She called in sick the next day.
Not really sick. Just... couldn't face it. Sent a message to Hana at five in the morning. Food poisoning. Won't make my shift.
Hana replied: noted. feel better.
Simple. Professional. No questions.
Amaya spent the day in bed. Staring at the ceiling. Replaying the moment over and over until it stopped feeling real and started feeling like something she'd imagined.
Except she hadn't imagined it.
She'd really walked into his office. Really seen him shirtless. Really run away like a coward.
Her phone buzzed around noon.
Emi: you okay? hana said you were sick
She didn't reply.
Another buzz. Different number. Unknown.
Tsukino. You're on rotation tomorrow. 6 AM. Don't be late. - Bakugo
Her stomach dropped.
He had her number.
Of course he had her number. He was the director. He had everyone's number.
But seeing his name on her screen made her chest tight.
She typed back: Understood.
Deleted it.
Typed: Yes sir.
Deleted that too.
Settled on: Copy.
Sent it.
Threw her phone across the room.
Six AM came too fast.
She showed up early. Five forty-five. The building was mostly empty. Just a few sidekicks grabbing coffee in the break room. The night shift heading out.
She changed into her hero costume in the locker room. Checked herself in the mirror.
Looked the same as always.
Felt different.
The operations floor was quiet. Hana was at her desk, typing something. She glanced up when Amaya approached.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Good. You're with Kamiko today. Patrol Zone 7. Should be quiet."
Kamiko was a senior hero. Rank 40-something. Flame quirk. Older woman, maybe late thirties. Serious. Efficient. She'd been with the agency for six years.
They met in the lobby.
Kamiko looked her over. Nodded once. "Let's go."
Zone 7 was commercial. Office buildings. Banks. High foot traffic during business hours but it was early enough that the streets were mostly empty.
They walked in silence.
Amaya kept her earpiece on. Listened to the chatter. Dispatch calls. Other heroes checking in. Nothing urgent.
"You're the new one," Kamiko said eventually.
"Yeah."
"Rank 108."
It wasn't a question.
"Yeah."
"You'll climb fast here," Kamiko said. "Bakugo doesn't hire dead weight. If you're here, it's because you can do the work."
Amaya didn't know what to say to that.
"He's hard on people," Kamiko continued. "But fair. You fuck up, he'll tell you. You do good work, he'll tell you that too. Don't take the yelling personally."
"Does he yell at everyone?"
"Pretty much." Kamiko smiled slightly. "Less now than he used to. He's mellowed."
Mellowed.
Bakugo.
Amaya tried to imagine that. Failed.
They turned a corner.
An alarm was going off. Convenience store. The kind with the reinforced doors and the panic button behind the counter.
Kamiko's expression shifted. Focused.
"Stay behind me. Follow my lead."
They approached.
The front window was smashed. Someone was inside. Two people—no, three. One behind the counter, shoving bills into a bag. Two near the shelves, grabbing merchandise.
Kamiko didn't announce herself.
Just walked in. Flames already igniting around her hands.
"Out. Now."
The thieves turned.
One of them ran. Straight toward the back exit.
Amaya moved without thinking. Crystals shot from her palm, forming a wall that blocked the doorway. The thief slammed into it. Stumbled back.
Kamiko had the other two on the ground in seconds. Precise. Controlled. No wasted movement.
The third one—the one who'd hit Amaya's crystal wall—tried to run past her.
She caught him by the arm. Yanked him down. Her quirk activated reflexively, coating her forearm in crystalline armor just as he swung at her face.
His fist hit crystal instead of bone.
He screamed. Pulled back. Probably broke something.
"Don't move," she said.
He didn't.
Police arrived eight minutes later. Took statements. Hauled the thieves away.
Kamiko looked at Amaya. "Good instincts."
"Thanks."
"You didn't hesitate."
Amaya shrugged.
"That's rare," Kamiko said. "Most new heroes freeze the first few times. Or they overthink. You just moved."
"I've been doing this for two years."
"Not at this level." Kamiko started walking back toward their patrol route. "Freelance is different. You're on your own. No backup. No coordination. Here, you're part of a team. That takes adjustment."
Amaya followed.
They finished the patrol without incident. Checked in with dispatch. Headed back to the agency.
The operations floor was busier now. Morning shift in full swing. Heroes coming and going. Dispatch coordinating three separate incidents across the city.
Hana flagged her down.
"Bakugo wants to see you."
Amaya's stomach dropped.
"Why?"
"Didn't say. Just told me to send you up when you got back."
Fuck.
Fuck.
She took the elevator.
Stood outside his door for thirty seconds before knocking.
"Yeah."
She opened it.
He was at his desk. No reading glasses this time. Just him and a stack of paperwork and a coffee mug that looked like it had been refilled too many times.
He looked up.
"Sit."
She sat.
He leaned back in his chair. Studied her.
"Kamiko says you did good work today."
Oh.
That was—
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me. I'm just repeating what she said." He picked up a file. Flipped it open. "You've been here two weeks. Your response time is solid. Quirk control is above average. Combat instincts are good."
He paused.
"But you're not pushing yourself."
She blinked.
"What?"
"You're coasting," he said flatly. "Playing it safe. Sticking to patrols and low-risk calls. That's fine for some heroes. But if you want to climb, you need to take harder jobs."
"I'm doing what I'm assigned—"
"I know. That's the problem." He closed the file. "You've got potential. Don't waste it being comfortable."
She didn't know what to say.
He stood. Walked to the window. Hands in his pockets.
"There's a joint operation next week. Multi-agency raid on a trafficking ring. I'm leading it. I need bodies."
He turned.
Looked at her.
"You in?"
Her mouth was dry.
A raid.
Real villain work. Not patrols. Not petty theft.
"Yeah," she said. "I'm in."
"Good. Briefing's Friday. Don't be late."
He sat back down. Picked up a pen.
Dismissal.
She stood.
Walked to the door.
Her hand was on the handle when he spoke again.
"And Tsukino."
She froze.
"Next time you need something from my office, use the intercom. Don't just walk in."
Her face burned.
"Understood."
She left.
Closed the door behind her.
Stood in the hallway.
He hadn't been angry.
Just... matter-of-fact.
Like it was a policy thing. Not a personal thing.
Like he'd barely even registered that she'd seen him shirtless.
Which made sense.
Why would he care?
He probably had people walking in on him all the time.
It didn't mean anything.
...
So why did her chest feel tight?
She went home.
Changed out of her costume.
Sat on the couch.
Stared at her phone.
A raid.
A real operation.
With Bakugo.
She opened the fan club chat. Scrolled through the messages. Someone had posted a new photo. Bakugo at some charity event, looking miserable in a suit.
She saved it.
Then she opened her notes app.
Started a list.
Things to prepare for the raid:
Review close-quarters combat techniquesPractice sustained crystal formations (defense)Check gear for damageSleep more than 4 hours the night beforeDon't embarrass yourselfDon't dieDon't stare at BakugoSeriously don't stare
She looked at the list.
Deleted the last three items.
Added them back.
...
This was fine.
She was fine.
Everything was fine.