Work Text:
Izuku Midoriya couldn't sleep.
This was not unusual.
Unfortunately.
He lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
His alarm clock read:
11:32 PM
He closed his eyes.
Sleep.
His brain immediately responded.
During today's exercise, if I'd used Blackwhip approximately half a second earlier-
Izuku opened his eyes.
"No."
He rolled over.
But if I'd approached from the eastern side instead-
"No."
He pulled the blanket over his head.
Yanagi's Poltergeist could potentially-
"Stop."
Silence.
Five seconds.
Actually, Poltergeist has some really interesting rescue applications-
Izuku threw the blanket off.
"...Fine."
Ten minutes later...
He was downstairs.
Notebook.
Pencil.
Glass of water.
If his brain refused to stop...
He might as well give it something
useful to do.
The common room was empty.
Obviously.
Most reasonable people were asleep.
Izuku settled into an armchair.
Opened his notebook.
And began writing.
YANAGI REIKO — POLTERGEIST
Known weight limitation: approximately one person's mass.
Potential applications:
— Remote civilian extraction
— Moving dangerous objects without direct contact
— Multi-directional distraction
— Equipment retrieval
Izuku paused.
He tapped his pencil against the page.
"...Could she move someone's costume while they're wearing it?"
He frowned.
"Would that count as moving the person?"
"...Probably."
He started writing again.
Then… Something moved behind him.
Izuku stopped.
Slowly… He looked over his shoulder.
Nothing.
"..."
He turned back.
Probably tired.
He continued writing.
Then...
A book floated past his head.
Izuku froze.
The book drifted silently across the room.
No strings.
No visible person.
Nothing.
Izuku stared.
"...Okay."
Another book followed.
Then a third.
Izuku slowly put his pencil down.
"...Hello?"
Nothing.
A mug floated past.
Izuku stood.
His heart beat slightly faster.
He knew ghosts weren't real.
Probably.
There were Quirks that resembled ghosts.
There were people with Quirks that allowed them to phase through walls.
There were Quirks that created sentient shadows.
There were-
A cushion floated off the sofa.
"...Is someone there?"
Silence.
Izuku swallowed.
"Because if this is some kind of haunting..."
He raised his hands.
"...I don't want any trouble."
A voice came from behind him.
"...Disappointing."
Izuku jumped.
"AH!"
He spun around.
Reiko Yanagi stood in the doorway.
Expression completely blank.
"...Yanagi!"
"Midoriya."
Izuku pressed a hand against his chest.
"You scared me!"
Reiko tilted her head.
"...Why?"
"The floating books!"
She looked towards them.
"...My Quirk."
"I know that now!"
Reiko considered this.
"...I thought you had noticed."
"IT'S MIDNIGHT!"
She looked towards the clock.
11:48 PM
"...Not yet."
Izuku stared at her.
Reiko stared back.
Then… The faintest movement touched the corner of her mouth.
Izuku narrowed his eyes.
"...Did you do that on purpose?"
"No."
"...Yanagi."
"No."
"You're smiling."
"I am not."
"You are!"
She walked past him.
"...You imagined it."
Izuku watched her go.
"...You're terrifying."
"Thank you."
Reiko's books floated neatly onto the table.
Her mug settled beside them.
She sat on the sofa.
Izuku remained standing.
"...What are you doing?"
"Reading."
"...Down here?"
"Yes."
"At midnight?"
"Almost."
"...Why?"
Reiko opened her book.
"I could not sleep."
Izuku blinked.
"...Oh."
She glanced at his notebook.
"Neither could you."
"No."
Izuku sat again.
"My brain won't switch off."
"...I noticed."
He looked down at the notebook.
"Was I muttering?"
"Yes."
"...Loudly?"
"Yes."
He covered his face.
"Sorry."
Reiko returned to her book.
"I did not complain."
Silence returned.
Izuku wrote.
Reiko read.
Every few minutes...
A page turned without Reiko touching it.
Izuku tried not to look.
He failed.
Eventually...
"...That's really useful."
Reiko glanced over.
"What?"
"Turning pages with your Quirk."
"...Yes."
"Do you ever..."
Izuku hesitated.
Reiko waited.
"...Read while eating?"
"Frequently."
His eyes lit up.
"So you can eat with both hands while
your Quirk handles the book?"
"Yes."
"That's incredible."
Reiko stared at him.
Izuku realised how enthusiastic he'd become.
"...Sorry."
"Why?"
"I..."
He laughed sheepishly.
"I get excited about Quirks."
"I know."
"...Right."
Everyone knew.
Another ten minutes passed.
Then Reiko spoke.
"What are you writing?"
Izuku looked up.
"Oh."
"Training analysis."
"Of yourself?"
"Mostly."
Reiko's eyes dropped to the page.
She could see her name at the top.
"...Mostly."
Izuku froze.
"...Oh."
She looked at him.
His face turned red.
"I wasn't-"
"It's not weird!"
"Well, it probably looks weird."
"But I analyse everyone's Quirks."
"Not everyone."
"Lots of people."
"Most people."
"I just thought your Quirk had some interesting rescue applications and-"
His notebook suddenly floated out of his hands.
Izuku stopped.
"...Yanagi."
The notebook drifted towards Reiko.
"...Yanagi."
She caught it.
"...May I?"
Izuku stared.
"...You already stole it."
"I borrowed it."
"Without asking."
"I am asking now."
He sighed.
"...Fine."
Reiko read.
Izuku watched her.
Which became increasingly uncomfortable.
"...You don't have to read all of it."
She turned the page.
."...There are three pages."
"I had ideas."
"Clearly."
She continued.
Eventually...
She stopped.
Izuku waited.
"...Well?"
Reiko looked up.
"You noticed my weight limitation."
"Yeah."
"And the delay when controlling multiple objects."
"I wasn't sure about that one."
"You were correct."
Izuku immediately leaned forward.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"So there's a processing limit?"
"Not exactly."
She handed the notebook back.
"The greater the number of objects, the more difficult it becomes to maintain precise control."
Izuku immediately began writing.
"So theoretically you could move dozens of lightweight objects..."
"Yes."
"...but fine control would deteriorate."
"Yes."
"What about objects you can't see?"
"If I know where they are."
His pencil moved faster.
"Does distance matter?"
"Yes."
"Line of sight?"
"Not always."
"Could you-”
He stopped.
"...I'm interrogating you."
Reiko blinked.
"...A little."
"Sorry."
A pause.
"...Continue."
Izuku looked up.
"Really?"
"Yes."
And for the next twenty minutes...
They talked.
Mostly about Poltergeist.
Then Blackwhip.
Then rescue techniques.
Then hero costumes.
Then...
Somehow...
Ghosts.
"Do you actually like ghost stories?"
"Yes."
Izuku smiled.
"That feels appropriate."
"I am aware."
"Do they scare you?"
"No."
"Never?"
"No."
Izuku frowned.
"Not even really good ones?"
Reiko turned a page.
"People scare me."
Izuku nearly inhaled his water.
He coughed.
Reiko calmly looked over.
"...Are you alright?"
"Yes."
He wiped his mouth.
"Sorry."
"You just..."
He started laughing.
Reiko watched him.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
"I didn't expect that."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
He grinned.
"You're funny."
Reiko stared at him.
Izuku's smile faltered.
"...Was that rude?"
"No."
She looked back at her book.
"...People don't usually notice."
Something about that made Izuku smile again.
Eventually...
The clock reached 1:07 AM.
Izuku looked at it.
"...We should probably sleep."
"Probably."
Neither moved.
A minute passed.
Izuku wrote another sentence.
Reiko turned another page.
Another minute.
"...Yanagi."
"Yes?"
"We're both terrible at this."
"...Yes."
Finally...
Reiko closed her book.
Izuku closed his notebook.
They stood.
Her books floated into a neat stack
beside her.
Izuku watched.
"...Still creepy."
"Good."
They headed towards the stairs.
At the landing...
They stopped.
Class 1-A's dorm rooms were one
direction.
The guest rooms currently being used by Class 1-B during the joint training week were the other.
"Goodnight, Midoriya."
"Night, Yanagi."
She started walking away.
Then...
Izuku spoke.
"Hey."
Reiko looked back.
"I..."
He hesitated.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
Izuku thought about it.
He wasn't entirely sure…
For answering his questions?
For letting him ramble?
For not making the silence uncomfortable?
"...The company, I guess."
Reiko regarded him quietly.
Then nodded.
"...Likewise."
She disappeared around the corner.
Izuku headed towards his room.
The following night...
Izuku couldn't sleep.
Again.
11:41 PM.
He stared at the ceiling.
His brain was busy.
Again.
He sighed.
Then...
He looked towards his desk.
Notebook.
Pencil.
He hesitated.
Only briefly.
At 11:52 PM...
Izuku entered the common room.
Empty.
He sat in the same chair.
Opened his notebook.
Started writing.
Five minutes passed.
Then...
A book floated through the doorway.
Izuku looked up.
This time...
He didn't jump.
Reiko followed behind it carrying two mugs.
One floated gently across the room.
It stopped in front of Izuku.
He caught it.
Tea.
"...For me?"
"Yes."
He smiled.
"Thanks."
Reiko sat in the same place as yesterday.
Izuku took a sip.
Then frowned.
"...How did you know I'd be here?"
Reiko opened her book.
"I didn't."
Izuku looked at the second mug.
Then at her.
"...You brought two."
A pause.
Reiko turned a page.
"...Perhaps I suspected."
Izuku smiled.
He returned to his notebook.
Reiko returned to her book.
No plans.
No invitation.
No arrangement.
Just… Two people who couldn't sleep.
Sharing the same quiet room.
And neither of them thought much about the fact that...
Somehow...
They had both hoped the other would be there.
The third night was a coincidence.
The fourth was...
Probably still a coincidence.
By the fifth...
Neither Izuku nor Reiko bothered pretending.
11:56 PM
Izuku walked into the common room.
Reiko was already there.
Same sofa.
Same book.
Two mugs of tea sat on the table.
Izuku smiled.
"...You beat me."
Reiko looked at the clock.
"You are four minutes late."
He stopped.
"...Late?"
"Yes."
"I didn't realise we had a scheduled time."
"We don't."
"...Then how am I late?"
Reiko turned a page.
"You usually arrive around eleven fifty-two."
Izuku stared at her.
"...You've been keeping track?"
"No."
"You just gave me an exact time."
"...Observation."
He laughed.
"Right."
Izuku sat down.
He reached for the second mug.
Paused.
"Is this mine?"
"Perhaps."
"You made two again."
"I was thirsty twice."
He looked at her.
Reiko looked back.
"...Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Their midnight meetings developed rules.
Not official rules.
Neither of them had ever discussed them.
But rules nonetheless.
Rule One:
Whoever arrived first made tea.
Rule Two:
Talking was optional.
Rule Three:
Izuku was permitted to mutter.
Within reason.
Rule Four:
Reiko was not permitted to deliberately float objects behind Izuku's head.
This rule had been introduced after an incident involving a teaspoon.
Reiko disputed the necessity of Rule Four.
Strongly.
"...You did that deliberately."
"No."
"Yanagi."
"No."
"The spoon touched my ear."
"An unfortunate air current."
"We are indoors."
"...Unfortunate."
Izuku stared.
Reiko took a sip of tea.
Her expression remained completely neutral.
Then Izuku noticed it.
The tiniest twitch at the corner of her mouth.
He pointed.
"There!"
Reiko blinked.
"What?"
"You're smiling."
"I am not."
"You absolutely are!"
"I believe sleep deprivation is affecting your vision."
"You're terrible."
"Thank you."
Rule Five:
Snacks were communal.
This rule existed because Izuku started bringing them.
The first time...
He placed a packet of biscuits between them.
Reiko looked at it.
"...What is this?"
"Biscuits."
"I can see that."
Izuku laughed.
"I thought you might want some."
She stared at the packet.
Then at him.
"...Why?"
"Because you always bring tea."
Reiko considered this.
Then used Poltergeist to float a biscuit towards herself.
"...Acceptable."
Izuku grinned.
"High praise."
A few nights later...
Reiko arrived first.
She made tea.
Sat down.
Opened her book.
Then...
Something landed gently beside her.
A small packet of biscuits.
She looked up.
Izuku stood in the doorway.
"Payment."
"For?"
"Tea."
Reiko looked at the biscuits.
Chocolate.
The same ones she'd chosen most often from the previous packet.
She looked back at him.
"You remembered."
Izuku shrugged.
"You liked those."
"...Yes."
He sat down.
Reiko looked at the packet for another moment.
Then quietly opened it.
They began learning things about each other.
Tiny things.
Things nobody would put in a hero profile.
Izuku preferred his tea slightly sweeter than Reiko did.
Reiko hated raisins.
Izuku sometimes drew little hero costume designs in the margins of his notes.
Reiko read the final page of mystery novels first.
Izuku discovered this and reacted as though she'd confessed to murder.
"You WHAT?"
"I read the ending."
"First?"
"Yes."
"Why?!"
"So I know whether the journey is worthwhile."
"THAT DEFEATS THE ENTIRE PURPOSE!"
Reiko calmly drank her tea.
"I disagree."
"It's a mystery!"
"Not to me."
Izuku stared at her.
"...I don't know if we can be friends anymore."
Reiko turned a page.
"...Tragic."
The word stayed with her.
Friends.
She wasn't sure why.
It wasn't incorrect.
They were friends.
Perhaps becoming good friends.
Still...
Something about hearing him say it had caused a strange little feeling in her chest.
Not pain.
Not disappointment exactly.
Just… Something.
She ignored it.
One night...
Izuku didn't bring his notebook.
Reiko noticed immediately.
"No analysis?"
He shook his head.
"Finished earlier."
"Then why are you here?"
The question came out before she could stop it.
Izuku blinked.
Reiko froze.
Because… It was a reasonable question.
If he wasn't working… Why come downstairs?
Izuku looked almost equally surprised.
Then he smiled.
"I don't know."
He settled into the chair.
"I guess..."
He looked towards her.
"...I wanted the company."
Reiko's fingers stopped against the edge of her book.
"...Oh."
Izuku's cheeks coloured.
"I can go if you wanted to read alone."
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Izuku blinked.
Reiko looked down.
"...You may stay."
He smiled.
"Okay."
They talked that night.
Properly.
Not about Quirks.
Not training.
Not heroes.
Just… Things.
Izuku told her about his mother.
Reiko told him about growing up with people constantly asking whether her house was haunted.
Izuku laughed.
"Was it?"
"No."
A pause.
"...Probably."
Izuku stared.
Reiko's expression didn't change.
"...You're doing that deliberately now."
"Perhaps."
She asked about All Might.
Not One For All.
Not training.
Just...
What it had been like meeting his
childhood hero.
Izuku became quiet.
"Overwhelming."
Reiko waited.
"I spent so much of my childhood thinking..."
He smiled faintly.
"...if I could just meet him once, that would be enough."
"And then you did."
"Yeah."
"Was it enough?"
Izuku considered it.
"No."
Reiko tilted her head.
"No?"
"I realised heroes are people."
He looked down at his hands.
"That's better."
Reiko watched him.
Most people saw Midoriya Izuku and saw power.
A future Number One candidate.
The boy who had fought impossible battles.
Reiko had started seeing something
else.
A boy drinking overly sweet tea after midnight.
A boy who remembered which biscuits she liked.
A boy who got genuinely offended when she spoiled books for herself.
A boy who sometimes needed somewhere quiet to exist.
She liked that boy.
The thought appeared so naturally...
She almost missed it.
I like that boy.
Reiko blinked.
She looked down at her book.
"...Hm."
Izuku glanced over.
"Something wrong?"
"No."
She turned a page.
She hadn't read a word.
Their joint training week ended.
Class 1-B returned to their own dorm building.
Which should have ended the midnight meetings.
It didn't.
The buildings were close.
And U.A. students had access to the shared study building between the dorms.
So...
11:51 PM
Izuku arrived.
Reiko was already there.
He laughed.
"You found a replacement."
"The chairs are inferior."
"They are."
"The lighting is worse."
"Definitely."
"The tea facilities are acceptable."
"High praise."
Reiko looked at him.
"...Yes."
And that became their new place.
Nobody noticed.
That was perhaps the strangest part.
Mina didn't notice.
Setsuna didn't notice.
Kinoko didn't notice.
Monoma definitely didn't notice.
Every night...
Two students slipped quietly away from their respective dorms.
They met.
Talked.
Read.
Studied.
Drank tea.
Then went back to bed.
Nothing dramatic happened.
There was nothing for anyone to see.
And somehow...
That made it feel more personal.
Like something belonging only to them.
Then came Thursday.
11:48 PM
Reiko arrived first.
She made tea.
Two mugs.
She placed Izuku's on the opposite side of the table.
Then sat down.
Opened her book.
Waited.
11:55 PM
She turned a page.
12:03 AM
She glanced towards the door.
Nothing.
She returned to her book.
12:11 AM
His tea was getting cold.
Reiko frowned.
She lifted the mug with Poltergeist.
Reheated it.
Sat down again.
12:24 AM
Nothing.
She read the same paragraph three times.
12:37 AM
Reiko closed the book.
She looked at the empty chair.
"...Strange."
Perhaps he was training.
Perhaps he'd gone to bed.
Perhaps he'd simply decided not to come.
They had never agreed to meet.
There was no schedule.
No obligation.
No promise.
He didn't owe her his presence.
Reiko understood all of that.
So...
Why did the room feel wrong?
12:49 AM
She checked her phone.
No messages.
Of course there weren't.
Why would there be?
They didn't message about this.
They simply appeared.
1:02 AM
Reiko finally stood.
She picked up her book.
One mug floated beside her.
Then the other.
She stopped.
Looked at Izuku's untouched tea.
She could pour it away.
Instead...
She stood there for several seconds.
Then quietly whispered:
"...Goodnight, Midoriya."
To an empty chair.
The following morning...
Reiko saw him immediately.
He was walking towards class with Iida.
His hair was even messier than usual.
Dark circles sat beneath his eyes.
Reiko stopped.
Izuku noticed her.
"Oh!"
He hurried over.
"Yanagi."
"Good morning."
"Morning."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry about last night."
Reiko's heart gave a strange little jump.
"...Why are you apologising?"
"I fell asleep."
He laughed sheepishly.
"At my desk."
"I woke up at three in the morning with my face stuck to my notebook."
Reiko pictured it.
"...That sounds uncomfortable."
"It was."
He hesitated.
"I would've messaged you, but..."
He smiled.
"...I didn't exactly plan to fall asleep."
"No."
"That would be unusual."
Izuku laughed.
Then...
"I hope you didn't wait."
Reiko looked at him.
She could say no.
It would be easy.
Instead...
"...I did."
Izuku's smile faded slightly.
Not unhappily.
Just… Surprised.
"You did?"
"Yes."
"Until..."
She considered lying.
"...One."
His eyes widened.
"Yanagi!"
"It was not an inconvenience."
"You waited an hour!"
"Approximately."
"I'm really sorry."
"You were asleep."
"Still!"
Reiko looked at him.
Then said quietly:
"...I noticed."
Izuku stopped.
Something in her voice must have changed.
Because he didn't immediately apologise again.
He simply looked at her.
Reiko looked away first.
"...You should sleep more."
"Yeah."
A pause.
"...I'll be there tonight."
Her eyes returned to him.
Izuku's cheeks were slightly pink.
"If..."
He hesitated.
"...you want me to be."
Reiko felt that strange warmth again.
Only now...
She understood it.
"...I do."
Neither spoke for a moment.
Then Iida called from further down the corridor.
"Midoriya! We will be late!"
"Coming!"
Izuku smiled at her.
"Tonight?"
Reiko nodded.
"...Tonight."
He hurried away.
She watched him go.
Then continued towards her own
classroom.
That evening...
11:46 PM
Reiko arrived early.
She made tea.
Two mugs.
Placed one beside the empty chair.
She sat down.
Opened her book.
And waited.
This time...
She understood why.
The previous night had taught her something she hadn't expected.
She didn't simply enjoy the quiet.
She didn't simply enjoy their conversations.
She didn't simply enjoy having someone nearby.
She enjoyed him.
His muttering.
His terrible sleeping habits.
His questions.
His laughter.
His ridiculous outrage over mystery novels.
His presence.
Reiko looked towards the empty chair.
And smiled.
Just slightly.
The door opened.
Izuku walked in.
He held up a packet of chocolate biscuits.
"...Peace offering?"
Reiko looked at him.
Then at the biscuits.
"...Accepted."
He smiled.
And as he settled into the chair opposite her...
The room felt right again.
Something changed after the empty chair.
Nothing dramatic.
They still met at night.
Still drank tea.
Still read.
Still talked.
But now...
They messaged.
10:42 PM
Izuku: I'm probably going to be a little late tonight. Iida wants help going over tomorrow's training plan.
Reiko stared at the message.
Then typed:
Reiko: Understood.
She paused.
Added:
I will refrain from mourning your absence.
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Izuku: Were you going to mourn me???
Reiko smiled.
Reiko: No.
Izuku: That somehow isn't reassuring.
Reiko: Good.
The following evening...
Reiko: I will not be there tonight.
Izuku read the message.
Something inside him sank.
Only slightly.
Still...
Enough to notice.
Izuku: Everything okay?
Reiko: Yes.
A second message appeared.
Pony requires assistance studying.
Then:
She is suffering.
Izuku smiled.
Izuku: From studying?
Reiko: Apparently.
Izuku: Tell her good luck from me.
A pause.
Reiko: I will.
Then...
Tomorrow?
Izuku stared at that final word.
His smile returned.
Izuku: Tomorrow.
He went downstairs anyway.
Habit.
Notebook.
Tea.
Biscuits.
Izuku sat in their usual room.
Opened his notebook.
Started writing.
Five minutes passed.
He looked towards the sofa.
Empty.
He returned to his notes.
Another ten minutes.
He reached for a biscuit.
Then automatically pushed the packet towards the other side of the table.
His hand stopped.
"...Right."
He pulled it back.
Twenty minutes.
Izuku sighed.
The room felt...
Quiet.
Not peaceful.
Just quiet.
He looked towards Reiko's usual seat.
And finally understood.
"...Oh."
The next morning...
Mina found him staring into space during breakfast.
She waved a hand in front of his face.
"Earth to Midoriya."
Izuku blinked.
"Oh."
"Sorry."
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
He stirred his cereal.
Mina narrowed her eyes.
"...Girl?"
Izuku nearly dropped his spoon.
"What?!"
Mina's eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
"No!"
"I was joking!"
"I don't-"
"You did the face!"
"What face?!"
"The girl face!"
"I don't have a girl face!"
"You absolutely have a girl face!"
Izuku went bright red.
Mina leaned across the table.
"Who is she?"
"There isn't a she!"
"Then why are you shouting?"
"I'm not shouting!"
Several students looked over.
Izuku lowered his voice.
"...I'm not shouting."
Mina grinned.
"Who?"
Izuku looked down at his cereal.
"...Nobody."
"Midoriya."
"It's not..."
He hesitated.
Because what exactly was it?
He and Reiko met at night.
They talked.
They drank tea.
He liked being around her.
He thought about her when she wasn't there.
He'd started buying her favourite biscuits automatically.
He knew how she took her tea.
He knew which authors she liked.
He knew she secretly enjoyed terrible supernatural television shows despite claiming they were "anthropologically interesting."
He knew when she was joking even when nobody else did.
And last night...
He'd missed her.
"...Oh."
Mina's jaw dropped.
"You just figured it out, didn't you?"
Izuku's face burned.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"YOU JUST FIGURED IT OUT!"
"Ashido!"
That night...
Izuku arrived at 11:43 PM.
Early.
Very early.
He made the tea.
Then sat.
Then stood.
Then sat again.
Opened his notebook.
Closed it.
Opened it.
Read the same sentence six times.
"...This is ridiculous."
A book floated through the doorway.
Izuku immediately sat upright.
Reiko followed.
She stopped.
Looked at him.
Then at the clock.
"...You are early."
"Am I?"
"Nine minutes."
"You know the exact-"
He stopped.
"...Never mind."
Reiko sat down.
Her eyes moved towards the table.
Two mugs.
Chocolate biscuits.
Her usual seat.
Everything waiting.
"...Thank you."
Izuku smiled.
"Of course."
For a while...
Everything was normal.
Which somehow made Izuku more
nervous.
Reiko read.
Izuku attempted to analyse training footage.
Attempted being the important word.
His eyes kept drifting towards her.
Reiko's dark hair fell around her face as she read.
A page turned gently beneath the influence of Poltergeist.
She reached for her tea without looking.
Izuku smiled.
Reiko looked up.
"...What?"
His eyes widened.
"Nothing."
"You were staring."
"I wasn't staring."
"You were."
"I was..."
He desperately searched for an alternative.
"...thinking."
"At my face."
"...Apparently."
Reiko stared at him.
Izuku covered his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
The smallest smile appeared.
"...It's fine."
Several minutes later...
Reiko closed her book.
Izuku noticed immediately.
"You finished?"
"No."
"Oh."
She placed it on the table.
"You are distracted."
Izuku froze.
"...Am I?"
"Yes."
"Sorry."
"You apologise frequently."
"I know."
"Why are you distracted?"
There it was.
Direct.
Quiet.
No escape.
Izuku looked down at his hands.
"I was thinking about last night."
Reiko waited.
"It felt weird."
"...Without me?"
He looked up.
She'd asked it without teasing.
Without assumption.
Just a question.
Izuku nodded.
"Yeah."
Reiko's expression softened.
"I understand."
"You do?"
"The previous Thursday felt strange without you."
Izuku remembered.
The cold tea.
Her waiting until one.
I noticed.
His cheeks warmed.
"...Right."
They fell quiet.
Neither seemed uncomfortable.
Eventually… Izuku laughed softly.
"This is kind of strange."
"What is?"
"We never actually decided to do this."
Reiko looked around the room.
"No."
"We just..."
"...started meeting."
"Yes."
"And now we do it almost every night."
"Correct."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck.
"And if one of us isn't coming, we tell the other."
"Yes."
"And I..."
He swallowed.
"...Look forward to it."
Reiko looked at him.
"So do I."
His heart skipped.
Izuku took a breath.
"So..."
"Maybe..."
He hesitated.
"...we could actually plan it sometime."
Reiko tilted her head.
"Plan what?"
"This."
"We already do this."
"I know."
He laughed nervously.
"I mean somewhere else."
Reiko's eyes changed.
Barely.
But Izuku had become very good at
reading those tiny changes.
She knew something he didn't.
"...Somewhere else?"
"Yeah."
"Like..."
He scrambled for examples.
"A café."
"Or a bookstore."
"There's that place in Musutafu with the horror section you mentioned."
Reiko watched him.
"During the day?"
"Probably."
"...Why?"
Izuku's brain was rapidly abandoning him.
"Because..."
He gestured helplessly.
"We could spend time together."
"We already spend time together."
"I know!"
"At night."
"Yes."
"In private."
"Yes."
Izuku stopped.
"...You're making this difficult."
The corner of Reiko's mouth moved.
"I know."
He stared.
"...You're doing it on purpose."
"Perhaps."
Then...
Reiko leaned back slightly.
"...Midoriya."
"Yeah?"
"Are you asking me on a date?"
Silence.
Izuku's brain stopped.
Completely.
"..."
Reiko waited.
"..."
His face turned red.
"...Am I?"
Reiko blinked.
Then...
She laughed.
Not loudly.
Reiko rarely did anything loudly.
But it was unmistakably laughter.
Izuku stared at her.
"That's not helpful!"
She covered her mouth.
"...Forgive me."
"You're laughing at me!"
"Only slightly."
"I didn't realise I was asking!"
"That was apparent."
He buried his face in his hands.
"Oh my God."
Reiko's laughter softened.
Then stopped.
"...Would you like it to be?"
Izuku slowly lowered his hands.
"What?"
"A date."
She looked directly at him.
"Would you like it to be one?"
His embarrassment didn't disappear.
But something steadier settled beneath it.
Izuku thought about the empty sofa.
The tea.
The biscuits.
Her dry jokes.
The way silence with her felt different from silence with anyone else.
The way he'd smiled the second she walked through the door tonight.
"...Yeah."
Reiko's eyes softened.
Izuku smiled nervously.
"I think I would."
A pause.
"Would you?"
Reiko nodded.
"...Yes."
Izuku's smile grew.
"Okay."
"Okay."
They sat quietly.
For approximately fifteen seconds.
Then Izuku frowned.
"...Wait."
Reiko looked over.
"What?"
"Does that mean..."
He gestured between them.
"...We've been accidentally dating for the last few weeks?"
Reiko considered this very seriously.
"No."
"Oh."
Izuku relaxed.
"We lacked snacks of sufficient quality."
He stared at her.
Reiko's expression remained completely blank.
"...Yanagi."
"Yes?"
"That was a joke."
"Was it?"
"You're impossible."
"Thank you."
They decided on Saturday.
A bookstore first.
Then a café.
Reiko knew one that was quiet.
Izuku knew a bookstore with an enormous hero biography section.
Reiko knew it had an equally large horror section.
Problem solved.
Eventually...
1:14 AM
They packed up.
Izuku picked up the empty mugs.
Reiko floated the books beside her.
They reached the corridor.
Then stopped.
"Saturday."
Izuku smiled.
"Saturday."
Reiko nodded.
"Goodnight, Midoriya."
"Goodnight, Yanagi."
She took three steps.
Then stopped.
"...Izuku?"
He froze.
Slowly...
He turned around.
Reiko stood at the opposite end of the corridor.
Her expression was as calm as ever.
Except...
Her cheeks were very slightly pink.
Izuku noticed.
"...Yeah?"
"I thought..."
She hesitated.
"...If it is to be a date, perhaps given names would be appropriate."
Izuku's heart did something deeply
inconvenient.
He smiled.
"...I'd like that."
Reiko nodded.
"Goodnight, Izuku."
His cheeks warmed.
"...Goodnight, Reiko."
She disappeared around the corner.
Izuku stood there.
Alone.
Smiling like an idiot.
Reiko reached her dorm room.
Closed the door.
Leaned against it.
Silence.
Her face was warm.
Her heart was beating faster than usual.
She stared ahead for several seconds.
Then quietly whispered:
"...Interesting."
The following morning...
Kinoko sat beside her at breakfast.
Reiko ate normally.
Read normally.
Behaved normally.
Kinoko glanced over.
"...You're smiling."
Reiko turned a page.
"No."
"You are."
"No."
"...Did something happen?"
Reiko took a sip of tea.
"No."
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced down.
Izuku: Morning, Reiko. Still okay for Saturday?
The corner of her mouth immediately lifted.
Kinoko's eyes widened.
"...OH."
Reiko slowly looked at her.
Kinoko pointed.
"OH!"
Several heads turned.
Reiko closed her eyes.
So much for nobody noticing.
By Saturday morning...
Class 1-B knew.
Not everyone.
But enough.
Which was worse.
Kinoko knew.
Pony knew because Kinoko had immediately told her.
Setsuna knew because Pony had made the catastrophic mistake of looking excited within a fifty-metre radius of her.
Yui knew because...
Yui always seemed to know.
Reiko suspected Kendou knew as well.
Nobody had told Monoma.
This was deliberate.
Reiko entered the common room.
Conversation stopped.
She stopped.
Kinoko smiled.
"Morning."
"...Good morning."
Pony smiled.
"Sleep well?"
"Yes."
Setsuna leaned over the sofa.
"Got any plans today?"
Reiko stared at her.
"...Yes."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
"No."
Setsuna grinned.
"So..."
Reiko turned around.
"I'm leaving."
"YOU HAVEN'T EVEN HAD BREAKFAST!"
"I am no longer hungry."
Kinoko burst out laughing.
Unfortunately...
Reiko did need breakfast.
So she returned five minutes later.
Setsuna was still grinning.
Reiko calmly made toast.
Pony lasted approximately thirty seconds.
"What are you wearing?"
Reiko looked down.
Black skirt.
Grey jumper.
Dark tights.
Boots.
"...Clothes."
Kinoko covered her mouth.
Setsuna collapsed against the sofa.
"I love her."
Reiko continued buttering her toast.
"I am reconsidering my friendships."
Yui looked up.
"...You look nice."
Reiko paused.
Then smiled faintly.
"...Thank you."
Setsuna immediately pointed.
"See!"
"That's what normal supportive friendship looks like!"
Yui nodded.
"...Have fun."
"I intend to."
Kinoko clasped her hands together.
"Tell us everything when you get back."
"No."
"Some things?"
"No."
"One thing?"
Reiko considered it.
"...Perhaps."
Kinoko beamed.
"I'll take it."
Across campus...
Izuku was having a significantly worse morning.
Mina knew.
That alone would've been dangerous.
Unfortunately...
Mina had told Ochaco.
Ochaco had told Tsuyu.
Kaminari had overheard.
Kaminari had told Kirishima.
And somehow...
Iida had become involved.
Izuku stood in the middle of the common room.
"I am going to a bookstore."
Mina nodded seriously.
"With a girl."
"Yes."
"On a date."
"...Yes."
Kaminari pointed dramatically.
"HE ADMITTED IT!"
"I've been admitting it for ten minutes!"
Iida adjusted his glasses.
"Midoriya, do you possess sufficient funds?"
"Yes!"
"Have you checked the train schedule?"
"Yes!"
"Have you planned an alternative route in case of disruption?"
"...Yes."
Iida nodded approvingly.
"Excellent."
Mina stared at them.
"You two are such nerds."
Ochaco smiled.
"Just have fun, Deku."
Izuku relaxed slightly.
"...Thanks."
Tsuyu nodded.
"And don't analyse everything, ribbit."
Izuku froze.
"...I don't analyse everything."
Everyone stared at him.
"...Okay."
"Fair."
Reiko arrived first.
By thirty seconds.
Izuku hurried towards the station entrance.
"Sorry!"
Reiko looked at the clock.
"You are not late."
"I know."
"But you were waiting."
"For thirty seconds."
"Still."
Reiko tilted her head.
"...You apologise frequently."
Izuku laughed.
"You've mentioned that."
"I will continue until you improve."
"...Fair."
For a moment...
They simply looked at each other.
Different clothes.
Different setting.
Daylight.
People moving around them.
No notebooks.
No midnight tea.
No excuse for why they were together.
This was a date.
Izuku smiled.
"You look really nice."
Reiko's cheeks warmed.
"...Thank you."
She looked at him.
Green jacket.
Dark jeans.
Red trainers.
His hair...
Exactly as impossible as usual.
"You also look nice."
Izuku smiled.
"Thanks."
A pause.
"Your hair remains concerning."
He blinked.
"...My hair?"
"Yes."
"What about it?"
"It appears to be resisting gravity."
"That's just what it does!"
"I suspected a Quirk."
Izuku stared.
Then laughed.
"...Okay."
"I walked into that."
The bookstore was enormous.
Three floors.
Reiko immediately headed towards horror.
Izuku immediately headed towards hero biographies.
They stopped.
Looked in opposite directions.
Then at each other.
"...Compromise?"
Izuku suggested.
Reiko nodded.
"Heroes first."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
She started walking.
"You will take longer."
Izuku looked offended.
"I will not."
Forty-seven minutes later...
Reiko stood beside him.
Three books floated behind her.
Izuku was comparing two biographies.
"...This one has interviews."
Reiko nodded.
"But this one has annotated battle diagrams."
"Indeed."
"And this one..."
Reiko looked towards the third book in his hands.
"...You now have three."
Izuku froze.
"...Right."
"You said you would not take long."
"I underestimated."
"I did not."
He laughed.
"Sorry."
"You are enjoying yourself."
"Yeah."
Reiko looked around.
"...Then there is no need to apologise."
Izuku smiled.
Horror took considerably less time.
Mostly because Reiko knew exactly what she wanted.
She picked up one novel.
Read the back.
Opened it.
Turned directly to the final page.
Izuku gasped.
"No."
Reiko looked at him.
"...What?"
"You are not doing this again."
"I wish to know whether-"
Izuku gently closed the book.
"No spoilers."
Reiko stared at his hand on the cover.
Then at him.
"...You cannot stop me."
"I absolutely can."
The book floated out of his hands.
Izuku's eyes widened.
"That's cheating!"
Reiko opened it again.
He reached for it.
The book floated higher.
"Reiko!"
She blinked.
"...Yes?"
"Give me the book."
"No."
"You're ruining it!"
"For myself."
"THAT'S STILL WRONG!"
Several customers looked over.
Izuku immediately lowered his voice.
"...Please."
Reiko's lips twitched.
The book floated back down.
"...Very well."
Izuku took it.
"Thank you."
"I will read the ending when you are not looking."
"Reiko!"
She smiled.
Actually smiled.
Izuku stopped.
Reiko noticed.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
His own smile softened.
"I like when you do that."
Her smile faded slightly.
"...Do what?"
"Smile."
Reiko looked away.
"...Oh."
Her cheeks were pink.
Izuku's became pink too.
Neither mentioned it.
The café was quiet.
Exactly as promised.
They found a table in the corner.
Izuku ordered tea.
Reiko ordered tea.
Then...
Without discussing it...
Izuku placed the sugar beside Reiko.
Reiko pushed it back.
"You take more."
He paused.
Then smiled.
"...Right."
They knew that.
Of course they knew that.
Weeks of midnight tea had taught them.
It felt strangely intimate here.
In daylight.
For the first half hour...
They talked.
Books.
Training.
Heroes.
Movies.
Then...
The conversation faded.
And neither rushed to restart it.
Reiko opened the novel she'd bought.
Izuku pulled a small notebook from his pocket.
She looked at it.
"...You brought one."
He looked embarrassed.
"I always have one."
"Of course."
He opened it.
Reiko started reading.
Ten minutes passed.
Quiet.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
Izuku eventually looked up.
Reiko was reading opposite him.
Sunlight fell through the café window.
People talked around them.
Cups clinked.
Music played softly.
And somehow...
It felt exactly like midnight.
Izuku smiled.
Reiko looked up.
"...You're staring again."
He didn't deny it this time.
"...Yeah."
She blinked.
His honesty caught her off guard.
"Why?"
Izuku considered the question.
"Because..."
He glanced around.
"...I was worried this might feel different."
"The date?"
"Yeah."
"We're normally alone."
"At night."
"No pressure."
He smiled.
"But this..."
He gestured between them.
"...feels the same."
Reiko looked at him.
"...Is that good?"
"Very."
Her expression softened.
"I agree."
They left the café several hours later.
Neither had realised how much time had passed.
They walked towards the station.
Side by side.
Close.
But not touching.
Their hands occasionally brushed.
Each time...
Both noticed.
Neither acted.
Not yet.
At the station entrance...
Izuku stopped.
"I had a really good time."
Reiko nodded.
"...So did I."
"We should do it again."
"Yes."
He smiled.
"Maybe another bookstore?"
"No."
Izuku blinked.
"...No?"
"You cannot be trusted."
"What did I do?"
"You purchased five books."
"Four."
"Five."
"The fifth was discounted."
"That does not make it cease being a book."
Izuku laughed.
"Fine."
"You choose next time."
Reiko considered it.
"...There is a horror film being released."
Izuku's smile vanished.
Reiko stared.
"...People scare you more than ghosts, remember?"
"Yes."
"That doesn't help me."
Her lips twitched.
They said goodbye.
No kiss.
No hug.
Nothing dramatic.
Just...
"See you Monday."
"See you Monday."
Reiko boarded her train.
Izuku watched it leave.
Then started home.
Both smiling.
That evening...
11:39 PM
Izuku lay in bed.
He could sleep.
For once...
His brain was relatively quiet.
He turned onto his side.
Closed his eyes.
Then...
His phone buzzed.
He looked.
Reiko: Are you awake?
Izuku smiled.
Izuku: Yeah.
A pause.
Reiko: Tea?
He looked at the clock.
Then at his perfectly comfortable bed.
He laughed quietly.
Izuku: Give me ten minutes.
11:51 PM
Izuku entered the study building.
A book floated past his head.
He didn't react.
Reiko sat on the sofa.
Two mugs waited.
"You're early."
Izuku smiled.
"So are you."
He sat in his usual chair.
Reiko opened her book.
Izuku reached for his tea.
For a while...
Neither spoke.
Eventually...
Izuku looked over.
"Today was nice."
Reiko turned a page.
"...Yes."
"Different."
"Yes."
"But..."
He smiled.
"I think I still like this best."
Reiko looked up.
"The common room?"
"The quiet."
He hesitated.
"...You."
Her eyes softened.
"...I see."
Izuku immediately turned pink.
"I didn't mean-"
He stopped.
Took a breath.
No.
He had meant it.
"...Actually."
He looked at her.
"I did mean that."
Reiko stared at him.
Then...
The faintest blush touched her cheeks.
"...Good."
Izuku smiled.
A minute passed.
Reiko closed her book.
"Izuku?"
"Hm?"
"Would you sit here?"
She gestured towards the empty space
beside her.
Izuku's heart skipped.
"...Sure."
He moved from the chair.
Sat beside her.
Not touching.
Close enough to feel the warmth between them.
Reiko opened her book again.
Izuku opened his notebook.
Several minutes passed.
Then...
Her shoulder gently rested against his.
Izuku froze.
Only for a second.
Then relaxed.
Neither said anything.
They didn't need to.
The clock passed midnight.
Then twelve-thirty.
Two mugs slowly emptied.
Pages turned.
Pencil scratched against paper.
Shoulders remained touching.
Weeks ago...
They had met because neither could sleep.
Then they kept meeting because it was comfortable.
Then because they enjoyed the company.
Then because an empty chair had
started to feel wrong.
Now...
They knew.
There was nothing accidental about this
anymore.
Izuku glanced sideways.
Reiko was reading.
She noticed.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
A pause.
"...I'm glad you're here."
Reiko looked at him.
Her expression softened.
"...Likewise."
She rested her head lightly against his shoulder.
Izuku smiled.
And somewhere after midnight...
In the same quiet they'd shared from the beginning...
Two people who had spent weeks accidentally finding each other...
Finally understood that they weren't finding each other anymore.
They were choosing to meet.