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This isn’t a place he should be in, but even so, no one would ever know. The night was calm, the faint breeze brushing against his face, its cold temperature turning the tip of his nose red. It didn’t really matter, though. The sting at the end of his nose would be gone by morning.
He would return to the Class 2-A dormitory complex the next day, so for now, he was heading toward the rooftop of the apartment building to “enjoy” what little remained of his break. Sneaking up there was nothing new for Izuku. It wasn’t a lie to say that, on many occasions, he had reached that very same spot with a single, solid thought in his head—only to regret it every time, because he never had the courage to bring that thought to life.
Paradoxically, visiting the place so often had caused it to become his safe space. A place where no one would hear him, where his words would quite literally be carried away by the wind.
So yes—for Midoriya Izuku, climbing dangerously high rooftops and having open-hearted conversations with nothingness itself, with the stars as silent witnesses, had become one of his most recurring pastimes.
At first, the most boring part of this habit was simply reaching the top of a building just to enjoy the strange pleasure of talking to nothing at all. But the arrival of Float had marked a clear before and after for him. The sensation of weightlessness as he slowly ascended toward his goal with small bursts of movement was something he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. After all, he loved floating. Nothing could replace that feeling of freedom.
Tonight, however, had a small surprise waiting for him.
As he reached his destination, he noticed someone standing not too far from the edge. His instinct immediately urged him to step forward, but then he realized it was someone he knew. Not particularly well—but he knew her.
A girl wearing black-and-gray plaid pajama pants, loosely tied white sneakers, and an oversized red hoodie. What stood out the most, though, was the soft tone of her short hair.
Nejire Hado.
Before he even had the chance to move, he realized she was already looking at him.
When had that happened? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he now found himself completely frozen, unsure of what to do next.
Thankfully, Nejire let out a soft laugh, and they greeted each other at the same time—much to his embarrassment and her clear amusement. After walking a bit across the rooftop, he sat down near her, not too far but not too close either. Almost unconsciously, he checked his own clothes.
A black hoodie, loose pajama pants with All Might prints, and his ever-present red sneakers.
He really hoped she wouldn’t comment on his pajama choice. He wasn’t prepared for that tonight.
Neither of them said a word beyond their greeting. She stared up at the stars, while he found himself looking at her face. Soft, delicate features framed her expression. Her eyes were large and bright, just like always—and her dark circles…
Dark circles?
Since when did Nejire Hado—the girl known for her overwhelming curiosity, her beauty, and for being a living ball of energy—have dark circles under her eyes?
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“So, Izuku… what are you doing here?” she asked, never taking her eyes off the stars. Her voice was gentle, much calmer and more relaxed than the way he usually heard her speak at U.A.
Something about the atmosphere felt strange.
He thought about answering with something simple—I went out for a walk, or something along those lines—but it felt wrong. The words didn’t sit right with him. So instead, he chose honesty.
“I like coming to rooftops and… talking to the stars,” he said quietly. “It’s kind of a hobby.”
The words came out with surprising ease, which intrigued even him. After a moment, Nejire puffed out her cheeks slightly before nodding.
“That’s a good reason,” she said. “The stars are pretty. Though it’s kind of unexpected coming from you, Izuku.”
His face immediately heated up, but before he could protest, she continued.
“I came out because I couldn’t sleep and needed some space. You understand, right?”
She closed her eyes, then turned her head to look at him. “I felt trapped inside my room,” she added, wearing a half-smile paired with a sad look.
“It’s kind of silly, isn’t it?”
Her attention drifted back to the stars.
Izuku considered responding. After all, Nejire was his… friend? They had talked a few times—about quirks, about training. Enough that she let him call her by her name, but not enough for him to truly know her.
He remembered the countless nights he had spent on rooftops like this one, wrapped in his own thoughts. Nights when those thoughts became too heavy, when he wondered whether he should really take that step. Then regret would follow, and after that, the comforting sensation of freedom—mixed with the bitter wish that someone would magically appear and pull him out of his self-destructive bubble.
Was she in a similar situation?
Could it be that he was meant to be that person for her?
Maybe it wasn’t the same situation at all, but his mind worked at speeds he couldn’t control, and the scenario had already formed in his head. He sincerely hoped he was wrong.
Even so, he wanted to help. He just didn’t know how.
His mother always said that one way to reach people in a difficult moment was through empathy—by opening a part of your heart.
Would it work?
He wasn’t sure. Could it make things worse? Probably not. The worst possible outcome would be that she’d assume he was the one struggling and try to comfort him. That wasn’t exactly what he wanted—but he wasn’t completely okay either.
So, in a way, it was a win-win.
He spoke.
He turned his gaze back to the stars. It had always been easier to talk while looking at them, and tonight they seemed particularly bright.
“You know, Nejire…” he began slowly. “I don’t think it’s silly at all.”
“I feel something similar a lot of the time. I need a break from everything around me.” He paused, giving her space to absorb his words. “Sometimes it’s classes. Sometimes crowds. Or even my own room.”
He smiled faintly at the sky, remembering the many times he had escaped uncomfortable situations by going somewhere high, open, and quiet.
“I think it’s a good way to clear your head. To breathe for a moment.”
“I do it pretty often.”
When he lowered his gaze, he met her eyes.
Her mouth was slightly open, her expression clearly surprised. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do.
“I–I’m sorry!” he said quickly, embarrassment creeping up his cheeks. “I didn’t say something wrong, did I?”
Now it was Nejire’s turn to blush.
“No, no,” she replied, her voice a little shaky. “I’m just surprised.”
“You can say really nice things, Izuku.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
“Things have been pretty heavy lately,” she continued, letting out a sigh.
“I’ve been having a lot of problems… with everyone. Even with my friends. And now the world just feels so…”
“Heavy?” Izuku finished softly, offering a small smile.
“…Yeah.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, wrapped in the night as they looked at each other. Izuku studied the brightness in Nejire’s eyes. Even though they looked tired, he couldn’t deny the beauty they carried. Nejire, in turn, examined his eyes with nearly endless curiosity—eyes she had seen many times before, yet somehow felt different now.
A particularly cold breeze pulled them both back to reality.
How long had they been like that?
Neither of them knew.
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They watched the stars for a long time, though it still felt like too little. Maybe it was already time for each of them to return to their respective homes. Still, Izuku had an idea, and he felt that this was a good moment to try it.
“Hey, Nejire,” he said, catching her attention. “You know, ever since my quirk mutated and I learned how to float, I added that to the list of things that help me relax.”
She gave him a curious look as he continued.
“I know you can fly with your quirk too, so…” His face slowly turned a deep shade of red.
“Would you like to fly for a bit with me?”
It had sounded better in his head.
The lack of an immediate response made his heart sink. Had the suggestion failed catastrophically? Was he being too extreme? Probably, at least a little. At worst, things would be awkward—but Nejire wouldn’t get upset over something like this… right?
As if answering his thoughts, her laughter reached his ears. It took him a moment to process what he was hearing.
At least she hadn’t taken it badly.
She stopped laughing and stood up. “That sounds fun, Izuku. Let’s try it.”
It was as if someone had flipped a switch. Nejire was suddenly full of energy again, already floating as she tugged on his hoodie to get him to move too.
He quickly followed her lead and activated Float. Since she was still pulling him, he drifted closer to her.
“Hey, Izuku—how does the floating part work?” Her curiosity had returned, much to his surprise and delight.
“It’s a bit confusing,” he admitted. “I just float, like I’m in a pool.”
“The only downside is that I need to push off something to actually move.”
She tilted her head. “So… technically, you can’t move right now?”
“Well… technically, yeah. Not unless I push off something.”
Against all rational thought, Nejire suddenly moved closer, grabbed his arm, and shouted joyfully:
“Then I’ll drag you along!”
And she did.
She lifted him even higher than the rooftop before letting go, stretching out as if swimming through the air. Izuku followed her example. They bumped into each other a few times as she kept moving constantly, until she finally settled beside him.
It was just the two of them, floating in the darkness of the night—wrapped in a calm and happiness that could only be compared to the glow of the stars above them.
“Thank you, Izuku” she said softly, turning to look him in the eyes. “It was really relaxing talking with you.”
“We should talk and see each other more often!” she added, smiling so brightly that even the stars—and the sun—would envy the brilliance of her light.
“Of course, Nejire,” he replied, smiling back despite his nerves.
And so, time passed.
Promises were formed that night, with the stars as witnesses—but more importantly, within two tired and slightly damaged hearts, a beautiful spark was lit.
One that would soon burn just as brightly as the stars themselves.
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