For a whole week, I observed. During the day, I silently watched Deku as we went about our daily interactions. When I was home alone, it was research time. I watched romance dramas and read girly manga, trying to figure out what a crush was and how it felt.
'This is basic, human, knowledge.' I told myself as I picked up a manga called 'Cinnamon Sugar Princess' and flipped through it boredly. It was morning and I had woken up early to do more research before school. 'So why can't I figure it out? What exactly do I feel for Deku? I mean, he's super cute, he's frustrating as hell, I think about him all the time, I want to protect him… So is that a crush?'
All week, I was been secretly evaluating him. I watched how he behaved and took notice how it made me feel. When he would grab my sleeve, my heart would flutter. When he gave me that cute pouty expression, my chest swelled. When we sat on the roof together and the sun made his hair glow bright green and he smiled sweetly at the feeling of the breeze… That was when his lips became my focus. That was when I wanted to lean over, cup his cheek, close my eyes, and take the plunge. 'This has to be a crush, right? Feeling those things about him and wanting to do things like that… isn't that a crush?' I wondered.
I put the obscenely girl comic back under my bed with the rest of my hidden research materials and went downstairs for breakfast. I plopped my backpack on the table and started rummaging through the fridge. "Katsuki?" My mom called, entering the kitchen. I hadn't talked to her about me possibly being interested in a guy. I wasn't even sure how I felt so I definitely wasn't ready to talk to someone else about it. "Do you want some coffee? I'm starting a pot." She said.
"Sure." I replied, pulling out a tupperware of last night's stir-fry.
"By the way, Kacchan, Koya's class is part of that parade today. All the kids have a dance they prepared. I can't be there so can you go cheer him on for the both of us? I'll even give you money to eat out." She enticed. Koya was my kid cousin, he was in the first grade.
I had forgotten about the parade. It was a traditional thing to welcome in fall but now a days, it was just an opportunity for boys to take girls out and eat street vendor food and listen to live music. An idea suddenly dawned on me. I could invite Deku and it would be kind of like a proxy date. That way, I would be able to test the waters see if I actually wanted to date him or not. He wouldn't even have to know the real purpose, I could just tell him that I wanted to eat good food and see the show.
"Yes!" I answered Mom enthusiastically.
She looked at me a little surprised. "Okay. Well, grab a thousand yen out of my purse before-"
"I've got it." I dismissed. I didn't want to use my mom's hard-earned money to take my guy friend on a proxy date, that just seemed deceptive. "I've been saving up. I've got it." I said.
"Really? Okay, then. You're my grown-up little man, aren't you?" She teased affectionately.
I rolled my eyes as I scarfed down the stir-fry. She handed me my coffee and threw my lunch in my bag before I left for school. As always, I walked into the classroom and was immediately greeted happily. "Morning, Kacchan!" Deku said with a smile.
I sat down beside him wearing my usual apathetic expression. "Morning." I replied. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He was annotation his notes with a Captain America themed pen. I quirked up the side of my mouth. I wanted to give him stuff like that. Just little gifts. I wanted to see his surprise and witness his cute excitement. I also liked the idea of being the one who cared for him and gave him the things he wanted, it made me feel important.
We got separated into pairs during class for an activity. I was placed with Kirishima and Deku was partnered with Iida. We were told to fill out a chart of irregular English verbs. A few minutes into the activity, I looked up at Kirishima. "Yo," I said in a quiet voice, "Hey… you ever asked anyone out?" I asked.
His cheeks went a little pink and he smiled proudly. "Yeah. Why? You thinking about asking someone out? Who is it?"
I hushed him and scowled. "No one you'd know. Look… I don't really know how to ask and still seem cool." I admitted.
"You came to the right guy. I have a few trusty pick-up lines. They're not cheesy or anything, I promise. One of my favorites is, 'Hey Honey, this wallet's getting a little heavy, wanna help me blow some money?' Chicks love rich guys." He advised.
"I'm not rich." I reminded him, annoyed.
"That's true… wanna borrow some money?"
"Are you a loan shark now? Fuck off."
"Okay, okay. I was just offering. Let me think… well, you've got a really cool style so you should just play it cool. Say something like, 'It's so boring around here. I'm gonna go find some fun. You can come with as long as you don't bug me'. Like a sexy bad boy, y'know?"
"Does anybody actually talk like that?" I asked. "I think that's just for TV."
"What kind of guy does she like? What's her type?" He inquired.
I blushed a little bit thinking about it. "I dunno. Brave, muscular, stuff like that."
"Perfect! That's the easiest of all. Just do something heroic like pull her out of the way of a bike or pick a fight with someone for checking her out and she'll be all yours."
"You think?"
He nodded.
We finished our assignment and moved onto the next subject. I tapped the end of my pencil on the desk nervously all day, only stopping last period when Iida tapped my shoulder. I looked up to him from my desk. "What?" I asked. He showed me a little silver key as if this explained anything. "What's that?" I was getting a little annoyed.
"It's for the closet." He said. I shrugged, still completely lost. "The cleaning closet." He clarified. "Today is your turn to clean the room."
Shit, I forgot. No… this was going to mess up all my plans… "Can't I do it tomorrow morning?" I asked.
"Tomorrow is Saturday." He reminded me.
I groaned in frustration and let my head fall onto my desk. No… Why today of all days? Was this fate's way of telling me that I should stop thinking that way about Izuku? That I should stop trying? The greenette in the desk beside me spoke up. "I'll help, Kacchan." He offered. "I bet we can do it in twenty minutes."
I looked over to him. He had one earbud in and he smiled brightly. How did he manage to be so happy and optimistic? Especially when he had to live with his anxiety. He really was a miraculous person. I just nodded once to his proposal.
'Even if I have feelings for him… why should I think that I deserve a person like him?' I wondered. 'Deku is nicer than anyone else and cuter than anyone else and better than anyone else… So, would the universe really let someone as great as him be stuck with a person like me? The universe is cruel so maybe I have a fighting chance.'
After class, when everyone had left, Deku stayed back with me like he had promised. "Hey… you don't have to help." I mentioned, unlocking the closet in the back of the room. "There's dust and crud everywhere. Won't that bother you?" I asked.
"Cleaning actually relaxes me a lot." He replied.
I pulled out a broom, mop, and a bucket full of cleaning products. "But I bet you shower and change right after." I predicted.
He nodded. "I'll just go home when we're done and do that."
He went to grab the mop but I moved it out of his reach with my foot, keeping a relaxed face. "There's… somewhere I want to take you after this so just sit down and wait for me, okay?" I said, my cheeks growing slightly peachy.
"We're going somewhere?" He asked, his voice as soft and naïve as always. My heart was beating anxiously.
"If you want to." I answered.
"Of course." He said. "If there's somewhere you want to go, then of course I want to come with." I could sense the smile in his voice and it made my blush deepen.
"Go sit at you desk." I ordered softly.
He did so, putting in his ear buds and resting his head as I began to clean. I glanced over at him often as I worked and soon realized that he had fallen asleep. I leaned the broom against the wall and curiously approached him, squatting down to see his face. He was really cute, even if he did sleep with his mouth open. He looked so calm and peaceful. I remembered a scene from 'Cinnamon Sugar Princess' that I'd seen this morning. The boyfriend fell asleep with his head in the girlfriend's lap and she just played with his hair and watched over him. I wanted to do that with Deku.
I experimentally reached out and wound a lock of his bangs around my index finger, gently twisting it with my thumb. It was really soft and had a clean smell to it. 'I wonder if I'm the first to do this to you.' I thought. 'Deku…do you have a crush on someone else? Will you ask someone else to play with your hair like this?' The thought made my chest ache. "Does it mean I like you if I can't stand to share you with anyone else?" I whispered to the sleeping boy before standing upright again and taking up the broom. I finished the chores in less than an hour. When I was done, I put away the cleaning things, locked up the closet, slipped the key into the teacher's desk, then nudged Midoriya. He didn't wake up right away. He grumbled stubbornly and readjusted.
"Deku." I coaxed, nudging him again.
This time, his eyes flickered open. He was always confused when he woke up. He looked around then at me. "When did I fall asleep?"
"A while ago. I'm done cleaning up now, let's go."
He tiredly stood up and reached for his bag but I took it instead and slung it over my shoulder. "I've got it." I said, keeping up my casual and cool façade.
"Kacchan? You're acting differently today." He pointed out.
I shrugged as if I hadn't noticed. "Whatdya mean?"
"I dunno… just different." He replied.
I nudged him again gently with my shoulders. "I'm the same. Let's go."
He nodded and followed me out of the school and to the subway. A lot of people were leaving work and school so the subway car was packed pretty full. I kept Deku tucked into my chest and blocked away from the other passengers with my arm holding the pole on the other side of him. I didn't want people bumping into him and making him uncomfortable and… I wanted him all to myself for our proxy date.
Deku bumped around a lot on the ride. He didn't like holding the poles or ceiling railing. "Hold onto my jacket." I told him. He looked up at me curiously.
"Hm?" He asked, surprised by my suggestion.
"You can hold only my jacket. You won't bump around as much." I said again. I had seen this in one of the romance mangas too.
Deku's face flushed as his timid hands took hold of my jacket. As the subway swayed, he pulled against me and I supported him. I really liked feeling him relying on me. I liked the closeness of his little hands and the pulling of his gentle tugging. He looked up to me, his face still pink. "Are you hungry?" He asked.
I shrugged, not wanting to say that I was but he already knew. He reached into my backpack and, as if by magic, pulled out a bag of seaweed crackers. I was stunned. "When did those get in there?" I asked in awe.
"I put them in there this morning." He replied, tearing the bag open and offering it to me. I accepted gratefully and started eating. "You're always hungry after school." He said with a smile.
God dammit… I wanted him to be my boyfriend. He was perfect, like from a TV drama or something. Anyone would sell their kidney to have such a cute, thoughtful, lover. But then again… a boy dating a boy was weird… Would I really be okay with introducing him as my boyfriend? Or even being honest about that sort of thing at school? Would I really be brave enough to walk around town holding hands with him? Even if he accepted my request, would I actually be able to do what I want to do with him?
The Subway let out at our station and we exited. Even though the parade wouldn't start for another three hours, people were already crowding the streets. "Hey, don't go wandering away, okay?" I said.
Deku's face was still tinted pink as he nodded and stayed close to my side. I felt his fist latched onto my sleeve. 'I wonder if this is too much for him? Was I being inconsiderate when I brought him here? Should we just go home like usual?' I looked to him. "Deku… is this okay?" I asked.
The greenette was giving me an especially cute expression that I didn't quite recognize. "It's okay. Just stay close." He replied. My heart beat heavily for him. I wanted to keep him close, to keep him safe, to keep him mine.
As we walked through the little vendors, he seemed to be enjoying himself. He often stopped to marvel at the sparky blown glass or colorful origami goods. He was so friendly, chatting happily with the vendors. It made me smile to watch him. I wanted this brightness with me every day. I wanted to see those glimmering emerald eyes and listen to his sing-song voice go on and on about super heroes. I really liked him… I liked him with my whole heart.
He pulled me by the sleeve enthusiastically into a little vendor's tent. The tent was owned by two young women selling a wide array of knitted and crocheted goods. Deku bounced around the make-shift shop while I casually scrolled, keeping an eye on him all the while. I found one thick, fluffy, scarf that had been crocheted using a multitude of effervescent colors. There were rich greens, gentle blues, and soft yellows. It looked like a sunny summer day if you squinted your eyes and let all the colors blend together into a pallet of happy feelings. I asked one of the girls about it and she said that her inspiration was keeping summer in your heart even in the cold winter. I bought it and shoved it in my bag while Deku was asking the other owner about her business.
When we got out of the shop and back into the street, I pulled the scarf out of my bag and wrapped it around his neck, my face flushed. Thankfully, the sun was starting to sink behind the trees and my blush wasn't as noticeable. The whole street was glittering with string lights that decorated every vendor's tent. Live music mumbled on in the background and people chattered idly. Deku watched my actions quietly, his mouth a little agape.
I diverted my gaze, embarrassed. "It's supposed to get cold tonight and we have to stay out late to see my cousin's performance so…" I mumbled.
"Kacchan…" His little voice returned. It seemed like he wanted to ask me something but he decided against it and just smiled back at me, making my heat race. "Is it really okay for me to have this?" He asked. I nodded. "Thank you! I really like it!"
I turned around to hide how red my face was. "I want to get something to eat." I announced, changing the subject for my own comfort. I led him off to a dumpling vendor and ordered myself two fat pork buns. Deku wouldn't let me get him anything. "What are you going to eat then? Corn on the cob? Grilled squid?" I offered.
He shook his head. "I'll just eat when I get home." He said.
"It's already been five hours since lunch. You have to eat something, Deku, Non-negotiable. What should we get?"
He thought about it before shyly responding. "How about… taiyaki?" He compromised.
I rewarded him with a smile which visibly brought up his spirits before leading him away to a taiyaki vendor. He chose the strawberry flavor and I paid. "Are you sure? I can pay for it myself…" He said.
"I invited you so it's on me." I dismissed, handing over the colorful bills. He leaned against me slightly to show that he was appreciative.
After that, we went to find good seats on a park bench and waited for the parade. Deku ate slowly, blowing on the pastry over and over as clouds of steam rose up from it. I smiled as I watched him. "You don't normally smile this much." He noted. "You seem really happy today."
"It's been a good day." I excused, taking a bite out of the bun.
"Is there someone you like, Kacchan?" he blurted out. I could tell from his tone that he was nervous about asking this question.
"Huh?" I blushed.
"I… Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop… but I heard you asking Kirishima earlier about how to ask someone out."
"What's it to you?" I grumbled, accidentally getting defensive out of habit. I bit my lip.
"I just… if you start dating someone… I won't get to be around so much… I've gotten used to hanging out with you every day. I don't want to guilt you or anything, I don't mean to do that at all… I just… I want to know so I can be ready when it happens. No matter what… I… I'll support you, Kacchan."
There was an ache growing in my chest. 'You'd support me?' I wanted him to say he'd be really upset about it or angry. "Why? Isn't there someone you're interested in too? You can't cling to friends forever, you should find someone special and give your time to them instead of bothering me." I suggested coldly. I wanted to push him away. I want to see if he'd take the bait and choose someone else. It would be better this way. I wanted him to make it clear to me that he would never like me and that we weren't compatible at all so I could give up and move on. But on the other hand… he was my first crush so I knew he's take the biggest chunk of me with him when he left.
I didn't hear any response from him for a few moments so I glanced at him. His eyes were watery but he was holding it in. "So it's true?" His little voice asked, trembling. "You like someone else?" He dropped his head so his fluffy tufts of hair covered his eyes. He couldn't hide the dark speckles on his lap that formed as slow tears fell from his face. "You know… I normally don't mind your teasing but this is just mean… Is it because of what I told you? My secret? After you knew that, you still went ahead and treated me like this just to mess with my feelings? So is this like a practice date or something? For when you ask the real one? That's so mean, Bakugo-san… because you knew how this would make me feel but you did it anyways."
I took hold of his jaw and made him look at me, frowning. He scowled back at me, his eyes pink and glossy. "Don't call me Bakugo-san, Idiot." I scolded.
"Oh, so I'm a fool and an idiot now?" He growled in response. This side of him lit a fire in me.
"A huge, colossal, insufferable, idiot. Can't you even tell when I'm being sincere?" I snapped.
His snarl remained for a moment more before he began to understand what I meant. His expression changed to one of confusion and shock. I let go of his chin. "I'm sincere, you idiot. I asked you to come here with me intentionally, I wanted to see what it would be like to do something like this with you." I thought I was having a heart attack because it was beating was so rapidly.
Suddenly, Deku stood up and turned his back on me. "What the hell are you doing now?" I asked, annoyed.
"You didn't ask me properly…" He mumbled. "Shouldn't you have told me why were came here? Then I wouldn't have assumed…"
"Are you going to pretend that when you suggested seeing a movie together, you weren't doing the same thing?" I pointed out.
He sat back down, pulling the scarf higher on his face to hide his embarrassment. "Still… you told me to like someone else. You said that on purpose just to hurt me."
"And you called me Bakugo-san with the same intention. I'd say we're even." I said.
"Do you actually… do you like me?" He asked, peeking up at me from his scarf shelter nervously. I smiled a bit.
"Is this really the way you want to talk about that? Shouldn't something like that be said for the first time in a special way when both parties are ready? Not after a fight in a park at night."
He nodded and looked disappointedly back into his lap. 'Don't make that face…' I thought, 'Now's not the time to say those words… just enjoy this'. I reached down and held his hand. I had wondered about this feeling for the whole last week. His knuckles weren't as big as I imagined they'd be and his palm was warmer than I had predicted. I wrapped my fingers around securely, wanting to keep him there at my side. That's what I'd always wanted.
He gasped and looked from the hand to me then back to the hand. After recovering from the shock, he slowly reciprocated the gesture, his thin fingers trembling. His whole face was bright red. My smile widened. There didn't have to be confessions or kisses today. That would have been too much for either of us. This was more than enough. It was an unspoken promise that in time, those words would be spoken and, until then, our hearts would remain reserved.
Even when the parade finally came by, I didn't let go of Deku's hand. I idly ran my thumb over the fine details of his hand so I could make a clear memory of this moment. I soaked in the rhythmic thumping of the drums and the happy cheering. The dim lights, the bright colors, the comfortable warmth of Deku's hand. I needed to savor this. I wanted to pluck this moment out of history and shove it in my pocket so I could hold it and it would never fade away.
Koya's class came and went. He responded to my waving but couldn't see the little connection between me and the boy at my side. When the parade ended, we walked in silence back to the subway platform, our hands finally losing grip on each other. Just like before, I used my body to cut him off from the crowded subway car and he held onto my jacket. His head nodded sleepily. "Deku… it's only 9:30." I whispered.
"Hm?" He shook the sleepiness out of his head. "I know, I know." He responded. In a few minutes, he went back to dropping and catching his heavy head. I watched him, smiling.
"Come closer." I said, with one arm gently pulling him closer to my chest. He blushed but followed my order, leaning against me. I might have imagined it but I thought I could feel his heart racing. I wanted to show him that he was special to me, he was mine and I'd take care of him. I wasn't ready yet to verbally claim him but I wanted to make it clear to him that he couldn't flirt with anyone else. He was defiantly going to be mine when the time was ready.
Once we arrived in town, I walked him back to his house. It was only a few blocks away from mine. "Wait here, I'll fetch you the shirt you lent me." He said as we arrived at his door.
"Don't worry, you can keep it." I said.
"I can keep it?" He asked, surprised.
I nodded. "Yeah…" I didn't want to tell him the truth of why I was being so generous. "It doesn't really fit me anymore. Keep it. Besides, I don't want you to wake your family up with all the running around and door slamming."
"Hm? Oh, there's no one here." He admitted. "Dad's abroad as always and mom has a meeting in Shanghai. She won't be back until Sunday morning."
I narrowed by brows, concerned. "No one stays here with you?"
He yawned. "Well, Mr. Tamura, our family driver is here for a few hours during the day and there's a few other people like the housekeeper and pool guy." He explained.
I remembered last time I was at Deku's house. His mother didn't come back until well into the evening. Was that normal for Deku? That seemed like such a lonely life. "You don't mind being here alone?" I asked.
"Well… I mind a little but I'm pretty used to it. Besides, I get to hang out with you after school so I'm not alone for long." He smiled but for the first time, I could see that it wasn't completely sincere.
"Deku, don't smile if you don't mean it." I scolded. His smile was sacred to me, I hated to see it used inappropriately. On the other hand, I didn't want to pry so I quickly came up with a solution. "Since I got us dinner, why don't you do breakfast? There's a good buffet around here that does an early bird special."
He gave me a bright, sincere, smile. "Forget the buffet, I'll cook it here."
"Are you a good cook?" I asked.
He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I am."
I nodded once. "I'll be here at eight." I said.
"Okay, Kacchan. Get home safe."
We parted ways and I went back home, arriving at the same time as my mom. She pulled out a pot and began preparing macaroni for us. I told her about the festival and Koya's performance but I wasn't able to mention the boy who was at my side the whole time. I didn't know what to say or how. Since starting the new school, my mom and I had grown more distant since she had to work so much. I just wasn't confident about bringing up something so weird with her.
We ate and I went upstairs after telling her that I was going to study with my tutor tomorrow. All she knew about Deku was that he often tutored me and he was nice to me. She'd crossed paths with him a few times at home and they had politely introduced themselves but that was all. If I told her now that I was officially pursuing him as a romantic interest, it would come as a huge shock to her.
In the morning, I rolled out of bed and brought myself to Deku's house tiredly, not thinking twice about my wardrobe. He opened the door after the second nock, all smiles. "Good morning! This is the first time I've seen you in the morning outside of school, you look so tired." He mentioned then gasped. "Sorry! I realize that that could be taken the wrong way. You look the same as always." He said.
"You already told the truth; your lie won't help now." I replied in a relaxed voice. I wasn't mad, just a little amused. I looked him over and realized he was wearing my shirt. My cheeks went red. "That's my shirt…" I blurted out.
"Yeah, it's really comfy to sleep in." He told me with a smile. My face was burning as I imagined Deku asleep in my shirt. He tugged my sleeve, telling me silently to come inside. He led me to a barstool at kitchen island where I sat down. "Everything's almost ready. I didn't know if you preferred miso soup or natto so I made both." He said, taking the lid off a pan on the stove and flipping the sizzling fish.
"Remember when I said I'd be pissed if you hurt yourself again. That's still in effect." I warned as I watched him.
"I won't." He promised, pulling out two charred fish and sitting them on a plate. He put it on the island, followed by a bowl of rice, pickled veggies, miso soup, natto, and thin omlettes. I'd never seen such a big breakfast prepared for just two people.
"Are you sure this is just for us? Why don't you invite your driver and housekeepers, there's plenty to go around." I teased.
"It may look like it, but you eat a lot." He fired back, smirking a tiny bit as he set down a pair of chopsticks and a bowl in front of me. I scowled at his remark but he took no notice. He sat down beside me. "Are you going to wear your jacket inside?" He asked.
I casually slumped it off. Underneath, I was wearing a black tank top. I started eating before noticing that Deku was watching me. "What?" I asked, annoyed.
"You have a lot of scars." He noted. I immediately pulled my jacket back on. I had gotten comfortable and forgotten to keep them covered.
"Mind your own business." I growled defensively. Even through I liked Deku so much, I still had aggressive instincts.
"It's okay, I have them too." He said. I noticed movement in the corner of my eye and glanced to him only to see that he was wriggling out of his shirt. "See?" He said, showing me his chest that was streaked with pail lines.
I couldn't peel my eyes away from him. They were quite noticeable. 'Did someone do that to him?' I wondered, my heart racing. 'Who? Why? Where are they now?' "How did you get those?" I asked.
"Little things here and there. Some I got from schoolyard scuffles, most of them I don't remember. They probably would have healed up okay but I never let them heal properly. I would clean them incessantly and pull away dead skin compulsively so they scarred up like this. What about you?"
I bit my lip for a minute before deciding to level the playing field. I pulled off my tank top. My whole torso was marked up like a calk board. Some scars were pale and others were rich red. "The reason I've been to so many schools is because I fought a lot." I admitted. "I fought with everyone all the time and I fought hard."
"Why did you fight them?" He asked. I had never been asked why, just scolded. I sensed no judgement or fear in his voice. It felt safe to tell him the truth.
"They always started it… I hate bullies so whenever I saw someone getting picked on, I always had to step in. It worked out well for the other kids because the bullies weren't picking on them anymore and now, they could join in and gang up on me… They always turned against me…. and if they didn't, things would get worse for them so I just decided to be mean to everyone and that way, everyone could get along and be united against a common enemy."
"And that enemy… was you?" Deku asked. I nodded. "Wasn't that so lonely?" He pried. I shrugged, not wanting to admit that he was exactly right. "That's not how you are at school now. You have so many friends…"
"Deku… That's because of you." I explained. "The reason I can hold back who I really am and make friends with everyone… is because I know that you're always going to be on my side, so I'm not afraid. Before, I hated people getting close because I could only imagine them growing to hate me then leaving me... but I know you'll always be there so I can't lose everything and for that reason… It's not so scary." I said, slipping my shirt back on. I glanced up and saw him blushing profusely. "Since I spilled the beans, it's your turn now. You didn't just forget all those scars. Where did you get them from?"
He shook his head. "I really don't know… If I'm being honest, I don't remember very much at all about being a kid. My earliest memories are all around first and second grade. We don't have pictures of before that either so… I dunno…" He dressed himself as well and took a bite of his fish.
"Did you ask your mom?" I tried the fish too. It melted in my mouth.
"She doesn't know either." He said.
"Weird." I mumbled, completely distracted by the delicious food in front of me. "What the hell did you do to this rice? Why does it taste so good?" I was amazed. I always ate rice out of a 5-pound sack, I didn't know it could taste like this.
"I fry it raw in a pan with cumin seeds before cooking it so it has the flavor." He replied.
"Where did you learn to cook?" I asked, trying everything on the table. I didn't like pickled plums until I tried the ones he had made.
"I learned slowly from lots of places and practiced a lot. I don't like eating out or buying stuff premade so I've always done this." He explained. His chest was puffed out in pride.
"You're really good at it." It was rare for me to give such a straight-forward compliment but he rewarded me with the cutest promise ever.
"You think so? You know, I'm really good at making sweets too. For Valentine's Day, I'll make you a hundred different cakes and chocolates~ Do you like sweets, Kacchan?"
I didn't but I still nodded my head fervently. 'So cute… so goddamn cute… will we be a couple by Valentine's Day?' I wondered. I imagined spending Valentine's Day with Deku. It would be adorable.
We finished eating and I helped him with the dishes. I washed while he dried. "You know…" I said, handing him a dripping pan, "If you're ever lonely over here…" I suddenly felt too embarrassed to continue with my proposal.
He took the pan, drying it. "Yes?" He prompted.
"Then… you… you can, um… like, text me or something. Whatever. I just don't want you to be here alone at night. There are crazy people wandering around and drug-dealers and vampires and stuff…"
"Vampires?" He asked with a chuckle.
I was about to defend myself when we heard keys in the door. We both turned around, surprised as the door opened to reveal a muscular, blonde, man as tall as the ceiling. My arm immediately jutted out in front of Deku protectively and my feet found a ready stance. The stranger was a giant. He could crush me in an instant if he wanted to. "Dad!" Deku cried, pushing past my arm to run into the huge man's arms.
'Dad?' I wondered. 'Is that guy Deku's dad? No way… no, there's no way that man is Deku's dad. He's five times his size and he's not even Japanese! Blonde hair, blue eyes, enormous build… no way. Deku is dark-haired and small like his mom, there's no way they're related.' I thought.
"You're home! I didn't get a text!" Deku said excitedly, hugging the man.
"My client had a heart-attack." He explained. "Don't worry, he's fine, but we had to reschedule our meeting and it turned out that I have a few free days." The man looked at me. I was still shocked and on guard. "Izuku, who's your friend?" He asked his son.
"Kacchan, come here." Deku coaxed, calling me to him with a hand gesture that I apprehensively followed. "Kacchan, this is my dad. Dad, this is my friend from school, Kacchan."
I couldn't help but notice that he only introduced me as a friend. Did his dad not know about his preferences or did he, like me, not know how to define our relationship? I bowed respectfully and mumbled a greeting. Deku explained that he had made us breakfast before droning on about how I was a good person and great friend. It was really embarrassing and unnecessary. I felt a huge, heavy, hand pat my back. "It's nice to meet you, Kacchan." The booming voice said, making my muscles tighten. 'What if he finds out that I'm pursuing Deku? Would he kill me? He would probably smash me flat with his gorilla hands.' I still couldn't shake the feeling that this man was not blood-related to Deku. The more I studied his face, the more I was certain of it. 'Why didn't Deku say anything about it? Does he know? Oh my God… is it possible that I'm right but Deku really believes this man is his father?' I wondered. I forced my self to smile so I wouldn't lead onto my internal fear and suspicion.
"I'm surprised you invited a friend over, Izuku. You never bring anyone home." Mr. Midoriya said.
"Mom already knows Kacchan, she's fine with him coming over. Besides, he bought me dinner last night at the Fall Festival so I was just repaying the favor." Deku explained.
Mr. Midoriya looked at me with interest. 'You idiot!' I scolded mentally. 'Shut up! He's definitely going to kill me…' "M-my cousin was in the festival, . We went to see him perform then I brought Deku right back home and didn't come inside." I said. 'Shut up! Oh my god, I'm so stupid! I'm making it sound like something happened! Nothing happened!' Deku's dad just make me so nervous.
"Deku?" He asked.
"It's a nickname, Dad." The greenette said. "Kacchan gave it to me~"
I wanted to leave. I glanced around for a window I could jump out of. "B-b-because he works so hard at school, Mr. Midoriya. I-it's to encourage him to study hard..." I explained, trying to hide the other meaning of his nickname.
The huge blonde erupted into booming laughter. "I like you, Kacchan." He announced bluntly. "I was going to take Izuku out on the town today, why don't you come along?"
I was surprised by his forwardness. He and Izuku weren't completely unlike, they were both blunt. "Thank you, sir, but I have to get home." I said.
"Such a diligent student. Your studies can wait a few hours, can't they?" He asked.
"Yeah, Kacchan." Deku coaxed. "Come with us."
I wanted to do anything he asked me to do but I really couldn't. "I have to go to work." I admitted, knowing they would just continue to ask.
"Work?" Deku echoed.
I nodded, blushing a little. My aunt and uncle owned a small restaurant and I picked up a few hours from them when I had the time. Recently, I had been working more so I could save up money to do fun things with Deku. I went to the door and slipped my shoes back on. "Don't say anything about it at school, okay? It's against the rules for students to work."
"Ah… okay, I won't." He replied as I left his house. As I walked home, a few persistent thoughts wracked my brain.
'If I'm right in assuming that that man isn't Deku's biological father, then who is he? Where is Deku's real father? Where did those scars come from? Why doesn't he remember? Who is Deku to me? Could I really make him mine? Would I be able to tell my parents? The school? That huge American? And lastly… when's the next time I can see him?'
