AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, everyone!
"Welcome to UA High school!" Melissa said with a dramatic sweep of her arm, gesturing toward the building that lay behind the gate.
"It's massive!" Ochako said in wonder as she stared wide-eyed at the building.
"And that's just the main building!" Izuku said excitedly. "There's also training grounds around campus that simulate different environments!"
"We… aren't going to see those today," Melissa said, an apologetic look on her face as she scratched her cheek. "Besides, there's plenty to do for the festival!"
As the three entered the gates, Melissa smiled at the looks of awe and wonder on her face. Perhaps her view of things had been distorted by growing up on I-Island, but when she saw the way Izuku and Ochako looked around at the school, she couldn't help but get excited too.
"Hey, Shield!" A familiar voice called.
Melissa looked and immediately spotted her classmates. Mirio stood there waving with one arm while his other was used to hold an anxious Tamaki. Meanwhile Nejire was examining a pamphlet while Yuyu was talking excitedly to her. "There you are!" She called out as she waved. Without missing a beat, she grabbed Izuku and Ochako's arms and raced over to meet her friends.
"So these are the two middle schoolers you've been training with?" Mirio asked as he tugged on Tamaki's arm, trying to at least get him to turn around and face Melissa's friends.
"Yep," Melissa bobbed her head in excitement. "Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka. Future heroes, just like us!"
The four first years introduced themselves as they settled into a loose circle to discuss the day's plans.
"What's that?" Melissa asked as she pointed to the brochure in Nejire's hands.
"Yuyu thinks I should enter the beauty pageant," Nejire admitted as she held up the brochure. Next to her, Yuyu was bobbing her head furiously.
"Don't you think she has a good chance of winning?" Yuyu asked.
"Of course," Melissa replied. "You'll blow everyone away!" Mirio and Ochako both nodded in agreement, while a furious blush spread across Izuku's face.
"See? Everyone's gonna be rooting for you," Yuyu said as she gestured to the other students.
Nejire looked at all of her friends, drawing strength from their belief in her. Suddenly, an uncharacteristically serious expression appeared on her face as she spun to face Yuyu. "Alright, I'll do it!"
"Yay!" Yuyu cheered before grabbing her friend's arm. "Let's go!"
And just like that, the serious expression was gone as Nejire shot an apologetic look to Melissa. "I'm sorry we're not staying longer!"
"It's ok," Melissa gave a small wave to the two girls. "We'll catch up later?"
"Sure! We'll try and find you later."
"Good luck Hado!"
"You've got this!"
Nejire shot everyone a thankful glance before she and Yuyu took off to prepare for the show.
"Is it always like this?" Ochako asked as she watched the retreating forms.
"Yes," Tamaki let out a pained sigh.
Mirio chuckled and slapped his friend on the back. "It's the nature of a hero school, everyone has a strong personality!"
"I didn't think I did?" Ochako said curiously, pressing an index finger to her lips.
"Alleyway Brawler," Izuku said quietly.
"Eep," Ochako suddenly looked at Izuku, her permanent blush spreading across her cheeks, earning chuckles from Melissa and Mirio. "A-anyway, what are you two doing?" She asked quickly, in an attempt to change the subject.
"We're going to check out the show class 3-F is putting on!" Mirio explained. As if to emphasize his point, he pointed to a nearby flier that was hanging on a lamppost.
Thankful for the topic shift, Ochako dashed over and examined it. Her face lit up as she read the show's title and description, before she spun around to face Melissa and Izuku. "A dramatic race to the stars?! Can we go?"
"Sure!" Melissa said before she turned toward Izuku and Tamaki. "Do you two mind?"
Tamaki looked at the excited Ochako before he made eye contact with Izuku, the two sharing nervous smiles before he silently looked at Mirio for confirmation. "I-I don't mind."
"Me neither," Izuku said softly.
Mirio and Melissa exchanged smiles before they looked at the rest of their friends. "Great, let's get going!"
After they watched the show, the three said their goodbyes to Mirio and Tamaki before they ran off. Turning to her friends, Melissa looked at them curiously. "So what next?"
"Why don't we see what else is inside?" Izuku asked.
"Oh yeah, don't a bunch of classes convert their rooms into cafes and stuff?"
"They do! Like our room," Melissa said proudly.
"You never told us what your class decided on," Izuku explained as he fidgeted. "I want to see what you did."
Melissa's face brightened. "Right, it was a surprise! Let's go!"
She led the pair to the massive doors of her homeroom, where a massive display board advertised their exhibit.
"A fortune telling booth?" Izuku asked.
"Yep! Yung loves this sort of stuff, so she suggested it. Well… Juno may have been the one to come up with it, but Yung liked it too!" Melissa explained. "She's the fortune teller, with some of our classmates providing the ambiance with their quirks!"
"Did you help?"
Melissa bobbed her head. "Yep! I helped them with setup this morning, so my part's done."
"Let's go in!" Ochako exclaimed.
"Of course," Melissa grabbed the door and slid it open. Looking inside, they saw a dimly lit room with mist running along the floor, providing a chilling atmosphere. The only light they saw was a single spotlight on the far side of the room, illuminating Arabele and her crystal ball.
The three entered, only to be greeted by another classmate. "Hey Shield! Who're your friends?"
"They're my training partners!" Melissa explained. "They wanted to see what we did for our room." She shot them a glance. "And since Yung is free, maybe have their fortunes read?"
"Yeah!"
"In that case, the Great Sage Yung is free to see you," The classmate gestured toward the spotlight where Arabele was sitting.
The three walked over while Izuku and Ochako examined the room in awe, before they turned their attention to the 'Sage' herself. Arabele sat there peacefully in an ornate hooded robe. In front of her sat a cloth-covered table with a crystal ball sitting on it. As they approached they noticed that the crystal ball wasn't empty. Rather, it appeared to be filled with water.
Arabele looked at the three, giving a brief smile to Melissa before she turned toward the other two. "Greetings! I am the Great Sage. Welcome to my humble shop. Who wishes to have their future read?"
"I do!" Ochako said.
"In that case, come and sit, so that I may reveal your future."
Smiling, Ochako stepped forward and sat down in the chair. "Now what do I do?"
"Simply place your hands on either side of the crystal ball, and I will begin."
Bobbing her head, Ochako did as she was instructed. She placed her hands as indicated, and stared at the crystal ball. Arabele closed her eyes, and Ochako gasped as an eye opened in the water and stared at her. She heard a strange sound in the air, whispers and scratches. Just as quickly as it started, the sounds stopped and the eyes closed before two more lights came on, brightening the surrounding area.
"Very interesting," Arabele said as she opened her eyes. "Your fortunes have turned around recently, and you're afraid of losing that." She smiled as she saw Ochako's eyes widen.
"I-is that something I should worry about?"
"I don't believe so. You are surrounded by friends and family, people who will be there no matter what."
Ochako felt her cheeks darken as she breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, it was just an act, but she found herself really getting into it. "Thank you."
"You are welcome. Does Midoriya want to have his fortune read?"
"Me?" Izuku squeaked. "How do you know my name?"
From behind him, Melissa giggled. "She's in the same class as me, it's not too hard for her to figure it out."
"Oh," Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he felt his face turning red. "Right."
"Come on, it's fun!" Ochako insisted.
Sitting down, Izuku watched as the lights dim as he mimicked Ochako's movements. Once again the eye opened, and he couldn't help but feel like it was staring into his very soul as the sounds started up. Swallowing nervously, he glanced up to Arabele.
This feels so real! He thought nervously.
"Oh, how interesting," Arabele said as she opened her eyes. "You've been hiding something."
"H-hiding something?" Izuku squeaked out.
A mischievous smile graced Arabele's lips as she watched Izuku's response. "Yes, perhaps it would be for the best if you told someone?"
"I-" Izuku swallowed.
"Aww, don't tease him like that," Melissa said as she stepped up to Izuku's side. "He's been through a lot."
And just like a switch had been flipped, Arabele removed her hood as she dropped the act. "Sorry, I didn't mean to dredge up any bad memories."
"It's alright," Izuku reassured the other girl before he stood up.
"Are you ok, Izu?" Ochako asked, concern etched into her face.
"Yeah," Izuku forced himself to smile at Ochako. "I am."
Despite the assurance, he couldn't help but feel a weight settling in his stomach as he looked at her face.
She was right, I've been hiding something from Ochako.
"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Melissa asked.
"Yeah!" Izuku said quickly.
Once they were out in the hallway Izuku felt himself calming down. "Sorry, it just felt so real I didn't-"
"Hey, it's ok," Ochako assured him. "It's supposed to be fun!"
"Yeah," Melissa nodded quickly. "It was just an act."
"I know," Izuku agreed. "It just… hit a little too close to home."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ochako asked.
Yes, Izuku thought. But he didn't say that out loud. Instead he shook his head. "N-no. I just think I need a distraction."
"Okay," Ochako bobbed her head before she turned to Melissa. "What else could we do?"
Melissa thought about it for a moment before her face lit up. "I know what we can do! Let's go!"
Melissa dragged the pair back outside where the support courses teamed up to set up a number of stalls filled with carnival games. As they walked into the area Melissa waved to a few of the students from her support classes as they manned their booths.
"What's that?" Izuku called out.
Turning, Melissa and Ochako saw Izuku run off to one of the booths, where an overly large All Might plushie hung from the ceiling.
"That's our grand prize!" The support student - a man with blue skin and black hair proudly proclaimed. "If you can knock down all of the pins in a single throw, you can take home your very own All Might doll!"
"Is it real?" Izuku asked in disbelief.
"It certainly is!" The student said, pointing to the tag with the foil stamp of authenticity.
"I'll try it!" Izuku said.
"Sure, that'll be 500 yen!"
Izuku happily handed over the money in exchange for three balls. He tried his hardest, but even with his months of training he was only able to get the small prizes. Defeated, he stared thoughtfully at the prize wall, before he made his selections. With a smile, the support student handed him his winnings - three keychains with little plush dolls on them. All Might for himself, as well as Thirteen and Ryukyu. Turning around, he offered them to his friends. "A little souvenir to remember today?"
Ochako brightened at the sight as she grabbed the Thirteen keychain. "Thank you, Midoriya!"
Melissa, on the other hand, was staring at the booth thoughtfully. "You really want that All Might plushie, don't you?"
Izuku felt his face heating up as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I-it's not that important, really!"
"I want to see you do it!" Ochako said as she looked at the giant All Might. She knew that these kinds of games were usually rigged, but if anyone could take it down, Melissa could!
"Alright then!" Melissa made a fist as she smiled. "I'll do it!"
Fishing out her wallet, Melissa laid out the money on the counter and got her balls. Examining the display, she charged One For All up to three percent before she threw. She landed precisely, and watched as almost all of the bottles tumbled, but a few held on. Those must be the ones that are weighted.
"So close!" The support student said as he pushed a button, and numerous mechanical arms began resetting the bottles. "But you've got two more tries."
Melissa's brows furrowed as she examined the structure, trying to adjust her aim to account for the weighted bottles. This time she used five percent of One For All, hoping the extra force would be enough.
This time, all the bottles tumbled but one, surprising the support student. "T-that was a close one, will you get it on this final attempt?"
"Of course I will," Melissa smiled confidently.
Even though she knew it was dangerous, she pushed herself to seven percent power and threw again at the same spot. The feedback hit her instantly, the muscles in her hand screaming as they tried to contain One For All's power. But she pushed the pain away as she watched the tower of pins explode in satisfaction.
"You did it!" Ochako cheered.
"You certainly did," The support student said nervously before he grabbed the hook. "I didn't think we had someone who could do it."
"Risa has a super strong quirk and is super skilled!" Ochako said, enjoying the victory more than Melissa.
"Thanks, Ochako," Melissa said as she accepted the giant stuffed All Might. "Is there anything you want?"
"Nope!" Ochako shook her head. "This is plenty for me," She held up the small stuffed Thirteen. "I'm just happy spending the day with you guys!"
"I can't accept this," Izuku said as he looked at the comically large plush in Melissa's arms.
"Well too bad, it's yours now," Melissa said as she shoved it into Izuku's arms. "Unless you want to leave it behind for someone else to take."
"N-No!" Izuku let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, but you didn't have to do that."
"No I didn't, but I wanted to," Melissa assured him.
"So where to next?" Ochako asked.
Melissa gestured further down. "They have free carnival games further down, so we can just enjoy the games."
"Yeah, let's go!" Ochako said before she took off
Izuku looked helplessly at Melissa, who offered him an apologetic smile back. "You feeling any better?"
"Yeah," Izuku said softly. "I'll talk to you later about it."
"Okay," Melissa bobbed her head before she ran off to chase her friend.
Izuku felt a strange warmth as he looked at the All Might in his arms, before he followed behind the girls, careful to avoid dropping his new prize.
Once they had played all the games, earning a small collection of stickers and custom cards as prizes, the three continued onward until they saw a number of food stalls that were manned by the business course students. Weighing their options, the three eventually settled on a booth and ordered some tea and pastries as a snack.
As they turned to find a free table, Izuku spotted Nejire consoling a distraught Yuyu next to the table in the far corner. "Aren't those your friends?"
"Yep," Melissa looked at the scene curiously. "Do you mind if we stand with them?"
"Not at all!"
"Nope!"
Silently thanking them, Melissa walked over to the table the two girls were hovering around. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Nejire confirmed. "Haya's just taking the results of the Beauty Pageant hard."
"Because Nejire lost!" Yuyu said in frustration. "She was so gorgeous and-and bright and cute and she still lost!"
"Who'd she lose to?"
"Kenranzaki," Nejire said.
"The support student?" Melissa asked before she placed an index finger on her cheek. "She always seemed to put a lot of effort into her appearance, which is odd for someone spending half the day in the workshop."
"Exactly," Nejire said with a sad smile. "If she put that much effort in, then she deserved to win."
"But I wanted you to win!" Yuyu insisted. "We worked hard on your dress and makeup."
"There's always next year," Nejire assured her.
"She's right," Melissa added. "Remember, we're not supposed to give up."
"You two are right!" Yuyu said, her demeanor suddenly shifting. "We've got two more chances to show everyone how cute you are!"
Nejire smiled at her friend. "There's the Haya I know."
"You'll help us too, right, Shield?"
"M-me?" Melissa asked in surprise.
"Yeah!" Yuyu brightened up. "You're Nejire's friend, too! You can get us the inside scoop on what Kenranzaki's planning and we can take her down!"
"Isn't that going a bit far?" Melissa asked nervously.
"Of course not!"
"Yuyu is very passionate," Nejire said fondly. "She's always ready to give it her all."
Only where you're concerned. Melissa thought playfully. It was no secret that ever since Nejire found the issue with her quirk that Yuyu has been openly crushing on their classmate. It was just a matter of time until something happened there.
Straightening up, Yuyu stretched before she smiled at the group. "I think I'm ready to face the festival again."
Nejire offered an apologetic smile to Melissa. "Sorry to keep running away from you today."
"It's ok, really," Melissa insisted. "It's not like I won't see you tomorrow, after all. You two have fun!"
"Thanks," Nejire said before she turned to her friend. "So where do you want to go next?"
Melissa watched her friends walking away when she heard her name being called. Taking her ticket, she returned to the counter and retrieved the tray of food and drinks, setting it on the table between the three of them.
Melissa and Ochako took their drinks, but Izuku just fidgeted awkwardly as he realized the table wasn't large enough to place the All Might plushie. Without chairs, the only other option was to set it on the grass, and that wasn't a great idea either.
"Umm, How am I supposed to eat?"
Melissa looked at him and giggled. "Don't want to get it dirty, do you?"
"No," Izuku admitted sheepishly.
"I know how to handle this!" Ochako said before she opened her bag. Pulling out a length of string, she tied it to one of the plush's feet before she touched it with all five fingers. The doll glowed with a faint pink light for a brief moment before it began floating. "Now hold out your arm."
Izuku did as he was instructed and Ochako tied off the other end of the string to his wrist. "There, now it won't get away!"
"Now you have an All Might balloon to carry around!" Melissa added.
"Thanks Uraraka," Izuku said as he looked up at the plush hanging in the air.
"Now then, let's eat!" Ochako said as she looked at the tray of treats in front of them.
"That was fun!" Ochako said as the three of them were leaving UA's gates.
"I'm sorry my friends didn't spend a lot of time with us," Melissa apologized. "I guess I should have been clearer when I asked."
"It's ok!" Izuku insisted. "I had a lot of fun, and I saw a lot of quirks to add to my notebook.
Both girls giggled. "I guess we should get going then, so you can get started."
Opening her bag, Melissa found her pogo stick case and handed one to each of her friends before grabbing one herself. The three expanded their devices to full size, and moments later were bouncing down the sidewalks of Mustafu.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at Ochako's apartment. Once they dismounted, Ochako collapsed her ride and offered it to Melissa. "Thanks again for today, UA is so cool!"
"It really is!" Melissa agreed as she took the device. "I'm glad you both came with me."
Ochako pulled the other two into a hug. "I'll see you two tomorrow!"
"Of course!"
"Y-yeah, see you then," Izuku said awkwardly.
Ochako seemed to miss Izuku's fumble as she turned and left, leaving the two alone. Remounting their pogo sticks, they began the journey to Izuku's house.
Once they were safely away, Izuku turned to his friend. "Do you remember how we promised we wouldn't keep secrets between the two of us?"
"Of course!" Melissa confirmed.
"Well, I've been thinking about what Yung told me, and we've been keeping two really big ones from Uraraka."
Melissa suddenly stopped, causing Izuku to fumble and almost topple over. Catching himself, he turned around and stopped next to her.
"You want to tell her about our quirks."
"Yeah," Izuku looked at the ground. "I know we promised All Might but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I don't like keeping secrets from her either. She deserves to know. We've spent enough time with her…" Izuku let out a sigh before he looked up at his friend. "She's a good person! She'd keep our secret safe, I just know it!"
Now it was Melissa's turn to fidget as she looked away. "You're right. I've just gotten so used to hiding it from everyone. But… Ochako's different." Melissa spun around. "I don't want to keep secrets from her either. Let's tell her on Sunday."
"Mhm," Izuku smiled in agreement.
As the two remounted their pogo sticks and continued onward, Izuku felt lighter. Arabele might have been putting on an act with generic advice, but he couldn't help but feel that she was right - he did feel better.
This was my first year attending a Japanese High School Culture Festival and wow, they're a lot of fun! I'd say more, but it's personal :) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this week's update! ~SupportGrrl47