huh?” he said, casual.

  Robinn nodded. “Different.”

  Kirishima grinned. “Good different?”

  “Nor really sure”

  They walked for a while. He did most of the talking, commenting on the arcade, joking about Kaminari’s failed claw tactics, then pivoting to training. She perked up again there, discussing grip strength metrics, timing windows for dodge recovery. It wasn’t a flood of words from her, but she was clearly engaged.

  Then, just before the corner where they’d split ways, Kirishima glanced at her sideways.

  “So, what do you usually do on your Saturday evenings?” he asked, tone casual but curious.

  Robinn blinked once. “Training. Like usual.”

  Kirishima chuckled. “Yeah, figured. But, like... if you couldn’t? Say your gym exploded or something. What would you be doing?”

  She paused. Thought about it longer than expected. “...Not sure, to be honest.”

  He laughed, light and unbothered. “You’re weird.”

  She didn’t look offended. Just tilted her head a little, like she wasn’t sure if it was a compliment.

  “But hey,” he added, smiling, “everyone’s got their stuff.”

  They reached the corner. He pointed down his street. “See you later.”

  Robinn nodded, then added a soft, almost surprised, “Bye.”

  That night, Robinn’s phone buzzed. One new message from Uraraka.

  Thanks for coming :)

  She didn’t respond.