A/N: I have an extra long chapter for you guys this week! It's my belated Christmas gift!
If you've read my companion fic, The Ribbon, you'll recognize a scene from the Christmas chapter of that story, though this time it will be from someone else's point of view. And if you haven't read it but your curiosity gets sparked by Kirishima and Kanzashi, then feel free to check it out! It's a few chapters shorter than the Contract and jam-packed with fluff.
There's an additional scene borrowed from my friend xSteleAliniax's fanfiction "In Denial," a story featuring Bakugo x Aisla Haru (OC). If you haven't already, I recommend checking out the story and following her. She plans on re-furbishing In Denial in the near future, so stay tuned!
With that said, buckle up and enjoy~
How to Get Ready
Friday - Christmas Morning
Mina and Roan had only seen each other twice since lunch on Wednesday. In passing on Thursday morning when she gave him his lunch for the day and thanked him for the chocolates—to which he adamantly insisted he had no idea how chocolate had ended up in the bento box and it must have been Hideshiro's doing. And once in the afternoon when she dropped by his dorm to pick the box back up. That meeting had been swift, too. Roan was steadily working on his project and couldn't spare more than a few minutes for idle chatter.
Now, the day had finally come. It was Christmas. The day of the party. The final day of the second term. Everything had come down to this.
They forewent their usual morning meeting. Roan had asked her to meet him at the gazebo for lunch instead so they could go over their plan. He wanted to review his essay one more time before turning it in during his first class.
The first half of the school day seemed to breeze by. The students were unfocused and excitable, no one paying attention in class as they whispered and passed notes about the upcoming Christmas party. The girls talked about their dresses and dates. The boys talked about all the pretty girls and potential dance partners. It was a chaotic blur of laughter and joy, as the hour of the party slowly approached.
"Are you still going through with it?" Ochaco asked when they were supposed to be selecting required reading material to study during winter break.
Mina looked over at Kirishima, who was chattering excitedly with Kaminari and Sero. His eyes were even brighter than usual, and his cheeks rosy with anticipation. It was clear that his thoughts were on the party and the girl he'd be meeting there.
But Mina was filled with determination. There was no turning back now. Not when she'd made it this far. Not when they had made it this far. She nodded. "Yup! If it blows up in my face, then it blows up! I'll be ready~"
She thought that Ochaco might give her the same pitying look she'd been using so often, but instead, she smiled. "At least it will be a fun adventure with Fujinari, right?"
Mina grinned back. "Exactly!"
12:15 PM
It was just before lunch when Ectoplasm stood in front of the class, ordered the students to stop taking notes, and sighed at the empty desk near the window. He'd been worried when Fujinari was absent for roll-call (again) but hoped that the boy had taken the last few days to work on his project. He knew better than to believe the flu excuse. Fujinari always did this when large assignments were due, or conveniently on group-project days.
So, Ectoplasm decided to push the turn-in deadline until lunch hour to give the boy at least a chance of submitting the project on time.
"You shouldn't play favorites," Snipe had recently advised him in the faculty room.
"I don't want to hear it," he'd snapped. "You know damn well that All Might, Aizawa, Power Loader, even 13 all play favorites."
"Yes, but you can't change your lesson plans and cater to the whims of one student. You need to at least pretend to be fair."
He knew the other teacher was right, but… Ectoplasm saw more potential in Roan Fujinari than he had in another business course student in years, possibly ever. He was confident that if the boy applied himself and got over his fear of networking, he could one day own a multi-billion dollar business. His business sense was sophisticated, his creativity knew no bounds, and he saw the big picture in a way that sometimes startled the pro-hero.
He sighed again. "Come to the front of the classroom and place your research papers on my desk," he commanded. "Remember, I also want digital copies of your essays, links to all your sources, and all other relevant information emailed to me by the end of the day."
"Wait, Mr. Plasm!" Hideshiro raised his hand. "I have a question about your notes!"
He narrowed his eyes at the boy. He wasn't usually the type to ask questions, since he seemed to believe he was smarter than the rest of his classmates. "What is it, Hideshiro?"
"I just don't understand your reasoning for dividing by the square root."
"My… reasoning?" Was he serious? "It's the formula."
"Right… can you go over the formula again?"
There was no reason for Hideshiro of all people to be requesting a review. He aced every one of his math tests, he knew the material. So why…
He's stalling. But why? It can't be for Fujinari's sake, they hate each other.
Still… an excuse to stall was exactly what Ectoplasm was looking for, too. He turned back to the board to re-explain the problem while the other students groaned and voiced their objection to Hideshiro.
He glanced at the clock one more time. Only five minutes left until the bell. It was too late. He looked at Hideshiro to find his brown eyes latched on the classroom door, finger tapping impatiently on his chin, expression concerned.
You and me both, Hideshiro. But it's too late.
At that exact moment, the door suddenly flung open.
Ectoplasm almost smiled at the sight of the teen standing there, breathing heavily and hair sticking to his sweaty forehead as if he'd run all the way there. He was still in his pajamas, but with his school jacket comically buttoned up on the outside of his nightshirt as if he'd wanted to give the illusion of effort. He also neglected to bring his backpack, instead holding a binder that was thick with paper. He donned a surgical mask to complete the outlandish look.
"Ah, Fujinari." Ectoplasm mused. "There you are."
The boy marched straight to the desk with his head held high, then slammed the binder down on it. "My project."
Ectoplasm cleared his throat. "This was due this morning, you know."
"Yeah, but that peanut-brained capuchin over there said you changed the deadline to lunch." He gestured toward Hideshiro, who looked absolutely affronted at being likened to a small monkey.
So, he was stalling for Fujinari. This is an unexpected alliance.
"Very mature, you blue-haired orangutan," Hideshiro gibed back.
"When will you be done grading this?" Fujinari asked, ignoring the other boy.
Ectoplasm regarded him carefully. He's worried about being expelled. But I can't show favoritism.
"You know I grade alphabetically, Fujinari. It could be a few days before—"
"Yeah, whatever." Fujinari held his hands up to cut him off. "Just tell me when you're done so I can submit it to the National Hero Study Association and get it peer-reviewed."
"Someone's confident," Ectoplasm said. "You really think this project is high enough quality for that?"
"Yes."
"This coming from the loser with the lowest ranking in class," Hideshiro said.
"At least I'm not the lowest height," Fujinari snarked.
"That wouldn't be funny even if it was grammatically correct."
"Students!" Ectoplasm interrupted, silencing them. "Thank you for your submission, Fujinari. Will you be joining us for afternoon classes?"
Fujinari's eyes widened. "...sick," he lied. "Remember? ...flu… cough."
"Fujinari, you can't just say the word 'cough' as a substitution for doing it." The teacher sighed.
"...didn't mean… say it out loud… kill me."
Ectoplasm chuckled, despite himself this time. "Go on. Go back to your room! Everyone else, line up with your essays!"
The pajama-pants, mask-wearing, business genius bowed before fleeing from the room. Ectoplasm glanced up to find Hideshiro chuckling in amusement at the other boy's antics.
What an interesting Christmas Day
12:40 PM
Mina swung her legs and hummed to herself as she sat on one of the gazebo benches, waiting for him. Her stomach felt like it was alive, churning with feelings of excitement, anxiety, anticipation, nervousness. The gross combination of all these powerful emotions sort of made her feel like she was going to puke.
Excitement took over the moment she saw a figure approaching in the trees. Tall, dark-haired, and… wearing a surgical mask?
Roan had an uncharacteristic amount of pep in his step. He almost looked like he was skipping as he joined her in the wooden structure. The sight was so ridiculous, especially when she realized he was wearing pajamas and a uniform jacket, that she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "...laughing at me?"
"Yeah, I totally am!" She giggled. "What are you wearing? You look like you haven't slept or showered in days!"
It was hard to tell since he was wearing the mask, but she thought he might have blushed.
"I slept… a couple of hours," he mumbled. "And I think I showered… Wednesday?"
"Eeeeeewwwww!" She clutched her stomach as she laughed louder.
He took off the mask, revealing his pout. Then, he sat down next to her with an exasperated sigh.
"Did you get your assignment in on time?" she asked as she took out his bento box and sat it on his lap.
He nodded. "Barely."
"You think you'll pass and get to stay enrolled at U.A.?"
He glanced at her and his yellow eyes were twinkling. "Yes."
"That's a relief!" She leaned back on her palms and grinned at the ceiling. "I'd be pretty bummed out if I didn't get to see you anymore, Ro-Ro!"
"I'd… relieved," he grumbled.
"Don't be like that! You know you like me!" She gave his shoulder a playful shove and, for once, he didn't look like she'd burned him with her acid.
But then, his expression became serious. He rested his hands on the bento box, then turned to look at her fully. "What's the plan?" he asked. "For tonight?"
The Christmas party.
"Well~" She cocked her head to the side. "First you should go back to your dorm and take a nap, then a shower, probably shave and brush your hair—"
"Stop thinking about me naked."
"I wasn't!"
They both laughed, which made Mina feel like she was already on the dance floor at the party, spinning around and around.
"Seriously, though…" she touched her chin in thought. "We're supposed to walk into the party together, so we want to meet right beforehand."
"Can we please avoid the crowds?" he groaned.
"Yeah! I have the perfect idea!" A tremble of excitement worked up to her shoulders. "How about we meet by the fountain at six? Everyone else will be going into the party right then, so we'll walk in after the big rush, sound good?"
He eyed her suspiciously. "You want to be late?"
"Not exactly," she smirked. "I want to make someone else late. And it works out because we'll avoid the crowd, just like you want!"
He stared at her for a long time, making her feel a little bit uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "You want to sabotage her, don't you? Redhead's girlfriend."
"No!"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Okay, maybe a little." She sighed. "I just want to make sure Kirishima is alone when he sees us together."
A slight flicker of concern crossed his eyes. "You're not… going to hurt her, are you?"
Mina huffed. "Do you really think I'm that mean?! Geez, Roan. Thanks for your vote of confidence!"
He shrugged, unapologetically. "Who knows the lengths to which you'll go for this convoluted scheme."
Mina shook her head. "I don't want to hurt anybody. But if I'm going to see this through, then I'm going to see it through to the bitter end! Are you with me, boyfriend?!"
He sighed. "...already regret this."
"It'll be fun!" she grinned. "You can even offer me a rebound dance after Kirishima rejects me and breaks my heart again!"
He scowled. "You are way too sporting about this impending disaster."
"Just… please don't come in your pajamas, kay?"
He threw a twig at her. It stuck on one of her horns, causing them both to break out in laughter again.
Mina wasn't sure why, but at that moment, she was blissfully happy. Kirishima could break her heart all he wanted. He could tear it out and dance all over it with his arms around Kanzashi's waist and it wouldn't matter. Reject her, disregard her… She could take all of it, as long as she got to laugh about the absurdity of it all with Roan Fujinari.
3:30 PM
Roan ended up taking Mina's advice. After sharing his bento box with her in the gazebo, he trudged back to his dorm, set an alarm on his clock—after tinkering around with it for ten minutes because he hadn't set a manual clock in his entire life and always had a cellphone to rely on—and passed out on his bed. Three hours later, he woke up, lamented his broken circadian rhythm, and took a shower in the shared restroom.
His classmates were filtering in, chattering excitedly about the party. The girls were already filling the entire dorm with the scent of their perfumes and singed hair. The boys were brushing their teeth and dousing themselves in aftershave and watching video tutorials about how to tie bowties.
This is so lame.
He slunk through the common area, sticking to the wall to avoid being spotted as he crept toward the exit.
"Fujinari~"
He froze, dread making him wish he could phase into the wall like that third-year kid with the permeation quirk. He glanced up to see Hideshiro standing in the hallway. He waited, anticipating a snide remark or degrading comment. Instead, the boy simply winked, waved, and went on his way.
He's so random and unpredictable. I seriously hate people.
He sighed, then managed to slip outside without any further hold-ups.
Now, the real test of courage stood before him. He was anxious about the party, sure. And more than a little irritated that he was going through with it, even though he'd already turned in his assignment and had no real obligation to help Mina out anymore. But for some reason, it was the task immediately ahead that made his palms sweat and his throat constrict.
"...bad idea…" he mumbled aloud as he walked to Building F in the corner of the main part of the campus.
Everything about this was a bad idea. The party, the scheme to make Kirishima jealous, the fake boyfriend charade. It was random. It was unpredictable. And Roan was going along with every last moment of it.
He slunk along the empty hall to one of the back offices.
I don't even know if he's working right now. It's Christmas. They could be out at a bar somewhere for all I know.
He raised his hand to knock, but then the handle turned. All the nerve left him and Roan immediately turned heel and started his retreat. He froze when a voice called out to him.
"And who might you be, loitering around in front of my office like a common thug? Oh, wow… is that… my son?"
Roan groaned inwardly. Finally, he turned to face his father, though he couldn't make eye contact. "...need...help…"
"What was that? No one can hear you when you mumble, you know."
Roan looked at him, hoping he could see the desperation in his eyes. "I need your help."
His dad's yellow eyes softened. He nodded. "Do you want to step into my office?"
"No… I need… as long as that witch isn't home, then I…"
"Alright, let's go then." His dad slipped into his coat, then locked the office door behind him.
A few minutes later, they were in his parents' house. Since the school had transitioned to dorm living, most of the faculty members lived on campus now in staff-housing. Teachers lived in their own parts of the student dorms, such as Mr. Plasm in the Class 1-J dorm and Mr. Aizawa in the Class 1-A dorm. But Roan's parents had been residing on campus since even before the transition. They had their own living quarters near their offices, and Roan hated the thought of them living in the same place that he went to school so much, that he'd never even been inside.
"Where is she?" he asked, as he took off his shoes by the entryway.
"Your mother is with Recovery Girl right now in the infirmary talking about boring doctor stuff, I'm sure." His father led him inside. "Now… I'm guessing you're here to convince me into coercing your mother to give you your phone and wallet back?"
Roan stepped onto the hardwood floor, plunged his hands into his pockets, and shook his head. "Don't want… give her… the satisfaction…"
Roku Fujinari sighed and rubbed his temples. "You two are more stubborn than the worst of my patients, do you know that?" He put his hands on his hips. "Well, if that's not the reason, then what is it, son? You're not the type to ask for help, so what can I do for you?"
Roan tried to find the words to speak, but he couldn't. Not yet. He glanced nervously around the room, first, and a weird feeling settled in his chest. There were pictures everywhere. Framed on shelves and hanging on the walls. Pictures of him as a child, and of the three of them on family vacations or just walks in the park. He couldn't remember most of them being taken and never would have thought of his parents as the sentimental type. Well… maybe his dad, but even so… Seeing it made him feel… weird.
"...need… suit…"
His father raised an eyebrow.
Roan cleared his throat. "I need… a suit."
His words hung there, awkwardly. He could see that his dad was trying to make sense of them. Was he trying to figure out what sort of suit Roan could be asking for? A suit of armor? A suit of cards? A hazmat suit? Finally, understanding lit his eyes.
"Are you going to the Christmas party?"
Roan shuffled on his feet. He responded with a small nod.
"Who are you and where are you hiding my son's body?"
Roan sighed. "I'm leaving."
"Hold on!" His dad chuckled, then clasped his shoulder. "I'm just pleasantly surprised, is all. Come on. Your mother likes to hoard everything you've ever owned. I'm sure the suit you wore when you graduated junior high is still in your room."
"My… room?" He raised an eyebrow as he followed the man down the hall and to a door. Inside was a bed and desk, and dusty boxes stacked everywhere.
"She wanted to have it available in case you ever asked to move back in. She's thoughtful like that."
Roan got that weird feeling again. Something like… guilt? Or warmth? How could those two feelings be even remotely close to one another?
"Here we go." His dad opened the closet and rifled through clothes on hangers, some outfits that Roan recognized from elementary school. He finally retrieved the aforementioned suit from last year, then held it up in front of Roan and frowned. "Hm. It hasn't even been a full year since your graduation, but you've already outgrown this." He sighed and adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "You and your mother and that tall gene."
Roan was kind of glad for this. He hated wearing that stupid suit. It was itchy and blue and clashed with his hair color.
"I have a better idea. Come with me."
He followed his father out of the room, then paused in the hall as he opened the door across from "his room." Roan needed only glance inside at the queen-sized bed to know it was his parents' bedroom, so he rooted his feet to the spot in the hallway, refusing to progress further.
"Roan, come try this on."
"I'm not going in there." He grimaced. "You guys… sleep in there and stuff."
His dad laughed loudly, then appeared a moment later with the garment. "One day you'll be sharing a bed with a lucky girl, you know."
"Never."
"Boy then?"
"Dad."
"Ah, that's right. You'll probably have an android girlfriend, won't you?" His eyes twinkled beyond the lenses of his glasses. "Those are expensive, I hear."
Roan hoped the glare he was giving was scathing enough to make the man shut up.
His father held up a pristine, black suit. "I bought this for myself, but it's a bit too long for me. I wasn't blessed with a beanstalk body."
Roan rolled his eyes, but took the suit jacket and slid it on over his shirt. Miraculously, it was a perfect fit.
"Excellent!" His father clapped his hands together. "Why don't you go to the bathroom and put it on. Then, I'll help you tame that unruly hair and make sure you look presentable for your date."
Roan gritted his teeth. "...don't have… date."
"That's not what I've heard. According to your narcissistic friend with the white hair, you're in a relationship with Mina Ashido from Class 1-A. That's why you're attending this event, isn't it?"
It was weird and unexpected, but Roan suddenly felt an uncomfortable twist in his stomach. The same sort of feeling he got when doing classroom presentations. Anxiety? No, there was an edge to the emotion that made his chest feel tight. He shook his head to ward it off.
His father gave him a perplexed look, his eyes doing that focused thing they always did when he was trying to psychoanalyze someone. "Hm… it's more complicated than that, isn't it? Do you want to talk about it?"
"No." Roan turned on his heel and retreated to the bathroom with the formal-wear.
Fifteen minutes later, he was still standing in front of the mirror, hand shaking and breath ragged. I can't do this. This is so lame. So cliché. I'm not going.
There was a knock on the door, followed by his father entering unannounced.
"My, my! You look human for once!"
"Jump off a bridge."
"We'll have to do something about that hair, though." He brought in a stool and draped a towel over his shoulders.
"You're not cutting my hair," Roan snapped.
"Just a trim. You're starting to look like those yokai you used to be so afraid of."
Roan gave his most put-out sigh, then threw the towel at his dad so he could strip out of the shirt and suit jacket. That idiot is going to get blue hair all over the nice suit. Why did Mom marry him?
He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as his dad fussed over him. He felt like a kid again, sitting in the kitchen annoyed while his mom cooked and his dad gave him a stupid haircut. "If it looks terrible, I'm putting myself up for adoption."
"Such a temper. Ah, the teen years."
At one point, the man smoothed out Roan's bangs and almost clipped them off, but Roan leaned over so far, so quick, that he fell off the stool. "Not. My. Bangs."
"But don't you want the nice hero-girl to see your pretty eyes?"
"No."
"Ah, well. At least you look less like a homeless man, now."
He brushed Roan off, let him get dressed again, then styled his hair with just a touch of product to control the fly-aways. Lastly, he clasped his hands on his shoulders and played with the ends of the black tie. "Do you remember how to tie a bowtie?"
"Yes, geez." He shoved him away. "I'm not totally useless."
But after two solid minutes of utter failure, Roan finally crossed his arms over his chest with a huff, and his dad did it for him.
"The final touch! A dab of cologne. Not so much as to assault the poor girl's nostrils, but just enough so that when her arms are around your neck in a slow dance, she can appreciate the effort you've put in for her."
"I'm not putting… effort… her…"
"You know, Roan, I think you're right about that."
Roan looked in the mirror at his reflection, with his dad next to him. "What do you mean?" he asked when his dad's eyes met his in the mirror.
"We may not speak much, but as your father, I'm always watching you from afar. I've seen you these past few weeks. Stepping outside of your comfort zone, doing things you're ashamed of and things that make you proud. You've opened your circle of acquaintances to more than yourself, and may even have earned lifelong friends in the process. Your perspective has changed, and you've grown as a man."
"...spying on me," Roan grumbled, though he felt heat touch his cheeks.
"I truly believe that going to this party is as much for your benefit as it is for the pink-haired alien girl. In a way, you're testing yourself, to see if you've really changed. Aren't you?"
Roan felt his chest swell with the praise, saw his face brightening in the mirror. "Stop psychoanalyzing me," he said, finally looking away.
"I'm proud of you, son." His dad threw his arms around him in an unexpected, crushing embrace.
Roan froze, not happy about the invasion of personal space, but… something about being in this house, seeing his family photos and reserved bedroom, having those memories from childhood, and hearing those words from his father, a man who paved his own way in the world and took pride in his career and family… it made Roan… happy.
He didn't return the embrace, but he did mumble out a reply, as loud as he could manage. "Thank you… Dad."
"You're welcome."
Roan blinked when he felt the man's hand touch his. His eyes widened when the sensation was followed by something being placed in his palm. He lifted his hand and stared wide-eyed at the contents that had been deposited there. "This is my…"
"Phone and wallet?" His dad's eyes sparkled. He held a finger to his lips. "Don't tell your mother. She wants to pretend to be stern until Ectoplasm grades your project."
Roan nodded seriously. Then, despite himself and every protesting muscle in his face… he grinned.
5:15 PM
The party was only forty-five minutes away, and Mina was a mess of nerves. She'd been pacing in her room, procrastinating, putting off the inevitable—the most heinous part of her plot.
A couple of hours ago, the other girls had all gone to Aisla Haru's aid in getting her dolled up for the party. The Shiketsu High transfer student was desperate to impress Bakugo and had practically begged for help. Mina would have loved to be there for her. The thought of fretting over a poor, love-struck girl and beautifying her just to see the world's biggest tsundere's reaction? It was her wildest dream come true! Plus, what the girl needed was a boost of confidence, especially if she planned on seeing Bakugo at the party—who was sure to knock her at least four rungs down on her ladder of self-consciousness (five if he was embarrassed enough).
But, Mina had been forced to decline. She had her own dress dilemma to worry about.
And that was what brought her here—in line on the second floor of the second-year support-course dormitory, behind a group of girls whose hearts and souls were hanging in the balance.
Kirishima talked about Kanzashi constantly. Mina had listened to him prattle on and on about his girlfriend so many times now that she knew the girl's zodiac, favorite color, favorite tv shows, even all the foods she hated. With all the knowledge she'd accumulated over the past few months, she sometimes felt like she was dating Kinuhana Kanzashi. And while Kirishima's ramblings always made her feel sick with envy, there was a silver lining in all of it. Mina had obtained useful information about her enemy. Information that she fully intended to use to her advantage.
She knew that Kanzashi was sweet and selfless and that girls often flocked to her for events like this, desperate for the famed second-year to craft them outfits using her unique quirk. She could cut her own hair and transform it into any fabric that she imagined—a lot like Yaoyorozu's quirk, but with fewer applications and a more detailed focus on quality and design. Because of this, there was a line of girls outside Kanzashi's bedroom door, each taking her turn in requesting a dress or accessory to be crafted from the blonde's color-changing hair.
"Okay, everyone back off!" A small but mighty voice declared from somewhere near the front of the line. "Commissions are over! If you want outfits made by New Year's, then please fill out a time-slot on the sheet I have right here! The price is—"
"Tondi!"
Kanzashi's bedroom door opened and the girl herself stood there, looking harassed. "Don't you dare charge them!"
The other girl, who Mina recognized as one of Kanzashi's two closest friends, held her hands up. "What? Just trying to help a girl out!"
"Listen…" Kirishima's girlfriend stepped farther into the hall to address the gathered crowd. "I am humbled that all of you came to me seeking help, but I'm afraid I'm at my limit today. I apologize."
Mina peered around the girl in front of her to take a closer look. Kanzashi looked stressed out, her face pinched and cheeks somewhat flushed from all the work she'd been doing. On top of that, her hair was only at about shoulder-length. Mina didn't know what length it was when she started cutting it to make outfits for the other girls, but it looked like she wouldn't be able to cut more off without sacrificing her own appearance for the party.
The slightest twinge of guilt made Mina take a deep breath. Kanzashi was sacrificing her own time and hair for the sake of others, despite the fact that she must be worried about looking cute for the party—and for Kirishima.
One thought of Kirishima bolstered Mina's determination. "Aw man!" she called out. "Can't you do one more?" She stepped out of line and approached Kanzashi with what she hoped was an affable grin.
Up close, Mina was able to scrutinize her competition for the first real time. Blonde hair and gray eyes. She was taller than Mina, with slender legs and a narrower face, a petite nose and long, blonde eyelashes. She's pretty. So much prettier than me. So, this is what Kirishima's into, huh? Was it the hair that made his heart skip a beat? To him, were her gray eyes a dazzling silver? Or was he into her slender build, long legs, and bust-size? What was it about Kinuhana Kanzashi that made Eijiro Kirishima weak for her? And why didn't Mina have it?
Mina was so busy comparing them, that she forgot to speak up until she caught Kanzashi appraising her.
"Ashido. What is it that you're looking for?"
Mina maintained her grin, even though she couldn't stand to be within five feet of the other girl. Kanzashi was the perfect, do-no-wrong angel that Kirishima was obsessed with, and that Mina couldn't compare to.
"A dress!" she supplied. "Something really cute."
Kanzashi stared at her for a moment. "I didn't take you as someone who normally wears dresses," she said. "Your style is so unique and punk-inspired. Skirts and crop tops, maybe. Dresses, not so much."
Is she saying I don't look girly? Mina felt a stab of bitterness. I didn't realize she was so judgmental. I knew there was something about her that I didn't like.
"It has to be a dress!" Mina insisted. "The prettiest thing you can imagine!"
Kanzashi ran her fingers through her short hair and glanced inside of her room. "I… I don't know."
But Mina was committed now. She'd come this far, like it or not. Plus, she really did need an outfit for the party. "Please?" She clasped her hands together. "You have to help me, Kanzashi! I have a date tonight!"
Kanzashi inspected her face with a look of shock that was borderline insulting. "A date?"
"Yeah, with this guy from the business class! I have to look cute, I've never had a date before!" She clasped her hands to her chest. "Please?"
Kanzashi sighed before pushing her door open farther. "Okay. Do you have something in mind?" she asked, as she shut the door behind them and grabbed a pair of scissors.
Sorry for doing this to you, Kanzashi. But you know what they say. All is fair in love and war!
"A gown!" Mina said, gesturing down her leg. "With one of the slits on the side. And it has to be cute and sexy and red."
"Red?" Kanzashi raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that's a good idea." She scanned her over. "It would clash a lot with your pink color palette. You'd look best in black or gold."
God, she really is judgmental! What, does she think she knows everything about fashion because she makes clothes all the time?
"Red," she insisted. "It has to be red."
Kanzashi sighed. "Okay. Is that your date's favorite color or something?"
She thought of Kirishima and his dyed hair, his love of Crimson Riot and flames, his choice to don the hero name "Red Riot." I bet she doesn't even know that he dyes his hair. I bet she hardly knows him at all. "Something," she said, trying to control the snap in her tone.
Kanzashi grabbed her measuring tape and started sizing her. "How'd you meet him?" she asked, conversationally. "I've never seen you with a guy before, besides Kirishima, I mean."
Victory! Mina silently cheered. So, Kanzashi knew that she and Kirishima were close friends. Was she jealous? Did she see Mina as a threat?
Mina was so thrilled that she almost forgot the question. She's asking about Roan. "We just met this month," she answered. Then, for added effect, "We're totally in love."
She wondered if Roan just sneezed somewhere.
"Oh, well… um, that's really good! I'm happy for you!" She grabbed the scissors and stared at Mina for a long time, cocking her head back and forth like a dumb looking dog as she considered what to make. Finally, she lifted the scissors to her hair and cut it at jaw length.
Mina watched in fascination as the dress began to materialize from her hair. It really was similar to Momo's quirk. The air sparkled and glowed around the blonde strands as they began to morph into something else. Silky red fabric fell into her hands, seams and stitches coming smoothly together in a swirl of light and color. When she was done, she held up the completed product. "I know you said you wanted red, but I decided to also use gold trim and sparkles, to bring out your eyes."
"Wow…" Mina took it from her hands and modeled in front of the mirror with it. The dress really was beautiful, and it was obvious that Kanzashi had put serious effort and heart into it.
Mina stared at her reflection, at the dress in front of her body, and at Kanzashi's hopeful smile and short hair. That twinge of guilt she'd felt in the hall suddenly came back as a gut-punch. She did all this for me, and I only wanted to sabotage her.
There's no time for guilt, Mina! This is war! You and Roan have fought hard for this!
"Thanks, Kanzashi!" she said, cheerfully. "Sorry about your hair."
"It's okay." The other girl smiled. "I hope your date appreciates you in it."
Mina tried to imagine it. Walking into the gym with this gorgeous dress, eyes locking onto her, lips parting in awe, cheeks flashing red. She thought she was imagining Kirishima, looking completely stunned by her debut in the brand-new ball gown, but… she realized with a strange twist in her stomach, that she wasn't imagining red eyes at all. In her fantasy, they were yellow.
"I hope so too," she said, before giving Kanzashi a parting wave.
I hope he likes it, she thought, as she stood in the hallway with the gown. But she found herself at a loss. Who? She wondered. Who am I really trying to impress?
She shook her head as she exited the second-year dorm. She didn't have time to be thinking about stuff like that now! The party started in thirty minutes and she still had to put her dress on and do makeup.
She returned to Heights Alliance, carting her new, red dress. She noted that none of the girls were in the common area. Was it possible they were still in Aisla's room, helping her get ready? In that case…
Mina went to her room and tossed the red dress onto her bed. She had time to make a quick appearance to help a girl in need. Aisla was her next-door neighbor, so she didn't have to go far. She could already hear the other girls cooing over Aisla's dress through the thin wall.
"I think your boyfriend will like it," she heard Jiro saying as she reached for the door handle.
"Oh…well…do you really think so?" Aisla's timid voice asked.
That was Mina's cue.
"He'll totally dig you, girl!" She pushed the door open and made her appearance. "Get your hot ass out there!"
She was met with the sight of all the other girls staring at her in surprise. And the maiden of the hour was standing in the center of them in a white dress that made her look like a tree-topper.
Aisla's eyes widened. "Ashido! You came!"
Mina shot her a thumbs up and a wink. "That's right! Mina Ashido to the rescue!"
She caught Ochaco's surprised look. "But I thought you were…busy, or something?" Her expression said that she had a good idea of what types of shenanigans Mina had been up to. Though, for her sake, Mina hoped not. Ochaco was pretty forgiving, but she wasn't sure she'd be so understanding if she knew what Mina had just been doing in Kanzashi's room.
"I had a few spare minutes, don't worry! So, what's the plan, girls?" She closed the door behind her and put her hands on her hips.
"Plan?" Aisla echoed.
"To get your boy to fall head over heels in love with you, duh!" She rolled her eyes. "Any ideas?"
It was about time for something to happen on the Bakugo and Aisla front. Anyone with two eyes and a brain could see that the girl was head-over-heels for the explosive hot-head (though, no one could really understand why). And if Bakugo's bullying tendencies and random bouts of possessiveness were any indicators, then he felt something for her too, though he was heavily in denial. And while Mina's entire romantic life was tied up with threads of jealousy, girlfriend sabotaging, a fake boyfriend, and a contract—she positively shone when it came to getting the ball rolling for others. In fact, it could be argued that she was partially responsible for Kirishima's relationship with Kanzashi in the first place. He'd come seeking advice on how to talk to his crush, and Mina had all-too-willingly given it.
"We use the power of feminine wiles!" Hagakure declared, making everyone erupt in giggles.
"No," Aisla said with finality. "That never works."
She had a point. Mina tried to imagine someone seducing Bakugo, and the thought ended in an explosion and dismembered body parts.
"And besides…" Aisla continued. "I'm not, you know, sexy or whatever…"
Mina understood that feeling all too well. Moments ago she'd been comparing herself to Kanzashi, wishing she was prettier, maybe blonde, maybe without pink skin, dark eyes, and horns… But she pushed down her own insecurities and took on the role she knew best. The hype girl. "It's not about being sexy, my little friend. It's all about confidence! What's that saying? Oh yeah! Fake it til ya make it!" Like how I'm faking it, now.
"Yeah!" Hagakure chirped.
Aisla slumped in a chair. "I don't know…I'm not naturally very confident."
Mina looked at her for a moment as she considered this. All eyes were on her, waiting to see how she'd go about lifting the other girl's spirits. Most of all, she felt Ochaco's eyes on her, her expression deep with understanding and… encouragement.
I always pretend to be everyone's peppy little sister. I always pretend to be the hype girl, the fun one, the party. But…
Maybe it was time to be a little more honest.
She walked across the room to stand in front of the small blonde girl, then leaned in close until they were at eye level. "You wanna know a secret, Aisla Haru?"
The blonde nodded slowly.
"None of us here is confident." She felt her voice quaver slightly, as passion started to well up inside of her. "We all struggle with simple tasks like turning in a paper on time," she thought of Roan and the project he'd worked so hard on, "or talking to a cute boy," she thought of Kirishima and his dorky grin. "Making lunches for someone you don't really know that well and still hope they'll enjoy." Again of Roan and how hard she'd worked in the kitchen, hoping to make him smile. "We're all scared, deep down."
Something clicked for her then, once the words were out. Mina… was scared. Scared not just of rejection, but of failure, of not living up to everyone's expectations, of being her true self. She'd been so scared of it all for so long, that she'd lied and manipulated others, just to make herself feel better. The truth was out there, in front of all of them.
She caught Ochaco looking at her again, and there were tears in the other girl's eyes. She somehow understood that this speech was more than just a pep talk for Aisla. It was honesty. The honesty that Mina had been holding back for a long time.
Mina took a breath, then straightened up abruptly and turned to the others. "Right girls?!"
"I get so embarrassed every time I go out in public!" Hagakure fretted. "I always feel like everyone is staring at me!"
"When I try to talk to Deku, I get so nervous sometimes that I can't speak actual words," Ochaco offered meekly.
"Even though I may look sure of myself," Yaoyorozu began, "the way my quirk works is pretty embarrassing sometimes. I mean, I have to open my shirt."
Aisla giggled. "That's true. At least I can keep my clothes on."
"You see?" Mina smiled, a strange sense of relief washing over her. "We all have things we're scared of or embarrassed about! And we all find a way to look past it and do what has to be done." She still didn't know what that meant for her. The answer was just beyond her reach. "Like talking to your grenade!" She winked at Aisla.
Aisla was silent for a moment as she thought about Mina's words. Finally, the girl smiled. "Okay, I'll do it!"
"Yay!" Mina and Hagakure cheered.
"So what's the goal for tonight?" Jiro asked.
"I really just want to spend time with him," Aisla admitted sheepishly. "Is that lame?"
"No!" They all said in unison.
"Of course not," Tsu said sincerely. "But maybe you could ask him to dance, too?"
"I think a huge part will be trying to get him there at all," Mina mused.
"That's for sure," Aisla agreed.
"I bet I know how to get that hothead to dance with you!" Mina exclaimed.
"We make him jealous!" She and Hagakure said in unison.
It was humorous, almost hilarious, that her advice was to go the jealousy route on the same night that her "make-Kirishima-jealous-so-he-dumps-Kanzashi" plan was in full effect with a guaranteed chance of going down in flames.
Aisla sighed. "I don't know if he's the jealous type…"
"Oh, he definitely is." Tsu nodded.
"Yeah, you can tell he's jealous whenever he sees you around any other guy," Ochaco agreed with a giggle.
"Except when it comes to Todoroki," Jiro added with a muffled laugh.
"Like Deku," Ochaco pointed out.
"And that one time you were hanging out with Kirishima," Mina added, remembering that she'd been kind of jealous to see Aisla and Kirishima laughing on the porch together that time.
"And when you were baking that cake with Sato," Yaoyorozu said with a nod.
"I remember his face when he saw you talking with Tokoyami," Tsu offered.
"Okay, okay!" Aisla laughed. "I get it, he's jealous. But how am I supposed to make that happen at a Christmas party?"
"Easy," Mina began, "you force him to want to dance with you by making all the other boys ask you first!"
It was devious, it was dastardly, it was yet another convoluted scheme crafted from Mina's imagination. But it was… kind of fun, too. And, at least in Aisla's case, no one was being manipulated, sabotaged, or used.
She crouched down and whispered her plan to the girls, who erupted in giddy laughter.
By the time they were done talking, it was only ten minutes to six, so Mina rushed to her room to get dressed. She glanced over her shoulder when Ochaco followed her inside.
"That was really nice of you," Ochaco said, as Mina stripped out of her clothes. "Trying to boost Aisla's confidence, I mean. Even though everything has to be a big jealousy scheme with you."
Mina laughed as she started to shimmy into the dress Kanzashi had made. "Just tryin' to help a girl out! Besides, it's harmless fun!"
"Mina…" Ochaco's voice got quieter.
Mina looked at her and waited.
"I just wanted to say… I can see that you're trying to open up to everyone. And I know you're still trying to sort some stuff out, maybe to get some kind of closure. What I mean is… I'm proud of you."
Mina smiled. She zipped up the dress, crossed the room, and threw her arms around Ochaco. "Thank you," she said, "for believing in me."
"Of course, I believe in you. What are friends for?"
Mina took a deep breath, then twirled in her dress in front of her friend. "Well? What do you think? Do you think he'll like it?"
Ochaco gave her a curious look, something twinkling in her eye. "Who?" she asked. "Do I think who will like it?"
Just who are you trying to impress, Mina? ;)