Work Text:
March 14, 2137...
“Well, what did you call me here for Kaminari? And I hope it's quick, I've had enough with today's course.”
Normally Jirou loved to hang out with Kaminari and even listen to music late into the night with him, but that time, she wasn't in the mood for it. The worst part was that it was eleven o'clock at night, a time where everyone was sleeping, and the curfew was active. They always planned their activities with excitement, but this meeting was so sudden that Jirou was half nervous that Aizawa would see them awake outside their dormitories.
The day had not been the best for her. In her training course, she had the bad luck to have a hostage rescue simulation with Bakugou and Mina. It was like the time they took the provisional license exam, but it was simpler. However, the boy decided to be aggressive again with the actors’ playing hostages and Mina was very distracted by being overconfident. That brought a bad grade to the three of them, which made Jirou not feel like talking to anyone because of how angry she was. But it was an hour later where Kaminari appeared in front of her desk, telling her that he wanted to talk to her in person in the middle of the night in the dorm's living room.
Jirou told him she wasn't in the mood to talk with him, but he kept insisting. When he told her it was important, she told him he could talk when she felt better, even stating that she was going to attack him with her jack if he continued to be so insistent. But as the saying goes, he who persists wins. Jirou simply couldn't resist Kaminari's tender gaze; besides she knew the boy wasn't looking to make that little meeting in bad faith or anything like that. Still, that didn't mean she was entirely happy to get out of her room.
All she wanted was to rest and then look for a way to make up her grade after having a failed group task. She was standing now, waiting for the boy to say what he had to say, praying that it was seriously worth it to go talk to him in a dangerous area, while the moon was the only witness to their meeting and being the only source of light at that moment.
It was those thoughts that wouldn't let her see that the boy was acting different. Kaminari did not look like the usual Kaminari. He wasn't fully focused; he didn't show his usual spirited self and his look said he was scared. He had something in his hands, but Jirou didn't care about that. Mostly he carried something to relieve his stress, so it was normal to see him with some random object at every turn.
“This is embarrassing.” He said.
“Why do you say that?” she replied.
“Well...” Kaminari paused to give himself a deep breath and began to speak. “You know we've known each other for quite a while now, and umm, you're someone amazing, someone incredible. I wanted to invite you to walk around the academy to say a lot more about you, but I don't think that would be a good idea, knowing that you're still mad about... you know.”
“You don't need to remind me.” Jirou said in a straightforward manner.
The girl crossed her arms, waiting for Kaminari to tell his true intentions. This time she didn't want to waste any time, and she wasn't going to put up with some nonsense from him.
“I was waiting for a long time to talk in a more personal way, and emm, I have to say it because I feel it's something special. Something very special that maybe might be curious to both of us, and I know it's something that might be surprising or silly. I even thought you weren't going to come, but I'm glad you came because if it's not today, the moment would be ruined and...”
“Kaminari, did you bring me here to tell me your final will or what?”
The boy was speechless for a few seconds, as Jirou gave a cold stare before him. After a little while, she realized that he wasn't going to say a word, so there was no need to stay there anymore.
“Forget it. I'm leaving.”
She turned around and almost started to walk away, until Kaminari grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving that place.
“Wait, please.” Kaminari showed no signs that he was teasing her. “It was just an accident.”
Jirou didn't know what he was referring to but decided to give him one more chance. She turned to him and began to look directly at him.
“Okay... I'll be straight with you. Jirou, the reason I brought you here is that... umm, how should I put it.”
Kaminari was sweating slightly, but he was lucky that the dim ambient light hid that. He knew he had to choose the right words, because if he said something silly, he could get hit by her with her jack, or even worse.
“Jirou... I... what I want to tell you is that...”
Jirou was still with a confused look, until Kaminari lifted the object from his hands. The moonlight made it clearer to see what exactly it was. It wasn't an anti-stress object. It was a small box of white chocolates.
“This is for you Jirou!”
Nerves totally covered the boy, to the point that his legs were shaking nonstop. He was lucky that Jirou had her gaze fixed straight ahead, quickly catching her attention with the chocolates in his hands. Jirou didn't know that this object Kaminari was holding was actually a gift for her.
“For me?” she asked.
“Yes! For you!” said Kaminari with a louder tone.
For a moment, the atmosphere between the two was shrouded in stony silence. On the one hand, Jirou was surprised at what Kaminari was delivering to her. She thought he was going to tell her that he had done something wrong, or simply had to tell her a secret; but she didn't think he would have done all that to give her a box of chocolates. On Kaminari's side, things were red hot. The boy's mind wanted to explode, knowing that he hadn't said exactly what he wanted to say. Or well, he hadn't said what he wanted to say in the right order. He wanted to faint from embarrassment, but he had already gone too far.
Kaminari was lucky that his last screams had not been heard by anyone, but there was still the fear of seeing Jirou's reaction, which was making him very anxious because she was not telling him any answer.
A few seconds later, she broke the silence between them.
“Wow, I really appreciate you giving me this Kaminari, but I want to know, why are you giving me this? Rather, couldn't you have waited until tomorrow?”
“Well, technically I could give it to you on another day… but I wanted it to be today because… umm… because… look, I just wanted to give them to you. You deserve it for being cool, okay?”
Kaminari looked down from her, as Jirou received the box of chocolates. The girl carefully observed the gift from him.
“Are you angry?” Kaminari asked.
“Honestly, I would have been angry at you for making me get up only to receive chocolates at the worst possible hour and knowing that I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone.” Jirou paused for a moment before continuing to speak. “But, you always know how to cheer me up. It's incredible how you managed to get this, knowing that it cost a fortune. I tell you with all sincerity Kaminari, thank you. I needed it for today.”
“Y-you're welcome, Jirou.”
Jirou opened the box and saw a lot of white, sweet, exclusive and limited-edition chocolates according to what the label said. Next to it, there was a small yellow note, which said a small message with a very precise handwriting.
“For the great rock star of UA. Enjoy them Kyoka. With great appreciation, Kaminari.”
Jirou couldn't help but blush a little. It was a great gift that it was given from the heart of his best friend. She really appreciated the time he had taken to find her some nice chocolates, especially after having a terrible day in class. Her mood suddenly changed, now showing an image of joy and a smile that the moon highlighted before Kaminari's eyes. He blushed, knowing that she had loved what he had given her.
“Um, well. I-I'm glad you liked them.” Kaminari turned in the opposite direction and began to walk away. “I-I have to go to sleep, I-I'll see you tomorrow Jirou.”
She couldn't be able to stop him because he quickly left the place, not giving her a chance to catch him. However, she imagined that he was also afraid of being caught by Aizawa. She didn't blame him, she also had to return so as not to have another sanction.
As she walked back to her bedroom, she took a few bites of some of the chocolates she received. They were very sweet and delicious, which made her feel much more at ease with Kaminari's gesture. What he had done to her had made her day better, and she was happy that he was her great friend and the best person she could meet in all of UA.
Having those chocolates was enough to put a smile on her face after a disastrous day.
February 14, 2138…
It wasn't a scary activity, but she was still scared.
There in the middle of the dark living room, was Jirou. Sighing deeply, looking around her to see if there weren't some spies or night walkers who were setting eyes on her. It wasn't a rescue mission or hand-to-hand combat, but she was nervous about what could happen.
In her hands, she had something special. Something she should have done after being a fool a year ago. She had a debt to settle. The debt she owed Kaminari for White Day.
She still remembered that night when she received chocolates from him. She was happy with the gesture he had made her that time, she needed it after that time she had had great stress and a disastrous exam. However, it never occurred to her that this gesture wasn't a simple sign of friendship or motivation, but rather something of deep love. Love that Kaminari could never directly reveal that time.
The reason Kaminari had given her chocolates that night was because it was March 14, White Day in her country. That's why he had insisted that they both meet at that place a year ago, because it wasn't going to be something special to deliver the chocolates a day later.
Jirou hadn't picked up on the signs that year, but it wasn't because she was innocent or anything like that. She had never received chocolates from White Day personally, not even from a special friend. In fact, she knew nothing about White Day since it was a celebration that had almost been overshadowed and forgotten by Valentine's Day as the years passed in the country. That's why when she first received Kaminari's chocolates that March, she thought it was some normal friendship gift. She thought it was something he had done to ease her anger.
It wasn't until Mina told her about the meaning of White Day in a random class. It was a special day where men had to give chocolates to the people they loved the most, to those special people who were inside their hearts. She said that she didn't like the fact that everything had been concentrated by custom on February 14 and was no longer celebrated in March, but she said that at least there was pure and fresh love. It was there that Jirou remembered the day he had given her those chocolates. March 14. And it was there that she discovered that Kaminari was in love with her, but he was afraid to tell her that.
With her cool mind and connecting the dots, she realized what a big mistake she had made by acting badly towards Kaminari. He was declaring to her, and she hadn't seen it. It took her a month to properly apologize to him after that day, and it was there that they expressed their feelings. Reciprocal feelings that made them both become soul mates. Her life was going well with him, but the fact that she had treated Kaminari badly that night was something that tortured her mind day by day.
Now she had the chance to fix everything. A year later, there she was. In love like an idiot with the biggest idiot in her class.
“Hey Jirou.”
A male voice made the girl jump slightly. For a moment she wanted to raise her jack in defense, but she quickly realized that it was Kaminari.
“Don't scare me like that, God.” She said.
“Hey, I didn't mean to, honey.” He told her as he began to hug her.
Jirou received the hug without much resistance, responding to it along with her jack. A few seconds later, they both separated, staring at each other.
“Everything fine on your side?” Jirou asked.
“You know that if I see you everything is fine in my life.” Kaminari answered.
Jirou couldn't help but blush at that comment. He was always someone who hit the nail on the head in romantic comments, she couldn't deny that. Kaminari laughed lightly knowing that he had accomplished his small goal.
“Well, why did you call me here at two in the morning? Remember that tomorrow Aizawa can sacrifice us alive if we fall asleep in his class.” Kaminari asked his girlfriend.
“I'm surprised you care about your grades now.”
“Eh, I want to graduate with you, so I need to do well in the courses.”
He was still that curious and silly Kaminari she had known since she entered UA. That's why she loved him. Jirou sighed deeply, before beginning to mention the reasons for her little late-night meeting.
“Do you remember that you gave me a box of chocolates last year? You know..." Jirou grabbed her neck, thinking carefully about her words. “The box you gave me when I was totally pissed off about that practical test I failed.”
“Oh! Of course I remember. Wow, how long has it been since that time?”
“One year Kaminari. Just one year. But hey, that's something of the past. The reason I called you is for this.”
Jirou picked up a box of chocolates from the floor that she had hidden between the sofa. Once she had it in her hands, she placed it in front of Kaminari.
“I know how valuable you have been to me, probably the greatest blessing I could have had in my entire short life. We fought and bled together, and I love that you've always been by my side since our first year at the academy. It's incredible for me to spend every day with you even though sometimes I don't show it, and I want this, beyond just a simple gift, to be a sign that I really love you Kaminari. This is for you, for the great Kaminari Denki that I love with all my heart.”
Kaminari looked with surprise at what Jirou had in her hands. He didn't know what was more incredible, her words or the fact that she was offering him a small box of chocolates.
“Are these for me?”
“Did you seriously forget what day it is?”
Kaminari was confused by Jirou's question, so he took out his phone to check his calendar. He noted below the time the day it was marking at that moment, February 14th.
That's when a spark lit up his brain and he remembered what it was celebrated that day.
“Today is Valentine's Day!”
“Shhh.” Jirou signaled for silence. “Don't do something stupid that will get us caught.”
Kaminari quickly covered his mouth, and both students were silent for a moment. They wanted to make sure that no one had heard the boy, so they keep calm, avoiding moving to try to see if no one was detecting them. It was a bit exaggerated, but it was a sudden idea that came out in the moment.
A few minutes later, they both sighed after seeing that nothing happened. The first thing Kaminari did after that little scare was hug her much tighter than before.
“You wouldn't have stayed late Kyoka.” Kaminari said as he held her in his arms. “You know you could have just given this to me in the classroom.”
“Well, technically yes, but you know.” Jirou blushed slightly. “I don't want Mina or Hagakure to overwhelm me with the Valentine's topic.”
Although they were technically a couple in front of everyone, she loved to keep certain things quiet, and she knew that some of her friends could go crazy on a day like Valentine's Day. In addition, she wanted him to receive her gift in the first hours of the day, not in the last hours as it was last year.
Kaminari might be someone who could still be stupid about certain things, but that energy he radiated made his presence brighten her day. He was detail-oriented and perfectionist when he talked about her, and he always did his best to make her smile. He was the source of her happiness.
Once he finished hugging her, he invited her to join him on the couch, and after they sat down, Kaminari began to open the box of chocolates. The boy looked at the sweets as if they were pure gold, with a totally tender look while he ate each one of them. He offered some to Jirou, which she accepted after some insistence from the boy.
“Do you really like them?” Jirou asked.
"Of course." Kaminari said excitedly. "They are delicious."
While she watched her boyfriend eat the chocolates with pleasure, she moved her head slightly from side to side, to check that no one was around them. She even used her quirk to carefully listen to any breathing of anyone nearby, but luckily, they were still the only two souls present. They hadn't been discovered by Kaminari's scream, and everything was fine at that moment.
Or that's what Jirou thought. Even though Kaminari looked like he enjoyed Jirou's gift, she didn't feel calm internally.
She was paying off her debt. She was making a nice gesture for Valentine's Day. But she didn't feel good about all this. It was like something was missing, or something had been done wrong at that moment.
She was nervous. Even though he said that he liked her gift, she still felt empty.
“I can see your brain ticking away. What is it?”
Kaminari's voice brought her back to reality, showing that she hadn't been able to successfully hide her discomfort. She decided to be honest with him, taking advantage of the fact that they were both alone.
“I should have done something better today.” she said.
Her words left Kaminari surprised. He didn't think Jirou would say something like that. He left the chocolates aside and focus his eyes at her.
"What are you talking about?"
Jirou sighed, knowing that she needed to get out what she had inside her chest.
“Am I really a good girlfriend? After everything you did for me throughout our relationship, do you really like what I do or give in return? I know that in a relationship it is the two of us against the world, but it is not fair that you are the one who gives almost everything in a perfect way while I am like an obstacle or stone in the shoe."
“Hey, take back those words Jirou. You are not a stone in the shoe for me.”
Jirou had some negative thoughts that plagued her mind, beyond the debt she owed to Kaminari. During the entire time they were together, she realized that Kaminari was a boy who was on another level. He was the one who inspired her to pursue her talent with music and helped her with the purchase of certain instruments. He was the boy who gave her a good message when she woke up every day and wished her the best vibes for her classes. He was the one who gave her small details regarding food, affection, and gifts; He even lifted her spirits with jokes and sweet kisses.
And her? At times she could talk about music with him and give him a hand in the courses. Her mood was also not the best as she sometimes acted pragmatically and not so enthusiastically. She could only receive what he always had for her, because even if she tried to do something for him, she was always felt overwhelmed because Kaminari did something better for her happiness. When she wanted to tell him loving messages, Kaminari surpassed her with more beautiful words because of his confidence. When she gave him a small necklace on his birthday, he responded by giving her a guitar with a love note for hers. And that was unfair, she felt that he gave a lot while she gave almost nothing.
She didn't feel that what she gave in her relationship was enough compared to what he did for her. Sometimes she felt like she didn't deserve him. He was the perfect match for someone else, and it wasn't fair for him to be next to someone who was a little insecure and didn't have many interesting things beyond music.
“You're not accepting these chocolates out of pity, are you?”
"Why you say that?"
“I tried to give you the best chocolates.” Jirou continued, “Chocolates like the ones you gave me that time. When I looked again at the box you had given me that day, I saw the price and the way you decorated that gift. You had put up a great deal of money for me. It wasn't going to be fair that you had put in a lot of effort and I gave you a box of an ordinary brand. But I see I couldn't even get that right, most of the exclusive chocolates were sold out quickly and I could only get... this.”
“That's a formality Jirou. Don't worry about the chocolates, what counts is that I have you here next to me and that these were delivered by you.”
Kaminari's words were genuine. Jirou knew when he was being serious, and she didn't notice any discomfort with the chocolates he had received. She felt bad for overthinking things and causing some awkwardness at the time. Even on Valentine's Day, she felt cursed by those thoughts.
“I'm sorry Denki. I'm still new at this. I've never been good at being with someone.” She said lowering her head.
Kaminari understood Jirou's position. When she entered UA, she was reserved and cold, someone who didn't know everyone and looked insecure due to the comparison of strength and abilities of many in her class. She was friendly, but it took her a while to get close to the rest, and her fears were something he knew too well. He didn't want to see her sad, because even if Jirou didn't see it, she was the one who started the spark of his lightning.
He got closed to her and gave her a small kiss on her forehead, gripping her hands lightly and making Jirou look shocked.
“Look Kyoka.” Kaminari began to speak. “It's normal to have these fears in relationships, but I assure you, even if we have our faults or insecurities, it won't diminish everything I feel for you. That thing that happened between us last year is something you shouldn't worry about anymore; and it should never, ever cross your mind that you haven't done anything for our relationship, because just making me smile, that's enough. For me, you are the girl I need in my life, hearing you is music to my ears, and you are my motivation in combat. You're that girl who has always listened to me and given me the sincerest affection that anyone would like to receive.”
Jirou could tell that Kaminari was blushing just like her; moreover, she could sense that the boy felt a unique happiness in remembering his entire love story with her. It was short, but very memorable.
“And if you think you are doing a bad job, remember that I will support you. I know you'll be a good girlfriend, hell, you already are. Just watch this. They may not be some excellent chocolates for you, but for me? It's practically the first time someone's ever given me this as a gift. This is like gold to me. And I'm glad that you were the person who gave me these chocolates.”
It was still shocking to her how he was an idiot, but at the same time he was someone wise and someone who gave him incredible words for her life. Even though she didn't meet a standard she made up for herself, Kaminari genuinely loved being together with her. He was the perfect guy, the guy she wanted to be by his side forever.
All those words made Jirou turn red as a tomato completely. Kaminari laughed at his girlfriend's reaction.
“You know, you look cute when you blush.”
“Shut up.” She said raising her jack.
“I can't deny facts Jirou.”
They both stood there laughing briefly and in a low tone, quickly changing that nervous atmosphere to one of pure joy and love. They had not yet been detected, but by that point, Jirou didn't care if she was caught by some robot or teacher. Just knowing that Kaminari had liked her chocolates, she already felt relieved and happy.
The girl got close to him and hugged him, covering his body with her arms and her one jack.
“Thank you, Denki.” Jirou said. “Thank you for always being by my side.”
Feeling Jirou's body was like having a pillow next to him. Kaminari responded the hug by covering her body with his arms as well and giving her another kiss on her forehead.
“Thank you for being a part of my life Kyoka.”
Now Jirou felt with a weight off her shoulders. She felt happy that her first Valentine's Day with him had gone perfectly. Despite the little mistakes she had, at least she hadn't missed the one thing that was paramount for that night. The pure love they both shared.
“Still, I wish this moment could had been more special.” She said.
“Well, we can do something to improve the atmosphere if you want.” Kaminari replied.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Look around you. There's no one here present, and technically the sound of me screaming didn't wake anyone up. Maybe we can do something special, something we both like to make this night better.”
Jirou was confused because there was nothing interesting to do at such late hours of the night, but Kaminari seemed to have everything ready for any time. He was someone creative, there was no denying that.
The boy put his box of chocolates aside and pulled out his phone. He searched for a little pop song for both, setting its volume to a considerable level, and then got up, standing in front of Jirou.
“Jirou.” Kaminari held out his hand in front of her. “Would you allow me to have this moment with you?”
The boy looked like a gentleman at that moment. Jirou laughed lightly at how he was acting but didn't deny the opportunity to dance with him at that moment. Kaminari helped her to get on her feet, and they started moving in sync.
“Let's have a good time together, shall we?” Kaminari said with a smile before he started dancing with her.
Little jumps and combined movements were what they started doing, witnessing each other's smile. Jirou and Kaminari moved excitedly to the beat of the music, not making much noise with their words, expressing their love with every action they made. The girl followed her boyfriend's dance rhythm, moving slowly at first, to the point of turning her body with the help of his arms. They danced back-to-back, holding hands, and even having brief kisses at certain pauses.
Their synchronization was perfect, and no one could deny that they were both having fun. Jirou felt happy, much more so than before. Every step she made with him was a new and fresh memory that she wanted to keep forever in her head. She still remembered when she entered UA and met him. She thought he was going to be a dork like the rest of the men in her classroom, and even though he was technically a bit of an idiot, he had a charm that she couldn't explain.
Jirou didn't know it, but love had made her a total idiot, just like Kaminari.
Excitedly, she was already looking forward to the surprise he was going to make for her on the next White Day. Because after all, he was very considerate and even though it was a day that was hardly celebrated in the country anymore, Kaminari was going to celebrate it to have an excuse to be with her.
Her two dark eyes looked at how cute the blond was. His smile was enough to lift her spirits, and that night had been no exception.
He was her soul mate. There was no doubt about it.