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Chapter 25

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"I feel like I'm going to drop any second," Kaminari panted as he leaned against the register.

Y/N raised her eyebrows at him. She'd been charging one of her customers and needed to take their receipt and bank card back to them. "You say that every day we work, but you still manage to pull through. You'll be fine."

"You're so harsh, Y/N." Kaminari grumbled. "You should find a better way to encourage me."

"I thought I was doing just that," Y/N defended.

"You should encourage me by saying if I give up, all the girls coming into the cafe won't be able to give me their number!" Kaminari refuted back.

Y/N laughed as she grabbed her black tray and receipt papers. "Sure, if that gets you moving. The dinner rush is about to end, so let's power through just a bit more."

"I really don't know how you have the energy," he groaned as he stood straight once more and fixed the collar of his work uniform.

"Really?" Y/N smiled. "I hadn't noticed."

In reality, she'd been feeling happier and there even was a little hop in her steps. Last night had been nice. She'd spent time with Shoto and even conversed with him, which she'd never thought she'd had the chance to do. Ever. It gave her a new source of energy, even if Chisaki was due the next day, she had last night to comfort her.

"I'll take table six," Y/N told Kaminari as she came back from leaving the receipts for table thirteen. "You take table nine."

"If I have to," Kaminari complained as he headed to one of the boothed tables at the corner of their section. Due to the recent increase in customers, there were two waiters assigned per section instead of just one. Which meant that Kaminari was usually always working with her. Even if he complained and groaned all the time, he did a good job and would always did his part.

Y/N was able to finished table six faster than she'd imagined she would, so she decided to cut Kaminari some slack and help him out by bringing his order to him for table nine.

"Hey," Y/N greeted as she came to a stop beside him. "I got your orders for you."

"Y/N!"

Y/N was taken by surprise when she saw very familiar faces, especially one that she'd been looking at the night before. Uraraka, Midoriya, Iida and Shoto were all sitting together in table nine.

"I was on my way to tell you that they were here," Kaminari said as he took some of the dishes from her and gave them to their designated owners. "I knew you'd want to say hi."

"We were wondering where you were." Uraraka greeted with a smile.

"We weren't sure if you were working this section or not," Midoriya added as he pulled his drink closer to him.

"It's nice to see you again," Iida smiled at her.

"Hello," Shoto nodded his head in greeting at her and Y/N's heart did a little somersault that had her cheeks flushed.

"It's nice to see you guys," Y/N beamed as she sat down the rest of the orders on the table. Kaminari finished distributing them to each one of them. "I didn't know you were coming."

"We were getting together to study for the finals," Uraraka explained as she bit into her chocolate croissant.

"Already?" Y/N raised her eyebrows. "I guess we do only have like two weeks."

"I was going to ask you to join us, but I had a feeling you were working today," Uraraka told her.

"Yeah, sorry." Y/N apologized. "Maybe this weekend we can get together and study."

"That sounds like a plan!" Uraraka gushed. "You can meet my parents! They've been asking who I'm texting all the time."

Y/N laughed. Recently, Uraraka and her had been sending each other random pictures or random messages about their day. It was a nice thing.

"Is Y/N your boyfriend? Girls text too much," Kaminari complained.

"You're just angry that Y/N doesn't message you as much as she does to me," Uraraka stuck her tongue out at Kaminari.

"If it makes you feel better Kaminari, I'll text you more," Midoriya interjected with big soft green eyes.

"No, thanks, Midoriya," Kaminari refused. "I want a girl texting me, not you."

"I see," Midoriya deflated.

"I read an article about marvel's new movie coming out," Y/N chimed in. She wasn't about to let Midoriya go all sad on her. "I'll text you the details about it later. I wanted to know what you thought about it."

"What? Really?" Midoriya bubbled. His cheeks had a slight pink tinge to them. He got way too excited way too quickly. "That sounds great."

"Moving on from movies," Kaminari turned to her with pleading eyes. "I was actually going ask you to help me study after work whenever you could. Calculus in killing me. I know we don't have the same class, but…"

"How are you bad at calculus?" Iida scolded, adjusting his glasses. "Have you not been taking notes? Have you been sleeping in class again, Kaminari?"

Kaminari didn't meet his eyes. "N-No! I just need it to be explained to me at a softer pace!"

"If you just pay attention it shouldn't be that hard to pass." Shoto added in. Y/N couldn't help but notice he'd ordered a slice of cheesecake and a cup of coffee. They were both half gone. He really had an appetite.

"I know Y/N has been helping you with your past tests," Uraraka pointed out. "You can't just depend on her to help you pass."

"But Y/N knows the perfect way to teach it to me," Kaminari defended. "Everyone else thinks so too!"

"Everyone else?" Shoto raised his eyebrows in question.

Y/N scratched the back of her head. "Well...I've been helping everyone at work study whenever I have time."

"Aren't you worried about your own studies?" Iida chided.

"Yeah, Y/N," Uraraka added. "You can't help everyone and forget about yourself!"

"I'm not, I'm not." Y/N promised them. "It actually helps me. I learn better when I teach others."

"See?" Kaminari said. "It's no big deal. I also can't afford to fail this class. I can't retake it."

"I'll send you pictures of some of my calculus notes," Shoto told him. "Y/N and I have the same class, so it shouldn't be too different."

"Whoa, thanks man!" Kaminari grinned at Shoto. "You're the best."

"Yeah, sure." Shoto waved him off and went back to drinking his coffee.

"Y/N!"

Y/N jumped in surprise when Mr. Toshinori called out to her and walked to her side. Kaminari sent her a panicked look. They hadn't exactly been doing their job and had been chatting away instead of serving tables.

"Act natural," Kaminari whispered to her, but he tried his best to hide behind her. Such a gentleman, Y/N thought sarcastically.

"Mr. Toshinori," Y/N greeted with a strained smile. Were they in trouble? She could feel their friends eyes on them in question.

Mr. Toshinori was back in his baggy clothes and blonde hair tied back in a low ponytail. He was carrying a bag with him.

"If it isn't you kids again," Mr. Toshinori greeted when he noticed Shoto and the others sitting in the booth.

"We can't stop coming to One For All," Uraraka grinned at the man.

"It's our favorite spot after class," Midoriya chimed in. His eyes were looking at Mr. Toshinori in adoration. Y/N wondered what the story behind that friendship was.

"We stopped by to say hello to Kaminari and Y/N." Iida explained.

"We came here to study," Shoto concluded.

"Oh, right." Mr. Toshinori snapped his fingers. "That's probably the reason why I'm getting so many off days requested for the second week of December. I forget your brats have finals."

"Was there something you needed from us sir?" Kaminari asked him.

"Ah, yes. I was looking for Y/N." He turned to her. "I brought this for you for Thursday." He handed her the bag he'd been carrying.

Y/N gave him a questioning glance as she looked through the contents of the bag.

"For Thursday?" Kaminari asked.

"I guess Y/N didn't mention it," Mr. Toshinori told him. "But she won't be working for One For All for the next three to four weeks."

"What?" Kaminari said in a shocked tone.

"You're firing Y/N?" Uraraka squeaked.

"But why, Mr. Toshinori?" Kaminari looked confused. "I thought you said she was a good employee!"

"We should let him talk before we assume," Shoto interjected, which Y/N was grateful for.

"Guys," she started. "Mr. Toshinori asked me to help him out in one of his new establishments a town over." she brought out the contents of the bag. It was a different work uniform.

"I asked Y/N to help with some of the management," Mr. Toshinori continued. "It's only for a few weeks while we have a decent staff set up. I was giving her the uniform she was going to need."

"Wait," Kaminari signaled 'pause' with his hand. "So, you're not going to be at One For All for a whole month?"

Y/N gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she turned to her friends. "Or any of you guys. It's not like I was trying to keep it a secret, I just hadn't been able to find the right time to tell you."

"Y/N is a great asset to the team," Mr. Toshinori added. "I'm not firing her or trying to keep her away for too long. I just need her help for now. I hope you guys understand." he waved as he walked away—probably back to his yellow office.

"That means we'll hardly see you!" Uraraka pointed out.

"We don't have any classes together," Midoriya informed. "The only person you'll see is Todoroki-kun."

"We eat lunch together all the time. You'll see her," Shoto reminded him, but he'd turned to look at Y/N with narrowed eyes. Crap. She was in trouble. "How far away is this place?"

Y/N hesitated. "About an hour."

Shoto glared at her and all of a sudden she wasn't as happy to see him. She should've thought things through.

"An hour?" he repeated. "And you'll work your usual times? Do you know how late that's going to be?"

"Shoto is right," Iida agreed. "Being out late in a town you don't know could be dangerous."

"I wish Mr. Toshinori could've asked me to join you," Kaminari voiced out. "I wouldn't mind walking you home. We could've taken the bus back together."

"It's really no big deal guys," Y/N reassured them, but she could feel Shoto's steely eyes on her. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

"Still, if you ever feel like you're in danger or don't feel comfortable getting off at work late at night, don't hesitate to call us," Midoriya let her know.

"I'm always ready to take someone down," Uraraka chimed in.

Y/N was warmed by their concern. "Thank you."

"Oh, no!" Kaminari cried out in horror. "That means you won't be able to help me study!"

"You sound disgraceful, Kaminari!" Iida chided with his arms across his chest. "Aren't you worried about your fellow friends safety?"

"I am!" Kaminari refuted. "But I'm also concerned about failing calculus."

"I'll send you a picture of my notes," Y/N told her blond friend. "I'll write little epigraph's summarizing a lot of them and the steps to answer questions in the margins."

"That would actually really be a lot of help," Kaminari turned to her. "Thanks a lot, Y/N."

"It really is no problem," Y/N reassured him. She turned to Uraraka and Midoriya. "If you guys need any help, don't hesitate to ask. I don't mind sharing my notes."

"That's really nice, Y/N. Thank you! You're the best!" Uraraka praised.

Midoriya gave her a grateful smile. "We really appreciate your help."

"I am grateful for your help, even though I feel like Kaminari has already taken advantage of your kindness too much as it is," Iida pointed out, which caused the blond boy beside her to pout stubbornly.

"That's an understatement," Shoto murmured—sending everyone in a fit of laughter and Kaminari to flush in embarrassment. Y/N cracked a smile.

"Anyways," Kaminari sighed as he turned towards the sound of a bell. "We have customers to take care of. We'll come back and check on you guys soon."

"He's right," Y/N agreed, a small smile on her lips. "We should head back."

Y/N and Kaminari said their goodbyes, but Y/N was concentrated on the blue and grey eyed boy that kept his gaze on her. She'd need to call him after work and give him an explanation

…

Y/N almost kicked Shoto in the shin when she was walking out of One For All. She'd been trying to plug her earphones in, and at the same time shrug on her backpack. She was waiting on her taxi since Kaminari had to pull a later shift than her and he wasn't going to be able to walk her home—and she didn't want to run the luck on angering Shoto even more.

As she stood under the lamp light in front of the cafe, she made sure to keep her eyes wide open. Ever since her call with Shoto the day before, she'd been more on the edge and a little more alert. Which lead her to jumping out of her skin when she heard a voice from behind.

"You really like seeing me angry."

Y/N turned and lifted her foot to kick, only to recognize the familiar face.

"Shoto!" she squeaked, bringing her foot down. "You scared me!"

His shadow grew smaller as he approached her under the lamp light outside of One For All. Despite it being later at night, there was a small flow of customers walking in and out of the cafe.

"Were you about to kick me?" he raised his eyebrows at her.

Y/N brought her right hand to her chest and felt the fast beat of her heart—which probably wasn't all caused by the fright alone anymore—at least now that she knew it was Shoto.

"I was simply going to try to defend myself." she argued, a soft dust of pink on her cheeks. "What are you doing here? I thought you guys had left a few hours ago."

"I stopped by because we need to talk," Shoto sighed; like he was about to explain things to a child.

"Talk?" Y/N swallowed as she realized what he meant. "Is it about helping out Mr. Toshinori at his other establishment? I was going to tell you, I promise. I just couldn't find the time."

"Y/N," Shoto started with a darkness in his gaze. His hands were in his jacket pockets. He stepped closer. "For you to be working a town over will be harder for me to know where you are and keep an eye on you." He glanced over his shoulder before leaning in closer. "I spoke to some of my men, and apparently the three we ran into the alleyway the other day are still alive."

Y/N felt a rush of relief hit her, only to be overtaken by a wave of fear. "You mean…?"

"It's a possibility they might come for you," Shoto warmed her. "It was just confirmed today, but I had a suspicion. That's why I was worried yesterday when you didn't answer your phone and that's why you working across town is going to complicate things."

"I know," Y/N sighed dejectedly as she pulled at the end of her ponytail. "I'm not purposely going out of my way to make you worry or make this harder on you," Y/N gave him a pleading look. "But I promised Mr. Toshinori to help him. He helped me when I was most in need, I can't let him down. Other people don't know that me walking down the street can mean me being shot to death." Y/N looked down at her fidgeting hands. "I'll take a taxi or an Uber after work straight home every time, and I'll call you or text you if you want me to. I even bought pepper spray to carry around with me." A purchase she'd done in between her visits to Rei.

Shoto crossed his arms across his chest. He peered at her in question. "You really want to work across town?"

"I made a promised to help Mr. Toshinori in any way I could," Y/N explained to him.

"You do know it could be dangerous to be alone at late hours at night and that this establishment is going to be across town," Shoto reminded her. "A town you haven't been to before."

"I know."

"You'll have to let me know of everything you do, or anything that looks or sounds suspicious."

"I know."

"And I'm going to have to drive you to and from work everyday."

"I know—" Y/N paused and looked up at him in question. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Shoto looked off into the dark alleyway behind a building before looking back to her. "It's way too dangerous for you to be going long distances alone and even harder for me to track you or contact you in case of an emergency. That's why I'll be driving you to and from work."

"What? Why?" Y/N shook her head adamantly. "That would make you go out of your way. I'll really be fine."

"Y/N." The way he said her name sent a shiver down her back. His tone had gone darker and ominous. In the shadows of the night, the scar on his left side of his face looked almost menacing. He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her closer to a corner, where people wouldn't be able to overhear them.

"Believe it or not, based on where this establishment Mr. Toshinori said was located, it's better for me to go with you whenever you have to work. The farther you are from me, the higher the risk of you being in danger." His eyes were almost pleading. "You know I can't say much about what I'm doing, but I have people out there that truly hate me and want to kill me. Which means they'll be targeting the people I care about. Which means you're one of them, and after what happened last time, I know they won't hesitate to kill you."

Y/N looked at him in bewilderment. That slight tremble in his voice when Shoto spoke, the way his fingers clenched slightly against her elbow, or the way his eyes flickered every few seconds to look behind them and around them—as if he were looking for someone—made Y/N realize and feel a new source of trepidation inside of her.

"Okay," Y/N grabbed his hand from her elbow and took it in hers. It was cold. She squeezed it. What had happened in the last few hours to get Shoto so agitated? "I'll do everything you say from now on."

Shoto visibly relaxed in front of her. The worry lines on his forehead had diminished and his stance became less tense.

"Good," he answered her as he dug through his pockets with his free hand. She had expected for him to let go of their joint hands, but instead he gripped them tighter. Something had happened for him to be this way.

"Do you even know how to drive?" she asked him.

Shoto pulled out a pair of shiny keys from his jean pockets. "I guess this is the only good thing my bastard of a father did for me." He looked down at her, but his face had contorted to its usual solemness. "Pay someone to teach me how to drive."

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows at him. He never spoke about his father and he seemed to be on edge.

Something had really happened.

"Shoto," Y/N pulled him towards her. She gave him concerned eyes. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?" she whispered the second question.

His eyes widened at her words, and then softened. "Apologies," He squeezed her hand. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I can't talk about it, but everything should be fine."

Y/N wasn't completely convinced. She'd have to keep an eye on him. Last time he started acting weird...he almost got himself killed.

Y/N knew Chisaki wasn't going to be home until the next day, so she decided to take a chance.

"Shoto, is the offer of you driving me start today?" she reached for her phone in her pocket.

"I was planning to drive you either way," Shoto informed her. "Kaminari texted me saying that he wasn't going to be able to walk you today."

"I thought so," Y/N shook her head in amusement. That blond friend of hers took his job very seriously apparently.

"Why?" Shoto asked her.

Y/N pressed the green button on her phone.

"So I can cancel my Taxi."