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Yaoyorozu chewed on the end of her pen. It was a move once unusual for her but had been becoming frightfully more common as of late. Her mind, which should be happily engaged in her assignment, had wandered. The words before her eyes blurred. Her curiosity had been engaged elsewhere, and it had begun to make studying quite burdensome. Which was quite unfortunate.
Colours frosted her mind’s eye. A dichotomy of sensation, hue and effect, and yet both kept her at bay equally.
“Kaminari, what the hell are you doing?”
Yaoyorozu jolted, shamefully pulling the pen into her lap. Apparently, a new person had joined their little study session. She let out a silent breath of relief. At least she could feel less guilty, knowing Jirou was now just as distracted as she was.
The boy in question raised his eyebrows questioningly, pulling a fry from his mouth, “What? It's the common room, you know? I'm allowed to be here.”
“Sure, whatever. But what are you doing ?”
“Eating?” Kaminari sounded more like he was asking than answering, flopping onto the couch beside her.
Jirou raised her hands meaningfully. “Do you mind, dolt?”
“I don't mind at all. Thanks for asking!” Kaminari’s last words were muffled by him shoving another fry in his mouth. Yaoyorozu held back a giggle at the look of utter disgust on Jirou's face. However, the girl made no attempt to move him. Even as his beverage was placed dangerously close to her papers.
Kaminari met Yaoyorozu’s amused gaze, waving enthusiastically.
“Hello, Kaminari,” she greeted, “Are you here to study with us?”
The boy pulled a face, but before he got a chance to respond, Jirou had piped up again.
“Honestly, what is that?”
His eyes were immediately pulled back to the girl beside him and he began a diatribe about the concoction that he'd created, using various ingredients that had been left to loiter in the refrigerator. Yaoyorozu watched on curiously. The way her friends interacted was so natural and comfortable. There were never any awkward silences or stilted attempts at conversation. Just friendly, attentive banter.
She wasn't naturally good at banter, herself. No matter how she tried, she could never quite get the words to come outright. She was good in interviews or academic settings, but she always seemed to flail in a casual environment.
“How do you do that?” She couldn't help herself but ask once the boy had retreated to his room for the night.
Jirou raised a brow. “Huh? Do what?”
“Talk to him like that?” Yaoyorozu adjusted her posture, searching for the best way to vocalise her thoughts. “So easily?”
“What?” Jirou snorted, “It's just Kaminari.”
Just Kaminari...
Maybe that was it. To grow accustomed to casual conversation, maybe she just needed to start with someone less intimidating. Kaminari created and diffused awkward situations all the time. He'd be perfect to rehearse on.
Step 1: Practise your conversational skills
“Let me get this straight. You want to co-host a podcast about skateboarding, so you want to talk to me to practise.”
“...Yes.”
Kaminari eyed her suspiciously, and she began to regret going with the first excuse that came to mind. After a moment, he straightened, running a hand through his hair as he shrugged.
“Well, I dunno what you're actually trying to do, but if you wanna hang out, we can hang out.” He jumped over the gutter with far more gusto than necessary. “It's way less weird if you just ask, you know?”
Yaoyorozu made a mental note of the advice. This was already proving to be a helpful endeavour.
“Understood! Where were you planning on going?”
Kaminari shrugged again as they fell into step with each other. “Dunno. Wherever looks interesting when I get there, pretty much.”
Yaoyorozu blinked. “Oh.”
She had to take a moment to consider. Had she ever travelled without a destination in mind? Just allowed herself to wander without a plan, letting her own whims and fancies guide her?
Perhaps that was what inhibited her approachability? After all, Kaminari could talk to basically anyone with no qualms, and he never appeared to plan for anything.
“But I am feeling pretty hungry, so that’s probably a pretty good place to start. How about yourself?”
“Oh, um,” Yaoyorozu hesitated, before smiling, “Sure, I could eat.”
She happily followed his lead, as he strolled through the mall.
“What would you like to eat, you reckon?”
Yaoyorozu gnawed her lip uncertainly. Generally, she'd prefer something more classically Japanese, but that didn't strike her as very casual, now that she was thinking about it. “I'd be happy with whatever you'd like.”
Kaminari cocked his head, “Really? It's cool if you want something specific.”
“Oh, no, no. I'd be more than happy with anything.”
“Huh. Well, if you say so.” He turned on his heel energetically. “I know an awesome burger place not too far from here!”
The diner wasn’t the type of place she'd regularly go to, but she found herself pleasantly surprised. Maybe she could do this whole ‘relaxed’ thing after all. The atmosphere carried a warm buzz that she appreciated, and conversation seemed to flow with an ease that she’d never before experienced. Kaminari was chowing down on his second burger, eagerly chatting away with her and anyone else who had any interest.
“-So, I was telling him that was definitely not the best-"
“If you would like to get to know a guy, but you can't seem to be able to talk to them, where do you begin, Kaminari?” She blurted, before throwing a hand over her mouth in horror. It hadn’t been the plan to blurt out her intentions like that. Especially not to Kaminari. His curiosity could be intense, and he’d never let her live it down if he realised she was talking about Todoroki.
Kaminari blanched, perhaps taken aback by her interruption, “Yaomomo...”
Seemingly unable to find the words to continue his train of thought, he instead focused heavily on scrunching up his napkin. He tossed it, and they watched as it arced through the air, narrowly managing to make it into the awaiting waste bin. Having succeeded, he turned to her.
“Well, I can't say I've ever really been in that position before. But you know what I’d say? You're-"
“Yaomomo?”
Yaoyorozu was momentarily disappointed at whatever knowledge he may have given alluding her, but that quickly dissipated once she realised who'd stumbled upon them.
“Oh, hey Jirou!” Kaminari chirped from beside her, having already forgotten what he'd been saying.
The girl was standing in front of them. She could've very well heard Yaoyorozu's question. Embarrassment flooded her. What a ridiculous thing to be asking, to be worrying about. She scanned her friend’s face for signs that she'd overheard, but found nothing.
Jirou seemed preoccupied with scowling at Kaminari, though Yaoyorozu wasn’t quite sure why. She couldn't remember him doing anything to aggravate her recently. The boy himself also seemed confused by the glare and hastily excused himself.
“You never told me you were planning to hang out with Kaminari today.” Jirou turned to her once he was gone, her voice teetering on accusatory.
Yaoyorozu’s heart hurt seeing her friend’s searching stare. The last thing she'd wanted was to abandon Jirou without notice, but there was something in her that was ashamed. She was a hero-in-training, after all. One that couldn't even muster the courage to talk to one of her peers. So, it was something she felt she had to hide. Even from her closest friend.
“It's a secret,” she concluded.
“What is?!” Jirou spoke before Yaoyorozu could even register her thoughts accidentally escaping her.
“N-Nothing!”
She could've cursed her own ineptitude had she lacked the restraint. Why? Why struggle to speak now of all times? Now, she's definitely going to suspect something!
But Jirou was surprisingly silent. If she had her suspicions about Yaoyorozu’s behaviour, it didn't appear like she was going to voice them. Not yet, at least.
She silently thanked her friend and promised to let her in on everything as soon as her pride could stand it.
Step 2: Be more present among his friends
“Hello, Midoriya.” Yaoyorozu approached somewhat timidly. “May I sit with you?”
Midoriya looked up curiously. “Oh! Yeah, of course!”
He had been sitting by himself, awkwardly hunched over to stare intently at his phone. She wondered where his usual crowd was, but it didn’t bother her too much. Any socialisation would help, she figured, and she enjoyed Midoriya’s company. Smoothing her skirt out, she settled beside him.
“What are you watching?”
“Oh!” The boy perked up, turning to her with wide, sparkling eyes. “I’m watching news clips of All Might! Did you want to see?”
Yaoyorozu blinked. Of course, she admired and respected their teachers greatly, how could she not? To have the opportunity to learn from some of the most successful and selfless people in the world was a privilege she refused to take for granted. But she had never done this before. Sitting down to watch footage from the media about them. It was rarely ever more than a recap of the events by a reporter with little quality footage of the encounter, so she hadn’t considered reviewing them, even for the sake of learning.
But perhaps this was just what people did in their free time. Did Todoroki like to watch news footage of pro heroes? Maybe he and Midoriya watched them together.
“Isn’t that great?!” She was startled from her thoughts by Midoriya’s exclamation.
“Oh, um, yes! He’s…he’s quite incredible, isn’t he?” Her only hope was that her answer had been vague enough to apply to whichever video had been playing before her glazed eyes.
“Right?!” She deemed herself successful as Midoriya launched into a rant about All Might’s uniquely awesome traits.
“You sure know how to compliment someone, Midoriya.”
“O-Oh, sorry, was I being annoying?”
She waved her hands in front of her face. “No, no! I think it’s a talent. Sometimes complimenting someone can be hard, don’t you think? I never really know how to do it without it coming out…odd.”
“Complimenting’s easy,” Midoriya reassured her, “I can teach you if you want! The most important thing is to make sure you’re being genuine. No one will believe it if you don’t, right?”
I admire how you can keep a cool head no matter the situation. Your commitment to your principles is inspiring. Your eyes are so beautiful, I forget how to think when they lock with mine. She pursed her lips slightly. As sincere as they may be, she wasn’t convinced that was enough to rid them of their inherent awkwardness.
But she wasn’t about to tell Midoriya she was a disbeliever. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“And you know, people like compliments, really. So, it’s probably way less weird than you think. Don’t restrain yourself because of that – if you want to compliment someone, just go for it!”
“Yaoyorozu, have you seen Aizawa-sensei?”
“You have an incredible physique.”
“…”
“Also yes, he’s over there.”
Just the thought of it made her want to shrivel up into a ball, rocking back and forth until the earth crumbled beneath her. Midoriya, it’s not as if I don’t trust your expertise, it’s just…I’m not sure this advice applies in this particular circumstance.
“So, basically, if you see them doing something, it’s super easy and natural to just go, ‘Hey, you’re really good at that'. Or like, you’re at the park and you’ve picked a flower and you think that shade of pink would contrast well against the brown of her hair so you say, ‘This would look good on you,” and tuck it behind her ear. Or maybe you’re training, and she looks so good in her hero costume, but you can’t really say that, so instead you comment on how long she’s keeping everything in the air and how she’s improved so quickly-”
“Um, those are great examples, Midoriya, and I’m sure they are…applicable in many circumstances, but…maybe we can keep things a bit more generic for now? For example, you mentioned one thing that you couldn’t say, why is that?”
“Oh, uh.” Midoriya flushed. “Because it would be uncomfortable.”
“Right…” Yaoyorozu prodded, feeling a tiny jab of frustration, “And how exactly do you figure out what would be uncomfortable and what would be appropriate in a compliment? That’s what I worry about.”
Midoriya’s brow furrowed, “I guess it depends on the person, what they’re like, and how close you are. Did you have anyone in mind?”
“Hello, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu.” A cool, detached voice came from behind them.
How the world delighted in its unfortunate timing.
She quickly rose, flustered and desperately hoping the newcomer hadn’t overheard any of the conversation. She met his eyes briefly before distracting herself with her bag. “Hello, Todoroki. I was just leaving.”
Midoriya peered up at her. “You were?”
“Yes, I have an appointment.” She felt a flicker of panic as she addressed the pair. “An urgent one. Have a good lunch, you two!”
Todoroki blinked at her, the steaming bowl of ramen in his hands wafting steam over his features. “Oh. Thank you.”
“You had an urgent appointment?! And I was just sitting there, rambling away? Yaomomo, I’m so sorry!”
Yaoyorozu froze guiltily. Her desperate desire to escape battled her unwillingness to let her friend feel responsible for keeping her from her non-existent appointment. “No, Midoriya, it’s not that urgent, really. I still have plenty of time beforehand. It’s not for another twenty minutes.”
She winced internally when the last sentence slipped from her mouth. That somewhat undermined her desperation to leave, didn’t it? While Midoriya settled in relief, Todoroki turned to her, having seated himself.
“Did you want to wait for it here?”
His mismatched eyes pierced her and all she could do was get caught in their gaze, forever wondering what emotion was hidden behind their entrancing surface. That was, until the words he had spoken registered in her brain.
“Oh, no! Um, no, thank you. I have…preparations to make. But, another day, perhaps?”
Her hopefulness disappeared as Todoroki turned away, with barely a noise of acknowledgement. Midoriya threw a shiny grin her way and eagerly agreed, but it felt almost like a consolation prize. Not that she didn’t appreciate the boy or his willingness to spend time with her, but the clear, unspoken rejection had made the entire idea significantly less appealing. She should’ve accepted his initial invitation. But she could hardly change that now. She had committed herself to preparing for an appointment that had never existed, so she walked away, feeling further from her goal than she had that morning.
Step 3: Learn about his interests
She tapped her notebook with her pencil, uncertainly. Out of all of the steps, this seemed like the most difficult to accomplish. Todoroki was an enigma. What was he interested in? What did he do for fun? She knew he was committed to his studies, as was she. That was something they could discuss, hypothetically, but it wasn’t exactly a topic that would help them grow closer. There was a formality when only interacting over schoolwork. One that she was trying to avoid.
And yet, what else was there? It was likely Midoriya knew, but to get the information from him would require being far too obvious about her intentions than she felt comfortable. Was it safe to assume he was interested in similar things as Midoriya, given their friendship? They appeared quite different, but who was to say? Perhaps she could strike up a conversation about All Might and see how it went from there.
Or she could do some reconnaissance. Go to the places she saw him most often and ponder as to what he enjoyed about them. That could give her more insight into his thought processes. She saw him eating inside with Midoriya and co. often, but she also remembered a bench not far from the dorm that he frequented. Does he like the outdoors? The sunlight? Maybe he chooses to sit there when he needs time alone. There was only one way to find out.
The bench was average upon first inspection. Nothing differentiated it from the handful of other benches scattered around the school, at least not in appearance. She tucked a dancing lock of hair behind her ear as she sat down daintily. Caution was strangely prominent in her thoughts, and she moved gently as if the sturdy wood beneath her would disintegrate upon the slightest wrong move. Which was ridiculous, obviously. And yet, she felt almost like an intruder. Like the space belonged to him, and he wouldn’t want her there, invading his private world.
Smoothing down her skirt anxiously, she blew out a breath, letting it catch in the wind. She wasn’t doing anything wrong; she knew that. So why did she feel so out of place?
Her hair distracted her from her thoughts, stolen by the breeze. She didn’t like the wind that much. It was chaotic and unpredictable; it tussled her hair and threw her projectiles off course in battle. As a handful of leaves scattered from the tree overhead, she tried to remember if she’d seen him out there in similar weather. Perhaps he enjoyed it. She’d heard there were people who found calm in chaos, who built peaceful mindsets through being surrounded by the unpredictable. It wasn’t something she understood, but it was something she respected.
Maybe that was Todoroki.
Maybe that’s why he could stay so collected in every practical situation they were in, so practical and resourceful. While she spiralled into a whirlwind of doubt and pressure. It humiliated her to the core, remembering how heavily she had leant on him, what a poor impression she’d obviously given him. He really was the perfect candidate for heroics. Standing head and shoulders over the rest, he never felt the need to boast or self-aggrandise. His abilities spoke for themselves.
No wonder they didn’t talk. Why should he talk to her? A powerful quirk was all well and good, but if you stumble in battle, it really doesn’t matter. Any quirk can be powerful if the person behind it is confident and capable. Her classmates had certainly shown her that. She believed herself capable, at least theoretically, but was she confident? Was she confident enough? After all, once it’s real life, any minor slip-up could have devastating consequences. Maybe that’s what he saw when he looked at her. A liability. A possible danger to civilians through inaction alone.
Yaoyorozu sighed silently, dropping her head back to watch the dappled sunlight skating through the leaves above her. It was beautiful. Did he ever look upwards like this? Sit for hours just admiring the way the light bounced against the smooth surface of the leaves, causing them to glimmer like the water at sunrise? Maybe not. Perhaps he was too practical for that. Perhaps he was too stoic to admire the birdcalls and wonder at how they can communicate with one another through so few sounds. Perhaps she had just as little a chance of understanding him as she did of those birds. And yet, she could still watch them as they ducked through the branches, joyfully chasing each other. They held mysteries in their language that she would never be able to interpret alone. But she didn’t mind. That was just the way things were.
Not everything could connect with everything else. Not everything remarkable was hers to understand. Sometimes things are difficult, not because they are designed to be conquered, but because they are destined to remain unexplored.
Her fingers played melodies along the fabric of her skirt. Her hair had been surrendered to the whims of the current that scattered the leaves by her feet. And her mind was calm.
When did she ever take the time to not think? To just empty her mind of all worries and longings, to gaze into the world without expectation? She felt relaxed. There was a presence in the air that calmed her, eased her mind and insecurities as she sat on the nondescript bench and soaked in her surroundings.
As her gaze wandered leisurely to her side, her body stiffened.
He was here.
His hair was being tossed by the wind, but not to the same extent as hers. It was being gently brushed – as if even the weather was too struck by him to use its full power. The white and red intertwined, creating intricate patterns that rippled across his forehead. She wanted to be still, to indulge just for a moment in her awe. He was so beautiful and so close. But she couldn’t.
Because he was looking at her. His cold, hard stare told her she had insulted him. It questioned how she had dared to steal his place from him, to insert herself where she clearly didn’t belong. He was the son of a pro-hero, a child prodigy who was destined for greatness. Who was she to try and be a part of a world she didn’t understand?
His intense gaze didn’t waver as he began to speak. “I didn’t mean-”
“I’m sorry.” Yaoyorozu stood quickly, bowing her head. “I hadn’t noticed you arrive. I won’t intrude any longer.”
She smiled softly at the boy who blinked in return. He held two bottles of milk tea, she noticed – likely from the vending machine around the corner. I love that brand. Now that I think about it, maybe I should go get one myself. For a moment, she considered bringing the topic up with him. Maybe she’d overreacted somewhat, and there was still a chance to connect with him. He was human, regardless of his status or ability, and he may very well enjoy discussing his tastes. It seemed like it could make for a perfectly pleasant subject for casual conversation. Perhaps they could bond over the mutual preference.
Or maybe he’d think I was attempting to guilt him into offering me a bottle. Or that I was making fun of him.
“You don’t…”
She turned on her heel, keeping her pace natural to try and maintain at least some of her dignity. The remnants of his unfinished thought followed her as she retreated. Ah, Momo, what are you doing? Not letting him speak like that…this is getting out of hand. He’s going to think so little of you.
She rounded the corner with all the air of normalcy she could muster before letting out a groan of frustration, her body surging forward until her forehead leant against a wall. Beside her, the vending machine hummed with electricity. And yet, she had somehow been drained of her motivation to purchase from it in the mere metres it had taken her to arrive.
Step 4: Strike up a conversation
“How would you say you go about starting a conversation with Kaminari?” Yaoyorozu inquired.
Jirou groaned, her pencil swinging up and down between her fingers. “I don’t know, Yaomomo. Why are you talking about him so much?”
“I’m not. I just…want to know.”
“You don’t seem to have a problem talking to Kaminari,” Jirou muttered, her eyes glued to her pencil as its movement hastened, “So, just do it.”
“It’s not that simple,” Yaoyorozu sighed. Speaking to Todoroki with the same approach as she did with Kaminari would never work. They were both so different. Besides… “It’s different when you have feelings for someone.”
The pencil flew out of Jirou’s hand. The momentum catapulted it towards the far corner of the room where Kaminari had coincidentally just entered.
“Whoa!” The boy ducked. His expression of horrified fear was mirrored on Jirou, but the latter hadn’t turned to assess the damage. In fact, Yaoyorozu could’ve sworn the girl hadn’t noticed the writing utensil leave her grasp at all. “Jeez, Jirou. You already attack me enough as it is, do you really need to bring stationery into the equation?”
Jirou didn’t seem to have heard him, so Yaoyorozu spoke up for her. “I don’t think it was on purpose. She was just lost in thought. We’ve been talking about how best to start conversations.”
“Oh, this again?” Kaminari asked as he wandered over to join them. Yayorozu flushed at the reminder of just how long she had been trying to figure out how to have a basic conversation with somebody.
Jirou appeared to snap out of her reverie at this comment. “You know about this?!”
Kaminari appeared unfazed by her aggressive tone. He leant over the back of the couch she was on, responding, “Yeah, she asked me ages ago how to talk to a guy. Gotta say I was surprised. Even more surprised that she’s still worried about it, though.”
Yaoyorozu took in Jirou’s bewildered stare but couldn’t quite interpret it. As the girl spoke, her confusion seemed to amplify. “You told Kaminari that you wanted to talk to a guy but didn’t know how?!”
“Hey! Why can’t I know?” Kaminari sounded offended at the suggestion that he be excluded, and Yaoyorozu shared his sentiment.
“Well, he’s the most social of our classmates, so I thought he’d have good advice to give on the subject.”
“But-”
“I do have good advice to give!” Kaminari declared, rounding the couch to stand in front of her. “Stop overthinking it, Yaomomo. I was gonna say this before, but I had no clue you’d still be on the subject weeks later. Look, just be yourself, okay? There’s no point trying to plan out a conversation in advance because then it’ll come across all unnatural.”
Yaoyorozu watched as the boy wandered into the kitchen mid pep talk, beginning to rifle around in the fridge.
“Besides,” he called back, “Don’t you want them to talk to you because they like you? They’re not gonna be able to do that if the entire conversation feels fake. That’s not how friendships work, you know?”
The girls watched on as he produced an assortment of beverages and began pouring seemingly random quantities of each into a tall glass. Yaoyorozu considered. Was he right? Had she spent weeks of stress, investigation, and rehearsal all for nothing? Had the intense scrutiny she had put herself under been a complete waste of time? It was likely. Very likely.
“I should’ve just asked about the milk tea,” she groaned, leaning forward to hold her head in her hands.
“Milk tea?” Jirou’s baffled voice questioned.
“I’m sorry, Jirou.” She straightened to look her friend in the eye. “I think I’ve been bothering you over nothing.”
“I…” Jirou frowned, casting her gaze aside. “It’s okay. I just wish you’d told me, really. But I guess that’s not fair.”
Yaoyorozu furrowed her brow. She wasn’t quite sure what Jirou was referring to. After all, she’d probably had to deal with the majority of annoying questions throughout all this. It wasn’t like Yaoyorozu had been shy about her recent doubts. Aside from the who and why she’d been entirely too upfront with the poor girl.
Oh.
“About my feelings?” She felt herself redden, fully cognizant that they weren’t alone in the common room. But she trusted Kaminari enough to talk about it, so long as no one else stumbled upon them. “I’m sorry, I just…I guess I didn’t want to admit it.”
Jirou’s eyes widened, flicking momentarily to Kaminari as he left the kitchen to rejoin them.
“Go on then.” Kaminari threw a cheeky grin her way. “You gotta spill the beans now! You can’t just leave us hanging.”
Jirou’s eyes were now bigger than she’d ever seen them. She supposed that was a fair reaction – she’d been incredibly surprised herself when she’d realised she had feelings for someone. It was a foreign emotion. Scary, in a way. But even after all the ridiculous behaviour it had brought out of her, she honestly felt blessed that she got to feel the way she did.
“It’s…Todoroki.” She murmured the name, a part of her hoping neither would catch it, but she deemed that unsuccessful given the responses. Kaminari raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, but the reaction she got from Jirou was far more visceral.
“What?! Todoroki?! Then why…?” she trailed off, her jaw agape.
“Say it louder, why doncha, Jirou? Some of the people outside might’ve missed it,” Kaminari snickered.
Jirou scowled, before lowering her voice. She ignored Kaminari, addressing Yaoyorozu only, “Then why didn’t you ask about Todoroki?”
Yaoyorozu’s eyes widened as the meaning of her question dawned on her. She bit her lip thoughtfully before responding, “Because…I wanted to know how to approach someone I had feelings for .”
“…Oh.”
Kaminari looked between the two of them with an odd look on his face. “What? What’s the problem?”
“No, no, nothing!” Yaoyorozu reassured, adjusting her posture and beaming at him, “I appreciate the advice, Kaminari. I’ll try my best to put it to good use.”
He propped himself up on an arm of the couch. “Cool, you should. I mean, the guy’s a bit weird to talk to, but I think it’s mainly just ‘cause he’s a little awkward. So don’t let that get to you.”
“Right. Thank you.”
Kaminari hummed, his eyes travelling towards the entryway. “In fact…hey, Todoroki!”
Yaoyorozu froze. Of course, she hadn’t been lying when she’d said she would put his advice into practice…but she absolutely had not anticipated doing it so soon. She needed time to grow accustomed to her new strategy, not just-
“Oh, hello, Kaminari.”
Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh.
“Hey, man, listen. I really need to duck down to the convenience store to grab something, but I couldn’t just leave these pretty ladies without company, you know?”
If Todoroki understood his thought process, it didn’t reflect on his face. But he nodded regardless. Kaminari continued without a care in the world, his confidence leaving Yaoyorozu glad that she had decided to ask for his help.
“So, would you do me a favour and hang out with them while I’m gone? I shouldn’t be gone more than ten minutes.”
Jirou abruptly jumped up from the couch, startling everyone. “Actually, I need something, too.”
“Oh?” Kaminari blinked and cocked his head, before offering, “I can grab it for you if you want. What were you after?”
“No! I don’t…uh, I don’t know what flavours they have.”
“I can always message you when I get there. It’s pretty cold out, so-”
“Then you’d have to pay.”
“Yeah, I don’t mind!”
“I don’t even know what flavour I want yet!” Jirou’s voice rose in irritation, grabbing Kaminari’s arm and starting to tug him towards the exit. “I’ll think about it on the walk there.”
“Alright, alright, jeez. It was just a suggestion.” He muttered as they left, leaving the other two in silence.
Yaoyorozu had been caught completely off-guard. Come on, Momo. Don’t overthink, just be yourself.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me!” she blurted out, laughing sheepishly as Todoroki turned to her. Oh gosh, not like that. “I-I’m just kidding, you don’t have to stick around here. I can look after myself for a few minutes.”
“I know,” he agreed, his face unnecessarily serious, “But I can still provide company if you’d like.”
“Oh.” Don’t make it weird. “Sure, yes. I’d like that.”
He nodded, taking a seat on the adjacent couch.
“It’s been getting cold lately,” she quipped.
“I don’t really get cold.”
“Ah, right. That makes sense.”
There was a pause. It was everything she had ever feared. Every conversation she’d ever attempted with him always ended in the same uncomfortable silence.
“Are you cold now?”
She looked at him in surprise.
“I think it’s mainly cause he’s a little awkward,” Kaminari’s voice reminded her.
“Um, yeah, it is a little cold in here. I know we have a heat pump, but I personally think it might be a bit defective. Maybe I should start a petition to get a new one,” she joked, eyeing the storm clouds gathering out the window. She hoped the others made it back before the weather set in.
“Couldn’t you create one?”
Yaoyorozu felt her skin prickle when she realised his voice was much closer than it had been moments ago. Todoroki had taken the other side of the couch she was on without her even noticing. He seemed to be adept at sneaking up on her. “Well, I could, theoretically. But it would take a lot of energy, and also…I’m not a professional heat pump installation expert. There’s only so much I can do with an instruction manual.”
When she let out an amused breath of laughter at the thought of conjuring up a heat pump that would be effectively useless, she could’ve sworn she heard something similar from beside her. But when she looked over, his face was as stony as ever.
“Well, the petition might be more successful if you were only asking for the school to pay for installation while you provided the pump? The additional expense of the pump itself might be what stops it from happening.”
Yaoyorozu wasn’t sure how serious he was being with his suggestion, but it didn’t matter. This had to have been the longest conversation they’d ever had. That wasn’t regarding schoolwork, that is. Todoroki looked at her intently for a moment. Raising his hand slightly, a flicker of flame burst to life in his palm, the stunning tendrils snaking up no further than the fingertips of his cupped hand. She held her gaze, mesmerised. The fire crackled to itself blissfully, the air between them growing hazy with heat.
“Is that better?”
“Huh…?” Yaoyorozu whispered, her eyes lifting to find his face, slightly distorted by the vapour. But so stunning, so entrancing, so safe. As reckless and destructive as the beautiful blaze could be, she somehow knew he’d never let it threaten her.
“Are you warmer now?” he murmured in response.
She physically recoiled at his voice. How could she stare at him like that?. Suddenly overly aware of how invasive and creepy she must have been coming across, her stomach rolled queasily. He must think she was the strangest person he’d ever met. She wouldn’t be surprised if this deterred him from ever attempting to start a conversation again.
“I, um, it’s okay. You don’t have to do that. It wasn’t that bad.” She was humiliated, trying desperately to fight back tears of embarrassment at how devastatingly she was messing this up. The dark clouds loomed menacingly as she glared out the window.
“You look better now.” She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to interpret his comment. “It’s only going to get colder from now. It doesn’t bother me to do this.”
“Well…everyone will probably start making their way in here soon.” She cleared her throat. “Body temperature and everything. So…”
“I’m sure they won’t mind.”
Yaoyorozu didn’t respond, shamefully languishing in her lack of ability to make the most of this time with him. It could be the only time I ever get. He’s likely only still here because he told Kaminari he would stay.
From her peripheral vision, she watched the flame dissipate in his palm. Maybe he would leave now, sick of his assistance being met with ungratefulness. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek, willing her emotions to stop escalating.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Oh…Actually yes.” She looked at him through the curtain of hair that obscured her face. “I would appreciate that.”
With a nod, he pushed himself up from the couch. With his departure, Yaoyorozu was struck with the drastic shift in temperature. It was as if all the heat built up from the fire had fallen into his orbit, so as he moved away, all warmth travelled with him. She tried to ignore the pinpricks of chill against her arms as she watched a few hesitant droplets fall against the window.
Oh no. I hope Jirou and Kaminari are somewhere sheltered. In fact, if they are, they’re probably somewhere warmer than I am.
She eyed the heat pump distastefully. They really did need to do something about that. Maybe she should make one and put it on the headmaster’s desk. That would certainly make a statement. Or, at the very least, be remarkably inconvenient.
Looking over to Todoroki in the kitchen, she admired the careful deliberation put into every movement. It was nice seeing him like this. Domestic, almost. Her cheeks, apparently the only part of her body that could conjure any heat anymore, reddened.
“…Yaoyorozu?” He was looking at her.
“Hmm? Oh, sorry, did you say something?” She dug her face further into her hands, praying he wasn’t observant enough to notice her childish blush.
“Yes. Milk, right?” He held out the bottle in question as if to clarify his meaning. Her eyes rounded. Had he remembered that she enjoyed milk tea? She would always have it that way when the weather was dreary. It was comforting.
“Yes. Thank you,” she murmured gratefully.
He gave a hum of acknowledgement and Yaoyorozu leaned forward, convinced she had seen a slight smile before he turned away. Within a few minutes, he had rested a tray in front of her, donned with sweetener, a pitcher of milk and a teapot that emanated her favourite aroma.
“Would it be odd to wear a tea-scented perfume?”
She only realised she’d spoken aloud when she got a response to her thought. A deep chuckle that was gone before she’d gotten the chance to truly appreciate it, and a comment. “I don’t think so. The scent of tea could be considered the most appealing out there.”
Yaoyorozu cradled her now-full cup of milk tea to her chest, trying to hide her disbelief at hearing a word like appealing coming from the stoic boy. “That does sound like a good option, then. Do you think I should buy one?”
She wasn’t sure if she was flirting or not, but it was certainly an intriguing conversation regardless. Though, she could do without her heart hammering so intensely.
“Well.” He cleared his throat as he stirred his tea, before meeting her eyes. “You wouldn’t need it.”
Her words stuck in her throat. Is he…Is that…? Is he saying that I’m appealing enough without it? Or is he just trying to say that I have enough perfume already or something? Yeah, it has to be something like that. The wording just…implied something else.
“Not for that, anyway,” he continued, turning away to watch the rain as it cascaded down the glass, “If you just want the scent around you, I think you should.”
He did mean that. Yaoyorozu bit her lip to stop a smile from escaping, her thudding heart threatening to escape her ribcage. “I think I will then.”
“I appreciate you asking me for my input.”
“Yours is the only input that matters.”
That was a little too far, Momo. She winced at her carelessness, fighting the urge to hide her face in her hands. Todoroki turned to her, fully, brows raised curiously.
“I just…I-”
“That’s good to hear, Yaoyorozu.” He scanned her face, and she couldn’t help but soften under his intense gaze. “I’d been worried you weren’t very fond of me. You never seemed too eager to have my company.”
“That’s just…” She straightened, horrified that she could’ve given anyone such an impression, let alone him. “You have an intimidating presence, I suppose.”
He frowned. “I’m not my father. You shouldn’t be scared of me.”
“No, I know!” Yaoyorozu insisted, placing a hesitant hand over his, “I wasn’t scared per se. It was because I respect you so much. As a person…as a hero…”
“Do you like me?”
She flinched away as if he had seared her hand. Her emotions were completely overwhelmed, and his characteristic bluntness was doing nothing to help matters. He looked on at her reaction strangely, not seeming to comprehend that his question was far too straightforward for her heart to handle. Especially after how long she had spent skirting around the starting up even the most basic of conversations with him.
“I-I think you’re a great person.”
A huff of laughter left him. “Yes, that’s good. But that isn’t exactly the answer I was looking for.”
She paused, delicately balancing her cup on its saucer. Meeting his eyes, she took a breath. “What answer were you looking for?”
He broke the eye contact almost immediately, but her disappointment was cut short when he spoke. “A yes would be ideal.”
This was the moment. The delightful, fairy-tale moment that she had never dared to hope for. All she had to do was say yes. Then the world would be perfect, and he would cup her jaw tenderly and move in for a kiss that tasted like milk tea and the future.
“Yaomomo! Guess what I saw?” Ashido’s sing-song voice interrupted her fantasy, as the girl herself came dashing into the room, her face painted in a grin. “Kami and Jirou on a romantic stroll through the rain together!”
“Shut up, Mina.” She heard Jirou’s voice hiss in retaliation from outside the room.
“Are walks in the rain romantic?” Kaminari looked doubtful of this premise as he strode through the entryway, immediately flopping himself over the spare couch.
“Oh my god, Kami. Yes! Especially when you oh-so-conveniently only have one tiny umbrella to huddle under.”
“Hey! Don’t make fun of my umbrella! It was the only one I could afford from the vending machine!”
Yaoyorozu watched Todoroki’s face. She shouldn’t have felt as happy as she did, seeing how irritated he looked at being interrupted, but she couldn’t help it. He was eyeing Kaminari, perhaps deciding whether to be annoyed with him or not, before seemingly deciding against it and turning his glare to Ashido. Yaoyorozu silently agreed with his decision. Ashido was the most disturbing force amongst the trio, and Kaminari was the whole reason they’d gotten to spend time together.
She reminded herself to thank him later.
“Yeah, sure it was. Awfully interesting that you can buy a bunch of total crap from the store, but can only manage to afford the smallest, teeny-tiniest umbrella so you have to press your body to hers-”
“I swear, Mina if you don’t shut up, I will sew your damn mouth closed myself.”
Jirou could be scary when she wanted to be. Yaoyorozu often forgot that, since she was never the target of the girl’s anger.
Another thing she should be grateful for.
Her eyes trailed the room contentedly. She had a lot to be grateful for: Ashido’s never-ending cheer, even on a dreary day like this; Kaminari, lolled on the couch, strangely silent in the face of the teasing he only had to endure because he’d gone out of his way to help her. Jirou, grounded and supportive; the most reliable friend she could ask for, even putting up with the constant questions about basic human interaction.
All her classmates, in fact. She watched as Midoriya trotted in, exclaiming about something on his phone. Uraraka, clearly only watching to placate him, nodded along.
And she was grateful for herself, too. Her tenacity. Her dedication. And for all her doubts, she usually ended up doing well in the end. Which was all she could really ask for.
She placed her empty cup on its saucer, wistfully letting her arm drop. Although her body was cold, her stomach was warm and her heart even warmer still. These were the moments she’d remember, she promised herself. Even if everyone eventually parted ways entirely, she would keep these memories safely tucked away forever. A new weight settled onto her hand, pressing comfortably into her chilled palm. Looking up, she met a pair of captivating eyes. The emotions she’d been longing to see, searching for desperately, were right there. As if they had been there all along.
What was happening? She felt almost like she was in a lucid dream, because how else could this be happening to her? Someone she’d always considered so unapproachable, but here he was. So real. So human. Reaching out to her as if he had felt as drawn to her as she’d been to him. Which, logically, she knew couldn’t be true.
And yet…
With his hand resting in hers, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he had craved this just as much as she had. She’d never have considered it before. But maybe she had been so focused on her own attempts to approach him, she’d missed his own unique ways of trying to break down the same barrier. His contradiction of self no longer seemed designed to keep her away, everything about him drawing her closer, openly and without hesitation. Her palm was warming. Lowering her gaze again, she watched his hand on hers, facing upwards and glowing with flame. A gentle haze drifted between them as her body thawed from the inside out.
Step 5: Connect