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Summer was dreadful for Ochako. Sweat and heat and all the nasty sticky stuff of summer made the girl grossed out. All the mosquitoes and bugs that decided to make a comeback after their overdue vacations away from the cold made Ochako so mad. She hated bugs. And the sound of always waking up to lawn mowers and countryside folk rising early. It was horrible. But she liked the people. And at night, she could hear the buzzing of crickets and the croaks of frogs and she remembered why she loved summer so much. But by the time she woke up again, her hatred was back.
But summer didn’t matter anymore. The country and the big bugs didn’t have any say in her life now. She was going into college. And she was staying there.
The small town girl was on the bus, carrying her to achieve her one dream in life. Get rich.
Money has been Ochako’s main goal since she could remember. Her parents had been barely afloat with her dad and mom’s construction company, especially with a child to feed. Every time Ochako asked for something or even received something from her parents, she felt guilty. She felt like she was a burden, and she could do nothing about it. Her parents just wanted to make her happy. But Ochako only cared about her parents' happiness. So, she set her mind on a goal. Make money, so your parents can finally be happy.
The first step to achieving that is college. A good degree means a good career. And even better, she got a scholarship for academics. She graduated top of her class and was valedictorian. What college wouldn’t want her? The only minus of this whole ordeal was that she got accepted to a college all the way in the city.
Ochako got off the bus, large suitcase in hand, and went into the airport. The whole place made her nervous. The flushed face girl took a deep breath, pumped herself up, then walked in the busy entrance. She bumped into people every direction she went in. Claustrophobia crept into her head, but she kept walking to the bag check. Her airline wasn’t that busy today, which was probably because there was a good 3 weeks left before summer ended. That was 3 weeks of Ochako physically dreading going back to school again.
She checked her huge bag in after not waiting too long in line, and was left with her full backpack. She felt unbalanced and very uncomfortable. This was her first time in an airport, and therefore her first time flying. She was terrified. She was sad. She hated this. But she liked education and making bank.
Ochako made her way through TSA and found her gate. She was 30 minutes early, and she felt like hurling. It wasn’t like she was terrified of flying, that wasn’t it at all. She was scared of leaving her parents all alone without her help. Not that they weren’t capable, she just liked to make sure they were okay. That they weren’t gonna die or something without her. She had always had that gut feeling that something would happen if she weren’t there, so she never left. Never went anywhere but school in the city then back to her little town in the countryside. Nothing new, just that simple routine.
And she would miss her friends. All the friends she had made in high school were staying here, and she wished she could too, but opportunity dragged her where it wanted.
Her best friends, Tsu and Izuku, had told her to go. Live out her dreams and make sure to come back every once in a while.
Her other friend, Tenya, said she was practical for trying her hardest to help. But she needed to be careful. No one was going to hand her success on a silver platter with a shiny polished spoon. She had to keep working.
Another one of her friends, Katsuki, said she was crazy. Crazy to even leave her town for a possible failure in life. He thought that she was going to hate it there and that she would come crying back. No hopes and dreams shit from him. Only cold hard truth. Well, possible truth. He is just worried and a pessimist.
All of their words were running in her head. Urging her onto the plane. Walking with her to her seat. Sitting patiently, but giving her enough motivation to continue. She had to do this. For everyone. To prove some. And sure, she would call. She would visit when she has a little extra money to spend. But she needed this.
The plane took off, carrying Ochako Uraraka to her new life.
Himiko Toga hated the countryside. Every blade of grass and blood sucking bug irked her city girl self in the wrong way. She was so grateful that she lived in the city, far away from all that “southern” bullshit.
But that’s not the only reason she hates the country. It’s the people.
All those country bumpkins could never accept a girl like her. She was wild and free, living each day like she would die the next. Conformity wasn’t really her style. And all the conformists just so happen to live in the country. She knew this from first hand experience.
Himiko grew up in the country, far away from any human life forms, with the only exception being the little old lady that lived a mile down the road from her. Isolated and lonely, the small girl had nothing but the animals in the forest adjacent to her house. And half of those animals bit.
She would play with toys, but no one would play with her. She would run in her yard, but there was no one to chase. No one taught her how to talk to her peers. No one told her right from wrong. No one helped. And once she had the chance to be with people, she never did it correctly. She always said something bad or did the wrong thing. But she was just trying to be who she was. Not what everyone else wanted her to be. It was too late to “fix” her, because no one tried in the first place.
The minute she got into high school, she moved into the city. No one was trying to control her. No one was trying to tell her how to feel or how to be. How to act. She could be herself. No limits.
This sudden surge of freedom broke through her, like glass shattering at impact. She felt herself again, and she never looked back. Back at the little girl that wanted a friend and some love. The girl that wanted to be herself. Because now she was.
And that same girl, the one that is wild and free, has received a full ride scholarship to go to a prestigious college in the city.
She is thrilled.
And maybe.. she can finally be who she fully is. Not the half-assed version of herself that she is right now. To be honest, no matter where she was, she could never be who she wanted to be while also living in Japan. And she wanted to love whoever she wanted to love. Unlike everyone else.
Himiko danced around her small room, stuffing everything she could into her already full suitcase, hoping to get all that she needed in. She shoved the suitcase closed, struggling to zip it up completely. Now all she had to do was load it into her car. This was the last thing. The last thing she did in her house before she left forever. Or, what she hoped was forever.
Toga thrusted the suitcase out of her room, turning and taking a quick look around before she left. Himiko saluted the bare walls goodbye, and slowly dragged the big suitcase down her narrow stairs.
The luggage clunked as it fell onto each step, until it finally stopped at the foot of the stairs. At that point, she was out of breath. The girl bent over the suitcase, breathing heavily.
“Yo, loser, let’s go.” Said a gruff voice from behind her. A tall, white haired man stood in the frame of her front door, looking over at the pathetic girl.
Himiko immediately jumped up, forgetting all about her exhaustion. She grabbed her bag, replying, “I’m coming! Patience please.”
“Tell that to Tenko. He doesn’t know what patience even is.” The man said, pulling the large bag out of her hand. He grunts, yelling, “Holy shit! What the hell did you put in here?!”
“Just the necessities,” Toga replies, skipping past the man, out the door. She hops into the back seat of a black volvo, just as Tenko slams his fist into the horn. Toga throws her pink backpack off her shoulders and onto the seat next to her.
“What took you both so long?” The man with bleached, almost white, hair said, feigning a look of annoyance.
“Himiko decided to take her sweet time, isn’t that right?” The white haired man said behind them, while tossing her suitcase into the trunk.
“Well, Touya, we don’t want to turn around if I forgot something, do we?” The girl responded, leaning over the driver’s and passenger seats of the car to grab Tenko’s coffee.
“No, that would be a nightmare.” Tenko says as he snatches his coffee back, making the girl huff and sit back into her seat. Toyua slams the trunk door shut and walks to the passenger seat.
“Yeah, we would kill you. Slowly and painfully.” Touya says as he slides into the car. He grabs Tenko’s coffee, successfully taking a swig of it, and soon after getting it taken away.
“Well, that won’t happen now. You’re welcome!” Himiko cheerfully smiles, the two men looking at her with clear irritation.
“Whatever.” Tenko grumbles, pulling the gear into drive, then hitting the gas.
As they speed off, Himiko sticks her head out of the already rolled down window, and flips off her house. Her parents weren’t there. They didn’t give a single shit about her leaving for college. They didn’t even care that she was so smart she got a full ride. They didn’t care that she wanted to be a nurse. They hated her. So fuck them all.
“Goodbye hell!!” The girl yells, feeling like she was reborn. Tenko and Touya cheer with her, yelling out the windows and honking the horn of the car. They know how she feels. So they scream and yell with her.
The car drove away, carrying Himiko Toga to her new life.
After a grueling 2 hour flight, and having to fight through the large airport, and having to find a cab, Ochako made it to her new dorm. She had been here before, when her and her parents drove down with all of the furniture she bought and wanted to take with her, but its totally different now. Its real. Less like a meet and greet. Her free trial was over and now she has to pay for a subscription.
She was terrified.
And, she has never met her roommate. All she knows is that she’s a girl, and her name is Himiko Toga. That’s about it.
Ochako struggled to carry her overly packed bag up the stairs, and the bag itself was basically 2 inches off the ground. Ochako wished she could make things float right now. That would be a dream. The girl made it up, and walked down the long corridor. The walls were yellow, lit up with the early afternoon sunlight. There were only dorms on the left side of the hall, and hers was the last possible one.
Ochako stood in front of the dorm door, fumbling with her keys. She finally found the right one, and slid it into the keyhole. But it was already unlocked.
“What..?” Ochako mumbled under her breath, carefully opening the door. The door swung open, with a cinematic breeze hitting her face, the light from inside blinding her.
There, in front of her, stood a girl.
The first thing Ochako noticed about her was her smile. A wide grin was spread over her face, every tooth in her mouth shown. Her smile could be seen from a mile away, and it should, because it was beautiful. Ochako wondered if this girl knew how amazing her smile was. When she gets the chance, she’ll tell her. She’ll tell her her smile is the most precious thing she’s ever seen. And how is it fair that someone can walk around this cruel world with such a great smile? With all the crime and violence, and people trying to get as much power as they can, how can she have it all. This is why Ochako doesn’t believe in a higher being. Because no one is equal, and this girl has made it clear to Ochako that she is better. She has her smile.
And her eyes sparkled. Yellow eyes that looked like citrine in the brightly lit room, yet the only form of light seemed to be on her face. Her hair, which seemed to be long, was pulled into two extremely messy buns, but they didn’t look sloppy. It was honestly impressive that her hair was staying together. And it was a beautiful color of blonde, not platinum, but not very gold. A perfect in-between.
She was wearing a white graphic tee with hello kitty on it, and dark denim jean shorts, with one pink and one purple sock.
Ochako assumed that this beautiful girl was her roommate.
After 4 hours on the road, Toga and her chauffeurs made it to the dorm. The building was very.. Rectangular. There were windows covering the structure, and doors to her left and right. It was 11:23, and the late morning sun warmed her back. Toga had Touya and Tenko take her bags and some boxes upstairs while she unpacked.
The dorm room itself was actually very nice. It was definitely on the bigger side, more like an apartment, and she was grateful. She will definitely be hosting some great parties here. The front door had a half wall right next to it, separating the front door from the living room that was on the right. There was a couch and a small TV already there. To the left of the front door was the kitchen. It was pretty big, with a full sized fridge, a stove, a microwave, and a sink, which are the components of a good kitchen. And in the center of it was a little 2 seat table. In line with the door is a hallway. Toga’s room is on the right, and her roommate’s room is on the left, and fortunately, they both have their own bathrooms. This whole dorm is very optimal.
Toga stepped into her room, the window filtering light onto the floor. Her desk was up against the window, and her bed was right next to it. She liked her room. It was smaller compared to the one she had at home, but it was comfortable.
“Himiko, where do you want all this?” Shouted a voice from the kitchen. Himiko peeked out the bedroom door and pointed to her room.
“In here, pretty please!” Himiko said, pulling herself back into the room.
One by one, boxes of clothes and other trinkets got lugged into her room, and finally, her suitcase. Toga looked at the overwhelming display of moving throw up, and felt her stomach sink a little. But she wasn’t going to give up, not after all this trouble. But she was hungry.
Toga walked out into to hall, feeling weirdly giddy, then she saw the front door open. Toga stopped in her tracks. It felt like the world was in slow motion.
The door opened.
There was a girl.
The first thing Himiko noticed about this girl was how pretty she was. She had big brown eyes that looked like they held the truth of the world in them, just a pool of coffee colored void. She loved them. And she had this cute brunette colored head of hair that was down to her shoulders, and two front pieces that went down to her chest. Her hair was flowing back like there was wind, but they were inside and she didn’t feel a draft in the room. She loved it. Her lips were slightly parted and glossy, but not overly glossed. Himiko wondered if her lips were naturally like that, because if they were she’s super lucky. She loved her lips. The girl was a bit on the chubbier side, but she was a muscular chubby. You could see each individual muscle in her legs. It was kinda hot. And she had curves in places she didn’t even know curves could be at, which just made this goddess of a woman even more attractive. She loved that. She was wearing this cute baby pink hoodie, which happened to go really well with her complexion, and some light wash jean shorts, with some really cute pink converses on. She loved it.
Himiko Toga loved this girl.
And she can’t wait to get to know her.
Ochako was thrown back onto the ground after being attacked by a hug. The second she opened the door the girl in front of her ran at her. The blonde was giggling, squeezing the life out of Ochako. She didn’t know what to do. Does she hug back, or just sit there. Before she could make up her mind, or better yet, wrap her mind around this, a voice came from inside their dorm.
“Himiko, leave the poor girl alone.”
Ochako felt the girl’s grip loosen until her arms fell to her sides. She was still smiling. God, her smile was great. Now she was just sitting on her lap, staring at Ochako. A wild red spread over her already rosy cheeks.
“I’m Himiko Toga! It’s so nice to finally meet you, roomie.” Toga said, an even bigger grin spreading across her face. It was impressive how wide her face can go.
“Uh, yeah! I’m Ochako Uraraka. Nice to meet you too.” Ochako felt the blush go down her neck, which she hoped wasn’t too noticeable. Her hopes were pointless, because it was very noticeable. Toga stood up quickly, offering her a hand. Ochako grabbed the thin hand in front of her.
“I’m so happy you’re here! I thought you wouldn’t arrive for another week. Seems we had the same idea of coming early.” Toga pulled up Ochako, holding on to her hand a little longer than needed before dropping it.
“Yeah, I just wanted to get a head start, ya’ know?”
Ochako said, grabbing the suitcase next to her. Then she noticed two tall men behind her. She assumed one of them was the voice she heard earlier, but they do not look like college kids. Or like her parents. They look like they’re in their twenties, and they both have blindingly white hair.
The first man was tall, with short white hair, piercings all over his face, and a sleeve tattoo on his arm. He was wearing a black t-shirt, with dark denim jeans. He looked really cool, but honestly, he seemedsuper intimidating. Ochako wondered how this guy could be remotely related to a sweet girl like Toga.
And the other guy was tall, but lankier than the other one, and had long, bleached, white hair. He had this mean look on his face, but Ochako had the feeling that he was actually a nice guy. He was wearing an old white band shirt, and dark wash jorts. His lips were really chapped, and bleeding at the side. Yet again, he looked way too tough to be with a girl like Toga.
“Let us take that, you can head inside.” Said the one with the piercings, and his voice sent a chill down her spine. Toga grabbed her hand again, and dragged her inside to the living room. The place had looked the same since last time, but there was a new vibe to it. It felt more comfortable, which made it easier to feel at home for Ochako. But, she still wondered what her parents were doing right now.
“We were just about to get food! You have amazing timing.” Toga pulled a phone from her pocket, and it had this adorable pink phone case that fit her perfectly. Ochako couldn’t help but admire her perfection. Everything she did was just so.. her. Toga collapsed onto the couch. “Oh! Also, those two guys are my friends. I’ll introduce them when they’re done with your stuff.” Just as she said that, the two guys walked by with her suitcase in their hands. This was a very warm welcome.
“What do you wanna eat?” Toga asked, looking up from her phone. She watched Ochako, who was still awkwardly standing in the middle of the living room, and subtly raised a brow. Ochako noticed, and immediately sat stiffly on the couch.
“Whatever you want, I don’t mind.” Ochako waved her hands around nervously, trying to avoid eye contact. Toga stared at her. Then she started laughing. A beautiful sound, like waves rolling on sand, or hot coffee pouring into a glass. Ochako could drown in her voice, the sweetness of it all filling her ears and lungs until she’s suffocating. And she’s laughing at Ochako. She doesn’t know whether to be offended or to thank her.
“You’re so funny.” Toga shook her head, smiling, then dropped her head to look at her phone. “Hmm.. My stomach thinks ramen. Is that good?”
Toga kept her head down. Ochako hummed a yes in response, looking at her lap.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She’s usually not this nervous when meeting new people. But she’s never met someone this beautiful and she’s definitely never lived with someone like this. The girl looks at her hands, the small pads on her fingers sticking out. She liked her hands. They gave her character. Ochako stared at her hands, because it was way better than getting all worked up and nervous about one of the 7 wonders that was sitting right next to her.
The two men came back into the room, and sat at the kitchen table. Toga glanced up at them, then back at Ochako, then at the boys.
“So!” Toga jumps up, running over to the kitchen. Ochako jumped up with her, but that was only because Toga scared her with her abruptness. Toga spun the chair that the one with the piercings was in to face her, and did little jazz hands above his head. “This is my beautiful brother from another mother, Touya! Touya, Ochako, my rrrrooomate!” Toga carried out the last word with a little hop at the end.
Touya side-eyed her, then looked at Ochako. “Ignore her. But it’s nice to meet you, Uraraka.” He used her last name, out of respect, but Toga didn’t seem to care. It’s almost as if she just assumed they were gonna be close. Ochako peeped out a small hi, and smiled at him. Toga skipped around the table and tried to say something about the other guy, but he cut her off.
“I’m Tenko Shimura, it’s a pleasure, Uraraka.” Shimura smiled quickly, then turned to the frowning girl behind him. He sighed then rolled his eyes. “Himiko’s my un-related lil’ sis.” The man looked back at her, and she gave him a nod of approval.
“You’ll probably be seeing a lot of them, so you might wanna get used to them.” Toga smiled, walking around the front of the table, then turning towards the men. “Lunch. Ramen. What do you guys want?” Toga said, one hand holding her phone and the other resting on her hip.
The two boys and Ochako put in their order, and Toga paid for it. Ochako didn’t notice how hungry she was until she saw the pictures of the ramen on the menu. It’s like she could feel the hot steam through the phone. Food sounded like heaven right now. She was sitting on the couch, with Toga right next to her. She was very close. And it’s not like the couch was small, there were 2 large cushions on it, and the couch could probably fit 4 people, but she was right next to her, almost touching legs. Just 30 more minutes until the food is here. She can make it, right?
Himiko was sitting close to Ochako on purpose. She couldn’t get enough of her, and they just met. But this is normal for Himiko. She always gets like this when she meets people, especially people that she clicks with instantly. She did it with Touya and Tenko, and Jin too. She loves them all. And now she loves Ochako.
“So.. How’d y’all meet?” Ochako said, her eyes darting between Himiko and the floor. Himiko knew she didn’t mean any harm in the question, but her heart felt a little tighter now. Toga recalled how she met Touya. He was a young adult, 24, maybe, and she was a teenager. He was crying in an alleyway, close to Himiko’s high school, and Himiko just so happened to be walking home. Himiko has never been the type to walk past a person that needed help, so she sat with him. He spilled his whole life story onto the poor girl, and she just sat and listened. Very uncharacteristic for both of them, but it was a vulnerable moment. She and Touya have been looking out for each other since.
A similar situation occurred with Himiko and Tenko. She was 14 and he was 19, and his parents had just kicked him out. He was a college dropout, and his dad didn’t approve of that, so he was booted. The young man was sitting at a bus stop close to Himiko’s house, so she had to see what was wrong. It was like she was pulled to her friends, like there was a special gravitational force between them all. And that force can’t be broken.
“It’s a long story, and kinda sappy so.” Himiko rubbed the back of her arm, glancing at Touya and Tenko. Then her eyes met with Ochako. Ochako was beet red, staring at Himiko.
“Ah- I’m sorry! You don’t have to tell me anything, sorry.” Ochako waved her hands around, squirming in her seat. Himiko found it endearing, and laughed a bit at her.
“It’s okay, really, don’t worry.” Himiko smiled, and the big eyed girl next to her softened her stiff posture a bit. Himiko could understand why she was nervous. This is a new place and there’s new people and this is a new life. That’s probably why she’s so jumpy. Himiko should at least try to ease her nerves.
“What are you majoring in?” Himiko asked, the interest clear in her voice. She wanted to know this girl. And it was a great conversation starter.
“Oh. I’m majoring in architectural engineering. My mom and dad own a construction company, and I wanna help em’ out, ya know?” Ochako smiled, but there was something else behind her smile. Himiko couldn’t figure out what it was, but she didn’t want to pry. “Yeah! Totally. That’s really cool.” Himiko said, trying to encourage the girl.
“What about you? What are you majoring in?” Ochako asked, sounding a bit more relaxed, which Himiko liked.
“Nursing. I’ve always had an interest in that sort of stuff, and helping people is always great, right?” Himiko happily replied. Himiko was always happy to talk about her interests, she just never had a good person to listen. She thinks Ochako will be a great listener. Ochako lightens up, listening to Himiko.
“Right. I love helping people every chance I get.” Ochako agreed, smiling even brighter. The two girls had a lot more in common than either of them originally thought. “Nurses are basically everyday superheroes, too.” Ochako added, earning a small blush from Himiko.
The two girls talked about school more, until the food got there. Everyone ate, while the girls kept talking and laughing with each other. Touya and Tenko enjoyed listening to them, and watching their friend find someone that she would be fine with. To be fair, they were both quite worried that Himiko wouldn’t be able to find a person that would match her in this place, and that her experience here would be just as bad as all her other schooling experiences. They were happy for her. Everyone was happy.
“Hey girls, not to interrupt your fun, but we have to go. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.” Touya said over giggles and loud talking. Tenko nodded in agreement, and Himiko sent them a frown.
“Aww mann.” Himiko got up from the couch and ran into Tenko’s arms. He put an arm around her, then pulled her to the side, his arm still around her waist.
“I’m gonna miss you guys.” Himiko pouted, putting her head on Tenko’s shoulder.
“It was great meeting you guys. I hope we can talk more in the future!” Ochako stood up, nodding her head at both of them. The two men said their farewells to the girls, and walked out the door. Himiko stood out in the hallway, yelling a thank you to their backs, and blowing kisses that they wouldn’t catch. Ochako watched as the girl did this, smiling.
They headed back inside talking for a bit more, then they both went to go unpack. They kept their doors open, talking between the hallway, as if they’d known each other forever. By the time they finished, it was midnight. This whole day had gone by in a blur. But it was fun, for both of them. They both called it a night, and went to bed, their doors still open.
Ochako was excited to have Toga as a roommate, and as her new friend. She was really happy, and honestly so lucky. She couldn’t have asked for anything more. She just hoped.. She just hoped this year would be good.
Himiko was excited to have Ochako as her new friend and roommate. She loved her so much. She was extremely happy. Himiko had struck gold with this amazing girl. Himiko craved to know every single detail about her. She craved to hear her story. She didn’t think she’d ever get bored. And that’s all she needed.