For as long as Mika Jiro could remember, her daughter, Kyoka, hadn't been someone who 'dressed to impress' other people, or tried dressing in order to fit in and look like the other girls, or tried following the 'latest fashion trends.' Rather, she dressed in clothing she either found cool or comfortable, or, if she was lucky, a mixture of both. She could still remember the numerous phone calls she had gotten from Kyoka's elementary school letting her know her daughter had gotten in trouble, yet again, for stabbing girls with her ear jacks after they had mocked her appearance, an act that she scolded Kyoka for in front of the principal and teachers but praised once they were alone.
Because of Kyoka's thought process when it came to clothing, Mika found herself surprised upon seeing the current state of her daughter and her bedroom: Kyoka rummaging through her closet with countless articles of clothing strewn and scattered randomly across her floor and an actual mountain forming on her bed. Mika couldn't help but smirk, finding the fact that her daughter was now seemingly worried and stressed over what to wear humorous.
'Must be some guy,' she thought to herself, forgetting the boy's name that Kyoka had told her about. The only things she could remember was how her daughter's cheeks turned pink when talking about him and how excited she sounded when she talked about going to the concert. It raised the question: was she excited to see the band, or to spend time with him? In the past, Mika would automatically guess it was because of the band, but now she wasn't so sure.
Mika cleared her throat, causing her daughter to yelp and throw the clothes she had in her hands into the air. Kyoka turned to the door, her face a light pink.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Ever since you started making Mount Everest out of clothing." Mika nodded towards the mountain in question. She could practically hear the bed's legs straining under the weight of everything currently piled on it. She walked into the room and towards the bed before she started rummaging around. "What was that boy's name again? The one we're picking up?"
"Izuku Midoriya," Jiro said, waiting for and dreading the comments she knew her mother was just dying to make. Mika tried her best to keep her face neutral and not let her smile show. Just saying his name made her daughter's heart beat like crazy, she discovered. She honestly thought it was the cutest thing in the world.
"You've never had problems with finding stuff to wear, and now all of a sudden you are. Wonder why that is…" Mika trailed off, grabbing onto and pulling out a pair of ripped blue jeans from the pile and placing it onto her arm.
"Whatever you're thinking, stop it right now. I don't need another repeat of that horrible talk we had back in middle school." Jiro shuddered at the memory of their last mother/daughter talk.
"I'm not thinking anything, but it's a shame things didn't work out then; she was a cutie." Mika shrugged, placing another piece of clothing onto her arm. This time it was a black t-shirt with the word 'Skillet' in big, bold, and white letters above an image of a giant eye with claws marks scratched through it. "I just don't want to become a grandmother yet."
"Mom!" Jiro squawked loudly, her entire face turning a dark shade of red at the comment. "Things aren't like that between me and him! We're just going to a concert as friends. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Ah, to be young and blind once again," Mika said wistfully, remembering the same conversations she had had with her own mother. "Whatever you say, dear. Just try to have a good time, and don't overthink things like you always do," she said, pulling out one last piece of clothing, a leather jacket, before handing the clothing to her daughter. She left the room after that to let her daughter change, and smiled as she used her earjacks to hear her daughter utter a soft 'thanks, Mom.'
(20 minutes later)
Mika would never say out loud that she was enjoying watching her daughter squirm in the backseat with her 'date,' Izuku Midoriya, sitting next to her. The two were pushed against one another due to lack of room; it was why she had decided to take her husband's car instead of her own.
She'd never say it; however, she was currently thinking it as she suppressed a laugh at her daughter's wild heart rate. And honestly, she could see why her daughter always turned into a blushing mess when talking about the boy. He was attractive, something she wouldn't deny, especially in his current attire, which was a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt that was similar to Kyoka's. It featured the image of a man's head, which was roughly 95% wrapped with white surgical tape, leaving only one of his blue eyes uncovered. The words 'Skillet Awake' were printed over his other wrapped up eye and nose. It seemed so tight on the teen; she was surprised he hadn't passed out from suffocation.
"You look really nice," she heard Midoriya whisper to Kyoka, and as they drove past a street light, Mika couldn't help but smirk as her daughter's face turned an impressive shade of red.
"T-thank you," Kyoka squeaked in return, and it took immense willpower for Mika not to snort. "S-so do you…you s-should wear black some more, ya know? You look good in it."
"Oh? Meaning I don't look good in everything else I wear?" he asked with a smirk.
"N-no! That-that's not what I meant!" Kyoka stuttered. "I-I think you look nice in everything that you wear."
"In everything? Wow, I didn't know you were such a flirt, Jiro."
"So Midoriya—" Mika cut in, deciding to save her daughter from the boy's teasing. "Do you have any hobbies? I assume you're a normal teen and don't just study and go to school, right?"
"Well… I do a lot of training. Sometimes I'll play video games and hang out with friends. When I was younger I did write some songs, but haven't for a few years now."
"You wrote songs?" Jiro and Mika asked in unison, surprised.
"A few, yeah. It was just something I did in my free time, but, like I said, I haven't done so in years."
"Do you play any instruments?" Jiro asked, surprised by this new information. She wouldn't have taken Midoriya as the type to write music.
"Electric guitar, drums, and even the piano. Kacchan was the one who convinced me to take up an instrument."
"You know, Kyoka here can play multiple instruments and writes her own songs too."
"Mom," Jiro growled threateningly, wanting her mom to stop talking now before she could embarrass her.
"Maybe you two could get together and listen to some of the songs she made? They're amazing, in my opinion, real professional quality, if you ask me."
"Mom, I'm sure Midoriya would rather do literally anything else than to listen to the songs I've made."
"Actually, I'd love to hear some; I'm sure they're amazing," Izuku said with a smile, causing Jiro to stutter yet again. With a huff, she folded her arms across her chest and decided to focus her attention on the back of the seat in front.
"I'll-I'll think about it," she muttered before noticing that her mother was watching her from the rear-view mirror. The older woman winked, and it was then Jiro started thinking of different methods of revenge she could use against her.
(Two Hours later: Concert)
The attendees could feel the electricity in the air as the band played song after song from their ever-expanding catalog. The riffs from the guitars, beats from the drums, and vocals from the vocalists meshed together perfectly. Some would describe this as an other-worldly experience. The crowd sang in unison with the band, the lyrics from songs like Hero and Feel Invincible pumping up the crowd. But no one was having more fun than Izuku and Jiro.
Their pulses pounded to the beat of the song, the lights and sounds causing a hypnotic effect on all present. The voices of the crowd merged into a harmonious whole as they joined in with the chorus. Kyoka moved to the rhythm, brushing against him as they bounced and swayed to the beat. Her cheeks were flushed, glowing with exertion, yet her eyes were alight with happiness, the lighting of the area causing them to almost shine brighter than the sun.
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
"I, I feel like a monster!" the duo sang along, a giddy laugh escaping the two as they had the time of their lives.
"Thank you, Musutafu! And good night!" Jonathan Connor, the lead guitarist and vocalist, thanked the crowd before the curtains closed, signaling the official end of the concert. The crowd cheered once more before starting to exit the concert hall.
"That was awesome!" Jiro exclaimed, her whole body shaking from adrenaline and excitement. "I thought their music was great before, but wow, listening to them live is a whole different experience!" her smile was wide with pure, absolute joy, and Izuku couldn't help but to smile as well. "Thanks again, Midoriya."
"Don't mention it, I'm just happy you accepted. Gods know I wouldn't have had as much fun if you weren't here," he admitted. "We should hang out more, ya know? I feel like we don't really talk at school."
"I'd like that. I'm sure there's gonna be more concerts soon; maybe I can get the tickets next time?" she suggested. "Anyway, we should probably get going. My mom should be here any minute."
"Oh, we're not done here yet."
"We're not?"
"Nope."
With a smile, he fished around in his pocket for a second before pulling out two items and dangling them from his fingers by their straps. "Surprise!"
"Backstage passes?" she asked, breathless, as her eyes widened in shock. "How the hell did you get those?"
"I guess luck is just on my side," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head as she plucked one of the passes off of his fingers. 'And by that, I mean All Might. Seriously, I can't thank him enough for pulling this off.'
It took the students a few minutes and the help of one of the concert hall workers to finally find where they were supposed to go. Walking through a narrow hallway, they raised their passes high into the air, and the security nodded at them before opening the door. After another minute of walking, they came across a room filled with roughly 20 other fans, most of whom were screaming upon seeing the lead member of the band, Jonathan Connor, walk through a pair of doors.
"Thank you all for coming out! Now before we go, I have a question to ask you all," he announced, causing the crowd to quiet down so they could hear. "Who here plays the guitar?"
Immediately, several hands from the crowd shot up, with those individuals jumping excitedly, trying to catch Jonathan's attention the most.
"Wonder why he's asking that?" Jiro wondered out loud. With Izuku behind her, she couldn't see him smirk, or that he had started growing wings out of his back.
"Let's go find out!"
With a swift and fluid motion, the greenet scooped Jiro into his arms bridal-style. His body sparked with green lighting, and with a leap he jumped over the crowd and landed in front of the band member. "She plays the guitar!"
"Midoriya, what the fuck?" Jiro asked, embarrassed and horrified as she was held in his (strong) arms and placed right before the band member.
"Cool sparks! We gotta hire you to do our lightning from now on," Jonathan joked as the light died down.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to decline. I just wanted to say that I'm willing to bet everything that my friend Jiro here is the best guitarist you'll ever meet!"
"Midoriya, this isn't necessary—"
"She eats, sleeps, and breathes music! She plays loads of instruments and is always writing her own songs; she's on par with actual professionals!" he exclaimed, causing Jiro's face to turn more and more red. Jonathan pursed his lips and nodded.
"All right, you've convinced me. Would you mind following me for a sec?" he requested before walking through the doors. With a grin, Izuku followed, pulling Jiro along with him.
"C-convinced you of what?" Jiro asked, still trying to wrap her head around everything that had just occurred. She and Izuku continued following and came across another two security guards. They opened another set of doors for the three, allowing them to walk into a room, which housed several reclining chairs, a couch, a wall-mounted TV, and what looked like a makeup station.
"We've been traveling for a while now, and I've been trying to find someone as hamburgers about music, and more specifically the guitar, as I am. And—"
"Uh, excuse me? Did you just say 'hamburgers'?" Izuku asked, confused.
"Shit, did I?" Jonathan questioned before pulling out a small booklet and flipping it open. He let out a small 'ah' while smacking himself on the forehead. "I meant enthusiastic! I've been trying to find someone as enthusiastic about music, and more specifically the guitar, as I am. Sorry, I should've studied Japanese more before coming here," he apologized. "Anyway, no one has really stood out these past few shows, and the whole 'becoming a giant glow stick and jumping your friend over before gushing about her' has been the best display yet."
"Why have you been trying to look for someone enthusiastic about music?"
"So I can give them this."
Jonathan grabbed a guitar case from beside the couch and set it on the seats. He opened it, revealing an Ibanez Soundgear 6-String bass guitar. The head, body, and pick guard were pure black and littered with designs of white flames traveling upwards. "My very first guitar, the one I first started out with," he informed the two, causing Jiro to gasp in awe.
"You've used this guitar in 253 live performances, from the United States to Abu Dhabi to even Antarctica, and used it to stop a villain attack once at the place you were performing!" she listed off, and received surprised stares in return. "Uh, or so I've been told…"
'So she's secretly an adorable nerd? Talk about a plot twist,' Izuku thought to himself. "Why are you giving it away?" Izuku asked, confused. This was the rocker's first guitar after all; didn't it hold sentimental value or something?
"The old girl's done good by me, but it's time for new beginnings. I've gotten a new guitar and decided that it's better to give this one away instead of letting it collect dust in my house or some museum or to let some old rich person buy it and use it as a display piece." He spat bitterly at the last one. The guitarist still remembered that one time a CEO of an American pharmaceutical company had bought a one-of-a-kind hip hop album and used it as a coaster. "So, can I trust that you'll treat her right?" he questioned, causing Jiro to nod enthusiastically in return.
"I promise."
With that said and done, Jonathan signed the guitar and handed it to its new owner. Jiro took the case and hugged it against her chest, a wide, giddy smile forming. She looked just like a kid in a toy store. The case never left her grasp, not even when Mika came and picked them up before starting the drive back to Izuku's home. Thanking Mika for the drive and saying goodbye to Jiro, Izuku opened the door and started walking up to his apartment building.
"He got you tickets and backstage passes for a show you were dying to see, and helped you get an instrument from one of the band members? If that's not love, I don't know what is."
"Moooom," Jiro whined in embarrassment, face turning red. "Can you stop with that? You're lucky he can't hear you."
"You're right; maybe I should roll down my window and talk louder," Mika said, hand reaching for the window button before her daughter's earjack wrapped around her wrist. "I'm just trying to help."
"Embarrassing me isn't helping me."
"Kyoka, we both know there's probably others going after him. I'm just saying maybe a little kiss would help sweeten the deal and let him know you're interested."
"No thanks; once was embarrassing enough. I would literally die from embarrassment if you were here for another," Jiro said before freezing at what she had just said. The glint from her mother's glasses in the mirror didn't help calm her nerves.
"Once? Another?"
The car ride home was a fate worse than death, in Jiro's opinion.
Another date down, I love Izuku and Jiro so fucking much. Hope you enjoy!
Dm for server invite link!
See ya in chapter 22!