Mina had returned home, in a bit of a daze. She wanted to call Izuku. He had run off on her for the second day in a row and she wanted to talk to him about that. However, she still needed time, especially with this revelation. It all started to make sense. His behavior that day and the previous one. His response to her question about who he liked. His behavior in general over the year they had known each other started to make more sense than ever and it was overwhelming. Is this how he felt? How did she feel? What could she say to him?

She would have to return his journal. And then they would have to talk about this. She just wished she knew what to say. She was still processing it all. She didn't want to avoid him. He was her best friend, even better than her friends at middle school. She had known them longer, and yet this boy had made such an impact on her. This boy without a quirk who dreamed of being a hero like All Might, so that he could help people rest at ease. She feared losing that friendship. But she wasn't sure if she was in a rush to see him yet. She doubted he was ready either. He was probably still recuperating from his embarrassment.

She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut. It was frustrating and confusing, and she wanted to just crawl into bed and curl up, waiting for this awkwardness to be some weird fever dream. A chill shot through her. Why did that thought disappoint her so much? Why would Izuku not having feelings for her make her feel that way and why would she want that.

The pink girl walked up the stairs, zoning out as she headed to her room, the journal in her purse, as well as the letter.

"Mina. I have been trying to be brave enough to say this. I struggled with the words."

The opening line of the letter echoed in her mind, playing over and over as she flipped it over in her head, examining it for answers, piece by piece.

"Pinky? You in there? Did the mothership pick you up? Earth to Mina!" a voice brought her out of her trance. Staring at her from the doorway of his room, with a shit-eating grin on his face, was her brother, Micha. He always had a way of being so nosy, sniffing out that something was up as if that were his quirk, and not meltdown.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired." She shook her head and walked to her room.

"You sure you're not sick as well? You zoned out there. Your cheeks are looking a bit hot there. I…" the older boy paused, as if a light just went off in his brain. His grin grew wider.

Mina looked back at him, frowning. "Shut up. It's nothing."

"What's their name? Someone I know? Should I be concerned?" He teased further.

Mina's face grew hotter and her pulse increased. She could barely think straight, let alone fire off a suitable comeback. Instead, she ended up playing herself like a fiddle.

"Shut up, Micha." she grumbled, loud enough for him to hear.

"Oho! So, it is someone I know. One of your middle school friends? That guy with the shark teeth? Wait...Is it freckles? Not you, of course. Other freckles. What's his name? Mi- "He was cut off by a loud thud as Mina ran for her door and shut it forcibly, aiming to escape this line of questioning. "Door slam…. Must have pushed her too much." He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he returned to his room to play video games.

X

Mina divebombed her bead and curled up in her covers, muttering to herself.

"Stupid Micha. Nobody asked for your dumb nosey…uuuuugh!" There was still daylight out. She felt like she should go out and cool her head. More fresh air would do her good, right? She liked getting out. This was different though."

"I went through, like, five pages trying to get this right. Not sure you'll even read this, but here it goes."

The words of the letter continued to scroll through her mind like the opening sequence of a movie, or cutscenes in a video game. She hated this. It was so confusing, and her pulse was going so fast, she was getting whiplash.

She reached for her purse, which was now on the side of the bed, and reached for the journal. She pulled out the picture that Izuku used as his bookmark. She stared at it, for what seemed like ages, ignoring the occasional buzzing of her phone as she did so.

They both looked so happy, her and Izuku. He was blushing heavily, which she had always found humorous. But now, it was different. She had more context. He had looked flustered, yet happy to be there, and it was all becoming so much more vivid now.

"Right. Here it goes. Mina. I love you."

There were the words that sent her senses haywire. That was the part that caught her eye the most and kept her focus grabbed as she read the entire letter three times over at the park before she headed home in a hurry to cool off and make sense of things. It hit her hard and made her start to really examine her own emotional state. Pulling out the letter, she read from where her mind had left off.

"I don't think I knew what it was to be in love until I met you. Got to know you. I had crushes before. One or two. They never went anywhere, unsurprisingly. But you saw me as an equal. As a friend. Your best friend. And I grew to see you that way too. I am so grateful to you for so much. You introduced me to other friends: Kirishima and Tsuyu. You stood up for me, even when you didn't have to be. You helped me feel like I wasn't just that weird quirkless nobody who would never get far. I, mean, I still have my worries, but I love you more than my mom. Not that I don't love her. She is amazing and has done a lot for me. She is my mom after all." That last part was scratched out with the words "Focus, Izuku" next to it on the side.

"Again, I don't expect you to read this, and if you do, you probably won't feel the same. I just had to get this off my chest, and I want to be honest with you. I hate feeling so helpless. Useless Deku can't even get his own feelings out, not that anyone would return them."

That last part was similarly scratched out as he reminded himself to stay on point. She noticed some similar little notes here and there, saying basically the same thing. Not that it amounted to much, as the letter was still rather lengthy. Mina frowned at how her friend beat himself up. She understood why, but she didn't like it. She had certainly tried to help him overcome those thoughts, but she knew it would take time and that she couldn't be pushy, even in her eagerness to help. Nevertheless, she proceeded.

"But you deserve to know, and I just want to thank you for being the best friend I have had. You are so kind and cheerful and bubbly. I feel like some of your confidence has rubbed off on me. I just wish it was more. Ha-ha. Your hair is so fluffy, and your skin is so vibrant and rosy, like your hair and your personality. I feel like I learned to come out of my shell more because of you and you will be a cool hero one day. Your eyes are like obsidian pendants with a golden center in each. The way they sparkle when you are happy is the best thing I have ever seen. Your freckles are really cute and just add to how beautiful you are, inside and out. They are part of you and, while I know this never helps, you should be proud of them. They're great. You're great. You make me smile and laugh and want to be the best I can be, and I owe you a great deal. Sorry for rambling. I have never had as close a connection as I do with you. And it took me so long to finally say it, if only on paper. This is probably getting too long and repetitive. Just. You are the greatest thing to happen to me and I cannot say thank you enough. I expect nothing from you. I just. I love you.

Awkwardly yours, Midoriya Izuku"

It cut off there, probably because he felt he was being too repetitive or that he feared he was manipulative in his words. She had grown to know this boy a lot more over the past year of knowing him. He never really expected anything in return. That might have been beaten out of him, and while she appreciated his humility, one of the contributing factors to who he was had made her stomach churn. He deserved none of the shit he had received from his classmates, especially not Bakugou. Just thinking the name "Bakugou" wore on her nerves.

Mina stared at the ceiling, still holding the letter. She clutched it to her chest and blushed intensely as she gazed a hole through the fabric of reality, spacing out as it all threatened to swallow her whole.

Did she love him back? Was it just a platonic love? Something deeper? How long had it been going on for? Had she been in denial this whole time? So many questions flew through her mind as she did her most to solve this puzzle of her own feelings.

She exhaled and got up, placing the letter and the journal on her night stand as she checked her phone for any messages she may have received.

Her mind was clouded by concern. What if Izuku thought she hated him now? What if he was afraid to talk to her? What if her being afraid to talk to him until everything made sense made things worse and he ended up heartbroken before she could even give him a proper answer.

She wanted to just say "Hey dude. You dropped your notebook. Stop darting off on me, k? ;P". She wanted to assure him she didn't hate him or think he was weird. She knew she didn't. She just wanted her friend back.

But things had changed. There was no denying that. Things couldn't just go back to the way they were. She had to figure out her feelings before she could even begin to talk to him again. That just hurt her heart even more.

"Ugh! Stupid emotions!" she threw one of her stuffed animals across the room as it hit her door. It was her favorite Xenomorph Queen plush, a gift for her birthday a couple years ago.

She sighed, apologizing to her stuffed alien but grateful it hadn't been her phone. She turned her focus back to her messages. It wasn't Izuku, but Tsuyu, Kirishima, and a few of her middle school friends had messaged her, asking if she wanted to hang out today. She was tempted to respond "no" to all of them. It would raise red flags, as that wasn't a very Mina thing to do. Besides, fresh air might help her relax again. She nodded and pocketed her phone, grabbing her purse and heading out the door. She knew she would have to face Micha again, but she could just talk to him later. They lived together after all.

"I'll be back later, dude. Getting food with friends. See ya." She tried her best to pretend like nothing was on her mind. If she could play ditzy convincingly enough, she was hoping she could avoid further questions and just address the problem later. She was proud of that plan. It might not be a bad idea to implement across the board, she thought briefly before shaking her head.

Nah. It's not healthy. She would have to talk to him eventually, just like her and Izuku would have to talk, sooner or later. She just needed to figure herself out, followed by what exactly to say.

"Aight. Don't do anything I wouldn't do…so I guess do nothing then." Her elder bother gave her two finger guns and a wink as she descended the stairs. The pink girl rolled her eyes and smiled, heading towards the first floor and out the front door. She shook her head and steadied her resolve.

X

"Whoa, really?" Kirishima's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he shoved another bite of Kobe beef into his mouth, hanging on every detail. After swallowing a mouthful, he spoke again.

"Midoriya told you he had a thing for you."

The three friends had met up and grabbed lunch at a small restaurant a few blocks from the station, called Andorogamu. They had a fairly fast menu but were oddly affordable, enough so that the trio of teens. Izuku had been busy, or at least he had said. He was mostly honest, but Tsuyu and Kirishima suspected he was still shaking off the awkwardness of the situation and the guilt he had from running off on Mina again. The stress of it was impacting the pink girl's appetite a bit, but she was convinced to order some natto, so she didn't go hungry later.

"Not like we didn't know." Tsuyu croaked bluntly as she took another piece of sashimi in her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth.

"I didn't! This is news to me! He coulda told me sooner! She blushed and pouted, her cheeks puffing out as she blushed. Her hands grabbed onto her head as her eyes shut forcibly. "Ugh! What do I do or say to this?"

"He couldn't have told you sooner. He's Midoriya. Gero." Tsuyu responded again, taking another bite. "It probably took him everything to write that note without passing out."

Mina sighed. She knew the boy even better than her friends did and that was likely exactly what happened.

"I still can't believe the guy wrote you a love note. I can believe that he rushed off before he could spout the words out." Kirishima sighed, slumping in his chair as Tsuyu looked at him expectantly. "Should I just pay you now, Tsu?"

"Not yet. Gero. We'll wait out of fairness for Mina and Midoriya." She ribbited calmly as she drank her green tea.

Mina cocked an eyebrow and looked at her friends suspiciously, eyes narrowed before they shot open comically.

"What mo…. YOU TWO BET ON ME?" she spat out, shocked, even though she realized she probably shouldn't have been

"Well…more like when you two would get together…" the black-haired boy pulled on his shirt collar, realizing how it sounded.

"Kiri expected it to happen sooner. I thought it might take about a year." The frog girl placed her teacup down and took another bite of her meal.

"How do…You guys knew he liked me?"

"IMFWUMFAMF…" Kirishima remembered his manners and swallowed his mouthful of meat before continuing apologetically. "Sorry. It wasn't our place to tell you. It's not very manly to butt into these matters." The hardening boy spoke frankly now.

"But you could make money off it. I better be getting a cut." Mina pouted, taking a while to catch on to what her words had implied.

"So, you do like him." Tsuyu nodded curtly, letting out another small croak.

"I never said I did!" the freckle faced alien nearly shouted defensively. Why she was so defensive, she was fairly certain of, but didn't want to let on. She still was processing something that had just happened. She at least needed a day to reflect. "Just…. I need time to think about all this, okay?" she exhaled, deciding to focus on her natto. She picked at it more than eating it, but eventually, she finished her meal while her friends chatted.

The slime girl checked her phone to see if Izuku had texted her an apology or some weird panicky rant. Still nothing. Once again, she was unable to respond as her thumb hovered over the touch screen.

X

That night was restless. Between her friends, her brother, and questions of concern from her parents about her odd behavior, Mina was getting further flustered. She understood and appreciated that they cared, but she just wanted to curl up and sleep, so she can let this whole thing pass. Maybe it would turn out to be a dream after all. Maybe things could go back to normal.

Maybe… he would tell her he loved her in person.

Her eyes shot open and she stared at the ceiling like a lobotomy patient. It was apparent to her right then and there that it would be a long, restless night.

X

The next day went about the same. Izuku still hadn't messaged or called her and she had yet to do the same. She started out, passed out on her floor, covered in stuffed animals with a comforter draped over her legs. She didn't get to sleep until 3:30 AM. And even then, she woke up when she had a dream about Izuku and his warm, adorable smile, complete with those trademark dimples of his. Cheeks were so pinchable and his lips were rather inviting.

"Whoa! Where the shit did that come from?" she thought to herself, feeling her body sweat as her heart ran a marathon and her breath tried to catch up.

Her door creaked open and a familiar smile greeted her.

"Oi pinky. Breakfast time. Should I throw your pillow in the wash? It probably has drool from you pretending it's Midoriya."

The cushion made violent contact with the older boy's face (as violent as pillows could get, anyway) as Mina dragged herself over to her bathroom to get showered and changed.

"Tell mom I'll be down shortly. Also, shut the fuck up, Micha! None of your business" she shouted, sticking her tongue out.

"Language!" her brother gasped theatrically. "Do you kiss your best friend with that mouth?"

For his commentary, the eldest child of Ashido earned a loud, embarrassed grown and a volley of stuffed animals and swear words as he laughed his way down the steps.

"Why are you such a pain!" the pink girl flailed, not ready for the day yet. She knew there would be questions, but what was there even to say? She wasn't dating the boy. She had only just learned of his feelings. Or maybe she had known deep down. It was confusing, and it was giving her a headache.

Mina ended up spending a good portion of time in the shower, letting the water massage her body, hoping that could help get her out of this weird state she was in. Her friends and brother were convinced she had feelings for Izuku. She knew they meant well, but it was annoying her that they would assume that, especially when she was still figuring out her emotions. What annoyed her more is that they were probably right. She cared about him a lot. She had just assumed it was just strong friendship. That was definitely part of it She was always eager to stand up against bullies, but Izuku's case got to her especially, and that was early on.

This kid was one of the sweetest she had ever met. He baked her cupcakes because he thought she might like them, had her back as often as she had his, and gradually came out of his shell around her.

He was still a flustered, adorable nerd, with aspirations of being a hero, despite the setbacks, but he had more in common with her than she could have expected.

Was she worried about not feeling the same way and breaking his heart? Was she worried that maybe she did reciprocate? Realizing she shouldn't run up her parents' water bill or have her mother come in to check on her, Mina finished up and dried off, changing into her black acid t-shirt, a pair of worn capris pants, and some funky boots she had bought at that store she had bought her Baker scarf at.

When she finally made it down for breakfast, it was cold, and her family were ready in typical Ashido fashion to rib her affectionately.

"Sleep well? Her father spoke up, smiling that trademark Ashido grin as he held his "Out of this world dad" mug that Mina bought him a couple years ago for his birthday.

The pink girl groaned as she took her seat and picked at her breakfast, drinking her coffee, which was no longer hot, which she didn't care about at this point. She had to hurry to class, so she didn't have much time to talk. She was saddened, as she felt particularly close to her family. However, she wasn't ready to address any particularly embarrassing subject matters, as she had no answers yet.

X

Life had lasted like that for a good portion if the week. Classes had been a bit slow and boring, per usual, and her focus was affected, but she still tried to make due. Mina's restlessness lasted three nights, and the third was the last straw. Sleep was precious to her and being denied that by her messed up brain state was starting to really get to her. It was obvious to everyone. She couldn't stand it any longer. The sleep deprivation was too much. Awkwardly avoiding her bestie and vice versa was too much. Denying him his property was too much. Not talking about this was too much.

She had made up her mind. The emotional dust cloud had settled and, even though her stomach was still in knots, she knew where she stood. At least, she had a decent idea. More than that, she knew what would give her enough peace and sanity to sleep if tackling this issue wasn't an immediate option. She knew what she needed to hear if she wished to drift off into blissful slumber.

Mina's hand hovered over the contact on her phone and she let out a deep breath, closing her eyes as she pressed it, holding the phone up to her ear.

It rang a few times, tension rising ever so slightly as it continued before a tired, yet restless voice responded.

"…Mina?"

"Hi Izu…How are you?"

"Um…. alright? Kind of a weird hour to call at…is everything alright…. I…." the voice on the other end of the phone hesitated before continuing. "I thought you might be mad at me…"

"What No. I wasn't. …I don't know…I mean, I didn't but…" the pink girl stopped and focused.

"I want to talk to you…not over the phone…like in person."

"Oh…" Izuku's heart sank, fearing the worst. She could tell even without seeing, and that pulled at her heart further.

"Relax…It's not like that…Um…you left something behind when you ran off, jerk." Mina was teasing, yet gentle as she tried not to wake her family or worry the green-haired boy into further anxiety-based insomnia.

"Oh. Sorry. I really didn't mean to…I'm sorry I…." he paused, nearly dropping his phone as he became a bit more animated. "You...you have my journal?"

"Yeah, dude. You basically dropped it at my feet. Weird parting gift for you to leave me before ghosting for a few days." Mina knew an apology storm was coming and she quickly prepared her umbrella. "Relax…I mean… I was just as flakey…I want to give it to you when we talk. We haven't done that in a few days and it's really weird."

"Yeah…again…sorry…I guess I just…I wanted to tell you something but I just…"

"Did you? I guess that settles it." She smiled softly. "We are going to talk after all."

Izuku was speechless for a few minutes, but Mina swore she could hear incoherent noises and muttering. She was almost amused, but more than anything, a mix of relief and anxious anticipation for what would transpire when they met up.

"How about the park? You know the one. Same time and place? Only feels right, you know?" the dark-eyed girl gently cut him off.

"Yeah…Sounds good to me…Hey Mina?"

"Hmmm?

"Did…. did you…. well…" he tried to find the right words, but the green-haired boy couldn't muster a single thought to follow up with.

"Oh yeah. Read it. It's me. Hello…The girl joked before becoming a bit more nervous. "We should talk about it. I want to talk about it."

"Ok….um… anything else?"

Nah, I'm good…Night, Izu."

"good…good night mina…" Izuku hung up first His curl comrade could only imagine what was going through his head after that. He must have been feeling similarly to how she was.

Within moments of the conversation, Mina had drifted off to sleep, feeling far more relaxed as a significant portion of weight was lifted of her shoulders. Some remained, but that would be dealt with soon. Her eyes fluttered shut as the sandman whisked her away. She smiled softly. She had missed him, and she was ready to respond.

X

Mina had went about her business. She got dressed, freshened up, had breakfast with her family, and texted her friends. Tsuyu had wished her words of encouragement and, apparently, done the same for her other friend too. She may have been blunt, but the frog girl could never be accused of not being a good friend. Kirishima had done the same, although he seemed a bit down that he had lost the bet. That made Mina chuckle a little as she looked out the window of the train as she rode towards her destination.

Her brother's words from yesterday echoed through her mind, alongside the phone conversation with Izuku.

"Hey, Pinky? Look, I know I tease you a lot, but if you ever need to talk about this crud, I got you covered. I mean, I managed to get a girlfriend, so I know some things."

"Yeah, by the skin of your teeth." Mina had sassed.

"Pretty sure teeth don't have skin, Mimi. Unless you are referring to gums." He fired back. They really were almost evenly matched. "I digress though. If you really like the kid, tell him. If not, tell him as well. You two are as thick as thieves. Don't let the awkwardness of your own feelings put a halt to communication. Choice is yours, Pink. But personally, I like the guy."

Mina paused and nodded, the blush on her face answering more than her voice was willing to

"Besides, teasing the two of you together will be too damn sweet."

It was at that point Mina punched him in the arm and called him an asshole while chuckling. The memory cut off there as she reached her stop.

It was around 1:00 PM when Mina found Izuku sitting on a bench. As fate and convenience had deigned, it was the same area as the one her and Izuku had first met at. Not quite the exact same, as an elderly couple had occupied that bench to feed the birds.

Mina stood for a moment and exhaled, gathering her composure and going forward in the traditional Ashido fashion: without further hesitation.

"Hey, dude. This seat taken?"

Izuku looked up to see the pink girl, freckles unhidden, eyes sparkling like polished obsidian, and an outfit almost handpicked for this day. She had decided to wear the t-shirt she had on when they first met, the pants and shoes from when they faced Bakugou, and the jacket she had received from him for her birthday last year.

If Izuku had noticed this, she wasn't sure, because he was staring as if he had seen a hero or a miracle of some sort, not that either seemed particularly into that.

"You in there, Izu" she asked, face painted with concern.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Sorry. I zoned out…. Hi…" Izuku recovered in typical Izuku fashion.

They sat together in silence for a few minutes, minutes that felt like eternity. They both gathered up the nerve to talk but ended up doing so at the same time and had to stop to try again.

"So…You read the letter, huh…" Izuku sighed, ready to face the music. He knew he would have to.

"Yep. Man…I thought you just muttered when you talked. Turns out your letters are kinda similar, though not as organized." She chuckled softly, though it was evident she was feeling as weird as Izuku was right now. The trigger had to be pulled.

"Mina…I understand…. If you don't feel the same way…I just... I couldn't hold it in anymore. It's probably unfair to put this all on you. I…you're my best friend. Not some prize. Having you here…in my life… is already a treasure… but I couldn't lie…I couldn't just pretend things were the same. But when it came down to it…. I choked. I write that kind of out of therapy, but also in case I lost my nerve. I could have followed that as a script or given you the note…guess I sort of did, huh…" he looked down at his feet, trembling with every word he spoke.

Mina looked at him then t the sky. It was really pretty that day, a vibrant blue that just seemed suitable somehow. Mina didn't know much of anything on color theory, so any significance was lost on her. Regardless, she turned her attention to Izuku, cheeks flushed lilac.

"Well…. what if I liked it? Did that thought ever cross your mind?" Mina spoke softly, yet loud enough for him to hear. The boy gazed at her in surprise, trying to process what she was saying.

"M-maybe they were really sweet and adorable, if not a bit rambly…. You know… like you."

"Mina…. are… what are you saying.

"I'm saying I like you too, you nerd!" She burst out, a bit too loudly for her own tastes, covering her mouth and blushing deeper as she did so. "I… mean, I always liked you, just not as intensely as now, I guess. Or as intensely as you do me. Or like, it took me forever. Whatevs. The point is…" Mina could feel herself starting to ramble. She knew she had things in common with Izuku, like hair, freckles, and drive to be a hero, but his way was not hers.

She grabbed the boy and pecked him on the cheek, as if to do a final test. They gazed into each other's eyes, hearts pounding, and cheeks flushed from the realization of what just happened

"That. The point is that" the pink girl offered a gentle, endearing smile.

The two students locked eyes once more. Their thoughts were swimming violently and neither kid knew who should speak first and what they should say until oddly, Izuku spoke first.

"Are… a-are we?" the quirkless boy stammered.

"I mean… if you want… your letter was a bit vague." She teased bashfully.

"Yeah…Ha-ha. I…was hoping we could." "Me too."

"Good." Mina smiled softly.

The two teens closed the gap between them slowly but surely, eyes fluttering shut. Their lips were so close. Izuku was sweating. Should he wait? Was it too soon? They were in public. Oh god, they were in public. It all seemed to melt away though, the closer they drew to one another.

Nevertheless, even when he was tempted to pull away, he couldn't. He felt like he was riding on a track, locked in by his own emotional compulsions. Mina could feel her heart racing at the same time. They were incredibly close, their lips almost touching.

Both their phones went off at the same time, bringing them out of their moment and snapping them back to reality.

Mina sighed in mild annoyance and embarrassment, as a flustered Izuku found himself floating between relief and disappointment.

"Well, that moment was ruined." The pink girl chuckled softly. "Anyway, what now?"

"Oh, um... Wanna go hang out at my apartment?" Izuku managed to sputter out, his face beet red.

Not exactly exciting or romantic, but she was fine with it. A bit of cool down wasn't bad, especially not with her boyfriend. Boyfriend. Just thinking that word made her heart beat faster. She offered a smile, along with her land.

"Sure. Lead the way."

The new couple could feel their faces heat up and their palms grow sweaty, but it all felt so relieving. It felt like they had been on a long ride together to this point and they had finally arrived.