Their Hero Academia – Chapter 26: Izumi Todoroki and the Big Friendly Giant

One of the regular chores Class 1-A had was to keep the dorm panty and refrigerator stocked. Of course, some maintained their own personal supplies of foods, such as Toshi's protein bars or the teas that Izumi herself preferred, but they also kept a number of communal essentials. As such, regular trips to the store for groceries was required. This was nominally a task given to two students, selected from their chore rota.

By happenstance, this week the job fell to Chihiro Kaminari and Mika Mineta. However, prior to their leaving after spending the afternoon in training, Mister Aizawa had pulled Izumi aside and asked her to accompany them. He did not, to use his words, "trust them not to trade the grocery money for magic beans." Izumi thought this characterization a bit unfair. Chihiro tried very hard, despite occasionally making rather poor choices. Granted, those choices were often to listen to whatever scheme Mineta had come up with, but she supposed that Mineta could be quite convincing when she wished to.

The grocery store was… a unique experience. It was Izumi's first time in one, as her parents most often had their food delivered or otherwise dispatched some of the household servants to shop. Or at least she was reasonably certain it was delivered. Certainly, more food appeared in the refrigerators, freezers, and pantry at regular intervals, though she had never personally seen it arrive. She had occasionally accompanied her mother to the Donki-Oote, which apparently had "the best bargains on the planet." They would return with dozens of shopping bags and her father would simply regard it all with a small, possibly disappointed sigh. But that was a store where every square inch was filled with merchandise, all of it there to temp to you. The grocery store, at least, seemed somewhat more logical.

Currently, Chihiro was pushing the shopping cart through the frozen foods aisle, as Izumi consulted the shopping list they had been presented with. Mineta walked behind them, her hooves clicking on the tiles rhythmically. "Are we done yet?" she asked, whining. "This place is boring and packed with grannies. There aren't even any hot guys or girls!"

"We are about halfway through the list," Izumi told her, without looking back.

"Relax, Mika," Chihiro said, looking over her shoulder. "We'll stop by the magazine rack on our way out and you can get a copy of Teen Hero Beat. It's the issue where they rank the hottest up and coming Heroes."

"Wait, that's this week?!"

"How do you not know this?" Chihiro asked. "Don't you have, like, charts and calendars for everything even remotely sexy?"

"It's been a busy week!"

The banter between the two easy and light, and Izumi envied it. So different and less formal than what she had Chihiro had as friends, even though she was certain it was no less a friendship. But friendships and people did not come easily to Izumi, not with Chihiro, not with Toshi and the others, not even with Katsumi, who she counted as her dearest friend in all the world. People were strange and complicated and she did not always understand.

The clip-clop of Mineta's horns suddenly stopped and Izumi and Chihiro to see Mika transfixed by something in one of the freezer cases, which she grabbed and then proceeded to run up to them, excitedly. "We have to get this," she said, cradling the box to her chest.

"Is it on the list?" Izumi asked.

Mineta looked down and away. "Does it need to be?"

"Yes," she replied. "We've been given limited funds and cannot go over the budget. The list is very specific."

Mineta looked like she was going to cry, her big purple eyes getting watery. "But I neeeeeed it!" What on Earth could possibly have been that important? Especially here in frozen foods?

Chihiro let out an exasperated sigh. She crossed her arms and pointed one of her Cords at her friend. "Mika, what is it?"

Slowly, Mineta turned the box around so that they could see it. It was red and green and decorated with a cartoon apple with arms and a face. The apple appeared to be proudly presenting some kind of green… icicle?

"They're frozen apple pops!" Mineta said, excitedly. "I haven't seen these since the last time I was in America! I didn't even know they made these here! They're so good!"

Izumi honestly didn't know how to respond to that, but Chihiro burst out laughing. "That's what's got you so excited, Mika? Apple-flavored popsicles?"

Mineta pouted. "They're so much more than that. Granny used to buy them for me when we'd visit! They taste like… like... freedom!"

Perhaps these were the "magic beans" Aizawa had been referring to.

"You're ridiculous, Mika," Chihiro said, Cords drooping. "They'd probably melt by the time we got everything back anyway."

"Hello, we have our own built in ice maker!" Mineta said, pointing a finger at Izumi.

"Why do you not just buy them for yourself, Mineta?" Izumi asked. "I would still be happy to keep them cold if you did."

Mineta looked down. "I didn't bring that much money. If I buy these, I can't buy the magazine I want."

"Are they expensive?" Izumi asked. "They couldn't possibly cost more than ¥2000?"

This time, both girls laughed. Why, she did not know. For a brief moment, she flashed back to her younger days in school and the merciless teasing because she was so sickly and frail. "Did I… say something funny?"

"Sorry," Chihiro said, hanging on the cart for support. "I know we're all pretty well off, but I forget that you're, like, a whole other level of rich."

"You've basically got all the money, Todoroki," Mineta added.

It was true her family was very rich. The Yaoyorozu fortune combined with Todoroki money had made her family one of the wealthiest in Japan, if not the world. She tried not to take it for granted, but admitted there was much she probably did not understand.

"Then perhaps I should purchase this treasure," Izumi said. "So long as you plan to share." There was little harm in it. And it seemed to make Mineta happy. Which also had the long-term benefit of likely keeping her out of trouble.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Mineta threw her arms around Izumi and hugged her tight. "You're the best, Torodoki!"

"Mika!" Chihiro said. "Let her go so she can breathe!"

"Eeek!" Mineta said, as she released her. "Sorry!"

Izumi sucked in a few breaths. "It is fine," she said, then nodded. "Shall we continue?"

Mineta deposited her treat in the cart with the rest of the food and they continued on.

As she rounded the corner, Izumi impacted with a human shaped wall.

"Oh!" Izumu called out, trying to steady herself and regain her balance. "I am so sorry…" She looked up at the person she had bumped into. And up. And up.

They were tall, easily over two meters, broad-chested, with sandy brown hair, buzzed on one side. "Oh, forgive me, I wasn't looking…!" he said, and then his eyes fell on Izumi.

Instantly, his face broke into a broad grin. "Izzy!" He scooped Izzy up into his arms, holding her close as he spun her around. In spite of herself, she couldn't help but let out a rather girlish giggle.

"Shinji," she said, through her laugher, "Shinji, I am getting dizzy!"

Shinji Yoarashi simply laughed a great booming laugh as he put her down. "Sorry, I got carried away!" he said, though perhaps bellowed was the better term. One had to adjust for volume where Shinji was concerned. "Holy hurricanes! I haven't seen you in forever, Izzy! How have you been?! And Shota? And Katsumi?"

"I have been well," Izumi told him. "U.A. is challenging, but I am confident in my ability to succeed. Shota and Katsumi are also doing well. And you?"

"Shiketsu High, of course! Have to stand for Dad's old school! Rigorous! Intense! Challenging!" He struck a dynamic pose as he spoke.

"What are you doing here, then?" she asked. "That is on the other side of Japan."

"A few of us from my class are staying at a hotel in the city," Shinji explained. "Our rescue training facility is undergoing repairs, so your school offered us the USJ to train this week. I came here to pick up a few snacks, but seem to have gotten turned around."

"This place can be very confusing," she agreed.

To the side, she saw Mineta elbow Chihiro. "…Did you know Todoroki knew somebody that hot?"

Chihiro shrugged. "I… think I've seen some pictures of him and Izumi with Shinso and Kirishima-Bakugo, maybe met him… once, twice? When we were little and Izumi was sick. But not in a long time. Which I'm now regretting."

"Okay, in that case, I forgive you for not telling me about him."

"You can't forgive me for not telling you something I barely knew!"

"Fine, then I won't forgive you!"

"Ugh! Why are you like this?"

"I'm charming and you know it!"

"Yeah, well, I saw him fist!"

"I totally called dibs!"

"You did not!"

Izumi's eyes felt like ping-pong balls as she followed the argument back and forth. "Friends of yours, Izzy?" Shinji asked, chuckling.

Where were her manners? "Yes," she said. "These are Chihiro Kaminari and Mika Mineta. Chihiro, Mineta, this is an old friend of mine, Shinji Yoarashi."

Shinji was, of course, the son of her father's friend, Inasa Yorashi, the hero known as Gale Force, and like his father, he commanded the winds. Though she did occasionally wonder if the friendship was a bit one-sided. Certainly, Mister Yorashi seemed happier to see her father than her father was to see him at times, but that may have simply been attributable to their personalities. Her father was quite reserved and the Yorashis were… not.

Shinji took a deep bow. "A pleasure to meet you, ladies! Any friends of Izzy are friends of mine!"

Mineta gave Chihiro a slight shove back, stepping closer to Shinji. Even considering her hooved-feet, she was walking somewhat strangely, in a manner that exaggerated the movement of her hips. She stopped when she got closer to Shinji and thrust her chest out.

"Well, aren't you a fine hunk of a man," Mineta said, looking him up and down. "You see anything you like, Big Boy?"

Was this… flirting? Mineta did that kind of thing so often, it was difficult to tell. Izumi didn't claim to understand her at all, though Chihiro often insisted she wasn't quite as bad as she acted. Izumi could admit, however, that Shinji was very aesthetically pleasing.

"Mineta," she began softly, "I don't think you…"

And then, to her surprise, Shinji reacted to Mineta in a way she had never seen anyone do before. He smiled, his eyes dancing over her form. "Suffering Cyclones!" he said. "You are hot! I see quite a bit that I like!"

Mineta suddenly froze where she stood, unmoving. Shinji waved a hand in front of her face. "Is she all right?" he asked.

"I think," Chihiro said, "I think you broke her. She's never had to think this far ahead before." She prodded Mineta with her left Cord, before giving her a small shock.

Mineta let out a small cry of surprise. "Sorry," she said, "went away for a little while there. Got distracted by the hotness." She pulled out her phone. "I'm gonna need your contact details. Because I think we've got a kindred spirit thing going on here."

"I would be happy to give you my number!" Shinji said. "I must say, I am impressed by your forwardness!"

Izumi felt a slight tug on her arm and turned to see that Chihiro had returned to the cart. "Might as well let finish up," she said. "I get the feeling they're gonna be a while." She rolled her eyes. "I think she's finally met her match."

Izumi allowed herself to be tugged along. It was rude to leave without saying anything, but given how deep in conversation they were, she doubted the two would have noticed their absence.

"So, seriously, Izumi," Chihiro said, as she put a couple of boxes of pasta into the cart, "you and the big guy, you got history?"

Izumi nodded. "We're very good friends, Chihiro. Shinji and I go back quite far. You and he simply never had the opportunity to meet. Shota and Katsumi know him well though."

Her friend nodded. "I can see him and Shinso getting along real well. Kirishima-Bakugo… probably not so much."

That did get a small chuckle out of her. "Well…" she admitted. "Katsumi is who she is and Shinji is who he is. Though she has threatened to explode him on more than one occasion. Especially after one of his surprise hugs."

"This is my completely not surprised face," Chihiro said. "You two ever, ah, date?"

She shook her head. "He took me to a middle school dance once, but that is all."

"Guess that's all right," Chihiro said. "But that is one fantastic looking guy. And if it doesn't work out with him and Mika, you'll give me his number, right?"

"I do not see why not." Izumi was grateful for the lack of further follow-up questions on the dating issue. Though she had confessed her lack of sexual or romantic attraction to Katsumi not long ago, it was not a conversation she wished to have again and again with her friends. She was not ashamed, nor did she feel the need to hide it, but neither did she feel the need to lay herself bare like that in front of everyone at any moment.

Still, Shinji did make her smile. Where Katsumi was her dearest friend and her protector, Shinji had always been the one to make her laugh, to make her smile. Whether that was spinning through the air like a tornado, taking her for a flight around the backyard, or telling her of the adventures they'd one day have as Heroes, he always tried to buoy her spirits. Like Katsumi, he was loud and his own variety of explosive. But where hers was often born of anger, his was born of amusement and excitement, quick with a laugh and cheer.

When she was small and did not yet understand the concepts of attraction or infatuation (not that she could truly say she understood them now), she had understood that marriage was something you did when you found someone you always wanted to spent time with. She had thought she might marry him. That had passed, but he was still a dear, dear friend.

Chihiro added a couple of jars of pasta sauce to the cart, then resumed pushing it. Izzy checked off the items on the list. "It looks like we still need coffee and some vegetables," she said. "And Katsumi has requested peppers."

Chihiro went a little pale. "She's gonna make Inferno Curry again, isn't she?"

"I've never really understood that name," Izumi said. "It's really not that hot."

Extension Cords pointed sharply at Izumi as Chihiro spoke. "You self-regulate your own temperature. You don't get to decide what is or isn't hot. Or cold for that matter. Learned that one before. Never challenging you to an ice cream eating contest again."

At that, Izumi smiled. "The stomach ache was still worth it though."

"…yeah, it was."

"Hey!" Mineta's voice rang out from behind them. "Look how strong he is!"

Izumi turned and found that Mineta was sitting on Shinji's shoulder, supported by his bicep as they walked up behind them. Shinji, for his part, didn't seem to be showing any strain. She wasn't surprised; he'd always been quite strong, one of the few people without a strength-enhancing Quirk other than Toshi who could successfully arm-wrestle Katsumi.

He set her down. "She didn't think I could do it!" Shinji said, letting out a laugh. "But I proved her wrong!"

"You sure did, Big Boy," Mineta said, patting a hand against his broad chest. Izumi noticed her hand stayed there for several long seconds.

"Your friend is delightful, Izzy!" Shinji added. Chihiro started to laugh, but stopped herself, ending up coughing instead. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, fine," Chihiro insisted. "I'm fine."

"We're gonna have a lot of groceries," Mineta said. "Think a big, strong guy like you could help us carry them back to the dorm, Yoarashi?"

"I would be delighted to lend my muscles to your cause!"

As they returned to the dorm (securing a pass for Shinji had been easy enough, after the security system had scanned his Shiketsu ID), Izumi reflected that today had been a good day. Spending time in the company of friends, getting out of the school for a little while… she had even shopped at a grocery store! It also meant that had had time not to dwell on the upcoming Sports Festival.

Even two weeks into school, even with having sat out several days for Quirk exhaustion, her stamina had improved by leaps and bounds. She would need to file the proper paperwork for the regulator equipment from her costume, but if she could use that during the Sports Festival, then she believed she would do well enough. Her actions would have to be careful and measured, but that was how she preferred to act anyway. She knew that her parents believed in her, wanted the best for her. But she felt that if she could make a good showing there… maybe they would be a little less worried about her pursuing the path of a Hero.

Maybe she'd worry a little less about it too.

The Common Room was sparsely occupied by the time they entered it. Asuka sat at one of the tables, with Shota, going over some kind of their homework, while Katsumi sat on one of the couches, feet on the coffee table in front of it, one of their literature books in her hands. Everyone else was presumably in their rooms or otherwise occupied.

"We're back!" Mineta called out, as they set their groceries down on the kitchen counters. "And we brought a friend! But don't try hitting on him, because I already called dibs!"

"You hit on everyone, Horse-Girl," Katsumi said, without looking up. "Leave me out of it."

"Katsumi!" Shinji called out.

"Shinji!" Shota piped up, recognizing his friend's voice.

"Shota!" Shinji returned, laughing again.

"Oh, hell, no," Katsumi said. With incredible speed, she launched herself up off the couch and towards the stairs. She was not quick enough, however, to avoid Shinji, who scooped her up in a bear hug.

Shota left Asuka behind to join them. "Me next, do me next!"

"Oh, it is good to see you two!" Shinji boomed. "I have missed you!"

"Me too!" Shota said.

"Put me down, you overgrown whirlwind!" Katsumi said, struggling to break free. "I'll blow you damn head off!"

Shinji put her down, still laughing. "Still as funny as ever, Katsumi!"

"I'll show you funny…"

Izumi quickly decided to intervene. "I think Katsumi has homework to be doing," she said. "Perhaps we should not keep her?"

Katsumi shot her a grateful look. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, Izz. …I'm watching you, Windy." She quickly returned to the table to grab her book and this time successfully made it to the stairs.

"C'mon," Chihiro said. "We need to get these groceries put away. And then we need you to tell us alllll about how you know Kirishima-Bakugo, Yorashi."

"Oh, yeah,this I gotta hear," Mineta added.

All the better Katsumi had beat a rather hasty retreat… if she had stayed, violence would have likely followed. As it was, a little trip down memory lane with a good friend would do no harm. Time to look back, even as they began to look forward.