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It had been a pretty good day! The week had ended with the bakusquad sharing food at lunchtime- their own little picnic (unless you asked Bakugo, then it was just “to prove my superiority at everything, including cooking.” The others let him believe that). Class had been easy, Mina hadn’t even zoned out today! At least not for the important bits, which was a huge step up from some days. In fact, it kinda felt like the week had gone well! She’d gotten a pretty okay mark on one of her assignments, and celebrated with Denki (who’d gotten a worse mark, so they knew it wasn’t just an easier marking scheme than the assignments they usually totally flunk). The first train she’d taken on the way home for the weekend had been quiet and not too crowded, but the second had been packed. At least she had her music. Besides, she’d only have to wait like this for a single stop, and then she could enjoy the breeze on the walk home.
Her pink curls bounced as she hurried up the stairs to reach the street level- not in any particular rush, she just found it easier to climb stairs as quick as possible. ‘Gives the muscle soreness from training less time to kick in. When she took a moment to adjust her cute scrunched leg warmers, there was a voice and a tap on her shoulder from behind. Moving one side of her headphones so she could hear without fumbling to pause the pop blasting into her ears, she turned to see a boy, a little taller than her, in a different school uniform.
“Can I get your number?”
His hair was a dark brown, verging on warm-toned black, and his skin was dark tan. Her naturally-pink cheeks blushed a little from the fluster of being hit on. Feeling too awkward to have replied yet, the guy speaks again instead.
“No? Your socials, then, surely. You’re just beautiful.”
Flustered, Mina laughs a little, politely. “I’m flattered.. I’m not looking for anything right now, but I’d be happy to follow each other on socials, sure!”
Nothing in his demeanour changed much. He’d seemed kinda overconfident beforehand, and remained so. He just got a little closer, pulling his phone from his pocket to open his profile. Mina was pretty sure he said his username aloud for her to type into her phone. Figuring no harm could come from an extra follower, she just typed it into the search bar and hit “request to follow”, trying to take note of the stranger’s display name. Something starting with a ‘H’ sound, she nearly immediately forgot. The interaction wouldn’t go on too long, anyway, so his name’s a thing to remember for next time.
Right?
When she’d politely smiled and asked which direction he was going from here- super secret code for ‘I’m going to say goodbye now’- he replied with an oddly casual face.
“Oh- I’m actually meant to be going to Shizuoka. I got off my train when I saw you waiting at one of the stops, and followed you onto your connecting train. Because you’re just so beautiful. You’re exactly my type, what is it..” he phrases it as a question, seeming to ignore the strange explanation he’d given.
Okay Mina, you get hit on often enough. Just laugh and smile. He probably doesn’t even notice that what he did was a little.. weird. People can be awkward.
“Gyaru,” she filled in for him. “Again, I’m flattered. You’re not too bad yourself.”
Ohgod why did I say that. That’s like I’m into him back. I’m just nervous and he’s plain-looking and I wanted to not make him feel awkward like he got rejected or anything-
“-but yeah I’m just, like, not really.. I don’t do dating. But I’m super super flattered! I’ll see you around, yeah?” She gave a little wave and started to put her headphones back on properly, turning to start the ten-or-so minute walk home, when he started to fall into step beside her.
“Y’know, when I saw you at that station, I texted my friend like ‘oh I just saw this really hot girl’, because you’re really just that beautiful.”
She smiled awkwardly and paused her music, pushing her headphones down to rest around her neck instead. Her pace didn’t falter.
Just be polite.
“So if you don’t do dating, do you just do hookups?”
The pink-skinned girl only got more uncomfortable.
Not the first time a stranger has asked me what sexual favours I do. Is it something about the way I look?
“Uhm. No. I don’t really do any of that.”
“So what do you do then? Just kissing? Blowjobs?”
This isn’t feeling great. This guy isn’t just normal-awkward.
“No. I’m not that kind of gal.” She laughs.
Laughs? Why am I still laughing? Jirou would’ve made him go away by now if she was in my place.
“You sure? You live close? I’ll walk you home.”
Not safe.
“You really don’t need to do that.”
They cross the road.
“I live about a twenty five minute walk from here.” She exaggerates. “You probably need to get home. I’ll be okay.” Mina offers another soft uncomfortable smile.
They cross the road again, still on her normal path home. He grabs her bag and her grip instinctively tightens.
Maybe he’s trying to steal my bag? My laptop’s in here. That’s probably why.
He notices her grip increase and acts offended.
“I’m not gonna steal your bag. It looks heavy. Men are meant to carry bags for women, so let me carry it.”
At least if he runs off with it I can catch him. I’m a UA student, after all.
She gives in and lets him take it from her shoulder. True to his word, he doesn’t run off, and the two continue walking down the main road and past a few stores.
Please just give it back and leave.
“I drive a BMW series 3. You could come back to Shizuoka with me and we could go for a drive. My parents aren’t home either.”
“My parents expect me at home.” Lie. Mina’s parents are both still at work right now. They won’t be home for at least two more hours.
“How much longer on the walk?”
Is he seriously complaining?! I’m not the one who wants him here!
Mina carefully takes her bag off his shoulder and puts it back onto her own. They’ve passed the konbini by this point in the walk, but at least the neighbourhood is relatively safe. It’s not like she’s in danger.
“It’s still a while.” Lie. It’s, like, two streets, but she just wants him to give up. “You’ve been plenty chivalrous carrying my bag-“ She nearly retches in her mouth at saying something like that. “-so I can carry it while I walk the rest of the way home. You just go back to the station, I’ll be okay.”
“Alright. Well, will you give me a kiss? Goodbye kiss?”
Mina tried not to let her disgust show in her expression, instead just looking at him incredulously.
This is getting really ridiculous now.
“Uh. No.”
“On the lips.”
Mina doesn’t reply.
“Okay, which would you rather: spend more time with me back at the shops, or go on a date with me this weekend, or give me a kiss.”
Gross.
“Uhh. I’ll walk you back to the shops and spend exactly ten minutes there. Otherwise my parents will worry.”
His face lights up. Freak.
They turn and walk back to the stores. Mina leads him to sit on a bench beneath a tree, in clear view of every store there so he’ll be (hopefully) discouraged from trying anything.
“So would you rather give me just one kiss or a blowjob?”
What the actual fuck. This sounds like a bit Denki would do with Sero.
“…neither.”
“Okay, two kisses or a blowjob. I’m giving you a choice.”
“I don’t think you understand how choices work.” She giggles.
GIGGLES?! EW! What the fuck am I doing?! Why am I acting so friendly still? I can’t stop myself! Is this fawning?
“But it’s a choice! Just answer the question. You owe me a kiss anyway, for carrying your bag.”
“You’re the one who wanted to carry my bag! You took it off my shoulder!” She protests. He either takes it as a joke or doesn’t care.
“So are you free this weekend?”
“No. Studying.” She lies. “I’ve got a study group with my friends.”
Just imagine Eijirou’s here. He’d have your back. Be firm and manly like Eiji, and tell this rando to piss off. Quit it with this fawning bullshit.
“That’s such a shame, though! I’d take you on a date in my BMW series 3-”
I get it, you have a fucking car.
“-and we could go somewhere private after.”
“Okay, that’s enough.”
Firm? This is my idea of firm? Sure, my friends understand when I say that I really do mean for them to knock it off, but..
“So you don’t do hookups?”
“Why are you still asking this? No, I’m not into that. And I’m not as easy as you seem to think I am.”
He continues to ask gross questions about her sexual willingness, and of course she lies that she still has her virginity- she doesn’t want him asking about encounters! Eventually, after habitually checking the light-up kitty watch on her wrist, it’s been exactly the ten minutes she promised.
“It’s been ten minutes. I’ll walk you back to the train station.”
Yeah, so you don’t learn where I live. I’m so grateful I didn’t end up walking closer to home with him. I think I would’ve just kept walking forever, past home.
“Alright! So you can give me a goodbye kiss. No, a goodbye makeout.”
“Uh. No. I spent the ten minutes hanging out. That’s enough.”
“Just a few minutes of makeout? Even just two minutes!”
She continued to evade his creepy questions and insistence on her “beauty” the few minutes it took to walk all the way back to where this had all started. The above-ground level of the train station.
“So, see ya.”
“Wait! A hug first. Or you can kiss me.”
God, maybe this will get it over with so he’ll just leave me the fuck alone.
“One hug. Then no more questions, ‘options’ or ‘choices’. Deal?”
He doesn’t even speak before wrapping his arms around her and squishing her chest to his in a hug. The pink girl gingerly puts her arms on his back in return, still disgusted with herself for fawning like this. Once they break apart she lets out a soft exhale of relief.
“How much do you weigh?”
Huh?
“Do you normally go around asking that?”
“I wanna carry you! I reckon I could pick you up and walk you from here to.. that light post.”
“Didn’t you say earlier you could deadlift eighty kilos? I’m lighter than that.”
“I never said that-”
Yes you did.
“-so I wanna find out if I can lift you!”
“No.” She smiled again, instantly berating herself for continuing to fawn.
“C’mon, please! Then I’ll go right to the train and I’ll go home. I promise.”
“..just from here to the light pole?”
He nods and Mina finds her arms slightly raising in invitation before she can think it through.
Oh god. Fine. If it’ll get this over with. I’m sick of being asked to make out with him.
That light post is closer to the train station entrance than here, at least.
He bends down and wraps his arms around her a little lower than the physics she’s learnt in rescue training indicate he needed to. He started to walk to the light pole, lifting her up high and she made a slightly panicked noise at feeling unsteady being carried.
Just be over. This is so weird.
When he reached the light pole and Mina prepared to be dropped back down onto her feet, nothing happened. He just stood, holding her. She felt a hand beneath her skirt, grabbing her ass over her underwear.
Probably just a coincidence from the way he’s holding me, right? I mean, not everyone goes through hero training or rescue courses, so he probably just doesn’t understand how to carry someone properly.
She tries to squirm down.
“Okay, we’re at the light pole, let me down now.” She reminds him.
“I’ll drop you into the bushes.” He positions the two of them to where if Mina wriggled out of his grasp, she’d tumble head-first onto either the garden bark mulching or the concrete edging. Getting herself down wouldn’t be safe if he keeps his arms there to flip her like that.
“No, just put me down. You said you’d put me down.” The pink girl starts to panic.
He “readjusts” his grip on her, both hands moving beneath her skirt to cup her ass and pretending to hoist her back up with movements that actually just rub his groin against hers through her underwear. He doesn’t stop the weird half-smiling. It’s like he’s smiling because he knows what he’s doing, and he’s also not-smiling because he knows what he’s doing isn’t a joke.
This is some sick coincidence.
Mina doesn’t remember what happened after that. She just remembers that nobody was around to see him touching her, to see him refusing to put her down and threatening to injure her with the tumble she’d take trying to get free. Nobody was there to tell Mina what she did that made him go away. She recalls trying to tell him everything that’s wrong with her, the fawning response making it seem like a joke that she’s trying to “get rid of [him]”. Her plan failed when she trailed off at only her second flaw, unable to finish her reply when he asks “what, you gonna throw up on me?” and she says “no, I only do that in the toilet when I eat t-…”. She recalls deciding that it may be a bad idea to spill her guts (no pun intended) just for him to likely not even be scared off.
Mina doesn’t remember messaging the Bakusquad with her location after the stranger finally left for his train. She doesn’t remember putting on her headphones and feeling the terror of looking vulnerable with them on, and doesn’t remember taking them off and deciding to walk without music this time. She doesn’t remember whether it was getting dark as she walked, or if that was just the fog in her brain. She doesn’t remember if she felt an erection pressed to her groin while he moved her up and down against himself.
Mina Ashido does remember the nights laying in bed, or the fleeting quiet moments during the days, trying to justify what he did. Other girls go through worse. Other people go through worse. Other people get raped. That guy probably didn’t even know his hands were up her skirt, feeling her ass through her underwear.
Mina Ashido doesn’t remember when she decided to call it the “thing that happened”, because it can’t count as sexual assault. She let it happen. It probably wasn’t even sexual, just some coincidence.
She’s a hero student. Hero students don’t fawn.
Mina Ashido doesn’t remember his uniform, and the Bakusquad group chat and her missing keychain - probably taken as a sick trophy, since she never saw it again on her walks home despite scouring the garden - were the only pieces of proof that something ever even happened to her.
Mina Ashido doesn’t remember his face.
She didn’t cry over it. But she’s had one tiny moment, 6 hours at most, of uncontrollable anger and sadness, after some dentist assistant didn’t listen when she said no.
Do I say it wrong? Is my “no” not clear enough?
The crying that day, Mina decided, was not because of him.
She’s still not sure it wasn’t a nightmare.
She doesn’t talk about it. Maybe it was her fault, after all.
A month later Mina went back to the store she bought the keychain from. She found an identical one to replace it.
Now she won’t look at the garden every time she walks past, hoping to see the keychain.