With sleeping bags now strictly prohibited and the roof firmly declared off-limits, Junsei's options for peace and quiet had shrunk to almost nothing. And since he could no longer escape people, he reasoned there was little point in avoiding them.
He might as well eat.
When the next lunch period arrived, Junsei headed for the cafeteria without hesitation. Shinso lingered at the classroom door, weighing his options, then sighed softly and followed.
"Do you have any other plans?" Shinso asked as they walked.
"No," Junsei replied. "Just eat."
The two arrived at the cafeteria, collected trays of food and sat at an empty table near the side, eating in complete silence.
Silence didn't last long.
Soon enough, Momo arrived with Jiro, Tsuyu, Mina, Iida, Midoriya, and Uraraka in tow. Mina was the first to spot them and the first to speak.
"Hi there, you two!" she said brightly. "How does it feel to be responsible for two new rules at UA? That's a legendary feat."
Her enthusiasm was met with two identical stares. Then Junsei and Shinso calmly returned to eating.
"Huh?" Mina blinked.
"There's a second one…" Momo muttered under her breath.
Iida took a seat beside Junsei, posture perfectly straight. "I must say, I admire your creativity. To identify loopholes within a complex and well-refined system such as UA is truly worthy of respect."
Uraraka leaned toward Jiro and whispered, "Is that a good thing?"
"It shouldn't be," Jiro replied quietly, "but I don't think it matters at this point. Everyone here is weird."
The group settled around the table. Mina leaned forward again. "So we know the first silent guy is Junsei. What about you?"
Shinso glanced at her. "Hitoshi Shinso."
"You're in Class 1-C too?" Jiro asked. "What's your quirk?"
"Brainwashing."
Jiro went silent. So did everyone else.
Their gazes moved between Junsei and Shinso. One believed most people didn't deserve to live. The other wielded a blatantly villainous quirk. Both were quiet, distant, and antisocial. Sitting together like this, they looked less like classmates and more like a team better suited for the opposite side of the law.
Mina cleared her throat. "So… now that you can't sleep around, what do you plan to do next?"
Shinso glanced at Junsei.
"Eat for now," Junsei said.
"And we've confirmed who the ringleader is," Jiro added dryly.
"You both did well," Iida said seriously, "but unfortunately, our principal is known to be the smartest creature in the world. He responds to disruptions quickly and perfectly."
"I think anyone would've done that," Tsuyu said. "But yes, our principal really is the smartest. It's hard to believe he isn't human."
Junsei turned toward her instantly. "The principal is not a human?"
Tsuyu stiffened under the sudden attention.
"H-he's an animal," she said quickly, "with a quirk that gives him intelligence far above everyone else."
For the first time, Junsei's face changed. A faint gleam of interest appeared in his eyes.
Momo noticed at once. "What are you thinking?" she asked cautiously.
"I would like to meet him," Junsei replied.
Momo frowned. "You're not planning to do anything strange, are you?"
Junsei shook his head. "Just curious."
The others exchanged uneasy looks. They all knew Junsei's quirk or at least enough of it. The thought of him using it on the principal made their stomachs twist. Junsei showed already he was not one to follow rules, and if he did anything to Nezu, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Beside him, Shinso was lost in thought.
He remembered Junsei's quirk and from everyone's reaction, it must be more than just communication. A quiet realization crept in.
[Could it be…] Shinso wondered, [that Junsei has a similar power, just over animals instead of humans?]
If that were true, then perhaps they weren't so different after all. They were kindred spirits.
——————
After school ended, Junsei waited quietly at the gates of U.A. When Momo finally appeared, she was flanked by her friends, her expression apologetic.
"Sorry for being late," she said. "We had to select a class president!!"
Junsei nodded in acknowledgment. At that exact moment, a dark brown-red bird swooped down from above and settled neatly on his shoulder.
Junsei glanced sideways at the bird as it began to chirp. His eyes narrowed, a rare sign of displeasure crossing his face, while Momo and the others stared in surprise.
"Is something wrong?" Momo asked.
"A human caught her and brought her to this city," Junsei replied calmly. "The human wanted to cut her wings so she couldn't fly. She managed to escape."
The bird chirped again, weaker this time.
"She's tired and hungry," Junsei continued. "She doesn't have the strength to go back."
For a brief moment, his eyes glowed faintly.
"Who could do something like that?" Momo asked, horrified.
"Many humans would," Junsei answered. He gently picked up the bird and slipped it into his pocket.
Momo blinked. "What are you going to do with it?"
"She needs rest and food," Junsei said. "Once she recovers, she can return to the forest."
Momo nodded, relieved, while the rest of her classmates watched with open curiosity.
Midoriya tilted his head thoughtfully. "Your quirk isn't just communicating or controlling animals in one direction, is it?"
Junsei ignored him, clearly too irritated to entertain human questions.
Momo, however, answered. "Animals can sense him and approach him without fear. They trust that he won't harm them, and they show fondness toward him."
The group nodded in amazement.
Mina leaned toward Tsuyu and whispered, "Now I know what's wrong with you and the others. Your animal side reacts to him with trust and fondness."
Tsuyu nodded.
They soon parted ways, each heading home.
That evening, a certain bird enjoyed what could only be described as a royal meal among birds.
The next day, Momo appeared at school with the same bird chirping happily on her shoulder.
"Dola," Momo said gently, "this is school. You can't come with me inside."
The bird kept chirping happily.
Momo sighed and turned to Junsei. "Can you help me translate to her?"
Junsei glanced at Dola for a second. The very next moment, the bird chirped with unmistakable sadness.
"I'm so sorry," Momo said softly, guilt written all over her face. "But after school, I'll feed you a nice meal just like yesterday."
Junsei translated. The bird immediately resumed chirping happily, then fluttered into the air and flew away.
"Where is she going?" Momo asked.
"It will fly around the school until evening," Junsei replied.
"Will she be okay?" Momo asked. "She's not used to cities."
"I will keep an eye on her," Junsei said.
Momo nodded, reassured.
The day passed normally, and during lunch, Junsei and Shinso sat together as usual when Momo and the others joined them.
"I heard about the bird from others and from Momo," Jiro said. "Is it really still around the school?"
Shinso looked confused.
"Yes," Junsei replied. "She's on the roof now."
"Can I see it?" Jiro asked.
Junsei looked at her silently.
"Please," Momo added. "Can you call her here?"
Junsei nodded once and pointed toward a nearby window.
Moments later, the red bird descended gracefully and perched nearby.
"That's an Okinawa woodpecker!!" Jiro exclaimed. "One of the rarest birds in Japan!"
"I didn't think you knew about birds," Momo said.
"I'm interested in their unique sounds," Jiro replied.
Momo nodded.
The bird soon flew away again. The group looked at Junsei.
"I told her she can leave if she wants to," he said.
Barely minutes later, a loud alarm rang through the cafeteria. Students froze, then panic erupted as everyone realized something was wrong.
People began pushing each other. Even Class 1-A looked alarmed. Shinso frowned deeply.
Junsei's eyes glowed briefly, then returned to normal as he continued eating, as if nothing had happened.
"What should we do?" Momo asked.
"Just sit," Junsei replied.
"We need to evacuate in an orderly manner," Iida insisted.
"What's going on?" Momo asked Junsei urgently.
"Some reporters outside broke the barrier," Junsei said. "Nothing else."
Momo nodded. She quickly created a speaker and addressed the crowd.
"Everyone, please calm down. This is a false alarm. Some reporters broke through U.A.'s barrier, there is nothing to worry about. If you insist on leaving, please do so in an orderly manner."
Her words gradually soothed the panic.
Everyone turned to Junsei in surprise.
"How do you know that?" Iida asked.
"There are a lot of birds outside," Junsei replied.
The students stared at him, realization dawning.
His quirk allowed him to monitor the world using birds.
"That's an impressive application of your quirk!!" Iida said, eyes shining with genuine admiration. "I truly admire your creativity."
Mina, however, leaned closer with a mischievous smile. "So you can spy using birds?" she asked. "What about insects? If yes, does this mean you can spy on me if I go to shower or a bathroom?"
The table fell into an abrupt horrifying silence. Everyone stared at her as if she had just declared the most dreadful thing imaginable.
"Yes," Junsei said calmly.
Every pair of eyes widened now at him.
Mina froze for half a second, then her grin grew even wider. "Oh? So you do that?"
"No," Junsei replied flatly.
Mina leaned forward. "You didn't even think of doing it?"
Junsei tilted his head slightly. "Why would I do that?"
Mina paused. She studied his expressionless face carefully, searching for embarrassment, teasing, or even the faintest hint of deception. There was nothing, only an honest confusion.
"You are no fun to tease," she finally said, deflating.
"And what you were insinuating is completely inappropriate!!" Momo said sharply.
Mina waved her hand dismissively. "I just wanted to have some fun, but he doesn't even get it."
"Get what?" Junsei asked. "Do you want insects to follow you into bathrooms and showers? I could ask them to do so, as long as you promise not to hurt them."
Mina went rigid. "DON'T!!" she said quickly, waving her hands. "I was just kidding!"
Momo sighed and shook her head. "Junsei, don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she's saying."
Junsei simply nodded and returned to eating as if nothing unusual had happened.
The rest of the group watched him in complete silence, unsure how to react to this information.