Archive of Our Own

(inspired by ‘president of the krbk club’ by hiuythn)

I couldn’t have been the only one who heard it. No, I definitely wasn’t. Everyone heard it. So, why did no one react? Why didn’t anyone say anything?

‘You’ve got the face of a popular guy. I bet you’re popular with the ladies, yeah? Trust me, I can tell.’

I repeated those words in my head a few times, making sure I heard them correctly. There is no way I misheard it, I’m positive. He seriously said that? He doesn’t think anything weird of it? On top of that, Shinsou just completely ignored it. Like it didn’t faze him at all! How could everyone be so oblivious to it? Is it just because it’s Kaminari? Cause he says weird things all the time? No way, this is totally different. I mean, right? I can’t be the only one noticing it.

“Jirou?” A tap on my shoulder forced me to snap out of my thoughts. I whipped my head around to see Momo, gazing at me with concern in her dark eyes. “Are you okay?”

I realized I had been staring intensely at my cup of tea for far too long. I brought a wry smile to my face, trying to reassure her. Though, I’m not sure how much good it did. “Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

The croaking voice of Tsuyu sounded. “What were you thinking about?”

I looked at her and I realized that it wasn’t just me and Momo in the room. All the girls were there, sitting on the couches with cups of tea. Multiple pairs of eyes stared at me expectantly. I sighed in defeat, knowing there is no escape. Especially with Mina and Toru there; those two live for gossip.

“Well,” I gulped, trying to search the words in my brain. “I was thinking uh… Didn’t what Kaminari say to Shinsou seem kind of… I don’t know… flirty?”

“Shinsou?” Mina spoke up, looking puzzled at first, but then realization lit up in her expression. “Oh, the guy from general studies! What did Kaminari say to him again...?”

I set my cup of tea down on the table and nervously ruffled my hair. “I mean he… he said he bets Shinsou is popular with the ladies… that’s like the same as telling him Kaminari thinks Shinsou’s attractive, isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Toru said nonchalantly, “but I don’t know if I would call that flirting.”

“Besides, this is Kaminari,” Mina added in. “He’s a total perv that flirts with like every girl in school. There’s no way he likes guys.”

I propped my elbows on my knees and leaned my chin into my palms. My lips pressed together in a tight line. Is it really not possible? Yeah, Kaminari is definitely perverted and a well-known flirt. I catch him in the hallways hitting on a different girl almost every day. I don’t think that means he can’t like guys though, right? I haven’t seen him hit on a guy before, but maybe his preferred type in guys is just stricter than girls. Or maybe he’s bisexual and he just leans towards girls more. Or maybe he’s in the closet about it and doesn’t want anyone to know. Actually, that one seems very likely. As flashy and loud as Kaminari is, I can’t imagine him being the type to flaunt his sexuality. I can’t blame him either, if that is the case.

“No, Jirou might be on to something,” Tsuyu suddenly spoke up and all eyes turned to her, including my own. “I was in the same group as them for the joint training. While we were trying to think of what to do, Kaminari said something to Shinsou that I also thought was a little strange, ribbit.”

My hands gripped the couch and I leaned forward, my eyes growing wide. “What did he say?” I asked, getting pulled into her words and listening intently.

‘I know you said you weren’t interested in making friends and all that, but I like you, dude. You’re a proper hero-hopeful, just like the rest of us.’

“That’s what he said,” the frog girl replied. “I thought it sounded a little weird, but I kind of just brushed it off. I figured he was just trying to encourage Shinsou, ribbit.”

Ochaco leaned back into the couch cushions with a hum. “Kaminari’s a pretty social guy though, isn’t he? He tries to make friends with pretty much everyone. So, maybe he was just being his usual self.”

“I don’t know…” I muttered softly, but loudly enough to be heard. “Somehow, it just feels different.”

“Why are you worried about it?” Toru asked and then she lunged herself towards me, or at least I think she did based on the movements of her clothing, and gasped. “Are you jealous?!”

I gave her deadpanned look. “No way. It’s just… he’s my friend, I guess. So, I just kind of noticed it.”

I’m not lying. I’m not jealous. Not in the slightest. Kaminari and I don’t have that kind of relationship and I honestly wouldn’t want us to. I tease and mess with him a lot, but I really just view him as a friend, nothing more. Besides, he isn’t exactly… my type.

I can’t give a proper reason as to why I care about it though. I’m not sure myself why it’s been running through my head. Kaminari’s relationships are none of my concern and it’s not my place to be poking my nose into his sexuality. If he’s straight, he’s straight. If he isn’t, he isn’t. It’s not my business. It’s not my problem.

So, why am I finding myself making it my problem when second year came, and Hitoshi Shinsou has replaced Minoru Mineta in our class?

I notice it right away; the gleam in the electric blonde’s eyes as he watches the purple haired insomniac introduce himself to us all. Though, we’ve all met him on multiple occasions by now. It’s just for show. There’s no way I can mistake it, the twilight sparkle highlighting golden honey orbs. Kaminari is lively; he gets excited by things easily. But this is way different, this goes beyond his normal type of excitement. He’s looking at Shinsou like he’s the beautiful thing to exist on this earth. And I’m seeing it, noticing it.

I don’t miss the way Kaminari’s lip wobbles and his cheeks flush when Aizawa decides to change the seating order and Shinsou is placed right next to him. I’m not imagining it; I know I’m not. A light shade of pink dusts the blonde’s cheeks as he gives the biggest and brightest smile to his new neighbor.

And I don’t miss the way Shinsou hides his face. Turning it the opposite way, so Kaminari doesn’t see the tiny hint of a blush on his pale cheeks. But I see it all from where I sit, just behind the two of them.

Throughout the day, I burn these mental notes into my brain

• Kaminari gave Shinsou the best smile I have ever seen on his face and they blushed at each other
• Kaminari invited Shinsou to lunch. He didn’t accept nor deny, he just kept silent and walked away. But they still sat together at the same table.
• Kaminari forcefully made himself a place at Shinsou’s side while walking back to the dorms and continued trying to talk to him.
• Shinsou’s ears were tinted a little red the whole day.

“I’m not crazy, right?” I ask the empty room. Nothing but the dead of night there to answer me as I lay awake in my bed.

I can’t be just reading into this too much. There’s no way. Yeah, Kaminari is a friendly and super social guy but I have never seen him try this hard to get close to someone. Everyone else in class he became friends with more naturally through normal chit chat and shared interests. Hell, with a little time, patience and the right amount of push, he even managed to become friends with Bakugou. I’ve never seen him cling and follow anyone else the way he does Shinsou, though. It has to be real; it just has to be.

Now that my eyes are open to it, I can’t stop seeing, noticing, memorizing.

“And then, Bakugou threw me one of his grenades and I threw it at the meatball guy,” Kaminari talks animatedly while Shinsou continues eating his breakfast. “And he stepped right into the perfect spot for my electric shot! And…”

Shinsou looks more tired than anything, but I still notice the little glimmer of enjoyment in his violet eyes as he listens. I still see how he glances back and forth between his food and Kaminari. I still catch the tiny twitch in the corner of his lip as he tries to hold back a smile when the teen sitting across from him starts to laugh.

Empty dishes lay on the table in front of the blonde, put they’re pushed to the side and ignored as he keeps telling his story to the lilac-ette. Kaminari finished his food. He can just get up and start getting ready for class, but he isn’t. He just keeps telling story after story to Shinsou while he eats his own food.

My heart practically drums with glee.

He’s waiting for him.

It’s real. It’s so real.

“Epi… Epi…”

Sitting behind Shinsou in class, I hear him quietly struggling to pronounce a word in English. Kaminari is a bit too absorbed in his own assignment to notice. Biting back a little smirk, I decide to help give these two a little push. I tap the insomniac on the shoulder with my pencil and he turns around to look at me curiously.

“Hey, you know who’s actually really good at English?” I ask, though it’s not really a question; more just me confirming that he isn’t aware of the answer. He raises an eyebrow at me, telling me that he really doesn’t know. “Kaminari.”

“Hm?” The blonde turns his head at the mention of his name.

I smile at the two boys, but keep my gaze fixated on Shinsou. “He may not have the best grades overall in the class, but he does have the best grade in English and Literature. He can probably help you.”

Kaminari beams at the lilac-ette. “What’s up, dude? Struggling with a word?”

Shinsou scratches his head, seeming a little embarrassed. Then he shows his book to the male next to him and points at the page. “This word here… I don’t know it.”

Kaminari studies the word for a second. “Ah, Epiphany,” he says in English, his voice sounding slightly different than usual; a bit lower than his normal tone. Then he switches back to Japanese to explain the definition. “It means to experience a sudden and striking realization. It’s usually used for a scientific breakthrough.”

Shinsou furrows his brows and attempts to say the word again. “Ep… Epi…”

I can see the little half smile on the electric blonde’s face as he tries to hold back a laugh. Instead he just says the word again, this time a little slower. “Epiphany.”

“Epiphany…” the lilac-ette finally manages to say. I can feel myself beaming as bright as Kaminari does when I see Shinsou’s pale lips form a small smile. “Afraid English isn’t my forte,” he admits.

Kaminari gives him that big and bright smile, the one he seems to wear just for Shinsou. “No worries, dude! It’s a hard language to learn. I’m just fluent in it because my mom would visit America a lot for work and sometimes, I went with her.”

I always knew that the blonde is fluent in English and good with literature, but now that I think back on it, I have never asked why. He never mentioned it on his own either. Yet, here he is, so easily telling his story to this boy sitting next to him. It seems so small, looking at it from the outside. It’s just a little story of why he’s good at speaking another language. But it’s a story that I haven’t heard him tell anyone else, so it feels so much bigger.

At lunch, I casually bring up what Kaminari said to two people I know he’s friends with; Kirishima and Sero. Desire to confirm my suspicions flowing through me.

“No, I don’t think Denks has ever mentioned his family to us,” Sero says, tapping a finger to his chin in thought.

“The only thing I remember him bringing up is that he has a little brother and sister,” Kirishima adds in, “but otherwise, I don’t think he has either.”

His two closest friends, who he has been hanging out with since the beginning of our first year. He didn’t even mention that story to either of them. He has never explained why he is able to speak English fluently to either one of his two best friends. But Shinsou got the story so easily; without even trying.

I’m not crazy. I’m not imagining this. It’s real.

I make more mental notes throughout the week as I watch the two boys interact with each other:

• Kaminari has stopped inviting Shinsou to lunch after his second time doing it and only getting silence back. Now he just follows him to the cafeteria and sits at the same table as him. Like it’s the most natural thing ever.
• Whenever Kaminari’s standing next to Shinsou, he’s constantly bouncing on the balls of his feet while talking to him. Like he just can’t stay still and is always happy to be near him. Like a hyper puppy with his owner.
• Kaminari and Shinsou now do homework together every night. Kaminari teaches Shinsou English and Literature. Shinsou teaches Kaminari Math and History.
• Every morning, Kaminari will wait for Shinsou to finish eating breakfast before getting ready for class.

“I’m serious, Momo,” I say, pacing around my floor as I tell the ponytail girl sitting on my bed about everything I’ve noticed. “Like he’s the same Kaminari, but he’s also not. He’s so different, so much more open and excited whenever he’s around Shinsou.”

“Okay…” Momo trails off, trying to take in all the details I’ve just unloaded onto her. “And you think this means… what exactly?”

“I think he has a crush on him!” I exclaim, spreading my arms out wide; as if trying to present all my evidence. “The smiles, the blushing, everything; it’s like watching a cheesy romantic comedy.”

Momo giggles at that statement. “Well, from everything you’ve told me, it does sound that way. But… Kaminari has always flirted with girls and talked about girls… Do you really think it’s possible he has feelings for Shinsou?”

I run my hands through my hair and sit down next to her on the bed. I stay silent for a few moments, really trying to think about all this. However, no matter how many times I go through it all in my head, I just arrive at the same conclusion. I’m positive that Kaminari and Shinsou have a secret crush on each other. There’s just no other way I can describe the air between them.

“I know I don’t have any evidence but,” I start and look up at the girl next to me. I try to ignore the way my heart skips a beat as her eyes meet mine. “It’s just this feeling I can’t shake.”

Kaminari protected Shinsou. He protected him. He’s a hero in training, it shouldn’t be a shock to me, but it is. It is because he did it without hesitation. He did it with this expression on his face that I can only describe as he wanted to protect Shinsou no matter what, even if it killed him. As if having any harm come to the lilac-ette would just destroy him.

It was Shinsou’s first time dealing with real villains. Everyone else has faced them so many times that it almost feels like second nature to come face to face with evil. Maybe that’s a bad thing since we’re all still just teenagers; still just fledglings in training. Or maybe it’s a good thing since we are heroes in training, and this is the life we’ll be living everyday once we graduate. There are so many ways you can look at it; too many ways.

But it was Shinsou’s first time dealing with real villains. And of all the ones it could have been, it just had to be the League of Villains. No small time burglar, no small group of thugs just itching to fight anyone, no random ass punk who’s all bark and no bite; nothing that would actually be a reasonable enemy to face to get the new hero-in-training warmed up to this reality. He has to face the League of Villains.

So did we. And this makes me realize so much more just how messed up that was.

And Kaminari protected Shinsou. He electrocuted that crazy girl with the knife, and he got stabbed in the shoulder in the process. He should have been twisted pain, I’m sure he was, but all I could see was that smile. The one he gave Shinsou. The one he only gave Shinsou.

“How’s your shoulder?” I hear the deep voice of a certain insomniac ask.

“Recovery girl healed it up pretty good. Just a little sore to lift my arm, but that will go away,” the familiar upbeat voice of the electric blonde replies.

I came to Kaminari’s door to check on him, to make sure he got his injuries taken care of. I plugged my earphone jack into the wall to make sure I wouldn’t disturb him sleeping or talking to someone else. But now that I hear the voice of Shinsou in there, I can’t stop myself from listening, even though I know I shouldn’t.

It’s awkwardly silent for a few minutes, before the lilac-ette speaks up again. “Thank you… for saving me… you didn’t have to do that.”

“Dude, we’re… friends, aren’t we?” Kaminari says, and I don’t miss the painfully sorrow strain in his voice as he tries to keep his happy tone while saying that one word. “Of course, I’m going to do whatever I can to keep you from getting hurt.”

There’s more silence. Then the very faint rustling of clothes. The tiny thuds of footsteps that no one else but me would hear. Breathing that is suddenly much heavier than before.

I wish I could see through the wall to confirm it. But everything inside me is telling me it’s true. They’re hugging. And not just some awkward high-five, one arm bro hug. Arms wrapped around each other, holding and cherishing the other person like they might just disappear type of hug.

“Thank you, Kaminari…”

“Denki… You can call me Denki.”

I unplug my earphone jack and walk away.

• Kaminari’s grades have gotten a lot better since he and Shinsou started doing homework together. In our last exam, he managed to climb up from being in 20th place to 14th. He looked so happy about it, I thought he might short circuit himself out of excitement.
• Shinsou has been working even harder on his fighting skills since the League of Villains attack. He even sometimes spars with Kaminari, but I’ve noticed how he doesn’t hit nearly as hard or move as quickly when doing so.
• Shinsou now waits for Kaminari before going to the cafeteria for lunch, instead of just going on ahead and letting Kaminari chase after him.
• Shinsou sometimes falls asleep on the couch in the common room while Kaminari is charging people’s phones and Shinsou’s body will slump onto him. Kaminari makes no attempt to move him. He smiles and adjusts for Shinsou so he’s more comfortable.

“At this point, it seems so obvious,” I say to Momo as we sit together once again, on my bed, alone. And I ignore the way my heart skips a beat once again, as our eyes meet. “I can’t… I can’t be the only one who sees it, can I?”

“No, I’ve begun to notice it too,” she says softly. “And I think Mina has her suspicions as well… But I just want to know, why is it that you’ve been so interested in this whole thing? You’ve made it clear that you don’t like Kaminari romantically, so why do you care so much that you’ve been watching them for months now?”

The air in the room is so uncomfortably thick. I don’t want to be silent. I want to answer. But anything I say tastes so bitter; I feel like I might just throw up if I say a single word. My lip quivers as I try to force my smile, so I bite it to get it to stop. I blink away the tears threatening my eyes.

“Well, he’s my friend, I care about him,” I say, and it isn’t a lie.

“That’s all?” She asks.

“That’s all,” I answer, and it is a lie.

• Kaminari got sick recently and passed out on the floor. It was in the dead of night so no one knew about it until the following morning. But he said when he woke up, he was in his bed with a damp towel on his head. Which means someone carried him to his room and took care of him. Shinsou’s expression seemed unchanged when he ate breakfast alone, like he expected it. He made rice porridge and brought it upstairs with him about ten minutes before Aizawa told any of us that Kaminari was sick.
• They still call each other by their last names when in class or in front of others. But when they speak, you can hear the “Denki” and “Hitoshi” in their voices.
• Kaminari will sneak glances at Shinsou in class. And he looks like he desperately wants to reach out and touch him. But he just shifts a tiny bit closer, like being near him is enough. Like just knowing he’s there is satisfying enough.
• Shinsou will sneak glances at Kaminari in class. And he leans to the side just slightly, like he’s trying to hear Kaminari speak. Like just hearing him breathe is satisfying enough.

“Your ramen is going to get soggy and cold,” Shinsou says to the blonde sitting across from him at the table.

Kaminari’s head perks up suddenly, like he just snapped out of a trance. I watch the color return to his face from where I am at the other end of the table as the realization that he has been staring at his arms for too long hits him. He’s been doing that more often; ever since the lightning-like scars from pushing his quirk too far appeared. “Oh right, yeah!” He says and belts out a nervous laugh before beginning to eat his food while it still has some warmth.

Now it’s Shinsou’s turn to look at Kaminari’s arms. But his eyes aren’t full of pity or sorrow as he scans over those lightning scars. No, they’ve become like violet pools of desire. Like he wants to touch them. Like he wants to trace them.

Like he wants to kiss them.

I was only just walking by when I heard it. I was on my way to meet with the other girls for a shopping trip with Midnight as our escort. I wasn’t meant to hear it, no one was.

But someone did.
I did.

“Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine,” Kaminari’s English speaking voice resonates in my eardrums like it’s the only sound on earth.

Shinsou’s sigh is follows it. “You know, one of these days I’m going to become fluent in English so I can know what the hell you’re saying,” he says, and the blonde just laughs. “What was it?”

“I was basically just saying that you’re a really cool guy!” Kaminari replies.

As I walk away, I’m sure that Shinsou just accepted that answer; oblivious to the fact that it’s a lie. I may not be as good as Kaminari, but I read Romeo and Juliet in English when I was in middle school. I knew exactly what he said.

And it was all I needed to confirm everything.

Shinsou is running his hand through Kaminari’s hair. I repeat— Shinsou is running his hand through Kaminari’s hair.

Is this for real? I mean, I know it’s for real. I’ve known it’s for real since the beginning. But we’re still in the classroom. Is no one seeing this? Is no one questioning this?

And what makes it even worse is that Kaminari is just leaning into it; like he’s touch starved. His eyes are closed like a cat getting pet. And don’t think I didn’t hear that soft moan he let escape, I heard it. Oh, I heard it.

“You can feel it,” Shinsou says as his fingers make a mess of the black lightning bolt streak.

“Feel what?” Kaminari asks, opening his eyes and gazing at the lilac-ette.

“The electricity stored up in your body,” he replies. “you can feel it in your hair. Just small little bits, like TV static.”

“Oh, really? I never knew,” the blonde says, clearly surprised at this bit of new information about himself.

“No one has ever touched your hair before?” Shinsou asks, tilting his head slightly to one side.

“Nah,” Kaminari shakes his head. “Before coming to UA, I wasn’t that great at controlling my quirk, so the other kids usually stayed away from me.”

He said it like it didn’t matter. Like it was completely normal for him. I mean, it probably was but—what? He’s so friendly and lively; I always assumed that he was the kind of guy that grew up with a ton of friends. But now that I think about it; it makes sense. Of course, kids are going to fear a literal human stun gun. But he just came out and admitted something that surely must have been hard for him in such a nonchalant way.

And again, Shinsou is the one who gains that story. With no effort at all.

Shinsou has pain and sorrow in his eyes. I can see the desire to comfort pooling in his white pupils. But he just keeps petting Kaminari’s hair. And Kaminari keeps leaning into it.

Like he’s touch starved.

It’s too much. They’re in love. They’re so in love and they won’t even admit it.

• Shinsou cooks for Kaminari. We all decided it would be a good idea to improve on our cooking skills so we can be of more help in safety areas during disasters. So, we created system where we all take turns cooking breakfast and dinner for everyone else. But some of us are not good cooks. And Kaminari is the worst of us all. He can hardly cook eggs without burning them. So, Shinsou cooks for Kaminari while he watches and tries to learn.
• Shinsou also helps Kaminari clean because he’s mediocre at that too and it pisses off Bakugou; the King of Neat Freaks.
• Kaminari told Shinsou: “you’ll make a great husband” but it sounded like he wanted to add “for me.”
• Shinsou blushed when Kaminari said that and replied: “You think so?” but it sounded like “I’m glad you think so.”

Mina plops herself down next to me on the couch and props her elbows on her knees before resting her chin in her palms. “I see it now, Jirou,” she says. “He’s all Kami talks about now. They’re practically married.”

I don’t say anything, just nod.

• Shinsou no longer just slumps over in his sleep when sitting with Kaminari in the common room. He just straight up snuggles up to Kaminari and rests his head on his shoulder. And Kaminari just accepts it—no, EXPECTS it--like it’s second nature to him.
• They share earbuds. They listen to music together. Kaminari gets really hyper and excited whenever he wants to show Shinsou a new song.
• Shinsou asks Kaminari about stuff he’s seen in America. And Kaminari tells him all kinds of stories that no one else knows about.
• Kaminari lets Shinsou practice his quirk on him. Without any fear. And Shinsou always looks like it’s the best thing anyone has ever done for him.
• Shinsou never commands Kaminari to do anything weird when using his quirk on him. It’s usually simple tasks like picking up an object or walking into a different room. But one time, Shinsou told Kaminari to give his best smile. And it was the one he only wears for Shinsou.
• Shinsou plays with Kaminari’s hair more often.

Shinsou finally began doing intern work at a pro-hero agency. But he accidentally got caught up in a mission he definitely shouldn’t have been part of since he doesn’t have his hero license yet. And now he’s in the hospital and the only word I can use to describe the look on Kaminari’s face when Aizawa broke the news is devastation.

And I hear him the following night. I come to his room to check and make sure he’s okay. I plug my earphone jack into the wall to make sure I don’t interrupt him sleeping or speaking to someone else.

But I hear his sobs. I hear his choked breathing. I hear his worry and anguish.

And even though I want to comfort him, it feels far too private for me. So, I leave.

Kaminari throws himself onto Shinsou when he returns to the dorms. It’s like watching a wife rushing to hug her husband when he’s finally back home from war. No hesitation, no concern for the eighteen other people in the room—hell, I’m willing to bet he can’t even see us in this moment. He just runs to the insomniac, almost tripping over his own feet, and jumps on him. Holding him like his entire life depended on it. Like Shinsou would just shatter into dust and get blown away by the wind if he even thought about letting go.

“Hitoshi…” Kaminari’s voice is quiet, but loud enough. His tone is broken, but relieved.
“Denki…” Shinsou’s voice is the same.

And no one else says a word. We stay in comfortable silence.

• I learned from Kirishima that Kaminari has been sleeping in Shinsou’s room at least three times a week. “Kaminari asked Shinsou if anything helps his insomnia and Shinsou told him not sleeping alone helps. So since then, Kaminari’s been going there at night pretty often” is what Kirishima told me.
• I learned from Sero that Kaminari has Shinsou’s number saved in his phone as “Sleepy Lilac” with a purple heart.
• I learned from Midoriya that Shinsou has Kaminari’s number saved in his phone as “Hyper Blondie” with a yellow heart.
• I learned from Uraraka that Shinsou’s photo gallery is full of pictures of Kaminari that he took secretly. Some are of Kaminari sleeping, some are of him reading or studying, some are of him training.
• I learned from Mina that Kaminari has a separate folder in his photo gallery that is all just photos of Shinsou. Most of them are of him sleeping or eating. But the only ones that look like they were taken in secret are the ones of Shinsou working out. Some with his shirt off.

“Hey,” Shinsou catches the attention of the blonde sitting at the desk next to his and points to something in his notebook. “I know what this means but… how do you say it?”

Kaminari scans over the book for a minute and a light pink blush dusts his cheeks before he speaks up in his English-speaking voice. “I love you.”

I choke.

Shinsou gazes at him, almost intensely; like he’s trying to send a message that Kaminari just isn’t getting. “I love you,” he repeats in his own English voice.

The electric blonde smiles big and bright. “Yeah! You got it, man!”

Shinsou stares at him for a moment and then looks away.

He already knew how to say it.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Kaminari asks as he sits on his bed.

I stand awkwardly in front of him, shifting my weight from one leg to the other and fidgeting with my earphone jacks. I’ve come to his room many times since I started watching him and Shinsou slowly and sweetly pine for each other. But this is the first time since then that I have actually knocked on the door and entered.

This time I didn’t even bother using my earphone jacks to check if he was sleeping or with someone else. Because this time I came here on a mission. Because this time, I’ve decided enough is enough. And though it feels way too big, like the weight of the entire world, there’s only one way I think I can get through to him.

“I’m a lesbian.”

Kaminari stares at me, a little wide eyed, but not completely shocked. Then he softens. He smiles.

“Hey, that’s cool with me,” he says. “I appreciate you trust me enough to come out to me, Jirou. Is that all this was about? You seemed pretty serious when you came in, but—”

“And you’re in love with Shinsou.”

Now he looks shocked. “S… Shinsou?”

“Yes. Hitoshi Shinsou.”

He curls in on himself. His yellow blonde bangs now hiding his expression from me. But I can imagine it’s something akin to surprise and worry.

“Kaminari,” I reach out and place a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. Bisexuality is a real thing and it’s more common than you think. Some people don’t even realize it until they’re way older, if at all.”

But he’s still just silent. Like I just took his entire world and smashed it on the floor. And that hurt.

But he’s one of my best friends. So, I want to do what I can to make him happy. Even if my attempts ruin our relationship.

“Was…” finally Kaminari speaks up, his voice quiet and broken. “Was I… that obvious?”

I give him a playful smile. “Maybe just a little.”

He presses his lips together in a thin line, blinking at the floor. “I don’t know when it happened… when it started… I just… Suddenly one day, he looked completely different to me, you know? I mean, I did think to myself that he was good looking when we first saw him last year, right before the sports festival, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. Then I noticed in the hallways and at the culture festival that he’d been gaining muscle. And at the joint training… God, I really was obvious, wasn’t I?”

I sit down next to him on the bed and rub small circles on his back.

“You should tell him,” I say softly.

“He’ll reject me,” he replies.

He won’t.

“You won’t know if you don’t try.”

Kaminari huffs out a small laugh. “I guess… I’ll tell him if you tell her.”

I shoot my eyes up at him, my cheeks burning hot.

He just smirks at me. “I notice things too, Jirou. I’m not as dumb as you all think.”

My heart beats evenly as I relax next to him. I smile. “Okay, I will.”

My heart is racing out of my chest, ready to explode, as I sit next to her. On my bed. Once again.

I can’t freaking do this.

That’s my only thought since I invited Momo to my room. But I have to do this. Not just because I promised Kaminari I would. But also, because I have to take my own advice.

“Jirou?” Momo calls out to me. “Are you okay?”

No, I most definitely am not okay. My skin is on fire. My heart is going to give out any second now. And I think I’m having an internal stroke.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”
She smiles at me softly and—GOD DAMNIT. SHE’S SO PRETTY.

Okay—reel it in Kyouka. Calm your gay ass down. You have a mission to complete. Operation MomoJirou and ShinKami is a go.

“The reason I cared so much about Kaminari and Shinsou,” I keep my voice slow and soft, trying desperately hard to steady my heartbeat, “is because I know what it’s like to fall for someone… while still being in the closet.”

I’ve looked away from her, but I can feel Momo tense up slightly and then relax again at my side. I can feel her gentle eyes on me. So, I continue to talk.

“It’s not that I think my parents wouldn’t be okay with it. I’m sure they would. But… it’s still not something that’s widely accepted in Japan. So, even if I’m sure my parents and my friends would be cool with it, I can’t help but fear the reactions I’ll get. What people will think of me for falling in love with another girl. And… when I noticed these things between Kaminari and Shinsou, how they were so clearly developing feelings for each other and saying nothing… I looked at Kaminari and… I could see me.”

Momo takes my hand and squeezes it. “We’re human,” she says, her voice angelically soft. “We can’t help who we fall in love with. Our own hearts know us better than anyone else ever could. But you don’t ever have to force yourself to tell anyone your sexuality. It’s something you should feel comfortable revealing on your own, in due time.”

I meet her eyes and smile, blinking back the tears I feel coming. “Thank you, Momo.”

Then she gives me a more playful smile and bumps my shoulder with hers. “So, you going to tell me who the lucky lady is?”

I take a deep breath. It’s really now or never.

Her cheek is warm as I reach up and caress it in my hand. My face inches closer to hers, slowly. And I watch as the realization lights up in her dark eyes.

“Tell me to stop,” I whisper.

But she doesn’t.
So, I don’t.

And her lips are the softest things I’ve ever felt.

The next night, I hear Kaminari and Shinsou talking outside as they come back from their date at the nearby diner. And I know I shouldn’t listen. But I can’t help myself.

“Hitoshi… I have something I need to tell you,” the blonde’s voice is so shaky, I can feel his nervousness.

“What’s wrong?” the lilac-ette asks, and I catch the hint of worry in his tone.

It’s silent for a long time. Actually, it’s probably only a minute or two. But it feels like years. And I worry he’s going to back out and run.

But then I hear it, the unmistakable English-speaking voice.

“I love you.”

And then another, deeper sounding English voice.

“I love you, too.”

But I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for what Shinsou said next.

“Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.”

I can hear both their heartbeats. Loud, so very loud, and thumping happily.

And I stop listening. Because it feels far too private for me.

• Kaminari still flirts with Shinsou using Shakespeare lines.
• Shinsou looks up what they mean later, and his face will turn as red as Kirishima’s hair.
• Kaminari and I both came out to our whole class, Momo and Shinsou there to support us. We were surprised to find out that a few other of our classmates are also either gay or bi.
• Kaminari and Shinsou hold hands whenever they get the chance.
• Mina and Sero tell me they’re always catching Kaminari and Shinsou making out in various places.
• Kaminari smiles even more.
• Shinsou smiles around others more often.
• Kaminari looks at Shinsou like he wants to shout, “marry me!”
• Shinsou looks at Kaminari like he’s ready to pull out a ring at any moment.

And at the end of our third year, right after our graduation ceremony, Shinsou does.

And Kaminari says yes.