Work Text:
Ibara Shiozaki appreciated sincerity.
It was, in her opinion, an increasingly rare virtue.
People often said things they didn't mean.
They exaggerated.
Boasted.
Flattered.
Sometimes they simply spoke because silence made them uncomfortable.
Ibara preferred honesty.
Which was perhaps why...
"...Your control was amazing, Shiozaki."
...One completely innocent compliment caused her considerably more trouble than it should have.
It happened during joint training.
Class 1-A and Class 1-B had once again been brought together for rescue exercises.
Today's scenario was straightforward.
A simulated villain attack.
Collapsed buildings.
Injured civilians.
Several automated villains scattered throughout the training zone.
Points were awarded for civilians rescued.
Points were deducted for unnecessary property damage.
Vlad King had emphasised that final rule while looking directly at Tetsutetsu.
Tetsutetsu had looked deeply offended.
"I CAN BE SUBTLE!"
Kendou patted him on the shoulder.
"No one believes that."
Ibara's team consisted of herself, Izuku, Tsuyu and Awase.
A balanced group.
Mobility.
Restraint.
Rescue.
Combat.
The exercise began smoothly.
For approximately three minutes.
Then...
An entire section of the simulated building collapsed.
"LOOK OUT!"
Izuku moved first.
Blackwhip shot forward.
Debris stopped inches above two mock civilians.
"Shiozaki!"
"I have them!"
Vines erupted from Ibara's hair.
They wrapped carefully around the civilians.
Not tightly.
Not violently.
Gently.
She pulled both free.
Tsuyu immediately carried them towards the safe zone.
Awase stabilised the damaged support beams.
Izuku remained beneath the collapsing structure.
"Midoriya!"
"I'm okay!"
"You are holding approximately three tonnes of debris!"
"...Still okay!"
Ibara stared at him.
"...Your definition of okay concerns me."
"Fair!"
Another alarm sounded.
Villain approaching.
Ibara turned.
One of the training robots charged directly towards the evacuation route.
Her vines shot forward.
One wrapped around its ankle.
Another around its wrist.
Two more anchored against nearby structures.
The robot stopped.
Completely restrained.
No damage.
No destruction.
Just… Stopped.
Izuku looked over.
His eyes immediately lit up.
"That was amazing!"
Ibara blinked.
"...Pardon?"
"You redirected its momentum!"
He shifted the rubble safely aside before hurrying towards her.
"You didn't fight against the force, you changed where it was going!"
His hands were already moving as he talked.
"And you anchored the vines separately, so if one failed the others would compensate."
He smiled brightly.
"That's incredible control."
Ibara stared.
"...Thank you."
Izuku nodded.
"We should keep moving."
Then he ran towards the next rescue marker.
Ibara remained completely still.
Awase passed her.
"You coming?"
"...Yes."
She followed.
They won the exercise.
Barely.
Not because they'd defeated the most villains.
They hadn't.
Not because they'd completed it fastest.
They hadn't.
They won because every civilian
survived.
And they caused almost no additional
damage.
Aizawa looked over the results.
"Good."
That was apparently the highest compliment he intended to offer.
Vlad King was slightly more enthusiastic.
"Excellent rescue prioritisation."
Ibara bowed her head.
"Thank you, sir."
Around them, students began discussing the exercise.
Ibara was collecting her equipment when Izuku approached.
"Shiozaki?"
She turned.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to say..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"...You were really impressive today."
There it was again.
She blinked.
"I..."
"Your Quirk could've destroyed those robots easily."
"But you kept choosing restraint."
He smiled.
"You protected everyone without hurting anything you didn't need to."
Something about that compliment felt...
Different.
Not because he'd called her powerful.
People did that frequently.
Not because he'd praised her Quirk.
She'd heard that before too.
He'd noticed...
why she'd used it that way.
Her intention.
Her values.
"...Thank you, Midoriya."
She smiled.
"I appreciate that."
He smiled back.
"See you tomorrow."
"Indeed."
He walked away.
Ibara watched him go.
For perhaps...
Slightly longer than necessary.
That evening...
She was reading.
Or rather...
She was attempting to read.
The same paragraph had been in front of her for several minutes.
Her mind kept returning to the training field.
You protected everyone without hurting anything you didn't need to.
Ibara frowned.
She turned the page.
Read three lines.
Then realised she'd retained none of them.
She closed the book.
"...Curious."
The following morning...
She noticed him.
That was the problem.
She'd obviously seen Midoriya before.
They'd fought during the Sports
Festival.
Shared lessons.
Participated in joint training.
But now...
She noticed him.
He held the door open for Pony.
Nothing remarkable.
Then remained there because three more students were approaching.
Then another.
Then another.
Eventually Monoma walked through.
"...Are you employed here now?"
Izuku blinked.
"...What?"
"The door."
"Oh."
He looked behind him.
Apparently only then realising he'd been standing there for nearly a minute.
"...Habit."
Monoma stared at him.
"...You are an unusual person."
"Thanks?"
Later...
Ibara noticed Izuku helping Kaminari study.
"No, look."
Izuku pointed at the page.
"You're getting this part right."
Kaminari groaned.
"I'm definitely not."
"You are."
"I've answered four questions wrong."
"But they're all wrong in the same way."
Kaminari stared.
"...How is that good?"
"Because it means there's only one thing we need to fix."
Kaminari slowly sat upright.
"...Oh."
"Exactly."
Ibara smiled before she realised she
was doing it.
Then...
Lunch.
Izuku noticed there weren't enough chairs.
He gave his up.
He didn't announce it.
Didn't make a point of it.
He simply found another one.
After classes...
He stayed behind to help clean.
Not because Aizawa asked.
Because Sato was doing it alone.
None of these things were extraordinary.
That was precisely what troubled her.
Heroism was easy to admire when someone was saving lives.
When crowds were watching.
When danger demanded courage.
But Midoriya seemed incapable of turning it off.
His kindness appeared in places where nobody would reward him for it.
Tiny moments.
Unnoticed moments.
Ibara found herself noticing all of them.
"You are staring."
Ibara nearly dropped her tea.
She looked across the Class 1-B common room.
Reiko sat opposite her.
"...I beg your pardon?"
"Midoriya."
Ibara straightened.
"I am doing no such thing."
Reiko slowly looked towards the other side of the room.
Classes 1-A and 1-B were sharing the common area after another joint study session.
Izuku sat with several students.
Notebook open.
Talking enthusiastically.
Ibara followed Reiko's gaze.
Then immediately realised she'd just proven her point.
"...I was merely observing."
Reiko took another sip of tea.
"...Of course."
Kinoko leaned over the back of the sofa.
"Who're we observing?"
"No one."
"Midoriya."
Ibara looked betrayed.
"Yanagi."
Kinoko's eyes widened.
"Ooooh."
"There is no 'ooh.'"
"There was definitely an 'ooh.'"
"There was not."
Yui looked up from her phone.
"...There was."
Ibara closed her eyes.
Mmm
"Have I somehow wandered into a trial?"
Reiko's expression remained perfectly neutral.
"...Perhaps."
Kinoko dropped onto the sofa beside her.
"So..."
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to ask."
"I possess sufficient deductive ability."
Kinoko grinned.
"Do you like him?"
Ibara opened her mouth.
The immediate answer should have been simple.
No.
She respected Midoriya.
Admired his dedication.
Found his kindness commendable.
Enjoyed speaking with him.
Had perhaps become slightly more aware of his smile.
And his freckles.
And the way his eyes seemed to brighten whenever someone mentioned heroes.
And… Ibara stopped.
"...Oh."
Kinoko's grin widened.
Reiko took another sip of tea.
Yui nodded once.
"...There it is."
Ibara stared down into her cup.
"This is..."
She searched carefully for the correct word.
"...unexpected."
Kinoko giggled.
"You like him."
"I did not say that."
"You didn't have to."
That night… Ibara sat alone beside her bedroom window.
She considered the matter seriously.
Attraction was not something shameful.
Nor was affection.
But neither was something she wished to treat carelessly.
So she thought about Midoriya.
Not his strength.
Not his reputation.
Not the power he carried.
Him.
The boy who held doors without noticing.
Who helped classmates understand instead of making them feel foolish.
Who surrendered his chair without expecting thanks.
Who saw the intention behind the way she fought.
Who had looked at her and said...
You protected everyone.
Ibara smiled softly.
Perhaps… There was something there worth understanding.
Something small.
Something new.
Something that had only just begun.
A seed.
And for now...
She was content to see whether it would grow.
Ibara Shiozaki had decided to approach the situation rationally.
This lasted until breakfast.
"...Good morning, Shiozaki."
She looked up.
Midoriya stood beside her table, carrying a tray.
"Good morning."
He smiled.
"Do you mind if I sit here?"
There were six empty seats.
Ibara stared at them.
Then at him.
"...Of course not."
"Thanks."
He sat opposite her.
Ibara returned her attention to breakfast.
Or attempted to.
Across the table...
Izuku poured himself some orange juice.
Completely normal.
Nothing noteworthy whatsoever.
She took a sip of tea.
This is ridiculous.
She had spoken to Midoriya dozens of times.
Why should anything be different now?
"So..."
She almost jumped.
"...Yes?"
Izuku blinked.
"Sorry."
"No."
She straightened.
"You merely caught me in thought."
"Oh."
He smiled.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to work together again today."
Ibara's fingers tightened slightly around her cup.
"...I would."
His smile widened.
"Great."
Then he returned to breakfast.
Ibara stared into her tea.
Across the room...
Kinoko was watching.
Pony was watching.
Reiko was watching.
Yui was watching.
Ibara slowly lifted her gaze.
Four heads immediately turned in different directions.
"...Subtle."
Today's exercise was considerably less dramatic.
No collapsing buildings.
No robots.
Instead… Combat analysis.
Students were paired together and tasked with reviewing recordings from previous training exercises.
Izuku and Ibara sat side by side.
Which was… Fine.
Entirely fine.
Ibara had no reason whatsoever to notice that he smelled faintly of soap.
That information was irrelevant.
She discarded it immediately.
Mostly.
Izuku paused the recording.
"There."
Ibara leaned closer.
"Your positioning?"
"Exactly."
He pointed.
"I moved too early."
"You believed the civilian was in immediate danger."
"I did."
"Then your decision was understandable."
"Understandable isn't necessarily correct."
Ibara considered that.
"...No."
"It is not."
Izuku looked at her.
Most people would've reassured him.
Told him he'd done his best.
Told him not to worry.
Ibara simply studied the footage.
"You exposed your left side."
Izuku nodded.
"I did."
"And had the villain possessed a ranged Quirk..."
"I'd have been vulnerable."
"Precisely."
Izuku smiled.
Ibara blinked.
"...Why are you smiling?"
"Because you actually answered."
She frowned.
"Why would I not?"
"People sometimes..."
He scratched his cheek.
"...try to make me feel better."
"I don't think you require comfort."
"You require honesty."
Izuku stared at her for a moment.
Then his expression softened.
"...Yeah."
"I do."
Something warm settled in Ibara's chest.
They continued.
This time… Ibara's footage.
Izuku watched carefully.
She'd restrained three opponents simultaneously.
Protected two civilians.
Maintained defensive coverage.
Then…
"Pause."
Izuku stopped the footage.
Ibara frowned.
"...What did you observe?"
"You hesitated."
She looked at the screen.
"...I did."
"Why?"
The question wasn't accusing.
Just curious.
Ibara considered it.
"I was uncertain whether my vines would injure the opponent."
Izuku nodded.
"So you reduced the pressure."
"Yes."
"But that gave him room to move."
"Indeed."
He thought.
Then...
"What if you changed the restraint point?"
She turned towards him.
"Explain."
Izuku's notebook appeared almost instantly.
Naturally.
"If you restrain here instead..."
He began drawing.
"...you wouldn't need as much pressure."
Ibara leaned closer.
Their shoulders touched.
Neither noticed.
"Interesting."
"And if the opponent moves..."
"The vine tightens naturally."
"Exactly!"
Ibara smiled.
"That is clever."
Izuku's face lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course."
He immediately began explaining further.
Ibara listened.
Not merely because she liked him.
Because he was genuinely fascinating when he became excited.
His hands moved constantly.
His words occasionally tripped over one another.
His eyes brightened.
Sometimes he muttered half a thought before correcting himself.
It was...
Endearing.
Very endearing.
Dangerously endearing.
Across the room...
Kinoko nudged Setsuna.
Setsuna looked over.
"...Oh."
Kinoko grinned.
"Right?"
"They've been like that for twenty minutes."
Setsuna watched.
Izuku and Ibara were practically shoulder-to-shoulder over a notebook.
Neither seemed remotely aware.
"...That's painful."
Kinoko giggled.
"Give them time."
Setsuna smiled.
"I give Shiozaki three weeks before she presents him with a formal written declaration."
Reiko spoke without looking up.
"...Two."
Yui considered.
"...Eight days."
Everyone stared at her.
Yui shrugged.
After training...
Izuku and Ibara walked back towards the main building together.
"You were right earlier."
Ibara glanced over.
"Regarding?"
"Honesty."
He smiled.
"It's nice."
"People don't always tell me when I'm doing something wrong."
"They assume..."
"...because of everything..."
He gestured vaguely.
"...I know what I'm doing."
Ibara understood immediately.
"Strength does not grant infallibility."
"Exactly."
"You are exceptionally powerful."
"But you remain a student."
Izuku laughed.
"Tell that to everyone else."
"I shall."
He looked at her.
Ibara's expression remained completely serious.
"...You would, wouldn't you?"
"If necessary."
He laughed again.
Ibara smiled.
She liked his laugh.
There.
She admitted it.
Privately.
To herself.
Progress.
They reached the entrance.
Izuku stopped.
"Shiozaki?"
"Yes?"
"I..."
He hesitated.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Talking to me normally."
Ibara frowned.
"How else would I speak to you?"
He shrugged.
"People treat me differently sometimes."
"Especially after everything that's happened."
Ibara studied him.
Then...
"You are Midoriya Izuku."
He blinked.
"Yes."
"You are our classmate."
"Yes."
"You possess admirable qualities."
His cheeks coloured slightly.
"But..."
She continued.
"...you possess faults as well."
He laughed.
"Definitely."
"I see no reason to pretend otherwise."
Something in his expression changed.
A softness.
Relief, perhaps.
Then… He smiled.
"I really like that about you."
Ibara stopped breathing.
Only momentarily.
But still.
"...Thank you."
Izuku waved.
"See you tomorrow."
"...Indeed."
He walked away.
Ibara remained at the entrance.
Completely still.
Her cheeks felt… Warm.
Very warm.
"...You look troubled."
Ibara closed her eyes.
Of course.
Reiko stood behind her.
"I am not troubled."
"...Your face is red."
"The temperature is elevated."
Reiko glanced towards the grey sky.
"...It is twelve degrees."
Ibara slowly turned.
"Yanagi."
"...Yes?"
"I cherish our friendship."
Reiko nodded.
"...Thank you."
"At this precise moment..."
"...I would cherish silence slightly more."
Reiko considered this.
"...Understood."
She walked away.
Ibara exhaled.
That evening...
The interrogation began.
Kinoko sat cross-legged on the sofa.
Pony beside her.
Setsuna had somehow joined despite not being invited.
Reiko occupied an armchair.
Yui sat quietly nearby.
Ibara stood before them.
"This is absurd."
Setsuna grinned.
"Tell us what he said."
"No."
Kinoko leaned forward.
"Was it romantic?"
"No."
Pony smiled.
"Did he compliment you?"
Ibara hesitated.
"...Perhaps."
Four faces immediately changed.
Ibara sighed.
"He merely stated that he liked something about me."
Silence.
Setsuna slowly sat forward.
"...He said he likes something about you?"
"The phrasing is misleading."
"Those were your words."
"He said..."
Ibara paused.
"...'I really like that about you.'"
Kinoko grabbed Pony's arm.
Pony made a tiny squeaking sound.
Reiko simply nodded.
"...Eight days may have been
generous."
Yui nodded.
"...Six."
Ibara stared at them.
"You are all behaving as though he proposed marriage."
Setsuna laughed.
"No."
"We're behaving like our extremely serious friend has her first massive crush."
Ibara opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
"...Massive is an exaggeration."
Everyone stared.
Ibara folded her arms.
"...Moderate."
Setsuna burst out laughing.
Later...
Alone in her room...
Ibara found herself thinking again.
Not analysing.
Not rationalising.
Simply thinking.
About the way Izuku smiled when she challenged him.
The way he listened when she spoke.
The way he didn't seem intimidated by her seriousness.
The way he'd thanked her for treating him normally.
And...
“I really like that about you.”
Her heart fluttered again.
Ibara sighed.
"...Moderate."
She looked towards the ceiling.
Silence.
Then...
"...Perhaps somewhat greater than moderate."
Elsewhere...
Izuku sat at his desk.
His notebook was open.
He'd intended to review today's training.
Instead...
He found himself thinking about Ibara.
Her honesty.
Her calmness.
The way she challenged him without making him feel foolish.
Her dry sense of humour that he was beginning to realise was considerably sharper than people gave her credit for.
He smiled.
Then noticed what he'd written in the margin.
Shiozaki is really easy to talk to.
Izuku stared at it.
"...Huh."
He tapped his pencil against the desk.
Then added:
I'd like to spend more time with her outside training.
He stopped.
Read the sentence.
Read it again.
His cheeks slowly became pink.
"...Oh."
Across campus...
Ibara closed her book without reading a single page.
The seed was no longer merely there.
Quietly...
Without either of them intending it...
It had begun to take root.
Yui Kodai was correct.
It took six days.
Ibara had spent those six days thinking.
Carefully.
Seriously.
Thoroughly.
She considered whether her feelings were merely admiration.
They weren't.
She considered whether they were simply the result of spending more time together.
Possibly.
But that didn't make them less genuine.
She considered whether pursuing those feelings would interfere with their training.
Potentially.
Anything could become a distraction if handled poorly.
She considered whether Midoriya might feel the same way.
That...
Was considerably harder.
He sought her company.
He smiled when she approached.
He'd started sitting beside her during joint lessons.
Twice, she'd caught him looking at her.
Once...
He'd immediately looked away.
That had been interesting.
Still...
Assumptions were dangerous.
There was only one reasonable solution.
She would ask him.
Directly.
Honestly.
With dignity.
"...You're going to what?"
Kinoko stared at her.
"I intend to ask Midoriya whether he would be interested in pursuing a romantic relationship."
Setsuna slowly lowered her drink.
"...Today?"
"Yes."
Pony's eyes widened.
"You're going to confess?"
Ibara frowned.
"I would not describe it as a
confession."
Setsuna blinked.
"What would you describe it as?"
"A conversation."
"...About your romantic feelings."
"Yes."
"Where you tell him you like him."
"Yes."
"And ask if he likes you."
"Essentially."
Setsuna looked at Kinoko.
Kinoko looked at Setsuna.
"...That's a confession."
Ibara sighed.
"Then apparently I shall confess."
Reiko looked up.
"...What will you say?"
Ibara had considered this.
"I shall simply be honest."
Yui nodded approvingly.
Setsuna looked deeply concerned.
"Define honest."
"I will tell him that I have developed
affection for him."
"Okay..."
"That I admire his character."
"Good..."
"And that I would like permission to court him."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Kinoko's mouth fell open.
Pony made a tiny squeaking sound.
Reiko blinked.
Yui stared.
Setsuna slowly placed both hands on the table.
"...You are going to ask Midoriya..."
"...If you can court him?"
"Yes."
Setsuna stood.
"No."
Ibara raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"You cannot say that."
"Why?"
"Because he's going to think you've
travelled here from the nineteenth century!"
"I see nothing objectionable about clarity."
"Ask him on a date!"
"That seems unnecessarily ambiguous."
"HOW?"
Kinoko had buried her face in a cushion to hide her laughter.
Ibara folded her arms.
"What would you suggest?"
Setsuna immediately straightened.
"Easy."
She adopted what she apparently believed was a seductive expression.
"'Hey, Midoriya. I've been thinking about you lately. Wanna go out sometime?'"
Ibara stared.
"...No."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Everything."
Kinoko laughed into the cushion.
Pony raised her hand.
"Maybe..."
Everyone looked at her.
"...Tell him you like him first?"
Ibara considered it.
"That seems reasonable."
Setsuna sighed with relief.
"Thank you."
"Then I shall ask to court him."
"...We're making progress."
There was another consideration.
A far more difficult one.
Ibara clasped her hands together.
"I have also prayed on the matter."
Setsuna immediately became quieter.
Nobody mocked that.
They knew her too well.
Kinoko smiled gently.
"And?"
Ibara looked down.
"I believe my intentions are sincere."
That removed the last traces of comedy from the room.
Because they understood what she meant.
This wasn't a game to Ibara.
She wasn't interested in dating Midoriya simply because she found him attractive.
She cared about him.
She respected him.
She wanted to know him better.
And if he didn't return those feelings...
She would accept that.
Setsuna smiled.
"Then go get him."
Ibara nodded.
"I shall speak to him."
She headed towards the door.
Then stopped.
"...Though perhaps..."
Everyone waited.
"...I shall omit the word court."
Setsuna threw both arms into the air.
"THANK YOU!"
Izuku was outside.
Of course he was.
Sitting beneath the same tree where he
often wrote after training.
Notebook balanced against his knee.
Ibara approached.
"Midoriya."
He looked up.
His expression immediately brightened.
"Shiozaki!"
Then he noticed her expression.
"...Is everything okay?"
"Yes."
"...Am I in trouble?"
Ibara blinked.
"No."
"Oh."
He visibly relaxed.
"...Good."
She almost smiled.
Almost.
"May I sit?"
"Of course."
He moved his bag.
Ibara sat beside him.
Not too close.
Not too far.
For several seconds...
Neither spoke.
Izuku waited.
Ibara discovered something unexpected.
She was nervous.
Very nervous.
Her heart was beating considerably
faster than normal.
Her palms felt warm.
She had fought villains with greater composure.
How peculiar.
Finally...
"I have been considering something."
Izuku closed his notebook.
"Okay."
She looked at him.
Directly.
"I value honesty."
He nodded.
"I know."
"And I do not believe affection should
be treated frivolously."
His cheeks became slightly pink.
"...Affection?"
"Yes."
Ibara continued before she could reconsider.
"I have greatly enjoyed the time we have spent together."
"Training."
"Studying."
"Our conversations."
"And..."
She hesitated.
Only slightly.
"...I have found myself thinking about you when we are apart."
Izuku's eyes widened.
Ibara's heart hammered.
Still… She continued.
"I admire your compassion."
"Your determination."
"Your willingness to examine your own mistakes."
"And the kindness you show when no recognition is available to you."
Izuku's face was now unmistakably red.
Ibara noticed.
That somehow made continuing easier.
"I believe..."
She took a quiet breath.
"...That I have developed romantic feelings for you."
There.
Said.
No ambiguity.
No hints.
No games.
Just truth.
Izuku stared at her.
"...Oh."
Ibara waited.
"...Oh?"
His eyes widened.
"No!"
"I mean-"
"Not bad 'oh!'"
"I just-"
He rubbed both hands across his face.
"I wasn't expecting-"
Ibara's lips twitched.
"Take your time."
"Thank you."
Izuku breathed slowly.
Then looked at her again.
"I..."
He laughed nervously.
"I've been thinking about you too."
Ibara blinked.
"...You have?"
"Yeah."
He looked down at his notebook.
"I actually wrote it down."
That caught her completely off guard.
"...You recorded your feelings in a notebook?"
His face turned even redder.
"When you say it like that, it sounds really strange."
A laugh escaped her.
A real one.
Light.
Warm.
Izuku stared.
Ibara's laughter faded.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
He smiled.
"I like your laugh."
Now it was Ibara's turn to blush.
"...Thank you."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck.
"I like talking to you."
"You don't treat me differently because of..."
He gestured vaguely at himself.
"...everything."
"You tell me when I'm wrong."
"You listen when I ramble."
"You make me think."
"And..."
His smile became shy.
"...I've started looking forward to seeing you."
Ibara felt warmth spread through her
chest.
"So..."
He continued.
"...I think I like you too."
For several seconds...
Neither spoke.
Then Ibara smiled.
"I am pleased."
Izuku laughed.
"I'm glad."
There was only one matter remaining.
Ibara straightened slightly.
"In that case..."
Izuku waited.
She remembered Setsuna.
Do not say court.
"...Would you..."
She stopped.
Izuku tilted his head.
"...Yes?"
Ibara fought an internal battle.
A brief one.
She lost.
"...Would you permit me to court you?"
Silence.
Izuku stared.
Ibara immediately closed her eyes.
"...I was advised not to phrase it that way."
His lips twitched.
"I see."
"Tokage was particularly insistent."
Izuku tried.
He genuinely tried.
Then he started laughing.
Ibara opened her eyes.
"I apologise."
"No!"
He shook his head quickly.
"I'm not laughing at you."
"I just..."
He smiled.
"...That's really you."
She blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Direct."
"Honest."
"A little formal."
"...A little?"
"Very."
She sighed.
"I feared as much."
"But..."
His expression softened.
"...I like that about you."
There were those words again.
The ones that had started all of this.
Ibara smiled.
"Then..."
She tried again.
"...Would you like to go on a date with me?"
Izuku's answer came immediately.
"Yes."
Her eyes widened.
He smiled.
"I'd really like that."
From a second-floor window...
Five faces immediately disappeared.
Setsuna dropped beneath the windowsill.
"HE SAID YES!"
Kinoko grabbed her arm.
"Keep your voice down!"
Pony was practically vibrating.
"That was so romantic!"
Reiko nodded.
"...She said court."
Setsuna covered her face.
"I KNOW."
Yui looked quietly pleased.
"...Still worked."
Outside...
Neither Izuku nor Ibara noticed.
They were too busy discussing
Saturday.
"What would you enjoy?"
Ibara asked.
Izuku thought.
"I don't mind."
"Nor do I."
They stared at each other.
"...This may prove difficult."
Izuku laughed.
"Probably."
Ibara considered their options.
Then...
"I have always enjoyed botanical gardens."
Izuku smiled.
"I haven't been to one in years."
"Would that appeal to you?"
"Definitely."
"Then..."
Her smile softened.
"...It is a date."
Izuku's cheeks turned pink again.
"Yeah."
"It is."
That evening...
Ibara returned to the Class 1-B dorms.
She entered the common room.
Everyone immediately pretended they hadn't been waiting.
Setsuna was reading a book upside down.
Kinoko stared intensely at a blank television.
Pony appeared fascinated by the ceiling.
Reiko was behaving normally.
Which somehow made her the most suspicious.
Yui drank tea.
Ibara stopped.
"...He accepted."
The room exploded.
Pony hugged her.
Kinoko cheered.
Setsuna threw the upside-down book
into the air.
"I KNEW IT!"
Ibara stumbled backwards.
"Please!"
"Maintain some dignity!"
"You asked a boy if you could COURT HIM!"
"I WAS NERVOUS!"
Everyone froze.
Ibara froze.
Setsuna's grin became enormous.
"...You were nervous?"
Ibara's cheeks warmed.
"I am still human."
Kinoko laughed.
Eventually...
Much later...
Ibara escaped to her room.
She sat beside the window.
The same place she'd sat when all of this began.
She thought about the seed.
That tiny, unexpected feeling.
Something she'd initially tried to understand.
Then something she'd tried to rationalise.
Now...
She smiled.
Saturday.
Their first date.
She didn't know what would happen.
She didn't know whether this would become something lasting.
And surprisingly...
She didn't need to.
Some things could not be understood before they were experienced.
Some things required patience.
Care.
Honesty.
And the courage to allow them room to grow.
Ibara looked out into the evening.
The seed had taken root.
Now… She would simply see what bloomed.
Saturday morning arrived.
Ibara Shiozaki was ready.
She had selected her clothes the previous evening.
Checked the weather.
Planned her route.
Confirmed the opening hours of the botanical gardens.
Packed an umbrella despite the forecast predicting sunshine.
Everything was prepared.
Everything was organised.
Everything was completely under control.
Except...
"...Is this too formal?"
Kinoko looked at her.
Ibara stood in the centre of the room wearing a long cream skirt, a pale green blouse and a light cardigan.
"...No."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps the cardigan is excessive."
"It's a cardigan."
"The weather is expected to remain warm."
"You can take it off."
Ibara frowned.
"...True."
Pony smiled.
"You look really pretty."
Ibara's cheeks warmed slightly.
"Thank you."
Setsuna leaned against the doorway.
"You look like you're about to have the most wholesome date in human history."
Ibara looked at her.
"...I am uncertain whether that was intended as praise."
"It was."
Yui nodded.
"...Cute."
Reiko looked up.
"...You are nervous."
Ibara sighed.
"Apparently everyone has developed an extraordinary ability to identify my emotional state."
Setsuna grinned.
"No."
"You're just really bad at hiding it."
Ibara checked the time.
"I should leave."
Kinoko smiled.
"Have fun."
"I intend to."
Setsuna immediately pointed.
"And don't interview him."
Ibara stopped.
"...Interview him?"
"No questions like..."
Setsuna adopted an exaggeratedly formal voice.
"'Midoriya, where do you envision yourself in five years?'"
"I was not planning to ask that."
"'What qualities do you consider essential in a long-term romantic
partner?'"
"Tokage."
"'Please describe your intentions towards me in no fewer than five hundred words.'"
Ibara opened the door.
"Goodbye."
The room erupted into laughter behind her.
Izuku arrived twelve minutes early.
Ibara arrived ten minutes early.
Which meant...
They both spent approximately two minutes standing outside the entrance pretending they hadn't deliberately arrived early.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
Silence.
Izuku smiled.
"You look really nice."
Ibara's carefully maintained composure immediately developed a crack.
"...Thank you."
She looked at him.
Jeans.
White shirt.
Green overshirt.
Red trainers.
Casual.
Simple.
Very...
Izuku.
"You look quite handsome yourself."
His cheeks turned red.
"...Thanks."
Ibara smiled.
This was already going well.
The botanical gardens were enormous.
Glasshouses rose above landscaped grounds.
Pathways disappeared between flowers and trees.
Small ponds reflected the morning sunlight.
For the first several minutes...
They simply walked.
Neither quite knew what to say.
Which was unusual.
During training, conversation had been effortless.
During study sessions, they could talk for hours.
But now...
It was a date.
Apparently that single word had rendered both of them incapable of normal conversation.
Izuku cleared his throat.
"So..."
"Yes?"
"...Plants."
Ibara stared at him.
Izuku closed his eyes.
"...That was terrible."
A laugh escaped her.
"Quite."
"I'm sorry."
"Please don't apologise."
She smiled.
"Plants indeed."
He laughed.
And suddenly...
The tension disappeared.
They entered the first glasshouse.
Warm, humid air surrounded them.
Plants stretched overhead.
Huge leaves.
Vines.
Flowers in colours Izuku hadn't known existed.
Ibara visibly relaxed.
"This section contains tropical species."
Izuku smiled.
"You've been here before."
"Several times."
She stopped beside a flowering vine.
"This is Passiflora caerulea."
"Blue passionflower."
Izuku leaned closer.
"It's incredible."
"The structure is unusually complex."
Ibara began explaining.
The petals.
The corona filaments.
The climbing behaviour.
Its adaptations.
After approximately thirty seconds...
She stopped.
"...Forgive me."
Izuku blinked.
"For what?"
"I am lecturing."
He smiled.
"No."
"You're excited."
Ibara stared at him.
The words were familiar.
I like seeing you excited.
Something Kinoko had once mentioned about him suddenly made sense.
Ibara smiled.
"Then..."
She gestured towards the flower.
"...shall I continue?"
"Please."
So she did.
An hour passed.
Then two.
They talked about everything.
Plants.
Heroes.
School.
Family.
Future agencies.
Their childhoods.
At one point, Izuku admitted he'd once tried growing a sunflower.
"What became of it?"
"...I overwatered it."
Ibara looked genuinely pained.
"I was four!"
"That does mitigate the offence."
"The offence?"
"You drowned an innocent sunflower."
Izuku stared at her.
Ibara maintained a perfectly serious expression.
Then...
Her lips twitched.
Izuku pointed.
"You're joking!"
"I have no idea what you mean."
"You absolutely are!"
"I would never make light of such botanical tragedy."
Izuku laughed.
"I didn't know you were this funny."
Ibara stopped.
"...You think I'm funny?"
"Yeah."
He smiled.
"Really funny."
Her cheeks warmed.
"...Thank you."
Lunch was simple.
Sandwiches from a small café.
They sat outside beside a pond.
For a while...
Neither spoke.
Not because things were awkward.
Because they didn't need to.
Eventually...
Ibara looked across at him.
"Midoriya."
"Hm?"
"May I ask something somewhat personal?"
"Sure."
"Why did you agree?"
He blinked.
"To the date?"
"Yes."
She looked down at her hands.
"I know you said you had developed feelings."
"But..."
She hesitated.
"I suppose I am curious what you see in me."
Izuku considered the question seriously.
"I like that you're honest."
She smiled faintly.
"I suspected that."
"You don't tell people what they want to hear."
"You tell them what you believe they
need to hear."
He looked towards the water.
"You care about people."
"A lot."
"But you don't make a big deal about it."
"You just..."
He shrugged.
"...do."
Ibara listened quietly.
"And..."
He smiled.
"I like that you're different when people
actually get to know you."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Different?"
"You're funny."
"You tease people."
"Very occasionally."
"You have strong opinions."
"I do."
"Very strong opinions."
"Sometimes."
"You gave me a ten-minute lecture because I killed a sunflower when I was four."
"It deserved justice."
Izuku laughed.
"Exactly."
She smiled.
Then his expression softened.
"I feel comfortable around you."
That one landed differently.
Ibara looked at him.
Izuku continued.
"I don't feel like I need to be..."
He searched for the words.
"...Deku."
"The hero."
"The person everyone's expecting something from."
"With you..."
He smiled.
"I can just be Izuku."
Ibara's chest tightened.
Not painfully.
Something warmer.
Something deeper.
"I am glad."
She reached across the table.
Stopped.
Her hand hovered.
Then slowly returned to her lap.
Izuku noticed.
Neither mentioned it.
The afternoon passed far too quickly.
They explored the Japanese garden.
The alpine house.
The rose garden.
They found a quiet path beneath an archway covered in climbing flowers.
And somewhere along the way...
Ibara realised she didn't want the day to end.
That was new.
She enjoyed solitude.
Always had.
She valued quiet.
Yet...
She wanted more time with him.
They eventually started walking towards the exit.
Their shoulders brushed.
Once.
Neither reacted.
Then again.
Ibara looked down.
Izuku's hand hung beside hers.
Close.
Very close.
She'd restrained villains.
Faced giant robots.
Fought in front of thousands of people.
She had walked directly up to Midoriya
Izuku and told him she wished to court him.
Yet...
The prospect of moving her hand approximately five centimetres sideways seemed inexplicably terrifying.
She flexed her fingers.
Izuku noticed.
"...Shiozaki?"
"Yes?"
He hesitated.
Then...
"...Would you like to hold hands?"
Ibara stopped walking.
Izuku immediately panicked.
"Only if you want to!"
"I wasn't assuming."
"I just noticed-"
"Midoriya."
He stopped.
Ibara smiled.
"Very much."
She held out her hand.
Izuku took it.
Carefully.
Their fingers intertwined.
Ibara looked down.
Such a simple thing.
Warm skin.
Gentle pressure.
Nothing extraordinary.
And yet...
Her heart raced.
Izuku's cheeks were bright pink.
She suspected hers were much the same.
"...This is pleasant."
Izuku laughed softly.
"Yeah."
"It is."
They continued walking.
Neither let go.
When they reached the station...
They still didn't.
When their train arrived...
Still holding hands.
When they sat beside each other...
Still.
At some point...
Ibara rested her head lightly against his shoulder.
She didn't plan it.
It simply felt natural.
Izuku stiffened for half a second.
Then relaxed.
"Izuku?"
He froze.
She froze.
It was the first time she'd used his given name.
Slowly...
He looked down at her.
"...Yeah?"
Ibara's cheeks warmed.
"I enjoyed today."
His smile softened.
"So did I."
"I would like to do it again."
"I would too."
She smiled.
"Then we shall."
A beat.
"...Ibara?"
Now it was her turn.
She looked up.
Izuku's face was red.
Her own probably matched.
"...Yes?"
He smiled.
"Nothing."
"I just wanted to try it."
She laughed quietly.
"I see."
Then...
She rested her head against his shoulder again.
Later that evening...
Ibara entered Class 1-B's common room.
Setsuna was waiting.
Kinoko was waiting.
Pony was waiting.
Reiko was waiting.
Yui was waiting.
Ibara stopped.
"...Good morning."
Setsuna leaned forward.
"Well?"
"It was enjoyable."
"...And?"
"We visited the tropical glasshouse."
Kinoko smiled.
"And?"
"We had lunch."
Pony practically bounced.
"And?"
"We explored the gardens."
Setsuna stared.
"Shiozaki."
"Yes?"
"Did anything romantic happen?"
Ibara considered the question.
Then… A tiny smile appeared.
"We held hands."
The reaction was immediate.
Pony squealed.
Kinoko grabbed Yui's arm.
Setsuna threw herself backwards across the sofa.
"FINALLY!"
Reiko smiled.
Barely.
But unmistakably.
Yui nodded.
"...Nice."
Ibara's cheeks warmed.
"It was."
Setsuna sat upright.
"Did you kiss?"
"No."
"Almost?"
"No."
"Did you want to?"
Ibara paused.
She considered it.
Then smiled.
"...Perhaps someday."
Setsuna blinked.
That answer seemed to surprise her.
Ibara continued towards the kitchen.
There was no rush.
No deadline.
No expectation of what should happen next.
They had time.
They were learning one another.
And whatever this relationship eventually became...
She wanted it to grow naturally.
Outside...
Through the common room window...
Ibara spotted Izuku crossing campus.
He happened to glance towards the building.
Their eyes met.
He smiled.
Ibara smiled back.
Something had begun with a compliment.
Then admiration.
Then curiosity.
Then affection.
A seed.
Given patience.
Given honesty.
Given room to grow.
And now...
Quietly.
Gently.
It had finally begun to bloom.