"You guys did great! Let me just pack up, and then I'll catch up with you guys." Kyouka Jirou said to her bandmates as she entered the stage backroom. A click and a thud resonated around the walls as she closed the door, leaned against it, closed her eyes, and then let out a contented sigh.
Today had been a successful day, thought Kyouka. Weeks of practice had finally paid off and the audience had adored their class band performance. They finally got to see Eri smile. Midoriya actually managed to show up, late as he may be (still had no idea where he went, she made a mental note to ask him about that), and best of all, she got her chance to play and sing for her friends, the people she had learned to love and cherish...
"Hey Jirou...Jirou? Earth to Jirou, are you there?"
...as annoying as they may be sometimes.
She looked to her left and saw her guitarist Denki Kaminari seated on an amplifier, with a bagged electric guitar laying on his lap. "Huh, Kaminari. Didn't see you there."
"Heh. Well maybe you would if you actually had your eyes open."
"Yeah, yeah. You gonna help me pack our stuff or not?" Kyouka's jacks pointed to the various selection of electronics and instruments splayed out on the stage. Bakugou's drum set and Yaoyorozu's keyboard had already been stowed away, and Tokoyami's guitar obviously didn't take long, but still that had taken much time for them - mostly due to Bakugou's, so there was still work to be done.
"Yeah, sure! I got mine all ready!" He happily said. He then stood up, grabbed his guitar bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Cool. Now come on." She walked over to a cart and pushed it over to Denki. "Help me get all this stuff." she replied, and so they went.
The stage then turned silent as they started packing. They split into different directions; she took the center at the vocalist's side while he took a guitarist's, then they gathered their individual microphones and effects. Well, Jirou's effects, that is. Kaminari just borrowed them from her.
Kyouka was slinging her bass guitar over her shoulder when she suddenly paused. "Hey...Kaminari?" she nervously said, glancing towards the boy.
"Hmm?" he paused as well, looking towards her.
"I just...wanted to say thanks." She looked down and started to twirl her earjacks. "You know, for helping me out with the band, and encouraging me and...stuff."
"Huh? Jeez, you didn't have to thank me." Denki sheepishly smiled. "It was all you, Jirou! If any, I should be thanking you for helping me learn the guitar!"
"Well yeah, but…it was kind of your idea after all. Not that the others didn't say anything, what I meant was…" she started twirling her jacks even faster. Then her pulse started to race and she felt the room getting warmer. "You...you called my music cool, right? You get the point." God, why did feelings have to be so hard?
"Aww, you still remember that Jirou? And- woah holy shit your cheeks are red!" Denki yelled. A massive blush had started to form on Kyouka's face.
"Wha-what?!" Kyouka felt her face getting even more flush. Again, why did feelings have to be so hard?
"Oh come on! It's kinda cute, actually!" Denki said with a giggle. And why did Kaminari have to make it even harder?
"S-shut it, Jamming-whey!" Kyouka snapped, pointing her earjacks menacingly towards the object of her frustration.
Denki started to panic and flailed his arms in defense. "Okay okay, I'll stop! Can't I just enjoy you actually getting happy for a sec?"
"Huh?" Kyouka lowered her jacks. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
"I mean, I don't see you smiling that much okay? Usually you got this resting bitch face thing going on unless you're with Yaomomo or some shit. Or when you're busy making fun of me."
Kyouka's expression turned from flustered to deadpan and confused. "What are you even on about? I only look like I hate everything, Kaminari."
"I'm just saying smiling suits you a lot, Jirou. I'm not kidding."
"What, you're saying I don't look good when I'm not smiling?" she questioned, cocking one of her eyebrows.
"What? No! It's not that you're not good looking! It's just like I said, I don't see you smiling that much, and if you're happy then I'm happy but it's not that you're only happy if you smile, I mean... Whatever, I don't really know how to explain it. You're enjoying this, aren't you Jirou?" Now it was Denki's turn to blush.
Kyouka let out a chuckle and said "Oh yes I am. But I get it Kaminari; it's cool.", then turned around and got back to packing. She tried to not pry anymore into Denki's compliments because she found him endearing. Kind of silly, but also kind of sweet.
She notices the blush resurfacing on her face and the butterflies flying in her stomach. She tries to ignore it too, because just like Kaminari, she can't explain them either.
After they had finished packing, the two reunited with the squad at the festival grounds. They had come just in time to see two students from General Studies bowing before them, bawling their eyes out and yelling that they were sorry because they only watched to try to make fun them.
Iida was, of course, very enthusiastic about accepting their apologies. Nobody else had anything to say except Denki who reassured them, saying that there was no need to apologize, and Bakugou who was practically ecstatic, brandishing the biggest shit-eating grin on his face and muttering to himself about how he "won". Although Kyouka was inclined to agree with Denki, she also slightly sympathized with Bakugou. It was nice that the naysayers had finally seen reason.
She was disrupted from her thoughts by Mina Ashido elbowing her in the side. "I bet you're happy." she said, flashing Kyouka a big smile.
"Well, yeah." Kyouka replied with a smile of her own…
...which quickly turned into a grimace as Mina's big smile turned into a big smirk. "What is it now, Ashido?" Kyouka annoyedly asked.
"So why'd ya take so long?" Mina's smirk never left as she looped her arm around Kyouka's shoulder.
"I was helping out Bakugou with the drums so I never got to touch my stuff before that."
"Really now? It's not because you took your sweet time with Kaminari?"
"What the- How did you even-" Kyouka to stammer and blush. Oh boy. Not this again.
"Oh come on, I'm sure packing up doesn't really take that long! So what did ya talk about-"
"Stay. Out of it." Kyouka brushed Mina's arm off and pushed her earjacks at Mina's chest. "Besides, I don't ask what's going on between you and Kirishima, right?" She knew what this was about. It was another one of Mina's attempts to play matchmaker, Uraraka being one of her first victims.
The pink girl recoiled, blushing and raised her arms in defense. "Okay, okay! I'll stop now." She groaned. "But seriously though, you're not worried about Kaminari going out with someone else?"
"No. And I don't see it happening anyway."
"What? Dude! You guys are gonna get super popular after our performance! And I'm sure you know what that means!"
What, love letters in my locker and strangers asking to meet me behind the gym to confess? What is this, an anime?
"Sure, say that Kaminari does end up dating someone. Why should I care?"
"You're not fooling me, Jirou. You care a lot about him more than you let on. What if he does get a girlfriend and you end up being a third wheel? Or hell, what if the school starts shipping you two together?"
"Then I'll be happy for him. And I'll tell those shippers to stuff it. It can't be that bad, can it?"
"GUYS! WE HAVE TO HURRY OR ALL THE GOOD SEATS IN THE BEAUTY CONTEST WILL BE TAKEN!" Mineta yelled, which sent the whole class into maximum overdrive. Finally, a distraction. Kyouka tried to use the upcoming pageant as a means to not try to think about what Mina had just said, but unfortunately it had already thrown her for a loop.
To an extent, Mina was correct. They are sure to get more popular after the cultural festival, and it wasn't entirely impossible for people to be interested in them, uncomfortable as it may be at times. But getting famous, public relations, these are all parts of being a pro hero. It can't be that bad, right?
Or so she thought.
Author's Notes:
Yes Jirou, this is an anime.
It would seem that I have fallen into the depths of Kamijirou hell ever since reading the Cultural Festival arc of the manga. Not that I'm complaining, it's a really good ship, and I'm already eager to see it animated with music.
Oddly enough, it was another couple from Tsurezure Children that inspired me to write this fic, namely the childhood friends Kaga and Nanase. If you're read or watch it, you'll find out why once the story continues or you might get it through the summary.
Please let me know if you're interested and/or what you think about it in the reviews.
Thank you for reading, and God bless.