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Izuku Midoriya has fought villains.
He's rescued civilians.
He's stood against impossible odds.
He's even inherited the world's greatest superpower.
None of those experiences prepared him...
...for buying Ochaco Uraraka a birthday present.
"This is impossible."
Izuku stares into the display window of a gift shop.
Candles.
Jewellery.
Books.
Plushies.
Photo frames.
There are hundreds of options.
Every single one is wrong.
"...Maybe the candles?"
He immediately shakes his head.
"No, what if she doesn't like the scent?"
A notebook appears in his hands almost instinctively.
He flips it open.
A page is already titled:
Ochaco Birthday Ideas
Underneath it is an alarmingly long list.
Flowers? Too predictable.
Jewellery? Too expensive. Might make her uncomfortable.
Hero merch? She probably already owns it.
Homemade gift? Disaster waiting to happen.
Mochi? Will be eaten immediately.
Izuku sighs.
"...Why is this so hard?"
A passing shopper glances at the page.
"...Is that... a flowchart?"
Izuku looks down.
It is.
Somehow he'd made a flowchart.
He quietly closes the notebook.
"...I can explain."
The shopper walks away a little faster.
Reasonable.
Very reasonable.
His phone buzzes.
A message from Ochaco.
Ochaco 🌸
Hope your patrol's going okay! 😊
Don't forget we're having lunch tomorrow!!
Izuku smiles without thinking.
Then immediately groans.
"...She's using smiley faces."
Which somehow makes this even harder.
Because she deserves something amazing.
Not just… good.
Amazing.
The kind of gift that makes her smile so brightly her cheeks hurt.
The kind she'd keep forever.
The kind that says everything he struggles to put into words.
He looks back at the shop window.
"...No pressure."
There is, in fact… an enormous amount of pressure.
The next afternoon, Class A's group chat becomes an accidental victim of Izuku's crisis.
Deku 🥦
Does anyone know what makes a really good birthday present?
The replies arrive almost instantly.
Kaminari ⚡
MONEY
Ashido 💖
Ignore him 😂
What's the occasion??
Iida 📚
The value of a gift is not determined by its monetary cost but by its thoughtfulness.
Bakugo 💥
STOP ASKING NERDS HOW TO BUY STUFF
Kirishima 🪨
...that's actually kinda fair 😅
Izuku sighs.
This isn't helping.
If anything, it's making him more nervous.
His phone buzzes again.
A private message this time.
From Mina.
It's for Ochaco, isn't it? 👀💕
Izuku freezes.
How?
Three little dots appear almost immediately.
Midoriya.
You literally only overthink things THIS much when it's about her.
He stares at the message.
Then slowly types:
...Is it really that obvious?
Mina's reply arrives before he can even lock his phone.
To everyone except the two of you. 😂
Izuku buries his face in his hands.
"...I walked into that one."
He glances down at his notebook again.
At the endless lists.
The crossed-out ideas.
The pages filled with possibilities.
Then smiles to himself.
"...Okay."
"If I'm going to do this..."
"...I'm going to do it properly."
He slips the notebook into his bag.
Straightens his shoulders.
And heads back into town.
Mission accepted.
He just has one tiny problem.
He still has absolutely no idea...
...what the perfect gift actually is.
Izuku learns two very important lessons within the first ten minutes.
The first, never ask the entire class for relationship advice at the same time.
The second, Kaminari should never be allowed near a group brainstorming session.
"So..."
Izuku looks around the common room.
"I wanted to ask you all something."
The room quiets.
Kirishima looks up from the sofa.
Mina immediately grins.
"...This is about Ochaco."
Izuku freezes.
"...How did you-"
Mina points dramatically.
"You've got The Face."
"The... face?"
"The one where you're overthinking something because you care too
much."
A beat.
"...It's adorable."
Izuku goes bright red.
Across the room, Bakugo doesn't even look up from his phone.
"Told you."
"You knew too?" Izuku asks.
Bakugo snorts.
"Dumbass."
"...Right."
Honestly… fair enough.
Izuku clears his throat.
"So... her birthday's next week."
Several knowing smiles immediately appear around the room.
"I want to get her something."
"So buy her something," Sero says.
"...That's the difficult part."
"It really isn't."
"It is!"
Izuku pulls out his notebook.
Everyone collectively groans.
"Oh no," Mina mutters.
"He brought the notebook."
He flips it open.
"I've categorized possible gifts into seventeen different groups."
Silence.
"...Seventeen?" Jirō asks.
"There were originally twenty-three."
Even Iida blinks.
"...You reduced them?"
"I eliminated the statistically weaker options."
Kaminari leans over to Kirishima.
"...He's speaking another language."
Kirishima nods solemnly.
"He really loves her."
Izuku pretends he didn't hear that.
Mostly because he definitely did.
He turns the notebook around.
"So these are my current frontrunners."
The page contains:
Books
Jewelry
Plants
Homemade gifts
Hero memorabilia
Handmade keychains
A photo album
Cooking together voucher
A telescope (crossed out twice)
Todoroki studies the list.
"...Why is the telescope crossed out?"
Izuku sighs.
"I remembered she doesn't really like staying up late."
"...Oh."
"...Yeah."
Mina quietly places a hand over her heart.
"...That's actually really sweet."
Izuku smiles sheepishly.
"I've just been trying to think about things she'd actually enjoy."
The room grows noticeably quieter.
Because suddenly… this isn't really about buying a present anymore.
It's about how carefully Izuku pays attention.
Kirishima smiles.
"Dude."
"What?"
"You already know what kind of gift she wants."
Izuku blinks.
"I do?"
"You just don't know that you know."
"...That didn't help."
"I know."
Mina claps her hands together.
"Okay!"
"Emergency shopping trip!"
Izuku blinks.
"...Emergency?"
"Absolutely."
"I'm not sure it qualifies as-"
"It does."
Within thirty seconds Mina has recruited:
Jirō
Hagakure
Tsuyu
Kirishima
Kaminari tries to join.
"No."
"...Why not?"
"You'll convince him to buy fireworks."
"...I wasn't gonna say fireworks."
Everyone waits.
"...Remote-control drone."
Mina points toward the door.
"See?"
Bakugo finally stands.
"I'm leaving."
Izuku looks up.
"You're not coming?"
Bakugo shrugs.
"The extras'll waste four hours arguing over ribbon."
"...Probably."
He walks toward the stairs.
Then pauses.
Without turning around he says:
"Quit trying to buy the most impressive thing."
The room falls quiet.
Bakugo scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.
"...Buy the thing that makes you think of Round Face."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Bakugo notices.
"...What?"
Kaminari slowly points.
"...Bro..."
"What?"
"...That was..."
"...Actually good advice."
Bakugo's eye twitches.
"I hate all of you."
He disappears upstairs before anyone can say another word.
The room remains silent for another few seconds.
Then Mina smiles.
"...He's right."
Izuku looks down at his notebook.
At seventeen categories.
Dozens of ideas.
Hundreds of notes.
And suddenly something clicks.
Maybe he'd been asking the wrong
question all along.
Not: What's the perfect gift?
But: What reminds me of Ochaco?
The answer comes almost instantly.
Not because he'd finally figured it out.
Because he'd known all along.
He just hadn't trusted himself enough to see it.
His eyes widen.
"...I know."
Mina beams.
"You do?"
Izuku closes the notebook with a smile.
A real one.
"...Yeah."
He stands.
Already reaching for his jacket.
"...I know exactly where I need to go.”
Izuku doesn't head for the shopping mall.
Or the department stores.
Or any of the places he'd spent the last week searching.
Instead he finds himself wandering through a quieter part of the city.
Small cafés.
Family-owned bookstores.
Little shops squeezed between old brick buildings.
The sort of place people only found when they weren't looking for anything.
"...Maybe I'm just hoping something jumps out at me."
It isn't exactly a plan.
But it's the best one he's got.
He spends almost an hour wandering.
Looking. Thinking. Nothing feels right.
A necklace?
Pretty.
But not Ochaco.
A watch?
Useful.
But not Ochaco.
Flowers?
She'd smile ...and then feel guilty when they wilted.
Izuku sighs.
"...Bakugo's going to make fun of me forever."
He turns another corner.
And stops.
A tiny shop sits tucked away between a bakery and a florist.
Its sign simply reads:
Handmade Treasures
Curiosity wins.
As it usually does.
A small bell jingles as he steps inside.
The shop smells faintly of cedar wood and fresh paper.
Shelves are lined with handcrafted gifts.
Ceramic mugs. Wooden carvings. Leather journals. Pressed flower bookmarks. Tiny music boxes.
Nothing mass-produced.
Everything made by someone's hands.
Izuku smiles.
"...This is nice."
An elderly woman behind the counter looks up from her knitting.
"Looking for something special?"
Izuku rubs the back of his neck.
"...Is it that obvious?"
She chuckles.
"You've looked at the same shelf three times."
"...Oh."
"...You're buying for someone important."
Izuku smiles before he can stop himself.
"...Yeah."
The woman nods knowingly.
"Take your time."
"No rush."
He does.
He wanders slowly through the shop.
Not looking at prices anymore.
Not trying to compare options.
Just… looking.
Then, he sees it.
Tucked away on the corner of a shelf.
Small enough that he'd almost walked past it.
A handcrafted wooden music box.
Simple.
No jewels.
No gold trim.
Just polished oak.
Its lid is carved with clouds ...and tiny stars.
Something about it makes him pause.
He carefully lifts it from the shelf.
The craftsmanship is beautiful.
He turns the tiny key underneath.
The melody begins softly.
Gentle. Hopeful.
As it plays the lid slowly opens.
Inside a tiny handcrafted figure floats upward.
Not a princess. Not a ballerina.
An astronaut.
Suspended above the box by nearly invisible wire.
Floating among carved stars.
Izuku blinks.
Then smiles.
"...Ochaco."
Not because she wanted to be an astronaut anymore.
She hadn't talked about that dream in years.
But because she'd once told him back at U.A., long before they started dating, that looking at the night sky always made her feel...
"...Like the world's a little bigger than my problems."
He'd never forgotten it.
Apparently.
His thumb brushes lightly over the carved clouds.
He can already picture it.
Sitting on her bedside table.
Playing quietly after a long day.
Making her smile.
Not because it was expensive.
Because someone remembered.
The shopkeeper walks over quietly.
"Found it?"
Izuku looks up.
His smile says everything before he speaks.
"...Yeah."
She glances at the music box.
Then back at him.
"Good choice."
"You think so?"
"I think..."
She smiles warmly.
"...you stopped shopping with your head."
A beat.
"...And started shopping with your heart."
Izuku laughs softly.
"...Yeah."
"I think I finally did."
As she wraps the music box in simple cream-colored paper, she pauses.
"Would you like a card?"
Izuku nods.
"...Please."
She hands him a small blank card.
He stares at it for a long moment.
Then writes carefully.
For the girl who taught me that reaching for the stars doesn't always mean looking up.
Happy Birthday.
Izuku
He reads it once.
Twice.
Then smiles.
"...I hope she likes it."
The shopkeeper chuckles.
"My dear..."
She gently places the wrapped gift into his hands.
"...I don't think she's going to remember the wrapping."
Izuku tilts his head.
"...No?"
She smiles.
"I think she's going to remember how loved it made her feel."
For a moment Izuku just stands there.
Holding the small package.
Thinking about Ochaco's smile.
Then he bows politely.
"...Thank you."
As he steps back out into the afternoon sunshine, the weight in his chest is gone.
He hadn't found the perfect gift.
He'd found her gift.
And somehow… that made all the difference.
Ochaco's birthday begins exactly how she hoped it would.
Quietly.
No media appearances.
No patrols.
No emergencies.
Just breakfast with friends.
Laughter echoing through the agency common room.
Presents stacked neatly on one side of the table.
Cake waiting patiently in the kitchen.
Mina is somehow wearing a party hat before anyone else arrives.
"I bought extras!"
Nobody asks why.
They already know.
By the time everyone has gathered, the room is buzzing with conversation.
Ochaco laughs as Kaminari proudly presents his gift.
"...It's a giant plush."
"It is!"
"It's almost as tall as me."
"Exactly!"
She hugs it anyway.
"It's adorable."
Kaminari pumps a fist into the air.
"YES!"
One by one, everyone hands over their presents.
Books.
Snacks.
A scarf Tsuyu knitted herself.
A framed class photo from Iida.
Every gift earns the same bright smile.
Every thank you is genuine.
Then… Only one remains.
Ochaco looks across the room.
Izuku is holding a small, neatly wrapped package with both hands.
He's looked nervous all morning.
Now he looks like he's about to face another entrance exam.
She smiles.
"...Is that mine?"
He nods.
"...Happy birthday."
His voice is quiet.
Almost shy.
She accepts the package carefully.
"...Thank you."
The room falls strangely silent.
Not because anyone expects something expensive.
Because everyone noticed how hard Izuku had been thinking about this all week.
Even Bakugo glances over from the corner of the room.
Trying very hard to look uninterested.
Ochaco unties the ribbon slowly.
Carefully unfolding the paper instead of tearing it.
Izuku notices.
Of course he does.
"You don't have to save the wrapping."
"I know."
She smiles.
"...But you wrapped it."
His face immediately turns pink.
The box opens.
Inside rests the little wooden music box.
Simple. Elegant. Beautiful.
Ochaco blinks.
"...Can I?"
Izuku nods.
She gently winds the key.
The soft melody fills the room.
As the tiny astronaut slowly rises among the carved stars...
Ochaco goes completely still.
"...You remembered."
Barely above a whisper.
Izuku smiles softly.
"Of course I did."
She looks up at him.
Eyes already beginning to shine.
"I told you that once."
"You told me a lot of things."
He rubs the back of his neck.
"...I just... remembered this one."
Ochaco laughs quietly.
"You remembered something I said years ago."
Izuku shrugs, as though it's the most natural thing in the world.
"...It was important to you."
The room has become very, very quiet.
Because everyone can see it now.
This was never about buying something expensive.
It was about listening.
Really listening.
Ochaco notices the small card tucked beneath the music box.
She unfolds it carefully.
Her eyes move across the handwritten words.
For the girl who taught me that reaching for the stars doesn't always mean looking up.
Happy Birthday.
Izuku
She reads it once.
Then again.
Before anyone can say anything she sets the card down.
Walks across the room.
And wraps Izuku in a hug.
Not dramatic.
Not embarrassed.
Just… certain.
Izuku freezes for exactly half a second.
Then hugs her back.
Gently.
The room erupts.
"AWWWW!"
Mina is openly crying.
"I WAITED YEARS FOR THIS VERSION OF YOU TWO!"
Kaminari wipes away an imaginary tear.
"This is beautiful."
Tsuyu smiles knowingly.
"I think Midoriya won."
Bakugo snorts.
"Took the nerd long enough."
Ochaco pulls back just enough to look at Izuku.
Her smile is brighter than he'd imagined.
"...It's perfect."
"You don't have to say that."
"I'm not."
She glances down at the music box.
Then back at him.
"I'm saying it because it is."
A tiny laugh escapes her.
"...Do you know what my favourite part is?"
"The astronaut?"
She shakes her head.
"The melody?"
Another shake.
"The carving?"
She smiles even wider.
"My favourite part..."
She reaches up and gently taps the side of his head with one finger.
"...is that it came from in here."
Then she places her hand over his heart.
"...and in here."
Izuku's brain promptly stops functioning.
Mina quietly whispers to Kirishima:
"...He's blue-screened."
"He'll reboot in a minute."
Ochaco laughs.
The sound mingling with the music still playing softly from the little wooden box.
And in that moment… Izuku realizes something.
He'd spent weeks trying to find the perfect gift.
When all Ochaco had ever wanted... was proof that he knew her.
And that, more than anything else... was the greatest gift he could have given.