Ember Sunblaze: Happy May! Sorry for the delay in this chapter. This is by far the longest chapter so far in this story so it took quite a bit to write out. I also had a birthday trip to Los Angeles that took away some writing time ^_^ WARNING: Please read the author's notes at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 28: The Morning After
The sun slowly rose over the ocean horizon, setting the stage for the second day of the Class 1-A's Okinawa trip. The first day of their trip had turned into a surprise stake-out for missing teens and had ended in a life-to-death battle between the girls and the quirked-controlled boys of the class. But the students had high hopes that today, their infamous "Free Day", would be just a normal day filled with fun and absolutely nothing dangerous or villainy happening to them. After all, it was a day where they could explore the whole island and go anywhere they want for the whole day. What could possibly go wrong?
Aizawa Sensei felt a chill run through him, despite the humid, stuffy air of the rocking bus. Midnight, who sat in the seat across the aisle from him, noticed and called out over the chatter of the students, "Not catching All Might's cold now are we?"
"No…I'm just rethinking the whole point of this free day." Aizawa grumbled, clutching the seat as the bus jerked on the bumpy road. He heard the students laughing, the motion only adding to their hyped up excitement for the day ahead.
"Now Aizawa, we're not going to have any of that." Midnight lectured, wagging a no-nonsense finger his way. "These kids completed the mission with flying colors yesterday. They deserve time to themselves to have fun!"
"Doesn't it seem like everytime we take our eyes off these kids, SOMETHING bad happens?"
Midnight rolled her eyes, pointing out, "Maybe, but we're on an island that barely has any criminal activity. You and I will be doing regular patrols, along with usual police forces. Even Vitamin C has offered to help. So just relax!" She sat back down, slyly adding. "Besides after the chemistry I saw brewing yesterday, I'll be watching these kids like a hawk."
Aizawa scowled, but knew the discussion was pointless. The free day had already been decided and they were already on a bus to Vitamin C's beach villa to have a private breakfast hosted by her in thanks for their service to the island. He could already see a glimpse of the beautiful estate from across the bay.
"Okay, listen up." Aizawa addressed the students, raising his voice. "We'll be at Vitamin C's villa soon. She invited us all here this morning as a show of gratitude so I expect you all to be on your best behavior. Understood?"
Iida lifted his arm up, immediately answering for the class. "Understood Aizawa Sensei! As class president, I'll make it my duty to make sure our class does not disgrace the hospitality of our hostess!"
"Thanks." Aizawa replied, nodding and sitting back down.
As the class resumed their bubbling chatter, Iida turned to his seatmate, Midoriya. "Wasn't it just so gracious of Okinawa's famous pro-hero to invite our class to dine with her?"
"She's not only Okinawa's most famous, but right now, the only pro-hero stationed here on the island." Midoriya added, glancing up from his notebook where he had handwritten details written about the heroine.
"I imagine it must be quite nerve-wracking to be the only pro-hero around for miles." Iida pondered aloud. "After all, in the city we have the luxury of being able to call for back-up from another agency if the need calls for it."
"I don't think it's too much of an issue here." Midoriya pointed out, "From what I've read, the crime rate here is pretty low. That's what made the case with the missing teens such a huge deal here." He opened his Okinawa guide book, showing Iida a map. "And she's not exactly the only hero around. The others are just stationed on the smaller islands of Miyako and Yaeyama. I hear that they come together during certain island festivals to perform together. It's too bad we won't be here for any of them." He gave a big yawn, rubbing his red rimmed eyes.
Iida studied him, brows furrowed in concern. "You seem quite weary, Midoriya. Did you get the appropriate amount of sleep?"
"Not really…" Midoriya admitted, stifling another yawn. "I had a pretty hard time falling asleep last night."
"Something on your mind?" Iida inquired curiously.
"Ummm, something like that." He answered, chuckling uneasily.
In reality, the excitement of acquiring a new quirk, along with his conversation with All Might concerning Uraraka had worked him up quite a bit. Not quite sure what to do with all his nervous energy, he had decided to sneak out and make a few attempts at getting the hang of floating. But getting back into the air had proved to be just as difficult as getting down.
"Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts!" Midoriya kept repeating the mantra, all the while hopping up and down like a young fledgling bird attempting flight for the first time. "Come on! Float! Float!" But none of the happy memories that came to mind seemed to have any effect. After several fruitless hours, a completely exhausted hero had decided to resort to desperate measures by reenacting the sequences of events that led to this quirk activating. This involved a blushing and completely mortified Midoriya sitting in the shadows and moving in with puckered lips towards a pillow he had deemed as Uraraka.
Whatever dignity he had left was saved by the sudden arrival of a red-eyed, sleep-deprived Bakugo poking his head out of a nearby window and furiously hissing as loudly as he dared. "Get your ass back into bed, you damn nerd! How's a guy supposed to get any sleep with you sneaking around like a weirdo!?"
A shocked and reddened Midoriya had dropped the pillow in fright, shakily replying over his shoulder. "Eek! Sorry! Sorry! I'm coming!"
After that he had abandoned further attempts at trying to activate his new quirk. Instead spending the rest of the night revisiting those moments with Uraraka, yearning for that unfamiliar feeling of her pressing against him. He thought about All Might's request, of Uraraka's confession, and the secrets that he knew he could never reveal to her. It was with these desires and worries in mind that he finally fell into a fitful slumber.
"Ohhh! Look at all the trees!" A familiar voice knocked Midoriya away from his thoughts. He glanced across from Iida, watching as Uraraka and Asui excitedly peered out their window at the assortment of fruit trees lining the path to Vitamin C's villa.
"I read that Vitamin C oversees all the care for these trees herself, kero." Asui remarked, "To make sure they produce fruits completely rich in Vitamin C."
"Woah, that's really impressive!" Uraraka replied. For a moment, her gaze shifted away to curiously glance over her shoulder.
A blushing Midoriya jumped, whipping around in hopes she hadn't caught him staring. Iida watched the interaction with an air of suspicion.
"Midoriya…you wouldn't happen to still be worried about Uraraka?" He tentatively ventured. He had assumed that the two had been on good terms based on their interactions at the party last night. However, he did notice they had disappeared for a good portion of the night, with Midoriya sending him a text about feeling tired. He had thought nothing of it at the time, but now….
"Oh, no Iida! It's nothing like that! Uraraka and I are great! Really…" Midoriya hesitated, contemplating on if he should ask his best friend for advice. "Iida's my friend and I can tell he's worried. Friends talk about things like romance, right?" The young hero actually wasn't quite sure of this fact. But even so, he shyly decided to go ahead and try his luck with Iida. "In fact…I was actually thinking that I would try asking her to hang out today so I can treat her to something. As a personal thank-you for what happened yesterday. Do you…do you think that would be weird?"
To his relief, Iida gave him a reassuring smile. "Not at all! I think she would appreciate the gesture."
Midoriya felt a rush of gratitude at his encouraging words. "But wait…if I did spend the day with Uraraka, wouldn't Iida feel left out?" He realized with a stab of guilt. "Umm…what about you? What were your plans for today?"
As if sensing his friends' unease, Iida proudly proclaimed, "Do not worry, Midoriya. As class president, my goal for today is to ensure everyone enjoys their free day to the fullest!" He pulled out a clipboard. "After doing a quick survey last night with some of our peers, I have a basic idea of what highlights they are most looking forward to seeing. And for those who are unsure, I made a detailed list of some of the top locations visited on the island."
"You did this all in one night?!" Midoriya exclaimed, scanning the list. "That's amazing."
"Not at all." Iida interjected, adjusting his glasses. "It is merely my duty as a future pro-hero to assist to the best of my abilities."
"You're doing a great job." Midoriya said, grinning. "Just talking to you has helped me a ton!" Iida smiled back, beaming at the compliment.
Ten minutes later, the class found themselves being led not into the villa itself, but through a tall wooden arch that marked the entrance to Vitamin C's personal orchard. The students gawked at the trees blooming with different types of tropical fruit. Mangos, bananas, passion fruit, along with many others that were unfamiliar to them flourished and grew in great abundance in the well kept garden.
Iida led the class, giving out strict orders as they entered. "Remember! All the produce here is hand raised by Pro-Hero Vitamin C herself, so no absolutely no touching!"
"Talk about cultivating your quirk!" Sero remarked, giving an impressed whistle as they entered.
"It's like we've walked into Eden's garden!" Yaoyorozu commented in delight.
Todoroki came up from behind him, his stoic gaze scanning the area. "It's hard to believe a pro-hero has time for agriculture."
"Come on, dude!" Kaminari said, giving him a playful nudge. "Even pro-heroes need hobbies! Right, Jiro!?" He asked, waving to her. The music loving teen murmured an inaudible reply, pulling a surprised Yaoyorozu along as she quickened her pace. Kaminari watched, his waving hand slowly lowering. "Ooo-kay?"
Todoroki followed the interaction, noticing Kaminari's grin falter. "Is…everything alright?"
Kaminari jumped, almost forgetting Todoroki was still there. "Oh! Yeah dude! Never better!" He forced a grin, cheering out, "Free day! Whoohoo!"
Up ahead, Jiro's brisk walk slowed, allowing Yaoyorozu to give her a worried glance. "Did…something happen between you and Kaminari?"
"Of course not!" Jiro snapped, her crimson cheeks giving her away.
Yaoyorozu frowned, but said nothing else about the topic. She pointed towards where Uraraka, Asui, Midoriya and Tokoyami were walking together. "Come, let's catch up to them."
Uphead head, Uraraka, Asui, Midoriya and Tokoyami were close to the front with Iida. All of them captivated by the colorful bounty before them. Midoriya was finding it difficult not to steal glances at Uraraka, who's bright smile and pink cheeks flushed in excitement were sending uncomfortable flutters to his stomach.
After everything that had happened between them the night before, he felt quite unsure of how to approach her. The revelation that she had feelings for him, along with the fact he had acquired a new quirk all still felt like a bizarre dream. "Even more so since I still haven't had a hint of the quirk returning. And with Uraraka…" Midoriya admitted, shooting another wistful glance towards her. "I know I should be over the moon happy, but I'm still not sure how I should act around her." He grimaced, remembering their last interaction that morning.
Flashback:
"Come on, hurry up!" Midnight cheerfully called out, waving the still sleepy students out of the inn and towards the waiting bus. "We don't want to leave Vitamin C waiting on us!"
"I thought this was a free day…" Kaminari drowsily mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Can't we just do what we want and just sleep in?" He gave a startled yelp as one of Jiro's earjacks prodded him.
"That's not how school trips work, dummy." She remarked, walking past him without a glance.
Exhausted and half asleep, Midoriya followed the line of students, absently going through his goals for the upcoming day. "Figure out how to activate the Float quirk….ask Uraraka out on a date…not totally mess up that date….not too hard, right? Right?" He groaned aloud, not paying any attention as he walked towards the bus and right into a startled Uraraka. The action caused both teens to gawk at each other, blushing and wide eyed as the night's events reeled through their minds at warp speed. Midoirya was the first to recover, jumping back and stuttering. "U-U-Urakaka! Sorry! I-I didn't see you! G-Good morning!"
"G-g-good morning!" Uraraka repeated, bashfully glancing down. Asui stood behind her, watching the scene with a blank stare. She poked Uraraka, snapping her back to attention. "Oh, um…you can go on ahead."
Midoriya shook his head, hastily replying. "No, no! Ladies first! You two go!"
"It's okay, we were waiting for…"
"Us!" Ashido declared, arriving dramatically with the other girls in tow. Midoriya almost felt like a lamb being looked upon by a group of she-wolves as they lined up the steps into the bus. Each of them targeting him with mysterious smirks that he couldn't quite read. He noticed Uraraka growing slightly pale, as if she could sense danger afoot.
"Midoriya." Yaoyorozu greeted, smiling knowingly at him before disappearing into the vehicle.
"Mooorning!" Jiro went next, chuckling for some odd reason.
"You got this!" Hagakure exclaimed, coming up next and pumping her fists encouragingly at a perplexed Midoriya. "Plus Ultra!"
Ashido was last, her mischievous gold eyes falling on Midoriya with devious intentions. "Midoriya! I looove the shirt!"
Midoriya glanced down at his light blue tee with the English word for ISLAND written across. "Umm… thanks?"
"Not that one!"
"LET'S HURRY AND FIND SEATS, SHALL WE!?" Uraraka loudly exclaimed, roughly cramming her giggling friends up the steps and into the bus' interior. Midoriya watched them, wondering just what all that was about.
The morning episode had left Midoriya slightly apprehensive of approaching the girls. "But I can't just give up. I wish I knew how other guys do it. I mean I was there when Kirishima asked Ashido out, but that was way too extreme! Maybe I should ask him for advice….." Midoriya was so caught up in his rambling thoughts, he failed to hear his name being called out.
"Deku?" Uraraka called out.
"Huh? WAH!" Midoriya gave a startled yelp, realizing the source of his concerns had moved right up to him, her round brown eyes blinking curiously up at him. He jumped back almost stepping off the path. He was saved by Asui's tongue shooting out and wrapping around his middle, tilting him back upright.
"Umm thanks Asui." Midoriya mumbled, embarrassedly rubbing the back of his neck.
"No problem, kero." Asui replied, her tongue flicking back into her mouth.
Uraraka shyly stepped forward, blushing slightly as she apologized. "Sorry! I really didn't mean to startle you."
Midoriya also blushed, waving his hands dismissively. "No! No! I should have been paying attention. I was just thinking of…" He froze mid sentence, his blush deepening in color.
For a moment, he felt her gaze searching him as if trying to piece together his thoughts, before asking, "I was just going to ask if you would be able to take a quick picture of us?"
"Of us?!" Midoriya repeated, voice catching. Uraraka giggled at his reaction.
"Of Tsuyu and I?" Uraraka elaborated, as Asui waved her over from where she stood next to an attractive mango tree.
"Oh, yeah of course!" Midoriya answered, watching as she ran over to join her friend. The two girls leaned in close, identical smiles lighting their faces. Midoriya held up the phone, zooming in on the two of them.
"Is it just my imagination but does Uraraka look a little… different today?" He wondered, studying her closely like he would a pro-hero. She seemed a little more made-up, wearing a pink, flowy blouse that showed off her arms and covered a pair of white jean shorts. The biggest difference he noticed was her hair, which was pinned up in the back by a small pink flower barrette. The effect gave her a very fresh, cute look…which was exactly what the other girls had been going for as they forcefully helped her get dressed earlier that morning.
"Thanks Deku!" Uraraka said, retrieving her phone and immediately scanning the picture. "Look how cute it came out!" She said, holding it up for Asui as she looked over her shoulder. The frog girl nodded, smiling happily.
"It's a good souvenir, kero!" Asui commented, adding. "You look really pretty in it."
"No way! I always look silly in photos." Uraraka laughed, playfully dismissing her compliment.
"No, it's true!" Midoriya blurted out, making both girls glance at him. He felt heat rising to his cheeks as he stuttered out, "W-W-What I mean is….that she's right. You do look nice…in the photo I mean! Like your hair! It's different today…right?" Midoriya questioned, starting to second guess his memory in his frazzled, overheated state.
Uraraka's cheeks pinkened. "Yeah it is. Tsuyu did it for me."
"I see…" Midoriya said, feeling himself relax. "I guess you decided to wear it up because of the island heat. Good call!"
"Midoriya, come see this." Tokoyami's voice called out a few feet away. He waved at the two, before walking over to meet his dark companion. Asui placed an sympathetic hand on Uraraka's shoulder.
"He's pretty slow, isn't he?"
"Just a little bit." Uraraka replied, feeling pleased despite his off cue mark on her new look. "But at least he noticed!"
Midoriya quickly joined up with Tokoyami, who stood near a cluster of heavy foliaged trees. "What's up?"
"Look! They even have apples here." Tokoyami whispered in awe, his normally stern red orbs staring wistfully up at the tall trees brimming with the delicious red delicacies.
Midoriya chuckled, amused by his friend's passion for his favorite fruit. "Apples are a great source of vitamin C, so it makes sense for her to grow some in here."
"I always thought an island's climate would be unsuited to grow apples."
"That's actually a common misconception." Yaoyorozu said, joining them along with Jiro. "There are plenty of varieties of apples that grow in tropical areas."
"I see…" Tokoyami replied, gazing back up at the juicy apples with renewed interest. "These apples seem exceptionally large compared to the ones at home."
"It's not just the apples!" Uraraka called out, gaining the group's attention. Her and Asui stood in front of a cluster of passion fruit trees. "Take a look at these passion fruits! They're humongous!"
"Everything is huge here, kero!" Asui said, eyeing the other fruits hanging above them.
"Except for these little guys!" Hagakure said, pointing to a group of what looked like stiff weeds growing out of the ground.
Ashido crouched down beside her, blinking curiously. "What exactly are they?"
"Hey! I think I know!" Kirishima exclaimed, coming up behind them. " I saw them in a guidebook! I think they called them snack pineapples. You can just peel off the flesh with your fingers and eat it on the go."
"Ohhh looks like someone was studying up last night." Hagakure teased, playfully elbowing a now crimson Kirishima. "Trying to prep yourself for the big date day?! Hmmm?"
"Well…yeah…maybe a little…BUT a man's got to take charge on these things! Right?" A blushing Kirishima quickly responded. Hagakure smirked, nudging an unnaturally bashful Ashido forward.
"I'm…looking forward to today." Ashido said, sending him a sweet smile that made Kirishima's heart pound against his chest. He swallowed, trying to fight back the nervous energy that threatened to swallow him whole.
"Yeah…me too. We're going to have a great time!" He replied, pumping his fists up determinedly.
"Yeah! Totally!" Ashido agreed, following his lead and throwing her own fists up.
Hagakure quietly edged away, giving the couple space. "Teehee! For someone who is totally into romance, she sure gets shy around her own crush." At the corner of her eye, she spotted Bakugo sulkily taking in the rear of the group. She skipped next to him, much to his utmost annoyance. "Goooood morning Mr. Pouty-Face! Not impressed with the garden?"
"It's just a bunch of fruit." Bakugo grumbled, dark circles hanging under his eyes. "Nothing worth fawning over."
"Sure you should be saying?" Hagakure asked with a sly smirk. "After all, tasting even one of these fruits might send you running to the bushes."
Her jibe at his weak stomach failed to ruffle Bakugo. He returned her smirk, his expression triumphant as he replied. "For your information, my stomach is perfectly fine now. I'll squash any fruit in this garden that comes at me!" He shot her a warning glare. "And that includes any food monstrosity you most likely had in mind for today."
Hagakure faked a shocked gasp. "Bakugo! I'm hurt you would suggest I had such a thing set in mind. The dishes I had in mind for today are merely local cuisines that I thought would be fun to try." She then whipped out her phone, zooming in on a picture of a bloody pig's head hanging on a hook outside a restaurant. "Like chiragaa!" She swiped to the next slide of a soup with a snake's head sticking out of it. "And irabu soup!" She swiped again, zooming in on a small plate covered in wide, clear eyeballs. "And of course, we can't forget the popular snack here, maguro no medama, or Tuna Eyes!" She lowered her phone, brightly asking. "They all sound yummy, riiiiiiight?"
In reply, Bakugo reached over, painfully pinching both her cheeks and stretching them to their limits as he growled. "How about I stuff those dishes down your throat and call it a day, you Airhead!"
"OOOWWW! They're juuustt suggestions! OUCHIE!!"
Her cheeks were saved by Iida sternly calling out over the heads of the other students. "You two in the back! Stop dawdling! Vitamin C is expecting us to arrive at the prompt hour of—"
"DID SOMEONE CALL FOR SOME VITAMIN C?!" A booming voice rang from the tree tops, making all the students freeze and quickly glance up. An orange blur zipped from branch to branch and then a tall, lithe woman broke through the canopy of leaves. The startled students scattered away as she landed as nimble as a feline in the middle of their group.
She stood up, revealing a tall, athletically built-woman in her late twenties, with lean muscles and sun-kissed skin. Her bright orange hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, with various tropical fruits ornamenting her hairband. Her hero costume consisted of a simple black sports bra with the words JUICEY printed in a bold white font over her boisterous bosom. She wore matching tight swimmer tights with a pro-wrestler style belt wrapped around her middle with the initials VC on the bright gold buckle. Hanging from her belt were no hero weapons, but tropical fruits of every shape and color. Along with the vitamin-packed fruits that she could easily snag from her belt or head, she was also equipped with two small silver juice packs that were attached to her forearms by flexible black straps. Topping off her attire were large pointy red sunglasses that gave her a striking, intimidating appeal. She lifted her shades, revealing friendly blue eyes that sparkled at the sight of the class. She shot them a rugged smile, proudly introducing herself.
"So you little urchins are the famed students of U.A.! Pleased to meet cha! I'm sure you're already aware of who I am, but I'll go ahead and shoot ya a reminder. " She announced, giving them a rugged smile as she proudly introduced herself. "The name's Vitamin C! Okinawa island's one and only pro-hero at your service!"
"Ooooh!" The class gasped excitedly.
"OMG! It's really Vitamin C!" Hagakure gushed, excitedly tugging on Bakugo's sleeve much to his annoyance. "Isn't she gorgeous!?"
"She's just like her photos!" Sero added from Bakugo's other side, tugging him closer. "Quick! Take a selfie with me with her in the background so I can send it to Mineta! He'll keel over when he sees!"
"Will you two get off of me!?' Bakugo hissed, pulling his arms away.
Iida quickly moved to the front, giving a stiff, formal bow to the pro-hero. "As class president, I speak for the whole class when I say it is an honor to meet you, Miss Vitamin C!" He politely held out his hand for a handshake. " We also want to give our humblest thanks for hosting a breakfast for us here in your sacred orchard!"
A roaring laugh escaped her. "Hahaha not really sure an orchard running on cow manure can be sacred! But no thanks needed!" Instead of extending her hand, her fist came forward to give him a friendly punch on the shoulder.
Well….friendly to her at least. Those closest to Iida heard the loud crack and the tense look of pain that came upon their president's face at the impact. But Iida, always the professional, kept a tight smile, forcing himself to endure her incredible strength.
"In fact…" Vitamin C continued, completely missing the cringing looks upon the students. "I'm the one who should be thanking you all." She paused, grinning widening as she spied Aizawa Sensei and Midnight approaching from the rear of the class. "OI! Midnight! Erasehead! No time no see!"
"VC! How's my favorite penpal!?" Midnight said, cheerfully waving back as Erasehead merely glared.
"That's Aizawa Sensei in front of my class." He stoically replied, eyeing Midoriya and Uraraka sympathetically patting the back of a bent over Iida. "And I would appreciate it if you attempted to keep my class in one piece."
"HAHAHAH!" Vitamin C laughed, giving Aizawa a slap on the back that had him spitting blood. "You haven't changed at all! Always sprouting out the silliest things!" The class anxiously gathered around him, terrified for their teacher's life.
"Ummmm…did you all happen to go to school together?" Yaoyorozu tentatively asked the chuckling heroine, as Aizawa furiously waved the students away.
"Only for a semester." Vitamin C answered, smirking at Midnight. "Fraid I couldn't stay too long. Island life is much more of my style." She grabbed a kiwi from off of her head band, taking a bite out of it. "But that's enough bout me! This here day is about rewarding you kiddos. Follow me!"
Like an agile monkey, she leapt back into the trees, calling down to them. "Follow me and try to keep up, if ya can!"
"Never changes, does she?" Midnight exclaimed, watching the students dash after her. "Still doesn't know her own strength."
"Tell me about it…." Aizawa wheezed, weakly trying to stand up on trembling knees.
"Come on!" Iida shouted out orders, pointing after the orange blurr. "She's heading south! Follow her! Oww!" He cringed, clutching his shoulder as the other students ran past him. Midoriya and Todoroki helped him up, as Uraraka and Yaoyorozu looked on in concern for their friend.
"You okay?" Todoroki inquired.
"I am perfectly okay!" Iida loudly answered, taking determined steps similar to that of newborn fawn. "Just need to walk it off."
"Ummm…let's get Shoji to carry you for now." Midoriya suggested, as Yaoyorozu waved their large classmate over. Uraraka watched their procession with wide eyes.
"Is Vitamin C really that strong?" Uraraka questioned, turning to Midoriya.
Midoriya nodded, also watching Shoji, Iida, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu go race after the class. "Vitamin C's quirk allows her physical abilities to be enhanced almost a hundredfold by consuming foods or drinks that contain vitamin C. That includes strength, speed, vision, smell, and even healing abilities."
"A hundredfold!" Uraraka repeated, stunned. "That's power equivalent to All Might!"
"Yeah, but the power is pretty short-lived." Midoriya explained. "Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin so it doesn't stay in our system very long. Which is why she has to carry around so much fruit on her belt."
"You really are a hero encyclopedia." Uraraka said, covering up a chuckle.
Midoriya reddened, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "Uhhh…well…you know…"
"I like that about you." She said, flashing him a reassuring smile that sent his heart thumping. She grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "Come on! The others are already far ahead!" Her eyes widened as she felt herself getting lifted off her feet, with Midoriya carrying her bridal style.
"DEKU!" She cried, unable to keep the fluster out of her voice. "WHAT ARE YOU—"
"You're not really dressed to run." Though he was blushing like crazy, there was no uncertainty as he explained, nodding towards her flip-flops. "You could get hurt running in those."
"I…guess you're right." Uraraka responded, wishing she could control her racing heart beat.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure we'll catch up!" Midoriya said, green sparks emerging from his feet as his quirk activated and he dashed down the path before Uraraka could protest. He whipped past the orchards with Uraraka clinging to him tightly, only slowing down as they came within a view of their other struggling classmates.
"Duuuudes…." Kaminari moaned, leaning against a mango tree as he tried to catch his breath. "What gives?! We're doing an endurance test and we haven't even had breakfast yet!"
Ashido flung her hands into the air, complaining aloud. "Yeah! Some of us actually got dressed up today!"
Sero tiredly hobbled past them, grumbling. "I'm starting to seriously doubt U.A. actually knows what the definition of a school trip is."
Vitamin C paused on a tree limb, casually glancing back behind her. "Oi! What's the holdup back there?! Not very hungry, eh?" She received a chorus of moans in response.
Bakugo blasted to the front of the class, glaring bales of fire at the spirited heroine. "Like I'm going to let some Tarzan wannabe beat me in speed!"
The pro-heroine lifted her red shades, blue eyes shining excitedly. "Ohh! You're a spirited one! However….." Hidden within the confines of her fruit bearing headband, she swiftly pulled out a small water gun, aiming it straight at Bakugo's oncoming face. "I'll have to please ask you to keep the fire power away from the orchard, Kaaaay?" A jet blast of orange juice shot out, knocking Bakugo straight to the ground.
He landed on all fours, growling as he shook the sticky juice off him like a dog. Hagakure ran past him, her ringing laughter further enraging him as she called out. "Hahaha! Look who got juiced!"
"CAN IT AIRHEAD!"
At last the exhausted class stumbled out of the orchard, arriving at a tropical themed decorated garden. Their mouths fell open, taking in the round tables neatly set up for their arrival, along with long tables heaving with an array of steaming breakfast dishes. Another long table held nothing but tropical fruits, along with pitchers of different mixed juices that were specialized creations of Vitamin C's making. The heroine stood before them, laughing at their haggard appearance.
"Bout time ye all made it! Thought making ya work a little would spruce up ya appetites some." She grinned, winking and banishing a hand towards the festive fare. "Go ahead and grab yourselves some grub! You earned it!" The class dashed forward, heaping their plates full of the mix of Western, Eastern and Okinawan breakfast items.
Midnight and Erasehead joined Vitamin C, arriving at their own pace along a side path. Erasehead took a survey of his disheveled class, frowning as he addressed his former peer. "Was it really necessary to drag them through your personal obstacle course?"
"Of course! What kids don't love a good morning jog?"
Aizawa merely sighed. "...just tell me which table has the coffee."
"No coffee here! Only good old vitamin filled juice to start the morning off!" Vitamin C answered brightly.
A shadow passed over Aizawa as he turned to Midnight, his eye giving an unhealthy twitch. "This was a mistake. I want to go back to the ryokan."
Before he could react, Vitamin C flung a muscled arm around him, trapping him as she directed him to the fruit table. "Come on! Let's take the time to catch up! Here! I'll even introduce you to my own mimosa concoctions!"
"Ooooh! Count me in!" Midnight chimed, skipping after them.
As the class settled into seats, plates piled high with steaming heaps of delicious delicacies, the carefree vibe began to return as they eagerly engaged in conversation of the day ahead. Jiro and Yaoyorozu moved away from the juice bar, both heading towards the girls table, where they could already see Uraraka,Asui, Ashido and Hagakure sitting together. Yaoyorozu was peering at her three glasses of different juices with keen interest. "This is so exciting! Vitamin C is famous for her blended juice recipes and their rumored health benefits. It's such a privilege to actually be able to try some!"
"It's just juice." Jiro laughed, walking beside her. "And shouldn't you be more excited about your upcoming date with Todoroki?"
"Not so loud!" Yaoyorozu shushed her, turning red. "And I told you it's not a date!"
"Yeah and I'm not convinced…ooph!" Jiro gave a soft cry as her elbow accidently knocked into someone passing by. "Oh, sorry–"
She froze, along with Kaminari, who had been walking by with Kirishima in tow. The two locked eyes, before quickly turning away, their faces identical shades of red. Kaminari gave a nervous chuckle. "Haha Ooops, my bad!"
"No…it's my fault" Jiro replied tersely, leaving him and quickly heading towards the girls table with Yaoyorozu following closely behind.
Kaminari watched her, giving an uncharacteristic sigh, shoulders falling irritably as he went to sit at a table with Ojiro, Tokoyami, Sero, Koda, Sato, and Shoji. He slouched down in his seat, the earlier hunger he had felt feeling somewhat dulled. Kirishima sat next to him, curiously asking. "Did you and Jiro have a fight or something? You both seemed kind of….off?"
"No man, we're totally cool!" Kaminari replied, quickly chomping down on a sausage piece. As he chewed, he thought about the party and the compromising position he had found himself when he was alone with Jiro. He gulped, casting a worried glance over at the girl's table. "At least…I think we are."
At the same time, Jiro went and quietly sat next to Uraraka, who was happily munching on a Okinawa specialty purple yam bread, while chatting with Asui. Ashido was seated next to Hagakure, whose plates sat forgotten as the invisible girl diligently concentrated on her task of reapplying vibrant eye-make up on her friend.
As they worked, Yaoyorozu leaned in close, gently whispering to her Jiro. "Are sure nothing happened between you and Kaminari. You both seemed fine last night and now…"
Jiro absently used her chopsticks to poke at her rolled tamagoyaki eggs. "It's seriously nothing…Hey!" She cried out as Yaoyorozu's own chopsticks came over and stole the egg roll off of her plate and into her own mouth.
"And I'm seriously not convinced." Yaoyorozu replied, glaring at her sternly. Jiro couldn't help but grin, her own words biting her in the butt.
But before she could reply, Hagakure threw down her make-up bag, loudly announcing, "There! All fixed! Kirishima won't know what hit him when he sees you!" The invisible girl declared, holding up a compact mirror for Ashido to see.
"Thanks Toru! You're the best!" Ashido exclaimed, giving her bestie a tight hug. "I totally wasn't expecting to be doing a full out workout this morning."
"I don't think any of us were, kero." Asui remarked, taking a bite of freshly chopped pineapple.
"Yeah, if I would have known that was on the itinerary, I would have at least brought sneakers along." Uraraka added, taking a sip of some shikuwasa juice.
"Oh, is that why I spied Midoriya carrying you back there in the orchards?" Hagakure slyly remarked, causing her victim to choke on her juice. "You two sure are getting cozy with each other…"
"That…That was only because it's hard to run in these shoes!" Uraraka rebuked, using a napkin to partly wipe away the juice and partly to cover her flushed cheeks. "And it's mostly both of your fault for forcing me to dress up today!"
"What's the harm in wearing a little love armor?" Ashido remarked, playfully poking Uraraka's puffed out cheeks with her chopsticks. "We need some progress after last night's tease. Plus, I'm sure he noticed the new look. Right? Right?"
"Uh…well…"
"He thought she wore her hair up because of the heat." Asui answered bluntly.
"Hahaha! That sounds just like a guy response!" Hagakure said, cackling. Ashido, however, looked aghast.
"So you haven't made any plans at all today with him?!"
"Not really." Uraraka replied, also trying out the snack pineapple. "I'm sure we'll just hang out together with the rest of our friends."
"Boooo!" Hagakure declared, making an X with her arms. "Friends equal no romantic development!"
"It's really fine." Uraraka said, playfully nudging Asui. "I really don't mind hanging with everyone." She glanced down at her drink, smiling to herself. "I'm really just glad Midoriya and I were able to get back on equal footing with each other. That in itself makes me super happy!"
"Aww, that's really sweet." Yaoyorozu remarked. The rest of the table chorused agreement, all except one.
"Nooo!" Hagakure moaned, angrily pointing her chopsticks in Uraraka's direction. "With an attitude like that I'm never going to see you two kis—!"
"STUDENTS OF U-A!" Vitamin C's booming voice sounded from the front of the gardens. The students all paused, turning to listen to the lively heroine. Behind her, Midnight sat sipping happily on a fruity orange passion fruit mimosa while Aizawa Sensei sat grudgingly sipping from a mug with the words JUICEY labeled on it. "Now that you are all settled and chowing down on our special Okinawa fare, I wanted to take this moment to give a personal shout out to U.A. You lot have did a great service to my island and the families here who have been worrying themselves sick over those missing scamps."
"Not only that, but you all saved my own self from fretting." She continued, glancing over her shoulder and grinning. "Thanks to your hard work, I even got my favorite sidekick back…ain't that right Ripper!?"
"Ripper?" Uraraka repeated, turning to Asui. "Isn't that the name of the guy you fought yesterday?"
The frog girl nodded grimly as a large splash came from the garden pond that stood behind Vitamin C. The girls at the table visibly tensed, remembering the ordeal Asui had been through against this person. However, their concern immediately transformed into pleasant surprise as an incredibly handsome, muscular young man leapt from the water, the morning sunlight glistening off of his toned, bronzed skin. He landed bare-footed next to Vitamin C, wearing nothing but black surfer tights that matched the heroine's own swim attire. A similar wrestler's belt hung from his waist, with the silver buckle bearing a large R in the middle. He shook the water from his head, casually running a hand through his, bluish-black mohawk, the spikes styled identical to that of a shark's dorsal fin.
"Daaamn! That guy is sizzling!" Ashido was the first at the table to exclaim. "I mean…I'm taken and all, but…DAMN!"
"Yeah! Talk about Oki-WOAH-wa!" Hagakure readily agreed, teasingly elbowing Asui. "No offense Tsuyu, but that dude can take a bite out of me any day!"
"I really wouldn't recommend that." Asui bluntly replied, "His mouth is pretty dirty. I had to get three injections just to keep infections from setting in."
Hagakure ignored the comment, wistfully continuing. "He's so fine, I don't think there's ANYTHING else that could make him any more appealing…"
"Favorite?!" Ripper joked, his deep voice reverberating with a clear Australian surfer dude accent. "Nah mate, I'm your ONLY sidekick!"
Hagakure gawked. "He…..HAS AN ACCENT!" She made a swooning gesture, playfully leaning against Ashido's shoulder. "I can't EVEN!" The girl's covered their mouths, muffling their giggles as they continued to listen to the hero and sidekick pair.
"A cheeky one at that!" Vitamin C teased, giving him a kicking jab to the abs. He grunted, though a smile lingered on his face as she wrapped him in a headlock, affectionately grilling her fist into his fin shaped hair. "As ya all can see, this one still has quite a bit of pup left in him. Aren't you a tad bit old to be still getting hooked to a line by a pretty voice?!"
"Nah! Nah! Can you really blame a mate?" He growled, muscles bulging as he wrestled his way out by pushing against her chin. "I only got your gnarly pipes to listen to all day! Hahaha!"
Ripper detached himself from Vitamin C's hold, brightly addressing the student audience. "G'day mates! My name's Ripper! If ya left wondering, my quirk's shark themed. Anything a shark can do, I can do pretty much the equivalent, only better I reckon! Can even talk to the beauties! I'm also the only bloke mad as a cut snake to be this sheila's sidekick." He exclaimed, giving her a friendly nudge. "Anyway, I'm hella stoked to meet ya all! As me boss lady was saying, it's thanks you lot that I've returned from my little walkabout! Ya all deffo did a banger of a job! It aint' much but take a spiz at the beach grub and enjoy your brekkie!"
An awkward pause followed his speech.
Hagakure leaned towards Ashido, excitedly whispering. "I literally have no idea what he just said….isn't that AWESOME?!"
She was not the only one slightly lost. With his thick accent and scattered native slang strewn into his dialogue, many of the students had found it difficult to comprehend what he was saying. Koda timidly raised his hand.
Ripper smirked, pointing at him. "Sca-in-on mate!?"
"Umm…what exactly is a brekkie?" He paused, adding. "Also….whatever you just said."
Ripper gave a hearty chuckle, answering. "Sorry mate! Fraid it's a bit tricky to drop me Aussie speech sometimes. No wozzas though! Brekkie is just short for breakfast and sca-in-on is…" He thought for a moment. "Hmm sort of what's going on? Is that right?" He turned to Vitamin C, clarifying his Japanese. She gave him a thumbs up and he beamed triumphantly. "Righto! Now go and enjoy yourselves mates! Afterwards, we'll take a gander at discussing ya free day plans for today!"
The class politely clapped, returning to their chatting and chowing down on their food. The girls followed suit, with Yaoyorozu remarking. "He seems very cordial."
"Cordial, amongst other adjectives." Ashido said, turning to Jiro. "Whaaat do you think of shark man up there, eh Jiro? He totally looks like the type you would go far!"
Unknownst to the girls, a certain Kaminari at the table next to theirs had been listening in to their conversation. Having heard their very first flirtatious remarks on the new dude, he found himself itching to hear Jiro's opinion on this possible new rival.
Jiro took a bite of her sata andagi, casually answering. "I don't know about that, but he's definitely got the cool vibe going on. I'm really digging those tats." She said, indicating the intricate wave tattoos that decorated his thick forearms.
One table over, Kaminari's body became encrypted in stone at the comment. Sero and Kirishima paused their cheerful banter, glancing at their cemented friend.
"Umm…Kaminari?" Kirishima inquired, as Sero poked the blonde with his chopsticks. "You okay dude?"
"Fine…." Kaminari slowly uttered. "Just…contemplating life….and getting a tattoo…"
"A TATTOO?!"
Back at the other table, as Ashido and Hagakure pressed Jiro about their new ship for her, Uraraka briefly glanced at the bandaged shoulder that was visible under Tsuyu's yellow tee and asked, "Are you doing okay Asui? Not feeling worried about meeting Ripper?"
Her friend shook her head, not at all perturbed. "Nope…it's not like he's to blame for anything."
Uraraka smiled, feeling relieved. "Just wanted to make sure."
"That's good to know because MAYDAY! MAYDAY! We have a massive hunk of a shark heading in our direction!" Hagakure excitedly notified the table. The girl's gawked as Ripper bounded over to the table, a smile splitting his handsome features as he approached.
"Heya mates! I heard this here group were the ones responsible for saving my bum! Nice to know I had a pack of beauties watching over me!" His red gaze fell on Asui. "Ah! And this must be the little sheila who took a wallop at me!" He crouched down, getting eye level with her as his tone softened. "Sorry for taking a chomp atta ya, mate. Felt mighty muzzed when I heard. If there's anything ya need today, just give me a shout."
Asui smiled, nodding. "It's okay, I forgive you."
Ripper stood up, winking as he brightly added. "Thanks mate! Though I have to say, if I had to take bite out of anyone, I'm glad it was a cutie like you!"
The clear flirtatious comment left the girls with secondhand blushes, all except for Asui who seemed quite unaffected by the charming remark. She did blink in surprise as a familiar figure appeared at Ripper's side.
"Hope this sad excuse for shark fin soup hasn't been bothering you girls." Sirius said, joining the group.
"Well isn't it Miss Croc-face herself?!" Ripper joyfully exclaimed, bumping fists with the first-mate.
"Sirius?!" Asui exclaimed, also happy to see her old friend. "What are you doing here?"
"The Captain and the rest of the crew are still in the area assisting the police with securing those underground caverns. Pretty big area so it needs a thorough investigation to make sure there's nothing else there we should worry about." She explained, smiling as she added. "But being who I am, I managed to pull a few strings with the Cap to let me help out with today."
The girls at the table shot her confused looks. "Help out with what exactly, kero?"
Sirius and Ripper glanced at each other, smirking mysteriously. "You'll see. Me and my old pal Ripper, have a little surprise planned. That is if you're all game for it!"
"Oooh! Sounds exciting!" Uraraka exclaimed, as the others nodded in interest.
At the table on their opposite side, Midoriya heard Uraraka's excited voice and peeked over. Iida, who he was sitting next to, followed his gaze, commenting. "It seems like the girls are enjoying their breakfast. Have you had a chance to speak to Uraraka about your plans for the upcoming day?"
"Not yet." Midoriya admitted, placing his chopsticks down. "I should probably have asked while we were in the orchards alone. But just carrying her around like that had me too flustered to even think of the words to say." He glanced again at the table of girls, wondering if he should just go over now and ask to talk with her. "But I feel like I would just be walking right into the lioness den."
"Well make sure you do it soon." Iida reminded him, glancing at his wristwatch. "I imagine after breakfast the class will all go their separate ways."
"Have you two decided what you're going to do today?" Todoroki asked, joining the conversation from Iida's other side.
"Not quite." Midoriya answered, "What about you?"
"I enjoyed fishing yesterday, so I plan on doing another round today. You're free to join us." Todoroki answered. He nodded towards Bakugo, who sat opposite him. "Bakugo's tagging along as well."
Bakugo, who had been too busy stuffing his face with food that had been derived from him for the last 24 hours to bother with conversation, looked up with the flame of competition erupting within. Swallowing a large mouthful of spicy sausage, he pointed a very nonthreatening butterknife at Todoroki, growling, "I'm not tagging along with anyone! I'm coming for one reason, and that's to catch more fish than you!"
"It's good to see your appetites back." Todoroki responded, ignoring the challenge and adding. "Do you know where you're going on your date today?"
"BAKUGO HAS A DATE!" Both Midoriya and Iida screamed, their juice glasses shattering in their hands in shock.
"YOU'RE TOO DAMN LOUD, YOU DAMN NERDS!" Bakugo yelled back, his face flushed with an angry burst of red.
"Oh….you didn't deny it this time." Todoroki calmly commented amid the chaos. The said butterknife zoomed past him, narrowly missing him and imbedding itself into a nearby pineapple
"GOOOOOD MORNING EVERYONE! MENSOOREE!" Sirius called out, capturing the attention of all the students and probably saving Todoroki's life. "For those not familiar with me, my name is Sirius! And I'm first-mate to Captain Selkie of the Oki Mariner. The crew helped assist with yesterday's recovery mission of the missing highschoolers. Just like with Vitamin C, my crew and I want to extend our gratitude for helping with the case. Thus, as thanks, Ripper and I are offering to lead a special excursion during your day off for those who are interested." An excited murmur of interest sounded from the listening students." She handed the mic to Ripper. "I'll let Ripper have the floor now. He'll be giving out the deets."
"Righto! So before I get started, I wanted to give you all just a quick layout of the island and the main sites so you have an idea of what you want to have a go at." Vitamin C appeared, smiling and holding up a large map of the island. "So we're currently near the capital of Naha, which lies in the southern end. This area tends to attract the main group of touries, so it's also pretty chockers around these parts. Makes a good area for crimes, which is why we stick so close. The streets here are heaps with odd shops and touries tend to have a dinkum of a good time exploring so Sirius and I will be taking ya all on a quick cruise around this area before we head to our destination."
He pointed towards a small group of islands off the western coast of Naha. "These here beauties are called the Kerama islands. About 45 minute boat ride out of the harbor, it's a right banger of a place to do a little snorkeling." He clapped his chest, proudly proclaimed. "As a self-proclaimed expert on these waters, I happen to know all the best snorkeling locations in the area." He winked, adding. "I also have a secret trick up my sleeve to get there! Hope ya grabbed cozzies mates, because it'll be a ripper of a good time!"
Sirius snatched the mic away from him, giving an exasperated sigh. "He means swimwear." She turned to the map and started explaining the rest of the island locations. "For those of you not up for snorkeling, there are plenty of other excursions you can choose from for your free day. To the south of Naha is Okinawa World, where you can take in several of the island's customs and traditions and also take a tour of Gyokusendo Cave, the 2nd largest cave in Japan!"
Ripper snatched the mic back, continuing the travel guide. "And to the north is our version of bush! Right beauty of an area! Lot of flora and critters to take a gander at! Also where you'll find our famous Churami Aquarium! Ya be able to say allo to my old cobber, Whaley, for me!"
Sirius once again grabbed the mike, finishing up. "But be warned, travel between each area can be a bit tricky, so our advice is stay near this part of the island. Will save you a whole lot of travel time. After all, we do want you all back at the villa for dinner."
"Righto!" Ripper exclaimed, lifting the mic up with Sirius still holding on, much to her annoyance. "Not only that, but we'll also have a special surprise waiting for ya, here! We'll be going off for sure, mates!"
Sirius kicked his chest, causing him to release her and the mic. She landed nimbly, once again patiently explaining, "He means you'll have a good time." She waved to the tables, advising them. "So take your time and think about what you want to do. Vitamin C has provided chauffeurs to take you to the destination you want to head to. Once you get there, there should be buses that you can grab a ride back in. Just show the driver your hero provisional I.D. and you're guaranteed a free ride."
Ripper pushed her head down, snatching the mic up and grinning triumphantly. "Also if you want to join us on our excursion, please let us know so we can get a headco-OWW!" The Aussie fell to the ground, clutching his neck in agony after Sirius's fist came up to give him a sound whomp. The first-mate stood over him, flashing her own triumphant smirk as he rolled around in pain. "CRIKEY! The sheila got me! GAWD, YOU KNOW THAT HURTS MATE!"
Vitamin C fell to the ground, rolling in laughter at her side-kick's misery. Sirius turned to the stunned audience, explaining. "Word of caution to those who ever have to deal with this bucket of chum…he has gills along his neck that stay closed up while out of water. Just give it a good jab and this is what you get." She said, flicking her thumb at the flailing shark-boy.
"DON'T TELL THEM THAT YA GREAT MUG!"
"We look forward to spending time with you all today!" Sirius finished, ignoring his jibe.
The class gave an awkward clap, instantly turning to each other to discuss where they should go. At the girl's table, Ashido turned to the others, excitedly inquiring, "So what's everyone going to do!?"
"Hmm, what do you all think about the excursion?" Jiro asked, turning to Tsuyu and Uraraka. "Snorkeling sounds pretty rockin'."
"I'm in, kero!"
"Yeah, sounds fun!" Uraraka agreed.
"I'm sure you all will enjoy yourselves." Yaoyoruzu said, smiling at the trio. "Sirius and Ripper seem like very reliable escorts."
"Sirius is really nice." Tsuyu remarked, reminiscing on how the older girl had taken her under her wing during her first year internship on the Oki Mariner. " I enjoyed working with her. Not sure yet about that Ripper, kero."
Ashido lifted her hands up, joyfully announcing. "I'm so excited! Our Okinawa vacation is finally beginning! Though I have to admit, I'm a little bummed I won't be able to hang with you all."
"Don't say that! You'll have a blast with Kirishima!" Hagakure replied, holding up her phone. "I'll make sure to take pics of everyone, INCLUDING Ripper. Look I already got an ab pic!" She held up the screen, showing a close up of a perfectly sculpted, six-pack set of abs, along with several doodles drawn over it. This included fried eggs and bacon sizzling over the abs with the words "Yummy!" scrawled out. "Isn't it cute? I made it my screen saver!"
"I LOVE IT!" Ashido squealed, sending it to her phone. "You always take the best pics."
"Don't tell me there are others like that." Yaoyorozu murmured, palming her forehead as she also got up from the table.
"Okay, we won't." Hagakure giggled as both her and Ashido added hearts and sparkles to the pic.
"What about you, Mina?" Uraraka eagerly asked. "What are you and Kirishima's plans?"
"Oh! Kirishima and I texted last night and we decided on Okinawa World!" Ashido answered, voice filled with anticipation. "It's all of Okinawa bundled into one fun theme park! The perfect place for a date! Speaking of which, I better go meet him!" She waved to them, practically skipping towards the table where Kirishima sat with Kaminari.
Kirishima flashed a happy shark-toothed smile at her approach, quickly standing up to meet her. "Hey Ashido! Ready to head out?"
"Yep!" She glanced down at the rest of the boys. "What are the rest of you planning on doing today?
"I think we were all thinking about trying that excursion with Sirius and Ripper." Sero answered. "It'll be pretty interesting to be led around by some locals. Not to mention that Sirius chick is pretty hot! Right, Kaminari?!" He said, playfully nudging Kaminari.
"Right." Kaminari dryly replied, looking rather sullen as he once again glanced towards the girls table. Something Ashido gleefully took note of.
She leaned in close, quietly whispering so only Kaminari could hear. "You know, Jiro's joining the excursion too. So try to look cool today, kay?!"
Before a shocked Kaminari could respond, Ashido tugged on a blushing Kirishima's arm, dragging him away. "Have fun snorkeling!" She called back over her shoulder, waving.
At the other table, Midoriya watched the girls getting up from the table with slight panic. "Oh no, they're heading towards Ripper and Sirius. I bet they decided to join the excursion." He glanced down at his plate, wondering if he should just abandon the mission and just join the excursion with them. "I'll still be able to hang out with Uraraka. And I'm sure she'll like to be with her friends too. I'll just…."
He froze, images of their moments together reeling through his mind. Of her confession…of their almost kiss…and of the magical moment of floating together amongst the night stars. All Might's voice filled his head, reminding him. "...Her actions today not only saved your life but also unintentionally awakened a new quirk within you." Midoriya abruptly stood up, slightly startling the other inhabitants of the table. They all watched curiously as he walked away, fists clenching determinedly at his side as he approached the group of girls. "All Might's right…I can't back out of this. Not after everything she's done for me."
Despite his resolve, he couldn't help the wave of anxiety that washed over him as the girls paused their chatter to stare at him. He watched Uraraka blinking in surprise as he nervously asked, "U-U-Uraraka…would it be okay if I talk to you alone…for a minute?"
"Uh, sure!" She answered instantly, starting to move away before the invisible hand of Hagakure stopped her.
Uraraka turned, stunned as Hagakure boldly exclaimed. "Tsk, tsk, you should know Midoriya that anything you have to say to Uraraka, you can say in front of her frien–HEY!" She complained as both Yaoyorozu and Jiro dragged her away, with Asui trailing behind. "Wait! Wait! What are you doing?! What if they kiss?!"
"I can assure you that will not happen." Yaoyorozu remarked dryly.
"Especially with you around." Jiro added.
"BUT I'M INVISIBLE!"
"AND LOUD!" They both retarded, ignoring her struggles.
Uraraka and Midoriya watched them head back to the table with identical looks of embarrassment. "I'm….sorry." Uraraka apologized. "She's….just excited about today."
"It's okay." Midoriya replied, chuckling nervously. "That's…actually why I wanted to talk to you." He gulped, finding it suddenly very difficult to look straight at her. "Why…does she have to look so cute today?!" He fretted, heart beating fast.
"I…was thinking…that maybe…I could take you out today…alone…like…on a da-da-" Somehow the actual word seemed lodged in his throat, unable to escape.
"A date?" Uraraka finished with an air of eagerness.
Midoriya gave a bashful nod, then quickly added. "But only if you don't already have plans!"
"Oh, well…" She paused, her earlier enthusiasm softening. She briefly glanced over her shoulder, and saw her friends several feet away and intensely staring right at her. Jiro even had an ear jack plugged into a tree, listening in. As their eyes met, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Hagakure all eagerly nodded, giving the thumbs up. Uraraka caught Tsuyu's gaze, trying to read her friend's thoughts. Sensing this, the frog girl shot her a reassuring smile. Uraraka returned it, turning back to a patiently waiting Midoriya.
The group of girls watched from afar as Midoriya's face split into a wide grin as Uraraka gave him her answer. The two instantly began chatting about what to do. Yaoyorozu clasped her hands together in delight. "My! My! Isn't this a wondrous day! Just look at those two!"
"Yeah, it's about time." Jiro commented, retracting her ear jack with a grin. "That drama from yesterday was starting to get old."
"Hmm, what about the drama between you and Kaminari then?" Yaoyorozu asked, smiling coyly as Jiro shot her an annoyed glare.
"Drama? Between Kaminari and Jiro? Dooo tell!" Hagakure eagerly exclaimed, clinging to Yaoyorozu.
"Okay! Okay don't you have a fish to catch?!" Jiro grumbled, pushing against an amused Yaoyorozu's back.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Yaoyorozu laughed, waving to the three. "Have fun! Wish me luck!"
"Give the fish a big sloppy kiss from us!" Hagakure called out, both Jiro and Hagakure making kissing faces at her.
Yaoyorozu's waving hand lowered, turning away to hide her reddening face. "Those girls!" She huffed, though she couldn't keep her lips curving in amusement at their antics. "I hope they enjoy themselves." She quickly assessed her outfit, wondering if it was proper attire for fishing. She decided to go with a simple look of short khaki shorts, along with a light blue sleeveless button-up blouse. "Perhaps I should have chosen something a little more flashy like with Ashido and Uraraka?" She patted her cheeks, admonishing herself. "What are you thinking?! This isn't like that at all! Todoroki is just giving me a fishing lesson! Nothing more!"
She glanced up, spying Todoroki waiting near a set of mango trees, a fishing pole in hand. She waved at him, her cheeks flushing in delight. "Though…I can't deny the fact that I'm happy we'll be spending time alone…." Her eyes widened, as a scowling Bakugo appeared next to him with a fishing pole in hand. "...together?"
Bakugo shot her an annoyed glance as the color drained from her face. They pointed, exclaiming in unison."EHH? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Todoroki calmly moved in between them "I invited Yaoyorozu to join me today." He explained, "She's never been fishing before, so I thought she would enjoy learning."
"Say what?!" Bakugo snapped, looking ready to snap his pole. "You never said she was coming with us today!"
"Should I have?" Todoroki asked, with a confused head tilt.
"YES!"
Yaoyorozu held up her hands, trying to calm her classmate. "I apologize if there was a misunderstanding. I don't mind doing something else today…" She stiffened as Todoroki's hand grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.
"No. There's no reason for you to go." Todoroki stated, piercing blue gaze turned to her. "I want you to stay."
"DON'T SAY SUCH THINGS SO CASUALLY!" Yaoyorozu internally screamed, his words stabbing into her heart. She turned her face away, hoping he wouldn't notice her reddening complexion. "Well…if you insist….I don't mind staying."
She peeked at Bakugo. The blonde tsked, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "It's not like you being there is going to change anything. I'm still going to catch the most fish today and don't think I'm going to go easy on you just cause you're a newbie!"
"I'll…keep that in mind." Yaoyorozu replied, glad to see he didn't make a fuss. She caught Todoroki's gaze and they both smiled. He held a fishing pole out to her.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes!"
As Yaoyorozu settled with her fishing group, Jiro turned to Hagakure and Asui. "So shall we head over and let Ripper and Sirius know we'll be joining the excursion?"
"Let's do it!" Hagakure agreed. Asui, however, hung back.
"You go on ahead." She replied with a neutral tone. "I'm going to finish up my plate."
"Oh, sure." Jiro replied, with a slight hint of surprise. "We'll just let them know you'll be coming."
Asui nodded, silently walking back to the table. "Guess it's just you and me then." Jiro said, turning to Hagakure.
"Yep!" She replied, not fazed by Asui's odd behavior as they made their way towards Ripper and Sirius. The two sidekicks were already speaking with a group of their classmates who all wanted to participate. Included in that group was an unenthusiastic Kaminari. Sero, who stood next to him, grinned at their approach.
"Hey! You girls tagging along?" Sero asked.
"We sure are!" Hagakure answered, imitating Ripper's accent perfectly. "Isn't that right, mate?" She giggled, elbowing a startled Jiro, who had been busy watching Kaminari.
"What's eating him?" Jiro silently wondered, noticing he seemed rather disgruntled, not even turning to look her way. "Yeah…" she replied, casting Kaminari a curious glance. "Are you going too?"
Kaminari shrugged, trying to sound uninterested. "I'm not sure—" He was cut off as Ripper threw a large arm over his shoulder.
"Yeah, deffo this mate is going!" The sharked-quirked sidekicked answered, giving Kaminari a friendly squeeze that unintentionally choked against his windpipe.
"Dude….so heavy!" Kaminari wheezed, his knees almost buckling beneath him.
"Him and his mates all just signed up together before ya all rocked on up!" Ripper said, quite unaware of the struggle he was putting Kaminari through. His eyes suddenly lid up as his gaze fell on Jiro. "Crickey! Is that a Cranky Roo shirt I spy?" He released Kaminari, bounded over and excitedly pointed at the purple tank that Jiro wore that bore the words "ROO!" in red.
"Uh, yeah. It is." Jiro answered, glancing at her attire. "My dad got it for me as a souvenir from one of their concerts. He knows I'm a fan of a few of their albums."
"Crikey! I didn't think ANYONE from out of me home turf knew about that band!" Ripper exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. Beside him, Kaminari watched the interaction with unease, Jiro's flattering comments on the male sidekick still fresh in his mind.
"For your information, our girl Jiro here is our classes' music connoisseur." Hagakure proudly remarked as she leaned against her friend's shoulder. "She listens to EVERYTHING!"
"Toru—" Jiro whispered, feeling embarrassed.
"What!? That's super banging!" Ripper gushed, giving her friendly wink. "I have a good ear myself! Even have me own band!"
"Woah! No way!?" Jiro exclaimed, her own eyes now sparking with interest much to Kaminari's dismay. "You have time for that even though you're a sidekick?"
"You betcha! With crime on the island pretty low, I get a good bit of free time on my hands." Ripper explained. "Even to play a few gigs here and there."
"Look at that!" Hagakure whispered, giving Jiro a suggestive nudge. "He plays in a band!" Kaminari fumed.
"If ya spunky sheilas want, I can show ya few of our songs on the excursion." Ripper offered, "If ya all are deadset on tagging along?"
"Yeah! We were actually planning on signing up, along with our friend, Tsuyu Asui." Jiro replied.
"Tsuyu Asui?" Ripper repeated, handing Jiro and Hagakure a clipboard to sign. "I reckon that name sounds familiar—"
"The girl you bit, you big drongo." Sirius dryly reminded him, giving his head a firm tap with her clipboard.
"Ah, righto…." Ripper said, giving a guilty chuckle. He glanced around, asking Jiro and Hagakure. "Where is the little frog girl, anyway?"
"I think she's still at the table." Hagakure cheerfully answered as she filled out the safety waiver forms. Ripper glanced in that direction, pointed teeth twisted into a frown.
Asui gave a sigh, her chopsticks absently poking the few morsels of food left on her plate. Her wide eyes surveyed her classmates and the excited buzz that surrounded them of the exciting day ahead. She spied Jiro and Hagakure chatting with the students joining in on the excursion. And not far off, she could see Yaoyorozu amusedly watching Bakugo and Todoroki bickering over a fishing location. But she found no matter how much she tried to distract herself, she couldn't pull her gaze away from the people she was mostly trying to distance herself from.
She dipped her head, casting a curious glance to the far end of the garden where she could just barely see Uraraka and Midoriya talking near a neat row of pineapples. The two were bent over, shoulders lightly grazing each other as they peered over a guidebook together. The action was innocent, but Asui was aware that it was physical contact that they would have been careful to avoid just a mere day ago.
"They've gotten closer since last night." Asui quietly commented. The frog girl had been surprised at Uraraka's confession to him. Even more so that she had openly admitted it to the other girls and had even told them about her and Midoriya's almost kiss.
"Ochako's gotten bolder with her how she feels…." Asui noted, grimacing as she wished this uncomfortable feeling from within would go away. "...I'm jealous."
"What's a beauty like ya doing with such a long face, eh?" Asui broke away from her thoughts, glancing up to find Ripper grinning down at her. "It's Tsuyu right? Tsuyu Asui?" He asked, placing both hands on the table and leaning towards her. "Mind if I call you Tsu-chan–CRIKEY!"
Ripper was pulled back by the chain of his shark tooth necklace by an annoyed Sirius. "No, you may not." She answered for Asui, releasing him. "Now move your fins! This is a girls only table."
"Now wait one bloody minute you snappy croc!" Ripper argued, "I was here first–"
"You know that guy who froze you in a sheet of ice?" Sirius cut him off, pointing to where Todoroki and Bakugo stood peering over a map. "That's him."
"Ya fibbin'!" Ripper exclaimed, whipping his head around like an excited puppy. He jumped up, loudly calling out in delight. "HEYA MATE!" Todoroki had just enough time to glance up before he found himself being pulled into the strong arms of Ripper.
"So you're the little devil that took me on a bung on a blue!" Ripper said, lifting him up like a rag doll to inspect. "And look at that! Not a scratch on ya! I reckon ya must have some saltie blood in ya, with tough skin like that!"
"I….what?" Todoroki uttered, staring down blankly at him.
"Good on ya mate!" The shark sidekick lowered him, giving the top of Todoroki's head a good-natured noogie. "Plus that ice of yours was super gnarly! Talk about chilly! I actually had to put a shirt on!"
Todoroki took the affectionate abuse in a state of mild confusion. "Umm is this…a fight?
"No, no!" Yaoyorozu quickly answered, taking a quick picture on her phone. "If I remember correctly, I believe this is how male Westerners show brotherly affection."
"HEY! HANDS OFF HIM! YOU DERANGED DOLPHIN!" Bakugo yelled, repeatedly whacking the back of Ripper's back with his fishing pole.
Sirius shook her head, sitting across from Asui. "No worries about Ripper there. He's a big lug, but he means well." She smiled across the table at Asui, adding. "I didn't get a chance to say this earlier, but I'm really glad you're okay. I'm not going to lie, it gave the crew and I quite a shock seeing you mangled like that. You even had the Captain's whiskers in a knot!"
"I'm sorry." Asui apologized, truly feeling bad for worrying everyone.
Sirius waved her hands dismissively. "Nah don't be! We're so proud of what you did! I'm not lying when I say, not a lot of heroes can swim away from a battle against Ripper unscarred, especially in his own turf. You should feel really proud of yourself. Without you, your friends would have been in deep trouble. Speaking of which…" She asked, blue eyes shining mischievously across at Asui. "Where's Uraraka at? Last time we were on a mission together, you two seemed awfully close."
"She's…over there." Asui answered, her tone neutral. Sirius glanced in the direction she indicated, lips curving into a smile.
"Aww…high school romance. Now that takes me back." Sirius said, sighing nostalgically. "Someone good I hope?"
"Midoriya is a good friend." Asui quietly remarked, glancing down at her cup of juice. Sirius rested her chin in her palms, studying her as she continued. "And Uraraka has liked him for quite a while. I'm happy she was able to confront her feelings and confess."
"Buuuut…." Sirius knowingly pressed.
"It's just….ever since she's exposed her feelings to him…I've felt…" Asui tried to find the word for it. "...uneasy?"
"Isn't it because…." Sirius ventured, her dark blue gaze piercing into Asui. "Uraraka…is more than a friend to you. Isn't she?"
Asui's eyes widened. She lowered her head, mulling over this claim. "Maybe, kero." She answered, after several moments of silence, causing Sirius to grin triumphantly. "But!" Asui added firmly. "Even if that's the case. I don't want anything to change between Uraraka and I. I like the friendship we have. And besides…" She turned to stare at Uraraka and Midoriya. "I've already realized long ago that there's only one person who can make her smile in that way."
Sirius followed her gaze, noticing the soft smile that lingered upon Uraraka as she spoke to Midoriya. It added a glow about her. One that came with the ecstatic feelings of engaging with the target of your affections.
"You know, Uraraka is lucky to have a friend like you." Sirius remarked to Asui.
The frog girl looked unconvinced. "I don't think so, kero. If I was I would be more happ-"
"Oh no, you don't!" Sirius chided, wagging a stern finger at her. "None of that talk! It's okay to be annoyed with your friends every once in a while. But instead of moping about it, let's you and I have fun together today!" Sirius said, coming around and pulling Asui to her feet. Her junior stared at her.
"Thank you, Sirius. You're always so nice to me." Asui stated, finger propped on her chin. "Why is that?"
A small blush rose on the first mates' cheeks. She waved her hands dismissively, giving a flustered response. "Ahh, it's really nothing! After all, you're basically a non official member of the Oki Mariner crew so it's my duty to take you under my wing!" She grabbed Asui's hand, pulling her along towards where the rest of the students waited to join the excursion. "Come on! Let's get you ready!"
The three pro-heroes sat together, watching from their table as the students divided themselves into different groups. Their excited chattering and eager expressions were clear of the anticipation each one of the students felt for the upcoming day. Vitamin C nodded in prideful satisfaction as Ripper and Siren helped direct the different groups to the awaiting chauffeurs to drop them off to their locations.
"Looks like you're students are pretty much paired up and raring to go!" She exclaimed, turning to her comrades. "Now what's left is for us to decide which areas we'll patrol."
"I don't know!" Midnight moaned, cheeks already flushed as she took a large swig of her mimosa. "There are so many choices! Kirishima and Ashido are on their first date so you know there's bound to be some action! But I also saw Uraraka and Midoriya paired off together and they've had their share of drama so there's a good chance that can escalate! And then that Ripper is quite a looker, so I really wouldn't mind tagging along with—HEY!" She protested as Aizawa took her mimosa cup and poured the contents into the grass.
"No need to worry, you're patrolling with me." Aizawa point-blankly stated, pulling a pouting Midnight to her feet. He turned to Vitamin C.
"We'll take the areas north of Naha for now."
"Sounds good! Then I'll take the southern parts!" Vitamin C replied, tossing him some car keys. "Here! Go ahead and use my personal car for your convenience!"
"Then what are you going to use?" Aizawa asked.
Vitamin C took a whole orange off her belt, biting straight into it, peelings and all. "Are ya kiddin'?" She grinned, her tongue swiping the juice from her lips as she replied. "This is my usual morning jog!" As she spoke, her legs glowed with a bright orange aura, her muscles bulging out to twice their normal size. "Meet ya at the beach! Later! " She gave them a two finger salute, before dashing off and leaving a thick cloud of dust behind.
And so with everyone now heading to their destinations, Class 1-A's free day had officially begun.
Author's Notes:
Chiragaa: A smoked pig face dish that is sold at local Okinawan markets.
Irabu-Jiru: A sea snake soup that is made from a black-banded sea krait. This dish is a Okinawan specialty that was part of the royal court cuisine. It's fairly uncommon and only served at a few restaurants due to the dish taking quite a while to make (I believe the meat has to be smoked for about a week?) The snakes are usually hand caught by locals on the tiny island of Kudaka. And no, the soup doesn't usually have the head of the snake looking at you. That was added merely for comedy sake only ;)
Tuna Eye: Literally tuna eyes on a plate. Usually found in casual izakaya restaurants. Usually a side dish along and pairs well with alcoholic beverages (from what I've read)
So there was a lot of Australian slang drizzled into this chapter. Here is a list of some terms and their meanings:
-Walkabout: used to say that something or someone cannot be found.
-Deffo: Definitely
-Squizz: To look at something (Have a squizz at this!)
-No Wozzas: No worries!
-Wallop: punch
-muzzed: messed up
-Mensore: This is actually an Okinawa greeting meaning "Welcome"
-Touries: Tourists
-Chockers: crowded
-Heaps: "very" or "a lot"
-Dinkum: True/real/genuine
-Ripper: really great as in "I had a ripper time on holidays!"
-Cobber: An old friend
-Going off: A party that is lots of fun
-Mug: Friendly insult
-Rocked: Arrive or turn up
-Bong on a Blue: Get into a fight
-Saltie: The Australian's affectionate term for a saltwater crocodile
-Good on ya, mate: Good job!
I hope this list helps! Again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the new characters ^_^