Text Messages

Although Jilan Jiyu said they would keep it, they put it back on the watch face in the blink of an eye. After he defused the First Bomb, the skull fell asleep again before it could even cry out. Jilan Jiyu then reassembled it and put it on their left wrist.

After dealing with the skull, Jilan Jiyu walked down the corridor in the dark to the changing room.

Oh, I seem to have forgotten to mention that at the wealthy and U.A. High School, students, like in some private schools in the United States, each have a large locker in the changing room, and there are also small shoe lockers for indoor shoes at the entrance of the teaching building.

These are just the standard facilities for regular classes. Since the Hero Course often needs to do some outdoor training, and often sweats and gets their clothes dirty, the school generously provides the Hero Course with separate changing rooms and bathrooms, with one for Class A and one for Class B.

As Jilan Jiyu passed by the entrance to the girls' bathroom, they stopped. Presumably, Tsuyu Asui had taken a shower in this bathroom... He could vaguely sense the lingering steam in the bathroom.

If it were Minoru Mineta, he probably would have rushed in excitedly with a nosebleed on this dark and windy night, with no cameras around. Jilan Jiyu sighed. He had no interest in that. He walked straight to the door of his storage room and pressed his index finger on it.

Although Jilan Jiyu don't have their student cards with them, everyone's fingerprints were recorded when they enrolled at U.A. High School. So even if someone accidentally forgets to bring their student card, they can still open their locker room as long as their fingerprints are successfully verified.

Click--

The door sprang open instantly, Jilan Jiyu took out their phones from inside.

"The attack on U.A. High School. must have spread across the internet by now..." Jilan Jiyu muttered, turning on her phone to see several missed calls and text messages.

He quickly scrolled through the missed calls: Inasa Yoarashi, Camie Utsushimi, the movie theater owner where he worked, Midoriya, Hagakure... Inasa Yoarashi made up the majority of the calls.

It was three or four in the morning, Jilan Jiyu figured everyone was already asleep, so they didn't answer the phone for the time being and opened their text messages instead.

"Jilan! I heard something happened at U.A. High School. Aren't you in Class A of the Hero Course? Were you attacked? Are you hurt!?"

"I heard that all the students who were attacked were escorted home by the police. I'll wait for you at your door after school."

"Why aren't you answering? I've been waiting outside your house for two hours. Camie wanted to come in, but I didn't agree this time. After all, your house was just attacked and then broken into, even you would be angry, right?"

"I know you probably don't have your phone with you right now, please reply immediately if you see this."

This was the last message posted by Inasa Yoarashi, fifteen minutes ago.

This guy is still awake... I had no idea how active his nightlife was, since I always go to bed at 10 pm sharp after exercising every night, completely avoiding those unhealthy habits.

Jilan Jiyu had no idea that Yoarashi hadn't slept all night because he was worried about them; instead, they mistakenly thought that he had gotten used to cultivating immortality all night.

"I'm fine."

Jilan Jiyu edited a text message and replied.

Just as Jilan Jiyu were about to browse other people's messages, a phone call came in, and a picture of Yoarashi Lan's exaggerated laughter, which Jilan found a bit disgusting, instantly filled the entire screen.

"Hello, this is Jilan." Jilan Jiyu answered the phone, sounding weak and listless, "You're still awake at this hour..."

"I couldn't sleep at all because I wanted to know if you were okay!" Yoarashi replied excitedly, then breathed a sigh of relief, "But the fact that you answered the phone means you're alright, that's good."

Jilan Jiyu didn't elaborate on what had happened, only saying, "I'm spending the night at school now, and I'll go home tomorrow."

The interactions between Jilan Jiyu and Inasa Yoarashi were always Yoarashi talking a few words, and Jilan responding in kind. Neither of them felt uncomfortable, and they were already used to this way of getting along.

Without asking for reasons or details, Inasa Yoarashi only managed to say "I understand" before Jilan hung up the phone.

"Then let's take a look at the messages from other people."

Izuku Midoriya: Jilan, are you alright? I wanted to stay with you, but the police insisted on taking me home, and I was worried about my mom... Please leave me a message if you wake up!

Camie Utsushimi: I heard your U.A. High School was attacked. If you feel threatened, transferring to Shiketsu High School now isn't out of the question, is it? I'd welcome you slinking over here, wouldn't you?

Toru Hagakure: Are you alright? I'm so sorry I couldn't help you much before. I saw Jilan; he looked so cool, really cool!

Yaoyorozu, Iida, Uraraka... even Todoroki sent messages, though it was just a short "Are you alright?" Jilan Jiyu was still incredulous. That ice-cold guy actually cared about someone?

Jilan Jiyu were initially looking at the information calmly, but a smile unconsciously crept onto their lips as they walked down the corridor while reading the message.

Just as he reached the intersection of the General Studies Course and Hero Course buildings, he suddenly felt a gaze watching him, and the feeling of being spied on instantly jolted Jilan Jiyu awake.

Who is it? Or what is it...? Jilan Jiyu subconsciously turned her head, her gaze fixed on the darkness not far away.

In the deep darkness, it felt as if an eye was watching him. Although Jilan Jiyu did not sense any malice, they still felt uncomfortable.

Jilan Jiyu changed their destination and went straight to the outside of the teaching building, where they found their target without much searching.

The source of his vision was a round object floating in mid-air. When it saw Jilan Jiyu come out, it immediately began to run away without saying a word, sprinting at an extremely fast speed, its tail trailing flames as it staggered away.

The instant it emitted a burst of light, Jilan Jiyu saw the object's true form.

"... Was that an eyeball?"

Jilan Jiyu did not rashly give chase, treating it as just a small tidbit of information in the dead of night, and returned to the infirmary after circling around.

Although about half an hour had passed since Jilan Jiyu left the infirmary, Tsuyu Asui was still awake. When she heard the door open slightly, she sat up instantly.

Jilan Jiyu gently turned the doorknob and opened the door, only to find Asui sitting on the bed. He was taken aback. "Tsuyu-chan, you're still awake?"

"I can't sleep," Asui replied simply.

"Is that so...?" Jilan Jiyu walked to another bed, pulled back the covers, lay down facing the ceiling, closed their eyes, and said, "I'm sleepy. Goodnight."

Moonlight shone on the two iron-framed beds in the infirmary, and the curtains fluttered gently, outlining flowing shadows. The moonlight shifted, and the night passed in silence.