The Girl From Shiketsu
III. Foggy Mornings
Todoroki's eyes rested on her jet-black ponytail that swayed behind her in gentle motions while she arched her back.
"I don't think you've told me your name yet." He remarked.
Her soft hums stopped. "No, I haven't. How terribly rude of me." She turned around to face him and held out her hand, her ever-present smile resting on her lips.
"My name is Momo Yaoyorozu."
He wiped his sweaty palm on his shirt before taking her small hand into his and giving it a firm handshake. "Shouto Todoroki."
"Nice to meet you." She joked, her lips growing even wider.
It was weirdly infectious, and the corner of his lip tugged upwards, but not quite reaching a smile. "Same here."
In the blink of an eye, he was alone. He was being transported somewhere through this fuzzy purple tunnel, and he had no idea what was going on. He told himself that he had to get back to Thirteen and his classmates, but he could only guess where he would land.
Calming his nerves, he took a deep breath. Now was not the time to panic.
The fuzzy tunnel spit him out, and the moment he felt the solid ground beneath his feet, he activated his right side, freezing everything in the vicinity.
Moans were heard from the villains who were nothing more than statues at this point. Todoroki exhaled, creating a foggy cloud of breath.
That's right, there's no need to panic, just as there was no need for him to use his left side.
He subdued the group of villains without using any of the wretched powers his father gave him.
The next morning, she was late.
He wondered why he was expecting her to come by again, but a part of him still noted that she was late. He shooed that voice out of his head, focusing in his movements.
Just because he caught the villains off guard yesterday didn't mean they'd always stand around and wait for him.
He needed to continue expanding his reach and control, and prolong the amount of time his body could handle his quirk without hitting critical temperatures.
He needed to concentrate on his body, and how it reacted with the environment.
So why did he interrupt his routine when he heard the sound of shoes hitting gravel? He turned around to look for the source of the sound, wondering whether it would be a girl with a black ponytail.
And it was. Today she was already dressed in her school uniform though, and her usually cheerful face was replaced by a frown.
"Good morning, Todoroki." She greeted him with a small smile, but it didn't reach her charcoal eyes.
"Yaoyorozu." He greeted back with a slight nod of his head.
She took this as a signal to step into the dewy grass, carefully walking down the slight slope that led to the riverbank.
"How are doing?" She asked him, eyes trained on the passing stream of water.
"I'm fine. How about you?" He shrugged, considering asking what her unusual behaviour was about, but that question became redundant when she did finally did manage to look at him.
Her black eyes stared right at him, filled to the rim with uncertainty.
"I saw the news." She began talking. "About what happened at U.A. yesterday."
Oh. Right. He completely forgot that all sorts of reporters were all over them after they survived the villain assault thanks to All Might and the other teachers getting there in time.
Todoroki was unsure of how to respond, but thankfully Yaoyorozu continued talking before he had to come up with something.
"I kept wondering… whether that was your class. And then my mind kept asking itself questions, like what I would have done had I been in that situation." Her gaze sunk to her feet, where she began shuffling her weight from one side to the other.
"The Pro Heroes got there in time before things got out of hand." He answered after a few seconds of silence.
Yaoyorozu shook her head. "Doesn't it bother you that they got into your school grounds in the first place? Honestly, that's what scares me the most. Imagining a whole gang of villains showing up during practice hours, in a place we assume is safe…"
She brought her arms around her torso, hugging herself. "If the imagination is already that unsettling, I wonder what you and your classmates felt during the entirety of that fiasco…"
There was a question on the tip of his tongue, a question he dared not ask. It was too presumptuous. Instead, he stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, not really knowing what to do with them. Of course the whole villain attack was unsettling, and his father already voiced his criticism towards the school security system, but he wasn't sure about talking to a student from another school regarding things like that.
"I think… you would've been able to handle yourself." He finally spoke, awkwardly attempting to comfort her somehow. Communication was not his forte.
She glanced up at him, then redirected her gaze back to the water. "Even though I'm flattered you think so highly of me, I'm afraid you're not really getting what I mean." She paused for a few seconds, just staring at the water. "This may sound a bit forward, but I would like to consider you a friend, Todoroki."
She stopped talking again, looking at him in search of a reaction. But considering how confused he felt about her words, he highly doubted she could read a lot into his reaction.
A friend? He wasn't sure what that was.
"Friends worry about each other." She went on, keeping her eyes in his direction. "And I can't help but worry about you."
He was pretty sure he was staring at her, but he seriously didn't know what to say in response. What does one normally say in a situation like this?
You don't need friends, Shouto.
No, that was his father's voice. That was what his father wanted.
He swallowed the clump in his throat. "Thank you." He finally opted to say.
AN: I warned you about slow and short updates.
I haven't decided who the new vice-prez is yet, but I'll wing it until it actually becomes significant. If you guys have any good ideas, you can leave them here as well :)
Reviews are always appreciated :)
~Emi