After a good long cry from both of them, Midoriya and Uraraka finally, slowly release each other. It's done. It's over. And with this, they can finally, finally, say goodbye. They both say goodbye to their first loves, and Uraraka reminds Midoriya that she won't rest until Midoriya is happy in a way that she could never make him. She may never get over her feelings, but at the very least, she can keep trying to be a good friend. That much, she won't give up on. No matter how much it tears her up inside.

Midoriya thanks her, and strangely he feels… relieved. Grateful even. Like, maybe now that he's finally made a decision, now that he's finally let go of her… He knows he's being selfish again, but maybe… he can… "U-Uraraka-san, is it possible that maybe… maybe we could still be…"

Her back facing him, she clenches her fists. "Yeah!" she answers cheerfully, "We can still be friends, Deku-kun." But despite the control in her watery voice, he can tell. From just the back of her head he can tell… it'll be a long time before she's able to even look at him again. More than anything, he wants to apologize for everything he's put her through. But he knows that saying he's sorry now would only hurt her even more, so he stays silent. Eventually she says her goodbyes, that she'll see him tomorrow, and she leaves.

For her sake, he knows he needs to settle things with Kacchan once and for all. So she can move on, find someone better, someone who will always choose her, never even hesitate to choose her. As someone who would selflessly push the one they love away for the sake of their happiness, she deserves the best.

Midoriya, now left alone to recollect herself, sits down on the floor and thinks about what to do next. If what Uraraka-san said was really true, then Midoriya really does have a chance with Kacchan. But… if that's true, then how did everyone else notice it? Why didn't I? What does everyone else see that I didn't? Was I maybe just not paying attention? …Yeah, I mean, I have been sort of in my own head lately. Maybe it really is that obvious, and I was just over thinking it?

Ah, come to think of it, Uraraka-san said just now that Kacchan was crying. Was he… really that upset about…? If… If that's true, then there's no denying it, right? He was that upset that Midoriya wouldn't call him by name or let him call her "Izuku". He was… He was sad…

As kids, Midoriya used to believe that Kacchan didn't get sad. He only got angry. But lately, with how he's been opening up to her more and more, she starts to reexamine some of the events they've been through up until now. There was the time he was about to cry after Midoriya told him he wasn't any better than the boys who flipped up her skirt. She still regrets saying that, but now that she thinks about it, she remembers how abnormal his response was. At the time it happened, she thought for sure that he'd get angry at her and probably curse her out, but he didn't. He got sad. And when she tried to apologize to him later, he didn't just look angry. He looked tired, like he had been crying and was too tired to even listen to her. Then there was the whole incident with the curry. She couldn't believe he actually ate it. Even now, she doesn't want to get her hopes up, reading too much into it, but… it really was strange. Would Kacchan have done that for anyone else? Ah, and then there was the time Kacchan actually invited her to study with him. He's never done that before, not once. And the time he invited her to eat with him too. And how could she forget the time he got so upset after he saw Todoroki-kun hugging her? He'd said it was because they were partners and she needed to pick a side, but that's not a reason for him to get so emotional, right? He literally ran off in the middle of their training! And everything… everything he did to get her into therapy, even working together with other people, some of whom he doesn't even like.

The more examples of his strange behavior she finds, the more and more her chest aches thinking that all of it might've meant something. Not to mention there's all the times he's blushed or looked nervous to her. The more she thinks about it, the more she feels so stupid for not noticing it earlier!

Then of course… just this past Saturday, he went above and beyond just to prove to her that he's stronger with her help than without, to show her that she's a hero too in his eyes, and… to make her smile genuinely again.

…Did she really not notice his feelings, just because he never came out and said it himself? But she was so sure… She was sure that if he felt that way, he would just say so. But if Uraraka-san is (and apparently the rest of the class are) right, then he just hasn't noticed yet. Maybe just like Midoriya, he's trying to play it off as something else, convince himself that it's not love. After all, what good would feelings like that do if you don't think the other person feels the same way? It's easier to write it off as anything but love. Come to think of it, Kacchan's probably never been in love before. He probably wouldn't recognize it even if it smacked him in the face. So then… if he doesn't recognize it or possibly rejects the thought of it, then what is she supposed to say to him? Should she just tell him how she feels and hope for the best? Maybe if she says it first, it'll awaken something in him?

…No, that doesn't seem likely or like a reliable strategy. Kacchan is stubborn, so if he decides that the thought of being in love with her is ridiculous, he'll never change his mind no matter what anyone says to him. He'll probably also start to avoid Midoriya, just so everyone doesn't get the wrong idea about them. If something like that happens, she knows there's no going back. That'll be the end of it. She has to figure out a strategy with a higher chance of success. Maybe she has to get Kacchan to be the one to confess to her? That would definitely avoid the previous issue completely, but how could she possibly do that? She'd have to make him believe that he's head over heels for her! Even more in love than he is right now! So much that he'd be bursting at the seams just to say it!

Then a thought crosses her mind, a thought that really only came to her because her naturally strategizing brain was trying to examine as many options as possible. She can't help approaching this like she would a hero assignment, trying to figure out the most effective strategy, not necessarily the one that she personally would like the most. So when thinking about how a girl might logically get a guy to fall head over heels in love with her, the thought crosses her mind:

Could I maybe seduce him?

But as soon as it does, her face goes up in flames. What?! What am I thinking?! Seducing Kacchan?! That would never…! Wait… but if Kacchan really is in love with her then… maybe it… would work? And… And on the off chance that he's not in love with her, then Midoriya will know for sure when Kacchan doesn't respond at all to the seduction! If she's subtle about it, then Kacchan won't know about her feelings either! He'll just think she's being weird! Kacchan is super dense when it comes to that kind of stuff, so he might not figure it out! The idea starts to look more and more promising.

But then… how exactly would Midoriya seduce him? It's not like she knows how to do that in the first place. Well, how do women usually seduce men? Ah, that's right. In the movies, they usually… She glances down at her breasts. Her face catches fire again. Nope! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I can't do it! Her heart races a mile a minute as she wraps her arms around her chest and curls into a ball on the floor. But a part of her does realize that maybe she fell in love with Kacchan at just the right time since a woman's body will obviously be more effective at getting his attention than Midoriya's old body would. But still! She just doesn't want to think about it anymore.

As if answering Midoriya's silent prayer with an even worse option, someone bangs loudly at his door, making him jump. "MIDORIYA!"

Eh?! That voice… Ashido-san?! And he also hears another voice, Uraraka-san, trying to get her to stop.

"Open this door!"

He notes that despite how furious she sounds, she must be holding onto a shred of sanity still if she's not just barging in. It's not like it's locked or anything.

"Open this door or I'm melting it!"

Scratch that. She's even angrier than he thought. He leaps to his feet and rushes to open it. He almost has to dodge as she nearly attacks him, but luckily Uraraka is holding her back.

"Let me go, Urarakaaa! Somebody's gotta… defend your honor!"

"I said it's okay! I'm fine!" The brunette is really struggling to hold her back.

Midoriya pauses as he stares at them, especially Ashido. She lashes back at him, "What?! You got somethin' to say for yourself?!"

He remains totally calm as he steps forward out of his room a bit. "Uraraka-san. You can let go."

"Eh?! D-Deku-kun?!"

"It's okay."

She loosens her grip just a little in shock, and Ashido finally breaks free. She stomps over at him. "I told you, didn't I? That I wouldn't forgive you if you hurt Uraraka!"

He smiles at her with acceptance and gentleness in his eyes. "Yeah, you did. Thank you, Ashido-san. For being such a good friend. I'm happy Uraraka-san has someone like you." Then he closes his eyes. "If you want to hit me, go ahead."

"What?! You… You think I won't do it?! I'll seriously beat you up, you cheating jerk!"

"Yeah… Go ahead." He's not afraid. Lately he's been blindsided by more emotional problems and a fear of letting people down, but he's still not afraid of physical pain anymore. He still remembers that he's been through much worse. A few punches from a well-meaning friend is no big deal. And besides… he's been waiting for someone to finally punish him for hurting the one girl he cares about most in the world. Whether or not he was aware of his feelings or brave enough to face them isn't an excuse. He led her on. And betrayed her. He deserves this, and he doesn't want to hear anyone else coddle him and tell him that it's not his fault.

Ashido raises a hand to slap him, and Uraraka is tempted to stop her after all, but with her hand still raised, she stops. She stares at his face, how he's perfectly calm waiting for her hand to connect. She grits her teeth.

"…Why?" she asks, her voice wobbling. Midoriya hears it and slowly opens his eyes. Tears dot Ashido's eyelids, threatening to spill over. "Why do guys always do this? It's always the same. None of you get it!" Her fingers curl into a fist as her hand lowers. "Girls' hearts are super fragile! But you guys get their hopes up and then jump from girl to girl like it's no big deal! You guys don't even care! You think you can just underestimate us?! Girls might be fragile on the inside, but we're tough too! We can take anything you stupid boys do to us!"

Uraraka puts a hand on one of her clenched fists. "Mina-chan… that's enough. It's okay…"

"No, it's not," Ashido and Midoriya say in unison.

Ashido whips around to stare at Midoriya in shock. He continues, "Uraraka-san… Ashido-san is right. I shouldn't get to just lead you on and then quit when I feel like it. And… And if it's true that guys do that all the time, then I really am no better. It's not okay. That's why you have every right to be mad!"

"But you're not just a boy anymore, Deku-kun! Right now you're… just like me. You're just a girl who has a crush on a boy." Midoriya blushes a bit again in reluctant agreement. "If you're going through what I went through… then I can't be mad at you. Mina-chan, you too. You shouldn't be mad at him. If you were in Deku-kun's shoes, wouldn't you… just want to be with the person you love the most? Even if it means hurting someone who likes you?"

Mina can't argue with that. She just sniffles and wipes her eyes. "…I get it… I get it but I don't want to get it! Just… what are girls supposed to do then? Are we supposed to just sit there and let boys walk all over us? Whenever they change their minds, we're just supposed to understand and let it go?"

Midoriya blurts, "That's not right at all! If a guy tells you he loves you, and then he leaves you for someone else, then let him have it! He's a guy! He'll bounce back! And… And…! Come to think of it… You're right! Boys are really stupid! I remember now!"

He thinks back to middle school and even a few occasions here in UA. He remembers reaching the age where boys seemed to chase any girl who looked pretty in a skirt. Then if they got rejected, they'd get angry or sad for a minute, but then they'd move on to the next girl who looked pretty in a skirt. And then if they said something inappropriate to her and the girl got mad, they'd act surprised, like they really didn't think she'd do anything! Back then, it's not like Midoriya had the courage to talk to a girl, so he just noticed that kind of stuff from a distance and never really thought about it. But now that he looks back at it, boys really are stupid at that age. They think they can hit on girls whenever they want, just because they can't control themselves, and they think girls can't be as strong as they are just because they're pretty and smell nice. Looks are totally deceiving when it comes to girls! Midoriya knows that from experience now!

"They're stupid! They can't keep their hands to themselves! And they never think about how girls feel! They really do just jump from girl to girl! They'll settle for whoever gives them the time of day, but then as soon as they see something better, they get bored and leave! I always thought those kinds of guys were jerks, but… I didn't really get how awful it is until now!"

Ashido grumbles a bit, then yells, "If you know that, then why did you do it?!"

"Because…! Because Kacchan is… Kacchan is…" He looks down a bit and blushes as he thinks of him. "Because I'd never leave Kacchan. I… I decided. I don't want anyone else. If I could have Kacchan, then…" He smiles with longing, pain, and love in his eyes. "I know I'd never want anyone else."

Seeing the look on his face, in his eyes, Ashido pauses. "You… You mean that?" She's reluctant to say it, to even think about it, but right now his face looks like…

He nods shyly. "Yeah… I'm… kind of worried about what'll happen when I get my old body back. I know these feelings won't just go away, and even if Kacchan likes me now… he probably won't feel the same way anymore after I change back… I have to change back, but…"

He truly looks conflicted. Ashido can see that. "But if you turned into a boy again, you're sure your feelings wouldn't change?"

"I'm sure," he replies, eyes full of certainty. "After all, it's not that simple. Turning into a girl doesn't mean I like all boys now… and turning back into a boy doesn't mean I can stop… loving someone… Ashido-san, y'know, boys fall in love too. It's just different for us. It's true that I used to get way more excited seeing a pretty girl than I do now, but that's not love. It's not the same thing. Love makes you wanna be with someone no matter what they look like. It's… It's about how that person makes you feel. Guys feel it too. We can just get… distracted sometimes… I know that's not an excuse, but… it doesn't mean we can't find just one girl we love. I think it's just harder sometimes. When you feel attracted to every girl that's pretty, sometimes it's hard to tell if you really love her or if you just like her because she's pretty."

Ashido had never heard it explained that way. But still… "You're… You're not saying I should feel sorry for you guys, are you? Just because you can't tell the difference?"

"No! Not at all. Really, I mean it. If a guy isn't serious about you, get mad and let him have it! We're built to take that kind of thing! A guy doesn't deserve to feel like the victim in that scenario!" He clenches his fist with a vengeance, getting irritated just at the thought of guys who think they can play with girls' feelings. "But… if a guy seems like he's serious about you, you should believe it, because… if he really loves you, does he deserve to get his heart broken just because he's a boy, and you can't take him seriously?"

Ashido ponders this. If a boy actually feels the kind of deep feelings for a girl that a girl feels for him, then… "Okay. I get it." She sighs. "Maybe… I got carried away. It's not that boys don't have feelings. I know that, but… guys were always the ones who treated my friends like they don't have feelings."

"…Yeah. On behalf of guys everywhere, I'm really sorry."

Ashido looks him in the eye. "But you… You're serious about Bakugo?"

He stares back. "Yeah." She doesn't see even a trace of doubt in those eyes. Instead they're full of hope and clear intentions. Her premonition earlier was right. Right now, Midoriya doesn't look like a boy. He looks like a girl in love.

"…Huh… That so?" She seems to lose her fire and turns to walk away. "In that case… just wait a little bit." She stops, her back to them. "I might… help you out."

"…Eh?"

"You're gonna need help right? I mean, it's Bakugo we're talking about."

"You… You would—?"

"Mina-chan!" Uraraka almost sheds tears of joy.

"Like I said! Boys are dumb!" She turns back around and yells defiantly, "That's why us girls gotta stick together! Help each other out!"

Midoriya's eyes widen, the turn of events so sudden that he's struck speechless. This… He's seen this before. He remembers this kind of thing happening with the girls he eats lunch with every day. The way they're so supportive of each other, the way they don't hesitate to defend each other, to be loyal to each other, and make sure that everyone in the group is okay. The way they make Midoriya feel safe, because he knows that no matter what, he's not alone.

This… This is part of what it means to be a girl. It's so very different from his experiences as a boy.

Boys may defend each other physically and fight along side each other, but rarely can they ever be so vulnerable with each other. Unless you're truly like brothers with another boy, you're not supposed to cry or get seriously emotional with him. This was another unfortunate reason Midoriya got picked on all his life. He's always been a crier, and other boys would walk all over him for it. Being so weak wasn't manly, and boys are supposed to encourage each other to become men. And while Midoriya's always valued some of those relationships, especially the ones he's made in UA… it's just not the same. When you're a girl, you're officially a sister, and there'll always be another girl there to listen and make you feel acknowledged.

It's inspiring. It makes Midoriya want to do the same for all of them.

"Ashido-san… Thank you. I—"

"Don't thank me just yet! I'm still mad at you!" She points at him like she's about to declare a battle. "Even if you're serious about Bakugo, that doesn't mean I forgive you for hurting Uraraka! Like I said, just… give me some time. C'mon, Uraraka!" She turns and stomps away.

Uraraka happily follows. "Yeah!" She knows what this means. Mina-chan will definitely help Deku-kun! She turns back to give him a confident (but still puffy-eyed) smile. "It'll be okay, Deku-kun!" He smiles and nods back, then watches the two head back to the elevator, feeling that even if they disappear from his sight, he'll never really be alone anymore.

He looks down at his hands again, a girl's small, delicate hands… and for the first time, there's something comforting about them.