A/N: Sometimes looking back at your old writing is just "damn bitch, you wrote this? :D"or "damn bitch, you wrote this? :|"

Let's just say this chapter's a bit more of the latter than the former dkhgksjgh

BTW double-update today! Keep a lookout for the next chapter in a few hours ❤️✨

Art -

[Complete Gallery] Add /21axlkt3bolc to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

[Ch. 64] Add /0nc3u2iby4j to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

Hitomi woke up to realize her head was resting on Todoroki's shoulder, the boy still asleep. She jolted back, embarrassed that she'd fallen asleep on him.

She looked to see the rest of the "Dekusquad" was asleep, their soft snores barely heard over the roar of the jet engine. Hitomi smiled at the sight of Uraraka sleeping on Midoriya's shoulder, the freckled boy's head resting on top of hers.

It had been about two and a half hours since Hitomi had left the Bakusquad, finally cooled off from her embarrassment. For the most part.

Hitomi tensed, staring at her hands in her lap as her mind flashed back to what she'd done to Bakugou. She slapped her hands over her face with a squeak, feeling her cheeks heat up underneath her palms.

He probably thought that was so, so gross.

Hitomi's fingers curled in as she stared down at her shoes, biting her lip.

I have to apologize to him… properly.

But… I also need some time first. To… mentally prepare myself.

Hitomi was still trying to avoid Bakugou in the first place, anyway. She'd apologize, and then she'd steer clear for the rest of the trip. Recovering from something as cringeworthy as that deserved as much.

With a sigh, Hitomi pulled her phone and earbuds out, opening a movie she'd downloaded before they'd left.

Might as well kill time until we get there.

Hitomi followed Uraraka off the plane, giving her arms and legs a stretch. The class had finally landed in Manila, the humid climate being a breath of fresh air after a long flight.

"Everyone, listen up!" Nix called out to the class, adjusting her hat. Having an ice-based quirk, their chaperone needed the proper clothing for the islands' warmer weather. "Yaoyorozu's family limo will be taking us to the beach house, and it'll be here in a few minutes. Make sure you've got all your luggage, because it's gonna be a long drive to go back if you forget something."

"It takes about an hour or two, since the house is all the way in Batangas," Yaoyorozu clarified.

Hitomi sighed as she rolled her shoulders, pausing when she heard Mina's voice.

"Hitomi!"

She turned around to find the pink girl approaching her, a worried expression on her face.

"What is it, Mina?"

"Um…" Mina twiddled her fingers, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier on the plane… I didn't mean to embarrass you, or anything…! I was just joking around. I get it if you're mad at me, though."

Hitomi stared at her friend, watching as she continued to fidget sheepishly. She looked genuinely sorry, making Hitomi decide to cut her some slack.

"...It's okay. I'm not mad."

Just dying from embarrassment on the inside, she thought with a grimace.

Mina looked back at Hitomi, a hopeful look in her eyes. "You're not? You don't have to say that just to make me feel better, you can tell me if I'm bothering you!"

Hitomi shook her head, giving Mina a soft smile. "I'm not, I promise."

"Thank goodness!" Mina exclaimed, engulfing her in a hug. "I'm so sorry if I upset you; I won't say anything like that anymore!"

Hitomi patted her back, right as the limo arrived.

"Limo's here!" Nix called out.

Hitomi and Mina broke their hug, grabbing their stuff and making their way to the vehicle. "Is it okay if I sit next to you?" Hitomi asked her, scratching the back of her head. "Since I kinda ditched you guys earlier…"

The pink girl giggled. "Of course!"

Since it's a different kind of seating arrangement, fingers crossed I don't have to face him yet...

Class 1-A stood in front of the large building, in awe of the Yaoyorozu family's beach house.

"It's times like this I'm really reminded Yaomomo is a rich girl," Kaminari muttered, to which Hitomi nodded.

This place is huge!

She heard their chaperone whistle behind her, unable to tear her eyes away from the large building. "Nice place."

Kaminari, meanwhile, glanced around, curious. "Hey, Yaomomo, you said we'd be protected by your security, but where are they? I don't see anyone else around 'cept us…"

"Don't worry about it," Yaoyorozu replied, walking down the path that led to the front door. "They're within the vicinity. This is a large property, though, so you probably won't see them often. Your most likely chance of seeing them around is whenever we leave the house."

Kaminari sighed, his head dropping. "Right, rich rich girl," he chuckled.

"Now then, everyone," Yaoyorozu started, unlocking the front door, "follow me inside. I've made a chart for everyone's room arrangements."

…

There were about 7 bedrooms, with a large living room and kitchen and 8 bathrooms, among other things.

Hitomi ended up getting distracted, leaving her suitcase in the living room to roam around the house awestruck while everyone else was checking their room arrangements. So far she'd found the kitchen and dining room, laundry room, an extra study, a game room, and even an in-house theater. There was even a patio outside, overlooking the beach.

Hitomi rested her hands on the railing with a small sigh. "Sure is nice to be rich, huh…" she mumbled, watching as the bright blue waves rolled across the sand and admiring the sight.

Hitomi had only ever been to the Philippines a few times to visit family. She'd nearly forgotten how beautiful their beaches were.

The sight was breathtaking.

As she watched the glittering sea, she heard someone's footsteps approaching, a voice muttering and hissing to themselves.

She knew that voice.

Oh. Oh no.

Wait, stop! I'm not mentally prepared for this yet-!

Bakugou stopped in front of the railing next to her, leaning on it as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Stupid old hag…" she heard him mutter.

Hitomi stiffened, looking away as she turned back to the sea.

"...Your mom nagging you?"

Why did her mouth always work before her brain did?!

Stupid, stupid!

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bakugou's hand rest on the railing, his gaze shifting towards the water.

"That old lady's called me five times since I left, no matter how many times I've told her I got here fine. She can't fucking leave me alone."

Hitomi's grip tightened on the railing as she tried to slow her beating heart. "Well, after… that whole Camino thing… it's understandable, I guess. Not to mention you're overseas now too. Of course she'd be worried."

"I can take care of myself!" Bakugou scowled. "Besides, she already knows we're being guarded. She just can't stop nagging!"

Hitomi bit her lip, glancing at him before she could stop herself.

Bad idea, again.

The wind lightly tousled his spiky hair, the sunlight making it look brighter than usual, like it was glowing. With the crystal blue water a stark contrast to his red eyes as he stared at the sea...

The sight was beautiful.

Hitomi felt her heart skip a beat, looking away.

This was exactly why she needed to get rid of these feelings.

Thinking of him this way, it was distracting. He plagued her thoughts almost constantly no matter how much she avoided him.

You should leave, now.

But… you're alone. Now could be the best time to apologize for earlier.

Apologize, and then go.

Hitomi took a deep breath, trying to psyche herself up.

Right as she was about to open her mouth, another voice interrupted.

Hitomi had fallen silent after Bakugou's grumbling about his mom, the two listening to the soft waves as they looked out onto the beach.

Bakugou found his eyes drifting towards her, only to see she was still looking at the sea.

He had meant it back when he'd told Kirishima and Kaminari she was pretty.

The way her silver eyes seemed to glisten, her soft cheeks (which looked rosier than usual, he noted), and her long, flowing blue hair that was getting rustled from the slight breeze.

He didn't really get to see her wear her hair down very often, only seeing it a few times since they'd moved into the dorms.

The few times Bakugou had seen it, though, he found himself thinking he wanted to see it like that more often.

It made her look more graceful, in a sense, compared to that weird bun-ponytail thing she usually did with her hair.

Not that that hairstyle was bad. It suited her, the way her hair framed her face and made her look all the more cute-

Hold the fuck up.

Bakugou's jaw clenched, trying to dispel the thought. He couldn't stop staring at her, finding himself wondering why she seemed to have such a troubled look on her face.

Get it together, Katsuki. She's just pretty. That's all it is-

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice, calling Hitomi's name.

Hitomi flinched at the voice, Bakugou noticing her cheeks reddening as she turned around.

"Wha-?!"

Mina ran up to the bluenette, grabbing her by the wrist. "Me and the girls are planning to go swimming later! You wanna come?"

Hitomi stuttered, Bakugou noticing her glance at him before looking away.

"Um… okay? Actually… wait, hold on." Hitomi moved away from the railing, walking towards the door that led back inside. "Let me just check to make sure I brought my swimsuit…"

He heard the girls' voices receding, leaving him alone on the balcony.

The way she looked at him, she'd been looking at him that way for a while lately.

Looking at him as if she didn't mean to, with furrowed eyebrows and a frown. Immediately looking away once she did look at him. Or hell, even avoiding looking at him at all.

Bakugou hated that look.

It pissed him off.

Hitomi rummaged through her suitcase in the living room, Mina and Hagakure standing behind her.

"Found it!"

She pulled out her swimsuit, a simple one-piece. It was navy blue in color, with the straps a lighter blue along with a subtle polka dot pattern.

"It's cute, right?" she said, showing the other two.

Mina nodded, but she had an unreadable expression on her face. "It is… but, Hitomi..."

"Hm?"

"How old is that?"

Hitomi glanced at the swimsuit, trying to remember. "I think I got it when I was 14? But it should still fit…"

Mina and Hagakure shared a glance before suddenly grabbing Hitomi, dragging her to one of the bathrooms and shoving her inside.

"What're you doing?!"

"Try the swimsuit on, Hitomi!" Hagakure said, pulling the door shut. She turned away from it, her clothes shifting to face Mina. "Not that I don't trust what she says, but that swimsuit really doesn't look like it'll still fit her."

Mina nodded at her as they heard the lock click, meaning Hitomi was about to change. "Well, we'll see soon."

…

From the other side of the door, they heard Hitomi's muffled scream.

"Aaaand there it is," Hagakure laughed.

After a few moments, Hitomi opened the door slowly in shame, the folded swimsuit in her hands.

"It… doesn't fit," she told Mina and Hagakure, looking away. "The… shoulder straps… were too tight."

"I thought so," Mina said, crossing her arms. "Good thing I asked you to show me ahead of time! You know what this means, right?"

Mina had a sly smile on her face, leaving Hitomi confused.

"No…?"

Mina and Hagakure suddenly grabbed her by the arms, pulling her with them as they ran out of the hallway.

"SWIMSUIT SHOPPING!"

…

Mina and Hagakure had taken Hitomi to the local town, with the rest of the girls tagging along. It was a chance for them to see more of the town ahead of time, not to mention they needed Yaoyorozu to translate. They'd gotten permission from Nix, with the simple requirement of "as long as you've got Yaoyorozu's security guarding you."

"My Tagalog's a bit rusty," the vice rep had told the others as Mina dragged Hitomi towards the shops. "But I'll do my best. I believe the people here can speak English as well, so hopefully Mic's classes will be of use."

The group made their way into a swimsuit shop, marveling at all the attire.

"I don't see why everyone had to come…" Hitomi mumbled, looking away. "I could've just gotten one by myself…"

Mina turned around to face the group, placing her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about, 'Tomi?! This is another chance for us to hang out! Just us girls, y'know?"

"I mean, I guess…"

"Okay!" Mina exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Let's find Hitomi a new swimsuit!"

…

The group had broken up, roaming around the store and looking at the various swimsuits.

Hitomi was wandering around alone, feeling herself blushing as she stared at the more revealing bikinis and letting out a sheepish sigh.

Not really the kind of thing I'd wear...

Her mind wandered back to the Sports Festival, to when Kaminari and Mineta had tricked her and the rest of the girls into wearing those cheerleader outfits. She honestly thought the clothes were really cute, if you didn't think about the context. They were just… not for her.

She didn't really think showy clothes suited her. They made her kinda embarrassed. It'd taken her a while to get used to her hero costume, even, since it was skin-tight.

Hitomi began sifting through one of the racks, barely paying attention to what she was looking at.

I wonder how Yaomomo does it, with her hero costume and everything…

Well, Yaomomo's always been really beautiful. And she's from a wealthy family too, so it's not hard to believe she's so attractive. Of course she'd have the confidence to wear that.

Hitomi slapped her cheeks, before pinching them to snap herself out of it.

Stop right there…! she scolded herself, wincing at the stinging pain. No more self-pity parties! You're not going down that spiral!

The voice in her head was reminiscent of Nari's. Nari always did try to keep the mood upbeat, which was something Hitomi appreciated about her.

Hitomi shook her head, lowering her hands.

...I wonder if Bakugou would ever see me as pretty.

She smacked herself at the intrusive thought, cursing to herself under her breath.

We're not doing that…! Stupid feelings!

She began sifting through the rack again, trying to focus on the task at hand.

She still remembered when Bakugou had called her "pretty" back at the training camp, and despite what Uraraka had told her about Bakugou not being one to lie, she still found it hard to believe he'd meant it.

Because Bakugou's not the type of person to think about those things. Or romance, or dating…

So… stop thinking about it!

"Kailangan mo ba ng tulong?"

Hitomi blinked, turning to see an employee, around her age, it seemed, staring at her expectantly.

"Ah…"

She'd spoken in Tagalog, Hitomi needing a second to process and understand what the girl had just said.

"Need any help?"

Hitomi politely waved her off, giving her a sheepish smile.

"Hindi, salamat po."

"No, thank you."

The girl shrugged, giving her a polite smile as she moved on to another customer.

I should really brush up on my Tagalog… Hitomi thought as she continued sifting through the rack. Or else Mom will be disappointed.

She had been looking through the rack for five whole minutes now, none of the swimsuits suited to her tastes. Right as she was about to move on to another area of the store, she noticed another swimsuit sandwiched in between two one-pieces.

Hitomi pulled it out, seeing it was a simple one-piece with ruffles along the bottom, woven to look like a small skirt. The suit was lavender in color, with a simple floral pattern in white for the design.

Cute…

As Hitomi stared at it, Mina came bounding up to her, a swimsuit of her own in hand. "I found something for you-!" Mina stopped as she noticed what Hitomi was holding, abruptly putting the swimsuit she'd brought on the rack as she grinned. "Oh, wait, did you find something you like?"

Before Hitomi could protest, Mina snatched the swimsuit out of her hands, holding it up. "Hey, this one's really cute! It'd look great on you!"

"Huh?"

Mina grabbed her wrist, pulling her across the aisle. "I think we've found the one~!" she singsonged. She called their other friends spread throughout the store as they made their way to the fitting room, everyone gathering around it as Mina ushered Hitomi inside.

"W-Wait…!" Hitomi tried to protest, only for Mina to pull the curtain closed.

…

After some convincing from Mina, Hitomi ended up buying the swimsuit.

It was a simple exchange at the register, Hitomi surprising everyone as she spoke fluent Tagalog with the cashier while she made her purchase.

"You can speak Tagalog?!" Hagakure exclaimed once they'd left the store.

Hitomi shrugged as they waited for Yaoyorozu's limo, unfazed.

"Is it hard to tell I'm Filipino? I'm only one-fourth Japanese…"

"Are there any more languages you can speak?" Uraraka asked.

Hitomi shook her head. "No, just Japanese, English, and Tagalog. My Tagalog could use more work, though..."

"You never cease to amaze me, Hitomi," Yaoyorozu said, giving her a smile as the limo arrived. "It's like there's always something new to learn about you."

Hitomi blushed as one of their guards opened the door for them. She entered the vehicle, cradling her shopping bag against her chest.

"Thanks, Yaomomo."

A/N: Sorry if this chapter's end seemed a bit weird! This was originally two separate chapters, but I smushed them together since nothing much really happens in either (which is also why I'll be posting two updates today). The ending of this one was originally the halfway point of the next one but I figured it would fit better here than there. Also 'cause I completely rewrote the next chapter jhgkdhkgs

Hitomi's body-image is touched on briefly, but I tried to refrain from going into too much detail about it. Originally, there was more I had written, but when I thought about it more and how I'd written her previously it just didn't seem to fit her, I guess. I'd say she doesn't hate how she looks, just that she feels like she's average. Her insecurity comes from her quirk more than anything, not how she looks so yea :0