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Koichi Haimawari’s mind was reeling from the morning he had. The day started with him sitting in a hospital bed, recuperating from a villain attack that had occurred two weeks previous. The villain seemed to have a personal vendetta against Koichi, and had torn through the majority of downtown Naruhata in a madcap attempt to kill him. Beside the bed, one Detective Tsukauchi was interrogating him about the night in question.
As the detective was informing Koichi that the villain had left behind too little evidence to identify, there was a sudden commotion from outside the room. The american pro hero, Captain Celebrity, then barged into the room, demanding that the unjust interrogation of his sidekick come to an end (A statement that threw koichi for a loop.) The captain was followed by his assistant, Makoto Tsukauchi, a friend and former classmate of Koichi’s. (And as he found out, the detective’s sister.)
Makoto then made a proposal to the detective - that koichi be officially signed on as Captain Celebrity’s sidekick - thereby providing legal protection for both Koichi and Pop.
Pop.
That name instantly drew Koichi’s attention. Pop☆Step was koichi’s best friend, the person closer to him than any other… the person he had fought so hard to protect that night. From the moment Koichi had first woken up in that hospital bed, he had been asking if he could see her, but the medical personnel kept denying his request.
Makoto told him that Pop☆Step’s traumatizing ordeal had effected her brain and left her physically drained. Yet despite that, Makoto pushed her in on a wheelchair, saying she was finally ready to get out of bed. Pop held a brown paper bag in her lap, which she then handed over to Koichi.
Koichi was surprised to see an officially licensed All Might hoodie in the bag - the one hoodie missing from his collection. But while he appreciated the gesture, he told her he wouldn’t be wearing them anymore. It was time for him to hang up the proverbial cape.
It was then that everyone left the room, leaving koichi to geek out over his new keepsake.
Although…
Koichi knew he shouldn’t, he should really put his vigilante days behind him… but he just couldn’t help trying the hoodie on!
But no sooner had he gotten it on than he heard his name being called from the door. And suddenly, there was Pop☆Step, breathing heavily with tears in her eye. For a second, the two of them just stood there, staring at each other from across the room, unable to believe what they were seeing. Finally, she asked what he was doing, to which he feebly explained that he just couldn’t help trying the hoodie on.
Tears dripping faster and heavier, Pop stumbled into the room, saying “How stupid can one guy be?” she then mustered all of her strength to fling herself into Koichi’s embrace. And there they sat, her crying into his chest with him doing his best to console her, when Makoto reentered the room.
Upon seeing Koichi in the All Might hoodie, Makoto laid a hand on his shoulder and asked him what had happened to learning his lesson.
Koichi insisted that he had only tried it on for the sake of it - that he really had learned his lesson. But Makoto immediately called out his lie. With a quick word to the captain, Makoto slapped a contract in front of Koichi, ordering him to sign his name in several spaces. And Koichi, not entirely sure what was going on, signed every space she indicated. He signed and signed and signed… until he was certain his hand would cramp.
Once Koichi had written his final signature, Captain Celebrity took the contract back, saying “Wel’p, welcome to the team, Koichi!”
“So,... I’m really your sidekick, now?” Koichi asked, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.
“Yep!” the captain confirmed with his most award winning smile. “And once the doctors have cleared you for travel, you’ll be on your way to your new home in the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
His new home… That’s right; while there hadn’t been any civilian casualties that night, a whole lot of buildings were left structurally compromised - or flat-out demolished. And Koichi had been operating without a license; so if not for this intercession, he would almost certainly be facing prison. But of course, that meant he would have to leave Japan… possibly forever.
And that, in turn, meant he would have to leave behind…
Koichi turned his gaze toward Pop☆Step. He found her whispering something to Makoto. The older woman then exchanged a few hushed words with her brother, who gave a curt nod before stepping out of the room. Makoto then came over to the captain and tugged on his arm. “Well, come on boss, best get the contract filed.”
“Eh, there’s no hurry.” the captain replied. “You cleared the whole day of appointments, remember?”
“Still, no time like the present, right?” Makoto insisted, pulling him ever harder toward the door.
The captain let himself get pulled along, giving only a feeble “Okaaaaay…”
Soon, everyone had left the room; leaving Koichi alone with Pop☆Step, who stood staring morosely at the floor, wringing her hands in the hem of her pajamas.
“Pop...” Koichi prompted. “Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong, just… there are things I need to say to you. A-and if I don’t say it now, I may never get the chance again.” Pop said, finally looking up at him. “Koichi, I - AH!” as she spoke she tried stepping toward him - only for her legs to give out.
Faster than he could even think, Koichi dove to catch her, wincing as her body collided with his injured arm. “Whoa, whoa, are you okay? Take it easy, Pop. Don’t exert yourself. Here! Here, just sit on the bed. Steady, Eeeaaasey does it. There you go.” Once he got Pop situated, Koichi backed up a pace, standing in front of her. “So, what was it you wanted to say?”
Pop☆Step took a deep breath, calming her nerves. “I, I just need you to know just how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me!”
Koichi gave her a self-conscious smile. “Oh, that’s alright. I get it. You don’t have to say anything.”
“No, I DO!” she insisted. “You’ve saved my life so many times, and I’ve never properly thanked you for any of it!” With a sniffle, Pop☆Step bowed her head before Koichi. “So… Thank you, Koichi! Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for watching over me while I recovered. Thank you for keeping me safe after that a-hole shot me. Thank you for carrying me to safety when that crab-mech blew up. Thank you for catching me after that giant villain dropped me. Thank you for stepping up when Soga tried to assault me.”
Koichi started to speak. That last incident had happened the day they met, so he assumed she had run out of things to say.
But to his surprise, she continued. “And most of all, thank you… for pulling me out of that river!”
“... River?! Wait, what?” her last statement left Koichi thoroughly confused. In the three years he had known Pop, Koichi had never once pulled her out of any river. In fact, there was only one person he had ever pulled out of a river - a little boy he had rescued some eight years prior. And Koichi had been in such a hurry to make it to his high school entrance exam, that he had rushed off as soon as the boy was safe.
He hadn’t even gotten a good look at the kid’s face.
In fact, the only thing he could distinctly remember about the child was the… bright… pink… hair…
Hair the exact same color as was sported by the young woman now before him.
And come to think of it, eight years ago, Pop☆Step would have been… about ten.
“That… was you?!” he breathed in bewilderment.
“Yes,” she sniffed. “I was the kid you saved that day! And - and I know it doesn’t mean much after so many years, but… I am sooooo sorry you missed the entrance exam because of meee-EEEEE!” the tears that had threatened to spill ever since she started talking now gushed forth in a cascading torrent.
In a heartbeat, Koichi dashed to her side, wrapped his good arm around Pop’s shoulders and pulled her into him. He tried to consol her, telling her it was alright, that things had worked out. But despite his comforting words, she continued to sob into his shoulder. “You could’ve been a great hero by now.” she choked out. “Maybe even had your own agency… without getting mixed up in this whole vigilante mess!... And, and then you wouldn’t be forced into leaving the country, now!”
“Yeah, maybe.” he conceded. “But on the other hand, I never would have met you.” He tilted her head up so she was looking directly at him. “And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Pop choked out another watery sob before wrapping her arms around Koichi, burying her face into his shoulder.
Koichi found himself absently stroking her hair. He continued speaking, whether to fill the sudden silence or because hearing Pop’s confessions inspired him to get a couple things off his own chest, he couldn’t say. “I’ll admit, when we first met, I thought of you as little more than a nuisance. But I quickly came to appreciate your presence. Your caring soul, your radiant smile, your boundless energy - even your little bursts of anger are strangely endearing.” Koichi let his gaze wander up to the ceiling as he continued. “You mean the world to me, Pop. I treasure every moment we have together…
“I love you.”
Pop☆Step’s quiet sobbing came to an abrupt stop. Pulling back to look at Koichi, she said “Say that again?”
“What? ‘I love you’?”
Koichi saw Pop’s lip quiver a bit before she blinked back tears, hardening her expression. “It’s not right to toy with a woman’s heart, Koichi! You have no idea the HELL I’ve been put through. I’ve been traumatized physically, mentally and emotionally! Playing with my emotions like that could irrevocably break me, Koichi! So don’t you DARE say things like that!” Her expression softened again as she looked pleadingly into his eyes. “Unless you absolutely mean it.”
When Koichi had first said the words, they had just sort of slipped out, without any thought behind them. But Koichi recalled the words of his mentor, Knuckleduster, after he had accidentally called him master. “Words and actions that pop out without thinking. They reveal how you really feel.”
So, steeling his nerve, Koichi grabbed Pop☆Step by the shoulder, and looking her straight in the eye, told her “I mean it, Pop, every word of it! When Makoto asked me to become her boyfriend, I couldn’t answer - because in that moment, I realized I had developed feelings for you! During that huge fight, my entire driving force was you - not the desire to be a hero, not even a sense of doing the right thing, but the desire to keep you safe! I’ve faced a lot of scary situations in my time as The Crawler; from maniacal villains to falling from tremendous heights to explosions! I’ve stared death in the face more times than I can count! And yet, out of all those scary scenarios, I have never been more terrified than when I first found out you were missing!
“I can’t imagine a world without you! I don’t want to imagine a world without you! I LOVE you, Pop☆Step! I love you with all my heart!”
For the first time that day, Koichi watched as a genuine smile spread across Pop’s face. Her eye shimmered with unshed tears as she looked at him. She breathed heavily, unable to get any words out.
Finally, she cupped his face with both hands; and in a voice choked with emotion, said “I love you too, Koichi! I’ve loved you for so long.”
And suddenly, her lips were pressed against his.
It certainly wasn’t how Koichi had imagined his first kiss going - sitting on a hospital bed, both of them recovering from severe injuries, her cheek drenched with tears; yet from the moment their lips connected, Koichi felt a warmth blooming in his chest that spread throughout his entire body. The pain from his injuries was all but forgotten, the room faded into nothing, the only thing Koichi was aware of was the woman he held and the electric sensation coursing between their lips - a culmination of three years worth of pent up desire.
In time they parted, and Pop☆Step snuggled into his neck, while Koichi ran his finger up and down her spine - right between her shoulder blades.
It was a blissful moment for the both of them - but Koichi was well aware that it couldn’t last. “It’s a shame we had to make these confessions now, of all times - right when I’m about to leave the country.”
“I knooow.” Pop moaned. “And worst of all is I only have myself to blame. If I had just faced my fears instead of running like a coward… none of this would’ve happened.”
“Well, no sense in crying over spilled milk.” Koichi said. “What we need to do now, is decide how we’ll handle this going forward.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Pop said, looking at him with a melancholic smile. “After I’ve been given a clean bill of health… I’ll join you in America!”
Koichi looked at her in shock. “You’re really willing to leave Japan behind… just to be with me?”
She gave a sad shrug. “Aw, my life in Japan is pretty much in shambles, now. Even if the police don’t press charges, the civilians will only ever know me as the Naruhata Bomber after this - might as well make a fresh start, right?”
“Still, it’ll take a lot of money to get you to America.” Koichi mentioned.
“I know… not to mention all the physical therapy I have to go through.” Pop grumbled. “But I’ll make it work, somehow!” she fixed Koichi with a stern expression, then. “So you better not go flirting with any american chicks in the mean time!”
Koichi gave a light chuckle. “Hey, I can pretty much guarantee that’s the one thing you won’t have to worry about… really, even if any other women did flirt with me, I’m so socially inept I probably wouldn’t even notice.”
“Well, that’s true.” Pop conceded with a scoff. “Three years we’ve known each other, and you never once realized I was crushing on you the whole time!”
“Oh, yeah…” Koichi rubbed the back of his neck, looking crestfallen. “I really am sorry about that.”
Pop☆Step gave him a quick peck on the lips. “You’re forgiven.” she purred. “Just… promise me you’ll keep in touch.”
“Of course!”
“And I don’t just mean texts! Promise me you’ll call at least once a week!”
“I will, Pop. I promise.”
“... Kazuho.” she said, peering up at him with a bashful smile, her face flushed. “You should call your girlfriend by her first name… don’t you think?”
With an affectionate smile, Koichi planted a kiss on her forehead, before resting his own forehead against it. “Of course… Kazuho.”
A sudden sharp rapping sounded at the door. The new couple turned to see Mokoto poking her head in. “Pop, we should really get you back to your own room, now.” she said, pushing her wheelchair into the room. “Have you said everything you needed to?”
“... Yeah.” Kazuho answered in a glum tone.
The two of them shakily got to their feet; and Kazuho made her way to the waiting wheelchair, leaning on Koichi for support. When they finally stood before the chair, Kazuho hesitated a moment. She then spun around and slung her arms around Koichi’s neck.
Koichi then heard Kazuho’s voice whispering urgently in his ear. “You’re my hero, Koichi Haimawari! You always have been!... And you always will be!”