A/N: Chapter 2 of 4! Reminder, small shout-out/cameo for xstelealiniax and her Bakugo/OC fic~ Check it out and enjoy the rest of this fluff!

How to Know if You Have a Crush

"HOW THE HELL WOULD I KNOW?!"

Eijiro held his hands up as Katsuki's temples throbbed furiously. He narrowly dodged a shoe that was thrown at him. "I don't know, man! I just thought you might have some advice."

"WELL I DON'T."

They were in Katsuki's room. The raging blond sat cross legged on his bed, brow twitching with barely contained rage. Eijiro was leaning against his door, looking exasperated. And now there was a shoe print on the wall next to his head.

"Come on, Katsuki, I figured out of all the guys here, you'd know the most about having a crush on someone."

"The hell did you say to me?" Katsuki snarled.

"Aren't you and Aisla dating?" He could have sworn… That little blonde transfer-student definitely clung to him whenever she got the chance.

"NO, WE'RE NOT A COUPLE, DAMMIT!" He grinded his teeth. "I don't give a shit about stuff like that! All I care about is becoming the number one hero! I don't have time for that cutesie crap. And neither do you, dammit!"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a pro and having a personal life," Eijiro pointed out. "Lots of pros have families. Some are even married to each other." He flushed a little. "Not that I'm thinking about having a family or anything… I'm just saying, I don't think sorting out my feelings is a matter of life or death."

"It's a matter of life or death because if you keep talking about it, I'LL FREAKING KILL YOU."

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll ask someone else. I'm pretty sure Midoriya has a thing for Uraraka." All he wanted was to know what it felt like to like someone. Was that what he felt toward Kanzashi? How could he be sure? "Thanks anyway."

He had turned and unlatched the door when Katsuki called to him.

"Hey, Kirishima." His voice was surprisingly calm. "If you have to go around asking everyone, then you already know what you want to hear. And that means you already know the answer to your stupid question."

Eijiro considered his words for a long moment, trying to make sense of one of the rare moments of Bakugo wisdom. Finally, a grin settled on his features. "Yeah, I get what you mean. Thanks man."

"Get the hell out of my room."

He laughed, then finally left the other boy's room. Already, he felt like a weight had lifted from his shoulders. "I guess it really is that simple," he mused. He really had been waiting for someone to confirm what he already knew. That he kind of liked Kanzashi. Whatever that meant, anyway.

He turned to retire to his own bedroom but stopped in his tracks when he saw Kaminari and Mineta leaning against his door. Each had one foot kicked up and a pair of black sunglasses donned on their noses.

"So…" Mineta said, adjusting the glasses so he could give Eijiro a meaningful look. "How was tutoring, Kirishima?"

"Yeah, why don't you fill us in, buddy?" Kaminari said, as equally sinister.

"It was cool," he shrugged. "Is there a reason you're blocking my door?"

"Oh Kirishima, you naive soul," Mineta tsk'd. "You know why we're here."

"We saw you outside," Kaminari smirked, "with your hand all tangled up in that second-year's hair."

Eijiro scratched the back of his head, awkwardly. "Oh, that… we were just talking."

"Did you make it to first base?" Mineta asked, his eyes flashing with anger. "Tell us the truth."

"Dude, we were just talking."

"Second base then…" Kaminari scowled.

"We just wanted you to know that we don't appreciate you breaking the bro code."

"Yeah, how is it fair that you get to be the first one of all of us to get handsy with a girl?" Kaminari crossed his arms. "You could have at least introduced us to her cute friends."

Eijiro gave an awkward laugh. "I already told you guys— "

"It's not like that," they interrupted, simultaneously.

"That's what they all say," Mineta seethed. "Before their souls get devoured by the black abysses of those seductress sweethearts."

"Yeah, what he said," Kaminari nodded seriously.

"What we're saying is, we might be able to forgive you… on one condition."

"Guys, come on, I need to shower."

"So that's what the kids are calling it these days," Kaminari's eyebrows waggled.

"Our condition is this!" Mineta held an arm out wide. "We'll leave you alone about your hottie girlfriend, if you promise to give us a topless photo of her."

This declaration was followed immediately by a knee to the little pervert's throat.

"Whoops, sorry, Mineta!" Eijiro grinned. "Just trying to get to my room."

Mineta threw himself dramatically on his hands and knees, tears falling onto the floor. "It's betrayal then… Now I see what kind of man you are!"

Kaminari stepped aside to let Eijiro access his bedroom. "Hey, you know we're just messing with you, right?"

"Yeah, we're cool." Eijiro patted him on the shoulder before finally retreating inside. He huffed before collapsing on his bed. He felt exhausted. It was like he'd been training all day. He rolled onto his side and pulled his pillow over his head.

Second base? I don't even know what the bases are! Stupid Kaminari and Mineta. It's not like me and Kanzashi are together. And I can't think about stuff like topless photos, that's seriously so uncool and disrespectful. I just want to talk to her more, that's all. I just…

He pulled the pillow off and stared up at his ceiling, heart hammering in his chest.

I just… like her.

For the first time ever, Hana was the first person to the classroom door when the bell rang. She'd already packed her bag and had been bouncing on her toes for the past half hour, hardly listening to anything 13 was teaching.

She slipped into the hall, only to be stopped by the voice of one of her friends.

"Hana!" Her friend Shibuya grabbed her by the wrist. "Hold on!"

"Yeah, where are you running off to?" Another girl, Tondi, asked.

She'd been friends with both of them throughout middle school and high school. Shibuya was tall, with black hair and a quirk that made her transform into a mouse. Tondi's quirk was "arachnid" which gave her eight eyes that could look in multiple directions, and a whole lot of other creepy spider attributes.

"Do you wanna go shopping with us?" Shibuya asked. "We got permission to leave campus, as long as a pro hero goes with us! We can finally get those matching swimming suits!"

Hana smiled but shook her head. "Sorry, I can't."

"Aw, why not?" Tondi's eyes all looked pitifully at her.

"You know the puppy dog expression doesn't work when you look like a spider, right?" Shibuya jabbed her with an elbow.

"I'm tutoring again today," Hana explained.

"Seriously?" Tondi crossed her arms. "But Miss Thirteen said you only have to go to that stupid study hall Monday through Wednesday!"

"Well, yeah, but… I promised this boy that I'd tutor him until he gets a B on his math test. I can't just back down now."

Shibuya frowned. "Hana, I thought you didn't like Class 1-A. Why are you going out of your way like this?"

Hana looked away, toying with the ribbon at the end of her braid.

"You don't actually like that kid, do you?" Tondi asked, haughtily. "He's a first-year. Basically, a baby."

"He's not a kid," Hana snapped, defensively. "He's… really mature, actually…" her sentence devolved into muttering.

"You totally do like him!" Shibuya gasped. "That's why your hair has been so extra light and shiny lately! Because you're super happy!"

"And why it turns pink randomly in class when she's spacing out," Tondi helpfully added. She winked. Well… three of her eyes winked. "What are you thinking about when you're supposed to be learning grammar, Hana?"

Hana turned sharply on her heels to hide her blush. Of course, it did little to hide her pink hair. "Can you guys leave me alone now? I don't want to… you know, make him wait forever."

Shibuya put her arms around Tondi. "Look at her," she sobbed. "Our little Hana-chan is growing up! She'll have a husband and thirty-three babies in no time!"

Hana's temple pulsed.

"We support you, Hana! Even if you are a cradle robber!" Tondi said. "Try not to corrupt his boyish innocence." She giggled.

"You guys are impossible!" Hana blushed furiously. "Go shopping, already!"

"Okay, but… do you want us to pick you out a swimming suit?" Shibuya asked. "We can get you something super cute. Maybe something red~"

"No, you can't," Hana huffed. "There's a school dress code, dummies. Now, I'm leaving."

They finally let her go, though they were giggling the entire time.

Hana stopped around the corner and took a few deep breaths. She was trying to make her hair lose its ridiculous pink color before she walked into her tutoring session, but it wasn't much use.

Finally, she went to the study hall. She'd been hoping to beat Kirishima there this time, but of course her friends had taken up too much of her time. He was already seated at their usual table, spinning his pencil on the table instead of doing his homework.

Of course, she giggled to herself.

He jumped to his feet the moment she walked through the door. And, for the fourth time this week, he knocked his chair over with the sudden movement.

"Kanzashi!" he said, his face lighting up in a way that made joy spread through her body. "You're here!"

"Of course," she said. "I am your tutor, after all." She sat her stuff down on the table. "Why do you always jump up when I come into the room?" she asked, as he fixed his chair.

"Well…" he thought about this, way more seriously than she expected him to. "I guess because seeing you makes me happy, and I don't know what to do with all that extra energy."

This bold, straightforward answer took her completely off-guard. She cursed silently as she watched a fly-away hair blaze bright pink.

He's so… honest. And really straightforward. She remembered the way he'd reached out and grabbed her braid without warning, and the way he so abruptly asked about her quirk. I like that…

She sat down, choosing not to acknowledge what he'd said. "How did you do on your test today?"

"You won't believe it!" he said, excitedly. "I got a B plus!" He gave a sharp-toothed grin, chest puffed with pride.

"Wow, that's amazing, Kirishima!" She felt pride swell in her chest too. "I knew you could do it!"

"Only because you helped me out," he said, getting sheepish. "I'm not the smartest guy, but… you're a really good teacher, Kanzashi."

She felt warmth spread through her, all the way to the tips of her fingers. "Hm…" she looked away with a quiet laugh. "I guess you don't need a tutor anymore, then."

His red eyes went wide, pupils contracting with the realization. Then, he scooted his chair next to hers and smiled even wider. "No way. We're on a roll. I say we keep at it until I have an A in the class. Then you can help me with grammar, too."

"I'm not any good with writing and grammar," she said.

"Alright, then I'll tutor you!"

She held her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing out loud. "Okay, Kirishima. Let's get to work."

She continued where they'd left off with his extra assignments. She noted passively that he really had gotten better at the material. She could tell he struggled, but he found a way to power through every question, sometimes several times until he got it right.

Yesterday, he'd been the one who seemed distracted. She'd noticed the way he was fidgeting and not making sense of the lesson. But today… she had a feeling that she was the problem.

She had already read a question wrong, skipped a page in the textbook, and gave him the wrong formula for an equation.

He's just some little first-year wannabe hero, she chided herself. But there was no passion in the thought, no strength to it at all. His grade, age, class, hero status… none of that felt important right now.

She kept thinking about how he'd reacted to her quirk. How he'd touched her hair and marveled at the ribbon she'd made. And she kept thinking about how he admitted to her that he dyed his hair. She kept glancing over, trying to imagine him with black hair instead of red.

That would be so cute, she thought. And then she started wondering what his hair would look like down, without all the gel slathered into it. And the thought made her feel so lightheaded that she completely spaced out as she was writing a question on the paper for him to answer.

"I don't think that's right, Kanzashi." He pointed out the problem.

"O-oh. You're right, sorry." She reached for the eraser that sat between them. She moved so quickly, so eager to look like she had it all together, that she didn't realize he was reaching too.

They reached out at the same time. He grabbed the eraser, and she touched the back of his hand. She felt like a shock had jolted from his body, straight through their hands and into her chest. They locked eyes for a moment, and she saw the excitement and nervousness exploding in his red irises, and the hot red blush that touched his cheeks.

"S-Sorry," he said, through a sharp inhale. "I was just trying to help."

"It's okay," she said. Then, suddenly, and to her complete horror, she squeezed the back of his hand reassuringly. She had no idea why, or what she was thinking. She just… didn't want to let go yet…

Embarrassment shot through her instantly. She pulled her hand back and looked away, all too aware of the fact that her entire head of hair must be glowing pink now. She was so embarrassed that she couldn't even look in his direction.

Am I crazy? Why did I do that?! What is he thinking?! What am *I* thinking?! I'm his tutor!

"Kanzashi!" he said, shocked.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hold your hand like that, I just— "

"You're still wearing that ribbon from yesterday!"

"Huh?" She blinked, then turned to look at him. Her braid was in his hands again, and he was stroking the silk of the pink ribbon, his eyes dazzling with wonder. "H-hey!" She pulled her braid away from him. "Of course, I'm wearing it! I made it, didn't I?"

"I'm glad," he said, face beaming with delight so powerful that it should have been illegal. "You look so pretty."

She buried her face in her hands as a shiver of pleasure spread through her body. "Kirishima, you can't just say things like that! You're too bold!"

"Am I?" He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I guess you're right. I kind of just say whatever's on my mind. I mean it though, Kanzashi. I think you're super cool and super cute."

She closed the textbook with a loud thud, then cleared her throat. "I think that's enough for today."

"What? Already?! Aw man…" The pout on his lips was pronounced.

"We can finish up tomorrow, okay? I need… a break."

"Alright," he shrugged, then started to put away her belongings for her. She watched in amazement as he organized her textbooks back into her bag exactly the way she liked them and put her pencil case in the zipper where it belonged. "Will you at least let me walk you to your dorm?"

"You're such a gentleman," she said, softly. "Fine, but… just don't say anything weird." She wasn't sure if her heart, or hair, could take any more of it. She was starting to doubt her natural hair color. Maybe it had been pink all along.

So, he walked with her, hands in his pockets and whistling the whole time. He was so carefree and seemed to exude so much positivity and happiness that it was contagious. Around him, she forgot about her frustration with Class 1-A, and even about her parents and their strained relationship. Around Eijiro Kirishima, Hana thought that anything was possible, that joy was possible.

You totally *do* like him!

As she waved goodnight and walked into her dorm, Shibuya's words repeated over and over again.

Maybe I do, she thought, trying to contain the stupid smile that spread across her cheeks. It wasn't anything serious, of course. They hardly knew each other. It wasn't like they were going to get married and have thirty-three babies or whatever her friends were saying earlier. It was simple.

I just… like him.

"Hey, Kirishima, what's up?"

Ashido stood in her doorway, panting slightly. He could tell by looking at her that she'd just been practicing her dance routine for the school festival. Music was still playing in the background.

"Can I come in?" Eijiro asked.

"Into my room? Alone?" She raised an eyebrow. "People are gonna get ideas, you know."

"Nah, we're friends."

She responded with a wide grin. "You're right about that~" She opened her door wide and let him in.

She hopped over to her radio and turned the music off while Eijiro sat on the edge of her bed. She took a seat on the rug, crossed her legs, and leaned forward. Her pink face was alight with a wide grin and her body shook with barely contained excitement.

"So, I was wondering—" he started.

"Hold up!" She held her hand out to silence him. "Let me guess! You've come to terms with your feelings for Kanzashi and realized that you're totally, madly in love with her, and now you're here to ask for advice on how to ask her out~ Tell me I'm right!"

He grimaced, then let out an awkward laugh. "I mean 'love' is sort of a strong word, but… more or less. How'd you know?"

"Eijiro, Eijiro, Eijiro." She nodded her head, seriously. "I've known you forever, we're basically like peas in a pod! I can read you like an open book and I knew it was just a matter of time before this happened. Ah, they grow up so fast!"

"I'd have asked Bakugo for help, but he's still in denial." Eijiro chuckled. "And you're a girl, so I thought you'd be more helpful. I… I don't want to ask her out… not yet, anyway. Cuz I don't know if she feels the same way, you know?"

"Does she get super blushy around you? Giggle? Act totally interested in everything you say?!"

"Um… I guess? It seems like… she's pretty happy when we talk."

"Mhm, mhm," she nodded her head vigorously. "Tell me more, loverboy."

"I don't know anything about this stuff, so I don't even know what to tell. She…" he thought about it. "She gets embarrassed when I tell her she's pretty. And she held my hand! Well, sort of."

"Okay, so she's at least interested," Ashido said.

"You think so?" He felt some heat touch his cheeks.

"I haven't seen her with you, so I wouldn't know for sure, but… you want to tell her how you feel, right?"

He nodded. "Even if she doesn't like me back. I just have to get it off my chest. I'm not the kind of guy who keeps secrets."

"Honest and genuine to a fault," Ashido sighed. She cocked her head, then leaned back on her palms. "So, you know for sure that you like her?"

He swallowed hard. "Yeah. I'm sure. I feel different around her than with any other girl. And thinking about her makes me smile every time. Maybe that sounds cheesy, but I can't help it."

Ashido's smile was gentle. "Okay, so what you have to decide next is what you want from your newfound feelings."

"What I… want?" He scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah! You know that you like her, that's the first step." She held up her finger. "But what does that mean to you? Some people just like the chase, y'know? They like the feeling of liking someone, but don't really want to do anything about it because then it's not fun anymore." She twirled pink hair around her fingers. "Other people just like the drama. Those are usually the kind of people who fall in love with their best friend's boyfriend or with someone who's just totally not compatible with them." She winked at him. "And some people want to make something real out of it. Like, do you want to be her boyfriend?"

He considered this, brows furrowed and cheeks red. "I-I wasn't thinking that far ahead. I just… I don't know. I think she's cool. I want to spend time with her, outside of tutoring and get to know her better. That's all."

"And theeeen be her boyfriend?" Ashido teased.

"You know me, Ashido. I'm more of a present moment kind of guy. I'm not thinking about that yet."

"Ugh, you're so simpleminded that it's boring sometimes." She sighed. Then, she closed her eyes for a long moment and smiled at the ceiling. "Honestly, Kirishima? Everything you just said to me about thinking she's cool and wanting to get to know her… I think that's exactly what you should tell her."

"Really?" He gripped her comforter tightly. "You don't think that's lame?"

"No, I don't." She stood up and stretched before putting her hands behind her back and twirling. "Most people overthink this stuff. But you really are simpleminded."

"I came here for advice, not insults," he pointed out, but there was humor in his tone, not offense.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said, softly. "I mean, you're such a straightforward person. You know what you want, and you're not going to muddle it up with a bunch of useless sentiments or acts of grandeur."

"With what?" Maybe he did need grammar and language tutoring after all.

"All girls really want is to know that they're wanted for who they are. Actually… I think that's what anyone really wants from a relationship. If you tell Kanzashi that you like her and want to get to know her better, it's going to make her really happy. Just say it in your good ole Kirishima way~"

"Okay, so… just tell her I like her and want to hang out! That sounds pretty easy."

Ashido nodded, then looked out her window, her gaze growing unfocused. "You know, I'm pretty jealous of Kanzashi." She looked at him again, smile gentle. "You're pretty much the perfect guy, Kirishima. She's lucky that you're the one chasing after her."

He looked away, embarrassed. "I'm not that great, but thanks anyway. It means a lot, coming from you."

Ashido grinned. "If she turns you down, then I get you, 'kay?"

He laughed before hopping to his feet. "I don't really want to think about getting turned down."

She turned her music back on as he walked to the door. "You know what you want, buddy. Now, you just have to go out there and get it!"

"Alright! I'm gonna do it tomorrow! Thanks, Ashido!"

With that, he left, feeling better than before. Determination coursed through his veins, increasing the high he already felt after spending the tutoring session with Kanzashi.

Tomorrow… I'll tell her how I feel, and if she feels the same way, then maybe we can hang out this weekend.

Maybe it was simpleminded, or whatever, but… Ashido was right. It was what he wanted.

The thought of talking to Kanzashi again made him so happy that he felt invincible as he walked through the halls. It was like he had activated his Unbreakable special ability and no one, and nothing could bring him down.

Morning sunlight beamed down on U.A. High. First period had ended, and students scrambled in the halls, desperate to get to their classes.

Hana hardly noticed the morning rush. Normally, she was someone who obsessed about good grades and punctuality, but there she was, meandering slowly through the building, drawing invisible patterns on the wall, and fussing with the pink ribbon in her hair.

I'm acting like a love-struck preteen. Over some first-year boy I started talking to a week ago? Pathetic, honestly.

And yet… she couldn't stop smiling.

"Heyyyy, bubblegum, whatcha thinking about?" Tondi came up from behind and poked her cheek.

"Bubblegum?" Hana blinked, drawn out of her thoughts.

"She's talking about your bubblegum pink hair," Shibuya's voice added. "Really, you might as well dye it that color so that it's less obvious when you're thinking about Kirishima."

Hana blushed, then quickly broke eye contact with the other girl.

"Oh, Rapunzel~" Tondi danced around her, eyes glittering. "Let down your bubblegum pink hair to your hero~"

"Rapunzel and Red Riot kind of has a nice ring to it, honestly," Shibuya teased.

"You guys are so stupid." Hana gave an exasperated sigh.

"Wait, it's Friday!" Tondi said, suddenly. "It's the last day of tutoring sessions! You're not still going to tutor him next week, are you?"

"He doesn't need it, so no."

It was true. Kirishima had already caught up in his math classes and had enough understanding of the subject matter to easily ace his next test. He was still taking extra classes provided by the school for work study students, too. Tutoring was meant to be a supplement for the students who had fallen too far behind and weren't able to complete the extra class material. But Kirishima had never been too bad off, even in the beginning. He just needed a little bit of an extra push to put him on the same level as his classmates.

"Wait, so that's it then?" Shibuya took a quick step in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. Hana looked up as her black hair whipped through the air and her thin face froze in an expression of concern. "Just a fleeting, week-long romance? The passing of ships? The moon chasing the sun?"

Shibuya had a propensity toward fussing over her friends like a concerned big sister. Plus, she was a romantic. Too many late nights in her mouse form scurrying across Shakespearean tragedies.

"Boo, I was having fun teasing you, Hana-chan," Tondi pouted. If Shibuya was the big sister, Tondi was the bratty youngest child. Everything was a game to her.

And Hana was the level-headed middle child, who did her best to stay out of the drama of her meddlesome friends.

"Relax, guys…" Hana smiled, fondness touching her as she looked at her two best friends. "I'm not being a boring old spinstress." She looked down at her braid, thumb stroking the silk ribbon as she smiled softly in thought. "In fact… well… I thought that maybe, since he won't be doing tutoring anymore, then we could possibly…" she trailed off.

"Oh my god are you going to elope?!" Shibuya gasped.

Hana groaned.

"They can't elope, he's like sixteen!" Tondi exclaimed. "And she so cannot elope until I've at least had my first kiss!"

Hana sighed loudly. "We're not eloping. I just thought that maybe we could… start hanging out a little… every now and then. I don't even know him, really, so it would be nice to… talk more."

"Hana…" suddenly, both of them were squeezing her tightly between them. "You're so cute!"

"So innocent," Shibuya sobbed.

"So pure!" Tondi agreed.

"Girls," a male voice suddenly called out, making them all freeze. They turned to see Pro-Hero Powerloader standing across the hall with his hands on his hips. "Shouldn't you be getting to class now?"

"R-Right! Sorry, sir!" They released Hana at once.

Hana giggled quietly. "So ridiculous…" She followed behind them, quickly and easily falling back into her earlier thoughts. They'd only walked a few more feet though before Shibuya and Tondi stopped suddenly. Hana smacked into the back of them. "Hey, what's—"

She froze.

Shibuya and Tondi looked at the person standing at the far end of the hall, then at Hana, and finally at each other.

"Um… I'm so dumb, I forgot my pencil case in first hour!" Tondi exclaimed. "Can you come with me to find it, Shibuya?"

"Yeah, definitely! See you in class, Hana!"

The two girls parted around her, escaping back down the hall and out of the line of sight between Hana… and Mirio Togata.

Hana was sure that her heart had stopped beating. She blinked several times, just to be sure she was seeing him right, but with every blink, her vision just got blurrier. It was then that she realized she was already starting to cry. Her hair had instantly drained of the bubblegum pink and was now as dark blue as the depths of the sea. "M-Mirio…"

He gave an awkward chuckle, still smiling despite everything. Always smiling. "Hey Kinuchan. It's been a minute, hasn't it?"

In the next moment, she tossed down her bag, darted the rest of the way down the hall, and threw herself against his chest. She was sobbing, tears staining the shirt he wore. The shirt that was not the U.A. High uniform, since he wasn't currently taking classes.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally wrapped his arms around her in response. "There, there, little Kinu." He patted the back of her head, his voice gentle. "I'm okay, see?"

"When I heard about what happened to you, I…" She sobbed violently, clinging onto him with the desperation of a wounded animal. "Mirio, I'm so, so sorry!"

"What the heck are you sorry for?" He laughed, then leaned back to look at her. Nothing on his face reflected the tragedy or trauma that he'd endured.

"Y-Your costume," she sobbed. "I made it for you. I designed it and weaved it out of your hair and—"

"And it's totally awesome!" He grinned. "I kinda figured I'd be fighting crime naked my whole life until you came along!"

"That's not the point." She looked up at him, silver eyes wavering with all the guilt and sorrow she'd felt since the Hassaikai mission had ended and she heard about what had happened. "I'm no good at creating armor. The costume has no defensive qualities at all. It was just weak fabric that couldn't protect you when it counted. It's my fault you lost your quirk!"

Mirio looked seriously at her, his smile turning gentle. "That's just not true, silly. You know me! I never wanted heavy armor anyway cuz I like moving fast! The truth is, I would have gotten hurt no matter what I was wearing, because our enemy was just crazy strong! And actually, I wanted to ask if you'd do me a solid and repair my Lemillion suit when you have the chance. One day, I wanna be able to wear it again, once I get my quirk back! Think you can do that for me, Kinuchan?"

She stared up at him, blinking through tears. "You… really think you're going to get your quirk back?"

"Sure, why not?" He laughed. "And even if I don't, I'll find another way to make my dream come true. So, no matter what happens, I want to be able to wear little Kinuchan's costume that she made for me. I mean, don't you remember what you said to me when we were kids?"

Hana recalled her childhood. She and Mirio were never best friends, not like him and Tamaki. But they were neighbors and their families got along, so she'd seen a lot of him growing up. She still remembered it like it was yesterday, seeing that blond haired kid standing proudly on the playground slide and declaring that he was going to be a hero.

"'If you're gonna be a hero, you're gonna need the coolest costume ever,'" he said, repeating those words from long ago. "Then you cut up one of your dad's t-shirts and bobby-pinned a cape to it for me! And that was my first ever hero costume!"

Finally, Hana smiled too.

"There it is," Mirio grinned. He poked her cheek, making her grin widen. "There's my happy little neighbor!"

Relief burst inside of her. She'd been holding onto that guilt for so long… But Mirio had a way of making everything seem like it was going to be okay in the end. Already, the blue in her hair was fading away to be replaced with bright, shining blonde once more.

"You're gonna be late for class, kiddo." He gave her one last tight squeeze before releasing her.

"Wait, you're not attending classes right now, so why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm still allowed to visit sometimes, and I wanted to see my pals Tamaki and Nejire! To be honest, I wanted to pay you a visit too because I figured you'd be beating yourself up. But there's no need to worry about me!"

She nodded, beaming brightly at him now. "Okay."

"Later, Kinuchan!" He gave her a wave. "Oh, and hey! I like that ribbon in your hair! It looks pretty cute!"

She blushed, immediately thinking about the other night with Kirishima. She cleared her throat before waving back. "Bye, Mirio!"

She stood in the hallway for another long moment, letting the conversation settle in her mind. Then, at last, she turned around to make a sprint for her next period. As she did so, she thought… she could have sworn… that for the briefest moment, she saw Kirishima there, stepping around the corner. But when she ran to the end of the hall and turned, the hall was empty of all but a few last-minute stragglers.

Great, I'm even imagining him everywhere I go. Ugh, Shibuya's totally getting to me.

She shrugged, then bolted to her class, barely making it there as the final bell tolled.

Hana spent the rest of the day eagerly awaiting the day's end. Her chest was full of butterflies and she couldn't sit still in any of her classes. She wasn't a brave person, so she had no idea how to pose her question to Kirishima during tutoring.

The answer is 'B squared minus 3C,' by the way, do you want to hang out this weekend?

And do what, she wondered.

But it didn't matter. Whether she had a plan or not, she was going to ask him.

When she walked into the study hall, her heart was in her throat. She had beaten him there and could barely control herself as she sat at their usual table and took out her books. She stared at the door, tapped her nails on the desk, and glanced repeatedly at the clock, waiting for the moment when her crush would come through the door. Maybe she'd tease him by standing to her feet and knocking the chair over, the same way he always did when she walked in. She had a feeling that would make him laugh, if she could ever work up the nerves to be that silly.

Any minute now… Eijiro Kirishima will come through those doors any minute.

But… time ticked on for over an hour. The sun set outside, and the students were ushered out of the study hall. "Any minute" never came, and Eijiro Kirishima never showed up.