What is it about Kodai that appeals you to her?
The question came out of nowhere. It wasn't provoked. She was not even the subject of their conversation. It happened the weekend before Yui's turn with Izuku. He was lounging on the bean bag chair in Itsuka's room. The smell of leftover microwave pizza filled the air, if not anything else. Izuku was on his fourth can of soda. He was on the final level of Grand Theft Auto V when he had to choose the fate of the other two characters, Michael or Trevor. Choosing their prior fates of killing off one of the protagonists, he decided to pick deathwish.
Itsuka was lying on her back on her bed. A bag of Doritos was beside her. Her hands were on a copy of Assassination Classroom. The smudges of corn chips and cheese were apparent that Itsuka had pondered on that page for a while. Better yet, she was pondering on that question she wanted to tell Izuku for some time.
He put the game on pause, turning to the sudden question that came from him. It was rare for Itsuka to be this forward. Normally, the only time she was only forward was on his advancements to Izuku's childhood friend, Katsuki. So, from his position, hearing Itsuka asking her that kind of question was very bizarre. But, retrospectively, he thought the same thing. Only difference was that Itsuka was the first to vocalize it.
'I've never really given it a thought, to be honest,' answered Izuku. He stared at the pause menu for the game. Even he felt the options of continuing the game and ignoring the topic of Yui; or returning back to Itsuka and answer his question. At least, he already knew the fates of Michael and Trevor when he picked either options. What can he say about Itsuka?
'Sorry, Izzy,' said Itsuka, rolling over on her stomach. From her voice, she was sincere. She was cautious to never question Izuku's judgement. He, too, was wondering about Izuku's questionable friendship with Yui. 'I didn't want to put you on the spot, but why are you friends with her?'
'The same reason why I am friends with you,' he said with boldness in his voice, but not enough that she detected. 'There are valuable things I see within her. Like the things I see within you. What are those things, I am yet unsure myself. But I can't put my finger on it.'
She nodded her head, emitting a strong surge of a sigh through her nose. She flipped a few pages of the comic before turning back to Izuku. 'I just hope you will figure it out soon. Yui gives me strange vibes. And no offense, friend. She is kind of a bitch.'
He didn't get offended. Itsuka was telling the truth about Yui. A day prior to his visiting Itsuka, Yui came to the cafeteria looking with intent of finding Izuku. Upon her sights of him, she gracefully walked to him. He was standing by the hallway with Itsuka as they were discarding their trash. He knew that she was waiting for the moment when he and Itsuka went their separate ways. The moment he was alone, the moment she made her move. Without warning, she pushed him to the wall, she grabbed him by the chin to pry open his mouth. Upon opening, she poured a cup of a foreign substance in his mouth. The taste was awful; a combination of bland and sour. It's kimchi brine, she said, pointing and laughing at his sight. He tried to spit it out, but she covered his mouth, giving the look of tasting and swallowing the brine. She didn't let go until he swallowed. He spent the rest of the afternoon at the nurse's office before being checked-out of school. Never once did he tell anybody of the incident.
'A bitch,' retorted Izuku. 'True. A bit 'over-the-top?' True,' he confirmed to her. 'Look at it this way, she isn't any different than the crazy girls at our school.' He shrugged his shoulders while pondering on returning to finish the game.
'Do you see her as a replacement for Uraraka,' questioned Itsuka as she was returning back to her comic.
He developed a vile taste in his mouth. More rancid than the kimchi he tasted a couple of days prior. It has been a few months since he and Ochako went their separate ways after her move to Fukuoka. The duo kept in touch through phone calls and text messages. What used to be a daily thing turned into a weekly thing, then an every now-and-again thing, and now barely anything. He put the joystick to the side before rubbing his hands together. They were feeling a bit chilly.
'Sorry, Izzy for putting you on the spot again,' replied Itsuka. 'It is just elementary is all. Her traits seem too similar to Kodai is all.'
He didn't look at Itsuka. He pressed his hands together tightly as he stared at the pause menu. 'Yui is no way in any shape or form like Uraraka.' His face was swelling, becoming puffy. He tucked in his lip to keep from showing any emotion. 'I don't see Yui as a replacement. I don't, I just don't.'
'I believe you, believe me,' replied Itsuka, knowing he had hit a soft spot.
A few days ago, he was on Ochako's Facebook. He went to her page frequently. He just wanted to see how she has been since moving out of Musutafu. Because of their lessening of communication, social media became the source of keeping updates on his former girlfriend. Upon typing her name on the page, he went to it. He paused and saw something he never thought he would see.
Ochako Uraraka was listed in a relationship.
It was a shot in the heart to him. If God struck him dead, he didn't mind. He closed the laptop and retreated to his bed where his stuffed All Might doll was there to reciprocate his feelings with his tears. He tried calling Ochako following her status. He received no answer. Her number was no longer in service.
'Izzy, I am sorry. That was not my place to even say that. Especially when it is still fresh," said Itsuka apologetically. She got out of the bed and sat beside him on the bean bag chair. He couldn't have All Might with him, but he was fortunate enough to have Itsuka.
Is Yui just a void to fill for Ochako? What about her appeals me to her? Is she a bully that I also look to as a friend? Am I just using her to replace Ochako? Do I feel sorry for Yui? Why? Why? Why? Why?
"Izuku."
"Izuku."
"Izuku."
He retreated from his imagination to reality. No longer was he in Itsuka's room playing video games. He didn't look to his best friend for comfort. He was sitting in the kitchen of his friend, Yui. Standing before him was her mother. Her hands were placed on her hips, a trait he noticed that Yui did when something was worrying her. Honestly, it was a motherly trait because his mother did the same with him whenever something was on his mind.
"Are you okay, dear," she asked with a concerned tone. "One moment, we were talking about your strange taste in katsudons and honey buns, then the next, you zoned out." She walked to his direction. The scent of a honeydew scented perfume entered his nostrils, making him blush more than before.
"I am okay," replied Izuku. "I have stuff on my mind is all."
Like a mother, his tone and speech didn't match his words. She sat at the chair next to him and put her palm on his forehead. Izuku blushed upon feeling her soft touch. She even put her forehead upon his, making them nose length at each other. So much so, he can taste the peppermint she was eating earlier. She broke the distance.
"You seem okay, but I think you need something for your nerves," she said. "I have something for you to drink." She left his sight as she went into the refrigerator to retrieve her items.
"I should have known better about teenagers and their problems," said Mrs. Kodai. "What seems to be trivial and minute to us are going to be grandeur and robust to you guys." She pulled out a watermelon from the top shelf before closing the door. She pulled out the hot water from the stove. She had the tea ready for the duo before this particular juncture.
"Whenever Yui got stressed, I often gave her this tea as a remedy," she told him. She cut some pieces of watermelon and put them in a cup. "Do you prefer your tea with ice or no ice?"
"No ice is fine," he told Mrs. Kodai. His mind pondered on Yui's condition of being stressed. The way she was to him, there should not be a depressing bone in her body, he thought.
"I didn't think Yui could ever get stressed," replied Izuku with a hint of laughter in his voice. "She is so outgoing that I thought she was forever happy-go-lucky."
Mrs. Kodai chuckled. She covered her lip once more. She put the watermelon in her cup before pouring the hot water in the cup. She had a few spices unknown to him before putting it on the table. "Let it cool for a little bit. Before you go see Yui with the snacks, I want you to drink it. It will help with the nerves."
He shook his head. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you." He stared at the tea. It had a reddish and pinkish tint. It reminded him of something his mother made for him when he was sick. He wondered if mothers had a federation or a conference to get together on the affairs of their sick children.
"Before you respond, it is good and no, I am not going to poison you," she replied with a wink. "It is a watermelon punch. I used to give it to Yui on her bad days back home. I am grateful I don't have to give her this much here than I did back there." She sighed while resting her chin on her palm.
He was curious. A Yui that wasn't as active back home than here? He had to ask her mother. "Mrs. Kodai?"
"Oh, Izuku! What did I say about calling me Auntie?"
He bowed apologetically. "Sorry! Auntie, how was Yui back home?" He paused. "If you don't mind asking."
"I don't, dear," she answered. "However, it is something you should really talk to my daughter about. It wouldn't be nice to display her business out there. One thing I do have in accordance with my daughter, respect her boundaries."
"I understand," said Izuku, feeling a little defeated. "Can you at least tell me what kind of person she is, I mean, around you guys."
Mrs. Kodai displayed a side smile. "That I can talk about." She looked at the cup of tea. "Go on and take your sip." He felt the surge of that suggestion when hearing that. It was too similar to Yui. He took both hands and wrapped it around the cup. He took a sip of the watermelon punch.
"It is delicious," he said, wiping the contents with his sleeve.
"Thank you," she smiled. "Yui is a tough-as-nails kind of girl. She is very determined on getting what she wants. At the same time, she is very impatient. A very opportune kind of girl." She laughed silently while reaching for a cup of watermelon punch she made for herself. "Yui is a firecracker. She came into this world determined to let the world know who she is." She gave a slight glance. "Why do you ask?"
What is it about Yui that appeals you to her?
He choked on his tea. A tiny droplet came from his mouth. He reached for a napkin to dry it off. "Why do I ask?"
She released a small smirk. "Hmm Hmm."
He was stammering. The answer was standing at the tip of his tongue, but no words were able to produce. He looked around his environment, something to give him another topic to get away from that question.
What is it about Yui that appeals you to her?
Is Yui just a void to fill for Uraraka?
Is she just a stand-in to cover my pains and loss?
What is Yui to me?
Is she a bully that I look to as a friend?
Do I feel sorry for Yui?
"Mãe, por que você está demorando tanto? Nossos lanches já estão prontos (Mom, what is taking you so long? Are our snacks ready yet?) ?"
Izuku felt a cool rush of relief that Yui interrupted him from answering his question to Mrs. Kodai. Yui's mother touched her cheek before returning her daughter's question.
"Os lanches estão prontos, Yui. Desculpe por ter demorado tanto. Eu estava conversando profundamente com Izuku (The snacks are ready, Yui. Sorry that it has taken me so long. I was deep into conversation with Izuku), replied Mrs. Kodai.
"Diga a ele para parar de brincar e vamos jogar já. Não temos o dia todo (Tell him to quit fooling around and let's play already. We don't have all day)," answered Yui.
"Todos vocês, pouca fé. Ele está vindo, querida. Dê a ele um minuto (All ye little faith. He is coming, dear. Give him a minute)," she told her impatient daughter.
"Oi," answered Yui.
She turned her sights back to Izuku. "It seems like our time is up, my dear," she said. She reached for the snacks to give to his daughter's friend.
"Thank you," answered Izuku.
"No problem, dear," replied Mrs. Kodai. "Listen, I am going to make dinner. I would love it if you stay and join us."
He nodded his head in agreement. "I don't mind, Auntie," replied Izuku. "I don't mind."
"Good," she smiled. She pressed her hands on his back, urging for his departure. "Go on and have fun with Yui. You know how impatient she is."
He grabbed the snacks and was making his way upstairs to find Yui. Mrs. Kodai stood at the entryway of the kitchen.
"Izuku?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Please don't forget what I have asked you," she purred a bit. "I hope to get an answer from you soon about my Yui."
He didn't respond but nodded his head. He went upstairs to find Yui.
To be continued….