The romance bug bit me yesterday and told me I had to write this. I obeyed.
Also, side note, don't worry about Uraraka. She gets her own part in this story, and it's not for suffering cause I would never.
(XX)
Izuku Midoriya was a simple man.
Well no, he wasn't. His life was a complicated mess, between being the heir of One for All, having fought several big name Villains, culminating in defeating the Symbol of Evil and the Symbol of Evil's next… body? Incarnation? Honestly the Tenko/Tomura/All for One situation had gotten weird by the end.
But now, with his past secret in the open and All for One and Tomura dead – long story, but they were definitely gone this time – Izuku had time to slowly try to go back to a normal life. UA had rebuilt, just like all of Japan had, and as the last few Villains were herded back into jail, the students that had fought in the war had been allowed to move back in the dorms and try to return to their dear old life.
All of Izuku's classmates had made it, and so had the students of 1-B. Well, now they were 2-A and 2-B, and soon were going to be 3-A and 3-B, but the point remained. They had fought and bled together, and now the world had agreed they deserved to try and go back to a normal life. They had been offered the chance to transfer of course – it was understandable if some of them felt the Hero career wasn't for them – but none of them had. In fact, now 2-B had an odd number of students, thanks to Shinso transferring in the course.
Which brought Izuku's thoughts back to the reason why he was going to the 2-B dorms on a Sunday afternoon. He had visited Mei in the lab just a bit earlier, and she had asked him to deliver an updated Support Item to his fellow student. Of course, he was more than happy to help his friend, since it was a Sunday and he had already done his homework.
… Man, it still felt kinda surreal that he could have such leisurely thoughts. Homework, friends, school… He had thought for a while that all of this would be taken away, and it nearly had. If he hadn't managed to win, he would have- No, not worth thinking about it. They had won, and he wanted his life back to normal, after months of uncertainty over their future.
He sighed. Readjusting, readjusting… It sounded easy, but it really wasn't. And there was also… the other stuff. Uraraka had confessed to him, just a few weeks before, and Izuku… well he wasn't sure he had handled that well. He loved Uraraka… as a friend. He had just never seriously thought about her that way. He could have said yes, but it didn't feel right to toy with her feelings in hope that his own would change.
As a result, while him and Uraraka still hang out together and with the others, there was a bit of a wall between them. It was irritating, but not because of her. It was because it shouldn't have been there. He should have liked her back, right? She was his first friend, the person that made 'Deku' more than just a childish insult, someone that was always in his corner… But everything about the way he formulated those thoughts only screamed friend, not love interest.
'I hope Asui is right and it's only a matter of time before she moves on. I'm sure she can find the right person.' He thought. He just wasn't that person.
He sighed, and finally came into sight of the 2-B dorms. The building was visually identical to the 2-A dorms, so he just walked up to the door and knocked.
After about a minute, a girl opened the door, her vines pushing the door aside. Ibara Shiozaki looked at Izuku and smiled. "Hello, Midoriya. Can I help you?"
"Ah, hello Shiozaki. Uhm, actually, I just have to deliver something to Shinso. Is he here?" Izuku asked, showing the box he was carrying in his right hand.
"I'm afraid not. Tetsutetsu took all the guys out for a 'manly training Sunday', which included dragging Shinso out of his room, kicking and screaming, to join them."
Izuku snorted at the mental image that painted. Shinso was probably hoping he could have joined 2-A instead, but frankly, Kirishima had done the same thing last week, complete with a screaming Kaminari begging for mercy as he got dragged to training.
"I see. Do you know when they could come back?"
"I'm afraid not. Tetsutetsu can go a bit… overboard with his training, so it might be hours, and…" A whistle echoed in the 2-B dorms, and Ibara yelped, while Izuku instinctively activated One for All, preparing for an attack. He looked left and right, before turning back to Ibara and noticing her surprise.
"Ah, sorry!" He said, turning off One for All, "I guess I can still be on edge sometimes." He tried to sell it off, but he had to admit the whistling had spooked him good.
"Don't worry." Shiozaki said calmly, before opening the door, "Uhm, would you like some tea, Midoriya? That's the teapot calling, and you could try to wait for Shinso while we talk a bit."
Izuku sighed, his heart still hammering in his chest. "Sure, I would like some."
Ibara poured the tea in both teacups, and then handed one to Midoriya, sitting at the table, Shinso's pack left on the chair next to him. She looked at him. He sported some new scars, the result of his scuffle with Shigaraki. A large mark on his chin, a cut next to his ear, another on his left hand…
"Uhm, are you ok Shiozaki?" Midoriya asked, and she coughed, looking away.
"Sorry, I got… distracted." She sighed. How silly of her, of course he would notice her staring so much. Midoriya was sharp, and she hadn't exactly been inconspicuous. Then again, it was hard to not think about who the person sitting in front of her was. Midoriya was more than just a schoolmate. He had defeated the Symbol of Evil's newest incarnation, had saved Japan and most likely the world.
She wondered what he thought about all that. Was being the future Symbol of Peace, the Hero that accomplished so much so early in his career, a badge of honor or a cross to bear?
She supposed she could just ask. As a devout Christian, Ibara felt it was her duty to try and help others bear their burdens. She had wanted to become a Hero to help those around her, and she intended to uphold that duty. "How are you doing, Midoriya?" She asked.
"I… Very well, actually. I feel like I'm relaxing a lot, finally. The first few weeks I had a hard time sleeping, you know? But Professor Hound Dog has been very helpful."
Ibara nodded. "Yes, several of my classmates have been receiving the Professor's help too. I think we are finally going back to the way things were before." She smiled. Komori and Kuroiro finally getting together had probably been the clearest sign that life was slowly settling back in the way it should have. Ibara approved, of course, even if she would make sure nothing improper happened. Some could have called her stiff for that, but she wasn't. Ibara didn't try to impose her morals on others, but it didn't mean she wouldn't at least make sure the atmosphere of Class 2-B remained proper for the time being.
"I'm glad to hear that." Midoriya smiled comfortably, and Ibara noticed this was the first time he had truly smiled. Then she noticed him looking around. "Where are the girls, by the way? Did they go with Tetsutetsu too?"
"No, no. Komori went to watch Kuroiro train, and Tokage thought it would be fun to watch the guys sweat, so she joined. Kodai, Yanagi and Kendo are out doing groceries. Pony is in Tokyo to meet up with her parents. She had a hard time convincing them to let her stay after…" She paused, "Well, they are visiting in person for the first time in months."
"So, you are all alone?"
"Someone has to hold the fort." Ibara chuckled, "I don't really mind. Frankly, I enjoy some me time. I feel like after everything that happened, the class has grown really close, and that's enjoyable, but sometimes I want to be on my own."
Izuku nodded, "Me too. After they helped me realize I couldn't do everything alone, I've grown really close to everyone in the class, but… Well, sometimes I still want to stay alone, you know? It's why I jog every morning by myself."
"Makes sense. Personally, I'm not much of a jogger, but I like gardening. It's relaxing, and it gives me time to think."
"You like gardening?" Midoriya asked, sounding genuine in his curiosity.
"I know, it's a bit on the nose with my Quirk, right?" They both chuckled, and Ibara went back to look at him. After his initial reaction to the teapot's whistle, she had been worried, but now he was relaxing again, even laughing. She smiled at that. For some reason, she appreciated seeing Midoriya happy. He deserved it, "Komori sometimes help." She continued, "But I'm afraid her green thumb only extends to mushrooms. I remember when we first set up the garden. It took us a long time to decide which part was allotted to my plants and which to her mushroom farms."
"Sounds nice. We have a backyard too, but we just keep it tidy. No one in the class is much into gardening, I guess. The most I've seen are Todoroki and Sero's potted plants."
"Unfortunate." Ibara said, "Gardening is a beautiful and relaxing hobby. It helps distend one's nerves and focuses the mind on something else."
"You sound very passionate about it."
Ibara nodded, "I am. It's my hobby, after all."
Izuku nodded, understanding, "I used to do Hero Watching, you know?"
"Hero watching?"
"Trying to watch Heroes fighting Villains. I have all those notebooks filled with notes I took since I was four after watching fights either in real life or on tv."
Ibara snorted, and noticing his frown she immediately shook her hand, "I'm sorry, it's just… I guess you really were focused on becoming a Hero from a very young age, right? It's admirable, that dedication must have been quite heavy."
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, I… I thought for a long time that I couldn't really be a Hero as a Quirkless person. I tried and tried to hold onto that dream, so I don't know what I would have done if I didn't meet All Might."
"I'm sure you would have done something amazing, Midoriya." Ibara replied, "With your dedication, I'm sure you would have done something to enrich the lives of those around you."
"… Thank you, Shiozaki. That's a really nice thing to say."
He was smiling again, and Ibara suddenly felt… Something. She couldn't quite define it, but she found her eyes just drawn to Midoriya's face. After a moment, she forced her eyes away, not wanting to be caught again staring – not that she was staring, of course, but it could have looked like it – and she took a sip of her teacup, as they fell back into a casual conversation.
"… And then I had to jump over a ravine carrying both the tree and the priestess." Izuku said, "And you know what? She actually said I should have saved the tree and dropped her."
"Goodness." Shiozaki frowned, "I admire her dedication and zeal, but I don't believe that was necessary."
"I guess not, but to be fair, that tree was one of the heaviest things I ever carried, and I was a lot weaker than I am now." He shook his head, "I seriously thought I would fail and we would all fall."
"But you didn't." Shiozaki replied.
"I didn't, but it was really close. Either way, afterward we helped with rebuilding for a while, and then we left."
"Have you ever gone back?"
"Not yet, but I got an invite for some ceremony a while back, maybe I will… go…" Suddenly, a thought crossed Izuku's mind, as his eyes looked away from Shiozaki and first at the box sitting next to him, then up at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall.
"… Wait, that can't be right." He muttered, and Shiozaki followed his gaze, her eyes going wide when she also glanced at the clock, and then they both pulled out their phones.
"We have been here for three hours?!" Izuku asked out loud.
"O-Oh. I'm so sorry Midoriya, you probably had plans for today…"
"No, no, I had nothing in mind, but I kept you from your stuff, didn't I?"
"Not really, I was just…" They both stopped, looking at each other, and then started to chuckle. "I'm sorry, Midoriya, but I really didn't have anything in mind, don't worry."
"Same here, really. I was just thinking I had to find something to do. I had fun."
"So did I." At that, Izuku couldn't help but glance at Shiozaki's face, wondering if she was just being nice, but she was smiling honestly. She really did have a good time, from what he could tell. "Uhm, so… I guess I will just… go?"
"I… I mean, if you have to- want, if you want. I will deliver Shinso's stuff for you, don't worry."
Izuku nodded, "Sure. Thank you." He turned around, then paused, "Uhm, if you want, since you mentioned jogging isn't your thing, but if you want, I jog around the school every day in the morning, around… seven, more or less, so if you want to talk again, feel free to." He gave her a hesitant smile, and she returned it in kind.
"Of course. And if you want to come help gardening, I'm sure you will find it can really sooth your mind. I usually do that at night."
"Sure! Well, see you, Shiozaki." He opened the door, waving as she returned his salute, and walked off, checking his phone. There were a few messages from his classmates. Well, actually a lot of messages, wondering where he was. No one was worried, they knew he was strong enough to deal with anything, and he was on the UA ground, but some people were confused or curious. He sent a message in the class chat, confirming he was ok, and reading the responses, ranging from Kaminari's 'He lives!' to Bakugo 'Told you Deku just had some shit to do'.
He smiled briefly, as the conversation moved on to different topics. Mina wanted to organize a party for the Saturday after the next, or something like that. He confirmed he would be there and able to help when she asked everyone, but then his mind drifted off as he took a calm walk back.
For some reason, his mind drifted off toward Shiozaki a lot. Her smile, her laugh, her expression when she talked about her gardening and her chuckles here and there when he asked more about it…
He smiled. It was nice talking with her. Maybe they would again soon.
Ibara put away the now clean teacups. They had completely emptied the teapot – granted, it wasn't a big one – and she wondered again how they hadn't noticed. Even for someone sociable, three hours wasn't exactly a short amount of time spent talking, let alone for someone like her. She wasn't anti-social, but she was definitely less talkative than someone like Itsuka or…
"My my, what was all that, Ibara?" A voice asked from above her. Ibara looked up to see a floating severed head with long green hair, and a toothy, mischievous grin on her face.
"Oh, hi Set." Ibara said, "What do you mean?"
"I mean you and the Symbol of Punching Evil in the Face talking for… Well, I don't know, at least one hour."
"You arrived an hour ago?!" Ibara asked, a confused expression on her face, "Why didn't you come in? I'm sure Midoriya would have liked to see you too. And you could have stopped us earlier."
"Did you want me to stop you?" Setsuna asked. Ibara went to say yes, then she paused.
"Well, not stopping us, but you could have joined in."
"Did you want me to join in?"
"… What are you implying, Set?"
"Me?" Setsuna's grin grew enough it reminded Ibara of some depictions of a trickster devil she had seen when she was younger, "I would never imply anything, Ibara. What do you think I might be implying?"
Ibara felt her face burn a bit. She wasn't embarrassed or anything, of course. This had to be- was just anger. "There is nothing to imply. Midoriya and I chatted for a bit and then he left."
"How long was 'a bit'?"
"Well… A couple of hours?"
"A couple?" Setsuna was looking at Ibara with her trademark skeptical look, the one she used when she was sure someone wasn't being honest.
"J-Just shy of three hours." Ibara admitted, before raising her chin and trying to ignore the whistle from Setsuna, "Don't be dumb Set, we just had a lot to catch up on. It's not like we meet often."
"Isn't this like, the first time you exchanged more than a few sentences with him?" Setsuna asked back, but Ibara just huffed. What did the lizard girl think she was insinuating? It wasn't a sin to spend time with someone. She was just enjoying the company of a person she… Well, she admired. Midoriya had defeated the greatest evil the world had ever seen, what was she supposed to do, pretend to not be impressed?
"Even if that's the case, Set, this is nothing more than us having a good relationship. Now, if you will excuse me, I was planning to do my last homework after my tea."
"And yet you told him you didn't have any plan…" Setsuna teased.
'Lord give me strength…' Ibara thought, "Bye Set. See you later."
Setsuna chuckled, her body walking in and waving even as her head floated lower, the same grin on her face.
Ibara ignored her. 'It doesn't mean anything. We just talked for a while.' She thought, settling down on her homework.
It wasn't anything else.
Izuku picked up the last dishes from the table, taking them to the sink. He had completely forgotten that he was on cleaning duty that evening, along with Sero. The tape user put down the final glasses, and they set themselves with Midoriya scrubbing the plates and Sero drying them and putting them away. For a bit, neither said anything, before Sero coughed.
"So, Midoriya…" He glanced behind, and Midoriya was sure he had caught a vague movement from the common area, but he wasn't sure from who, considering almost half the class was sitting around the TV, "Is it true that you and Uraraka… Is it true you said no?" Sero asked.
Izuku almost broke the plate he was scrubbing, before getting back in control. "Ah, yeah. I guess I did." He shook his head, "I just never thought of her that way, you know?"
"You aren't regretting it, right?"
"I'll regret it if it drives us apart. She is a dear friend; I still want her to be. But I'm not interested… that way. If I wasn't honest about it and said yes anyway, I would feel like I'm leading her on or just outright using her." He shook his head. There was no way he could do that. Not only he would hate himself for it, but eventually Uraraka would catch on and hate him too. She was too smart to get fooled by a fake interest for long. "I think we are still finding our footing, but I'm confident we can go back to being close friends."
"Makes sense. I guess it was just unexpected. Pretty much everyone in the class had figured it out and expected you two to become a thing."
They did? Midoriya wasn't expecting that. Uh, he had been pretty dense about it then, because he had never realized. "I see."
"But I mean, it's not a fault or anything." Sero quickly added, "You are right, that was the right thing to do. And if you need any help to get things straight with Uraraka…"
"Thank you Sero." Izuku nodded, "I think we can deal with it, but if I need help I know I can ask."
"Yup!" Sero gave him a thumbs up, and Midoriya smiled, as he went back to scrubbing the plates. "Oh yeah, by the way, where did you go today?" Sero asked.
"Ah, I went to the 2-B dorm to deliver something for Mei. I guess I lost track of time." He was surprised at how much he had enjoyed his time with Shiozaki. He wasn't exactly the most sociable person, so spending so long talking with someone felt… kind of new.
His classmate nodded, but didn't say anything, as they got back to work. Instead, Izuku found himself wondering if the following day Shiozaki would join him for his jogging.
He was surprised at how excited he was about it.
The following day, Izuku woke up as usual for his run, and took off with his usual calm. It felt slow compared to his One for All speed, but of course that was the point. He was running to keep himself into shape and to relax, not to go somewhere in a flash.
Although today his steps felt oddly faster-paced. Probably just his imagination.
As he passed by the 2-B dorms, he felt a bit of anticipation. However, he didn't spot Ibara anywhere around. It was… a bit disappointing, but he supposed there wasn't much he could do about it. Maybe she was just tired that day.
He sighed and turned to start running, when suddenly a voice called. "Wait, Midoriya!" Izuku turned around to see Shiozaki walk out of the dorm, a tennis shoe still in hand, "Uhm, I thought you said at seven, but it's a bit earlier."
Izuku frowned and checked his phone. Uh, five to seven, he was a bit early. "Sorry Shiozaki, I guess I got carried away."
The vine-haired girl put on the shoe and walked up to him. "It's no big deal, but I hope you don't plan to run at that pace all morning, I don't think I can keep up."
"Don't worry, we can go at your pace. Did you stretch already?"
"Yup. All set."
Izuku nodded, and let her start, moving next to her and keeping up her pace. She was slower than he usually was, though not by enough to make it uncomfortable, so he didn't have a hard time slowing down to match her. 'I guess it makes sense. She is a long and mid-range fighter, and her vines grant her extra mobility, of course she wouldn't be as fit.'
For a while, they just kept running, enjoying each other's company and the silence of the early morning. Usually, Izuku's pace allowed him to take a large loop around the school, reach the USJ, and then loop back to the dorm, but today, to not push Shiozaki too hard, he decided to forgo reaching the USJ and instead loop back earlier.
As they passed by the road toward the USJ, Shiozaki broke the silence first. "It all started there, uh?"
"What?"
"I mean… Everything that happened last year. It started with the attack on the USJ." She shook her head, "How was it?"
"Scary, for sure." Midoriya's mind went back to that day. "Tsu, Mineta and I were dropped in the flood zone by Kurogiri, and had to figure our own escape plan. Then there were the Noumu and…" Tomura. Tenko. If Izuku had been stronger back then… "And Shigaraki."
"Right…" Shiozaki shook her head, "Sorry, I should have considered… Sorry. It's just that it feels like so long ago. I remember the whole class was envious of 'the 1-A kids'." She sighed, "Lord have mercy, I was a bit envious of you."
"You were?!"
"I-I mean, it sounded like everyone had come out ok from the attack, and we are all here to be Heroes. When I heard about the USJ, all we heard was that 1-A had defeated the Villains, with the Professors' help, and it all sounded exciting. Like you had gotten to do Hero work super early." She couldn't help but shake her head again, "It was so dumb. I wish I could go back and strangle Monoma for putting the idea in our head."
"Would that be very Christian?"
"I would do it very gently." She replied with a chuckle that he echoed. "Still, the Summer Camp proved to all of us you didn't have fun, but I'm sorry for ever thinking that."
"Don't be. It's easy to think things are easy when you don't know anything about them."
"I guess…" He noticed she still seemed to feel a bit troubled for bringing it up. He supposed it hadn't been the most considerate thing, but Izuku didn't really mind. Shiozaki had just tried to bring up a conversation, and they didn't have that much to talk about that wasn't heroics. The USJ was a long time ago.
"So, about your garden…" Izuku said after a few minutes of awkward silence, "If I came around later…"
"Sure. I'd love- I would enjoy having you."
Izuku felt his heart skip a beat. 'Did she just- No, I'm being dumb. She probably was worried I'd misinterpret it, and she was clearly on point.' "It's a date- a plan then." He corrected himself, looking away. 'S-See? Like that. It's easy to slip like that.' He told himself, as they went back to jogging. After a bit, they started talking again, moving into simple daily life, talking about their classmates. Thankfully, Ochaco didn't come up, so Izuku managed to keep the talk fun.
As they reached the 2-B dorm, he stopped, and Shiozaki walked on. "Bye Midoriya!" She said, waving, "See you later!"
"Goodbye Shiozaki, have a good day!" He said, starting to run again. He felt oddly light on his feet on the way back.
For a moment, he heard a yelp, but as he turned around, the door to the dorms was closed. Must have been his imagination.
Shiozaki yelped as the door closed behind her, pushed by an invisible force, and she found herself face to face with her other female classmates.
"Oh wow, Set was telling the truth." Kinoko said, breaking the silence.
"Eh, told you I was on point." Setsuna said with a grin.
"Set, you told them?!" Ibara asked, surprised and a bit hurt. To think her friend would just tell everyone about… Well, about her just going out jogging, but still, it felt a bit wrong.
"Only because they asked where you were." Setsuna replied, both hands raised with the palms forward in defense.
"It's true Ibara, I know you are an early raiser, and wanted to ask back the book I borrowed you, so I came knocking. When you didn't answer, and I didn't find you in the common room…"
"Ah." Ibara understood, of course. She hadn't really thought of telling anyone, so of course the others were worried.
"And then she checked every girl's room, waking everyone up." Setsuna concluded, "So I kinda had to explain."
"Right… I'm so sorry Set. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. And I'm sorry girls, I should have told you I was leaving."
"It's no big deal." Itsuka replied, before her calm expression was replaced with a grin, an identical one popping on the other girls' faces. Well, except Yui, but even she was smirking. "Sooo…"
"You and Midoriya uh?" Kinoko finished.
"Since when?" Reiko asked.
"Give us the deets girl." Pony said in English, nodding.
"Details." Yui nodded, extending her hand as if she expected Ibara to have something physical to hand over.
Ibara herself went bright red, "N-No no no, you have it all wrong. I just… Midoriya invited me to jogging, and it would have been rude to say no."
"Uh-uh. And I supposed it wasn't rude when I invited you to do a jog in the exact same way and you said no, right?" Itsuka asked. Setsuna snorted, but Ibara didn't raise for the bait, no matter how red her face was becoming.
"W-Well, I mean, Midoriya isn't exactly a close friend, it would have been weirder to not agree."
"… That makes no sense." Itsuka replied.
"I just… look, Midoriya invited me and I… I guess I thought it would be interesting." She looked away, "A-Anyway, it's no big deal."
"… Alright." Itsuka nodded.
"What?!" The other five girls turned toward their Class Rep, and she looked back at them, "Girls, leave Ibara alone, she just went out to have some downtime, let's not ruin this for her." She said categorically.
The girls looked at each other and let out a collective sigh. "Alright…" Setsuna murmured, each of the others echoing the sentiment. Ibara sent a silent thank you to her Class Representative and started to head upstairs to take a shower. She huffed. To think the girls would believe she would be doing something improper with Midoriya.
It wasn't like he was visiting her regularly in the dorm or anyth-
'Oh no.'
"Is something wrong Midoriya?" Todoroki asked during lunch. He was sitting with Iida and the ice and fire user, the girls having joined Mina, Momo, Hagakure and Jiro to organize the party.
"Ah, sorry. I was just… thinking." Izuku replied.
"About what?"
"Nothing much." Izuku replied, "Just a… weird feeling I have recently."
"Is it Danger Sense?" Iida asked, suddenly concerned, but Izuku shook his head. It had been a while since he had done anything really dangerous, but he was still used to it, and he knew this wasn't it. It wasn't really anything dangerous. He was just… a weird mixture of excited and worried.
And every time that feeling came around, it was because of Shiozaki. Spotting her in the hallway, or thinking about the fact he was meeting her again later that day… He felt oddly about the whole thing.
He wondered if Nana or Yoichi would have had something to say. Unfortunately, with the defeat of All for One, while One for All had survived, the Vestiges had receded back within it, leaving their Quirks behind but otherwise, for all intent and purpose, vanishing entirely. He liked to think of it as them having accomplished their goal and getting to finally rest.
"Maybe you are just worried about the Ochaco situation?" Iida asked.
"I am, but… I don't know, I'm not sure if it's that. I think Ochaco and I can deal with this. We are slowly getting there."
Iida nodded, "Very well then. I trust your judgment."
Izuku wished he could do the same.
Ibara looked at the common room. Kinoko, Setsuna, Pony, Yui and Reiko were all sitting on the couch, lazily talking to each other. Kuroiro was next to his girlfriend, letting her cuddle against his shoulder. Honenuki was in the kitchen with Rin, the two deciding on the menu for dinner. Monoma was sitting with Awase, Kaibara and Bondo at the table, playing cards. Part of her wanted to check and make sure they weren't betting money, but another part of her, the major one, was just worried about their reaction. With Kendo out with Shoda to organize something for the weekend, Ibara wasn't feeling super confident.
'Don't be silly Ibara, it's just Midoriya coming around to help you with the garden. He probably really needs it too, relaxing must be hard for him.'
She was still feeling really worried. Her friends would be nice, but they might… misunderstand. Yeah, misunderstand.
The doorbell rang. "I'll get-" She said, standing up, but before she could, Setsuna had already jumped over the couch and rushed to the door. "It…"
"Oh hey." Setsuna looked back at the room, and she probably noticed Shiozaki's distress, because she seemed unsure of what to do for a second, before she settled on going back to her usual self. "Guys, it's Midoriya!"
Most of the room was happy to see Midoriya. Even Monoma, despite his usual attempts at keeping up his rivalry with 1-A shtick, was more than happy to see him. The perks of having saved the world, Shiozaki supposed.
Midoriya awkwardly exchanged smiles and handshakes with everyone, before he arrived at Shiozaki. She also took his hand – callous for all his training and scarred from all his fights, but still gentle in the way it gripped her own – and she glanced around. "Uhm, so, you are here for… the garden, right?"
That caught the attention from everyone in the room, and Ibara just wished the rapture happened right now and she was whisked off to some other place.
"Y-Yeah, I figure we can go? Is it too early?"
"No, no, it's fine. It's exactly the time actually." She pointed to her clothes. She was wearing her gardening equipment, which was to say she was wearing jeans and an old black shirt that could get dirty without her caring too much, and boots to match. He had the insight to come with similar clothes, gym pants and a shirt reading 'cape' – for some reason that she couldn't understand – making it clear he wasn't afraid to get dirty.
"Uhm, so, what's this all about? Why is Midoriya here?" Rin asked, the first of the boys that managed to get the question out.
"Ah, I… Midoriya could use some relaxing, so I figured I'd let him try gardening, you know?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry to intrude but…"
"No problem, no problem." Reiko said, shaking her hand, "Go outside and get to the gardening. I think there is a plant with vines that needs some urgent care."
Ibara glared at her, but the telekinetic girl just winked and turned back to the couch. The others did the same, though Ibara could tell several were still glancing at them and muttering to each other. Not wanting to wait any longer, she led Izuku through their back door and into the garden.
"Wow." Midoriya said, looking around. Ibara felt some pride grow within her, despite her best efforts to keep it at bay. Her garden was her treasure, after all. From the shrubs, to the flowers, to the single apple tree that she had been growing – with the Principal's permission – since the moment she had found it sprouting in a corner of the garden, she was justly proud of her gardening skills. The only part that was slightly different was Kinoko's corner, where she kept her mushroom farm, but Shiozaki and Kinoko had made sure it wasn't too at odds with the rest. "This is beautiful, Shiozaki." He said, sounding completely honest.
"Thank you." Ibara said, a warm, fuzzy feeling building up in her chest. "Come, let's get you some gloves, I should have a larger pair. After that, we can get to work."
Izuku moved the last potted plant, a large cactus covered in white flowers, and put it down following Shiozaki's instructions.
"Thank you for that." The girl said, "This is saving me a lot of time."
"I think you would be fine without me." Izuku said. Shiozaki was manipulating her tools not just with her hands, but also with her vines. While she carefully trimmed a shrub, one of her vines was watering a group of potted flowers hanging from the apple tree, while another was preparing a few holes in the ground to plant some seeds. It was really amazing, and it explained the level of control she had shown since the first year Sports Festival.
"Nonsense, this is really helpful." She said, and he just hummed. Well, he couldn't say it was boring. It was actually really relaxing, the time spent caring for the plants, watering trimming them, also spent away from thinking about his worries.
He glanced at Shiozaki again, the girl smiling and humming a song Izuku didn't know as she moved from plant to plant. He felt… peaceful, right now. Like nothing could go bad as they worked together on the garden. It was weird, considering he had never been particularly into gardening, but Shiozaki's passion for the hobby was contagious. She wasn't as overtly enthusiastic as Mina was about dancing, but she clearly had the same level of dedication.
Izuku found it beautiful.
They kept working until the garden was in perfect condition, and Izuku smiled, using her vines to put down her tools. "There we go, all done."
"That was… Quite nice." Izuku said, smiling, "I really feel better now."
"I'm glad to hear that, Midoriya." Shiozaki said, "Uhm, if you feel like coming back, you know the time."
"Same for you and jogging." Izuku replied, "I enjoy spending time with you." It was true. He couldn't believe he had never thought of talking more with Shiozaki before, considering how easy it was to talk with her. Probably the easiest time he had ever had talking to a girl, thinking about it.
"S-Same for me." Shiozaki replied, "It's nice to have company for a change, aside from Kinoko. I love the girl, but I can only take so many mushroom puns in a conversation."
Izuku chuckled, "I get what you mean. I used to jog with Iida, but he is really stiff while running, and it ended up making me a bit nervous."
"I suppose it's a matter of finding the right garden or jogging partner." Shiozaki said. Izuku felt a weird, fuzzy feeling in his chest again. Shiozaki calling him partner felt… oddly exciting.
"It is." He replied, "I should go now, though, you probably have dinner, and I have too."
"Right, I should go take a shower before dinner." Izuku nodded, moving towards the wall. "Well, goodbye Shiozaki."
"Bye. See you soon, Midoriya." She said back.
Izuku promised himself it would be really soon.
Ibara walked out of her room and downstairs to join her class. Her classmates were already sitting on their chairs around the table, the food for the day dropping on each plate. They waved or nodded at her as she sat down, joining them for dinner.
'Maybe I overthought it. Maybe they won't find it weird. Maybe…'
"Sooo…" Kaibara asked, catching everyone's attention, "What's going on between you and Japan's savior?"
'Oh God.'
"Oh thank goodness, someone asked, I wanted to but it was too awkward." Awase said.
"It's nothing, really. Midoriya needed to relax, and I offered to make him try some gardening, since I believed it could help. It turns out I was right, so he might be back again, but that's it." That was the reason, after all. She wasn't lying when she said Midoriya needed to relax and she thought gardening would help.
"Makes sense." Kaibara replied, and that got several nods from the boys in the class. Monoma and Shinso said nothing, though Ibara had the impression those two weren't completely convinced. As for the girls…
She noticed Setsuna smirk, Reiko send her a wink, and when her phone rang she pulled it out to check what the message Yui had just sent said.
Yui
Go get him, tiger.
Shiozaki slammed the telephone down and sent a glare toward Yui, whose expression didn't change an inch.
She was wrong of course. They were all wrong. Ibara didn't like Izuku that way. They had only spent a couple of days of unusual closeness. Sooner or later he would just get tired of having to walk to 2-B's dorms every day.
She wasn't sure why that sounded like something she feared.
"Oh yeah, by the way," Kendo said, changing the subject. "Is everybody on board for next Saturday's party?"
The class cheered, and Ibara did too. She wasn't sure what the party was, but she was happy to spend time with her friends.
"… And the dog took us to the warehouse, were we found Mineta in a dog costume." Izuku explained. Shiozaki couldn't hold back the laughter.
"Oh Lord, really?!"
"Yes. Either way, after that we got Puppy Mill rather easily. Koda told all the dogs to escape, taking out the two guards, and Mineta captured her when she tried to take away her new favorite dog." He shook his head, "I guess sometimes someone just has to be in the right place at the right time."
Shiozaki shook her head, "I can't really approve of his motives, but at least his lust proved useful for once. I shall say a prayer for his soul."
"I'm afraid Mineta's lust requires at least an exorcism to be removed." Izuku deadpanned, making her laugh again. When he didn't follow, she stared at him.
"Are you serious?"
"Deadly." Izuku shook his head, "He is my friend, but sometimes he is just… a lot. The other day he got caught sneaking in the girls' side of the building with a piece of paper in his hand by Asui. She figured it was some new plan of his and tried to get the paper, so he shouted something like 'For brotherhood' and then just ate it."
"… You know, an exorcism sounds about right. I could ask my uncle, he is a priest after all. Maybe he cand eal with it." She replied, just as they stopped in front of the 2-B dorms, ending their jog. "So… See you later, I guess?"
Izuku grimaced. Right, he still hadn't told her. "Uhm, I can't come gardening today."
"Oh." Ibara said, disappointment clear. For the past eleven days, they had entered the routine of jogging in the morning and gardening in the evening, so he understood why she was surprised.
"I-It's not because I don't want to. I have to do a supply run with Iida and Todoroki at that same hour. We can't go earlier, and after the store will be closed." He replied, "And it's a big haul, so I doubt I can come back in time."
"A big haul? I assumed 2-A didn't need that much stuff."
"We have a big party coming up. I'm not sure what the plan is exactly, I was a bit… distracted the past few days, but there will be a lot of people it seems."
"What a coincidence, 2-B also has a party with a lot of people coming up. This very Saturday, actually."
"Uh, weird, it's the same for…"
They stared at each other for a moment, the realization hitting them both at once. Of course, a party with more people than just 2-A or 2-B, on the same day… "I guess we won't be gardening Saturday either." He commented when they finally stopped laughing. He watched her also calm down as well, her smile and laughter making him feel heat creep to his cheeks for some reason.
"Well, the garden can survive one day without us." Ibara replied, "Well, see you tomorrow morning for our usual jog."
"Sure. Bye Ibara."
"Bye Izuku." They waved at each other, walking off. He heard the door clack closed, took three steps and froze.
'Did I just call her-'
'-By his first name?!' She stared in shock at the door.
What was happening to her?
"… And that's all." Izuku said, Iida and Todoroki staring at him. They had both forced him to sit down and explain himself when hey had noticed just how distracted he had been all day, as they walked back from the grocery store, bags of supplies for the party in hand. "I'm just worried something odd is going on. Every day I wake up super upbeat at the idea of spending time with her – which is normal, Iba- Shiozaki is great – and then I feel distant and distracted until we meet again in her garden. Then the cycle just repeats. Every day I find myself more eagerly awaiting our time together."
"Mh." Iida nodded, "And you don't know what it could be?"
He shook his head, and Iida and Todoroki looked at each other, slowly nodding. "Midoriya, I thought being completely oblivious to social cues was supposed to be my thing." Todoroki flatly responded. "But even I can understand this one."
"Uh?"
"What I think Todoroki means, Midoriya, is that what's happening is pretty clear." Iida replied, Todoroki nodding wisely.
"It is?!" Izuku just stared at them both, "What is it then?!"
"Midoriya, think about this carefully." Iida said, "You spent three hours talking with Shiozaki, and now try to spend every day with her. You look for her whenever you can, in the hallways or at lunch, and you feel really happy but also… weird whenever you are with her, right?"
"… No."
"Yes."
"It can't be."
"I think it is." Iida said, with a smile.
"And Todoroki figured it out first?!"
"I'm a master of love." Todoroki deadpanned, both of his classmates staring at him for a long moment.
Izuku brought both hands to his face. "I have a crush on Ibara, don't I?"
"Yes." The other two said in unison.
"What do I do?!"
"… Ask her out?" Todoroki suggested.
"Wow, I'm almost proud of you right now, Todoroki." Izuku admitted, "Unfortunately that's overshadowed by sheer fear."
Iida put a hand on Izuku's shoulder, smiling, "Well Midoriya, we can't really tell you how to handle your love life." Iida said, "I can – and will – tell you to use protection if you get there-"
"Please don't do that."
"But I don't see why it's such a big deal. You are head over heels right now – even I can tell, I'm surprised Ashido isn't already hounding you for details – and it's been a week from what you say. I doubt Shiozaki expects you to take any initiative so soon, if at all. You can wait and see, or jump into it and hope for the best. Either choices would be acceptable, I would assume." Iida stated, his hands waving wildly as he did so.
Izuku nodded. He was… Yeah, he had a crush on Shiozaki. It felt like the right answer. But he wasn't sure what to do with it. "I'm also worried about Ochaco…"
"You are having second thoughts about the no?" Todoroki bluntly asked.
"N-No! No, I don't! I love Ochaco as a friend, nothing more. But we have been… awkward, since she confessed. If I find a girlfriend… Would that drive us apart once and for all?"
"Ah, so that's what worries you." Iida said, "Well, I can't guarantee anything, Midoriya, but I don't think Uraraka is that kind of girl. And it's been almost over a month now, hasn't it?"
Right. It had been. And yet it still felt weird.
He sighed. What a mess this was, and he wasn't even sure Shiozaki returned his feelings. His friends were right though. He had time to figure it out.
Ibara looked at the ceiling, tucked in her bed.
Tomorrow, she would be at a party with 2-A. With Midoriya. That shouldn't have mattered. Well, it should have, but because he was the savior of Japan and all that. It should have mattered in the measure of meeting a schoolmate that had done something extraordinary. It shouldn't have been something extremely personal.
Midoriya. What did she know about Midoriya?
He was a good student. Had to be, to enter UA. While the practical was important, it didn't mean the written portion of the exam wasn't. Even the less gifted students, like Awase in her own class, were less gifted by the very high standard of their school. And she had the vague memory of hearing Midoriya ranked high in the written exams, so he was definitely very gifted in the intellectual department.
He was also an exceptional Hero. Sure, technically they were Heroes-in-Training, but everyone knew it was a formality, a time they had been given to live a normal life before they inevitably all became Pros, Midoriya as the future leader of their generation.
That was what she knew of him intellectually. As for who he was…
The first time she had heard of Midoriya, it was when he won the first round of their first year's Sports Festival, and went all the way to the tournament. Watching his fight, she had actually considered him reckless, but now she wondered if going so far against Todoroki had some deeper meaning.
Then, the Summer Camp. She had been passed out, so like the USJ, she had missed his exploits, but she knew Midoriya had hurt himself more but had managed to defeat Muscular to save Kota, the Pussycats' kid. Once again, selfless to the point of harming himself, but he had saved someone.
Then… He had passed the Licensing Exam, like she had. He was involved in some big fight against the Yakuza, saving Eri. And that led to their first Join Training. They had been in different fights, so she remembered that day. He had manifested some kind of black energy – a byproduct of his Quirk – and then had defeated Shinso, winning for his class.
All that was painting a picture in her mind, but even adding all the stories she had heard from him, all his work in the Team-Ups and the fights during the War… She still felt like she knew a lot about Deku the Hero, but she wanted to know more about Izuku the person.
So she decided to focus on that. On the past days, and on why Midoriya was occupying her mind so much.
He was kind. That was the obvious thing. Midoriya was a good listener, and he didn't judge people. He liked Quirks, he could spend a long time talking about a specific one in details, and he liked Heroes. To some people, that might have been a bit boring, since it seemed he was so focused on one facet of his life, but she found that dedication admirable, rather than uninteresting. And while he might not have liked them as much, Midoriya was willing to expand his horizon with new hobbies. At least, he had tried gardening, and had been talking about trying to buy some plants for the 2-A's garden to try his hand at making one.
Although part of her did wonder if Midoriya liked gardening or… the time they were spending together. She certainly hadn't grown a sudden appreciation for jogging.
'Lord, I have a crush, don't I?' She closed her hands together, 'It is not a sin to have a crush but… would Midoriya share this feeling? Would he agree to… a relationship like the one I want?'
Ibara knew that she wasn't… that attractive. Or well, she didn't do anything to look attractive. She dressed modestly and wasn't about to change that. She liked long skirt and full shirts. She knew that, in the 2-B crowd, people were likelier to look at Setsuna or Kendo before they even glanced at her.
And there was the s-s-… the lovemaking. Midoriya would likely have urges in the future and she wasn't sure of… of… Well, she didn't know if she wanted to go that far. She had always been sure she wouldn't before marriage. W-Would Midoriya agree with that?
A-And she wanted to marry in a church, but she doubted Midoriya was Christian, and wasn't sure if he would agree to…
She shook her head. Was she already thinking about marriage? That was certainly bold, for her! She'd first have to be dating Midoriya, and introduce him to her parents, and introduce herself to his parents, and finish school, and graduate, and have a life. Then they would finally get married and start a family. They'd have at least two children and-
'Lord, give me strength…' She whimpered mentally under the covers.
What would she do the next day?
The party, Izuku decided, was ordinary enough. They had gotten the school's permission to set-up some tables in the area between the two dorms, a large grassy field ideal for the dinner. They had brought some grills – courtesy of Todoroki's dad. Endeavor might have lost an arm, but he hadn't lost his desire to please 'Shoooooooto's' every whim, so he had brought out five new barbecues, the required number for all the guests – And . Besides 2-A, there would be Mei and… And 2-B.
"Look alive Midoriya!" Ashido shouted, slamming her hand on his back, "Tonight is gonna be a fun night!"
"Y-Yeah Ashido, of course." He said, giving her a thumbs up. She blinked, and then started to look closely at him.
"Midoriyaaaaaa…" She said, "Is there a reason my dear friend is dressed better than usual?"
"I-It's just a black button-up shirt…"
"A very good looking button-up shirt. And is this… perfume?"
"I-I keep getting sent sample products from so many companies, I figured I'd have to use some eventually, throwing them away is too wasteful…"
"Are these roses and blackberries I smell?" She asked, the hint of glee in her eyes growing.
"…"
"You know, I woke up early a few days ago, and I couldn't help noticing you walk with a certain 2-B girl with thorns for hair…"
"WellitwasnicetalkingwithyouAshidobye!" Midoriya did his best attempt at speed walking away, and surprisingly Ashido let him go, despite the fact there were two hundred meters at most between one end of their party area and the other. He stopped next to Kaminari, Kacchan and Sero, who were on cooking duty. Or well, Kacchan was on cooking duty, Sero and Kaminari were on 'pretend you are helping until the party starts and then leave because Kacchan refuses the idea of needing help' duty.
The three saluted him, as Izuku sighed in relief and helped them set up the grills, ignoring Kacchan's shouts of not needing any help.
They started the fires just in time for 2-B to arrive. Izuku looked up at them, and his jaw dropped.
Shiozaki blushed. She was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt, maybe a bit more adherent than her usual but not by much, and a long red and black skirt. Her friends were all in shorts or knee-high skirts, but she just couldn't bring herself to put those on.
"Hi guys!" Setsuna shouted, waving at the group of students preparing the barbecue. A group that included Midoriya.
He looked absolutely stunning. The shirt he was wearing was elegant and defined his muscles without being so adherent it became vulgar. His pants were also similar, and he had kept the red shoes that she had grown so accustomed to. He looked like 'Midoriya, but more attractive'.
She felt her cheeks burn at the thought, and looked away.
Yes, this was going to be a long party, she thought as the rest of 2-A arrived along with Mei Hatsume. She quickly ended up in the back of the group and pushed to the 'corners' of the party.
Right next to Midoriya.
'Thank you God. Also, whyyyyyy?' She coughed. "Uhm, you look… really nice, tonight."
"Th-Thanks Ibara. You are be-beautiful with that dress."
She awkwardly looked away. "Thank you. And are those… roses and blackberries I smell?"
"I-It's a new perfume. Do you like it?"
"It's lovely, yes. Where did you buy it?"
"Oh, I got it from a perfume company. Companies send me all kinds of stuff as a sort of 'thank you gift', and because they hope I will use them in public." He sighed, "Did you know I own at least ten cars?"
"No!"
"Yes. My mom was planning to rent a garage, but…"
"You own one of those too."
"And I didn't even know!" He sighed, "And there are twenty motorcycles in it too. And a boat! When will I ever use those?!" From other people, she would have thought they were boasting. From Midoriya, she knew it was just honest confusion.
"Well, I think Kendo would like the motorcycles." Ibara commented with a small laugh.
"… You know, I was thinking of giving some away. If she wants one…"
"Don't let her hear that or she will drag you away and demand the specs of all those." They both laughed, falling more and more into their talk. Soon enough, the party around them was gone, replaced by the other's voice.
Izuku smiled as he stood up from the seat he was sharing with Ibara and walked to the table of the drinks. And that's where he stumbled in Ochaco.
His best friend – was she still his best friend? – smiled. "Hey, Deku." She said, "Can we talk?"
"Y-Yes, sure." He said, though for a moment longer, neither side said a word.
"So…" Uraraka finally said, "I'm sorry."
"What? What for?"
"Well, I've been very distant lately, haven't I?"
"… Maybe a bit. But it's alright. I understand. I… probably hurt you, didn't I? With that no." He scratched the back of his head.
"A bit." She admitted, and he felt a pit form in his stomach, "But I know you did it with the best intentions, and… frankly, I prefer a no than pining forever or dating out of pity."
"I thought you would hate that…"
"I would. And I'm happy you knew that." She smiled, "I suppose that's what makes you my best friend."
Makes. Not made. Izuku felt a shaky hope bloom in his chest. "So… We are… We are still friends?"
Uraraka punched him on the shoulder. "Hey, of course. You are my best friend, Deku. And I'm your best friend, Ochaco. Don't think I'm giving up to Todoroki or Iida that spot."
Izuku smiled, and felt tears surge to his eyes. She saw them, and dragged him in a hug. "Hey, hey, it's alright. I know… I know we went through a lot, and I know this has probably been eating at you. But I don't, and will never, hate you for being honest. Being honest is what makes you Deku, the first friend I made at UA."
Izuku sniffed. "S-Sorry…"
"It's alright Deku." She smiled, "By the way, there was also another thing…"
"Really?" He asked, while he heard a sudden cheer. He turned to see Kirishima, Ashido and Sero raise their cups around a blushing Kaminari. Even Kacchan, while looking bored by it, did the same from his seat. Izuku turned to see Uraraka blush a bit and murmur an 'idiot'.
A wide grin appeared on his lips, and Uraraka turned bright red and looked away. "A-Apparently he had a crush on me since we started UA. I-I do remember him asking if I'd like to grab some food but… Well, apparently he realized quickly that I had a crush on you, so he put it aside. But well, you said no, and so…"
"You don't have to justify it, Uraraka. I'm happy for you. Kaminari is a cool guy."
"He is an idiot." She said with a shaky smile behind her blushing face, "But… But he is nice. I think… I think it might work. It's only a dinner date for now, anyway. We will see where it goes from there."
"I'm sure it will go well." Izuku said, honestly. Kaminari was a good person. And Izuku knew that, despite everything, he wouldn't look at another girl while dating Uraraka, if they reached that stage. He just hoped for him that he was ready to train, because Uraraka wasn't a pushover and would absolutely expect her boyfriend to keep up.
Of course, all of that didn't mean that Izuku, Iida and maybe Todoroki wouldn't make sure to have a talk with him about… well, just making sure he took care of their best friend.
"So yeah…" Uraraka coughed, "I guess we are both moving on from the awkward part of our friendship, right?"
"Both?"
"You and Shiozaki…"
"We-we aren't…" It was Izuku's turn to go bright red, and Uraraka's turn to grin and poke his cheek playfully.
"Oh? So you are dressed like that and spent the whole party with her just because? And you go running with her every morning just for fun? And you started talking about making a proper garden in the dorms' backyard out of nowhere?"
Izuku had no answer, since he didn't expect Uraraka to know about all that, so he chose the option of dignified silence. Uraraka's grin told him it was the wrong choice, and he cracked. "… Maybe?"
"Go for it then." Uraraka said.
"What? But… What if she…" He closed his lips, and Uraraka snorted.
"If she says no? Well, I suppose you spend a month and a half awkwardly, and then make up as friends, like we did." Uraraka poked his cheek again, "Though don't expect me to give up the best friend seat to her either."
"I… I guess?"
"You guess." Uraraka filled her cup and walked off, before stopping. "Oh, and Deku, can I give you my best friend opinion?"
"Of course."
"She isn't going to say no." She said, "Go get your happiness, Savior of Japan."
Ibara noticed Midoriya walk back with two cups filled with soda, and smiled as he sat back down. She had watched him talk with Uraraka, feeling a bit of worry grow in her chest, wondering if she was… that, but judging by what she was seeing right now, that wasn't the case.
She felt a bit of relief, as Midoriya sat back down. For a while, they went back to talking casually, the music Jiro was putting out from her 'music box' – really just a seat, a bunch of amplifiers, and a playlist she had prepared for the night, but she was adamant on the name 'music box' – not high enough to make it impossible to hear each other, but keeping them in their bubble. Maybe it wasn't the best party behavior, but she couldn't care less right now.
Then the music shifted in a slow song, as the night progressed. A few people walked on the grass field, either mockingly dancing with each other – like Kaminari and Sero, whose exaggerated movements over the slow romantic music attracted several cheers and laughs, especially when Awase and Kaibara jumped in to imitate them, even switching partners – while others, like Kuroiro and Komori, took it more seriously.
"Uhm…" She turned to Izuku, "Would you… Like to…"
He was looking at Komori and Kuroiro, and Ibara could have sworn her heart was about to explode. "Are… Are you sure Midoriya?" She asked, and she meant more than just the dance, and she was sure he had caught that.
"I…" He took a deep breath, "Ibara." He said, and she felt close to a heart attack, "Can I ask for this dance?" He asked, extending his hand toward her.
Ibara smiled, feeling the world get in place, and took his hand in her own. "I'd love that, Izuku."
And they walked in the field. Neither of them really knew how to dance, but Ibara knew they would figure it out.
They would figure everything out.
(XX)
And that's the end. I know, no kiss, but I think you can infer what will happen after this.
As a fun fact, Kaminari actually hits on Ochaco in Chapter 11. That's the entire basis for that decision in particular.
As for the two stories Izuku tells Shiozaki, those are from Team-Up Missions Volume 3. The tree one is from chapter 11, and the Mineta dog one is from Chapter 10.
Writing romance one-shots that covers the entire pre-relationship period is interesting. It reduces the space I have to tell the story, but I think that also makes it more compact and accessible. I think I will try my hand at it again in the future.
But for now, we leave Izuku and Ibara to their dance. They will figure it from there.