There is a text conversation in this chapter. If the way it looks is weird, I apologize in advance.
"How are you feeling, Todoroki-kun?"
"My head still hurts a little bit, but my fever's gone down thanks to Recovery Girl." Shouto feels his forehead with the back of his palm. As Shouto is occupied checking his temperature, Izuku looks at him with a surprised look on his face. The image of Shouto struck frozen after Recovery Girl's sudden remark, is still very vivid in Izuku's mind. Of course, why wouldn't it be. It only happened five minutes ago. The flushed cheeks and the look of denial his rival had as they took their step away from the infirmary entrance burned an image that Isuku doubts he'll never unsee. However, as they get closer to their dorm rooms, Shouto returns to his familiar calm character. When it comes to the subject of girls, Izuku tends to linger on his bursts of embarrassment after interacting with women. He recalls how red his face was when Mei caressed his body when he asked her to make modifications to his hero suit. Even more so whenever Ochako praises him for his heroic actions, or after she ends her calls with him.
Izuku is shocked at how quickly Shouto returned to his usual demeanor.
Izuku informs Shouto about all the things he missed in class, when suddenly the conversation took a different turn.
"Where's Yaoyorozu?"
Without even questioning his motives, Izuku takes out his phone and searches through his messages.
"Let see." He scrolls down to find a message that Momo sent him a couple of hours ago. Out of generosity, he hands his phone over to Shouto so that he can read their conversation.
Momo Yaoyorozu
Midoriya-san, I know you're busy, but can you
please go after Todoroki-san after class?
I'll be heading to the grocery store immediately,
so I won't be able to walk with him.
Don't worry Yaoyorozu-san
I'll take care of everything.
Thank you so much!
No problem. Do you plan
on cooking something?
I think Todoroki-san will want
something comfortable to eat while
he's still recovering so I'm making him
some chicken noodle soup.
"I've never seen such a formal conversation on text before." Shouto jokingly points out. "Let me guess, she sent the same exact text to Iida as well?"
"Iida-kun said he has something important to do in the support class, so he couldn't come with me."
"I see." Shouto hands back Izuku's phone as the two continue their walk. "Thank you for helping me earlier. I really appreciate what you four did for me today."
"Oh it's nothing. If anything, it's Yaoyorozu-san that deserves most of the credit."
With the two ever so slowly making their way back to their rooms, they deepen their conversation. UA is a humongous campus, and unless you have super speed, talks are a natural way to help make the trip more bearable.
"You know Todoroki-kun, I've noticed something between you and Yaoyorozu-san."
"And what would that be, Midoriya?"
"Ever since the end of term exam you two have been spending more time together. I always see you two talking in the lounge late at night whenever I go to the bathroom."
"Did anyone ever tell you, how vigilant you are?"
"And you always end up finishing whatever she cooks for the class."
For a second Shouto felt a pang in his heart. As if he remembered something very traumatizing. "Midoriya, can I see your phone again?"
"Sure." Izuku surrenders his phone to his friend, concerned that his friend is acting so fearfully.
Shouto scrolls down to the conversation, only to have his deepest fears realized. He could see the words "cook" clear as day on the small screen.
"Midoriya, do you remember when Kaminari made mac-and-cheese?"
"Yes." Izuku faintly remembers Ochako giving her brutally honest opinion on Denki's dish. The phrase "This is the worst thing I've tasted in my life" rang in his head in her sweet and cheerful voice. Of course it was to be expected, it was Denki's first time ever cooking anything. If you can count heating macaroni and string cheese in a microwave as cooking. Unfortunately, Kyouka was left to eat the majority of the concoction to save Denki's confidence from being hurt.
"Let just say out of all Yaoyorozu's talents, cooking falls short of her arsenal."
Of course Shouto is underexaggerating. Her cooking is horrible. From past experience he knows that whenever Momo and cooking are involved, it usually results in a culinary calamity. If a villain were forced to eat her cooking, Shouto would feel sorry for them regardless of how evil their actions were. Like war flashbacks, Shouto remembers having to eat an entire cheesecake that she made for the class. Everyone was too scared to try it. In order to protect Momo's feelings, Shouto sacrificed his stomach to eat everyone's share while she wasn't looking. The amount of times he spent on the toilet that day were too much to remember. There was also one time when Momo fermented her own yogurt. The scent of rotten milk lingered in the air. It was potent enough to make Katsuki vomit. Luckily, Shouto used his quirk to burn off the smell. Shouto hasn't touched a cup of yogurt since.
A cold sweat fell down Shouto's neck.
"Todoroki-kun, are you afraid of Yaoyorozu's cooking?
"Oh no. I'm looking forward to it!"
"EHHHH! WHAT!?"
"I know it sounds weird, but I feel a warmth whenever I take a bite of her cooking."
"Aren't you being a little too nice, Todoroki-kun?"
"Don't get me wrong, the thought of me having to endure eating her meals is enough to make my stomach churn, but the way her face lights up, thinking that she did a great job, makes me happy for some reason."
Could this warmth be nostalgia from a time when his mother was still living with him? Could it be from the fact that a friend is cooking for him? Or perhaps this warmth is coming from feelings his adolescent mind has yet to comprehend? For Shouto, it's too hard to give a definitive answer, but one thing is for certain.
"I enjoy the time I spend with her."
"I see." Knowing Momo's reputation as a cook, Izuku couldn't help but be impressed.
"You truly are amazing, Todoroki-kun!"