Hello, hello! It's been about five months since I've posted a new chapter, I know. You see, I've been keeping up with the manga, and something came up that quite literally fucked up the plans I had prepared for JAS, so I'm currently trying to figure out how to deal with it. Adding to that the fact that the third season isn't even out yet, well... Anyway, I've made the decision that, after this chapter, only one other will come out-in other words, the next chapter will be the last.
I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS FIC! This will merely be a hiatus until the manga has advanced a little further, and at least until the third season is fully out. I hate to put such a big project on pause, I really do, but the current circumstances push me to it. I hope you won't be too disapointed, and that you understand what kind of position I'm now in.
Anyway, let's move on with the before last chapter!
Warning: Kira's language, Kira's resolve, and Kira's feelings.
Enjoy!
"We have a Culture Festival."
There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, the class erupted in cheers.
"What a school-like activity!"
"Culture Festival!"
"School-life stuff at last!"
"Let's decide what we're gonna do!"
"Is it really okay for us to be so carefree at this point in time, though?" then asked Kirishima, frowning. "During this 'proliferation of Villain period'…"
"That's an excellent point," agreed Aizawa-sensei. "However, U.A. doesn't revolve around the Hero Course. If the Hero Course sponsors the Sports Festival, then the Culture Festival is the domain of the other courses. The level of exposure isn't comparable but, to them, it's an exciting festival. Moreover, the truth of the matter is that there's a considerable number of students who are stressed out from the daily activities of the Hero Course and its new boarding system."
"Since you put it that way…" mumbled the red-haired boy, sitting down. "I really don't have anything else to say…"
"Do not apologize. It was a valid questioning. This year will be different from other years, though," replied their teacher, slouching in his sleeping bag. "Part of the staff will be cut and the Culture Festival will only occur within the school. I've already said we're not the main drivers of this event but as a rule, each class has to pick a program. That's what we'll be deciding today."
Iida rose to his feet and, followed by Yaoyorozu, went to the front of the class to handle everything while the Hero went to sleep in the corner.
"Please allow me, Class 1-A's representative Iida Tenya, to facilitate some progress!" he exclaimed. "I will try my best to narrow down ideas smoothly! Now, first, let us pick some possible themes. Those with suggestions, raise your hand!"
Instantly, everyone started shouting ideas. The class was instantly drowned in the ruckus, each student yelling over the other. Doing his best to keep the class under control, Iida started taking ideas one after the other. Finally, after a few tiresome minutes, they finally managed to write everyone's themes on the board.
A maid café, an arm-wrestling tournament, a toy store, a banquet for the students of darkness, a dance, a titty bar, a short play, a local history research presentation, a murder-fest (deathmatch), a petting zoo, a fried-octopus house, an Asian café, a martial arts performance, a study hall, a Hero quiz, an handmade soba house, a glitter show, a frog music chorus, a crepe house… Kira really didn't know what to think of all the suggestions. Her own felt more adapted for their course. I mean, an obstacle race like the one we did back at the Sports Festival could be fun…
Yaoyorozu sighed, taking over.
"I'm going to erase all of the ones that are inappropriate or unrealistic, and also the ones that I don't understand," she announced mercilessly.
As she did so, some students started protesting. Soon enough, though, the whole class returned to a state of utter chaos. Kira groaned, letting her head fall on her desk with a 'THUMP'.
This is going to be a pain…
In the end, they could not agree on a theme. Aizawa-sensei left them to deal with it, the threat of a public lecture lingering in case they couldn't decide for the next day. However, the intern group was forced to leave the decision in the hands of their classmates, because of their supplementary lessons.
As those ended, though, Aizawa-sensei finally agreed to give them some answers.
"She wants to see Midoriya-kun and Kira-chan?"
"Aa. This request is exclusively for those two and Togata," confirmed their teacher with a sigh. "This is the first time she's asked for anything since being hospitalized. We will go tomorrow."
"R- Right!"
Eri-chan… finally…
.
.
They finally headed back to the dorms, a little tired. The teachers were very adamant about them catching up, after all. Plus, they were all still somewhat distracted by the whole Villain proliferation situation, the case of Eri, and now the Culture Festival.
Is this really a good idea, though? The ginger couldn't help but wonder. I get that the school's trying to help the students cope, but such an event is basically an invitation for the Villains. We're provoking them. And what if they manage to get in? What if things are even worse this time around? What kind of consequences U.A. would face?
Growing more and more worried, the ginger, however, didn't say anything. She knew her friends were sharing those same doubts, but they were all too tired to talk about that right now. So, bidding them goodnight, she then retired. As soon as she entered the room, though, she was greeted by the sight of Shiro and Spikey fighting on her bed, hissing and clawing and biting.
"W- what are you guys doing!?"
Quickly, she tried to separate them. Ignoring the claws digging in her skin, she managed to pull them off of each other. Holding them by the necks, she then glared at Spikey.
"I'll tolerate a lot of things, you devil, but don't you start attacking others at random!" she warned.
The beige cat hissed some more, and she dropped him on the bed. He instantly ran under it. Sighing, the ginger sat down and took a better look at Shiro. His snow-white fur was turning red around his neck, though it just seemed to be a shallow cut.
"Wonder what happened…" she mumbled, stroking his head. He started purring, licking her fingers. "Never thought I'd find you fighting, of all things. You're a really weird cat, you know that?"
His purring deepened. For a second, she noticed how his eyes, which she first thought were blue, were actually gray when under the light.
Now that I think about it, I never spent much time with him either…
Deku jumped on her lap to join them, and she laid down with the two of them snuggling against her. After a few seconds, too tired to stay awake any longer despite all of her worries, she fell asleep.
.
.
The next day, they went to the hospital. As soon as they arrived, they were lead to Eri's room, which was in the very back of the building, in case something happened. When they got there, they found the little girl awake, sitting on her bed and staring outside the window.
She didn't say a word when she saw them enter, but her eyes had grown wide.
"Sorry we couldn't come and see you earlier," apologized Izuku, rubbing the back of his head.
"I brought you an assortment of fruits!" exclaimed happily Mirio. "If you like them, then eat on, eat on! Do you have a favourite fruit? Oh, can I guess? It's peaches, isn't it? You're kinda peachy, after all."
The child gently grabbed the basket, emotions swirling in her eyes.
"It's apples…"
"Just like I thought!"
Kira chuckled a little, before pulling the apple out of the basket. Sitting on one of the chairs next to the bed, she then started cutting it carefully with the small knife they had brought.
"I'm really glad to see you're doing so well, Eri-chan," smiled softly the ginger. "Are you feeling better?"
"… Aa."
Done, the ginger handed her the small plate with the apple slices. The little girl started munching on one, thinking deeply. None of the three students talked, waiting for her to speak what was on her mind.
"This whole time, even when I had my fever, I… I was thinking that, even while I was being saved…" She turned to Izuku. "I didn't know your name. I only knew Lemillion-san and Spitfire-san, and I wanted to know…"
"I-it's Midoriya Izuku, and my Hero name is Deku! But, well, I guess Deku is shorter, so yeah… Just call me Deku!"
"Hero name…?"
"L-like a nickname!"
"Deku-san…" The girl tested it, before nodding slightly. "Deku-san, Lemillion-san, Spitfire-san… and that man, with the glasses… Everyone got really hurt because of me…" Her eyes suddenly filled with tears as she looked down. "I-I'm sorry you all had to experience such painful things all because of me… It's- it's because of me that Lemillion-san lost his Quirk, that- that Spitfire-san lost her arm…"
Before she could speak any more nonsense, Mirio placed a comforting hand on top of her head, smiling brightly.
"Eri-chan, nobody thinks you caused them painful things," he remarked, startling the young girl. "Everyone's thinking something more like 'It's great that Eri-chan is safe!' Plus, it's no use apologizing to people that aren't here. So let's take it easy, okay? Everyone fought because they wanted to see your smiling face."
He pulled away. There was a heartbeat, before Eri's face suddenly twisted weirdly, her mouth stretching but not fully. The child then tried pulling her cheeks, making Kira raised an eyebrow in wonder.
What the hell is she doing?
"Eri-chan, are you okay?" she asked, unsure of what to do.
Once more, tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry… How… How do you smile again…?"
The ginger's heart felt like it was breaking in pieces. Unable to stop herself, she pulled the child into a tight embrace. Eri tensed but, after a few seconds, she relaxed completely, apparently enjoying the warmth emanating from her.
"Don't force yourself, sweetheart. Smiling… It'll come all naturally, without needing to force it," she assured. "You won't even see it coming!"
Izuku suddenly rose to his feet and went to Aizawa-sensei, who was watching everything happen by the door. "Aizawa-sensei, can't Eri-chan go out for even a single day?"
"It's probably not impossible," relented their teacher. "However… How should I put it? Where she'll be transferred to…"
"Then… Can Eri-chan come too?" he pleaded. "To the Culture Festival! Can Eri-chan come too!?"
Kira gasped. "That's a great idea!"
"Culture Festival…?" echoed the child, lost.
"Eri-chan! The Culture Festival is an event put on by our school!" exclaimed Mirio, excited. "The students set up events and foods for other students to enjoy!"
"They'll probably have candy apples," mused the ginger.
Eri looked up to her, curious. "Candy apples?"
"It's an apple that's sweetened to the point of becoming a candy."
Instantly, there were sparkles in the girl's eyes. "Sweetened…"
Kira laughed, finally releasing her. Eri settled back on the bed, her eyes wide and obviously thinking fast.
"Let's talk it over with the principal," agreed Aizawa-sensei, pulling out his phone.
"Well then… Eri-chan, what do you think?" grinned Izuku.
"… I've… I've been thinking, ever since I was being saved… about the people who saved me," admitted the girl. "Lemillion-san and Spitfire-san and everyone else… I want to get to know them more!"
"Then I'll tell you about us until you can't take it anymore!" proposed cheerfully the senior. "Let's start working to get the go-ahead from the principal! I'm currently on suspension so I can be on a constantly-supervised date with Eric-chan, right!?"
"Date?" blinked the child.
"A honeymoon couple's outing!"
"What the f—" She cut herself off, glancing at the child, who was looking at her with confusion. "What the fudge are you saying?"
There was a distinct snort from Izuku, and she easily spotted the barely hidden smirk twitching on her teacher's lips.
I don't want to curse in front of such a sweet child! Sue me!
Plus, none of them knew what Eri really went through. For all she knew, curse words were a trigger for the child, and she didn't want to risk another rampage at the moment.
"Anyway, where to start?" then mused the ginger, changing the subject. "My real name is Kira, so you can start calling me that if you want. I love spicy food, and I also like training. My friends…"
They received permission to bring Eri-chan to the Culture Festival but, for now, they had to leave her rest some more at the hospital. So, in the meantime, everyone focused even harder on their studies and their supplementary lessons so that they could finally be done with them and truly work on their event.
The rest of the class had informed them of what they would be doing: a dance and music event, or something like that. The intern group was now finally down with their extra lessons of the day, and thus quickly went back to the dorms to start practicing with everyone else.
When they got there, though, they were surprised.
"You're not going to sing, Kyo-chan?" wondered the ginger.
"Oh, no! W-we still haven't decided—"
"If its vocals, let us handle it!" exclaimed Mineta. "We'll be a hit!"
"In addition to being the disco ball, I can sing," assured Aoyama.
"Alright! I can't play any instrument, but if it's singing, I'm confident!" exclaimed Kirishima.
"You can sing?" blinked Kira, startled.
"'Course I can!"
A minute later or so, a mike was set in the mess hall, along with a few instruments. The red-haired boy instantly grabbed it.
"CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, YOU BASTARDS TOOK IT AWAY~!"
The ginger lunged forward, grabbed the mike, and hit him harshly over the head with it. The boy instantly slumped to the ground, knocked out by the blow. There was a moment of silence, and she laughed nervously.
"Oops…? My bad, ah ah…" She turned to Mineta and Aoyama. "You guys wanted to try?"
They instantly backed away, Mineta shaking his head. "No thanks."
"Well… In that case, I say Kyo-chan does it!" grinned the ginger, slinging an arm around the girl's shoulders. "She's got a great voice, you know?"
"Stop it!" hissed the teen, red dusting her cheeks again. "I'm not…"
Kira ignored her, shoving the mike in her face. Jiro glared at her, but Kira kept on smiling and, after a few seconds, her friend gave in and grabbed the mike. Taking a short intake of breath, Jiro then tried out a few notes. Everyone was instantly blasted away by her powerful voice.
"That's amazing!"
"My ears are in heaven!"
"Such a husky, sexy voice!"
"YOU DO IT, JIRO!"
"Fine, fine!" snapped the purple-haired girl, blushing deeply. "But now we need guitarists! Two of them!"
"I want to do it!" exclaimed Kaminari. "Playing an instrument is so cool!"
"Let me do it!" pleaded Mineta.
"Ugh, what happened?" groaned Kirishima, waking up.
"I don't care if you wanna do it! Do you have the guts to get it done!?" snapped Katsuki.
"I do, I do, I really do!" assured the blond, picking one of the guitars. "Guitar is the center of the band, isn't it?"
But while gingerly tried out a few chords, Mineta had to give up, since he couldn't reach the fretboard. Snorting, Kira picked it up, thoughtful.
Would Eri-chan like it if I played? Though I don't know how to play, so I guess that's a bust…
"Oh, do you want to do it, Kira-chan?" then wondered Tsuyu, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't mind trying it out, but I've never touched an instrument in my life, so—"
"I can teach you," proposed Jiro with a shrug. "I'll have to teach Kaminari the basics too, anyway."
"I guess… Though, I'm not sure. It'd mean I'd have to cut off my training—"
"YOU DO THE GUITAR!" instantly exclaimed the whole class.
"This is getting kind of old, guys," sweatdropped the ginger. "I'm not that obsessed, okay?"
…
…
…
"Ugh, you're such pains."
"But you love us anyway," grinned Ashido, punching her shoulder.
"Tche. You better not mess this up, Carrot," grunted Katsuki.
"If I ever, by accident, throw the guitar and it hits you on the head… then I won't be sorry," she warned flatly.
"I dare you to fucking try."
"Don't you fucking try me."
"Okay, okay, enough of that!" Kirishima stepped in, swaying a little in place. He had a dazed look in his eyes. "Can someone please tell me what happened?"
"The idiot gave you a concussion," deadpanned Katsuki.
"It was a reflex!" she protested.
"Alright, let's cut it out right now." This time, it was Yaoyorozu who intervened before things got out of hand. "Everyone has a role, then, right?"
Jiro, Kaminari, Katsuki, Yaoyorozu, and Kira would form the band team. Shoto, Aoyama, Koda, Kirishima, and Sero would form the staging team. As for the rest of the class, they would be the dance team. Everyone happy and settled, they then retired for the night, considering how busy they'd be from here on out.
As everyone started leaving, Kira looked down at the guitar in her hands.
What the fuck did I just get myself into? She sweatdropped.
"You seem worried."
The ginger glanced at Shoto, who had stopped next to her.
"Meh, I just don't want to mess everything up," she chuckled sheepishly. "Maybe I should ask someone else and go with the dance team…"
"Giving up so easily? That's not like you," he mused.
"… that's a low blow. But…" she sighed, before smiling brightly at him. "You're right! I said I was gonna do it, so I'll give it all I have!"
"I'm sure you'll be amazing, as per usual."
Patting her head, he then went ahead. Kira gaped at his back for a few seconds, startled by the praise. Then, she flushed three shades of red, her heart beating a little faster.
The hell was that about!?
.
.
If there was one thing Kira regretted deeply, it was not thinking about how it might be hard to play the guitar with a missing finger. She managed, but keeping up with everyone else proved to be a challenge. So, when their free day finally arrived, she wasted no time in leaving the team to practice while she started making her way to Hatsume's studio.
It would seem she'd have to take her up on her offer after all.
As soon as Kira stepped out of the dorms, though, she found all of her friends gathered around something.
Or rather, someone.
"Eri-chan!"
Moving faster than the eye could see, she suddenly was before the child. Eri seemed a little tense but, as soon as she caught sight of the orange braid and the warm red eyes, she seemed to relax.
"Kira-san…"
"I'm so happy to see you!" Unable to help it, she brought the girl into her arms for a short hug. Much to her surprise, Eri hesitantly hugged back. "And you look so cute! Say, are you feeling better?"
"Mm-mm. I can come to the Culture Festival," she answered, pulling away.
"Seriously? That's great! Then that means you came here to get used to the agitation first, right?" The ginger grinned, ruffling the child's hair. "How 'bout I go with you?"
"Really?" Her eyes shone a little with childish glee. "T- that'd be nice…"
"Kicchan, aren't you supposed to be practicing with the band team, though?" then pointed out Izuku.
"Actually, I need to go see Mei right now. I can come with you guys on the way there, though," she shrugged.
"No offense intended, but this is not the best of times to be working on adjustments for your hero costume, Kira-san," then pointed out Iida, frowning a little.
"Oh, no! It's nothing like that! It's just…" She lifted her left hand, showing the space left by the missing finger. "Can't exactly play well with only four fingers, you know? I was hoping she could make me a prosthetic."
He gaped for a second, before bowing deeply. "I apologize for jumping to conclusions!"
"Nan, don't sweat it. Anyway, shall we go? Izuku, you're in?"
"Well…" He glanced hesitantly to Ashido.
The pink girl shrugged. "We can take a break right now. Let's go have some tea!"
Everyone agreed, waving goodbye to the others, and the three students then started heading for the school. The closer they got and the more they could see numerous students running around with different tools and materials. Despite that day being a day off, everyone was working extra-hard on their events.
"Well, if it isn't Togata!"
They stopped as two third-years approached them. Eri instantly grabbed Kira's skirt, startled. The ginger simply stroke the girl's head in a comforting manner.
"A kid?" gasped one of the two seniors. "Togata, what did you do during your break!? Don't tell me you…"
Mirio simply smiled mysteriously, making the two panic a little. As she rolled her eyes, a flyer was suddenly shoved into her hands.
"This year's Class 3-A is killing it. You guys should come!" beamed the first third-year.
"Uh? Sure, it'd be nice."
They then went their separate ways. Pursuing on their way, the little group soon found themselves at the very heart of the agitation. It was rather loud, and there was a lot of people, so Kira held Eri's hand while the girl grabbed Mirio's pants, Izuku just behind them.
A gigantic dragon head suddenly popped out of nowhere.
"Holy—" Kira cut herself off. "—cow! What the…"
"Sorry…" Tetsutetsu suddenly appeared. He was the one holding the dragon. "Wait, it's Suttoki from Class A! And Midoriya too!"
"Wait, wait, wait, what?" Kira groaned softly at the shrill voice. "Chitchatting in a place like this? You got that much time on your hands!?"
Rolling her eyes at Monoma's attitude, the ginger kneeled before Eri. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"Yeah. I- I thought it was the falling lady…"
"Oh, Ryukyu?"
"Oi, oi! You ignoring me!?" snapped Monoma. "You think that's okay!?"
"You guys are putting on some kind of live performance, I hear?" then remarked Awase, trying to change the subject.
"I wonder how that'll go!" taunted Monoma. "This time, I'll tell you straight up—"
"As if you've ever done anything else," grunted Kira.
"—we of Class B are gonna be better than you!" he announced tauntingly. "Romeo, Juliet and the Prisoner of Azkaban: the Return of the Kings! Class B's completely original super fantasy play! Better get ready! We're gonna shame you to tears! I'll have a handkerchief for you when it happens-"
No longer in the mood to entertain his ego spree, Kira used the chomp move Kendo taught her during the training camp and swiftly knocked him out. The boy collapsed, a taunting sneer still hanging to his face.
"Wasn't that a little overboard?" sweatdropped Mirio.
"Not with that one," replied Awase, rolling his eyes. He twirled the bat he had been about to hit Monoma with. "Kendo's not here right now, so it's kind of hard to keep him in check."
"That's right, I saw her picture on another flyer…" mused the ginger. "What's she doing? Isn't she helping you with the play?"
"Actually, she's focusing on the Miss Con event," answered Tetsutetsu. He then lifted the fake dragon again. "Anyway, maybe not Monoma, but let's give it our all! Here we go!"
Awase helped him out, lifting part of the dragon with one hand and dragging the unconscious Monoma with the other. As the Class B students disappeared, Kira sighed.
They sure are an interesting bunch…
"Sensei didn't say a single word to us about Miss Con," then remarked Izuku, startled.
"Speaking of Miss Con… That's right! She's also fired up this year!" exclaimed Mirio.
"She?"
Apparently, Nejire had ended up in second place the year before and was competing once again that year. They passed by the studio to say hi, surprising the older girl with Eri's presence. After wishing her good luck, they then headed for the Development Studio. It was full of students working on different inventions. After all, the Support Department would be in the spotlight during the Culture Festival.
"All of the grades hold a technology exhibition together!" explained Mirio.
"I know this one! They always get media attention every year!" gasped Izuku.
"That's right!"
"Holy—" Kira choked, spinning around. "—plastic bag! Mei!?"
"The Culture Festival is the Support Team's moment to shine!" beamed the pink-haired girl. She slung an arm around Kira's shoulders. "Kira! Fantastic of you to drop by!"
"Mei, you're dirty!" protested the ginger, trying to pull away. "Ugh, you're covered in grease…"
"Getting in the tub is a waste of time!" replied the girl, grinning. She let the ginger go, before gesturing to something behind her. "Take a look at my adorable baby, child number 202!"
"Whoa," whistled lowly Mirio.
"Amazing!" gasped Izuku.
"The ideas keep on gushing forth! It's so exciting!" cheered the pink-haired teen. "For the Hero Department, the Sports Festival was already the second place to garner attention. But! This time, it's us that have been given the opportunity to be the main attraction!" She hit her gigantic robot proudly. "A ton of companies will get a careful look at my little child! I better rear him to not be shy! But more importantly, how have the iron soles been doing? What about the gantlets? If anything ever comes up, please let me know, ASAP!"
Well, I was starting to feel a little bad to ask for help when she's obviously busy, but if she's asking for it…
"Actually, I need your help, Mei," she admitted, a little sheepishly.
"Ooh? I'm all ears!" grinned excitedly the girl.
"Well, you see…"
Unsure of how to explain it, she showed her her left hand. The inventor's eyes widened as she instantly noticed the missing finger. Then, they started sparkling.
"You want me to work something out after all? Wonderful! Though, I really have to know what happened for you to lose your finger."
"Some trouble during my internship. It's obviously not coming back, and so I was hoping if you could build me some sort of prosthetic? I'm not sure if it's your thing, and I'd understand if you don't have the time—"
"Nonsense! Come, come, let me see what I can do! I already drew a few prototypes anyway! I knew you'd come around!"
"Right…"
Kira trailed off as a sizzling sound started echoing from inside Hatsume's creation. She took a step back, wary, as smoke started escaping. Then, the top exploded. There were numerous cries from the other students, who started complaining about how Hatsume was still making a mess, and Kira wasted no time in evacuating the room with her friends and Eri. Once outside, she let out a breathless laugh.
"I'm sorry guys, I'll have to leave you for now," she apologized. She cringed a little when another explosion was heard from inside the room. "Need that prosthetic, you know?"
"… you're leaving?"
The ginger blinked at Eri's question, before smiling softly and kneeling before her.
"Don't worry, I'll come and say goodbye, okay? I promise. For now, you should go and have some more fun with the boys," proposed the fiery teen.
The white-haired child nodded mutely, and Kira ruffled her hair, before rising back to her feet. She waved goodbye, before turning around to face the door of the Support Department. Students were still cursing loudly inside.
Maybe I should wait for a more opportune time, she sweatdropped.
Before she could even think of running away, though, the door slammed open and Hatsume grabbed her by the forearm.
"Alright, let's do this!"
Before she could protest, Kira was dragged back inside.
Once Hatsume was done with taking her measurements and requests, Kira managed to escape the Support Department. As promised, she rushed to the gates so that she'd be able to say goodbye properly.
On her way out, she almost ran into someone.
"Sorry—Oh, Shoto!"
"You seem in a hurry," he remarked, his lips twitching in amusement.
"Uh? Oh, yeah, I promised Eri-chan I'd say goodbye," replied the ginger.
"I see. You should probably hurry back to the dorms soon, though. Bakugo is quite… pissed, that you missed the entire practice."
"He's really into it, uh?" sweatdropped the ginger. She then shook her head. "Well, it was either that, or I couldn't play at all. He'll just have to suck it up."
"I guess. Hatsume-san will be able to create a prosthetic for you, then?"
"She said she could. I just hope she won't try to hide guns inside."
The dual-haired boy lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at that, unsure if she was joking, but the dread in the ginger's eyes proved the contrary. Shaking his head, he then patted her shoulder.
"You should probably keep going. Last I've seen, Midoriya was heading to the gates with the girl."
"Damn it!" She instantly took off. "See ya later!"
She was gone in the blink of an eye. Shoto chuckled a little, before pursuing on his way.
.
.
"Eri-chan!"
The little girl gasped, stopping in her tracks as the ginger suddenly reached her. She had been about to leave, so Kira really got there in the nick of time.
"You came…"
"Well, I promised, didn't I?" grinned the fiery girl. "And I always keep my promises, Eri-chan. Anyway, will you come to the Festival after all?"
"… Aa. I want to see… where everyone's efforts will lead," admitted the child. "Will you dance like Deku?"
"Actually, I'll be playing music. I can't promise it'll be good, but…" Kira grinned a little. "I can promise I'll try my best to make you smile. Look forward to it, okay?"
At that, the girl's eyes sparkled. "I will!"
It wasn't a smile, but it was close. Nodding, the ginger then waved as the child finally left the school grounds. Once the car could no longer be seen, Kira headed back towards the dorms.
And now, to deal with Spikey…
.
.
Exactly a week had passed since that day. Kira had done what she could when they practiced, but she still hadn't heard a word from Hatsume. In the meantime, she focused on learning the chord progression. It wasn't easy, considering she never even held a guitar before, but she was making progress.
Plus, Kaminari was worst then her, so it wasn't that bad.
Kira was now out for her usual morning job when the bushes to her left suddenly shifted. Stopping in her tracks, the ginger tensed, ready to set the whole thing aflame… when she spotted familiar pink hair.
"Mei?"
"Oh, Kira!" grinned the girl, getting out of the bushes. She had twigs and leaves entangled in her hair, but she smiling as widely as usual. "Just the one I was looking for! I just finished with your prosthetic!"
"For real!? That was fast…"
"I passed entire nights working on it!" admitted the other teen, scratching the back of her head. "I was so excited to get started! Anyhow, let's go and test it! We still have two hours before classes start!"
"R- right!"
As per usual, Kira arrived late to class. This time, though, she had a good excuse and, as she went to take her seat, everyone noticed the metallic-looking finger that now replaced the one she had lost. Once class was over, they all gathered around her desk to get a better look at it.
"That's so cool!"
"It looks almost real, uh?"
"Can you move it?"
"Can't believe she did that so fast…"
"Are you comfortable?"
"Mei really is amazing," grinned Kira, showing it off. She flexed each of her fingers, the prosthetic obeying her commands. "She managed to connect it to the nerves so I can control it much like a normal finger."
"Nerves?" echoed Uraraka, paling a little. "You mean…"
"Cutting it off would pretty much be like losing the real once," confirmed the ginger, cringing a little. "And it was a real bitch to put on, seriously. Recovery Girl actually helped us out with that part. But hey, I've got my finger back! Worth the shot, wasn't it?"
"It's metal, though," then pointed out Shoto. Many of the students tensed a little, but he ignored them. "Hagane might use it against you."
"Nope!" replied the teen, a tad too cheerfully. "Not metal! Or at least, not the kind he can control. It's an allow created specifically by Mei, so all's good on that front!"
The boy nodded in understanding, and the rest of the class exhaled in relief when understanding the subject wasn't as touchy as they feared. Kira chuckled a little at that, before looking back to her prosthetic. She couldn't feel anything with it, obviously, but she could still use it. It was just as if her finger had gone numb, as simply as that.
It was much, much better than what she had expected, though. So, far from complaining, she quickly returned to reassuring her classmates.
Playing was much easier, now. She had to adapt, obviously, but the music wasn't that hard to learn, to begin with. However, she soon came to realize that her prosthetic needed actual care. Each morning, she had to make sure it was well oiled, and she had to keep it clean too, which wasn't an easy feat. She also needed to be careful and always check if there ever was a sign of infection.
Sometimes, there would be ghost pains. However, she easily managed to ignore them. They weren't as bad as losing her whole arm after all—
'KNOCK, KNOCK'
"Come in!"
The door opened, letting enter Shoto. He took a moment to look at the pictures on the walls, before shaking his head and walking toward her. She blinked as he stopped next to her desk.
"Jiro asked me to bring you those papers," he then informed, offering her said papers. "Something about the music, I think…"
"Oh, thanks!" She took them, grateful. "Though, she could have just texted me and I would have come downstairs…"
"I volunteered," he admitted.
"Uh?"
"I… wished to see you. We haven't really gotten the chance to talk much since we started working on the Culture Festival," he pointed out, rubbing the back of his head as he looked away.
"Oh… Well, we can always have a spar, right?" she proposed, getting up. She beamed at the boy. "How 'bout now? I need to take a break anyway."
"I didn't mean to interrupt—"
"Shoto, you're my friend," she cut him off, rolling her eyes as she went to grab her sports bag. "Your feelings are more important than some homework. Plus, I feel like my mind is turning to jelly right now, so I seriously need to stop."
At that, a small smile stretched his lips. "Very well. I'll go grab my things and meet you downstairs."
"Sure thing!"
He left the room and, as soon as the door closed, Kira sighed heavily. She had been so focused on everything that was happening, she had started neglecting her friends. She wasn't an idiot, she knew she was one of the rare to whom Shoto had actually, truly opened up. He was slowly starting to grow closer to the rest of their classmates, but she was still his kind-of first friend at the school.
Of course he'll feel bad if I don't spend enough time with him. What was I thinking? He would have probably started blaming himself, wondering if he did something wrong…
The more she thought it over, the more she realized that it wasn't only Shoto. In fact, she hadn't hung out much with all of her friends. Of course, everyone was focused on the Culture Festival, and there had been the internships before, but those were just excuses.
They were there for her, always were. She needed to be there for them, too.
.
.
"Gotcha!"
Panting a little, Kira grinned in victory as she managed to pin Shoto down. Straddling his waist, holding his wrists down, she couldn't help but feel a little confused despite all.
"You were distracted," she pointed out, tilting her head. "Why?"
"I…" There was a very, very faint red on his cheeks. For some reason, he was avoiding her eyes. "I got distracted. Don't worry."
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" she insisted, letting his wrists go. "You know you can tell me anything, right?.
He straightened up. "I know… that…"
He trailed off, his breath ghosting over her face.
Wait. Breath?
Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized their proximity. She was still sitting on him, and his face was barely a few centimeters away from hers. Frozen in place, her mind was working fast. Should she move? Apologize? Do as if nothing happened?
Awkward, awkward, awkward—GET UP ALREADY!
She quickly got back on her feet, backing away a little. "S- sorry about that!"
"It's fine," he coughed in his fist, still not looking at her. He rose back up, and he offered a tentative smile at her. "Up for another round?"
The ginger relaxed. Why had she panicked all of sudden? It was Shoto. He wouldn't be able to see an awkward situation even if it smacked him in the face. So, taking her stance, she grinned.
"Bring it!"
.
.
"Stop your damn adlibs!"
"Stop playing the wrong note!"
"Guys, stop fighting…" sweatdropped Jiro. "Come on, we don't have that much time left, we need to get in tune…"
"Say that to that asshole," scoffed Kira. "He keeps—damn it! Spikey cut one of my strings!"
"I didn't do anything!" protested the bomber.
"Not you, the cat!" she groaned. "Ugh, I really should have chosen better names…"
While Katsuki muttered under his breath, the ginger placed down the guitar, clicking her tongue. Seriously, it was the third time in a week!
"Hey, Kira?"
She glanced at Kaminari, who was eyeing her instrument. "What is it?"
"Your strings seem a little… oily? I don't really know how to put it, but…"
"What?"
Confused, the ginger took a better look… before seeing what he was talking about. The strings of her guitar were glinting under the light, some sort of oily liquid covering it.
"That would be why my fingers keep slipping…" She facepalmed. "I'm such an idiot!"
"Nothing new!" called Katsuki, beating a few times on his drums.
"Shut it Spikey! Ugh, I'll to talk to Mei about that…"
Well, at least she knew why she kept making the wrong notes, now.
.
.
Kira exhaled deeply as they finally stopped running, just at the stairs of the dormitories. She had left earlier with Shoto for a light jog, to try and blow off some steam. They didn't have as much training since most of their attention was focused on the Sports Festival. So, to balance, they did whatever physical activity they could whenever an opportunity arose. Gulping down some water, the ginger turned to her friend, about to say something, but the words got stuck in her throat as she watched him run a hand through his hair, small pearls of sweat glistening on his forehead.
Now that she paid attention, she realized that he was… rather handsome. Not that she hadn't seen it before, the other girls mentioned it all the time, but she actually saw it. Feeling her throat go dry, she started drinking some more, unable to tear her eyes away as he took off his jacket, throwing it over his shoulder.
Damn, didn't really think about it before, but he's actually got nice abs—
The fiery teen instantly spat out the water still in her mouth.
What the fuck am I thinking!?
"Kira?" he frowned, finally looking at her.
"I- I'm fine!" she coughed, avoiding his eyes. "Drank- drank too fast."
He nodded, before tossing her his towel. She offered him a sheepish smile, feeling the blood burning in her cheeks, and quickly dried the water dripping from her mouth. As she did so, she couldn't help but catch the familiar scent.
He smells like peppermint…
Shaking her head, she quickly gave it back, feeling a little dizzy. What was going on with her? Why was she reacting so weirdly? It was Shoto, her friend…
God, I need more sleep.
.
.
Two days later, Kira was about to enter the common bathrooms to take a shower when the door swung open, letting out Shoto. She blinked for a second, startled, before realizing she had been about to enter the wrong bathroom.
Damn, wouldn't that have been a weird situation…
"Wrong door," she laughed, sheepish. "Sorry 'bout that…"
Shoto wasn't wearing a short.
He wasn't wearing any pants either. Just a towel tied around his waist. His hair was still wet, too.
Damn—NO! BAD BRAIN!
"So- sorry!"
Mortified, the ginger almost slipped, before quickly disappeared into the right bathroom, leaving a somewhat amused dual-haired boy behind her.
Seeing her so easily embarrassed was as entertaining as ever.
.
.
For the few days that passed, Kira couldn't really think straight whenever she was around the other boy. Her mind kept on noticing the smallest things, like how he always leaned on his left hand –probably because it was warm- or how he smiled often when watching their classmates. She liked his smiles. It suited him better than that blank expression he had been wearing when they first entered U.A—
Not the point! She shook her head, stopping before a room that wasn't hers. I need to do something about… whatever's happening! Hell, he almost got me with my own move yesterday!
So, gulping a little, Kira knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it swung open, revealing Ashido.
"Oh, Suki-chan!" she beamed. "Come on in!"
The ginger did as told, biting her lower lip as the pink girl closed the door behind her. Her friend then jumped on her bed, grinning.
"So, what can I do for you?"
How do I start this…?
"… remember that promise I made to you…? Before the License Exam…?"
Ashido stared for a few seconds, eyes narrowed, deep in thoughts. Then, as if a light bulb had just lightened in her eyes, she snapped her fingers.
"Oh my gosh! For real!?" She grabbed Kira, forcing her to sit on the bed with her. "Who is it? Who is it!?"
"I- I don't know! I mean, I know, but I don't know if it's that and I don't know what to do and—"
"Who?"
"Shoto!" she blurted out. She slapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh, God…"
Ashido was smiling so brightly Kira thought she would go blind.
"This is awesome! You're in love with—"
"No!" protested the girl, blushing deeply. "Nothing like that! I- I think I just… I don't know, okay?"
"Don't know what?"
"How I feel! What I should do! What's going on! Everything!" Annoyed, the ginger grabbed the nearest pillow and hid her face in it. "Ashi-chan, what's happening to me?"
The black-eyed girl scratched the back of her head for a moment, before sighing, though she was still smiling. Obviously, she was amused by the whole situation.
"Suki-chan… How do you feel when Todoroki-kun's around?"
"Safe," instantly answered the girl. She bit her lower lip, tightening her grip on the pillow. "Happy?"
"Why?"
"He's nice…? He's really sweet, and he's a great friend too… But it's not the same as with you or like with Izuku or anyone else…" Kira breathed in deeply. "He's fun and really supportive and he helped me so much…"
"And he's cute?" Ashido's grin widened even more, if possible.
"Yeah…"
"You like being with him?"
"Of course!"
"You want to be with him more?"
"I guess…"
"He makes your heart beat faster?"
"All the time."
"You blush?"
"Too much, to be honest."
"You seek more physical contact?"
"I… I think so…?"
"You wanna kiss him?"
"Yeah—NO!" Kira's eyes widened in horror. "Yes! No! I don't know!"
At her panicked state, Ashido did the only thing she could do in such a situation, and what any true friend would have done: she started laughing.
"T- this is precious!" she gasped, tears in her eyes. "Suki-chan, you're so whipped!"
"I'm not! I don't…" No matter how she struggled to fight it, it was in vain. "Damn it… Okay! Okay, let's go with hypotheticals, alright? If, hypothetically, I actually had a crush on Shoto –again, hypothetically!- then why now? Why so suddenly?"
"Suddenly?" her friend snorted. "Suki-chan, you've been flirting for months. Ever since the Sports Festival, at least. Everybody could see it!"
"We weren't… Fine! Fine, even if we were –which was not the case!-, then what?" Kira threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "Why now?"
"You've been more focused on training ever since the Sports Festival," shrugged Ashido. "And you had your own issues to deal with. Though now, everyone's working together on the Culture Festival, and you've kind of taken a break from training, so maybe it helped you see things that had always been there, you know?"
"… but I was blinded by my own ambitions."
It left a bittersweet taste on her tongue. That's what her brother had told her, back at the training camp. How when she focused on her goals, she became completely blind about the rest…
"Now what, though? What do I do now?" sighed the ginger.
"I thought those were hypotheticals?" teased Ashido.
"They are! Everything is! It's not…" There was a headache coming her way, she could feel it. "It's nothing like that. It won't ever be like that. I've got too many things to focus on right now, too many problems, and I can't force him to deal with that. Frankly, he deserves better."
Ashido frowned at that, all amusement vanishing. "Kira—"
"Don't." Shaking her head, the ginger got up and made her way to the door. She offered a smile at her friend, though it was too big, too stretched. "Thanks. I see a lot clearer now."
And she was gone before Ashido could stop her.
Kira needed some air. After her talk with the pink girl, she couldn't think straight, couldn't make up her mind. There were still so many questions but she was still in denial so it really wasn't helping her case. Breathing in deeply, the ginger sat down on the stairs to clear her mind.
She had been stretching her hand to make sure it was working well, enjoying the fresh air of the night and trying to ignore the whole situation that had just arisen when her muscles suddenly cramped. Stifling a pained gasp, she harshly bit her lower lip, drawing some blood. The door behind her suddenly opened, letting none other than the source of her troubles come out. She tried to greet him but could offer a pained cringe.
"Are you all right?" he frowned as he stopped before her.
"'M'fine, just a cramp…" she grunted. She winced as the pain became more pronounced. "Ugh, I hate those…"
"Here, let me."
Shoto sat beside her, gently grabbing her hand. Before she could react, he started massaging it. Much to her surprise… he was fairly good at it.
This is ridiculous… Why am I reacting like that? It's Shoto, damn it! He's my friend! Nothing more…
After a minute or so, the pain vanished and she could move again.
"Wow." She flexed her fingers, in awe. "That's some magic alright. Where'd you learn to do that?"
"My mother showed me during one of my visits," he answered, a soft smile gracing his lips at the memory.
"Right, you started seeing her again, uh?" remembered the ginger. "How is she doing?"
"She is doing well." He blinked suddenly, as if remembering something. "She wants to meet you."
"She wants to meet me?" she repeated, a tad confused. "Why?"
No good no good abort ABORT—
He simply shrugged, making her chuckle a little, though it was more nervousness than anything else as her earlier conversation with Ashido replayed quickly in her head.
Wait, he's still holding my hand…!
Red spread on her cheeks like wildfire. Her heart instantly picked up the pace as her eyes locked into his. After a few seconds of silence, she realized she was staring, and she pulled away promptly, jumping to her feet.
"Thanks for the help! I- I should go get some rest, now, see ya tomorrow!"
And she was gone before he could reply. She darted through the mess hall, jumped into the elevator, and exhaled deeply once the doors closed. Leaning against the wall, she let her head hit it lightly.
"What am I doing…?" she groaned. At the moment, she had panicked, freaked out by everything that had just happened, but now… "Poor Shoto, he must be so confused…"
But then again, so was she. The more she thought it over and the more she realized her friend had been right all along. As she finally reached her room, she quickly closed the door and let herself fall on her bed, slamming a pillow over her face to muffle a frustrated scream.
I… have a crush on Todoroki Shoto. How deep in shit am I!?
.
.
Two more weeks passed. Almost in the blink of an eye, it was time for the Culture Festival. Or rather, it was the day before. Kira had decided to ignore… whatever was happening, to focus on the task at hands. She believed in what she told Ashido: she couldn't be in a relationship right now, even less with Shoto, of all people.
Both of them had a lot of issues. She couldn't be certain she wouldn't end up hurting him without meaning too, that she'd be able to help him, that it would actually work out and not end in pain for the both of them—
No. No, she couldn't do it.
So, keeping her mouth shut, she made Ashido promise not to tell anyone else. The pink girl had agreed, though she obviously didn't agree with her decision. It didn't really matter, though. The ginger knew that, if she didn't act on it and simply let time do its work, this whole crush mess would end soon enough. It was just a silly thing happening because she was finally starting to act like a real fifteen-years-old, nothing more.
Stop thinking about it, she chided herself. Focus! The Festival is tomorrow, you need to up your game, girl!
The whole A-Class was now in the Gamma Gym for some last-minute practice.
"I'm starting to get nervous," mumbled Yaoyorozu, just next to her.
"Don't worry, everything's gonna be great, Momo-chan," assured the fiery teen, stretching her fingers.
She had adjusted rather well to the prosthetic, and she often forgot it wasn't actually her finger. Mei had made some adjustments about the oil problem, but she now had to wear a special glove to be sure it wouldn't cause more troubles.
It'll be fine—
The doors of the Gamma Gym suddenly slammed open, letting enter Hound Dog, who growled at them.
"Isn't it grrr nine already!? Students are bark bark bark only allowed in here until nine! Get outta here grrr!"
"YES SIR!"
Terrified, the students quickly returned to the dorms.
11:35
"I CAN'T SLEEP!"
"Shut up!" Using her chomp move, Kira swiftly knocked out Kaminari. "Damn, some people are sleeping, you know?"
"Urgh…"
Most students went to sleep, but a few were still in the mess hall, unable to go get some rest. They were too excited for the Culture Festival.
"I wonder if everyone else will enjoy this as much as we hope," remarked Iida, thoughtful.
"I don't think you should think about it that way," however replied Jiro. "Feeling shy or nervous won't do us any good. We just have to enjoy ourselves once we get on that stage."
"W- weren't you the one who was super shy…?" pointed out Kaminari, swaying a little in place. "Damn it, Kira, that was harsh…"
The ginger shrugged. "You asked for it."
"Oh, the rope is getting frayed!" suddenly exclaimed Izuku.
He was sitting at the table with Aoyama. They were taking care of the blond's safety measures but, obviously, it wasn't all that safe anymore.
"Uwah, we've worn it out from practicing too much," mused Aoyama. "It's proof of our friendship!"
"Yeah… No, this is dangerous," frowned the green-haired boy. "Sorry I didn't notice earlier…"
"Why don't you ask Yaoyorozu to make one?" proposed Kaminari.
"Yaomomo already went to sleep!" protested Ashido. "Don't treat her like a toolbox!"
"Don't you treat me like a battery charger!?" protested the blond.
"That's a double-standard for ya," wisely pointed out Mineta.
"I'll buy one, first thing in the morning," assured Izuku. "I was the one who didn't check, after all… I have morning training anyway and, incidentally, I also have some other stuff I want to buy."
"Wait, aren't we on at ten? But the stores open around nine, don't they?" pointed out Kira.
"The home center that's fifteen minutes from U.A. opens at around eight 'o clock," answered the green-haired boy.
"That's cutting it pretty close," remarked Kirishima. "Anyway, we should all probably hit the sack now. Big day tomorrow!"
"It's going to be awesome!" cheered the ginger, stretching her arms. "But you're right, we should get some sleep. We gotta be at our best tomorrow!"
The others nodding in agreement, everyone started heading for the elevator. Kira took her time as she glanced outside, thinking back to Eri. Frankly, she had missed the little girl.
I hope she'll like our dance… I hope I'll be able to see her smile after all…
"Kira."
The ginger startled, snapping her eyes at Shoto. He was staring right at her, his hands shoved in his pockets, barely two meters away. Looking around, Kira realized everyone else was already gone.
Not good!
"Can I help with anything, Shoto?" she asked, trying to stay natural.
"I just need to know… Why have you been avoiding me?"
"Uh?"
"For the last two weeks, you've been avoiding me. I understand that you were busy preparing for the Culture Festival, but it went… beyond that." His eyes lowered a little as he rubbed the back of his head. "Please, if I did anything wrong—"
The fiery teen moved before she could think. Wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, she exhaled deeply.
"No!" she protested. "No, God, you didn't do anything…"
"Then… why?" he asked, hesitantly hugging back.
"I've got… a lot on my mind." She didn't want to lie, but what could she say? "I didn't mean to hurt you…"
"You didn't hurt me. I was merely worried," he admitted, finally relaxing. "You often get in trouble and you rarely talk about it, so of course I'd end up worrying…"
"I'm not that bad…" she mumbled, though both knew she was lying at that point.
He chuckled a little. "If you say so. Though… you know I'll always listen to you, right? If you need to talk—"
"It's not something I can talk about," she blurted out. What!? What am I saying? Shut up already! "Not… to you, at least." SHUT UP!
"Why?" he frowned. "Why not me?"
"I…" She pulled away from him a little. It was getting harder and harder to keep her mouth shut. Like what, secrets never stayed buried for long after all. "I can't tell you! I'm sorry, but I can't! If I do… If I do tell you, then everything's gonna change and I'm… I'm not ready to face another wall yet. I can't handle it, okay? There's already too much going on, and I won't be able to handle it if things go badly because I just couldn't keep my damn feelings in check—"
She was cut off as Shoto's lips suddenly met hers. Her eyes widened and she froze, not knowing what to do. His hands were on her shoulders, holding her in place, and her mind went completely blank. After a few seconds, the boy pulled away, though he didn't let her go.
"Shoto…"
"I'm sorry. I don't… I couldn't stop myself any longer." His grip tightened a little. "I know it is selfish of me, but… this is my secret. This is what has been distracting me for the last few weeks, this is what has been on my mind for all this time. I wasn't planning on telling you anything, I knew you weren't ready for this, you told me yourself… But at least now, you can talk. Don't be scared to tell me anything, even if you're afraid it might change things between us… Because they already did, and it's my fault, and I'm sorry but at least you won't have to carry that burden anymore—"
This time, it was Kira who cut him off. Somewhat caught up in the moment, she hesitantly met his lips. At first surprised, he then relaxed and finally released her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
When they pulled away, the ginger placed her forehead against his, and their eyes met.
"That's my secret. That's what's been distracting me, that's what's been on my mind for all this time. And I'm the one who's sorry— for not seeing earlier how you actually felt."
There was a moment of silence. None let the other go, still trying to wrap their minds around what had just happened.
"Why didn't you say it before?" he then asked.
"I couldn't," she replied, closing her eyes. She let her head fall against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. It was a little faster than normal, which made her smile despite everything. "I told you, I was worried it'd only cause more problems for both of us, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you over something so stupid… I told myself it'd go away, but it just didn't and… I guess avoiding you was an unconscious attempt at making those feelings go away."
"What feelings?"
She gulped a little, not daring to look at him in the eyes again. "I don't know yet."
Much to her surprise, though, he simply chuckled. Then, his hands gently cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him again.
"It's alright," he stated. She couldn't help but lean into his touch. "We've got time, don't we?"
"I guess… But now what?" The ginger pulled away a little. "This… whatever this is, between us… If it doesn't work out after all, then will we still be able to be friends? Will things go back to the way they were? I don't want to hurt you, Shoto, I can't… I can't lose you…"
"You won't lose me," he instantly assured, taking a hold of her hand. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together. We just… gotta give it a chance first. And if- if it really doesn't work, if you want to stop after all, then that won't stop us from being friends still. We still are despite this, aren't we?"
He was so sincere, so earnest… and honestly, Kira was done holding back. She was worrying, but it was starting to exhaust her, and she just… she just wanted something good, for once. She probably wouldn't get her happy ever after at the end of it all, but why should that stop her from enjoying the story until it reached that point?
I'm allowed some happiness too, damn it!
So, deciding to be a little selfish for once, Kira squeezed his hand. "Right. Let's… let's try. We'll see where it gets us."
"Just a chance is all I'm asking for."
He smiled. Kira marvelled at how precious he actually looked for a second, before smiling back. They lightly kissed once again, though ended up butting their teeth together in their haste. They both pulled away, Kira laughing and Shoto's lips twitching in a small smirk.
"We'll probably have to work on that," she joked.
Nodding, he simply grabbed her hand again. "Come on, it's getting late. I'll bring you back to your room."
"Right."
As they started making their way upstairs with the elevator, Kira couldn't help but wonder if it really was a good idea after all. However, she didn't let the numerous 'what ifs?' scenarios get to her, simply pushing down the doubts.
She'd give this a chance.
She'd give them a chance.
"Hey, Shoto?" The boy glanced at her as they stepped out of the elevator. "You know, I think you forgot something important."
"What thing?" he frowned, confusion swirling in his mismatched eyes.
She turned to face him as they reached her room, grinning. "You didn't ask me out, did you?"
His eyes widened in understanding before he chuckled. "Suttoki Kira, will you do me the honour of becoming my girlfriend?"
"Umh…" She brought a finger to her lips, before grinning cheekily. "I'll think about it!"
He rolled his eyes, making her laugh.
"Alright, alright. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend," she agreed. The word felt foreign on her tongue but… it wasn't such a bad feeling. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Aa." He leaned forward, and pressed a light kiss on her forehead, before stepping back. "Goodnight, Kira."
On that, he turned his back to her and started heading back towards the elevator. The ginger watched him go, her cheeks as red as her eyes, before quickly entering the room and almost slamming the door behind her. She felt glad, light on her feet. She couldn't shake off the smile from her lips. She didn't know why but she just wanted to shout from the roof so that everyone could hear how happy she was right now.
Shoto… Her fingers ghosted over her lips. They were burning at the mere memory of his kisses. God, what have I gotten into?
She was still smiling as she went to sleep, though.
SO MUCH FLUFF! It's really not like me to write stuff like that, ah ah. However, I hope you're all satisfied with how they've finally found each other. I've never really been any good when it came to romantic scenes, so... Anyway, it's done.
One chapter left (for now), guys! See you then!