Chapter 18: It's All Fun & Games
Shortly after their food arrived, a selection of dishes, most of which were to be grilled in the small, circular grill in the centre of the table. They mostly ate in silence, which, from Midoriya's point of view, was for three reasons.
Firstly, that had been a fairly heavy conversation. It wasn't so easy to jump right back into light-hearted conversation after that. It might even be wrong to. There was a lot to absorb and it felt like Mina had really opened up to him. Giving her some time to reflect seemed like the right thing to do, though he wasn't exactly an expert, he could only go with his gut response.
Secondly, they were eating. Not talking with your mouth full was just good manners and he felt very conscientious about making a good impression despite the fact they had eaten together numerous times. Plus, there was the fact that it was getting into the afternoon now and without so much as a bite before, having fought in an exam and then healed via Recovery Girl's stamina-draining heal, she must be starving by now. He certainly would have been.
Thirdly, after they had started eating and cooking their food he had at first been impressed with how the lighting seemed to highlight the steam coming from the barbeque, as he watching it absentmindedly a lull in it had brought what was behind it into focus, Mina. She was eyeing the meat cooking and hadn't noticed when he hastily looked down at his food but as time went on, he stole more glances at her through the smoky veil. She was right, it had been a mad week. Mad enough even that he had forgotten what had been plain before his eyes. She was beautiful. The golden hue of her eyes emphasised by her black sclera. Her unruly, fluffy hair that curled and flicked this way and that yet seemed to so neatly hug her cheeks. She always had a big grin plastered on her lips but when it wasn't, she actually had quite a small mouth with soft looking lips that seemed to naturally sit at a slight curve, giving the impression of a permanent slight smile.
He tore his eyes away, afraid of her looking up and catching him staring at her. His mind rebelled and pushed a thought forward; the image of finding out how soft those lips really were.
He nearly choked on his food and turned away to clear his throat. Mina looked up from a mouthful, tilting her head in confusion.
"Ya'alright?" she asked, mouth still half full.
"Y-yeah, just er… nearly went down the wrong hole" he lied. Mina shrugged and seemed to accept it without any further thought. Midoriya meanwhile mentally chastised himself for being so indecent. He was trying to just do right by his friend after all. This wasn't an excuse to bring her out to ogle her, no matter how pretty a person was that was never acceptable. Perhaps in a relationship, but nothing outside of that, surely.
He set down his cutlery and looked at what they had ordered. Most of it was cleared save a few scraps here and there. Mina looked to be finished also, as she was flicking some of her food across her plate disinterestedly with her chopsticks. She glanced up at him then back down, paused, then back up with a shy smile.
He returned the smile and for just a moment they sat there with satisfied smiles, their eyes locked and an feeling neither one could quite place. Midoriya was the first to avert his eyes as the moment of courage passed and his nerves then kicked in.
"Are you ready to leave?" he asked.
"Yeah, I don't think I could manage another bite" she commented, setting down her chopsticks. No sooner had she done so than the waiter appeared again.
"Are we finished?" he politely asked.
"Yeah, if we could just have the bill please?" Midoriya asked.
"Certainly sir, I'll clear these and I'll be right back with that" he said, collecting plates, balancing them, what seemed to be precariously but was in fact rather expertly, near clearing the table in a single collection.
Mina reached down toward her mini cross body bag, currently sat alongside her.
"There's no need for that" Midoriya called on popping his wallet on the table. Mina looked up, in confusion then surprise as she saw what he meant.
"There's no need for you to pay" she protested.
"I invited you out" he reasoned "Let me treat you" he smiled.
Mina flushed as all thoughts were squashed by the single thought that insisted that this was a very date-like thing to do. Friend just split the bill, right?
"Are you sure? I really don't mind" she tried one last time, putting her bag on the table to show she was more than happy to pay her own way.
"I insist" he finished, effectively dismissing her offer.
"Th-thanks then" she muttered. It felt as though accepting his paying for the food was admission of some kind.
True to his word, Midoriya happily paid and with that they rose and left the restaurant. Mina came to the bottom of the stairs, greeted again by the bright sunny day and turned toward Midoriya with a grin which she quickly hid.
"So, now will you tell me where we are going?" she playfully whined, as though he had been so unreasonable in keeping it from her.
"Absolutely" he agreed. Mina beamed; fists pumped in anticipation. "It's this way" he smiled, pointed and lead on.
Mina gaped and huffed.
"You're getting too used to doing that!" she declared, running to catch him up. He chuckled as she caught up to him and puffed out her cheeks in feigned anger.
"I'm just getting used to you, I think" he grinned.
Mina's expression dropped into surprise, then she chuckled and grinned back. She should have known from earlier; he was definitely in one of his fun moods today. She could scarcely remember when the last time had been. It was refreshing and she couldn't help but feel elated by it, even if he was teasing her right now. Besides, she was going to be getting him back, plus interest. His being so cute wasn't going to save him today. Not one bit.
"I'm just getting used to this side of you" she cooed following a contented single breath of laughter.
"Is it too much?" he panicked, holding up his hands palms out. Mina laughed at his reaction.
"It's just enough" she comforted with a wink "Now, hurry up and walk! I've been waiting patiently you know!" she demanded, putting a hand on his back and urging him along a little faster.
"O-okay" he agreed, wondering just when it had been patiently to himself.
They walked along through the city, Mina looking about, taking in the sights, sounds and atmosphere that you could only feel in the city. The sense of bustling life all around her, thousands of stories in which she was just passing background character. It used to make her feel so small yet content to know that her problems were small with her. Recently the reality of her being at U.A had set in and she had come to feel that she was a part of something else, something bigger, something that was going to explode one day and become so huge she couldn't keep that same perspective that that both she and her problems were these small blips in the world. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking simultaneously.
She glanced at Midoriya.
Right now though, she was both excited and nervous about something personal once more, something small. It was funny how things seemed to come full circle and yet not change at all. She was just hoping there were some things that she could change.
"Here we are" Midoriya called gesturing to a building ahead of them. Mina's eyes shot up, looking at the building and smiled wildly. It was Round 1 Stadium. A sports complex that housed a huge number of potential activities and games. Bowling, badminton, batting cages, arcades, table tennis, billiards, darts, crazy golf, roller skating, karaoke… the list and possibilities were endless. Mina turned to Midoriya in awe, then something seemed to click in her and her expression changed to curiosity.
"You realise you have brought me here, to a place of competition, when I told you I am going to get you back, big time, right?" she explained, matter-of-factly. Midoriya shrank away.
"Maybe we should jus-" he began, pointing in another direction. Mina laughed and grabbed his pointing hand and pulled him along toward the stadium.
"No!" she dismissed brightly "I think your idea is perfect, Izuku-kun!" she complimented sweetly with an undertone of menace, as she continued to pull him along.
"Ah, but it's so high energy now that I think about it!" he claimed, "You must already be so tired!" Mina turned toward him and grinned, not stopping her pulling.
"I could not be more energised right now!" she bubbled, giving him her trademark grin. He smiled back nervously, wondering just how she was intended on paying him back and how long she was going to be holding his hand for. His cheeks flushing madly as he couldn't help but focusing on his hand in hers, they felt so warm and small yet her grip had an unmistakable firmness to it.
It wasn't until they were inside that she let go, gasping in awe she looked up and around, the many signs and directions accompanied by a map ahead. She turned to Midoriya, her expression sheer delight.
"So, so, what are we doing first?" she asked, her hands pumping away manically. Midoriya let loose a smile and gestured back toward her.
"It's your day Mina. We are going to do whatever you want to do" he smiled. Mina paused.
"Is it really okay just to do what I want?" she asked in a held breath. Midoriya smiled at her.
"That's why we're here and it's not like I don't want to be here. Plus, we have a deal right? You gotta try being selfish once in a while" He looked about them at all the possibilities, each of which Mina would probably love "I hadn't planned on that promise but you have to admit it kind of works perfectly. Like it's meant to be, right?"
Mina's eyes grew wide in wonder as she looked about, trying to set her sights on just one thing at a time. For a brief instant she felt a hitch in her throat. A moment in which she felt a little bit overwhelmed. It passed as suddenly as it came but it was unmistakable. After all the rubbish that had happened this was just a big contrast to all that. Now she was with the person she wanted to be with, the pair of them out just to have fun and doing whatever it was that she wanted to do in what had to be the most ideal place in the world for her to kick loose and have fun in. Rather than wasting a single second dawdling as she already had been, as Ochaco had been, she grabbed his hand and pulled him, turning to him as she led the way.
"Let's start with bowling, Izuku!" she beamed. This time she didn't have to pull much at all as the pair shot through the place, weaving through everyone else, who were moving slower.
Midoriya decided not to ask about the hand holding, assuming maybe she was expecting bigger crowds in which they might have gotten separated. It was his first time here but maybe she had some experience. Instead he started to note the feeling of her soft, warm hands gripping his. She hadn't even hesitated. He could only guess it wasn't as big a thing to her as it felt to him having never held hands with a girl before, ever. That and, if he did bring it up, she might let go and he didn't really want that to happen.
She didn't even let go as they queued up to get a bowling lane.
Mina meanwhile was so distracted by her fuzzy happy thoughts; in all her excitement she had scarcely noticed she had done it again. The first time had been to drag him on. The second time, if she had stopped to think about it, was just a reflex to being told to be selfish. Instead of realising this she was looking about, planning what they would do next and if she wanted to try out a milkshake, an ice-cream or some shaved ice.
"How many games do you think we should play?" Mina asked as the couple ahead of them were just finishing up paying. Midoriya considered for a moment before he answered.
"Well I guess either one or two depending on how many other things you wanted to do" he supposed.
"That's true, I want to beat you at loads of things" she mused thoughtfully.
"Eh? When was it decided you were just going to beat me at everything?" he complained. Mina smirked confidently and regarded him slyly.
"Ohh, does Izuku-kun think he can beat me?" she teased playfully.
"Maybe at somethings" he persisted, realising that he probably couldn't be her at everything but that didn't mean he was going to lose at everything either, right?
"Then how about a little friendly competition and wager" she suggested, continuing her sly smile. Midoriya swallowed, he didn't like where this was going.
"Um, well…" he began. Mina subconsciously pulled on his hand, brining his diverting eyes back to hers.
"Now, now Izuku, it was whatever I wanted right?" she leered "what was it you said, 'to heck with everyone else' right?" she continued leaning closer, studying his nervous reaction with great pleasure as he grimaced nervously but didn't actually stop smiling. Her own smile widened as she realised that probably meant he actually liked it when she teased him like this.
"I-it's true I did say that" Midoriya gasped looking aside, covering his mouth with his free hand as he considered the dire ramifications of those careless words.
"So then, let's say whoever wins gets to make a demand of the loser and whatever it is you gotta do it!" she explained, instinctively letting go of his hand to raise a hand a finger as thought to emphasis the latter part.
"O-okay then" Midoriya agreed with dead eyes, resigned to the fate he had set himself on, wondering if she was going to be gentle with him or if that teasing at her at her expense was going to have the karmic return equivalent of a meteorite.
The couple ahead of them finished paying and they moved to the counter, Mina requested a single lane for one game with two players, then reached for her bag to pay. Before she could Midoriya had again beaten her to it.
"H-hey!" she stammered in protest "You paid for lunch!" she reminded him. Midoriya nodded.
"Yeah, and like I said I invited you out. Wouldn't be fair to invite you to a place and to make you pay for it" he explained with an innocent smile. Mina wondered if this was a game, she hadn't played with someone before. Like some sort of a boy girl game she just didn't have any experience with.
"B-but I dragged you here" she countered gesturing about at the bowling alley, as Midoriya ignored her reasonings and finished paying for the lane.
"Yeah, but this place was all my idea." He shrugged "Looks like you have a long way to go with your selfish training" he chuckled.
"But at this point you are just spoiling me" Mina whined.
"So?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Mina's mind went blank, wasn't it obvious why spoiling someone was bad? How was she supposed to explain that? Wasn't that like trying to describe what a basic colour looked like?
"Let me spoil you a little. When was the last time someone did?" he added warmly. Mina flushed and a warmth radiated throughout her body. All she could think of was that it seemed to her to be a couple thing to do or a conversation a couple might have.
"Aw, jeez, fine then!" she complained in frustration, pushing aside the feeling. "But don't come crying to me when you've spent all your money!" Midoriya only laughed.
"If that happens, I will consider it money well spent" he assured as he looked up at the lane numbers, seeing theirs turned and pointed.
Mina flushed even more at his reply. Was Izuku always such a smoothie? Or was this just all in her head again? She shook her head for a moment and cleared the thoughts away. She made a promise to herself not to get stuck in her head anymore today. No way was she being suckered back in now by looking too deeply into what were probably totally innocuous statements.
They came to their lane in the UV-lit bowling alley with the fluorescent lanes, skittles and decorations. Midoriya setup their names as Mina spent a slightly disconcertingly long time selecting a ball compared to his grabbing one that was 'about right', not Mina, she was testing the weight carefully. He couldn't help but ask himself again what was he getting himself into? He put himself to go first as she continued her meticulous testing.
"I'm going first then" he called. Mina nodded with an inaudible murmur, not taking her eyes off the pink and black ball currently in her hands.
He picked up the ball, sliding his fingers into the slots and took aim. He stepped forward and threw the ball forward, it remained true to his intention and struck the center pin head on. As they fell and gave way just two remained. A split.
"Hehe, too bad Izuku!" Mina mocked with a titter, now sat on the bench behind him, per chosen pink and black ball in the ball return. She had just come back in time to see him throw and noted his straightforward shot.
"I guess I was unlucky" he muttered with a scratch to the back of the head. His ball came back, and he took it up again, aiming for one of the remaining pins, which he succeeded in hitting. Mina stood as Midoriya came back and took a seat on the bench.
"Let me teach you, Izuku, the beauty of some good curves" she declared proudly.
"Eh?" Midoriya gaped wondering exactly how she meant that when she stripped out of her checkered shirt and dropped it on the bench next to him as she decided to get serious right out of the gate. She hadn't meant anything extra by it. Midoriya however, quickly turned away, covering his mouth and nose with a hand, his mind racing with how she had meant that to sound.
Behind him, Mina took the ball in her hand. She moved purposefully and seemed to line herself up some feet from the line. Then in three swift strides she darted forwards, swinging the ball behind her and then driving it forward in her practised way. It was at that moment he turned to watch it curve perfectly around and smashed directly to the right of the front skittle. Strike.
Mina who had remaining leaning forward watching the balls motion straightened up, satisfied, putting her hands on her hips she turned on her heel and held up two victory signs with the fingers on each hand grinning broadly.
"Whacha think?" she asked, grinning as per her usual self. Midoriya's beet red face was, thankfully, obscured by the dark lighting though he was worried if he got any brighter, he too would start to illuminate.
"Er, v-very nice c-c-curves" he muttered. Mina's grin dropped as she heard him repeat what she had said back to her, hearing it now in much the same way he had. Her eyes grew wide and her cheeks began to burn.
"Ah! Er, th-thanks" she muttered, then clearing her throat "th-that's how you gotta do it, Izuku" she boasted, trying to make it all sound natural, as if there were no way it could be misinterpreted. Inside she was mortified at herself for being such a ditz and not considering how that statement actually sounded.
"I-I'm going again then" he stuttered as he stood. Mina just nodded as she quickly sat back down, turning to watch him in an effort to distract herself. Whether it was the low lighting or just the layout she found that her vision was blocked by Midoriya until he stood back.
He guttered the ball trying to curve it.
"I'm not really sure quite how that works" he admitted, embarrassed by his attempt "Guess it's better to stick to what I know for today"
"Well, do your best and maybe I can teach you some other time?" Mina offered, still recovering from her slip of the tongue but finding her words coming back to her more easily.
"Yeah, okay" he nodded regaining composure himself, thankful it seemed to have gone under the radar or at least wasn't the type of teasing ammunition she wanted to use.
Mina watched again as he stepped forward to bowl, trying to watch the ball. Again, Midoriya himself was in the way. She let herself look at him instead. She couldn't help but notice how his clothes hugged him tightly as he threw the ball. Her mind flickered back to that last day of training they had and how firm his body felt when he carried her.
He turned toward her, and she jerked and looked up at the score screen rather than him catching her staring at her. She stood and smiled, seeing his result of a nine.
"Not a bad recovery" she complimented "but let me show you how it's done" she jested taking her place on the varnished wood, ball in hand. She focused, lining herself up, checking her distance and grip. She moved forward and expertly released another well aimed shot.
She had the habit of not moving from her position once she had thrown the ball until it connected with the pins but as she watched the ball move exactly as she had planned a rogue thought crossed her mind.
"You are blocking Izuku's view… unless of course he's not looking at the ball, just like you weren't" it goaded her. She bolted upright and turned to see Midoriya relax from leaning back to look around her to look at her curiously. Realising he hadn't been looking at her at all she glanced back in time to see her second strike.
"I get the feeling I'm not going to be winning the bowling round" Midoriya sighed in pre-emptive defeat. Mina smiled in an embarrassed kind of way, both at herself for being silly and at Izuku for being Izuku.
"Well, maybe you'll do better at the next game. Not saying you'll win, but maybe it won't be such a total thrashing" she jibbed with a wink. Midoriya looked a little dejected at this.
"Well, bowling isn't something I often really do…" he muttered, he then looked up and shot her a grin "So I guess that means I'll have to come at you with everything I've got in the other games"
"Now you're talkin'" Mina grinned back.
As predicted, she proceeded to destroy him 135 points to her 221. Despite feeling like total annihilation to Midoriya, he enjoyed himself. Once they had gotten past the initial awkwardness in conversation it had been it had been fun watching her indulge in something she was both so good at and so obviously enjoyed as well as just being fun to play with her. She didn't waste her opportunity to mock him claiming this was part of her revenge for his teasing her earlier which he had to accept as he certainly had it coming after all. If anything, he should be so lucky that her revenge would be so tame.
As they finished Mina tied her shirt around her waste as opposed to putting it back on and led him, again, hand in hand, to the billiard tables. They agreed on a game of pool as opposed to regular billiards.
"Let's see how you do on this one" she gloated still on her winners high, "I'll break since you went first on the bowling" she declared as she moved to the head of the table to take her shot.
Midoriya just smiled as she so enthusiastically setup the table, polishing her cue with the chalk and lined up her shot. She was a picture of focus and concentration. She struck the ball into the triangle hard sending them scattering over the table, though none were pocketed. She surveyed the table in disappointment, hoping that she might have gotten lucky with the hard hit. Midoriya watching them each come to a rest and begun his counterattack plan.
"Ah well, your turn then I guess" she shrugged, moving aside. Midoriya stepped up and took his place. He leaned down and put his cue on the table, lining up an easy score. It went in. He moved around the table and lined up another shot. Another ball pocketed.
Mina watched silently, realising how precise and accurate his shots were as he pocketed his third ball in a row.
"Oh, one thing I probably should mention" he commented offhandedly "I'm kind of awesome at this game" he grinned. He pocketed a fourth as if to prove the point.
"Eh!? That's not fair, Izuku" she groaned "At this rate I won't get to play at all!"
"It's okay, you can pocket yours after I pot the black" he laughed.
An idea sparked in Mina's brain and she moved to stand beside Midoriya. He glanced up to her, still leaning over the table.
"You aren't allowed to touch me and interfere or that's cheating" he warned nervously. Mina grinned.
"Of course not Izuku, I would never do that" she cooed.
He looked back down and tried to focus, knowing she was about to do something. Just as he pulled the cue back to take his shot he felt a soft, warm breeze blowing against his ear. He flubbed the shot.
"Mina!" he yelped nervously, snapping up.
"Yes?" she asked, innocently.
"Th-that's cheating!" he protested.
"Whaaat?" she gasped in feigned shock "But I didn't touch you"
"B-but you distracted me" he insisted.
"It's not my fault you are so easily distracted Izuku" she grinned, then skipped around the table eagerly taking her own shot.
Midoriya watched her pot her first ball thinking of ways to distract her back. He wasn't sure he quite had the confident to do what she did, plus she would be expecting it. She potted her second ball but ended up then snookering herself to which Midoriya couldn't help but giggle at.
"What are you laughing at?" she challenged playfully.
"You can beat me, Mina, but you can't beat karma" he remarked is a very satisfied tone.
"You're right guess I'll have to settle for beating you then" she grinned. She made the shot, bouncing it off the cushion, it connected with one of hers but stopped an inch shy before being pocketed.
"Oh no" Midoriya called monotonously, Mina glared at him. Midoriya couldn't stop himself from laughing as Mina raised an eyebrow and tried to keep a serious expression, resisting her own urge to smile back at her well-earned karma.
"You realise I haven't yet gotten you back, right?" she warned him.
"You can't get be 'back' for that after what you did!" he objected still chuckling.
"I was-" she began.
"Teasing, just the same as I was" he interjected. Mina puffed out her cheeks again.
"Fine!" she conceded "But I still owe you one!"
"Fair enough" Midoriya agreed, lining up his own shots again.
He won shortly after much to Mina's disappointment as he was able to remain focused despite her blowing his ear again, bringing the score to one all.
Next Mina pulled him along to the table tennis courts. Mina was able to gain an early lead with her practiced technique. Midoriya, unwilling to have a repeat of the bowling, fought back as best he could and was able to almost take it back but in the end, Mina retained her lead and won with great effort on her part.
They then decided to get some shaved ice as an afternoon treat to cool down after the intense table tennis match and, as they ate, moved into the arcade deciding on a best of three games, taking it in turn the hold the others shaved ice as the other played. The first, which Midoriya chose, was skee-ball which Midoriya won. Mina, unsatisfied as he had picked his best game, chose the next game.
"What game?" Midoriya asked, hoping he misheard.
"You heard, now go on, get up there" she insisted.
"But I-" he began to resist.
"Or are you forfeiting?" she suggested with a confident smile. Midoriya let lose a defeated groan of acceptance.
"Okay" he said, stepping up onto the platform of the dancing game. He input the coins and Mina leaned on a nearby counter, setting his nearly finished shaved ice down and enjoying her own along with the show he was about to give her.
Midoriya's movements were as rigid and clunky as they had been all the way back when he had danced for her way back when they had been studying. She laughed herself to tears at the stutter-start movements and motions, and absolutely lost it at his expression when the 'hard mode' kicked in, his flailing limbs desperately trying to do the correct movement but horribly out of sync and looking totally ridiculous. In the end he didn't have a bad score exactly, but he was certainly not yet a graceful creature, Mina thought. When he returned to her she was still crying with laughter. He sighed and look around, patiently waiting for her.
"I'm sorry… I just…. The way you moved…" she gasped in-between fits of laughter.
"Yeah, yeah, I know" he agreed with a heavy sigh, fully aware of what a fool he had made out of himself. A minute later and she was still giggling at him "I can't wait to see you do better" he challenged. She paused her laughter for a moment as she processed what he said.
"Not like I could do any worse though" she replied and began laughing again.
"I'm waiting" Midoriya challenged, gesturing toward the platform. Mina's laughter died down and she smirked at him before patting him on the shoulder with her free hand.
"Hold my ice" she ordered, handing it to him, then she untied her shirt and placed it on the stool she had been sat on.
Midoriya watched her bound up on to the platform, stretching as the menu loaded and the countdown began. She had picked a really hard song and he found himself already grinning imagining her trying to keep up as he related his own experience of a relatively easy song. Instead as the music came on Mina's movements were flawless. She moved quickly, precisely and elegantly, even adding movements that the game didn't require, perhaps that were from the actual dance routines of the song? As she moved, bobbed, bounced, popped and locked he couldn't help but be mesmerised by her. The way she moved drew him in and suddenly he couldn't help but thinking that it wasn't just that she was pretty, she was amazing with her body too in its movements and its raw appeal. It was now he was reminded of her crop top and shorts which he had largely forgotten having been irrelevant for the most part. Now it all culminated, and he found himself thinking of what it might be like to hold her in his arms, pulling her toward him, wanting to kiss her.
She finished the dance with a pose. Seeing this, he was able to pull himself out of his fantasy. She turned and bounced back down toward him.
"Hey, what happened?" she asked. Midoriya blinked and looked down. At some point he had dropped the ice.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I-I must have lost grip of it as I was watching" he struggled to explain, having been totally unaware of it himself. Mina looked confused.
"How did you not realise you dropped it?" she puzzled, totally perplexed by the idea.
"Um, well, I don't know. I was watching you and I just…" he trailed off.
"Just, what?" she pressed with a slight shake of her head, not understanding.
"W-well, I just got… a little mesmerised, I g-guess" he finished looking away, his face flaring pink again. Mina's expression changed to surprise as realisation dawned on her.
"O-oh… then don't worry about it" she whispered shyly, trying to imagine why it was that he reacted that way to watching her and starting to feel guilty for laughing at his dancing the whole time.
"H-here" he said offering her what remained of his shaved ice. She smiled up at him and shook her head.
"Nah, it was starting to melt anyway." She assured him, Midoriya looked about and took some nearby napkins and dabbed up as much as he could off of the floor where he had dropped hers before throwing them, and the rest of his own in a nearby bin.
Mina meanwhile became lost in her thoughts, glowing even pinker than usual as she fully processed that Midoriya had been watching her so intently just then that he had dropped something and not even realised it. She felt so embarrassed to be dancing around in front of him in what she was wearing suddenly that she hastily picked up her shirt and tied in back around her waist.
"Then, I will buy you another one next time" he insisted as he finished up his attempt at cleaning after himself. Mina blinked and chuckled.
"Next time, huh?" she smirked, liking the sound of that.
"W-well, yeah, if you want to" he stammered. Mina giggled and took a step toward him, resting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.
"Of course, I'd love to do this again" she smiled, their eyes now locked, neither one moving.
"Besides, you bought this one anyway. You haven't let me pay for a single thing all day today, remember?" she pointed out.
"I still feel really bad about it" he admitted apologetically.
"It doesn't really matter, don't worry about it" she soothed, falling deeper into his eyes. She loved how brilliantly green they were, the deep yet vibrant colour was quickly becoming on of her favourites. She pulled toward him slowly as she inspected them more carefully, wondering how it might look paired with a golden-yellow.
"M-M-Mina?!" Midoriya stammered as Mina had pulled within inches of him, looking him in the eyes in an expression he had not yet seen.
"O-oh!" she snapped back, withdrawing her hand from his shoulder "S-sorry!" she bowed slightly, just to force herself to break eye contact.
"I guess I just kinda got lost" she muttered "in your eyes" she added in her mind. "In thought" she verballed added quickly as her face rapidly felt like it must have reached boiling temperature.
"A-anyway, what's next?" Midoriya asked just as quickly, his own face also seemingly bursting with redness.
They browsed through the arcade as Mina became actually lost in thought at what had just happened, neither one speaking for a few minutes. She had already promised herself that she would have to confess to him soon, but this really demonstrated the point that it really needed to happen. Better that she do it properly before something happened that would end up hurting one of them or both if it was the case that he didn't feel the same way back. What if he hadn't said anything, would she have kissed him just now? Very probably, that's exactly what she was headed toward.
Still…
She glanced at him, still pink-faced as he looked around at various games.
If he didn't like her wouldn't he have challenged it a bit more? Wouldn't he distance himself a little more? He was close enough she'd barely have to reach out to take his hand…
It dawned on her that, that is what she had been doing all afternoon. She closed her eyes and felt her cheeks burn anew. How had she not realised this? She had first done it just to pull him along when he was acting like backing out. Totally normal she would have done the same with anyone. Then… then she had just taken it again once they got inside, why?
It was enough she wanted to fall to her knees and ask why to whatever god might answer her. Instead she had to suck it up. She had to confess to him, it wasn't fair on him to have to put up with her acting so intimately toward him when really, he was a shy guy and probably felt uncomfortable enough with her invading his personal space all the time who had just brought her out for her sake to let loose a little and let go of some pent up steam.
"How about air hockey?" he called through her thoughts. She opened her eyes and looked around, he had a small, reassuring smile on his face and was pointed toward a vacant air hockey table.
"Y-yeah" she stammered and moved around to the far side of the table. She told herself to stay out of her head, that was what lead to that near-kiss and right now she had everything she wanted anyway, don't spoil it by overthinking things! Live it, she told herself.
As they got playing it seemed to her Midoriya was every bit as distracted as she was, no doubt wondering what that nutty girl had been thinking, she supposed dejectedly. He scored against her.
"Crap" she muttered under her breath and tried to focus again. This time she was able to stay out of her own head. However, it was point for point every step of the way and as he had scored against her as she had not been paying attention it resulted in his win.
This brought the competition to two all. She had won the bowling and table tennis; he had won the billiards and arcade. She kicked herself, that dancing game ought to have meant she had the arcade in the bag and with it the whole competition.
"Looks like I'll be in with a chance to win it after all" Midoriya chuckled, in apparently surprise at his luck.
"Easy there, Izuku. Naturally I have saved the best for last" she smirked. To Midoriya that smirk looked like it held terrible secrets.
"B-best?" he repeated, not sure exactly what criteria would fit Mina's idea of 'best'.
"I saw this the moment we walked in and I knew we just had to try it. Only fitting that this decides it all" she declared triumphantly, her excitement for this overriding her recent embarrassment, though the feeling had certainly not gone away.
"Come on" she said, as she did Midoriya's hand seemed to raise a little toward her. She turned away and looked up, blushing like mad again that it had become the natural response.
"No feeling guilty, it has to be something you really want and to heck with everyone and everything else" his words echoed in her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut and thought to herself to heck with it. She reached back and took his hand in hers and led him on. All the while she was all too aware of the feeling of his hand in hers as it softly gripped hers back.
"Today!" she declared to herself "I'm confessing today, I could crawl in a hole and die anyway, what do I have left to lose!?" she thought, thankful that when it had come to it she had been able to defeat Ochaco. Otherwise today would have been both a massive betrayal as well as impossible for her to live with in trying to keep her feelings quiet until after Ochaco had made her move. Perhaps indefinitely after that if Izuku had reciprocated those feelings.
Fortunately for Mina, the last activity she had in mind was on the far side of the stadium and she was able to bring her nerves to a manageable level by then, despite the hand holding.
When Midoriya saw what it was he turned to Mina in a deadpan.
"A-are you serious?" he gaped. Mina turned to him in a grin, letting go of his hand, secretly checking with her fingers if her hand had felt clammy to him.
"Absolutely! How can we resist?" she beamed as someone was thrown into the matting in front of them. Ahead of them sat a black mechanical bull that, based on the last user, once it got going, really bucked. It was surrounded by what had to be 4 meters of crash matting both of which being containing inside a mesh cage. None of that look like a good sign to Midoriya's thinking.
"Like any normal people and just not do it?" he offered pointing as the person had been thrown five feet. Mina laughed heartily and slapped him on the back.
"Izuku, I don't think either one of us really qualifies as 'normal' though, do you?" she joked, loving his expression of disbelief. "Besides, we kind of have to finish this thing dramatically, right?"
"Why do we have to?" he questioned in shock.
"Because, silly, it's first d-" Mina stopped midsentence "Day out" she finished with an awkward smile, cursing her love-addled brain for all it was worth. Midoriya looked at her in mild surprise before turning back to the bull and sighing.
"Well I did tell you that it was your day" he conceded, Mina grinned at him and he found himself nervously grinning back just hoping he could get away without letting himself look like a complete fool.
"Go on then" she urged as a member of staff waved them forward. Midoriya gaped, looking about there were several people about them, apparently, they were all just here to watch though and it was their turn already. He slumped and trod forwards, removing his shoes as instructed by the staff member.
"So, how high shall we start with?" the young woman operating the bull asked as Midoriya paid for two rides, one for himself and the other for Mina.
"Well, I've never done anything like this-" he began, then Mina popped her head around his shoulder.
"It's okay, we're on the hero course at U.A. you can crank it all the way up!" she cheered.
"Eh!?" Midoriya gasped in horror as chills ran through him.
"Ah, if that's the case then you can start on level eight out of ten. Good luck" she called with a wave. Midoriya could have cried as he made his way over the soft crash mats and look up at the intimidating bull.
"Just out of interest" Mina asked the woman "What level was it at when the last guy who flew off?"
"Oh, that was just level three" She replied simply.
Mina burst out laughing.
Midoriya didn't hear what caused it but he heard her laughter behind him and realised it couldn't be good news for him. Better he didn't know. He clambered up onto the large, menacing model and could only be in awe of the quirkless people that round actual bulls. This one at least didn't have any horns and wouldn't be trying to trample him once in inevitably bucked him off. They must have been totally mad.
"Are you ready, Izuku?" Mina called. Midoriya gripped the reigns as hard as he could.
"As ready as I ever would be" he responded back.
"Close enough then!" Mina quipped and with that the monstrous machine sprang to life.
Instantly it spun and bucked and shook beneath him. He clamped down as hard as he could but could already feel himself lose an inch or so to the jolting rocking movement. It changed direction, changed again, bucked, reared and spun some more, Midoriya slipped again. It felt like it was powered by a rocket engine as it accelerated so rapidly after each directional change, as it bucked, if he wasn't holding on for dear life he would have been catapulted across the mats.
"You're doing awesome! We'll raise the level!" Mina called out.
Had he not been holding on for dear life he would have called back 'don't you dare!' but he was holding on for dear life and could not spare the energy. He felt the sudden increase as it spun that much faster, changing direction that much more harshly. He slipped, his hips now unfastened from the seat and in the next buck he really was catapulted across the mats, landing in a heap, he couldn't even say where, his head spinning.
From about him he could hear Mina's laughter once more. He opened an eye and looked up. He hand landed right at the gate from where he had entered.
"My, U.A. students are something else" the woman commented politely. He wondered if she was being sarcastic as it felt like he had managed to stay on it for like six seconds. He picked himself up and collected his shoes, putting them back on.
"So, how did he do?" he asked quietly.
"I dunno, like thirty seconds?" Mina suggested, Midoriya looked up in surprise.
"thirty-four" the woman corrected.
"Knew you were gonna be awesome" Mina declared with a thumbs up "But you went absolutely flllllying!" she chirped, emphasising the last word in a sing-song sort of way.
"Th-thanks, that was way longer than it felt" he commented in disbelief as he stood, shoes back on.
"Well don't get too sure of yourself, my turn!" Mina burst, kicking off her pink trainers and bounding over to the bull.
To Midoriya, in that moment Mina seemed so totally fearless. He could only respect it as he watched her clamber up the bull. As he watched he saw her wiggle herself to adjust the leg she had over the bull enough for proper purchase so she could finish climbing. He averted his eyes, then noticing the woman noticing him and smiling politely at him.
"It's good to see some men remain gentlemen" she commented nonchalantly. Midoriya swallowed, his cheeks pinkening up again.
"Ready!" Mina called. Midoriya looked back across at her as she leant back in the saddle, only one hand gripped in the reigns, the other held out for apparently balance.
He watched it buck and sway, jolting and turning rapidly. It looked horrific, was that the level he had been on? He glanced at the controls in front of the woman to see it on level eight. Watching it now he couldn't believe he would even last the six seconds he thought it had been but as he watched Mina laughing and whooping, she looked as steady as a rock. Though, he supposed, it was too fast to clearly see if she was losing her seating. The only thing he could make out was the slight gap in between the actual saddle and her… derriere. Was she gripping the side of it with her thighs? What kind of monstrous leg muscles did she have?
"Is she ready for the next level?" the woman asked him. Midoriya didn't take his eyes off her.
"You ready for level nine?" he called.
"Bring it on!" She laughed back.
An instant later the difference was very noticeable as the it rocked and shook that much more vigorously. She continued to laugh and seemed to be locked so firmly in place, she moved her body back and forth in an effort to keep her body vertical. Perhaps that was the trick because she was certainly on it longer than thirty seconds. Or perhaps it was just the trick to gripping with her legs. Thinking about it he had been trying to dig in with his heels, but it was really just his grip on the reigns that kept him on it as long as he had been.
"Would she like to try level ten?" the lady asked, Midoriya raised his eyebrows in shock and shrugged.
"Mina, want to go to level ten?"
"Hell Yeah!" she cackled.
As the dial moved to then the bull rage increased massively, within seconds Mina was tossed across the room and landed on the far side into the crash mat, her laugher never once stopping.
After a moment she picked herself up and came bounding over the mats.
"That was every bit as awesome as I thought it would be!" she cheered, a massive grin on her face and tears in her eyes from her laughter.
"Plus, now it seems I am the winner after all, eh, Izuku?" she grinned up at him with a hint of mischievousness in her look at him.