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With enough time and effort, Hadou was able to present real smiles again. It took quite a while, but being around the people she loved most, and not lingering in bathrooms alone, really made her start to feel better.
Mirio had made Tamaki aware of the situation from months ago, and every now and then the two boys would surprise their blue-haired friend with a day out to a cafe. Nejire loved eating pastries and buying bubble tea, the carbs in either always helped fuel her energy so she was always up for a cafe date.
“So what do you wanna get this time?” Tamaki poked her cheek and the third year beamed up at him.
“I want aloe vera bits in a… kiwi slush!!”
“Ooh sounds yummy.” Mirio nodded, pulling out his wallet to grab his ID so they could get a student discount.
“Indeed it is!”
“You’ve had it before?”
“Yuyu always got it, and I’d sip on her drink.” Nejire giggled, bouncing with excitement as she presented her own ID.
“What about for snacks? Do you wanna take anything to sensei’s internship?”
“I definitely want a snack!”
“Have you tried their - um, pork buns yet?” Amajiki questioned his classmate, his head tilted a bit as he stared at her expectantly.
“I have not. I usually get sweet things, you know me.”
“The pork here is always so tender.”
“Mm, I might just get one then.” The three of them put in their orders separately, stalking over to an empty booth with their numbers and utensils. Mirio wanted to speak about her situation today, but seeing her so bubbly and pretty much back to “normal”, it was leaving a bad feeling in his gut.
He figured, maybe the wounds shouldn’t be reopened, but did she ever get closure? He wanted to make sure she did, because what she had to go through alone was not something that should have ever happened.
“Hadou-san… Did the faculty ever figure out who the peeping Tom was?” He finally asked, his palms just a little sweatier than previously. The waitress came over to drop off their drinks, excusing herself to grab the snacks, and Nejire stared blankly at her lap, debating if she should even talk about it.
“Well, it was a student. But there isn’t enough proof, so we can’t really do much about the problem.” As the truth left her mouth, an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach and her head spun with anxiety.
“You deserve better, I-I’m sorry that happened.” Tamaki murmured, taking a sip of his drink and staring at his own lap.
“It’s alright, I’m doing better now.”
“I’ve noticed,” Mirio cut in, “And I’m so utterly proud of you; I’m so proud to call you one of my best friends. You are unbelievably strong and brave, dealing with all of these emotions and feelings on your own.”
“Thanks Mirio. It’s nothing, really.”
“B-But it’s nothing you should go through.” Tamaki corrected her, a solemn look on his face.
“It’s really fine you guys. I love you both, and thank you for the concern, but I’m okay now.” The blue-haired girl insisted, sipping on her drink as the waitress came over to give them their snacks.
The three of them chowed down for a bit, commenting on each other’s food and continuing to drink their drinks. Mirio tried to watch Nejire from his peripherals, unsure if he had overstepped and if she was upset now. But she didn’t appear to be so.
“The pork bun was so good Tama-kun, thanks for recommending it.” Nejire finally said, wiping her mouth and smiling at said boy.
“O-Of course! I’d want everyone to taste it, it’s so good.”
“We should go to a park!” Mirio clapped his hands together, rubbing them against one another afterwards.
“Why?” Tamaki looked over at him, a puzzled expression on his face.
“It’s still light out, we should go. Get some fresh air.”
“I’m okay with that! I still have time till sensei wants me at the internship anyways.” Nejire chirped, bouncing up to her feet and dusting off her skirt.
“Do you ever talk to Yuyu, about your incident?” Tama asked his classmate as they were heading to the nearest park with Mirio guiding them.
“Well, as time went on, I kind of just learned to sweep it under the rug. Again, there isn’t really any tangible proof. Some days I cant even seem to convince myself it happened.”
“That sounds so exhausting.”
“It really isn’t. You know, it could be worse.” Nejire shrugged, making the black-haired boy frown a bit.
“Catch me if you can!” Mirio booked it forward, seeing the park up ahead as Nejire and Tamaki both made noises of surprise and then tried to catch up.
“Can I -“
“No quirks!” The blond reprimanded his classmate, knowing she’d try to use hers to her advantage, even though that would totally be unfair to Mirio.
“Not cool! I’m shorter than both of you!”
“Catch me if you can!” Tamaki repeated, laughing loudly as he zoomed past Mirio and rounded a corner.
“Oh no you don’t!” The three of them huffed and puffed, their hamstrings and calves aching as the three of them tumbled into the closest field.
“Totally not fair.” Nejire panted, fanning her face as the two boys lay on either side of her.
“So fair.” Mirio refuted, wiping his forehead and chuckling softly. The Big Three lay together, watching the clouds roll by above them, soaking in the sun and listening to the birds chirping in the trees surrounding them. This was peaceful. This was what Hadou was finally able to achieve--peace.
“I love you guys.” She whispered, smiling to herself as happy tears suddenly welled in her eyes. Tamaki scooted just a little bit closer to her and Mirio snuggled his face into the crook of her neck,
“We love you Nejire.”