Chapter Text
“-And that is how we’re going to find Tsu’s secret admirer,” Mina finished triumphantly.
“So let me get this straight.” Denki brushed his hair out his face. Him and the rest of Class 1-A had been listening intently to the girls’ story as they ate their lunch.“You guys could have gone with any name and you chose ‘The Love Detectives’?”
“It does sound a bad band name,” Jirou admitted.
“Hey, the name’s unimportant,” Momo said, although she sounded slightly annoyed as she had come up the name that night. “What’s important is that we find out who Tsu’s crush is! Anyone got any ideas?”
Everyone at the table began chattering amongst each other excitedly.
Well, almost everyone.
Uraraka had been completely silent since the beginning of lunch. She moved her food around with no appetite. Her head was filled with so many thoughts that she felt like it might explode. Her feelings must have shown on her face because Tsuyu immediately went over to her.
“Are you alright? You seemed really down.”
“I’m just a bit nervous about my grade,” Uraraka lied. “Post-exam anxiety.”
“I’m sure you did great,” Tsuyu assured. She then tucked her hair behind her ear. Ochako loved when she did that. It was the smallest thing but it made her have butterflies in her stomach.
“I heard we have a day off on Saturday,” Asui remarked, taking a bite out of her sandwich. “That should be fun.”
“Uh-huh,” Uraraka nodded, not entirely listening.
“I’m going to go see that new movie. Y’know the one about the robots, ribbit?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Would you like to come with me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Cool,” Tsuyu said. “I wish we could invite the others but I only have two tickets.”
“Uh-huh.”
Ochako’s mind had been on auto-pilot the entire conversation. It was only now that the other girl’s words began to register in her head.
I only have two tickets...
Two tickets...
“Wait, hold on,” Ochako exclaimed, finally coming back down to Earth. “We’re the only ones going? Just the two of us?”
“Mm-hm.” Asui nodded. “Like I said, I only have two tickets. So only us. Is that okay?”
“The two of us are going to the movies,” Uraraka thought to herself. “No Mina, no Jirou, no Hagakure. Only the two of us sitting next to each other, sharing popcorn and drinking overpriced soda that is so sweet it’s like you could feel your teeth rotting every time you take a sip. Almost like a...like a...”
“A date?”
“No, that’s impossible.” She shook her head. “Friends go to the movies all the time, right? It’s totally platonic. Right? It’s not a date with Tsu. Just two friends hanging out and eating expensive snacks and holding hands...”
”WAIT NO NOT HOLDING HANDS BECAUSE ITS NOT A DATE! GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THERE, OCHAKO!”
“ Uraraka, are you okay?” Asui gripped the other girl’s hand. “Your face is super red. Are you sick or something.”
“No no no! I’m fine, really,” Ochako said, trying to keep her emotions under control so she wouldn’t start floating again. “I just, um, I was just-”
The stammering girl was cut off by a bell. Lunch was officially over and students began rising from their seats.
“I have to get to my next class,” Tsuyu said “Talk to you later, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“You’re still coming to the movies, right?”
“Yeah totally! Of course!” Ochako confirmed enthusiastically. “It’s a date! Er, not a date. A hangout. Or- whatever, you know I mean. Bye Tsu!”
And with that, she raced down the hall to save herself anymore embarrassment.