It was the second year of studies for what were once the classes of 1a and 1b. The sun was shining brightly, casting shadow on a warm Saturday afternoon at UA's Campus. Having exited the dorms for some fresh air, Koda Koji walked towards a stand of trees where he could relax with some of his animal friends. He enjoyed his classmates well enough. For the most part, at least. He didn't appreciate Mineta's lewd behavior or how explosive Bakugou's temper could be, but he was still content with his class. However, some quiet time with the local fauna was always appreciated. Given both his quirk and his gentle nature, he was a kind and caring boy. He was rather shy around people, but would happily offer words of encouragement if he was comfortable enough with the person.
Which brought Koda to his current predicament. He frowned and sighed at himself. He was just reflecting on his one classmate's behavior towards female students (Kaminari had been known to join in on some of those antics too, but even he had some restraint), and yet here he was, admiring the beauty of Ibara Shiozaki, from his sister class. They had spent an increasing amount of time in each other's company, often by happy accident, and yet, they had not yet held a full conversation, owed in part to their more quiet personalities, at least in comparison to their more vocal classmates.
He couldn't remember when he first started developing these feelings. It couldn't have been the sports festival, as they were all so busy. It certainly couldn't have been the internships, as they had been working with different heroes. It was probably around the summer time when they manifested. He couldn't really put a date to it. And yet, he was utterly stunned by the emotions she elicited in him whenever she smiled. They had interacted more often after they had moved into the dorms, yet they hardly said a word, mostly just sitting under the trees or bumping into each other during nature walks around the area. They got on well enough. He just wished they would talk more, though part of that might have been his fault for being so silent that, for the longest time, many of his classmates thought him mute, even if his power involved speaking with animals. Many had assumed it was more telepathy than actual speaking.
Koda looked at Ibara as she sat on the school grounds, taking in some of the plants that were growing there. He couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest just by observing her. She was kind and earnest and her hair reminded him of springtime. He wished he could stop his heart from beating so fast when she was around. It made him want to retreat, lest he end up weirding this potential new friend out and scaring her off.
He was new to this. He didn't even think he had ever even had a crush before. He might have. He honestly couldn't remember.
"Koji-san. It is a lovely day, today. Are you here to let your rabbit get some exercise?" she asked softly. She herself seemed so reserved and noble, yet so kind. She was like an angel, or some sort of saint. He wished he could say more to her, even as just a friend, but he was so intimidated and anxious. He wondered what his classmate, Izuku Midoriya would do in this situation.
He was certainly shy too, and prone to fits of muttering and deep thought. Adding to that, he wasn't known for his looks, given how plain he looked. Despite that, he embodied the spirit of a true hero, had made more than a few friends, and was even dating one of the most outgoing girls in their class, if not the most outgoing. Meanwhile, there was also Jirou, whom Koda knew better. He wouldn't say he was super close to her, but she was one of the few people he actively spoke tp, so he imagined that counted for something.
She often came off as aloof and sarcastic, but was actually rather kind and bashful in her own ways, lacking confidence at first in her hobbies until encouraged by her friends and classmates. Furthermore, she had never dated anyone and had found herself dealing with unrequited feelings, but she too ended up with a girlfriend.
Koda didn't merely want a girlfriend or to use anyone for fulfillment, but he had thought that if his friends who had struggled with confidence in this area could find happiness, he too could gain that courage. He had yet to divulge his feelings to either, though he suspected that they might have known, given how observant one was and how the other could hear things others could not, such as the pitter patter of one's heart as the one they admire walks into view. Still, a knowing smirk was not advice and he wished to at least seek Jirou's council, if not Izuku's as well. He vowed to go ask them for advice.
He believed they were both currently with their respective girlfriends, however, so he would have to wait until later for his vow to go into effect. For now, he was on his own.
He sat under the tree and blushed as he averted his gaze, various small wildlife gathering around him, asking what is wrong.
"Care-giver, are you attracted to this female? Do you wish to court her?" asked his rabbit, who had hopped forward and tilted his small furry head to the side, in asking. Koda shushed the rabbit before realizing, to his chagrin, that he was the only one present who could understand what the inquisitive lagomorph was saying. He sighed, cursing himself for being so flustered that he forgot how his own quirk worked.
"I….I am not as talkative with other people as I am with you , Usagi-san. Besides, I don't know." He trailed off.
"Nonsense. You need to be more confident in yourself! Walk over to her and say hello. And then, after you mou-WAIT! PUT ME DOWN! I WISH TO FROLLIC! DAMN YOU!" Koda swiftly cut off his pet and picked him up.
"That's enough! People don't work that way! Besides, I…I don't want to do anything that lewd. We barely know each other well enough for that. We have hung out, but we don't say much to one another."
"Then speak. You humans are too complicated. Now if you'd be so kind, I must consume that clover over there, It tempts me so."
"H-hey, maybe you could go over to her and get her attention."
"I am nobody's wingman, caregiver! You must do this on your own! AWAY!" and with that, the rabbit hopped off to attend to its bunny business. Koda sighed as his pet left him. Once again, he had to figure things out on his own.
Ibara turned her attention to some flowers she was observing. She seemed to have some sort of field guide on botany with her, which she must have carried in her purse. She bowed her head as if in prayer.
"I apologize, but I wish to make you into a crown. I hope that is alright. I promise to replace what I take."
She probably came across as mad to some, but Koda could not take his eyes away from her gentle and pure behavior. Furthermore, he supposed that talking to plants might be part of her quirk, as she could summon vines, even if they were attached to her head. And even if it wasn't her quirk, he chalked it up to who she was as a person. He felt a blush creep across his cheeks as two birds rested on his shoulder and started singing. He flinched as their singing grabbed the vine girl's attention. This was not the kind of help he was hoping for in the slightest.
"Oh…Hello, Koji-san. I apologize. I did not see you there. Are you enjoying the afternoon out here as well?" she smiled softly. He would need to have a chat with the birds who blew his cover, but he was also grateful that their singing covered up the sound of his heart, which was beating rapidly. The boy tried to hide his blush and merely nodded his head. He also felt his face contort into a slight chuckle at his use of the word "chat" in reference to birds. A little ornithological humor to one's self was a good coping method for nearly making a fool of yourself in front of your crush.
"I see. I hope I was not interrupting anything." She bowed. "I could leave you be if you wish." She went to turn away, her white, flowy skirt trailing behind her. Everything about her was angelic. Koda hated these thoughts. They felt wrong. They felt unfair. She wasn't some goddess or angel. She was just a regular human girl. A very beautiful, kind, righteous girl who made his stomach do somersaults.
He wanted so badly to speak. To say "Wait. You don't have to leave because of me. You can stay if you want. I like your company". What came out instead, much to his horror and her concerned confusuion was a sharp, awkward squawk.
It certainly got her attention as she turned to look at him. She walked over to the rock faced boy.
"Is everything alright?" she asked with concern, looking at him with a soft warm expression that contrasted her often expressionless face when she was at rest.
"….." the quiet boy muttered, squeezing his soft words out with everything he could muster. He tried resisting himself, but the desire was too strong.
"I'm sorry?"Ibara tilted her head in confusion, lending her ear gently to her companion in hopes of listening in better to what he had said.
"I…I said…please don't go…" the bashful boy spoke softly. He was rather surprised he had managed to squeak out the words, but he really didn't want her to leave yet, especially if she thought her company was unwanted. Far from it. She was one of the higlights of his weekends.
"O-oh…I see…" she slowly offered a kind smile. "I can stay a while longer, I suppose. Here." She realized that she was holding her completed flower crown and offered it to Koda. "Would it be alright if you tried this on? I wish to see how it looks."
Koda was admittedly embarrassed. He spoke to the girl he liked after making the same sound as a parrot dying of a violent heart attack, her probably sounded like an obsessive stalker in asking her not to leave, and now he was slightly bashful about wearing the flower crown. He wasn't exactly concerned with such frivolities as "looking masculine" as his very personality had already doused any flames of that.
Nevertheless, he donned the crown for Ibara, averting his gaze as he pressed two fingers together nervously.
The shorter girl covered her mouth and giggled. The silent boy wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, it seemed like she was laughing at him and that any already minimal chance of her wanting to go out with him was diminished. On the other hand, her laughter was enough to add years to his life, so it cancelled out any possible embarrassment-based fatalities.
"It really suits you, Koda-san. You truly are a prince." she bows playfully. Koda's heart nearly stopped. He had only been meeting with her for a brief while thus far, he would admit, but to see her more playful side had his mind in overdrive. Were they friends? Was this flirtation? Did she even flirt? Did he even flirt? All this was too much too bear and he was very tempted to just run away, even if he would kick himself later for it.
However, he was unable to move. Finally, he was able to loosen his body up. It moved almost on its own as he bowed in response. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he avoided eye contact with the shorter girl.
"It appears your friends also appreciate your crown."
Several birds had perched on Koda's shoulders, and a few on his crown, chirping and singing as they did so. The tall boy had to rebuke a few for trying to pick at the crown for nesting materials, but they backed off for the time being. Ibara smiled softly."It seems they wish to steal your crown. You have usurpers, dear prince."
Koda wished he knew how a girl with such a potent quirk could be so humble and charming, but what he did no as that her company had become one of his favorite parts of campus living. If he was better with words, he could tell her how enchanted he was, and that seeing her smile reminded him of spring just as much as her hair did. He could not communicate it on his own. Not without asking friends for advice.
His eyes widened. He had an idea. He might have struggled talking to people, but animal life, he could converse with for hours. He was friends with them. He lived a vegetarian lifestyle because of it, out of respect for his comrades. He knew that there were plenty of carnivorous animals. He had conversed with a few before, especially this one rather spiteful cat from his neighborhood when he was just a small boy.
He noticed she was looking at him, as if she were waiting for conversation. He whispered something to his bird friends and they flew at her. She flinched a little at first, nervous about the situation and not sure how to react.
This made Koda feel bad at how inconsiderate his plan must have been. However, he soon saw her smile as the birds perched on her and started singing happily, in various cadences based on their species. However, after listening for a while, she noticed that all the songs of the birds seemed to be in sync with one another, like a sort of avian symphony, with Koda as the conductor,
"You have quite a bond with your friends, Koda-san. I suppose you really are a prince." She smiled softly, slowly easing into this new scenario. "Am I making you uncomfortable with my teasing? I wish not to cause you any anxiety."
Flustered and quick to reassure her, Koda waved his hands frantically, calming down long enough to offer her a thumbs up. She nodded and offered one back in return.
"Since you are using your quirk…" she looked down and folded her hands as if in prayer, summoning vines in the form of a bench for Koda to sit on. She joined him as well as the birds flew from her body and landed nearby. She smoothed the fines out, removing any thorns she could as she took a seat next to the tall yet timid teen.
"I hope not to upset you. I am sure you did not mean to, but I was rather nervous of all those birds." She looked away with a blush on her face. Koda tugged at his shirt collar and looked away, sighing to himself. He was brought out of it by a soft and gentle touch on his shoulder as Ibara reassured you."You seem far to nice to do that on purpose. You are very sweet."
His heart was racing faster as his cheeks lushed deeper with color. First she talked to him, then she smiled and laughed. Now she was touching his shoulder. It was all going so fast. If she held his hand next, he might explode.
"….T-thank…thank you…" He may have been silent and shy, but his mother taught him manners and he wouldn't let the lessons she taught him growing up go to waste.
Hearing him talk for a second time was still a surprise, but one she had gotten used to rather quickly. She supposed she had to, given their training, what they had been through before, and what they would likely face in the future.
"You're quite welcome. Thank you for the concert." She smiled, looking at Koda, then at the birds. "You all sang beautifully." They all chirped and buzzed, as if in appreciation, or at least, as much appreciation as a songbird could care to show to one not versed in their languages and dialects.
Knowing that the boy still struggled to speak, Ibara continued to carry the conversation. She did not mind at all. She could understand and appreciate his quiet nature.
"I know conversation doesn't come easily to you. I'm honored that you feel comfortable enough around me to speak up. Thank you." She bowed her head. A large shaky hand slowly made its way to her shoulder as he offered a soft, awkward smile.
The two looked at each other for a moment, but soon averted their gazes, red creeping into both students' faces. Koda's bunny hopped up to his caregiver's feet and sniffed, looking up with soft brown eyes. Koda picked up his small ward and held him gently in his large hands. Offering him to Ibara for a while to pet. She looked back at the rock-faced boy and motioned her acceptance of the fuzzy creature, stroking his soft her and cooing at how cute he was.
The two sat in silence, neither exactly sure of what to say next, but fine with just the silence, the beauty of the day before them, and each other's company. They would eventually head back to their respective dorms to tend to their studies and their pets: plants in Ibara's case, animals in Koda's. Still, despite there being so few words between them, something drew them close, a quiet admiration born of respect and tied by mother nature herself. One day, they would have a deeper conversation.
Buildings apart, they sighed as they entered their rooms and returned to their business, thinking back to moments before, and just how lovely it was to sit in the company of a kindred spirit.
Ibara wished to know more about what the taller boy was thinking, absentmindedly watering the garden that was her dorm room. The plants were like her children and she happily cared for them. She wondered what it must be like to have a person to do that for, and to have it done for them in return. Her friends Itsuka and Setsuna knew. Perhaps she could ask them. Just not now.
Elsewhere, in Koda's room, he sat on his balcony and looked towards where he had sat with Ibara before staring off towards the 1b dorms. He exhaled as he held the flower crown gently in his hand. It smelled so fresh and felt so gentle. It reminded him of springtime, and the emergent feelings born on its vernal breeze.