Before you continue, I'd like to thank my new followers: Bluejack83, Calovan, Conceptual, , Ryuketsu no Hana, caboose97 and xXkapow1227Xx.
I'm tentatively thinking there are two chapters after this one (the concert itself is lengthy, though not, I hope, in a bad way), since I've got a lot of ground to cover, and I'm about to enter my second round of mid-terms. Hope you guys like this.
12. The *Laughs* Calm Before the Concert
"Guys! Guys!" Ochako looked up. Deku was positively vibrating with excitement.
"Quiet, scum!" Bakugou shouted from beside Kirishima, who Ochako was sure was holding his hand in a crushing, manly grip. "We're studying!"
Deku hardly heard him. He was literally bouncing from foot to foot. Ochako couldn't remember a time he'd come so close to ignoring Bakugou.
"Midoriya, why are you so excited?" Iida said. "Bakugou's rude, but he's right, we are studying, and need a peaceful environment in which to concentrate."
"Sorry!" Deku said, not quieting in the slightest. "But I—A—m—concert!" He was red in the face, he was having so much trouble speaking.
Tsu-chan swiped her tongue across his face. When she finished, he looked extremely revolted. "That usually works," Tsu-chan said. "Now, three deep breaths, and try to say one thing at a time."
Deku only managed one breath. "Concert!"
"What about it?" Kaminari said.
Deku took a couple breaths. "My mom has a bunch of tickets, so I-I'm inviting everyone."
There was a pregnant silence, which almost everyone broke when they exploded into cheers. They looked about to hoist Deku on their shoulders when Todoroki turned to Ochako and Tsu-chan (he'd gotten up, but wasn't outwardly ecstatic). "Why aren't you guys excited?" The rest of the class—except Bakugou, who hadn't gotten up—quieted.
"Better question," Shinso called from the kitchen, where he'd been helping Sato with supper, "why does Midoriya's mom have enough tickets for all of us?"
"Oh!" Ochako's shout of surprise managed to drown out Deku's stammering. Everyone turned to her.
"W-well," she said in spite of the discomfiting stares, "We—I—overheard you recognize your mother's voice when we first listened to that recording, Deku. So when we had that day off last month, and the girls went to the zoo, we bumped into your mother, and I asked, and she confirmed it."
Another silence. "So," Ashido said, twiddling her fingers, "Midoriya's mother is Kimeru-chan?" Ochako nodded. Ashido looked to Deku, who also nodded. "Midoriya's mom is an idol!" The cheering recommenced.
Studying was temporarily forgotten, unless you counted Bakugou, who seemed set on ignoring everything around him, even as his expression grew more and more stormy.
At one point, Ochako found herself standing beside Tsu-chan. "So why'd you spill the beans on Deku's mother?"
"I didn't do it on purpose," Ochako said, raising her hands. She lowered her voice. "But Deku was excited when he came in, right?" Tsu-chan nodded. "What if he was excited about that thing we all found out at the zoo? I might've kept him from blowing the lid on that."
Tsu-chan touched a contemplative finger to her lips. "It's more luck than cleverness, Ochako-chan. But you do have a point. Still, I doubt he can hold that in for long. Maybe if you tell him you know, he can talk about it with someone."
Ochako felt her pulse twitch upward ever so slightly. "W-why don't you tell him?" Tsu-chan gave her as sardonic a look as her froggy eyes could manage. Ochako felt her face heat up. "Oh."
She was marvelling at Tsu-chan's shrewdness when Deku came over. He still had a grin on his face, but seemed to have calmed down a bit. Ochako's pulse jumped again. "I thought everyone would be excited, but I didn't think they'd throw a party."
"They basically got free passes to a concert we're all looking forward to," Tsu-chan said, "so of course they're happy." Tsu-chan stretched. "Although parties aren't really my thing. I think I'll study a bit in my room and go to sleep. Good night." And then she was gone.
"Um, there's something else," Deku said. Ochako thought she could fry an egg on her face. "About my mom." Six eggs.
"And—uh," Ochako lowered her voice, "All Might?" Deku looked more than a little surprised. Ochako's pulse dropped, though her face didn't cool. "They were on a date when we met her at the zoo. All the girls know, but no one's going to say anything."
"Oh." Deku looked thoughtful a moment. "I almost spilled it all earlier, so I'm kind of glad you interrupted me."
"N-no problem," Ochako said. She remembered what Tsu-chan had told her. "Do you, uh, wanna go outside and talk about it?"
Deku rubbed his chin. "Maybe the roof? I don't think we should risk anyone listening in, even on school grounds."
Deku's mention of the roof nearly popped Ochako's coronary artery, but she managed to recover enough to nod.
The air was crisp outside, the sun just setting, the sky streaked with clouds. The air, at least, cooled Ochako off a bit. "L-lovely evening, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Deku said. They walked to the railing at the edge of the boys' tower and looked out over the city. There was something picturesque about it from this distance, on the U.A. hill on the roof of the dormitory. Ochako felt herself relax a bit.
"So, you're happy about this," she said, struggling less for words than she'd thought she might, "but how are you…" she lowered her voice, despite the twenty-plus metres separating them from the ground, "I'd be overwhelmed if I found out All Might was dating my aunt, let alone my mom!"
Deku thought a moment. "Well… I'm overwhelmed in a good way, I guess." He turned and looked up at the sky, just starting to darken. "All Might was a huge part of my life from before I even met him." He chuckled. "You've seen my room, you know what I mean. And at U.A., he's an actual person, not a distant figure I only see on TV and social media. And he's helped me so much, and I've learned a lot from him. He's… sort of always been a presence in my life."
Ochako thought she might be about to tread into dangerous waters. "I-if this goes well, with him and your mom, they might get… you know…"
"…Married?" It calmed Ochako down a bit to see Deku redden. "That was the first thought in my head when they told me."
Ochako chuckled. "Did you cry?"
"They'll probably be drying out the teachers' lounge for a week or more," Deku said, laughing himself.
"So, All Might would pretty much be your dad, wouldn't he?" Ochako realized too late what she was saying.
"He pretty much already…" Deku realized it then, too. "Oh… it's fine, Uraraka-san. My dad hasn't been much a part of my life since I was really little, so it's been a long time since I felt like I had one."
"Sorry," Ochako said, mentally face-palming, "I didn't mean—that's none of my business."
"No, no," Deku said, raising his hands, "like I said, it's fine, it's fine. And… it's not all about All Might." He looked down, then back up at the sky.
"Oh?"
"It's about Mom, too." He smiled, bigger even than he had down in the common area. "Today was the first day I'd seen her in a while, but we talk on the phone at least once a week. And… from around the time she and All Might started dating, she's sounded so happy, and she's mentioned conversations and arguments she's had with friends, and I'm sure most of them have been with him." He looked back at Ochako. "I'm really happy about all of this, Uraraka. For my own sake, and for her. I've been the one big thing in her life for a long time, and… it's nice to hear her excited about something she loves besides me, you know?"
Ochako felt something in her chest tighten. "Deku, I… huh? Why am I…?" Why were tears rolling down her face?
"Uraraka!" Deku's grin vanished. "Oh god, what have I done! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm—"
"It's okay, I think, Deku," Ochako said, wiping at her eyes. She felt Deku press something soft into her hand. A handkerchief? She took it. "That was just really sweet and touching."
"Oh, I wasn't trying to—"
"Deku," Ochako said, steeling herself, "can you take any more big news today?"
(Four Weeks Later)
"So the big day's drawing near, huh?" Mitsuki said. To change things up, they'd gone for a walk instead of sitting at their usual restaurant.
"Two weeks away," Inko said. The words made her heart jump. "And of the three of us, I don't know who's the most excited."
"But I can guess who's the most anxious," Mitsuki said as they turned the corner. "Oh, by the way, Katsuki's finally sleeping properly again."
"Oh?" Inko smiled. "I guess he finally outgrew his lullaby."
Mitsuki snorted. "Not likely. I sent him a recording is all. Puts him out in two minutes flat. I've never heard of one working so fast."
Inko shrugged. "It was a weird experiment in death metal; I'm glad it's helped someone."
"Well either way, it's saved all three of us a lot of sleepless nights." She glanced at Inko. "Will you be including it on your playlist?"
"Oh, n-no," Inko said. "That was a private commission. It's yours, as far as I'm concerned."
"You can if you want," Mitsuki said. "If you want my permission, you have it."
"It'll be okay," Inko said as they turned into the park, "I've already got a single lined up the public hasn't heard yet."
"Oh?" Mitsuki grinned. "Starting big, are we?"
"I-it's a bit of a gamble, after all," Inko said, taking a seat on a bench by the pond, "I mean, I don't know if anyone's going to like it, so it could make the whole show flop, and then it's probably all over."
"Inko," Mitsuki said, joining her, "it's fine. If you re-start your career, great. And if you don't, you still have incredible musical talent, and two men in your life who love you. Besides, you could still do small events, even if this concert doesn't go so well. What's important is the singing, right?"
Inko gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's true."
"So," Mitsuki said, "any other big news recently?"
"Well, All Might and I are doing well," Inko said, lowering her voice, "but you already knew that. Oh, Izuku has a girlfriend now!"
"What!" Mitsuki said, almost falling off the bench. "Don't throw things at me like that! Dish, girl!"
(Fifteen Minutes Before Go-Time)
"All Might?" Toshinori looked up. An usher was coming down the aisle toward him. Her expression was urgent, but not fearful. The students seated around him looked up, too.
"Yes?"
"There's a matter requiring your attention." The usher leaned close. "Kimeru-chan asked for you."
Toshinori suspected this might happen. "I'll be right there." He turned to his class. "I'll be back soon. Until then, Young Iida, you and Young Yaoyorozu are in charge."
"Yes, sir!" Iida said, standing and snapping off a crisp bow.
"Don't get up," Miss Hatsume said from beside him. "I'm planning my next baby and want your input." She had her head together with Young Yaoyorozu, who after voicing an affirmative to Toshinori went back to planning. Iida reddened and sat. As he was walking past them, Toshinori saw Young Uraraka and Izuku sitting together, talking as quietly as one could in a crowded stadium. They both looked a shade nervous.
As Toshinori followed the young usher, he reflected on the choice of venue. U.A. stadium made a fantastic choice for a concert; the acoustics were superb, security was by default tight, the seating capacity was tremendous—another reason Inko had been able to invite thirty VIPs—and most of the field was open, so people could get up and dance if they felt so inclined. He smiled; much of his class would probably end up down on that turf before the night was too old.
And then there was the fact that U.A. was hosting this event. The stadium had been provided largely free of charge, and the school was taking only a modest share of the proceeds, a fact known to few, a rumour known to all. Toshinori reflected that Nezu was a genius at PR.
The usher left Toshinori at the door to the dressing room and hurried off. He could hear voices inside, one of which he fondly recognized. He knocked.
A woman in late middle-age with square glasses and her hair tied back in a braid opened it. "Ah, you're here," she said like she was speaking to an old friend. She added in an undertone, "She's not as bad as when she was a kid, but Kimeru-chan's still acting like a cow in a slaughterhouse, and my old methods aren't working. She asked for you, so maybe you can help."
Toshinori nodded. "Thank you." She opened the door and let him in. Inko, in a gorgeous flowing black dress with cherry petals embroidered all over it, her hair combed with strings of glittering stones running through it, pink pearls about her neck, was trembling so badly the cup of water on her table was shaking.
"I'm here," Toshinori said. Inko started and turned her head. "You look beautiful."
"Oh, thank you." She turned to her agent. "Can we please have some privacy, Miss Kano?"
Kano bowed. "Go time in ten minutes, Kimeru-chan." She left.
"I d-don't think I can do this," Inko said, clutching the edge of the table.
Toshinori approached her, gently set his hands on her shoulders. She started at his touch. "I have complete confidence in you."
"That makes one of us," Inko half-smiled.
Should I get her mind off what's coming? Or, Oh! He struck his palm with his opposite hand, maybe just take her mind off the anxiety! "Miss Kano seems quite capable."
Inko nodded. "She was my agent before, too. Back then, lots of people wanted to sway me, because of my influence and my steadfast reputation; if they had me, they had the trust of the people. Everyone knew I was with Shikoku Records, but some… unpleasant people found out who my exact agent was. Since the identities of idols and their families are kept confidential, they tried to bribe her or, failing that, threaten her. Her left eye is a glass eye because she refused, and one of them tried to make good on his threat. He didn't know her Quirk can paralyze anyone she touches."
Toshinori turned to the door. "That could've gone a lot worse."
Inko nodded. "When some of her colleagues found her, she'd kicked him in the ribs so many times he couldn't breathe on his own for two years."
Toshinori looked back at Inko, eyes wide. He laughed. "I'll have to thank her for protecting you."
Inko managed a tremulous smile. "I don't have much time, and I'm not ready." She put a hand over her heart. "I'm not in the mind I used to have before I performed."
Toshinori shrugged. "You are not the person you were then, Inko." A thought occurred to him. "What did it feel like, when you were composing, or writing songs, or performing?"
Inko made to run a hand through her hair, then put it down. "When I wrote, it felt—feels—like an opening of my mind, a receiving, like I was listening as the world poured liquid wisdom into me, and I let it flow from mind to pen. When I composed, it was a struggle to try and hold it all together, like the power of sound and meaning together was so enormous it would break me if I lost control or concentration. When I performed," did she notice how her smile grew, the trembling ceased, and a fire lit in her eyes as she spoke? "it was like spinning the wills of all the people of Japan into one voice, the mute and the muzzled given words that cut and music that moved. When I performed, I was the voice of Japan." When had she stood up?
Toshinori smiled, surprised despite his fulfilled hope. "I felt as you do when you write, when my predecessor passed One For All on to me. I felt as you do when you compose, when I trained and strove to master this Quirk that can break the bodies of unworthy vessels." He changed. "And I felt as you do when you perform, when I finally rose to bring down the evil in this country, that I was the fist of the millions of people struggling to live peaceful lives crying out 'Enough! We will have no more of this!'"
Toshinori reverted, a half-sheepish smile on his face. "How is your anxiety now?"
Inko's eyes and smile were still fiery as she stepped forward, taking him by the shoulders. Her kiss started fiery, and finished gentle and sweet as cream. Her whisper was softer than her velvet dress. "I love you."
Toshinori was pretty sure his heart skipped six beats. "I—I love you too." He relaxed. "Now go be the voice of Japan." He gestured to the door.
"I… need to wait until Miss Kano knocks," Inko said, twirling a finger in a lock of hair not strung with crystal.
"Oh," Toshinori ran a hand through his own hair, "okay." He'd rarely felt so awkward, but the smile Inko gave him was encouraging.
The knock came a short while later. "Watch from back stage," Inko turned to him. Her smile was more radiant than Toshinori had ever seen. He could only nod as he followed her and Miss Kano. He was not going to miss this.
