Don't look back
We got thrown into this
Just like that
Living fast, I know we're new to this - Find Our Way by Midnight Kids

As soon as I could convince Iida that all I wanted to do was change and get some studying done, I fled upstairs.

I couldn't do this.

There had only been two dates. One I didn't care about and the other turning into something that made me care too much. My mind was reeling.

If I had to do this 12 more times? I wasn't sure I could handle it.

I frantically knocked on Mina's door, thankful she and I lived near each other. I heard some movement, and she opened the door, her lips rising into a smile, "Hey! Great timing!"

I interrupted her harshly, "No. No, I can't! I can't do this anymore."

"Huh?" She leaned against the frame, "You know, come in. I have someone here you ought to meet, okay?"

"Fine," I snaked around the pink girl and stood in absolute shock.

Ojiro-kun was sitting in her desk chair, his tail wrapped around his lap. "Oh! I'm sorry. I-I..." I did a double take, "Mina-chan, I already know Ojiro-kun." I backed up a step, "Honestly, I didn't mean to intrude."

Mina grabbed my arm, pushing me onto her bed, "Sit. You should hear him out. Then I'll hear you out. Maybe you can help each other. Ojiro, please tell Ochaco-chan what you were telling me."

He patted his tail, "I think I should be your next date. Please, I promise, I won't try even the smallest thing. I just want you to come to my Taijutsu exhibition. Cheer for me. I'll make sure to give you spending money. Just..." He threw a pleading look at Mina, "You think this even has a chance at working?"

"You found me, dummy." She picked at a fingernail, "But, I do."

"Why?" I asked, curious now, "If you just want me to come cheer for you, and you don't even want to be near me, then why?"

"It's not like that. You're a great girl, but I like..." His voice trailed off, "I like someone else. If we walk out of here together tomorrow, like a date, well, maybe she'll see it. Maybe I can get her to go with me."

"She's said no?" I asked, "You at least gave her a chance?"

"I did." He pulled on the tuft of his tail, making a face before finishing, "I asked her to go, I know she's not doing anything else. She literally told me she was just gonna zone out."

"Oh." I frowned along with Mina, "Maybe she's not into you."

He rolled his eyes, "If so, then that's the way it is. This way, at least, she'll see I might just be desirable."

Mina nodded, "All right. So, I think we can help him. How can we help you?"

I chewed my bottom lip, but in the essence of fairness after a confession like that, I started talking, "Today, Iida took me to visit with his brother and sister-in-law. It was fun! We had a good time." I shrugged, "But I think Iida..." I felt like a rat. "I think he likes me. Like like."

Ojiro cocked his head, "Iida? Well, yeah. Everyone knows that. You're one of the four people who talks to him without any other reason than you want to."

"Oh no! He likes me? Do you talk about it? Is this locker gossip?" I was going to hyperventilate.

"Nothing like that." Ojiro soothed while Mina attempted to hide her giggles behind a hand, "You don't like him back that way? Could you?"

"Sure, I could. He's good-looking, passionate, and even if he acts weird sometimes, he's actually pretty gentle. He'll be a great hero." I dropped backward to lay on the bed, "No. He's my friend. I am positive I don't feel like that toward him."

"Then we can help each other. You want him to see that you're not ready to come home with him, and she'll see that I'm with you, even for an evening." He scrubbed a hand through his short locks, making a few spikes stand in its wake, "Believe me, Ochaco-chan, everybody's eyes are on you since your date with Mineta. They're wondering what's up. Wondering if you've gone insane. And now that I find out that we're in the same boat, so to speak; well, let's go on a date."

His enthusiasm was contagious. So, with Mina looking on, I acquiesced, "It's a date."

Sunday Night

"Ochaco-chan," Ojiro smiled as his tail swept forward to brush my hand, "You look amazing if a tad over-dressed."

"We're playing the part, right?" I returned his smile, "But if I'm able to look pretty while watching you, your mystery woman might learn she should make just a little more effort for you."

Coyly, I swished my skirt and did a little turn. We met in the busy common room, and in the evening, most of our group was right here. The sounds of a four-handed racing game blared from the television. The voices of the four racers shouting at the screen or each other dominated the room. The girls, minus me, were sitting in the dining room around a table playing Rich Man.

I allowed my gaze to wander to Midoriya. He sat on the couch watching the game while doing his sitting cardio. His arms were moving in sets of twenty as he alternated strikes and punches. His eyes lifted, feeling my gaze, and I turned away.

"I'm ready," I gestured, pitching my voice for his ears only, "There's a floating hand of cards in the dining area if you want to leave out the back doors?"

"Delighted," he said with a chuckle loud enough to carry. "We'd better go so I have time to warm up." That was quietly said, his tail elevating to brush my back in a feather-light touch that indicated the rear doors. It had startled me, but I immediately decided to ignore any such touches. They weren't for me, after all.

We left walking closely together toward the doors that led out to the student gym and other school training areas. As I followed him out, I wondered why I hadn't known that there was a taijutsu team here at UA. Or even that UA held tournaments when Ojiro tuned abruptly, heading away from school grounds.

He grinned at me, "The front would have been better, but..." His previous nervousness evaporated, "I really hope this works. I just can't afford to be so emotional before an exhibition."

I nodded in sympathy. I certainly knew that feeling, "Will there be any other UA students there?"

"Yes." He paused at a blinking signal before crossing the road, "Actually, UA's taijutsu club will be there, though only the top five get to compete. It's a real honor to be chosen." His tail went to drape over his shoulder, and his voice was sure and steady, his bearing straight and proud and I smiled at him again. Toru-chan better wake up. He was a catch. "You can sit anywhere," he reached into his gi, pulling out a wallet and flashing a couple of 100 yen notes, "Please have a good time." He scooped up my hand, ignoring the blush that streaked up my neck as he pressed the money into my palm, "Even my fake dates will be well taken care of. Even though I'm not there to see you smile."

I giggled, pocketing the cash, "I'm having a great time so far. Thanks, Ojiro-kun."

We walked the rest of the way in a cloud of companionable talk. We covered all the bases, the classes we took outside our shared classroom, what we did in our free time, any and everything. I knew that by the time we got back to Alliance Heights I'd have another good friend. He led us to a brightly lit sports center not too far from campus. There were people of all ages trickling through the doors that had been thrown open to the early evening air.

"This is where I leave you." He adjusted the fall of his gi, "I'll come find you between sets if I get the chance. Or if I get eliminated." He laughed in a nervous way again, and I was sorely tempted to give him an encouraging hug. A stain of pink washed over his nose and cheeks, "I can't thank you enough, Ochaco-chan."

He jogged in, not waiting for the flustered reply that caught in my throat. I followed him more slowly, finally stopping in wonder, staring at the interior. Food, souvenirs, and booths of all kinds crowded the floor. There seemed to be no end to the twinkling of tiny strung lights and gaily glowing paper lanterns.

"It's not what someone might expect at a taijutsu exhibition, right?"

The voice, low with a light rasp made me turn, my answer again catching on my lips as I saw who was speaking. He was tall, a little bulkier than the last time I'd seen him at the Sport's Festival last May. His hair still fanned around his head in a lavender halo and smoked amethyst eyes sparked at my stunned silence.

"You remember me?" He smiled, the sleepiness of his eyes turning to assessment as he swept my body with his gaze. He waited a moment, probably wondering if I was going to fall for his trick. I fought a sense of trepidation, and I was about to step back when he opened his mouth again, "We're off school grounds, that'd be illegal if that's what got you tongue-tied."

"I-it.." I was tempted to lie, to pretend that he hadn't just scared the life out of me. "Uh?" That was no better as I blushed again. He was a UA student after all. He could be trusted not to use his quirk out where he'd get in trouble if anyone found out. I took a steadying breath, "I'm sorry." I put on a bright smile, "What was your name again?"

"Shinso Hitoshi," He smiled again, that same disarming Cheshire grin I'd seen back then.

"Uraraka Ochaco," I willed myself to calm, "You're right though, I really didn't expect to see all this stuff."

"You came with the club president." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "And I'm positive I haven't seen you at the club meetings or any other shows."

"Are you asking if I'm here with him? Or for him?" I raised my brows, my smile becoming real as he scratched the back of his neck.

His smile never faltered, "Either?"

"For. I have to find seats still, but I was going to check out the food booths. So..." I paused, a lingering feeling of shyness making me want to end the conversation.

"I can sit with you? Explain things?"

I was surprised once again by his pleasant nature, so I nodded agreeably, "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you, Shinso-kun."

We wandered the booths until we found snacks, and we ended up buying a stick of yaki tomorokoshi and a sack of sticky dango each that I would share with Mashirao if he did come to find me. We found seats, and once again I was faced with Shinso as he settled in next to me.

We watched as a few different age groups pulled off some impressive demonstrations. My eyes widened in amazement as I watched an elderly woman do what amounted to a martial ballet. I could do this! Just think of how much more versatile of a hero I could be if I learned more about this kind of thing! I thought back to how excited I'd been to learn from Gunhead, and silently resolved to ask Ojiro if he'd mind teaching me some moves.

Shinso watched me, his mouth in a small upturn, "You like this kind of thing?"

"Don't you?" I laughed, "I was just thinking this kind of thing could come in handy. A way for me to really toughen up and expand as a hero."

"That's why I'm here. After that Midoriya kid beat me..." He shyly looked away, his shoulders slumping, "It was a hard lesson. My quirk isn't made for hero work, but it's all I've ever wanted to be."

"It could be useful." I mused, "But I'm the same way. I mean, I know how you're feeling. I interned with Gunhead, and learned so much! I'd like to learn more martial arts, make myself even more useful in a crisis."

He nodded, his smile unspooling a bit more, "Is that why you're here?"

"No." It was my turn to avert my eyes. "I agreed to come to help Ojiro-kun. And myself, I guess."

He watched me as I brought my gaze around to study him again. He tilted his head, "I feel like there's more to this story."

I nodded, feeling my cheeks burst into flames, "My friend Mina..." I told him what happened, both to me and on my dates so far. I had no idea why I said so much, and it tickled my mind that maybe he'd used his quirk on me. Ultimately, it didn't matter if he did. Telling someone else how I'd been feeling this weekend was something of a relief. "So that's why I'm here." I trained my eyes on Mashirao watching him use his tail as a third hand, "A date; though my date is down there right now kicking the crap out of someone." I blew a breath out in a raspberry, "And I'm eating enough dango to kill the average person."

"You can only date someone in your class?"

"Huh?" I glanced back up into sleepy purple eyes, "No? I mean, I'm me, so if I want to date someone, I will." I pumped a fist and smiled at Hitoshi.

"Then I'm taking you out next Friday night." He showed me his over-bright grin again and I tried to shake my head. "I won't force you to do anything, but I've really enjoyed sitting here, killing you with dango." He pulled out his last stick, and I eyed it with a loud groan. He popped it in his own mouth this time, sucking off one of the skewered balls.

"Sure." I dug in my purse for a pen and scratched out my email address on a gum wrapper, "Just let me know when and where to meet."

AN/ Well, I had a nice note all planned out.. LOL Thank you to Tasia'sENDLESSDreams who beta'd this for me. Yaki tomorokoshi is a stick of corn with a soy/mirin glaze. Sounds delicious. Dango...there's many different kinds. Some I liked, some, not so much... lol Anyway, thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment! Koda is next. Don't worry, Shinso is right after.