I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
And so, the UA Culture Festival had come to an end.
Whilst the end of the day was quieter than it had started, all participants felt happy and satisfied with all they did. Games were played, food was eaten, performances were watched, and events were held. Eri had departed from the school with a smile that somehow kept on getting wider, reaching its widest when Izuku gave her a surprise candied apple. No one in UA could've made it, so the green haired boy had to prepare it himself.
But Eri was satisfied with it, so that's all that mattered. Minoru and Izuku had said their goodbyes to the little girl, promising to one day see them again, before returning to their duties as Heroes-in-Training with their classmates. And so, Autumn slowly reached its final days…
"UA is taking her in." Aizawa said bluntly, gesturing to the small girl sitting on the couch.
"You weren't kidding when you said we'd see Eri-chan again soon." Izuku said, unable to shake the look of surprise off his face. Eri just smiled, no doubt happy that she'd be able to see her Heroes whenever it was convenient, as Nejire continued to tie the girl's hair into cute pigtails. But while Minoru is happy with these arrangements, he couldn't help but think about why this decision was made. Could it be that Eri had no immediate family to return to?
And combined with the nature of her Quirk… This was probably the better option to take.
"You're sometimes too smart for your own good, Mineta. I saw those gears in your head turning." Aizawa commented as Eri was distracted by Tsuyu, Uraraka, Kirishima, and Izuku.
"No one asked you to invade my thoughts Sensei…" Minoru replied, glaring at his old master.
"I'm your teacher, that's part of my job." Aizawa said before catching the attention of his other students.
"For various reasons, Eri will be staying at the faculty dorm with me for the foreseeable future. So make sure you take the time to visit her once in a while, it'll help her feel less lonely." Aizawa said, gesturing to Eri as she nodded with a smile.
"It seems Aizawa-sensei has already settled into the role of her caretaker, how sweet." Tsuyu commented as she returned the smile to Eri. Minoru could feel a smirk come on but he, and any other comments from his friends, was cut off by Aizawa's intense glare.
"Just make sure your grades don't slip, understood?"
"Yes sir…"
Aizawa closed his eyes and took a moment to breathe, easing the intimidating aura before turning to Eri. The little girl met the man's tired eyes and simply gave a happy nod to him, communicating something only the two of them knows. Though, given how this conversation was going, Minoru could tell that they'll learn what that is right now. Something about her Quirk perhaps? Eri doesn't want people talking about unless she gives them permission to…
"We'll also be training Eri on how to use her Quirk. Her horn is growing, which tells us that is the source of her Quirk. And since we have little information on how it works, this will give us a chance to better understand and find safe ways for Eri to use it. This will be a heavy task for her, so help her whenever she needs it." Aizawa said, gesturing to Eri's tiny horn.
"I'll do my best." Eri added excitedly, her red eyes sparkling with determination.
"We know you will, Eri-chan. Just remember to take breaks every so often. All work and no play isn't a good life to live." Uraraka replied with a smile as she patted Eri's head.
"Then before you've got to train, let's play all you want. Is that why you called us here Sensei?" Kirishima said with a toothy grin.
"No, it was only to update you on Eri's situation. You've got guests coming to see you and the rest of 1A, so head back to your Dorms." Aizawa replied. Minoru just narrowed his eyes at him, feeling a little more than ticked off at his old master. Why have them meet with Eri when they can't spend the day with her? Not only are you disappointing them, but you're also disappointing the little girl. She must no doubt want to spend time with the people who rescued her.
"If that's the case… We'll just have to come back another day then… Sorry Eri-chan." Izuku said with a apologetic smile.
"It's okay, things happen."
"We'll play enough for your sakes, so don't worry about her. Just focus on being the best hosts you can be for whoever's visiting." Mirio said, giving the five a thumb's up. Minoru, Izuku, Tsuyu, Uraraka, and Kirishima gave their young senior a nod before making their way to the door. The shorter boy and Izuku wanted to stay a bit longer… But they couldn't just leave whoever was visiting unattended. That did leave them to wonder though…
Who was visiting?
…
…
…
"Lock on with these sparkling gazes!"
"We've come to lend a paw and help!"
"We've come from somewhere…"
"Stingingly cute and catlike!"
"Wild, Wild Pussycats!"
Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, Ragdoll, and Tiger had struck their signature team pose, in regular clothes no less, the moment they walked through the door. But as eccentric as their entrance was, Minoru was glad to see that the team was back to their usual selves. The attack on the forest lodge hadn't only affected 1A and 1B, but also the Pussycats as it had cost one of their members their Quirk. Though before the shorter boy could ponder the cat-themed team any more, he noticed one more step through the door.
"Kouta-kun!" Izuku greeted, rushing forward.
"H-Hey… You look like you're doing well…" The young boy replied shyly.
"Thank you so much for that letter you sent, it meant a lot! What have you been up to?" Izuku asked, shaking his hand. While the Pixie-Bob, Ragdoll, and Tiger began mingling with the rest of 1A, Mandalay stayed behind to answer that question. Though judging by her slightly mischievous smile, she probably wanted to embarrass her nephew a little.
"Kouta-kun's been asking us to train him, studying his Quirk, baseball, and even some Escrima. Apparently, he wants to be a little closer to his Heroes."
"O-Only for a little bit!" The young boy replied, his cheeks growing red.
"And take a look Midoriya, he picked those out himself. It had to be red he said." Mandalay continued with a smile, pointing towards where the Pussycat's left their shoes. Minoru and Izuku looked over and found the red pair of sneakers the woman was pointing to. While the shorter boy wanted to let out a chuckle, his partner's reaction of just plain awe came out first.
"Now we match!" Izuku commented with a grin. Kouta could only respond to that by grabbing the bill of his hat and pulling it down to hide as much of his face as possible. The gesture didn't hide his ears though, which was practically glowing. This only made Minoru's smirk just a bit wider. Turns out, Kouta can act his age.
"Could you two do me a favor? The Pussycats will be hanging around UA for a bit, so could you two play with Kouta-kun until we have to leave?" Mandalay asked, looking at Izuku and Minoru.
"Y-You don't have to…" Kouta muttered, just loud enough for them to hear. Izuku looked over at Iida and Yaoyorozu, being the ever gracious hosts, led others like Shouji and Satou in making the Pussycats comfortable. Unfortunately, before 1A's class president could answer Izuku, Bakugou got his response out to the green haired boy first.
"Oh sure, go with the kid and leave the rest of us to play gracious host! It'll be fine!"
"Oh don't be like that Bakugou. Keeping the kid entertained is part of the host's job. Besides, I think you're just jealous that Mineta and Midoriya already have a fan." Sero commented, his signature smile plastering his face. Bakugou's glare intensified as he faced the tape slinger, his fury so strong that Minoru could feel it strangling him and his partner.
"Who the Hell would be jealous!?"
"I would." Todoroki replied bluntly before taking a long drink from his tea.
"Well nobody asked you!"
"Let's get going… Anymore and you'll start losing brain cells…" Minoru said as he gently nudged Kouta's back.
"Do you mind if you got your baseball stuff? I've gotten a lot better." Kouta asked, pulling out his baseball glove. Where he kept it, Minoru had no idea… But Izuku simply nodded to the boy's request and went to the trunk that sat on top of 1A's shoe rack. It was known as the community chest and anyone in 1A could use whatever was inside so long as it was placed back after use. For Izuku and Minoru, it made for easy access for their gloves and baseballs as well as a chance to play catch with the others. So with that taken care of, Minoru, Izuku, and Kouta put their shoes on.
"Have fun Deku-kun!" Uraraka shouted cheerfully.
"You too, Uraraka-san!" The green haired boy replied before closing the door once he, his partner, and Kouta stepped out. Minoru breathed in the late November air, feeling the crisp chill in his lungs. Normally, this isn't the type of weather people would go out to… But considering that the three of them were about to get very active, the cold wouldn't be close enough to deter them.
"Alright you little scamp, let's start with some stretches. Even if it's a simple game of catch, we don't want any sudden cramps or injuries." Minoru said, stretching his arms, hands, and shoulders as they walked along the path away from 1A's dorm. They didn't need to go far. Just far enough so that stray throws won't reach any of the dorm's many windows. Minoru knows his American baseball clichés; it's bound to happen if they aren't careful.
"I know, I know, Tiger gets in my grill if I don't do things properly. I'm young, but not stupid." Kouta replied as he began his own stretches.
"Just be careful and not overdo it with your training. You're not at the age where you can do anything intense, just basic exercise." Izuku said, fitting the baseball glove onto his hand. The Minoru and Kouta did the same with their gloves, the air becoming a little more competitively charged.
"Again, I'm not stupid. Can't you guys have a little faith in your first fan?" Kouta replied with a pout.
"So you are our fan?" Minoru asked with a smirk. The young boy's face lit up, half out of embarrassment and half out of anger. He turned around, without another word, and began stomping back towards the dorm. Izuku quickly calmed Kouta down and led him back to Minoru, who was busy fighting the laughter building in his lungs. Still, if they wanted to maintain Kouta's support, he shouldn't tease the boy too much.
"Sorry, sorry. Tell you what; I'll give you the first throw." Minoru apologized, walking over to hand Kouta a baseball. He took it with a huff before turning back around to get some appropriate distance for their game. Minoru turned to do the same, but stopped the moment he felt something aimed at him. Without thinking, he quickly moved his head to the side and held his glove to where his head was. A soft sound as heard as Minoru could feel something round in his glove.
"H-Huh!?" Kouta asked, staring in disbelief at what just happened.
"I could never get used to Minoru-kun doing that. It's like he's grown eyes on the back of his head!" Izuku said with a laugh.
"Hardly, I just felt Kouta's intent. You can thank one of my trainers from the Heaven and Earth Temple for that little skill." Minoru boasted, nose high up in the air. Kouta didn't say anything and could only continue to gawk in amazement. So with one last chuckle, Minoru grabbed the baseball in his glove and readied his throwing arm.
"Alright, enough about that. Let's play ball!"
And so, the three of them went on to play their game of catch. It was kept relatively simple, at least when Minoru or Izuku threw the ball to Kouta. When the two partners threw to each other, they went fast and complicated. The younger boy, impressed but a little jealous at being left out, wanted the duo to throw those at him. While Izuku was a bit hesitant at fulfilling the young boy's request, Minoru decided to do so to make it up to him for the teasing.
"Careful now, it might go over your head." Minoru warned, readying his pitch.
"Bring it on!" Kouta replied with a daring smirk. The shorter boy nodded and readied the grip for the pitch he learned from the UA baseball team, the scythe. He debated on whether or not to adjust his power to suit Kouta's current ability… But Minoru decided to just go for it as Kouta did want a genuine pitch thrown at him. The shorter boy finally went through the motions, slinging the ball towards Kouta upon its completion.
The young boy watched with widening eyes at how quick the ball flew, with them growing wider at the sharpest curve he's seen in a throw. But Kouta's glove and body remained ready, jumping towards it with his glove outstretched. And by a hair, he managed to pinch the ball out of its path. Though that's not what Minoru or Izuku was concerned with right now.
"Kouta-kun!" Izuku shouted as he darted towards the boy. Minoru readied a hairball to help his partner jump forth to catch the young boy. But, in mere moments, the pair stopped and stared as Kouta appeared to be floating above the ground mid-fall. It was as through something invisible had caught him…
"That was close." A familiar voice said. Izuku and Minoru looked at the nearby bush, the air in front of it changing colors. What looked like a large bundle of coiled tentacles began to appear, slowly unraveling itself to reveal Tamaki, Nejire, Mirio, and Eri inside. The tentacles were stretched out from all of Tamaki's fingers, slowly retracting once the one holding Kouta up placed the boy back down. And though Minoru was thankful for their senpai's assistance…
"I know you just helped us and we're glad that you did… But why are you here? I thought you three were playing with Eri?"
"Well, she's here and we're all messing around… So this would, in fact, count as playing." Mirio replied with a smile, gently patting Eri's back.
"You do have a point… Well, since you're here, we might as well do some introductions. Kouta-kun, these are Amajiki Tamaki-senpai, Hado Nejire-senpai, Michio-san, and Eri-chan. The first two are our upperclassmen and the other two live here for various reasons." Izuku replied, gesturing to each one of the four present. Since the making of Mirio's fake identity, Minoru was sort of worried about his partner's ability to stick to it. Sure, Izuku was able to keep One for All on the down low… But that's only because literally only a handful of people know about it. Mirio's situation was a lot harder to hide from people, even with the help of the teachers.
Luckily, Izuku's gotten enough practice and can now refer to Mirio's constructed persona with ease.
"And this little scamp is Izumi Kouta. He's a relative of the one of the Wild Pussycats; they've come to visit us." Minoru continued, gesturing to the young boy next to him. Kouta didn't say anything. Instead, he just stared at Eri with this puzzled look on his face. As a result of this, Eri began to fidget nervously, though she did manage to get a greeting out.
"Hello, I'm Eri…"
"I-Izumi Kouta, as this idiot said." Kouta replied, finally finding his voice as he pointed to Minoru. Eri, though still nervous, gave Kouta a frown and looked at Minoru with eyes full of gratitude. And from that one look, Minoru knew what she was going to say next to Kouta.
"Please don't call him that, he's one of the Heroes who saved me."
"You too? He and Midoriya helped me over the Summer." Kouta replied, his face brightening over the fact. It took Eri a moment to register the young boy's words before a small smile appeared on her face. And with a nod, she began to talk, vaguely, of the circumstances of her meeting with Izuku and Minoru. Kouta, in response to that, began vaguely describing how he met the Hero-in-Training duo as well.
Minoru couldn't help but smile as the two children were now in their own world, talking about things that came to mind. And though it was weird, the shorter boy hoped a great friendship would develop between them. God knows Kouta and Eri needed some normalcy after the harrowing, life-changing experiences they've gone through. And who knows? They may hit it off the way Izuku and Minoru did and become partners-for-life.
…
"Huh… Why does that sound weird?" Minoru thought, confusion taking over his face. Mirio had snuck up on the shorter boy, playfully putting an arm around his shoulders. There was also this pleased grin plastered on his face, though that could just be Mirio being Mirio.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Uhhh… That depends on what you're thinking about." Minoru replied, narrowing his eyes at his young senpai. He then gestured at Eri and Kouta, whom were listening, as was Nejire and Tamaki, to Izuku as he listed off the rules to the next game they're playing. Also they had more baseball gloves than they started with, making Minoru wonder when his partner left to get them. Still, this did leave him wondering just what Mirio was insinuating about the kids.
"I'm thinking that if things go well between those two, they'll have a lasting friendship. I mean, these sorts of things are necessary for growing kids, emotional development and what-not. And while I know Eri-chan has all of us… Wouldn't it be nice for her to have a friend closer to her age?" Mirio replied.
Ah, so that's what it was. If that's the case, then Minoru nodded in agreement at the thought.
"You could never have too many friends. And while it's too early to tell if anything sticks… I hope it does, the two of them deserves it."
The two watched as Eri began to go through the basics of catch, Kouta and Izuku walking her through the motions. Nejire and Tamaki were off to the side, juggling spare baseballs between each other in a sudden coordination exercise. It was a sight you wouldn't have expected out of a bunch of Heroes-in-Training and a pair of kids with troubled pasts. But here they all were, playing catch on a comfortably cold day, at peace.
And while Minoru knew this was just wishful thinking, he hopes that days like this would last.
"Mr. Mineta, can you show me more of those amazing throws?" Eri asked, walking up to the two with a baseball in hand. With a smile, Minoru accepted the ball and stretched out his shoulders. Kouta, who was being given tips by Izuku, gave a determined glare at Minoru, ready to receive more skilled pitches. The shorter boy nodded and entered his stance, signaling to both his partner and his opponent that he was ready.
"Then watch closely, Eri, and be amazed!"
And that has been Chapter 119!
Unfortunately, progress has seriously slowed down for The Saint and The Sinner. I've started a new project because my brother and I watched Scott Pilgrim Takes off and I felt inspired. I may or may not post it, depending how I feel about it down the line. But please be patient as I try to better balance my time between everything.
Thank you for understanding.
So with all that said...
Until Next Time. T1.