"Kacchan! Wait up! There's something I need to ask you—"
"Where the hell is Todoroki?! Did he seriously throw the race?!"
"Uh—"
"TODOROKI!"
"Aw crap," Eijirou winced as Katsuki's face came into view.
Shoto shrugged and kept walking, unafraid of the consequences.
"Just for pulling that stunt," Katsuki growled, "we're having a proper race at the track on Wednesday. Ten o'clock sharp!"
"I'm looking forward to that," he said with a smile.
It seemed like a fine enough way to break the ice… no, it was more like putting the ice out in the sun and letting it slowly melt. Any old ice pick would just break against Katsuki's thick skull. If you wanted him to warm up to you, you had to be warm.
"Looks like everyone's here," Denki said.
Katsuki looked up at the cheap plastic sign on the restaurant.
"Why the hell is 'tako' spelled like that?" he pointed to the romaji text.
"It's that fancy American way of spelling. You know? Like Ochako versus Ochaco."
…
"You know we can't see how you're spelling it in your head, right?"
"But I said it differently," Denki said quite pointedly.
"Did someone say my name?" Ochako asked, appearing out of nowhere.
"Hey, Ochaco."
Katsuki felt his eye twitching, as if he was crossing his arms way too tightly and causing it to pop out of its socket. He felt his head simmering.
"Stop that, you're not saying it differently at all. You're just slightly changing your tone."
Izuku looked around at everyone idling by like voiceless extras in a movie. None of them knew why he'd rushed on ahead to find Katsuki here, hoping he'd be alone. He couldn't help but feel that there was more to his impatience with Denki than he was letting on.
Does he think Kaminari is flirting with Ochako?
As far as I know, Kacchan has never been romantically involved with anyone before. We'd already grown apart by the time he might start having a crush on someone. At U.A., both first year and second year have proven nothing in that category.
If Kacchan likes Ochako… then what does that mean for all of us? And if I can help, how could I? I can't even—
"What the hell even is all this?!"
Izuku looked up and saw Katsuki pressed up against the big and wide window of the restaurant. The place was entirely empty, but the lights were on.
"I told you," Denki said, "it's tacos!"
"DAMN IT, I THOUGHT YOU MEANT OCTOPUS!"
"Oh, uh, yeah, I probably should've been more specific."
"It's that really greasy, spicy stuff," Toru said, "you know, that's popular in America?"
Denki gave everyone an odd smile and started pointing his fingers around as if to make some sort of pointed point.
"You know… in America they usually have eating competitions to see who has the strongest stomach. It's a big cultural thing. The greasier and spicier the food, the better. Which is why this stuff is the cornerstone of American competitive eating culture."
Oh no… Kacchan's gonna make this into a competition, isn't he? Kaminari, why?
"SCREW IT! Oi, Todoroki! Forget the race, let's settle this here!"
"What race?" Momo asked.
Shoto turned to her and shrugged.
"Come on, Icy-Hot! You gonna defend your honor? Or have you gone soft?"
Momo felt cold, and it wasn't because of Shoto. She stared down Katsuki, her eyes absolute zero.
Even though he was a jerk, Shoto couldn't help but feel surprised. Even shocked. Was he really going to do this now?
And then Ochako looked Katsuki in the eyes.
Shoto could almost see the cogs in Katsuki's brain turn, faster and faster, before being wrenched. For a moment, he was afraid he'd walk off.
"Um," Katsuki mumbled, "anyone up for the challenge?"
Izuku felt the heat getting to him. His head was pounding, like an irritated heartbeat. Was that his heart beating? A wave of confusion washed over him. Or was that just sweat?
His eyes darted over to the bay, then back to the group. They'd all been so quiet.
What's happening? Why is Kacchan trying to challenge Shoto to anything right now? And now he's just disguising it by involving everyone. Kaminari really shouldn't have said anything.
He looked over at Tsu to see how she was taking this. She was… also looking Katsuki in the eye. Izuku turned to Katsuki. How did he feel, being stared down by those eyes?
"I'm not eating that stuff," Mina said.
"I'm out too," Hanta said.
"Wimps!" Minoru shouted, his finger pointed into the air, "I shall be ambassador of this culinary cultural exchange! I shall complete my mission to its fullest! Come hell or high cholesterol, I will partake of these tacos!"
"I'm in, too!" Eijirou waved a fist in the air.
"Hell yeah! Let's do this!" Denki burst through the door of the restaurant.
Through the big windows, everyone could see him standing there in a battle pose, his face turned away from them.
A moment of silence passed…
He turned to the window with an odd look. Everyone burst out in laughter.
"I'll try it," Shoto said and walked up to the door.
Katsuki looked decidedly less enthusiastic about involving him, but didn't say anything and let him go. When he did, he turned to Izuku.
"You coming?"
"N-no thanks, I'll eat later."
"Fine… everyone who's not brave enough, do whatever the hell you want."
"Ugh, on second thought," Hanta started towards the door, "I might as well."
"You should go too, Mashirao," Toru shook him as best she could, "you can show all of them!"
"Heh… s-sure."
Seven people went into the restaurant and Izuku felt seven kilograms of weight lifted from his chest.
There was bound to be some talk about this later. Izuku just hoped everyone would forget about it and have a good time. This might make for a good show, who knows?
"I guess this is why women live longer," Tsu said.
"Hey, I'm here," Izuku gave her a side-glance.
"Sorry, Izuku."
"So are we gonna watch from out here?" Kyoka asked no one in particular.
As if on cue, Izuku saw Denki turn around from the counter deep within the restaurant and pointing out a table right in front of the window where the almost-whole gang sat in wait.
The seven on the outside watched with bated breath as the seven on the inside silently ordered their food off the big, colorfully illustrated menu hanging above the counter.
One by one, the seven boys made it to their table in front of the window. It was like observing lizards or rodents at the zoo from behind this glass.
After approximately two minutes they were gathered together, wrapped food sprawled out on the table, wrestling over the various strange shapes and colors as they threw around tiny colorful packets of what must have been hot sauce.
It reminded Izuku of that famous old painting of thirteen men sitting in front of a long marble table, twelve of them arguing with each other instead of eating the beautiful meal prepared in front of them. The thirteenth man sat alone in the middle, his hands outstretched, longing to partake of the meal and march forward to his death. Why were these men fighting when they knew this would be their last supper together?
Izuku began to understand why the thirteenth man looked so sad—
"BEGIN!" he heard a muffled shout from the other side of the glass. Minoru.
Katsuki made sure everyone's 'tacos' were drenched in a good helping of hot sauce. Hanta put one up to his nose and reeled in horror.
"It's not THAT bad!"
And then Katsuki shoved his own taco into his mouth at full force. No reeling back, no reaction. Hanta shook his head and did the same. It must've been particularly hot because he was screaming.
Eijirou looked over at Denki who, despite apparently knowing the most about these tacos, had quiet a rough time fitting them into his mouth. Sour cream came pouring down his hand and spilled onto the loose wrappings. He dipped his head down to the table to try to slurp it back up—
"Don't bother with that!" Kyoka screamed at the window, "Just focus on the objective!"
That got everyone eating faster. Minoru shoved something half his size down his throat. There were honest tears in his big eyes.
Shoto and Mashirao looked like they were going to be absolutely sick, their faces pale green.
"DON'T GIVE IN!" Toru shouted, banging her invisible hands against the glass.
And now everyone was shouting and cheering on their dog in the race.
"GO BEYOND, MINETA!" Izuku shouted at the top of his lungs.
"HEY!" Katsuki shouted, "WHY AREN'T YOU CHEERING FOR ME?!"
"SORRY!"
"COME ON, KACCHAN!" Ochako shouted.
Mina gave her a knowing side-glance.
Katsuki ended up winning. Nobody minded and nobody asked for a rematch.
"As a result of repeated use of his Quirk," Izuku explained, "Katsuki's body has built up a really good resistance to physical trauma. On top of that, Katsuki has built up a resistance to spicy foods by consuming them regularly. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy, is actually used in some medication to treat muscle pain. So I think that's why he ended up winning."
Shoto was clutching his stomach like he'd just been shot. By the moans and groans he made, it seemed like it felt like that as well.
"That's… very interesting."
It was only 6:07 PM but he looked just about ready to pass out.
The rental van seemed more like an ambulance for the most affected victims of the eating competition. Mashirao and Minoru had both requested that they be taken to their rooms; physically carried in Minoru's case.
Eijirou, Denki, and Hanta decided to play some volleyball to see if it would alleviate the worst of it. The girls along with Izuku and Katsuki had agreed to have dinner at the hotel but Shoto was still on the fence about it.
"Anyway," Izuku said, "I wonder what's for dinner."
He hoped to get a laugh out of Shoto but only managed to get another pained groan. He was sweating bullets now. His left side was far too antsy for his right side to be able to cool him down.
"He's trying to kill me… and make it look like an accident. I just don't know what's gotten into him. Midoriya… you did see us earlier today, right?"
"Y-yeah… but I… don't know what it was all about."
"He helped me get something for Momo. That's all. He didn't seem like he wanted to but… I guess he wanted to show off a little."
"He tends to do that," Tsu said, appearing out of nowhere for the millionth time.
"Hey Asui—um, Tsu."
"Are you okay, Todoroki?"
"I'll be fine," Shoto said with such seriousness despite the humored smile playing across his lips.
Momo looked over.
"You sure? You don't have to have dinner with us if you don't want to."
"No… it's fine… I'm…"
"You don't look fine. You should lie down, watch some TV."
"But… I wanna… mph."
"Here's the key."
Excepting some kind of look from Mina, Izuku looked around to find her. He instead found her yelling at the boys playing volleyball. He couldn't quite understand what she was saying.
"See you tomorrow," Shoto said, hobbling towards the lobby.
"Oh, yeah."
Izuku focused on him until he'd made it through the door, at which point he absentmindedly swiveled his head back over to Mina and the guys. He focused on the movement of the ball being tossed over the net, over and over again.
"What should we do after we eat?" he heard Tsu ask.
"Huh?!"
There she went again, unaware that she was holding his heart in her hand. How dramatic of you, Izuku Midoriya! And he could see it! Looking down to find a hole in his chest, bloodied and battered, he reached to find his heart but could grasp at nothing, his fingers giving out. From there his eyes reached high to find Tsuyu grasping a still-beating heart in her palm, red and wet and shiny, squeezing just a bit too hard but all to keep it firm in her grasp.
She did have unusually large hands… but that was never a bad thing. They suited her. Just how Kyoka's earlobes suited her. Or how Mina's many unique traits suited her.
They all had something unique about them. Something that made them who they were. Something that made them beautiful.
How could anyone say otherwise? How could those people exist? Izuku looked at his captive heart and found no hate for anyone within it. But those people made it so difficult.
Izuku thought about Kenji Hikiishi, someone he barely knew, but could make a pretty good guess as to how much adversity she had to overcome in her life. How brave she was, unabashedly unafraid of who she was. He may never see her again, never thank her.
But Kenji Tsuragamae… waiting on a phone call. It was horrible to think that people didn't even see him as human.
A storm wracked through his brain that left his heart on the floor. Tsuyu's grasp did not prove firm enough. Her dad… ah, it's all just too much… I can't—
"Izuku? Are you alright?"
She looked at his eyes, wondering how they could be shaking. When he didn't say anything, she followed their gaze to her hands. For some reason, she hid them.
After a moment Izuku finally shook his head and changed his face.
"Let's go!" he shouted.
Izuku jumped up like a spring chicken and headed straight for the door to the hotel restaurant.
"He's… fine," Ochako said.
Was Momo mad at Katsuki? Almost every time Izuku happened to look up at her at the table tonight, she had her eye on him.
On a completely unrelated note, it was too bad that Shoto wasn't feeling up to having dinner with them.
"I'll pay for dinner," Momo said.
"We know," Toru said.
"Oh, uh… I mean, if you want—"
"It's fine! Momo," Mina shouted… softly? Her tone shifted strangely between words.
"I'll pay as much as I'm willing," Katsuki said, trying too hard to look angry, "which isn't much."
"So," Ochako sighed, "if we wanna go on the Ferris wheel at night, it's now or never. Who's with us?"
"Hagakure," Katsuki said, "you might wanna check on Ojiro—uh, Tailman…"
He seemed to stop in the middle of a thought and Toru waited for him to keep talking…
"That's all."
"Yeah, I should."
Momo and Mina seemed to hang onto her words. Katsuki gave them both a once-over.
"And you two?"
"Are you trying to get rid of us?" Mina asked despite knowing the answer.
Katsuki glanced from side to side.
"Yes."
"Fine," she said, getting up, "don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."
"Mina, wait!" Ochako tried shouting in a whisper.
"Mina, come on," Kyoka said.
Mina said nothing, and walked out the door.
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku saw Tsu's index finger on a collision course with her chin. His heart escaped him yet again.
But she didn't say anything.
"I was just joking!" Katsuki growled as Kyoka left the table.
"You shouldn't joke like that," Tsu finally found to say.
"She's the one who asked!"
The look in Momo's eye was starting to make more sense. Katsuki was up to something.
"Um," Ochako… "I should go check on her too."
Izuku found it quite easy to forget whenever Toru was around so when she spoke up he felt a bit startled—
"I… should go," she said and quietly left as well.
That left three of the four with Momo.
Momo and Katsuki stared at each other for a solid moment and a half before Katsuki broke and emptied his wallet before leaving.
Two of the four with Momo, who was staring off at the door Mina, Kyoka and Ochako went through.
Izuku wondered, if Momo could make just make money out of thin air… then…? Sure she was never strapped for cash but, if she happened to be, what would be stopping her from making some more?
Her eyes scanned the receipt and the money Katsuki had left…
"Please, excuse me," she said, leaving just enough money behind, "I should go check on Shoto… if I don't see you again tonight, then… goodnight."
Momo bowed and left.
Two of the four. Alone. Tsu and Izuku. Izuku and Tsu. Alone. We should get going—
"Do you think Mina will be alright?" Tsu asked.
"I… maybe, I think. I don't really know her that well."
"I should go check on her too… but…"
'But'?
"Why do you think Mina reacted that way? She should know Katsuki would be like that, even though he shouldn't."
Katsuki? Not 'Bakugou'?
"Y-yeah," Izuku said, "maybe… hm, I don't know."
Before he could look, someone returned.
"Hey," it was Ochako, "sorry… um… what now?"
There's still enough time to hang out, though I wouldn't mind going to the room. Kacchan goes to bed pretty early. On second thought, I wouldn't want to wake him up in the middle of the night…
"I should… go check on him."
"Will Mina be okay?" Tsu asked.
"She's just…" Ochako thought for a moment, "she's probably just frustrated with him. Just being a jerk like that out of nowhere."
"'Probably,' ribbit? Did you not talk to her?"
"Not really. No."
Ochako stared at the table for a while. Izuku knew this face quite well: sadness. Or was it regret?
Either way, it made Izuku feel sad and regretful. And so he got up.
"I'll go talk with him, i-if he's willing to listen… goodnight."
A sad and regretful "goodnight," one Ochako and Tsuyu knew quite well.
"Goodnight," Ochako said and sunk into her seat, "ugh, okay, now what?"
She looked over at Tsu, her face as blank as a Monday morning slate. She hoped they could just talk and talk and talk like they used to. Second year had been so busy and third year, especially in the summer, was going to be absolute hell. Sometimes she felt like their friendship was fleeting. That they were not all that compatible. That by the time school was out and they all went Pro, that they would be off to separate agencies and only talk once or twice a year.
Had she already had this thought?
What a strange week.
And what was this feeling? Like thousands of thoughts barreling through your mind at once but not one coming out as words?
…
Ochako read the receipt, counted the money, and got up from the table. Tsu followed without a word. Not a single word was spoken all along the long march to the hotel room. Neither of them were certain what the plan was for tonight but neither of them cared.
Ochako flopped onto the bed, face first. The sheets were so soft, she could just fall asleep right here despite how uncomfortable she really felt.
Tsu looked up at the clock: 7:42 PM.
"Are you going to sleep now?"
A muffled murmur was all she got. She thought it would tell her enough but it ultimately proved to be… just a murmur…
…
7:43 PM.
…
7:4 4 PM.
"Tsu…?"
Ochako looked up to find her sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Hm?"
"What was all that earlier today about… nothing."
"Not nothing, Ochako, what is it?"
Ochako groaned and growled against the sheets.
"It's just… earlier you seemed kinda… weird about the shopping bags. But I DON'T KNOW MAYBE IT'S JUST ME OKAY?"
That whole thing with the shopping bags…
"Tsu, please, you can tell me anything."
"I just didn't find any clothes that I liked," Tsu said so matter-of-factly, so… straightforwardly.
Ochako rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. It was high up, bare and white, strange to look at. Not quite dizzying, but not quite calming. Like looking up at the sky and seeing a ceiling.
"Great reason," Ochako said with a huff, "unlike mine."
"Clothes you can afford?"
"No, actually—"
"Then what?"
It started with her eyes and then her cheeks, then her entire face went numb.
Oh no. What have I done?
"Forget I said anything."
"Ochako…"
"I said forget it."
What was the issue? If not money… clothes that… fit her? Tsu decided if she was going to have this discussion, she'd have to tackle it at an angle that might actually get Ochako to budge…
"Ochako… I think Bakugou likes you."
"That's… NOT POSSIBLE."
"Why not? When I asked him, he seemed nervous about it."
"YOU ASKED HIM?!"
She'd jumped up so high that Tsu didn't expect her to come back down. She stood up on the bed and clenched her fists and teeth. She didn't shout so loud… she seems to know how to behave in a hotel room. She probably grew up in a small apartment with many close neighbors—
"He can't like me, okay? That's not possible."
"Why not?"
"Look at me, Tsu! I'm… I'm… I'm FAT, okay? THAT'S what I meant about the clothes! You have no excuse because you're actually—"
"I don't see what the problem is, Ochako, if you need to buy bigger clothes then that's fine. I doubt Kacchan cares. Especially if he—"
"OF COURSE HE CARES! And he doesn't like me, okay? PLUS, it shouldn't matter because I don't like him, okay? We're just friends."
Tsu stood up, went into thinking mode and, and paced around. For the moment, Ochako could take a breather. Even standing up on the bed was nothing like being in the air, high up.
Eventually, Tsu stopped in front of Ochako and looked up at her like she was a lawyer interrogating a judge.
"What about Izuku?" Tsu finally said, "Do you still like him?"
Ochako stood there, silent and sullen as she could be in the afternoon, finding it increasingly hard to balance on top of the soft bed. She decided to sit down on the edge of it, facing her friend. But then again, not… you can't really face someone who's trying not to look at you…
7:46 PM.
…
7:47 PM.
…
"We talked about this, Tsu… I… put all of that aside. Whatever I felt about Izuku, whatever I may still feel… I have to let go because… I know that's not what either of us needs or wants right now. And even if I hate that, I have to respect that because… he's my friend…"
And try as she did, she looked—
"…plus, I think it's you he likes."
She may have smiled, but Tsu couldn't bear to guess if she was truly happy about it. There were tears in her eyes. How could she have guessed? Even after where this conversation started?
It was so… nerve-racking that she'd missed something about what she actually said. As it dawned on her, so did a blush. Ochako rarely, if ever, saw Tsu blush. It seemed so out of character for her, it made her seem so vulnerable and… Ochako couldn't find any other word but 'worthy.' But worthy of what? Of… Izuku's attention?
"No," Tsu said, as expected, "he's just being friendly."
"Tsu! Come on! It's not impossible that he likes you… more than a friend—"
Tsu couldn't stand to see Ochako hurt herself with such a sharp tongue. That pause before "more than a friend" looked like it almost killed her. But… Tsu looked at her hands.
"He's just being friendly… that's Izuku."
Ochako knew that the smile on Tsu's face… was fake.
"Don't do that… I can't…"
I can't look at you when you fake a smile.
Tsu's hands began to shake, like looking at them had made them cold…
"When Toga said all that stuff about… confessing about feelings… having to hear from her that you liked him… and to think of how long it had been going on… I had to just pretend that it was weird to hear about it but that it wasn't a big deal. But I was so angry. To find out that you liked him for so long without ever telling me. I was angry at you. And not being able to say anything has hurt so much more than I thought it would. I just thought, since Izuku and I were always so close, that he actually liked me back. But when Toga said all that, that all just went away and… I couldn't think of him without thinking of you. He never wanted to be with me, and that's fine. I don't have to try. He deserves to be with someone normal like you."
Ochako caught her before she could disappear any further.
"Shut up… don't say that."
It was a warm summer day and she felt so cold.
But Ochako never let go.
…
Sometimes she felt like their friendship was fleeting. That they were not all that compatible. That by the time school was out and they all went Pro, that they would be off to separate agencies and only talk once or twice a year.
And other times, she looked Tsuyu Asui, her best friend, in the eyes.
There was something unique about them. Something that made them what they were. Something that made them… beautiful.