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It is not an everyday occurrence that Uraraka is being dragged by the Tsuyu Asui to the stairs of their dorm at night with the eagerness of All Might in his prime form.
Did I do something? Uraraka wondered as they climbed the stairs to Tsu’s room. The silence between them brought no comfort to the situation. It almost felt like Tsu was going to give a long sermon.
Normally, the Rainy Season Hero never took Mina’s “confidential-girls-only” talks too seriously, which begged the question, why did she sneak up on Uraraka in the common room, mention those specific set of words, and then say they had to have a critical discussion immediately?
“Come on in,” Tsu gestured to her room as she swatted the air for any invisible eavesdroppers. Strange, Uraraka thought to herself, Is this a prank? April Fool’s Day is not any time soon though. Both of them sat down opposite each other.
“So, ahaha, wha-,” Uraraka laughed nervously when, out of the blue, Tsu slammed a question so straightforward that she knew this was not a villain in disguise. It’s an inquiry only Tsu can have the courage to ask.
“What has been wrong with you these past months, Ochako?” Tsu tilted her head in her signature position.
Uraraka paused momentarily but eventually replied, “What do you mean? Is there something that I’ve been doing that bothers you?”
The green-haired girl sighed. “Well, no, but yes. You’ve changed, and I can’t seem to figure out what it is and if it’s a good or bad thing, kero.”
“Hm, can you specify?” Uraraka asked.
“For starters, you have been hanging out with Tenya, Izuku, and I less frequently. That isn’t a big deal. It’s understandable to be unavailable sometimes, but your excuses have gone from forgivable to downright weird. Can you elaborate what you meant when you said two weeks ago that you had to ‘take care of your cactus?’”
“Oh, that. I do have a cactus in my room. I just love it so much, you know?” Uraraka said evenly. Inwardly, she knew exactly where this conversation was heading, which compelled her to keep up with Tsu’s commentary. Now somewhat informed of the context of this last-minute hostage, she discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. She was pretty ecstatic. It was about time.
“You love it so much that you’d be willing to sacrifice quality time with your best friends? I doubt it. And, if I am not mistaken, common knowledge says that cacti are desert plants, meaning they don’t have to be hydrated often.” Tsu narrowed her eyes further. “Especially during the winter, kero,” she emphasized.
“Not to mention,” Tsu continued, now pointing her finger out, which equals ultimate interrogation mode. “You haven’t attended the bi-monthly class nights three times in a row! You missed out and never explained why. You’re a casual participant, but three absences? And consecutively? One more, and we agreed to make Shouji and Kirishima break down your door!”
Uraraka grinned, “Okay, I’ll join the next meeting. I don’t want to risk whatever you guys are planning. Do you really want to know what’s wrong?”
“What is it? You can tell me what’s the matter, you know? I’m dead serious.”
“I have to tend to my plants,” Uraraka giggled even more, cultivating her previous concept. However, Tsu wanted answers. Real answers. “Ochako. This isn’t any time for jokes. I am genuinely concerned.”
Uraraka settled down and exhaled, “I know, but you don’t need to be worried about me. I’m fine.” She smiled. “Really.”
“Yes, I’m aware you’re completely all right and that’s the thing! You seem brighter these days, and I know it’s true happiness because it also makes me smile. Case in point, during training exercises, you never run out of ways to encourage us. Or, how even Tokoyami said that your cheerfulness is starting to get ‘excessively sweet.’” Tsu explained.
“Mhm, I’m listening,” Uraraka said.
“I just can’t help but think that this is not without reason. Actually, the girls and I have been trying to get it out of you, but you haven’t budged a bit! Something has shifted, and we can’t tell what! We care about you, so we respect if the subject can’t be touched.” Tsu remarked. “Despite that, as your friends, this lack of explanation is hanging us out in the open air!”
The chestnut-haired girl couldn’t help but find this endearing, so she nodded with clarity and reassurance. “I’m sorry for causing confusion or concerning you, Tsu. To an outside point of view, I was probably observing more or less uncanny behavior.”
Tsu raised her head, “100% agree, go on, kero.”
“With that said, I think that it’s the people surrounding me that has resulted in my actions seeming ‘different.’ I don’t know, I have just been full of joy with the presence of my loved ones. That’s all.” Uraraka shrugged as if there had not been a heavy build-up of Tsu’s quintessential display of attentiveness.
“I see. You made time for your loved ones? You mean, your parents or?” Tsu did not appear entirely satisfied with Uraraka’s response but decided to go along with her answer. It’s a vague statement. However, it certainly crossed out many possible scenarios that Tsu and the others have surmised.
Uraraka gave a thumbs up, “Yup, I saw them a few weeks ago.” Here it goes, any minute now…
You asked for this, Tsu internally sighed. “Ochako, you leave me no choice but to bring out my wild card.” She paused. “Are you dating someone?”
The stillness almost made Tsu pull her hair out, but as the seconds passed, she saw Uraraka’s smile grow with fondness as she accidentally floated herself to the ceiling in giddiness.
“Ochako, am I reading this right? Kero?” Tsu’s eyes widened due to Uraraka’s lack of verbal acknowledgment of her question and the sudden blush that grew on the gravity girl’s cheeks.
“Well, what do you think it is? I’m not very good at this, ya know?” Uraraka covered her face in embarrassment. Tsu stood up and yanked her to the ground. This was the revelation of the century.
“Excuse me? Since when? What? Answer me!” Tsu continuously shook Uraraka’s shoulders. A little more shouting, and the whole dorm would be alerted by the poor girl’s relationship status.
Uraraka laughed, “Tsu! I can’t shield it from you anymore, but it really isn’t a big deal-”
“Of course, it is a big deal! You’re telling me that this is what has changed? At least you aren’t some impostor or some other thing, but mind you, this is equivalent to a big scoop in Mina’s book.”
“Then, what would you think if I said no to your question?” Uraraka said inquisitively.
“That you were either hiding something, that you had an incredible, months-long surge of serotonin, or that you evolved into an ultra-cheery version of yourself,” Tsu answered honestly. “But, that’s besides the point. Can you explain since when did you have a romantic bone strong enough to act upon your crush instincts? Last time I checked, you couldn’t even bring yourself to tell your feelings to your ‘top secret crush’ in the first year.”
“Woah, woah, slow down, Tsu!” Uraraka advised lightheartedly. “I would like to argue that those sentiments were from our earliest year, meaning I’ve changed. Plus, whoever that was, it’s a dated idea of who you think my real crush is.” She went on. “I definitely don’t have that romantic bone. It just happened, and it ended up not being a terrible thing.”
Tsu exclaimed in curiosity and eagerness, “I can’t think of anyone you’d be dating right now. It’s so unexpected.”
Uraraka beamed, “I agree, so let’s leave it at that-”
“Ochako, you know our class. They’ll never leave your side until they sniff out who it is. And, that includes me.” Tsu folded her arms in conviction. “I’m taking this chance to gather some information.”
“I knew you’d say that. Right, you can ask freely except for his identity.” Uraraka consented offhandedly. She looked too nonchalant. It was odd, as if she was challenging Tsu to discover who it was.
“Okay, so it’s a boy.” Tsu concludes. “Is he our classmate, kero?”
“Yes, heh.”
“Then, that’s all I need. It narrows them down to less than twelve individuals, excluding Izuku, Tenya, Mineta, and the girls. Definitely not Mineta, no one deserves him.” Tsu commented in resolve. “Probably not Bakugou either.”
“How did you draw those conclusions?” Uraraka asked innocently.
“Izuku, Tenya, the girls, and I have also been pondering about your abnormal temperament, which indicates that they were as clueless as me. No explanation for Mineta. As for Bakugou, I don’t know. He’s mellowed out recently, but there’s no proof that it has a connection to you. Aside from that, he’s the same as ever. Sleeps even earlier, too. Hm, I’m unsure about him.”
“You’re thorough. It’s not Mineta, of course,” Uraraka considered. But you almost got it wrong about one spiky blonde-haired boy, Tsu. Hehe.
“I’m getting ahead of myself, so I’ll stop now. Sorry Ochako for pulling you into this. It’s not really my business, isn’t it?” Tsu scratched her head in apology. “I guess the most important question to ask is: are you happy with him?”
“Tsu, you’ve got nothing to apologize for! I know I haven’t been totally transparent about my whereabouts and such, so I owe it to you guys. Although I think the answer will just reveal itself soon.” Uraraka said sincerely, “Yes, I’m happy! You know, even I was surprised. Who knew he could be so cute?” She laughed.
“Will you tell the others?” Tsu raised.
Uraraka shrugged, “Those who find out, find out. Those who don’t, don’t. It isn’t like we were hiding it anyway. It developed like that, so we were content with just going with it.”
Tsu pouted slightly, “Why am I feeling a prickle of jealousy?”
They both burst into fits of laughter.
“Thank you for sharing this with me, Ochako,” Tsu said.
“No problem! At least, this means I can also drag you to my room without prior notice to interrogate you about your future lover! An eye for an eye, if you will,” Uraraka joked.
As Uraraka left Tsu’s room, she heard the light ping of her notifications on her phone. She went to her room cautiously as she messaged her soon-to-be-exposed boyfriend.
My pepper k <3: Why the fuck did that Froppy haul you earlier?
My pepper k <3: She’s always staring weirdly
MochiOcha: i just found out now hihi
My pepper k <3: What?
MochiOcha: i kind of told her about us ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ
MochiOcha: she doesn’t know it’s youuu, but i told her i’m seeing someone. i bet she’s gonna tell the others
My pepper k <3: Nosy fuckers
MochiOcha: we better get ready for their tricks╰(▔∀▔)╯
My pepper k <3: Ever since you updated that phone, you won’t stop with all those freaky faces.
MochiOcha: it’s called emoticons, katsuki. try somee
MochiOcha: look, this matches u ヾ(。◣∀◢。)ﾉ
My pepper k <3: Shut up.
MochiOcha: HAHAHA try it
My pepper k <3: No. Good night
MochiOcha: Nooooo
My pepper k <3: Open your balcony door :-)
MochiOcha: aye aye!! yay u used it :>
The next day, the moment Uraraka reached the kitchen, she heard the eager exclamations of none other than Mina, the Acid Queen herself. Her footsteps seemed intentionally thunderous as she stomped towards Uraraka. It was like waking up to fireworks. Uraraka appeared to have received the chatterbox premium package today.
“OCHAKOOO, oh, you are so dead.”
“What? What did I do this time?” Uraraka wiped her eyes as if they were still bleary from sleep. Sometimes, even she can’t match Mina’s energy this early morning. All she wanted right now was to prepare her meal quietly.
Mina huffed, “Oh, stop pretending nothing has happened. Care to explain what Tsu told me last night? I’ve been holding the urge to barge into your dorm since she texted. What do you mean you have a boyfriend and you didn’t tell me? Didn’t tell us?!”
“Minaaa, do you mind if I eat first? I’m sleepy,” Uraraka pouted. “You’ll see.”
“Hm, you’ll see, you say? Ohoho…”
Before the pink-haired girl could resume her confrontation, Uraraka got her meal and sluggishly brought it to her room. I’ll let her escape for now, but the wrath of this class will haunt you, Ochako! Just you wait, Mina thought as she devilishly grinned at her omurice.
Koda managed to pass by and scrunched his face in a deeply perturbed manner as he noticed Mina’s state. “Are you okay, Ashido? What’s happening to your face?!” He said, “Do you want me to make the birds outside sing?”
“Thanks for the concern, Koda! But, it’s okay.” Mina smiled. “I just have a new class project! Good thing it’s a Saturday.”
“Thank you everyone for lending me some of your time,” Mina announced to the loose circle of the Bakusquad, consisting of Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, Jirou, and begrudgingly, Bakugou. Mina offered them to sit farthest away from the other tables.
“It’s only lunch time, Mina. The only difference is that you isolated our table,” Jirou stated.
“Yes, and today, I need all of your help! Even you, Bakugou, so stop staring at your phone!” Mina exclaimed.
“Tch, why did I get dragged to this shit? This is a waste of time.”
Mina did not falter. She was a Bakugou Dark Age survivor. (Well, to be fair, all of her classmates were.) “No, it is not! Just hear me out. I have a project for us to work on. Don’t leave and don’t spill, everyone.”
Kirishima was confused but also curious about this spike of excitement that Mina brought to the table, so he said, “I’m all ears, babe! But, do you mind if you’d give some context first? This is not our usual ‘how many okonomiyaki can fit in my mouth’ conversations.”
Jirou nodded, “Mhm, I bet that’s why you were so antsy this morning.”
“Precisely, now, did you know that Ochako has a boyfriend?” Mina asked outright.
Sero and Kaminari spit out their noodles while Jirou widened her eyes. Kirishima’s skin hardened as he hit the table with a happy grin. They all exclaimed, “WHAT???” The clamor began, but Bakugou was strangely quiet, which no one noticed because the others were too busy raising questions and comments.
“SINCE WHEN?”
“Whoever that is, he’s a lucky guy!”
“Man, when will it be my turn?”
“Maybe, have some manners? And, not look like a talking trash can?”
Mina shushed them as she continued. “Okay, so Tsu messaged me last night. She said she had gossip! First time she used that word, I’m so proud.” She feigned, wiping away her tears. “Anyway, she told me quote ‘Ochako is dating a classmate.’ Then, said to lay low about it in the meantime. She suggested telling you guys first since no one is a ‘suspect’ here. We’re planning to find out who it is.”
“Suspect? What are you implying?” Sero tilted his head slightly.
“I mean it’s improbable that anyone here is Ochako’s boyfriend. It’s a boy in this class, by the way,” Mina clarified.
Bakugou said with a skeptical expression, “Why do we have to know all this, tch? O- Uraraka is probably tired with all your bullshit meddling.”
“I know privacy is important, but we’re family here! Why not take the chance since her boyfriend is in our class too?” Mina defended. “Of course, let’s not go too far. Perhaps some investigation here and there. In fact, Tsu already took a leap! Figuratively. We’ve narrowed it down to less than twelve people, automatically excluding Mineta.” She exhaled, feeling the gleeful challenge come to a start. “So, are you guys with me in Mission ‘Find Ochako’s Mystery Man?’”
“Heck yeah! I can’t believe ‘Chako is dating a classmate. It means they’ve been hiding it for some time already, huh?” Kirishima thought out loud. “Did Tsu mention how long they’ve been together?”
“She said for a few months already. Hmph, whoever this classmate is, he better get ready for the absolute hell we’ll bring. It’s both appalling and amazing that they were able to keep it under wraps for so long!” Mina answered.
“That’s some manly hiding skills then! With school and all,” Kirishima said. He, too, felt energized by this enigma. “But, we know each other so well, I can’t really think of anyone who would be that secretive. ‘Chako having a romantic partner is surprising enough.”
Jirou agreed as she ate her bento. “True, I suspected something was going on with Ochako since she’s been skipping girls’ night. And, she’s always dodging questions about her crush. I’m in, but I won’t eavesdrop with my ears. That’s too much.” She smiled. “I’m intrigued though. Good for her.”
“Yo, I want to see who it is too!” Sero lifted his hand in favor of Mina’s little mission. “I’m happy for Ochako! It’s long overdue that we finally get a class couple other than Mr. and Mrs. PDA over there.” He rolled his eyes as he indicated a certain red and pink-haired duo who sheepishly let go of their intertwined hands once they were mentioned.
Kaminari eagerly bobbed his head. “I’m so excited, bro! It’s like a detective thing except it's about finding Uraraka's boyfriend. Once we catch him, I’ll be the cop and say, ‘Stop right there, lover boy!’” Everyone at their table cackled and added to each other’s jokes, except for Bakugou, who almost choked with the utterly absurd scenario. He couldn’t believe that such foolery was about to befall him.
“How about you, Bakugou? Will you join us in the investigation?” Sero questioned, which made everyone’s heads turn to him. The blonde stiffened slightly at their surveillance but promptly replied, “No.”
“WHAT?” Mina cried out. “You can’t back out! You’ll be vital in the reveal!”
“Do you all have fucking ears? I said, no.” Bakugou repeated. He felt older by the minute with all their protests. This was the repercussion of surrounding himself with loud ass toddlers.
“Come on, Bakugou! Why are you so opposed to this? You are the least likely to be involved in any kind of mystery solving. That’s why you can be useful.” Mina whined as the others followed suit. He would be useful, they thought, because he’s Bakugou, the Great Explosion Murder God!
Their table caused so much ruckus that it brought over several of their classmates, who were both used to the chaos and curious about how it formed. Uraraka was one of them.
“Hey guys! What’s up? Did you guys force Bakugou to do a dare again?” She said while most of them greeted her in response.
Red alert! Kirishima knew he had to describe the situation as vaguely as possible. The subject of their talk was here. He swallowed his food and said, “Uh, yup! Bakubro here, is not doing the- uh, the dare we gave him.” Then, he decided to pull the classic trick that almost always made the sneering blonde bark back, even years later. “Maybe he’s too chicken-”
“I am not a fucking chicken! If anything, you’re all cowards! You can’t ask a simple question.” Bakugou replied frankly.
On the other hand, Uraraka was already privy to what they were talking about. It’s too evident at this point, yet she resolved to give the fuming, spiky head a “covert” hint of how to handle the disarray. “You know, Bakugou, it would be awfully suspicious if you didn’t agree to the dare! Is there something that’s stopping you?”
Bakugou regarded her. She was right, actually, and she knew how to play this unintentionally manifested game. He was the “suspect” in question, and refusing to contribute to their stupid plan would have made it look noticeable. He said, “Tch, whatever. It’s dumb and useless.”
“Oh, well, I’m gonna get going! Yaomomo will be introducing some of the new tea flavors she received from overseas. Come join us in the kitchen if you want!” Uraraka waved, then left the Bakusquad to their affairs.
“So, Bakugou, will you help us?” Mina inquired with her fingers crossed under the table. Yes, the situation was in dire need of it.
“One condition.”
“Shoot.”
“You idiots can’t bother me for the next two months. No annoying texts, no dragging me into your dumb business like this, no knocking on my door, no fucking disturbances. If not, then the deal is off.” Bakugou was resolute in his decision.
“Aw, two months? That’s too long, Bakubro!” Kirishima expressed. “We’ll miss you!” He attempted to hug Bakugou, who instantly pushed his friend away the moment he made contact.
“Yeah, who’s going to flip me off every morning,” Kaminari sulked, pretending to feel downtrodden.
“Guys, let’s just take it. It’s not like we’ll be able to change his mind. Besides, we’ve had too many doses of Vitamin Bakugou already,” Sero noted in a joking tone while Jirou just signaled in consensus.
Mina sighed, “Fine, but don’t complain why you won’t receive my morning memes anymore.”
“Mina, what will be our approach?” Jirou asked while fetching her phone to take notes. It was getting serious. “Can you lay out all the info you know to give us a better picture?”
“Affirmative!” The latter recounted the second-hand knowledge she received from Tsu. “Last night, I bet some of you remember when Tsu randomly pulled Ochako to the dorm rooms. That was when they talked about it. First, she’s dating a boy, and it’s our classmate. Second, it’s been happening for a few months. This can be concluded because ‘Chako’s shift in availability can be observed dating back in the late autumn. Third, it was a relationship that ‘just happened’ meaning it unfolded naturally. They kept it that way until now, which is why they didn’t bother telling us. Fourth, Ochako is happy with him and described him as ‘cute.’” Mina let out a breath after her short spiel of the known facts. “That’s it, any questions?”
The majority of them were in awe of Mina’s thorough account. Sero said, “Man, I know it’s a given that you like gossip, but you really could’ve used those reporting skills for that science presentation we almost flunked.”
“Key word, gossip. I love gossip, not science.” Mina corrected. “Now, finally, we can discuss the plan. Also known as Mission ‘Find Ochako’s Mystery Man!’” She clapped her hands to grab their attention. “The first step is eliminating the classmates who are obviously not Ochako’s boyfriend. After we’ve nailed it down to less than seven, we can get a bit more sneaky and hands-on. Like some social experiments, ya know?”
“Alright, I think we can exclude Mineta, Ei, Hanta, Denki, and Bakugou from the candidates,” Jirou remarked as she typed the eliminations on her phone. “I’ll share this note with you guys later. Mineta is a no, Ei is taken, Hanta was equally surprised as us, Denki is too much of a dunce-”
“Hey!”
Jirou stuck her tongue out, then proceeded with her notations. “Bakugou could be, but he’s too dense-”
“What the fuck did you say, Ears?” Bakugou turned sharply in her direction. However, once more, their class was accustomed to his behavior, so she spoke unphased.
“It’s true, there’s no denying it. That leaves Midoriya, Iida, Todoroki, Aoyama, Ojiro, Koda, Satou, Shouji, and Tokoyami.”
Mina commented, “Tsu said we can exclude Midoriya and Iida since I hear that they are wondering too. Todoroki is part of their squad, but there’s a possibility, so let’s keep him for now.”
“So, seven candidates. Okay, not bad,” Kirishima nodded while reflecting upon the choices. “Did Tsu mention what their plan is?”
“I’m asking Tsu right now via text. It seems like she, Midoriya, and Iida have only discussed it this morning. No intentions of a plan, but willing to cooperate with us.” Mina glanced at her phone a few more times. “They removed Aoyama and Koda, which leaves a top five. From there, they weren’t able to identify who it could be anymore.”
“Okay, so the top five are Todoroki, Ojiro, Satou, Shouji, and Tokoyami…”
Bakugou thought this was the most stupid fucking conversation he has ever participated in. They were wasting their time with that elimination bullshit that they’ve cut it down too much. With nothing to say, he saw a notification on his phone that he’d been waiting and left those losers to babble about deductions and personality compatibility or whatever.
MochiOcha: hi ( ͒•·̫|
MochiOcha: i see ure bored lol
My pepper k <3: They’re morons. They eliminated me in their mission to find your boyfriend.
MochiOcha: i wonder who that could be… hihi
My pepper k <3: It’s obviously me. They’re blind.
MochiOcha: you haven’t told them yet, huh? hehe
My pepper k <3: Not yet
My pepper k <3: You’re right, Ochako. It’s fun watching them suffer.
MochiOcha: AHAHAHAH once they find out it’s you though…
MochiOcha: watch out ( ◣∀◢)ψ
My pepper k <3: Eh, they’re not a threat to me.
My pepper k <3: What are you doing now?
MochiOcha: Yaomomo and I are still tasting her new teas! they’re good! ♡(◕ᗜ◕✿)
My pepper k <3: Save me a cup
MochiOcha: Okii!! but there’s many flavors, so i’ll get you a surprise one from India
My pepper k <3: Okay. You can bring it to our table
My pepper k <3: Thanks.
MochiOcha: wonderful manners!! (ᗒᗨᗕ)
The blonde was about to reply, yet unbeknownst to Bakugou, a small smile formed on his lips, which Kaminari caught. “Whatcha looking at, Bakugou? Did you order a new All Might limited edition figurine?”
In response, Bakugou presented a middle finger. “Shut the fuck up if you want to keep your head, Dunce Face.” Not long after, he and Kaminari returned to listening to the self-proclaimed Bakusquad, who were still discussing their top five candidates.
Mina was in the middle of her matchmaking monologue. “...With all of those qualities in consideration, I think Todoroki is the most likely contender as the mystery man. Let’s conduct an experiment with O-” She stopped as Uraraka advanced towards their table with two mugs of tea.
“I see you are plotting a scheme to reveal who my boyfriend is, hm?” Uraraka chirped.
“OCHAKO, YOU CHEEKY GREMLIN!!” Mina yelled. “Why don’t you just tell us who it is if you already know that we want to know your special someone?! Can’t he reveal himself? He is meters within our vicinity.” She continued, calling out to the air, “Ochako’s boyfriend, you’re dead!”
“Because, it’s fun! Why ruin the surprise?” Uraraka giggled as she carefully placed one mug near Bakugou’s area at the table, trying to be as subtle as she could. Afterwards, she walked to Mina and Jirou’s side.
Jirou raised her eyebrows at Uraraka’s statement. “Oh, so you’re acknowledging that it’s a challenge, Ochako?”
“You could look at it like that.”
Kirishima pumped up his fists. “Then, we accept it! We will be the ones to catch your lover boy!”
“Good luck with that,” Uraraka said. “Rather, good luck to my boyfriend. Poor him.”
“If he knows better, then he should reveal himself right now,” Sero discerned. “But, clearly, you and him are stubborn with their ambiguity. Can you at least give us a clue?”
“Yeah, a clue!” Kaminari restated.
“Sure! Hm…” Uraraka deliberated for a few seconds, then said warmly. “He’s caring, thoughtful, and loves food like me! He’s the number one in my heart.”
No one distinguished how the tip of Bakugou’s ears gradually turned red. No one witnessed how he sipped on the cup of tea that Uraraka settled on the table earlier. No one saw his glare soften as a wave of nonexistent butterflies surrounded him in glee—no one except Uraraka, who quickly avoided his eyes. If not, then they’d be caught red-handed in the investigators’ base.
“Honey, that’s not a clue!” Mina protested. “Of course, he’s caring, thoughtful, and has similar interests as you!”
“Yes, it’s a clue, honey!” Uraraka hurled back, grinning. “If you have a brain, this would be sufficient. Add what Sero said about us as a bonus too!”
Kaminari declared, “Okay, okay! Uraraka, what do you think of our top five suspects? They are Todoroki, Tokoyami, Satou, Ojiro, and Shouji.”
Everyone in their circle waited patiently for her reply. She nodded, “It’s a good lineup. I can tell that you guys put in a lot of thought, but I won’t say if he’s in it or not, deal?”
Mina let out a groan.“Argh, that’s so vague! I will admit though that this is my kind of fun!” She laughed.
“...And, that was what happened at lunch earlier,” Mina reported to Tsu, Midoriya, and Iida in her dormitory. Mina’s room became the unofficial meeting place of all the “detectives” (and all other matters of gossip, of course).
With a hand on his chin in contemplation, Midoriya gathered the information. “That still leaves an undetermined answer. If I were to incorporate my subjective analysis, then I would say that our best bet from the five candidates are Todoroki, Satou, or Shouji. If we were to look into it with all the twelve boys in our class, I’d actually also include Kacchan based on the clues she gave.”
“Bakugou?” Tsu and Iida doubted.
“I know it may seem unlikely, but trust me, he’s toned down a lot compared to his middle school days,” Midoriya shivered slightly but reminisced those memories with insight. “Kacchan is caring, thoughtful, and stubborn. He loves food too! I’d be content if he was with our best friend.”
“I get where you are coming from, Midoriya. He’s the Bakusquad leader after all! Bakugou is observant and has the capability of possessing those qualities. Yet, those are very rare moments!” Mina indicated.
Iida added, “I agree. Rather than being taken aback by Bakugou having those qualities, I am more astonished by the idea of Bakugou and Uraraka having a relationship. They are a unique pairing apart from duo projects and training sessions, though I will say that they have incredible quirk chemistry.”
“Yeah, I personally excluded him from the list because it’s Bakugou. Him dating someone is as common as seeing Tenya without his glasses, which is never. We never know though,” Tsu said.
“Plus! Bakugou already agreed to help with the operation.” Mina inserted. “Well, more like we bribed him into participating.”
“So, he’ll be excluded as a suspect from the mission? Can he at least be the joker card?” Midoriya finalized the selection.
“Okay,” Tsu and Mina confirmed. “Why not?”
“Does anyone want to bet if it’s Bakugou or not? ¥3000?” Mina suddenly provoked. “Just between the four of us, hehe. For LOLs.”
“This is ridiculous! We shouldn’t bet on Uraraka’s relationship! It is her business,” Iida looked horrified.
Tsu retorted, “With all due respect, although you have a commendable record of leadership, you’re the one who suggested the game ‘truth or dare’ as an icebreaker to the class in our first year! Look where the chaos led us to! You’re even part of this mission.”
“I didn’t expect that it would escalate!” Iida refuted. He felt humiliated knowing what drama he had to dispel, but he accepted the bet. “Fine. Here, I vote that it is not Bakugou, in the best interests of Uraraka.”
“Me too,” said Tsu.
“Me three,” Mina continued.
Midoriya looked at them in suspicion. “Are all of you siding with each other because you know I’d vote on agreeing that it is Kacchan? And, you all think there’s a zero-percent chance of him being the one?”
Tsu, Mina, and Iida nodded with smug expressions.
“Well, I’d like all of you to know that I also find it implausible for it to be him, but I’ll vote for him for the sake of holding on to the slim chance of getting your money,” Midoriya said calculatingly as all of them dissolved into laughter.
“Then, let’s return to the three that Midoriya deduced: Todoroki, Shouji, and Satou,” Iida directed the conversation. “What’s our next step? It should not overstep boundaries, of course.”
“Okay, welcome back to our table!” Mina clapped excitedly to the Bakusquad, who started assembling for dinner. “Me, Tsu, Midoriya, and Iida have brainstormed a simple operation that is guaranteed to reveal the identity of Ochako’s boyfriend. We, including Kyouka, will be the observers, while you boys will be the ones to carry it out.”
“How so, Mina?” Jirou asked.
“We nailed it down to three people: Todoroki, Shouji, and Satou, so Ei, Denki, and Hanta will each be assigned to one of them. You guys will use the time after dinner to make conversation with them. Keep it chill and natural, and don’t ask too weird questions. Figure out these key points; if they are taken, if they react when you mention Ochako, and if they’ve bought mochi ice cream recently.”
“How can we trust these idiots to do the job?” Jirou pointed at them with skepticism. “And, what does mochi ice cream have to do with this?”
Mina elaborated, “You, Tsu, Midoriya, Iida, and I will be within earshot of all of the boys’ convos. If it gets too unusual, we’ll butt in. Got it? As for the mochi ice cream, Midoriya noticed that it’s always in stock in the refrigerator. Usually only Ochako eats it, but she doesn’t make purchases often, which means… it’s the boyfriend’s doing!” She clutched her chest, “Why is that so cute and romantic?”
“How about Bakugou? What will he do?” Kirishima wondered.
“Oh! Last but not least, Bakugou has the most important job of all.” Everyone’s ears perked at her peculiar statement, even Bakugou, who turned at the mention of his name. “You are tasked with keeping Ochako busy while we perform the plan in the common room.”
“Okay, leave it to me. I’ll do it,” Bakugou said with such serenity and ease that they all pondered if this was the same blonde boy that dons his murderous glare as his resting face to intimidate them. Maybe this was the “I-sleep-at-8-PM” side of him.
Deep down, Bakugou was over the moon! This was all he had to do? Be with his girlfriend? Best decision ever. In fact, it’s concerning him how they haven’t deciphered it yet. Were they that brainless? Definitely, he thought.
“Then, it’s all set! Thank you Bakugou for your ‘cooperative-ness.’ Just ensure she doesn’t linger in the common room. As for the rest of you boys, Ei can approach Todoroki, Denki with Satou, and Hanta with Shouji. Remember, don’t mess up and don’t say anything stupid. We start immediately after dinner. If you didn’t collect any info, we can continue tomorrow,” Mina explained.
“Uh, alright. One question, what do we find out again?” Kaminari scratched his head. “Look, these soba noodles needed my full attention, so I missed out on what you said.”
“With you in particular, discern Satou’s relationship status, watch his reaction when you mention Ochako, and see if he likes or has bought mochi ice cream lately. Do you understand?”
Kaminari saluted, “Yes, ma’am!”
While the others reviewed their roles, Bakugou resorted to informing Ochako of the succeeding scheme.
My pepper k <3: Hey.
MochiOcha: hi!!! whas upp ♡
My pepper k <3: The losers made a plan and assigned me to keep you busy after dinner
MochiOcha: LOLL they really don’t know huh (˃̣̣̥▽˂̣̣̥)
MochiOcha: oh well, they’ll see soon enough
My pepper k <3: What do you want to do later?
MochiOcha: do u have anything u wanna do? i’m oki w anything
My pepper k <3: Want to go on a walk? The stars are out. Wear your jacket and gloves; it’s still cold.
MochiOcha: yay ok!! let’s meet out the door. dress warmly too, katsuki
MochiOcha: see youu (⁀ᗢ⁀)
My pepper k <3: Love you, Ochako
MochiOcha: HSHDHUQUQ WILL U STOP THAT I MIGHT FLOAT MYSELF RN
MochiOcha: (*≧∀≦*)
My pepper k <3: Quit making my head hurt with your capital letters first.
My pepper k <3: Get yourself together
MochiOcha: love you too, Kats <33
“Are you doing okay, Bakugou? It’s like you’re freezing and burning at the same time,” Jirou observed.
Bakugou did not utter a word, so she repeated her question while Uraraka witnessed his whole malfunction. She spammed him with messages before it got out of hand. Uraraka’s affection was a little too much for Bakugou’s system.
MochiOcha: AHAHA YOU have to get yourself together
MochiOcha: stop staring and answer Kyouka!!!
MochiOcha: earth to katsuki!!
MochiOcha: i see u but are u still alive??
“I’m fine,” Bakugou said curtly, so Jirou shrugged and returned to the main conversation of additional pointers from Mina for the operation soon.
My pepper k <3: You are a fucking menace.
MochiOcha: your menace (*^ ‿ <*)♡
My pepper k <3: Yeah, you got me.
A few minutes later, Ochako signaled Bakugou that she’d be waiting for him outside.
MochiOcha: i just finished eating btw
MochiOcha: i’ll get my outerwear and sneak out before Mina and the others see me
MochiOcha: so it won’t be suspicious for them that we go out the door together loll
My pepper k <3: Stay warm. I’ll join you, wait for me.
At last, the long-awaited main event of Mission “Find Ochako’s Mystery Man” commenced. Mina has never felt better. She would admit that what made this so thrilling was its secretive nature and the fact that Ochako seemed to want them to find out her boyfriend’s identity for themselves. This was her kind of mystery.
After dinner, she saw Bakugou pocket his phone and went to the dorm rooms. Then, he was dressed in his winter outerwear, which puzzled Mina.
“Um, where do you think you’re going, Bakugou? You have a role, remember?” She stopped him before he left the exit. “You’re supposed to keep Ochako occupied.”
“I got it covered,” Bakugou said, then slammed the front door.
“Rude,” Mina remarked but acknowledged that he must’ve done his job because there was no Ochako to be seen on the premises. A small part of her wondered what he did to keep Ochako away from the common room but didn’t linger on it too long because there was a larger task at hand.
Mina and the other observers monitored each movement, word, and social cue that Todoroki, Satou, and Shouji made to see if there was any indication that one of them was Ochako’s boyfriend. After enough conversations and heart-to-hearts, Jirou called Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero to return from their mission. They, along with the observers, met in Mina’s room to deliberate what they had collected.
“Well, that was anticlimactic. The only fact that is certain is that they all hold admiration and respect for Ochako. They talked highly of her as a friend,” Midoriya faintly deflated with their lack of conclusive answers. “I thought we’d get some substantial information, but with their replies, it’s either one of them is really living up to the challenge of hiding their identity or simply, none of them are who we are searching for.”
“True. Plus, they all didn’t hesitate to call her Uraraka. I feel like the mystery man would have at least almost said her first name,” Tsu stated further.
“I wonder where Bakugou is. I haven’t seen him since he left after dinner,” Iida noted. “That was several hours ago. Is he still keeping Ochako busy?”
“I’ll ask Bakugou,” Mina declared, but soon remembered that due to the terms Bakugou made, she couldn’t “disturb” him. And they all know what would transpire if someone defied his conditions. “Oh, right. We agreed not to bother him through communication platforms and whatnot,” she grumbled.
“But, wait, we haven’t found our answer yet. If the three weren’t the right ones, then it must mean that we overlooked a few people,” Sero said.
“Mhm, it looks like we have to be more meticulous in considering other candidates. All the boys are back in the tally apart from us and the three. We can continue it tomorrow,” Midoriya established.
“As a reward for this joint squad, does anyone want to watch a movie in the common room?” Kaminari proposed. “Last one there has to cook the popcorn!” They all started heading toward the stairs in a playful race.
“Angel Face, do you want hot chocolate?” Bakugou asked as he neared their dorm’s empty kitchen. “The idiots are probably talkin’ shit about what ‘evidence’ they found.”
“Okay, I’ll get our cups!” Uraraka replied. “Maybe it’s time to quit beating around the bush. It feels like we’re tormenting them.”
“Tch, no, Raccoon Eyes and the others were foaming at the mouth from this nonsense,” Bakugou prepared the hot beverage. “Even your friends are in it.”
She laughed, “Yeah, it’s silly. Wanna watch a movie while we're at it? My turn to pick. It will be romance this time.”
“I’m not sitting through two hours to see another love triangle that isn’t even properly executed. The miscommunication was fucking hell,” Bakugou complained.
“Okay, then, would you prefer to watch a love square?” Uraraka prompted while scrolling through the options. “Ah! Or, how about this one? It’s sad though.”
“Hm, as long as you don’t use my sleeves as tissues,” Bakugou responded.
“Not before you cry first!” She quipped.
Bakugou finished up the two cups of hot chocolate. As he approached the couch and Uraraka, who was already seated with a blanket, Bakugou heard several strides dashing through the stairs.
“It’s them,” he remarked quietly.
“Perfect! We can watch it together,” Uraraka said.
Kaminari shouted, “I’M FIRST!” His eyes happened to land on Uraraka and Bakugou looking peaceful with warm drinks. His surprise could have triggered a power outage in the whole city, but he composed himself. This was it. He remembered his line. “Stop right there, lover boy!”
The rest of the weekend was spent with everyone attempting to stitch a story as to how in the world Uraraka and Bakugou managed to keep their relationship throughout the months without anyone besides their parents (of all people) knowing. Meanwhile, Midoriya happily received ¥9000 for winning Mina’s bet, a pivotal moment in their class, he’d say.