A/N: We are coming close to the end of The Contract, friends! There will be two more chapters after this one, so prepare your "kokoros" as Ale so eloquently put it. I'm having so much fun with this story and with your feedback. Thank you so much for your support, all of you!

P.S. To the guest who decided to name their Russian blue kitten "Ro-Ro," you made my whole week.

How to Let Go

Three Days Later

Winter break was ongoing. The U.A. Students were still restricted from leaving campus but they were making the most of it. Unofficial parties were happening every night, there was enough snow on Sunday to allow for a campus-wide snowball fight, and the third year support class students had started holding crafts and robotics classes for anyone with too much time on their hands.

Roan's weekend had been a blur. He caught up on a lot of missed sleep, lost track of time playing video games, and had the hours of his day randomly usurped by a certain hero-course student. On Saturday he endured the most awkward family dinner of his entire life, during which his mom started crying—something he'd never seen before—and all because he asked his dad if he wanted him to take the Christmas-party suit to be dry cleaned. Yesterday, Mina showed up at his dorm because she decided, for some ungodly reason, to prepare lunch in the 1-J kitchen. Roan was unceremoniously awoken by Hideshiro dragging him out of bed to help the girl cook.

Now, it was Monday morning. Roan wouldn't normally be out and about this early on a day off (early being 11:00 AM) but circumstances were extenuating. He walked sluggishly in the open daylight toward the 1-J dorm, actually enjoying the brisk winter air for once. He almost didn't mind the people walking around outside, smiling and holding hands and laughing with one another. He even managed a half-smile-thing when one of his classmates held the door to the dorm open for him.

I can't wait to relax. I've earned it.

He breathed a contented sigh as he opened the door to his room and stepped inside. He'd just closed it behind him when his eyes made sense of the intruders in his room.

Mina and Hideshiro were sitting cross-legged on his bed, playing video games. Their heads turned in perfect unison when he walked through the door, making them look like puppies who just heard their owner come home.

"How the hell… get in my room?" Roan groaned.

"Ro-Ro!" Mina leapt to her feet and threw her arms around him in a completely unexpected and unwarranted embrace.

He was still busy recovering from this when Hideshiro stood up and gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. "It's a good habit to lock your balcony door, you know. Especially when you live on the first floor."

"Didn't expect intruders," Roan retorted.

"Soooooo?!" Mina released him, just to bounce on her toes in front of him with a stupid expression on her face. "How'd you do?"

"How…?"

"Don't play coy, Fujinari." Hideshiro stood up and stretched. "You got your exam results back this morning, didn't you? I knew Ectoplasm would grade yours first, despite the unbiased act he plays in the classroom. Who knew teacher's pets could be giraffes?"

"Did you pass?" Mina asked with wide eyes.

Her penetrative gaze made him feel uncomfortably warm in his coat, so he scoffed and looked away. "The prude docked me points for using the wrong font size."

Hideshiro doubled over laughing. "I don't know what's funnier! You calling Ectoplasm a prude or the fact that your perfect project had a flaw after all!"

Roan tried to lunge at him but Mina stepped between them. "To celebrate your success, I have…." she plucked a wrapped box from his desk that he hadn't noticed before. "Your Christmas present!" She presented the rectangular package to him. He noted with amusement that it was wrapped atrociously, then carefully took the proffered gift.

"You actually… me something?" He narrowed his eyes at the gift. "I thought you were… trying to get me to stick around with you at… party."

"I told you I didn't have your gift yet, didn't I? I had to wait for it to come in the mail!"

"Where's my gift, Prin—a-ashido?" Hideshiro quickly corrected when he caught Roan's death glare.

"Your present is your new friendship with Ro-Ro!" She winked at him.

"Oh… joy." Hideshiro sighed.

"Go on!" Mina vibrated with uncontained energy. "Open it!"

He looked at the gift, then at Hideshiro, then at her eager face. It felt… awkward to open it here, in front of them. Without the privacy he needed to express whatever stupid things he did with his face when he saw what was inside. If it was something lame, she'd see his disappointed grimace and it would probably break her fragile alien heart. On the other hand, if it was something great, he could smile and that would be worse. He never knew what to expect with this girl, so couldn't even work out a percentage likelihood of either thing happening.

"Open it." She insisted.

He sighed, then unwrapped the snowflake-themed paper. His eyes widened as the contents were unveiled. "This is…" his fingertips glossed over the sleek cover. "Robotic Noon!"

"Mhm." She nodded vigorously. "And not just any old copy either! Check out the inside!"

He opened it with his heart hammering in his chest. "I-It's a signed copy?!"

"Yup!" She grinned brightly at him. "I saw that you were almost done with the other book when I came over that one time!"

He stared at her in awe. He'd planned on buying the book himself but his wallet had been apprehended by his mom, and he forgot all about the book in the chaos and excitement that followed. "Mina…" He didn't know what to say. Now, more than ever, intelligible speech evaded him.

"Ew, this is the cringiest couple fluff I've ever seen," Hideshiro complained. "My teeth are starting to rot. Get a room."

"This is my room," Roan pointed out.

"Semantics."

"You know, Ro-Ro, there's a loooot of smut in that book. I didn't know you were into that kind of thing." Her eyelashes fluttered mischievously at him.

"There is?" His eyes widened. "Between the Cyborg and Alien Princess? No wait, don't tell me. I don't want spoilers." He shook his head frantically and placed the book carefully on his desk, feeling the heat that touched his cheeks. "I-I mean… I read it… the action…"

"Uh huh." Mina and Hideshiro said in unison.

Roan turned his attention back to the girl. A feeling of shame settled in his stomach as he looked at her exuberant expression. "I… uh… didn't… you know… get you anything. I didn't think you would really…" he trailed off.

Hideshiro put his hands in his pockets and breathed out a long sigh. "Yes, I fully expected you to neglect this poor girl. You really are a hopeless social mutant, Fujinari." He pushed Roan's desk chair aside and fished something out of his pocket. "Lucky for you, I took the liberty of putting together a Christmas present for Mina from the both of us, like a true gentleman."

He watched in surprise as the boy pulled out a flash drive and stuck it in one of Roan's computer USB ports. "What are you doing?" He snapped, immediately jerking forward to stop the intrusion. "If you put a virus on my computer, I'll kill you."

"That… would have been the perfect opportunity, wouldn't it?" Hideshiro said as he opened the file on the computer. "Too bad I was being nice."

He pulled up a video and expanded it to full screen, then tugged Mina by the arm and pushed her into Roan's desk chair.

Curious, despite himself, Roan stepped closer.

The video immediately opened with a familiar setting. The sound of music and talking, the blinking of Christmas lights, All Might's booming voice from the bleachers as he welcomed everyone to the Christmas party. A quick pan to Hideshiro's scheming face. Then, the camera turned to the doors to capture Roan and Mina walking inside, hand in hand.

Roan felt an uncomfortable twist of embarrassment in his stomach as soon as he saw himself. It was somehow even more painful to experience the memory from this point of view. He looked so awkward standing there with Mina, hair in his eyes and arm stiff as though he wanted to keep her at a distance.

"You were recording this?!" Mina asked with a gasp. "The whole night?"

"Well, not the whole night." Hideshiro shrugged. "Not when I asked you to dance." He winked, and Roan considered punching him.

"I don't want to watch this," Roan complained.

"Wait, please!" Mina gripped his arm, preventing him from reaching for the computer. He gritted his teeth, but held still. "Look at us! We look so cute!"

He wasn't so sure about that. Mina looked cute in her red gown, he supposed—though she would have looked better in a more complementary color—but Roan looked painfully awkward.

The three of them watched as Roan leaned down and whispered something into Mina's ear. He recalled this as the moment when he pointed out Kirishima in the crowd. He didn't recall Mina's flustered expression.

The camera followed their progress to the Christmas tree where Kirishima was standing.

"This is my second favorite part," Hideshiro said with a smirk. "It's like watching a giraffe, a dog, and a sheep all trying to communicate. God, it was a train wreck."

Roan groaned. "Do we have… endure this?" He glanced at Mina.

"Yes! I wanna see what happens!"

"You were there."

"It's cooler this way!"

He sighed, then rolled his eyes, feeling the corner of his lip twitch slightly in a smile. If she's having fun then… whatever.

Hideshiro was right. This part of the video was worse than awkward. Without hearing any of the dialogue, it looked like the world's most uncomfortable meeting. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Hideshiro's voice on camera cut through the awkwardness when he started to dub over their conversation.

"Oh Kirishima it's so nice to see you," he mocked Mina's voice by making his own as squeaky as possible. "Have you met my new dog yet? I picked him up at the shelter because no one else wanted him. He doesn't bark but he always scares my friends away."

Present-moment Roan glared at Hideshiro, who looked quite pleased with himself for adding spice to the conversation.

"Oh that's totally righteous," he mocked Kirishima by giving him an over-pronounced bro accent. "I'm more of a cat person myself."

"Impressive," Mina commented with a giggle. "You synced our mouths really well!"

"Did I mention he's neutered?"

Roan slammed his elbow hard into Hideshiro's side as the other boy snickered.

"Ow! Take it easy, Fujinari! It was a joke! I know you're not neutered or you wouldn't be getting physical examinations from your mother on a regular basis."

This time, Roan caught him in a headlock and resisted the urge to strangle him.

While Hideshiro was floundering in his grip, the camera cut to a new scene, capturing Mina dancing in the middle of the dance floor. This distracted Roan temporarily from Hideshiro, long enough for the other boy to escape his hold and flee to the other side of Mina.

He watched the girl dancing on the screen, vividly remembering watching her at the party. It still struck him. The fact that Mina wasn't the elegant type—not the one you'd imagine in a ball gown or twirling around with grace. And yet, her moves were smooth, flawless. She somehow adapted her hip hop dance moves to match the Christmas music without looking ridiculous. It was an impressive skill. One that, he realized when rewatching footage of the sports festival, also aided her in the effective usage of her quirk.

Not that he'd rewatched the sports festival just to see her in action or anything. It was purely for marketing research.

The camera turned to a winking Hideshiro, presumably before he went to ask Mina to dance, then cut to the part of the night when Roan asked Mina's blonde friend to dance.

"This is my favorite part," Hideshiro grinned. "God, Fujinari looks so awkward that it hurts to watch."

Roan felt heat touch his cheeks.

"Look at that expression!" Hideshiro cackled. "Hilarious!"

Mina giggled, which just made Roan feel worse. "Ganging up on me…" he mumbled.

"I think he looks cute!" Mina said.

"I wish Bakugo had punched him," Hideshiro sighed. "That would have been truly glorious."

The scene changed one last time, depicting streetlights and snow, and two figures nearly lost in shadow, embracing one another.

"Ew," Hideshiro said on the camera, "for her sake I hope he remembered deodorant."

Roan scowled. Now that the embarrassing video was officially over, he pulled the flash drive from the port and tossed it into the garbage. "Irritating," he grumbled.

"No!" Mina retrieved it from the waste bin and clutched it against her chest. "I want to keep it!"

He was going to protest when she suddenly threw her arms around him again. "Thank you, Ro-Ro. This is the best Christmas present ever."

He cleared his throat. "...didn't give… permission to hug me all… time."

"What about me, Mina?" Hideshiro whined. "I was the one who filmed it. Don't I get a hug?"

"Oh yeah!" She released Roan and turned to ruffle Hideshiro's hair, earning a groan of protest. "Good little hyena!"

Hideshiro scoffed before picking up his backpack and heading for the door. "Whatever. I'll leave you lovebirds alone. I have more interesting things to do today than lingering in the beast's dark cave." He waved. "Later."

With that, Hideshiro left Mina and Roan alone.

"I should probably head out too," she said, after tucking the flash drive into her pocket.

"Wait!" Roan reached for her, saw the startled look in her eyes and the red that touched her cheeks, then dropped his hand. He shook his head so that his hair would mask his eyes, then stared down at her shoes. "Do you want to… stay? We could play games or… go to the gazebo…"

He dared a glance up and saw her grinning face, the gold sparkling in her black eyes. Her smile softened, and the expression there made him feel strange and lightheaded.

"That would be so much fun!" she said. "But, there's something else I need to do first."

He winced as a pang of disappointment settled in his chest. He looked quickly away. "What's… so important?"

"It's kind of adorable when you pout, you know?" She moved to stare up at him from under his strands of hair.

"Not pouting," he turned around so she couldn't stare at him anymore.

"I'll come back, kay?" She danced around to look at him again. "Remember what you said to me before the party? You told me that it's time to let go, right?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Let go of what?"

There was meaning written on her face. "Just let me take care of that part, cool? I'll meet up with you for lunch!"

He glanced at the clock. "But it's lunchtime now."

"Guess you'll just have to wait! Don't eat without me!"

He sighed, but then gave a brief nod. "Do whatever… you need to do."

"I will!"

With these final words, she hopped away from him and went to the door. He watched her leave, then sat down at his desk and picked up the book she'd given him, a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.

Mina walked with purpose back to the Class 1-A dorm. She kept her hand in her pocket, fingertips resting on the flash drive Hideshiro had given to her. It was silly, but it felt like a lucky charm—like it contained the stored energy of every good thing that happened on Christmas night. She needed that energy now.

The common area was bustling with activity. Some students were getting ready to go on an off-campus field trip with Mr. Aizawa. Others were on their way to lunch. Mina's eyes scanned over them, hoping to find her target with ease.

"Hey, Mina," Ochaco called out. "Are you coming with us to the museum today?"

Mina smiled. "Nope! There's something I gotta do today!"

Ochaco's head cocked slightly. "Oh? What is it?"

Mina stared at her for a moment, remembering Roan's words on Friday. Ochaco was one person who'd always cared about Mina for who she was—the good and the bad. "You're my best friend, Ochaco."

Ochaco's cheeks went an even brighter shade of pink than normal. "O-Oh, well… you're my best friend too, Mina!"

Mina grinned, just as she finally saw him walking down the stairs. "We'll catch up later, cool? I have to talk to someone."

Ochaco followed her line of sight. For a moment, a look of concern passed over her features but then her face softened and she smiled. "Do what you think is right, Mina."

Mina nodded, then steeled her resolve and approached the spiky red-haired boy who'd been the source of her troubles for weeks now.

"Yo, Kirishima!"

He perked up when he heard her voice. "Hey, Ashido! What's up?" He slid his phone into his pocket, then grinned toothily at her.

"You got a minute to talk?"

He considered this with a glance at the clock. "Um… well, I'm supposed to meet Kanzashi for lunch. I was gonna take her to this cool spot I found in the forest! It's like this neat shack with flowers all over it, and I thought it would be the perfect place for a romantic picnic or—"

"You can't go there, it's haunted."

He blinked at her. "Seriously?"

"Yup. Haunted by a tormented yokai who hates people and can only be appeased with tomatoes."

He laughed. "I didn't know you were superstitious! Anyway, I really should go get her—"

"Kirishima," she interrupted. She met his gaze, hoping to communicate her determination. "This is important. It can't wait."

His eyes flicked back and forth between hers. Finally, he nodded. "Sure. Where do you want to talk?"

"Can we go outside? Away from everyone?"

He nodded again, then followed behind her as she led him through the front door. She caught Ochaco watching her, and the encouraging smile on her face. It did little to ease her nerves, however. Her hands were trembling as she opened the door, her throat constricted as she rounded the corner, her legs starting to shake.

At last, she stopped and breathed out a loud sigh. "Well! Here we are!" She put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest, hoping that the courage would magically fill her.

"So, what's up?" Kirishima asked. "Did something happen? Do you need help?"

Of course, his first thought would be to help. He was so different from the timid middle schooler who stood frozen in fear when he thought someone needed assistance. Except… even back then, all he wanted was to rescue people. He always tried to stand up to bullies, even when he wasn't confident in his abilities. He had the heart of a true hero.

"No, I'm fine, I promise."

Strangely, she didn't sense a lie in her own words, despite the nature of this conversation. She shouldn't feel fine, and yet…

He waited, his expression guarded—somewhat uncomfortable.

Mina cleared her throat, then willed up the words from the depths of her soul. "The truth is, Kirishima… I've always liked you!"

He blinked, but understanding didn't light in his eyes like she'd hoped. Then, he grinned. "I like you too, Ashido. You're one of the coolest girls I've ever met."

She shook her head, begging him to understand. "No, that's not what I mean."

He swallowed hard, and now she could see the inkling of realization in his red irises.

"I love you, Eijiro Kirishima!"

The words seemed to echo off the building behind him. A loud declaration carrying the force of weeks of pent up emotions. They carried about as much power as Bakugo's blasts, and the sound of them left both Kirishima and Mina temporarily deaf and numb.

Her chest heaved, her hands tightened into nervous balls, and she stared at his face for a reaction.

He finally scratched the back of his head and adjusted his collar, refusing to make eye contact with her. "I um… but what about Fujinari? I thought you were dating."

She shook her head. "We were only pretending to date. I thought seeing me with another guy would make you jealous. So, Roan agreed to be my fake boyfriend until Christmas if I helped him on his final project. I did everything I could to make you notice me. I even went so far as to make Kanzashi make that dress for me out of her hair because I thought you'd think she was less pretty with short hair. I'm awful, right?"

"You were… trying to make me jealous?" He winced, as though suddenly remembering every awkward encounter he'd had with her over the past few weeks. He tried to make eye contact with her again but quickly looked away. His emotions were as plain to read on his face as if he had the same quirk as the guy from Class 1-B whose head was a writing canvas. He was uncomfortable, confused, and guilty.

"Yup! I had this crazy idea that you might break up with Kanzashi to be with me."

The words made his eyes widen and a flash of disbelief and anger temporarily color his face. He shook his head as if to ward off the negative emotions. Then, he finally met her gaze, apologetically.

"Ashido… I appreciate you having the courage to tell me how you feel but… I can't return those feelings."

She knew this would be the case. She'd known the whole time, try as she had to ignore it. And she'd always thought that his words of rejection would be like a knife through the chest, but they weren't. They didn't sting at all.

"I know," she said, softly. "Because you love her, don't you?"

His cheeks reddened. "I-I don't know about love. We haven't been dating that long or anything… just three months, so I…"

"Oh, come on!" She rolled her eyes. "I was honest to you, so the least you can do is be honest with me back!"

He swallowed again, glanced at her and then away, then finally gave a small nod.

"Say it," Mina commanded. "Just say it so I can move on or whatever."

He took a deep breath, then looked at her with determination in his eyes. "I love her. I can't return your feelings because I'm in love with Kinuhana Kanzashi."

Mina smiled. She felt the strangest veil of relief settle upon her, like a coat of fresh snow. The air suddenly felt crisper, the sun brighter, the sky more blue. She let out a long breath, that was surprisingly steady despite everything.

"And I'm like a little sister to you, right?" she asked, waiting for the confirmation.

This seemed to confuse him. He looked at her with puzzled brows and a frown. "Like a little sister?"

"Yeah, you know? I'm like your bubbly little airhead sister. That's why you could never see me as anything more than that. Even before you met Kanzashi."

He shook his head. "No way. I mean, I guess sometimes you seem like a sister to me, but only because we're closer than I am with most people here. But I've never thought of you like that, Ashido. I've always looked up to you. If you were my sister, you'd be like the cool older sister who I want to be like when I grow up."

She blinked at him, surprised. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." A blush touched his cheeks. "Haven't I told you before? You're the whole reason I applied for U.A. in the first place. When I saw how brave you were, and how you charged in to help others, even when you were afraid… I wanted to be like you. I wanted to be the kind of hero and man that people could rely on!"

She felt fluttering in her stomach, the shock of this revelation rattling her to her core.

"You're amazing," he continued. "You keep up everyone's positivity when things look bad because you always find a way to smile and look brave, even when you're scared. You're bold and you always keep sight of your objectives and move toward them even when the odds are stacked against you. Your quirk is awesome, not just because it's unique and cool, but because you learned how to use it in so many different ways. You're creative like that. And funny and really good at giving advice."

She sniffled, and the sound made her realize she was starting to cry. "You really mean that? You like me for who I am? Even with the bad things?"

He nodded, his face serious. "I'm not gonna lie, purposely trying to hurt Hana just to get to me was messed up, and I think you owe her an apology. But that doesn't mean you're a bad person. Petty, maybe. But we all get like that. Remember when I saw Hana hugging Togata and I got really dramatic about it?" He cleared his throat, blushing at the memory. "And sometimes I get so frustrated about her being busy all the time that I act like a little kid. And I know I talk about her like she's perfect, but she can be petty and mean too. I don't think anyone can say they've never done something they regret to people they're supposed to care about."

Mina wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

All she wanted was to be noticed and cherished for who she was underneath the bright exterior. She wanted someone to love the dark and underappreciated parts of herself. But Roan had been right all along. There were already people who saw her for everything she was and still loved her. She had just been too blind to see it.

"It's not… personal, you know?" He continued, awkwardly. "It's not like you're not pretty or awesome, I just…" he trailed off. "I don't know. Hana… Kanzashi is my type. We complement each other, I guess. If that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does."

An awkward silence followed this. She'd done it. She'd admitted her feelings to Kirishima, accepted that they weren't reciprocated, and finally embraced the truth about how others felt toward her. She didn't know where to go from here.

"You know… you and Fujinari complement each other too."

She inhaled sharply, feeling the heat that spread across her cheeks, contrasting the winter cold. "W-What are you talking about?"

He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. "You're loud, like me. He's quiet and serious, a lot like Hana. And I can tell he likes you."

"No, he doesn't!" she argued. "I told you, it was all an act!"

"You sure?" His eyes twinkled. "Cuz he looked like he really wanted to hit me when I met him."

"I'm sure!" she said. Her body was starting to feel hot everywhere, nerves tingling in her skin. "It's not like that. We're barely even friends… he doesn't like people."

"I'm not the best at reading people," he said cautiously, "so maybe it's not what it looks like, but… it seems pretty obvious to me that he's into you, Ashido. He was trying to act cool, but he kept looking at you, checking to make sure you were okay. I could tell that the only reason he was at the party was for you."

Is that true?

It couldn't be. Could it…? Roan barely tolerated her, let alone… And even if he did feel that way, then what would she do about it? It wasn't like she…

"I think you should give him a chance," Kirishima suggested.

"But I don't like him! I told you, you're the one I've had a crush on!"

He looked at her with a level of skepticism that didn't seem natural for him. "I don't know… the way you introduced me to him… seemed pretty sincere. I can tell you care about him."

"Yeah, but… he's a total weirdo! He's a nerdy flower boy who plays video games and reads weird sci-fi romance novels. He's awkward and mumbling, stubborn, and kind of a jerk sometimes! He's superstitious, unfriendly, and kind of scary looking! How could I… I mean why would I…."

She tried to imagine it. Or rather, she felt the barrier that had been preventing her from imagining it for a while now starting to deteriorate. She remembered the way her hand felt in his, the warmth of his embrace in the falling snow, the tickle of his breath on her ear at the party… She recalled his rare, beautiful laugh, and the mischievousness in his yellow eyes when he threw twigs or pine cones into her hair. She remembered the scent of his pillow, and laying on her back beneath him, staring up under a curtain of blue hair into those electric-charged eyes.

Roan…

She wondered what it would feel like to snuggle with him in his bedroom, or to hold his hand in the gazebo as he made flowers bloom on the wooden planks. She wondered how his lips would feel if they brushed hers. Would they be as soft they looked? Would they be warm and lingering and full of emotion?

She'd imagined these things about Kirishima, too. When she was alone in her room bemoaning the fact that he didn't want her. But the fantasies were always lacking something. Something that now burned and crackled in her chest and stomach and nerves when she allowed herself to think about Roan in that way.

How ironic. I fell for my fake boyfriend.

"Anyway…" Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly. "I think you should apologize to Hana. And… uh… I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

She shook her head. "You didn't hurt my feelings." She put her hands behind her back and bounced on her toes for a moment. "Things aren't going to be weird between us now, are they?"

He met her eyes, a guarded expression in his own. "I'm cool if you're cool?"

"Still friends?" she asked, hopefully.

He nodded, a grin spreading across his cheeks. "Still friends."

She felt her own wide smile forming in response. "Alrighty, buddy!" She let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, and one more thing! You can't take Kanzashi to the gazebo in the woods!"

"Because it's haunted?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No! Because…" she felt warmth spread in her chest. "That's mine and Roan's spot."

"Oh." He gave an awkward laugh. "My bad. I won't intrude. There are plenty of places I can go for a picnic!"

"I can show you how to make a killer bento box for your dates if you want!"

"Yeah!" He agreed, eyes shining. "I wanna know all your secrets!"

She laughed. "Alright, but not today. I promised I'd meet up with Roan after this."

He gave a knowing nod. "Let him know I'm sorry if I offended him."

"Okay~" She gave him a parting wave before skipping off toward the 1-J dorm, feeling light and feathery.

A huge weight had been lifted off her chest after confessing to Kirishima. And now, her newfound revelation expanded and shone within her, desperate to be let out.

Roan. I really do like him, don't I?

More than she'd ever liked Kirishima. More than she had been willing to admit.

So, the next question was… how could she admit that to him?

Just ask him if he wants to put his Minecraft bed next to yours, maybe. Jk. Unless...