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“E— Excuse me?”
Uraraka Ochako really enjoys Midoriya Izuku’s friendship. He’s super kind, if a little timid.
She never got the impression that Deku had many friends before UA. He always seems a little too surprised when she invites him to hangout, or walk to the train station together, or eat lunch in the cafeteria. But she tries to explain it away as a side effect of his reserved nature.
Ochako really hopes it’s a side effect of his reserved nature and not another, less happy, reason.
Taking this into account, when a pale boy — maybe junior high age — walked up to her, Iida, and Deku, she hadn’t expected him to be vying for Deku’s attention specifically.
“Sorry, could I have a moment of your time?”
Deku blinks in surprise, pointing a finger at his face warily.
“Uhm— me?”
“Yes, that’s right, you.”
Deku’s face shifts into a grimace, he subconsciously takes a small step back from the boy.
Ochako gives Iida a pointed look, subtly indicating her head towards the interaction, Iida furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
Ochako sighs in quiet exasperation, places a hand on Deku’s shoulder, and steps to the right of him, smiling brightly at the pale boy.
“Sorry, do you need anything?”
The boy abruptly goes rigid. “Oh— I just—“
While he’s sputtering, Deku suddenly tenses under her touch. Quietly scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, Ochako unintentionally follows his line of sight to the pale boys shoes.
They’re bright red.
Ochako opens her mouth to ask what’s wrong, but Deku’s already talking.
“I think I understand. Do you, uhm, have a party invitation for me?”
The pale boy smiles in relief, nodding his head quickly. He reaches into his pocket and reveals a folded piece of paper, extending it towards Deku.
“Yeah! I— I just saw your shoes. And I definitely think I’ve seen you at other parties so—“
Deku gently takes the letter from the boys hand, gives him a small smile, and interrupts him.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll— I’ll be there, I think. But, uhm. This is a bit presumptuous of me, but could I get your name? And a way to contact you?”
The boy blinks in rapid succession, eyes wide and questioning, shifting on his feet.
“Uhm. Why?”
Deku seems to gear himself up, gaze narrowing in determination.
“I’d— I’d like to be your friend. Before you decide to leave.”
The boys furrows his eyebrows, chewing on his cheek in suspicion.
“That’s— that’s all? No other reason?”
Deku shakes his head. “No other reason.”
“Uhm. Alright, I guess? My name is Matsuura Takehiko. My email is… just my name.”
Deku nods, muttering Matsuura Takehiko under his breath before he decides to speak again.
“Alright. I’ll— I’ll see you soon, okay? Before your party, that is.”
Matsuura, smiling awkwardly, backs away slowly before turning around and speed walking out of sight.
Ochako blinks, eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment.
“What the hell was that?”