The bus ride wasn’t long. They only needed to reach the outskirts of the city. It was quiet and uneventful, everyone sinking into whatever rest they could steal. By the time they got dropped off the sun was already slipping behind the hills, the temperature dipping low enough that a few students instinctively hugged their jackets closer.

  The group filed out with Iida at the front. Once everyone stepped onto the gravel, he made his voice heard. "Alright everyone! Now we just have a ten minute walk to the rest area."

  He pivoted in that stiff, robotic way of his and began the trek.

  They were already higher up than the city line, but the trees swallowed most of the view. The air smelled of pine sap and damp leaves, and the last of the light filtered through branches in long slanted bands. The group stretched into a loose line, mostly pairs, shoes crunching over the worn sidewalk.

  Kirishima and Mina walked side by side.

  "I like the idea of seeing the fireworks from up here. But actually going to a festival is always fun too," he said, hands tucked behind his head.

  Mina looked at him thoughtfully before smiling. "They’re really fun! But I bet you just want the fried food."

  He started to laugh, but Bakugo cut it off from behind them. "Can you two shut up? This is already annoying enough as it is."

  Kaminari, walking beside him, tried and failed to hide a snort. Bakugo slowly turned his head and glared, and Kaminari immediately faced forward like a scolded puppy.

  Toward the back, Uraraka had slowed to match Robinn’s pace. Robinn looked oddly cheerful, her steps light.

  "So you really haven’t done anything special this summer? Like going to the beach or stuff like that?" Uraraka asked, looking up at her.

  Robinn glanced down with a sheepish grin. "No, not really. I’ve just been focusing on myself and my duties."

  Uraraka frowned. "You really should try to relax and have fun every once in a while…" She paused, then brightened. "But hey, you came today, so that’s progress!"

  Robinn raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I just came because this kind of thing is up my alley." She slid her hands into her hoodie pockets.

  Uraraka didn’t reply immediately. She focused on keeping pace, shoes scuffing lightly on the rise in the path. Eventually another question came to her. "So you like nature?"

  Robinn answered plainly. "I don’t dislike it." She paused. "Why?"

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Uraraka pointed at her hoodie. "I’ve seen you wear very natural green colors in your free time. I guess I just assumed."

  Robinn looked forward again. "I just like that color."

  It was a surprisingly honest word coming from her, so Uraraka quietly tucked that away.

  "When’s your birthday, by the way?" she asked, mostly because the silence was starting to stretch.

  Robinn blinked at her. "February nineteenth… why?"

  Uraraka smiled, eyes going distant for a moment. "It’s good to know your friends’ birthdays."

  "Oh."

  Then Robinn said something unexpected.

  "When’s yours?"

  Uraraka looked up, surprised she asked at all. "It’s December twenty-seventh," she said, smiling warmly.

  Ahead of them, Tsuyu walked with Jirou, who was too absorbed in her music to notice anything. Tsuyu glanced back at Robinn and Uraraka, unease flickering across her big round eyes. She still didn’t fully trust Robinn, and watching her get close to Uraraka made something in her stomach tighten.

  A few minutes later they reached the rest stop: a clearing carved into the forest, sheltered by tall trees. A few wooden buildings sat around a cluster of picnic tables. The warm scent of hot food drifted through the cool air, making stomachs growl louder than anyone wanted to admit. Students slowed, stretching their legs, breathing in the fresher, colder air.

  They gathered around the tables before splitting off to get food. Soon they settled in groups of four, chatter spilling into the quiet clearing while the overhead lamps flicked on one by one.

  At one of the farther tables, they had settled in without drawing much attention. Sero and Ojiro sat on one side, both already halfway through their food. Sero kept swiping at his phone between bites, showing Ojiro something that made the martial artist huff out a small laugh. Mina sat across from them, swinging her legs under the bench as she talked nonstop, her energy doing most of the work in keeping the whole table animated.

  Tokoyami completed the group, sitting with his back straight and his bowl positioned with ceremonial precision. He listened more than he spoke, occasionally offering a quiet comment while Dark Shadow hovered over his shoulder.

  Robinn stood with her plate in hand, hovering awkwardly between tables. She was one hesitant step away from sitting alone when Kirishima waved her over. Bakugo visibly didn't like that.

  She sat beside Kirishima and began eating with a calm, steady rhythm. She wasn’t in the mood for conversation. A weird feeling had been simmering in her since the bus ride. And like usual she couldn't label it.

  "Hey, Robinn." Kaminari pointed his chopsticks at her, waiting until she looked up. "Why didn’t you come with us to the pool? You were the only one who didn’t come." He lowered the chopsticks but kept a pointed, curious stare.

  She finished chewing before answering with a surprisingly energetic tone. "Well, Yaoyorozu told me they were going to play volleyball and stuff, and I’m not too into that, so I just stayed home and trained."

  Kaminari’s stare flattened into judgment, but he let it go and kept eating. He briefly wondered what Mineta even saw in her, then felt vaguely relieved about the rejection. His eyes drifted toward the next table… only to freeze when he spotted Momo sharing food with Jirou. Suddenly he wasn’t hungry. He turned back, only to find Robinn staring at him with one eyebrow raised... observing him.

  "Everyone! Listen up! We’re going to have to pick up the pace eating so we can reach the summit on time!" Iida announced, standing so straight he nearly knocked Midoriya off the bench.