Work Text:
Izumi looked at herself in the mirror, ignoring the yells from her mother to come and eat. Tearing up, she replied with a frantic "I'm coming!!" before continuing to stifle a cry as she studied herself. How could she let herself go so much? She had gained so much weight due to stress, and now this is just another add on.
How much? Well, it's rude to ask a lady her weight. Even if she did know, she wouldn't tell you. She refused to step on a scale even if it meant death. What she did know, however, was that her thighs rubbed against each other as she walked. That her stomach rolled on top of each other not just when she sat, but when she stood as well. Sometimes she needs a large, sometimes she needs an XL. Everything was so confusing and stressful. After a quick sob session, she knew something had to change.
. . .
As she sat at the table with her mother, Izumi endlessly scrolled on her phone, her eyes engraved in its contents. Inko looked at her worriedly.
"Hunny, are you alright?" Izumi never used her phone at the dinner table.
"Hmm?"
"Is everything okay? Nobody's bothering you, right? "
"Oh, yeah, don't worry mommy it's nothing bad. I'm sorry." Izumi and her apologies.
Putting her phone away, she scarfed down her meal, washed her dish, kissed her mom on the cheek, and ran down to her room. Pulling up google maps, she researched into the closest gym, giggling and kicking her feet when she saw that it was just ¥2,140 a month. Looking into their website, Izumi noticed that they had a section for personal trainers and their prices. Personal trainers may have been pricy, but after looking into the description and ratings, Izumi believes it was a good investment. With one click, her card is charged for her gym membership, and her own personal trainer.
. . .
Standing in front of the gym, Izumi's heart ached as she walked through the obnoxiously big double doors. Her nerves were kicking in so hard her stomach was starting to hurt, and she thought she might throw up before she can even make it inside. Nervously swiping her card at the front desk, Izumi finds a spot to sit at while she waits for her personal trainer to show.
Around 5 minutes later, a deep female voice spoke. "Midoriya?"
Izumi's head snaps up. There's a tall woman standing before her, eyeing her down with those divine ruby irises. Her blonde hair was sticking in every which direction in her bun, yet her bangs still swooped perfectly around her face. Her arms were what stood out most about her physique, making it very clear that her favorite day at the gym was back and biceps. They were extremely defined, and so were her abs, which could be seen from miles away, She wore a fitted black sports bra, as well as some regular baggy grey sweatpants. Her matching black AirPod Pro Max's were hanging off her army green gym bag. Even without makeup, her skin seemed to glow under the bright gym lights.
Oh. Well, Izumi is definitely going to be paying for more sessions after this.
Snapping out of her daze, Izumi stood up to greet her new PT. After all, she was going to have to get to know her if she was going to keep paying for more sessions, even if her hands were clammy due to the nervousness.
"Yes, hi-! I'm Izumi Midoriya! I didn't catch your name, however.." She spoke as she reached her arm out to shake hands.
Her trainer took Izumi's hand in her own.
"Katsumi Bakugou. Before we get started, we'll have a sit down talk on what you want to improve, and how we're going to achieve that, so you can just follow me." She got straight to the point, seeming as if she didn't care for small talk.
Izumi nodded so fast she thought she might blackout. As she followed Bakugou, she immediately noticed her glute gains showing through her sweatpants. Oh how she wanted to be like her, someone who wasn't self conscious in what they wear and have their gains show through regular clothing.
. . .
After a shitload of stuttering, mumbling, and confusion, Izumi finally had a workout plan set up for herself. Well done Izumi, you barely got a word out. Katsumi made her a 5 day workout split, and today just so happens to be back and bicep, along with a mandatory cardio session.
Heading towards the lat machine, Katsumi had to give Izumi the full run-down on how all of this works. Izumi is a professional gym noob.
"Alright, before I teach you how to use the machine, you gotta know all the terms. If I told you to do 4 sets of 10, would you have any idea what that is?"
Izumi fought the urge to walk out of the gym. "Uh..no?"
"When you get on the machine, you'd do 10 reps, and then after those, you'd take a break, and then do that again 3 more times."
"Rep?"
Oh lord. "Rep, short for repetition, is a single execution of an exercise. So If I was doing squats, a rep is just one squat."
"Ohh, okay!" Izumi smiled that wide, stupid grin. She thought she could almost see Bakugou's cheeks turn pink, but decided to ignore it.
"Now let's get you settled into the machine. Sit down towards the end of the bench, and I'll adjust the weight to something I think you can handle. If you have any trouble, just let me know."
Katsumi must have been feeling very generous, because she placed the weight high. Not that Izumi couldn't do it, just that Izumi didn't know she could do it. Katsumi helped her figure out the right form, and then let her do her own thing, as well as offering words of encouragement. Katsumi was quite impressed to see she did all 10 without a grunt. Meaning, the weight was going higher.
"Why are you- you're not adding more weight, are you?"
"Who you talking to?" Katsumi spoke harshly, yet her playful grin contradicted her tone of voice. "If I wanna add more weight-in fact, I wasn't even going to, but just because you said that.." she lied through her teeth, knowing she was originally going to add more weight anyway.
Izumi broke out into a fake cry, repeating 'no, no, no..' over and over until she bit her tongue.
"Keep your mouth quiet."
"Alright." Damn she was down bad.
Finishing all four sets, Izumi was basically sweating from head to toe. On her 9th rep, Katsumi repeated '9....9...9, keep going' over and over until her arms almost fell off. Katsumi smiled as she let out a chuckle, and suddenly Izumi's arms didn't hurt anymore. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard of a battle on Izumi if she had her PT's stupid grin and coaching by her side.
. . .
Approaching the dumbbells, Katsumi went for a lighter weight, handing it to Izumi.
"Expect me to do everything or are you gonna carry your own weights?"
Izumi stutters, replying hesitantly. "I, uh.."
"I'm playing, shorty."
Katsumi apparently got a kick out of making fun of Izumi, since that seemed to really make her snicker.
"Bend over."
"HUH?!"
"For the workout, smartass. Think we're that close already?"
If the weights didn't kill her by the time she was done, she might as well just drop an 100 pound dumbbell on her head and hope it kills her.
Izumi bent down, as asked, and learned that what she was doing was called bent over rows. This essentially targeted her back muscles, such as the latissimus dorsi, the middle and lower trapezius, the rhomboids, and the posterior deltoids. Katsumi was hell of a good teacher, and also knew what each workout targeted in depth. She was smart, hot, and fit, and holy was Izumi a raging lesbian.
Finishing off her bent over row's—after much struggle—she did what was called a single arm row. Izumi almost freaked when she realized that 3x10 in this case was basically 6x10 (girl math), since she had to workout her arms one at a time.
"Please god kill me.." Izumi mumbled under her breath, but it was just high enough for Katsumi to hear.
"Oh? So, you don't want it?"
"Want what, the weight?"
"The burn, obviously."
What the hell was this girl talking about. "Huh??'
"Do you not want to feel the burning sensation of your muscles? Knowing that in a few months, you might have your dream complex all because you pushed hard enough? Accomplishing your goals and knowing you did it without creatine?? That this hard work was all from you busting your ass in the gym and getting to flex on everybody because you're stronger than them?? ___"
Question after question, yet not one could be answered from Izumi since the tears rapidly started emerging from her eyes.
"Oh lord you're one of those."
"Wha- what the hells that supposed to mean??" Izumi mumbled between sniffles.
"At least answer my first question."
Izumi truly thought for a second. She obviously wanted this, didn't she? Buying a gym membership and getting new gym clothes so she can walk in confident may have been an impulse decision, but it's something she's been failing to do for the past few months. Now that she's here, she's decided to dedicate herself to change.
"I do. I want it."
"Up the reps by two."
"Man fuck you."
Katsumi chuckled.
. . .
After 45 minutes of Katsumi obliterating Izumi's back—woah—and biceps, they moved onto their mandatory cardio session. Cardio was implemented into Izumi's split everyday that she was going to be in the gym. Today, she would be working on a boring treadmill, speed 3, but with a 7% incline.
"One thing you need to remember" Katsumi flared her arms out in emphasis of need, "is that a treadmill with an incline will do sooo much more than running. You're not asthmatic, correct?"
"Nuh uh."
"..Okay. Well, what makes your heart race more, running, or going up a fatass hill?"
"If you want me to be real, I haven't done either in ages."
Katsumi had to fight the urge to laugh, closing her eyes and smiling before turning to the side to let out a wheeze.
"That was just a little funny."
"Definitely."
"Moving on!" Katsumi set the treadmill on an incline, then prepped the machine next to Izumi's as well.
"What's that one for?"
"Me, dumbass."
"Joint workout session?" Izumi smiled giddily.
"Well, if that's what you want to call it. If I'm going to be working with you for a while, might as well talk to me. I'll be right beside you like this, plus I don't have to go out for a run later this way."
As Izumi got on the treadmill, she gripped the bar to support herself, then watched as Katsumi stood on the treadmill next to her, basically strutting as she walked in place. She was majestical, unlike anybody Izumi has ever seen.
"Why did you decide to be a personal trainer?" Izumi asked, her face turned too stare into Katsumi's eyes. She watched as Katsumi stumbled to find the words.
"Well. When I was younger, I was fat." She chose terms that were direct and forthright. "Started going to the gym at around 13, and then decided that I loved it so much I wanted to show others how much joy it can bring. Some of my clients bail on the first day, and that's their loss, because the gym provided me with solace for years. They just can't handle all this." Katsumi gestured to her physique, smiling as Izumi chuckled in response.
"They just couldn't handle the burn. But you can, right?"
"Of course I can."
. . .
Listening in on each other's conversations, their 45 minutes on the treadmill ran out in no time. Katsumi sat Izumi down one last time, ending off their session with some quick input and extra things to go about in her daily life.
"There's one last thing I want to talk to you about before you leave. Since you're trying to loose weight, the best way is to go into a calorie deficit."
"A who and a what now??"
Katsumi held back a chuckle. "A calorie deficit is a shortage in the number of calories you consume daily. A 500-calorie deficit is most beneficial. Let's say for example, you intake 2,000 calories a day. You'd cut that, and eat about 1,500 a day instead. That's a deficit. This is what leads to weight loss. Working out is just helping you tone yourself and grow your muscles. If you aren't in a calorie deficit, you aren't going to loose any weight. And eat. Protein. It'll do you good in the long run."
"Looks like I'm taking myself to the grocery store."
"I could make so many fat jokes right now."
"I cope with humor, go for it."
"Ur fatass does NOT need to be at the grocery store."
"BAKUGOU??"
"Heh, whoops."
Katsumi's stupid chuckle made Izumi's knees almost give out. In return, Izumi giggled alongside her.
"You did good today. High five, short stuff."
Izumi was more than happy to slap her own hand against Katsumi's, however immediately getting flustered after Katsumi gripped it and gave it a light squeeze.
"Keep up the good work." Were the last words to come out of Katsumi's glowing lips as she lost grip on her hand, and gave Izumi a wave—a dad wave at that—and walked out of the gym.
As Katsumi left, she stood in front of the gym mirror, and studied herself again. Instead of seeing that chubby, ugly version of herself, she saw someone destined for change. Someone with passion. If she squinted hard enough, Katsumi would be standing behind her, giving her a wink and a thumbs up.
Katsumi's aura was intimidating, and so was her complexion. However, the second Izumi looked up and their eyes locked in on each other, she felt some sort of comfort. That feeling you get when you just know someone is safe. Like home. They played around—even though this was their first time meeting—and it made Izumi's heart throb in the best way possible. They went from acquaintances to friends so fast it felt surreal. Even though she got off on making fun of Izumi as she messed up her form, she was oddly caring enough to even attempt to have this bond with her. I mean, Izumi was a chubby gym rookie who had no idea what was going on half the time as Katsumi spoke. It is her job to teach her everything, but for her to go out of her way to go in depth, ensuring full comprehension, soothed Izumi's heart. It may have been the bare minimum, but Izumi's standards weren't that high. This was a luxury.
. . .
Hopping on the light-rail, Izumi made sure to call her mom on the way to the grocery store. Izumi rambled about her new PT, as well as what she did, and why she was currently on her way to the grocery store. She needed some more protein based meals, snacks, basically anything that was high in protein yet low in calories. She wanted yogurt, oats, fruits, and some protein drinks.
Grabbing a basket, she walked towards the freezers, immediately spotting all the yogurts. Looking through all the different kinds of flavors and protein levels, and was at a loss. Her body got goosebumps as she heard a whisper in her ear.
"Chobani and Oikos are the best."
"HELLO???" Izumi yelped.
Katsumi laughed, grappling onto her stomach as to not fall down. "Oh my god, that was fucking hysterical."
"I'm gonna beat you."
"I'd like to see you try."
Izumi may have gulped a little too loud.
"Anyways, Chobani mixed berry is really good, and its pink, like ur jacket." Katsumi smiled. "And oh is Oikos cherry bomb as hell." She grabbed one for herself, stuffing it in her cart that was nearly empty, besides a few potatoes, some croutons, and a rice bag.
Izumi flashed Katsumi a smile. "Thank you!" There was a buy 5 for $10 deal, so Izumi grabbed a mixture of Chobani and Oiko, making sure to grab the two Katsumi recommended.
"What are you doing here so late?"
"Fuck does it look like, smartass? I'm just getting some stuff for dinner and to have at the house."
"I think you were just following me."
"Well, I left the gym first remember? So.. maybe you were following me, cutie. Wanted to see me again that bad?" Katsumi inched forward, standing right in front of Izumi in a way that was absolutely frightening. She basically towered over her, making Izumi squirm in her presence.
All Izumi could do was stutter. "I..uh..no-? Maybe? W..why do you have me rethinking why I came to the supermarket." Izumi's hands covered her face in shame.
After their fiasco was over, they continued shopping together, and Katsumi ended up showing Izumi some of the things she should have in her house. It was nice having some guidance, and not needing to pay for it. Izumi grabbed almost everything Katsumi pointed out, along with some stuff for her mother at home. Once Katsumi got everything she wanted as well, they headed towards the self checkout.
Katsumi paid for her cart, then turned over to see Izumi hadn't paid yet. She was just getting her card out to swipe, when Katsumi rushed in her way.
"Don't do shit." She muttered as she swiped her card.
"Wha-??! Bakugou!!"
"It's on the house." Katsumi smirked, and it almost made Izumi say okay, if you say so. But, Izumi was stronger than that.
"I'm not just gonna let you pay for all this.." Izumi said, trying to reach the screen to delete her order and put in her card, before Katsumi grabbed her hand.
"Leave it, will you?" Izumi was not stronger. She gave in, pressing 'check out?' and grabbing her bags.
"If I run into you again, I'm paying for everything and some, got it?"
"Yeah yeah, whatever shitface. See you."
"See you soon, Bakugou."
. . .
"Ma, I'm home!" Izumi yelled out from the front door. It's 9pm, she's tired, and just wants to shower and sleep. "Can you do me a big big big big favor and put the groceries away today?? Just this once, I promise!" Izumi always did the chores around the house, not wanting her mother to strain herself.
Inko could never say no to her baby. "Oh hunny, of course. You go rest and I'll cook, okay?"
"Actuallyyy...we need to talk about that."
Izumi talked with her mother on how she needed to go into a calorie deficit as of today, and asked her mother to just make some food for herself tonight. "I'll eat some protein yogurt with my oats and fruits, mommy. Don't worry, it'll be enough. I had a big breakfast." She smiled, kissing her moms forehead. "I'm going to shower now, thank you for putting the groceries away!" She waved Inko off, grabbing her towel and heading into the shower.
. . .
Izumi came back to the gym the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that, until Katsumi had to force her to take a rest day. Four days in a row of hardcore workouts had Izumi sore, and bored in her house. She worked freelance, so she was constantly at home all the time. Now, she's back at home, with her mother at work and nothing to do but die in her bed as she scrolled on tiktok.
Falling asleep, a loud notification ruined her soon to be slumber. She instantly went from half asleep to wide awake once she fully saw what the notification actually was.
Katsumi had texted her—even though Izumi doesn't remember giving Katsumi her phone number—and the contents made Izuku stand up and start jumping around.
'Excited to see you tomorrow' OH MY GODD??? Izumi might as well confess her undying love to her right this instance.
Izumi may have contemplated how to respond for 30 minutes, but ultimately ended up replying with 'Excited to see you more!'. She's never beating the lesbian allegations with this one.
. . .
She kept coming back, becoming more and more enamored with Katsumi. In no time, they had already been working together for around 2 months. They had gotten way closer, to the point where Katsumi offered to just be gym buddies for a day instead of PT and client.
Some day's they wouldn't necessarily talk, either one of them had a bad day, or their social battery was low. After a particularly hard day on Izumi, all Katsumi wanted was to see her smile. Just yesterday, Izumi was giggling as she tried to reach Katsumi's cap, yet she was too short to reach. Katsumi took off her cap and placed it on Izumi, and she looked up with such glee, smiling from ear to ear, showcasing her pearly whites. "Keep it, shorty."
Some day's they'd chat up a storm, staying in the gym for around 3 hours because of side conversations. On one of these days, Katsumi was loading the weights on the machine. "You got it?" "I think so.?" "Alright lets-" Suddenly Izumi was just flying away on the machine, leading Katsumi having to drag her down in between laughter. "I think so." Katsumi mocked.
On another day, Izumi went "Fuck I hate this one" and all Katsumi said was "I feel like because you hate them..we need to up the reps." "HUH??"
Today happened to be a quiet day for Izumi, so Katsumi decided to bring out her inspiration speeches to work.
Katsumi abruptly spoke, "What don't you like to see."
"This." Izumi gestured to herself in her entirety, which almost made Katsumi frown. Stay professional.
"What about it."
Izumi took a hard long pause. "Everything..about it."
"Why."
"Ask another fucking question and I-"
"Answer me."
"Because it's..big, and fat, and disgusting, and ugly, and.." She turned her head in the opposite direction of Katsumi, almost as if she was embarrassed. Katsuki placed her hand on Izumi's chin and faced her to look eye to eye.
"And so was I..was I not? A lot damn bigger than you. I looked like an absolute fucking mess, and that was my fault. But what I did is I turned around and walked my ass into the gym, the exact same thing you did just two months ago. When you go into your phone and see pictures of your before versus after, you're not going to recognize yourself, and that is why we do this, because it changes everything. I know how it feels to feel how you feel now, and it is a horrible feeling. That is why I do this job, remember? Because I remember every single terrible feeling and every cry in my bedroom. The reason I started this job was to make sure people will never feel like how I did, and that's exactly what I'm going to do with you. Remember this feeling and use it as motivation to push harder." Katsumi pulled Izumi into a warm embrace when she realized she was silently crying beneath her.
When Izumi calmed down, Katsumi whispered, "Show me how much you want it, Izu."
Katsumi made sure to give her some peaceful motivation here and there while Izumi was doing her Barbel Rows, muttering "there you go", "you got that" every so often.
"Win this." Katsumi pointed to her head. "The mental battle is the hardest of them all."
. . .
Around 8 months have passed since Izumi first started going to the gym, and she's down to about 130LBS. She's making insane progress, yet Katsumi has been seemingly off in the gym for a little while.
Izumi came into the gym in cute new sweatpants and sports bras daily, always doing a little twirl for Katsumi to see her new outfit. Katsumi would give her a high five, yet her eyes didn't give that genuine smile Izumi was so fond of anymore.
Today they were hitting glutes and quads, so Izumi had on a white tight fit sports bra, purple defining shorts, and cream sweatpants. Her outfit was stunning to say the least, but Katsumi couldn't fully engrave herself in the perfection when she knew the reason the perfection was happening.
"Hey Izumi, let's sit down and talk before we get started, okay?" Izumi followed Katsumi's lead as always, to their bench.
"As you can see..you look great." Katsumi smiled at Izumi, a genuine one this time. Izumi's face lit up. "You've been on a calorie deficit for a while for weight loss, of course. I think it's about time you bulk, which is basically building lean body mass and muscle mass. The goal is to put on more body mass, which yes, means the scale will go up." Izumi's eyes looked frightened almost, then becoming more soft as she spoke. "Don't let that scare you, dummy. As you get bigger, your strength is going to go up, and that means you'll perform at max level. Obviously you would clean bulk, which is just moderating what you eat. Don't go eating a brownie everyday since you're bulking. Eat healthily, just more calories. And protein, Izu."
"I know, I knowww." Izumi said, laying on her back exaggeratedly.
"Alright, you ready for today?"
"Of course, Kat!"
"Show me that ass."
"HUHH??"
"Glute day, duh."
"Stop making everything sound so dirty."
"You're not being nice, I came to flirt."
"I PAY FOR YOU TO COACH ME??"
"Yea whatever, get on the leg press."
. . .
Katsumi and Izumi knew each other for 8 months. They're best friends, calling each other late at night and gossiping, going out one on one, all of it. They spend basically every day together, so Inko thought it would be nice to have Katsumi over for dinner. Inko learned some new recipes ever since Izumi started loosing weight, so she used that to her advantage when cooking.
Sooner or later, Katsumi rang on the doorbell, and Izumi was nervous. So nervous that she felt like she could throw up. Shaking off the nerves, she opened the door, pulling Katsumi into a tight hug, since this was apparently something they did now. "Kat!!" Izumi smiled, giggling through her teeth.
"Hey, short stuff." Katsumi grinned, running her hands through Izumi's hair.
Once Inko set the table, they all sat down to eat. Inko chatted with Katsumi, repeatedly telling her how grateful she is that Katsumi came into her daughters life. She even cracked a few jokes, getting a genuine laugh out of Katsumi multiple times. Izumi ate and oversaw everything happening, keeping to herself as she took slow bites. Her heart rate went up when she realized Katsumi was staring.
Finishing their meals, Izumi excused herself to the bathroom, leaving Katsumi and Inko alone. Katsumi spoke first.
"Mrs.Midoriya, if you don't mind.. I was wondering if I could have Izumi over for the night tomorrow? I have some stuff in my house I think she might be interested in, like those nerd games." Katsumi opened her phone to show her some photos. "All with your permission, of course."
"Oh, of course Bakugou!"
"Please, call me Katsumi."
"Well then, of course Katsumi. I'm so glad she has a friend like you around." Inko wrapped her hands around Katsumi.
"Of course, Mrs.Midoriya. It's my pleasure."
"If you'll excuse me to the restroom.." Katsumi said, unwrapping her hands around Inko and storming off to the bathroom.
Katsumi stood by the door, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited, and..
Izumi could be heard retching in the bathroom. Constant gagging, followed by coughing and an occasional grunt, all of which could only be heard if you were trying to intently listen.
Katsumi's theories had all been correct, and fuck had she wished she was wrong. Izumi was vomiting up her food. That's why she was so skinny now, not just because she was in a calorie deficit, but because all the calories she was intaking were being washed away before they could even go down. She was always tired now because she had no glucose intake, and no macromolecules. Eat the damn protein, Izumi.
"Izumi. Get. your ass. out the bathroom."
Izumi paused. Suddenly, nothing could be heard from inside the bathroom, except for some stifled cries that seemed to be coming from the floor.
Fuck this. Katsumi rattled the door, only for it to open without battle. Didn't even lock the door, dumbsass, is what Katsumi would say, if Izumi wasn't currently wrapped in a ball on her bathroom floor. She closed the door behind her to not worry Inko.
Izumi sobbed, trying to get words out but just forming incomprehensible sentences. "I'm- s..sorry..I'll get, bette-r." Katsumi hushed her, sitting next to her on the floor and wrapping herself around her now slim physique. All Katsumi could think was how horrible of a job she had done as a coach.
"Izu, it's going to be okay, okay? Let it out, you're fine, I have you." Katsumi consoled. "I told your mom you're coming over tomorrow and staying the night. I'm going to help you, okay? That's my job. To help."
"Are you- j..just doing this be--cause it's your j-job?" Izumi spoke in broken words, yet her face also contorted as she spoke. She looked more frightened than she was seconds ago. And damnit its the same face she made when she said Izumi had to gain weight again.
"Of course not. I've been here for you outside of my job for months now. I'm doing this because I care for you. It's in my bones to make sure you're healthy, not just skinny. You're going. To be okay. Do you hear me? We're going to get through it."
"We?"
"We."
. . .
Izumi couldn't sleep that night.
She was twisting and turning, fighting the urge to text Katsumi to just pick her up now instead of later, even if it was 3am.
She was ashamed of herself. How could she think she could change, then let herself go in yet another way? From being fat, to being unhealthily skinny in the span of 8 months. Why couldn't I get it right? She spoke softly as she cried, her eyes red and lidded. She'd eaten for a long time, in the calorie deficit. After around 5 months, she'd started eating less and less, and when she did eat, she felt guilty, so she shoved her fingers down her throat and hoped for the worst. But now, she regrets everything, because the love of her life is keeping her at her house to recover. Because she's ill. Because she's a failure.
Stopping her sob session, she turned on her lamp and stood in the mirror. What she saw wasn't chubby. Her thighs didn't touch, her stomach didn't roll on top of each other, and she wore a small to a medium. So what was the problem?
The problem was, she was malnourished. She wasn't taking vitamins, and wasn't getting in any macronutrients, since all of it just ended up in the toilet. No protein, goddamn protein Izumi, no carbs, no nothing. It was just her. And she looked ill. It never truly hit her how she looked. Her mind was fogged with the thought of being loved, and to be thin was to be beautiful. All my problems would be solved if I was skinny she thought. People won't bully me, won't call me obese, and plump, and pursy.
But, Katsumi was her friend when she was chubby. When she didn't know what she was doing. So what was she doing?
. . .
"Mommy, I'm leaving!! I'll be home tomorrow, okay?" Izumi smiled, waiting by the door for her mother to emerge from the corner and give her a goodbye kiss. It was routine.
"Oh okay hunny, be good and be safe..and tell Katsumi I said hello." She smiled, pulling Izumi into a hug. Izumi noted the way her moms arm fit around her waist.
"I love you, ma." Izumi spoke as she left the house, and headed to the light rail. It was a miserable walk, one of shame and ignominy. She felt like everyone's eyes were gawking her way, but that was okay. You look good, there's no problem.
Katsumi rang Izumi's cell.
"Hello?"
"Hey shorty, you coming?"
"Catching the lightrail right now" Izumi sounded monotone.
"Izu, you're going to be okay. Listen to some music on the ride here, and when you get here we can start when you're ready. This is all your journey, I'll just be here to guide you, got it?"
"You're the best."
"That's damn right. I'll talk to you soon, Izu."
"Bye, Kat." Izumi hung up first. She was overflowing with guilt, so she popped in her AirPods when she sat down on the lightrail and zoned out the entire way there.
. . .
"Come on in, shitface." Katsumi smiled, pulling Izumi into a long, and very comforting hug. Katsumi waited for Izumi to pull away before letting go.
"It might be a mess, might not be, but so be it. We got other matters to press on." Katsumi glared at Izumi, and it made her irrationally nervous. "I'll give you a tour first, soothe your nerves. Remember, we're gonna get through this toge-"
"Say that one more time and I'm walking out this door."
"Copy that."
Katsumi gave a tour of her house, very tiny but livable, since it was currently just her. One floor, one room, one bath, kitchen & dining room, and a living room. It was a very cozy, ambient space. Dim lighting, plants, and posters decorated the rooms. Katsumi's room was very organized, yet still cluttered with vinyls, figures, trophies, and clothes galore.
"Woah.."
"I meant it when I told your mom I had the nerd shit you like. What, can't a gym freak play some games and sit on her ass sometimes too?"
"I didn't even-"
"Shush."
They returned to the living room, and decided to watch some tv. That did include some slight cuddling and coddling to make Izumi feel more comfortable, but Katsumi won't admit she offered because she also wanted it. Izumi suddenly spoke, her voice so low it could barely be heard.
"I'm ready."
Katsumi looked to the side, and met Izumi's big, green eyes that were so full of fear. It hurt Katsumi's heart to see, but she knew Izumi would persevere. She's strong. Not just physically, but mentally as well. She's got this. Izumi looked away to avoid eye contact, but was forced to look into Katsumi's nervous eyes when she placed her hand on her chin and brought her face back to its original state.
"Look at me when I talk to you, remember?"
Izumi nodded without response.
"Let me let you in on some basic information first. Your heart alone needs 200-300 calories a day to keep beating and circulating blood efficiently. Your brain needs 300-400 calories daily to just function and keep you focused. Your lungs use 150-250 calories to support breathing and oxygen exchange. Your digestive system needs 100-200 calories to break down food and absorb nutrients. This doesn't even include hormone creation, temperature regulation, detoxifying the body, or fighting infections. Skipping meals or, in your case, throwing them up, will only make your body fight harder to keep going. Food is fuel, Izu. If we didn't need it, it wouldn't exist, but it does exist, and you need it to stay alive and healthy and functioning.
"Here's how I'm going to help you. Tracking and counting your calories are a huge trigger to eating disorders, especially bulimia, so we're gonna follow the plate by plate approach. It keeps things nice, simple, and easy, and reduces the obsession around food. There's no food rules, no measuring portions, none of that. It's a visual approach. It's designed to meet our nutritional and psychological needs by including all the food groups. I've taken it you haven't had breakfast?"
Izumi nodded shamefully. She was intently listening trying to hold back tears of humiliation. Katsumi held her face in her hands, stroking with her thumb.
"Don't be embarrassed. I'm here to help, I'm not going anywhere." Katsumi will admit, she hated the sap. But if its what Izumi needed, then Katsumi would do this and more.
"Here's the plate, so you can mentally prepare yourself. Avocado toast, for carbs and fats. Eggs for protein, and strawberries for fruit. I know you like those." Katsumi tried to get a smile out of her, and was when happy when she gave a light smile in return.
"I will give you three meals a day that are similar to this format, because it contains all the macronutrients. They'll all have a relatively equal ratio of grains, proteins, and fruit or vegetables. You copy?"
"I understand."
"And, eating actually reduces bloating."
"That sure helped."
"I figured. And one last thing. You're beautiful." Katsumi smiled as she ruffled Izumi's hair. "Wanna come help me cook? I'm a damn good chef."
Izumi fumbled on her words. "I-Yea, of course." She beamed.
"Get to chopping, shorty."
As they did their own separate things in the kitchen, random side conversations lured Izumi away from inside her head. She got to socialize, and not just at the gym. They laughed, and at some point Izumi even shoved a strawberry down Katsumi's mouth. Katsumi believes she only let it happen to see her smile, but in reality, she was grateful to have her so close.
Finishing their meal, they sat down at the table, Izumi visibly nervous. The food wasn't going to attack her, she wasn't stupid. She just so was afraid that if she ate, she'd regain back all the weight she fought so hard to loose.
Katsumi held Izumi's hand on the table. "You can play the stupid new xBox All Might gave after this or, whatever."
There was the Katsumi that Izumi knew. Not the overly worried Katsumi, the gruff, yet gentle one. "Okay, Kat."
She ate it. Of course she did, that wasn't the problem. She may have had to take small bites because the smell made her want to vomit, and the way it tasted on the roof of her tongue made her almost loose her appetite. But, she did it.
Now all she had to get through was the hard part.
Katsumi sat on the floor of her room as Izumi sat on her bed playing one of her nerd games. It was constant giggles, occasional yells, and fun. Something Izumi needed. All of a sudden, Izumi just started coughing, and Katsumi was instantly next to her on the bed.
"You're okay, calm down Izu." Katsumi soothed her back. Sticking your fingers down your throat had some drawbacks, and vocal cord damage was definitely one of them. The more pressing problem, however, was that if she kept coughing, she was gonna start gagging. We do not want that.
"Izu, shh, you're okay, here." Katsumi handed her a water bottle.
"I feel fucking horrible."
"I know, shorty, I know." Katsumi didn't know how else to help except to reassure. She was a gym trainer for gods sake, not an ED specialist. But for Izumi, she was whatever she needed her to be. "You're gonna be okay. Cause I'm here."
"Never quote All Might to me ever again while I'm like this."
"Plus Ultra."
"Fuck off."
. . .
The next few hours went the same. They napped, played games—digital and board—watched tiktok, and ate. At 1am, Katsumi finally got Izumi to get some kind of sleep. She was sweating, twisting, and turning almost all night, visibly uncomfortable. She looked like she was going through withdrawal for fucks sake. Katsumi played with Izumi's hair, eventually falling asleep next to her.
Katsumi woke up first at around 12pm. Izumi looked like she really needed the rest, as she was still softly snoring beside her, clinging to her like a koala. Katsumi snapped a picture.
Unraveling herself from the covers, Izumi's eyes fluttered open.
"Hey beautiful."
"Do I get to ask what we are after that."
"Absolutely not."
"Got it."
Their routine played out the same. They brushed their teeth, showered, and then made breakfast. They followed the same plan, and Izumi's face was visibly brighter. Her brain was functioning, she reacted to Katsumi's random karate kicks—with a giggle—, and she wasn't moping around anymore. She was interactive and responsive. Just one day made such a huge difference, but Izumi couldn't fathom how her mind felt. It may have been running, but it was running with horrible thoughts.
They ate, and eventually Izumi went home. Katsumi left her on her front step with a speech that left her in tears on her porch.
"I just want you to know how proud I am of you for everything you're doing to heal. Recovery isn't easy, but every step you take, even the small ones, shows so much strength and courage. Please be gentle with yourself through the tough days and remember that you're not alone—you are loved, valued, and deserve a life full of health and happiness. I believe in you, Izu, and I'm here for you, cheering you on every step of the way. Got that?"
Izumi shuddered. "Yea...I..I got it. Thank you."
"Of course." Katsumi kneeled down to press a kiss on Izumi's forehead, and before they both knew it, their lips were being pressed together. It wasn't lustful, it was soft, full of hope and healing. As they pulled away, Katsumi rested her forehead on Izumi's.
"I believe in you, shorty."
. . .
Izumi had a hard, but short recovery. It was hard to be around the smell of food without being overwhelmed, and she refused to eat in front of certain people, but she wasn't in the bathroom after every meal anymore. At first, she had relapsed in the first few days. After a while, her mom ended up catching her in the bathroom, and that's when it really hit her that this wasn't right. She sobbed in her mother's arms, tears streaming down their faces. All she could mutter was sorries, but they didn't matter if she didn't attempt to stop. Her sorries would be empty ones, and that's the last thing she wanted.
It took 7 months. She was back in the gym with Katsumi, still spending her money on sessions, even after Katsumi insisted they just be gym partners instead. Izumi was in healthy shape, and has loved herself like never before. Izumi wasn't the only one who liked herself, however. Izumi got a text from Katsumi, and she squealed when reading its content.
'Hey, new restaurant just opened up near me. Come with? As a date?' OH MY GODDD??!?!
'Of course, excited to see you!! Time and loco pleasee'
. . .
"Mm, the food is actually really good here!" Izumi said with a mouthful of rice. Katsumi had to fight back a smile.
"Don't eat with your mouth open, asswipe."
"Asswipe?!?"
"Yup. But you're right, food heres' good. Glad I brought you, shorty."
Katsumi could easily spot the dark red blush on Izumi's face.
"Thank you for bringing me, seriously. It's nice to be out of the house." She gave Katsumi that beaming smile that she adored so much.
Cleaning up the table, Katsumi drove Izumi home, and when they came to a stop, she got up and opened the door for her. Katsumi would've left once she hit the front porch, but this time she grabbed onto Izumi's arm.
"Izumi, wait up."
"Hm-? Everything okay, Katsumi?"
"Will you be my girlfriend?" She said straight up, leaving Izumi to pick up her jaw from the floor.
"WHA- I..OF COURSE!!" Izumi basically yelled, wrapping her arms around Katsumi. As she backed up, she pulled Katsumi's head down to kiss her, eventually leading to Izumi being pressed against her front door. Panting, Izumi pulled away, giving Katsumi one last look of the precious smile before going into her house.
"Izumi-"
She placed a kiss on her lips once more. "Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Kat."
. . .
10 months later, Katsumi and Izumi moved into their own place. They had been dating for 9 months now, and decided it was time to start a life for themselves, together. Most of the decor came with the place, but there were still boxes of stuff from Izumi's old room waiting to be taken out. Their room was mostly done, however.
Katsumi, still being her PT self, brought Izumi in front of the mirror. She gave Izumi a passionate kiss, before standing behind her.
"Izumi, what do you see?"
"I see myself."
"You know what I'm talking about, smartass."
"I'm serious. I see myself. The person I've always wanted to be."
"Why is this what you've wanted to see?"
"It's healthy, isn't obese on the BMI scale, and my thighs don't touch."
"Thighs are hot."
"They touch when I'm sitting."
"On my face?"
"HUHH??"
"Joking, shorty. Maybe?"
"Shut up."
"Never. Besides that, you see how you see yourself? Before, you were blinded by the thought of just hehe thin is hot when in reality, you were malnourished, and your body was begging for fuel. You're perfect, Izu. Got it?"
"Got it."
"High five, short stuff."
Izumi was more than happy to slap her own hand against Katsumi's, and Katsumi gripped it and gave it a light squeeze.
This time, she held her hand without shame.