A clamor of voices and footsteps begins to unravel down the halls. Names are being called out, lockers are opening and closing. Faint echoes of laughter and friendly yells bounce away from every corner that passersby claim. It's an exciting and relieving array of sounds. You can tell everyone's happy, or at least thrilled about something. These feelings are communicated and then passed on between the scurrying peoples - filling up the air, and riling the students' already shaken emotions to a peaking satisfaction. It's the ever-familiar atmosphere of a school day's end. And it's something that you would never notice if you were a part of it.
But for someone like me, who's rolling his forehead repeatedly on the bottom-side of a staircase, with a sickening feeling of dread churning in his stomach: This atmosphere is unbearably apparent. It's more of a burden for me, really. I feel like I could be utterly crushed under its presence, or be torn apart by its pressure. The extra stimulation exuding from the cheerful crowds is the last thing I need right now.

"What should I do?" I cry out, "What do I tell them? What can I tell them? They can't expect me to respond to any of this rationally! Oh my goodness… It's almost like they're playing a horrible practical joke on me and I'm completely missing out on the punch line. Maybe it is a joke! Is that worse for me than if it was serious? Or is it better? If I knew that Uraraka was making light of a subject like that, then I'd probably die. But if it's just Asui's idea of a joke, then… Well, that's not too out of the ordinary. She already teases me every day. But is it just a tease? Is it something I'm supposed to play along with until I find out? What if I never find out? I'm actually more scared over what happens when I do find out in either case! AAAAH- I don't know what to do! Where should I even start?!"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because… maybe you can give me some tips for this?"

"What makes you think I'd know any better?"

"You at least have more experience with girls than I do…"

Todoroki looks away from his book and stares at me with a raised brow. "I've only had experience in rejecting them, Midoriya. I haven't exactly been stable enough for a relationship."

"Oh, that makes sense." I sigh and slump my shoulders. Though Todoroki is quite popular among the girls of my class, and other classes, for his looks and cool attitude - it was foolish of me to assume that he's had a girlfriend. Nevertheless, it was him I sought out for guidance in this insane situation. His level-headedness and distant outlook would be my best bet in helping me make sense of this chaotic mess.
Actually, he was more of my next best bet. The bets I had before choosing him were removed from me.
I would've asked Iida, if he wasn't as awkward as I was with women… and people in general. Some of the other boys in my class were probably more experienced in this kind of talk than we were, but I didn't know them well enough to ask something so personal. Bakugo and Mineta were the only other ones I was familiar with. And both are just… no.
There was also the possibility of asking All-Might, or one of the other teachers. But I can't bother them with something like this. They have more important duties to attend to that concern the student body as a whole. To burden their time and expertise with my social ineptitude… I wouldn't want that.
Then there were the girls in our class. But it's reputational suicide to talk to any of them about a subject that concerns another girl. Word gets around fast between them. And the only two among them that I would have trusted in keeping a conversation private between us were…

I plant my face on the staircase, letting out a muffled, screamed groan.

Uraraka and Tsuyu… my two closest friends of the opposite gender.
Between those two, I could always rely on Uraraka for emotional support. She wouldn't always know what to say, or how to say what she wanted to say, but she'd always encourage me with a genuine intent. I couldn't exactly allow myself to see a situation as hopeless when she was there rooting for me.
And in contrast, I could always count on Tsuyu to calm my thoughts with her straightforward rationality. She'd always know what words to say, how to say them, and when to say them. Bluntly and harshly, sure, but a lot of times I needed that cold slap of reality to get me back on my feet.
Of my friends and acquaintances, it was these two that I relied on most when it came to discussions of over-complicated problems. It was these two that helped me simplify the issues of my panicked mind. And I was always thankful for their support in my times of need - not that I wanted to trouble them with my troubles, but they would always offer their help even without my asking.
With an outrageous situation like this, of course I'd go to one of them for counsel! Or, at least, one of them would randomly appear beside me and give their two cents over my worries.
But… That's not really possible now. After all, the two of them are the main focus of this very major problem. They're the main characters on this terrifying stage. The dual source of my current, confusing worries. And they're the reasons why this is way too complicated to handle on my own.
The consequences of what would and will happen next is too much for me… If I fail at handling this situation properly, both of them will get hurt, in a horrible way. What would happen to our friendships after that, I really wouldn't know. And if I happened to succeed in handling this situation as I should, then one of them will get hurt twice as much. I'd definitely know what would happen to our friendships after that, and it isn't pretty. This is a no-win situation, as far as I can see. And I sorely miss having their eyes to help me see past minefields like this… If I could help it, I'd rather that neither of them come out of this unharmed. But by myself, how can I help it at all?

It was at the start of today's lunch break, when all this happened… Before I could make my way to the cafeteria, Tsuyu had pulled me aside to tell me something in private. The act caught me by surprise - since she was never the type to hide from anyone overhearing her talk. With the warning that she gave next, that the 'something she wanted to talk about' was something that needed to be taken seriously, my initial surprise turned into a worried alarm. And that alarm quickly turned into a denying meltdown…

"Uraraka Ochaco has strong affections for you." she had told me, "She has a crush on you."

Loyal to her ways of stating things simply and matter-of-factly, that was all Tsuyu had to tell me. Her face was deadpan, as was her tone of voice. She was well-known among her friends for her perfect poker face, and I knew her for using it against me to pull off harmless pranks and harsh teases. But this wasn't one of those moments - this wasn't a joke. Tsuyu wouldn't joke about something like that.
After going on a long, denying tangent - questioning the sureness of her claims and pondering over the purpose of her telling me - she answered my confusion with, "Uraraka told me. I can show you the texts, if you want. I just wanted to tell you before she decided to keep quiet about it again, since I know you have a crush on Uraraka. It wouldn't have been right if you were the only one that didn't know."
Tsuyu wasn't the type to beat around the bush… But she also wasn't the type to explain the nuances of her beating a particular bush. Like - how in the world did she know that I had a crush on Uraraka?! And - what did she mean by 'again' or 'only one that didn't know'?! How many layers were there to this story? And what was I supposed to do with it? Did she expect me to just approach Uraraka and confess to her out of the blue? Didn't she know that telling me this would turn me into a nervous wreck?
Before I could react to her terrifyingly-simple explanation, the seriousness of the situation multiplied even further.

"Deku!" Uraraka called out to me, panting and wheezing between breaths. Sweat dripped from her chin and arms, revealing that she had been running herself ragged looking for me. "Don't listen to what Tsuyu has to say!" she yelled, too late in the conversation.
A rapid back-and-forth ensued between Uraraka and Tsuyu, sometimes involving me in their pointed statements. I couldn't quite tell at the time if they were arguing against each other, or pleading for the other to reconsider. Arguing for what, reconsidering what, I couldn't keep up with them to figure it out. All I knew was that the both of them didn't want me to be swayed by the other's words… even though both of them were saying the same thing…

"Deku, even if I have feelings for you, it's Asui that loves you."

"Midoriya, I may have grown in those feelings, but Ochaco has been thinking of you all this time."

What each of them were saying meant the same exact thing to me: I was going to faint.
And I think I did faint.
Class bells warbled, the hallway and stairs crawled in my vision, and the lessons from the teachers felt like a dream language. I don't really remember what happened after that talk. If there was any conclusion reached, or if I even responded to either of them. All I know is that the rest of the day seemed to pass by like a strange vision, and I was just there as an unwitting witness to it all.
All-Might was in that vision, trying to say something to me in a concerned panic, trying to get me to 'snap out of it' or something of the sort, but I couldn't understand what he meant by any of his words and/or actions. What was there to 'snap out of'? There was no 'it'. There couldn't have been an 'it'. I must have imagined it all.
That was what I kept thinking in my dazed state. That is, until Bakugo blew me across the room with one of his explosions. That definitely woke me up, and left me with a pretty big bruise. Apparently, he had gotten tired of my 'stupid face'… I wondered what kind of look I had been carrying up to that point.
Peeling myself off the wall, I soon realized that it was already the end of the school day. That was when I decided to seek someone out for advice. And that was when I found Todoroki, and dragged him into this conversation.

Todoroki doesn't seem too bothered by me bringing him here to talk, at the bottom of the east-hall's stairway - well out of the way of others. Supposedly he had no plans after class, and was willing to hear me out since he 'owed me one'. Even after he endured my chapter-long explanation of what had occurred throughout my day: he continued to lend an ear, and never once judged me negatively for what I had to say afterwards. Now I feel as if I owe him one.
His responses to my rantings were just as level-headed and distant as I expected them to be. None of what he said really helped me get closer to an answer, but that wasn't a fault on his part. The help he did provide was in giving me this chance to put my worries out in the open. A lot of people have told me that I tend to keep my stresses to myself - making them worse with every unrealistic conclusion I stacked on top of them. But when I'm able to voice them, especially to a person that has their own opinions to share, my troubles become far less menacing in appearance. Even now, while I'm still pacing in circles and struggling to find a solution: I'm starting to think this may not be the absolute worst situation to find myself in - all thanks to Todoroki's calm demeanor.

"If I'm understanding this right..." Todoroki begins as he quietly closes the book he's reading. The book has no title at its front, its side, nor any descriptions at its back. With its size and shape, I'm assuming it's some kind of sketch/note journal. It may be a personal one, actually. I've seen him writing a lot during our breaks. Putting the possible-journal into his back-pocket, he continues, "Your crush on Uraraka is the main concern here. The fact that she may or may not have a crush on you, whether it is or isn't a joke – are secondary factors, if not zero factors."

"H-How do you mean?"

"Well... You hold feelings towards Uraraka even without her returning the affection. When she suddenly shows the affection back, you end up confused. You probably thought your feelings were going to stay one-sided. Actually, you probably thought they should have stayed one-sided. And because of that, the relationship you have with her, going forward with whatever decision you make, is going to change. Your relationship no longer weighs itself by just what you think of her - it's going to weigh what she thinks of you, and how the two perceptions might clash with each other. The relationship between you two is changing into something entirely new, and it's nothing like what you thought it would be."

"You make me sound like a stalker… Am I? No, more importantly, you were saying that our perceptions might clash… "

"People's expectations always do. What you may find interesting in her and what she finds interesting in you, will more than likely find each other at odds. You might want to become more serious in order to protect her, but she might like you better for your less-serious self. That sort of thing."

"That makes sense."

"But like I said earlier: That's all secondary. If her feelings towards you was the main problem here, then this would have been resolved immediately. She likes you, you like her: You two get together. Even if you two are shy about the approach, that's the only conclusion waiting for you. And Asui, though you see her as a good friend, will have to look elsewhere. It would be unfair for her to be in a relationship with you at the end of all this, when your affections are really towards Uraraka."

"That's true."

Todoroki's expression just changed. Well, just barely. His usual calm-frown shrank a little. I think he's trying to convey that he's confused. "Which is? What I said about Asui, or what I said about you and Uraraka?"

"I, uh… I think I meant that for both?"

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Both facts can't be true for you, Midoriya. Because you came to me to talk about this. You're not exactly the type to humble-brag to people, so I doubt you're here to get a 'congratulations' from me. You came here with a problem that needed a solution. If both things were true, then I could just tell you that 'you already know the answer' and leave it at that… But if I said that now, and you accepted it as an answer and left, you'd be back in five minutes with another made-up worry. That means that this isn't the case - both aren't true."

Yeah… That sounds like something I'd do. "Then which of the two is true?"

"Which do you think?"

"I-I'm not sure! I can't think straight!"

Todoroki sighs. "The most obvious one is the one that's true: You like Uraraka, she likes you. You both agree to that. If none of this is a joke, then it's undeniable. That fact alone is the dilemma you're having trouble with."

He stares at me for some time, expecting me to put two and two together. But I'm really not getting it. I give him a very blank look. "Um..."

"The other factor was that, if all this was true - then it would be unfair for Asui to end up in a relationship with you, because your feelings for Uraraka would deny Asui your full affections. That should be obvious. But it isn't obvious for you. You're still struggling over this. So that would mean that the factor is untrue. And if it's untrue, then one of the two following statements would have to be true… One: It would be fair if she got in a relationship with you even if your feelings for Uraraka kept you from giving her your full affection. Or two: It would be fair if she got in a relationship with you, because you know you can give her your full affection. "

Wait. So then that would mean… "What does that mean?" I feel like an idiot.

Todoroki puts his hands in his pockets and begins walking up the stairway. "The first statement doesn't make much sense, so it means that the second one is true. You're completely capable of giving Asui your full affections," he says before turning the corner, "And your feelings towards Uraraka is the only thing keeping you from admitting it." As he walks out of view, he casually waves his hand at me to excuse his exit. A second later, I could hear him talking to someone - probably on his phone.

I stay at the bottom of the steps, looking down at my feet.
There's an unbearable sense of guilt weighing at my heart. I'm not sure why. Leaning my back on the wall, I slide myself into a crouch and let out a long sigh. The churning in my stomach is gone now. But the emptiness spreading inside my chest keeps me from feeling relieved.
I wonder how Todoroki came to his conclusions. He said himself that he had never been in a relationship, and that he had rejected the girls that came his way. So how can he be confident that his idea of the situation was accurate? Though… his deductions weren't revolving around Uraraka and Tsuyu… They revolved around me. Rather than analyzing the full situation, he was only judging by my growing indecision.
Maybe it is my indecision that's making this as difficult as it is, and not the situation itself. But if that's the case - how am I supposed to approach the dilemma now? Do I really have mutual feelings for Tsuyu? Can I really give her my full affection? Do I really see my feelings for Uraraka as an obstacle?
None of these ideas feel entirely wrong...

But nothing about this situation feels right.