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When Mina had first started at UA, she knew -- like every other student there -- that she would have to find new friends to fill in the gaps from middle school. High school was a new environment, and especially in the hero course of the most prestigious hero school in Japan?
The thought sent shivers of excitement down Mina’s spine.
Now was a better time than ever to make new friends!
Imagine the surprise when her first friend turned out to be one from middle school after all -- Eijiro Kirishima.
Kirishima was always kinda quiet, if Mina remembered correctly. He hung around these other two boys most of the time, and had this limp black hair that he used to cover up a sliver of a scar on his eyelid. When she saw him with red hair and a hell of a lot bulkier, the pinkette almost didn’t recognize him.
He was an entire ray of sunshine with his pointy toothed grin that was nearly blinding and his fiery hair. He babbled and talked about anything and everything, and Mina wondered why she had never talked to him during middle school to begin with.
Eijiro Kirishima was Mina’s first friend during her time at UA.
Shortly after reuniting with Eijiro, she met Denki Kaminari, and with him came a whole new wave of warmth.
She wouldn’t necessarily call Kaminari an idiot, but he had his moments, and his off topic ramblings at the lunch table had her clutching her side with laughter every afternoon. She first met him as he was talking to Kirishima after the preliminary evaluations with Mr. Aizawa, and was almost hit square in the jaw by his arms which flailed around as he spoke. He apologized immediately afterwards, introducing himself and grinning mischievously with his golden eyes that rivaled her own and Mina knew she would like him.
Mina would’ve been content with just two friends. Especially with people with such loud personalities like Kaminari and Kirishima, she knew she was already in for a wild ride. The two would lazily slump on her desk in the morning and complain loudly about how early it was and how Mr. Ectoplasm was going to kill them if he didn’t slow down his review of quadratics.
In the short time that she knew the two boys, Mina had never laughed so much in her entire life. She didn’t even think she found sticking chopsticks up someone’s nose remotely funny until Kaminari did it by complete accident one day during lunch and Mina and Kirishima absolutely lost it.
But, with Kaminari soon came Hanta Sero. The soy sauce to her ketchup and mustard.
Sero was tall and lanky, and had a goofy grin that looked more like a triangle with the way his lip dipped and curved at the bottom and made almost a perfect point. He was dragged over to their lunch table on the fourth day of school and immediately the three boys hit it off.
To her credit, Mina wasn’t entirely sure about Sero at first. He wasn’t mean by any means, and he was super polite and respectful if not a little bit whiny about school, but Mina wasn’t completely open to having such a big group of friends.
Elementary school had left the girl feeling like an outsider with her pink skin and dainty horns, and not a single kid in sight wanted to play with her during recess, much less take a look at the freak. It followed Mina into middle school and she knew she wasn’t the skinniest or prettiest by any means, but she had made two close friends that had stuck through her with everything, and that had been all she needed.
Two was fine.
Three was a crowd.
The idea haunted Mina through the next week, but one day Sero had to study during lunch with Yaoyorozu and he wasn’t there, and she almost found herself… missing him.
He had this laugh that was more along the lines of a wheezing asthma attack than an actual laugh. He told the corniest puns and he would almost always nearly knock something off the table with his oversized elbows enhanced by his quirk. Every awful joke had Kaminari snorting water out of his nose and Kirishima collapsing onto her shoulder more days than not.
And so Hanta Sero wormed his way into her heart and soon became one of her best friends. In the late nights of weekend he would stay up late like her and send the most cursed memes, but they made her laugh, and she got scolded more than once by her tired parents to ‘keep it down, Mina, we’re trying to sleep. It’s two in the morning.’
The four of them became inseparable -- Mina, Denki, Eijiro, and Hanta. It was Mina and her best friends.
They were the best she’d ever had.
Mina couldn’t be happier.
Immediately she took on the role as Kaminari’s wingman, because she knew if that boy kept sticking around Mineta like he was going to get results, he would be sorely mistaken. Already the blonde had a stigma around him that signified him as the school’s resident flirt. Still, in all the cheesy lines he sent to Yaoyorozu and Jiro, Mina never once found herself on the receiving end of his banter. Sure, he would sling an arm around her shoulders as they walked to the lunchroom, but never once tried to pick her up. She found it endearing.
Kirishima, of course, was still the bright ray of sunshine that Mina met him as on day one. In fact, she realized quite quickly how his happy demeanor would soon lead to the next member of her friend group.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Bakugou was brash. He was fiery and crass and vulgar and downright rude, but as long as Kirishima sat at his, Mina’s, Kaminari’s, and Sero’s table, Bakugou sat there too. Mina became racoon eyes to the boisterous blonde within seconds. At first, she was offended. It had taken years of self-confidence training and boosting all through middle school to get comfortable with her… less than normal appearance, and Bakugou had destroyed it in a matter of seconds. But as time went on, Mina began to realize that ‘raccoon eyes,’ ‘shitty hair,’ ‘dunce face,’ and ‘soy sauce’ were Bakugou’s own breed of friendship. It took time for her to realize there was no malice behind his words, and his lips quirked up into a smile when he sat with them and yelled at them to stop being so loud and spitting rice balls at each other.
—-
Unlike with Sero, Mina knew the immediate second that Bakugou cemented himself as her friend.
It happened after the sports festival: Mina was delegated to be the class 1-A snack bearer and grab as much as she could before the vendors finally closed for the day, and so was off to the concession stand to grab lots of sodas and popcorn for the rowdy class. She had only been waiting in line for a few minutes, checking her phone and fiddling absentmindedly with a strand of her bubblegum hair when she felt a harsh jab in her side.
“Hey, watch it!” She screeched, shoving her phone into her PE uniform pockets and whirling to her side to see the two girls standing in line next to her glaring daggers in her direction.
Neither one of them was someone she had seen before, and instantly she felt a little bit vulnerable. Still, she squared her shoulders and raised her chin like she had seen Bakugou do when he walked into the arena to fight Kirishima -- a battle that had made both her, Kaminari, and Sero wince.
“What do you want, freak?” One of the girls snarled from behind a veil of sapphire blue hair and jade green eyes. Her pupils were slits like a snakes,and they pulsed with a violence that made Mina shiver.
“What the hell do you want?” Mina shot back, crossing her arms definitely over her chest. “You’re the one who bumped into me.”
“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t such a big fat neon colored roadblock.” The other girl sneered. Mina should’ve shot back that the other girl literally had pale green skin and fins for ears, and thus had zero room to talk, but she didn’t get the chance to before she could smell smoke and sweat and Bakugou shoved her roughly off to the side.
“Back off, bitch.” He sneered, ruby eyes dancing violently in their sockets. “Or I will make your life hell.”
Both of the girls took a step back, eyes wide as they took in the muscular and angry (Mina would’ve called it rabid) form of the first year tournament champion before pushing their way out of line and fading away into the crowd like scared kittens.
“Let’s go, raccoon eyes.” Bakugou said pointing to the concession stand. “They’ve been waiting on your slow ass.”
Mina couldn’t help but smile.
--
“Don’t you think it’s just a tad bit weird that you hang around boys all the time?” Kendou asked, pointing her chopsticks at Mina’s chest. “I mean, I have guy friends too, like Tetsu and Awase, but I also have female friends.”
“Well I’m having lunch with you today instead of them for one,” Mina giggled, and Kendou rolled her eyes, “And nah, I don’t think it’s all that weird. We just kinda… mesh, ya know? And I still hang out with the girls -- especially now that there’s a dorm system, but they’re always going to be my besties.” She smiled, looking over her shoulder at her usual table. Her spot had been filled in by Shinsou Hitoshi, Kaminari’s latest (and most serious) crush to date. He was quietly eating his food while the rest of the table was up in arms over whether or not chocolate milk was better than strawberry.
Kendou nodded, seeming to accept her answer, but then the orange haired girl narrowed her eyes at Mina suspiciously. “Do you… like any of them?” She accused, an airy whisper replacing her normally loud voice.
The best way out of this, Mina knew, was to play dumb. “Like them? Well, yeah, they’re all really nice and--”
“MINA!” Kendou threw her hands into the air with a look on her face of pure agony. “Come on, you know what I mean!”
In truth, Mina hadn’t all thoughts about whether or not any of the boys caught her interest. For awhile, she wondered if she had a crush on Sero, but she wasn’t entirely sure and just forgot about it. She definitely had a crush on TetsuTetsu at one point, and it didn’t feel like any feeling she’d ever felt around her boys, so she assumed not.
In truth, Bakugou had been her first kiss, though it was entirely platonic and frankly quite awkward. Bakugou was very, very much in love with a certain redhead that Mina knew quite well, and had pulled Mina behind the dorms one day to ask if he was an okay kisser. The kiss was quite clunky, considering they weren’t into it at all, but Mina had patted him on the shoulder and told him Kiri would like it no matter how he kissed because she knew that Kiri liked him just as much, and that he would be fine.
Neither boy had acted on that yet, even with Bakugou’s kidnapping looming over their entire group like a thick cloud of smog.
“Uh… no, actually. Not that I know of.” Mina shrugged and Kendou sighed.
“Minaaaaaaa, I need juicy dramaaaaaaa!”
---
With the implementation of the dorms came lots of time with her friends, Mina discovered, but it also brought with it a sense of captivity that made the pinkette want to rip her curls out some days.
Thankfully, the fall season meant Kirishima’s birthday was right around the corner, and Mr. Aizawa had granted them two hours to go to a restaurant and celebrate. It seemed like the perfect evening -- go to the local sushi bar, eat lots of food, laugh until they couldn’t breathe, then pass out back the dorms.
The restaurant wasn’t overly crowded, just them, a man in a black business suit, a small family, and an old couple. They sat down and ordered, and that’s when the chaos ensued. Mina never minded the chaos that came from being around for teenage boys -- one of which had a strange sense of humor, two that laughed loud and hard at every little thing, and another that was a general hot head with no off switch. They settled into their routine, blowing straw wrappers at each other (which was fun until Kaminari got Kirishima in the eye and invoked the wrath of the other blonde at the table, only stopping when Mina and Sero pushed them apart) and telling cheesy jokes.
Food came and was quickly devoured (even the second and third helpings that all the growing boys required -- Mina was glad they were all paying for their own meals) and still an hour was left before they were due to return to the watchful eye of Mr. Aizawa at the dorms. Sero shrugged and suggested that they all go back and watch a movie, but the idea was voted down by the idea of desert. The restaurant served some of the best ice cream mochi, and of course what kind of friends would they be if they denied Kirishima a birthday treat.
They ordered and waited, realizing the crowd in the restaurant had dwindled to just them and the businessman, now a little tipsy from Sake. Mina didn’t even notice he was there until he turned around when Kirishima snorted particularly loud and he locked eyes with Mina. The pinkette quickly broke eye contact, but the damage was done, and soon he was making his way over to their table.
Cold dread twisted in Mina’s stomach.
“Hey there,” the man greeted, seemingly harmless, but a cold glint in his eye, “where do you guys go to school?”
Rule one in Aizawa’s long list of ‘don'ts:’ don’t tell anyone that you go to UA.’
Thank God for Sero and his charming triangle smile, “Just one of the local high schools, sir.”
“Really?” The man nodded and then walked around to the side of the table where Mina sat. She squirmed uncomfortably and locked eyes with the darked haired boy across the table in a silent plea for him to use his tact to end the conversation now. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before…” he slurred eyes landing on Mina’s body, “I would remember someone as pretty as you.”
“Back off.” Kiri barked, his hands tightening around his soda glass. “She’s not interested.”
Mina could kiss him. In a not romantic way of course.
“Oh come on, lighten up,” the man chuckled, but the sound wasn’t pleasant at all, “I was just paying her a compliment.” His tone dropped to something more sinister, “Besides, who are you to tell her what to do? You her boyfriend or somethin’? I hope not, because she was making eyes at me from across the room.” His hand slipped down and rested on Mina’s shoulder. Goosebumps ran up and down her spine. Her hands shook.
Rule number two from Aizawa: no quirks outside of class.
She was defenseless.
“Please take your hand off of me.” She tried to muster up as much courage as possible, but her voice trembled and tapered off at the end. Bakugou’s red eyes met hers in silent communication.
“Oi, fucker, hands off, she said.” He barked when the business man made no sign of motion. The hand slid down her arm. Mina flinched.
“Shut up.” the slimy man barked and then dropped his gaze to Mina’s terrified eyes that stared at him in both awe and fear, “Hey, hon, tell your dog to shut up.”
He squeezed her arm tight, and Mina couldn’t help but bite her lip. A tight whimper escaped her lips.
How pathetic she must look, weak and afraid. What a hero.
Something snapped.
There was a crash of a glass and then Kaminari, who had been seated next to her, was on his feet, pushing the guy off of her. His face was contorted in a dark snarl. “Hands. Off.” He growled, a pale hand pressing menacingly on the guy’s chest. His hand left Mina’s arm, and she breathed out a sigh of relief, until the guy swung at Kaminari.
Denki was a good hero in training, but he hadn’t seen the man’s left hook coming straight for his nose which cracked under the swing. He cried out and then Sero was launching himself over the table and shoving Kaminari back behind him. Mina stood up to catch the blonde as he stumbled.
Sero decked the guy with his over-sized elbows in the jaw and the man cursed, throwing another punch. Sero ducked, and the guy’s fist instead collided with Kirishima -- Mina hadn’t even noticed how fast he’d gotten up -- who only snarled and grabbed his shoulder where he had been hit with a large hand. Shit hit the fan.
“Oh hell no you bitch!” Bakugou yelled, flinging his chair off to the side somewhere and crossing the distance between him and the sleazebag in two easy strides. He grabbed the man’s collar and punched him in the face. Hard. The man cried out as his nose spurted blood onto Bakugou’s bony knuckles and cracked to the side. Bakugou wasn’t done though and he swung again, pummeling the guy in the lip and busting it. “Next time you lay a single filthy hand on my friends I’ll make your bones break into so many pieces you’ll turn into soup!” He raged, throwing the guy backwards and kicking him in the shin with a thick soled boot.
The man didn’t respond, but he rose on shaky legs and spat blood at Mina’s feet before stalking away -- still very drunk -- into the night. There was a pause and then:
“Holy shit Mina are you okay?”
“He didn’t hurt you or anything right?”
“Denks, how’s your face?”
“Why are you guys asking about me? You all actually got hurt!”
Sero’s warm hands steadied her shoulders and he rolled up her long sleeves to check for any marks -- thankfully the creepy perv hadn’t grabbed her that hard -- before nodding in conformation and rolling them back down to cover her wrists.
“Ah, frick, I think my nose is broken.” Kaminari hissed, pulling his hand away from his nose and staring almost dumbstruck at the blood that pooled in the cracks of his fingers. “But you’re alright, Meen?”
Mina didn’t realize that all four boys were looking at her so seriously, Kirishima’s arms were crossed -- his shoulder apparently didn’t hurt that bad -- and Bakugou was flicking his gaze between the redhead and the pinkette, brow furrowed in a light frown. Sero still had a hand on her shoulder, but unlike the businessman’s, his hand was comforting instead of frightening.
“Oh, uh, yeah, I’m good. Thanks guys.” She murmured, plastering a small smile on her lips. Her legs still trembled from adrenaline and fear, but her heart rate was calming itself from the high it had just been on. “Let’s just go back to the dorms.”
Bakugou nodded and yanked a wad of cash from his pocket, gesturing to the waitress and slamming a few bills on the table.
“Pay me back later.” He grumbled then stalked off, leaving the rest of the group to follow him.
Mina didn’t complain about the way the four boys surrounded her on their short walk back to the dorms. They laughed and joked like nothing had happened, but Sero -- being the tallest -- was in the back, and she knew he kept glancing over his shoulder to check for any unwanted guests.
She didn’t complain when they were back in the dorms -- stuffy because of the heater -- and all the doors were locked for curfew.
She didn’t mind crawling into her bed with a few extra blankets and reading a book or two to put her mind to rest.
She didn’t care that Kirishima -- bless his sunshine heart -- had most definitely told Aizawa and he fixed her with a stare during roll call that asked her so many questions in one. “I’m all good!” She told him with a smile, and surrounded by the ones she loved the most, she was.
She didn’t mind that Kaminari told everyone in the class because they asked why his nose was bloody and crooked when they came back to the dorms. It only meant she got a few more hugs than usual.
All in all, Mina chalked the experience up to nothing more than a bad memory she would think about occasionally. She didn’t have to worry about going out to the same restaurant for Bakugou’s birthday in the winter -- though she was sure everyone else’s tenseness meant they didn’t feel the same -- because she felt protected by her friends.
Sero even held her hand on the way there -- it sparked butterflies in her stomach. She didn’t mind so much.
---
When Mina had first started at UA, she knew -- like every other student there -- that she would have to find new friends to fill in the gaps from middle school. High school was a new environment, and especially in the hero course of the most prestigious hero school in Japan?
Denki was the dork. The idiot, but lovable and kind. He radiated a kind of electricity (no pun intended) that send warmth straight to Mina’s heart. He didn’t have to be the best student to pick Mina up when she felt down because of school work, and he smiled so bright every day so that she felt safe and welcome.
Eijiro was the rock. He was strong. He was manly. He was a buff man with a big heart that literally picked Mina up when she fell. His hardening quirk left his heart gooey and open, and Mina fit herself right in, enveloping herself in the pure joy that shone through his shark-toothed smile. Kirishima was kind and loving when she was not, and he reminded her that there was something better out there when she felt hopeless.
Hanta was the goofball. He smiled, he told jokes, he made every situation that much better. He held their group together like tape (again, no pun intended), and never let a moment for fun and adventure go to waste. He smiled his crooked smile whenever he got the chance, and reminded Mina to do the same.
Katsuki was the warrior -- both the lover and the fighter. He was always honest, and yet never left one of his friends out to dry. He was brave and strong and smart and made sure the others were too. He mostly frowned, but when the group was alone they could glimpse one of his smiles that reminded them that they were like family.
If you ask Mina Ashido? They’re the best friends she could ask for -- even if they chose her more than she chose them. She felt complete around them, and they gave her the confidence to smile brighter, cheer a little louder, and hold her chin a little higher.
In time, Mina considered everyone in class 1-A (and a few in 1-B) to be her friend, but she never turned her back on the ones who had her back the most.
The self proclaimed ‘Bakusquad’ was her family. They were a mess. Utterly dysfunctional. Failing English and Algebra. Tired on the weekends, but full of energy in the training field. They had their backs during late nights without one because of an internship, or the missing seat at the lunch table when one was sick.
From the moment Mina met them, she knew it would be Bakugou, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero from the beginning to the end with all the villains and losses in between the victories.
And every day, Mina thanks her lucky stars for them.