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She found herself wandering through the back alleyways of Musutafu, following the navigation prompts that popped up on her phone, pointing her in the direction of a new potential cafe. She had been looking for a cafe that was local to UA University to spend her limited free time at, considering the last one she frequented had unexpectedly shut down, the owners deciding it was time to retire after being in business for over fifty years.
She had undoubtedly been upset about her favorite cafe shutting down, realizing that her quiet spot to enjoy her favorite tea was disappearing before she could finish her final year. Her friends even took notice of her mood change, cornering and questioning her what was wrong. Once she had revealed the news about her favorite cafe’s fate, her friends and classmates understood the reasoning for her mood, going as far as trying to uplift her spirits by helping her find a new cafe.
It wasn’t until one of her classmates was dragged into the conversation unwillingly that she finally got a hint. He had recommended a newer but small cafe that was hidden in a back alleyway in Musutafu, located not far from Dagobah Beach. When she questioned him about her favorite tea, and if it was stocked on the shelves, he only shrugged and said he didn’t know, not being a tea drinker himself. He mentioned knowing the owner, saying he was an old friend, but wouldn’t expand on their relationship past that.
This is how she found herself standing in front of the small cafe, her phone telling her she had arrived. Looking up at the cafe’s name, she noticed ‘Jasmine Dragon’ in big bold green letters, with ‘Dragon of the East’ underneath it. Directly below the name and its slogan, read ‘Famous for Tea, Coffee, Katsudon, and Curry’. She thought it was strange that it was famous for tea, but had never heard of it. Giving the name one last look, she considered that it was the name that threw her off from ever finding the place, having not seen a cafe with the word ‘dragon’ in one before.
Looking at the appearance of the cafe, she realized that it did look fairly cozy from the outside. There was an outside patio for people to sit at and enjoy their beverages or food during the warmer months, currently empty and closed for the winter season. The outside was painted a light green color, allowing it to stand out amongst the other dull buildings that surrounded it. It appeared to be a two to three story building, with living quarters on top of it, based on how all the other shops were in the area. She noticed the orange glow lighting that was spilling into the alleyway, giving her warm and cozy vibes, inviting her in.
Giving it one more look over, she decided to give it a chance, having been recommended by one of her classmates. Walking towards the front door and opening it, she heard a small bell above her, announcing her arrival. Instantly she was hit with the different smells that a cafe offered, ranging from coffee and tea that most had, to the katsudon and curry that was cooking on the stove. She already felt welcomed by the warm and cozy atmosphere, taking a few more steps into the small place and looking around.
On the inside, it looked even smaller than it did on the outside. Directly on the right of the entrance began the coffee bar, expanding the whole wall of the small cafe, with many different machines for brewing coffee and tea. At the end was the entrance leading behind the bar, with a sink directly off to the side and a stove beside that, two different pots simmering with small flames. She noticed behind the bar was a floor to ceiling wall filled to the brim with the different kinds of coffee and tea they offered, all labeled neatly with the contents contained within. In all of the cafes she had visited throughout Japan, during her internships and work studies, she had never seen such a selection.
Opposite of the bar had a row of booths lining the wall, each with their own light above them. The seats looked to be cushioned well and the table between them appeared to be the perfect height for working on school assignments or reports from her work studies program. She noticed that some of the booths had people occupying them, drinking their beverages or enjoying a meal, while others appeared to be working quietly by themselves. She even noticed a customer with curry and coffee paired up, while another had tea and katsudon paired up, two combinations she had never thought to try in the past.
As she looked towards the back of the cafe, she noticed something that made her eyes go wide. Directly to the left of a staircase going to the next level was a reading nook surrounded by bookcases completely filled to the brim. She had seen reading nooks in cafes before, but they were normally small little things with only a small bookshelf half full of books, nothing compared to what was before her. The chairs in the area ranged from a comfortable looking chair that allowed you to recline, to a bean bag chair in the corner, allowing you a choice depending on your mood. Along the top of the bookshelves, too high for a normal person to reach, were sections that appeared to have see through covers on, locks indicating they were inaccessible without a key.
At the end of the bar, mounted on the wall, was a small flat screen TV playing the local news. Directly below the TV was a small radio, playing some kind of jazz station, carrying it throughout the cafe and adding to the relaxing atmosphere. She noticed the sign that was chained up in front of the staircase, reading ‘Employees Only’ across the front, indicating that it must have been the owner's storage area or living quarters.
The man at the end of the bar caught her eyes at that moment, a newspaper in one hand with a pencil in another, seemingly doing the crosswords or sudoku located within. He looked peaceful sitting on the stool, his face scrunched up in thought, with the end of his pencil in his mouth. He had dark green hair that looked extremely fluffy just looking at it, creating a desire for her to run her hands through his luscious locks. He also appeared to have freckles adorning his cheeks, giving him a more boy-ish look compared to others his age. He was dressed fairly well, a button down shirt with dark blue jeans, an apron thrown over top. What really threw off the completed look was the bright red shoes he wore on his feet, a stark contrast to the rest of his outfit.
As she looked back up towards his face, her breath was taken away when she noticed him looking in her direction, a warm smile crossing his features as he stood up and walked behind the bar. She could see his shining emerald eyes now, having missed them when she was looking in his direction before. He swapped his newspaper with a dish cloth that was sitting on the counter, wiping his hands as he approached, before swinging it over his shoulder.
“You’re a new face in this slow part of town,” the man began with his smooth deep voice, his smile never flattering. “I’m Izuku Midoriya, owner and brewmaster of the Jasmine Dragon. What brings you to my little cafe?”
Momo Yaoyorozu couldn’t keep the smile off her face as he introduced himself, approaching the bar and taking a seat at one of the stools that surrounded it. “A little birdy informed me of this place, otherwise I don’t think I ever would have found it.” Momo’s smile flattered just slightly. “Unfortunately, my last cafe that I used to frequent recently shut down with the owners deciding to retire.”
“Ah,” Izuku responded, standing up a little straighter. “I’ve heard about that from one of my newer customers. Mentioned that the old folks were getting up there in age, and decided to move out of the city to enjoy the few years they had left.” He shook his head, his smile falling ever so slightly. “Sad to see them go, they were some great people.” Momo nodded in agreement, her smile turning down in response to hearing the news again. “But a little birdy told you?” Izuku questioned, causing Momo to look back up towards him. “Are you sure it wasn’t closer to an angry pomeranian?”
Momo’s eyes went wide at that question, barely lifting her hand up to her mouth to cover the giggle that escaped. In all the years she had known Katsuki Bakugo, she had never heard something said so boldly towards him, not without getting an angry earful in return. She could just imagine the look on his face if Izuku said that to him. In response to her beautiful giggle that escaped, Izuku could help himself but chuckle along with her, enjoying the small banter they exchanged.
“Oh my, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say that about Bakugo.” Momo responded, dropping her hand down and revealing the smile, one that caused her cheeks to have dimples and made her that much more beautiful. “I think the last time someone tried, they were almost deaf but the time Bakugo calmed down.”
“That sounds like him,” Izuku responded with a smile. “He’s usually the one to send new customers my way, being tucked away in the back alleyway like this.” Momo nodded in understanding, knowing that it was a struggle even for her to find the small cafe. “Can’t thank him enough though. He’s probably the reason this place stays in business.” Izuku looked around the small cafe, waving at an elderly couple as they left, before turning back towards her. “Anyways, what can I get you? I know the selection can be a bit intimidating, but I do have a few recommendations if you’d like.”
“Actually, I was hoping that you carried Gold Tips Imperial, and wanted to know if you sold it in bulk?” Momo asked. “My last supplier recently stopped getting it, and my previous cafe would sell me a week's supply when I needed it.”
Izuku nodded in understanding, looking away and scratching the back of his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t sell my products in bulk,” he responded, noticing Momo’s smile fell a little at the news. Making up his mind at that moment, he turned around and grabbed a container off the shelf, bringing it over to the bar. Momo had wanted to question what he was doing, but with how smoothly he worked, she was mesmerized by his movements. She noticed he began brewing her a cup of tea while simultaneously getting a smaller to-go container and throwing in a few tea leaves.
Her eyes went wide as she realized what he was doing, moving back towards her and placing the cup of tea and the to-go container on the bar in front of her. She could smell the flavor of Gold Tips Imperial coming from the teacup, looking up towards Izuku and smiling.
“The tea is on the house, for not being able to sell you any in bulk,” Izuku explained. He reached out and tapped the to-go container with the loose tea leaves. “This is my apology, and I hope they can hold you over until you can find a new supplier. I’m sorry it isn’t much, but I do need to keep some for my other customers.”
“My goodness! You didn’t have to do that for me,” Momo responded, already reaching for her purse. “Please, allow me to pay you!” Momo finally found what she was looking for, taking out a few yen bills and trying to hand them over to Izuku.
Izuku chuckled, placing his hand on the yen bills clutched in her hands, slowly pushing them back towards her. “I wanted to do it,” he responded with a smile. “Please, keep your money.” Momo must have looked upset because Izuku chuckled again. “I’ll tell you what,” he began, causing Momo to pause and lower her hand down. “If you really want to pay for the tea, how about next time?”
“How do you know I’ll come back?” Momo questioned curiously, pulling her hand off the counter and slipping the money back into her purse.
“Call it a hunch,” Izuku responded with a half shrug, picking up his dish cloth and polishing one of the tea cups. “Gold Tips Imperial is hard to find, and I know for a fact, that I’m the only one in Musutafu to carry it, based on my supplier.”
“And I’m guessing you can’t tell me who your supplier is?” Momo questioned hopefully. Izuku continued to smile as he shook his head, causing Momo to release a sigh in sadness. “I guess I should have expected that. Being the only one to have Gold Tips Imperial does make it more likely for customers to find you.”
“It’s not that,” Izuku responded quietly, looking towards the staircase for a moment. Momo followed where he was looking, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary compared to when she first entered. “My supplier offered me the opportunity to serve a few different rare blends, both in tea and coffee, but he made me swear secrecy.”
Momo nodded in understanding, knowing that her parents’ company, Yaoyorozu Co., had similar agreements with some of their suppliers. She sighed again, reaching forward and grabbing the to-go container and placing it in her purse along her side, before reaching forward and grabbing the tea cup. She noticed that Izuku was watching her carefully as she brought the tea cup to her lips, taking a very small sip to check the temperature. Finding that it was cooled off enough for her liking, she took a bigger sip, allowing the flavor and aroma to wash over her. Her eyes went wide as she looked back up towards Izuku, finding him still smiling but noticing he had stars in his eyes, as he continued to watch her reaction.
“This is absolutely marvelous!” Momo exclaimed, taking another small sip before placing the tea cup back on the bar. “This tea is unlike any other Gold Tips Imperial I’ve ever tasted! The extra flavoring and the aroma that it produces is just extraordinary! How did you achieve this?!” Momo questioned, finding Izuku chuckling at her enthusiasm.
Izuku shook his head, his smile never flattering. “A brewmaster never gives up his secrets,” he responded, winking in her direction. Momo’s heart skipped a beat and a warm feeling spread throughout her chest at the small gestures, a feeling she never experienced before. “You’ll just have to keep coming back if you want to experience my tea again.”
Momo sighed, but this time, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “This was the hunch you were talking about, wasn’t it?” She already knew she was going to be coming back, enjoying the light banter between them, but also because of the reading nook in the corner that she would love to enjoy.
Izuku half shrugged, exchanging the tea cup he was polishing for a different one. “It could have been, but you may never know.”
Momo could only smile in response, the warm feeling continuing to spread through her, bringing her warmth that no tea ever had before. Izuku’s welcoming smile had made her heart flutter, something she thought only happened in fairy tales and romance novels. The warmth feeling that continued to spread throughout her was something she never experienced before in her lifetime, having been focused too much on her school and hero work.
As Izuku continued to polish tea and coffee cups in front of her, looking over towards the rest of his customers in the small cafe, she couldn’t help but wonder about him. He had known Katsuki on, what appeared to be, a more personal level. Did that mean he knew who she was, even if only by name, or did Katsuki ever talk about her and her classmates? If he didn’t recognize her from Katsuki, did he recognize her from her parents’ company? Did he recognize her as a hero on the news?
“You appear deep in thought,” Izuku started, causing her to snap back to reality. “And you’ve been staring at me a long time.”
Momo felt her cheeks warm up, looking back down towards the tea in her hands, causing Izuku to chuckle. Even his laugh sounded cozy and warm, matching the atmosphere of the cafe, and she found herself wishing she could experience it more. Looking up, she found Izuku still watching her as he leaned up against the wall behind him, a different glass in his hand being polished. “I was curious if you knew who I was?” Momo questioned carefully, seeing if his body language changed. “Since you seem to know Bakugo fairly well.”
“Would it change anything if I did know who you were?” Izuku questioned. Momo had to pause her train of thought, because that was normally a question she would be asking someone else, not the owner of a small cafe asking her. After thinking about it for a minute, Momo shook her head, looking back up at Izuku.
“In that case, I do know of you, but little of anything else,” he continued. “Momo Yaoyorozu, The Everything Hero: Creati. Daughter and Heir of the family who runs the biggest support company in Japan, who are expanding worldwide.” Momo watched and listened, surprise written across her face, noticing the fear flash behind Izuku’s eyes for a quick second. “Quirk: Creation. Able to create anything she knows the molecular structure of.” Izuku hummed in thought for a moment, looking away. “Expected to hit the top ten charts as soon as she acquires her Pro Hero License.”
“My goodness…” Momo said quietly, still looking at Izuku. He continued to look away from her, causing her heart to pang in sadness, not knowing the reason why. “If you knew who I was, why didn’t you let me pay for the tea? You must know I can afford it.”
Izuku sighed, slumping his shoulders, looking back in her direction. “Because it wouldn’t have changed anything,” he responded quietly in a matter-of-fact tone. “I wanted to give you the tea, and I wanted to give you some tea leaves for you to take home.” Izuku wore a small smile as he spoke. “I know how tough it is being a hero, and if you are coming to my cafe, it’s because you want to escape that world for a moment. You want somewhere where you can be yourself without any worries about what is going on out there. You can have that here, and I want to make sure that you know that.” Izuku placed down his cup that he finished polishing, his smile growing as he watched Momo carefully. “It’s the least I can do with my little cafe.”
Momo stared at Izuku for a few seconds, not knowing how to respond. She noticed that he fidgeted with the glass in his hands, as if worried about her reaction to him knowing so much about her. Other than her friends, that was the kindest thing someone has done for her in a long time. She felt the warm feeling from her chest spread throughout her again, bringing her a small peace she didn’t realize she was missing until that moment. “Thank you, Midoriya,” Momo whispered out, just quietly enough for Izuku to hear. She picked up her teacup, holding it in front of her mouth, hiding the genuine smile on her face.
Izuku turned back around when he heard Momo respond, and he could see the genuine smile in her beautiful sparkling onyx eyes. It was his turn to have his breath stolen away, finally noticing how beautiful Momo looked in the warm glow of his small cafe. He felt himself smiling genuinely at her, something he hasn’t previously shared outside a select few people that were close to him. “You’re welcome, Yaoyorozu.” Izuku responded, seeing her smile grow behind her teacup, knowing that she was trying hard to hide it. “When I opened this cafe, I wanted it to feel like it welcomed anybody and everyone, while also offering a positive atmosphere. If you are using my cafe as an escape from your busy everyday life, you won’t hear me complaining.”
“You don’t know how much that means to me,” Momo responded quietly, taking a small sip of her tea. “As much as I love being a hero and saving people, I also need some time off where I don’t have to be Creati, and I can just be Momo.” Izuku nodded in understanding. Momo turned on her chair, overlooking the rest of the cafe. “And this place? It makes me feel like Momo again,” Momo said quietly, not noticing the look that Izuku was giving her. “Your hunch was correct,” Momo continued, turning back towards Izuku, “I will definitely be coming back to the Jasmine Dragon soon.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” Izuku responded with a smile. “Maybe next time, I can get you to try my katsudon or curry. I can make sure it pairs well with Gold Tips Imperial too.”
Momo could only smile in return, finishing off the last of her tea. She placed the cup back on the bar and stood up. “I better be getting back before they send a search party out for me,” Momo said with a giggle, causing Izuku to chuckle as well. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I hope to see you soon, Yaoyorozu,” Izuku responded. “Enjoy the rest of your evening!”
Momo nodded, smiling back towards Izuku. She had only come for tea, but had left with so much more than what she had bargained for. Izuku Midoriya, green-haired, freckled, smiling cafe owner had caught her eye and made her feel something that nobody else had even come close to making her feel. She would be back, if only to figure out why she was feeling that way, and to enjoy the wonderful cup of Gold Tips Imperial he could make.