Hello again, everyone. Well, last week's chapter was definitely quite eventful, finally getting to introduce a fan favorite like Fatgum into this particular continuity. That was a lot of fun to write, and from the looks of it, it was just as fun for you all to read.
Well, this week's chapter is equally big in terms of what it means for the future of this take on the MHA story, in some aspects. This is a sequence of events I'd been formulating and anticipating writing in full from the very beginning. It's going to take place at the exact same time as last week's chapter, so you all can finally see the other half of just what happened on this day.
Seeing as this is a chapter I've been very passionate about putting together and bringing to life, I ask that you all please, if even just for this one chapter, please take the time to write out your honest reviews of this one. I know I ask this every week, but for this one I am especially serious. To hear your input about this chapter, after everything that has happened leading up to it, would mean the world to me.
I would like to give another grateful shout-out to my two beta readers and consultants, Mizu and Jonny. Without your constant support and assistance, I'm not even sure I could have managed to get this far. But by God I did, thanks to you and all the wonderful readers out there that have stuck with MHA: Son of Justice thus far, and here's to going that much further onward from here!
My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters, the original events surrounding them, and the alterations of established events that occur from their existence in this universe.
A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 62
Out of Town
(За Городом)
Class 1-A Dorms, September 2nd
The night after Yuuei Academy had officially started its second semester of the year now hung silent and calm over the entirety of the 1-A Heights Alliance dormitory… at least with the exception of two students who were still as wide awake and restless as the other, and unknowingly for the exact same reasons, no matter how much they both wanted to convince themselves that they knew otherwise.
In the silent darkness of his own room, Nikolay was following through with the advice Eijirou had given him before, with the same resources Kyouka had given him even further before that, and was currently in the middle of simply lying under the covers, staring desperately at the ceiling while his ear buds kept the smooth droning talk radio on his phone from coming through the wall and potentially waking Bakugo. With every moment, he could only keep trying to mentally convince himself to just close his eyes and just let the sounds carry him away, in the hopes that it would indeed help him sleep, and as Eijirou had suggested, that it would somehow spark an idea for his most prevalent emotional issue deep within his subconscious.
In the dorm room exactly across from his on the exact same floor, Mina was similarly tossing and turning restlessly in her bed, having similarly come to an idea of just what she could do to alleviate her worries, but was now in the middle of a mental struggle with herself, as she already had her phone at the ready in her nervously trembling hands. It had taken her far too long to realize that she still had someone she could genuinely reach out to besides her classmates, teachers and parents; now it was a matter of just swallowing her fear, hitting the dial button and letting fate take its course.
'Come on, Mina, you know you can do this; it's just the push of a button! Just take a breath and push! This is just as much to help Kolya-kun as it is to help yourself, okay? You can't do that if you're too scared to talk to someone, so just suck it up, be the brave Hero you know you can be and just do it!'
With her whole body shuddering in building anxious anticipation, Mina sucked in a deep breath through her teeth and finally hit the speed dial button, feeling her whole body go slack the moment she did. It was officially out of her hands now. Now it was just a matte rof if she could carry this courage of hers just a little farther.
She didn't have long to plan around that, or even wonder if she could pull it off, because after three rings, Mina could feel her chest fill with happiness once her screen was filled with the familiar sight of a young woman with a fair freckled face, luminescent bright green eyes, and flowing orange hair with dark green streaks; a woman who similarly lit up the instant she saw her own video feed of just who was calling her this late at night: "Oh my God! Ashido-chan, hello! How are you?!"
It felt so nostalgic for Mina to hear the Irish-accented Japanese of the one and only Púca Hitodama, Willow Light, again. Now she really wished Nikolay could have been here right now to make the video reunion downright perfect. "Hi, Willow Light-sensei! I'm so happy you picked up! I'm sorry for calling so late!"
Hers and Nikolay's old Field Training mentor was already stubbornly shaking her head as she clearly set her phone down so she could give Mina her full attention. "No, no, no, don't you dare start with apologies, Ashido-chan! And please, just call me Púca right now. I'm just thrilled to know you haven't gone and forgotten me. Is Bezpalov-kun with you right now? If not, you should tell him to go and give me a call sometime, too. You kids have no idea how much we all miss you over here. Oh, before I forget, congratulations on getting your Provisional Hero Licenses, all of you! I'm so proud of you kids! After how you all handled that Vukodlak Villain, I just knew you'd all be able to pull this off!"
Púca was clearly getting lost in her own excitement as she was speaking faster and faster and with further building energy, to the point Mina was genuinely struggling to try and get a word in. It was still wonderful to be speaking to her again, but now that there was no backing out from here, Mina's anxiety of getting to her ultimate point was becoming even more unbearable.
"So, I understand you Yuuei kids have been going through all kinds of intense things nonstop since the last time I saw you. What made you suddenly want to reach back out to me out of the blue like this so late, Ashido-chan? Have you and Bezpalov-kun decided what Hero Agencies you want to officially intern under yet? You know, I'm sure your teachers probably haven't mentioned this, but you are actually able to change your minds and pick a different Agency if one doesn't end up working out well for you."
Mina was already taking that mental note as she took another shaky breath to try and steel her nerves. "Thank you for letting me know, Will—I mean, Púca-sensei… but that's not actually why I'm calling right now. Don't get me wrong; me and Kolya-kun do both really miss you guys, too, I know he feels the same. It's just that there's something… well, something else I really need help with, and you're pretty much the only person I can go to for advice."
To no surprise of hers, Púca visibly perked up with a look of childlike curiosity in her eyes. "Oh? Well why didn't you just open up with that? You may not be training under me anymore, but that doesn't mean I won't do what I can to help with whatever's troubling you! That's what Heroes do, no matter where or when! So go ahead and lay it all on me, Ashido-chan, don't leave out any details!"
'Okay, Mina, this is it. You finally asked, now there's no turning back. Just get it all out.' With this single thought resonating all throughout her mind and in her heart, Mina finally opened up in the way she only wished she had already with Nikolay himself. Just as Púca had asked, she left absolutely nothing out:
From the conversation with all the other girls about her and Nikolay that sent her down this emotional rabbit hole from the beginning; to her growing awareness of not only her intensifying protectiveness and affectionate friendship for him, but also of that constant electrical jolt whenever they touched going as far back as she could remember between them. The entire time, Púca had an unreadable and observant look in her eyes as she listened.
"So after all that, we talked to each other last night about how he feels I'm the reason he's been able to get this far at all, and I admitted how he's been a big inspiration for how I've been trying to push myself as well, and I even told him about how much I want us all to be able to graduate and maybe make our own entire Hero Agency together with all our classmates. It'd been something I liked to think of for a while, but that was the first time I ever actually admitted it out loud. But that's not the big thing. No, after all that, I of course hugged him like I always do, but this time I not only felt that jolt, but I felt so much warmer than I can ever remember feeling when doing that, and I could feel my heart was pounding like crazy, like you wouldn't believe. After everything I saw in his eyes and heard in his voice, I really want to say he's been feeling the same way that I've been all this time, but I don't want to make that assumption on the one chance I'm wrong, and—"
"Ashido-chan?"
Mina went silent at Púca's sudden interruption, as the glowing-eyed Hero took her clasped hands away from her mouth, never breaking eye contact. "I appreciate you telling me all of this. It's all very good to know. Now, with all of what you've just told me that's been going on between you and Bezpalov-kun since we last saw you… tell me, what exactly is it that you're trying to ask my advice for?"
Mina realized she should have figured their old mentor would want her to ultimately just cut to the chase and just say what ailed her out loud at last. She knew she would have to do it eventually, and that once she initiated this call, it would pretty much have to be now. But she was sick and tired of bottling this in, and while it didn't alleviate the pain of her desire to say it to Nikolay himself, this would at least be good practice for if that time would ever come.
And so, with another steeling breath, clutching her hands into fists that pulled at her pant legs, Mina looked Púca in the eyes and all but brute-forced her way into getting the words out: "Púca-sensei, the reason I'm telling you all of this is because I… I just don't think I can honestly try to ignore or deny it anymore. I… I think I might actually be in love with Kolya-kun."
A momentary lag in the video feed prevented Mina from seeing how Púca's whole body flinched with pure emotional resonation when Mina finally said those words out loud; so for all the pink young Hero knew, her old mentor was still simply taking it all in. Finally, the Irish-Japanese Hero took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ashido-chan, but can you just give me a second?"
Before Mina could even answer, the video feed went blank, and the notification that she had muted herself came up, leaving the poor girl to sit alone in silence for a few prolonged seconds, silently hoping that her and Nikolay's former mentor was simply trying to process what she now knew and trying to come up with an answer to help.
Just as suddenly, the video feed and sound came back, and Mina was now looking at Púca with a much messier head of hair, visibly trying to catch her breath, and if the microphone on the Hero's phone had been much stronger, Mina would have been able to pick up the faint sound of Púca's neighbors pounding on the walls, yelling for her to keep it down.
Mina never realized that in those few moments, her confession of increasingly sure romantic feelings for Nikolay had sent Púca into a momentary dancing frenzy of long-awaited fangirl-like joy and excitement.
"Sorry about that, Ashido-chan, I… I just needed to check on my food; don't want to risk burning the place down. So, *ahem* that's definitely quite a lot you've been trying to figure your way through, I have to say. I shouldn't be surprised, with you both being so young and already so clearly attached, I suppose there was always a distinct possibility of this happening. So if you've already come to the biggest conclusion there was to come to through all this, I'm not sure I see where you need my help."
The defeated sigh Mina gave in response all but clarified for Púca that this was nowhere near as clear cut as she thought it was, as the pink girl on the other end momentarily kept glancing back to the door to her room, as though gazing out beyond it to Nikolay's door straight across from her. "The thing is, Púca-sensei; that I've always prided myself on being able to make even the most seemingly unrelated things between two people connect to romance. I guess you could call me one of those hopeless romantics or something. I've always been totally hooked on romance when it comes to any of my friends… but, to tell the truth, I've actually never really thought about a romance with me in it. It's all really new for me, you know? I really, really wanna tell Kolya-kun, but I don't know how I should do it, and I'm so scared that if I do it wrong, it could end up completely destroying our friendship, and I… I-I don't know if either one of our hearts could handle that. I don't want to assume anything on his part, but with him always saying I'm his first and closest friend, and then after what he said yesterday about me being his biggest inspiration and reason for making it this far, I don't know how else to picture how it could go if I do this wrong. Púca-sensei, I don't know what to do and there isn't anybody else I can go to for this!"
The orange-green-haired Hero could clearly hear and see just how much willpower it was taking for poor Mina to try and keep from crying at the sheer amount of stress and emotional pain this whole mess was causing her. It was honestly quite surprising to know that the little pink source of joy was actually struggling this much with coming to terms with her own feelings of romantic love, since from Púca's perspective, she thought the young girl seemed plenty in touch with her emotions as a whole, at least when not climbing the walls with worry for her friends.
Then again, like Mina had said, dwelling on romances of others was very different from romances involving herself. Hell, if she were to admit she'd already been mentally shipping her and Nikolay together since the Sports Festival, it would've pretty much been her admitting to being just like Mina down to the letter.
With all of these things to consider, and when it looked like Mina was starting to calm herself down, Púca finally decided to answer the only way she felt was justifiable: "What you've told me tonight, Ashido-chan, takes so much more courage than fighting any number of Villains… and for that, and picking me to come to for advice on something so personal and beautiful, I can only extend my deepest gratitude and feelings of honor to know I inspired that much confidence and faith in you.
"However… as much as I wish I could, I can't simply give you some kind of all-resolving answer on how to express your feelings to Bezpalov-kun." Púca could already feel that twisting sensation of guilt in her gut when she saw the light dim in Mina's black-gold eyes at the news that her one remaining hope had no more answers for her than anyone else.
"The reason I say that is because true love isn't something with some kind of uniform process that every single person goes through the exact same way. Ashido-chan, how you'll figure out the truth of your feelings, and therefore how to express them, is yours alone to figure out; just like it would be for Bezpalov-kun himself, or me, or literally anyone else. The only possible advice I can give you right now is to ask yourself: how did anyone else that you know figure out that they were in love?"
Instead of the thoughtful look she had been hoping to see come across Mina's face, instead the pink girl bowed her head with a sigh that could have only been born from genuine frustration. "I've been asking myself that every day since the girls all brought it up to me, Púca-sensei. Urara-chan is a no-go, since she can't even admit to herself she clearly loves our classmate Midori-kun, let alone me or anyone else. I used to think another classmate of ours, Kyouka-chan, had a crush on Kolya-kun for a while, but they ended up talking and it turned out that wasn't the case at all. I still feel bad for pushing it for as long as I did. And Tooru-chan and my two other girl classmates, Yaomomo and Tsu-chan, I don't even know if they've ever been in love with anyone before, let alone had boyfriends.
"It's not exactly like I can go to any of them with this anyway, that's why I came to you. Kyouka-chan would deservedly tease me back for how long I did it to her. I've realized that Tooru-chan and I are way too much alike, in that I don't think she'd be able to keep it a secret if I told her, cause I already know I wouldn't have if it was her sitting here right now; and I have no doubt Yaomomo and Tsu-chan would just tell me to focus on my Hero studies instead, and I know that's what I should be doing, but this has just been growing more and more in my head ever since, and I just can't try to ignore it anymore!"
It was only for the fact that her only neighbor was Tooru two doors down, that Mina took that chance to vent all her frustrations as loud as she could, pumping her fists up and down with aggravation instead of her typical excitement. Púca simply let her run her course until she could finally think calmly again. After a couple minutes, Mina had finally stopped pumping her fists and let her head hang as she tried to steady her breathing and think clearly.
"I guess… I guess the only example I can really think of is what my Mom told me when I asked how she knew she'd fallen in love with my Dad. All she really told me was that she knew it had happened because she just got overcome by this gut instinct-like reaction to whatever he'd done before, like it was something she didn't think ahead on or expect, it was like it just came over her and her heart completely took control for that bit, and she said that was how she knew."
Púca once again looked to be especially deep in thought while Mina could only sit with a truly exhausted look in her eyes. It had taken a lot out of her to finally say all of this stuff out loud, but there was still no denying that it felt especially liberating. Now it was just a matter of if she could actually give Mina some kind of advice off of that.
"I will admit, it's certainly a very unorthodox theory to go off of, but like I said, to each is their own. Your mother may have a good point. All I can really advise you do with that, Ashido-chan, is to keep in mind that this is all still just as new for Bezpalov-kun as it is for you. Let's just operate off the assumption, from everything you described seeing, hearing and feeling from him, that he may in fact have the same feelings, and is therefore going through the same struggle as you.
"So keeping that in mind; it stands to reason that, as much as you're looking out for that moment where your heart completely takes over your senses of reason or forethought in response to whatever it is he might do, so too may he try to find something spontaneous that goes completely against his norm to try and bridge this last tiny gap between you. What I'm trying to say; and I normally wouldn't suggest something so vague, but I'm working with what you give me; is that you should keep your eyes open for Bezpalov-kun trying to do or suggest something unexpected from him specifically for either you specifically, or involving both of you…and from there, simply roll with it and see how it unfolds from there. It's not much, but it's all I can really tell you. You simply need to go with what your heart says you should do, not your head. I know I once said that Heroes need to b able to act and think with both your hearts and your heads, but romance is an entirely different field. Make of everything I'm suggesting what you will, Ashido-chan."
Indeed, it was unusual advice, downright reckless even, depending on who Mina would have asked… but all the same, she could feel in her gut that it was the best advice she was going to get out of these circumstances, and the growing smile on her face the more she thought about it, told Púca just as much.
"Okay… so just keep my eyes and ears open for anything new or unexpected from Kolya-kun, and just go with it. Well, I've always liked spending my free time by just going with the flow and being spontaneous. In a way, I guess you could say this is the same kind of thing! In that case, this should actually be pretty easy, right?"
Despite Mina's thankfully returned enthusiasm, Púca wasn't about to just let that kind of childish optimism go unanswered. "Well, again, romance is something very different from both Hero work, and the ways that children spend their free time. This is something that has the potential to change both yours and Bezpalov-kun's lives forever. Yes, don't be afraid to follow your heart, but know that there are still going to be challenges standing before you every step of the way. You just need to know that you can rely on each other to work your ways through them, no matter how long they may take. Follow your natural instincts, but don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. And that includes me, too.
"I'm really, seriously happy you trust me enough to come to me to ask about something so personal, Ashido-chan. I know that you'll be able to figure this all out in your own way, on your own time. But either way, don't hesitate to come to me again if you ever need my help with this or anything else in the future, alright? And when you get a chance, tell Bezpalov-kun to give me and the others a call sometime, too. We all miss you two."
"I miss you all, too, Púca-sensei, and I know Kolya-kun does as well. Don't worry, I'll make sure we both keep in touch from now on. Thank you so, so, so much for everything, seriously! Thank you!" With that enthusiastic marathon of nonstop heartfelt and energetic thanks, and with similarly heartfelt wishes of good nights and pleasant dreams, Púca finally ended the video call, and Mina hurriedly buried herself under her blankets, clutching onto them for dear life as she stared up at the ceiling in the late night darkness of her dorm room.
Only now her heart wasn't racing with frustration and frightened uncertainty… but with a long-needed and burning sense of direction; an unshakeable foundation of understanding as to just what she had to do in order to take the first monumental step in finally resolving these unspoken feelings she felt growing stronger and clearer towards Nikolay with every passing day.
'Be on the lookout for anything new with Kolya-kun, listen and watch for if he brings up or suggests anything outside the norm for him, and just go for it. I know Sensei's right, but just going with the flow and hoping for the best is still automatically easy… or, at least, for something like this, I really hope so. I'm so tired of just not saying anything to him about this, but I gotta be patient and wait for the right moment to just finally tell him… and perhaps even experience the same kind of moment Mom talked about.'
All these thoughts kept buzzing away in the depths of Mina's mind, even as she finally managed to genuinely fall asleep; her dreams filled with all kinds of potential visions of just what such spontaneous goings-on with her and her Russian bestie could possibly be waiting for her when she least expected it.
Class 1-A, September 3rd
Opening homeroom for Class 1-A had thankfully managed to go rather smoothly, thanks to being yet another lecture-only session, instead of any actual training exercises, albeit to the disappointment of some of the students. However, Nikolay was not one of those students.
No, frankly he was far too mentally and physically exhausted to go through something like training with any semblance of confidence or skill. It was honestly a miracle he was able to stay awake and even semi-attentive through Aizawa's lectures this morning. What he didn't notice was that all throughout homeroom, his drowsy state had not been lost on his classmates, but Mina was still far too wrapped up in her own identical mental and emotional flux around him to really ask about it outside of the common worry of if he'd gotten enough sleep.
Someone else who had taken particular notice of this dip in Nikolay's state, however, was Eijirou, and he was far more intent on getting to the bottom of it as soon as class had let out, especially after how they had left things off the last time they'd spoken to each other. Knowing there were a few precious minutes before Tunguska would show up for Quirk History class, and as soon as Mina had actually left their double desk to chat with the other girls after she had tried to check and make sure Nikolay was okay once again, the red-haired boy hurried over with an inquisitive energy burning through him.
"Yo, Kolya-san, are you okay, man? You look like you haven't slept a wink!" The moment Nikolay heard Eijirou's voice addressing him, his body unexpectedly perked up at full attention, hurriedly checking around them before he suddenly got up and motioned for his classmate to follow him to one of the emptier corners of the classroom. Thankfully, everyone else looked to be too engaged in all their own conversations to pay the two boys any particular mind.
"Actually, somehow, I got some kind of sleep last night… but that doesn't mean I was any less restless than I have been, Eijirou-san. If anything, it was even worse this time around." As Nikolay explained this, Eijirou just let out a concerned sigh while rubbing the back of his head in thought.
"Crap, I'm sorry to hear that, man. I'd been hoping that late-night-radio-to-sleep-to idea would've done the trick." Instead of a similar languished sigh of his own, Nikolay actually picked himself back up so he could look Eijirou in the eyes with full attention: "Well, that's the thing. You said you hoped it would both help me sleep and perhaps give me an idea on how to approach this whole thing with Mina and I, right? Well, in that latter regard, it did actually help… and at the same time made all my anxiety about it even worse."
Eijirou looked completely blindsided at this kind of turn-around. "Whoa. Okay, you're definitely gonna need to give me the details on exactly what happened, dude. That's the last thing I was expecting you to say by now."
Looking around once again to make sure nobody was deliberately listening in, and especially that Kyouka wasn't plugging her earphone jacks into the nearby wall to try and listen in, he finally proceeded to give Eijirou all the answers he could have asked for: "Well, like I said, I followed your advice for the late night radio sleeping idea, and at the same time decided to go with Kyouka-san's suggestion from way back of some soothing film-centric talk radio shows to listen to. I mean, you all know how much I love that stuff especially, so I thought it made perfect sense; I could just let myself fall right into it and I'd fall asleep and put my mind at ease in no time.
"Unfortunately, the exact opposite ended up happening. See, the hosts of this one show actually ended up having a quiz near the end, all relating to world cinema, which is without question one of my favorite kinds of films. So before I even realized it, I had gotten so into it that I ended up calling in and answering every question they had like it was totally second nature to me. Seriously, I hadn't felt that much in my own element; at least as far as when it comes to something not-related to Hero stuff; ever before. By the time I realized what had happened and how much I'd livened myself up when I was supposed to be trying to sleep, the hosts were telling me that I had just won a contest of theirs, and now I've got these two electronic tickets on my phone to some kind of special classic film screening event."
Nikolay was now trying to rub the exhaustion from his stressed-looking eyes; while Eijirou's first natural reaction was to practically light up with an excited sharp-toothed grin. "Dude, Kolya-san, don't you see? This is perfect! You're a movie lover, and Ashido's already shown she's not against you guys just movie-binging together! Why else would she actually suggest that whole class-wide movie night idea when we all first moved in? This is your guys' chance to finally get a bunch of alone time together! This could be your chance to finally tell her how you really feel!"
To his confusion, Nikolay's visible stress only seemed to worsen with every word. "That's just the problem, Eijirou-san; if there were at least time to plan ahead, it wouldn't be so bad. But these tickets are for a theater in Takoba City, tonight. According to the show hosts, last night was actually the final night for this specific contest which those tickets were the prize for. I know it wouldn't be nearly as time-consuming a trip by train, but this is literally my only chance to do something like this with her. I don't know what I should do, Eijirou-san. I really don't wanna risk getting in trouble again by leaving Musutafu on a school night, but I also know that if I don't go for it, I may never be able to work up even this much courage to try again, or if I'll even get this lucky ever again."
Eijirou's beaming grin slowly dimmed as his brow furrowed with admitted understanding, taking his friend's words into serious consideration. "Yeah…yeah, you do have a point there. There've actually been a few times back in middle school when some of my friends wanted us to go and hang out late on school nights, and I was also really nervous of if I should go for it or not. I didn't want to risk getting in trouble, but I didn't want my friends to think I was a buzzkill or anything like that. But one time, I decided to bring it up with my folks, and my Dad basically suggested to me that, if I were to ever find myself potentially in a position where I could either be late for class or end up not being able to make it to school, if I took the chance to let any of my teachers know ahead of time so they wouldn't worry or think that I was just ditching, it would make a ton of difference. That's pretty much the best advice he's ever given me to this day."
While Nikolay couldn't deny that Eijirou's father's advice seemed very sound and made sense, he couldn't hide the skeptical look on his face when his mind naturally went for the very first solution he thought his spiky-haired friend was suggesting: "Eijirou-san…you're not seriously suggesting I bring this all up with Aizawa-sensei, are you?"
Eijirou nearly froze in place; his once confident eyes now retracted with fear. "Oh, hell, no! I was honestly thinking more about bringing it up to either Tunguska-sensei or All Might, or Nezu-sensei even. At least I think they would be a little more understanding. Plus maybe, maybe Aizawa-sensei hearing it from them might soften the blow…maybe?"
Before Nikolay could say anything in response, the sound of the classroom door opening caught everyone's attention, and soon everyone was hurrying back to their desks as Tunguska took his place at the head of the class, looking over everyone intently. "Dobroe utro (Good morning) everyone. It's great to finally be seeing you all here again. Here's to us having another fruitful, and hopefully less dangerous, semester together."
As the two boys likewise began making way for their desks again, Eijirou gave Nikolay the slightest nudge to the arm with his elbow, whispering out the corner of his mouth: "I can't tell you what to do, Kolya-san, but whether you agree with my advice or not, this is still your chance to really take the bull of your life by the horns and show that manly initiative you've been showing all year since you came back. Heck, this is for something that could ultimately be just as important as your Hero studies; that's more than worth pursuing if you ask me."
"Malenkie Bezpalov and Kirishima; as much as I'm glad to see my students continuing to get along, it is officially my time to lead the room, so please return to your seats and save your talking for after class." Tunguska's resonating voice once again rendered any answer Nikolay could have given completely silent. Without anything else to be said, he and Eijirou finally parted ways and took their places at their desks.
All throughout his father's ensuing Quirk History lesson, Nikolay couldn't stop thinking about Eijirou's parting words of advice. The redhead was absolutely right in the end. Everything Nikolay had done up to this point was ultimately the result of him showing initiative in regaining control over his life, but that was all ultimately down to his Heroics Studies. There was still so much more to life than that, and yes, that included relationships. No matter how he tried to look at it, him gaining these two tickets for this one specific and timely event had to be the universe all but shouting for him to show that very same initiative in this one just-as-essential part of his life… and with one of the most important people in his life, to boot. It was just like Eijirou had said once before: if he didn't take this chance for everything it was worth and finally tell Mina how he felt at some point along the way, he would never forgive himself for it.
All the while, right beside him, Mina similarly couldn't stop thinking about everything Willow Light had suggested to her last night, and associating that with just how intense she had seen Nikolay looking while he and Eijirou had been talking, about what she couldn't possibly guess. Although, the little voice of hope in her head was assuring her it no doubt had to do with whatever that elusive spark of spontaneity from the Russian boy she was on the lookout for was.
As soon as the bell rang to signify the end of their second class, and the beginning of lunch break, Nikolay was already rushing out the door after grabbing his copy of homework from the front desk. Right now, that was the last thing on his mind. After having spent the whole period silently psyching himself up to just go through with Eijirou's advice, it was about all he could think to do if he wanted to avoid driving himself completely up the wall.
[[Kolya, wait up.]] The young Russian couldn't help but instinctively stop at the sound of his father calling after him. Looking back, he could already feel himself beginning to shrink under the gaze he knew Tunguska only ever had if he had questions. [[I couldn't help but notice you looked surprisingly intense when talking with malenkii Kirishima at the start of class… or perhaps troubled would be the more accurate word. Is there something in particular troubling you?]]
This was easily the worst possible timing Tunguska could've had. It was taking everything Nikolay had to try and keep his mind focused on the goal that was most important right now, and at any possible second, being held back like this could have potentially been enough to sap his will and leave him right back where he'd started. The only solution he could think of was to try and say something that would convince his father to simply leave him be that much sooner. [[Oh n-no, it's nothing serious. W-we were just talking about our ideas for what Agencies to intern under. There's so many to choose from, it was starting to make my head spin.]]
Nikolay couldn't bring himself to look the man in the eye, lest he decided to start asking any more especially prying questions, but his gut instinct was also telling him that by not making the effort to even look Tunguska in the eye, he was all but giving himself away. When he finally willed himself to look up, he could already see his father was about to ask him the one question there was: 'what's really going on?'
Talking about this whole thing with Eijirou had taken enough courage as it was, but doing so with his own father would not only be a thousand times more difficult, it would be unbearably humiliating. That kind of thing was the natural reaction between sons and their fathers since time immemorial, and this was no exception, he just knew it.
"Tunguska-sensei!" The sudden intrusion of Eijirou's voice made Nikolay flinch and Tunguska nearly fold in half with just how surprisingly he'd been blindsided by the redhead's sudden arrival. He knew he couldn't justifiably ignore one of his own students if he was being called upon, and so like a goddamn miracle from where Nikolay was standing, his father gave his attention to the grinning Eijirou.
It was especially miraculous timing as well, as at the very same moment Eijirou had arrived, so too had Mina herself. To Nikolay's complete surprise, she actually didn't stop to try and chime in at the sight of two of her best friends and their teacher. From a cursory glance, he could just barely make out an unusually tense look in her eyes as she made a beeline past them.
With his eyes following after her as she made her way down the hall, Nikolay worriedly looked back to Tunguska and Eijirou as his father was now fully engaged in conversation, with all his attention taken off his son. It didn't take long for him to realize just what his friend was doing: he was essentially buying Nikolay his best chance at going for it.
Undeniably, there was some guilt he felt at having to essentially run off on his father, but just as much was there an overwhelming surge of gratitude building in his chest towards Eijirou, as he clenched his hands into determined fists, took a deep and shaky breath in preparation, and finally turned on his heels and hurried after Mina with just as much of an anxious stride as he could soon see she had.
To his confusion, instead of taking the direct route to the lunch hall like she usually did, Mina actually turned off the beaten path and made her way out into one of the several courtyards the students tended to eat at during the summer. Since Fall was finally approaching, this spot was devoid of anyone else. As soon as Nikolay made note of this, Mina suddenly came to a stop. "You don't have to keep trying to be all sneaky, Kolya-kun. I know you've been following me."
As Nikolay was already preparing himself to start apologizing for the unnecessary approach he'd all but forced himself to take, Mina finally turned back to look him in the eye, and to his further surprise, the expression on her face was almost identically as nervous as his own. She looked to be mentally psyching herself up to try and get every word out that she could as well: "And if you weren't just trying to call out to me right out the gate, I'm thinking that means you've got something really important you wanna say… right?"
This was it, it was finally a chance to talk between just the two of them, and Nikolay would be damned if he was going to back down now. Standing steadfast and looking her in the eye, while making sure his posture or body language wasn't unintentionally intense, he answered in kind: "Yeah… and since you actually didn't try to step in and invite me and Eijirou-san to join you for lunch, I'm guessing that means you've got something just as important you want to say too… right?"
As they both asked essentially the same question, all they could do right now was stand in this unbearably uncomfortable silence. The fact that they had both managed to figure that something devastatingly important was on both their minds just from observing their mutually unusual behavior, had Nikolay and Mina both silently freaking out that they had actually figured each other's deepest unspoken feelings out already.
'C'mon, Mina, why are you still just standing there all tongue-tied? If he's figured it out already, then what harm is there anymore in just telling him? But what if he didn't actually figure it out? Am I still jumping the gun if I just say it? I don't know how much longer I can take holding these feelings in! I should just say to hell with the consequences and just say it! Kolya-kun looks like he's in so much pain right now, he deserves to know how I feel, no matter what! C'mon, girl, on the count of three! One… two…'
'Dammit, did she actually figure me out that easily? Have I seriously been psyching myself up for all this time for nothing? Do I just come out and say it and get it over with? I mean, what do I do if she still doesn't know it? Goddammit, I can't take this anymore! I don't even care what happens at this point, I can't take keeping the truth from Mina anymore; she deserves to know more than anything! C'mon, on the count of three, just get it over and done with! One… two…
'THREE!'
"I'VE JUST BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT HERO AGENCY WE SHOULD INTERN UNDER AND IF WE CAN INTERN TOGETHER AGAIN!"
The intensity with which Nikolay and Mina were both imagining smacking themselves upside the head for doubling back on their own respective conviction was something to truly behold. There was no possible way they could just go towards saying what they really wanted to after taking the cowardly route like that.
However, Mina quickly noticed how Nikolay still had his fists clenched as his head hanged low, almost as though he were deeply ashamed of what he'd said. As she was instinctively about to ask what was wrong, he suddenly swing his head back up fast enough to nearly give someone whiplash. The sincere intent in his green eyes as he met her gaze nearly made Mina completely freeze with surprise, especially when he all but beat himself into speaking up once more: "Actually, that's not the truth, Mina; I'm sorry! I actually wanted to talk to you about something completely different!"
He hurriedly fished out his phone, to Mina's confusion, before he suddenly held the screen up so she could see the pulled up notification of what looked like his receiving two electronic tickets.
"Last night, I was listening to a film-based talk radio show that Kyouka-san had suggested to me, and I ended up getting all caught up in a quiz of theirs and ended up winning these two tickets to a classic movie screening in Takoba City. However, it was the last night for the contest those tickets were the prize for, and the showing they're for is tonight, and I wanted to see if anyone else would actually want to go with me—no! No… the truth is that… you were actually the person I wanted to ask more than anyone else, Mina. Would you…?"
Nikolay nearly felt like he was about to swallow his tongue, his mouth felt so dry and his tongue felt so swollen. His heart was hammering away at his ribs, and he nearly felt like he was about to pass out from heat exhaustion in the autumn chill, and the simultaneously surprised, confused and even expectant look in Mina's shimmering black-gold eyes was not helping ease his spirits any.
Finally, with a painful jolt sparking in his brain that almost had him wondering if a synapse had actually severed or burnt out, Nikolay finally all but shouted it: "Mina, would you want to go with me to this thing tonight?! I-I mean, we don't actually have to d-do this specifically; w-we could do anything else if you want! I-I don't know, maybe whatever else you like to do, l-like d-dancing or m-maybe karaoke? B-but I know that w-we could risk falling behind on homework a-and get into trouble with Aizawa-sensei and the other teachers again, so if you don't want, we can just—"
"Kolya-kun?"
The unexpected restraint in the volume with which Mina finally answered had rendered Nikolay all but mute as he was now staring pleadingly into her eyes, as though just begging her to tell him not to worry himself about it any longer, and simply let it go and they could put this whole nightmarishly awkward display between them to an end.
Instead, though; as she never took her eyes off of his, Mina actually stepped forward and laid her soft and warm hands over his own, which were still trembling as they clutched his phone like a vice. Her touch instantly made his trembling stop as they once more found themselves in total silence.
In truth, Mina had likewise been trying to mentally catch up with the real implication of just what Nikolay was doing right now. However, once she had, as opposed to his hopelessly crumbling attempt to maintain some semblance of cool composure, Mina's entire demeanor warmed up immensely with the speed of light. Now, her own nervousness had changed into one of the most heartwarmingly affectionate smiles she had ever given anyone before, to the point the poor Russian boy looked like he was about to melt like butter in her hands.
With her own heart pounding like mad in her chest, but with her cheeks, if not her entire body, burning as hot as the sun, Mina didn't even pause to take a deep breath of resolve of her own. Instead, she looked deep into Nikolay's glistening green irises, and finally gave an answer she had once never dreamed she'd actually get to say to anyone before, without any hesitation or forethought behind it: "You have no idea how long I've waited for you to put yourself out there like this. I'm so happy for you, and I'm honored that you wanted it to be me that you try this with, too. I'd love to go to the movies with you, Kolya-kun. And don't worry, if you're really worried about homework, how about we spend tomorrow evening as study buddies? I promise I won't slack off or anything."
Frankly, the fact that she was actually saying yes had Nikolay's brain short-circuiting. As much good news as it was, it was still the last response he'd been preparing himself for, hence his own answer came out almost absentmindedly while the rest of him was still catching up: "T-that works for me."
Once more without any forethought or planning, and with even less hesitation, Mina threw her arms around Nikolay's shoulders, hugging him tight while she let out an ecstatic squeal through her wide and joyous smile. "Awesome, it's a date then! How about we meet at the train station an hour after school lets out! See you then, Kolya-kun!"
With that, Mina instantly took off, leaving Nikolay in her wake, his pale face as red as could possibly be as his mind had just processed not only that Mina had accepted, but what she had actually just called this outing, exactly what it really was.
At the same time, as she ran like the wind, not only was Mina practically on Cloud Nine at the realization of what she and Nikolay were actually doing tonight, but so too was her beaming pink face turning deep red with flustered embarrassment at what she had just called it out of pure impulse. There was no way she could, nor would she, take it back. That would no doubt take the wind right out of Nikolay's own sails.
However, that didn't stop her inner voice from going into an absolute panicked rambling: 'What the hell has come over you, Mina? How could you actually say something that serious right out of the blue like that?! Oh man, I can't believe this is actually going to happen, I feel like my heart's gonna burst! It's gotta be the perfect chance for me to finally tell him, right? Right?! Oh man, but why did I have to say we should meet up all the way at the station just an hour after school? How can I possibly get all prepared AND make it in time?'
Just as this thought crossed her mind, and she was just about to round one of the last corners before reaching the dining hall, Mina nearly came crashing right into Tooru, who with a piercing yelp of surprise, just barely managed to jump back out of the way so that her frenzied pink classmate could catch herself and keep from crashing to the floor. "Whoa, Mina-chan, what's got you looking so panicked?! Are you feeling okay?"
As soon as the invisible girl asked with unmistakable concern, Mina honed in on her like a single last bastion of hope, nearly clutching onto Tooru's shoulders with an especially anxious grip, which she instantly noticed. "Tooru-chan, something amazing has just happened… and I need your help to make it all as perfect as possible!"
"Okay, how about you just take a minute and breathe, Mina-chan, you look like you're about to pass out. Now start from the beginning and tell me all about it." The all-genuine tone of friendly support that Tooru answered with couldn't have sounded more natural if their roles had been swapped, and Mina was infinitely grateful for that as, once she felt like her heart wasn't about to give out, she finally started:
"Well, you're probably not gonna believe this… oh, who am I kidding, of course you will; I would if it was you standing here. Anyway, Kolya-kun just… well, there's no way around it; Kolya-kun asked me out on an actual date for tonight."
Mina wasn't remotely surprised at how Tooru instantly dropped her tray of food with an ecstatic gasp and squeal of joy as she suddenly pulled the pink young girl into a near bear hug, practically bouncing up and down as she did so. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I totally called it, didn't I, Mina-chan?! I knew it, I knew it, you ARE in love with him, aren't you?! Oh, I'm so happy for you! You two are so totally perfect for each other!"
Far be it for Mina to have been the one to try and dial the invisible girl back a touch, but as soon as she felt Tooru's vice-like grip on her loosen, she finally took the chance to try and step back from her so she could (assumedly) look her in the eye. "I know, right? I'm super excited, too; I've been wanting something like this… well, for a long while now, I can't just try and pretend like this hasn't been there for a while anymore. I mean, I haven't said anything about it to him yet, because I want to be absolutely certain when I do. But I'm getting sidetracked; I need your help because I… well, I… I-I don't actually have anything to wear that would be considered 'dating' clothes. I know it shouldn't matter and I should just be my funky fun-loving self and all, but this… this is my first date ever, both our first date ever. I wanna… I wanna make it as perfect as I can, and you've got so much adorable stuff, Tooru-chan, including clothes. I was hoping you might actually have something I could be able to maybe wear for this."
Being the extremely fashionable kind of girl she was, it was downright humiliating for Mina to admit she didn't have cute and proper dating clothes, since up until now, the closest thing she ever considered a date was going out dancing and playing karaoke with her friends, and that kind of setting always called for something flexible and groovy to celebrate the occasion. It honestly felt weird for her to actually be aiming for something outside her comfort zone, but for a date that sounded as traditional as this, it only felt right she present herself in something traditional and cute all at once, and Tooru was easily the best person in their class to go to for it.
As for Tooru herself, while she was still riding an all-out high of happiness for her pink and Russian friends actually going out together, she was at least able to still have the awareness of the moment to understand exactly what Mina was asking of her, and most importantly, just how urgent it was. "Well, I'm sorry for saying I find it pretty hard to believe you don't have at least something in your wardrobe you could wear to an actual date, Mina-chan… but on the other hand, how can I possibly say no? You tell me when you and Kolya-kun are meeting up, and the moment school lets out, you wash up and meet me in my room ASAP. I pinkie promise, by the time I'm finished with you, you'll be the single most adorable and irresistible thing Kolya-kun has ever seen, and in plenty of time to spare!"
All the while as Tooru was proving herself to be Mina's absolute savior in the intensity of the moment, Nikolay was similarly rushing through the halls, trying to ride out the burning hot fluster in his face, and the panicked racing of his heart. He had long since gotten past his initial shock and fear, replaced now with overjoyed acceptance that his invitation had worked, he and Mina were officially going out, and she was the one to actually call it a date before he could.
However, now there was the all-too-important question of just what the hell he was going to do about his clothing. He had nothing that could even be remotely considered appropriately formal for a first date, no matter how much he'd gotten used to Mina's idea for casual or social wear. He wanted to look as presentable as could be for a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence like this, and he had nothing.
Worst of all, unlike all the girls, he had absolutely no one he could go to for borrowed clothes or even advice on how to go about making this outing the best it could be. Izuku was still a walking social disaster when it came to one-on-one interactions with girls in subjects unrelated to Hero work.
Eijirou, for all of his monumental shows of support and help in getting Nikolay to build up his confidence for this very thing, hardly seemed the type to know all the intricacies and the dos-and-don'ts of dating.
Tenya and Shoto both possibly never had girlfriends before, and would most likely simply tell him to focus on his Hero studies.
Momo, for how socially graceful and maturely beautiful as she was, probably had plenty of experience in interacting with boys expressing affections, but her response was likely to be just about the same as Tenya's.
Denki would probably just make fun of him for having only just now gotten to this point after all of his previous suggestive teasing throughout the year, regardless if it was in good-natured jest or not; and Minoru would probably just give him bullshit advice that would make Mina never want to come within thirty meters of Nikolay ever again.
And there was absolutely no way he could go to Tunguska for advice, for the very same reason he couldn't bring himself to actually tell the man why he'd looked so tense this morning to begin with. For all intents and purposes, Nikolay was all on his own for this, and it was up to him to, as Eijirou had so poetically put it, take the bull of his own life by the horns and tackle it of his own volition.
As tremblingly nervous as he still was, and had no doubts he would be for this entire thing, Nikolay was now more determined than ever to do his best to make this night work out; all the while trying to block out the voice in the back of his head trying to psyche him up to take the first chance he got while they were out there, to finally tell Mina the whole of the truth of how he really felt. If it would happen tonight, then so be it. If not… well, he could only keep telling himself that he would cross that bridge when they got to it… whatever the hell that meant in this kind of context.
Musutafu City Train Station, a few hours later…
Nikolay continuously encouraging himself to follow his gut as to how he should dress for this occasion had seemed to hold merit at first, but now that he had finally left the Yuuei campus this far into the late afternoon, and was now single-mindedly pacing back and forth across the entrance to the Musutafu City train station, he found himself wishing he'd never followed that stupid gut feeling.
Now he was standing here on his own, trying to ignore the curious passing glances of the public; dressed in his running shoes, and his old black cargo pants and olive-drab Red Army winter jacket. He hadn't worn these old clothes since the spring had come earlier this year. While he certainly hadn't grown noticeably in terms of muscle after all his training, he could definitely tell that his shoulders had at least broadened a tiny bit, since his old jacket was fitting noticeably tighter around that spot.
This still didn't make him feel any less ill-prepared or generally stupid, being dressed like this, and the fact this was as formal as he could get just felt sad.
With every minute that passed, his silent restlessness only grew that much worse: 'Oh man, maybe I should've gone and asked someone for advice, or at least something better and less old to wear. Maybe Aoyama-san would've been willing to help? Oh, what's the point of wondering? I'm already here! Maybe this really was a bad idea; maybe I shouldn't have brought it up to Mina at all. Maybe she changed her mind and decided it was better we don't go. Maybe she decided keeping up with homework was more important—oh, who am I kidding, I can't even think that and keep a straight face when it comes to her; she'd never put homework above a social occasion. Maybe I should just call her and cance—"Hey, Kolya-kun!"
Not only did Nikolay stop at the instant he heard Mina's voice, but he already was turning on his heels to instantly greet her, only for every pre-planned word he'd been brainstorming this whole time to fall completely flat.
Standing before him was an indescribably adorable and bashful-looking Mina Ashido; her pink cheeks glowing with a nervous blush, as she was dressed in the same kind of brown loafers and black socks that went up to her knees; from up there, she was wearing a decidedly un-Mina-esque European-style dress with a frilly and flowing dark pink-colored skirt that went down to her knees, with her waist and stomach adorned in a matching colored corset with a single tied knot right in the center of her stomach; from there, the corset was lifting up and accentuating Mina's chest, as the sides up to her shoulders were the same dark pink, with frilly edges going over her shoulders. Underneath the dark pink segments of her new outfit; along her arms from similarly frilly cuffs and up the middle of her chest with a single line of buttons and up to her collar was a delicate white, tied in the center with a single dark purple bow.
Mina was obviously the kind of girl who was naturally able to make any outfit at all look great on her, but something this adorable was on an entirely different level; a level that left Nikolay momentarily speechless, and Mina subsequently silent and blushing more and more, especially when he could see she was actually wearing only the slightest touch of blush and eye shadow barely a shade of pink darker than her own skin.
Bottom line: Mina Ashido, whom Nikolay Bezpalov had already long since come to see as one of the prettiest, if not most beautiful girls he'd ever known, was now nothing short of irresistible.
Of course, there was no humanly way he couldn't just say something, so he ultimately ended up going with the first words that could come naturally to him after seeing his best friend of all in such a light as this: "Hey, Mina, I… I-I… just, wow. I didn't… err, I didn't think… I-I'm sorry, you just… that outfit looks… ty prekrasno vyglyadish' (you look beautiful)."
Mina didn't even need to know Russian in order to take a guess what Nikolay had just said, simply judging from his incredibly hot-under-the-collar reaction from seeing her dressed like this. Taking advantage of the moment, she steeled herself and gave an emphasizing little twirl so he could see the whole thing. "Yeah, it's so cute, isn't it? Tooru-chan really did me a solid letting me borrow this."
However, the emotion of the moment was instantly broken when Mina saw all the red in Nikolay's face instantly drain and leave him looking white as a sheet. "Hagakure-san knows?!"
"Yeah, but don't worry, Kolya-kun; I made Tooru-chan pinkie promise me that she wouldn't tell anyone else in class about us going out like this. If anybody asks, she said she'll just tell them we're both sleep deprived. No harm, no foul." Mina was admirable in how confident she was in saying this in order to try and alleviate hers and Nikolay's mutual worries.
Unfortunately, he was naturally more realistic about this kind of stuff: "But all it takes is Iida-san and Yaoyorozu-san coming up to either check on us or call us down for dinner, for the entire class to realize we're not even there." This time, Mina couldn't rightfully pretend that he didn't make a very good point.
Their mutual nervousness had a complete stranglehold on them both, leaving them at an indecisive crossroads, before Mina finally worked up the will to ask the hardest question: "Do… do you wanna just go back, Kolya-kun?"
Not only was Nikolay surprised beyond words that Mina, of all people, was actually suggesting this, but he also felt a heartbroken chill just to hear the emotion in her voice as she asked. Of course she would have been looking forward to this just as much as he had been underneath all his nervousness, so how could she not sound disappointed? Yet at the same time she was actually being considerate enough of their actual circumstances at school to even think of asking for their benefit.
With the determination that had been pushing him along all this time still managing to swelter and burn strong within his chest, Nikolay took another breath of resolve, looking from the train station to the girl before him: "No… I don't. If you want to, though, Mina, I'd absolutely understand."
Mina had been bracing herself for Nikolay to jump on the chance of going back and putting all this awkwardness behind them. So to hear him actually say no to going back was enough to make her whole body jolt with surprise… a surprise that just as quickly grew into another heartwarming and illuminating smile of pure sincerity and affection as she closed the distance and gladly took his hand into her own, both of them once again feeling that instant jolt at each other's touch. "No way, Kolya-kun. I know how hard it had to have been for you to ask me to come with you for this; what kind of friend would I be if I just wanted to go back when we already came this far? I'm with you for this to the very end, Kolya-kun."
Nikolay nearly felt his heart jump up into his throat to hear her admit this much, and never take her eyes from his as she said it. However, a timely announcement from the intercom of the boarding for the next train heading to Takoba City instantly snapped them both to full attention, and without any further hesitation, but still hand-in-hand, they hurried back up to the platform to begin their fateful journey to their very first ever date together.
Takoba City
The early evening sky was already starting to turn orange by the time Nikolay and Mina had arrived in Takoba City. The fact that the first time they had come here by bus right to their destination now left them with the realization that they had no idea just where the theater the Russian boy's tickets were for even was in relation to the local station. Of course, it was nothing a quick look for directions on their phones couldn't solve, but for a first-time experience like this for the two teens, even the tiniest insignificant hurdle felt like a mountain.
As they navigated the unfamiliar city streets, it didn't take long for the cold autumn air to soon become filled with a particularly delicious scent wafting from the open doorway of a nearby ramen shop, instantly sending both their stomachs into mutually hungry growling frenzies. After checking the time on the tickets and what time it was now, Nikolay felt another swelling of determination in his chest. "You know, we still have a decent amount of time before the show time. How would you feel about us grabbing something to eat first?"
Mina was already one step ahead of him, as she practically pulled him along all the way to the ramen shop with a happy spring in her step. However, once it came time to actually deciding their orders, a whole other conundrum now reared its ugly head, as she looked to her similarly nervous best friend: "How should we go about paying, Kolya-kun? I mean, you've already been pushing yourself way outside your comfort zone up to now; I have no problem paying for this… or should we just go Dutch?"
Even if this was the very first date for both of them, even Nikolay was knowledgeable enough to know that having your companion dip into their own money for any occasion when you were the one who asked them out was the last thing you should have ever done. As such, his answer was almost instantaneous, especially in his choice of words: "Absolutely not. The last thing any of us should feel today is indebted to each other. This whole thing was ultimately my idea, and I'm going to take responsibility for it. Besides, the tickets were free, so it's not like I'm barely hanging by the thread of my wallet. It's only right I should be able to provide for the first date, after all."
Both teens froze with realization the instant the words left his mouth, as the money Nikolay fished from his wallet nearly fell listlessly from his hand. 'Oh my God… I/he actually straight up said it!'
Thankfully, the clearing of the throat of the chef on the other side of the counter snapped them both out of it. Being urged to hurry up, Nikolay and Mina quickly named what they wanted, and were soon enough eating to their hearts content, even if they were both still too immensely flustered to make eye contact the entire time after Nikolay had finally found the courage to call this what it really was.
After having finally satisfied their mutual appetites, they were once again making their way by the directions on Mina's phone for the theater. They were still notably struggling to think of anything they could possibly say to each other after that, but everything they could both think of just felt like they would have just been trying to pretend the feelings burning inside them weren't actually there.
However, they weren't able to dwell on these worries for long, for once they turned the corner that revealed their elusive movie theater down the street to their right, they soon both picked up the sound of what was clearly a struggle echoing from within a nearby alleyway.
Looking inside, they were met by the sight of a single deliveryman being harassed and shoved around by a tiny group of three street punks in leather and denim, with one bearing a spiky blonde Mohawk, another having a third eye in the middle of his forehead, and another having the head of a crocodile.
"C'mon, buddy, do you really wanna go to the hospital over this? Just give us your damn wallet, or we'll leave ya bleedin' outta both ends!" The instant the Mohawk-wearing punk's threatening words echoed up the alley towards the two young Heroes standing at the entrance, Nikolay and Mina exchanged silent yet knowing, and all-too communicative glances with each other, both of them clearly on the exact same page as what to do.
After all, they both had made the smart decision of putting their Provisional Hero Licenses in their wallets the instant they had gotten back to the dorms the day after the exam. By that virtue alone were they now officially designated to intervene in this situation as they saw fit.
As such, Nikolay spied a nearby set of lidded trash cans, knowing he would have to make do without his costume or tuning forks on hand. "Hey! Don't thugs like you have anything better to do?"
They all three turned in unison to face their two newly arrived interlopers as soon as they heard the boy's thickly accented Japanese calling out to them. However, no matter how much authority he tried to put into his voice, none of them looked remotely intimidated, instead shoving their previous target aside while the Mohawk-wearer and the three-eyed punk both pulled out tiny switchblades. "I hate good Samaritans… never know when to mind their own damn business."
The instant it looked like they were all about to charge, Mina suddenly stepped forward with her hands clapped together and aiming at the ground just in front of their feet, instantly releasing a light spray of acid that left a hissing cloud of steam on impact right in front of the punks, forcing them all to double back with surprise. That reaction was exactly what she'd been hoping for, as she was smiling with that daring Heroic confidence: "Watch your step, you guys! Wouldn't wanna put the burn on you too bad! That's supposed to be the police's job!"
Capitalizing on the distraction she had provided, Nikolay charged up his left hand as he reared it back, and with a resonating kinetic burst from his fingertips, he suddenly threw one of the trash can lids like a discus with accelerated force, his aim proving miraculous and true as it hit and ricocheted off all three of the punks' heads one after another, leaving the whole alleyway ringing with the metallic hum of impact as they were all already left completely out cold at the feet of the two high school students.
Just as they were about to start chuckling with each other at how unbelievably easy that had actually turned out to be, the sound of another man outside the alley shouting for help sent them both sprinting back out the way they had come, only to instantly be met with the sight of a hefty utility truck freely rolling backwards down the inclined street up ahead from them, with a uniformed man that could have only been its driver trying desperately to run after it.
"The emergency brake went loose, it's out of control! Everybody get outta the way!" The driver's desperate announcement to the pedestrians directly in his truck's path lit yet another spark in Nikolay and Mina. However, this time it was the pink young Hero who was just one step ahead, as before Nikolay could even blink, he suddenly found himself being handed her loafers and socks, just as Mina suddenly threw herself into a speedy acid slide down the road and up the incline towards the quickly approaching truck.
Her eyes were like those of a hawk, focused on the runaway vehicle as her slide emanating from her bare feet never lost its stride or momentum. With another confident grin across her face, Mina suddenly aimed her pointing finger and fired a single squirt of acid from it, perfectly nailing the handle for the driver's side door and causing the door to listlessly swing open.
With that, she swiftly threw herself into a near gymnast-level leap from the middle of her slide and into the open doorway of the truck. Mina didn't know the first thing about driving, but she had seen enough bits in movies and TV involving people driving to remember just what the emergency brake was and where it was supposed to be.
While Nikolay was already showing just as much initiative by helping get all at-risk pedestrians out of the way with incredible boosted speed and precision, Mina's adrenaline was similarly through the roof as she slammed her foot onto the brake pedal with all her weight and yanked on the emergency brake lever as hard as she could. With a piercing metallic screech, the truck slowly but surely came to a final stop just before reaching the crosswalk Nikolay had been working so diligently to clear for his impromptu partner.
From there, it didn't take long for the police to arrive to confirm everything that had happened, from the runaway truck to the attempted mugging. Thankfully, just as the two had hoped, Nikolay and Mina having their Provisional Licenses on them helped things go over much easier. In fact, just the confirmation that they were technically licensed Heroes made the reaction of the civilians around that much better, as they were all quickly applauding the two for their joint efforts in helping prevent a crime and a potential disaster back-to-back. That moment, standing there in the open and being the joint recipients of such public approval and gratitude would go down to be one of the single most fulfilling moments in both their lives as Hero students.
Of course, they still had to go through the same process of filling out their mutual shares of paperwork at the local police station; something the cops were more than willing to inform them was part and parcel of every Pro Hero's daily routine. However, that didn't matter or diminish Nikolay and Mina's spirits at all. They were still both simply absorbed in that unifying feeling of accomplishment at just how many people they had already managed to save by working together as naturally as they had.
That feeling of Heroic pride and all-around happiness that was lifting both their hearts to entirely new heights, carried the two best friends every step of the way from the police station to the theater; both of them feeling as light as feathers without a single care in the world, even as the sky over Takoba City began to turn exceptionally dark, and it even started to rain by the time they'd finally stepped into the warmth and comfort of the theater.
Once the staff had confirmed the tickets on Nikolay's phone and ushered him and Mina into their specific theater, the two were met with considerable pause when they saw that they were literally the only two people in an entirely empty theater. With that, the natural conclusion that they were essentially having a movie-going date all to themselves had them both feeling another noteworthy hot flash in the face.
"You, um… y-you didn't happen to hear if this contest of yours had more than one winner, did you?" Mina finally asked before finally finding the wherewithal to start heading up the steps in search of the best possible seat in the house, with the red-faced Slav hurriedly following suit.
Once they had finally settled on a spot in the dead center of the whole array of seats, sitting cozily side by side, Nikolay was unconsciously clutching the arms of his chair in a white-knuckled grip while Mina was similarly keeping her eyes glued to the floor with nervousness.
Fortunately, though, after a good couple of minutes to help calm themselves down, Nikolay could feel his heartbeat lowering enough to where he could finally actually breathe easy again, and actually be able to think about everything that had already happened to them today with an air of actual gladness, instead of constant self-doubt, fear and worry. "You know something, Mina? As terrified as I was to actually ask you out for this; not because of it being you but because I've obviously never done this kind of thing with anyone else before… I'm really glad I found the guts to do so."
That was about as natural an admission of relief as she had come to expect from Nikolay when he was this nervous, and in its own way, it was just about as adorable an expression of such as she could possibly ask for. With that, Mina gave the fair-faced boy beside her another heart-melting smile of gratitude as she inched only that much closer to him as the arms of their respective suits would allow.
"I'm really happy that you did too, Kolya-kun. With that, and the chance we actually finally got to put our new licenses to use and act like real-deal Heroes together for the first time and not get in trouble for it… all in all, I'm ready to mark today as one of the best days ever." She didn't say anything for a good few moments after that, and Nikolay couldn't decide if she was simply giving him that chance to really take her sentiment to heart, or if she was actually trying to think of anything else to add. Either way, he was just about inclined to agree.
That was when he felt the pinkie finger of Mina's left hand just barely start reaching out to his right, as though she were slowly trying to reach over to put her hand over his, or if she was subtly trying to draw him into joining hands with her himself. Glancing to her out the corner of his eye, Nikolay could keep feeling that same jolt with every touch, especially when he realized she was likewise glancing his way. "I know how passionate you are about this kind of stuff, Kolya-kun, and the fact you really wanted me to be a part of this with you really does make me super happy. Like, you really don't know how much."
"You don't have to tell me, Mina. The truth is, this just wouldn't feel as special if it were anybody else. I know, that probably sounds cheesy as hell; I'm sorry. But hey, maybe the next time we have some actual free time; we could go and do anything you want to do to make up for it." As soon as Nikolay suggested this, he could just feel the anticipation and imagination brewing in Mina's head with each passing second as she finally closed that little distance and placed her warm hand over his.
"You have nothing to make up for, okay? Dancing, karaoke, ice skating, shopping sprees, anything two friends can do under the sun, I'm more than there, Kolya-kun. It's a promise." For a few especially precious moments, both their hearts were once again racing with expectation for whenever that next fateful day would inevitably come.
At that moment, the overhead lights across the theater began to dim just as the screen began to illuminate, leaving Nikolay and Mina both shaking in their seats with anticipation. "Oh, I'm so excited! Did you maybe hear just what we're seeing, Kolya-kun?"
The moment she asked, however, Nikolay's own bouncing within his seat stopped as a look of grim realization flashed across his eyes. "Oh crap, no, I didn't! It was so late at night when I won, and I was so tired, I didn't even notice if the hosts had even mentioned any names or not."
As though the universe were deciding then to answer both their questions, the screen was suddenly projecting the image of a bird's eye view through misty skies over vast grassy expanses lined with trees and myriad lakes. The film quality looked to be especially old. The moment the opening credits came up, only for the two teens to see they were in Cyrillic, Mina's smile immediately returned. "Oh, wow, that is just cosmic! No way this can be as sad as that other Russian movie we watched at your house for history class, right?"
Chancing a sideways glance back to Nikolay, Mina was stricken by the look of out-of-nowhere horror on his face. "Whoa, Kolya-kun, what's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"
This time, he couldn't even try to pretend he was feeling all right, especially after chancing another look to the time on his phone, only to sink down into his chair until he was practically on his knees with his back on the seat itself, running his fingers anxiously through his hair. "No, Mina… I'm not. Do you know what this is? This is the 1966-68 Sergei Bondarchuk adaptation of Tolstoy's 'War and Peace.'"
Mina momentarily glanced back to the screen just in time for the Cyrillic title to pop up, just for the Japanese subtitle beneath to all but confirm what he'd just said. "So, what's the big deal?"
Nikolay nearly jumped back into his seat, looking downright desperate as he looked her in the eye. "Mina… have you ever even seen a physical copy of that book? Do you have any idea how big it is?"
"Uh… no?" Mina's confusion was all too understandable, but she thankfully was quick on the uptake as Nikolay simply held his hands together to form the shape of a book, spacing his palms apart to emphasize the Bible-like size of it.
"Like this. 'War and Peace' is just about as big as the Bible, if not bigger, and this is by far the most faithful adaptation of that entire book. This movie only just started at six o'clock in the evening, and it's not going to be over until well after three in the morning! There's no way we're going to make it back to Yuuei before curfew if we try to stick it out!"
The sight of that very same realization dawning within Mina's eyes was all the confirmation Nikolay needed to start getting up from his seat, all but ready to go for the exit. "I'm so sorry, this was a terrible idea. We came out here for nothing. We should just forget it and go back-!"
Mina suddenly got up and reached out, not with aggression, but a sense of imploring as she gently grabbed Nikolay's hand, forcing him to look back and see the depth of the sincerity in her golden irises, only accentuated by the reflecting lights from the screen. "Please try to calm down, Kolya-kun. This is a first for both of us; we should at least try to make the most of it that we can. Look, I get it, I really do. I don't wanna get in trouble with Aizawa-sensei again, neither. We don't have to try and stick this out to the end, but we can at least just try to stay for a little while and enjoy what we can, right? Besides, to be totally honest with you, Kolya-kun… it didn't really matter to me what exactly we did tonight anyway. All that really mattered was that we would be together while doing it. That's what dates are supposed to be all about… you know?"
Feeling the affectionate warmth in her soft hand together with seeing the emotional shimmering in her eyes, Nikolay knew deep down just how right she was. This was supposed to be an altogether magical experience for them both, and he was continuously letting his own awkwardness and anxiety ruin that for himself. What kind of date would it be if only one of them was genuinely enjoying themselves, while the other was focusing only on making the other happy and stressing themselves out in the process?
If he went through with walking out now, it would forever put a tarnishing mark on this chapter in their time together, and that was the last thing either of them wanted, least of all for each other. And so, Nikolay returned the firm grip Mina had on his hand and met her with an understanding and accepting smile. "You're right, Mina. I've been so nervous about every possible thing going wrong all day today, while you've been trying to be happy enough for both of us. But that's not fair on you. Just like everything else we've done, this is just as much a team effort. I don't want to leave so soon, either. So… okay. We'll stay, at least to see how much of this beast we can get through… together."
That final word brought all the spark right back to his lovely pink best friend, as Mina all but hugged/pulled Nikolay back down into his seat next to hers, and with their hands still holding firmly onto one another, the two proceeded to sit back and take in every second they feasibly could of one of the most celebrated screen adaptations of one of the most celebrated works of world literature in the history of the medium.
It wasn't long before the subject of time didn't even register to the two any longer, as they both simply became captivated, not only by the gorgeous sets of early 19th century Russia, or even the simultaneously intricate and complex, yet strangely easy-to-follow interpersonal storylines, but even simply down to the downright admirable work of managing tens of thousands of costumed extras in recreations of battles in the Napoleonic Wars, or the jaw-dropping beautiful costumes of the dancing royals and aristocracy that had Mina especially downright starry-eyed from the very start.
However, that initial enthrallment could only last so long, as after over five hours, by the time the story had reached the year of 1812; neither Nikolay nor Mina could try to hide their mutual exhaustion any longer. By the time Nikolay looked again at the time on his phone, and saw that it was already nearly midnight, he couldn't even feel that jolt of panic from before. Now he could only give Mina a silent yet all-telling look that even she now was in full agreement with. As much as they didn't want to bow out, they simply had no choice anymore. And so, with quiet dignity, grace, and mutual gratitude for having gotten to experience even this much alone together, the two Yuuei students left the theater still hand-in-hand, ready to make their way back to the train station and finally return home, hoping they would at least be able to get in a couple hours of sleep before school would start back up tomorrow.
Except that when they stepped back out into what had lastly been simple cold autumn air, they were instead met with a torrential downpour of rain the likes of which neither of them could recall ever witnessing recently. The rain was nearly deafening, and the streets that had once been bustling with people on their way home from work, were now all but empty, as only a few people were left outside with their umbrellas, trying to rush home on foot, as the emergency speakers planted all throughout Takoba City were repeatedly announcing:
"Attention, everyone. Due to the intensity of the current rainstorm, all freeways and roads leading in and out of the city have been temporarily closed, as have all outbound flights at the airports been cancelled and all rail lines are currently closed. We are projecting, based on current weather predictions, that all aforementioned routes will be reopened at 5 o'clock in the morning."
This announcement couldn't have been worse, as Nikolay and Mina both shared mutually horrified looks, just before they found themselves being approached by a single police officer in a rain coat. "Excuse me, but you kids really shouldn't be out here for too long, you're bound to get soaked to the bone."
"We're sorry, officer, but is that message on the speakers true? Are all the train lines seriously closed tonight?" The moment Nikolay asked, he and Mina both silently praying for some kind of miracle, they were immediately shot down as the officer solemnly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid so. The rain's coming down so hard, the train wheels wouldn't be able to get any traction; it would be a disaster waiting to happen. I certainly wouldn't want to be any of the people in the trains that have been forced to stop midway to their next stations, but thankfully with the lines being shut down, they won't run the risk of any wayward trains plowing into them. Everything's currently under control."
Despite the relief in his own voice at this news, Nikolay and Mina felt downright despondent. Now there really was no way for them to get back to Musutafu in time, let alone Yuuei. With no trains and no buses, they were literally stranded in this city. With this realization leaving no room for further doubt, Nikolay looked forlornly to Mina. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I didn't even think to check the weather; Dad always said that's one of the first things I should do if I ever thought about traveling."
Once again showing she had the patience and tenacious grip on hope of a saint, Mina lay a reassuring hand on Nikolay's shoulder, with a slightly embarrassed smirk on her face. "Come on, don't beat yourself up for that, I didn't check, either, so we can both be embarrassed together. But is there anything we can do to at least let someone at Yuuei know? That would just suck if Aizawa-sensei expelled us for this cause he thought we ditched again."
Nikolay's head lifted on a near swivel as the flickering lights of the theater sign above his head may as well have been the proverbial light bulb of an idea. "Actually, there is! Eijirou-san suggested it to me this morning, even!"
As he hurriedly grabbed his phone and began scrolling for their red-haired friend's number, Mina had a look of genuine surprise in her eyes. "Wait, you actually told Kiri about us doing this?"
"I didn't know who else to turn to for advice when I got these tickets, and he just kept telling me to believe in myself and just go for it. But this is easily the most solid advice he gave me through the whole thing. I just hope he's able to hear this." With that utterance of hope, Nikolay finally hit the speed dial and had his hand cupped over his mouth and the receiver in the vain hope it would keep the noise of the rain from muffling his words on Eijirou's end, assuming he wasn't sound asleep yet.
One ring… two rings… three rings…'Come on, Eijirou-san, please pick up!'
*Click*
With that piercing yet beautiful sound, Nikolay could already hear the exhausted yawn on the other end. *Yawn* "Hello? Wait… Kolya-san? Aw man, what time is it?"
"Eijirou-san, thank God you answered! I'm so sorry to wake you up like this, but I need you to listen, please. Mina and I are stuck here in Takoba City; a huge rainstorm came in while we were at the theater, and all the train lines and roads leading out have been closed for the night."
If it hadn't been for the noise of the rain around him, even Nikolay would have been able to hear just how fast Eijirou had shot up from his bed on the other end. "Oh, damn, are you guys okay? Do you need me to get the teachers to hurry over there and bring you back?"
"No, no, no, please, nothing like that! Aizawa-sensei would never forgive us for wasting school time and energy like that. We just wanted you to know so you could either tell… well, okay, tell him, my Dad, All Might or Nezu-sensei; just so they know we aren't ditching class."
Nikolay felt terrible having to lay all of this on his sharp-toothed friend so suddenly and at such a terrible hour. It would've been a lot for anyone to process. But, bless his heart, Eijirou was already right on the ball with his answer: "Say no more, you guys, I got you loud and clear. First light, I'll let them all know. I have no doubt they'll be way more understanding this way."
The instant she saw the look of relief begin forming on Nikolay's face, Mina could already tell that Eijirou had finally brought some good news, hence her natural reaction was to lean in around Nikolay's arm so she could get a word in: "Thank you so much, Kiri, we owe you big time! You're awesome!"
"Hell yes you are, man, thank you, thank you!" Nikolay just as fervently agreed, just for Eijirou to chuckle proudly to himself.
"Aww, you two don't owe me squat and you know it! You guys just make sure you get yourselves somewhere dry for the night, okay? Last thing this class needs is two more of us being kept out of class cause of a cold. If all goes well, I'll see you both tomorrow, alright? Good night."
With that and all-around goodbyes, Eijirou finally ended the call, and Nikolay and Mina both felt their shoulders lighten by several dozen pounds. That was one major hurdle miraculously averted, or at least they could only hope so at this point. But now came the most immediate question: "So… you didn't happen to see if there were any hotels or anything like that near here, did you, Kolya-kun?"
Nikolay instinctively looked down the road to their left, where a good number of brightly lit and sizeable buildings stood visible, even through the rainfall. They didn't look like typical office buildings, so they were automatically worth a shot. "Come on, there's bound to be something there. Anything's gotta be better than sleeping at a train or bus station." The determination in his voice was unmistakable, but the similar look in his eyes gave way to yet further disappointment once he actually remembered how he was specifically dressed. "Aw, crap, I didn't expect the weather so I didn't get an umbrella or a jacket! I mean, these clothes are made for the cold, but your dress will just—"Race you there, Kolya-kun; onetwothreeGO!"
Just like that, and with that same peppy and energetic smile and spring in her step, Mina was rushing out into the pouring rain without an ounce of hesitation, letting her frizzy pink hair get matted down to her head and her dress get soaked through as she just let the rain wash over her. Her example in this moment was the very picture of the spirit and heart of youth.
Unable to help but just get caught up in the moment, Nikolay finally started laughing excitedly for the first time in days as he ran after her, trying to actually overtake her incredible pace while still keeping his eyes peeled for the first sign of a hotel they could stay in to wait this storm out.
Thankfully his hunch about which direction to go proved true, as within barely two minutes his and Mina's eyes both landed on a quaint-looking building snug between two others with only three floors to it, and most importantly a sign on its face clearly designating it a hotel. With not a moment to lose, the two ran inside, with Mina instinctively shaking her head energetically to try and get her hair back to some semblance of normal.
Stepping into the lobby and looking for some sign of a clerk, all they were met with instead was a surprisingly polished marble hall with a single computer-like device standing at the opposite end between two different elevators, with one clearly labeled as 'entering' and the other as 'leaving.'
Upon taking a closer look, the two students found themselves looking over the only screen on the computer with a list of staying options, ranging from mere hours to one whole night, thankfully with the expected prices next to each. As convenient as the setup was, Nikolay still couldn't hide his confusion. "Why would a regular hotel not have an in-person clerk to run their guests' info through?"
"Well, maybe they get a lot of travelling working people who just don't wanna deal with people after working all day. Maybe that's why they've got these weird one-way elevators." Mina assumed innocently. It made perfect sense as far as either of them were concerned, as Nikolay was already reaching for his pocket, only for her to put her hand on his wrist to stop him, already holding up her own wallet from one of the pockets of her dress.
She could already see the protest beginning to come up his throat, just by the look in his eyes once he figured out what she was suggesting, hence she decided to be just that little bit more forceful. "Please, let me take care of this, Kolya-kun. Neither of us saw this storm coming, and you already went out of your way to pay for our food; this is the very least I can do. I insist."
The instant she ran her own bank card through the machine and selected the 'one night' option, a faint electric buzzing emanated from it, before the one slot in it suddenly produced a single keycard with what they could only assume was their room number on it. With that, the 'entering' elevator suddenly opened up, and the two were on their way up, soon coming to a stop on the second floor. The halls were unusually narrow and long, and there didn't look to be a sign of anyone else.
Thinking nothing of it, Nikolay and Mina went down to their right before soon spotting the door that had the same number as their card. With a merciful single beep, the door unlocked, and the two young friends stepped inside to behold just what they had to call home for this one night.
"Well… that's definitely less than I was expecting." Nikolay instinctively noted with a mysteriously absent tone of sarcasm as his eyes instantly drifted to the corner of the room to their left, where tucked into a cozy little alcove was a single bed just wide enough for the two of them, with a single small flat screen TV mounted on the wall right in front of it.
To their right was a single two-layer dresser right next to the one other door that they could only assume was the bathroom and adjoining shower. The thought of that after having run through that frigid rain just naturally sounded wonderful right now.
They already had their respective shoes and socks off as Mina continued to look around and Nikolay went for the only window right above the bed. The curtains were apart, but he could hardly see any of the city lights that had been so bright from outside. It was almost like the windows were especially tinted.
With his eyes feeling especially heavy, but not wanting to go to bed in soaking wet clothes, Nikolay decided, out of plain curiosity, to see what, if anything, was on the TV that they could perhaps help themselves fall asleep to, just at the very same moment Mina had decided to peek into the dresser drawers out of that same curiosity.
"OH MY GOD!/O BOZHE MOY (OH MY GOD)!"
These simultaneous horrified outcries from Nikolay and Mina nearly shook their room to its foundations, as Nikolay nearly threw the remote right through the TV out of muscular reflex, and Mina nearly caught her fingers in the first dresser drawer frame, she had slammed it shut so quick and hard.
Both instantly turned to look each other in the eye with petrified gazes as they were both shaking from head to toe with anxiety and apprehension. Somehow, Nikolay was the first one to actually find the words: "T-the TV… it-it's nothing… n-nothing but… b-but… p-p-po—"
"The first dresser's full of all these weird bottles of jelly-looking stuff and boxes of… o-of… well…"
Both of them were far too scared out of their wits to just say what needed to be said, so they both instead decided to once again state the only natural conclusion there was in miraculous unison: "WE GOT A ROOM IN A DAMN LOVE HOTEL!"
Nikolay nearly felt like he was going to heave from the stress that was filling his gut, while Mina was trying hard not to start hyperventilating with this unbelievably humiliating realization of what they'd just done to themselves. "Oh man, I don't know if I can stay in a place like this, Kolya-kun. W-we should just try someplace else—"
"We don't know if there's any place else anywhere near here or if they'd even have rooms available, though! We don't even know if any other hotels near here wouldn't just be more of the same! Don't cities have entire districts full of places like this crammed together? How do we know we didn't just stumble into that by accident?"
Mina couldn't bring herself to verbally agree, but she knew Nikolay had a very good point. Glancing back to the window over her shoulder and just listening to the heavy pitter-patter of the ongoing rainstorm outside, it all became way too clear just what their only real solution was. "Yeah… oh my God, yes, you're right, Kolya-kun. Besides, we were out in that rain for so long already; I'd never forgive myself if one of us got a cold just because I was too embarrassed to stay here."
As Mina bowed her head, too humiliated to look Nikolay in the eye for pretty much forcing them into this position, Nikolay actually approached her, looking upon her with complete understanding amid his own embarrassment. "Hey, I'm no less embarrassed here, either. But you're right; I wouldn't forgive myself if that happened, either. I mean, we're already completely soaked through as it is, so for all we know, we just got…weirdly lucky finding this place when we did. S-so…w-with that being s-said…"
Nikolay couldn't dare to see the look on Mina's face once he actually said what was coming to mind next out loud; hence he averted his eyes to the farther corner of the room and pointed to the bathroom door, all the while feeling like he was going to blackout from sheer stress with every word: "…p-p-please g-get yourself w-w-w-warmed back up in there…p-p-p-please."
There was so much for the two poor kids to have to try and mentally process all at once, all things that left them awash in a frigid sweat of horror and humiliation all at once. From the fact they had blindly stumbled into having to share the bed of an actual love hotel together, to the fact they now had to actually shower under the same roof with barely more than a single door separating them in order to avoid catching a cold, it was all enough to drive them frantic with adolescent anxiety.
However, none of that changed the facts of just where they now were and the circumstances they now found themselves in. This was what Mina ultimately told herself as, in response to Nikolay's barely comprehensible stuttering request, she took a stalwart breath and made a beeline for the door, wasting not a single moment to nearly throw it shut before just as quickly opening it the tiniest crack.
"Um… K-Kolya-kun? There's, uh… t-there's actually two little doors in here. One says 'laundry chute drop off' and the other one says 'return.' I'm thinking that maybe we both drop off our clothes in here and get them back all clean and dry again?" There was definitely nowhere as much confidence in her tone as her words tried to convey, but Nikolay wasn't even going to think about asking her to speak up or anything of the sort. This was just as difficult for her as it was for him, after all.
"I guess what I'm getting at is if you could… well… c-could you please check the drawers and see if there's… oh, God… if t-there's any spare clothes anywhere in there I could sleep in. Don't open the one on the top left, that was my mistake!"
Nikolay's own deep breath to try and calm his nerves was as shaky as the last leaf hanging onto its tree branch in the heart of Fall. But even if that was the case, it was taking all of Mina's composure to ask this of him, and he was the only person she could count on in this circumstance, so he readily made his way to the dresser, mentally psyching himself up for whatever was inside.
That psyching up was what ultimately kept the poor boy from having an instant heart attack once he opened the bottom right drawer, wherein he was met with the sight of numerous neatly folded… there was no point in trying to word it any other way to himself, girl's undergarments. There was no way in hell he was about to ask poor Mina what size she wore, so with pure adrenaline rushing through his veins to get this over with as quickly as possible, Nikolay kept his eyes literally anywhere else and just plucked the very first pairs of both unmentionables he could feel and nearly threw them inside through that tiny crack in the bathroom doorway, with only the quietest "Thank you, Kolya-kun," emanating from inside afterword.
Instantly after that, he just as hurriedly opened the drawer immediately above, wherein were some thankfully much less humiliating items, but it still felt so wrong to be perusing through a collection of girl-intended clothes like this. Still, he wanted to spare her as much embarrassment as possible in an already awful situation, and so he just as quickly offered up a single dark purple tank top with grey shoulder straps and a single light blue pair of shorts through the door opening as well, which he thankfully felt Mina take off his barely intruding fingers, giving another meek-sounding "thank you," and leaving Nikolay letting out the shakiest sigh of relief, before just as quickly doubling back with another instinctive "I'm so sorry for all of this, Mina."
Despite the sound of the running water from behind the second door in the bathroom, Nikolay was surprised at Mina's immediate response: "Kolya-kun… please, just stop with all the apologizing for every little thing today, okay? Just stop. I don't just say stuff to make people feel better, I always speak from my heart, especially with friends as precious to me as you. So please keep that in mind when I say that none of this is your fault, okay? We both made the decision to come out here, just like we both made the decision to stay here because of that storm. You didn't force me into anything, so please give yourself a break. Please."
He had brought himself down as low as he possibly could have in these circumstances, so for Mina to speak so sincerely about how she didn't blame him for this was something truly incredible and precious. That still didn't stop Nikolay from pretty much sequestering himself into facing the nearby corner the entire time he waited for Mina to eventually step out of the bathroom. The last thing he wanted to do was make this night any worse for her by actually seeing her dressed up in the undoubtedly lewd selections this place had to offer its guests to wear.
After several minutes that felt like hours, he finally heard the bathroom door open up again, and could hear every one of Mina's footsteps along the carpeted floor behind him. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't rightfully tell Nikolay there was no reason for either of them to feel embarrassed, and for him to feel like he had to stare into a corner for her sake; she already felt embarrassed enough being in the same room while dressed like this. Yes, it was very similar to what she normally wore in her downtime, but this tank top and these shorts being just small enough to really cling tight and accentuate her curves and chest, and especially show off her admittedly toned midriff, was just that little bit too much for her.
Swallowing that embarrassment for both of them, Mina hurriedly began searching through whatever drawers were left, silently breathing a sigh of relief that she'd already found one with apparently men's clothing for sleeping on her first try. "Okay, Kolya-kun. You've been waiting long enough; go ahead and hop in. H-here's some clothes for you, too."
Nikolay almost instantaneously bolted into the bathroom as soon as Mina gave the word, miraculously managing to grab the two pieces of clothing she'd picked out mid-stride before closing the door to preserve what little privacy the two had left. As he peeled his soaked clothes away and sent them down the chute in the wall she had pointed out before, he took those few anxiety-filled moments looking over the clothes Mina had picked, swallowing another nervous lump in his throat: a pair of burgundy red boxer shorts, and to his disbelief, what looked like a snugly fitting tank top in thin alternating stripes of white and light blue. 'Wow, an honest-to-God telnyashka. What are the odds, seriously? What, was a Russian navy man here before? Oh, what the hell does any of that matter? God, I can't believe we're actually staying here and doing this so close to each other. God, I hope nobody else ever finds out this part once this is all done.'
As Nikolay finally proceeded to warm himself up again in the shower, Mina was similarly pacing back and forth around the room, unable to get her restless mind to quiet down. Yes, they'd managed rather admirably to avoid seeing each other indecently so far, but they still had the entire night sleeping in the same bed in a place like this to get through before they could put this last-minute fumble behind them.
However, that was not entirely what she was dwelling on. No, that was something that, even in the most embarrassing moment in both their lives, was somehow proving even more anxiety-inducing. After all, trying to find the right moment to finally tell Nikolay how she truly felt was hard enough, but in these new circumstances, it felt genuinely impossible.
Neither Nikolay nor Mina could bring themselves to even say a word to each other after he'd finally emerged from the shower; their embarrassment having reached the vertical limit within themselves, especially since they now had no choice but to actually see and take in the way they were both dressed for the rest of the night. Mina, despite having even seen the Russian boy completely shirtless before for the sake of treating his wounds from the Provisional Exam, could feel her face flush with heat seeing him in this kind of light, with bare shoulders and just a little more of his chest visible under his impromptu shirt, on top of seeing much more of his legs thanks to his boxers.
And poor Nikolay felt like he was going to completely mentally break as he tried so hard not to stare at how curvaceous and supple Mina's figure was in such tight fitting clothes (it was somehow on a completely different level than when seeing her in that skintight Hero costume of hers), instead trying to keep his focus on her face, only to see just how similarly embarrassed she was, just like him.
They could both just feel in their gut that if they tried to say something, anything at all, to try and alleviate this embarrassment, they could potentially screw up their words and completely ruin the rest of the night. And so, with great regret and reluctance, Nikolay and Mina ultimately resigned themselves to a night of resting side by side on the bed and staring anxiously at the ceiling, unable to bring themselves to look each other in the eye from here, not this up close and personal now.
Both their hearts were racing so fast and beating so hard, it would have sounded like a multi-person drum fill if they could have heard them together. They both had the good sense to know that there was no point in trying to make the same kind of small talk with each other that they normally would right now, not here. They were both embarrassed enough as it was, the last thing either of them needed or wanted was to lie and be lied to. To act like this whole incident wasn't a thing that was happening right now would have just been insulting.
"Good night, Mina/Good night, Kolya-kun." After several unbearably uncomfortable minutes of forced silence, the two best friends simultaneously wished each other a good night, and instinctively turned over so that they were both lying on their sides with their backs to each other. That seemed like the only sensible course of action anymore. It still ultimately did nothing to ease their trembling nerves, knowing that this was still the very first time they were actually sleeping in the same bed together, dressed so indecently and lying so close to each other to boot.
And, of course, just as it so often had come up throughout the course of today, but hitting especially hard now, was their mutual realization that there was no possible way they could justify telling each other how they felt anymore tonight. There couldn't have been a worse place or worse time than this, and having to admit their own defeat in that regard was just the perfect finishing touch to one of the biggest accidental turns a date between two high school students could have possibly taken.
Once the lights had finally been turned off, Nikolay lost all concept of the passage of time. All he knew was that, no matter how much he tried to will or force himself to, he just could not go to sleep. His heart would not slow down, and his mind simply would not shut up, just screaming indiscernibly with all kinds of conflicting waves of embarrassment, regret and fear.
He wasn't sure how long it had been since lights out when his ears were finally able to focus on the sounds of the actual world around him enough to notice that Mina's breathing had actually become considerably slower, calmer and more rhythmic than his own. All he knew for a fact was that, by some miracle, she had somehow actually managed to calm herself enough to actually fall asleep in the middle of all this. It certainly sounded like the kind of breathing someone had when they slept at least. In fact, he couldn't even feel the mattress trembling alongside himself anymore, and if she had somehow managed to stop that even when knowing where they were, then that had to mean she was actually asleep.
'Good… at least that makes one of us. Come on, man, if she could do it, why can't you? Yes, this is more embarrassing than anything else that's happened until now, but you still need to be able to sleep somehow!'
Suddenly, Nikolay could feel the mattress beginning to move about from behind, to the point where he could feel it starting to sink down right up to his back. His sense of environmental and special awareness, currently at an abnormal level in the stress of this moment, made him quick to realize that Mina had to be rolling over in her sleep until she was right up to his back. He didn't dare to look back to see if she was already awake again, or if she'd done so unconsciously. He definitely wasn't about to ask if she was awake after she had only managed to finally get to sleep under these circumstances.
If anything, he tried to convince himself that he could be able to handle staying like this while she slept… but that train of thought was nonexistent the moment he suddenly felt the warmth of Mina's hands start reaching around his sides and across his midsection in a matter of seconds. The soundly sleeping girl behind him was instinctively bringing her arms around the wide-eyed boy in front of her and just as suddenly pulling him into an unconscious hug; the hot-faced Slav too petrified and tongue-tied to even say anything, especially once he felt the softness and warmth of Mina's whole body pressing up against his entire back.
Through the unmistakable softness against his upper back, he could somehow feel Mina's heartbeat, and to his disbelief, it was just as steady and calm as could be, while in comparison his own heart felt like it was going to shoot right out of his chest from the sheer fluster alone. Somehow, someway, she was really doing all this while still in the depths of sleep; for all he knew, she was completely unaware of what her body was doing right now.
Then again, while all he could do was lie barely trembling in the comforting warmth of Mina's nighttime embrace as she kept her arms snug around his torso, and he could feel another frigid sweat start rolling down the side of his face as his fingers kept slightly twitching and gripping at the sheets, a certain thought couldn't help but force its way back to the forefront of his mind: 'Wait… didn't her Mom say that she always slept every night holding those same stuffed animals I got her like this? And now this… oh, man…!'
Nikolay was somehow able to stay silent as Mina continued sleeping soundly with him in her arms; essentially spooning with him with not a single trace of awareness anywhere in her body language. At least, that was what he could only think, until after a few minutes, he actually felt her bring her left leg up and drape it over his own, securing him ever further in her full body hold while her warm and gentle fingers slowly felt across his trembling chest, undoubtedly feeling his jackhammer of a heart beat. He could then only let out the slightest desperate peep as he realized he couldn't possibly try to work his way out of this.
His whole body felt like a veritable firecracker just ready to go off, feeling the girl who more and more thoroughly lived within his heart embracing him so completely like this, and out of what amounted to nothing but pure instinct on her part. For how nervous he was, there was something oddly… uplifting on his part when thinking of it like that. Was Eijirou's guess actually right? Did Mina actually have such feelings for Nikolay after all, to the point that to be this close, she would do something this affectionate to him on instinct?
His mind was in such a sensation-based frenzy, far too much so to even focus on such a question. Every single touch of Mina's was nearly sending him into a complete blackout, from the gentle holding strength of her arms and leg around him, or the calming rhythm of her heartbeat through the softness of her chest against his back alongside the warmth of the rest of her body completely laid up against him. Even the very faint touch of her hair and her horns against his own hair sent a pleasant sensation through his whole body, despite his own personal tension.
However, it was undoubtedly the rhythmic warmth of her breath against the back of his neck that sent the most tingles above anything else, especially when punctuated every now and then by the sweetest sounding sleepy moans she let out whenever she tried to adjust herself in her sleep.
That all was overwhelming enough as it was, but after God-only-knew how long of staying like this, Mina had ultimately ended up closing even that microscopic little bit of distance between them, and now had herself completely up against Nikolay from behind, to the point he could feel his whole body jolt like never before as he felt her sleep with her soft, warm lips just barely touching at the back of his neck now.
No matter how much he tried, no matter how much he wanted to, the only thing that was an undeniable fact that night, was that Nikolay Bezpalov never got a single solitary moment of sleep next to his best friend Mina Ashido, who slept in absolutely peaceful bliss as she inadvertently made him into her own personal life-sized human teddy bear to sleep against.
September 4th
When the early morning sun finally began to shine through the window and stiired Nikolay back to full consciousness, he had no idea what words to use to describe what he had fallen into somewhere in the night, but it certainly wasn't the regular definition of sleep. If anything, it was more like the literally version of when someone somehow fell asleep with their eyes open. His certainly felt tired and irritated enough for it.
"Oooh… wow… That feels so much better now!" Mina exclaimed as she finished her early morning stretches once she had woken up. With the peppiness and cheer she embodied so fully restored, it was almost as though she'd completely forgotten just where they were, what had just happened, or what she was wearing.
For all intents and purposes, even as Nikolay slowly forced himself to get up alongside her and try to rub the tiredness from his own eyes; to see his best friend's energy restored was a godsend. From where he was as she stretched her arms with that same excited smile on her face, she didn't look to be blushing at all anymore. 'I guess I was right after all. She must've just done what she did last night out of muscle memory or motor instinct, completely unaware of it. Well, whatever keeps from embarrassing her works just fine for me.'
Reeling herself back, Mina practically sprung up from the bed in a hop and landed clean on her feet with a peppy giggle, already stretching her legs and hips as she finally turned to address Nikolay and his head of now mussed-up hair. "Good morning, Kolya-kun; glad to see you're already up, too. I don't know about you, but that's probably one of the best night's sleep I've had in a while! How about you? Wanna join me in some quick morning stretches? Helps keep me limbered up all day, and it'll probably help wake you right back up, too!"
Nikolay wasn't even sure if she was just forcing herself to be this cheerful, no matter how natural it seemed coming from her, or if she was genuinely this capable of getting over such an embarrassing night so quickly. Either way, regardless how stiff he was feeling in his joints, the idea of exerting himself with so little sleep was the last thing on his mind. Instead, he reached for his phone on the nightstand with her own sitting right next to it. Once he saw the time was barely past six, his exhausted eyes widened.
"There's no time, we just managed to get up when we needed to, Mina! If the sunlight's coming in, that means the rain has stopped, and that must mean the train lines are open again! If we get dressed and hurry, we could still be able to make it back to Yuuei and back to class just in time!"
Nikolay's hurried explanation was thankfully all Mina needed to hear, as with an eager bounce in her step, they both hurried to the bathroom door, elated to find that, just as she had guessed, just at the foot of the second laundry chute door were both their pairs of clothes neatly cleaned and folded for them.
After getting dressed back in their previous clothes and hurriedly grabbing themselves muffins from a breakfast-based vending machine outside the hotel entrance, Nikolay and Mina all but bolted for the Takoba City train station, just in the nick of time to get onto the next train leaving for Musutafu City.
Once they had started to get rolling down the line, they could finally sit back and breathe easy, for once feeling all of the anxiety that had built throughout all of last night finally dissipate. Another quick check of the time on his phone left Nikolay sighing heavily. "Assuming everything along this line goes smoothly, we should actually make good time getting back to the dorms and into our uniforms."
Mina leaned her head back, running her hands through her hair as she had a smile of pure relief on her pink face, the morning sunlight reflecting off her golden irises. "I would normally be hoping Kiri remembered to tell the teachers about what happened, since Aizawa-sensei's definitely gonna notice how close we're cutting it… but I have no doubt he did exactly as he said he would. Probably dashed out to tell them at the literal crack of dawn."
They both knew deep down just how dependable Eijirou was when he gave his word to help them out, and so they could finally rest easy for the rest of the train ride. Along the way, as Mina simply watched the passing scenery from outside their windows, with many of the trees already starting to take on numerous beautiful autumn colors, she was soon able to pick up the sound of a specifically calm and rhythmic breathing coming from beside her. Upon looking, she was met with the sight of Nikolay still sitting up with his arms crossed over his stomach, but his head was lilting to the side, eyes closed and his normally nervous face now the very picture of serene.
After having gone nearly two whole days and nights with barely any sleep, his body had finally given in and took this opportunity to try and get as much genuine rest as he possibly could. Mina had gotten so used to seeing how tense he had been all throughout yesterday, so to see him this genuinely peaceful was a sight that brought her so much more happiness than even she was used to.
"You put yourself through so much to try and make this the best date it could be, Kolya-kun. I won't ever forget that. You deserve this," she whispered softly so as not to wake him up, before she decided to let herself get wrapped up in the calm of this moment, and softly rested her head against his shoulder; her pristine pink hands tucked into the lap of her borrowed dress as her shimmering black-gold eyes simply observed all the fine details of the Russian boy's fair, fragile-looking and peaceful face.
As time passed, and the more Mina found herself instinctively syncing her breathing with his, the more she started to feel her cheeks grow warmer and her heart start to race. Her gaze began to focus more and more on just how fair and smooth Nikolay's cheeks were, the shade of green his eyes were when catching the sunlight, or even focusing in on his barely open mouth as he breathed; and as she did so, she already couldn't help but think back on everything they had gone through yesterday, but especially last night.
Only now, instead of embarrassment, she only found an affectionate smile spreading further on her face the more she thought about it. Sure, everybody always envisioned their very first date going absolutely perfect, that was only natural, and she was no exception. Hell, Nikolay's continuous apologizing all throughout the night had proven the same of him as well.
But in the end, what should have always been considered the most important thing about a first date was that it at least be something memorable, and this was definitely that at the very least. For as embarrassing as spending their first date in such an adult place as a love hotel was, it was certainly something neither of them would ever forget, and as far as dating mishaps went, this was actually really something that could be looked back on and laughed over, the more she thought about it.
In its own way, that actually made this very first date between them downright perfect in Mina's eyes, instead of by the definition of it by society as a whole.
Mishaps, embarrassment and all, as Mina continued to rest her head upon Nikolay's shoulder and gaze nostalgically and affectionately upon his peaceful resting face, she didn't feel a single trace of regret in her heart when thinking about yesterday. She honestly silently affirmed to herself that she wouldn't have traded a moment of hers and Nikolay's first date for anything, and nobody could make her think or feel otherwise.
In less than an hour, the train had already come to a stop in Musutafu City station, and the much more rejuvenated Nikolay and Mina stepped out with the rest of the early riser passengers with that very same eagerness on their faces. This was literally the home stretch to freedom. They were both already in the middle of discussing the quickest route from here back to Yuuei that could give them the most extra time to get back into their uniforms in time for class as they descended the staircase back down to the street.
THWIP! THWIP!
The instant the two stepped back out into the open again, Nikolay found himself being roughly wrangled tight in a binding cloth that kept his arms flush to his sides, with Mina ending up in the same position just as quickly. However, their instantaneous recognition of just what they were wrapped up in had replaced their instinctive fighting spirit with sheer gut-wrenching horror.
"Well, well, well, I just cannot wait to hear this one." The grumbling and tired sound of Aizawa's voice from behind Nikolay's back was like the beckoning of the Reaper himself, before he gave a single tug of his wrist, forcing both his absent students to turn so they couldn't avoid his aggravated gaze.
However, this time he wasn't alone, as a comparatively worried-looking All Might and pensive-looking Nezu were at both his sides. The moment either of the teens started to open their mouths to try and explain everything, Aizawa just as quickly bound their mouths shut with even more capturing fabric, while Nezu took a stoic breath. "It's nice to see you're both unharmed, Bezpalov-kun, Ashido-chan. However, we can discuss this in full back at Yuuei, not here."
With his word given, Aizawa gave another tug, ushering Nikolay and Mina to come along with him and his fellow faculty back to school. The sight of All Might being alongside them pretty much convinced any watchful passersby that this was simply some kind of Yuuei business; hence they didn't draw any especially nosy crowds along the way.
The entirety of the way back to Yuuei, All Nikolay and Mina could do was try to think of some way they could thoroughly describe all of their reasoning for having left town like they did, and when they had finally gotten through the front gates, they were all but ready for Aizawa to finally un-gag their mouths and at least give them the chance to speak their piece.
However, even when they came to a stop at the front doors to the school building, Aizawa's narrowed eyes never softened, and neither did his grip on his Capture Tool, as he could see it quickly dawn on the two teens that he wasn't about to let them start going off with excuses, explanations or anything of the like just yet.
Now that they were officially back and safe on school grounds, Nezu cleared his throat as he climbed up onto Aizawa's shoulder so he could at least be close to the same eye level as Nikolay and Mina. "I'm sure our waiting for you two at the train station isn't entirely a surprise, considering you had asked your classmate, Kirishima-kun, to inform us of the circumstances that kept you from making it back to school grounds before curfew last night. And it's precisely because you both had the forethought to do so, that you're not being expelled for that right now. Honestly, while your dedications to your Hero studies has been as admirable as that of the rest of your class, your senses of timing between your own personal lives and that of school leaves a great deal to be desired."
The ever-present threat of expulsion aside, this was pretty much the reception they had both been gearing themselves up for from the moment they had seen how bad the rainstorm last night had gotten. It was only because of their mouths still being wrapped shut that they couldn't start apologizing for that very same poor sense of prioritizing between school and personal time.
Clearly seeing the regret in both their eyes, though, All Might decided to clear his throat so he could step in with a more calming smile on his gaunt face. "Although, while you both missing curfew and even leaving town as a whole in the circumstances we're living in is a very serious matter to be addressed, I do feel it's worth noting that along the way, we did end up overhearing the news from Takoba City referring to a couple very familiar-sounding young Heroes who stepped in to save someone from being mugged by some local low-level Villains, and even averting a potential disaster involving a runaway truck. All things considered, it is at least encouraging to know you both have wasted no time making the most of your newly gained Provisional Licenses."
Surprisingly, Nezu actually began nodding in clear agreement, much to Nikolay and Mina's expressive relief. However, Aizawa's brow only seemed to furrow that much more, while his grip only seemed to tighten just as much. "If you keep sugarcoating things, All Might, the students will never truly learn. And as for you, Bezpalov, Ashido; you two just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you? After USJ, Erubi City, the training camp and Kamino, I would've sworn you'd both understand that the dorms and curfew were both brought about to ensure the safety of you and all your fellow students. For you both to have just decided to eschew those precautions and leaving the city where we could all be of immediate assistance, even when you knew there was a curfew in place, is both downright reckless and utterly irresponsible on your parts. You've both been getting off quite easy for your misdeeds up until now, but you've been pushing it over and over, and it has to stop."
"Ahem. If I might be able to provide a second perspective, Aizawa-san?" Nezu's sudden interjection brought the 1-A homeroom teacher's burgeoning wrath to a halt, allowing Nikolay and Mina to lower their shoulders in a show of hopeful relief.
Since the long-haired teacher wasn't currently objecting, the bipedal mouse headmaster hurriedly stepped down from his shoulder, tucking his paws behind his back as he began pacing back and forth between the teachers and the students, all while looking the two youths in the eyes intently.
"Don't get the wrong idea; I do agree with Aizawa-san that this irresponsible course of action you both decided to take needs to be reprimanded appropriately. I can respect and appreciate that, as you are both still so young, you want and need to be able to go out and experience all the things that your freedom has to offer together. To think that even Pro Heroes don't have their own personal lives is just foolish. And, as All Might-san said, you two did show initiative by stepping in and acting when you saw that innocent people were at risk, and that is the first and foremost responsibility of all Heroes. You could have easily gone about your business and let any local Pro Heroes handle things, but you accepted the responsibility that was given to you when you received your Licenses, and that's no small thing. So, with all necessary perspectives being given, I trust you can both understand the conundrum I find myself in as your principal."
Even if Aizawa hadn't been keeping their mouths muffled, neither Nikolay nor Mina would have been able to answer their mouse principal. As good as it felt for him and All Might himself to both acknowledge their mutual displays of Heroics yesterday, they also couldn't rightfully say that Aizawa's concerns weren't justified, either. No matter how smoothly things had gone out there, that didn't change the facts of all the dangerous encounters with Villains they and their classmates had gone through and barely survived up until this point. At the end of the day, their leaving Yuuei and Musutafu, where they knew help would have been easily reachable, was more than reckless and irresponsible; it was just plain stupid, and there needed to be a consequence for it. They could both only hope that somehow Nezu could try to talk Aizawa out of expelling them.
After a short while, Nezu suddenly spoke up again: "So, taking everything into consideration; namely the fact that you did do the responsible thing and kept any civilians from getting hurt whilst going about on your little getaway… I think we can all agree that one day's house arrest for you both is a fair punishment. Since Midoriya-kun and Bakugo-kun are both still attending to the interiors for the duration of theirs; you two can attend to the exterior. I know there's plenty to do that will keep you both quite busy."
This time, Aizawa, albeit with a roll of his eyes, finally pulled away his Capture Tool, effectively letting Nikolay and Mina free, and the two didn't waste a moment before bowing deeply in gratitude not only to Nezu, but to all their teachers present. "Bolshoi spasibo, Nezu-sensei, All Might-sensei, Aizawa-sensei. This whole thing was my idea from the start, and I'm so sorry for it."
"Yes, thank you all so much! We promise it won't happen again, we won't let you down! We'll pinkie promise it, even!" Mina was already halfway to reaching her arms out with her pinkie fingers extended, but an amused chuckle and shaking head from All Might and Nezu both put the pin in that.
"That won't be necessary, Ashido-shoujo. Just make sure you both learn from this whole experience and don't ever second guess yourselves when a crime is being committed and people need help… and that the next time you find yourselves either needing or wanting to go out of town even for an evening, to actually let your teachers know ahead of time, instead of finding out about it after the fact. Agreed?"
"AGREED!" With their mutual echoing of his sentiments, All Might and Nezu proceeded on their way further into the school in preparation, while Aizawa began to follow, but still didn't take his eyes off his two troublesome students.
"Your actions out there may have been able to get you two off the hook, but don't ever think that you'll always manage so well. Whether it's in school or when you're out there working as Pro Heroes… everyone's good luck eventually runs out. You two need to be able to prepare yourselves to work around it when that time eventually comes."
It was hard to tell whether their homeroom teacher was threatening them or giving them genuine advice, but they both knew far too well that, for as harsh as he could be, Aizawa never said such things without good reason and a well-meaning heart behind it, and thus they both nodded in acknowledgment of his words. Seemingly satisfied with that (seemingly being the key word), Aizawa began to turn to follow after Nezu and All Might, before once again pausing and looking back.
"The autumn air is often chilly, so while Bezpalov may look dressed for the occasion, I strongly suggest you head back to your dorm and get in something more appropriate for your cleaning work, Ashido. You're gonna need it."
Finally, the 1-A homeroom teacher took his leave, and Nikolay and Mina decided not to press their luck any further, already making their way back for their class dormitory, all the while letting out another mutual shaky sigh of relief at yet another razor's edge of an escape from expulsion.
"I don't know about you, but if I ever find myself standing before Aizawa-sensei like that again, it'll be way too soon." Nikolay finally admitted, with Mina eagerly nodding in agreement. "I know, right?! Every time I think I'm used to being in his sights when he gets even a little annoyed, he just gets scarier and scarier. Maybe we can just keep any of our dates in the dorms for a while."
Nikolay momentarily froze mid-stride, dumbfounded that, after what he'd considered to be such an overall disaster of an outing, that she would actually willfully express the desire to do anything alone with him again. Of course, he couldn't just stay here and dwell on it, hurrying after her as the dorms started to come into view.
As they began making their way for the front door, Nikolay chanced another momentary glance to his phone, seeing the time was just a little past seven, and school tended to start at seven-thirty. Considering the timing of it all once they had returned, he couldn't help but ask himself mainly: "If Eijirou-san told the teachers about what happened, you don't think he told the rest of the class too, do you?"
"Just what on Earth were the two of you thinking, going out of town on such short notice without even notifying the teachers or any of us beforehand?! Have you two no regard for us as your classmates?! Do you even know how worried you had us when you didn't show up for dinner or breakfast?!" Tenya's already booming voice was practically echoing all across the commons area the instant he and the rest of Class 1-A had laid eyes on their two formerly absent classmates, and had been informed of their mutual punishment.
"I have to agree with Iida-san, it does show a lack of common sense if nothing else, you guys-kero. I mean, one look at any weather station would have told you about that storm way before the fact, and you probably wouldn't have had to miss curfew and get in trouble." Tsuyu stated in full agreement while still as monotone and blunt as ever.
"Not to mention it shows a real lack of an ability to really prioritize between you both. I mean, you both knew it was a school night, and you decided to head all the way to another city on such short notice anyway? There is such a thing as knowing when to just cut your losses and try again at a later time, you know; honestly." Momo backed her fellow students with less explosive volume as Tenya, but still keeping her arms firmly crossed and keeping a stern tone to properly express her disappointment in Nikolay and Mina, who both just stood before their classmates completely ashamed of their foolishness and selfishness alike, even if Eijirou was trying to give them both a supportive grin from within the crowd.
Apparently, when he had gone to inform the teachers of what had happened, he'd been overheard by Denki and Minoru, and considering what Tooru had told them yesterday, the invisible girl had been forced to come clean. Having to have roped her into the whole thing actually made the Russian and pink teens feel even worse about themselves.
As for the rest of the class, their reactions to their description of the whole thing varied quite widely. Those like Mashirao, Mezo, Rikido, Kouji, Shoto and Fumikage were all completely indifferent, while Izuku and Ochako were both instinctively turning red with their own embarrassment when all the talk about dates and things inevitably came up.
But many, like Eijirou, Denki, Minoru, Kyouka and of course Tooru were all but ready to bombard the two with questions or requests for the more vivid details, especially when it came to how they got through the night away from school.
"So what did you guys have to do? You must have stayed at a hotel, surely. You both look way too well rested to have slept at the train station or bus stops like a couple drifters… or at least you do, Ashido. Kolya-san, you've got bags under your eyes something fierce, man." The moment Denki had thrown this suggestion out, Nikolay and Mina both couldn't hide the instinctive flinch they gave, bringing mischievous smirks to all the aforementioned curious classmates of theirs as a result… well, all excluding Minoru, whose eyes were bulging with jealousy at the suggestion, to the point he looked like he wanted to strangle the hapless Russian boy in front of him.
Under the watchful eyes of all their classmates, Nikolay and Mina proceeded to bow in regret and express their mutual apologies for letting them all down and making them worry, but before anyone could start to express their acceptance and understanding of this, Bakugo finally spoke up with that same irreplaceable rage of his: "GODDAMMIT, WOULD YOU ALL GET THE LEAD OUTTA YOUR ASSES AND GET TO CLASS ALREADY?! AND YOU TWO, HURRY UP AND GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND GET TO WORK! You couple of dumbasses are lucky enough to just get one day of this bullshit, and I'll make damn sure you both work for that lucky break if I have to."
"Bakugo's right, everyone, let's all make haste! We shouldn't keep our teachers waiting!" Tenya instructed the rest of the class as he and Momo once again proceeded to usher everyone along, with Kyouka, Eijirou and Ochako all expressing mutual relief that the two were back okay as they made their way out. As the class representatives followed after, Tenya took the moment to address his two latest truant classmates: "As much as I'm glad you're both back alright as well, I hope you'll both have learned from all of this and try to take more care in how you manage your time outside of school."
With that, and his and Momo's departure, it was now just Nikolay and Mina alone in the commons area, as Bakugo and Izuku took that time to gather up their cleaning supplies for their morning workload. Looking herself over, Mina finally gave a slight chuckle of embarrassment. "Well, Aizawa-sensei said you're already good to go. Let me just get changed and get this dress back in Tooru-chan's room and I'll be right back and we can get started, Kolya-kun."
She was already turning right on her heels and heading for the girls' wing with a readiness to her stride when—
"Mina? Could you please wait?"
There was an unmistakable edge of determination lining Nikolay's voice this time around, and that was what had Mina come to a complete stop with a gasp of surprise even she could barely hear. After he had been such a nervous and stammering display of himself all throughout yesterday, to hear him suddenly speaking with such focus was unprecedented. In fact, such a sudden change already had her imagination racing as to just what he could be wanting to say after all had already been said and done.
'Oh God… is it actually possible? Kolya-kun rarely ever talks like this. He sounds so…driven by something. Is he... is he actually going to say what I hope he is? Oh, man, if he does, there's no way I can't say it too, right? Oh, please, let me be right about this one thing!'
With this hope burning strong in her heart, she readily turned to look Nikolay in the eye, trying hard to keep her smile from looking too expectant, just on the off-chance she was wrong… and she was indeed met with the all-too familiar sight of Nikolay scratching the back of his head nervously as his eyes slowly sank to the floor.
"I… I-I can only imagine how tired you are of hearing this, especially after yesterday, but I… one last time, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how things turned out yesterday. All I wanted was to just try and show some initiative in pursuing one of the things I've been wanting out of my life even more than wanting to become a Hero. I wanted to prove I was able to be the kind of person who could go out on such an outing with someone he cares most about, without constantly feeling like I'm about to buckle at my knees… and I already know I failed miserably at that before we'd even left. If nothing else, I wanted to know I could at least handle things in a way that wouldn't put you at an inconvenience, or at the very least that I could avoid embarrassing both of us… and in every possible way, I just kept falling flat, and ended up putting you in such a humiliating position I never wanted to put anyone in."
As Mina stood and took in every heartfelt word of regret Nikolay was pouring out in the wake of what should have been considered a total disaster of a first date, she didn't feel any of that sympathetic frustration she'd felt before when hearing him constantly talk himself down. No, there was no way for her to know how to describe the feeling that was coming over her as she simply watched every movement of his body, every minute inflection in his voice, every single motion anywhere on his face as he kept apologizing.
It was almost as if this swelling emotion inside her chest, which was quickly fanning into a raging flame, had arisen completely of its own volition, leaving her ability to reason or think ahead far behind. In fact, all she could even partially think of right now was all the precious memories she and Nikolay had made all throughout the year up to this moment, with every single one building this swelling in her chest more than the last. It was a feeling that Mina herself, as a person, had no form of control or will over.
"I never meant for any of this to happen, Mina. I just wanted to try and do something special with you after everything we've been through together, but I—"
"Kolya-kun."
There was no uplift in Mina's inflection to indicate she was asking him a question. No, this time around, she was outright calling out to him to get his attention; to let him know she now had something she wanted and needed to say, and after everything he'd just poured out just now, he was more than ready to hear it, keeping his head bowed down in preparation to either hear her say once more that none of it was really his fault, or that he'd simply tried and that was what really mattered.
However, at the moment he took another deep and steadying breath in preparation, he suddenly felt the tender and warming slightest touch of Mina's hands at the sides of his face, almost as thought her palms were just barely hovering over his cheeks and barely gracing him with her fingertips, instinctively drawing his head up so he could look with curious wonder into her now glistening black-gold eyes.
They were like two gorgeous oval-shaped pieces of the deepest gold within infinite pools of ebony upon her flawless face of the sweetest radiant pink; her naturally messy cotton candy-colored hair perfectly framing it as her lips were forming a smile that conveyed so, so much without a single word having to actually be said.
The speechless Russian boy observed all of the details of Mina's adorable-yet-beautiful face in the span of a mere moment without even realizing it, as the moment he had lifted his head to meet her eyes, what happened next made the whole world for them both come to a complete and total standstill for a span of time neither of them cared to fathom…
… for in that moment, bringing her hands down from his face to gently hold onto the chest of his jacket, Mina Ashido immediately got on her tip-toes to close that tiniest distance, and pressed her warm, soft, wet and slightly strawberry-tasting lips to Nikolay Olegovich Bezpalov's.
The jolt that always happened before was now like an electrical current surging through every fiber of both their beings, as Nikolay could swear he felt his heart stop and time freeze altogether as his mind and heart alike tried to fathom just what was happening, even as obvious and indescribably wonderful as it was.
While Mina had her eyes closed as she held him with her hands and continued to enmesh her lips to his in a kiss that could never dream to be described properly with mere words; Nikolay's eyes were as wide as they had ever been, and no matter how much his mind screamed for him to acknowledge what was actually happening at last and return every one of her gestures, his body would stubbornly not respond.
Despite all of that, however, it didn't stop him from being able to simply take in every sensation going through his body at the speed of light right now; from the warmth encapsulating his whole body as he and Mina stood so close to one another, to the slightest tickling touch of her hair brushing against his forehead; to the sweet combined scent and taste of strawberries from her hair and kiss respectively, it all felt like Heaven, plain and simple.
There was no telling just how long they had stayed like this, but all either of them knew was that by the time Mina had finally pulled her mouth from Nikolay's, it already felt far too soon. She could just see all the emotional frenzy this one simple action of hers had ignited within him, as he was clearly trying to make sense of, or at least process, what had just happened.
For Mina, however, there was nothing to process or second guess about what she had just done, and she was already more than ready to convey that, as with a smile upon her face that normally seemed so cheeky before; but accompanied by the unfathomable depths of pure emotion in her eyes now looked like something indescribably happy; she slowly and gently brought her hands back up to Nikolay's face, cupping his fair and smooth cheeks in her palms and leaning him forward just that tiniest bit so that their foreheads were resting against each others, and they could only look into each other's eyes.
"I had an amazing time with you yesterday, Kolya-kun… I really, really did. I can't wait till we can do it again."
With those softly-spoken parting words of heartfelt intent, Mina just as quickly released her hold on the deeply red-faced Nikolay and hurried her way down the hall into the girl's wing; leaving him all but literally steaming at the ears and trying not to collapse from the shock, as his legs were already wobbling like jelly. His heart felt like it was going to give out, and the fingers of his right hands were trembling just before his mouth, as though he were trying to fight the temptation to touch his own lips to ensure he hadn't simply experienced the most vivid hallucination known to man.
At the very same time, as she raced up each flight of stairs to the fourth floor of her wing, Mina still had the very same heart-meltingly joyous smile on her likewise madly blushing face as her fingers too hovered just over her lips as she was mentally savoring every single sensation of those few incomparably blissful moments just downstairs. That had been Mina's very first kiss on the lips, just as it had been for Nikolay, and it was yet another moment between them that she didn't regret an instant of… if not a moment that by far pinnacled over every other.
As Mina finally reached the door to her room and shut it behind her, she could finally let out the shaky breath of bliss she had been holding in from the moment she had actually done it. This was a happiness she knew for a fact she had never experienced before, and it was a happiness she would gladly like to experience as many times as possible if she could.
With her face flushed with heat and her heart completely racing as she tried to work her way out of her borrowed dress without risking tearing it, Mina felt like she was in a state of pure joy and euphoria rolled into one; not simply for the sake of having given Nikolay their very first kiss… but for the all-encompassing realization of the moments leading up to it, and the way she was still feeling even now after the fact.
What she was feeling in every fiber of her being in that moment was a long-desired sense of ultimate acceptance and realization of what had been just barely eluding her for all this time. No matter how sure she had felt of her feelings beforehand, there was always that tiniest shred of self-doubt or uncertainty… and at long last, that one crack in her emotional armor had finally vanished.
Now there was no more room for doubt. With this, when also considering the recollection of her mother and Willow Light's advice together, it all made everything finally so crystal clear in Mina's head and heart in a way she hadn't felt in such a long time. This was a feeling of clarity and certainty within herself and her own decisions that she hadn't felt since she had first decided to dedicate herself to becoming a Hero.
It was a feeling that was so strong and felt so well and truly right, she couldn't possibly go without saying it out loud, just so she could hear it with her own ears and know she was speaking the God's honest truth; a tearful smile already forming before she even did so: "It's true… it really is real after all! I… *gasp* I really am in love with Kolya-kun!"
There were so many things she wanted to do all at once the moment those wonderful words finally graced past her lips. She wanted to just sprint right back down to the commons area and tell this to Nikolay's face at long last. She wanted to scream with joy and dance in celebration at finally having overcome this immense hurdle of emotional uncertainty, and she wanted to especially tell Willow Light about this moment of self-discovery. Her phone had already been set on her bed while she'd been changing her clothes, it would've been so easy. However, it was the fact that the Russian boy that already had her heart racing was still waiting for her downstairs, and that they were still technically supposed to be being punished, that kept her from doing just that.
With a deep breath and a clenched fist of determination to try and bring her outward ecstatic joy back to a much more controllable level, Mina resolved that, no matter what, she was going to tell hers and Nikolay's old mentor everything come tonight.
After an especially awkward moment early on into their work of cleaning the roofs of the dorm, wherein she and Nikolay had to recount all the essential details of their whole outing to the newly returned Tunguska (whilst of course leaving out the especially crucial detail of what had just happened in the commons area), and from there spending the entire day cleaning out the gutters, washing the windows of their respective wings, sweeping the entryway and scrubbing the walls; Nikolay and Mina had both been left well and truly exhausted by the time school had let out and the rest of their classmates had returned.
From there had followed an especially awkward dinner wherein Denki, Hanta and Minoru would not stop pestering Nikolay for all the lurid details of yesterday, while Tooru proved just as persistent in Mina's case. The hardest part of it all was for Mina to try and really put into words and properly explain the emotional leap she had made within herself just that morning. It was definitely the kind of confession she wouldn't be able to make until she could at least run everything by Willow Light and make sure she had the right advice on how to do it.
And so, when everyone had once again retired to their rooms for the night, Mina once more found herself staring at the phone in her hand, trying to really figure out exactly how she wanted to approach this, assuming Willow Light answered. However, after the sheer courage Nikolay had shown in asking her out to begin with, it was only right that she showed the same kind of courage here, revealing what was now one of her most personal secrets to another, and a mentor on top of that.
As soon as Púca had picked up and almost literally lit up at the sight of Mina, she was likewise instantly all-but badgering the young girl for as much detail as possible as to how everything with her and Nikolay had gone. With surprisingly little hesitation, Mina proceeded to give her exactly what she asked for, going over every step of their first date yesterday, even down to the most embarrassing parts all the way up to the commons area just this morning.
When she had finally gotten to the point of confessing to Púca how she had taken the initiative to give hers and Nikolay's very first kiss on the lips after everything that had happened, the orange-green-haired Hero once more had to excuse herself for a good several seconds, and just like the last time, looked to have had her once pristine hair tossed about when she had come back.
But when it finally came to the part where Mina had to confess her realization of her truest feelings for Nikolay to the woman, she could see Púca instinctively bite down onto her own knuckles to keep from squealing, all but giving away her shipping fangirl aspect right then and there, before hurriedly cutting off her video and sound once again, this time being gone for nearly an entire minute, before once again returning, and this time looking well and truly out of breath, as though she'd either just run a marathon or danced some kind of gauntlet.
Mina was half-tempted to ask just what the heck her old mentor was doing in those moments of silence, but Púca was already way ahead of her, as she immediately asked with serious intent: "I'm so proud of you for finally coming to this discovery about yourself, Ashido-chan. So… have you actually taken the chance to tell Bezpalov-kun himself about this yet?"
Instead of a resounding "Yes" like she had already started preparing herself for, Púca was met with Mina now having a nervous look in her eyes, momentarily glancing towards her door as she answered. "I really want to, but I'm still trying to figure out how to say it perfectly so nothing gets misunderstood. I mean, part of me really wants to think that me kissing him full on the lips earlier said it all, but—"
"No, no, no!"
The Irish-Japanese Hero's sudden interruption left Mina stunned silent, and the giddy look on Púca's face was now purely serious. "If this is truly the very first time that either one of you has felt a love of this kind for another person, and especially as strong as what you've just described to me, Ashido-chan, then I'm sorry, but there's no way in hell that Bezpalov-kun is going to pick up on all of that from a single kiss and nothing else! Trust me on this: this is one of the most crucial moments in the development of a romantic relationship between people, especially people as young as you two. Being vague or cryptic is the very LAST thing you ever want to do! Like it or not, this is the time where you need to put aside the games and the teasing and just be upfront with him about how you feel before it's too late."
The intensity with which she was saying all of this, frankly left Mina emotionally shaken. Taking it all into consideration, she even began to nod, much to Púca's relief. "You're right, Púca-sensei, I know you're right. It all makes total sense, but I just don't know if this is really the right time. I mean, we're going to probably be given permission to start applying for our Hero Internships for real soon, and I don't know if all that stress on top of me confessing would be good for Kolya-kun."
A solitary slap to a nearby counter on Púca's end jolted Mina back to full attention as her illuminated green eyes were looking into the young girl's downright imploringly. "I can't possibly tell you what the right time to confess your feelings to Bezpalov-kun is, Ashido-chan, because it's not going to just magically come to you. This is the time when a young flower blooming into the fullness of womanhood needs to take all the initiative in the world, and make the right time herself. You need to strike while the iron is hot, or else something may come along that will take away that chance forever, and I swear to you right now, you will never forgive yourself for being silent when that happens. Keep that all in mind, and know that this is the time for you to act, Ashido-chan! I know you can do it."
Beep
With that, to Mina's total shock, Púca actually ended the call on her own on that final note, as if it were the ultimate way to prove her point. It once more made perfect sense to her. This was the time for her to be proactive and just get it out of the way, and there was no trace of doubt that this was exactly what she wanted to do. After everything that had happened between them throughout this year, and especially after how bad he'd felt because of yesterday, he absolutely deserved to know the truth.
That was why she had almost immediately jumped from her bed and made a beeline for the door. However, as her hand hovered over the doorknob; her legs all but ready to sprint the entire way to Nikolay's dorm room door… it was as though an invisible line was keeping Mina from taking that one extra step out her door and on the final stretch. There wasn't any doubt about how she herself felt, that never changed. However, there was still a considerable inkling of worry scratching at the back of her mind that, perhaps, in the heat of all the emotion in that moment in the commons area, she had simply acted on the assumption that Nikolay's own feelings exactly mirrored her own in the extent of how deep they were. The fact he hadn't freaked out or reacted negatively to her actions had to have been a very good sign by anyone's perspective, but it still didn't carry the same weight as words did.
Today had already been far too long and exhausting on both of them for her to bring this all to his doorstep now, she begrudgingly accepted that. But one thing was for damn sure: Mina was going to finally come clean to Nikolay about how she felt before Púca's warning would come to pass… and this time, she would do it the right way so there would be no more room for doubt for either of them as to where she ultimately stood with him. If he could at least know that without a doubt, she knew she would be able to rest much easier and be more at peace with herself overall.
Unbeknownst to Mina; at the exact same time across the building, Nikolay was engaged in virtually the exact same conversation with the ever-expectant Eijirou once everyone had gone off to bed. At this moment, he had just finished regaling the redhead with every detail of what had happened to them after they had called him last night. By the time he had finally gotten to the world-shattering moment in the commons area this morning, he pretty much had to forcibly plant his hand to Eijirou's mouth to keep him from instinctively shouting in cheer and excitement, and thus bringing the explosive wrath of Bakugo next door down on both their heads.
Thankfully remembering to keep his excited voice down as low as he could once Nikolay removed his hand from his mouth, Eijirou was still practically bouncing off the walls with happiness for his two finally (and seemingly) connected best friends. "Dude, that is so freakin' awesome; like, holy crap, man! Come on, Kolya-san, even you can't possibly keep denying it anymore after that! What more proof could you possibly need that Ashido totally has big time feelings for you?! No, no, before anything else, I gotta hear it from you personally: how did that whole thing make you feel?"
Despite the still all-too-clear fluster in Nikolay's green eyes, there was also an unmistakable softness that overcame his expression as he clearly began to think back on the sensations of that single moment with growing fondness, leaving Eijirou smiling knowingly of just what was happening in his friend's heart. "It… oh, man, Eijirou-san… oh, hell, I can't describe it any other way: it was the single greatest feeling I've ever experienced in my life; no hyperbole or anything like that. And what's more, ever since we first talked about this whole thing, I'd been struggling so much to try and put the feelings I had around her into some kind of clear perspective… and after that one moment, all that confusion and uncertainty just… seemed to vanish. For once, I actually feel like I have clarity."
Eijirou was practically grinning from ear to ear and putting a fist to his palm in anticipation like he always did. "Dude, Kolya-san; that sounds like proof positive your feelings gotta be the same for her! You should get out there, go to her room and tell her! She'd be thrilled to know this, I can just feel it! You gotta go for it, man!"
Despite his encouragement, Nikolay wasn't racing out the door, but instead pacing around his room with a pensive look in his eyes. "I know you're right, Eijirou-san, I should be doing just that… but I know just how easily I could screw up my words if I don't plan this out just right. I was a stuttering mess all day yesterday, I can't bring that with me when I tell her."
It was no surprise when he saw the clear disappointment in Eijirou's eyes when he realized just what was holding Nikolay back, especially after he'd managed to work up the sheer mountains of courage to just ask her out in the first place. Granted, he hadn't been in this kind of situation before, so he couldn't entirely relate with what the Slavic boy was going through, but he could definitely understand how strong the fear of screwing up communication in an immensely pivotal moment could be. It was honestly one of the things he feared the most whenever he would daydream about finally meeting Crimson Riot in person and potentially making himself look stupid.
With an accepting sigh, Eijirou could at least still give Nikolay a lighthearted smirk. "Well, I can't tell you what to do, nor would I want to, Kolya-san. I know you're man enough to know what needs to be done and when. I'll just say that I hope you keep your eyes and ears open for when that right moment comes to tell Ashido the truth. We both know she deserves to know. I don't want you two to keep waiting, just for something big to get in between, and then you'll never get your chance. In the line of work we're aiming for, that just feels way too plausible to brush off, you know?"
Eijirou's words were hitting especially hard this time around, for Nikolay, and the sharp-toothed boy could see it, too. He didn't like having to keep bringing it up, but what kind of friend and semi-wingman would he have been if he didn't from time to time?
With an especially exhausted yawn, he finally began to make his exit. "I'm not trying to get you scared, Kolya-san, but just try to keep what I'm saying in mind, okay, man?" With that, he finally left Nikolay alone in his dorm room to keep processing and repeating his parting words of advice over and over again.
'I know he's absolutely right, I know that. I know I need to try and make the time right to tell Mina the truth. I mean, if there's one thing I'm clearer on than I ever have been about anything before, especially after all of this… it's… it's that Eijirou-san was right from the beginning. I'm in love with Mina. I've never felt something like this towards another person before, that must be what this burning feeling I've had in my heart for the last few weeks is. It definitely feels like it's gotten a hell of a lot stronger ever since this morning; that has to be the only explanation.'
Even as his mind tried in vain to rationalize all the changes he could still feel himself going through, lying in his bed and staring up at the ceiling in thought, Nikolay could still feel a whole new kind of restlessness within himself. "God, I hope I can work up that same kind of courage soon. Sitting at that double desk with her is going to be so damn awkward if I don't."
This continuously repeating expression of desperate self-encouragement kept echoing from Nikolay's mouth to the point it became nearly hypnotic and ultimately forced him into a semi-peaceful night's sleep.
The Kremlin, Moscow, September 4th
The Russian government had taken great pains to prevent word of the attack on the Ural government installation and adjoining shipyard yesterday from getting out to the mass public. While they had somehow managed to get lucky by covering up the destruction of the Mobilization & Armament Bureau's Kamchatka lab as simply being nothing more than an unfortunate ordinance mishap; the timing of this similar incident would make the repeat of such a story completely useless.
However, it wouldn't be long before they would have to come up with some kind of cover story to provide the people, and before they could do that, President Dmitri Zaitsev needed to be informed of every detail of the development, and that was exactly what he'd been subjected to by all his military commanders directly connected to all branches that had gotten caught up in yesterday's attack since the fact.
While the loss of so many ground personnel; even a pinch of their weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies; several cargo ships and even one of their nuclear subs that had been there to refuel and resupply was a very serious loss to be calculated (especially considering that the thieves had proven smart enough to somehow even remove the sub's built-in tracking device), it was more than a little concerning for the military leaders filling the presidential office, when they saw that their president's reaction wasn't nearly as panicked or frantic as their own had initially been.
In fact, once he had been given the last of the details of the incident, there was only one immediate question on his mind he felt needed to be asked: [[What of the contents of the Ural Vault?]]
[[Your decision to preemptively empty all Vaults near the coastlines turned out to be just the right call, President Zaitsev. The Ural Vault was an especially lucky turnout, as our forces had removed the last of the money stockpiles mere hours before the attack had actually occurred.]] This comment from one of the less decorated officers drew many murmured agreements from the rest, which made Zaitsev's sudden intense glare render all the other men silent.
[[I don't give a damn about the money! The amount of a total stockpile from even one half of all the Vaults would be enough to keep this country afloat, even if we did ultimately have to tax the people to hell and back in order to recover our finances after the Flash! What about the Artifact? That's the most essential thing I wanted removed! I wanted it brought here personally, since the attack on Kamchatka proved I can no longer leave the security of such things to mere chance anymore, but especially not that!]]
Knock, knock
The timing of this particular arrival would have almost seemed ludicrous if any of the men in the office hadn't been there to see it for themselves. With a simple booming command from Zaitsev for the new arrival to come in, everyone was greeted by the sight of a simple military courier making haste to the president's desk with nothing but a tiny box of black, corrugated steel in his hands. Zaitsev readily met this man, his eyes fixated with an indescribable intensity when he saw the box.
[[Did anyone on the outside see what you were carrying when you came here? Absolutely no one outside this room must know that this is here, do you understand? Nobody in this room ever speaks of this to anyone else.]] As Zaitsev asked this, he suddenly reached to one of the bottom drawers of his desk, wherein lay a single switch, which upon being flipped, opened a hidden compartment built into a surface hidden from outside view, just beside his right leg.
As Zaitsev proceeded to pull out a small chain from under his collar, whereupon was a intricate three-pronged key, the courier handed the box to him as though it were the Holy Grail itself. [[No, President Zaitsev. Absolutely no one in the Vault saw or even touched the Artifact but me once your orders had been given. The secret is safe.]]
Zaitsev carefully took the box before proceeding to fit the key into the opened compartment in his desk, and with three turns of alternating directions and degrees, a resounding click sounded, and before everyone's eyes, one of the shelves of a nearby bookcase suddenly opened up, and emerging from that opening was a single microwave-sized vault door.
Everyone was watching with a silent, stoic, and even frightened air about them, as the Russian president tried to control the frightened trembling in his hands as he carried the box to the vault door. After putting in a code of nearly twenty-five digits, then providing a fingerprint, retinal and vocal scan all at once, another resounding click broke the tense silence, and the vault door slowly opened, revealing yet another door he proceeded to unlock with the same three-pronged key and a similar sequence of different turns.
The entire time he went through this rigorous process of opening this deeply hidden safe, he felt it was only fair that these; some of his most trusted subordinates within their Anti-Quirk-centered government; understood the sheer gravity of just what it was he held in his hand, kept within this single box, that warranted such immense security and secrecy.
[[It's incredible; the things we come to discover truly exist within our world when you reach the right places in society. You are all now the only people in this country to know of the existence of this artifact, and are thereby sworn to secrecy under fatal punishment otherwise. You all must understand that this is for the very survival of our nation and countrymen, if not perhaps the world at large.]]
Zaitsev could just physically feel the air in the room change entirely as the deathly serious edge in his voice made it unmistakably clear that he meant every word. [[The content of this box extends well over a thousand years in age, and yet through those untold generations has been a continuous harbinger of untold disasters to come throughout Mother Russia's history. With the escape of Tunguska and these recent terrorist attacks barely more than ten years after a cataclysm like the Flash…we may very well be barreling towards another such time of disaster once more if we hadn't already. It was always this way, but now more than ever, we must stand vigilant and see to it that this artifact never, ever under any circumstances imaginable ends up in the wrong hands.]]
With that, the final door to the safe finally opened, revealing an intricate set of tiny, almost fragile-looking metal stands inside, as though they were put in place to hold something. With the heaviest and weariest of sighs, Zaitsev proceeded to finally open the box in his hand, and even for as much fear as his words inspired, what he pulled out couldn't help but draw curious eyes from every single person in the room.
Within Dmitri Zaitsev's hand was a single glass tube, wherein lay suspended in the air within, a single ornate-looking sewing needle. It was such a pristine yet inconspicuous little thing, the human mind simply boggled at just how such a thing could inspire such foundation-shaking fear in a man like him, as well as look so fresh and new despite apparently being so ancient.
Without another word, he proceeded to set the tube into the safe, wherein all the metallic arms clutched onto it securely. With that, and the press of a single button inside the safe itself, all of the doors instantaneously snapped and secured themselves absolutely shut, before the entire safe itself quickly retracted back into the opening within the bookcase from whence it had come, and the opening finally slammed itself shut before them, once more leaving the office looking as though such a secret never even existed.
With a breath of resolve swelling within his chest, Zaitsev looked each and every one of his military heads square in the eye, almost imploringly to some. [[For the sake of our nation and our people… if not the safety of potentially every human being on this planet, each and every one of us in this room must forget everything we've seen, heard or even thought we knew of the artifact from now on. If any of you have even the slightest doubt in your ability to do this, then you know what you must do, and take comfort in the fact that your replacements in your departments have already been chosen to carry on your respective works, and your loved ones will be taken care of.]]
The air among everyone in this room was that of an unspoken yet universal resolve, even among the few that instinctively swallowed a deeply emotional lump in their throats, knowing themselves well enough to know just what course of action they now had to take for the sake of their loved ones and people.
With a single solemn salute of solidarity and permission-granting gesture from the presidential figure, the rest of the men in his office silently and solemnly took their leave; leaving every last trace of their knowing of the artifact's existence within those four reinforced-yet-now frigid cold walls, and leaving Dmitri Zaitsev to wallow morosely with the knowledge of what he now had personal responsibility to look over as the leader of Russia, as well as the sacrifices that now had to be made for the sake of the world's continued safety as they all knew it.
The weight of such knowledge ultimately proved enough to even form a crack in the armor of an otherwise always-stalwart and secured man like Zaitsev, as the moment he sat at his desk, the breath he took was exceptionally shaky and emotional. 'Oh, God…what is happening? All these years after the Siberian Flash, all the sacrifices we had to make to restore hope of any kind in the people again, I thought we were finally starting to stabilize again, even if Tunguska had escaped us. But now we've had to move this goddamn ticking time bomb for the first time since the bloody onset of Quirks! Everything just keeps changing so fast!'
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP
The rhythmic electric ring of one of his secure phone lines snapped Zaitsev out of his only momentary morose state, as in these recent circumstances, there was only one person he had given direct clearance to contact him this way; one of the few people that could have proven to be one of his last direct means of regaining some semblance of hope and security for their country. And so, he didn't hesitate to answer, and with the hit of the answering button, the screen to his personal computer suddenly projected the familiar aged face of Konstantin Khodamchuk with his short graying-brown hair. Standing just behind him was a slightly shorter but similarly aged-looking man with a head of combed back black hair and closely trimmed black mustache, with narrow yet soul-piercing eyes. However, this was another face that Zaitsev was more than a little familiar with, thanks to Khodamchuk himself.
[[Khodamchuk, Angel's Eye; it's good to see you both so soon. Have you had any luck figuring out where those damned terrorists have gone?]] Even Zaitsev knew this was a big ask after having only just recently asked for the aforementioned sniper to meet up with the Mobilization & Armament Bureau head less than a day ago, but his own sense of desperation at the mounting situation left him less reasonable in his questions than usual. Unfortunately, the mutual shakes of the two men's heads deflated his air quite fast.
[[It's too soon to give up, President Zaitsev. I've already given the call to my most trusted field operatives. They're already on their way here, and we'll be mobilizing to take off from Noyabrsk Airport with one of my pilot contacts as soon as we know the terrorists have reached their destination.]] The sheer gumption in Konstantin's words made Zaitsev instinctively flinch with disbelief, especially when he could tell from the looks on both men's faces that this wasn't some kind of joke.
[[If you have no means of tracking the submarine they stole, how can you be so sure you'll know when they've reached their destination?]] At this, the sniper known as Angel's Eye decided to step forward, reaching into the pockets of his heavy winter jacket before pulling out what looked like a single handheld monitor, projected upon which was a map of what looked like the northeastern Russian coastline, with a single blinking red dot upon the ocean.
[[I've already secured our means of following after them before I'd been given instruction to meet up with Secretary Khodamchuk, Mr. President. Even if they were to leave the submarine afloat somewhere else, we'll still know where the culprits themselves have gone. When I was assigned to keep watch over the Ural Vault in case they tried to make a move, I knew a tracking mission would be the most likely thing to follow, so I laced my rounds with some microscopic tracking devices that would break loose into the stricken target's bloodstream upon impact; all courtesy of Secretary Khodamchuk's department. They're proven to be completely untraceable, so the terrorists don't even know we're able to see their every move all the way back to where they call home. Since they had left with the sub only yesterday and are already just about to cross over into the oceanic space between China and the island of Hokkaido, I'm willing to bet it won't be long before they reach their destination.]]
With every further detail Angel's Eye gave of just what kind of advantage he'd given them over their elusive terrorists, Zaitsev felt a spark of hope in his chest he hadn't felt in years. For once, it genuinely felt like they had a real leg up on one of their most persistent and serious threats since they had removed the majority of their Quirked population in the beginning.
With the air of faith fully restored within him, Zaitsev recomposed himself and looked sternly into the eyes of the two men upon his screen. [[Excellent work, Angel's Eye. I know that once Konstantin's soldiers arrive, none of you will fail me. Despite the circumstances we currently face, I do have complete faith in your abilities to succeed through working together. I'll leave you both to prepare for your mission. Inform me the moment you find out where they have ultimately come to stop.
[[I'm sure you both understand already that all of this is going to be off the books. We can't afford drawing unnecessary attention and risking an international incident, regardless where they ultimately go… but they asked for a fight when they attacked your lab in Kamchatka, Konstantin. Now it's time we find out just where these monsters have been hiding, and unofficially give them just what they asked for.]]
And there it is, everyone, the new chapter of the week, and one of the biggest hurdles in the development between Nikolay Bezpalov and Mina Ashido has finally been crossed. The final leg of that long journey finally begins here.
I hope you all liked what you read here today. Please, as I said before for this chapter especially, be kind and leave your honest thoughts in a review.
Have a great rest of your week, stay safe, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 02/05!